Chapter 50

The chaotic hooves of horses trampled the snow, and a large group of cavalry, numbering about six or seven hundred, surged from the distance. Banners fluttered, and the cries of men and horses filled the air.

At the front of the formation were two Mongol princes. One was Dai An Ergai of the Chao Hua tribe, and the other was Shanba of the Wulangha tribe.

Dai An Ergai was in his early thirties, with a full beard and a fierce appearance. He clutched a gem-encrusted curved sword and laughed maniacally, "Brother Shanba, this is just a small fortress, not worth much. A single charge from our brave warriors will take it down. If it weren't for those traitorous Nikan (Han people) hiding inside, we wouldn't even bother attacking them!"

Shanba, who looked rather simple and honest, quickly smiled and said, "That's right, Han officials are all cowards. When they attacked Dachen Fortress, they even offered silver to let them off and attack the River Bend Village instead. If Dachen Fortress is like this, what can a small village do?"

Dai An Ergai said with some regret, "Father Khan is too weak. The Jurchens can defeat the Ming, and we Mongol warriors can do the same. If Father Khan could give me ten thousand brave warriors, Yizhou, and even Guangning, would be our pastures!"

Shanba smiled and said, "Prince, your bravery will be known to the Khan."

Dai An Ergai scratched his beard and shouted loudly, "Warriors, attack the River Bend Village and kill all the Nikan!"

The Mongol soldiers all shouted in response. As professional raiders, they were much smarter than the mountain tigers. They pushed out more than ten shield carts, each adorned with banners, and a group of Mongol soldiers followed behind, slowly advancing towards the city walls.

As soon as the Mongols appeared, the village immediately mobilized. All the soldiers went to the walls, the remaining able-bodied men helped transport supplies and care for the wounded, and even the elderly, women, and children came out.

Everyone had escaped from the Tartars, and they all knew what would happen if they fell into their hands again. Therefore, no mobilization was needed; everyone was ready.

The sound of the ox horn startled Zhang Ke. These Tartars didn't even rest before attacking the city, clearly not taking him seriously!

Daring to underestimate me, I'll show you!

Zhang Ke didn't rush but carefully observed. The Tartars had twelve shield carts, and behind them, there were about one or two hundred soldiers, some carrying shields and sabers, others carrying ladders, and some with bows and arrows.

They were getting closer, already within sixty steps, and the city walls could even hear their breathing.

Qiao Tieshan approached Zhang Ke and whispered, "Should we use the cannons? To destroy the shield carts?"

Zhang Ke didn't answer but asked, "Uncle Qiao, are you confident?"

Qiao Tieshan shook his head, "Only I have fired the cannons in the city, but I'm not very good at it. I'm also worried about the barrels exploding, so I can't load too much powder. Therefore..."

"Then don't use them. Wait until the Tartars get closer before making a move!" Zhang Ke said calmly, "Tell the men, their fate is in their own hands. If they don't want to be slaves to the Tartars, they must follow orders and fight to the death!"

"I understand!"

Qiao Tieshan turned to give the orders. The Tartars finally reached within twenty to thirty steps. The Tartars hiding behind the shield carts surged out, pushing aside the obstacles at the base of the wall, and those carrying ladders quickly rushed towards the city walls.

According to the usual pattern, the city walls should have been filled with the sounds of arrows and muskets by now. But the city walls were eerily quiet, as if it were an empty city.

The Tartars had heard that the new residents of River Bend Village had only been there for less than ten days, with nothing, not even proper fortifications, just ice and branches. Such poor people could have nothing, and the Tartars grew more and more arrogant, thinking that once they charged in, the people inside would be at their mercy!

"Charge!"

The Tartars climbed the ladders, rushing towards the city walls. The fastest were less than ten feet away.

Boom!

The deep drumbeats suddenly sounded, and the quiet River Bend Village came to life.

From behind the battlements, countless soldiers emerged, picking up ice blocks and throwing them down like hail, catching the Tartars off guard.

A Tartar who was climbing up was hit directly in the face, the ice block with branches piercing his throat. Blood spurted out like an arrow, and his body fell heavily, crushing two Tartars behind him. Just then, a log was thrown down, hitting the two Tartars, who spat blood and were clearly dying.

Ice blocks, though lighter than stones, had their advantages. They could be larger and harder to avoid. The first wave of Tartars to reach the city walls all suffered, with two or three dozen hit, moaning in pain.

The Tartars were also startled by the sudden attack but quickly calmed down. The archers behind the shield carts rushed out, shooting arrows wildly.

Bang!

A soldier who was cutting the ladder with a saber was hit in the forehead by an arrow and fell. Five or six more soldiers were injured.

The Tartar archery skills were far superior to those of the mountain tigers. Their arrows were accurate and deadly, aiming for the face and neck. Even with armor, the soldiers suffered continuous casualties. The ice blocks on the city walls were significantly reduced, and the Tartars took advantage of this to regroup.

Fifty to sixty Tartars, under cover, climbed towards the city walls.

Zhang Ke knew that only a desperate fight would work. He stood up from the battlement, gripping his samurai sword and slashing at the ladder. One cut severed the ladder, and three Tartars fell.

