Transmigrating to the Primordial Era as a Peerless Great Witch, Changing Fate in the Primordial Worl

Outrageous.

What kind of bewitching potion did Wei Xiaobao give to the soldiers and civilians of Yangzhou?

How could they have done that?

Beneath the central banner outside the city, Wu Sangui, the commander of the Three Feudatories Alliance and Prince of Pingxi, had a grim face, looking extremely unpleasant.

Having fought for many years, he knew the difficulty of attacking a city, and he also knew that if the soldiers and civilians on the defending side were disaffected, even the strongest city wall would not last long.

But the Yangzhou city before them was already well-defended, with a disciplined garrison and formidable fighting strength.

It's unheard of for ordinary people to be so fearless and spontaneously join the war.

Watching their own soldiers fall like grass under the dense rain of arrows and cannon fire,

Hearing the deafening roar of the cannons, the casualties on their side, as the attacking force, far exceeded expectations.

Wu Sangui's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"Knock knock knock knock..."

The sound of war drums, desolate yet stirring, resounded tirelessly across the battlefield.

The battle of offense and defense continued amidst blood and fire.

Arrows rained down, taking away one vibrant life after another;

The thunderous roar of cannons shattered flesh and blood, and shattered courage.

The corpses of the Three Feudatories' allied forces piled up like mountains beneath the city walls, their blood flowing like streams, soaking the soil, and the air thick with the pungent smell of blood and gunpowder.

However, facing the overwhelming enemy army outside the city, which outnumbered them several times over,

In the eyes of the soldiers and civilians of Yangzhou, there was no fear, no retreat.

Whether soldiers or civilians, they all shared a single, strong thought:

These people are the enemy.

They are jackals and tigers who want to destroy our homes, steal our peace, and kill our loved ones.

Hatred for the enemy burned like wildfire in everyone's hearts, transforming into boundless courage and strength to fight to the death.

They were not afraid of death, but they were afraid of losing the city and their families and livelihoods.

Time flew by amidst the fierce attack and defense.

In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed.

Every day, the Triumvirate would launch at least one or two large-scale attacks, from dawn to dusk, the offensive relentless and uninterrupted.

Every day, brave soldiers fall on the walls of Yangzhou, their blood staining the mottled bricks and the clothes of the people defending the city.

They might just be ordinary soldiers, simple farmers, or young craftsmen.

But in their final moments, they used their bodies and their blood to desperately block the breaches in the city wall.

I would rather perish with the enemy than have any regrets.

Their deaths were not for high office or lucrative positions, nor for empty titles or ranks, but solely for the homeland they had cultivated with their sweat and toil.

The city lord who gave them stability and hope,

And the most basic hatred in my heart for the invaders.

Outside Yangzhou, the sounds of cannon fire never ceased, and smoke and dust, mixed with the stench of blood, billowed into the sky.

The deafening shouts of battle and the piercing screams of agony formed the main theme of this place.

Wu Sangui, clad in heavy armor, stood surrounded by numerous personal guards.

Gazing at the city of Yangzhou, which stood as solid as a rock, his face was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

After half a month of fierce attacks, the army suffered over 40,000 casualties, morale was severely damaged, and supplies were being depleted.

But Yangzhou remained impregnable.

"Your Highness, those guards who defend the city are simply inhuman."

Extremely fierce.

"I feel that we are not fighting against 100,000 defenders, but against the entire city of Yangzhou, and against every single living person in it."

A general, covered in blood and looking exhausted and terrified, approached Wu Sangui and reported in a hoarse voice, his eyes still showing lingering fear.

"And their cannons seem to have an endless supply of shells."

The number of bows and arrows was also frighteningly high.

Furthermore, with mountains of grain and fodder piled up within the city, Yangzhou was practically an impregnable fortress.

If we continue this relentless assault, I fear our elite troops will be exhausted, and we may still not be able to breach the city.

Wu Sangui frowned even more deeply, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of his sword.

How could he not know?

