In his panic, he kept running. Fear came from afar, but for some reason, as he ran, he wanted to close his eyes and avoid everything that was happening.
"… She's coming …"
"… Go, go, go …"
In the noisy and chaotic environment, the voices and figures of people around him gradually increased. He lowered his head and gradually ran to the edge of the river. The turbulent waves lay in front of him, and the fear behind him chased after him. He stood there, and someone pushed him forward.
The small fishing boat sailed away from the shore. He stood on it, and heard the voices of people behind him. Below him was the turbulent waves.
"Don't look back," he told himself in his heart, but the person in the picture finally turned his head. In the pervading fog, the Zhenren was coming. The people on the shore were running, crying, and being chased into the river. Then, they sank, and blood flowed into the river.
Zhou Junwu knelt on the boat.
A great sense of shame filled everything.
He sat up from his dream.
…
In the dark tent, there was still the faint smell of sandalwood. The space was warm, but it also had traces of dampness. When he sat up, his forehead was covered in cold sweat.
For a moment, his consciousness was still stuck in the dream. After a while, he got out of bed and used a match to light an oil lamp. The light reflected a well-defined face. This face was thin and determined, and the beard on his chin increased his age, making him look even more mature. After the lamp was lit, the voice of a servant came from outside the tent, and he sent someone to bring hot water.
The sky was still bright, and outside the tent was a stretch of military camp. After washing his face, he tidied his clothes in the mirror, making himself look more spirited. When he walked out of the tent, a soldier saluted him, and he returned the courtesy. This had never happened in the previous Wu dynasty.
In the 10th year of Wu Jianshuo, Crown Prince Zhou Junwu was 27 years old. To the people around him, he had already grown into a steady and reliable adult.
Towards the various officials of the Wu dynasty, he was decisive and dignified. Towards the technical personnel and people under his command, he was modest and courteous. He lived in a military camp, waking up earlier than ordinary soldiers each day. He even returned the same courtesy to every soldier who saluted him. This was something he had never learned from the Black Flag Army before. If there was a scholar who admonished or rebuked him, he would humbly apologize, and then do as he pleased. No matter what, most of the soldiers and civilians saw him as the future leader of the resurgence.
His strong and strict self-discipline made him thin, and he appeared even more resolute. Especially in the spring of the tenth year of Jianshuo, the eyes of the young man who had once lived like a prince also faintly showed a resolute military spirit.
The cold of spring in February had slightly changed, and the smell of war had already spread over. At this time, the ice and snow had not completely melted, but the unforeseen event in Jin had already sounded the first alarm bell since the beginning of the year. The battlefield was a battlefield of life and death, and no one would wait until the flowers bloomed in spring to start fighting.
Passing through the tents in the military camp, Jun Wu saw Yue Fei walking over. After saluting him, Yue Fei handed him the information he had been waiting for.
"Lin Zhou, Shu Liushi and the Black Flag Army have started fighting …"
"Old ginger is spicier. Zong Han and Xi Yin are really ruthless." Jun Wu took the information and murmured. When Jin's resistance against the Jin was at its peak, they killed Prince Jin, Tian Shi, and ruthlessly scattered the only hope of resistance in the Central Plains. As an enemy, facing Xi Yin's attack, anyone would feel a chill down their spine.
"… In addition, there are changes in Xuzhou."
Hearing Yue Fei's words, Jun Wu raised his head and looked to the north. In the darkness, there was a faint sound of icebergs breaking and the earth shaking …
*****
Wei Sheng, Celestial Palace.
The massacre that Yuan Xiaoqiu had been waiting for on the fourth day of February never happened.
After that cold negotiation, both parties went back to their respective homes. Yuan Xiaoqiu had thought that the female minister, Lou Shuwan, would show everyone a good show, but her eyes were still cold, and she did not do much.
After that day, the power struggle was like an anxious undercurrent. With Wei Sheng as the center, it had already spread out. On the night of the fourth day of February, Lou Shuwan, An Xifu, Lin Zongwu, and the representatives of the various resistance forces divided the areas and interests in the Celestial Palace. On the fifth day of February, Lou Shuwan met with the local tyrants, including Lin Zongwu. She made public as much information as possible about the resources, armaments, troops, and generals of the various cities in Jin.
