NCCnovel Chapter 85 The City Falls
Chapter 85 The City Falls
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As soon as the cannon fired, shouts of battle erupted simultaneously from the east, south, and north gates. Flames even shot out near the south gate, indicating that Geng Zhongming and his men had likely used his plan to set fire to the south gate to draw the defenders' attention before opening the east gate. Liu Ye smiled bitterly, "We devised our own plan, yet we're trapped in the city ourselves. We've truly spun our own cocoon!"
The fire at the South Gate successfully mobilized the defending troops. Half an hour later, troops from different directions gathered at the South Gate. The torches illuminated the houses, and the figures of soldiers running could be vaguely seen, interspersed with the shouts of officers giving orders.
Ling Xi'er moved closer to Liu Ye, momentarily forgetting the boundaries between men and women, and tightly grasped his hand, asking, "Have the rebels really entered the city? If we hide on the rooftop, will we be able to escape their clutches?"
Liu Ye wasn't sure either, but the rooftop was safer than the street, right? He comforted him, "As long as it's not a large group of rebels, there's nothing to fear. A few scattered soldiers, your master can take them down in a few moves."
After the reinforcements arrived at the South Gate, much of the fire there was extinguished and the flames subsided. After a while, the shouts of battle at the North Gate also gradually subsided, but the fighting continued at the East Gate. Clearly, the situation there was a stalemate, and the success or failure of the rebels' and Geng Zhongming's plan depended on this moment.
Liu Ye knew perfectly well that the wheels of history could not be turned back and the fall of Dengzhou was an inevitable outcome, but he still harbored a sliver of hope that his arrival as a butterfly might change history.
However, things rarely go as planned. About an hour later, the east gate suddenly burst into flames and deafening battle cries erupted. Judging from the sounds, it was clear that fresh troops had joined the chaotic battle for control of the city gate, and quite a few of them.
Liu Ye sighed inwardly. What was bound to happen had finally happened; the rebels had entered the city!
After several hours of fighting, dawn broke, and shouts of battle rose from all sides of Dengzhou City. Puffs of black smoke drifted over the city, and the streets and alleys were filled with the cries of the city's residents. Groups of rebel soldiers poured into the city from the east gate.
Li Jiucheng, his eyes bloodshot, stood atop the East Gate tower, a cruel smile playing on his lips as he surveyed the scene before him. He was surrounded by Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, and others. Geng Zhongming had joined him after opening the East Gate. The East Gate was now under the control of the rebels, and Li Yingyuan's banner had been raised at the South Gate. Large numbers of Liao soldiers within the city had mutinied, and the regular army had crumbled under the attack of several times their number of Liao soldiers. Some had even surrendered. Sun Yuanhua and Zhang Keda's forces were doomed.
Geng Zhongming laughed heartily and said, "General Li is not only invincible in battle, but also so brilliant in strategy. He actually managed to capture Dengzhou. Our Liaodong people have been oppressed for a long time, and their hearts are yearning for change. The Right Battalion of the Standard Army also defected to the General Army and turned around to attack the Regular Army. Dealing with Zhang Keda's small number of southern soldiers is just like cutting melons and vegetables."
Kong Youde, however, was not so optimistic. Among the group, he was relatively calm and generally wanted to play it safe. He reminded Li Jiucheng, "Jiucheng, the city has fallen, but we are not Tartars. We can't just plunder and take it back to our hometown. Who will govern this city in the future? How should we deal with General Sun and Zhang Keda? And what about the water city in the north? Should we take it directly or leave it for us to negotiate amnesty? We need to make a decision as soon as possible."
Li Jiucheng chuckled coldly: "We must take Shuicheng no matter what, but for now, we need to control the city first. Then we need to capture Sun Yuanhua, make him produce the governor's seal, and order all the prefectures and counties of Dengzhou and Laizhou to transport money and grain to the prefectural city. I've long disliked the wealthy families in the city, so I'll rob them along with the locals."
Although he had rebelled, he lacked confidence in controlling such a large area. The long-standing preference for civil officials over military ones had instilled in him a sense of inferiority. He continued, "You all know the brothers of Dongjiang. I'm afraid only Commander Mao can command their allegiance. Whether it's you or me, we can lead them to plunder and pillage, but to claim kingship or marquis status, I'm afraid it will be difficult to win their respect. If Sun Yuanhua is willing, let him be a nominal leader and help us manage the territory near Dengzhou. We will control all the troops, so we're not afraid he can cause any trouble."
Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming temporarily agreed, but Kong Youde was clearly not optimistic about allocating money and grain. The various prefectures of Dengzhou and Laizhou should all know that the rebels were besieging the city, and it would be too far-fetched to suddenly think that money and grain could be mobilized just by relying on an official seal. He thought for a moment and said, "We can't kill all the locals in the city. Lord Sun has been good to us Liaodong people. Why don't we make him king and use his title to persuade Fushan, Ninghai, Qixia and other places to surrender?"
Li Jiucheng laughed heartily at Kong Youde and said, "Brother Kong, this is a prudent plan. You should come up with more ideas in the future. We brothers will share the wealth of Dengzhou City. The most urgent matter today is to completely control Dengzhou City!"
Geng Zhongming looked around. The army entering the city was becoming increasingly scattered. Most of those entering later were bandits and outlaws from Shandong who had defected to Li Jiucheng. There were also several thousand conscripted laborers, who were slowly turning into thugs. Many of them left the ranks as soon as they entered the city, smashed open the doors of houses along the roadside, and rushed in to loot. He said with some difficulty, "General Li, look at the city. Our men are in chaos. And those old brothers who surrendered here, they didn't manage to loot anything in Shandong. If we don't let them loot something now, I'm afraid they won't obey orders."
Upon hearing this, Li Jiucheng frowned. He hoped his own men would plunder more valuables, but he had promised Geng Zhongming that he would share the spoils of Dengzhou City in order to open the city gates. At this time, Dengzhou was not yet completely under his control, and he needed to ensure the enthusiasm of these inside agents. After considering for a long time, he finally said, "I'll give you a day at most. Brother Geng, you leave some men to guard the east gate, and you can plunder that area. Chen Guangfu, plunder the south gate, and Wang Zideng, plunder the north gate."
Geng Zhongming breathed a sigh of relief. If he had led his men to attack Shuicheng today, the newly surrendered Liao soldiers would not have obeyed his orders, including his own men. It might have even caused infighting. He decided to let them fight for a day or two before deciding what to do next. He turned and called over two servants, instructing them to inform Chen Guangfu and Wang Zideng.
From their vantage point on the rooftop, Liu Ye and his two companions witnessed the entire process of the rebel army entering the city. They saw many soldiers deserting their posts, smashing doors and looting house to house, and knew that their own place would surely suffer the same fate. He patted himself down; he didn't even have a dagger. He should have brought a Patriot rifle; if the rebels stormed in, he could at least kill a few of them to take with him.
The rebel army's looting party quickly approached, and screams and pleas for help echoed from the vicinity, interspersed with the cries of young women pleading for help. Clearly, the rebels not only robbed money but also sexually assaulted young women.
Ling Xi'er trembled and clung tightly to Liu Ye. She was skilled in martial arts and far superior to Liu Ye in fighting the rebels, but her female instincts made her instinctively seek a sense of security by moving closer to the man she liked.