It was late at night.
Yuan Sikong was sleeping soundly
when he was suddenly awakened by a loud noise. He instantly sprang out of bed
and opened his eyes wide. His whole face was covered with sweat and his mind
was somewhere between sober and fuzzy.
After a moment of
silence, he carefully recognized that he was not having a nightmare. There was
really a sound coming from outside.
Since the start of the
war, Guangning Wei had been under night curfew to prevent spies from entering
the city, so there shouldn't be any noise outside at this time, unless
something was wrong!
Yuan Sikong rolled out of
bed, quickly put on his clothes, and dashed out.
When he opened the
mansion’s door, he saw a scene he would never forget.
Torches were like forests
and people were rushing around. Countless wounded and disabled soldiers were
looking like a mess and their expressions were filled with dejectedness. They
were walking like corpses through the streets of Guangning City, leaving behind
muddy and bloody footprints. A strong smell of blood, mixed with the eerie cold
air, rushed into every pore of Yuan Sikong's body. He shivered and his legs
went weak, and he had to hold the door with his hands to keep himself from
going weak.
He saw people covered in
blood, with missing arms and legs, with eyes hanging under their jaws, and lying
in a blur on a wooden plank, not sure whether they were dead or alive.
It was the first time he
had seen a defeated army, faced such disability and death, and felt the despair
that could suffocate him.
"Sikong!"
A familiar voice
penetrated his eardrums amidst the noise. He turned his head to see that it was
Xu Hu.
Xu Hu ran over and pushed
him into the mansion, "What are you doing out here? Go back!"
Yuan Sikong grabbed Xu
Hu's chest armor, "Uncle Xu, what's happening!? What the hell is
happening!?"
"General Han fought
with the Jin at Maoer Valley and was defeated, except the midfielder, Chen
Yulong, who escaped back to Guangning with two thousand soldiers ..." Xu
Hu sighed heavily, "The whole army was wiped out."
Although he had already
guessed it, the moment it was confirmed by Xu Hu, Yuan Sikong still felt a
bone-chilling feeling hit him. He said in a trembling voice, "Where is my
father?"
"Lord Qianhu is
housing the wounded and deploying troops to reinforce the city's defenses."
"Where is he? I'll
go and find him."
"Aiya, Sikong, you
would be adding to the chaos if you go now. Why don't you come and help me with
the wounded soldiers?"
"That’s also good."
Yuan Sikong was about to
go out when he heard a call from behind him, "Second brother."
Yuan Nanyu came out on
crutches at some point in time. Even Yuan Weiling came in a hurry.
Without letting him have
an opinion, Yuan Sikong said, "Yu'er, go back and rest immediately. Your
leg is not healed yet, don't ..."
"Are we
defeated?" Yuan Nanyu grabbed Yuan Sikong's arm. His face was showing
fear, "Are the Jin people going to fight their way into Guangning City?"
Yuan Weiling scolded,
"Don't talk nonsense. Guangning is guarded by father. The Jin can't come
in!" There was clearly a slight tremor in her clear voice.
Yuan Sikong took a deep
breath, "Big sister is right, Guangning has father. Don't be afraid."
He then turned to Yuan Weiling, "Sister, you must stay with Mother. Winter
is the time when her asthma is going to strike. Don't let her think too much."
"Don't worry."
Yuan Weiling pulled Yuan Nanyu over, "Yu'er, I'll take you back to your
room."
"Where are you
going, Second brother?"
"I'm going to save
the wounded soldiers." Without looking back, Yuan Sikong ran out of the
house and followed Xu Hu.
Yuan Mao placed the
wounded soldiers in the people’s homes in the city temporarily and asked all
the city's doctors to go and treat them. Yuan Sikong was not considered a
doctor, and his medical skills were only rudimentary, but most of the soldiers'
injuries were on the external and not the internal, so he could do what he had learned.
