My wife, Wei Gui, was 1.9 meters tall and fought against the Tang dynasty for the throne.

Banners fluttered in the wind above the north city gate tower.

When Li Ju donned his armor and ascended the city wall, the defending soldiers were carrying logs and stones up the wall.

Wei Feng's three thousand soldiers lined up below the city, their swords and spears like a forest, and there was not a sound.

The archers of the escort team and the river embankment camp lay in ambush behind the battlements, with bundles of arrows piled at their feet, ready to be fired at any moment.

He wasn't wearing the official robes of a civil official, but instead a suit of black iron armor, a sword hanging at his waist, and his helmet tucked under his arm. With each step he took up the city wall, the armor plates clinked together, producing a soft, metallic sound.

The soldiers guarding the city wall were taken aback when they saw him, then one of them whispered, "It's Attendant Li... Special Envoy Li!"

"It was he who cut off Yang Xuangan's supply lines!"

"He came in person!"

The news spread like wildfire across the city walls.

The defenders straightened their backs, gripped their swords and spears tightly, and their previously tense faces showed more confidence.

A civil official who dares to don armor and climb the city walls, who dares to stand in the most dangerous place, is more effective than a hundred empty words.

Wei Feng was inspecting the defenses from the city wall when he saw Li Ju approaching. He cupped his hands and said, "Lord Li, why have you come in person? It's dangerous here—"

"If you're here, why can't I be here?" Li Ju walked to the top of the battlements and looked north.

Dust billowed on the official road, and the vanguard of the rebel army was already faintly visible.

"I'm leaving the north city to you," Li Ju said. "I'll lead the grain transport team and the river embankment battalion to guard the east and west flanks. I'll handle the supplies, equipment, and reinforcements. You just focus on fighting."

Wei Feng gave him a deep look, then clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Alright then."

Just as Li Ju was about to give a few more instructions, Zhou Xiaoli ran up the city wall, panting: "Special Envoy! Someone from the Garrison Command has come. His Highness the Prince of Yue has summoned us, and Lord Fan is also here."

Li Ju put on his helmet, tightened the chin strap, and said to Wei Feng, "I'll be right back."

The council hall of the Luoyang garrison.

King Yang Tong of Yue sat in the main seat. He was only nine years old, with a tender face. He wore a crimson python robe and tried his best to straighten his back, striking a majestic pose.

But he would occasionally steal a glance at Fan Zigai, who was sitting to the side—that was the real person in charge of the room.

Fan Zigai was over sixty years old, with gray hair and beard, a square face, and sharp eyes like an eagle.

He sat below the King of Yue, holding nothing in his hands, simply sitting upright with his back as if it were made of iron.

Li Ju entered the hall, still in his armor, and knelt on one knee, clasping his hands in greeting, saying, "Your subject, Li Ju, the Riverbank Attendant, pays respects to His Highness the King of Yue and Lord Fan."

King Yang Tong of Yue raised his hand and said in a childish voice, "Minister Li, rise."

Li Ju stood up and stood with his hands at his sides.

Fan Zigai glanced at him, his gaze lingering for a moment on the iron armor on his body, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly—not a smile, but an approval.

The King of Yue spoke, his voice still childish, but his words were those taught by an adult: "Minister Li has been loyal, guarding the grain supply and securing Luoyang. I am greatly pleased. I hereby bestow upon him one hundred bolts of brocade and one hundred taels of gold. The sons of the Wei family shall each be promoted one rank."

Li Ju knelt down again and said, "Your Highness, I thank you for your generous gift."

Fan Zigai took over the conversation, his voice calm and unhurried: "Lord Li, the rebel army is now coming from the north, and the northern city is the key point of defense. Wei Feng's troops are under your command, and the grain transport team and the river embankment battalion will all obey your orders. If any general disobeys, you may execute them first and report later."

Li Ju's heart skipped a beat.

To act first and report later—this meant handing over the power of life and death of Beicheng entirely to him.

"You will continue to oversee the distribution of grain supplies in Luoyang," Fan Zigai continued. "You must ensure that there are sufficient grain supplies in the city, so that the military and civilians will not suffer from famine."

Li Ju kowtowed: "Your subject obeys."

The King of Yue spoke again, this time with a more solemn tone—and of course, it was also a well-intentioned instruction: "Minister Li, the safety of Luoyang rests entirely on your shoulders. If you can defend Luoyang, I will certainly petition His Majesty to bestow upon you a high official position and generous salary, so as not to fail your loyalty and bravery."

