Chapter 50 Battle of Anping – Day Two (1/2)
Chapter 50 – Battle of Anping – Day Two
October 24th, Morning.
Yesterday, Guo Dian Army did not lay siege, but held a staring contest with the defending garrisons. However today, twenty trebuchets were being constructed.
Having learnt from Pan Feng's defeat, they chose not to approach to gate directly. Guo Dian aimed to destroy the wooden walls with stones or range attacks from the safe distances.
However, the walls of the fortress were in strange shapes, and there were trenches surrounding the outer edges of the walls. They could not move the trebuchets into the right range, unless they crossed the trenches or moved into the V-Formation.
Hence, Guo Dian ordered his men to cross the trench fields to approach both corner edges.
Zhou Cang and Zhang Liang who had been overseeing the west walls reported the movements of Guo Dian back to Tong.
…
South Gate.
”They are planning to move trebuchets to the wings of the west walls. Lord Zhou Cang and Lord Zhang Liang had requested an advice from the great immortal. What should we do?”
The messenger cupped his hands as he reported the messages. Meanwhile, Tong was sitting on a chair, observing the movements in his radar map.
The southern troops of Pan Feng Army detached a unit eastward to surround his fort, while Guo Dian Army separated into two units and were approaching the corner-end of the two walls.
”Tell both of them to prepare the ballistae and aim at those trebuchets. Also have the Trench Squadrons stand by at the third lines.”
”As you commanded, great immortal.”
”Haven't I taught you what you should address me?”
”Y-Yes, sir!! Aye aye, sir!!”
The messenger bowed and scrammed away in a hurry.
Seeing the unsightly action of his subordinate, Tong sighed.
His men stopped using ”SIR” with him but started calling him ”Great Immortal” because Tong had displayed too many miracles recently. He had already become a deity in the eyes of his men.
”Second Uncle. Pan Feng probably won't attack us today. I'm going to the west gate to help third uncle, so please take care of this gate for me.”
”Huh? Okay. But how did you know that they won't attack the south?” Zhang Bao questioned back.
”Pan Feng has just detached his force and it is moving to the east side. So the bad news is, he's going to surround us. But the good news is, they lack troops to lay a proper siege so they won't attack us for a while.”
”They want to surround us? What can they achieve from that? Starve us?”
”Most likely. Perhaps they are thinking we are short on provisions and didn't know that I've just resupplied our stocks.”
Zhang Bao paused and fell into deep thought for a while, then he chuckled.
”Well, let's pretending that we are short on provisions then.” Zhang Bao said in a mocking tone while he was holding his laugh.
Tong smiled and left his uncle with the troops, after which he dragged Hua Shi along with him to the west gate.
”What's your range now, zombie?”
”250 meters.”
”Have you maxed out your skill or what? I remember it was 150 yesterday.”
”It's at LV.4 right now. It increases by 50 for each level up.”
”Okay, then. I'm going to put you on the other side. Now, here's the plan …”
…
West Gate.
Guo Dian trebuchets squads moved in closer to the edges of the walls. These trebuchets had the range of 200 to 300 meters while the walls was 500 meters away, so they had to get a bit closer.
These toys were not the standard medieval counterweight trebuchets, but ancient manned traction trebuchets that required at least six strong men to operate inside, and over a hundred men to shove a single of these siege engines forward. If one of the crew was missing inside, then the trebuchet firing range would fall short.
In front of them, the infantry that was escorting the trebuchets were busy laying planks and trying to cover the trenches to make paths.
Everything was going as planned. However, a thunderous sound came from the wall in front of them.
*BANG*
The infantry below was shocked by the sound, afterwards one of the eyes of their squad leader exploded then he fell down, lying dead.
At first, they thought he was hit by an arrow, but …
*BANG*
*BANG*
Another two lighting sound was heard and two of their commanding officers dropped on the ground. When they inspected their bodies, they couldn't find any arrow, but they found a hole on the head of the dead bodies.
*BANG*
*BANG*
The gun fire sound continued. One of their 100-man commanders fell each time they heard the sound. It was like the sound of a grim reaper coming to take their lives.
The soldiers of the leaderless teams became panic. They stopped pushing the trebuchets forward and ran away.