Royal Court.

Bamil did not receive Yuanjue's letter, so he asked Bisu, "Is there anything unusual in Gaochang?"

Bi Su looked confused: "Why do you ask that?"

"Every two days a letter is sent back from Gaochang. It has been two days and there is no letter from Gaochang."

Bi Suo's expression darkened. Just as he was about to ask more questions, his personal guards ran into the corridor and said, "Urgent military information from Sand City!"

"Gaochang is surrounded by the Northern Rong army!"

Bisha was greatly shocked.

Bamir did not dare to delay and sent the battle report into the cave.

Tanmaraka sat at the desk, raised his head, and asked, "How many people are there?"

The guard said, "About 10,000 people! The leader is Haidu Aling!"

Tanmarajiva frowned slightly, put away his Buddhist beads, and looked solemn.

Bi Suo hurriedly said, "King, I am willing to lead the troops to help Gaochang."

Tanmarajya did not make any comment, but ordered his personal guards to bring the imperial map. He drew a few lines on the parchment with a pen and asked his personal guards, "Is the military situation confirmed to be correct?"

The guard replied, "Reporting to the king, this is the battle report sent back by the commander of Sand City!"

Tanmo Luojia frowned, "Haidu Aling is blocked outside Baicheng, it is impossible for him to appear outside Gaochang City with 10,000 soldiers and horses."

Bi Suo was also puzzled: "He can disguise himself as a herdsman to get through the checkpoint... but his soldiers can't. Where did the 10,000 soldiers outside Gaochang City come from?"

Tanmaraka pondered for a moment, put down his pen, and said, "Bring me the battle report sent back by Mobito."

Bisha quickly took out the battle report and handed it to him.

After reading the battle report and comparing it with the map, Tanmarajiva's fingers trembled slightly and crumpled the parchment.

Bi Su looked anxious: "King?"

Tanmarajiva put down the carriage map.

All the remaining Northern Rong troops have now turned around and rushed to Gaochang.

Haidu Aling has more than 10,000 troops. In the next few days, the leaderless Beirong rebels scattered around will rush madly towards Gaochang.

She is in Gaochang.

Going to Gaochang to rescue her would mean falling into Haidu Aling's trap.

If you don't leave, Gaochang will be in danger.

With a soft "click" sound, the Buddhist beads he had hidden in his sleeve slipped out and fell to the ground.

Tanmarajiva bent down to pick up the Buddhist beads, and his heart and chest tightened.

…

The sky darkened, the wind howled, and the moon was flickering.

Ten thousand Northern Rong troops were stationed outside Gaochang City. From a distance, the flickering bonfires in their tents looked like a sky full of bright stars and a brilliant Milky Way.

The city of Gaochang was as small as a tiny flame, trembling in the face of the starlight that covered the sky.

Bodhidharma stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the dense bonfires in the distance. He thought of the invincible momentum of the Northern Rong army when they attacked last time, and he couldn't help feeling fear in his heart.

It was after the siege of the city by the Northern Rong that he lost his wife and the courage to resist. He indulged in wine and sex all day long and became a puppet.

Now, facing the murderous Beirong cavalry again, he still couldn't help but feel afraid.

The firelight flickered. Yao Ying walked up to him in the moonlight. She was wearing a narrow-sleeved brocade gown, silver armor, and her long hair was wrapped in a scarf. She asked, "Is there any news from Yang Qian?"

Bodhidharma came to his senses and shook his head: "No, the Beirong camp just stopped and set up camp. There was no movement."

Yao Ying frowned slightly and asked the guard beside him: "How many men are there who can fight, including the Xizhou soldiers in the city and all the civilians who can fight?"

The commander thought for a moment and replied, "There are only 5,000 able-bodied men."

Damo's expression changed slightly, and he looked at Yaoying: "Princess, what do you mean by this? You want all the civilians to climb up to the top of the city wall to defend it?"

It is not yet time to let unarmed civilians climb up to the city walls to defend the city.

Yao Ying looked at the Northern Rong camp with a worried look on her face: "Da Lang, this Northern Rong cavalry suddenly appeared, and they are not in a hurry to attack the city, but are stationed outside the city. They are not besieging the city this time for a surprise attack, nor for looting to replenish food and supplies... No matter what they want to do, we must prepare early."

Bodhidharma was also thinking about this question: "What do they want? Why did they attack Gaochang?"

Wakhan Khan is dead, and the disintegration of the Northern Rong is inevitable. In the current situation, no matter from which angle you look at it, Yizhou is the city that the Northern Rong should defend. As long as they defend Yizhou, they still have a chance to make a comeback, so the next goal of the Western Army is to recapture Yizhou.

