Chapter 881: Nangong must not lose an inch of land before the emperor's order arrives

At this time, in Nangong Tianxia's mansion, all the generals from Qianyuan City sat together. The atmosphere was heavy and everyone's face was full of worry. They knew that if this continued, the fall of Qianyuan City was only a matter of time.

A slightly old general, with gray hair on his temples, spoke in a hoarse voice: "General, our army is exhausted and our food and grass are running out. No matter how brave the Lei Ze Dragon Riders are, they can't fight endlessly. If we continue like this, I'm afraid..."

He hadn't finished speaking, but his meaning was clear.

"General, the Lei Ze Dragon Riders are exhausted, but they still have some courage left."

"While our army still has the strength to fight, we should seize the opportunity to break out. As long as we have the green mountains, we will never be short of firewood!"

Another young general, a trace of unwillingness flashed in his eyes, continued.

His proposal was immediately echoed by many generals. They nodded one after another, looking at Nangong Tianxia with anticipation in their eyes.

Nangong Tianxia listened quietly, his eyes swept over every general present one by one, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.

He knew that these were brothers who were willing to live and die with him, but he could not easily accept their words.

"My lords, I, Nangong Tianxia, ​​have received the emperor's grace and sworn to defend Qianyuan City until my death. Now, we must not lose an inch of our territory before the emperor's order arrives! How can I abandon the city and flee without permission?"

"Besides, Qianyuan City is the gateway to the south of Daqian. If this city is lost, the entire southern part of Qianzhou will be defenseless. How can I become the sinner of the entire Daqian?"

"In this battle, if the city survives, so will the people. If the city is destroyed, so will the people. This is my oath, Nangong Tianxia!"

He stood up slowly, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his heart.

He knew that if he continued like this, it would only be a matter of time before Qianyuan City fell, and he and the Lei Ze Dragon Riders would become the martyrs of this isolated city, but he could not retreat!

His words were like a cold wind that blew away the stuffiness in the room and made the hearts of the generals sink to the bottom.

They have been with Nangong Tianxia for such a long time, and they probably all know that Nangong Tianxia has a strong character as strong as iron. Once he makes up his mind, he will never change it easily.

But now, this persistence seems a bit too stubborn, even a bit stupid in their opinion!
"General, your loyalty is commendable, but Qianyuan City is isolated and without support. If we continue to defend it, it will only cause more casualties."

"Every one of your brothers in the Lei Ze Dragon Riders is the backbone of the current dynasty. Isn't their life and death worthy of your consideration?"

"If the Taoist soldiers of Lei Ze Longqi really died with you in Qianyuan City and were annihilated by the Yellow Turban Army, then is there any point in defending this city?"

Faced with Nangong Tianxia, ​​who was already considered stubborn, the next general couldn't help but stand up and speak.

When Nangong Tianxia heard this, a trace of pain flashed in his eyes. He knew very well that behind every soldier of the Lei Ze Dragon Riders was the last foundation of the Daqian Dynasty.

But as a general, he was more aware of his responsibilities. Qianyuan City must not fall into his hands before the order from the Daqian court!
Otherwise, once Qianyuan City, a large front line, is lost, Qianzhou in the rear will not be fully prepared.

Then once millions of Yellow Turbans completely flood into Qianzhou, it will definitely be a devastating disaster for the now precarious Daqian Dynasty!
Therefore, even though he was about to collapse, he had to try his best to buy some more time for Qiandu in the rear.

Even if it is time to retreat or even move the capital!
"I, Nangong Tianxia, ​​as a general of Daqian, should put the country first."

"If I abandon the city and flee today, how can I face the people of Daqian in the future? How can I face the spirit of the late emperor in heaven?"

Nangong Tianxia closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke slowly. His tired words left the generals present speechless. They knew that in Nangong Tianxia's heart, there was something more important than life, which was absolute loyalty and responsibility to the entire Daqian Dynasty, or the Daqian royal family.

It is precisely because of this loyalty that he is willing to use his own life to defend this isolated city and try his best to give Qiandu in the rear more breathing space!
When the veteran and others heard this, a trace of sadness flashed in their eyes, then they sighed deeply and turned away.

They knew that no one could change Nangong Tianxia's decision. This loyalty and tenacity were both his strengths and his shackles.

The atmosphere in the city became increasingly heavy. The soldiers began to discuss privately. Some were desperate, some were angry, and more were silent, waiting for the decision of fate.

Nangong Tianxia still patrols every corner of the city every day, using his actions to tell the soldiers that as long as he is still there, Qianyuan City will still be there.

He would stop by every wounded bed and share his rations with every hungry soldier, even though they were already pitifully meager.

As night fell, Qianyuan City fell into silence, with only the occasional sound of patrol footsteps breaking the tranquility.

Nangong Tianxia stood alone on the city wall, looking at the sky outside the city that was shrouded in the smoke of war.

He knew that he might not be able to leave the city alive, but he would rather use his life to interpret the final glory for the Daqian Dynasty.

"Perhaps, this is my destiny."

"But even so, I want to let the Yellow Turban bandits know that if they want to capture Qianyuan City, they have to step over my dead body!"

Nangong Tianxia whispered to himself, with a gleam of determination in his eyes.

"General, the latest intelligence is that the reinforcements from the Daqian Dynasty were ambushed by the Yellow Turban Army on their way to Qianyuan City, and suffered heavy losses!"

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps interrupted his thoughts, and a messenger hurried over and knelt on the ground.

Nangong Tianxia's heart sank suddenly. He had already expected that the Yellow Turban Army would not let go of any army that came to reinforce.

But he didn't expect that the Yellow Turban Army's actions would be so swift and brutal.

He clenched his fists tightly, digging his nails deep into his palms, but he didn't feel any pain.

"Pass the order down, all troops are on alert and ready for the next round of attack."

Nangong Tianxia's voice was calm, as if nothing could shake his determination.

The messenger took the order and left. Nangong Tianxia looked outside the city again. He knew that the next attack of the Yellow Turban Army would be even more fierce.

But there will be no general attack for the time being!

As a veteran who had spent half his life in the military, Nangong Tianxia had already seen through the plans of the "Longxiang Commander" Meng Zhang on the opposite side, or it could be said that Meng Zhang had no intention of hiding it at all.

The strategy of "encircling a point and attacking the reinforcements" has been an open conspiracy since ancient times, unless one is ruthless and decisive from the beginning and abandons the surrounded bait.

Otherwise, as time goes by, the stakes will get bigger and bigger, and it will become increasingly difficult to extricate yourself, and you will just keep getting trapped!

But this is also what Nangong Tianxia wants to see. At least for Qianyuan City today, the longer it can be delayed, the better!
(End of this chapter)