“Avenge our Bai Family Army brothers!” The Great Zhou Bai Family Army soldiers also roared, “Kill them!”
Ye Shouguan, on the city tower, had already sensed something unusual before he heard Deputy General Zhao’s shouts. He loudly ordered the city gates to be closed…
But the soldiers, seeing Deputy General Zhao enter the city and their comrades still galloping quickly into the city, couldn’t bear to close the gates and let their comrades become souls under enemy blades. Despite military orders being as firm as mountains, they shouted for their comrades to hurry faster and delayed closing the city gates.
Hearing Deputy General Zhao’s shouts, Ye Shouguan looked up toward the distance again, only to see black-armored cavalry surging like a tsunami. The flickering torches in the Great Zhou army’s hands lit up the distant darkness, and Great Zhou’s siege ladders and battering rams spread out in neat rows, creating an imposing sight…
Ye Shouguan’s scalp tightened. He immediately drew his sword and shouted: “Crossbow beds! Fire!”
“General! His Majesty is still there…”
Ye Shouguan’s forehead veins bulged as he turned and beheaded that general with one stroke, shouting: “If Yecheng Pass falls, Xiliang will perish! Avoid His Majesty’s direction! Crossbow beds! Fire!”
Ye Shouguan shouted himself hoarse. The crossbow soldiers dared not hesitate, raising their hammers and striking the firing mechanisms of the crossbow beds with force.
The three-bow crossbow beds arranged neatly on Yecheng Pass’s walls launched arm-thick crossbow bolts whistling toward the distant Great Zhou army…
The Great Zhou army formation was solid, with heavy shield troops protecting the Zhou soldiers pushing siege ladders, advancing steadily forward. Even when crossbow bolts penetrated certain heavy shield formations and disrupted their pace, heavy shield troops would quickly fill the gaps and continue their orderly advance in a line, creating an extremely terrifying momentum…
The catapults behind the Great Zhou army had not yet been used. Ye Shouguan didn’t know what Bai Qingyan, who was skilled at using surprise troops, was waiting for, or when she planned to use the catapults. He even felt that the Great Zhou’s current non-use of catapults was… waiting for an opportunity to use them for an unexpected victory.
“Report…” A soldier covered in blood who had previously charged out with Deputy General Zhao and fought his way back stumbled up the city tower with a battle report: “Great Zhou’s main force is fully deployed! The Great Zhou Emperor is personally leading troops, and all the Bai Family generals are there! The youngest one is right beside the Great Zhou Emperor!”
“Report… Right flank General Ye Shoujiang reports that no Great Zhou army has been seen attacking the city, requesting instructions whether to come to aid.”
“Report… Left peak General Ye Shoumen reports that no Great Zhou army has been seen, requesting instructions whether… to provide reinforcement?”
The scouts Ye Shouguan had sent to climb the high peaks on both sides of Yecheng Pass returned, breathlessly reporting.
Hearing the Bai Family Army’s shouts for revenge, Ye Shouguan made his decision almost instantly. He turned to look at his subordinate generals: “Who is willing to lead troops out of the city to resist the enemy, to ensure the city gates close smoothly? This path… leads only to death, not life!”
His meaning was clear – someone needed to lead troops out to die, resisting until the city gates were closed.
“This subordinate is willing!”
“This subordinate is willing!”
“This subordinate is willing!”
The generals knelt on one knee with cupped fists, declaring their willingness.
Everyone knew the importance of Yecheng Pass. Without a nation… There would be no home. As Xiliang people… they had to defend Xiliang’s last line of defense.
Ye Shouguan’s cousin looked deeply at his elder cousin, planted his silver spear in the ground at his feet, tore a strip of cloth from the hem of his garment, and tied it around his head. With resolute eyes, he called out loudly: “Brother! Tell my mother that her son is unfilial… I must be loyal unto death for the nation! In the next life, I’ll serve her with filial piety again! Please, cousin, take care of my mother for me!”
Having said this, Ye Shouguan’s cousin yanked up the silver spear at his feet and rushed rapidly down from the city tower…
If this battle required someone to die to hold back Great Zhou’s great army and buy time for the brothers to close the city gates, Ye Shouguan’s cousin knew… as a member of the Ye family, it was his duty!
His cousin Ye Shouguan was the defending general and couldn’t die… but he was just a warrior who could die!
He also knew that for so many years… the Ye family had been defending Yecheng Pass and hadn’t fought any hard battles for a long time, so the people below were very unconvinced by the Ye family. His cousin Ye Shouguan was also in danger of being marginalized. He hoped that as a descendant of the Ye family, his leading by example could make these generals cooperate with his cousin to resist the Great Zhou!
Xiliang’s greatest stronghold absolutely could not be lost in the hands of the Ye family!
Ye Shouguan’s pupils dilated. The words to call back his cousin had just reached his lips, but he swallowed them back, only calling out loudly: “Fight to the rear and burn Great Zhou’s catapults! You’ll be Xiliang’s greatest hero!”
Ye Shouguan’s cousin didn’t look back, raising his blade and hand to show he understood.
Only the sound of Ye Shouguan’s cousin shouting could be heard from the stairs of the city wall: “Yecheng Pass is our Xiliang’s last line of defense! Those who dare sacrifice their lives for Kingdom… for family, follow me!”
Ye Shouguan immediately filled with tears, gritting his teeth tightly: “All of you get up! In this battle… if we let Great Zhou attack into Yecheng Pass, we’ll be unworthy of the soldiers willing to die! Take up your bows and arrows! Move stones! Fire oil! Today we fight the Great Zhou to the death!”
Having said this, Ye Shouguan turned and looked at the two scouts who had come down from the high peaks on both sides of Yecheng Pass, loudly giving orders: “Send people to quietly transmit orders to both mountain sides – no need to reinforce the city… immediately send troops to circle behind Great Zhou’s rear. Use fireworks as signals. When the time comes… I’ll let part of Great Zhou’s army enter the city, then attack from both sides. We must inflict heavy losses on the Great Zhou’s main force, and preferably capture the Great Zhou Emperor alive to exchange for our Xiliang Emperor!”
“Yes!” The messengers received orders and immediately went to relay them.
On the steep cliff peaks to the left and right of Yecheng Pass, tall city walls had also been built. The walls extended from the city gates below… winding all the way up the mountains. The soldiers guarding the walls on the mountains had long heard the commotion at Yecheng Pass below.
But their mission was to guard the high walls above. Ye Shouguan had previously given orders that if they encountered battle… without his command, the soldiers on the mountains must not go down to provide aid. They needed to close the wall passages from the lower city walls to the upper ones, to prevent enemy troops from going up the mountain and causing the complete annihilation of Yecheng Pass. So the generals on both high peaks hadn’t acted rashly.
But the generals on both high peaks had already sent people down along the walls to investigate the battle situation.
The Bai Family Army soldiers fought at the city gate against enemies a hundred or thousand times their number. They blocked the entrance without yielding an inch. Even if they had to use their corpses to block this city gate, they would complete their mission and not let this city gate close, ensuring their Bai Family Army brothers could successfully kill their way into the city.
Ye Shouguan’s cousin led the Xiliang soldiers, raising curved sabers high, spurring his horse to leap, flying out from within the city gate. His battle cry tore through the nine heavens as he charged directly toward the Bai Family Army. Knowing this battle meant certain death, he only shouted: “Warriors of Xiliang! Even in death, we must take the lives of several Zhou dogs! Kill them!”