Chapter 61: United as One, the City Stands

Midnight, all sounds ceased, the cold wind howled.

A gate of Shuofang City slowly opened, and immediately a crowd of men and horses galloped out into the night toward the outside.

The breath of the running warhorses condensed into white mist in the freezing cold, and their snorting sounds were unusually clear in the silent snowy night.

Li Guang rode a tall horse with a stern visage, his expression full of resolve.

Meanwhile, from the carriage beside him came the sound of Liuche pounding on the carriage door, and his angry roar: "Old fool, where do you intend to take me? Don't you want to live?"

Seeing Li Guang gave no reply, he continued to shout: "Your emperor, do you no longer want the Heirloom Jade Seal and the tiger tally? Aren't you afraid the world will mock him for gaining the throne illegitimately?"

But no matter how angry and abusive he became, Li Guang remained unmoved.

Only after they had ridden ten li beyond Shuofang City did Li Guang rein in his horse and stop.

He let out a long breath and said to Li Gan, who stood beside him looking bewildered and sorrowful: "Gan, just send Father here, then go back."

Li Gan dismounted, knelt, and wept: "Father, please don't send me back; you are old and need someone to attend you!"

"My mind is set; remember to return and devote yourself wholeheartedly to serving the Han and the emperor, so as not to disgrace the Li family's gate."

Li Guang, his words heavy with feeling, instructed Li Gan, then added with a slight choke: "One day when you see the emperor, tell him that the old soldier Li Guang can no longer serve at his side."

Having spoken, Li Guang clamped his legs hard against the horse's belly and shouted: "Move out!"

The five thousand Han soldiers who followed Li Guang out all whipped their horses and galloped away.

Meanwhile, from the carriage receding into the distance came Liuche's frantic, exhausted voice.

"Li Guang, no matter where you take me, I am the emperor of this Han realm; without me, this world will not endure long!"

Meanwhile, on the walls of Shuofang City, Zhang Tang and Dongfang San still stood, motionless against the cold wind.

After a long while, Zhang Tang sighed: "The old general may lack the strategic brilliance of the Wei King and the overwhelming might of the Xuanwei King, but his loyal heart for the Han yields to none."

Dongfang San also sighed: "Since ancient times, loyalty and righteousness are hard to have both, but the old general's deed leaves me feeling inadequate."

He then added worriedly: "Actually, the former emperor is also advanced in years, his health not what it was; I do not know where the old general intends to take him."

"That Liu Zhi can preserve his life is thanks to the old general's benevolence and righteousness carried to the utmost!"

Zhang Tang gave Dongfang San a cold look and added: "I hope you will take this secret to the grave."

Having said that, he glanced once more in the direction Li Guang had gone, then hurried down the wall.

With the commander gone, the morale of Shuofang City must still be steadied; before the emperor arrives, we absolutely cannot lose a single city or moat.

Zhang Tang's burly figure vanished into the night.

Dongfang San remained standing on the wall, gazing into the distance, his robes fluttering.

Liu Ju's personally led imperial expedition marched mightily toward Shuofang.

At this moment, inside Liu Ju's jade carriage, Zhang Qian and Liu Ju sat facing each other.

Zhang Qian furrowed his brow and said: "Your Majesty, the Wei King has sent word again that the Ministry of Works is busy seeking coal mines; current reserves are low, and if we wish to further hasten the spread of furnaces throughout the Han, it will be difficult."

Liu Ju also could not help but mutter: "Chang'an, the capital of dynasties, lacks mineral resources; even the surrounding trees have nearly been exhausted."

At this time, the Loess Plateau also trended toward the desolate, bleak whiteness of the world's end, hard to reverse.

He asked Zhang Qian: "Any word from the Ministry of Works yet?"

Zhang Qian shook his head: "Sang Hongyang, with his technical staff, has already followed Your Majesty's orders, heading three days early to the border for prospecting; he should now be in Shuofang, but there has been no progress."

Liu Ju's brows instantly knotted into the shape of the Chinese character for 'river' (three parallel lines), and a feeling of unease welled up in his heart.

