When daybreak was
about to arrive, the battered Guangning City was covered by the dark sky, which
was so depressing that it made it difficult for people to breathe.
The city was brightly lit and sleepless. There were soldiers and
civilians shuttling back and forth, repairing the city walls, taking care of
the wounded, checking the damage caused by the war, replenishing gunpowder, and
even cooking. All of them looked solemn and in a hurry. There was no joy in
forcing back the enemy.
Everyone knew that this was just the beginning.
Engaging in a battle for the first time, they learned the strength
and bravery of the Jin army, and the eldest prince Zhuo Letai’s heart of rock
to win Guangning with determination.
They withstood the first time. Could they withstand the second and
third time? The hatred between the people of Central Plains and nomads goes
back thousands of years. Even if the past was not talked about, Zhuo Letai’s
two maternal uncles*
and younger brother died at the hands of
the Sheng army. The accumulated resentment was so deep that the day when the
city was breached, it would be the time of extinction. No one dared to imagine
what kind of hell they and their relatives would have to face.
Yuan Sikong helped settle down the wounded. It was nearly noon. He
had not drunk any water since the beginning of war. Right now, he was so hungry
that he felt dizzy. He hurriedly went to ask for a bowl of porridge and
rations. He went home first, pacified his family, and went to find Yuan Mao. He
wanted to know what happened last night.
So far, according to the oral accounts of the soldiers and the
damage of the wall, Yuan Sikong could only imagine what happened. Even how Zhuo
Letai set up the battle array, how to mobilize and command, and what firearms
and tools he brought were told to him by others. Yuan Mao would never let him
appear on top of the city wall when the war began.
Yuan Mao's government office had become a command post. As soon as he
entered, he listened to the commotion inside. Several mouths were speaking at
the same time, and there was a lot of confusion.
Suddenly, the sound of slapping the table rang out, and Han
Zhaoxing shouted: "Quiet!"
Only then did the room inside calmed down.
Yuan Sikong hid outside. He didn’t dare to enter and probe
abruptly. He could only listen through the wall.
"Speak one at a time," Han Zhaoxing said in a deep voice.
After a pause, Chen Yulong's voice sounded first: "I think,
this handwritten letter from Zhuo Letai promising to do no harm to the people
of Guangning indeed has the intention of peace. We should also focus on peace
negotiations."
"Do no harm? Do you believe he'll do no harm?" Hu
Baicheng said angrily, "Don't you know how savage and cruel are the Jins?"
"How long can we hold out if we resist? Zhuo Letai's army is
twenty times stronger than ours!"
"Did Lord Chen's heart already surrender before the battle?"
Chen Yulong raised his eyebrows: "I'm looking at the overall
situation. How can a general only move forward courageously regardless of
success or failure?"
"Stop quarreling." Han Zhaoxing's face was extremely
unsightly, "What's the use of quarreling?"
Liang Huiyong, a young general of Guangning, cupped his fist in
the other hand and said: "I think, although Guangning is small, there are
enough rations, bedding, and clothing to survive the winter. Although 70,000
Jin were wearing armor, they consume a lot every day. In addition, the weather
is very cold, so they can't fight for a long time. We can drive back the enemy
by defending tenaciously."
"That's right. We have a city, moat, and food. How can the
Jins consume more than us?”
Another baihu*
in Guangning said with concern:
"That quick-firing cannon is very powerful, plus the Jins are overwhelming
in numbers. We have done everything we could in today’s battle, but the Jins have not lost their foundations. The future war is bound to go from bad to
worse. If we advocate peace, the people may not need to worry about their
lives. If the city is breached after the bloody war, then... "
"That's what I meant." Chen Yulong said, "If
Guangning City is not stable, the cannons we used won’t be powerful either. Based
on this weak advantage, how long can it hold on?"
Han Zhaoxing looked at Yuan Mao, who had been silent the whole
time: "Lord Yuan, what do you think?"
Yuan Mao cupped his fist in the other hand: "I think, whether
the city is stable or not does not depend on the city wall, but the people’s
will." His voice was not loud, but it was powerful and resonating.
Everyone in the room looked at Yuan Mao.
