Chapter 427 Touched
New Year's Day.
The first day of the new year.
The gates of Cangzhou City were wide open and no news was blocked anymore.
The good news that had been delayed for a long time finally came out from Cangzhou today.
If you want to take something, you must first give it.
If Prince Chen doesn't rebel and the Emperor is partial to him, you really won't be able to do anything to him.
But if they heard the news that the Liang army had won a great victory and Mu Yunji was about to return to the court in triumph, Prince Chen and the Left Prime Minister's party, and even those fence-sitters in the court, would all be unable to sit still.
It's time to get rid of the old and welcome the new.
As soon as the news came out, the people of Cangzhou who had been evacuated also returned to the city one after another.
The city was in ruins after the war.
The ground was littered with corpses, some of our compatriots, some of the northern barbarians...
They were all cleaned up and buried before the lockdown of Cangzhou City was lifted.
In every war, there is a group of loyal and brave people who sacrifice their lives for the country and are buried in a foreign land.
The smoke and flames of war can be extinguished, and the bodies of soldiers can be buried.
But the houses burned down and the homes destroyed by the enemy could not be restored.
Although the people escaped the disaster, many of them were still displaced and fled outside, not daring to return to the city.
The northern barbarians were tireless and invaded repeatedly.
Whenever the people heard the sound of war drums, they fled south in panic like frightened birds.
When fleeing to the imperial capital, even beggars know that the place closest to the emperor is the safest.
If even the capital is not safe, the Daliang Dynasty will perish.
But while they were fleeing, they heard the news of the Liang army's great victory, so they came back.
Return to the place where our ancestors have lived for generations.
Because they believed in the Lu family army and Mu Yunji, the Duke of Shen.
I believe that as long as they are there, Cangzhou City will not fall, and the northern barbarians will not cross Yijin Pass and Yukou Pass to go south.
Cangzhou City is in a state of disrepair.
Lu Qingyao took Xiuxiu out early in the morning.
He cooked several large buckets of porridge and steamed buns, and also brought a lot of food, preparing to take the guards to the city gate to distribute porridge.
So that the people who have traveled back home and want to rebuild their homes can have some hot porridge to drink.
"Xiu Xiu, call Miss Liu along. Since she wants to stay, she should do some things as a slave. Besides, keeping her under your watch will make you feel more at ease."
"Sister, why do you still want to give her a chance?" Xiuxiu felt that her sister was a little indecisive this time.
In the past, if we discovered a spy, we would definitely not show mercy.
There is no doubt that Liu Qingqing has problems.
But Lu Qingyao also had some concerns.
After much thought, I decided to give her another chance.
"No matter what Liu Qingqing's motivation was in saving Feng'er, she saved his life. Otherwise, if he had really been freezing in the wilderness all night, we wouldn't be able to see Feng'er alive now."
No matter whether she was a spy from Prince Chen or a spy from the Northern Barbarians, or just a lonely and helpless singer as she said herself.
Lu Qingyao didn't want to sentence someone to death before finding out the truth.
There was another reason for her to keep Liu Qingqing.
According to the investigation, after Prince Su fell, the female musicians he kept in his mansion fled everywhere, and many of them fell into the hands of ruffians.
It was Liu Qingqing who rescued them and properly settled them.
And he kept protecting them.
"Xiu Xiu, it's not easy for women to survive in this world. If they weren't forced to do so, they wouldn't want to use their beauty to make a living. No one wants to be a pawn in the hands of others, at their mercy. If they had other choices, perhaps they could have lived differently."
Xiuxiu nodded.
Even she herself used to be King Jing's secret guard.
No matter how well King Jing treated them, they were still helpless.
Fortunately, King Jing gave her to her elder sister, giving her more choices in life.
After following her elder sister for these days, she gradually put away her fists.
Learn to use your brain to solve problems.
Indeed, they were truly grateful to Liu Qingqing for saving Feng'er.
"Then take another look?"
"Well, let's take another look...but don't let your guard down, keep a close eye on it."
As he was speaking, Liu Qingqing arrived.
She was very self-aware and changed into a coarse linen dress.
I also happened to hear the conversation between Lu Qingyao and Xiuxiu.
Her heart trembled slightly, and something seemed to be moving in her heart.
He walked forward slowly and saluted: "Madam, you are looking for me?"
Lu Qingyao stared at her blankly and urged, "Go, hang the red silk we brought all over the city walls."
"Yes, ma'am."
Liu Qingqing didn't ask any more questions and just did as she was told.
Since you have agreed to stay in the mansion, you have to be a slave and must not reveal any flaws.
But she was curious.
