Chapter 176: Provisions Exhausted
He Yan smiled as she looked at her. "Because I saved those captives, I'm a true hero?"
"A true hero sees what others cannot. There are many men who speak for men, and many women who speak for women," Qiluo said. "But there aren't many men who speak for women."
Seeing her earnest expression, He Yan couldn't help but inwardly smile bitterly. Yet she wasn't truly a man, so what Qiluo desired, she couldn't genuinely provide.
The world was as it was, and changing it wasn't something that could happen overnight.
Seeing He Yan fall silent, Qiluo seized the opportunity. "Little He Lady, after you left last night, many aunties in the city came to ask me about you. The magistrate's wife also inquired about you. They all said that if you could return alive, they'd like to introduce their daughters to you. It doesn't have to be marriage—being your concubine would also be fine."
The topic shifted too quickly, and He Yan was momentarily taken aback. Facing Qiluo's hopeful gaze, she could only resort to her usual excuse. "Thank you for your kindness, but I already have someone in my heart."
"You already have someone in your heart?" Qiluo was disappointed, but her curiosity quickly took over. "Who is Little He Lady's beloved? Is she beautiful? What kind of person is she?"
A faint smile appeared at the corner of He Yan's lips. "Yes, she's very beautiful. She appears cold in temperament, but she's actually a very gentle person."
This youth had always seemed calm and gentle, but only at this moment did she truly show the shyness and nervousness typical of someone her age.
Qiluo grew even more curious. "From what you say, this young lady must be quite outstanding. Does she like you?"
He Yan was taken aback and shook her head.
"She doesn't like you?" Qiluo exclaimed in surprise. "Little He Lady is skilled in martial arts, handsome, kind-hearted, and even personally appointed by His Majesty as Wu Anlang. How could someone like that not be liked? Why is that?"
"Because she's excellent, and there are people around her who are even better than me." He Yan shrugged. "And I have my own matters to attend to. I don't want to involve others."
Qiluo looked at her and burst out laughing. "Little He Lady, you're perfect in every way except this one. As long as your beloved isn't married, the matter isn't settled. So, fight for her! Back when the master was selecting concubines, there were dozens of us sisters in the courtyard. I made sure to appear before him every day, meticulously dressed and groomed. This position as the master's most favored concubine—I earned it myself. If Little He Lady truly likes that young lady, don't worry about anything else. Those better than you might be too proud and end up losing to you. 'Even the most chaste woman fears a persistent suitor.' If you pursue her day and night, who knows? Maybe one day she'll come to like you."
He Yan hadn't expected to hear "Even the most chaste woman fears a persistent suitor" here. Recalling the urgency of the situation in Jiyang, she found it amusing. Qiluo seemed eager to offer advice on winning over her beloved and was about to continue when He Yan stopped her. "Miss Qiluo, thank you for your kindness, but right now, we can hardly ensure our own safety. If Rundu can be defended and the Wutuo People driven back, I'll certainly follow your advice. But for now... let's leave it at that."
Hearing this, Qiluo also sighed. "You're right."She suddenly fell silent, looking downcast and despondent. He Yan felt a bit sorry; this girl had arrived in high spirits, only to be made so melancholy by her few words. Thinking of this, she took out an apricot preserve from a bundle nearby and handed it over. "No need to worry, we will definitely hold the city."
When Qiluo saw the apricot preserve in He Yan's hand, she was first taken aback, then delightedly accepted it. "Little He Lady, how do you still have candy?"
"I grabbed it casually when we left Liangzhou Guard," He Yan scratched her head.
When they left Jiyang, Cui Yuezhi had given her a good amount of Jiyang's specialty fruit preserves. Xiao Jue didn't like these, so they were all moved to He Yan's room. When they left, they mostly brought dried biscuits and rations, not many snacks like these, but He Yan had packed some anyway, thinking they wouldn't take up much space.
