Dong Changlan clasped his fists and agreed: “Father, rest assured, your son understands!”

Dong Qingyue clenched his fist and gently pressed it against the desk, looking at Bai Qingyan and Dong Changlan: “A’Bao… from this day forward, everyone in the Dong Family, from top to bottom, will be as one with the Bai Family. We shall fight to pacify this realm and end the chaos that plagues the world! From your grandmother above to your younger cousin below, the Dong Family and Bai Family shall brave mountains of blades and seas of fire together, entrusting our lives and deaths to one another!”

Heat surged in Bai Qingyan’s eyes as she declared firmly: “Conspiring together for this great cause, sharing fortune and misfortune alike, we shall never fail each other!”

“Throughout this life, Dong Changlan shall follow her cousin sister’s lead!” Dong Changlan clasped his fists toward Bai Qingyan. “Changlan deeply believes that cousin sister will surely lead Changlan to witness the day when the seas are calm and rivers clear, when there is no more war in the world! For this… Changlan fears neither life nor death!”

The blood of the Dong Family still ran hot. Born in these chaotic times… who doesn’t wish to end this warfare? Who doesn’t wish to see the day when the realm is unified once more? Who doesn’t wish to leave their name in history, gaining eternal fame through the unprecedented achievement of unification?

The Dong Family in Dengzhou would proceed according to the original plan. Apart from knowing in their hearts that the Ghost-Faced General of Nanrong was A’Yu, everything else remained unchanged. This was to guard against the possibility that Bai Qingyu might not be able to fully control Nanrong, and also to facilitate support should Bai Qingyu encounter any mishap.

On the twenty-fourth day of the eighth month, during the night, Dengzhou residents saw the city gates open and supply convoys leaving the city. The next day, the entire city buzzed with heated discussion.

For three consecutive days, the Dong Mansion had carriages and horses departing the city nightly when people were deep in slumber. Rumors spread that Dong Qingyue had received word that the Rong barbarians would attack the city with their full national strength, so he had packed up the Dong Mansion’s valuables and fled ahead of time, planning to abandon the city and escape.

Some residents, seeing which way the wind was blowing, also gathered their household valuables, hastily packing what should be bundled into bundles, so they could flee early if the Rong barbarians truly attacked the city.

On the night of the twenty-seventh day of the eighth month, Dong Changmao, whom Dong Qingyue had sent out of the city to scout Nanrong’s military situation, rode swiftly back into the city and headed straight for the Dong Mansion.

Dengzhou city officials were summoned overnight. Dong Qingyue informed all the officials that Dong Changmao had already discovered that Nanrong would mobilize their entire national strength to attack Dengzhou city. Since this situation matched Dong Changmao’s earlier predictions, the Dengzhou officials had no reason to disbelieve it.

Dong Qingyue stated frankly that the Dengzhou army had long harbored resentment due to the emperor’s withholding of military provisions to fund the renovation of his traveling palace. If they were to fight now… with the Dengzhou army’s morale unstable, they feared they could not achieve victory. To prevent defeat from causing the Dengzhou populace to suffer a massacre, he proposed that before the Nanrong forces arrived, the Dengzhou army should first escort the officials’ family members to evacuate, then evacuate the common people, leaving behind the Dengzhou army and military officers to defend the city.

All officials agreed, as no one wanted the Nanrong army to breach the city and conduct a blood bath in Dengzhou… implicating their wives and children.

Early morning on the twenty-eighth day of the eighth month, early-rising Dengzhou residents saw that the lane where Dengzhou’s official families resided was in complete chaos from one end to the other. Horse-drawn carriages were parked outside the vermilion-lacquered red gates of every prestigious household. The women of each family clutched their valuables as they boarded the carriages, while other goods were piled high on specialized freight wagons, covered with oilcloth and secured tightly with sturdy hemp rope. Under the escort of armed Dengzhou soldiers, one family after another headed out of the city.

Once the officials’ families departed, the hearts of all the common people became chaotic. Some rolled up their sleeves and cursed angrily, while others followed suit, hurrying home to harness carts and pack valuables to follow the officials’ families out of the city.

Some people even began loudly cursing Dong Qingyue, claiming that Dong Qingyue was planning to abandon the city and flee, completely disregarding the lives of the common people.