Because of this, Li Zhongqian led his troops to Yizhou a few days ago and is not in the city now.

Why did the Northern Rong abandon Yizhou and try to escape westward, but instead gathered their forces to attack Gaochang?

The flag of Haidu Aling's army appeared among the Northern Rong cavalry. In the past two days, they only fought in formation but did not attack the city. Some people in the army murmured that he led his troops to attack Gaochang in order to snatch Princess Wen Zhao. The rumor had already emerged, and Bodhidharma was terrified. At this juncture, rumors would make the panicked people in the city do crazy things.

Yao Ying leaned on the arrow sled and whispered, "Some people say that Haidu Aling attacked Gaochang just for me, and that if they hand me over, the Northern Rong will withdraw. Do you think this is credible, Dalang?"

Bodhidharma stared at her for a long while, the corner of his mouth curled up: "Haidu A Ling is a cruel man. If I really hand over the princess, he will lead his troops to massacre the city. He deliberately spread such rumors to confuse people, just to make us suspicious of each other. I will not be fooled."

Yao Ying nodded: "You and I can see it clearly, but as long as someone spreads rumors in the city, the people will believe his words without a doubt. At that time, the Northern Rong cavalry only needs to concentrate their forces to attack the city gates a few more times, and chaos will surely break out in the city... If the people force me to leave the city, there will be a rift between the Western Army and the people. It may be difficult for the Western State soldiers to recover the lost territory in the future. The Northern Rong people can take the opportunity to pull those states and counties that are still waiting and watching... If I don't leave the city, the nobles will be resentful of me..."

"Whether I leave the city or not, it will affect morale."

Bodhidharma felt a chill down his spine when he heard this. Haidu Aling had not yet launched an attack, but had simply pretended to besiege the city and spread rumors, thus inciting public opinion and putting the Western Army on the grill.

Yao Ying said calmly: "If the Northern Rong continue to challenge tomorrow and surround the city without attacking, it means that the Northern Rong will not withdraw easily this time. They want to continue to fight until something happens in the city."

Bodhidharma's scalp tingled: "Princess, I will give the order now. Starting from tomorrow, anyone who dares to spread rumors will be severely punished!"

Yao Ying was not panicked at all: "I know what people think. The rumor has already spread. It will be too late to wait until tomorrow. I have already asked people to gather the prestigious village elders in the city. As soon as the rumor spreads, we must find a way to stop it. The longer it spreads, the harder it will be to explain it clearly."

She could not show any sign of cowardice and had to calm people's hearts from the beginning of defending the city.

The personal guards came to report that everyone was almost there, but a few elders were deliberately delaying and had not set out yet.

The two men looked at each other, went down the tower, and came to the meeting room. The fire in the room was flickering, and people were moving around. Everyone looked anxious, with frowns on their faces. When they saw the two men enter, they immediately swarmed forward.

"Princess, the Northern Rong are coming in force. General Yang has led his troops to Yanqi. Can we hold the city?"

"What did Haidu A Ling ask for? Are they willing to withdraw their troops?"

"There are 10,000 Northern Rong outside the city! How can we defend it?"

There was a chorus of inquiries that changed its tone with fear.

Yao Ying walked to the long table, looked around, and said, "Haidu A Ling said that if I am willing to leave the city, he will withdraw his troops."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the hall.

Everyone was stunned and couldn't believe it, and then, they looked embarrassed. The rumor had spread, and they couldn't help but murmur in their hearts, thinking that the rumor was true, the princess was the most beautiful in the Central Plains, and Haidu Aling might really come for her. At this moment, the princess should be the one who least wanted to mention this matter, but she said this in front of everyone. Could it be that the princess was very righteous and planned to leave the city for the safety of the people in the city?

Yao Ying looked at the elders and asked, "Do you think I should leave the city?"

Everyone looked at each other, not daring to say what they were thinking.

Damo sneered, "Have you forgotten what happened the last time we opened the city gates to let the Northern Rong people in?"

"If the city is breached this time, the princess and I will definitely survive, but the rest of us will have to fend for ourselves."

Everyone was shocked. Last time, in order to make an example of someone else, the Northern Rong people allowed their soldiers to burn, loot and kill a group of officials and palace guards who were loyal to the Han Dynasty... Bodhidharma was right. He and the princess had no worries about their lives. They were the ones who might lose their heads and bodies!

Bodhidharma continued, "With the princess here, the Xizhou soldiers and tribes from all over will rush to help, the Liangzhou army will also send troops to rescue, and the royal court will not sit idly by... If the princess is not in Gaochang, do you think the reinforcements will come?"

Everyone's eyes widened and cold sweat broke out.

