Xuzhou has been besieged for ten days and ten nights. Xuzhou prefect Min Shaoqing was also in a state of great trouble for ten days and ten nights, because of the ten days of siege, his life was very difficult.

Ordinary siege wars emphasize surrounding three quarries and one quarry. If there is a way out, the defenders in the city will not fight to the death. This is the mentality of using people to survive. However, this time the Huai Army siege was surrounded by all sides, which clearly showed that they did not want to give the defenders in Xuzhou City a way out.

Either fight to the death and reach the time when the city is broken or surrender, there is no third way to go.

The Min family was a wealthy family in Huaibei and once established a meritorious family in the Dashun Dynasty. Min Shaoqing was also very grateful to the court. Only this time did his loyalty shake a little.

"Prevent Min, the court has not sent reinforcements yet. Such an imperial court is not worthy of loyalty!"

"Prevent Min, King Huai is also the royal family of the Dashun Dynasty. Even if he wins the world, he will definitely not change his country's name!"

"Prefect Min, think twice for the military and civilians of Xuzhou City!"

Similar persuasions were the ones Min Shaoqing heard the most recently. It seemed that his subordinates had become lobbyists of the King of Huai in an instant, constantly lobbying him to offer the city and surrender. He also knew that in fact, his subordinates were just greedy for life and fearful of death.

The troops that King Huai besieged Xuzhou from the first 30,000 to the last 80,000 were all piled up under the city of Xuzhou. The Huai army's siege was not limited to the rules. Today, attack from the north gate, tomorrow, or from the south gate. Maybe at night, it will attack from the east gate, and the next day, the west gate will also start attacking at dawn. Be cruel again and attack the four walls together.

This was a method of siege that Min Shaoqing had never heard of. It was simply the craziest siege. This kind of siege was also very heavy. But the Huai Army deliberately reduced the pace of siege. By the ninth day, the siege had been stagnant for two consecutive days, as if reinforcements from the court were approaching.

But the news obtained later made Min Shaoqing a little helpless. The court did not send reinforcements, but only asked the cities around Xuzhou to send "joint defense forces" to rescue, and the court also set up "joint defense areas" to help each other.

"This is simply nonsense!"

After receiving the news from the court, Xuzhou Governor Ma Feng directly threw the imperial orders on the table. This was not only Ma Feng's idea, but also other Xuzhou governors and officials attending the meeting. They all had this idea.

Ma Feng said: "The Huai Army has been besieging the city for a long time, and it is obvious that it is going to besiege the city and attack aid. At this time, the court actually sent reinforcements from surrounding counties and cities to help. Isn't this sending sheep into the tiger's mouth? The court has such a group of wine bags, how can it be the opponent of the King of Huai?"

Although Ma Feng is telling the truth and many people say this in private, it is not appropriate to say it in public now.

Min Shaoqing waved his hand to stop Ma Feng and continued to speak, saying, "The Ma Sect no need to say more."

Although Min Shaoqing did not show anything on the surface, he was still very disappointed. In his opinion, even if the imperial court did not go out to provide assistance, it would take some practical means, such as surrounding Wei and saving Zhao, cutting off the food and grass of the Huai Army. Rescue alone would obviously not be effective. Instead, it would make the Huai Army's momentum.

There is no need to say much about the geographical situation of Xuzhou. In Jiangbei, this is an important town. Even the former King Ding set it as the capital of the state. Later, the capital of King Ding moved from Xuzhou to Huizhou.

"Xuzhou is in danger." Min Shaoqing closed his eyes and sighed in his heart.

At dawn on the eleventh day of the siege, the outside of the city was still in peace. Although the food and grass in the city were sufficient, as the war progressed, the number of wounded and sick people increased, and the city wall also showed many mottled traces. The gap caused by catapults was difficult to repair in a short period of time. The severely damaged parts of the city wall would also be the direction of the Huai Army's key attack.

Min Shaoqing patroled the city wall and looked under the city wall. Although the Huai Army outside the moat in the distance was quiet, it would launch a new round of attacks at any time.

"Prefect Min, you surrender." Ma Feng followed Min Shaoqing and persuaded him again.

Min Shaoqing was silent for a long time and suddenly asked, "Zhongning, are you from Huizhou?"

Ma Feng was stunned, not understanding Min Shaoqing's intention, and said truthfully: "Xiaguan's ancestral home is indeed from Tan County, Huizhou. He has moved to Xuzhou from his father. However, occasionally, Xiaguan will still go to Tan County to see where there are many people of the same clan of the Ma family."

Min Shaoqing sighed: "My brother Zhongning is different from other colleagues. They are either greedy for life and fear of death and dare not fight with the Huai Army, or are bribed by the Huai Army. They have already determined the winner and loser of this war. Brother Zhongning just doesn't understand. How could he surrender so easily?"

The Ma family is also a big family of Huizhou. Such a family is famous in the local area and has many descendants. Ma Feng has been an official in Xuzhou since his father and is one of the hereditary officials in Xuzhou. Ma Feng has always followed the imperial decrees of the court and has never shown any resistance to the court. His attitude this time surprised Min Shaoqing.

"Although you are a loyal minister, you must also be loyal to a wise ruler."

Ma Feng's attitude towards the court was mainly because Ma Feng had met with the new emperor Su Yan. When Su Yan went to Huaibei to collect grain, Ma Feng, as a local grain envoy, wanted to visit him, but unexpectedly, what he saw was a foolish King Yu. However, the King of Chu was a diligent and self-restrained prince. He could not understand why the former emperor passed the throne to King Yu instead of King Chu. This was what made him feel a grudge against the court.

When Ma Feng said his reasons, Min Shaoqing sighed: "The new emperor is the legitimate son after all."

Legitimate son!

Indeed, in order to justify himself, the new emperor reiterated to the public again and again that he was the legitimate son. So what about the legitimate son? The second prince is not the legitimate son? Both the royal bloodline, but the King of Huai is still the eldest son, but now he has become a thief in the eyes of the court.

Min Shaoqing was silent for a moment, then looked into the distance and said, "Nanlin is not far from here. The imperial court's instructions the day before yesterday should have arrived in Nanlin. Why haven't they come to rescue?"

Ma Feng smiled bitterly and said, "Prince Min is really waiting for the so-called reinforcements of the imperial court? It is an extraordinary period. No county magistrate or county magistrate will take this risk when controlling military power. They are civil officials, not military generals, and the first thing they consider is their own safety, just like the civil officials in our Xuzhou City."

Min Shaoqing said: "The Liu Taishou in Nanlin should not be such a person. It would be fine if the other cities did not send reinforcements. Liu Taishou...he should come."

Ma Feng sighed. It seemed that Min Shaoqing still had hope for the court and his colleagues. He knew that Min Shaoqing had a good relationship with Liu Taishou and was a classmate and friend before. Now he was in danger. Maybe Liu Taishou had affair with King Huai long ago, who would care about the life and death of his classmate.

"Premier Min, you still surrender, there is no other way." Ma Feng once again persuaded him with great since today, maybe there will be no chance if the city is broken tomorrow, and the fate of my sister-in-law and the Min family is in your hands."

As a representative of the family, you should not only consider your own safety, but also consider the future of your family.
Chapter completed!