Yi Cheng could now actually only be considered a military fortress.

That is to say, the population of soldiers in the city was greater than that of ordinary residents.

This was because over the past half year, among the refugees who came to seek refuge in Yi Cheng, all men of suitable age mostly joined the army to become soldiers, while the remaining elderly, weak, women, and children settled down as ordinary citizens.

With the Western Jin coming to attack the city, Governor Li, for the safety of the residents, required them to temporarily evacuate the city and leave not a single grain of stored food behind.

This news was quickly disseminated.

The entire city immediately mobilized tensely.

Not to mention edible things. Everything that could be taken was taken away.

Things that really couldn’t be carried, such as chipped ladles, pots, and jars slowly salvaged from abandoned ruined houses after settling down, and broken-legged tables and stools, were all hidden or buried somewhere, leaving nothing behind.

The settlement they were about to go to was located in mountains dozens of li away from Yi Cheng. Last night, Li Mu had personally led people to search and finally found this place suitable for temporary residence.

This was a flat valley in a mountain hollow with flowing water sources nearby. Soldiers had already built many simple shelters on the open ground using cut branches and thatch grass, following the terrain, that could provide shelter.

Facing the menacing thirty thousand enemy troops, this temporarily formulated battle plan could be said to make the best use of local conditions, fully utilizing the solid height of Yi Cheng’s city walls and the emptiness within the city.

Li Mu was very confident about winning this battle.

But he was also clear that any battle plan, no matter how perfect it looked or how thoroughly prepared in advance, could not guarantee victory until the results were out.

He couldn’t either.

This was indeed an ingeniously bold tactic.

Once successful, it would not only allow Yi Cheng to establish a firm foothold and gain great prestige, achieving his first victory in the strict sense since becoming Governor of Yi Cheng, but also solve the current problems of supplies and weapons.

The source of soldiers wasn’t a big problem. The army’s numbers were increasing every day. He had a premonition that as long as they won this battle, it would only increase faster in the future.

The difficulty lay in the sources of supplies and weapons.

If they won this battle, the army’s strength could achieve a substantial improvement.

But at the same time, boldness also meant great risk.

A’Ju led the maids in packing up, and Luoshen changed into ordinary cloth clothes. Coming out from the main gate of the Governor’s mansion, she saw Li Mu standing at the entrance, talking with Sun Fangzhi, with a squad of Elite Martial soldiers beside them.

Standing at the very back was Gao Huan.

After not seeing him for several days, her younger brother seemed to have darkened another layer, dressed in ordinary soldier’s attire. The aristocratic demeanor of a noble family’s son had completely vanished from him, but his eyes looked brighter than before. Seeing Luoshen, restrained by military discipline, he didn’t call out but only smiled at her.

Sun Fangzhi was patting his chest, seemingly guaranteeing something to Li Mu. Hearing movement behind him, he turned around, and seeing Luoshen come out, immediately approached with a smile, bowing: “Madam, please board the carriage.”

Luoshen looked toward Li Mu.

Li Mu walked over and said: “A’Mi, you go stay in Chou Chi for a few days first. When matters here are finished, I’ll come fetch you back.”

Luoshen was startled, then understood.

Having her go to Chou Chi was naturally because it was relatively safer there. And the conditions were better too!

She glanced at the open space outside the Governor’s mansion gates.

Residents living nearby were busily moving their belongings with children in tow under soldiers’ assistance, their figures hurried.

Her gaze returned to his face.

“Governor Li, can you win this battle?”

She asked him, her voice clear, her tone serious.

Li Mu was startled.

“Need you ask? Victory is certain!”

Sun Fangzhi, seeing Li Mu surprisingly didn’t respond, became anxious and hastily answered for him.

Luoshen turned to Sun Fangzhi: “If that’s the case, why should I go to Chou Chi? I want to stay and wait with everyone for news of your victory.”

Now it was Sun Fangzhi’s turn to be stunned. After hesitating, he looked toward Li Mu.

Li Mu gazed at Luoshen, dark light faintly surging in his eyes. After a moment, he slowly said: “Good, you wait for me. When we win the battle, I’ll personally come fetch you back to the city!”

