Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 290 Even if we change the commander, we must retreat.

Compared to the terrifying rain of arrows from the Northern Barbarians, the arrows fired by the soldiers of Xueyuan Pass were much less powerful.

Despite their best efforts, their arrows could only barely pierce the armor of the Northern Di cavalry. Occasionally, a few arrows would be lucky enough to pass through the gaps in the armor, and only then could one hear the enemy's painful groans.

Even so, the people of Xueyuan Temple were already used to this situation.

"Fire arrows! Keep firing arrows!" The captain's voice echoed on the city wall.

Regardless of the effect, the archers were doing their best to unleash a rain of arrows.

After all, even slightly affecting the enemy's actions could alleviate some of the pressure on the comrades guarding the city walls.

The Northern Di cavalry's attack remained terrifying. They surged in like a tidal wave.
Boom! A huge rock fell from the sky, smashing three cavalrymen and their horses into a bloody pulp.

Whether it was the catapults or the ballistae on the city walls, the damage inflicted on the Northern Di people was much less than expected.

They cunningly dispersed their formation to avoid being wiped out by the stones thrown by the catapults.

Less than half an hour after the battle began, the city walls were already covered with siege ladders.

The first Northern Di cavalryman braved a hail of arrows to climb the city wall.

"kill!"

The Ice Wolf Riders' silver armor gleamed in the sunlight as the soldiers of Snow Abyss Pass roared and charged forward. Amidst the flashing blades, the Northern Di warrior was quickly hacked to death.

But more siege ladders have been erected on the city walls, coiling around this border fortress like venomous snakes.

"Golden juice! Quickly pour the golden juice!" Seeing the enemy gathering below the city wall in increasing numbers, Zhao Wenguang immediately began issuing orders. His voice was hoarse from shouting for a long time, but it was still powerful and resonant.

Behind the city wall, cooks were stirring large pots, sweating profusely. The stench of the thick smoke made their eyes water, but no one dared to stop.

"Quick! Make it burn brighter!" A soldier with a face covered in soot frantically added firewood to the stove.

"That's about enough, hurry up and pour it down!"

Pot after pot of scalding hot molten gold was poured down the city wall, immediately eliciting screams of agony.

A young cook couldn't resist peeking out, but was immediately pulled back by a veteran: "Are you out of your mind!"

However, the liquid gold did not cause the expected damage.

The Northern Di cavalry below the city wall were clearly prepared; they quickly spread out thick woolen blankets to avoid being directly drenched in the molten gold.

The felt cloth, soaked in molten gold, emitted steam and successfully blocked most of the damage.

Only a few were particularly unlucky and were injured for various reasons.

Zhao Wenguang gritted his teeth and slammed his fist on the battlement in frustration: "These damned guys have actually become shrewd."

Chu Shizhao strode over and whispered, "Don't just stand there, quickly have someone throw torches."

Zhao Wenguang was stunned, and immediately felt his face burning. At this crucial moment, he had actually let his emotions cloud his judgment.

His Highness, mindful of his reputation, did not reprimand him in public, but instead whispered a reminder to him.

"Your humble servant is confused!" Zhao Wenguang clasped his hands in salute, then straightened his back and roared, "Throw the torches!"

His voice boomed across the city wall, and several guards immediately sprang into action.

These are all supplies needed to defend the city; they are on the city walls.

The embers in the brazier flickered as the soldiers blew on them, and they stuck torches soaked in kerosene into the fire.

With a hiss, flames shot into the air.

"Throw!"

Dozens of torches arced down towards the city wall. The wool felt, soaked in molten gold, instantly became the perfect fuel, and flames shot up more than ten feet high.

The screams of the Northern Di people rose and fell, and many burning figures rolled frantically on the ground before being swallowed by the thick smoke.

Boom boom boom!
In the blink of an eye, the flames spread out below the city, forming a barrier of fire.

Many soldiers on the siege ladders had their retreat instantly blocked, leaving them only able to advance and not retreat.

Looking at the sea of ​​fire below the city, Zhao Wenguang finally revealed a slight smile.

Tuoba Lie rode on a jet-black warhorse, his scarlet cloak fluttering in the wind.

He narrowed his long, narrow eyes, gazing at the Northern Di warriors clinging like ants to the distant city wall, a sinister smile involuntarily creeping onto his lips.

Seeing their side gain an increasing advantage, many people even took a firm foothold on the city wall.

Tuoba Lie couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

His rough fingers caressed the jewels on his riding crop, as if he could already see victory beckoning to him.

