Li Xianlin was momentarily stunned as he recalled, during the most perilous moment yesterday, the civilians ascended the city walls, using stones, boiling oil, and wooden stakes to fend off the woodcutters from scaling the wall, and almost all of these unarmed civilians died on top of that wall.
The able-bodied youths in the city today also gripped their swords and spears as they went up the embankments.
"Only the women are left to serve as civilians," another general whispered.
Li Xianlin fell silent for a moment, stepping over corpses and wounded, looking out of the city; outside the city, the Jurchen forces were regrouping and retreating, suffering heavy casualties from the earlier siege and needing to repair the destroyed ladders as well.
Those Jurchen forces left beneath the city were merely a thousand, wounded, and not worth fearing.
What Li Xianlin cared about was much beyond; he lifted his eyes and looked ahead.
The terrain of Xiongzhou City was wide open, allowing one to see far off into the distance—about two li to the northwest outside the city, the grand camp of the Jurchen people with numerous flags visibly arranged and at least five thousand troops stationed, perhaps even more.
The Jin thief, with fifty thousand troops, divided into three groups due to the swift nature of the cavalry, with these five thousand forces being a main contingent of one route.
In these few days, that group of forces constantly rotated their attacks on Xiongzhou City.
"If we are to receive reinforcements, I'm afraid it would be easier for them to approach from the south," Li Xianlin suddenly said.
This statement cast a shadow over the expressions of the generals behind him.
"No reinforcements will come," one general murmured.
They had been holding the city for seven days now. Had there been any reinforcements, they would have arrived by now, but all they saw was an increasing number of Jurchen troops gathering, with no sign of help.
"The scouts reported that the Jin thief divided their forces into three routes, the other areas are too preoccupied to help, either lacking surplus troops or being obstructed on their way here," another general spoke in a low voice.
A moment's silence followed among the generals atop the wall.
Xiongzhou City had lost its significance for rescue, it would be better rather to focus on defending the other cities behind it.
As generals, they understood this rationale; had they been generals in any other place, they would make the same decision.
Li Xianlin's jaw tightened as he gripped his knife more firmly.
"Reinforcements will come," he said, "Everyone brace up. Take some rest. I anticipate the Jin thief will attack again tonight."
With that, he turned around.
"I'll speak with Prefect Tong and have another batch of capable men go up the wall."
Upon finishing, he strode down the city wall, leaving the generals behind to watch his retreating figure with a profound sense of sadness.
The atmosphere inside the Prefecture City was also one of sorrow and mourning.
Following previously issued orders, the citizens had taken refuge within the sturdy walls of the Prefecture; the streets were now filled with people sleeping. The wealthy merchants had also opened their stores of rice and grains without regard for social ranks; if the city stood, everyone lived; if it fell, everyone became a corpse.
"Do you know what it will be like after the city is breached?" an old man, sitting on the ground with a vacant expression, muttered.
No one responded to him; it was not a pleasant topic.
"I remember over a decade ago when the Jurchen forces invaded, the city next to ours was breached, and everyone in that county was killed. It wasn't just killing; they threw bodies in wells, hung them on trees, set them on fire..." the old man didn't mind the lack of inquiries, continuing on his own, his eyes wild with insanity.
This was the insanity born from fear and desperation, spreading like wild grass that could drown out a person's sanity.
"Our city will not fall."
A calm voice resonated above them.
The civilians hurriedly looked up, seeing a gaunt middle-aged man who had approached unnoticed; despite the chaos on the streets, his official robe and cap remained clean and properly arranged, exuding authority and solemnity.
It was the Xiongzhou Prefect, Tong Jie.
"Lord Prefect," the civilians quickly greeted with gestures of respect.
"Our Xiongzhou City will not fall. Inspector Li is leading the army to fend off the enemy, and reinforcements are on their way," Prefect Tong said, "But it will require everyone to work hard together through this difficulty."
The previously delirious old man gradually calmed down.
"Yes, yes, as the Lord Prefect commands," he, along with the crowd, shouted in agreement.
The constables stepped forward, organized by Prefect Tong, dividing the elderly, weak, women, and children into three groups to care for the wounded and carry dead bodies from the city walls.
Watching the busy, bustling civilians in the streets, Prefect Tong's eyes flickered with sorrow.
"How much longer can we hold out?" he turned and quietly asked Li Xianlin, who had approached.
