Chapter 172: Yu Lin Cheng Gate Falls

Daiyu's small courtyard suddenly seemed somewhat quiet.

While Daiyu and Baichai were each lost in thought, a smiling maid from Jia Mu's courtyard walked in and said:

"Miss Baichai, Miss Lin, the matriarch's headache has eased considerably today; she said she wants to dine with you tonight, so I've come to call you to Rong Qing Tang."

"The other young ladies have already gone; we're just waiting for you!"

Daiyu covered her mouth and lightly laughed:

"How strange! As soon as Third Brother left, the matriarch's illness improved by more than half."

No wonder someone in the manor says the matriarch suffers from a malady where seeing a certain grandson gives her a headache.

Baichai spoke softly:

"It's not early anymore; since the matriarch summoned us, let's hurry over, don't keep her waiting anxiously!"

Speaking thus, the two, attended by the maid, walked toward Jia Mu's courtyard showing a deep sisterly affection.

…………

Ten or more days later.

Jia Jing's two thousand light cavalry, under his command, were about to reach Yu Lin Wei Cheng; along the way they basically rested little, traveling day and night, to the point that dozens of warhorses died from exhaustion.

The reason Jia Jing couldn't afford to let the Han Army soldiers stop to rest and recover their strength was that the nearer they got to the vicinity of Yu Lin Wei Cheng, the more gruesome the sights became.

While riding past a village less than a hundred li south of Yu Lin Cheng,

Looking ahead, the ground was littered with corpses and blood, most of them elderly and weak, all lying in miserable heaps.

Some women's corpses lay naked on the ground, their eyes full of despair and struggle.

Jia Jing's grip on the Longdan Bright Silver Spear tightened involuntarily, and his urging of the Red Hare Horse grew ever more urgent.

At daybreak,

Smoke rolled from the south wall of Yu Lin Wei Cheng, bloodstains mottling the city bricks and stones.

Corpses piled up in layers at the base of the wall, some with the braided heads of Northern Yuan troops, but more were the broken bodies of Da Han Empire defenders.

Arrow slits were smashed into jagged notches by stone shots, the city bricks studded thickly with arrows like the bristles on a dying beast.

On the wall top, the large Han-character banner embroidered with "Da Han Yu Lin Wei" was cut down by a Northern Yuan Mongol soldier wearing a fur hat.

The flagpole crashed down, striking the stone steps before the tower; the flag sank into a pool of blood and was soon trampled beyond recognition.

The next moment, the south gate of Yu Lin Wei Cheng was slowly opened.

Under the command of a black-armored leader, soldiers of the Northern Yuan Court fiercely assaulted the opening of Yu Lin Cheng's south gate.

Not far from the south gate, beneath the Northern Yuan Army's central banner,

sat a stocky, rough-bearded man with eyes as sharp as a hawk's, mounted on a horse, gazing at the battle at the south gate.

This was precisely the Left Wing Wanhu Commander and Privy Council Envoy of the Northern Yuan Court, Tuo Tuo Bu Hua, the commander-in-chief who led the Northern Yuan's eighty thousand troops in this campaign against the Da Han Empire.

In the Northern Yuan, Tuo Tuo Bu Hua was a core military official, deeply trusted by the Northern Yuan Great Khan, holding high rank and great power.

Beside Tuo Tuo Bu Hua on horseback sat a young man with delicate white skin, handsome features, clad in golden armor and a golden crown.

He was the vice commander of this eighty-thousand-strong Northern Yuan army, the Northern Yuan Crown Prince Bo'erzhu·Ba Ya'er.

Seeing the south gate of Yu Lin Cheng breached, both men showed a faint smile.

Tuo Tuo Bu Hua, seated on his horse, shouted coldly:

"The gate of Yu Lin Cheng is already open; kill this last Han force, and Yu Lin Cheng will be ours."

"After the city falls, you may loot for three days; the Han people's gold, silver, treasures, and women will be yours."

Having spoken, he ordered men to continually press the central army banner toward the south gate, hoping to boost morale and quickly encircle and annihilate the last few thousand Han troops remaining in southern Yu Lin Cheng.

At the same time, wild and unrestrained laughter of Northern Yuan soldiers echoed from inside and outside the walls and atop them.

"Charge into Yu Lin Cheng, seize all Han wealth and women!"

Inside and outside the south gate opening, thousands of Han Army soldiers were still crowded, fighting bravely to resist the advance of Northern Yuan cavalry into the city.

Han Army Yu Lin Cheng Deputy Commander Zhou Yingyuan stood in the middle, saber in hand, horse steady, directing the defense.

His armor was covered in blood—both enemy's and his own; his spear was full of nicks, and the arrows in his quiver were nearly exhausted.

Other Han Army soldiers likewise were almost all wounded, their bodies smeared with old bloodstains and fresh blood.

Yet in each of their eyes gleamed the fierce resolve of veteran battlefield fighters.

"Damn it, these Northern Yuan wolf pups really have some skill—they've even nicked my blade into a rolled edge!"

A twenty-something Han Army colonel-type man spat fiercely, his spittle tinged with blood.

"Damn it, it's all because that cowardly Ji An Marquis, who lacks courage, actually took his personal guards and trusted men and fled through the south gate in the middle of the night."

"That caused the southern troops' morale to collapse, allowing the Northern Yuan wolf pups to sneak in and break through."

"Otherwise we could have held out another ten days or half a month, when the court's reinforcements would have arrived—how could we end up in this hopeless situation!"

A thirty-something veteran cursed harshly.

But each time he spoke, the corner of his eye twitched violently; looking closer, an arrowhead was embedded in his back, penetrating three tenths deep.

"What's the point of talking about that dog bastard? He's been in Yu Lin Town this long—has he done a single good deed?"

"Besides drinking soldiers' blood and deducting pay, plus daily cuddling with young women to drink and watch operas, bullying our own people—what else could he do?"

"I had thought this dog bastard could hold out a bit longer; our city has grain and troops—what do we have to fear from the Northern Yuan?"

"Who knew that dog's nature wouldn't change—he just abandoned this whole city's populace and brothers and ran!"

"Next time I see that dog, I'll surely kill him!"

The colonel-type man's eyes were full of ferocity, clearly showing his extreme hatred for the Ji An Marquis.

"You think he ran because there's no grain left in the city!"

"That damned Ji An Marquis colluded with those civil officials, secretly selling all the grain in the Guangyou Warehouse..."

"Enough! Talking about this now is pointless!"

Another Han man in armor, looking like a military officer, hadn't finished speaking when Zhou Yingyuan ahead interrupted him.

Zhou Yingyuan looked around at the Han troops around him, his voice hoarse as he bellowed:

"Brothers, Ji An Marquis has fled; the court's reinforcements are likely still on the road—we can only rely on ourselves!"

"Behind us is Yu Lin Cheng—our home, our parents, wives and children, brothers and sisters, the tens of thousands of civilians in the city."

"They're pointing at us! If we retreat, they'll surely die; we can only fight to the death!"

Zhou Yingyuan raised the spear in his hand; his voice rang out especially clear in the empty city gate.

"General Zhou is right! Let's go all out against them—kill one to break even, kill two to profit!"

The commandant followed closely behind and shouted.

"Fight to the death, no retreat!"

"Fight to the death, no retreat!"

All three thousand remaining Han soldiers raised their weapons and shouted in unison.