Chapter 821
Whose general is this, so brave?
"General, General!"
A soldier rushed into Subutai's command tent in a panic. Subutai was studying the next defensive strategy when he saw the soldier rushing in. Boriged, who was standing next to him, frowned and said, "What's the matter that you're in such a panic? Can't you see that the commander is studying the strategy?"
Upon hearing this, the soldier immediately cried out, "General, something terrible has happened! Bo'erchu has returned with less than a hundred remaining soldiers. They were ambushed when they attacked Shexian!"
"what!"
Subutai put down the map in his hand, looked up at the messenger and said, "Where is Bo'erchu? Tell him to come see me!"
Upon hearing this, the soldier immediately went down, and soon Borchu, covered in wounds and looking disheveled, ran in and immediately knelt down in front of Subutai.
Subutai frowned upon seeing this and looked at Bo'erchu, asking, "Where is Agula?"
"General, we've been ambushed in the valley outside Shexian County. The General... the General was ambushed by Jin Yanzi, the commander of the Han army. He stayed behind to cover our retreat, and his fate is unknown!"
After Bo'ershu finished speaking, he immediately prostrated himself on the ground.
Ah!
Upon hearing this, Subutai's eyes instantly turned red, and he roared, "You Golden Swallow, you've actually killed two of my generals! I will fight you to the death!"
Subutai roared angrily, and Boriged immediately stepped forward to persuade him: "General, calm down, General, calm down. Agula's fate is unknown and he may not be dead. Besides, it is precisely at times like these that we must remain calm."
Subutai replied, "Yes, I understand."
As they were talking, they suddenly heard a drumbeat outside. Immediately, a soldier came to report: "Report! Commander, the vanguard of the Han army has moved. It looks like they are preparing to attack the city."
Upon hearing this, Boriged's gaze sharpened, and he said to the commander-in-chief, "Commander-in-chief, please sit for a moment, I will go and take a look."
As he spoke, Boriged donned his armor and headed straight for the inner city of Daomaguan.
Outside at this moment!
The morning light pierced through the eastern clouds, casting a dark gold hue over the bluestone walls of Daomaguan's inner city, but no one appreciated the sight at that moment.
Outside the city walls lay corpses left from yesterday's battle, some collected but many more left exposed in the open, the air thick with the stench of blood and burnt flesh.
Fu Youde stood on a high ground three hundred paces below the inner city, his eyes, bloodshot from a sleepless night, still sharp as an eagle's.
"General, the siege equipment is in place." Guerrilla General Hua Yun strode over, his voice hoarse. His left arm was wrapped in bandages, a result of being splashed with boiling oil while scaling the city walls yesterday.
This man was one of the twenty-four generals of Huaixi under Zhu Chongba. He was transferred to the Qihuo Army. Fu Youde found him useful and asked Zhang Dingbian to keep him by his side.
Fu Youde nodded slightly upon hearing this, his gaze sweeping across the front lines.
Thirty siege ladders, five arrow towers, and two battering rams were already lined up in the morning light. Most of these siege weapons were made overnight using salvaged timber after the outer city was captured yesterday. Although simple, they were sufficient. The real heavy weapon, the new cannons of Huangzhou Prefecture, would take at least three more days to arrive due to the difficult mountain roads.
"Who is the commander of the inner city? Have you found out?" Fu Youde asked.
“It is Boriged, one of the three great generals under Subutai.” Hua Yun’s expression was solemn. “This man is as famous as Batel and Agula. He is good at defense but not offense. It is said that ten years ago, when he was on the westward expedition against Khwarezm, he led five hundred remnants to defend the city of Muhammad for seven days until Subutai’s main force returned to reinforce it.”
Fu Youde narrowed his eyes. He had heard of the name Boriged before. Unlike Agula, known for his rapid raids, and Batel, renowned for his bravery, this man excelled at defending cities. The inner city of Daoma Pass was already fortified, and now with this man in command, today's battle would likely be even more difficult than yesterday's.
