Chapter 270 Going to the Rescue
In the dungeon, Su Qingci and Ru Mo were imprisoned in the same cell.
Perhaps Zheng Wenkai was busy with a series of "important events" such as recognizing relatives, drafting imperial edicts, and ascending the throne, or perhaps he simply did not care about the two women and never inquired about them again after throwing them into prison.
They neither ordered an execution nor subjected the victim to torture, and they didn't even bring her a meal.
Ru Mo leaned against the cold wall, thinking about what had happened in the past few days, and couldn't help but feel guilty.
She suddenly muttered to herself out of the blue, "If I hadn't issued that military order, would none of this have happened?"
Su Qingci turned her head to look at her, "Why do you say that?"
"After His Majesty entrusted the Dragon Martial Army to me, I saw that drinking and gambling were rampant in the camp, so I ordered a crackdown on military discipline and severely punished several veterans who repeatedly refused to mend their ways. Was it because I intensified the resentment and conflicts among these people that Zheng Xinglang was able to take advantage of the situation and turn most of the Dragon Martial Army against him?"
Ru Mo closed his eyes, a hint of regret in his voice, "Thinking back, if it weren't for the mistake on my end, His Majesty wouldn't be in such a passive situation, and we wouldn't be imprisoned here..."
Su Qingci sat to the side, her face also looking haggard, but there was no trace of dejection in her eyes.
Listening to Ru Mo's self-blame, she comforted her, "What does this have to do with you? Enforcing military discipline is the foundation of governing an army. If anyone is to blame, it's those men who, deep down, look down on women in power and have never truly submitted."
"Whether or not you gave that military order, they would have rebelled sooner or later when the time was right. You should not blame yourself, but be glad that you saw through their true colors early on."
She reached out and grasped Ru Mo's hand: "To deal with these kinds of people, you have to beat them until they are terrified and subdued. Only then will they dare not look down on women anymore and understand what true respect is."
Ru Mo stared blankly at Su Qingci, still somewhat doubting himself. "But these past few days, I've kept thinking about what Liang Cheng said. I really can't compare to General Shen. Her achievements were earned through countless battles, while I... I only rose to the rank of general because of His Majesty's trust. I really can't command the respect of the people..."
"And I... have failed His Majesty's trust."
After saying that, she lowered her head.
Upon hearing this, Su Qingci slowly raised her hand and gently patted her back.
“What does Liang Cheng know? He sees General Shen’s illustrious military achievements, but he doesn’t see the effort you’ve put in! In just six months since you joined the camp, you’ve trained newly recruited female soldiers into warriors capable of defeating the Imperial Guards. You revised military regulations, improving the efficiency of logistics and food distribution by 30%. You personally surveyed the city’s defenses and drew twenty precise deployment maps. Aren’t these achievements real?”
"There are no battlefields with flashing swords in the capital, only the steady and long-term management of the army, but that doesn't mean your efforts are worthless!"
She paused, her voice softening slightly, "General Shen is very capable, but you are no less so! Moreover, we are luckier than General Shen. Because we have her paving the way ahead, and His Majesty supporting us in court."
Her voice was gentle, yet powerful.
"If even we ourselves admit defeat, what will become of the women who come after us?"
Ru Mo shuddered, and the confusion in his eyes gradually faded.
She clenched her fists. "You're right. I shouldn't let one setback make me feel inferior. Once I get out, I'll make those traitors pay!"
Su Qingci's lips curled slightly as she lowered her voice and asked, "How much longer until your people arrive?"
Ru Mo: "Almost there!"
As early as the beginning of the defense deployment, His Majesty had prepared various contingency plans.
If a move goes wrong, the Imperial Guards will react quickly and come to the rescue!
Now, judging by the time, it should be time.
Sure enough, within half a day, the sounds of clashing weapons and shrill screams could be heard outside the prison gate.
Su Qingci and Ru Mo exchanged a glance, quickly stood up, and looked out through the crack in the cell door.
A small squad of fully armed soldiers was seen fighting with the prison guards.
Although there were not many of them, they were all dressed in light armor, wielding long swords, and were very agile. In no time, most of the guards in the prison were killed.
The leader was tall with broad shoulders and a long, blood-dripping knife in his hand.
It was Zhou Hongying.
She was originally an ordinary widow in Xishi. After her husband died of illness, she was called a "jinx" by her husband's family and kicked out of the house. She barely made a living by helping people slaughter pigs.
It wasn't until Ru Mo heard that she could carry a pig by herself that he personally sought her out and recruited her into the army.
In the last training exercise against the Imperial Guards, it was Zhou Hongying who led this women's team to a surprise victory, causing the arrogant Imperial Guards to lose face.
A guard covered in blood fled in panic toward the prison, only to be caught up by Zhou Hongying, who swung her broadsword in a few steps.
With a "plop," the movement was swift and decisive, displaying the ruthlessness honed from years of slaughtering pigs.
The guard didn't even have time to scream before he collapsed to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.
Upon seeing them, Zhou Hongying strode closer and cleaved open the prison door lock with a single stroke. "General, I'm late."
"It's not too late." Ru Mo's gaze swept over the corpses scattered on the ground, and he asked, "What's the situation outside?"
"The riots at Longwu Gate were triggered by the death of Shen Guojiu. Zheng Wenkai dispatched most of the Longwu Army to suppress them, leaving the West Gate undefended. That's how we launched a surprise attack from there."
Zhou Hongying reported very quickly, "However, all other places are heavily guarded by the rebels. We cannot find out where His Majesty is being held, nor do we know... whether His Majesty is safe now."
Ru Mo and Su Qingci exchanged a shocked glance upon hearing the news of Shen Guojiu's martyrdom.
How could such a thing happen?
Ru Mo's heart tightened. He took his sword from Zhou Hongying and said to Su Qingci, "You follow Captain Zhou and retreat first. Go to the West Gate to rendezvous with the main force of the Imperial Guards!"
"And what about you?" Su Qingci asked hurriedly, her eyes full of worry.
Ru Mo drew his longsword and addressed the soldiers behind him who were fully armed and ready for battle, "Everyone, follow me to rescue the Emperor!"
"yes!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com