Chen Qingwan's face turned deathly pale. She turned sharply to look at Qiao'er, her voice trembling.
"This is... a musket?"
Qiao'er nodded, her face pale.
"Yes, they have muskets! And...they also have deafening grenades!"
She gave a bitter laugh, her tone filled with despair.
"It seems we all underestimated the Zhou family's strength."
Chen Qingwan clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, the intense pain keeping her sliver of consciousness.
"Where did they get the thunderclap bombs and muskets?"
Qiao'er gave a bitter smile.
“Your Majesty, do we only need to do business with Shannan Prefecture? The Zhou family is incredibly wealthy; they are fully capable of acquiring these weapons through other means.”
Chen Qingwan was speechless. Yes, Shannan Prefecture does business with the whole world.
Therefore, it is quite normal for the Zhou family to secretly purchase muskets and thunderclaps.
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
Now is not the time to assign blame; the most urgent task is to defend against the Zhou family army's attack and protect this city!
"Your Majesty, this place is dangerous. Let's retreat first!"
Li Mu anxiously offered his advice.
The enemy's artillery fire was too fierce; stones flew everywhere on the city walls, and soldiers were constantly being hit and falling to the ground.
Chen Qingwan gritted her teeth, and although she was unwilling, she still nodded in agreement.
She knew that she had to live in order to lead the Datong Dynasty to victory.
After descending the city wall, Chen Qingwan did not seek refuge in the safe rear, but instead joined the logistics team.
He assisted Xia Shanhu in directing the laborers to move supplies for the city's defense.
She took the lead, moving stones and carrying sandbags, ignoring the blisters that formed on her delicate hands.
"Damn it, have these Zhou family soldiers gone mad? Their offensive is so fierce!"
Tiger wiped the sweat from his face and cursed gruffly.
"Their tactics and formations are also very strange, unlike the army of the Datong Dynasty."
Chen Qingwan calmly observed the battle situation, but felt a vague unease in her heart.
Just then, a loud explosion came from the direction of the south gate, and the gate was breached!
"Imperial Guards, follow me to kill the enemy!"
Chen Qingwan drew her sword and shouted loudly.
The Imperial Guards were Chen Qingwan's personal guard, and each soldier was an elite force capable of taking on ten men.
They followed Chen Qingwan as they rushed up the city wall and engaged in a fierce battle with the swarming Zhou family army.
Swords clashed, blood and flesh flew, and shouts of battle shook the heavens and the earth.
Chen Qingwan took the lead, wielding her long sword as if she were in an empty field.
She was agile and swift with her swordsmanship, each strike carrying a chilling killing intent as she reaped the lives of her enemies.
However, Zhou's army's offensive was too fierce. They were fearless and relentless, showing no fear of death whatsoever.
Chen Qingwan's doubts deepened. Where did Zhou Chen find so many desperate criminals?
The newly recruited soldiers from Jingzhou Prefecture, despite undergoing rigorous training.
However, in terms of battlefield experience, they still lag significantly behind the battle-hardened elites like Zhou's army.
Their young faces were filled with tension and unease, and their hands holding weapons trembled slightly.
This formed a stark contrast to the cold-eyed, murderous soldiers of the Zhou family army opposite them.
The Zhou family army's offensive was like a surging tide, wave after wave, extremely fierce.
They gave the defenders absolutely no chance to catch their breath.
They cooperated seamlessly, moved in an orderly manner, and demonstrated strong combat capabilities through a combination of offense and defense.
The soldiers defending the city walls fought back fiercely, but faced with the overwhelming offensive of Zhou's army.
They gradually felt overwhelmed, and the number of casualties continued to rise.
"The East City is in grave danger!"
A piercing scream tore through the night sky, followed by a deafening explosion.
Flames shot into the sky and thick smoke billowed from the direction of the East Gate.
"The northern city is in dire need of attention!"
Another urgent cry for help came, and the north gate was also under fierce attack by Zhou's army.
The defending troops suffered repeated defeats, and the situation became increasingly precarious.
Urgent cries for help rose and fell, like death knells, sending chills down one's spine.
The morale of the defending troops was severely damaged.
The sounds of battle echoed throughout Jingzhou City, waking the sleeping residents.
They were horrified to discover that the peaceful night had been shattered by war, and their homes were in danger.
Rockets streaked across the night sky with fiery trails, like fiery dragons, and shot into the city.
Some houses were set on fire, flames shot into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of burning.
The burning houses illuminated the night sky and the terrified faces of the people.
This scene is almost a replica of the Battle of Southeast Pass!
The horrific scene of the Battle of Southeast Pass resurfaced in Chen Qingwan's mind, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache and despair.
Standing on the city tower, Chen Qingwan looked at the densely packed enemy troops below the city wall, her heart burning with anxiety.
She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, and kept her gaze firmly fixed on the battlefield.
Now is not the time for sadness and despair; she must pull herself together and lead her soldiers to defend Jingzhou.
She drew her longsword, ready to personally climb the city wall and fight the enemy.
This long sword was a keepsake left to her by her father, the emperor. Its blade gleamed with a cold light and was extremely sharp.
She gripped the sword hilt tightly, her eyes filled with determination and resolve.
She would fight alongside her soldiers to defend their homeland and the Great Tong Dynasty!
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
Tiger descended the mountain and grabbed Chen Qingwan.
"As the commander-in-chief of the three armies, how can you so easily take risks? Your Majesty, please stay in the rear and stabilize the morale of the troops!"
Chen Qingwan then calmed down and realized that she had been too impulsive.
She took a deep breath, sheathed her longsword, and silently reflected on her actions:
He still lacked the composure and confidence of a commander, and was far less calm and collected than Lu Yan.
"Lu Yan..." Chen Qingwan murmured the name, a strange longing welling up in her heart.
She recalled the scene of Lu Yan attacking the Southeast Pass and his strategic demeanor, and couldn't help but feel a little sad.
etc!
Chen Qingwan suddenly realized the attack method of Zhou Jiajun.
It was remarkably similar to the tactics Lu Yan used when he attacked the Southeast Pass!
Could it be...?
Thinking of this, Chen Qingwan immediately summoned all the generals and readjusted the strategic deployment.
"Archers, concentrate your fire and shoot down the enemy!"
"The suicide squad will launch a surprise attack on the enemy's flank and disrupt their formation!"
"Send the order to strengthen the city defenses and mobilize reserves to support the city gates that are in dire need!"
Chen Qingwan issued the orders methodically.
It was as if Lu Yan's heroic figure appeared before her eyes, guiding her in the direction she should go.
She personally inspected the city walls to boost the morale of the soldiers.
"Soldiers, defend our homeland today! Killing one is enough, killing two is a bonus!"
Although Chen Qingwan's voice was not as loud as Lu Yan's, it was full of determination and strength.
It touched every soldier present.
"Are the kerosene and logs ready?"
Chen Qingwan asked the soldier beside her.
"Your Majesty, everything is ready!"
"Good! Once the enemy gets close to the city walls, give them a good beating!"
A cold glint flashed in Chen Qingwan's eyes.
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