"Give the order: you will lead the first wave of attacks, using the arrow towers to suppress the city walls, while the siege ladders will focus on the eastern and western sections of the walls. Remember, don't aim for a quick victory; just probe the strength of the defenders." Fu Youde paused, then added, "Pay special attention to their new defensive siege weapons. When Batel defended the outer city, we didn't see any firearms; the inner city might be different."
Hua Yun accepted the order and left.
The war drums sounded, and the Han army's attack began.
Borigede stood on the inner city gate tower, leaning against the battlements.
He was about forty years old, with a thin face and high cheekbones. Unlike the ruggedness of typical grassland men, he possessed a scholarly air. But when his deep-set eyes swept over the Han army below the city, they were so sharp that people dared not look directly at him.
"General, the Han army has moved," the guerrilla general reported in a low voice.
Boriged did not respond, but silently observed the Han army's formation. After a while, he slowly said, "Fu Youde is testing the waters. Give the order: crossbowmen, do not move; archers, only shoot within a hundred paces. Prepare rolling logs and stones but do not fire. The molten metal... keep it warm first."
The guerrilla general was taken aback: "General, why is that? The Han army has advanced two hundred paces, which is within the range of their bows and crossbows."
“Fu Youde wants to see how much wealth we have,” Boriged said calmly. “Then let him see, but only what we want him to see.”
He pointed to the arrow towers slowly advancing below the city: "Those arrow towers are four zhang high, level with the city wall. When they are within a hundred paces, fire rockets in a concentrated burst. After one volley, immediately change positions and do not stop."
"Understood, sir!"
Boriged then looked at the two battering rams: "Are the pits inside the city gate ready?"
"Last night, as the general instructed, a pit one zhang deep and three zhang wide was dug thirty paces inside the city gate, and covered with wooden planks and loose soil. We are just waiting for the Han army's battering rams to break through the gate..."
“Very well.” Boriged finally revealed a faint smile. “If Fu Youde thinks the inner city is as easy to conquer as the outer city, then today, I will teach him a lesson.”
As they spoke, the Han army's arrow towers were within a hundred paces. Below the city, Han archers began to fire arrows, attempting to suppress the enemy's advance.
Strangely, the inner city defenders' counterattack was not fierce; only a few arrows fell, which was "gentle" compared to the overwhelming rain of arrows that had covered the sky outside the city the day before.
"It's a trap." Fu Youde, who had a clear view from his vantage point, frowned deeply. "Order Hua Yun to slow down the advance and be careful—"
Before he could finish speaking, a sudden change occurred.
Suddenly, dozens of black flags were raised on the inner city walls, their fluttering banners sweeping away most of the arrows fired by the Han army.
Immediately afterwards, hundreds of guards emerged from behind the battlements, each carrying a peculiar longbow with arrows wrapped in oil-soaked cloth that were burning fiercely.
"put!"
At a command, hundreds of rockets streaked across the morning sky like meteors, heading straight for the Han army's arrow tower.
Although these arrow towers were covered with raw cowhide, they were mostly made of wood and would catch fire easily. Almost simultaneously, more than ten strangely shaped machines, resembling large boxes, were pushed out from the city walls. The defenders pulled the levers, and dozens of streams of fire shot out from the boxes, heading straight for the arrow towers!
"A raging oil tank!" Fu Youde exclaimed in shock.
He had seen descriptions of this item in military books: a leather pouch filled with flammable oil that was sprayed out through a copper tube; it would ignite upon contact with fire and was a powerful weapon for defending cities. However, this item was difficult to manufacture and was already rare in the Central Plains; he never expected that the Golden Horde would possess such equipment.
In an instant, three of the five arrow towers burst into flames. The Han soldiers inside screamed and jumped down, some dying instantly, while others were engulfed by flames after landing.
Although the remaining two arrow towers were not directly hit, the defenders had already launched a second volley of rockets.
"Retreat! Retreat now!" Hua Yun roared hoarsely, her eyes bloodshot.
But it was too late. Suddenly, war drums thundered from the inner city walls, and the previously "weak" defenders surged out like a tide, firing crossbows and unleashing a hail of logs and stones.
The attacking Han army was caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties in an instant.
