Chapter 102: Setting Off for the Northern Border

Pan Yueqing changed into a set of men's clothing. She summoned Cang He and Luo Shui and set off. Looking at Gu Pan and Wan'er who were crying in her arms, she helplessly raised her hand and stroked their faces, comforting them, "While I'm away, you two have to take good care of Grandmother. Send a message to Nanny Zhao and Nanny Zhou to guard the courtyard at home."

The Elder Madam Zhao had been sleeping soundly for a long time. Su Ruoqing and Pan Yueqing kowtowed three times in front of her bed. After saying goodbye softly, they turned around and left. When she mounted the tall horse and followed behind Marquis Dingyuan Su Jing, who was in armor, Pan Haiyun, and that unfamiliar face, Pan Yueqing didn't show the slightest bit of a young lady's coquettishness. Instead, she had a solemn expression.

After more than half a month of marching day and night, even Su Ruoqing was a bit overwhelmed. Compared with Pan Yueqing, who rolled up her trousers to fetch water and blended in with the soldiers, he seemed more like the son of a civil official. He couldn't help but smile helplessly at the moment.

The strange man who had only been giving his opinions all along actually left Su Jing, Pan Haiyun and the others for the first time and walked straight towards where Pan Yueqing and the others were. He stood with his hands on his hips, looking at Pan Yueqing with great interest and said, "Little girl, aren't you tired?"

"Yes, I am." Pan Yueqing took two sips of water. She still felt that the days of bumping around on the horse so freely were more pleasant. She didn't hold back in answering the man's question. When she saw the man's face turn slightly gloomy, she raised her eyebrows, held up the water bag in her hand that was filled with water, and shouted towards the people who were still fetching water, "Brothers! Are you tired from walking like this? Tell the truth! After this is over, the Marquis will treat you to wine!"

"We're tired!" Powerful shouts rang out one after another.

Pan Yueqing laughed heartily, "Why are we so tired?"

"To save people! For His Majesty!"

"Then is it worth it to be this tired!?" Pan Yueqing shouted loudly.

"It's worth it! It's worth it!"

Pan Yueqing laughed heartily, but was choked by a mouthful of cold air and felt all muddled up. She coughed several times before steadying herself. She raised her eyes and met the gaze of that strange man, "It would be abnormal not to be tired. Learn to listen to the truth instead of teaching them to tell lies." She unconsciously repeated the words said by that masked warrior who had stayed by Qi Sicheng's side in her previous life.

"That's well said." The strange man slowly raised his hand and applauded for Pan Yueqing. Pan Yueqing suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity. Looking at the man's departing figure, she turned her head and frowned, feeling that the back view was somewhat familiar.

Pan Haiyun seemed to sense the commotion outside. He and Su Jing came out wearing cloaks and saw Pan Yueqing standing there with her trousers rolled up and her hands on her hips. Pan Haiyun frowned and said to Pan Yueqing somewhat helplessly, "What kind of appearance is that? Please remember that you are a lady from a prominent family, okay?"

"If a lady is coy and timid, wouldn't it cause more trouble for you, Father?" Pan Yueqing didn't care at all. She just bent down to put down her trousers and tucked them into her boots before walking towards Pan Haiyun and Su Jing. Pan Haiyun turned his head and motioned for Pan Yueqing to come into the tent. That man whose name was unknown had already sat cross-legged and was sipping a bowl of wild vegetable soup. When he saw Pan Haiyun and the others coming, he raised a smile, "I didn't wait for you two sirs. Please forgive me."

"What you said, Lin Shuzhi, is too polite." Su Jing sat down cross-legged and took the bowl of newly made wild vegetable soup that the man handed over. Pan Haiyun introduced to Pan Yueqing, "This is Lin Shuzhi, the Governor of the Northern Border."

She didn't know the Governor of the Northern Border, but she knew Lin Shuzhi very well. Lin Shuzhi was the one who could hold on to the Northern Border for three months even when there was no water and food. She slowly saluted. Lin Shuzhi smiled faintly and waved his hand, motioning for Pan Yueqing to sit down, "No need for so many formalities. The daughter of Prime Minister Pan is really impressive."

