After sending off the messenger, Zhao Junsheng turned to see that Xue Andu was still there, and said to him: "After breakfast tomorrow, your first battalion will take over the city defense, and the day after tomorrow, the second battalion of Gao Xiu will take over, take turns on duty, you go to the whole battalion to organize the soldiers into five echelons, and each echelon will take turns to go to the city wall for two hours!" ”

"Yes!" Xue Andu hugged his fists and turned to leave.

Zhao Junsheng stood in place and pondered and weighed for a long time, and finally made up his mind, his expression became firm, the killing intent in his eyes became stronger, and he took a deep breath, "Old Lu, I'm afraid I'm afraid I'm going to trouble you to run to the Jinling camp!" ”

Lu Xuanbo lifted his sword and hugged his fists, and slowly retreated into the darkness.

When Zhao Junsheng returned to the room in the city tower, Mulan opened her eyes and asked, "Brother Junsheng is back, let's rest early!" ”

Zhao Junsheng walked to the stool and sat down, picked up the teapot and poured a glass of water, and said to Hua Mulan after drinking: "Mulan, I just received the news that Da'e Mountain has been broken by the Rouran army, but I am afraid that at this time, the Rouran army is marching on the way to the Jinling camp!" ”

Hua Mulan lifted the blanket and got up and sat up, her face changed slightly, and she calculated in her heart that there was a two-day journey from Da'e Mountain to the Jinling camp, which had already been a day, so the Rouran army would be able to attack the Jinling camp tomorrow.

"Someone, go and call Mona Loujin and Ulolanqi to come over!"

A moment later, Monalo Jin and Ulolanzi rushed over.

Mona Lou Jin just entered the door and said, "I didn't see Rouran attacking at night, I don't know what happened when General Hua asked me to come so late?" ”

Zhao Junsheng greeted: "Two generals, I just received the news that Da'e Mountain has been broken by the Rouran army before noon today, and at this moment, the Rouran army should be on the way to attack the Jinling camp!" ”

The faces of the two changed greatly, and Wu Luolanqi frowned: "What's the matter?" The first two days were fine, didn't it mean that the Rouran army opposite us came from Da'e Mountain? The Right Guard Army has just withdrawn from Da'e Mountain, how did Da'e Mountain be broken in a blink of an eye? ”

Hua Mulan said: "The specific situation is unknown, but it is a fact that Da'e Mountain was breached, and this news will not be false!" ”

Mona Loujin looked at Zhao Junsheng and then at Mulan, with doubts on his face: "How did General Hua get the news?" Why haven't we received the message? ”

Mulan's face changed slightly, and she said coldly: "You don't care how Ben Jiang got the news, do you think that if something so big happens, the Jinling camp will take the initiative to inform us of the news?" Aren't they afraid that the hearts of the Nantian Fort army will be shaken? ”

Mo Na Lou Jin and Wu Luo Lanqi were silent, Hua Mulan's words were not unreasonable, if such a big thing happened, the Jinling battalion would definitely be worried that the defenders of Nantianbao and Tunqi Mountain would shake their hearts after getting the news, and they would block the news nine times out of ten.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

After a long time, Mulan looked at everyone and said, "Everyone, now that we should work together to deal with the current predicament, I will tell you the news, but I don't want you to be kept in the dark, so that you don't resent me in the future." At present, the situation of our Nantian Fort is worrying, there are tens of thousands of Rouran troops attacking outside, and there is a crisis of being wiped out of the nest behind it, how to deal with this dilemma is the biggest thing! ”

Ulolanqi was a little flustered, he said: "Da'e Mountain has been breached, and the Rouran army is most likely to go straight to the Jinling camp, but it is not impossible for them to come to fight Tunqi Mountain and our Nantian Fort, so to speak, our Nantian Fort may face a situation of being attacked from both sides at any time!" I suggest withdrawing immediately, Mona Loujin, what do you think? ”

Mona Lou was surprised: "Withdraw? Where to retreat? ”

"Evacuate to ······" Ulolanqi couldn't think of where to withdraw for a while, he immediately thought of Shanwu County, where there is a natural danger of killing the tiger's mouth, and immediately said: "Withdraw to Shanwu County, as long as you hold the tiger's mouth, it will be safe!" ”

With a "bump", Mulan slapped the desk violently, with a look in her eyes: "Enough!" Before you see the shadow of the enemy, you discuss withdrawing, and you can't do it on weekdays, why are you cowardly at the critical moment? ”

Ulolanqi's face turned red, and he defended: "General Hua, if you fight with the Rouran people head-on, if I, Ulolanqi, frown, will be your grandson, but the current situation is different, the enemy is about to stab the knife from behind, where do I still have the heart to fight with the Rouran people on the other side?" ”

At this time, Mona Loujin said: "In the current situation, we can withdraw, if we wait for the Rouran army to come behind us, we can't leave if we want to; But if you want to retreat, you must have the above military order, and if you retreat without permission, you will be held accountable afterwards, but I am afraid that this head will not be able to be saved, and this matter is indeed a little difficult to choose! General Hua, why don't you send someone to ask General Pi of Tunqi Mountain for instructions? ”

Of course, Mulan knew what these two people thought, although Mona Lou and said it tactfully, he also wanted to run in his heart, but he was the main general from time to time, and he couldn't take the initiative to bring up the matter of withdrawal, nor could he make a decision, and he couldn't afford to blame him afterwards, so he asked Mulan to send someone to ask the leopard for instructions, even if there was anything, Mulan was in his pocket, and it had nothing to do with him.

