Chapter 2723: Raid II

Manbao was far away. There was no other way; she had to stay out of the range of arrows. But she had Keke. By spending some points, through Keke, she could see the scene inside the fray. She couldn’t help but sigh; His Majesty truly knows how to pick people. Both Kibi Heli and Xue Gui are brave, but Ashina and Xue Bei are steady, especially General Ashina, who has always been strict in military discipline, enforcing orders without exception. With him there, the soldiers would not recklessly advance for military merit and could willingly defend the rear for Kibi Heli and Xue Gui.

Kibi Heli and Xue Gui were wise and brave, especially with both of them acting as if they didn’t care about their lives. The soldiers they led were also brave and aggressive. The Goguryeo soldiers facing them were so shaken by their ferocity that their hands trembled while holding weapons.

The two led the soldiers, one to the left and one to the right, rushing to the foot of the tower. The soldiers behind them immediately dismounted, cut down those guarding the stone stairs, and surged upward.

Kibi Heli and Xue Gui each occupied one side of the staircase, with General Ashina following closely behind. He immediately led his troops to intercept the Goguryeo soldiers constantly rushing in from the city to relieve them, firmly guarding the two staircases and the city gate, preventing the enemy forces from encircling them again.

Manbao couldn’t help but sit up straight, her eyes seemingly glowing as she observed inside. Kibi Heli first fought up the tower. Xue Gui was slightly behind, also leading his men up from the other side. Then, moving towards the center, they cleared out everyone on the tower.

After Kibi Heli took the tower, he stood atop the walls facing into Anshi City and shouted, “The tower belongs to Great Jin! Soldiers, take the West City Gate!”

“Kill——”

The soldiers below seemed to be injected with adrenaline, their eyes turning red as they roared and charged inside.

The Goguryeo soldiers dared not face their fierce assault and retreated in fright. Some turned to flee, only to be killed by the pursuing Jin soldiers, who were bloodthirsty.

General Ashina led them a hundred zhang in pursuit before halting everyone, forbidding further pursuit. He commanded, “Form a defensive line, set up checkpoints, guard the West City Gate!”

Reluctantly, everyone withdrew.

The ambushers hiding in the alleys, seeing them coming within ten zhang, angrily slapped a wall. “Why are these people so annoying?”

The Jin army orderly retreated, then moved the checkpoints and such to block the road. They dismantled everything they could in the vicinity and threw it in the street as barricades.

After Kibi Heli’s loud shout, Manbao nudged her horse’s belly and quickly led the remaining group into the city.

The soldiers left to protect them were startled, hurriedly catching up, “Lord Zhou, it is not completely safe yet.”

Manbao said, “The gate has been taken. Everyone, enter the gatehouse to treat the wounded.”

Manbao was the first to enter the city. As Kibi Heli happened to come downstairs, he brightened at the sight of her and approached, saying, “Lord Zhou, I’ve got a cut on my arm.”

Manbao glanced at it. Thanks to armor protection, the cut wasn’t deep but was bleeding. She nodded slightly, looked around, and decided to treat him on the large vacant space beneath the city walls.

She pointed to that open space, instructing, “Set up the medical tents here, and have them carry the wounded over.”

Then, with Zhou Liru and Wen Tiandong, she took down the burlap bags, opened the medicine box, and began to stop the bleeding and dress Kibi Heli’s wound.

General Ashina, having led the pursuing troops back, glanced at Kibi Heli and shook his head, “You were too reckless. This injury could have been avoided.”

Kibi Heli snorted, not retorting. He glanced at the young general in white not far away, nodded his chin, and said, “That boy is pretty good. Would he be interested in joining my army?”

General Ashina replied, “He doesn’t suit you; General Xue is more fitting for you.”

Xue Bei raised his honest face and smiled at Kibi Heli.

Kibi Heli: …

After dressing his wound, Manbao went to check on the carried-in wounded. Most of those carried in were severely injured; those with less severe injuries could help each other walk over the period.

Ashina glanced at the busy trio of teachers and students, then turned to arrange defenses.

There are at least ten thousand people left in this city. They only took one gate; whether they can hold it is still uncertain, so caution is necessary.

At this moment, Second Prince Gao had just received the frontline information: the West City Gate had fallen.

His vision went black, nearly causing him to lose his footing. He steadied himself against the table, then looked at the generals below with bloodshot eyes, asking, “How did the West City Gate fall?”

The generals bowed their heads in shame. The colonel who retreated from the West City Gate cried, “It’s Qi Xi, Prince. They wore the uniforms of General Qi Xi’s camp soldiers. The city guard thought General Qi Xi had returned and opened the gate.”

Second Prince Gao, enraged, picked up the teacup from the table and hurled it at him, shouting, “Can’t you even tell your own people? Weren’t you supposed to verify their identity before opening the gate?”

“Yes, but they also had support inside,” the colonel shifted blame, dragging others down with him, “Those supporters were General Yuan Yi’s men.”

General Yuan Yi was taken aback, then furious, “You are framing me!”

The colonel didn’t actually frame him. Under normal procedures, even when the army returns at night, even if they wear their own armor, the gate is not opened immediately.

Soldiers first open a small door to go out and verify their identity, obtain their military orders to enter the city, or confirm it is the actual person before opening the gate.

However, General Ashina deliberately chose midnight. Everyone was somewhat drowsy. Seeing it was them, the people on the city wall exchanged a few words, claiming that they encountered Jin forces on the road, explaining the disorder and losses of their ranks. So they asked no further questions and simply opened the small door to verify.

As a soldier exited and nearly reached the front of the formation, a new recruit, recently tasked with menial labor on the gatehouse, suddenly rushed out, snatched a knife, and killed the patrolling soldier below.

Then, over a dozen people suddenly sprang from the alley, quickly overwhelming those who turned back to seize the new recruits.

In the ensuing chaos, the people on the tower immediately turned their arrows inward. Then General Ashina promptly launched an attack, killing the two soldiers who came to verify and riding swiftly into the city.

The small door allowed only one rider at a time, but once inside, they joined those within to swiftly open the main gates.

Unfortunately, twenty-two of those twenty-five people died, and now three were shivering under Manbao’s needles.

They were truly trembling, after all, it hurt. Their muscles involuntarily contracted.

After cleaning their wounds, Manbao stopped the bleeding and stitched them up before moving on to attend other injured soldiers.

The bodies of the other twenty-two were also pulled out. General Ashina said to the three survivors, “This time, your achievement is significant. I will request merit for you from His Majesty.”

The three exhaled a sigh of relief, their eyes involuntarily reddening, tears slightly moistening the corners.