Gu Qinlan sighed softly, "It's alright. There wasn't much food left in the warehouse anyway. I was worried that the people would be dissatisfied and question me after the food ran out, but now it seems that I can put that worry aside for the time being."

Hongye made a dry joke: "This can be considered a blessing in disguise."

Gu Qinlan sighed and said worriedly, "I just don't know what the future holds."

If the imperial court cannot quickly send troops to suppress these refugees, then the entire Jin dynasty will be on the verge of destruction, and the first to bear the brunt will be these wealthy and powerful families.

Gu Qinlan then ordered Hongye to fetch Sang Qian.

"Greetings, Madam. What are your instructions?"

Sang Qian hadn't slept a wink last night, guarding the Prince Duan's residence. At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot and he was utterly exhausted.

Gu Qinlan nodded slightly and said, "As you can see, the situation is becoming increasingly critical. If the court continues to hold back, we may not be able to hold our ground. Therefore, we must take action as soon as possible."

Sang Qian's expression was serious as he agreed, "Madam is right. We can hold out for now, but if the entire city's defenses are breached, the Prince Duan's residence will become the target of everyone's attacks. Therefore, we do need to plan ahead."

Gu Qinlan looked at him and said sincerely, "I am a novice in military affairs, while you have fought alongside the Crown Prince on the battlefield and should have considerable experience in this area. Do you have any good suggestions?"

Having served Gu Qinlan for a long time, Sang Qian knew that she was good at discovering talent and listening to her subordinates' opinions. So he boldly expressed his opinion: "I think we should prepare for two things. On the one hand, we should strengthen the defense of the mansion. Relying solely on manpower for defense is far from enough. We have limited manpower, and it is difficult to maintain a long-term defense. Therefore, we should set up some traps and hidden weapons in the mansion. Once someone breaks in, these traps and hidden weapons can make them suffer and buy us valuable time."

"On the other hand, we should dig a secret passage leading out of the city, just in case. If the defenses are breached, we can evacuate through the secret passage, thus ensuring the safety of everyone inside the manor."

After listening to Sang Qian's suggestion, Gu Qinlan pondered for a moment and then said, "We can implement the first point. There are still many usable items in the armory of the manor. You can take them at will."

"As for the second point, it is somewhat unrealistic. We are currently short-handed, and the Prince Duan's mansion is located in the center of the city. The manpower and resources required to dig a secret passage are simply too enormous."

Sang Qian pursed his lips and fell into a deep silence; no one could deny this scene.

Even under normal circumstances, uncovering such a hidden passage would require finding experts who are masters of the craft. The current situation is even more unique.

Relying on the maids and servants of the Prince Duan's mansion, it would take at least half a year to dig an underground tunnel that stretches for several miles while ensuring that it does not deviate from the correct direction.

Could the Prince Duan's residence really withstand such a long period of time?

Just as Gu Qinlan was troubled by this, Princess Duan unexpectedly appeared, her voice breaking the silence: "Secret passage? We already had one in our mansion."

Princess Duan's words stunned both Gu Qinlan and Sang Qian.

"Is there really a secret passage in our mansion?"

Princess Duan nodded gently, her tone tinged with nostalgia: "It does exist, and it has been for many years. However, I only learned of this secret before your grandmother passed away. Before she died, she specifically instructed that unless faced with a life-or-death emergency, this matter should not be revealed to other members of the family. This is a rule passed down through generations of the Zheng family, and only the matriarch of the family is qualified to know it."

As she spoke, Princess Duan glanced at Sang Qian unconsciously and asked somewhat uneasily, "Does this count as revealing a secret?"

Gu Qinlan smiled slightly and comforted her, "Mother, there is no need to worry. Sang Qian is the Crown Prince's confidant, and we are currently at a critical juncture of life and death, so this does not count as a leak."

She speculated that this secret passage in the Prince Duan's mansion was likely an escape route prepared by successive heads of the family for the women and young children in the household.

After all, the Zheng family had served in the military for generations, killing countless warriors from enemy countries. The dangers faced by the women of the Zheng family were no less than those faced by the men on the battlefield.

"Mother, could you take me to see that secret passage?"

Given its age, the passageway may have already collapsed and needs to be cleared promptly. Otherwise, if refugees manage to enter and become trapped inside, it would be a one-way trip for them as well.

Princess Duan nodded, somewhat worried: "Of course, but I only know that the secret passage exists, but I have never explored it myself and know nothing about what's inside. Could there be any danger?"

Gu Qinlan comforted her, "It's alright, I'll take more men with me."

However, Princess Duan pulled her aside and whispered, "Qinlan, come here, I have something to tell you."

Gu Qinlan thought that Princess Duan was worried about Sang Qian, but Princess Duan began to talk about things that had nothing to do with it.

"Qinlan, I know you are a magnanimous and sensible child. I understand your resentment because you suffered in your marriage with Dinglian. Don't worry, when that boy comes back, I will definitely stand by your side."

Gu Qinlan was completely bewildered and didn't understand.

“Mother, the Crown Prince has no complaints and does not feel that he has been wronged.”

Princess Duan glanced at her and said earnestly, "You still say you don't? You always call him the Crown Prince, which clearly shows that you don't treat him as your husband."

Princess Duan was somewhat downcast, but continued, "Qinlan, I know you're unhappy. I've been through this age too, and I understand how it feels. I won't force you to change how you address me; we're of one mind."

Gu Qinlan was both amused and exasperated.

“Mother, I really don’t have those complicated feelings for…my husband. Let’s put this matter aside for now. I’m going to check out that secret passage. We can talk about this again after the current crisis is over, okay?”

Princess Duan readily agreed, "Okay, I'll do whatever you say. We'll bring it up whenever you want."

Seeing Princess Duan's obsequious and ingratiating manner, Gu Qinlan found it both amusing and somewhat helpless.

However, now was not the right time to discuss this issue, and she decided to put the topic aside for the time being.

The entrance to the secret passage in Prince Duan's mansion is hidden beneath the ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall.

This discovery shocked Gu Qinlan. However, upon further reflection, she found the arrangement to be perfectly reasonable.

In conventional thinking, those who design secret passages often place the entrance in a location closest to themselves and where they feel safest, so that they can quickly hide in case of danger. However, the secret passages in Prince Duan's mansion have a different design philosophy; they are not designed for any specific person, but to ensure the safety of everyone in the mansion.