Lin Desheng's tone was gentle, calmly analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy troops outside the city. The concubines gradually felt relieved after listening.

Only 70,000 to 80,000 soldiers and horses came, so why worry about it across the city wall?

These elite cavalry of the Di tribe may be slightly better than the cavalry of the Great Wei in a duel on flat ground, but they are far behind in attacking the city. Even the tens of feet high earthen city wall at the border cannot be conquered, let alone the city wall of Capital City. Lin Desheng is not stupid, it is impossible to open the city gate and run out to fight with their horses. When the reinforcements from outside arrive, the inside and the outside should cooperate, and they will definitely win.

"It's just..." Lin Zhaoyuan hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "I heard that the emperor led troops to wipe out the remnants of Yelan Kingdom this time."

This is what everyone cares about most.

"The emperor brought 30,000 elite soldiers from Xiyuwei to the north. If they encountered these soldiers and horses on a narrow road, a fierce battle would be earth-shattering. The news has already been sent back. But there is no news, which means that the two armies have no contact at all."

"Before I observed the Di soldiers outside, there were not many injuries, which also confirmed that these soldiers and horses did not go through a battle. Therefore, I speculated that these soldiers and horses should have found a trail in the mountains, or detoured from other places. It will suddenly appear outside the city when going south.”

Lin Desheng answered a few more questions from his concubines. Finally, Empress Gao stood up and said, "Okay, I've worked hard for General Lin today. The city defense during this period will have to trouble the General."

"I will do my best and do my best in matters of my duty." Lin Desheng immediately knelt down and replied.

Wait for Lin Desheng to retreat. Empress Gao glanced at the concubines sitting in the hall.

"It happened suddenly today, and I know that everyone must be panicking, so I invite General Lin to come and reassure everyone."

"The empress is wise, concubines and concubines are sincerely convinced." Concubine Lijin immediately stood up and said with admiration.

Empress Gao nodded: "Since everyone is at ease, these days, we must restrain the palace people and guard the gates. Now that the emperor is not in the palace, and soldiers are coming to the city from outside, it is an extraordinary time, and it is even more important for everyone to work together to tide over the difficulties and wait for the emperor. return."

"The order of the palace is that everyone in the uterus should perform their duties these days. They are not allowed to talk about foreign affairs, and they are not allowed to walk around at will. If there is any violation, they will be dealt with by the Department of Criminal Justice! After that, you can't go out at all!"

When it came to the end, Empress Gao's voice was stern, and everyone was awe-inspiring, and they all responded respectfully.

It took more than half an hour for a greeting to end. When Wu Jie came out of Phoenix Rite Palace, it was already dawn. It's just that the weather is still gloomy. This autumn, there seems to be a lot of rain.

Chi Rui's expression relaxed a lot, and he said with a smile: "It's getting late, what flavor do you want for your mother's breakfast, the crystal shrimp dumplings and walnut red rice porridge from the past few days are not bad, why don't you prepare another one?"

Wu Jie felt even more uneasy, she shook her head and said, "Don't be in a hurry to go back to eat, let's go to Zhaixing Building first."

"Didn't your lady just come down from the top? It's very windy up there." Chi Rui was full of doubts, but she couldn't go against Wu Jie's intention after all.

After climbing up to the Zhaixing Building, Wu Jie accidentally found another figure.

Concubine Lijin is standing in front of the window, looking into the distance.

Hearing the sound of footsteps behind her, she turned around and was surprised when she saw Wu Jie.

"Why did Wu Guipin come up?"

"I'm feeling uneasy, so I thought about going up to take a look." Wu Jie moved to the window, and once again looked at the dark clouds outside the city.

She tried to see more clearly, glancing over and over again.

Concubine Lijin seemed to have seen through her intentions, and said with a smile, "Wu Guipin is counting these people? There are about 70,000 soldiers and horses outside. Didn't General Lin already say so?"

After being exposed by her intention, Wu Jie was a little embarrassed: "I always feel that the number of people is wrong. It's a big black area."

Concubine Lijin smiled: "The number is not wrong. I probably counted it before."

Meeting Wu Jie's surprised gaze, Concubine Lijin continued: "To count the number of Di soldiers, you only need to count their pots, stoves, or tents, or those who wear golden feathers in armor on their heads. This is their centurion. Of course, there is another The method is that the formation of such cavalry is about 600 to 1,200 in a half-mile radius. Experienced veterans can check the looseness of the team and calculate the land outside the city to know the approximate number of soldiers and horses. "

Wu Jie was eye-opening, and she couldn't help but look at the other party in surprise: "I never thought that Concubine Jin is so knowledgeable."

"Although my father is a civil servant, my mother is the daughter of a military general. It is not unusual to know these things." Concubine Lijin laughed.

Wu Jie came back to her senses, "I'm just wondering why these cavalry came here so quietly. No one noticed them all the way before."

Concubine Li Jin smiled, "What's so difficult about this? If you really took the secret trail, it would naturally be unobtrusive. After passing through the villages and towns, you will not be afraid of the spread of the news. The barbarians are running very fast. Listen It is said that a strong man can sleep on horseback, travel day and night, and travel for several days to reach Capital City."

