Chapter 1332 - 326: Stars_2

Chapter 1332: Chapter 326: Stars_2

It’s a pity,

Looking up again,

The sky overhead still seems to be the same as before, yet it also feels particularly distant.

Sang Hu doesn’t have the sentiment of wishing life could restart; instead, he has a sense of gratitude for life continuing to extend.

Yes,

Gratitude.

"Raise ——— Shoot!"

Inside Yangshan Village, the Chu people’s projectiles continue to fly.

On the tower, after an arrow hits the pillar in front of him, two guards immediately raise their shields to protect Chi Mingyi.

The Yan people’s earth-filling work is almost finished.

In fact, under normal conditions, Chi Mingyi should have dug two trenches at the camp’s main entrance last night. Trenches like these, when facing cavalry, are often more effective and reliable than caltrops and cheval de frise.

When the enemy attacks, Yangshan Village temporarily loses its central transfer function and switches to full defense, so the entrance should be blocked as quickly as possible to compensate for its weaknesses.

However, he was harassed by the Yan people throughout the night.

As the Yan people engaged in earthworks, he led his personal guards to constantly inspect the camp’s surroundings.

It wasn’t that he lacked the opportunity to act; it was that he was too cautious.

Before the expedition, his father-in-law from the Bai Family chose him over his elder brother-in-law to lead the Baipu troops precisely because of his prudence.

Compared to his brother-in-law, who was eager to march to the front lines and win glory for the family, he was more favored by his father-in-law.

But now, Chi Mingyi regrets that he was smug about this back then, as he’s now suffering the consequences of his caution.

The Yan people’s methodical and orderly progress is entirely based on his prudence.

If he had acted last night, the situation wouldn’t be gradually leveled by the Yan people in this manner.

However,

Chi Mingyi feels he hasn’t made a major mistake because he simply doesn’t understand why multiple signal fires have risen, multiple batches of Messenger Cavalry have been sent out, yet the Yan Army remains in front of him for a whole night and half a day.

Allies,

Where are the allies?

Finally, after several recent rounds of mutual arrow exchanges, the Yan people begin to retreat.

The earth-filling work is done.

The muddy ground in front of Yangshan Village, although impossible to fully level, is now capable of bearing weight, with thousands of horse hooves repeatedly trampling it down, seemingly doing a better job than workers using mallets to compact it.

The battle on both sides,

Once again falls into a short-lived calm.

Chi Mingyi licks his lips; under his command, the spearmen advance and re-form their ranks, and his commanders begin instructing their own soldiers.

The rattan-armored soldiers all come from Baipu, not all are from the Bai Clan, but essentially they are connected as fellow townsmen or relatives. Such troops often aren’t favored by true commanders because they are prone to disobedience, but used correctly, they can achieve remarkable results because they are resilient and not easily broken.

The real contest is about to begin.

Chi Mingyi turns his head, looking at the six tarpaulin-covered blocks in the center of the formation below.

The two trebuchets originally stationed inside his camp had been sent away the day before; after the rain, he had dispatched people to check the far distance and reported that one messenger rider had been killed.

Though they only found the remains of the battle horse’s meat, the horse is dead, so could the rider atop it possibly survive?

It’s likely the accompanying Yan scouts took the corpse away.

Nonetheless, Chi Mingyi decided to exchange those two trebuchets for three giant crossbows.

Plus, the three already in his camp, totaling six giant crossbows.

Because Chi Mingyi believes giant crossbows are better suited for his camp, the trebuchet’s throwing efficiency is too low, and since he’s defending the camp, its utility is minimal; but giant crossbows, pointing at the entrance and standing amid the formation, are nightmares for any enemy charging his formation.

Earlier when the Yan were filling up the ground, he resisted using the giant crossbows. Although they could’ve caused some Yan casualties, he waited for them to truly charge before using them, ensuring they’ll be taken by surprise.

Chi Mingyi glances at the Yan Army regrouping in the distance,

His fingers,

Tightly grip the tower’s wall planks,

Come on,

I don’t believe it,

Do you Yan people really fear nothing despite claiming your cavalry is unmatched?

Are you truly not afraid of death?

......

"Why don’t they use fire attacks on the opponents wearing rattan armor?"

Beside him, A Ming who is waiting to receive "wine" inquires.

The Sword Saint asks curiously, "Fire attacks?"

Lord Zheng chuckles and says, "Would fire attacks work?"

A Ming replies, "Isn’t it said that Zhuge Liang set fire to the rattan-armored soldiers?"

"Who’s Zhuge Liang?" the Sword Saint asks, "Is he a member of the Zhuge family?"

The surname Zhuge isn’t very common, but it isn’t rare either.

Lord Zheng shakes his head and says, "Do you think it’s like cooking sizzling kidneys?"

"I just wanted to ask."

"Rattan armor isn’t that flammable, and besides, it’s a basic principle that Chu Army would surely understand. To prevent burning, they can cover the outside with a layer of fish skin.

Zhuge Liang setting fire to rattan-armored soldiers isn’t documented in the official history, and there’s also the common knowledge that the majority of those who die in big fires usually suffocate from smoke, with few actually burned to death.