The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0661 Fierce Battle (1)

Dawn had just begun to break, with a few stars still scattered across the pale, deep sky. Meanwhile, the Earth below remained shrouded in darkness.

Suddenly, a burst of chaotic noise could be heard. Yuxi immediately called her maid, Gancao. ”Go to the front courtyard and see whatʼs going on. Why is it so noisy?”

By the time Yuxi had dressed, Gancao had returned, looking slightly pale. ”Madam, the Northern Barbarians have begun assaulting the city.”

Yuxi wrapped herself in a bluish-green fox-fur cloak embroidered with jade-like patterns, sought out Momo Quan, and said, ”Momo, the Northern Barbarians are attacking the city. I want to go and take a look.”

Momo Quan was not in favour of Yuxiʼs idea. ”Thereʼs a battle outside—what good would it do for you to go? Itʼs better to stay home in peace and wait it out!” Since women could not fight on the battlefield, going there would be no help anyway.

Yuxi shook her head. ”I canʼt just sit at home and wait. Iʼll only feel at ease if I go out and see for myself. Donʼt worry, Iʼll have people protecting me.”

Knowing how stubborn Yuxi was, Momo Quan stopped trying to dissuade her. ”Rest assured, Iʼll take care of Zao Zao and Liu-er. But itʼs so dangerous out there, so you must look after yourself too. Zao Zao and Liu-er are still so young. They need you.”

Yuxi smiled. ”Donʼt worry, Momo—I wonʼt let anything happen to me.”

When Xu Wu saw Yuxi fully dressed, he was startled. ”Madam, where are you planning to go?” Realising she intended to go to the city walls, he refused outright. ”Madam, itʼs extremely dangerous over there. You must not go.”

Ah Wan said, ”Guard Xu, if Madam wants to go, let her. Seeing the battlefield with her own eyes would do her good.”

Yuxi responded, ”It is precisely because itʼs dangerous that I must go. If youʼre worried, let Da Niu accompany me! You stay in the estate and protect Zaozao and Liu-er.” Yuxi wasnʼt afraid of being harmed as long as no spies came close.

Xu Wu shot Ah Wan a fierce glare and said, ”Since Madam has made up her mind, then I will accompany her on this trip.”

Yuxi shook her head. ”Many matters in the estate require your attention—you canʼt leave. Donʼt worry! With Master Yang, Ah Wan and more than a dozen guards, nothing will happen.”

Unable to stop her, Xu Wu could only say, ”Madam, go and have a look, but then return at once. You must not linger there—itʼs too dangerous.”

Yuxi was a little speechless. She wasnʼt going sightseeing, where she could just go and come back. ”With Master Yang and Ah Wan protecting me and so many soldiers there, Iʼll be fine.”

Even before reaching the city wall, waves of screams and the clash of weapons could already be heard. When she exited the carriage, the first thing that entered Yuxiʼs sight was wounded soldiers being carried down from the wall. One soldier, writhing in pain, screamed on his stretcher—if not for the men holding him down, he would have fallen off.

Those agonised screams instantly drained the colour from Yuxiʼs face and caused her to break out in a cold sweat. Ah Wan whispered, ”Madam, if you canʼt bear it, letʼs go back.”

Yuxi glanced at Ah Wan, her gaze seeming to see right through her. The carriage stopping here couldnʼt be a coincidence; Ah Wan must have done it on purpose.

Ah Wanʼs expression remained wooden, as though Yuxi were not even looking at her.

Yuxi instructed, ”Go to the wounded soldiersʼ camp.”

When they arrived at the wounded soldiersʼ camp, they saw over a hundred injured soldiers, all with severe injuries, and more were being sent in continuously.

Yuxi furrowed her brows. After counting carefully, she realised that not even a shichen had passed, yet many wounded soldiers had arrived. This showed just how brutal the fighting on the city walls must be.

Xu Daniu hurried off to gather news and quickly returned with an urgent look on his face, saying, ”Madam, we must go back quickly!” He needed to get her out of Yu City as soon as possible.

Yuxi asked, ”Whatʼs going on?”

Xu Daniu replied, ”The Northern Barbariansʼ assault is ferociously fierce. In less than a shichen, weʼve already lost over a thousand men.” They knew the General was not in Yu City and were trying to capture the city before he could return.

”Ah…” A scream of agony snapped Yuxiʼs scattered thoughts back to reality.

The woman who had been about to apply medicine to the soldier was so startled by his scream that her hands trembled, and the bandage she was holding fell to the ground.

Yuxi took off her cloak and handed it to Ah Wan. Then she told Xu Daniu, ”I will not go back. I am still needed here.”

Xu Daniu exclaimed, ”Madam…”

With that, Yuxi walked over, picked up the fallen bandage, and said to the frightened woman, ”Go find a strip of cloth for him to bite on. If the pain is too much and he bites his tongue, it will be disastrous.”

The woman quickly took out her own handkerchief and stuffed it into the wounded soldierʼs mouth.

Yuxi paid no mind to the soldierʼs dazed expression. She dipped a cloth in strong liquor and cleaned away the filthy blood around his wound. The medicine to stop the bleeding had already made him cry out in pain, and now the liquor stung his wound, making him want to scream again. However, he couldnʼt cry out with his mouth stuffed with the handkerchief.

As Yuxi bandaged the soldierʼs wound, she said to the woman, ”I know youʼre afraid, but no matter how scared you are, you must hurry and treat the wounds. You know, the longer you delay, the longer they suffer.”

