Volu) (2/2)

Taking advantage of the shortarmy’s offensive suffered a setback, the Northern Han ar down torches An inferno raged below the walls, while atop, the walls were covered with blood

When the last Yong soldier atop the walls had been killed, Duan Wudi walked along the ra down He saw the Yong ar ocean tide The slight pressure and power the enemy army exuded caused the expression on Duan Wudi’s face to beco to look at the broken view of the burning on the ramparts and the enemy encampment which occupied an area of several dozen h the enemy had been forced to retreat, Duan Wudi did not relax in the slightest Though the Yong arun to assault the city today, ru up everywhere within the city the previous day Although no one on the battlements dared to comment on the rumors to his face, Duan Wudi knew the ruling and accepting bribes, while he had slandered and fra to conant, wishi+ng to identify and execute those spreading the rumors, but were all forcibly suppressed by Duan Wudi He ell aware of the ie However, he could not investigate this arrison did not contain only his own troops; thirty percent of it was co’s for the rumors wereIt wasn’t that they were being deliberate Which soldier did not wish for their coht bravely? If they served under a disgraced commander, the shame and humiliation would probably never be washed clean

After shi+ Ying died, his reputation was completely destroyed These former subordinates had suffered plenty of humiliation because of this eneral had been framed and forced to his death, how could they not inform one another? In their eyes, since the “deceived” cofei, was already dead, the one who ” Duan Wudi Because of this, all of shi+ Ying’s former subordinates harbored resentment Even some of Duan Wudi’s own subordinates had their suspicions However, on this matter, Duan Wudi was coe the rumors, it would definitely affect many innocent officers and soldiers Before the eneyao, he feared his own side would collapse into civil warfare

With no other choice, Duan Wudi could only utilize the present grim military situation to temporarily quell the troops He had to be content with consoling hi, then morale will have the opportunity to be re mounted the battlements with the “protection” of two Northern Han soldiers Having already recovered gradually froh scars remained on his face Ever since the Northern Han ar had remained with Duan Wudi’s ar the crucial uard was not harsh although it was strict That hy Xuan Song was able to cli at the broken vista atop the walls, Xuan Song was rather sad He had already learned of the bloody battle that had taken place from the Northern Han soldiers Of course, this was because the Northern Han soldiers wished to strike a eneral He naturally understood what the bloodstains on the ramparts represented However, he did not show any sorrow on his face In his capacity as a general of Great Yong, he had always been ready to die on the battlefield What use were sorrow and sympathy? Could it be that he could reduce the casualties and stop the Yong aryao? Could it be that he could persuade the Northern Han army to cease their resistance? Only when the world was unified could this kind of bloody battle that didn’t care for right or wrong cease

Seeing Duan Wudi’s figure, Xuan Song felt respect It was thisariving almost a million Northern Han troops and civilians the opportunity to retreat and flee Xuan Song understood that although Great Yong’s ulations were strict this did not mean that the innocent Northern Han cohteous man who loved the people could be persuaded to surrender, Great Yong would gain a capable general and virtuous subject

Thinking of this, Xuan Song laughed brightly and said, “When it co a city, there is no one in the world who can surpass General Duan His Ihness, the Prince of Qi, attacked furiously several times today and all were repelled by Sire It’s just that the Yong army has plenty of troops, while General has no reinforcements, morale within the city is shaky, and provisions are short I wonder how long you can hold out”

Without turning, Duan Wudi calh to hold out for two days The Princess of Jiaping has already relayed orders The co are per will have a million soldiers and civilians with plenty of provisions and equipment It will be easy to hold out for a year orcan Northern Han last? Although no one has spoken with eous the current situation is for your country Ignoring the fact that Long Tingfei died for the country, si’s order to pull back defenses to Jinyang we can see that you have no hope for victory You can only rely upon Jinyang’s favorable terrain to defend stubbornly to preserve the last bit of hope Unlessultione conclusion that Northern Han will fall General Duan, although you do not cherish your life, could it be that you don’t cherish the lives of thearhness, the Prince of Qi, is only worried that you will raid his supply train He is only assaulting because of this and because there’s ample time, otherwise he would only leave a few tens of thousands of troops to continue the siege of Pingyao while he continues to advance north You want to hold out for two more days, but I’m afraid that you won’t have the opportunity to return to Jinyang”

Duan Wudi did not retort These days, he’d had several deep discussions with Xuan Song Although both of theence, they deeply respected each other’s talents Both of theenerals ere skilled at defense As a result, Xuan Song had only needed to take one look to understand the situation within the city Everything Xuan Song had said was the truth In addition, Duan Wudi had learned so, such as news of Li Zhi personally ca and that Li Zhi’s army had already severed the road between Daizhou and Xinzhou

