He originally intended to surrender to Wei, so why did he end up restoring Han?

Chapter 95 I have captured the high ground!

The black cloud was pressing down on the city and the city was about to be destroyed, and Jiaguang opened golden scales to the sun.

Liu Bei's main force first deployed some simple catapults, similar to the trebuchets in Age of Empires. These catapults were not technologically advanced and could only scatter small stones.

While it wouldn't be very effective against a strong defensive position like a city wall, it has proven remarkably effective against the defenders on the stockade.

Small stones can be thrown at large areas, and they are specifically designed to attack people, causing the defenders on the wall to flee in panic.

At Xu Sheng's command, dozens of strong Liu Bei soldiers roared in unison, pushing a colossal machine slowly out of the army formation. It was a massive battering ram, its main body constructed of tough hardwood, its front sharpened and encased in heavy cast iron ramming horns, resembling the horn of an ancient beast. The hardwood was suspended inside the ram by several thick hemp ropes, making it easier to operate. The top of the ram was covered with thick raw cowhide, soaked in water, to protect against fire arrows. Wooden shields protected the sides, and the massive wooden wheels beneath rolled with a dull thud over the uneven mountain road.

"Hey ho! Hey ho!"

The soldiers pushing the battering rams chanted in unison, their muscles bulging, veins standing out, sweat mixed with dust streaming down their foreheads. Braving the sparse arrows, they channeled all their strength into their arms, propelling this behemoth of war step by step toward the gate that would determine life or death.

The massive ram of the battering ram finally approached its target.

"Charge!" the hamster commander in charge of directing the battering ram roared.

Upon hearing the order, the soldiers exerted their strength in unison, grabbed the ropes suspending the battering log, pulled it back slightly, and then pushed it forward with all their might!

"Thump—!!!"

A deafening thud, almost deafening, suddenly erupted! The heavy iron ram slammed solidly into the center of the gate. The entire wall seemed to tremble violently, and dust fell from the gate. The bandits behind the gate screamed in terror, and the grating creaking of the gatepost under the immense pressure could be clearly heard.

"Again! Heh—roar!" The village chief's voice was hoarse and filled with murderous intent.

The rope was pulled back again, and then it surged forward once more with tremendous force.

"Thump—!!!"

The second impact! Even more violent than the first! A crack was clearly visible in the hardwood of the gate's center; it twisted completely, sending splinters flying from the hinges. The bandits behind the gate frantically tried to brace themselves against the force, but were thrown about by the terrifying power.

Most of the bandits realized that the situation was hopeless and began to run back. At this point, they were in a panic and had no idea where they were going. They just hoped to get as far away from the soldiers as possible.

The chaotic scene infuriated the bandit leader, who yelled that if things continued like this, the gate would be smashed down in less than half an hour, let alone the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"Don't run! Go block the door! If the soldiers break in, we'll all die here!" He grabbed a bandit who ran up to him, pulling him and yelling, "Get back here! Don't you want to live anymore?"

"Boss—no way! Those catapults are too powerful! If they hit us, we're dead!" Before Little Karami could finish speaking, the bandit leader's long sword slashed fiercely across his neck.

The crimson blood stained the bandit leader's armor a terrifying red, causing all those who were trying to escape to stop in their tracks.

"See that? This is what happens when you desert in the face of battle. Now, everyone, get back to your posts!"

Seeing their leader staring at them with bloodshot eyes and his personal guards with bows drawn and arrows nocked behind him, the bandits thought it over and over again, but were eventually sent back to their posts.

The stockade walls had become a no-go zone, and no one dared to go up anymore. These bandits could only desperately block the entrance, hoping that the gate could hold out a little longer.

The continuous crashing sounds seemed to be tolling a death knell for them. The bandits' adrenaline surged, and the surrounding noise gradually faded away, leaving only the crumbling gate in front of them.

With a deafening crash as the wood shattered, the heavy gate finally gave way! The door panel broke in half, and the top beam snapped in two and flew inward, knocking down a group of bandits behind it.

"The soldiers have broken down the door!!!"

"Attack at the very edge!" "Roger that!"

While the battle raged on the front lines, the team located on the shady side of the mountain was climbing a steep slope with a gradient of 50 degrees, which was extremely steep for those of them who lacked professional equipment.

