Chapter 315
Night fell upon Xiangwu County.
"Fire..." A piercing scream shattered the deep night's silence. Those asleep were startled awake, lifting their heads from their warm beds. Glancing out the window, they saw a sea of flames.
"Quick, put out the fire! It's burning!"
"Everyone up, Dad, Mom, the house is on fire, get up quickly..."
"Gou Dan, don't cry, Dad's coming, don't be afraid!"
In an instant, accompanied by the warning clang of copper basins, the common folk scrambled out of bed. Disregarding the biting cold, they merely threw on an outer garment before rushing out the door.
Some impoverished families, reluctant to lose their meager savings, upon waking, immediately ran to where their silver was hidden, stuffing their hard-earned money into their bosoms. Then, they grabbed their slightly more valuable clothes and bedding before fleeing their homes.
Those with mobility issues, the elderly and children, were supported by their family members. The sky was illuminated by the vast expanse of fire. Some people scrambled up the trees in their courtyards to gaze outwards. The county town of Xiangwu, laid out in a grid pattern, had all four main streets glowing red.
"Miss, you're awake?" He Nuan quickly entered from the outer room, lit a candle, and saw Zhan Feiyu was already dressed.
Zhan Feiyu, who had only gone to bed after midnight, had slept for less than an hour. Hearing the commotion outside, she swiftly pulled a ribbon from her vanity and tied her hair into a practical ponytail. "What's happening?"
"Someone set the fire," He Nuan had already flown to the rooftop to survey the situation. The Qiu residence was large, with no adjacent houses to the front, back, left, or right. Thus, the fire had not spread to the Qiu estate.
However, several houses not far from the Qiu residence were burning. Fortunately, the fires were not extensive, and with the snow on the ground, extinguishing them was relatively easy.
Frowning, Zhan Feiyu strode towards the doorway. The cold air hit her face. Standing under the corridor, she could hear the distant shouts, and the dark sky was illuminated by the flames.
He Sheng and the coachman stood quietly nearby, prepared to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to loot or commit murder.
"Help, old sir, help..." At this moment, outside the main gate of the Qiu residence, cries of distress arose, accompanied by the sound of frantic knocking.
The two young gatekeepers, now fully awake, had been in the Qiu residence long enough to know the rules of large families. Regardless of how the people outside pleaded for help, the two gatekeepers dared not open the door rashly. One remained at the gate, while the other hurried inside to report to the steward.
By the time Zhan Feiyu reached the front courtyard, Qiu Zongxi had already gone to the gate.
From the shadows, a figure approached Zhan Feiyu's side and whispered, "Three houses not far from here are severely damaged by fire. There were elderly and children inside. The flames are too intense, and they've come to the Qiu residence for help."
As she walked outside, Zhan Feiyu asked, "Have any clues been found?"
Besides the visible He Sheng and the other two, there was a team of people protecting Zhan Feiyu from the shadows. Especially after the situation in Xiangwu County became tense and dangerous, Yin Wuyan had dispatched more personnel.
A total of twelve people were divided into three groups, with shifts rotating every four hours.
Upon discovering the fires, the people in the shadows immediately sent out signals. In less than fifteen minutes, two resting teams arrived to provide support, while another team of four went to investigate the situation.
"The fires all started in the wood sheds. Someone secretly shot flaming arrows and ignited the bedrooms." The person in the shadows relayed the initial intelligence to Zhan Feiyu.
The winter in Xiangwu County was cold, with temperatures dropping below freezing from mid-November until March. Collecting firewood during winter with snow was inconvenient, so every household had a wood shed filled with firewood for the winter.
Moreover, this firewood was thoroughly dried, making it not only easy to ignite but also causing the flames to surge instantly, consuming adjacent rooms.
Adding to this, someone had wrapped cloth soaked in tung oil around the tips of arrows and shot them into the bedrooms. The bedding on the heated kang, the clothes placed at the end of the kang, and the cabinets nearby were all made of readily combustible wood.
This was not aimed at her. Zhan Feiyu understood that even though she studied under a Grand Scholar of the Imperial Academy, she was ultimately a civilian official. The various forces lurking in Xiangwu County were interested in military power. Therefore, if anyone were to make a move, it would be directed at the Yang family.
