Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 304 We Will Definitely Counterattack
But the burning Northern Di cavalry were running amok, even affecting the main force.

Some people rushed into the queue without realizing it, causing even greater chaos.

Some people even grabbed the person, and the two rolled to the ground together, quickly turning into two intertwined balls of fire.

The air was filled with the nauseating smell of roasted meat.

The centurion gritted his teeth and said, "Shoot them, give these brothers a quick death."

The order cut into his throat like a knife. The centurion coughed violently after speaking, whether from the smoke or from his inner turmoil, it was hard to tell.

Upon hearing the order, the Northern Di cavalry drew their bows and shot down their comrades who were running around in all directions.

The sound of arrows piercing the air rose and fell, each vibration of the bowstring felt like a knife to the centurion's heart.

On that face engulfed in flames, he could almost see the other person's expression of relief.

Although the person is dead, the fire will not be extinguished for a while.

The flames continued to engulf the corpse, crackling and popping.
The Northern Di centurion angrily raised his head and looked into the alley, but Li Batian, who had completed his mission, had already disappeared.

Their unit was the deepest infiltrated because they had been relentlessly pursuing the retreating Xueyuan Pass garrison.

They originally thought they could gain a great deal of credit, but before they could even see the credit, the losses on their side were terrifyingly large.

The centurion looked around and saw that less than half of the cavalrymen who had come were still standing.

Everyone's face was covered with a layer of black ash, and their eyes were vacant, as if their souls had been taken away.

The morale that had just been raised was instantly crushed to rock bottom.

They were first blocked by Li Batian. Although he didn't bring many people, he used the alleyway to block their progress for a short time.

After the Northern Di cavalry that had been pursuing them the closest were wiped out, they finally arrived, only to be badly burned by the fire.

The centurion looked at the charred corpses scattered on the ground, his anger finding no outlet.

The charred, curled-up corpses resembled withered trees struck by lightning on the grassland, twisted beyond recognition. The acrid smell in the air reminded him of the cattle and sheep that had starved to death last winter.

What infuriated the centurion most was that the fire blocked the road, preventing them from pursuing the enemy directly.

The flames formed a flowing wall, completely sealing off the alley. The heat distorted the air, blurring the view across the street.

The centurion irritably loosened the leather drawstring at his collar, feeling his throat parched. This pursuit was like trying to grasp quicksand; the harder he tried, the faster it slipped away.

Now, anyone who wants to catch up with Xueyuan Pass must either extinguish the fire, climb over the wall, or find another way.

Either choice will take a considerable amount of time.

A young Northern Di cavalryman timidly suggested, "Why don't we go find some water..."

Before he could finish speaking, the centurion glared at him and told him that they knew nothing about the situation in the city and where they were going to find water.
The centurion impatiently pounded the saddle with his scabbard; every second of delay meant the prey would escape further.

He could almost hear his superior's angry roar and see the mocking looks in his colleagues' eyes.

The centurion of the Northern Barbarians was caught in a dilemma.

The fire was raging, and if a decision wasn't made soon, even the chance to take a detour would be missed.

Soon, the Northern Di centurion gritted his teeth and roared, "Take a detour and catch up as quickly as possible."

His voice was so hoarse, as if it had been ruined by smoke.

The fire started by igniting the oil was so intense that heaven knows how long it would burn.

The centurion glanced one last time at the wall of fire and noticed that even the bluestone slabs were crackling and popping under the intense heat. This fire would burn for at least another hour.

As for bypassing the Great Firewall...

The centurion didn't even consider it.

In a battle of this scale, if they cannot maintain their formation, these dozens of men could be ambushed and wouldn't even be able to make a ripple.

However, the Northern Di centurion never expected that many roads in Xueyuan Pass had already been blocked by Chu Shizhao's men.

As they turned the corner, they bumped into a newly built brick wall with a mocking smiley face drawn in charcoal, as if laughing at their foolishness.

Someone went up to take a look, and the area behind the wall was completely blocked by all sorts of random things. Even if the wall were torn down, the main force still couldn't get through.

The centurion had no choice but to continue taking the detour.

By taking this detour, he ended up going around two whole blocks.

While they were taking a very difficult detour, Li Batian caught up with the Xueyuan Pass soldiers who had retreated ahead of time.

He carried the two most seriously injured men on his back, instantly increasing their retreat speed by more than a third.

