Xie Yushu took the lead in making arrangements at the manor and brought all those who could go to the battlefield to wait in front of the government office.
Han Zhongyu also sent out messages to Jinyang and Shancheng asking for help.
No one knew how far the war would develop. It would take at least five or six days for the imperial court to receive the news, and another five or six days to mobilize a large army to come over.
The battle happened too suddenly. If Hangu Pass falls, even if all the available soldiers and guards of Tai'an Prefecture are sent up, it won't last long. Moreover, sending people alone won't be of much use; we'll also need to gather weapons such as bows and arrows.
Therefore, Han Zhongyu could only seek support from nearby areas.
Fortunately, the prefects of Jinyang and Shancheng also knew the seriousness of the situation. Upon receiving the letter, they immediately dispatched 1,000 city defense troops and tens of thousands of arrows to Tai'an Prefecture, under the unified command of Han Zhongyu.
In the afternoon, Zhou Yi'an returned from Jinyang with more than a dozen people and volunteered to take on the task of escorting the grain supplies.
The officials in the government office were all in their respective positions and performing their duties.
Han Zhongyu glanced around and saw that everyone was there, not one missing.
Upon seeing this, the clerk below cupped his hands and said
"My lord, you are all here, as are the princess and the prince. What reason do we have not to stay? We are all people who receive salaries from the imperial court. The imperial court's salaries are all the blood and sweat of the people. If even one person in Tai'an Prefecture has not left, none of us will leave!"
No matter what the final outcome, being able to fight alongside you, the prince, and the princess makes this life worthwhile!
Even if I die, I will have done right by my elders and fellow villagers, and by this land of Tai'an Prefecture!
"Yes, sir, that's what we all mean. We'll live and die together, with a clear conscience!"
Han Zhongyu was deeply moved upon hearing this.
"Good, I am proud to work with such loyal and righteous people as you."
If we need to go to Tianshui City to fight, then Tai'an Prefecture is in your hands.
From this day forward, Tai'an Prefecture will be temporarily administered jointly by Provincial Administration Commissioner Li and Inspector Zhang.
You not only need to stabilize the situation in Tai'an Prefecture, but also shoulder the heavy responsibility of transporting various supplies to the front lines!
Upon hearing this, Lord Zhang and Lord Li said in unison...
"Rest assured, sir, we will do our utmost to protect Tai'an Prefecture."
Han Zhongyu nodded and said nothing more.
At this moment, all the guards and secret agents from Lanting and Hanfu were brought over, totaling eighty people.
Xuanyuan Che and his three hundred Divine Eagle Guards arrived at the government office, ready to depart.
Although everything had been arranged in the shortest possible time, no one was at peace. They still held onto a sliver of hope that Meng Yunting, the general guarding Hangu Pass, could hold out, and that the army closest to Hangu Pass could be the first to rush to the rescue.
However, things took the worst possible turn.
In the afternoon, an urgent report came from the front: Hangu Pass had fallen, and the general Meng Yunting and all 20,000 soldiers guarding Hangu Pass had been killed in action!
The army from Yunshui City that went to provide support encountered the Tatar army at Qingfenggang and suffered heavy casualties. Yunshui City is in grave danger!
Han Zhongyu and Xie Yushu were both shocked and deeply saddened upon hearing this.
"So fast!"
"Yes, sir!"
We're afraid we can't hold out!
The Tatars eat raw meat and drink blood; they kill anyone they see. They have already massacred several villages. What are we going to do?
We're not afraid to die, but even if we die, we can't hold the city. There are just too many of them! Waaah!
The messenger was covered in blood, disheveled, and even on the verge of collapse!
Han Zhongyu shouted loudly
"We have to defend it even if we can't. Even if you are wiped out, we still have you, and millions of Qi soldiers!"
The men of the Great Qi Dynasty shed blood, not tears.
Hold back your tears.
All we can show is the fighting spirit of the Daqi people!
Zhou Yi'an, take him downstairs to rest first.
All the constables and officials stayed behind to guard the city.
All other combat personnel, proceed to Tianshui immediately!
At Han Zhongyu's command, the last six hundred or so people in Tai'an Prefecture set off together.
Tai'an Prefecture is more than 200 li away from Tianshui. The situation is more critical than anyone expected, so Han Zhongyu had no choice but to order the entire army to march at full speed.
Fortunately, these 600-plus people were all trained and had some skill in light-body techniques. Those who came from the secret guards were not weak in light-body techniques, so they could easily carry out a rapid march.
However, this caused a shortage of food supplies and weapons.
Therefore, they could only use two-horse carriages to first transport a few carts of arrows and strong liquor to accompany the forced march, while the rest, led by Wang Wu and supported by those coming from the mountain city of Jinyang, would arrive a little later.
On the way, they happened to run into Xie Tianqi and Liu Xiaodong, who had picked up Xie Baotian's family and Liu Qiang's family.
Seeing that Xie Yushu was going to Tianshui, the two wanted to follow her.
Xie Yushu disagreed and told them to first send their family members safely to Jinyang.
Xie Baotian and Madam Lu held onto Xie Yushu tightly and refused to let go.
Madam Lu cried so hard she almost fainted.
"My daughter! My dear daughter! Listen to your mother, we're not going. Fighting is a man's job. What are you, a young lady, doing on the battlefield!"
"Come on, let's go back with Mother!"
At this moment, Xie Yushu was also somewhat moved, but she still ruthlessly pried Lu Shi's hands away.
“Mother, war is not just a man’s business. When the Tatars invade, the first to suffer will be women and children. I am a princess conferred by the court. As the saying goes, ‘An army is raised for a thousand days to be used for one’s own battle.’ At this time, I have a responsibility to bear and cannot go back with you.”
After saying this, Xie Yushu took three steps back, knelt down on both knees, kowtowed three times to Xie Baotian and the others, said nothing, mounted her horse, and galloped away.
Only his family members behind him remained, their eyes red from crying.
Xie Yushu wiped away her tears, forcibly shook off her melancholy, and threw herself wholeheartedly into the current task.
After the group had traveled 120 li, most of them had reached their physical limits. Only then did Han Zhongyu order them to rest for an hour. After such a long period of strenuous exercise, they dared not sit down on the ground. They walked a little further and their breathing became more stable before they dared to drink some water and eat some dry rations.
Han Zhongyu, Xie Yushu, Xuan Yuanche, and their personal guards all rode horses, so they weren't too tired and took turns on guard duty, while the others practically fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.
An hour later, everyone got up and continued on their way.
This extreme sprint happened just in time to arrive at the moment when the gates of Tianshui City were breached by the Tatar army.
In Tianshui City, most of the elderly, weak, women and children had already been evacuated from the city by the local prefect. Xie Yushu and her group encountered quite a few of them along the way.
At this moment, in the city, apart from the few remaining soldiers defending the city, there were only young men temporarily mobilized by the government, who were putting up a desperate resistance to buy more time for their families to leave the city.
The moment the bolts on the city gate were broken, a sense of despair rose in everyone's hearts.
Just as the Tatars were about to swarm in, a woman's clear shout rang out, her voice loud and penetrating.
"Lanting, Qingfeng, take your men and prepare the wine jars and torches."
"The moment your own troops retreat, use every ounce of your strength to smash those wine jars and torches over the enemy's heads!"
Upon hearing this, Lanting and Qingfeng casually selected a few people, each carrying two wine jars, and prepared several rows of torches to await the opportune moment.
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