Hua Mulan sneered in her heart, and said with a solemn face: "I have made up my mind, before I receive General Pi's military order, I will defend Nantian Castle!" Anyone who talks about retreating again, spreads news to the officers and men in the army, shakes the morale of the army, and kills him! ”

Ulolanqi was about to stand up and reason with Mulan, but he was held down by Mona Loujin, struggled a few times and couldn't move, so he had to give up and endure it.

Hua Mulan's gaze swept over the faces of the two, fell on Zhao Junsheng's face, and ordered: "Zhao Dutong, transfer two hundred people from your command to maintain order in the camp, rectify military discipline, and strictly prevent someone from spreading rumors to shake the morale of the army and flee from the battle, once caught, they will be executed on the spot!" ”

Zhao Junsheng found out and clenched his fists in response: "Obey!" ”

Hua Mulan ordered again: "Hua Hai, take a tooth from your people and arrange it to guard the main roads and high places ten miles south of Nantian Fort, and arrange several cavalry patrols to prevent enemy scouts and scouts, as well as deserters!" ”

Huahai walked in and hugged his fists and promised: "Obey!" ”

Early the next morning, the first echelon of Xue Andu's first battalion took over the defense of the city, and six hundred recruits were incorporated into it.

After breakfast, Hua Mulan, Zhao Junsheng, Mona Loujin and Wu Luolanqi and other leading generals all walked up to the city to check the movements of the Rouran army outside the city walls.

The army formation of Rouran soon approached not far from the hillside, and the Da Na Da Xuan stood tall, gently fluttering in the west wind.

The Rouran army did not attack immediately, and only a few dozen slaves continued to build the well fence out of wood under the supervision of a tooth of Rouran.

Hua Mulan observed for a while, and was about to ask Zhao Junsheng, when she realized that there were outsiders next to her, she changed her title: "Zhao Dutong, why don't I think they are building a well fence, they seem to have buried wood as a support in the soil, it seems that they are building a high platform!" ”

Zhao Junsheng also discovered that the Rouran people on the opposite side were indeed not building a well fence, the well fence could be pushed, but the Rouran people erected a few thick erections in place and buried them in the soil.

They were halfway through the work yesterday while the slaves continued to build.

The height of the platform gradually increased, and the wood used as support also extended upward, and many other slaves reinforced the platform with planks and sticks.

After a full hour, the high platform seems to have been built, looking at this height, it is more than 30 meters, and the small ten-story building is three to four meters higher than the fortress wall.

Everyone on the city wall realized that something was wrong, and Mo Naloujin's face also changed, and he said to Mulan: "General Hua, we are in trouble, if they send troops to climb up and shoot arrows at the head of the city, our soldiers will become live targets!" ”

Mulan's face tightened, and there was a deep worry in her eyes, she carefully observed the wooden platform, and compared the height of the two, and suddenly had an idea.

"Zhao Dutong, borrow your craftsman team carpenters?"

At such a time, Zhao Junsheng of course wanted to support Mulan, and hugged his fists and said: "If General Hua has any orders, just say it!" ”

"Tell your carpenters to make every effort to build fifty door panels three feet wide and one zhang long, in order to save time, don't be beautiful and beautiful, as long as it's thick and can't be pierced by arrows, go quickly!"

Zhao Junsheng clenched his fists and agreed, and instructed Li Bao: "Send someone to tell Jiao Yunzhe that it will be built in the shortest possible time according to General Hua's requirements!" ”

"Yes!"

After the platform was erected, the slaves withdrew, and soon nearly fifty Rouran archers, protected by a cavalry, came to the platform, carrying bows and quivers on their backs, and scimitars hanging from their waists, and climbed up to the platform with their hands and feet.

When all the soldiers of the defenders on the fortress and the city walls saw this scene, their hearts lifted and their expressions began to be nervous.

Zhao Junsheng said at this time: "It's really not good, I'll take a team of people to rush down and destroy it, this thing is too much of a threat to us!" If the Rouran archers who climb up can suppress us, the Rouran people will definitely build a second, third, or even more and more, and then there will be no one standing on this wall at all, and they will be shot to death if they come up! ”

Hua Mulan grabbed Zhao Junsheng: "Don't worry! ”

Hua Mulan thought about it again, and said to Zhao Junsheng, Mona Loujin, Wu Luolanqi and others: "There is not much difference between the height of this high platform and the height of the city wall, and the archers on the head of the city should be able to shoot through, they are riding bows, we have foot bows, and the shooting range is much farther!" Later, if they release their arrows, the sword and shield men will block the front, the spearmen will hide behind, and the archers will hide behind the female wall battlements, waiting for the opportunity to counterattack! ”

"Yes!" Everyone agreed.

The order was quickly delivered.

There were more and more Rouran archers climbing up the high platform, and when more than thirty Rouran archers climbed to the top of the high platform, they began to release arrows on the city wall, and one arrow after another kept shooting.

Mulan had an order to deploy in advance, and the defenders were well hidden, and there were no casualties at first.

At this time, the defenders suddenly heard a tooth-aching creaking, and many people stuck out their heads to look out of the city, only to see that the high platform built by the Rouran people began to tilt at this time, and some of the planks and sticks used for reinforcement began to break.

The creaking sound became louder and louder, and the Rouran archers on the high platform got up in terror, but no matter how they shouted, the high platform inevitably fell quickly, and thirty or forty Rouran archers fell down like dumplings, either dead or disabled.

When the defenders on the city wall saw this scene, they couldn't help laughing: "Hahaha······"