When the night gradually darkened, Long Hui was already dead.
His broken arm was hung on the flagpole. His body was badly beaten. The blood dripping from his body gradually condensed into red icicles in the night wind.
Most of the corpses of the generals hanging on the flagpole were the same.
Between the resentful army and the camp of Xia Village, there were also fires burning, illuminating everything in the night. The thousands of captives captured by the resentful army were surrounded not far from the flagpole. Naturally, they didn't have bonfires or tents. In this night, they could only hug each other to keep warm. Many of the injured people gradually froze to death. Occasionally, in the fire, the resentful soldiers would drag out one or a few disobedient captives and kill them. Their screams echoed in the night.
The guards of Xia Village silently watched all of this from afar.
Ning Yi and the others didn't sleep in peace. Qin Shaoqian and some generals were discussing countermeasures in the commander's room. Ning Yi would occasionally come out to take a look. The fire at night was like a flowing river in the future. On one side of the camp, there were still some people repairing and reinforcing the hole in the wall that was broken the day before. From afar, they could vaguely see what was happening in front of the resentful army's camp.
Juan 'er went in with tea. When she came out, she stood beside Ning Yi. For the past few days, the battle outside of Xia Village had been intense. She helped inside, distributing supplies, taking care of the wounded, and handling all kinds of details. She was very busy. Most of the time, she had to take care of the lives of Ning Yi and the others. At this moment, the girl looked haggard and quite tired. Ning Yi looked at her and smiled at her. Then, he took off his coat and wanted to put it on her. The girl took a step back and shook her head.
"It's not cold. Put it on, son-in-law."
Her expression was determined. Ning Yi didn't force her. He only said, "Rest early."
Juan 'er nodded. She looked at the direction of the resentful army's camp and stood for a while. "Son-in-law, are those people being captured very troublesome?"
She did not understand the significance and extent of the various changes in the war up to this point. She only knew what had happened today and also felt the abruptly sinking mood in the camp. In the originally extremely tense atmosphere, this was certainly not a good thing.
Ning Yi thought for a while and finally smiled. "It's okay. It can be settled."
Female Zhenren's invasion to the south was unexpected. But now, many things could be seen clearly. The battle of Bianliang had reached a critical juncture — And this was the only chance to decide life and death, which everyone had struggled for, bit by bit.
From a certain perspective, Ning Yi was not a diehard who believed in sacrificing himself for the country. In many matters, he was extremely flexible. In terms of contributing to the country, it was hard to say how much he felt about the Wu Dynasty. However, from the initial fortification of the walls and clearing the fields, to the subsequent gathering of the defeated soldiers, to the scramble for power and benefits, to the robbery of Mou Tuo Hill, and then to the defense of Xia Village, the reason why he came to this point was only because: This was the only way to break out of this situation.
He didn't understand military affairs. He had some understanding of the battlefield, but it was only a smattering. However, there was one thing he understood. Those who were overcautious, always thinking of tricks, and knew the pros and cons of the situation would not be able to accomplish anything. Many of the generals of the Wu Dynasty were like this, the ministers were like this, and many others were like this. Knowing when to retreat in the face of difficulties was not a good habit in many matters. When Female Zhenren put her life on the line, the people of the Wu dynasty might not win even if they put their lives on the line. But those who weren't willing to put their lives on the line would never win.
Whether it was in war or doing business, at the highest level, putting one's life on the line was the most basic prerequisite.
So he did everything he could. He strengthened the walls and cleared the field, provoked Wanyan Zongwang with a letter, robbed Mou Tuo Hill, and finally trapped himself here. There was no way out. He couldn't pull out the 14,000 people he had gathered in a hurry. Elm cannons, land mines, and other things could only be used in defense. If Bianliang could be held and the Female Zhenren's reserve forces were exhausted here, then the Wu dynasty's only chance of survival might appear. At that time, they could negotiate peace.
If it was for the country, Ning Yi might have left long ago. But it was only for the sake of accomplishing the task at hand that he stayed. Because that was the only way things could succeed.
But war was war after all. Things had developed to this point. Ning Yi had already re-examined the situation in front of him countless times. The seemingly evenly matched stalemate and the army's morale was stretched taut. It seemed like a stalemate, but in fact, it wouldn't be surprising if either side collapsed the next moment. And the one who was most likely to have such a thing happen was the Xia Village's guards. How far the morale of those 14,000 people could hold out, and even how far the 4,000 elite soldiers could hold out, whether it was Ning Yi or Qin Shaoqian, they couldn't accurately estimate. On the other hand, Medicine Master Guo might have a better idea.
Tens of thousands of people led by the general named Long Hui had come to the rescue. Knowing that such a thing had happened might boost the morale of the army, but the result of a crushing defeat was undoubtedly a blow. And when things developed to this state, once the thousands of captives were driven out to attack the city, the morale of the army and the number of people would decrease, and Xia Village would face the most troublesome situation.
