Chapter 353: Something Must Have Happened to My Mother
Hearing Yu Luo say that Chi Jincheng had captured the saboteurs in such a short time, Yu Haojie’s already furrowed brows deepened even further.
To him, Chi Jincheng was not the type to act without personal gain. Someone like him wouldn’t go out of his way to meddle in others’ affairs unless there was something in it for him.
However, he couldn’t deny Chi Jincheng’s capabilities and found himself more cautious than ever.
“Where are they? We should interrogate them first. As for Chi Jincheng’s request, whether we agree or not, this is something that requires serious deliberation.”
“They should have already been brought to the City Lord’s Mansion. You’re right, Father. I instinctively rejected his proposal, but the fact that these two aren’t from Feng City means we’ve already drawn attention from forces outside the wilderness. I’ll have them brought in first so we can question them.”
Not long after, the captured men were brought to the front hall. Tao Ming yanked the rags from their mouths before stepping aside.
“Speak. You disguised yourselves as refugees and sabotaged the coal mine—what was your intent?”
“Father, I think we should first ask them which country they’re from.”
“City Lord, Miss Yu, we are from the Lan Yue Kingdom! Please, don’t kill us! We were just following orders. Now that our mission has failed, we’ll be executed if we return. We’re willing to serve the City Lord and Miss Yu! We pledge our loyalty to you both!”
Before Yu Luo even finished speaking, the younger of the two men had already thrown himself to the ground, begging for his life with desperation.
As soon as he spoke, the older man quickly followed suit, nodding repeatedly with a terrified expression. Seeing their pathetic display, father and daughter exchanged silent glances.
It was likely that neither of them had expected Chi Jincheng to capture two complete cowards.
“Hah, you sure switched allegiances quickly. Your accents do sound like you’re from the Lan Yue Kingdom, but if you truly want to surrender to Luo City, do you think we’d believe you so easily? If you want our trust, you’d better show some sincerity.”
Yu Haojie’s mocking tone sent the two men into a panic as they scrambled to prove their loyalty.
The older man hurriedly crawled half a step forward on his knees, speaking quickly, “City Lord, three months ago, we arrived in the wilderness because the officials from Pingyang City who were supposed to escort the exiled criminals never returned. The authorities there sent us to disguise ourselves as refugees and investigate. When we reached the stone houses, the guards who received the prisoners claimed that Liang Chao had returned after delivering you all. But when we checked with the bandits in Jiuchong Mountain, there was no sign of Liang Chao’s return. After reporting this back to our superiors, they ordered us to infiltrate Luo City to assess its true strength, so the authorities could act when the time was right.”
“Yes, exactly! The officials also discovered the coal mine here and intended to seize it using your own efforts. However, they were afraid you’d mine too quickly and deplete the reserves before they could establish their presence. So, they ordered us to sabotage the mine, causing collapses to scare you off. That way, when their forces arrived and took over Luo City, they could resume mining without issue.”
As soon as the older man finished, the younger one immediately chimed in, speaking even faster, desperate to prove his allegiance as if afraid they wouldn’t believe him.
Father and daughter remained silent for a moment before waving for Tao Ming to take them away.
“Father, now we don’t just have Feng City as an enemy. We’ve already drawn the attention of the Lan Yue Kingdom. How are your preparations going?”
“If it’s just about defending the city, we are well prepared. But I truly don’t want a war. Luo City is still young; development should be our priority. If war breaks out, our population is too small, and even with your system’s resources, we’d be locked in a prolonged conflict. That would make all our efforts to build this city meaningless.”
“I agree… so what do we do now?”
Yu Luo didn’t want war either—not out of fear, but because she simply wanted a peaceful life. If a war could secure this entire wilderness as their permanent domain, then she would see it as necessary.
But if even major nations hadn’t been able to solve this problem, could their small family of three really do it?
Hearing her question, Yu Haojie fell silent, lost in thought.
“Father, could it be that this is just Pingyang City’s attempt to seize our territory, and the Lan Yue Kingdom isn’t even aware of it? Losing a single official like Liang Chao wouldn’t be enough to provoke a large-scale response from the imperial court, would it?”
“That makes sense. We should have asked those two whether this was the court’s decision or just Pingyang officials acting on their own… But it’s already late. You’re exhausted too. Go rest. I’ll handle the questioning.”
“Alright. But if this really involves the imperial court, then we need to reconsider Chi Jincheng’s proposal. Father, think it over. We’ll discuss it again in the morning.”
Yu Luo got up to return to her courtyard, but before leaving, she reminded her father once more.
Yu Haojie nodded gravely and stood up as well.
Just as they were about to leave the front hall, a bloodied hand suddenly grasped the doorframe.
Father and daughter’s hearts clenched in alarm, and they rushed toward the entrance!
Bang!
Before they could step outside, a figure collapsed heavily onto the ground.
When they saw who it was, their expressions changed drastically, and they hurried forward!
“Xiang Xiang!”
Yu Luo caught Yu Xiangxiang, whose entire body was covered in blood, and discovered a wound in her abdomen.
Even in the darkness, her thick cotton clothing had already been soaked through with blood, the wound continuously seeping crimson.
“Someone! Help!”
Yu Haojie’s face paled instantly. Yu Xiangxiang was supposed to be in their courtyard. His first thought was of his wife.
With a single powerful step, he launched himself toward the rear courtyard.
Hearing his urgent shout, the mansion’s guards rushed over, along with Ming Ye.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiangxiang, cradled in Yu Luo’s arms, showed clear signs of blood loss. She was barely conscious.
Yu Luo wasted no time. She quickly fed her a hemostatic pill and handed her over to the guards.
“Ming Ye, take Xiangxiang to Tang Xueli! My mother—something must have happened to her!”
