Chapter 320
In the dead of night, all the residents of Xiangwu County were working frantically. The old, the weak, the women, and the children were either tending to the injured who had suffered during the defense or busily preparing food in the kitchens. All the dishes prepared for the New Year were brought out to ensure that those on the city wall would not go hungry and would have hot water to drink.
"Miss, have some water." He Nuan handed over a bowl of hot water, not bothering with formalities at this moment.
After half a bowl of hot water, she felt much better. Zhan Feiyu handed the bowl back, "Ah Nuan, you should also take a break. Don't worry about me."
He Nuan smiled and nodded, but after drinking the water, she still massaged Zhan Feiyu's sore right wrist. Her young lady's hands were meant for holding brushes, but tonight they had wielded swords. She had swung her sword too many times; if she didn't massage it, she probably wouldn't be able to lift it later.
The deployment and strategy were handled by Qiu Zongxi and Old Uncle Tie, while experts like He Sheng were dispersed on the city wall, providing mutual support. Wherever there was trouble, they would rush over to help.
"They won't attack the city for a while. You go and check on that girl," Qiu Zongxi said generously, waving his hand. He had asked Zhan Feiyu to leave earlier. She was just a young girl, a scholar, and her presence on the city wall wouldn't be of much use.
Qiu Zongxi also had a selfish motive: if the city were breached, with He Nuan protecting her, at least the young girl could escape safely.
However, Zhan Feiyu stubbornly stayed, and her "example" role had also stimulated the people of Xiangwu County. If a young girl could stand on the city wall with a sword, did the grown men of every household have the right to be cowards?
If the barbarians broke through the city, their parents, wives, and children would be killed. Therefore, except for a very few selfish citizens who hid in their homes, the rest rushed to the city wall. Those with strength lent their strength, and those without helped with boiling water, cooking, and caring for the injured.
He Sheng glanced at the barbarians below the city wall and strode towards Zhan Feiyu and He Nuan in the corner. "Miss. Dawn is approaching, and the barbarians will surely launch a second wave of attack."
Compared to the previous assault, this one would undoubtedly be even more frenzied.
Because once dawn broke, the reinforcements from the Weizhou Camp would arrive, and these barbarians would be trapped like turtles in a jar with no chance of survival. That was why He Sheng dared to say they would attack with all their might, trying to retreat before the reinforcements arrived.
Zhan Feiyu looked at the barbarians below the city wall by the light of the torches. Although the flour explosion had only injured a few people, many were terrified and fled in all directions, which greatly demoralized the barbarians.
As the saying goes, "Courage is roused by battle, but soon flags when it is long pursued." With the barbarians' morale greatly diminished and the defenders' morale soaring, the soldiers and civilians of Xiangwu County were filled with fighting spirit.
"The message probably can't be sent out," Zhan Feiyu's small face, stained with blood and dirt, was unusually solemn and serious, showing no hint of ease or smiles. "The fact that the barbarians could bypass the Weizhou Camp means there must be someone in the army colluding with them, opening a convenient passage for them."
Only now did Zhan Feiyu have time to ponder. What was the purpose of the people in the army? Was it to let the barbarians in to slaughter the people of Xiangwu County?
He Sheng and He Nuan exchanged glances. In terms of combat skills, they were far superior to Zhan Feiyu, but in terms of strategy and planning, the two of them combined couldn't match Zhan Feiyu.
"Ask Old Mr. Qiu and Old Uncle Tie to come over," Zhan Feiyu said again, a bad premonition rising in her heart.
The morale on the city wall was high, the injured had been carried away, and many more civilians had gone up to the city wall. Although the five people sent by Old Uncle Tie to seek help had not yet sent a signal, as long as they thought of the Imperial Dragon Guards still in Xiangwu County, Qiu Zongxi was not worried about the message not getting through.
"A woman is no less capable than a man," Qiu Zongxi said loudly, patting Zhan Feiyu's shoulder.
Normally, this girl was very delicate, always needing a hand warmer when going out. But now she had been on the bone-chilling city wall for over an hour and had even killed several barbarians who had climbed up.
Her courage and spirit were truly unlike that of a young girl from the countryside. Even the heirs meticulously trained by noble families were no more than this.
Old Uncle Tie also looked at Zhan Feiyu with admiration. He was a military man and had always disliked scholars who were powerless. But at this moment, Old Uncle Tie finally understood why Yang Shoucheng valued Zhan Feiyu so much, even treating her as an equal. This young girl was extraordinary.