In addition to this, he
also kept a record of all the 400 wounded soldiers' homes, injury conditions, injured
locations, and the medication they were given. Based on the severity of their
injuries, he categorized them and made several copies for the doctors to treat
them.
When Yuan Mao found him,
he had already been up all day and night.
Yuan Mao dragged him
aside and said sternly, "Who told you to come here?"
"Kong'er wanted to
come and help. With so many wounded soldiers, Kong'er ..."
"This is not a place
where children should come!" Yuan Mao said in a stern voice, "Go home
now."
Yuan Sikong was not
afraid of Yuan Mao this time. He said boldly, "Father, everyone is in
danger in Guangning, so if I can help, how can I stand by and do nothing?"
"You are still young.
Do you know that war is not a joke!?"
Yuan Sikong glared with
bloodshot eyes and retorted, "Yue Yun joined the army at the age of
twelve, Gan Luo was an envoy to Zhao at the age of twelve, Luo Shixin suppressed
a rebellion at the age of fourteen. Ambition is not based on age, how is Kong'er joking?!”
"You ..." Yuan
Mao looked at the twinkle and unswerving determination in Yuan Sikong's eyes
and was speechless for a moment.
"Father." Yuan
Sikong took Yuan Mao's hand and said sincerely, "Kong'er wants to share
father's worries. Kong'er knows no less than others. Doesn't father trust Kong'er?"
Yuan Mao lowered his eyes
and whispered, "Father does not want you to see the cruelty of the world
too soon."
"If Guangning city
is invaded, Kong'er will not only 'see' it, but the whole city will not be able
to escape the Jin’s sword." Yuan Sikong trembled lightly, "No matter
what, we have to defend Guangning. Whatever Kong'er can do, I will do my best."
Yuan Mao sighed lightly
and stroked Yuan Sikong's head, "You are a good boy. That's good too. You
can stay here and treat the wounded, but do remember to rest. Don't wear
yourself out."
"Kong'er
understands." Yuan Sikong asked in reply, "Father, what is the
military situation now?"
"Han Zhaoxing was
ambushed in the Maoer Valley. His life or death is uncertain. The soldiers
accompanying him are either dead or captured, and those who have returned to
Guangning are only these two thousand soldiers. A lot of them are wounded and
disabled." Yuan Mao's gaze involuntarily drifted to the north, "The
Jin are marching towards Guangning with a large army and the military situation
is worrying."
Yuan Sikong bit his lips
that were trembling, "How many soldiers and horses does the Jin have?”
"It is said that
there are 100,000 soldiers and horses. The scouts reported that it is at least
70,000."
Yuan Sikong clenched his
fist: "How many more troops can we mobilize?"
Yuan Mao lowered his head
and did not answer.
"Father, what's the
use of hiding it from me?"
"Together with the
two thousand soldiers Chen Yulong brought back, there are only four thousand."
Seventy thousand against
four thousand, Yuan Sikong only felt a chill run through his body.
"Lord Li has already
sent reinforcements, and the Zuotun Wei*
may be able to bring
in another two thousand. If we have six thousand soldiers, and I have a city to
defend, we will not be afraid of the Jin."
"Father, as long as
the city has enough rations, we will be able to defend it!"
Yuan Mao nodded:
"There are enough rations in the city to last a year."
Yuan Sikong was slightly
reassured. There were many examples of battles where isolated cities with few
soldiers had forced back large armies. Although the situation was critical, it
was not desperate.
-----
Although the city was
full of wounded soldiers, Yuan Mao managed it well and it remained in good
order. Just that the rumors sprang up everywhere and fear filled the air,
making the people alarmed and uneasy.
A few days later, they
received even worse news. The 2,000 reinforcements sent by the Zuotun Wei had
been ambushed and wiped out by the Jin.
On the 28th of October in
the 16th year of Zhaowu, Zhuo Letai, the Eldest Prince of the Jurchen, led an
army of 70,000 soldiers across Huangshui and marched into Guangning Wei with
the intention of unifying Liaodong like tigers and wolves.
