Chapter 70 Rescue
After crossing the border, Gu Xiyue saw a few miles ahead, with densely packed tents stationed. The soldiers of the Hu Kingdom were entrenched there, eyeing the enemy with a fierce look, ready to pounce at any opportunity and tear through the border defenses.
If Xiao Heng had not been prepared, these people might have captured Ganzhou long ago.
As they walked along, Gu Xiyue came to the impression that the Hu Kingdom was a bit like modern Inner Mongolia, where most people made a living by herding sheep and their lives were not very stable.
The Hu people we met on the roadside were dressed simply and ordinary, mostly in sheepskin or coarse linen, and rarely in fancy clothes. It seemed that what Xiao Heng's spies said was right.
Because Gu Xiyue and the others were not dressed strangely, the Hu people along the way seemed accustomed to it and did not gather around to watch the fun.
It was not until he went deep into the interior of the Hu country that Gu Xiyue discovered that the Hu people along the way who were dressed roughly and simply were considered good. The deeper they went, the more primitive people's clothing became.
They set out in the morning and except for stopping at the roadside at noon to eat dry food and let the horses rest, they did not stop again and continued on their way after a short rest.
Finally, they arrived near King Hu's city at dusk.
The carriage suddenly stopped, and Gu Xiyue heard a faint noise coming from outside, mixed with many pleading sounds.
"Master, Madam, there are many people gathered at the city gate ahead."
Xiao Heng lifted the curtain, and Gu Xiyue also came over, stretched out her head, and put her head close to Xiao Heng's, one above and one below.
"Looking at the appearance of those people, they must have something to ask to see King Hu, but King Hu has locked the gate tightly and refused to let anyone in."
"Look, young lady!"
Meixiang stared ahead and whispered, "Those people are wearing so little clothes. Many of them are just wearing sheepskin, with their legs bare. And they..."
Gu Xiyue looked in the direction of Meixiang's hand and found several strong men in the right corner, surrounding a woman holding a child. They were wearing the uniforms of the Hu State Guard, and each of them had a ferocious smile on their face, and it was obvious that they had bad intentions.
The woman holding the child was forced to step back. The child in her arms looked to be only one or two years old and was crying loudly with fear.
The woman hugged her child tightly in panic, dodging the man's hands left and right, and looked at the crowd that was getting farther and farther away with a look of despair.
No one helped her, even when she was hoarse.
Those people who were gathered at the city gate and shouting were staring at the gate with hope in their eyes.
No one paid any attention to the helpless woman.
Not far behind the woman was a pile of grass huts. Judging from the looks of those men, they wanted to force the woman into those grass huts.
As for what to do...
Gu Xiyue frowned tightly and felt very uncomfortable.
She turned her head to look at Xiao Heng and asked what he meant.
Xiao Heng understood what she meant at a glance and nodded slightly.
Gu Xiyue reached out and patted Wei Lin on the shoulder, whispering, "Go and bring that woman over here, and bring those men over as well."
They came to Hu State for their own purposes. There was no benefit in meddling in other people's affairs on the road. It might even cause other troubles. However, Gu Xiyue really couldn't stand it.
Those damn men were going too far by bullying a weak woman.
What’s even more infuriating is that the woman was holding a child in her arms. Those men were worse than animals for doing such a thing.
Gu Xiyue looked at Xiao Heng to ask what he thought. She understood that this trip was of great importance and it was best to avoid unnecessary complications.
Xiao Heng's eyes made her feel at ease.
The look in his eyes gave her the illusion that she could do whatever she wanted and he would back her up.
Although she felt at ease, an idea suddenly popped up in her mind when she ordered Wei Lin to save people.
Seeing Wei Lin leaving, Gu Xiyue was a little worried. She turned her head to look at Xiao Heng.
"He's alone, is that okay?"
Xiao Heng looked at her with a smile but did not answer. The expression on his face was obvious, and Gu Xiyue knew that her worries were in vain.
It seemed that the woman was about to be forced behind the haystack.
Wei Lin appeared out of nowhere and landed directly in front of the woman, protecting her behind him.
When several men saw someone interrupting their fun, their eyes widened with anger and their beards trembled.
They couldn't let anyone disturb their good deeds, so they went up to besiege Wei Lin.
Wei Lin looked at them with a smile. When they came closer, they didn't see how his hands and feet moved. In a dazzled state, the three men immediately put away their frivolous expressions and stood beside Wei Lin respectfully.
Wei Lin turned to look at the terrified woman behind him, took a step back, and said softly, "Are you okay, sister?"
The child in the woman's arms was still crying. She looked at Wei Lin warily while patting the child in her arms.
"Don't be afraid, sister. I'm here to help you. We are from Dayu and are preparing to enter the city to meet your Hu King. It was our young mistress who saw you in danger and asked me to come and help you."
After Wei Lin finished speaking, he pointed towards the carriage.
Gu Xiyue had just lifted the curtain and was looking at him. Seeing this, she waved at them.
Wei Lin saw the smile on the young lady's face from a distance.
The woman holding the child also saw it.
Her watery eyes moved up and down Wei Lin, then looked at the carriage.