Those with a certain level of battlefield experience could generally predict the possibility of the situation before them. And right now, the people in this valley, although they had grown continuously in the consecutive days of battle, were not invulnerable. Just like what Ning Yi had said when he faced the Liangshan people in Zhu Village, you might not retreat, but the people around you might not have this kind of confidence. Do you have this kind of confidence in the people around you? Anyone who realized this would inevitably suffer a loss of morale.
Ning Yi couldn't explain these things clearly to Juan 'er, but when she left, he looked at the young girl's back with complicated emotions. Just like in the past, he had crossed many hurdles at every life and death juncture, but in front of each hurdle, he had actually thought about whether this would be the last …
He closed his eyes and recalled for a moment Su Tan 'er's figure, Yunzhu's figure, Yuan Jin' er's figure, Xiaochan's figure, and that faraway Tiannan woman whose name was Watermelon, as well as other things related to them. After a moment, he sighed and turned to go back.
Below the camp, when Mao Yishan returned to the slightly warmer hut, he saw Qu Qing sharpening a knife. The other people in this small hut had not returned yet.
"Motherf * cker … I can't wait to eat those people …"
The screams of the resentful army could be faintly heard. No one in the hut spoke, only the sound of knives being sharpened. Mao Yishan sat there, silent for a moment, and looked at Qu Qing.
"Brother Qu, tomorrow … will it be troublesome?"
Because Qu Qing was injured, he had been lying down for the past two days. Mao Yishan had never seen Qu Qing show such a solemn expression in the time he had known him. At least when there was no war, Qu Qing only cared about resting and sleeping. He would never sharpen his saber at night.
Qu Qing did not answer directly, but only quietly sharpened for a while. After a moment, he touched the edge of the knife, and white smoke came out of his mouth.
"I'm afraid it won't be easy. You should sharpen it too."
He threw the whetstone over.
Mao Yishan caught the stone and was stunned for a moment. When he sat on the edge of the bed and turned his head to look, through the gap in the hut, there seemed to be a faint moonlight in the sky.
The long night gradually passed.
When the sky started to brighten, the two camps on both sides had already started to move …
"Let them get up …"
Accompanied by long whips and shouts, the warhorses galloped between the camps. The gathered thousands of captives had already started to be driven away. Since they were captured yesterday, they had not eaten a single drop of water. After a night of freezing in the coldest weather, those who could still stand up were already extremely weak. There were also some who were lying on the ground, unable to get up again.
The few corpses hanging on the flagpole in front of them had already been frozen into miserable ice sculptures after the cold night. The icicles carried the dark red color of blood and flesh.
"Let them get up! Let them go! Those who can't get up, give me another stab … "
The resentful army had already gotten into formation. They waved their long whips and lashed at the captives from behind, forcing them to move forward. Behind the walls of the Xia Village camp in the distance, figures stretched out and were all looking in this direction.
He Can's teeth chattered and he started to cry.
He was one of the thousands of captives. He was originally a small soldier under Long Hui's command. Yesterday, when the resentful army attacked, Long Hui's men were the least able to escape. This had something to do with Long Hui's battle to the death. However, the main reason was because the defeat happened too quickly. They were a step slower and were then surrounded by the resentful army. In the end, this batch of soldiers might not have died in battle. Most of them were later surrounded by the resentful army and abandoned their weapons and surrendered. After all, they were not iron men. In such a hopeless situation, it was normal for them to surrender.
Long Hui was captured after killing until he was exhausted and had one of his hands chopped off. He Can was not familiar with this superior. He only saw this superior being tied up with a rope and dragged behind a horse as they ran. There were also members of the resentful army who chased after him and beat him all the way. In the end, he was tied to the flagpole and whipped to death. He could not explain the thoughts in his mind clearly. However, some things had already become obvious. He knew that he was about to die.
Just like that, with the support of the people beside him, he wept as he walked past the flagpoles. When he passed by Long Hui, he even took a look at him. The frozen corpse was extremely miserable. By the end of the battle, the corpse was unrecognizable. His eyes had been beaten out of their sockets, and his flesh was a bloody mess. Only his mouth was still open, as if he was saying something. He glanced at it and didn't dare to look again.
The wind whistled as it blew over the valley. In the valley, the atmosphere was so tense that it almost froze. Tens of thousands of people were confronting each other. The distance between the two sides was shrinking as the group of captives advanced. In front of the resentful army, Guo Yaoshi spurred his horse and stood solemnly, waiting for the other side's reaction. On the platform in the middle of the Xia Village, Ning Yi, Qin Shaoqian, and the others were also solemnly watching all of this. A small number of generals and messengers were passing through the crowd. Slightly behind them, the archers had already nocked their last arrows.
Time seemed to be flowing in front of everyone's eyes.
An unforeseen event happened in a place that not many people had expected.
In the entire battle formation, the area where the thousands of captives were being driven forward was the only noisy place. The main reason was the cursing of the resentful soldiers at the back. They waved their whips and drove the captives away. At the same time, they pulled out their long knives and killed the soldiers who could no longer get up. Some of these people were already dead. Some of them were still breathing, but they were all killed by the knives. The smell of blood permeated the air as usual.