In the past two weeks, he has truly experienced how difficult Yangzhou is to "crack".

Wei Xiaobao was not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also quite adept at using troops.

What's even more terrifying is his ability to govern the people; he was able to manage a city so well that the soldiers and civilians were of one mind.

Such opponents are far more terrifying than the Green Standard Army soldiers who crumble at the slightest touch or the independent bandits.

After a long silence, a look of determination, tinged with helplessness, flashed in Wu Sangui's eyes as he gave the order in a deep voice:

"Issue the order to concentrate all elite troops and equipment and attack for another three days."

If Yangzhou cannot be captured within three days, then temporarily retreat, set up camp thirty li away, rest and replenish supplies, and devise a long-term plan.

Wu Sangui was also filled with resentment when he made this decision.

But as a veteran of the battlefield, he knew the principle of "one effort, then decline, and finally exhaustion".

Morale has been eroded; a direct assault would be futile.

It would be better to retreat temporarily and wait for reinforcements and supplies.

This also allows the soldiers to rest and regroup, so that they can find another opportunity to break through the city.

"Yes, Your subordinate obeys."

Although the surrounding generals were unwilling, they knew that this was the safest option at present, and they all solemnly agreed.

After another hour of bloody fighting and leaving behind thousands of corpses, the Allied Forces' offensive once again receded like a receding tide.

Beneath the city walls, corpses lay strewn about, and blood flowed like a river.

Occasionally, a few brave allied soldiers would desperately climb to the top of the city wall, only to be instantly hacked to pieces by the defending soldiers and civilians who pounced on them like mad tigers, their bodies thrown off the city wall.

The city of Yangzhou remains standing tall and unmoved.

Inside the city lord's mansion, the atmosphere was different from the bloody and murderous atmosphere on the city wall; it was solemn and dignified.

The projection of Wei Xiaobao, dressed in casual clothes, sat upright in the main seat, his expression calm, showing no sign of fatigue or anxiety after a long battle.

Shuang'er remained obediently standing beside him, silently adding tea for him.

Below, civil and military officials such as Li Shi, Zhou Yu, and Shi Poyan, as well as fierce generals like Zhao Yun, stood on both sides, their eyes all fixed on Wei Xiaobao, filled with awe, trust, and expectation.

After two weeks of arduous fighting, their lord's calm command, accurate grasp of the overall situation, and unfathomable martial arts skills—whenever he made a move, it was always a thunderous strike—had already won them over.

It's time for my Yangzhou army to launch a counterattack.

Wei Xiaobao put down his teacup and spoke softly, his voice not loud, yet like still water, it stirred up ripples in the hall.

"Oh? My lord, is this the time to launch a counterattack?"

Although the Three Feudatories Alliance suffered a setback, it still has over 200,000 troops, three times the size of our Yangzhou garrison. Given the vast disparity in strength, is it too risky to launch an open battle out of the city at this time?

Upon hearing this, a more cautious general looked worried and asked carefully.

Other officials nodded in agreement, their faces showing doubt.

If we defend the city, we can still hold out;

Fighting in the open field outside the city, with fewer troops against a larger force, makes the outcome uncertain.

"What are you afraid of?"

Wei Xiaobao's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile. His gaze swept over the crowd. The Three Feudatories Alliance seemed powerful, but in reality, it was already at its last gasp.

After a two-week offensive, they suffered heavy losses and low morale. More importantly, according to inside intelligence, their food supplies were running out, and their resupply was being harassed by our men, making it difficult to continue.

In contrast, our Yangzhou army, after half a month of baptism by fire, has transformed from new recruits into veterans, with high morale, ample firearms and ammunition, and enough rations to last a year.

As the art of war says, "Strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will wane on the second attempt and be exhausted on the third."

They are exhausted while we are strong; if we don't strike now, when will we?

"If we command properly and employ flexible tactics, we may well be able to defeat this exhausted army in one fell swoop."

The powerful confidence in his tone and his accurate assessment of the situation instantly impressed everyone.