Chapter 395

The Xiliang army was extremely brave; the moment the general gave the order, they roared and charged forward, morale could be said to be high.

After all, the Xiliang army came from Xiliang and had never lost a battle along the way, so their morale was naturally not low.

The ferocity of the Xiliang army's attack far exceeded Luo Feng's expectations, but who isn't someone with an undefeated record?!!

The Xiliang cavalry dismounted to fight on foot, still extraordinarily brave, wearing leather armor and fearless of death, they endured the arrow rain and rolling stones pouring from the city top, repeatedly bringing the crude ladders up to the city wall, holding knives in their mouths as they climbed upward.

Moreover, dozens of hastily built simple battering rams, pushed to the death by the soldiers, repeatedly slammed into the heavy city gate.

"Fire arrows! Aim at the ladders! Push them down! Quick!"

"Fire oil! Pour fire oil! Burn their battering rams!"

"Spearmen step forward! Stab down those who have climbed up!"

Luo Feng wore heavy armor, held a blood-stained spear, stood in the most conspicuous position on the city tower, and commanded calmly.

Under his coordination, the defenders did not panic, relying on the advantage of the city walls to resist tenaciously.

Now both sides' morale is not low; although the Ming Army has fewer troops, they possess a geographical advantage and are not at a disadvantage.

Scalding fire oil poured down the city walls, dousing the climbing Xiliang soldiers, instantly igniting roaring flames.

Rolling stones smashed the ladders in midair, crushing the enemy soldiers gathered below into a bloody pulp.

Beijiang archers continuously drew and loosed arrows, specifically targeting the soldiers pushing the battering rams and the brave warriors about to scale the battlements; basically every arrow hit its mark.

But the Xiliang troops were simply too numerous, and their offensive was extremely fierce.

They seemed tireless, wave after wave of fierce assaults, causing dangerous situations at multiple sections of the city wall, with Xiliang soldiers continually howling as they scrambled onto the battlements to engage the defenders in brutal close-quarters combat.

Luo Feng also personally went into battle with his spear, often taking out a Xiliang soldier with a single thrust.

Tu Fayen outside the city wished he could go up to fight Luo Feng himself; as long as Luo Feng died, this Ming Army would lose its backbone, and capturing Chang'an would be a simple matter.

The battle lasted until dusk, and a thick layer of Xiliang soldiers' corpses had piled up at the base of the city wall.

The Ming Army on the city wall also suffered heavy casualties, but the ferocity in their eyes showed no diminution.

They knew that retreating even a step meant death; behind them was Chang'an, just taken and not yet fully stabilized, and they absolutely could not let these Xiliang people set foot inside!

Moreover, this is Chang'an!!

As long as they held the city, their lord could proclaim himself emperor, and naturally their own status would rise accordingly.

Even earning promotions and titles through good performance was not a dream, so each of them was as if injected with chicken blood!

Tu Fayen personally supervised the battle outside the city, watching his own troops suffer countless casualties at the city wall yet unable to break through, his face already ashen.

He had thought the Chang'an garrison had entered the city hastily, unsteady on their feet, and that his Xiliang elite strike would surely capture it in one battle.

But he hadn't expected Luo Feng to be so troublesome, with the city defenses orderly and the troops resisting extraordinarily tenaciously.

Tu Fayen roared in anger: "Trash! All trash! After fighting half a day, we still can't break the city gate! Get back up, old man! Anyone who retreats will be beheaded!"

"General!" a Vice General rode up, his face worried, "The soldiers have suffered heavy casualties, the offensive is spent. As evening approaches, why not withdraw the troops for now and fight again tomorrow? This would also allow the artisans to hurriedly produce more siege equipment."

"Nonsense!"

Hearing this, Tu Fayen became even angrier: "Withdraw troops? I can't afford to lose that person!"

Luo Feng's forces are fewer than ours, and to top it off, they're exhausted troops that have rushed a thousand miles here! With all these troops of mine, I can't possibly fail to take Chang'an?

