activa-t Chapter 463 War Breaks Out Again
Chapter 463 War Breaks Out Again
Chapter 463 War Breaks Out Again
After walking for a while, Xiao Siyue felt a little tired. Looking at Lu Zhijin's tall and slender figure with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, Xiao Siyue's eyes darted around mischievously, and an idea instantly popped into her mind.
She quickened her pace and walked to Lu Zhijin's side, saying coquettishly, "Ajin, I can't walk anymore, can you carry me?" As she spoke, she gently shook Lu Zhijin's arm, looking like a spoiled kitten.
Lu Zhijin smiled helplessly when he heard Xiao Siyue's words, but he did not refuse Xiao Siyue's request. He couldn't wait to spend more time with Xiao Siyue.
"Come up." As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zhijin slowly squatted down, his broad back steadily presented to Xiao Siyue.
Xiao Siyue's lips curled into a sweet smile. She gently placed her hands on Lu Zhijin's shoulders, then carefully leaned forward, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her cheek pressed against Lu Zhijin's back, she could clearly feel the warmth emanating from his body and the steady, powerful beat of his heart.
Lu Zhijin steadily supported Xiao Siyue's legs with both hands and slowly stood up. He adjusted his posture to make Xiao Siyue more comfortable. Feeling Xiao Siyue's soft body on his back, he felt a warm current surge into his heart, and his steps became exceptionally light.
A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, ruffling their hair. Xiao Siyue rested her head against Lu Zhijin's back, closed her eyes, and savored this rare moment of peace and warmth. Lu Zhijin, meanwhile, strode confidently forward.
After playing for most of the day, it gradually got dark. We packed up our things and got into the carriage to return home.
By the time they arrived in the city, it was already dark, and there were only a few pedestrians on the streets.
Xiao Siyue was a little sleepy and drifted off to sleep leaning on Lu Zhijin's shoulder.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped abruptly. The sudden stop caused a violent jolt, waking Xiao Siyue up.
Lu Zhijin shielded Xiao Siyue from nearly hitting her head on the carriage and asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"
"General, His Majesty urgently summons you." A voice came from outside; it was a servant of the Lu family.
Xiao Siyue heard it too. An urgent summons? Something serious must have happened, otherwise they wouldn't have summoned her so late, and even stopped her horse in the street.
Lu Zhijin naturally thought of it, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "I understand. You go back first, and I will go to the palace immediately."
"Yes." After the people outside left, Lu Zhijin said to the servant driving the carriage, "Hurry up and go to the Xiao residence."
"Ah Jin?"
"It's alright, I'll take you back first, and then we'll ride into the palace on horseback later." Lu Zhijin took Xiao Siyue's hand and patted it. He was the one who took A-Yue out today, so naturally he would only feel at ease if he could get her back safely.
“Ah Jin, I can go back by myself. I’m already in the city, so nothing will happen. Don’t worry. His Majesty’s urgent summons must be for something important. Let’s not delay. It would be bad if we messed up something important.”
Seeing how understanding Xiao Siyue was, Lu Zhijin finally relented: "Alright, I'll just drop you off at the door and leave, otherwise I won't feel at ease."
Seeing Lu Zhijin's stubbornness, Xiao Siyue had no choice but to agree.
Because they were in a hurry, the carriage went faster than before, and soon they arrived at the Xiao family's gate. The two got off the carriage, and Lu Zhijin watched Xiao Siyue go inside before turning around and riding his horse toward the palace.
"Yue'er is back? Where is Zhijin?" Lin Qin knew that Xiao Siyue had gone out with Lu Zhijin today. Although she trusted Lu Zhijin, she was still a little worried as it was getting late. She had been waiting and was now curious to see that her own daughter had returned but Lu Zhijin was nowhere to be seen.
"Mother, Ah Jin has been summoned by His Majesty. I don't know what happened, but he actually summoned her at night," Xiao Siyue said casually.
"I see. Your father has also entered the palace. Something big must have happened. Let's not worry about that. Yue'er, are you hungry? Do you want the kitchen to make you something to eat?" Lin Qin understood immediately, but she wasn't very concerned about these court affairs and didn't say much. Instead, she focused on her daughter.
"I'm not hungry, no need to trouble the kitchen." Although it was a picnic outside today, she was quite full.
"Okay, I'm not hungry, so go wash up and rest." Lin Qin had mainly been waiting for her daughter, and now that her daughter was safely back, she wanted to go back to her room to rest as well.
"Yes, Mother, you too." Xiao Siyue nodded and went back to her room to wash up.
Meanwhile, in the palace, all the officials of the fourth rank and above were in the Taiji Hall, and their faces all looked rather unwell.
Lu Zhijin arrived late, unaware of what had happened.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."
Emperor Zhou noticed that Lu Zhijin's complexion had improved and said, "General Lu, please get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"General Lu, do you know why I summoned you?"
"Your Majesty, I was unaware." When Lu Zhijin entered, he saw the expressions on the faces of the officials, and it certainly wasn't a good sign.
Emperor Zhou's tone was grave: "An hour ago, the King of Lingnan sent an urgent battle report. The Great Jin and Great Yu kingdoms have secretly formed an alliance. It seems they planned this all along, suddenly launching a fierce war against our Lizhou." Emperor Zhou's face darkened, he took a deep breath, and continued, "The battle on Lizhou is extremely fierce. The enemy is advancing relentlessly, wave after wave of attacks, showing no signs of stopping. Although our soldiers on Lizhou are fighting bravely, they are ultimately outnumbered."
"Now, the defenses of Lizhou have begun to crumble, and 20,000 soldiers have already sacrificed their lives." As he spoke, Emperor Zhou's tone became increasingly somber. Those who died were all soldiers of the Great Zhou; how could it not break his heart?
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhijin's heart skipped a beat. He had already foreseen the dire situation that Lizhou was in. Although the soldiers of the Great Zhou were all elite and their weapons were better than those of the other two countries, the combined forces of the two countries would naturally be numerous. Moreover, this was likely a premeditated attack. The two countries had a planned offensive to take Lizhou by surprise. Lizhou was in a passive position and simply could not resist.
Lu Zhijin clenched his fists. Suddenly, he heard a soft sob beside him. He looked over and saw a soldier who looked travel-worn. Lu Zhijin had already guessed his identity. He must be the messenger who had come from Lizhou.
The messenger witnessed the battle firsthand. He was escorted out of the city by his soldiers, but many soldiers died on that short journey, all so that he could go to the capital and send the message back. Thinking of the soldiers who fell in front of him, he didn't even have time to look at their faces; he could only run forward desperately.
A deathly silence fell over the entire hall. They had already heard the message from the messenger, and hearing it again now caused them unbearable pain in their hearts.