Li Xianlin's jaw clenched again.
"At most, till tonight," he said, "The Jurchen forces have risen again."
So soon!
After seven days of holding out and three days of fierce battles on the city walls, there weren't many guard soldiers left in Xiongzhou, yet the Jurchen forces continued to arrive relentlessly.
Depend on these frail, old, and sick?
That would be doom. Prefect Tong seemed to sway a bit.
"Reinforcements..." he said.
"The reinforcements will come." Li Xianlin interrupted him, his voice somewhat urgent.
Prefect Tong looked at him for a moment.
"Inspector Li, I don't want to ask about the reinforcements anymore." he said, "I just want to know, why are there only you two thousand people defending Xiongzhou City? Where are the other Guangxin Army troops?"
The main force of the Guangxin Army, nearly five thousand strong, and auxiliary soldiers totaling over six thousand seven hundred, yet only about two thousand came to defend Xiongzhou City.
Hearing this question, a hint of confusion appeared on Li Xianlin's face.
Indeed, why was it so difficult for them to defend the city, just because the Guangxin Army, which should have all been here, suddenly disappeared? They initially thought they had gone to other forts, but if it were nearby forts they would definitely have come to their aid. Scouts had also reported back, saying that the Guangxin Army had already retreated.
How could this be possible? What exactly went wrong?
"I don't know." he muttered.
Suddenly, the mournful sound of horns came, causing both speakers to shudder violently, followed immediately by the vibration of horse hooves clustering on the ground.
"The Jin thieves are attacking the city." Prefect Tong said, his face somewhat pale, "It's only just ended not long ago."
"It looks like they want to take Xiongzhou City before nightfall." Li Xianlin said.
"What should we do?" blurted out Prefect Tong.
Li Xianlin drew his waist knife.
"What can we do." He shouted sternly, "Draw your swords, pull your bows, it's only death."
..........
Back up on the city wall, the blood-red remains of the setting sun had not yet faded, casting a red glow everywhere on the city wall like it was stained with blood, and Li Xianlin's face was also glowing red. Looking down at the woodcutters rolling in under the Wolf Head Banner, a sweep of the eye revealed a thousand men.
These woodcutters from the other camp took turns to attack, well-fed and sufficiently rested, like hungry tigers determined to win.
Li Xianlin turned back to look at the soldiers waiting on the city wall; at this point, even calling them soldiers was a stretch, wracked soldiers and every able-bodied man that could be gathered in the Prefecture, each with a blank expression, many not even holding their weapons properly.
This was completely sending them to their deaths.
Die then, die it must be, dying in battle is still better than dying as prisoners.
"Everyone, think of your wives and children behind you." Li Xianlin said, his eyes resolute yet tragic, looking back into the Prefecture, "If we can hold on for a moment, they can live for another moment, just waiting for the reinforcements to arrive..."
Reinforcements...
The expressions of the surrounding generals were already numb.
Will there be reinforcements?
"They're retreating, they've retreated..."
A voice suddenly sounded.
What has retreated?
Li Xianlin looked at the man, the general looked shocked, pointing outside the city.
"The woodcutters, they are retreating." he said, his voice full of doubt, as if he couldn't believe his own words.
How could this be possible?
Li Xianlin hurriedly looked, indeed seeing that the woodcutters who had already swarmed in preparation to attack the city suddenly retreating like a receding tide.
What had happened?
In the distance, the sound of war drums came, like thousands of horses galloping, striking at everyone's heart.
At the same time, a flag appeared on the horizon.
At first one, then two, then three, densely packed, covering the sky, and beneath the flags were forests of long spears.
Among this forest of flags and long spears, a large banner slowly emerged, unlike the bright red flags, this large banner was black, with large vermilion characters on it.
The black banner with red characters, blended with the setting sun on the horizon, as the flagpole rose higher, it seemed to pick up the sunset once again, the entire land brightened.
"Duke of Chengguo..." Li Xianlin muttered, as if seeing the imposing tall figure sitting under that flag.
Duke of Chengguo.
No matter how far, he could recognize him, no one could fail to recognize him, it was the Duke of Chengguo.
He exploded like a fish thrown into hot oil, rushing forward to stabilize himself against the city wall.
"Duke of Chengguo has come!"
Duke of Chengguo has come!
Duke of Chengguo has come!