"Trouble!"

From the next battlement, another Tartar rushed up. Zhang Ke leaped over and thrust his sword at the Tartar. The Tartar, experienced, blocked with his large shield.

However, he underestimated the sharpness of the samurai sword. It pierced through the rawhide and the hard wood, cutting into his left hand, severing his thumb.

The Tartar screamed in pain, retreating two steps and leaning against the battlement. Zhang Ke didn't give him a chance to breathe, swinging his sword with both arms, sending the shield flying and hitting the Tartar's chest, breaking two ribs.

Zhang Ke kicked him off the wall. Just as he was cutting down this Tartar, an arrow shot up from below. Zhang Ke quickly dodged, the arrow grazing his armor and leaving a spark. The flesh underneath burned. Zhang Ke was drenched in cold sweat; if he had been hit directly, he would have been either dead or seriously injured!

Enraged, Zhang Ke vented his anger on the Tartars. His combat skills, learned at the National Defense School, were the best among his classmates, and even some instructors couldn't match him. With a sharp samurai sword, Zhang Ke was like Zhao Zilong reincarnated.

Wherever there were Tartars, he charged, and more and more Tartars fell under his blade, boosting the morale of the new soldiers.

As the saying goes, the first to show their head gets shot. The Tartar archers below also noticed him. A Tartar sharpshooter nocked a heavy arrow and aimed at Zhang Ke.

"Despicable Nikan, die!"

Just as he was about to release the arrow, a sense of foreboding hit him. He turned his head in panic, and an arrow pierced his mouth, the tip penetrating his skull. The Tartar fell silently.

The archer was Qiao Fu. Knowing that his archers couldn't match the Tartars in either number or skill, he waited until the Tartars became more arrogant, thinking there were no archers on the walls. They boldly stepped out from behind the shield carts.

Qiao Fu gritted his teeth, and fifty archers fired together, the arrows raining down like locusts, killing or wounding over a dozen Tartar archers.

Seeing the attack failing and heavy casualties, Dai An Ergai was furious. The attack on Dachen Fortress hadn't been this bad, and a small ice city was causing such heavy losses, which was intolerable!

"Charge, all of you, charge! The first to enter the village will be rewarded with ten beautiful women and one hundred taels of silver!"

Heavy rewards always bring brave men, and the Tartars were no exception. Another hundred Tartars joined the battle, and the Tartars below the walls now numbered over four hundred, like a swarm of ants.

The archers shot arrows frantically, and the other Tartars climbed the ladders, fighting fiercely.

Qiao Fu and his men were also exposed, becoming the main targets of the Tartars. In a moment, six or seven archers fell, and Qiao Fu himself was hit in the shoulder, but it wasn't deep, and he gritted his teeth to endure it.

The casualties on the city walls were increasing, and the Tartars had broken through several points. Qiao Tieshan, Yue Zixuan, Ma Rufeng, and others were in fierce battles, covered in blood, unsure if it was their own or the enemy's.

Everyone was gritting their teeth, knowing that if they failed, their families would be doomed!

"Sir, we're here!"

Zhang Ke, in the midst of the bloody battle, turned his head and saw a group of people carrying things rushing up. Leading them was Sun Qi, the old man with an injured foot, limping up to the city walls.

Ma Biao couldn't help but say, "Grandpa Sun, you're so old, you don't need to come!"

"Hehe, silly boy, I'm here to bring you treasures! Quickly, install the hanging shields!"

Following Sun Qi's orders, everyone carried the things to the battlements. Only then did Zhang Ke realize what Sun Qi and his men had made!

Using hard wood as a frame, covered with animal skins or cotton quilts, and drenched in water, the hanging shields were placed over the battlements to defend against arrows.

The hanging shields blocked the battlements, greatly reducing the effectiveness of the arrows from below, allowing the soldiers to catch their breath. However, Zhang Ke was curious about where Sun Qi and his men had gotten so many skins, as it would take hundreds to make them.

"Old Sun, this..."

Sun Qi laughed, "Sir, didn't you give us so many skins?"

"Yes, but weren't they for making clothes?"

"Ha ha ha, old bones don't fear the cold, but we can't let the children die in vain!"

Sun Qi turned and went down the wall. He was wearing tattered shoes with holes, and his feet, from the toes to the ankles, were red and swollen with frostbite, some still bleeding!

"Brothers, kill all the Tartars!" Zhang Ke shouted madly.

Suddenly, twenty or thirty soldiers rushed from the back, each carrying a wooden box. On the city walls, they lit the fuses, and sparks crackled.

These wooden boxes were the powerful defensive weapons, "Ten Thousand Enemy Killers." They were supposed to have clay shells, but Zhang Ke didn't have the time, so he used jars instead, freezing them with a thick layer of ice and sealing them with wooden strips.

When thrown down, the explosions were continuous, shaking the ice city and making it creak. When the smoke cleared, the view below was filled with Tartar corpses.

Blood and flesh were mangled, and the wounded were moaning in pain, struggling weakly. The few who survived were terrified. At that moment, the tiger squat cannons also fired, shooting iron sand at the fleeing Tartars.

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