Chapter 3: The Han People Would Rather Die than Surrender

Tens of thousands of enemy troops appeared outside Yanmen Pass again.

Wei Yuan and other generals were waiting in formation.

However, the enemy did not launch an attack. They just wandered a few hundred steps outside the city and then returned to the camp.

Late at night, all the soldiers gradually fell into sleep.

Sudden!

The drums sound again!

Wei Yuan and Xu Changzhi reacted instantly, and the latter cursed:

"It's just that I'm not allowed to eat. How come you're not even allowed to have a good night's sleep?"

This time, the enemy still did not attack.

Same thing the next day.

Wei Yuan knew that this was the Liao army's strategy to tire out the enemy.

Its purpose is to disrupt the offensive attacks of the three teams in sequence.

After all, if a team of soldiers and horses is disturbed and loses its energy, the advantage of taking turns to defend the city will be lost.

"There is no way to continue like this. We can't tell which time they are feinting and which time they are real attacking!"

Xu Changzhi was worried.

The enemy troops are numerous and they can come here to rest.

However, there are only 3,000 soldiers at Yanmen Pass. On weekdays, a thousand soldiers are needed to defend the city. It is really difficult to face the enemy's strategy.

Wei Yuan thought for a moment and said: "The enemy's baggage has not arrived, so they will not attack the city rashly."

"Come on, no matter what sound you hear, unless I give an order, you will treat it as if you haven't heard it."

"Send two more people to take turns keeping watch. As soon as the enemy comes to attack, they will light up the smoke. When the enemy sees the smoke, even if it is a real attack, it will become a feint."

"In addition, send a few more scouts to monitor the enemy's movements. As soon as the baggage arrives, report it immediately!"

Xu Changzhi bowed: "No!"

In the remaining days, according to Wei Yuan's countermeasures, the soldiers really got enough rest, and the enemy did not attack rashly.

On the ninth day after the Liao soldiers attacked the city, Wei Yuan received news that the enemy's baggage had arrived!

"As soon as the siege weapons arrived, these Liao bandits couldn't wait to attack the city!"

At this moment, on the top of the city, Xu Changzhi saw that the enemy troops were gathering a thousand steps away.

Outside Yanmen Pass, the terrain is flat and vast. As long as you have good eyesight, you can't hide the enemy's movements from them.

"Tell the soldiers that the previous battles were all child's play. The real battle is coming!"

Wei Yuan ordered.

After a stick of incense.

The enemy attacked brazenly.

"Fire the arrow!"

Wei Yuan shouted.

Countless arrows were shot at the enemy.

However, this time, the Liao soldiers had various siege equipment to help them, and they also had long shield soldiers to advance slowly. The Zhou army had more than half of its arrow advantage.

"Prepare for rockfall!"

Wei Yuan ordered again.

Xu Changzhi saw that the enemy troops had set up ladders and frowned:

"Commander of the guard, you are now the guard general of Yanmen, the backbone of all the officers and soldiers. The general will guard here, and you will sit in the rear!"

Wei Yuan said in a deep voice: "If Yanmen is lost, the rear will be lost!"

At the moment when the Zhou army used the falling stone, the Liao soldiers' trebuchet also hit the city head hard.

"Put up your shield and get out of the way!"

Even if Wei Yuan orders it, go ahead.

But there were still soldiers who were hit by the boulder. In an instant, their flesh and blood were bloody and stained the city wall red.

"kill!"

The sounds of fighting and killing from both sides of the enemy were shaking the heaven and the earth.

This time, the Liao soldiers attacked the city like crazy, not counting casualties at all.

Someone has climbed onto the city wall.

Wei Yuan held a simple sword in his hand, led more than ten people, and committed suicide himself.

As he swung his sword, heads rolled off the city wall, and blood soaked into the red armor.

"kill!"

Feeling the stimulation of the blood, Wei Yuan's mind went blank and his blood boiled, ready to kill the enemy whenever he met.

Any soldiers who climbed onto the city wall were beheaded by Wei Yuan before they could swing a sword.

Scarlet blood surged up like a fountain.

At this moment, all the warriors of the Great Zhou Dynasty seemed to be bathed in blood, their most primitive fighting spirit was aroused, and they seemed to have no pain.

Even if someone was shot by the enemy's arrow, or even passed through his chest, he continued to kill the enemy with his sword as if he was fine.

They may not have noticed the injuries on their bodies, or they may know that once they stop killing the enemy with their blades, they are likely to die.

After a fierce fight, the enemy's offensive finally came to a halt and they began to withdraw their troops one after another.

