Chapter 82: The Difficulty of Traveling (Part 3)
Before daybreak, the patriarchs of the Qin and Wei clans, along with a large group of clan members and common people, stood at the city gate to confront Qin Jixun and Wei Dechang.
"Master, do you want to interfere with Yongzhou's military affairs?"
Qin Jixun said coldly.
"How dare an old man like me interfere with General Qin's military affairs?" The old patriarch of the Qin family leaned on his crutches and spoke tremblingly, "I just want to ask you, General, who are you going to let into the city?"
Qin Jixun knew the intentions of the two clan leaders. He raised his cold eyes and moved his dark beard. "If you take your people back now, I will not punish you."
"Punishment?"
The patriarch of the Wei family was more righteous than Qin Jixun's great-uncle. "Everyone knows that you, General Qin, are ruthless and impartial. When you changed the customs, you punished your Qin family members. Now, even when facing your great-uncle, you are merciless!"
There was undisguised sarcasm in the words.
"grandfather."
Wei Dechang frowned and signaled him not to say anything more.
The head of the Wei family stared at him, "Achang, tell me, who are you going to let into the city?"
"Yang Tianzhe, but he..."
Wei Dechang was interrupted by the head of the Wei family before he finished speaking. "Did you all hear that? Yang Tianzhe, who is that? Yang Tianzhe, who committed treason sixteen years ago because of his father's crime!"
As soon as he raised his voice, there was a buzz of discussion around him.
"Achang, have you forgotten that you just told me who killed your son Azhan?" The head of the Wei family looked around and then fixed his eyes on Wei Dechang.
"I was deceived at that time, Grandfather, please don't say anything more."
"Who dares to deceive you?"
Wei Dechang was about to open his mouth, but saw Qin Jixun beside him raising his hand to stop him, so he had to swallow the words that were about to come out.
Now that they are planning to make a big fuss about Song Song's death, they naturally cannot reveal the inside story to more people at this time.
"If you can't explain it, then you are just blindly trusting people?" The head of the Wei family hinted at something.
When the head of the Qin family heard this, his eyes narrowed immediately, "What do you mean by this? Dechang and Jixun have been sworn brothers for many years. Could it be that Jixun would deceive Dechang? Ask him to let go of the hatred of killing his son and welcome a traitor into the city?"
"That's not what I meant. Whether it's our two clans or the people of Yongzhou today, few of them have not suffered a great disaster sixteen years ago. Back then, the Hu people came with great force, burning, killing and looting. Dechang's father, as well as your general Qin's father and brother, all died miserably, with their bones burned to the point that they could not even be found. Half of this Yongzhou city was burned down back then, and so many people died..."
When Chief Wei said this, his throat felt dry. The sky here was dark grey, and the noise gradually faded away, and everyone was almost silent.
"In the past, Yang Tianzhe's father, Yang Ming, was born afraid of death. When facing a powerful enemy, he wanted to abandon the city and flee, but was killed by Miao Tianning, the Miao commander. How come Yang Tianzhe could come back when he wanted to after 16 years of surrendering to the enemy?"
Chief Wei slammed his cane on the ground. "If we let him enter the city today, how will we face our deceased relatives in the future?!"
"We can't let him enter the city!"
"Who knows what he is thinking? Since he has become a lackey of the Hu people, why would he come back?"
More and more voices emerged, and all kinds of speculations came one after another.
The old patriarch of the Qin family said nothing, with his hands on the crutches to support his hunched body. He just stared at Qin Jixun calmly with a pair of cloudy eyes.
Ni Su was on the city wall, listening to the noisy voices below. More and more people from Yongzhou gathered here, shouting angrily, "Yang Tianzhe cannot be allowed to enter the city."
"Our Yongzhou army is about to retreat into the city. Can we still leave Yang Tianzhe's rebel army outside the city? If so, what should Yang Tianzhe and his men think?"
Duan Rong stood with her, watched the movement below, and sighed.
"Do they dare not obey General Qin's military orders?"
Ni Su, holding her left shoulder, wearing a man's scarlet robe and a neat bun, looked down.
"In Yongzhou, these two clans are the most remarkable. Some of the people around here are tenants who rely on them for their livelihood, and some are hired as helpers. These two clans have helped poor families over the years. These two clan leaders are both highly respected people. When the Hu people attacked Yongzhou, many people fled, but these two led the entire clan to defend the place. When the army was short of food, they opened the warehouses and put their own food. This allowed General Miao and the city defenders to hold out for several days under the fierce attack of the Hu people."
