Chapter 133 Invincible
The Tartars' city defenses numbered no more than a hundred men. Lin Changning, bearing the pressure, led everyone to tear a gap in the defenses. With each flash of the blade, a Tartar man was killed. Blood stained Lin Changning's cheeks, her expression ruthless, the bloodstains on her face seemingly forming a crimson totem.
All the Han people watched as the brave young man followed him, charging forward regardless of life or death. The valiant young warrior gave them the feeling that as long as they followed him, they could survive.
Suddenly, the captured civilians burst forth with fearless courage. They charged out of the town with the spirited young man. The night was as dark as ink. Behind Lin Changning, a thousand people broke free from the cage that had imprisoned them, like a roc soaring into the sea!
People quickly dispersed into the woods outside the city, and the pursuers behind them soon caught up. Seeing that many of the civilians who escaped later were being killed, Lin Changning gritted his teeth, reined in his horse, and turned back with his sword.
The Tartars chased after them with a small cavalry squad of a hundred men. The civilians certainly couldn't outrun them, so she had to go back to cover their retreat.
His youthful face was stained with the blood of his enemies. In an instant, his silver longsword clashed with the enemy. Warhorses neighed and their hooves kicked off the ground. Lin Changning leaped up with his horse and wielded his longsword with fierce force. A flash of cold light instantly took a life. The wind from the blade sliced through armor, sending sparks flying. Lin Changning had lost count of how many people he had killed. He only remembered that the cavalry coming out of the gate seemed endless.
The enemy cavalry surrounded her like a tidal wave. Lin Changning's heart sank, knowing that a breakout would be difficult. However, most of the people behind her had already fled into the mountains. Lin Changning roared, "Kill!" and charged towards the enemy's weakest point. Her long sword flashed like lightning, and no one survived her advance. Within the three-foot blade, no one dared to step forward. Lin Changning was covered in blood, like a god of death, making the Tartars tremble with fear.
Suddenly, a cavalry squad charged out from behind, plunging straight into the Tartars' encirclement. Upon finding the trapped Lin Changning, they shouted, "Xiao Liu! We've come to help you! Let's fight our way out together!"
A small team of a dozen men plunged into the encirclement, led by Lin Changning, and once again tore a bloody path through the enemy's cavalry formation. Lin Changning's bravery terrified the Tartars, but he fought with increasing ferocity, displaying unparalleled courage on the battlefield.
Wherever the squad went, corpses littered the ground. Suddenly, they understood why their young master valued this young commander so much, willing to lower himself to befriend him. Lin Xiaoliu was a man of unparalleled bravery! He was truly a born general!
A group of people ran a hundred meters, but no one dared to chase after them. Hearing this, they followed Lin Changning and quickly retreated into the mountains and forests. Lin Changning blew a whistle, and Mo Yun quickly darted out from the forest. Lin Changning got off, replaced Mo Yun, and continued westward.
"I heard that instead of protecting An'an and the others, you suddenly came down here."
He sighed upon hearing this: "The young master ordered us to meet you."
Lin Changning replied, "Then let's hurry back."
The group rushed towards the cliff, and just as they reached the foot of the mountain, Qi An'an jumped out of the woods: "Wenzhi! Brother Liu!"
Ma San Niang followed Qi An An and ran back. Lin Chang Ning and Wen Zhi and their group reined in their horses. Lin Chang Ning frowned and said, "Wen Zhi, Wan Jin and I will go back. You take An An and San Niang to the Chu Prince's Mansion to fetch reinforcements."
Hearing this, he hesitated for a moment, somewhat worried, and said, "It's not safe for just the two of you to go back. You should go back together."
Lin Changning gently shook his head: "I can fight my way out of the city and return with Wan Jin by the same route. You don't need to worry. You've heard that we haven't received any news about Zhang Bo's crushing defeat or the Tartar army's capture of the previous city. Either someone in the court has surrendered to Prince Sheng, or someone in the court has sabotaged the news. I must go back to deliver the message."
Qi An'an looked up at Lin Changning and said, "Sixth Brother, take me back. If I stay in Daxing, at least my parents will do their best."
Lin Changning continued to shake his head seriously and said, "An'an, this matter is no longer something your Qi State Duke's Mansion can get involved in. Instead of staying in Daxing, you should take people to seek help from the Prince of Chu. With the Tartars in front and the rebels behind, if the news is true, Daxing will be an isolated city. We must get the news out. Even if the imperial army cannot come to our aid, at least there is still a glimmer of hope."
