novel bin Chapter 156 The Fall of Zaoyang
Chapter 156 The Fall of Zaoyang
Upon hearing Zhao Yu's words, the soldiers guarding the city wall agreed without much thought.
Soon, a bamboo basket slowly descended from the city wall.
Zhao Yu leaped into the basket, and the Jin soldiers on the city wall used a winch to hoist him up.
As soon as he landed, the garrison commander came forward to greet him: "And this general is...?"
"Here's the warrant." Zhao Yu held out his hand, revealing a blank piece of paper.
The garrison commander was taken aback and looked down.
The paper was completely blank, without a single word on it.
He was about to look up and ask a question when his gaze met Zhao Yu's deep eyes.
Zhao Yu's eyes carried an invisible power that instantly seized his mind, causing the guard's gaze to become blank and his entire body to freeze in place.
Soul-Capturing Technique.
Dealing with ordinary military officers who lack resolve is effortless.
"I have entered the city to assist in its defense on the orders of the commander-in-chief." Zhao Yu's voice, carrying a strange rhythm, slowly reached the ears of the garrison commander. "Open the city gates and let our men in. This is the commander-in-chief's order."
"Yes... it's the commander's order..." the garrison commander repeated blankly, his eyes vacant.
He turned around and mechanically ordered his soldiers, "Open the city gates and let the brothers into the city."
The soldiers guarding the city walls looked at each other, finding it somewhat strange, but their orders were absolute, and no one dared to question them.
The heavy city gate slowly opened inward, and the drawbridge was lowered accordingly.
The city gate had barely opened a crack when Zhao Yu made his move.
He moved with a swift movement, flashing across the city wall like a ghost.
With each flick of his fingertips, a Jin soldier would groan and fall to the ground, his throat pierced.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten defenders on the city wall were all killed, without even having a chance to cry for help.
When the crowd below the city saw the city gates open, they immediately raised their arms and shouted.
"kill!"
Before the Jin soldiers defending the city could react, the Song army had already poured in.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"It's the Song army! The Song army has invaded!"
The shouts exploded instantly.
The Jin soldiers hastily donned their armor and charged into battle, surging chaotically into the streets.
However, they had no idea how many Song soldiers had arrived, and they were blocked near the city gate, unable to deploy their formation.
Urban warfare broke out.
Zhao Yu sent a signal to Xia Zhen, ordering him to lead his troops to reinforce the city. He then leaped down from the city wall, his palm sweeping across the battlefield. Several Jin soldiers who were charging towards him were immediately sent flying, their bones broken.
He was like a tiger among sheep, unstoppable wherever he went.
Palm strikes, finger strikes, and leg techniques were unleashed in turn, each move taking a life.
Meanwhile, not far away, the majority of the Song army was rushing towards them.
The Jin army was already lax in its defenses, and its commander-in-chief had been killed by Zhao Yu on the city wall. Without a leader, they were unable to organize any decent resistance.
They originally thought that the Song army was far away in Xiangyang and could never have reached this place, so they were all relaxed and many were still drinking and making merry in the barracks.
By the time the Song army arrived, they didn't even have time to put on their armor.
The sounds of fighting, screams, and clashing weapons mingled together.
Fresh blood flowed through the cracks in the stone pavement, forming thin streams of blood.
Several houses were set ablaze by stray arrows, flames shot into the sky, and thick smoke billowed, turning half the sky red.
The battle lasted from the afternoon until nightfall.
With the last group of Jin soldiers hiding in the county government office and stubbornly resisting being wiped out, Zaoyang City fell completely into the hands of the Song army.
The city was in a state of chaos, with broken walls and ruins everywhere, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood and burnt food.
Although the soldiers were exhausted, the joy of capturing the important town overcame their weariness, and their faces were filled with excitement.
"Your Majesty!"
Covered in blood, Xia Zhen strode up to Zhao Yu, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "Our army has pacified the entire city! We have annihilated over 800 enemy soldiers, captured 500, and seized countless supplies and weapons. Our casualties are less than 300!"
Three thousand men marched a hundred miles and captured Zaoyang in a surprise attack, with fewer than three hundred casualties. This was simply a miracle.
Zhao Yu nodded, his expression calm, as if he had expected this.
He ordered, "Split into two teams: one to continue mopping up the remaining enemy, and the other to put out the fire. The rest of you, immediately repair the city defenses, reinforce the walls, and add more palisades. Wanyan Kuang has received word that he will soon send troops to counterattack. We must hold this city."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Xia Zhen responded loudly and immediately went to make the arrangements.
As night deepened, the city walls of Zaoyang were brightly lit, and the Song soldiers reinforced their defenses throughout the night.
Zhao Yu stood atop the city wall, gazing south towards Xiangyang.
The first step has been completed; now it's up to Yan Kuang to respond.
Almost the morning after the fall of Zaoyang, the news reached the Jin army's central command tent outside Xiangyang.
"Bang!"
Wanyan Kuang slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups to jump up and spill tea all over the floor.
His face turned ashen: "Despicable! The Song people actually dared to launch a sneak attack on Zaoyang!"
The generals under his command were also filled with righteous indignation and stepped forward one after another to volunteer for battle.
"General! This humble general is willing to lead my troops back to retake Zaoyang!"
"General! Zaoyang is our army's rear line; we absolutely cannot lose it! Once our supply lines are cut off, our army will be in grave danger!"
The tent was filled with clamor and shouts of people clamoring for battle.
Wanyan Kuang took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his chest.
However, he was, after all, a seasoned commander, and after his initial rage, he quickly calmed down.
"Quiet down, what's the panic? Losing Zaoyang is a minor matter. If we lose our composure, we'll fall into the Song's trap. There are still Song troops in Xiangyang. They'd love for us to return to Zaoyang so they can hunt us down from behind."
Upon hearing this, the generals gradually quieted down.
"The commander is right," a veteran general nodded. "The Song army that attacked Zaoyang, according to reports, didn't have many men, maybe three to five thousand at most. They were deep in enemy territory, without any reinforcements from inside or outside, and their supplies wouldn't last more than a few days. They were simply courting death."
Wanyan Kuang sneered, "That's right. I thought the emperor of the Southern Dynasty was quite capable, but it turns out he only knows how to play these petty tricks. Does he think that by occupying Zaoyang he can cut off my retreat? He's delusional."
He pointed to the map and said slowly, "Fortunately, a batch of grain was transported to the front line a few days ago, and there isn't much grain left in Zaoyang City. When the rear army learns that Zaoyang has fallen, they will surely try to launch a counterattack. We don't need to rush. Let's hold our ground and besiege Xiangyang. Let's see if they can hold Zaoyang, or if we can afford to wear down Xiangyang."
"Send the order to have the troops that have been plundering various counties return immediately and tighten the siege of Xiangyang. Set up more banners and make more noise to keep the Song army inside the city from figuring out our strength."
The generals nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere in the tent became much more relaxed. Some even laughed out loud, mocking the Song army for courting their own doom.
Wanyan Kuang pondered for a moment, then looked at Ouyang Ke, Lingzhi Shangren, and the others standing to the side.
"Young Master Ouyang, Venerable Lingzhi."
He began, "The Song army in Zaoyang is small and their position is not yet secure. You gentlemen are all top-notch experts in the martial arts world. Would you be willing to make the effort to infiltrate Zaoyang, harass their city defenses, and kill their general? If you achieve any success, I will reward you handsomely."