The Slender Waist-Chapter 231 - 164 - Sudden Change

The red drapery still carried the fragrance of the wedding; the air in the room was thick with the atmosphere of the grand occasion.

But it couldn’t dispel fear. The neighing of warhorses, the fluttering of banners, the shouts of soldiers, the lamentations of the civilians—Bingzhou City, on the verge of being devoured by the rebel forces, pushed the emotion of terror to its peak on this day of the winter solstice.

"What to do about the young lady, what to do?"

Daman and Xiaoman’s faces had gone pale with tension.

"What’s the panic?" Feng Yun’s fingers were a bit cold as she clenched them slightly, "Does fear of death serve any purpose?"

The servant girls fell silent.

Seeing this, Ye Chuang said, "We should not delay any further; let’s set out at once."

He feared it would be too late if they waited any longer.

Feng Yun hesitated only for an instant before she gave a faint nod of agreement.

"Alright."

At this moment, she had almost fully grasped the intricacies of the situation.

The betrayal by the three men, Han Chuhu, was to show Xiao Cheng, and the Red Armor Army hadn’t been wiped out completely; in fact, they had occupied Hongye Valley all along, staunchly defending the passage between Bingzhou and Xinzhou. Pei Jue wasn’t completely trapped without a way out; what he sought was to draw out Xiao Cheng’s main force from Hengqu Pass for battle. Because Hengqu Pass had its natural defences and was easy to defend but difficult to attack, if Pei Jue were to assault Hengqu Pass, he would face the same problem Xiao Cheng is facing now.

Unable to consume the Qi Army, unable to significantly harm Xiao Cheng, Pei Jue would be like a fishbone stuck in the throat, constrained by it.

That’s why he had devised this plan.

However, man’s calculations are no match for Heaven’s.

Han Chuhu’s trio feigned defection, but Deng Guang truly defected.

At this moment, Pei Jue, who had left the city to confront the enemy, wouldn’t have expected a fire in his own backyard...

Feng Yun asked Daman to pack up the valuables in the house, put her own sandalwood chest on the carriage, and then had Xiaoman go to notify Wen Xingsu. She also brought Xiao Rong out from the room to stuff her into the carriage as well.

The sky was bleak, crows flew past, dark and somber as if they carried an aura of killing intent.

At the entrance of the Camp Villa, the guards stood ready for battle.

It wasn’t long before Wen Xingsu arrived with his people. He had a retinue of servants and guards numbering around a dozen, in addition to Shentu Jiong and Yang Qi with their attendants. With over twenty people on Feng Yun’s side as well, they formed a small but combat-capable team.

Feng Yun briefly explained the critical points to Wen Xingsu in just a few sentences.

"Big brother, please get on the carriage."

She remembered that Wen Xingsu’s leg had not yet fully healed.

However, Wen Xingsu that night had donned a martial outfit and did not keep Zhanjiao sheathed; instead, he wore it at his waist, gave a slight bow to Ye Chuang and the others, then mounted his warhorse. Standing at the pitch-black entrance of the Villa, he was upright, his face stern.

"Has Sister Yun forgotten? I, too, am a man of the military."

Feng Yun smiled and turned to board the carriage.

Xiao Rong was in a state of panic having been locked up for days and suddenly pulled out by Feng Yun, she was helpless and fearful, revealing a look of terror at the sight of Feng Yun boarding the carriage.

"Feng Family’s Ayun...where are you taking me?"

The Princess had already changed her tone; the arrogance from the day she was captured had vanished from her face without a trace.

Yet, the stubbornness deep in her bones was still there, biting her lip, and even though tears swirled in her dark eyes, she refused to let them fall.

Feng Yun glanced at her, "Use you as a hostage, to trade for grain. If the trade fails, then we’ll just eat you."

Xiao Rong, aware of the Qi Army’s siege, showed visible panic on her face, "You... are you taking me to see the Emperor, my brother?"

Feng Yun gave her a glance but said little else.

"Move."

Xiao Rong was badly frightened by her, her hands bound, she stretched her neck to look outside.

"Wen Big Brother!"

Feng Yun pressed her lips tightly and pulled the carriage curtain down.

Xiao Rong’s voice immediately took on a crying tone.

"You wretched woman, what exactly do you intend to do..."

Feng Yun remained silent. Only after the carriage began to move did she softly chuckle.

"What can I do with you? Xiao Rong, look at yourself. What value do you possess? The letter I wrote to your Emperor brother, he must have received it by now, but has he devised a plan to save you? Knowing full well you’re trapped in Bingzhou, he still assaults the city with a large army, never once considering your safety."

Those cold, piercing eyes fixed on Xiao Rong again, with a scornful smile.

"So, what do you think you can achieve?"

Xiao Rong’s lips trembled uncontrollably, unable to utter a word.

But Feng Yun was unhurried as she lightly smoothed out the wrinkles on her knees, speaking casually.

"The Princess thinks too highly of herself. In my eyes, you are nothing but a grain-consuming weevil, utterly useless."

All the hardships Xiao Rong had endured in her lifetime seemed to have come after she was captured by Feng Yun. Stung by Feng Yun’s words, she trembled violently, slumping down in anguish, her eyes tightly shut as she wept silently.

Feng Yun cast a glance at her, expressionless, and turned to look at the streets through the carriage curtain.

Those words were meant for Xiao Rong to hear.

They were also meant for herself to hear.

Don’t overestimate your own importance; in the eyes of others, she was not that significant. When the stakes were high enough, anyone could be sacrificed. This was especially true for women in times of war; their lives were as disposable as grass.