At the same time, after observing the situation for a while, Chen Qingwan's eyes sharpened, and she immediately gave the order:
"Archers, continue the suppression! Catapults, prepare!"
"Archers, attack with all your might! Don't give them a chance to breathe!"
Li Mu shouted loudly.
"clear!"
The archers responded in unison, drew their bows, and fired their arrows at the enemy lines.
Seeing that their cavalry had suffered setbacks, the enemy's infantry moved slowly.
They immediately intensified their offensive, attempting to take the opportunity to break through Chen Qingwan's defenses.
"The enemy is coming! Hold them off!"
"The infantry captain roared."
"Tiger Head Army, Imperial Guard Army, form a shield wall!"
At Chen Qingwan's command, the elite soldiers of the Tiger Head Army and the Feather Forest Army quickly formed a shield wall as strong as steel.
It blocked the enemy's fierce offensive without leaving any gaps.
On the battlefield, the shouts of battle shook the heavens and the earth, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.
The land around the horse trap was soaked in blood and stained scarlet.
Li Mu rode up to Chen Qingwan's side and respectfully cupped his hands in greeting:
"Your Majesty, the enemy's offensive is fierce, and our army has suffered heavy casualties. Should we..."
Chen Qingwan gave a disdainful snort and interrupted decisively:
"What are you afraid of? This is just the beginning! Pass down the order: archers, fire freely; catapults, continue the suppression; infantry, clear the horse traps quickly!"
"Today, I will make sure these scoundrels never leave alive!"
Li Mu accepted the order and left. Chen Qingwan gazed at the fierce battlefield in the distance, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes.
She wanted to see who was behind all this!
Just as Chen Qingwan's troops were making a difficult advance, countless archers suddenly appeared on the city wall.
Arrows rained down on Chen Qingwan's troops.
"Damn it! We've fallen for their trap!"
Chen Qingwan cursed under her breath, a chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
The enemy's intentions were crystal clear: to lure them deep into their territory and trap them like turtles in a jar!
"Retreat! Shieldbearers, cover us!"
Chen Qingwan made a decisive decision and ordered a retreat.
The shield bearers quickly formed a defensive array, creating a mobile steel wall that covered the army's retreat.
The dense rain of arrows struck the shield with deafening crashes.
The tiger descended the mountain and galloped to Chen Qingwan's side, urgently saying:
"Your Majesty, the enemy is well-prepared. These horse traps and the archers on the city walls are clearly a series of traps designed to starve our army to death! In my opinion, we should retreat immediately, or perhaps..."
"Or what could be done?"
Chen Qingwan's eyebrows furrowed; she was not one to give up easily.
The tiger descending the mountain paused for a moment and then said:
"Or we could use rockets to attack the city gates, disrupt the enemy's deployment, and then find an opportunity to retreat."
"Rocket!"
Chen Qingwan's eyes lit up; this was indeed a feasible solution.
Why didn't I think of that? This rocket was actually invented by myself based on the explosive arrow from Shannan Prefecture.
Hmph! Let them taste what they're made of!
"Pass down the order: Rockets, prepare!"
At Chen Qingwan's command, Team Rocket quickly took their positions and aimed at the city gate.
A volley of rockets was fired, the fiery arrows piercing the sky and landing near the city gate, igniting a raging fire.
Thick smoke billowed and flames soared into the sky.
The enemy was clearly prepared, as rockets appeared on the city walls as well.
Moreover, their numbers were greater and their offensive was more intense, which in turn suppressed Chen Qingwan's troops.
Just then, two groups of cavalry suddenly attacked from both flanks.
He headed straight for Chen Qingwan, shouting:
"Capture the Empress alive! A reward of ten thousand taels of silver!"
"Oh no! Their target is His Majesty!"
Xia Shanhu's expression changed drastically. He finally realized that all of this was a trap set for Chen Qingwan.
"Your Majesty, I volunteer to cover your retreat!"
Without hesitation, the tiger descending the mountain stood in front of Chen Qingwan.
At this moment, only by sacrificing himself can Chen Qingwan's life be saved.
"A tiger descending the mountain!"
Chen Qingwan's heart tightened; she understood what Xia Shanhu's actions meant.
But she understood even more clearly that she couldn't act impulsively and had to prioritize the bigger picture.
"Your Majesty, let's go! This humble general swears to protect Your Majesty's safety with his life!"
The tiger descending the mountain spoke with a firm tone, leaving no room for doubt.
Chen Qingwan looked down at Shan Hu deeply, her eyes filled with reluctance and gratitude.
But this was not the time for sentimentality; she had to leave as soon as possible.
"Take care of yourself!"
Chen Qingwan gritted her teeth and, with a few personal guards, quickly withdrew.
Dust billowed, hooves thundered, and Chen Qingwan led several hundred cavalrymen like arrows shot from a bow, disappearing on the horizon.
As the tiger descended the mountain, it tightened the reins, and the warhorse snorted uneasily, seemingly sensing its master's tension.
He slowly turned his horse around, his eyes blazing as he looked at the dark mass of enemy troops pouring out of the city gate.
A chill ran from his feet to the top of his head, making him shiver involuntarily.
Initial estimates put the enemy force at only a few thousand.
Now it seems there were far more than a few thousand!
They were densely packed together, stretching as far as the eye could see, probably numbering in the tens of thousands, or even more!
The enemy cavalry, clad in iron armor, gleamed blindingly in the sunlight, and were unstoppable.
In contrast, their own Tiger Head Army looked like beggars compared to them.
"Damn it, how are we supposed to fight this war?"
Tiger cursed inwardly, a feeling of despair welling up inside him.
This was a battle with a huge disparity in strength, a battle in which defeat was almost certain.
But there's no turning back once the arrow is released. As a general, he must fight to the death for His Majesty and his brothers!
"Brothers, kill them all!"
The tiger roared as it descended the mountain; its voice was hoarse, yet full of power.
"Even if I die, I'll take a few down with me!"
"kill!"
The Tiger Head Army soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and earth, their momentum like a rainbow.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
