The battle horn sounded again through the sky. On the plain outside the south gate of Taiyuan, swords and shadows intertwined, and blood and mud mixed into a chaotic battlefield. Although Gao Changgong's personal guards were elite, they were already in danger. The suddenly betrayed troops were attacking frantically, as if their goal was not only to defeat, but to completely kill Gao Changgong.
The personal guards were dressed in hard chain mail, holding spears and shields, tightly surrounding Gao Changgong. They coordinated their movements, formed a solid formation, and tried their best to resist the enemy's attacks. A personal guard was shot in the right arm, but he still gritted his teeth and waved the spear in his hand, forcing back several enemy soldiers. There was only one belief in his eyes-to save Gao Changgong's life, even if it was at the cost of his own life.
"General, we must break through!" Feng Duo rushed out of the chaos, his face covered in blood, and rushed to Gao Changgong's side. His voice was hoarse due to fatigue from the battle, but his eyes were still firm. He waved his hand and commanded the soldiers around him to change their formation and prepare to open the way.
Gao Changgong calmly observed the battle situation, knowing that the current situation was extremely unfavorable to them. The enemy was well prepared, and the rebellious troops hit them with one blow, causing their formation to be in chaos. The elite troops that came out of the city were well-equipped, with armor reflecting the dazzling sunlight, sharp swords and spears, and fierce offensive. Gao Changgong knew that continuing to defend would only sacrifice more soldiers in vain.
"The whole army retreats and protects the left and right wings!" Gao Changgong's voice penetrated the noise of the battlefield, calm and firm. The soldiers immediately reacted, quickly adjusted their formation, protected Gao Changgong in the center, and gradually retreated.
The rebels continued to pursue them, wearing armor similar to Gao Changgong's troops, but had already exposed their unfaithful ambitions. The spears and swords in their hands ruthlessly waved at their former comrades. It was their betrayal that made Gao Changgong's team attacked from all sides. Every fallen soldier was a sharp thorn in Gao Changgong's heart. He knew that these were brothers who shared life and death.
"Feng Duo, take some cavalry to go around the left wing and raid the rebel flank!" Gao Changgong's voice was still calm, but there was no room for respite in the battle at this time. He knew that they had to create a little gap, otherwise they would be besieged to death.
Feng Duo nodded in response and quickly rushed to the left wing with a team of elite cavalry. Gao Changgong's cavalry has always been known for its flexibility and surprise attack. They wore light armor and rode swift war horses. Spears and scimitars were like deadly weapons in their hands. They quickly went around the rebel flank, the horses' hooves crushed the muddy ground, and the dust raised was like a hurricane, rushing straight to the rebel flank.
"Kill!" Feng Duo's battle cry echoed on the battlefield, and the cavalry rushed towards the enemy like a tiger descending from the mountain. Spears pierced the enemy's formation like raindrops, and the iron hooves of the war horses trampled the corpses on the ground, and bursts of wailing rang in the ears. The rebels were beaten back by this sudden offensive, and the formation was in chaos in an instant.
However, just when Feng Duo successfully raided the enemy's flank, the defenders in the city were ready. With a low horn sound, more defenders rushed out of the city gate. They were wearing heavy armor, wearing helmets, holding huge shields and spears. This unit was well-equipped and well-trained, and was obviously the emperor's elite division.
These heavy armored infantrymen advanced slowly, and the spears in their hands were like a moving iron wall, constantly oppressing Gao Changgong's troops. As they advanced, more blood and corpses appeared on the ground, and the battle situation developed in a more unfavorable direction.
Although Gao Changgong's personal soldiers fought desperately, they still found it difficult to support themselves in the face of the enemy's layers of encirclement. Several soldiers waved their swords vigorously, trying to repel the approaching enemy, but they were mercilessly pierced through the chest by the heavy infantry and fell to the ground.
"General, we can't stop it!" A confidant panted, his arm had been cut by the enemy's spear, blood was flowing, but he still gritted his teeth and fought to the death.
