bayedsolid Chapter 1857: I apologize, I don’t believe it!
Chapter 1857: I apologize, I don’t believe it!
The Chu army's pursuit team came to a complete stop, as if blocked by an invisible ice wall.
On the other side, the Han army, which was fleeing for its life, was also attacked by hail, resulting in many casualties and chaos.
However, this is undoubtedly a way out for them!
Protected by the shields of his personal guards, Liu Xiu looked back and saw that the Chu army pursuers, who were originally aggressive and getting closer and closer, had now fallen into stagnation and chaos, shrouded in the white, crackling hail storm, and could no longer move forward.
Survival from desperate situation!
The huge contrast and strong relief instantly broke down Liu Xiu's tense nerves.
He was stunned for a moment, then seemed to understand something. He suddenly looked up at the dark and inexplicable sky where hailstones kept falling, and let out a nearly insane laugh, as if he had survived a disaster.
"Hahahaha! God helps me! Heaven will not destroy me! Hahahaha!"
The laughter was filled with endless ecstasy, catharsis, and a sense of self-suggestion of being blessed by fate.
He pointed at the stagnant Chu army behind him and shouted to the soldiers around him, as if shouting to the sky:
"See? Even the heavens are protecting me! Protecting the Han people! I was able to escape today, it was destiny!"
His laughter suddenly stopped, and his face showed extreme resentment and cold murderous intent. He stared at the direction of Hongdu City and swore word by word:
"Chu Ning! Dugu Jia! And all you traitors! Wait for me!"
"Today's humiliation, today's revenge, I will remember it in my heart! In the future, I will repay you a hundredfold, a thousandfold! I will definitely come back!"
After saying this, he no longer hesitated and gave a stern order: "All troops, listen up! Advance at full speed! Seize this golden opportunity and escape the pursuers!"
The remaining Han army seemed to be infected by the emperor's laughter and oath, and a glimmer of hope was rekindled.
They endured the blows of hail, supported each other, and fled westward at a faster speed, towards an unknown way of life, with difficulty but determination.
Between heaven and earth, there was only the sound of violent hail, and two armies, one fleeing and one stopping, who, under this sudden power of heaven, headed towards completely different destinies.
An hour later, the violent and bizarre hailstorm finally subsided.
Although the sky was still gloomy, it was no longer suffocatingly dark.
The washed air was bitingly cold, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of hailstones of varying sizes, which gleamed with an icy luster in the faint light of the sky. Many low-lying areas even formed patches of ice-water mixture.
The entire field was in a mess, as if it had just experienced a catastrophe.
At the end of the earth, the dull and orderly sound of iron hooves rang out again, like revived thunder.
Chu Ning personally led the main force of the army, crossed the battlefield, and arrived at the area that had just been ravaged by natural disasters.
When he rode his horse to the place where Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu stopped chasing, the scene before him made a trace of disbelief and surprise flash across his deep imperial eyes.
What he saw was not the expected scene of the Chu cavalry chasing prey, but the army standing still.
Many soldiers were cleaning up the mess and caring for the wounded, and many war horses still looked a little frightened.
On the ground, in addition to hail, you can also see some broken shields, helmets, and even scattered dead horses and soldiers' bodies.
These were the prices his elite cavalry paid for the sudden natural disaster just now.
"His Majesty!"
Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu had already seen the emperor coming, and hurried forward and knelt on one knee, their faces full of guilt, helplessness and unwillingness.
"I am incompetent! I failed to pursue Liu Xiu in time. Your Majesty, please punish me!"
Zhao Yu gritted his teeth and added, "Your Majesty, that hailstorm was too strange and fierce. The sky and the earth were dark, our vision was blurred, and it was difficult for both men and horses to move."
"If we forcefully pursue them, we will suffer heavy casualties and be easily ambushed. I have no choice but to order a temporary halt. Your Majesty, please punish me!"
Chu Ning sat upright on his horse and did not immediately look at the two people who were apologizing.
His gaze slowly swept across the devastated land covered with hail, across the wounded soldiers and frightened war horses, and finally to the west - the direction of Liu Xiu's escape.
His face was eerily calm, without any expression, like a cold sculpture.
After a long while, while Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu waited anxiously, he slowly spoke in a low voice, unable to tell whether he was happy or angry:
"The strange phenomenon sent down from the sky is beyond human prediction, and even more beyond human resistance. This is God's will, not the fault of war. I do not blame you."
He acknowledged the existence of divine providence, and his tone even carried a hint of caution towards the power of nature.
However, the next moment, he suddenly turned his head, and his eyes shot towards Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu like two cold lightning bolts.
The previous caution in that look was instantly replaced by an extremely firm, almost paranoid imperial will!
"but!"
Chu Ning's voice suddenly rose, with a firm and unquestionable determination.
"I am the true emperor! I believe that man can conquer nature!"
"A mere hailstorm is enough to stop me from executing the traitor? You want to save Liu Xiu's life? Don't even think about it!"
His words were like the clanging of metal, resonating in the cold air, carrying with them a domineering and determined spirit that defied the will of heaven.
"Liu Xiu, I will definitely kill him! No one in heaven or on earth can save him!"
Chu Ning's eyes were as sharp as a knife, as if they had penetrated time and space and locked onto his prey.
"If I remember correctly, Kunyang City is only a few dozen miles ahead from here!"
"The terrain there is open and flat, making it a perfect battlefield for our Chu cavalry to charge and kill!"
He waved his hand sharply, pointing westward, his tone swift and murderous, "This hailstorm can't keep falling forever! When it stops, it's time for our army to strike again!"
"Although Liu Xiu has 50,000 men under his command, they are all frightened birds, a defeated army, and eighty to ninety percent of them are infantry!"
"They're carrying wounded soldiers and have lost all their baggage. How fast can they run? There's no way they can escape into the fortified city of Kunyang before our cavalry catches up!"
"Xue Huaide! Zhao Yu!" Chu Ning shouted sternly.
"I'm here!" The two men were cheered up and immediately responded with fists clasped.
"I order you two to immediately reorganize the cavalry, eliminate wounded horses and exhausted soldiers, and replenish arrows and weapons! Once the ground is suitable, continue your pursuit!"
"No matter the cost, we must catch up with Liu Xiu, capture him, and destroy him before he escapes to Kunyang!"
Xue Huaide heard this and a murderous look instantly appeared on his face, his eyes gleaming with ferocity.
"Your Majesty, rest assured! If I cannot bring back Liu Xiu's head, I will bring it back to you!"
He had been holding back his anger for being forced to stop the pursuit, and now his killing intent was even stronger.
Zhao Yu also said in a deep voice: "I obey your orders! I will not let Liu Xiu escape!"
Chu Ning nodded with satisfaction, and finally glanced coldly at the hailstones on the ground:
"God's will? I want to see, is it God's will that is hard to defy, or is my will stronger?"
Soon, under the angry urging of Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu, the Chu cavalry quickly completed the reorganization.
Although slightly damaged by hail, the main force was still intact, and the fighting spirit was even higher because of the emperor's personal presence and firm will.
Rumble——!
The iron hooves knocked on the earth again, and this time, they crushed the ice on the ground with more determination and violent momentum.
Like an unstoppable torrent of steel, it rushed forward again towards Kunyang and Liu Xiu's escape route!
Chu Ning stood still, looking at the smoke and dust going away, his eyes cold and firm.
He firmly believed that on this flat plain, his cavalry would become the final nightmare for the remnants of the Han army.
God's will may be able to stop him temporarily, but the one who will win in the end will be him - the true prince, Chu Ning!