Chapter 213: Chapter 208: Whoever moves, I’ll kill him!
"What?!"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback—how could this be possible?
Yu Wenye deserted on the battlefield?!
She immediately said, "Supervisor, please speak cautiously! My husband has been appointed by the court as the Assistant General to lead the expedition against Xingluo Granary this time. He has the responsibility; how could he possibly desert in battle?!"
Kou Junliang sneered and said, "Why is it impossible? Everything in this military camp is evidence."
Shang Ruyi was stunned and asked, "What do you mean?"
Kou Junliang said, "Yu Wenye was overambitious. He launched three unsuccessful campaigns against Xingluo Granary, losing soldiers and supplies, while wasting military provisions. Everyone, including myself, advised him to take a long-term view, but he not only ignored us but also underestimated the enemy’s strength, recklessly leading a unit to face the Wanggang Army head-on."
Shang Ruyi’s heart skipped a beat.
Yu Wenye launched another campaign?
The words spoken by Chu Yang at Tinghe Building were still fresh in her ears — if he initiated another military campaign and suffered losses again, the Emperor would punish him and could implicate the entire Yuwen Family!
Thinking of this, cold sweat dripped from Shang Ruyi’s forehead as she hoarsely asked, "Then, what was the outcome of the battle?"
Kou Junliang coldly glanced at her and said, "Outcome of the battle? There was no outcome."
"No outcome? What do you mean?"
"It means he took the military provisions and troops to the battlefield and then disappeared. Not only did he not return, but the troops he led out also never came back to the camp! Your husband, the court’s Assistant General, fled!"
"...!?"
Shang Ruyi was struck again, her mind buzzing.
Yu Wenye, fled?!
Shang Ruyi murmured, "How could it be...?"
Kou Junliang sneered, "Why is it impossible? He led twenty thousand troops into battle, with thousands already dead or wounded. Later, he led another ten thousand out, leaving me with fewer than a thousand. Now, he’s vanished, and so have the supplies. This is a grave crime of desertion!"
"..."
"I plan to report to the Emperor to charge him with a crime that will cause his entire family to be executed!"
Shang Ruyi felt cold all over as Kou Junliang’s words kept echoing in her ears, especially the words desertion and execution of the entire family, which hammered at the back of her mind, leaving her unable to think.
No wonder, no wonder she felt something was off when she entered the military camp—the people,
there were too few people in the camp.
She had been in camps with over ten thousand soldiers, and the atmosphere and scene were completely different from this one. This camp, though full of tents, fences, and patrolling soldiers, was obviously empty, not like the camp of ten thousand soldiers.
So, did Yu Wenye really leave with the troops?
But—desertion?
Would he do such a thing?
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Supervisor, be careful with your words."
"..."
"My husband is loyal to the court. He could not do something like desertion. There must be some other reason."
Kou Junliang sneered, "Do you still want to defend him? He lost battles multiple times before, enraging the Emperor, who already issued an oral reprimand to him. He was obviously guilty and knew he couldn’t conquer Xingluo Granary and feared being punished by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice upon his return. So, he simply took the troops and fled. Now, who knows which mountain hideout he has gone to become a bandit."
With that, he squinted at Shang Ruyi and said, "General’s wife—you can’t be called General’s wife now."
"..."
"Once I report it, you’ll become a criminal of implicated guilt!"
After he finished speaking, he suddenly shouted angrily, "Men, seize her!"
A brisk sound of footsteps was heard from behind. Shang Ruyi turned to see several Imperial Guard soldiers lifting the tent door and bursting in, each with a drawn sword headed straight for her.
Shang Ruyi’s heart tightened, and in a flash, she drew a dagger from her sleeve and rushed forward!
This sudden change caught not only Kou Junliang off guard but also the Imperial Guard soldiers who didn’t expect it. By the time they reacted, Shang Ruyi had sidestepped to stand behind Kou Junliang, one arm around his shoulder to hold him still, the other pressing the dagger against his throat, coldly saying, "Anyone moves, and I’ll kill him!"
"You, you—"
Kou Junliang was completely dumbfounded.
He had been relieved at Yu Wenye’s desertion, thinking he no longer needed to plot to put him to death. In his satisfaction, he had heard that Yu Wenye’s wife had come and felt even more in control, not taking care to guard against her, assuming that a pampered lady could surely be under his control.
Little did he expect that this General’s wife would be so fierce, pulling a knife on him so directly.
He shouted, "You, do you dare harm me?"
Shang Ruyi coldly laughed, "What won’t I dare? You’ve judged without trial, executed without crime, should I still be courteous to you?"
After speaking, her hand tightened, and the blade immediately cut a bloody gash on Kou Junliang’s neck.