"Hmph, Murong Dayu is just old. He's always looking back and forth, afraid of this and that. He can't even take Xueyuan Pass after several attempts." He turned to a captain beside him and said, his voice full of contempt.

The commander nodded obsequiously in agreement, his smile equally radiant.

Tuoba Lie's success proves that their initial choice to follow him was the right one, doesn't it?

Tuoba Lie brandished his riding whip, spitting as he spoke, "And what was the result? He was just overthinking things."

"These southern barbarians from Xueyuan Pass are indeed quite capable. However, they are not even worthy of carrying the shoes of our Northern Di warriors." He spat out a mouthful of phlegm as he spoke.

The shouts of battle from the city walls seemed to provide a footnote to his words.

"Look, how long has the war been going on? The enemy's city walls are already on the verge of collapse. In half an hour at most, Xueyuan Pass will be in our hands..." Tuoba Lie made a fist gesture, as if he wanted to crush the entire pass in his palm.

Before he could finish speaking, the guards at Xueyuan Pass, as if deliberately slapping him in the face, kept pouring liquid gold from the city walls.

The viscous liquid gleamed with an eerie golden light under the sunlight, like evil dragons swooping down from the city walls.

Even from a great distance, Tuoba Lie could almost smell the nauseating stench of the golden juice.

He instinctively wrinkled his nose, as if the stench of feces and rotting flesh had already entered his nasal cavity.

Fortunately, the attacking soldiers had prepared woolen felt in advance, which blocked all the molten gold.

Tuoba Lie let out a long sigh of relief, regaining his spirited demeanor: "Well done! Who is the commander of this thousand-man unit? I'm going to promote him." His voice was filled with undisguised joy, as if he could already see himself standing on the Xueyuan Pass city wall receiving the worship of the crowd.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than the smile on his face hadn't even faded when torches began to be thrown down from the city walls.

The torches drew dozens of orange-red trails in the air, like falling meteors.

In the blink of an eye, the area beneath the city walls was engulfed in flames. Flames leaped several meters high, and the heat distorted the air.

And because of the presence of those wool felts, the fire burned exceptionally fiercely this time, and the long-lasting flames almost became a natural barrier for the city walls.

Even they could feel the scorching air coming from the direction of the city wall.

Tuoba Lie's cheeks were burning hot, and he had to raise his hand to shield himself from the wave of heat. His warhorse neighed in fear and took a few steps back uneasily.

Almost three-quarters of the city wall was engulfed in flames.

Thick smoke billowed straight into the sky, turning half the sky gray-black. Many of the Northern Di cavalry on the siege ladders were cut off from their retreat and had no choice but to climb the ladders upwards.

As a result, without reinforcements, they had no way to gain a foothold on the city wall. The defenders on the city wall waited patiently, their spears thrusting like a forest at the Northern Di warriors who had scaled the walls.

They were quickly killed by the hordes of Xueyuan Pass soldiers, and their bodies were thrown off the city walls and engulfed in flames.

Although a small section of the city wall remains vulnerable to attack, the limited defensive area allows the soldiers of Xueyuan Pass to easily reinforce their ranks.

Even if the Northern Di cavalry were powerful, continuing to attack the city now, facing a defender whose numbers far exceeded their own, would be no different from suicide.

Tuoba Lie's face was so gloomy it could drip water, and the whip in his hand cracked loudly.

He stared intently at the battle situation on the city wall, his teeth grinding together.

The veins on the back of Tuoba Lie's hand, which was gripping the whip, bulged, and his knuckles turned white from excessive force.

Those bloodshot eyes were fixed on the sea of ​​fire on the city wall, as if they wanted to devour the leaping flames alive.

A sharp crack echoed, particularly jarring in the silent battlefield.

He used too much force, and the handle of the whip snapped in two. The broken leather fibers were exposed, much like Tuoba Lie's shattered dignity at that moment.

The gemstones embedded in it also fell to the ground, leaving a faint glint in the withered grass before rolling into the grass and disappearing.

One of the guards instinctively reached out to pick it up, but was frozen in place by Tuoba Lie's fierce gaze.

Continuing the attack was clearly impossible. The fire below the city wall was growing fiercer, and even the Northern Di cavalrymen standing a hundred paces away could feel the scorching heat.

Given the current situation, the best option is to temporarily retreat and continue the siege once the flames have died down.

The commander of ten thousand men beside Tuoba Lie carefully observed his commander's expression, hesitating to speak.

