Chapter 10 Chapter 40 The Battle of the Imperial Capital

Tomorrow is the day of the decisive battle. Now all the soldiers have heard the news.Although they have been fighting against the Snakeman, since the Snakeman besieged the city, the Imperial Army has been on the defensive and has never attacked. When the news of the decisive battle came, the recruits were still eager to try, but the emotions of the veterans were a little fluctuating.For the recruits, the Snakeman is nothing more than an unseen beast, nothing to be afraid of. This is the battle that decides the survival of the empire.If you stick to it, it’s no problem to stick to it for another two or three months, but everyone knows that although the imperial capital is known as "the city of fog and clouds made of iron", it is not really made of iron. Although the city wall is high and solid, it will still be broken day.

Marquis Wen has been inspecting the various armies these days, and people from all levels of the city, including scholars, farmers, businessmen, and businessmen go to the city to work for the army every day, and they must also be aware of the importance of this battle.If it weren't for Marquis Wen's strict order not to let irrelevant people go to the city, I'm afraid the city will be crowded with panicked or curious citizens.It's not so much that they are working in the army, but that they want to see what their chances of winning are.Even though Marquis Wen claimed that the battle had been perfectly planned and the chances of victory were great, the imperial capital was still shrouded in panic, as if the end was approaching.

Although the food in the city has not run out yet, there are already signs that it is about to run out, but our food is much better than usual.Those were sent up by the city residents voluntarily, and the soldiers of the empire usually don’t seem to be very special. What kind of gossip the city people have about “good iron doesn’t make nails, and good men don’t serve as soldiers”, but at this time the soldiers seemed to be real. They became reborn parents and were greatly respected. I felt a little tired after sending off two representatives of the labor force from the rice shop in the city, and was about to rest at the top of the city for a while, when Qian Wenyi suddenly ran over with a look of panic on his face, and I was about to ask him what happened, He had already called out: "General Chu, hurry up, brothers, the emperor is coming to parade!"

Monarch!I was taken aback.The emperor of this generation is known as the "Sun King" and his reign name is Tianbao, but God has obviously not blessed him.I have been to court several times, but every time I dare not face him, and the emperor has always lived in seclusion, hiding in the harem all day long.It is really rare for him to go to the city to parade now. I almost wanted to say a few sarcastic words, but I swallowed them and said, "Okay." Seeing that I was not as excited as he was, Qian Wenyi said in surprise, "General Chu, you seem to be a bit disapproving."

I didn't want to talk to him about my thoughts, so I just smiled and said, "I'm very tired today. Let's go, if the emperor goes to the city and we don't line up, we will lose the face of the forward battalion." By the time we lined up at the top of the city, Dijun and his party had already arrived.Said it was a military parade, the emperor just sat in an eight-person sedan chair without a roof, waving to the soldiers all the way.When he walked to the forward camp, almost everyone cheered. They probably cheered for the emperor's arrival.I raised my hand in the crowd and looked at the supreme ruler of the empire who was sitting in the sedan chair and only waved his hand.It is said that the emperor is not yet fifty, but he looks to be in his sixties or seventies, with a scorched complexion and a sickly appearance.

We shed blood and pay the price of our lives to defend this man?I want to laugh a little.Officials from all over the empire always claim that the emperor is the symbol of the empire from time to time, but this symbol is nothing more than a piece of trash. If anyone knew what I was thinking, it would probably be a death sentence.I thought to myself, but still wanted to laugh.Why do we have to have an emperor?As the Republic said, put people first and people first, so without the empire, wouldn't we live the same?And without having to feed so many useless clans with so many things, the common people would probably live better.This is also the reason why the Republican Army became a prairie fire together, but if I could really marry the princess after the war, would I still think so?

I can't help but fall silent.I always felt that I was just standing on the side of the common people, but when I thought that if I also became a member of the clan, I'm afraid I might not think so.It seems that it is always easy to think about it, but it is often impossible to do it when you really want to do it. I lowered my head a little dejectedly, regardless of whether it would be regarded as disrespect to the emperor by others.Anyway, in this battle, my life is probably going to be lost, so at least let me have a better time before I die.Unexpectedly, just as I lowered my head, Cao Wendao suddenly whispered: "General Chu, the crown prince is here too."

Whether the prince comes or not is actually none of my business.I raised my head in annoyance, but my whole body shook violently. is her! She sat beside the prince, expressionless.Although she was covered in silk and satin, in my eyes, she was still the woman in the yellow shirt with a pipa in her arms.I only felt a sledgehammer slammed down from the top of my head, and my ears were buzzing. I almost screamed, but I woke up immediately. Now, she is the prince's side concubine, and it is said that she is also pregnant.The prince liked her very much from the first time he saw her, so he asked the emperor to be his side concubine.Among the three concubines on the first and second sides of the crown prince, she was the first to conceive. If she gave birth to a prince and the crown prince and concubine had no heirs, she might become the queen mother.

Like a phantom that is getting farther and farther away, after a few days, maybe I will forget even her appearance.But, will I forget her shadow?Won't.It's like a trace carved into a stone, even if it is gradually eroded by the years, but I know that I will never forget it forever. She sat beside the prince without looking up.There is a voice in my heart that is screaming desperately, getting louder and louder, hoping that she can take a look at me.Does she remember me? Maybe she has forgotten that we escaped from Gaojiu City together, after all, now and then are two completely different worlds.The prince's car has already passed by, I looked at her back with some disappointment, and was about to lower my head, when suddenly, my heart was shocked again.