Luoshen smiled sweetly, turning to A’Ju: “Nanny Ju, let’s go to A’Yu’s house first and bring A’Yu along.”

Gao Huan had previously barely made it into the Elite Martial squad. Though he also tried his utmost, his companions were all truly outstanding, and in daily martial competitions and training, he inevitably ranked at the bottom. Today he was assigned here, originally to escort his sister to Chou Chi to avoid the war together with these companions.

Standing at the end of the formation now, he watched his sister’s party depart. Seeing his superior Sun Fangzhi and companions also watching her retreating figure with moved expressions, he couldn’t help feeling proud, thinking this was truly the style of the Gao family. He must work doubly hard in the future and absolutely not bring shame to his brother-in-law and sister.

…

With soldiers’ help, the citizens evacuated completely in just one day. Four to five thousand people all left the city and settled in this temporary valley settlement.

Having gone through great hardships to reach here, before they’d enjoyed stable days for long, they suddenly learned that the Western Jin were coming to attack the city, and all of them had to leave the city again and move to the mountains.

Although Jiangtao repeatedly emphasized to the citizens when arranging the evacuation that the Governor could absolutely win this battle, and arranging their evacuation was only to ensure their safety – they would return soon – people’s hearts were inevitably still anxious.

Only when they saw the Governor’s wife also appear and go to the settlement together with them, not abandoning them to go elsewhere to avoid the war as they had previously thought, did the citizens finally believe Jiangtao’s words, breathe a sigh of relief, regain confidence, and actively cooperate with everything.

After reaching the temporary settlement in the mountains and getting settled, the women couldn’t stay idle. They gathered together to continue spinning with the spinning wheels they’d brought out. Those without spinning wheels made straw shoes for the soldiers. The children were also organized in a large shelter and, like before, had to attend half-day classes.

Luoshen lived in a broken wooden house left behind by a hunter who had previously departed from the mountains.

Jiangtao had people repair the wooden house and clean it out for her to settle in, bringing A’Yu along with the sick blind woman.

When the blind woman was first rescued, her wounds were festering, with several of the deepest almost exposing white bone. She had a high fever and was barely breathing, in danger of dying at any moment.

Though her condition had finally improved these past few days, she still looked very weak.

Luoshen felt great sympathy for this blind woman with a troubled past whom she had rescued. After arriving, thinking that summer weather in the mountains was unpredictable with sun and rain, and the temporarily erected shelters might not completely block wind and rain, fearing she might catch cold or get rained on and affect her recovery, she specially arranged for her to live in her own wooden house, set up a bed for her to sleep on, and had people brew medicine and change her dressings, taking meticulous care of her.

Fan Cheng led three hundred guards and naturally remained here.

Li Mu also arranged some soldiers to guard together with Fan Cheng, while everyone else followed him to Yi Cheng to meet the enemy in battle.

After settling in, every morning Luoshen no longer slept in. She always got up punctually and appeared before the citizens with a smile.

She knew that only by seeing her appear each day would everyone feel at ease and begin their new day here.

When encountering those asking her about war news, she would tell them that everything was under the Governor’s control and they should feel completely at ease.

Though she comforted others this way and stabilized these thousands of people’s hearts, in her own heart she couldn’t help but feel dark unease and worry.

Yesterday she had received news that those thirty thousand Western Jin soldiers had arrived at Yi Cheng the day before.

As soon as they arrived, they launched their siege.

Today, she had no mind for other matters, anxiously waiting all day for further news of the battle.

But subsequent news never came.

Evening brought rain again. The nearby shelter where maids and servants lived leaked a bit, and with mosquitoes being vicious at night, Luoshen simply had everyone come inside the house, spread out bedding all together, and sleep inside.

Night had deepened, the rain stopped, and the mountain moon slowly hung above the forest.

Mosquito-repelling mugwort incense burned in the corners of the room, and everyone sleeping on the floor beside her was already sound asleep.

Luoshen couldn’t sleep. Lying on the temporarily set up bedding in the room’s corner, tossing and turning for a long time, she slowly sat up, hugging her knees and gazing at the patch of moonlight outside the window lattice. Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a hoarse voice beside her say softly: “Governor Li will surely win this battle.”

