It was late at night.

Yuan Sikong was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly awakened by a loud noise. He jumped up from the bed instantly, his eyes wide open, his face covered with sweat, his mind was between lucidity and confusion.

After being silent for a while, he looked carefully and found that he was not having a nightmare, there was really a sound outside.

Since the war began, Guangning Guard has imposed a curfew to prevent spies from entering the city. No one should be making noise outside at this time, unless something has happened!

Yuan Sikong turned over and got out of bed, quickly put on his clothes, and ran out.

When he opened the door, the scene before him was something he would never forget.

Torches were lit up like a forest, people were rushing around, countless wounded soldiers, with their bodies in disarray and faces full of dejection, walked through the streets of Guangning City like zombies, leaving footprints stained with mud and blood. A strong smell of blood mixed with a gloomy chill rushed into every pore of Yuan Sikong. He shivered, his legs felt weak, and he had to hold on to the door with his hands to prevent himself from falling down.

He saw people covered in blood, people missing limbs, people with eyeballs hanging from their jaws, and a blurry person lying on a wooden board, his life or death unknown.

It was the first time he saw defeat, the first time he was confronted with such injury and death, the first time he felt the despair that could suffocate a person.

"Sikong!"

A familiar voice pierced his eardrums amid the noise. He turned around and saw that it was Xu Hu.

Xu Hu ran over and pushed him into the mansion: "What are you doing out here? Go back!"

Yuan Sikong grabbed Xu Hu's breastplate and said, "Uncle Xu, what's wrong? What happened?"

"General Han fought against the Jin bandits in Maoer Valley and was badly defeated. Except for the center general Chen Yulong who fled back to Guangning with 2,000 soldiers..." Xu Hu sighed heavily, "the entire army was wiped out."

Although he had guessed it long ago, when Xu Hu confirmed it, Yuan Sikong still felt a chill running through him. He trembled and asked, "Where's my father?"

"The commander is currently arranging for the wounded and dispatching troops to reinforce the city's defenses."

"Where is he? I'll go find him."

"Hey Sikong, if you go now, you will just cause more trouble. Why don't you come and help me take care of the wounded soldiers?"

"Okay."

Yuan Sikong was about to go out when he heard someone calling from behind: "Second brother."

Yuan Nanyu came out on crutches at some point, and even Yuan Weiling hurried over.

Yuan Sikong said without hesitation: "Yu'er, go back and rest immediately. Your leg injury has not healed yet, don't..."

"Are we defeated?" Yuan Nanyu grabbed Yuan Sikong's arm, fear showing on his face, "Are the Jin people going to invade Guangning City?"

Yuan Weiling scolded: "Don't talk nonsense, Guangning is guarded by my father, the gold thieves can't get in!" There was a slight tremor in her clear voice.

Yuan Sikong took a deep breath and said, "Big sister is right. Guangning has his father. Don't be afraid." He turned to Yuan Weiling and said, "Sister, you must stay with mother. Winter is the time when her old asthma will flare up. Don't let her have any crazy thoughts."

"Don't worry." Yuan Weiling pulled Yuan Nanyu over, "Yu'er, I'll take you back to your room."

"Where are you going, brother?"

"I'm going to treat the wounded soldiers." Yuan Sikong ran out of the mansion without looking back and followed Xu Hu.

Yuan Mao temporarily placed the wounded soldiers in the homes of ordinary people in the city and asked all the doctors in the city to treat them. Yuan Sikong was not a doctor and his medical skills were only superficial, but because most of the soldiers' injuries were superficial, he was able to use all his knowledge.

In addition, he also recorded the residences, injuries, injury sites, and medications of more than 400 wounded soldiers, sorted them according to the severity of the injuries, and asked someone to make several copies for the doctors who treated them.

By the time Yuan Mao found him, he had already been up all day and night.

Yuan Mao pulled him aside and asked sternly, "Who asked you to come here?"

"Kong'er wants to help. There are so many wounded soldiers. Kong'er..."

"This is not a place for children!" Yuan Mao said sternly, "Go home immediately."

Yuan Sikong was not afraid of Yuan Mao this time, and said confidently: "Dad, Guangning is in danger, and everyone is in danger. Since I can help, how can I just stand by and watch?"

"You are still young, but you know that war is no joke!"

Yuan Sikong stared at him with bloodshot eyes and retorted: "Yue Yun joined the army at the age of twelve, Gan Luo was sent to Zhao at the age of twelve, and Luo Shixin suppressed the rebellion at the age of fourteen. A man of ambition is not young. How can Kong'er be so joking?!"

"You..." Yuan Mao looked at the firm and sharp light flashing in Yuan Sikong's eyes and was speechless for a moment.

"Dad." Yuan Sikong held Yuan Mao's hand and said sincerely, "Kong'er wants to share your worries. Kong'er knows as much as others. Don't you trust Kong'er?"

Yuan Mao lowered his eyelids and whispered, "Dad doesn't want you to see the cruelty of the world too early."

"If Guangning City is breached, Kong'er will not only 'see' it, but all the people in the city will be unable to escape the sabers of the gold thieves." Yuan Sikong shuddered, "No matter what, we have to defend Guangning. Kong'er will do everything he can."

Yuan Mao sighed and patted Yuan Sikong's head: "You are a good boy. Okay, you can treat the wounded here, but you must rest well and don't exhaust yourself."