"Pass the order down: have each unit take turns attacking, no stopping! Light torches at night, let me keep attacking! I just don't believe Luo Feng is made of iron!"

The Vice General dared not advise further and had to go down to relay the order.

The Xiliang army indeed changed tactics, no longer merely charging fiercely, but split into several units that took turns engaging, maintaining continuous pressure.

Meanwhile, many torches from the rear supply convoy were transported to the front; as night fell, the Xiliang camp lit countless bonfires, illuminating the area below the city as if it were daytime; the siege did not stop, only its intensity slightly weakened, but the harassment continued, preventing the defenders from resting.

Luo Feng stood on the city wall, gazing at the endless sea of fire outside and the still noisy enemy camp, his brow furrowed.

The Xiliang army was aiming for a war of attrition, relying on their numbers to literally drag us down.

Although defending the city gave us an advantage, our forces were slightly fewer, and we had not brought much provisions, so we could not withstand a prolonged war of attrition.

Moreover, the granaries in the capital city were already empty of grain, meaning we had no resupply.

What's more troublesome is the munitions, especially arrows, fire oil, and rolling logs, which are consumed in huge amounts; if the Xiliang army keeps up its fierce assault, we probably won't be able to hold out for long.

"General, the arrows have already been used up thirty percent, and the fire oil is running low. The rolling logs and stones, however, can still last a few days." The officer in charge of munitions, a battalion commander, came to report, his voice anxious.

Upon hearing this, Luo Feng immediately replied, "Have the artisans and civilian laborers work through the night to manufacture arrows, gather materials in the city usable for defense."

Demolish some uninhabited houses; their beams, pillars, bricks and stones can be kept as reserves. Also send people to the armory to check if there are any bed crossbows, catapults, or other heavy equipment, and repair them for use as soon as possible.

"Yes!"

Luo Feng added, "Strengthen night watches to guard against enemy sneak attacks. Soldiers rotating off duty must seize the time to sleep and recover their strength."

The Colonel took his leave; Luo Feng exhaled, no matter what he would hold this place to the death, and once the main force of the Ming Army arrived, everything would be settled.

Tu Fayen paced irritably in the great camp, feeling a suffocating frustration.

After a day of fierce assaults, aside from leaving thousands of corpses behind, there was hardly any progress, which made him feel deeply humiliated.

What made him even more uneasy was that Beijiang's Jiang Jinshi, after dealing with Wei Xi Yuan, would certainly not stand by while Chang'an was besieged; his main force moving south was only a matter of time.

"General, Chang'an's city walls are high and thick, Luo Feng's defenses are tight, a full‑scale assault would cause excessive casualties and likely be ineffective in the short term."

A relatively steady advisor cautiously advised, "It would be better to pause the offensive, encircle the city on all sides, and cut off its food and water supplies. Chang'an is populous and Luo Feng's forces are limited; even a blockade could starve him to death."

At the same time, we can send someone back to deliver a message, asking General Murong to dispatch reinforcements promptly and allocate siege equipment; once the reinforcements and equipment arrive, we can launch a fierce assault and surely capture the city.

Tu Fayen stopped pacing, his expression very dissatisfied: "A blockade? How long would that take? Beijiang's Jiang Jinshi's army might already be on the road! When he arrives, we'll be caught between two forces—what's the point of a blockade then!"

The advisor, steeling himself, said: "General, our troops have come a long distance, and the provisions we carry are not exactly abundant; a prolonged blockade would likely be a poor strategy."

"But if we cannot take the city by force, we would only increase casualties, which is no wise course. For now, the only plan is to quickly request reinforcements and, with one concerted effort, that is the best strategy."

"General Murong holds the Tongguan direction with heavy troops; if he sends reinforcements with heavy equipment, Chang'an will surely fall! By then, even if Beijiang's main force arrives, our army, already in possession of Chang'an's strong city, will be able to respond calmly."