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April 12, 2021

Chapter 14

Yuan Mao fished Hu Baicheng up from the ground and said calmly, "Speak."

"The Jin ..." Hu Baicheng's face and cheeks trembled, "Huangshui has frozen. The Jin took advantage of the fog to strike!"

Yuan Sikong's eyes darkened, and his scalp exploded immediately* .

Yuan Mao still gripped Hu Baicheng's arm with such force that it sank deep into his flesh, and Hu Baicheng did not dare to speak. The Adam’s apple in his throat slid up and down, and his eyes became deep and sunken, "Shaoxu, pass the order for Guangning's soldiers to stand by all night, and Baicheng, follow me to see Lord Li."

"Yes!"

Yuan Mao pulled Hu Baicheng along and headed out.

"My Lord ..." Yue Qingshuang called out in a low voice.

Yuan Mao was oblivious until the carriage of his prospective in-laws stopped in front of the Yuan residence. Only then did Yuan Mao remember. He turned his head to look at Yuan Sikong: "Kong'er, entertain them well."

"Yes."

Yuan Mao took Hu Baicheng and hurried off. The parents of the Lin family got off just in time to see their in-laws walking away without looking back. They were puzzled.

Yuan Sikong nudged Yue Qingshuang behind her back, "Mother, don't be afraid."

Yue Qingshuang took Yuan Sikong's hand, straightened her slender body, and walked forward to welcome the guests.

Yuan Sikong explained on Yuan Mao’s behalf the reason for his sudden departure, and the Lin family became very worried. Although they were still a day's travel away from Guangning, Guangning was now the gateway to Liaodong and was intimately interdependent.

The meal was unpleasant for everyone, but the business had to be done. Since Yuan Mao wasn’t around, Yue Qingshuang became in charge and the two families fixed the marriage.

In the absence of his father and elder brother, Yuan Sikong had to take charge of entertaining the guests. He settled the Lin family at the inn and did not return home, but instead hurried to Yuan Mao's government office.

He was in a state of uneasiness all night. He only forced himself to cheer up and entertain his guests. The greatest fear that had haunted him like a nightmare for four years had finally arrived. At this time last year, the Jin had tried and failed to attack Han Zhaoxing's camp with two thousand light calvaries.

This time, the military situation must have been so serious that Hu Baicheng was in such a panic.

When he arrived at the government office, he indeed saw Yuan Mao discussing official business with the internal generals, and Qian Anrong was also present. He dared not to go in, so he could only hide outside the door. He could not hear what was being said inside, but he saw that everyone looked solemn.

Since the Sheng army had abandoned the seven states of Liaobei, Han Zhaoxing had led 30,000 troops and set up camp in front of Huangshui for four years. It was rumored that the court had discussed whether to build another city on the edge of Huangshui, but nothing had been done. The Jin did not have a navy and had to wait for winter to cross the river. Considering that Huangshui stretched for hundreds of miles, it would be better for the city to set up camp sentries. The sentries moved around using the camp as the center point, so they could detect the enemy's movements in time.

In this way, Han Zhaoxing’s army and Guangning Wei would be near each other, and the Jin would not dare to invade easily.

But Yuan Sikong never trusted Han Zhaoxing. He knew that he could not judge a hero by his success or failure in a battle, but Han Zhaoxing had failed miserably. Qingzhou was a strong city with plenty of food. If he had defended tenaciously, he would have been able to drag the Jin people down, yet he ventured out to fight abruptly. In defeat, he lost Liaobei, which was controlled by the Chinese Plains for over 300 years, and he lost the kingdom the first emperor of the dynasty had worked so hard to build. He was defeated in a way that his bad name would live in infamy.

What Yuan Sikong spurned the most was that Han Zhaoxing did not receive the punishment he deserved. Forfeiting his salary didn’t affect him at all. Han Zhaoxing was still the Chief Soldier of Liaodong and the actual leader of Liaodong’s military power.

In this battle between Han Zhaoxing and the Jins, Yuan Sikong had a hunch that Han Zhaoxing would be defeated, or had already been defeated.

Yuan Mao deliberated until late at night. Yuan Sikong sat at the door and accidentally fell asleep until Yuan Mao found him.

"Kong'er, Kong'er."

Yuan Sikong slowly opened his eyes, "Father ..."

"Why are you here? It's so cold at night. You would have caught a cold." Yuan Mao helped him up from the ground.

"I was waiting for you." When Yuan Sikong saw Yuan Shaoxu, he called out, "Big brother.”

Yuan Shaoxu nodded and said expressionlessly, "This is a place for discussing important military matters. What are you doing here? Quickly go back and sleep.”

"Shaoxu, you will be on night duty today. If there is any situation, report back immediately."

"Yes." Yuan Shaoxu arched his hands respectfully.

"Kong'er, have you made all the arrangements for the parents of the Lin family?"

"Don't worry, Father. I have also explained on your behalf too."

Yuan Mao pulled up Yuan Sikong, "That's good. Let’s go home."

Yuan Sikong asked hurriedly, "Father, how is the military situation in Huangshui?"

But Yuan Mao was in no hurry to answer. He took him on the horse, and as the horse jogged, he said softly, "Do you remember four years ago, when I held you like this and rode together on a horse? You were much smaller than you are now, so thin that you were only left with bones."

"Kong'er will never dare to forget." Yuan Sikong could even recall how cold the rain had been that night, which made Yuan Mao's body heat seemed extraordinarily hot.

"It's been four years in a flash." Yuan Mao lamented, "In the past four years, there has not been a day that I haven't been on tenterhooks. I didn’t know when the Jin would cross Huangshui and meet the troops in Guangning City."

