in the sound of swallows

Chapter 192
Arson?Vice General Zhang was taken aback because someone would actually set fire to the granary!If someone didn't pay attention to this and people got their way, the granary was mostly made of bamboo strips and straw, and Wanshi's food might be destroyed immediately.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on his back, and Deputy General Zhang hurriedly said: "Then, is there any one of you staying in the granary?"

The defenders nodded: "According to the queen's order, there will be three shifts at night. One person stands on the watchtower, and four people patrol below. If there is any movement, notify the defenders who are resting next to them, and they can be taken down easily." You can see the surroundings clearly from the watchtower, and the nearby woods have been cut down, so there is nothing to start a fire, so there is basically no need to worry. Even if someone pours oil on the fire, the canal arranged by the queen next to it can be approached nearby The fire is extinguished, adults can rest assured."

Vice General Zhang was taken aback.

The defenders escorted the arsonist away, and Deputy General Zhang went to the granary to arrange the payment of the army in a daze, and then rode his horse to the side of the pile of newly built wooden houses.

Old people, women and children are housed in the wooden house. The weather has not been very good recently. The wooden house is warm in winter and cool in summer, so it is a good hiding place.Deputy General Zhang rode past, seeing the wood that would have been a disaster turned into a house that benefited the people, and touched his chin in embarrassment.

All the defenders were stationed under the city wall. When Gu Chaonan wanted to take the opportunity to attack the city at night, the defenders gathered very quickly, and waves of stones were thrown down, so that the city of Ye was safe and secure.

Shen Guiyan was waiting in the eunuch's mansion, and the eunuch of Yecheng rushed in and said: "Your Majesty, there are also a few people who tried to drug the water source, and they have all been locked up in prison."

"Okay." Shen Guiyan nodded slightly, and looked at Deputy General Zhang with a smile: "All these methods have been used, and the general still thinks that we should open the city gate for them? They didn't think about the people in the city at all, but wanted to It made everyone desperate."

Vice General Zhang had already figured it out, and saluted the Queen sincerely: "It's the last general who is mean, the queen's decision is not wrong."

Shen Guiyan breathed a sigh of relief. The only person in the city who could lead troops to fight was Deputy General Zhang. If he returned to his heart, she would feel much more at ease.

In the name of treason by the queen, Gu Chaonan instigated the three armies and started round after round of attacks.Deputy General Zhang led the defenders to resist. Although the casualties were small, many people died in the end.The people in the city fled to the country, and Shen Guiyan ordered the messenger to send the news back to Beijing.

Generalissimo Gu Chaonan rebelled!
The Empress Dowager Nian and Prime Minister Gu were extremely surprised when they received the news. Prime Minister Gu couldn't believe it, but the letter was written by the Queen himself.

The Queen Mother was very embarrassed, Prime Minister Gu was still in charge of the government, if Gu Chaonan really rebelled, where would Prime Minister Gu be put?

Shen Guiyan asked the imperial court to send troops to support, because of the strength of the troops near Yecheng, she did not have a soldier talisman, and even the queen could not easily mobilize them, so she had to ask the queen mother to order and seal it with a jade seal.

But the queen mother did not make an order for a long time, but instead asked Shen Guiyan to contact the emperor and return to Beijing as soon as possible.

Shen Guiyan's head grew big when she followed the letter. If she leaves Yecheng at this time, what will the emperor do?He is still outside!If the city of Ye was given to Gu Chaonan, then there would be Fanbang in the front and Gu Jun in the back, how would Gu Chaobei come back?

"My palace will not return to Beijing, and I swear to live and die with the army of Yecheng!" Shen Guiyan tore up the letter from the queen mother, standing on the tower and said solemnly.

The queen mother is also afraid of instability in the court, if Prime Minister Gu is eager to protect his son and has a different heart, then he will really suffer from the enemy.All the Empress Dowager Nian can do is to stabilize Prime Minister Gu.Yecheng has a heavy army, so it is unlikely that they will not be able to defend the city. After she and Prime Minister Gu have an agreement, it should not be too late to send some reinforcements.

However, before the Empress Dowager Nian had anything to say to Prime Minister Gu, she received news from the border gate, saying that the empress had a rebellious heart and blocked the emperor's holy body from Yecheng and refused to open the city gate.Gu Chaonan's dragon coffin was blocked before he began to attack the city.

The distance is too far, and communication is very inconvenient. To know the news ahead, you can only rely on letters and word of mouth.If you can't see it with your own eyes, you will definitely be misunderstood.

The Empress Dowager Nian is also confused now, which one should she believe?
This time and again, time could not afford to be delayed, and Shen Guiyan did not place any hope on the capital to come to help. The force of attacking the city became stronger every time. Gu Chaonan used all his strength and was bound to take down Yecheng.

The soldiers and the civilians held on for half a month. At the beginning, everyone still believed in the empress, and that Gu Chaonan was a traitor.But in the end, half a month has passed, why hasn't the emperor come back yet?
The army began to feel uneasy. If the emperor was still alive, he should have returned to Yecheng a long time ago. Even though Gu Chaonan's army is attacking the city like this, there is no movement. Could it be...the emperor is really lying in the dragon coffin outside the city?

Rumors spread again, and Shen Guiyan's suppression was useless. Some defenders began to defect, and some even moved the grain from the granary.

"Empress, according to the current situation, our city of Ye will fall sooner or later." The wounded Deputy General Zhang said in a deep voice, "Without reinforcements and low morale, the general will only be able to defend for another ten days. Ten days Days later, if the emperor is still alive, he should come back, right?"

