Arson? Vice General Zhang was startled. There were actually people who would commit arson at the granaries! If they hadn’t been paying attention and someone had succeeded, the granaries were mostly made of bamboo and straw—ten thousand stones of grain could be destroyed in an instant.
Cold sweat broke out on his back. Vice General Zhang hastily asked: “Do you still have people stationed at the granaries?”
The guards nodded: “Following the Empress’s instructions, at night there are three shifts rotating, one person standing in the watchtower, four people patrolling below. Once there’s any movement, they notify the guards resting nearby, and the people can be easily captured. From the watchtower, everything around can be seen clearly. Plus, the nearby woods have all been cut down, so there’s nothing that could fuel a large fire. Basically there’s no need to worry. Even if someone splashes oil and sets a fire, the water channels the Empress arranged nearby can be used to extinguish the fire immediately. My lord can rest assured.”
Vice General Zhang was stunned.
The guards escorted the arsonists away. Vice General Zhang went to the granaries in a daze to arrange military provisions, then rode his horse toward the newly built cluster of wooden houses.
The wooden houses sheltered the elderly and women and children. The weather hadn’t been good lately, and the wooden houses were warm in winter and cool in summer—a good refuge. As Vice General Zhang rode past on horseback, watching those logs that would have been a disaster transformed into houses benefiting the people, he somewhat embarrassedly touched his chin.
Stationed beneath the city walls were all guards. When Gu Chaonan tried to attack the city under cover of night, the guards assembled quickly. Wave after wave of stones were hurled down, and Yecheng was securely defended without worry.
Shen Guiyan waited in the magistrate’s office. The Yecheng magistrate rushed in urgently: “Your Majesty’s calculations were divine—several people attempting to poison the water source have also been caught and all thrown into prison.”
“Good.” Shen Guiyan nodded slightly, smiling as she looked at Vice General Zhang beside her: “All these tactics have been deployed. Does the General still think we should open the city gates for them? They haven’t considered the city’s common people at all—rather, they want to force everyone into a corner with no way out.”
Vice General Zhang had already thought things through and sincerely bowed to the Empress: “This humble general was narrow-minded. The Empress’s decision was not wrong.”
Shen Guiyan breathed a sigh of relief. In the city, Vice General Zhang was the only one who could lead troops into battle. Now that his heart had returned to her, she would be much more comfortable.
Under the name of the Empress’s treason, Gu Chaonan incited the three armies and began round after round of attacks. Vice General Zhang led the guards in resistance. Though casualties were light, they still represented many lives. The common people in the city fled into the interior, and Shen Guiyan continuously sent messengers to transmit news back to the capital.
The Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, Gu Chaonan, has rebelled!
When Grand Empress Dowager Nian and Prime Minister Gu received this news, they were both extremely shocked. Prime Minister Gu couldn’t believe it, yet the letter was written in the Empress’s own hand.
The Grand Empress Dowager was in a very difficult position. Prime Minister Gu still managed court affairs—if Gu Chaonan had truly rebelled, where would that leave Prime Minister Gu?
Shen Guiyan requested the court dispatch troops for support. Because she had no military tally for the military forces near Yecheng, even as Empress she couldn’t easily mobilize them. She could only ask the Grand Empress Dowager to issue an edict, sealed with the imperial jade seal.
But the Grand Empress Dowager delayed issuing the edict and instead told Shen Guiyan to contact the Emperor and return to the capital as soon as possible.
When Shen Guiyan received the letter, her head ached. If she left Yecheng at this time, what about the Emperor? He was still out there! If Yecheng was given to Gu Chaonan, with foreign tribes ahead and Gu’s army behind, how would Gu Chaobei return?
“This palace will not return to the capital. I swear to share the fate of Yecheng’s army, whether we survive or perish together!” Shen Guiyan tore up the Grand Empress Dowager’s letter and declared solemnly while standing atop the city tower.
The Grand Empress Dowager also feared instability in the court. If Prime Minister Gu was overly protective of his son and harbored treasonous intentions, that would truly mean being attacked from both sides. All Grand Empress Dowager Nian could do was stabilize Prime Minister Gu. Yecheng had heavy troops—it shouldn’t be unable to defend the city. After she spoke with Prime Minister Gu, dispatching reinforcements shouldn’t be too late.
However, before Grand Empress Dowager Nian could say anything to Prime Minister Gu, news arrived from the border saying the Empress harbored rebellious intentions, blocking His Majesty’s sacred body outside Yecheng and refusing to open the city gates. Gu Chaonan had been obstructed while escorting the dragon coffin, which was why he began attacking the city.
The distance was so great that communication was extremely inconvenient. To know what was happening at the front, they could only rely on letters and word of mouth. Without seeing with one’s own eyes, misunderstandings were inevitable.
Grand Empress Dowager Nian was now also confused. Which one should she believe?
With messages going back and forth, there was simply no time to waste. Shen Guiyan had already given up hope on reinforcements from the capital. The intensity of the attacks increased each time—Gu Chaonan was using all his strength, determined to take Yecheng.
The military and civilians stubbornly defended for half a month. At first everyone still believed the Empress—that Gu Chaonan was a rebel. But later, after more than half a month had passed, why had His Majesty still not returned?
Military morale began to waver. If His Majesty was still alive, he should have returned to Yecheng long ago. Now, allowing Gu Chaonan’s great army to attack the city like this without any response—could it be… His Majesty truly lay in the dragon coffin outside the city?
Rumors spread again. No matter how Shen Guiyan suppressed them, it was useless. Some guards began to defect, and some even took grain from the granaries when they left.
