"How many soldiers were rescued this time?" Lin Yinan asked Yun San.
Yun San frowned, his expression somber, and said, "Before five hundred, Xiao Bei also died."
Everyone was heavy-hearted, and a brief silence fell over the tent.
After a long silence, Lin Yinan said in a deep voice, "Send him back to Longtan for a proper burial. We traveled all night last night, so pass down the order for the soldiers to cook and rest on the spot."
"Madam, are you going to sneak into Nanzhou Prefecture tonight?" Yun Qi's eyes were frighteningly bright, and her eyes, which hadn't had a proper rest for several days, were bloodshot.
Knowing his eagerness to save the Lord, Yun patted him on the shoulder.
"No rush, go get some sleep first, I'll definitely call you tonight."
"Yes, you must call me."
After saying that, Yun Qi turned and left the tent. She first went to check on Yun Xiaobei, whose bodyguards had already wiped the blood off his body, changed his clothes, and he was lying quietly.
Yun Qi clenched his fists tightly, crawled into the tent, lay down, and fell into a deep sleep.
After discussing with Yun Yi and the others about sneaking into Nanzhou Prefecture that night, Lin Yinan went to see the wounded soldiers.
Inside the wounded soldiers' tents, painful screams could be heard from time to time coming from the wounds.
Lin Yinan lifted the curtain and went inside.
Doctor Lü was stitching up a wound on the chest of a bodyguard. The wound was gaping and gruesome, a truly horrifying sight. Doctor Lü was skillfully sewing the wound with needle and sheep intestines, while the bodyguard had a handkerchief between his teeth and his forehead was covered in large beads of sweat.
Lin Yinan walked through the crowd of wounded and found Yun Er, who was unconscious, in an inconspicuous corner.
His head was covered with silver needles, and his left eye was wrapped in thick gauze. Yun Wu was removing the needles from his head.
"How is Yun Er?" Lin Yinan asked softly.
Yun Wu glanced at Yun Er, who had fallen into a deep sleep, and shook his head.
"It's hard to say. His left eye was severely injured by external force, there is blood stasis in his brain, and it may have caused optic nerve contusion. It will be more difficult for him to see with his left eye in the future."
Is there no way to cure it?
"I will first use silver needles to dissolve the blood clot in his brain. As for whether he will be able to see in the future, it depends on his recovery."
Yun Wu continued to pull the silver needles from Yun Er's head. His master had not returned, and Yun Er was injured so badly that he dared not be distracted for even a moment.
As she emerged from the two wounded soldiers' tents, she encountered Yun San, who had come looking for her.
“Madam, a small number of people who escaped from Nanzhou Prefecture are unwilling to leave. They did not bring any food and want to follow the army until the barbarians are driven away before returning home.”
Yun San was somewhat angry. There were 100,000 Hu soldiers in Nanzhou Prefecture. How could they be driven away in a day or two?
The presence of ordinary people here can actually influence them.
"What about the others?"
“Some of the established families who had properties in Longtan, as well as people with relatives in nearby cities, left to seek refuge there. They did not want to stay here and live in fear.”
Lin Yinan pondered for a moment and said, "Give them some food and let them go to the nearby city. The military camp is not suitable for taking in civilians."
"Yes, I'll arrange it right away." Yun San accepted the order and left.
After Yun San left, a weary-looking Fan Chuanji arrived with his men. They bowed to Lin Yinan and explained their purpose.
"Lord Lin, with a great battle imminent, we would like to ask you if there is anything we can do to help you."
Unlike other aristocratic families who simply walked away, he didn't leave without a word, and Lin Yinan actually thought highly of him.
However, Fan Chuanji already knew that Fan Xueli was killed by them. He was willing to put aside his pride and cooperate with them for the sake of profit. If the Fan family were to grow stronger again in the future, how could he not avenge his father's death!
"Thank you for your righteous help, Patriarch Fan, but we are also waiting for General Lu of Cangwu County. We will discuss how to fight together when he arrives." Lin Yinan politely declined.
Fan Chuanji was taken aback by her refusal, but quickly recovered and said with a smile, "If Lord Lin needs anything, just say the word, and we'll be waiting for you."
"Master Fan is truly a benevolent and righteous man, worthy of our deepest admiration!"
Lin Yinan nodded slightly to him.
Fan Chuanji bowed and then withdrew.
When Yun Kang regained consciousness, he felt very frustrated. His father and Yun Xiaobei had both died trying to save him, and he felt utterly useless.
"Fourth brother, are you really not coming to Dragon Pool with us?" Yun Jing frowned as he looked at his stubborn younger brother.
Yun Kang used his knife to continuously chop at the weeds in the thorn bushes, his lips tightly pressed together, trying to suppress the grief in his heart.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Yun Jing asked again, "Fourth brother, are you even listening to me?"
Yun Kang paused, instinctively tightening his grip on the sword, and turned to look at Yun Jing.
“Father and Yun Xiaobei died to save me. I can’t just leave like this. I need to kill more Hu people to avenge them. Elder brother, please take good care of Mother and my aunt.”
"Are you really going?"
Yun Kang pursed his lips and stopped speaking. He looked firmly at the long sword in his hand and began to practice the sword techniques that Yun Xiaobei had taught him.
As darkness descended, the sky gradually plunged into darkness.
Not far from the south gate of Nanzhou Prefecture, a large bonfire was still emitting wisps of smoke. The smoke smelled exactly like burnt meat, with a strong, pungent stench. The two nauseating smells wafted around everywhere.
The entire Nanzhou Prefecture was shrouded in tranquility and desolation, with the dilapidated city walls resembling a hideous ghost face.
The city wall has many uneven shallow pits, still stained with blood that has not yet dried, as if telling the story of a fierce battle last night.
A cold wind blew, bringing a chill, and made the flags on the city wall flutter.
Several ghostly figures quickly arrived at the south gate, walking close to the wall.
The city gate, which was blown open last night, has been repaired with wooden planks. The gate is now closed, and soldiers are patrolling the city walls from time to time.
Yun Qi made a gesture to the group and then led the way, quickly crossing the city wall from the other side.
"This is the place. It's located in a slum in the city, and few people usually walk through here."
Lin Yinan pressed his ear against the city wall, listening intently, but found no movement inside.
She nodded to the group.
Yun Yi and Yun San took the grappling hooks hanging from their waists and threw them upwards with force. The grappling hooks gripped the crenellations above the city wall tightly.
Several people grabbed the rope, used the leverage to quickly leap over the city wall, and retrieved the grappling hook.
Once inside the city, the group huddled close to the city wall, gesturing quietly to each other.
As previously agreed, the group split up and acted separately.
Lin Yinan, Yun San, and Yun Qi formed a group to find the place where Yun Mo and the soldiers were imprisoned, while Yun Yi and Yun Si went to find the place where the Hu people stored food and supplies.
Inside the city, the defenses were tight, and Hu soldiers carrying torches patrolled the streets and alleys from time to time.
The streets reeked of blood, and there were fallen rubble on the corners of the streets. The closed shops had their signs swaying slightly in the wind and making creaking noises.
Yun Qi led Lin Yinan and Yun San through the streets and alleys, occasionally having to evade patrolling soldiers.
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