Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 618 Survive
When Tang Xingguang heard the drumbeats, he said that it was Lady Xie who had arrived, which surprised everyone.

Chen Rong said, "Was this something that Madam arranged with you a long time ago?"

Tang Xing shook his head.

Everyone was even more surprised.

Chen Rong wanted to say something more, but the people down the mountain had already surrounded them. Tang Xing looked at Hu San and the others and said, "Let's get through this first. We'll find a safe place, and then I'll explain everything."

Everyone nodded in unison.

Knowing that someone was coming to rescue them from the foot of the mountain, a glimmer of hope and fighting spirit ignited in their hearts. Hu San and the others, who were already having difficulty getting up, persevered and moved forward with the help of Chen Rong and the others.

The group fought and retreated, suffering some injuries in the process, but fortunately they managed to temporarily suppress the enemy's offensive and were able to rest for a while.

Chen Rong led his men to search for sharp stones. When those people came up to them, they used these stones to help them escape. It was only because there were plenty of stones in the mountains that they were able to escape using these stones.

Tang Xing took a sip of water and waited for Chen Rong to return before saying, "I'm sure it's Madam who's here because... I once talked to Madam about something that happened in the army."

"When a troop of the Liang army was surrounded by the Western Xia, we went to reinforce them and rescue them. The message was relayed by the sound of drums..."

Several veteran soldiers had anticipated this outcome; drumbeats and whistling arrows were methods of transmitting messages within the army.

“So that’s how it is,” Chen Rong said. “Then the light from down the mountain just now was indeed the firearm that the old lady made from a pottery jar.”

Tang Xingdao: "It must be."

That makes sense.

Chen Rong thought for a moment: "It seems that Madam guessed that someone would secretly attack us, so she came to help."

Tang Xing nodded: "I think so too."

"It seems we weren't destined to die," Chen Rong said with a smile.

An old soldier remembered something and looked at Tang Xing, asking, "So, did you manage to rescue that besieged army that time?"

A shadow of sadness crossed Tang Xing's face: "No, we arrived too late. The general leading the troops refused to be captured and led the remaining soldiers in a desperate battle against the Western Xia army, ultimately..."

Tang Xing didn't say what came next, but everyone understood: all those people had been killed in action.

“I mentioned this to Madam because I felt regret,” Tang Xing said. “Our news came too late. If it had been half an hour earlier, the outcome would not have been like this. By the time we arrived, the Western Xia troops were just about to withdraw, and their horses were carrying the heads of Liang soldiers.”

The veterans, having personally experienced the war, naturally knew its cruelty; even so, hearing about it now still brings a pang of sadness. Those were human lives lost, and their families were still waiting for them to return home.

"Because we were short-handed at the time, we could only wait for another detachment of the imperial army to come to our aid. But the commander of that reinforcement had no intention of fighting and deliberately delayed his arrival, which is why we missed the opportunity."

After saying this, Tang Xing raised his eyes and said, "The current situation should be the same as last time."

Chen Rong didn't quite understand what Tang Xing meant.

Tang Xingdao said, "What I mean is, Madam also wants to save us, but she didn't bring enough people to take them down in one fell swoop. Otherwise, if there is a crisis down the mountain, those people should go down to help instead of staying to continue besieging us."

“I told Madam that my biggest regret at the time was not sending a message in advance. Now Madam is sending us a message in advance, telling us that we must persevere no matter what.”

"Five drumbeats mark five days. Within five days, the lady will find a way to come again."

That was all Tang Xing had thought of. A moment of silence fell. The old lady, despite being short-handed, had still risked her life to come and deliver a message. A warmth filled everyone's hearts once more.

Hu San sighed, "But we can't hold out for five more days."

“The old lady should know,” Tang Xing said. “If we can hold out, she won’t come to deliver the message.”

Hu San was confused: "Madam knows we can't hold on, yet she still makes us wait five days. What's the reason behind that?" He knew that Madam must have her reasons for doing this, but he just didn't understand them.

Tang Xing looked down the mountain and saw that the sounds of fighting were fading away. Had Madam led her people away temporarily? Thinking of this, he didn't feel disappointed; on the contrary, he breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want anything to happen to Madam.

“Persistence…is not about preventing us from dying,” Tang Xing said, “but about preventing us from being found.”

Hu San looked surprised, and Chen Rong was also taken aback.

Tang Xingdao said, "I guess... even if we are caught, those people won't just take our lives easily, much less take us to the yamen to be imprisoned."

“Even if they might have wanted to frame us for looting people before, they should change their minds now.”

Hu San asked, "What do you mean?"

“They’re accusing us of those crimes to implicate Madam,” Tang Xing pointed down the mountain. “Now that Madam is right here, why would they bother going to the trouble of taking this to the yamen?” If Madam were just an ordinary merchant, it would be one thing, but with her husband’s help, she wouldn’t let them do whatever they want.

Even if they didn't know the relationship between the young master and the lady, the young master and the lady always acted together in the events that happened in Daming Prefecture and Bianjing.

Chen Rong's expression suddenly changed: "You mean, they're going to harm Madam here?"

Tang Xing nodded: "The fact that Madam came to rescue us is the same as telling them that Madam cares about us. So... we are like bait. As long as they have us in their hands, they won't be afraid that Madam won't take the bait."

Chen Rong frowned: "Then we absolutely cannot let them catch us. We can't let our deaths implicate Madam."

“That’s what Madam wanted to say,” Tang Xing said. “Madam doesn’t want us to die.”

Chen Rong froze completely. So... this was the old lady's real intention? To tell them that even if they were captured, they had to live.

Hu San said, "If we're really arrested, what can Madam do?"

They've already fallen into a trap, and they're already carrying a criminal record. If they forcefully rescue someone, they'll be caught red-handed, and then everything will be over. No matter how you look at it, it's a dead end.

“Five days,” Tang Xing suddenly said, “Madam said five days.”

He repeated it again, his gaze gradually becoming firm.

Even though he thought it was impossible, he believed it because the old lady said so.

“What we need to do is try every means to resist. If that fails,” Tang Xing said, “even if we are captured at the last moment, we must not seek death.”

Tang Xing looked at each face: "Our families are waiting for us to go back."

He decided to give himself a chance to live.

Finally, Hu San nodded: "When they come up again in a bit, you leave and leave us behind. I just want to see if they'll take us to the yamen..."

(End of this chapter)