Second Military Exercise 2
Huangfu Yuchen led Yan Ge out of the military tent and walked towards a distance, introducing to Yan Ge along the way, “In general, when attacking a city, it is common to conduct simultaneous attacks from above and below. Some soldiers use grappling hooks or ladders to climb the city walls, while others use battering rams or ramming carts to break open the city gates. However, this kind of direct assault usually results in significant losses, especially when the forces on both sides are evenly matched, making it even more difficult to breach the city.”
Yan Ge asked, “Can we find the weakest point of the city wall and use a battering ram to create a breach?”
Huangfu Yuchen shook his head, “The city wall is the first line of defense for the entire capital city. The thickness is over fifteen inches everywhere. Unless the attacking forces manage to break through the wall fast, the defenders will be aware of the situation.”
Yan Ge chuckled and patted Huangfu Yuchen’s shoulder, “So you mean the capital city’s safety factor is quite high.”
Having been with Yan Ge for a long time, Huangfu Yuchen understood most of his modern vocabulary and smirked, “You could say that.”
Yan Ge pondered for a moment and burst into laughter, “If we could secretly send someone inside to quietly open the city gate, it would be much easier.”
Huangfu Yuchen sighed, “It’s not that simple. Even if someone manages to infiltrate as a spy, the other guards at the city gate won’t easily let them succeed.”
Yan Ge gave up and waved his fan, “I can’t think of any good ideas for now. Let’s go back and see if they have come up with a solution.”
On the city wall, Sun Yingxiong, Zhang Yingjie, and several others sat on chairs, discussing military strategies while keeping an eye on the movements in the enemy camp.
They also saw Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen’s figures.
Zhang Yingjie was filled with enthusiasm. “This time, we must win a glorious victory to show the emperor and Yan Caiqing.”
Sun Yingxiong nodded and said to his subordinate, “Spread the order. All soldiers will be divided into two shifts for rest. When it’s darkest before dawn, we will launch an offensive. Be prepared for a full-scale battle.”
“Yes!”
As the night fell, a dozen soldiers dressed in night attire appeared near the city wall, each holding an opened black umbrella.
Sun Yingxiong whispered, “After setting fire to their provisions, return immediately. We will drop ropes and pull you up. Speed is crucial.”
“Yes!”
The soldiers grasped the umbrella handles and jumped down from the city wall, gliding silently through the air, landing soundlessly about ten meters away. The brave warriors closed their umbrellas and, disguised by the darkness, swiftly made their way towards the enemy camp.
Yan Ge was bored and absentmindedly focused his consciousness on the movements at the city gate. When he witnessed this astonishing scene, he opened his mouth in astonishment.
Huangfu Yuchen kissed him to silence him. “What did you see?”
Yan Ge regretted that only them had witnessed this scene. Otherwise, it would have been a great advertisement showcasing the quality of their umbrellas!
“The defenders used umbrellas to jump down from the wall and are now approaching our camp. Should we alert Yang Zhuo and the others?”
“No need,” Huangfu Yuchen replied. “Let’s observe for now.”
The two of them calmly lay on the bed, and after a while, they heard shouts outside, “It’s flooding!”
“Quick, put out the fire!”
Huangfu Yuchen snorted, “This fire has probably burned a significant amount of provisions. I will definitely deduct three years’ salary from Yang Zhuo.”
Yan Ge had no intention of pleading for Yang Zhuo; after all, it was his money that was burned. He calmly replied, “Make it four years.”
“Okay,” Huangfu Yuchen agreed.
In Yang Zhuo’s tent, he was raging in anger. Several soldiers who set the fire had been captured, but the problem was that they had lost one-third of their provisions. This military exercise was conducted with real weapons and combat, so the provisions were indeed burned. They also lost three tents.
“Didn’t I tell you to closely monitor the movements at the city gate?” Yang Zhuo questioned, his voice filled with fury.
The scouts responsible for surveillance were also puzzled. “General, we have been closely monitoring the movements at the city gate. We didn’t see the gate open, nor did we see anyone coming down from the wall.”
The soldiers who set the fire smirked, refusing to reveal how they had descended.
