As the Jin soldiers retreated, cheers of joy were heard from the city walls, even though there were patrol officers watching them.

Many officials came to express their praise and encouragement to the officers, soldiers and civilians.

There was a bit of noise on the city wall, and soon the women and children of the Qingshan Army came to stop it. The officials did not get angry and left with a smile.

Women also carried food to the top of the city wall. This was prepared for everyone by the wealthy merchants in the city. There was a big pot of meat and originally there were also large bowls of wine, but they had to be delivered because it was wartime.

The atmosphere on the city wall was heated, and inside the city, a group of storytellers were telling the people what had just happened outside the city. The brutality of the Jin soldiers and the tragic deaths of the people made the people in the city pale.

"So the Jin people are brutal, we must defend the city, or we will end up like the people outside the city."

This reassured the people's confidence.

The whole city was united, tense, angry, but also full of fighting spirit.

"Are you scared?"

Miss Jun and Prince Huai had been in a tent on the city wall. They did not retreat when the Jin people threw stones at them. Just as Prince Huai himself said, he would defend the city gate and would not retreat even if he died.

Hearing Miss Jun ask this, Prince Huai shook his head.

"I'm not afraid." He said with a pale face, and paused for a moment, "I just feel sad watching the people being slaughtered."

Miss Jun took a few steps forward and looked outside the city more clearly. Outside the city gate was a mess. More than half of the bodies of the Jin soldiers had been taken away by the enemy, and most of the rest were bodies of the people of the Great Zhou. It was particularly tragic under the sunlight.

"So you have to remember that these people are the ones who killed the people of our Great Zhou. You must never bow down to them," she said.

Prince Huai nodded heavily. Although he was very scared, he walked over and looked carefully outside the city gate.

"I remember this, and I will always remember this," he said.

Ning Yan came over with a few eunuchs.

"Your Highness, please have your meal," he said warmly.

Prince Huai nodded slightly to Ning Yan and turned to go in.

Ning Yan did not leave, but stood in front of Miss Jun.

"People's hearts are finally settled, and Miss Jun has made a great contribution," he said.

Miss Jun smiled bitterly.

She was able to reassure people this time because of the reputation she had accumulated over a long period of time as a miracle doctor, curing smallpox, promoting smallpox vaccines, and leading troops to provide rescue in the north.

However, she did not do these for this purpose.

"I don't want to take credit for this," she said.

Ning Yan smiled.

"Yun Zhao is following His Majesty." He paused for a moment and then felt a little regretful. Why did he say this at this moment?

And he said follow, not run away.

Everyone knew that the emperor had run away, so naturally those who followed His Majesty also ran away.

"It's a good thing to have him following the emperor," said Miss Jun.

She said this without the slightest hesitation, even more decisively than when she first heard the news.

Ning Yan was slightly stunned. She trusted Yun Zhao very much, but Yun Zhao didn't treat her the same way.

If at that time...

Ning Yan was silent for a moment.

"My father didn't keep his word at first," he said.

This sudden remark made Miss Jun stunned for a moment, and then she realized that he was talking about the old story between Grandpa Ning and Grandpa Jun.

"It is inevitable that people will be impulsive and make mistakes in their lives." Miss Jun said, "With Lord Ning's words, this matter is over."

Ning Yan smiled and said, "A son should not talk about his father's mistakes," so he didn't say anything more.

"Miss Jun, you have dealt with the Jin people in the north." He looked outside the city. The Jin people could be seen in the distance. It seemed that they had set up camp there. "What do you think the chances of victory are?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt Miss Jun looking at him.

He also turned his head and saw Miss Jun had a strange expression on her face.

"Chance of winning?" Miss Jun said, "Sir, there is no chance of winning."

No chance of winning?

Ning Yan looked slightly stunned.

Of course the Jin soldiers are fierce and it is very difficult to defend the city this time, but firstly, everyone is united, secondly, the city walls are strong and thick, and thirdly, there are the Qingshan Army's magical weapons. So there is at least a glimmer of hope, right?

I didn't expect Miss Jun to say no directly.

"There is one thing I didn't tell you." Miss Jun looked at him, "There are four artillery vehicles, but only two stone bullets."

Two!

Ning Yan was stunned and then became depressed.

The two of them could neither kill the majority of the Jin soldiers nor scare them into retreating, so...

"So what we can do and think about now is not the chance of winning, but how long we can hold out." Miss Jun said, looking into the distance, "If we can hold out until the reinforcements arrive, we will be considered a winner."

She said this and looked at Ning Yan.

"Master Ning, please keep this matter confidential."

Ning Yan smiled bitterly. Of course he would keep this matter secret. When he heard this, his legs couldn't help but go weak. If people knew about this, the capital would fall apart immediately without the Jin soldiers coming to attack.

