My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 334 Xu Huang Breaks Through the City (Second Update)

The last group was led by a dozen or so oxcarts, which were covered with numerous fences.

This was Gao Dai's idea: to place these vehicles and fences on the main thoroughfare of the North Gate as makeshift defensive fortifications to delay Wu Jingjun's reinforcements as much as possible.

Xu Zhao gladly agreed.

Before long, the large group of people had approached the north gate.

Although Wu Jingjun was somewhat relaxed, the officers guarding the gate were extremely experienced. Upon hearing a large number of footsteps, their expressions changed drastically, and they signaled their men to be on guard.

Xu Zhao's men were too lazy to waste words with the other party. In the middle of the night, anyone could tell that they had ill intentions, so there was no point in hiding it.

Those in the front row immediately pulled out longbows and heavy crossbows, aimed at the enemy, and fired.

Because of the firelight at the city gate, the people inside were clearly exposed, while Xu Zhao's troops remained hidden in the shadows, and the enemy did not even notice Xu Zhao's sneak attack.

After a volley of arrows, even though the city gate guards were on high alert, six or seven of them were still shot down.

"Enemy attack!!!"

The officer was protected by the tower shields. All that could be heard was the sound of gunfire. Seven or eight arrows were already stuck in the tower shields. Clearly, they had recognized his identity and wanted to kill him, the officer, first.

If it weren't for the timely protection of the shield bearers, this officer would have been riddled with holes by now.

The officer hurriedly shouted towards the city tower behind him, "Ring the bell! Ring the bell to warn us!"

Seeing that the sneak attack had succeeded, Xu Zhao's troops pressed on and, under the cover of archers and crossbowmen, launched an assault on the city gate.

There were only two hundred people at the city gate, and they had to be divided into day and night shifts. At this time, there were only one hundred people, half of whom were still on the city tower.

With only fifty people, more than a tenth of them were killed in the surprise attack.

As soon as the two sides clashed, Wu Jingjun's side suffered repeated defeats.

If it weren't for the makeshift fortifications at the city gate, it would have been lost by now.

"Open the city gate!"

Xu Zhao took the lead, cutting down a Wu Jing soldier first, while shouting to his men, "Ignore those bandits, open the gate first!"

Gao Dai was also directing from behind. When the two armies were locked in a fierce battle at the city gate, he ordered the archers and crossbowmen to block the passageway and prevent Wu Jing's soldiers on the city tower and city wall from coming down to support the city gate.

This move greatly helped Xu Zhao at the city gate.

The city gate guards, who were only forty or so men left, were no match for Xu Zhao's ferocious troops; the difference in numbers was simply too great.

Soon, Wu Jingjun's troops inside the city gate were all killed by Xu Zhao's men, and then the city gate slowly opened.

At that time, Yuhang was not an important city. Although it was located on the Qiantang River Plain and had abundant grain production, its commerce was not prosperous because of its remote location and the presence of Qiantang County next to it.

Therefore, although the East Tiaoxi River flows through the edge of Yuhang City, there is no moat.

At this moment, the city gate opened, and Xu Zhao's men rushed out of the city gate with torches in hand, waving them into the distance.

The troops outside the city were already in position. Xu Huang, who was hiding in the darkness, smiled slightly before shouting in a deep voice, "Move out! The entire army enters the city. Remember, take control of the city gates first, then advance inwards."

"Yes, General!"

The officers, both high and low, immediately obeyed the order, and then torches were lit one by one, forming a fire dragon that rushed towards the north gate of Yuhang.

The city was in complete chaos.

The city's tranquility was immediately shattered after the warning bells rang.

Before the patrol teams from various places could arrive at the north of the city, sparks had already been set off in several places within the city, while armed insiders were harassing and intercepting the patrol teams.

This move caused the patrol team a great deal of trouble.

These people didn't engage in direct combat with them; they just lingered and wouldn't let go, occasionally firing a few arrows or throwing stones, but the patrol team couldn't ignore them.

A whole patrol team only has thirty people, and a hundred people are divided into three shifts, otherwise they simply cannot keep going.

If they ignore the stray arrows and flying stones, the entire patrol team will soon lose its fighting capacity.

Left with no other choice, the patrol team could only hold up their shields and guard the area while heading north of the city. This speed was reduced by more than half, at least by 60% or 70%.

Hearing the commotion outside, Wu Jing was also suddenly awakened.

He had been sleeping very lightly these days, but now that such a big problem had arisen in the city, he immediately woke up.

"Guards, what is that sound coming from inside the city?"

Wu Jing threw off the covers, got up, walked barefoot to the door, opened it, and asked the two guards at the door.

The guards were also completely bewildered. They could hear some noises outside, but by the time they reached the inner courtyard, they were barely audible and couldn't make out what was being shouted.

"Go and find out immediately, and report back at once."

Wu Jing did not scold his personal guards, but quickly assigned tasks.

He first sent one person to gather intelligence, while he turned around and went into his room to change his clothes, having another personal guard help him put on his armor.

