Finally, as dawn broke, she quietly got out of bed, dressed, and left the room.

Hongye immediately came forward and reported in a low voice: "The situation outside is becoming increasingly serious. I heard that many families have been broken into by refugees."

Gu Qinlan's heart sank.

If the defenses are breached by refugees, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Especially for women, regardless of whether they have actually suffered misfortune, once their reputation is damaged, they will inevitably face countless rumors and gossip in the future.

Gu Qinlan asked with a serious expression, "Any new developments from the government?"

Hongye bit her lip and replied, "The government is paralyzed, but according to rumors, the entire government building is empty and deserted. Lord Liu and his family have long since disappeared."

"Fled?"

Gu Qinlan was clearly shocked by this. "As the lord of a city, how could he abandon all the people of the city and flee for his life alone in a time of crisis?"

Hongye's expression was solemn as she revealed, "Someone discovered a secret passage hidden in the backyard of the government office, and Lord Liu's family must have escaped through this passage."

Gu Qinlan cursed angrily, "Shameless corrupt officials! Not only did they fail to defend the city, but they also prepared an escape route in advance!"

Hongye continued, "The Gu family is currently safe and sound. While we were reinforcing the Duan Prince's Mansion, the old master also ordered the Gu family's residence to be reinforced. There are many guards and servants in the mansion. Although last night was extremely dangerous, we managed to escape unscathed."

Gu Qinlan wasn't particularly concerned about the Gu family's situation, and instead asked, "What about the ordinary people in the city?"

Hongye replied, "Their situation is not good either. Many people's homes have been looted by refugees, but fortunately, no one has any food stored up, so the losses are not too great."

"The government warehouses were also emptied of grain by the refugees."