When he returned home in the evening, Yan Sikong treated Yuan Nanyu's wounds personally. Looking at the scars on his chest and back, he felt extremely uncomfortable and his breathing became rapid.

Perhaps sensing something, Yuan Nanyu comforted him, "Brother, these are just flesh wounds. It's nothing serious. Don't worry. I'm in good health."

Yan Sikong hummed softly. Yuan Nanyu had followed Feng Ye from a group of 2,000 soldiers to an army of 300,000, and had fought through blood and swords. How could he have only suffered minor injuries? These words were just to comfort him.

"You are the one who has really damaged the foundation. Have you taken the medicine today?"

"Your medicine is so bitter." Yan Sikong complained in a low voice.

"Where can you find medicine that is not bitter?" Yuan Nanyu asked, "Have you drunk it?"

"I drank it a long time ago." Yan Sikong said helplessly, "How long do you want to drink it?"

"Drink until you get better." Yuan Nanyu pinched Yan Sikong's thin jaw and said with a smile, "Now I force you to take medicine, is it like when you forced me to study when we were kids? It's really tit for tat."

Yan Sikong also laughed out loud: "You are so proud of yourself."

"That's right." Yuan Nanyu patted the bed under him, "In this room, every day when I open my eyes, you force me to read in the morning and recite poems before going to bed at night. Now I watch you take medicine in the morning and evening, and you can't miss a meal."

"Okay, I'll do as you say." Yan Sikong bandaged Yuan Nanyu carefully.

Yuan Nanyu moved his arm and said nonchalantly, "Jin Gou's knife and gun are too blunt. It doesn't hurt at all."

Yan Sikong stroked Yuan Nanyu's back and said softly, "Yu'er, there is something my second brother wants to talk to you about."

"What?" Yuan Nanyu became inexplicably nervous.

"You are not young anymore, why don't you get married and have children? The wolf king said he advised you to do so, but you refused."

Yuan Nanyu blinked: "I said before..."

"You said before that before the great cause is accomplished, you must first help the Wolf King to take control of the capital. What is your reason now?"

Yuan Nanyu whispered, "The foundation is not yet stable."

"I think these are all excuses." Yan Sikong frowned, "The Wolf King said that you can choose any noble lady from the famous families in the capital. Yu'er, you have to give birth to a son for the Yuan family and for yourself."

Yuan Nanyu lowered his head and said, "My eldest brother has two sons and one daughter. The Yuan family has already had an heir."

"My sister-in-law is only the daughter of a county magistrate. And my brother is in such a bad shape now. How much can his son achieve? You are different. You are the Wolf King's vanguard general, the world-famous commander of the Fenglang Cavalry. Even if you want to marry a princess, you can do so. This way, you can consolidate your position, ensure that your descendants have a noble birth, and bring honor to the Yuan family."

Yuan Nanyu turned around and said to Yan Sikong with his back to him, "I can take my nephews with me and educate them."

"A nephew is a nephew. Don't you want to have a wealthy wife and relatives and your own children?"

“…”

"Yu'er." Yan Sikong walked around and sat in front of Yuan Nanyu. "Do you really like that fireworks girl?"

"I……"

"If you really like her, then take her as your concubine. It won't be a problem. Are you worried about rumors? Second brother can make the decision for you."

Yuan Nanyu pursed his lips and said, "Second brother, I...I don't want to get married."

Yan Sikong stared at him: "What did you say?"

"In the past, I wandered around the world, without a fixed place to stay, and I didn't dare to marry. Now, I am surrounded by swords and sabers all day long, and I don't know when I will die, so I dare not marry."

"That's why you have to leave offspring early." Yan Sikong said, "Your parents are gone, and your eldest brother has lost his mind. You should listen to your second brother about your marriage."

Yuan Nanyu avoided Yan Sikong's gaze and said, "Then wait until I help the Wolf King repel the barbarians and stabilize the political situation." He said, "It's getting late, second brother, go back and rest."