Yang Zhuo furrowed his brows. “Forget about it, let’s not dwell on this matter. Send the order to closely monitor the enemy’s movements.”
“Yes!”
Jung Xiang anxiously asked, “General, are we not attacking the city today? We have lost one-third of our provisions, and if we don’t capture it within three days, our soldiers will truly go hungry.”
Yang Zhuo raised his hand to interrupt him. “I understand that very well. But for now, we don’t have a good strategy. If we rashly attack the city, it will only result in needless casualties. Detain those dozen soldiers, keep a close watch on them. Perhaps they can still be of use.”
“Yes!”
The first night passed with no attack from the enemy, and the defenders remained silent.
As dawn broke, the city gate was opened, and Li Cong, a junior general, led a group of soldiers to ride out.
Jung Xiang also led a group of soldiers to meet them.
The two sides met in the middle.
Li Cong smiled and said, “Deputy General, General Zhang asked me to come and greet you. Do you still have food to eat today?”
The soldiers behind him burst into laughter.
Jung Xiang remained composed and said with a stern face, “Thank you for your concern. I’m not afraid to tell you that we still have enough provisions for three days. We have more than enough time to defeat you!”
“Very well, I’m waiting!” Li Cong laughed heartily and was about to turn his horse back.
“Hold on!” Jung Xiang shouted, “Vice General Li, since you’re here, why rush back? Dare you accept my challenge?” The losses suffered the previous night had dampened the morale of their side’s soldiers. If they could defeat Li Cong, it would surely boost their spirits.
“Why not?” Li Cong drew his sword and smiled arrogantly.
Jung Xiang and Li Cong then engaged in a fierce battle.
On the other side, Yang Zhuo paced outside his tent, furrowing his brows and pondering. After a while, his eyes lit up. “Spread the order. We will attack the city at dawn tomorrow! Tonight, we must prepare ourselves well and give them a great surprise in the morning.”
Jung Xiang and Li Cong fought relentlessly, unable to determine the winner. Both sides’ commanders had no choice but to call them back.
After nightfall, Yang Zhuo sent out a large force that mysteriously returned with bags of something. As soon as Yan Ge smelled the aroma, he knew what it was, and he eagerly anticipated the battle ahead.
When the first twilight of dawn appeared in the east, Yang Zhuo gave an order, and the whole army was mobilized and approached the city gate.
“Catapults! Ready!”
“Boom!”
The stones struck the city wall, creating a loud noise that alarmed the defending soldiers, who rushed to the city walls.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!” The sound of war drums echoed through the air as the defending soldiers beat them with intensity, resembling a summer downpour.
The resounding beats sent shivers down the spine, almost waking up the entire capital city.
Those who were still in deep sleep suddenly sat up in bed, anxiously listening for any signs of disturbance, only to remember after a while that there was a military exercise taking place at the South Gate. They breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, the city walls became crowded with people. Yang Zhuo smiled with satisfaction. “Just as I hoped! Switch to the ash eggs!”
“Whoosh whoosh!” Grayish-white projectiles, the size of watermelons, were launched by the catapults and hit the city walls. A white mist quickly enveloped the walls.
“Ah, my eyes!”
“Ah-choo! Ah-choo!”
Chaos erupted on the city walls.
The so-called “ash eggs” were actually lime projectiles that burst upon impact, scattering dust and ash. It happened to be a coincidence that the construction of the main streets in the capital was already seventy percent complete, and with surplus limestone, the court ordered a partial reconstruction of the four city gates leading to the outskirts. There was a considerable pile of limestone by the roadside nearby. Taking advantage of the night, Yang Zhuo had ordered people to transport a considerable amount over. With the dispersal of the lime, many enemy soldiers temporarily lost their combat effectiveness.
“Up the ladders! Charge with the battering ram!”
Ladders were set up, and soldiers climbed up, rushing towards the city walls. The cumbersome battering ram, manned by fully armed soldiers, forcefully struck the city gate. In two other directions, soldiers erected climbing ladders and ascended one by one.
Sun Yingxiong was taken by surprise by the enemy’s successive attacks, but he quickly regained his composure and issued a calm order, “Archers, release your arrows!”
