Chapter 51: The Divine Lamp and the Flashlight

"Lin Dao, this man, truly has a genuine nature."

Setting down the reply letter in his hand, which was so brief it consisted of only a single character, Shi Hu's expression remained unchanged.

"When Xiangguo City is breached, you must capture this man alive and bring him before Us."

"We will personally castrate him and place him in the palace as a consort."

Those familiar with Shi Hu all knew that this Heavenly King had been moved to true anger.

Since the death of the High Ancestor Shi Lei, it had been many years since anyone dared to deny him face so brazenly.

"Fu Hong, Yao Yizhong."

Shi Hu's fierce gaze swept over them. "You two make preparations at once."

"We respectfully obey the Heavenly King's order~~~"

Troops and civilian laborers from all over Later Zhao gradually gathered like clouds.

Outside Xiangguo City, connected camps stretched as far as the eye could see, all filled with men and horses.

Civilian laborers transporting supplies to and fro flowed in a continuous stream.

In the words of the defending soldiers, it looked as if people from the entire nation had come.

From Shi Hu on down, the Later Zhao court's meritorious nobles paid no heed to the people's livelihood.

Every day military households and civilian laborers froze and starved to death; the living merely clung to a wretched existence.

The clothing and food supply of the various Hu tribes could be guaranteed, but in the coming bitter siege warfare, they would become the main force.

At the Beggar Army's position.

Combat soldiers needed rest, rotating day and night.

Routine night watch duty was primarily handled by civilian laborers.

One night, a squad of civilian laborers curled up behind the battlements, wrapped in their military greatcoats, chatting idly.

"It's still better to be a military household; I see them eating meat every day."

"Not just eating meat; I heard military households can exchange a bag of grain for a woman."

"Those military households are insufferably arrogant; they look down their noses at the likes of us."

"When will we ever get to eat meat and hold a woman~~~"

The squad leader frowned. "Enough, all of you shut your mouths."

"Don't even think about it; when we were outside the city before, we were so hungry we ate dirt!"

"It's only been a few days of full meals, and you've already forgotten your station?"

A single sentence silenced the civilian laborers.

Previously serving the Great Zhao court, normally they couldn't even get a turn gnawing tree bark.

It was only during the rush to the city that they could get a bowl of thin porridge.

Contrasted with the good life of eating their fill inside the city now.

It truly is a world of difference, ice and fire, inside and outside this one city wall.

"Squad Leader."

A civilian laborer forced a smile. "We're just envious, thinking we could become military households too."

Everyone chimed in, expressing that they also wanted to be military households and serve the Squad Leader with their lives.

"Sure."

The squad leader immediately nodded. "Take a Hu barbarian's head, register the military merit, transfer to a military household, and there's a reward too."

The crowd fell silent again.

Hu barbarians — how could they be that easy to kill!

*Clang-clang-clang~~~*

A burst of crisp metal striking sounds transmitted from outside the city.

Beneath the silent night, it was remarkably clear.

The civilian laborer squad leader sprang up, prone on the parapet looking outward.

Tonight the cloud layer was heavy, the moon without light, stars dim.

Outside the city was pitch black; nothing could be seen.

After a while, another burst of *clang-clang-clang* sounds came from outside the city.

"Everyone up!"

The civilian laborer squad leader let out a low roar. "Stand to!"

He turned and ran toward the nearby resting spot of the soldiers on night watch.

Soon, a military squad leader ran back following him.

The squad leader lay prone on the wall crenel, looking out and listening, but there was no movement whatsoever.

Outside the city, where one couldn't see one's hand before one's face, the eerie silence gave the squad leader a stifling feeling in his heart that was indescribable.

He no longer hesitated, reaching out to take the divine lamp bestowed by the Squad Leader for the night patrol.

The flashlight lit up, a beam of dazzling bright light stabbing straight out of the city.

The bright flashlight beam cut through the night.

