The snow had finally stopped, and the atmosphere in Xia Village Valley became lively.

Even during the heavy snowfall, the army had not completely ceased training. Those in better physical condition were crawling and rolling in the snow, while the slightly weaker ones practiced charging. The valley was already crowded, and people took turns shoveling snow, using labor instead of training, and they never stopped. Only a few who were truly physically exhausted were sent to rest.

In those years, the army still had physical fitness issues. The soldiers, who could barely afford a few pieces of meat a month, were generally thin. However, on the other hand, people who had endured hardships were often more resilient. Therefore, the soldiers, who one might imagine would be unable to withstand the severe cold, turned out to be relatively few.

To sustain this force of over ten thousand people, Ning Yi used a vast network of connections—not only the right prime minister's logistics system but also the good relationships established with local landlords and wealthy merchants during the disaster relief efforts. The previous time, it was to save people and give everyone an opportunity to make money. This time, it was for war. Ning Yi used the government's credibility to issue IOUs, overdrawing the food stockpiled by these wealthy merchants to fill the gaps in the military food supply, with the promise that the state would reimburse them after the war.

To prevent Xia Village Valley from being suddenly attacked by the Jurchens and forced into a disastrous retreat, these grains were temporarily stockpiled north of the Yellow River and transported every few days. More food was gradually transferred later. Although troublesome, and although the north bank of the Yellow River was also affected to some extent by the scorched-earth policy, after much effort, the problem of military food supply could still be guaranteed. With the original Zhuji company as a backup, Ning Yi occasionally added some pickled, easy-to-preserve vegetables and meats, which temporarily made the food look decent. This was a key factor in supporting the smooth operation of the valley, in addition to the public relations efforts.

On normal days, the snow was swept away bit by bit. After the heavy snow stopped, all the accumulated snow in the valley was quickly cleared. Large amounts of snow were piled up around the periphery of the valley, like small mountains, which would provide some obstacle if the Jurchen cavalry came.

Snow piles, five layers of chevaux de frise in a row, and trenches between the chevaux de frise formed the outermost defense system of Xia Village Valley. Watchtowers, wooden walls, and other structures were still being built along the mountainside. The elm wood cannons brought from Mount Lüliang had been placed one by one in key positions. Up to eighty elm wood cannons and several iron cannons were carefully selected for their positions, striving to form a crossfire network in front of the valley.

The power of the elm wood cannons was naturally not comparable to later generations' iron cannons. On large battlefields or in open places like the top of Bianliang City, they could not exert much effect. However, in the relatively narrow terrain in front of and around the valley, and with more than eighty firing points, Ning Yi felt somewhat more secure. Of course, for others who were not clear about the effectiveness of the elm wood cannons, this sense of security would be halved.

"If ten or twenty thousand people charge over, there will be people everywhere..."

Walking along the defense works with Qin Shaoqian, he said this, and the sense of security in his heart was not as full as before.

Although the mouth of the valley was narrow, the mountain slopes on both sides were not very steep. If a large army really charged over, it would not be facing the enemy on one side, but possibly on three sides.

Eighty-odd cannons could block them for a while, but they couldn't block them forever. Especially since the elm wood cannons at this time still had quality problems. Although this batch brought from Mount Lüliang had been improved and reinforced, on average, each cannon could only fire ten shots before reaching its lifespan limit, and there had to be a long interval in between. Iron cannons were naturally better, but at this time, iron cannons, like elm wood cannons, still had a considerable risk of exploding.

This… it’s practically playing a tower defense game.

Standing on the wooden defensive works, Ning Yi thought to himself. Beside him were Qin Shaoqian, Hong Ti, Han Jing, and others. The valley was a scene of busy activity. Outside the defensive walls, a large number of trees had been cut down, leaving a clearing with rows of short wooden stakes. Some people were practicing archery here. Yuwen Feidu was also in a distant line—shooting arrows at the trees further away.

A young man carrying things finished his task and walked past. This young man had somewhat dark skin. He was a young man named Xiao Hei from Mount Lüliang and, in a sense, was also half of Hong Ti's disciple. The two had also had a period of friendship on Mount Lüliang.

Yuwen Feidu's arrow accurately flew towards a distant tree, then he turned his head: "How was that?"

"...Cripple."

Xiao Hei dragged his foot forward.

Yuwen Feidu took a deep breath: "How can you expect me to tolerate you? Catch this concealed weapon!"

He picked up a stone and threw it at Xiao Hei, who caught it with his hand. However, Yuwen Feidu had already rushed over. One of his feet was indeed somewhat inconvenient, causing some damage to his lower body strength. However, his leg was only lame, not broken. Although he was somewhat inconvenienced, many of his skills were still there. The two quickly fought together, exchanging punches, and it was particularly fierce.

