Just as Dong Zhao finished speaking, a cavalry unit was seen galloping from a distance. A large black banner prominently displayed the character "Zhang".
Before long, a dense mass of people and horses had gathered below the city wall.
"L-Lord... the bandit army... the bandit army has arrived!" The County Magistrate pointed below, trembling like a sieve.
Dong Zhao glanced at him, saying displeasedly, "As a County Magistrate, to be so flustered, what sort of decorum is this! If you are timid, leave on your own, do not disturb the morale of the army!"
"Yes, yes, thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord!" The County Magistrate, hearing this, felt as if he had received a great pardon and hurriedly ran down the city wall.
Dong Zhao looked back, his eyes full of contempt, and then gave a look to the Soldier beside him.
The Soldier understood, turned, and walked downstairs.
At this moment, in the enemy formation, a General spurred his horse forward.
Dong Zhao looked from afar and saw that the General was mounted on a yellow-maned horse, holding a horse-slaying saber. His face was like painted ink, with a full beard, looking like a fierce and evil god. The General was not wearing a helmet but a metal band with two pointed horns on either side, like ox horns. His hair was tied up in a bun with a yellow hairband.
This person was none other than Zhang Niujiao, the leader of the Black Mountain Army and one of the thirty-six commanders of the Yellow Turban.
After the Yellow Turban Rebellion failed, he gathered the remaining troops, absorbed bandits and refugees from all directions, and formed the famous "Black Mountain Army".
Zhang Niujiao reined in his horse and looked up at the city wall. He pointed his horse-slaying saber towards the city. Reflected in the sunlight, it immediately shone with a cold light.
"Listen, people on the city! This commander is Zhang Niujiao, the leader of the 'Black Mountain Army'. Today, I lead my troops here. If you know what's good for you, quickly open the city gates and surrender to avoid destruction. Otherwise, if we break the city, neither old nor young will be spared!"
Zhang Niujiao roared loudly, his voice shaking the nine heavens. The Soldiers and common people on the city wall trembled upon hearing him, filled with fear.
Dong Zhao, however, remained expressionless. He slowly walked out, looked down, and said loudly, "General, why raise this unjust army?"
"The Yellow Heaven is established! The Han is corrupt, and the common people suffer greatly. This commander inherits the will of the Great Virtuous Teacher, to save the common people from suffering. How can this be an unjust army!"
Upon hearing this, Dong Zhao sternly shouted, "Yellow Turban rebels, committing treason and rebellion, claiming to save the people but actually harming them! Zhang Jiao did not recognize the will of heaven and lost his life in vain. Do you also want to follow in his footsteps? Are you truly not afraid of the law being imposed upon you?"
"Hahaha! Enough nonsense! From the day I followed the Great Virtuous Teacher, I have already put life and death out of my mind. Why do you, this corrupt scholar, need to say more? If you are unwilling to surrender, then come down and fight. Do not just boast with your tongue here!"
Having said that, Zhang Niujiao looked at the city wall and saw that besides the garrisoned Soldiers, there were many common people in plain clothes, holding sticks, hoes, and other things, standing among the troops.
Hahahaha!
Zhang Niujiao was overjoyed in his heart.
This must mean the city has few Soldiers, and they were forced to call the common people to defend the city.
He had an army of fifty thousand in his hands. Today, Yingtao County would surely fall!
Zhang Niujiao brandished his saber and said to the people on the wall again, "Listen, people on the city! You are usually oppressed by corrupt officials. Today, this commander's righteous army is here to rescue you. Are you still going to risk your lives for these corrupt officials! If you realize your mistake and return, the yellow heaven will protect you. If you remain stubborn and unrepentant, there is only a dead end!"
"Bah! Yellow Turban villains! My father and Brothers were coerced by you and died tragically on the battlefield!"
"That's right! Last year, the Yellow Turban rebelled, burning, killing, and looting. If it weren't for Lord Dong, we would have died long ago! If you want to enter the city today, you must first step over our corpses!"
"We vow to coexist with Yingtao County! The city stands, we stand! The city falls, we die!"
"The city stands, we stand! The city falls, we die!"
