……
The atmosphere in the room returned to being warm as spring. Xie Yanfang donned his cloak, bowed in courtesy, and took his leave.
“Lord Xie,” Deng Yi called out to him again, asking, “Where does your Xie family’s Yan Lai plan to abduct the Empress to?”
After the attack, Chu Zhao refused to return. Now that Xi Liang even had scattered soldiers crossing beyond Yunzhong Commandery, there was still no news of Chu Zhao’s return.
That Xie Yanlai, who supposedly went to fetch the Empress on the Emperor’s orders, also had no news.
“Third Young Master, controlling the Son of Heaven can command the feudal lords. Controlling the Empress can only command General Chu Ling, and the gains don’t outweigh the losses. You should understand this very clearly.”
Xie Yanfang turned back, smiled, and said, “The Grand Tutor worries too much. We only want to ensure the Empress’s safety.”
With that, he said no more and walked away at a leisurely pace.
Standing outside the hall, the cold wind dispelled the warmth and also cut off Deng Yi’s line of sight. Xie Yanfang smiled. Actually, Deng Yi was wrong—it wasn’t their Xie family’s Yan Lai who abducted the Empress. It should be the Empress who abducted the Xie family’s Yan Lai.
Xie Yanlai left the capital without regard, falsely invoking the Emperor’s orders—how could it be to bring her back?
If one cherishes her, naturally one would also cherish what she wishes for.
……
……
Dense snow pellets fell from the sky. The Northwest welcomed its first snow, but there was no joy about auspicious snow presaging a good harvest—people didn’t even notice it was snowing.
Torches were scattered along the city wall, residual fires sending up smoke. Blood-stained soldiers squatted among them, listlessly gnawing on dry cakes. Who knew how long it had been since they’d eaten, but having received rations, they didn’t feel particularly hungry. It seemed it didn’t matter whether they ate or not.
Clang clang clang—the gong sounded several times, accompanied by shouts of “The Xi Liang bandits are coming again!” The soldiers gnawing on dry cakes jumped up and rushed toward the wall.
A group of men and horses charged across the earth like wolves and tigers, shouting and yelling. Snow pellets on the ground and in mid-air flew and scattered everywhere.
“These damned Xi Liang bandits,” an officer murmured. “They’re determined to take us.”
An official beside him with his arm wrapped in bandages shouted, “Where are the reinforcements? When will the reinforcements arrive?”
The officer looked toward the rear. “The reinforcements from Yunzhong Commandery are too far. At the fastest, it will take six days.”
The official grabbed him with his uninjured hand. “I’m asking about the nearest reinforcements, not Yunzhong Commandery. Yunzhong Commandery is too far—I never counted on them. The nearest place—what about Taiyuan Commandery? It doesn’t take six days to get here from there.”
The officer looked at him, his cracked lips moving. “None.”
What did “none” mean? The official looked at him.
“Aside from Yunzhong Commandery, troops from other places haven’t moved—they’re staying put at their posts,” the officer said plainly. “My lord, besides defending to the death and waiting for reinforcements from Yunzhong Commandery, we have no other choice.”
The official looked at him, seeming to both understand and not understand.
“Six days?” He lowered his voice and roared, pointing at the city wall. “Look how many of us are left! Why don’t you just say directly that besides death, we have no other choice?”
The officer followed his gesture and looked. The dozen or so people remaining on the city wall also looked at him. Everyone was numb, their eyes already devoid of life.
“Correct,” the officer nodded. “My lord speaks correctly. Besides death, we have no other choice.”
He raised the blade in his hand.
“Brothers, we must hold the city. Otherwise, if the Xi Liang people seize the city, not only will we die, everyone in the city will die. Not only will the people in our city die, many in the surrounding cities will also die—”
The numb soldiers raised their weapons. “Die—”
Their throats were already so hoarse they couldn’t even shout the word “defend.” The official with the injured arm smiled bitterly. “Is there really no solution?”
The officer looked at him. “Don’t worry. Even if the city is seized by the Xi Liang people, when General Chu’s reinforcements arrive, they can take it back.”
The official suddenly wanted to laugh. Yes, he wasn’t worried. When General Chu’s reinforcements arrived, the city would certainly be recaptured. The court would eventually drive out the Xi Liang bandits and avenge everyone—
But they, so many people, once dead, were just dead—
He wasn’t afraid of death. He was just unwilling, unwilling!
The official suddenly turned and stood before the war drum, using his uninjured arm to strike it, raising his head to let the snow pellets strike his face and eyes—icy cold and stinging.
Accompanied by the war drum, the Xi Liang soldiers in the distance had already drawn their bows. Arrow feathers wrapped in snow pellets spread toward the city wall.
……
……
After a rain of arrows, several more people were wounded. And taking advantage of the arrow rain, the Xi Liang soldiers drew closer to the city wall. Behind them, they were actually dragging siege ladders—
“Have the civilian laborers prepare to defend the city,” the officer ordered.
Who knew how many of the civilian laborers climbing the wall this time would survive.
The crying sounds from within the city seemed to suddenly grow louder. The officer standing on the city wall had ringing in his ears.
“Lord Li!” He couldn’t help but roar angrily. “Just because you injured one arm, do you have no strength to beat the drum?”
The official’s drumming had indeed stopped. He gripped the drumstick, staring blankly toward the distance outside the city.
“Look, are those reinforcements?” he said.
Reinforcements?
The officer looked disbelievingly and hurriedly gazed out. Sure enough, in the distance, snow mist was rising from the earth, as if thousands of troops and horses were charging forth.
A great banner emerged from the snow mist, unfurling in the wind. In the vast white heaven and earth, the Chu character in black with gold thread broke through the clouds like sunlight, shining brilliantly.