Luoshen was startled. Turning her head, she saw the blind woman sleeping near her had actually awakened, apparently having heard her getting up and said this.

This was the first time in so many days she had heard her voluntarily speak, and what she said was exactly the good words she wanted to hear.

Her mood finally improved somewhat. She said softly: “Did I wake you?”

The blind woman shook her head and also said quietly: “I slept a lot during the day and can’t sleep now.”

Luoshen knew her fever had broken.

These past few days, preoccupied with the war and busy comforting the citizens, she hadn’t paid attention to the woman’s injuries. She asked again: “How are your wounds?”

“Much better. Thank you, Madam,” the blind woman said hoarsely.

Luoshen took out wound salve left by the military doctor from a bundle at the head of the bed.

“I still have a bottle here. Apply it to your hands and feet yourself. Let me put some more medicine on your back.”

The blind woman’s figure paused for a moment, then slowly turned around and lay face down on the floor bedding.

Luoshen lifted her clothing for her, exposing that back so thin the shape of ribs was almost visible. By the dim moonlight filtering through the window lattice, she picked up medicine with her fingertips and gently applied it over her skin, evenly spreading it on the wounds.

“It looks much better. With a few more days of care, it should heal completely.”

“It’s getting late, I’ll sleep now. You sleep too. Tomorrow I’ll have A’Yu apply it for you.”

After finishing the medicine application, she placed the remaining bottle in the blind woman’s hands and lay back down.

After lying down, she no longer tossed and turned as before.

Gradually, she fell into deep sleep.

Beside her ear was the sound of light, even breathing.

In her nostrils seemed to linger the faint clothing fragrance from her sleeves.

The blind woman slowly opened her eyes.

A pair of purple pupils of indeterminate gender hid two unfathomable gazes devoid of emotion.

She stared deeply at the slender female figure curled up within arm’s reach nearby for a long time, then slowly closed her eyes again.

…

The next day, Luoshen finally received new battle reports from Yi Cheng.

The Western Jin soldiers arrived and encountered Li Mu’s army in the wilderness of the northern lands outside the city.

Thirty thousand against ten thousand, and half of the ten thousand didn’t even have proper weapons – what they held in their hands were wooden sticks.

The Western Jin side’s arrogance could be imagined. They immediately launched a fierce attack.

Encountering almost no decent resistance, Li Mu’s army was quickly defeated and retreated into the city, closing the gates and hanging high the banner of “no battle.”

How could the Western Jin soldiers give their opponents a chance to catch their breath? Pressing their advantage, they set up scaling ladders, hurled rocks, formed archery formations, and continued launching fierce attacks on the city.

The defending troops atop Yi Cheng’s walls quickly lost their positions, and the city gates were breached.

Li Mu’s soldiers, unable to resist, abandoned their defense. The men split into several groups and fled in defeat toward the other city gates.

Western Jin soldiers poured through the north gate like a tide, competing to chase after the fleeing Yi Cheng soldiers ahead.

Outside the north city gate, only a supply unit ordered to stay behind remained.

Watching the battle situation, the Xianbei people mocked the Han people’s incompetence and cowardice in Xianbei language, sighing and stamping their feet that they couldn’t kill their way into the city like their companions.

The only consolation was hearing that this place had been a ghost town not long ago, so there probably wasn’t much profit to be gained inside now.

After breaking through the city and killing all the military and civilians inside to complete their revenge and scare Hou Ding into running away in terror, they could return home and continue following their emperor to seize Xi Jing Chang’an, which was now in the hands of the Jie people.

Xi Jing Chang’an and Eastern Capital Luoyang – these great cities and imperial capitals that the Han people had built for generations since ancient times – were the real places of wealth.

Just as these Western Jin soldiers were rubbing their hands eagerly, they never expected that after all the combat troops had attacked through the north gate, a thousand-man Yi Cheng army, led by several hundred brave warriors, would circle around from behind them like ghosts.

The Yi Cheng army annihilated this Western Jin supply unit that had been cheering for their companions just moments before, then quickly closed the city gates, poured pre-melted molten iron, and piled up prepared giant stones and logs, completely sealing off the exit.