“Empress, based on the current situation, this Yecheng will eventually fall,” said the wounded Vice General Zhang gravely. “Without reinforcements and with morale flagging, this humble general fears we can only defend for another ten days. After ten days, if His Majesty is still alive, he should return, shouldn’t he?”
Shen Guiyan pressed her lips together. She too was waiting for Gu Chaobei, but with no news at all, she couldn’t give up this early.
“General, do your best. As for other matters, leave them to this palace.” Clenching her hands tightly, Shen Guiyan made up her mind: “This palace will go request reinforcements.”
Vice General Zhang was stunned. Request reinforcements? Although the Empress was the mother of the nation, she had no authority to mobilize reinforcements, did she? There was no word from the court about providing support either—where would she go to request reinforcements?
However, based on the Empress’s previous performance, Vice General Zhang decided to trust her and continue defending the city.
Stones rolled down from scaling ladders, crushing people into bloody pulp. The sounds of swords and battle cries merged into one. The sandy soil was soaked with fresh blood. Arrows rained upward, attempting to fly over the city walls, but Yecheng’s walls were truly too high—the feathered arrows fell back down halfway.
Although defending Yecheng held the advantage, many soldiers on the city walls were still killed by enemy soldiers who climbed up under the rain of stones. Wails of grief shook the heavens.
Vice General Zhang gritted his teeth, leading people to fight against the enemy soldiers who had climbed the city walls. His left shoulder took a blade wound, but his right hand wielded his sword mercilessly, stabbing toward the enemy.
Outside they spoke of Gu Chaonan’s remnant forces, but after ten days of siege warfare, the enemy forces were not few but many, fighting until Yecheng’s defenders grew increasingly exhausted.
“General, General! We can’t hold much longer!” A soldier with a blood-covered face supported Vice General Zhang.
Vice General Zhang panted heavily, his eyes so blurred with blood he couldn’t open them. He asked in a low voice: “How many days has the Empress been gone?”
The soldier answered: “Five days.”
“Then good. Risk our very lives to hold these five days!” Vice General Zhang roared: “Even a woman understands not retreating a single step—we men, how can we give up!”
The guards shouted. Corpses piled up atop the city walls. In the end, whether enemy or ally, all were treated as stones and thrown down the scaling ladders.
Some soldiers wailed loudly, trembling all over as they picked up their comrades’ corpses and hurled them from the city tower. Some soldiers, stabbed in the waist and abdomen, knowing they couldn’t be saved, used their last strength to roll down over the parapet.
Blood and slaughter—everyone’s eyes were red. Vice General Zhang looked at the firelight and blood below the city and gave a long, mournful cry.
The last day was also the day Gu Chaonan attacked most fiercely. Vice General Zhang knew that he and all the soldiers had already done their best, but perhaps… he would have to break his word to the Empress.
Having lost too much blood, Vice General Zhang was brought down from the city tower by soldiers. He watched helplessly as more and more enemy soldiers climbed up, yet he was already powerless to do anything. Supported down, he sat at the street corner behind the city gate, blankly using white cloth to press against his wound.
“The city gate…” he murmured softly.
“The city gate must not be opened!” The sound of horse hooves rang out behind him, accompanied by the neat sound of soldiers marching. Vice General Zhang looked back in shock and saw the Empress on horseback, imposing and dignified.
“Fortunately I returned a day early.” Shen Guiyan breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at a general-like figure. That person cupped his fists: “Please entrust the defense of the city to this humble general!”
Having said this, he led the people behind him toward the top of the city gate.
Vice General Zhang stared blankly, counting the horse hooves and feet passing before him. So many! If there had been this many people earlier, so many brothers wouldn’t have died so miserably.
“You’ve worked hard.” The Empress crouched down beside him, her face still somewhat pale: “Yecheng can defend for another month. This palace has requested guards from the twelve nearby towns!”
Vice General Zhang frowned: “Did the Empress receive an imperial edict from the court for reinforcements?”
Shen Guiyan smiled bitterly: “No.”
“Then does the Empress have a military tally?”
Shen Guiyan shook her head: “Also no.”
Vice General Zhang’s expression changed: “Your Majesty falsely transmitted an imperial edict?”
“Now is not the time to discuss this.” Shen Guiyan had someone nearby help him up: “Come back to the magistrate’s office with this palace. After today’s battle, we must redeploy the troops.”
Vice General Zhang’s heart sank. To think that to obtain military reinforcements for the city, the Empress had to commit a capital crime!
However, once the reinforcements arrived, the situation on the city walls completely reversed. Gu Chaonan had thought he would definitely take Yecheng today—who knew reinforcements would arrive!
“What’s going on?” Gu Chaonan and Xu Mengdie both sat in the command tent: “Didn’t they say the capital wouldn’t send reinforcements, and she has no military authority in her hands?”
Xu Mengdie frowned: “Indeed she doesn’t. She must have borrowed troops from nearby towns. But on what basis?”
After thinking briefly, she understood: “Unless Shen Guiyan falsely transmitted an imperial edict.”
“That’s a capital crime. Even if she’s the Empress, she cannot be spared.” Gu Chaonan pressed his lips together: “She’s certainly bold enough.”
“You rest for two days. I’ll have someone transmit news back to the capital. Never mind defending the city—Shen Guiyan will definitely suffer the consequences!” Xu Mengdie hastily rose and took up her brush.
Gu Chaonan furrowed his brow: “Having the court deal with her is already too late. We still have ten days. If we can’t take Yecheng, the people behind will arrive.”
“Ten days…” Xu Mengdie thought for a moment: “Then we can only use special methods.”
Gu Chaonan looked at her questioningly.
The reinforcements could allow Yecheng to hold for another ten days. Shen Guiyan had also planned it out—after ten days, if Gu Chaobei was alive, he should return.