Chapter 660 We vow to defend Mantuo City to the death!
The reason why the Western Regions army was able to reach the city of Mantuo so easily was that although Duan Rongshi had previously captured three cities in the Western Regions, he had not properly stationed troops there.
He never intended to take those three cities for himself.
Although the city was captured, the people's hearts were not won in the rush, so what good is it to occupy the city temporarily?
At that time, the people of the Western Regions will cooperate from within and without, attacking them from both sides and stabbing them in the back. It will be their own Lan Haijun who will sacrifice themselves in vain.
Therefore, aside from deliberately trying to disgust the Western Regions, Duan Rongshi has no intention of actually swallowing those three cities at least for now.
Upon seeing the Western Regions army gathering, Lan Haijun immediately led his troops to withdraw from the area and quickly returned to report.
Manto City, naturally, was also well-prepared and ready to make another big splash.
However, Lan Haiwang was not there.
The morale of the 100,000 troops left behind was naturally somewhat wavering.
Li Qingluo had long anticipated that this situation might occur.
She did not panic.
She even went up to the city wall with her grandmother and the others, despite her huge belly.
"Your Highness, they've taken precautions over there..."
"They set a trap two months in advance..."
"And the terrain over there..."
Po Feng explained everything to Li Qingluo.
Li Qingluo also carefully looked at each one.
Then, she came up behind Madam Pei and said, "Grandmother."
The old lady Pei, dressed in armor, gently patted her hand and asked, "Are you tired?"
"Grandma told you not to come. The wind up here is not something an ordinary person can withstand."
"You've suffered, Luo'er."
Li Qingluo: "Luo'er is Grandmother's granddaughter. Grandmother doesn't feel tired, so how could Luo'er be so delicate and fragile?"
"If you agree, Luo'er can also take up a gun and fight the enemy, and she will definitely not be inferior to your style back then."
"Grandmother, you've gone to a lot of trouble."
Li Qinglu felt extremely guilty and ashamed.
My grandmother was nearly sixty years old, yet she still had to go to the battlefield to command the war because of me.
If it weren't for her own sake, her grandmother should have been enjoying her retirement, traveling the world. Why would she have ended up in this city of Mando?
Luo Fan, who was standing to the side, laughed and said, "Luo'er, you've misunderstood your grandmother."
"Although your grandmother had a hard life, she is now living a very happy life."
"Being able to put on her armor again, and even feeling decades younger, she's incredibly radiant every day. In my opinion, she has regained her former glow."
"Don't worry about her."
"She can live for another forty years without any problem."
Madam Pei glared at Luo Fan: "You're getting more and more talkative these days!"
“But Luo’er, your grandfather is right. Your grandmother feels very fulfilled now and doesn’t feel tired at all. You don’t need to worry about your grandmother.”
"As for you, don't spout nonsense about going to the battlefield."
"A great battle is imminent. You must take care of yourself and the child in your womb, do you hear me?"
"This is no joke!"
Po Feng, Zhui Yu, and the others standing to the side all nodded solemnly.
Li Qingluo looked at the soldiers covering the city walls.
"I know everyone wants to protect me."
"But I swear to defend Manto City to the death!"
“Mando City is His Highness’s defensive line.”
"It is also the defense line of the Lanzhou Navy."
"Only by defending Mantuo City can we live up to His Highness's expectations and the expectations of the people who are waiting for us to defend the border and their homes."
"Furthermore, Your Highness, our children, and I do not feel that we will fail our soldiers."
"We will never abandon the city, nor will we abandon everyone and flee."
Li Qingluo's words quickly spread throughout the entire city of Mantuo and to the 100,000-strong army.
A chorus of shouts pierced through the mountains and rivers, echoing with fervor: "Princess Lanhai! Princess Lanhai—Princess Lanhai—"
When the enemy army approached the city, the presence of the beautiful old general, Madam Pei, who had repeatedly defeated the Western Regions army, and Princess Lanhai, who was in charge even though she was about to give birth, strengthened the morale of the 100,000-strong army once again.
Even if their commander is not on the front lines, they will absolutely defend Manto City to the death.
Protect Princess Lanhai!
However, just before the battle began, news of Lan Haiwang's true identity and his ascension to the throne as the new emperor of Great Chu finally reached the front lines.
Along with this came news that the new emperor had personally led an army of 50,000 men on his way to Mantuo City.
The soldiers were overjoyed, shouting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
The cries resounded across the entire land like wildfire.
This startled the already tense Western Region army.
My Emperor?
Could it be that their emperor has come too?
But isn't this Mantuo City the territory of the Lan Hai King?
Where did this emperor come from?
The Western Regions army had already traveled a long distance, and although it was easy to take over the three cities, they had not even had enough time to rest before going back to the battlefield.
They also knew that the real battle to the death was about to begin.
Right now, people in Mantuo City are shouting "Long live the Emperor!" Their emperor has arrived, which has clearly boosted morale and stabilized the army's morale.
The soldiers on the Western Regions side naturally became restless and uneasy.
As for the Western Regions... this time they only sent two princes from the imperial court.
Having conquered three cities, the two princes are now arrogant and believe they are divine generals descended from heaven.
