Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 413 The Storm is Over [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Arrows rained down on Anhua Gate like locusts.

Hou Junji's vanguard battalion braved a dense rain of arrows, like a black tide.

Every soldier charged fearlessly toward the city gates and walls.

Ladders were repeatedly erected, only to be smashed to pieces by the rolling logs and stones from the city walls, amidst deafening screams and shouts of battle.

Wang Kuo stood behind the arrow crenellations of the gate tower, the old scar on his face throbbing menacingly in the firelight and bloodstains.

He witnessed a veteran he knew being shot through the throat with an arrow.

This veteran not only followed him, but also served Hou Junji for many years.

Now, he watched as the old soldier's body rolled mercilessly down the city gate, instantly swallowed up by the surging crowd.

Anger surged within him, and disregarding the arrows that could be shot at any moment, he brandished his sword and roared at the people below the city walls: "Hou Junji! Have you fucking gone mad?!"

Hou Junji, who was below the city, seemed to hear his voice. He frowned, looked up, and his gaze, sharp as lightning, instantly locked onto his location.

There was not a trace of pity for his comrades in his eyes, only a silent command: "Remind the archers to take the Zhen position, slightly to the left, and shoot Wang Kuo dead!"

"Yes!"

One of the guards immediately obeyed the order.

Soon, several archers drew their bows and aimed their arrows at Wang Kuo's location.

"Whoosh whoosh—!"

Several arrows, whistling through the air, streaked across the night and firelight, heading towards Wang Kuo, who was still brandishing his sword and roaring.

"General, be careful!"

Deputy General Zhao Jia suddenly lunged forward and pushed Wang Kuo away.

The arrows nearly struck Wang Kuo's head, but his hand holding the knife was cut by the arrows, and blood gushed out immediately.

"Why, why send so many brothers to their deaths for some vague and unrealistic ambition?"

Wang Kuo hid behind the wall, muttering to himself in a daze, and two lines of tears involuntarily slid down his cheeks.

He originally thought that the world was at peace, and even if there was a war, they were just defending their homeland.

Unexpectedly, there was still a situation of fratricide.

All of this was for one person's ambition.

"General! You must pull yourself together! We have received His Highness the Crown Prince's orders to defend Anhua Gate!"

Seeing Wang Kuo's distraught appearance, Zhao Jia reminded him anxiously and angrily.

Upon hearing this, Wang Kuo suddenly came to his senses. He looked down at his former comrades who were climbing the city walls like ants and falling one after another in the rain of arrows and rolling stones. A cold anger and sorrow rushed to his head.

He instantly drew his sword, pointing the blade towards Hou Junji below the city, and roared with all his might:

"Pour boiling oil! Golden gravy! Pour it over me!"

Smash it! Smash it to death!

"Let them wake up! Look at the kind of people they're loyal to!"

Overwhelming anger transformed into a burning fighting spirit.

Boiling tung oil and foul-smelling molten gold poured down the city wall.

Suddenly, a series of mournful, inhuman screams echoed from below the city.

Soldiers fell like dumplings being dropped into a pot, their scalded flesh sizzling and emitting a foul stench.

This hellish scene finally caused some of the berserker soldiers, whose eyes were bloodshot, to slow down their movements, and the offensive was temporarily halted.

"Hold your ground! Anyone who retreats will be executed!"

Hou Junji roared fiercely from the rear of the formation, wielding his sword to kill two cowardly soldiers who retreated. The bloody suppression temporarily stabilized the crumbling vanguard.

Just then, a loud roar came from the side, and Hou Junji's expression changed.

Because Chang He's five thousand cavalrymen moved at this time.

His five thousand iron cavalrymen came galloping from the open field on the right like a sudden thunderbolt.

Horse hooves shattered the night, kicking up clouds of dust that mingled with the firelight atop the city walls, illuminating the knights' cold armor and sharp lances.

Hou Junji's vanguard battalion, already thrown into disarray by the boiling oil and molten gold, was suddenly attacked by cavalry, and their formation was instantly torn open with a huge gap.

The spears flew, sending the infantrymen who had just regained their footing flying, armor and all. Their screams, mixed with the cracking of bones breaking, echoed around Anhua Gate.

"Stop them! Form ranks! Form ranks!"

Hou Junji's eyes were bloodshot with rage as he slashed his long sword fiercely at a lieutenant beside him who was trying to flee: "A bunch of useless trash! They're just cavalrymen, why are they so afraid?!"

However, once the collapse begins, it is as difficult to contain as a flood breaking through a dam.

