Chapter 58

The troops set out again.

But the atmosphere of this troop had become extremely eerie, not at all like an emperor's carriage, more like a prison wagon.

The carriage remained the same spacious and luxurious one; Li Longji sat there dazed, silent and motionless, his eyes hollowly staring ahead.

He ate nothing, drank nothing. The accompanying imperial physicians and eunuchs tried every method, bringing food to his lips, but he couldn't be bothered to open his mouth; when water was offered, he didn't even glance at it.

Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) rode on horseback, far behind the troop, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Is this the end of an emperor?

Once, Li Longji was how wise and martial, creating the Kaiyuan golden age, pushing the Tang Dynasty's prestige to its peak. Yet now he could not even protect his beloved woman, reduced to a living corpse, dragged by his own soldiers, fleeing in disgrace to the Shu Region.

The procession traveled on the road for several more days, the atmosphere grew even more oppressive, and Li Longji still ate and drank nothing.

Everyone worried, fearing he wouldn't survive to reach the Shu Region and would die like this.

"Your Majesty, please take a little. Your dragon body is important." Gao Lishi knelt outside the carriage, his voice choked with tears, as everyone watched.

Li Longji still showed no response.

Gao Lishi remained silent for a long time, then suddenly raised his head and said in a very low voice: "Your Majesty, even if you don't think for yourself, you should think… think for the empress."

Upon hearing the two words "empress," Li Longji's hollow gaze finally flickered.

Seeing this, Gao Lishi knew there was an opening and immediately continued: "When the empress left, what she worried about most was you, Your Majesty. If you suffer any misfortune, how could she rest in peace in the underworld?"

Gao Lishi recalled, bit by bit, the loving moments between Li Longji and Yang Guifei.

Two streams of murky tears flowed from Li Longji's dry eye sockets.

He slowly extended his withered, stick-thin hand, took the ginseng soup from Gao Lishi's hand, trembled, and took a sip.

Although it was only a small sip, the onlookers Chen Xuanli and Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) et al. all let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Speaking of which, after parting with Wang Hui and the others, Wang Ce headed east all the way, eventually becoming a lowly soldier under Zhang Xun; with this talent's aid, he repeatedly stood at the forefront of charges and was promoted to squad leader.

Meanwhile, Chen Xin and the other guards, having taken wrong turns several times, arrived at Suiyang and without hesitation followed Wang Ce into the army.

After a few months, Wang Ce's face had lost the youthful vigor and impulsiveness of when he left home, replaced by a steadiness and sternness beyond his years.

Now, Zhang Xun's army is less a military force and more a group of unwilling-to-submit refugees; their equipment is crude, supplies scarce, yet they rely solely on an unyielding will, fighting back and forth under the Iron Control hooves of the rebel army, recovering lost territory.

Some guards had already taken Wang Hui's token to the Wang Family's estates to deliver a message, but due to the war, the Wang Family's northern granaries had been moved.

Relying on grain and medicine transported from south of the river to win a battle is nothing short of a daydream; outside Suiyang, Yin Ziji's great army has already begun to encircle, and despite round-the-clock effort sparing no material or loss, the grain brought in still isn't enough for three days' consumption inside the city.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The earth-shaking war drum sound came from outside the city; the rebel forces outside had completed their encirclement and were about to launch an attack.

Wang Ce and Chen Xin stood on the city wall, looking down at the masses of rebel formations below; the remaining guards he had sent to coordinate supplies were now cut off outside.

"At least it's a way to save one's life; outside is much safer than inside the city." Wang Ce felt a flicker of relief in his heart; he didn't want these guards to follow him to their deaths.

"Goodness, how many people are there…" Chen Xin clicked his lips, his face turning pale.

"What's there to fear! Kill one if one comes, kill a pair if two come!" Wang Ce gave a cold snort, gripping his long blade tightly; he knew this was to cheer up the troops behind him and himself as well.

The defending troops inside the city, together with the conscripted laborers, numbered at most seven thousand. Meanwhile, the rebel forces outside claimed a strength of 130,000.

"Pass on my orders!" Zhang Xun's voice rang across the entire wall: "Soldiers, behind us lie our parents, wives and children, the vast lands of the Tang Dynasty! Today, only a fight to the death! No advance, no retreat!"

"Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"

The soldiers on the city walls, inspired by Zhang Xun's heroism, all raised their Weapon and let out cries.

Soon, the rebel offensive began.

Countless siege ladders were laid against the mottled city walls; rebel soldiers swarmed up like ants.

"Fire arrows! Roll logs and drop stones!"

On the city walls, arrows fell like rain, scalding molten gold and huge stones incessantly smashed down onto the ground below, bringing forth waves of wails and screams.

At this moment, the cruelty of war was laid bare.

A rebel champion, shield raised, was the first to charge onto the wall; he swung his great blade and instantly cut down two Tang soldiers.

"Seek death!"

Wang Ce roared, brandishing his blade and went forward to meet him.

The champion, seeing a mere youth come forward, sneered contemptuously, his great blade whistling with fierce force as he chopped downward.

Wang Ce did not dodge or evade; his long blade swept from low to high, tracing a tricky arc, striking first despite moving later.

"Clang!"

The ringing of metal on metal pierced the eardrums.

The champion felt his tiger's mouth go numb, his great blade nearly flying from his grip; he was astonished, never expecting this youth's strength to be so great.

Before he could react, Wang Ce's second strike had already arrived.

A flash of blade, and a head flew high into the air.

"Good!"

The surrounding Tang soldiers burst into cheers.

Wang Ce's single slash felled the champion, morale soared; he charged like a tiger into a flock of sheep among the rebels swarming the wall, stirring a bloody storm. Behind him, Chen Xin, Fu Hai and others tightly guarded his flanks, forming a solid killing formation.

However, the rebel numbers were simply too great.

They surged onto the wall like tireless, deathless waves, wave after wave.

The battle on the city walls Era Name Transition into the most fierce white-hot stage.

The Tang troops were indeed fearless of death, but as time wore on, fewer and fewer comrades could still stand beside Wang Ce.

"That young officer!" a shout came from afar and grew nearer; Wang Ce turned to see Zhang Xun's personal guards shielding him as they moved toward this side.

"General!" Seeing this, Wang Ce also strove to fight his way over.

Upon meeting, before Wang Ce could ask what the order was, Zhang Xun said: "I intend to hold Suiyang to the death, but I cannot let these soldiers die with me."

"These past days you have charged ahead, fearless and brave, I have seen it all; you may take men and break out to the east, for I have heard that General Guo's troops are stationed there."

General, no, if we break out, you must lead.

"Don't speak more!" Having said that, he directly moved away in the direction far from Wang Ce and others.

While slashing, he loudly shouted: "The defender of Suiyang, Zhang Xun, is here! The defender of Suiyang, Zhang Xun, is here!"

A large number of rebel troops swarmed up!