The three sides fought together, two against one, the enemy was numerous and we were few.
Ghost Eunuch's people rushed in like a tide under the charge of the eleven assassins. Swords clashed, miserable screams rose, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.
The assassins were ruthless in their killing, chopping off heads which rolled to the ground, their ferocious faces with eyes shining with bloodlust flickering in the increasingly dense bloody air.
Second Prince of Wei Country was already seriously injured by Ghost Eunuch's sneak attack, and was thrown heavily from the carriage, so it was impossible for him to join the fight. It would be a blessing if he could just stay conscious, let alone the minister beside him who was powerless.
Gong Xiaohua, Third Prince of Wei Country and the Wei general protected Second Prince and others behind them, killing their way forward.
The assassins were all highly skilled, and Ghost Eunuch's men were stronger than average soldiers. They were probably his private army, determined to take out the target.
Gong Xiaohua waved her twin blood-stained blades ceaselessly, not only facing the assassins but also enemies coming from the sides, struggling to move forward.
"This won't work. Their archers haven't appeared yet. If we continue like this, we'll either be worn down or shot dead by them. Their target is you. We have to deal with the assassins quickly first, then find a way to protect you and break out," Gong Xiaohua said to Second Prince of Wei Country.
"Alright. I owe you one this time. If we make it out alive, I'll repay you in the future," the Second Prince sincerely thanked her.
"Weren't you trying to kill me? Why not do it now?"
"Third brother is right. A hero should die honorably on the battlefield, not by despicable means," the Second Prince said solemnly.
"Are you still determined to attack Ye Country?"
Second Prince of Wei Country thought for a moment and said seriously, "Not just my father the King decides for Wei Country, attacking Ye is crucial for Wei Country's long term development, it's a major national affair. I can only promise that if I capture any city of Ye Country in the future, I will never harm the local civilians."
"Remember what you just said."
"Don't worry, I'm true to my word."
Gong Xiaohua turned to the other two, "Eleven assassins. How many can you handle at once?"
"With my skills, at most three," Third Prince said.
Wei general: "I can take on two."
"Then I'll deal with the rest."
"You alone against six? Can you handle it?" Third Prince asked in shock.
"Whether I can or not, I have to try. I'll hold them off as long as I can, you two finish off your opponents quickly and come help me."
"Alright."
"Captain Ying, guard them well, don't leave their side no matter what, unless you die in battle." Captain Ying led their protective squad on this trip. Gong Xiaohua glanced at Second Prince of Wei Country and gave the fatal order.
"Yes ma'am." Captain Ying immediately acknowledged and walked over. He greatly admired General Gong, who kept a cool head and came up with plans to achieve the most with the least cost no matter how dire the situation.
And General Gong always put Ye Country's safety first and charged at the foremost front.
Like right now, what they were doing was protecting the enemy prince at all costs, just to buy some peaceful time for Ye Country, even if it was only temporary.
At this moment, her whole body was covered in terrible blood, unclear whether from the enemies or herself. But what did that matter, they were all the same, as long as one could stand up, one had to fight for Ye Country until falling down.
In the confrontation with the assassins.
Third Prince faced off against three assassins. The assassins were not simple killers, but top assassins from another state.
Barely gaining an advantage one against three, he had trained under Ghost Eunuch since young and was praised as a genius in martial arts, but it was not easy to get rid of them quickly. In comparison, Gong Xiaohua had already taken care of two assassins.
Initially the assassins only left one or two people to deal with Gong Xiaohua, the rest went to kill the target.
But before they even reached the target, their teammates who were supposed to intercept were quickly disposed of by Gong Xiaohua.
After Gong Xiaohua finished off the assassins in front of her, the other assassins were getting close to Second Prince of Wei Country. She immediately shifted direction and charged at the five assassins.
Only then did the assassins realize the woman on the battlefield was probably the most formidable one, so the five of them started to attack Gong Xiaohua together instead.
Although the Wei general was no pushover, facing two assassins he could only protect himself for now, unable to disengage to rescue the Second Prince.
Captain Ying and his men were also under great pressure, facing over twice as many enemies, but the guards were stronger than average soldiers to begin with. It was not easy for the enemies to defeat them quickly. What's more, they had resigned themselves to death, as the front line fell, the back line would continue to fill in.
Standing outside, the assassin leader and Ghost Eunuch observed the situation in the field. It wouldn't take long before they died whether from kills or exhaustion. Feeling assured, even if they miraculously broke out of the encirclement, they couldn't avoid death by arrows.
The archers in black had encircled the battlefield, pulling their bows fully taut, ready to release arrows to kill anyone attempting to break out.
This was a hopeless situation!
Over a dozen of Qin's guards observed the battlefield situation from the shadows.
"Boss, do we charge in now?" Qin Shiyi asked.
"We need to use our brains even if charging in. If you rush out like this, you'll instantly become a porcupine. We may die but can't die so futilely. We have to create an opportunity for the young mistress to help them break out of the encirclement," Qin Yi said.
"Then what's your plan?"
"I'm thinking about it," Qin Yi frowned.
"Boss, we swore to the young lord that we must safely escort the young mistress back to the capital. Just waiting like this isn't a solution either. The young mistress has to face assassins and other enemies. If she gets careless by accident..." Qin Shiyi said worriedly looking at the intense situation ahead.
Qin Yi slapped Qin Shiyi's head, "If you can't speak properly, shut up."
Then he noticed dozens of horses in the distance and suddenly had an idea. "There are horses over there. After the young mistress deals with those assassins, we'll ride the remaining horses and charge out to attract the archers' attention, winning a glimmer of hope for the young mistress and the others to break through the encirclement."
"Can the young mistress defeat those five assassins?"
"Don't underestimate the young mistress and Third Prince of Wei Country. It's only a matter of time."
Then Qin Yi solemnly looked at his subordinates who had followed him for years, "This time, we likely won't survive."
The others responded without hesitation, "We're not afraid. We were taken in by the young lord since childhood. Without the young lord there would be no us today. We have long resigned ourselves to death."
"Alright, let's go," they silently slipped away like ghosts towards the horses, waiting for the right moment.
