Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 302 Even when escaping, it has to be a big commotion.

Li Batian and some of the surrounding guards managed to hold out for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, until reinforcements arrived.

The stench of blood on the city wall was so strong it was almost unbearable. Li Batian's horse-slaying sword was already chipped, with bits of flesh clinging to the blade.

He was panting heavily, watching the figures approaching in the distance. The hope that had just ignited in his eyes froze instantly when he saw who it was, and he was completely dumbfounded.
Those figures, walking with faltering steps, though still in good spirits, were mostly covered in bruises.

Some of the bandages were still seeping blood, clearly indicating that they had just finished bandaging their wounds and hadn't even had time to rest before returning to the battlefield.

"Why are they even sending in wounded soldiers?"

After the initial shock, Li Batian sighed helplessly.

He looked up at the city gate tower, where the military flags that had been flying were now riddled with holes.

Yes, with the war at this point, what other choice do we have? Everyone who can stand up has to go.

He was naturally aware of the situation at Xueyuan Pass.

Three days ago, we fought side by side with our brothers; now, probably less than half of them remain. Every brick and stone on this city wall was forged with the blood of those brave soldiers.

Even wounded soldiers are better than none.

Moreover, Zhao Wenguang also used various methods to mobilize some uninjured soldiers to supplement the fighting force.

The gap had barely been plugged when new crises arose in other areas.

Shouts of battle echoed from afar, and the horns of the Northern Di people sounded once more.

Li Batian wiped the blood from his face and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. He handed over the defense to the wounded reinforcements and rushed to the most dangerous place to provide support.

By this time, even the catapults and ballistae had already ceased their attacks.

The crossbow carts on the city wall stood there silently, their quivers empty; all the crossbow bolts had been used up, not a single one left.

As for the catapults, it was because there was simply no manpower to dismantle the walls and transport ammunition; anyone who could climb the city walls had already been sent up there.

After all, defending the city walls is the top priority; once the walls fall, nothing else matters.

The rolling logs and thunderstones were all used up, the arrows were all put away, and even the gold syrup was long gone.

Xueyuan Pass spared no expense in using this weapon to hinder the enemy's advance during the first two sieges today.

Otherwise, how could the flames below the city have burned for so long?

In short, Xueyuan Pass has exhausted all means, leaving only the most primitive and cruel method: using human lives to wear down the Northern Di cavalry.

Li Batian gripped his dulled saber tightly, watching the enemy army surge forward like a tide, a ferocious smile spreading across his face: "Come on, you bastards!"

"Great! This is wonderful!" Tuoba Lie was so excited that his face was flushed. He looked at the smoke-filled city walls in the distance, his eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty excitement.

"Those despicable southern barbarians at Xueyuan Pass have run out of underhanded tricks to use." He turned to his personal guards and roared, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Keep the attack going! As long as we take Xueyuan Pass, I will reward you handsomely!"

What a triumphant moment!

Tuoba Lie took a deep breath, the stench of blood in the air sending shivers down his spine. The Northern Di army was finally about to breach this damned formidable pass. He could almost see the mountains of treasure piled up on the Central Plains and the trembling Southern Barbarians behind Xueyuan Pass.

"General is wise!" Bawutu flattered, handing over a water pouch and looking at Tuoba Lie expectantly, as if to say, "I told you this information before," but Tuoba Lie pushed him away.

He's starting to regret it now. He was just making up an excuse to change the subject, but he never expected that his prediction would actually come true.

If he had known that Xueyuan Pass was truly on the verge of collapse, he would have gone to attack it himself.

Now, we can only watch helplessly as the credit falls on someone else.

Tuoba Lie ignored Ba Wutu; his attention was entirely focused on the city walls.

Since the beginning, the warriors of the Northern Di cavalry have been continuously attacking the city walls, occupying a small area on the walls to provide a foothold for the main army.

Tuoba Lie squinted, looking at the tattered military flag on the distant city wall.

The flag was riddled with arrows, yet it still stubbornly fluttered. This ignited a nameless rage within him.

Although each time they occupied the city walls, they were repelled by several very formidable men.

However, Tuoba Lie was not angry at all; on the contrary, he became more and more excited.

"Hahaha!" He laughed loudly, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "I'll see how long these guys can barely hold on!"

