novelSusiti Chapter 17 Rescuing the Perilous City, Poisoning a Loyal Minister
Chapter 17 Rescuing the Perilous City, Poisoning a Loyal Minister
On the city wall, weapons clashed.
The cracking sound was deafening.
Liu Shan and Guo Huai were locked in a fierce battle.
The swords clashed, each strike potentially fatal.
Several more bloodstains appeared on the dragon robe.
The wound on my arm was being pulled, causing excruciating pain.
But he still gripped his sword tightly.
They refused to yield an inch.
Until Chen Dao's shout pierced through the fighting.
Liu Shan was slightly distracted.
His gaze was fixed on the silver-armored cavalry below the city.
Chen Dao dismounted.
Carrying a long spear, he stepped over the corpses and rushed up the city wall.
He knelt on one knee, his voice urgent yet steady.
"Your Majesty, this humble general has escorted the Prime Minister to provide support!"
Liu Shan's heart tightened.
Sheathed her sword, forcing Guo Huai back, and staggered half a step.
Ignoring the bleeding from his arm, he pressed for an answer.
"Where is the Prime Minister? Why is the carriage nowhere to be seen?"
Upon seeing this, a glint flashed in Guo Huai's eyes.
He swung his sword down again, shouting angrily.
"Liu Shan, you little brat, will surely die if you're distracted!"
"Your Majesty, be careful!"
Chen Dao leaped into the air, his spear blocking the attack.
A crisp "clang" sounded.
He forcefully took a blow from Guo Huai.
The gun barrel trembled, and my arm went numb.
The White Feather Soldiers followed closely behind and rushed up the city wall.
They instantly engaged in battle with the Wei soldiers.
Silver armor swirled, and long spears formed a forest.
The city wall defenses were already in dire straits.
They had another chance to catch their breath.
Chen Dao fended off Guo Huai's fierce attacks.
He replied urgently.
"The Prime Minister is well!"
"It's just that General Li Yan is the protector of the prime minister."
"He was poisoned by a needle from Sima Yi's assassins and fell into a coma."
"The Prime Minister personally stayed by his side."
"I have ordered you to lead your elite troops to support Your Majesty first, and I will arrive shortly thereafter!"
Liu Shan frowned, his heart sinking.
Li Yan was poisoned by a needle?
Sima Yi's assassins were incredibly ruthless!
Although the Prime Minister is safe, Li Yan has been poisoned.
Dong Yun has not yet arrived, and the whereabouts of the secret letter are unknown.
Sima Yi then personally launched an attack.
The crisis today has not lessened in the slightest!
He suppressed his anxiety.
He raised his hand and wiped the blood off his face.
He shouted sternly.
"Chen Dao, lead the White Feather Soldiers to guard the breach in the city wall."
"Stop Guo Huai's army!"
"I will go and secure the direction of the secret entrance."
"We must not allow the Wei army to break through completely!"
"This humble general obeys the order!"
Chen Dao responded in a deep voice.
With a flick of his spear, he forced Guo Huai to retreat.
He turned around and shouted at the white-feathered soldiers.
"My comrades, defend the city walls to the death! Do not yield an inch!"
Liu Shan gripped his sword tightly.
His gaze swept over the remaining defenders.
The sound pierced through the sounds of battle, resounding with power.
"Soldiers of Shu, today we will defend the West Gate to the death!"
"The Prime Minister will arrive soon; Sima Yi's conspiracy will surely be foiled!"
The garrison heard that Zhuge Liang was coming.
Their morale soared once again, and they shouted in unison.
Following Liu Shan, they rushed towards the hidden door.
They engaged in a fierce battle with the Wei soldiers hidden in the secret door.
Guo Huai was relentlessly pursued by Chen Dao.
Liu Shan personally went to guard the secret gate.
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
However, they were unable to break through the White Feather Soldiers' defenses.
He felt a growing anxiety in his heart.
Guo Huai gripped the knife hilt tightly with his fingertips, his expression solemn.
Chen Dao's White Feather Army truly lived up to its reputation.
If this drags on any longer, Zhuge Liang will arrive.
Our army is doomed to defeat!
We must breach the city walls as soon as possible.
Otherwise, by the time the Grand Tutor's army arrives, it will be too late to turn the tide!
