bookrandom Chapter 482 Siege
Chapter 482 Siege
In two days, Lu Zhijin received no news about Si Jingshan. Just as the King of Lingnan had said, this man appeared out of thin air, all alone, without any relatives, and without any weaknesses.
Therefore, they did not dare to go into battle rashly, and everyone was thinking of countermeasures.
What they didn't expect was that the enemy attacked first, even though they didn't participate in the battle.
On the fourth day after Lu Zhijin arrived in Lizhou, the enemy army besieged the city.
"Report!" Lu Zhijin was discussing military affairs with his soldiers when a soldier rushed in to report.
"Reporting to the General! Scouts ahead report that the enemy has reached within ten miles!"
Lu Zhijin suddenly stood up: "Do you know how many soldiers there are, and who is in charge?"
"There are at least 300,000, and the leader is none other than the enemy's general, Si Jingshan."
"General, Si Jingshan's intentions this time are clearly not good!" the adjutant said with a grave expression. "According to our scouts, the enemy has a total strength of 400,000, but this time they have mobilized 300,000 troops at once. Their momentum is overwhelming, and they have obviously come prepared!"
Lu Zhijin's face was grave: "Immediately issue the order to prepare to meet the enemy." The enemy was about to besiege the city, and they couldn't worry about Nan Wuduo. Fortunately, the soldiers were always ready.
"Yes."
Lu Zhijin donned his armor, picked up his weapon, and immediately headed to the city wall.
Lu Zhijin looked down with a solemn expression. Not far from the city, dust was billowing, and the enemy's flags could be faintly seen fluttering in the wind.
He didn't expect to arrive so quickly, but he couldn't see where Si Jingshan was because he was too far away.
Lu Zhijin stood atop the city wall, clad in armor, exuding an imposing aura, his sharp eyes scanning the situation below. His voice boomed and resolute as he addressed the soldiers on the wall: "Listen up, everyone! Defend the wall! Do not allow the enemy the slightest opportunity!"
The soldiers responded in unison, their morale high. Lu Zhijin nodded in satisfaction, then turned and strode quickly down the city wall. His steps were steady and powerful, as if each step contained boundless strength and determination.
Upon reaching the foot of the city wall, Lu Zhijin swiftly mounted his horse. His warhorse was tall and imposing, with a coat as black as ink and powerful hooves. Lu Zhijin gently patted the horse's back, and the horse neighed, seemingly cheering for its master's departure.
Behind him, soldiers, fully equipped and ready for battle, stood in neat rows, each one spirited and armed, standing at attention. Lu Zhijin glanced back at his troops, a surge of pride welling up within him.
"Let's go!" Lu Zhijin gave the order, spurred his horse, and it galloped off like an arrow. The soldiers followed closely behind, the sound of hooves echoing throughout the city gate, raising a cloud of dust.
Once outside the city and facing the enemy, Lu Zhijin finally saw Si Jingshan's appearance clearly.
Around thirty years old, he resembled a refined scholar, exuding an air of elegance. He didn't look like a decisive general on the battlefield at all, but rather like a talented and learned scholar. His presence seemed completely out of place on this battlefield filled with smoke and bloodshed.
Lu Zhijin never expected that Si Jingshan, whom the King of Lingnan feared so much, would be like this. However, he did not underestimate him, but instead stared at him warily.
Meanwhile, Si Jingshan, who was opposite Lu Zhijin, was also looking at him. He had a handsome face and showed no signs of tension, as if this was not a battlefield where he could lose his life at any moment. He was relaxed and at ease.
"General Lu, I have long admired your name." Si Jingshan spoke first, clasping his hands in a fist salute to Lu Zhijinshan.
Lu Zhijin returned the greeting, saying, "General Si, you are the same."
The two exchanged only a few pleasantries before war was about to break out.
Si Jingshan waved his hand behind him, and the bugle call suddenly sounded. A soldier behind him charged out like an arrow.
The same thing happened on Lu Zhijin's side, and the two sides immediately clashed.
Gradually, the sandstorm on the battlefield grew stronger, as if it would swallow the entire battlefield whole. The sand and dust whipped up by the gale swirled in the air, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes. In this chaos, only the neighing of warhorses and the clashing of swords echoed, sounding particularly jarring.
In this battle, Lu Zhijin did not make a move, but carefully observed the battle between the two sides. In the end, they had a slight advantage.
In the military camp.
"Haha, this Si Jingshan is nothing special!" A burst of laughter erupted, and several soldiers beamed with smug satisfaction. They had just emerged victorious from a fierce battle, their opponent none other than Si Jingshan, whom everyone considered a formidable foe.
This victory clearly made them incredibly excited and proud, to the point that they became somewhat complacent.
“Something’s not right. It wasn’t like this before. What exactly is Si Jingshan up to?” In contrast to the soldiers’ joy, the King of Lingnan frowned.
Lu Zhijin gently touched the small flag in his hand, looking at the sand table in front of him, lost in thought.
“This is definitely not right! If I’m not mistaken, Si Jingshan’s real purpose today is probably not to have a fierce battle with us, but to take the opportunity to find out our strength.”
"General, perhaps you're overthinking it." The soldiers, who had been laughing heartily, stopped laughing and spoke up.
"I tend to agree with General Lu's conjecture. Si Jingshan is a man of deep thoughts; how could he possibly use such a simple strategy?"
"Your Highness is absolutely right! Guards, convey my order: all soldiers must remain on high alert and show no sign of slackening. No matter when or where, they must be ready for battle at any time to deal with any possible situation. Anyone who dares to disobey this order will be severely punished!"
As Lu Zhijin had predicted, the enemy launched a surprise attack on the city that very night.
Outside the city walls, enemy troops emerged from the darkness like black phantoms. Leading the charge was a group of agile soldiers who, under the cover of night, silently approached the city walls, quickly ran out ropes with iron hooks, the hooks firmly embedded in the gaps between the bricks and stones, and climbed up the ropes.
The siege engine headed towards the city gate, with huge logs hoisted high by ropes, ramming against the gate again and again amidst the shouts of the soldiers.
The soldiers on the city wall hurriedly responded to the attack. The archers fired arrows at the shadowy figures below, but because it was too dark, their accuracy was greatly reduced. The soldiers carried logs and stones and threw them at the general climbing the city wall. For a time, shouts of battle, screams, and the sounds of weapons clashing echoed throughout the night.
Fortunately, the soldiers were prepared, but they did not expect the enemy to arrive so quickly, catching them off guard.