The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 187 General Shi, we meet again!

"Third brother, how are you?"

Shi Tianze wiped the blood off his face and picked up the knife on the ground. "I'm fine, brother. This guy is brave, be careful."

The two brothers looked at each other and attacked Guo Kaiyuan. Suddenly, he was in a dilemma. After just a few moves, his palms were numb and the weapon in his hand flew out. Seeing that Shi Tianze's knife was about to fall on him, at the critical moment, a hand reached out from behind, grabbed Guo Kaiyuan's armor and dragged him backwards to the ground. Shi Tianze chopped on the city wall with his knife, sparks flew.

Guo Kaiyuan got up from the ground, looked back, and asked in surprise, "Is it you?"

The man who came was a young general. He looked heroic and held a spear in his hand. He warned, "General Guo, be careful." Then he attacked the Shi brothers.

The Han soldiers on the side saw that their commander had encountered the enemy, so they moved towards them while resisting.

However, the man's spear was so powerful that it was impenetrable. In the blink of an eye, the faces of several Han soldiers who had surrounded him were smashed and they fell crookedly. Shi Tianze was shocked. He did not expect that the man was so brave. He was unable to dodge and was hit in the chest by the spear. He flew into the air and hit the parapet. His helmet fell to the side with a clang.

Shi Tianni saw that the number of Han troops around him was decreasing, and knew that he could not do anything, so he hurriedly ordered, "Retreat!"

Then he helped Shi Tianze up from the ground and took him away from the battlefield. Seeing them retreat, the young general did not continue to pursue them.

Guo Kaiyuan came over, covering his arm, "General Li, thank you for your help just now."

"It's okay, you and I are colleagues, no need to thank me." The young general nodded slightly, turned around and rushed to another battlefield with his gun in hand.

However, behind him, a hint of doubt flashed in Guo Kaiyuan's eyes. It seemed that this person had held back just now?

On the city wall, there was not only one place involved in the fighting. Outside the wall, thousands of soldiers were either lined up waiting or rushing on the way to attack the city. The battering rams never stopped. The soldiers guarding the city gate fell down under the flying arrows, and there were soldiers from the rear to replace them, providing protection with shields.

Every second counts in war, and the Jin army fought hard and finally stopped the enemy's offensive.

But the continuous offensive in just one month made the enemy exhausted, and even the civilians in the city suffered. A large number of houses were demolished, and wooden beams became weapons to defend the city walls. Even in the most dangerous times, Xu Ding ordered the soldiers to drive the young and strong to stand on the city walls to fight with the enemy and consume their military strength.

Inside the signing room, Xu Ding slumped in a chair, looking extremely tired.

At this time, his generals came to report, "Sir, the enemy has retreated."

Xu Ding narrowed his eyes slightly, "Order the entire army to rest and be on high alert, and give them extra food tonight."

The general continued, "Sir, the enemy's catapults have been getting more and more accurate these days. We have suffered heavy casualties. The young and strong can't stop the enemy's first landing camp. Do you think it's time to send more troops?"

Xu Ding opened his eyes, his eyes were cold, "You can do whatever you want. You can mobilize the troops in the city as you like, but I have only one request. No matter what method you use, you must defend the city!"

"My subordinate understands."

……

late at night.

Guo Mansion.

Qiu Chuji sat on the couch with a smile in his eyes, "General Guo, what is the situation in the city now?"

Guo Kaiyuan frowned slightly, "The Marquis's men are indeed very capable. Today, their vanguard camp attacked the city wall and killed a lot of people. If it weren't for someone's help, I would have almost died."

Qiu Chuji's expression did not change at all. "Don't worry, General. I have already won over many people. When the time comes, we will start a rebellion. By then, you will be the top contributors."

If he died before that, it would mean that Guo Kaiyuan was unlucky and died on the battlefield, and no one would be able to say anything.

Qiu Chuji has a lot of cards to play, and he doesn't need any more.

Guo Kaiyuan suddenly asked, "Today I met a man named Li on the battlefield. He was from Fengxiang. He seemed to show mercy when he attacked. Could he be the same as me?"

However, Qiu Chuji had a smile on his face, remained silent, and looked unfathomable.

……

Inside the military tent, Guo Jing stood in front of a huge map and said to his generals, "Everyone, launch a general attack tomorrow and deplete the Jin army's strength at all costs."

At this time, a general said, "General, many of our men have been killed or injured in the past few days. If we fight hard now, the cost will be too high."