That morning, when she met with Lin Zongwu in private, Lou Shuwan discussed with him the ownership and division of the Great Radiant Sect's branches. Both the "Descended Mysterious Maiden" and the "Radiant Sect Leader" would divide their power in a way that would not be a burden to the other. Lou Shuwan's side also made many concessions.
At this time, small-scale battles had already begun to appear in Wei Sheng City. However, due to the restraint of the various parties, there were no large-scale battles yet.
With Prince Jin's death and the threat of the Jurchen army, it was a fact that the various aristocratic families had switched sides. However, due to the special situation in Prince Jin's territory, a coup d 'état didn't immediately appear.
Due to the mutual understanding that had been formed during the negotiation, the various families were constantly roping in their forces. During this period, the various forces' main targets of roping in and occupying the armies, armaments, and warehouses. While Lou Shuwan was negotiating with everyone, Yu Yulin was already doing his best to stabilize a few important locations in the southwest of Jin.
As for the few forces that still chose to resist the Jin, Lou Shuwan chose to hand over their assets and even asked those who were still on her side to help them occupy cities, passes, and take away the warehouses in important locations. Even if they formed independent and wavering forces, it was still better than having these places immediately fall into the hands of the Jurchen.
When politics lost an absolute ruler, it naturally became a game of grabbing heads.
At the negotiation meeting, the old man called Liao Yiren's suggestion of abandoning five or ten cities sounded absurd, but in reality, it was slowly taking place in this form. The opposing parties all understood that in such a situation, if each party first controlled the territory that they could control, there would still be a chance of survival whether they fought or surrendered after a few days. However, if they directly turned hostile now, the land of Jin would immediately be turned into a sea of fire, and the Enlightened Lady would be pushed southward on a piece of ruins.
At that time, no one would have a path of survival.
Amidst this intense and oppressive confrontation, everyone was still waiting for the battle in the north.
Lin Province, February 8th. Shu Liesu had already begun attacking the city.
… …
"Bang!" A rumbling sound rang out on the city walls, causing the stones and blood to tremble. On the morning of February 8th, the second day of Shu Liesu's attack, the battle in Lin Province was reaching its climax.
At noon on February 6th, the Jurchen army arrived at Lin Province. On February 7th, they completed the siege on three sides and began their attack on the same day. For a siege battle, this kind of launch was extremely hasty, but Shu Liesu still chose to launch a direct attack.
On the east, west, and north sides of Lin Province, the entire front launched an attack at almost the same time. The siege only consisted of arrows, scaling ladders, and the like. But in this large-scale feint, Shu Liesu chose two points as a breakthrough point. Relying on the valiant strength of the Jurchen elites, the fierce vanguard cleverly concealed themselves in the middle of the Han army's attack. They chose to launch an assault on the city walls that were clearly not guarded by the Black Flag Army. On the afternoon of the seventh, they posed a huge threat to the city walls of Lin Province.
This sudden attack could be considered Shu Liesu's first test of the Chinese army, but in the end, he was unable to break through the city walls. On the morning of the eighth, the Jurchen army finished assembling over thirty catapults overnight and pushed out of their positions. Together with eighty scaling ladders, they launched a powerful attack on the western city walls of Lin Province.
Together with the twenty-three thousand soldiers under General Xu Chun's command, there was a total of thirty thousand soldiers defending Lin Province. Although the Jurchen's formation was one that lacked three soldiers, no part of the city could relax. Under the sudden assault of the Jurchen army, the pressure on the western side of the city instantly reached its limit.
The Chinese soldiers stationed on this side began to draw closer. The cannons on the city walls rumbled and arrows rained down. The Jurchen soldiers were like a swarm of bees. They pushed sandbags, mud bags, and carried scaling ladders. In the blink of an eye, they filled the moat and set up scaling ladders on the city walls that were around twenty feet tall.
The city walls of Lin Province were not very high. Eighty scaling ladders filled every corner of the city in the blink of an eye. The fearless Jurchen soldiers charged up the ladders, but there were still Huaxia soldiers defending the city walls like an iron wall. Even the most valiant Jurchen soldiers found it difficult to break through the tacit cooperation of the Chinese soldiers. This turned the western section of the city walls into a meat grinder in the blink of an eye.
