Guys, I love reading this part of Chapter 7. Remember in the beginning of Chapter 1 Gu Yun recalled of her being part of the anti-riot squad in the police force? Well, in the battle she applied her knowledge and experience of riot/crowd control to outsmart Su Ren! I’m not so sure if my translation of all the actions going on in this part is clear enough for the scene to vividly come alive in your minds. Hence, I linked a short video showing a demo of riot control middle of the post. Also you may read this which explains the tactics or theory of riot/crowd control. The video and article will help the imagination to picture Gu Yun’s other strategy in the battle. Enjoy reading everyone!
Chapter 7: Night raid attack and defense, Part 4 of 5
Understanding dawned on Gu Yun’s eyes, letting out a deep sigh she said: “Su Ren’s good!” In fact, the five hundred soldiers were not there at all to guard the room in the rear court, but were dispatched to patrol in order to mislead them, simultaneously the guards were able to arrest the infiltrators before they’ve reached the courtyard, what they really want to protect is the courtyard! So on one hand, in front is the tower, behind it is a fierce commanding officer, athough the courtyard had no patrolling guards, in the camp it has become the safest and most unreachable place.
Fingers gently groped on the drawings, going by Su Ren’s character no way could the wooden case be inside the main headquarter, it should be in – – her index finger finally stopped at one place. Gu Yun’s eyes gleamed slyly like a cat’s in the dim light, Gu Yun hooked her fingers towards Leng Xiao and Ge Jing Yun, laughed and said: “You two come over, we’ll divide our soldiers and fan out in two directions, Leng Xiao, you from …”
The night darkens, it ought to be a tranquil night, but because of the red-hot blazing torches, the wave after wave of attacks and all the clamor, the night turned out restless and noisy.
Following Su Yu’s command for a change in battle formation, most of the soldiers rushed in front and have now arrived below the tower. To capture the tower, there are only two ways: first, to knock down and open the gates; second, to climb the high walls and force entrance from atop, the walls are more than three zhang tall (~30 feet), even if they’re able to fling up rope ladders, climbing also needs a lot of time, the tower’s protected by many archers, not to mention the hundreds of guards waiting for them in the tower.
Therefore Su Yu opted to break open the gates, in front, dozens of soldiers jointly wrapping their arms around a big tree trunk, under cries of rhythmic cadence rammed the gates repeatedly, the sound of a dull thud coming from the towering bronze gates can be heard, jolting people’s minds and shaking their hearts.
Atop the city wall tower one has a clear view of the outside of the gate tower and the rear court, the situation inside the camp can be clearly observed from this vantage point. On top of the wall tower, Su Ren looked down on the soldiers holding the tree trunk slamming into the gates, instead of fury his face wore a cool and unhurried smile. The quality of the new army recruits is excellent, brave young men will once again join the ranks of the Su family army, on this note he’s naturally delighted. Beside him, Han Shu also candidly laughed, saying: “the training on battle formations is pretty good!” The training took only a fortnight yet formation changes were accomplished smoothly and without a hitch, their first time on the battlefield yet there are no hints of timidity and panic, not bad at all!
“If you continue trifling with them with your arrows, it won’t take long before the gates would be knocked open.” Han Shu said, gleefully gloating a bit.
Su Ren relied on the archers to keep this herd of greenhorns outside, he reckons that is impossible now, with shields over their heads, even the arrows falling like rain weren’t able to disrupt their battle formation, the guards too are at their wit’s end.
“Someone come.” Su Ren called out softly.
“Yes.” A lieutenant quickly stepped forward.
“Attack with rocks.” Hesitating for a moment, Su Ren continued, “choose small pieces.”
“Yes.”
Listening to Su Ren’s command, Han Shu could not help but laugh heartily, whacking him on the shoulder, laughingly he jested: “Incredibly you’re the loving type, to be so considerate to the two battling armies!”
Su Ren laughed in silence, but his deep and dark eyes were secretly scouring for Gu Yun’s figure, he can’t believe that she’d only send men to search out the rear of the camp and afterwards no longer take action, in an hour the sun will shine, what plan is she concocting?
Following the guards’ diversionary rocks attack tactic, rocks as big as heads were hurled down from the high tower, one can well imagine the falling impact. Even though there were shields to block the blow, still it was staggering, the initial orderly battle formation was immediately thrown into disarray. The situation took a dramatic turn for the worse, soon the soldiers below stopped what they were doing. All of a sudden a number of flaming arrows. .h.i.t both sides of the walls, in a flash, the tower was splashed with blazing fire. The garrison commander had no choice but to divide his guards, a half of them to extinguish the fire, the rest to launch counterattacks. Below the army recruits who were ramming against the gates finally got a brief chance to take a breather.