Qiluo carefully licked the apricot preserve and happily said to He Yan, "Thank you, Little He Lady. Since the Wutuo People came, I've been eating one meal and starving the next, barely getting any food at all, let alone candy—I didn't even dare to think about it. Now, thanks to Little He Lady's kindness, I'm truly overjoyed."
He Yan: "Not even getting food? That can't be right. The Wutuo People have only besieged Rundu for a little over a month. How could the city have reached such a state?"
Since arriving in Rundu, she and Wang Ba and the others had been eating the rations they brought from Liangzhou Guard. She knew Rundu's provisions were tight, but that was because they had to be allocated to the soldiers defending the city. These past few days had been so busy that she hadn't even had time to stroll around the city. If Qiluo hadn't mentioned it herself, He Yan wouldn't have known Rundu was already in such dire straits.
To think that even Qiluo wasn't getting enough to eat, let alone the ordinary people.
Qiluo bit into the apricot preserve, her eyes wide as she looked at He Yan. "Little He Lady, you may not know this, but the Wutuo soldiers have besieged Rundu for over a month, and last year Rundu suffered a snow disaster. After the snow disaster came famine. Even if the Wutuo People hadn't come, the people of Rundu would have been struggling. Not to mention now, with the roads out of the city blocked, the city's food supply was already scarce, and all of it has been given to the army. The people have long been starving, eating bark and roots. A few days ago, people started dying of hunger."
"What!" He Yan sat up abruptly. "Is that true?"
"I wouldn't dare deceive Little He Lady," Qiluo said. "Otherwise, since Rundu is famous for its grapes, why on your first day here was only that one bowl given to you? Truly... that was already the last bowl of grapes in Rundu."
The famine among the city's people was a major issue, yet such a serious matter hadn't been reported to her by Li Kuang!
If this was the case, defending the city was meaningless. Li Kuang was waiting for He Rufei, who would never come, while the people of Rundu were waiting for endless despair and starvation—they were waiting to die.
He Yan's expression darkened, and without a word, she put on her shoes. Qiluo asked, "What are you going to do, Little He Lady?"
"I need to see Li Kuang."
...
Li Kuang was in his room tallying the previous day's battle reports when he suddenly saw He Yan stride in from outside. Surprised, he asked, "Didn't you go back to your room to rest? Why are you out again?"
He Yan sat down in a nearby chair. She was indeed very tired, and sitting helped a little. She looked at Li Kuang and said, "I came to ask, after we burned the Wutuo People's provisions last night, what are your plans, Lord Li?"At this point, Li Kuang turned to He Yan, sincerely cupping his hands and saying, "Yesterday's victory was all thanks to you, Little He Lady. Now that the Wutuo people have run out of provisions, I plan to continue waiting for reinforcements. Without supplies, the Wutuo people will surely be more anxious than we are. If they attempt a forced siege... we can set traps. What do you think, Little He Lady?"
He Yan replied, "I think it's unwise."
Li Kuang frowned. "Why?"
He Yan stared into his eyes. "Your plan to stalemate with the Wutuo people is understandable, but how long can the city's civilians hold out? I fear they will starve to death before reinforcements arrive. This year's snow disaster has left little surplus grain in the city. Why did you hide this from me?"
Upon hearing this, Li Kuang did not answer He Yan's question but instead asked, "Who told you this?"
"With so many people in Rundu, do you think you can keep it hidden?" He Yan's gaze was sharp. "Even if you could hide it from one person, how could it remain unknown as more and more people starve to death?"
Last night, when she led Rundu's five hundred elite soldiers out of the city, she had noticed how gaunt and weary they were. At the time, she had assumed it was due to the prolonged siege, but it was only after Qiluo explained the reason that she understood.
If even the military was in such a state, it was a grave taboo in warfare. History had recorded instances of cities being defended until their inhabitants starved to death. It was a living hell, something too dreadful to imagine.
After a moment of silence, Li Kuang asked He Yan, "What do you propose?"
