After the two left, the city immediately became busy. The sudden change of garrison order made the Yan army suspicious. In addition, the noise of refugees knocking on the door outside the city caused panic among the people.
However, the wicked man, far outside the city, seemed to have anticipated the reaction inside Rao City. Seeing the figures moving on the city wall, the wicked man's lips curled into a cold smile: "As expected, just as I predicted, they dare not open the city gates easily."
Before long, Li Fu, Sima Shang, and Jing Yang arrived at the city wall. Looking at the sea of people crowding outside the city gate, a heavy look flashed across Li Fu's brow.
"Fellow citizens, I am Prime Minister Li Fu. Why have you come to Rao City, where battles are taking place? What disaster has befallen you?" Li Fu tried his best to make his voice sound calm, for fear of causing the refugees to become nervous and disorderly.
"The Black Dragon Armored Army was personally led by the Grand Commandant of Qin. They burned down the city and relentlessly pursued us, forcing us to flee to this place."
"Dead...all dead..."
Suddenly, a series of wailing cries rang out from the city gate, causing people to feel somewhat disturbed.
"Make way!" At this moment, a series of shouts rang out from the crowd.
A group of ragged men in military uniform rushed out, one of whom said, "I am a lieutenant general of Lingshou City. Your Excellency, Lord Changguo died in battle, and Lingshou City was burned down by the Qin army. All the soldiers and civilians inside perished in the fire."
Li Fu was struck dumb upon hearing this. His gaze fell on the man who had spoken, and the doubt in his heart was instantly shattered, because... he recognized this person!
"Lord Changguo...is dead?" Li Fu asked, his voice trembling. "Lingshou City was burned down??"
The man, his eyes brimming with tears, nodded emphatically, saying, "That ruthless butcher led the Black Dragon Armored Army in a night raid on Lingshou City, breaching the city gates in the blink of an eye. They were too cruel... They set the city ablaze, disregarding the lives of the people..."
Li Fu's expression was complicated. On the one hand, she hated her husband's ruthlessness, but on the other hand, she still dared not let these people into the city. She felt as if she were being burned by fire and could not make a decision.
far away.
"Erniu, Chunning, prepare for the next step of the operation." The wicked man took a deep breath, his eyes sharp as knives. "Let's drive these refugees into a corner and see how they respond."
"Understood!" Erniu and Chun Ning replied in unison, and then began to direct the various troops to adjust their formations.
Not long after, night fell, and the atmosphere in front of Rao City Gate became increasingly solemn.
Li Fu questioned the refugees repeatedly from the city wall for a long time, but there was no sign of the city gates being opened to let them in. As a result, the refugees gradually became restless.
Suddenly, a loud horn blast pierced the sky, and the Black Dragon Armored Army, hidden in the shadows, launched an attack. The thunderous hoofbeats and the flickering flames seemed like the death knell from purgatory.
The refugees outside the city panicked upon seeing the Black Dragon Armored Army move. Many screamed at the top of their lungs, "Open the gate! Open the gate!"
Despite this, the defenders on the city wall remained unmoved. Instead, they became even more vigilant and strengthened their defenses, nocking their crossbows and aiming them at the charging Black Dragon Armored Army, not daring to relax their guard in the slightest.
"It's too late! It's too late!" a refugee shouted frantically. "If they won't open the city gates, we'll break them down and get in! Otherwise, we'll all die!"
No matter how much they shouted, the gates of Rao City remained tightly shut. Despair and fear intertwined in the eyes of the refugees. They desperately rammed against the city gates, trying to find a glimmer of hope.
The wicked man stood at a distance, watching everything unfold under his control, a cold smile playing on his lips. "To kill someone is to destroy their spirit; that is the way of the king."
"I want you to watch with your own eyes... these people die tragically one by one in front of you, so that your hearts will be filled with condemnation and torment."
Sima Shang and Jingyang immediately shouted, "Enemy attack! Prepare to defend! Archers, get ready! Once the enemy enters our range, spread your weapons and block them. Under no circumstances should they be allowed to get close to the city gate!"
The Black Dragon Armored Army charged forward like tigers descending a mountain, their momentum overwhelming. The archers defending the city walls sharpened their eyes, their bowstrings taut, arrows raining down from the sky, awaiting the command.
Outside the city gate, the frantic banging and cries of the refugees mingled together, almost suffocating the guards inside. The intense tremors of the city gate made them even more uneasy, fearing that it would be forced open.
"Arrows!" Li Fu finally gave the order, his voice echoing through the empty night sky. The next second, swarms of arrows rained down like a dark cloud upon the charging Black Dragon Armor Army.
The Black Dragon Armored Army reacted swiftly. They were least afraid of the intensifying rain of arrows. They raised their shields and blocked all the incoming arrows. Then they charged into the ranks of the refugees, creating a flurry of swords and spears.
"Strengthen the defenses of the city gates! Under no circumstances should the city gates be breached by the refugees!" Sima Shang roared as he gave the order. He sensed something amiss: the Black Dragon Armored Army, though seemingly formidable, was all bark and no bite, merely a show of force intended to intimidate.
However, the villain's plan had already gone far beyond that. He knew that external attacks alone could not easily breach Rao City's defenses. Therefore, at the most critical moment, he gave the order, "Set it on fire!"
The refugees were in a state of extreme panic. Many were trampled to death in the chaos, and they began to push and shove each other, trying to get away from the Black Dragon Armor Army.
The defending troops were now facing a dilemma. With such a large number of refugees rushing in, the city gates would definitely not be able to withstand the attack for long. If they wanted to keep the city gates safe, they had no choice but to ruthlessly kill the refugees.
Li Fu stood on the city wall, his face as pale as paper, his heart feeling as if it were being tightly gripped by something.
Faced with this situation, he understood that if he continued to shut the city gates and refuse to let these refugees in, they would only face death, and it would also damage the morale of the soldiers in the city.
However, if they are allowed to enter the city, that scoundrel will definitely seize the opportunity to attack and break into the city. If Rao City falls, the entire Yan Kingdom will be finished...
"Prime Minister!" Jingyang asked anxiously, "What should we do? The enemy is advancing fiercely, and the city gates may not be able to hold!"
"Prime Minister, make a decision quickly!" Sima Shang's face was also ashen.
Both of them were generals from other countries who led their troops to provide aid. However, the current situation arose because of the refugees from Yan, and they could not make decisions on their own.
Logically speaking, everyone is in the same boat. If this continues to be ignored, it will not only affect the Yan Kingdom, but also implicate them once the city gates are breached.
Li Fu slowly turned his head, his gaze deep, and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, "Order the city gates to open and let these people in! Immediately organize all soldiers to prepare for battle!"
Upon hearing this, Jingyang and Sima Shang were startled, but their emotions calmed down.
They knew that if they stood by and watched hundreds of thousands of people die before their eyes without doing anything, no one in the world, except for that wicked butcher, would dare to bear such karmic consequences, and they would surely be tormented by endless self-blame for the rest of their lives.
"Yes!" The two responded and left, quickly beginning to relay the orders.
The city gates slowly opened, the heavy iron doors sliding to the sides like a giant black shadow. Seeing this, the refugees felt as if they had found a ray of light in their despair, and they rushed towards the city gates.
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