The thirty-first year of Changxing is the beginning of the new year.
The climate in Western Xinjiang is becoming more and more abnormal, but it is still warm and pleasant today.
Peishicheng
Dingxi County Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant Liu Mingjie, dressed in military uniforms, stood at the top of the city, feeling cold in their hearts.
The post roads on the east-west line were reopened years ago, but their predicament has not changed.
Reinforcements from the imperial court have not yet arrived.
All the personnel and materials that came to support resisted the attacks and harassment of the Xiliang people all the way, and finally bypassed the Dingxi County Prefecture and went to the Yanjie Fortress.
At this time, there were still densely packed Xiliang camps outside Peishi City. Countless Xiliang soldiers were shuttled back and forth among the tents.
A large number of siege equipment have been built and are standing high and low outside the city. They look like countless ferocious monsters sneering at the top of the city, waiting for orders to swarm up and eventually devour this small city.
"Old Liu," Zhu Jialiang, the governor of Dingxi County, lowered his voice: "Xiliang's siege equipment will be completed soon. We don't have much time left."
"Please tell me everything. After all this time, will the imperial court come to rescue our city, Peishi City?"
Deputy County Lieutenant Liu Mingjie's eyes were filled with darkness.
"My best wishes..." He moved his lips, but after a long while he didn't know what to say.
Zhu Jialiang still didn't understand, so he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
"That's all."
He smiled bitterly, "If the Xiliang people attack the city, you and I will defend the city until the last person is left."
"In case... we really can't defend it, we have fulfilled our duty of guarding the land. We are worthy of the heaven above and worthy of the earth below."
"It's just," he looked back at the layers of residential streets in the city, as well as the people working hard to survive on the edges of the street houses.
"It's just that the people of Xiliang have always been cruel. The people in the city are old and young, how innocent..."
boom!
Liu Mingjie punched the city wall hard, "So no matter what, we must defend it."
The two were talking.
Boom, boom, boom!
Suddenly there was an earth-shattering drum sound outside the city.
The Yunchui soldiers at the top of the city were refreshed, and they all grabbed their weapons and looked outside the city.
The people in the city did not panic. The older ones continued farming, while the young people grabbed the swords, guns and clubs around them and rushed towards the city wall.
We climbed up to the top of the city and looked outside.
Everyone was a little dumbfounded at this sight.
The Xiliang people’s goal seemed not to be Peishi City, but to organize themselves and collectively turn to the west.
West?
Zhu Jialiang and Liu Mingjie looked at each other in astonishment.
To the west of Toishi City, there is only one possibility.
Rock Fortress!
Boom boom boom.
Ma Dali, wearing heavy armor all over his body, took the lead, leading the heavy cavalry troops behind him towards the Stone City step by step.
When he saw the continuous Xiliang tents in front of him from a distance, he was a little distracted.
During the Qingming Festival two years ago, he finally got a family leave, but he didn't know that he was competing with Ren Ning for the position of the security commander for returning souls to their hometowns...
At that time, the procession sending the deceased back home passed by this stone city, and everyone was smiling and overjoyed.
However, now that I have returned here, the small town in front of me is no longer peaceful.
Instead of Dingxi people coming in and out, there were countless enemy camps.
Things are different and people are different.
Ma Dali shook his head in appreciation.
He couldn't help but glance to the south.
Although Ren Ning, who was sent back to his hometown with the deceased at that time, was young, it was said that he had already become the forward deputy general of the Starfall Army, and was officially worshiped as the sixth-grade General Xuanwu.
In the future, he will definitely be a great minister.
And what about yourself?
Ma Dali couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He is still only the commander of a heavy cavalry battalion.
But he was not dissatisfied.
As soon as Xingluo arrived at Guangxin County in the south, he directly destroyed the arrogant Nanfeng.
Although Nanfeng is small, it is still a country.
Ren Ning has numerous military exploits.
