si-mexico Chapter 2019: What You Wish For
Chapter 2019: What You Wish For
The blade of the giant axe clashed violently with the hard boulder, producing a deafening explosion!
Amidst the flying sparks, the massive rock was cleaved in two by his axe, shattering into countless smaller pieces that flew past his sides with the force of the impact, knocking down several cavalrymen who couldn't dodge in time!
Although he shattered the boulder and displayed unparalleled strength, Ran Ming's heart sank.
He looked around and saw that his men were suffering heavy casualties under the double attack of arrows and boulders, and their momentum had been severely slowed down.
Continuing to charge against this clearly heavily fortified and well-equipped wall of troops would be tantamount to sending the soldiers to their deaths.
"Damn it, that old turtle Li Jing's shell is really hard!"
Ran Ming spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. He knew that the purpose of the test had been partially achieved.
The Tang army's long-range defensive capabilities and reaction speed far exceeded expectations.
In a flash, this general, known for his bravery, made a tactical adjustment that seemed out of character but was actually the right one.
He abandoned his insistence on a frontal assault, instead abruptly turning his horse around, pointing his giant axe towards the flank of the Tang army camp, and roaring in a voice like thunder:
"Order! Cease the frontal assault! All troops, listen to my command, flank to the right!"
"Remember the approximate location of their catapults and the range of their archers! Keep your eyes peeled!"
"Change direction, attack their flank! I want to see if this turtle shell is this hard on all sides!"
The order was quickly relayed through flags and shouts from the guards.
The Chu cavalry, who were under attack, immediately took action, demonstrating extremely high tactical skills.
The vanguard became the rearguard, no longer attempting to charge into the death zone, but instead, like water encountering a reef, quickly splitting to the flanks, drawing a huge arc.
With its killing intent still burning bright, it swept towards the southeast corner of the Tang army camp, where the defenses were relatively weak!
This time, their charge was no longer a reckless assault, but rather a careful observation of the layout of the Tang army's camp as they moved, memorizing the fixed points where they spewed deadly flames and hurled boulders.
Ran Ming's probing shifted from a head-on assault to a more skillful approach of mobile reconnaissance and vulnerability searching.
The battle under the cover of night has entered a new phase.
The long winter night finally passed, and a faint glimmer of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, dispelling the heavy darkness and illuminating the area inside and outside Zhennan Pass in a hazy glow.
The noise and sounds of fighting that had lasted all night gradually subsided with the arrival of dawn.
Beyond the pass, the once flat wilderness is now covered with messy hoofprints, scattered arrows, and scattered pieces of armor left behind by soldiers from both sides.
Several deep craters, blasted by the catapult boulders, resembled grotesque scars on the earth. Dark red bloodstains and broken armor fragments remained around them, silently testifying to the intensity and cruelty of last night's probing attack.
"crunch-"
The heavy city gates opened once more, and a cavalry unit, weary and covered in dust, slowly rode into the pass.
Compared to their thunderous and murderous aura when they emerged from the pass last night, they now appeared silent and repressed.
Thick white breath billowed from the mouths and nostrils of the centaurs, and many knights' armor was stained with congealed and blackened blood, or mud mixed with dust and sweat. The horses' steps were also noticeably heavier.
At the very front of the procession, the large banner bearing the character "冉" was still held high, but several holes pierced by arrows remained on its surface, fluttering weakly in the morning breeze.
Ran Ming sat upright on his horse, his once shiny bald head now covered with a layer of dust, and his resolute face was full of fatigue.
But in those tiger-like eyes, there gleamed a sharpness and clarity that came from completing the mission.
He gripped the reins tightly, directing the procession into the city in an orderly fashion, while he himself headed straight for the imperial palace.
Inside the palace council hall, the lights shone brightly all night. Chu Ning did not rest, and along with key generals such as Feng Mulan and Feng Anguo, they waited for news from the front lines.
When the guards entered to report that General Ran Ming had returned and was requesting an audience, Chu Ning immediately summoned him.
Soon, heavy footsteps sounded, and Ran Ming, covered in dust and with several fresh cuts on his armor, strode into the hall.
He knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a salute, his voice hoarse from a night of roaring and dust, yet still resonant:
"Your humble servant Ran Ming greets Your Majesty and Your Highness! I was ordered to probe and attack the Tang camp, and I have now returned to report!"
"General Ran, you've worked hard. Please rise!"
Chu Ning raised his right hand slightly, his gaze falling on Ran Ming's tired yet excited face.
"How did the fierce battle go after a night of fighting?"
Ran Ming stood up, disregarding his appearance, and walked directly to the huge sand table in the center of the hall.
He picked up the insignia representing the Tang army's long-range weapons and began to place them while giving a detailed report.
His account was clear and specific, clearly indicating that he did not charge blindly that night:
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, General Feng!"
"That old fox Li Jing has indeed set up a very well-organized camp, with layers upon layers of defenses. He is by no means an easy opponent!"
He drew a conclusion first, and then began to elaborate:
"As Your Majesty commands, this humble general will first attack the main gate on the east side."
"The Tang army reacted extremely quickly. As soon as our troops entered the firing range, their archers used the palisades and arrow towers to launch a barrage of arrows. The arrows were dense and mostly from powerful bows and crossbows, and their range and power should not be underestimated."
He used his finger to draw several areas on the sand table on the east side of the Tang camp, "Their archers are mainly concentrated on these high points and behind the camp, forming crossfire."
"Once our troops have advanced to within two hundred paces, the catapults pre-positioned in their camp will begin to fire!"
Ran Ming's voice rose a few decibels, tinged with lingering fear: "The number is around thirty, distributed in these areas in the rear of their main camp—"
He precisely placed several symbols representing catapults in the corresponding positions of the Tang camp on the sand table.
"These catapults are fortified in simple positions, with a wide coverage area, posing a great threat to our cavalry charge!"
"On my first charge, dozens of my men have perished here."
He paused, then continued, "After the initial assault was thwarted, I followed the original plan and switched to guerrilla warfare, constantly changing the direction of attack to test the strength of their defenses in various places."
"Our army launched feigned attacks on its southeast corner and southwest side, and even once outflanked it to the north to contain it."
"After a night of repeated back and forth, I have basically figured it out!"
Ran Ming's eyes gleamed with the light of an old hunter: "Their ranged defensive capabilities are mainly concentrated on the front and the four corners of the camp."
"The defenses on both sides are slightly weaker than those on the front, but there are still a large number of archers and crossbowmen to assist in the defense."
"Their catapults, though wide in coverage due to their inconvenience in movement, have blind spots, especially when our troops move at high speed and get close to the edge of their camp, making it difficult for their catapults to cover effectively."
"In addition, their crossbow reserves do not seem to be unlimited; after the general's repeated harassment, their arrow density has decreased."