Chapter 176: The End of the Road, Yuan Chenghuan's Madness (Subscription Request)

Outside Yunfu City, the army is approaching and is at the gates.

Li Zhongwu's voice echoed throughout the battlefield, mixed with the rebel army's roar like thunder, making it look as if they were surrounded by enemies on all sides.

At this moment, the morale of the army was completely broken, and the defenders on the top of the city looked around blankly, their eyes filled with panic and anxiety. Some people began to talk in low voices, some looked solemn, and more people were filled with fear and despair.

Yuan Chenghuan stood on the city wall, looking at the remnants of the soldiers from Chuzhou City. What kept coming to his ears was the extremely devastated shouting, which made his face turn ashen.

"Damn it, it turns out that Lin Zhongyun actually beats me like this and I still pay attention!"

Looking at the scene in front of him, he was shocked and angry. He punched the solid city wall, and blood seeped out from between his fingers, but he still didn't feel any pain.

At this moment, he was completely overwhelmed by anger.

He clearly valued Lin Zhongyun and the rebel army so much, but why did the situation deteriorate to this extent?

From the very beginning, he had noticed that the news that Lin Zhongyun was spreading about attacking Yunfu City was wrong, and he knew that there was something fishy going on. For this reason, he had been strengthening the city defenses during this period and was on high alert.

He even asked King Zhenbei for help and had prepared for the worst.

However, even so, the current situation was still beyond his expectations, and the situation was far worse than he had imagined.

Originally he thought that the news of attacking Yunfu City was just a smokescreen, but now the facts have proved that this was not a smokescreen at all, but a premeditated plan.

It turned out that Lin Zhongyun was really fighting on two fronts at the same time.

The reason why the troops have been inactive these days is not because the rebels are afraid of something, but because the time has not yet come.

You know, under heavy pressure, there will be a counterattack.

In the past few days, everyone has been on guard against sudden attacks by the rebels, so everyone is nervous and unable to sleep all night.

Under such circumstances, he had already tried every possible means to stabilize the morale of the troops, and almost everyone was under great pressure.

The long period of tension had brought them to the brink of collapse. The fire and the remnants of soldiers in Chuzhou City were the last opportunity for them to break down.

When Chuzhou City was still there, they still had hope. Chuzhou City was the reason why most people were still holding on. But now even the last glimmer of hope has completely collapsed, and the result can be imagined.

At this time, it would be extremely difficult to stabilize them and rally the army's morale. Just imagine, how could anyone be safe under an avalanche?

The defenders on the city wall had completely lost their previous morale, and their eyes were filled with panic and despair as they looked at the raging fire in Chuzhou City in the distance. The whispers around them became more and more frequent, gradually turning into panicked noises, and some soldiers even began to retreat, their steps flustered and hesitant.

"It's over...Chuzhou City is gone...How long can we hold on?"

"This... This is the end of the world..."

"We can't stop them at all. Even the border soldiers in Chuzhou can't stop them!"

The panic and despair of the soldiers spread rapidly like a plague, and the atmosphere on the entire city became extremely tense and depressing. Yuan Chenghuan clenched his fists, his heart filled with powerlessness and anger. He knew that once panic occurred, it would be like a rolling stone on a mountain and would never stop.

When a person collapses, all worries, pride, and rationality will be thrown out of his mind, and he will not listen to anyone.

At this time, the only useful weapon is time.

However, what they lack most now is time. The rebels all over the mountains will not give them time to calm these people down.

Thinking of this, Yuan Chenghuan clenched his fists, his heart filled with powerlessness and anger. He knew that if he did not take action, the entire defense line would collapse.

"Come here, bring arrows!" Yuan Chenghuan shouted, his tone suddenly became cold and stern, his eyes flashed with a hint of coldness. He aimed the cold arrows at the remnant soldiers of Chuzhou who had just saved their lives under the city.

"Since the current situation has become so bad, no matter how much we do, it will be useless. It is better to solve the problem." Yuan Chenghuan's heart was cold, and he had already made up his mind to use the most severe means to stabilize the morale of the army.

"These people must have been hired by the rebels to disrupt our morale!"

