Having suffered setbacks in attacking the city, Shi Monu decisively withdrew to his encampment. The felt tent fell, blocking out the wind and sand. As a subordinate general at Shi Monu’s side, Nie Lingu followed closely behind him into the tent. “General, the Qi people’s city gates are not like the felt tents on our grasslands, much less like our fortresses. Attacking so forcefully, I fear we won’t be able to take it down in a short time!”

Shi Monu was considered an extremely outstanding warrior among the Nanyan tribes. Even now he was only just over thirty years old. Before Great Qi and Danqiu ceased hostilities, he was still young. At that time, the national wars he participated in could be counted on one hand. During these dozen-plus years of peace between the two nations, his achievements had all been on the grasslands, following the Nanyan tribe’s main general to subjugate twenty-eight tribes for the Danqiu royal court.

Juhan Pass had once had cities built by Qi people, but in the battle at Shepherd God Mountain between Xu Hexue and the Danqiu general Meng Tuo, both Qi and Danqiu suffered devastating losses. Meng Tuo died from severe wounds. When Danqiu later broke through Juhan Pass’s defensive line, a single fire burned Juhan Pass’s city walls completely clean.

The barbarians disliked how the Qi people built their cities tall and solid. They only wanted flat plateaus, lush grasslands, and herds of cattle and sheep. They were accustomed to felt tents that could be moved at any time and didn’t want to settle down and take root like the Qi people.

For this reason, Shi Monu was extremely inexperienced with sieges. If Qin Jixun hadn’t hidden like a turtle in the city, by now he would have already let loose, cutting down Qi people as if cutting cattle and sheep just as he had in the poplar forest. Wherever the Danqiu cavalry went, the Qi people had almost no power to resist.

But they were hiding in the city, which was like binding Shi Monu’s hands and feet, making him feel stifled for the first time.

“First it was the iron caltrops in the poplar forest, now it’s today’s wagon formation. The Qi people can only resort to such cunning tricks.” Shi Monu’s expression was gloomy as he undid his belt and threw it on the felt carpet covering the ground.

“General, that wagon formation was obviously specifically designed to counter our cavalry. Who would have thought Wei Dechang still had some skill!” Subordinate General Nie Lingu said indignantly.

“Wei Dechang?”

Shi Monu’s falcon-like eyes narrowed slightly. After a long moment, he laughed coldly. “No. Though he knows how to use this wagon formation, he doesn’t use it flexibly enough. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given me the opportunity to wound him.”

Wei Dechang’s mind was almost entirely focused on using formations. Shi Monu’s archery was excellent. If not for that mysterious person with a long scarf covering his face atop the city wall, whose single arrow precisely deflected his arrow, Wei Dechang by now, even if not dead, should have already been wounded.

Thinking of that person atop the city wall, Shi Monu’s expression turned cold and severe. “Such stratagems—if it’s not Qin Jixun, then behind this pair of sworn brothers, there must be a hidden expert.”

Subordinate General Nie Lingu was about to speak when he heard voices outside the tent. He immediately went out. Hearing the scout whisper a few words, his expression became somewhat ugly. He turned back, lifted the tent flap, and strode quickly before Shi Monu. “General! The scout reports that last night before we attacked the city, Yang Tianzhe carried bed crossbows up Mount Tianju! Our warriors guarding below Mount Tianju encountered them but were repelled by arrow formations from the defenders on Mount Tianju’s bird path!”

“No wonder.”

Two words squeezed through Shi Monu’s teeth as he slammed his fist on the table. “No wonder they dared sally forth last night to meet us in battle—it was to cover for Yang Tianzhe!”

Mount Tianju’s terrain was extraordinarily perilous, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The bird path hung high upon it. The Qi defenders held the commanding height, and now with the addition of bed crossbows, it was naturally even harder to take down.

Nie Lingu revealed a worried expression. “If the Qi people’s bird path remains, Yongzhou City cannot be completely controlled within our encirclement. If they drag this out until Qi reinforcements arrive, General, will we still be able to take Yongzhou City?”

“Who says I must take Yongzhou City?”

Shi Monu’s bluish-black stubble almost covered half his face. “They’re waiting for reinforcements, and I’m waiting for reinforcements too. But Nie Lingu, I don’t care what method you use—you must cut off that mountain path between Yongzhou City and Mount Tianju. When the grain they’re waiting for can’t be delivered into the city, they’ll naturally come out and fight me.”