You can tell from the way they dress that they are not ordinary people.
Being able to enter the palace and see King Hu... the woman's eyes lit up instantly. She timidly glanced at the three well-behaved men, then bravely asked Wei Lin for help.
"My dear warrior, please take me to see your young lady. I want to thank her in person."
Wei Lin was thinking about how to bring her over, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard someone say this on their own initiative.
When Wei Lin led her forward, she looked back and was shocked to find that the three men were following behind them.
Wei Lin quickly said, "Don't be afraid, sister. I'm controlling them. They'll obey me in everything."
The woman looked at the men again and saw that although they were following behind her, their expressions were dull and their movements were regular, without any abnormality. She felt relieved immediately.
Seeing that Wei Lin brought the person over quickly, Gu Xiyue hurriedly lifted the curtain and prepared to go down. As a result, the woman came up with the child in her arms and knelt down with a thud.
Tears immediately flowed out, and she sobbed uncontrollably, "Thank you, my benefactor, for saving me. Please take me into the city with you. I want to see King Hu! Please!"
The language spoken in Hu State is similar to that in Gan State, and basically everyone can understand it.
Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were haggard, and her cheeks were sunken. The child in her arms had a hoarse voice and barely moved while hiding in her arms.
Gu Xiyue signaled Meixiang, and Meixiang immediately jumped down and helped the woman up.
At this time, Xiao Heng got out of the car and made room for Gu Xiyue, the woman and the child.
When the woman saw the noble and handsome man getting out of the car, she felt so oppressive that she couldn't help but step back.
Xiao Heng quickly said gently, "Don't be afraid. My wife is waiting for you in the car. Take the child up quickly."
The woman got into the carriage with Meixiang's help.
Xiao Heng looked up at the sky and told Wei Lin to prepare to set off. Wei Lin said to the Hu soldiers, "Take us into the city to see the Hu King."
The three Hu soldiers nodded and immediately led the way.
With the Hu soldiers leading the way, the carriage quickly entered the city gate.
After they entered, the city gate closed quickly behind them, and some civilians who tried to squeeze in were beaten back by the Hu soldiers.
Xiao Heng discovered that most of the people gathered at the city gate were elderly and weak. From their begging, he basically knew what was going on.
As soon as the woman came into the carriage, Gu Xiyue settled her and the child down, then brought out a kettle and some dry food. The dry food was scallion pancakes, and the water in the kettle was still a little warm.
With Gu Xiyue's comfort, the woman ate a cake, drank two bowls of water, and then poured some water to feed the child.
"Thank you, benefactor. My last name is Cheng, Cheng Xiaoying. My child is just one year old and is still breastfeeding. But I haven't eaten for two days and I don't have any milk to feed him..."
As Cheng Xiaoying spoke, tears began to flow again.
Gu Xiyue quickly coaxed her, "Don't cry, wait until you see King Hu, and tell him if you have any problems. Everything will be fine in the future. For the sake of the child, you have to be strong."
Cheng Xiaoying nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "My husband was drafted into the army. King Hu is going to attack Dayu and is recruiting people everywhere. Anyone who can work hard in our area has been drafted. I don't know if he's dead or alive now."
Gu Xiyue was extremely shocked when she thought of the scene at the city gate just now.
Even if King Hu recruited soldiers in this way and finally conquered Ganzhou, one can imagine how unstable his regime would be.
Ignoring public opinion, abusing power, and treating the people under your rule as non-human beings will sooner or later lead to disaster.
After all, even a rabbit will bite when it is anxious.
Cheng Xiaoying spoke a lot in a disjointed manner, and Gu Xiyue could see that she was very hungry, so he slowly fed her, little by little, until she was full and drank some water. Soon, the baby in her arms also had some milk, and after eating, he fell asleep quietly.
The woman also leaned against the couch and fell asleep with her eyes closed.
While she was asleep, Gu Xiyue came out from behind the curtain and took a look. Xiao Heng was sitting outside. Meixiang had already gone to the carriage at the back, and Wei Lin and three Hu soldiers were leading the way in front.
The group went straight to King Hu's tent.
Because Xiao Heng had handed in a sign in advance, the journey in was smooth. Half an hour later, the group arrived in front of King Hu's tent.
The place is heavily guarded, with soldiers everywhere, each holding a weapon and with a ferocious look on their faces, which is scary to look at.
Xiao Heng asked Wei Lin to look after several guards. Cheng Xiaoying sat in the carriage with Meixiang accompanying her. After giving Wei Lin a few instructions, he took Gu Xiyue into King Hu's tent.
As soon as she entered the room, a strong smell of alcohol penetrated Gu Xiyue's nostrils. She couldn't help but frown. Xiao Heng reached out and held her hand, squeezed it gently, and asked her to bear it.
Gu Xiyue tried hard to endure the discomfort in his body and walked in with a stable expression.
It wasn't even night yet, but they were already drinking in broad daylight. Inside the tent sat a group of people who were obviously high-ranking officials around King Hu.
Each of them had an arrogant look on their face and an unbridled demeanor.
The burly man in the middle of the first seat had an even more intimidating look on his face.
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