vstars Chapter 553: Siege of Padua
Chapter 553: Siege of Padua
When Minzer, who was in the temporary command camp near Padua, heard the news that Black Watch was about to evacuate Padua, he stood up without hesitation and ordered the various rebel leaders present in a loud and decisive voice:
"Order the earthly heavenly forces stationed in Padua to surround Padua!"
After a while, a scout came to report.
"Mr. Minzer, the Black Watch has completely withdrawn. The camp is completely empty, not a single person is left."
"Okay, immediately notify all the troops surrounding Padua and attack Padua according to the established plan!"
As Minzer's order was issued, loud trumpets sounded from the Earthly Kingdom's troops in all directions, and the Earthly Kingdom's attack on Padua officially began.
"Brothers, place these wooden shield walls under the city walls!"
An insurgent leader immediately raised a flag and shouted that they were going to place a shield wall under the city wall first, so that when they pushed the siege equipment, there would be archers to help fight back against the enemy above the city wall.
The defenders on the city wall had already been on full alert. When the rebel soldiers carrying the shield wall came into shooting range, the archers on the wall were the first to draw their longbows, and the arrows whizzed through the air and hit the rebels in the front.
In an instant, a torrential downpour of arrows descended, their arrowheads piercing the thin air with sharp whistling sounds.
Most of the arrows were nailed into the shield wall, but some still hit the shoulders and arms of the shield soldiers, and blood dripped onto the ground.
An insurgent soldier was hit in the chest by three arrows and immediately fell to the ground. The soldiers behind him immediately stepped forward to drag him back and replaced him with another soldier who continued to carry the shield wall forward.
"Damn it, these untouchables are not afraid of death!"
The officer on the wall spat, drew another arrow, and put it on the bowstring. When the shield wall reached a safe distance, the leader immediately called out:
"Hold the shield wall in place, and prepare the crossbowmen to cover the siege cones!"
The second batch of rebel troops had already been prepared. First, the rebel archers swarmed behind the shield wall like ants, and shot at the defenders on the city wall under the cover of the shield wall.
At the same time, siege spikes and siege towers slowly approached the city wall. The tall towers were full of arrows, but the impact they caused to the defenders who had not fought a war for decades was still very strong.
"How could those country folk possibly make something like this!"
The officer on the city wall widened his eyes and his voice changed with shock. He originally thought that these rural rebels were just a group of rabble, but he did not expect that they could actually create such a huge siege weapon.
Just as he was about to call on the crossbowmen to set fire to the enemy's siege tower with flaming arrows, a soldier suddenly climbed up the city wall and shouted to the officer:
"Sir, for some reason all the council members are gone!"
"what?"
The officer was stunned, his mouth slightly open and his eyes full of confusion.
He had found it a bit strange in the first place, but now he remembered completely that up to now the city council had not once come to issue orders.
"Could they all run away?"
The officer thought uncertainly, then asked the soldier:
"There's no movement at their house?"
"No, the houses near the City Council were very quiet when I passed by."
The soldier answered, his voice trembling, and he was obviously a little overwhelmed by this sudden situation.
"Oh my god!"
The officer stomped his feet and angrily cursed at the sky. His face was full of anger and dissatisfaction, as if he wanted to vent all the resentment in his heart.
At this moment, the siege tower was very close to the city wall. Looking at the oncoming siege tower, the officer shouted to the other soldiers:
"Brothers, those councillors up there have all run away, so let's run too. Let's take down the city wall, take off our armor, and go home!"
Some soldiers showed hesitation on their faces when they heard the officer's words, but more soldiers began to act without hesitation.
They threw away their weapons, took off their armor, and rushed to the city wall.
When the siege tower was completely close to the city wall, a large number of rebels rushed up from under the wall, climbed up the wall along the ladder inside the tower, and prepared to fight face to face with the defenders on the wall.
However, when the soldiers at the front climbed up the city wall, they found that there was no one there. They had thought that there would be a fierce battle, but they did not expect that all the defenders on the city wall had disappeared.
"What's going on? Is this a trap set by the defenders?"
A rebel soldier said in a low voice, a hint of vigilance in his eyes.
"Never mind all that, just follow orders!"
A rebel leader shouted, and the rebels immediately moved towards both sides of the city wall according to their original plan.
Meanwhile, in his mansion near the City Council, William was still sound asleep.
The heavy velvet curtains blocked the cold wind and noise outside the window. He lay on the bed with his legs spread out, snoring loudly, as if the war outside had nothing to do with him.
"Oh no, Lord William!"
Suddenly, the bedroom door was flung open and one of his men rushed in breathlessly.
He looked at William who was still sleeping soundly, and without caring about etiquette, he went forward and pulled his arm:
"Those country thugs are coming to attack us!"
"What the hell..."
William was awakened by the sudden shout. He stared at his men with sleepy eyes, his cheeks flushed with anger.
"Why are you so flustered? And why are you making so much noise? Don't you know I'm sleeping?"
"Sir! The rebels have already reached the city walls!"
The subordinates stamped their feet anxiously, their voices changing tone:
"The city defense forces failed to stop them, and several towers were occupied!"
"Just call me if you want."
William turned over and grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
"If anything goes wrong, the city defense forces will naturally take care of it. It's none of my business."
"But...but the city defense forces can't hold it at all!"
The man rushed to the bedside, cold sweat on his forehead.
"The soldiers who retreated in front said that the rebels were a massive force, numbering at least tens of thousands! The city walls are almost breached!"
"what?!"
William threw back the quilt and sat up as if he had been stung by a scorpion, with his pajamas hanging wrinkled on his body.
"Tens of thousands of people? When did those peasants become so numerous?"
The subordinate swallowed his saliva and continued:
"Now the towers in the west and south of the city are all flying the rebel flags. The defenders have either surrendered or been killed..."
"What's going on at the City Council?"
William asked in a hoarse voice while he was fumbling to put on his trousers.
"City Council?"
The subordinate was stunned for a moment, his eyes flickering.
"That place... there's no one there."
"What did you say?!"
William's voice suddenly rose when he heard this:
"Such a big thing happened, and no one from the city council was here?"
"There's really no one."
The subordinate shrank his neck.
"I just ran over from the meeting room. It was completely dark inside, and I didn't even see the shadow of a guard."
William's temples were throbbing, and a chill ran up his spine - these old men who usually acted arrogantly had abandoned him and ran away at the critical moment!
He was about to start cursing when suddenly there was a loud shouting outside the window:
"Everyone, surround this place! All the people living here are rich, don't let any of them escape!"