Just as Li Ju was about to reply, Fan Zigai added, his voice low, but each word like a nail:

"Lord Li, the rebels are now powerful, and the imperial army has not yet arrived. If Luoyang falls, neither you nor His Highness will have a way out. I hope that you, Lord Li, will do your utmost."

That's a blunt statement. There's no way out; we'll all perish together.

It is both a sign of trust and a warning.

Although Fan Zigai valued him highly, he was still somewhat wary of him—after all, Li Ju was someone who had "pretended to follow Yang Xuangan" but later turned against him.

Only by "binding life and death" can we completely stabilize him.

Li Ju knelt on one knee, kowtowed, and spoke in a steady and firm voice:

"Your Highness and Lord Fan thank you for your trust. I am determined to defend the city to the death, to protect Luoyang and Your Highness's safety. If anything goes wrong, I am willing to atone with my life!"

He raised his head, his gaze open and his tone composed:

"Your Highness and Lord Fan, please rest assured. The defenses of the northern city are in place, and the supplies are being distributed in an orderly manner. Although the rebels are fierce, they have no chance of breaching the city. I have ordered Wang Yu and others to lead their troops to patrol the supply routes and guard against any rebel attacks. We will wait for the imperial army to return!"

Fan Zigai looked at him, and the scrutiny in his eyes slowly turned into satisfaction.

"Okay." He nodded.

Li Ju added, adopting an even more humble stance: "The defense of the city still requires Lord Fan to oversee the overall situation. I am willing to obey Lord Fan's orders and fully cooperate, daring not to overstep my authority in the slightest."

A hint of surprise flashed in Fan Zigai's eyes, then he nodded slightly.

"Go," he said. "The North City is in your hands."

Li Ju bowed again, rose, and left the council hall.

King Yang Tong of Yue watched his retreating figure disappear through the doorway, then turned to Fan Zigai and whispered, "Lord Fan, is he trustworthy?"

Fan Zigai remained silent for a moment.

"That's believable," he said. "At least for now, he wants to hold Luoyang more than anyone else."

Li Ju left the garrison headquarters, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the north city.

Horse hooves clattered on the bluestone pavement of Luoyang. There were few pedestrians on the streets, most shops were closed, and only a few groups of laborers could be seen pushing grain carts toward the city walls.

As soon as Li Ju arrived at the city walls, a lookout on the city wall rushed down and knelt on one knee: "Special Envoy! The vanguard of the rebel army has arrived three miles outside the north gate and is setting up camp!"

Li Ju climbed the city wall and looked out through the crenellations.

Three miles outside the north gate, a camp was being erected. The banners, embroidered with the character "Li," fluttered in the twilight.

Cavalry, infantry, and supply wagons came in an endless stream from the north, raising clouds of dust.

Wei Feng stood to the side and whispered, "About five thousand men. The vanguard. The main force is still behind."

Li Ju nodded.

"They won't attack the city tonight," he said. "They'll set up camp, rest, and wait for the main force. The earliest they'll attack is tomorrow."

Wei Feng said, "The first wave of attacks will begin tomorrow morning."

Li Ju looked at the camp and remained silent for a moment.

"Pass down the order," he turned to the messenger behind him, "the entire city is under martial law tonight. Guards will take turns on the city walls, and men will not remove their armor or leave their horses."

"yes!"

The messenger rushed off.

Li Ju then looked at Wang Yu: "You will personally oversee the grain transport inspections. Yang Xuangan is short of grain and will definitely send men to launch a surprise attack on the Grand Canal."

Wang Yu clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Rest assured, Your Excellency, all the brothers at the dock have been deployed; not even a fly can get in."

Li Ju nodded, his gaze finally settling on Zhang Yi.

"All the archers from the riverbank camp, go up to the city tonight. Take inventory of the arrows, logs, and stones, and get any that are not enough from the warehouse tonight."

Zhang Yi responded loudly and turned to leave.

The city walls gradually quieted down, with only the sound of the wind and the fluttering of flags.

Li Ju stood by the battlements, gazing at the increasingly dense camps outside the city.

As dusk settled, the last rays of sunlight sank below the horizon.

He took out the jade piece engraved with "Yonggu Ze" from his pocket, squeezed it, and then put it back.

He recalled the sand grain of Liyang and Yang Xuangan's arrogance, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly—not a smile, but a cold one.

Yang Xuangan, you've arrived.

But you can't conquer this city.