The bird path was narrow and naturally couldn’t allow a large army to pass through. Its function was at most to transport grain and messages. The Yongzhou army was stationed upon it, and between the great mountain backing Yongzhou City and Mount Tianju, an iron chain connected them. Messengers could use this to slide toward the rear of Yongzhou City. If Shi Monu couldn’t take down the bird path, he couldn’t stop their message transmission, but he could cut off their grain route.

“Yes!”

Nie Lingu placed one hand on his chest and bowed his head in acknowledgment.

Even though Shi Monu wasn’t skilled at siege warfare, he didn’t stop harassing Yongzhou City. The Yongzhou military fortresses outside the city that the Qi army used for surveillance or reconnaissance were quickly cleared away completely by him, and he built tall towers outside the city to observe the situation within.

But Shi Monu hadn’t expected that the Yongzhou army’s catapults would repeatedly launch boulders with precise accuracy to smash the tall towers they built. This was truly incomprehensible.

Almost every time the catapults launched boulders, the Danqiu barbarian soldiers could see atop the city wall a young man in frost-white garments with a long scarf covering his face standing beside the catapult.

This person’s skills were supernatural, leaving the barbarians completely baffled.

“I never expected that Young Master Ni’s mathematics would also be so excellent.” Most of the Danqiu barbarians didn’t understand Great Qi’s mathematics and naturally didn’t know the principles involved. But Shen Tongchuan was Yongzhou’s magistrate and had broad knowledge, so he naturally knew that Xu Hexue’s accuracy in directing soldiers to launch stones was no matter of lucky favor.

“I dabbled in it in my youth.” Xu Hexue supported himself with one hand on the brick wall, slowly descending from the city tower. “I’ve asked the abbot of Qingyuan Temple in the city. They also have monks in their temple who are quite proficient in mathematics. To prevent Shi Monu from continuing to build tall towers or employ other cunning tactics, Magistrate Shen, why not invite them to come assist? Thus we can attend to multiple matters.”

Shen Tongchuan nodded. “What you say makes sense, Young Master.”

The Yongzhou army had catapults, and the Danqiu barbarians had such devices as well. For days they had continuously hurled stones at the city wall, attacking its weak points, and had also wounded quite a few Yongzhou army soldiers.

Xu Hexue hadn’t yet descended the steps when he saw Ni Su and Nanny Zhong along with several other women helping the military medical workers treat the soldiers’ wounds. She was right near the city wall, her sleeves and hands completely covered in blood.

“If we say Shi Monu is determined to devour Yongzhou City, I see he hasn’t actually exerted his full strength.” Since Wei Dechang had engaged Shi Monu outside the city with wagon formations, over ten days had passed. Shi Monu frequently came to harass and challenge them to battle, and also attempted to attack the city, but the more Shen Tongchuan observed, the more he felt his siege methods weren’t fierce enough.

“Though Shi Monu is a fierce general, he lacks experience in attacking cities. He doesn’t necessarily have to break through Yongzhou Pass—he’s just testing Yongzhou’s defenses and exhausting Yongzhou’s forces.”

“We’re waiting for reinforcements, and they’re also waiting for troops from their rear?” After brief consideration, Shen Tongchuan suddenly understood. “He’s waiting for the Nanyan tribe’s army dispatched by the royal court!”

Shi Monu’s tens of thousands of cavalry were just Danqiu’s advance forces.

“Fortunately, General Qin had the foresight. In terms of time, we should still be able to hold out.” Shen Tongchuan furrowed his brow tightly and couldn’t help sighing.

When Su Qile used Aduorong’s death to challenge Yongzhou, Qin Jixun had liquidated all his private assets and gathered military provisions from nearby county prefectures. Adding the grain that the Qin and Wei families both voluntarily donated, even if Shi Monu cut off the mountain path to Mount Tianju, counting the days, they should be able to hold out until reinforcements from Jianchi Prefecture arrived.

Even if Shi Monu waited for reinforcements from the Nanyan tribe, they wouldn’t necessarily arrive faster than Great Qi’s reinforcements.

After replacing the medicine on a soldier’s arm wound, Ni Su used the hot water Nanny Zhong brought to wash the bloodstains from her hands. Gentle footsteps approached. She saw snow-white garment hems swaying slightly and immediately raised her head.

In the sunlight, thick lashes cast a faint shadow on his eyelids.