The soldiers of the vanguard battalion had already lost most of their fighting spirit due to the brutal scenes of fratricide, and now, facing the surging cavalry, they were left with only instinctive fear.

Some people tried to raise their shields to block, but were smashed to pieces along with their shields.

Some turned to flee, only to be trampled into mincemeat by the horses' hooves.

Upon seeing this, Wang Kuo on the city wall had a fierce glint in his eyes. He turned around abruptly and roared, "Open the city gate! Zhao Jia, take three hundred elite soldiers and charge out with me!"

"General! No! You are the commander-in-chief defending the city!" Zhao Jia exclaimed in alarm.

"We must defend the city, and we must also slay the wolves!"

Wang Kuo wiped the blood from his face. Though his hand holding the knife was still bleeding, it remained as steady as a rock: "Hou Junji's formation is in disarray. If we don't charge now, when will we?!"

The heavy Anhua Gate slowly opened with the sound of winches, and three hundred elite soldiers followed Wang Kuo closely, like a red-hot iron cone, thrusting into the gap torn open by the cavalry.

Wang Kuo took the lead, and with a slash of his long sword, he charged straight at the central army banner where Hou Junji was located.

When Hou Junji saw that Wang Kuo was fearless and unafraid of death, his anger burned even brighter, but he also felt a chill creep down his spine.

He abruptly turned his horse around and personally drew his sword to meet the enemy: "Wang Kuo! Today, I, the commander, will slay you, you ungrateful traitor!"

The two horses clashed, and the flash of their blades was like lightning.

Below the city walls was a torrent of cavalry.

The city walls were still pouring forth molten gold.

In the middle are two figures who were once comrades-in-arms fighting to the death.

The area inside and outside Anhuamen has long since become a veritable battlefield.

And at the same time.

The entrance to the underground passage beneath the warm pavilion of the Crown Prince's residence.

Yang Nannan stood in the shadows, holding a palm-sized purple-gold bell in her hand, its surface covered with fine runes.

Standing beside her were more than ten skilled members of the Imperial Guard, all holding their breath, their embroidered spring knives half an inch unsheathed, their eyes fixed on the tightly closed stone door deep in the tunnel.

Deep within the tunnel came muffled impacts and digging sounds, growing clearer and clearer.

"coming."

Yang Nannan's lips curled into a cold smile as her slender fingers gently brushed across the surface of the bell.

Boom!

The stone door was violently smashed open from the inside by a tremendous force!

Gravel splashes!

A dozen or so masked guards, dressed in black and wielding sharp blades, emerged like ghosts.

The leader was a burly man who wielded a pair of heavy water-splitting daggers; he was none other than the bearded giant.

He was followed closely by the black-robed guard.

"Kill! Leave no one alive! Take Li Chengqian directly!"

The burly man with a bushy beard roared with a sinister grin.

"Jingle Bell--!"

Just as Shouzhulang rushed out of the stone gate, the purple-gold bell in Yang Nannan's hand suddenly rang.

The ringing wasn't harsh, but it carried a strange penetrating power, as if striking directly into the depths of one's soul.

The sound of the bell echoed in the narrow entrance space of the tunnel, creating a peculiar resonance.

Immediately afterwards, a chilling rustling sound came from the cracks in the tunnel walls and the gaps in the bricks on the ground.

Countless rice-grain-sized beetles, shimmering with a ghostly blue luster, surged forth like a black tide.

They were incredibly fast, ignoring the guards' blades, and frantically burrowed into their trouser legs and collars.

"Ah! Gu worms! It's a Gu worm!"

A piercing scream rang out instantly.

The guard, whose body had been burrowed into by the Gu worm, frantically scratched at his skin, but to no avail. He could only watch helplessly as strange, writhing marks bulged beneath his skin, writhing in agony on the ground.

"Yang Nannan! You're asking for it!"

The black-robed guard was both shocked and furious. He brandished his twin daggers, creating a blur of cold light, trying to scare away the approaching Gu worms. At the same time, he shouted sharply, "Use fire! Quickly use the kerosene bombs!"

Several guards hurriedly pulled out small black ceramic jars from their pockets, about to smash them to the ground.

"late!"

Yang Nannan gave a cold laugh, and the ringtone suddenly became urgent and shrill.

The Gu worms that had burrowed into Shouzhulang's body seemed to have received a final command, and suddenly unleashed their last bit of power.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

The chests, abdomens, and necks of several guards suddenly burst open.

Dark red blood mixed with shattered entrails and countless eerie blue beetles spurted out.

The scene was extremely bloody and terrifying!
"what--!"