Lu Guanying directly retorted, "That's wrong. Don't forget, in a month it will be the coldest time of winter. At that time, water will freeze into ice, making it even more difficult to fight. We have so many catapults and so many troops. If we can't take Chang'an, how can we go back and face our fellow villagers?"

After these words were spoken, the generals who had been quite dissatisfied immediately stopped fighting. It was better to lose lives than to return empty-handed. If they really retreated, most of the results of the battle would be lost, which would be tantamount to a defeat.

Afterwards, the generals below discussed the matter one by one and decided on the general attack.

Finally, Guo Jing made the final decision, "After more than a month of fighting, cracks have appeared in the east gate wall. I decided to concentrate the catapults at the east gate and bombard the wall with all our strength to see if we can break the city. I will also launch a general attack on the other two walls to not give the enemy a chance to breathe."

"As ordered!"

……

An uninvited guest came to the Marshal's tent in the early morning. He was wearing a black hood, and his figure was completely concealed, so his true face could not be seen. Guo Jing dismissed the personal soldiers around him and entertained him alone in the tent.

Under the light, the man lifted his hood and it turned out to be Qiu Chuji from the Quanzhen Sect.

"See Mr. Marquis."

Guo Jing sat at the table and raised his hand, "Master Qiu, how are you? Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Lord Marquis."

Qiu Chuji sat down leisurely and then narrated his arrangements in Chang'an City and the enemy's troop distribution. While listening, Guo Jing verified this information with the information in the army.

Guo Jing tapped the table lightly, smiling, "So, many of the wealthy families in the city can no longer hold back?"

Qiu Chuji also had a complicated expression. "In order to defend the city, Xu Ding sent people to distribute manpower and food from house to house. They have been tormented a lot these days."

When mentioning Xu Ding, Guo Jing showed a hint of admiration on his face. "If it were any other city, we would have taken it long ago. Xu Ding is a capable man. He was able to hold out for so long. If I could catch him, I would be reluctant to kill him."

Qiu Chuji couldn't help but sigh, "Indeed, this person is an official from outside the country. As soon as he took office, he made friends with the local wealthy people and gave out various official positions without paying. It is not easy for him to last until now."

Guo Jing nodded, "As long as the big families in the city turn against us, Chang'an will be easily taken. I know everything about the Quanzhen Sect. I can give you everything you want."

Qiu Chuji thought for a moment and requested, "My Lord, in order to ensure their surrender, please write a letter so that I can gain their trust."

Guo Jing agreed without thinking, "It's a small matter."

He immediately wrote a letter, stamped it with his seal and handed it to Qiu Chuji. Qiu Chuji took the letter and stuffed it into his arms, saying solemnly, "As long as the Marquis can see three fireworks rising in the city, it will be time for us to start the rebellion."

Guo Jing's expression became solemn, and he clasped his fists and saluted, "Master Qiu, take care!"

"My Lord, goodbye."

Then, Qiu Chuji put on his hood, left the camp before dawn, and returned to Chang'an. ...

The next day, the Jin army suddenly discovered that the enemy's offensive had become extremely fierce. Hand-to-hand combat broke out on the city walls, and sections of the city walls were filled with figures of fighting.

East Gate of Chang'an.

Stones whistled in the sky and smashed heavily on the city walls. The Jin soldiers hid behind the walls, curled up, feeling the vibrations from under their feet, the rumbling sounds in their ears, their faces dazed, and numbness in their eyes.

The time had already come to dusk when the sunlight shone through the gaps in the clouds, emitting an orange glow. Guo Jing stared at the battle on the city wall without even a moment's movement. The catapults had been firing since this morning, and a large pile of rubble had accumulated under the city wall.

And this was not without effect. The cracks on the city wall became bigger and bigger, the bricks and stones shattered, and concave cracks continued to spread.

Finally, with a loud "boom", a big crack appeared in the city wall.

The soldiers on the city wall fell down before they could react and were covered by the rubble.

"The city is broken!"

The Han army was delighted and their morale was boosted. The generals led the way, climbed the ladders and launched a siege.

……

Inside the garrison, Xu Ding's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief, "What, the city wall is broken?"

"Sir, the enemy has been attacking the city wall with catapults. Our people can't fight back. The city wall has been broken. Now the soldiers are desperately blocking it. I don't think they can hold out for much longer."

"Pass me my order, quickly mobilize nearby troops, send the reserve troops and young and strong men in batches, and make sure to block the line. If there is any failure, I will hold you accountable." After saying that, Xu Ding stepped out of the room and rushed to the section of the east city wall surrounded by his personal soldiers.

