As they drew closer to the Fish Weir Road, the hearts of those on the city wall rose higher and higher, reaching their throats.

Xu Di stood behind a crenellation on the city wall, watching the Yuliang Road getting closer and closer, and began to estimate the distance in his mind. But at this moment, some cavalrymen had already begun to ride their horses from the Yuliang Road and charge towards the city wall.

Due to the distance, some people and their horses fell to the bottom of the city wall, while others rushed onto the wall but were then killed by the people on the wall.

The situation is becoming increasingly tragic, involving living, breathing people. However, one side is driven by selfish desires, causing their people to die unjustly in foreign lands, while the other side is fighting to defend their country and protect their compatriots from the trampling of invaders. Some sacrifices are heinous, while others are noble and will be forever remembered by their compatriots.

One after another, warhorses carrying Northern Di soldiers charged up the fish weir road. Some fell onto the city wall along with their horses. After getting up, they began to fight the Liang defenders on the city wall. There were shouts and neighing of horses everywhere. Xu Di felt that everything before his eyes was blood red. He suppressed his nausea and gripped a spoon tightly in his hand. When the fish weir road reached the city wall, he shouted with all his might, "Oil out!"

He strained so hard that the veins on his neck bulged. Then he hurled the ladle full of crude oil down the city wall, splashing a large ladleful of black crude oil onto the fish weir road. Immediately afterward, the archers behind him lit rockets and fired them onto the fish weir road. The rockets caught fire as soon as they touched the crude oil, followed by billowing black smoke and then screams that sent chills down one's spine.

Crude oil can burn when it comes into contact with fire, but it produces thick black smoke. Under the cover of this thick black smoke, the people on the city wall quickly eliminated the Northern Di people who rushed onto the city wall, and then simply cleaned up the battlefield.

Before the battle, Xu Rao assigned tasks to the personnel: guarding the city, transporting supplies, rescuing the wounded, and clearing the battlefield. No matter what time it was, as long as the commander did not give the order, everyone had to stick to their post. This was Xu Rao's most basic requirement for everyone.

Everything was being carried out in an orderly manner. When the black smoke dissipated, Xu Di saw that there were still many Northern Di soldiers pushing the fish weir forward, and behind them were soldiers on horseback preparing to continue charging forward.

Xu Di continued to order his men to pour crude oil onto the Yuliang Road, then launch rockets. Even when the Yuliang Road was completely dilapidated, Northern Di cavalrymen were still riding their horses and charging up the city walls from it.

The battle continued, with one side charging forward and the other holding their ground. The fish weir was made of sturdy elm wood, so even if it were burned, the wood wouldn't burn quickly. However, the only way to deal with the wood was to use fire. Finally, in the afternoon, the Northern Di sounded the retreat, leaving behind a scene of devastation.

There were still some surviving civilians at the foot of the city wall. Xu Rao arranged for someone to open the small gate at the city gate and let them in, but they were immediately taken away by the constables and locked in the county government's jail.

Someone shouted, "Sir, let us out! We have a deep-seated hatred for the Northern Di people, and we want to kill them too!"

The guards who escorted them said, "We don't know who you people are, so we have no choice but to resort to this. Once the Northern Di people are driven away, we will definitely release you and send you home. Don't worry, we will provide you with three meals a day here. We have no other requests, we only ask that you keep quiet and do not cause trouble."

Although they were all dressed in the clothes of ordinary people of Liang, no one could prove their identity. In order to prevent the possibility of Northern Di spies in disguise, this was the only way to deal with them. In addition, not only were there people specifically responsible for feeding these people, but a team of people was also arranged outside, so that if there were any Northern Di spies among them, they could be arrested immediately if they caused trouble.

Xu Di, covered in black soot, climbed down the city wall, his legs feeling as limp as noodles. The air was thick with the pungent smell of burning crude oil, and Xu Di felt that his nostrils were also black.

There were quite a few casualties, and a courtyard below the city wall was used as a medical station to treat the wounded. When Xu Di arrived, he saw Zhang Zhaoci with a large belly, wearing a white cotton medical robe tied at the back, a hat on her head, and a mask made of fine cotton cloth over her mouth. Every wounded person carried over had to undergo an initial examination by Zhang Zhaoci, and then, according to Zhang Zhaoci's instructions, be sent to the designated military doctors. These military doctors were all trained by Zhang Zhaoci. Zhang Zhaoci knew who was good at what and who had mastered what. Two highly skilled doctors performed simple surgeries in the temporary operating room.

The medical station was well-organized. Upon seeing Xu Di arrive, Zhang Zhaoci quickly came over and asked somewhat nervously, "Xu Di, are you alright? Is the injury on your shoulder okay?"

Xu Di shook his head and said softly, "Mom, I'm fine, I just feel really uncomfortable."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhaoci sighed inwardly, but still said gently, "Do you want Mommy to hug you?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Di looked at Zhang Zhaoci's large belly, sighed, and said, "Mom, let's not. I'm already so old, people will laugh at me."

Zhang Zhaoci pulled Xu Di into her arms, and even though she was heavily pregnant, she could only pull Xu Di to her side. She smiled and said, "No matter how big you are, you are still my child. I am your mother. It is only natural for me to care for my child. Let anyone laugh at me. I am not afraid."

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