Yuan Mao paused and said tirelessly: "Jurchen is a family of
barbarians. They are wild with no rules. It's not uncommon to see cases of
killing. Just like what Lord Hu said, if we negotiate peace, once Zhuo Letai
attacks us unprepared... Moreover, even if Zhuo Letai really keeps his promise
and does not hurt the people of Guangning, Guangning is Liaodong’s portal, and
within the portal, are the people of Dasheng. How can we pay attention to our
own moral uplift without thinking of others?"
Han Zhaoxing knitted his eyebrows and turned to Qian Anrong:
"Lord Qian, you are the senior provincial government official of Guangning. What's your opinion?"
Qian Anrong cupped his hands and said: "I think we should
write a letter and submit to the imperial court as fast as possible. Even if we
want to make peace, it's up to His Majesty to decide how to make peace.”
"It’s reasonable. The governor had asked for help from the
capital yesterday. I will send someone to catch up again."
Yuan Mao said: "I think that what Lord Qian said is very
true. We should try our best to delay. One is to recuperate and build up
strength, and the other is to look forward to the Emperor’s intention."
"Okay. Yuan Mao, find someone to write a letter. Steady*
Zhuo Letai first."
"Yes."
After the crowd dispersed, Yuan Sikong went in to find Yuan Mao.
He was petrified when he saw him. He was covered in blood, his armor was ragged,
his face and hair were dirtied, and his eyes were red, as if he was dug out
from the pile of dead people.
“Father!” Yuan Sikong rushed over. His voice was shaking,
"What happened? Where did you get hurt?"
Yuan Mao held down his shoulder: "Father’s not injured. These
are the soldiers’ blood." At the end of his speech, he looked gloomy.
Yuan Sikong felt that the hand on his shoulder was heavy, as if
all of his body weight was pressed over. He was relieved for a moment:
"Where's big brother? Is big brother alright?"
"He's alright. I let him supervise the wall repair."
Yuan Mao's body suddenly swayed.
Yuan Sikong held Yuan Mao. Indeed, his feeling was not wrong. Yuan
Mao was leaning against him to stand firmly: "Father, I will help you to
sit over there."
Yuan Sikong led Yuan Mao to the chair and sat down. He lifted up
the corner of his clothes, and wiped his face with distress: "Father, you
must be tired, have you not eaten anything?"
Yuan Mao breathed deeply, as if he didn’t even have the strength
to speak: "The city has been defended. Being a little tired is nothing."
"I'll get you something to eat." Yuan Sikong said and
was about to leave.
Yuan Mao grabbed him: "Lao Hu*
will prepare
something. Stop being busy." He looked at Yuan Sikong, "Just now, did
you hear it?"
Yuan Sikong’s eyebrows frowned slightly: "Zhuo Letai must be
pulling something. If he wanted to make peace, he would not go back on his
promise and crossed Huangshui."
Yuan Mao sighed: "Yeah, but you see, with just one war, many
people have been scared from the attack, including Han Zhaoxing. He didn't dare
to say it, but what he wanted to say, he let Chen Yulong do it for him.
Compared to Zhuo Letai, I’m more worried about the wavering morale of the army."
"It's necessary to guard against disloyalty." Yuan Sikong
said gravely, "Kong'er thinks, if Zhuo Letai doesn’t want to make peace,
we also must not make peace. If we want to protect Guangning's people and
Liaodong's people, we can only defend to the death, and let Zhuo Letai retreat
in the face of difficulties."
Yuan Mao said in a deep voice: "I think so too. But I am
afraid we’re unable to defend it and they have no heart to fight."
Yuan Sikong said: "Whether we can defend or not, we will do
our best and listen to God’s will, but the army’s morale absolutely cannot
waver." He looked left and right, saw there was no one, and said in Yuan
Mao's ear, "Father, the commander’s seal is in your hand. If it really
won't work, make an accusation and take down Han Zhaoxing." It was because
Han Zhaoxing was around that the Guangning garrison cannot be fully under Yuan
Mao’s command.
Yuan Mao covered his mouth and whispered, "You haven't said
that to anyone else, have you?"
Yuan Sikong stared with his big eyes and shook his head.
"Don't ever mention it again." Yuan Mao let him go,
"Go home and rest."
