Chapter 494.1: upheaval
Outside the army barracks, the enemy had spread out to attack from all directions. Some of the elite soldiers held shields and took the initiative to deflect the swarm of arrows flying through the air, while others charged up the slope of the mountain.
Pei Qianhao was clad in a black robes embroidered with gold, and it fully displayed his murderous aura as it fluttered in the wind. His body stood tall and proud, and his eagle-like eyes appeared to detect every movement that the enemy made.
A moment later, three words escaped from Pei Qianhao’s lips. “Kill without mercy.” His voice was as cold as ice, and his words were carried by the wind.
The few hundred elite soldiers obeyed the command and raised their shields to change their formation, completely blocking the storm of arrows from all directions. At the same time, the remaining soldiers directly broke out of the siege and went up the mountain, throwing the enemy troops into a frenzy as they lost their nerve. All of them turned to the Chief Minister of War, Lord Zhu, for instructions.
“Your Excellency, what should we do? This military force is too powerful; they’re not like ordinary soldiers at all. Could there have been a mistake in the information you previously received?”
Lord Zhu tightly knitted his brow. Having lived on the battlefield for many years, I can tell that these soldiers have definitely gone through some special training. It’s impossible for Ning Lianchen to have raised so many elite troops in such a short amount of time!
“Lord, they are breaking in! This subordinate proposes that we should swiftly retreat!”
“If we retreat, demise will be our only fate!” Lord Zhu immediately waved his hand and signalled for another group of soldiers to get out.
The boulders have already been prepared, but why is there still nobody acting after I have issued the order?! Lord Zhu glanced to the side, suddenly catching a slender figure brushing by. However, the speed of whatever had just run by combined with the darkness to make Lord Zhu think that his eyes were playing tricks on him.
“Quickly, roll the boulders!” Lord Zhu was getting anxious. We must suppress the people charging up by using the boulders!
Right after issuing his command, a frosty voice rang out from behind him. “Lord Zhu, you’re leading such a free and comfortable life.”
Suddenly, a hand had wound itself around Lord Zhu’s neck, slowly suffocating him. I never expected that I would fall into the hands of a woman. How did she creep up on me so silently?!
The soldiers witnessing the scene were absolutely frantic. The commander-in-chief is caught! He’s being forcefully choked by the throat!
Su Xi-er’s eyes were harsh as she looked at the crowd and sternly hollered, “Surrender! Otherwise, you will be killed without mercy!”
At the same time, she increased the force in her hands, making it even harder for Lord Zhu to breathe. He immediately waved his hand. “Stop the attack!”
With his command, all the soldiers put down their bows and arrows. The elite troops that were closing in from all sides swiftly trapped all the soldiers led by Lord Zhu, making any further resistance futile.
“Miss, please spare my life!” Lord Zhu beseeched as he gasped for air.
“Lord Zhu, what guts you have! Where is your partner in crime, the Chief Imperial Censor, Lord Qian?” Su Xi-er snorted, her voice frigid enough to cause Lord Zhu’s heart to shiver.
It was at this moment that Ning Lianchen led a group of soldiers over with Lord Qian in hand. The former fiercely flung Lord Qian onto the ground and pulled out a sword from a nearby soldier’s scabbard. “Lord Qian, were you planning to murder this Emperor?”
Lord Qian knelt on the ground with a thud, his body trembling as he kept kowtowing. “Your Majesty, please forgive this humble subject. I was forced by Lord Zhu to do all of this! This humble subject didn’t wish to! I really didn’t wish to! This humble subject is loyal…”
Su Xi-er interrupted him. “What loyalty! You led so many soldiers to launch an ambush in the middle of the night. Did you know that Prince Hao’s elite troops were stationed here just to deal with a bunch of overly ambitious wolves like you?!”