Thick drops of blood dripped from the tip of the gun, staining the ground with shocking "red flowers."
A cruel glint flashed in his eyes as he raised his spear high once more and plunged it viciously into the soldier's head.
The soldier's face was contorted in agony, his eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets.
He made a "hoarse" sound in his throat, but couldn't utter a single word.
The enemy soldier twisted hard, and the sound of the skull shattering was clearly audible, like porcelain breaking, which was chilling.
White brain matter mixed with blood splattered out, staining the surrounding land red.
This brutal scene did not deter the soldiers of the Tiger Head Army; instead, it fueled their even more frenzied fighting spirit.
Their eyes were bloodshot, like those of wild beasts that had lost their minds; only one thought remained in their minds:
Kill! Slaughter all these brutal enemies!
A soldier of the Tiger Head Army watched helplessly as his comrades were brutally murdered, filled with grief and indignation.
He roared, grabbed an enemy soldier, and the two of them tumbled down the cliff together.
Another Tiger Head Army soldier was stabbed multiple times and was covered in blood.
But he was fearless and used his last bit of strength to lunge at an enemy soldier.
He gnawed fiercely at the enemy's throat until the two of them fell into a pool of blood.
Another man saw enemy cavalry charging towards him and, without hesitation, rammed his own body into the enemy's horses.
The immense impact ruptured his internal organs, but he successfully knocked down the enemy's horses.
It bought his comrades a chance to catch their breath.
As the sun set, its crimson afterglow bathed the earth, turning the entire battlefield in a blood-red hue.
The soldiers of the Tiger Head Army fell one after another.
Their bodies piled up like mountains, almost covering the earth.
They built an iron wall with their own flesh and blood, blocking the enemy's attack.
Despite being wounded and exhausted, not one of them retreated or surrendered.
Even when severely wounded, they would fight to the last breath and take an enemy down with them.
They used their lives to compose a hymn of loyalty and courage, a tragic song written with blood and lives.
Chen Qingwan watched all this from a distant hillside, her heart breaking, tears blurring her vision.
Down the mountain, Tiger Head Army soldiers were falling at an alarming rate.
The enemy's iron cavalry surged up like a tide, overwhelming them.
This horrific scene deeply pierced her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
She knew that it was her underestimation of the enemy and her recklessness that led to the needless sacrifice of these loyal soldiers.
She was filled with self-blame and regret, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
His right hand gripped the sword hilt tightly, his nails almost digging into his flesh.
She secretly vowed in her heart: I must avenge these fallen brothers! I must make the enemy pay for their crimes in blood!
"Your Majesty, let's retreat quickly! The enemy numbers are too great; our small force is no match for them!"
One of the guards anxiously advised that the enemy cavalry had begun to move in their direction.
The neighing of the warhorses faded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the wind.
Chen Qingwan stumbled back to Jingzhou City, feeling as if her legs were made of lead.
Every step felt like walking on a knife's edge, with intense pain shooting from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.
The days of forced marches, coupled with the near-death battle just now, had already drained her of her last bit of strength.
It made her feel like her whole body was falling apart, and she could collapse at any moment.
The bloodstains on the armor had long since dried, congealing into dark brown scabs that emitted a nauseating smell of rust.
That was the taste of death, and also the truest reflection of her heart at that moment.
"His Majesty!"
Qiao'er looked at Chen Qingwan with heartache, this usually majestic and heroic empress.
His face was as pale as paper, without a trace of blood, and his lips were cracked and covered with tiny wounds.
Even dismounting seemed extremely difficult for him.
What alarmed her even more was that the number of soldiers who returned with Chen Qingwan was less than half of the number who had set out.
Looking around, there were only a few hundred people scattered about.
Almost everyone was injured, and everyone's face was etched with exhaustion.
Why didn't General Tiger escort you back?
Qiao'er's voice trembled, filled with barely concealed fear.
Chen Qingwan leaned against the city wall, took a deep breath, and felt a stinging sensation as the cold air rushed into her lungs.
It also helped to clear her confused mind a little.
"Still...still covering the rear..."
She managed to utter a few words, her voice hoarse like a broken bellows.
"How are the others...?"
"No news yet."
Qiao'er's voice trembled even more.
She couldn't imagine what the consequences would be if even Xia Shanhu and his Tiger Head Army were completely wiped out.
Xia Shanhu was her most valiant general, and the Tiger Head Army was her most elite force.
If even they...
Qiao'er dared not think any further; she was afraid she would break down.
Chen Qingwan mustered her strength and tried to make herself look less weak.
Now is not the time for sorrow and despair. We must pull ourselves together and lead the remaining soldiers to defend Jingzhou.
"Someone, go to Qingzhou and send word to Zuo Wei to lead troops to provide support!"
Zuo Wei was the leader of her secret guards, whom she had personally trained, and one of her most trusted confidants.
He was highly skilled in martial arts and possessed great wisdom and resourcefulness.
Jingzhou is now besieged on multiple fronts and its military strength is stretched thin, so it can only transfer troops from Qingzhou.
However, misfortune never comes singly; the scout's report came as a heavy blow.
It slammed hard into Chen Qingwan's heart, making her vision go black and almost faint.
"Report! Qu County, Zeng County, and Chi County have fallen to the enemy! This time, the enemy has brought a total of 200,000 troops!"
The scout's voice trembled slightly, clearly startled by the astonishing number.
"Two...two hundred thousand troops?!"
Qiao'er was so frightened that her face turned pale, her lips trembled, and she could barely speak.
The Imperial Guard only numbered 50,000 at most, and the cavalry numbered a paltry 3,000.
This doesn't even include the Zhou family army, whose whereabouts are unknown.
Even if these rebels were mostly a rabble, many ants can kill an elephant!
The fact that the Empress was here has been leaked, making her an easy target for everyone to attack.
Originally, Chen Qingwan didn't take these small fry seriously and planned to take a steady approach and defeat them one by one.
But now, these guys have actually bought weapons from Shannan Prefecture, which makes her have to take this seriously.
"Your Majesty, let's retreat and defend Jingzhou to the death!"
Qiao'er made an urgent suggestion.
"Or we could evacuate all the people in the city to Qingzhou. Qingzhou is backed by Shannan Prefecture. Even if these people are bold, they would have to be mindful of Lord Lu's feelings."
"Retreating with civilians would make us too conspicuous and vulnerable to enemy pursuit. Order the defense of Jingzhou to the death!"
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