When others went to investigate the Dong Mansion, they heard that the Dong Family’s goods were the first to be transported away, and the Dong Family women had also left Dengzhou earliest. Among the female family members, only old Lady Dong remained and had not yet departed. Dong Qingyue, Dong Changlan, and Dong Changmao were all still present.

That afternoon, after all the officials’ families had been transferred out of the city, Dong Qingyue finally stood atop the Bell and Drum Tower and beat the drum to gather the city’s residents.

Seeing Dong Qingyue, the extremely agitated people could no longer be bothered with any etiquette preparations and loudly asked: “Lord Dong, we heard that the Rong barbarians are going to attack the city, and all the officials and their families have already been transferred out of the city! Is Lord Dong planning to abandon us, Dengzhou people, and leave us to fend for ourselves?”

Just as that person finished speaking, they saw an elm wood carriage carved with the Dong Mansion’s emblem slowly stop beneath the city gate tower. Bai Qingyan helped old Lady Dong get down from the carriage.

Old Lady Dong, leaning on her ebony walking stick, stood atop the carriage. Her eyes were bright and piercing, her voice resonant as a great bell as she declared loudly: “My Dong Family has guarded Dengzhou, the border city of Jin Kingdom, for generations. Never has there been an instance of abandoning the city or abandoning the people of Dengzhou. There has never been such a thing before, and there never will be in the future!”

Bai Qingyan helped old Lady Dong down from the carriage. Old Lady Dong’s sharp gaze swept over the Dengzhou residents gathered beneath the drum tower, straightening her spine. With one hand gripping her gleaming ebony walking stick and the other holding Bai Qingyan’s hand, she walked toward the drum tower.

Everyone’s gaze focused on old Lady Dong, who was dressed in the magnificent ceremonial robes of an honored lady. The elderly woman’s silver hair was combed meticulously without a strand out of place, her facial expression tightly controlled. Though the old lady was advanced in years and face powder could no longer conceal the deep lines crisscrossing her face, she maintained an upright posture, dignified and self-possessed. Gone was her usual kind and benevolent expression, replaced by an aura of decisive determination and resolute authority.

Dong Qingyue, accompanied by his sons Dong Changlan and Dong Changmao, personally descended from the drum tower to welcome old Lady Dong. However, old Lady Dong waved her hand and stood directly before the people, declaring loudly: “Beginning as early as the sixth month… my son Dong Qingyue submitted over ten memorials in succession, informing the emperor that this year Nanrong would likely mobilize their entire national strength to attack our Dengzhou city, requesting that the emperor make early preparations and dispatch reinforcements. Not only did the emperor refuse to approve this, but he withheld the Dengzhou army’s provisions and pay to fund the renovation of his traveling palace!”

Hearing old Lady Dong’s aged but resonant voice, the people gradually gathered toward her direction.

“The emperor may abandon us, Dengzhou people, but the Dong Family cannot! The Dengzhou army cannot! Therefore, my son had no choice but to create the appearance that the Dong Family had received word and departed the city first, dispatching the Dengzhou army to leave the city ahead of time to set up tents and establish camps, so that after the Dengzhou people left the city, they would have a place to settle and not become displaced refugees!”

“If that’s the case, why did those officials flee first with their families! Old Lady, aren’t you deceiving us ignorant common folk!” someone shouted.

Old Lady Dong looked in the direction of the voice and said: “Because among the Dengzhou officials are the imperial court’s spies. Having the Dengzhou army escort them was also to supervise the officials as they left the city, to prevent anyone from informing the emperor ahead of time. The emperor would then accuse my son of making a mountain out of a molehill and disturbing the people’s hearts, dispatching someone to strip my son of his military authority, leaving no one to protect us Dengzhou people! Only by moving those officials out of Dengzhou and controlling them could my Dong Family dare to speak frankly to all you residents!”

As old Lady Dong spoke, she handed her walking stick to Bai Qingyan and stepped forward: “Fellow neighbors, my Dong Family has guarded Dengzhou city for generations. Who can name even once… when has the Dong Family ever abandoned the city and fled? Has there ever been a single person with the Dong surname who abandoned the people and looked only to themselves? The Dong Family has been supported by the Dengzhou people for generations, and has also protected the Dengzhou people for generations!”