Chapter 59

Chapter 59

The atmosphere in the tent instantly grew heavy. Vice General Li strode forward, his deep voice filled with concern as he asked, "General, has something happened at the estate?"

Lu Yu slowly looked up. The moment his gaze met Vice General Li's, he froze in place.

Lu Yu's eyes were bloodshot, his usually cold and frosty face now ghostly pale. He scanned sharply over all the officers in the tent and said in a hoarse voice, "Everyone except Vice General Li and Officer Sun, leave at once."

"Yes, General."

Vice General Li clenched his jaw, his eyes full of worry. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Lu Yu spoke first.

"Officer Sun, send a message back to the general's residence immediately. Have all the personal guards search for the Lady incognito."

"Vice General Li, I must leave the camp at once. I entrust everything here to you."

Lu Yu's eyes were crimson as he swiftly pulled a gleaming broadsword from the weapon rack, slung a longbow over his shoulder, and strode quickly toward the tent's exit.

Lu Yu spoke so rapidly that Vice General Li hadn't fully processed his words before he was already stepping out of the tent.

Vice General Li hurried forward and seized Lu Yu's arm, his lips trembling violently. The only words that escaped him were, "General!"

"General, war is no trivial matter. How can you leave just like that? You are the backbone of the Northern Garrison Army. If you depart suddenly, what will the 200,000 troops think?"

"If you leave, morale will surely break!"

"The battle is at a critical point. How can we afford to indulge in personal matters?"

Vice General Li was filled with anxiety. They were on the verge of attacking the barbarians' stronghold; if they failed now, all would be lost.

Though Vice General Li didn't know what was written in the letter Lu Yu held, he could feel the tension in Lu Yu's arm growing. In a softer tone, he advised, "My wife often runs off too. Pingsheng Pass is heavily fortified; the Lady couldn't possibly have gone missing."

Lu Yu's eyes darkened. With a sudden shake of his arm, he threw a punch at Vice General Li, taking advantage of his dodge to wrench free from his grasp.

"Old Li, my wife has been kidnapped, and you expect me to stay calm and continue attacking the barbarians? Let me tell you, neither the country nor the empire is more important than my wife's life."

Vice General Li's eyes widened, and he murmured in a low voice, "How could she have been kidnapped?"

Lu Yu replied hoarsely, "No one but the barbarians would do this."

Vice General Li looked up abruptly.

He saw Lu Yu, his face as cold as frost, standing before the war-torn camp, his slender frame clutching a longsword with pale fingers, his dark eyes filled with despair.

Lu Yu's voice broke hoarsely.

"Old Li, victory in this battle is certain. It's only a matter of time before you and Guo Wu lead our troops to storm the barbarian stronghold. But my wife... she can only rely on me now."

"If I don't return... I must trouble you to personally take my two children to Prince Ding's residence in the capital."

Vice General Li, a burly man, felt his eyes redden instantly upon hearing Lu Yu's words entrusting his children to him.

After this bloody battle, Lu Yu had long become a target of the barbarians. The fact that they could kidnap a reclusive general's wife from a fortified border town showed they had been planning this for a long time.

For Lu Yu to venture deep into enemy territory to rescue her, surrounded by foes on all sides, was a suicidal mission. The barbarians' blades were already at his throat.

At that moment, the surrounding sounds faded, leaving only silence.

Lu Yu saluted with clasped fists, his resolute eyes filled with sorrow as he listened to the war drums pounding anew behind him.

Vice General Li, tears in his eyes, turned away abruptly and shouted toward the tent entrance, "The general has taken ill. We must advance and attack at once!"

Watching Vice General Li's retreating figure, Lu Yu trembled as he fiercely spurred his horse, galloping swiftly toward Pingsheng Pass.

----

As the rumble of the produce cart gradually shifted from the bumpy path to a smoother road, Lin Shuyun had no idea where she was being taken or where the camp the scholar had mentioned was located.

Peering through the gaps in the wooden planks, she saw countless barren trees and towering hills. Her reddened eyes gradually filled with despair.

The area was completely exposed; there was nowhere to flee.

Tears welled up in Lin Shuyun's eyes, emotions surging within her. Just as a tear slid down her cheek—

Bang!

The sound of the wooden plank above her being flung open made her jolt violently. The man standing before her was no longer one of the two from before.

