In the capital of Southern Chu, there is a street called Chu Gui Street.
This street is the largest in the city, located right in the center. It is wide enough for six carriages to travel side by side, and its length extends straight from the north gate to the palace. It was the main avenue reserved for the emperor's entry into the city.
In front of the imperial city, this avenue splits into two roads, one on each side, which wind around the imperial city and lead to the south gate, which is opposite the north gate.
This street was also the most prosperous street in the capital of Southern Chu, lined with shops on both sides, their signs gleaming with gold lettering and adorned with cheerful red lanterns. At night, if viewed from above, the entire street was brilliantly lit, bustling with traffic and people, a truly lively scene.
Also at night, Cancer's cannons bombarded and destroyed half of the capital of Southern Chu. The part of Chu Gui Street near the north gate was full of ruins, blocking half of the street.
Prince Danma sat in front of a clinic on Chu Gui Street, gazing at the ruins in the direction of the northern city. The ruins were filled with collapsed buildings, flames dancing wildly amidst the rubble, and thick smoke billowing.
Chu Mingyao wiped the blood off his face with a wet wipe, then wrapped his injured forehead with a white cloth, saying, "Your Highness, it's just a cut from a piece of gravel that hurts the skin."
Danma, still shaken, said, "That monster's cannon was terrifying. Even after running this far, we still got hurt."
Chu Mingyao said, "Fortunately, the first shot did not hit the city wall directly. Everyone was able to escape this disaster thanks to His Highness's decisiveness."
Cancer's first shot went too high; the green beam flew directly over the capital of Southern Chu.
The light from that cannon shot illuminated the entire city, turning it green. Danma, who was seeing the power of a cannon for the first time, was terrified and immediately ordered all soldiers and civilians to flee.
He was the commander of the allied forces, and the soldiers obeyed orders and withdrew from the north city. In the houses near the north city, the people abandoned their homes and fled, including women carrying children and elderly people leaning on canes. Together with the soldiers, there were more than 20,000 people.
Soldiers and civilians retreated along Chu Gui Street, while Danma and Chu Mingyao led the Western Rong army to cover their retreat.
Thirty paces away from the north gate, Danma calmed down a bit and felt that the distance was safe enough. Just as she was about to send her soldiers to check the situation outside the north gate, the second cannon shot from Cancer came.
Recalling the scene, it could only be described as an earthquake. Danma instinctively shielded Chu Mingyao with her body, her forehead struck by rubble, blood streaming down her face. Nearly a hundred of the Xirong soldiers at the rear were also caught in the blast, suffering numerous deaths and injuries.
Fortunately, due to their timely escape, most of the soldiers and civilians managed to escape alive.
If the soldiers were to hold their ground on the north city wall, this single shot would wipe out tens of thousands of soldiers, not to mention the thousands of civilians living in the houses behind the north city wall.
Looking at the ruins, Danma felt ashamed as she recalled the boast she had made to Wei Jingzhuo before the battle. She said, "I bragged to the Emperor of Jin that I could hold out, but this is what happened."
Chu Mingyao said, "Your Highness, we are all mortals, how could we withstand the monster's bombardment? Your Highness has already done a great service by protecting so many soldiers and civilians. Even if my sister knew, she would surely praise Your Highness."
Danma stood up and said, "That monster might still bombard us. Princess, please organize the people and tell them to escape from the city as soon as possible."
Chu Mingyao refused to leave, grabbing his sleeve and saying, "Your Highness, please come with us. We can't stop that monster's cannons at all."
Just as Danma was about to reply, a scout from the Southern Chu army emerged from the thick smoke ahead, stumbled down the ruins, and ran to Danma, saying, "Commander, the clone army has crossed the collapsed northern city wall and is attacking this way."
Danma stood up abruptly and pushed Chu Mingyao: "Princess, quickly arrange the evacuation. I'll hold off the enemy. Someone come here."
With a stern shout from their general, thousands of Jin soldiers, wielding strong bows, arrayed themselves in battle formation on Chu Gui Street. They unleashed volleys of arrows at the opposite side of the ruins. The rain of arrows swept across the night sky, piercing the billowing smoke, from which screams of agony could be heard echoing in the distance.
Danma felt somewhat relieved after seeing Chu Mingyao leave. He then ordered the Western Rong soldiers to bring over the crossbow carts.
The soldiers of the Western Rong Army pushed nearly a hundred crossbow carts and lined up on Chu Gui Street. Some turned the winch and drew the bowstring, while others carried armor-piercing spikes and placed them on the crossbow carts.
"How many armor-piercing spikes do we have left?" Danmar asked a commander of ten thousand from the Western Rong army.
The commander said, "Your Highness, most of our armor-piercing darts are stored in the north city, and we only have less than two thousand on hand."
While they were busy, a general shouted, "Commander, the enemy is coming!"
Danma looked towards the ruins and saw hundreds of clone soldiers in white armor, carrying defensive guns, emerging from the billowing smoke. They were walking towards them through the rubble.
"Fire the armor-piercing cones," Danma roared. "Quickly."
The crossbow strings made a snapping sound, followed by the sound of armor-piercing spikes cutting through the air, and the screams of the clone army.
Danma glanced behind him; the area around the imperial city was teeming with fleeing civilians, numbering in the tens of thousands, moving slowly as they fled south. If they couldn't stop the clone army, they would inevitably charge into the crowd and slaughter them.
He turned around and ordered his allied soldiers, "Hold on, everyone."
...
Protected by dozens of Xirong guards, Chu Mingyao walked through the throng of people. All she could hear were the cries and shouts of the common people, mixed with the sobs of children.
"Yuze, where are you?" she shouted.
From afar came Su Yuze's shout: "Is that the Crown Princess? I'm here, I'm here."
"I can't see you. Stay where you are and I'll find a higher place."
With the crowd surging, Chu Mingyao couldn't see Su Yuze at all, so she found a high place to stand.
Seeing Su Yuze sitting on Lin Qingfeng's shoulders and waving at her in the crowd, she squeezed through the crowd and came to Su Yuze: "Thank God, you're alright."
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