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes and looked at him with a scrutinizing look.

Yuan Nanyu felt uncomfortable when he was looking at him.

Yan Sikong sighed. He didn't want to bring it up, but if he didn't ask clearly, it seemed like the problem couldn't be solved. He could only ask, "Is it related to Chen Yu?"

Yuan Nanyu's expression changed, and he said in a deep voice, "No."

"In the past, you and I could talk about anything. Now, my second brother can be completely honest with you. What about you?" Yan Sikong stared at Yuan Nanyu, "Do you want to talk to your second brother about your worries?"

Yuan Nanyu secretly clenched his fists: "This is the only thing I don't want to discuss with anyone."

"You are suffering from rumors..."

"Second brother!" Yuan Nanyu said in a stiff tone, with a hint of anger, "I said I don't want to talk."

Yan Sikong sighed again. When he saw Yuan Nanyu's appearance at this moment, he just felt distressed.

Yuan Nanyu turned his back to Yan Sikong and whispered, "If I can't defeat Chen Xixuehen, I will never marry."

Yan Sikong stood up and said, "Second brother won't force you anymore, you should have a good rest."

Yuan Nanyu watched Yan Sikong leave and stood there for a long time before sweeping away the things on the table with one arm.

——

The amount of grain and grass looted by the Jin soldiers exceeded 10,000 dan, and this trip was a heavy loss.

The grain and grass in Guangning City were originally enough for at least one year's needs, but no matter how brave Feng Ye was, he could not create an army by simply moving beans. The 70,000 troops and horses he brought with him all needed food, and with the existing grain and grass to feed these 110,000 troops, they would run out of food in less than three months.

Moreover, it is the middle of winter now, and it is not easy to collect food and fodder, not to mention that the food routes have been exposed, and it would be dangerous to transport them again.

Unexpectedly, what was driving them to their necks faster than the swords and spears of the Jin soldiers was the lack of food.

Originally, Fengye was being pulled from both sides and was unable to split his attention, so he just wanted to end the battle quickly. Now, Zhuoletai only needed to surround them without attacking, and drag them out until they ran out of food, and then he could win without fighting.

Feng Ye has already sent an urgent letter to Feng Changyue asking him to transport more grain and fodder, but Feng Changyue is eager for him to return to the capital. Even if there is grain and fodder, he will not deliver it promptly. Now he is really in a dilemma.

Chen Yi has used his own method to retaliate against the person, and he must be feeling very happy now.

Yan Sikong calmed down and wrote a letter to Shen Hexuan, asking him to advise Chen Yi not to repeat the mistakes of the retired emperor and give up Liaoning for the sake of the country, otherwise he would be despised by the people of the world. Moreover, Liaodong is the gateway to the northern border of Da Sheng, and it cannot be opened by barbarians.

He knew that Shen Hexuan was devoted to the country and had no selfish desires, so he would never agree to Chen Yu's affair with the barbarians. Now, the only person who could stop Chen Yu was probably Shen Hexuan.

After writing the letter, he went to hand it to Feng Ye in person and asked Feng Ye to have someone send it to Taiyuan as quickly as possible.

But seeing the gloomy look on Feng Ye's face, Yan Sikong felt very unhappy.

If they attack, they can still defend, but if they don't attack, they can only waste time like this, and they really can't afford to waste time.

Feng Ye accepted the letter and looked up at Yan Sikong: "How do you know that Shen Hexuan doesn't want to take this opportunity to retake the capital?"

"He is a minister of the state, not a minister of Chen Yi. He knows that defending Liaodong is more important than who becomes the emperor." Yan Sikong said firmly, "He will never abandon Liaodong."

Feng Ye said in a deep voice: "But even if he wants to help us, will Chen Yu listen to him?"

"If Chen Yu doesn't even listen to him, then no one can stop him."