Yuan Chenghuan's voice was cold and merciless. "What if the Chuzhou army was completely wiped out? How could the rebels in front of us be so calm?"

"Could it be that the 400,000 troops in Chuzhou City did not resist? Think carefully about this fact and don't be fooled!"

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and then released the bowstring.

Rustle!!!

The long arrow broke through the air, with a sharp whistling sound, and shot towards the vicious remnants of the Chuzhou City.

The arrow shot out like lightning, accurately hitting a remnant soldier who was shouting. The remnant soldier screamed and fell to the ground, and the surrounding noise instantly quieted down.

This arrow was shot not only as a punishment for the remaining soldiers, but also a deterrent to the defenders in the city.

"Everyone listen!" Yuan Chenghuan ordered loudly, his voice echoing on the city wall, "Anyone who disrupts the morale of the army must be killed! We must defend Yunfu City, otherwise the entire northern border will fall completely!"

At this moment, all he could do was to continue to maintain high pressure and stabilize the morale of the troops.

As long as they can hold on to Yunfu City, there will definitely be a chance for a comeback. Maybe the King of Zhenbei is on his way to help? Or maybe this place is only a hundred miles away from Hanzhou, and the court has already discovered their predicament and will send reinforcements?

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind, but the prerequisite for all these possibilities was that he must defend Yunfu City.

As for the rest, he doesn't care anymore. Success or failure is just like this!
……

At the same time, Lin Zhongyun was watching the scene in the camp, and a sneer appeared on his face. "Yuan Chenghuan, Yuan Chenghuan, it seems that you are at your wits' end."

There is no one like him under this great reputation.

Under the current circumstances, it was already very good that Yuan Chenghuan could do this. If it were someone else, they might not handle it as well as Yuan Chenghuan, nor might they have the courage to shoot the remaining soldiers in Chuzhou on the spot. After all, if it was not done well, it would arouse public anger.

However, this only shows that Yuan Chenghuan has reached his wits' end, and everything he has done is just a final desperate resistance.

"How are the preparations going?" He asked Yuan Jingxin who was standing beside him, and said calmly, "Sometimes the unknown is not scary. What's scary is the feeling of powerlessness when you already know the outcome but are helpless."

"Your Excellency, according to the time, it's time for those people to take action!" Yuan Jingxin lowered his head and answered very respectfully.

This time, he was completely convinced by Lin Zhongyun and was completely impressed by Lin Zhongyun's strategy. Being able to calculate from the beginning of the war to the present, the legendary one-step three-calculation is probably just like this.

Because a few days ago, when they spread the news of a massive attack on Yunfu City, under the special instructions of Lin Zhongyun, their main target was the militia gathered from various places.

They were already in dire straits, and now they were forcibly conscripted into the battlefield to become cannon fodder. The last bit of respect they had for the Daqian court was completely gone.

The reason why they could still hold on in Yunfu City was simply because they were under pressure from the imperial court and had no choice. They had nothing but endless hatred for the imperial court.

Under their instigation, a large number of people had secretly joined them. At that time, he wanted to incite these people to make some trouble in Yunfu City and create trouble for the court, but this idea was rejected by Lin Zhongyun on the spot, saying that the time was not right.

He didn't quite understand at the time, but now he understands Lin Zhongyun's good intentions.

Now is the time for these to come into play, and more importantly, after the Chuzhou fire, those who are still hesitating will definitely know their choice.

Lin Zhongyun stood in front of the tent, a cold light flashed in his eyes. He knew that this psychological warfare was the key to victory. At this moment, Yuan Chenghuan was already showing signs of fatigue under heavy pressure, and his soldiers were gradually collapsing in panic and despair.

"Pass the order and have our hidden men take action to create greater chaos." Lin Zhongyun said coldly, "Let Yuan Chenghuan see how his city collapses in endless panic and chaos."

At this time, letting these people cause trouble would be far more troublesome to Yuan Chenghuan than burning a few granaries at ordinary times.

From the very beginning, what he was plotting was no longer the gains and losses of a city, but the entire world.

But now, victory is at hand, and Yuan Chenghuan's resistance is nothing but a dying struggle.

