"If I have to die, I don't want to die in Beiliang, where the land is barren and the territory is narrow. I want to die in the rich Central Plains, under Grand Peace City, on the shores of the South Sea!"
— —
Beimang's 90,000 vanguard troops poured into the mouth of the gourd like a flood bursting through a dam. Those forts and forts were like unremarkable pebbles on a shoal, instantly submerged.
The northernmost Beehive Fort at the mouth of the gourd, together with the six beacons and 197 Youzhou officers, all died in battle, without a single arrow remaining.
Clear Phoenix Fort was broken through. 362 men, all unsheathed cold blades, died in battle.
White Horse Fort was broken through. 213 men, without a single place within the fort, all died in battle.
At the heart of the northern group of forts at the mouth of the gourd was Jujube Horse Village. Corpses were strewn everywhere. Apart from the Beimang cavalry, who had been seriously injured and flustered, who added a blade to the back of the corpses, not a single person died while fleeing. Their wounds were all in front of their bodies!
Apart from the last Chicken Crow Village in the south, all of the eighteen forts around Jujube Horse Village were broken through by the Beimang army.
Not a single person surrendered.
Chicken Crow Village was different from the other forts, which were mostly built in river valleys. It was located on a precipitous cliff of a short mountain. Countless Beimang cavalry quickly passed by the two sides of the mountain, whistling through the air like the wind. Most likely in pursuit of speed, they wanted to push out of Crouching Bow City as quickly as possible. They didn't pay any attention to this isolated and unimportant little village.
Within the village, there wasn't even a commander-in-chief, but a mere deputy commander-in-chief. When all of the soldiers were gathered together, there were more than 230 of them. Everyone could clearly hear the loud trampling of Beimang horses at the foot of the mountain, as well as the strange cries of those northern barbarians as they galloped forward.
Chicken Crow Village's deputy commander-in-chief, Tang Yanchao, was a tall, middle-aged man. He was a classic veteran ruffian from the border. Alcohol was prohibited in the army, and there were several times where he had messed up matters because of alcohol. This man, who could have become a commander-in-chief long ago, was wasting his time in Chicken Crow Village. Every time he drank, Tang Yanchao would brag to his mostly young subordinates about how he had once been the personal guard of the previous cavalry deputy commander, Wei Tieshan, and how he had followed the commander-in-chief in his early years and slaughtered his way through Beimang territory. The youngsters in the village at first, but after years and years of listening to those things, calluses. As a result, every time Tang Yanchao brag after drinking, many people would shake their heads and make faces. If Tang Yanchao wasn't drunk to death and saw these little bastards imitating him behind his back, he wouldn't get angry to see these little bastards't to not know how to respect a hero't't respect.. n...
In the past, even when Youzhou generals came to patrol the village, Tang Yanchao, who didn't wear his armor neatly, was dressed meticulously for the first time. Even his sloppy beard had been shaved off, making him almost unrecognizable as the great deputy commander-in-chief. If it were any other time, there would definitely be a few bold young soldiers who would approach him with a mischievous smile and say, "Oh, the deputy commander-in-chief looks like a dog. Why haven't you found your sister-in-law yet?" However, at this moment, most people only had heavy hearts and couldn't squeeze out a smile. The elders from the stronghold stood beside Tang Yanchao and were also silently inspecting the armor and crossbow sabers.
Tang Yanchao looked around and said indifferently, "Those who aren't over twenty years old, and those who are the only children in your families, stand obediently where you are! Those who aren't, take a step forward! "
Not counting Tang Yanchao and the seven people on his left and right, more than half of the two hundred and twenty-one people in front had walked out.
Tang Yanchao looked over and suddenly pointed at a baby-faced soldier and scolded with a smile, "Bai Youfu, if I remember correctly, you're only 18 years old. You don't even look like you're 15. Scram back!"
Look, the great deputy commander-in-chief had finally put on some airs of "this official", but he was immediately exposed after a few words. He deserved to be called "this old man" for the rest of his life.
The soldier named Bai Youfu blushed and said loudly, "Father said that it's a matter of course for soldiers to fight and be paid. Then, it's also a matter of course to go to the battlefield and kill the enemy!"
Tang Yanchao put one hand on the Beiliang saber at his waist and said with a smile, "Then, didn't your mother secretly tell you not to fight with your life?"
Bai Youfu's face was full of embarrassment. He said softly, "She really did."
Laughter immediately broke out.
After Tang Yanchao raised his hand, the village returned to its previous silence.
This deputy commander-in-chief, who probably hadn't even heard of the Youzhou Provincial Governor, said in a deep voice, "General Yan previously ordered that our Calabash Fort only needed to defend to the death and not go out to meet the enemy!"
Tang Yanchao paused for a moment. "Therefore, I, Tang Yanchao, am going out to kill the barbarians this time because I, Tang Yanchao, have disobeyed military orders. Those who stand in place and stay in the fort, and those who step out don't need to go down the mountain. Yes, once we go down the mountain, we'll be stuck at the foot of the mountain for the rest of our lives. There's nothing to hide. No one's an idiot! I, Tang Yanchao, have lived for forty years and have gone to the battlefield more than forty times. If we count it up, it's more than once a year. Other than not being able to find a wife in this life, there's nothing else to say. You kids who haven't even reached the age of twenty, it's still too early for you to live long enough! Live well! "
Tang Yanchao pointed to the north and said fiercely, "This old man can't become a commander-in-chief or a high-ranking official. It's not embarrassing! But Li Jing, Hu Lin, and Liu Zhiyuan in the fort in the north must have died in battle. If this old man hides and doesn't die, I can't afford to lose this face! Even if this old man can afford to lose this face, our Pheasant Fort can't! "
Tang Yanchao roared angrily, "Those who step out, follow this old man! When we get down there and there's no military law to control us, Tang Yanchao will drink to his heart's content with my brothers! "
On this day, Pheasant Fort's vice-captain, Tang Yanchao, was the first to die at the foot of the mountain outside the fort.
Soon after, the remaining eighty people who were under the age of twenty also died in battle.
Among them, Bai Youfu was stabbed in the neck by a Beimang cavalryman who was charging at full speed.
Before he died, he only had one thought. It would be even better if he could fight his way into Beimang territory and die there.
Not long after, a white-haired, dignified old general stopped his horse at the foot of the mountain. After dismounting, he looked at the bloody battlefield where the corpses had been split into two groups. The old man calmly asked a general whose armor was stained with blood beside him, "How many people did we lose?"
The general wiped his face fiercely. "The bows and crossbows of the fort in Youzhou are extremely sharp, and everyone fought to the death. I only know that over four thousand of us died in battle, and even more were injured. "
It was precisely the commander of the eastern front, Yang Yuanzan. His expression was grave as he sighed heavily. They still hadn't seen Crouching Bow City of the three cities at the Gourd Gate, nor had they seen Yan Wenluan's elite infantry.
Yang Yuanzan looked at the Pheasant Fort on the mountain that was destined to be empty and muttered to himself, "There's no way to fight this battle."
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