Duan Rong pointed his finger back and forth on the city wall. "After the battle to defend Yongzhou, the money allocated by the court was not enough, so it was these two clan leaders who contributed money and effort to repair the other half of the damaged city wall."
Ni Su looked in the direction he pointed and saw that the brick walls on both sides were indeed of different ages.
"The general actually respects his uncle very much,"
Duan Rong continued to talk to himself, "But ever since the general insisted on breaking the old customs, there has been little talk between him and his uncle."
"Why?"
When Ni Su heard him mention the old customs, she turned and looked at him.
"It's a century-old custom, and the locals don't think it's bad. Who dares to comment on it? Only that one person." Duan Rong raised his chin.
"You mean..."
"Xu Hexue."
Duan Rong easily said the name engraved on the broken stele of Sangqiu, "It was him who, regardless of the power of the Qin and Wei clans, issued a decree to abolish the old customs here. Anyone who dared to provoke or commit the same offense again was severely punished by him. Many of those punished were children of the Qin and Wei clans."
"If it weren't for this, even if Xu Hexue was sentenced to death, he wouldn't have to accept the punishment that has long been abolished. If the general continues to use his military order, isn't that going against the clan?"
Duan Rong kept on talking, but Ni Su's head was buzzing because of his words. The cold wind was howling on the city wall. She paused for a moment, then suddenly looked down.
She was so cold that she could hardly stand and staggered back a few steps.
"Miss Ni?"
Duan Rong quickly reached out to help.
Xu Hexue was talking to someone a few stone steps away. Hearing Duan Rong's exclamation, he walked over with his clothes lifted up and saw Duan Rong holding Ni Su's elbow firmly.
A long scarf covered Xu Hexue's face. His eyes were fixed on Duan Rong's hands. His expression was cold and calm, but he walked up to her without hesitation.
"Ni Su."
Ni Su actually didn't notice when Duan Rong held her elbow and when he let go. Only his voice brought her back to her senses from her sharp and chaotic thoughts.
Ni Su looked at him.
Jiang Xianming was appointed as the governor of Yongzhou in a time of crisis. He followed the will of the people and executed the traitor Xu Hexue by slow slicing.
In the bustling streets, wherever Jiang Xianming's good reputation is praised, the notoriety of the traitorous general Xu Hexue is spread.
But what exactly was the public opinion that Jiang Xianming followed?
It's like today, when the patriarch of two big families waved his arm and millions of vassals flocked to him...is this the so-called public opinion?
Xu Hexue saw that her face was pale and thought that the injury on her shoulder was very painful. He was about to say something, but unexpectedly her hand suddenly reached out and held his hand.
Her palms were warm, contrasting with his coldness, and her fingers were getting tighter and tighter. Xu Hexue noticed that she was trembling slightly.
"I, Yang Tianzhe, don't have to enter the city for the time being!"
Suddenly, a voice came from under the city wall and outside the city gate.
Duan Rong immediately ran to the other side of the city wall, and sure enough, he saw Yang Tianzhe standing outside the wall, still in armor. He was tall, with dark stubble on his chin.
"When I was young, I defected to the Danqiu royal court because of a moment of anger," he said, and suddenly bent his knees, and knelt heavily in front of everyone. "I feel guilty towards my king and father, and I also feel guilty towards all of you, the people of Yongzhou. I can temporarily not enter the city, and the rebels under my command can also temporarily stay outside the city with me, but I ask General Qin, please, please allow the elderly, weak, women and children I brought back to the city to settle down!"
The old, weak, women and children he mentioned were following not far behind him, protected by the soldiers, each one in ragged clothes, and timidly approaching the city gate.
There was silence inside the city gate for a while.
"Can't trust him!"
"Who knows what his intentions are? Among the people he brought back, there are spies he has planted! If these people enter Yongzhou City, who knows what kind of trouble we will encounter!"
Someone took the lead, and it was like a rock hitting the water, causing waves.
"General Qin! You have been guarding Yongzhou City very well over the years. We all remember your kindness, but this man is really untrustworthy!"
"Yes, General Qin!"
Seeing more and more voices like this, the patriarchs of the Qin and Wei families remained silent.
The old, weak, women and children who were protected by the rebel soldiers did not dare to move forward for a while. They huddled together, buried their heads, confused and embarrassed.
Yang Tianzhe closed his eyes, his cracked lips moved, and he knelt there dejectedly, unable to make any sound.
"Among you, don't you have relatives who have not returned from the Thirteen States?" Qin Jixun raised his chin and glanced at the people in front of him. "This general has built a tent for them to stay in just a small space inside the city gate. Do you want to stop them?"
