Chapter 124: Bloodbath in the Lonely City
In the north, the lingering chill of winter had not yet dissipated; the north wind, sharp as a knife, swept across the vast Gobi Desert and the rolling mountains. Yunzhou City, this formidable pass guarding the northern gateway, was now completely surrounded by a massive, dark army of Rong and Di tribes, the air thick with the stench of blood and gunpowder.
On the city wall, Gu Yangui, clad in black iron armor stained with blood, his once cold and stern face now bearing a more grim expression, his jaw clenched, only his deep eyes remaining as sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the enemy army surging in from outside the city like a tide. The longsword in his hand was already dulled, and at his feet lay the bodies of fallen soldiers, some of whom were the very faces he had drunk and laughed with just yesterday.
"Lord Duke! Another breach has been made in the west city wall! General Zhao... General Zhao has died in battle!" A captain covered in blood staggered over, his voice hoarse and choked with sobs.
Gu Yangui felt a pang in his heart; General Zhao was an old subordinate who had followed him for many years. But he showed no sorrow on his face, only saying in a deep voice, "Understood. Send the reserves up to block the breach with boulders and logs. Tell the brothers, as long as we're alive, the city will stand!"
"Yes!" The captain wiped the tears mixed with blood from his face, turned around and rushed back to the brutal battlefield.
The situation was more dire than anticipated. When he arrived with reinforcements half a month ago, Yunzhou was already on the verge of collapse. This time, the Rongdi had amassed a far greater force than before, launching a fierce and cunning attack, clearly the result of long-planned schemes. Although he managed to stabilize the morale of his collapsing army through his prestige and skill, and repelled several fierce attacks by leveraging the strategic importance of Yunzhou, the city's food and arrow supplies were being depleted, and reinforcements were still nowhere to be seen.
What chilled him even more was the apparent presence of a mole within the army. Several crucial troop movements seemed to have been preordained by the enemy, resulting in heavy losses for the defending forces. He secretly investigated, but due to the urgency of the battle, he was unable to uncover the culprit.
"Report—!" Another scout rushed up the city wall, "Lord Duke, the three groups of men sent to request reinforcements have all returned without a trace! Signs of possible sabotage have been found on the main road leading to Yanmen Pass!"
Gu Yangui's eyes narrowed. The messenger seeking help, Shi Shendahai, had been sent; the main road had been destroyed… This was no coincidence. Someone didn't want Yunzhou to receive aid; in fact, they wanted Yunzhou to fall, so that Gu Yangui would perish there!
Is it that person in the court? The seemingly serious but actually meaningful look in Prince Qi's eyes flashed through his mind before he left the capital. To bring him down, he was willing to gamble with the lives of a crucial border town and tens of thousands of soldiers?
A chilling anger rose from the depths of his heart, but it was quickly suppressed by a stronger sense of responsibility. At this moment, he could not afford to lose his composure; he was the backbone of these tens of thousands of defenders and the entire city's inhabitants.
"Send more! Select the most capable night scouts, take the treacherous northern foothills, and make sure the military intelligence gets out!" Gu Yangui ordered, his voice resolute and brooking no argument.
"yes!"
As night fell, the Rongdi's offensive temporarily subsided, but the endless campfires outside the city, like the eyes of hungry wolves, lurked over the isolated city. On the city walls, soldiers leaned against the crenellations, seizing every spare moment to rest, bandaging their wounds, and chewing on frozen rations; the atmosphere was oppressively suffocating.
Gu Yangui did not return to the government office to rest. He personally inspected the city defenses, comforted the wounded soldiers, and covered the fallen soldiers with white sheets. As he passed by a young soldier, the soldier suddenly began to sob softly: "Lord Duke, can we...can we still hold out? Will reinforcements come?"
The weary gazes around him were all focused on Gu Yangui, their eyes filled with fear, confusion, and a final hope.
Gu Yangui stopped, looking at the still-childish face, thinking of Wanrou, who was about to give birth in the capital, and Mingxuan, who depended on him. He took a deep breath of the cold air, his voice soft but carrying clearly throughout the city wall:
“We can hold it.” His gaze swept over the crowd, his resolve unwavering. “Because behind us lies the territory of the Great Zhou, our parents, wives, and children. I, Gu Yangui, swear here and now, the city stands as long as I live, the city falls as long as I live! As long as I have a breath left, I will never allow the Rong and Di tribes to set foot on Yunzhou!”
His voice wasn't a passionate shout, but rather an unwavering resolve. This determination to live and die with the city was more inspiring than any slogan. The fear in the soldiers' eyes gradually gave way to a tragic, heroic light.
"We swear to live and die with Yunzhou!" someone shouted first.
"We swear to live and die with the Duke!"
A deep roar echoed across the city walls, coalescing into an indomitable force.
Back in the city tower that served as the temporary commander's residence, Gu Yangui finally allowed himself to show a trace of exhaustion. He unfolded a sheet of paper, intending to write to Wanrou, but the ink remained on his pen for a long time. What should he write? Tell her that this place was a mountain of corpses, a place of imminent danger? Tell her that he might not be able to witness the birth of their child? No, he couldn't. In the end, he only wrote a few words: "Be well, don't worry, take care of yourself, wait for my return." Every word weighed heavily.
