Feng Jiu’er held her short blade, giving it a casual flick — the guards who had been closing in let out agonized cries.

A moment ago, they had witnessed her force Crown Prince Zhan Yuheng back with a single move. Now, with nothing more than a casual flick, the blade’s wind had sent five or six burly men toppling over.

Every one of Zhan Yuheng’s men now looked upon Feng Jiu’er with undisguised fear.

She was nothing but a slight young woman, her frame no larger than a child’s, yet she possessed a force so overwhelming that no one could have anticipated it.

But the guards on Feng Jiu’er’s side, watching their General Feng prove herself so formidable, each stood a little taller, their spirits renewed.

“Tell your men to stand down, or I won’t hold back!” Feng Jiu’er swept Zhan Yuheng with a cold glance.

If he had agreed to a truce from the beginning — if he had not believed Feng Qingyin’s charade — her people would never have needed to suffer so many casualties.

Watching her brothers-in-arms fall wounded and bleeding, Feng Jiu’er felt her heart as though carved by a blade. That feeling was beyond any words she could find.

And all of it — every last drop of it — had been caused by the man standing before her.

“Jiu’er, even if you have mastered a formidable technique, in military matters, valor is never measured by individual strength alone. Besides…” Zhan Yuheng cast a glance around them.

“Your forces have been nearly annihilated. Is this really the moment to be saying such things to me?”

Feng Jiu’er kept her gaze fixed on Zhan Yuheng without blinking. In truth, she did not dare look elsewhere — she could not bring herself to see the state her brothers were in.

“Even if I must spend my last drop of blood, I will avenge my brothers!” She let out a cold snort and raised her short blade again.

“Protect His Highness the Crown Prince.” A guard said in a grave tone.

A crowd of guards surged forward at once.

Zhan Yuheng, however, raised his hand to wave them off, the expression on his face still carrying a trace of amusement.

“Jiu’er, so long as you come back with me, I will consider sparing your brothers.”

Feng Jiu’er’s brow furrowed, her voice dropping lower than before. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, do you believe your own words hold any credibility right now?”

“That day, you promised to give me time — time for the Ninth Prince to return to the Emperor and set things right. And in the end?”

“Not only did you fail to do so, you sent men to hunt down Jian Yi and me the entire way. I was fortunate to have survived. Had luck been against me, I would have died at the hands of your people long ago.”

Watching Zhan Yuheng’s brow crease, Feng Jiu’er pressed on: “Don’t say I harmed your woman — it was your woman who struck my people first.”

“She drove a blade into Jian Yi’s heart, then deliberately had Ling Long bring you there so you could witness a fine performance.”

At that, Feng Jiu’er’s lips curled into a cold, thin smile.

“A fine performance?” The furrow between Zhan Yuheng’s eyes deepened.

Feng Jiu’er did not bother acknowledging him, her voice rising again.

“Your Highness, I am giving you two choices. One: order your men to stand down. Two: face me yourself.”

She truly had no time left for further argument. Every word she wasted — were more of her brothers falling wounded or dead even as she spoke?

Seeing no reaction from Zhan Yuheng, Feng Jiu’er leveled her short blade at him.

“Zhan Yuheng, prepare yourself.”

Just as Feng Jiu’er was about to advance, Zhan Yuheng raised his hand.

“Cease fighting. Now.” He paid no heed to Feng Jiu’er’s hostility and cast a glance at the guards beside him.

“Yes.” The guards dipped their heads and turned to depart.

Zhan Yuheng’s gaze returned to Feng Jiu’er. His longsword still rested point-down against the ground — nothing at all like a man in the midst of battle.

“Jiu’er, I want to hear what you have to say.”

Feng Jiu’er’s eyes trailed after the guard who had left to carry out the order, paying little mind to what Zhan Yuheng had said.

Only when she watched the guards genuinely calling for a ceasefire did she allow herself to quietly release a breath. She turned her head and glanced at the two people beside her.

Catching her silent signal, two of her own guards peeled away, one to the left and one to the right.

Drawing her gaze back, Feng Jiu’er looked at Zhan Yuheng once more.

“Jiu’er, what did you mean by that fine performance?” Zhan Yuheng met her eyes and gave the faintest curve of his lips.

He could not deny it — in these dull and oppressive days, seeing her was something he welcomed.

Feng Jiu’er looked at him, blinked, and waved a dismissive hand.

“Forget it. No matter what I say, none of it will change anything. In the end, we’ll still clash on the battlefield — what’s the point of all this talk?”

“Tell me. Perhaps I will consider delaying the assault.” Zhan Yuheng said quietly.

Feng Jiu’er had not expected him to say such a thing.

Right now, a delay in the assault would be nothing short of a blessing.

On one hand, she desperately wanted to know the full situation within her own army — she wanted to go back and see to the treatment of her wounded brothers.

On the other, if they waited a little longer, perhaps the Ninth Imperial Uncle would arrive.

If he came, there would be hope for all of them.

Her brow creased slightly. Feng Jiu’er asked in a measured tone: “Your Highness, do you think I can still trust your word?”

“Of course.” Zhan Yuheng waved his hand.

His Highness the Crown Prince had always carried a tightly composed expression, yet somehow, the moment he laid eyes on this enemy general, something easy and amused had settled into his features.

The guards felt a vague, collective unease. At a quiet prompt from their captain, one guard slipped away from the group.

“Very well. What is it you want to hear?” Feng Jiu’er steadied herself, her voice dropping a shade lower.

Whatever else might be said, the man before her had caused harm to her brothers and to Qiao Mu. Were it not for what Zhan Yuheng had just offered, Feng Jiu’er would not have given him the time of day.

Zhan Yuheng looked at Feng Jiu’er, the corner of his mouth lifting faintly.

“What you called a fine performance just now — what exactly did you mean by that? And I only ordered your capture. I gave no command to kill.”

Feng Jiu’er drew a slow, deep breath and let it out gradually.

She could well guess that the one behind the attempt on her life had been Feng Qingyin. But had this man not given Feng Qingyin the authority to act, she would never have had that kind of reach.

“Forget it. In any case, I did not intend to harm your people, and I had no knowledge that she was with child.”

Sensing someone approaching on horseback, Feng Jiu’er glanced back over her shoulder.

“Also — your one thousand surrendered soldiers. I did not kill them.”

“Killing them would have robbed me of the full fifteen days. And they cost so much manpower and resources to bring back in the first place.”

“That kind of senseless act that harms others and gains nothing for oneself — I, Feng Jiu’er, would never do such a thing.”

“You truly didn’t kill them?” Zhan Yuheng’s brow furrowed.

His gaze had been locked on Feng Jiu’er the entire time — he had not once thought to look at who stood behind her.

“Believe it or not. But you had already made up your mind, so nothing I say makes any difference.”

With those words she turned back once more.

“You have one of your men left. I am returning him to you.”

She waved her hand. The two female guards who had been keeping watch over General Cai came forward, supporting him on either side as they walked him toward Zhan Yuheng.

The moment General Cai saw Zhan Yuheng again, his eyes grew wet.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, please accept this subordinate’s bow.” The instant the two female guards released their hold, General Cai dropped to his knees.

Zhan Yuheng lowered his gaze to the man kneeling before him, his brow creasing faintly.

“What is the meaning of all this?”

“Reporting to Your Highness.” General Cai raised his eyes to meet Zhan Yuheng’s, and spoke in a heavy voice.

“That day, we were poisoned through the stream water. Our brothers were all lost. But among those who died from the poison — there were also soldiers from General Feng’s ranks.”

“Therefore, this subordinate believes that this matter was not the doing of General Feng.”