Hearing the sound of the horn, the soldiers rushed to the top of the city wall and looked down nervously. The Tatar cavalry did not attack the city in a swarm like before. Among the densely packed enemy troops, more than ten simple and crude siege ladders appeared. It looked like they had been cut down from the mountains and made at the last minute.
The walls of the Chicken Crying Post were not very high. With the ladders and the Tatar soldiers' godly archery as cover, with the small number of people in the city, as long as a little bit of it was breached, the general situation would be over.
Jiang Bin gripped his twin sabers and said with a murderous look, "Set up the great general and destroy their ladders!" Immediately a few soldiers and citizens ran over and helped the cannoneers nervously adjust the position of the cannons.
In the distance there was a strange-looking thing erected, it was made of wood on all four sides, about five zhang high. On the top was a platform, below it was an even bigger square platform, with two rows of wooden wheels protruding from the sides. In front of the platform hung a whole piece of cowhide, so that the inside could not be seen clearly, but looking at the strange thing swaying forward on its own, one could guess that the Tatar soldiers were hiding behind the cowhide cover, pushing the wooden platform forward. The densely packed Tatar soldiers began to move forward behind them. From the top of the city wall, it looked like a black cloud covering the snowy ground was pressing forward.
The sun had already risen high in the sky, but everywhere was glittering with the cold glint of sabers and spears. Jiang Bin raised his saber and pointed at the well-shaped frame and shouted, "Quick, blow up that siege chariot for me."
The Tatars came closer and closer. The soldier lying in front with his bow nocked suddenly shouted, "Daren, in front are our commoners, the Tatars … the Tatars have captured our commoners and are standing in front."
"Huh?" As soon as Jiang Bin heard this, he rushed to the front. Pressing against the battlements, he looked down. By this time the Tartars were getting closer and closer. He could clearly see the twenty or thirty people standing in the front. There were men and women, old and young, and they were all wearing Central Plains attire. Jiang Bin was also dumbfounded.
Fight? They were all Ming Destiny's people. Who would dare to bear the crime of slaughtering their fellow countrymen? Not fight? If they allowed the Tatar soldiers to come close, they would not be able to survive either, and the entire Chicken Crowing Rest Point would fall into enemy hands.
Jiang Bin rolled his eyes, he cursed ferociously, "Beat them for me! It's a Tatars trick, they are all Tatars in disguise, beat them ruthlessly for me."
The cannon's muzzle was already aimed at the siege tank. As he watched the gunner bring the torch closer to the fuse, Jiang Bin's cheek couldn't help but twitch. At this time, a strong man suddenly shouted, "You can't fight, you can't fight. Those are our fellow villagers. I know them. The one on the left is my uncle. They are all fellow villagers of Raola Ridge near the city."
Patrol Inspector Liu was quick to react. He suddenly pulled out his saber and chopped the cannon with a "Keng" sound, cutting off the cannon. Magistrate Huang and Registrar Wang were so shocked that their faces turned pale. They could not help but heave a sigh of relief.
Jiang Bin stomped his feet anxiously. Veins popped out on his forehead as he said, "I say, Elders, if the war chariots get close to the top of the city walls, we won't be able to defend the city with just the few of us. We can't be soft-hearted at this time."
Magistrate Huang said, "No, as officials, how can we harm our own people? Those with good archery skills should shoot the Tatar soldiers directly to prevent them from getting close. "Several civil officials at the side nodded repeatedly.
Give the order to bomb without distinguishing between friend and foe? The county annals would probably record their names and they would be reviled for thousands of years to come. How could they be willing to bear such a crime? Moreover, if the imperial censor found out that they were impeached in the imperial court, even if they escaped the Tatar butcher's knife today, the emperor would probably punish them.
A few archers drew their bows and arrows flew in all directions. But the front of the war chariots that had already entered the firing range were covered with cowhide. This kind of untanned cowhide was tough and hard. The arrows could not penetrate it at all. The large group of Tatar soldiers hid behind the war chariots and slowly approached, completely unconcerned.
Jiang Bin was anxious. He shouted, "I am in command here. Gunners, fire for me. Knock down the war chariots for me!"
Magistrate Huang glared at them and shouted, "Who dares? Ming Destiny's soldiers massacred Ming Destiny's people. This is outrageous! I am this county's magistrate. Official Min is not here. This county's officials, big and small, including the garrison troops, are under my jurisdiction. Who dares to disobey my order? "The gunners looked at each other, not knowing whose order they should listen to.
Several arrows hit the cowhide, but the cowhide only shook a few times. At most one or two arrows were stuck on the cowhide, not threatening at all. A Tatar horseman with a spear in one hand leaped to the front of the war chariots. He shouted in Han, "The people in front are all Ming Destiny's people. Who dares to shoot? All of you, look carefully! "
The man turned his horse around. Bending down, he snatched a bundle from a woman's hand and galloped back. The woman cried and chased after him. Unexpectedly, a sharp arrow flew over and hit her in the back. The woman swayed and fell to the ground.
The top of the city wall was silent. They could only watch as the woman fell to the ground but could not help her. The burly Tatar came to the bottom of the city wall with his spear. He raised the bundle in his hand into the air. The sharp tip of the spear in his right hand pierced through the bundle and held it high in the air. He shouted proudly, "We know there are not many defenders in the city. Quickly open the gates and surrender. We can spare your lives. Otherwise, we will slaughter the whole city. Even a child like this will not be spared!"
