Seeing that her chest was slightly damp, I took a thick coat and draped it over her shoulders.

Lin Yinan said with a hint of reproach, "You're a mother now, and you came out in this cold weather without wearing an extra layer of clothing. Go back and take good care of Xiaobao. Don't worry, I will rescue Shiyi and the others."

She turned to Qianwu and said, "Qianwu, take your sister home."

Qianwu dared not disobey her, so she pulled Qianxia's hand and walked out, complaining as they went, "I told you not to come over, you're just causing trouble."

Qianxia pulled her clothes tighter and left the courtyard, looking back every step of the way.

After the two sisters went out, Lin Yinan took out a set of light and convenient thermal underwear, a wool coat, and a light down vest from her space. She changed out of her cumbersome thick winter clothes and put on a simple two-piece set.

Then she took her hair out of its bun, braided it, and coiled it on top of her head to secure it.

Then she took out her longsword, crossbow bolts, and various other weapons, including the dagger she would use frequently later.

I took stock of some daily necessities and first-aid supplies, and packed two sets of spare clothes into a cloth bag.

When Qianwu returned, Lin Yinan had already tidied everything up and was lying on the low couch with her eyes closed, resting.

Without saying a word, she went back to her room and packed two sets of light clothes.

During dinner that evening, Yunmu and the others were still trying to persuade Lin Yinan.

The two children had heard some of what happened during the day, and when it was time to sleep, they insisted on sleeping with Lin Yinan.

Just as she was falling asleep, Lin Zhiyan suddenly whispered this sentence.

"Mother, is Father never coming back?"

Lin Yinan gently patted Yun Shijiu, "Who told you that?"

Yun Shijiu suddenly opened her eyes in his arms, a look of worry that was beyond her years flashing in them.

Lin Zhiyan said, "When we got off school, we heard a lot of people on the street saying the same thing."

"No, Mom will go and bring your father back tomorrow. You need to be a good boy at home, take good care of your sister, and if anything happens, just go to your uncle." Lin Yinan reached out and pinched her smooth little face.

Lin Zhiyan nodded obediently.

After a long while, Yun Shijiu slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Before dawn, Qianwu's footsteps came from the door. Lin Yinan was already awake. She got up, tucked the blankets into the two children, and quietly got out of bed.

When Qianwu pushed open the door and came in, she was already dressed.

"Madam, a guard has come to report that Yunyi and my brother have returned."

Where?

"They didn't go into the city, they went straight up the mountain."

After a quick wash, Lin Yinan grabbed her weapon, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed outside.

"Madam, I want to go with you!"

Lin Yinan's cold voice rang out, "The battlefield is not child's play; a moment's carelessness can cost you your life."

“I’m not afraid. If Madam can go, so can I.”

Lin Yinan saw the determination on her face and said, "I'll give you the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Hurry up and pack your things. I'll wait for you at the gate."

Having received permission, Qianwu happily returned to her room, grabbed her bundle, and ran off, as if afraid that Lin Yinan would change his mind.

When she arrived at the gate, Lin Yinan had not yet come out. She went into Yunmu's house and asked her to look after the two children.

By the time they reached the mountain, it was already dawn, and the soldiers were doing their morning exercises, their shouts echoing through the forest.

Lin Yinan led Qianwu to the council room, where Yunye, Yunyi, and Yunsan were already waiting.

Yun Wu also returned, and the Deng family of Cangwu County and Lu Changsheng of the military government sent him a message back.

When the Hu army massacred the two prefectures of Pingdu and Linjiang, Feng Yongyan happened to be on an inspection tour there and happened to meet Yu Shida.

Yu Shida resented him for dismissing many members of the Yu family from their official positions in Nanzhou Prefecture. With both old and new grudges combined, Feng Yongyan became his victim.

"General Lu said that the southward march of the Hu army is a matter of life and death for the entire southern region. The Cangwu County military government will gather 20,000 troops, led by General Lu himself, and will head to Nanzhou Prefecture in ten days to confront the Hu army."

After pausing, Yun Wu continued, "The attack by the Hu people will cause a large number of people to be displaced. They will definitely flee to relatively safe cities for refuge. Patriarch Deng instructed us to make preparations in advance."

Yunye mentally estimated the distance, "Then we'll have to set off two days earlier than Cangwu County."

"We reorganize the supplies every year at our annual meeting, and we just did it recently. As long as everyone is present, we can set off at any time," said Yunyi, who was in charge of military supplies at the camp.

"When the army sets off this time, you will take 10,000 elite troops with you, along with 400 secret guards. Yunyi, as the quartermaster, will also accompany you."

Yunye told Lin Yinan about the arrangements for the afternoon.

Lin Yinan: "Are there enough people left in the city?"

"You don't need to worry, that's enough."

As they were talking, a guard came from outside the door to report: "Lord City, Second Master Yun, Liu Ji and Yunnan have arrived."

The two men brought back five hundred people, and about a hundred were left to guard the salt fields.

After greeting everyone, Yun Yi briefly explained the current situation to them.

After breakfast, Yunye told everyone to rest, and that they could reorganize the team when Yunming and the others returned in the afternoon.

The most special unit in the army camp was the five hundred cavalrymen. They were well-equipped and highly capable in combat.

In the blink of an eye, it was afternoon, and Yunming returned with a team of over a thousand people.

Hong Mu was also in Yun Ming's team. There were fifty young men from his clan who joined the army after the spring plowing last year.

Also accompanying them was Doctor Guo Xun, who had been kind to Longtan. Now that the Hu people were attacking, he had nowhere to retreat.

To Lin Yinan's utter surprise, the Zhong family of Huaizhou City actually sent a steward over.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!