"We cannot continue defending the city. You and I should lead Rundu's troops and engage the Wutuo people in a decisive battle outside the city."
"Impossible!" Li Kuang replied without hesitation. "Taking the initiative to attack is the worst strategy."
"Last night, we took the initiative."
"Last night, it was five hundred elite soldiers, but Rundu has only thirty thousand troops in total—this is Rundu's last hope. If, as you suggest, we engage the Wutuo people in a decisive battle and lose, the city will fall, and all its inhabitants will fall into the hands of the Wutuo people! You have already fought the Wutuo people twice—you cannot be unaware of their cruelty and brutality. For these civilians to fall into their hands would be worse than death. As Rundu's garrison commander, I would rather see all of Rundu's people starve to death than die under the torment of the Wutuo people!"
"Who says we are certain to lose?" He Yan frowned. "The battle has not yet begun—anything could happen. We could also be the victors."
"Thirty thousand against hundreds of thousands—how can we fight?"
He Yan countered, "The Battle of Jiyang was also a case of the few defeating the many."
Li Kuang turned away, his voice cold. "I am not the Right Army Commander, and you are not the Flying Goose General. A battle where the few defeat the many—I cannot fight it, and neither can you."
"I can fight it!"
Li Kuang turned back to look at her as if she were an ignorant child unaware of the world's vastness. Shaking his head, he said, "Brother He, I admit you have some skill and know how to deal with the Wutuo people, but war is cruel—it stakes the lives of an entire city. I cannot gamble the lives of a city's people for your military achievements. People like us, if we die, so be it—it's just one life. But the city gates must not fall. I will not take the initiative to attack the Wutuo people. If they attempt to siege the city, we will defend it. If they choose to stalemate, we will wait for reinforcements."
Li Kuang had always been this way—exceptionally conservative in warfare—and He Yan knew this well. Back then, she was still a deputy general, commanding tens of thousands of the Pacify Yue Army. But now..."This is Rundu. Even as a Wu Anlang, Lady He cannot command Rundu's troops without my permission. So, don't waste your effort!" Li Kuang said coldly.
He Yan took a deep breath. This stubborn rock's temper remained as hard and unyielding as ever, unchanged after all these years. She asked, "Fine. If we follow your suggestion, Li Daren, and do not attack but retreat and defend, the city has no grain. Sooner or later, everyone will starve to death. Both you and I know the current state of Rundu's troops. If this continues, even if the civilians don't starve, the soldiers will. For the Wutuo People, wouldn't it be a great bargain if so many Rundu soldiers died without them losing a single soldier?"
"The troops will not starve to death," Li Kuang replied with a grim expression. "I have my own methods."
He Yan pressed further, "What methods?"
Li Kuang glanced at her and simply said, "You don't need to know." With that, he ignored He Yan, turned, and strode into the inner room, his sleeves sweeping behind him.
He Yan watched his retreating figure, feeling uneasy. Grain was not a problem that could be easily solved, yet Li Kuang seemed confident. Could it be that there was a secret granary within Rundu? But if such provisions truly existed, how could Rundu's troops and civilians suffer such hunger?
He Yan shook her head and decided to find Jiang Jiao and the others to discuss the matter. As soon as she stepped outside, she bumped into someone—Zhao Shiming, the magistrate of Rundu.
Zhao Shiming awkwardly wiped the sweat from his forehead and glanced inside the room. "I... I was about to go in, but when I reached the door, I heard you and Li Daren arguing, so I thought it best not to enter." He looked at He Yan's expression and comforted her, "Little He Lady, please don't take Li Daren's words to heart. He has always been like this—stubborn and unyielding as a rock. His heart is in the right place; he just doesn't dare gamble with the lives of Rundu's people. Little He Lady, you've come from Liang Province and may not fully understand, but those of us who have been in Rundu all along... truly dare not take such risks."
"I'm not angry," He Yan sighed. "I just feel this isn't the right way."
