Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

Time flew by, and it was June of the sixth year of Xuan Yuan.

As relatives from various regions left Beijing to return to their hometowns, the imperial court in the capital resumed normal operations.

The death of Changsun Ying did not cause much of a stir in the court and among the people due to the joint suppression by the Changsun family and the royal family.

There was a tacit understanding between the ruler and his ministers.

Starting in June, railways across the country began comprehensive repairs, and the State of Chu entered a golden age of rapid development.

In the same month, four more steam-powered frigates were successfully launched at the Jinling Shipyard and incorporated into the Nanyang Fleet.

At the same time, the newly opened Jiangnan Shipyard also launched a project to build two battleships, which were scheduled to be completed within two years.

In addition, civilian shipyards such as Lingnan, Fuzhou, and Dengzhou were also established, mainly responsible for building ocean-going cargo ships.

The "Stars and the Sea" plan of the State of Chu has also entered a new cycle.

However, this world is like the two poles of Yin and Yang.

Where there is sunlight, there is bound to be darkness.

But the State of Chu had already passed through its darkest period and was welcoming the dawn of a new day.

But another dynasty was just entering its darkest period before dawn...

Song State, Bianjing Prefecture.

The war between the Song and Jin dynasties was in full swing, with fierce fighting and bloodshed...

"Bang~~"

"Ah~"

A dull, blunt impact rang out, followed by a piercing scream.

A Jin soldier who had just climbed the city wall was struck on the forehead by a heavy shield blow the moment he peeked out.

The helmet dented instantly, and the Jin soldier, whose eyeballs bulged out from the impact, slid uncontrollably down the ladder.

"Stay alert, don't let them come up!"

"Archers! Shoot those bastards down!"

"Stop them, quickly!"

The defending commander, Guo Huang, 53 years old, held a shield in one hand and an axe in the other, fighting fiercely with the enemy while loudly directing the battle.

"Hey~"

"Pfft-"

He cleaved open the skull of a Jin soldier who had just peeked out with his axe, and then casually pulled up a young soldier who was huddled behind the parapet, trembling with fear.

"Stand up! Stop lying there like a turtle, do you hear me?!"

He pressed the soldier down in front of the empty battlements, kicked him once, and then went on to direct other areas to boost morale.

"Ah-"

Suddenly, his ears twitched as he heard a sound, and he realized that danger was approaching.

He looked up for a moment, his pupils contracted, and he immediately roared.

"It's a slingshot! Scatter immediately!"

Suddenly, a dense barrage of flying stones hurtled towards the city wall from mid-air.

Guo Huang, with his rich experience in battle, roared and immediately leaped to the side.

But the Song soldiers guarding the fortified walls had no time to react.

boom--

With a loud crash, a 400-pound cone-shaped boulder pierced through a section of the crenellation.

The four Song soldiers guarding the ramparts didn't even have time to groan before they were thrown away in the blink of an eye by the enormous force of the thrown stones.

bang bang bang-

One massive rock after another crashed into the city wall, instantly tearing the crenellated defenses to shreds.

"Pooh……"

After the slinging attack ended, Guo Huang, who was lying on the ground, got up, shook his head, and shook off the dust and debris from his body.

He glanced at the dilapidated defenses, but had no time to lament. Relying on his experience, he immediately roared.

"Archer!"

The roar was deafening, immediately attracting a squad of archers who lined up in front of Guo Huang, all drawing their bows and aiming at the empty breach in the parapet.

Just then, a group of Jin soldiers grinned as they climbed up the battlements.

"put!"

Guo Huang roared with almost all his might.

Boom~

Dozens of taut bowstrings were released almost simultaneously, producing a piercing resonance.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh—

A dense volley of arrows, whistling through the air, hurtled towards the Jin soldiers.

Puff puff puff——

At such close range, the Jin soldiers had no time to react and were pinned to the city wall one by one.

"put!"

Guo Huang gave another order.

The second volley of crossbow fire swept through the remaining Jin soldiers, killing them instantly.

One Jin soldier, seemingly possessed by a Korean, survived being hit by six arrows and even staged a Korean-style death, falling backward off the city wall.

"Whoo~"

Having dealt with this group of Jin soldiers, Guo Huang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But the crisis was not over, and he had to do something.

"Bring the juicy liquid over here!"

At a command, four Song soldiers, enduring the overwhelming stench, carried the boiling golden pot to the city wall.

"Down!"

swoosh-

The four of them worked together to pour half of the molten gold directly onto a ladder.

Instantly, the area in front of the ladder was filled with howls and wailing.

The Jin army leader was hit head-on by the boiling stench, which burned his heart and soul. The pain caused half of his face to melt on the spot, revealing his white and red gums, making him look horribly terrifying.

"Ahhh~"

After letting out a ghostly howl that sounded inhuman, he lost his grip and slid down the ladder.

The other Jin soldiers fared no better; scalding excrement seeped into their bodies through the gaps in their open necks, collars, and armor plates, causing them to emit heart-wrenching screams outside the city walls.

It is June now, the hottest month of the year. The toxins from the feces remain in their bodies, and if they are not treated in time, they will face either death or disability.

"Catapults—Counterattack!"

After Guo Huang commanded his soldiers to repel the enemy with the golden liquid, he immediately ordered the twenty catapults lined up on the city wall to fire simultaneously.

Boom~

Instantly, the stone, weighing several dozen kilograms, was propelled by torque and hurtled directly toward the Jin army troop three hundred paces away.

Bang~

A projectile landed right on a siege tower that was slowly advancing.

The stone pierced straight through the wooden parapet, instantly sending the Jin soldiers flying behind it.

The Song army's tenacious resistance took Wanyan Zongbi and Wanyan Loushi, who were positioned in the rear, quite by surprise.

Seeing the casualties mounting but seeing no signs of the city falling, Wanyan Loushi made a decisive decision.

"Pass on my order to withdraw the troops."

The messenger was taken aback and glanced at Wanyan Zongbi.

Seeing that Wanyan Zongbi had no reaction at all, he simply waved the flag in his hand to send a signal to the front line.

"Boom blah blah..."

As the golden bell signaling the end of the campaign rang out on the battlefield, the Jin soldiers immediately abandoned their offensive and turned to flee the battlefield at top speed.

"The Jurchens have retreated!"

"Ouch~"

Upon seeing the Jin army retreat, the Song soldiers on the city wall finally cheered in unison.

Guo Huang also sighed heavily, walked to the wall, and clenched his fist as he watched the Jin people recede like a tide.

"As long as our Song army and people are of one mind, we will definitely be able to defend Bianjing!"

For two consecutive months, thanks to the courage of Guo Huang and the soldiers defending the city, they managed to repel more than seventy enemy attacks.

Guo Huang's reputation resounded throughout Bianjing, and at the same time, it rekindled the courage of the Song soldiers who were originally terrified of the enemy.

As the sun began to set, Wanyan Zongbi and Wanyan Loushi listened quietly to the day's casualty reports in the Jin army camp eight miles away.

After listening, Wanyan Zongbi said expressionlessly:

"We launched three offensives today, resulting in 376 dead and 1,726 wounded. This is the largest single-day attack since the Jin dynasty besieged Bianjing two months ago."

"This is the heaviest casualty we've ever suffered, General. What flanks do you have to breach the city?"

Wanyan Loushi: "If we can purchase another batch of cannonballs from Chu, especially high-explosive and armor-piercing shells, what is there to fear about the mere walls of Bianjing?"

Wanyan Zongbi smiled and shook his head: "Is the general still blaming me for not conserving ammunition? But I didn't know this weaponry was so effective. If you want to blame someone, then blame them."