She turned around! I don't know if she saw me, she just glanced back.The battle armor on me is no different from other people's. I'm afraid she didn't notice me, but I always feel that she must have felt my existence in the bottom of her heart. She must be looking for me in the same crowd.There was a burst of ecstasy in my heart, and I rushed out desperately. As soon as I took a step, I was shocked to find that everyone was walking forward, and they were all cheering "Long live". I only had time to see a look of disappointment on her face, and then turned my head away again.I shouted loudly and raised my hands, but there were already thousands of arms waving in front of my eyes, and there were deafening cheers in my ears. I was submerged in the crowd like a drop of water submerged in the sea.I wanted to squeeze forward and tell her desperately that I miss her, even if I was killed by the angry prince on the spot, but the crowd crowded around me to form a solid wall, no matter how hard I tried Squeeze one more step.

Her figure became farther and farther away, and gradually disappeared.I sat blankly, listening to the endless sound of "Long live" in my ears, but tears flowed out of my eyes involuntarily. I agreed to marry the Princess, not so much that I am in love with the Princess, but that deep down in my heart, I want to join the clan and see her again. Tears kept pouring out, and I stood there blankly, only feeling my heart twitching, as if the tears had poured into my heart, and touched the wound that had scabbed for a long time, making the wound bleed again and hurt again . "General Chu, what's wrong with you?" Cao Wendao suddenly said timidly.I forced a smile, wiped my face pretending to be tired, and said, "Brother Cao, tomorrow is the decisive battle." "Yes." Cao Wendao also sighed, "If we win tomorrow, then we will still live until the day after tomorrow. But if we lose tomorrow, hehe, General Chu, I probably have to become a snake man's shit too." I stretched my hand to my waist, grasped the handle of Baipi Dao, and murmured: "We will win! Even if I can only live until the day after tomorrow, I must live!" Cao Wendao didn't know what I meant, so he nodded and said, "Of course." But he immediately became a little depressed, and said in a low voice, "General Chu, I haven't fully practiced the eight formations and the giant ax warrior. I really don't know how I am Is there still life to see the sunrise the day after tomorrow?" I patted him on the shoulder and said, "I don't dare to guarantee whether I can live until the day after tomorrow, but I can guarantee that I will survive until the evening today. After the change of guard, we can discuss tomorrow's military situation and let the battalions of each battalion The officer is also here." The 5,000-man Qianfeng Battalion was divided into ten battalions, each with 500 men.Cao Wendao and Qian Wenyi were originally Xiaoqi, each commanding five hundred men, but when they were fully loaded, they were promoted to a level at the same time, and they have become the reserve generals of the lowest level of mid-level officers, that is, they have crossed the ranks of the army. The "Gate of Hell" for promotion.If they win this time, they will definitely be promoted to another level, and if I become the son-in-law of King An Le at that time, it is possible to be promoted to deputy general. Call all the officers above Xiaoqi from the Vanguard Battalion.At this time, Cao Wendao and Qian Wenyi each had five Xiaoqi under their command, including the two of them, there were a total of twelve people, which was considered a small military opportunity.After they arrived, I explained the tasks assigned by Marquis Wen to them clearly, and subdivided the tasks of each battalion tomorrow. I didn't tell them that the Shenlong Cannon can only fire three rounds, but that this mission is still extremely dangerous, so don't be careless.Since there are only more than 800 veterans in the forward battalion, and most of them have never been in battle, I really have no idea what to bring this group of new recruits into battle. Arrange tomorrow's affairs properly, and I will let them go to rest early.Today's dinner is very rich, but I always feel like the last meal after eating. I feel a little heavy, but Cao Wendao is eating and drinking, joking with a few soldiers who are close to me. The forward camp is probably the last one. My morale is the lowest. up. Originally, I should have rested earlier, but after lying in the tent for a while, I felt my mouth was dry and I couldn't fall asleep.I got up and lit the oil lamp, poured a cup of herbal tea and drank it, and I was still thinking about tomorrow's battle. Marquis Wen asked Pu Anli to charge, naturally in order to attract the snake people together to facilitate the bombardment of the Shenlong Cannon, his task was closer to the bait.But does Marquis Wen really have that much confidence in Shenlong Cannon?In terms of military opportunities, Marquis Wen greatly exaggerated the power of the Shenlong Cannon, but what we are facing is a field battle. When the snakes rush over the mountains and plains, the Shenlong