Chapter 61: Zhu Di's Astonishment!

"Zhu Xu."

"Lead two thousand soldiers out of the city with me to gather bows, arrows, and armor."

"By the way, finish off the enemy soldiers who are not yet fully dead," Zhu Zheng said, glancing at the corpses strewn across the ground beneath the city walls.

Such a wonderful opportunity.

Naturally, he still needed to loot the corpses to harvest attributes and strengthen himself.

At the same time, he could also recover some arrows and weapons.

After all, with Beiping Prefecture blockaded by the imperial court, weapons and military supplies were in short supply, and every piece used was one less.

Shortly after.

The city gates opened.

Zhu Zheng directly led two thousand cavalry soldiers out of the city to scavenge for weapons.

On top of the city walls, soldiers kept a close watch on the front, ready to sound an immediate alarm should any enemy approach.

"Seize the opportunity."

Zhu Zheng rummaged through the piles of corpses.

"Picked up 0.5 points of inner strength, picked up 1 tael of silver, picked up 5 days of lifespan."

"Picked up 0.5 points of strength..."

To Zhu Zheng, even the smallest mosquito was still meat. The accumulation of these minor attributes brought tangible combat strength on the battlefield, and he certainly wouldn't disdain any of them.

Inside the city!

"Reporting to the General."

"The enemy forces have retreated."

Liu Shi, a garrison pacification officer serving under Zhu Zheng's command, arrived and reported excitedly to Zhang Yu.

Inside the grand hall.

Zhang Xin and Meng Shan also looked at Liu Shi with curiosity.

"How are the battle results?" Zhang Yu asked immediately, his face filled with anticipation.

"In this battle,"

"Our army has achieved a great victory."

"Based on the casualties and battle results compiled by my subordinates so far:"

"The five thousand soldiers of the Sixth Assistant Commander's Battalion guarding the city gates suffered just over five hundred casualties, mostly killed by enemy artillery, while the wounded numbered fewer than eight hundred."

"Meanwhile, the enemy corpses piled before the city walls numbered at least close to ten thousand."

"In other words,"

"The soldiers of our Sixth Assistant Commander's Battalion achieved a casualty ratio of nearly one of our men to ten of the enemy," Liu Shi reported with an excited expression.

Hearing these figures.

Zhang Yu's brow relaxed, his face moved and brimming with excitement: "Good, very good!"

"Zhu Zheng."

"Not only is he fierce and formidable in attacking cities, but he is equally so in defending them."

"Such battle results should be reported to the Prince immediately."

Hearing this!

Liu Shi immediately produced a bound register and clapped his hands.

A dozen soldiers marched in carrying several large chests.

A rich, pungent smell of blood washed over the room.

Liu Shi quickly opened the chests for inspection.

Inside were pieces of blood-stained armor.

"General."

"In this battle,"

"General Zhu displayed the might of his divine archery, shooting down two enemy assistant commanders, four garrison commanders, eighteen battalion commanders, and countless deputy battalion commanders and company commanders."

"That our army was able to secure such a resounding victory is thanks in no small part to the might of General Zhu's divine archery," Liu Shi pointed to the armor and weapons inside the chest, reporting excitedly.

"Quickly report these battle results to the Prince," Zhang Yu ordered without any hesitation.

"This subordinate obeys the order."

Liu Shi bowed deeply and quickly withdrew.

"两位将军，感受如何？" Zhang Yu turned to Zhang Xin and Meng Shan on either side of the hall.

"Reporting to the General,"

"This subordinate has followed the Prince into battle many times, but this is the first time I have ever encountered a city-defense strategy like General Zhu's."

"Targeting and shooting down enemy officers sounds simple enough, but executing it in practice is exceptionally difficult."

"After all, officers are always protected by soldiers."

"Yet General Zhu was able to accomplish this; truly extraordinary," Zhang Xin said with deep emotion.

"Indeed."

"To shoot down so many enemy officers in a single battle, and even kill two assistant commanders."

"Such military merit leaves this subordinate at a loss for words."