If the scene at the front door is like "Chivalry 2", then the scene at the back door is like "Assassin's Creed". Liu Bei's soldiers are advancing towards the top of the mountain, but they don't make a sound. If anyone else were here, they would definitely be frightened by this eerie atmosphere.

However, in the eyes of the veterans, this was just another simple task. Back then, Yuan Shu's 40,000-strong army was nothing to us. Now it's just climbing a mountain. What's so difficult about it?

Despite their confidence, the veterans moved with increasing care as they approached the summit, fearing they might inadvertently alert the sentries. However, they were clearly overthinking it. Even with military skills, the bandits lacked the necessary precautions. The sentries stationed at the rear were focused on the direct confrontation at the front, completely oblivious to the uninvited guests approaching.

One of the bandits on guard duty said to his companion, "I have a feeling the boss is going to suffer a loss. I reckon the stronghold probably won't hold out this time. If only we had grabbed the money and run away under cover of darkness, we wouldn't be here waiting to die."

His companion, who was also bored, started chatting: "Forget it, if you really planned to run away a few days ago, you would have been the one who got skinned alive."

The bandit leaned his head against the gun barrel and agreed, "That's true. I've really had enough. If I try to escape, I'll be killed by the boss; if I don't, I'll be killed by the government troops. I'm like a rat in a bellows—suffering from both sides!"

Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from the air. Before his companion could even reply, he collapsed to the ground. The bandit was unaware of what had happened and stared blankly around.

With a whooshing sound, the bandit felt a sharp pain in his face as a crossbow bolt lodged in his forehead, the shaft still trembling from the impact. The bandit finally realized what had happened, but by then he was speechless.

"Well done!" the crowd silently praised in their hearts, but said nothing aloud and continued to move forward.

After eliminating most of the sentries from a distance, only a few sentries in tricky positions remained. The commander waved his hand, and the elite troops behind him swiftly ascended the mountaintop like ghosts, dispersing silently. Sharp short blades were used to cover the mouths of the remaining sentries from behind, and with a few barely audible groans, the threat on the mountaintop was completely eliminated.

They quickly took up advantageous positions and looked down, getting a clear view of the entire layout of the bandit's den and the backs of the bandits crowding behind the stockade walls, desperately thrusting their spears and firing arrows at the front.

The military commander's lips curled into a cold smile. He drew a powerful bow from his back, nocked an arrow, and the arrowhead reflected a cold glint in the sunlight. His target was still shouting, completely unaware of the deadly threat coming from behind.

"There are people on the mountaintop behind us!"

"We're surrounded!"

Screams, gasps, and desperate cries erupted instantly inside the bandits' lair! The bandits were completely bewildered; they couldn't fathom how the government troops had appeared on the mountaintop behind them. A fire broke out in their backyard, and a massive panic spread like wildfire.

Xu Sheng smashed the bandit leader to the ground with a single shot. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a familiar military uniform on the mountaintop, and his heart immediately settled. He knew that the scales of victory had now completely tipped in his favor.

He coldly addressed the enemy before him, "The battle is over, you scum! I've captured the high ground!"

At this moment, several loyal followers rushed forward and pulled the bandit leader up from the ground. "Boss, look! There are government soldiers on the mountain too!"

""

The bandit leader's ears rang with a buzzing sound. He looked over and saw Liu Bei's soldiers standing on high ground, indiscriminately shooting down the bandits with crossbows.

He suddenly felt his blood freeze. He knew that turning back to attack the high ground now would be suicide. The only way to survive was to break through from the front.

"Hurry, hurry, we have a chance to survive if we break through!" The bandits were also driven to a dead end and began to struggle desperately, trying to break out from other places. However, Liu Bei's army was everywhere that people could pass through. It was not that easy.

The battlefield had devolved into chaos, but Liu Bei's army actually performed even better under these circumstances. This was because many of the soldiers Liu Bei recruited were from the same hometown, and their coordinated efforts yielded good results.

The few cavalrymen among them displayed their charging power at will, and these scattered soldiers could not form a defensive formation at all, and could only be defeated one by one by the cavalrymen.

Of course, not all cavalrymen could chase and beat up a large group of people; Li Xiuji was an exception. Although he was also a veteran and should have participated in the mission to attack the mountaintop, his retinue consisted of a group of newcomers, and he was worried about them, so he did not sign up.

