It is dark before dawn, darkness is frightening, and fear is devastating...
Everyone in Yingtian City felt this deeply. The darkness before dawn was extremely dark. You couldn't even see your fingers clearly, not to mention the soldiers a hundred meters away from the city. You couldn't see what flags they were flying, and you couldn't tell if they were friends or enemies. As the city had just been besieged by Japanese pirates during the day, everyone in Yingtian was like a frightened bird. How could they not be terrified when they saw a large army of unknown enemies and friends coming straight to the city gate
"Could it be that the Japanese pirates have found reinforcements and are coming back to attack Yingtian again?!"
"What? You said the soldiers outside the city are reinforcements for the Japanese pirates?! In the afternoon, there were only fifty Japanese pirates, and they almost broke down the city gate. The number of reinforcements must be more than eight hundred. Oh my god, what should we do..." "
The people on the city wall were talking about different things, and the more they talked, the more frightened they became...
Seeing the soldiers approaching from the city, the general on the top of the city wall was so nervous that his calves were shaking. He pressed his helmet with his hand and said sternly, "Who are you? Stop immediately. If you don't stop, I will shoot you."
At some point, the Vice Minister of War Shi Pengfei had retreated three steps without leaving a trace, and retreated timidly and stealthily behind the generals and others, using their bodies as human shields.
He had sufficient reasons to suspect that the troops under the city were Japanese pirates who had gathered reinforcements and returned.
Hu Zongxian led more than a thousand elite veterans of the Beijing camp, all of whom were killed by the Japanese pirates. The Zhejiang Army had only 800 people, and it was a militia that had been established for less than two months. How could they drive away the Japanese pirates?! What a joke! The Japanese pirates did it on purpose, deliberately showing their weakness, so that they could suddenly strike back!
In addition, the urgent message sent by carrier pigeon from Moling Pass just now further confirmed his guess.
The reason why Luo Tuiguan and Xu Zhihui of Yingtian Prefecture abandoned the pass and fled despite having a strong pass and a thousand elite soldiers was that they had learned that the Japanese pirates had gathered seven or eight hundred reinforcements, and they knew they were no match for the Japanese pirates, so they had to abandon the pass and flee.
To sum up, Shi Pengfei concluded that the troops outside the city must be the Japanese pirates who had gathered reinforcements and launched a surprise attack.
When the White Swan Japanese pirates attacked the city, the ferocity and brutality of the more than fifty Japanese pirates had already made him tremble in shame. Now the Japanese pirates have grown twenty times stronger, with a force of more than eight hundred. How could he have the courage to face the Japanese pirates head-on
Let my friend die, rather than let me die.
So, he shrank back in a wretched manner behind the generals and others.
Seeing the soldiers outside the city getting closer and closer, he felt that this position was still unsafe. What if the Japanese pirates were extremely powerful? The arrow might hit two people with one shot. So he took another step back, and then another. When he took the fourth step back, he stepped on a foot. Shi Pengfei turned his head and was about to curse at someone who had no eyes, but when he opened his mouth, he saw Zhang Jing's expressionless face.
It turned out that Zhang Jing heard the noise and panic outside getting louder and louder, and realized that the situation outside was serious. In order to prevent any accidents, he and Eunuch He, Duke Wei and other officials hurried over to take charge.
"Ahem, Lord Shangshu, I... I was just about to report to you that there are soldiers and horses approaching the city gate outside, whether they are friends or foes."
Shi Pengfei coughed awkwardly, found an excuse, and shamelessly explained to Zhang Jing.
Zhang Jing glanced at him, and his eyes made Shi Pengfei break out in sweat. He knew that Zhang Jing had seen through him, and he lowered his head in worry.
"Unknown enemy and friend troops? How many troops are there?"
Zhang Jing's voice came from above his head, which made Shi Pengfei breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Lord Zhang did not expose it on the spot.
"There are about 800 of them. I can almost conclude that the 10,000 soldiers under the city are the reinforcements gathered by the Japanese pirates."