Only now did the people on top of the city wall realize that the bundle in his hand was actually a baby. Everyone's eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. Even the archers who were holding the bows, not knowing whether it was out of fear or hatred, their arms were trembling and they could no longer draw their bows.
Seeing blood flowing down the spear and dripping on the snow, Han Youniang covered her mouth with one hand and held Yang Ling's arm tightly with the other hand. Her eyes were blurred by tears.
After a long while, Jiang Bin suddenly shouted, "What the f * ck are you all standing there for? Fire! Fire for me! You bunch of stupid bookworms, are you going to let the Tatars rush up and slaughter us all before you are satisfied? "
County Magistrate Huang's lips trembled as he said, "No … no …" but he could not spit out a complete sentence. Yang Ling did not expect the Tartars to be so savage. Seeing this bloody scene, the huge psychological shock made him suddenly realize a reality: The present was the present, the current foreign tribes were foreign tribes, they were all inhumane beasts.
Seeing a baby in swaddling clothes was unexpectedly stabbed to death by a bloodthirsty barbarian without blinking his eyes, his eyes were bloodshot. He suddenly shook off Young-niang's arm and rushed to the front of the cannon. He snatched the torch from the gunner's hand and lit the fuse. With a hoarse voice he roared, "F * ck his mother! Kill! Kill! Kill! "
'Boom!' the cannon roared angrily, the cannonball landed accurately on the war chariot, blasting the base to smithereens. Several common people in the front and the Tatar soldiers pushing the siege platform under the base were blasted until their flesh and blood flew everywhere. The huge pedestal swayed and fell down, the few Han who were not killed by the explosion scattered in all directions. Several eagle feather arrows chased after them and killed them one by one on the snowy ground.
Seeing this, the Tatars who were challenging the city wall were greatly frightened and immediately turned their horses around to flee. Just as the horse turned around, a sharp arrow pierced the back of his neck and came out of his throat. The Tatars did not even make a sound, he fell down from his horse with one leg still hanging in the stirrup. His dead body was dragged back to the battle formation by the warhorses.
On top of the city wall, Han Youniang's eyes were red, her hand was holding the bow she snatched from the soldier next to her, another eagle feather arrow was already on the bowstring. This kind of big bow used to defend the city was different from the short crossbow which had a fast firing speed and a short range. It was very similar to the longbow she used to hunt in the mountains. When she was twelve years old, she used a longbow to shoot down a leopard running in the dense forest, so naturally it was effortless for her to shoot down the Tatars who had no cover under the city wall.
Seeing the meat shield had lost its effect, the Tatars shouted and carried a dozen or so wooden ladders and rushed down the city wall in several groups.
The cannon was bounced off its original position, the smoke dispersed, Yang Ling was holding the torch, trembling like a leaf in the wind. His face was black from the smoke, with a pair of bright red eyes he slowly turned around to look at County Magistrate Huang, Deputy Ma and the others. In a hoarse voice he said, "Viper's claws, warriors untie their wrists. The big picture … the big picture is more important! "
County Magistrate Huang stared straight at him, suddenly he gave a loud shout and madly rushed over. With strenuous effort he picked up a stone and fiercely threw it down the city wall. Registrar Wang, Deputy Ma and the others also rushed over like madmen. Jiang Bin didn't dare to let these people all die here, he immediately ordered a few soldiers to carry and carry these crazy scholars into the building.
He rushed in front of Yang Ling and gave him a heavy slap on the shoulder, praising, "Well done, what great things can a woman's kindness accomplish? No matter what others think, if the lives of the nearly ten thousand citizens of the Chicken Crow Inn can be spared, it is all thanks to you!"
He spat on the ground and roared, "Continue to fire, blow up all the Tatars' wooden ladders!"
But by this time the Tatars at the bottom of the city wall had already avoided the main gate tower, spread out on the two sides of the city wall to set up ladders and began to attack. The effect of the cannon had already weakened. Yang Ling retreated to the side. Whether it was the neighing of the warhorses, the piercing of the arrows, or the screams of killing, it all seemed to have become the sounds of another world. There were already people attacking the top of the city wall on two wooden ladders, but they were forcefully suppressed by Jiang Bin and his men. He stood there in a daze as if he didn't feel anything. Although he knew that the most rational thing to do at this time was to mercilessly fire the cannon, otherwise more lives would be lost in vain, he still felt a deep sense of guilt when those commoners died in his own hands.
The bombs had already been used up. The originally cowardly people seemed to have been stimulated to the blood in their bones. Stones, rolling logs, and lime were all used. Many people picked up the swords and spears of the dead soldiers and joined in the melee. The Tatars completely used human lives to forcibly pave a path, swearing to take down the Chicken Crow Post.
Not far away, four Tatars had already rushed up a ladder. Behind them, there were still people continuously climbing up, fighting fiercely with the Ming army. Jiang Bin saw that the situation was not good. He brandished his two bloody sabers and pounced over like a gust of wind.
Yang Ling was startled awake by the screams that were close at hand. At this time, the soldiers guarding the city wall were in dire need of manpower. There was no more fresh troops to fill the gap. Without thinking, Yang Ling grabbed a long spear and rushed over.
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