"If we were tasked with defending the city, we could never pull this off."

"To exchange a thousand casualties for ten thousand enemy slain is something... this subordinate could never do either," Meng Shan added immediately.

Both generals' words were filled with admiration and respect for Zhu Zheng.

After all, putting themselves in his shoes, they knew their own abilities fell far short of achieving such a feat.

"General Zhu has already petitioned me."

"The responsibility of defending the city will continue to rest with the Sixth Assistant Commander's Battalion."

"Should the situation ever become untenable, General Zhu will naturally request troop rotation."

"Do the two generals have any objections?" Zhang Yu asked, looking at the two men.

"This subordinate has no objections."

Zhang Xin and Meng Shan spoke in unison.

Having witnessed the incredible results Zhu Zheng had achieved, they knew they could never have replicated them.

It was also the first time they had ever witnessed a city-defense battle fought in such a manner.

Just from Zhu Zheng's feat of using his divine archery to pick off enemy officers, stall the enemy's advance, and achieve a ten-to-one kill ratio, one could tell how magnificent today's victory truly was.

...

Juyong Pass!

Zhu Di personally inspected the mountain pass.

Watching the enemy forces gradually falling back, Zhu Di also let out a sigh of relief.

"The first day."

"Can be considered survived."

Zhu Di said slowly, a sense of relaxation washing over him.

The enemy had attacked throughout the entire day.

Without a single moment of rest.

Moreover, the enemy possessed hundreds of artillery pieces that bombarded them relentlessly. Under wave after wave of assaults, even as the defenders, their casualties were far from light.

Before the pass.

Corpses littered the ground, while inside the pass, cries of anguish echoed without cease as numerous Yan army soldiers carried wounded comrades off to the military medical camp.

"Prince."

"In this battle, our army suffered several thousand casualties, but the enemy didn't get off easy either."

"If not for the suppression of enemy artillery, our army wouldn't have suffered to this extent," Qiu Fu stepped up to Zhu Di and said respectfully.

"The imperial court wants to crush our army in a single stroke; naturally, the attacks on the first day are the fiercest."

"Juyong Pass is the premier stronghold of our Beiping Prefecture, and it is defended by heavy troops; I naturally have no worries about it."

"However, Zhuozhou City is likewise bearing the onslaught of a hundred thousand enemy troops. I am worried they might not be able to hold out," Zhu Di said with a grave expression.

Juyong Pass!

With towering walls and abundant troops.

Zhuozhou City was somewhat inferior, and its garrison was nearly half the size.

Facing the imperial court's massive army with equivalent forces and artillery support, Zhu Di was naturally deeply concerned.

Once Zhuozhou City fell.

Even if he managed to hold Juyong Pass, it would be to no avail.

It would ultimately be the end of their strength, unable to change the outcome.

"This subordinate believes that General Zhang Yu will surely be able to hold Zhuozhou without it falling," Qiu Fu said firmly.

At that very moment!

"Report."

"Reporting to the Prince."

"An urgent military dispatch has arrived from Zhuozhou City."

Zhu Neng, the commander of the Prince's personal guards, strode up to Zhu Di, holding an urgent dispatch in his hand.

Hearing this!

Zhu Di's expression shifted, clouded with worry.

With night having just fallen today.

For a dispatch from Zhuozhou City to arrive so quickly, could it mean something bad had happened?

At this thought.

Zhu Di's expression grew heavy as he immediately took the dispatch and unrolled it.

Upon carefully reading the contents of the report.

Zhu Di's previously heavy expression instantly vanished. His eyes widened in astonishment and shock, a myriad of incredulous emotions surfacing on his face.

Clearly.

The contents of the dispatch had shocked even Zhu Di himself.

Seeing his Prince's rapidly changing expressions, Qiu Fu couldn't help but ask, "Prince, is all well at Zhuozhou City?"

At this point.

Qiu Fu was completely baffled.

Hearing the question, Zhu Di finally pulled back his gaze and gradually broke into a smile.