The night fell, and Chen Xiaobei felt no sleepiness. He stood on the city wall of Shuozhou, constantly gazing north.
As he walked, he dispatched scouts to gather information about Liu Rumei. There were at least three to four hundred scouts left within the territory of Da Tuo Kingdom, yet not a single one had returned.
Liu Ziming and Liu Ziliang, also worried about Liu Rumei, stood with Chen Xiaobei on the city wall, waiting.
Chen Xiaobei's actions deeply moved Zhao Guangzong, who ordered bonfires to be lit and prepared tea, snacks, and other provisions.
Chen Xiaobei could eat and drink at any time, using them to stave off hunger and cold.
They waited until daybreak when several horses appeared in the distance. The sentries on the wall cheered; the scouts had returned.
Chen Xiaobei quickly ordered the drawbridge to be lowered to let the scouts into the city. Several scouts ran up the city wall and knelt on one knee before Chen Xiaobei. "The entire bank of the Xiaoqing River is filled with soldiers from Da Tuo Kingdom. The Crown Prince of Da Tuo Kingdom, Qiao Na, is also guarding the Xiaoqing River. Miss Liu will likely not be able to cross the river for the time being."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaobei sighed.
He turned to look at Liu Ziming and Liu Ziliang beside him. "Can we send any more carrier pigeons?"
Liu Ziming sighed. "Reporting to son-in-law, all the carrier pigeons Miss brought have been used. We cannot contact them while they are on the move."
Hearing this news, Chen Xiaobei fell silent. At this moment, Liu Ziliang beside him spoke, "That's right, Miss has people from Centipede Ridge with her. Perhaps they have contact with Wannian City. We can ask them."
This immediately perked Chen Xiaobei up. "Quick, send a message to Wannian City immediately and ask if they have received any news."
At this time, in Wannian City, Princess Zhaoning received the message. Seeing that Liu Rumei was planning to disperse and hide temporarily, Princess Zhaoning felt a pang of sadness.
Princess Zhaoning knew very well that if Liu Rumei had not risked her life to raid Qingguang City, Qiao Na would not have retreated, and they would not have had a chance to turn the tide.
Emperor Xiao An also felt a great deal of distress after reading this memorial. However, in such times, with small detachments surrounded by the enemy, and a natural barrier like the Xiaoqing River separating them, even if he wanted to rescue them, he had no means to do so. Whether these people could return home would depend on luck.
Bai Han tentatively asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to inform Marquis Liu of this news?"
After a moment's thought, Xiao An nodded. "You personally go and inform Liu Xiangnan."
"It is not that I do not wish to rescue Liu Rumei, but I am truly powerless."
In the Duke of Protector's mansion.
Liu Xiangnan remained silent for a long time after listening to Bai Han's retelling.
It took the time of a stick of incense before he slightly shook his head. "Go back and thank the Emperor for me. Rumei has followed me on campaigns for many years; she will surely return alive."
After speaking, he glanced at Liu Kai beside him.
Liu Kai naturally understood and bowed to Bai Han. "Guard Bai, I will see you out."
In fact, Bai Han did not wish to stay any longer.
After all, the atmosphere was too oppressive.
Watching Bai Han leave, Liu Xiangnan's eyes welled up with tears. He thought of his second son, whom he had placed so much hope in, who had met an unfavorable end and was shot dead on Qingniu Mountain.
Liu Rumei was trapped in Da Tuo Kingdom, her fate unknown. This was the price he paid for serving the court. At this thought, he was filled with despair.
However, at this moment, despair was of no use. The most important thing was that there was no news of Chen Liu Rumei.
Another two days passed in the blink of an eye, and Chen Xiaobei received a reply from Wannian City.
Liu Rumei's last message stated that she would disperse and blend in with the local populace, waiting for an opportunity to return home. This gave Chen Xiaobei some comfort.
Liu Ziming seized the opportunity to persuade him. "Son-in-law, I think we should leave Shuozhou and return to Wannian City. If Miss returns from Da Tuo Kingdom, she will surely return to Wannian City first." Su Dan Novel Network
Chen Xiaobei thought this made sense after hearing this.
Liu Rumei was a person who understood propriety and prioritized the overall situation. If she returned from Da Tuo Kingdom, she would have to report back to the capital first.
With this in mind, Chen Xiaobei, along with Liu Ziming and Liu Ziliang, packed their belongings and returned to Wannian City.
Zhao Guangzong, leading his men, held firm in Shuozhou.
Meanwhile, Liu Rumei and Xiao Qing had gone into hiding in Da Tuo Kingdom. They disguised themselves as fleeing women and successfully found employment in a wealthy household, doing laundry and cooking.
Xiao Qing, accustomed to rough work, found it no different. However, it was a hardship for Liu Rumei, who had lived a life of luxury and was now washing clothes and cooking in the freezing winter with cold water. Nevertheless, the two of them had managed to settle down.
After a few days of turmoil, Qingguang City gradually calmed down. That evening, the Lotus Cult Leader and Shen Ziyan quietly reunited. In a few days, they had killed over a dozen high-ranking officials of Da Tuo Kingdom. Having caused enough trouble, it was time to withdraw.
After discussing their plan, the two, accompanied by Xiao Hua and Jasmine, quietly made their way to the east gate of Da Tuo Kingdom.
The soldiers guarding the gate, exhausted from their constant efforts over the past few days, had naturally become lax. Moreover, after guarding for so long without any sign of intruders, they had let their guard down.
The Lotus Cult Leader and Shen Ziyan gave a signal. They charged out of the darkness and attacked the city gate tower.
The soldiers on the wall could not withstand their assault. They were cut down like vegetables, with fifty to sixty men killed.
After enjoying themselves to their heart's content, the four of them leisurely tied ropes and descended from the gate tower, disappearing into the night.
Soon, Qiao Posen received the news that someone had scaled the wall and escaped.
Upon hearing this, he actually breathed a long sigh of relief.
This indicated that under his persistent search, the assassins had nowhere to hide and had left Qingguang City.
With the assassins gone, he and his ministers were safe.
After leaving Qingguang City, the Lotus Cult Leader and Shen Ziyan passed through the camp of Duo Bang outside the city and ran for dozens of miles. Once they were sure they were safe, they found a place to rest.
They had made thorough preparations for their escape from the city, bringing plenty of food and drink. As they lit a fire to eat, they discussed their next steps.
"I guess Miss Liu has already returned to the country. We should go back as soon as possible," the Lotus Cult Leader voiced his opinion.
Shen Ziyan nodded.
"Yes, Chu Han and the others are probably waiting impatiently. Let's hurry back and reunite with them."
While they were discussing, Qiao Posen received another report from Qiao Na by the river.
They had patrolled the riverbank for over ten days without finding any trace of the Da Cang Kingdom's soldiers.
At precisely this time, the soldiers responsible for the search sent a message. Two hundred miles from the Xiaoqing River, in a mountain gully, traces of a large group of people were found. Based on this, it was judged that the enemy had most likely escaped before their blockade of the Xiaoqing River was completed.
Liu Rumei and her companions never dreamed that their days of hiding in the small mountain gully would actually create a diversion for the enemy.