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh—” Feathers rained down as the arrows were swiftly unleashed. The arrowheads were treated, wrapped in cloth, and coated with special white dye. Anyone stained with the dye was considered dead and voluntarily threw themselves off the wall. Thick straw was spread beneath the walls, causing no real casualties.
“Hah! Hah! Hah!” The soldiers responsible for the battering ram shouted in unison, vigorously ramming against the city gate.
Although the city gate was extremely sturdy, it gradually became unable to withstand the relentless assault of the battering ram.
“Bring oil!” Zhang Yingjie shouted loudly.
Jars of oil were poured along the outer wall of the city, instantly making the walls greasy. The soldiers who managed to climb up exclaimed a few times before falling back down.
Zhang Yingjie laughed heartily and shouted below, “Hehe! Consider yourselves fortunate that you’re not real enemies, otherwise, what I’d be pouring is boiling water or scalding oil!”
The people below helplessly got up, wiped their hands, and retreated to the side—they were all already “dead” soldiers.
“Fire again!” Sun Yingxiong, full of spirit, raised his arm and shouted.
Not wanting to be outdone, Yang Zhuo shouted, “Catapults!”
“Bang! Bang!” Several ash projectiles landed on the city walls.
“Ahhh!” The archers were disrupted, and the arrow barrage became momentarily chaotic.
“Ah!” Sun Yingxiong was also splattered, closing his eyes and smiling wryly. “Hiw did General Yang come up with this trick? Quickly bring water!”
“Yes!”
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen stood under a tree not far away, nodding as they observed.
Huangfu Yuchen said, “Both sides have performed well in this exercise.”
“Indeed,” Yan Ge concurred.
“Boom—”
The heavy city gate was finally breached.
“Charge!”
“Ouch—” Enemy soldiers stumbled and fell before they could even take a few steps forward. The soldiers behind couldn’t brake in time and fell one by one. Upon closer inspection, the ground was also covered in oil!
With a smile on his face, Zhang Yingjie held an arrow, appearing leisurely as he marked each soldier with a white dot. “Concrete roads are truly excellent. The oil doesn’t seep in even when it’s poured on the ground.”
Jung Xiang, who led the attacking force, was so infuriated. Before he could get up, a soldier from the defending side marked a white dot on him, leaving him lying on the ground in frustration.
At this moment, excited shouts came from the soldiers on the city walls, “General Zhang, we’ve captured General Yang!”
Zhang Yingjie chuckled, “Really? They were caught so quickly?”
Outside the city walls, Yang Zhuo was trapped in a large net, and his clothes had three or four white dots.
Sun Yingxiong’s four soldiers, at the cost of their lives, jumped down from the wall. Although they were shot and killed by Yang Zhuo’s men, Yang Zhuo was still caught in the net and hadn’t managed to free himself before being shot by the archers on the city walls.
Yang Zhuo was the enemy’s main general, and his “death” signified the defeat of the enemy forces. The military exercise ended successfully with a victory for the defending side.
Yuchen and Huangfu Yuchen exchanged a smile and walked over.
All the soldiers knelt down together, “Greetings to the Emperor, long live Your Majesty—”
“Rise.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Huangfu Yuchen transmitted his voice using internal energy, and his voice filled with majesty and depth echoed overhead, “In this military exercise, both the enemy and the defenders displayed remarkable strategies and quick thinking. You didn’t disappoint Us or Yan Caiqing. You all have worked hard, and in the future, you shall devote even more heart and effort.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty! We will not disappoint Your Majesty and Yan Caiqing’s expectations!”
Huangfu Yuchen turned to Yang Zhuo, “I will leave this place to you. Arrange repairs for damaged things immediately. This is the new design for the city gate, arrange for people to rebuild it accordingly.”
“Yes.”
Before leaving, Yan Ge said to Yang Zhuo, “Once you’ve sorted out matters, come to the Tenglong Palace. I have something to discuss with you.”
“Yes.” Yang Zhuo shuddered at Yan Ge’s meaningful smile, and he glanced at Huangfu Yuchen.
Huangfu Yuchen appeared oblivious. He embraced Yan Ge’s waist and walked away.
