Chapter 1638: Arriving in Chenggu County (Patreon)

Chapter 1638: Arriving in Chenggu County

As the city gate opened, Shu Yu and the others hurriedly rode their horses, galloping along the road.

Shu Yu had experienced such a journey once before when she rushed to the Changjin Prefecture to meet the master of Dongqing temple. This time, she was well-prepared, with thick cushions tied to her thighs and a small cushion on the saddle, which she occasionally leaned on for rest when they slowed down.

The Meng family was in urgent need, so they didn't have time to linger and pushed forward, finally arriving at the Changjin Prefecture safely.

However, they didn't enter the city and instead headed in the direction of Chenggu County.

As they approached Chenggu County, their speed slowed down, and the road became eerily quiet, without a single soul in sight, creating a tense atmosphere.

The four of them on horseback stood out and became conspicuous.

Fortunately, they reached their destination without any incidents. The city gate of Chenggu County was heavily guarded, with several layers of guards and barriers blocking the entrance.

Although the city gate was not fully opened, there was not a single person entering or leaving.

Upon seeing Shu Yu and the others, a group of guards stepped forward and asked, "Who goes there?"

Meng Yunzheng was the first to dismount, helping Shu Yu down from her horse. Though her thighs still hurt a bit, it was much better than the last time. She didn't have trembling legs this time and could walk without much difficulty after dismounting.

Meng Yunzheng took out his identity token and said, "I am Meng Yunzheng, the newly appointed scholar of Chenggu County this year. I heard that something happened in Chenggu County, and I'm worried about my family, so I rushed back to check on them."

Meng Yunzheng was the newly appointed scholar who had achieved in three top scores in the county examinations this year. Everyone in Chenggu County knew about him.

Upon hearing this, the attitude of the guards improved, and one of them clasped his fist in salute, "So, you're Scholar Meng. Chenggu County has recently encountered some trouble, so now we have strict checks for anyone entering or leaving. I hope Scholar Meng will understand."

"That's understandable."

From what Meng Yunzheng had seen so far, it seemed that the checks were even stricter than what was being said. It seemed that ordinary people were not allowed to enter or leave.

Once their identities were confirmed, they were allowed to pass.

As they entered the city, their expressions changed slightly. The situation in the county was worse than what they had known. Just around the city gate area, there were at least three ruins, with charred beams and bricks scattered everywhere, making their eyes sore.

The ground was damp, indicating that it had been cleaned, but faint red blood stains were still visible, chilling to the bone.

Apart from the patrolling guards, there were only a few passersby running past in a hurry.

Occasionally, they passed a few households, and from outside the windows, they could catch glimpses of people, each with cautious and anxious movements.

Some even peeked out from the windows, looking at them curiously and fearfully. As soon as they saw them looking back, they quickly retreated inside.

Shu Yu even heard the muffled crying of a child, followed by someone scolding them to stop.

Her fingers clenched slowly, "They've gone too far."

If they wanted to vie for power and play conspiracies, they should do it directly against those who opposed them. Why harm innocent civilians? Using such methods to deceive and inflict such painful consequences on these innocent people, what did they do to deserve this? They were just trying to live their lives and mind their own business. What had they done to offend them?