Chapter 816: Eliminating the Scouts
"The Manchu forces are here! The Manchu forces are here again!"
Inside the Prefect of Daizhou's residence, a household retainer screamed in a panic.
The Prefect of Daizhou, dressed in a moonlight-white inner garment, groggily climbed out of bed and grumbled, "So what if they're here? They came last time too, didn't they? But this is a prefectural city, not a county seat. The Manchu forces won't launch a full assault."
"No, this time, they aren't planning to just bypass the city. They've brought siege weapons. They're coming to attack!"
The retainer's shout jolted the Prefect of Daizhou awake. "What did you say?"
His drowsiness vanished in an instant.
He quickly donned his armor and rushed to the city wall. A civil official, burdened by heavy armor, found even walking difficult, gasping for breath. By the time he reached the ramparts, he discovered that Sun Chuanting had already arrived, similarly clad in heavy armor, yet showing no signs of fatigue, still radiating an imposing aura.
Sun Chuanting was already directing his household guards and the local militia to take up their positions at critical points along the city wall, preparing for a defensive battle.
Compared to Sun Chuanting, the Prefect of Daizhou seemed utterly useless.
Annoyed, Sun Chuanting pointed outside the city.
The Prefect peered out and immediately gasped. Outside the city walls, vast numbers of Manchu soldiers were arrayed in dense formations. On the flanks, Manchu and Mongol cavalry spread out, while a large infantry force occupied the center.
These infantry troops were well-equipped, each clad in gleaming armor, their colorful banners fluttering in the wind.
It was a truly terrifying sight!
Fortunately, this was the Xuan-Da Command, not the Northeast.
The Manchu forces hadn't hauled their heavy cannons thousands of miles to this location. The siege equipment they'd prepared outside the city consisted entirely of hastily fashioned ladders and siege towers, relatively primitive by comparison.
The Prefect was scared half to death. "Are you serious? They've even prepared siege weapons! Didn't the reports say the Manchu forces wouldn't attack cities, only raid the countryside?"
Sun Chuanting snapped, "Prefect, the tide of battle changes rapidly. The Manchu forces see how cowardly our Great Ming has become. Even if they initially didn't intend to attack cities, they'll become bolder! Don't you understand this principle? If each city continues to sweep the snow from its own doorstep, the Manchu forces will only become more aggressive, slowly assaulting one city after another."
The Prefect panicked. "What can we do? What can we do?"
Sun Chuanting declared, "Fight! What else is there to do?"
"They're attacking... the Manchu forces are attacking..."
The drums of war began to beat, and the Manchu army outside the city slowly advanced upon Daizhou City.
"Fire arrows!"
"Catapults!"
Sun Chuanting ignored the Prefect's bluster, throwing himself wholeheartedly into the battle.
---
The Gao Family Village Militia was swiftly advancing north.
The Reconnaissance Hot Air Balloon floated high above, a rope wrapped around Gao Chuwu's wrist, drifting forward with the main contingent.
The Heavenly Lord's Mass-produced Model 3 avatar frowned. "The Manchu forces are attacking Daizhou City."
This startled everyone. "Huh?"
Lao Nanfeng commented, "Are the Manchu forces mad? Attacking a prefectural city for no reason! They can't possibly hold it, it has no strategic value."
Li Daoxuan replied, "It's likely that the Ming army's cowardice has emboldened them. Raiding and plundering county towns no longer satisfies their appetite, so they want to capture Daizhou City and loot all its wealth."
Everyone fell silent.
Cheng Xu suggested, "We're not far from Daizhou. This is a good opportunity to reinforce them."
Li Daoxuan hummed in agreement. His perspective shifted to the reconnaissance balloon's view, and he suddenly noticed several Manchu scouts lurking on the plains ahead.
"Five li ahead, there are Manchu scouts!" Li Daoxuan announced. "If we proceed to reinforce Daizhou, these scouts will spot us. They'll race back to report, and the Manchu forces will know we're coming."
Hearing this, the commanding generals immediately understood. "If we can take the Manchu forces by surprise when we reinforce, we can achieve better results."
Lao Nanfeng volunteered, "I will personally lead a detachment to try and eliminate the scouts."
"I'll go too," Li Daoxuan offered.
"Oh? The Heavenly Lord wishes to go as well?" Lao Nanfeng felt a bit awkward. "Your divine body is too heavy... a warhorse wouldn't be able to carry you at speed."
Li Daoxuan's avatar was made of steel and bone, with an arm that doubled as a cannon, so its weight was considerable.
"No matter, I won't ride a horse."
With that, Li Daoxuan squatted down, lifted the silicone surface covering his feet, and from within, two wheels whirred out.
The generals had never seen the Mass-produced Model 3 Heavenly Lord's roller skates before, and they were momentarily stunned. "The Heavenly Lord actually has wheels on his feet?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled, showcasing the roller skating skills he'd learned in his sixth-grade class, and elegantly slid forward...
A small stone caught a wheel, and with a splash, he tumbled.
The generals exchanged glances.
Well, roller skating on uneven ancient terrain was practically impossible!
Just as the generals stood dumbfounded, the Heavenly Lord, sprawled on the ground, revealed two more silicone panels on his body, at his shoulders and waist, from which four large wheels extended, their hubs encased in rubber.
In an instant, the Heavenly Lord transformed from a two-wheeled roller-skating state to a four-wheeled vehicle.
The generals exclaimed, "Ah?"
Li Daoxuan decided against any more roller skating; physics in the ancient world was too challenging. It was time for some metaphysics...
He shifted his body's propulsion to a metaphysical drive!
Without an engine, the four wheels suddenly began to spin, propelling him forward with a burst of speed.
The generals were prostrate with admiration. "The Heavenly Lord's divine magic is truly awe-inspiring!"
Cheng Xu nudged Lao Nanfeng. "Lao Nanfeng, why are you still dawdling? Weren't you going to personally deal with the enemy scouts?"
Lao Nanfeng snapped back to attention. "Oh, right!"
He immediately spurred his horse forward, shouting, "Heavenly Lord, wait for me!"
Several veteran border scouts under Lao Nanfeng's command quickly followed, fanning out into a loose formation as they charged north.
Li Daoxuan "drove" northward for a while, quickly disappearing into the tall grass. Unlike cavalry, who were tall and easily spotted from a distance, Li Daoxuan's low-lying "drive" made him almost invisible once he deliberately entered the dense foliage.
Lao Nanfeng and his men quickly lost sight of the Heavenly Lord.
Knowing that the Heavenly Lord surely had other plans, he didn't bother searching for him. Instead, he focused on his mission, galloping forward on his swift horse.
Soon, the Manchu scouts became visible on the plains ahead!
The Manchu scouts quickly spotted what they perceived as "Ming army scouts." From a distance, they exchanged glances and began to assess each other's fighting strength.
Ten Manchu scouts against six "Ming army scouts."
The Manchu scouts decided not to retreat. "We must eliminate their scouts so we can ascertain how many Ming soldiers are truly behind them."
"Aoooh! Charge!"
The Manchu scouts spurred their horses forward.
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