He Yan looked at her with a smile: "Because I saved those captives, I am a real hero?"
"A true hero will see what others cannot see. There are many men who speak for men, and many women who speak for women," Qiluo said, "but there are not many men who speak for women."
He Yan looked at her serious expression and couldn't help but smile bitterly in her heart, but she was not a real man, so she couldn't really give Qi Luo what she wanted.
The world is in this state, and it will take time to shake it up.
Seeing He Yan was silent, Qi Luo took the opportunity to say, "Master Xiao He, after you left last night, many ladies in the city came to ask me about you. The county magistrate's wife also asked about you. They all said that if you can come back alive, they would like to talk to you about their daughter. She doesn't have to marry you, she can be your concubine."
The topic changed so quickly that He Yan was a little slow to react. Facing Qi Luo's hopeful gaze, He Yan could only use his usual excuse, "Thank you for your kindness, but I already have a lover."
"You already have a sweetheart?" Qiluo was a little disappointed, but after a moment she became curious, "Who is Master Xiaohe's sweetheart? Is she pretty? What kind of person is she?"
A smile appeared on He Yan's lips. "Yes, she is very beautiful. She looks cold, but she is a very gentle person."
This boy has always looked calm and gentle, but at this moment, he really looked shy and nervous like a boy of his age.
Qiluo became even more curious. "From what you said, this girl must be very outstanding. Does she like you?"
He Yan was stunned and shook his head.
"Don't like him?" Qi Luo was surprised. "Master Xiao He is good at fighting, handsome, and kind-hearted. He is also the Wu'an Lang appointed by His Majesty himself. Why don't you like such a person?"
"Because he's a good person, and he has people around him who are better than me." He Yan shrugged, "And I also have things I need to do, and I don't want to cause trouble for others."
Qi Luo looked at him and laughed, "Master Xiao He, you are good in everything except this. As long as your sweetheart hasn't married, that means things are not settled yet, then go ahead and grab her. When the master wanted to choose a concubine, there were dozens of sisters in our courtyard. I was always in front of the master and had to dress up carefully every day. This concubine, the master's favorite, was also won by me. Master Xiao He, if you really like that girl, don't worry about the others. Someone better than you may be more dignified than you, but you just lost to her. A virtuous woman is afraid of a clinging man. You cling to her day and night, and you can't guarantee that the girl will fall in love with you one day."
I didn't expect to hear "A virtuous woman is afraid of a clinging man" here. He Yan thought of Ji Yang's desperate situation at that time and laughed secretly. Qi Luo seemed to be very enthusiastic in giving her advice to please her lover, and she wanted to talk endlessly. He Yan had to stop her from talking: "Miss Qi Luo, thank you for your kindness, but we can't protect ourselves now. If Run can be defended and the Wutuo people are driven back, I will do as you say, but now... let's stop."
Hearing this, Qiluo also sighed and said, "That's right."
She suddenly became quiet and looked depressed. He Yan felt a little sorry. This girl was so happy when she came, but she was so sad because of his words. Thinking of this, he took out an apricot from his bag and handed it to her, "Don't worry, we will definitely protect it."
Qiluo was startled when she saw the dried apricots in He Yan's hand, but then she took them with surprise, "Master Xiao He, why do you still have candies?"
"I just grabbed it when I set out from Liangzhouwei." He Yan shook his head.
When they left Jiyang, Cui Yuezhi bought her a lot of preserved fruits that were a specialty of Jiyang. Xiao Jue didn't like to eat them, so she moved them all to He Yan's room. When they left, they mostly took dry biscuits and dry grains, not many snacks like this, but He Yan also picked some, thinking that they didn't take up much space anyway.
Qi Luo licked the dried apricot carefully and said to He Yan happily, "Thank you, Master Xiao He. Since the Wutuo people came, I have been hungry every day and can't even eat rice, let alone candy. I dare not even think about it. Now I have received Master Xiao He's blessing, I am so happy."
He Yan: "No food to eat? That's not possible. The Wutuo people besieged Rundu for only a month. How could the city be in such a state?"
Since she came to Rundu, she and Wang Ba have been eating dry food brought by Liangzhou Guards. She knew that Rundu was in short supply of food and grass, but that was because they had to provide food for the soldiers guarding the city. They were so busy these days that they didn't even have time to go for a walk in the city. If Qiluo hadn't said it herself, He Yan wouldn't have known that Rundu had become so tense.
You know, even Qi Luo couldn’t eat enough, let alone ordinary people.
Qi Luo bit an apricot, looked at her with wide eyes and said, "Master Xiaohe, you don't know that the Wutuo soldiers besieged Rundu for more than a month, but Rundu was hit by a snowstorm last year, and famine followed the snowstorm. Even if the Wutuo people didn't come, the people of Rundu would have a hard time. Not to mention that the road out of the city is blocked now, and there is not much food in the city. All of it was given to the army. The people have been so hungry that they have been eating grass and tree roots. A few days ago, some people died of hunger."
