Chapter 163 (1/2)
Chapter 163
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The northern gates were not a battlefield. The personnel guarding the gates were the original guards. Song Qifeng asked, ”Are you not checking for the orders on the flag?”
”General Song, you are the living orders. Why would I check for that thing?”
”Haha, thank you so much, Brother.”
The last flicker of hope in Chu Qiao's heart extinguished. The warhorse galloped on in the cold weather. Chu Qiao felt cold on the inside. Without her, what would happen to Chidu City? Would the soldiers of the Southwest Emissary's Garrison feel that they had been abandoned again? As for the civilians who had trusted her so much… Where would they go?
The sky started to brighten up, signaling the end of the night. It was dawn the next day. Chu Qiao was helped off the carriage by someone and brought into a tent. After she was untied, she unfastened the black cloth used to blindfold her. She was shocked to see Lady Yu standing in front of her, a gentle look on her face. She handed a warm towel over to Chu Qiao and said calmly, ”Do wipe your face. It's been hard on you, traveling overnight.”
”Lady Yu?”
Lady Yu was dressed in a white robe made of cotton. Her face was thin; her eyelids had caved in slightly. There were a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. ”It's me.”
The look in Chu Qiao's eyes turned from shock to that of disbelief. Frowning, she asked in a low voice, ”Why?”
”This place is not safe. Beishuo will not last much longer. Without you, Chidu City may not last past today. Follow me out of here first. I will explain to you along the way.”
”Tell me first. Why?” The look in Chu Qiao's eyes was cold. She stared coldly at one of Yan Bei's most important military figures, saying word by word, ”You knew the situation in Yan Bei all along? You knew how unrestrained the people there were behaving?”
Lady Yu nodded and replied calmly, ”Yes, I know.”
”The Xia army split into two directions, occupied Helan Mountains and attacked Chidu City. Do you know?”
”I know,” Lady Yu replied calmly.
”Cao Mengtong drafted civilians into the army at Beishuo, using them as meat shields. He killed those innocent people.”
”I know.”
The civilians of Chidu left their homes for the city of Lan. Many of them froze and starved to death along the way.”
” I know.”
”Once the Xia army breaches Chidu, they can surround Beishuo in both directions. A million civilians of Beishuo will perish. The entire eastern part of Yan Bei will fall into the hands of the Xia army. Once they reach the inner mainlands of Yan Bei, the civilians living to the east of Luori Mountains will be massacred!”
”I know.” From the start, Lady Yu remained calm. She listened silently as if they were talking about day-to-day matters.
Chu Qiao's chest was heaving. She clenched her fists, frowned, and asked in a low voice, ”Why? Since you knew everything, why didn't you stop it? Why did you let a favorable situation deteriorate into this state?”