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

Chapter 2256 A hopeless case

Gongsun Yi knew very well that Li Shimin had been keeping an elite cavalry force hidden, which might be the last trump card of the Tang emperor. If he didn't use it now, when would he?

Chu Xuan still has influence over the Youzhou army. Those defeated soldiers and troops that did not participate in the battle must be reorganized and become his vital force in the defensive war.

"Tell them!"

Gongsun Yi finally gritted his teeth and said, his voice carrying an undeniable determination.

"The lives of Gongsun Yi and tens of thousands of Scorpion Clan soldiers, as well as the success or failure of this southern expedition, all depend on this battle! I urge them to swiftly resolve the Battle of Changtingpo and provide them with support!"

The messenger received the order, mounted his horse, and, under the protection of several elite guards, galloped off into the dark night, their figures quickly swallowed by the darkness and the distant flames of war.

After giving the order, Gongsun Yi said no more. He personally dismounted his warhorse, drew the jewel-inlaid scimitar that had accompanied him in battle for many years, and strode towards the forefront of the hastily constructed defensive fortifications.

"My comrades! The Eternal Heaven is watching us! The Chu people's counterattack is only temporary!"

"Our Khan is beheading the Emperor of Chu at Changting Slope! The Emperor of Tang and the Prince of Chu are our allies!"

"As long as we hold this place, victory will surely be ours! Let the Chu people see what the backbone of the steppe eagle truly is! Follow me—fight to the death!"

Gongsun Yi's roar echoed in the night sky, somewhat stabilizing the morale of the troops who had been wavering due to the reversal of the situation.

The Scorpion Clan soldiers responded with howls, and began to dig trenches, build fortifications, and erect barricades even more frantically, preparing to face the approaching storm.

Half an hour later, at the main battlefield of Changtingpo.

The battle here has also entered its bloodiest and most intense phase.

Although Chu Ning, Guan Yun, and Ran Ming were brave, under the relentless onslaught of a massive force led by Chu Xuan and Li Shiming, their guards dwindled and their space for maneuver was severely compressed, putting them in a desperate situation.

Ma Chao was held back by Helian Hui, making his return to reinforce the city extremely difficult.

Helian Hui was caught up in the excitement of the battle and kept urging his men to intensify their attack on Ma Chao and Chu Ning's main camp.

Just then, three messengers, covered in dust and bearing arrow wounds and bloodstains, broke through the scattered fighting on the periphery almost simultaneously and found Helian Hui, Li Shiming, and Chu Xuan, who were overseeing the battle.

When Helian Hui, Li Shiming, and Chu Xuan heard the messenger's breathless and terrified report, their faces instantly turned extremely ugly, but their reactions were different.

Helian Hui was stunned, seemingly unable to believe his ears: "What? Gongsun Yi is attacked from both sides? The Youzhou army is defeated? And I, the Khan, must deal with Chu Ning as soon as possible to rescue him?"

Immediately, a surge of anger and anxiety, stemming from being dragged down, welled up inside him.

He glanced at Chu Ning and Ma Chao, who were still putting up a stubborn resistance, and then thought about the potential danger in the rear.

His eyes flashed with a fierce light, and without any further doubt, he was driven by a mad urge to break the current stalemate as quickly as possible.

"Useless! All of you are useless! Issue the order to the entire army: attack relentlessly, regardless of the cost! Kill Chu Ning first, then Ma Chao! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"

He no longer held back, throwing all his remaining reserves into the attack on Chu Ning and Ma Chao, making the offensive even more ferocious and chaotic.

But he also became more impatient, even somewhat anxious, and lost some of his composure.

Li Shiming's reaction was more composed, but a hint of fear also flashed in his deep eyes.

The turn of events at Jianghuai City was completely unexpected. Feng Mulan and Zhang Shijie's counterattack was far stronger than anticipated, and Gongsun Yi was now in a situation where he needed to call for reinforcements!

This disrupted his entire plan.

In particular, Gongsun Yi specifically requested that he use the 8,000 elite Xuanjia cavalry that had been hidden and had not yet moved to intercept Zhao Yu's white horse cavalry.

Li Shiming frowned and quickly weighed his options.

Those eight thousand Xuanjia cavalry were his last strategic reserve force, originally intended for use at the most critical moment, either to pursue the defeated enemy, to deal with unexpected events, or... to deter or even deal with Chu Xuan or the Scorpion Clan after dealing with Chu Ning.

But now, Zhao Yu's White Horse cavalry is about to arrive, and this is indeed a force capable of changing the course of the battle at Changting Slope and even the entire war. If they were to join forces with Chu Ning, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Gongsun Yi is right... Zhao Yu's White Horse Cavalry must not be let pass!"

A fierce glint flashed in Li Shiming's eyes, and he finally made up his mind.

The time has come to reveal the hidden trump card. He ordered his trusted generals in a deep voice:

"Order the commander of the 'Black Armor Battalion' to immediately lead his 8,000 cavalry southward at full speed!"

"At all costs, we must intercept and defeat the White Horse Cavalry before they reach Changtingpo, or at least hold them off for as long as possible!"

"Tell him that this battle is crucial to the overall situation; victory is essential, defeat is not an option!"

Chu Xuan's reaction was the most intense, even bordering on furious.

He was just feeling frustrated because he couldn't conquer Chu Ning after a long siege, when he heard that the Youzhou army had actually been defeated at the gates of Jianghuai City.

Moreover, he needed to strictly order them to rein themselves in, and he immediately felt a burning sensation on his face, as if he had been slapped in public.

The Youzhou army was his foundation and the capital for his betrayal of Chu Ning. Now it is so incompetent that it not only failed to break through Jianghuai as planned, but also suffered a defeat and dragged down its allies!

"Damn it! A bunch of useless trash! They're hopeless!"

Chu Xuan trembled with rage and roared, "Messenger! Go back immediately and tell General Gongsun Yi that I know! Also..."

He suddenly pointed to a capable lieutenant who had always followed him: "You, take my token and warrant, and immediately return to the battlefield beneath Jianghuai City!"

"Find the routed soldiers, regroup the various units, and execute anyone who disobeys orders on the spot!"

"Once you have gathered the forces, immediately cooperate with General Gongsun Yi in battle and make sure to stabilize the situation! If anything goes wrong again, you will be beheaded!"

The lieutenant accepted the order without hesitation and hurriedly led his men away.

Even after venting his anger, Chu Xuan's chest was still heaving violently.

He gazed at Chu Ning's dragon flag, which still stood tall, and his hatred intensified.

The disgraceful performance of the Youzhou army made him even more eager to achieve a decisive victory here, using Chu Ning's head to cover up and make up for the other defeats.

"Chu Ning...it's all because of you!"

Chu Xuan gritted his teeth and swung his sword forward again: "Kill! Kill them all for me!"

The two main battlefields, Changtingpo and Jianghuai City, experienced a deeper level of synergy and pressure transmission due to Gongsun Yi's request for reinforcements and his decisive actions.

Helian Hui's attack became even more frantic and urgent.

Li Shimin finally revealed his hidden trump card.

In his rage, Chu Xuan became even more fixated on his prey.

As a result, Chu Ning's pressure reached an unprecedented level.

The entire battle situation was like a spring compressed to its limit, which could collapse completely or rebound violently at any moment due to a break at some point.

Both sides have fought to this point and have committed all their troops!