The room was silent for a moment, and then Li Kuang's angry voice rang out: "Who let you in?"

He Yan raised his head and glared at him, forcing himself to suppress his trembling voice, "You killed her."

"This is my family affair, what does it have to do with you?" Li Kuang seemed to not want to see her, "Get out!"

The soldiers around him also had expressions of dismay, and some avoided He Yan's gaze, while others lowered their heads and remained silent. No one spoke.

"Why should I get out?" He Yan said coldly, "Even though Miss Qiluo is your family affair, I rescued these women from the Wutuo people. This is not your family affair, right, Master Li?" She suddenly raised her voice, "Are you going to kill them all too?"

Upon hearing this, some of the women on the ground began to sob quietly.

Zhao Shiming, who had heard the news, finally rushed in with Wang Ba and the others. He was shocked to see a dead body lying in the room. Zhao Shiming asked with shaking hands, "What is this...what is going on? What happened? Who is this person?"

He Yan took a step forward, and Li Kuang angrily said, "Don't touch her!" The next moment, the white cloth was removed.

The girl fell to the ground, the blood from her chest dyed her clothes red. She just lay on the ground, her expression calm, as charming as a delicate flower. A few hours ago, she was still smiling and showing He Yan the wreath she had made, and telling others about her longing for the future. Now, she no longer cried or laughed, she was just a cold corpse.

"Qiluo?" Zhao Shiming was shocked. "How could Qiluo be here? Did someone from Wutuo sneak in? Lord Li? What's going on?"

If there really were people from Wutuo sneaking in, why would Li Kuang be so calm? I'm afraid Rundu would have been in chaos long ago. But...how could he explain the scene before his eyes?

Li Kuang stared at He Yan, but He Yan remained unmoved. He looked at him word by word and said, "You'll have to ask Lord Li about this. I think Lord Li is trying to emulate Zhang Xun from the previous dynasty!"

After hearing these words, Zhao Shiming took a deep breath.

Among Wang Ba and Shitou's group, only Jiang Jiao had been educated. The others didn't even understand what He Yan meant. Only Jiang Jiao's expression changed slightly.

"In the previous dynasty, Zhang Xun was guarding Suiyang City. When the food in the city ran out, he killed his concubine to feed the soldiers. Lord Li, what are you doing? You want to be the Zhang Xun of Wei, but now you have other ways to survive in Rundu City. Why do you have to do this!"

"What do you know!" Li Kuang could not help but scold, "I am just a woman! If I can save the people of the city, my life will not be a pity. I am just a woman. It is not a pity to die for the sake of the capital!"

He Yan looked at him. Li Kuang had fought side by side with her against the enemy, and lived and died together. Although she and Li Kuang were not close friends, they were old acquaintances. He Yan had never doubted Li Kuang's character. As a general and a warrior, he was upright, brave, and loyal. But even for such a hero in the eyes of the world, "women" were nothing more than sacrifices like cats and dogs, animals, and property in his eyes. The most beloved concubine could be killed in the name of "righteousness" in a flash and become food to fill his stomach.

This is something more terrible than cannibalism.

She had thought of this possibility, but that was a matter of the previous dynasty, and it was not yet such a desperate situation, and Li Kuang was not Zhang Xun. He Yan still had a lucky heart, thinking that she might have thought too much about human nature, but... nothing could stop it.

Li Kuang still made the same choice.

When I was in Xianchang Hall, I read the "Zhongyi Zhuan" and came to this part. Zhang Xun lost Suiyang, and the enemy had difficulty breaking the city, so he stayed outside the city and waited for the soldiers inside to starve to death. When the food in the city was exhausted, Zhang Xun killed his concubine and forced the officers and soldiers to eat it. Then someone else killed slaves for military rations.

"When all the women in the city were gone, the men, the old and the young took their place, and the population eaten was 20,000 to 30,000."

None of the young men in the hall spoke, and the atmosphere was quiet. The teacher was still reading, "There were 40,000 people in Suiyang before the battle, but only 400 survived after the city was captured."

