"The Jin are preparing to attack!"
Just as Shuanzi's hand reached for the hilt of his saber, Er Hu shouted in panic.
"Listen carefully, this is the first drum. The Jin are just gathering their forces. Watch my movements closely. If anyone tries to scale the city wall, this is your means of survival!"
Seeing Er Hu's panicked expression, Shuanzi glanced at him calmly.
"Kid, you're quite lucky. This old fellow really knew his stuff back then. During the defense of Mingzhou, this guy took down six bandits by himself. Tsk tsk, if he hadn't sold the heads to others, he'd be a general by now!"
As Er Hu was clumsily mimicking the moves, an old soldier nearby, who was tidying his gear, chuckled and said.
"Stop your chatter. If the situation allows later, help me keep an eye on this kid!"
Shuanzi spoke as he stopped his movements. After taking a large swig of wine, he tossed his water skin to the old soldier beside him.
"No problem, as long as I'm alive, I'll help you out!"
After taking a gulp from the water skin, the old soldier's eyes lit up.
Everyone knew this would be a tough battle, and whether they won or lost would directly determine if the city of Taiyuan could be held!
They were all seasoned veterans, and they understood that in a defensive battle like this, the casualty rate was often highest in the first few days.
If they could wear down the enemy's morale, things would be much easier later on!
"Watch closely. If you can't remember it in this last bit of time, even the gods can't save you!"
After adjusting his breathing, Shuanzi resumed his teaching.
His saber techniques were actually not complicated, just simple slashes, chops, blocks, and parries. However, when these simple movements were strung together, actions that seemed slightly awkward became as smooth as flowing water in his hands.
"Did you see that clearly?"
After demonstrating at a deliberately slow pace for three times, Shuanzi looked at Er Hu again.
"I... I think I saw it clearly..."
"You try it!"
Shuanzi spoke as he handed his saber and shield to Er Hu.
"Dong—"
"Dong—"
"Dong—"
Amidst the booming war drums, the experienced old soldiers began checking their armor straps.
"Uncle Shuanzi, is this what you mean?"
Although his movements were still a bit stiff, Er Hu had managed to remember all the techniques.
"Not bad, your memory is indeed good! It's just a pity that it would have been so much better if you had gone to study back then..."
As Shuanzi said this, a single tear droplet suddenly slid from the corner of his eye, following the scar on his face and trickling into his mouth.
If his own son hadn't died, he would probably be the same age as Er Hu right now...
"Dong—"
"Dong—"
"Dong—"
As the third drumbeat sounded, the Yisheng Army soldiers, like a surging tide, were driven forward by the Jin army. Carrying makeshift ladders like moths, they rushed towards the towering walls of Taiyuan City.
"Volley from the flanks!"
As the enemy drew closer, Wang Bing, with a stern expression, shouted once they crossed the protruding stone at the base of the city.
"Buzz—"
"Whoosh—"
Accompanied by a buzzing sound, a dense volley of arrows from the left and right city walls soared into the sky, landing directly on the heads of the enemy.
The remaining Yisheng Army defectors, almost instinctively driven by the threat of death, began to crowd towards the center.
"A bunch of fools! It seems the commander of Taiyuan City is no ordinary man!"
Seeing this, Wanyan Zonghan revealed a sneer of disdain.
"Marshal, the battle has just begun. How can you tell that the opposing commander is extraordinary?"
Hearing Wanyan Zonghan's words, a Jin general standing beside him couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
"Didn't you notice that they only fired arrows from the flanks earlier?"
Seeing their puzzled looks, Wanyan Zonghan spoke again.
"Does... does that mean something?"
"What's the meaning? Here comes the meaning!"
Wanyan Zonghan spoke while pointing his horsewhip towards Taiyuan City.
As expected, a volley of arrows more than ten times denser than before soared into the sky. The swarming arrows even obscured the sun for a brief moment.
By the time the eager attacking soldiers realized it, countless arrows had already fallen.
"Ah—"
"Help us!"
Accompanied by screams, nearly thirty percent of the defectors at the forefront of the formation were killed.
And of the remaining soldiers, many had one or more arrows stuck in their bodies.
The countless cries of agony seemed to have suddenly drowned out even the sounds of battle behind them.
A total of twenty thousand Yisheng Army soldiers, before even reaching the city walls, had already suffered nearly a thousand casualties!
"Buzz—"
"Whoosh—"
"Shields up!"
After firing another round of arrows, Wang Bing immediately ordered the soldiers next to the archers to raise their shields.
As expected, just as his order was given, the Jin's counterattack arrived.
However, thanks to his order, their losses were truly negligible compared to the Jin.
Although they had gained the upper hand in this first engagement, Wang Bing did not dare to be careless.
After all, the enemy had too many numbers, and their elite troops had not yet been officially deployed. Those attacking now were merely the defected soldiers of the Yisheng Army.
"Transmit my order: everyone is not to go all out. From every third and fifth battlement, when you hear the gong, let one person onto the city wall!"
Looking up at the direction of Wanyan Zonghan in the distance, Wang Bing sneered and issued an order that sounded somewhat unbelievable.
"Understood!"
Although the order sounded indeed unbelievable, even bizarre, the soldiers under Wang Bing did not raise any objections and agreed directly.
After suffering nearly fifteen hundred casualties, the enemy's ladders finally reached the Taiyuan City walls.
Seeing this, Wang Bing couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
What was bound to come would eventually come. If Emperor Taizong had been a little more magnanimous, and had preserved the original Taiyuan City when he captured Taiyuan and destroyed the Northern Han, they might not be struggling so much now...