Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 274 Public Sentiment (Part 3)

"Oh no! The Xiongnu barbarians are attacking the city again!"

"The Xiongnu barbarians have gone mad! They've mobilized almost their entire force!"

The prefectural governor's mansion in Liaoxi Commandery had long been occupied by the Liaoxi army. A military general in his fifties, with a full beard, lay pale-faced in the luxurious bedroom. Several beautiful women stood by, attending to him.

This military general was none other than General Li, who raised his own flag and declared himself King of Liaoxi.

A month ago, the Xiongnu cavalry launched a major invasion. The Liaoxi army was routed, and General Li was shot by an arrow, wounding his abdomen and bleeding profusely. He was saved by a century-old ginseng.

His life was saved, but he was bedridden. These days, it was General Li's eldest son, Li Xi, who was leading the troops.

Li Xi is thirty-two years old this year. He is tall and looks imposing, but in reality, he is addicted to wine and women and has long since ruined his health. For the past month, he has only dared to hide behind the city gate and has never gone out to fight back.

At this moment, Li Xi was covered in sweat, as if the sky had fallen: "Father, what should we do now?"

General Li, enraged, shouted in a tone of utter disappointment, "What else can we do? Go and defend the city!"

Li Xi didn't move, but gritted his teeth and said, "We'll send someone to Tuhe County to ask General Pei to send troops to relieve our siege!"

"General Pei led a large army to Liaoxi to help us fight the Xiongnu barbarians. The other day, General Pei won a great victory and even built a mound of Xiongnu heads. Now, the only one who can save us is Pei Qinghe!"

General Li was so angry his eyes almost popped out, his chest heaving rapidly, his breathing like a bellows: "You bastard! Are you trying to hand over Liaoxi County to Pei Qinghe?!"

Li Xi finally spoke the words that had been lingering in his heart for so long, and felt much relieved: "Father knows that we can't defeat the Xiongnu barbarians. Now that more than 20,000 cavalry are besieging us, our defeat is only a matter of time."

"If the Xiongnu barbarians break into the city, neither my son nor I will survive. Liaoxi Commandery will also be massacred!"

"Rather than this, we should just bow down to Pei Qinghe. From now on, we'll be like the Guangning Army, submitting to General Pei's orders..."

"roll!"

General Li roared from his chest, "As long as I live, don't even think about it! Get back to defend the city! If the city falls, you'll be the first to die!"

Li Xi was so humiliated by the scolding that he had no choice but to get up and leave.

Li Xi walked quickly for a while before turning back and spitting.

It's all my father's fault. Of all people to mess with, he had to provoke the Pei family army. He killed members of the Pei family army, stole their warhorses, and even sent people to "seek marriage" with Pei Qinghe. That's how they started their feud.

Pei Qinghe is a ruthless man, skilled in both fighting and endurance. He has remained silent for the past two years and has not sent troops.

Last year, Pei's army sent troops to attack and aid Guangning's army. Liaoxi's army was no match for the Xiongnu barbarians and could only retreat and barely survive.

No one expected that the Xiongnu barbarians would launch a large-scale invasion this year, heading straight for the Liaoxi army. The court remained silent, which was to be expected. Who told General Li to be so capable of declaring himself king? Once you've raised your banner, don't expect any help from the court.

What was truly unexpected was that Pei Qinghe arrived with a large army.

General Li's concerns were valid; Pei Qinghe was not a saint who did good deeds. She wanted to save the people, and she also wanted to save Liaoxi County. But for the Liaoxi army, was there any other option but to bow down and surrender to Pei Qinghe?
Li Xi was agitated and irritable, and went to the city gate with a gloomy face.

Below the city walls, a dense mass of Xiongnu barbarians swarmed. Their incessant shouts rose like a surging tide.

The city gates had already been sealed. The soldiers on the gates looked worried and their morale was low.

Li Xi rallied his spirits and encouraged the soldiers: "Don't be afraid, everyone. Pick up your bows and arrows. The Xiongnu barbarians are human too; they will die if they are hit by an arrow."

"Two days ago, the Pei family army killed two thousand Xiongnu barbarians, and a mound of corpses has been built." "If the Pei family army can fight, so can we."

It would have been better if the Pei family army hadn't been mentioned. But as soon as it was brought up, the soldiers started shouting, "The Pei family army is so powerful, we should just join them!"

"As long as the Pei family army is willing to mobilize, we can coordinate an attack from within and without to drive the Xiongnu barbarians away."

Li Xi's anger flared up, and he finally felt the anger his father had felt moments before: "Shut up, all of you."

"If you're men, show some guts and fight to the death! Pei's army is already here, in Tuhe County. We need to win a resounding victory before we can have the face to invite General Pei to Liaoxi."

These words did have some effect. The soldiers finally perked up and began to scatter their arrows.

Li Xi's face darkened as he angrily berated the soldiers for being too weak. The soldiers retorted indignantly. They only ate two meals a day, and after fighting so desperately, they weren't even allowed a proper meal. In the morning, they only had a dry biscuit and a bowl of cold water; where would they get the strength?

"I heard that the Pei family army has particularly good food. They can eat their fill three times a day and often eat meat."

"What's the point of saying all this? We can't eat it anyway."

"Once we join Pei's army, we'll be able to eat our fill."

The soldiers fought desperately to hold off the first wave of attacks. Some were wounded by arrows, others were struck by boulders hurled by catapults, and some died hungry.

They had no time to catch their breath. After a brief rest, the Xiongnu barbarians attacked the city again.

Within a single day, the Xiongnu barbarians stormed the city gates twice. Li Xi personally led the charge, boosting morale and fighting with all his might. By evening, the Xiongnu barbarians finally retreated.

By the end of the day, the Liaoxi army had suffered heavy casualties.

Li Xi had been stabbed in the left arm and wounded in the shoulder. He went to see his father with his wounds bandaged: "Father! The Xiongnu barbarians have gone berserk and are acting like madmen. If this continues, we won't be able to hold out for more than a few days before the city falls."

"Send someone to Tuhe County for help while it's still dark! It will be too late if we delay any longer!"

General Li's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he gave Li Xi another good scolding.

Li Xi had no choice but to change the subject: "I'll have the kitchen slaughter a few sheep so everyone can have a meat feast tomorrow. We can fight after we've eaten our fill."

General Li lay motionless in bed, cursing under his breath: "Those bastards, do they even deserve to eat my mutton!"

Even her own son couldn't stand it anymore.

“If we want them to fight to the death, we have to make sure they are well-fed.” Li Xi said in a low voice, “If the Xiongnu barbarians invade the city, my father’s family business, which he has built up over a decade, will be gone.”

If that happens, you won't even be able to save your life, and all the money and supplies you have will be for nothing.

The stingy General Li looked pained and said, "Alright, alright, you can decide on this little matter."

The next morning, the soldiers of the Liaoxi Army enjoyed a bowl of hot mutton soup. With meat in their stomachs, their hands and feet regained strength. Their hands, which once held swords and spears, no longer trembled.

Unfortunately, the Liaoxi army was mediocre in combat strength, and despite their best efforts, they could not stop the surging attack of the Xiongnu barbarians. On this day, the Xiongnu barbarians repeatedly stormed the city gates. Several even broke into the city, causing great panic and turmoil.

Li Xi gritted his teeth and secretly sent someone out of the city to Tuhe County to ask for reinforcements.

(End of this chapter)