In Linchuan City, Nan Yanxi and others were preparing for the enemy's next attack.
In the two days of fighting, our side was not equipped with many firearms, and the enemy's forces were not bad either.
Nan Yanxi's 60,000 troops have lost more than 10,000. Excluding the injured, there are only about 45,000 capable of fighting now.
According to Ju Tanma's report, Li Qi and Dai Qin's pursuers will probably not arrive until tomorrow evening at the earliest.
Nan Yanxi looked at the sun. It was still just noon, and there was still a day and a half until dusk tomorrow.
If you want to hold on until the reinforcements arrive, it is probably still a bit of a challenge. The most important thing is that you don't have much ammunition, arrows and other supplies.
It will be difficult to hold on until tomorrow evening. By then, hand-to-hand combat will be the last resort.
Everyone waited in formation for a long time, until dusk, but the enemy did not attack.
The scouts reported back that the enemy troops were still in formation, but were preparing to break camp again.
After hearing this, Nan Yanxi was a little confused, and then called several generals and Yang Yuxuan to discuss it.
After hearing the news, Yang Yuxuan was immediately confused: "I can understand that they formed a team, but what does this mean of breaking camp?"
"It's already dusk now, and it will be dark in less than an hour. Are they so motivated to capture us before dark?"
Situ Yan on the side also interjected: "Do they want to run away? Wouldn't that mean they bump into the arms of Uncle Li and the others?"
"If not...what do they want to do?"
While analyzing, there was a sudden shout from the city: "Report..."
When everyone turned around, they saw a scout rushing towards them. He knelt down in front of everyone and said, "My lord, generals... the main force of the Xiang family army has withdrawn to the southwest."
"Southwest?" As soon as these words came out, everyone was in an uproar.
Nan Yanxi frowned and said thoughtfully: "Evacuate to the southwest? Isn't it getting further and further away from Dongzhou?"
"Is he going to attack Qingzhou? He doesn't want Dongzhou? Or does he think he can defend Qingzhou in my hinterland?"
After thinking for a while, Nan Yanxi waved her hand and ordered her subordinates to bring the map.
All the generals came forward one after another and began to study it all.
At this moment, a sentry on the watchtower shouted: "Attention...the enemy is attacking..."
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was stunned... Didn't they withdraw? Why did they attack?
Nan Yanxi quickly stood up and looked outside the city.
Sure enough... I saw smoke and dust flying on the horizon, and a group of Xiang's troops charged at full speed, attacking Linchuan.
Nan Yanxi frowned slightly, wondering if the retreat just now was fake?
The old guy Xiang Tianxing finally got the idea and started dividing his forces to attack the city?
There was no time to think too much. Seeing the enemy's momentum, Nan Yanxi did not dare to be careless and quickly ordered the troops to enter combat mode.
Not long after, the enemy troops had already reached the city, and the two sides began to shoot fiercely at each other.
However, the enemy troops attacking this time did not bring any firearms, and they were all cavalry.
They were seen rushing towards the city wall, using the speed of their horses to avoid the bombardment of their heavy weapons. When they got near the moat, they shot with their bows and arrows.
Running back and forth under the city, using bows and arrows to wear down the effective strength of the defenders on the city.
Fight back and forth for a few times, then get out of the attacking range of the defenders to reorganize the team, and then do it again.
Nan Yanxi stood on the city and watched, feeling a little confused.
This tactic is a typical cavalry harassment tactic, but it is used to attack heavy infantry phalanxes and to attack cities...isn't it a bit too nondescript?
By the way, didn’t Xiang Tianxing have infantry and siege troops? Why would he send a group of cavalry? Isn’t it funny?
Because it is difficult to bear force on a horse, the cavalry's bow is inherently softer, and it has no advantage against its own muskets and crossbows.
Moreover, this cavalryman is riding a horse, and his target is so big that he will be knocked down easily.
Such a style of play is simply heartless. What does Xiang Tianxing want to do?
Nan Yanxi, who was confused for a moment, had no choice but to order the defenders to fight back with all their strength and defeat them first.
The defenders on the city were condescending, just like shooting at a target. If they couldn't hit the people, they would hit the horses. The hit rate was very high.
Not long after, the group of cavalry under the city had charged four or five times in a row.
Not to mention the casualties, the city was already littered with the corpses of cavalry and war horses.
After careful calculation, this group of people is only about 20,000 at most. After several attacks, it is estimated that it will be around 14,000 to 5,000.
Nan Yanxi stood in a safe place and watched, but saw that when this group of cavalry made their last attack, they actually brought some suggested siege equipment.
It was nothing more than some long ladders or something. They rode their horses and rushed to the bottom of the city and then started to dismount and attack the city.
Nan Yanxi was dumbfounded when she stood on the tower, thinking to herself that this group of people had a grudge against Xiang Tianxing? With such a strategy, were they just here to deliver food?
But what he didn't know was that Wang Zhizhong, the commander of this cavalry team, was also wondering.
The order sent by Xiang Tianxing told him that there were only about 3,000 defenders in the city.
The main force goes to ambush the pursuer, let him attack the enemy with all his strength, capture the county seat and hold it, and wait for the main force to withdraw and everyone goes to Dongzhou together.
Although Wang Zhizhong couldn't quite understand this order, especially with so few defenders in the city.
The main force is 170,000 to 80,000. We can just capture it and then rush to reinforce Dongzhou. Why are we still allowed to attack the city? What kind of ambush are they going to do?
Isn’t this just taking off your pants and farting? Isn’t it unnecessary?
The pursuers are still some distance away from me. If everyone runs away quickly, won't it be over?
Moreover, all his men are cavalry. They are not good at siege and do not have any decent siege equipment?
Although Wang Zhizhong was puzzled, it was an order from his lord and he had to carry it out.
We had no choice but to order the troops to use the harassment tactics to consume them first, and then the cavalry dismounted, carrying the ladder, the only siege equipment, and began to attack the city.
But what surprised him the most was that the firepower of the "three thousand" defenders in the city was ridiculously strong.
After several attacks, he had already suffered nearly a quarter of his casualties.
Looking at the density of firepower, it didn't look like there were 3,000 people, but they had to execute the plan, so they had to bite the bullet and order the troops to start attacking the city.
The defenders on the city looked at these cavalrymen wearing riding boots and holding sabers as if they were fools, and they were not very skilled in carrying ladders.
He resisted the fierce shooting from his side and climbed up stupidly.
Many cavalrymen were beaten into a nest of hedgehogs and hornets before they could even cross the moat.
Nearly ten thousand people were killed or injured, but they didn't even touch the battlements on the city wall.
Seeing that his troops were about to be annihilated under the city, the stubborn Wang Zhizhong realized that something was wrong.
Quickly order the troops to withdraw first.
However, he woke up too late. When the troops withdrew, only 6,000 remnants of the 20,000-strong army were left, and almost all of them were injured.