So many people died in and outside the city, but instead of hanging white silk and white banners, they hung red silk.
Although it is New Year today, I can still see the houses destroyed by war.
Who is still in the mood to celebrate the New Year?
It’s good enough if we don’t have to sleep on the streets.
For someone like her, celebrating the New Year is even more of a luxury.
But she didn't ask, it wasn't her place to ask.
Looking out from the top of the city wall, all you can see are burnt-out eaves and broken walls, collapsed houses, and bumpy roads.
Even after a month or two, you can still smell the burning smell.
The people looked at their destroyed homes, feeling sad and helpless.
The same is true for Lu Qingyao.
Standing on the Bell and Drum Tower, she leaned on the railing with both hands and looked down, saying with emotion: "What Cangzhou City needs now is not white silk, but red, to encourage the people to pick themselves up and rebuild their homes."
She had lived here for many years. "Back then, Cangzhou City opened a trade market. Shops, inns, restaurants, and taverns lined the city walls. Merchants flocked here, and boats and carriages converged, all trading silk, furs, horses, and medicinal herbs... It was prosperous for a while..."
Lu Qingyao pointed out: "That, that used to be the largest restaurant in Cangzhou City, Yunlai Restaurant..."
"That... that was the only medicine shop in Cangzhou."
"That was my Lu family's shop before we were exiled..."
"Sister, as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood. As long as people are still here, the roads can be rebuilt, the canals can be reopened, and the houses can be rebuilt." Xiuxiu took her sister's hand to comfort her.
"Yes, as long as people are alive, everything is possible." Lu Qingyao suddenly turned to look at Liu Qingqing: "What was the scene like when Prince Su rebelled and Yuzhou was conquered by Prince Chen?"
Liu Qingqing was stunned for a moment, then spoke slowly, "The houses in the city aren't as dilapidated as this... but quite a few people have been displaced..."
She also picked up several children who were separated from their families.
In the end, General Mu and Jiang Zifeng led people to pave roads and repair houses, comfort the people in the city, and help them find their families.
Those who have lost their families are sent to Tzu Chi for resettlement.
After going through so much.
As a result, she is now struggling internally and is in great trouble.
She could use the beauty trap to seduce Prince Su, poison him, kill him, and do anything she could think of.
Because Prince Su deserves to be killed.
Her idea is very simple, she doesn't want anything, including wealth and fame.
She just wanted to live and her family to live.
And those sisters who entered the palace with her, if she died, those lonely and helpless girls would be bullied.
She had to live, but she was also always ready to die.
The day she became a death warrior, she knew that her end would be death.
But the order issued from the capital was to kill the commander-in-chief and steal the military command.
So she came to Cangzhou.
I chose Jiang Zifeng, who looked the most honest and loyal, because he had pleaded for the sisters.
I thought he would be more docile.
She followed Jiang Zifeng all the way.
I saw the battlefield with my own eyes and saw the contempt and ridicule of the northern barbarians towards the soldiers of Daliang.
Seeing the Daliang soldiers fighting desperately, even though the enemy was much taller and stronger than them, one person could almost fight against several of them.
But even so, the soldiers of Daliang still did not retreat, even if it meant death...
It's too tragic.
She was frightened, her mind and body trembled uncontrollably.
I pinched my palms to calm myself down.
Her eyes were fixed on Jiang Zifeng.
She was nervous for him and worried about him for a long time, fearing that he would be hacked to death like that.
However, Jiang Zifeng was very brave on the battlefield.
The coldness and determination in his eyes was something she had never seen before.
Until Jiang Zifeng thrust the sword in his hand into the enemy's chest and chopped off the enemy's head, there was nothing left to kill.
He glanced around before closing his eyes and falling straight down.
Only then did Liu Qingqing dare to go and investigate.
She thought Jiang Zifeng was dead. He had shed so much blood, all over his armor, his hands, his feet...
All of them.
Fortunately, I'm still breathing.
So she saved Jiang Zifeng and followed him back to the general's mansion as she wished.
But her superiors asked her to kill Jiang Zifeng and Mu Yunji, but she couldn't do it and couldn't bring herself to do it.
I didn’t understand the national interests before, and I still don’t understand it now.
But she knew that without their commander, the morale of the Liang army would be weakened. If the northern barbarians attacked at this time, all the living people in front of her, including women and children, would become their dead souls.
Those Daliang soldiers who died died in vain.
If the country is destroyed, where is the home?
How could she protect the person she wanted to protect?
She even had some doubts as to whether the person who gave her the order was a northern barbarian.
He actually helped the northern barbarians to harm their own people.
How is this different from selling out one's country?
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