What a Liu Hongji, to have even guessed this correctly.

Li Jiancheng gritted his teeth fiercely, once again drawing his bowstring to full tension, aiming at the soldier about to fly over Luoyang’s airspace. This time he aimed for the completely undefended head. Just as the sharp arrow left the string, it was also the moment when the soldier lit the fire stick and placed it on the fuse!

“Puff!” This time there was no accident – the arrow struck right between the eyebrows. At this moment, the fire stick had not yet ignited the fuse. Just as Li Jiancheng was breathing a sigh of relief, the soldier, already on the brink of death, forced himself with his last breath to ignite the fuse, which rapidly shortened at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Seeing this scene, Li Yuanji was shocked and horrified, shouting loudly: “Run quickly!” As he spoke, he grabbed Li Jiancheng and rushed down from the city tower. The other soldiers also fled in panic toward the bottom of the tower. The only ones who didn’t escape were the catapults and ballistas – those dead ends!

“Boom!” When they had run only halfway, a tremendous explosion came from the city tower. The entire tower seemed to shake, followed by countless stones raining down like hailstones. Li Yuanji tightly protected Li Jiancheng beneath him, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain from his back.

After an unknown amount of time, the dust and smoke finally settled, and everything returned to calm. But the surroundings were already devastated – many soldiers had been killed by the blast or thrown from the tower by the massive shockwave because they couldn’t escape in time. Those lucky enough to survive were covered in blood, constantly moaning in pain.

Li Jiancheng straightened up, staring blankly at all this. Just… just in an instant, everything he had worked so hard to build was destroyed?

Li Yuanji also saw this scene and said through his pain: “Big brother, don’t worry. Even without the catapults, we can still defend Luoyang. Everything will be fine!” The wound on his arm had torn open again, blood staining the bandages red.

Before he finished speaking, tremendous sounds of battle came from outside the city. Li Jiancheng’s expression changed as he took three steps in two, quickly rushing toward the city tower. He saw a vast black mass of Tang army, led by Yuchi Jingde and Du Ruhui, charging toward Luoyang city – roughly seventy to eighty thousand strong.

Seventy to eighty thousand… It seemed the Tang army had bet everything!

When they were still more than ten zhang from the city walls, Li Jiancheng finally came to his senses, screaming hoarsely: “Someone! Come quickly! Defend the city wall! Absolutely cannot let them climb up! Hold the line for me!” The fatal blow made Li Jiancheng hysterical. Under his shouting and Li Yuanji’s calls, the uninjured soldiers below finally snapped back to awareness, hurrying to the city tower and frantically shooting arrows at the Tang soldiers beginning to climb the walls. The few undamaged catapults and ballistas were also moved up from below to counterattack the Tang army.

Although the stones and crossbow bolts with plague poison frightened the Tang army, firstly their numbers had drastically decreased and could no longer cause large-scale damage as before; secondly, the Tang army was extremely hateful of Li Jiancheng’s viciousness and swore to kill him, so even knowing the path ahead might be death, they refused to retreat.

Under these changing circumstances, Luoyang city, once solid as gold and stone, became precarious. Li Yuanji leaned on his sword, gasping heavily. From just now until now, he had killed at least dozens of Tang soldiers, but these people seemed not to know how to write the word “death” and continued climbing up in endless streams. Already wounded, and with the explosion just now, his strength had reached its limit.

“One-two-three! One-two-three!” Below the city tower, after each shout came a tremendous crash – the sound of battering the city gate with giant logs. Although Luoyang soldiers desperately braced against the gate, with each impact the door would shake, making them uneasy. At this rate, the city gate would eventually be broken open!

This time, it was the Luoyang soldiers’ morale that wavered. Li Jiancheng knew this but was helpless, only able to pray constantly here, hoping to defend Luoyang, or… to hold out until Li Shimin died!

After barely repelling another wave of Tang soldiers who had climbed up, Li Yuanji pulled Li Jiancheng aside and whispered: “Big brother, if this continues, Luoyang might not hold. While the city hasn’t been breached yet, you should quickly…”

“I won’t go anywhere!” Li Jiancheng harshly interrupted him, gritting his teeth: “Luoyang city can definitely be defended! If you’re afraid of death, go ahead and leave!” As he spoke, another Tang soldier climbed up. Li Jiancheng raised his blade and fiercely chopped off the man’s head, crimson blood splashing on his face, making him look as ferocious as a demon!

“Big brother!” Li Yuanji grabbed him, earnestly saying: “I’m not afraid of death, I’m afraid something will happen to you. I know that in your view, Luoyang is our last stronghold, but in my view, as long as big brother lives, there’s hope for a comeback.”

“Comeback?” Li Jiancheng sneered coldly: “Unable to take Chang’an, unable to defend Luoyang – what do I have left for a comeback?!”

“No matter what, while Luoyang hasn’t yet fallen, big brother should quickly take ten thousand personal guards and leave through another city gate. I’ll hold off the Tang army for you!” Those ten thousand personal guards were elite soldiers Li Jiancheng had personally selected from Luoyang’s army.

After waiting a while without hearing Li Jiancheng speak, Li Yuanji pleaded again: “Big brother, with your abilities, you can definitely make a comeback!”

Under his repeated persuasion, Li Jiancheng finally wavered: “But what about you then?”

Li Yuanji’s expression darkened momentarily, then he said: “As long as big brother is safe, I’ll be at peace!”

Li Jiancheng was silent for a moment, then said: “Come with me. Let Jiang Yuan guard this place.” Though naturally cold-hearted, after all these years of Li Yuanji faithfully following him, loyal and always obeying his commands, he had some feelings and couldn’t bear to leave him alone in Luoyang city.

Li Yuanji’s eyes showed a trace of gratitude as he shook his head: “If I leave, Luoyang will truly become scattered sand. Jiang Yuan… cannot hold it.”

“But once the Tang army breaks in, you’ll die!” Facing Li Jiancheng’s words, Li Yuanji said sadly: “In life, one must die. To die for big brother is my honor. I only ask one thing of big brother – kill Li Shimin!”

Li Jiancheng gritted his teeth: “Li Shimin and I have hatred deep as the sea. Even if you don’t say it, I must kill him!”

Hearing this, Li Yuanji smiled: “That’s enough. While there’s still time, big brother should leave quickly. If they really break into the city, even wanting to leave won’t be possible!”

Li Jiancheng was not someone who dragged his feet. Although he didn’t want Li Yuanji to die, he understood more clearly that if they didn’t do this, both would fall into Tang army hands and die together!

He gripped Li Yuanji’s shoulder tightly, choking up: “Yuanji, take care. If… if it really comes to that, listen to big brother – go along with Li Shimin for now, preserving your life is most important. Big brother still needs your assistance.”

Meeting his gaze, Li Yuanji nodded forcefully: “I understand big brother’s meaning. Rest assured, I’ll adapt to circumstances.” Speaking thus, he glanced at the fierce battle around them and lowered his voice: “Leave quickly, slip out of the city quietly without alarming others.”