Chapter 3 A Hasty Escape
The old lady stared at Ji Shu, as if she were looking at her eldest son. The grandmother, who had never shown any emotion to her, seemed to have aged a lot.
After a long silence, he finally sighed in despair and reached for his cane with his aged hand: "Never mind... Go to the front hall and wait for me. I'll bring a few of your grandfather's old belongings."
Ji Shu felt a little relieved. Although she felt that her grandmother's attitude had changed suddenly, she also knew that her grandmother and grandfather had a very good relationship.
Time passed by, minute by minute, and no one knew how much time had gone by, as winter days are naturally short and darkness comes early.
Chunzhi had already lit the candles in the hall; the flickering candlelight cast uneasy shadows on the people.
Ji Shu was restless and asked Chunzhi to urge her again, but the inner courtyard remained silent and the old lady did not arrive.
A strong sense of unease gripped Ji Shu's heart, causing it to beat faster and faster.
Although my grandmother was stubborn, she was not unreasonable. She said she would come right away, but she never showed up.
Knowing something was wrong, she lifted her skirt and ran towards her grandmother's room.
The door was ajar, not closed tightly.
"Grandmother? Are you ready?" Ji Shu pushed open the door and entered.
The room was dimly lit, with only a small lamp flickering in the corner.
The next moment, Ji Shu's steps froze on the spot. She saw a familiar brocade hanging from the roof beam, with the old lady's frail body suspended in it, motionless.
"grandmother--"
Ji Shu's breathing suddenly stopped, and her legs went weak, almost causing her to fall to the ground. Fortunately, Chunzhi caught her in time.
"Grandma, grandma."
The old lady hanged herself!
The main gate on the side of the front yard was open, and a draft blew in. Apart from them, there was no one else in the front yard and the inner yard. Ji Shu stood there frozen.
This was the first time in her life she had ever seen a dead person; they had been sitting and talking together just two hours earlier.
"Spring branch, spring branch!"
Chunzhi rushed over and, upon seeing the scene, nearly screamed out loud, terrified out of her wits.
"Madam, Madam."
The servants laid the old lady's body down. Her face was pale, but she didn't seem to be in much pain, suggesting that this decision had been made long ago.
"Young lady, what should we do now?" The old lady has passed away, and according to custom, we should make arrangements for her funeral.
Seeing a few strands of gray hair hanging down from the old lady's high-coiffed hair, Ji Shu took off her own hairpin and combed the strand of hair neatly. Her voice was hoarse as she said, "Let her be buried with Grandfather. Grandmother never wanted to leave the mansion when she was alive. Perhaps this is her last wish."
...
At this moment, on Mount Cangwu outside the city.
The sky was shrouded in gloom, and the huge "Yan" character flag fluttered in the wind, creating a solemn and awe-inspiring scene.
Lu Changfeng held a long sword, exuding an imposing aura of steel and iron.
The air after the battle still carried a strong stench of blood, but for the Xuanjia Twelve Armors, it was the smell of victory.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of horses' hooves came from the foot of the mountain, growing ever closer.
The leader quickly dismounted and curtsied to the head of the group, saying, "Your son has lived up to expectations and has slaughtered everyone outside the city. We are just waiting for your order, Father, to launch a direct attack on the city gate."
The cold wind blew even more fiercely at this moment, making the swallow flag flutter wildly, ready to explode at any moment.
The man referred to as "Father" sat high on his horse, looking down at the scene below, and whispered cryptically, "It's snowing!"
After speaking, the man raised his eyes from the wind and snow. His eyes were long and sharp, cold and piercing, looking down at the city like a beast locking onto its prey.
It sends chills down your spine.
"Prepare to attack the city!"
The thousands of cavalrymen below the mountain echoed in unison, their roar shaking the heavens and the earth.
"Attack the city!"
"Attack the city!"
The iron cavalry roared into action, the terrifying sound of their hooves heading towards the prefectures and counties below the mountain.
...
The battle was not long, and it was even quite pleasant. The arrow rain stopped after the corpses fell from the city walls.
The vanguard of the Xuanjia Army of the Twelfth Army of Yanzhou easily broke through the city gate, and squads of soldiers carrying the banner with the character "Yan" drove straight into Chongzhou.
Chaos reigned in the city; the sound of horses' hooves made the earth tremble. People jostled and screamed inconsolably, creating utter chaos.
At Shenshi (3-5 PM), Ji Shu, along with Chunzhi and Chang Wugang, boarded the carriage and sped towards the West Gate.
Looking ahead, there were many women, children, and infants, many of whom were still in swaddling clothes. Ji Shu lowered her eyes and pulled down the curtain.
Once war breaks out, it is the common people who suffer.
The carriage was plunged into darkness. Just when she thought they were almost there, she faintly heard a sound coming from the ground. Something was wrong.
She shouted sharply, "Chang Wu, hurry, rush over there!"
Chang Wu lashed out with his whip, and the horse cried out in pain as it sped away with the carriage.
As soon as they finished speaking, seeing the West Gate getting closer and closer, Ji Shu and Chunzhi's hearts, which had just settled down, started to race again.
It was too late.
Chang Wu's face changed drastically. "Young lady, something bad has happened! The rebels have entered through the west gate. It seems the city gate has already fallen."
Chunzhi hurriedly looked and, sure enough, an army was wading through the icy snow water at the west gate, speeding towards them.
Through the gap in the curtain, one could see a young woman fleeing toward the west gate. Before she could escape, she was caught by a passing cavalryman who bent down and grabbed her.
He was placed directly on the horse's back like livestock, while the cavalry behind him cheered and laughed incessantly.
Ji Shu's face turned pale. She lowered the curtain and said, "Chang Wu, we can't leave now. Let's go back to the manor quickly."
Shouts and sounds of killing came from behind, and soon after, even the screams of men could be heard.
The women's cries mingled together, like a chilling wind that sent shivers down one's spine.
But how could such an obvious carriage speeding along the empty streets not attract attention?
Chang Wu pulled on the reins with all his might, but all he heard was a muffled "thud" as a sharp blade pierced flesh, followed by a short, painful groan.
The horse let out a long neigh, then suddenly stopped, and there was a deathly silence.
Inside the car, Ji Shu and Chunzhi were dazed and confused from the fall.
Ji Shu and Chunzhi were dizzy from the fall. Chunzhi scrambled to her feet and asked in a trembling voice, "Young lady, young lady, are you alright?"
Inside the dimly lit carriage, Chunzhi helped Ji Shu up and tentatively called out in a low voice, "Changwu, Changwu?"
Before he could say anything more, Ji Shu covered his mouth.
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