"What!" He Yanteng sat up suddenly, "Are you serious?"
"I dare not deceive Master Xiaohe." Qiluo said, "Otherwise, our Rundu is rich in grapes. Why did we only give Master Xiaohe a bowl of grapes on the first day of his arrival? In fact, that was the last bowl of grapes in Rundu."
The famine among the people in the city was a big deal, but Li Kuang didn't even tell her about such a serious matter!
If this is the case, there is no point in defending the city. Li Kuang is waiting for He Rufei who will never come, and the people of Rundu are waiting for endless despair and hunger. They are waiting to die.
He Yan frowned and put on his shoes without saying a word. Qi Luo asked, "What are you going to do, Master Xiao He?"
"I want to see Li Kuang."
…
Li Kuang was in the house reviewing yesterday's battle report when he suddenly saw He Yan walking in from outside. He was a little surprised and asked, "Didn't you go back to the house to rest? Why are you out again?"
He Yan sat down on a chair nearby. She was indeed very tired and would feel better if she sat down. She only looked at Li Kuang and said, "I came here to ask, we burned the food and straw of the Wutuo people last night. What are Lord Li's plans for the future?"
Having said this, Li Kuang looked at He Yan and bowed sincerely, saying, "Yesterday's victory was thanks to Lord Xiao He. Now the Wutuo people have run out of food and grass. I plan to continue waiting for reinforcements. The Wutuo people are out of food and grass, so they must be more anxious than us. If we force an attack on the city... we can set a trap. What do you think, Lord Xiao He?"
He Yan: "I don't think it's appropriate."
Li Kuang frowned: "Why?"
He Yan stared into his eyes. "Lord Li intends to hold out against the Wutuo people. This is understandable, but how long can the people in the city hold out? I'm afraid they will starve to death before the reinforcements arrive. Due to the snowstorm this year, there is not much food left in the city. Why did Lord Li hide this from me?"
Upon hearing this, Li Kuang did not respond to He Yan's question, but instead asked, "Who told you this?"
"With so many people in Rundu, Lord Li thinks you can keep it a secret?" He Yan's eyes were sharp. "Even if you can keep it a secret for just one person, how can you not know when more and more people are dying of starvation?"
Last night when she led Rundu's 500 elite soldiers out of the city, she felt that the soldiers of Rundu were haggard and weak, but she thought it was the result of defending the city for days at that time. It was not until Qiluo explained the reason that she realized it.
This has already happened in the military, and it is a taboo in war. There are stories in history of people defending a city until the people in the city starve to death. That is hell on earth, something that one dare not even think about.
Li Kuang was silent for a while, then asked He Yan: "What do you mean?"
"We cannot continue to defend the city. My Lord and I will lead the Rundu troops and fight the Wutu people to the death outside the city."
"Impossible!" Li Kuang answered without thinking: "Taking the initiative to attack is the worst strategy."
"We took the initiative last night."
"Last night there were only 500 elite soldiers, but Rundu has a total of 30,000 soldiers and horses. This is Rundu's last hope. If, as you said, we fight to the death with the Wutuo people, if we lose, the city will fall, and all the people in the city will fall into the hands of the Wutuo people! Brother He has fought with the Wutuo people twice, it is impossible for him not to know how cruel and vicious the Wutuo people are. It is worse than death for these people to fall into their hands. I am the general of Rundu. Even if all the people of Rundu starve to death, it is better than dying under the torture of the Wutuo people!"
"Who said we will definitely lose?" He Yan frowned. "The battle hasn't even started yet. Anything can happen. We may be the victorious party."
"30,000 versus 100,000, how can we win?"
He Yan said: "Didn't we win the battle of Jiyang with fewer troops?"
Li Kuang turned around and said in a cold voice: "I am not the commander of the Right Army, and you are not the general of Feihong. I can't fight a battle where the few defeat the many, and neither can you."
"I can do it!"
Li Kuang turned his head and looked at her, as if he was looking at a child who didn't know how thick the earth was and how high the sky was. He shook his head and said, "Brother He, I admit that you are quite powerful and you have a way to deal with those Wutuo people, but war is cruel and it involves the lives of the people of a city. I can't use the lives of the people of a city to fight for your military merits. For us, it's just a death, anyway, but the city gate cannot be broken. I will not take the initiative to fight the Wutuo people. If they want to attack the city, we will defend it. If they want to stalemate, we will wait for reinforcements to arrive."
Li Kuang was like this back then, and was extremely conservative in his warfare. He Yan was also very aware of this. However, she was still a deputy general back then, commanding tens of thousands of troops to pacify the Yue people. Now...