This man was unusually tall, with only a single curl of hair tied high on his head, the hair at his temples braided on both sides. Around his neck hung five wolf teeth—clearly not the attire of a Central Plains native.

This only confirmed Lin Shuyun's suspicion: she had been kidnapped by the barbarians.

Suddenly, the man spoke in broken Central Plains language, his eyes fierce. "You, get down."

Lin Shuyun was momentarily confused, but before she could react, the barbarian yanked her out of the produce cart as if she were a chick.

Not daring to make any sudden moves, she cradled her heavily swollen belly, trembling as she stood in place, though she kept scanning her surroundings.

Likely because he thought a weak, pregnant Central Plains woman like Lin Shuyun couldn't possibly cause any trouble, the barbarian seemed to notice her intentions but only snorted coldly and did nothing to stop her.

If Lin Shuyun wasn't mistaken, this was the border between the barbarian grasslands and the Shuobei mountainous region of the Central Plains.

Barbarian tents of various sizes were pitched across the withered yellow grass. To the south lay a rolling hill, with thin birch trees rustling in the wind.

Beyond this mountain was Shuobei.

However, from the barbarian camp, every movement on the hill was clearly visible.

Even for an ordinary person, let alone a heavily pregnant woman like her, escaping under the watchful eyes of the barbarians would be nearly impossible. She wouldn't even make it a mile before they caught up.

The barbarians could arrive in an instant.

Lin Shuyun's throat tightened. Clutching her sleeves, she followed the barbarian step by step.

As they ventured deeper into the camp, lecherous stares multiplied. Barbarian soldiers stopped what they were doing, all turning to look in her direction.

They whistled, speaking in a language she couldn't understand. Some even walked up to her, their leering eyes scrutinizing her intently.

Deafening heartbeats echoed in Lin Shuyun's ears as she tremblingly followed the barbarian to a tent.

She glanced around but before she could speak, she was kicked behind the knee. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Kneel before Military Advisor Su!"

Lin Shuyun nervously stroked her belly, relieved to feel no discomfort. Trembling, she looked up and was shocked to see the scholar.

So... he was the military advisor?

This man had the appearance of a Central Plains native. Why would the barbarians make him their military advisor?

Su Bibo picked up the silver wine cup beside him and waved his hand, prompting the Hu retainer to withdraw immediately, leaving only Lin Shuyun alone in the tent.

She knelt crouched in the corner of the carpet, cold-numbed fingers tightly clutching her sleeves, her entire body tense as she stared at Su Bibo.

But Su Bibo treated her as if she were air. Holding the silver cup in his left hand to drink and gripping a lamb chop in his right, his striking face was full of indifference.

"You said you're from the northwest—where is your home?"

Lin Shuyun hurriedly replied, "I'm from Yun County in the northwest."

"Oh? I remember there's a lake in Yun County—what's it called again?" A flicker passed in Su Bibo's eyes as he casually tested her.

Lin Shuyun's brows knitted slightly, lowering her gaze as she said, "How could there be a lake in Yun County? There's only a river running through it. My home is in Shitou Village upstream along the river."

Su Bibo nodded as if it dawned on him. "Oh, I must have remembered wrong."

He continued asking, "Do you have any family left?"

Tears instantly welled up in Lin Shuyun's eyes, and she whispered, "Both my parents are dead, and my husband is dead too. I came to the capital alone with my child to seek a living."

"In the capital, I met the man I married—he delivered vegetables to the Marquis's residence and received the commandery princess's favor, so he had me attend to the young master."

Su Bibo let out a dismissive snort.

A cold dread shot through Lin Shuyun's spine, and the hairs on her back stood on end. Had she said something wrong?

"People in the capital are all a bunch of hypocrites."

Su Bibo spoke gloomily.

Lin Shuyun didn't understand and didn't dare respond.

Suddenly, a fragrant pastry was thrown into her lap. Startled, she trembled violently, holding it as if it were a firecracker, nervously looking at Su Bibo.

"Eat."

Lin Shuyun didn't dare. Fear was written all over her face.

If the pastry were poisoned, she would have no chance of survival.

"If I wanted to kill you, a single knife would suffice—no need for something as complicated as poison."

Su Bibo's cold voice seemed to come from the depths of hell.

Lin Shuyun still wanted to resist, but her stomach had been growling for a long time. She was so hungry her stomach was clinging to her backbone, and finally nibbled a tiny corner of the pastry.

