Defending the City
In the early morning, everything was silent. No birds startled in the forest, the wind had stopped, and the sky was covered in dark clouds, obscuring the light.
Only in the mountain pass did starlight twinkle. Hundreds of people lined up, filling the mountainside. Torches were lit at the four corners, crackling and illuminating the various faces of the people, each marked by different scars, yet all with determined and fierce eyes.
Ding Cheng walked past each one, filling their wine bowls, before quickly walking to the middle of the mountainside to fill up the bowl of Ye Youqing who stood there.
“Miss Ye,” he bowed his head and then stepped back.
“Brothers, we have been deceived for years, forced to mine for traitors, persecuting the common people, and spending our days underground, sometimes hungry and sometimes full. If it weren’t for Miss Ye rescuing us from this hellish life, who knows how long we would have suffered!” Old Liu’s hoarse but forceful voice echoed in the mountain pass, “On behalf of everyone, I toast to Miss Ye!”
With that, he raised his neck and drank half a bowl of wine in two gulps, lifting the empty bowl high.
“To Miss Ye!” The deep voices of hundreds of people startled the quiet mountain forest, causing birds to flutter.
Old Liu raised his hand, signaling the Iron Cavalry to lower their bowls, indicating he wasn’t finished speaking.
“Over the past month, Miss Ye has provided silver, allowing us to eat our fill every day. She built us a smelting furnace, freeing us from mining day and night. Such great kindness, we, the Iron Cavalry, will never forget. The descendant of King Si Rong, Miss Ye, is wise and kind, so he can rest easy in heaven. This bowl of wine is to thank Miss Ye for her great kindness!” Old Liu continued, then ordered Ding Cheng to fill the bowls again. He then held the bowl with both hands and drank it all.
Ye Youqing bowed her head, raised her bowl, and poured the wine into her mouth, then lifted her hand high.
“To Miss Ye’s great kindness!” The Iron Cavalry said together, then raised their heads and drank their wine dry. The mountain pass soon filled with the rich aroma of wine, stirring up their blood.
Ye Youqing cleared her throat, and the surroundings fell silent.
Her voice was not particularly loud but was as gentle and methodical as usual, yet still imposing: “The Western Xia army has already captured Yuanzhou and will soon turn their attention to Weizhou. Are you aware?”
The crowd began to buzz, with people turning to look at each other.
“And once Western Xia captures the surrounding towns, seizing grain and slaughtering the people, our village will be surrounded. Even if we are not discovered, without a source of grain, we will surely die.” Ye Youqing sighed and shook her head, “Moreover, as I understand, Weizhou is the homeland of the Iron Cavalry. Western Xia has repeatedly tried to capture it, attempting to erase the glory of King Si Rong and the Iron Cavalry, who drove them out of Qi.”
The atmosphere in the crowd grew more anxious, with curses and whispers alternating.
Finally, someone could not hold back, cupped his hands, and shouted, “Miss Ye, we don’t want to die, nor do we want those barbarians to trample on us!”
Ye Youqing looked at the others, and everyone cupped their hands, their voices angry and loud: “We have repelled countless enemies and escaped the pursuit of the imperial army. We have never been afraid. How can we be trapped to death now!”
“The defeated generals of the past will never take back Weizhou!”
“Miss Ye…”
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Ye Youqing raised her hand slightly, waited for the chaotic shouts to subside, and then spoke, raising her voice: “I know the Iron Cavalry is known for their bravery, an undefeated legend of Qi. This time, as long as you follow my commands…”
She raised the wine filled by Ding Cheng, and said firmly, “We will surely repel Western Xia and defend Weizhou.”
“Repel Western Xia, defend Weizhou!” The uneven shout echoed, but it was hoarse and full of determination. Then everyone shouted and smashed their wine bowls, the sound of breaking pottery reverberating one after another.
Finally, it converged into one, piercing the sky.
The next day, the people of Weizhou were on edge. Those who could escape fled the city, while those who couldn’t locked themselves in their homes, leaving their fate to chance, waiting for hope.
The streets were sparsely populated, with only a few stray dogs whimpering along the roads searching for food. Although it was not yet late autumn, the scene was already desolate and unbearable.
From time to time, the cries of children echoed from the alleys, adding to the sorrow.
Daylight quickly passed, and darkness enveloped the town. Tonight, however, the clouds had dispersed, and the bright moonlight covered the earth, as if strewn with fragments of silver, illuminating the grass and mountains.
No one dared to go out, not even allowing smoke to rise from the chimneys.
To the north of Weizhou, on a crucial road, flanked by forests, not very tall but densely vegetated, the leaves had begun to yellow, falling rustlingly in the wind.
Several men in plain clothes rode past, turning back after seeing the city gates.
“Commander, no abnormalities,” one man dismounted and bowed respectfully to a man in pale silver armor.
The man scoffed disdainfully, raising his hand to signal them to advance.
His orders were to capture several more towns, tightly seal them off to have food and shelter, and wait for the main army to arrive, so they wouldn’t suffer from hunger and cold, wasting their energy.
