Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Upon recognizing Song Yun's angry shout, the guards were suddenly shaken, their hearts filled with terror. Almost without thinking, they exerted all their strength to desperately close the city gate.

The passage that had just been barely opened rapidly narrowed, and the light shining through the crack in the door grew narrower inch by inch before our eyes, while the main road outside the city gradually disappeared.

Zhou Wenqing gritted his teeth and cursed inwardly.

That beast reacted so quickly! It was so close! Why did it have to happen at this moment?!

Once the city gate is closed, it won't be so easy to open it again. Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Wenqing immediately shouted:

"Charge! All troops, listen to my command—charge forward!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Yi spurred his horse and charged out, his long sword unsheathed, its cold light piercing the night as it pointed directly at the city gate.

The vanguard of armored soldiers followed closely behind, their armor clanging and their hooves thundering as they launched a frenzied charge toward the slowly closing city gate.

"Quick! Turn it off!"

The guards on the city wall were almost frantic. They were drawing their bows and shooting arrows while shouting and urging the soldiers inside the gate to hurry up. The soldiers inside were pushing the door with all their might, their forehead veins bulging.

Arrows rained down from the battlements, but Li didn't turn his head. He drew his longsword in an arc beside him, deflecting several arrows.

Behind them, soldiers raised their shields to protect them, and arrowheads struck the shields with a clanging sound, like a torrential rain pounding on the eaves.

Twenty steps —

Ten steps —

Five steps—!

The door was so narrow that only one person could squeeze through sideways, but Li Yi had already rushed to the front.

He cleaved the two guards blocking the door with a single sword stroke, splattering blood onto the door panel. The soldiers inside screamed and shrank back, some throwing down the bolt and running away, while others were pushed to the ground by their companions, screaming in agony as they were trampled.

"No retreating! Not a single one of you is allowed to retreat! Anyone who dares to retreat, I'll ransack their house!"

Song Yun roared furiously from behind, his voice hoarse and strained, almost leaping off his horse. He brandished his sword and swung it forward menacingly.

"Fire arrows! Fire all your arrows! Wipe out this fake delegation!"

A hail of arrows rained down from all sides, attacking from both front and rear, almost shrouding the entire team in the shadow of death.

Beneath the archway, arrows could not penetrate. Li Yi dismounted, gripping his blood-stained sword tightly in one hand, and fiercely slashed at the surrounding soldiers. He strode forward, his other hand gripping the heavy city gate, and with all his might, he pulled it outwards, roaring:

"The rear guard, raise your shields! Protect the master and the eldest son at all costs! The vanguard, dismount and follow me to open the city gate!"

The roars echoed through the doorway, and a fierce battle broke out instantly. The sounds of sharp blades slashing and weapons clashing were mixed with screams.

The pool of blood on the ground grew deeper and deeper, making it slippery to step on. Some people fell and were trampled by their comrades rushing up from behind, their cries of agony drowned out by the melee.

Li Yi's boot slammed into the pool of blood, splattering a dark red stain. He saw that Song Yun's pursuers were closing in and about to catch up, but the city gate was still too narrow, barely allowing a horse to squeeze through sideways. He was so anxious that he almost bit his teeth until they bled.

Li Yi braced himself against the door, shouting urgently, "The vanguard on both flanks, raise your shields and hold the line! Clear the flanks and cut off a path!"

Upon hearing the commotion, the vanguard soldiers at the gate immediately formed a battle formation, one hand gripping a shield to block, the other wielding a sword to slash and kill, roaring as they pushed the guards on both sides out of the city gate.

Blades clashed, shields slammed into armor, muffled thuds mingled with shouts of battle, flesh and bone flew everywhere, and a safe passage connecting the city gate to the center of the ranks was forcibly carved out with blood and flesh.

The strong, pungent smell of blood permeated the surroundings, piercing the mouth and nose, and making people feel suffocated.

Zhou Wenqing's eyes widened in horror, but he knew that there was no time to lose. He immediately turned to Fusu, who stood beside him with a tense expression, and said urgently:

"Fusu, run!"

Fusu glanced at his master, his lips pressed into a thin line, worry surging in his eyes. Knowing this was not the time to decline, he gritted his teeth, tightened the reins, and shouted:

"drive!"

The horse galloped forward, barely squeezing through the narrow gap in the city gate, and then ran a few more steps before Fusu reined in the horse. He turned around, staring intently at the gate opening, his voice cracking with urgency:

"Physician Lü, hurry!"

Lu Yiling was a skilled horseman, but he was carrying two people on one horse, and the gap was extremely narrow. He was almost squeezing through the door. Zhou Wenqing's knees scraped against the rough and heavy city gate, and the pain made his brows furrow suddenly, but he didn't utter a sound.

His gaze locked onto the crowd stranded within the city, his voice urgent and sharp as he urged them on:

"Han Zi! Yao Keqing! Quickly!"

Yao Jia's longsword was already drawn from its sheath. With a backhand slash, he deflected the arrow that had just been heading towards Han Fei's face. The arrow shaft broke in two and flew away. Without turning his head, he continued his scathing remarks, his tongue still sharp and sarcastic:

"Young Master Han, what are you still standing there for? With your small frame, you wouldn't even be able to block an arrow. Why aren't you leaving? Do you want me to invite you?"

