Chapter 528 – Three-Route Battle (Twelve)
Is Feng Jin about to explode? Well, he probably knows best.
Meanwhile, let’s shift our focus back to Xiangyang County. At this point, the Green Garment Army at the west gate and north gate has been completely repelled—some dead, some wounded. Many from the Green Garment Army, seeing the tide turn against them, dashed off in a panic, leaving behind thousands of corpses.
Gazing at the chaotic scene before him, Feng Jin calmly wiped the blood off his face with a hand.
He hoarsely asked a soldier, “What’s the situation at the south gate?”
The sky gradually shifted from black to pale blue as the rising sun dispelled the darkness.
Given this daylight, the south gate must be in battle already, but who knows how it’s faring?
The soldier gasped heavily, panting. “The fighting at the south gate is stuck in a deadlock. General Luo is leading the resistance.”
Feng Jin cast a regretful glance at the gate blocked by blue bricks. If only he had enough manpower, they wouldn’t need to bar the gate!
If the gate weren’t blocked, a nimble squad could harass the Green Garment Army from the rear, demoralizing them instead of dragging out this lengthy battle where the city walls nearly faced a breach—this made Feng Jin quite frustrated.
He scanned the crowd and commanded, “Injured soldiers, rest for a moment. Everyone else, come with me out of the city except those guarding the gate.”
With the west and north gates blocked, they could still exit through the east gate, flanking the rear of the Green Garment Army and keeping them on their toes.
They only needed the south gate held strong, and with the Green Garment Army unable to break through, they would soon be overwhelmed from behind, crushing their morale.
One blood-soaked soldier, looking like a walking bloodbath, interrupted Feng Jin.
“Sir, you absolutely mustn’t! Just tell us what to do, no need to take such risks yourself.”
Feng Jin firmly stated, “I am not helpless. I can take care of myself just fine. You all don’t need to say more.”
The soldiers were strong, their rigorous training in the military camp showing its worth. Even after a night of fierce fighting, they still had energy. But Feng Jin, as a refined noble, while fit compared to the average person, was still weaker than these tough soldiers.
Currently, if he could grit his teeth and say he would continue to fight, the morale of the other soldiers would surely soar.
The situation at the south gate was a bit better than Feng Jin’s, holding up more easily.
Although the Green Garment Army at the south gate outnumbered those at the north and west gates, they lacked sufficient siege equipment.
Without adequate siege weaponry, an assault would lead to significant losses.
General Luo was an experienced individual, guarding it tightly and frustrating the Green Garment Army’s every move.
Even so, the soldiers on the walls were thoroughly exhausted. There were always a few who unfortunately got hit by stray arrows—some struck down badly, while others might only suffer minor injuries. But no one had time to mourn; they could only muster their spirits to face the enemy.
Just as Jiang Pengji had said, on the battlefield there are only living and dead; the distinction of gender doesn’t matter. Watching the soldiers working in synchronicity, Luo Yue felt a mix of emotions in his heart, gradually coming to appreciate his lord’s decision to form the female battalion.
Keeping all women behind to tend to men and children was truly wasting nearly half of their manpower.
After undergoing strict training, they could take up arms and fight just as well as their male counterparts.
In this world, women and children were seen as the weaker group needing protection, but most men couldn’t even protect themselves—how could they adequately safeguard them? Even if Luo Yue thought women shouldn’t be on the battlefield, reason told him this idea wasn’t wrong.
If no one else could protect them, should they not even strive to protect themselves?
Ten thousand troops might be enough to defend a single Xiangyang County, but what about Cheng’an County, Maolin County, and Jiao Ping County?
Relying on just ten thousand troops to defend a county was nearly wishful thinking.
It was easy to foresee that once the other three counties fell, expanding the troop size would become imperative. However, after a series of disasters in the north, there was a massive loss of young men. Who knew how many soldiers they could recruit then? Adding female soldiers could indeed alleviate pressure on the military camp.
Lost in thought, Luo Yue continued to calmly direct the troops.
Just when he thought the deadlock would carry on for a while longer, the Green Garment Army suddenly stirred from the rear. What had been a relatively orderly attack turned chaotic in an instant. From atop the city wall, Luo Yue could see the commotion far off. His eyes lit up with a glimmer of joy.
“Soldiers, the Green Garment Army at the northwest gates has been entirely cut down!”
With his rallying cry, morale surged as the troops’ previously weary faces now sparkled with delight.
The northwest gates had won?
Everyone knew they were surrounded in Xiangyang County, worried about the south gate getting breached while fending off the Green Garment Army.
Now, with Luo Yue declaring the rear safe, how could they not be excited?
Their side’s morale skyrocketed while the Green Garment Army faltered. Feng Jin led the soldiers, charging forth and causing havoc.
With the gates secured, the Green Garment Army’s morale waned as they faced ongoing harassment from the cavalry. After a few rounds of this, their spirit would surely plummet, making it impossible to continue fighting; they were already in full retreat despite their leaders’ rallying cries.
The attack at the gates weakened, failing to pose any threat to the county’s main entrance.
Feng Jin initially thought of pursuing, but considering the current defensive strength at Xiangyang, he reluctantly abandoned the tempting idea.
Luo Yue wiped the blood from his face and bowed to Feng Jin, saying, “Thank you for coming to our aid.”
The battle at the south gate had lasted just over an hour, while the fighting at the northwest gates had begun at dawn. Night battles drained energy immensely. Given how Feng Jin looked, he must have rushed here right after the skirmish ended.
If it weren’t for Feng Jin, even with Luo Yue’s confidence in holding the south gate, they would have exhausted a considerable amount of siege gear overall.
Feng Jin took a moment to catch his breath, raising his hand in a casual gesture towards Luo Yue. “There’s no need for thanks; it’s what I ought to do.”
Luo Yue glared with resentment at the fleeing Green Garment Army, gritting his teeth, “It’s a shame they got away.”
Generally, when the enemy retreats in defeat, it’s a golden opportunity for the victorious side to expand their gains.
Now, watching the remnants of the Green Garment Army escape, Luo Yue felt displeased.
Feng Jin replied, “No worries; we will settle this score one day.”
Unbeknownst to them, the so-called “lucky escapees” of the Green Garment Army were anything but lucky.
Jiang Pengji, leading eight hundred elite troops, was on the hunt when they encountered the fleeing remnants of the Green Garment Army. Grabbing two prisoners for interrogation, she learned the direction they were fleeing towards Maolin County. She raised her arm and shouted, “All soldiers, follow me for the attack!”
