The female prisoner was fierce

Dongshuang County is a county town of moderate size.

The city wall is not high, only a little over two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), and it is built with local bluestone. Over the years, withered grass has grown in the cracks of the wall.

Despite the biting winds of the north, it grows resiliently.

On the city gate tower, a faded large military flag hung, fluttering loudly in the north wind.

County soldiers were guarding the city gate.

But he huddled in the doorway, clutching his spear, stamping his feet to keep warm.

Upon seeing Bai Huatong and his entourage approaching on horseback, the two county soldiers guarding them immediately tensed up, one of them shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Stop! Who goes there!"

Bai Huatong reined in his horse, took out his military officer's token from his pocket, and held it up in his hand:

"I am Bai Huatong, a lieutenant general under Commander Yang Huaizhong of the Border Army. I broke out of Yanbei City and have military duties to attend to. Please inform your county magistrate immediately!"

The two county soldiers' faces changed upon hearing the words "Yanbei City".

One of them took the token, glanced at it, then looked at the six remaining soldiers behind Bai Huatong, and then at the people Xiao Tao and Xiao Xing had brought.

Not daring to be negligent in the slightest, he immediately said respectfully:

"General, please wait a moment."

He then took off running into the city.

Before long, the city gates were opened wide.

A middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a county magistrate quickly came out to greet them.

This person was fair-skinned and chubby, with a smiling face, and looked harmless, but the light shining from his small eyes made people uncomfortable.

"Oh my, General Bai! I've heard so much about you!"

The magistrate strode up to Bai Huatong's horse, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and his attitude was almost excessively enthusiastic.

"Your humble servant, Qian Youde, the magistrate of Dongshuang County, has been deeply worried day and night upon hearing the tragic news from Yanbei City. To see General Bai break through the siege today is truly a stroke of luck! A stroke of luck indeed!"

Bai Huatong dismounted and returned the salute with clasped hands.

"Magistrate Qian, you are too kind. I am here in Dongshuang County on the last orders of General Yang to discuss matters related to resisting the Di. I hope Magistrate Qian will do me a favor."

"Sure, sure!"

Qian Youde smiled broadly, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Xing, Xiao Tao, and the others behind Bai Huatong. A barely perceptible glint of something unusual flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

"You must all be tired from your journey. Please hurry into the city! I have already ordered wine and food to be prepared to welcome you and wash away the dust of your travels!"

Bai Huatong:

"Thank you, Magistrate Qian!"

Without any ceremony, he led his men into the city.

Xiao Xing and Xiao Tao followed behind, exchanging a glance.

Xiao Tao lowered her voice and said:

"Sister Xiaoxing, Lord Xiao instructed us that we should not eat other people's food when we are out and about."

Xiaoxing nodded:

"Remember, when we eat later, we'll bring our own dry food and find an excuse to skip it."

"Um."

Xiao Tao nodded in agreement and then followed Qian Youde into the county government office without saying anything more.

The county government office wasn't large, but it was kept fairly clean.

After being seated, several tables of food and drinks were served shortly afterward.

There was meat, fish, and several jugs of warmed wine.

In these chaotic times of war, being able to offer such a meal is already an extremely high standard.

"General Bai, ladies and warriors, please!" Qian Youde raised his wine glass, his face beaming with smiles.

Bai Huatong picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The six remaining soldiers behind him were starving. Seeing the food and wine, they couldn't resist and started wolfing it down.

Xiao Xing and Xiao Tao led the people from Xiao Family Village to sit at another table. They only symbolically moved their chopsticks, without eating a single bite of food or drinking a drop of wine.

Qian Youde's gaze swept over them, and he asked with a smile:

"Why aren't these brave gentlemen and ladies eating? Is the food not to their liking?"

Xiao Xing stood up, cupped her hands, and said:

"Your Excellency, we just ate before we set off, so we're not hungry yet."

Qian Youde advised:

"Gentlemen and ladies, there's no need for such formalities. How about we have some wine to warm ourselves up?"

However, Xiaoxing and Xiaotao did not agree and declined again.

"Alas, it is my fault for not being hospitable enough. Please forgive me."

Qian Youde sighed and said nothing more, continuing to eat and drink with Bai Huatong while discussing matters concerning the Northern Di people.

Time flies.

After a few rounds of drinks, for some reason, Bai Huatong suddenly felt his eyelids getting heavy.

He shook his head, trying to stand up, but found his legs were as weak as if they were filled with lead.

"wrong!!"

His heart skipped a beat, and he looked sharply at Qian Youde.

But then I saw that the expression on the other person's face had changed.

It's getting cold and damp!

Become mocking!

"Qian Youde, you..."

Bai Huatong was horrified, but before he could finish speaking, he suddenly fell forward and landed on the table with a thud.

The six remaining soldiers behind him followed suit, falling one after another.

Some slid directly under the table, while others slumped in their chairs, unconscious.

Upon seeing this, Qian Youde's smile completely turned into a sinister grin:

"Someone come here!"

Splash...

More than twenty axemen suddenly rushed out from behind the screens on both sides of the main hall of the county government office.

As the literal meaning suggests, each of them held knives and axes, surrounding the crowd.

"Take them all down!"

Qian Youde raised his hand and pointed at the crowd of Xiao Family Village, shouting sternly.

Xiaoxing and Xiaotao were already on guard.

"Form ranks!"

Xiao Xing gave the order.

The female and male soldiers behind them quickly formed a circle.

Male soldiers are on the outside, and female soldiers are on the inside.

With long swords in hand, each of them had eyes blazing with fighting spirit and exuding a chilling murderous aura.

Although their movements weren't as synchronized as during training in the village, they were enough to maintain their footing in the cramped main hall of the county government office.

"Qian Youde! How dare you plot against the border army's adjutant!!"

Xiao Xing shouted sternly.

Although she was Lin Qingxue's maid, she was from the capital and had experienced many bloody battlefields and upheavals, so she was no longer the maid she used to be.

"A border garrison commander? Haha~~"

In front of him, Qian Youde laughed loudly, his laughter full of sarcasm:

"The imperial court is finished! The capital has been breached by the Turks, and the emperor is nowhere to be found. There's no way there are any border generals left!"

"Those who understand the times are wise!"

"You are all a bunch of fools! The Northern Di army is pressing in, and the Turkic army has arrived like a divine intervention, yet instead of surrendering, you think of fighting to the death! You are utterly ungrateful!!"

Xiao Tao's eyes were cold:

"traitor!!"

Magistrate Qian Youde sneered:

"No, no, no, this is called assessing the situation. I, the magistrate, am not as foolish as you."

"No way..."

He stared at Xiaoxing and Xiaotao, his eyes suddenly filled with a morbid greed and desire:

"Those young women are quite pretty. If they had just behaved themselves and drunk and ate meat, they would have suffered less."

"However, capturing you all later will certainly amuse this magistrate, and we can then present you all to the Northern Di generals as a welcoming gift!"

The veins on Xiaoxing's hand, which was gripping the knife, bulged out.

"Shameless!"

"Even if we die, we won't give up what you, you traitor, want!"

Qian Youde snorted coldly:

"That's not up to you!"

"superior!"

As soon as he finished speaking, more than twenty axemen were filled with murderous intent and charged forward with their swords and axes.

Without a moment's hesitation, Xiaotao and Xiaoxing immediately shouted:

"kill!!"

They quickly led their men in a charge.

We must fight our way out in the shortest possible time.

As for saving people?

It's definitely beyond saving!

There were only eleven of them, while the other side had more than twenty, and there were definitely more county soldiers outside.

The only way to survive now is to fight our way out!