Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5262 Breaking Through the Enemy City
The moment the city gates opened, the roar of the Tang army outside the city surged in like a tidal wave, making everyone's eardrums ring and causing Xie He's face to turn pale and his legs to tremble.

The hundred or so Tang soldiers were like demons descending from the sky, holding their ground and refusing to retreat, impervious to swords and spears. How could the main force of the ten thousand Tang soldiers possibly resist them?

The life and death of Ye Qide, the survival of Mulu City, and even his own career, wealth, and family honor... all flashed through Xie He's mind in an instant. After weighing the pros and cons briefly, he quickly made a decision.

"The entire army shall retreat and hold the south gate!"

Sheikh turned his horse around and, with his personal guards, galloped south. The thousands of soldiers gathered there, though surprised by the order, did not need to think too much and followed closely behind, retreating south of the city like a tide.

The ferocity of the Tang army had already instilled fear in them; who would willingly fight to the death against such an enemy? Since the commander-in-chief had given the order, they should simply obey...

At the wide-open north gate, the Tang army had already swarmed in and, without pausing, chased after Xie He.

Meanwhile, Ye Qide's troops, stationed in the city, were on their way to the North Gate to assist Xie He, but halfway there they saw Xie He leading his elite troops in a hasty southward escape without stopping. Confused, they were then met head-on by the Tang army that had entered the city to pursue them.

Ye Qide's troops were immediately thrown into chaos. Why did the Tang army suddenly attack the city without warning?
Mulu City has high walls and thick walls, and its defenses are first-class. Even if the Tang army is powerful and strong, it would be impossible for them to break through the defenses in less than ten days or half a month. How could they have broken into the city in the blink of an eye after just hearing that the north gate was attacked?

But there was no time to think about it. The Abbasid army, which had been routed by the Tang army all the way and was in a panic looking south, was already demoralized and feared the Tang army like a tiger. Before the Tang army could even engage them, a rain of arrows came down on them. The arrows flew like locusts, stirring up the snow and falling into the formation. Countless soldiers were hit by the arrows and fell to the ground with cries of pain. Instantly, the morale of the army collapsed. The previously orderly formation was scattered like sheep being let loose. They cried and howled and followed Xiehe's footsteps southward in a rout.

More and more Tang troops poured into the city from the north gate, encountering no resistance whatsoever. They were able to calmly divide into three groups: one group pursued the fleeing army southwards, another group went straight to the city lord's mansion in the city to meet Wang Xiaojie, and the third group started from the north city to block roads and maintain order.

Xue Rengui was among the first to enter the city. As he rode through the gate, he was greeted by heavy snow. He squinted slightly and looked around at Mulu City in the snowstorm. Then he pulled on the reins and headed straight for the city lord's mansion.

With the overall situation already decided, it was natural to rescue Wang Xiaojie in a timely manner and try to prevent such young soldiers from dying in the enemy city...

……

The fighting in the city lord's mansion had long since ceased. A portion of Sheikh's army and Yeqid's personal guards surrounded the mansion, but hesitated to launch a full-scale attack for fear of harming the innocent. When news arrived that the north gate had fallen and Sheikh had led his army to retreat to the south gate, Sheikh's army scattered and fled south, leaving Yeqid's personal guards looking at each other in bewilderment.

In the Abbasid Caliphate, the personal guards of the powerful were tantamount to slaves, completely different from a real army. Once the powerful were captured or killed in battle, all the guards, even if they escaped back, would be executed along with their entire families. This forced the guards to protect the powerful without fear of death.

At present, Yeqide, as a prince of the Abbasid Caliphate, was captured by the Tang army. His personal guards would either die in battle or escape, or they would be subjected to extreme punishment once they returned to Damascus.

We can attack but can't break through, what should we do?

While they hesitated, the Tang army outside surged in like a tide, quickly occupying the city lord's mansion inside and out, and the two sides faced off...

Upon learning of the situation outside, Wang Xiaojie, who was inside the room, put down his teacup, stood up, and sheathed his sword. He then said to Ye Qide, who was huddled in the corner with a pale face, "Let's go. Go out and appease your guards so they can lay down their weapons and surrender on the spot. They might have a chance to accompany you back to Damascus in the future."

In his despair, Ye Qide was suddenly filled with hope. He nodded repeatedly and shouted, "Yes, yes, I am the prince of the Abbasid Caliphate, of noble status. You can have as much money as you want, and it's not impossible for me to even cede a city! Use me to exchange for your benefits, but please don't kill me!"

Wang Xiaojie stepped forward and kicked him, saying impatiently, "Do you need to teach me how to do things? Get out of here right now and tell your guards to surrender, or I'll kill you with one stroke!"

Ye Qide couldn't understand what he was saying, but he could sense the great danger and understand what Wang Xiaojie meant, so he quickly nodded repeatedly.

Wang Xiaojie was the first to step outside. The heavy snow hitting him made him squint. He looked up at the whitening sky in the east and let out a long breath.

Ye Qide, with his hands bound, strode outside and shouted loudly. Soon, the guards who were confronting the Tang army dropped their weapons, put their hands on their heads, squatted in the snow, and surrendered.

Tang soldiers stepped forward, tied the hundreds of guards with ropes, and escorted them to the outside of the city for safekeeping. Wang Xiaojie then quickly walked out of the courtyard and saw Xue Rengui standing on horseback in the heavy snow. He grinned, showing his white teeth, and knelt down on one knee to salute him.

