King Xi of Yan's face turned pale instantly, and his body trembled almost imperceptibly, but he still managed to raise his head, his voice hoarse but resolute: "Grand Commandant of Qin, you have gone too far! Even if my Yan state has only one soldier left, the people of Yan will not easily submit to you!"
On the city wall, the Yan soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed on the overwhelming Qin army outside the city. A chilling atmosphere hung in the air, like a fuse about to be lit.
The wicked man sneered, raising his long sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight: "Three breaths have passed. If Ji City does not surrender, then rivers of blood will flow. Attack the city!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Jian and Wang Tian simultaneously issued military orders. The soldiers immediately launched an attack, their synchronized steps and deafening war drums instantly igniting the previously deathly silent battlefield. Countless swords and halberds gleamed coldly in the sunlight, like sharp blades bursting from the ground, pointing directly at the walls of Ji City.
"Release the arrows—!" King Xi of Yan waved his hand sharply, and the archers on the city wall drew their bows in unison. Arrows rained down, whistling as they hurtled towards the Qin army below. Instantly, shouts of battle shook the heavens and the earth, and blood blossomed below the city walls.
The wicked man stared at Prince Xi of Yan atop the city wall, his eyes gleaming with excitement and ruthlessness. He spurred his horse forward, his long sword suddenly raised high: "Raise the siege ladders! Whoever breaches the city walls will be richly rewarded!"
Countless soldiers braved the rain of arrows and rushed forward, quickly setting up ladder after ladder. Using their shields for cover, they began to climb the city walls. Catapults bombarded from behind, the booming sound sending dust flying from the walls, and the defenders' formation began to crumble.
"kill--!"
The Qin soldiers were like wolves and tigers, moving with incredible speed. No matter how many were killed or wounded, as long as they had the strength to move, they surged forward like waves.
On the city walls, the Yan army put up a fierce resistance, but faced with the Qin army's sharp offensive, they were forced to retreat step by step. Countless Yan soldiers were overwhelmed by arrows and flashing swords, and the defenders' ranks began to fall into chaos.
King Xi of Yan was extremely anxious as he watched this scene, but he could only keep shouting and urging the troops to fight. Only at this moment did he realize how little control he had over the war.
"Hold on—hold on!" someone roared from the city wall, trying to mobilize troops to defend the battlements that had been siege ladders.
Unfortunately, chaos reigned on the city wall. Qin soldiers scaled the walls at several crenellations, their sharp blades instantly tearing open the chests of several Yan soldiers, splattering blood everywhere.
At one corner of the city wall, Chun Ning led dozens of Black Dragon Armored Soldiers to the top of the wall, nimbly slaying the Yan soldiers who were rushing towards them.
He coldly surveyed the area around the city wall and roared, "Clear this place out for me! Stand firm—where is Prince Xi of Yan?!"
Everyone knows that the Black Dragon Armored Army is skilled in cavalry and bravery, but few know that they are equally adept at charging into battle and being the first to charge!
Seeing that Chun Ning had already occupied a corner of the city wall, the wicked man smirked, spurred his horse, and galloped towards the city gate. Wang Jian and Tian Dan also led a contingent of troops, quickly advancing along the moat, intending to coordinate an attack from both inside and outside to break through the city gate.
Shouts of battle and cries of agony echoed endlessly inside and outside the city walls. Blood flowed like a river beneath the walls, while corpses littered the ground atop them. The mournful cries and roars of countless people mingled with the clanging of iron hooves and swords, creating a scene of utter carnage.
"No, we can't stop it... we can't stop it at all!!" King Xi of Yan's eyes were bloodshot, and the thought of retreating arose in his mind.
"Your Majesty, this battle is difficult to defend. It would be better to retreat to Liaodong quickly, where there are still seventy or eighty thousand troops guarding against the barbarians..." At this moment, Bi Nie, the trusted commander of the Imperial Guard, stepped forward and whispered.
King Xi of Yan pondered for a moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly.
Bi Nie immediately roared, "You all guard the city walls, I will lead the Imperial Guards to escort the King back to the palace first."
The reason for this was to prevent King Xi of Yan from leaving, which would lead the defending troops to believe that the king was going to run away, causing their morale to collapse and making them easy targets for the Qin army, thus preventing King Xi of Yan from having enough time to escape.
As more Black Dragon Armored Army soldiers scaled the city walls, the defeat in Ji City intensified, and the morale of the defenders wavered. Some even threw down their weapons and tried to escape into the city, only to be killed by their own commanding officers.
Blood and fear spread across the city walls. King Xi of Yan was so frightened by this hellish scene that his legs went weak. With Bi Nie's help, he climbed over countless corpses and descended the city walls.
At the city gate.
The wicked man followed the army, breaching the drawbridge over the moat and personally leading his soldiers straight towards the city gate. With the frenzied pounding of the battering ram, the city gate roared and crashed open. The heavy gate collapsed, and the overwhelming Qin army's iron hooves, like tigers descending a mountain, charged irresistibly into the city.
Jicheng's defenses have finally been breached.
Once the city gates were breached, morale collapsed throughout the city, and all resistance vanished in an instant. The people panicked and rushed home to lock their doors and windows.
The wicked man narrowed his eyes, looking at the palace at the highest point of the city. He brandished his sword in the air and shouted, "This city has fallen! Quickly annihilate the garrison within! Anyone who dares to resist, harbor Yan soldiers, officials, or civilians, shall be killed without mercy!"
At his command, the Qin army scattered like ferocious beasts into the streets and alleys, and two torrents of blood raged through the streets of Jicheng, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.
"Don't run, or you'll die!" Qin soldiers, in groups of three or five, grinned like creepy uncles as they surrounded the delicate Yan soldiers, except that the lollipops had turned into gleaming swords and spears.
“Don’t kill me, I surrender…” A Yan soldier knelt down and begged to surrender.
Before he could finish speaking, he was beheaded by the Qin soldiers who were following closely behind. "Screw you! If I hadn't been quick, this military merit would have flown away."
This scene unfolded in every corner of the city. The Qin army was completely bloodthirsty, and they could not easily let go of such a good opportunity to make great contributions.
Generals like E'fu and Wang Jian turned a deaf ear and pretended not to see anything, which emboldened the soldiers. Even those Yan soldiers who threw down their weapons, knelt down, and raised their hands from afar were not spared from death.
War is inherently cruel; the victor is king, the loser is a bandit. E'fu and his men were generals of Qin, so naturally they prioritized the interests of their subordinates. Besides, he had given Yan a chance before; if they didn't take it, who could they blame?
By this time, the so-called war had become one-sided, and the focus of everyone's struggle had shifted as they tried to maximize their military achievements.
In a corner of the city, Erniu and Chun Ning simultaneously and coldly ordered, "Search for Prince Xi of Yan immediately!"
On the other side, countless generals also ordered their soldiers to search for the whereabouts of Prince Xi of Yan, each wanting to claim the credit for capturing the Prince alive.
...........
The slaughter continued until nightfall. The city's defenders either surrendered or died, offering no further resistance. Jicheng was thus completely captured.
The wicked man and Wang Jian were gathered together, discussing the purge and defense arrangements, when footsteps and exclamations came from outside the tent. Er Niu's arrogant voice rang out at this moment, "What, haven't you all seen the Prince of Yan before?"
The evil man and the others paused, all looking towards the entrance of the commander's tent. They saw Erniu walk in with an arrogant smile, carrying a group of disheveled men.
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