Song Qingshu frowned. He had been worried about this as well. If Wushuang City fell, then given Temujin's fondness for violating the wives and daughters of his enemies, Gu Zixian would indeed be in danger. Should he rescue her in advance when the time came? But that would carry the risk of exposing himself.
Shan Yuru glanced at his expression before saying, "Young Master, I do have a way."
"Oh?" Song Qingshu was somewhat surprised. "What way?"
Shan Yuru replied, "Have Wushuang City surrender voluntarily. Then have Princess Xiu appear as the Young City Lord of Wushuang City's fiancée. That way, Temujin will not touch her."
"Surrender?" Song Qingshu sank into thought. The Mongols' slaughter of cities was indeed brutal in the history books, but it was rarely mentioned that they had always treated forces that surrendered voluntarily well. The cities they massacred were often those that resisted from beginning to end and inflicted heavy losses on the Mongols.
In a sense, their massacres were a tactic. Others would see that those who surrendered still enjoyed wealth and honor, while those who resisted were exterminated to the last chicken and dog. Anyone would waver.
In practice, this method had proven highly effective. Historically, many places surrendered at the mere sight of the Mongols. Even when the defending generals were unwilling to surrender, they would be coerced into it by their subordinates or the local populace.
Seeing him remain silent, Shan Yuru hurriedly said, "Young Master may not know Temujin very well. I have served in the Mongol Empire for many years and know his habits fairly well. He never violates the wives and daughters of his subordinates. Moreover, he does not lay hands on the female relatives of forces that voluntarily join him, because he fears setting a bad precedent