At the same time, according to the predetermined plan, Yi Cheng soldiers who had retreated to the other three gates – east, west, and south – all successfully withdrew.

The city gates were treated the same way, all closed and blocked.

Nearly thirty thousand Western Jin soldiers were thus trapped in Yi Cheng city according to Li Mu’s predetermined plan.

The Western Jin people, awakening from their victorious frenzy of chasing enemies, only then realized they had occupied an empty, desolate city where, apart from broken walls and ruins, not even a ghost could be seen.

The gates to get out were blocked.

And they were trapped by Yi Cheng soldiers outside.

The city walls were high. Even if they had the courage to jump down, if they were lucky enough not to break their arms and legs, what would greet them would be the merciless arrow formations like locusts and raging fires from the Yi Cheng soldiers waiting outside.

After the Western Jin people wandered around the city like headless flies for most of the day, they discovered something even more terrifying.

They had no food to eat!

Searching the entire city, let alone finding half a grain that could fill their stomachs, even the edible wild grasses by the roadside had been completely harvested!

Only then did the Western Jin people who had captured the city realize they had been deceived.

They had captured the city but become like a group of ants trapped at the bottom of a bucket, unable to get out.

…

News of the battle’s progress made the atmosphere in the entire temporary settlement excited.

Everyone wore smiles, children’s reading voices rang clear and loud, and the women’s enthusiasm for spinning thread and making shoes became even greater.

On this day, a clear, peaceful afternoon.

The Western Jin people had been trapped in the city for four or five days.

It was said that on the first day, dense masses of Western Jin soldiers climbed the city walls, shooting arrows outward at Li Mu’s besieging troops and shouting curses, with fires blazing throughout the city.

By now, probably even the rats had been caught, and incidents of mutual slaughter had occurred. Western Jin soldiers, so hungry they had no strength even to speak, continuously climbed the walls to beg surrender.

The children were excited by the news and had hardly any mind for studying these past two days. Luoshen didn’t force them and dismissed school early today.

In the room, she had originally been compiling a new literacy manual, planning to distribute it to students with excellent coursework after returning to the city. Gradually becoming drowsy, she yawned, set down her brush, and lay down on the couch by the window lattice for a nap.

When she woke, she felt cool breezes beside her. Opening her eyes, she saw the blind woman sitting on the ground beside her, holding a fan and slowly waving it, fanning her.

The blind woman’s illness had recovered. The wounds on her body that had originally festered almost to the bone had gradually scabbed over. But she didn’t fit in with others and seemed to fear sunlight. Though her illness had healed, she never went out during the day, staying only in the dark corners of the room, head lowered and back to the doors and windows, either sleeping or silently helping A’Yu weave hemp rope.

She was a blind woman, so Luoshen hadn’t expected her to help with anything. Taking her in was just like raising one more person.

She hadn’t expected that when she fell asleep, the woman would actively feel her way over to fan her.

Turning to smile at her: “Your hand must be sore, right? Go rest yourself. You don’t need to fan me.”

The blind woman still kept her head lowered, saying hoarsely: “I’m not tired. They’re all busy outside. I’ll fan you.”

A’Ju and the maids and servants had eaten lunch and were sitting in groups under the shade of nearby trees, busy with needlework and making straw shoes.

Seeing her insistence, Luoshen didn’t drive her away. She stretched, sat up, picked up her brush again, and continued compiling the booklet.

The room was quiet, with the sound of babbling streams and birds singing in the ravines.

The blind woman stayed by her side, silent, head lowered, continuing to fan her.

Luoshen wrote two more pages. At this time, light footsteps came from outside, and A’Yu ran in holding a letter, saying happily: “Madam, the guard just delivered this, saying it’s a letter from the Governor to Madam!”

Luoshen hurriedly put down her brush and took it.

A’Yu delivered the letter and skipped away again.

This was a brief letter Li Mu had written to her. It said the siege was progressing smoothly. Among the Western Jin soldiers were Xianbei people and some Han people, but all were ruthless killers. He would continue the siege until completely crushing those people’s will.

The letter ended saying he missed her very much and asked if she missed him. He told her to wait a few more days, and when matters were finished, he would immediately come fetch her.

