You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

The continuous knocking sound overhead almost made people think it was hail. Clanging and banging, some heavy objects suddenly fell, causing people to break bones on the spot and scream in pain, and they had to retreat under the cover of their teammates.

Immediately, someone filled the gap, raised a large shield, and continued the attack.

There could be no delay, otherwise the damage would be amplified and the siege rhythm would be interrupted.

"Push harder, faster!"

In the moment of desperation, the barbarian warriors exerted all their strength, striking the wooden stakes fiercely, but the seemingly flimsy fence gate remained unmoved.

Little did they know that this was cast iron. The reason why the Great Qian Dynasty had not fully entered the Iron Age was not due to a lack of technology, but rather a relative shortage of labor. However, it was entirely possible to manufacture key components in iron, such as these square-shaped city gates.

They held on despite the continuous fierce attacks, and the Daqian army had already arrived at their doorstep.

Whoosh!

An arrow shot out from the grille, accurately hitting a barbarian in the head.

This was just the prelude; soon more spears emerged from the cubicles, piercing throats with equal accuracy, killing instantly. Although the barbarians wanted to retaliate with arrows, the space was too small to do so effectively.

The result was that one side was attacked unilaterally.

The siege squad shouted in panic, "Retreat! Retreat quickly! The enemy is deploying more and more troops here!"

"No retreating! Anyone who dares to retreat will be executed immediately."

Despite knowing the danger, the officer urged the attack, even ordering the shield bearers to push forward with their bodies to carry the siege squad, leaving them like lambs to the slaughter.

Besieged on all sides.

This group of unlucky fellows were caught in the middle, with their allies pushing them from behind because they were unwilling to go up and die, and in front of them were the guns and arrows of the Great Qian.

As a result, the siege squad was quickly disintegrated, leaving behind a pile of corpses.

"Go up and fill in for me."

The officer cursed and ordered his men to threaten the advance, while the soldiers who came to fill in looked on in dismay. They finally understood how the soldiers before them had died; the iron gate was impenetrable, and they would face certain death under enemy attack.

But they had no better option than to swarm forward and use ladders to spread the pressure.

The cloud echelon just suffered a major setback, and now they have to invest even more.

However, after climbing a short distance, they were hit by projectiles and tumbled back down. The result was, of course, failure, and they haven't even managed to "climb" yet.

Bang, bang!

Instead, losers kept falling headfirst, slamming their heads into the ground, and never waking up.

The Daqian army could easily overturn the siege ladders; their specialized bayonets and barbs could easily deflect the ladders from above, but there was no need. The enemy would simply keep climbing the ladders to their deaths, so why not?

Just treat it as a fixed spawn point to deal with enemies.

All the warriors of the Great Qian Dynasty maintained their kills methodically and with mechanical precision.

Arrows rained down from the city walls from time to time, but unlike those on the front lines, they were specifically targeted at barbarian officers, never missing their mark. One arrow flew from an extremely high angle, striking the officer squarely in the head, killing him instantly.

Most of them were written by Zhang Zhongsi.

He was also a seasoned hero, though he fought in groups more often under the Daqian military system, but his martial arts skills and strength were no less impressive.

With this heavy longbow and towering towers, they continuously reaped the spoils of enemy leaders.

"Raise your shields, stay out of the way, watch out for the towers."

After several officers died, they finally realized the danger and had no choice but to retreat. However, the damage to the capillary command system was irreversible, and such excessive caution also affected the efficiency of issuing orders, causing the entire army to gradually slow down.

The battle lasted until noon.

The Daqian army had completed a rotation and was just resting to reinforce the defensive positions on the city wall.

The city lord exclaimed in shock, "I never expected the High Priest's reinforcements to be so elite!"

"Because they will use them for attack later," Feng Tianyin replied dismissively.

"Deep into the northern desert?"

"Yes, this is also the order of Heaven. Currently, only the higher-ups know about it. You also understand that if we announce it in a big way, it will only make everyone fanatical and inevitably lead to a holy war."

"...That's true, but 2000 people aren't enough, are they?"

"Elite troops will arrive in succession, so we need to be prepared to receive them. Dongku Pass will be the starting line for the counterattack."

"The enemy doesn't seem to be treating this siege as a final offensive."

Everyone noticed it a long time ago.

Their numbers are too small for a siege.

It was most likely a probing attack, testing the strength of the Great Qian border. However, unexpectedly, they crashed into it head-on, suffering heavy losses and experiencing firsthand the organization, discipline, and equipment of the Great Qian's elite troops.

After firing an arrow, Zhang Zhongsi said, "They are definitely still attacking another pass, which is guarded by Deng Kaixuan."

Due to the terrain of Kurong Mountain, there was no choice between the two mountain passes.

The answer is simple.

Because there is a narrow, tiny hill connecting the two passes, it is not difficult to maintain the supply line, even if it is not enough to allow a large army to pass through. If pushed to the limit, it is not impossible to launch a rapid attack to provide support.

