Chapter 147 The hearts of the people have been lost, and the city gates are damaged.
She saw that there was a large hole in the city gate, and inside that hole were piled up the corpses of the soldiers guarding the city!
Even more shockingly, these corpses were not even complete bodies; some were headless, some were missing arms and legs, and they were piled up on the city gate, covered in blood. Countless terrifying and hideous faces appeared before our eyes, as if hell had been recreated.
This scene shattered Shang Ruyi's mind and spirit.
Tushe'er, standing to the side, couldn't bear to watch any longer and quickly closed her eyes and turned her head to the side.
"Young Madam?"
Just as she was in shock, Mu Xianzheng walked over with his men, all of whom were injured. When they saw Shang Ruyi, their expressions were complicated, but they still immediately stepped forward to greet her: "Young Madam, what brings you here?"
"I've come to take a look."
Shang Ruyi knew the reason for his hesitation, but she didn't dare to ask any more questions. At this moment, she didn't have the energy to explain.
After all, the place where the two of them stood was already a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
The survivors dragged the corpses down one by one, and the stench of blood permeated almost every inch of the land and city walls. Not far away, the wails of the wounded and the cries of the common people echoed together.
Shang Ruyi looked at the large hole in the city gate and said, "This is—"
Mu Xian also looked back, his eyes filled with sorrow, and said, "Last night, the Turks rammed this hole in the city gate. It looked like they were about to break in when a group of soldiers defending the city rushed forward and used their bodies to block the hole, thus preventing the tragedy of the city falling..."
As he spoke the last few words, even this man of unwavering integrity choked up.
Shang Ruyi's eyes reddened.
After Mu Xian finished speaking, he looked at the young mistress in front of him and found that she was dressed neatly, but like Tu She'er, she had a lot of bloodstains on her body and hands. Tu She'er was also holding two bottles of medicine and a roll of bandages.
Mu Xian asked, "What about the young mistress's injury—"
Shang Ruyi said, "It's fine now."
Before Mu Xian could say anything, someone behind him said coldly, "With His Majesty the Emperor's protection, the young mistress has nothing to worry about."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi's face immediately flushed.
But Tushe'er couldn't stand it and immediately stepped forward, coldly saying, "What do you mean by that? Our young lady's injury was sustained while she was personally confronting those Turkic soldiers. What does it have to do with the Emperor!"
The man retorted coldly, "Whether it matters or not, just look at whose wife is seen hugging and cuddling with another man, and you'll know!"
"you--"
Seeing that the two sides were about to start arguing, Shang Ruyi immediately said, "She'er, stop talking."
Mu Xian turned around and hissed, "Shut up!"
Shang Ruyi looked up at the group of young men again. They were all bruised and battered, and their clothes were stained with blood from who-knows-who. Their faces showed indignation. They were all personal guards who followed Yuwen Ye and naturally defended him. Moreover, they were indeed in the wrong this time.
She thought for a moment and said seriously, "I will give the Yuwen family and my husband an explanation for this matter."
"..."
"But not now."
Mu Xian frowned: "Young Madam?"
Shang Ruyi calmly said, "Everything depends on whether we survive this calamity. So, besides helping the wounded soldiers, I also came here to check on the battle situation. Mu Xian, how long can Yanmen City hold out?"
Mu Xian was surprised that she asked this question right away.
But how should this question be answered?
Just as Mu Xian hesitated, unsure of how to respond, a group of men came up beside him. They were preparing to clear away the corpses of the soldiers piled up on the city wall and repair it.
As the bodies were dug out one by one, placed on dilapidated door panels, and dragged away one by one, the onlookers could not bear to watch. Several villagers stepped forward with white cloths to cover the damaged bodies.
As the planks were dragged past them, Shang Ruyi immediately stepped aside. She then heard several soldiers clearing the battlefield passing by, speaking in hushed tones—
"Fight, fight, fight, when will this end?"
"That's right. What's the use of fighting the Turks to the death here? Even if we win here, there's still another battle to be fought in Liaodong."
"Yes, the imperial court doesn't care about our lives at all, so why should we risk our lives like this?!"
Hearing this, a soldier supervising them shouted, "Stop talking nonsense! Hurry up and move the bodies down so they can repair the city gate. With the gate breached, the Turks certainly won't let this go. They could attack again at any moment. Hurry up!"
The people around were somewhat disheartened: "Let them attack if they want. Can we even defend a city gate like this?"
Upon hearing these words, Shang Ruyi's heart sank.
Mu Xian and the others had obviously heard these words as well. His expression was solemn as he looked at Shang Ruyi and asked, "Does the young mistress still want to ask that question?"
Shang Ruyi felt her breathing become somewhat labored.
She thought for a moment and said, "Really, it's not okay?"
Mu Xian looked at the corpses being dragged away, then at the large hole gradually appearing in the city gate, his eyes filled with despair, and said softly:
"The city gate is less a defensive fortress and more a fortress in the hearts of the soldiers guarding the city. Once the city gate is breached, the barriers in the hearts of many people have already been broken."
"..."
"Moreover, this is indeed a hole, and even if it is repaired, it will still be the weakest point in Yanmen City."
"..."
"The people's hearts have been lost, and the city gates are damaged. Young Madam, do you think we can withstand the next attack?"
Shang Ruyi felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
But she was not willing to give up.
She was unwilling to die here, and even more unwilling that she had traded her life for a reliable support, only to be swallowed up in this small city of Yanmen in such a helpless and destitute environment, like an insignificant bubble in the tide of history.
She was not willing to accept it!
She gritted her teeth and said in a deep voice, "I don't believe there's absolutely no chance!"
Mu looked at her for a while, then thought for a moment and said, "Not at all, not at all."
What is it?
"The right time is not as important as the right place, and the right place is not as important as the right people."
"..."
"Sometimes, a complete city gate or a vast army is not as important as the will to live in a person's heart."
"..."
"As long as there is hope for the future, who wouldn't want to live?"
"..."
"It all depends on whether this hope can be realized by everyone."
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Shang Ruyi's mind, as if she understood something: "You mean—"
Mu Xian looked at Shang Ruyi again, his eyes showing some contradiction, but he still said in a low voice, "I dare not ask too much about the young mistress's affairs. However, since the young mistress is by His Majesty's side and her words can reach the ears of the Emperor, then some things need to be said by someone like the young mistress."
"..."
Shang Ruyi's breathing became slightly heavier.
At this moment, she could hear again the words that Empress Jiang had said to her yesterday.
The key is, who can get His Majesty to listen to him?
Just as her thoughts were in disarray, a loud shout suddenly came from the long street behind her—
"His Majesty has arrived!"
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