"Hold on a little longer, Feng Duo will come back!" Gao Changgong looked back at the team behind him with a heavy face. He knew in his heart that the battle situation had fallen into a dead end and they were about to lose their last living space.
At this time, Feng Duo's cavalry finally came back to help, but they also suffered heavy losses. Feng Duo's face was full of anger and fatigue, and the warhorse was overwhelmed by the continuous impact and gradually lost speed.
"General, the archers on the city wall have aimed at us. If we continue to retreat, more people will die!" Feng Duo shouted, with a hint of despair in his eyes.
"I know," Gao Changgong gritted his teeth and scanned the battlefield around him. The enemy's siege was getting tighter and tighter, and the formation was already unbreakable. The horses struggled in the pool of blood, and the soldiers fell faster, with countless casualties.
He turned to look at the only confidant left around him, and said coldly: "Tell everyone to prepare to break out."
"Break out?" Bai Lian couldn't help but speak, with a hint of surprise in his tone, "We are already surrounded, how can we break out?"
"We must disperse our forces and can't all be squeezed together." Gao Changgong's voice was low and firm, "I will lead part of the forces to break out to the north, Feng Duo, you lead the remaining cavalry to move to the southwest. As long as someone can break out of the encirclement, even if it is less, we still have a chance."
Feng Duo nodded, although his face was full of reluctance, but he also knew that this was the only choice at present. He waved to the remaining cavalry and prepared to break out to the southwest. Gao Changgong personally led his personal soldiers and rushed to the north.
Following Gao Changgong's order, the team quickly dispersed and broke out in different directions. However, the enemy's reaction was also extremely fast. They immediately adjusted their formation and tried to surround Gao Changgong's team again.
Gao Changgong's horse galloped in the chaos, his long sword kept waving, and the enemies fell one after another in the swords and shadows. However, the enemy's offensive was too fierce, and the road ahead was blocked. The horse suddenly neighed in fear, fell to the ground, and threw Gao Changgong out.
"General!" The guards shouted and rushed forward, but the enemy's spears were approaching. Gao Changgong turned over, his eyes were cold, and his long sword swept across, blocking the enemy's offensive. But he knew very well that the situation had reached the most dangerous moment.
The soldiers around him fell one after another, and blood splattered on the muddy ground. Feng Duo's cavalry could no longer provide support, and their breakout was also blocked by the enemy. Bai Lian's figure disappeared in the melee, and Gao Changgong's heart sank. He didn't know if she had retreated safely.
The battle gradually entered a dead end, the enemy's offensive became more and more fierce, and the number of Gao Changgong's troops decreased sharply. His heart was full of anger and unwillingness, but he understood that today's battle had already failed.
"General, retreat!" Feng Duo rushed to Gao Changgong again, his face covered in blood, but his eyes were still full of determination to fight, "If we don't retreat, we will all die here!" Gao Changgong took a deep breath, tightly grasped the sword in his hand, and scanned the battlefield around him. Although the situation was desperate, he knew he had to survive because he still had an unfinished mission. "Go!" Gao Changgong gave a decisive order and led the remaining soldiers to retreat to the north. Although they had paid a huge price, only by staying alive would they have a chance to fight back.
Bai Lian hid at the edge of the melee, her eyes full of anxiety and uneasiness. She had never seen such a fierce battle, and the sound of swords clashing seemed to pierce her heart directly. Although she was highly skilled in martial arts and proficient in assassination and concealment, she felt insignificant and powerless in the face of this overwhelming war. Every wail, every fallen body seemed to remind her that this was not just a battle, but a duel between life and death.
In the chaos, her hand tightly grasped the dagger at her waist, ready to fight for Gao Changgong at any time. But deep in her heart, she knew that the battle at this moment was beyond her ability. As Gao Changgong ordered a retreat, she fought hard to break through the siege, while secretly praying that no matter what the road ahead was, she would continue to accompany him until the end.