Liu An walked hurriedly, without even glancing back at the chaotic court officials and soldiers behind him.
My mind was buzzing; all my past ambitions had vanished like bubbles.
Li Zhun watched Liu An's departing figure and sighed deeply.
He knew that the situation was hopeless.
He turned to Liu Qi and said:
"Young master, let's go. As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback."
Liu Qi's face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a word.
He glanced at Li Zhun, then at the panicked crowd around him, and finally nodded.
"All soldiers, follow me to escort the Prime Minister and the young master to safety!"
Li Zhun shouted loudly, his voice standing out clearly in the noisy environment.
The remaining Tiger and Leopard Cavalry quickly regrouped and escorted Liu An and Liu Qi towards the west gate.
The streets of the capital were filled with refugees, their cries and curses echoing throughout.
The crackling sound of burning houses, the clattering of horses' hooves.
The clash of swords wove together a tragic elegy of the end times.
Liu An and his group struggled through the crowded throng.
Panicked civilians kept rushing towards them, only to be ruthlessly pushed aside by the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.
"Get out of the way! Everyone get out of the way!"
A Tiger and Leopard Cavalryman shouted loudly, brandishing his long sword and forcing back the approaching crowd.
The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry led the way, heading west, their iron hooves shattering the remaining dreams of the capital.
This also shattered the last glimmer of hope in Liu An's heart.
The once-glorious battles and clashing swords transformed into ruins before his eyes.
He saw that the once magnificent palace was now a ruin.
Flames engulfed everything, and thick smoke billowed, blotting out the sky.
The once deafening shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" have now turned into desperate cries.
Heartbreaking and chilling.
At this moment, Liu An was like a puppet whose soul had been emptied, numbly following the group forward.
Liu Qi followed closely behind Liu An.
He was once a high-ranking prince, living a life of luxury and enjoying all the riches and honors.
Now, however, he has become a homeless dog, fleeing everywhere, living in constant fear.
My mind is blank; I can't remember anything or think about anything.
They just mechanically followed the group forward, like walking corpses.
Everything I once possessed—wealth, luxury, and exquisite food—has now vanished like a bubble.
Li Zhun, covering the rear, frowned deeply, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.
Looking at the chaotic scene behind me, I felt a deep sense of sorrow.
The Great Tong Dynasty is finished, completely finished.
The glory of the past has now turned to ashes.
Remembering his vow to protect the Great Tong Dynasty to the death, he thought of his past oath.
Now we can only watch helplessly as it marches towards its demise.
He felt deep remorse and guilt.
News of the fall of the capital spread as quickly as a plague.
It moved with astonishing speed from the fallen capital.
It spread in all directions, sweeping across the entire Datong Dynasty.
In teahouses and taverns, people whispered amongst themselves, their eyes filled with fear.
The soldiers on the border were even more demoralized and their morale was low.
Empress Chen Qingwan of Datong has now vanished without a trace.
Their fate is unknown; they seem to have vanished into thin air.
Some say she fled overseas, while others say she died in the chaos of war.
Opinions vary, and no consensus can be reached.
Prime Minister Liu An was a powerful minister who once held immense influence in the court.
They also vanished without a trace, their whereabouts unknown.
Some say he has surrendered to the enemy, others say he has gone into seclusion in the mountains; various rumors are circulating.
The power center of the Datong Dynasty was completely vacant, and its future was uncertain.
Riding on this wave of chaos, the flames of rebellion suddenly ignited.
They were doing this under the banner of "cleansing the emperor's inner circle and eliminating treacherous officials."
They declared their intention to overthrow the corrupt court and establish a new order.
Among them were farmers who were ragged and emaciated.
They were overwhelmed by heavy taxes.
In order to survive, they had no choice but to take up arms and fight back;
There were learned and erudite scholars who were disappointed by the corruption and incompetence of the court.
Those who hoped to change the fate of the country through reform; and those ambitious warlords.
They had long coveted the throne of the Datong Dynasty.
Now that chaos has descended, it is the perfect opportunity for them to expand their power.
These rebel armies were composed of diverse individuals with varying objectives.
Some just want to secure a piece of land for themselves to settle down and make a living.
Some dream of establishing their own dynasty.
They each recruited soldiers and horses, conquered cities and seized territories, and their power grew rapidly.
What was once a peaceful village has now become a battlefield.
Amidst the glint of swords and the deafening cries of battle, the once peaceful rural landscape was shrouded in the shadow of war.
Local warlords also established their own independent regimes and carved out their own territories.
They attacked and fought each other, vying for territory, all wanting to establish their own hegemony in this chaotic world.
The once bustling town is now a ruin, with broken walls and rubble telling the story of the cruelty of war.
The people were displaced, their families torn apart, and their lives ruined, suffering unspeakable misery.
The fields are barren, yielding no harvest; the once prosperous land is now devoid of vegetation.
The village was burned down, thick smoke billowed, and the once peaceful village has now become a living hell.
In just half a month, the once unified Datong Dynasty was overthrown.
It is now shattered and fragmented, unable to be pieced back together, and is only one step away from extinction.
What is even more puzzling is why the Northern Xiang Kingdom and the Java Kingdom joined forces to attack Datong.
There is no interaction between the two countries, and there are even some frictions between them.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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