Ah Hao found him rather strange. Fang Renguang was a veteran of countless battles; in matters concerning the lives of tens of thousands, his status was of no importance. Why would he ask for her opinion? Did he really think she had a solution? Besides… what he said afterward also seemed a bit off.
But everyone else was looking at her at that moment.
The Dayuan army didn't move, but they surrounded the city, watching it dwindle day by day, clearly intending to force their surrender. The situation was somewhat better now that the granaries were held; if they hadn't, they truly wouldn't have lasted more than a few days. Ahao pondered for a long time before looking at General Fang and calmly saying, "We can give up the people, but the city must be defended."
The people of this city are now trapped here. Every day they stay means another day of food being consumed, and the rate at which it disappears is visible. So, is the Dayuan army besieging the city to save the people or simply to capture it? In essence, it's the same thing, but for the people of this city, the starting point is undeniably crucial.
Although he didn't really want to hear Song Shuhao's opinion, he didn't expect her to still grasp the key point. Fang Renguang narrowed his eyes, while Ling Xiao next to him laughed, "This is a good idea. There are so many people. If we keep them, we'll have to support them. Why not send them back to Dayuan? I just don't know if the people will be willing to go back."
Song Shuhao also laughed, "The granary was burned down, and there was no food left. Staying here would just mean waiting to die, so naturally we would be happy to go back." Even if she had her own ideas, there must be many shortcomings. Perhaps General Fang and the others had already thought of them... However, it should not prevent her from saying a few words.
Since this is a desperate battle, it's essential to make people truly believe there's no way out. If the people are sent back to Dayuan directly, what reason would they have not to take them back? They would likely know there's a problem but still have to bring them back. They certainly want a reputation for benevolence and leniency; otherwise, they would have already stormed the city. And if the current goal is to force them to submit, destroying the granaries would be an excellent breakthrough.
The longer they drag this out, the worse it will be for them; a swift victory is the best course of action. There have been instances of public sentiment being incited before, so it's hard to say whether there are any Dayuan agents among the populace. They must be well aware that Fengcheng has experienced frequent heavy rains in the past month or two; taking advantage of this early on could be just as risky.
For a moment, each of them had their own thoughts, and Fang Rong also pondered their words. After a while, Fang Renguang touched his chin slightly and slowly said, "This matter is not difficult." His tone contained a hint of ease. When he looked at Song Shuhao again, his eyes were different from before.
General Fang ultimately did not explain what to do next, suggesting that further discussion and planning were needed. After a brief exchange, Song Shuhao, Ling Xiao, and Lü Yuan bid farewell to General Fang and Fang Rong.
On the way, Ling Xiao was very talkative. He pulled Song Shuhao aside and said, "Let me tell you, I once heard of an organization that specializes in brainwashing. Do you know what brainwashing is? It's when I tell you every day that you can make a lot of money without doing anything by following me. If you don't believe me for a day, I'll say the same thing the next day. If you don't believe me for two days, I'll say the same thing again. Three days, four days... day after day, and who knows when you'll start to believe me."
"What about the silver?" Song Shuhao asked, looking a little curious.
“I will tell you that you need to spend some money first, whether it is one tael of silver or ten taels of silver, it is fine. After that, I will also tell you that you can find your friends and relatives to participate. Whether they contribute one tael of silver, ten taels of silver or more, it is fine. For each person you find, I will give you some silver, so that your purse will have silver coming in.”
Song Shu laughed. "This is a scam."
Ling Xiao laughed, "But they still managed to deceive many people." He paused, then continued, "What I mean is, if people keep telling the people of Dayuan that they have been abandoned by Dayuan and that they will no longer care about their lives, they might not believe it once, but after two, three times... maybe they will believe it? If some other things happen, it will be even easier for people to think that way. Perhaps, for us now, this method is worth a try."
“Lord Ling should speak with General Fang,” Ahao said, stopping and looking at Ling Xiao.
After their visit with General Fang, they felt more at ease, although they were still unsure of what to do. General Fang appeared calm and reliable. If the people's problems could be resolved properly, their burden would be reduced, and the situation would not be so unfavorable for them.
Upon hearing Ah Hao's words, Ling Xiao seemed embarrassed, immediately covering his face with his hands and saying awkwardly, "I'm just a doctor..." A snicker seemed to come from the side. Ling Xiao glared at Lü Yuan, who smiled and said, "Lord Ling, this servant will go to General Fang's place again for you. What do you think?"
She knew nothing about leading troops and fighting, nor did she have many strategies or tactics, and she didn't think her words were to be taken seriously. She was just saying it casually for Song Shuhao to hear, but Lu Yuan said this... Before Ling Xiao could respond, Ahao said first, "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Yuan."
Lü Yuan immediately agreed and left.
“Perhaps there are other matters to discuss with General Fang,” A-Hao explained. Ling Xiao added, “I also feel something is not right. His Majesty would never leave you here unattended, but General Fang said there are no reinforcements coming to rescue you.”
“Eunuch Yuan said…” Ah Hao leaned close to Ling Xiao’s ear and whispered briefly, then added, “The situation is too unfavorable. We can’t just sit and wait. Let’s see what strategy General Fang has. We also need to think about what we can do.” She then asked in a low voice, “Lord Ling, do you know how to prepare medicine? Not the kind that saves lives.”
Ling Xiao blinked. "Let's talk about it slowly when we get back."
·
For four days after the siege, the two sides remained in a stalemate, neither making a move. Inside Fengcheng, the people did not act rashly, and the water and granaries were strictly guarded without any problems. However, several spies were arrested.
