Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 568 - 458 - Devastation of Three Hundred Li In One Shot 4 ( Request for monthly tickets and full subscription )_1

Chapter 568: Chapter 458 - Devastation of Three Hundred Li In One Shot 4 ( Request for monthly tickets and full subscription )_1

In the Forbidden City, inside the Wenyuan Pavilion, ’Shang Hong, the Deputy Minister of Ministry of War who also holds the position of Daxueshi in the Zuochun House and is a deputy minister of the Cabinet,’ sat in a corner of the pavilion, filled with concern.

In front of him, the deputy lieutenant general, Gao Gu, and the Minister of Rites, Wang Wen, who was a cabinet deputy minister as well, were having a fierce argument.

"——The Emperor is too capricious! How scarce are the manpower and arms in north Zhili now? Instead of using those seven thousand Xiuyiwei and elite chang to bolster the defence of the Capital City, they were sent to Nankou Pass to be killed.

Also, those seven thousand arquebuses were wildly sent there too. Without these firearms, how can we defend the city?"

At these words, Wang Wen scoffed: "Can we hold them back by staying in Beijing instead of going to Nankou Pass? If the Mongolian Iron Cavalry attack the city, do you believe that the people here in Beijing will all betray us?

Even if they don’t attack, they will be looting and extorting food and fodder throughout North Zhili, which would instantly destroy the situation we have had since the beginning of Jingtai. I think, not only do we have to go, but we have not sent enough. No matter how many lives it takes at this time, this passage has to be blocked."

Then he turned his gaze to Shang Hong: "As a Shilang of the Ministry of War, don’t you know this after taking over the Ministry of War after Yu Jie headed north?

If you have appointed Marquis of Jing’an Li Xuan to take over Nankou Pass, why can’t you give him more manpower and resources?"

Shang Hong could only laugh bitterly. Of course, he knew the principle, otherwise he wouldn’t have agreed so quickly to Li Xuan’s almost all requests.

But at this moment, he had to bear tremendous pressure for this. Many people in the Ministry of War and the Dudu’s mansion believed that his order was disorderly, they blamed him for pouring valuable manpower and resources into Nankou Pass, which was bound to be undefended.

Two hours ago, he had issued a document asking for two thousand bows and crossbows and three thousand arquebuses from the arsenal of the Ministry of War to be sent to Nankou Pass. But the Jishizhong in the Ministry of War rejected it, considering it as a reckless order.

His political ally, Deputy Lieutenant General Gao Gu couldn’t understand it either. However, the anger of the latter was mostly directed against Wang Wen. Gao Gu roared at this moment: "Wang Wen! You are still uttering your distorted arguments. If Beijing is lost in the future, I will lead the righteous officials of the Court to ask you, Wang Wen, about your crime of misgovernment!"

Wang Wen just smirked: "The one who mismanages is not me, but you Gao Gu Gao Shi Yong! Enough, I won’t argue with you anymore, I’m going to leave Beijing and fight against the Mongols——"

Just then, he saw a eunuch coming hurriedly from outside.

This is Wei Bailong, the trusted follower of the Emperor and Zuo Daoxing. He knelt in front of the pavilion, white-faced: "The esteemed officials, the Grand Emperor led a group of Palace Attendants and broke out of the South Palace, claiming that the enemy leader is near and Beijing is difficult to defend, so he wants to leave the palace and head south to Jiangnan. Also——"

He held his fists in his hands: "Thousands of carriages from Zhengyang Gate and Chaoyang Gate have arrived, they are all dignitaries in Beijing, causing trouble at the city gate. I have come to ask for punishment order."

Many Cabinet ministers in the Wenyuan Pavilion frowned, feeling the difficulty.

"I permit you! Start the curfew immediately throughout the town, and whoever dares to go into the street without permission will be killed without mercy!"

It was Chen Xun, the Grand Secretary sitting at the top of the hall and looking like a clay figure, who surprisingly spoke. As he stroked his beard, he opened his eyes filled with killing intent: "As for the Grand Emperor, I will personally persuade him! Also, Brother Shang, dispatch whatever you have at the Ministry of War, I will take all the responsibility!"