He handed the letter to his personal guard and instructed, "If...if the city falls, find a way to destroy this letter and do not send it back to the capital." He could not allow her to receive a letter that might become her last.
The guard's eyes reddened, and he solemnly accepted the document: "Lord Duke! Yunzhou will not fall!"
The next day, before dawn, the Rongdi launched an unprecedented and fierce attack. Huge battering rams pounded the city gates with a dull, resounding boom that seemed to strike the very hearts of everyone present. Countless arrows swarmed like locusts, blotting out the sky, and siege ladders were repeatedly erected atop the walls as the fearless Rongdi soldiers frantically climbed upwards.
Gu Yangui personally commanded the troops at the most dangerous east gate. His arrows never missed, each one taking down an enemy soldier. He wielded his longsword, cutting down enemies who scaled the city walls. Blood splattered on his face and armor, but he seemed oblivious, like a god of war. Wherever he went, the morale of the defending troops soared.
"Protect the Duke!" The guards stood tightly around him, and one after another, they fell, struck by arrows.
The battle lasted from dawn until afternoon. The city walls were breached in many places, and the defenders suffered heavy casualties. Even Gu Yangui's left arm was cut open by a stray arrow, leaving a deep gash that exposed the bone. He simply tore off a corner of his battle robe to wrap it around his arm and continued fighting.
"Lord Duke! The city gate... the city gate is about to collapse!" the general guarding the gate shouted, his face covered in blood.
Gu Yangui's eyes hardened, and he shouted, "Prepare kerosene! Roll logs! Bring up everything that can burn! Even if we die, we'll make these jackals skin us alive!"
Just at this critical moment, a commotion suddenly broke out from the rear of the Rongdi army, and the faint sounds of battle shouts could be heard!
"What's going on?" Everyone on the city wall was stunned.
Gu Yangui gazed into the distance and saw that the Rongdi rear army was in complete disarray. A small but extremely brave cavalry force pierced into the enemy's heartland like a sharp knife, and the character "Lin" could be vaguely seen on their banner!
It was General Lin! General Lin, stationed in Suiyuan City, a hundred miles away! He actually led his troops to reinforce us! Although the number of troops was small, this sudden attack from behind completely disrupted the Rongdi's offensive!
"Reinforcements! It's our reinforcements!" A deafening cheer erupted from the city wall, and the exhausted defenders, as if injected with a stimulant, unleashed astonishing fighting power.
Gu Yangui felt a slight weight lifted from his heart, but his gaze remained grave. General Lin's forces were limited; they needed a coordinated attack from within and without to break the siege.
He decisively ordered: "Open the city gates! Everyone who can still ride a horse, come with me out of the city to meet General Lin! The rest of you, defend the city walls to the death!"
"Lord Duke! You are injured! It's too dangerous!" the lieutenant hurriedly tried to dissuade him.
"My life isn't that precious!" Gu Yangui mounted his horse, pulled on the reins, and the warhorse reared up. He raised his chipped sword, and his voice echoed through the city gate, "Soldiers! Follow me to kill the enemy! Serving the court begins today!"
"kill!"
The heavy city gates slowly opened, and Gu Yangui took the lead, charging into the chaotic enemy ranks like an arrow released from a bow. Behind him were countless defending cavalrymen, determined to die.
This was a clash of blood and fire. Gu Yangui channeled all the pent-up anger, resentment, and worry of the past few days into a fierce killing intent. Wherever his longsword struck, flesh and blood flew. His target was clear: the central banner of the Rongdi army!
The Rongdi commander had not expected that the defending troops, who were fighting like cornered beasts, would dare to open the gate, nor had he expected Gu Yangui to be so fierce. His formation was thrown into chaos.
Gu Yangui had several new wounds, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, his eyes fixed only on the Rongdi commander in his magnificent armor. Closer, even closer!
He suddenly leaped off his horse, using the momentum to pounce on the enemy commander like an eagle hunting a rabbit!
"Protect the King!" Rongdi soldiers cried out and rushed forward.
Gu Yan returned to mid-air, his sword flashing like a bolt of lightning, instantly killing several people. When he landed, he was already in front of the Rongdi commander. The commander was terrified and raised his sword to block.
With a loud clang, the Rongdi commander's sword was knocked away, and Gu Yangui's sword tip stopped in front of his throat.
"Tell your men to retreat!" Gu Yangui's voice was icy, carrying an unquestionable authority.
The commander-in-chief, his face deathly pale, looked at the army thrown into chaos by his capture, and then at the demon-like man before him. He finally managed to utter two words with difficulty: "Retreat...retreat..."
The mournful sound of horns rang out, and the Rong and Di army retreated like a receding tide.
The setting sun, like blood, reflected on the crumbling city walls and the battlefield strewn with corpses. Gu Yangui stood atop the city wall, watching the retreating enemy army. His tense nerves finally relaxed slightly, but intense fatigue and pain instantly overwhelmed him. He swayed and was supported by his personal guards.
"My lord!"
"It's alright." Gu Yangui waved his hand, gazing into the distance, towards the capital. Wanrou, I've survived another ordeal. Wait for me, I will definitely return alive.
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