The ferocious siege and killing lasted for about an hour before it reached its peak. It was just when the defensive forces on the city wall were about to reach saturation. On the northern battlefield, a team of a thousand Jurchens launched a surprise attack. Their target happened to be the weakest point in the west where the defenders had been diverted to defend the western siege point. At the same time, the Han army launched a powerful attack on the city walls two li to the north.
This kind of siege tactic was nothing out of the ordinary. Although the defending army had the geographical advantage, as the defending side, they were like a taut rubber band. The attacking army only needed to choose a few places to repeatedly apply pressure, and the surrounding forces would be drawn over. This would inevitably become a weak point, making it easier for the attacking side to storm the city.
Of course, this kind of tactic was only suitable for armies with extremely high combat strength, such as the direct subordinates of a great general like Shu Liesu in the Jurchen army, and especially the elites of the elites. Against ordinary Wu dynasty troops, they could often storm the city walls quickly. Even if they could not break through immediately, the other side would have to pay several times the price if they wanted to recapture the city walls.
On the city walls, Xu Chunyi's corporal, Niu Baoting, saw the Jurchen encroaching, and his hands and feet felt a bit cold. He was a veteran soldier who had been in the army for many years and was already a veteran soldier. Prince Jin's army was a mix of good and bad, and Niu Baoting had only been promoted to corporal for a few days. He had good eyesight, but he also knew the dangers. Seeing that his side of the city walls had become the enemy's target, he knew that the odds were against him. The number of Chinese soldiers in the vicinity had also greatly decreased.
Leading a few of his subordinates, Niu Baoting shot a few arrows down the city walls. In the blink of an eye, ladders had been set up, and the Jurchen soldiers raised their shields and sabers and charged fiercely on the ground. The battlefield was the best touchstone. Just by looking at their calm demeanor as they stepped onto the ladders, one could tell that they were all elites who had killed countless people on the battlefield. This kind of momentum was simply impossible for veteran soldiers to have.
Cannons roared on the nearby city walls, and stones were thrown down, but not long after, there were still Jurchen soldiers climbing the city walls. Niu Baoting and his brothers killed one, and another soldier came up to defend for a while, waiting for another Jurchen soldier to climb the city walls. Two fierce Jurchen Daoists forced Niu Baoting and his brothers to continuously retreat. One of his brothers was killed in a pool of blood, and Niu Baoting's head was almost cut by a saber. He was afraid and kept retreating, but he saw that the Jurchen Daoist's momentum was soaring, and she was charging over.
'I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die …'
The veteran soldier thought in panic. On one hand, the Jurchen Daoist in front of him was fierce, and on the other hand, once she broke into the city, everyone in the city would die. In this chaos, one of his soldiers was cut in the shoulder, and he was scared out of his wits and ran to the other side of the city walls.
Niu Baoting and the others also dodged in panic. In a short period of time, there were Jurchen Daoists climbing the city walls from different directions, and the fighting continued. For example, Niu Baoting and the other soldiers under Xu Chunyi's command began to panic and collapse, but there were only a dozen or so Huaxia soldiers who formed two battle formations and fought with the Jurchen soldiers who climbed the city walls, not retreating for a long time.
After a while, there were Huaxia soldiers charging over from both sides. Before Niu Baoting and the others could run out of the chaos, two Jurchen Daoists charged over. He and his two subordinates tried their best to resist, but behind them, four Huaxia soldiers with shields, knives, and spears rushed past him and stabbed two Jurchen soldiers to death. The spear-wielder was obviously an officer of the Huaxia army. He patted Niu Baoting's shoulder and said, "Good job. Follow me and kill these golden dogs." Niu Baoting and the others subconsciously followed.
The city wall that had just been opened by the Jurchen Daoists was taken back by the Huaxia soldiers in the blink of an eye. The Huaxia officer who was charging at the front directed the people to throw the corpses of the Jurchen Daoists onto the ladder. The dangerous situation was slightly resolved. Niu Baoting saw a Huaxia soldier sitting among the corpses on the ground and bandaging his wounds. He laughed to himself and said, "Haha, this is great. I'll f * ck your mother —"
Although Niu Baoting was moved by the Huaxia army's general meeting a few days ago, he still only felt fear when facing the true elites of the Jurchen Daoists. However, at this time, he suddenly realized that this army and this black flag were the only Han army in the world that could fight head-on with the Jurchen Daoists without being inferior. The battle in front of him was a confrontation between the two top armies in the world.