Cannon can only open a few gaps at best, and it does not have much impact on the overall battle situation. influences. What Wen Hou relied on was still a frontal attack.But if we attack from the front, what chance do we have of winning? I can't figure it out after much deliberation.Except for Deng Canglan's 10,000 sailors who are nowhere to be found, the rest of the new army trained by Marquis Wen has been dispatched, which shows that he is indeed desperate.With Marquis Wen's ability, he shouldn't take such a risk.Perhaps, it was because we had reached the last moment and had to take risks.But after much deliberation, I still can't think of any certainty that Marquis Wen will win. I go out of the tent.The battle was imminent, but the camp was exceptionally quiet, the snoring of soldiers could be heard from time to time, and a semicircular moon hung high above the city.There was a gentle breeze, and sometimes there were a few sounds of horns blowing for the changing of the guard, and the surrounding was peaceful. I walked up to the top of the city, and the troops who will be guarding the top of the city tomorrow are busy reinforcing the fortifications, and they didn't pay any attention to me.As I was watching, someone suddenly said, "General Chu! It's so late, why are you still here?" That was Lu Gongxing.He probably also lacked rest, and his eyes were bloodshot.He is the deputy general of Tu Fang, the chief general of the South Gate, and the main force of the attack at the South Gate.I bowed to him and said, "General Lu, I can't sleep." Lu Gong walked up to me, smiled and said, "General Chu, there is going to be a big battle soon, so it's okay not to rest." I sneered.The outcome of this great battle is still unknown. Although Marquis Wen is confident, I still think the chances of winning are extremely slim.I sighed and said, "It's the same if you don't rest. At this time tomorrow, General Lu will probably see my dead body being carried back." Lu Gongxing's expression froze, he looked around, and said in a deep voice: "General Chu, you are not a centurion now, why are you still saying such things?" He said it very coldly, and I only felt a shudder, knowing that I had slipped a bit.I am very pessimistic about the war, I can think about it for myself, but I really can't talk about it everywhere, otherwise the morale that Marquis Wen has finally boosted will be knocked down, and we may lose one point of the five points we originally had.I lowered my head and hurriedly said, "General Lu is right. It's just that Chu, as a soldier, sacrificed his life for the country and died. This plan has been in place since the first day he joined the army." Lu Gongxing was also silent for a while.What I said is not false, he should also know the danger of this battle.And this battle is no longer just a battle. It can be said that it is the last chance for the empire to counterattack.Lu Gongxing has a deep understanding of the art of war, so he can't fail to see this. He patted me on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Even if you are determined to die, General Chu, don't talk about life and death. At the time, there were 200 soldiers in the Qianfeng Battalion, but now there are only a few of us left. , I also hope that everyone will gather again after the victory to celebrate together." Counting the twenty centurions of the Vanguard Battalion during the Marquis Wu's Southern Expedition, there are now only six of us left.However, apart from Qian Wenyi among these six people, it can be said that only Lu Gongxing is the closest to me. Although the other three are not my enemies, they are also strangers.In an instant, I remembered the scene when Lu Gongxing led us to charge and kill.At that time, without Lu Gongxing's excellent command, I am afraid that our entire army would have been wiped out long ago.Now I have taken over Lu Gongxing's position, but thinking about it, I am far behind Lu Gongxing.If Zhen Yining hadn't helped me when I went to aid Dongping City, I'm afraid the Qianfeng Battalion would have suffered a complete defeat at that time, and it wouldn't be where it is today. What he said was like pouring cold water on him.I saluted him again and said, "Thank you, General Lu, for your advice." At this time, a flute suddenly sounded from the height of the city, and it was playing the tune of "Funeral Song", which was even more tragic and desolate.We were all taken aback, and looked up at the same time, only to see a few people standing on the arrow tower, the one who was playing the flute was Marquis Wen in white robe. I almost thought it was back to the day when Gaojiu Castle was broken.But the "Funeral Song" that Marquis Wen blew was even more intense, like a long sword piercing into the sky with a cold light.All the soldiers on the top of the city are listening.The sound of the flute kept blowing to high places, and when it reached the last few notes, it was even louder.Listening to the sound of the flute, my spirit is lifted. The sound of the flute seems to have a magical power, which makes people forget about fear and cowardice. In this battle, I did not sacrifice my life