Chapter 105: Storming The Walls
“Ah? Why did they leave?” On the courtyard wall, Lu Zhou opened his mouth wide.
Lin Qian saw that team retreat more than twenty steps, then slowly head south.
Could it be they are going to forcefully attack the main gate?
Lin Qian’s gaze sharpened, and he instructed those on his left and right: “Crossbowmen, follow me.” Then he led people walking along the courtyard wall and soon arrived at the main gate courtyard wall.
Zheng Zhilong was confronting the militia here. Seeing Lin Qian approach, he asked, “Ship Master, why have you come?”
Lin Qian told him about how the Huangyan County Clerk had brought over two hundred people to forcefully attack the main gate.
Zheng Zhilong also couldn’t help but look grave, sighing, “The Lin Mansion is indeed a great clan; they can make the prefectural and county manpower fight so desperately to rescue them.”
After about the time of burning one incense stick, they vaguely saw a team like a fire dragon coming from the east—it was the Clerk’s manpower.
They arrived in front of the Lin Mansion main gate and joined forces with the militia. Both sides grew more imposing, waving torches, shouting, and cursing incessantly.
Three hundred people standing together was quite a large group, and the torchlight illuminated the surroundings clearly down to the finest detail.
“Ship Master, look.” Zheng Zhilong pointed into the distance.
Lin Qian looked where he pointed and saw a faint fiery red on the horizon—it should be another team of men and horses arriving.
At this time, on the main gate courtyard wall, there were only Zheng Zhilong’s fifteen men from the west road and the twelve crossbowmen Lin Qian had brought.
Together, still less than thirty people.
The three hundred outside were ten times their number, and with reinforcements arriving continuously, even holding the high wall would be extremely difficult to defend.
“Ship Master, what should we do?” Zheng Zhilong looked grave as he asked Lin Qian.
Lin Qian’s expression was stern as he instructed Lu Zhou: “Go find Bai Langzai and bring all the remaining carbon heat agent. Have all those with armor and shields come to the front gate courtyard wall, and tell Lei Sanxiang to move the silver faster.”
There were no outsiders on the courtyard wall, so he wasn’t afraid of calling names and being overheard.
“Yes.”
Lu Zhou withdrew, and everyone on the courtyard wall waited with bated breath.
However, after waiting a long time, the militia and Clerk’s manpower still did not advance.
The distant firelight grew brighter and brighter, like a fire serpent under the pitch-black night sky. Looking at the number, there were at least two or three hundred people.
On the courtyard wall, sweat seeped from everyone’s palms.
Lu Zhou’s footsteps approached from far to near. He had a shoulder bag on his shoulder, and behind him followed five or six crew members wearing armor and holding shields.
“Ship Master, the carbon heat agent is all here.”
Lin Qian took the shoulder bag, which contained seven or eight gourds.
There was also solid carbon heat agent, which Lin Qian had made by adding syrup to it and drying it—prepared as a backup for melting the iron bars.
“The helmsman said it will take another hour to move everything, and to hold on here at the main gate.”
“Got it.”
Lin Qian placed the shoulder bag aside and looked outside the courtyard wall again, only to see that fire serpent had already arrived in front of the mansion gate and joined with the other two groups of manpower.
The three groups of manpower gathered together, totaling five or six hundred people. The torchlight was so bright it seemed like it would burn a hole in the sky.
The surrounding militia and county soldiers had gathered so quickly, which exceeded Lin Qian’s expectations.
For now, they could hold the courtyard wall, and the militia and county soldiers couldn’t attack in for the moment.
But if the standoff continued for a long time, they certainly wouldn’t gain the advantage. He must think of a way to both delay time and escape easily.
Lin Qian furrowed his brows in deep thought. Moments later, a flash of inspiration came to him, and he thought of a brilliant idea. He pulled Lu Zhou close and whispered instructions: “Pass the order to the people in the women’s hall…”
……
Below the courtyard wall, the Clerk saw the newcomer and went forward to salute: “Patrol Inspector Sir.”
The newcomer was precisely the Huangyan County Patrol Office Patrol Inspector.
The Patrol Office’s duties in public security were above the county yamen but below the garrison, specifically dealing with gang robbers and bandits.
Now that the Patrol Inspector had come, the burden on the Clerk was even lighter.
The Patrol Inspector returned the salute to the Clerk, then said: “Do you know the situation inside?”
“The bandits’ numbers are unknown; they have powerful crossbows.”
“Crossbows?” The Patrol Inspector was quite astonished. “How many?”
“About twenty.”
