Chapter 53: Urgent Report from the Northern Border, Message via Carrier Pigeon

Amidst the thunderous bombardment of the cannons.

The Ming offensive began.

"Attack!"

Lan Yu drew his sword and pointed it toward Kaiyuan City.

Instantly, the pre-prepared vanguard units charged toward the city in successive waves.

Artillery provided suppression.

Shield bearers took the front.

Then, the archers advanced to loose their arrows.

A siege battle.

A battle for survival.

This was a siege built upon the accumulation of human lives; in any era, once a conflict involves the seizing of a fortified city, heavy casualties are inevitable.

Leading an army of one hundred thousand, Lan Yu had crushed numerous Yuan forces around the periphery of Kaiyuan City. After half a month, he had now officially commenced the assault on this primary stronghold of the Yuan court.

Before the city.

The Ming troops advanced.

Archers strained to pull their bows, raining arrows into the city, while Ming soldiers equipped with shields and scaling ladders pressed forward rapidly.

However, inside Kaiyuan City.

The Yuan resistance was equally fierce.

Upon the battlements!

Dozens of cannons had also been mounted.

There were also countless archers.

Naha's trusted general, Harazhang, was overseeing the battle from the city walls.

"Fire!"

"Loose arrows!"

"Kill these damned Ming soldiers!"

"Kill!"

Harazhang roared loudly.

The white-armored Yuan soldiers atop the city walls rained arrows down frantically.

The cannons roared incessantly.

Arrows fell like rain.

Even though the Ming troops in front of the city had spread out, they suffered devastating losses under the deluge of arrows from the battlements.

In a siege, the defending side naturally holds the absolute advantage of terrain.

For the Ming army!

The command was given, and the attack continued.

However.

This particular Ming offensive did not employ their full strength; it appeared to be a probing attack.

After a period of sustained action.

Lan Yu raised his hand: "Sound the drums to retreat!"

With a shout.

The sound of the retreating signal echoed through the Ming formations.

Hearing the command, the attacking Ming troops, having not suffered excessive casualties, withdrew in an orderly fashion.

Once the Ming army moved out of range, the Yuan soldiers on the battlements also ceased their archery.

"General."

"What exactly is the Ming army's intention?"

"For five consecutive days, they have conducted these feints. What is their true objective?"

A deputy general looked at Harazhang, utterly perplexed.

"Do you know who is commanding this force?" Harazhang stared toward the front of the city, his expression quite solemn.

"The Grand General is Feng Sheng of the Ming, and the deputy generals are Fu Youde and Lan Yu."

"The one currently stationed before the city is Lan Yu," the deputy general replied immediately.

"Since you know Lan Yu, you should know his capability in command."

"Among the Ming generals, he is exceptionally skilled in combat—cavalry, infantry, and siege warfare; he excels in all."

"Against such a powerful opponent, our Great Yuan is in peril!" Harazhang sighed, his voice tinged with a deep apprehension of Lan Yu.

"Perhaps you worry too much, General."

"After all, our army holds the advantage of the defense."

"Furthermore, there are one hundred thousand troops stationed within the city."

"And with the sufficient grain and supplies allocated by the Grand Marshal, we can certainly withstand the Ming army," the deputy general said with great confidence.

"That is because you have never truly faced the Ming army in combat."

"The current Ming army is not the weak Song of the past. Their military has endured countless great wars and is battle-hardened. In contrast, our Great Yuan is fractured by internal strife, and our national strength has been greatly depleted. Alas." Harazhang sighed, filled with a sense of helplessness.

"Rest assured, General."

"Though the Great Yuan is not as prosperous as before, we do not fear the Ming."

"Did the Grand Marshal not say that the day we repel the Ming will be the day of our Great Yuan's counter-offensive?"

"This time, our Great Yuan will surely break through the Ming gates and topple their nation," the deputy man said with a hint of fanaticism.

Seeing the deputy general in such a state.

Harazhang said nothing, but his heart felt extremely heavy.

The internal situation of the Yuan court might be opaque to many, but as the general in Liaodong second only to Naha, how could he not see through it?

***

The Ming Army Camp!

Lan Yu's Command Headquarters.

The main camp.

Feng Sheng sat in the seat of honor.

The various generals were lined up on both sides.

"Marquis of Yongchang, how was it?" Feng Sheng asked, looking at Lan Yu.

"After days of probing, the Yuan army remains the same old way."

"Judging by these tests."

"Harazhang is an old acquaintance," Lan Yu sneered, his tone carrying a hint of mockery toward the Yuan, or perhaps, arrogance.

"General Fu Youde has already moved his troops toward Jinzhou."

"Our Great Ming is splitting its forces into two routes. Whoever breaks the city first shall claim the primary merit."

"Marquis of Yongchang, you must hurry," Feng Sheng said with a smile toward Lan Yu.

Upon hearing this!

Lan Yu cupped his fists with absolute confidence: "Please rest easy, Grand General. Within half a month, this general will surely break Kaiyuan City."

"Grand General!"

"This general is willing to serve as the vanguard!"

Chang Mao stood up immediately to request the command.

"This general also requests battle!"

Hu Hai also immediately stood up to request the command.

The Huaixi generals were all fierce and skilled in combat.

Naturally, none wanted to miss such an opportunity to earn military merit.

"Since the Marquis of Yongchang is leading the siege, the specific deployment shall be under his command," Feng Sheng said, directly handing the decision-making power for the vanguard to Lan Yu.

Instantly!

The gazes of both Chang Mao and Hu Hai fell upon Lan Yu.

"The duty of the vanguard shall be given to General Chang."

"Hu Hai shall serve as the second vanguard."

"Should the vanguard's attack falter, the second vanguard shall immediately move up to replace them," Lan Yu decided on the spot.

Hearing this, Chang Mao immediately said, "This general obeys your command."

Hu Hai, however, looked slightly disappointed.

"Generals."

"The Emperor's decree is that the destruction of Naha is the primary mission of this campaign."

"The Emperor has already secured enough grain and supplies to last our army for half a year."

"This has resolved our logistical concerns."

"We must not disappoint the Emperor on the battlefield," Feng Sheng said earnestly.

Although he hailed from Huaixi.

Among the Huaixi generals, Feng Sheng was not categorized as one of the arrogant or bellicose types, but rather a steady and low-profile commander.

The fundamental reason for dispatching Feng Sheng was for Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang to suppress the group of fierce and arrogant generals led by Lan Yu.

"Please rest easy, Grand General."

"This general will never disappoint the Emperor," Lan Yu said immediately.

Lan Yu took this battle extremely seriously.

Among the Huaixi faction, few could match him in terms of military merit, yet his title was merely a Marquis, not a Duke.

This caused Lan Yu to harbor dissatisfaction and resentment toward the current Emperor.

In this battle.

Lan Yu intended to vindicate himself, seizing the merit of destroying Naha to elevate his noble rank.

"Mm."

Seeing Lan Yu's resolve, Feng Sheng nodded with satisfaction.

As the Grand General.

He only needed to coordinate the overall strategy.

His two deputy generals, Lan Yu and Fu Youde, were both capable combatants; he did not need to interfere too much in the actual fighting.

Just then!

"Report!"

"Urgent news from the Northern Frontier!"

"It arrived via carrier pigeon, addressed to Prefect Bu Wan!"

A personal guard ran quickly into the command tent, holding an unopened small bamboo tube, reporting loudly.

Hearing this.

A flash of joy crossed Feng Sheng's eyes.

He immediately turned his gaze toward Bu Wan.