Chapter 277: Rescue Troops
Three days later, Liaoxi Commandery.
Xiongnu Barbarians leaped onto the city wall from cloud ladders.
The city gate was covered in wreckage everywhere, with fresh blood and already dried black bloodstains interweaving.
Li Xi wielded his saber and fought fiercely. He had multiple saber wounds on his body, especially the one on his back, which was deep enough to expose bone and kept bleeding nonstop. But he didn’t even have time to stop and bandage it.
In the past few days, the Xiongnu Barbarians had madly attacked the city. The Liaoxi Army had suffered too many casualties, morale was low, and every night large numbers of soldiers flipped over the city wall to flee secretly.
All the Li Family Sons were blood-fighting on the city gate at this moment. The fate awaiting them was to die on the city gate.
Li Xi took another saber strike, his left leg in excruciating pain. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, but he didn’t lower his head to look at the wound, nor did he let out a shrill cry. He gritted his teeth and continued fighting. Unfortunately, the leg wound greatly affected his movements.
Just as his own father had said, when the city fell, he would die on the city gate.
Li Xi’s head spun dizzily. He couldn’t help turning his head to glance at Liaoxi City. This was the place where the Li Family had risen to prominence, and the dream of raising their own banner and standing independent hadn’t even finished unfolding—now it was time to wake up completely.
A hand steadied the tottering Li Xi.
Li Xi laboriously turned his head. In Li Chi’s bloodshot eyes, he saw his own blood-drenched self and grinned: “Cousin, after I die, you take over the commander position.”
Li Chi’s hands trembled, but his voice was fairly steady: “Li Xi, hold on. General Pei will surely come to save us.”
Li Xi’s vision went black in waves. He relied entirely on Li Chi’s support to avoid collapsing immediately, and his voice grew gradually weaker: “I’m afraid I won’t last until General Pei arrives. Li Chi, the Liaoxi Army from now on will have to depend on you to hold it together…”
Suddenly, smoke and dust billowed up in the distance.
The ground trembled faintly.
Li Chi swiftly turned to look, shouting in amazement: “We have reinforcements!”
“Brothers, look quickly—it’s the Pei character flag! General Pei has brought men to save us! Li Xi, open your eyes and see.”
His hand suddenly sank.
Li Chi’s heart sank abruptly too. Lowering his head, he saw Li Xi had closed his eyes. Perhaps at the moment before death he heard Li Chi’s shout—Li Xi let out his final breath, smiling as he closed his eyes and passed away.
On the battlefield, many people died every day. Li Xi was not the first, nor would he be the last. Li Chi didn’t even have time to cry bitterly. He laid down Li Xi’s corpse, then raised his arm high and shouted: “Reinforcements have arrived! Everyone, pull yourselves together—we’re saved!”
The sound of horse hooves grew louder and louder.
The soldiers, who had long lost their fighting spirit, upon seeing the fluttering Pei character flag, were like those who had been fed a bowl of ginseng soup—they suddenly brimmed with strength and spirit. One by one, they howled and gripped their blades, fighting the Xiongnu Barbarians to the death. The battle situation turned sharply; now it was the Xiongnu Barbarians who were panicked and restless.
A man’s reputation, a tree’s shadow. Last year in one battle, Pei Qinghe had slain the Xiongnu General Wu Yan on the battlefield—her name, Pei Qinghe, had thoroughly shaken the Xiongnu.
Just some time ago, two thousand cavalry had all perished by Pei Qinghe’s hand; their corpses were burned, and all their heads piled into a jingguan.
One event after another made the Xiongnu Barbarians harbor fear in their hearts.
General Pu Nu, overseeing the battle from below the city gate, gave a cold laugh: “Pei Qinghe has finally come.”
He had not led troops to attack Tuhe, instead relentlessly assaulting Liaoxi Commandery, precisely to lure Pei Qinghe into coming out actively.
