After a day of fierce fighting, in the evening, the enemy troops finally retreated and went back to rest.
The enemy troops withdrew like a tide. When the defenders on the city saw this, they all sat down on the wall so tired that they couldn't even lift their arms.
This day's fighting was really exhausting. Not only was my body tired, but my spirit couldn't bear it either. Looking at the endless enemy troops below no matter how I killed them, and watching my comrades around me fall down and die one by one, it was so... The torture in my heart is also unbearable.
The common people spontaneously walked to the top of the city and filled baskets and basins with steaming steamed buns and meat porridge for the tired and paralyzed soldiers to eat and restore their strength.
The soldiers who had been fighting for a day were already starving. When they saw the steaming rice, they were moved to tears and wolfed it down while thanking them.
This harmonious relationship between the military and civilians is vividly displayed in Qingshui County.
The people know who gave them the environment in which they can live and work in peace and contentment, and who is protecting them at the risk of their lives.
The soldiers also knew where the food they ate and the military pay they received came from. They were all locals and had their parents and family behind them. Of course they had to fight to the death.
Wang Hao ordered the entire army to return to camp to rest, but they could not take off their armor and sleep with their armor closed. This was because they were worried about barbarian night attacks and the soldiers could immediately go into battle.
A young and strong team formed voluntarily by the reserve forces and the common people went to the top of the city with weapons to guard the night shift to guard against enemy night attacks.
After making arrangements, Wang Hao dragged his tired body down the city wall and returned to the county government office with everyone to eat and rest.
While eating, Weng Qiuchan asked,
"Wang Hao, how are our army's casualties this time?"
Wang Hao replied,
"Totaling up the various walls of our city, there were more than 3,000 casualties, and a rough estimate of the enemy's death toll was more than 30,000.
The enemy's offensive was too fierce. They rushed up desperately. The density of personnel was so high that our weapons could kill the enemy, so the enemy suffered heavy casualties. "
However, Weng Qiuchan did not feel any joy at all, but shook her head and said,
"The enemy's casualties are not small, but our army's casualties are also huge. We only have 20,000 people in total, and more than 3,000 people were killed or injured, leaving only more than 10,000 people.
There were 300,000 enemy troops. Even if more than 30,000 were killed or wounded, the remaining army would still number 270,000, almost as if it had not been reduced. It was still a sea of people.
If consumption continues like this, we will definitely be the first to be unable to withstand it. "
"No, ma'am, the enemy's morale cannot always be strong. My lord once said that if you build up your strength in one go, it will decline again and then it will be exhausted.
The first day is always the time when morale is at its highest. As long as our counterattack is fierce enough, the barbarians lose sight of hope and make them feel that our city is too strong and they will not be able to defeat it at all. Slowly, we will lose morale. .
Barbarians are also human beings, and they cannot fight tirelessly forever. They will also cower, retreat, and get tired.
There is no constant siege. Most of the offensive and defensive battles are just confrontations and attrition.
Although we only have 20,000 people, there are still tens of thousands of civilians in the city, including 20,000 to 30,000 young men and women. If we are at the most desperate moment, we can also arm them and let them help defend the city. "
"Oh, that's all it can do."
After listening to Wang Hao's words, Weng Qiuchan nodded.
Zhou Ping sighed and said,
"There is no news from my lord yet. It would be great if he could come back quickly with the main army."
After finishing the meal, Wang Hao put down his chopsticks and said,
"You guys can eat. At this time, almost all the corpses of our soldiers have been removed. The autumn weather is crisp now, but there is a lot of rain. If not dealt with, it will breed plague. I have to go and cremate the corpses."
"You are tired after a long day of fighting. Do you still want to do such a small thing as cremation?"
Weng Qiuchan frowned.
"This is no small matter. The soldiers who died in the battle are all our heroes. As the coach, I have the responsibility to send our heroes to their last journey."
"You're right, I'll go with you."
Weng Qiuchan also stood up.
Wang Hao and Weng Qiuchan, together with Zhou Ping and the county magistrate, went to the big crossroads in the center of the city.
The soldiers who died in the battle were all carried down and piled in layers in the middle.
The armor on their bodies was taken off and piled aside. The other pile was filled with weapons full of gaps and blood stains.
The soldiers suppressed their grief, piled wood and poured kerosene on the bodies of their fallen comrades.
The common people did not hide at home because of the war. They all walked out of their homes to see off these warriors who sacrificed their lives.
After all preparations were completed, the soldier holding a torch asked Wang Hao,
"Commander, can you light the fire?"
Wang Hao nodded heavily and shouted,
"Light a fire to see the heroes off!"
The soldiers threw torches onto the pile of corpses, and the fire immediately spread.
Many people shed tears when they saw this scene.
Wang Hao shouted loudly,
"Together we will fight against the national calamity, restore our mountains and rivers, wrap our corpses in horse leather, and make our heroes triumphant!"
The soldiers also shouted.
The sixteen characters of the Feng Kingdom's army embody the military spirit of the Feng Army. It is these sixteen characters that guide generations of soldiers to rush to the battlefield and fight to the death with the enemy!
Some young and strong people were infected by these four sentences and stood up one after another and shouted,
"General, let us also join the army. Let us defend the city together with our fellow soldiers and protect our country!"
"General, I can lift a hundred kilograms of things. I have plenty of strength. If you give me a spear, I can go into battle and kill the enemy!"
"Me too. I've been good at fighting since I was a child. No one in our street is my opponent. Let me join the army too!"
"Yes, we have to fight against the barbarians. They want to kill us. We must not sit back and wait for death!"
Many young people were inspired and stood up one by one and shouted to Wang Hao that they wanted to join the army.
Wang Hao looked at the young and tender faces and felt deeply. He waved his hand to signal everyone to be quiet and said,
"Everyone, be quiet. I appreciate your kindness. I, Wang Hao, would be very grateful to you for helping us carry supplies, cook and deliver meals.
We have already received so much favor from you, how can we still let you go to war?
War is not a child's play, and you cannot win it by picking up weapons and stabbing people. War is too dangerous, and you will lose your life if you are not careful. If you make a mistake, how should I face your parents? "
"General, don't these people, the people who are being burned, have parents? Don't they have wives and children?
Everyone is born from father to mother. Why can they go to the battlefield and die for the country, but we can't? We are Feng people, and Feng people are not cowards who are afraid of death! "
