Rebirth: After Becoming the Villainess-Chapter 392: He Is in Danger

As the battering ram slammed against the city gate again and again, the people inside the city were terrified.

Song Lianhe had just been led down from the top of the city wall when a tall figure loomed over her. Then, a huge hand slapped the two guards watching her—CRACK, CRACK! The blows sent their heads spinning as they collapsed.

"Granny! Jintang is here to save you!"

E Jintang grinned, revealing a set of straight teeth in a simple, honest smile.

"Let’s go! Hurry!"

Song Lianhe urgently grabbed his arm and started running.

E Jintang asked, confused, "Granny, why are we running? Isn’t that King Qing breaking in?"

Remembering the arrow that had been aimed at her, Song Lianhe closed her eyes, her body trembling instinctively.

"Even if it is him... we still have to run for our lives."

’At the very least, I have to protect myself first.’

Even though she knew he had made the right decision, the seed of fear from that moment had already been planted.

It was a life-or-death situation outside the city walls, and complete chaos within.

Sishui City was bordered by Da Cheng territory in the front and Prince Yongdong’s domain in the back. Caught between two forces, there was nowhere to run. The city’s supplies suddenly became exceptionally precious.

Along the way, Song Lianhe saw many villains taking advantage of the chaos, smashing, and looting. If E Jintang hadn’t been there to protect her, she might not have made it to the clinic safely.

But before she could even enter, she heard crying from the noodle shop behind her.

"Don’t take it... This is all the food we have left... Please, don’t take it!"

"I’ll fight you to the death!"

"My husband!"

To protect his family’s meager food supply, Uncle Tian swung a rolling pin, ready to fight for his life, but was sent flying by a kick.

"Get lost!"

The door was kicked open with a BANG, and a large hand caught Uncle Tian, steadying him.

"Uncle Tian!"

Song Lianhe followed him in. The noodle shop was a complete wreck. Aunt Tian was huddled in a corner, clutching her grandson, who was wailing in terror. Two ruffians were still rummaging through their things.

"Jintang!"

"You got it!"

He didn’t even need to be told. E Jintang might not be the sharpest, but he knew right from wrong, and he couldn’t stand to see the weak being bullied.

He took two steps forward, grabbed each ruffian by the neck, and slammed their heads together with immense force. Then he casually tossed the two limp men aside.

Seeing that Uncle Tian’s home was no longer safe, Song Lianhe made a snap decision and had E Jintang take the family to her clinic.

When she returned, she saw Yin Huan leading Granny Li and Pang Hu into the courtyard. Seeing her, Ah Jun rushed over and hugged her. "Sister!"

Song Lianhe soothed him by patting his back. "Don’t worry, I’m okay."

She immediately went to check on Granny Li, who was clearly injured. There was a large, red welt on her forehead, and Pang Hu’s eyes were red from crying.

"Lianhe!"

Yin Huan finally breathed a sigh of relief, seeing she was unharmed.

"It’s a good thing I had Jintang follow you!"

"What happened?" she asked quickly, referring to the injury on Granny Li’s forehead.

"Those damn pests deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces!" Granny Li trembled with rage. "They’re attacking the city from the outside, and these animals are running wild inside! So much for neighborly affection!"

Pang Hu wiped away his tears and said, crying, "They said that when the Da Cheng army breaks into the city, we’ll all be killed... Doctor Song, is that true?"

Song Lianhe’s heart tightened. "Now... I don’t know anymore either..."

Just then, someone started knocking on the door.

"Doctor Song! Doctor Song! Help us!"

Song Lianhe motioned for Yin Huan to open the door. Unexpectedly, a crowd of people surged in and immediately knelt before Song Lianhe.

"Doctor Song, please, you have to save us!"

"Doctor Song, help us! Those people outside are maniacs! They’ll kill you if you don’t give them silver. We have nowhere left to hide..."

Several of them had bleeding head wounds. Song Lianhe acted decisively, helping them inside. She and Ah Jun began to bandage their injuries.

Outside, the sounds of fighting and screaming grew louder. Inside the clinic, everyone’s face was pale with terror.

She knew that even if the army outside was from Da Cheng, she could be safe. Never mind her status as Princess Qing; revealing her connection to Zhou Junlin alone would be enough to keep her out of harm’s way.

But for some reason, she felt that something was wrong...