This scared Kou Junliang out of his wits, and he hurriedly said, "No, don’t kill me!"
Several Imperial Guard soldiers shouted, "Supervisor!"
"You, you wench, let go of the supervisor!"
"Or we won’t be polite to you!"
Seeing the steel blades in their hands already aimed at her, despite being in this tent filled with braziers, as hot as midsummer, there was still a chill in the air, but Shang Ruyi instead became calm, exuding a fierce aura that made those Imperial Guard soldiers dare not approach. She said in a deep voice, "Get back, if anyone dares to come forward, I’ll bleed your supervisor!"
"You—"
Though the Imperial Guards were brave, after all, Kou Junliang had a special status, so they didn’t dare act rashly.
For a moment, the two sides were at a stalemate.
Seeing their hesitation, Shang Ruyi sneered and moved closer to Kou Junliang’s ear, saying, "Make them back off."
"I—"
Kou Junliang hesitated, but Shang Ruyi tightened her grip, the knife cut another inch into his skin. Though it was only a small sting, it frightened him into letting out a cry, hastily saying, "All, all of you back off—don’t kill me, don’t kill me!"
The Imperial Guards had no choice but to retreat, and Shang Ruyi dragged Kou Junliang, step by step, out of the tent.
Once outside, the other soldiers along the riverbank saw what was happening and surrounded them.
"Supervisor!"
"What’s going on? Isn’t she the general’s wife?"
"Don’t do anything rash!"
Noise filled the military camp, and Shang Ruyi’s head was a bit dizzy from the uproar, coupled with the intense heat inside the tent, but upon stepping out, the cold wind cut through her like steel, causing her body to involuntarily stiffen.
At the very moment her body stiffened from the cold, a quick-eyed Imperial Guard nearby suddenly rushed forward and knocked the dagger from her hand.
"Ah!"
Feeling a sharp pain in her wrist, Shang Ruyi cried out in agony, unprepared, and Kou Junliang, already terrified, fell to the ground, scrambling to distance himself from her.
Immediately, several Imperial Guards surrounded her, and as soon as Shang Ruyi lifted her head, several steel blades pressed against her neck.
The chill of the blades was even worse than the cold wind!
Shang Ruyi stood there helpless, her body frozen, her heart feeling as though it had fallen into an ice-cold abyss.
It’s over.
Yu Wenye’s whereabouts are unknown, and she came here without even getting to see him, only to fall into Kou Junliang’s hands; even her recent actions—there’s fear he won’t let her off easily.
Sure enough, Kou Junliang crawled a few zhang away, completely distancing himself from Shang Ruyi. With people still guarding him, he managed to stand up with support, reaching up to touch his neck, coming away with a hand full of blood. Enraged, he pointed at Shang Ruyi and roared, "Kill her for me!"
Although the Imperial Guards had their blades at her throat, upon hearing these words, they hesitated a bit.
After all, she is the wife of the Assistant General.
Even though she attempted to hold Kou Junliang hostage, now that he is out of danger, killing her would be hard to justify later, especially—
Having heard some unspeakable rumors while walking through the palace, they knew, during the last northern tour, His Majesty the Emperor had been very close with Young Madam Yu Wen. It was even said that amidst the chaos of war, the Emperor personally carried the injured Young Madam back to be treated.
If she truly holds such importance to His Majesty, killing her here would inevitably offend the Emperor?
Thinking this through, they hesitated to act.
But Kou Junliang had already lost his mind with fury, and since this woman is Yu Wenye’s wife, she mustn’t be left alive, so he bellowed, "Why aren’t you acting? This supervisor was appointed by the Emperor himself, her assassination attempt on me is treason. Kill her, and I’ll take full responsibility for whatever happens!"
Hearing his insistence, the Imperial Guards wavered.
After all, they were under Kou Junliang’s command on this expedition. Since he claimed responsibility for the consequences, they had less reason to hesitate.
One of them, steeling his heart, raised his blade against Shang Ruyi!
Seeing the bright steel blade already targeting her, Shang Ruyi felt utter despair, coupled with a flood of reluctance surging through her heart—she once thought she had changed her fate, avoiding a nightmarish life, yet unexpectedly, she ended up here.
But no matter what, she had already saved her family.
Uncle, aunty, and Wuzheng who accompanied them.
And—
That stern face flashed in her mind, making her heart tremble uncontrollably, mixed with a trace of reluctance she refused to admit.
Had he truly escaped? Fled in the face of battle?
But now, the answer was no longer important, feeling the blade’s metallic smell approaching her face, she realized she had reached the end.
Subconsciously, she closed her eyes, bracing for the final moment.