Li Mu had just returned to the city when he heard that she had gone to deliver cool drinks to the soldiers, then climbed up to the city walls, staying there for quite some time. Guessing that she had gone there to wait for his return, how could he bear to hold back? Setting aside other matters, he came looking for her first.

He smiled as he approached her, lowering his head, his lips touching her ear.

“As soon as I returned, I heard you went to the city gates to deliver cool drinks to the soldiers. I’m also very thirsty and want a drink.”

He was almost blatantly teasing her now.

Luoshen quickly glanced at A’Yu nearby. Seeing her eyes widen with curiosity as she watched her and him, she couldn’t help but blush.

Li Mu looked at her joyful yet shy expression, filled with love in his heart. He gently grasped her arm and said, “The sun is setting. If you have nothing else here, let me escort you back first.”

A’Yu quickly said, “Madam, please go back. I’ll take good care of her.”

Li Mu glanced at the unconscious woman on the floor mat, seeing her lying on her side in a curled position. Knowing this was the woman Luoshen had rescued, he patted A’Yu on the head.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

The woman who had been unconscious on the floor mat suddenly, without warning, opened her closed eyes.

These were the eyes of a foreign tribe member, with black lashes that couldn’t hide the purple-tinged pupils beneath.

These translucent, glass-like, indifferent purple pupils stared motionlessly at the two retreating figures walking side by side outside the door.

The sound of the little girl’s footsteps returning reached her ears.

These eyes slowly closed again.

…

In the afterglow of the setting sun, cooking smoke curled upward.

Yi Cheng now had nearly five thousand residents.

Li Mu accompanied Luoshen, walking through the city streets that were gradually beginning to regain some vitality, and the two returned to the Governor’s mansion.

He washed away the day’s dust and sweat from the road, changed his clothes, and drank a bowl of the cool drink Luoshen had prepared for him earlier. Then he told Luoshen to rest first, saying he still had some matters to attend to and would go first, but would definitely return before dark to have dinner with her.

As if to prove his words, just as he finished speaking, a maid’s voice calling from the courtyard announced that Director Jiang was looking for the Governor.

Luoshen knew he had come looking for her as soon as he returned to the city, so he must have other matters to attend to.

But she just didn’t want to let him leave.

Like a little deer, she rushed ahead of him to the door, pressing her body against it, blocking his way out.

She raised her small face to look at him: “I won’t let you go.”

Li Mu smiled and shook his head: “Be good. I’ll come back to accompany you when it gets dark.”

Luoshen shook her head. She stretched out her jade arms and hooked them around his neck.

“A’Mi, you heard it too just now, Jiangtao is looking for me…” he coaxed gently.

Luoshen’s gaze was level, falling right on his Adam’s apple, full of masculine characteristics.

She leaned over, opened her mouth, and with her snow-white, small, yet sharp canine teeth, bit it once.

The Adam’s apple moved up and down dramatically with his swallowing motion.

“A’Mi, don’t be naughty…”

His voice already sounded hoarse.

Luoshen released his Adam’s apple, then stood on her tiptoes, her soft lips gently rubbing against the slightly rough man’s chin, her nasal voice sweet and cloying: “I’m not being naughty at all…”

That bowl of cool drink from earlier seemed to have been drunk for nothing.

Li Mu’s mouth was dry and his tongue parched.

He hadn’t touched her for three whole days. And she was still seducing him…

His large hands could no longer control themselves, lifting up to knead the girl in his arms forcefully through her clothes.

Luoshen cried out in pain, twisting her body to avoid his hands: “Bad man! You’re clearly the one being naughty with me, yet you blame me. You’re hurting me… wuu…”

Li Mu’s blood surged, and he pressed her against the door panel.

A moment later, he released that small mouth that had become swollen from his sucking and biting, called out to those outside “Say I’m not here,” then scooped up the little beauty and tossed her onto the bed.

…

As dusk darkened and night was about to fall, Li Mu finally extricated himself from the little beauty’s bed and hurried to the front hall.

Jiangtao was still waiting. Seeing his figure appear, he quickly approached.

