usatvline Chapter 216 The city walls are surrounded by mountains and forests!
Chapter 216 The city walls are surrounded by mountains and forests!
Just as the experts from Bureau 749 were laughing so hard they were doubled over.
On the city wall of Xianyang, the atmosphere became heavy once again.
Another scout rushed up the city wall, and without even saluting, knelt down to report:
"Report—!"
"The situation outside the city is critical!"
All eyes instantly focused on him, and everyone held their breath.
The scout steadied his breathing and reported in a trembling voice:
"Your Majesty, esteemed officials!"
"General Wang Li's main force is engaged in fierce fighting with General Fang Jie's troops in the western jungle!"
"Both sides suffered heavy losses..."
The faces of the people on the city wall darkened.
"Explain clearly, what exactly are the losses?"
Wang Ben asked in a deep voice.
The scout's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to speak:
"Reporting back to General Wang Ben!"
"According to statistics, General Wang Li's unit suffered 2 'casualties'!"
"General Fang Jie's unit also suffered no fewer than this number of 'casualties'!"
This statement came out.
A gasp of surprise rang out from the generals' ranks!
Although I had a premonition, hearing the numbers in person was still hard to accept.
The civil officials looked at each other, their expressions extremely complex.
The spy continued:
"And...and the grain transport team responsible for transporting provisions to General Wang Li's troops!"
"All three hundred men were captured by Zhang Fan's troops and all were 'killed in action'!"
The brows of military generals like Wang Ben and Meng Tian furrowed even more deeply.
"What about Zhang Fan?"
One veteran couldn't help but ask, "How many men did he lose?"
The scout took a deep breath, his voice tinged with disbelief:
"Reporting back to the general, Zhang Fan led eight hundred men!"
"During the interception of supplies, only... only thirty men were 'killed'!"
These words struck like a thunderclap on the city wall!
The military officers were immediately thrown into an uproar, their shock evident in their expressions.
"What?!"
"Eight hundred against three hundred, and they only lost thirty men? This... how is this possible?"
"Even with the advantage of a surprise attack, the disparity in numbers couldn't possibly be this huge! This doesn't make sense!"
"..."
A military officer shook his head vigorously, looking at the scout in disbelief.
The civil officials, in turn, found another target to attack.
Shao Fu Zong Yu was the first to challenge, questioning in a sarcastic tone:
"Did you see clearly?"
"Did Zhang Fan's unit really only lose a mere thirty men?"
"Could it be that they're exaggerating their military situation to cover up their disastrous defeat?"
"That's right! You spies, don't be misled by the evil Taoist priest and spout nonsense!"
Another civil official echoed this sentiment.
Upon hearing this, the scout immediately knelt down and kowtowed, his tone firm:
"Your Honor, you've been wronged! We saw it with our own eyes, there's absolutely no falsehood!"
"Zhang Fan's troops employ unpredictable tactics, working in groups of three with impeccable teamwork!"
"By the time the 300 people realized what was happening, they were covered in lime powder and completely powerless to resist!"
Upon hearing the scout's resolute reply, Wang Ben's face suddenly turned deathly pale.
His mind raced, rapidly analyzing the battle situation—
"We've run out of food... Our supplies have been stolen!"
Wang Ben muttered to himself, a hint of despair in his voice.
"Li'er and the others haven't had any supplies for over a day!"
"Now that our supplies have been seized, morale will surely suffer a severe blow!"
"More importantly, the warhorses... the warhorses are definitely unusable!"
If warhorses don't get enough fodder, their stamina will drop rapidly!
It is simply not capable of supporting high-speed marches and charges into battle!
This means that Wang Li's army will be severely restricted, its marching speed will be greatly reduced, and it may even be unable to launch cavalry raids!
Wang Ben's eyes were filled with anxiety:
"If it's the remaining 700 troops at city towers six through ten!"
"If we can't stop Zhang Fan... we're likely to lose this military exercise!"
He now clearly understands Zhang Fan's intentions!
That kid had no intention of fighting a direct battle with Wang Li!
aside.
Seeing Wang Ben's anxious expression, Meng Tian patted him on the shoulder.
He tried to comfort her:
"Brother Wang Ben, there's no need to worry too much!"
"Although Zhang Fan seized the supplies, his eight hundred men are going to attack city towers six through ten, facing seven hundred well-prepared defenders!"
"In terms of numbers, Zhang Fan has no chance of winning!"
"Besides, Li'er is already on her way back to provide reinforcements!"
"If we arrive in time, we can attack from both sides, and Zhang Fan will have nowhere to escape!"
"He's nothing but a cornered beast struggling in its death throes!"
Meng Tian's words sounded firm and resolute, attempting to dispel Wang Ben's concerns.
However, an ominous premonition welled up in Wang Ben's heart.
Since Zhang Fan dared to go to Li'er's old lair, how could he not have thought of this?
What other tricks does he have up his sleeve?
On the city wall.
After a brief period of noise, an eerie silence descended once more.
The trajectory of this military exercise has far exceeded their expectations.
……
at the same time.
On the No. 7 city gate tower.
One hundred soldiers under Wang Li's command were leisurely stationed there.
Some were dozing against the wall, while others gathered in twos and threes, chatting about interesting stories from Xianyang!
In their view, Zhang Fan's main force was being besieged by General Wang Li and General Fang Jie, and their rear was impregnable.
However, this leisurely state was soon shattered.
"What is that?"
A sharp-eyed sentry suddenly pointed to the distant mountains and forests and exclaimed in surprise.
Following the direction he pointed, everyone saw countless swaying figures suddenly appearing on the hillsides surrounding the city gate!
These figures surged in from all directions and quickly surrounded the No. 7 city gate.
Immediately afterwards, a deafening roar of shouts came from all directions:
"Listen up, you people inside! You are surrounded!"
"Put down your weapons! Disarm and you will not be killed!"
The shouts were deafening, as if a thousand troops had surrounded the place completely!
The hundred soldiers guarding the No. 7 city tower were immediately terrified, their faces turning ashen!
They never imagined that the enemy would appear in their rear without them noticing!
"Enemy...enemy attack! Quick! Light the smoke signals!"
The commander on the city wall was terrified and roared at the top of his lungs.
A soldier rushed frantically to the beacon tower and lit the prepared smoke signal.
In an instant, a thick column of black smoke shot into the sky, which was particularly dazzling in the clear sky!
at the same time.
The No. 6 and No. 8 city towers, which are not far apart, saw the distress signal almost at the same time.
"Oh no! It's the smoke signal from Gate Tower Seven!"
On the sixth city tower, the captain in charge changed his expression drastically.
He had two hundred soldiers under his command, and he was extremely anxious as he watched the straight plume of black smoke.
"The general has ordered all city towers to stand guard and assist each other!"
"The loss of Gate Tower No. 7 is entirely our responsibility!"
"Quickly! Gather one hundred men and come with me to provide support!"
The same scene also played out on Gate Tower No. 8.
The commander of the No. 8 city gate also dispatched most of his troops to rush to the No. 7 city gate.
Their anxiety wasn't solely due to military orders!
More importantly, for a crucial reason—
For easier resupply!
Most of the grain and fodder for city towers number eight and nine!
They were all stored in the No. 7 city gate tower, which is located in the center of the terrain!
Once the No. 7 tower falls, it's not just about losing a stronghold!
This also means that their supply lines to these city towers will be completely cut off!