The Marquis Is Innocent - 152.2
Chapter 152.2
The news that Wei Yan brought was accurate. A few days ago, 300,000 Xiongnu cavalry crossed the border and attacked three places in the Yunzhong and Baideng Valley.
Although the defenders have done their best, Wu Wei is determined to win and send all the elite cavalry with astonishing destructive power. After several days of defending multiple places, Yunzhong and Baideng people almost all retreated. Mrs. Xu decided to abandon Yunzhong and Baideng Valley. Mobilizing all her strength, she guards Shanggu, the defense line straight to Yuyang, to the death.
Outside Shanggu, a defensive line was set up every 20 miles, with deep trenches and sharp spears underneath to block the raging Xiongnu cavalry, turning the horse battle into close combat that was more favorable for the Wei soldiers. Each line of defense must hold back the Xiongnu for at least a day.
The Xiongnu must intend to take Yuyang because Shanggu was their key target, and they launched a severe offensive against the place.
As soon as the war started, Mrs. Xu left Yuyang and rushed to the border city to boost the morale of the brave soldiers. But after all, she was old, and after having a rough journey, she fell ill on her way from Yunzhong Baideng to Shanggu.
For three consecutive days, the sick Mrs. Xu insisted on going to the battlefield and beating the drums to cheer the soldiers guarding the defense line. Inspired by Mrs. Xu, the soldiers in defense repelled wave after wave of wild attacks by the Xiongnu. The scheduled three-day defense line lasted for five days. It was only on the sixth day that they finally retreated into the city. On that day, when facing the Xiongnu’s attack, Mrs. Xu went to the city wall and beat the drums to cheer the soldiers. But when she descended from the city wall, Mrs. Xu finally collapsed.
She was already old, her health was not good, and overthinking for days, and now her strength was overdrawn to the limit.
The news of Mrs. Xu’s collapse spread rapidly among the soldiers, although Lei Yan, who was in charge of the defense, tried to conceal it.
The 300,000 Xiongnu cavalry, day and night, attacked like a tidal wave. The battle was so huge that it was no exaggeration to call it a thunderbolt. The main forces of the ruler had not yet returned, and the goal of this battle was to wait for the arrival of reinforcements. But the pressure of 300,000 Xiong Nu besieging the city was so great. The Wei family soldiers could hold on to this moment was relying on a belief.
Mrs. Xu was like their backbone. She suddenly collapsed and did not show up today, which more or less affected the soldiers’ morale.
Then, news came that Prince Wu Wei, the Xiongnu Left King, personally rushed to Shanggu to supervise the battle and offered a reward of ten thousand taels of gold for the capture of Yuyang.
The Xiongnu people were so proud and unbeatable. Outside the northern city gate of Shanggu, wolf flags everywhere, covering the sky, between the attack and defense battle, Wei family soldiers with tired faces heard the sound of the Xiongnu iron armor singing, which faintly spread into the city along with the wind.
……
Mrs. Xu woke up, slowly opened her eyes as if she heard the heaven-shattering sound of killing on the city walls, and struggled to get up, but Old Zhong stopped her.
“How is the battle going? I have to go there myself! Don’t you stop me!”
“… Lady is here!”
Even Old Zhong, who had always been calm and steady, could not contain the excitement in her heart at this moment, and her voice trembled slightly.
“Don’t worry, Old Madam. Lady has brought the old battle flag from Old Marquis. She has replaced Old Madam and gone to encourage the soldiers and motivate them to fight!”
……
The Xiongnu rested for a while and launched a new wave of attacks.
Since last night, the battle had not stopped. The Xiongnu’s goal was to take Yuyang before Wei Shao returned.
Lei Yan’s eyes were red from killing, and he could not remember how many times he had repelled the Xiongnu attack with his group of generals.
Raining arrows, flying stone cannons under the walls, the corpses piling higher, and the Xiongnu’s whistling sound sounded in the ears.
He gradually felt a hidden worry. As the commander-in-chief of this battle of defense, he understood better than anyone else how crucial the soldiers’ morale was in repelling the enemy’s attack. A little discouragement might tear the defense line. Once there was an opening, no one could guarantee what would happen next.
At this time, the war drums, which had been silent since yesterday, suddenly started to sound again on the high platform behind the wall. The drums rumbled like thunder rolling, resounding in everyone’s ears.
Amid the fiery thunder that fell from the sky, the soldiers of the Wei family turned their tired faces, stained with dust, mud, and blood. They saw with astonishment that a person stood at Mrs. Xu’s place.
Lady had shown herself!
Their young and beautiful lady monarch, dressed in Mrs. Xu’s armor, succeeded her and continued to defend the city and Yuyang together with them!
At her side, a big black banner rose with the wind. In the middle of the flag, a golden tiger’s head was embroidered, with fangs and eyes, as if declaring the power of martial arts and frightening the soul.
“Listen, Wei soldiers. Forty years ago, your ruler’s grandfather wore this tiger flag to retake the River Loop from the hands of the Shan Yu so that the Xiongnu no longer dare to go south to herd horses! Now the Xiongnu are trying to dishonor its glory. Will you allow it? Reinforcements will soon arrive, and your ruler will return with his troops! He needs you to hold on for a while longer! I swear with you in the name of the Lady of Wei that I will stand here and fight with you until the last moment!”
The Lady’s voice coming with the war drums seemed to overpower the clamor below the walls.
“No!”
“No!”
The soldiers regained their senses from the shock, their blood boiled, and they shouted angrily, roaring to the sky.