He Can felt his hand being tugged. It was the tall companion who had been walking beside him. He suddenly stopped.
After these soldiers were captured, all their weapons were confiscated and they were not provided with food and water. However, the other measures were nothing more than a long rope tying their hands. This kind of restraint had a limited effect on the soldiers. It was just that many of them did not dare to resist.
He Can heard the tall man say, "I'm not going anymore."
Then, a mournful voice came from the side, "Don't go forward!"
The warhorses galloped over. Then, there was a flash of knives. Someone fell down. The resentful soldiers were shouting, "Go! Whoever dares to stop will die — "
A large number of people were still moving forward. He Can heard the sound of arrows being fired. The tall man fell down. "Go —"
Amidst the roars, another voice suddenly rang out. This time, the voice was loud and clear. "Brothers, our brothers are right in front of us! They have fought for so long and we can't help. Don't hold them back — "
After the shouts, chaos and slaughter began. The resentful soldiers pushed forward from the rear. Their entire formation had already begun to push forward. Some of the captives were still moving forward, while others were rushing to the rear. Pulling, falling, and dying began to happen more frequently. He Can walked unsteadily through the crowd. Not far away, the tall flagpole and corpses swayed in his vision.
The moment the chaos occurred, Medicine Master Guo gave the order to advance. In Xia Village, Ning Yi ran a few steps and went up the watchtower beside the platform. In the next moment, he shouted a few words to the people below. Qin Shaoqian was slightly stunned. Then, he suddenly waved his hand. Not far away, on a warhorse, Yue Fei raised his spear.
At the edge of the camp, Mao Yishan stood behind the walls of the camp, watching the massacre from afar. His hand that was holding the knife was trembling, his teeth were clenched in pain. A large number of captives stopped moving forward in that position. Some cried, some shouted, and squeezed under the butcher's knife behind them. However, all of this was unimaginable. Once they got close to the camp, the archers on his side could only shoot them down. At this moment, he saw the warhorses galloping from the side.
A voice rang out.
"Everyone, get into formation, ready —"
"Did you see that?" Someone shouted from the watchtower.
Countless soldiers who passed the order raised their flags and galloped on their horses!
"Those are our compatriots. They are being slaughtered by those bastards! What are we going to do — "
"Those cowards from the north! Come to our place! Kill our families! Steal our things! Everyone, we are here! There is no more road — "
Mao Yishan heard this voice and sensed the movements in the valley. Suddenly, he understood something. He dragged his knife, his hands trembling. His eyes were bloodshot as he laughed at his companions. "Hahaha … hahaha …" His laughter was excited and strange. This was probably the first time in Mao Yishan's life. Before this, he had never had such a fanatical desire to kill the enemy. When the captives were driven over, he knew that he could only defend his side. However, at this moment, the people above him had already made the opposite decision.
Above him, the huge flag fluttering in the wind had already started to move.
He Can staggered toward the soldiers who were waving their blades. He was one of the lucky survivors of this battle. When the long blade cut off his arm, he fainted. At that moment, he actually thought, I'm the same as General Long.
Previously, on the battlefield, when everyone was surrounded by the Resentful Army's cavalry, the blood-covered general shouted in despair, "We lost, we lost … Don't be used …" He vaguely heard it.
The moment before he lost consciousness, he heard a sound that sounded like a flash flood behind him.
All the wooden doors of Xia Village's campsite suddenly opened. In a section, the soldiers pushed the broken wall. At this moment, all their weaknesses were exposed. Medicine Master Guo's warhorse stopped for a moment. He raised his hand and wanted to give some orders.
"Today! Right here! They don't need to think about going back! Everyone — "
The voice was like thunder. "We will eat them —"
On the east side of the campsite, Yue Fei's spear glowed with a dark and bloodthirsty light as he stepped out of the campsite.
On the southeast side of the campsite, the general called He Zhicheng stepped onto the top of the wall. He pulled out his long knife and threw it away. He turned around and said, "Kill!"
At the main gate, the knife and shield formation was set up. The general at the front held his knife and horse. "Get ready!"
Pang Liu 'an ordered his soldiers to push down the wall of the campsite. Outside the wall were piles of corpses. He stepped over the corpses. Behind him, some people came out from the hole. Some people climbed over the wall and spread out.
On the west side, Liu Chengzong shouted, "Kill —"
"Kill!!!!!"
The angry roar was like a flood that suddenly broke the dam. In an instant, it shook the entire mountain and wilderness. The clouds in the sky froze. Tens of thousands of soldiers faced each other on the spreading battle line. The Victorious Army hesitated for a moment. Meanwhile, the defending army of Xia Village rushed over with a thunderous momentum.
On this day, the 18,000 people in the valley finally completed their metamorphosis. At least at this moment, when Mao Yishan held his long knife tightly and pounced towards the enemy with bloodshot eyes, what decided victory or defeat was something beyond the blade.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