"Reporting to the General, Ye Qide has been captured. We have accomplished our mission!"

Xue Rengui nodded from horseback, offering no further praise, and said calmly, "Well done! Quickly mount your horse and let's crush the enemy army south of the city together!"

"Here!"

A guard led a warhorse, and Wang Xiaojie mounted it, following Xue Rengui as he led the troops south of the city.

……

As dawn broke, chaos reigned in Mulu City. The city's residents and merchants, having learned that the Tang army had breached the north gate and stormed into the city, were in a panic. Some were carrying their families, while others were rushing to catch horse-drawn carts loaded with goods, all gathering at the south gate in an attempt to escape the city.

However, Sheikh quickly led his army to this place, and sent troops to occupy the city gate to disperse the people and merchants who had gathered there. All goods were confiscated and seized on the spot, causing a great chorus of cries.

The merchants, in particular, wanted to flee the city because they were afraid that the Tang army would kill and plunder after entering the city. But who would have thought that they would be robbed clean by their own people first?
Sheikh stood beneath the South Gate, acting decisively in confiscating and seizing property, but he was torn about whether to defend the South Gate.

He knew he couldn't win in a fight, and the final outcome would definitely be defeat and a retreat south. But if he fled without even fighting, leaving Yazid trapped in the city, how would he explain it to the Caliph? However, if he chose to confront the Tang army, he would likely be relentlessly pursued. He knew that this Tang army, which had pursued him for thousands of miles, consisted entirely of cavalry with extremely high mobility. If they were caught up, there was a high chance of total annihilation.

But he didn't hesitate for long, because he knew very well that he could only secure his position by preserving his army and maintaining a certain level of strength. After the retreat, he could use huge sums of money to bribe the officials and nobles in Damascus, and with the influence of his family, even if the Caliph was dissatisfied, he couldn't do anything to him.

But if your troops are all wiped out, that's true annihilation...

"Confiscate all property in the vicinity, drive everyone away from the city gates to ensure they remain open, and kill any who resist!"

Following Sheikh's orders, wailing and screaming filled the air near the South Gate. Many merchants who were unwilling to have all their wealth looted tried to resist but were brutally murdered, creating a scene of utter hell.

Then Sheikh gave the order to retreat, and without hesitation, he led his personal guards out of the city through the south gate and retreated towards Nisa.

When the Tang army arrived at the south gate, they found that Xie He had already led his elite troops out of the city, leaving Ye Qide's troops in a panic and disorderly blockade at the city gate. The more anxious they were to leave the city, the more congested they became. Many soldiers, seeing that the Tang army had arrived and there was no hope of leaving the city, turned and fled to the east and west, rushing into the nearby residential areas.

Xue Rengui released dozens of Ye Qide's captured guards, allowing them to approach the fleeing soldiers and recruit them to surrender. He also dispatched troops to search the entire city, maintain order, and ensure the safety of merchants and residents.

Seeing that the overall situation was settled and the remaining defeated soldiers were not enough to turn the tide, Xue Rengui and Wang Xiaojie turned their horses around and returned to the city lord's mansion. After tidying up inside and out, they set up temporary military tents there.

The first order was to send soldiers into the city to spread the word about the discipline of the Tang army. As long as they behaved themselves, both merchants and residents could ensure their own safety and that of their property. All defeated soldiers only needed to lay down their weapons and surrender on the spot to ensure their lives were safe.

Then the entire army entered the city and requisitioned military camps and houses near the city gates for garrisoning. They also dispatched scout teams out of the city to follow Xie He's footsteps and keep a clear picture of his movements at all times.

Around 9:00 AM, the sky brightened and the snowfall subsided slightly. All ten thousand Tang soldiers had entered the city, and the routed soldiers had been searched and cleared. The entire city of Mulu returned to normal order.

Lu Dongzan, wrapped in a bearskin cloak and wearing a sable hat, rode his horse into Mulu City with the Tang army. What he saw was a large group of Tang soldiers sweeping snow and clearing debris from the streets, while patrolling with swords and arrows at their ready. Mulu City, which had just experienced a battle, was orderly and safe.

Entering the city lord's mansion, sitting in the main hall, drinking tea and watching the Tang army generals coming and going busily, I felt a little emotional.

After finishing his business, Xue Rengui sat down next to Lu Dongzan, accepted the tea that Lu Dongzan had personally poured for him, thanked him, took a sip, exhaled a long breath, and said with a wry smile, "I am not very capable. I can manage military strategy, but I am not good at handling political affairs. I hope you will forgive my shortcomings."

Lu Dongzan shook his head. He had accompanied Xue Rengui on his journey west and had already witnessed the latter's ability to command troops like a god and his bravery that surpassed all others in the army. It was far more than just "trying his best" to describe him.
Of all the people he had come into contact with, perhaps only his own son, Qinling, was slightly better than Xue Rengui; the rest were all inferior to him, and even Fang Jun was not as good as him.

"General, you should not underestimate yourself. Your military skills are among the top ten in the world."

He stated the facts truthfully, then asked with a puzzled look, "Mulu City is an important town and thoroughfare in the river region, a place where merchants from all over gather and countless riches gather. Why not take it for ourselves, but instead use slaves to maintain order in the city and promise the merchants that they will not harm the slightest thing?"