Lin Taichu did not press him further. He rose to his feet. "I'll give you one day to think it over. Tell me once you've made up your mind."
He turned and headed outside, but stopped at the door and looked back. "Remember this: I'm the only one who can help you. From the very beginning, the prime minister and Governor Wu never intended to let any of you live."
Sun Yong sat numbly in the barracks all night.
The oil lamp flickered, casting light over his bloodshot eyes.
Lin Taichu's words were like a thorn lodged in his heart, impossible to pull out. He truly did not know where his family was. Governor Wu had only said they had been "properly settled," but the vaguer it was, the more frightened he became.
Just before dawn, he finally stood up and knocked on the door. The personal soldier outside immediately pushed it open. "The general is waiting for you in his tent."
Lin Taichu was studying a map. When he saw him enter, he gestured for the personal soldier to leave. Only the two of them remained in the tent when Sun Yong suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, his voice hoarse. "General, please save my family."
Lin Taichu helped him up. "Tell me what happened first."
Sun Yong wiped his face, as though he had finally made up his mind. "The prime minister really has joined forces with the Jin Kingdom."
The moment those words left his mouth, the air in the tent seemed to freeze. Lin Taichu clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "What exactly happened?"
"Last winter, an envoy from the Jin Kingdom secretly came to the capital and stayed at the prime minister's residence."
Sun Yong lowered his voice. "They talked for