Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

Under the July night sky, the retreating Tang army looked like a winding fire dragon.

The 3,000 Xiliang cavalry led by Ma Chao were like a thorn in the flesh, biting the rear wing of the Tang army tightly.

The sound of horse hooves shook the earth, and the sound of arrows breaking through the air was endless.

"Bastard!" Li Ji suddenly reined in his horse and turned to look behind him.

In the firelight, he saw the Xiliang cavalry charging at the rear of the Tang army like wolves and tigers.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and he lashed the saddle with his whip. "Leave 20,000 soldiers behind to cover the retreat! The rest of you continue to retreat!"

As soon as he finished speaking, countless torches suddenly lit up on the eastern horizon, and deafening shouts of killing came like a tide.

Li Ji's pupils suddenly shrank, and his grip on the reins unconsciously tightened. "Oh no! The Chu army that attacked the camp is back!"

Qin Qiong rode up, his armor stained with blood. "General Li, I will stay behind to cover your retreat. You must go and protect His Majesty!"

"no!"

Li Ji flatly refused: "I am the commander-in-chief, and I should be the one to cover the rear! General Qin, you take your men to escort His Majesty away!"

"But……"

"This is a military order!"

Li Ji shouted sharply, his eyes gleaming with determination: "Time is running out, go quickly!"

Qin Qiong gritted his teeth and obeyed the order, quickly evacuating with the main force.

After Li Ji finished speaking, without waiting for Qin Qiong's response, he turned his horse around and rushed to the rear battlefield with his personal guards.

The command flag in his hand fluttered in the night wind, quickly mobilizing the remaining Tang army to deploy defenses.

Qin Qiong looked at Li Ji's receding back, his hands holding the reins trembling slightly, but he did not catch up with him in the end.

The current military situation is urgent, and he must immediately escort His Majesty out of danger.

Qin Qiong galloped on his horse, passed through the chaotic Tang army, and finally found Li Shiming under the protection of his personal guards.

"His Majesty!"

Qin Qiong dismounted and knelt on one knee to report: "General Li insisted on staying behind to cover the retreat, and I really can't dissuade him!"

Li Shiming's face suddenly changed when he heard this, and he grabbed Qin Qiong's shoulders fiercely: "What? Li Ji... he is the head coach!"

The emperor's voice trembled slightly with shock, and then he shouted sternly, "Send someone to bring him back immediately! Convey my oral order, ordering him to retreat with the army immediately!"

Qin Qiong looked up, his eyes filled with anxiety: "Your Majesty, the Chu cavalry has already attacked our flank. It will be too late if we delay any longer!"

He stood up suddenly and shouted to his left and right guards: "Escort His Majesty away immediately!"

After saying this, regardless of Li Shiming's struggle, he personally helped the emperor onto the horse and led the elite guards to escort the imperial carriage to evacuate quickly.

In the night wind, only Li Shiming's unwilling roar echoed over the battlefield.

On this side, Li Ji organized the defense and arranged 20,000 soldiers into a semi-moon formation.

He stood in front of the formation himself, his sword shining coldly in the firelight.

"Raise the shield wall! Archers, get ready!" Li Ji's voice echoed in the night sky.

The Tang army soldiers quickly formed a battle array, and their heavy shields formed a solid wall.

In the distance, the Modao team led by Chu Kuang swept in like a hurricane.

These warriors, clad in heavy armor, held Mo Dao swords that were over ten feet long, and the blades flashed with the light of death in the moonlight.

The battle cries they let out as they charged shook the very earth.

"Shoot!" Li Ji gave the order, and a rain of arrows whizzed out from the sky.

However, the Chu cavalry dispersed flexibly, and only a few were shot and fell off their horses.

The moment the two armies met, the battlefield turned into hell on earth.

The Chu army's Modao soldiers wielded terrifying weapons, and each sweep could cut several Tang soldiers in half.

Blood splattered on the shield and flowed down the shield.

