12dz Chapter 2168 Fight to the Death
Chapter 2168 Fight to the Death
With their commander retreating, the Chu army's last will to resist completely collapsed.
On the battlefield, soldiers were everywhere, abandoning their weapons and heavy armor, just to run faster.
Some jumped into the Huai River in an attempt to swim to safety, some crawled into the reeds in hopes of escaping the pursuit, and many more fled along the riverbank, trampling each other and causing countless deaths and injuries.
Li Guangbi did not pursue the fleeing soldiers.
His objective was clear—to control the crossing point and cover the main force's crossing of the river.
He reined in his horse, pointing his long spear toward the north gate: "Send the order! Open the passage and help the commander-in-chief leave the city!"
The five thousand elite soldiers immediately turned around and cleared the road leading to the north gate.
They annihilated the scattered Chu army resistance, cleared the roadblocks, and carved out a passage through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Meanwhile, the third batch of Tang troops had already formed ranks beneath the North Gate.
Guo Ziyi stood on the city wall, overlooking the defeat.
When he saw Wang Yanzhang's banner fall and the Chu army collapse like a tide, a complex look flashed in his eyes.
There was a sense of triumph, but more than anything, there was a profound sense of sorrow.
"General, the passage is open!" Li Guangbi's messenger galloped in: "Please, General, leave the city and cross the river immediately!"
Guo Ziyi did not hesitate: "Send the order to cross the river immediately according to the pre-arranged plan!"
Once the order was given, the Tang army, which had already assembled below the city, began to move.
The first batch of 6,000 elite troops, with the support of Li Guangbi, quickly crossed the battlefield and headed towards the banks of the Huai River.
There, 120 fast boats had already emerged from the reeds and lined up in a row on the shore.
"Get on the boat! Hurry!" the boatmen urged hoarsely.
The soldiers filed onto the ships, fifty men per ship, and set sail as soon as they were full.
The oars sliced through the water, and the fast boat sped towards the opposite bank like an arrow released from a bow.
Although the Huai River is wide, these boats are specially made fast boats with slender hulls and strong oarsmen, and can reach the north bank in just a quarter of an hour.
As the first ships left the shore, the eastern horizon was already beginning to lighten.
Guo Ziyi watched the ships disappear into the morning mist and felt somewhat relieved.
He turned around and said to the generals behind him, "Second batch, prepare."
Li Guangbi wanted to say something more, but looking into Guo Ziyi's unwavering eyes, he could only clasp his hands in a deep fist salute.
"I obey your command!"
He turned and left the city to organize the second group to cross the river.
On the city wall, Guo Ziyi stood alone.
The morning breeze ruffled his gray hair and beard, and stirred his tattered cloak.
He gazed at the opposite bank—where the first Tang soldiers to land had already lit bonfires, a sign that everything was safe.
He also looked southeast—where smoke and dust were rising, clearly indicating that Chu reinforcements were on their way.
Looking down at Jianghuai City—the city he had defended for thirty years—he was about to fall completely.
But he knew that all these sacrifices were worthwhile.
As long as this main force can withdraw, as long as the spirit of the Tang Dynasty remains—
There is still hope.
"General! The third batch is ready!" came the report from below the city.
Guo Ziyi took one last look at the city, then turned and stepped down from the city wall.
He walked quickly and steadily.
Because there is still a long road ahead.
An even more brutal war awaited him.
And Jianghuai City, behind him, will slowly sink into the abyss of blood and fire.
That page of history has been turned.
But history is far from over.
When Han Xing's 30,000 iron cavalry arrived at the North Gate like thunder, the morning light had already pierced through the clouds, dyeing both banks of the Huai River a blood-red hue.
What he saw was a scene of utter devastation: the Chu army was routed and fleeing in all directions, corpses littered the ground, Wang Yanzhang's command flag lay fallen in a pool of blood, and the 20,000-strong army had completely collapsed.
Meanwhile, on the banks of the Huai River, dozens of fast boats were carrying the third batch of Tang soldiers across the river, while more boats had already unloaded soldiers on the opposite bank and were returning empty.
"Block the ferry crossing!"
Han Xing's eyes were bloodshot, and he pointed his long sword forward: "The cavalry will flank them from both sides, and the infantry will charge straight at the crossing! We cannot allow them to cross even a single soldier!"
Thirty thousand Chu troops surged toward the banks of the Huai River like a tidal wave.
The cavalry outflanked the river from both sides, attempting to cut off the connection between the crossing and the north gate, while the infantry squares, like moving steel walls, pressed directly towards the Tang army that was crossing the river.
But just as the Chu army was about to encircle the crossing, the north gate suddenly opened.
A Tang army force of about 8,000 men marched out in formation.
This army was completely different from the troops that had crossed the river before them—their armor was tattered, everyone was wounded, and many soldiers didn't even have complete weapons. Some held broken spears, some carried dulled knives, and some simply carried a shield.
But their eyes were unusually calm, a calmness that was unsettling.
At the forefront of the army formation, a tattered banner bearing the character "Guo" fluttered in the morning breeze. Beneath the banner, Guo Ziyi, clad in worn armor, had hair and beard as white as snow in the morning light.
He did not ride a horse, but stood on foot with his sword at the forefront of the entire army.
"Guo Ziyi!" Han Xing's pupils constricted sharply: "He actually personally covered the rear!"
The two armies were no more than three hundred paces apart.
Guo Ziyi slowly raised his longsword, his voice aged yet clear: "Soldiers of the Great Tang—"
Eight thousand remaining soldiers stood solemnly.
"Behind us are our comrades, who are crossing the river to survive."
Guo Ziyi pointed his sword at the Huai River: "Before me are the iron cavalry of the Chu army; we will cut off their path to survival."
He paused, then his voice suddenly rose: "I ask you—today, shall we retreat or fight?"
The response from eight thousand men shook the entire field: "Fight!"
"Very well!" Guo Ziyi pointed his longsword forward: "Then let the Chu army see the will of the men of Tang to fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"
Amidst roars, the eight thousand remaining soldiers unexpectedly charged towards the thirty thousand Chu troops.
They had no formation, no strategy; they simply surged toward the enemy like a flood bursting its banks, ramming them with their bodies, hacking at them with swords and axes, and biting them with their teeth.
A mad urge to perish together burned in everyone's eyes.
Han Xing's face turned ashen.
He never expected Guo Ziyi to use such a suicidal tactic, nor did he expect that these remnants of the army could unleash such terrifying fighting power.
"Form ranks! Spearmen, advance!" Han Xing shouted the order.
The Chu army quickly changed formation, with three tiers of spearmen stepping forward, their spears pointing like a forest at the charging Tang army.
This is a standard defensive formation, strong enough to crush any light infantry charge.
But what Guo Ziyi wanted was this momentary delay.
"Release the arrows!" he suddenly roared.
On the north gate tower, the last three hundred Tang archers appeared—this was Guo Ziyi's last trump card.
Ignoring the risk of exposing themselves, they relentlessly rained arrows down on the Chu army's ranks.
Arrows rained down like locusts. Although most were blocked by shields, many still managed to penetrate the enemy lines, causing brief chaos in the Chu army's formation.
In that chaotic moment, Guo Ziyi personally led a thousand-strong suicide squad, like a sharp knife, to pierce the junction of the Chu army's formation, the weak point where the spearmen and archers met.
"Stop him!" Han Xing shouted urgently.
But it's too late.