Chapter 1579: Siege [1]
Chapter 1579: Chapter 1579: Siege [1]
Qing Hui said, "Lady Xie, we are fleeing for our lives now, you should calm down. Whatever you have to say, wait until the group stops before speaking."
She continued, "Why did Old Madam Gao have everyone team up to deceive you, isn’t it clear to you? If you had been sensible, Old Madam Gao wouldn’t have needed to resort to such measures."
Ji Zhenniang felt extremely aggrieved. Seeing that the driver didn’t stop the cart and Qing Hui even threatened her with that old devout woman, Ms. Gao Lei, she sobbed and said, "You all are bullying me! If you think I’m not sensible, why can’t you just tell me nicely? I will change, woo woo woo..."
Qing Hui almost laughed to death and asked, "Throughout this journey, how many times has my mistress spoken to you, did you listen? Aren’t you still in this sorry state?"
She added, "You better stop crying and grow a bit. Old Madam Gao is not like my mistress, she wouldn’t spare anyone when dealing with them, you better be careful."
After saying these words, Qing Hui didn’t speak again and left Ji Zhenniang to cry.
Tears are limited; after crying for over a quarter of an hour, Ji Zhenniang couldn’t shed any more. After a bout of dry sobbing and seeing no one comforting her, she had to stop crying and accepted the porridge passed to her by Xie Huaihua.
By evening, when the group stopped to rest and set up camp, Ji Zhenniang immediately ran to find Gu Jinli for an explanation as soon as the carriage halted.
"Gu Xiaoyu, come out! How dare you collaborate with others to scheme against me, I won’t let this go!" While saying this, Ji Zhenniang started crying again.
But when she lifted the curtain of the Gu Family’s carriage, she was so scared that she held back her tears.
Ms. Gao Lei was sitting in the carriage, smirking coldly at her, asking, "You still haven’t learned your lesson and want to go through this again? Fine, I’ll grant you that."
She then turned to Nanny Gui Zhi and said, "Throw her outside the camp, don’t let her back in to rest!"
"No, I realize I was wrong, please don’t be angry." Ji Zhenniang was so frightened that she knelt down to beg for mercy, so pitifully that even Gu Jinli burst into laughter, looking at her, he said, "Ji Zhenniang, at this time you should be a bit courageous, just say, ’If I can’t stay, I won’t! I don’t even care to stay in the same camp as you!’"
Ji Zhenniang’s face turned red with embarrassment upon hearing this, she dared not to stand up and looked at Ms. Gao Lei through teary eyes, appearing very pitiable.
Ms. Gao Lei smiled slightly, saying, "Look how pitiful this little one looks, scared, aren’t you? Don’t fear, on this journey I will take care of you, you’ll stay in the same tent as me."
The words were so cordial that even the slow-witted Ji Zhenniang felt something was off, she trembled and asked, "Aunt Lei, what do you intend to do?"
Ms. Gao Lei said, "What are you saying, child? I treat you like my own granddaughter, what could I possibly do to you? Now get up and help me to the tent to rest."
After speaking, she stretched out her hand, signaling Ji Zhenniang to support her.
Ji Zhenniang was stunned for a moment, then hurried to support Ms. Gao Lei, following her to the freshly pitched tent.
However, her days of hardship started from this moment.
Ms. Gao Lei made her do all the dirty work and chores, making Ji Zhenniang’s crying futile, if she dared to put her burden down and not work, Ms. Gao Lei would have her thrown out and not taken along to Xing’an Prefecture.
After being thrown out once, Ji Zhenniang, walking several miles on foot, had to tearfully find firewood, fetch water, dig an earthen stove to cook, and even do laundry.
In short, aside from not having to empty night jars or wash Ms. Gao Lei’s feet, she took on any and every chore.
After working to the bone for six days, shrinking two circles around, she finally arrived in Xing’an Prefecture.
However, as soon as Ms. Gao Lei arrived in Xing’an Prefecture, she became furious and asked Gu Jinli, "Didn’t you say Company Commander Niu had already arrived in Xing’an Prefecture to deliver the message? Why is Xing’an Prefecture still the same as before, without additional soldiers to protect the city?!"