Sure enough, just as Wu Jing finished donning his armor, the personal guards who had gone out earlier returned with a group of men.

"Reporting to the general, there is an internal traitor attacking the city gate. The patrol teams have all rushed there. However, the north gate is only lit up, and warnings have been issued from the city tower. A large force is also approaching from outside the city."

The first general is Wu Da, a close subordinate of Wu Jing. He has followed Wu Jing for many years and is now in charge of Wu Jing's personal guards.

Wu Jing's expression changed, but he still maintained a calm demeanor. After fastening his sword to his waist, he flicked his cloak and said, "Generals, follow me out of the mansion to relieve the North Gate!"

"Yes!"

A group of officers followed Wu Jing, and the six hundred men in the mansion, as well as the more than two hundred patrolmen who were resting in the county government office, were all fully armed.

Led by Wu Jing, the group bravely raced towards the North Gate.

Previously, Xu Huang had not dared to approach the city gate for fear of being discovered by the enemy on the city wall, and instead hid in the dense forest two or three miles away.

Once the city gates were wide open, he immediately ordered the entire army to rush into the city.

A journey of three miles would take at least 15 minutes, and if you want to maintain your fighting strength, it might take 15 minutes.

Fortunately, Gao Dai's little trick worked.

The obstacles and harassment along the way greatly slowed down Wu Jing's counterattack, especially at night. Xu Zhao's archers and crossbowmen were hidden in the shadows, while Wu Jing's troops had to carry torches. The occasional stray arrows dealt a significant blow to the morale of Wu Jing's troops.

But we couldn't go without torches; the obstacles along the way were difficult to overcome by moonlight alone, as there was no way to light them.

If there were plenty of time, it wouldn't matter, but with time so tight right now, there's no time to take it slow.

Moreover, even if the torches are extinguished, Xu Zhao's troops can still see figures in the moonlight. As long as they shoot at the figures, there will always be surprises, and Wu Jing can't do anything about it.

Left with no other choice, Wu Jing, though extremely anxious, opted for a strategy of using tower shield bearers to clear the way, followed by dismantling obstacles, and then counterattacking with sharpshooters. Otherwise, if the enemy were to unleash a barrage of arrows, his team's morale would be shattered before they even reached the city gate.

After being patient, the speed gradually improved.

After all, these obstacles were Gao Dai's last-minute idea, and at most there were only a dozen or so oxcarts. If Xu Zhao had known that they would be so effective, he probably would have prepared dozens or even hundreds of them.

Even so, the obstacles still held Wu Jing back for a full quarter of an hour. By the time he reached the city gate, the north gate had already fallen, the city gate was wide open, and even the city tower had been captured by Xu Zhao's troops.

However, Wu Jingjun's troops on the city wall were also gathering and launching a counterattack from both sides towards Xu Zhao's troops on the north gate tower, attempting to drive them off the tower.

Meanwhile, Wu Jingjun on the city wall also used his bow and arrow to fire indiscriminately at Xu Huang's army that was approaching from outside the city, in an attempt to delay the enemy.

Upon seeing Wu Jing appear, the city wall immediately responded by waving its flags repeatedly, signaling the danger to Wu Jing.

Wu Jing acted decisively, deploying all his troops at once.

"Don't worry about the city gate tower, just take the north gate and close it!"

Wu Jing's expression was ferocious as he said viciously, "If we win this battle, you can take all the wealth in the city!"

The morale of Wu Jing's troops surged to its peak, emitting roars like ferocious beasts.

"on!"

Wu Jing waved his hand and sent all his troops in, leaving only four or five personal guards by his side.

His trusted general, Wu Da, took the lead, wielding a giant axe and braving his iron armor as he charged forward.

"Die to me!"

With a roar, Wu Da drew his battle axe and swept it horizontally, cleaving two of Xu Zhao's men who came forward in half at the waist.

Without stopping, he took two steps forward and delivered another arcing slash, knocking down an officer behind the two men in front of him.

The officer was almost cut in two from his left shoulder to his right abdomen.

Wu Da's heroic performance boosted Wu Jingjun's morale once again, and they shouted in unison, extremely excited.

Under Wu Da's leadership, Wu Jingjun fought bravely and fearlessly. Xu Zhao's troops, known for their bravery in Yuhang City, were completely unable to withstand the enemy's offensive and were forced into a disadvantageous position.

Xu Zhao was so anxious that he jumped up and down, ordering the mountain archer next to him to snipe Wu Da.

Wu Da was clad in iron armor and was not afraid of cold arrows at all. Even if the arrow pierced his armor, unless it hit a vital spot, it would not be able to immediately incapacitate Wu Da.

Even though the mountain archers were very skilled, Wu Da was also extremely experienced and repeatedly used his armor to deflect the force, so that he only suffered some minor injuries.

Xu Zhao couldn't hold back and wanted to personally confront Wu Da, but Gao Dai quickly grabbed him and advised him not to be impulsive.

Xu Zhao was still alive at this moment, and although his troops were constantly retreating, they maintained their front line. If anything were to happen to Xu Zhao, these troops would immediately collapse and scatter like birds and beasts.