“Jingchen, you’re here!”

Though he wore a smile and didn’t seem particularly urgent, he had been waiting here all this time.

Clearly, there was indeed something important.

Li Mu couldn’t help feeling a bit ashamed, mumbling vaguely: “I went to the nearby area earlier, keeping you waiting… What do you need me for?”

Jiangtao had returned with him from Chou Chi, and the two had separated near the city gates. Later, as soon as he received the news, he immediately came looking for him.

He had clearly heard people say that the Governor and his wife had returned together, so he came, but couldn’t find him.

Jiangtao was an experienced man and vaguely guessed what was going on.

Though the matter was somewhat urgent, it wasn’t at the point of being critical, and could still wait, so he simply didn’t rush. Now seeing him finally arrive, he naturally wouldn’t point it out. After sitting down, he immediately said: “After you left, scouts brought a newly discovered piece of intelligence. They say that from Qin Province direction, a Western Jin army of about thirty thousand is marching toward us at forced march pace. They should arrive within four or five days.”

“If our guess is correct, it must be that Gu Huilong learned of the alliance between Hou Ding and us, and with the envoy being killed, he couldn’t swallow this insult, so he deployed troops to attack us.”

Li Mu’s expression immediately became solemn.

“Is the intelligence reliable?”

“Given the gravity of the matter, the chief scout personally went to verify it again. There’s no mistake. Looking at this momentum, they intend to level Yi Cheng to the ground and use this to intimidate Hou Ding.”

Li Mu’s brow furrowed slightly.

Jiangtao continued: “Our forces have been continuously expanding. We now have over ten thousand soldiers, but supplies are far behind, especially weapons, which are urgently needed. Soldiers who can be equipped with weapons number less than half, and arrows are even more insufficient. A crossbow soldier can only be equipped with ten arrows at most. Once shot, they can’t display the power of crossbow troops. With thirty thousand Western Jin coming to attack, we’ll be fighting three to one, not to mention that supplies will further hinder city defense. Fortunately, we received the news in time. To be absolutely safe, I propose returning to Chou Chi overnight to inform Hou Ding of the news and ask him to send troops for relief. What do you think?”

Li Mu pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

“Brother Jiang, though we’ve allied with Hou Ding, and he’s promised full support, so far we’ve provided no assistance to the Chou Chi people, instead needing to borrow grain from them. And the major battles are yet to come. Now when Western Jin has only sent thirty thousand men, in our first battle, we again need their military assistance.”

“If you were Hou Ding, what would you think?”

Jiangtao also frowned: “Jingchen, your concerns are indeed valid. But aside from this, what other solution is there? Not to mention that we’re outnumbered, weapons are even more problematic. Without sufficient arrows, with thirty thousand attacking the city, how long can we hold? Not to mention close combat in the field, with half the soldiers only able to face enemy swords and spears with wooden sticks. Soldiers aren’t made of steel – how can they achieve victory?”

Li Mu rose from his seat, slowly pacing back and forth, suddenly stopped and turned around.

“Brother Jiang, what was our purpose in going to Chou Chi this time?”

Jiangtao was startled: “Wasn’t it for weapons?”

Kucha had always been rich in ironware, and ironware was precisely what Yi Cheng urgently lacked.

Li Mu’s trip to Chou Chi with Jiangtao was intended to seek ironware through Hou Ding’s relationship with Kucha to forge weapons and needed farm tools.

He immediately shook his head: “Jingchen, are you thinking of having Hou Ding immediately send weapons? Though Hou Ding promised to mediate, even if he were a deity, he couldn’t deliver the weapons we need in just a few days!”

“Hou Ding isn’t a deity. But the deity who will deliver weapons to us is now on the way.”

Jiangtao looked at him uncomprehendingly.

Li Mu’s eyes gleamed. “I have a plan that will not only make these thirty thousand Western Jin men deliver supplies and weapons to us, but ensure they never return!”

He quickly walked up to Jiangtao, bent down, leaned close to his ear, and whispered a few words.

