A Pair of Eclipse Swords
Chapter : 106 – General Hong Ciu [][][]
The door was knocked from the outside, and the conversation between the two people was forced to pause for a moment. The princess looked towards the door a moment ago and allowed the man to enter.
"What's wrong?" the princess said just as her bodyguards kneeled in reverence.
"General Pek Kong came to face, he was about to report."
"Send in."
The man then resigned and closed the door again. Not long after, entered a man for decades more with one shoulder wrapped in bandages. He immediately knelt down when he saw his daughter and great general.
"Report to the princess, the defense on the outer border of the coastal area has been torn down, at this time Jeiji troops may have occupied the fortress in the area. Please kindly advise."
The princess was none other than Chang Song Zhu's daughter. He sighed tiredly with an unsightly face. Although he was still thirty-five years old, he looked much older now.
The kneeling general was a little surprised to learn that a white golden-covered pigeon was perched on the edge of the table. As a soldier, he clearly knew this bird.
"Message from the emperor.." he murmured softly.
"It was only now that this bird came and conveyed the message of the emperor's father. That I was asked to return to the north and hand over the leadership here to general Hong Ciu" he told the general.
"But to hear your report." This princess seemed to be hesitating.
"Good news princess!" exclaimed general Pek Kong with a radiant face. This obviously confused the princess.
"What do you mean?"
"When things were going as chaotic as they are today, the life of the emperor's family was very important. His highness the emperor is very wise, indeed the princess must quickly leave here. Secretly."
The princess did not look happy. He squinted his eyes as he flung across the table, even the pigeon was frightened and jumped onto the shoulder of the old general sitting in front of the princess.
"What do people think of that? Surely my name will be branded as a cowardly princess!" snapped it. His face was red.
The old general who was busy calming the pigeon looked up and said, "No matter what people say, but this is a direct order from His Majesty the emperor. You must not refuse the princess. Let me keep it here according to His Majesty's orders."
"General Hong Ciu, I will remain here, defending my people!" the princess continued to insist on not losing.
"Miss.." general Hong Ciu calmed down. "What happens if you are in danger?"
"I'm not afraid, it's a risk! Even dead I have absolutely no sense of horror!"
"If so, then the people will lose their grip, they lose their master daughter. If it's like this, the spirit of defending the homeland will decrease dramatically, and consequently, instead of the victory to drive out the invaders, it's the invaders who win."
Just as the princess was about to refute again, she realized there was not a single thing that could be used to argue. Indeed, the general and his advisor had a broad view, he suggested one thing that really became the safest path. But still he was not satisfied. If he left, he felt like he had given up even before the war.
However, after a while he finally realized how precise General Hong Ciu said. At a time like this, all he thought about should be the people, how to save the people! The colonial affairs could be thought of later, but the Chang empire could not continue to survive if it lost its people. He sat himself down and said again.
The general nodded while stroking his beard. His eyes glanced to the upper right of the sign in thought. "For a while, how about evacuating all coastal residents to cities near here?"
"That's already done sir" said general Pek Kong who was still kneeling. General Hong ciu and the princess turned to ask for an explanation. Pek Kong said again, "Without being told, they have flocked to the west."
"You're sure the people there are all safe?" ask Hong Ciu.
"I can't be sure, sir, because many of them are quite stubborn. Just because they don't want to lose their livelihood, they don't want to go and let their place be occupied by Jeiji's empire."
The look of dislike was clearly visible on the face of the general and the princess. The two looked at each other as if talking with only eyes. These two people were already quite experienced, and seeing this situation, their feelings were not good.
Princess Chang Song Zhu asked, "People are not disturbed?"
"It's a good thing they're still human. Everyone is allowed to live safely, as long as they like to pay taxes and follow the rules. Even women and children are left free" Pek Kong said.
The princess asked again, clearly her tone riled up, "You sure about that? No one is being disturbed?"
Pek Kong replied again, "True miss. Except when fighting broke out, many residents were killed and hiding in the surrounding forest. But after the war had subsided, they came back again and went on as usual."
This time general Hong Ciu snapped furiously, "Damn it, surely they are about to incite our people!! Very clever, they want slowly so that the people accept them. Because if that were the case, our position without popular support would be very weak."
General Pek Kong was surprised, never once did he think so. He secretly blamed his own stupidity on focusing too much on the army, not realizing that under the present circumstances, the support and voice of the people was essential.
"If that's so bad, how good is it now?" ask Pek Kong.
"General Pek Kong, according to the orders that began, then I assigned you to head two hundred men to escort the princess to the north. Later after coming out of the Mountainous region of the Wall of Heaven, there will be another army from His Majesty who picks up." Hong Ciu said as he rose to his feet. He said again after a while, "For this matter, let me take care of it."
Princess Chang Song Zhu and general Pek Kong nodded in agreement. So at that moment, immediately prepared two hundred chosen soldiers to escort their daughter to leave for the north.
While Hong Ciu's own generals have lowered various orders to send troops to the coastal border, ordered them to guard the hamlets and nearby towns in anticipation that the Jeiji empire might make a move.
Three days later, the group of two hundred men set out to leave the city of Gold. Accompanied by the gazes of the Golden City citizens who were still confused and ignorant, Chang Song Zhu's daughter left the Golden city to go to the Emerald city, the imperial king city of Chang.
He was escorted by five bodyguards. These five people are smart commanders who, in addition to being good at strategy, are also good at individual combat.
Using a very simple horse-drawn carriage, such as a freight train. The princess deliberately hid her identity so as not to attract attention, nor did the bodyguards and officers wear any uniform at all. They disguised themselves in the clothes of peasants or merchants or literati.
While the princess, without makeup and only with a sword, she wore the clothes of female farmers in general. She did not look like a princess, but she never left her face. Even though it looks very simple.
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