She suddenly felt that this strategist, after questioning her, seemed to have relaxed his guard against her.

Lin Shuyun cautiously stole a sidelong glance at the man sitting cross-legged in the main seat.

He had the appearance of a Central Plains man and was dressed in a long robe—why was he a respected strategist in Hu territory?

She wanted to save herself; she couldn't become a casualty to the Hu blades.

"My lord... Might you be from the Central Plains?" Lin Shuyun cautiously looked at Su Bibo, and as if seeing his displeased gaze, she hurriedly apologized, "Sorry, did I offend you...?"

Su Bibo, as if bored, swirled the wine in his cup, his eyes filled with hatred, and sneered, "I'd rather have been born a Hu person."

"My mother was from the Central Plains. She had been to the northwest before and couldn't stop talking about it. I don't know what she missed so much..."

Lin Shuyun softly replied, "Perhaps she was homesick..."

"Home? What home? She never considered me family."

With that, Su Bibo slammed the cup down heavily. The sharp scent of strong liquor instantly enveloped Lin Shuyun. She breathed slowly, suppressing the rising nausea, and subtly edged back slightly.

Su Bibo stood up, lifted the wine jar toward the moon, and drank it all in one go. He laughed heartily, but as he turned, his eyes turned cold.

"You deceitful Central Plains type—once I confirm your identity,"

"If you're not Lu Yu's wife, I might spare you if I'm pleased. But if you lied to me, I will rip your child from your womb before Lu Yu's eyes, flay you alive, and use your blood to consecrate the war standards, to avenge the killing of my tribesmen."

Lin Shuyun shielded her swollen belly with her slender arms, gnawing at her lip, her voice hoarse as she said, "No, I'm not his wife. I'm just a woman from the northwest."

"[Unintelligible Hu language]."

Lin Shuyun didn't understand what Su Bibo was saying to the door, but soon the burly Hu soldier reappeared before her.

This time, the man unceremoniously grabbed her by the front of her garment and hauled her to her feet from the ground.

The sudden loss of footing made Lin Shuyun tense all over. She trembled as she was thrown into the sheepfold like garbage.

The acrid, overwhelming stench of sheep made Lin Shuyun vomit instantly. Her stomach had been empty for too long, and she retched until bile came up.

Covering her nose and avoiding the sheep, Lin Shuyun looked around.

The Hu people's sheepfold was a wooden shed, its door made of a loose plank with a small window cut into it.

Stepping on rotting sheep droppings, she staggered and huddled into a gap between the wooden planks, feeling the cold wind blowing in from outside. The nausea gradually subsided.

Suddenly, a pair of eyes peered through the gap, and Lin Shuyun screamed in fright.

The Hu soldiers' crude, jeering laughter erupted.

Then, the fragile wooden door of the sheepfold was shaken continuously. Lin Shuyun's nerves were frayed raw, but she covered her mouth and didn't dare make a sound.

The door, which looked like it would break at a touch, remained unopened. It seemed these men were reveling in the sport of tormenting her.

Perhaps out of fear of Su Bibo's authority, they only mocked her in crude, broken dialect from outside, without posing any real danger.

The next day,

The lie Lin Shuyun had told loomed over her like a blade poised to fall. In a few days, when Su Bibo learned the truth, he would make good on his threat to kill her.

Fear and dread made Lin Shuyun curl up in the sheepfold, though her eyes occasionally darted to the small window to scan outside.

She wanted to escape; she needed to get out.

The Hu guard watching her seemed to have noticed her intention. Su Bibo coldly waved his hand, and her left wrist was shackled to a post.

Lin Shuyun's senses were already swimming, and she had cried herself out.

Over the past two days, surviving only on a single pastry and rank ewe's milk, she had gradually given herself over to despair. No one would come to save her. She might die, never to share in Zhang'er and Ying Ying's future, never to see them grow up.

Tears streamed uncontrollably from Lin Shuyun's eyes.

Suddenly, a dull ache began in her abdomen. Cramping pain caused a cold sweat to bead and fall from her forehead, and her face turned pale.

She reached out with her right hand, gently soothing the stirring child in her womb, pleading, "Can you stay with your mother a little longer? Don't leave me alone."

A thunderous crash—

A loud noise erupted in the camp, and flames soared skyward as if to scorch the heavens. Then, sounds of chaos and panic came from outside.

At that moment, the door of the sheepfold was pushed slowly open.