GBP Chapter 1863: Four Gates Surrounded
Chapter 1863: Four Gates Surrounded
Zhou Yongxin shook his head helplessly. After leaving the county government office, he immediately found a few more stable generals and whispered solemnly:
"General Wang, General Li, although Your Majesty firmly believes in God's will, war is a treacherous path, and caution is paramount in all matters."
"We must not relax our defenses tonight! Please immediately double the number of sentries at the four gates and on the city walls. Send out more scouts to conduct reconnaissance, especially to the east. We must keep them out for ten miles!"
"If there is any unusual movement, report it immediately. No mistakes!"
Several generals also knew that Zhou Yongxin's concerns were justified, and nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhou, we will make arrangements immediately. We will not let the Chu army reach the city without knowing it."
Soon, teams of exhausted sentinels were added to the city defenses, and several elite scout teams were sent out of the city.
Like vigilant tentacles, they cautiously explored the depths of darkness to the east.
In Kunyang City, except for these necessary garrison forces, the remaining tens of thousands of Han troops were almost all in a deep sleep, snoring one after another.
They needed rest so much that many of them forgot the danger.
In other words, in their subconscious, they more or less believed what the emperor said about "God's blessing", and thought that the Chu army really did not dare and would not pursue them again.
Liu Xiu, also under the protection of his personal guards, lay down in his clothes in the back hall of the county government office.
He closed his eyes, and the scene of meteorites raining down and the Chu soldiers and horses falling to the ground was still in his mind. A smile of relief appeared on the corner of his mouth.
"The destiny lies with me!" he murmured to himself and fell into a deep sleep.
However, the night outside the city was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
Zhou Yongxin's cautious arrangement became the only and last insurance for this exhausted army at this moment.
Chou time is the darkest time of the day and when people are most sleepy.
Inside Kunyang City, except for the sentries walking back and forth on the city walls and sporadic torches in the city, most of the Han soldiers were immersed in a deep sleep after being extremely exhausted.
The snoring sounded like dull thunder, faintly audible in the silent night sky.
However, this brief peace did not last long.
Outside the city, under the pitch-black night, a large cavalry team, like a silent ghost, was rapidly approaching Kunyang City along the official road.
It was Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu who had returned!
They strictly followed Chu Ning's orders, and after a short rest and barely suppressing the panic in the army, they once again acted as the vanguard of the entire army.
Like the most loyal and brave hunting dog, it keeps its eye on the trail of its prey.
Although Chu Ning firmly believed that man could conquer nature, the strange meteorite shower in the daytime still left an indelible shadow in the hearts of many Chu cavalrymen.
Their movements were still swift, but they were less ostentatious and arrogant, and more cautious and silent. The horses' hooves seemed to be deliberately lighter, trying to conceal their movements as much as possible.
However, no matter how careful one is, it is difficult to completely conceal the actions of tens of thousands of cavalry.
The elite scouts sent by Zhou Yongxin were like eyes in the dark night, always patrolling the surroundings vigilantly.
Soon, a scout lurking in the dry grass by the roadside felt an unusual vibration coming from the ground beneath his feet.
He held his breath and listened attentively. The sound came from far away and became clearer and clearer - it was the sound of dense horse hooves!
The scout cautiously poked his head out.
With the help of a faint moonlight, he saw a large group of moving black shadows and countless torches that were shining like stars but filled with murderous intent on the distant horizon!
"The Chu army! The Chu army is chasing us!"
The scout was horrified and crawled onto his horse, riding it as fast as he could to Kunyang City to report the news.
Almost at the same time when the scouts discovered the Chu army, Xue Huaide, who was rushing in the front, also keenly noticed the rapidly receding sound of horse hooves and vague figures in the darkness ahead.
"Oh no! There are scouts! We've been discovered!" Xue Huaide's face darkened.
A fierce gleam flashed in Zhao Yu's eyes. "General Xue, what should we do? Take advantage of their unpreparedness and attack them directly?"
Xue Huaide looked at the outline of Kunyang City appearing in the darkness in the distance, then looked back at the cavalry behind him who had rested but whose morale had not fully recovered, and quickly made a decision.
The emperor's order was to hold on to Liu Xiu and wait for the main force, rather than rashly attack the city.
"No!"
Xue Huaide made a quick decision: "Liu Xiu's remaining troops are all in this city. They are trapped! Your Majesty will be here with the army in no time. There is no need to risk a forced attack and cause more casualties!"
He waved his hand fiercely and gave a stern order: "Order! All cavalry battalions, immediately divide your forces and surround all four gates of Kunyang City as quickly as possible!"
"Don't let a single bird escape! Seize advantageous terrain outside the city, but stay away from the walls for now. Beware of ambushes and crossbow fire from within!"
"Order!"
The order was passed on quickly.
The well-trained Chu cavalry immediately split into several groups like a diverted flood, and rushed along the outer wall of Kunyang City in the four directions of east, south, west and north.
The sound of iron hooves trampling the earth could no longer be hidden. Like a dull drumbeat, it shattered the tranquility outside Kunyang City and alarmed the Han army sentries on the city wall who were already highly vigilant.
"Enemy attack!"
"The Chu army is coming! Sound the alarm!"
Suddenly, panicked shouts and rapid gong sounds were heard from the top of the city wall!
The scout who managed to escape rushed into the county government office, waking up Liu Xiu who had just fallen asleep.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! It's bad! The Chu army... a large group of Chu cavalry are chasing us! They're already outside the city!"
The scout was panting, his voice filled with fear.
Liu Xiu was hastily awakened by his personal guards. When he heard the news, he was shocked at first, but then his face did not show panic. Instead, it showed offended anger and an inexplicable sense of superiority.
He thought of the "miracle" that happened during the day, and the belief that "it was God's will" in his heart once again overwhelmed everything.
He snorted coldly, even with a hint of sarcasm: "What are you panicking about! They are just two stray dogs, Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu, leading a few defeated soldiers and luckily escaping the wrath of the gods. How dare you come after me?"
"A mere ten thousand cavalrymen might be capable of field warfare, but how dare they attack a city? If they dare approach, we will unleash a barrage of arrows and crossbows from the city walls, and they will be utterly annihilated!"
He firmly believed that the Chu army, which had suffered a divine punishment and had low morale, would never have the courage or ability to attack a city with tens of thousands of defenders at night.
However, just as he finished speaking——
"Report——!"
Another sentry rushed in: "Your Majesty! A large number of Chu cavalry have been spotted outside the east gate, blocking all exits!"
"Report! Chu troops appear outside the South Gate!"
"Report! Outside the west gate too!"
"Report! The North Gate is surrounded!"
Bad news comes one after another!
The confidence and sarcasm on Liu Xiu's face froze in an instant, and gradually turned into surprise and a hint of imperceptible panic.
"Are all four gates surrounded?"