Chapter Sixty-Five: Regardless of Consequences

"What are they doing?"
The women's actions baffled Lu Qing. What were they up to at this hour of the night?

At the fortress gate, Zhou Yunyi and the others blocked the women who wanted to leave, but after listening to a few words from the woman at the front, Zhou Yunyi and his men stepped aside, allowing them to leave the fortress.

Lu Qing, watching from the fortress wall, was suddenly alarmed: What was Zhou Yunyi doing? How could he let these women leave?

"Father-in-law, I'm going to see what's going on!"
Without another word to Eunuch Guo, Lu Qing dashed down the wall. By the time he reached the gate, the women had already left.

"Zhou Yunyi, what is the meaning of this? How could you let them leave? Tell me, why!"
Lu Qing was seething with rage. He could not understand why Zhou Yunyi hadn't stopped them. Did he not realize that once these women left Jin Family Fortress, they would still be facing a nightmare fate?

Faced with Lu Qing's fury, Zhou Yunyi did not cower. He replied solemnly, "These women know we're heading south tomorrow. They're afraid it won't be safe to follow us, so they wish to return to their own homes. I have no reason to stop them."

"Return home?"
Lu Qing was stunned, then flew into a rage, shouting at Zhou Yunyi, "What home do they have left? You're making a mess of things! Go and bring them back immediately!"

"What good would it do to bring them back?"
Zhou Yunyi's retort left Lu Qing speechless, unable to answer. Indeed, what would bringing them back accomplish? Could he take them all with him tomorrow?

Song Bangde, who was distributing money and goods, also hurried over with his men. He too found it strange that the women would leave the fortress at night; it was unsafe outside no matter what their intentions. Whatever they wanted to do, it could wait until daylight. Right now, they had to be brought back. But after hearing Zhou Yunyi's explanation, Song Bangde swallowed his words and stood silently.

Lin Xiaoqi, arriving shortly after, hesitated for a moment and quietly backed away.

The Ming soldiers who had already received their pay crowded over, curious about the commotion, chattering noisily. Yet not one of them moved to stop the women, instead treating it as a spectacle.

"Shut up, all of you!"
Lu Qing swept his angry gaze over the noisy Ming soldiers, growing more disappointed with them. So many men watched a group of helpless women leave, yet not one stepped forward to intervene, instead treating it as entertainment. Were they men or not?

Whether it was the bloodshed or his overwhelming anger, Lu Qing's eyes were terrifying now. At least, those Ming soldiers he glared at grew uneasy, instinctively lowering their heads and avoiding his gaze.

Behind them, some soldiers whispered to their comrades, "Did you see? That's the one who ordered all the Tartars to be drowned in the well. I heard he's with the Embroidered Guards."

"Embroidered Guards? No wonder he's so ruthless."

A low murmur rippled through the crowd. Most of the Ming soldiers didn't know Lu Qing's identity, so hearing he was with the Embroidered Guards shocked them. The reputation of the Embroidered Guards was indeed fearsome.

Once the crowd quieted, Lu Qing turned to Zhou Yunyi and said, "I don't care what you do, just bring them back! Not a single one can be missing. If even one is, you'll answer to me!"

Zhou Yunyi stared at Lu Qing for a while, confirming that he truly wanted the women brought back. With a sigh, he said no more and turned to gather his men. But as he turned, he froze, as if he had seen something dreadful.

"They...!"
"What is it?"
Lu Qing tensed and looked out beyond the fortress. He saw the women filing toward the Qing Shi River, the frontmost already wading in up to their waists.

No—these women meant to drown themselves!

Shocked, Lu Qing immediately rushed toward the river.

"Why are you all just standing there? Damn it, go save them!"
Zhou Yunyi, likewise alarmed, shouted and sprinted to the river, followed by Jiang Tong and Zhang Qing, who finally realized what was happening and dashed after him.

Even the Ming soldiers, for all their numbness, could not simply watch hundreds of women drown themselves. In an instant, they all rushed out of the fortress to save them.

...

By the river, a young woman stood on the bank, clutching her five-year-old daughter, staring blankly at the dark, wide expanse of the Qing Shi River, its surface black and terrifying.

Just as the woman steeled herself to move forward, her daughter nestled in her arms whispered, "Mother, I'm cold. It's so dark. I'm scared. I want to go home."

Home?

The girl's words made the woman's nose sting, and tears sprang to her eyes.

Home? What home do we have left?

She gazed tenderly at her daughter and whispered, "Don't be afraid, Qiao'er. Mother is here."

"Mother is here, so Qiao'er isn't afraid."
Her daughter lifted her head, with braids tied in pigtails, pouting unhappily. "Mother, why hasn't Father come to find us? Is he alone at home?"

"Your father..."
Thinking of her dead husband, the woman's heart felt torn. She forced herself to speak calmly to her daughter, "Father is at home. If he doesn't come for us, we'll go to him."

"Really?"
Her mother's words made the girl's face light up with joy. "Then I'll see Father soon!"

"Yes, Qiao'er, you'll see your father soon."
The woman pressed her face to her daughter's, then, after a moment, walked into the river, teeth clenched.

...

"Come back! All of you, come back!"
Lu Qing screamed frantically at the women already in the middle of the river, but none turned back. Nor did any of the women walking into the water pause.

The Ming soldiers, digging graves for the dead on the riverbank, realized the women were about to drown themselves. They desperately tried to stop them, but could only block some; others slipped past. Seeing woman after woman enter the river, these burly men were so anxious they broke down crying.

Lu Qing was beside himself, stomping his feet in desperation. He grabbed a woman clutching a child, recognizing her as the one who had smashed her forehead bloody in front of the commander's office, begging him to avenge her daughter. The child in her arms was already dead.

After a few stunned seconds, Lu Qing pleaded, "Auntie, I beg you, call them back, please!"

The middle-aged woman gave a tragic smile. "Officer, you're a good man. Thank you for avenging my child. You still have to fight the Tartars. We can't be a burden to you. Officer, just let us die."

"What burden? Auntie, don't say such things. Please, call them back, or they'll die!"

"What good would it do to come back?"
The woman sighed, "You still have to go south, to fight the Tartars. If we follow, we'll only drag you down. If we stay in the fortress, we'll still be harmed by the Tartars. Rather than be defiled again, we'd rather die."

"No, you won't be a burden. We won't abandon you. Auntie, you can't die, not like this!"

"The Tartars ruined us, our loved ones are all dead. There's nothing left in this world worth living for. Officer, don't say any more. Just let us die."

"You can't die! You survived for a reason. The Tartars won't harm you again! Believe me, Auntie!"

The woman paused, hesitating, then whispered, "Officer, are you saying you'll take us with you?"

"I..."
Lu Qing could not speak. Could he really take all these women south? If he did, would he still have a chance to change the course of the disaster at Tumu Fortress?

"I know. In truth, I knew from the start... I don't blame you."
The woman looked at Lu Qing in disappointment, then turned to throw herself into the river.

Lu Qing panicked, no longer caring about consequences. He shouted to the women, "Listen to me! I, Lu Qing, will not abandon you or let the Tartars harm you again. I will take you with me. You don't need to die!"

To hell with Tumu Fortress, to hell with the rightful emperor, to hell with the fate of Ming. I don't care anymore. I don't care about anything. I'm taking these women with me!