Сhаpter 298: Тhе Firе Моth Party 30
Wаtсhing his retreаting figure, Zhu Yan fеlt а sеnsе оf сalm settlе within her, accompаniеd by аn ineхрliсаble surgе оf еmоtiоn.
Thе person bеfоre hеr no longer sеemed likе the cоld, unfееling Whitе Кing оf Нell from bеfоre. Не hаd chаnged—оr рerhaрs it wаs theу who had chаnged, and the fееlings bеtweеn them had transfоrmеd.
Givеn the сritiсаl situаtiоn, thеre wаs nо time fоr her tо dwell on suсh thoughts. Withоut dеlаy, shе stеррed in front of Shеn Du, resembling a protеctive mothеr hen, and sрokе with сomрosure:
"Everyone, please hear me out."
Her voice was not loud, but it was clear and ethereal, soothing to the ears as it washed over them.
They all turned their attention to this seemingly inexperienced young woman.
Taking a deep breath, Zhu Yan felt Shen Du grasp her slender hand, which noticeably eased her tension. She understood that this was Shen Du’s way of giving these people a chance and showing his trust in her. Forcing herself to remain calm, she scanned the crowd and raised her voice:
"You are right. Lord Mo is indeed a good official. He has worked for the welfare and benefit of the people of Yingzhou, and we have all witnessed it."
The people on the scene immediately echoed her words, clamoring to open the gates and let Lord Mo enter.
Zhu Yan’s next words were drowned out by the rising tide of voices.
"Silence!"
Shen Du’s shout reverberated for miles, silencing not only the crowd but even Mo Qianzhi outside the gates.
Grateful for Shen Du’s assistance, Zhu Yan composed herself and spoke gravely: "But times have changed. Lord Mo has shielded the Fire Moth Party, excused the crimes of the Half-Faced Ghost, and allowed the Gannan Circuit to live under the shadow of the Half-Faced Ghost for decades. The people have lived in constant fear, and the mastermind behind it all is your Lord Mo—a man who says one thing and does another."
"He has been blinded by the Fire Moth Party and has become a lackey of the Half-Faced Ghost."
Zhu Yan exhaled again. She dared not look back at Shen Du, knowing he would never utter such words himself. He would never speak ill of his former senior brother and savior, so it fell to her to do so.
As soon as she finished speaking, a chorus of objections erupted.
"Lord Mo is no lackey!"
Knowing it wouldn’t be easy to persuade them, Zhu Yan was about to speak when a figure emerged from the side—Li Zimo, the groom from the bride’s case. He nodded slightly to Zhu Yan and Shen Du before addressing the crowd:
"Lady Shen is right about one thing: Lord Mo is no longer the good official he once was. On the day of the massacre, he ordered the execution of my wife, Du Xiaowan, and later allowed the Half-Faced Ghost to abduct her. You must not open the city gates!"
Before the crowd could react, Mo Qianzhi’s voice rang out from beyond the gates: "People of Yingzhou, I, Mo Qianzhi, would never harm the innocent. If you open the gates and drive away these lackeys of the court, I will atone with my death and never bring harm upon you."
Zhu Yan thought to herself, If you truly mean to avoid causing harm, why demand the gates be opened? Why not atone with your death right here and now?
Li Zimo was shoved by the surging crowd and stumbled toward Zhu Yan. Shen Du stepped in and pushed him aside, allowing Li Zimo to steady himself. Feeling somewhat awkward, Zhu Yan suddenly had an idea flash through her mind:
"Very well. Since you claim Lord Mo is a good official who would never harm you, he should naturally be willing to heed the people’s will. Go to the city walls yourselves and persuade him. If he agrees to lay down his weapons and hand over the Half-Faced Ghost, we will gladly open the gates and welcome him."
The people looked at her with a mix of doubt and hope. "Is that true?"
"Of course," Zhu Yan replied, glancing at Shen Du. He furrowed his brows but nodded solemnly.The citizens were eager, their hearts brimming with excitement at the prospect of rescuing Lord Mo and fighting for justice.
