Why does my back feel so chilly

How roughly those few maids acted.

They held Su Xiu down, quickly dragged her into a boudoir, threw her onto the bed, and without a word, tore a bolt of fine fabric into strips, tying her up securely.

"Miss Su Xiu, be a good girl and stay put."

"Once the three young masters of the Li family return in triumph and enjoy you properly, your task will be complete."

"In the future, our Ye family will rule the Northern Frontier, and the Li family's great contributions will ensure they become a prominent and noble household. That will be more than ten thousand times better than your small merchant family!"

"You've really struck a bargain."

The person laughed wildly, their eyes full of teasing.

"Oh, by the way, there's another piece of good news."

"Although it's unclear which of the three Li family young masters will achieve the greatest merit in this battle against Ren Tianye,"

"Knowing the City Lord's methods, he will likely award all three of them equal credit. In other words, you will have to marry all three Li family young masters at the same time."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

"Miss Su Xiu, you are truly in for a treat."

"All three Li family young masters are handsome and elegant. The chance to be enjoyed by them is a pleasure that countless young girls would envy!"

With a loud laugh, the person left the maids to stand guard and strode away.

Su Xiu's peerlessly beautiful face was already covered in tears. "No, I don't want to, I don't want to marry the Li family young masters, I don't want to..."

The maids glared at her fiercely. Her body ached from the tight bindings, and the anxiety of being entirely alone in a foreign land, coupled with the terror of what was to come, overwhelmed her.

In that moment, Su Xiu suddenly felt immense regret.

She suddenly felt that marrying Great General Ren Tianye might not have been a bad thing after all.

Her eldest sister had described Ren Tianye's character to her in detail; as long as she didn't act out or make a fuss, the Great General would surely treat her well.

Then she would be the General's wife.

In the future, she might even become the empress of a nation.

If that were the case, why would she have to suffer such hardship?

Moreover, the Great General acted decisively and had no family burdens. She wouldn't need to carefully serve parents-in-law or worry about messy family relationships. Marrying Great General Ren Tianye should have been such a joyous occasion.

But why hadn't she cherished it?

Her second uncle had painstakingly worked day and night, running around to arrange her marriage, even his hair had turned white from the stress. How could she have been so... bewitched?

She had firmly believed that Ye Fan could save her from her misery.

But right now, this deep, treacherous pit was exactly where Ye Fan had led her to jump into.

"Second Uncle, I... I was wrong. I was wrong..."

"I am willing to marry the Great General!"

Su Xiu murmured, her idealized image of Ye Fan completely shattered. In the dead of night, she wept bitterly, but the empty room remained silent, with only the sounds of birds and insects outside, offering not the slightest echo of a response.

...

On the streets of Sifang City.

A group of soldiers marched swiftly.

The three leaders were precisely the three Li brothers.

Even with the empty promises Ye Tiancheng had made them to spur competition, their mouths didn't rest. They all shouted that this time they must surpass the other two and exclusively win the beauty's heart.

But suddenly, the most alert eldest young master, Li Botian, felt something was off. He frowned and said, "Hey, do you guys feel a chill down your backs?"

With this reminder, the second young master and the third young master of the Li family also reacted.

"Yeah, ever since we left the City Lord's mansion, I've felt a chill down my back, as if something is watching us."

"Right, but when I look back, there's nothing there. What's going on?"

The three of them were confused and stopped in their tracks together.

Behind them were the soldiers of Sifang City, numbering in the hundreds. They all held their breath and concentrated, looking no different from usual. There was nothing unusual!

"It must be that we miss our sister Su Xiu too much, so we're having hallucinations."

"That must be it. I'll be fine once I marry sister Su Xiu."

"Bah, do you even deserve her? I'm the one who will marry her."

"Heh, you two unfilial things. As the saying goes, the eldest brother is like a father. How dare you fight with your father?"

...

The three of them bickered noisily for a while. When they reached a crossroad, they parted ways according to their positions, each going to guard the area they excelled in.

...

The night was deep, with neither stars nor moon.

The North Gate of Sifang City was dead silent.

Suddenly, a unique insect chirp sounded, like a partridge or a bird call.

Three short, one long, repeated several times.

Not far outside the city, an army with bells removed from their horses and gags in their mouths, led by Zhang Shi, quickly arrived at the city gate with the fastest but lightest movements.

The city gate had already been opened, and someone was waiting respectfully.

"I am Zhang Liang, a deputy general in this Sifang City. Are you gentlemen the men of Great General Ren Tianye?"

Actually, this question was redundant.

Who else could understand his signal and arrive on time but Ren Tianye's men!

However, Deputy General Zhang Liang deliberately asked this, naturally having his own intentions.

"I am Zhang Shi, under the command of the Great General, here to take over Sifang City."

"So it is General Zhang Shi, pardon my lack of manners!" Zhang Liang instantly assumed a respectful posture, and then said, "The eldest young master of the Li family who was guarding the city, Li Botian, has already been beheaded by my men."

As he spoke, he brought out a bloody head and said, "The soldiers at this North Gate have all been subdued by me. General Zhang Shi, you may lead the army in."

"The North Gate already belongs to the Great General."

"What?" Zhang Shi was stunned.

Li Botian's head was chopped off?

Damn it!

He was originally going to take Li Botian's head as his own merit, and now it was chopped off?

Then his merit was gone!

Moreover, the thousands of soldiers at the North Gate had all surrendered.

He didn't have a single bit of merit left!

At this moment, Zhang Shi understood what Deputy General Zhang Liang was thinking. This bastard wanted to clarify his name, afraid that he would steal the credit and later be unable to explain it clearly in front of the Great General!

But he...

He was so depressed!

"General, please bring your men in quickly. I will personally take you to the City Lord's mansion."

Zhang Shi's spirit was suddenly lifted.

Fortunately, the chief culprit Ye Tiancheng was not dead!

Leaving him a massive piece of credit.

He had to hurry up and grab it.

After leading his men into the city and successfully taking over the northern city wall of Sifang City, he headed straight for the City Lord's mansion under the personal guidance of Deputy General Zhang Liang!

...

The West Gate of Sifang City.

Wang Ming encountered almost the exact same situation as Zhang Shi.

The grain transport commissioner Zhu Gui opened the city gate. As soon as the two sides met, Zhu Gui tossed two heads at him.

"General Wang Ming, this one is the head of the second young master of the Li family, Li Zhongdi, and this one is the head of the third young master of the Li family, Li Jiren."

"I have already had them all beheaded."

"I hand them all over to you!"

"Moreover, the people at this West Gate are all General Zhang Liang's men, and they have been eagerly awaiting your arrival."

Wang Ming immediately felt displeased.

He had a peaceful temperament and usually did not strive for dominance, but rather had a compassionate heart. However, this time, the opportunity was too good and the credit too great, so he had gritted his teeth and prepared to beautifully accept it.

But damn it...

Now this grain transport commissioner Zhu Gui had done it all, making him look very foolish.

"General Wang Ming, quickly bring your men into the city. The City Lord's mansion is still brightly lit. I will lead the way for you and help you take the head of City Lord Ye Tiancheng!"

...