No one could have
imagined that this battle would take place in the history of the magnificent
Dasheng Empire.
On the day when the large
army was approaching the border, a snowstorm fell from the sky and the cold
wind raged, covering every inch of the frozen soil in Liaodong, yet the only
thing it could not cover was a large number of pressuring people. It was not
only 70,000 people, but rather 70,000 sharp blades, hungry wolves, and devils.
Once they breached the city gate, Guangning would be dyed with blood, and no
one would be left behind.
Yuan Mao stood at the top
of the city, staring at Zhuo Letai's blood-colored banner flying unsightly in
the wind and snow, and did not move for a long time.
"Lord Qianhu."
A soldier climbed the city wall, arched his hands, and said, "The scouts
have reported that Zhuo Letai has set up a camp 5 kilometers outside the city."
"Continue to keep an
eye on it."
"Yes."
Yuan Shaoxu said,
"Father, we don't know how many days it will snow, but I'm afraid that
once the snow melts, Zhuo Letai will attack the city."
"With his military
strength, an attack on the city is bound to cause numerous casualties. I have
heard that this man is brave and scheming. He probably would not be so
reckless. Let's wait and see what happens."
"Where else can we
go to ask for help other than the Zuotun Wei ..."
Yuan Mao knitted his
eyebrows. He could hardly have any extravagant hope of getting reinforcements.
In fact, the attitude of the imperial court could be seen from giving up the
seven states in Liaobei. If Liaodong can be defended, it will be, but if not
... it will be lost like a discarded child.
What the country wanted
was a territory. When the imperial court could already retreat from its
territory, its fate would probably soon be over. Of course, Yuan Mao only dared
to think about it in his mind. He was only a fifth-ranking guard and did not
dare to surmise the emperor's mind. He only wished to guard Guangning, his
homeland.
-----
This heavy snowfall may
have been a blessing from the heavens. It was so determined that the snow fell
for 3 days. The thickness of the snow was knee-deep, making it hard to walk.
Yuan Mao and Yuan Shaoxu
have not returned home for several days, and Yue Qingshuang was worried about
her husband and son, so she prepared a hot meal and asked Yuan Sikong to send
it to them.
Stepping through the
snow, Yuan Sikong passed by the liveliest street in Guangning. Last time, the
shops here were like scales of a fish, and there was a constant flow of people,
including the blind man's bun shop, which had been open for more than 20 years
and was doing great business. His family loved it. Nowadays, almost all the
shops were closed. Those who had friends and relatives to seek shelter from had
already left the city to seek refuge. The streets were desolated, which made
people feel bad.
When Yuan Sikong found
Yuan Mao, he was discussing the military situation, and there was a map of
Liaodong on a huge platform.
Yuan Sikong walked in
quietly, but Yuan Mao only gave him a glance before continuing to talk to Chen
Yulong.
Although Chen Yulong's
rank was higher than Yuan Mao's, he was a general in Han Zhaoxing's army and
could not interfere with the defense of Guangning. Li Boyun was absent, and
Qian Anrong was a civilian official who did not know how to lead troops in
battle. The actual supreme commander of Guangning Wei was Yuan Mao.
Yuan Sikong put down the
food and went over to take a look at the map. No one noticed him due to his
short height.
At that moment, a soldier
shouted "report" and rushed into the room.
"Lord Qianhu, Han
... Chief Soldier Han is back!"
Everyone in the room was
stunned.
Zuotun Wei*[左屯卫]---like Guangning Wei (广宁卫), these places are
locations of the garrison.
These are legit places in
real life, you can have a look here:
Guangning Wei ---- https://baike.baidu.com/item/广宁卫
Zuotun Wei ---- https://baike.baidu.com/item/左屯卫
Edited on 17 Apr. 21 (Emzie)
Edited on 3 Jul. 21 (Ari)
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