Shang Hong’s face changed slightly, just as he was about to comply, a joyful shout came from outside: "Good news! Good news! The letter from the left Dudu of Zuo Daoxing at Nankou Pass, they said that Marquis of Jing’an has sunk three Yunzhong warships, and seriously damaged two. The Mongolians’ warships are no longer a threat."

Although this eunuch’s voice was a little high, it was as refreshing as hearing a fairy’s sound to the ears of the Cabinet ministers.

"Is it true?"

Gao Gu, the Deputy Lieutenant General of the Cabinet, was the first to rush out, grabbing the charm arrow from the eunuch’s hand, carefully sensing it with his Divine Consciousness, and then his expression became extremely complicated.

It’s true! He recognizes the Divine Consciousness left by Zuo Daoxing inside, there’s no way it could be wrong.

But how did the Marquis of Jing’an do it? According to the letter, he used a divine artifact named ’Super Electromagnetic Cannon’ to hit and sink those five warships from a distance of two hundred fifty-li.

Shang Hong was the second one to walk out, seeing Gao Gu’s expression he knew that this must be true, so he relaxed a bit. The tense spirit finally eased a little, and a feeling of joy sprouted in his heart.

That Marquis of Jing’an really did it!

Then he rushed madly towards the Ministry of War.

At this time, a thought was in Shang Hong’s mind, disperse the manpower and material resources controlled by the Ministry of War to Nankou Pass at the fastest speed!

He was not going to bother with procedures that are informal.

After this, he will have to go to Nankou Pass in person to participate in the fight.

Just as Wang Wen said, they have to block this passage regardless of any cost!

※※※※

Front of Nankou Pass.

When Li Yan, a Canjiang of Juyongguan, stood up from the ground, he was covered in blood and flesh, his head was dizzy, and he felt nauseous.

Just now, the cannonball shot out from Nankonguan almost grazed less than a foot away from him.

The blast not only blew him more than a foot away, but also injured his brain and internal organs.

When Li Yan stood up and took in the scene in front of him, his eyes were dim, and for a long time, he couldn’t pull himself together.

He saw a ’carpet’ of red, filled with blood, flesh, and bone fragments——from the first row of this infantry array backward, there were more than one thousand corpses lying down, as if they had been ploughed through by an iron plow.

Their flesh and blood were blown into pieces, and detached arms and legs and fragmentary bodies flew all around.

This was only the Juyongguan turned soldiers under his command, the Mongolian army behind was in the same dire state. Li Yan swept his eyes to that side, and estimated that at least seven hundred people along with their mounts were blasted into pieces by that cannonball!

Even further in the back there should be many more dead men, after all, the Mongolian formations were denser than theirs, but Li Yan couldn’t see it.

The cannonball was actually only as thick as a human’s thigh. There weren’t many people standing in its direct line of fire. Yet, due to its extreme speed, the cannonball stirred up a wave of energy that formed two massive force-blade wind slices. Like two wings attached to the cannonball, they could easily shred to death any person within a nine-foot radius.

It was only because Li Yan had stepped into the Fourth Gate and his strength was profound that he escaped this deadly disaster.

However, at this moment, he felt worse than death.

Extreme fear and anxiety gripped his heart. Could they still capture the fortress under such circumstances?

"What are you staring at?!"

Li Yan roared hysterically, "Attack, everyone attack! Hear me?!"

He could not fail! He absolutely could not fail!

At this moment, he and his entire Li family were standing on the edge of a cliff. Marching forward meant that nobility was within reach, but retreating meant tumbling into the abyss and the extermination of his entire clan!

Li Yan kept telling himself that his choice could not be wrong. He absolutely couldn’t lose here!

But at this moment, another booming sound erupts from Nankou Pass. A streak of alternating blue and red light swiftly flew over, accompanied by the same burst of force and gust of energy, causing flesh and blood to scatter, and the ground where the bullet passed to disintegrate instantly!

The second carpet of flesh and blood appeared in Li Yan’s field of vision. This time it was on the left side of the square formation, where about nine hundred soldiers were harvested by the wind wings brought by the cannonball.

This caused many people to panic and flee, abandoning their weapons.