Wu Jie bit her lip: "But, even if they are all experienced elites from the Di Clan and Yelan Country, it is impossible to capture Capital City. Why do they have to work so hard here?"

It is common sense to speculate that if these barbarians outside the Great Wall really found a trail leading to the Central Plains, they must use this road to plunder, choose a wealthy town, or turn around and attack Hangu Pass from the inside, breaking through the Central Plains. Portals are smarter choices. Why bother to go to Capital City?

Not to mention that Capital City is high and deep, easy to defend and difficult to attack, even if they really captured Capital City, looted wantonly, and brought a lot of money and women, they would not be able to run back to the north after such a long journey. Domain!

Concubine Lijin smiled, "Maybe the bait is too delicious, I want to eat it after all."

Wu Jie looked at the black shadow outside the city side by side with her.

After a moment of silence, Concubine Li Jin said again: "I don't know where the emperor is now."

"This...According to what General Lin said, they should still be stranded in the western territory." Wu Jie replied.

Concubine Li Jin turned her head to look at her, and said with a half-smile: "Aren't you worried about him?"

Wu Jie was taken aback for a moment, "The emperor commands the army, and it will be safe and sound."

"I hope so." Li Jinfei lowered her eyes and sighed.

Wu Jie was speechless, with this caring look, if she hadn't heard the affectionate look between her and Hong Chongyue, she would really think that she was deeply in love with the emperor.

I don't know if Empress Gao's appeasement has worked, but in the following days, at least on the surface, the palace returned to calm.

The newly appointed prime minister, Gongsun Liang, and several generals deployed the city defense together, sent several teams of soldiers and horses to test the enemy outside the city, and arranged for two teams of fine cavalry to rush out of the encirclement and deliver letters outside the city.

In these days of confrontation, the enemy soldiers outside the city have never attacked the city, as if knowing that it is impossible to capture this huge city, they are ready every day. If Capital City does not send troops to attack, they will never take the initiative to attack, and the day is safe and sound .

Sounds like a guest here? Wu Jie was full of surprise.

Every day, the former court would send people to Phoenix Rite Palace to report the battle situation, and all the concubines gathered together to listen, and gradually felt at ease.

After leaving the Phoenix Rite Palace that day, Wu Jie returned to Bixiao Palace, and saw Chi Rui bringing a few young maids to move dozens of boxes and cages out.

"It's been raining these days, and it's rare that the sun is out today. Put these thick clothes in the sun, and the empress will wear them after a while."

Wu Jie frowned: "Why bother, I can't wear so many on weekdays, and dozens of new works this year are enough."

There are hundreds of pieces of clothes for your concubine in all seasons of the year, and Wu Jie doesn't like to change new clothes every day, so she can't finish wearing them all.

Chi Rui said with some shame: "The clothes that the empress changed before have not been washed. The servants are watching, it is better to prepare a few more."

Wu Jie was taken aback, "Why didn't you wash it? But there are not enough people?" Wu Jie's clothes were all washed in Bixiao Palace.

Chi Rui waved her hand and said: "It's not that the servants are lazy, it's that there is no water. Speaking of which, this matter is also strange. For some reason, the water level of the two wells at the east end of our palace has dropped in the past few days. In the past two days, no water can be pumped at all. Originally The servant girl wanted to fetch water from the palace next door, but unexpectedly, the wells in the nearby Changle Palace and Mingguang Palace were all dry."

Are the wells dry? Wu Jie felt something was wrong, "Apart from these palaces, where are the other wells?"

Another little maid added: "It's not just our palace, I heard that more than half of the dozens of wells at Beitou Huanyi Bureau have been dried up."

"It's really strange. Because of the continuous rain, several wells at the north end of the palace overflowed, making it inconvenient to wash clothes. I didn't expect that they were all dry in just a few days."

"That's right, it was raining yesterday, so the well water will dry up anyway." Several young maids complained.

A flash of light flashed in Wu Jie's mind, as if she had grasped some clue.

She thought for a while, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt it was possible, she didn't dare to waste time, and immediately got up and walked to the front hall.

But when he arrived at the Jiaotai Palace, he was stopped by the palace guards.

They are the eunuchs of the four inner palaces, guarding the corridor at the back entrance of Jiaotai Hall. The attitude is respectful and firm: "The empress has an order that no one is allowed to go out of the harem, and the door is locked. Please don't embarrass me."

Wu Jie frowned and said, "I have something important to explain to General Lin. Or the generals of the Forbidden Army on duty in the front hall?"

The guarding eunuch refused to accommodate: "Please don't embarrass me and other slaves. Unless you have a warrant from Phoenix Rite Palace, you will not be allowed to pass. If you need it, you can go to Phoenix Rite Palace to ask for it."

Wu Jie was helpless, the gates of the harem were very strict these days, and if she wanted to leave the harem, she had to go through the gate of Jiaotai Palace.

