"Shall I not wear my armor? I shall wear it with my comrades. The king is leading his army; sharpen my spears and lances. With you, we shall share our hatred! Shall I not wear my armor? I shall wear it with my fellows. The king is leading his army; sharpen my spears and halberds. With you, we shall stand together! Shall I not wear my armor? I shall wear it with my fellows. The king is leading his army; sharpen my spears and halberds. With you, we shall stand together!"
The three thousand soldiers of the Yan army's White Tiger Camp, under the command of their camp general Zhou Fugui, marched out of the barracks, singing their military songs loudly as they advanced, drawing the attention of various Yan army units.
It seemed these doomed men had quite high morale. It was rare to see people marching to their deaths with such spirit, such joy... Many Yan soldiers secretly chuckled.
"I say, Camp Supervisor Zhou, you seem quite happy?" Albugu, the camp general of the Daredevil Camp, leading a group of cavalry, happened to catch up. Seeing the scene, he couldn't help but rein in his steed and mock Zhou Fugui and his men: "Are you going to a banquet, or are you off to rob money and women?"
"Hahahaha!" Albugu's subordinates roared with laughter.
The assembled troops were not only mocking Zhou Fugui and the White Tiger Camp, but also anticipating the looting and ravishing of Southern dynasty women after the city fell...
"Whether it's a banquet or robbing money and women, one has to be quick, doesn't one?" Zhou Fugui replied with a smile on his horse. "What's your name again, Camp Commander A? You'd better be quick too, or you won't even get the leftovers."
Zhou Fugui was sarcastically referring to Albugu's habit of hiding behind the lines at the start of a battle and being the first to flee when things turned unfavorable.
"Hahahaha!" Upon hearing this, the soldiers of the White Tiger Camp erupted in hearty laughter.
"Hmph, just a dead man leading a bunch of condemned prisoners to their deaths," Albugu snarled angrily after hearing this, then whipped his horse and rode away.
At this moment, the rumors between Zhou Fugui and Murong Huaying, the beloved daughter of Murong Bolie, were spreading like wildfire in the army. Murong Huaying had visited Zhou Fugui multiple times, leading to the rumor that after this battle, Murong Bolie would betroth Zhou Fugui to his daughter as his son-in-law... Albugu was both angered and helpless.
If Zhou Fugui truly reached that position, he would undoubtedly step all over Albugu, who would be powerless to resist.
How could he get rid of this detestable man? Albugu pondered this while galloping his horse.
"Hmph, dead man, condemned prisoners? We'll see who ends up dead and who ends up alive," Zhou Fugui snorted coldly, then waved his hand and ordered, "Continue marching. Feng Cheng, lead the scout flags to reconnoiter."
"Your subordinate obeys!" Feng Cheng loudly acknowledged the order and led the scout flags to disperse in all directions for reconnaissance.
The White Tiger Camp continued to march forward.
"Boom... Boom... Boom..."
"Wuu... Wuu... Wuu..."
After Zhou Fugui led the White Tiger Camp for about three to four li, they had essentially reached the battlefield. The closer they got to the battlefield, the louder the sounds of gongs, drums, and horns became. The continuous beating of drums and blaring of horns were deafening, accompanied by the shouts of men and neighing of horses, the loud commands of various generals, the sound of footsteps, and the clanging of weapons and armor. It was a cacophony, and generals had to shout loudly for their subordinates to hear their orders.
Zhou Fugui could even smell the blood-soaked air of the battlefield, almost feeling its carnage and brutality.
"Camp Commander..."
As Zhou Fugui led the White Tiger Camp to the summit of a hill, Li Qing, the camp's record keeper, pointed at the majestic Guangling Commandery city and the plain before its north gate, almost speechless.
The sky was clear and cloudless that day. Under the clear sky, looking down from the hillside, the majestic Guangling Commandery city stood on the river plain, guarding the Yan army's southward path. The city of Guangling Commandery presented itself to Zhou Fugui and the others as a gleaming white, adorned with lingering snow. Most importantly, the Summer army and civilians of Guangling had hung white cloth all over the city. The entire city was in mourning, commemorating the assassination of the old Guangling Commandery governor, Huang Yanlin, by the Yan army. It also signaled the determination of the Guangling army and civilians to fight the Yan army to the death, mourning Huang Yanlin as if mourning themselves.
The army and people of Guangling Commandery had resisted the Yan army for as long as four months. Their food supplies were nearly depleted, and arrowheads were almost all gone. The only things they had in abundance were bricks and stones, salvaged from demolished civilian homes.
The army and people of Guangling Commandery knew very well that the final hour had arrived. At this moment, they could no longer withstand the fierce assault of the Yan army. The city's fall was imminent, yet the army and people of Guangling Commandery refused to surrender, vowing to fight the Yan army to the death.
On the plain before the city of Guangling Commandery, the Yan army had constructed ten towering "artillery platforms," which were trebuchets. Ten trebuchets, resembling giant monstrous beasts, were placed on high stone platforms, almost level with the Guangling city walls, forming a semicircle around Guangling Commandery. Below the stone platforms were fortifications made of sandbags and stones, as well as the Yan army defending the trebuchets.
Between the trebuchets stood several massive Yan army formations, teeming with people, standing silently before the city of Guangling Commandery, awaiting the order to attack.
The formations were in attack formation, divided into vanguard, center, rear, left, and right armies – five armies in total. They formed an impenetrable front, flank, and rear.
Tens of thousands of Yan army light cavalry patrolled back and forth on the flanks and in front and behind the formations, assisting in the siege or resisting harassment from hidden Summer troops or reinforcements.
Within the formations were countless archers, shield-bearers, spearmen, chariot troops, and more, densely packed, enough to make one's hair stand on end.
Within the formations were mobile catapults, siege rams, scaling ladders, siege towers, arrow carts, and moat-crossing vehicles, standing like beasts within the formations.
Colorful banners fluttered everywhere within the ranks.
Murong Bolie had now resolved to break through the city of Guangling Commandery and had deployed his troops without regard for cost.
"Move!"
Zhou Fugui was stunned by the magnificent siege scene. After a long pause, he finally waved his hand and ordered the White Tiger Camp to advance.
The White Tiger Camp's battlefield was not on the main assault front.
"Deputy General Zhou!" At this moment, a Yan army messenger on horseback galloped up and shouted orders to Zhou Fugui: "The Commander orders you to attack at the opportune moment. Any disobedience will be punished by death!"
"Understood!" Zhou Fugui glared at the messenger and then led his troops down the slope.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
As Zhou Fugui led his troops down the slope, he heard several loud noises in the distance and couldn't help but look back.
Zhou Fugui saw several black dots appear in the sky.
Among the ranged weapons of this world, the ten trebuchets were the first to hurl stones, launching the attack and thus commencing the Yan army's siege.
Countless Yan army strongmen toiled beneath the trebuchets, loading stone projectiles, winding the arms, and pulling levers to launch stones ranging from tens to hundreds of pounds into the air, which then smashed into the city of Guangling Commandery.
The stones fell from mid-air, carrying immense kinetic and potential energy, whistling as they descended and striking with resounding thuds.
On the north gate wall of Guangling Commandery, there were five towering watchtowers. The Yan army trebuchets first targeted these five watchtowers. Large stones fell from mid-air, smashing into these towers with loud roars. The immense impact caused the entire city of Guangling Commandery to seem to shake. One of the watchtowers, unable to withstand the continuous assault, collapsed with a crash, sending bricks and stones flying. Dust billowed upwards, and amidst the flying dust were Summer soldiers struggling in agony or screaming loudly. Of course, only the living screamed; the dead were either reduced to pulp or had bones broken, long past making any sound.
The Yan army's trebuchets attacked for a considerable time before destroying three watchtowers on the city walls of Guangling Commandery. Bricks, stones, and debris filled the entire wall ramparts. Yet, on the ramparts, apart from the injured Summer soldiers struggling and groaning, there was silence, as if the Yan army's trebuchet attack had already broken the Summer army's defense.
Standing on high ground, surrounded by over a hundred Yan army generals, Murong Bolie's expression was impassive. He slowly drew his saber, then pointed forward.
"Advance!"
"The entire army advances!"
"Those who retreat half a step will be executed!"
"Let us press forward with all our might and capture Guangling Commandery!"
"The first to scale the city wall will be promoted to ten thousand households and rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold!"
Countless Yan army messengers galloped in all directions, loudly relaying Murong Bolie's orders.
"Boom... Boom... Boom..."
"Wuu... Wuu... Wuu..."
The deafening sound of drums and horns rang out again.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
The Yan army assault formations pushed forward siege rams, scaling ladders, siege towers, arrow carts, and moat-crossing vehicles, roaring low, wielding various weapons, and slowly advancing towards the city of Guangling Commandery.
The low roars were meant to bolster their own courage and to intimidate the Summer army.
The city walls of Guangling Commandery were eerily silent. This, in turn, made the Yan soldiers' hearts pound with apprehension, unsure of what was about to happen.
"Rise!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"The men of Jianghuai are resolute in death; they will never bow to the barbarians!"
"Sons of Jianghuai, behind us are the Empress Dowager, His Majesty, our parents, our siblings, our children! We will die here today, not taking a single step back!"
When the Yan army assault formations were about fifty paces from the moat, the sounds of gongs, drums, and horns erupted from the city walls. A Summer army commander in white armor and white robes, holding his long sword high, shouted orders. Countless Summer army soldiers in red armor rose from the city walls, either drawing bows to shoot arrows or throwing stones and javelins. The trebuchets and ballistae on the city walls also hurled stones and fired arrows.
The army and people of Guangling Commandery had been defending it for four months, and their remaining arrows and javelins were extremely limited. Therefore, the Summer army did not engage in ranged combat, waiting until the Yan army's assault formations approached the city before revealing themselves to attack.
The two remaining Summer army watchtowers also fired countless arrows, and on the rubble of the three collapsed watchtowers, many Summer archers suddenly appeared, lying prone or kneeling on the rubble, drawing their bows to fire at the Yan army.
Suddenly, both sides unleashed a barrage of fire, a myriad of arrows flying through the air, vast quantities of large stones obscuring the sky, carrying immense kinetic and potential energy, whistling as they descended and striking with resounding thuds, countless arrowheads flying into the air, almost blocking out the sun.
A large banner was erected on the city wall, bearing a massive character for "Death" in bold, striking display.