Yuan Sikong's heart trembled, "Father, was Han Zhaoxing defeated?"

Yuan Mao said in a deep voice: "The Jin took advantage of the fog to strike and broke the contact between the left army tent and the main camp. The general on the left, Li Mi, and three thousand soldiers died in battle. After Han Zhaoxing reorganized his army, the Jin retreated for the time being."

Yuan Sikong clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, "Han Zhaoxing is incompetent!"

Yuan Mao would normally not allow Yuan Sikong to speak out in such a rude manner, fearing that he would become arrogant and haughty, but this time he did not reprimand him, but only sighed, "The Jin people and horses are fast, good at long range and distance attacks, and will kill people by surprise. This time is the same as last year. The light calvaries are in the frontline and scouting the camp's actual situation. I'm afraid their main forces are behind."

"Father, what is Han Zhaoxing's strategy now?"

"What do you think should be the strategy?"

"Of course, it is to retreat to Guangning. Winter is approaching, and the Jin are deep in our land. If they can't attack the city, their troops will be exhausted, and they will naturally retreat."

"I thought so too, but Chief Soldier Han has no intention of retreating, and is still holding the camp at Huangshui, seemingly wanting to fight the Jin, and is urging Guangning to transport provisions and gears."

"That's stupid!" Yuan Sikong's was so angry that his heart and lungs were shaking.

Yuan Mao's sword brows frowned. He was obviously extremely worried: "If he can really hold off the Jin, that's fine, but if he can't ... Kong'er, do you think Guangning can hold off?"

Yuan Sikong pursed his lips, not knowing how to answer.

Guangning was a small city with walls that had a hundred years of history. It was originally a small and insignificant city with the seven states of Liaobei in front of it. Since it became a strategic location four years ago, it had been fortified constantly, but still it was not yet considered a fortified city.

Of course, there were advantages to a small city. The division of troops for defense made it easy to mobilize, but whether it could be defended was not a question that could be easily answered. He replied, "In any case, if you have a city to defend, you have the upper hand."

"That's right, let's just hope that Chief Soldier Han can fend off the Jin."

"Father, you don't usually talk to me about these things, what's wrong today?" Yuan Mao's tone made Yuan Sikong quite uneasy.

"You have waited for me until this hour, isn't it because you are concerned about the military situation?" Yuan Mao stroked Yuan Sikong's head, "I know that you have been unable to let go of Liaobei and have always hated the Jin. Qingzhou is gone, and so is Taining. Father will definitely defend Guangning."

Yuan Sikong hugged Yuan Mao's arm and said in a trembling voice, "I believe in father!"

-----

That night, Yuan Sikong didn’t sleep at all. By the time the first rays of the morning sun came, he could not lie down any longer, so he got up and got out of bed, sat down in front of his desk, spread out a piece of paper, and wrote a letter to Feng Ye.

Feng Ye, my friend.

It has been more than a month since I said goodbye to you in Guangning.

It is cold in Liaodong. The wind is bitterly cold. When Huangshui was frozen, the Jin ...

After writing two lines, Yuan Sikong's hand paused.

What was the intention of writing this letter to Feng Ye? If they were just thinking about each other, then he should not mention the military situation to an eight-year-old child. Otherwise, wouldn't it let Feng Ye worry for nothing?

Yuan Sikong put down his pen and clutched his head.

He was flustered and troubled. He just wanted to talk to someone about his fears but didn't dare to talk to anyone around him.

The ferocity and brutality of the Jin were known to all the people of Liaodong, even the adults used them to scare children as young as three. He grew up with the horrors of the Jin too.

He had heard that the Jin burned, killed, and looted without any humanity. If leaving his hometown and having his family ruined were merely indirect ways of experiencing the horrors of the Jin, then the Jin who crossed Huangshui and approached Guangning in a fast and unstoppable manner let him truly feel the bone-chilling fear.

He dared not imagine what would happen to the 40,000 people in Guangning if the city wall were breached.

Yuan Sikong laid on his desk and was looking at Feng Ye’s name that he had written down. He was imagining that if it were the Feng family army that was guarding Liaodong, the people of Liaodong would not be shivering in the late night like he was.

Yuan Sikong closed his eyes and rolled the brown paper into a ball ...

-----

In the following days, Yuan Mao and Yuan Shaoxu were not seen almost all day and night. The city's defenses were increased, the soldiers were transporting things back and forth within the city, and the people of Guangning Wei were jittery.

Yuan Mao organized all the people outside the city to retreat inside, obviously wanting to fortify the defenses and raze the fields* and be prepared for the enemy. It seemed that Yuan Mao, like Yuan Sikong, was worried about Han Zhaoxing's defeat. Although there were no changes on the front line, the battle was as critical as a tiger that was sleeping, and no one knew when it would leap up and bite.

Yuan Sikong really wanted to understand the military situation and give his opinion on the city's defense and the resettlement of the people. He watched the busy adults going back and forth, but there were mistakes everywhere. He always felt that he could do better than them, but he knew that he was just being nosy and would be scolded by Yuan Mao or Yuan Shaoxu. He was anxious for the whole day.

A month after the attack on Han Zhaoxing's main camp, the enemy was finally not silent anymore.

 

----

scalp exploded immediately*[头皮顿时炸开]---a way to describe a person’s fear, anxiousness, and almost on the verge of a breakdown.

fortify the defenses and raze the fields*[坚壁清野]--- to leave nothing for the invader.

 

Edited on 12 Apr. 21 (Emzie)

Edited on 3 Jul. 21 (Ari)

 

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