The house was set on fire, and the raging flames engulfed everything, with thick smoke obscuring the sky.
Chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep were slaughtered at will by the soldiers, and gold and silver treasures were looted.
The wealth that the people have painstakingly accumulated.
In the blink of an eye, it became the possession of the Javanese soldiers.
Liu Wen stood triumphantly on the high place, watching all of this.
A ferocious smile appeared on his face, his heart filled with pleasure.
The garrison at the southeast pass was tied down by the army of the Northern Xiang Kingdom.
They were utterly powerless to stop the Javanese Iron Pagoda's surprise attack.
He had already envisioned himself conquering the capital of Datong.
The scene of trampling Liu An underfoot filled him with the pleasure of revenge.
"Liu An, you old scoundrel, you just wait!"
Liu Wen said through gritted teeth.
"Once I conquer the capital, I will make you kneel before me and beg for mercy!"
The urgent battle reports from the southeast pass were like poisoned arrows.
It shot through the seemingly peaceful surface of the capital city with a whoosh.
At this moment, the fat on Liu An's old face jiggled wildly, looking just like a plate of lard jelly that had been stirred up.
He was sitting on the dragon throne, stroking a jade seal in his hand.
They fantasize about their own majestic reign over the world.
Upon hearing this news out of the blue, I jumped up as if I had a spring in my butt.
"Five hundred thousand? You fucking didn't hear me wrong, did you?!"
Liu An's roar echoed in the empty hall, making the glazed tiles overhead rattle.
The scout lay prostrate on the ground, trembling like a leaf, and repeated in a trembling voice:
"Yes...yes, it is absolutely true!"
"The Northern Xiang Kingdom, in alliance with the Java Kingdom, has assembled an army of 500,000 and is now at the gates of the Southeast Pass!"
"These bastards actually dared to come!"
Liu An was so angry that his face turned ashen, and he paced back and forth in the hall.
Its obese body rolled around like a ball of flesh.
"The Southeast Pass is the last line of defense protecting the capital."
"If it falls, the capital will be in imminent danger!"
He abruptly stopped, his cloudy eyes glaring, and roared at the officials in the hall:
"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and mobilize your troops to prepare for the defense of the city!"
The main hall was in complete chaos, with officials running around in a panic, like headless flies.
Looking at this group of good-for-nothings, Liu An cursed them inwardly as "useless trash."
Since he usurped the throne, officials in the court have either been won over by him or eliminated by him.
The rest are all timid, cowardly, and indecisive mediocrities.
With a formidable enemy at hand, expecting them to turn the tide is simply wishful thinking.
"Li Zhun! Where is Li Zhun?!"
An shouted at the top of her lungs.
Wearing armor and with a burly build, Li Zhun rushed in.
He knelt on one knee and said in a deep, muffled voice:
"Prime Minister, your humble servant is here!"
"Immediately muster the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and head to the Southeast Pass to provide support!"
Liu An hurriedly gave the order.
"Remember, you must defend the southeast pass, or you will be beheaded!"
Li Zhun accepted the order and left, but Liu An remained uneasy.
He walked to the window, gazing out of the city with a furrowed brow.
An army of 500,000 is no small number.
Although he had some troops, they were still far fewer than the 500,000-strong army.
Moreover, Java is known for its bravery and skill in battle, and its ironclad cavalry is feared by all.
"Prime Minister, all the gates of the capital have been closed, and the city's defenses have been strengthened."
An official ran over to report.
Liu An waved his hand impatiently:
"Okay, you can go now!"
He knew in his heart that closing the city gates was only a temporary measure and would not solve the problem at all.
With an army of 500,000 pressing in, the southeast pass will be breached sooner or later, and then the capital will be trapped like a turtle in a jar.
"We must find a way to break through..."
Liu An muttered to himself, he didn't want to be the ruler of a fallen kingdom.
He didn't want to be captured by the Northern Xiang Kingdom and end up with his head severed from his body.
One hundred thousand imperial guards were crammed onto the city wall, each one staring nervously into the distance.
Smoke and dust billowed, like a giant yellow dragon churning on the horizon.
The thunderous roar of hooves threatened to crush the ancient city walls.
Liu An stood atop the city wall, his obese body trembling slightly.
It wasn't out of fear, but out of anger.
His already greasy face now gleamed with a lard-like sheen.
His squinting eyes were fixed on the distance, as if trying to see through the billowing dust.
Liu Qi, who was standing next to him, was used to a life of luxury and had never seen anything like this before.
His face turned deathly pale with fright, and he trembled as he clutched Liu An's sleeve:
"Father, how many people have come? Can we... can we hold them off?"
"idiot!"
Liu An flung Liu Qi's hand away, his fat jiggling wildly.
"Eight hundred thousand? If they send an army of eight hundred thousand, the excrement they leave on the way could fill the moat!"
"Do you really think I'm stupid? At most two or three hundred thousand, it's just bluffing!"
"Father, but we only have 100,000 troops right now!"
Liu Qi's voice was trembling with sobs.
"If we can't hold on..."
Liu Anqiang suppressed his unease and pretended to be calm as he said:
"What's the panic! If they want to sneak over silently, they'll definitely be riding all the way."
"It's simply impossible to bring large siege weapons. As long as we defend the city walls, the capital will be impregnable!"
Despite his confident words, Liu An was inwardly apprehensive.
The deafening sound of horses' hooves grew closer, and the soldiers on the city wall looked increasingly grim.
What devastated Liu An even more was that most of the defensive equipment on the city wall was rusty and dilapidated.
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