Second Military Exercise 2
Huangfu Yuchen led Yan Ge out of the military tent and walked towards a distance, introducing to Yan Ge along the way, “In general, when attacking a city, it is common to conduct simultaneous attacks from above and below. Some soldiers use grappling hooks or ladders to climb the city walls, while others use battering rams or ramming carts to break open the city gates. However, this kind of direct assault usually results in significant losses, especially when the forces on both sides are evenly matched, making it even more difficult to breach the city.”
Yan Ge asked, “Can we find the weakest point of the city wall and use a battering ram to create a breach?”
Huangfu Yuchen shook his head, “The city wall is the first line of defense for the entire capital city. The thickness is over fifteen inches everywhere. Unless the attacking forces manage to break through the wall fast, the defenders will be aware of the situation.”
Yan Ge chuckled and patted Huangfu Yuchen’s shoulder, “So you mean the capital city’s safety factor is quite high.”
Having been with Yan Ge for a long time, Huangfu Yuchen understood most of his modern vocabulary and smirked, “You could say that.”
Yan Ge pondered for a moment and burst into laughter, “If we could secretly send someone inside to quietly open the city gate, it would be much easier.”
Huangfu Yuchen sighed, “It’s not that simple. Even if someone manages to infiltrate as a spy, the other guards at the city gate won’t easily let them succeed.”
Yan Ge gave up and waved his fan, “I can’t think of any good ideas for now. Let’s go back and see if they have come up with a solution.”
On the city wall, Sun Yingxiong, Zhang Yingjie, and several others sat on chairs, discussing military strategies while keeping an eye on the movements in the enemy camp.
They also saw Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen’s figures.
Zhang Yingjie was filled with enthusiasm. “This time, we must win a glorious victory to show the emperor and Yan Caiqing.”
Sun Yingxiong nodded and said to his subordinate, “Spread the order. All soldiers will be divided into two shifts for rest. When it’s darkest before dawn, we will launch an offensive. Be prepared for a full-scale battle.”
“Yes!”
As the night fell, a dozen soldiers dressed in night attire appeared near the city wall, each holding an opened black umbrella.
Sun Yingxiong whispered, “After setting fire to their provisions, return immediately. We will drop ropes and pull you up. Speed is crucial.”
“Yes!”
The soldiers grasped the umbrella handles and jumped down from the city wall, gliding silently through the air, landing soundlessly about ten meters away. The brave warriors closed their umbrellas and, disguised by the darkness, swiftly made their way towards the enemy camp.
Yan Ge was bored and absentmindedly focused his consciousness on the movements at the city gate. When he witnessed this astonishing scene, he opened his mouth in astonishment.
Huangfu Yuchen kissed him to silence him. “What did you see?”
Yan Ge regretted that only them had witnessed this scene. Otherwise, it would have been a great advertisement showcasing the quality of their umbrellas!
“The defenders used umbrellas to jump down from the wall and are now approaching our camp. Should we alert Yang Zhuo and the others?”
“No need,” Huangfu Yuchen replied. “Let’s observe for now.”
The two of them calmly lay on the bed, and after a while, they heard shouts outside, “It’s flooding!”
“Quick, put out the fire!”
Huangfu Yuchen snorted, “This fire has probably burned a significant amount of provisions. I will definitely deduct three years’ salary from Yang Zhuo.”
Yan Ge had no intention of pleading for Yang Zhuo; after all, it was his money that was burned. He calmly replied, “Make it four years.”
“Okay,” Huangfu Yuchen agreed.
In Yang Zhuo’s tent, he was raging in anger. Several soldiers who set the fire had been captured, but the problem was that they had lost one-third of their provisions. This military exercise was conducted with real weapons and combat, so the provisions were indeed burned. They also lost three tents.
“Didn’t I tell you to closely monitor the movements at the city gate?” Yang Zhuo questioned, his voice filled with fury.
The scouts responsible for surveillance were also puzzled. “General, we have been closely monitoring the movements at the city gate. We didn’t see the gate open, nor did we see anyone coming down from the wall.”
The soldiers who set the fire smirked, refusing to reveal how they had descended.
