Chapter 3515 Survival
Most of these people were young and had hardly any experience in war. Hearing the deafening roars coming from afar, they were frightened out of their wits and trembled like sieves.
Nan Yan moved a chair to the corridor and sat there upright.
The dark sky above her head and the dim light in the room behind her cast her entire face into shadow. She looked more like an evil spirit than a pampered imperial concubine.
She looked down at the servants huddled in groups of two or three, each one pale and terrified, like birds trembling in an overturned nest, unsure of the wind that would blow them away. Seeing this scene, she couldn't help but recall the time when she first followed Zhu Feng to Yongzhou. In fact, she was no different from them, also terrified, just a little palace maid living in fear.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh.
At this time, Ruoshui came out of the house, holding a bowl of hot tea in her hand and offering it to Nanyan, saying softly: "My lady, it's late at night and the dew is heavy. Don't catch a cold. Drink something hot."
Nan Yan nodded and was about to take the tea bowl from her hand when she saw the little maids huddled in the corner chattering.
"Can we survive here?"
"I've heard from my father that if the Vietnamese invade, they'll burn, kill, plunder, and commit all sorts of atrocities. We're gathered here, with nowhere to hide. We'll be meat in their mouths."
"Well, I'd rather run."
The people around were already like frightened birds when they heard the roars in the distance, and now when they heard what they said, they became even more panicked.
Someone asked, "Where can you run to?"
A maid bit her lower lip and said resentfully, "It's better to run away than to stay here and be slaughtered."
Under normal circumstances, they would never dare to be so bold. However, when people are in extreme environments, their thinking and actions are very different from their usual cautious state, especially when they feel that they are about to die at any moment, they suddenly become bold and reckless.
Hearing these people talking louder and louder, more people were incited by them and were ready to make trouble. Aunt Tongyun, who was originally standing behind Nan Yan, immediately stepped forward and said sternly, "All of you should behave yourself and stay here. At least there are guards outside to protect you. If you run out at this time, aren't you seeking death?"
A brave maid raised her head and said to her, "The guards here are not here to protect us!"
Hearing this, everyone agreed.
"Yeah, the guards here aren't here to protect us, they're here to protect others."
"When the Yue people come and attack us, no one will care about our lives."
"Leaving us here is just to be buried with others!"
Hearing their words becoming more and more outrageous, Ruoshui's face darkened. Delu, who was standing beside her, also became angry. He immediately stepped forward and pointed at them and started to scold them.
At this time, Nan Yan raised her hand to stop them.
She sat upright, one hand on her knee and the other hand casually resting on the armrest of the chair. She looked both dignified and a little nonchalant, as if no matter how fierce the war outside was, it could not affect her in the slightest.
Seeing her like this, some people who were already weak in determination became cautious again.
Nan Yan lowered her head and glanced at those young and childish faces calmly, then said, "Who said they wanted to go out?"
“…”
For a moment, everyone was silent.
Everyone looked at each other, and although no one dared to show up, when it came to a matter of life and death, no one cared much about anything else.
The brave maid trembled and said, "My lady, we just want a way to survive."
As soon as she opened her mouth, several people around her said, "That's right, we will die if we stay here, so why not let us go?"
"Let us out, maybe there's still a chance of survival."
"Even if I die, I want to go home and die with my parents."
Once someone began to rebel against authority, those who followed him would become bolder and bolder. Some even stood up and said, "The Imperial Concubine has protection here, but we don't."
"We just want to survive."
"That's right, we are only here to serve you, not to be buried with you!"
Ruoshui was furious and pointed at them, "How dare you! How dare you be so disrespectful to the Imperial Concubine!"
Someone hid in a corner and said sarcastically, "Who cares about etiquette when you're already dead?"
Suddenly, as if a fuse had been lit, everyone's uneasy and restless emotions were ignited like gunpowder, exploding the hierarchy. Everyone began to talk and shout, and a few people even stood up and pointed.
The guards who stayed in the courtyard also felt that the atmosphere was not right at this time. They were afraid that before the people outside broke in, there would be chaos inside. If chaos broke out, the imperial concubine would be hurt. By then, they would be trapped inside and outside, which would be even more troublesome.
So, several guards immediately walked to Nan Yan's side, wanting to ask her to go into the house to take shelter.
But Nan Yan remained motionless.
She looked coldly at the people below without saying a word, but that arrogant and deep gaze was like a sharp sword, which seemed to pierce through whoever she looked at. When the people who were shouting the loudest were looked at like this, their voices involuntarily lowered, and several of them also silently lowered their heads.
The voices of the crowd gradually died down.
Nan Yan then said calmly, "Do you think I gathered you here to be buried with me? Unfortunately, only those who have made great contributions can be buried with me. None of you are qualified."
When everyone heard what she said, they were immediately ashamed and angry.
Nan Yan continued coldly, "What you just said is also true. The guards here are all left by the emperor to protect me. They really don't need to protect you——"
Having said that, everyone started to get restless again.
But then, Nan Yan continued, "But I have gathered you all here to protect you all under my wings. As long as I am here, the soldiers here will protect you for every moment they fight."
“…”
"But if you leave, you will have to find out for yourselves who can protect you."
“…”
"Remember, if you want to leave, you can."
She slowly raised her hand, which had been casually resting on the armrest of the chair, and gripped it. A hint of solemnity and killing aura emanated from her entire body.
"But those who leave can never come back."
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