Zu An hadn't expected to run into Xie Daoyun here, and hurriedly replied, "Miss Xie, where have you been?"
Xie Daoyun walked over slowly and smiled slightly, "I just came back from a poetry gathering in the neighboring prefecture."
Actually, the poetry gathering hadn't ended; she had rushed back halfway through after hearing about the major incident that had happened to the Chu family.
Zuan thought to himself, "What an artsy young woman!" If it were in the past, he might have taken the opportunity to flirt with her, but he wasn't in the mood now.
"Miss Xie, please step aside. As the saying goes, swords have no eyes. It would be bad if you got hurt." Zu An reminded her. The Red Robe Army and the city defense army were about to clash. If a war really broke out, a delicate woman like Xie Daoyun would be torn to shreds in an instant.
Xie Daoyun lowered her voice and said, "Are you stupid? Why don't you take me hostage and make them open the door?"
After saying that, she stumbled and fell directly into his arms, then cried out in a panic, "Oh no, what are you doing? I'm so scared."
Zuan: "..."
Chu Yucheng and Chu Hongcai, standing to the side: "..."
Three thousand red-robed soldiers: "..."
Pang Chun and the other defenders on the city wall: "..."
Miss, do you think we're blind, or are they blind?
Zu An laughed. This girl would definitely be called a "pretty face" in the entertainment industry. Other actresses are film queens, but her acting skills are more like a Golden Broom Award.
However, he reacted quickly, taking a sword and holding it to the other person's neck, and shouted loudly at the city gate: "Miss Xie is in my hands. If you don't want anything to happen to her, open the city gate!"
At the same time, he whispered in Xie Daoyun's ear, "Thank you."
Xie Daoyun had never been held in a man's arms like this before. She hadn't realized it before because she was in a hurry to help, but now that he was holding her in his arms and she could feel his warm breath on her ear, her whole body instantly went limp. Her face flushed and she murmured, "You owe me two favors."
I helped him last time, and he even promised to compose a piece for her, but I haven't heard anything from him for so long.
Zuan chuckled: "I can't repay this debt of gratitude, so how about I repay it with my body?"
Xie Daoyun: "..."
How can this guy be so shameless? Does Chu Yan know?
At this moment, Pang Chun's roar came from the city wall: "Zu An, you and Miss Xie are friends, yet you took her hostage. Is that reasonable?"
Although he knew that Xie Daoyun had taken the initiative, he could only pretend not to see it.
Zu An laughed and said, "I will definitely visit Lord Xie and Miss Xie in person afterward to apologize. I would also like to trouble you, County Magistrate, to do me a favor today."
He also tacitly refrained from pointing it out.
Pang Chun's expression shifted between light and dark. Finally, he waved his hand, signaling his men to open the door. He knew that if a real fight broke out, his men wouldn't be able to stop the other side. Now that he had a way out, he naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to continue insisting there. Even if he were held accountable in the future, the Xie family would be there to protect him.
The other soldiers, who had been terrified, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and hurriedly ran to open the door.
Pang Chun cursed under his breath for being spineless, but he still said toughly, "Zu An, you will definitely regret what you did today in the future."
Zuan said nonchalantly, "I only care about the present, not the future."
As the city gates slowly opened, Zu An said loudly, "We are here to protect the Chu family, so do not harm the people in the city, and do not attack the soldiers in the city without my order."
"Yes!" the group responded in unison, without a single discordant sound. Each person had a solemn and dignified expression, like a meticulously operating war machine.
Seeing Pang Chun on the city wall, he was filled with envy. That's what you call elite troops. What kind of dregs are these under my command?
Xie Daoyun's heart was also secretly shaken. No wonder her father had always been wary of the Chu family. With such a powerful army, they were an undeniable force wherever they went.
"Enter the city!" Zu'an ordered in a deep voice. The red-robed army marched in neat formation toward the city gate, while a group of men remained behind to provide support, with bows drawn and arrows ready, in case of any ambush inside.
Zu An was filled with admiration. He wondered how much effort the Chu family had put into training such an army. No wonder the Chu family was still struggling to make ends meet despite the profitability of the salt and iron business.
Such an elite army could be used like a master general, even by someone as inexperienced as myself.
Just as he was sighing, Chu Yucheng had already brought over a horse with a grin: "Aunt, you still have to command the army, so Miss Xie can ride with me on the same horse. I'll take care of her and make sure she doesn't run away."
To everyone's surprise, Xie Daoyun quickly shrank back to Zu An and decisively refused, "No!"
Chu Yucheng: "..."
Miss Xie, he's the one who's holding you hostage! What's with you hiding in his arms? Can't you have some professional manners?
Chu Hongcai, standing to the side, gloated: "You fatso, you alone almost crushed that horse, and you still have the nerve to go to Miss Xie."
"You don't know anything! I'm voluptuous, unlike you skinny monkey." Chu Yucheng retorted.
Seeing the two bickering, Zu An said to Xie Daoyun, "I'm sorry to have troubled Miss Xie."
Xie Daoyun lowered her head and hummed in agreement, her face slightly flushed, but she didn't say anything.
Zu An leaped up and lifted Xie Daoyun onto the horse, then flicked the reins: "Giddy up!"
As they entered the city gate, Pang Chun finally found an opportunity to approach Xie Daoyun and secretly transmitted his voice, saying, "Miss, what are you up to? Does the city lord know about this?"
Xie Daoyun's lips moved slightly as she replied, "If I don't come out and give you a way out, do you really want to start a war with the Red Robe Army? This is originally a matter between the Chu family and the Empress's lineage, why are you getting involved?"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
