Chapter 147: Chapter 147: The people’s trust is lost, the city gate is damaged
She saw that a large hole had been broken in the city gate, and that hole was actually filled with the corpses of the soldiers defending the city!
Even more shocking was that these bodies were not even complete; some were missing heads, some arms and legs, bloodily stuffed in the city gate, countless terrifying and grim faces presented before her eyes, as if hell had reappeared.
This scene shattered Shang Ruyi’s spirit.
Beside her, Tushere couldn’t bear to look any longer and quickly closed his eyes and turned his head to one side.
"Young Madam?"
Just as she was in shock, Mu Xian came over with his men from the side, all of them carrying some injuries. Seeing Shang Ruyi, his expression was somewhat complex, but he still immediately stepped forward to salute, "Why has the Young Madam come here?"
"I came to have a look."
Shang Ruyi knew why he hesitated with his gaze, but dared not ask more, and at this time, she didn’t have the extra mind to explain.
After all, the place where the two of them stood was already a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
The living around them were dragging one body after another down, the stench of blood practically soaked through every inch of land and the city walls. In the distance, the wails of the wounded and the cries of the people resonated.
Shang Ruyi looked at the large hole in the city gate and said, "This is—"
Mu Xian also turned his head back and took a glance, his eyes full of sorrow. He said, "Last night, the gate was rammed into this large hole by the Turkic people. Seeing that they were about to invade, it was the soldiers defending the city— they rushed in and used their bodies to block this hole, thus preventing the tragedy of the city’s fall..."
As he spoke the last few words, even a man as staunch as he choked up.
Shang Ruyi’s eyes turned redder.
After saying those words, Mu Xian looked at the Young Madam in front of him, noticing that although her clothes were neat, she, like Tushere, had a lot of bloodstains on her body and hands. Tushere was holding two bottles of medicine and a roll of bandages.
Mu Xian asked, "Young Madam’s injuries—"
Shang Ruyi replied, "It’s no longer an issue."
Before Mu Xian could say anything, someone behind him said coldly, "The Young Madam has His Majesty the Emperor’s protection, naturally carefree."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi’s face immediately flushed with heat.
But Tushere couldn’t bear it, stepping forward immediately and saying coldly, "What do you mean by that? Our Miss’s injuries were acquired personally confronting those Turkic soldiers, what’s that got to do with the Emperor!"
The person wasn’t convinced, responded coldly, "Whether or not it’s related, just see whose wife is going around hugging and holding other men!"
"You—"
Seeing that both sides were about to argue, Shang Ruyi immediately said, "She’er, don’t speak."
Mu Xian also turned back and shouted, "Shut up!"
Shang Ruyi looked up again at those young men, each bearing wounds and even their clothes stained red with blood from who knows whom, their furious expressions showing distinct injustice— they were all personal soldiers following by Yu Wenye’s side, naturally defending him. Moreover, this time, indeed, she was at fault.
She thought for a moment, then earnestly said, "For this matter, I will give the Yuwen Family, give my husband an explanation."
"..."
"But not now."
Mu Xian frowned, "Young Madam?"
Shang Ruyi calmly said, "All of this must wait until we survive this calamity, so besides helping those wounded soldiers this time, I also want to see the situation here. Mu Xian, how long can this Yanmen City hold?"
Mu Xian was somewhat taken aback by her direct question.
But how should this question be answered?
As Mu Xian hesitated on how to reply, a team had already come up beside them, preparing to clear the corpses piled on the city wall and also repair the wall.
Seeing body after body being dug out, placed on old doorboards, and dragged one by one, those around couldn’t bear to look, and several old civilians took clean cloths to cover the damaged bodies.
Seeing the wooden boards being dragged past them, Shang Ruyi immediately stepped aside, hearing several soldiers clearing the battlefield passing by her, speaking softly—
"Fight, fight, when will this end?"
"Exactly, even if we fight desperately against the Turkic soldiers here, what use is it? Even if we win here, there’s still a battle in Liaodong."
"Yeah, the court doesn’t care if we live or die, why should we be so desperate?!"
Some supervising soldiers nearby heard these words and said loudly, "Stop talking nonsense, quickly move the bodies down and let them repair the gate. Once this gate is broken, the Turkic people won’t let it go easily; they’ll attack again at any time, hurry up!"
But those around were somewhat disheartened and discouraged, "If they attack, let them attack. Can such a gate still hold?"
Hearing these words, Shang Ruyi’s heart immediately sank.
Mu Xian and his men apparently heard them too, as his expression turned grave, looking at Shang Ruyi and saying, "Does the Young Madam still wish to ask that question?"
Shang Ruyi felt her breathing becoming somewhat tight.
She thought for a moment and said, "Really, it’s not possible?"
Mu Xian looked at the bodies being dragged away, then at the gradually exposed large hole in the city gate, his eyes filled with a look of despair, speaking softly:
"The city gate, instead of saying it’s a defensive fortress, should be said to be the fortress in the hearts of the soldiers defending the city. Once the gate breaks, many people’s mental fortresses have already been breached first."
"..."
"Moreover, this is indeed a broken hole, even if repaired, it will still be the weakest point of Yanmen City."
"..."
"With people’s hearts lost and the city gate damaged, does the Young Madam think we can withstand the next attack?"
Shang Ruyi’s heart felt like falling into an icehouse.
But she refused to accept it.
She refused to accept dying here, and even more refused to accept trading her life for something to rely on, yet in such a desolate environment, becoming the most insignificant bubble swept away by the tides of history, disappearing in this small Yanmen City.
She refused!
She gritted her teeth and said firmly, "I don’t believe there isn’t even a glimmer of hope!"
Mu Xian looked at her for a while, thought for a while, and said, "It’s not that there isn’t a glimmer at all."
"What is it?"
"Timing isn’t as important as geographical advantage, and geographical advantage isn’t as good as harmony among people."
"..."
"Sometimes, a complete city gate and a mighty army are not as good as a resolve to survive in people’s hearts."
"..."
"As long as people’s future still holds hope, who doesn’t want to live?"
"..."
"It just depends on whether this hope can be bestowed upon everyone."
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed in Shang Ruyi’s mind, as if she understood something, "You mean—"
Mu Xian glanced at Shang Ruyi again, with some contradiction in his eyes, but still said in a low voice, "The Young Madam’s matters, I dare not inquire too much. But since the Young Madam can be by His Majesty’s side, the Young Madam’s words can reach imperial ears, then some words, probably need a person like the Young Madam to express them."
"..."
Shang Ruyi’s breath slightly sank.
At this moment, she heard the words that Empress Jiang said to her yesterday alongside her ears.
The key is who can make His Majesty listen to them.
While her thoughts were in a chaotic flurry, suddenly, a loud shout came from the long street behind—
"The Emperor has arrived!"