for the emperor, but for the millions of people in the empire, and especially for her.I raised my head, and the depression just now was gone, and I felt that my body was full of strength just waiting to burst out.At this time, Lu Gongxing sighed: "The two Marquis Wen and Wu are both famous flute players in the world, it is true." My hand touched the iron flute given to me by the princess.The princess told me that day that he hoped that I would study the rhythm well, but I have never been free, so I just let it go.If I can come back this time, I must study hard.The prince once said that there is also the art of war in the melody. I'm afraid it was just nonsense, but music can indeed boost morale. The soldiers at the top of the city stepped up to repair the damage, and it was getting dark, but they did it faster.I looked at Marquis Wen on the watchtower, the wind was blowing, making his white robe flutter in the wind, and he was almost about to fly into the air. In the early hours of the morning, with the sound of a horn blowing, the gates of the city slowly opened. That was the sound of the rhinoceros horn reaching the sky.The morning light was faint, but the sound of the horn was as shrill as ice.Marquis Wen was still standing on the tower in a white robe, watching the troops about to set off. Pu Anli's 5,000-man team left the city first.In order not to be discovered by the snake people, Bi Wei's Shenlong artillery team was hidden in my forward battalion.This time is the final decisive battle, there are more than 100,000 troops in the city including King Qin's army, only 30,000 of the 100,000 guard the east and west gates, guarding against the attack from the left and right sides of the snake men, and the remaining 70,000 have gathered at the south gate. At the beginning, Marquis Wu's 100,000 troops marched south. During the siege, the 100,000 troops guarded the four gates. Never before had so many troops gathered together.Marquis Wen organized the 70,000 people into dozens of charge formations. I think his plan is for Pu Anli to launch the charge, so that the snake people will definitely gather the main force at the south gate.And Pu Anli's 5,000 people would probably never return. When the snake people defeated Pu Anli and rushed up, the Shenlong Cannon would catch them by surprise, and take advantage of the chaos of the snake people, and then charge up with a large army.If the general attack is successful, the 15,000 people gathered in the east and west gates will also open the gates and fight out, forming a three-sided attack. The current number of snakemen is nearly one hundred thousand. Although not all of them will attack, there will always be sixty to seventy thousand attacking the south gate.The current military strength is one-on-one. If there is a head-on confrontation, I can conclude that the Imperial Army has no chance of winning at all.Could it be that Marquis Wen has any other tricks? I looked at Bi Wei next to him. He was wearing heavy armor and his beard was neatly combed. I couldn't see what he was thinking.Now I am with him, if it is true what Zhang Longyou said, Marquis Wen ordered him to blow up the Shenlong Cannon as soon as possible, then his Huo Legion and my Vanguard Battalion will be wiped out at the same time.He has a closer relationship with Marquis Wen than I do. Marquis Wen didn't tell me that Shenlong Cannon can only fire three shots, but I think he must know.But if nothing happened to Bi Weixing, this person really deserves to be a famous general of the empire. Marquis Wen asked me to protect the Fire Legion, and that didn't mean sacrificing me, but to let me and Bi Wei, two of his most trusted generals, stand together in this desperate game.I'm afraid that in the entire empire, he only trusts me to carry out his orders to the letter. Hearing Zhang Longyou's words, I felt a little bit dissatisfied with Marquis Wen in my heart, but thinking about it now, I felt relieved.Marquis Wen is putting all his eggs in one basket, and he has put all his strength into it. Under such circumstances, he will definitely let me make the most of it.Thinking about sacrificing me at this time is really a villain's heart.I looked at Marquis Wen on the top of the city wall. He was wearing a white robe and a battle helmet for the first time. He was scanning the armies who were ready for orders. The prince was standing next to Marquis Wen in military uniform. Pu Anli brought the horse over. He was wearing heavy armor, and he didn't come down to salute anymore. He just held the spear in both hands, bowed to Marquis Wen on the horse, and said, "Prince, Lord Wenhou, the general is ready to stop, let's go immediately." Marquis Wen nodded and said, "General Pu, I wish you victory." He turned his head and said something to the prince. The prince took a step forward and said loudly: "Good men of the empire, the future of the empire is in your hands. May you fight the enemy bravely. Thousands of fathers and villagers are with you Afterwards, on behalf of the emperor, I salute all the soldiers!" He stood up straight and gave a military salute.His military salute is very standard, very