The wounded soldier lay on his broad back, and could feel the strong muscles beneath his armor rising and falling with each step.

Li Batian's breathing was heavy yet steady, like a tireless machine.

They quickly retreated to the inner city wall and joined Chu Shizhao and the others.

The moment we climbed the city wall, the setting sun pierced through the clouds, casting long shadows of everyone.

Seeing that Li Batian had returned safely, Chu Shizhao felt slightly relieved...

This is a fierce general on the battlefield, and he doesn't want Li Batian to perish at Xueyuan Pass.

When Li Batian saw that all the soldiers of Xueyuan Pass had retreated outside the city, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

Although Li Batian had anticipated this, he knew that Xueyuan Pass would definitely not be able to be defended.

However, the thought of handing over the city that they had fought so hard for to others so easily made Li Batian feel uneasy.

His fists clenched unconsciously, his nails digging deep into the calluses on his palms.

He recalled the eyes of his fallen brothers before they died; in those eyes that had not yet closed, there was still a steadfast determination to defend the city to the death.

"Your Highness, are we just going to hand over Xueyuan Pass to them like this?" Li Batian asked unwillingly.

His voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth, trembling with suppressed emotion. His rough face was covered in blood, and the wound on his waist from the enemy's sneak attack was still bleeding, the blood slowly sliding down his brow bone.

Although the injury was minor, it could not be bandaged.

In addition, his continuous fighting prevented his wounds from healing.

Li Batian didn't expect Chu Shizhao to be able to turn the tide under these circumstances.

His gaze swept over the exhausted soldiers below the city walls. Some were sitting, some were lying down, and many were biting bandages with their teeth to bandage themselves.

How could such a remnant army withstand the overwhelming force of the Northern Di cavalry?

No matter how powerful Your Highness is, you are still human. You cannot conjure up troops out of thin air, nor can you withstand the 100,000 iron cavalry of the Northern Barbarians on your own.

Li Batian pictured the massive, dark army of the Northern Di, an army that was simply beyond human power to stop.

The reason I say this is simply because I can't swallow this insult.

He spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, which landed squarely on the crenellations of the city wall. The dark red saliva slowly spread across the blue bricks, like a withered flower. But to Li Batian's utter surprise, the prince showed no sign of dejection or dejection whatsoever.

Chu Shizhao stood beside the battlements, his clothes fluttering in the evening breeze. His profile was sharply defined in the setting sun, and the faint smile at the corner of his mouth inexplicably brought a sense of peace.

"Who told you that we were going to hand over Xueyuan Pass to the Northern Di people?"

The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, yet it made all the guards around him prick up their ears. Chu Shizhao's slender fingers tapped lightly on the city wall, the rhythm steady and powerful.

"Evacuate immediately, get some rest, and prepare for the counterattack."

Li Batian was taken aback upon hearing this: "But Your Highness..."

His thick eyebrows were almost knotted together, and the veins on his forehead were faintly visible. This battle-hardened general was now as confused as a lost child.

He really didn't understand how to launch a counterattack under the current circumstances.

My gaze unconsciously swept towards Xueyuan Pass, where I could vaguely see a dark torrent slowly swallowing it up.

Although the retreat was decisive enough that the losses were not too great, the bloody battle that followed was real.

Li Batian estimated that their current troop strength was probably less than 1,500 men.

Moreover, even among these 1,500 people, it's estimated that not a single one would be uninjured.

With these remnants of their army, how could they possibly launch a counterattack against 100,000 Northern Di cavalry?

Li Batian suddenly felt a tightness in his throat, as if it were being choked by an invisible hand. He subconsciously touched the hilt of the knife at his waist, the icy touch a reminder of the harsh reality.

For a moment, Li Batian truly didn't know whether he had gone mad or His Highness had gone mad.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two men. Chu Shizhao's shadow stood tall and straight like a pine tree, while his own shadow appeared somewhat hunched, as if bent over by a heavy burden.

"What are you looking at? Do you think I'm crazy?" Chu Shizhao kicked him in the shin in an annoyed tone.

The kick was neither too light nor too heavy, striking the damaged area of ​​Li Batian's leg armor. He grimaced but didn't dare to dodge, instead scratching the back of his head with a憨厚 (honest and simple) expression.

Given Li Batian's straightforward nature, Chu Shizhao could guess his thoughts even if he didn't say anything.

