Chapter 1532
The Final Battle, a Grand Event
Chapter 1532 The Final Battle, a Grand Event
Jiang Qianshi was somewhat moved, and then instructed, "But the enemy's offensive has suddenly become more intense, something must have happened, so please ask General Chu and the others to keep a close eye on the other city gates, lest we are safe while the other city gates fall!"
"Yes, sir!" The messenger quickly relayed the military intelligence from the west gate tower by shouting.
Upon hearing this, the sentries on duty at the foot of the city wall repeated the message. After ten sentries passed through, the message reached the safe area where General Chu, King Ye, and others were located.
We can't read minds, so we can't know why the enemy is attacking so fiercely. We can only increase the garrison strength of the other three city gates.
"In short, we must defend the city today and ensure that the Wei people can enjoy their reunion dinner!"
"Yes!"
The messengers from both General Chu and King Ye were constantly on the move, relaying all sorts of messages.
As the enemy's attack on the city intensified at noon, the Wei people inside the city were all worried that the city would be breached. People from every household stood at the entrance of the street where they lived, waiting for news.
Until they heard the messenger shout, "Wei people, do not be alarmed! The infected enemy troops that were fiercely attacking the city have been scattered by gunfire and cannons. The enemy will not be able to enter the city today. Everyone can enjoy your reunion dinner in peace!"
"Phew, it's good that everything's alright." Wei Cai, who had come out to hear the news, rushed home and told his family what the messenger had said: "They said we can hold out for the next two days, so we can have our reunion dinner without worry."
"When will the soldiers defending the city have their reunion dinner?"
"Those who went off the battlefield have already eaten. They were rotating shifts to fight the enemy on the city walls. How could the same group of Wei soldiers fight the enemy all the time? They would be exhausted to death. It's just that the Wei soldiers can't have this reunion meal like we do, where they eat together as a family or clan. It's comrades who went off the battlefield in the same batch."
"How can this be called a family reunion dinner? It's just a regular battle meal."
These words made the whole family feel a little uncomfortable.
But the young man said, "It's alright. More than a family reunion dinner, the soldiers want to leave a will for their families... That fellow Li Wenhu is even more unlucky than the soldiers. He can't even go home for a family reunion dinner. He's holed up on the city wall and horse path writing wills for the soldiers. He's almost crying his eyes out. His wife won't even come to see him. I heard she abandoned her husband's family and went back to her parents' home for a reunion."
???
It's no exaggeration to say that people from Wei love gossip. Even in this situation, you still have the leisure to chatter.
Guns and cannons combined with gunpowder were indeed powerful weapons against the enemy. After an hour of bombardment, the enemy's offensive was suppressed.
Beida Erna was so angry he almost vomited blood, feeling that he had lost face in this battle.
When the enemy commander received the battle report, his face turned extremely ugly. However, he did not blame Beida Erna, but praised him. He then rode back to find the eldest prince and the divine physician, asking for troops and divine medicine.
The miraculous medicine can enhance the enemy's combat power and also make them lose their sense of pain. The enemy plans to give the miraculous medicine to the infected enemy soldiers before they die, and then launch one last attack.
He refused to believe that 300,000 troops couldn't break through one of Liangwei's city gates; he refused to believe that Liangwei's heavenly thunder weapons couldn't be exhausted!
The enemy's guess was correct.
Gunpowder is a consumable, and any consumable will eventually run out of ammunition and supplies.
They had already used gunpowder to hold out for two days, but they couldn't hold out forever. This was one of the reasons why Qin Jiang, the King of Ye, and the Chu general decided to leave the city and fight to the death.
Before we run out of ammunition and food, we must fight a major battle; otherwise, what will we have to fight with once our supplies are depleted?
Dong dong qiang, dong dong qiang!
The drums and music continued on every street.
In the late afternoon, on the riverbank in Wuyuan Garden, students such as Si Peisifeng, Wu Lianshu, Qi Yucong, and Shen Yinming set up a long table with various foods and a large incense burner on it. The students lined up to offer incense and worship.
"We pay homage to Heaven and Earth, our ancestors, our sage teacher Dan, our ancestor Master Xun..." Master Qiong led the students in a proper bowing ceremony. Then, Si Pei went mad, holding up an incense stick and saying to his classmates, "Now that you've finished bowing, start bowing to yourselves. I know you're all being pretentious, so I'll set an example for you. I'll take responsibility for this bad reputation; just follow along!"