She looked at Zhao Shiming again. Earlier, it was Zhao Shiming who had found craftsmen to make straw dummies and masks. As the magistrate, he seemed to enjoy the trust of Rundu's people. Now that Li Kuang was displeased with her, He Yan couldn't ask him for help, and Jiang Jiao and the others had been by her side all along—she couldn't split them up. This Zhao Shiming... likely had some capable people around him, even if not many.
"Zhao Daren," she thought for a moment, then bowed deeply to him. "I have a favor to ask of you."
Zhao Shiming was taken aback. "Little He Lady, please speak freely."
"Do you have any capable people around you, such as guards? I would like to borrow two of them to help me with a task." She paused, then added, "However, this matter must be kept from Li Daren. He must not know about it."
Zhao Shiming looked at the young person before him. By duty and personal ties, he had known Li Kuang longer and should not help He Yan hide things from him. On the other hand, he believed this young person meant no harm and was even one of the rare pure-hearted souls in the world.
Otherwise, last night, he wouldn't have risked rescuing those women from the enemy camp.
Without thinking for long, Zhao Shiming said, "That can be arranged."
...
The sky over Rundu was gloomy, as if the sun hadn't shone for a long time. The entire city was filled with a decaying, stale atmosphere.In a household, two bare-bottomed boys pushed out a corpse—likely their grandfather—laid on a straw mat, his body so emaciated that every bone was visible… He had starved to death.
Such scenes had become increasingly common in Rundu lately. Ying Xiang passed by, watching, a flicker of pity in her eyes.
Their own food was running low, too.
"Fourth Young Master, if we stay in Rundu, we’ll end up like this," she softly reminded.
Chu Zhao said nothing, continuing forward in silence.
Xu Xiang’s people had long since left Rundu. Staying here meant waiting for death; no one would willingly enter a city doomed to fall. Even if Chu Zhao was the Fourth Young Master of the Chu family, when that day came, it would make no difference.
Death was a perfectly impartial affair, showing no mercy based on status or nobility.
"We…" Ying Xiang began to speak again.
"Wait a little longer," Chu Zhao cut her off.
Wait? For what? Ying Xiang fell silent for a moment before asking, "If Fourth Young Master is truly worried about Miss He, why not take her with us?"
"She didn’t even inform Xiao Huaijin, traveling thousands of miles alone to Rundu just to save the city’s people. How could you think she’d abandon them all to leave with me?" Chu Zhao smiled faintly. He Yan was the type who, once everything was settled, would likely slip away quietly. The more dire the situation, the less likely she was to leave alone.
He considered it foolish, yet sometimes he couldn’t help wanting to see more—to see what astonishing feats this girl could still accomplish, and how far she would go.
Ying Xiang walked with her head lowered, her voice soft. "Is Fourth Young Master unable to let her go?"
Chu Zhao’s smile was faint. "I just… don’t want to see her die so easily."
If she lived, the world would likely be more interesting. If she died, all women in the world would seem the same.
As they spoke, Ying Xiang suddenly said, "Fourth Young Master, Miss He…"
Following her gaze, Chu Zhao saw He Yan standing on the street, staring intently at a household. A woman sat at the doorway, digging in the dirt, trying to unearth edible roots or bark.
He Yan stood quietly, her eyes lowered, her expression unclear. Chu Zhao walked over and said, "Brother He."
Only then did He Yan notice them. "Brother Chu, Miss Ying Xiang."
Ying Xiang bowed slightly, and the three walked forward together. Chu Zhao asked, "Brother He, you fought the Wutuo People all night yesterday. Shouldn’t you be resting indoors?"
"It’s fine. I just came out for a walk," He Yan replied.
Ying Xiang asked, "Has Young Master He eaten? If not, I still have some dry rations in my bundle." She sighed. "In Rundu’s current state, there’s no hot food to be had."
He Yan shook her head. "Thank you, but I’m not hungry."
She truly couldn’t bring herself to eat.