They were all young men in their teens, and all came from wealthy and high-ranking families. They had never heard of such a tragic thing. Cannibalism was already shocking enough, and if it was coupled with war, it would be even more shocking.

The teacher asked: "Do you think what Zhang Xun did was right or wrong?"

The young men spoke hesitantly and gave their own accounts. In the end, they all agreed that what Zhang Xun did was not wrong under the circumstances.

The master said: "Killing people is against human ethics. But it was not Zhang Xun's original intention. There is a saying that goes, 'The crime of Canghuang is light, but the merit of restoring the city is great.' Cannibalism is a small crime, but the merit of defending the city is great."

The young men nodded in agreement. They all thought that although it was tragic, it was this incident that showed Zhang Xun's loyalty. After all, concubines were "family affairs" and defending the city was "national affairs." Zhang Xun was a loyal minister who sacrificed his concubines to defend the country.

He Yan didn't think so at the time. She sat in the hall without opening her mouth or agreeing with the young men's comments. She just frowned with a serious look on her face.

The master saw that she disagreed, smiled and asked her to stand up, "He Rufei, do you have a different opinion?"

At that time, she was still a fool who always ranked last in the exams in Xianchang Hall. She was a little uneasy when her name was called. However, she was still angry and finally mustered up the courage to say: "Everyone says that Zhang Xun is a loyal minister and a righteous man. It is true, but those who were eaten were innocent. I can understand his choice, but if it were me... I would never do that."

"Oh? What do you think?" the gentleman asked with a smile.

"I will lead the remaining remnants and fight the rebels to the death outside the city." The young man stood in the hall. The sunlight penetrated the window and fell on her face, giving her delicate and slightly childish face a layer of determination. "The person holding the sword should know where the sword is pointing, whether it is aimed at the enemy in front of him or the weak behind him."

"I will never draw my sword against the weak."

The hall was silent for a moment, and then the laughter of the young men could be heard.

"Weak? What weak? He is a weak himself!"

"And Brother He's swordsmanship is so bad, but he can actually wield a sword? I'm afraid he must be dreaming."

"That's a great statement. How is that possible? If swordsmen and horses as bad as these can be used to defend a city, I don't think there's any need to defend this city. Hahahaha."

He Yan was surrounded by laughter, her face flushed, she pursed her lips and thought, things change over time, maybe one day, she will be a general galloping on the battlefield, when that time comes, she will definitely protect the people she wants to protect. She will never let the unarmed civilians become military rations, if she wants to be, she will be the bravest general.

The gentleman calmed down the teenagers who were laughing at her, and looked at He Yan with relief in his eyes, "You can think from the perspective of the common people, which shows that you have compassion for the weak. That's good."

He Yan sighed in her heart, not because she was weak-hearted. It was just because the young men who were laughing in the hall were all men, so they naturally regarded themselves as "Zhang Xun". As for her, she was a woman, so she naturally stood on the position of "concubine".

From Zhang Xun's perspective, this was a noble act; from the perspective of his concubine, this was nothing more than an unprovoked disaster.

The joys and sorrows of people in this world cannot be shared all the time. It is nothing more than the position you are in and the choice you make.

Just like now.

He Yan said: "You are a loyal minister, what crime have you committed?"

"You don't need to tell me so much," Li Kuang said coldly, "Qiluo is my concubine, she is my person. How I deal with my people is my business. As for these women... ask them if they are willing. I didn't force them."

He Yan looked at the woman sitting on the ground. One of the women had red eyes. She kowtowed to He Yan and said softly, "Thank you for planning for us, sir. It's just that... we have been abused by the Wutuo people, and our bodies are no longer clean. We can neither go home nor live in the world. Now we can use this body to win a glimmer of life for Rundu, which is also our blessing. Perhaps this little merit can help us wash away the mud on our bodies and accumulate blessings in the next life."

"What a shame!" He Yan interrupted her before she could say anything.

Wang Ba and the others looked at He Yan in surprise. All along, He Yan had always been very gentle when she was with them. Even though Wang Ba had been so provocative, she had never used a single dirty word. Now that she was using dirty words, it was obvious that she was very angry.