After giving his instructions, Lin Changning handed the letter in his arms to Wenzhi: "Wenzhi, protect An'an well. I'm giving you this letter. Tell the King of Chu exactly what I said. Daxing's fate rests on your shoulders."
Hearing this, he solemnly accepted the letter: "I understand. Take care, you and Wan Jin."
Lin Changning nodded, mounted his horse, and galloped away into the darkness with Wan Jin. Upon seeing the two off, Wen immediately reorganized the troops and set off for Taiyuan that very night.
If the news is true, then Daxing is in grave danger. Xiao Liu is right. If someone in the border town has defected to Prince Sheng, or if someone in the court is deliberately blocking the news, then they are the last hope. We must hurry to Taiyuan to ask for help.
As dawn broke, Lin Changning, holding his waist token high, rode his horse beneath the walls of Daxing City: "I am Lin Changping, Commander of the Daxing Thousand Household! Changsheng Pass ahead has been captured by the Tartars! Commander Zhang Bo of Daxing has suffered a crushing defeat at Yongning due to his incompetence!!! Open the gates immediately!!"
The soldiers on the city wall rubbed their eyes, looked down at Commander Lin, dressed in Tartar clothes, and then at the waist token in Lin Changning's hand. A commotion arose among the guards.
"Commander Lin? Didn't he leave the city yesterday?"
"What did Commander Lin just say? A crushing defeat, and the Tartars captured Changsheng Pass??"
Li Baihu, who was on the city wall, hurriedly poked his head out. After confirming the man's identity, he shouted, "Open the city gates immediately!! Let him into the city!"
The city gates opened quickly, and Lin Changning, accompanied by Wan Jin, hurriedly rode into the city, galloping towards the garrison. Upon arriving at the garrison gate, Lin Changning, slightly out of breath, anxiously pulled the arm of the guard on duty: "Where is the young master? Has he gone out on patrol?"
The guard was taken aback: "Commander of the Thousand Households? Aren't you?"
Lin Changning interrupted, "Where are the young master and the others?"
"They're probably still at the garrison. I didn't see anyone leave this morning."
Lin Changning nodded and quickly ran into the tent, with Wan Jin following closely behind. A moment later, Lin Changning stood at the tent entrance, lifted the curtain, and entered, panting heavily: "Your Highness!"
Qi Rong, who was looking at a map inside, looked up, paused, and a hint of doubt flashed across his face: "Sixth Brother? Aren't you..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Changning interrupted him: "Your Highness! Zhang Bo has been defeated, and we have lost half of our men!"
Qi Rong seemed to already know, and his face didn't show too much shock as he nodded. Just as he was about to say something, Lin Changning continued, "The Tartars have captured Changsheng Pass and gathered nearly 10,000 troops. There are people on the border blocking the news, trying to make Daxing an isolated city!"
Qi Rong's expression changed drastically, his starry eyes widened, and he suddenly asked urgently, "You said Changsheng was taken down by the Tartars?"
Lin Changning took a breath, grabbed a teacup from the table, and gulped it down: "Well, last night I burned the Tartars' provisions and tents, releasing the imprisoned Han people. There are about eight thousand people at Changsheng Pass, but according to the people, Tartars are still coming down from other places from time to time. So, I anticipate that at least ten thousand people are about to besiege Daxing, which is why I rushed back. I heard that they took An'an and the others to Taiyuan. I gave the letter to Wenzhi so he could ask Prince Chu for help. If my guess is correct, Daxing will probably become an isolated city..."
Qi Rong's expression was somewhat gloomy: "Well done! Someone! Go and fetch a few commanders from the guards!"
Lin Changning sat back down and glanced at the map: "The imperial army is currently attacking the territory of Prince Sheng, so it will be difficult for them to spare troops to reinforce Daxing. Moreover, Yongning suffered a major defeat, so it will be difficult for them to come over. Second brother, when will Zhang Bo and the others return?"
Qi Rong shook his head: "I don't know. I guessed that Zhang Bo might have had a bad start when the army didn't return for the past few days. He should be back by tomorrow at the latest. In this situation, it won't be of much use for Zhang Bo to come back. The grain and fodder of Daxing are about to run out. Without grain and fodder, we might not be able to hold out even without others attacking us."
Lin Changning also considered their current predicament: "The supplies are delayed, and the Tartars have amassed ten thousand men. If the imperial court doesn't send troops to support us, I'm afraid we'll..."
If the army could temporarily abandon its attack on the territory of King Sheng, Daxing might have a glimmer of hope.
Qi Rong naturally knew this, and after a moment's hesitation, said, "I will send a letter to the capital now to request the troop deployment."
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