SWDnovel Chapter 9 Feigned Surrender and Fire Attack
Chapter 9 Feigned Surrender and Fire Attack
"Enemy attack!!!"
A heart-wrenching scream pierced the night sky.
"set fire!"
The five hundred assassins no longer hid. They hurled the oil canisters they had prepared at the massive, chained warships. Fire arrows rained down, instantly turning the river into a sea of fire!
"Protect the warships!"
The Han army was thrown into chaos, with countless soldiers rushing out of their tents to try and put out the fire.
But Zhu Mu's target was not those warships!
His gaze was fixed on a command camp not far away, where a general's flag was hanging!
"Follow me! Slay the enemy generals and seize their flags!"
Zhu Mu pointed his spear and roared loudly, leading more than a hundred of his most elite assassins against the flow of people, charging towards the enemy's command center!
At this moment, Huo Qubing's ability to break through enemy lines and charge forward was unleashed to its fullest extent!
Zhu Mu seemed to have transformed into a true champion, and no one could stop him wherever his spear went!
Any Han soldier or general who dared to stand in his way was killed by him with a single spear thrust!
His marksmanship was powerful and domineering, and every swing of his gun brought a storm of blood and gore!
His bravery ignited the fighting spirit of the soldiers behind him, who roared and followed closely behind, forming an incomparably sharp cone formation, and fought their way through the chaotic enemy camp!
"Pfft!"
Zhu Mu pierced through the air with a single spear thrust, sending a Han general who tried to stop him flying, armor and all. Blood splattered all over him, but he seemed oblivious and charged straight towards the commander's banner!
In an instant, Chen Youliang's naval camp was thrown into chaos.
Flames soared into the sky, and shouts of battle, explosions, and screams mingled together.
When Chen Youliang was awakened from his main tent by his personal guards and learned that the enemy was not there to burn the ships, but to target his generals, he was furious.
When the battle report arrived, saying that the enemy leader was incredibly brave and invincible, like a god descending to earth, who had killed more than a dozen of his subordinate generals and beheaded hundreds, and then disappeared into the night like a ghost before the Han army could encircle him, Chen Youliang's anger instantly turned into a bone-chilling cold.
He slammed his fist on the table and roared:
"Zhu Mu! It's Zhu Mu again!"
The lieutenant advised from the side:
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! The enemy has just succeeded in their surprise attack and their morale is high. Our camp is in disarray. We must not rush to attack the city in retaliation now, or we will play right into their hands!"
Chen Youliang clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He knew he couldn't rush things, but the frustration and anger in his heart were almost igniting his entire being.
He thought Hongdu was already his for the taking, but he never expected that this small city would turn out to be an unyielding iron walnut and bite him hard instead!
The raid that night was a great success.
Not only did it burn nearly a hundred of Chen Youliang's warships and kill a large number of enemy soldiers, but more importantly, it completely disrupted Chen Youliang's plans, making him hesitant to launch a general offensive.
Hongdu City has finally gained a precious respite.
……
However, the respite brought by the victory of the surprise attack was short-lived.
After the initial outrage and chaos, Chen Youliang adopted a more brutal and suffocating siege strategy.
Instead of rushing into a direct assault, he dug long trenches to cut off both the inside and outside, intending to starve and trap Hongdu City to death.
As July arrives, the sweltering heat becomes unbearable.
Inside the city, arrows were almost exhausted, and the soldiers began to dismantle houses and make bamboo arrows.
Food supplies were running out, so meals were reduced from two to one a day, and eventually people even started cooking cowhide and grass roots.
Despair, like an invisible net, once again enveloped everyone's heart.
If no reinforcements arrive, the city will fall in no time.
The atmosphere inside the council chamber was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.
Just then, a general covered in blood, his left arm haphazardly wrapped in strips of cloth, struggled to stand up. He was Zhang Ziming, who had been wounded in several previous attempts to break through the enemy lines.
