The General's Wife
When the women took up their weapons and stood on the city wall to fight, Shen Jin took the initiative to speak for the first time, "Move all the elderly, children, and seriously injured soldiers to the general's mansion.
Shen Jin already knew that there was no Yongning Marquis' Mansion in the border town, and Chu Xiuyuan, who was still seriously injured and had not yet recovered, was also supported by someone and appeared in the conference hall.
Battle reports were sent to the capital one after another, but no soldiers were sent to rescue. Even Shen Jin's letter fell into the sea. It seemed as if Prince Rui had forgotten his daughter.
The general's mansion was almost completely emptied. Like all the houses in the border town, everything that could be used was moved out, and even some of the furniture was chopped up for burning. No one cared about rosewood and chicken wing wood at this time, and they boiled hot water with all the wood and poured it on the barbarians.
Manager Wang and his men tried every possible means, and the border town was not breached for nearly three months, and it was not just the soldiers here who relied on it.
The grain had been centrally managed, and Chief Steward Wang did not order anyone to collect the grain, but everyone moved the grain from their homes to the gate of the General's Mansion.
Many old people and children consciously began to save their food rations. Even Shen Jin's daily food was rationed. At first, Shen Jin was given the same food as the wounded, which was steamed buns made of a mixture of coarse and fine flours. It was only after Shen Jin discovered this and refused to eat that he was allowed to eat the same food as everyone else.
At first, Shen Jin found it difficult to swallow, but he was so hungry that everything tasted delicious.
Steward Wang's right arm was broken, but it was only roughly bandaged. He said with a pale face, "I can only bear it for another seven days at most. If there is no reinforcement..."
"There will be no reinforcements." Chu Xiuyuan had grown up without knowing when. The boy who would say his brother would be back soon disappeared. "The emperor wants us to die."
"The general will be back." said Butler Wang.
Chu Xiuyuan couldn't help but said with red eyes, "They have been planning for so long, so long... If my brother hadn't been in trouble, he would have returned long ago, but there is no news until now, I'm afraid..." He didn't say the words "more danger than safety".
Shen Jin didn't know what to say, she even suspected that the emperor let her marry him as a discarded pawn, and that he might take advantage of the time to contact the spies here, and then collude with the barbarians... At first, she wondered whether Prince Rui knew about it, but later she felt that it didn't matter whether Prince Rui knew about it or not.
Chu Xiuyuan looked at Shen Jin and said, "Sister-in-law, there is a secret room built in the palace. You can hide in it for the next few days."
Steward Wang also said, "That secret room is big enough to hold out until the general returns. When the barbarians attack the city, I will have people burn down the general's mansion. Then they won't notice anyone is missing. The vents in the secret room are in a special location, so the thick smoke won't be a problem."
"Only my brother knows how to open the secret room, and it can be opened from the inside. Sister-in-law, you must not come out unless my brother comes back." Chu Xiuyuan's voice was hoarse.
Shen Jin moved her lips and finally said, "Let those children hide in there." It's not that she is not afraid of death or is not righteous, but Shen Jin understands that if she dies, her mother may get more benefits. If she survives, what will Yongning Bo think when he returns? His brother and his subordinates all stood to the death until the last moment, while Shen Jin, the nominal wife, hid and lived a miserable life.
Especially given her embarrassing identity, the people who did these things... Even if Chu Xiuyuan had been on guard and didn't let the wedding party enter the border town, there was no guarantee that it wasn't them who passed on the news.
I'm afraid that Earl Yongning hated her to death a long time ago, but going back to the capital? Where is there a place for her in the capital? Shen Jin is not smart, but she can see clearly.
The most important point is that Shen Jin is unwilling to give up hope before the last moment. If they can hold on until Earl Yongning comes back, Earl Yongning will give her dignity and a chance to live because she has survived a near-death experience.
"Let all the elderly, children and seriously injured people enter the general's mansion first." Shen Jin said, "Let the children hide in the secret room."
Steward Wang looked at Shen Jin and suddenly said, "Madam's order."
Chu Xiuyuan also said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I will definitely protect you. Even if I die, I will die before you."
Shen Jin's eyes turned red, and she held back her tears and nodded, "Okay."
After spending some time together, Shen Jin and Chu Xiuyuan's relationship became much more harmonious, and she no longer felt disgusted with Butler Wang. Shen Jin looked at Butler Wang's severed arm which was still bleeding. She remembered that Butler Wang's handwriting was very good. During the New Year, many people in the border town would come to ask Butler Wang to write Spring Festival couplets.
Xile also begged for it and showed it to Shen Jin. The handwriting was no worse than those of the masters in the capital, and it even had some elegance that they did not have. However, the right hand that was used to write was chopped off by the barbarians in order to save a child who came up to bring food to the soldiers.
In the face of major issues, those small favors and grudges are not that important. Besides, Shen Jin is not stupid. After seeing the attitude of the court, she also understands why Steward Wang and others are so wary of her. But after all, her life was not harmed, and she was bullied, so she has been given what she deserves.