On the city wall, emotions ran high, and many common people angrily denounced the Yellow Turban's wicked deeds.
Julu Commandery was Zhang Jiao's hometown and the place most deeply affected by the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
Many innocent common people were initially just followers of the Taiping Way and had no idea they were rebelling, but they were also swept up and died in the chaotic army.
These people originally had peaceful lives, but because of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the entire Julu, and even the entire Ji Province, suffered the baptism of war. Families were separated, and homes were destroyed, with countless such occurrences.
They had finally settled down in the small county town of Yingtao County, and they had finally encountered a good official like Lord Dong. Now that the bandits had returned, how could they not rise up and resist?
Below the city wall, Zhang Niujiao listened to the curses from above and couldn't help but feel his temper flare.
These stubborn common people! They don't know what's good for them! The Great Virtuous Teacher came to save the world!
Since they are so difficult to save, then perhaps, they should all be killed!
Immediately, he waved his hand and ordered, "Attack!"
With a single command, the bandit army surged forward like a tide.
Dong Zhao's face was calm as water, his eyes like frost. He softly uttered two words.
"Shoot arrows."
Immediately, the archers on the city drew their bows, nocked their arrows, and shot them high into the sky. Arrows instantly fell like rain.
Accompanied by screams, dozens of bandit Soldiers immediately fell to the ground, but the bandit army was numerous, and the people behind instantly pressed forward again.
Before long, ladders were erected against the city wall.
Although the archers continuously shot arrows, it was still a drop in the bucket. The bandit army had already begun climbing up the ladders.
"Throw stones!"
As Dong Zhao spoke, the common people beside him picked up large stones from behind and hurled them at the bandit Soldiers.
"Ah!"
"Wuwah!"
Screams rose one after another. The bandit Soldiers who were climbing the city were immediately smashed by these stones, their brains splattering, and they fell from the city wall to their deaths.
Those who were lucky enough to dodge the stones were congratulating themselves, but were unexpectedly pierced through by the long spears of the Soldiers on the city wall.
"Up, keep going up!" Zhang Niujiao was instantly furious and ordered his subordinates to continue attacking the city.
Another volley of arrows fell, and dozens of bandit Soldiers fell in response, but the number of bandit Soldiers pressing forward was large, and the battle was deadlocked.
On a hillside five miles outside the North Gate, Zhang Chen was sitting on his horse, looking towards Yingtao County from afar.
Although several miles away, from the high vantage point, the situation in Yingtao County was fully visible.
Zhang Chen saw clearly that all four gates had launched attacks, but the East Gate's offensive was clearly the most powerful. Not only were there troops from Bai Rao and Sui Gu, but there were also siege engines such as cloud ladders and battering rams.
It seems Zhang Niujiao divided his forces into three routes, intending to disperse the defending troops in the city to allow the East Gate route to successfully break through!
Zhang Chen pondered for a moment and said to Qu Yi, "Brother Qu."
"Brother."
"Please lead the First to Ascend Camp to outflank from the right and annihilate the bandit army at the West Gate!"
"Brother, don't worry, I will make these rebels understand the consequences today!"
After Qu Yi finished speaking, he swung his long saber and ordered, "First to Ascend Camp, listen up! Follow this General to charge and kill!"
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
Eight hundred First to Ascend responded in unison. Qu Yi flicked his reins, spurred his horse to a gallop, and the eight hundred First to Ascend followed suit, heading directly towards the right route.
Zhang Chen pointed towards the North Gate and said to Zhang He, "Junyi, today you and I will fight side by side! Let those bandits know the formidable military might of our Great Han!"
Zhang He cupped his fists and said, "I am willing to follow the General!"
Zhang Chen smiled knowingly, then took out a signal flare from his Pregnant and pointed it towards the sky.
Only a whistling sound was heard, and a streak of fire shot straight into the sky.
Zhang Chen pointed his long spear and shouted, "Brothers, achieving merit is today! Follow this official to charge into the enemy formation and annihilate the bandit Soldiers! Charge!"
After Zhang Chen spoke, he galloped his horse. Behind him, six thousand elite cavalry poured down like a mountain flood.