The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

"Hit! Commandant Han is a master archer!"

"Di general has escaped! Di traitor has escaped!"

"Long live Your Highness!"

The soldiers looked at Yun Jin and Han Lie with fervent and unbelievable excitement.

No one expected that when Her Highness the Princess arrived at the city wall, her first action was not to offer empty encouragement, but to directly order an arrow to severely wound the arrogant Di general's vanguard!

What kind of crossbow is that? What kind of arrow is that? How can it be so powerful?!

Zhou Bo also looked at Yun Jin in shock, then at the strangely shaped crossbow in Han Lie's hand and the remaining few dark blue arrows.

He knew his stuff; the power of that crossbow and the armor-piercing ability of those arrows were definitely not standard military equipment! Where did Your Highness get them?

"Your Highness, these crossbow bolts..." Zhou Bo couldn't help but ask.

"This little trinket that Mr. Su... had someone send over is called the 'Armor-Piercing Crow Arrow.' Those struck by it suffer from stagnant blood and paralyzed limbs. Although it doesn't kill them instantly, it makes it difficult for them to fight again," Yun Jin explained casually, as if she were talking about something insignificant.

"It's a pity there are only ten. Commandant Han, your archery skills are excellent, I commend you. Put the arrows away and keep them safe. Do not use them lightly unless it is absolutely necessary."

"Your humble servant obeys! Thank you, Your Highness!" Han Lie clasped his hands excitedly, looking at the crossbow bolt in his hand as if it were a rare treasure.

Yun Jin nodded and turned to look down at the city.

Although the Di vanguard retreated, the dust cloud was even thicker in the distance, indicating that the main force was not far away.

She raised her voice and addressed all the soldiers on the city wall: "Soldiers! Have you all seen this? The Di people are also made of flesh and blood, not invincible! Their arrogance stems from our past weakness! Their cruelty arises from our failure to unite as one!"

Her gaze swept over the excited, tear-streaked faces, and her voice suddenly became impassioned: "The hatred of Shuofeng City, the resentment of Marshal Yang, and the suffering of the people of the Northern Frontier—today, we will begin to avenge them from this Iron Wall Pass!"

I, along with Governor Zhou, stand with you all! The imperial reinforcements and provisions are on their way!

What we must do is defend this fortress and break the iron hooves of the Di invaders here!

Let Luandi Maodun know that Jiang Qiong is not without men! The blood of my border troops is still hot!

"The blood is not cold! The blood is not cold!"

"Hold the Iron Wall Pass! Avenge Marshal Yang!"

"Long live Your Highness! Commander Zhou is mighty!"

The thunderous shouts, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down, carried for the first time such a strong, almost burning fighting spirit, resounding over the Iron Wall Pass and suppressing even the howling of the north wind.

The despondency, fear, and despair that had plagued him for days seemed to have been torn open by this arrow and these words, allowing his long-lost passion and courage to flow again.

Looking at the princess beside him, who was slender yet seemed capable of supporting the sky, Zhou Bo saw how her few words had revitalized the low morale. The last bit of doubt in his heart finally dissipated completely, turning into deep admiration and a sense of relief.

He solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and pleaded, "Your Highness, please advise on how to deal with the main force of the Di people!"

Yun Jin turned around, her gaze calm: "According to the strategy, hold your ground. But we must be wary of the Di people's cunning, especially their night raids, tunnel digging, and inside help. Commander Zhou, I request that you personally oversee the four gates and deploy troops. Lieutenant Han, you will lead the archer battalion, specializing in shooting Di officers, standard-bearers, and siege equipment operators. Night Owl."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Take your men, disguise them as ordinary soldiers, and infiltrate the various sections of the city wall, especially near the city gates, granaries, armories, and wells. If anyone is found acting suspiciously or attempting to create chaos, kill them on the spot without asking for permission! Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!"

"yes!"

"Qingdai, come with me to the wounded soldiers' camp. Use all the medicine we brought. Tell the medics to spare no expense to save every wounded soldier who can be saved!"

Each instruction was clear, decisive, and well-organized.

Zhou Bo and the others had no further objections and obeyed the order with resentment.

That afternoon, the main force of the Northern Di army, led by the Canglang King banner of Luandi Maodun, marched in a mighty procession to the foot of Tiebi Pass, where they set up camp for ten miles, their banners obscuring the sun.

The real siege then began in a bloody manner.

Arrows rained down like locusts, stones pelted down like hail, siege ladders collided, and screams shook the heavens.

Iron Wall Pass, like a wounded but even more ferocious beast, remained unmoved despite the Di people's frenzied assault.

Zhou Bo commanded with composure, and Han Lie's archery battalion repeatedly achieved remarkable feats, targeting Di officers and greatly slowing down their offensive.

Led by Night Owl, his men acted like the most discerning hounds, silently eliminating several groups of spies and arsonists attempting to infiltrate the city amidst the chaos.

Yun Jin did not stay in the safe city tower. She took Qing Dai and moved through the section of the city wall where the casualties were the most severe, personally bandaging the wounded soldiers, feeding them water, and even directing the laborers to move logs.

Wherever she appears, morale is instantly boosted.

When Di arrows came flying, they were blocked by shields from the night owls or elite soldiers who were always on guard.

On the first day, the Di people launched a fierce attack but failed, leaving behind thousands of corpses before retreating.

As expected, Di spies attempted to create chaos in the city by setting fire to the grain rations. However, they were discovered and extinguished in advance by Night Owl and his men. Following the clues, they uncovered a spy network that had been lurking in the army within the pass for many years, involving three mid- to low-ranking officers. These officers were executed in public, and their heads were displayed at the city gate.

The next day, the Di people changed their strategy, using the captured civilians to cover their elite troops as they attacked the city, attempting to demoralize the defenders.

Zhou Bo gritted his teeth and ordered indiscriminate shooting, his heart bleeding.

Yun Jin then ordered his men to lower some dry rations and water into baskets, and loudly promised that if anyone could defect or escape, they would be richly rewarded, thus sowing discord among some of the coerced civilians.

On the third day, the Di people began digging tunnels and building several rudimentary siege towers.

The defenders used listening jars to locate the tunnels, then poured in smoke, water, and fire to destroy them. As for the siege towers, Han Lie led his men to fire a concentrated barrage of rockets, while Yun Jin ordered his men to mix the remaining oil with sulfur and other substances to make incendiary canisters, which were then thrown out by the suicide squad to burn down the two towers.

After three days of bloody fighting, Tiebi Pass still stands.

However, the defending army also suffered more than two thousand casualties, with seventy percent of its arrows used up, its logs and stones nearly exhausted, and its soldiers utterly weary. Although the Di people suffered even greater losses, their forces were formidable, and their offensives came wave after wave. Luandi Modu personally supervised the battle, determined to win.