He exerted his strength suddenly, and his knife skills became increasingly ruthless.
Each strike was aimed at Chen Dao's vital points.
He roared angrily.
"Chen Dao, if you know what's good for you, get out of the way!"
"Otherwise, we'll all perish together today!"
Chen Dao's expression remained unchanged.
The spears were wielded with such precision that there was no gaping hole.
His tone was icy, and his words were forceful.
"Guo Huai, don't even think about harming His Majesty in the slightest."
"Today, I will make you die here!"
The two exchanged blows, locked in a fierce and relentless struggle.
The sound of metal clanging was incessant.
Blood splattered on the bricks and tiles of the city gate tower.
The scene became increasingly tragic.
Meanwhile, five miles outside Chengdu.
Zhuge Liang sat upright in the carriage.
He stared solemnly at the unconscious Li Yan.
Li Yan's eyes were tightly closed, and his face was bluish-purple.
His lips were black, and there was a poisoned needle wound on his back.
Large patches of it had turned black, and its breath was faint.
Their lives are in danger at any moment.
The army medic knelt to one side.
He was covered in sweat and shook his head repeatedly.
"Prime Minister, this poison is extremely strange."
"The needles are coated with a rare poison from the Western Regions called 'Qianji Yin'."
"There is no cure, I... I am powerless to help!"
Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan.
My fingertips trembled slightly.
His gaze fell on Li Yan's face.
A hint of regret and solemnity flashed in his eyes.
He sighed softly, pondering to himself.
Although Li Yan had made mistakes, he was still a minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor of Shu Han.
She was poisoned today while protecting me.
If we cannot save him, we will not only fail His Majesty's trust.
This will further chill the hearts of the gentry in Yizhou!
Sima Yi was ruthless.
They actually used such a deadly poison!
"Investigate again!"
Zhuge Liang's tone was firm and left no room for doubt.
"Search everywhere for medicinal herbs that accompanied the army, even if there is only a sliver of hope."
"We can't give up!"
"In addition, send someone back to Chengdu by fast horse."
"Send word to Lord Qiao Zhou, ordering him to gather renowned physicians from Shu and bring them here immediately!"
"promise!"
The guard bowed in agreement and immediately turned and sped away.
Zhuge Liang bowed down.
Gently press on Li Yan's pulse.
The pulse was weak and feeble, almost stopping.
He sighed inwardly.
Li Yan, if you can hold on until the renowned doctor arrives.
There might still be a glimmer of hope.
However, this "triggering" effect occurs extremely quickly.
Can you handle it?
Meanwhile, Dong Yun was surrounded by masked men in the wilderness.
All the guards had been killed in battle.
He was left all alone.
Holding a long sword, his body was covered in wounds.
He tightly guarded the secret letter in his arms.
He leaned against the tree trunk.
He was panting heavily, and the wound on his chest reopened.
Blood soaked through his clothes.
Every movement was accompanied by excruciating pain.
The masked man at the head of the group slowly stepped forward.
He pointed his curved sword at Dong Yun and sneered.
"Dong Yun, the guard is dead."
"You're all alone now, why don't you hand over the secret letter?"
Dong Yun slowly raised his head.
His eyes were filled with determination, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.
"You'll get the secret message only if you die!"
"This secret letter concerns the survival of Shu Han."
"It concerns His Majesty's safety."
"Even if it costs me my life, I will never hand it over to you!"
Dong Yun frowned, his heart burning with anxiety.
His Majesty is still overseeing the battle at Ximen.
Unaware of Sima Yi's true conspiracy.
The secret letter stated that Sima Yi planned to take advantage of the chaos to launch a surprise attack on the palace.
If it cannot be delivered to His Majesty in time.
The imperial palace is doomed, and Chengdu is doomed!
Even if it means fighting to the last breath.
We must break through!
He exerted his strength suddenly.
Dragging his battered and bruised body.
He swung his sword and charged at the masked man.
Knowing they were no match for the enemy, they still did not back down.
A hint of impatience flashed in the masked man's eyes.
He sidestepped and swung his curved blade.
The sword slashed Dong Yun's arm, and fell to the ground with a thud.
Dong Yun staggered and fell to the ground.
Yet he still held the secret letter in his arms tightly.
Even though his arm was bleeding profusely, he refused to let go.
The masked man stepped forward.
