82 Escape
◎“I want to kiss you now.”◎
Five days later, Wen Tingyun suddenly led his men to the city gate.
This man was quite cautious; instead of taking Xiao Pingchuan and the others closer, he bound their hands and feet and took them to the city wall.
Shen Suqin was treated fairly well; she wasn't tied up. He probably thought that since Shen Suqin was a woman, it didn't matter if she wasn't tied up.
Below the city gate was a long line of convoys, with large boxes on the carts, most likely filled with gold.
"What does the one at the front do?" Wen Tingyun asked Shen Suqin.
Shen Suqin squinted: "It's too far away, I can't see clearly."
Without saying a word, Wen Tingyun stabbed Xiao Pingchuan's arm with a knife.
Xiao Pingchuan glanced at him coldly, as if he wasn't the one who had been injured by the knife.
Shen Suqin's face darkened.
Wen Tingyun said, "Take another look."
Shen Suqin wasn't trying to fool him; she genuinely couldn't see clearly. After all, she hadn't eaten or drunk her fill for several days, and her eyes were feeling dizzy.
She leaned forward and strained to look, and after a long while, she whispered back, "He's probably the manager of my branch in the capital, and his surname is Liu."
Seeing that Liu Zimou was weak and delicate, and had no strength to even kill a chicken, Wen Tingyun said to Shen Suqin, "Let him unload the goods."
"First, bandage General Xiao's wounds," Shen Suqin said.
Wen Tingyun remained unmoved, and threatened, "You should know that he is the mortal enemy of my Shatuo. I've already given you enough face by letting him live this long."
Shen Suqin understood from his words that even if he got the money and food, he didn't intend to let Xiao Pingchuan go.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate for a time.
Wen Tingyun's patience ran out. She grabbed Shen Suqin and pulled her in front of her, threateningly shouting to those below, "Open the box and inspect the goods first."
Xiao Pingchuan's eyes were cold and stern as he stared unblinkingly at Wen Tingyun's hand that was gripping Shen Suqin's neck, like a jackal eyeing its prey.
Liu Zimu dismounted from his horse at the foot of the city wall, exchanged a glance with Shen Suqin from a distance, and then waved for his men to step back, signaling Wen Tingyun's men to come forward and inspect the area themselves.
The sun was blazing, and there wasn't a trace of coolness in the air.
Shen Suqin stared intently in that direction, sweat rolling down her forehead and getting into her eyes.
One step, two steps, three steps, the people below closed in step by step, and just as his hand was placed on the lid of the box, Xiao Pingchuan made a sudden move.
The small rope couldn't hold him at all. He easily broke free, then spun around and kicked the person holding him off the city wall.
With a thud, the person landed on the ground.
It was like the sounding of a war horn. The crate exploded, and fierce Black Flag soldiers carrying knives jumped out. A blinding flash of light, and heads fell to the ground.
Wen Tingyun panicked. He suddenly tightened his grip on Shen Suqin's neck, forcing her to turn around and face Xiao Pingchuan.
Xiao Pingchuan's men had already subdued the few remaining enemies on the city wall and were now eyeing Wen Tingyun menacingly.
Wen Tingyun angrily retorted to Shen Suqin, "You lied to me!"
Shen Suqin spoke slowly, "You delivered the letter yourself. Did I have to say anything more? I told them to send money and grain, but who knew they would send troops in? What could I do?"
"Enough with the nonsense." He decided not to waste any more time with this woman and turned to Xiao Pingchuan, saying, "If you want her life, trade yours for hers. If I can kill you, I won't lose out."
Xiao Pingchuan sneered and said, word by word, "I've tolerated you for a long time."
After saying that, he rushed forward and, before anyone could react, got close to Wen Tingyun, pulled Shen Suqin into his arms, and then grabbed Wen Tingyun's neck with his left hand, coldly saying, "If she hadn't been interested in playing this game with you, do you think you would still be alive today?"
After saying that, he didn't give Wen Tingyun any chance to speak. With a forceful twist of his thumb, he cleanly snapped Wen Tingyun's neck.
He was able to escape unscathed when he was surrounded by hundreds of imperial soldiers in the palace. Now, a mere rabble dares to try and blackmail him, especially by threatening Shen Suqin's life.
