Explore Chapter 19 of '水浒新传' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
The Jin troops launched a massive offensive. Under orders, Tian Zhong led his forces forth to meet them. He meticulously deployed his men, enveloping the enemy from three sides, and succeeded in slaying the Jin chieftain. This victory temporarily eased the pressure on the main front.
Meanwhile, Dong Ping was charged with the defense of the city's four gates. He commanded with unshakable composure, repeatedly driving back the Jin troops' attacks. Yet Jin reinforcements poured in relentlessly, their assaults coming in endless waves.
Despite Tian Zhong's triumph, the Jin troops' main force remained undiminished. They now redirected their full might, intensifying the siege. Dong Ping went personally to the battlements to rally his soldiers. Arrows fell like torrential rain. Though wounded in many places, Dong Ping stood his ground, refusing to yield.
The struggle wore on for days. Within the city walls, provisions and fodder dwindled toward exhaustion. Knowing the city was beyond holding, Dong Ping resolved to sell his life dearly. Leading his remaining troops in a desperate sortie, he aimed to strike a crippling blow against the Jin troops.
In the fierce chaos of battle, Dong Ping was soon surrounded and cut off. He battled scores of foes with desperate valor until, his strength spent, a Jin soldier dealt him a mortal wound. With his last breath, his eyes turned toward the distant Eastern Capital, and he fell, a martyr to his land.
When word of Dong Ping's martyrdom reached him, Tian Zhong was seized by grief and towering rage. Rallying the scattered remnants of their forces, he withdrew step by step, fighting a stubborn rearguard action to preserve what strength remained for the struggle to come.