Outside Xilin Pass, the sounds of battle shook the heavens, and countless arrows crisscrossed between the two armies, with soldiers from both sides constantly falling to the ground, struck by arrows.
Roman soldiers also climbed the long ladders one after another towards the top of the wall, engaging in fierce fighting with the Parthian army.
"Stop them! We cannot let a single Roman climb the city walls!!"
At Xilin Pass, the defending officers kept running back and forth, shouting and directing the Parthian army to resist wave after wave of Roman attacks. The Parthian army's tenacious resistance greatly exceeded the Roman army's expectations.
The resistance on the city walls repelled the first wave of Roman attacks.
"Continue the attack until the city falls!!"
The Roman commander at the rear waved his hand, ordering the Roman army to continue their attack on Xilin Pass.
He knew in his heart that the situation was not as simple as they had initially imagined.
The fierce resistance of the Parthian army took him by surprise. If he had retreated at this point, the morale of the Parthian defenders would have been greatly boosted, making it much more difficult to take the city.
If the Parthian army were to hold out until reinforcements arrived, it would put the entire Roman army at a disadvantage, and defeat would not be out of the question.
The consequences would be something I couldn't afford to bear; even the Senate couldn't protect me.
Since I've taken the lead, I have to make sure I get something out of it.
On one side was an attack with no way out, and on the other side was a defense with no way out. From the very beginning, both sides engaged in a fierce battle.
Inside the Roman camp, on a makeshift platform, Marcus Aurelius watched the siege unfold in the distance with an unusually grave expression.
"I never imagined that the Parthian army would put up such a tenacious resistance when faced with my 400,000-strong army at the city gates!"
"Your Majesty, the duty of the garrison is to protect the city from falling; to retreat means death."
Moreover, Xilin Pass is not far from the Parthian border army camp. If they can hold out until reinforcements arrive, it will be a great achievement. They naturally know what to do!
Li Boming, standing to the side, also spoke with a solemn expression, then turned his gaze to the Roman army attacking the city, "The soldiers of these legions under the Senate are somewhat unexpected. I didn't expect them to be able to attack so fearlessly!"
"Hmph, those soldiers are just private troops kept by those families. If they give the order, they'd probably charge into any danger, even a mountain of knives or a sea of fire..."
Upon hearing Li Boming's words, Marcus Aurelius snorted coldly, his resolve to eliminate all those legions strengthened.
Although those legions were formidable in combat, they did not belong to him and had never taken him, the Roman emperor, seriously. Keeping them around would only cause him trouble.
Seeing Marcus Aurelius in such a state, Li Boming's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.
Although he had always been by Marcus Aurelius's side, offering advice and strategies, in his eyes, there was not much difference between the Roman emperor, the Senate, and the various provinces.
All he had to do was weaken the entire defense of Rome, nothing more.
Two hours passed, and the shouts of battle below Xilin Pass gradually subsided, with both sides suffering heavy casualties.
Countless corpses lay both above and below the pass, their blood staining the entire Xilin Pass.
"Sixth team, keep going!!"
The Roman commander, his voice already hoarse, once again ordered the attack to continue.
Unfortunately, there was no movement from the Roman army this time. The 10,000 Roman soldiers of the sixth corps stood in formation at the rear, looking at the Xilin Pass city wall, which had turned dark red, with fear in their eyes.
Although they were all private soldiers of various families, no different from death squads, if they were really asked to do something they knew would lead to certain death but were unable to accomplish, they would inevitably feel resistant.
The Roman commander turned to look at the soldiers who hadn't moved, and was about to get angry when several noble leaders walked over hesitantly.
"If our soldiers suffer heavy losses, they have reached their limit and cannot fight any longer!"
"Let's retreat for now, let the soldiers rest, and fight again tomorrow, shall we?"
"Yes, the soldiers have lost their will to fight. Continuing to fight will only increase casualties!"
The noble leaders also spoke up one after another, all expressing their desire to withdraw their troops.
"Gentlemen, although our army has reached its limit, the Parthian defenders are not faring well either. At this moment, both sides are fighting to the last breath. If our army retreats now, it will be difficult to take it back tomorrow!"
Seeing that everyone wanted to retreat, the Roman commander reluctantly advised them to do so.
"That's true, but our casualties are too high. If we continue the attack, even if we manage to capture Xilin Pass, it will only benefit others. By then, our entire army will be wiped out. How will we explain this to the clan chiefs when we return?"
"Exactly, the team that the family spent so much gold to train can't just be left here, can it?"
"Hmph~, if you don't want to back down, you can stay here. Anyway, we're not planning to keep gnawing on this bone!"
Hearing the commander's advice, the noble leaders not only did not change their minds, but became even more determined to retreat.
Originally, they were assessing the small number of troops guarding Xilin Pass and wanted to seize the credit for capturing the city, and then gain the privilege of priority in the distribution of spoils in the subsequent battles.
Now, things have turned out badly; instead of getting any meat, he's broken a tooth.
These noble commanders were all core figures in the various families of the Senate. They knew the importance of their legions to their family's status, and naturally they couldn't just watch their families spend countless resources to train the legions and leave them there.
"Sigh, since you all insist on this, then let's leave!"
Seeing the resolute attitude of the crowd, the Roman commander sighed and agreed to withdraw his troops.
He was also one of the fifteen noble leaders, and his appointment as commander was the result of the popular recommendation; it was impossible for him to go against the will of everyone.
Then, the sound of retreat horns rang out from the Roman army, and all the soldiers who followed breathed a sigh of relief and began to slowly retreat.
Seeing this, the Parthian soldiers on the city wall also showed expressions of relief, leaning weakly against the wall and panting heavily.
At the same time, the messenger sent by the garrison commander to deliver the message also rushed back.
"Reporting to the general, Commander Mokra is leading 70,000 reinforcements toward Xilin Pass. He has ordered us to hold out for one more day no matter what!"
"Ha! In just one day, our army has suffered more than 7,000 casualties. If the Romans continue to attack so desperately tomorrow, it is uncertain whether our army can hold out for three days. How can we hold out for even one more day?"
Upon hearing the messenger's report, the garrison commander shook his head with a bitter smile, his face full of disappointment and dejection, and a hint of despair flashed deep in his eyes.
"Go, send another messenger to inform the commander that the Romans are fighting desperately, and our army can only hold out until the day after tomorrow at the latest..."
"yes!"
The messenger agreed and then turned and ran back down the city walls.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