Gao Dai was naturally adamant about not letting Xu Zhao take any risks.

As the battle line retreated step by step, the archers on the city wall did play a role. The threat of arrows forced Wu Jingjun to divert his attention to protect himself, which also bought Xu Zhao's troops some breathing room.

However, Wu Jingjun was still far superior to Xu Zhao's troops. Even with the threat of sneak attacks, they still forced Xu Zhao's troops to retreat step by step.

In just a quarter of an hour, Xu Zhao's troops had already lost most of the defenses in front of the city gate and were forced to the front of the gate.

At this rate, they'll be forced out of the city through the gate in less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

Seeing that the city gates were about to fall, Xu Zhao could no longer hold back. He immediately ordered his close attendants, "Send two men to take Mr. Gao out of the city, and the rest of you will follow me to fight this scoundrel!"

"Wise ruler, you mustn't!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Dai immediately became alert and hurriedly tried to persuade him loudly.

He and Xu Zhao had genuine feelings for each other; Xu Zhao had saved his and Sheng Xian's lives.

He couldn't just stand by and watch Xu Zhao go to his death.

Xu Zhao, however, said proudly, "Mr. Kong Wen, a true man born in chaotic times should strive to achieve great deeds. If he fails, then dying on the battlefield is enough!"

Xu Zhao immediately prepared to lead his men to launch a surprise attack on Wu Da.

"well said!"

Suddenly, a deep, steady voice came from behind them.

Xu Zhao and Gao Dai were both startled. They turned around and saw a giant man carrying a long-handled crescent axe made of fine iron in one hand, striding into the city from outside.

The giant man, carrying an axe, bowed to Xu Zhao and Gao Dai, saying, "Greetings, Mr. Gao, greetings, brave man Xu."

Xu Zhao and Gao Dai were both somewhat bewildered, but the latter reacted faster, returning the greeting while asking, "May I ask which general under Liu Zhengnan you are?"

The giant revealed a simple smile: "This humble general is Xu Huang from Yang County. Please leave this place to me. You two can watch me slay the traitor."

Within the time it took to exchange a few words, more than a dozen of Liu Feng's soldiers poured into the doorway.

Xu Huang slightly raised his great axe and whispered to his soldiers, "Gentlemen, follow me to kill the enemy!"

"I will follow the general's will!"

Xu Huang took the lead, striding towards the retreating battle line of Xu Zhao's troops.

On the other side, Wu Dayang saw that he had approached the gate and was about to succeed. He charged forward with all his might, swinging his great axe repeatedly. Each strike severely damaged Xu Zhao's troops' defenses.

Even the tower shield only slightly hindered him for a moment.

Other weapons would naturally cause injury upon contact, and death upon touch.

Just as Wu Da's sweeping strike created an opening and he saw that the path behind him was now wide open, Wu Da was overjoyed and rushed forward in several steps, attempting to completely open up the breach.

But at that moment, a giant man suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of them.

Xu Huang suddenly appeared from the side, taking over Wu Daquan's field of vision.

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and a crescent-shaped heavy axe, twice the size of the battle axe in Wu Da's hand, appeared out of thin air and came crashing down on Wu Da's head.

Wu Da was immediately alarmed and quickly held his battle axe horizontally, trying to block the opponent's attack.

Unexpectedly, Xu Huang's crescent-shaped heavy axe was a gift from Liu Feng, who personally supervised its creation in Xiapi.

This crescent-shaped heavy axe is called the Golden-Backed Mountain-Splitting Axe. It weighs nearly thirty pounds, and if Xu Huang hadn't possessed incredible strength, he wouldn't have been able to wield it for long.

The long-handled battle axe in Wu Da's hand weighed twelve jin (approximately 6 catties), making it a rather heavy weapon.

However, Xu Huang's golden-backed axe was more than twice the size of his, and there was also a fatal difference between the two.

The handles of the Golden Back Mountain-Splitting Axe are all made of fine iron, while the handle of the heavy axe in Wu Da's hand is made of sandalwood.

Using sandalwood to block the golden-backed axe was the biggest and most fatal mistake Wu Da made in his life.

With this strike, Xu Huang's golden-backed axe shattered the sandalwood handle and, with undiminished momentum, smashed into the opponent's forehead, carving deep into it.

Wu Da immediately collapsed and knelt on the ground, white liquid mixed with blood flowing from the wound.

Seeing that Wu Da, a fierce general in the army, was killed by Xu Huang in a single move, Wu Jing's soldiers could hardly believe their eyes. Meanwhile, Xu Zhao's troops were greatly encouraged.

Gao Dai and Xu Zhao, who were inside the doorway, were also dumbfounded, unable to believe that Wu Da, who had just been so valiant, was not even a match for Xu Huang.

Fortunately, Gao Dai quickly regained his senses and shouted to Xu Zhao's troops, "Gentlemen, the enemy general is dead! Why don't you launch a counterattack immediately!"

(End of this chapter)