In fact, only a small section of the city wall collapsed, and this gap was not conducive to climbing, but it was a huge blow to the enemy's morale. All along, the city wall gave them a sense of security, and now the city wall was broken, what could they use to block it?
On the high platform in the distance, Guo Jing watched for a while and suddenly said, "Withdraw the people and continue throwing stones along the gap." The setting sun was burning red in the sky. A leaf fell at the feet of the speaker with the west wind. He glanced at the crowd expressionlessly. The shouts of fighting could still be heard from the distant city.

After the military order was issued, drums sounded soon and the Han army in front retreated in an orderly manner.

The Jin soldiers' generals in the city were confused. Why did the enemy suddenly retreat?

However, the stones from the catapults drew an arc in the sky and landed on the city wall. Their faces suddenly became terrified, and they shouted at the top of their lungs, "Retreat, retreat quickly!"

The stones fell and many Jin soldiers who were unable to avoid them were hit by the rolling stones and turned into a pool of meat paste, while the gap still stood there, like a giant mouth swallowing lives.

Xu Ding stepped onto the tower and saw a corner of the city wall that had collapsed from a distance, but he did not see any trace of the Han army. He immediately guessed what they were thinking, so he ordered, "Hurry up and organize the troops. No matter what the cost, we must plug the gap!"

The subordinate looked bitter and said, "As you command."

So, risking their lives by being hit by rocks, the Jin army desperately blocked the gap with wood and stones.

……

A deep voice sounded in the room, "The east wall has collapsed."

Another person suddenly said, "Their catapults are too powerful. The Jin people have no means to counter them. It's only a matter of time."

"Can we really take the Taoist's words seriously?"

"What if you don't take it seriously? Do you really want to die with the Jin people?"

In the dim room, someone sighed, "It happened so fast. It's only been less than two months of fighting and Chang'an has fallen into such a predicament. There are enough food and supplies in the city, but it just can't be defended." The voice was filled with regret.

"Humph, what's the point of talking about this now? We should make a decision. I plan to vote for it. What do you think?"

"Go ahead and fight. We will certainly make some money, but if the city is breached, we won't be able to hold on no matter how much we make."

"I agree."

……

With voices of agreement, everyone reached a consensus and left one after another, disappearing into the darkness.

In the corner, the incense burner was lingering, and the air was filled with a rich aroma. A smooth voice sounded, "Master Qiu, after the city is captured, you must help us put in a few good words in front of Marshal Guo."

"Don't worry, the Marquis is a trustworthy person, he will definitely not let you down."

"That's good."

……

"Boom, bang, bang!"

There was a full moon high in the sky. The moon was very big tonight and the moonlight was beautiful, but no one had the intention to appreciate it. The soldier was leaning against the city wall, leaning here and there. He had several layers of clothes on, but the cold wind still penetrated into his neck through the gaps, making him shiver all over.

The soldier opened his eyes blearily, and was stunned when he saw the colors blooming in the sky.

Huh? What beautiful fireworks!

In the camp outside the city, the Han army scouts saw three fireworks rising in the city and hurried back to pass on the message.

At this time, Guo Jing sat on the couch with his eyes closed to regulate his breathing. Suddenly, he felt something in his heart and opened his eyes. Then, the voice of the personal soldiers came from outside the tent, "My Lord, they have launched an attack!"

Guo Jing perked up and stood up from the couch, "Come in."

"Pass on my military order and summon all the generals to discuss matters."

……

Guard the house.

Xu Ding fell asleep wrapped in a thick quilt. There was a brazier burning in the room, which was very warm. He was old and had a light sleep. However, official duties had been piling up on him for the past two months, making him very tired, so he slept soundly at night.

But tonight, he had a nightmare. In the dream, the city gate was broken, the Han army rushed into Chang'an, and he was tied up by his men and sent to Guo Jing...

Xu Ding woke up from his sleep, sat up and stared for a while, then put on his clothes. He planned to patrol the city wall tonight.

……

At the north gate, torches on the city wall lit up and then went out seven times.

Inside the Han army camp, a group of people avoided obstacles and came to the foot of the city. At this time, the heavy city gate slowly opened, and a young figure walked out of the city gate. "General Shi, we meet again."

When Xu Ding arrived near the city wall, there were sounds of fighting everywhere on the wall. The enemy was attacking the city again. He had a bad feeling in his heart, and he and his soldiers returned to the garrison under the cover of night. At this time, his general came back to report, "Sir, the north gate has been opened, and the thieves have entered the city!"

(End of this chapter)