All men and women put on their armours and rush towards the gate. Even when Luo Ming had the gate fused with soldering with metals that found inside the fortress but the wood is the issue. It is being repeatedly smash by outside forces thus the metal is not able to hold it much longer.
"Give up the first gate! Close the second gate now!"
The Duke give the order and the soldiers who are desperately pushing back the gate, listen to his orders. They hurry to run off to the inner gate. They close and lock it. They turn around to look at the Duke who is walking towards them.
"Go on the tower bridge, prepare the tar. Make sure it is hot."
The soldiers run up to the bridge and they see the entire valley is cover with Mongols.
Meanwhile Er Yin puts on her armour as fast as she can but her injuries is not helping her. She see her medicine is ready for consume and she drink it up as if it is her favourite Chinese wine. She wipe her mouth with her sleeves. Physician Meng comes running to her.
"No no Er Yin! You..."
"Physician Meng, i have to go. I cannot keep hiding. My wounds are heal really and i drink ..."
"That bowl is a strong medicine for numbing!"
"Oh... never mind. If i get a slash here and there i probably won't feel anything. Ha ha..."
She run off to the stables and look for her horse. However she stop as she see that there is no chance that she is stepping out of the fortress. She change her direction and head towards the tower.
The thundering from the gates are echoing through out the fortress. The civilians are all hiding in their homes. Soldiers yelling at the top of his voice asking them to lock their doors and remain silence. They are not to come out no matter what happen. The older folks begin to pray to the detiy at home. Asking for protecting for all the people in the fortress.
The first gate is finally broke through and at the tower bridge, the soldiers pour down the tar which is hot. The mongols scream as the hot tar landed on them. Archers on both side are firing at each other. Archers on the Han side starts to light up their arrows and fire down to the ballistae and those men who are push it. Instantly a huge camp fire started.
It takes another two hours for the fire to start burning the second gate. General An decided to lead a team to fight the outside. While the Duke and the remaining will defend the fortress. General An and his men exit through the back and into the bamboo forest. This time, the Mongols are prepared. They waited and slaughter the Han Chinese mercilessly. Everyone of them are battered to death. It was a dead trap. The ones who escape are the soldiers who are at the back, they run as they saw that the soldiers at the front was dragged out into the open and slaughter. Thus they run back into the fortress.
Meanwhile at the tower, Er Yin and her team are busy throwing sand onto the burning fire that is reaching the second gate. They pass the bucket of sand on a long line. The fire is almost extinguish, black smoke rise. Er Yin and her men are all smoked and begin to chocked by it. Outside the archers take advantage to continue to shoot. Er Yin in tear and chocking command her men to back off till the smoke is clear. For now they hide behind the stone wall.
The Mongols seeing that there is black smoke, they too back off. Standing outside, the commander ask his assistant to look for ladders so they can climb the wall on the side. It takes some time for the ladders to come. The ladders are made while they are camping miles away from Yong Le fortress. He look at the tall stone wall and think if only they can access the tower, everything would be easy. Thus an ideal of ladders come in mind. His trusty men made the ladders long enough to reach the top. They measure it while having a close up squabbles with the Han Chinese. Today is the day, they will try to get in the fortress.
The smoke is lessen and Er Yin with her men starts to fire their arrow. To her horror when she look down, she see them climbing up.
"Shoot those men that are climbing up!"
All archers change their target. Four ladders place at different corners. Those Mongols have shields on them as they climb up. Thus most arrows are wasted on try to shoot them down. She look at the tar which is still boiling. She rush over and ask the nearest men to help lift it up.
"We are going to pour this down. Not all of it. We need to pour on the others as well."
He nod his head. Together they lift it up and walk to the nearest ladder. Slowly and steady, they tilt it and pour it down. True enough, the tar burnt them and they scream and fall. This gives them hope but the tar is lessen and more mongols are climbing up to replace the fallen soldiers. Without a choice she continue to pour it. Till there is no tar, they throw the pot on them. Er Yin try hard to push away the ladder. It work and it falls back onto the ground.
"Try to push it!!"
Some of her men stop firing and assist to push the ladders. Slowly the ladders fall onto the ground but soon, they are back up again. She have no choice, she will continue to fire her arrows. She look at the box full of hand bombs. She pick up one light it up and throw it. She aim at the center and it let off a small explosion. She see some men actually got injured. With hope, she hurry to light up and throw in some bomb.
At the inner gates, the Mongols are pounding the wooden gate that have been weaken. Behind it are The Duke, Luo Ming and his men. They are standing and watching, once they break in, they will try to slaughter them all. The beating of the gate is making their heart pounding madly. Each of them breath in deeply.