'I'm going to die …'
The veteran's heart was not very impassioned. After realizing this, he also clearly realized that the battle in front of him was bound to be extremely intense. He and the others were sandwiched between these two armies. Even if they did not die now, they would probably die later …
On the fierce battlefield, between life and death, there would be all kinds of intense thoughts. In the northwest position of Linzhou City, Shu Liesu lowered his binoculars and sighed at the failure of a thousand-man team. But on the other hand, this was something he had already expected.
After all, this was not the first time he had fought with the Black Flag Army.
In the battle of Little Blue River several years ago, it was he who led the army and besieged Little Blue River for nearly half a year before finally breaking through the city walls, forcing the defending army in Little Blue River to break through the dike and break through. He had long since known about the calmness and tenacity of the Huaxia elites when defending. The fierce attack from yesterday to today had only allowed him to confirm one thing.
The army in front of him was not a division the Black Flag Army had placed in Shandong. Many of the people in it were probably old opponents from back then.
His gaze was calm, but the blood in his heart was burning.
As a famous Jurchen general who had followed Aguda in his uprising, the forty-nine year old Shu Liesu could sense the corruption of the new generation of the Jurchen people. The young soldiers were no longer as brave as they were in the past, and the officials and generals had become weak and incompetent. The invincible imposing manner of Aguda in his uprising and the heroic spirit of Wu Qimai in his crusade against Wu were gradually dissipating.
The series of setbacks in the attack on Little Blue River and the northwest several years ago had been a wake-up call for many Jurchen generals. To a certain extent, it had scattered the peaceful thoughts of many Jurchen generals and preserved the drive of many Jurchen generals and troops. For this reason, when facing the Black Flag Army again, Shu Liesu was not discouraged by the setbacks. This setback caused his fighting spirit to rise.
If it was any other time, he would have to make more preparations before launching an attack against the Black Flag Army. However, the current situation was different.
The snow had melted and the ice had melted. The Goddess of Grains had already started to target Jindi. Killing Tian Shi, dividing Jindi, and destroying the Black Flag Army. This series of plans was interconnected. Once it was successful, the so-called million-strong army in Jindi would collapse. Thirty thousand Jurchen elites against ten thousand Black Flag Army. Even if he had to pay a price, he had to quickly settle this most intense and crucial battle.
On the other hand, the Goddess of Grains' plan was like an inescapable net. The backup plan that she had prepared was not only to kill Tian Shi. If he could not take down Linzhou City under such circumstances, there was no need for him to fight against the Black Flag Army in the future.
Thinking of this, Shu Liesu squinted his eyes. Moments later, he summoned another general and gave him the order to wait for an opportunity to attack …
On the eighth day of the second month, the attack at Linzhou City was like a tidal wave. Shu Liesu's soldiers had almost gained a foothold at the top of the city wall several times, but were then driven away by the fierce attacks of the Hua Xia army. Blood flowed like a river on and below the city wall. Both sides suffered heavy losses.
However, the intensity of the attack was still increasing. It was as if he wanted to destroy the Hua Xia army and the hearts of the people of Jin. Shu Liesu did not care about the casualties of his soldiers. After more than a day of fighting, many Hua Xia soldiers had fallen in a pool of blood forever. The rest were mostly in a frenzy of killing.
In the evening, when the setting sun shone a warm yellow light from the side of the sky, Huyan Zhuo stood at a corner of the city wall and looked at the army that was temporarily retreating. There were still traces of snow on the ground in the distance. Nearby, there was smoke and the smell of blood lingering.
At this corner of the city, a few artillery shells had been ignited by the fire arrows. The Linzhou garrison that was originally under Xu Chunyi's command was in chaos. Huyan Zhuo led a team to hold the line and killed a group of Female Zhenrens. At this moment, the top of the city wall was covered in charred marks. Corpses and weapons were scattered on the ground. Some soldiers had already started to clean it up. The Hua Xia soldiers first took care of the seriously injured. Some of the lightly injured or tired ones hid behind the parapet wall. They adjusted their breathing and took the chance to rest. Their eyes were still red and excited.
"Back in the day, the Little Canghe was much livelier than this …"
The voices of the veterans nearby could be heard. They sounded like they were showing off, but in fact, they were cheering for the people around them. Looking at the two ends of the city wall, where the black flags were fluttering, one could see groups of Hua Xia soldiers.
