Chapter 1626: Siege, Rong Soldiers in Chaos
Chapter 1626: Chapter 1626: Siege, Rong Soldiers in Chaos
Aside from the messenger wolves, each cart also had a wolf trainer inside, dressed as hunters. If General Liang asked, Ms. Gao Lei had her ways to evade the questions.
Anyway, Ms. Gao Lei was old, had a bad temper, and was very capable. General Liang currently dared not offend her.
The carriage galloped, and in a little over three quarters of an hour, it arrived at the foot of the city tower.
Ms. Gao Lei: "To the city tower."
Everyone disembarked from the carriage upon hearing this. The wolf trainers let out two long whistles, and the messenger wolves leapt off the carriage, following the wolf trainers, and sprinted up the stairs towards the city tower.
The steps leading to the city tower within the city were long, making it difficult for Ms. Gao Lei to climb up.
Halfway up, General Liang received the news and arrived, frowning as he watched the old woman struggling upward. His brows furrowed tightly in dissatisfaction: "Old Madam Gao, what are you doing here at the city tower before dawn? Is there some major incident in the city?"
If it’s not significant, don’t bother him!
Ms. Gao Lei gasped for breath and looked up at General Liang, waving her hand at him: "...Move aside, I need to get to the city tower to deliver you something valuable."
Deliver something valuable?
General Liang didn’t believe her; her manner seemed like she was here to cause trouble.
"There’s a battle going on. What can you do by coming here?" General Liang shouted towards Peng Wen, who was supporting Ms. Gao Lei: "Quickly, take your old lady back."
Howling sounds!
The messenger wolves were dissatisfied with General Liang blocking their way and began to howl, the series of wolf howls startled General Liang. Using the faint twilight and torchlight, he finally saw a pack of wolves behind Ms. Gao Lei.
God, so many wolves!
Even someone as seasoned as General Liang was startled by the sudden sight of so many wolves.
Ms. Gao Lei: "Move aside quickly, I’m not here to cause trouble. If General Liang delays any longer, the rotworms might emerge."
General Liang instinctively stepped aside after hearing this and seeing the wolves.
Peng Wen supported Ms. Gao Lei, leading Doctor Lu, the wolf trainers, and the pack of wolves up the city tower.
Ms. Gao Lei instructed: "Take out the baskets and long ropes, and prepare them."
"What exactly are you planning?" General Liang didn’t move, staring at Ms. Gao Lei and asked.
Niu Dabao brought baskets and ropes from the tower rooms: "Old Madam Gao, the baskets and ropes are ready. They’re tied and ready for you to use."
Behind Niu Dabao were dozens of soldiers.
General Liang realized it was too late to stop them, feeling frustrated at Niu Dabao for meddling. But Niu Dabao was indeed capable, had helped him a lot, and now wasn’t the time to harshly criticize valuable soldiers.
Ms. Gao Lei instructed: "Put the messenger wolves into the baskets, make sure to loosen the wooden plugs a bit, so they don’t fall off when they reach the Rong people’s camp."
"Got it." The three wolf trainers responded, whistling, and the messenger wolves lined up, leaping into the baskets three at a time.
Once inside, the wolf trainers loosened the wooden plugs tied to the bamboo tubes.
From the three carriages, there were a total of thirty messenger wolves, filling ten baskets.
At this point, General Liang understood the plan, pointing at the messenger wolves and asked: "Old Madam Gao, do you plan to send these wolves down from the tower to attack the Rong people? That’s foolish! The Rong people are excellent archers; thirty wolves are not enough for them to kill."
Then he pointed at the bamboo tubes tied to the messenger wolves and asked: "What are these? Are you not sending the wolves to attack the Rong people but rather using them to send messages for help?"
Ms. Gao Lei: "General Liang, no need to ask too many questions. You’ll know soon enough."
After finishing, she hurriedly called out to Niu Dabao: "Quickly, let the soldiers come over and lower these wolves down from the tower."
"Got it." Niu Dabao called to his men: "Go, per Old Madam Gao’s orders, lower the wolves down the city wall."
"Yes!" Dozens of soldiers immediately gathered, working in pairs, carrying the baskets to the wall, gradually lowering the ropes to send the messenger wolves down.
The Rong soldiers’ scout team had been watching the city tower, seeing soldiers on the tower seemingly lowering something, quickly reported back to the Great General.
Leimuqin furrowed his brow upon hearing it and asked: "Are they sending someone down to seek help?"
The Reconnoiter Troop Commander shook his head: "Too far, can’t tell clearly, but it doesn’t seem like a person. A person is too large to be lowered in a basket. We can’t shoot; it’s beyond bow range, requires a strong crossbow."
Although they had surrounded Xing’an Prefecture, they didn’t let the warriors get too close. The Great Chu rabble’s archery is not to be underestimated; should the warriors be shot, it would indeed be a heavy loss.
And the strong crossbow is large, often not used easily.
Leimuqin furrowed his brow, about to speak, when a personal soldier announced outside: "The Great Witch Doctor is here!"
Tu Zhang lifted the tent flap and came straight in, saying to Leimuqin: "Please, Great General, order the use of the strong crossbow to shoot down whatever the Great Chu rabble is lowering!"
Leimuqin frowned: "What do you mean?"
How dare a mere Great Witch Doctor come to command him in battle?!
Tu Zhang replied: "At times like this, regardless of what the Great Chu rabble lowers, it should be shot to prevent falling into their trap, causing losses to our warriors."
Tu Zhang was clever, guessing that since there wasn’t chaos within the city, the rotworm disease might have been suppressed; if this was true, then there must be someone with high medical skills within the city.
If someone with high medical skills existed, they might poison them. Thus, upon hearing that the Great Chu rabble was lowering something from the city, Tu Zhang hurriedly asked Leimuqin to use a strong crossbow to shoot those lowered items.
Leimuqin didn’t object, nodded in agreement, and tossed a Token to the Reconnoiter Troop Commander, said: "Go fetch the strong crossbow, shoot down whatever the Great Chu rabble lowers."
"Yes." Taking the Token, the Reconnoiter Troop Commander left.
Tu Zhang was worried and followed.
The Rong people’s strong crossbow was as large as a cart, with potent force, long range, and strong penetration, one of Rong people’s major weapons; thus, each use required following a formal procedure with a Token.
Because of this, they wasted time, and before the strong crossbow could be moved out, outside the camp came sounds of terrified screams.
"Ahhh—rotworms, rotworms!"
"Not rotworms, poison, poison!"
"Ah Ke Company Commander is dead, killed by poison!"
"Run, don’t inhale!"
Tu Zhang, hearing these sounds, urgently rushed outside... In the dawn’s light, the camp stretched miles in chaos, and all warriors were fleeing everywhere.
Thuds were heard, and Tu Zhang could visibly see warriors falling in patches in the distance.
Howling sounds!
Where the warriors fell, a pack of messenger wolves dashed like lightning, heading deep into the camp... charging towards his direction.
Tu Zhang was shocked; the messenger wolves’ keen sense of smell targeted him as their goal.
"Archers, array and shoot the messenger wolves! Roll out the strong crossbow carts, kill those messenger wolves!" Tu Zhang shouted, pulling down a cavalry soldier, hurriedly mounted the horse, prepared to flee at the first sign of anything wrong.