Wu Rong held considerable sway in the city, with numerous loyal subordinates. When the situation turned dire, he fled through a pre-prepared secret passage, taking only a few trusted confidants and abandoning even his son's fate.
When Xing Yuan and her men stormed the manor, they found it filled with weeping young women. Trembling, they cowered before the soldiers, their faces etched with ferocity.
Wan Yu signaled his subordinates to search for others. He stepped forward, his brow furrowed, and asked, "Where is Wu Rong? Cooperate, and we will not harm you."
Wan Yu had heard tales of warlords abducting young women, but seeing these innocent girls firsthand stirred his heart. Visible wounds marred their bodies, and their eyes held a vacant numbness. In this era, weakness was a sin.
After a prolonged silence, a woman of apparent age stepped forward. "To the military officer," she replied, "we do not know where the master has gone. The servants merely brought us here to assemble."
"Major General, Wu Rong has not been found," reported soldiers returning from their search.
"Continue searching! Our people are within the city. If he wishes to escape, it can only be through a secret tunnel. Search meticulously. Also, dispatch several teams to search outside the city. He cannot have gone far. Bring him back," Xing Yuan commanded.
"Yes!"
Xing Yuan seethed inwardly. Scum! Judging by their reactions, these women had not followed him willingly. Yet, he had abandoned them here. What a shameless wretch.
Even though Xing Yuan knew these women were a deliberate tactic by Wu Rong to buy time, she could not ignore them. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the women before her and called out, "Wan Yu!"
"Your subordinate is here!" Regardless of their usual camaraderie, Wan Yu was always exceptionally respectful in formal settings.
Xing Yuan instructed, "See to these people's arrangements! If any wish to return home, send a few to escort them. For those who do not, find them a place to stay for now."
"Yes! Your subordinate understands," Wan Yu replied respectfully.
Xing Yuan turned to leave the manor, unwilling to witness any more, and went to assess the army's casualties.
"Wei Liu, what are our losses?"
"Major General, over two hundred dead, over a hundred severely wounded requiring recuperation, and dozens with minor injuries," Wei Liu reported respectfully. This was considering their surprise attack; otherwise, their losses would have been far greater.
"Mm," Xing Yuan murmured, her mood soured by the report of losses.
In this era, human lives were perhaps the cheapest commodity.
"Do not mistreat them! Ensure the pensions are paid in full. Use the best medicinal herbs for the wounded! The defenders of my Xing Yu City are fine men!"
"Major General, rest assured, your subordinate understands. We will cremate and send them back in batches over the next few days. Returning to their roots," Wei Liu said with solemnity.
"Major General, how do you intend to handle these prisoners of war?" Wei Liu ventured, unable to help himself. Killing them felt wrong, as they too had families and children. Yet, releasing them might bring them much trouble in the future.
"Take me to see them!" Xing Yuan did not answer directly. If possible, she did not wish to be the cause of so much bloodshed. But war was a cruel business.
"Yes!" Wei Liu waved and called for Yuan Yi.
Wei Liu was considered the logistics personnel of the army. Due to his busy schedule, he rarely left his post.
Yuan Yi ran over excitedly. Xing Yuan was his idol, and being by his idol's side was the greatest joy for him.
As Yuan Yi was young and had only recently joined the army, he typically assisted with miscellaneous tasks in logistics, handling information and documents. He had entered the city only after the fighting had concluded, thus he appeared remarkably neat.
The first rays of the rising sun bathed the city in a soft glow. The sunlight fell upon the soldiers, their bodies stained with dirt and their clothes bearing the blood of others, lending them an inexplicable sense of sanctity.
Xing Yuan gazed at the dejected and dispirited soldiers of Wu City, confined together. A swirl of complex emotions crossed her mind, but not excitement. If they had a choice, would they truly have joined the army? Perhaps, to them, they had merely lost a war.
But to those who had lost loved ones, a part of their world had collapsed, and the rest of their lives would be shadowed by pain.
Xing Yuan walked directly to a middle-aged man who appeared refined and said calmly, "Wei Feirui, that is your name, is it not?"
Wei Feirui looked up, his expression vacant, adopting a stance of refusal to answer.
Xing Yuan's expression remained unchanged as she continued with Wei Feirui's information. "If I recall correctly, you have followed Wu Rong for eight years and are his trusted strategist. You have an elderly mother at home, currently in the city. Am I correct?"
Wei Feirui finally reacted. He rasped, "Mother will understand me. I will never betray my brothers."
Xing Yuan scoffed, her eyes filled with mockery. "The brothers you speak of have already abandoned you and left. Furthermore, do you truly believe your mother's accident all those years ago was an accident? You are so intelligent, having followed Wu Rong for so long. Did you not guess the truth, or did you dare not?"
Wei Feirui's body trembled involuntarily. He instinctively wanted to stop Xing Yuan from speaking further. Cracks appeared in his wooden expression, and he shouted fiercely, "Shut up! I told you to shut up!"
Xing Yuan smiled. The more he wished not to know, the more she wanted him to clearly understand who he had served all these years.
"You have a good memory. Don't pretend you've forgotten. You were quite the renowned strategist back then. My Xing family had considered recruiting you, so we know quite a bit about you."
"Wu Rong first sent people to smash your family's shop, leaving your mother with lingering illnesses. Then, he appeared as a savior, making you eternally grateful. After all these years, do you truly not hate him?"
ps: Reached 60! This is an extra chapter to thank you for your gifts. Muah!