Chapter 58 Battle of Anping – Decisive Battle Part 1 (1/2)

Chapter 58 – Battle of Anping – Decisive Battle Part 1

October 28th. 8 AM.

Zou Jing and Guo Dian stood on top of their watchtower, observing their troops below. At the same time.

Yesterday, they took a big hit from Hua Shi and her ambush troops which ended 3,000 lives of their soldiers here in Anping. Her existence and her archery skill was now being aware by the two generals and their troops.

Everyone in their camp called her ”Goddess of Death”.

Zou Jing gazed at the north gate of the fortress in solemn. He had never expected a tough fight against bandits like this before. The damage from the fortress formation was manageable, but Hua Shi herself was a nightmare. Furthermore, her light arrows never missed, which this rumor alone already terrified his troops and caused their moral to sink rock bottom.

This morning, he heard another two bad news. Zhang Tong, whom Zou Jing had thought he was abducted by the escaped prisoners, had returned.

Secondly, Xin Ping Army withdrew and headed back to Yie yesterday.

This meant that they had to deal with the bandits with their remaining forces. If they continued to suffer set back and couldn't handle Zhang Tong and Hua Shi with these remaining advantages, they would be a laughing stock of the entire China.

Guo Dian did not feel too well either as he had already lost almost of his troops. He only had 3,500 men left. Meanwhile, Zou Jing only lost 500 men of his initial 3,000. The incompetence of his men shamed him, and put him in an awkward position in this alliance against Tong.

Today, they decided that they should end this fight by crushing the tricky fortress in front of them. They would launch an all-out assault and they would not stop until the fort in front of them was burned to ashes.

One hundred trebuchets had been lined up which were two times in numbers if they compared it with yesterday siege. They was being pushed to the frontline with all oil pots, stones, sharp irons and woods were being loaded into the trebuchet slings.

Because of the lack of troops, they had to reduce the number of trebuchet crews. As a result, the range of the trebuchets were shorten. But both Guo Dian and Zou Jing no longer cared as they had blood in their eyes and lost their logic sense.

...

10 AM.

All trebuchets were ready. Guo Dian and Zou Jing immediately sounded the war drums, and all of their troops march forward.

Shield bearers and heavy infantry were on the frontlines while archers and trebuchet crews were in the back. All light cavalry were in the third line, standing by for any change of situation.

They had learnt from their previous battles against Tong and Hua Shi. With the both wings of the walls was gone, they only need to worry about the trenches, archers and Hua Shi's archery. Thus, they put their meat shields in front, and prepared to storm the fortress before dusk.

*BANG*

The moment the frontline stepped into the range of 350 meters of the trenches, a thunder sound was heard and light arrows flew toward them.

Zou Jing felt something pierced through his left shoulder, and a finger-size hole appeared.

Zou Jing was shocked by the sudden event, he escaped down the watchtower without hesitation.

*BANG*

Another sound of bang arrived again, and Zou Jing's aide who was standing next to him a moment ago fell down from the watchtower.

Guo Dian who was beside him was panic. He hurried down the tower and hid behind his men.

...

In the trench, Tong clicked his tongue in annoyance. He shot at Guo Dian and Zou Jing once each, but he missed both killing shot as they were too far away.

Seeing that Guo Dian and Zou Jing were spook and hid themselves, Tong switched to his pistol and shot at the incoming troops instead.

After that moment, each time the invader troops heard a thunderous sound, one of the 100-man commanders would fall. At the same time, the light arrows with eyes continued to piece unlucky soldiers in the backline.

Afterwards, they reached the 200 meters range. Half of the trebuchets stopped moving, and their slings were rotated and swung forward. Countless of objects were throw to the trenches, and the light objects even flew higher and hit the walls. One of the stone hit the top of the wall along with the garrison soldiers, killing a few unlucky men.

The archers from the alliance force also followed through with their volleys toward the trenches, which caused more damaged to Tong Army.

At the same moment, rains of arrows were pouring from the trenches and the remaining pill boxes, showering the incoming meat shield infantries.

Death throes and screams vibrated in the battlefield as both sides exchanged their projectiles. However, majority of the sounds came from the invading side as the defending side had cover, and were grouping in small squads instead of staying still in large number.

The meat shield frontline did not stop moving. They charged forward at the trench squadrons in front of them with their spears.

The arrow barrages never stopped. The charging shield bearers dropped down one after another. However, more than half of them reached the first trench line, and they attacked the troops inside the trenches.

The trench squadrons would not roll and die by a simple attack from the front, they counter-attacked with their pikes and spears.

Both armies entered deadlock clashes as their frontlines collided with each other.

...

11.30 PM.

One burning oil pot was launched from a trebuchet. It slammed onto the wooden wall and the fire was lit! Flame spread through the wooden walls as if they were dry coal in a furnace.

The garrison soldiers inside were in panic as some of them attempted to extinguish the fire. Zhang Liang who was inside the fort managed to control the fire before it engulfed the entire fortress.

However, the burned parts of the walls became fragile from the flame. The robes that tied wooden logs and stakes together were burnt and severed. Within 10 minutes after the fire was doused, the burnt wall collapsed.

The wall had been breached!

Seeing the wall had been crushed and the inner fortress became visible, Zou Jing ordered his troops to focus attacking at the breached wall section.

Then two youths jumped up from the trench and ran directly toward the incoming troops. One of them was a bald youth carrying a giant blade, while the other one had a standard iron sword and a black strange object in his other hand.