Han Fei's face darkened, but for the first time he did not retort. Instead, he spurred his horse and charged into the gate.

Yao Jia was about to turn and retreat when the dark mass of pursuers had already pressed down to the city gate. Swords flashed like a forest and torches blazed like dragons, and they were already engaged in close combat with the rearguard.

The soldiers who had been forcibly locked in the corner suddenly had their morale soar, and they rushed forward without regard for anything else. With their combined strength, they managed to cut off the escape route that Li Yi and his men had desperately cleared with their shields.

Yao Jiale stopped his horse, holding his sword horizontally in front of him.

Good news, we don't need to hold up shields to block arrows anymore; bad news, we can't get out.

"Yao Jia!" Han Fei shouted hoarsely outside the city, reining in his horse to charge back.

"Don't come any closer!" Yao Jia shouted sharply, his voice piercing through the noise, cold and sharp as a knife. "You'll only be throwing your life away if you come. Get out of here!"

Han Fei, however, would not listen to him. He completely ignored the warning, immediately turned his horse around, and charged back into the narrow doorway. His sword was already silently drawn from its sheath, and he stood side by side with Yao Jia.

"Ha, you think I owe you my life? Don't even dream about it!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the battle had already reached a fever pitch.

On the city gate, the guards at the crenellations swarmed down, fearing that they would be regarded as deserters by the prefect, and poured in one after another.

The small doorway quickly turned into a meat grinder, with blood splattering on the walls and soaking the blue bricks. The fallen were piled up in layers, and the enemy troops continued to charge forward over the corpses with overwhelming ferocity.

Fearing they would be separated and unable to look after each other, they shouted repeatedly, "Regroup! Protect Guest Minister Yao and Young Master Han!"

The soldiers responded to the call and quickly gathered, protecting Yao Jia and Han Fei in the middle. Their shields were tightly interlocked, working in perfect coordination, like a moving iron wall.

No matter how elite the soldiers were, they could not withstand the enemy's relentless human waves of attacks. The defensive line was gradually compressed and became increasingly precarious.

Li Yi's red-eyed gaze swept over the armored soldiers fighting valiantly, then glanced at the area outside the city—

At least, the gentleman and the eldest son were safely escorted out.

"Rear guard, close the city gates!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the next second—

"Bang!"

The city gate slammed shut with a deafening roar that shook the surrounding area.

"Ah Yi! Guest Master Yao! Han Zi!"

Zhou Wenqing, standing outside the city, suddenly narrowed his eyes and cried out in alarm.

Watching the last glimmer of light completely extinguished, seeing his brothers and colleagues trapped in the city in dire straits, their fates unknown, a sudden surge of anxiety overwhelmed him. The excruciating pain that he had just managed to suppress with medication suddenly rebounded, surging back against the tide!

His heart suddenly clenched, as if it had been squeezed and crushed by an invisible hand. In an instant, excruciating pain swept through his limbs and bones, and a metallic taste surged in his throat. His body swayed violently, his vision went black, his ears rang, and his body went limp, about to slip off his horse.

At the critical moment, Physician Lü reacted swiftly, grabbing the fabric at his waist and managing to pull the swaying man back.

"Sir, how are you?!"

Fusu was terrified and immediately abandoned his horse to rush over, frantically helping him down and letting him lean against him.

"Sir, hang in there! Physician Lü, please take a look!"

Zhou Wenqing's vision was blurred and unfocused. He could only see Fusu's lips opening and closing, but he couldn't hear any human voices. His body was covered in cold sweat, which instantly soaked through his clothes. His limbs were as soft as if they had fallen off his bones, and he had no strength left.

Physician Lü's expression suddenly turned grim. Not daring to delay for even a moment, he quickly knelt down, deftly opened his medicine box, took out a ginseng slice for strengthening the body and calming the mind, and swiftly stuffed it into Zhou Wenqing's mouth. He then pulled out a silver needle, his fingertips precisely locking onto the acupoints, preparing to administer acupuncture to lock the pulse and suppress the chaotic qi.

Fusu knelt beside Zhou Wenqing, supporting his body, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Sir, hold on, I'll take you to get reinforcements right away, Master Wei Liao must be arriving soon!"

"Fusu".

Zhou Wenqing's voice was very soft, as soft as a wisp of smoke, but Fusu heard it.

"Sir, please don't speak. Save your energy."

Zhou Wenqing shook his head slightly, as if he had something to say but didn't intend to. Just then, Physician Lü precisely inserted the silver needle into the acupoint—

With a sudden jerk of his shoulders and a violent churning in his throat, Zhou Wenqing could no longer suppress the metallic taste in his chest. He abruptly bent over and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Sir, Physician Lü, what's going on?" Fusu exclaimed in alarm.

"Don't panic." Physician Lü's voice was calm, and his hands continued to insert the silver needles. "He has to cough up this blood eventually. It will make him feel better."

