Where’s Yelu Qianqian?

In a situation like this, how could Situ Haonan possibly not be by Yelu Qianqian’s side?

Ziqing had no idea what had happened, but the moment she saw Situ Haonan arrive alone, an inexplicable anger rose in her—her eyes turned sharp and cold as she stared at him.

Situ Haonan said nothing, only lowered his head and fell silent.

“Everyone, leave us,” Jun Beiyue said flatly, dismissing the generals, before settling himself lazily onto the couch.

He seemed to already have some idea of what had happened, a flicker of displeasure crossing his eyes. Whatever had happened, wherever Yelu Qianqian was, regardless of how much she truly mattered to the war between Xiliang and Xijing, Situ Haonan should, at the very least, have stayed by her side.

Once everyone had gone, Situ Haonan still hadn’t answered. Ziqing couldn’t hold still any longer, and suddenly snapped, “Well? Say something!”

Situ Haonan, who had seemed to be somewhere far away in his thoughts, flinched at Ziqing’s sharp tone, his body trembling slightly before he finally raised his head. His handsome face looked utterly haggard, worn down to a shadow of itself.

Looking closely at him, he looked exactly like some down-and-out vagrant.

“What exactly happened?” Jun Beiyue, too, had run out of patience, his tone growing heavy.

Only then did Situ Haonan speak, just a handful of simple words: “She went home.”

At those words, Jun Beiyue’s hand, resting on the armrest, suddenly clenched tight, while Ziqing shot to her feet. “What did you say?”

“She went home. She doesn’t want me anymore. She wants her father, her brother, her country—she’s gone back…”

Situ Haonan seemed not to be answering them at all, but muttering to himself in a daze. Facing Jun Beiyue’s shock and Ziqing’s fury, his eyes were hollow, and suddenly his legs gave out beneath him, and he simply collapsed to the ground by the entrance.

No one knew how he had managed to race here day and night without rest or a single drop of water. He wished he could simply pass out from exhaustion—but even that eluded him.

For over ten days, he’d been so utterly exhausted he couldn’t even sleep!

Only in sleep could he stop knowing anything at all, could he escape the unbearable pain!

He didn’t know what he should do. He truly didn’t know!

The pain he felt now was a hundred times worse than when he’d first learned Yelu Qianqian was to be married off to Xiliang.

That woman had called him a liar!

He slumped against the ground, utterly dejected. He’d only come to deliver the news to Jun Beiyue—and now that he’d said it, he suddenly had no idea where to go next, what to do next.

It wasn’t just about what came next, either—it was as if he’d suddenly lost all direction entirely. How was he supposed to live out the rest of this life?

But then, without warning, Ziqing walked silently up to him, and in the quiet, suddenly grabbed his collar, shouting angrily, “You idiot! Are you even a man? How could you just let her leave?!”

Situ Haonan, like a body without a soul, offered no resistance as Ziqing hauled him up.

“Do you have any idea what she’s going to face once she gets back? She’ll be sent off to Xiliang—she’s not marrying, she’s becoming a tribute offering! You idiot!”

Ziqing forced down the urge to lash out further, her fists clenched tight. Across Longyuan, there were only two nations that didn’t honor Longyuan’s accords—when a war ended and one side surrendered, the defeated nation’s prisoners weren’t released; instead, the defeated nation had to send tribute to the victor. That tribute could be grain, horses—or it could be able-bodied men and women!

Using people as tribute was, in effect, slavery!

Never mind the inhuman life of a slave—even if she avoided that fate, given how much the fierce crown prince resented Yelu Qianqian, could she possibly fare well?

And yet, in the face of Ziqing’s furious scolding, Situ Haonan showed no reaction at all.

Ziqing finally lost all patience, her eyes flashing, and she swung her fist hard, striking Situ Haonan square on the jaw. “You bastard! Yelu Qianqian must have been blind to fall for you!”

Whether it was the punch or the words, something finally snapped Situ Haonan out of his daze. He finally looked up at Ziqing, and after a moment, suddenly laughed. “She called me a liar. We’re both liars, aren’t we? Haha, Ziqing, tell me—what am I supposed to do? What do I do? What do I do…”

He muttered the question over and over, repeating it again and again, then suddenly wrenched free of Ziqing’s grip and shouted, “What am I supposed to do? Tell me! Should I chase after her, capture her, and lock her up for the rest of her life? Huh?”

“She said her brother is dead, her country is going to fall, that she’s the sinner, that she’s the one to blame for all of it! Isn’t that true? How am I supposed to convince her otherwise? Lie to her, tell her she isn’t?”

He shouted, then trailed off into murmuring again. “What am I supposed to do? What do I do?”

Indeed—what was he supposed to do?

He couldn’t force her to stay imprisoned for the rest of her life, trapped in guilt and resentment; nor could he go with her to Xijing and watch helplessly as she was sent off to Xiliang.

That woman didn’t want him anymore. That woman’s heart had already died. There was nothing he could do.

Situ Haonan muttered to himself, shaking his head over and over.

But Ziqing shook her head right along with him. “Situ, have you really tried to think of a solution? Have you really tried, even once? Have you honestly given it serious thought? Why did you give up so easily?”

Ziqing understood Situ Haonan’s dilemma perfectly well. What angered her was this: a grown man, one with the nerve to elope with someone, yet without the nerve to actually fight for her, to think seriously, wholeheartedly, about a way to help Yelu Qianqian.

There were plenty of solutions out there!

The only problem was, this man had no spine!

“Situ Haonan, look at me.” Ziqing’s voice was cold as she grabbed his collar again, forcing him to meet her eyes. She hadn’t forgotten—back when Jun Beiyue lay unconscious, being carried off to Liuxian Island to recover, it was this very man who had escorted her all the way to Nanzhao.

Passing through Situ City, facing the difficulties thrown at her by the Lord and Lady of Situ City, this dutiful, filial son had still found the courage to stand up for her, defying his own parents.

So how, now, could he give up so easily and say there was no way?

Situ Haonan looked at Ziqing in despair—he truly hadn’t been able to think of anything.

But Ziqing spoke, loud and clear, word by word, “Situ Haonan—do you have the guts to lead an army, and come fight Xiliang with me?”

At those words, Jun Beiyue, who had been sitting quietly to one side, absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the table, suddenly went still.

Situ Haonan froze completely. Was this woman joking? Was she really daring to think such a thing, to say such a thing?

Jun Beiyue had gone to enormous lengths to stir up this war between Xijing and Xiliang in the first place—this war was meant to use Xiliang’s strength to destroy Xijing!

And once that was done, Xiliang itself would also be gravely weakened, and Da Zhou could easily drive Xiliang back with little effort. Besides, Da Zhou’s northern frontier right now was facing not just Dongqin, but the Huns behind Dongqin as well!

What kind of reckless idea was Han Ziqing cooking up?