"Defending the city means a fight to the death," said Miss Jun. "Only by facing death can we have a chance of survival."

Therefore, even if it is a lie, we must stabilize the people's hearts, so that we can still fight and have a chance of survival.

Ning Yan nodded.

"Now that the Jin army is at the gates of our city, we have no choice but to defend it. Fortunately, our capital city is tall and thick, and it is not easy to break through. There is enough rice, food and water in the city. Now that everyone in the city is united, everyone is a soldier. It is no problem for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians to defend the city for ten days or half a month."

Miss Jun also nodded with a smile.

"Yes, we just have to hold out until the reinforcements arrive," she said.

Yes, if we can really hold on and reinforcements really come.

Ning Yan looked outside the city, a trace of worry flashed across his eyes, but then he became resolute.

Even if... it's just a death.

…

"Prepare the car, prepare the car."

At this time in Beiliu, Yangcheng, the cry of Mrs. Ning was heard from the Ning family's mansion.

The crying sound soon faded away, and the people next door who heard the noise sighed and closed the door.

Although the Jin soldiers did not reach Yangcheng, Yangcheng and even the whole of Shanxi were on high alert, all the cities were closed and all the houses were locked.

No one dared to run outside, except for those who had concerns, such as Mrs. Ning from the Ning family.

"Yun Zhao is still in the capital. What should we do?" Madam Ning was helped back to the room by the maid. She sat on the bed and cried so hard that she couldn't breathe.

The emperor's escape was kept secret within the capital as the city gates were closed. After all, it was not a glorious thing, and officials in the capital had banned the spread of the news.

Therefore, people outside the capital did not know that the emperor had left the capital, and the people of the Ning family did not know that Ning Yunzhao was no longer in the capital.

"What can we do? What can we do if we go there?" Master Ning shouted angrily.

"If I go, I can die with him." Madam Ning cried.

What else can he do except die? Master Ning sat in the chair calmly.

"What a world! What a world!" he murmured, tears silently flowing down his face.

…

The gates of Yangcheng were also closed. Although there were still people walking on the streets, it was nothing like the prosperity and bustle of the past.

The Fang family mansion had been divided into three parts, and the original connecting doorways had all been sealed, so Fang Yunxiu came in through the main entrance.

"Is the young master here?"

Fang Yunxiu asked as soon as she entered the room.

Before the servant could answer, Fang Yuxiu's voice was heard from inside.

"Do you have something to ask me?" she asked.

Seeing that she was there too, Fang Yunxiu breathed a sigh of relief and walked in quickly.

"Is Grandma and Mom all right?" she asked.

Fang Yuxiu took her hand and went in.

"That's great. I just won one hundred taels of silver," she said.

Win? So they were playing cards?

Fang Yunxiu was stunned for a moment, then looked inside and saw a card table. Old Madam Fang, Madam Fang, and Yuan were sitting together, chatting and laughing, with cards in their hands.

"Eldest sister is here too, come and join us." Yuanshi also called out.

"Why are you still playing cards?" Fang Yunxiu said with a wry smile, "Things in the capital..."

"What about the situation in the capital?" Old Madam Fang said calmly, "Just defend the city with your life."

That’s true. Fang Yunxiu was silent for a moment.

"Where is my little brother?" she asked. Fang Chengyu cares about Miss Jun the most. Miss Jun is in the capital now, so he wouldn't go to the capital as well, right?

"Big sister, are you looking for me?"

Fang Chengyu's voice came from outside, and he came in through the curtain. He had grown taller after the New Year, but he still smiled before he spoke.

"Sister thought you went to the capital." Fang Yuxiu said, "After all, Jun Zhenzhen is trapped in the capital."

Fang Chengyu smiled, without a trace of worry on his face.

"My grandmother said that if a city is captured, it is nothing more than death." He said, "It's nothing."

It doesn't matter if you die.

Fang Yunxiu remained silent.

Yes, everyone will die eventually, and it doesn’t matter if you die where you want.

…

All cities on Jingdong Road are closed.

The soldiers guarding the city looked nervously at the troops appearing in their sight.

"Another group of Jin people." said the sentry with a trembling voice.

"Shut up." The person next to him whispered.

It seems that in this way the Jin soldiers will not discover the existence of a city here.

I'm already scared to death.

"It's not that we're scared, but we're no match for them." Another soldier whispered with a bit of shame.

There was silence on the city wall.

"The Jin soldiers have passed by." Someone suddenly said in a low voice.

Everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and looked over, but their expressions immediately became gloomy again.

"Heading to the capital again." A soldier murmured, "I wonder what's going on in the capital."

"What can we do? There aren't many soldiers in the capital." Another soldier lowered his head and said, "And so many days have passed, and the Jin soldiers are still sending reinforcements..."

Everyone's eyes turned towards the capital.

I'm afraid the capital has already fallen.