This is the case with European buildings. Although the poorest people mostly use wood and thatch to build their houses, people with a little bit of conditions are still willing to build with stone.
Small towns like Syny have developed from the Middle Ages to the present. Basically, the thatched huts in history have been upgraded to small stone buildings. The fire resistance of such houses is still very good.
The French army prevented fire on the first floor. As long as the soldiers on the second floor destroyed the stairs, the fire would not burn up in a short time. When the floor on the second floor was in danger, the defending soldiers could also move through the skylight.
More importantly, the head of state's order was to hold on for half an hour, but Sima Yun temporarily doubled the time, which was one hour!
No one knows what will happen in an hour, but the Chinese army obeys the head of state unconditionally. No one will ask what will happen in an hour. They just resist tenaciously, as silent and calm as a machine!
However, there are still more than 600 Belgian soldiers who have not escaped, and there are still a thousand people in the remaining towns of Syuni. Their mood is not so calm.
Facing more and more French troops, these timid soldiers and civilians were desperate, some were crying and some were shouting hysterically!
"Oh God! There are more and more enemies, at least ten or twenty thousand!"
"Surrender, we don't want to die... I want to leave here, let me go, I want to leave here..."
The emotionally broken soldier turned around and tried to escape down the stairs, but was kicked back by the guarding Chinese soldier, "Get out of here, anyone who dares to disturb the morale of the army will be killed without mercy!"
How could the Belgian soldier understand Chinese? He had no idea what these people were talking about. He was completely scared out of his mind and kept shouting that he wanted to go home.
Taking advantage of the soldier's unpreparedness, the defeated soldier actually knocked open a window and jumped out.
"I surrender...I will not fight anymore. I am a Belgian, not your enemy..."
There was a whoosh, and a white light flashed. The French soldier's neck was chopped off by the French saber before the defeated soldier could finish the second half of his words. The murderous cavalry didn't even bother to look at him.
"Did you see it? This is the fate of cowards! If you want to survive, fight quickly... Are your guns fire sticks?"
"People don't have weapons, why can't you smash furniture? A bunch of cowards!"
The Chinese veterans were completely angry. They picked up their weapons and smashed them on these cowards who only knew how to cry and howl. "Stand up! Resist! If you don't want to die, resist me! Quick, quick, quick..."
Sheep who had never fought in a war were no match for these murderous veterans. Under their punches and kicks, these people finally joined the battle.
All the furniture in the room was smashed out. The soldier with trembling hands pulled the bolt of his gun and fired, not knowing whether he hit or not!
The normal night battle suddenly turned into a stalemate!
The French cavalry could not break through the Chinese defense line. All the stairs in these buildings had been blocked or destroyed!
There are only two ways to break through such a defense line. One is to let engineers blast or bomb with artillery, and the other is to set fire!
There are definitely no cannons, and the number of guns is also limited. More importantly, the target of the entire French cavalry is Xiao Letian and not these ordinary soldiers.
So the most intense fighting place at this moment is the south city wall, because the observation tower is here and this is the commanding heights of the battlefield. Alfred instinctively thought that Xiao Letian would be here.
Moreover, the resistance of the Chinese soldiers here was also the fiercest. All the passages to the city had turned into a place of fighting. It was clear that the number of soldiers several times higher could not break through.
"Don't worry about the buildings in the city! If there is an attack, just set it on fire... Our only target is Xiao Letian!"
Under Alfred's strict orders, the cavalry gave up their entanglement with the city's defenders, and set fire to them whenever they encountered an attack. Even if they suffered losses, they just endured it.
Slowly, the small town of Syni began to be engulfed by fire. Although the stone houses had excellent fire resistance, the internal structure also used a large amount of wood, which gradually spread under the smoke of the open fire.
The soldiers who could not hold on could only escape through the skylight and move from the roof to the surrounding buildings. However, as soon as they showed up, they were shot by the French troops outside, and the casualties immediately increased.
Xiao Letian held the pocket watch in his hand and watched the second and minute hands turning little by little. His face was as cold as ice!
"Thirty-five minutes have passed, why haven't the Dragon Guards made any move? These French people are crazy, all crazy..."
At this time, Luo Huo and Sima Yun stumbled up from the city wall. As soon as they saw Xiao Letian, Luo Huo rushed towards him and hugged him without saying a word.
"It's useless what you say now. I will risk my life to protect you from the encirclement!"
"Sima Yun! Blow the assembly horn and set off the fireworks for the breakout... We will protect the head of state and break out to the north! All the remaining brothers will use their lives to hold back the French!"
"Even if everyone dies in battle, we must let the head of state get out alive!"
Xiao Letian struggled desperately, but Luo Huo's hands were like pliers and he couldn't break free. "Luo Huo, let me go! I have sent people to the north. Just wait a little longer, and they will blow up Semuwa." The river is over, we waterproof and drown them..."
"No! I absolutely can't let you continue to take risks!" Sima Yun stamped his feet and shouted, "Your people have been setting out for thirty-five minutes! Why is there no movement yet?"
"So what if it explodes? You can't soak in the water! Now you have to break out to the high ground outside the city. Where is the safest place..."
Xiao Leqiang shouted, "Let me go. I will never leave until I find the answer! Let me go, I still have a backup plan..."
Just when the three people were entangled, suddenly bursts of muffled thunder-like sounds came from the north, rumble... rumble...
"Hahaha..." Xiao Letian suddenly laughed wildly, "Did you hear it? We have succeeded, we have succeeded! The river embankment has been blown open!"
Alfred, who was directing the battle, also heard the strange thunder in the north. "What is this? Thunder or an artillery attack? It doesn't even sound like it?"
An ominous premonition came to my mind. "If you pass on the order, the enemy is likely to have reinforcements. End the battle as quickly as possible..."
"If it doesn't work...then don't let Xiao Letian live...gather all the troops and blow up the city wall under the observation tower!"
The veteran who has been on the battlefield for a long time has a very sensitive sixth sense. Although he cannot guess what the strange thunder in the north is, it is definitely not good for him!
In order to avoid long nights and dreams, let’s change our plans and take Xiao Letian’s dead body back to Paris!
Soon the last forces of the French army were gathered together, and their target was the foundation of the city wall under the observation tower.
