The fiercest soldier of the border army

In the distance, hundreds of ordinary people were being driven forward, carrying ladders made of rough wood on their shoulders.

Five hundred paces behind them, the Xiongnu cavalry slowly advanced, with archers positioned on both flanks, ready to shoot any fleeing soldiers.

"Team leader... what... what do we do?"

On the north wall, the local militia and soldiers, all carrying bows, looked at Tang Shun, unsure of what to do.

That Xiongnu right chieftain actually rallied the people to attack the city!

If Tang Shun were to order the shooting, the arrows, logs, and stones used to defend the city would be wasted, and the lives of his own people would be lost.

The Xiongnu used the lives of the people of Daqian to explore the way and depleted the defensive resources of the pass.

As a general guarding the Great Qian Dynasty, even if he manages to defend the city by shooting down its citizens, he will still face retribution later.

If we don't kill them and allow the people to use ladders to climb up the city walls, I'm afraid...

This fortified gate, once erected, will change hands in an instant!

"Using the common people as a shield." Wei Zong gritted his teeth. "Those Xiongnu barbarians are truly ruthless."

"Squad leader, give the order!"

"These people cannot be allowed to live. If we let them in, we're finished!"

Cheng Feng, standing to the side, roared at the local militia, "What are you standing there for? Fire! Fire!"

The villagers guarding the town looked at each other, hesitant and uncertain.

"Squad leader, I recognize those people below the city walls. They're from Liu Family Village. I'm Liu Family Village's son-in-law. How can I fire arrows?"

"Is that right? That's from our Zhao Family Village. I recognize that person. He used to bring me wild vegetables. I can't kill him."

The local militiamen pointed fingers at each other, and those who were dragged into it were all villagers from the surrounding area!

Shoucheng Yong, a native of Xiushui, is related to someone by marriage and cannot possibly treat the other party as if they were nothing.

Tang Shun rubbed his fingers, his gaze dark and gloomy.

He was not unaware of the implications.

If we force them to fire arrows, the people in the city will likely lose heart.

A kind heart cannot command an army, nor can a benevolent person manage finances.

When faced with two evils, choose the lesser one!

As the people drew closer, the sounds of crying and shouting could be heard mixed together.

An old woman fell down, and was immediately pulled up by the people behind her. The ladder was pressed on their shoulders, like carrying a mountain.

They approached the north gate step by step, no more than a hundred paces from the barricades at the entrance.

Tang Shun immediately ordered, "Shoot arrows at those carrying the ladders, forcing the people to throw them down!"

"Yes!" Wei Zong turned and ran.

Tang Shun climbed onto the wall and shouted, his voice piercing the cold wind, "Fellow villagers, lower the ladder and climb up the ropes!"

"Climb up, and you'll live!"

"Anyone who dares to carry the ladder forward again will die!"

The crowd stirred, and some looked up at the city wall with surprise and doubt on their faces.

Tang Shun sneered and waved his hand, "Lower the rope!"

Ten thick hemp ropes hung down from the city wall, reaching the ground.

"Grab the rope and climb up one by one!" Tang Shun shouted again. "No fighting or grabbing, every living one counts!"

The crowd suddenly erupted.

Several strong young men rushed out of the crowd, threw down the ladder, and lunged at the rope.

Then more people followed, scrambling, pushing, and crying.

The Xiongnu cavalry noticed the anomaly and immediately spurred their horses forward, nocked arrows, and hurled them toward the city wall!

The dark rain of arrows transformed into a deadly demon, rushing towards us.

"ah--"

The people at the city gate avoided them like the plague, just like Xiang Hong and his men, who were used as live targets and pinned to the spot.

A volley of arrows struck and killed dozens of civilians, but many more had already reached the city gate!

They huddled together, vying with each other to climb the rope.

The Xiongnu cavalry rode their horses back and forth a hundred paces from the city gate, constantly shooting arrows, and the people fell one after another.

"No!"

"Uncle Zhao, come on up, come on up!"

"Brother Li, climb faster, give it your all!"

The local militia shouted at the top of their lungs, some even forgetting that they were soldiers defending the city and had no discipline whatsoever like regular soldiers.

The Xiongnu cavalry grew increasingly daring, with some even approaching the city wall within fifty paces and shooting civilians.

"Fire arrows! Protect the people!" Tang Shun roared like thunder.

Archers hidden behind the parapet fired in unison, a rain of arrows covering the front of the moat, desperately protecting the people climbing up.

The first dozen or so riders were hit by arrows and fell to the ground, their warhorses neighing and rolling in agony.

The cavalrymen who followed reined in their horses and came to a sudden stop, causing slight disruption to their formation.

However, the Xiongnu people were born to make a living on horseback and were excellent horsemen!

They immediately turned their horses around and stopped charging forward, instead maintaining a relatively safe distance as they shuttled back and forth outside the city.