"Old Uncle Tie, where is Yang Xu now?" Zhan Feiyu asked, her primary concern still being the missing Yang Xu.
"Young Master Xu should return to Xiangwu County tomorrow." As Yang Shoucheng's most trusted subordinate, it was Old Uncle Tie who arranged everything when Zhang Yiyi was robbed from the county yamen prison, so he was aware of Yang Xu's itinerary.
Zhan Feiyu's expression darkened, which made Qiu Zongxi also stunned for a moment. "Little girl, are you worried that someone might target Yang Xu?"
As Yang Shoucheng's only son and the future heir of the General's Mansion, Yang Xu naturally had people protecting him. If there were too many enemies, these people would send out a signal, and Yang family's old subordinates would immediately go to their aid.
"If the barbarians slaughter Xiangwu County, it will only enrage His Majesty. It is estimated that an imperial decree to reinstate the Yang family will be issued before the New Year," Zhan Feiyu had received a letter from Gu Qingzhou earlier.
Although the letter was written very cryptically, it also revealed the timing for the Yang family's reinstatement. According to the Emperor's plan, it was estimated to be around the fifteenth of January, as His Majesty still had some arrangements to finalize.
The barbarians appearing outside the city of Xiangwu County must mean there was a traitor in the army. With their cover, the barbarians were able to sneak to the outskirts of Xiangwu County without anyone noticing. But what was the purpose of this person in the army?
Seeing Qiu Zongxi and Old Uncle Tie in deep thought, Zhan Feiyu quickly said, "It's definitely not aimed at me."
Zhan Feiyu was backed by a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, who held great power and was a civil official. The forces in Longyou Dao were vying for military power, so no one dared to target Zhan Feiyu.
Therefore, the only one with value left was Yang Xu. As for Old General Yang and Yang Shoucheng, the people in the shadows might want to make a move, but they lacked the ability.
"The old general is fine," Old Uncle Tie replied with a grim expression.
Old General Yang was in Stone Village. After the news of his reinstatement spread, a team was stationed in the mountains behind Stone Village. These were the personal guards of the Yang family. Now, upon receiving news from Yang Shoucheng, they had gathered together again.
Although there were only a little over a hundred people, they were the cream of the crop. In the future, they would at least be a captain in the army. With them, Old General Yang's safety was not a concern.
"Shoucheng has left Xiangwu County." Qiu Zongxi had received protection from the Yang family. Although he and Old General Yang were sworn brothers, Qiu Zongxi never inquired about the Yang family's military power.
It was only when Yang Shoucheng came to bid farewell earlier that Qiu Zongxi learned a little.
As for where Yang Shoucheng had gone, even Old Uncle Tie did not know, and neither did the enemies in the shadows. However, it was certain that the people around Yang Shoucheng were no fewer than those around Old General Yang.
So, when all was said and done, Yang Xu was in the most dangerous situation. He had gone to Linzhou Prefecture earlier and left Madam Zhang with Zhang Minxian. Yang Xu was only accompanied by twenty people.
Under normal circumstances, these twenty people could guarantee Yang Xu's safe retreat when he encountered danger.
But if the people in the shadows were determined to kill Yang Xu, even at the cost of letting the barbarians into Xiangwu County, just to tie down Old Uncle Tie and these Yang family old subordinates, then Yang Xu would truly be in danger.
In the darkness, Zhan Feiyu clenched her fist and said word by word, "So if someone deliberately spread the news, and Yang Xu learned that Xiangwu County was surrounded by the barbarian army, he would definitely rush to rescue them regardless of the danger."
If Yang Xu continued to hide, he could still ensure his safety. But once he rushed over to try and save people, he would fall into the enemy's trap.
"Little Xu is probably already on his way," Qiu Zongxi knew Yang Xu's character best. Although he usually scolded Yang Xu for being stubborn and inflexible, Qiu Zongxi knew that Yang Xu was loyal and righteous at heart.
In his anxiety, Old Uncle Tie slammed his fist against the wall. If he led his men out of the city now, he might be able to save Yang Xu. But without Old Uncle Tie's more than two hundred elites, the city wall might not hold. If the barbarians then slaughtered the city, Old Uncle Tie would not be able to bear the blame even if he died to atone for it, and it would not only implicate Yang Xu but also the Yang family.
