Chapter 733

Thud—!

The first war drum sounded outside the city.

Immediately afterward, over a hundred war drums beat together, like mountains collapsing and earth splitting, shaking the banners on the city walls into trembling.

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Ze spurred their horses to the front of the formation.

Xiao Ningxun said: "Father! Tuan Tuan is up there; let me lead the vanguard to charge the city walls first!"

Xiao Ze also said: "Father Emperor! Let me go first! Tuan Tuan must come to no harm!"

Xiao Yuanhang looked at their anxious faces, then turned his gaze to the Emperor.

Xiao Jieyun nodded: "No need to worry; just give the order."

"Good!" Xiao Yuanhang said without hesitation, "Pass my command! Seventh Prince, oversee the delivery of the siege towers!"

"Xiao Ningxun leads the Shadow Blades and the vanguard behind, to scale the walls and seize the flag!"

"Yes!" Xiao Ze turned and gave the order: "Siege towers, advance to the city wall!"

"Yes!"

Several thousand people pushed dozens of siege towers slowly toward the city wall.

As the siege towers drew nearer to the wall, Xiao Ningxun turned to face the troops, drew his waist saber, lifted it overhead, and shouted: "Vanguard! Shadow Blades! Follow me in the charge!"

One hundred and one black shadows darted out from before the formation, swift as a gust of wind.

Over two thousand vanguard troops followed closely behind, shouting: "Kill—"

On the city wall, Prince Qing rested his hands on the battlements, looking down at the tide-like crowd surging below, the corners of his mouth slowly spreading.

"Brother Wang," his voice trembling slightly with excitement, "light the fire! Let the heavenly fire tubes burn them all to charcoal!"

Prince Chen had already descended from the platform and stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

He fixed his gaze tightly on the vanguard madly rushing forward: "Not yet. Wait until they get closer."

"The vanguard are elite; who knows if one of Xiao Yuanhang's sons might be among them."

"Wait until the siege towers and the vanguard have arrived and they try to climb, then we'll light the fire."

"When the rear troops press forward, they'll have nowhere to retreat, and then the heavenly fire tubes can burn both men and towers together to ashes."

"With a hundred-thousand-strong army, we must also use the incendiary oil sparingly."

His eyes hardened: "In this battle today, I will make Xiao Yuanhang forever incapable of siege warfare!"

"Good! Brother Wang, wise!" Prince Qing licked his lips and gripped his sword hilt tightly.

Soon, the siege towers drew ever closer to the wall below, the cold glint of the city-edge hooks on the ladders clearly visible.

The defenders breathed heavily, staring intently at the crowd below.

Just then.

Boom—!

A muffled explosion sounded from inside Jingcheng.

Immediately after, the second, third, fourth…

The interiors of the nine city gates exploded one after another!

Shattered bricks, wood chips, and fragments of water jars flew everywhere, while thick smoke poured from the gate openings, choking the defenders inside the walls so they could hardly keep their eyes open.

Prince Chen and Prince Qing were shaken, their bodies jerking, and they turned simultaneously.

Prince Qing barked: "What's going on? Go find out at once!"

"Yes!" a defender sprinted away.

Inside Xuanwu Gate, Xiao Ningchen was the first to burst out of the smoke and dust.

He brandished a heavy-backed broadsword and roared: "Brothers! Kill! Open the gate!"

Xiao Er leapt up, came behind the archers preparing to shoot, and swung his blade.

Over a dozen archers didn't expect anyone behind them; before they could lower their bows and draw their swords, Xiao Er felled them all in an instant.

Xiao Er rushed to Xiao Ningchen's side: "Second Young Master!"

Xiao Ningchen frowned, his blade not ceasing as he asked while cutting: "Didn't I tell you to watch over Tuan Tuan? What are you doing here?"

Hurry back to Tuan Tuan!