On the fifth night of the siege, a great fire awakened countless people. The granary was flooded, and the soldiers guarding it were either killed or wounded. All the grain was burned, and the remaining grain in the city was almost gone in an instant.
On the morning of the sixth day, news that the granaries in Fengcheng were empty had spread throughout the city. General Fang stood on the city wall, looking at the Dayuan army that had reached the moat, his expression sorrowful, but he took no special action. However, rumors began to circulate in Fengcheng that the Dayuan king disregarded the lives of his people and had secretly sent people to burn down the granaries.
On the eighth day, General Fang went to see the people of Dayuan. The people were also struggling to survive, going without a full meal for several days. General Fang explained to the people that the granary had been burned down, and sighed repeatedly.
“When our army entered Fengcheng, we dared not touch a single grain of rice or a single foot of cloth of the people. Now we have fallen to this state. So be it, so be it. We cannot let you go hungry with us. There are still so many children and elderly people. It is better to let you go today than to suffer the consequences.”
He was talking about opening the city gates and letting them leave. His threats from when the city was first besieged still echoed in their ears, but those who survived knew they hadn't truly suffered, especially the flood refugees who had been well taken care of. But now, with the possibility of leaving, no one wanted to stay.
Afterwards, they sent people to negotiate with the Dayuan army. They agreed not to harm innocent civilians, and the people were indeed asked to pack their belongings, open half of the city gate, and flee for their lives. At first, no one dared to actually go out, but once the bold ones took the lead, things changed. With soldiers maintaining order, there was no chaos.
There were over ten thousand people in Fengcheng, and it wouldn't be easy for the Dayuan army to take over so many civilians. And among these people, who knows how many Daqi soldiers were mixed in?
Zhao Jian, in charge of leading the troops to retake Fengcheng, listened solemnly to the reports from his men in the main tent. He knew it was a trap, yet he was forced to be led by the nose, all because of Ji Heng's words: innocent civilians must not be harmed.
"With fewer people to worry about and their food supply cut off, they can't keep dragging this out. They'll probably launch a counterattack soon, playing the desperate last stand, fighting to the death."
After briefly speaking with the generals inside the tent, Zhao Jian ordered them to arrange for the counting of troops, to be ready for battle at any time, and to be on guard against any unusual behavior from the civilians. He then left the tent and went to the front lines to personally assess the situation.
Zhao Jian rode his horse to the foot of the city wall and looked up at the people on the wall. He recognized Fang Renguang, and standing next to him was his daughter, Fang Rong. But in that instant, Zhao Jian's gaze fell directly on someone else.
He hadn't expected her to be in Fengcheng. Zhang Yu had brought her to such a dangerous place, yet he hadn't taken her with him. Zhao Jian squinted at Song Shuhao, who was dressed in a rough, dark brown robe, his heart filled with indescribable emotions. He only glanced at her twice before her figure disappeared from the city wall, never looking in his direction.
She ended up with Zhang Yu after all.
Zhao Jian thought coldly, recalling how Song Shuhao had protected Zhang Yu. Back then, she refused to admit she had feelings for Zhang Yu. Only after she died before his eyes did he believe her words, but it was too late. Reborn, he wanted to make amends, but Song Shuhao was completely ungrateful.
He had always thought that at least she had told him, "Even a day as husband and wife brings a hundred days of kindness," and they had been husband and wife for five years. Back then, she had questioned him, asking why they hadn't even shown a single day of kindness. Even now, recalling those words still caused a dull ache in his heart. Only after leaving Daqi and her side did he begin to understand things more clearly. No matter what she did, no matter what she had done, he was still…
Even if Song Shuhao had never saved him, it wouldn't have changed his heart. In his previous life, he never understood why the person who had always been gentle and kind to him would suddenly change her attitude, becoming cold and aloof. No matter how he tried to coax her, he couldn't get a single kind word from her. Then she did several things to save Zhang Yu, which made him furious and point a knife at her.
But now, she is still with Zhang Yu.
But he couldn't just let Song Shuhao stay with Zhang Yu like this. If she stayed with him, she'd only suffer more. Wasn't he already neglecting her here, knowing full well that Fengcheng would be in danger? He had to make Song Shuhao see clearly that she meant nothing to Zhang Yu, and he couldn't let her be deceived by him. If it weren't for dealing with him, why would Zhang Yu treat her well?
In any case, now that we have met again in Fengcheng, I must take her away!
As Zhao Jian was pondering this, someone suddenly came forward and whispered a report that the people had started a disturbance. He twitched slightly, glanced at the people on the city wall, snorted coldly, turned his horse around, and asked what was going on as he rode back.
·
Song Shuhao hadn't originally planned to go up to the city wall, but Ling Xiao insisted that she accompany him, saying that just taking a look from the city wall would be enough, and they could also check the wind direction. So she couldn't really refuse any longer. She stayed on the city wall for only a quarter of an hour before coming down.
Today marks the eighth day of the siege. The civilians have been released, and battle between the two armies is imminent. Following General Fang's orders, the attack will take place today. After descending from the city wall, she and Ling Xiao began preparations. Before the siege, no news came in; after the siege began, news became even scarcer.
She didn't know if she could escape this calamity, and even though she was worried about Zhang Yu, she didn't have the energy for it. If she wanted to see him again, she had to deal with the current crisis first, and she absolutely couldn't die.
The evacuation of the people seemed to have eased the tense and oppressive atmosphere somewhat. By evening, the food prepared was actually more plentiful than in the previous days.