Huyan Zhuo recognized many of these people. The soldiers who had participated in the battle of the Little Canghe and survived often had characteristics that could not be ignored. They were usually nervous, serious, or indifferent, but on the battlefield, they were more like stones. They did not attract attention during the battle, but they could often make the most appropriate response at the most appropriate time.
Most of these people who could lead the army had become officers in the Hua Xia army. Those who were a little more eccentric could also lead a few people on the battlefield to form a small circle. At this moment, they were scattered all over the city wall. After the fierce battle, many of them probably recalled the fierce battle at the Little Canghe.
On the plains outside the city, the Female Zhenrens' war flags stretched out, symbolizing the fiercest army in the world. And when his gaze swept across these figures on the city wall, Huyan Zhuo's eyes also seemed to see an indestructible city wall. Back in Liangshan, Song Jiang had gathered many heroes in the world and tried to arrange the positions of the 108 Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends. Until today, they might not be able to withstand a blow from this army.
After a day of attacking the city, the Female Zhenren soldiers were retreating for the first time, suspending the exhausted attack. Most of the people looking down from the top of the city wall were puzzled. Beside Huyan Zhuo, the Black Flag Army staff officer Li Nian walked over and told him some things in a low voice.
"The news has just come. The Wisdom King Army led by Wang Juyun is already within 20 miles. It is not easy to travel at night, so they will arrive by tomorrow at the latest. Also, Boss Zhu has already met up with the 3,000 people outside … Shu Liesu would not be unaware of these things. After a day of exhaustion, he suddenly retreated. “
Huyan Zhuo nodded and summoned the officer beside him. "Tell everyone to be alert. Shu Liesu is not that lazy. The attack will continue at any time." Then, he picked up the binoculars and looked at the opposite position. The dark camp was bustling with people and horses.
Then, something slowly rose from the back of the Female Zhenren's camp.
"I … Fuck!" Huyan Zhuo cursed. The people on the top of the city wall buzzed.
It was an inflating hot air balloon.
Ever since the Huaxia army mastered the technology of hot air balloons, it was said that the Wu Dynasty had also developed a finished product. The Female Zhenren was led by Wanyan Xiyin to study things, so it was not surprising that they had mastered the technology. It was just that this was the first time they had taken it out on the battlefield.
But it was enough to prove that Zong Han, Xi Yin, and the others attached great importance to this battle and were determined to win.
The atmosphere on the top of the city wall suddenly became solemn. People ran around and moved fireworks to be used as air defense. Not long after, the direction of the Female Zhenren camp once again set up an offensive formation.
*****
The curtain of night had already begun to fall. The bonfire stretched into a sea of light. The siege formation was being prepared. In the darkness behind them, three huge balloons slowly expanded and rose into the sky. In the bustling camp, the defecting general Shen Wenjin ran all the way through the army formation and finally arrived in front of Shu Liesu's flag.
The Female Zhenren were powerful. Shen Wenjin was a general of the Han army who had defected to Zong Han at the end of last year. The soldiers under his command were well-equipped and numbered more than ten thousand. This army was scared out of their wits when they faced the Female Zhenren and collapsed in one battle. After defecting, they fought very well in order to show their loyalty and seek riches. Today, Shen Wenjin had led his troops to the city twice. The first time, they fought bitterly and did not retreat, causing many casualties to the Huaxia army on the top of the city wall.
Shu Liesu summoned him at this time and praised him in front of everyone. Then, he asked him to stand to the side and listen to the plans for the attack. Shen Wenjin was naturally happy on the surface, but he was puzzled. In such a tense situation, if Shu Liesu wanted to arrange the attack, he could have just sent someone to pass the order. Why did he summon him here? Could it be that he saw that the attack today was not successful and called him over to provoke the other Female Zhenren generals?
He had been immersed in officialdom for many years and knew the principle of putting one's own safety before others. At this time, he was afraid that he would stand out among a group of generals and felt uneasy. However, Shu Liesu did not go overboard and did not use him as a sacrifice to provoke the other generals. After a while, most of the plans for the attack were settled. All the armies had passed the order and were ready. Shu Liesu did not let Shen Wenjin go either.
Soon, the attack began after nightfall. As the Female Zhenren's bugle sounded, the catapults threw out rocks soaked in kerosene and ignited. Huge fireballs whistled towards the top of Lin Province's walls. Then, fire arrows flew like locusts and the attacking troops carried ladders forward …
"General Shen, come with me."