This journey had been surprisingly smooth. Qi, despite its reputation as a great kingdom, had such weak military defenses, with troops so feeble that his thousand-man unit had effortlessly wiped out two towns and reached this point.
“Weizhou… we meet again,” the man squinted at the distance, waving his whip with interest, and advanced.
Before long, the team reached the official road. The mountains on both sides were devoid of moonlight, appearing pitch black. The man waved his hand to slow down, a hundred men surrounding him, advancing slowly.
However, as they reached the center, the sound of arrows suddenly whistled, followed by a dense volley from both sides, catching the troops off guard.
“Men, men!” The man urgently shouted, dismounting swiftly. The others also rushed forward in panic, shields quickly raised on both sides, protecting most of the men.
“Useless! How did you scout the path?” The man angrily kicked the scout to the ground, then ducked to avoid the arrows.
“Commander, I…” The scout, in pain, spoke intermittently, hunching up and shouting, “Could it be that Qi knew we were coming and sent a large army?”
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“Get lost!” The man pushed him aside, hiding under the shield, arrows clinking off it and scattering to the ground.
“Commander, what do we do?” Someone asked, “Should we send a team up the mountain to see who’s causing trouble?”
“I want to see how many arrows they have,” the commander gritted his teeth. “Pass the order, everyone else hide under the shields, and send two teams up!”
The man acknowledged and left. The arrows were swift, but the armor and shields were strong. Occasionally, some were killed or injured, but gaps were quickly filled. After about the time of burning an incense stick, the arrow rain gradually ceased.
Hearing the diminishing sound, the commander spat and was about to rise when someone pulled him back, the man who had returned from delivering the order, panicking: “Commander, they’ve stopped the arrows, but now they’re throwing huge stones down the slope, and the shields can’t block them. Many brothers are injured!”
“Damn it, where did these bandits come from, using such underhanded methods!” The commander cursed, screams and groans of pain echoing around as the rolling stones injured legs and feet.
“Don’t sit and wait to die, pass the order, two teams cover, everyone else move quickly!” The commander shouted hoarsely.
Before long, the thousands of men were completely scattered, each running frantically, occasionally returning arrows, but they disappeared into the forest like needles into the sea, without a trace.
When they finally escaped, many were dead or wounded, the formation in chaos until the military flag was raised, and they reformed.
“There’s no turning back now, march forward, prepare to siege!” The commander shouted, a thousand voices roaring, breaking the silent night as they charged the towering black walls.
The crowd made way for a large battering ram, pushed by dozens, slowly approaching the gate. With just two blows, the iron gate crashed open, revealing the smooth stone bricks and the winding streets of Weizhou.
“Stop!” The commander suddenly shouted, halting the advance.
He looked at the empty street, slowly raising his head. The towering walls stood like giant beasts in the moonlight, serene and quiet, with only birds chirping on the walls.
“Commander, this…” A man began, but the commander slapped his head.
“Something’s wrong. There were ambushes before. How can there be no guards now?” The commander cursed, pushing the man forward, “Take a team to check.”
“Everyone else, form up!” He shouted, shields forming a line, arrows pointed at the gate and walls.
The pushed man, though fearful, could not disobey orders. He exhaled, leading dozens forward, holding long swords before their faces, entering the gate.
Meanwhile, on the wall, a woman in chain armor, her hair tied high, exposing her cold and delicate features.
She leaned against the parapet, watching the increasing number of enemies entering the gate. As the leader was about to step inside, she put her fingers to her mouth, a sharp whistle breaking the night.
The sleeping city awakened.
The Iron Cavalry rushed out from behind the walls, quickly closing the gate. The soldiers inside tried to escape but were too late, arrows raining down, and after a series of screams, the gate slammed shut with a loud bang.
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Seeing dozens of comrades killed, the commander, shocked, with eyes red, shouted, “Quick, fire arrows!”
At the same time, the Iron Cavalry hidden by the parapet rose, arrows aimed at the troops outside, bows drawn, arrows flying, both sides’ volleys crossing like a storm, weaving a large net in the moonlight.
“Continue the siege!” the commander shouted while waving his hand. The battering ram, surrounded by a dozen men, moved forward again, repeatedly striking the city gate with deafening crashes. The old gate, unable to withstand the force, began to show cracks.
Ye Youqing clenched her fists, watching intently. Beside her, Ding Cheng hurriedly stepped forward: “Miss Ye, this gate is old and in disrepair; it won’t hold much longer!”
Ye Youqing stared at the huge cart outside the gate, nodded, and called another person over, whispering something. Soon, several large wooden barrels were brought over, and a strong stench filled the moonlit air.
“Miss Ye, what is this…” Ding Cheng, gagging, asked while covering his nose.
“This is ‘The city is full of golden armor,'” Ye Youqing said with a smile.
With a wave of her hand, several men with cloths over their noses lifted the barrels filled with sewage and poured them over the gate.
