Fireworks bloomed at the top of Ningzhou City, and Su Yutong stepped out from behind the curtain, holding a white porcelain bowl filled with thin-skinned and large dumplings.
"Call your brother back!" Su Yutong greeted, "If you don't stop for a moment, ask him to come back quickly for the New Year's Eve dinner!"
"Okay!" Bai Zeqing, who was dressed in a young boy's clothes, climbed over the railing of the corridor, took a few steps to Su Yutong's side, picked up a dumpling with his bare hands and ran away. The dumpling was so hot that she exhaled and shouted indistinctly: "
Dou Mu, there are seven dumplings!”
When I went out, I saw Badur Chitrika sitting on the steps, drawing the golden lines of Thangka for more than half a year. I couldn't help but poke my head and take a closer look. My feet were still running, but I didn't move forward.
He moved and said with admiration: "Uncle, this green Tara statue is about to open your eyes, isn't it?".
Badur made a "hmm" sound in his nose, hooked the thread in his hand, turned his head and glanced at Bai Zeqing, and said with a smile: "Silly girl, how much are the dumplings worth? See how rare you are! Call your brother back, let's go to Furong
Let’s have a nice meal upstairs.”
Bai Zeqing was about to answer, but he saw his aunt coming quickly and ran towards the door. When he turned around, he saw that his aunt had already picked up his uncle's ears and said sarcastically: "You don't like dumplings? You can do it, you, you have so much spare money? Take it with you."
You silly boy, go there alone! What’s wrong with this girl who loves to eat the dumplings I make? Huh?”
Bai Zeqing finally finished swallowing a big mouthful of dumplings and laughed out loud. She jumped down the steps, waved to her uncle and aunt, and ran out of the alley to find her brother Su Qi.
"Bang, bang bang..."
Dazzling fireworks bloomed in the starry night sky of the border town of Ningzhou. Ningzhou City specially expanded the Lantern Festival to welcome the capital inspectors. Countless people poured into the streets to watch the lanterns. However, everything came to an abrupt end at the peak of the excitement.
"Enemy attack! Enemy...ah——"
The short screams of pain were drowned in the sound of exploding fireworks. The drunken and panic-stricken sentry had only time to release a sentinel arrow as a warning before he was killed by an arrow.
The dark canal soldiers surged through the outer fortifications of the castle like a tide, and countless simple ladders were set up on the city wall.
The warning whistle arrows were covered up by the celebratory fireworks in the city and did not attract people's attention at all.
The incident happened in a hurry, and after the guarding officer hesitated for a moment, a large group of Qusu soldiers were wrapped up in the defeated Ningzhou fortress sentry guards and rushed into the Ningzhou city gate.
"No, the enemy is attacking. Close the city gate. Close the city gate quickly!"
Tonight, the small school guarding the city gate realized that something serious was going on. He shouted and put on his armor in a panic. He didn't care that there were still hundreds of broken soldiers who had not entered the city. He shouted for the city guards to push the winch and close the door, but it was already closed.
late.
"You guys, follow me and fight in!"
The leader, General Qu Su, swung his giant ax with both arms and cut off the thick-necked city gate sling with several strokes. The city gate fell to the ground with a loud noise and could no longer be closed.
Thousands of Qusu soldiers shouted excitedly:
"The city is broken! The city is broken!"
The frenzied and dark tide of Qusu soldiers surged into the city with almost no damage.
"County, Lord Sheriff, the enemy is attacking! The Qusu Army has entered the city!"
It wasn't until the gate of the county governor's mansion was knocked open by the Ningzhou guards covered in blood that the adults, who were exchanging cups and cups amidst singing and dancing, realized that something was wrong.
In a panic, the county governor Bai Yan and his eldest son Bai Zeming gathered more than 3,000 people to go to the city for rescue. However, they encountered Qusu's vanguard troops on the way. Seeing that Qusu's army had entered the city, these temporarily assembled soldiers were in chaos.
If there is no battle, the army will be defeated.
"Father, retreat quickly!"
