Chapter 280: Closing The Net
Xiao Yanci heard their words and only then realized that everything he had done these days had been under their surveillance.
Since they all knew what he had done, how could Su Rende possibly still be poisoned? Could it be that Su Rende’s poisoning was fake?
“Your father wasn’t poisoned at all, was he?”
“You’ll know soon enough,” Su Yaoguang said.
“Even so, I may not lose,” Xiao Yanci laughed heartily. “You father and daughter can control the chaos at the border, but what about the capital city? Those good-for-nothings in the court aren’t as tough as you father and daughter. We’ve already set the stage, just waiting for chaos in the court so we can take their place.”
“In the end, will it be you taking their place, or Prime Minister Wang? Xiao Yanci, after doing all this, making wedding clothes for others—don’t you have a problem with your brain?”
“I’m a descendant of a criminal. If exposed, how could that one in the imperial palace tolerate me? Sure enough, as soon as it was known I’m a descendant of a criminal, I was exiled. Since that’s the case, of course I’d pick a wise lord. Once he succeeds, I can soar to the skies with him.” Xiao Yanci looked at Su Yaoguang’s bright and beautiful face. “Yaoguang, we were husband and wife. We could have cooperated. Persuade your father, and let’s plan great things together. If General Su rises up, I’ll submit to him.”
“Xiao Yanci, how blind was I before to be deceived by you?” Su Yaoguang sneered. “But it’s not too late to open my eyes now. Since you’ve fallen into my hands, pay with your life for my mother!”
“You… what do you mean by that?” Xiao Yanci’s face changed drastically.
“My mother was so good to you, yet you sent people to harm her. Do you have any conscience?”
Xiao Yanci looked at her in shock and fear. “How did you know? I… I had long guessed you had memories from your previous life, and it turns out that’s true. But how did you know your mother’s death was related to me? I hid it so well; everyone who knew about it has long been silenced.”
“Heaven is merciful. It knew I was blinded by villains in my previous life and couldn’t die with my eyes closed, so it let me live again. It also gave me a revelation, letting me know that you carry my closest kin’s blood feud. Xiao Yanci, I won’t kill you, because I’ll make you wish you were dead.”
Xiao Yanci was captured and locked in the prison, handed over to the soldiers for strict guarding. To guard just him, they practically surrounded the place airtight.
The war at the border began to turn around.
Su Rende, who had been missing for a long time, reappeared, leading the troops to catch the enemy off guard. For half a month straight, news of various victories came in.
The enemy country side quieted down.
Su Rende didn’t dare to underestimate them and still kept strict guard at the border.
“Yaoguang, the war is more or less stabilized. Do you want to return to the capital city?” Zhang Zhaodi asked.
Su Yaoguang was unwilling to leave Zhang Zhaodi alone here and decided to stay a bit longer.
The enemy country side indeed didn’t stay quiet, harassing the border every few days. Not only that, they tried every means to assassinate Su Rende.
Su Yaoguang stood at the doorway of Zhang Zhaodi’s room, watching the assassin charging over. She swung the sabre in her hand, thrusting it toward that assassin.
Pfft! The assassin fell motionless.
There were still many assassins in the courtyard. Those assassins wanted to rush in and capture Zhang Zhaodi; even if they couldn’t capture her, capturing Su Yaoguang, the general’s daughter, would do. However, they never imagined that Su Rende’s daughter had inherited his innate divine strength, able to resist and fight the enemy without even using internal energy.
“Eldest daughter, are you alright?” The butler hurried over.
Su Yaoguang looked at the assassins who had been caught and said, “I’m fine. Interrogate them strictly and see if they have any accomplices in the city.”
“Eldest daughter…” Tong Rong ran in from outside. “Enemy troops have appeared at our city gate.”
“How many?” Su Yaoguang asked.
“Two or three thousand, I suppose! If it weren’t for the clever soldier guarding the city gate noticing something wrong and closing the gate, they might have already rushed in and started a massacre.”
“I’m worried this is just a portion; there might be more behind. These people coming outside our city are probably aiming to attack the city and distract my father. Immediately gather all the manpower in our city to meet the enemy together and deal with the ones outside; otherwise, we’ll be in great danger here.”
“Yes.”
The people from the yamen didn’t know how to kill the enemy. Upon hearing enemy troops had appeared, they were at a loss.
Su Yaoguang selected Tong Rong and a few other bold guards, having them lead the guards from the general’s mansion to the city gate.
“Immediately gather all the weapons in the city, and conscript throughout the whole city. Those willing to fight together will be rewarded twenty taels of silver each upon success; if sacrificed in resisting the enemy, consolation money of one hundred taels of silver. No restrictions on gender, as long as under fifteen and under fifty years old—count every one.”
Zhang Zhaodi stood in the courtyard, watching Su Yaoguang take charge.
She touched her belly, looking toward her with worry.
The butler said, “Madam, your task is to protect yourself well. The eldest daughter has inherited the Great General’s heroic fearlessness. With her in charge here, we’ll definitely get through this crisis.”
It was indeed a crisis.
Su Yaoguang had guessed right.
Earlier they said there were only two or three thousand, but by the time Su Yaoguang had gathered men and horses, five or six thousand had gathered at the city gate.
Those people had already begun attacking the city.
They brought all sorts of tools for climbing the walls and used bow and arrow to shoot the soldiers on the city wall.
Su Yaoguang rode on a warhorse and said to all the people in the city, “There’s a river outside the city; these enemy country’s mad dogs crossed from there. Their goal is clear: to take our place here to threaten the Great General and make him withdraw troops. Everyone, the Great General is leading the army to kill the enemy; we can’t be his burden. This is our battlefield, so let’s win this round ourselves and show our descendants that we who live at this border are none cowards.”
“Eldest daughter, we’ll listen to you.”
“I heard the eldest daughter repelled the assassins; she’s a heroine among women. We won’t disgrace you.” A middle-aged woman waved the hammer in her hand and said.
“Eldest daughter, you posted the notice saying both men and women can join, showing you appreciate and understand the strength of us women. Today, we’ll kill the enemy together with the eldest daughter.”
“Everyone, our city gate is tightly shut, easy to defend and hard to attack. As long as we unite as one, dealing with those petty scoundrels outside is no problem. Listen to me, and we’ll kill the enemy together.”
“Kill the enemy! Kill the enemy!”
“Those willing to kill the enemy with me, all go to the government office to register your information. Let’s get to work.”
Su Yaoguang stood on the city wall, directing the people in the city to boil water—scald the pigs.
The soldiers shot bow and arrow carrying torches, with oil on those torches, directly shooting the torches onto the enemies and instantly turning them into fireballs.
The enemy country people didn’t expect these ordinary people to dare counterattack, and even have someone directing them in battle, so they didn’t dare act rashly anymore and immediately withdrew a few kilometers.
