Xu Shi's overnight departure from Yu City could have been a somewhat secretive affair for the ordinary people, but for someone of Yuxi's stature, it soon became known.
When Yuxi heard the news, she frowned and asked, "Whose wives have also left the city?" This situation was not a good sign.
Xu Wu replied, "Most of the generals' wives and children are no longer in Yu City, and a few more have left one after another in the past few days. There are not many left in the city."
Hearing this reply, Yuxi asked, "Have all the women of the Fu and Zhao families left as well?" She was very familiar with these two families.
Xu Wu nodded. "Da Nainai[1] Fu left Yu City the day before yesterday with her two daughters. Madam Zhao of the Zhao family did not leave, but Da Nainai[1] Zhao left with her children." In these trying times, no one could blame the women for leaving with their children.
Yuxi commented softly, "This is not the way to go." She could not say it was wrong for the women to leave with their children, but its effect was tremendous. In times of crisis, it was important for everyone to stick together, for they could only get through the difficult times by working together. But when these officers' wives left with their children, those with the financial resources and contacts would escape as well, leaving behind those who could not afford to do the same.
Xu Wu said with a bitter smile, "Madam, those who could have fled would have fled long ago and would not have stayed until now." Not everyone was the same as his Madam, who was willing to stay despite knowing there was danger ahead.
Yuxi thought for a moment and asked Xu Wu, "Do you think it possible to gather all the people in the city and ask them to help resist the northern barbarians together?"
Xu Wu didn't understand the meaning behind her question. "Those women, children and the elderly can't go to war. How can they help fight against the northern barbarians?"
Yuxi explained, "There are so many soldiers in the army camp, and they still need to eat. Since women, children and the elderly in Yu City cannot go to battle, they can still tend to the kitchen fire and prepare the soldiers' meals. In addition, they can also take care of the wounded."
Xu Wu said, "Madam's idea is good, but these people may be unwilling." This kind of thing usually required a call to arms from the superiors, and while they (Yuxi and them) had the heart, they didn't have the means to do so.
Yuxi knew Xu Wu's scruples, but it was against her principles to give up before trying something. After a moment's thought, Yuxi said to Zijin, "Zijin, I'll leave this matter to you. Gather as many people as you can!"
Zijin shook her head. "No, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here with Madam." At a time like this, she dared not leave Yuxi.
Yuxi shook her head and reasoned, "You have been in the school for a long time. Those children you have helped know you, so it will be easier for you to talk to their parents and ask them for help." Seeing Zijin's hesitation, Yuxi smiled and urged, "Just go ahead. I'll be fine at the residence." It was also because she was pregnant. Otherwise, she would have done it herself.
Seeing that Zijin had not yet agreed, Yuxi said, "You must know that once the enemies break into the city, everyone will lose their lives." Once they started this move, Yuxi believed many would automatically join in. No one who stayed in Yu City was willing to see it breached. Once the enemies captured the city, everyone's lives would be in danger.
Since these words were from her superior, Zijin could no longer refuse.
Yuxi added, "When you go to these people, tell them that reinforcements will arrive within half a month. As long as we hold on for that long, we will be able to protect the city."
Zijin was a little hesitant and asked, "Will this work?"
Yuxi nodded. "It will. One person's strength is limited, but as long as we unite to fight the enemy, we can defend Yu City." How could one convince others if one did not have this much confidence?
Hearing this, Zijin thought for a moment, looked at Yuxi and asked, "Madam, do you think that we can defend Yu City?"
Yuxi nodded without thinking and said, "We can definitely defend Yu City, and I believe that Yun Qing, in the shadows, must also be thinking of ways to make the enemy retreat."
Zijin nodded heavily. "Alright, Yu City can surely hold on." As for Yuxi's following words, Zijin automatically ignored them. Sometimes she felt that her master had some blind admiration for Yun Qing!
Yuxi looked at Xu Wu and instructed, "From the one hundred guards in residence, you just leave ten behind, and the others should go and transport the grain placed in the academy and the restaurant to the city walls." As for the pots and firewood, there was no need for Yuxi to mention them at all. Since they would send the food there, the pots and firewood would naturally follow suit.
Xu Wu nodded. "Okay. I'll give out the order right away."
After Zijin and Xu Wu had gone, Yuxi called for the old woman servant who was in charge of the cleaning. When she saw Old Woman Yu, Yuxi asked, "Mama, are you afraid of dying?" Old Woman Yu was the first person Yuxi bought in. Those who would sell themselves into slavery were those who had no children or any attachments at home.
Old Woman Yu looked at Yuxi and stated, "Madam, if you have any orders, just let me know!" As long as she could do it, she would not resist.