Yang Zhuo furrowed his brows. “Forget about it, let’s not dwell on this matter. Send the order to closely monitor the enemy’s movements.”
“Yes!”
Jung Xiang anxiously asked, “General, are we not attacking the city today? We have lost one-third of our provisions, and if we don’t capture it within three days, our soldiers will truly go hungry.”
Yang Zhuo raised his hand to interrupt him. “I understand that very well. But for now, we don’t have a good strategy. If we rashly attack the city, it will only result in needless casualties. Detain those dozen soldiers, keep a close watch on them. Perhaps they can still be of use.”
“Yes!”
The first night passed with no attack from the enemy, and the defenders remained silent.
As dawn broke, the city gate was opened, and Li Cong, a junior general, led a group of soldiers to ride out.
Jung Xiang also led a group of soldiers to meet them.
The two sides met in the middle.
Li Cong smiled and said, “Deputy General, General Zhang asked me to come and greet you. Do you still have food to eat today?”
The soldiers behind him burst into laughter.
Jung Xiang remained composed and said with a stern face, “Thank you for your concern. I’m not afraid to tell you that we still have enough provisions for three days. We have more than enough time to defeat you!”
“Very well, I’m waiting!” Li Cong laughed heartily and was about to turn his horse back.
“Hold on!” Jung Xiang shouted, “Vice General Li, since you’re here, why rush back? Dare you accept my challenge?” The losses suffered the previous night had dampened the morale of their side’s soldiers. If they could defeat Li Cong, it would surely boost their spirits.
“Why not?” Li Cong drew his sword and smiled arrogantly.
Jung Xiang and Li Cong then engaged in a fierce battle.
On the other side, Yang Zhuo paced outside his tent, furrowing his brows and pondering. After a while, his eyes lit up. “Spread the order. We will attack the city at dawn tomorrow! Tonight, we must prepare ourselves well and give them a great surprise in the morning.”
Jung Xiang and Li Cong fought relentlessly, unable to determine the winner. Both sides’ commanders had no choice but to call them back.
After nightfall, Yang Zhuo sent out a large force that mysteriously returned with bags of something. As soon as Yan Ge smelled the aroma, he knew what it was, and he eagerly anticipated the battle ahead.
When the first twilight of dawn appeared in the east, Yang Zhuo gave an order, and the whole army was mobilized and approached the city gate.
“Catapults! Ready!”
“Boom!”
The stones struck the city wall, creating a loud noise that alarmed the defending soldiers, who rushed to the city walls.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!” The sound of war drums echoed through the air as the defending soldiers beat them with intensity, resembling a summer downpour.
The resounding beats sent shivers down the spine, almost waking up the entire capital city.
Those who were still in deep sleep suddenly sat up in bed, anxiously listening for any signs of disturbance, only to remember after a while that there was a military exercise taking place at the South Gate. They breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, the city walls became crowded with people. Yang Zhuo smiled with satisfaction. “Just as I hoped! Switch to the ash eggs!”
“Whoosh whoosh!” Grayish-white projectiles, the size of watermelons, were launched by the catapults and hit the city walls. A white mist quickly enveloped the walls.
“Ah, my eyes!”
“Ah-choo! Ah-choo!”
Chaos erupted on the city walls.
The so-called “ash eggs” were actually lime projectiles that burst upon impact, scattering dust and ash. It happened to be a coincidence that the construction of the main streets in the capital was already seventy percent complete, and with surplus limestone, the court ordered a partial reconstruction of the four city gates leading to the outskirts. There was a considerable pile of limestone by the roadside nearby. Taking advantage of the night, Yang Zhuo had ordered people to transport a considerable amount over. With the dispersal of the lime, many enemy soldiers temporarily lost their combat effectiveness.
“Up the ladders! Charge with the battering ram!”
Ladders were set up, and soldiers climbed up, rushing towards the city walls. The cumbersome battering ram, manned by fully armed soldiers, forcefully struck the city gate. In two other directions, soldiers erected climbing ladders and ascended one by one.
Sun Yingxiong was taken by surprise by the enemy’s successive attacks, but he quickly regained his composure and issued a calm order, “Archers, release your arrows!”