Luoshen stared at these lines of characters, reading them over and over, the corners of her lips unconsciously curving upward, gradually becoming lost in thought.

The blind woman’s fanning hand paused for a moment and slowly raised her head.

“Madam, what did the Governor’s letter say?” she asked.

“Nothing much. It says in a few more days, the siege should end…”

Luoshen’s lips curved in a smile as she looked toward the blind woman beside her who had asked the question.

Suddenly, her gaze fixed.

In this weather, the blind woman also habitually wore a scarf around her neck.

Earlier A’Yu had curiously asked her about it, and she said that besides being blind, her throat also had a wind ailment, hence her hoarse voice, so even in summer she couldn’t be exposed to wind.

Luoshen hadn’t suspected anything and hadn’t paid much attention.

Until this moment, when the blind woman raised her head, the scarf around her neck happened to loosen, revealing her throat.

Luoshen actually saw a protruding Adam’s apple.

When she was with Li Mu, she liked to kiss and bite his distinctly outlined Adam’s apple – because women didn’t have one, it was very attractive to her.

She was very familiar with this masculine characteristic.

She had never seen such a protruding Adam’s apple on a woman’s throat.

Her gaze moved from the blind woman’s neck to that closed-eyed, usually lowered, dark and gaunt face that she seemed never to have seen clearly, and suddenly a feeling of familiarity surged in her heart.

This face, these features…

She seemed to have seen them somewhere before.

But for a moment she couldn’t remember where.

A sense of foreboding suddenly surged in her heart. Seeing the blind woman lower her head again and continue fanning her, she no longer looked at her, remaining calm and acting as if nothing had happened, continuing to lower her head and write.

A moment later, finishing a page, she set down her brush, stood up, and smiled: “Rest yourself. I’ll go see the needlework they’re doing.”

She walked out, gradually quickening her pace as she went forward.

She called for Fan Cheng.

Fan Cheng brought guards and returned with her to the wooden house. When they pushed open the door, Luoshen was shocked by what she saw.

The blind woman was still sitting on the ground as before, but now held a dagger in her hand, the dagger pointed at A’Yu’s neck.

The blind woman was no longer keeping her eyes closed either.

Slowly raising her head and opening her eyes, she revealed a pair of purple eyes that Luoshen, having seen once, would never forget.

“Murong Ti!”

Luoshen cried out.

Though the person before her still wore women’s clothing, and her face was very different from the beautiful countenance in Luoshen’s memory, these eyes and the cold, seemingly inhuman expression in them – she recognized immediately upon seeing them.

Murong Ti looked at Luoshen, the corners of his lips moving slightly in what seemed a smile but wasn’t: “It’s me.”

He raised his hand and wiped his face, and the mud-like substance fell away in pieces, revealing his true face.

The face before her was pale and wan, with sunken cheeks, so thin it was almost deformed. Even with the outer disguise removed, it looked vastly different from the graceful, ethereally handsome countenance Luoshen had seen on that day of the winding water banquet.

It was almost like a different person.

If she hadn’t become suspicious earlier and thought to bring people to investigate, how could she have imagined that Murong Ti, this Xianbei person she thought should still be in Jiankang, would appear before her in such a manner?

She had rescued a dangerous wolf. Eating together, even sleeping together, they had spent over ten days like this!

Luoshen’s face changed drastically, her heart racing.

But at this moment, she had no time to think about these things.

She looked at A’Yu held in Murong Ti’s grasp.

She was crying, her eyes filled with terror, tears streaming continuously.

“Murong Ti, when you were about to die of illness in the wilderness outside the city, it was A’Yu who discovered and saved you! If you’re still human, you shouldn’t treat her like this! Let her go now!”

A’Yu heard her own name and struggled desperately.

Fan Cheng was furious, immediately ordering people to surround them, drawing his sword and shouting angrily: “Release her quickly!”

Murong Ti showed no expression, his five fingers suddenly tightening like an eagle’s talons, gripping the child’s neck tightly.

A’Yu immediately couldn’t breathe, closing her eyes under his fingers, her face turning red from lack of air.

His pair of cold eyes looked at Luoshen. “If your people take another step forward, I’ll break her neck.”