At the critical moment, the reserve team led by Ogawa Yudong, who still had a drink on his lips, rushed to the city. He was drinking happily and was urged by Yu Qiuping's messengers to immediately go to Beicheng for support. They picked up the remaining supplies from the city repairs.
The remaining wood and stones left by the north gate rushed to the city gate and blocked the cracks in the door that had been gradually knocked open. The remaining people used their flesh and blood to push against the door.
to resist the violent impacts one after another. However, the cracks are still getting bigger and bigger.
Arriving with Ogawa Yudong's reserve team were Yu Qiupei and Amano Keitoku. Amano Keide was responsible for commanding the blocking of the gate, while Yu Qiupei hurriedly climbed onto the city wall. As soon as he entered the city, an arrow flew towards him.
Yu Qiuping turned his head sharply to avoid the fatal arrow. Yu Qiuping was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and had to bend down and run to the center of the city wall, where he found Fukushima Yasunari, who was leaning on the wall and commanding.
"How's it going! An Cheng!" The noisy environment around him made Yu Qiuping have to yell before he could communicate with Fukushima An Cheng.
"This is very bad! Sir!" Yasunari Fukushima shouted to Yu Qiupei while directing the ashigaru to continue throwing stones and wood down, "They found a battering ram from somewhere and are banging on the door!"
"Can't you stop it?" Yu Qiuping asked.
"I'm afraid it won't work!" Fukushima Yasunari shouted, "There are many people below, holding doors and tables to defend themselves. Stones can't kill anyone. Once they die, someone will replace them."
"Where did the battering ram come from! And where did the door panels and table panels come from!" Yu Qiuping was so angry that the Oda family found the siege equipment and beat them here and there.
"Looks like, I guess these are the unburnt beams, door panels and table panels in the castle town!" Fukushima Yasunari shouted.
"It's not burned! It's been burning all night!" When Yu Qiuping complained, he suddenly had an idea, "Those wooden things must have been burned for a long time, there must be no moisture left, they are very dry!"
"Sir, what do you mean?" Fukushima Yasunari was slightly stunned.
"Quick! Quick!" Yu Qiuping shouted to the two ashigaru beside the oil pan, "Move the oil pan over here! Fall down here at the city gate!"
The two ashigaru were stunned when they heard this, then stood up suddenly, carrying the oil pan and braving the falling arrows, they staggered to the city gate. Before they could start pouring the oil, one of the ashigaru was shot by the arrows.
Hit in the shoulder, he let go of his hand in pain and stepped back. The oil pan shook and almost fell onto Yu Qiuping. Yu Qiuping hurriedly stood up to hold the oil pan, and he and another ashigaru came to the city wall, leaned forward suddenly, and poured the oil
All the boiling oil in the pot was poured down. Yu Qiuping hurriedly retreated, and a feather arrow chased after him and shot into the armor. It bounced away with a "ding-dong" sound and failed to hit. Another ashigaru
He was not so lucky. He was shot between the eyebrows and fell down into the city.
The hot boiling oil fell into the Takigawa home below. The oil droplets splashed and touched the bodies of a dozen ashigaru around, causing a cry. The sound of hitting the city gate stopped again. Ogawa Yufuyu, who was blocking the door under the city wall, had been there for a long time.
I was so tired that I was covered in sweat, and I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief at this moment.
"Torch! Torch!" Yu Qiuping shouted, and two ashigaru who had just finished making flints came over with torches. Yu Qiuping took the torch and threw it down the city regardless of the situation.
After throwing it, Yu Qiuping didn't dare to say anything. He leaned against the city wall and quietly waited for the result of the blow.
Time seemed to have suddenly stopped.
The shouts of death all around seemed to be lost all of a sudden.
Yu Qiuping could clearly see Fukushima Yasunari's eyes wide open and his mouth roaring loudly. He could see the archers around him holding their heads and avoiding bows and arrows. He could see that the man who had just thrown the wood
, the meaning was still unfinished, and Ashigaru roared loudly.
The torch fell rapidly in the air.
This second seemed as long as an hour.
What broke this strange tranquility was the sudden blazing sound of the fire and the screams of the people below! Yu Qiuping secretly poked his head out and took a look at the situation under the city wall. He saw that a dozen people who were fine just now were in deep trouble at this moment.
Caught in a sea of ​​flames, every part of the body, including hair, clothes, arms, and face, was filled with flames. The dry beams and wooden boards were engulfed by the flames in an instant. The flames continued to expand, and the soldiers of the Takikawa family hurriedly rushed around.
They fled away from the burning men, watching their companions who were fine just now screaming and struggling in the sea of ​​​​fire. Seeing that they lost the need to cover, the archery team also retreated one after another. The Takigawa family suddenly retreated like a tide.
Yu Qiuping let out a sigh of relief and finally held on for the time being.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long.
A frightened shout suddenly came from below the city gate!
"No! The city gate is on fire!"
Yu Qiuping was shocked, yes, how could he forget that the city gate is also made of wood!
He hurriedly ran to the city to direct the fire fighting, but found that the entire wooden city gate was already burning.
"It's hopeless, don't put out the fire!" Yu Qiuping shouted and stopped the ashigaru who was holding a bucket of water and was about to pour it on the city gate. "You guys, immediately!" Yu Qiuping pointed to the large stone bricks, stones and
The leftover mud from yesterday is almost solidified. "Build another stone wall behind the wooden gate to seal the city gate directly! The flames can help dry the mud so that it can be completed faster!"