“Are you tired?”

Xu Hexue handed her a bowl of water.

“Not tired.”

Ni Su smiled, dried her hands, and accepted the ceramic bowl.

Xu Hexue watched her lower her head to drink water. Perhaps having stood in the sun for too long, she was quite thirsty and quickly drained the water. Crystalline beads of sweat dotted her fair, delicate nose tip.

Ni Su saw him turn around and was about to call out to him when she saw him say something to a soldier. The soldier nodded and quickly ran off, diving into a felt tent and fetching a clean long scarf.

Xu Hexue took it, turned, and walked before her. Her forehead was almost completely covered in sweat. She’d forgotten to wrap her face with a gauze scarf, and her cheeks were somewhat reddened from the sun. As he wrapped the long scarf around her hair and face, he said, “Be careful of sunburn. At night your cheeks will hurt and you won’t be able to sleep.”

Ni Su hummed in acknowledgment. “When I’m down here and you’re on the city tower, does it hurt?”

Worried the prohibition would cause him harm, Ni Su only treated soldiers near the base of the city wall. The military and city medical workers treated the wounded together at more distant locations.

Xu Hexue shook his head. “No.”

“Young Mistress Ni! Come quickly!” Nanny Zhong suddenly ran out from a nearby felt tent, her face showing terror.

That was the felt tent where Qingqiong was. Ni Su immediately put down the ceramic bowl and pulled Xu Hexue closer, only to discover that Nanny Zhong was actually trembling somewhat, her face completely pale. “He… how is his whole body covered in frost?”

Covered in frost?

Ni Su immediately lifted the felt curtain and entered. She saw Qingqiong lying on the felt carpet wrapped in a quilt. The long scarf on his head had loosened considerably, revealing his bald head. His sparse lashes drooped, his face extremely pale. The exposed skin was actually covered with a layer of pale white crystalline frost.

“Qingqiong!”

Ni Su ran over, crouched down, and brushed away the frost particles. His hands were cold to the bone, almost identical in temperature to Xu Hexue’s body.

“Nanny Zhong! Please boil a basin of hot water for me!” Ni Su shouted outside the felt tent.

“Alright…”

Nanny Zhong responded tremulously from outside.

Someone nearby was specifically boiling water. Nanny Zhong ladled a basin of hot water, but still frightened, didn’t quite dare go in. Just as she hesitated, a hand lifted the felt curtain. She looked up—it was that Young Master Ni.

Xu Hexue brought the hot water to Ni Su’s side. She immediately soaked a cloth in the water, wrung it out, and continuously wiped Qingqiong’s hands and face, melting the pale frost.

When the frost particles on Qingqiong’s lashes disappeared, he slowly opened his eyes. After taking a long moment to respond, he called out dully: “Miss Ni, General Xu…”

“Qingqiong, where do you feel unwell?”

Ni Su again used the hot cloth to cover his hands.

Actually, there wasn’t a single place on Qingqiong’s body that didn’t feel unwell—it was both cold and painful. But he didn’t answer Ni Su’s question, only moved his pale lips: “Where’s my father?”

“He’s at the weapons camp.”

Xu Hexue said.

Qingqiong blinked once. His pitch-black pupils seemed to occupy even more space than his whites: “Oh right, he’s making bed crossbows.”

After a while, he added: “Don’t tell him.”

He was drowsy and confused, and quickly closed his eyes again.

The clamor outside made the felt tent interior seem extremely quiet. Ni Su placed a charcoal brazier beside Qingqiong and sat on the felt carpet, hugging her knees without speaking.

Xu Hexue added charcoal, then sat down beside her.

The rustling sound of fabric rubbing together. Ni Su raised her head and looked at him.

“When autumn and winter arrive, the methods I used to help Qingqiong before all stop working.”

Xu Hexue turned his head to look at Qingqiong, who couldn’t stop shivering even in his sleep. “During the desolate period of autumn and winter in the mortal realm, that’s precisely when the cold energy of the Netherworld surges upward. Ordinary people feel nothing of it, but he’s a ghost fetus, so he suffers greatly because of it.”

If he were a ghost or spirit, he would be accustomed to the cold of the Netherworld. But he was a ghost fetus, destined to endure the torment of cold energy with his incomplete flesh and soul.

Ni Su lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Xu Hexue looked at her profile. She rarely felt defeated, except when facing someone she wanted to save but was powerless to help.

