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

The Tang generals were taken aback.

Abandon defense?

Surrounded on all sides and outnumbered by the enemy?

Li Guangbi surveyed his generals, a faint smile playing on his lips—a final, triumphant laugh as the general faced his end.

"Gentlemen, the defense line has been breached, and there is nowhere left to defend. But we are soldiers, soldiers of the Great Tang. Soldiers can die in battle, but they cannot wait to die."

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose:

"Since we can't hold on, then let's not hold on! All troops, charge! Forget formations, forget tactics, just—kill the enemy!"

"Killing one is enough!"

"Killed two, made a profit!"

"Killing three—is to avenge our fallen comrades!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Guangbi stepped down from the command platform, mounted his horse, and raised his long spear high.

"Soldiers of the Great Tang—follow me, to the final battle!"

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

The remaining 20,000-plus Tang soldiers erupted in a final frenzy.

They abandoned their defensive formation, their shields, and their spears.

Everyone was like madmen, carrying knives, holding guns, or even empty-handed, charging back against the Chu army surging in from all directions!

This is not a fight.

This is going to one's death.

They gave their lives to earn the last shred of dignity.

It was with blood that the general's final glory was written.

Li Guangbi took the lead, his long spear gleaming like a dragon, charging straight towards Zhao Yu's location.

He wanted to find the Chu general who had broken through his defenses and settle the score with him.

As Zhao Yu was charging into battle, he suddenly saw a large banner with the character "Li" coming like thunder. He was stunned at first, then his eyes flashed with wild joy.

Lee Kwang-bi!

The greatest general of the Tang Dynasty actually charged into battle himself!

"Well done!" Zhao Yu pointed his silver spear forward and led his personal guards to meet the attack.

The two armies met suddenly amidst the chaos.

A long spear against a silver spear.

Veteran vs. Young Marshal.

The Tang Dynasty versus the Southern Chu.

The final battle has begun.

The entire battlefield has descended into complete chaos.

The Tang army abandoned its defenses, and the Chu army no longer paid attention to formations.

The soldiers from both sides were locked in a fierce battle, their weapons intertwined.

Swords flashed, blood and flesh flew. People fell one after another, and others took their place.

Screams, roars, and the clash of weapons filled the air, turning the wasteland into a true hell on earth.

However, the Tang army's fierce counterattack actually temporarily halted the Chu army's offensive.

The Chu army never expected that these enemies, who were on the verge of collapse, would unleash such terrifying fighting power.

They don't defend, they only attack; they don't form ranks, they only charge; they don't seek life, they only seek death.

Such an enemy is the most terrifying.

Because they are fearless.

Because... there is no way out.

Li Guangbi and Zhao Yu fought for ten rounds without a clear winner.

Although this veteran is over fifty years old, he is highly skilled in martial arts and has extensive experience.

The long spear was as easy to wield as an extension of his arm, proving effective in both offense and defense.

Although Zhao Yu was brave, he could not win for the time being.

But the surrounding battle situation was rapidly deteriorating.

Although the Tang army's counterattack was fierce, it was ultimately outnumbered and exhausted.

Under the repeated attacks of the Chu cavalry, the momentum of the counterattack was rapidly weakening.

Twenty thousand people are being slowly devoured by sixty thousand.

Li Guangbi saw this and was very anxious.

But there was nothing he could do.

Because war is never decided by the martial skills of one person.

As the sun set, the Tang army's last resistance gradually subsided.

On the desolate plains, corpses lay strewn everywhere.

The banners of the Tang Dynasty slowly fell.

Li Guangbi was left with fewer than a hundred people.

They stood back to back, forming a dilapidated circular formation, facing the Chu army surging in like a tide.

"General..." a guard's voice choked with emotion, "We..."

"No need to say it."

Li Guangbi interrupted him, planted his long spear on the ground, and slowly surveyed the soldiers around him who had followed him to the very end.

"Gentlemen, it is your honor, and my honor, to have fought alongside me, Li Guangbi, to this day."

He paused, then looked north—the direction of Chang'an.

"It's a pity that we have let down His Majesty and the Tang Dynasty."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his long spear high:

"Final charge—follow me, kill!"

The remaining hundred soldiers, like moths drawn to a flame, launched their final charge.

Then, they were completely submerged by the torrent of the Chu army.

Li Guangbi's long spear broke in the chaos of battle.

His warhorse was felled by a hail of arrows.

Despite being shot seven times, he remained standing.

Until Zhao Yu's silver spear pierced his chest.

This last great general of the Tang Dynasty finally fell slowly.

But a smile played on his lips.

It's as if it's saying: This life has been worthwhile.

Thirty years of military service, guarding the northern frontier.

If I die in battle today, my body will be wrapped in a horse's hide.

This is how a general should end up.

What he didn't know was—

On the south bank, Guo Ziyi had already died in battle.

Li Shiming is fleeing.

From this moment on, the fate of the Tang Dynasty will take a sharp turn for the worse.

Li Guangbi's death was merely the most tragic footnote in this great defeat.

When darkness enveloped the earth.

The battle on the north bank has finally come to an end.

Sixty thousand Chu cavalry, at the cost of over twenty thousand casualties, annihilated Li Guangbi's forty thousand Tang troops.

The entire Jianghuai battle came to a complete end with the victory on the north bank.

Great Chu has won a complete victory.

The Tang Dynasty suffered a crushing defeat.

The landscape of Central China was forever changed.

In the darkness of the torchlight, Ma Chao spurred his horse to Zhao Yu's side and reined in him.

His armor was still stained with blood, but his face was beaming with a hearty smile, and his voice was slightly hoarse with excitement:

"General Zhao, this fierce battle has finally annihilated this stubborn Tang army! It was exhilarating, truly exhilarating!"

He wiped the blood and sweat from his face and looked south: "There's no time to lose. We should reorganize our troops and quickly join His Majesty's central army."

"His Majesty is currently pursuing the Tang Emperor. Once our cavalry arrives, we can attack from both sides and surely seize power in one fell swoop, achieving this unparalleled feat!"

Zhao Yu did not respond immediately.

He rode his iconic white horse, his gaze sweeping across the wide, turbulent river before him like that of a hawk, then turning to the distant, undulating mountain silhouettes on the north bank.

The wind ruffled his white cloak and the mane of his white horse, but it could not dispel the deep thought in his eyes.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice steady and clear: "General Ma, the merit of annihilating the enemy depends on the bravery of the soldiers, but the situation is ever-changing, and we must take all precautions."

He raised his riding whip and pointed to the shimmering river and the opposite bank: "It is only right that you lead the main force across the river to join forces with His Majesty."

"However, since our army has all marched south, the north bank of this river will be left undefended. Even though the Tang army has been defeated, it is hard to guarantee that there will be remnants or that a separate force will be sent to spy on our rear."

"If they gather boats and rafts, take advantage of the opportunity to cross the river to the north, harass our army's rear supply lines, and even threaten Your Majesty's flanks, then the situation will be in grave danger."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao's smile faded slightly, and he looked in the direction Zhao Yu was pointing, revealing a thoughtful expression.

Zhao Yu continued, "Therefore, I suggest that you lead the main force of infantry and cavalry to cross the river at this ferry, while I will personally lead the White Horse Cavalry to guard this north bank."

"The White Horse Army consists entirely of light cavalry with high mobility. This flat riverbank is perfect for deploying scouts to patrol the waterway."

"If any Tang army attempts to cross the river to the north, I can attack them while they are crossing or intercept them along the riverbank to ensure that my rear is safe."

"In this way, you can go south without any worries, and His Majesty's overall situation will also be secure."