Gu Jinli lifted the carriage curtain, looking at the sporadically stationed defending soldiers on the Xing’an Prefecture City Tower, his face also turned grim, he responded, "Uncle Niu left to deliver the message as soon as we arrived at Lei Family’s Manor that night, this situation is unforeseen even for me."
Having lived over sixty years and seen much, Ms. Gao Lei thought it over and understood the underlying reasons, she instructed Nanny Gui Zhi, "Gui Zhi, take San Lang’s wife into the city, settle them down, I need to go to the Prefecture garrison to see the one named Liang and ask if he wants to die?!"
"Alright." Nanny Gui Zhi agreed, taking Ji Zhenniang off the carriage and onto the Gu Family’s carriage.
Ms. Gao Lei wasted no time, and the carriage immediately turned around, led by Peng Wen, heading straight to the Xing’an Prefecture’s Prefecture garrison. An hour later, they arrived at the garrison.
General Liang was surprised to hear of Ms. Gao Lei’s arrival, what was this old woman doing at his camp? However, Ms. Gao Lei was the elder sister of Elder Lei Wu, he had received benefits from the Lei Family, and if he wanted to have a stable life in Xing’an Prefecture, he must have good relations with the Lei Family’s Trading Team, so he dared not turn Ms. Gao Lei away and instead had her welcomed in.
Upon seeing General Liang, Ms. Gao Lei asked, "General Liang, did you receive the message from Company Commander Niu of He’an Prefecture? The Rong people are already lurking in many villages around Xing’an Prefecture, about to launch a full-scale attack!"
General Liang was taken aback, understanding why Ms. Gao Lei had come, he was somewhat displeased, "Old Madam Gao, how could you believe such groundless rumors? The Rong people are busy farming in Longshan Prefecture and have not attacked the city for months. Moreover, even if the Rong people were to attack, they would first target Long’an Prefecture, how could they possibly attack Xing’an Prefecture?"
This old woman’s brain must be ill, why can’t she just stay home and stop troubling him?!
Ms. Gao Lei frowned, "General Liang doesn’t believe it?"
General Liang laughed, "How can I believe such absurd things?"
Upon hearing this, Ms. Gao Lei was infuriated but still suppressed her anger and repeated what Gu Jinli had told her in great detail.
But General Liang was not inclined to listen at all, he interrupted her, "Old Madam Gao, you are exhausted from your journey from Long’an Prefecture, you should go back to the mansion and rest, as for matters of the battlefield, don’t concern yourself."
He almost pointed at Ms. Gao Lei’s nose, telling her to mind her own business.
Ms. Gao Lei was about to explode with anger, and she didn’t hold back anymore, bluntly asking, "Where is Company Commander Niu from He’an Prefecture?"
General Liang replied, "That man was alarming the public with lies, I had him expelled from the camp, but he refused to leave, he is camped near the garrison. If you wish to see him, go find him yourself."
His tone was already quite impatient.
"Alarming the public with lies?" Ms. Gao Lei sneered, "General Liang, you consider such important information as scare tactics? If the Rong people indeed attack and you have no preparedness, once Xing’an Prefecture is breached, have you thought of the consequences? You are being obstinately self-opinionated, treating the lives of all Xing’an Prefecture’s people as trifles!"
General Liang’s face turned red from the rebuke, he slammed the table with a bang, angrily glaring at Ms. Gao Lei, "Old Madam Gao, you are older than me and Elder Lei Wu’s biological sister, but you aren’t an Imperial Decree holder, addressing you as ’Madam’ is out of respect."
So don’t push your luck, seriously mistaking yourself for some sort of Madame, now get out!
General Liang’s words were harsh, but having lived a full life, Ms. Gao Lei had heard all kinds of unpleasant words before, not only did she stay put, but she also sat down.
With a bang, she slammed the tea table and said, "Sir Liang, today I’m going to play the senior card. If you don’t immediately lead your troops to guard Xing’an Prefecture City, I won’t leave!"