"Since your village is so biased against women, you need to make plans for yourself early and do everything you can to break free from this trap."
"You're probably only a year or two away from being married off, aren't you?"
Gu Sang could only say this much. In remote areas of ancient times, girls as young as 13 or 14 could be married off.
But to Gu Sang, 13 or 14 was still middle school age!
Far too young!
Some cruel realities were difficult for her to express to this girl.
Fortunately, the girl had already been considering this: "Divine Lady sister, I've been prepared for a long time, but I just haven't had the resolve to act."
"I'm afraid, I'm scared of getting married. The men in this village don't even see women as human beings. They beat their wives when they're happy, and they beat them when they're unhappy too."
"There have already been so many women who've drowned themselves in rivers or wells, and so many who've died in childbirth."
"I don't want to live that kind of life. I don't even know what the point of living like that would be. But I'm also afraid of the dangers outside the village."
"But the greatest danger is death, and staying in the village means certain death sooner or later. Going outside at least gives me a chance to live! Since you support me, Divine Lady sister, I'll leave tonight!"
Gu Sang's expression was very complex.
She suddenly wanted to change something.
But some things couldn't be changed immediately by her.
Medical techniques in ancient times were backward, childbirth was like walking through the valley of death. Even modern medicine couldn't guarantee 100% safety in childbirth!
She could hardly imagine how painfully oppressed the women of this village lived.
Seeing the determination in the girl's eyes, Gu Sang's expression turned to one of gratification. She smiled and said, "Good!"
"The outside world is indeed dangerous for girls of your era, but it depends on how you choose - whether to risk everything or resign yourself to a meager life trapped in the village."
"If you've made up your mind, then go to Plague City and find the Elder Princess."
"There, you can make a living with your own hands. No one can force you to marry, and no one can arbitrarily decide your life or death."
After listening carefully to Gu Sang's words, a glimmer of hope shone in the girl's eyes.
Was there really such a place?
Where women weren't forced to marry!
Where women could make a living with their own hands, and live!
She loved the sound of that life!
She was afraid of the men of this era, afraid of being beaten, afraid of ending up jumping into a well to her death!
The girl looked at Gu Sang with eyes full of expectation: "Divine Lady sister, I'll find a way to reach the Elder Princess, no matter how difficult the journey. It's my only hope!"
"I also hope you can share this through your livestream to let everyone know!"
"Don't easily trust anyone, and don't back down when threatened. The more you give in, the more people will take advantage. And escape from this abnormally unequal village."
"Alright, I will!" Gu Sang nodded.
Seeing such a clear-minded and brave girl made Gu Sang truly happy for her.
After ending the call.
Gu Sang wrote down the girl's words in her notebook, extracting the important information to explain to the trapped girls of ancient times during her next livestream.
Even in modern times, there was still bias against women, let alone in ancient times.
In her conversation with the girl, Gu Sang suddenly understood something.
Perhaps it wasn't that ancient women didn't want to rebel. Maybe they had struggled too, but because everyone around them suppressed their differences, they were forced to go with the flow.
If only they could know!
That in other places, there were also kind and brave girls who wanted to escape.
That there was a Plague City that would accept women. Maybe more girls would awaken and find the courage to escape their terrible original families!
-
At night, thirty miles outside Plague City.
Zhou Qichen led his team to hide outside a valley. For a full hour, they concealed themselves in the grass, not moving an inch.
The soldiers Zhou Qichen brought were all well-trained elites with iron wills.
The entire force remained motionless, waiting for a signal from inside the valley.
"Whoosh—!"
Finally, a signal was sent from the valley.
Zhou Qichen immediately led his special forces to quietly infiltrate the valley, silently taking out the imperial army sentries.
Led by an insider, they stealthily approached the main commander's camp.
The outside guards had already been diverted by the insider.
General Pei was lying in bed asleep when he suddenly noticed shadows flickering outside. He immediately became alert: "Who's there?!"
"Who goes there!"
Before he could get up and draw his sword, Zhou Qichen had already blocked him with his own blade.
At the same time, several special forces soldiers advanced from behind.
One special forces soldier attacked General Pei with fierce combat punches, while another used judo techniques to strike. The two coordinated perfectly.
Moreover, this was modern close combat.
General Pei was quickly overpowered. His jaw took a heavy punch, and he angrily and urgently shouted outside: "Enemy attack!"
"Where are the men outside? Where is my imperial army?"
"Someone come quickly!"
With a rush, the imperial soldiers reacted swiftly, immediately preparing to charge into the main commander's tent to rescue their leader.
The imperial army of nearly fifty thousand surrounded the main commander's tent.
At this critical moment, Qin Vice General was released by the subordinates he had trained for many years.
"Everyone stop!"
"Stop! Qin Vice General is here!"
Zhou Qichen, hearing from inside the main tent that Qin Vice General had been released, immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He waved for his soldiers to bring out General Pei under guard.
The imperial soldiers looked at their commander, then at Qin Vice General, with bewildered expressions.
General Pei's face was covered in blood. He glared at his soldiers, about to give an order: "All of you—"
But at that moment!
Suddenly—
Qin Vice General swiftly drew the sword from a subordinate's waist. In a flash, he thrust it towards General Pei's neck: "Squelch!!"
General Pei's order was cut short as his throat was pierced.
"You—!!"
"So you really were—!!" General Pei only saw a flash of cold steel before his eyes, followed by Qin Vice General's hateful gaze, and then blood splattered...
General Pei opened his mouth wide, wanting to curse Qin Vice General, but with his throat slit, he could no longer utter a complete sentence: "You, you..."
"Thud!"
General Pei fell into a pool of his own blood, his eyes wide open in death.
"......"
"......"
This sudden turn of events left the entire scene in dead silence.
All the imperial soldiers were dumbfounded.
What... what's going on here?
The Vice Commander just stabbed the Commander to death?
What... what are the soldiers supposed to do now?
For a moment, panic spread through the ranks as they stood frozen in place, gripping their spears.
Qin Vice General cast a cold glance at the corpse on the ground. He withdrew his sword and turned to face the nearly 50,000 imperial troops. In a loud voice, he declared:
"My family has devoted our lives in loyal service to the imperial court. Yet the Emperor doubted me, even stripping me of my military authority."
"Guan Pei was a man I raised with my own hands, like a father to him. I never imagined a day would come when he would have me arrested and brutally tortured."
"Some of you have fought alongside me on the battlefield. You know what kind of man I am!"