Therefore, if you want to move up the ladder and stand out like Ren Ning, you have to work hard!
As he thought about it, his eyes fell quietly on the Xiliang man in front of him.
In the Chinese army at the rear, Huo Yun's face was as dark as water.
Last year was the longest and most difficult time in his more than 40 years of life.
Sometimes epidemics raged inside the fortress, and large armies pressed on the territory outside.
Coupled with the severe shortage of materials, supplies are far away.
They fought almost on an empty stomach, surviving by consuming the lives of the garrison soldiers.
Not to mention anything else, the Huo clan alone killed seven leading generals...
Now that the East-West Line Post Road has been reopened, various supports have been sent.
The fortress can finally take a breather.
But it was just a little breather.
There were too many casualties among the soldiers, but the court seemed to have no intention of replenishing the troops.
The most important thing is that the fortress is surrounded by Xiliang people, who can cut off the east-west post road again at any time.
In addition, Dingxi Prefecture, that is, Peishi City, will not be able to defend it.
Huo Ling, the general who defended the fortress and now the Duke of Zhenguo, saw this in his eyes and was anxious in his heart.
Although they had just moved back to the fortress, they did not have time to rest and recuperate, so the army marched out of the city again.
This time it's not to the west, but to the east.
Not only to rescue Toishi City, but also to protect the fragile post roads on the east-west line.
——————
Outside the Stone City, next to the central military tent flag of the Angel tribe.
Deputy patriarch Kang Ansheng stood on the tall watchtower and looked towards the west.
He has good eyesight. However, the army passed by and the dust flew up.
Kang Ansheng was stunned and didn't see anything clearly.
Time passed step by step, and the fortress soldiers were getting closer and closer.
When he saw clearly that the enemy's front was filled with heavy armored cavalry, he couldn't help but turn gray.
As a large tribe in Xiliang, Angel has a large number of people and strong troops.
When it comes to light cavalry, the Angel tribe has never been afraid of anyone.
It is a pity that the grassland has always been short of iron, and almost all the iron in Xiliang is in the hands of the grassland king.
Even a large tribe like Angel can barely make up enough iron for weapons and stirrups.
It is almost impossible to recruit heavy armored cavalry like those in front.
Dry!
The military advisor next to him also looked envious and couldn't help but cursed.
"God is so blind. Such a serious epidemic didn't destroy these damn heavy horses!"
snort!
Kang Ansheng snorted coldly.
"It doesn't matter whether the epidemic has destroyed them or not. Last year they kept fighting, and there was a lack of food and grass in the fortress. Even if they had heavy cavalry, there were not many left."
The military advisor was refreshed and quickly looked westward again.
Sure enough, the enemy's heavy cavalry in front was sparsely seen.
Although it's a lot, it's definitely not much.
Report!
At this time, the messenger came in a hurry.
"Deputy chief, the enemy in front is from Yankuo Fortress, and the leading general is named Huo..."
The surname is Huo again. Is it possible that there will be endless deaths in the Zhenguo Palace?
This thought flashed through Kang Ansheng's mind and he continued to listen.
"There are 20,000 enemies in total. Among them, 1,800 are heavy cavalry, 5,000 are light cavalry, and the rest are all infantry."
"Explore again!" After Kang Ansheng heard this, he waved the messenger to leave.
He and the military advisor looked at each other, and both of them felt a little more relaxed.
Yanchuo Fortress is famous and prestigious, but unfortunately there are only 20,000 visitors, while there are more than 100,000 Xiliang people under Peishi City.
A ratio of five to one.
Kang Ansheng didn't think there would be any surprises.
"Come here," he raised his voice, "pass the order."
"Elder Chigudong led several affiliated tribes with a total of 40,000 people to attack the fortress. Elder Xi led 10,000 people to hold down the formation nearby. The rest are preparing to attack the city!"
Boom, boom, boom!
Almost at the same time, both sides sounded the drum of attack.