Chapter 1035: 497 Defend the City! (Second Update)_2 Chapter 1035: 497 Defend the City! (Second Update)_2 The city gate was left with just a sliver of a gap.

Gu Jiao nimbly rolled through, tumbling to safety behind the city gate.

With that, the city gate was shut.

Tang Yueshan, mounted on a steed, sword in hand, faced the onslaught of four thousand Zhan Country cavalry with an air of resignation to death.

The Zhan Country cavalry’s archery was not particularly excellent, but should a volley of thousands of arrows be released, a few were bound to hit Tang Yueshan.

“Release arrows!”

A sweeping barrage of arrows flew towards Tang Yueshan, dense as a rainstorm. With no shield to protect him, he had only his long sword.

Just as Tang Yueshan was about to be turned into a sieve, an agile figure leapt down from above. With a crack of a whip, it wrapped around Tang Yueshan’s waist.

“Pull!”

Following Gu Chengfeng’s command, soldiers on the City Tower heaved the ropes, pulling both men up to safety!

Almost at the same instant, hundreds of arrows pierced through the spot where Tang Yueshan had just stood, striking the city wall en masse!

…

This battle wasn’t about individual life and death; it was about the survival of all the citizens and the fate of Zhan Country’s lands.

In the face of national hatred, any grudges were personal and trivial.

Gu Chengfeng and Tang Yueshan descended from the City Tower and met with Gu Jiao, who was treating the wounded in the hastily established barracks.

Gu Jiao was unaware that Tang Yueshan had been rescued.

The city gate had closed right after she entered;
It was Tang Yueshan who had sacrificed his chance at life to throw her inside. She understood this but would not allow herself to be overwhelmed by the emotions it stirred.

She quickly shifted into battle readiness.

Her composure and decisiveness astounded Tang Yueshan once again.

Had he not witnessed her earlier actions, he might have mistaken her for a person without a shred of compassion.

Tang Yueshan and Gu Chengfeng, seeing she was unharmed, did not approach to disturb her.

Tang Yueshan took charge of Yuegu City’s defenses. The two thousand infantrymen and five hundred archers he brought back from Ye City, along with the city’s own five thousand troops, amounted to a total of seven thousand five hundred men, with nearly six hundred wounded.

All the wounded requested to rejoin the fight, but only those assessed by Gu Jiao as fit for battle were allowed to re-enlist.

Furthermore, nearly half of Yuegu City’s five thousand troops were temporarily conscripted from the citizenry; these untrained folks were spared from being sent to the front lines to face certain death.

Tang Yueshan selected those with martial skills to join the reserve forces. Those without martial skills were stationed atop the City Tower, primarily in charge of aiding military equipment attacks, such as stone-throwing.

Additionally, there was a shortage of weapons and armor.

Tang Yueshan ordered his men to summon the city’s blacksmiths to forge weapons and armor through the night.

“Wait.”

“Grand Marshal Tang, do you have any further instructions?”

After a pause, Tang Yueshan said to Vice-Commander Li, “Forge one more set of armor.”

Zhan Country’s nearly twenty thousand troops loomed ominously at the city’s edge, a massive horde that seemed like a beast ready to devour Yuegu City at any moment.

The city’s residents shut their doors and windows tightly, each person feeling endangered.

The Governor’s Mansion didn’t have much grain left. Without a permanent garrison, the original stockpile barely sufficed for the slightly more than two thousand guards. Now, with an additional five thousand mouths to feed, the granary of the Governor’s Mansion was stretched to its limit.

Gu Chengfeng’s task was to purchase grain from the citizens.

He went along with Advisor Hu.

“Let’s start with the rice and grain shops in the city,” Gu Chengfeng said.

Advisor Hu led Gu Chengfeng to a rice and grain shop near the City Tower.

The doors of the rice and grain shop had been closed long ago, but when the government officials arrived, the owner dared not keep them shut.

“Sell me all the rice and grain you have,” Gu Chengfeng told the owner.

The owner glanced at Gu Chengfeng in surprise and disbelief.

“None left?” Gu Chengfeng asked.

“Ah… yes, there is!” the owner said reluctantly, handing over the shop’s rice and grain, “Your Honor, this is all we have, truly no more.”

“How much for all of it?” Gu Chengfeng asked, already bringing out his money pouch.

The owner paused again, clearly taken aback. This time, he was sure he hadn’t misheard; this official had truly come to buy grain, not… to confiscate it.

The owner took his abacus and, after a flurry of clicks, carefully quoted, “Five taels of silver in total.”

Gu Chengfeng handed over the silver.

Cradling the silver in his palm, the owner stood flabbergasted, struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

After purchasing the grain, Gu Chengfeng stepped out and found that, unbeknownst to him, several curious heads had appeared on the avenue.

Each household had cracked their doors open, peering out at Gu Chengfeng with a mix of curiosity and fear.

A boy about the same age as little Jingkong ran out, unafraid of newcomers or authority figures. He approached Gu Chengfeng, looked up, and with an infantile voice, asked, “Are we going to die? Are you officials planning to flee?”

His mother rushed out, scooping him into her arms and covering his mouth.

“Please forgive us, Sir! Please forgive us!” the woman kneeled, apologizing profusely to Gu Chengfeng.

“No,”
A voice, calm and clear, rang out from not far away.

It was Gu Jiao, accompanied by Hu Dongqiang, heading to the city’s pharmacy to gather herbal medicine.

She stopped in front of the little boy and his mother, pointed to Tang Yueshan who was mustering soldiers at the barracks’ entrance, and said, “See that man? He is the Grand Marshal of all the armed forces in Zhan Country, commanding the allegiance of every military officer.”

The little boy gazed at the imposing Tang Yueshan, “Wow!”

Gu Jiao then gestured towards Gu Chengfeng, “And this man here, he is the Gu Family’s Second Young Master, leader of the Gu Family’s army, the most formidable force in Zhan Country. They are on their way here and will arrive very soon.”

The boy’s eyes widened as he looked at the dashing Gu Chengfeng, “Wow!”

Moved by the child’s innocent and admiring gaze, Gu Chengfeng felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. With emotion surging within him, he took a deep breath and addressed the boy, which also seemed like a declaration to all the citizens on the street: “That’s right! My brother will be here soon with a hundred thousand Gu Family troops! Everyone, rest assured, Yuegu City will certainly be saved! Even if we have to fight to the last man, we will hold this city!”