Just as they were about to set off, Zheng Huiyi's face showed obvious panic, and she hurriedly ran over: "Sister-in-law."
Gu Qinlan gently comforted her, "Don't worry, the valley is quite peaceful, and our defenses are impregnable. There's no way the evil people could break through. The first thing you need to do now is stay calm and go with your mother. She's naturally timid."
Zheng Huiyi quickly regained her composure: "I understand, sister-in-law. I will take good care of Mother and Huaiyu. You should also be careful."
Gu Qinlan responded with a reassuring smile: "Okay, once it's light, we'll be able to return to our warm home."
After calming Zheng Huiyi down, Gu Qinlan set off on the road leading to the entrance of the valley.
It was the dead of night, the coldest time of day in the mountains and forests.
The biting cold wind made Gu Qinlan shiver involuntarily.
Upon seeing her arrival, Sang Qian immediately greeted her warmly: "Madam, what brings you here? It's late and the frost is heavy. You should go back to your cave first. With me here, I can make sure everything goes smoothly."
Gu Qinlan shook her head and said, "It's alright, I've been tossing and turning and can't sleep anyway. Where are those suspicious people now? I need to know the latest situation."
Sang Qian deftly took out a delicate telescope from his palm, handed it to Gu Qinlan, and smiled, "Madam, please examine this distant view."
This telescope was a rare and precious item brought by merchants from afar, and it was specially made for Sang Qian.
Gu Qinlan took the binoculars and looked in the direction Sang Qian pointed. In the hazy night, she caught sight of the trail of the stalkers.
As night deepened, these people entered the mountains silently, without lighting torches and relying solely on the faint light of the stars and moon.
"They were only three or four miles away from us. Fortunately, the auspicious snow fell last night, otherwise we would have had no chance of noticing them."
Gu Qinlan put down her binoculars and calmly ordered, "Light the campfire and lure them here."
On this chilly night, it would take them an unknown amount of time to wander aimlessly through the mountains and forests.
Since a battle was inevitable, she preferred a swift resolution.
Immediately, a bonfire was lit, and flames shot into the sky.
Seeing the fire on the mountain, the refugees quickened their pace.
In no time, they found their way to the foot of the mountain.
The number of refugees was large; the snow-covered ground under the moonlight was teeming with people, roughly estimated to be no less than a thousand.
They held all sorts of weapons in their hands, including crude wooden sticks, farm implements, and weapons looted from wealthy families and government offices in the city.
As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, someone loudly incited them: "The people from the Prince Duan's mansion are hiding on the mountain. If we rush up the mountain in one go, capture them, and bring them back to the city, it will be a great achievement."
"But remember, you must not harm the key figures of the Prince Duan's mansion. Our city lord also intends to recruit Prince Zheng to fight against the imperial court, and his family members are the most important pawns in his hand."
The refugees responded in unison, shouting, "Good!"
"Let's charge upwards together!"
Holding their weapons high and shouting "Charge!", they launched an attack up the mountain.
Gu Qinlan adjusted her animal skin cloak, her sharp gaze fixed on the approaching refugees.
"Let's do it!"
Seeing that the refugees had approached to within a hundred meters of the valley, Sang Qian decisively gave the order, and his servants immediately swung the stones in their hands and poured them down the mountain.
Countless rocks tumbled down the mountainside. The refugees saw only a dark shadow looming overhead and hurriedly tried to dodge, but the rocks rained down, leaving them nowhere to hide.
The piercing screams echoed in the night sky as the refugees, struck by stones, tumbled down the mountainside.
Uninjured refugees hurriedly scattered to both sides to avoid the falling rocks.
This is the most effective tactic because if you run downhill, the rocks will still pursue you. But if you dodge to the sides, you can avoid the attack and take a detour uphill.
However, they hadn't run far when their feet suddenly gave way and they fell into a pit that had been prepared specifically for them.
The pit was filled with sharp wooden stakes; those who were unlucky would be pierced on the spot, while those who were slightly luckier would still suffer physical pain.
In the blink of an eye, nearly half of the refugees have been lost.
Upon seeing this, the leader was both anxious and furious, and hurriedly ordered the remaining refugees to retreat.
The servants cheered as they retreated.
Sang Qian solemnly reminded them, "Don't be arrogant or complacent; they haven't given up."
Gu Qinlan picked up her binoculars and looked down the mountain. She saw the refugees gathered at the foot of the mountain and showed no signs of leaving.
"With such tight security, they must be trying to climb the mountain from another direction."
Sang Qian continued, "For the past two months, I have laid traps on all the roads leading up the mountain. No matter which direction they attack from, they will pay a heavy price."
In this cunning scheme, attempting to completely block the refugees by setting up traps in the mountains and forests might not be realistic, but it could at least significantly weaken their fighting ability.
Gu Qinlan gave a faint smile and nodded gently. During this time, she had silently observed and remembered every move Sang Qian and his group made.
As expected, everything went exactly as they had anticipated. The refugees realized that climbing the mountain path head-on was hopeless, so they cleverly dispersed their group and tried to flank the mountain from both sides.
However, they had barely stepped into the forest when some of the unfortunate ones fell into the newly set traps.
This scene instilled fear in many refugees.
"Have they laid traps all over this mountain forest?"
"I don't want to take any more risks. I want to give up and retreat down the mountain."
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