At some point, Shu Liesu walked over and said something. Shen Wenjin hurriedly agreed and followed. His personal guards also followed.
Shu Liesu brought Shen Wenjin along with him and walked horizontally along the attacking formation. The noises in the night were extremely noisy. The scene of the siege on the other side of their field of vision was like a drama. After walking for a short distance, Shu Liesu asked, "General Shen, do you think we can take down Lin Province tonight?"
"With the elites under General's command and the intensity of the siege, this general believes that the city will fall tonight."
Shu Liesu turned back to look at him, his gaze unfriendly. "General Shen, you are the general leading the army. I used you because you are good at war and know strategy. In this situation, this general needs your foresight and strategy. Don't flatter me. "
"Uh …" Shen Wenjin stilled. "Then, this general will speak the truth?"
"Speak."
"The way we fought during the day, if we could take it down, we would have already taken it down. If we continue today, we are just using attrition warfare to exhaust the Black Flag Army in the city. Based on this general's observations during the day, the combat power of this Black Flag Army is not inferior to ours. If we really fight until the city is breached, it will take three to five days to accomplish anything. Also … I fear that our side will suffer heavy losses … "
Hearing this, the corner of Shu Liesu's mouth moved slightly, as if he was smiling. "Then tell me, why should I fight like this?"
"Because … this battle concerns the entire state of Jin. Once the Black Flag Army is defeated, there will be no one in Jin who can withstand an attack from the Great Jin. Also, I heard that the south is in the midst of negotiations. The sooner this matter is settled, the more people there will see … and choose a side. "
These words were extremely straightforward, but some of them should not have come from his identity as a Han. After the words left his mouth, Shen Wenjin became slightly hesitant. But after this, a real smile appeared on Shu Liesu's face. He quietly looked at Shen Wenjin for a moment.
"Yes, General Shen can also see that I must win, and I must win quickly. Other than this, what else can I do?"
Shen Wenjin hesitated for a moment. "Yes … yes."
Hearing Shen Wenjin's answer, Shu Liesu walked forward in satisfaction. Shen Wenjin thought for a moment and said, "Also, from what I can see, the direction of the wind is not right. The three … balloons at the back will not be able to fly to the city walls. Even though they can put some pressure on the top of the city walls, it is too early to use them." He was speaking from the bottom of his heart, but Shu Liesu ignored him. After a while, he spoke again.
"When I led the army to the south, the Goddess of Grains gave me a bag. She told me to open it when I reached the battlefield. The bag contained a plan to breach the city. This plan requires help. General Shen, I saw that you fought bravely during the siege today, and your soldiers sacrificed their lives. Therefore, I would like to ask you to help me with this plan. " Shu Liesu turned around. "How about it, General Shen? Are you willing to take the credit for breaching the city?"
Shen Wenjin was slightly stunned, then he knelt on the ground. "As you command, I will obey without question!"
"Very well." Shu Liesu looked at the fierce battle at the top of the city walls of Linzhou. Flames danced on his face. Then, he helped Shen Wenjin up. "I will explain the details of the plan to you. Whether we can breach the city quickly depends on General Shen …"
…
At midnight, in the snow-covered mountains northeast of Linzhou, the cold wind howled. A procession stretched forward through the rugged mountains.
Through the deep forest and across the snow-covered mountains, there were no torches lit in front or behind the procession. It was early February, and the air had started to warm up. The accumulated snow was no longer as stable as it was in winter. The people walking on the snowy ground stepped into the snow and pulled it out again. The snow was slightly melted by the hot air, but it was frozen again by the cold of the night. This caused the army to march in the middle of the night without the slightest warmth.
Further ahead, the procession passed through a narrow cliff wall. In the howling cold wind, the soldiers pulled simple ropes one by one and crossed the cliff path that was only wide enough for one person to pass through. On one side of their body was a bottomless ravine.
Zhu Biao and the scouts who led the way walked at the front. As they explored the path, they fixed the ropes on the steep cliff wall. In such a ravine, even with Zhu Biao's master-level skills, if he missed a step and fell, he might not even be able to survive.
However, this cliff wall, which even hunters didn't dare to walk on in normal times, was the only way to approach Linzhou silently.
