From the city gate tower, Li Man'er gazed into the distance by the torchlight.
The cold wind was biting, and the dark night lay like a monstrous beast, crouching nearby, its gaping maw already open, revealing its fangs.
Li Man'er's gaze was deep and resolute, her eyes holding a light that dared not be met directly.
Ah Si, standing beside her, felt a tremor of fear, as if Li Man'er were plotting something as momentous as a great and tumultuous event.
"Miss, it's windy on the city wall. You should come down."
"No need," Li Man'er replied. "Have you checked the trebuchets? Are there enough stones?"
"I have checked, miss. Everything is in order. I've also inspected the city gates and, as you requested, prepared two siege engines. One was sent to the north gate as well."
Li Man'er's interest piqued. "Let's go take a look."
"Yes." Ah Si accompanied Li Man'er down from the tower to inspect the siege engines blocking the city gate.
The soldiers of the Iron Blood Camp saluted them as soon as they saw Li Man'er. "General."
"General."
Though Li Man'er was a young woman, she could slay enemies without batting an eye. She was not only capable of fighting on the battlefield but also tended to the wounded soldiers, changing their bandages and treating their injuries. Anyone could see that she truly regarded these soldiers as brothers, earning their respect and loyalty.
"How are things? Do you all understand the function of these siege engines?"
One brave soldier replied, "Miss Ah Si explained it to us. These engines will block the gate. If the barbarians rush in, they won't dare to crash into them. We can then shoot arrows at them from behind."
Li Man'er raised her voice, "Precisely. That's their purpose. Barbarians are people too; they fear blades and spears. With such a large siege engine blocking the way, they'll have to sacrifice their lives to get through."
"Sacrifice their lives!"
The soldiers cheered, their voices resounding with great fervor.
Li Man'er then asked them to demonstrate.
A few trained soldiers stepped forward and, working together, pushed the siege engine to the gate, propping it against the sides before quickly removing its wheels. This made the engine almost immovable, requiring a large number of men to push it. The barbarian attackers, not made of steel, would be certain to die if they collided with it.
Conversely, if their own forces needed to sortie, they could simply reattach the wheels and have a few men pull the engine aside.
Seeing their skillful movements, Li Man'er knew they had practiced extensively and nodded in approval.
"Yes, that's right. With these siege engines, the brothers will suffer fewer casualties," Li Man'er said. "Everyone must learn how to operate them and cooperate in moving them."
"Yes."
"Rest assured, General."
Li Man'er nodded, turned to leave, and asked Ah Si, "Has the guard changed at the north gate? Who is on duty today?"
"It's still General Jia."
Li Man'er felt an inexplicable sense of unease. It was Jia Er again. They had been on duty for a long time. Even if the north gate was relatively peaceful, the men should be rotated for rest.
Upon reaching the city gate tower, Zhang Jingfeng hurried over. "General, a scout just reported that the barbarian army is only ten li from here."
"It seems they've razed our defenses at Xiashi Beach. Are they camped there?"
"Yes! The terrain there is flat and open, suitable for setting up camp. I heard that people from other tribes are also arriving."
"How many this time, and who is leading them?"
"More than seventy thousand in total. The leader is Ge'er Dunzhu, and I think there was another one named..."
"Ha Yuezhu."
Zhang Jingfeng immediately nodded. "Yes, it was that Yue Zhu, and I think she's a woman."
Li Man'er shot him a glare. What's wrong with a woman? She then proceeded up the city wall.
Ah Si snorted and quickly followed Li Man'er. She was now Li Man'er's personal guard and aimed to stay by her side at all times.
"I didn't mean it that way," Zhang Jingfeng sighed, about to say more when Lu Fang and Lu Liang approached.
"Where have you two been?"
Lu Fang chuckled, "It's Lu Liang. He insisted on going to see the siege engines and wouldn't be pulled away."
"Did you see it? What do you think?"
Lu Liang paused for a moment, then thoughtfully replied, "The concept is ingenious, but the craftsmanship isn't quite up to par."
"Let me tell you, this is good enough. Consider the tight timeline. It's remarkable that they were produced at all." Zhang Jingfeng seemed to have reverted to his arrogant, untamed warrior persona, but this time, he was clearly on Li Man'er's side.
This realization made Lu Fang's heart sink slightly. Li Man'er was indeed skilled at winning people over; in just two days, she had changed Zhang Jingfeng's tune. If this continued, it might jeopardize their grand plan.
Lu Fang remained outwardly composed, gazing into the boundless darkness of the night, his thoughts unknown.
The cold wind whipped the flags on the parapet, making them flap noisily. A soldier on guard couldn't help but lean into the lee side of the wall, trying to warm himself. Perhaps due to a change in angle, he suddenly spotted a faint gleam of silver in a distant corner below the city.
The light was faint, barely discernible without a close look. The soldier squinted, straining to see, and realized it was the faint reflection of weapons illuminated by the moon!
"Enemy attack! The barbarians are here!" the soldier shouted, then ducked behind the battlements. With a 'whoosh,' an arrow flew over his head and landed somewhere unknown.
The firelight flared, and the discovered barbarians made no further attempt at concealment, revealing their full arsenal.
Trebuchets, battering rams, siege towers, and scaling ladders—they had brought everything. Li Shu's scouts were incompetent, failing to detect this. Li Man'er almost wanted to wave her hand and call the second battalion commander to bring up the artillery.
The battle was imminent. The soldiers on the city wall reacted quickly, grabbing their weapons to fight. Some raised shields to deflect the arrow volleys, while others held long spears, ready to fight to the death against the assaulting barbarians.
Archers stood in two rows, unleashing volleys of arrows at the command, showering the city walls with a hail of death, felling countless barbarians.
Li Man'er drew her bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the barbarian soldier controlling the furthest trebuchet. Zhang Jingyuan and Ah Si stood beside her, unsure of her target, and stared for a long time without seeing if the arrow had hit.
Li Man'er, however, clearly saw the trebuchet operator struck in the chest by an arrow and fall to the ground. However, someone quickly stepped forward to take his place and resume the stone-throwing.
Li Man'er swiftly loosed another arrow, hitting the man in the neck, piercing his throat.
"General shot two arrows. Did you see where they hit?"
Ah Si had no time to answer. She wielded her club with fierce vigor, knocking a barbarian who had just climbed onto the wall back down.