Yuxi said, "I heard Xu Wu say that there were a lot of casualties this time. There are so many wounded soldiers that the military doctors can't handle them. Therefore, I would like to ask Mama to lead the others in the residence to treat the wounds of those injured soldiers." The few old women servants in charge of rough work in her residence were all experienced. They could help treat the wounds with half the effort.
Since her husband and children had both died in the war, Old Woman Yu did not hesitate to help the wounded soldiers and nodded in agreement. "I will bring them with me."
All the others were sent out with this arrangement except for the three mamas and the two half-grown maids who personally served Yuxi. Yuxi herself did not stay idle and went to the herbs room to prepare some hemostatic medicine. Of course, she could only prepare simple ones as she could not refine anything more complicated. But at this juncture, simple hemostatic medications were in very short supply.
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Mama Qu restlessly watched as Yuxi began busying herself. But she couldn't prevent Yuxi from working. After all, it was a matter of life and death. "Madam, if you're tired, take a rest. Please don't try to be brave." You can't even peacefully rest when you're heavily pregnant and still want to involve yourself with all this?
Yuxi responded, "Don't worry, Mama. I'll just do what I can." With the two little maids helping her, she wouldn't be too tired since she only had to stand there and direct them to prepare the medicines.
Zijin thought she would have to talk a lot to persuade everyone, but to her surprise, those people knew what she had come for and agreed without saying a word. Then she went on to mobilise the rest. Soon, a group of people gathered.
When these people came out of their homes, they were carrying pots, pans or firewood; some even brought along food and vegetables, so none of them came out empty-handed.
Looking at these people, Zijin finally understood what Yuxi had meant by her words. By watching them, Zijin was confident that Yu City could be protected.
Half a shichen[2] later, the women, children and the elderly followed Zijin to the outskirts of the city walls. With so many people coming, the guards there immediately alerted Qin Zhao, who was on the city wall.
Qin Zhao descended from the top of the city wall, looked at the group of women and asked, "What are you doing here? This is not the place you people should be."
Zijin spoke about their purpose for coming here, "We can't help in the battle, but we can cook and take care of the wounded. With us here, we can ensure that the soldiers can always have warm food."
Qin Zhao's expression instantly changed. "Do you know what kind of place this is? Don't you think bringing so many women and children here is equivalent to sending them to their deaths?"
Zijin was not afraid of Qin Zhao, and when she heard these questions, she answered unkindly, "If Yu City is breached, do you think they will still be alive? Furthermore, don't look down on us women. Women are sometimes more powerful than even you men." At least, not many men could beat her.
Qin Zhao didn't want to talk nonsense to Zijin and said to the soldiers beside him, "Drive them all away." This group of people had utterly given him additional trouble.
When General Zhao came down from the city wall, he looked at Zijin and asked, "Who are you?" This woman did not look like an ordinary person.
Zijin replied, "I am from the Yun Residence. It is my Madam's wish to have these women, children, and the elderly come over to help. My Madam said that one person's strength was limited, but as long as the soldiers and people of Yu City united to fight the enemy, everyone could hold on until the reinforcements arrived. It's a pity that my Madam is pregnant. Otherwise, she would have come over to help too." Her Madam's words were always right.
Qin Zhao's face slightly changed when he heard these words.
General Zhao, however, was a million times surprised. He knew that Yun Qing's wife was not simple, but he did not expect this Han Shi to have such vision and guts. She really should not be underestimated. Qin Zhao was young and could not see these people's roles, but he knew. Back then, the military and the civilians had wholeheartedly endured the most challenging times together. It was just that in the past twenty years or so, although there had been frequent battles, the city had not been in danger of being broken in as it was now.
General Zhao turned towards Qin Zhao and said, "Let them stay. They can be of help." Seeing that Qin Zhao wanted to oppose it, General Zhao shook his head and added, "We don't have many bows and arrows left. We must think of other ways." The bows and arrows had already depleted by nearly half. If this continued, there would not even be any bows and arrows left by then. At that time, there would be even more deaths and injuries.
Zijin stated, "If there's anything we can do to help, General Zhao, just say so." To Qin Zhao, Zijin seemed to have no respect for him.
General Zhao said, "If you can prepare for us boiling water or oil, lime or any big stones, whatever you can get, we will use them." Rolling down large wood logs and heavy stones from the fortress wall were the more efficient option, but they were not something ordinary people could carry.
Zijin understood. "I will mobilise more people to help." There were only 50,000 soldiers in Yu City, but tens of thousands of everyday people were also staying there. If everyone were mobilised, they would be able to wait for reinforcements. She had this much confidence.[T/C]
Even before Yuxi had asked Zijin to gather people, quite a few had already come forward to help. It was just that they needed to have someone with rallying power to assemble everyone. Since Zijin had called out for help, all those who received the news had come to lend their hands. As Yuxi said, no one wanted to sit around and wait to die if they could do their part in protecting Yu City.
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi