The seventh day
Thick smoke billowed from both inside and outside the city. Although it was noon, the bugles continued to sound. The city walls had turned into a meat grinder. Cries of death, cries of pain, and the sound of flesh being pierced could be heard. Corpses of enemies and allies were piled up at the foot of the city. Blood soaked through the bricks of the city and seeped into the ground.
The signaller reported back and forth.
"The third battalion of the five constabularies has lost more than thirty percent of their men. Retreat. Fourth, Fifth and Sixth battalions will replace them!"
"The first and second battalions of the six constabularies are ready to move out!"
"Scaling ladders and shield carriages have lost more than thirty percent of their men. Requesting reinforcements."
"Lieutenant Liu Shi has been struck by an arrow and died!"
Pei Zi Yun's face was gloomy. In just a few days, he had accumulated a strong killing aura around him. He sighed in his heart.
In ancient times, cities and prefectures were built with canals and canals. Even if they had multiple soldiers, it would still be difficult to take them down.
Count Zhong Qin suddenly spoke, "It's only been seven days and our army has lost five thousand men."
"Half of them can recover and return to the army. The rest can't be helped." Pei Zi Yun sighed and asked, "What do the spies in the city say?"
"They're keeping a close watch on us and it's hard to find an opportunity."
"Hm, they're just trying to avoid us." Pei Zi Yun's face darkened and was about to speak when he heard a loud "boom". He hurriedly looked over and saw that a stone had struck a tower. It was unknown where it had landed, but it had collapsed, revealing a crack in the wall. The battlefield was silent for a moment before the soldiers on his side cheered, "The city has been breached, the city has been breached."
In the blink of an eye, the surrounding soldiers charged in while the enemy resisted.
Pei Zi Yun suddenly ordered, "Go and shout, the spies are still not turning on us? The spies are still not turning on us? "
"Yes!" A group of soldiers charged forward and shouted, "The spies are still not turning on us? The spies are still not turning on us? "
As soon as they shouted, the city could no longer hold on. Cries of killing could be heard as many soldiers turned on them. Chaos ensued. Those who had been defending the crack in the wall finally gave up.
"Boom!" The soldiers finally surged in like a tidal wave. The situation was irreversible. In a split second, the city was filled with cries of death. Someone reported, "Our army has surrounded and intercepted them. Dong Man's remaining troops are fighting to the death. They are retreating as they fight. They are now attacking along the streets."
According to the intelligence reports, the remaining soldiers were all determined to die. They fought to the last man and almost no prisoners were left. Some of them were quite skilled in archery and martial arts, so they caused a lot of casualties.
"This thief is so brave?" In reality, Pei Zi Yun was astonished. Even at this stage, Dong Man and the rest of the troops were still resisting. This was the talent of a great general!
"When a dragon is in the shallows, he will be toyed with by the prawns. When a tiger is in the plains, he will be bullied by the dogs. If it wasn't for Ji Bei Hou, who was in the right place at the right time, he would have had the chance to become a dragon."
Just as he was thinking about this, he saw smoke billowing out from the houses. He sighed, "If the city doesn't fall, the people will suffer. If the city falls, the people will suffer too."
Ren Wei, who was accompanying him, sighed as well, "Young Master, this disaster was caused by Ji Bei Hou. It's not your fault."
However, no matter how much they resisted, there were only a few hundred soldiers left. The more they fought, the fewer soldiers there were. Gradually, the city became more and more peaceful. There were more and more soldiers entering the city. Those who had turned on their weapons and surrendered were all under surveillance. The streets were lined with soldiers, and the commoners were all locked up, not daring to come out.
Pei Zi Yun arrived at the city. Other than the faint sounds of battle, it was quiet and desolate. He followed the troops and saw the Governor's Mansion.
"Dong Man has been injured. There are still a hundred soldiers inside." An officer reported.
"Kill, kill your way in!" Pei Zi Yun had elite soldiers by his side, all of them were fully armored. There were more than a thousand of them. At this point, they killed their way in. With such a strong army, the people inside could not hold on any longer and started to retreat.
Within moments, more than a hundred soldiers had died in battle. There were only about thirty people left in the mansion. These soldiers retreated to a hall. They were all injured and covered in blood. However, they refused to surrender and were prepared for the final battle.
Although Dong Man was clad in armor, he had sustained several injuries. There were even a few arrows stuck in his body. He didn't pull them out. He sat on a chair and pulled out a gleaming sword.
"My Lord, as long as the sword lives, the man lives. If the sword dies, the man dies." Dong Man mumbled to himself. This was a gift from Ji Bei Hou. Perhaps Ji Bei Hou had forgotten about it, but he had always carried it with him. It had not left his side for many years. Now it was his turn.
"General, Pei Zi Yun has entered the courtyard." Before the soldier could finish reporting, Pei Zi Yun said, "I've met General before. Why don't we meet now?"
"Hm!" Dong Man straightened his robes and walked out of the hall to look at Pei Zi Yun.
Pei Zi Yun smiled and bowed slightly, "It was not my intention to meet here. However, General can still turn back. As long as you can redeem yourself and follow me to kill Ji Bei Hou, the Imperial Court will not pursue you. I can also protect a good general for the country, and not leave any regrets. How about that?"
Dong Man's entire body was covered in blood as he glared at Pei Zi Yun. It was impossible for him to resist, but he refused to surrender. He then said, "Master Hou promoted me all those years ago. He promoted me from a lowly soldier to a general. Even if I die, I will not be able to repay that. Besides, life and death are all up to fate. Defeat is defeat. I have lived for over ten years. I've eaten, I've drunk, I've slept with beauties, and I've killed countless people.
As he said this, he turned around to face his soldiers, "I've implicated all of you. I can only repay you in my next life."
As soon as he finished speaking, Dong Man turned towards the direction of the city and kowtowed, "My Lord, Dong Man shall die today."
As soon as he finished speaking, he unsheathed his sword and sliced it across his neck. His movements were swift and ruthless. "Pu!" Half of his neck was sliced open, as fresh blood splattered everywhere. He fell to the ground as his body twitched uncontrollably. The sound of bellows could be heard as blood flowed out continuously.
"General!" The remaining thirty or so men all committed suicide as well. At that point, the entire palace was littered with corpses.
The entire courtyard was so quiet that even the sound of breathing could be heard. Pei Zi Yun sighed, "It's a pity that such a man had betrayed his loyalty. There's no need to behead him. Let's bury him."
"Pass down my orders. Immediately order the commoners to repair the city walls. The entire army is to rest and recuperate." Pei Zi Yun walked a few steps before speaking out. He then looked at the city and laughed coldly, "Ji Bei County has fallen. Ji Bei Hou, how are you going to deal with this?"
Ying Prefecture, High Duke's Mansion
Shen Zhi's face was gloomy as he followed Ji Bei Hou inside. Seeing his Lord's pale face and dark circles under her eyes, he then said, "My Lord, the flowers are blooming in the spring. Shall we take a walk in the garden?"
Ji Bei Hou nodded his head as they walked together. The both of them didn't speak for a long time. After some time, Ji Bei Hou then sighed, "Dong Man is dead. He only managed to resist for seven days."
Shen Zhi didn't speak at first. After some time, he broke off a willow branch and said, "General Dong has tried his best."
"Actually, I know that." Ji Bei Hou said plainly. Seeing Shen Zhi's surprised expression, he laughed and sighed, "Do you really think I'm stupid?"
"Actually, when the various counties changed their strategy, I knew that something was wrong."
"Although we were enemies, Pei Zi Yun's military tactics had hit me where it hurt." Ji Bei Hou stopped in his tracks and said slowly, "Maybe it's the will of the heavens. Look, after the death of an Earl, a more powerful person immediately appeared to support the Imperial Court. Isn't this fate?"
"Previously, a fortune teller told me that I only have the Qi of a Duke and not the Qi of a King. Now, it seems like it's true." Ji Bei Hou sighed and let out a long sigh. He then spoke in a low voice, "Shen Zhi, you know military tactics. Tell me, can we still turn the tables?"
Shen Zhi hesitated before speaking slowly, "My Lord has treated me like a hero of the country. Even if I were to be crushed into pieces, it would be a normal reward. How could I dare to speak half-heartedly? It seems like my previous opinion was wrong, and I hope my Lord will punish me. Now, whether or not I can turn the tables, depends on whether or not I can defeat Pei Zi Yun!"
Before Shen Zhi finished speaking, Ji Bei Hou's heart was clear. Actually, Shen Zhi's original opinion was correct. A county with ten thousand soldiers would at least be able to hold out for a month or two. When the time comes, the new soldiers would be able to attack from both inside and outside, and defeat Pei Zi Yun. He didn't want to lose so quickly.
After remaining silent for some time, he said, "I've made up my mind. I shall mobilize my troops immediately. I shall mobilize fifty thousand men, and fight Pei Zi Yun." As soon as he finished speaking, the sky was filled with thunder and lightning, which didn't stop for a long time. From afar, someone shouted, "It's going to rain. Hurry up and close the windows, before it gets wet inside!"
Ji Bei Hou had just taken a step when a gust of wind blew past him, causing him to shiver. He looked up and saw that the sky was covered by thick clouds. The clouds were shining brightly, and the sound of thunder could be heard.
Ji Bei Hou laughed, "As soon as I speak, the winds and thunder will come. It looks like either I will soar to the top, or it will be my death!"
"Mister Shen, I have a task for you." Ji Bei Hou stood still and looked up at the sky. He then said, "Bring my third son and a few of my grandsons. Bring five hundred soldiers and set sail to the Eight Palace Island."
"My Lord, are you abandoning me?" Shen Zhi raised his voice.
"Listen to me!" Ji Bei Hou's eyes were filled with killing intent, "My target is too big. If I fail, even if I escape to the seas, the Imperial Court will not let me go. My eldest son and second son are the same. My third son and grandson are small targets. Furthermore, my third son is blind in one eye. The Imperial Court will not care much about them."
"Besides, if I fail, the Ying Prefecture Navy will collapse without a fight. Chen Ping will not be able to control the situation, and cannot be relied upon. Who knows, he might not even have the chance to set sail."
"The Eight Palace Island is already under my control. It is a large district with a population of eight hundred. It is situated between the mainland and Japan. Once you hear that I fail, immediately support my third son to ascend to the throne. Do not use Ji Bei Hou's name. Use Ji Hou's name to protect my family."
"You know the reason very well. Ji Hou does not have a strong foundation. If I fail, I will be implicated. Ji Bei Hou is a title given to me by the Imperial Court. Since I have already rebelled, how can I use this title?"
"I do not trust anyone else, and I cannot rely on anyone else. I can only rely on you."
"Tell my third son, if I fail, he must not think about revenge. His responsibility is to continue the family's legacy." As Ji Bei Hou spoke, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. It was followed by an earth-shattering thunderclap, and heavy rain began to fall.
"My Lord!" Shen Zhi could not help but sob.
"Don't be so sentimental. This is just a precautionary measure. If I win, you have been worrying too much." It was as if Ji Bei Hou had already planned his escape route. He no longer drenched in the rain, and walked towards the corridor with a smile on his face.
"Yes!" Shen Zhi's entire face was drenched in the rain, and it was unknown how many tears he had shed. Shen Zhi bowed down to the figure in the rain, "Your subject will definitely assist third young master, even if it costs me my life."
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