Fu Youde saw through the ruse and immediately ordered a retreat. Of the first wave of three thousand men, less than two thousand managed to return to their own lines, most of them wounded. Hua Yun was shot in the shoulder with an arrow, but her personal guards risked their lives to save her.
“General…I have failed…I have disgraced my mission…” Hua Yun’s face was pale, filled with shame. “It’s not your fault.” Fu Youde personally removed the arrow and applied medicine to him, and said in a deep voice, “It was Boriged who was too cunning. He deliberately feigned weakness to lure me into advancing rashly, and then launched a surprise attack with firearms. This man’s abilities are probably superior to Agula and Batel.
He looked toward the inner city, where the gray-blue city wall stood majestically in the morning sun, as if mocking the Han army's futile efforts.
"General, what's the next plan?" Hua Yun asked. "Should we wait for the cannons to arrive before attacking?"
Fu Youde shook his head: "The artillery will take at least three more days. There are too many variables in three days, and you and I are both surrendered generals. If we don't show some prowess, how will we gain a foothold in the Han army in the future?"
He stood up and said slowly, "Order the entire army to rest for one hour. Before noon, I will personally lead the army to attack again."
"General, you mustn't!" the generals cried out in unison. "You are the vanguard; you cannot always be at the forefront. Besides, Boriged is cunning; if anything goes wrong..."
“It is precisely because Boriged is cunning that I must go.” Fu Youde interrupted them, a resolute glint in his eyes. “This man is cautious in his military tactics and adept at using stratagems, but it is precisely because of his caution that he often misses opportunities. I will give him an irresistible bait—myself.”
He surveyed his generals and said, word by word, "We will attack the city at noon. I will personally lead the Vanguard Battalion as the vanguard. You will each lead your own troops and act according to my orders. In this battle, victory or death."
The generals stood solemnly and responded in unison.
At noon, the sun is high in the sky.
Beneath the inner city walls, the Han army once again arrayed themselves. But unlike in the morning, this time only a thousand men stood before them, all clad in double-layered heavy armor, each wielding a shield in one hand and a short weapon in the other—the elite Trapped Camp of the Han army. Fu Youde, clad in silver armor, stood at the front of the formation, his scarlet cloak fluttering in the hot wind.
On the city wall, Boriged frowned as he watched the suicide squad. What was Fu Youde trying to do? To launch a direct assault on the inner city with a thousand men was tantamount to throwing eggs against rocks.
"General, Fu Youde has personally taken to the front lines," the guerrilla general whispered.
“I see it.” Boriged pondered for a moment. “Order the crossbowmen to remain still, and the archers to prepare their arrows. Do not use rolling logs or stones for now, and do not use fire or oil tanks either.”
"Why is that? This is the perfect opportunity to annihilate the enemy!"
Boriged shook his head: "Fu Youde is no reckless man. He personally led the elite troops; he must have a backup plan. Order all units to be on high alert, especially to the mountains and forests on both sides, and beware of ambushes."
He paused, then added, "Also, have half of the garrison behind the city gate withdraw and ambush in the houses on both sides. If Fu Youde really wants to use battering rams to break down the gate, we'll trap him like a turtle in a jar."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Below the city, Fu Youde saw the defending troops on the city wall standing ready, but there was no sign of the simultaneous firing of firearms as he had seen that morning. He understood immediately—Boriged was indeed cautious and dared not easily reveal all his cards.
"Beat the drums, attack!" he calmly commanded.
With the booming of war drums, a thousand elite soldiers began their advance towards the city walls. Their steps were perfectly synchronized, their shields held high, forming a moving "iron cloud" above their heads.
Three hundred steps, two hundred steps, one hundred steps...
Once within range of the crossbows, arrows rained down from the city walls, but the enemy's shield formation was impenetrable, resulting in minimal casualties. They continued their advance, fifty paces, thirty paces…
"Ladder, go up!" Fu Youde shouted.
Dozens of siege ladders were once again erected on the city wall, and the battalion commander began to climb. This time, the counterattack from the city wall remained lukewarm, with logs and stones falling sparsely, far less intense than in the morning.
Fu Youde sneered inwardly. Boriged had indeed been waiting for his backup plan. Unfortunately for him, this time he really didn't have an ambush—or rather, he himself was the bait.