Of these news, Duan Wudi was exceptionally uneasy Although the Daizhou ar because their path ho had already formally accepted Northern Han’s royal edict to beco defenses, Duan Wudi could slightly sense that this was likely an i army’s plans and potentially lead to Northern Han’s collapse It was quite unfortunate that he was a soldier when there were so Towards these actions by the Yong eer and was unaware of their true intentions

Seeing Duan Wudi agree tacitly with his words, Xuan Song continued, “Moreover, General Duan’s situation is also poor …”

Just as Xuan Song spoke these words, Duan Wudi raised his hand to stop Xuan Song fro on In a heavy voice, he recited, “It is this that h I died nine ti quivered as he gazed at the deterhed and said, “Since General Duan is firood naes when the honest are suspected and the loyal are slandered Although your honored country’s Royal Majesty is not muddleheaded, he will be overly cautious in this dire hour I hope that when the situation is insurmountable, General is not foolishly loyal to the end”

Duan Wudi finally turned his head around and asked with a neutral tone, “If I release General Xuan, hoould Sire repayprepared for this question If he were not of use, he would have either been chopped down long ago or been taken to Jinyang by the Princess of Jiaping Otherwise, there was no point in expending soat Duan Wudi’s haggard and tranquil face, Xuan Song s into the hands of the enemy, I cannot decide for myself If Sire has these intentions, there is no harhness, the Prince of Qi”

“Regardless, I have to hold out for another day, leaving roootiation,” replied Duan Wudi cal wryly Who would have thought that he would actually beco’s wry sradually disappeared He could see that the eyes of the rief Duan Wudi understood everything he had said When it came to ability, Duan Wudi was definitely above hih to be a subject of Yong, while this eneral of Northern Han For Duan Wudi to speak the celebrated line, “And though I died nine ti understood that thisto happen

Gravely, Xuan Song saluted Duan Wudi and stated, “If I can return to the Yong encahness does not blame me, I will definitely command an arh to be trapped, I hope that General will not wholeheartedly seek death When the time cohness to preserve General’s life and prestige”

At first, Duan Wudi felt annoyed However, seeing Xuan Song’s incomparably seriousness, the look on Duan Wudi’s face softened and he responded, “In the past, I once heard that General Xuan deeply adh you had only one encounter with the wild scholar, Yang Can, you eh money to live without want I ah I cannot accept, I cannot be thankful enough”

Although he had been turned down tactfully by Duan Wudi, Xuan Song was not annoyed It only increased the pity he felt Turning to leave, Xuan Song laht the Northern Han army, he admired these heroically brave and loyal soldiers Even if Northern Han was destroyed, could Yong truly obtain popular support? For the first ti felt that the invasion of Northern Han would beco two days, Li Xian actually stopped assaulting the city, puzzling Duan Wudi to a great extent However, Duan Wudi was too busy and hard-pressed placating the undercurrents within his troops to have any tied around Pingyao Although Duan Wudi had delayed the Yong assault upon Jinyang, he had no way of retreating

Standing atop the battle encah it was ee, it would be worth it if he could rescue the soldiers under his co had an i army he was ultimately not a pri, only asking that the Yong aryao would be handed over intact Duan Wudi had also promised to not burn the provisions and supplies within the city He trusted that this exchange would be successful, as conificant in the grand sche was quite popular If the Prince of Qi disregarded Xuan Song’s survival, resent arh price, Duan Wudi trusted that the Prince of Qi would not be so stupid as to do so that pained friends and pleased ene Duan Wudi’s letter, Li Xian burst into hearty laughter He had purposely ceased the assault these last two days to wait for this letter to arrive That day, after theAfter co disse Zhe’s intentions Then he had received a letter froht In order to make the rue

With this, they could disseminate rumors that Duan Wudi intended to surrender because of the severity of the situation With the truth obscured by the rumors, Li Xian trusted that Duan Wudi would not be able to hold out for long In addition, even if there weren’t any other benefits, it orth it to be able to rescue Xuan Song Li Xian was still filled with anguish when recalling their parting that night As a result, he not only ireed to Duan Wudi’s deyao This envoy was Su Qing

Footnotes:

<ol><li>平遥, Pingyao – a county in Jinzhong prefecture located in the center of Shanxi Province</li><li>This is an excerpt fro Sorrow or The La States Period</li></ol>