He Muhao stared blankly at her calm face and stammered, "Well... it means that Yanchuan is close to Shou'an, which makes it convenient for an escape..."
Wan Mo shook her head. "Yanchuan is different from Yuecheng in Qingzhou. It has neither grain nor money, and there are no natural barriers to defend. But it happens to be the closest to Shou'an."
Her voice was like the sand-laden wind brushing across one's cheek, rough and hoarse with the unique edge of the battlefield.
"When the Anluo people invaded our territory, the battle took place just outside Yanchuan City."
"At that time, Kang Chuanyi led his troops and put on a show of fighting them. But then he destroyed the granaries in Shou'an without hesitation and even burned several villages in the suburbs of Yanchuan and Shou'an!"
"The displaced people had nowhere to go, so they had to flood into Yanchuan City."
The crying of a child came from the street corner, and Wan Mo's eyes dimmed.
"When General Feng set out on his campaign, he left ten days' worth of rations for the city's defenders. But if we include these displaced people and the civilians who have been injured in the past few days... we can only hold out for a maximum of seven days before running out of supplies."
He Muhao shuddered, and a chill ran through his body.
"Isn't there any stored grain in the city? Yanchuan... after all, it's a big city..." he stammered.
Wan Mo glanced at him. "I've already said that Yanchuan has no grain, no money, and no natural barriers to defend."
No grain meant they couldn't hold out for long. They had to go out and fight every day to inflict maximum damage on the Anluo people outside the city. Otherwise, once the grain ran out, the city would fall.
No money meant the facilities in the city were old, and they couldn't build fortresses like those in Shou'an.
No natural barriers to defend... meant that the surrounding area was flat and open. The Anluo cavalry could charge around freely, and they could use all their weapons, including firestones, crossbows, catapults, and siege ladders!
"So that's why little sister told me that. She meant for us to escape quickly..."
A bitter smile played on Wan Mo's lips. The expression was so desolate and lonely that He Muhao had never seen it before, and it sent a shiver down his spine.
"No... it can't be..." He Muhao said urgently. "If Yanchuan is so dangerous, why would they agree to leave Young Master Zhao here..."
"Because it's even more dangerous ahead." Wan Mo said softly. "The danger of Yanchuan lies only in defending the city. If you want to escape, there are plenty of ways out. But the battles in Qingzhou, Yuecheng, and Longji Pass... those are truly life-and-death struggles."
"Then... then we..." He Muhao wanted to say, "Let's escape quickly!"
But when he met Wan Mo's dark eyes, he couldn't say it.
Although Yanchuan was old and shabby, it was the gateway to the southern border.
Deserting the city at this time would be like throwing the lives of Xiao Jingnan, Li Wanming, Feng Xiao, and the 280,000 Great Sheng soldiers into the hands of the Anluo people.
"Then... we'll defend the city for these seven days!"
He Muhao gritted his teeth and roared, stamping his foot. "I don't believe it! We, the brave sons of Great Sheng, can't defeat those Anluo barbarians!"
Wan Mo glanced at him and suddenly smiled faintly. "You seem... different."
...
On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, it was the fifth day they had been defending Yanchuan.
The arrow tower had already collapsed. Charred bricks and wooden blocks were scattered all over the ground, and several black arrows were still firmly stuck in the bricks.
The air was filled with a pungent smell of charred flesh and blood, mixed with the black smoke from burning oil, making it hard to breathe.
There were still a few houses burning in the city. The tongues of fire licked at the broken walls, and occasionally there was a crisp sound of a wooden beam breaking, followed by a loud crash and a cloud of dust.
In the conference hall of the prefectural yamen.
"I've said it! I'm going to lead the army in person!" Zhao Yanke shouted hoarsely.
Five days of war had already worn away the last bit of arrogance from this young emperor.
He now looked like an ordinary soldier in the Feng family's army. His once fair face was covered in soot, and there was a dried bloodstain on his right cheek. The crow-blue brocade robe on his body had long lost its original color, and the hem was covered in dark brown stains, making it hard to tell whether it was mud or dried blood clots.
"Absolutely not!" General Guo flatly refused. "Your Majesty is of great value. How can you easily take risks on the battlefield?"
"Damn it! My people are bleeding, and my soldiers are sacrificing their lives. But you want me to just hide in the city and live in fear..."
"It's not living in fear!"
General Guo's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked extremely haggard. But he refused to give an inch. "Your Majesty has been treating the wounded in the rear and sharing the hardships with the soldiers. We are already very grateful... But the battlefield is no joke. I can't take risks, and I can't risk Your Majesty's life!"
"I'm the emperor. How can I always hide in the back..."
"Your Majesty!" General Guo's tone was不容置疑. "My order is to protect Your Majesty's safety! If Your Majesty insists on going, please forgive me for having to take drastic measures!"
"What... what are you going to do?" Zhao Yanke suddenly felt a chill and roared angrily. "You... you dare?"
At this moment, he felt that being an emperor was a bit of a letdown. Xiao Jingnan didn't listen to him, Feng Xiao didn't listen to him, and Li Wanming and Wan Mo definitely didn't listen to him... Even this deputy general in front of him dared to threaten him!
- They all treated him like a mascot and wanted to put him in a glass case!
General Guo took a step forward. The crisscrossing sword marks on his armor were shocking. "I've been ordered to defend Yanchuan to the death. I've long since put my life on the line. As long as I can protect Yanchuan and Your Majesty, there's nothing I won't do!"
"You..."
"General Guo!"
Wan Mo rushed in with the smell of gunpowder on her. "The nightshade cudgels and horse barriers are ready. Please give your instructions on how to deploy them."
General Guo glanced at Zhao Yanke, then suddenly knelt on one knee and kowtowed three times hard. "Please understand the good intentions of General Feng and General Xiao, Your Majesty!"
After saying that, without waiting for Zhao Yanke's response, he got up and strode away.
"What's going on?" Wan Mo was taken aback. She looked at General Guo's back, then turned to look at Zhao Yanke, who was so angry that his face was red.
"He won't let me go to the battlefield!" Zhao Yanke said angrily. "He... he even threatened to lock me up!"
"Oh, that's all..." Wan Mo lost interest and scratched her ear. "You're precious..."
"Bullshit!" Zhao Yanke paced back and forth in the room, fuming with anger. "You all look down on me and don't believe that I can fight on the battlefield! Let me tell you, I've been learning horseback riding and archery since I was a child, and I'm well-versed in both literature and military strategy..."
"Yes, yes, yes..." Wan Mo said perfunctorily. "I know. You're the strongest and the best, okay? Stop causing trouble if you have nothing to do. We're busy!"
She turned around and chased after General Guo. Her slightly hoarse voice floated over from afar in a hurry. "Thirty more horse barriers have been made. In my opinion, it's best to place them outside the south gate..."
"You... you just look down on me..."
Zhao Yanke was even angrier, but he was helpless. Suddenly, he looked up and saw He Muhao packing up the medicine box in the corner. He angrily asked, "What about you? Do you also think I'm incompetent?"