If Mo Jiuye didn't refute him, it meant the other party had tacitly agreed, which also indirectly indicated Nan Yu's stance.
Mo Jiuye indeed didn't argue back, but his thoughts were not as Nan Rui had imagined.
The Mo Family had already suffered persecution from the court and couldn't possibly do anything that might harm their own people for the sake of a little loyalty.
The reason he didn't take a stand was that he already had his own plans.
If Nan Yu truly became the legendary emperor as recorded in history, he believed in his own abilities; even without the Mo Family's assistance, he would secure that position.
Moreover, since the Mo Family no longer existed in historical records, in his mind, after resolving the current crisis, the Mo Family was dispensable to Nan Yu.
And he himself hadn't forgotten his original intention; becoming the Lord of the Western Town, he only hoped the Mo Family could have a land of their own.
Nan Yu also understood the implication in Nan Rui's words; he also felt that Mo Jiuye's silence was consent, so he immediately declared his position to show his sincerity.
"Don't worry, Lord Jiuye, I, Nan Yu, am as good as my word. As long as I'm here, the Mo Family will be safe and sound."
Mo Jiuye simply took it as it was; besides ensuring his family's well-being, he didn't wish for more.
Facing a topic he didn't want to discuss, Mo Jiuye just glossed over it.
...
If it weren't for the sudden change in circumstances, Mo Jiuye would need to rush back to the northwest to receive orders; he and He Zhiran would have waited until Minister Hao successfully resigned before returning together.
But plans changed swiftly, and they had to return now.
They had the advantage of the Grand G, which would save them a lot of time on the road, but others didn't know that.
No matter how one calculated, it would still take them nearly half a month to rush back to the northwest; even for the sake of deception, they had to set off at this time.
Though it was for the sake of deception, the two still chose the Grand G as their means of transportation.
On the way, they would come out of hiding every three days to travel for a night. When they reached impoverished areas, they would provide relief using the funds they had obtained from the treasury.
Despite deliberately delaying their journey, the two arrived in the northwest on the twelfth day after leaving the capital.
Upon entering the northwest, Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran immediately sensed a tense atmosphere.
The bustling streets were now deserted, with most shop doors locked; only a few remained open, but they were empty, with no business at all.
The doors of the common folk's houses were tightly shut as well, occasionally one would crack open slightly for a peek outside, then quickly shut again...
This atmosphere was not unfamiliar to Mo Jiuye; in the border regions where he used to station before his exile, when conflicts broke out, the surrounding populace would be in a similar state.
At times even worse, where the people would choose to abandon their homes and flee with their loved ones.
Therefore, judging from the state of the northwestern people, it can be preliminarily concluded that although the war has started here, it has not reached the point of a major enemy invasion, or rather, the barbarian army has not attacked yet.
However, this situation is not optimistic. If it weren't for the dire situation of the war, the people wouldn't have shut themselves indoors like this.
Anyway, Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran returned to the northwest earlier than expected. Even if the envoy sent by Emperor Shunwu is fast, it is estimated that it will take another two days to arrive.
After discussing with He Zhiran, Mo Jiuye decided to go to the western battlefield to investigate the situation.
This way, when the imperial decree arrives, he will also have a clear understanding when he is ordered to the battlefield.
The couple usually dressed as ordinary people, so this time they didn't change their appearance.
They headed straight for the northwest border and found that the closer they got to the target location, the fewer people there were.
Suddenly, Mo Jiuye felt something was wrong and pulled He Zhiran to a stop.
He Zhiran was also vigilant. When Mo Jiuye suddenly stopped him, he must have noticed something.
Just as she was about to ask, they heard a series of footsteps coming from the bushes on the roadside.
Mo Jiuye was already prepared to act, and he also reminded He Zhiran, "Ranran, hide immediately if there's danger."
Before Mo Jiuye could act, two figures quickly leaped out of the bushes.
Before any confrontation, the newcomers immediately said, "Ninth Brother, Ninth Sister, why are you here?"
"Second Brother, Third Brother, what are you doing here?" The couple asked together.
Third Brother glanced around and whispered, "Ninth Brother and Ninth Sister, come with me first. This is not the place to talk."
Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran tacitly remained silent and followed their two elder brothers into the bushes.
After entering the bushes and walking about a hundred meters, the couple saw a group of about two hundred people in an open space ahead, all looking towards their direction and in a defensive formation.
It was only then that Third Brother asked, "When did Ninth Brother and Ninth Sister return? Is everything resolved in the capital city?"
From Mo Yunfeng's perspective, he and Second Brother had been ambushing here with their men for seven or eight days. He speculated that Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran should have already returned to Xi Ling Village.
Upon learning that they had come here specifically to check, after hearing about the dire situation in the northwest.
"We just returned from the capital city. Seeing the situation in the northwest was not good, we planned to take a look before returning to Xi Ling Village, but we didn't expect to meet Second Brother and Third Brother here."
After Mo Jiuye explained, he asked again, "Why did Second Brother and Third Brother bring people to ambush here?"
"Now that the barbarians have invaded massively, if we don't stay in the northwest, it's fine, but here, we can't just watch the people suffer because of the war.
After discussing with father and brothers at home, and with everyone's unanimous consent, we brought a team of people to ambush here.
"In case the frontier cannot withstand the barbarian onslaught and they breach through, we can still intercept them here," San Ge said, gesturing towards the empty space where the old troops stood.
"Father decides, let everyone carry five bombs each. The power of these bombs is undeniable. Despite the small number of arrivals, we can still obstruct the barbarians from entering the city," he continued.
In truth, Mo Jiuye understood the reasoning without San Ge's elaboration. Though disillusioned with the court, the resolve to safeguard peace in the region and ensure the people's well-being remained unchanged among the men of the Mo Family.
Each household accounted for one, as surely no one wished to see barbarians breach Da Shun's borders and oppress the populace.
Moreover, the Mo Family now resided in the northwest. While Yun Cheng was some distance away, once the barbarians breached through, it was only a matter of time before they reached there."
