Chapter 190 Lightning Strike
Just six words made Shen Wei and Xiaoying feel like they were struck by lightning. They opened their mouths slightly in disbelief.
"How could it fail? Weren't you so confident two months ago? And how could it fail so quickly..."
Xiaoying swallowed hard and asked doubtfully.
When the imperial court sent troops to pacify the Huns, the entire capital was cheering, saying that this time it would be a sure win and that the Huns would be beaten to their knees and beg for mercy.
When I suddenly heard that we had lost the battle, I felt as if I were in a dream.
Obviously, I was still touting it some time ago...
Compared to Xiaoying's disbelief, Shen Wei recovered after a brief moment of distraction. She asked rationally:
"Is the news accurate?"
Miss Lu nodded: "Accurate, I believe that the news will spread to the public soon."
Xiaoying still couldn't believe it and denied it, "Isn't our dynasty sure to win against the Xiongnu? I don't believe we will fail. Miss Lu, is your information wrong?"
Miss Lu glanced at Xiaoying and said nothing. The prime minister was the head of all officials, so how could the news he received be false?
Shen Wei said, "Xiaoying, calm down. Miss Lu came here on purpose, it must not be fake news. There must be a reason behind this, it's not as simple as we think."
"Besides, whether the news is true or not, won't we know in a few days?"
Xiaoying then sat on the chair in frustration, lowered her head and said nothing, just listening to Shen Wei talking to Miss Lu.
Shen Wei asked: "Have our soldiers suffered serious casualties? What strategies do we have after the defeat?"
Miss Lu said: "My father didn't tell me this, and I was just too surprised. I came to tell you so that you can prepare. Please don't spread this matter yet."
"Alas, when the news of the defeat reaches the capital, I am afraid that the people will panic and lose confidence in the court."
Shen Wei nodded calmly: "We will keep it a secret, Miss Lu. If you need any help, just let me know."
"As part of the country, we must also do our part for the country."
Miss Lu smiled at Shen Wei. It was easy to talk to smart people. Shen Wei understood what she meant without her having to explain everything.
She was able to tell Shen Wei and Xiaoying about this, of course, she had her father's permission, otherwise, such a confidential matter would not be publicized unless someone wanted to kill the entire clan.
She told Shen Wei about this matter in advance because she wanted Shen Wei to be prepared to deal with unexpected accidents. No one knew how panicked the people would be if this matter became known.
A few days after Miss Lu told them the news, the news of the defeat reached the capital through merchants at the border.
At dusk, when Shen Wei and Zhao Xiangrong were closing their shop and on their way home, they heard people talking on the roadside.
"How could our army fail? Aren't the Huns a group of uncivilized barbarians? How could they be so powerful?"
"The blind fortune teller in our village was right when he said there would be natural disasters this year and that everything would go wrong. Now it turns out to be wrong."
"Hey, is the fortune teller in your village accurate? Please tell me when my son will be able to get married. This child really worries me..."
Shen Wei did not stop to listen to what they said, but Zhao Xiangrong always liked to listen to other people's gossip.
After saying something to Shen Wei, he squeezed into the crowd of people and asked openly.
When they were almost home, Xiaoying caught up with them in a horse-drawn carriage.
"Shen Wei, Miss Lu is waiting for you in the martial arts hall."