PDLP Chapter 274 Li Gang's Righteous Army Defends Dongping Prefecture
Chapter 274 Li Gang's Righteous Army Defends Dongping Prefecture
Upon receiving the secret letter urgently sent by Li Zhen via carrier pigeon, Li Gang had barely digested its meaning when another bolt of lightning pierced his heart like a sharp blade—Pingyin County, which he had painstakingly conquered and had not yet firmly established himself in, had fallen to the Jin army in the blink of an eye. Three thousand brave and fearless righteous soldiers and more than forty thousand innocent civilians had all suffered the brutal plunder of the Jin army; the entire city had been turned into a battlefield, filled with cries of despair and countless lives lost.
Li Gang was furious. He clenched his fists, as if to concentrate all his grief and hatred into this one blow, and slammed them heavily on the hard tabletop, making the teacup jump and the wood chips fly everywhere.
"The Jin invaders are utterly inhuman beasts! When two armies clash, each fighting for their own lord, why drag innocent civilians into this inhumane massacre!"
His voice was hoarse, each word dripping with emotion, and his eyes seemed to blaze with fire.
"Pass on my orders!"
Li Gang suddenly stood up, his eyes wide open, exuding an undeniable and chilling aura.
"From this day forward, regardless of whether the Jurchens are officials or civilians, anyone who sets foot on our territory will be considered an enemy and killed without mercy! Let those Jurchen traitors know that the spirit of the people of the Central Plains cannot be easily trampled upon by them!"
After speaking, he waved to his subordinates to quickly convey the order, while he stood alone in the room, his back view appearing particularly lonely and resolute, like an unshakable mountain, determined to protect this war-torn land and not allow any darkness to shroud it again.
Just as Li Gang was busily mobilizing his troops, preparing to lay out a strategic plan, an urgent military report arrived like a sudden storm, bringing shocking news: on the shores of Dongping Lake, the Jin navy, like ghosts in the night, launched a surprise attack on the rebel army's water camp. Li Gang's 20,000 elite naval forces, along with the large and small boats carrying hopes and dreams, were mercilessly swallowed up by the Jin army's iron hooves overnight, with no survivors.
Upon hearing this devastating news, Li Gang swayed, like a leaf falling in the autumn wind, about to collapse. Fortunately, several of his lieutenants reacted quickly and steadied him, preventing him from falling to the ground.
After a moment of disorientation, Li Gang finally came to his senses. He forced a resolute look onto his pale face and, in an almost murmured voice, instructed the generals gathered around him: "Quickly request reinforcements from the Li family army. The Jin invaders are advancing like a whirlwind. If we rely on our own strength, it is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock. Only by joining forces can we have a chance of survival."
After speaking, his gaze passed through the crowd and looked into the distance, where the unknown battlefield lay, a position they had to defend.
In reality, Li Gang didn't need to send that urgent letter requesting reinforcements at all, because the Li family army on the north bank of the Yellow River had already quietly taken action. Just as the main force of the Jin army had stepped onto the other side of the Yellow River, Qian Dazhuang had quietly dispatched an elite regiment to launch a surprise attack on several Jin army strongholds on the north bank of the Yellow River, not only burning down the pontoon bridges spanning the Yellow River, but also catching the Jin army off guard.
Moreover, Li Jiajun's cavalry followed closely, traversing between Yanggu and Dong'e counties like a sharp dagger, constantly severing the Jin army's supply lines. Under this relentless harassment, the Jin army's provisions and supplies could no longer be delivered smoothly to the front lines to support the soldiers fighting valiantly.
Upon hearing the news, Wanyan Ping's lips curled into a cold smile, his voice filled with undeniable contempt: "Mr. Li may be full of clever schemes, but under our overwhelming strength, those tricks are nothing but fleeting clouds. Issue my order: immediately mobilize the navy to transport grain along the Yellow River. Any garrison in Dong'e County who attacks without my command will be punished according to military law. Their ability to hold Dong'e is a great achievement."
