Li Fu, Jing Yang, and Sima Shang huddled together amidst the chaos. Li Fu, his face full of bitterness, said, "Gentlemen, today because of me..."
Sima Shang and Jing Yang both gave a bitter smile upon hearing this. To be honest, it was absolutely impossible for them not to feel resentment. But thinking about it from another perspective, with the lives of hundreds of thousands of people at stake, they couldn't have done any better.
"Prime Minister, there's no need to say more. Anyone in this situation would find it difficult to handle. Let's leave as soon as possible." Jingyang sighed and immediately changed the subject.
"Withdraw from Pingcheng. The terrain there is suitable. The three of us will lead our troops out through the other three city gates and rendezvous at Pingcheng!" Li Fu spoke very quickly, explaining the plan he had prepared long ago to the two of them.
Jingyang and Sima Shang exchanged a glance. Although they were filled with resentment, they really had no better choice given the current situation.
The stench of battle was palpable, and the city's collapse seemed inevitable. The only thing to do was to preserve strength and strive for another chance to counterattack.
Jingyang nodded slightly and quickly said, "Alright, in that case, let's act according to the Prime Minister's plan and get out of here as soon as possible."
"Then retreat immediately!" Li Fu no longer hesitated, his voice suddenly becoming urgent, "Send the order to retreat the army to Pingcheng immediately, and be sure to avoid a direct confrontation with the Qin army!"
Jingyang and Sima Shang led their respective soldiers to quickly organize their ranks and, under Li Fu's command, began marching out of the city along side streets and alleys. Their objective was clear—to avoid the main Qin army and head straight for Pingcheng.
However, the streets of Rao City had long since become chaotic and bloody after the battle, with corpses strewn everywhere, filling every corner of the city.
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood. The city was already in chaos, and it would be very difficult to gather troops under such circumstances.
"Hurry, hurry!" Li Fu's heart pounded faster and faster. He turned his head every now and then to check if there were any enemy troops pursuing him. He knew that once the Qin army discovered him, retreating would be a pipe dream.
"Not good, there are Qin soldiers ahead!" At this moment, the sharp-eyed Sima Shang saw a large number of Qin soldiers in the distance carrying swords and engaging in slaughter.
"Damn it!" A ruthless glint flashed in Sima Shang's eyes. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and whispered, "We can't wait any longer, we have to break through!"
Li Fu made a decision instantly, "Everyone, break out separately! Jingyang, lead the team to the right, Sima Shang, you lead the men to the left, and I will lead the men to wipe out this Qin army!"
"Alright!" the two responded quickly, immediately leading their respective forces to disperse. Warhorses neighed, swords were drawn, and in an instant, the three squads charged off in different directions.
With a determined look in his eyes and a tight grip on his long sword, Li Fu personally led a group of soldiers to charge forward. Only by annihilating this Qin army could he lead the remaining troops to retreat.
However, the breakout was extremely difficult. The Qin army reacted swiftly and was highly experienced; they not only remained calm but also quickly adjusted their formation, surrounding Li Fu and his group.
"Prime Minister, let's go!" The guard's voice was urgent. "This is no place to stay. You must retreat first, and we'll hold them off!"
"Alright!" Chestnut clenched his fists, his heart aching. He wanted to lead from the front, but the current situation clearly didn't allow him to insist any longer.
Just then, the rapid sound of hooves broke the tense atmosphere. Li Fu looked up and saw a troop of cavalry galloping towards them like the wind; it was the Black Dragon Armored Army led by Chun Ning.
"It's over..." Li Fu's heart sank, knowing that his hopes had been completely dashed.
"Better to arrive at the right time than early or late! Kill them!" Chun Ning recognized Li Fu in the crowd at a glance and immediately gave the order. The Black Dragon Armor Army immediately launched an attack on Li Fu's troops. Swords flashed and blood splattered everywhere.
"Quick! Quick!" The guards drew their swords, blocking the chestnut's belly, and lunged forward to fight desperately through the gap. "Prime Minister, run! Run!"
Li Fu took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes. "Go!" he shouted, leading the remaining soldiers in a frantic dash toward the east gate.
"Overestimating yourselves!" Chun Ning sneered upon seeing this, and immediately said to the Qin soldiers, "Leave this place to the Black Dragon Armored Army, and you all come with me to capture that Yan Prime Minister."
"Erniu has slain the Yan State Changguo army, so Prime Minister Li Fu's head... should rightfully belong to me!" Chun Ning raised her hand and fiercely whipped her warhorse, chasing after Li Fu madly.
Li Fu led his remaining troops in a desperate attempt to break through the east gate. He was filled with despair, but he still did not give up his last chance of survival.
However, the cavalry led by Chun Ning was obviously faster, and they approached Li Fu almost instantly, closing the distance continuously.
"Prime Minister, you go first!" The guards fought with all their might, but as Chun Ning's cavalry drew closer, many of them stopped and desperately tried to block them, but they all fell into pools of blood.
However, it was all in vain!
Li Fu didn't even dare to look back, running desperately towards the east gate. However, Chun Ning's voice rang out behind him: "There's no escape!"
Chun Ning pursued relentlessly like a cheetah, her voice seemingly ringing in his ears, causing Li Fu's heart to pound. But then the East Gate came into view, filling him with immense joy.
"Prime Minister, surrender now." Chun Ning also saw the city gate, but a cold smile flashed in her eyes. "Today... you can't escape."
Chun Ning knew very well that Li Fu thought that once he stepped out of the city gates, he would be free and at ease, but little did he know that there were heavy troops lying in ambush there, which would make him completely despair.
"When disaster strikes, can't you give me the credit?" Chun Ning didn't slow down, grabbing a wooden stick standing by the street and throwing it directly at Li Fu as if it were a gun.
Chun Ning is no longer the country boy he once was. His strength has been trained to be extremely formidable, and he could even be ranked among the top generals in the entire world.
The wooden stick whistled through the air and struck Chestnut's back in the blink of an eye, causing Chestnut to faint from pain and fall off his horse.
"Prime Minister, you're quite fast!" Chun Ning rode up to Li Fu, a cold smile flashing in her eyes, and pointed her long sword at Li Fu's throat.
The soldiers behind him immediately rushed forward, jumped off their horses, and lifted Li Fu off the ground.
"Let me go!" Li Fu roared. However, the Qin soldiers held him captive like an iron barrel, and any struggle or resistance seemed utterly futile.
Chun Ning stood before Li Fu, looking down at this former powerhouse, a cold smile playing on her lips: "Your life today belongs to me. Take him with you to see the Grand Commandant."
Thinking of the chaos within the city, Chun Ning simply took Li Fu and headed straight out through the east gate. As soon as they stepped outside the city, the scene outside made Li Fu's scalp tingle and his body break out in a cold sweat.
A huge crowd was lined up outside the city gate, waiting for them. Ironically, he actually wanted to leave through this city gate?
"Oh no!" Li Fu's expression suddenly changed drastically. The east gate was heavily guarded. Would the Qin army leave the other two gates unattended?
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