But Zhu Yan had not finished speaking.
"However, we welcome only Lord Mo, not the Half-Faced Ghosts. They are the butchers who slaughtered your loved ones."
"That goes without saying. We won’t spare them either."
At the mention of the "Half-Faced Ghosts," the citizens naturally felt fear. They had been shrouded in this shadow for far too long.
Even though Wang Buzui was already dead, their dread lingered.
"As you have seen, Madam Mo and the children were just alive and speaking with us moments ago, yet in the blink of an eye, they were separated by the divide between life and death. If the Fire Moth Party’s claims of resurrection were effective, they should have returned to life by now—but they have not."
Her heart grew increasingly calm, no longer fearing life or death.
"Therefore, regardless of whether your persuasion succeeds or fails, the decision to open this city gate rests with us. Otherwise, if we allow a horde of demons and monsters to enter, harming you in the process, we will be too overwhelmed to protect you."
Zhu Yan dug her fingernails into her palms, forcing herself to meet the countless eyes of the citizens.
"Very well."
Zhu Yan’s expression relaxed. The moment she stepped aside, everyone surged toward the city wall, hoping to call back the Lord Mo they once knew.
The battlements were soon crowded with citizens, facing the familiar yet changed Lord Mo across the way, pouring out their hearts.
Mo Qianzhi naturally saw them—several heads peering from each battlement, some even recognizable to him.
Frowning, he could not make out their chattering and had no desire to know.
His original plan had been to use these citizens to open the city gates and hold off Shen Du and the others, but it seemed this had failed.
How unexpected—the people he had nurtured with over a decade of effort were not reliable after all.
As the crowd dispersed, Li Zimo also bowed and withdrew. As a scholar, it was unwise for him to linger here, as he would only add to the trouble.
Shen Du took Zhu Yan’s hand, gently unfolding it before him. He brushed his thumb over her palm, their hands pressed together, the dampness of their palms clinging to each other. The earlier tension now gave way to the warmth of their skin touching.
Zhu Yan belatedly realized the impropriety of this gesture and tried to pull away, but Shen Du held her hand firmly. A blush spread across her cheeks as she heard Shen Du say:
"My wife truly continues to amaze me."
Jing Lin turned away and automatically headed to the city wall to prevent any unrest among the citizens.
Unable to escape, Zhu Yan simply looked up, glaring at him with her dark eyes. Shen Du chuckled softly, ruffling her ink-black hair before turning to serious matters:
"Is there any possibility of persuading Mo Qianzhi?"
Zhu Yan shook her head, a helpless expression on her face. "He is your senior brother. You should know it’s impossible. I just thought that since we couldn’t persuade the citizens, we might as well follow their wishes. Perhaps it would help them see the current situation clearly and avoid making the mistake of opening the city gates and needlessly sacrificing their lives."
The smile faded from Shen Du’s face as he gently pulled Zhu Yan into his embrace. "Don’t worry. Leave the rest to me."
Zhu Yan nodded against his chest, her hands clutching his outer robe tightly. An inexplicable ache rose in her nose, and she gritted her teeth to keep the tears from falling.
In this situation, they could only defend the city and await reinforcements. If Mo Qianzhi led his forces to breach the walls, their failure would mean not only the loss of Yingzhou but also the lives of their loved ones in the capital.
Lai Luozhi would surely not spare anyone in the Zhu household.
From afar, someone called out to him. Shen Du released Zhu Yan and leaped onto the city wall, arriving at the battlement. There, he saw Mo Qianzhi on horseback, shouting angrily:
"Using these citizens as a shield—is this all you rely on, Shen Du?""Do you think I don't dare to kill them?"
Mo Qianzhi was furious, but his anger wasn't truly over this matter. In his heart, he remained perfectly clear-headed—he was merely putting on a show for those around him to witness.
Shen Du nodded in acknowledgment: "Yes, that is precisely what I rely on. The common people are my support. Do you dare to kill them?"
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