Chapter 38: Forgetting Schemes (5)

Under the personal command of their commander Linghu Chao, the rebels had gradually filled in the ditches outside the remaining three sides of the city walls. What puzzled Linghu Chao was that, aside from a few stray arrows, his troops had faced little effective resistance from the Tang forces. Although he had expected the Tang army to lack siege equipment, their passively defensive stance still left him confused. In warfare, deception is often necessary—could it be that the Tang forces had some hidden strategy?

Linghu Chao was naturally suspicious and assumed that Zhang Xun was trying to deceive him. He had already suffered at Zhang Xun’s hands during the siege of Yongqiu, so he dared not take things lightly this time. Seeming to sense his commander’s concerns, General Ashina Moyun clasped his fists and said, “General, in my opinion, there are clearly not enough defenders left in Suiyang. The Tang people lack both the will and the strength to stop us from filling in the ditches… We have been besieging them for nearly ten months, and by now they must have run out of food. I even heard that they have started eating each other… Based on my estimates, there are less than a thousand combat-ready soldiers left in the Tang army!”

Hearing Ashina Moyun’s words, Linghu Chao was slightly moved, but he still felt something was off. If there were indeed less than a thousand Tang soldiers, why hadn’t they tried to break through earlier? Could it be that Zhang Xun truly intended to hold Suiyang with just a handful of remaining troops? That was utterly ridiculous!

However, the battle of Suiyang had reached this point, and even if Zhang Xun had a hidden strategy, it wouldn’t make a decisive difference. All Linghu Chao needed to do was divide his 40,000 troops to attack the four city gates. Even if Zhang Xun were blessed by the gods, he would be powerless to turn the situation around!

After thinking it through, Linghu Chao took a deep breath and ordered, “Order the entire army to cross the horse paths and launch a full-scale assault. The first and second battalions must climb the walls and capture the northern gate, while the rest must use battering rams to break down Suiyang’s northern gate.”

Sighing, Linghu Chao finally issued the order for a general attack. He only hoped he was overthinking things—this was his last resort. If they couldn’t capture Suiyang within three days… Sigh! Remembering what Yin Ziqi had said, Linghu Chao shuddered. That was impossible! No matter the cost, he would capture Suiyang. A general’s success often came at the expense of countless lives—he didn’t need to care about those soldiers’ deaths. As long as he could take Suiyang, it didn’t matter how many soldiers sacrificed their lives. He had already lost once to Zhang Xun; he would not lose a second time!

“The general orders the entire army to attack immediately!”
“Kill all the Tang invaders! Kill all the Tang traitors!”

The rebel soldiers kept shouting loudly, as if they could plant the banners of the Great Yan Kingdom on the walls of Suiyang City any moment and receive blessings from the Eternal Heaven. The dense ranks of rebel light cavalry charged forward along the paths made of sand and stones, turning the area below Suiyang City into a sea of black sand. They were the Yeluo River warriors, the finest fighters of the Great Yan Kingdom, dedicated to fulfilling the noblest and most sacred mission in the world. The skeletal remains of the fake army soldiers served as stepping stones for them to reach the walls of Suiyang City, while the bloody corpses of their comrades acted as shields against the arrows raining down like locusts. “Ugh, ugh-uh…” The mournful sound of horns rang out again, and the well-trained Yeluo River warriors dismounted from their horses and formed two large formations. Linghu Chao nodded in satisfaction. This siege was an opportunity for him to prove his strength to the Emperor of Great Yan and to rise to the rank of marquis or prime minister through this battle! “Third and Fourth Battalions, set up light ladders on the east and west sides of Suiyang City and capture the walls within two hours!” Linghu Chao issued the order without hesitation, confident in the combat prowess of these elite troops. After being weakened by the fake army and Hu army soldiers earlier, the Tang army was now exhausted. Fighting an exhausted army with elite forces, he saw no doubt in this battle’s outcome. Moreover, there were less than a thousand Tang soldiers inside the city—how could such a small force hold off attacks from all sides? “Fifth and Sixth Battalions, use battering rams to attack the southern city gates directly!” Linghu Chao then made the most strategic deployment. He wanted to win in the most perfect way, forcing the Tang invaders to admit defeat outright. As soon as he gave the orders, the Yan soldiers of the Third and Fourth Battalions rushed excitedly toward the east and west walls of Suiyang City. They swiftly set up the light ladders on the battlements and climbed up eagerly. “Haha, the Tang army is nothing but a bunch of docile sheep who gave up resisting. Then let me use your heads to achieve fame as a marquis!” thought Colonel Tongluo, pleased to see the Tang army’s resistance weakening, with few boulders or boiling oil being thrown anymore. “Charge! Beat the Tang invaders! The Eternal Heaven is blessing us! For the Emperor, for the women—forward!” He could already see the battlements and the terrified expressions of the Tang invaders behind them, so he turned to his comrades below and shouted loudly. “I will be the first to break through the city walls!” Not wanting anyone else to take credit, Colonel Tongluo leaped onto the city wall. As soon as he looked up to assess the situation, the smile on his face froze instantly.

What appeared before his eyes was not a group of weak and exhausted Tang rebels, but over a hundred soldiers armed with long knives, their eyes filled with determination! And the leader of them was none other than Nan Jiyun! How could this be? Weren’t all the Tang troops in the city less than a thousand? How could suddenly over a hundred such soldiers appear on one side of the city wall? Damn it! Colonel Tongluo turned to flee, but Nan Jiyun wouldn’t give him a chance—swinging his long knife fiercely, he severed his head. “Rolling, rolling…” Colonel Tongluo’s head rolled to Nan Jiyun’s feet, and Nan Ba of Weizhou stepped heavily on the barbarian’s head, feeling a surge of anger. “Things are about to change!” Looking up at the overcast sky, Nan Jiyun finally let out a long sigh. The sky grew dark; the country was on the verge of collapse. After the fall of Suiyang City, could the Tang Dynasty finally quell the rebellion? Nan Jiyun didn’t know. But he would definitely fight for the Tang Dynasty to the last moment. Because he was a Tang man, and he had to fulfill the responsibilities of a Tang man! It was because so many Tang men fulfilled their responsibilities that the Tang Dynasty remained the Tang Dynasty! With the clanging of iron horses, they marched thousands of miles. Wherever the sun rose, there was the Tang Dynasty! Since the sun rose above Suiyang City, Suiyang must belong to the Tang Dynasty! Every inch of land in Suiyang City was part of the Tang Dynasty—we must defend our homeland! “Brothers, since we’re doomed not to leave Suiyang City alive, let’s die loyal to our country!” Nan Jiyun suddenly raised his eight-foot long knife and shouted loudly. “Fight them to the death! Kill one, gain one; kill two, gain a pair!” “If people stand in our way, kill them; if Buddhas stand in our way, kill them too!” “That’s right! General Nan is right. When we die, we’ll rise again in twenty years. Let’s fight those barbarians! Let’s fight them!” “Kill the rebels! Punish the traitors!” “Kill the rebels! Punish the traitors!” “Kill the rebels! Punish the traitors!” Dark clouds pressed down on the city, threatening to crush it. Under the dark sky, Suiyang City was on the verge of collapse.