Chapter 45: The Fierce Battle Situation

  Yang Xiang smiled with satisfaction, because General Ye Xu had long anticipated that these barbarian soldiers had already discovered that the city gate was on the left side of the earthen wall, so there were as many as fifteen shield carts pushing towards this side. Not far behind the shield carts, there were also many barbarian soldiers and servants, wearing cotton armor.

  Or without armor, pushing 70 or 80 single-wheel carts loaded with mud and stones to fill the moat in front of the city. Behind these single-wheel carts, there were more than a dozen barbarians carrying several simple cloud ladders, following the single-wheel carts.

  The shield wall advanced, the golden soldiers shouted like thunder, and just as they were about to charge into the city, a long, mournful sound of a guqin came from the central army on the city wall.

  Yang Xiang's long knife pointed forward, and he shouted: "Fire!"

  From the Urn City to the left city wall, there are many embrasures, wells and horse faces, where fifty crossbowmen of the first layer of the Left Watch Army are distributed.

  However, the front and top of the shield cars of more than a dozen Jin soldiers in front had thick wooden boards for protection, and on top of the wooden boards were thick layers of leather quilts. The new-style Zhuge crossbow of the Ye family army was sharp enough to penetrate the cotton armor of the Jin soldiers at fifty paces, but it couldn't penetrate their shield cars.

  The fifty crossbowmen of Yang's unit fired in unison, causing the leather pads on each shield cart to crackle and pop, and the flagpoles to snap off one after another. However, the Jin soldiers hiding inside the shield carts were completely unscathed.

  More than ten golden armored vehicles were still rushing over quickly.

  Yang Xiang furiously shouted a few times and ordered: "Everyone quickly shoot the second layer of crossbowmen to shoot those unarmored disciples at the back!"

  Upon hearing Yang Xiu's order, the first layer of crossbowmen immediately retreated and quickly reloaded their bows with arrows.

  The second row of fireball-throwing soldiers lined up, aiming at the shields behind which the solitary wheelbarrow was being pushed by the Jin soldiers and servants. Zhao Jie on the right side of the city wall also made the same judgment and decision.

  "Fire!"

  The crossbowmen on the city wall of Luoyunbao launched another round of shooting. Hundreds of arrows poured towards the Jin soldiers and servants behind the shield cart at the same time.

  A faint cry of despair echoed from outside the city walls, this time it must have hit its mark!

  After two rounds of crossbow shots, at this time the city head was filled with a bloody smell, under the scorching sun, an indescribable taste.

  Clearly visible, the Jin army and servants who entered sixty steps outside the city had more than a dozen people knocked to the ground. Many of them were covered in blood and flesh, rolling on the ground and screaming loudly.

  The Ye family's repeating crossbow, at a distance of forty to fifty paces, could penetrate heavy armor, and at sixty paces it was still very deadly. For those who wore no armor or only wore quilted jackets without iron plates, its power was especially great.

  At that moment, those Jin soldiers and porters who were pushing the single-wheeled carts all crouched down behind their carts, hesitating to keep charging forward.

  In the front, the Jin army's shield cart also transmitted a loud noise, apparently the Jin soldiers hiding in the shield cart did not expect the fierce fire attack from the Ye family army on the city wall.

  Another order to shoot was passed down, and the crossbowmen who had set up their bows and arrows on the second layer earlier were now swarming up again. However, at this time, the front shield carts had already rushed to within twenty or thirty steps. As the crossbowmen on this layer shot their arrows, a batch of Jin soldiers wearing cotton armor flashed out from each shield cart, the sound of bowstrings ringing out, and the first wave of over twenty sharp arrows flew towards the various embrasures on the city wall.

  The city above and below were crying out in sorrow, several Jin soldiers and servants were hit, and the front shield car was pierced, with someone inside seemingly injured. At this moment, the Jin army's sudden attack from under the city, the fire-troop soldiers were standing at the mouth of the wall, densely firing outward. The Jin soldiers' bows and arrows were accurate and ruthless, in just an instant, more than a dozen crossbowmen on Yang's side of the city head were shot by the Jin soldiers.

  The vanguard of the Left Watch, led by the newly appointed Vanguard Commander Wang Yong, was deployed on the first horse face dozens of steps outside the city gate. He was directing the crossbowmen in the squad to fight when he suddenly heard a piercing sound in the air. In an instant, a sharp arrow flew past his ear. However, one of the crossbowmen beside him was hit by a sharp arrow in his right eye. The force of the arrow was so great that it sent him flying out and rolling to the ground.

  The newly appointed officer of the Left Vanguard, Zhang Xian, was directing his troops back and forth when he happened to walk up to a mound. Several sharp arrows shot in from the front of the mound, hitting one of the crossbowmen in the neck. Although the iron leaf armor blocked it, the arrow's momentum was too strong, and its tip pierced deep into his flesh, causing blood to gush out.

  This is still good. Especially another crossbowman, he was wearing iron armor, but his face was shot with four arrows, he shouted loudly and fell to the ground.

  Among the more than ten people who were shot, those wearing iron armor were fine, as long as they weren't hit in vital areas such as the face or eyes. Even if they were shot in the chest or other places, the sharp arrows often couldn't penetrate the armor, and even if they did, it wouldn't be fatal. Those wearing leather or cotton armor were in a more serious situation, with several people having been deeply pierced in the chest by the sharp arrows, and their lives were likely in danger.

  Especially the golden soldiers' bows and arrows were extremely poisonous, and they shot very accurately. They either hit the face, neck or eyes, causing a high mortality rate among the crossbowmen who were hit. Just from this round of arrow rain, more than ten crossbowmen were hit, and it's likely that half of them will lose their lives.

  Yang Xiao was also almost injured, he looked out of the city. Two sharp arrows flew towards him, one sharp arrow flew past his ear and fell far away on the street behind the city wall. Another arrow shot into his left chest, fortunately he wore an iron armor. The iron leaf at this place was very thick, the sharp arrow that came in was barely pierced, and it didn't enter the flesh.

  However, the force of this arrow still made him gasp heavily. He lowered his body and shouted loudly: "Crossbowmen, retreat, retreat!"

  "Supporting troops, hang up the household register!"

  Another wave of arrows flew in from all directions, and four or five more crossbowmen and young auxiliary soldiers were shot down to the ground, crying out in agony.

  The rest of the arrows shot over the city wall and fell far into the city.

  The left and right sides of the city wall both transmitted the urgent cries of the officers. Let the crossbowmen take cover.

  It seems that our side is no match for those southern barbarians in archery.

  Especially the patrol soldiers led by Zhao Jie; although there were not many Jin troops attacking their right city wall, but most of them were new armies, although they were trained hard, they had not been tempered in actual combat, and they also suffered a rain of arrows, caught off guard, and unexpectedly suffered nearly ten rows of crossbowmen casualties.

  In just a blink of an eye, more than 20 soldiers from the Ye family's army on the city wall had been injured or killed. This battle was indeed extremely brutal!

  Ye Xuan's city tower also urgently transmitted the order, letting the crossbowmen quickly take cover and hastily hang up the soft walls at the embrasures.