Liu An roared hoarsely, his voice strained and his throat felt like it was about to tear.
Several dilapidated catapults were barely operational thanks to the soldiers' pushing.
Huge rocks crashed down on the Ironclad Pagoda with a whooshing sound.
Dust flew everywhere, gravel flew everywhere, and several birds were startled and scattered in all directions.
However, most of these stones missed their target, making their accuracy questionable.
Only a few stones hit the Ironclad Pagoda, but that only slightly slowed them down.
Even their steps weren't disrupted.
The armor's protective effect was astonishing; even when stones struck it, it remained unharmed.
It only made a dull sound and did not cause any real damage.
In the blink of an eye, the Ironclad Cavalry rushed to the city gate.
They raised their spiked clubs high and slammed them down on the city gate.
With a loud "thud," the city gate trembled violently and groaned in pain.
The bricks and stones on the city wall fell in a rustling sound, as if they were crying silently.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
One, two, three...
The heavy city gate began to crack under the fierce impact of the Ironclad Cavalry.
Spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly, and it looked like it would collapse at any moment.
The imperial guards on the city wall fought desperately, attacking the Iron Pagoda with spears, logs, and stones.
They roared and howled.
He hurled his weapon at the enemy again and again, his eyes filled with despair and resentment.
However, their attack was in vain for the Ironclad Pagoda.
It was like scratching an itch through a boot; it was impossible to budge this steel behemoth.
A soldier of the Imperial Guard was knocked away by a warhorse of the Iron Pagoda.
He fell heavily to the ground, spitting blood, and it was clear he wouldn't survive.
He lay helplessly on the ground, his eyes vacant, his life force fading away.
"Damn it!"
Liu An cursed, "This battle is really tough."
"Fire arrows! Keep firing arrows!"
Liu An gave the order again, his voice filled with despair.
"Catapults, continue the attack!"
"Use rolling logs, boulders, and hot oil—all of them!"
Liu An shouted himself hoarse as he directed the battle, but the defenders on the city wall had already begun to collapse.
"We...we can't hold out any longer..."
A soldier dropped his weapon and ran away.
"Run!"
More and more soldiers began to flee, and the defenses on the city walls completely collapsed.
Looking at the defeated soldiers, Liu An fiercely plunged the long sword in his hand into the ground.
"Useless! You're all a bunch of useless trash!"
"Father, let's...let's go too!"
Liu Qi grabbed Liu An's arm and said in a terrified voice.
Liu An wiped the blood from his face, a resolute glint in his eyes.
Turning to look at Liu Qi behind him, his eyes were filled with complex emotions, including helplessness and resentment.
“Qi’er,”
Liu An's voice was low and hoarse.
"The capital...I'm afraid it can't be defended."
Upon hearing this, Liu Qi's face turned even paler, his lips trembled, and he was unable to utter a word.
He gripped Liu An's sleeve tightly, as if grasping at the last straw.
He had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, and had never seen such a tragic scene before.
Seeing Liu Qi's appearance, Liu An felt even more irritated.
He flung Liu Qi's hand away and roared:
"Stop crying! Act like a man!"
Liu Qi trembled in fright at Liu An's roar.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she forced them back.
He bit his lip, trying to make himself look less afraid.
But his trembling body betrayed his inner thoughts.
"Father... what do we do now?"
Liu Qi's voice trembled, and she asked with a sob in her voice.
Liu An forced himself to calm down.
Now is not the time for father-son sentimentality; a decision must be made as soon as possible.
"Go through the west gate!"
Liu An said decisively, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.
"Li Zhun has led his men to burn the grain supplies. The enemy forces on the west are relatively weak, so we still have a chance to break out!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Qi's eyes lit up with hope, and he quickly nodded, saying:
"Okay! Dad, let's go quickly!"
Liu An ignored Liu Qi and turned to look at his trusted guards beside him.
"Go, gather all the soldiers who can still fight, and break out of the city gate with me!"
The guard obeyed and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Along the way, there were defeated soldiers everywhere.
They abandoned their armor and fled in all directions, like stray dogs.
Cries, screams, and curses mingled together, creating a tragic elegy for the end of the world.
Looking at the chaotic scene, Liu An knew in his heart that it was only a matter of time before the capital fell.
His former ambitions and grand plans have all vanished into thin air.
They even began to regret it, regretting that they shouldn't have usurped power and started this war.
"Report! Prime Minister, the city gate... the city gate has been breached!"
A soldier covered in blood stumbled over.
He knelt before Liu An, his voice panicked and trembling with tears.
Liu An felt a sudden dizziness, his vision went black, and he almost fell to the ground.
His guards quickly helped him up, and Liu An was able to stand up with difficulty.
"How long has it been?"
Liu An muttered to himself, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"Only two hours have passed, and the city gate has already been breached?"
Liu An's hands and feet were ice-cold, and he felt completely lost.
The civil officials around him were already in a panic, like ants on a hot pan, and they all said:
"My lord, let's escape through another city gate!"
"Quickly, gather our forces and escape from the capital. As long as we're alive, we can always rebuild!"
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