If those guys at Xueyuan Pass had any trump cards up their sleeves, they would have used them in such a critical situation.

So the only option left is to resort to trickery, as all other methods have been exhausted and there is no other way.

Tuoba Lie wished he could rush up the city wall right now and personally cut off the heads of those southern barbarian generals.

Some of their generals were indeed very capable.

Take that guy named Li Batian, for example. He can't even be considered human anymore; he's practically a monster.

But no matter how strong he is, he is still just one person, and people get tired.

The fact that a few generals have to come back and forth to save the day just shows how inadequate Xueyuan Pass's current response capabilities are.
The sounds of battle raging from the distant city walls could be faintly heard; Tuoba Lie could almost hear the desperate cries of the southern barbarian soldiers. This feeling of slowly torturing his prey excited him more than a direct victory.

Tuoba Lie almost couldn't resist going to the front lines to fight himself several times.

But reason ultimately prevailed over impulse; as the head coach, he had to remain calm.
However, considering the attitudes of those commanders, Tuoba Lie had to suppress his urge to lead his troops into attack.

These guys have finally mustered up a little bit of enthusiasm, so I absolutely can't let them down.

As for Xueyuan Pass, in the beginning, although Chu Shizhao, Huo Qinghuang, and Li Batian were also putting out fires everywhere, they were still able to manage to save the situation.

Even in the most dangerous situations, they can manage to hold on.

However, as time went on, the soldiers defending the city suffered more and more casualties, and their physical strength could no longer keep up with the consumption of resources.

The three of them, including Chu Shizhao, were already beyond saving.

"Your Highness, it's time to retreat." Zhao Wenguang's voice was so hoarse that it was almost unrecognizable.

Chu Shizhao replied without hesitation, "Alright, let's begin executing the plan."

He swung his sword and cleaved a Northern Di soldier who had climbed the city wall, blood splattering on his already stained face: "Remember, no matter what, we cannot abandon any soldier on the city wall."

Although Chu Shizhao felt that the city wall could actually hold out for a while longer.

Although the soldiers were exhausted, an indomitable flame burned in every one of their eyes. These soldiers, who had followed him through countless life-and-death battles, had long since grown into the most powerful warriors of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

However, Zhao Wenguang felt that they should retreat and that there was no need to continue.

The enemy has already fallen into the trap. Continuing to persist will only increase casualties and will not serve any purpose.

Chu Shizhao took a deep breath. The play had been convincing enough; it was time to wrap things up.

"Pass down the order: retreat the entire army according to the previously established strategy. Remember, during the retreat, do not abandon any of your comrades." With Zhao Wenguang's command, seven or eight messengers responded and rushed off to deliver his order.

These messengers were all handpicked experts, capable of moving freely like fish even in the chaos of the battlefield.

They dispersed and delivered the orders accurately to each location.

The ordinary soldiers were unaware of the retreat, but Zhao Wenguang, while putting out fires everywhere, notified all the promoted generals.

"Captain Wang, remember the retreat route." Zhao Wenguang recalled the scene when he gave the instructions earlier, and the shock and realization in the young general's eyes.

These people were all ordinary soldiers before, so there were some things that couldn't be told to them in advance. They were brave but inexperienced.

If the plan is disclosed in advance, it may inadvertently reveal flaws.

However, issuing a sudden order to retreat would not work, as they lack relevant experience and might not know what to do if suddenly faced with such a situation.

So, it wasn't until just now, when the city walls looked like they were about to fall, that they were told about it.

He also instructed them on what to do once the retreat order was given.

This retreat didn't actually require these junior officers to consider anything.

Zhao Wenguang had already arranged everything for these people in advance, including what to say and do during the retreat, where to retreat from, and how to retreat. They just needed to follow his instructions.

Thinking of this, Zhao Wenguang couldn't help but smile bitterly. The "shock" these generals, who had been promoted from ordinary soldiers, felt upon hearing that they were going to retreat was something Zhao Wenguang would never forget.

To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, Zhao Wenguang also arranged for his personal guards to assist them.

These personal guards are all veterans who have followed him for many years. They are currently scattered in key positions to ensure that the retreat can proceed in an orderly manner.

The reason for this is not for surveillance or anything like that.