Suddenly on the city gate tower fire was in all directions, Han Shu’s eyes lit up, chuckling he said: “Madam finally emerged.”
Su Ren immediately got thrilled, at last she appeared! Suddenly a heavy hand pressed on his shoulder, Han Shu’s startled voice rang out in his ear, “Look behind you!”
Su Ren looked back towards the rear court’s direction, hundreds of black soldiers sneaked in again, like a tide they flooded into the rear court, and their hands were holding shields? Added to that, to attack using that kind of big shields nearly as high as a man, what are they up to?!
On their side, scrutinizing the situation below, Su Ren and Han Shu were extremely puzzled, on his side Su Yu also inwardly grew suspicious, why did Qing Mo at this time send troops to help him, even if she was also going to attack, couldn’t she at least wait after his attack fails? While wondering, he sensed a shadow coming towards him, lifting his head to his side, the person who else but Gu Yun! With a nonchalant smile on her face, she stood beside him, baffled Su Yu asked: “You don’t command your troops? Why are you here by me?”
Gu Yun shrugged and replied: “I’ve already deployed well, now I can watch. Besides this time they’re more capable, I’ve nothing else to do, why not I stand here and observe the battle?” The best location is here!
Altogether she has many convenient reasons one cannot refute, to watch the tower in front, to take shelter both from the flying, oncoming flaming arrows and the launched counterattacks. The garrison guards who at the onset deftly resisted the siege below were now eventually thrown into a slight state of chaos.
Su Yu lightly laughed: “I thought you would not attack tonight, that you’d hide from the sidelines using me to test the waters and a.s.sess my second brother’s actual situation. Then tomorrow night you’d make a move. I didn’t expect you to quickly run out of patience.”
Gu Yun gently arched her eyebrow and laughed: “Oh I see. All this big hullabaloo is just a reconnaissance mission to prepare for tomorrow night’s attack? Do you think tomorrow that wily second brother of yours will use the same deployment positions?”
Su Yu’s brows wrinkled a bit, he kept silent, of course he’s aware second brother is dynamic, but he doubts he’d go so far as changing the deployment of forces for the night raid every night!
Gu Yun did not think so, “Tonight Su Ren and the guards are in their most lax moment, therefore, it is also the time most likely to score victory. If it’s not tonight, tomorrow night, or the night after I’m afraid even if we join forces we will not be able to beat your brother.” The Su family army’s indomitable spirit has always been unequalled, its pride inevitably led to underestimating its enemy, tonight is the best chance!
After a very long time, Su Yu slowly nodded, only to shake his head and sigh immediately afterwards, saying: “In an hour the sky will be bright. I’m afraid it would be difficult to win tonight.” Those garrison guards are veteran soldiers. Their panic only lasts for a short time. If brother consequently moves a hundred men to reinforce, the more difficult it is to win.
Her lips slightly puckered, Gu Yun confidently replied: “Hmm, not necessarily!”
Su Yu stared at her speechless, what makes her so confident?
As soon as Gu Yun’s voice fell, a piercing whoosh sounded, a silvery light leaped out from the shadows, straightly sticking on top of the city wall, appearing slender, it was actually a shaft of a long spear?! The tail was still rapidly quivering, obviously it was thrown with great force.
Su Yu quickly looked towards the spot where the flash of silvery light originated from and saw a huge crossbow lying on the ground, more than a dozen soldiers were right in the middle of laboriously pulling fully the thick bow string, and their “arrow” is the shaft of the silver spear!
What the h.e.l.l are they doing?
While Su Yu was still wondering, another silver spear flew out! The silver spear was embedded on the upper right!
Within the time when everyone was still puzzling over, four or five silver spears had been shot and stuck up on the city wall. Su Yu turned to Gu Yun whose face had this calm and expectant expression, mocking her he said: “When you said not necessarily, you don’t mean relying on these few spears, do you?”
Gu Yun nodded, she replied brashly: “But of course.”
What trick is she now playing?
It’s not only Su Yu who was left wondering, but Su Ren too was endlessly bewildered, even more he’s wondering about the soldiers in the rear court holding in their hands these shields rushing forward going on the same direction, she set this up she must have a plan, but what is it?
Finally, after the seventh silver spear was shot, the flaming arrows offensive turned more intense than before on both sides, about seventy to eighty men curiously dressed in black appeared below the city walls, they must have taken advantage of the chaos earlier on the tower to sneak past.
Because they moved close to the walls, Gu Yun and Su Yu can clearly follow their every move. The guards didn’t notice them as they were busy dodging the flaming arrows and launching counterattacks.