"This is Rundu. Even though Lord He is a Wu'anlang, he cannot command the troops of Rundu without my permission. So, don't waste your energy!" Li Kuang said coldly.
He Yan took a deep breath. This stone had a bad temper and had not changed after so many years. She asked, "Well, if we do as Lord Li said, and don't attack but retreat, there will be no food in the city, and everyone will starve to death sooner or later. You and I know the current situation of the soldiers in Rundu. If this continues, even if the people don't starve to death, the soldiers will starve to death. For the Wutuo people, so many Rundu soldiers died without any loss of a single soldier. Isn't it a bargain for them?"
"The soldiers won't starve to death." Li Kuang said gloomily, "I have my own way."
He Yan asked: "What method?"
Li Kuang glanced at her and said, "You don't need to know." After that, he ignored He Yan and turned around to go into the inner room.
He Yan looked at his back, feeling a little uneasy. Food is definitely not an issue that can be easily resolved, but Li Kuang seemed to be confident. Could it be that there is a secret granary in Rundu? But if there really is such food, how could the soldiers and people of Rundu suffer from such hunger?
He Yan shook his head and planned to go to Jiang Jiao and his group to discuss it. As soon as he walked out the door, he bumped into someone head-on. It was Zhao Shiming, the magistrate of Rundu.
Zhao Shiming wiped the sweat off his forehead awkwardly, glanced inside the house, and said, "I, I was going to go in, but when I got to the door, I heard you and Lord Li arguing, so I didn't want to go in." He looked at He Yan's face and said comfortingly, "Master Xiao He, please don't take Master Li's words to heart. He is just like this. He is stubborn and obstinate like a stone. He has a good heart, but he doesn't dare to gamble with the lives of the people of Rundu. Master Xiao He came from Liangzhou, so he may not be very clear. Those of us who have been in Rundu... really don't dare to take this risk."
"I'm not angry." He Yan sighed, "I just think this is inappropriate."
She looked at Zhao Shiming again. Previously, Zhao Shiming had hired craftsmen to make straw figures and masks. Zhao Shiming, the county magistrate, seemed to be very popular in Rundu. Now that Li Kuang was dissatisfied with her, He Yan couldn't ask Li Kuang for help, and Jiang Jiao and the others had always been by her side, so they couldn't be separated. This Zhao Shiming... should have people who could be used around him, although not many.
"Master Zhao." She thought for a moment, then leaned forward and bowed deeply to Zhao Shiming, "I have something I need your help with."
Zhao Shiming was startled and said, "Master Xiaohe, please feel free to speak."
"Does Lord Zhao have any useful people around him, such as guards? I would like to borrow two of them. Do something for me." After a pause, she continued, "However, this matter must be kept secret from Lord Li, and he must not know about it."
Zhao Shiming looked at the young man in front of him. Both publicly and privately, he had known Li Kuang for a longer time, so he shouldn't help He Yan hide the truth about Li Kuang. But on the other hand, he believed that the young man had no ill intentions, and was even a rare pure person in the world.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to take the risk to rescue the women from the enemy camp last night.
Without thinking for long, Zhao Shiming said, "No problem."
…
The sky in Rundu was gray, as if the sun had not shone for a long time, and the whole city was filled with a decadent and stale atmosphere.
In a family's home, two naked boys pushed out a dead body. It was supposed to be their grandfather. He was placed on a straw mat. His body was so thin that every bone could be seen... He was starved to death.
Such things are not uncommon in Rundu recently. Ying Xiang walked by and watched with a hint of pity in her eyes.
They don't have much food left.
"Fourth Master, if we stay in Rundu forever, this will become the same," she reminded softly.
Chu Zhao said nothing, just walked forward quietly.
Xu Xiang's people had already left Rundu. Staying here was just waiting for death. No one would take the initiative to go to this city that was bound to fall. If Xu Xiang's people were not found here, even if they were the fourth son of the Chu family, it would make no difference when that day really came.
Death is an extremely fair thing. It will not show mercy for a moment because of one's noble status.
"We..." Ying Xiang wanted to speak.
"Wait a minute." Chu Zhao interrupted her.
Wait, what are you waiting for? Ying Xiang was silent for a moment, then asked, "If the Fourth Master is really worried about Miss He, why doesn't he take her with him?"
"She didn't even tell Xiao Huaijin, and she traveled thousands of miles to Rundu alone, just to save the people of Rundu. How could you think that she would leave the whole city behind and follow me?" Chu Zhao smiled. If everything was settled, He Yan would probably leave quietly. The more critical the situation, the less likely she would leave alone.
He thought this was stupid, but sometimes, he couldn't help but want to keep watching, to see what other shocking things this girl could do and to what extent she could go.
Ying Xiang walked with her head down, her voice soft, "Can't the Fourth Master let her go?"
Chu Zhao smiled faintly: "I just... don't want to see her die so easily."