Hearing the sound of hooves, the bandits turned their heads slightly and were shocked to find that the person on horseback was none other than the monkey who had been harassing them. They immediately abandoned everything else and relentlessly chased after Li Xiuji, shouting, "It's you! Kill him!"

"Don't even think about running away!"

"Hit him!"

Lee Soo-gi mounted his pony and fled frantically, turning back to shoot arrows and hurl insults as he ran: "Don't hit me, don't hit me, I'll treat you to arrows!"

Although Li Xiuji was not good at riding and archery, he had a lot of arrows. Even if he hit one person with ten arrows, he would still make a profit. But even so, it could not stop the bandits' enthusiasm.

Although using the kite-flying tactic against these bandits who drive their own buses is fun, it gets tiring after a while. Not only are the people exhausted, but the horses are also panting heavily, shaking their heads: "These bandits are really crazy. What am I doing doing this military training?"

Turning his head, he saw the chaotic scene where the bandit leader was frantically dodging Xu Sheng's deadly attacks while fleeing into the complex terrain of the stronghold. If this man entered a place inaccessible to cavalry, it wouldn't be a complete failure, but it would at least require some effort to search. What if he escaped through a secret passage or something?

Li Xiuji is now a seasoned veteran, and seizing opportunities has become a passive skill for him. He immediately urged his horse to use its last bit of strength to charge towards the bandit leader. The powerful kinetic energy sent the bandit leader flying, crashing heavily into the guardrail beside him.

It eventually crashed through the guardrail, tumbling down the hillside along with the wooden debris. Seeing this, Li Xiuji panicked and yanked on the reins, ready to give chase. Xu Sheng grabbed him, saying, "Silly boy! Aren't you afraid you'll roll down too? Killing the general isn't important; completing the mission is."

"The boss fell! He tumbled off the cliff!"

"Spare me! I won't hit you anymore!"

"I know where the boss's money is hidden. Don't kill me, I'll lead the way."

The bandits finally couldn't hold on any longer. Even though they would be captured, tried, and beheaded in a few days, they didn't want to be killed now. They just wanted to live one more day.

Seeing that it was finally over, Xu Sheng, still young and impetuous, pointed his weapon to the sky and shouted, "We've won!"

"We've won!"

Today, Xu Sheng has finally accomplished what he had always wanted to do: rid his hometown of pests and become a true, upright man. He was so excited that he couldn't calm down. He paced back and forth on the battlefield, sometimes praising the soldiers loudly, and sometimes ordering people to search for any hidden supplies.

On the other side, all the soldiers were rubbing their hands with joy. As long as they won the battle, they would not only get spoils to take, but also receive a bonus from their lord. They would receive money twice in one go. Such a good thing could only be found in Xuzhou.

However, one person was not happy: Li Xiuji, who had once again been lucky enough to knock the bandit leader away. He had just finished cleaning up the battlefield when he learned from his fellow villagers that Tian Li had been injured.

Tian Li was very unlucky. He bled on his first battle. An arrow pierced through his armor and lodged in his abdomen. Fortunately, he had a muscular build, so the arrow did not damage his internal organs.

Moreover, as soon as he was hit by an arrow, his comrades dragged him off the battlefield and sent him to Liu Bei's army camp at the foot of the mountain for emergency treatment.

Liu Bei's army was not the kind that treated its soldiers like dirt. To preserve as many of these men who were willing to risk their lives for him as possible, Liu Bei had equipped his army with medics from a very early age. These medics had considerable experience in battlefield first aid.

The doctor first chatted with Tian Li for a few minutes to check if he was conscious and to comfort him. It's important to know that many people who are injured for the first time can't control their anxiety, constantly moving or shouting, causing their heart rate to increase and worsening blood loss, ultimately scaring themselves to death.

"Is there anything you can't eat? Like, anything that makes you dizzy, has difficulty breathing, or makes you feel unwell?"

"Do swords and knives count?"

The army doctor shrugged and said apologetically, "That's terrible, I don't have anything else here besides these."

Seeing Tian Li's suicidal expression, the doctor laughed again: "Don't worry, I was just joking. Your injury isn't too serious. I'll stitch it up for you. As long as you don't get a fever in the next couple of days, your life is saved."

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