chic.At this time, all the soldiers above and below the city shouted at the same time, and the sound rolled across the sky like thunder.Pu Anli immediately saluted the prince, waved his spear, and shouted, "Let's go!" His voice was not loud, and he was already drowned in the cheers. With a wave of his spear, the horns of Tongtian rhinoceros whistled again, and Pu Anli's 10,000-strong cavalry rushed out immediately. The military workers are leading the engineering team to quickly insert the flag gate outside the city.Although many of the 60,000 main force were the King Qin's army who came to help from outside, they were still neatly lined up. There are twenty dragon cannons in total.When this thousand-jin iron cannon was pulled out of the city, the soldiers stationed on the tower also gasped in amazement.These twenty Shenlong cannons made deep grooves appear on the road. Even though they were covered with cloth, they still exuded an incomparable power. The Fire Legion has a total of 2,000 people, and now there are 100 people to deal with a Shenlong cannon, 50 of them are pulling the cannon, and the other 50 are pulling a cart, which is probably filled with iron and gunpowder.The Vanguard Battalion covered the Fire Legion to prevent being seen by the Snakeman, but I know that the Snakeman cannot see far, even if they see it accurately, they will not be able to see clearly. The Vanguard Battalion and the Fire Legion are stationed a little east of the city gate.When I stationed the vanguard battalion and set up the formation of the eight formations, Bi Wei was also directing the soldiers to fix the Shenlong cannon on the ground.At this time, the snake people had also discovered that we were dispatching troops in Kaesong, and they were gathering in the center. I saw snake people coming down from that high platform. What's the point of them building this high platform?This high platform has been built almost at the same level as the city wall, and the top is so wide that a hundred people can stand on it.If it is a snake person, I am afraid that more people will stand on it.I know that snake people are not good at bows and arrows, and they are thirty feet away from the city, which is nearly two hundred steps. This distance is also the limit of the killing range of ordinary bows and arrows, unless the snake people also have thunder crossbows with a range of a thousand steps and a killing distance of five Hundred-step hard crossbow. At this time, Pu Anli, who was at the front, had also lined up neatly.Their first task is to destroy this high platform, so Wenhou also equipped them with some flat mines.At this time, Pu Anli showed off his might, and his bright armor shone brightly under the sun, as if it was burning.I saw that the two Dutongs behind him were Yang Yi and Xing Tiefeng, but I didn't see Chen Zhong.Under Xing Tiefeng's command, Chen Zhong must also be in battle.To be honest, I wouldn't feel bad if Pu Anli, Xing Tiefeng and everyone died in battle, but I would feel a pity if Chen Zhong died in battle. I shook my head.Until now, I still think about these petty things.No matter how bad Bu Anli and I are, now he is fighting for the country, I really shouldn't think so. At this time Tongtian Rhinoceros Horn uttered another sharp howl, and Pu Anli's team of 5,000 people shouted in unison and rushed forward.Five thousand cavalry rushed forward at the same time, causing smoke and dust to billow on the ground, and I could hear the sound of horseshoes beating like a drum in my ears, which made my heart beat violently. The decisive battle has finally begun! Bu Anli's troops rushed into the snake man camp, and those snake men roared like a boiling pot.Although it was more than thirty feet away, I could still see the blood splattered there, which seemed to dye the flying dust red. The first wave of the imperial army's attack must have caught the snakemen by surprise, because they didn't expect us to take the initiative to attack.The number of the snake people who built the high platform was not too many, and their big camp was still a mile away, and the shouts of killing overwhelmed the roar of the snake people for a while. I stood in front and looked at the dust billowing under the high platform. Cao Wendao suddenly said in a low voice: "General Chu, General Pu seems to have succeeded, but it won't last long. Will Lord Wen send reinforcements?" Thirty zhang is too close to the city after all, so the snake people only put one or two thousand here.The 5,000 people led by Pu Anli were all fresh troops, and they were inseparable from the Snake Man for a while, and they still had the upper hand, but I know this situation will change when the Snake Man brigade comes up.But now reinforcements will inevitably become a melee, which will be very detrimental to us, and Marquis Wen will definitely not do this.If he wanted to unleash the power of the Shenlong Cannon, he had to let the Snake Man rush forward.But when the snake man rushed to such a close distance, if the dragon cannon couldn't stop the snake man's attack, then the battle might be over. I looked at the top of the city, and Marquis Wen