My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

In Tanxian County, the lights were on half an hour earlier than usual.

There was no crowing of roosters, only the deep sound of commands and the dull thud of cooks vigorously stirring the large cauldrons.

The thick porridge, a mixture of millet and dried vegetables, steamed and was quickly distributed to the soldiers on duty at various points along the city wall.

No one complained about the pre-battle feast; they simply swallowed it silently and quickly.

The sky was still dark blue, with only a sliver of pale white in the east.

On the city wall, people were numerous, yet orderly.

Besides new recruits and new soldiers, there were also many of Xu's private troops.

Xiao Heng, wearing a worn-out black cloak over a soft armor, was patrolling along the city wall.

Xu Xianzhi, also dressed in an ill-fitting set of leather armor, followed beside him, holding a simple city defense manual in his hands, occasionally confirming in a low voice.

Chen Da and several Xuanjia guards silently followed behind the two.

The city wall of Tanxian is not magnificent, only a little over five meters high, which is quite low compared to the large cities in the Jianghuai region that are often seven or eight meters or even more than ten meters high.

However, thanks to the Xu family's years of management, this rammed earth and brick wall has been maintained in exceptionally good condition.

The parapets were neat and the crenellations were dense. Although the gate towers and corner towers in several key locations were simple, they were solidly constructed and strong enough to house archers.

The enemy platform protruded outwards, creating an angle for crossfire.

What is most reassuring is the moat at the foot of the city wall, which is formed by diverting water from the Shu River. Although the river is not wide, the water has a dark hue in the pre-dawn light. The traces of the emergency widening and deepening last night are still visible, and the muddy riverbanks serve as a natural obstacle.

"One hundred and sixty-three archers, divided into three teams."

Xiao Heng stopped at the West Gate tower and gave instructions to the squad leader beside him.

"One team will guard the west gate and the area north to the northwest corner tower, focusing on the possible main attack direction of the enemy cavalry; another team will guard the south gate and its extension, the east gate..."

Xiao Heng turned his gaze to the southeast, where the terrain was slightly lower, and not far from the city wall was the Shu River, where a dilapidated wooden bridge trembled as it connected the official road on the other side.

"Leave a small squad at the east gate, but issue double the arrows. If enemy cavalry attempts to outflank or make any moves from the east to cross the bridge, do not request permission; immediately set the bridge ablaze with fire arrows!"

"promise!"

The team leader clasped his hands in a fist salute and hurriedly went to make arrangements.

"Supervisor, isn't the east gate too weak?"

Xu Xianzhi looked at the booklet and saw that there were only twenty-one archers at the East Gate, and felt somewhat worried.

Although the Shu River is a natural barrier, the existence of the bridge is indeed a potential hazard.

"The terrain outside the East Gate is narrow, and it is surrounded by the Shu River. The broken bridge there is barely wide enough for two horses to ride side by side. Anyone who dares to charge there is just throwing their lives away. I have placed the main force of archers in the west and south because the terrain there is open and conducive to the enemy cavalry. If the Xianbei want to test or launch a strong attack, they will definitely choose those places."

Xiao Heng explained, his gaze sweeping over the slightly nervous but trying-to-straighten faces of the new recruits on the city wall.

"If what Han Yong observed during his reconnaissance last night is true, the enemy troops were not carrying any weapons..."

Xiao Heng didn't finish his sentence, but his words were suggestive. Xu Xianzhi instantly understood the tense atmosphere around him and didn't ask any more questions.

At various points along the city wall, defensive equipment was put in place one by one.

There weren't many logs or rolling stones, and Han Yong's attempt to demolish the houses was stopped.

They simply led a group to work through the night to make a few dozen bamboo poles with hooks and grapples.

The sky gradually turned a pale white, and the morning mist thinned out.

Xiao Heng gave the pile of firewood, which was prepared to be filled with tinder, one last check at the East Gate Bridgehead.

Five specially selected archers armed with powerful bows were hidden behind the battlements.

Once everything was ready, I turned and walked toward the West Gate tower, which was located in the center.

Standing behind the parapet, I gazed into the distance.

The wilderness was vast and empty, and the spring breeze rustled through the withered grass.

The water of the moat gently lapped against the banks.

On the distant horizon, the deep sound of a bugle call pierced the morning air and drifted on.

Then came the faint sound of horses' hooves, which grew louder and louder.

On the city wall, everyone held their breath and gripped their weapons tightly.

Han Yong drew his sword and shouted.

"All personnel—prepare for battle!"

The morning mist completely dissipated, and the pale spring sunlight slanted across the city walls and open fields, coating everything with a luster.

Three thousand Xianbei light cavalry spread out a hundred paces away, a dark mass like a cloud sweeping across the wasteland.

All was silent, except for the occasional snorting of warhorses.

There were no shouts or challenges as expected, no probing shots or volleys, and even the formation remained loose.