Sang Hongyang usually handles affairs with utmost steadiness, but this time there is no word at all, making him faintly sense that the matter has become thorny.

"If there is still no news, the situation will likely grow ever more dire."

Liu Ju spoke softly, his tone revealing a hint of anxiety.

He fully understood the importance of coal resources for this winter—not only for the people's warmth, but also for the stability of the entire Han realm.

If the coal shortage is not resolved in time, this winter will be extraordinarily harsh, possibly triggering a series of social upheavals.

"Your Majesty, do not rush; Lord Sang is experienced, perhaps he encountered some special circumstance along the way that delayed him."

Zhang Qian tried to comfort Liu Ju, but his own heart was equally uneasy.

Liu Ju nodded slightly, his gaze through the carriage window drifting toward the distance.

"Issue the orders: hasten the march, and inform Sang Hongyang to await me in Shuofang."

Liu Ju suddenly said, his tone firm and decisive.

He still decided to reach Shuofang as soon as possible, on one hand to counter the Wusun threat, and on the other to resolve the coal resource issue promptly.

If Shuofang City shows no further progress, the only recourse would be to go to the more remote Yumen, which is later generations' Datong.

After a few more days, the troops finally reached the border of Shuofang.

Yet Sang Hongyang still sent no word.

At this moment inside Shuofang City, Sang Hongyang had already been here for several days with his technical staff seeking coal mines, yet still there was no news.

He fully grasped the arduousness of this mission; this coal resource concerns whether the Han people can peacefully survive the winter, and also affects the Han's stability and development.

Thus, upon arriving in Shuofang, Sang Hongyang launched his work without pause, gathering local populace everywhere to inquire about and spread news of coal.

"Folks, we urgently need to find a coal mine; this is a major matter affecting everyone's livelihood. If anyone knows where there is a black, burnable stone, please be sure to tell us."

At this moment he was on the street, summoning a group of city residents, looking at them with eager eyes, and inquiring sincerely.

The populace looked at one another, then shook their heads, indicating they knew nothing.

Sang Hongyang shook his head and sighed; thereafter, each day before dawn he set out, leading people to roam every corner of Shuofang—mountains, villages, riverbanks—leaving behind their hurried traces.

At each stop they questioned the local inhabitants in detail, overlooking no possible clue.

Yet after several days, hope repeatedly burst like bubbles, and they still came up empty-handed.

Sang Hongyang's brows were tightly knotted; anxiety like dark clouds enveloped him, his heart filled with frustration, yet thinking of the emperor's trust and the people's expectations, he gritted his teeth and pressed on.

Looking again at Shuofang City at this moment, outside the Wusun army continually launched wave-like assaults; fortunately, with Zhang Tang, Li Gan and others holding the line, relying on advanced weaponry and the united spirit of the Shuofang soldiers and civilians, they held this strategic border stronghold.

Yet the winter wind of Shuofang City cut like a knife, savagely slicing every inch of air.

At this time, the city's common folk, because braziers were not as widespread as in Everlasting Peace City, struggled to get by in this bone-chilling cold.

The shabby houses could not withstand this chill at all; thick ice formed in the water vats, and the breath people exhaled instantly condensed into white frost.

The market's former bustle had vanished, leaving only a few scattered stalls. The vendors wrapped themselves in thin, worn cotton clothes, their hands and feet swollen from freezing, yet they persevered, hoping to sell some goods for a meal.

The elderly huddled in the corners, clutching themselves tightly with both hands, vainly trying to retain a bit of warmth.

The children's little faces were red from the cold, with clear mucus dripping from their noses, their eyes full of longing for warmth.

But even in dire straits, facing the invasion of the Wusun army, the people of Northern Direction City did not retreat in the slightest.

Under Zhang Tang's command, the people fetched water in buckets from a river several miles away and poured it onto the city walls to prevent the Wusun warriors from climbing.

Among them were elders, women, and even toddlers wearing open-crotch pants.

In this arduous resistance, the people of Northern Direction City, even if they suffered hunger and cold, did not retreat. With their flesh and blood, they built a solid defense line against the foreign foe.