That's why they didn't care about the soldiers' fatigue from the long journey.
Just then, the sound of war drums resounded.
The fierce battle between the two armies has finally begun once again.
Inside Mantuo City, Li Qingluo once again refused the Killers' request for her to leave first.
"Stop talking! I will not agree to this."
"If you disobey me again, I will dismiss you all and leave no one alive."
"I don't need subordinates who disobey me, do you understand?"
“I have said that I will fight to the death with all the people of the city and the soldiers outside the city to defend Manto City.”
“If it weren’t for my pregnancy, I wouldn’t have just stayed in the city and waited to die.”
“I will personally take up arms and go to the battlefield, instead of hiding in the city and being protected by you.”
"If I were to flee now, wouldn't I chill the hearts of all the people and soldiers in the city?"
"I also believe in them; they will never lose."
Even without the Grand Marshal, she would definitely be able to help Duan Rongshi stabilize the morale of the army.
If she really leaves, it will truly break everyone's hearts.
With that thought in mind, Li Qingluo led everyone to the street inside the city gate.
She stood at the head of the group, holding the Azure Sword in her hand, listening to the battle cries outside, as if she were already on the battlefield, standing with all the soldiers.
The people inside the city saw that the princess, whose pregnant belly was high, had come out and was only a few steps away from the city gate.
Who among the common people could remain unmoved and deeply shaken by this?
If the city gates are breached, she will be the first person to face them.
Is she really not afraid?
Of course she was afraid!
How could she not be afraid? She was going to be a mother herself.
She wasn't afraid of bleeding or dying, but she was afraid that her unborn child would be harmed because of her.
At this moment, Li Qingluo's hand would unconsciously stroke her pregnant belly, which was about to give birth.
"Good child, how about you help your mother protect this city?"
The common people grabbed whatever tools they could carry from home and ran into the street, standing behind the princess.
The princess was heavily pregnant, and tens of thousands of soldiers outside the city were guarding their homeland. How could they just hide at home and wait idly?
They can also rush out when necessary!
They can also protect the princess!
"Everyone……"
Que'er looked behind her with emotion, her eyes red, and helped Li Qingluo up.
"Girl, everyone is behind us."
Li Qingluo dared not turn around.
He simply nodded slightly.
"We will never betray their trust."
"Absolutely not."
The result was, naturally, a resounding victory.
Madam Pei took command of the battlefield.
Po Feng, Zhui Yu, and Leng Dian each led their troops, dividing them into three routes to completely encircle and annihilate the Western Regions army once again.
Lan Hai's army didn't even suffer any major losses.
They easily defeated the Western Regions army.
The Western Regions army once again abandoned their armor and fled, but captured at least three thousand prisoners.
Madam Pei ordered the bugle to be sounded, signaling the end of the war.
Do not pursue a defeated enemy.
Although this pursuit might lead to the loss of three more cities.
However, the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces has not yet returned, and no major measures should be decided lightly.
Madam Pei simply intended to continue defending the city. Being able to hold onto Mantuo City would be the greatest congratulatory gift she could give to the new emperor of Great Chu!
Half a month later, the Western Regions army launched another probing attack.
Upon discovering that Mantuo City was merely defending itself and showed no intention of launching a counterattack, the Western Regions army finally began to consider other options.
They took a detour to Yaocheng, which was three hundred miles away.
However, Zhuiyu had already led his troops to Yaocheng under the arrangement of Madam Pei.
As Madam Pei had predicted, the Western Regions army planned to once again use an encirclement tactic to attack Mantuo City.
However, Mantuo City and the rest of the cities of Da Chu are now impregnable fortresses, with no way to breach them.
Having suffered another defeat at Yaocheng, the Western Regions army had no choice but to turn north.
Half a month later, Yuncheng on the border of Daliang was attacked, but within three days it was heard that it had been captured by the Western Regions.
After all, Madam Pei was a native of Daliang and had once been the beautiful General who guarded the border. How could she ignore her?
Unable to sit still, Li Qinglu handed the tiger tally that Duan Rongshi had given her before leaving to Old Madam Pei.
"grandmother."
"Go."
"Take back Yuncheng and drive away the Western Region people."
Madam Pei stared in utter shock at the tiger tally in her hand.
"This...this is actually in your hands?"
It turns out that before Duan Rongshi left, he handed half of the tiger tally to Li Qingluo.
It was to prevent anyone from disobeying Li Qingluo at a crucial moment, so that she could freely command the army.
Li Qingluo hadn't taken it out because she was keeping it from anyone.
It's just that it has never been used.
Now that we need to retake Yuncheng, it's time to bring out the Tiger Tally.
"Grandmother need not worry about the soldiers' discontent. Just take back Yuncheng and raise the flag of the Lanhai army."
Madam Pei's eyes lit up.
"yes!"
"I am not here to reclaim the city for Daliang, but to plant the banner of the Lan Hai army."
"In that case, the soldiers will naturally follow me."
"Yuncheng and its people will no longer fall into the hands of the Western Regions people."
"Luo'er, Grandmother will be going to Yuncheng personally. You stay here..."
Madam Pei looked at Li Qingluo's belly with some unease.
With Luo'er about to give birth, should I really leave her behind?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