“Whoosh whoosh whoosh—” Feathers rained down as the arrows were swiftly unleashed. The arrowheads were treated, wrapped in cloth, and coated with special white dye. Anyone stained with the dye was considered dead and voluntarily threw themselves off the wall. Thick straw was spread beneath the walls, causing no real casualties.
“Hah! Hah! Hah!” The soldiers responsible for the battering ram shouted in unison, vigorously ramming against the city gate.
Although the city gate was extremely sturdy, it gradually became unable to withstand the relentless assault of the battering ram.
“Bring oil!” Zhang Yingjie shouted loudly.
Jars of oil were poured along the outer wall of the city, instantly making the walls greasy. The soldiers who managed to climb up exclaimed a few times before falling back down.
Zhang Yingjie laughed heartily and shouted below, “Hehe! Consider yourselves fortunate that you’re not real enemies, otherwise, what I’d be pouring is boiling water or scalding oil!”
The people below helplessly got up, wiped their hands, and retreated to the side—they were all already “dead” soldiers.
“Fire again!” Sun Yingxiong, full of spirit, raised his arm and shouted.
Not wanting to be outdone, Yang Zhuo shouted, “Catapults!”
“Bang! Bang!” Several ash projectiles landed on the city walls.
“Ahhh!” The archers were disrupted, and the arrow barrage became momentarily chaotic.
“Ah!” Sun Yingxiong was also splattered, closing his eyes and smiling wryly. “Hiw did General Yang come up with this trick? Quickly bring water!”
“Yes!”
Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen stood under a tree not far away, nodding as they observed.
Huangfu Yuchen said, “Both sides have performed well in this exercise.”
“Indeed,” Yan Ge concurred.
“Boom—”
The heavy city gate was finally breached.
“Charge!”
“Ouch—” Enemy soldiers stumbled and fell before they could even take a few steps forward. The soldiers behind couldn’t brake in time and fell one by one. Upon closer inspection, the ground was also covered in oil!
With a smile on his face, Zhang Yingjie held an arrow, appearing leisurely as he marked each soldier with a white dot. “Concrete roads are truly excellent. The oil doesn’t seep in even when it’s poured on the ground.”
Jung Xiang, who led the attacking force, was so infuriated. Before he could get up, a soldier from the defending side marked a white dot on him, leaving him lying on the ground in frustration.
At this moment, excited shouts came from the soldiers on the city walls, “General Zhang, we’ve captured General Yang!”
Zhang Yingjie chuckled, “Really? They were caught so quickly?”
Outside the city walls, Yang Zhuo was trapped in a large net, and his clothes had three or four white dots.
Sun Yingxiong’s four soldiers, at the cost of their lives, jumped down from the wall. Although they were shot and killed by Yang Zhuo’s men, Yang Zhuo was still caught in the net and hadn’t managed to free himself before being shot by the archers on the city walls.
Yang Zhuo was the enemy’s main general, and his “death” signified the defeat of the enemy forces. The military exercise ended successfully with a victory for the defending side.
Yuchen and Huangfu Yuchen exchanged a smile and walked over.
All the soldiers knelt down together, “Greetings to the Emperor, long live Your Majesty—”
“Rise.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Huangfu Yuchen transmitted his voice using internal energy, and his voice filled with majesty and depth echoed overhead, “In this military exercise, both the enemy and the defenders displayed remarkable strategies and quick thinking. You didn’t disappoint Us or Yan Caiqing. You all have worked hard, and in the future, you shall devote even more heart and effort.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty! We will not disappoint Your Majesty and Yan Caiqing’s expectations!”
Huangfu Yuchen turned to Yang Zhuo, “I will leave this place to you. Arrange repairs for damaged things immediately. This is the new design for the city gate, arrange for people to rebuild it accordingly.”
“Yes.”
Before leaving, Yan Ge said to Yang Zhuo, “Once you’ve sorted out matters, come to the Tenglong Palace. I have something to discuss with you.”
“Yes.” Yang Zhuo shuddered at Yan Ge’s meaningful smile, and he glanced at Huangfu Yuchen.
Huangfu Yuchen appeared oblivious. He embraced Yan Ge’s waist and walked away.