Their only goal is to shoot and kill civilians who are climbing on the slopes!

Crowds of people collapsed in front of the city walls.

More and more civilians, stepping over the corpses of their comrades, rushed to scale the city walls!

The Xiongnu rained arrows down relentlessly, and some civilians who had already climbed three zhang (approximately 10 meters) up the wall were shot down to the ground.

"Damn it, archery! Archery! Haven't you eaten? Shoot farther!"

Cheng Feng was extremely anxious. "The barbarians have shot all the civilians dead! These were your comrades!"

Tang Shun drew his bow and shot an arrow, felling a Xiongnu rider who was about to draw his bow. His brows furrowed.

Something's not right!

If the Xiongnu were determined to use the people as expendable resources to attack the city, then what they should be doing now is to blend in with the people and follow them to scale the city walls.

Even if they don't follow the city's advance, they should still use the lives of the people to deplete the city's defensive equipment.

At worst, letting the people enter the city alive, then besieging and closing the city, letting the refugees consume the city's food supplies, would be the best option.

Now, the corpses of the people under the wall are piled up to a height of ten feet, and almost no one has made it to the city alive.

What is their purpose in doing this?

Since the Xiongnu cavalry began their siege, they have not fired a single arrow at the city walls, keeping the civilians pinned to the top.

Warning bells rang in Tang Shun's mind.

Half an hour later, except for two or three able-bodied men who managed to scale the city walls, all the other civilians died outside the city.

Some were shot dead, some were trampled to death, and some climbed up and fell off the city wall, crushing the people below the ropes in the process.

The scene below the city was one of utter devastation, the stench of blood was so strong it made one want to vomit.

The Xiongnu's suppression gradually subsided.

They slowly retreated to the Xiushui Town area, seemingly having already withdrawn their troops.

"They've already backed out?"

You Shoucheng was muttering to himself, almost in disbelief.

Was such a large-scale attack on the city merely to kill these civilians?

Is this a deterrent or something else?

"Heh, the Huns, nothing special."

After a deathly silence on the city wall, someone suddenly chuckled softly.

Then came the second tone, and then the third tone.

The soldiers patted each other on the shoulder, smiles on their faces.

Cheng Feng grinned as he walked over. "Squad leader, we held the line!"

"Distribute the dry rations," Tang Shun said expressionlessly, "let them eat their fill."

Around noon, a fire was lit, and thin porridge was cooking in a pot. The soldiers sat around eating dry bread.

Someone started humming a tune; though it wasn't a proper melody, it conveyed a sense of relief, as if they had survived a catastrophe.

Tang Shun walked along each section of the city wall, his steps heavy.

He saw two local militiamen chatting and laughing together, gesturing as they pointed to the receding dust in the distance.

"The Xiongnu were nothing special."

"That's right, with such a high wall, they can't get in. I guess that's it."

"Isn't that a victory?"

Tang Shun stopped, his voice not loud, but it instantly silenced the surroundings, "Who told you we won this battle?"

The two froze.

"Today they use the people, tomorrow they can dig tunnels to steal the city, or build flying towers to launch a strong attack."

He looked around at everyone and said, "This is only the first wave; we haven't even seen much blood yet."

"You're laughing now, but when we really run out of food and water, and have to eat leather belts and drink urine, will you still be able to open your mouths?"

No one spoke.

He looked at Cheng Feng and said, "Issue the order that no one is to remove their armor, shifts will continue as before, and the number of sentry posts will be doubled."

"Yes!" Cheng Feng put away his relaxed expression, clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

Wei Zong stood on the western observation platform, his eyes fixed on the northern horizon.

Suddenly, he tensed up, jerked his head up, and cried out, "Squad Leader!"

Tang Shun strode forward.

In the distance, smoke and dust rose again.

It was thicker and denser than before, rolling in.

The faint sound of hooves shook the ground, like muffled thunder approaching from afar.

"The Xiongnu are here again," Wei Zong said, his voice tense.

The soldiers dropped their rice bowls, grabbed their weapons, and rushed towards the city wall.

Tang Shun climbed to the highest observation platform, stood against the wind, and fixed his gaze on the churning black dot.

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer, and the earth trembled slightly.

The people inside the city emerged from their thatched huts, looking up in fear.

Cheng Feng shouted orders all the way, "String the bow! Nock the spear! Don't stand still!"

Tang Shun stood motionless in the center of the stage.

The wind blew his cloak, making it flutter loudly.

The enemy's presence gradually faded.

In the distance, a troop of cavalry advanced from the Xiongnu ranks.

Everyone held a half-person-high raw cowhide wooden shield in their left hand, and instead of holding a curved knife in their right hand, they carried a bulging sack of coarse hemp sand, with a sack on each side of the saddle.

As the warhorse galloped, the heavy bag weighed down on it, causing the horse's body to sag by an inch.

At this moment, Tang Shuncai finally understood the purpose of the Xiongnu...