"Didn't Uncle Yang say this afternoon when he left that Yang Xu wouldn't be back until tomorrow?" Zhan Feiyu confirmed, and seeing He Nuan nod, she concluded it wasn't aimed at Yang Xu either.
"Could it be a diversionary tactic? Old General Yang is alone in Stone Village right now," He Nuan's expression was filled with worry.
With fires suddenly breaking out all over Xiangwu County and cries of distress filling the air, General Yang would undoubtedly mobilize the Yang family's former subordinates in Xiangwu County to help extinguish the fires and rescue people. If the hidden enemies were to reach Stone Village at this time, even though Old General Yang's martial prowess had not waned, he would be outnumbered. He might be in danger.
Stopping her steps, Zhan Feiyu looked from afar at the seven or eight people kneeling at the entrance of the Qiu residence. There were two elderly women with white hair, four children of pre-teen age, and three young wives. They were currently weeping, hoping for the Qiu residence's guards and servants to go and help rescue them.
"I understand. Please rise," Qiu Zongxi, also wearing only an outer garment, albeit a fox fur one, immediately instructed the steward to gather all the guards and servants. Amidst the pleas and expressions of gratitude, a group of them hurried towards the houses where the flames were most intense.
Just as the people from the Qiu residence departed, hurried footsteps echoed from within the courtyard. It was Qiu Jinyu, leading six or seven people, who had likely heard of the incident outside and intended to help.
"Miss Zhan, you?" Although Qiu Jinyu was only a fourteen-year-old youth, his height was not much shorter than that of an adult man. Furthermore, he cultivated both literary and martial arts. While not as robust as a warrior, he was much sturdier than scholars of his age, so it was unlikely he would be a hindrance in helping.
"Young Master Qiu, please be careful," Zhan Feiyu moved aside, not blocking the path, allowing Qiu Jinyu and his group to pass.
"It's cold now, Miss Zhan. You should return to your courtyard," Qiu Jinyu said with concern. Likely eager to rescue people, he strode out the door as soon as he finished speaking, followed closely by his six subordinates.
Zhan Feiyu had no intention of going to help. Even though she was certain these fires were not aimed at her, it was better to be safe than sorry. If she stayed within the Qiu residence, she could steel herself to remain indifferent.
However, if she were to go to the scene of the fire and hear the cries for help from within the houses, Zhan Feiyu feared she would still order He Sheng and the others to rescue people.
"Miss, perhaps we should return to our rooms," He Nuan asked cautiously, her brow furrowed with worry. Outsiders might perceive their young lady as heartless, not like a child, but He Nuan knew Zhan Feiyu's inner softness and kindness. At this moment, she only wished to bring her back to the courtyard.
Sensing He Nuan's concern, Zhan Feiyu smiled, "A gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. A Nuan, you don't need to worry. I fear death and will not take risks."
He Nuan's heart finally settled. The fact that fires were breaking out all over Xiangwu County was not something a few individuals could accomplish; it was at least a well-trained team. If their young lady went to help fight the fires and encountered danger, even He Nuan would be unable to guarantee her safe escape amidst the chaos.
...Just as the people from the Qiu residence departed, hurried footsteps echoed from within the courtyard. It was Qiu Jinyu, leading six or seven people, who had likely heard of the incident outside and intended to help.
"Miss Zhan, you?" Although Qiu Jinyu was only a fourteen-year-old youth, his height was not much shorter than that of an adult man. Furthermore, he cultivated both literary and martial arts. While not as robust as a warrior, he was much sturdier than scholars of his age, so it was unlikely he would be a hindrance in helping.
"Young Master Qiu, please be careful," Zhan Feiyu moved aside, not blocking the path, allowing Qiu Jinyu and his group to pass.
"It's cold now, Miss Zhan. You should return to your courtyard," Qiu Jinyu said with concern. Likely eager to rescue people, he strode out the door as soon as he finished speaking, followed closely by his six subordinates.
Zhan Feiyu had no intention of going to help. Even though she was certain these fires were not aimed at her, it was better to be safe than sorry. If she stayed within the Qiu residence, she could steel herself to remain indifferent.
However, if she were to go to the scene of the fire and hear the cries for help from within the houses, Zhan Feiyu feared she would still order He Sheng and the others to rescue people.