……

And at the same time.

On a high mountain in the distance, a man with an eagle nose, blue hair and blue eyes was ignoring everything in front of him. He also had a clear view of the situation in Yunfu City.

He then called over a Saker Falcon, wrote the scene before him on a sheepskin, and then released the Saker Falcon into the distance.

Yuan Chenghuan stood on the city wall, trying his best to calm the troops. His voice echoed in the wind: "Everyone calm down! The enemy is just bluffing. The city is strong. As long as we hold on, we will definitely be able to wait for reinforcements."

However, his words could hardly penetrate the layers of fear. The atmosphere of being surrounded by enemies enveloped the entire Yunfu City. They looked at the fireworks in the distance, heard the cries of the remaining soldiers in Chuzhou, and the despair in their hearts gradually spread.

Some newly recruited militiamen seemed particularly confused and helpless. They were forcibly conscripted into the battlefield and did not have much confidence in this war.

The riot started as a small-scale whisper and gradually became uncontrollable.

"Are we going to die here?" whispered a militiaman, his voice full of fear and despair.

"We have no chance of winning at all!" another person echoed.

These voices spread quickly like wildfire. Riots began, and the panicked crowd gradually lost control.

Some people started pushing and shoving, some tried to leave their positions, and more people began shouting and calling for escape.

"Calm down! Everyone calm down!" Yuan Chenghuan shouted loudly, trying to suppress the commotion, but his voice was drowned out by the wave of panic.

Yuan Chenghuan saw this scene, and his heart was filled with powerlessness and anger. He knew that the situation before him had reached an irreversible point. If decisive measures were not taken, the entire defense line would collapse in an instant.

Now what he was most worried about was gradually becoming a reality.

"Lin Zhongyun, you really have a good way!" He shouted fiercely with a ferocious look and bloodshot eyes. He no longer had the calmness and composure he had before, and was only mad in desperation.

The soldiers were filled with fear and despair. A young militiaman was pale, with cold sweat on his forehead. He looked around and kept muttering to himself, "We are finished, we are finished..." His hands were shaking, tightly grasping the spear in his hands, but he seemed to have no strength.

An old soldier's hand holding the weapon was shaking, and his eyes showed complex emotions, including fear of death and helplessness for not fulfilling his responsibilities. He looked around, trying to find a glimmer of hope, but all he saw were more and more deserters and chaotic scenes.

The riot gradually expanded, some people began to push and shove, some tried to leave their posts, and more people began to shout and call for escape. Several militiamen fell in the chaos and were immediately trampled by the crowd behind them. They struggled and tried to stand up, but were drowned by the wave of chaos.

"Don't push me! Let me pass!" A thin militiaman desperately squeezed out of the crowd, his face full of fear and despair. He staggered and almost fell, but still insisted on retreating. There was no fighting spirit in his eyes, only the instinctive desire to survive.

More militiamen began to flee backwards, some discarded their weapons, and some even abandoned their comrades. On the city wall, a chaotic scene spread, soldiers fled in all directions, and the entire defense line began to collapse.

"Come here!" Seeing this, Yuan Chenghuan shouted and ordered his guards to come forward, "Catch all the deserters. Those who disobey my order will be executed immediately!"

The guards acted quickly and captured the soldiers who tried to escape one by one. Yuan Chenghuan personally executed several soldiers who took the lead in escaping, hoping to use bloody means to deter others.

If such measures were used under normal circumstances, they would surely deter people and would certainly be enough to quell the riots.

However, as the saying goes, everything turns into its opposite when it reaches its extreme. Such means of suppression for several days in a row will only add fuel to the fire, arouse public anger and cause more resistance.

The soldiers on the city wall witnessed the execution of the deserters, and their already tense nerves collapsed instantly. Some began to shout: "We don't want to die here!" "We want to live!"

Even more people had dazed eyes and were at a loss. Some even started pushing each other, trying to escape from this desperate place.

At the same time, outside the gate of Yunfu City, a serious riot was taking place...

ps: I'm begging for monthly tickets! I'm begging my brothers to support me!
(End of this chapter)