Where the light beam fell, several figures prostrate on the ground were frantically raising their hands to shield their eyes.

Sweeping around, everywhere the light beam passed were figures lying prone on the ground.

The squad leader retreated two steps, turned his head, and took a deep breath.

"Enemy attack~~~"

Soon, every section of the city walls boiled with activity.

Beams of flashlight pierced straight toward the city exterior.

One could see the ground outside the city crawling with dense, packed figures.

The enraged Yao Yizhong raised his hand and smashed the canned food tin in his hand onto the ground.

He abruptly stood up. "Ignite, charge up!"

The Qiang people all took out fire steels and ignited the torches in their hands.

Thousands of Qiang stood up one after another and untied the ropes from their waists.

They hoisted long ladders onto their shoulders, crossed the filled-in section of the moat, and approached the city wall.

Everyone joined forces and strained to raise the long ladders upright.

The iron hooks at the front end clamped firmly onto the city wall.

Yao Yizhong kicked the canned food tin flying, furious beyond measure.

Hindered by night blindness, the Qiang used ropes to tether themselves to each other during night raids.

Soldiers without night blindness led the way, crawling toward the city wall.

But at the moat side they encountered many canned food tins.

Yao Yizhong had seen this thing before; the Heavenly King had once bestowed one on him.

Because it was metal, the Qiang habitually scrambled for it on sight.

The commotion alerted the garrison troops.

He was furious and also baffled.

Wasn't it said canned food was extremely precious? How could there be so many tins outside the city?

For Later Zhao, canned food was of course a precious supply; even the tins alone could spark a scramble.

But for the garrison military households, this thing — Lord Lang handed it out every day.

Any military household on night watch, when eating a late-night snack, each squad of ten could get one.

Lin Dao had specifically instructed: after eating, throw the tins outside the city.

In case the enemy night-raids, they could serve as a warning.

This time they indeed proved useful.

Arrows rained down from the city tower.

Stones and logs tumbled and fell.

They smashed into the Qiang climbing with shields raised, instantly shattering bones and snapping tendons.

The armored soldiers swung axes, severing the hooks on the ladders; the civilian laborers hugged long forked poles and pushed the ladders outward.

The Qiang on the ladders flailed in midair and crashed heavily to the ground, coughing blood and wailing.

The civilian laborers ladled a spoonful of boiling oil and poured it straight down over their heads.

The Qiang bracing the ladders danced and flailed as if blessed by sweet rain from heaven.

Beneath the city wall, screams and wails rose without cease.

Yao Yizhong watched, his heart bleeding.

These were all his tribe's elites.

Ordinarily, a few dozen men could slaughter an entire village.

Facing the Han in open battle, one could match three, match five!

Yet at this moment, these elites were so easily buried beneath the city wall.

He wanted to pull back, but the Heavenly King was watching from the camp.

No recall signal — no matter what, he dared not flee.

In his heart he could only hope Fu Hong, night-raiding another section of the city wall, would fare just as miserably.

By no means must that side succeed while this side fails.

Dense footsteps, mixed with the clang of armor leaves striking, came from the inner city direction.

The Qihuo Army reinforcements quickly mounted the wall; defensive strength surged.

Tonight's senior officer on watch was Sun Dalang; he wore heavy armor and personally went up to the city tower.

Shielded by his shield, he peered down at the city below.

He saw the area below the city packed tight with people.

Turning back, Sun Dalang immediately ordered, "Bring the Thunderclaps!"

"Bring one hundred!"

The so-called Thunderclap was what Lin Dao turned to after failing to tinker with gas-canister shells — he packed black gunpowder into clay pots.

To increase lethality, he also added many small steel balls inside.

These steel balls were extremely cheap.

A minimum order of ten thousand cost only a hundred-odd yuan.

They lit the fuse, estimated the time, and the garrison troops hurled the clay pots off the city tower with all their might.

Bursts of blooming firelight lit up the nearby city wall.

