Although the western border was crucial to Da Zhou, the attention of most people was still fixed on Eastern Qin!
Even the Nanzhao royal family, who had always kept themselves aloof from the disputes among the various nations of the Longyuan continent, were now paying attention to the battle on Da Zhou’s northern frontier. The King of Nanzhao often summoned the heads of the three clans to discuss matters.
Tonight, once again, he had called them together in the dead of night.
“Our scouts report that Eastern Qin’s army is being defeated at every turn, and the Xiongnu army has already crossed the border into Eastern Qin territory. What… do you all think?”
The King of Nanzhao sat languidly reclined on his bamboo couch, appearing lazy, but in truth, very much alert.
“Your Majesty, what we, your subjects, are more concerned about is Xijing…” The head of the Herb Clan hesitated a moment before continuing, “Mingsha Mountain!”
“What is there to fear? Surely the war won’t destroy Mingsha Mountain?” the King of Nanzhao countered. After the trouble stirred up by Yelu Chenyi last time, he had added more men to guard the hidden passage beneath Mingsha Mountain!
To this day, no intruder had been discovered, and on this point, the King of Nanzhao remained at ease.
“Your Majesty, if Xijing seeks aid from Da Zhou and submits to Da Zhou, then by then Mingsha Mountain would fall under Da Zhou’s jurisdiction.” The head of the Beast Clan reminded him in a low voice.
After the incident Yelu Chenyi had stirred up last time—concerning Yanzi, concerning the human gu—no one could say for certain exactly how much Jun Beiyue and Han Ziqing knew!
Though it had been proven that Jun Beiyue had no dealings with the merfolk, and that Han Ziqing was not someone immune to all poisons, if they had learned the secret of the human gu, that too would be a danger to Nanzhao!
Naturally, Nanzhao had to guard against this!
“You mean to say… they might take an interest in what Yelu Chenyi spoke of?” the King of Nanzhao asked thoughtfully.
“Your Majesty, Prince Yao is far too shrewd a man not to notice something amiss. If they should take an interest in the Lone Island…” the head of the Herb Clan added.
As for Jun Beiyue’s interest in the Lone Island—how could it possibly be merely ordinary!
Unfortunately, they had no idea at all!
“Even if he’s interested, even if he’s noticed something odd about Mingsha Mountain, what of it?” the King of Nanzhao said, casting a cold glance at the head of the Merfolk Clan. “Aside from your clan’s Golden Jiao, no one else could possibly reach the bottom of that frigid pool!”
The secret of Mingsha Mountain lay at the bottom of that frigid pool, and the pool was so bitterly cold and so deep that even ordinary merfolk couldn’t descend into it. Even the Black Jiao could only barely make it halfway down, unable to reach the bottom!
Whether in terms of cold tolerance or resistance to water pressure, only the Golden Jiao could dive to the very bottom, owing to its special scaled armor—or rather, its special constitution.
And without reaching the depths of the frigid pool, even knowing the secret would be of no use!
And so the King of Nanzhao was at ease regarding the Hai clan at Mingsha Mountain. What worried him was another place entirely—Yao Shun Island!
“That totem on Yao Shun Island has been seen by quite a few people already,” the King of Nanzhao said flatly.
“Your Majesty means…” The head of the Herb Clan trailed off, hesitant to finish.
The ruins of the Lone Island on Yao Shun Island had been guarded by emissaries for generation after generation, yet the ruins were also part of the Yao Shun Temple, and not entirely under the guardian emissaries’ control!
Fortunately, given the special nature of the Yao Shun Temple, it was an island that was fiercely hostile to outsiders, and foreigners were not permitted to set foot on it as they pleased!
But now, once Jun Beiyue conquered Eastern Qin, it would mean that Eastern Qin’s islands in the eastern sea would fall under Da Zhou’s control!
It would then become all too easy for Jun Beiyue to set foot on the island!
The whole affair with Yelu Chenyi had made the King of Nanzhao considerably more wary of Jun Beiyue, and naturally he was now guarding against the possibility of Jun Beiyue setting foot on Yao Shun Island as well.