But if Old Uncle Tie continued to guard the city with his men, then he could only watch helplessly as Yang Xu met with misfortune. Not to mention whether the aged Old General Yang could accept it, even Yang Shoucheng would probably not be able to bear the grief of losing his son.
The most troublesome thing was if Yang Xu was captured alive. Then the enemies in the shadows would inevitably use Yang Xu to threaten Old General Yang and Yang Shoucheng in the future.
No matter the outcome, it was unacceptable to Old Uncle Tie.
He Nuan, standing quietly by, heard this and roughly understood. Therefore, even if the Imperial Dragon Guards sent out the news and brought reinforcements from the Weizhou Camp, it would be of no avail. The enemy's true target was Yang Xu.
Of course, if the reinforcements did not arrive in time and Xiangwu County was massacred, and Old Uncle Tie and these Yang family old subordinates suffered heavy casualties, it would also be a heavy blow to the Yang family, and the enemies in the shadows would be in an invincible position.
"There are nearly two thousand barbarians outside the city," Old Uncle Tie placed his hands on the city wall, his sharp gaze looking down at the barbarian army that was resting. Although the previous assault had heavily damaged the barbarians, the total number of dead and seriously wounded was at most seven to eight hundred.
Those with minor injuries could still fight. If they remained within the county town and did not come out, Old Uncle Tie and the others could hold out until dawn. This was the advantage of the terrain.
But if Old Uncle Tie led his men out to engage the barbarians in a head-on confrontation, with less than three hundred men against two thousand barbarian enemies, they were bound to lose. Therefore, it was impossible to kill their way out to defeat the barbarians and then rescue Yang Xu.
When Qiu Zongxi thought of Yang Xu being in danger, even risking his life, he could no longer remain calm. His wrinkled face was filled with grief, defeat, and anxiety.
"There is one more way," Zhan Feiyu said, and with a swish, all eyes turned to her.
Previously, Qiu Zongxi, Old Uncle Tie, and the others had only thought of defending the city, and no one had thought of Yang Xu. Therefore, at this moment, when Zhan Feiyu spoke, everyone no longer treated her as an insignificant young girl.
Looking at the city wall below, Zhan Feiyu's body was half in the light of the fire, and half plunged into darkness. "Old Uncle Tie and I will lead our men out. You, sir, will continue to lead the county yamen soldiers and the civilians to defend the city wall. For fifteen minutes, we will kill as many as we can."
"Then, Old Uncle Tie will lead the remaining men back to the city wall to continue defending it, and I will lead my men to rescue Yang Xu." This was the only method Zhan Feiyu could think of at the moment.
First, kill some barbarians to reduce the burden of defense. This way, even if they were short of more than ten experts like He Sheng, Xiangwu County would not be breached.
As for Yang Xu, once Zhan Feiyu and her group arrived, although there were only about ten people, they were all experts. They didn't aim to rescue Yang Xu, but only to delay the time until reinforcements arrived.
"No!" Almost simultaneously, He Sheng and He Nuan spoke, and the brother and sister looked at Zhan Feiyu disapprovingly. They absolutely would not allow Zhan Feiyu to risk her life to rescue Yang Xu.
Qiu Zongxi also did not expect Zhan Feiyu to go this far. He said sternly, "You stay here!"
Going out was too dangerous. Although Zhan Feiyu had some self-preservation skills, she was still a young girl. Facing an army of two thousand barbarians, if anything went wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Old Uncle Tie also disagreed with Zhan Feiyu taking the risk. He was already grateful that He Sheng and the others could go to rescue Yang Xu. Moreover, Zhan Feiyu was just a young girl. To let her take risks to save Yang Xu was no different from exchanging one life for another.
Facing the disapproving gazes of everyone, Zhan Feiyu grinned. "Actually, as long as I can break through and not die by the barbarians' swords, no one else will dare to kill me."
The barbarians would not care about Gu Qingzhou or the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. Once on the battlefield, let alone a young girl, even a baby in swaddling clothes would not be shown mercy by the bloodthirsty barbarians.
But those who were ambushing to target Yang Xu were different. They did not know which force in Longyou Dao or the court it was, but no matter who they were, as long as they feared Scholar Gu, as long as they feared the Imperial Dragon Guards, no one would dare to attack Zhan Feiyu. Therefore, if she went, there would be a sliver of a chance of success.