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

The terrain officer's words made Xue Che's eyes light up: "Good! Send the order—First Battalion and Second Battalion, immediately dig three trenches in front of the gentle slope, each trench one zhang wide and five chi deep, with sharpened wooden stakes driven upside down into the bottom of the trenches!"

"Third Battalion, collect all the carcasses of the fallen horses, pile them behind the trenches, pour kerosene on them, and ignite them if necessary to form a wall of fire!"

"Order!"

"Fourth Battalion, Fifth Battalion,"

Xue Che continued to give orders: "Pile up stones and broken wood on both sides of the gentle slope to build a simple fortification! All archers, go to the top of the slope, divide into three teams, and take turns firing!"

"Sixth Battalion, push all our remaining tanks and supply wagons to the top of the hill, remove the wheels, turn the shafts outwards, and connect the wagons with chains to form a wagon formation!"

"Deploy all remaining ballistae and catapults behind the wagon formation!"

A series of orders were issued in rapid succession.

Although Xue Che's command was not as exquisite as Xue Huaide's, it was pragmatic and ruthless.

He knew that his troops were insufficient and his equipment was damaged, making it impossible for him to confront the Chu army head-on.

Their only hope was to use the terrain to build fortifications and buy time with their lives.

"General!"

The lieutenant rode forward and whispered, "We don't have many arrows left, less than ten per person on average, and only thirty barrels of oil are left."

Xue Che was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Tell the archers that they are only allowed to fire arrows within fifty paces, and that every arrow must hit its mark. As for the oil, we will ignite it after the Chu army has crossed the second trench."

"What if the Chu army bypasses the gentle slope and flanks them from both sides?"

"So we need to be fast."

Xue Che looked into the distance, where the smoke and dust from the Chu army were already clearly visible; they would arrive in no more than a quarter of an hour.

"We must establish a complete defensive line before they complete the encirclement. Also—"

He paused, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Send five hundred elite soldiers, carrying all the remaining oil canisters, to ambush behind the piles of rocks on both sides of the gentle slope."

"If the Chu army attempts to encircle us, charge out, ignite the oil, and perish together with the enemy!"

The lieutenant was terrified: "General, this..."

"Excuting an order!"

Xue Che's voice was icy: "In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are needed. We are inherently warriors; the more enemies we kill, the safer His Majesty will be."

"This humble general... obeys."

The command was executed swiftly.

The 10,000 Tang soldiers displayed astonishing efficiency.

They knew their time was running out, and everyone gave it their all.

Trenches were being dug rapidly, ramparts were being built quickly, and vehicle formations were taking shape on the hilltop.

The archers were inspecting their bowstrings and arrows, the swordsmen were sharpening their dulled weapons, and the spearmen were sharpening their broken spears.

There were no complaints, no fears.

There was only a kind of almost devout focus.

Because they knew this might be the last battle of their lives.

Xue Che rode his horse to inspect the defense line.

He saw a young soldier tightly binding his sword to his hand with strips of cloth—to prevent it from slipping out of his grasp.

I saw a veteran teaching a new recruit how to deliver the most lethal shot with minimal effort.

They saw the archers checking each other's quivers, concentrating the intact arrows on the most accurate shooter.

His eyes felt a little hot.

These are all good soldiers.

They are all fine young men of the Tang Dynasty.

Unfortunately... today, they will all perish here.

"General, the vanguard of the Chu army has arrived!" the lookout shouted a warning.

Xue Che suddenly looked up.

Three miles away, the vanguard cavalry of the Chu army was already clearly visible.

It was a light cavalry force of about three thousand men, galloping at full speed, clearly intending to break through the Tang army's defenses before they could establish a firm foothold.

"Order the entire army—prepare to meet the enemy!" Xue Che drew his long sword and rode his horse to the forefront of the chariot formation on the hilltop.

Behind him, ten thousand Tang soldiers quickly took their positions.

Three thousand swordsmen and shieldmen crouched before the trench.

At the top of the hill, four thousand archers drew their bows and nocked their arrows.

Behind the chariot formation, two thousand spearmen stood ready with their spears raised.

There are still a thousand men left, as the final reserve force, and also the final suicide squad.

The morning wind howled, stirring up sand and dust.

The vanguard of the Chu army had already charged within a mile, and the sound of their hooves thundered in.

Xue Che took a deep breath and gripped the hilt of his knife tightly.

There is no retreat in this battle.

The only option is to hold on to the death.

They held out until their last drop of blood was shed.

We held out until His Majesty was safely evacuated.

"Soldiers of the Great Tang Dynasty—"

He roared, his voice echoing across the wasteland: "Today, let our blood stain this land red!"

"Let future generations know that here, ten thousand men of the Tang Dynasty fought to the death for their country!"

"Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"

With a roar, the vanguard of the Chu army had already charged three hundred paces away.

The arrow is on the string.

The sword has been drawn.

The final gamble has begun.

The vanguard of the Chu army, three thousand light cavalry, swept across the wasteland like a silver tide, drawing a sharp arc as they charged straight at the defensive positions that the Tang army had just erected.

These cavalrymen were a detachment of Feng Mulan's Xuanjia Iron Cavalry. Although they were not as elite as the main force, they were still a battle-hardened army. At this moment, they charged at full speed with astonishing momentum.

Three hundred steps, two hundred steps, one hundred steps—

"Fire arrows!"

Xue Che gave a stern order from behind the vehicle formation at the top of the slope.

Om-!

Four thousand Tang archers fired their arrows simultaneously.

Arrows soared into the air like swarms of locusts, tracing dense arcs in the morning light before falling into the charging Chu cavalry ranks.

The distance was too close, and the arrows were launched in a projectile motion, falling almost vertically. Many Chu cavalrymen did not have time to raise their shields to block before being hit in the shoulders, backs, and on their horses.

The first rank of cavalry fell, and the second rank, unable to get out of the way, trampled each other. The momentum of the charge was halted.

But the Chu army was an elite force after all, and the vanguard general immediately ordered: "Spread out! Divide into three groups and flank from the left and right wings!"

The three thousand light cavalry quickly dispersed, transforming into three torrents: one continued to charge forward, while the other two maneuvered to either side of the gentle slope.

This is a standard cavalry tactic for breaking through enemy lines—restraining the defenders from the front while flanking them from the flanks, preventing the defenders from supporting each other.

"Think beautifully!"

Xue Che sneered: "Archers—fire on both flanks! Third Battalion, Fourth Battalion, hold the flank fortifications!"

Upon receiving the order, the Tang army responded swiftly.

The archers on the left and right flanks changed direction, and a rain of arrows covered the flanking Chu cavalry.

Although the arrows were limited and could not be fired continuously, this volley still cost the outflanking cavalry a price, with dozens of riders falling to the ground after being hit by arrows.

On the front, the remaining Chu cavalry had already charged to the trench.

The first trench was ten feet wide and five feet deep, with sharpened wooden stakes driven upside down at the bottom.

The charging cavalry had no time to slow down, and dozens of riders in the front row fell directly into the ditch!

The warhorse neighed in despair, the rider fell, and was instantly impaled by a wooden stake.

But the cavalry behind them did not retreat; instead, they accelerated forward—they wanted to fill the trench with the corpses of their comrades!

"Second trench—ignite!" Xue Che roared hoarsely.

The Tang soldiers, who were lying in ambush behind the second trench, immediately lit the oil that had been prepared beforehand.

Boom! Flames shot into the sky, forming a wall of fire three zhang wide between the two trenches!

The Chu cavalry, caught off guard after charging across the first trench, were startled and their horses reared up.