Jiangtao was initially stunned, but upon understanding, was overjoyed.

“What an excellent plan to open the gates to welcome the enemy and catch them like turtles in a jar!”

“Brilliant! I admire this, truly admire it! Gu Huilong would never dream that these thirty thousand troops are coming to deliver things to us!”

He stood up, laughing heartily.

Li Mu smiled: “This plan just occurred to me, though it’s only a rough outline. The specific implementation involves the city residents and will depend on you, Brother.”

Jiangtao was most skilled at coordination, planning, and meticulous arrangements. He nodded: “The Western Jin will arrive in a few days. Let’s quickly send word to Hou Ding and then plan the other arrangements!”

…

After Li Mu left, Luoshen felt as if her waist was about to break from his attention. It ached terribly now, and she couldn’t help but regret having blocked his way earlier.

After lying on the bed resting for quite a while, her stomach finally started rumbling with hunger, and she reluctantly got up.

A’Ju helped her dress and caught sight of several obvious red bite marks on the snow-white skin below her delicate collarbones that her undergarment didn’t cover.

If this area was like this, what lay beneath, hidden by her undergarment, must be even worse.

She couldn’t help feeling distressed, frowning and muttering complaints about Li Langjun not knowing restraint, wanting to apply medicinal salve.

This was all her own doing…

Luoshen was shy and embarrassed. She clutched her clothing tightly with both hands, refusing to let A’Ju see.

A’Ju had no choice but to shake her head and give up, ordering dinner to be brought.

Luoshen had originally wanted to wait for Li Mu to finish meeting with Jiangtao and return to eat together, but before long, he sent someone to say that he had important matters tonight, wouldn’t return to their room, might even leave the city that evening, and didn’t know when he’d return. He told Luoshen to eat dinner herself and go to sleep without waiting for him.

Ever since Gao Huan was selected for the Elite Martial squad, he spent day and night with the people in the military camp. Let alone coming back to stay, Luoshen could barely see him even once. She had no choice but to eat dinner alone.

It was still early, and with some worry in her heart, not knowing what matter had suddenly arisen that required Li Mu to leave the city overnight, she couldn’t fall asleep for the time being. Remembering that she had promised to bring food to A’Yu during the day, and her home was close to the Governor’s mansion, she simply dressed properly, had someone bring some food, and went to A’Yu’s house herself.

A’Yu’s father and brothers seemed to have been conscripted tonight as well – neither father nor sons were home. Only she was there. To conserve the lamp oil distributed to them, she was sitting in the courtyard, using the last bit of daylight to read the literacy booklet distributed by the school. Suddenly seeing Luoshen arrive, she was very happy and quickly welcomed her inside, lighting the small oil lamp in the room.

Luoshen had someone put down the food, and by the dim lamplight, she glanced at the woman, seeing her still looking very weak, lying motionlessly on the floor mat. She asked A’Yu: “After I left, she never woke up?”

A’Yu quickly said: “She did wake up for a while, ate some porridge, and I asked her some things.”

Luoshen feared their conversation might wake the woman, so she gestured for A’Yu to step outside to talk. The two went to the doorway.

A’Yu said: “She’s very pitiful. She’s been blind since childhood, unable to open her eyes. She says she’s from Longxi area. Because of the coming war, she fled with her family, but they all died on the road, leaving only her. She followed others on the same route and finally reached near our Yi Cheng, but because she was blind and seriously ill, she was abandoned. She groped around blindly for several days, couldn’t find her way, and hungry and exhausted, she fainted. She thought she would die, but unexpectedly was saved by Madam…”

As A’Yu spoke, tears fell from her eyes.

“I thought of my mother and myself… If we hadn’t met kind people like the Governor and Madam before, I probably would have died long ago, and wouldn’t be able to read and learn characters like today…”

Seeing A’Yu cry, Luoshen felt her own heart ache in sympathy. She pulled the little girl into her arms, sat together on the threshold, gently patting her back, comforting: “Don’t be sad anymore. Things will surely get better and better in the future.”