Until they moved beneath the silver spears, Su Yu finally understood the plan of Gu Yun, but he did not agree with it at all. Su Yu faced Gu Yun and asked: “Even if you have a few men among your team of new recruits with excellent martial arts skills, but three or five men going up to attack, what’s the point? Isn’t it seeing them off to die?” Those few pieces of silver spears stuck far apart, highly skilled martial artists who use qinggong may perhaps have the ability to climb up, but for the average person even with a healthy physique, it is impossible to go up ah!
Gu Yun remained unmoved, her alert eyes slightly squinted, looking up to the two fuzzy figures on the tower, she believed Su Ren doubtless is also closely monitoring the battle. Su Yu’s lucky to be able to watch this attack right before his eyes, but he does not have the chance to watch the other attack in the rear court. Su Ren’s eyes must be having a feast, right? Her forefinger gently stroking her cheek, Gu Yun replied with a faint smile: “Relax, don’t get too excited. The real fun has just begun. In fact at the moment, by comparison, I’m eager to see more your second brother’s crushed and deflated look rather than your beaten one.”
Su Yu’s face at once darkened, cursing under his breath he said: “you are without question an arrogant, conceited woman!”
Gu Yun pointed towards the front, chuckled and said: “just you wait and see.”
Su Yu followed the direction of her gaze, the immediate scene unfolding before his eyes struck him dumb as if something got stuck in his throat, “They …”
One moment the soldiers were standing beneath the walls, right now at an incredible speed they are climbing up. Their skill is amazingly vigorous and nimble. It appears that the long, slender silver spears jutting out of the walls where calculated and meant to be where they are! Clad in black clothes, like geckos, leaping and vaulting on the walls, unlike the whirlwind qinggong moves, they are actually climbing, and that makes it even more amazing!
Added to that not only one or two men are executing these motions, but the seventy to eighty people under the walls are all climbing up, counting the time, unexpectedly in less than a half stick of incense (i.e., the time it takes to burn half a joss stick).
Such a dramatic operation and incredible technique, not only the soldiers behind Su Yu were stunned grinning ear to ear, even the soldiers who were still trying to ram against the gates were gawking speechless.
“What on earth they want to do?” Han Shu stared at the rear court for a very long time, but he still does not get it!
A group of soldiers holding up in their hands high, big shields, encountering guards along the way in their march to the inside of the camp they didn’t attack, just lifting up the broad shields which protected entirely the bodies behind them, continuously they charged their way to the courtyard, only defending but not attacking!
Finally with great difficulty they have reached the area where the rear court converges to the courtyard, the place where most guards were stationed. Instantly they divided into two and eventually encircled around a group, the two separated into four. When there are guards who attack, immediately they close in together. By means of the shields they are trapped inside. Precisely with this strange on and off separation-and-closing-in tactic surprisingly they contained many guards in between their shields.
The more Su Ren and Han Shu watched the more they marveled, in this manner they were simply able to temporarily stall the guards in the rear court, but what is the purpose of this?
Sounds of clashing blades coming from the top of the gate tower riveted back Su Ren and Han Shu’s attention, they have watched the rear court for just a moment, how come the gate tower is now breached?
Su Ren’s face finally displayed a dramatic change of expression, towards the lieutenant general beside him he growled low: “how did that come about?”
Su Ren is rarely ruffled, the lieutenant general promptly replied: “black-clad soldiers using a crossbow shot and embedded spears above the city walls, using the shafts of the spears they climbed up, in less than a half stick of incense a hundred men came up, it was way too late for my army to react as they attacked as soon as they were up.”
Focusing his eyes, indeed on the walls several spears were randomly protruding, torn between surprise and anger, Su Ren could not help but groan: “Relying on a few random spears they can unimaginably climb up, quickly attacking the city walls, the quality of this new batch of recruits is d.a.m.n good!”
Han Shu shook his head and replied: “While it’s true that the quality of the recruits is pretty good, the one even more admirable is the person who trained them. I’ve seen first-hand their distress and fear when they climbed the rock wall, and now a short ten days later, they can amazingly already perform this. Without doubt Madam is a capable person!”
The tower is an area easy to defend. Su Ren sent three hundred elite guards who were already more than enough, but he did not reckon with an attack of a hundred men climbing up, plus a team of soldiers ramming the gates below. The flaming arrows still kept on flying towards the walls, momentarily, pandemonium reigned in the tower.
Without reinforcements coming, the city gates he reckons will not hold up!
Su Ren and Han Shu simultaneously turned round, looking towards the guards who are momentarily penned in by the high, broad shields in the rear court, all of a sudden the strategy of Gu Yun dawned on them.