Lu Ming and the others watched in astonishment as that heavy gate was battered full of holes, until it hung ready to fall.

At last the gate came down with a roar.

Yuan Long bellowed, "Ning'an Army, into the city with me! Wipe out the rebels!"

Men and horses in their thousands poured into the city like a flood, and there was no standing against them.

Lu Ming stared, dumbstruck. This... it had not been an hour yet, and the gate really had been broken.

He came to himself with a start. "Officers and men, our chance to earn it back has come! Into the city with me... Kill rebels and nothing more. Do not harm the common people. There is to be no rape and no robbery. Anyone who disobeys is beheaded!"

Inside the city, a soldier burst in on Qu Lang in alarm.

"General, the gate is broken! Ning Chen's army is coming in!"

Qu Lang was aghast. Broken through this fast?

"General Qu, the Ning'an Army is coming! Our men cannot hold them at all!"

An officer came running up in a panic to report it.

Qu Lang's face drained to a dreadful white, and sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Shameless old rogue!"

Qu Lang could not help roaring it up at the sky again.

Prince Rui had run. What in hell were they fighting for?

"General Qu, you must hold! If you can beat Ning Chen's army back, we will raise you up as emperor."

The Right Chancellor was beside himself with fear, but he still had the presence of mind to string Qu Lang along.

It was said that the first thing Ning Chen did on entering a city was to kill every gate-clan and every high official and notable in it.

If Qu Lang could not hold, every last one of them was going to die.

Qu Lang's eyes lit up.

That was true. Prince Rui had run. He could take the throne himself. Why serve that old rogue?

"Pass my order—"

The words were barely out of his mouth when they were…