Beneath Xiangguo City's walls, continuous explosions rang out, like thunder on a clear day.

The explosions were so loud they even drowned out the shrill screams.

The clay pots' detonation times varied — some burst in midair, some only exploded just before hitting the ground.

Some even shattered on impact, and once ignited their power dropped sharply.

Countless flying steel balls dealt a cruel blow to the attacking Qiang.

Even those wearing armor were the same — all were pierced into sieves by the flying steel balls.

At Yao Yizhong's position, he heard dense impact sounds coming from the iron shield wall blocking his front.

His ears rang, his head a chaotic uproar.

By the firelight, he saw the people beside him seeming to shout something at him, yet it was like watching a silent play.

Unknown how long passed, Yao Yizhong, shaking his head vigorously, finally heard sound.

"Jin Ming sounded, the Heavenly King sounded Jin Ming~~~"

He abruptly turned around, looking toward the distant Main Camp.

Sure enough, the sound of Jin Ming came from that direction.

Yao Yizhong, as if granted amnesty, shouted with all his might, "Retreat! Retreat the troops at once!!"

The defending soldiers on the city wall cheered and leaped for joy; they had successfully repulsed the barbarian slaves' night raid.

Sun Dalang greeted the manpower: "Dispatch people down the city to clean up the remnant soldiers."

Numerous baskets were lowered, armored soldiers carefully searching.

Encountering wounded Qiang soldiers, they directly finished them with a single slash.

Additionally, clerks and civilian laborers followed down the city.

The civilian laborers severed heads, the clerks identified and recorded.

Afterward the civilian laborers dragged the Qiang corpses and threw them into the moat, shoveling earth to bury them.

The weather had already gradually turned warm; if not disposed of cleanly, plague would easily spread.

Sun Dalang sought out the squad-leading civilian laborer who had signaled the alarm first: "Well done, I'll record merit for you and convert you to a military household."

"And you lot."

He signaled those civilian laborers who had participated in defending the city: "Any who killed barbarian slaves may all have merit recorded and be converted to military households."

At this time inside Xiangguo City, military household was the most sought-after occupation.

Not only did they eat well and drink well, but when fighting they could also receive rewards.

Those civilian laborers were breaking heads trying to become military households.

Basking in the gratitude of the crowd of civilian laborers, a satisfied Sun Dalang stood night watch until dawn.

Only when Qin Lang came to relieve him did he go down the city and return to rest.

With his current status, he lived in a manor not far from the Jian De Rear Hall.

Who knows which powerful noble of Shi Zhao it belonged to before.

Returning to the room, he found his younger sister Sun Rong sitting there waiting for him, her face like cold frost.

Sun Dalang, puzzled: "This early?"

"Elder Brother!"

Sun Rong rose with an angry expression: "You are excessive!"

Sun Dalang, shocked: "What happened?"

"Last night on the city wall, you arranged for the night-watch civilian laborers to have merit recorded and be converted to military posts."

Hearing this, Sun Dalang said with a smile: "You found out this fast?"

Seeing her elder brother not caring in the least, Sun Rong was also so angry she could not speak: "How can you be like this!"

"Vessels and names cannot be lent to others."

"Who can record merit, who can be converted to military posts — only the Lord can decide."

"What virtue and ability do you have, to dare publicly promise this?"

Sun Rong took a deep breath: "If the Lord permits it, people will think you hold the same authority as the Lord, that one word from you can decide a person's future."

"If the Lord does not permit, those people will harbor resentment against the Lord."

Sun Rong, angry to the point of tears, stamped her foot: "You really are."

"How could it be." Sun Dalang, shocked: "I am loyal and devoted to the Lord~~~"

"Say nothing more." Sun Rong spoke no further, stepped forward and dragged him: "Quickly come with me to find the Lord."

PS: Thanking Book Friend Weilaichi for the 100-point reward support, deeply grateful, many thanks!

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(End of Chapter)