Chapter 58: Zhang Yu's Shock! Zhu Zheng Spares No Effort to Shoot Enemy Officers?

Even though the enemy forces were vast in number, and even though they possessed hundreds of artillery pieces, facing the defense commanded by Zhu Zheng, the bodies of the enemy piled up like mountains before the city, stretching across the fields.

To say nothing of smashing open the city gates—after fighting for the greater part of the day, not a single enemy soldier had even managed to successfully scale the ramparts.

This battle could truly be described as immensely bitter and tragic.

Inside the prefectural government office of Zhuozhou City!

Zhang Yu sat before the sand table, not daring to take even a moment of rest, with his personal guards standing closely at attention on either side. Should the situation within the city change, he would immediately take part in command and coordination.

The enemy was strong while they were weak.

This was a consensus clearly understood by all the generals of the Yan army.

At this critical juncture of life and death, Zhang Yu did not dare to show the slightest laxity.

"General,"

"The pacification officer of the Sixth Assistant Bureau garrison requests an audience."

The voice of a personal guard came from outside the hall.

"Hurry, let him enter," Zhang Yu said, his expression shifting as he immediately spoke, exceptionally stern at this moment.

Clearly, the garrison pacification officer would not request an audience without a reason; it must be that the Sixth Assistant Bureau's sector was on the verge of falling.

"This subordinate pays respects to General Zhang."

The pacification officer belonging to Zhu Zheng's Assistant Bureau bowed deeply to Zhang Yu.

"Is Zhu Zheng unable to hold his position?"

Zhang Yu immediately looked at the pacification officer before him and asked.

" Replying to General Zhang,"

"General Zhu is defending the city, and the situation is looking remarkably good."

"On the ramparts, the casualties among General Zhu's men are less than several hundred, but the enemy killed exceeds five thousand, and perhaps even more."

"Moreover, this subordinate witnessed General Zhu's peerless valor with his own eyes—no, rather, beneath his peerless valor lies an archery skill so divine that every single shot hits its mark," the pacification officer said with a look of awe.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu stared at him in utter astonishment. "What did you say? Casualties of less than several hundred, while enemy deaths exceed five thousand?"

Such battle results genuinely startled Zhang Yu.

Even with the advantage of defending the city, they should not have been able to achieve such a remarkable outcome, should they?

"Liu Shi, are you joking with this general?" Zhang Yu asked with surprise.

"General,"

"At such a critical time of crisis, how would this subordinate dare to joke?"

"This subordinate bets his life that these battle results are absolutely true."

"Furthermore, from what this subordinate saw, at least a hundred enemy officers above the rank of centurion have died, including company commanders, battalion commanders, garrison commanders, and even a regional assistant commander," said the pacification officer named Liu Shi with great excitement.

Hearing this, Zhang Yu abruptly stood up from his chair, his expression turning even more utterly astonished.

"How was that accomplished?"

"Could it be that the enemy generals, just like Zhu Zheng, charged into the thick of battle at the very front?" Zhang Yu asked in amazement.

"General,"

"This is precisely why General Zhu is so formidable."

"His archery skill is divine, and he specifically targets enemy officers."

"From what this subordinate witnessed, from platoon leaders and centurions all the way up to enemy generals, at least a hundred-odd died at General Zhu's hands."

"Because of this precisely,"

"The enemy vanguard, lacking the command of officers and generals, fell into complete chaos, and their offensive weakened."

"Even when the enemy replaced their vanguard with fresh troops, it changed nothing; General Zhu's rain of arrows was simply too miraculous."

...

Filled with excitement, Liu Shi reported the entire defensive situation on the ramparts, speaking with animated gestures and boundless enthusiasm.

Listening to this, Zhang Yu was left dumbfounded.

"Is Zhu Zheng's archery truly this formidable?"

"Every single shot hits its mark from three to four hundred paces away?" Zhang Yu exclaimed in shock.

"General,"

"General Zhu sent this subordinate to report the battle results. Aside from that, General Zhu also has a request."