Sure enough, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the heavy, suffocating pressure in his chest dissipated almost completely. His sluggish and disordered breathing finally became smooth, the piercing buzzing in his ears slowly faded away, and his scattered vision gradually became clear and focused.

Zhou Wenqing gasped for breath, and taking advantage of this brief moment of clarity, he looked up at Fusu, whose face was filled with fear. His voice was still weak:

"Fusu, I'm afraid I can't mount a horse in this condition. You go ahead and meet Mr. Wei Liao. Help him along the way. Don't worry about me."

"No!"

Without a second thought, Fusu shook his head frantically, his eyes instantly turning red, and he clung tightly to Zhou Wenqing, refusing to let go.

"I absolutely cannot abandon my husband, abandon everyone, and run away alone. I can't do it!"

Outside the city, the wind howled across the desolate wilderness, and deathly silence filled the air.

Yet, from within the heavy city gates, arrogant and violent shouts clearly penetrated the walls and echoed out.

It was Song Yun's manic and cold voice, carrying the ruthlessness and cruelty of a victor, that echoed inside and outside the doorway:

"Kill! Keep killing! Slaughter all these thieves! The more you kill, the greater the reward!"

Every word was poisoned, every sound pierced the heart.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wenqing trembled and, with his last strength, grabbed Fusu's sleeve:

"Fusu, be good!"

"I..." Fusu clenched his teeth, his fingertips almost digging into his palm.

Just then, the long-standing sounds of slaughter from inside the city gates suddenly changed. A deep, powerful roar exploded out, clearly piercing through the city gates:

"Follow me and kill them! Kill these treacherous officials, avenge our families, and escort the magistrate out of the city!"

"Revenge! Revenge!"

The roar was deafening, drowning out all the noise of battle!

It was Hu Kui. He charged out from the rear, directly attacking Song Yun's relaxed rear. His soldiers were all loyal and righteous men, who had been preparing for a long time and were fearless. Like a blood-quenched sharp knife, they pierced straight into the enemy's unprepared rear, charging and crashing. Although outnumbered, they were unstoppable for a time.

Song Yun was standing in the center overseeing the battle, his heart filled with the ecstatic joy of slaughtering the enemy, when he suddenly heard the sounds of fighting coming from behind him, and his face darkened abruptly.

Upon recognizing the leader, his composure and arrogance shattered completely, replaced by unbelievable rage and loss of composure. He roared in fury:

"Hu Kui?! How dare you betray me!"

"Traitorous wretch!" Hu Kui slashed down a pursuing soldier with his blade, blood splattering on his face. He didn't even blink, his voice booming like thunder, "I, Hu Kui, have never been loyal to you, so how can you call me a traitor!"

"you!"

Song Yun's face was ashen, his finger pointed fixedly at Hu Kui, his anger overflowing, his face contorted, his nose almost crooked with rage.

"Good, good, you've got it, Hu Kui! You'll regret this. You think you can kill me with your bunch of crippled soldiers? What a joke!"

With a wave of his hand, he commanded the troops behind him to instantly change direction:

"Back up! Kill him! Kill him!"

Facing the swarming pursuers who were turning back, Hu Kui showed no fear. Holding his spear, he stood in front of the enemy lines, his gaze calm and composed. "I don't need to kill you. We just need to hold you off."

He spurred his horse forward, brandishing his sword, and shouted loudly towards the city gate:

"My lord, flee quickly! We will cover your retreat!"

Hu Kui immediately raised his arm and gave the order to the entire army:

"Brothers, hold them fast! We'll cover your retreat for our lord and seek justice for our loved ones!"

With the war breaking out in the rear, Song Yun was forced to divide his troops to fight back. The encirclement and attack that had been tightly blocking the city gates and crushing the remnants of the delegation suddenly became empty.

Li Yi, who had been fighting desperately and struggling to hold on, seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break the deadlock.

"An opportunity! Open the city gates!"

Upon hearing this, the remaining soldiers' morale soared, and they rushed toward the heavy wooden door, easing the pressure from the enemy's swarm. Together, they held onto the door and pulled it back with all their might.

"Creak—!"

The gap gradually widened, and sunlight rushed in. In just a few breaths, the tightly closed north gate opened again!

The night wind, carrying the cool air of the wilderness, rushed into the doorway, dispelling the heavy, bloody stench and tearing open the cage of this deadly predicament.

Li Yi glanced back deeply.

Under the firelight, Hu Kui led a group of local militia warriors in a fierce charge, using their hands, feet, and teeth to relentlessly entangle Song Yun's group. Among them, a young man wielding two swords was particularly swift and fearless, fighting alongside Hu Kui on the flanks.

Li gritted his teeth, withdrew his gaze, and shouted hoarsely, "Out of the city—!"

All the soldiers withdrew in an orderly manner. Li Yiyi saw the bloodstains at the corner of Zhou Wenqing's mouth, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

"teacher!"

Zhou Wenqing, however, turned his attention to Yao Jia and Han Fei.

"Quickly! Head north and meet up with reinforcements!"

His tone was urgent, and Yao Jia and Han Fei, knowing the importance of the matter, though full of worry, pulled on the reins and spurred their horses to gallop away.