"What do you mean by dirty body? What do you mean by shameless living in this world?" He Yan said angrily, "Is this your fault?" She looked at Li Kuang, and at the soldiers who were bowing their heads in the room, "Is this their fault?!"

"If you think that this is a good deed, you are very wrong! Lord Li," she turned to look at Li Kuang, "you are the general of the city. I tell you, these women were captured by the Wutuo people because they are cruel and ruthless, and because you are incompetent. What is their fault? I have never seen the injured person being wrong while the perpetrator is at ease! What you are doing is exactly what the Wutuo people want. In their eyes, the people of Wei are all suckers. They just do evil, and naturally there are innocent people who bear the unwarranted blame for them!"

"How can there be such a ridiculous thing in the world? If the land is not clean after being touched by the Wutuo people, then there is no need to contend with them from the first step they take on the land of Wei. The land of Wei is not clean either, just give it to them, why fight!"

"You! Be careful with your words!" Li Kuang suppressed his anger.

"I won't!" He Yan stared at him intently, with a blazing fire in his eyes that wanted to burn everything around him. "You are a man, their general. You pointed your knife at your woman and your people! What does this mean? If you follow me out today to kill a few Wutuo people, drink their blood and eat their meat, I will respect you as men. But there is no such logic in the world. When a man cannot win a battle, he asks innocent and weak women to sacrifice! This is called a wimp!"

"I told you, they volunteered."

"Did they really do it voluntarily?" He Yan's eyes were sharp. "Okay, let me ask you," she looked at the women, "Why do you think you can't survive? Is it because of what others said? If someone else said something, you should refute it in person. If you are not good at speaking, use your fists. Is this your fault? If someone still uses this matter to humiliate you, then he is the most despicable and shameless person. There is no need to show any mercy. I saved your lives. You just gave up so casually. Where do you put me?"

Her expression was so stunning that the women dared not speak for a moment. After a while, one of the young girls burst into tears and sobbed, "I don't want to die, I'm afraid..."

Li Kuang's face turned livid.

"If you don't want to die, I'm here, and no one can force you to die."

"How dare you say that?" Li Kuang said, "This is not Liangzhouwei!"

He Yan's expression calmed down. She took a step forward and protected the women behind her. "Master Li, Qiluo is your concubine. She has been with you for many years. She is not a commodity or an item that can be given away at will. It is true that she is yours, but before that, she is first and foremost a person."

"You can't touch these women today. If you want to," He Yan slowly pulled out the long sword he had just snatched from the soldier at the door, "you have to pass my sword first."

"Do you think I don't dare?" Li Kuang was furious and drew out the long sword from his waist. Seeing this, the surrounding deputy soldiers all drew their swords and pointed them at He Yan.

The room was filled with a tense atmosphere.

Zhao Shiming said anxiously, "What's wrong with you? Why are our own people fighting against each other? Our top priority is to fight those Wutuo people. Lord Li, I think Lord Xiaohe is right. You can't... you can't eat people! If the people outside follow suit, what will happen to Rundu City? Even if we defend the city, do you want the world to point at our backs and scold us?"

He also had his own selfish motives. Qiluo was Li Kuang's favorite concubine. Zhao Shiming had to admit that Qiluo was beautiful and clever, and very lovable. If it were him, he would definitely not be able to kill her. But Li Kuang said to kill her, and these warriors... Hey! In the end, don't they, the officials, have to set an example? He was so old, and he had never killed a chicken in his life. If he was asked to send his family to death, Zhao Shiming would rather die himself. Therefore, he immediately stood on He Yan's side.

Li Kuang ignored Zhao Shiming. He didn't take a county magistrate who couldn't even hold a knife seriously. What annoyed him was He Yan.

No one expected He Yan to come in so suddenly and accuse him without explanation. Qiluo has been with him for many years, doesn't he feel heartbroken? Doesn't he hesitate when he took action? But the war has come to this point, if Rundu cannot be defended, everyone will die. Killing Qiluo in front of these deputy generals is also to let them understand his determination to defend Rundu.