The various states in the Western Regions depended on the oasis and had a small population, so they could not afford to support a strong army. Each place was unable to take care of itself, and other states and counties would certainly not dare to send troops to rescue them when they heard that they were besieged by the Northern Rong cavalry.

The soldiers of Xizhou obey the orders of the princess. The alliance between the Central Plains court, the royal court and the Western Army was facilitated by the princess. They are suspicious and wary of each other and only recognize the princess as their leader. If the princess is forced to leave the city, the reinforcements will definitely go straight to Haidu Aling. Who will have the leisure to save Gaochang from danger?

Therefore, when the princess left the city, the soldiers' morale was frustrated and they suffered a crushing defeat. If the princess did not leave the city, they would be able to wait for reinforcements, and the soldiers would be encouraged to defend the city to the death.

After weighing the pros and cons, everyone's expression gradually changed. They bowed to Yaoying, their faces filled with shame.

The princess could have returned to Chang'an, far away from the war, but for the sake of the great cause, she stayed in the dangerous place, working hard, and the people in various counties and prefectures all benefited from her kindness. They actually wanted to hand over the princess in exchange for temporary peace. How short-sighted they were!

"We are deeply ashamed. Please punish us, Princess."

Yao Ying did not expose everyone's thoughts and said, "The current situation is serious. We can only defend the city if we work together."

She glanced at the guards.

The personal guard stepped out and glanced around coldly, making everyone sweat. He swung the long sword in his hand and chopped down fiercely, causing the long table to break into pieces and wood chips to splash.

"If there are those who disturb the morale of the army, there will be such a case."

Everyone trembled and answered in unison.

Yao Ying walked out of the military headquarters and heard a commotion at the door. Several old men who looked like clan elders came up to her, shouting and asking her if she was willing to leave the city for the people.

The guards' faces darkened. Several of them escorted Yao Ying away first, while one stayed behind, drew his long sword, and hit the old man with the handle. The old man was caught off guard and fell down the stairs, with his nose and face swollen immediately.

The crowd was silent for a moment.

Facing the fearful gazes of the crowd, the personal soldier walked down the stone steps and used the tip of his knife to push aside the old man's messy hair. "You shouted and yelled in front of the governor, intending to charge. This time, I will only give you a slight punishment, but next time I will kill you with my sword."

Everyone was horrified.

The personal soldier sheathed his sword, looked around, and followed Yao Ying.

Zheng Jing hurried over and frowned when he heard the incitement from the old men. "Princess, what is the current situation in the city?"

Yao Ying exhaled and said, "The smart people understand the current situation. The others are frightened by my personal soldiers. As long as they behave themselves, we can have peace of mind and avoid being attacked from all sides."

Zheng Jing hesitated for a moment and said, "Princess, if Duke Wei were here, he would definitely persuade Your Highness to find a way to evacuate the city..."

He felt that Yao Ying's status was noble and more important than the gains and losses of a city or a place, so there was no need to stay to defend the city.

Yao Ying shook his head: "If I flee in the middle of a battle, how will the people view me? Once the states in the Western Regions lose confidence in the Western Region soldiers and the imperial court, all our previous efforts will be wasted. It will be difficult to recover the lost territory in one fell swoop. Moreover, now there are 10,000 cavalrymen from the Northern Rong guarding outside the city. Even if we retreat, we will not be able to break out."

Zheng Jing frowned.

Yaoying was right. Leaving the city now would be like walking into a trap. For her, it would be safest to stay in the city.

However, if the reinforcements did not arrive in time, Gaochang would not be able to hold out for long.

"Can Yang Qian get back in time?"

Yao Ying said worriedly: "Since Yanqi is a trap, Yang Qian is probably trapped. We can only wait for reinforcements from the Xizhou soldiers and tribes. The Beirong people's food and grass can't support them for too long. All we can do now is defend the city and wait."

The torches were burning, the night was dark, she was dressed in military uniform, bathed in the dim firelight, and sighed.

"What I'm most afraid of now is not the Northern Rong people attacking the city... My brother will definitely rush back when he knows Gaochang is under siege. He only brought 2,000 people..."

If Haidu Aling set a trap to attack the reinforcements, he would be in danger.

Zheng Jing comforted her, saying, "Duke Wei has led troops for many years, so he will definitely remain vigilant."

The night wind howled.

Yao Ying calmed herself down. She couldn't panic and had to defend the city.

She is fine, so Li Zhongqian will not take any risks.

Yao Ying returned to the house and called her personal guards: "Has the eagle been sent out?"

The personal guard said: "The Northern Rong people shot and killed the carrier eagle, so the message cannot be sent out. Now we can only use wolf smoke to warn people during the day."

Yao Ying frowned.

