His highness's Allure - Chap 168

How could they suddenly be unable to hold on? Weren’t there reinforcements on the way?

Pei Zheng grabbed that soldier by the collar, “How long until reinforcements arrive? Has Zhao Litang still not sent them? He dares to rush into battle alone, without any support?”

That soldier was injured from head to toe. But when he heard these words, he explained on Zhao Litang’s behalf:

“The general doesn’t have any other option. If we don’t go to battle now, should we just watch as the barbarians invade? What about all those refugees? In the beginning, there were reinforcements. But they were ambushed, and nearly the entire army was annihilated. So right now, we must act alone and without support.”

“If the situation is grave, he should hurry up and retreat. How many people are left at the front lines?”

“Around a few thousand. And the general is injured as well.”

That soldier spoke with a distraught expression.

Pei Zheng ordered all the citizens and refugees in Anli to evacuate first; the city’s guards would protect them along the way.

When that soldier heard Pei Zheng’s order, he finally let out a sigh of relief. He struggled to stand upright. Just as he was about to open the city gates and run back out, he was grabbed by Cheng Feng.

“Where are you going?”

That soldier said, “I have to go back and give a report, and I still have to go back onto the battlefield. As a soldier, I must fight until the last hour.”

Pei Zheng said, “You can fight until the last hour. However, your General Zhao… must come back safe and sound. Tell him to retreat immediately, and not to think so highly of himself. The outcome of a war is not decided by him alone.”

That soldier said, “But-”

Pei Zheng shoved him out the city gates, “There are no buts.”

Then, he took a jade token out of his robe and tossed it over, “When he sees this token, he must obey my command. Take it, and tell Zhao Litang, retreat.”

That soldier held back his tears and nodded, before he ran toward the front lines of the borderlands without looking back.

The citizens of Anli had only just settled down, and now they had to evacuate immediately. But none of the townspeople had any complaints, because they knew that soon, the flames of war would spread to this place.

The townspeople all filed out of the city gates. Pei Zheng had Cheng Feng take Qi Changyi to evacuate with them, but Qi Changyi refused to leave.

Pei Zheng asked, “What’s wrong? You can’t bear to leave me?”

Qi Changyi lowered his head and said nothing, but he gripped Pei Zheng’s sleeve and did not let go.

“Be good and go with Cheng Feng. I’ll be there soon. Okay?”

Qi Changyi shook his head, and whispered, “No, we have to go together. I don’t want to leave with A-Feng first. And Tang-gege, he’s injured, we have to wait for him to come with us…”

Pei Zheng squeezed his fingers.

Cheng Feng, who had been overseeing the evacuation of the townspeople, ran over, “Master, a report just arrived from the frontal city gates. They noticed an army not far away, and they don’t look like the Celestial Dynasty’s troops.”

Pei Zheng’s heart sank, “Close the gates!”

The city gates were shut tight and barricaded with dozens of thick logs.

Pei Zheng told Cheng Feng to gather all of Anli’s guards, before he had them climb up onto the city walls, fully armed.

On the other side, the evacuating townspeople also quickened their pace.

Soon, that army arrived at the entrance to the city. Indeed, it was composed of experienced barbarian soldiers. They had circled around the cities in the borderlands, serving as a vanguard as they entered the Celestial Dynasty’s territory. The first city they reached was Anli.

The soldiers on the wall were all extremely nervous. They were not soldiers who went on the battlefield, so they did not have any experience in war.

But those barbarian soldiers did not begin to attack the city gates, instead tightly encircling the entire city; even the city gate through which the townspeople were evacuating was sealed, and the remaining refugees were all trapped inside the city.

Both the front and back gates had been shut tight, and there were guards stationed at each of them.

Now, Anli was akin to a tightly wrapped ball of meat stuffing; it seemed as if the city and its people had no choice but to be oppressed.

Several whoosh sounds echoed from the sky, and everyone looked up.

Arrows, fast and furious, pierced downward. Many of the townspeople could not dodge in time and were shot by the arrows. Then, they immediately collapsed, their blood covering the ground.

Then, screams, cries, and shouts began to ring out one after another. Everyone covered their heads and sprinted away in fright, searching everywhere for a place to hide. Meanwhile, those who could not avoid the attack in time were shot down by the rain of arrows.

The once quiet, orderly city of Anli had fallen into chaos in a single instant. Corpses littered the ground, and blood flowed endlessly.

A flame-tipped arrow flew into the city. In an instant, it lit a building on fire, burning several people as well.

More and more flaming arrows quickly flew inside, igniting even more buildings, and burning even more people to death. Now, the air was not only permeated with the stench of blood, but mixed with a lingering burnt smell as well.

Pei Zheng hugged Qi Changyi as he stood beneath the city wall. He shielded him from the arrows while tightly clutching his shoulders, not wanting him to see the chaotic bloodbath in the city.

But a “bang” suddenly sounded from behind the towering city walls.

Right after, there was even louder “crash”. The barbarian soldiers outside had begun to brainstorm ways to get past the city gates. If they rammed into it again, sooner or later, they would break the gates open.

Pei Zheng left Qi Changyi in Cheng Feng’s care to ensure the little prince’s safety, before he climbed up the city’s gate tower to command the soldiers.

