Chapter 1518 - 1516: She Is the Spy
Chapter 1518: Chapter 1516: She Is the Spy
Chapter 1516
The city is desolate, but there are heavy guards stationed at the city gate.
The fierce northern wind sweeps through continuously.
On the originally empty official road, a figure suddenly appears.
Through the leaves blown wildly by the wind, the soldiers can vaguely make out that it’s a woman.
They immediately become alert, staring solemnly at the woman, with a slight murmur in their hearts.
’Guangnan is such a small area! The victims of the disaster have either reached the city or have already met their demise! How could a commoner appear at this time?’
’It shouldn’t be a commoner; perhaps someone with other intentions?’
’Could it be another conspiracy?’
Thinking this way, the soldiers at the city gate grip their shiny spears and swords tightly.
Just waiting for the woman to approach so they can interrogate her thoroughly.
If she is indeed a victim of the disaster, it’s fine; if not...
The cruelty in their eyes faintly appears.
’The Emperor’s disappearance is all thanks to the Southern Ocean Kingdom, how could this not be a spy sent by another country to cause trouble?’
’Maybe... she’s colluding with the Southern Ocean Kingdom.’
As they ponder, the woman gradually approaches.
The gatekeeper soldiers have already stepped forward to question her sternly.
"Where are you from? Who are you?"
The woman is wearing a gray old cotton robe, with the collar and sleeves worn out, gray-white cotton weaving falling out from inside.
Her complexion is poor, looking very weak, her lips are pale, her eyes somewhat bewildered.
"Please have mercy, sirs, I’m a commoner from outside the city!"
"My husband is sick and bedridden at home, I, an old woman, can’t move him easily, there’s no food at home, I heard there’s relief food in the city, I want to bring back some, please have mercy, sirs!"
She trembles as she finishes speaking, extending her withered hand to slip a string of copper coins to the leading officer.
The surrounding soldiers laugh mockingly.
"We’ve searched several times, there’s no one outside the city, where did you actually come from?"
The woman quickly kneels down.
"Upright and Just Official, my family is not fishermen, nor in the fishing village, we live on the mountain, my husband and I have long been farming for a living, raising some chickens, ducks, and geese in leisure times!"
"We live on the mountain right nearby, if you don’t believe me, you can go and see, my husband’s health is too weak to move, the food at home is finished, and we..."
As she speaks, tears well up, kneeling on the ground, knocking her head continuously.
The soldiers still don’t believe her, mocking.
"On the mountain? Oh! So your family is quite safe!"
"But didn’t you know? Recently, Guangnan has had violent wind and rain, most mountains show signs of landslides, mountain residents have already evacuated!"
Those who couldn’t evacuate in time and had poor luck have already met their demise.
This matter is a pain for the Imperial Court, a pain for the Great Chu, and yet people try to fool around?
"Who are you really? If you don’t speak the truth, I’ll kill you!"
With loopholes in her words, she hardly seems like a citizen of Great Chu, more like... an enemy spy.
The gatekeeping soldiers are tough cookies, holding spears and swords aimed at her, looking fierce.
The woman is terrified, shaking her body.
"Please calm down, officers, please calm down, we also want to evacuate, but my husband really isn’t physically capable!"
"He’s bedridden and can’t move, we really have no way!"
"Told you before we searched extensively, you’re lying, don’t even check the place!"
Seeing her stubbornly cling to her excuse and unwilling to let go, the soldiers no longer want to waste words, thrusting their long spears forward.
"Hold on!"
The officer who accepted the copper coins suddenly shouted to stop.
The soldiers reluctantly hold back, each filled with confusion.
"Boss, she’s clearly not telling the truth, we’ve been to those mountains several times! There are no people!"
"That’s right, boss, someone like her clearly has ill intentions, we should kill her outright or imprison her for interrogation!"
"Boss, what’s going on!"
They inadvertently land their gaze on the string of copper coins, feeling puzzled: is it because of the copper coins?
Impossible, isn’t it, the boss is a respected officer of the Imperial Court, trusted heavily, how could he be fazed by such a trivial matter?
The officer’s gaze is profound, while staring at the woman, he hides his hand in his sleeve, softly rubbing the copper coins.
After a long time, he waves his hand.
"Send two people to escort this Madam into the city, remember to take her to wherever she wants to go!"
The soldiers are utterly bewildered.
"Boss!"
"This is a spy!"
The officer gives his subordinates a calming expression.
The soldiers have no choice but to send two people to take the woman away.
The remaining soldiers are full of questions.
Only then, when no one is around, the officer takes out the copper coins.
"Look..."
"Characters are carved here!"
The soldiers crowd around to look closely, in the glaring sunlight, they can vaguely see some small characters on the copper coins.
"The Emperor is in peril!"
These four characters are respectively carved onto four copper coins, threaded with a string, ensuring the order isn’t wrong.
Upon seeing the characters clearly, everyone is shocked.
Indeed, the boss is the boss, he doesn’t serve for nothing.
They all remain silent, each well-trained to return to their posts without a word.
As if nothing just happened.
...
Military orders are as unyielding as mountains.
The two soldiers in the city didn’t see the small characters on the copper coin, feeling discontent, but still follow the boss’s words to send the woman to the court-constructed porridge shelter.
"This is it, one bowl per person, go on!" They say with some irritation.
Seeing the porridge shelter, the woman is already very excited.
She quickly kneels down to thank them.
The two soldiers impatiently wave their hands.
"Why bow? Hurry up and go!"
"This is where you’re sent, we need to report back, you’re on your own now!"
Saying so, they turn to leave, no longer concerned with her.
At this moment, a group of Southern Ocean Kingdom soldiers suddenly rushes out, laughing lewdly and despicably.
"Well, little beauty, where did you come from?"
Seeing the few tall dark figures that suddenly appeared, the woman is so frightened that she almost collapses.
Seeing that the Great Chu Dynasty soldiers are still nearby, they quickly call for help.
"Help, dear officers, help!"
The two soldiers lightly snort with cold laughter, unwilling to step forward.
Those Southern Ocean Kingdom people become arrogant.
"Oh my, look, they ignore you but we’ll pay attention!"
"Beauty, come with us, we’ll ensure you live well!"
The two soldiers in the distance twitch their mouths, exchanging glances, communicating with each other.
’See, she’s a spy!’
’Beauty? These foreign men must be blind!’
’It’s best if we don’t leave, see what happens, in case she carries the plague trying to spread it to our people!’
’Exactly, she shouldn’t have been let in, now look, she’s found her group!’
The two regret deeply not having killed the woman halfway.