Chapter 5: A Cunning Stratagem Confounds East and West

Li Dong’s words had a powerful effect. Who would willingly allow their home to be invaded, their food and money stolen, or their daughters violated? Even if one had no daughter, there was still a wife or a mother to protect. The people were greatly encouraged and vowed to defend Zhangqiu to the death, refusing to let the bandits breach their city. Those who had previously harbored fear now stood tall and grew braver.

Sensing the moment was right, Li Dong sent the townsfolk to the east gate, leaving a portion to guard the north. In the dead of night, Zhi Shilang ordered his men to lower their banners and silence their drums. They moved stealthily, using the glow atop the city walls as their beacon, creeping quietly towards the city’s base.

Li Dong ascended the north gate. Below, blades and spears gleamed amid the chaos—Wang Bo’s army had arrived, and tension knotted his chest. Unlike the world he once knew, here, cold steel and sheer numbers ruled the battlefield. If the wall was breached and hundreds swarmed him, there would be little hope of escape.

The city defenders spotted the enemy’s approach and hefted stones, ready to hurl them into the dense ranks below. Li Dong quickly stopped them. “It’s not yet time. If you throw now, they can easily dodge. Wait until they’re halfway up the ladders—then, suspended above the ground, there’ll be no escape. A single strike will topple some and drag others down with them. Falling from that height, they’ll be too injured to fight. It will ease our defense.”

The soldiers quietly set the stones back down. Their young faces were taut with tension, the firelight reflecting their anxiety. Below, the enemy’s weapons glinted ever closer, every detail visible. The scent of danger and death shrouded the battlements.

Suddenly, the attackers at the base of the ladders unleashed a torrent of arrows. The sky darkened with shafts—some wedged into cracks in the wall, a few struck unprepared defenders, but most clattered harmlessly off shields and fell into the walkway.

The city’s defenders, eager for action, fixed their eyes on Li Dong, awaiting his command to strike back. Li Dong raised the command flag high and shouted, “Release!”

In an instant, stakes, stones, arrows, and flaming balls of cotton and cloth rained down upon the besiegers. The enemy was struck down in heaps—crushed by stones, burned by fire, pierced by arrows—their screams echoing through the night. Yet still, the bandits pressed forward, wave after wave, surging at the city walls.

At that moment, thunderous cries erupted from the east gate as well—the enemy had begun their assault there, and the county captain led his men into deadly combat. Ordinary townsfolk on the walls ferried weapons to the defenders, who hurled them down upon the attackers like dumplings into boiling water.

But the enemy outnumbered the defenders tenfold. Though suffering heavy losses, they pushed forward in droves, pulling out weapons and engaging the defenders in brutal, close combat at the base of the wall. The clash of weapons rang out like a storm, shaking the heavens.

The bandits soon deployed a new kind of ladder—longer, wider, bridging the wall so their soldiers could leap directly onto the parapet. In the blink of an eye, their numbers swelled several times over.

Li Dong ordered the second group of defenders to focus on these ladders—simply to shove them off the wall with all their might. As the ladders toppled, the attackers crashed to the ground below. Yet still, like sesame seeds on a flatbread, the enemy swarmed densely; a few managed to scramble up.

Li Dong seized a saber, leapt into the fray, and fought the invaders hand to hand. The second group of defenders joined the melee, encircling the enemy. No sooner had they dispatched one wave than another pressed on.

Seeing the peril, some townsfolk joined the fight, hauling stones to hurl down upon the attackers. The strength of many is formidable; the citizens’ involvement bolstered their defense, repelling the enemy’s second assault. Still, more enemies climbed desperately upward; the situation remained critical.

Li Dong then ordered a large pile of charcoal to be set ablaze, the flames towering so high they could be seen from afar in the dark night. He paused to listen for sounds from the western gate, which soon erupted in fierce battle. It seemed Du Fuwei and Fu Gongtuo had seen the signal, opened the gate, and charged out, clashing with the ambushers outside.

Just then, from the darkness below, an arrow shot toward Li Dong. He was listening intently to the battle, unprepared. A defender nearby saw it coming and threw himself in front of Li Dong, taking the arrow in his chest. With a pained cry, the soldier staggered and nearly fell from the wall. Li Dong, startled by the scream, caught him by the belt just in time. But another arrow came suddenly, and Li Dong deflected it with his saber. The soldier, his grip abruptly loosened, fell like a log from the wall, crashing down upon several unlucky attackers below.

Li Dong was filled with regret. The soldier had saved his life, dying in his place. He had hoped to recover the body and give it a proper burial, but in the chaos, that was unlikely now. Stones, stakes, and flaming balls rained down, mangling the bodies at the wall’s base beyond recognition—friend and foe alike indistinguishable, many charred to blackened stumps.

Meanwhile, the sounds of battle at the west gate faded into the distance—Du Fuwei had likely broken through. Of course, there remained the possibility he had been captured or killed, but Li Dong recalled history: Du Fuwei would dominate for years yet, and would not perish tonight. Such cunning and valiant men are not easily slain. Sending him to seek reinforcements outside had come with that very hope; fortune, as they say, favors the bold.

During a lull in the enemy assault, the county captain hurried from the east wall to the north to find Li Dong. His face was blackened with soot, streaked by sweat, clear evidence of his valiant defense and the successful preservation of the north gate.

Wiping his brow, the captain, breathless, said, “Our defenders at the north gate have suffered heavy losses. I fear we won’t withstand the next assault.”

He stepped closer, and the two stood face to face. Li Dong reassured him, “The enemy’s fatal weakness has been exposed in this battle. If we can endure the next attack, we’ll have a way to drive them off.” He patted the captain on the shoulder in comfort.

To his surprise, the captain’s eyes bulged in pain, his face contorting as he cried out. Li Dong saw a deep cut on his shoulder, blood oozing slowly from the wound—the very spot he had just patted. Embarrassed, Li Dong chuckled and apologized, “Ah, sorry, truly sorry. That was unintentional.”

The captain gritted his teeth against the pain for a long moment, then steadied himself and asked, “What is the enemy’s weakness?”

Li Dong leaned in close and whispered, “This is a great secret—just between us. Zhi Shilang’s force has marched nearly a hundred miles to get here. His men and horses are exhausted. He shouldn’t have attacked tonight. The best strategy would have been to rest and recover, then attack at dawn. That would have made our defense much harder.”

The captain’s face lit up. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? So, how do we use this weakness?”

Li Dong chuckled darkly, then, with deliberate mischief, patted the captain’s wounded shoulder again, saying, “I was going to send you out of the city, but seeing your condition…”

The captain, just recovering from the first blow, was struck again and snapped, “That one was on purpose, wasn’t it?”

Li Dong pulled a face. “This time, yes!” he replied inwardly, “You and your father have long been at odds. I’m defending the city for everyone, not for those who stand against us.” Aloud, he said, “You’re wounded. It’s not convenient for you to lead a sortie. I’ll take the defenders out to lay an ambush myself.”

The captain considered Li Dong’s words. With his wound, leading men outside would be a death sentence—and he lacked the courage to do so. He relented, forgiving Li Dong’s deliberate slap.

Dear friends, if you have votes, cast them with all your might! We are ranked thirteenth, just one step from the leaderboard.

Thank you, readers, for joining us. The latest, fastest, and most popular serials await you!