Anding city.

Several months have passed since we moved south from Beiliang.

The tall city walls are no longer as majestic as they once were.

The blue-gray bricks and stones were covered with black kerosene burns, and arrows were densely stuck in the cracks of the wall like a field of dead thorns.

The city gate was dented and deformed by the battering rams of the Northern Liang Army, and it was only because of the desperate defense of the defenders that it was not breached.

The ground under the city wall had long been corroded by blood and turned black.

There was wailing in the city.

Many people were starving to the point of skin and bones, with empty eyes. It seemed that there was nothing else they could do except wait to die.

The granaries in the city had already run out, but there was still some food in the military camp, which was the last rations. The soldiers could only get a bowl of thin porridge every day, and ordinary people could only eat grass roots, tree bark, and Guanyin soil.

This made the people of Anding City feel as if they had returned to the previous years of famine.

But now they are even more miserable. Before, they could at least escape famine and find something to eat outside, but now they are surrounded by the Northern Liang army outside the city. They can't get out at all and can only wait to die in the city.

Ever since the last time the imperial grain transport team was intercepted by Beiliang, Anding City has no longer received any support. That night, Mu Lan did not listen to Mu Xiong and secretly led a hundred cavalrymen out of the city, hoping to intercept the grain transport team before Beiliang.

However, Mu Xiong's guess was correct. Bei Liang deliberately let the scouts see their whereabouts, and then ambushed outside, waiting for Mu Lan to bring people out, and then ambush them directly.

If it weren't for the hundreds of cavalrymen who desperately covered her and allowed Mu Lan to escape quickly, she, the daughter of the great general, would have been captured.

After escaping back to the city, Mu Xiong scolded her severely.

Mu Lan felt aggrieved. She also wanted to get food. Otherwise, if the city ran out of food, the consequences would be disastrous.

From that day on, Beiliang surrounded Anding City so tightly that no one could get out, let alone scouts. Even a bird could not fly out, completely cutting off Anding City from the outside world.

In the military camp at this moment.

Deputy General Zhang Huan dragged his tired body into the central military tent.

"General, the army's food will run out one day. What should we do?"

Mu Xiong remained silent. He had miscalculated. He did not expect that the imperial court's war against Northern Yan would be so intense.

Although he was determined to maintain stability, according to his speculation, if all the imperial troops were to support Yuzhou, the imperial court should have been able to repel Northern Yan long ago with its military strength.

Northern Yan was just one of the Five Barbarians in the north. Although it was fierce and cruel, it had few troops. The imperial court had been fighting against it for several months but had not yet defeated it.

We have fought with Beiyan before, it wouldn’t take so long.

Unfortunately, Anding has become an isolated city and no one can leave. He also doesn't know the battle situation in Yuzhou and why the fight has lasted so long.

Hearing Zhang Huan's words, he said, "Kill my horse and give it to the brothers to eat."

Zhang Huan was startled and shook his head hastily, "Zhuifeng has been following you for more than ten years. How can you kill it? General, why don't you break out? Zhuifeng is fast and can get you out."

"As long as you are still here, there is still hope for our Dajing."

"Breakout?"

Mu Xiong showed a bitter smile on his face. If he ran away, his wisdom in this life would be ruined. Moreover, it was he who took the initiative to ask the court not to support him. He defended the city to the death, so how could he abandon the people of the city and run away alone.

Besides, the outside is surrounded by water and it is not easy to break out.

"What's going on over in Beiliang?"

Hearing Mu Xiong change the subject, Zhang Huan could only say, "It's still the same as before."

"It seems like they really want to trap us to death." Mu Xiong murmured, then frowned, feeling something was wrong.

Logically speaking, the imperial court concentrated all its forces in Yuzhou, and Northern Liang should have taken the opportunity to capture Anding, and then attack Tianshui, Chencang, and capture Xiangyang and Chang'an. Why did it keep its troops in place?

Given the current situation in Anding City, even if Beiliang went around to attack, Mu Xiong would be unable to do anything to Beiliang. After all, the soldiers and civilians in the city were starving to death. Although they could still defend the city, it was impossible for them to go out of the city to intercept them.

Why has Beiliang been trapped here and not moved? Is there a problem in Beiliang?

He asked hurriedly, "Have the troops besieging the city been reduced?"

Zhang Huan thought for a moment and said, "I didn't see the flag of the Northern Liang army, but I did see the flag of the Yongzhou barbarians."

At this point, Zhang Huan's eyes lit up, "General, do you mean that the people besieging us are the Yongzhou barbarians, and the Northern Liang army has already withdrawn?"

Mu Xiong shook his head and said, "I don't know whether they have retreated or not, but even if only the Yongzhou barbarians are left, they are not something we can deal with right now."

The light in Zhang Huan's eyes disappeared. Yes, the defenders now were less than 10,000, and they had to recruit young and strong men in the city to make up the 10,000 troops.

And looking at the number of Yongzhou barbarians outside, there are at least more than 100,000 of them.

"Dad, there are people making trouble outside again."

Just then, Mu Lan walked in. Compared with a few months ago, she had lost a lot of weight. The armor that once fit her well now hung loosely on her body. Her heroic face was now pale and haggard, and her lips were dry and cracked.

"For food again?"

Muxiong's voice was hoarse.

Mu Lan nodded and licked his lips. "There are already people outside... exchanging their own children for food."

Her voice was soft, but it pierced Mu Xiong's heart like a knife.

"When the patrol team found him, the child was already..."

Mu Lan didn't say anything else. There was anger in his eyes, but soon the anger turned into sadness and helplessness.

"Dad, you said the court would send reinforcements and asked us to hold on. We have been holding on for more than half a year and there is still no reinforcement. Does that mean the court doesn't care about us anymore?"

Mu Xiong's Adam's apple rolled, his face bitter, "The imperial court is focusing all its efforts on dealing with Northern Yan, I'm afraid there are no troops to come to the rescue."

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