While the city was undergoing intensive repairs, Yu Qiuping returned to the city wall again and settled down after confirming that Takigawa Kazumasushi had led his troops to retreat outside the castle town. At this time, messengers were sent from both Xicheng and Nancheng to inquire about the situation.
, Yu Qiuping comforted them one by one, and the whole city finally stabilized.
After working on it for about half an hour, the new stone city gate was finally completed at seven quarters. Yu Qiuping felt uneasy and added a few more brackets at the back. At this time, the ashigaru people on the tower were doing
Efforts were made to rescue the wounded.
"Four people were killed, three were seriously injured, and six were slightly injured. They can join the battle after being bandaged." Yu Qiuping looked at the injured ashigaru and the three dead ashigaru on the wall, and his heart seemed to be torn apart.
Pain. The companions who were chatting and laughing just now have gone to another world in the blink of an eye. Beside the three dead companions, kneeling Fukushima Yasunari and a dozen Ashigaru who were sobbing softly. Ame Qiupei walked over
He went over and knelt down beside them. Looking at the blood on the corner of the deceased's mouth, he tried hard not to shed tears. He held their hands one by one and said softly, like an instruction, but also like a whisper.
"You are all great people. You sacrificed your lives to protect the companions behind you, for honor, and even for freedom." Yu Qiuping said, tears still flowing down his face, "Your will will
Pass it on to those of us who are still alive. We will always think of you, and you will always remember that you died for freedom and for your family. Your will will become the strength for us to move forward."
"Go with peace of mind." Yu Qiuping suddenly burst into tears and smiled, "You have passed on your will, you can leave with peace of mind."
"And we living people," Yu Qiuping looked around at the ashigaru, "we must constantly fight for freedom, practice the will of the dead, and make their lives and existence meaningful. It all depends on us who are still alive.
s hard work!"
"Yes! Sir!" Everyone agreed in unison.
"Ancheng," Yu Qiuping ordered to Fukushima Yasunari, "your team has suffered a reduction of 7 people, and has exchanged positions with Ogawa Yufuyu's team to serve as the reserve team. You fought well in this battle, take a good rest.
Let's start cooking by the way." Yu Qiuping laughed, "Let everyone have a hot meal at noon."
"Also, Thompson," Yu Qiuping looked at Charlie, "how many bows and arrows do we have left?"
"Nearly two hundred have been used just now, and there are still more than six hundred left." Charlie said.
"Have you used up a quarter of it all at once?" Yu Qiuping sighed, "That's not okay." Yu Qiuping raised his head and suddenly discovered that there were strings inserted into the city wall and the buildings behind the city wall.
There were many feather arrows shot by the Oda family. "Let's see if we can collect some still usable feather arrows and add some more," Yu Qiuping pointed at the feather arrows scattered across the city.
At this time, the castle town outside the north gate.
The morale of the Takikawa army was in a low state. The uninjured ashigaru were supporting their injured companions, and the burned ashigaru kept wailing in pain. The blood stains on Takikawa Kazumasu's face had not been wiped off, and he was struggling a little feebly.
Sitting on a charred wooden box, he looked at his subordinate Ashigaru angrily and helplessly, listening to the report of the military commander.
"Your Highness," the military commander said with a heavy face. "I have 22 killed, 15 seriously injured, and 25 slightly injured."
Takigawa Kazuki didn't reply, but still looked at the North Gate with some annoyance. At this moment, under the North Gate, there were more than a dozen corpses that had been burned beyond recognition by the fire. The originally good-looking people were burnt into black pieces.
The hands and feet were curled up in pain, exuding a foul odor, and the original appearance of the person who was born was completely unrecognizable.
The biggest casualties came from there. More than a dozen people were burned to death in the fire, and more than a dozen people around him were burned. What made him most heartbroken was the heavy casualties of the samurai. This time he took 40 samurai from his family on the expedition, including
25 of them were his banner warriors, and the other 15 were the elders or important generals of various families under his command. 10 of these 40 people were killed in the battle, and more than half of them were supervising the battle under the city and were burned to death.
This huge casualty made him heartbroken, because the samurai were the backbone of the military system, and the family master controlled the ashigaru through the samurai. The loss of a large number of samurai greatly reduced Takigawa Kazumas' ability to control the army. In addition, three samurai died.
The samurai who helped him block an arrow from the archer was originally a very talented young man, and he was also the target of his training. Before the expedition, he promised to the young man's young man that he would be given a position as a general when he returned.
Unexpectedly, he unfortunately fell here.
The army suffered more than 30% casualties and directly lost 20% of its strength. This was already a huge blow to a feudal army. Before replenishing its troops, it will be difficult for this army to launch an effective attack again. It may only serve as a
The reserve team or the remaining troops.
The Takigawa family is not a native of Owari. It has a bad relationship with local wealthy families such as the Sakuma family, Shibata family, and Sasa family. Their foundation is not very solid, and they do not have much territory and population. Such a heavy loss. , it may take several years for the Takigawa family to fully recover.
"Damn, you actually set fire." Takigawa Kazumasuke spat on the ground fiercely. Generally speaking, the power of fire attacks is not that great. The attackers under the city have a chance to burn all the siege equipment. Get up and evacuate. However, this time, because the door panels, tables, and beams had been baked all night, they were too dry, and with the help of boiling oil, a fire broke out in an instant.
The Takigawa family was forced to retreat after reorganization. It was difficult for them to even set up camp without auxiliary troops, so they had to rest on the spot. After seeing the failure of the siege, the Mahui cavalry also left Nancheng and sent people to report the battle situation to Okezama. .
Chapter completed!