Ning Yi, Hong Ti, and others smiled as they watched. Then, Qin Shaoqian became serious and pointed in a direction on the side. A troop of horses came over from the other side of the valley. The people above were all wearing white close-fitting clothing. If they weren't on horseback, they would be almost invisible in the vast snow from a distance.

The troop of horses entered the valley, and the leader came towards them. Then, on this wooden fortification, he reported the development of the situation to Ning Yi and others in a low voice. The expressions of Ning Yi and others also became serious. After the leader left, Ning Yi put his hands on the edge of the city wall and looked outside for a while before turning around to continue talking with Qin Shaoqian and others.

Their voices were not very loud.

"...The bait has been thrown out, it's hard to say whether they'll take it..."

"...In this kind of thing, it's better to be safe than sorry. After the spring flood begins, the dam will be breached. Next, no matter what, the Jurchens will have to get serious... I hope Bianliang can hold out..."

"That's not what we need to think about. With our backs to the river, we'll fight to the death. Bianliang is the imperial city. If it can't be defended, the country will be destroyed and the family will be ruined. The prime minister and the others know this in the city, so we can only believe that they can defend it..."

"No matter how well the plan is made, it's hard for us here when they really come to attack. Whether we can hold on is a big problem..."

"More than a month of hard work and effort—it would be a pipe dream to train some seasoned troops. Being able to fight a battle in the place we've chosen, with preparations made, is the greatest advantage that we jumping clowns can strive for. If we can't hold on, we can only die. There's nothing to say..."

"Taiyuan has been besieged for so long, although no news has come out, isn't it holding on..."

"We're already very lucky... It's not as difficult as Taiyuan..."

Since Zongwang went south and began to attack the city, Taiyuan had been firmly nailed to the path of the Jurchen Western Route Army. The main officer there was Qin Shaoqian's elder brother, Qin Shaohe. At first, there was some news coming. After the Western Army's rescue failed, Zongwang's troops had completely swept and sealed off that area. With the same idea as Zongwang, Zongwang also wanted to use the fortified city as a target to train the Jurchens' siege warfare tactics. After Taiyuan became an information blind spot, it could only be inferred from the fragments of news that leaked out that the defense of Taiyuan City was extremely tragic.

The Jurchen Western Route Army did not wait outside the city for too long. Unlike the Eastern Route Army, they did not have to deal with so many royalist troops in Bianliang. Zongwang was also anxious about the war in the south. They launched a large-scale attack on Taiyuan City, but the resolute resistance of Taiyuan City was also beyond their expectations.

This was just inferred information. After the crushing defeat of the Wu Rui Camp, there were too many things to do to reorganize. The situation outside Bianliang City was too critical, and everyone had no time to focus their attention to the north. After the coercion of the emperor on September 25, Zhou Zhe almost silently and passively handed over the defense of Bianliang City entirely to Li Gang, Zhong Shidao, and Qin Siyuan.

This silence was dangerous and did not represent his trust in these people. The emperor was venting his anger on everyone. Moreover, as personnel who could access high-level information, Ning Yi, Qin Shaoqian, and others could perceive that the emperor was not without insight into the role played by the Right Prime Minister's Office that night. Even if he couldn't be sure, he must have had suspicions and resentment in his heart. The direct consequence of this situation was that Taiyuan City would almost certainly not receive any rescue in the short term.

No one knew how long Taiyuan City could hold out in that isolated area. But one thing could be believed: if Taiyuan could persist for so long, Bianliang City would also have such an opportunity. All of Ning Yi's gambling was based on this premise.

If Bianliang City fell, everything would be over. And even if Bianliang held on, Ning Yi, Hong Ti, and Qin Shaoqian would have to put in 110% of their effort. In the end, they would see if there was a 1% chance of seizing hope.

But without a doubt, many people would die.

Although the Wu Dynasty's combat power was weak, its military resources were still developed. Large amounts of bows and arrows, gunpowder, and various military weapons had been continuously transferred to Ning Yi's location. However, compared to the Jurchens, what level of combat power did the more than ten thousand people currently in the valley have? Even with the defenses, whether they could exchange one for one was a matter of doubt in everyone's minds. Ning Yi also had no optimistic feelings.

In any case, his side was a mixed army, a rout of soldiers that had been integrated for less than two months. And the enemy they faced was the strongest army in the world at this moment.

The sky after the snow stopped was unusually clear. The sky was clear and empty, and the air was cold and pleasant. Ning Yi looked in the direction of Bianliang City and took a deep breath. Regardless of whether Zongwang would completely take the bait as they expected, Ning Yi knew that the letter he sent would become the spark that truly ignited the fuse.

So, he could know that the fuse was already burning, ignited by their own hands. But when the moment it burned out would arrive was still unknown.

In Bianliang, after the snow stopped, every household was shoveling snow in the streets. The city defenses had not been slackened in recent days. But even with some psychological preparation, no one could know that the most brutal test was about to arrive in a few days.

Before that, a few small, simple episodes were happening under this sky…