A’Yu nestled in the Governor’s wife’s embrace, smelling the fragrant scent on her body, suddenly remembered something. She dried her tears, looked up at her, and said embarrassedly: “Madam, I used to think you scented your clothes with flowers, so I picked flowers for you every day. Later I heard them say that you’re the daughter of the most noble princess in the imperial city. An aunt who used to work in a wealthy household said that Madam must use the most expensive spices, so how could you care for the wild flowers I picked? So I didn’t dare send you any more. You won’t laugh at me, will you, Madam?”

Luoshen shook her head: “How could I? I just love flowers. Wild flowers are the same. But in the future, you don’t need to pick them for me. I’ve planted a patch in my courtyard now too.”

A’Yu nodded: “Good. Then I’ll spend more time gathering hemp in my spare time. I also want to learn to spin thread and weave cloth.”

Luoshen smiled and stroked A’Yu’s hair, then turned to look at the blind woman lying behind them who still hadn’t moved. She said to A’Yu: “Go wake her up. Let her eat something more so her body will recover faster.”

A’Yu went over and gently called “Sister” a few times.

The blind woman’s body moved, and she woke up.

Luoshen also walked over. Seeing her lower her head with closed eyes, struggling as if to get up and thank her, Luoshen told her not to bother and asked: “Are you feeling better?”

“Much better… Thank you, Madam, for saving my life…”

The blind woman’s voice was hoarse and raspy.

Luoshen bent down, reaching her hand toward the woman’s forehead.

The blind woman seemed to sense it and instinctively tried to dodge, but finally stopped. She let the small hand rest on her forehead, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her expression becoming somewhat stiff.

The room was dimly lit, so Luoshen naturally didn’t notice the subtle changes in the woman’s expression. She only felt it was still a bit hot, but compared to during the day, it did seem better. She withdrew her hand, then remembered what she had seen when applying medicine during the day.

“How did you get those old whip scars on your body?”

The blind woman paused, as if in fear, curling her body tighter, and said in a low voice: “My husband used to beat me with a whip.”

Luoshen couldn’t help feeling sympathy and angrily said: “Such an evil husband – it’s best that he’s dead! Don’t be afraid anymore, and don’t think about the past. Now that you’re here, focus on healing your injuries first. Don’t worry, though you can’t see and have no family left, I’ll have people look after you in the future. I absolutely won’t let you starve to death.”

The blind woman seemed too moved by gratitude to speak for a moment.

Luoshen instructed A’Yu to take care of her, and seeing there was nothing else, and that it had become completely dark outside, she left A’Yu’s house and returned to the Governor’s mansion.

Li Mu indeed didn’t return all night.

Luoshen naturally couldn’t sleep well either, wondering what he had gone to do, sleeping fitfully. By the next morning, she seemed to hear his voice outside talking to A’Ju and the others, and drowsily called out “Langjun.”

The room door was pushed open, and she opened her sleepy eyes to see Li Mu enter and sit beside the bed.

She crawled up, closed her eyes, and burrowed into his embrace, seeking to be held.

Li Mu held the warm, soft, delicate body that had just crawled into his arms. After holding her for a while, he whispered in her ear: “A’Mi, wake up. We need to leave the city first. I’m sorry to trouble you, but you’ll have to stay outside for a few nights. Is that alright?”

Luoshen slowly opened her eyes, meeting Li Mu’s gaze. Seeing that he hadn’t slept all night but still looked spirited, though his eyes seemed to carry some guilt as he looked at her.

Without hesitation, she immediately nodded: “Alright.”

Li Mu was startled, then smiled, kissed her cheek, and turned to call for someone to come help her get dressed.

A’Ju, Qiongshu, and the others all looked somewhat tense.

Soon, Luoshen learned something as well.

Western Jin Emperor Gu Huilong, to retaliate against Li Mu, had sent an army of thirty thousand men marching toward Yi Cheng.

Li Mu planned to evacuate all the city residents, set up an empty city, then lure the enemy inside, and finally close the gates to beat them like trapped dogs.

To be precise, close the gates and starve the dogs to death.