The woman wiped her tears away and nodded. ”Madam, donʼt worry. I wonʼt falter again.”

A deep, unreadable glint flashed across Ah Wanʼs eyes.

Feeling it improper for Yuxi to stay there, Xu Daniu advised, ”Madam, it isnʼt suitable to linger here. Letʼs return to the residence.”

Yuxi ignored Xu Daniuʼs words. Seeing another twenty or so wounded soldiers being brought in, she frowned. These tents were nowhere near enough and would provide no warmth if it rained.

Considering this, Yuxi called Xu Daniu over and instructed him, ”Send people at once to prepare the Marshalʼs residence. In half a shichen, move the most severely wounded soldiers there.” The Marshalʼs residence was spacious enough to house several thousand wounded soldiers.

Under Yuxiʼs cold gaze, Xu Daniu finally yielded. ”Iʼll arrange it right away.” Madamʼs presence was truly intimidating.

Yuxi did not stay in the camp any longer. She could only administer basic first aid there, but she had other, more important matters to attend to.

Not long after, Xu Daniu came over and said, ”Madam, Iʼve already passed on all your orders. Madam, weʼd better hurry back! Not only has that madman Bateʼer ordered men to ram the city wall with battering rams, but he is also using ‘wooden donkeysʼ to transport sandbags to build a fish-weir path. For the first day of assault to be this fierce, I have a horrible feeling.”

The ʼfish-weir pathʼ was essentially a ramp built by piling up sacks of earth and stone. Although Yu Cityʼs walls were very tall, if Bateʼer first cleared the outer defences and gradually laid down a raised passage, hundreds of wooden carts could pour in together to dump their sandbags. This would be enough to build the ramp all the way to the top of Yu Cityʼs walls.

Yuxiʼs expression grew grave. ”The cavalry hasnʼt returned yet. Who can we send out now?” In this situation, the cavalry needed to be deployed. Otherwise, Yu City would be undefendable if the Northern Barbarians completed their ramp.

Xu Daniu answered gravely, ”Over the past two days, the army has collected all the horses in Yu City—over two thousand in total. General Zhao is selecting men now; they will be sent out once he has chosen them.”

Yuxi narrowed her eyes. No matter who was chosen, it would be a one-way trip with no return. ”I want to go up to the city tower. Go ask General Zhao if thatʼs possible.”

Xu Daniu shook his head. ”Madam, if you go onto the walls, youʼll only be a burden to the soldiers.” He phrased it this way only because otherwise she would never back down.

Ah Wan added, ”Madam, ensuring the wounded receive care in the rear is equally important.” She had thought Yuxi would be terrified by such a bloody scene, but, to her surprise, not only was she unafraid, she was even getting involved.

Yuxi quickly calmed herself and told Xu Daniu, ”Donʼt be frightened by their current ferocity. The fact that they are attacking so fiercely shows that they fear the Generalʼs return with reinforcements and that their food supplies are running low.”

Xu Daniu was greatly surprised. ”Madam, how do you know this? All the spies we planted among the Northern Barbarians have been exposed, and we havenʼt received any news from them for a long time.”

Yuxi smiled and replied, ”For the past two years, the General has closed the city gates tightly, not allowing even a single grain of food to pass beyond the border. The Northern Barbarians have brought 250,000 men this time, but they donʼt have enough provisions to sustain them. Thatʼs why they want a quick, resolved battle. Theyʼll seize our grain if they can break through Yu City.”

Xu Daniu felt that what Yuxi said made perfect sense.

Yuxi said, ”I believe the General will return with reinforcements within ten days at most. As long as he comes back, we can hold Yu City.”

Xu Daniu asked, ”Madam, shall I tell General Zhao these words right away? The enemyʼs attacks are so fierce that the soldiersʼ hearts have lost their confidence.”

Yuxi nodded.

As she watched Xu Daniu depart, Ah Wan asked, ”Madam, what if the General doesnʼt return within ten days?”

Yuxi looked up at the tall city walls and replied softly, ”With the Northern Barbariansʼ assaults, holding out for ten days is already pushing it.”

Ah Wan, half-smiling, said, ”Didnʼt you just say the Northern Barbarians donʼt have enough food? Why are you saying something different now? Are you deceiving them?”

Yuxi turned to look at Ah Wan and said, ”The Northern Barbarians surely donʼt have much grain, but enduring for another ten days or so shouldnʼt be a problem for them.”

Ah Wan said nothing more.

Yuxi did not return to the Yun residence for her meal at noon. Knowing Yuxiʼs temperament, Momo Quan simply sent her the medicinal food she had prepared.

Yuxi had no appetite at all, but she ate anyway, eating without tasting the flavour. As for the dishes sent from the Yun residence, she had them delivered to the wounded soldiers in the infirmary. While she herself only chewed down two steamed buns and drank a bowl of egg-drop soup.

The fighting had not stopped even by nightfall. However, Yuxiʼs body could no longer bear it, and Ah Wan forcibly took her back.

Seeing Yuxiʼs pale face, Master Yang advised from beside the carriage, ”Han Girl, donʼt come again tomorrow. Your body wonʼt be able to take it.”

Yuxi shook her head and said, ”Iʼm just a little tired. A nightʼs sleep will set me right.” Then, with a bitter smile, she added, ”With such a ferocious assault, there must be at least twenty thousand deaths and injuries today alone. At this rate, how can we possibly last ten days?” At most, they could last for five days.

Ah Wan spoke up, ”Madam, itʼs still not too late to leave Yu City now.”

Yuxi said nothing, only shook her head.