Chapter 222: Dong Zhongshu Rushes to Aid

Inside the grand tent, the bloody smell grew stronger, as if the air had been ignited by war flames.

Gaius Marius, surrounded by a crowd of Roman cavalry, repeatedly struck the defensive line formed by the guards.

His golden armor was splattered with blood, and each swing of his heavy sword carried a chilling force, causing many guards to fall one after another under his attack.

Emperor Wu of Han's face grew grim, his hand tightly gripping the sword at his side, knuckles whitening, his wary eyes fixed on the step-by-step advancing Gaius Marius.

"Hahaha, Emperor Wu of Han, your guards won't hold out much longer!"

Gaius Marius laughed wildly, greed and excitement flashing in his eyes, saying: "Today you cannot escape even if you grew wings!"

Saying that, he suddenly exerted force, a single sword strike felling the guard before him, leaving only a few steps between him and Emperor Wu of Han.

At this critical moment, a deafening shout of battle suddenly came from outside the tent.

Immediately after, a familiar voice pierced the noisy battlefield: "Do not harm Your Majesty!"

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Dong Zhongshu clad in splendid Egyptian high priest robes, wielding a bronze long sword, riding a white war horse, leading the Ptolemaic Dynasty's army like a black torrent charging toward the grand tent.

It turned out that Dong Zhongshu, upon learning of the Han army's defeat and Emperor Wu of Han's peril while in ancient Egypt, immediately persuaded Ptolemy IX to raise a relief force, marching day and night to arrive.

At that moment, the Ptolemaic Dynasty's soldiers brandished spears and shields, shouting as they launched an assault on the Roman-Parthian allied forces; the allied forces were caught off guard by this sudden attack, their formation falling into disarray.

Gaius Marius, seeing this, had his face instantly darken.

He glared viciously at Emperor Wu of Han and snarled: "I never expected someone to show up at the crucial moment and ruin my plans!"

Left with no choice, he had to lead the cavalry out of the grand tent, organizing the allied forces to resist the Ptolemaic Dynasty's army's advance.

Inside the grand tent, Emperor Wu of Han exhaled deeply, his taut nerves finally relaxing.

He watched Dong Zhongshu walk into the grand tent, his eyes full of relief and gratitude, saying: "Dong Zhongshu, you arrived just in time! If not for you, I would likely not survive today."

Dong Zhongshu knelt on one knee and respectfully said: "Your Majesty, I have come late, causing you alarm. Although the Roman-Parthian allied forces have been temporarily repelled, they will surely not let this rest; we must plan for the long term."

Emperor Wu of Han nodded, his gaze firm: "Indeed, though we escaped this calamity, this grudge—I will make them pay blood for blood."

At this moment, the shouts of battle on the battlefield continued.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Li Guang and Huo Qubing were leading the remnants in a death struggle against the Roman-Parthian allied forces.

Just as they were gradually losing strength, they suddenly heard Dong Zhongshu's familiar shout; their spirits lifted, they looked toward the sound and saw Dong Zhongshu riding a white horse, leading the Ptolemaic Dynasty's army like a black torrent sweeping in.

"Lord Dong has arrived! The reinforcements are here!"

Li Guang shouted excitedly, his voice echoing across the battlefield.

A flicker of surprise crossed Huo Qubing's eyes; he then brandished his spear and shouted loudly: "Soldiers, the time to counterattack has come! Kill!"

Upon hearing this, the Han army soldiers' morale soared, and they all shouted as they launched an assault on the allied forces.

Li Guang quickly nocked and loosed arrows; his arrows never missed, the sharp bolts whistling as they struck the allied soldiers.

With each arrow shot, an enemy soldier fell.

While shooting arrows, he also observed the battlefield situation, seeking a breach in the allied forces' line.

"Watch your coordination, follow my charge!" he bellowed, leading a squad of cavalry toward the enemy's flank.

Huo Qubing, meanwhile, led from the front like a ferocious tiger, charging straight into the allied forces' center.

His spear danced like flight; wherever it reached, enemy troops collapsed in defeat.

"For the Great Han! For victory!" he

his shout inspired the nearby soldiers, and the Han cavalry closely followed him, launching wave after wave of assaults on the allied forces.

Dong Zhongshu commanded the Ptolemaic Dynasty's troops, forming a pincer movement with the Han army.

The Ptolemaic soldiers brandished spears and shields, shouting as they charged toward the enemy.

Their tactics were flexible and varied—sometimes a frontal assault, sometimes a flanking maneuver—leaving the allied forces unable to defend against them.

Gaius Marius, seeing the situation turn unfavorable, attempted to organize the allied forces for a counterattack.

He rode his war horse, running back and forth before the ranks, shouting loudly: "Roman warriors, do not panic! Hold the line and give me a counterattack!"

However, under the combined assault of the Han army and the Ptolemaic Dynasty's troops, the allied forces' line was riddled with holes, their soldiers' morale low, unwilling to continue fighting.

After a fierce melee, the allied forces could no longer hold, beginning to retreat step by step.

Gaius Marius, seeing the situation, realizing the tide had turned, had no choice but to order a withdrawal. Watching the allied forces' retreating backs, the Han army and Ptolemaic Dynasty's soldiers cheered and leapt for joy.

Li Guang and Huo Qubing came before Dong Zhongshu; Li Guang clasped his hands in salute and said gratefully: "Lord Dong, thanks to your timely arrival to rescue us, otherwise we would have faced more misfortune than fortune today."

Huo Qubing also smiled and said: "Indeed, Lord Dong, this reinforcement of yours arrived like heavenly soldiers, relieving our urgent need."

Dong Zhongshu smiled humbly: "You two generals overpraise me; this is the result of everyone's joint effort. Although the allied forces have retreated, they will surely make a comeback, so we must still strengthen our defenses."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

On the battlefield still shrouded in lingering gunpowder smoke, the setting sun like blood dyed the earth a dark red.

"Dong Aiqing!" Emperor Wu of Han's voice trembled slightly as he tightly grasped Dong Zhongshu's arm with both hands, his eyes full of concern: "Since your mission to Rome, I have heard nothing from you; I feared you had met with misfortune."

Li Guang sighed: "Lord Dong, I never expected to see you again! These days we have all been worried sick."

Dong Zhongshu also lamented: "Your Majesty, I deserve death ten thousand times, letting you and the generals worry for me. Upon learning that you spared no effort to oppose the Roman-Parthian allied forces to save me... I... am moved to tears!"

Emperor Wu of Han helped Dong Zhongshu to his feet, his gaze firm: "Dong Aiqing, you have run errands for my Great Han, fallen into peril—how could I stand by and do nothing? Your safe return is a great blessing."

Huo Qubing laughed and patted Dong Zhongshu's shoulder: "Lord Dong, you not only returned safely, but also brought reinforcements that relieved our urgent need—a great achievement!"

Dong Zhongshu humbly waved his hand: "All this relies on Your Majesty's prestige and the generals' bravery. Had it not been for Your Majesty's wise decisions and the soldiers' desperate resistance, even if I had come, it would have been of no avail."

While speaking, they walked into the makeshift tent.

At this moment, the afterglow of the sunset outside the tent gradually faded, and the Roman-Parthian imperial allied forces had already retreated.

Night fell silently.