A look of deliberation appeared on the Patrol Inspector’s face: “Since the bandits have crossbows, it no longer falls under the Patrol Office’s jurisdiction; we should call for the garrison to send troops.”
Clerk: “The County Magistrate has already sent people to call them.”
“Oh? Where is the County Magistrate now?” The Patrol Inspector’s eyes lit up; if the County Magistrate was present, he could share the burden.
Clerk: “The County Magistrate is stationed at the county yamen tonight to prevent the bandits from disturbing the county city.”
“This slippery monkey sure knows how to avoid trouble!” the Patrol Inspector cursed inwardly.
The Militia Captain saw the two chatting endlessly and grew anxious in his heart. He stepped forward and said: “Two Masters, when will we seize the gate and climb the wall, when will we enter the mansion to rescue people? Please give the order!”
The Clerk said: “Hey! You’re mistaken. Since the Patrol Inspector is here, how could I give orders?”
The Patrol Inspector cursed inwardly. He had originally thought those disturbing the Lin Mansion were just small-time thieves, so he hurried over hoping to gain some benefits. Now it was too late to regret.
Now he was stuck; if he didn’t take action, he couldn’t escape the charge of letting the bandits get away and missing the opportunity.
After pondering for a long time, the Patrol Inspector made up his mind: “Bring ladders, hold shields and climb the wall!”
The militia had long prepared ladders and hurriedly moved them next to the Patrol Office manpower.
After all, the militia had no shields, and no one dared to climb the wall under crossbow bolts.
The Patrol Inspector looked at the Clerk: “I’ll attack the west wall, you attack the east wall.”
The Clerk shirked: “These men under me are all county city constables and civilian braves; they don’t know how to climb walls in combat. Oh, I do have over ten shields that I can lend to the Patrol Inspector Sir.”
After the Clerk spoke, without even needing his eye signal, his subordinate constables immediately offered up the shields, piling them together with the ladders.
The Patrol Inspector was so angry his chest felt stuffy, but he was helpless. Although the Patrol Inspector was a from-ninth-rank official, higher than the Clerk, the Patrol Office and county yamen belonged to two different systems with no authority over each other.
The Clerk was unwilling to let his subordinates risk their lives, and the Patrol Inspector was helpless.
“Hold shields, climb the wall!” the Patrol Inspector said hatefully.
The Patrol Office soldiers reluctantly picked up the shields.
Under the Patrol Inspector’s arrangement, they formed ten groups total. Each group had five men carrying the ladder and five following behind—a total of fifty men.
“Up!”
With the order given, the Patrol Office soldiers shouldered the ladders on their right shoulders, raised shields in their left hands, had long knives at their waists, and advanced slowly.
After walking more than ten steps, they heard a series of crossbow string sounds from the top of the wall.
“Thud thud thud…”
Sounds of shields being hit by arrows rang out.
“Ah—” Someone was hit by an arrow and fell to the ground. The crossbow bolt pierced his calf, blood flowed all over the ground, and he wailed incessantly.
The five behind saw this and immediately surrounded with shields. Then five lifted the limbs while one dragged the body, forcibly carrying the man back.
The Patrol Inspector was furious, his seven orifices smoking with rage. With a clang, he drew his knife and cursed angrily: “All of you, get back! If anyone pretends to carry wounded to retreat again, severe punishment without mercy!”
The five had no choice but to put down the wounded man and advance slowly again with shields raised.
At this time, the vanguard carrying the ladders had reached the foot of the wall. After setting up the ladders, they discovered some were too short and couldn’t reach the top at all.
Helpless, they could only retreat again with shields raised.
The remaining few waves of men were climbing upward.
Suddenly, they heard the sound of crossbow bolts being loaded nearby. The crossbowmen on the wall top leaned out and shot at the shield soldiers climbing the ladders.
In an instant, bloody rain sprinkled down.
Five or six shield soldiers were hit by bolts, screaming as they fell from the ladders. Blood flowed down the ladders, bloody rain sprinkled everywhere, and the foot of the wall was full of gore.
A few bold Patrol Office soldiers stepped on the slippery ladders and climbed up, finally reaching the courtyard wall.
Under the moonlight, they saw cold gleams flashing on the courtyard wall, bloody mist swirling, and several chilling screams emanating.
In just a few breaths, the screams gradually died down.
Dozens of Patrol Office soldiers covered in blood crawled and rolled back in escape. To run faster, they threw their shields all over the ground.
“Sir, there are too many bandits on the wall top; we can’t attack successfully!”
“How many people?” the Patrol Inspector hurriedly asked.
The soldiers looked at each other. Moments later, one said: “About eighty!”
The other soldiers nodded in agreement one after another.