On the city wall, the soldiers' breathing quickened unconsciously.

The recruits were pale-faced, their eyes fixed on the still formation, as if it would transform into a monstrous wave crashing down upon them at any moment.

Even the veterans under Han Yong's command had solemn expressions. This unusual silence and confrontation was often more unsettling than a direct charge.

Xiao Heng stood on the west gate tower, his hand on the crenellations, his sharp gaze sweeping over the enemy ranks.

The formation was indeed not very orderly, and even somewhat disorganized. Some of the cavalrymen's mounts looked tired, which confirmed Han Yong's speculation that they might be exhausted from their long journey.

But the sheer number of three thousand, densely packed together, creates a real sense of visual oppression.

They stopped at a distance that was just at the edge of the effective range of ordinary bows and arrows, while also avoiding the most comfortable killing range of the crossbows on the city wall.

"Supervisor, what are they waiting for?"

Xu Xianzhi asked in a low voice. Although he was exceptionally intelligent, this was the first time he had ever personally faced such a large enemy cavalry formation.

Xiao Heng didn't know why, but last time it was too late and there was no sense of oppression like this.

Seeing Xu Xianzhe's tense face, Xiao Heng thought for a moment, then pretended to be calm and spoke.

"The Hu people are skilled in battle, and their cavalry is especially fearsome. This is probably a provocation from the Hu people before attacking the city, waiting for us to panic, waiting for us to fall into disarray, waiting for us to reveal a weakness!"

Xiao Heng's voice was calm, yet it clearly reached the ears of the surrounding officers.

Han Yong, who was nearby, disagreed with Xiao Heng's opinion. He had killed several of these Xianbei cavalrymen last time.

But he did not refute the new recruits who had only recently started training.

Time slipped away slowly in the suffocating silence; the sunlight moved, and the shadows shortened.

The Xianbei cavalry below the city remained motionless, like three thousand cast-iron statues, with only the banners occasionally swaying lazily in the breeze.

This almost bizarre stalemate eroded the defenders' will to fight even more than the fierce attacks and defenses.

The air seemed to freeze, and every second stretched out endlessly.

Sweat trickled down the recruits' foreheads, dripping into their eyes and stinging painfully, but no one dared to raise their hand to wipe it away.

Sudden--

"Boom!"

A not-so-loud sound of a bowstring vibrating was particularly jarring in the absolute silence of the city wall!

Immediately afterwards, a crooked arrow flew weakly from behind a crenellation in the middle of the city wall, drawing an ugly arc in the air. Far from reaching the enemy ranks, it fell lightly to the ground between the base of the city wall and the moat, the arrowhead embedded in the soil, the fletching trembling slightly.

In an instant, all eyes, both on and below the city walls, seemed to be drawn to that lone arrow.

The one who fired the arrow was a young recruit hiding behind the parapet.

His face was ashen, and his body trembled violently from extreme fear and the unconscious loosening of the bowstring. He almost dropped the bow from his hand.

The squad leader next to him was ashen-faced, wishing he could draw his sword and chop him to pieces on the spot, but he held back and could only glare at him with murderous eyes.

A hundred paces away, a very slight commotion seemed to have arisen in the Xianbei cavalry formation. Some of the front-line cavalrymen were visibly tense, and their warhorses were pawing the ground restlessly.

However, the overall formation remained unchanged.

On the city wall, Xiao Heng's eyes suddenly turned icy cold.

Xu Xianzhi gasped.

Han Yong cursed under his breath, his hand on the hilt of his knife, ready to go and deal with the situation.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

A loud, boisterous laugh, clearly mocking, rang out from the Xianbei cavalry!

In the center of the battle formation, beneath a flag, a burly Xianbei general slowly rode forward a few steps.

He looked up at the city wall of Tanxian, his laughter unrestrained and wild, and shouted in broken Mandarin.

"Listen up, Jin soldiers on the city walls! You are cowards as mice, your arrows as weak as women's needlework! Are your generals some kind of spineless eunuchs, only daring to cower behind the wall and tremble? You can't even control your own men, are the arrows you shoot just to tickle me?...

Foul language, accompanied by grating laughter, echoed across the wilderness, clearly reaching the ears of every garrison soldier.

An even louder burst of laughter erupted from the Xianbei ranks, instantly transforming the previously oppressive atmosphere into a blatant act of humiliation and provocation.

On the city wall, many soldiers' faces flushed red instantly, their blood boiled, and their eyes blazed with anger. In particular, the valiant veterans under Han Yong gritted their teeth and looked at Xiao Heng, waiting for his order to retaliate regardless of the distance.

Xiao Heng's face showed no sign of anger.

He even slightly raised his hand, signaling Han Yong and the others to remain calm.

His gaze passed over the arrogant Xianbei general and fell deeper into the enemy ranks.

Beneath that unassuming flag embroidered with some unique pattern.

There seemed to be a figure there, quietly watching from the sidelines.

......