As dawn broke, the sky seemed to be torn open, and rays of golden sunlight shone through the clouds onto the earth.
The slowly rising sun illuminated the tragic scene at the city gate of Chaoyang County. Zhao Zhi, clad in silver armor, leaped off his horse.
She gently patted the horse's body, then turned and walked towards the city gate.
Zhao Zhi walked forward step by step, her gaze fixed on the corpses scattered on the ground ahead.
The corpses lay scattered about, some already lifeless, others still groaning in pain.
The blood-stained ground and broken weapons scattered around filled Zhao Zhi with a heavy sorrow. She silently walked past the scene of devastation and came to the slightly ajar city gate.
She reached out, ready to push open the door, but just then, another pair of warm hands reached out from behind her and covered her hands.
Zhao Zhi didn't turn around to see who it was, because she knew whose hand it was. The next moment, the two of them exerted their strength simultaneously, channeling their inner power into their arms, and slowly pushed open the heavy city gate.
The city gate slowly opened, but each step was incredibly difficult. Near the gate, a mountain of corpses blocked the way. These bodies, piled layer upon layer, stood there like a small mountain.
Not far away, an old man stood quietly. His hair and beard were all white, and his clothes were stained red with blood, as if he were immersed in a pool of blood.
He held a blood-dripping spear in his hand, its tip gleaming coldly, sending chills down one's spine. This old man was Zhao Zhi's father. He stood alone on the main street of Chaoyang County, his figure as upright as a pine tree, surrounded by corpses.
"Father..." Zhao Zhi tried to call out these two words, but found that her throat was tight and she could not make any sound.
Her eyes widened, tears welled up in them, her hands gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, and her body trembled slightly.
Shen Hanshan had somehow managed to leap onto the city gate. Standing on the city wall, he looked around and carefully observed the surrounding situation.
A moment later, he flew back to Zhao Zhi's side, reached out and supported her swaying shoulders, and comforted her, "No medicine people have entered the city, so the situation is still relatively optimistic. Apart from the intense fighting at the city gate, other places have not been greatly affected."
"Father... Father..." Zhao Zhi called silently in her heart, tears welling up in her eyes as she walked forward. She wanted to walk faster, even faster, but her legs felt like lead, and moving them felt like a thousand pounds.
The streets of Chaoyang County were deathly silent, with only the wind whistling in their ears.
Zhao Zhi's footsteps were exceptionally clear on the empty street, each step feeling like a blow to her heart. She finally reached Zhao Shouzhen and reached out with trembling hands to stroke his face.
"Father... Father..." Zhao Zhi finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
Zhao Shouzhen smiled slightly, but a trace of sorrow flashed in his eyes. "Zhizhi, you've come. The people of Chaoyang County are now in your hands."
After saying that, he slowly closed his eyes.
The last breath he had held on through the night vanished in an instant, and Zhao Shouzhen's body fell straight backward.
"Father—" Zhao Zhi cried out in a mournful voice. Shen Hanshan slowly picked up Zhao Shouzhen and strode towards the princess's residence.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from behind her. Zhao Zhi's heart tightened, and she quickly turned around to look.
A group of people were rushing towards them, dressed in bright armor, carrying weapons, and looking tense and serious.
The leader was a woman, tall and slender, her body clad in silver armor, making her appear exceptionally heroic.
Her hair was tied up high and fluttered in the wind. She held a red-tasseled spear in her hand, making her look even more majestic.
The woman had a beautiful face and a determined look in her eyes; she was truly a heroic figure.
She dismounted and strode to Zhao Zhi, kneeling on one knee and bowing, saying, "Third Sister is late, please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Zhao Zhi nodded gently and said in a deep voice, "Get up, I don't blame you."
Zhu Sanniang stood up and caught a glimpse of Zhao Shouzhen, who was seriously injured and unconscious. She was startled and couldn't help but worry about Zhao Zhi.
But Zhao Zhi continued, "Third Sister, you must quickly clean up the mess and ensure the safety of the people."
Third Sister accepted the order and quickly organized her men to clean up the battlefield and comfort the frightened people.
In the shadows, a man watched all this unfold, sighing inwardly, "I never expected this Empress to be so powerful!" He turned to the man beside him and ordered, "Investigate the relationship between that old man and the Empress. I need to know everything about her."
"Yes, sir!" the man replied, turning and leaving.
The man turned his gaze back to Zhao Zhi and San Niang, who were hurrying along in the distance, a mysterious smile playing on his lips...
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