?

  Time passed in torment until dawn broke. One second to remember "Jing An", for you.

  At dawn, it was clear that the east wing had been moved almost entirely. Just as Zhang Gui was fainting from excessive blood loss and wanted to fall asleep, a sudden wave of heat came over him.

  She raised her head and saw flames raging in the sky above her.

  It turned out that the Turks who had looted everything set a fire, causing the entire mansion to burn down.

  Feeling the scorching heat approaching, Zhang Gui thought dazedly: Didn't Yuwen Yong say that there were still tens of thousands of people left in the city? Even if they all got drunk and fell asleep, they couldn't have been defeated so quickly, could they? Or did they see the Turks breaking into the city and their morale collapsed, with each one only thinking of escaping with their lives, leaving Wuwei City completely defenseless?

  She thought to herself: I wonder if Yuwen Yong managed to escape successfully? Although this time it was said that the emperor led the expedition in person, in reality, Yuwen Hu was the one who made all the decisions. The young emperor not only couldn't make any decisions, but also had to pretend to be a fool and cater to Yuwen Hu's wrong decisions at all times. This defeat will probably become a stain on his life.

  Before she knew it, she thought again: I wonder if Gao Changgong has killed many Turks? He must be very triumphant and exhilarated now.

  There's also Ah Lu, and even in her daze, she thought of Zhang Jin from Nanchen back then...

  Perhaps due to excessive blood loss, her throat was parched and she felt dizzy spells in front of her eyes. In a daze, she subconsciously forced herself to think wildly.

  She didn't want to fall asleep.

  She was afraid of falling asleep.

  In a daze, Zhang Qi's dry lips trembled as she suppressed the urge to call out another name, instead whispering softly: "Mother..." Deep down, it seemed that she too had once experienced such a period of happiness, satisfaction and joy. Wasn't that when she was just born?

  There was also a period of time when she was happy. Although there was unease. Although there were complaints and hardships, it was also happiness.

  If only she could. She was willing to give up everything, just to be like those women who had a father and mother, a husband and children, relatives... So happy. Blissful, perfect life, even if it's just for one year...

  Even if it's just for one year, even if she dies immediately after a year.

  She just wants to be truly satisfied. Happy, without any worries, for a year...

  If she can't have it, then she doesn't want happiness or satisfaction, just peace, a peace without worries and anxiety.

  In this world, some people pursue glory, some pursue success, some crave excitement, and some want to be high above. She, however, yearns for happiness.

  In a daze, Zhang Qi stretched her hand into the well water, using that icy coldness to stimulate herself awake.

  Outside, the crackling and burning grew more intense, with scorching heat and rolling thick smoke that made Zhang Qi choke several times. Fortunately, whenever she felt unbearable, she would splash water on her face to relieve herself a little.

  Time slips away in silence.

  It was unclear how much time had passed, maybe a day, maybe half a day, or maybe two days, when she faintly heard a voice calling out: "A Gui."

  "A Qi..."

  In her daze, Zhang Qi suddenly bit the tip of her tongue, making herself come back to her senses.

  "A Qi——"

  Someone is calling her, someone!

  "Here I am!" Zhang Qi cried out in a shrill voice.

  She summoned all her strength, thinking her voice was loud, but for some reason, it came out like a mosquito. Not good! Having lost so much blood, she's now hot and cold, probably ill, and having been smoked for too long, her throat is likely ruined.

  Zhang Qi woke up a bit more. She felt her way up and shouted in a hoarse voice: "I'm in the well."

  The voice is still not loud.

  Outside, a guard approached among the broken walls and said in a clear voice: "Your Highness, it seems he is not here."

  "She's in," the man's voice was hoarse, tired and even panicked, he said in a low tone: "I know she's in."

  He gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: "Pass the word down, continue searching." In an instant, he instructed again: "Don't alarm the Turks!"

  "Yes."

  Zhang Qi anxiously looked up and shouted again and again: "I'm here, I'm in the well." But no matter how hard she tried, her voice was hoarse and weak, like a mosquito.

  She shouted again and again until her voice was hoarse, then Zhang Qi splashed a handful of well water to drink. She had already been chilled to the bone, shivering uncontrollably, her teeth chattering violently. The cold water made her feel even more painful.

  Suddenly, she remembered that there were still pastries in her bosom, and hastily took out two pieces to stuff into her mouth.

  Her forehead was hot and steaming, her whole body was soft to the extreme, just these movements had already exhausted all her strength. Weakly swallowing the pastry, Zhang Qi gazed blankly at the wellhead.

  In a daze, she suddenly heard Gao Changgong's voice, and he was calling out: "A Qiu——A Qiu——"

  Unexpectedly heard his voice, it seems she's quite ill.

  Zhang Qi smiled and habitually cleared her throat before responding: "Chang Gong, I'm in the well..."

  She found herself unable to hear her own responses, weakly leaning against the bucket wall, and weakly responded: "I'm here, I'm in the well, in the well..."

  It was unknown how much time had passed when she suddenly heard a familiar low voice coming from the well, "She's answering me."

  Another voice said: "Duke, none of us heard it, but you, did you really hear it?"

  "I heard her, she's right here." But his footsteps were getting farther and farther away.

  Zhang Qi was in a great hurry, she hoarsely shouted: "Chang Gong, I'm here!"

  She only managed to call out the word "long", the rest of the words were unable to come out due to her throat being too hoarse.

