The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 118 The Enemy Approaches the Pass

Chapter 118 The Enemy Approaches the Pass
"Bang bang."

As night fell, the faint sound of two firecrackers could be heard.

Those soldiers familiar with the voice naturally knew that it was intelligence relayed back from the front-line sentries.

Another hour passed, and the sound of firecrackers intensified.

"Bang bang. Bang."

The enemy is approaching, comrades defending the city, be careful!

With a final burst of intense firecracker explosions.

A quarter of an hour later, the Kashgar Khanate cavalry galloped to Xiangshuitan, ten miles away from Jinzhou Pass.

Xiangshuitan is a muddy sand beach formed by the erosion of the Zhuohe River over the years, and it is long and narrow in shape like a fan.

The surface layer of mud and sand has solidified into plates, with dry, fine mud and sand underneath.

The area is only enough to accommodate 30,000 troops, but it is already the most open place here.

"dong dong dong"

The drumbeats of the assembled Guan army awakened the entire Jinzhou Pass.

The people in the post station could clearly hear the commotion from the neighboring garrison.

In the days since Jinzhou Pass closed, no adult except children has been able to sleep peacefully. The elderly, women, and children all hope that this is just a nightmare.

In the end, the dream shattered.

The Hu cavalry, they've really arrived!
The man surnamed Huang gasped in shock:
"It arrived two days earlier than the urgent report! Everyone says that the Hu people's archer cavalry can travel three hundred li a day. It seems that the rumors are true!"

The cavalry of the Kashgar Khanate were not only fast, but also exceptionally fierce in battle.

They charged through enemy lines, conquering eight cities in three days and three nights.

At that time, Xiangshuitan.

The supreme commander of the Kashgar Khanate's cavalry was discussing the next battle strategy with his subordinates.

The Little Beggar (meaning 'leader' in Uyghur) suggested.

It would be best to take advantage of the soldiers' high morale and capture Jinzhou Pass in one fell swoop.

Little Uncle Ke Yi objected.

He stated the fact that the horse archers and their steeds had been fighting for three days and three nights.

We can't let the holy war drag on until all the soldiers and horses are wiped out.

Moreover, Jinzhou Pass is not as easy to conquer as the eight small cities they had previously captured.

By the light of the torch, the supreme commander looked at the detailed map of Jinzhou Pass in the parchment scroll in his hand several more times.

One can't help but sigh:

"These people from the Central Plains are truly architectural geniuses! Behind Jinzhou Pass are high mountains, and facing the gentlest section of the Zhuohe River."

The only passage to the Western Regions is nestled between high mountains and turbid rivers.

If we control Jinzhou Pass, we can take Huaiqing Prefecture of Bei State by exiting the East Gate, and sweep across the entire Guanzhong Plain by crossing the Zhuo River.

By then, they will be close to capturing their emperor alive.

"Big Boss, based on our experience of taking Heping Pass, the Han people rely on the natural defenses, so their troop strength at such passes shouldn't be too great!"

The fighting strength of the Bei State's Guan Army was indeed inferior to that of their archer cavalry.

The only thing that was worrisome was the cannon platform mounted on the gate tower.

Although the cannons of the Bei Kingdom could explode, their power was truly terrifying!

After capturing Heping Pass, they attempted to remove the cannons from the fortress, but despite their best efforts, it was completely unsuccessful.

They've been eyeing the Bei army's cannons for quite some time now.

If our own horse archers had a few cannons they could carry, why would we have to worry about not being able to break through these passes?!
Unbeknownst to the Garrison cavalry, the commander on the city wall was sweating profusely.

Although Jinzhou Pass is a very important pass in terms of geographical location, no enemy troops have ever been able to reach it in the more than two hundred years since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The bows, crossbows, swords, and other weapons are used in regular training and are in good condition.

But he has inspected all the fortifications over the past few days.

After investigating, I knew I was doomed!
In the ammunition depot beneath the gun emplacement, most of the black powder meant to hold artillery shells was damp.

The enemy is at the city gates, but the most lethal weapon is holding us back.

Could anything be worse than this?

At this time, the leaders of the Gar Khanate's cavalry, both high and low, had already devised a good plan to attack Jinzhou Pass.

Throughout the thousands of years of trade between the Western Regions and the Central Plains, the saddlebag has played an important role in the lives of the Uyghur people.

They are usually hand-woven from cotton thread or fine wool.

It is about 1.5 meters long and 50 centimeters wide, with an opening in the middle and a pocket at each end, with a drawstring at the edge of the pocket.

As long as you pull the rope tight, the contents of the bags at both ends will not escape.

It is both safe and reliable, as well as sturdy and durable.

Merchants and peddlers cannot go out without a satchel.

Cavalry used it even more during marches and battles.

They would put military rations and looted valuables in the saddlebags, then hang them on the horse's neck—just the right amount.

Even after the cavalrymen died in battle, their comrades would take their satchels with them.

Now, the satchels of the more than 30,000 comrades who died are coming in handy.

The leaders decided to attack the city with earth.

The specific method involves filling the pockets at both ends of the satchel with sand.

Then, under the cover of night, they carried these sandbags to the firing blind spot of the gun emplacement at the base of the wall.

With over 30,000 satchels, surely we can build a sand and earth wall as high as the city wall?
If that's not enough, there are 50,000 satchels to make up the difference.

The dry mud from Xiangshuitan was perfect for filling the satchel!
Just do it!

Bonfires were lit on Xiangshui Beach.
Jinzhou Pass West Gate.

The garrison soldiers were still staring wide-eyed, helplessly guarding the West Gate tower.

Everyone thought that Hu Jun, who had come from afar, would be taking a break tonight and wouldn't be launching a night raid.

They waited and waited.

I waited until the beginning of Yin (03:00).

Just as the sentry was about to close his eyes, he vaguely heard footsteps.

It looks like they're marching in formation.

The sentry immediately fired dozens of rockets into the air above the official road in the western region.

"Whoosh. Whoosh."

Good guy!
The pitch-black night was illuminated by the rocket's flames.

Hu Jun was running over in a very strange single file formation.

They were all wearing iron helmets.

He was carrying two bags on his chest and back.

He was still holding a bag-like heavy object in both hands.

Hu Jun, who was at the very front, completely blocked the people behind him.

In the brief flash of firelight, it was impossible to see how many of them survived.

Upon seeing the living Hu soldiers, the defending commander immediately ordered, "Wait until they are within firing range before firing your guns and arrows!"

Shooting at night is always limited.

Within a hundred or so breaths, the garrison commander sounded the drum.

Shout a command: "Fire! Fire arrows!"

The drums of attack sounded very frequently, and shouts of battle filled the western gate.

The banging and clanging made quite a noise.

What Guan Jun and his men did not expect was...

The two bags on Hu Jun's chest and back, whose contents were not clearly visible, actually served a protective function.

The bullets and arrows from the muskets couldn't harm these people at all.

They passed the bags they were carrying one after another, piling them up at the city gate at the west entrance.

Guan's soldiers fired dozens of shots and hundreds of arrows.

The number of casualties on the other side was negligible.

In just a short while, more than ten bags had piled up at the city gate.