As the sun rises, it should be a scene full of vitality. However, the city of Suzhou is shrouded in gloom.
"General, when will the reinforcements come? We can't hold it anymore!" Zhang Donghai, the assistant general of Anxian Post, said to Xu Ding'an. After seven days of hard fighting, he had more than 4,000 men under his command, but now there were less than 1,500 left. And the more than 2,500 people who are missing are all good brothers he once got along with day and night, which is more than 2,500 living lives.
Xu Ding'an frowned, bit his lip, and said softly: "It's coming soon, it will be here in a few days." However, the look on his face, not to mention Zhang Donghai, even he himself did not believe it.
"General, will reinforcements really come?" Zhang Donghai took two steps closer and asked again. Seeing that Xu Ding'an lowered his head and did not answer, knowing that the last glimmer of hope had been shattered, he murmured: "I have guessed it a long time ago. What kind of reinforcements are there? The Shengjun Post and the Northern Post are only a thousand miles away. If you want to come to the rescue, no matter how slow you go, you should have arrived two or three days ago. Haha, the other posts know about this force and hide. If it's too late, who will come to help us?" Zhang Donghai was extremely sad and angry, and smiled in anger, with a ferocious look on his face.
"Zhang Donghai! Zhang Hanzi! Listen to me!" Xu Ding'an pointed at him suddenly and scolded loudly, "The reinforcements are on their way and must be arriving soon! No matter what the hell, I have to withstand this. How many days! Within the city walls, there are more than 300,000 Suzhou people! Behind them are Jinzhou and Fuzhou, with millions of people! You and I were born in the army, and we have the responsibility to defend our territory! No matter how good we are, we are the ones who die on the battlefield. There is no destination, what the hell are you afraid of!"
"Well said!" Zhang Donghai grinned and said, "Well said! I, Zhang Hanzi, can fight side by side with a hero like you Xu Ding'an. That is a blessing I have earned in eight lifetimes! Haha, general, be optimistic. Look at how I, Zhang Hanzi, resisted the enemy today!" At this time, Zhang Donghai was despairing of all thoughts and had already prepared to die. He just wished that he could kill more enemies before dying in battle today. After he said this, he ignored Xu Ding'an, turned around and walked quickly. After walking more than ten feet, he suddenly stopped and shouted loudly: "General Xu, I, Zhang Hanzi, hope to follow you in the next life! Be your brother!"
Xu Ding'an's hands were already turning purple. Hearing Zhang Donghai's words, he did not respond and watched him leave. When there was no more Zhang Donghai in front of him, Xu Ding'an said softly: "Idiot, I'll see you and I in the next life!"
The sun is high in the sun, and the time has come. At the beginning of Si Shi, it was the time when Shatuo Army led troops to attack Suzhou City every day.
Sure enough, a long "wuwu" sound came from outside the city, which was the horn of Shatuo's army blowing.
Xu Ding'an climbed up the city wall and saw the darkness approaching in the distance. He felt an ominous feeling in his heart and thought to himself, "The Shatuo people can't hold it any longer. There are actually 80,000 or 90,000 people attacking the city this time." There are twice as many as in the past few days! It seems that they want to take Suzhou in one fell swoop."
Five consecutive trumpets also sounded in the city, which was the sound of Xu Ding'an summoning his men and generals to discuss matters. In just half a cup of tea, everyone had gathered. The situation has reached this point, and the two armies are about to meet. Xu Ding'an can no longer think of any strategy to use, so he has to fight hard.
In the Chinese military tent, more than ten people stood silently, waiting for the commander's order. However, Xu Ding'an did not assign any tasks to everyone. He only said with red eyes, "Brothers, kill the enemy and serve the country!"
In the past two days, reinforcements have still not arrived, and the generals have already known that all 28,000 people at Anxian Post will be killed here. Now that the will to die has been broken in the heart, death will not seem so terrible. At this moment, hearing Xu Ding'an only say this sentence, everyone knew in their hearts that today was the day for everyone to fight to the death. For a time, everyone was excited, shouted loudly, and walked out of the Chinese military tent.