A famous Zhou general breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the enemy retreat, leaned against the city wall, and slowly closed his eyes.

At this time, when the famous soldiers saw the injuries on his body, they all looked horrified and were about to blurt out,

"Brother, you"

Before he finished speaking, Wei Yuan signaled him to shut up.

However, the tense-hearted soldier noticed some movements and suddenly opened his eyes and said: "Commander Wei, you..."

Suddenly, he felt pain in his chest and abdomen. When he lowered his head, he saw that his armor was damaged and there were injuries caused by a knife blade inserted into his chest and abdomen. The blood stained his lower body red.

Seeing this, he spit out a mouthful of blood, glanced at Wei Yuan, smiled, said nothing, closed his eyes and never opened them again.

Wei Yuan sighed and looked around. There were ruins and corpses scattered everywhere. Every step he took was like stepping on red mud.

"The first team, withdraw and rest, the third team, prepare to defend the city!"

Wei Yuan did not feel sad for those soldiers who died, but more of regret.

In war, the most valuable thing is human life, and the least valuable thing is human life.

For more than ten days, Yanmen Pass suffered the most tragic city defense battle since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty.

Of the three thousand soldiers, only a few hundred were killed or injured.

One of Xu Changzhi's arms was broken and he was hit by several arrows.

If it weren't for his amazing perseverance, he would have fainted from the pain.

As for Wei Yuan, he was not feeling well either. He had more than ten knife wounds on his body.

All of them were caused by the enemy soldiers who climbed the city gate.

He and Xu Changzhi huddled together, looking at their colleagues who were struggling to stand up. They knew very well that they might not be able to defend this city.

Xu Changzhi spit out a mouthful of saliva, which was mixed with a little blood. He gritted his teeth and asked unwillingly:

"Brother Wei, we have been guarding for a full 27 days, and the Duke of Ying and his men have not made any movement. Have they regarded us as abandoned pawns?"

Abandoned pawns?

Wei Yuan smiled, "The city under our feet is Yanmen!"

"Commander Wei, the enemy is coming again."

The only scout left in the army stood up tremblingly and reported to Wei Yuan.

Hearing the sound.

Wei Yuan saw the enemy troops gathering through the gaps between the battlements.

He glanced at the scout and said in a deep voice:

"Here, I have more than 300 suicide notes, all written by me for my brothers in the past few days. There are many comrades who didn't even leave a suicide note, and even their bodies can't be found."

"You are a scout, familiar with the terrain of the northern border, and know which road to take and how to go in order to survive. Take the suicide note back, please."

The scout's eyes widened immediately, "General, are you asking me to be a deserter?"

Wei Yuan shook his head, "Not a deserter. The enemy is about to rush in, and I don't have time to talk nonsense with you. Just think of it as me and my brothers begging you."

The scout's nose was sour, and he looked at the hopeful eyes of his comrades around him, and couldn't help but burst into tears.

Wei Yuan took off the bag on his back, "Everyone's suicide note is here, as well as the silver I saved over the years, and the jade hairpin I bought."

"Give the silver to my second sister, and the hairpin to my eldest sister, and tell her that this is a gift for my niece."

"Go inside, there's an address."

The scout stopped being pretentious, put on his bag, bowed deeply to Wei Yuan and everyone else, and said:

"If there's a chance, even in the next life, I'll follow you to kill the enemy again, my comrades, take care!"

After saying this, he went down the city without looking back.

Then, Wei Yuan slowly stood up.

The rest of the soldiers followed suit.

Wei Yuan looked at everyone, and then at the scars all over their bodies. He was silent for a long time, but held the weapons tightly in his hands.

Outside the city, Liao soldiers urged them to surrender in unison.

Hearing this, Wei Yuan turned to face the enemy, and the others did the same, all with firm eyes, without the slightest intention of retreating.

Xu Changzhi handed the banner with the word "Zhou" printed on it to Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan took a deep breath and shouted: "Han men would rather die than surrender!"

Xu Changzhi shouted: "Han men would rather die than surrender!"

Lin Zhaoyuan from Jingdong Road shouted: "Han men would rather die than surrender!"

Chen Aniu from Hebei Road shouted: "Han men would rather die than surrender!"

Hedong Road.

The few hundred people who remained shouted: "Han men would rather die than surrender!"

Yanmen, which had long been stained with blood, was closed, and the figures of the people looked a little desolate.

The banner with the word "Zhou" drifted with the yellow sand.

Yanmen! Would rather die than surrender!