Shen Guiyan pursed her lips. She was also waiting for Gu Chaobei, but there was no news, and she couldn't give up so early.

"The general will do his best, and I will leave the other matters to Ben Gong." After squeezing his hands vigorously, Shen Guiyan made up his mind: "Ben Gong is going to call for reinforcements."

Vice General Zhang was stunned, please help?Although the queen is the mother of a country, she doesn't have the power to dispatch reinforcements, right?There is no rumor of support from the imperial court, where can she ask for reinforcements?

However, according to the performance of the empress before, Vice General Zhang decided to trust her and continue to defend the city.

The stone rolled down from the ladder, smashing people's flesh and blood, the sounds of swords and shouts mixed together, the sand was soaked with blood, and the rain of arrows shot up from the bottom, trying to shoot through the city wall, but the city wall of Ye City was too high, and the feathers were too high. The arrow flew halfway and fell down.

Although the defenders of Ye City had the upper hand, many of the soldiers on the city wall were killed by the soldiers who climbed up against the stone rain, and the howling sound shook the sky.

Lieutenant General Zhang gritted his teeth and led his men to confront the enemy who climbed up the city wall. He was stabbed in the left shoulder and stabbed the enemy mercilessly with the sword in his right hand.

The outside was talking about Gu Chaonan's remnant soldiers, but the siege battle lasted for ten days, and the enemy's troops were many, and the defenders of Yecheng became more and more exhausted.

"General, general! I can't hold it anymore!" The soldier said while supporting Vice General Zhang with his face covered in blood.

Deputy General Zhang panted heavily, his eyes were bloodshot and he couldn't open his eyes, and asked in a low voice, "How many days has the Empress been away?"

The soldier replied, "Five days."

"That's good, we'll risk our lives and endure these five days!" Deputy General Zhang roared, "Women don't know how to retreat half a step. We men, how can we give up!"

The defenders shouted, and the corpses piled up on the city wall. In the end, whether they were enemies or friends, they were all thrown down the ladder like stones.

Some soldiers howled loudly, picked up the corpse of their comrade in arms tremblingly, and threw it off the tower.Some soldiers were stabbed in the waist and abdomen, knowing that they could not save themselves, they used their last strength and rolled down the female wall.

In the bloody fight, everyone's eyes were red.Deputy General Zhang looked at the flames and blood under the city, and let out a long cry of grief.

The last day was also the day when Gu Chaonan's attack was the most violent. Deputy General Zhang knew that he and all the soldiers had tried their best, and maybe... they would break their promise to the empress.

There was too much blood, and Vice General Zhang was taken down the tower by the soldiers. He watched helplessly as more and more enemy troops climbed up, but he was powerless.He was helped down and sat at the intersection behind the city gate, blankly pressing the wound with a white cloth.

"City gate..." he murmured softly.

"The city gate can't be opened!" The sound of horseshoes sounded behind, followed by the sound of orderly soldiers stepping.Deputy General Zhang turned his head in shock, and saw the majestic empress right away.

"Fortunately, I came back one day earlier." Shen Guiyan breathed a sigh of relief, and looked back at a general-looking man, who cupped his hands: "Please leave the matter of defending the city to the last general!"

After finishing speaking, he led the people behind and went to the top of the city gate.

Deputy General Zhang blankly counted the hoofs and feet of the horses that passed in front of him. There were so many. If there had been so many people, so many brothers would not have died so badly.

"Thanks for your hard work." The queen squatted down beside him, her face still pale: "Yecheng can be guarded for another month. I have invited the defenders from the twelve towns nearby!"

Vice General Zhang frowned: "The Empress has received the imperial court's imperial decree for reinforcements?"

Shen Guiyan smiled bitterly: "No."

"Does the Empress have a military talisman?"

Shen Guiyan shook her head: "No."

Deputy General Zhang's face changed: "Your Majesty, you passed on the imperial decree?"

"Now is not the time to talk about this." Shen Guiyan asked the people next to him to help him up: "Go back to the prefect's mansion with me, after today's battle, the army will be deployed again."

Vice General Zhang's heart sank, he never thought that he would have to rely on the empress to commit a capital crime to aid the city!

However, when the reinforcements arrived, the situation on the city wall was completely reversed. Gu Chaonan thought that he would definitely be able to capture Ye City today, but who knew that reinforcements would come!

"What's going on?" Gu Chaonan and Xu Mengdie were both sitting in the tents: "Didn't it mean that the capital won't give reinforcements, and she doesn't have military power?"

Xu Mengdie frowned: "It's true, she borrowed soldiers from a nearby town. But why?"

After thinking about it for a while, she understood: "Unless Shen Guiyan falsely preached the imperial decree."

"That's a capital offense, even if she is a queen." Gu Chaonan pursed his lips: "You are really courageous."

"You have a two-day truce, and I will order someone to send a message back to the capital. Shen Guiyan, let alone defending the city, will definitely go around without food!" Xu Mengdie hurriedly got up to write.

Gu Chaonan frowned: "It's too late for the imperial court to deal with her. We still have ten days. If we can't take Yecheng down, the people behind will be here."

"Ten days..." Xu Mengdie thought for a while and said, "Then we can only use a special method."

Gu Chaonan looked at her suspiciously.

The reinforcements can keep Yecheng alive for another ten days, and Shen Guiyan has made plans. After ten days, if Gu Chaobei is alive, he should come back.

(End of this chapter)