"This is my younger sister's daughter." Su Jing pointed at Pan Yueqing and said, "She not only looks like my younger sister, but also her personality is becoming more and more like my younger sister's."

Pan Yueqing sat properly, picked up the bowl of wild vegetable soup and looked at Su Jing with her eyes wide open. She said somewhat coquettishly, "Uncle, why do you always like to undermine me?"

Pan Haiyun didn't blame her either. After they chatted and laughed for a while, Lin Shuzhi spread out a piece of parchment and pointed at a red dot on it, "Fortunately, we've finally arrived at Suoyue City in the Northern Border." Looking up at the serious expressions of Pan Haiyun and Su Jing, he briefly explained the situation of Suoyue City. Although it seemed that a large number of refugees were flocking to Suoyue City and the last line of defense in the Northern Border was already somewhat overwhelmed, fortunately, they had arrived here before the refugees broke through the city gates.

Pan Yueqing listened to their analysis and felt something was strange. In her previous life, the situation in Suoyue City was far from being so optimistic. Due to the famine in the Northern Border, there were cases of people eating people among the refugees. A large number of desperate people broke through Suoyue City and headed towards the capital, becoming a rebellious force. At that time, the Changyan Army where Qi Sicheng was in was suppressed. Thinking of this, she pondered and said, "Sir Lin, is it possible that the intelligence is false?"

Before Pan Haiyun could scold her, she pursed her lips. When she raised her eyes, her eyes were filled with worry and calmness, "The famine swept through the Northern Border too quickly. How could it be stopped in Suoyue City for more than half a month?"

When Lin Shuzhi and the others heard this, they looked at each other in dismay. Indeed, everyone was inclined to look at the optimistic side, and even if they had doubts, they didn't dare to speak up easily.

Pan Haiyun lowered his eyes and nodded, "Yue'er is right. How could it hold out for more than half a month?" He raised his eyes and met Su Jing's gaze. Lin Shuzhi immediately stood up, lifted the curtain of the tent and shouted the order, "Break camp..."

"Wait!" Su Jing stood up and grabbed Lin Shuzhi's hand, "They've been on a forced march for too long and can't take it anymore. Let them rest for one night." After saying that, he looked at those soldiers with confused expressions and said sternly, "All of you go to sleep! Tomorrow morning, break camp and set off!"

Pan Yueqing sat upright in her original position. Looking at the two people who sat back down again, it was no wonder they didn't think of this. After all, if everyone was determined to deceive those above and hide the truth from those below, even those who were working hard on this matter would be kept in the dark. She also seemed to understand why Lin Shuzhi was demoted in her previous life for his ineffective disaster relief.

Pan Haiyun was calm as usual, "It's obvious that there must be an insider in Suoyue City. First, we must strictly guard against assassinations; second, we should pay attention to appeasing the refugees; third, we should kill a chicken to scare the monkeys."

Su Jing highly agreed. He punched the table and cursed in a low voice, "I will definitely kill them and offer them as sacrifices to the heavens!"

"However, Haiyun, you've run so far this time. If your old lady..." Su Jing blurted out unconsciously, but then he noticed Pan Yueqing sitting beside them and stopped talking. Pan Haiyun smiled helplessly, raised his hand and knocked on the table, "Elder brother-in-law, this isn't the time to talk about such private matters."

"No wonder His Majesty favors you." Su Jing looked at Pan Haiyun and smiled faintly. He raised his hand and beckoned to Pan Yueqing, "Yue'er, sleep in the main tent tonight. When you enter the city with the army tomorrow, you must be very careful and don't be scared."

Pan Yueqing nodded. She opened the curtain and looked at the dark city located in the valley in the distance. There were only two or three lanterns on the city tower. She let out a slight sigh: She still didn't know who would be scared when they entered the city tomorrow.