bookrandom Chapter 2244 Rescue
Chapter 2244 Rescue
Once the order was given, Feng Mulan took the lead and drew both swords simultaneously.
The heavy iron sword in his left hand was powerful and heavy, used to smash and block enemy weapons that blocked his way.
The nimble, swift sword in his right hand is like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, seeking opportunities to strike swiftly and specifically targeting vital points.
She took the lead, like a red-hot blade, fiercely stabbing into the junction of the enemy forces besieging Xue Dingshan's troops.
Seeing this, the guards and elite troops behind him were greatly encouraged. They shouted in unison and followed closely behind, forming an unstoppable arrowhead and charging forward with all their might.
At this moment, Feng Mulan perfectly combined personal bravery with tactical objectives.
She did not charge blindly, but rather precisely chose the route that was relatively weak in the enemy's encirclement and shortest from Xue Dingshan's troops.
With a flick of his twin swords, he forcefully tore a bloody path through the chaotic enemy ranks.
The remaining soldiers of Xue Dingshan's troops were already prepared to die.
Suddenly, reinforcements appeared as if descended from the heavens. Seeing their distinctive red armor and flowing swords, everyone's spirits were greatly lifted, and the hope of escaping their desperate situation ignited their last bit of strength.
"It's the Imperial Concubine! Reinforcements have arrived! Charge out and rendezvous with Her Highness!"
Xue Dingshan shouted hoarsely, brandishing his halberd, and led his troops in a fierce counterattack against the direction Feng Mulan was charging.
The two teams, one outside and one inside, exerted their strength simultaneously and finally managed to merge together before being completely submerged.
"Your Majesty!" Xue Dingshan, covered in blood, choked up when he saw Feng Mulan.
He never expected that Feng Mulan, the Imperial Noble Consort, would personally lead troops out of the city to meet him.
He thought he would die in battle soon, but now, thanks to Feng Mulan's arrival, he has survived for the time being!
"Xue Dingshan, keep up!"
Feng Mulan had no time to say more. Her gaze quickly swept over the now larger but more chaotic group that had joined together, as well as the ever-approaching waves of enemy troops from all directions.
She knew that a simple rendezvous would not resolve the crisis; an effective defense had to be organized immediately to buy time to fight and retreat toward the city gate.
"Order! All shield bearers and spearmen, immediately move outwards and form a circular formation!"
"Archers inside, fire freely to suppress the approaching enemy! Xue Dingshan's troops, enter the formation to rest and replenish, with the seriously wounded placed in the core!"
Feng Mulan gave a series of orders, speaking quickly and clearly: "The circular formation should move slowly toward the west gate. Do not advance rashly, and do not break apart!"
"Liu Shijie's troops, upon hearing the bugle call, immediately disengage and rejoin the main formation, merging into the right flank of the circular formation!"
Under her command, the Chu army, which had been somewhat disorganized, began to quickly regroup.
The soldiers on the outer perimeter, relying on shields and spears, quickly constructed a ring-shaped defensive line.
The soldiers inside used this brief period of safety to bandage each other and pass on the few remaining arrows and water.
A relatively stable defensive circle centered on Feng Mulan and her banner.
Amidst the turbulent waves of enemy encirclement, it stubbornly took shape like a reef in a whirlpool and began to move slowly but steadily toward the west gate of Jianghuai City.
Although the crisis was far from over, at least Feng Mulan bought the army, which was trapped in the encirclement, the possibility of organizing resistance and retreating in an orderly manner.
What follows will be an even more brutal battle to break through and defend the city.
The open fields outside the west gate of Jianghuai City have been transformed into a boiling furnace of death.
Feng Mulan led her troops out of the city to meet Xue Dingshan, but instead fell into a trap carefully set by Gongsun Yi.
After the 20,000 Chu troops joined forces with the remaining Xue Dingshan troops, they quickly formed a defensive circular formation thanks to Feng Mulan's decisive command.
However, they were still relentlessly attacked and squeezed from all sides by the Scorpion Clan cavalry and Youzhou Army infantry, who had an overwhelming numerical advantage.
The sounds of clashing steel, shouts of battle, and wails mingled with the morning breeze, carrying the stench of blood far up the city walls.
On the city wall, Liu Shijie, the deputy general who had temporarily taken over command from Feng Mulan, was gripping the edge of the crenellations tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
He looked down at the fierce battle below, his heart filled with anguish.
Consort Feng and nearly 20,000 of her comrades were trapped outside the city and were being attacked by the enemy's overwhelming forces.
The circular formation constantly deformed and contracted under immense pressure, each enemy attack feeling as if it were hitting his heart.
He knew that with only the strength of the isolated army outside the city, it would be difficult to hold out for long, let alone retreat safely back into the city.
We must provide them with strong support to disrupt the enemy's offensive rhythm and give them a chance to regroup and retreat!
"Archers! All hands in position!"
Liu Shijie turned around abruptly, roaring angrily. His voice was distorted with anxiety, but it carried an undeniable determination.
"Balloon calibration, target—enemy cavalry charge group and dense infantry formation behind!"
"Load the artillery pieces with loose stones and oil canisters to cover an area of 150 to 200 paces around the outer edge of the circular formation, blocking the enemy's subsequent troop deployment!"
"All archers and crossbowmen, take cover at the crenellations and fire freely, focusing on sniping enemy troops who approach the circular formation and attempt to climb or breach the shield wall!"
A series of orders were issued like a sudden storm.
The defending troops on the city wall, who were initially somewhat flustered due to their commander's departure, quickly found their bearings and took their positions under Liu Shijie's clear instructions.
The tense atmosphere was tinged with a tragic sense of shared hatred for the enemy.
"Squeak—creak—" The sickening sound of the winch turning rang out first.
More than ten large ballistae deployed at the west gate and the protruding parts of the city walls on both sides were slowly pulled back by strong soldiers.
Giant arrows, as thick as a child's arm, with iron fletching and menacing barbs, were filled into the quiver.
Following the instructions of the flag bearer below, the operator quickly adjusted the firing elevation and direction.
"Balloon—fire!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A series of dull and terrifying roars erupted, like the roars of giant beasts.
The giant arrows fired from the ballista transformed into streaks of dark light, almost invisible to the naked eye, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek as they shot into the battlefield with astonishing speed and kinetic energy!
These giant arrows are not aimed at individual soldiers, but at groups of people!
A giant arrow pierced the center of a troop of Scorpion Clan cavalry who were gathering and preparing to launch a new charge.
The terrifying penetrating force instantly pierced and tore apart three or four people and their horses along the path. The arrows, still carrying the corpses, even knocked over several more people behind them, causing a terrible chaos and a rain of blood among the cavalry.
Another giant arrow was fired at a dense infantry phalanx of the Youzhou army that was advancing forward, piercing directly through the gaps in the shields.
It tore a bloody, mangled gash through the crowd, eliciting screams of terror.
Almost simultaneously, the artillery positions high up behind the city wall also roared.
"Cannons—fire!"
Whoosh—boom!
Several light artillery pieces launched countless fist-sized stones, which scattered in the air, forming a deadly rain of stones that covered an area around the circular formation.