Li Ji personally rushed into the battle formation, his long sword like a dragon emerging from the sea, piercing the throats of three Chu soldiers in succession.

His personal guards followed closely behind, building the last line of defense with their flesh and blood.

"kill!"

The Western Liang cavalry, who had returned from a surprise attack on the Tang army camp, attacked from the flank. The addition of this fresh force caused the Tang army formation to begin to collapse.

Li Ji saw the critical situation and beat the drum himself to cheer: "Men of the Tang army, fight to the death and never retreat!"

The battle became increasingly brutal.

A captain of the Tang army was hit on the shoulder by a Mo Dao, but he still held on to the enemy tightly and bit off the opponent's throat with his teeth.

Another archer ran out of arrows and picked up the spear on the ground and continued fighting.

After two hours of bloody battle, only eight personal guards were left by Li Ji's side.

They stood back to back in a circle, surrounded by piles of corpses.

The Chu soldiers held torches, illuminating the small encirclement.

Chu Kuang rode out, his armor stained with blood. He looked down at Li Ji condescendingly:

"General Li, surrender. I respect you as a man and will spare your life."

Li Ji laughed heartily, his laughter tinged with madness. "The reason we lost this battle is because I underestimated that Liu Che!"

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood foam, and pointed his sword directly at Chu Kuang: "But you want me to surrender? Dream on!"

"Okay!" A hint of appreciation flashed in Chu Kuang's eyes: "Then I will fulfill your loyalty!"

Chu Kuang jumped off his horse and took a thick-backed broadsword from his personal soldier.

The blade was as wide as a palm and glowed dark red in the firelight.

The two men stood facing each other, and the soldiers around them unconsciously stepped back several steps to make room for a duel.

In the first round, Li Ji took the initiative to attack. His body was as fast as lightning, and his long sword pierced Chu Kuang's throat.

Chu Kuang did not dodge or evade, but slashed with his sword, as if he was going to fight with his life in exchange for his.

Li Ji had to change his moves to block. Amid the sound of metal clashing, he took three steps back and his knuckles cracked.

In the second round, Chu Kuang took the initiative to attack.

He held the knife in both hands and chopped it down with a move called "Splitting Huashan with Force".

Li Ji dodged sideways, and the blade grazed his shoulder armor, splashing a string of sparks.

He took the opportunity to counterattack, and the tip of his sword went straight for Chu Kuang's ribs, but was deflected by the other party with the handle of his knife.

In the third round, Li Ji suddenly changed his tactics and used his sword to stab Chu Kuang's lower body.

Chu Kuang sneered, and swung his sword like a door panel, bending the long sword.

Li Ji shook his wrist and the sword broke into two pieces.

In the fourth round, Li Ji, who had lost his weapon, did not retreat but advanced, rushing into Chu Kuang's arms in one leap.

His left hand formed into a claw, aiming straight for Chu Kuang's throat, while his right hand held a dagger that he had taken out at some point.

A gleam of light flashed in Chu Kuang's eyes, and the big knife swung, and the back of the knife hit Li Ji heavily on the back.

With a crisp "crack", Li Ji's spine broke.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, but still held on to Chu Kuang's arm armor tightly: "Tang...Tang army...Ten thousand..."

Before he could finish his words, Chu Kuang swung his knife in a backhand. With a flash of cold light, Li Ji's head flew into the air, drawing a poignant arc in the firelight.

The battlefield suddenly became quiet.

Chu Kuang looked at Li Ji's body on the ground and remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he took off his cloak and gently covered the enemy general with it.

"Give General Li a proper burial."

He turned to his personal guards and ordered, "Also, send someone to treat General Ma Chao immediately. We have won this battle."

The sky in the east is already turning pale, and the July sun is about to rise.

On the battlefield, the surviving Chu soldiers began to clean up the battlefield.

On the blood-stained land, a tattered Tang Dynasty flag fluttered gently in the morning breeze, as if telling the final elegy of this tragic battle.