Butler Wang quickly called his confidant and told him the general situation. "Madam is kind-hearted, I'm afraid she didn't think too much, but... the secret room can't hide so many people, and it's not soundproof, so we can only select children of appropriate age to go in."
"Appropriate age?" Shen Jin looked at Butler Wang.
Butler Wang said, "Over six years old."
"But..." Shen Jin thought of so many children.
Although Chu Xiuyuan is young, he understands the cruelty of war better than Shen Jin. "Sister-in-law, there is no other way. If they are too young, let alone whether they can hold on until brother comes back, if the city is breached and their crying attracts the barbarians, then no one will be able to be saved."
"Although there are ventilation holes in the secret room, they are not very big in order not to attract attention. They can only provide daily life. If someone dies in it, I'm afraid..." Butler Wang did not say anything. Shen Jin also understood that the rotting corpse could easily make people sick.
"But how do we tell the people?" Shen Jin looked at Anping unconsciously. Anping's sister-in-law gave birth to a son last year, and Anping's brother had already died on the city wall.
"Madam." An Ping was more open-minded than Shen Jin and said, "Everyone in the city is our family. In order to let more relatives survive, of course there must be sacrifices."
"Madam is too soft-hearted." Butler Wang said, "Why don't I do it?"
"I'll do it." Shen Jin said, "I also want to do something here."
"Madam has done enough." Anping said with a smile.
Shen Jin shook his head, looked at Chu Xiuyuan and said, "You take a rest first. I have some donkey-hide gelatin. I'll have someone stew it for you and the housekeeper."
"I'm fine, sister-in-law." Chu Xiuyuan said with a smile, "Don't worry, brother will come back."
Shen Jin smiled and nodded, and said nothing more. Her mother had taught her how to manage the household, but she had never taught her how to manage the household during war. However, there was no need to be so particular at this time. She directly opened the door of the general's mansion and let the elderly, children and the seriously injured in. These seriously injured people were unable to move, and those who could still move were guarding the city walls. Most of them died together with the enemy, so there were really no people with minor injuries in the border town.
These seriously injured people had started a hunger strike several days ago and were forced to eat.
Chu Xiuyuan and Shen Jin came together. After all, only Chu Xiuyuan knew the specific location of the secret room. They have managed to hold on until now. Not to mention these old people and children, even Shen Jin is very dirty, with blood and dirt on his clothes.
Shen Jin looked at everyone and suddenly said, "If there is no reinforcement, we may not last more than seven days." She originally thought it was not a good idea to tell the people the news directly, but Butler Wang and Chu Xiuyuan both agreed to tell it directly, because it could not be concealed at all, and now even women were on the city wall.
"There is a secret room in the general's mansion. Select children of appropriate age to hide in it now. If... we can't let the city really be massacred. It would not look good when the general comes back." Shen Jin's voice had a unique softness.
Chu Xiuyuan stood up and knelt down suddenly, "It's my Chu family that failed to protect everyone."
"Major General!" After this period of time, these people no longer called Chu Xiuyuan the Second Young Master, but called him Major General, which was also another form of recognition. "My sister-in-law and I will stand until the last moment! The city survives, and the people die. The city is destroyed."
"Young General." All those who were still able to move knelt down in front of Chu Xiuyuan while crying. Shen Jin and the people from the general's mansion knelt behind Chu Xiuyuan without saying a word.
"Major General, you and your wife should go in! When the general comes back, remember to ask him to avenge us."
"Yes, Major General..."
"No need to say more." Chu Xiuyuan stood up, first helped Shen Jin up, and then helped up the old people in the city one by one, "In my Chu family, there are only ghosts who died in battle, and there is absolutely no one who survived."
"Madam is still young, let her hide inside." Someone looked at Shen Jin and suggested.
Shen Jin said, "I am also from the Chu family." This sentence shut everyone up.
Butler Wang now treated Shen Jin as his own, and said, "This was Madam's suggestion. Madam originally wanted to have all the children hide in there, but..." Butler Wang repeated the general reasons.
Some people were crying while holding their young children, but everyone knew that what Butler Wang said was right. Shen Jin couldn't bear it and said, "It's just in case. It hasn't come to that yet."
"Don't worry, ma'am. We understand." An old man in his fifties stepped forward and said, "I will choose the people. If you want to feel resentful, blame me, an old man."
"The Major General and his wife have given us a chance to live. Who can still harbor resentment?"
"The general will definitely come back."
Shen Jin and the others did not stay any longer as there were still many things to be arranged outside. Chu Xiuyuan suddenly handed Shen Jin a dagger without saying anything.
Shen Jin was stunned for a moment, and looked at Chu Xiuyuan. Chu Xiuyuan put the dagger in Shen Jin's hand, "Sister-in-law, take it just in case."
An Ping also said, "Madam, those barbarians are not human beings, they are worse than beasts."
Shen Jin understood immediately, tightened his grip on the dagger and said, "Yes."
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