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

Ma Chao completely disregarded whether there were still pursuers behind him, and ignored the enemy troops on his flanks who were trying to close the gap.

His eyes were fixed on the tattered dragon banner that became clearer in the morning light, and on the silver-armored figure beneath it, which was submerged by the shadows of the enemy!

He roared, brandishing his blunted scimitar, and charged through all obstacles in his path like a mad tiger, heading straight for the core where Chu Ning was!

"Stop him! Stop Ma Chao!"

Helian Hui saw this scene from afar and was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot and he roared wildly.

However, at this time, most of his troops were deeply engaged in the siege of Chu Ning's position, and it was difficult to spare enough troops to turn around and stop this surprise force that was like a sharp knife piercing through.

Li Shiming and Chu Xuan also noticed the change behind them, and their hearts sank.

They also found it difficult to immediately divide their forces, and could only urge their subordinates to intensify their attack on Chu Ning, attempting to end everything before Ma Chao arrived.

However, Ma Chao was too fast and his desperate attack was too intense!

The remaining Scorpion Clan cavalry attempted to intercept him, but he swept them away as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

Two hundred steps, one hundred steps, fifty steps... The distance between Ma Chao and Chu Ning was rapidly shrinking!

Finally, as Chu Ning swung his spear and knocked away a fierce Tang soldier who lunged at him, a gap appeared on his left. Another Youzhou soldier, grinning maliciously, swung his blade towards Chu Ning's neck, a point of life and death.

"clang--!!!"

A heavy, blood-stained, curved blade flew in from the sky, precisely positioned at Chu Ning's neck, firmly blocking the fatal blow!

Amidst the flying sparks, Ma Chao's tall, imposing figure, covered in blood, stood upright beside Chu Ning!

"Your Majesty! Your humble servant has arrived late to escort you!"

Ma Chao didn't even glance at the enemies who had been knocked back. He knelt on one knee, his voice choked with emotion, his tiger-like eyes filled with tears.

The remaining two thousand Xiliang cavalry behind him surged forward like a tide, quickly filling the last gaps on the outer perimeter of Chu Ning's position.

They joined forces with Guan Yun, Ran Ming, and the remaining guards, instantly forming a new defensive line that, though thin, was incredibly resilient!

Chu Ning looked at his beloved general kneeling before him, wounded yet as reliable as a mountain. His face, which had been as tense as iron, finally relaxed slightly.

He didn't speak, but simply stretched out his left hand, which wasn't holding a gun, and pressed it heavily onto Ma Chao's bloodstained shoulder armor.

it is more than words.

Ma Chao's arrival was like pouring hot oil on a dying ember.

The addition of two thousand well-rested Xiliang cavalry, while unable to reverse the overall numerical disadvantage on the battlefield, instantly greatly alleviated the direct pressure on Chu Ning and his companions.

The fierce charge of the Xiliang cavalry temporarily halted the allied forces' most ferocious siege, giving this small core position a precious respite.

Upon seeing this, Helian Hui, Li Shiming, and Chu Xuan were both shocked and furious. Although their offensive did not stop, they inevitably experienced a slight slowdown and confusion.

Ma Chao's sudden breakthrough not only brought in fresh troops, but also dealt a psychological blow to the allied forces.

Chu Ning seems to have once again grasped a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation!

Although this chance of survival was still slim, at least the imminent crisis of destruction had been temporarily blocked by Ma Chao using his own body as a shield.

The bloody battle at Changtingpo entered a new and more complex phase.

The crimson dawn completely dispelled the last shadows on Changting Slope, but it also mercilessly illuminated the increasingly undisguised anxiety and gloom on the faces of the three allied commanders.

Helian Hui paced back and forth beside his warhorse like a trapped beast, his boots making an annoying slurping sound as they sank into the blood-soaked mud.

He would occasionally look up towards the southeast, where the sky was already tinged with golden red by the rising sun.

However, beneath this light that should have been full of hope, the billowing dust representing Zhao Yu's white horse cavalry was like a deadly curse, approaching at a visible speed!

The dull, thunderous sound of horses' hooves grew clearer and clearer, each thud seeming to strike his heart heavily.

"We can't delay any longer! We can't delay any longer!"

Helian Hui abruptly stopped, veins bulging on his forehead, and roared at Li Shiming and Chu Xuan, who were also looking grave, his voice hoarse with rage.

"You've all seen it! Zhao Yu's white horse is almost here! The men I sent to intercept him won't be able to hold him off for long!"

"They're like a pack of wolves that've smelled blood, charging straight here! If we wait until they arrive, Chu Ning won't be dead yet..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the fear and resentment in his unfinished words lingered in everyone's hearts like a cold, venomous snake.

At that time, the balance of power will be completely reversed, and the three of them may very well go from hunters to prey, or even perish here.

Li Shimin, wearing a blood-stained dragon-patterned cloak, sat on a hastily moved wooden crate, his face as pale as paper, his eyes bloodshot and filled with deep exhaustion.

How could he not know that the situation was critical?

Hearing Helian Hui's roar, he merely raised his eyelids slightly, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an almost numb calmness:

"Of course I know, but, Khan Helian, look around you—"

He gestured with his arm, pointing to the Allied soldiers around him, their bodies strewn across the battlefield, everyone wounded, and their morale visibly low:

"My elite Xuanjia cavalry have gone to intercept the White Horse cavalry, and their fate is unknown."

"These are the last forces I can directly command. They have been fighting all night, suffering more than half casualties, and are almost exhausted."

The Tang Emperor took a deep breath and looked sharply at Helian Hui: "Tell me, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve? What other reserves are available?"

His words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Helian Hui's anxious heart, but they also revealed the cruel reality.

They had indeed exhausted all their resources and played almost every card in their hand to force Chu Ning into such a desperate situation.

Now, facing the approaching White Horse Cavalry, they seem to have truly reached a dead end.

An awkward silence fell between the three, with only the sporadic sounds of fighting from the distant battlefield and the ever-approaching thunder of hooves reminding them of the passage of time.

Just then, Chu Xuan, who had been frowning and whose gaze had been darting back and forth between the battlefield and the southeast direction, suddenly spoke slowly.

His voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible calculation: "Perhaps... it's not entirely without a solution."

Helian Hui and Li Shiming immediately focused their attention on him.

Chu Xuan paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts or weighing the pros and cons, and slowly said:

"At this moment, perhaps... only my defeated Youzhou army still has the strength to fight, at least... can still muster some men."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope suddenly flashed in Helian Hui's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by doubt.

Li Shiming frowned slightly, waiting for Chu Xuan to continue.

Chu Xuan continued, his tone growing increasingly heavy: "At the foot of Jianghuai City, although Feng Mulan and Zhang Shijie have temporarily gained the upper hand, General Gongsun Yi is still putting up a tenacious resistance, and the battle line has not completely collapsed."

"Although part of my Youzhou army has been scattered, there are still a considerable number of scattered soldiers. If we can use my name to strictly order them to be gathered together and offer them a generous reward, we may be able to regroup a force of several thousand or even nearly ten thousand men."