Chapter 1163: 1157: Understanding 12

Chapter 1163: Chapter 1157: Understanding 12

As the lieutenant gave the order, the soldiers shivering on the city wall suddenly tightened their backs, each drawing their bows aiming into the distance.

In the darkness, a team could be seen, accompanying a simple carriage with a lantern hung from its corners, racing towards them.

“Open the gates quickly!”

The guard leading the way, clad in tight gear and riding a dark horse, reined in and shouted: “Inside the carriage is the daughter of the Governor of Suining City, the niece of General Ye! Suining City has been captured, Zhou has already captured our Empress of Xiliang, the governor’s daughter risked her life to escape and deliver this news! Please, General Ye, open the gates!”

Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper next to the lieutenant quickly looked at the latter: “General? Should we report to General Ye?”

The lieutenant observed the carriage, bit his lip, and after some time said: “Open the gate! Although since the old general passed away, the Bai family matron has never returned to Yecheng Pass, she is still the niece of General Ye! Now that Suining City has fallen, this lady of the Bai family risked her life to tell us the Empress has been captured, matters of military importance cannot be delayed! Open a crack… let the Bai family lady in, I’ll take her to see the general, the rest stay outside, if there is any movement, shoot immediately!”

Once, the old general made them father and son swear to God to take care of Ye Yingnan; all these years, Ye Yingnan never came to them, yet now Ye Yingnan’s daughter is downstairs, even knowing it might violate military orders, he still had to reach out, but it was limited to this young lady alone.

“But General Ye has ordered, without a token don’t open the gates!”

“Send someone to inform General Ye! Tell him it was I who said so… open a crack, let the Bai family lady in!” said the lieutenant.

“General!” The gatekeeper kneeled on one knee, “I could never disobey orders! I will send someone to report to the general urgently, it won’t delay long! I ask the general to wait a moment!”

Having said this, the gatekeeper turned to his subordinate, saying: “Hurry! Inform the general!”

The lieutenant gripped his sword hilt, slapped the city wall, and said: “Forget it, I’ll go! Tell the Bai family lady to wait, I’ll report this, be right back!”

Having finished, the lieutenant turned and walked down the wall.

General Ye holds a deep-seated hatred towards Ye Yingnan and her mother. If upon hearing it’s Ye Yingnan’s daughter, he refuses entry, wouldn’t that be terrible!

If he goes to say it, and General Ye doesn’t allow the Bai family lady entry, he can still persuade him. If someone else goes… the general might outright refuse, and this lady wouldn’t be able to enter the city, probably becoming a victim to Zhou’s blade.

Soon, the lieutenant conveyed the message to Ye Shouguan.

With a defined jawline, a face covered in stubble, Draped in a cloak, and seated before a fire, Ye Shouguan’s face was tense. Upon hearing Ye Yingnan’s name, a murderous intent flickered; yet disaster did not encompass descendants, for Ye Yingnan and her vile mother were one thing, children were another, Ye Shouguan wasn’t so uncompromising as to reject a child.

It was just that, at such a critical time, he had never seen Ye Yingnan’s daughter, what if it was a deception from Zhou…

The lieutenant observed Ye Shouguan’s prolonged silence, leaned in closer and said: “The main issue now is that the Empress has been captured by Zhou’s forces; fearing this Bai family lady might carry news of the Empress’s situation, I suggest we make the guards who escorted the lady to Ye Shoucheng retreat, forbid any movement, let the lady enter alone! Otherwise, execute them all!”

Ye Shouguan’s face flickered with firelight, he nodded: “Do as you suggest, let the lady enter first… bring her to see me!”

“Yes!” The lieutenant rose, saluted with folded fists, turned, and hurried out.

Sima Ruodan sat in the carriage; her palms tightly clenched the hem of her clothing, tugging at her hair and already torn clothes, trying to steady her breathing…

Soon, from atop the city wall, someone shouted loudly: “All you guards, retreat ten feet! Let the lady dismount alone! Do not make any movement, or face the consequence of unseeing blade and arrow.”

Hearing this, Sima Ruodan abruptly lifted her head; this meant… she could only enter the city alone!

The Bai family guard looked at one another; they bore wounds to make the act real.

“General, we brothers are injured from protecting the lady, may we enter the city for medical attention?” Bai family soldiers shouted up loudly.

The lieutenant too was not heartless and shouted back: “I will bring medicine out for you, but… until the Bai family lady’s identity is confirmed, you cannot enter! Special times require understanding!”

Upon hearing this from the lieutenant on the city wall, the Bai family soldiers reluctantly turned their horses, quietly speaking to Sima Ruodan inside the carriage: “Lady, we will wait for you outside the city!”

Sima Ruodan was already anxious, and now even more so, she raised her hand to lift the carriage curtain, gazing at the Bai family brothers, who nodded gently urging her to be at ease.

Only then did Sima Ruodan nod.

Seeing the guards accompanying the carriage retreat, the gate gradually opened a crack. The lieutenant led armed archers from inside, archers on the wall aimed towards the Bai family guards from afar, archers brought by the lieutenant aimed towards the carriage…

The lieutenant stopped not far from the carriage, thumb on the blade hilt, vigilantly eyed the carriage, shouting: “Lady, please dismount!”

Sima Ruodan felt her back tightening, her delicate voice trembled with survival: “General, my clothes are torn… may I have a cloak?”

Upon hearing her request, the lieutenant became more guarded, removing his cloak, he signaled the archers to be cautious, then approached with his blade to pass the cloak into the carriage.

A slender, trembling white hand reached out from inside the curtain, marked with scratches, took the cloak from the blade. Shortly, she tightly wrapped herself in the cloak and stepped off the carriage…

Looking up, a gentle, tear-streaked, hair in disarray with dried leaves, delicate young woman emerged from the carriage, hands tightly wrapped inside the cloak, she saluted the lieutenant: “Thank you, General!”

“Lady, this is…” The lieutenant thought perhaps Ye Yingnan’s daughter had suffered abuse.

“Fleeing was too frantic, it’s my fault… since childhood I couldn’t shoulder or carry, even burdened the guards.” Sima Ruodan mimicked Ye Yingnan’s daughter, bowing her head.

“Lady, enter the city, the general wishes to see you!” said the lieutenant.

Sima Ruodan nodded repeatedly: “I wish to see uncle too!”

Soon, Sima Ruodan, disheveled and wearied, was escorted into the city. The lieutenant also had soldiers place medicine for the Bai family soldiers outside the gate, even left some food and clean water.