"Mother?" Meng Ling'er quickly steadied Pei Ying, who stumbled, assuming she was unwell. "Mother, once we reach Fanxiang County, I'll find you a physician."
Pei Ying took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Ling'er and Shui Su were both under twenty—still young. If even she panicked, the three of them would truly have no hope of survival.
"Ling'er, Shui Su, we won’t be going to Fanxiang County," Pei Ying grasped their hands. "They’ve already left. Now, we must find a way ourselves."
The news struck them like a bolt from the blue, their faces paling one after the other.
Meng Ling'er couldn’t believe it. "H-how could this be? Did Grandmother abandon us?"
Pei Ying tenderly touched her daughter’s cheek. "Don’t be afraid. I’m still here."
She suspected Meng's Mother had left her behind not only out of dislike but also because she knew her eldest son was doomed—perhaps intending for his wife to join him in death. But to abandon even her granddaughter was truly heartless.
The warmth of her mother’s hand on her cheek steadied Meng Ling'er. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Mother, if Grandmother won’t take us to Fanxiang County, we’ll go ourselves."
Pei Ying, however, turned to Shui Su. "Shui Su, how many carriages does the household have?"
Shui Su was on the verge of tears. "Madam, there’s only one."
Carriages were rare luxuries. Most common families didn’t even own a mule cart, let alone a carriage. Though Meng Ducang had served as the county magistrate, elevating the Meng family’s status in Beichuan County, they still possessed just one carriage.
Pei Ying wasn’t surprised. "Shui Su, go and close the main gate—but don’t lock it."
Though confused, Shui Su obeyed.
When she returned, Pei Ying led the two through the moon gate into the inner courtyard. "The bandits will soon breach the city walls. Without a carriage, even if we flee, we won’t get far. Worse, we’d be easy targets in the streets. Our only option now is to stage an empty fort strategy. Ling'er, Shui Su, scatter the belongings in the inner courtyard to make it look like it was hastily ransacked."
Both were quick-witted and understood immediately.
The Meng residence was a two-courtyard home, with only a few key areas: the inner courtyard, the main hall, and the eastern and western wings.
After "arranging" the inner courtyard, three areas remained. Shui Su, being nimble, was sent to the larger main hall where Meng's Mother had lived. Meng Ling'er took charge of their eastern wing, while Pei Ying went to the western wing, where the second branch of the family resided—and where men’s personal belongings might be found.
By the time they finished "preparing" the three areas, all three were lightly sweating.
"Mother, what do we do now?" Meng Ling'er asked urgently.
Pei Ying thought for a moment. "We’ll take some flatbread from the kitchen and hide in the side chamber for the next few days. Only leave if absolutely necessary. Once the city stabilizes, we’ll venture out."
Meng Ling'er and Shui Su nodded in unison, their panic easing slightly at Pei Ying’s composed demeanor.
Meng's Mother and the others had left in such haste that they hadn’t even gathered all their valuables, let alone cleared the kitchen. To their relief, Pei Ying and the others found flatbread and even a small amount of cured meat—an unexpected boon.
Before leaving, Pei Ying also took a kitchen knife.
The three had just returned to the side chamber and hadn’t even closed the door when they heard shouts and battle cries outside. The clatter of hooves and screams blended into a chilling wind that made their blood run cold.
They were hiding in the eastern wing’s side chamber, which backed onto Beichuan County’s main street—the very road connecting to the city gates.
If the bandits entered, they would come this way.
"Mother, the city... the city has fallen..." Meng Ling'er’s face turned ashen. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she dropped everything and threw herself into her mother’s arms. "Mother, will Father come back?"
Pei Ying could only stroke her daughter’s back in silent sorrow, unable to answer.
Ever since seeing the unfamiliar face of her mother-in-law in the main hall, Pei Ying had known it was a miracle her daughter looked exactly the same. Her husband in this life was likely a stranger too. She grieved for her daughter’s loss but couldn’t summon genuine sorrow for a man she didn’t know.
"The bandits won’t last long. Reinforcements will arrive soon, and everything will be alright," Pei Ying reassured her.
The side chamber of the eastern wing was typically used for washing and storage. After comforting Meng Ling'er, Pei Ying had the two help her move a wooden cabinet away from the wall and stack other items beside it, creating a small hidden space behind it.
It wasn’t large, but it was enough for three women to hide.
They stayed there, listening to the relentless cacophony of triumphant shouts and terrified screams outside. As the sun dipped westward and darkness crept in, their unease only grew.
Night was falling, and the reinforcements still hadn’t arrived.
Bandits paid no heed to curfews. If anything, they would work through the night to plunder the city’s wealth.
"Mother, I hear someone coming inside..." Meng Ling'er whispered, shrinking against Pei Ying.
