"My Lord, they are too cruel..." Zhang Liangfang's fingers dug fiercely into the city wall, the force so great that his fingernails sank into the stone, drawing blood unnoticed.
These were their people from the Northern Territory.
The King of the Northern Territory stood beside him, his expression grave. He showed no outward anger, not even a flicker of emotion, but the veins in his hand, hidden within his sleeve, bulged, revealing his inner turmoil.
"Leave one for me," Xue Yu said, reining in his horse as he looked at the sole surviving Northern Territory citizen.
He dismounted and approached the man, who was still standing. A soldier kicked his leg, forcing him to his knees.
As the man tried to rise, a sharp sword was placed against his throat, pinning him down.
Xue Yu looked up at the King of the Northern Territory on the city wall and said coldly, "King of the Northern Territory, open the city gates. I'll leave this man to you, otherwise..."
"My Lord..." Zhang Liangfang turned to the King of the Northern Territory, noticing a glint of tears in his eyes.
He turned away, closing his eyes. He knew they could not open the gates; otherwise, the city's fate would be the same as the citizens outside.
Xue Yu frowned and sneered, "Since the King of the Northern Territory does not care, kill him."
With a wave of his hand, the man's head fell.
Blood splattered onto Xue Yu. He frowned in disgust. A nearby soldier quickly handed him a handkerchief. He wiped himself, then threw the handkerchief to the ground. Looking at the figures on the city wall, he said coldly, "Attack."
The horns blew, and Xue Yu's army of a thousand men marched towards the Northern Territory City.
"My Lord..." Zhang Liangfang spoke again.
"Proceed as planned," the King of the Northern Territory finally said.
Zhang Liangfang cupped his hands and replied, "Your subordinate obeys."
With that, he waved his hand and shouted, "Loose arrows!"
The commanders on the city wall, who could no longer bear to watch the perpetrators of such atrocities against their people, finally received their orders. Filled with righteous anger, they moved to their positions, ensuring no arrow was wasted.
Suddenly, the sounds of clashing weapons and men's roars filled the air.
"My Lord, they are attacking the city gates," a messenger reported.
"My Lord, I will go and see," Zhang Liangfang urged.
The King of the Northern Territory nodded. "Good. Ensure the city gates are held."
"My Lord, rest assured. We will defend the city gates to the death. If the gates fall, the Northern Territory will truly become a living hell."
Zhang Liangfang descended from the city wall, the rhythmic pounding against the gates outside making his heart pound.
Countless men were barricading the gates, but the external blows grew stronger with each impact. The small crack in the gate widened slightly with each successive blow.
At this rate, they wouldn't hold out much longer.
Zhang Liangfang gripped his sword tightly and stepped forward, saying in a low voice, "All soldiers, we have no reinforcements. If the city falls, the Northern Territory will be lost. At least give our citizens some time to retreat."
He then turned to a soldier beside him and asked, "How is the evacuation of the citizens progressing?"
"General, we will not leave."
"General, we will not leave..."
Zhang Liangfang trembled. He looked up to see citizens approaching. The strong men among them were converging on the city gates, using their own bodies to brace the entrance.
"General, they refuse to leave. They insist on perishing with the Northern Territory," the soldier responsible for the evacuation reported with difficulty.
An old woman stepped forward, about to kneel before Zhang Liangfang.
Zhang Liangfang quickly stepped forward to stop her, "Auntie, what are you doing? Please, rise."
The old woman said, "General, neither you nor the King of the Northern Territory have abandoned us. How can we abandon you? But rest assured, the young women have already been evacuated safely. If my old bones can hold off even one person, it will be worth it."
"That's right, General. Let us stay!"
Tears streamed down Zhang Liangfang's face as he looked at the citizens. He lifted the hem of his robe and knelt on one knee, "Thank you, my fellow countrymen. We will surely defend our Northern Territory City, our home."
Xue Yu frowned, seeing that the city gates remained unbreached. "Increase the forces attacking the city gates."
"Yes, General."
Suddenly, Xue Yu leaped forward, his long sword drawing several slashes on the city gate, creating cracks.
"Attack," Xue Yu commanded coldly.
After a few more blows, the city gate was breached.
"Kill," Xue Yu roared.
As he entered the city, the King of the Northern Territory stood at the forefront. "King of the Northern Territory, if you surrender peacefully, I can promise not to harm the citizens of Northern Territory City."
"We vow to stand with the King of the Northern Territory until death!" The citizens behind the King of the Northern Territory stepped forward, armed with whatever they could find.
Xue Yu chuckled. "King of the Northern Territory, do you think this can resist my hundred thousand strong army? You underestimate me."
"This King does not underestimate you. However, this King knows that no one from the Xue family can die without surrendering," the King of the Northern Territory stated, word by word.
Xue Yu sneered upon hearing this. "The Xue family? You are merely the illegitimate son of the traitor Xue Yun Jie. How dare you claim to be of the Xue family?"
Upon hearing this, the King of the Northern Territory looked at Xue Yu and said, "I could not choose my birth, but I can choose my path. Xue Yu, you betrayed the Empress and sided with Xue Chang An. It is an unforgivable offense. This time, this King will bring you to justice on behalf of the Empress."
Sister, watch as Zi Xuan kills those who betrayed you and avenges you.
Xue Yu sneered. Someone whispered something in his ear, and his smile widened with smugness. He said coldly, "Bring her forward."
"King of the Northern Territory, once you see this person, will you still be so composed?"
The King of the Northern Territory narrowed his eyes. Zhang Liangfang rode up and whispered, "My Lord..."
The King of the Northern Territory turned to him and asked, "Is something wrong?"
Seeing Zhang Liangfang hesitate, he couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"
"The Old Consort is missing," Zhang Liangfang said.
The King of the Northern Territory trembled. He instinctively looked up and saw Xue Yu's men pushing a woman towards him.
He recognized that the woman was wearing the same clothes as his mother had worn that morning, and her figure was identical to his mother's.
Xue Yu sneered, "I believe the King of the Northern Territory has received the news."
The King of the Northern Territory looked at the woman, his hands clenched tightly, and gritted his teeth. "Xue Yu, you are truly despicable."
Xue Yu laughed heartily. "King of the Northern Territory, do you not know that all's fair in war?"
"You..." The King of the Northern Territory gritted his teeth, as if trying to crush them.
"King of the Northern Territory, surrender peacefully, and Noble Consort Chao will be unharmed. Otherwise..." Xue Yu pressed his sword against the woman's throat.
The King of the Northern Territory's hands froze. He gritted his teeth, the sound like grinding stones. "Xue Yu, what you are doing is not the act of a true man."
"My purpose here is to capture the Northern Territory City. Do you want to see Noble Consort Chao precede you?"
The King of the Northern Territory's face turned ashen.
Xue Yu sneered, pushing the sword closer to the woman's throat. He said coldly, "Surrender, and I will spare Noble Consort Chao's life. Otherwise..."