His gaze then turned to the majestic city of Dongping. On the city walls, figures moved about busily as the rebel soldiers carried defensive equipment, preparing to face the approaching storm.
"Surround Dongping Prefecture completely, and don't let a single fly escape!"
Wanyan Ping's expression was cold and stern, his tone revealing his determination to wipe out this band of rebels in one fell swoop.
"I'll show these bandits what true, overwhelming power is!"
After a day of preparation, the Jin army finally launched its siege at dawn on the third day. The first wave of attack surged like a tidal wave, with over 20,000 golden-armored warriors launching a fierce assault from the northwest flanks of the city. The defending rebels, facing this sudden storm, did not flinch. With unwavering resolve, they met the attack head-on, engaging in a desperate struggle.
The logs, like roaring angry dragons, cascaded down from the city walls with overwhelming force, repeatedly disrupting the enemy's offensive. Rolling stones, like the collapse of the heavens and earth, tumbled down from above, leaving Jin soldiers lying dead in their wake, their cries of agony echoing across the battlefield. On the city walls, arrows rained down, weaving a dense, impenetrable net of death. The air was thick with the stench of blood and scorched earth; the ferocity of the battle was horrifying.
As dawn broke, the war drums had been beating for some time. Outside Dongping Prefecture, clashing swords and galloping horses filled the air, raising clouds of dust. Wanyan Ping stood before the enemy lines, his expression stern, his gaze piercing. Finally, at his command, his artillery battalion, like long-dormant beasts, slowly entered the smoke-filled battlefield, ready to display the sharpness of the Jin army's firearms on this ancient land.
Under the cover of an elite Jin army unit, the artillery battalion cautiously approached the city gates of Dongping Prefecture. They carried explosives painstakingly crafted by Jin artisans, explosives imbued with a thirst for victory and a tentative exploration of the unknown. As the fuse was carefully lit, a spark leaped, as if signaling a change in fortune. Then, an irresistible force silently accumulated until it reached a critical point.
With a deafening roar, the world changed color. The heavy wooden city gate, under the relentless power of the explosives, shattered into pieces, splintering wood and blotting out the sun. The moment the city gate collapsed seemed to foreshadow the breaking down of the barriers of the old era by a new force. The Jin army's firearms, with their awe-inspiring power, proclaimed the arrival of a new era to everything within Dongping Prefecture.
This time, the use of explosives was extraordinary. Not only did it tear open the iron wall of Dongping Prefecture's city gate with a loud bang, but it also caused a corner of the majestic city gate tower to collapse. Amidst the flying debris, the righteous soldiers on the city gate tower were unfortunately severely injured, and cries of agony filled the air.
Seeing this, the Jin army poured out without hesitation, surging into the city like a tidal wave, every eye gleaming with the desire for victory. The rebel army inside the city was equally determined; their morale soared under the rallying cry of their leader, they formed a defensive line with their own flesh and blood, fighting back fiercely, vowing to defend this land to the death.
Meanwhile, the craftsmen in the city, facing a dense hail of arrows like locusts, seemed to have forgotten about life and death. Braving the rain of arrows, with astonishing perseverance and superb craftsmanship, they raced against time to repair the city walls and gates that had been blasted to pieces.
In that life-or-death battle, the rebel army, with their fearless courage, built an unbreakable wall of flesh and blood. Although the Jin army once broke through the defenses and entered the city, they ultimately failed to gain a foothold and were swept back out by this indomitable torrent. However, the price of victory was heavy; the rebel army paid the price of nearly ten thousand warriors' lives. Behind this cold number lies the unspeakable pain in Li Gang's heart.
These rebel soldiers were once his elite troops, the invincible blade that had cut through countless battles. Their sacrifice was like a knife cutting into his heart, filling Li Gang with an overwhelming sense of grief and sorrow.