PNB Chapter 1972 A glimmer of hope
Chapter 1972 A glimmer of hope
The water at the stern moved again.
Yinding's eyes turned and he looked at the leader, Lao Wang, and an idea flashed through his mind.
This guy is hiding something and making everyone take medicine. He is not a good person. He must know Zhou Lie's arrangement.
He is Zhou Lie's man, which means he is Liu Jiulang's man. No matter whether he is Eight or Nine, he is not a good person.
Yin Ding thought, why am I here? Of course, I'm here to muddy the waters.
Only when they are in chaos will the prince and princess have a chance.
Anyway, now he knows where the food is, so his goal has been achieved.
Thinking of this, a sly smile flashed across Yinding's eyes.
He pretended to be nervous, tightly gripped the dagger at his waist, and stared at the place without blinking.
I saw ripples on the water again, and the black shadow appeared again.
This time it was a little slower than before. Yinding clearly saw that the shape of the black shadow was indeed like a person, sticking to the bottom of the boat and swimming slowly towards the water fort.
He stood up and walked towards the direction of the headmaster without making a sound. The headmaster was directing the men to unload the grain, his face had returned to calm, without any sign of abnormality.
"Boss Wang," Yinding walked over and whispered, "I thought I saw something at the stern just now."
Chief Wang's body stiffened imperceptibly for a moment, then returned to normal. He smiled and patted Yinding's shoulder: "Brother Yin, are you seeing things? There are many fish in the Tuojiang River. Maybe it's a big fish."
Yinding looked into Chief Wang's eyes, which showed a subtle panic. He became more certain of his guess.
"Maybe." Yinding smiled and didn't ask any more questions.
After the grain was unloaded, it was already past noon, but the water fort still did not allow them to go in for a meal.
Wangtou didn't mention it, and there was no food on the boat, so he and his men just had some dry food.
In their eyes, people like Yinding and others in the martial arts world are already destined to die. If that is the case, why waste food?
Dusk gradually fell and the fog at the ferry became thicker and thicker.
There is no need to rush for silver ingots. There is dried meat, instant noodles, and red fruits in the small cloth bag, which are delicious and filling.
Wu Liang also had some. The two of them covered each other's food and ate quietly. They also shared some with Han Peng and Chen Ling, who were very grateful.
Others have begun to complain one after another.
We set out last night and have been here ever since. Who wouldn’t be hungry?
Wang Tou heard it, but ignored it.
Finally, a flag was waving in the water fort. Yinding saw it and recognized it. He had learned the flag language when he was in Li Jingyao's water fort.
Yinding reminded quietly: "Hold steady, it's time to return."
Han Peng and Chen Ling were just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Yin Ding said, "The return journey will be even more dangerous than the way here."
The two were shocked but didn't ask why. They could tell from Yinding's expression that he was not lying.
……
"drive!"
Iron hooves kicked up sparks on the official road. Su Zhenhai leaned over the horse's back, tightly gripping the reins. Apart from the whistling wind, the only sound in his ears was his own heartbeat like a drum.
"City Protector!"
Su Zhenhai suddenly came to his senses when he heard the shouts of his personal soldiers from the front.
Huo Changhe, the Prince of Zhennan, was actually in his military camp.
Until now, Su Zhenhai still thought he had seen it wrong - how could the prince who had lived in the northwest for a long time and had a large army under his command suddenly come to this remote city defense camp?
Su Zhenhai rolled over to the ground due to inertia and saw the two burly men in black at the camp gate - they were Huo Changhe's personal guards.
Although he had never seen it with his own eyes, for some reason, he just felt that it was.
Huo Changhe's letter did not say so, but he knew very well that he must have concealed his identity when he came this time, otherwise, what he sent would not be a letter, but a token.
Before Su Zhenhai could come to his senses, his personal guards came forward.
"Envoy Su, my master is waiting in the front hall. Please come over as soon as you return."
The personal guard leaned sideways and made a "please" gesture, his tone calm but with unquestionable majesty.
Su Zhenhai's Adam's apple rolled, and he nodded reluctantly: "Thank you."
He raised his hand and tugged at the crooked helmet tassel, then brushed off the dust on his armor, his movements filled with panic that he himself was not even aware of.
Over the years, he rose from an ordinary soldier to a city defender, and experienced hundreds of battles, big and small. He never frowned even when a knife was on his neck, but at this moment he felt inexplicably panicked.
Why did Huo Changhe come?
Could it be... He didn't dare to think about it too much. Every step he took on the stone road felt like walking on the edge of a knife.
After passing through two doors, the eaves of the front hall finally appeared in front of him. Su Zhenhai took a deep breath, suppressed the confusion in his heart, and quickened his pace.
As soon as he walked around the screen wall, his eyes were drawn to the figure in the middle of the front hall.
The man stood with his back to him, dressed in a black robe with a python pattern, his long black hair tied up with a jade crown, and his figure was as straight as a pine tree. Even from behind, he exuded the majesty of someone who had long held a high position, as if the air around him was stagnant because of him.
Su Zhenhai's heart suddenly sank. He calmed himself down and quickly walked into the front hall. Just as he was about to kneel on one knee, Huo Changhe turned around.
Su Zhenhai didn't dare to look up. Huo Changhe held up his arm and he could no longer kneel.
Su Zhenhai understood in his heart - as expected, his identity could not be revealed.
He took a deep breath and asked everyone outside the door to step back.
After a moment of silence, a cold voice finally rang out: "Su Zhenhai, do you admit your guilt?"
Su Zhenhai's heart tightened and he couldn't help but look up. Huo Changhe's angular jawline was straight and his eyes were cold.
"Your Highness, I... I don't know how I have offended Your Highness. Please explain."
Su Zhenhai's voice was a little dry. He forced himself to calm down and looked directly at Huo Changhe.
Huo Changhe didn't speak immediately. He was half a head taller than Su Zhenhai, and looked down at him with eyes that could see through people's hearts.
Su Zhenhai only felt an invisible pressure coming towards him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
Huo Changhe raised his hand, and the guards standing on both sides of the door immediately bowed and gently closed the door.
They were the only two left in the anteroom.
Su Zhenhai's heart beat faster.
Huo Changhe asked word by word, "I'm asking you, how many days will your army's rations last?"
The two words "military rations" exploded above Su Zhenhai's head like a thunderclap.
How could it be? Huo Changhe had just arrived at the barracks, how could he know about the shortage of military rations?
Could it be that he had arrived a long time ago but just didn't show up?
Su Zhenhai's mind was in turmoil and he didn't know where to start.
Huo Changhe watched his expression change and said, "This prince wants to hear the truth."
Su Zhenhai gritted his teeth, knelt down on his knees, and banged his head heavily on the ground.
"Your Majesty, I beg you to save the Rongzhou City Defense Army!"
"I am incompetent. If Your Majesty is willing to rescue the city defense troops, I am willing to... die as an apology."
His voice was squeezed out of his throat, and after a few words, it seemed as if all the air in his chest had been sucked out, and his breathing became heavy and rapid.
This is the only hope for the Rongzhou city defense army.