The main instruction was to tell these people not to leak secrets. Most importantly, Zhao Wenguang's personal guards were all literate, so in critical moments, these people could read Zhao Wenguang's orders to them.

To avoid misunderstandings that could lead to deviations when performing tasks.

Zhao Wenguang's gaze swept across every battlefield on the city wall. At this point in the play, the Northern Di should have completely taken the bait.

Most importantly, Zhao Wenguang's personal guards, regardless of their abilities, were all literate and could read the orders left by Zhao Wenguang.

The last messenger, after delivering the order, reported back to Zhao Wenguang.

He knelt on one knee, his chest heaving violently, a broken arrow still stuck in his armor, his voice trembling with barely suppressed emotion.

Seeing that everyone had returned, Zhao Wenguang no longer hesitated and decisively gave Chu Shizhao a wink.

The moment their eyes met, Chu Shizhao nodded almost imperceptibly. Zhao Wenguang's palms were sweating; the outcome of this high-stakes gamble was finally about to be revealed.

Chu Shizhao leaped down from the city wall and lifted a cloth covering what looked like a large wooden barrel.

The moment the black cloth was lifted, a bamboo tube tightly bound with copper rings was revealed inside.

Without saying a word, Chu Shizhao lit the tinderbox and lit the fuse.

The flame hissed along the fuse, and Chu Shizhao watched as the spark quickly shot into the tube.

The fuse burned out, followed by a muffled boom, and a bright red light shot straight into the sky in the dim yellow light.

The red light pierced the sky like a sharp sword, turning the entire battlefield a blood-red hue.

The soldiers on both sides, locked in fierce combat, involuntarily looked up, and a brief silence fell over the battlefield.

Then, with a loud pop, a huge, beautiful firework exploded in the sky.

The moment the fireworks burst open, countless sparks rained down.

This scene caused a chill to run down the spines of Tuoba Lie, the commander of the Northern Di army who was launching an attack, and his officers.

Tuoba Lie's pupils contracted sharply as he stared intently at the lingering afterglow of the fireworks in the sky.

They were truly terrified of being tricked by Chu Shizhao.

Upon encountering this unusual situation, they immediately suspected that it was likely part of some conspiracy by Chu Shizhao.

"Be careful, everyone! Don't fall into the trap of those southern barbarians!" Tuoba Lie's features were contorted, and his terrified screams were ripped apart. His voice echoed across the battlefield, filled with undisguised panic.

The commanders of the Northern Barbarians also scanned the city walls in fear, trying to find anything amiss.

The next moment, they realized something was wrong.

The soldiers who were originally fighting desperately to defend Xueyuan Pass suddenly abandoned the city walls and began to retreat.

On the city wall, the soldiers of Xueyuan Pass were retreating at an alarming speed.

Although they didn't understand why, they instinctively felt that this was definitely not a good thing. So they all issued orders to their subordinates.

The messengers raced frantically across the battlefield.

Those orders also fully revealed the character of the commanding general.

Some people wanted the Northern Di cavalry to remain stationed in place, ready to deal with any possible situation.

Some people want their subordinates to retreat immediately to avoid being tricked.

Some even ordered their subordinates to continue the attack. Whatever their schemes, their men were already on the city walls, and it was too late to retreat now.

Therefore, it's better to continue charging towards the enemy.

Even if we fall into their trap, the worst that can happen is a few deaths. In terms of attrition, it's Snow Abyss Pass that can't afford the losses right now.

Apart from the Northern Di commander who made the right choice, everyone else misjudged the situation on the battlefield for various reasons.

When they realized that the garrison at Xueyuan Pass was indeed retreating, it was too late to give chase.

Many people were so frustrated that they beat their chests and stamped their feet.

They've been tricked by that damned Chu Shizhao again.

Who the hell would have thought that Chu Shizhao would make such a big commotion just to withdraw his troops?

Under normal circumstances, shouldn't we withdraw quietly and avoid being discovered by the enemy as much as possible?

Instead, the other side set off such a huge firework, as if they were afraid others wouldn't know they were about to retreat.

Only the scarred general launched a fierce attack during the retreat from Xueyuan Pass, causing considerable losses to the soldiers of this unit.

Upon receiving the news, Chu Shizhao immediately ordered Li Batian to intercept the force, buying time for the main army to retreat.

(End of this chapter)