  Even this single word spat out is weak and powerless.

  At the time when the house next door was crackling with flames, amidst the rumbling sounds on the street, Zhang Qi's voice was almost inaudible to anyone except herself.

  He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

  He looked around and one of the guards shouted: "Your Highness!"

  Just then, Gao Changyong suddenly lifted his feet and walked towards the well opening.

  He bent down, picked up the rope that had been cut in two. He looked at it and said in a deep voice, "This was cut with a knife." He looked around. He also said, "The bucket is not here."

  His voice sank, "Quickly, bring the torch."

  "Yes."

  At last, Zhang Gui's eyes saw torchlight again.

  Looking at the blazing torches, Zhang Gui raised her face and said in a hoarse voice: "Chang Gong, Chang Gong..."

  Her voice was still low and weak, almost inaudible.

  At the moment she opened her mouth, in the light of the torches, Gao Chang Gong's handsome and unparalleled face suddenly froze. He tilted his head to one side, listened intently for a while, then his face flashed with a hint of wild joy, and he trembled as he said: "She's in the well! Quick, throw down the rope!" After speaking, he snatched the rope and threw it into the bottom of the well.

  As soon as the rope fell down, he felt someone tugging at the rope.

  I knew it!

  "Go and prepare a rope and a wooden bucket. Then go to the nearby well, cut off that rope and bucket, all of them."

  "Yes."

  Before long, a large bucket appeared in front of Zhang Qi.

  Zhang Ai clung to the bucket, with great difficulty and dizziness, and didn't know how much time had passed before she finally managed to climb up.

  As soon as she entered the bucket, the wooden bucket suddenly lifted up, and then a dazzling sunlight poured into her eyes.

  Zhang Qi subconsciously closed her eyes, and her body suddenly felt light, but she heavily fell into a warm embrace.

  Feeling the warmth of this embrace, she struggled to open her eyes.

  She gazed at the dusty and gauntly handsome face of Langlang King, covered with dust and soot.

  Looking at him, Zhang Qi curled up the corner of his mouth and smiled slightly.

  She didn't smile, but when she did, his eyes reddened, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, pressing her against his chest. As soon as he pressed her close, he quickly loosened his grip, lowered his head to look at her, and his subsequent actions became cautious.

  The woman in his arms, always resplendent and beautiful, at this moment, her short black hair was disheveled and stuck to her dirty little face, no, there were also bloodstains, patches of bloodstains that almost covered her entire face.

  The hand of the Duke of their own county was trembling, a guard called out softly: "Your Excellency?"

  Gao Chang Gong used his sleeve to scoop up some water from the bucket and roughly wiped Zhang Qi's face. After wiping away the blood on her face, he saw that there was only a wound on her forehead and let out a sigh of relief. However, in an instant, his expression turned gloomy again.

  The wound on her forehead was red and swollen, her whole face was burning hot, this injury is very dangerous!

  Thinking of this, he suddenly stood up and carefully changed Zhang Qi's posture to make her more comfortable leaning on his chest. He then said in a low voice: "Let's leave the city."

  "Yes."

  Zhang Qi felt a chill run down her spine, and Langling Wang took off his outer cloak, wrapping it tightly around her, and with nine guards, they climbed over the wall.

  Their footsteps were light, and one of the guards was apparently very familiar with Wuwei City, leading him around in circles, and before long, they arrived at the city gate.

  By this time, they had a hundred or so people in their group, but because of the Turks, they split into twenty or thirty stocks.

  On this day, the Turks burst into an unprepared Wuwei, burning and killing and looting, knowing that nearby reinforcements would not arrive for some time. After initially closing the city gates to search for the Northern Zhou emperor without success, they now opened the gates.

  In order to prevent the people in the city from being trapped and fighting, they allowed the common people to come and go freely. However, whether or not those who left with valuables and beautiful women would be pursued and killed by some of the Turkic soldiers lurking around was no longer their concern.

  Langling Wang and others mixed in with the common people, hastily walking out of the city gate when a Turk suddenly caught sight of Zhang Qi in Langling Wang's arms. He immediately raised his knife and shouted: "You Han man, put down the woman in your arms!"

  At this time, Langling Wang had arrived at the city gate.

  Those few Turks saw King Langling ignore him, and with a loud cry, they brandished their big knives and rushed towards King Langling.

  The King of Lanling didn't even turn his head back, he just quickened his pace.

  Just as those Turkic men were rushing over, shouting loudly, two Han men suddenly rushed out from both sides of the Prince of Lanling. These two men reached into their sleeves and, in a flash of cold light, each produced a short knife in his hand.

  Only to see these four men, like a cat, suddenly rushed into the arms of the Turks. With the sound of "hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss" of knives entering flesh, in an instant, the four Turks who were chasing them had fallen to the ground.

  "Boom——" The South City Gate suddenly fell into chaos, the Turkic people's shouting and screaming, the neighing of horses, and the fleeing and crying sounds of the crowd at the gate all mixed together.

  But these have nothing to do with Langling Wang.

  As soon as he left the city, he put his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle. A black horse appeared on the official road with a clatter.

  That proud horse was extremely spirited, with weapons on its back. The King of Lanling held Zhang Yun and jumped onto the horse's back in one leap.

  ###￥

  It's about to drop out of the top 15 on the powder ticket chart, everyone throw a few more votes and push Nan Chao up a bit!