"Calling for help?" Zhao Yun lifted a brow and asked.
"That’s the only possibility." Fa Zheng replied helplessly, "Neither Kongming nor Sheni Zhengnan would do so without necessity. I’m not good at guessing these things, so I can only assu that it’s the other party calling for help."
"Then should we accelerate our march?" Zhao Yun asked cautiously. Honestly, due to the extraordinary mobility of the White Horse Soldiers, Zhao Yun himself was already out of sync with the rear army. If they continued to accelerate, the rear army would probably not arrive before the battle concluded.
"Sotis the value of reinforcents isn’t in saving people but in boosting the morale of a defeated army. As long as we can reach them, it serves as a deterrent to the Huns. Besides, we ourselves aren’t under much pressure." Fa Zheng pondered for a mont before deciding to press forward with a swift assault.
"Very well then." Zhao Yun nodded, signaling the cavalry behind him with the Command Banner. The entire army’s speed increased by another half, but such an astonishing pace destined long-distance raids to be unsustainable, also depleting combat power.
"Why did we suddenly speed up?" Ma Yunlu asked in confusion. After all, she had been assigned to Zhao Yun’s command, so she accompanied him when Zhao Yun set out.
"I don’t know." Lyu Qiling glanced around without noticing anything different, but since everyone was speeding up, the two of them followed suit.
"All troops, accelerate." Li Tiao, at the rear, shouted to his troops after Xue Shao in the Central Army suddenly increased their pace. He never imagined that his first battle after demobilization would be such a thrilling confrontation with the Huns.
To be honest, internal strife no longer motivated Li Tiao much. As a Yellow Turban, he was well aware that they were all pitiful people forced into rebellion. If the Han Dynasty hadn’t deteriorated to that extent, who would want to revolt?
Having experienced forced rebellion, numb combat, and then the rule of a truly wise lord, Li Tiao really wasn’t motivated for internal conflict anymore. But when facing the Huns, Li Tiao had no such concerns.
An ancient enmity, with no need to concern oneself with these trivialities, regardless of their purported hardship, shared blood, or culture, did not exist. Li Tiao had no reason to understand their mindset.
Therefore, Li Tiao was quite enthusiastic about fighting the Huns. Truth be told, having never clashed with them before, he wasn’t sure about their combat prowess. However, with the current confidence in the Han, Li Tiao wasn’t worried about being overpowered.
After Zhao Yun’s White Horse accelerated, they quickly distanced themselves from the rear army led by Huang Zhong. As for Jia Xu’s section, although the path was clear, they were all short-legged infantry and were only halfway there. They hadn’t even seen the radiant white cloud against the morning glow.
Even if they saw it, Jia Xu understood there was no way to reach Jicheng; the disadvantage of short-legged infantry was apparent. Being a strategist who wouldn’t accept loss, Jia Xu certainly wouldn’t undertake a swift assault.
"Chen Gongtai surely intervened, and Bingzhou’s situation determined that Bingzhou’s forces are all in the field. Even if they can’t contain the Huns, there won’t be significant progress for the Huns in the short term." Jia Xu pondered with furrowed brows.
In Jicheng, Sheni Pei began gradually clearing the North Gate, moving all citizens north of the Central Governnt Office to the south, to clear the battlefield for the upcoming battle. By now, under the frantic assault of the Huns, Jicheng was already on the brink of collapse.
Zhang He tried hard to maintain the city’s basic defenses while wounded, but the once over ten thousand garrison was now less than eight thousand, with over four thousand more being redeployed by Sheni Pei.
"My Lord, what now?" Sheni Pei asked, smiling, looking at the bedraggled Yuan Tan.
"Is this enough?" Yuan Tan asked, looking at the laborers being organized north of Jicheng’s midline.
"How could it be enough?" Sheni Pei replied with a smile, "These are rely signals. It’s a pity there are not many private soldiers left from Jicheng’s aristocrats. Otherwise, I would be more confident."
"This is already quite sothing. If not for the urgency, the Great Aristocratic Families would never have revealed their hidden private soldiers." Yuan Tan, reclining lazily on a timber beam, said, "I’ve already sent off my second and third brothers with Mother and our clansn. You won’t bla , will you?"
"By staying here alone, you’ve already shown your stance, My Lord." Sheni Pei replied, looking at the sun sinking in the west and listening to the sounds of combat. This battle was likely his last. It was unfortunate; proud as he was, to et such an end.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the thoughts swirling in his mind. This battle had to be won, though seeing Jicheng’s faltering defenses, Sheni Pei wasn’t sure how long they could hold.
"I’ll lead them to assault the wall." Luandi Marquis said to Xubo Cheng beside him, eyeing Jicheng’s teetering walls. He knew the ti to rush up and secure victory was at hand.
This move wouldn’t just capture this grand city; it would have the Huns he led accepting their strength, reminding all that they were once the ruling power of the steppes, set to beco lords of the world anew.
"Go ahead." Xubo Cheng said, looking at the general clad in battle armor who had already charged to the frontlines. That ti, under Jicheng’s walls, hindered by their nearly flawless Heavy Cavalry, he had been thwarted. But not long after, south of Jundu Mountain, Xubo Cheng got revenge for that striking defeat.
Luandi Marquis shouted the na of the Kunlun Deity, hoisting a Great Shield and charging towards the Cloud Ladder. The shield deflected arrows and boulders, as Luandi Marquis swiftly scaled up with a few bounds. This ti, Zhang He had no resources to lay an ambush with archers.
"Kill!" Luandi Marquis parried several Long Spears thrust at him, leaped forcefully, and hacked down several Yuan soldiers in front. He then charged at the soldiers defending the wall nearby, quickly clearing them out.
Many Xianbei and Wuhuan warriors jumped up, yelling, beginning to fight fiercely. Zhang He’s Yuan armies converged in that direction, but with Luandi Marquis leading, many Hun fighters quickly gathered there.
At this mont, Zhang He, fiercely fighting, noticed this, feeling an ominous pang. He glanced at the sun, recognizing it had shifted forty-five degrees west, but it was still far from sunset.
"Co with !" Zhang He shouted, charging straight at Luandi Marquis. His wounds hadn’t yet healed, and knowing he might not match his opponent, Zhang He rushed up anyway, resolved to fight with all he had to drive them back; otherwise, all sches would turn to dust.
Zhang He leaped into the Hun ranks first, disregarding Qi Power to sweep the majority of Huns away under the Cloud Qi. Seeing this, Luandi Marquis was not dismayed but rather delighted, charging forward with a sword to strike Zhang He.
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