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

At noon the next day, the autumn sun shone palely on the earth, but it did not bring any warmth. Instead, it made the desolation and destruction on the wasteland more clearly.

A broken team, like a wounded earthworm, struggled to crawl on the official road leading to Hongdu City.

This was the defeated army from Xunyang City that Gongsun Ao had gathered, with only more than 3,000 people left.

The team moved forward in silence, and the atmosphere was suffocating.

The soldiers' helmets and armor were all askew, and their bodies were covered in blood and dust. Many of their wounds were only hastily bandaged with rags and were still oozing blood.

Their eyes were empty, their steps were staggering, and they mechanically followed the people in front of them. The shadow of failure and the grief of losing their comrades were like heavy rocks pressing on everyone's heart and strangling everyone's throat.

Apart from the chaotic sound of footsteps, the occasional uncontrollable groans of wounded soldiers and the tired snorts of war horses, no other superfluous sounds could be heard.

Even the flags hung limply, as if tainted with the dejection of the army.

Gongsun Ao rode on an equally tired warhorse and walked in the middle of the team.

His face was ashen, his lips were tightly pursed, and his bloodshot eyes were fixed on the seemingly endless road ahead.

Last night's disastrous defeat and Jia Yuan's resolute figure as he resolutely left the rear flashed repeatedly in his mind like a nightmare.

Every time he thought about it, his heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, causing him to feel heartbroken and ashamed.

In this dead silence, a burst of rapid and chaotic horse hoof sounds suddenly came from behind.

The suffocating silence was broken in an instant, and all the soldiers were frightened so much that they subconsciously clenched the broken weapons in their hands and looked back in horror.

I saw a fast horse carrying an equally embarrassed scout, chasing after the team like crazy.

The scout rushed in front of Gongsun Aoma and, before he could even rein in his warhorse, he fell off the saddle. His voice was hoarse and distorted with fear, and it was filled with tears: "General! It's bad! General Jia Yuan... General Jia and the five thousand brothers he left behind... They... They all... died in battle! Not a single one survived!"

Although he had already expected the worst, when this cruel news was confirmed, it was like a cold knife stabbing into his heart. Gongsun Ao's body shook violently uncontrollably and his face turned paler in an instant.

He suddenly closed his eyes, took a deep breath of cold air, and forced himself to suppress the roar and grief that was about to burst out.

He is the main commander and the last pillar of this remnant army. He must not show any emotions that may shake the morale of the army at this moment.

When he opened his eyes again, his expression had become cold and hard, but the pain surging deep in his eyes could not be concealed.

His voice was hoarse, but he tried to keep it steady: "I understand."

He didn't even have time to mourn; his instinct for survival and his sense of responsibility to the remaining soldiers forced him to remain calm.

He looked at the almost exhausted scout and asked in a deep voice, "How far away are the Chu army's pursuers from us now?"

The scout quickly replied, "General, it's about... about half a day's journey! Their cavalry is very fast!"

"Half a day..."

Gongsun Ao chewed on these two words, his eyes sharpening as he gave the order without hesitation: "Order! All troops, speed up! Abandon unnecessary baggage and march lightly! We must reach Hongdu City before sunset!"

As the order was given, a suppressed whine was heard in the team.

A lieutenant couldn't help himself and dragged his injured leg forward, his voice full of fatigue and pleading: "General... brothers really... really can't walk anymore."

"Since escaping last night, we haven't had a drop of water or a grain of rice. We're exhausted and hungry... General, please let us rest for half an hour, just half an hour, to catch our breath..."

"Yes, General, take a break..."

"I really can't walk anymore..."

There was a sudden echo of voices around, and the soldiers' eyes were filled with a desire for rest.

Gongsun Ao's cold gaze swept over the captain and the surrounding faces filled with fatigue and despair. Although he felt reluctant in his heart, the expression on his face became increasingly cold and hard.

He snorted coldly, his voice like the chill of autumn wind, brushing against everyone's eardrums. "Rest? The pursuers are only half a day's distance behind us! If we rest here, we're just waiting to die, giving the Chu army a chance to catch up with us!"

He suddenly raised his voice, like a thunderclap: "I know you are tired! Isn't the Chu army tired too?"

"They've been attacking the city for a whole day and pursuing it all night. Aren't they tired? But why don't they stop?!"

His eyes were sharp as a knife, staring at everyone: "Because they are the victors, they want to kill us all, leaving no one alive!"

"The pursuers haven't even stopped yet. How can we, the defeated generals and stray dogs, have the right to rest here?!"

He waved his hand fiercely, speaking decisively and without room for doubt: "Execute military orders! Everyone, move out immediately! Anyone who delays will be punished by military law! Go!"

Gongsun Ao's words were like a whip, lashing the hearts of every exhausted soldier.

Although he was extremely reluctant and his body was already exhausted, his fear of the pursuers and his awe of military law eventually overwhelmed his fatigue.

The team began to move with difficulty again, and the speed seemed to be a little faster, but the atmosphere became more tragic and desperate.

But on the same day, on another official road leading to Hongdu City, there was a completely different scene.

A huge army is marching in a mighty manner, with flags waving and swords and spears everywhere. The soldiers are marching in step and their morale is high.

On the most conspicuous huge flag of the central army, there was a domineering word "Huo" embroidered in a flamboyant and majestic style!

At the front of the team, Duke Protector of the Country Huo Quji sat upright on a majestic black horse.

He was wearing a black Qilin Swallowing Heaven armor that gleamed faintly in the sunlight, and his scarlet cloak fluttered in the wind behind him.

He was only twenty-eight years old, with a handsome face, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. His brows were filled with the heroic spirit of a young man who had achieved success and a strong self-confidence that was almost conceited.

Although he had been defeated in several previous battles with Chu Ning, this did not really dampen his inner pride, but instead aroused his stronger desire to win.

This time he was ordered to rush to Xunyang for assistance. Not only did he bring the troops allocated by the court, he also brought almost all the elite troops left behind in the country, a total of 50,000 troops!

He was ambitious and planned to gather the defenders of Xunyang and soldiers from surrounding counties to form a force of 100,000 to fight Chu Ning and avenge his previous defeat!

He was immersed in thoughts of how to deploy his troops and how to fight Chu Ning on the battlefield when a cavalry captain came galloping from the direction of the front army with a nervous look on his face. "Report! Your Excellency, an urgent letter has been sent by carrier pigeon from the front!"