Yuan Jue had been following Yao Ying. He was reluctant to interrupt her when she was discussing military affairs with Damo and Zheng Jing. But he couldn't help but speak up: "Princess, if the king knew Gaochang was under siege, he would definitely send troops. Maybe the reinforcements are already on the way."

Yao Ying was stunned for a moment, and murmured, "The royal court's reinforcements?"

A bright light seemed to flash through her mind, and her pupils suddenly shrank. She took out the map and looked at it for a while. Beads of sweat appeared on her palms. She grabbed the map, rushed out of the house, found Damo who was about to take a nap, and summoned the other guards.

"Haidu Aling has been surrounded but not attacked for the past two days. Could it be that they are waiting for our reinforcements?"

Bodhidharma asked doubtfully, "Wait for reinforcements? He must want to attack the city before the reinforcements arrive..."

Yao Ying pointed at the map and said, "If he wants to attack Gaochang, the soldiers from Xizhou within a few hundred miles will rush back to help. The royal court will also send troops. The Liangzhou army is preparing to attack Yizhou, so they may also rush to help... He only needs to keep his troops still and he can mobilize all the troops."

Damo's eyes widened and he took a breath of cold air.

If it is true as Yao Ying guessed, then Haidu Aling used Gaochang as bait to lure various forces to come to the rescue!

Everyone was shocked and couldn't believe it: "Is this possible?"

Yao Ying's face turned pale: "We will know tomorrow."

If Haidu Aling's target was indeed the reinforcements, he would definitely not dare to attack the city with all his strength, as that would consume his combat power.

He spread rumors as a means of misleading them.

That night, no one dared to close their eyes.

The next morning, the war drums sounded and the defenders put on their armor and went into battle.

The Northern Rong people blew their horns, and several cavalrymen galloped out on horseback. The riders bent their bows and shot several arrows tied with cloth strips.

There was only one sentence written on the banner: As long as Gaochang hands over Princess Wen Zhao, they will withdraw their troops.

Beirong sent out a team of soldiers with loud voices to shout out the contents of the banner.

Yao Ying had used both kindness and force last night to appease the powerful families in the city. Now the soldiers all knew that only if Princess Wen Zhao stayed would they have hope of maintaining victory. No matter how the Northern Rong people challenged them, the soldiers on the city walls remained unmoved.

The Beirong people shouted for more than half an hour, but Gaochang did not respond.

When the sun rose to mid-sky, the Beirong people launched their first attack amid the rumbling sound of war drums. Gaochang had already built fortifications before that. When the Beirong cavalry were halfway through their charge, there was suddenly an earth-shaking explosion. The earth shook, the war horses were frightened, and the sharp longbow formation immediately fell into chaos. After a burst of ghosts howling, they quickly adjusted their formation, shrinking to both wings, forming a sharp knife, and continued to attack the city.

As soon as they came into shooting range, the defending general ordered the archers to shoot. Arrows rained down and the speed of the Northern Rong people slowed down.

After several rounds of strangulation, the two armies withdrew their troops.

Yao Ying's face was solemn. The attack of the Northern Rong people was not weak at all. Faced with the power of gunpowder, they were still rushing forward fearlessly after being in a panic. Could she have guessed wrong?

The next day, the drums of war thundered, and the Northern Rong people once again sent troops to challenge the enemy, speaking foul language.

Gaochang also sent a few soldiers with loud voices to fight back against them.

When it was noon, the Northern Rong people beat drums to attack the city, and the charging cavalry were still as fearless as they were yesterday.

This went on for several days. The people in the city were in a panic and the soldiers were exhausted. Every day, Bodhidharma looked at the dark and overwhelming Northern Rong army outside the city and his heart beat fast.

Yao Ying gradually saw the clues: "They are indeed conserving their combat power, and they only invest a small amount of combat power each time."

Damo's heart beat faster, and he said anxiously: "We can't send the message out, the reinforcements should be on the way..."

If this was really Haidu Aling's plan, he has succeeded.

Li Zhongqian, Wang Ting's reinforcements, Xizhou soldiers, and various states that were loyal to the Han Dynasty... Why did Haidu Aling attract all the reinforcements to Gaochang?

Yaoying felt a chill on her back.

At this moment, another burst of mournful horn sounds were heard outside the city, and flames suddenly burst out from the direction of the Beirong camp.

The Northern Rong army did not expect that its main camp would be attacked. The front army was still charging forward, while the rear army was panicked, not knowing whether to turn around or follow the front army. The two wings were in chaos, and soon the Northern Rong army began to retreat.

The Gaochang defenders were overjoyed and shouted, "Reinforcements are coming! Reinforcements are coming!"

In the distance, the Beirong camp was already engulfed in a sea of ​​fire.

Yao Ying looked at the dancing flames and broke out in a cold sweat.