A breeze gradually picked up on the city wall, bringing a cool feeling and causing Shen Suqin's black hair to sway in the wind.
Xiao Pingchuan squinted at him, recalling the day they first met, and licked his lips.
Shen Suqin smiled and raised her hand to touch her hair, her tone relaxed: "I thought the general would hold back a little longer. You know, he can't do anything to me."
"Of course I know he can't do anything to you, but I don't want him to get that close. Anyway, if the person you want to hire comes, it won't really disrupt your plans, right?"
Shen Suqin smiled and nodded. She knew he was indulging her.
Therefore, she felt emboldened.
Below the city gate, shouts of battle filled the air.
However, apart from the few burly Shatuo people, the rest were weak refugees. The disparity in strength between the two sides was too great, and the battle ended quickly.
"Master!" Liu Zimu rushed up with a worried expression. "How are you? Are you hurt?"
Shen Suqin waved his hand: "Go get us some food and drink. These Shatuo people are so stingy, they won't even feed us properly."
Liu Zimu hurriedly instructed his subordinates to prepare food.
"Your Highness has arrived?" Shen Suqin asked Liu Zimu.
"He's here." Liu Zimu replied, breaking the delivered cake into small pieces and handing them to Shen Suqin. "He's in the back."
Shen Suqin nodded and pointed at Xiao Pingchuan, saying, "Give some to the general as well."
Liu Zimu reluctantly handed him a few pieces and continued to say to Shen Suqin, "When Sister Ju Tao received your seal, she immediately went to His Highness and asked to borrow someone to rescue you. His Highness immediately agreed."
This was the first time Xiao Pingchuan had noticed that there was such a person next to Shen Suqin.
He silently sized up the newcomer, noticing that he had a good-looking face, a slender build, and had only recently grown taller, so he didn't think he posed any threat.
He continued, "His Highness felt that things were not simple, so he sent people to investigate secretly. Only then did he learn that the Shatuo spies were trying to control the entire Liangzhou region and launch a rebellion."
Shen Suqin asked in bewilderment, "With such a large-scale operation, how come no one noticed it beforehand?"
"The Great Liang itself is in chaos, and besides, they are impersonating their own people. Apart from distributing food and controlling the people, they haven't done much else. Even most of the people outside don't know that they have become rebels; they only know that they will have food to eat if they follow them."
So Wen Tingyun wasn't actually Wen Tingyun; they didn't even know the real name of the one who died.
"This matter... is really..." Shen Suqin was speechless.
A short while later, Shi Ye arrived with his men.
He himself was also filled with lingering fear. Upon receiving the news, he didn't dare to delay for a moment and immediately organized a team to come over.
"This time, it really was a case of 'a novice beating a master,'" he said. "How are you? No injuries, right?"
Xiao Pingchuan shook his head.
Shen Suqin: "General's arm, did you bring a doctor? Let's bandage it up for him."
Shi Ye narrowed his eyes: "He doesn't care about it himself, so why should I care!"
Despite saying that, he immediately summoned a doctor.
Shen Suqin sipped water slowly, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes lowered, looking very obedient.
She knew that with Xiao Pingchuan's abilities, getting them out safely wouldn't be a problem. However, once they escaped, these refugees would instantly be recognized as traitors, and the imperial court would have no choice but to send troops to suppress them, at which point things would become troublesome.
That's why she insisted on using this clandestine method to bring in manpower without anyone noticing and settle the matter at minimal cost.
Xiao Pingchuan was certainly well aware of her purpose, and it was understandable that he had been reluctantly cooperating with her for the past few days.
Xiao Pingchuan's arm was in a splint, and whether it was from the pain or something else, he had been exuding an aura of unapproachability for the past few days.
Shi Ye understood his frustration at being caught off guard and patted him on the shoulder to comfort him, saying, "Who would have thought that the Shatuo were still up to no good and that they would actually succeed by sheer luck? Don't take it to heart, we'll get our revenge sooner or later."
Xiao Pingchuan brushed his hand away, turned around, and went to a quiet spot to sit down.
"Aren't you going to comfort her?" Shi Ye asked Shen Suqin.