He stepped on Dong Yun's chest, his tone sinister.
"If you refuse a toast, you'll have to drink a penalty cup."
"Since you refuse to hand it over, then I will come and collect it myself!"
Just as he reached out to snatch the secret letter.
A rapid sound of horses' hooves rang out.
A cavalry unit galloped in.
The leader held a long knife and had a fierce expression.
It turned out to be reinforcements sent by Qiao Zhou!
"You audacious traitor, do not harm Lord Dong!"
The leader of the reinforcements shouted loudly.
He spurred his horse forward, his long sword pointing directly at the masked man.
The masked man was secretly alarmed.
Unexpectedly, reinforcements arrived.
He dared not linger in the battle.
He glared at Dong Yun fiercely, then turned to break through the encirclement.
"Where do you think you're going!"
The reinforcements rushed forward and surrounded the masked man.
Amidst the flashing swords and clashing blades.
Despite their valiant resistance, the masked men were ultimately outnumbered.
He was killed with a single blow, and his mask fell off.
Another assassin under Sima Yi.
The leader of the reinforcements quickly stepped forward and helped Dong Yun up.
He asked urgently.
"Lord Dong, are you alright?"
"His Majesty ordered us to come and meet you. Is the secret letter safe?"
Dong Yun gave a weak smile.
He slowly took out the secret letter from his pocket and handed it over.
Hoarseness.
"The secret letter...is intact."
"Quickly...quickly send it to the West Gate and hand it over to His Majesty."
"Inform Your Majesty that Sima Yi's target... is the Imperial Palace!"
"promise!"
The leader received the secret letter and immediately gave instructions.
"Leave two men to escort Lord Dong back to the city for treatment."
"The rest of you, follow me to the West Gate at top speed and deliver this secret message to His Majesty!"
The battle at the West Gate tower was still fierce.
Liu Shan led the defending troops to hold the secret exit tightly.
The sword in his hand was already broken.
He picked up the long knife from the ground and continued fighting.
Several more wounds were added to his body.
Yet they still didn't retreat even a step.
Liu Shan gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with determination.
Hold on, you must hold on!
Dong Yun should be arriving soon.
The Prime Minister will arrive soon.
As long as we hold the West Gate, we can defend Chengdu.
There is still hope!
But what he didn't know was...
The elite troops personally led by Sima Yi.
They have already arrived outside Chengdu.
They were quietly lying in ambush outside the four gates.
They were just waiting for Guo Huai to break through the west gate.
They immediately surrounded the palace from all sides and headed straight for it.
What he didn't expect was...
The poison in Li Yan's body has already begun to spread.
Zhuge Liang stayed by his side, his expression growing increasingly solemn.
The military medics were at their wits' end.
Their only hope lay in the renowned doctor that Qiao Zhou had found.
Chen Dao gradually lost ground in his battle with Guo Huai.
The White Feather Army suffered heavy casualties.
Guo Huai's longsword had already pierced through Chen Dao's armor.
Blood dripped down the armor, staining the ground red.
Just when Liu Shan was about to collapse.
Just as the Wei soldiers at the hidden door were about to break through the defenses.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.
The reinforcements sent by Dong Yun.
Holding the secret letter, he rushed toward the city gate.
Liu Shan looked up, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.
But just then...
Suddenly, a deafening horn blared from beneath the city gate.
The sound of the horn was deep and eerie.
It was by no means the clarion call of Shu Han.
Chen Dao's heart sank, and he stopped fighting.
Looking down towards the city.
In the distance, billowing smoke and dust could be seen.
A force of elite Wei soldiers galloped in.
The flag was embroidered with the character "Sima".
—It's Sima Yi's army!
Liu Shan was startled.
The long sword in his hand almost slipped from his grasp.
A terrible thought came to mind.
Sima Yi arrived so quickly!
Meanwhile, Li Yan, who was beside Zhuge Liang, was present.
Suddenly, he began to convulse, and his face turned increasingly bluish-purple.
Black blood gushed from the corner of his mouth.
The breath was so faint that it was almost imperceptible.
Zhuge Liang reached out his hand.
The pulse was almost gone.
Zhuge Liang frowned deeply and gripped his feather fan tightly.
He sighed inwardly.
Li Yan, are you really not going to make it?
[End of Chapter]