On the top of the city wall, Ni Su suddenly pulled Xu Hexue down to the stone steps. She walked in a hurry and noticed that Xu Hexue was unable to keep up. She thought of his injuries and slowed down a lot.
"After the tent is set up here, I will send people to guard it. Anyone who dares to interfere with military affairs will be punished!"
Ni Su was walking down the city wall with Xu Hexue when they heard Qin Jixun's military order. There was a commotion outside the city gate. Ni Su turned around and saw a haggard woman kneeling on the ground, holding her slightly bulging belly. Her face was as pale as gold paper.
"General Qin, if you need to build a felt tent, please build one as soon as possible."
Ni Su immediately said to Qin Jixun.
Qin Jixun took a look outside, then asked someone to quickly prepare the tent, and waved to Duan Rong to bring the woman in. The woman knelt down in front of Duan Rong, grabbed his clothes, and begged, "Sir, please give me a bowl of medicine!"
Her sleeves were rolled back, revealing a prominent tattoo on her arm.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she clutched her sleeves tightly in panic, trembling all over, not daring to meet the gazes of anyone here.
"She is a Hu person..."
There were a lot of people whispering.
Only the Danqiu Hu people would tattoo on the arms of military prostitutes.
So many eyes seemed to torture every inch of the woman's flesh and blood. Tears kept falling from her eyelids, but she heard a clear female voice: "After the tent is built, is there any lady willing to help me?"
The patriarch of the Wei family turned around and glanced at the crowd. The crowd was silent and no one spoke for a while. He turned around and looked at the young woman dressed as a man with an expressionless face.
Beside her was a young man with his face covered with a long scarf.
"I remember that Yongzhou had an old custom to restrict women. Apart from the seven reasons for divorce, they could also ignore the law and deal with the matter privately," Ni Su let everyone look at her at will. "Later, a law was issued to abolish this custom. I want to ask you ladies, are you happy or unhappy?"
"What nonsense are you talking about, woman?"
The head of the Wei family shouted sharply.
Although the old patriarch of the Qin family did not speak, he lifted his sagging eyelids and stared at Ni Su.
Ni Su looked at the two of them and couldn't help but hold the hand of the person next to her tightly. She led him forward and said, "In the past, all the actions of women here, whether right or wrong, were decided by the elders. You ladies should know best what it means to be helpless."
“When Yongzhou City was about to fall, half of the women in the city sacrificed their lives for the cause. They were the most chaste and brave!” A young man from the Qin family was dressed in a tattered shirt and looked like an educated man.
He made no effort to conceal his contempt for the woman.
"You're so proud."
Ni Su stared at him and sneered, "Then I sincerely wish that in your next life, you will be born as a woman in Yongzhou. I think there will be a time for you to sacrifice your life for the sake of loyalty."
She was rarely so angry that her words were so harsh. Xu Hexue couldn't help but turn her head and look at her.
"you!"
The young man's face turned red and white.
"Miss Ni, let me help you..."
A thin female voice sounded from the crowd. Ni Su followed the gazes of the crowd and saw that it was the young woman who had had her abortion aborted by Song Song's personal soldiers.
Facing all the unpredictable looks, she mustered up her courage, let go of the hand of the man beside her, walked to Ni Su's side, and looked at the skinny woman kneeling in front of Duan Rong, "If it weren't for you, I would have..."
Just like that woman, she and the other women who were sent out of the city that day will be tattooed with humiliating words, become playthings in the Hu people's tents, and live a life worse than death.
Before she finished speaking, another woman in the crowd hesitated and walked out.
Most of them were the ones who were sent to Suchile’s army along with Ni Su that day.
"I don't know anything, but if you need me, I can help."
"I'll help, too."
…
They stood up one by one, as if they had used up all their courage just to get to Ni Su's side. They didn't even dare to look up at the two clan leaders, Qin and Wei, or the people behind them.
"Yongzhou's laws have already been passed. Anyone who dares to accuse a woman of a clan without reason shall be put to death."
Xu Hexue spoke in a calm voice.
This statement not only reminded the patriarchs of the Qin and Wei clans, but also made the frightened women around Ni Su feel more at ease.
Although the old patriarch of the Qin family did not seem to have changed his expression, his gray beard trembled, and he looked deeply at Ni Su with a slight smile that did not reach his eyes, "Young lady, you are very eloquent, but I wonder if your ability can save people or harm them?"
Ni Su stood in front of the old patriarch Qin, "If I harm someone, I will pay with my life. Old patriarch, do you dare?"
Do you dare to admit that behind the so-called surging public opinion is actually your two tribes' personal revenge against one person?
Do you dare to return the one hundred and thirty-six blows inflicted on an innocent soul?
