With a million soldiers, the empress begged me not to rebel

Inside the ancestral hall, the smell of blood was unpleasant.

Broken limbs were scattered all over the ground, it was a pure hell on earth.

Chen Qingwan held a saber with blood dripping from the tip, and glanced around with cold eyes.

Although the Zhang family's guards fought desperately, they were gradually defeated under the fierce attack of the Tiger Head Army.

"Those who resist will be killed without mercy!"

Chen Qingwan's voice was cold and ruthless, echoing in the ancestral hall.

The battle was extremely brutal, and the Zhang family guards relied on their familiarity with the terrain to put up a stubborn resistance.

They make use of the terrain such as houses, rockeries, and gardens.

A street battle broke out with the Tiger Head Army, and for a while, the Tiger Head Army found it difficult to advance.

Chen Qingwan frowned. She didn't expect the Zhang family guards to be so tenacious.

The longer it takes, the more disadvantageous it will be for her.

The Zhang family's influence in Huai'an City is deeply intertwined. Once the Zhang family reacts and mobilizes reinforcements, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Damn it!"

Chen Qingwan cursed inwardly, she had to end this battle as soon as possible.

"Pass the order down, abandon the brute force attack and use fire instead!"

Chen Qingwan gave the order decisively.

"Fire attack?" The deputy general hesitated.

"Your Majesty, a fire attack might harm innocent people!"

"You're too soft-hearted!" Chen Qingwan scolded angrily.

"Those who achieve great things don't care about trivial matters! Besides, these people are all die-hards of the Zhang family. Keeping them around would only bring disaster!"

The deputy general did not dare to refute anymore and immediately went down to convey the order.

Soon, the soldiers of the Tiger Head Army shot rockets and torches at the houses in the Zhang family compound.

The dry wooden structure caught fire immediately and the raging fire spread rapidly.

The fire spread across the prairie, and the Zhang family compound was instantly engulfed in flames with thick smoke billowing.

The flames shooting up into the sky lit up half the sky red, making the night as bright as day.

Screams, shouts, and the sounds of collapsing houses were intertwined.

The Zhang family's hundreds of years of foundation, accumulated wealth, power, and glory were all reduced to ashes in this fire.

The head of the family, Zhang Ye, is currently hiding in a secret passage in the cellar.

The secret passage is narrow and cramped, the air is polluted and suffocating.

He hunched over and covered his ears with his hands.

But it still couldn't block the deafening shouts and explosions outside.

The explosions came one after another, shaking the cellar.

"Master, let's go! It will be too late if we don't leave now!"

The voice of an elder of the clan sounded in the cellar, trembling and anxious.

He was old and frail, and it was difficult for him to walk in the tunnel. At this moment, he was panting and his face was full of fear.

"Go? Where to?"

Zhang Ye's eyes were red and bloodshot, and he asked through gritted teeth.

"Hundreds of years of foundation of my Zhang family, the hard work of our ancestors, have been destroyed just like that! I will never forgive them!"

Zhang Ye clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his flesh, but he felt no pain at all.

His heart was filled with flames of hatred, and he wished to tear those who set the fire into pieces.

"Master, as long as there is green mountain, there is no fear of running out of firewood!"

"Let's escape first, then make plans! A gentleman's revenge is never too late!"

Zhang Ye took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

Now is not the time to act rashly, saving your life is the most important thing.

He suppressed the anger and grief in his heart and said slowly, "Let's go!"

Zhang Ye waved his hand and led some of his tribesmen into a deeper secret passage.

They walked with one foot deep and one foot shallow, and everyone's heart was filled with fear.

The exit of the secret passage is located in a hidden woods outside the city.

After a long and arduous journey, Zhang Ye and others finally escaped from the secret passage.

They were all ragged and covered in dust.

After escaping from the secret passage, Zhang Ye looked back and saw that the Zhang family compound had been engulfed in flames.

Thick smoke billowed straight into the sky, turning the entire sky black.

Zhang Ye felt heartbroken and filled with grief and anger.

He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Who is it? Who did it?"

An elder of the clan stepped forward tremblingly and said with a sob:

"Master, what should we do now?"

Another elder cried out:

"My home! My home! It's all gone!"

Zhang Ye took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

He looked around at the tribesmen who had escaped with him.

A strong sense of responsibility surged in his heart. He was the backbone of these people and he could not fall.

He suppressed the grief in his heart and said in a deep voice:

"Stop crying! Let's find a safe place to stay first, and then we can make a long-term plan!"

"Master, where are we going now?" asked an elder of the clan.

Zhang Ye frowned, he didn't know where to go.

We can’t go back to Huai’an City, as it must be full of enemy troops.

He looked up into the distance, his eyes falling on the rolling mountains in the west.

I felt extremely uncomfortable, as if an invisible big hand was holding me tightly, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Everything the Zhang family owned was burned down by the fire.

Hundreds of years of foundation were destroyed in an instant.

Everything he had vanished into thin air.

……

The fighting in the city continues.

In Huai'an City, shouts of killing shook the sky, and the clanging of weapons rang out continuously.

The raging fire devoured houses, streets, and everything, turning this bustling city into a sea of ​​fire.

Among the broken walls, corpses were lying in all directions, including those of the soldiers defending the city and those attacking the city.

They all fell in this cruel war.

Blood dyed the ground red, gathering into small streams that flowed through the ruins.

The strong smell of burning and blood was unpleasant.

At the north gate, there was a general covered in blood. He was Xiashanhu.

Although he was wounded in many places and his battle robe was soaked with blood, there was a glint of excitement in his eyes.

The joy of victory made him forget the pain temporarily.

He strode towards Chen Qingwan with steady steps, showing no sign of fatigue at all.

Walking up to Chen Qingwan, he knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and said:

"Your Majesty, the north gate has been breached!"

Chen Qingwan was still dressed in men's clothes, looking heroic.

She nodded slightly and asked calmly:

"What are the casualties?"

"Your Majesty, the Tiger Head Army has over 200 dead and over 400 wounded."

Xiashanhu reported the truth, with a heavy tone in his words.

War has always been cruel, and even victory is inevitably accompanied by casualties.

Chen Qingwan frowned slightly, her heart in turmoil.

She knew very well that behind every number stood a living life and the brokenness of a family.

But she couldn't show any sadness and had to remain calm.

Only then can she lead her soldiers to final victory.

"Pass the order down. Collect the spoils immediately, especially the war horses from the horse market. All soldiers should be equipped with three to four war horses each."

"Evacuate Huai'an City in one hour!"

Chen Qingwan gave the order decisively.

Time is running out, she must evacuate Huai'an City as soon as possible to avoid being surrounded by Zhang Xinwang's reinforcements.

"Yes, sir!" Xiashanhu took the order and left, quickly conveying Chen Qingwan's order.