Chapter 1 The Rescue

When Xiao Wu slowly woke up, he saw the anxious gazes of several people.

"Quick, quickly save Brother Cui and the others! They only have thirty-odd people left, all wounded, and the Xiongnu are about to attack the city again!"

Hearing this news, the leader of the scouts' face changed, and he quickly spurred his horse towards Shimen Pass.

On the way, he inquired and found out exactly what had happened.

When he learned that someone in Shimen Pass had concealed the request for help, the anger in his heart soared.

Delaying military affairs was a capital crime.

But these guys didn't care at all, and even flamboyantly welcomed His Majesty into the city.

"These guys are truly more than useless!"

Soon, the news was urgently sent to Jiang Chen. Upon learning that the front line was in critical condition, Jiang Chen didn't say a word and led a group of imperial guards, rushing out of Shimen Pass.

Such a mighty and imposing force instantly attracted the attention of the Xiongnu scouts.

But thinking of those still resisting stubbornly, they sneered with disdain.

"These people are so hypocritical. If they really wanted to support them, they would have made a move ten days ago. But they only sent troops now, it's ridiculous."

"Who knows, maybe the ones trapped by us are the sons of some large families. The Mei family has done this kind of thing a lot before."

As they joked and laughed about this, Cui Qi and his men were facing their most critical situation.

Although they were all battle-hardened and experienced, the fatigue from the past few days and the wounds on their bodies were about to become the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Thinking that they were about to fall so unwillingly, their hearts were full of anger, but they were helpless.

"It's worth it to have dragged so many down with us this time."

After repelling the Xiongnu's attack for the last time, Cui Qi and the others dragged their tired bodies.

They gathered all the fire oil in the city, preparing to greet the Xiongnu who were about to break through the gates with a sea of fire.

But in the distance, a horn sounded for an attack.

Before Cui Qi and the others could react to what was happening, the imperial guards at the forefront had already lowered their bodies, spears forward.

"No matter what means are used, these warriors must be rescued."

As they spurred their horses again, they were like a sharp sword, directly tearing the Xiongnu's forces outside the city in half.

The remaining imperial guards quickly poured in, consolidating their defenses.

They had come in a hurry, with only the eight thousand imperial guards ready for battle, and no other reinforcements.

These eight thousand people seemed large in number, but after rushing into the Xiongnu's forces, they were as insignificant as a drop in the ocean.

But not a single one retreated because of this. After tearing the first gap in the Xiongnu's lines, they began to fight and retreat, moving closer to the not-so-tall city walls.

Cui Qi naturally saw the scene outside the city.

"Reinforcements are here!"

After using all his strength to open the gate, he fainted.

When he woke up again, he was greeted by Jiang Chen, his face full of worry.

Seeing Cui Qi awake, the joy on Jiang Chen's face was fleeting.

After all, this small fortress could not accommodate so many people.

Not to mention, in order to arrive as soon as possible, they had not even brought enough supplies for three days.

"Your Majesty, Shimen Pass is ready to attack at any time, and someone will come to meet us tonight."

Hearing this report, Jiang Chen nodded with a hint of helplessness.

His forces had inflicted nearly ten thousand casualties on the Xiongnu.

Because of this, the Xiongnu outside the city had completely lost their minds and were constantly attacking the fortress while shouting and cursing.

Even if the imperial guards were well-trained, they still seemed somewhat overwhelmed when facing an enemy several times their size.

"I heard that you sent out several requests for help, but there was no response. Is this true?"

Seeing that Cui Qi would not faint again, Jiang Chen quickly asked.

If this matter was confirmed, even if it meant directly going to war with the various great families, Jiang Chen would never let the Mei family off easily.

Seeing Jiang Chen's angry appearance, Cui Qi nodded helplessly.

"This humble general was originally a light cavalry general, but I offended Mei Liangxin, a Mei family member who came here to gain experience, so I was demoted to a centurion. I was ordered to go deep into the grasslands to scout the Xiongnu's movements. If it weren't for my brothers risking their lives to save us, we would never have been able to escape from the grasslands alive."

"We were exhausted and had no choice but to temporarily stay in this fortress. After being surrounded by the Xiongnu, we repeatedly requested help from Shimen Pass, but all to no avail. Even the brothers who were sent there disappeared without a trace."

"If there is a chance, I will definitely skin and de-bone Mei Liangxin, but unfortunately, that guy has the Mei family behind him, and the Mei family even has Your Majesty supporting them. How can a commoner like me pose any threat to him?"

Saying this, Cui Qi closed his eyes helplessly.

Jiang Chen simply nodded after learning about the situation and didn't react much. The most important thing now was to lead everyone back to Shimen Pass as soon as possible, otherwise, once they were completely trapped here, there would be no chance of breaking through.

Not long after, someone rushed in and brought the latest news to Jiang Chen.

"Your Majesty, Shimen Pass has already sent troops and will launch an assault by evening at the latest. We will gather the most elite forces to ensure that Your Majesty can successfully escape from here."

Hearing the person beside him address Jiang Chen as "Your Majesty," Cui Qi was very puzzled.

Before he could ask, Jiang Chen helped him lie down.

"I am the one you said who supports the Mei family. If it weren't for this time, I really wouldn't have known that these people were using my name to do so many bad things outside."

Soon, the fortress fell silent. Apart from the occasional shouts of fighting, there were no other sounds.

Noticing the fire oil piled up in the middle of the fortress, Jiang Chen had already made a decision.

Judging from the forces surrounding the fortress, the number of Xiongnu gathered here was only increasing. If they were to fight head-on outside Shimen Pass, the losses on his side would probably be far greater than the enemy's. It would be better to take this opportunity to set a trap and weaken the enemy's forces.

But how to ignite the fire oil became the biggest problem.

Just as Jiang Chen was wondering who to send to stay behind and light the fire, several heavily injured veterans主动站了出来 (zhudong zhan le chulai: actively stepped forward).

"Your Majesty, we are content that you personally led troops to rescue us. Leave this task to us. Anyway, even if we go back, we will only be a burden to everyone. It's better to let our brothers drag a few more down with us."