Qi Changyi covered his ears, unable to keep his entire body from trembling.

He could still hear those screams. He could still smell the bloody stench. He still understood what kind of horrific massacre was happening at this very moment.

A crying child ran toward Qi Changyi; he had probably been separated from his family. He ran and ran, before he suddenly fell in front of Qi Changyi. Just as Qi Changyi was about to reach out to help him up, a flame-tipped arrow shot over.

Cheng Feng only had time to block the arrow soaring over Qi Changyi’s head. But unfortunately, the child was speared by an arrow, his entire body coated in blood as he collapsed to the ground. Meanwhile, Qi Changyi’s hand was still outstretched, having not had the time to even retract it.

He was so frightened that he was frozen. He stood there, unable to move. He sucked in deep breaths as he stared at the lifeless child on the ground.

When Cheng Feng saw this, he quickly dragged him away.

Anli’s guards had been utterly defeated and were quickly beaten into a bloody pulp. Many of the guards on the wall had already sacrificed themselves.

As Pei Zheng instructed the remaining guards to pour oil and light it on fire, he held a bow and aimed at the army across from them, searching for their commander.

Finally, Pei Zheng spotted someone who resembled the commander. Without any hesitation, he shot an arrow. A fatal hit. That man really was the commander, and he immediately collapsed to the ground.

However, at this time, the gates of Anli had been captured. The gates opened, and the barbarian soldiers noisily stormed into the city.

Their eyes were red with bloodlust. Anyone they saw, they killed. No matter if they were old or young, a woman or a man; they were all cruelly murdered.

Fortunately, Qi Changyi had already been taken away by Cheng Feng to hide.

But he could still see the sky that seemed to be full of bloody rain, and the corpses covering the ground. He was powerless. The only thing he could do was shed tears in silence.

In mere moments, almost all of the townspeople had been killed. Blood pooled and formed a little stream that slowly trickled out of the city gates.

Someone noticed Cheng Feng and Qi Changyi. Soldiers surrounded the pair’s hiding place, before they raised their weapons and began to close in on them.

They could not hide any longer. Cheng Feng began to fight with those barbarian soldiers. An arrow flying over from the distance shot Cheng Feng in the shoulder. A line of blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth, but he still gripped his sword, his body swaying involuntarily.

Qi Changyi quickly supported him by the arm, “A-Feng, you’re injured, you’re bleeding a lot-“

Qi Changyi’s eyes reddened, “A-Feng, don’t worry about me. You should leave now, I’ll only hold you back, don’t worry about me-“

“Your Highness, rest assured. I’m fine, it’s just a shoulder injury. It’s nothing serious.”

Before he could finish, Cheng Feng sidestepped to shield him, and parried another slash for Qi Changyi. A cut appeared on his arm.

At this moment, another soldier tried to stab Qi Changyi. The tip of a blade rushed straight toward his throat.

Qi Changyi did not have time to dodge. He could only shut his eyes in terror.

The sword did not touch him. It stopped a hair’s breadth away from his throat.

It was Pei Zheng who rushed over just in time, and was now gripping the sword with his bare hands. The blade cut through his palms, coating his hands in blood. But that sword was locked in its position and could not move a single centimeter.

Then, Pei Zheng flicked his hand and snatched the sword, stabbing that soldier and killing him.

Pei Zheng was also injured. The three of them were about to be surrounded by the barbarian soldiers again.

Right now, they were the only ones in the entire city who were still alive, but the barbarian soldiers still numbered in the thousands.

The gap in numbers was so large that they stood almost no chance of winning. Even if they continued to kill without rest, who knew how long it would take for them to kill every single barbarian soldier.

The city of Anli had already fallen.

Qi Changyi watched as Pei Zheng’s hand continued to drip blood. His heart ached so much that he could not keep his tears from falling. He gently held Pei Zheng’s injured hand, and carefully tried to wrap it up.

Pei Zheng suddenly yanked him into his chest, before he swiftly threw a punch at something behind Qi Changyi. A soldier immediately fell to the ground.

Just now, this soldier had tried to pull a surprise attack on Qi Changyi from behind.

Pei Zheng’s fist had hit that barbarian soldier’s helmet. The skin between his knuckles had been scraped, and trails of blood seeped out.

Qi Changyi took his hand again. He was in a bit of a panic as he continued to wrap it up. He cried as he said, “Why is it covered in blood again? Why can’t I stop the blood, why can’t I wrap it all up-“

Pei Zheng pulled him into his arms and stroked his hair.

“Don’t wrap it, don’t wrap it, it’s fine. Sweetheart, kiss me, and it won’t hurt anymore.”

Qi Changyi lifted his head up from Pei Zheng’s chest. He hugged the other’s neck, leaning over it to kiss him, his lips tasting a mouthful of blood.

Then, he suddenly froze.

This sky full of bloody rain, he remembered seeing it before. In a prison. His surroundings were terribly dark. He was so cold, but the stench of blood was just as strong as it was now.

But that prison was not the dungeon of the Prime Minister’s Manor. It was the prison of the foreign tribe.

Notes

Finally some drama

Thanks for reading~~