"Kong'er understands." Yuan Sikong asked back, "Dad, what is the current military situation?"

"Han Zhaoxing was ambushed in Maoer Valley, and his life or death is unknown. The soldiers who accompanied him were either dead or captured. Only about 2,000 soldiers returned to Guangning, and many of them were injured and disabled." Yuan Mao's eyes involuntarily drifted to the north. "The Jin people are leading a large army to Guangning. The military situation is worrying."

Yuan Sikong bit his trembling lips and asked, "How many soldiers does the Jin army have?"

"They claim to have 100,000 soldiers and horses, but scouts report that they have at least 70,000."

Yuan Sikong clenched his fists tightly: "How many troops can we mobilize?"

Yuan Mao lowered his head and did not answer.

"Dad, what's the point of you hiding this from me?"

"Including the two thousand soldiers brought back by Chen Yulong, there are no more than four thousand people."

Seventy thousand versus four thousand, Yuan Sikong just felt a chill running through his body.

"Lord Li has already sent people to mobilize reinforcements. Perhaps the Zuotunwei can mobilize another 2,000 troops. If we can get 6,000 troops, I will have a city to defend, so I won't have to worry about the gold thieves."

"Dad, as long as there is enough food and grass in the city, we will be able to defend it!"

Yuan Mao nodded: "The food and grass in the city are enough to supply the needs of a year."

Yuan Sikong felt a little relieved. There were many examples of a small number of soldiers in a lonely city forcing back a large army. Although the situation was critical, it was not a hopeless situation.

——

Although the city was filled with wounded soldiers, Yuan Mao's good governance kept the city in order. However, rumors were spreading in the city, fear was spreading, and the people were in a state of panic.

A few days later, they received even worse news. The 2,000 reinforcements sent by Zuotunwei were ambushed by the Jin army and all of them were killed.

On October 28, the 16th year of Zhaowu, the eldest Jurchen prince Zhuoletai led 70,000 troops, crossed the Huangshui River, and marched to Guangningwei with the determination to unify Liaoning.

No one would have thought that this battle would occupy a place in the history of the magnificent Dasheng Empire.

On the day when the army was approaching, heavy snow fell from the sky, cold winds raged, and white covered every inch of frozen land in Liaoning. However, it could not cover the dark pressure of people who filled the mountains and fields. There were more than 70,000 people, but 70,000 sharp blades, 70,000 hungry wolves, and 70,000 devils. Once they broke through the city gate, Guangning would be stained with blood, and not a single piece of armor would be left.

Yuan Mao stood on the top of the city wall, staring at Zhuoletai's blood-red flag fluttering dazzlingly in the wind and snow, and did not move for a long time.

"Sir," a soldier climbed up the city wall and said respectfully, "Scouts reported that Zhuoletai has set up camp ten miles outside the city."

"Keep watching."

"yes."

Yuan Shaoxu said, "Dad, I don't know how long this heavy snow will last. I'm afraid that once the snow melts, Zhuoletai will attack the city."

"With his military strength, the siege will surely cause countless casualties. I've heard that he is a brave and resourceful man, so I'm afraid he won't be so reckless. Let's wait and see."

"Besides Zuotunwei, where else can we go for help..."

Yuan Mao frowned. He had no hope of getting reinforcements. The abandonment of the seven prefectures in northern Liaoning actually showed the court's attitude. If they could defend Liaodong, it would be fine. But if they couldn't... they were afraid that they would have to throw it away like a discarded pawn.

What a country wants is only its territory. When a dynasty can already give up its territory step by step, I am afraid that its fate will not last long. Of course, Yuan Mao only dared to think about it in his heart. He was only a fifth-rank garrison commander and did not dare to guess the emperor's mind. He only wanted to defend Guangning and his hometown.

——

This heavy snow may be a sign of God's mercy. It snowed for three days. The snow was knee-deep and it was difficult to walk.

Yuan Mao and Yuan Shaoxu had not been home for several days. Yue Qingshuang was worried about her husband and son, so she prepared a hot meal and asked Yuan Sikong to deliver it.

Yuan Sikong walked on the snow, passing the busiest streets in Guangning. In the past, there were many shops here, and people were constantly coming and going. The blind man Zhang's steamed bun shop at the end of the street had been open for more than 20 years, and the business was booming. His whole family loved to eat there. Now almost all the shops were closed, and those who had relatives and friends to seek refuge had already left the city to take refuge. The street scene was desolate, which made people feel uncomfortable.

When Yuan Sikong found Yuan Mao, he was discussing military intelligence, with a map of Liaodong spread on the huge podium.

Yuan Sikong walked in quietly. Yuan Mao just glanced at him and continued talking to Chen Yulong.

Although Chen Yulong's rank was higher than Yuan Mao's, he was a general of the Korean army and could not be involved in the defense of Guangning City. In the absence of Li Boyun, Qian Anrong was a civil servant who did not know how to lead troops in battle. The actual highest commander of Guangning Guard was Yuan Mao.

Yuan Sikong put down his food, looked over and wanted to take a look at the map. Since he was small, no one noticed him.

At this time, a soldier was heard shouting "Report" and rushed into the house hurriedly.

"Master Qianhu, General Han... General Han is back!"

Everyone in the house was shocked.