The students didn't stop him; they were clearly tempted, but they felt it was a bit absurd to worship him, so they didn't dare to be the first to do so.
Si Pei held up a stick of incense and came to the altar... Shouldn't there be three sticks of incense? The stock of incense, candles and paper money has been used up, so there aren't three sticks!
"On the 25th day of the tenth month of the fourth year of Wuxing, in winter, a special memorial was held for the Duke of Pei of the Great Wei Dynasty... Although the Duke of Pei was young, he was brave and fearless, and sacrificed his life for the country..."
He was just praising himself, praising himself nonstop. Yu Chenghao urged him, "Pei, hurry up. There are so many of us. If we all recite long self-praises like you, we won't finish the ceremony until dark."
Si Pei rolled his eyes at him, then continued reciting a passage. Soon after, he bowed and kowtowed towards the incense burner, sticking the incense stick into the ashes.
“There, that counts as having properly worshipped yourself. Just do the same.” Si Pei stepped aside, and Yu Chenghao immediately followed, then Xu Ji, Xue Mingyi, Li Zhiyuan, Jia Xiang, and others.
Shen Yinming asked Qi Yucong in a low voice, "Brother Qi, should we worship ourselves? Such an absurd thing is really hard to follow."
The two were quite familiar with each other and were even from the same hometown, so Shen Yinming made up his mind that if Qi Yu did it, he would do it too.
He was looked down upon by Qi Yucong... Fool! Although this was absurd, it was done by hundreds of scholars together, which would have made it an anecdote or even a legend.
If it won't do any harm, just go along with it.
If one does not comply, one will instead be branded as a cowardly and uncouth scholar.
"In such a desperate situation, I naturally followed the advice of my classmates," Qi Yu said, putting on airs.
“If that’s the case, I will follow the will of the people.” Shen Yinming no longer hesitated, but waited with great curiosity for them to worship him.
"Waaaaah!"
The sound of babies crying came from Guanshui Tower not far away. The area around Guanshui Tower was also quite lively, as the families of the pregnant women and new mothers had all come.
We're having a reunion dinner together, a big hodgepodge of various ingredients cooked in one pot, but it's savory and delicious, and having many people around makes us feel more at ease.
The opposite bank was also extremely lively. Qin Liupo stood on the riverbank and shouted at Si Pei and the others, "Have you seen the Qin family carriage? Go and check it out for me! My Qin family is your benefactor. If it weren't for the weapons made by my Qin family, you handsome young masters would have been captured by the enemy army long ago!"
"How dare you utter such slanderous words against us students?!" Shen Yinming was furious. "We are students of Taizhou Academy, the new generation of scholars, and our reputation must not be tarnished!"
"That's right, if you old woman don't show some respect, we'll go and complain to the Prince of Ye!"
The students were furious because Qin Liupo had almost openly spread rumors that they were male prostitutes and would be raped by the enemy.
What a disgrace! Who could remain calm and not be angry?!
Granny Qin pretended to be hard of hearing: "What? What are you saying? This old woman is old and her hearing isn't good. Stop talking nonsense, I can't hear you anyway. Quickly send your servants to the crossroads ahead to see if my fifth sister-in-law and the others have arrived yet!"
This?
Old hag!
The students were furious and jumped up and down on the riverbank, but Xue Mingyi and Li Zhiyuan sent someone to check on Qin Liupo.
This made the students even angrier, and they turned to argue with Xue Mingyi/Li Zhiyuan.
When Si Pei saw them bullying the two from poor families, she got angry, put her hands on her hips, and started arguing with them.
"Hahaha!" Qi Tianshi was in a small pavilion by the river, watching the commotion, and laughed out loud.
He paused again, cleared his throat, and with his beautiful voice, composed a folk song from the Great Wei Dynasty to accompany the lively gathering of all sorts of people: "Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless, the sun and moon waxed and waned, the stars and constellations were arrayed, beneath the stars and constellations, the land of the human emperor, the divine land and immortal islands, from beginning to end, eight thousand miles of thick soil gave birth to all things, the smoke from countless chimneys continued the lamps of humankind, farmers tended the land, beautiful women picked mulberry leaves, children played in school, and birds and livestock cries and sang..."