lcionline Chapter 476 Who is the mantis? And who is the oriole?
Chapter 476 Who is the mantis? And who is the oriole?
"I am here, and the Imperial Seal is here! You are soldiers of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, who eat the emperor's food and are obligated to serve him. Why don't you lay down your weapons, capture the traitor, and atone for your crimes!"
The Imperial Guards who had been wavering in the city had their last doubts vanish after seeing Zhao Yunci himself and the Imperial Seal.
"Long live my emperor! Long live!"
Someone shouted first, and then, more and more imperial guards knelt down on the city walls, throwing their weapons to the ground.
The trend is over!
The remnants of Qingmo Valley suffered repeated defeats under the threat of the Imperial Guards' defection and Gu Junze's army.
Those who still resisted were swiftly killed.
King Zhou watched as his people turned against him and as the Qingmo Valley, which he had built with his own hands, crumbled.
The last glimmer of light in his eyes went out, replaced by a madness that sought to destroy everything.
"Hahaha... Hahahaha!" King Zhou suddenly let out a strange, maniacal laugh. "Zhao Yunci! Gu Junze! You think you've won just like that? You're too naive!"
He suddenly pulled a black bone whistle from his pocket and blew it loudly!
A sharp, piercing whistle echoed over the imperial city...
Within the capital city, several hidden underground entrances suddenly opened, and mysterious troops dressed in black, wearing ferocious masks and wielding strange weapons poured out from underground!
These people were swift and fearless, like demons crawling out of hell.
As soon as they appeared, they launched a frenzied attack on Gu Junze's army.
"What...is this?" Gu Junze frowned.
These mysterious soldiers were not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also seemed to be immune to pain. Even when seriously wounded, they continued to fight frantically, causing considerable casualties to the Pingzhou army.
Gu Junze personally led his guards in a charge, but was held back by a masked leader wielding two hooks and moving with unpredictable agility.
The leader was incredibly skilled in martial arts, and his moves were ruthless and cunning, making it difficult for Gu Junze to escape for a time.
The battle quickly became a stalemate.
In her residence far away in Pingzhou, Chu Ruohan had been restless for the past few days.
Song Ruyan hurried in, holding a letter sealed with sealing wax: "Madam, a secret letter from Zheng State has been sent urgently!"
Chu Ruohan frowned. Zheng State?
There were no markings on the envelope, but she recognized the distinctive sealing wax seal – it belonged to the Duan family army.
She quickly opened the letter, and the more she read, the more serious her expression became.
The letter was written by Duan Yunfan himself, without any unnecessary words. Behind Qingmo Valley, the forces of the Northern Yan Kingdom were secretly supporting it.
What alarmed Chu Ruohan even more was that the letter mentioned at the end that just as Gu Junze was leading the main force of Pingzhou to rush to the aid of the capital, the Northern Yan Kingdom had secretly mobilized a large army.
Taking advantage of the weak defenses on the eastern border of Pingzhou, they launched a sudden attack, with their troops aimed directly at the three important towns of Yumen, Jinchang, and Wuwei!
At this moment, the barbicans outside the three cities are probably already engulfed in flames, and the enemy army has already besieged the city!
The mantis stalks the cicada, but the oriole follows behind!
Zhao Chengyu is the mantis, Gu Junze and Zhao Yunci are the cicadas, but the ever-watchful Northern Yan is the real oriole!
Chu Ruohan took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down: "Prepare the horses! Immediately!"
She turned and strode quickly toward the inner room, instructing as she went, "Immediately send the fastest messenger to inform the capital of the situation here, and make sure to deliver it to the general personally!"
"Yes!"
When Dr. Qian arrived, he saw Chu Ruohan dressed in a tight-fitting outfit and in a hurry, and knew that something bad had happened.
"Madam, this..."
Chu Ruohan walked to the children's bedside, bent down and gently kissed their sleeping cheeks, a hint of reluctance flashing in her eyes.
"Dr. Qian, I'm entrusting my two children to you."
Dr. Qian said solemnly, "Madam, please rest assured."
Chu Ruohan nodded and said no more.
When Gu Junze left, he left all the shadow guards to her, which was her greatest source of confidence.
"Ruyan!"
"Young lady!"
"Summon all Shadow Guards, muster the troops stationed in Pingzhou, and depart with me immediately for Wengcheng!"
"Yes!"
The barbican has now become a living hell.
One after another, deafening crashes pounded against the city gates, accompanied by deafening battle cries…
On the city wall, the defending general, Deputy General Wang, was covered in blood, his armor riddled with knife marks. He roared as he directed his soldiers to fight back, his voice already hoarse.
The city is short of troops, with very few soldiers still capable of fighting. The new recruits are mostly teenagers and the elderly and weak, and morale has plummeted.
The city wall was breached in many places by catapults, and the rolling logs and stones had long been used up, so the soldiers could only fill the gaps with their own flesh and blood.
"Hold on! Everyone hold on! Reinforcements...reinforcements are almost here!"
Deputy General Wang swung his sword and cut down a Northern Yan soldier who had climbed the ladder. Blood splattered all over his face, but he didn't care at all.
Just as he was feeling a sense of despair, a procession suddenly appeared on the distant horizon, billowing dust from the horses' hooves.
"General! Look! That's...that's our flag!" a sharp-eyed soldier shouted excitedly.
Vice General Wang's spirits lifted, and looking into the distance, he saw a large flag embroidered with the character "Gu" fluttering in the wind.
"It's General Gu! The general has brought reinforcements!" The remaining defenders on the city wall erupted in a deafening cheer.
Chu Ruohan and her group arrived weary from their journey, and their hearts sank when they saw the precarious state of the outer city.
“Deputy General Wang!” Chu Ruohan’s voice was clear and firm.
Only then did Deputy General Wang realize that it was the general's wife. "This humble general, Wang Ping, greets Your Excellency!"
"Vice General Wang, please rise quickly," Chu Ruohan dismounted, "What is the situation in the city?"
Vice General Wang said bitterly, "Madam, the Northern Yan army's offensive is too fierce. Our army has suffered heavy casualties, and the city walls have been damaged in many places. I'm afraid we can't hold out for much longer."
Chu Ruohan's gaze swept over the exhausted and wounded soldiers on the city wall, and she made a decisive decision: "Song Ruyan!"
"exist!"
"You will lead five hundred Pingzhou soldiers in a feigned attack from the east gate. Make sure to make a big show of it to draw the enemy's main force away!"
"Yes!" Song Ruyan accepted the order and left.
Chu Ruohan turned to Vice General Wang: "Vice General Wang, do you know of any secret paths that can get around to the rear of the Northern Yan's attacking forces?"
Deputy General Wang was taken aback, then said, "Yes! There's an abandoned hunting trail in the west of the city, rarely visited by anyone. We can go around to the mountain pass behind them!"
"Alright!" Chu Ruohan nodded. "Shadow Guards, listen to my command! Select three hundred elite soldiers and give the Northern Yan army a surprise via that side path!"
This reinforcement army descended like divine soldiers, and under the guidance of the guides sent by Deputy General Wang, they silently infiltrated the rear of the Northern Yan attacking forces.
At this moment, the main force of the Northern Yan army was attracted by the commotion created by Song Ruyan on the east side, leaving their rear defenses relatively weak.
"Kill!" Ying Yi commanded, and like a tiger descending a mountain, fiercely charged into the enemy's rear!
Caught off guard, the Northern Yan army was thrown into chaos in its rear, and the pace of the siege was instantly disrupted.