Ten thousand versus eighty thousand is a losing battle.
"Open the city gate!" Zhang Donghai led the rider to the front and shouted loudly, with obvious joy on his face. Although he was not afraid of fighting in the past, he would never be able to regard death as he did today, so his expression was always a bit serious and nervous.
The city gates were opened, the drawbridge was lowered, and almost the entire army at Anxian Post went out to meet the enemy.
The city wall of Suzhou City is built according to the structure and is only seven feet high. It is really difficult to resist the attack of powerful enemies. If it hadn't been blocked by heavy rain for several days, Shatuo's army had been stationed in the highlands and dared not trade. With 28,000 people, how could they have defended it!
A few days ago, the roads were still muddy and the baggage was unavailable, so Chihedan only sent 80,000 forward battalions to attack the city in batches, sending more than 40,000 troops at a time. I thought that if 40,000 Shatuo elites could attack an old city with 28,000 defenders, even if they were not completely sure, there would still be a 50-60% chance. Unexpectedly, this garrison was completely different from the garrison of Tianmen City and Yanzhou. It was actually very tough. With forty thousand against twenty-eight thousand, our side did not gain any advantage at all, but suffered a lot of losses. The two consecutive days of defeats made Chihedan very angry, so today he mobilized more than 80,000 people and came in force, aiming to capture Suzhou City in one fell swoop.
Eighty thousand people versus less than twenty thousand, a battle that must be won.
five miles
four miles
Sanli
two hundred feet
One hundred feet
"Kill!" Zhang Donghai shouted, waving his halberd, standing at the front, riding towards Shatuo's army. "Since death is certain, why should we be afraid of death? Killing one more is just one!"
Fighting in close combat, I recall the constant sounds of banging, tearing, falling to the ground, crying, and cursing.
The enemy is at the forefront, and either he or you will die. There will be no mercy for half a year. Everyone wants to kill the other person by the quickest means.
Xu Ding'an stood on the city wall, looking at the outpost soldiers in the distance who were gradually being surrounded and encroached on, feeling hatred and pain in his heart. He looked at the sky, sighed heavily, and said to himself: "Xu Ding'an remembered the Master's teachings and determined to defend the border and kill the enemy to protect the country and the people. Now he is defending Suzhou City and fighting eight times the enemy. The reinforcements have not come for a long time. He has seen something happen. There is nothing we can do anymore. The students have tried their best, but they still can't turn things around. The enemy is powerful and there is nothing the students can do. Today, I will die for my country to clarify my ambition!" After saying this, he turned around and shouted: "All generals, listen to the order. , follow me out of the city to kill the enemy!"
About two thousand people in the army, including cooks, baggage soldiers, scouts, auxiliary soldiers, orderlies, and wounded soldiers who could afford weapons, followed Xu Ding'an and abandoned the city to fight outside.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
This may be the last sound they make in their lives, so everyone shouts with all their strength, regardless of whether their throats are broken or their voices are hoarse.
Natural weaknesses cannot be compensated for by hard work in most cases. For example, no matter how hard a person with broken legs runs, he will never be able to outrun a person with sound legs. Although the soldiers at the outpost had a strong fighting spirit, they were ultimately at a disadvantage in terms of numbers. By early noon, out of 14,000 men, less than 8,000 were left.
A burst of yellow sand rose in the distance, and there were waves of "oh~oh~oh~" sounds.
"Reinforcements are coming!" I don't know who shouted this first. The defenders who were already on the verge of death suddenly became alive again as if they had taken a soul-reviving medicine.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Shouts of killing rang out from both sides of Shatuo's army.
"There is an ambush! We have been ambushed, retreat quickly!" Chi Hedan was really frightened when he saw two groups of enemy troops approaching, and hurriedly ordered the army to retreat.
Zhang Donghai held a halberd in his hand and chased after him, killing him all the way until the Shatuo Army was no longer in sight.
As the dust settled, reinforcements appeared. It was Mei Siyuan who led 3,500 cavalry in two directions.