was holding on to the battlements, looking into the distance, and I don't know what he was thinking.What surprised me was that the prince didn't leave either, and was still standing by Marquis Wen's side. The crown prince was mediocre, but he did not expect to stand on the front line at such a critical moment.I have mixed feelings in my heart, and I don't know what it tastes like.Standing on the top of the city, he looked majestic, and he was far better than me in every respect.Perhaps, it is a better destination for her to become the princess. I don't dare to think about it anymore, my eyes are already a little wet.Just as he was about to wipe it off while others were not paying attention, Cao Wendao exclaimed from the side: "General Pu has hit someone!" I raised my head, only to hear the cries of Pu'an's Li army getting louder and louder, but the banners became chaotic. Originally, the five thousand troops marched in five directions, and five big flags surrounded the "Pu" banner in the middle, and the snake man The camp was rushing from left to right, and it was always in order. At this time, the outermost flag on the right was shaking like a strong wind, and it seemed to be in danger. That is the main attack of the snake man!I couldn't help but look back at Marquis Wen again. Marquis Wen was looking at a telescope, but he still didn't move. The orderly beside him was also standing straight. No matter how brave and skilled Pu Anli is at fighting, he can't hold on for long, not to mention that there are probably more snakemen fighting him than him at this time.It stands to reason that he should retreat immediately, but he is still fighting, probably looking for an opportunity to destroy that high platform. Flat mines are very powerful, but can they destroy such a huge high platform?Just as I was thinking, there was a loud "boom" from there, and a cloud of smoke and dust shot up into the sky, and even we felt the sand flying over here.Qian Wenyi patted the dust on his head and said, "Hey, it hasn't been blown up yet." At this time, the layer of smoke and dust has gradually dissipated, and it can be seen that only one piece of the high platform has been blown away, and it is still standing still.The earthen platform of the Snake Man was built too solidly. Pu Anli fought so hard, but it still fell short. At this time, the Tongtian rhinoceros horn uttered another long cry, which was the signal for Pu Anli to return to the army.At this time, the five battalion flags in Pu Anli's army all fell to the ground, and only one main flag was still swaying. As soon as Pu Anli retreated, the snake man was about to follow.At this time, Bi Wei patted his horse and shouted: "General Chu, follow my orders and act carefully." Now the Fire Legion is blocked by the Vanguard Battalion to prevent the Snake Man from seeing its flaws.We wait for the Snakeman to rush into the range of the Shenlong Cannon, and then we will get out of the way.I nodded and said, "Don't worry, General Bi." Bi Wei snorted and said, "General Chu, don't procrastinate. If you are a step slower, I will still fire the cannon." A surge of anger welled up in me.Since Dongping City, Bi Wei has always been very unfriendly to me. Now he is also a general under the command of Marquis Wen. He probably thinks that I might threaten his status.I also snorted, and said: "General Bi, if he doesn't think it's necessary to rely on the forward battalion for cover, then it's better to dodge far away." He was slightly taken aback.My military rank is one level lower than his, and I have always been very humble to him. I didn't expect that I would contradict him this time.A flash of anger flashed in Bi Wei's eyes, but he just said lightly: "General Chu, don't be angry, I just remind you." I said: "Thank you." I ignored him and moved aside.Now that life and death are on the line, I don't know if I will come back, so naturally I don't have to put up with Bi Wei's idleness. At this time Bu Anli's troops had begun to retreat.His 5,000 men are all cavalry, most of them are veterans who went to Dongping City with the second prince to fight, and their combat effectiveness is not weak, but the vicious battle with the Snake Man is already in a bad shape.Seeing them getting closer and closer, I couldn't help feeling more and more terrified. The strength of the snake man in field battles is far beyond our imagination. What strategy does Marquis Wen have to win?I looked at the retreating Pu'anli army, and I didn't dare to think too much. The sound of horseshoes was getting closer and closer, and the snake man was not fast enough to swim on the ground, so he was chasing after him in a carriage, but after all, the carriage was not as fast as the cavalry, so they could have retreated a long time ago, but Pu Anli was not running fast.They fought and retreated, although the snake people's offensive was strong and there were many in number, they were blocked by Pu Anli's remaining few thousand people and could not cross the thunder pool one step. At this time, more and more snake people gathered among them. Pu Anli's army is still in formation, but it will collapse in