Several days ago, when Shu Liesu broke camp and went south, the General Staff of the Huaxia army quickly responded after receiving the news. After the assassination of Tian Shi and the internal strife in Jindi, Wanyan Xiyin's plan to defeat the Huaxia army head-on was obviously a key step. With Tian Shi's death, the morale of Jindi had fallen to its lowest point. The Huaxia army, which only had 10,000 soldiers, couldn't be defeated, but they also couldn't easily avoid battle.
But on the other hand, using 10,000 Huaxia soldiers to defend Linzhou with their lives to boost the morale of the entire Jindi? Obviously, it was a stupid choice. After receiving Wang Juyun's response, Guan Sheng divided the 11,000 Huaxia soldiers into two groups. One group of more than 8,000 soldiers entered Linzhou and fought against Shu Liesu with the advantage of the city's defense. The other group of more than 3,000 soldiers headed northeast to wait for Zhu Biao's arrival.
This choice was mainly to prevent Linzhou from becoming a place to be defended to the death. On the other hand, considering the strategic needs of the Female Enlightened Master, Shu Liesu would definitely attack Linzhou for a quick victory. Although the numerical advantage of 30,000 against 10,000 was considerable, it was likely that he had other tricks up his sleeves. Therefore, once the battle began, it would definitely become an intense confrontation between the two elite teams that would resort to all means. The 3,000 reserve troops could not be too far away or too close. In order to take the initiative on the battlefield, it would be best if they could avoid Shu Liesu's eyes. In the end, this dangerous mountain road became their only choice.
The night wind blew like a steel knife. Suddenly, there was a commotion behind them. Zhu Biao looked back and saw that on the mountain road, several figures had suddenly become disorderly. Three figures fell towards the mountain stream. One of them was caught by the soldiers in front of him, while the other two disappeared in the blink of an eye.
There was not too much noise on the mountain road, because before they set off, the army had been strictly ordered not to make any noise. The long line of 3,000 people passed through the cliff one after another, cautiously. During this time, several people fell into the deep stream and left this world forever.
Some people shed tears, but the line continued to spread silently. When everyone had passed through the cliff, some people looked back. The mountain in the darkness was quiet, without any traces left behind. Soon, the cliff was quickly left behind by them.
It was dark and cold in front, and the road to Linzhou was still far away …
…
After midnight, the attack on Linzhou stopped. The fierce battle seemed to be able to penetrate the city walls at any moment, but in the end, this intention still could not be realized.
The Female Enlightened Master sounded the gongs to retreat, but she still maintained a posture that seemed like she could launch a fierce attack at any time. At the back of the camp to the west of the battlefield, Shen Wenjin called for his trusted generals in the tent. He did not say what he was going to do, but only asked these people to stay.
The best time had not yet come, and they still had to wait.
…
After midnight came the hour of dawn, and the night was coming to an end. The top of the city wall had also calmed down, and the soldiers on guard had changed shifts. The night was gradually approaching the deepest part of the city.
Ten miles away, the reinforcements led by Wang Juyun set up camp in the snowy night, waiting for dawn to enter the battlefield. Once the reinforcements arrived, the situation in Linzhou would be slightly alleviated. Of course, Shu Liesi would be under more pressure, and he would be pressed for time. Perhaps because of this, the Jin camp suddenly moved at a quarter to the hour of dawn. Three teams of 1,000 people launched attacks from different directions, and the attack lasted for 15 minutes.
Finally, they returned without any success.
Near the hour of dawn, the Jin soldiers retreated. It was now three in the morning, and after the tension subsided, great fatigue weighed down on everyone. At a quarter to the hour of dawn, in the city of Linzhou, the guarding general Xu Chunyi came out of the courtyard and walked to the west wall, followed by his trusted subordinates.
A street away, Yan Qing, dressed in black, waved his hand and followed in the same direction.
In the gradually quieting camp of the Female Enlightened Master, Shu Liesi walked out of the tent, looked at the quiet city of Linzhou ahead, and raised his binoculars. Since his arrival in Linzhou, what followed was unparalleled excitement and clamor. The night before him seemed to have never been so quiet.
In the mountains two miles away from the Female Enlightened Master's camp, the animals seemed to have fallen asleep in the cold of the night. Lu Junyi also looked at the camp from afar.
Two quarters to the hour of dawn, four o 'clock in the morning.
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