If she were alive, there would be more interesting things in the world. If she died, there would only be one kind of women in the world.
As she was speaking, Ying Xiang suddenly said, "Fourth Master, Miss He..."
Chu Zhao followed her gaze and saw He Yan standing at the street, staring at a house in a trance. A woman was sitting at the door, digging in the soil, trying to dig out some edible grass roots and tree bark.
She just stood there quietly, frowning, and it was hard to tell what her expression was. Chu Zhao walked over and said, "Brother He."
He Yan then saw the two of them and replied, "Brother Chu, Miss Ying Xiang."
Ying Xiang bowed, and the others walked forward. Chu Zhao asked, "Brother He, you just had a fierce battle with the Wutuo people last night. Why don't you rest in the house?"
"It's okay, I'm just going out for a walk." He Yan said.
Ying Xiang asked, "Mr. He, have you eaten yet? If not, I still have some dry food in my bag." She sighed, "Rundu is in this state now, there is no hot food."
He Yan shook his head: "Thank you, but I'm not hungry."
She couldn't eat any more.
Chu Zhao thought for a moment before speaking: "Brother He, are you worried about the people in Rundu? Is it because there is no food in the city?"
He Yan looked at him: "Brother Chu also knows?"
"I arrived in Rundu earlier than you," Chu Zhao shook his head and smiled, "and I have plenty of time. The people of Rundu I saw are all like this."
"If Brother Chu can convince Prime Minister Xu..." He Yan asked tentatively.
He Yan had always been suspicious of Chu Zhao's identity. Although Chu Zhao was Xu Xiang's student, he did not seem to work directly with Xu Xiang. It was true that the reason why he could gain face in front of Chu Linfeng was closely related to Xu Jingfu. But Chu Zhao, in many cases, made choices that seemed to be contrary to Xu Jingfu's original intentions.
For example, the military defense map sent by Chu Zhao in Jiyang.
He is a man of his own ideas. It is best not to be an enemy of such a person. Before he shows his hostility, she can only be careful in dealing with him. Just like Chu Zhao wants to use her, if she can get close to He Rufei through Chu Zhao, then she can try. After all, He Rufei is now crazy and has no humanity at all.
If He Yan had hoped to get promoted under Xiao Jue in the past, she had changed her mind now. She decided not to drag Xiao Jue into this, to stay away from him, and to do her best to do this on her own.
Chu Zhao's smile faded a little after hearing this. After a moment, he shook his head and said, "Brother He, I am not omnipotent. Prime Minister Xu... will not listen to my opinion."
This seems a bit unfair.
He Yan raised an eyebrow. The relationship between Xu Jingfu and Chu Zhao seemed to be very meaningful.
"I can't help the people of Rundu. The only thing I can do is to accompany them. But, what do you plan to do, Brother He?" He looked at He Yan, "You also know that Rundu can't hold on for much longer."
A city without food can only hold out. Li Kuang did not explain the situation to her at the first time, and now he is unwilling to confront the Wutuo people head-on. This road looks like a dead end.
"Will you give up?" he asked.
The man's eyes were gentle, like the warm breeze in March in the capital, yet with a hint of spring chill. They were sober, yet concealed with a secret expectation.
He Yan did not avoid or give in, and looked him in the eye frankly, "Brother Chu, what do you want me to do?"
Chu Zhao was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Why are you asking me?"
He Yan walked forward slowly, "I think Brother Chu already has the answer in his mind."
After a while, his voice came from the side: "I have never seen anything that can stop Brother He, and I have never seen anything that can make Brother He lose hope."
"You think I'm omnipotent."
Chu Zhao said: "That's not the case. Even if Brother He is omnipotent, he can't solve the urgent problem in Rundu right now, right?"
He Yan fell silent.
Chu Zhao continued, "Brother He, do you know that in the past, when the famine was at its worst, the people in the city would even eat their own children in order to survive. Cannibalism is an extremely horrible thing. If Rundu continues like this, there is no doubt that such a situation will occur."
He Yan lowered his head, chuckled softly, and looked into the distance.
The streets were deserted; all the shops had closed long ago. Most of the edible things had been found and eaten. Although it was a hot summer day, Rundu looked barren. Even the branches of the roadside trees were bare - the leaves had long been plucked by the frantic people who were starving to fill their stomachs.
If it weren't for the scorching sun, it wouldn't look like summer at all, but winter. It also didn't look like the Rundu in He Yan's memory, small and bustling, with crystal grapes and mellow wine.
The war changed everything.
She whispered, "Do you know what is more horrible than cannibalism?"
Chu Zhao was a little surprised, "What is it?"
He Yan said nothing, but just looked at the lifeless city, feeling a sense of powerlessness and sadness in his heart.
That kind of thing...if possible, she hopes it will never happen and she won't see it in her lifetime.
That is real hell on earth.