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

"Pass on the order!"

Feng Mulan's voice was clear and penetrating, instantly drowning out the noise on the city wall and the distant bugle calls, clearly reaching the ears of every messenger and general around her.

"All city gates must be closed immediately! Drawbridges must be raised! All soldiers at sentry posts and behind barricades outside the city must immediately retreat back into the city! No mistakes allowed!"

"Ballast guns and ballistae are cocked, cannons are loaded with stones, and crossbowmen are in position!"

"Rolling logs, boulders, kerosene, and molten gold—all must be transported to their designated battle positions! Militiamen, go up to the city walls and assist in moving defensive equipment!"

"The west and north walls are the main defensive directions; the garrison should be doubled!"

"We must not let our guard down on the east and south sides either. Double the patrols to prevent the enemy from launching a flanking attack!"

"The cavalry reserve in the city is assembled at the drill ground and awaiting orders. No one may move without my order!"

Her series of orders, decisive, clear, and well-organized, demonstrated her exceptional command ability in the face of the enemy.

She knew that her troops needed to rest and recuperate, and that she had to rely on the advantages of the city walls and terrain to maximize the effectiveness of the defensive equipment, while maintaining necessary mobile forces to deal with unexpected situations.

Command flags waved, and horns and drums sounded in unison.

Under Feng Mulan's command, Jianghuai City, this war behemoth, quickly transitioned from a relatively calm state to the highest level of combat readiness.

The heavy gate slammed down, cutting off the passage, and the drawbridge creaked and rose.

On the city wall, soldiers ran back and forth in an endless stream, the winches of the crossbow carts turned with a teeth-grinding creak, and arrows and stones were carried up the battlements in bundles and baskets.

Boiling oil and a foul substance called "golden juice" began to heat in the iron pot, emitting a pungent odor.

Feng Mulan pressed her hand against the city wall; the cold touch of the bricks and stones made her even calmer.

She gazed at the place where the smoke and dust were heaviest in the distance, then looked back at the direction of Changtingpo, her eyes resolute.

"Your Majesty, you must return safely!"

She silently recited the mantra, then her eyes sharpened as she looked at the enemy troops surging in like a tide.

"As for you, if you want to step into Jianghuai City, first ask the twin swords in my hand and the tens of thousands of soldiers on the city walls who are sworn to fight to the death if they agree!"

Guided by signal arrows, the fields to the west and north of Jianghuai City were completely transformed into a boiling furnace of war.

Helian Hui and Gongsun Yi, these two grassland warlords, held nothing back after receiving the attack signal agreed upon by Chu Xuan and Li Shiming.

He spurred his fierce troops to launch a brutal attack on the seemingly isolated and fortified city.

Eager to avenge his previous defeat and fueled by deep-seated hatred for Chu Ning, Helian Hui personally led the newly assembled 20,000 Scorpion Clan cavalry as the vanguard.

They did not directly attack the city gate.

That's the job of infantrymen.

Instead, they took advantage of the cavalry's mobility, galloping at high speed along the outer perimeter of the city walls like a pack of black wolves.

Arrows rained down on the city walls like locusts, attempting to suppress the defenders and create an opportunity for the infantry to follow.

At the same time, several elite teams of a hundred men dismounted and carried simple but sturdy ladders.

Under the cover of a hail of arrows from the cavalry, they howled and charged toward several sections of the city wall that seemed to be less well-defended, attempting to swarm over the walls.

Gongsun Yi, on the other hand, was even more shrewd and experienced.

He did not send all 40,000 of his main force forward, but instead used several thousand dismounted archers to harass and fire continuously, exhausting the defenders' energy and arrows.

At the same time, he ordered the construction of dozens of rudimentary shield carts and battering rams, which, propelled by a large infantry unit, slowly but steadily approached the main city gate and several sections of the city wall to the west.

The shield carts were covered with wet leather and mud, effectively protecting them from arrows and ordinary boulders. The battering rams, like the horns of a giant beast, were aimed directly at the city gate.

However, what awaited them was a steel defense line meticulously prepared by Feng Mulan and already fully activated.

On the city wall, the defending troops held an absolute advantage in terrain, and under Feng Mulan's clear and decisive command, they unleashed astonishing fighting power.

"Archers, fire freely to suppress enemy archer cavalry! Focus on the infantry carrying ladders!"

"Ballista! Aim at the shield cart! Fire!"

"Armor carts, load them with loose stones and cover the area within a hundred paces of the city wall!"

Feng Mulan's voice was accurately transmitted to every section of the city wall through messengers and flags.

She herself did not stay in one place, but led a team of personal guards, like a red whirlwind, to patrol and support the most critical sections of the city wall defenses.

Two longswords of different shapes hung from her waist, one on each side.

The left sword is thick and blunt, with a wide blade that gleams with a dark, murky light. It is a heavy sword made of black iron, which cannot be wielded without divine power.

The right sword is slender and long, its blade as clear as an autumn lake, sharp and menacing, forged from refined steel. Even with both swords sheathed, their extraordinary nature is evident.

The first to bear the pressure were the north wall and part of the west wall, which faced the projectiles and climbs of Helian Hui's cavalry.

The arrows of the Scorpion Clan cavalry were indeed cunning and ruthless, causing some trouble for the defending troops.

However, the defending archers, relying on the crenellations, launched a counterattack with denser and more organized three-stage volleys.

With their superior position and superior range and firepower, they quickly suppressed the arrogance of the Scorpion Clan archers below the city.

Meanwhile, the Scorpion Clan infantrymen who carried ladders and howled as they climbed upwards suffered an even more brutal blow.

Logs and stones rained down like raindrops, heavy logs and sharp stones crashing into the ladders and the crowd, instantly breaking bones and causing screams of agony.

Even more terrifying was the boiling "golden juice" and kerosene that were poured down from the city walls.

The viscous, scalding liquid poured onto the attackers, instantly tearing their skin and flesh apart. The stench and the smell of burning filled the air, eliciting cries of despair and agony. Several siege ladders were also burned.

Gongsun Yi's shield carts and battering rams did indeed pose a greater threat to the defending troops.

Ordinary arrows clanged when they hit it, but could not penetrate it.

However, the large ballistae and catapults on the city wall, which required multiple operators, roared in anger.

"Boom! Boom!"

Giant crossbow bolts, as thick as a child's arm and barbed, tore through the air and slammed into the thick protective plates of the shield carts. The powerful kinetic energy even pierced through and overturned some of the weaker shield carts!

Instead of launching single boulders, the catapults now throw countless fist-sized pebbles.

The rubble scattered through the air, creating a deadly storm that enveloped the infantry swarm pushing behind the shield carts.

In an instant, the advance of the shield carts slowed down drastically, and cries of agony filled the air behind them.

Upon seeing this, Helian Hui's eyes turned bloodshot. He personally led his most elite royal guards, dismounted, took up shields, and braved arrows and stones to launch a fierce attack on a section of the city wall that had been slightly damaged by the hurled stones.

"Men, charge! The city's wealth and women are yours to take!"

Under his frantic supervision, dozens of valiant Scorpion Clan warriors successfully jumped onto the city wall using the cloud ladders!

The defenders on this section of the city wall were suddenly under immense pressure and plunged into a fierce hand-to-hand battle.

"Your Majesty! The No. 3 horse-faced gate on the north wall is in dire need of help!" a guard urgently reported.

Feng Mulan's phoenix eyes flashed coldly: "Come with me!"

With a light step, she moved as swiftly as a swallow, arriving at the most intense part of the battle in just a few leaps.

Several scorpion warriors had already cut down several defenders and were widening the gap, while more enemies continued to climb up.