Pei Ying strained to listen but heard nothing beyond the distant clamor. Just as she was about to ask if her daughter had misheard, footsteps echoed—multiple sets, approaching the eastern wing.
Pei Ying’s breath caught. Her daughter trembled harder in her arms, and fear sent shivers down her own spine.
"Sergeant, this house is empty. It’s such a mess—the family must’ve fled when they heard the news," a man’s voice called from outside, likely standing at the eastern wing’s entrance.
Pei Ying froze.
Ancient military ranks were straightforward: five soldiers made a squad leader, ten a sergeant, a hundred a centurion...
Sergeant? These weren’t bandits—they were soldiers!
Had reinforcements from Jizhou arrived?
Her heart leapt, and she nearly stood to reveal herself—until another voice cut in.
"You pig-brained fool! How many times must I remind you? We’re bandits now. Don’t call me ‘sergeant’—call me ‘boss.’"
"Sorry, boss."
Pei Ying turned to ice.
These weren’t Jizhou’s reinforcements. Though they were soldiers, they’d concealed their identities, clearly up to no good.
Another voice joined in. "Boss, I grabbed someone earlier and asked. Turns out this fancy house belongs to the county magistrate’s family. No wonder they ran so fast."
"If it’s empty, let’s move on. Bandits have bandit business—don’t delay our Bingzhou army’s schedule."
"Yes, sir!"
The bandits left, snatching whatever valuables had been overlooked on their way out.
Pei Ying and her daughter remained huddled behind the cabinet, not daring to move even after the men were gone.
"Mother... Mother..." Meng Ling'er whispered. "They’re gone. We’re safe for now."
Pei Ying lowered her head to meet her daughter’s still-frightened eyes and hugged her tighter. "The world is too chaotic right now. You must stay close to me, my dear. Don’t go outside these next few days."
Shui Su watched the mother and daughter pressed close together, a fleeting look of envy passing through her eyes. But the next moment, Madam turned to her and added, "Shui Su, the same goes for you."
Shui Su paused briefly before nodding emphatically with a smile.
The current emperor in Chang'an was lost in wine and pleasure, foolish and tyrannical, while powerful local warlords rose to carve out their own territories. The situation eerily resembled the late Eastern Han dynasty.
Beichuan County lay on the border of Ji Province, adjacent to Bing Province and not far from You Province. Pei Ying suspected that the so-called "bandits" were likely from Bing Province—their attack on the city under the guise of marauders was merely a pretense, paving the way for Bing Province’s army to march in later under a righteous banner.
The intricate schemes and machinations behind this held no interest for Pei Ying. All she wanted was to live a peaceful life with her daughter.
As the sun dipped below the western horizon, the two mistresses and their maid spent the night in a side chamber. Just before dawn, Pei Ying was jolted awake by a thunderous rumble.
The sound was like ten thousand galloping horses—overwhelming, unstoppable, like a heavy sword capable of cleaving through any obstacle in its path.
......
Outside the city walls.
A massive military banner unfurled in the cold wind, its black background emblazoned with a single, domineering character: "You." The sight alone was enough to instill fear.
Foot soldiers stood with long halberds in hand, while cavalrymen on the flanks held their sabers upright. The clang of weapons and the might of warhorses exuded an aura of chilling intimidation. The iron cavalry stretched in a seemingly endless line through the night, an overwhelming force poised at the city gates like a storm cloud threatening to crush the walls. Yet they held back, as if waiting for something.
In less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the city gates rumbled open from within. A troop of black-armored riders galloped out, their leader charging straight to the foot of the military banner before dismounting smoothly. He clasped his fists and reported, "Commander Sha Ying of the Western Armored Garrison has fulfilled his mission! The bandits in the city have been eradicated, and the people have been reassured with proclamations. The city is now ready for the Grand General’s entry!"
The wind howled fiercer at that moment, making the banner snap violently, its "You" character appearing even more overbearing.
Suddenly, a sliver of light broke across the horizon—dawn had arrived.
That first gleam of sunlight fell upon the massive banner and the man beside it, astride a great black steed.
The man addressed as the Grand General stood over eight feet tall, his frame powerfully built. He wore a tiger-helmet and full armor, his long saber plunged deep into the ground beside him. The gleaming blade, bathed in the light of dawn, seemed like a ferocious beast crouching at his side, ready to unleash carnage at his command.
From beneath the shadow of his helmet, the man raised his eyes. Time had etched faint lines at their corners, but those narrow, fathomless depths held a weight of ambition and ruthlessness that made others instinctively shrink back.
"Well done. Into the city!"
With that order, the iron cavalry surged forward, their earth-shaking hoofbeats rolling toward the small county town like an approaching storm.