The three clan heads all understood exactly what he meant.
“Your Majesty, as I see it, this war… may not necessarily end in Da Zhou’s victory!” the head of the Beast Clan sneered coldly. Ever since the unpleasantness of last time, when the Beast Clan’s Second Young Master had been thrown into the heavenly prison, he had held no goodwill toward Jun Beiyue and Han Ziqing whatsoever.
“Your Majesty, that being the case, we still mustn’t be careless. We ought to keep a close watch on how the battle unfolds!” the head of the Merfolk Clan said earnestly as well, still harboring a grudge against Jun Beiyue over the matter of the naval battle…
The four of them discussed matters in secret, unaware that off to the side, Consort Qinji had been eavesdropping the whole time—nearly every one of their meetings, Consort Qinji was present!
Ever since Chu Feiyan had fallen out of favor, Qinji’s star had only risen higher within the palace. As long as the King of Nanzhao harbored no suspicion of her, she could come and go anywhere in the palace with the greatest of ease!
What could a single woman possibly accomplish? Perhaps, truly, not very much at all!
But when it came to a woman ruining things—nothing could be easier!
As Qinji listened in secret, she pieced the information together, and gradually she worked out at least something of the secret of the Lone Island!
Though she hadn’t quite made out what exactly Mingsha Mountain, the hidden passage, and the deep pool actually were, she did know this much: there was a secret beneath Mingsha Mountain!
She was never greedy, and she left well before their discussion had ended.
The first thing she did after leaving was write a letter to Xuanyuan Lige, telling him everything she knew, and even though he had never once written back, she kept on writing regardless!
With war breaking out between Da Zhou and Eastern Qin, she thought Young Master Xuanyuan must be terribly busy now. She only hoped Eastern Qin could hold.
Could Eastern Qin be saved?
At this moment, even Jun Beiyue himself could not say for certain.
This was the first battle he had ever faced without complete confidence, and yet, he fought it with a heart full of absolute resolve.
Eastern Qin’s army was being routed at every turn. The western-border army had been left to hold the frontier, while Jun Beiyue personally led the three great Tiger Armies, having already taken three cities in Eastern Qin, pushing deep into its territory!
Tonight he made camp where he stood, and ten li away lay a city of enormous importance to Eastern Qin—Yandang City!
This city was the sole gateway of a critical stronghold; once it fell, the path lay open straight through to the heartland of Eastern Qin!
And the heartland—that was Eastern Qin’s very heart!
Eastern Qin’s forces had shut their gates and refused to come out. Jun Beiyue knew this city wouldn’t fall easily, and he also knew that Eastern Qin would fight to the last, stalling for time until the Xiongnu army arrived to relieve them!
He had made camp where he stood, and at this moment he was discussing strategies for the siege with his three great generals and several advisors!
“Your Highness, I suggest we deploy the full strength of the western-border army to storm the city, then push all the way through to the Xiongnu!”
“No, Your Highness. Let’s wait for the Xiongnu to arrive and destroy them together. Our troops and provisions are more than sufficient—we have plenty of time to wear them down. No need to take unnecessary risks. What if there’s a trap inside that city? Wouldn’t we be walking straight into a snare?”
“Your Highness, why not probe their true strength tomorrow before deciding further?”
“Kill! Wipe them out to the last man! How dare they conspire with the Xiongnu, defying the great taboo of Longyuan!”
…
Voice after voice rose and fell, men of every opinion crowding around the map, arguing until their faces flushed red. Only Jun Beiyue sat apart, leaning back in his chair, turning over in his hands an urgent sealed letter that had just arrived from Xijing.
He watched them all in silence, listening to their arguments, and no one could tell whether he had already made up his mind or not.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Qin camp, there was a man who, much like Jun Beiyue, let his advisors and generals argue without end. He toyed idly with a wine cup, a dissolute, cold smile playing at the corners of his mouth, his gaze cutting straight through the crowd before him to bore directly into the Empress of Eastern Qin across the way.
He was none other than the Crown Prince of the Xiongnu, Minhan Mude’er.
…