"Father, you should be the one going home. Look at your
clothes."
"If I go home like this, your mother would be more worried.
Wait till I’ve cleaned up."
Yuan Sikong could only nod helplessly.
----
Using peace negotiations as a reason, Han Zhaoxing temporarily
held onto Zhuo Letai. They were waiting anxiously for the news from Li Boyun
while stepping up preparations for the next battle.
A few days later, Li Boyun returned to Guangning, bringing a mixture
of good and bad news. The good news was that His Majesty sent troops to
reinforce Guangning Wei. The bad news was that they had to wait at least twenty
days for reinforcements.
Twenty days were enough for Zhuo Letai to attack several times. If
they could tank the attack like yesterday for twenty days, perhaps before the
reinforcements arrived, he would have gone home by himself.
But since His Majesty's intention had been decided, there was no
other way but to defend to the death.
After several days of dragging on, Zhuo Letai found that the wall
of Guangning had already been almost repaired, and knew that he had been
played. The corpses of the Jin soldiers were still covered in snow with no one
to bury them. He had marched into Guangning once again.
Zhuo Letai lost nearly ten thousand soldiers in the previous
battle, but looking down now, it was no different from that day. The army was
still strong and powerful like a tiger.
There were more detailed records of the defensive battle in
Guangning in historical books, but the words laid particular stress on the last
battle. The second attack on the city by Zhuo Letai was only written with a few
strokes, writing that the northern wind was crazy and cold, and the soldiers of
Guangning were militaristic when facing Zhuo Letai, and they defended to the
last without retreating. They killed 8,000 enemies and lost 500. On top of the
city wall, the remnant limbs were hanging on the wall, and under the city wall,
ladders were built by skeletons. The vast land of Liaodong was stained red with
blood.
Before war and death, there was no significance in writing. Only
those who actually participated in it, with a shivering soul, could depict what
kind of human purgatory it was with the eyes that had seen the brutal scene,
the noses that had smelled the bloody stench, and the ears that had heard the
miserable howls fully.
When dawn arrived, Zhuo Letai retreated, and Guangning City was
defended for the second time. That night was long. Only the city wall with
corpses everywhere was telling in silence.
Yuan Mao took an arrow in his shoulder, yet he forcefully braced
himself to command until the last moment on the city wall. Han Zhaoxing claimed
to lead the soldiers to prepare for the street battle and hid on top of the
city wall at the most dangerous time.
After two battles, the Sheng army’s casualties were nearly 2000.
The wall was seriously damaged, and the goods and materials were almost
consumed. To be able to hold on until Zhuo Letai retreated completely depended
on hanging on to that breath.
As the garrison of Guangning mostly came from Liaodong or even
Guangning, sadness and fear attacked the whole city overnight. The soldiers
were tired mentally and physically. The city was gloomy, and their fighting
spirit was dispersing.
-----
During the day, Li Boyun called all the officials and generals to
discuss official business.
"There are no more than a thousand people who can fight, and
only two thousand able-bodied men have been enlisted temporarily. There are not
many cannonballs left for the Fengshen cannons. The hand cannons have not been
used yet, but the soldiers are not trained. I'm afraid it's hard to be of great
use." Han Zhaoxing finished describing the military situation, and sighed
heavily, "Lord Li, this is the step to a cliff."
Li Boyun caressed his white beard. His eyes were cloudy, but he
was not less wise and farsighted. He was silent for a moment and said,
"All the strong men and women over the age of 13 in the city will be
enlisted."
"How... how can women and children resist the enemy?"
"Only when we unite as one can we resist the enemy." Li
Boyun said in a deep voice, "No matter what, we will hold on until the
arrival of reinforcements."
Chen Yulong said: "Even if the reinforcements arrive on time,
we still have to wait 18 days and nights. I'm afraid Guangning will not be able
to resist the next attack."
"We have to resist even if we can’t. Do you want the people
of Guangning to be fed to the tigers and wolves?”
Hu Baicheng supported his forehead with his hand and said,
"Lord Li, you are a civil official, and I’m a military officer. Defending
the city…Defending the city doesn’t mean it can be defended based on what he
said.”