The burly man with a bushy beard had eyes that were practically popping out of their sockets. One of his arms was also covered with Gu worms, which were frantically burrowing into his flesh.

The excruciating pain and fear drove him almost insane. He roared and charged at Yang Nannan with his ghost-head knife, wanting to kill her!

"Your opponent is me."

A cold voice rang out beside him. The gray-robed guard had appeared beside the burly man with a bushy beard at some point, and his hand, which had been hidden in his sleeve, shot out with lightning speed.

It was not a hand of flesh and blood, but a mechanical hand that gleamed with a cold metallic luster, covered with intricate springs and sharp barbs.

"Tsk-!"

The mechanical hand, like a venomous scorpion hunting its prey, precisely gripped the wrist of the burly, bearded man holding the knife.

The sharp barbs pierced through the skin and flesh instantly, embedding themselves deeply into the bone.

At the same time, the springs snapped, and a powerful torque burst forth.

"Crack!"

A sickening sound of bones cracking rang out.

"Uhh—!!"

The burly man with the bushy beard let out a bloodcurdling scream as his entire right arm was twisted and torn off by the terrifying mechanical hand.

The severed arm flew off along with the demon head knife, and blood gushed out of the severed shoulder like a fountain.

"Brother Wang Wang?!"

The black-robed guard was terrified upon witnessing this scene.

He never expected that the taciturn and reclusive man in gray robes would suddenly turn against him at this time, and with such ruthless methods.

"Brother Cui, you've taken the wrong path, Shouzhulang."

The gray-robed guard's voice came through the mask, cold and devoid of any emotion.

He flung away the bloody severed arm from the mechanical hand and fixed his gaze on the horrified black-robed guard: "It's time to end this."

"You...you're the traitor?!"

The black-robed guard instantly understood, and immense fear and rage at being betrayed made him tremble: "I'll kill you!"

He resembled a mad tiger, brandishing his twin daggers as he lunged at the gray-robed guard.

The gray-robed guard remained motionless, and the blood-dripping mechanical hand rose again, aimed at the black-robed figure rushing towards him.

"Pfft!"

A dull thud as a sharp weapon pierced flesh.

The black-robed guard froze mid-charge, looking down incredulously at his chest.

A sharp, dark blue dagger tip pierced through his chest.

He turned around with difficulty.

Suddenly, Yang Nannan appeared behind him like a ghost, holding the water-splitting dagger that originally belonged to him.

A few splattered drops of blood stained her face, and her eyes were as cold as ice.

"Lord Garrison Commander!"

Yang Nannan's voice carried a hint of mockery: "Here's your thorn back."

The black-robed guard opened his mouth as if to say something, but only large gushes of blood gushed out.

The madness and anger in his eyes quickly dissipated, leaving only boundless emptiness and deathly silence, and his body slumped forward.

The gray-robed guard looked at the black-robed man lying on the ground, then at the burly, bearded man with a severed arm who was wailing and had lost his fighting ability, and finally his gaze fell on Yang Nannan.

"Clean it up."

The gray-robed guard's voice remained cold, as if he were merely dealing with a pile of garbage.

He turned around, and the terrifying, blood-stained mechanical hand slowly retracted into the wide sleeve of his gray robe. His figure vanished silently into the darkness leading to the tunnel, like a ghost.

Yang Nannan stared in the direction where the gray robe had disappeared, her expression complex and unreadable.

She waved her hand, and the Imperial Guards behind her immediately stepped forward, dragging away the heavily injured, bearded man and several corpses like dead dogs.

Soon, only the heavy smell of blood and the rustling sound of worms crawling remained at the entrance to the tunnel.

She looked up, as if she could see the dark figure in the warm pavilion through the layers of soil and buildings.

"Your Highness!" she murmured to herself, with a hint of reverence, "This game of chess should come to an end."

the other side.

Hou Junji's vanguard battalion suffered heavy casualties under the pressure of boiling oil and the stubborn resistance of the defenders, and the offensive finally showed signs of fatigue.

But his battle with Wang Kuo was coming to an end.

"Oh!"

With a muffled thud, Wang Kuo was knocked off his horse by a spear.

Upon seeing this, Hou Junji was overjoyed and prepared to deliver a fatal blow.

At this time.

"W-W-W-W-!"

A desolate yet powerful bugle call suddenly rang out simultaneously from the east and north of Chang'an City.

The bugle call pierced through the deafening battle cries, carrying the imposing force of a thousand galloping horses.

Smoke and dust billowed into the sky from the east!

A large black banner pierced through the smoke and dust, fluttering wildly!

