On the afternoon of the sixth day of the lunar month, all 50,000 men under Guantong arrived in the north of Changli County. Flags were flying across the city, like black clouds pressing down on the city. The 50,000-strong army looked across the river from the Ming army on the city wall. On the Changli County side, under Zhu Su's order, they closed the city gates and signaled the militia in an orderly manner, and more than 15,000 militiamen were recruited.
"I didn't expect so many people to join the army enthusiastically. It seems that the people here have been suffering for a long time." On the city tower, Ru Taisu gently stroked his long beard and sighed while looking at the densely packed militiamen.
"It's just that these recruits lack equipment and training, so they won't be of much use after all." Zhu Xi said. Although he was surprised to be able to recruit so many militiamen in a short period of time, along the way, Zhu Xi had also understood that fighting a war was not as simple as relying on the number of people. He looked at Zhu Su with some worry: "Lao Wu, there are 50,000 people outside the city, can they really hold it?"
"Why not?" Zhu Su and Zhu Di sat opposite each other on the city tower. Zhu Su also stretched out his hand to pour a bowl of tea for Zhu Cang: "The art of war says that ten is to encircle an enemy, and five is to attack. Counting these ten thousand new signs, We have nearly 30,000 remaining militiamen. It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.”
With that said, he turned to look at Ru Taisu and said, "Old Rutou, we still need you to take charge of the overall situation in the county. You should go back to the county office first."
"By the way, remember to place those prisoners properly in the city and don't let the enemy forces outside the city take advantage of them."
Judging from Zhu Su's posture, Ru Taisu knew that his highnesses wanted to boost military morale on the tower. He was a little worried at first, but Zhu Su's analysis also gave him some confidence. Thinking that he had no military skills, it would be better to appease the people in the city, so he cupped his hands and said, "Old minister, I understand. Your Highness, please put your own safety first."
"If...if things cannot be done, your highness can leave the old minister to guard this city alone, and your highness will retreat with his own people..." Ru Taisu thought for a while and said to Zhu Su.
"Hahahaha. Lao Rutou, why are you so worried?"
"I think the Yuan army outside the city is nothing more than 50,000 soldiers. Just sit here and the men will defeat it for me. What danger can there be?" Zhu Su laughed deliberately.
The sergeants beside him, who were still a little panicked, suddenly became suspicious when they heard what he said. The Fifth Highness is so confident. Could it be that the Yuan troops outside the city are really vulnerable?
"Your Highnesses, the enemy has begun to cross the river!" said General Cao Yuan who was standing by.
Everyone immediately turned their attention to the Yuan army outside the city. They saw that the Yuan army did not set up a camp. After a short rest, they got up directly and began to forcefully cross the river.
"Ha, so arrogant." Zhu Su sneered and stood up.
"Gentlemen, it seems that the Yuan generals across from you don't take you seriously." He deliberately looked around at the surrounding generals. Sure enough, when he saw the Yuan army crossing the river to attack the city without setting up camp, a group of Ming generals looked at him with amazement. Becoming unkind.
They attacked the city directly without setting up a camp. Could it be that they thought that the Ming troops in Changli City were all weak and could be defeated casually?
"Grandma, your highness, give me Lao Chang a cavalry, and while he is halfway across the river, I will catch him by surprise..." Chang Mao, who had looked solemn before, was furious now, holding a big iron spear and charging towards Zhu. Su Qing Zhan Dao. The other generals were also filled with indignation and knelt down one after another to request Kaicheng to fight.
"It's not necessary to go to Kaicheng to fight." Seeing that the military was ready, Zhu Su smiled, sat down again and took a sip of tea. "Since they want to attack the city, let them attack it."
"I originally had a plan to retreat from the enemy, but now it seems that using a plan to defeat these Yuan troops is worse than defeating all their offensives directly on this city wall."
"I am only here to watch this battle. What if you wait until you are no match for the Yuan army and I take action again?"
Hearing what Zhu Su said deliberately, the blood of a group of generals suddenly surged up. Chang Mao shouted: "What do you mean by your highness? Does it mean that we are not as good as these Yuan dogs?"
"Grandma, I have always taken the military honors in this battle on my own. How can I always rely on His Highness's clever ideas? If I had earned enough military honors earlier, I would have saved myself from having people say that I, the prince of the country, did not live up to my reputation!"
When the others heard that His Highness had a clever plan, they immediately felt like they had received a reassurance. Now that he has made up his mind, his temperament has also risen: with the same pair of shoulders carrying a head, can a mere fifty thousand yuan army still be afraid of him? This time, it's up to us to defend these 50,000 people, and His Highness also thinks that we can only eat food!
In the blink of an eye, the vanguard of the Yuan army had crossed the river, and a group of generals were in position in an instant, and they were busy defending themselves. Zhu Di looked at Zhu Su who looked indifferent and whispered: "Fifth brother, do you really have any clever plan to defeat the enemy?"
"What do you think, fourth brother?" Zhu Su raised his head and blinked at Zhu Di.
Zhu Di understood everything in an instant. What his fifth brother said was just to give his soldiers a layer of confidence.
Drinking tea on the tower on purpose is also true. It is also true that he has a clever plan to defeat the enemy. It is just a way to boost morale. The purpose is just to defend this wave of attacks from Guantong.
Seeing that the rain of arrows had begun to be thrown from the city tower, Zhu Xi asked: "Lao Wu, after all, the opponent has 50,000 people, but we only have 10,000. If the enemy attacks continuously for days, what can we do?"
"Oh, an army of 50,000 people spends a lot of money in one day. How much military rations can Guantong carry with him to support his continuous attack?" Zhu Su said. "In my opinion, if they can only have three to five days of food, that's the limit."
"It will definitely be a fierce battle in these three to five days. We must defend this county. Waiting to see if the scouts run out of food... that will be a turning point."
There was a flash of light in Zhu Su's eyes. Not only Guantong, but also Nahachu, who had been lingering under Yongping City for a long time, must also be out of ammunition and food. If we want to fight against each other, the first one who can't afford it will definitely not be the Ming army.
"The enemy troops have arrived at the city." Zhu Di said.
Amidst the sound of war drums that directly hit people's hearts, countless Yuan troops rushed to the foot of Changli City holding simple ladders. The simple ladders were casually placed on the city wall, and then countless Yuan troops climbed up like ants. , one after another climbed up the city wall.
The most costly siege method: ant attack!
However, the momentum of the Yuan army was unusually fierce. Even though most of the ladders were cut and smashed by the Ming army, from time to time, the shrill screams of Yuan soldiers being pushed down from the tall ladders could be heard from under the city wall, but There were still many soldiers of the Yuan army who rushed to the city wall along the ladders and killed them towards the place where the royal flags of Zhu Su and others were erected.
"Prime Minister Zuo has an order: Anyone who kills the Ming Dynasty prince will be rewarded with thousands of cattle and sheep, and ten thousand households will be sealed!" Yuan Bing shouted with red eyes, charging towards Zhu Su and others who were drinking tea.
"Wanhu will reward you!" Chang Mao did not expect that the Yuan army's attack would be so crazy. He stabbed a Yuan army soldier who had just climbed up the city wall directly with an iron spear, and then said loudly: "Brother Guys, don’t embarrass me! Take down all these Yuan Gou!"
"If your Highnesses are injured by these yuan dogs, how can we have the dignity to meet the Crown Prince and His Majesty!"
(End of chapter)