Bai Zeming snatched the enemy's sword and cut off the handle of an arrow that pierced his chest with his backhand. He swung the spear and fought with injuries. He still had the power to fight for his father with one enemy against a hundred. Surrounded by heavy enemy troops, Bai Zeming fought for his father.
A way out.
"Ze Ming!"
When Bai Yan saw that his eldest son had fallen into the rebel army to save him, he gritted his teeth and, under the cover of his personal guards, fled back to the county governor's mansion on horseback.
"kill--"
Qusu's army rushed forward and the garrison camp in the city was also destroyed.
The Qusu army and the Ningzhou stragglers who resisted fiercely were engaged in fierce street fighting in the city. Fires were ignited everywhere in the city, and the flames engulfed the houses in the darkness.
"Fire, it's on fire——"
"The Qusu Tatars are coming in—ah!"
"Quickly, run away quickly——"
Fleeing civilians crowded the streets and alleys. Whenever they encountered the Qusu Army, no matter men, women, old or young, they were either slashed with knives or shot with flying arrows. For a while, screams of misery could be heard.
"I am Su Qi. The Ningzhou army is not afraid of the dead and comes with me to kill! Protect the people and retreat!" The young man's cry not only gathered the scattered soldiers but also allowed the chaotic people to find a backbone they could rely on.
Su Qi, who had just been promoted to red-coat captain a few months ago, ran around in the flames of war. Finally, at dawn, he mobilized reserves and private soldiers from various prefectures to organize a death squad, and fought hard to save many civilians along the way.
"Brother Qi, there are 163 injured and 39 killed. This is not the way to go."
As soon as they retreated and hid in alleys while covering the people, Liu Daniu, the deputy captain of this temporary death squad, finished counting the casualties of each team and went to Su Qi with a sad face to report.
"That's right, keep retreating, the fight will be painful!" Xu Hu, the second squad leader, simply bandaged the arrow wound on his leg.
"How about we rush out and fight them hard!" Zhang Ying, captain of the Sixth Squadron, tightened her grip on the knife handle.
"Leave all the bows and arrows to the wounded, and let them stay to protect the people. The rest," Su Qi pointed at the enemy distribution map that scout Li Tian had just drawn with charcoal on the white cloth, and said, "Follow me and Daniel.
The troops are divided into two groups, from here and here, to attack the majority of the Qusu Army. If we can make a hole for the city guard camp, it will be regarded as a meritorious service!"
"Yes!" Everyone agreed with a roar.
More than two thousand people, led by Su Qi and Liu Daniu, risked their lives to attack the majority of the Qusu army, hoping to find a breakthrough and unite with the city guard battalion to drive the Qusu army out of the city. However, there was a huge disparity in strength -
Bai Zeqing ran in the heavy snow and the flames of war. It was too chaotic and she couldn't find anyone. It took only a moment for the enemy troops to break through the city, but the streets and alleys were already flooded with fire and screams of pain.
"elder brother--"
Bai Zeqing shouted in all directions, his voice already filled with tears.
"Brother! Where are you? Brother..."
The sound of horse hooves gradually surrounded him, and the heavy snow blocked his sight. Bai Zeqing was deeply immersed in the sound of horse hooves, but no one could be seen on either side. The fighting was right next to his ears, and hot blood splashed on his face.
Bai Zeqing's legs hurt, and he was pressed to the ground by an irresistible force.
Her mind was in chaos, and she could only remember the sword slashing at her when she turned around, and Su Qi jumping off the horse and knocking her down.
She clutched the edge of Su Qi's armor tightly, feeling that the killing cries around her were no longer so scary.
But before they could get up, another person was cut down.
Bai Zeqing came face to face with the unrecognizable dead man, and a shield pierced by an arrow fell down and hit her waist.
The rain of arrows howled in the wind, and another person was hit by an arrow, which hit Su Qi hard on the back, and then rolled to the ground. He was spitting blood, his eyes were closed tightly, and he didn't know whether he was alive or dead.