How many cavalry could the Pei Family Army have? In the previous battle, two thousand Xiongnu brave soldiers had died—how many cavalry had the Pei Family Army lost? As long as Pei Qinghe left Tuhe and lost the protection of solid city walls, how could she possibly be his opponent?
These past few days, he had sent out most of his troop strength but held back five thousand cavalry, keeping them unused. He was waiting for Pei Qinghe to walk right into the trap.
Pu Nu issued sharp commands, and the five thousand cavalry, who had rested and recuperated, were all dispatched.
At this moment, warhorses galloped, warriors shouted hoarsely, and the earth trembled.
On the city gate, Li Chi’s blood surged.
He panted heavily, gazing into the distance. He watched as the two waves of cavalry crashed into each other like torrents.
Too far away, he couldn’t see the specific battle situation. But from this height, one thing was clear: the Pei Family Army’s cavalry were far inferior in numbers to the Xiongnu Barbarians.
No method for it—the Jing Dynasty had no horse farms or warhorses. Every army lacked warhorses; cavalry were already scarce to begin with.
The Pei Family Army, established just a few years ago, already had a cavalry force that could be called elite—enough to amaze.
But the Xiongnu Barbarians each had a warhorse, every one a cavalryman. Horse combat was what the Xiongnu Barbarians were most skilled at. No matter how powerful Pei Qinghe was, she was human, not a god—she couldn’t wield a saber and kill all the Xiongnu Barbarians single-handedly. With the Pei Family Army cavalry far outnumbered by the Xiongnu Barbarians, were they supposed to use infantry to fight cavalry? How was that possible?
In the distant clash and slaughter, the Pei character flag and Pu Nu’s great banner collided as well.
Li Chi’s heart pounded to his throat; he strained to peer into the distance.
Suddenly a curved saber thrust before his eyes. Li Chi swiftly retreated, gripping his long saber to fight this raiding barbarian to the death, with no more time to watch the distant battlefield.
After an unknown amount of time, the barbarians on the city gate were finally all killed.
More Liaoxi Army soldiers had died, their corpses sprawled in every horrific state. Li Chi clutched his left shoulder, where blood gushed nonstop, panting as he looked into the distance.
His heart sank abruptly.
The Pei Family Army was clearly at a disadvantage; some had already begun turning their horses to flee. The Pei character flag had started moving too—no longer majestic as when it arrived, but retreating in panic.
Li Chi sighed in dismay.
Even the Pei Family Army could not defeat the Xiongnu Barbarians.
No one could save the Liaoxi Army. All the common people in Liaoxi City would be trampled by the Xiongnu Barbarians and become sacrifices of the war.
It was nearing dusk; clouds in the sky blazed like fire, gorgeous beyond compare, breathtakingly beautiful.
Pei Yan and Yang Huai, frantically spurring their horses in flight, had neither the mood nor the time to appreciate the sunset’s beauty. Both had light wounds and no time to stop for treatment or bandaging. The Xiongnu Barbarians pursuing from behind were like jackals sniffing bloody smell, greedy and ferocious.
On the battlefield, luring the enemy into an ambush was the most common tactic. However, luring the enemy was no easy task and could easily be seen through. So, they had to fight a real battle first.
Pei Yan was a fierce general in the Pei Family Army, Yang Huai the bravest and most valiant military general in the Guangning Army. This unmarried couple had been entrusted with heavy responsibility, leading all the cavalry to “lure the enemy.” They had to lose, but not be routed; flee, but draw the Xiongnu Cavalry to pursue, yet not truly be caught, until leading the Xiongnu Barbarians into the ambush circle.
This mission was both dangerous and arduous; the slightest mistake would mean real death.
Pei Yan’s heart held no trace of fear. She had eagerly accepted the military order.
Yang Huai was equally fearless, only saying to Pei Yan before setting out: “If I die in battle, pick another son-in-law from the Yang Family sons.”
Pei Yan crisply replied: “Got it!”
Yang Huai: “…”
Pei Yan laughed gleefully: “So petty-minded, pretending to be magnanimous. Cut the nonsense—after this battle, we get married!”