This was her benevolent heart as a physician, and also the source of her sorrow.

“For all symptoms that medicine and remedies can cure, you exert your utmost efforts within your power.” Xu Hexue placed one hand on his knee. “The women and children Yang Tianzhe brought all show signs of improvement under your treatment. Nanny Zhong and the others were previously willing to follow you in treating women and children, and now they follow you in treating wounded soldiers. In their hearts, you are a good medical worker.”

Whether it was him or Qingqiong, ultimately neither of them could be considered symptoms that medicine and remedies could cure. That she couldn’t relieve their suffering was due to the separation between yin and yang.

It was beyond human capability.

As a human being, staying in Yongzhou, treating women’s hidden ailments and treating soldiers’ external injuries—relying on her courage and her wisdom, she had already done her best.

Ni Su raised her head and met his gaze.

After a long moment, she said dully, “You’re really very good at comforting me.”

Ni Su hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time. Today, having been busy treating wounded soldiers for most of the day, dark circles showed beneath her eyes. Hearing Xu Hexue’s words, she lay down on the felt carpet, planning to rest for a while.

“Just half a shichen. You must wake me.”

Ni Su grasped his sleeve and instructed him earnestly.

“Alright.”

Xu Hexue covered her with the quilt.

Extremely exhausted, Ni Su quickly fell into deep sleep. The felt tent interior was utterly quiet. Hearing Qingqiong’s occasional gasps, Xu Hexue turned his head.

The frost particles on Qingqiong’s body were gone, but his complexion remained very poor. His entire body curled up inside the quilt, enduring the pain of flesh and bone being forcibly pulled apart.

He grew faster than normal people his age, but this speed was a torment like crushing bones.

Xu Hexue looked at him. After a long moment, he came back to himself and lowered his lashes.

The felt tent was occasionally blown open slightly by the wind. Sunlight would spread inside, illuminating his frost-white garment like congealed ice and snow—inch by inch white, inch by inch cold.

The prolonged silence was broken by horn sounds. Miscellaneous sounds of people running and shouting up and down the city tower continued. The felt curtain was suddenly lifted by someone. “Young Master Ni, Shi Monu has led troops toward Mount Tianju!”

Xu Hexue opened his eyes: “Something’s happened at Mount Tianju?”

“Yes. The scout reports that craftsmen in Shi Monu’s army made iron chains. The barbarians used these for a sneak attack and broke off both left and right sections of the plank road. I fear the barbarians will take this opportunity to occupy Mount Tianju!”

Duan Rong said, panting.

Breaking off a section of the bird path was tantamount to trapping the Qi defenders on Mount Tianju’s cliff face. If their arrows ran out and couldn’t be replenished, they could only become fish on a chopping board.

If messages from Jianchi Prefecture were to be delivered, they would definitely take the Mount Tianju bird path, which would save a segment of the journey. In previous years, official communications all used this route. If Mount Tianju’s strategic position fell into Shi Monu’s hands, messages about Jianchi Prefecture’s reinforcements couldn’t reach Yongzhou City, but it would be convenient for Shi Monu to prepare defenses and even set ambushes.

And that iron chain connecting Mount Tianju and the mountain peak behind Yongzhou City would make it even more convenient for barbarians to infiltrate Yongzhou City.

“Commander Wei has already severed the iron chain first. Young Master Ni, the General believes we must fight Shi Monu again!” Duan Rong said in a low voice.

When Xu Hexue heard that the iron chain from Mount Tianju to Yongzhou’s rear had been severed, his brow furrowed slightly. But he said nothing and only asked: “How does General Qin want to fight?”

“The General is already assembling the troops and intends to go to Mount Tianju, but he also sent me to consult Young Master Ni!”

Xu Hexue supported himself with one hand on the felt carpet and slowly stood up. Turning his face, he saw that the young woman who had been sleeping had already opened her eyes. She said nothing but threw off the quilt and quickly stood up.

She would follow him out of the city.

Pale golden sunlight spread across the depths of Xu Hexue’s eyes. He looked toward Duan Rong: “Shi Monu has given us a good opportunity.”

“A good opportunity? What good opportunity?”

Duan Rong was stunned. Shi Monu was about to occupy Mount Tianju—how could this possibly be a good opportunity for them?

The corners of Xu Hexue’s pale-colored lips curved slightly:

“A good opportunity to beat him within an inch of his life.”