The Mongolian Cavalry following behind were also in disarray, with humans shouting and horses neighing. The once orderly army formation was in chaos.

Li Yan’s eyes were full of bloodshot, and his teeth were nearly ground to a stub: "Beasts! After the pass is broken, I’ll slaughter all of you! Anyone who retreats dies! Anyone who retreats dies!"

However, behind them, the Juyongguan General Yuan Jun laughed heartily and exclaimed: "That’s it! These treacherous bastards should all be slaughtered!"

"Old dog!"

Li Yan’s chest filled with anger, he pounced on Yuan Jun like a madman.

But at that moment, Yuan Jun suddenly broke free of all the iron chains on his body, picked up an iron spear from the side, and pierced Li Yan’s chest unguarded.

While everyone was shocked by the cannon, someone had already helped him remove all the Zhenyuan nails from his body and untied the chains on his Pipa bones.

"To die in my hands, you got off easy! You should have been tortured with a thousand cuts at Cai Shichu! But if I don’t kill you before I die, I can’t vent my anger!"

After Yuan Jun pierced Li Yan in the chest with a spear and kicked him to the ground, he stomped on Li Yan’s head as if it was a watermelon, until all the flesh and blood seeped into the mud.

After killing Li Yan, he tilted his head back and howled to vent the satisfaction in his heart, and then let out a roar of thunder.

"My Juyongguan soldiers! If anyone of you still has some spirit, follow me and fight the enemy. Since death is certain, better to die like a real man!"

All the scattering troops were startled by his roar and looked at Yuan Jun. But most of them fled in all directions. They either rushed towards Juyong Pass or hid on the sides of the canyon and climbed up the mountains.

Only about seventeen hundred men, all with pale and bleak faces, gathered behind Yuan Jun.

Disappointment filled Yuan Jun’s eyes: "A bunch of balls-less creatures! Guilty in the eyes of heaven, unable to pray for mercy!"

He turned his head to look at the last seventeen hundred soldiers: "At least there is still some spirit left, but there are too few of you. Retreat under the city wall, Marquis of Jingan should accept you.

If those inside the city refuse to let you in, then fight the enemy to atone for your sins under the city wall! After this battle, the court won’t punish your families at least."

Next, he grabbed a handful of red-tassel spears nearby, and like a shooting star, crashed into the Mongolian army lines, creating a bloodbath and causing chaos everywhere.

"If any of you survives, you can report to Shangshu Yu on my behalf, General Yuan feels regret for letting him and the Emperor down! Now I can only offer my life in compensation, Kill!"

On the city wall, watching all this, Zuo Daoxing’s eyes slightly dimmed: "This General Yuan, indeed a brave man, what a pity."

"Can’t he be saved?"

It was Zhang Yue, his face marked with respect: "After all, he’s a False Heavenly Position, it’s a pity to let him die."

Zuo Daoxing glanced at Zhang Yue. He originally had no desire to engage with someone of Zhang Yue’s title.

But this man was very close to Li Xuan, so Zuo Daoxing held him in higher regard: "This man is determined to die, he can’t be saved. With the fall of Juyong Pass, he cannot escape blame. General Yuan knows that even if he survives, he will be captured and punished.

He would rather die than accept this humiliation, it is better to die here, then the court will at least preserve his reputation. Speaking of those soldiers who retreated beneath the city wall ... "

After hesitating a bit, he tasked: "As I should notify Marquis Jingan, but he is busy operating the cannons. I will make the decision, drop the rope and pull them up. I hope that they can feel the shame and then be brave."

Wang Yuan, the Youji General of Nankou Pass, had been waiting for this order. He immediately implemented it and asked the soldiers on the city wall to throw down ropes.

At this point, Zuo Daoxing noticed a few figures flying in the distance, landing in front of the city wall.

His gaze intensifies, and his eyes manifest an icy chill.

He recognized that the person leading was Heavenly Master Qianyuan, Zhang Guanlan. Behind him were two others. One was covered in black armor with only his eyes visible; the other was in a black robe, wearing a hat, hard to recognize their identity.

Zuo Daoxing couldn’t help but put his hand on his waist sword, knowing that these Mongols were not giving up and that the final struggle was imminent.