Shen Suqin didn't want to risk trouble, so she changed the subject, asking, "How much grain did you bring?"
Shi Ye sighed, "We've searched the entire Jinzhou region, and we only managed to find 70,000 shi (a unit of dry measure). I've already petitioned the court to open the granaries for disaster relief; we should have news soon."
Shen Suqin shook his head: "It's hard to say. The Changping Granary in Liangzhou is out of grain. If we have to transfer grain from other prefectures and counties, it will be quite a hassle."
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
"Let them use their own money to buy food, instead of providing work relief."
"Where did the money come from?"
"The money comes from the people anyway. The officials of Liangzhou must have already plundered a lot of the people's wealth. Since the general's Black Flag Army is here, shouldn't we urge them to take out a portion for disaster relief?"
Shi Ye silently gave a thumbs up, "I'll go find Jin'an."
"Um."
As night fell, Shen Suqin settled in the backyard of the government office.
Since Ju Tao didn't come, she had to wash up and change her clothes by herself, and it was late at night before she could finally go to sleep.
"Knock, knock, knock," there was a knock on the door.
Who is it?
"I."
Shen Suqin blinked, put on her coat, got up, and opened the door. "General."
Xiao Pingchuan squeezed in from the side.
Shen Suqin sighed helplessly, "Why is the general here so late at night instead of sleeping...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Pingchuan suddenly hugged her without saying a word.
Shen Suqin chuckled and raised her hand to pat his back: "Didn't you hug me enough during the day?"
Xiao Pingchuan: "Hmm."
"Doesn't your hand hurt?" Shen Suqin gently patted his severed arm.
"fine."
Shen Suqin sighed softly: "What exactly does the general want to say?"
"I'm wondering when you'll be able to take good care of yourself and stop putting yourself in danger."
When he went south to rescue Su Yubai, he discovered that when this woman got ruthless, she didn't consider herself human at all.
If she works so hard and ruins her health, what will he do?
Shen Suqin stayed there.
Xiao Pingchuan said in a muffled voice, "Promise me that no matter what, your health and your life will always be the most important thing."
“…I promise you.” Shen Suqin’s voice was gentle. “And what about you? Can you promise me the same thing? That you’ll prioritize your own life in case of danger.”
"I can."
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
The dim candlelight flickered, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, and Xiao Pingchuan watched the person opposite him intently through the alternating light and shadow.
He thought that if something really happened today and one of them passed away, the rest of their lives would be an incredibly long and agonizing ordeal.
Perhaps he should take the initiative more.
I should have brought her into my life sooner.
So he lowered his head, put his arm around her waist, and whispered, "Now I want to kiss you. If you don't want to, just push me away."
The heat on her waist was intense, making Shen Suqin shiver. She tilted her head slightly to look at him, then slowly closed her eyes.
Xiao Pingchuan was momentarily breathless, then gently and solemnly pressed his lips to hers. It was a warm and soft touch, like the wind on the Shule River in late spring and early summer.
After a long while, he released her and said softly, "After I finish what I'm doing for you, I have to take my men and leave to check on the Shatuo spies who have infiltrated the country, and also to retaliate against the other side."
"Go ahead, but be careful with your hands."
"Um."
Drought has always been a major disaster.
Shi Ye did not rest for long. The next day at dawn, he summoned the remaining officials of Liangzhou to discuss countermeasures. Shen Suqin was also present.
"Your Highness, please tell me your plans first," Shen Suqin said.
Shi Ye did not feign reluctance and said directly, "'Save lives first, then food.' First, ensure the food and water supply for the disaster-stricken people. Water carts will be set up in the severely affected areas, with the cooperation of the Household Affairs Bureau, Water Affairs Bureau, and Grain Transport Bureau. The drinking water problem can be basically solved. As for the food problem, the 70,000 shi we brought can barely last for two days. I will send people to nearby prefectures and counties to purchase food in preparation for future troubles."
"Now the crops in the fields are beyond saving. When I came here, I saw that most of the land had cracked, the seedlings were withered, and only the roots were still green. But they can't hold on for long, so we can't count on them."
Shen Suqin listened quietly, and after she finished, she asked, "Do you have a map of Liangzhou?"
"Yes, yes." Someone hurriedly brought it over.
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