Feng Ye summoned his guard and ordered him to rush eight hundred miles to Taiyuan to Shen Hexuan.

Yan Sikong sat down next to Feng Ye. Perhaps it was too cold today, or perhaps there was too much bad news, he didn't even have the strength to stand.

Feng Ye sighed, "Sikong, the current situation is extremely unfavorable to us. If we wait any longer, it will be tantamount to waiting for death. We must take the initiative to attack."

Yan Sikong said solemnly: "Twenty years ago, Guangning was able to hold on thanks to this city wall. Taking the initiative to attack means abandoning the city defense. It means using our weakness to attack the enemy's strength."

The Central Plains were mainly composed of infantry, while the barbarians were mainly composed of cavalry. If they abandoned the city defenses, they would be defenseless and would meet on the plains, which would simply allow the Jin people to have a complete advantage, not to mention that the Jin people had twice as many troops as theirs.

How should we fight this battle?

"If we continue to waste time, we will run out of food and fodder and will surely be defeated. If we take the initiative to attack, there is still a glimmer of hope."

Yan Sikong stared ahead with empty eyes. For a moment, his mind was in a mess and he couldn't think of any idea.

Feng Ye turned his head to look at Yan Sikong and gently grabbed his hand: "Even if there is no city to defend, we can still defeat him."

Yan Sikong did not pull his hand back, but stared at Feng Ye's hand in a daze, thinking about the victories they had won together.

If it was someone else who said such brazen words in such a situation, Yan Sikong would probably be annoyed, but after Feng Ye said it, he felt a little more at ease.

Feng Ye is probably the only person in the world who can and dares to say such words, and he still finds it credible.

"My Fenglang Cavalry is no less powerful than his Duoyan Guards, and my Rueran Army and Qianji Camp are much more powerful than his. Even if we have no city to defend, even if his force is twice as strong as mine, what is there to fear?" Feng Ye said solemnly, "Kong'er, if you and I join forces, we will be invincible."

Yan Sikong gritted his teeth and said, "You are right. We should take the initiative and attack. We must not sit and wait for death, but we cannot completely abandon the city defense."

Feng Ye narrowed his eyes: "We have to find a way to lure Zhuoletai to attack the city."

"Not bad." Yan Sikong thought, "Let Zhuoletai think that we are about to run out of food, and then take the initiative to attack, and then defeat Guangning and lure Zhuoletai to attack the city."

"You think what I think." Feng Ye said coldly, "There just happens to be someone who can be used."

"who?"

"Han Zhaoxing."

Hearing this name, Yan Sikong's eyes turned cold.

"I just received a letter from my uncle today. When he was investigating the traitor who leaked the information about the grain and fodder, he accidentally uncovered a well-hidden remnant of the eunuch party. This person confessed that he had been in contact with Han Zhaoxing's eldest son, and there were also Han Zhaoxing's spies in Guangning City. We can just use their tricks against them and make Zhuoletai think that we are running out of grain and fodder, so he will have no choice but to take the initiative to attack."

"Okay!" Yan Sikong said fiercely, "Maybe we can get rid of this evil beast at the same time."

Feng Ye stared at him quietly and couldn't help but smile: "Kong'er, you said you have nothing to say to me, but when it comes to leading troops in battle, the tacit understanding between you and me is unmatched in the world."

Yan Sikong seemed to have just come back to his senses. He silently withdrew his hand and said, "Business is more important."

"Don't worry." Feng Ye's eyes were firm and sharp, and his voice was hoarse but reassuringly steady. "I promise you that I will defend Liaodong, even if it means death."

Hearing this, Yan Sikong looked up into Feng Ye's eyes and said sincerely, "Thank you, Wolf King."

Feng Ye smiled bitterly: "When can you call my name?"

"…There is a difference between you and me."

Feng Ye lowered his eyes and showed disappointment, but he quickly wiped it off: "Yes, business is more important."