After a moment’s thought, Chu Zhao spoke. "Brother He, are you troubled by the plight of Rundu’s people? Is it because the city has no food?"
He Yan looked at him. "Brother Chu knows about it too?"
"I arrived in Rundu earlier than you," Chu Zhao said with a slight shake of his head and a faint smile. "And with plenty of time to spare, all I’ve seen of Rundu’s people is exactly this."
"If Brother Chu could persuade Xu Xiang…" He Yan ventured cautiously.Regarding Chu Zhao's identity, He Yan had always harbored doubts. Although Chu Zhao was Xu Xiang's student, he did not seem to work directly for Xu Xiang. Admittedly, his ability to gain favor in front of Chu Linfeng was inseparable from Xu Jingfu. However, Chu Zhao was a person who, in many situations, made choices that seemed to contradict Xu Jingfu's original intentions.
For example, the military defense map Chu Zhao delivered in Jiyang.
He was a man with strong convictions. With such a person, it was best to avoid making an enemy if possible. Before he showed any hostility, one could only tread carefully. Just as Chu Zhao wanted to use her, if she could use Chu Zhao to get closer to He Rufei, it might not be a bad idea. After all, the current He Rufei had gone mad to the point of losing all humanity.
If He Yan had once hoped to rise in rank under Xiao Jue, she had long since changed her mind. She decided not to involve Xiao Jue, to stay far away from him, and to do this on her own as much as possible.
Upon hearing this, Chu Zhao's smile faded slightly. After a moment, he shook his head and said, "Brother He, I am not omnipotent. Xu Xiang... also does not listen to my opinions."
His words carried a hint of grievance.
He Yan raised an eyebrow. The relationship between Xu Jingfu and Chu Zhao seemed quite profound.
"I cannot help the people of Rundu. The only thing I can do is stay with them. However, what does Brother He plan to do?" He looked at He Yan. "You also know that Rundu cannot hold out for much longer."
A city without food could only struggle desperately. Li Kuang had not informed her of the situation immediately, and now he refused to confront the Wutuo People head-on. No matter how one looked at it, this path seemed like a dead end.
"Will you give up?" he asked.
The man's gaze was gentle, like the warm breeze of Shuojing in March, yet tinged with the chill of lingering spring—clear, yet concealing a faint sense of anticipation.
He Yan met his gaze openly and without evasion. "What does Brother Chu hope I will do?"
Chu Zhao was taken aback for a moment, then laughed instead. "Why are you asking me?"
He Yan slowly walked forward. "I thought Brother Chu already had an answer in mind."
After a while, his voice came from beside her: "I have never seen anything that could block Brother He's path, nor have I ever seen anything that made Brother He lose hope."
"You overestimate my abilities."
Chu Zhao replied, "Not at all. No matter how capable Brother He is, you still cannot solve Rundu's urgent crisis, can you?"
He Yan fell silent.
Chu Zhao continued, "Brother He, do you know that during the worst famines in the past, people in the city would even exchange children to eat? Cannibalism is an especially terrifying thing. If Rundu continues like this, such a situation may very well occur."
He Yan lowered her head and chuckled softly, looking into the distance.
The streets were empty. Shops had long since closed, and anything edible had likely been found and consumed. Despite it being a lively summer, Rundu appeared barren, with even the branches of roadside trees stripped bare—their leaves had long been plucked by desperate, starving people to fill their stomachs.
If not for the scorching sun, it would not look like summer at all, but rather like winter. This was not the Rundu He Yan remembered—small and bustling, with crystal-clear grapes and mellow wine.
War had changed everything.She whispered, "Do you know what is even more terrifying than exchanging children to eat?"
Chu Zhao was somewhat surprised. "What is it?"
He Yan did not speak, only gazing at the lifeless city, a sense of helpless sorrow rising in her heart.
That kind of thing... if possible, she hoped it would never happen, that she would never have to see it in her lifetime.
It was a true living hell.
(End of Chapter)
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