Go to Phoenix Rite Palace to obtain a warrant, how to explain it? Just explain this matter. Wu Jie thought about it, although she didn't have the slightest affection for Empress Gao, and she had feuded with her for the rest of her life. But this matter is so important that we can only go to see each other once. Through Empress Gao's order to the previous dynasty, it can also attract more attention.

Hearing the news that Wu Jie asked to see her. Empress Gao was very surprised.

Since entering the palace, this concubine from Dongyue has been keeping herself safe and never troublesome, so why did she suddenly come to find her.

"Come in, please," she ordered.

Wu Jie quickly stepped into the apse of Phoenix Rite Palace. Empress Gao was sitting by the window in a normal dress, with a chessboard on the table in front of her.

Seeing Wu Jie coming in, she put down the white jade chess piece in her hand, and said with a smile: "There's no need to be too polite, if you don't have anything to go to the Three Treasures Hall, what's your business today."

Wu Jie cut to the chase and said, "I came here for an important matter to ask to see my empress. Recently, a strange incident was discovered in the palace. I don't know if my empress has received the report."

"What is it?"

"Since the beginning of autumn, it has been raining continuously, and the water levels of all the wells and streams in the palace have skyrocketed, even overflowing the well mouth and submerging the flat ground."

"The head of the inner palace came to report before, and has arranged for manpower to be cleared." Empress Gao said flatly.

"However, you know that in the past few days, the water flow has suddenly dropped, and both wells and streams have dried up."

Empress Gao was stunned by this news. "Could it be that the people who diverted the water flow accidentally cut off the water vein?"

"Even if the construction is careless, it is impossible to affect so many wells. My concubine has inquired about it on the way here. Almost all the wells in the palace are dry and short of water." Wu Jie said quickly.

Empress Gao's gaze also became serious, and she turned to look at Mother Qiu beside her: "I don't know anything about this?"

Mother Qiu hurriedly stepped forward and said, "A few days ago, Wang Sheng, the chief executive of the Neifu government, came to report this matter. The old slave thought that now the empress would disturb the overall situation of the previous court, so I did not report on such trivial matters. The old slave has already ordered the chief executive Wang to dispatch water Car, I went to fetch water from the mountain spring outside, and I guarantee that there will be no shortage of expenses in the palace."

Wu Jie's expression darkened: "Does Madam Qiu know that even if she goes out to fetch water, it will be more and more difficult these two days, because the mountain spring will probably dry up soon."

Qiu Nanny was stunned.

In fact, Wu Jie did not seek confirmation from the inner palace, it was all based on speculation, but judging from the situation in the palace, this speculation is probably indistinguishable.

Wu Jie turned her head to Empress Gao, and said in a deep voice: "I remembered the history books I read before, that the Western Jin Dynasty attacked the capital of the Daqi Emperor, and it lasted for a long time, so I thought of a sinister way - flooding the city!"

"First lock the Jing River flowing outside the city in a narrow place, so that the water will not flow. Within dozens of days in the capital of Daqi, the wells dried up, and the water shortage in the city was so severe that people were almost thirsty. A gap was dug in the embankment on the side, and the flood rushed out, overwhelming the enemy, and rushed straight to the city wall..."

Empress Gao's face suddenly changed, and Nanny Qiu's face was even uglier.

Hundreds of years ago, the capital of the Great Qi Empire is now the Capital City of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Wu Jie bowed and said, "This is just concubine's conjecture. I haven't personally been on the battlefield, so I dare not make a conclusion. But please hurry up and go to the general to find out if this is true or not."

The matter was so important that she had no choice but to come to Queen Gao.

Although Empress Gao had murdered her before, the barbarian soldiers and horses outside the city were everyone's public enemy. Once the city was broken, the entire harem would not be safe.

Empress Gao was also a straightforward person, and immediately responded: "I will send the news to you now. Wu Guifei's thought of this shows that she is extremely intelligent. If she saves Capital City, it will be the first victory in this battle. Wait for the emperor to return. , will be rewarded heavily.”

Wu Jie didn't comment, just bowed and said: "Thank you, concubine."

After clarifying the matter, she said goodbye and left.

Inside the hall.

Empress Gao looked dignified, and immediately ordered Madam Qiu: "Go and invite Prime Minister Gongsun and General Lin to come over and say that the palace has something urgent."

However, contrary to her expectations, Mother Qiu did not strictly follow her orders as usual, but knelt down instead.

"Your Majesty, you can't!" Qiu Nanny said in a low voice.

Empress Gao was stunned, and said angrily: "You heard what Wu Guipin said just now, the stakes are very important at this time, if it comes true, Capital City will not be guaranteed, you..."

Mother Qiu raised her head, her expression was heavy and painful, she did not defend herself, but repeated: "Your Majesty, no!"

With the same sentence, Empress Gao was first angry, then confused, and then gradually turned into shock.

Her body trembled, as if she had understood something? Staring at Mother Qiu, she showed an unbelievable expression: "Could it be..."

Qiu Momo nodded helplessly: "Madam, the general is also helpless, if you want to blame, you can only blame the Yuan clan for being too cruel..."

Empress Gao staggered back two steps and fell on the seat.