"I am the daughter of the Prefect of Beining. I am here to distribute porridge and medicine for no other reason than to reassure everyone. If the Xiongnu launch a strong attack, Marshal Xiao will return to defend the front, and the city is defended by the city guards and the Fengyue Tower. Do not believe the rumors, cooperate with the government's orders as much as possible, stay at home and do not go out, and do not go to the city gate to look out."
Sun Zixi stood at the entrance of the yamen, surrounded by ladies from various families distributing porridge. The young girl had a loud voice, and even the old ladies sitting together chatting under the elm tree heard her say, "Stay home and try not to go out."
"The government won't let us go out?"
"The government doesn't allow us to gossip."
Why?
Today is a good day to take advantage of the situation. The able-bodied men in every household are taking bowls to get some porridge. Every little bit helps, and those who don't get the bargain aren't upset. They just want to go out for a stroll. The relaxed attitude of the people of Pingyang is quite something.
"Because we don't know when the Xiongnu will invade, Grandma, let's not sit here anymore, let's go home."
A man carrying a bowl of hot porridge approached, intending to help the elderly woman who was chatting with her friends to her feet. However, the gray-haired woman shook off her grandson's hand and said...
"Let's chat a little longer, and leave after those who distributed porridge have all gone home."
The man had no choice but to go home, scoop a spoonful of sugar into the porridge, stir it a couple of times, and hand it to the old woman.
"Grandma, you should drink your porridge first. The rice from wealthy families smells so good."
Have you had it yet?
"You've already drunk one bowl, you can drink this one."
There's not enough porridge, two bowls, you'd be lucky to get even one.
"Isn't that the little girl from the brothel, Fengyuelou?" the old man asked, pointing to the girl in red riding past.
"Yes, Grandma, it's her. She's not a little girl anymore. Her father and brother are both generals. She's a proper young lady from a respectable family."
The old woman had no teeth left, but as she listened to her grandson's words, she revealed the few teeth she had left.
"Her? The young lady? What young lady jumps around like a monkey? She's not a young lady at all."
"Then what do you call her? She's given us both money and effort."
The old man waved his hand and said
"So she's not a rich girl, she has to be our savior."
Although the old lady was getting on in years, she had helped boil water when the city was being defended. She carried buckets of hot water down the city wall. Although she was a little confused, she clearly remembered that after Marshal Xiao led his men to defend the city that year, this child came down with a group of girls from the brothel.
The old lady gradually leaned against the big tree and began to snore. The man carried her on his back, said goodbye to the elders, and went home.
The girl in red rode a white horse to the foot of the city wall. Li Wei took the reins from her, tied the horse up, and followed the girl onto the city wall.
The Xiongnu were eating below the city wall. The city wall of Pingyang County was also built high, and even people with poor eyesight could not see the two people between the walls.
"Miss Huo, what should we do now? Can't we go and have a go at them?"
Huo Xiaolong stared intently at the group of Xiongnu people cooking and starting fires in front of someone's house, and said calmly.
"What can you compare it to? A city garrison that barely adds up to five thousand men?"
"Not gesturing doesn't mean I can't do other things. I can't stand seeing them eating so heartily."
After saying this, the girl went down from the city wall. Da Ni'er stood on the city wall for two or three days but couldn't recognize who the commander of the siege was. He was either a rising star or someone who was deliberately keeping an eye on Da Ni'er.
Buckets of swill were carried up the city wall. Luckily it was autumn and the weather wasn't too hot. If it were summer, no one would be cleaning the latrines and pushing them out to sell as fertilizer these past few days. Pingyang County probably wouldn't be able to accommodate anyone.
"General, someone just reported from the city gate that people inside the city are throwing swill down on us while we're eating."
"Pass on my order: the entire army must move three zhang away from the city wall immediately without delay."
No sooner had these words left his mouth than buckets of water rained down from the sky, landing on the Xiongnu. The water emitted a distinct odor, and the leading Xiongnu leader, upon smelling it, immediately took two steps back, loudly raised his flag, and shouted…
"Everyone, stand back immediately! Immediately!"
The girl in red drew her bow and shot an arrow. The arrowhead was wrapped with oilcloth and lit. The arrow left the bowstring, but instead of heading towards anyone, it whistled and landed where the Xiongnu had just been.
Flames erupted everywhere. Looking at the wall of fire that formed below the city, Huo Xiaolong smiled and said...
"Got it? Anyway, don't let them have it easy. Just find something for them to do every now and then."
"Yes, Miss Huo."
The front-row Xiongnu were doused with oil and set ablaze. The leader looked up at the city wall, but by the moonlight, he could only see a red glow before turning back and disappearing.
The leading general narrowed his eyes and said in the Central Plains dialect.
“One day, I will skin you alive and tear you apart, and all the people of this city will be buried with me, the warrior of the grasslands.”
They had already lost too many people in Pingyang County. Huo Xiaolong, with his good hearing, withdrew his foot from the city wall. The girl quickly turned back and stood on the city wall, taking out the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle that Siman had made for her from her bosom. She had given the previous ones to her sister and grandson Xi, and made another one for herself these past few days after returning home.
With a slight movement of her jade-like fingers, she pressed the mechanism. The Xiongnu general felt a stinging pain in his arms and body, then lay stiffly backward. Huo Xiaolong leaned out and shouted through a megaphone.
"Isn't it just being disgusting? Let's see who's more disgusting."
Few of the remaining Xiongnu understood the Central Plains language. Looking at the chaotic Xiongnu below, the girl's lips curled up. She thought to herself, "I'll have to call Da Ni'er over. She can just take charge from behind."
She then spoke to the soldiers guarding the rear city wall.
“From today onwards, whether it’s day or night, whenever the Xiongnu are eating, pour swill and excrement down on them. Whenever they are sleeping, regardless of whether the kerosene can be poured on them or not, just keep shoving it onto their tents.”
"Yes, Miss Huo."
They could expend some effort, but they would try to delay until reinforcements arrived, at most a month or so. If it went on any longer, Xiao Lanyi wouldn't be able to hold out.
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