a short time.Seeing Pu Anli's fierce battle, I couldn't help being a little speechless.Pu Anli's courage in charging was no less than that of Chai Shengxiang, who was known as the "killing king" at the time, but he was not chaotic at all when he was defeated, and he was as big as Lu Jingyu's army.He, Xing Li and Yang Yi were originally colleagues, but now they are their superiors, he does have his abilities, not all thanks to his father.But no matter how good he is at fighting, under the encirclement and annihilation of the snakeman army, he will definitely be wiped out.But Pu Anli is also a very murderous general, and when he kills sex, he fights to the death endlessly. I was watching, and suddenly I heard Bi Wei shouting from behind: "Fill the powder!" Turning around, the Fire Corps has untied the gun cover of the Shenlong Cannon, and is taking out bags of gunpowder from under the car to fill the cannon mouth.I was taken aback, patted my horse and said: "General Bi, General Pu is still fighting fiercely with the Snakeman, so is it time to release the Shenlong Cannon?" Bi Wei showed no expression on his face, and said, "I have been ordered by the military to fire the Dragon Cannon within a hundred paces of the Snake Man. General Chu, please step aside from the Qianfeng Battalion." At this time, the snake man was still nearly two hundred steps away, and he would rush within a hundred steps in a blink of an eye.I was very anxious. Although I didn't get along with Pu Anli, I couldn't bear to see him being beaten to death by our own people.I said: "General Bi, give me some time, I'll let them come back quickly." After I finished speaking, seeing that Bi Wei was still expressionless, I couldn't help saying loudly: "General Bi, those are the elite troops of the empire, and they are fighting bloody battles with the snake people. Will it not make others feel cold? I would like to step forward and send an order to General Pu to withdraw quickly." Bi Wei was also a little moved.He turned his head and looked at Marquis Wen at the top of the city. The messenger beside Marquis Wen was desperately waving flags to tell Pu Anli to retreat quickly, but Pu Anli's army and the snake man fought back very slowly.Bi Wei thought for a while, then nodded and said: "Okay, you tell your subordinates to obey my orders. Once the vanguard battalion separates, you tell them to go to both sides immediately." I said: "Okay." Turning around and about to leave, Bi Wei suddenly said: "General Chu, be careful, Shenlong Cannon doesn't hit the eyes." My heart heats up.I thought Bi Wei didn't think much of me, but what he said clearly cared about me.I didn't say anything, I pulled my horse back to the front of the camp, and shouted: "Qian Wenyi, Cao Wendao, you two must act according to General Bi's orders, and you must not make mistakes." Qian Wenyi said: "General Chu, what are you going to do?" I said, "I'll go and call Pu Anli back." After finishing speaking, Da Ma rushed forward. Just two hundred steps.Two hundred paces away, all the armies were waiting in formation, but here the sky was dark and the sky was dark.Two hundred paces is just a short distance away from a good horse like Feiyu. I have rushed to the vicinity of the battle group, and I saw Pu Anli's men and horses fighting with the snake man.I shouted loudly: "General Pu, Pu Anli!" But amidst the sound of fighting, no one could hear me. Pu Anli's troops had about 3,000 soldiers left, and they had been crushed into a long line by the snake men, but everyone fought to the death without retreating, and the snake men couldn't break through their defense for a while.Bu Anli was just in front of me, and he was fighting with a few soldiers next to him. The nearest to me was two cavalrymen fighting a snake man. These two soldiers were skilled with marksmanship, but the snake man was extremely big, with a big knife Flying up and down, the two soldiers were already trying to support them.At this time, the snake man's big knife flashed, and the two soldiers blocked it with all their strength, but the snake man's strength was too great, and the two long spears bounced out with one knife.Seeing that the situation was not good, I urged the horse to rush over and stab the snake man with a spear, but it was still a step too late, the sword had already chopped a soldier off the horse. I stabbed the snake man down with my shot. At this time, another soldier was red-eyed and was about to rush over. I stopped him with a horizontal gun and shouted: "Quickly tell you General Pu to get out of the way, don't you follow the military order? Is it?" The soldier shouted: "What military orders are you talking about at this time? General, everyone is mortal, and if he dies in battle, he deserves to die!" I shouted loudly: "If you keep the green hills, you don't have to worry about running out of firewood. With all your hard work, you have completed the task. Pu Anli, retreat quickly!" At this time, Pu Anli also knocked down a snake man. Hearing my voice, he turned around and said, "Chu Xiuhong, are you afraid?" When Pu Anli was distracted, another snake man rushed towards him, I