CHAPTER 303: CHAPTER 11 EARTH SOLDIER_2

He cried out with a trembling voice, "General Meng, with this, you can mobilize the troops stationed in Mianzhou city, and also, also..."

Prince Fu turned around, pointed at the royal guards beside him, and said, "Leave two of these guards to assist me in walking. The rest, you take them all with you. When you’re taking action, you can’t be without men."

Upon hearing this, Man Le was immediately struck dumb. He instinctively sought to dissuade the Prince.

But Meng Geng spoke first, asking, "But the Prince’s safety?"

"If the city falls, what safety will this prince have left to speak of? General Meng, act swiftly. I-I-I will find a place to hide."

"Thank you for your trust, Prince!"

Meng Geng’s father had been suppressed by the court over the matter of the Tattoo-faced Master and died in desolation. Implicated by his father’s issues, Meng Geng had always held a relatively low office. This time, he was acting as a guide for the Wolf Land Soldiers on their northward journey. He felt deep gratitude towards Prince Fu.

"Mr. Man, please protect the Prince well. The rest of you, follow me!"

Without hesitation, Meng Geng took the majority of the royal guards, chasing after the Wolf Land Soldiers toward the northern gate.

Mr. Man supported Prince Fu. He could feel the Prince shivering, and the Prince could sense Mr. Man trembling in kind. Their shaking merged, and as it echoed back and forth between them, it grew more intense!

Prince Fu, exasperated and amused, suddenly asked, "No, Man Le, blast it all! Are you supporting me, or am I supporting you?"

「...」

Tonight, the north gate of Mianzhou City was breached by the same army for a second time.

Fanli stood at the very front like an iron tower, focusing on slaying any city defenders who attempted to approach the city gate. Blind Bei stood behind Fanli, helping him watch for any incoming stray arrows.

Zheng Fan, along with A Ming, Xue Three, Siniang, and others, charged in. Although the defenders of Mianzhou City reacted faster this time than the last, the scattered groups of soldiers who rushed over were routed before they could even get near the city gate.

At that moment, the vanguard squadron of cavalry had already stormed through the breached north gate. Their leader was not Liang Cheng, but Huo Kuang.

The Huo Family had many members but few enemy heads to their name, so they were at the forefront this time.

The first wave of over a hundred cavalry charged and cut down their foes. When the city defenders who were rushing over saw that cavalry had already entered the city, their morale plummeted. Seeing the cavalry charge towards them, they immediately began to flee.

A smile touched the corners of Zheng Fan’s mouth. Things were finally back on a familiar track.

The second wave of cavalry also entered the city. This time, it was the barbarian soldiers personally led by Liang Cheng.

Cavalry entering a city couldn’t just swarm in all at once; the city gate was only so wide. When Liang Cheng initiated the charge, he had them enter in staggered echelons to minimize congestion at the gate as much as possible.

After the second batch of a hundred cavalry led by Liang Cheng entered, Huo Kuang immediately led his Huo Family soldiers charging towards the city center.

The prefectural office! The prefectural office! Huo Kuang and his Huo Family soldiers had, of course, heard how Zheng Fan had earned his merits by breaking the city last time. The prefectural office was where the important figures were; heads from the prefectural office were valuable. One of those was worth many ordinary ones. Whether their families and clansmen could regain their freedom depended entirely on their own efforts in this battle!

However, just then, a long, drawn-out cry of ’AWOOOOOOO...’ suddenly echoed from the street ahead, like hunters in the mountains pursuing a wild beast.

Liang Cheng’s eyes instantly narrowed. As an exceptionally skilled general, he naturally possessed his own abilities, which even included a general’s intuition.

That sound, that sheer presence... Liang Cheng immediately shouted, "There’s an ambush in the city!"

There were indeed soldiers in the city, but it wasn’t an ambush, because no one could have predicted that the garrison from Green Willow Fortress would pay another visit tonight.

But for Liang Cheng at that moment, regardless of whether the enemy could have anticipated their arrival, in this situation, it was tantamount to an ambush.

At that moment, Liang Cheng ordered without hesitation, "About face! Retreat!"

Of course, he could choose to charge. Ambush or not, they could all rush forward together and see who was tougher.

But Liang Cheng didn’t dare. It wasn’t that he was scared; as a general, he was responsible to Zheng Fan, his lord.

These cavalrymen were the core of his lord’s forces, hard-earned assets that couldn’t be gambled away on a risky outcome.

Most importantly, within a city, cavalry lost most of its advantages and could even be at a disadvantage.

Liang Cheng disliked this way of thinking about warfare. War was war; people died, and casualties were certain. But he truly didn’t want to return only to have his lord sighing day after day on the watchtower of Green Willow Fortress because they had lost too many men.

The barbarian soldiers behind Liang Cheng immediately began shouting to their comrades further back. They didn’t abruptly turn their horses and charge rearward; otherwise, the rear units would collide with the front, and those trying to exit wouldn’t be able to, while those trying to enter would be blocked.

The sudden halt of the cavalry at the front did cause some disorder among the following riders, but the benefit of Liang Cheng’s earlier arrangement for staggered entry quickly became apparent. After only a brief moment of confusion, the rearmost cavalry began to withdraw.

At that very moment, the Wolf Land Soldiers, led by Lady Daxi, had already charged forward.

Zheng Fan watched in some astonishment as a group of strangely dressed soldiers suddenly appeared ahead. Blind Bei’s voice resonated in Zheng Fan’s mind.