Shi Pengfei replied confidently.
"What?! The Japanese pirates have gathered more than 800 reinforcements?!" When Eunuch He heard the news, his face suddenly turned pale and he cried out in panic.
Duke Wei's calves were cramping, unwilling to accept the news, and he kept saying: "Eight hundred reinforcements for the Japanese pirates?! Didn't Luo Tuiguan and Commander Xu of Moling Pass abandon the pass and flee?! Shouldn't the Japanese pirates have headed for Linling Pass?! Why did they turn around and head back to Yingtian City?!"
Upon hearing that the Japanese pirates had gathered 800 reinforcements, all the officials became panic-stricken.
"The Japanese pirates are gathering reinforcements?! What about the Zhejiang Army led by my nephew?! Aren't they camped outside the city? This army appeared outside the city, but why is there no movement from my nephew's Zhejiang Army? Is my nephew in danger?!"
In his panic, Linhuai Hou suddenly remembered that the Zhejiang army led by Zhu Ping'an was still outside the city, and he couldn't help but worry.
"Zhejiang Army? Ha, I guess they got the news early and ran away. The camp was empty in the first half of the night."
Shi Pengfei curled his lips in disdain and spared no effort to belittle Zhu Ping'an and the Zhejiang Army, intending to save his own reputation through comparison.
Although I took a few steps back, Zhu Ping'an had already led the Zhejiang army and disappeared.
"My dear nephew, did you lead the Zhejiang army to escape?" Linhuai Hou was stunned. "Is what Lord Shi said true?"
"Of course, how can I slander him? In the first half of the night, two tents of the Zhejiang Army were blown down by the wind. Not only were there no people in the tents, and there was no movement, but after such a long time, no other Zhejiang Army soldiers set up their tents again. This shows that the Zhejiang Army had already fled in the first half of the night. If you don't believe me, you can ask the guards on the top of the city. They were the ones who told me about the collapsed tents."
Shi Pengfei sneered in a slanderous manner, pointed at the soldiers and civilians on the city wall, and said with a solemn oath.
"The Zhejiang Army camp was empty in the first half of the night?" Zhang Jing was stunned when he heard this, obviously very surprised.
"Zhu Ping'an ran away a long time ago." Shi Pengfei nodded vigorously, and then said to
Zhang Jing, Eunuch He and others said, "Sir Shangshu, Eunuch He, Duke, the Japanese pirates have returned with a vengeance, and you are responsible for the lives of the people of Yingtian City. Just to be on the safe side, you should retreat."
Eunuch He was somewhat tempted, but Zhang Jing really ignored him. He glanced at Shi Pengfei indifferently and said expressionlessly, "It is precisely because I am connected to the people of Yingtian that I cannot hide behind. I want to see how many heads the Japanese pirates have. If they dare to come and invade Yingtian again, there is no one in Yingtian who can bully me!"
After saying this, Zhang Jing went to the battlements of the city wall first. Eunuch He sighed helplessly and had to follow him.
Zhang Jing and Eunuch He both went, and a number of officials including the Duke of Wei and the Marquis of Linhuai had no choice but to follow.
Yu Dayou also came with elite troops. When he saw Zhang Jing and others approaching the battlements, he quickly ordered people to bring shields to protect them.
At this time, the general on the top of the city shouted again, "Who is under the city? Stop immediately, or I will shoot you if you move forward!"
Zhang Jing and others all stared at the city.
This time there was a response from the city.
"General, we are from the Zhejiang Army. I am Zhu Ping'an, the deputy director of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provincial Criminal Investigation Department! Please open the city gate. I have important military information. Please see Minister Zhang, Eunuch He, and Duke Wei."
Zhu Ping'an stopped outside the arrow's range, looked up and answered loudly.
"Zhejiang Army! It's actually the Zhejiang Army. We were shocked. We thought they were Japanese pirates." The soldiers and civilians on the city wall couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.