"Uh," Xiao Er paused, blocking a side slash, "the miss is inside the Eleventh Prince's cloth tiger."

Xiao Ningchen stumbled, his broadsword veering to the side and striking the arm of a defender who was sparring with Old Zhao.

That defender let out a miserable "Ah!" as his knife fell to the ground.

Old Zhao seized the moment to knock him down: "Second Young Master, I can handle him myself—why are you helping me?"

Xiao Er hastily lifted his blade's tip and thrust, impaling the defender before Xiao Ningchen.

Old Zhao scratched the back of his head, gave a simple smile: "Hehe, you two work together well! I've learned another move!"

Xiao Ningchen and Xiao Er: "…"

Xiao Ningchen glared at Xiao Er: "Follow me to seize the gate!"

"Yes!"

On the city wall.

"Report—!" a defender scrambled up the battlements, throwing himself at the feet of Princes Chen and Qing: "Your Highness! The interiors of all nine city gates have been blown open!"

"Countless enemy troops have poured out, now fighting to seize the gates!"

"What?" Prince Qing's eyes nearly popped out; he turned to Prince Chen: "Brother Wang, Xiao Yuanhang really does have an insider! I'll take men to block them!"

Prince Chen waved his hand: "No matter, few will get inside; as long as the gates aren't breached, it's no big problem."

"After we destroy their main force, we'll shut the gate and beat the dog."

He turned his gaze to the city below; the siege towers were almost there, the vanguard following close behind, about to mount the towers.

"Light the fire!" he said with a grim expression, "Eighteen heavenly fire tubes, light them all at once!"

Prince Qing had been waiting for these words; he roared at the guard beside the crossbow stand: "Light the fire!"

"Yes!"

The eighteen guards holding torches brought the burning torches to the front of the copper nozzles.

The guards standing beside the heavenly fire tubes squatted down simultaneously, gripping the two wooden handles at the tail of the airbag, and pressed down with all their strength.

The next moment.

With a dull "creak—", eighteen jets of water shot out in unison from the copper nozzles.

"Hiss—"

"Hiss hiss—"

The torches sputtered white smoke, and every single one was completely extinguished.

The guards holding the torches were all drenched head to toe in water.

The guards who had been pressing the handles released their grip, staring blankly at the copper nozzle still dripping water.

"Trash!" Prince Qing rushed over: "What are you looking at! You definitely filled it wrong!"

"Quick! Fill it again! Bring the torches! Let me relight it!"

"Yes!"

The guards hurried over to a row of black-glazed jars nearby, opened one and sniffed: "Your Highness! This is also water!"

Prince Chen rushed over, personally opened each black-glazed jar, sticking his head inside to sniff them one by one.

"Where's the oil?" he said, his face ashen, turning to the guards: "Where's the fire oil?"

"Your Highness!" the deputy commander rushed over, knelt, and said: "When we brought them up, I inspected them; they were indeed all fire oil!"

Prince Chen grabbed his collar: "What about now?"

"Where did it go?"

The deputy commander looked at his fierce gaze, voice trembling: "No, no, I really don't know!"

Prince Chen and Prince Qing exchanged a glance; their earlier composure and the scheme of "wait a bit longer" had turned into a resounding slap that struck hard across their faces.

At that moment, a series of dull "thud—thud—thud—" sounds came from behind.

Prince Chen and Prince Qing's hearts tightened—the siege tower had reached the wall!

Immediately followed by countless "click—clack—" sounds,

They looked back and saw countless hooks on the tops of the siege ladders firmly latched onto the battlements.

Xiao Ningxun was the first to charge up the siege ladder, Tuan Tuan! Wait for Third Brother! Don't run around recklessly!

The guards on the wall shouted in unison: "The enemy troops are attacking!"

"Fire arrows! Quick!" Prince Chen shoved aside the deputy commander and roared hoarsely, his voice sharp enough to almost split.

"All archers and crossbowmen! Fire arrows!"