"Presently, the soldiers of his Sixth Assistant Bureau are defending tightly, and if they were to withdraw now, it might affect the morale of the army. Therefore, unless the men of the Sixth Assistant Bureau can no longer hold on, General Zhu hopes to be allowed to continue guarding the ramparts." Liu Shi then proceeded to relay Zhu Zheng's request.

Hearing this, Zhang Yu wore an expression of deep contemplation.

After a brief moment, Zhang Yu smiled.

"I never imagined that not only is Zhu Zheng exceptionally valorous, but his archery is also divinely gifted."

"Originally, I worried that given the enemy's vast numbers and the assistance of artillery, our army would suffer heavy losses."

"I never expected that Zhu Zheng would be able to snipe and kill enemy officers with such precision."

"Hahaha."

"Truly, Heaven protects our army, Heaven protects the Prince of Yan."

At these words, Zhang Yu burst into excited laughter.

"General,"

"Should we still let General Zhu continue the defense?" Liu Shi asked respectfully.

"Since General Zhu is so remarkable, it is only right that he continues to hold the defense."

"Come, follow this general to see just how General Zhu is halting the enemy." Zhang Yu smiled, and immediately strode out of the hall.

At this moment, he too felt a surge of curiosity regarding Zhu Zheng's archery and his ability to shoot down enemy officers from several hundred paces away.

Such archery! Such a method of defending the city by specifically hunting down enemy officers—Zhang Yu had simply never heard of such a thing.

Naturally, he had to go and witness it for himself.

Before Zhuozhou City!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"He who breaches the city first shall be promoted by three ranks and rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold!"

"Charge!"

Xuan Kai roared, still supervising the battle, though his complexion was exceedingly unsightly.

They had been attacking for the greater part of the day.

Before the city, the soldiers under his command were already strewn about like a carpet of corpses. Despite countless charges, no matter how heavy the protection for the officers was, the enemy archers on the city tower possessed horrifying accuracy; they specifically targeted the officers of his army, every single one of them pierced through the throat by a single arrow.

"General,"

"Our army's casualties are devastating."

"We cannot continue charging."

"In just half a day, our casualties have already exceeded ten thousand."

"If this goes on, it will spell disaster."

Xuan Kai's deputy general reported with a grim expression.

"General Li has not yet given the order to retreat, so we cannot fall back."

" Unless you wish to face military execution."

"From this moment on, you will personally go to the front lines to supervise the battle."

"Use the personal guards to form a shield formation for protection."

"Before nightfall, the city must be breached."

"That archer—this general will tear him limb from limb!" Xuan Kai said with a crazed expression.

"Understood."

Faced with Xuan Kai's military command, the deputy general could only accept the order helplessly.

The slaughter continued.

On the city walls, numerous imperial soldiers were climbing up siege ladders. Before the city gates, a battering ram was pounding away; though it produced thunderous roars of impact, it ultimately failed to break the doors.

On the city towers, the rain of arrows never ceased, accompanied by ceaseless rolling stones and boiling pitch.

It turned the entire space beneath the city into a living hell.

Within Zhu Zheng's line of sight, the enemy had rotated in yet another wave of vanguard troops—this was already the enemy's third ten-thousand-man vanguard battalion.

One could well imagine how catastrophic the casualties of the first two vanguards had been.

He noticed that many officers holding ranks above deputy battalion commander were almost entirely surrounded and protected by multiple shield-bearers, with shields in front, behind, and even overhead—a defense that looked extremely formidable.

"It seems you will not stop until you breach the city today."

"However,"

"You underestimate me far too much."

Zhu Zheng sneered.

With a direct movement of his mind, a quiver appeared in his hand. The arrows within it were entirely different from ordinary wooden-shafted arrows, for these were forged entirely of refined steel—armored-piercing steel arrows obtained from a treasure chest by Zhu Zheng. Capable of piercing armor, when combined with Zhu Zheng's immense strength, their power went without saying.

Protection by shields was utterly useless!