A knowing glint flashed in the Fourth Prince's eyes, and his smile deepened. He knew this straightforward subordinate all too well; the suspicion on his face was practically written all over his forehead.

"I have my own plans. You all just need to rest and recuperate. Don't blame me for not warning you in advance. If you don't dare to go when we counterattack later, don't blame me for chopping off your head as a sacrifice to the flag."

As he said this, Chu Shizhao's eyes narrowed slightly, much like a snow fox eyeing its prey on the grassland.

That ambiguous smile made it hard to tell whether it was a joke or a serious one.

Although Li Batian respected Chu Shizhao, he couldn't resist his provocation.

His dark face flushed bright red, and even his neck seemed to thicken. His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, making him look like an enraged bull.

He then retorted, "Your Highness, please don't underestimate me. I, Li Batian, have fought on the battlefield for so many years, and I have never known the meaning of fear."

"As long as you give the order, even if it's a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, I, Li Batian, won't blink an eye."

The unwilling explanation drew the attention of the surrounding soldiers, and several of them couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Li Batian patted his chest forcefully, making his armor rattle, as if only in this way could he prove that everything he said was true.

He pounded so hard that the wound on his chest bled again, spreading a dark red stain on his armor.

It was as if they were afraid of Chu Shizhao and didn't believe in his determination.

He looked as if he wanted to rip out his heart and show it to Chu Shizhao.

Chu Shizhao was speechless. He had only meant to make a joke and lighten the mood.

He rubbed his forehead and shook his head, revealing a helpless yet amused expression.

Chu Shizhao could sense that his beloved general seemed to be in low spirits after returning this time.

Li Batian's once upright and straight back was now slightly hunched, as if he were bent over by an invisible burden.

Those once bright and piercing eyes were now veiled in shadow, like a blade covered in dust.

The continuous battles must have left him mentally exhausted, leading to a host of negative emotions that he shouldn't have had.

The hand holding the knife was trembling, not from fear, but from muscle spasms caused by prolonged combat.

This tough guy is, after all, only flesh and blood.

Humans are not machines; they cannot be constantly tense, otherwise they will eventually break down.

Therefore, with the decisive battle imminent, Chu Shizhao hoped that Li Batian could relax a bit.

That's why I deliberately used a lighthearted tone to joke with the other person.

Unexpectedly, her words provoked Li Batian.

Looking at the man in front of him, who was flushed with excitement, Chu Shizhao sighed inwardly. For a straightforward person like Li Batian, jokes would only be taken seriously.

Chu Shizhao quickly smiled and reassured him, "General Li, don't get agitated. I have seen your bravery. If it weren't for you, Xueyuan Pass would probably have fallen long ago."

His voice was gentle yet powerful, like a clear spring flowing into Li Batian's heart. As he spoke, Chu Shizhao patted Li Batian's shoulder with just the right amount of force.

"Even if I suspect someone, I will never doubt your bravery and loyalty."

He said this with great solemnity, and Chu Shizhao even leaned forward slightly to look directly at the other person.

The afterglow of the setting sun reflected in his clear eyes, sparkling with sincere light.

Listening to Chu Shizhao's comforting words, Li Batian's emotions gradually stabilized.

He took a deep breath, the cool air filling his lungs and clearing his feverish mind somewhat.

His tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and his hand holding the knife stopped trembling.

As a seasoned veteran of the battlefield, he quickly realized that he had been affected by the murderous aura of the battlefield due to his continuous battles.

The scenes of battle from the past few days flashed through my mind—the clash of swords, the flying blood and gore. Those images spun before my eyes like a revolving lantern; no wonder I was so unsettled.

He hurriedly apologized to Chu Shizhao: "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I was just now..."

His voice was incredibly low and hoarse, tinged with shame.

Li Batian lowered his head, looking at the blood-stained tips of his boots, and suddenly felt ashamed.

As a military officer who rose from humble beginnings, it's unacceptable that he didn't know how to manage his emotions and instead needed His Highness to comfort him.

Chu Shizhao raised his hand to interrupt Li Batian: "General Li, I understand your situation, and I don't mean to blame you."

His hand hovered in mid-air, making a downward pressing gesture, a gesture that carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Now, I solemnly tell the general that it will not be long before we launch a counterattack against the Northern Barbarians."

(End of this chapter)