screamed: "Be careful!" However, although I shouted quickly, a general next to Pu Anli moved faster, and blocked the snake man with a single shot. big knife.I only knew that the general would not be able to block this blow, I was afraid that Pu Anli would be doomed, but the snake man was startled, and the general blocked the knife.Pu Anli shot back, and hit the snake man on the door.These two people are both supernatural powers, two against one, the snake man is no match, no wonder Pu Anli can hold both until now.And that man was evenly matched with the snake man by himself, so besides Chen Zhong, how could there be anyone else?I was overjoyed, and shouted: "A hero doesn't have to die on the battlefield. Pu Anli, you are already a hero. Go, don't sacrifice needlessly, Lord Wenhou is also telling you to go back." Pu Anli turned his head to look at the city again, paused, and suddenly said to the flag bearer beside him: "Withdraw!" I am a little dumbfounded, but also a little admired.Pu Anli was tyrannical and irritable, and under all his might, he might not have seen Marquis Wen's orders.However, he is not afraid of the snake man's attack, and he is worthy of being a strong general. This battle is enough to make him famous.I didn't dare to talk to him, I was afraid that Bi Wei's Shenlong cannon would hit me too, and I just said: "General Pu, you should separate to the two sides immediately." Pu Anli nodded, then turned around and said a few words.But they could still protect themselves by fighting hard. At this time, when they retreated, the situation was chaotic, and the number of soldiers who fell from their horses suddenly increased.I couldn't take care of it either, so I turned my horse and ran to the east. As soon as Pu Anli's line of defense was withdrawn, the snake men rushed in like a tide.The cavalry snake men couldn't catch up, but those soldiers who fell from their horses were caught in the overwhelming snake man formation and disappeared in an instant.I kicked Fei Yu's horse belly, and Fei Yu ran faster and faster, as if flying through the clouds, he had already reached the forward camp. 此时曹闻道和钱文义各统一边，指挥着前锋营士兵保持阵形缓缓左右分开。我刚立稳脚跟，蒲安礼也已带着残军逃了过来。他们每个人身上都沾着血，蒲安礼身上更是象被血泼过一般。 看着他们，我心头不由起了敬佩之心，在马上行了一礼，道：“蒲将军，走好。”但蒲安礼却不领情，瞪了我一眼，带着几个将官先行穿营而过。 蒲安礼的五千人最后回来的不到一半。但他们以两千余的伤亡，完成了诱敌之计。此时蛇人已几乎全都聚在中央，正以排山倒海之势冲过来，眨眼间便要冲进百步了。毕炜抿着嘴，手中捧着一杆令旗，勒马立在那二十尊神龙炮当中，整个人如铁打铜铸一般动也不动。 蒲安礼最后一支残兵也退了下来，我让前锋营暂时没任务的士兵将他们扶下马来退入城中，其中一个将官却叫道：“楚将军。” 那是陈忠！他身上虽然沾满了鲜血，但没有一点伤痕。看到他平安无事，我心下一宽，道：“陈将军，快下去歇息，你们打得好。” 陈忠道：“楚将军，末将行有余力，让我加入你们战阵中吧。” 前锋营此次主守，因此都没有骑马。我看着他，点了点头道：“好吧。曹闻道，给陈将军一杆长柄斧。” 曹闻道拎过一柄长柄斧交给陈忠，陈忠掂了掂，笑道：“好家伙。”他没用过长柄斧，以他这等神力，用一柄长枪自然觉得轻。我道：“陈将军，这长柄斧用法与大刀相仿佛……” 我没说完，陈忠便道：“末将省得。楚将军，你放心吧，我还能再杀几个蛇人。” 我微微一笑，这时猛地听得毕炜吼道：“放！” 毕炜将手中的令旗往下一挥，排列一列的神龙炮发出一声巨响，一股刺鼻的浓烟散了出来。我看到却不是所有的神龙炮炮口都喷出火舌，而是隔开一尊才发射，恰好是发射一半，一时还以为有一半的神龙炮都发生了故障，但马上明白这是毕炜的计策。 神龙炮装填火药和炮子都相当费时，如果二十尊神龙炮同时发射，一旦无法打退蛇人的攻势，势必就成为一场混战。本来神龙炮还有三炮之威，如此一来只能发一炮了。毕炜如此做来，每次发射间隔的时间大大缩短，前前后后共可发射六次，也可以掩去神龙炮只能发射三次的弱点，我以前在前锋营组弓箭队也是如此的。 这一炮震得大地都似在震颤，飞羽被震得一跳，却也马上又站稳了。此时硝烟散去，只见冲上来的蛇人也顿了顿，队列尸横遍地，残肢断臂到处都是，冲在最前，正对着城门的前锋已被神龙炮打得一片狼藉，伤亡定是数以百计。 城头发出了一片欢呼，这欢呼震耳欲聋，可是我心中的不安却更甚了。一炮即使能打死两百个蛇人，那么前后六炮充其量只能打死一千多个，在数万蛇人中，这样的数目实在微不足道。神龙炮与其说是破敌的利器，不如说是打乱敌方，鼓舞己方士气的一件工具而已。而且神龙炮只能守住城门，现在蛇人是采取中央突破，正好被我们打中，如果它们现在中间止足不前，而是以两翼包抄，那么两边的军队能挡住蛇人么？ 蛇人顿了一顿后，突然又发出一声吼叫，重新冲了上来。这声吼叫中也带着愤怒，想必蛇人与帝国交战以来，还从来不曾吃过如此大的一个亏。但这一声呼喝还不曾散去，毕炜的神龙炮又发出一声巨响。蛇人虽重，神龙炮的响声却盖过蛇人的吼叫。 这一炮让聚在当中的蛇人又死伤了一大片。陈忠站在我边上，咋舌道：“我的天！这东西威力如此之大，楚将军，比你以前用的那火雷弹可大多了。” 神龙炮自然比火雷弹的威力大，比平地雷的威力也要大许多。这两炮过后，正中的蛇人已留下一片残尸，只怕蒲安礼付出两千人的代价，杀伤的蛇人也没有这两炮多。我看了看毕炜，此时火军团正在装填第一次施放的十尊神龙炮，而刚施放的那十尊神龙炮正由一些士兵在擦拭内膛，准备再放。 如果神龙炮一直能放下去，这般连环轰击，蛇人只怕真不能越雷池一步。可是我知道，神龙炮只能放三炮，如果蛇人知难而退，让神龙炮有冷却的时间，毕炜的火军团就可以发挥更大的威力。但是如果蛇人不顾一切地冲上来的话，这六炮能不能放完都是个未知数。 我们看着蛇人。蛇人被这两炮也打得蒙了，虽然伤亡对于它们来说微不足道，但这种新武器它们一定闻所未闻，简直就象有成千上万架雷霆弩在同时发射。那些灼势的炮子四散飞射，蛇人身上的鳞片和软甲根本挡不住。自然，在八十步内神龙炮可以打穿五层牛皮，这百步左右的距离，要打穿三层牛皮自不在话下，蛇人鳞片很硬，也抵得一层软甲，却也挡不住这等威势。炮子飞射，又何止上千颗，每一颗都比得上雷霆弩发出的利箭，蛇人哪里挡得住。 蛇人连吃两炮，仍然不肯退却，这时又向当中聚集，接着冲上来。我暗自松了口气，蛇人毕竟还和人不一样，它们比人更不怕死，却也更笨一些。也许蛇人吃了这么大的一个亏仍不服气，还是要在原路攻上来，这么一来便落入毕炜匮中，只怕凑得近了，吃亏更大。 蛇人见我们聚集在门前，采取的对策便是中央突破。它们对自己的勇力定然极为自信，两翼此时远落在后面了，而它们仍然不知吸取教训，可能也根本不在乎这点伤亡，踩着死尸又向前推进了三十余步。此时距我们只剩下六七十步，我们都可以看到蛇人那般狰狞的脸相了。陈忠握紧了手中的长柄斧，看样子似乎又要冲出去，我在马上伸手按住他的肩，小声道：“陈将军，依计行事。” 蛇人这次聚拢，最前排的也都端好了大盾。它们为了防备我们的雷霆弩，现在冲在最前的都手持大盾，这种盾片极是厚实，雷霆弩也难以贯穿。神龙炮又是两炮轰出。这两炮威力比方才更大，一炮过后，最前的蛇人连人带盾都被打得粉身碎骨，便是在靠后一些的蛇人也被飞射的炮子击得遍体是伤。神龙炮每发一炮，城头的欢呼便涌起一阵，一时间满天俱响，蛇人虽也在吼叫，却已被我们彻底压了下去。 前后四炮了，每尊神龙炮都只能再发一次。我看了看火军团，现在他们装填火药时已经要戴着一双大手套，只怕空手去装，马上会被火热的炮筒烤焦。所有人都在欢呼，他们根本没有想到危机就在眼前，大展神威的神龙炮马上就会哑掉。 我们马上就要出击了。我握了握手中的长枪，但心中的疑惑更甚。文侯到底在打什么主意？他难道就把所有的信心都建立在这六发神龙炮上？ “轰”的一声响，十尊神龙炮再次发射，冲在最前的蛇人又有一大片倒了下来。我看了看火军团，那几尊刚发过的神龙炮炮筒已成了暗红色，象是刚从火里取出来的一样。此时把火药装进去，只怕会马上爆炸，根本无法再次发射了。 我在马上低下头，对一边的曹闻道道：“曹将军，再发一炮，我们便向当中聚拢，掩住神龙炮，不要让蛇人冲上来。” 曹闻道有点诧异，道：“为什么？蛇人根本冲不上来的。” 的确，在神龙炮的猛力轰击下，蛇人的确是冲不过来，可是神龙炮的威力也已经用完了，战争还得靠我们掌握。五千前锋营，在排山倒海的蛇人面前，究竟能坚持多久？文侯为什么会有信心与蛇人野战？我想不通，但我知道，文侯一定还会有计策的。 现在，我只能相信文侯。 这时，蛇人后军突然有面大旗动了动，前排的蛇人又止住混乱，开始向两边分去。陈忠叫道：“蛇人要跑了！” 不是跑，蛇人也终于放弃了中央突破的战略，采取两翼展开了。如果不是蒲安礼先行一番恶战，蛇人只怕早就完成了两翼展开，将城下的七万大军包抄消灭了。文侯为了决战，在城头守着的一共也不过一万多点，一旦野战军失利，这一万多守城军也毫无用处。 我不禁回头看了看城上的文侯。他正看着渐渐上来的蛇人，脸上仍然若无其事，但两只手紧紧抓着城墙。 二十丈高的城墙，能抵挡蛇人多久的攻势？也许文侯想的是这些吧。在这个时候，我心中反倒平静下来，倒不觉得如何惊慌。 “轰”的一声，神龙炮又发出了一声响，将前面的蛇人打倒一排。但这时蛇人已经向左右散开，不敢直面神龙炮的威力，这一炮也已是强弩之末，只打死了数十个蛇人而已。