Chapter 99: with translation of chapter title

On a pitch‑black night, the clouds in the sky were heavy and low, as if heralding an imminent great battle.

A unit of the Cangzhou Army beneath the walls of Yao Hua Pass, taking advantage of the night's cover, silently approached the walls.

This assault force consisted of several hundred soldiers, well‑equipped and agile, constituting an elite unit hastily formed by the Cangzhou Army.

Suddenly, a horn blast tore through the night sky, and this force launched a fierce attack in an instant.

They quickly erected simple scaling ladders, continually hacking at the walls with spears and swords, and shooting the defending soldiers with bows and crossbows.

In an instant, the defending soldiers on the walls were startled awake and hastily grabbed their weapons to fight back.

However, the Cangzhou Army gave the defending troops no chance to catch their breath.

They launched wave after wave of attacks, constantly harassing the defending soldiers on the walls.

Some soldiers feigned retreat to lure the defenders out; others buried traps and tripwires around the walls, leaving the Yao Hua Pass defenders unable to cope.

The defending commander hastily organized the troops for a counterattack, trying to drive the Cangzhou Army away.

They fired volleys of arrows, hurled fireballs and stones, attempting to repel the enemy's assault.

Yet, in this pitch‑black night, the Cangzhou Army continually changed tactics, leaving the defending soldiers exhausted from trying to respond.

During these many nights of harassment, the Cangzhou Army, under Li Jing's command, fully exploited the effect of fatigue on the defending soldiers.

The defending soldiers had fought continuously for many days, utterly exhausted, unable to maintain an effective combat state.

Meanwhile, the Cangzhou Army's soldiers, thanks to their numerical superiority, took turns attacking in multiple batches.

Thus, at this moment they were full of energy, morale high, able to react quickly and flexibly to any situation.

As time passed, the Cangzhou Army's harassment grew more frequent each day, and the defenders on Yao Hua Pass began to show some confusion and panic.

They did not know when the enemy would launch another attack, nor whether they could endure this endless harassment.

Fatigue and fear took root in the soldiers' hearts, weakening their morale and combat effectiveness.

Even amidst this chaos, some scattered defending soldiers had already begun to flee the walls, attempting to escape the endless harassment.

They had no regard for their comrades' safety, thinking only of preserving their own lives.

This panic spread rapidly among the soldiers, like a plague.

In this situation, the defending commander had to take measures to steady the troops' morale.

He stood on the wall, shouting loudly, calling on the soldiers to stay calm and firm in their belief.

Under his encouragement, some soldiers rallied, picked up their weapons, and continued fighting.

However, the Cangzhou Army's harassment of Yao Hua Pass did not stop there.

The Cangzhou Army seemed endless, continually dispatching new units to attack the defending troops on the walls.

Their attacks grew ever more frequent, leaving the defending soldiers feeling overwhelmed.

The soldiers' fatigue had reached its limit, and some began to break down, unable to persist any longer.

"Almost… almost."

On a hillside far from the walls, Li Jing, accompanied by his Deputy Commander, stood silently, watching Yao Hua Pass where shouts of battle shook the sky, his eyes gleaming with sharp light.

Meanwhile, inside Yao Hua Pass.

In the morning light, the defending troops on the walls appeared utterly exhausted.

The commander of Yao Hua Pass's defenses ascended the wall alone, gazing into the distance.

Not far off, the Cangzhou Army was busy deploying; he knew that after more than ten days of intense siege, this battle would be harder than ever before.

After a night of harassment, the faces of the Qi Zhou soldiers on Yao Hua Pass's walls were etched with fatigue and exhaustion, their eyes revealing a deep sense of helplessness.

Some soldiers leaned against the wall, eyes closed, resting, their bodies trembling slightly; others sat with heads bowed, hands clasped over their heads, clearly suffering from headaches and fatigue.

The commander of Yao Hua Pass's defenses stood at a corner of the wall, his gaze steadfast as he looked into the distance.

His complexion was pallor, deep wrinkles etched into his forehead, showing his fatigue and anxiety.

His hand, scarred and wounded, gripped the longsword tightly; the blade trembled slightly, as if speaking of his inner pain and helplessness.

"General, we must find a way to rest."

A Deputy Commander approached the defending commander's side and said softly, "The troops are utterly exhausted; they need rest and to replenish their strength."

The defending commander fell silent for a moment, then nodded: "I know, but we have no extra time."

"The enemy is eyeing our weakness; if we let down our guard, they will launch a deadly attack."

The Deputy Commander fell silent, understanding the general's worry.

At this critical moment, any oversight could lead to irreversible consequences.

However, continuous fighting and harassment have left the soldiers mentally and physically drained; if this continues, the army's morale and combat strength will suffer severe weakening.

The defending commander took a deep breath and said firmly, "We cannot relax our vigilance, but we also cannot let the soldiers become over‑fatigued."

"Arrange a rotating duty system so that some soldiers can rest while maintaining combat effectiveness."

The Deputy Commander nodded: "All right, I'll take care of it right away."

However, even with a brief respite, the soldiers could not shake off the burden of fatigue.

Their bodies and minds had reached the limit, making it hard to maintain an effective combat state.

Due to fatigue and lack of attention, some soldiers neglected their defensive duties while on watch.

They even failed to timely check and replenish arrows or catapults; neglected to carefully maintain and repair weapons and equipment; and some soldiers actually fell asleep at their posts, completely ignoring the enemy threat.

Furthermore, due to prolonged fatigue in combat, the army's discipline began to loosen.

The soldiers no longer strictly obeyed orders and regulations, each fighting on their own, and some even deserted their posts to avoid combat.

Some soldiers became irritable, anxious, and depressed, frequently quarreling and clashing with one another, no longer united as before.

"Hah!"

"My lord, if there is no further reinforcement, I and Yao Hua Pass will not be able to hold out."

The commander of Yao Hua Pass's defenses gazed heavily at the myriad sights on the walls, drew a deep breath, and sighed in his heart.

However, the reinforcements from Qi Zhou never arrived, so he could only muster his spirits and begin to deal with the next attack of the Cangzhou army.

Under the general's arrangement, the city-defense troops began to carry out tense and orderly defensive preparations.

The rotation system was implemented, with some soldiers getting rest while others remained stationed on the city walls.

The fortifications on the city walls were reinforced and improved, the number of arrow towers and catapults increased, enhancing defensive capability.

At the same time, soldiers skilled in archery and throwing were stationed at key points on the city walls, ready to respond to the enemy's attack.

Three chapters today!

(End of chapter)