Among these deputy generals, most of them had seen Qi Luo many times on weekdays, and they all couldn't bear to see a living girl being killed in front of them. There were also people who pleaded for Qi Luo, but Li Kuang thought that Zhang Xun had done it in the past, and he could do it now. Even if he was cursed by the world, it didn't matter, as his merits and demerits would be judged by future generations.

But this Wu Anlang He Yan just barged in, stood in front of him, protecting those women, with a bright look in his eyes that made him feel a little embarrassed for a moment.

He suddenly thought of He Rufei.

The deputy general Feihong would try his best to rescue the women captured by the enemy in every battle. In fact, these women would not have a good ending when they returned home, but He Rufei would always patiently comfort and encourage them. Li Kuang had never seen a man so considerate. But he thought that there was only one person in the world who was so innocent, and that was General Feihong.

But today, another one appeared in front of him.

Li Kuang's face was gloomy: "Wu Anlang, are you going to fight me?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't let them die here."

A woman cried and looked at He Yan: "Sir, don't waste your energy on us. If our lives can bring peace to Rundu, we are willing..."

"The peace of Rundu cannot be gained by you." He Yan said coldly: "The peace gained by sacrificing women is no different from begging for mercy from the enemy."

"Lord Li, this is not the previous dynasty, and you are not Zhang Xun."

Li Kuang was almost furious. He knew that everything the boy said was right, but he had no other way to go.

"You think you can fight me?" he said coldly.

"What the hell is this?" Wang Ba spat. "Is killing women justified? We bandits don't kill women, the elderly, or children. As the saying goes, even thieves have their own code of conduct. You soldiers who eat the emperor's food actually do such things that are worse than animals? Don't waste your time. We, Liangzhou Guards No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, accept your challenge!"

What he said sounded like a martial arts competition, which made Li Kuang's face even uglier.

At this time, another person came in. It was Chu Zhao. He looked at Li Kuang, bowed, and then smiled and said, "Lord Li, this is inappropriate. Your Majesty has always been promoting 'benevolent governance'. If cannibalism is against human ethics, I'm afraid your Majesty will not be happy if it gets to your ears."

He was going to stand on He Yan's side. Chu Zhao represented Xu Xiang, a Liangzhou guard and Xu Xiang, the pressure was imaginable. Li Kuang was angry and annoyed. Who was this He Yan? Why did one or two people follow him like this?

But the soldiers around him were all looking at him, so he made up his mind and said through gritted teeth: "You are no match for me."

He Yan smiled slightly and held the sword in front of him, "Master Li, why don't you give it a try?"

The swords were sharp and cold, and the gunpowder in the room was ready to explode. At this moment, suddenly, the voices of soldiers outside came: "Sir! Sir!"

Li Kuang was filled with rage, unable to move up or down. Upon hearing this, he angrily said, "What are you shouting about!"

The next moment, the door of the room was opened again, and someone walked in quietly.

"It seems that Lord Li should have asked me before he taught the Liangzhou guards a lesson."

This voice... He Yan was startled and turned around suddenly.

Then he saw a young man in a narrow-sleeved long gown and dark armor walking forward and standing in front of him. It had been more than a month since they last met, but it seemed like a long time since they last met. He was handsome, his figure was as graceful as a spring willow, and his expression was as cold as ever.

"Commander-in-Chief Xiao!" Li Kuang could hardly hide his shock.

He never expected to see the Right Army Commander Xiao Jue here.

Xiao Jue didn't look at He Yan, nor did he look at Li Kuang. His eyes only passed lightly over the crying women, and he said in a calm voice: "The person holding the sword should know where the sword is pointing, whether it is aimed at the enemy in front of him or the weak person behind him."

"You shouldn't draw your sword against the weak."

He Yan suddenly raised his eyes.

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

There was a person named Zhang Xun in history. Originally, this was a fictional story, but after some thought, I decided to use Zhang Xun's real name. Interested friends can check it out. The previous story of "borrowing arrows from a straw man" actually came from Zhang Xun. This person was very powerful. The opinions of the characters in the article do not represent the author's opinions. Nothing can be viewed out of historical background, and different perspectives will lead to different conclusions.