"Follow me!" Fu Youde personally led a team of elite soldiers up a cloud ladder.
Upon seeing Fu Youde arrive in person, the defenders on the city wall immediately launched a concentrated attack. Arrows, stones, boiling oil—all available defensive weapons were poured onto this section of the wall.
With a shield in his left hand and a spear in his right, Fu Youde dodged and weaved on the ladder, miraculously avoiding most of the attacks. In just a few breaths, he had climbed to within a zhang of the city wall.
"Stop him!" the garrison commander roared, and several garrison soldiers thrust their spears forward.
Fu Youde flicked his spear, creating a dazzling display of spear flowers that deflected all the incoming spears. He then used the momentum to leap onto the city wall!
"Fu Youde has come to the city!"
Amidst cries of alarm, Fu Youde moved like a tiger among sheep, his spear unstoppable. In a short time, more than ten corpses of the defending soldiers lay around him. Seeing their commander's bravery, the soldiers of the Trapped Camp were greatly encouraged and fought desperately to scale the city walls, managing to open a breach in the ramparts.
Boriged, seeing everything clearly from the city wall, finally changed his expression. He realized he might have made a mistake—Fu Youde had no backup plan; he was simply relying on sheer courage to tear a breach in the inner city.
"This thief is even more reckless than Batel!"
Boriged cursed angrily.
"Fire and oil tanks, aim at that section of the city wall!" Boriged gritted his teeth and ordered, "Archers, indiscriminate fire! We cannot allow the Han army to gain a foothold on the city walls!"
"But General, our men are there too..."
"Execute the order!" Boriged shouted sternly.
The lieutenant dared not speak further and hurriedly relayed the order. Soon, those terrifying flamethrower machines were pushed over and aimed at the section of the city wall where Fu Youde was located.
Fu Youde was engrossed in the fight when he suddenly felt a pang of fear. He looked up and saw several strangely shaped bronze cabinets being pushed towards him, with the bronze pipes in front of them pointing in his direction.
"Retreat! Retreat from the city quickly!" he roared hoarsely, at the same time forcing back two defenders with a single shot before leaping over the crenellations.
Almost the instant he leaped off the city wall, several streams of fire erupted from the copper pipes, instantly engulfing that section of the wall. More than ten soldiers from the Trapped Camp, along with an equal number of garrison troops, who were unable to evacuate in time, screamed and rolled in the flames, turning into charred remains in an instant.
While in mid-air, Fu Youde thrust his spear fiercely at the city wall, using the force to slow his descent. Upon landing, he rolled, which dissipated most of the force, but still sent shockwaves through his internal organs.
"General!" The guards rushed forward to help him up.
Fu Youde waved his hand, looked up at the city wall, where that section of the wall was engulfed in flames, both sides' soldiers perishing together. Boriged's ruthlessness was indeed well-deserved.
"Sound the retreat," he said slowly.
"General, we can still attack..."
“We can’t attack anymore.” Fu Youde shook his head. “Today’s battle ends here.”
He looked towards the city wall and could vaguely see a thin figure looking in his direction. The two stared at each other across the distance, unable to see each other's expressions, but both understood—today, the battle was evenly decided, and continuing to fight would only increase casualties.
The Han army slowly retreated, leaving behind corpses scattered all over the ground. Many parts of the inner city wall were charred black, and the defending troops also suffered heavy casualties.
As the sun set, it dyed the battlefield a blood-red hue. Accompanied by his personal guards, Fu Youde walked back to his own lines, each step heavy with effort. He knew that although the city hadn't fallen today, Boriged's forced use of the powerful fire oil tanks had revealed his greatest trump card. Now, it was the Han army's turn to make their move.
On the city wall, Boriged watched the retreating Han army, his face devoid of joy. Fu Youde's return today seemed fruitless, but he had personally climbed the wall and ascertained the inner city's strengths and weaknesses. And since the fierce fire oil tanks had been used once, the Han army would surely be on guard, and their effectiveness would be greatly reduced next time.
"Order to repair the city walls overnight and take stock of the casualties."
He paused.
"The toughest battles are yet to come!" (End of Chapter)