Li Boyun said sternly: "I, Li Boyun, as a governor of Liaodong,
have lost the seven states of Liaobei. I have no face to face the people of
Liaodong. If we let the gate of Guangning open and poison the Central Plains, I
can't absolve myself of the blame. Guangning City must never be breached."
Han Zhaoxing turned his face away. His expression was extremely
unsightly.
Li Boyun looked around: "Could my fellow associates have
already lost your fighting spirit?"
Chen Yulong bowed and said: "Lord Li has not participated in
this war, so you don't know the ferocity of the Jin. We are not losing our
fighting spirit. It's just a matter of weighing the advantages and
disadvantages of the enemy and ourselves, the number of people, and the
strengths and weaknesses. We really can't fight."
Yuan Mao, who had been silent for a long time, said, "Then in
your opinion, what should we do?"
Chen Yulong appeared to be embarrassed and looked at Han Zhaoxing:
"This..."
Yuan Mao glared with his eagle eyes. His expression and voice
suddenly became fierce: "You said we can’t fight, could it be that you
want to surrender to the Jin?"
Chen Yulong knelt onto the ground: "I absolutely do not have
that intention. Governor, please be clear, I just…”
Li Boyun waved for him to stop: "I want to hear useful
opinions."
Han Zhaoxing said: "Lord Li, making peace is not equivalent
to surrender. If Guangning really can be defended, how can we be willing to
compromise? What I'm afraid of is when the city is destroyed some day later,
the whole city will be massacred by Zhuo Letai."
Yuan Mao said: "Zhuo Letai once killed and captured 60,000
prisoners. How do you know Guangning will not follow suit? What's more, how
does Chief Soldier Han want to make peace with him? By having trade relations?
By mutual trading? By paying an indemnity? Or do you want to cede territory?!"
Han Zhaoxing stared straight with his eyes and shouted: "Yuan
Mao, don't talk nonsense!"
Ceding territory was equivalent to betraying one’s country. Who
dared to bear such a reputation?
"Then how do you want to make peace? Did Zhuo Letai raise
70,000 soldiers, bring battering rams and cannons, just to make peace with you?
If he wanted to make peace, he would have made peace with you at Huangshui long
ago.”
Han Zhaoxing was so angry that his face turned blue: "You...
You... If you’re not willing to make peace, tell me, how are we going to defend
Guangning? A thousand weak soldiers, two thousand citizens, plus a heavily
damaged city wall, how are we going to defend it?!”
"How can we not defend!?"
In the assembly hall, a clear voice of youth suddenly came up,
which was out of place with the dreariness of the room.
Everyone followed the voice and looked over. They saw a handsome young man standing in front of them with his chest upright. There was no fear on his face.
Yuan Mao wanted to stop him, but it was too late. Yuan Sikong said with a sonorous voice: "Zhang Wenyuan’s 7000 soldiers forced back Sun Wu’s 100,000 soldiers. There were no rations inside Zhang's patrol, and no reinforcements from outside. With few soldiers and a city in danger, they defended Suiyang to the last for three years and killed several thousand Anshi rebels. Wang Jian defended a small fishing town for 5 months and defeated Möngke Khan! There is an endless history of battles in which few soldiers and desolated cities forced great armies to retreat. Guangning is a small and strong city with plenty of rations. The whole city is united. How can we not defend it!?"
PS: Whatever Sikong said in the last paragraph is not made up. All those stuff can be found in Baidu, Wikipedia etc. They are REAL histories in China. SQC really did a lot of research and made me feel like hell in translating LOL
PS from Emzie: I kept reading Li Boyun as Li Buyu. I spent too much time reading WCJ I guess XD but to be fair, they are both old and have cloudy eyes sooo can you completely blame me? Lol
maternal uncles*[叔舅]---mother’s younger brother
baihu*[百户]---Baihu has the same definition as Qianhu (ch16 footnote), expect replace thousands of soldiers with hundreds. They are one rank lower than a Qianhu
Steady*[稳住]---- Here, it means to conceal the truth and cheat people to postpone their
actions.
Lao Hu*[老胡]---Hu is a surname, Lao means old. It’s a way to address someone old casually.
Edited on 17 June 21 (Emzie)
Edited on 5 Jul 21 (Ari)
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