A line of large carts moved through the crowd, the sounds of battle cries surging like tides from all directions.

This group, positioned behind the Wu Rui Camp's formation, was originally composed of conscripted soldiers and volunteer militia gathered from all over. Although they followed the Wu Rui Camp's movements and had established superiors, they were far from being a cohesive, well-controlled force. Some were zealous, others timid. When the Jurchen cavalry charged from the side, not even needing the full force of their linked horses, the end of the battle line facing the attack quickly collapsed.

At this moment, the officers within the formation naturally led their own loyal troops to save their lives. Some rushed forward, while others fled in different directions. There was little high ground, and the people were surrounded by immense pressure. Arrows occasionally flew across the night sky in the distance. As the Jurchen cavalry charged in, the exact number and distance of the enemy were unclear to most. Just as they were filled with trepidation, the iron cavalry, like a flood, was upon them, raising their swords high. At that point, all around was chaos, with men and horses falling, and blood and gore flying everywhere.

Amidst the deafening clamor, the thousand-strong Jurchen cavalry led by General Sukena smashed into the rear of the battle formation. After cutting a bloody path through it, they collided with a force putting up a fierce resistance.

The vanguard of these Jurchen cavalry units was typically composed of the most elite soldiers. General Sukena was among them, but he would never be the first to charge. His trusted aides, brothers, and the most skilled warriors in the army surrounded him, cutting down enemies in the direction he commanded.

In the years since the Jurchens had risen in revolt, they had annihilated the entire Liao Dynasty. These men were the mainstay of that campaign. Many could be considered battle-hardened veterans, not only fearless but also skilled in preserving themselves during efficient slaughter. The first man in the vanguard was named Nadu, Sukena's most trusted brother and a veteran who had risen with Aguda. A man like an iron tower, he wielded a long saber taller than a man, hacking and slashing. He roared like a demon, leading the charge, his saber and the front of his horse stained with blood and minced flesh.

Even so, the cavalry's advance barely slowed. It wasn't that no one dared to stand in their way, but the defenses were still forming, and they were cut down by the cavalry's sabers. The horses trampled over blood and corpses. Finally, after cutting down several fleeing soldiers, a wave of murderous intent struck.

Before Nadu, the bloodthirsty demon, appeared a spear formation.

He roared "Ah—" and swung his saber to smash it.

In his advance, he had encountered such spear formations before, but unless the spears were truly as dense as a forest, he could smash the spears aside with the back of his saber, and his warhorse could charge straight through. Few could withstand such an attack under his giant blade. But this time, with a loud bang, sparks flew in the air. He felt a jolt in his hand, and sensed the murderous intent bearing down. In front of him, a bald giant leapt into the air, raising a heavy bronze cudgel.

Nadu's body almost reflexively twisted aside, using the force of the impact. Around him, other Jurchen soldiers charged forward with their sabers.

The battle cries shook the heavens. The bronze cudgel crashed down on Nadu's warhorse's head, sending blood and gore flying as the horse's skull shattered. The horse's body buckled forward and crashed to the ground. Simultaneously, blood bloomed around them. Several warhorses seemed to have collided with hard reefs, falling to the ground with sprays of blood, their momentum carrying them forward. Nadu leapt to his feet and shouted, "Careful!" He swung his saber fiercely. Arrows whizzed through the air, and several Jurchen warriors fell from their horses. Then, covered in blood, they charged forward with their sabers.

The flood crashed against the reef. A hard, violent cry of battle erupted. On one side were soldiers seasoned in war, on the other were martial artists who had tasted blood on their blades year after year. Most could be considered masters. After training and a degree of incitement, using the small formations designed by Zhou Tong, they resolutely blocked the Jurchen vanguard. Flying through the air were not only crossbow bolts, but also several fishing nets with barbs.

Various weapons clashed. Warhorses charged, crashing to the ground with thick blood. Hooves kicked wildly in all directions. At the center of the battle line, the giant Nadu wielded his steel blade, forcing several men back. The bald man with the bronze cudgel fought him for several rounds, but his bravery and ferocity were no match. He was forced back several steps by the sheer force of the blows. Less than ten feet away, Sukena galloped forward through the horses. He already knew that he had encountered the elite of the Han, but he felt no hesitation. His eyes burned with zeal. Slightly to the side, a young man named Yuwen Feidu leapt out of the battle line. He was given a push in the sole of his foot by one of his teachers, borrowing the force to fly through the air, gripping his saber with both hands, and charging towards the Jurchen who looked like a general.

"Waaah—"

An arrow shot into Sukena's shoulder. He felt only a slight pain, but his eyes were still fixed on the Han youth flying through the air. Yuwen Feidu gripped the wolf-toothed saber with both hands, raising it behind his back and slashing down on Sukena's head.

With a "Bang!" Sukena swung his saber upwards to block. His warhorse neighed and lurched to the side. Yuwen Feidu was thrown to the side, crashing into a Jurchen knight's warhorse. In an instant, the two were entangled. The warhorse reared and struggled, and Yuwen Feidu blocked the Jurchen knight's saber. He was then struck by the knight's headbutt. He used his Eagle Claw to grab the knight's throat, but the Jurchen broke free. The saber reversed, and Yuwen Feidu snatched the saber, and after several exchanges on horseback, Yuwen Feidu pulled out a dagger and slit the knight's throat. A Jurchen knight galloping by swung his saber to cut him down. He blocked with the dagger, but another saber struck. The youth ducked to avoid it, and stabbed his dagger into the warhorse's neck, slicing it.