"Young master, General Wenzheng,"
His face was pale, but his voice was unusually firm.
"This humble general is willing to once again lead the vanguard, risking my life to leave the city and rush to Yingtian to plead for reinforcements from our lord! The lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the city depend on this!"
Everyone knew that leaving the city at this moment, facing Chen Youliang's all-encompassing blockade, would almost certainly mean certain death.
Looking into Zhang Ziming's resolute eyes, Zhu Mu was filled with mixed emotions.
He solemnly clasped his hands in a fist salute to him and said in a deep voice:
"General Zhang, the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the city are entrusted to you!"
Late at night, Zhang Ziming led several assassins and, taking advantage of the torrential rain, lowered themselves down through an inconspicuous water gate and disappeared into the vast darkness.
Several days later, in Yingtian Prefecture.
Zhu Yuanzhang paced anxiously in the main hall. News from Hongdu was completely cut off, making him restless and unable to eat or sleep.
Just then, an urgent report came from outside the hall, saying that Zhang Ziming, the messenger from Hongdu, had arrived covered in blood!
When Zhang Ziming was helped into the main hall, he was already at his last gasp.
He fell to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his face, and cried out in a hoarse voice:
"General! Hongdu is in imminent danger! The city's food supplies are running low, and arrows are exhausted. The soldiers are holding on by sheer willpower... We beg you, my lord, to send troops immediately!"
Looking at this loyal and brave general covered in wounds and listening to his tearful report, Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to see the blood and fire in Hongdu City before his eyes. He also thought of his nephew Zhu Wenzheng, on whom he had placed high hopes, and his son Zhu Mu, who had repeatedly created miracles.
He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and the muscles in his cheeks twitched incessantly.
A moment later, he turned around abruptly, his eyes flashing with a resolute light.
"Good! Good! You defended well!"
Zhu Yuanzhang personally stepped forward to help Zhang Ziming up, his voice hoarse with excitement.
"Ziming, rest assured! Our 200,000-strong army is ready today! Go back and report immediately, and tell Mu'er to hold out for a little longer, no matter what. Our army will arrive soon!"
With his lord's promise in mind, Zhang Ziming felt a flame of hope ignite in his heart.
However, fate played a cruel trick on him. On his way back to Hongdu, he was eventually captured due to being outnumbered and exhausted.
Several days later, at the foot of Hongdu City, in front of the Han army.
Bound and covered in wounds, Zhang Ziming was pushed to the front lines.
A Han general pointed his sword at the city wall and shouted:
"Zhu Mu on the city wall, listen up! Your messenger Zhang Ziming has been captured alive by our army! Reinforcements are not coming! Surrender immediately, or you may escape death!"
On the city tower, Zhu Mu and Zhu Wenzheng stood side by side, their eyes wide with fury at the sight.
They didn't believe a single word of Chen Youliang's attempts to persuade them to surrender.
But Zhang Ziming's appearance was like a heavy hammer blow, striking the hearts of all the defending soldiers—
Their hopes have been captured.
Just as the morale of the troops in the city was about to waver, Zhang Ziming, who was being held captive at the front of the battle line, mustered all his strength and roared to the sky:
"The army is approaching; gentlemen, you must defend with all your might!"
This shout, like a thunderclap piercing the darkness, instantly dispelled all the gloom on the city wall!
Upon hearing this, the defenders' blood boiled and their fighting spirit was rekindled!
"Kill him! Kill him!"
Enraged, the Han general raised his sword to strike Zhang Ziming!
"stop!"
Zhu Mu roared and snatched the powerful bow from beside him!
He wanted to shoot an arrow to save the person, but the distance was too far, and the enemy had shield bearers protecting him on both sides. If he missed, Zhang Ziming would surely die!
He hesitated to act rashly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
At this critical moment, the familiar yet unfamiliar system notification sound, like heavenly music, exploded in his mind!