Yun Er took the large bow from his back. "I'll take that scoundrel Yu's life first!"
Yu Shida had clashed with them several times in Xihe County; his life was not so easily taken.
Although he was far away, he had heard of the power of the Longtan army back in Pingdu and Linjiang counties. Now he was prepared. When the sound of arrows piercing the air came, he raised his spear and knocked the arrow away.
The Hu people beside him immediately started chattering and shouting.
Several people even tried to shoot arrows at the city wall, but Yu Shida stopped them.
"No need, let them run wild for a few more days."
Yu Shida rode forward, staring at the people on the city wall from the city gate, a cold smile on his lips, his tone full of provocation and contempt.
"General Yunmo, it's been a long time!"
Yun Mo lowered his eyes and looked up, his gaze meeting the other's. Their eyes met, and an undercurrent flowed between them.
"I'm fine, but you, weren't you dead? How did you become a lackey of the barbarians? It seems you weren't doing too well out there either!"
"Everyone wanted me to die, but I was lucky and survived."
Yu Shida frowned, his tone nonchalant.
He had trusted the wrong person, which led to him being pushed into the icy river by the Wang clan of Dongyue, who then took over the army he had painstakingly built up. A Hu (non-Han) army happened to be passing by and, seeing that he was still alive, was originally going to kill him, but he persuaded them to let him lead them south to plunder.
The south was rich and abundant in resources, and the Hu people quickly assembled an army of 100,000 and marched south without any hindrance.
"Don't forget, your family and relatives are still in Nanzhou Prefecture," Yun Mo reminded him.
"I have no family, so don't even think about using their lives to blackmail me."
Yu Shida denied it outright, saying that he had lost his sense of belonging in that family since the death of the Yu family head.
Those clansmen outwardly respected him, but behind his back they mocked him for being a concubine's son, unfit for high society.
His eyes were filled with disdain, as if none of this mattered.
Yun Er spat at the foot of the city wall and sneered, "Pah, you ungrateful wretch!"
“We’re all the same, no matter what. You’re hiding here, living in comfort and disregarding the lives of the people outside.”
Yu Shida's eyes were sunken in their sockets, his gaze sharp and cold, his once handsome face replaced by sinister and ruthless features.
Yun Mo frowned, knowing that after this ordeal, Yu Shida would have the support of 100,000 Hu troops, making this a tough and difficult battle.
“We can talk,” Yun Mo said, trying to persuade him to negotiate.
Yu Shida shook his head. "We have nothing to talk about. I have brought 100,000 elite Hu troops. Even if we just wear you down, we can wear you down inside."
"Let's try again when it's light!"
After making his threats, Yu Shida left with his Hu soldiers.
Yunmo and the others on the city wall watched him swagger away.
"Master, Yu Shida brought over ten thousand men with him. The other soldiers are probably encamped not far from the city." Yun Qi, holding a telescope, reported the situation he had just observed to Yun Mo.
"Nephew, what should we do?"
Yun Zhenchuan arrived as soon as Yu Shida approached the city wall. He never expected that Yu Shida, this traitor, would be so disloyal, actually bringing 100,000 elite Hu soldiers to Nanzhou Prefecture.
What is he trying to do?
Are we going to massacre the entire city?!
Yun Mo withdrew his gaze, took a deep breath, looked at Yun Zhenchuan with unwavering determination, and spoke with composure.
"Second Uncle, go and take inventory of weapons and provisions right now, prepare all kinds of war supplies, and transport them to the city walls. There's bound to be a fierce battle tomorrow."
Hearing his words, Yun Zhenchuan's panicked heart calmed down a lot. He steadied himself and said, "Okay, I'll go and do it right away."
After Yun Zhenchuan left, Yun Mo turned to Yun Si and Yun Shiyi.
"You two each take your men and guard the east, west, and north gates. No one may enter or leave without orders."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"Also, send another small team to surround the Yu family."
"..."
As the orders were relayed, Yun Mo felt as if he had returned to the days at Yanmen Pass, where his grandfather had also given orders to his father, elder brother, and the soldiers under his command.
Now everything has changed, they are all gone, only he, his second brother, and the secret guards his grandfather gave him.
Yun Mo looked somewhat saddened.
Yun Er patted him on the shoulder and said something out of the blue.
"Nineteen should have grown taller by now."
His words worked, and Yun Mo was invigorated, continuing to arrange the follow-up work.
Nanzhou Prefecture is not what it used to be. As night deepens, the streets are filled with the sound of footsteps, and the atmosphere is heavy.
The people sensed something unusual in the hurried footsteps.
Peeking through the crack in the door, they saw soldiers pushing a wheelbarrow back and forth in the street, with neatly stacked sacks on it.
They tried to pull someone aside to ask, but seeing the soldiers' fierce expressions, they dared not, and could only speculate in secret.
"The barbarians are here!"
"The Hu army is about to massacre the city!"
Someone was running wildly down the street, shouting all the way, but the soldiers transporting the goods had no time to pay him any attention.
Before long, a handsome man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes appeared in front of the man. He reached out and touched the man, who instantly fainted.
This scene was witnessed by a family of nine who were hiding through the crack in the door, and they were stunned.
"Father, do you think that man's words are credible?"
The old man with the white beard thought for a moment and said, "It's believable. Look where those soldiers are taking the things."
"That's the direction out of the city gate!"
"Father, what should we do? Pack our things and leave the city?"
The old man shook his head and pondered, "If that's really the case, I'm afraid it's too late. Let's do what we did last time and hide in the cellar in the backyard. You guys take the child down first, and then quickly hide all the valuables and food in the house."
This is a family that survived the last massacre by bandits. With their previous experience, they hope that they can all survive safely.
However, after receiving the confirmation, many more people hurriedly packed their bags, closed their doors, and rushed to the various city gates of Nanzhou Prefecture.
Having experienced the previous massacre by bandits, they did not believe the city could still be defended.
The Yu family.
Yu Xunmei was awakened from her sleep by her maid.
She struggled to open her sleepy eyes, her tone tinged with impatience.
"What's the matter that you're in such a panic?"
The maid's eyes flickered with unease, and her hunched body trembled slightly.
"Miss, the second young master is back."
"What? Say it again?" Yu Xunmei's eyes widened suddenly, her gaze sharp as she looked at her.
The maid shrank back and repeated, "The gatekeeper said the second young master has returned, and, and..."
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