She tried to recall the plot from the original novel. Sishui City was only mentioned briefly. It said that Zhou Junlin wanted to eliminate Prince Yongdong, but he had just dealt with the second male lead. His forces were depleted, and he lacked the strength for a punitive expedition. Meanwhile, King Li Xiang of Chuzhou had claimed to be ill, clearly wanting no part in it.

Prince Yongdong, of course, seized this opportunity to launch an attack first.

That was why the book mentioned "cooperating with a neighboring country"...

That neighboring country was the Nanchen Kingdom.

But the plot had now deviated far from its original course. The one leading the army to quell the rebellion wasn’t Zhou Junlin, but Zhou Cangqing! In that case, the cooperation with the Nanchen Kingdom naturally wouldn’t be happening either.

However, the Nanchen Kingdom was the home of Prince Hang’s mother’s family. They had always been ruthlessly ambitious, coveting the lands of Da Cheng. Sishui City’s unique location, combined with the current chaos of war, made this the perfect time for them to invade!

’In that case, what if the soldiers outside the walls and the thugs causing trouble inside the city were sent by the Nanchen Kingdom?’

Song Lianhe broke out in a cold sweat. It all made sense.

She gathered her skirts, turned, and ran into the courtyard. She found Uncle Tian, Aunt Tian, Granny Li, and the others, and asked them just one question.

She asked, "These thugs in the city—do you recognize any of them?"

The question clearly stumped them. The townsfolk looked at each other, then all shook their heads.

"It’s strange, now that you mention it. I’ve lived in Sishui City for decades, and I’ve never seen any of them before!"

"That’s right. Now that I think back on their faces, they were all strangers."

Their answers gradually confirmed Song Lianhe’s suspicions.

’These people aren’t citizens of Sishui City at all!’

’She had thought it was strange from the start. The siege had just begun, yet rioters were already appearing in the city? Ordinary people would be hiding in their homes. Even if the city fell, at worst they would just return to being part of Da Cheng. For them, there was no real loss.’

’So, this was more like a deliberate attempt to inflame tensions between the two sides, leading to a mutually destructive end!’

’For them to dare attack so brazenly, they must have a foolproof plan. They aren’t afraid of Zhou Cangyan arriving to trap them like turtles in a jar!’

’And the fact that Zhou Cangyan hasn’t rushed over despite such a huge commotion means he’s very likely been trapped!’

Song Lianhe’s heart clenched. ’Zhou Cangyan is in danger!’

She shot to her feet, startling Ah Jun.

"Sister, what’s wrong?"

Song Lianhe’s expression was grim, and she spoke quickly, "Ah Jun, guard the door! Don’t let any of those people from outside get in!"

"Okay."

She then strode over to where Manager Meng and the others were hiding, pushed aside the screen concealing them, and began pounding on the wooden door.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Come out!"

There was no sound from within.

"Manager Meng, I’m sure you’ve heard everything. I am Princess Qing! I’m giving you one last chance! If you don’t come out now, then you can stay in there forever!"

She turned and ordered E Jintang, "Seal this door shut!"

E Jintang bellowed in response, "Right!"

Suddenly, Manager Meng’s voice came from inside. "Don’t seal it! Don’t seal it!"

The voice was very close, right up against the door.

’He must have had his ear pressed to the door, listening to everything.’

E Jintang roared, "Then get out here, now!"

"Yes, yes, of course."

The door opened from the inside, and Manager Meng emerged with a miserable look on his face, followed by three or four of his employees.

Manager Meng approached Song Lianhe and looked at her timidly. "Greetings, Princess Qing."

Song Lianhe stared at him and said grimly, "Manager Meng, don’t blame me for being harsh. The men outside aren’t from the Da Cheng army at all. They are most likely spies from the Nanchen Kingdom!"

"What?"

Manager Meng was stunned.

"If Sishui City falls into the hands of the Nanchen Kingdom, how long do you think you’ll survive, Manager Meng?"

The color drained from Manager Meng’s face. Internal strife was one thing—behind closed doors, it was their own affair. But an invasion by a foreign enemy was another matter entirely.

Manager Meng shook out his long sleeves and gave Song Lianhe a solemn bow. "I will never forget that I am a citizen of Da Cheng. If the enemy invades, I will not disgrace myself by clinging to life!"

"Good! I’m leaving these people in your care, Manager Meng!"

Manager Meng’s expression hardened. "Rest assured, Princess Consort!"

Song Lianhe turned, took a deep breath, and said, word by word, "Jintang. Yin Huan. Follow me outside."