In other words, the two passes of decay and prosperity are actually a joint defense line.

Attacking one level alone makes it easy for another level to flank and ambush your troops, so you must attack them simultaneously, thus achieving the goal of splitting your forces.

Whoever plays offense is disgusting.

"High Priest, since we are going to attack, when do you think would be the most opportune time?"

"Based on my estimation, combined with the average enemy losses in the past 5 hours of siege warfare, a weighted average was calculated, substituted into the model for simulation, and then based on reconnaissance intelligence..."

Feng Tianyin recited a whole bunch of incomprehensible formulas.

Finally, he stated unequivocally: "Once the enemy withdraws and reinforcements arrive, we will launch an attack in mid-December."

Deep winter?

The high priest's order was truly bizarre and far too risky.

In other words, even the barbarians wouldn't believe that the Great Qian would launch a fierce attack at this time; it's unrealistic and doesn't conform to the basic conditions of an agrarian civilization.

But everyone still looked uneasy.

Feng Tianyin didn't intend to explain further, because they couldn't see the short-term state bonuses from the continuous increase in military experience, such as "high morale" and "impregnable fortress," so they figured they might as well use them.

She intended to unleash all the accumulated power on the tribes of the northern deserts, severely weakening the northern barbarians.

woo-

Suddenly, the bugle sounded the retreat, and as dusk approached, the barbarians receded like a receding tide, fleeing with a sigh of relief, their horses kicking up dust. There was no time to clean up; they left behind a trail of corpses and rivers of blood.

At first glance, it seems that a third of the dead are dead, and there are likely many more injured.

They left, almost stumbling.

Several experienced officers looked at each other, including Feng Tianyin, who came to the same conclusion: "They haven't set up camp, so they don't intend to launch a long-term attack."

"At least this is not a formal all-out offensive. In any case, we have won the battle to defend the city."

PS

As promised, the 30,000-word update is complete.

This book will continue to be updated regularly at 7:30 every day, with no less than 4,000 words.

Chapter 70 Feng Tianyin's Jealousy (4K)

We won.

Those on the tower watched the barbarian army march away triumphantly, their hearts filled with joy; they had made it through.

At the same time, a messenger reported: "General Deng Kaixuan reported that they have also successfully held their ground, the enemy has completely retreated, and this probing attack is expected to end."

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone deserves credit for this achievement."

Feng Tianyin's golden words brought joy to her subordinates, who then respectfully took their leave.

It's temporarily over.

Obtaining firsthand information also indicates the stability of the joint defense line between the two sides. Indeed, communication along the mountain path remains operational, ensuring the two passes act as flanks for each other and allowing for intelligence confirmation. The other side also perceives it as a probe, which should be quite accurate.

Of course, the detailed battle report showed that the garrison at Xirong Pass suffered relatively heavy losses, which was to be expected.

They are not elite troops after all, so we can't force them to fight.

The military system of the Great Qian Dynasty divided soldiers into three types:

First, they are the elite selected from each department, who often fight alongside the high priest. They can also be called the Imperial Guard, and they have the highest combat power.

Of course, a very small number of elite troops were also assigned to border posts, such as beacon towers.

Secondly, there were the agricultural settlers, who combined training with production. They often raided alongside elite troops and were the absolute main force in terms of numbers. In reality, they were responsible for "expanding the gains when things were going well" and had no hope of fighting when things were going badly.

Finally, there is the recruitment of soldiers, which is to expand the workforce for temporary combat needs, and they are generally responsible for stationing troops.

They are the weakest.

So they used the city wall to make up for it, and just hid behind it. They could just broaden their horizons first, since veterans are all from the new recruits.

But don't rely on the morale of recruits, and don't overestimate your teammates.

Temporarily recruited, inexperienced soldiers are easily intimidated by large-scale battles; even standing on the city walls and witnessing a sea of ​​people can make them tremble with fear, resulting in poor performance. Knowing this, the inland regions quickly provide support, rushing to the border.

Recruiting soldiers requires someone to lead them.

If no one guides you, you'll be in trouble in no time.

Feng Tianyin's Xirong Pass was equipped with "Imperial Guards with recruited soldiers", while Dongku Pass was equipped with "Township Soldiers with recruited soldiers".

The fact that both sides are blocked indicates that the enemy's strength is not too overwhelming, and our side still has the advantage.

She ordered: "Clean up the battlefield and quickly repair and reinforce the defenses."

Yes, sir.

The intense fighting just now damaged many of the barricades, trenches, and traps, which need to be replaced. Not only that, but they also need to be reinforced and expanded, because the enemy will certainly not give up.

Only by solidifying the defense can one confidently launch an attack, and Feng Tianyin was also making a show of force for the barbarians:

I'm focused on defense and have no intention of attacking.