Beneath the great banner stood Li Jing, clad in gleaming armor and wielding a long sword.

His imperial guards, like tigers released from their cages, trampled the earth with their iron hooves, crashing into the exposed left flank of Hou Junji's attacking forces with overwhelming force.

"Li Jing!"

Hou Junji's eyes widened in shock and rage.

At the same time, the north city gate suddenly burst open.

A silent, heavily armored army surged out of the city gates like a torrent of steel.

The leader was none other than Xi Junmai, who was clad in heavy armor and wielding a long-handled broadsword.

Behind him stood the main force of the city's defense army, their killing intent soaring to the heavens!
Xi Junmai took the lead, brandishing his long-handled sword and roaring furiously, "Kill—!"

His Mo Dao battalion was like a moving mountain of knives, instantly cutting into the chaotic battlefield, leaving men and horses in ruins wherever they went.

Together with Chang He's cavalry and Li Jing's imperial guards, they formed a deadly encirclement and pincer attack on Hou Junji's vanguard.

"Damn the guards! Why haven't they captured the Crown Prince's residence yet?!"

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

When Hou Junji saw that he was surrounded, he glanced at the familiar banner that represented the might of the Tang Dynasty's military god, and saw that steady figure as solid as a mountain. An indescribable sense of despair and grief surged into his heart.

He knew he had been utterly defeated!

He was defeated by Li Chengqian's scheming, and also by his own rationality, which was consumed by ambition!
"General! The situation is hopeless! Retreat!"

The guard cried out, his voice trembling with sobs.

Hou Junji watched as his troops, caught in a pincer attack, rapidly collapsed and scattered, then looked at the Imperial Guards, city defense troops, imperial guards, and Chang He's cavalry surging in like a tide, and finally gazed at the Crown Prince's banner still standing tall in the firelight atop Chang'an City.
"puff--!"

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the armor plates on his chest red, and roared to the sky in despair: "Li Chengqian, you will die a horrible death—!!"

Immediately, he turned his horse around and, under the fierce protection of his personal guards, fled in a panic, heading away from Chang'an.

"Chase!"

Seeing Hou Junji flee, Li Jing did not hesitate and immediately gave the order.

Instantly, thousands of troops surged forward like a surging tide, heading straight for the direction Hou Junji had fled.

Meanwhile, inside the Crown Prince's residence.

The sounds of battle shouts, bugle calls, and cheers came one after another from outside the window.

Li Chengqian remained standing before the enormous city defense map, his fingertips slowly moving from the Anhua Gate to the abandoned bell tower.

Lai Fu appeared silently at the door and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, Commander Yang reports that the rats in the tunnels have been cleared out. General Li Jing, along with General Chang He, General Wang Kuo, and Colonel Xi, decisively defeated Hou Junji at Anhua Gate. The bandit Hou has led his remaining troops in a rout."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, his face showing little joy of victory, only a deep calm.

"Where is Yuan Tiangang?" he asked calmly.

"It has not been found yet. According to the message from Commander Pei, they found an abandoned bell tower through the guards' tongues, but when they arrived, it was deserted, leaving only traces of a fight and a few pools of blood."

Li Chengqian remained silent for a moment, then looked out the window, his thoughts unreadable.

Just then, a voice came from outside the door: "Your Highness, the Princess of Jiangxia, daughter of Secretary Su Tan and daughter of the Governor of Yuzhou, is requesting an audience!"

"Ok?"

Li Chengqian was slightly taken aback and looked at Laifu with some surprise.

Lai Fu looked puzzled and asked, "Weren't they captured by the guards? How did they get here? Could it be..."

He was about to say 'disguise technique', but Li Chengqian waved his hand to interrupt him: "Impossible! The garrison commander is not stupid. After I exposed their disguise trick before, they can't possibly disguise themselves to come looking for me again!"

With that, he directly ordered towards the door, "Let them in!"

"promise!"

There was a response from outside the door.

Soon, the three women walked in, looking slightly disheveled, awkward, and shy.

"This humble girl greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Cousin Xueyan, you're too kind. And you all, no need for such formalities, please have a seat!"

Li Chengqian smiled and gestured to them, then said to Laifu, "Laifu, go and prepare some clean clothes, toiletries, food and drinks. Let them wash up and eat and drink their fill before we talk!"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Su Wan parted her red lips slightly, about to speak first.

But Li Chengqian interrupted him with a smile: "Listen to me, wash up first, eat and drink your fill before we talk! The storm is over, don't worry!"

"This"

The three women exchanged a glance and immediately bowed deeply, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

(End of this chapter)