Thick blood spurted out, and the warhorse crashed to the side. The youth tried to get up, but found his leg pinned under the horse's body. Ahead, the Jurchen cavalry's iron hooves thundered towards him, and the spear formation nearby charged forward.

In an instant, yellow dust filled the air, and blood sprayed. As Yuwen Feidu struggled to be dragged from under the horse and pulled backwards, he realized that not only was his thigh injured, but he had also been stabbed in the ribs at some point, and was bleeding. The blood from the warhorse, and the blood from both sides as they fought to save him, had soaked half his body red.

All around was slaughter, and the battle line had spread to both sides.

If these two or three hundred men from Zhu Family were the most elite force that Ning Yi could muster, they had managed to block the Jurchens' initial charge. However, such a charge was nothing more than the force of a few, a dozen, or a few dozen men, which had already been weakened by the friendly forces in front, allowing them to be effectively blocked in the early stages.

Even so, the warhorses - even the ones being killed before their eyes - charging forward were like a moving wall to ordinary people, causing significant damage and intimidation. As the vanguard was blocked, the Jurchen cavalry behind pushed outward to the flanks. In an instant, the rushing flood was about to become a roaring tide.

Yuwen Feidu saw Zhu Biao and Qi Xinyong stab the giant Jurchen to death with their spears.

Yuwen Feidu saw one of his teachers fall to the ground, covered in blood.

He saw Yue Pengju leading the spear formation to charge forward.

He saw the Master Ning Yi, who had killed two people, turn and walk towards the rear.

He saw that almost everyone was covered in blood.

He saw the Jurchen cavalry still pouring in.

At the rear of the formation, the carts were in chaos. The horses pulling two of the carts seemed to have been startled. One charged towards the flank of the Jurchen cavalry, and the other charged towards the center. A driver tugged at the reins, trying to stop them, but was being dragged along. The Jurchen general roared a few commands, and the fighting on the front line intensified. The original formation began to break down.

The two carts entered the Jurchen cavalry formation. Not far behind, someone suddenly tightened a rope connected to the rear of the cart.

Sukena saw the knife wounds on the horses' hindquarters. Then, light and flames filled his vision.

A deafening roar. The explosion caused several casualties, and the Jurchen horses nearby were startled, running around wildly. Sukena had fallen from his horse, his ears ringing, his vision blurred. As he rolled a few times and got up, the flickering scene gradually cleared. A Han charged towards him, swinging his saber at his neck—

At this moment, whether it was fierce fighting or slaughter caused by cowardice, it was constantly appearing on this vast and chaotic battlefield. The fighting strength displayed by the hundreds of Zhu Family was worthy of the word fierce, but it was by no means unique. However, the sudden light and explosions rising in the night sky attracted the attention of the Jurchens, and another cavalry force charged towards them. The carts clashed and moved, and then one cart after another had to be detonated on the battlefield. This light and flame stretched along the way, accompanied by the constantly increasing casualties and blood of the Zhu Family members targeted by the Jurchen cavalry...

****************

The capital, for many, was a sleepless night.

Fan Lou.

Shishi knelt in the room, burning incense and praying silently. Through some channels, she had vaguely learned that the court would launch an attack on the Jurchens today. She hoped that by dawn, good news would be brought to the city.

But many dignitaries' mansions were alarmed by the news. Although it was under curfew, some officials still hurried back and forth, confirming the information that they could not believe. However, soon after, another piece of news came. Although many people thought such news was absurd, it had indeed become a reality.

At some point in the middle of the night, the palace gates opened, and the first to come out was the Empress's carriage.

Li Gang rushed out of the Prime Minister's living room, stumbling in his haste. He was old, and the fall was severe, his forehead cut. Soon, blood flowed freely. But fortunately, his body was strong, and after simply wrapping it with a white cloth, he was able to continue running. Qin Siyuan also came out from here, going in another direction after getting into his carriage.

Tang Ke sat in his study, reading a book. Great achievers maintain composure in the face of major events, and he couldn't do anything about the current situation, so he could only read. But at this moment, he couldn't focus on anything.

He was startled when a servant announced Qin Siyuan's visit, but he quickly asked him to come in.

Qin Siyuan almost ran in.

Tang Ke and Qin Siyuan had known each other for a long time. Although they often debated and argued due to their different stances on war and peace, they could still be called friends. Seeing Qin Siyuan in such a state, he was confused and uneasy, but he put on a cold expression, cupped his hands, and went straight to the point: "I know the Western Army has been defeated, and the other armies are probably doomed. But even so, you still have things you can do. What are you doing coming to Tang?"

Qin Siyuan was also unceremonious and said urgently, "This is not about the war..."

He explained the situation. Tang Ke was stunned, staring at him. Then, his eyes filled with blood, the veins on his forehead bulged, he held onto the desk, and swayed. After a moment, he said, "How... How can this be?"

Shortly after the Empress's carriage left the palace, Emperor Zhou Zhe's carriage followed, chasing after them. The two teams of people, one in front and one behind, fled south of the city. Because the Emperor's escape was slightly delayed, it gave the officials in the city some time to react. Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Li Gang, and others had all chased after them. However, Li Gang's pursuit was only in a single carriage, while Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and others brought their families and belongings. Many people only started putting on clothes once they were in the carriage, and they chased after them in a grand procession...

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