He knew that any suggestion at that moment could become the trigger for his anger.

The crackling sound of wood exploding came from afar, and several ladders collapsed in the flames, scattering countless sparks.

Tuoba Lie forced himself to calm down, but his temples were still throbbing.

No matter how durable the felt and kerosene are, they will eventually burn out. It's still better than charging through flames head-on.
Of course, there are other options.

Tuoba Lie's gaze swept over the soft ground not far away.

He could have had the soldiers shovel dirt to put out the fire. However, he rejected the idea as soon as it came to mind.

If they did that, the Northern Di cavalry would have no choice but to brave the rain of arrows from the city walls to put out the fire. Tuoba Lie could almost see the Xueyuan Pass defenders drawing their bows and indiscriminately shooting down the Northern Di soldiers.

During the firefighting process, countless Northern Di cavalrymen will sacrifice their lives in vain.

Tuoba Lie's mind conjured up images of corpses strewn across the fields, and all the blame would fall on his head.

He gritted his teeth for a while, but in the end, Tuoba Lie didn't dare to do it. He bit his lower lip hard until he tasted blood before letting go.

Despite being under the control of the Dark Night Cult, the Northern Di cavalry are much more obedient than before.

The bizarre methods used by the members of the Dark Night Cult could indeed make the soldiers fearless and ruthless.

But there are limits. The Dark Night Cult can control a part of a person's mind, but it cannot control their heart.

Tuoba Lie was well aware that his current prestige in the army was too low.

If such an order is given, which is almost tantamount to sending someone to their death, it will definitely provoke a rebellious mentality among these people.

If this leads to a mutiny… Tuoba Lie’s throat tightened, as if he could already see angry soldiers rushing towards his tent with torches in hand.

When that time comes, the first person who won't let him off the hook will be his brother-in-law, the king.

That monarch, known for his ruthless methods, never cared about family ties.

To quell the army's anger, the enemy would not hesitate to give up their own head and their entire family.

Tuoba Lie subconsciously touched his neck, where he could almost feel the chill of the steel blade.

"Retreat!" The two words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth. Tuoba Lie's voice was terribly hoarse, like the growl of a wounded beast.

The messenger, as if granted a pardon, immediately sounded the retreat horn.

God knows how frantic Tuoba Lie was when he uttered those two words.

He felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest, and every breath was accompanied by a burning pain.

One moment he was mocking Murong Dayu's incompetence, and the next he was humiliated. This was even more embarrassing than being slapped in the face.

"Chu Shizhao, you just wait. I, Tuoba Lie, swear I will not rest until I avenge this!" Tuoba Lie's expression was twisted so distorted it was almost unrecognizable. His features were contorted in a ferocious grimace, and his eyes burned with a fury more intense than that beneath the city walls.

He hurled the broken whip in his hand to the ground, splashing up a cloud of dirty dirt.

On the distant walls of Xueyuan Pass, the cheers of the defending troops could still be heard. Those shouts of victory were like sharp knives, piercing Tuoba Lie's heart.

"Achoo!" Chu Shizhao sneezed suddenly.

Zhao Wenguang asked with concern, "Your Highness, have you not rested well? I'll hold on here for now, please find a place to rest for a while."

“You are the backbone of our Xueyuan Pass. If anything were to happen to you, we would be thrown into chaos.”

Hearing Zhao Wenguang's words, Huo Qinghuang nodded repeatedly: "Young Master, you really should rest."

Chu Shizhao sniffed, smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Don't worry, I know my own body. If I really can't take it anymore, I will naturally go to rest."

"It's probably just that someone is thinking about me."

Seeing that no one reacted, Chu Shizhao awkwardly touched his nose and quickly changed the subject, saying, "I don't know if you've noticed, but the situation on the Northern Di side seems a bit off."

Zhao Wenguang asked in confusion, "Your Highness, what do you mean?"

Huo Qinghuang's eyes lit up, and she nodded slightly, saying, "Indeed, I felt it too. The feeling I get from those Northern Di people is completely different from before."

Li Batian scratched his head: "What's different? I don't feel any change."

Beside him, the petite Li Yan kept his head down, looking so honest that he seemed almost invisible.

Zhao Wenguang hadn't thought anything was strange at first, but after Zheng Yi reminded him, he suddenly realized that something seemed off.

He just couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

Just then, Li Batian said nonchalantly, "It seems they've changed commanders."

(End of this chapter)