By the time the sky had grown hazily bright, Situ Haonan finally emerged from the tent. Seeing that General Dugu had stood guard outside all night, a cold smile touched his lips as he said flatly, “Dugu, I will absolutely avenge this—no need for you to trouble yourself over it. Keep a close watch on him for me, otherwise…”
Situ Haonan didn’t finish the sentence, but the single word “otherwise” was warning enough for General Dugu.
Situ Haonan today was no longer the penniless nobody he’d once been. Now, within the army, if he wanted someone dead, they’d die; if he wanted someone to live, they wouldn’t dare die!
How could General Dugu not be wary of him!
He couldn’t figure out how Situ Haonan intended to take his revenge. On the surface, it seemed he and Han Ziqing had already made peace long ago—the scene at the surrender ceremony had been moving enough that even someone with his own ulterior motives had to admit it.
If circumstances were different, he wouldn’t have minded befriending a woman like Han Ziqing himself!
That woman, once she considered someone a friend, treated them like her own family.
One could only say that the Situ and Nangong clans, blessed with such fortune and failing to recognize it, had brought this harm upon Situ Haonan entirely through their own doing!
General Dugu, as a great general of Xijing, felt pity for Situ Haonan even as he hoped all the more that Situ Haonan would deal with Han Ziqing. Once Han Ziqing fell into their hands, no matter how many bargaining chips Jun Beiyue held, he’d get nothing out of the peace conference!
How exactly did this fellow intend to take his revenge?
General Dugu couldn’t figure it out, and gave up trying, deciding to go along with Situ Haonan’s wishes for now.
He nodded and said respectfully, “This lowly general understands. I only hope the future son-in-law will also think of the princess and of Xijing.”
Situ Haonan glanced at him but said nothing more, heading toward his tent—he still had to figure out how to explain the injury on his face to Yelu Qianqian.
Back at camp, Yelu Qianqian was still sleeping like a log. He affectionately pinched her cheek, and she didn’t stir in the slightest.
“Silly girl!” Situ Haonan smiled faintly, and without disturbing her further, tended briefly to the wound on his face before having General Dugu summon several officers.
The war was over, but there was still plenty to handle. Situ Haonan had no experience with such matters, so he left everything to General Dugu, sitting to one side and listening.
Once the sun rose, they would set out for Akbachu.
After the meeting concluded, the various officers went off to carry out their orders. General Dugu had no intention of staying behind.
“Haonan, I’ll bring young master Nangong along behind you all. If anything comes up, just call and I’ll be there,” General Dugu said in a low voice, testing the waters.
Seeing that Situ Haonan said nothing more, he took it as tacit agreement.
Situ Haonan gazed at the sun slowly rising in the east and said flatly, “How many days until the Sand Sacrifice Ceremony?”
“Four more days.” This date General Dugu remembered quite clearly. “Fortunately the war ended early enough that this year’s Sand Sacrifice Ceremony can still be held on schedule!”
“From here to Akbachu is only three or four days’ journey…”
Situ Haonan seemed to be implying something, but General Dugu didn’t catch the hidden meaning.
“Get everything packed. We’ll set out for Akbachu in another hour!”
Having given the order, Situ Haonan didn’t return to his own tent, but instead headed toward where Ziqing was staying. A flicker of suspicion crossed General Dugu’s eyes; he wanted to follow but didn’t dare.
In truth, it wasn’t Ziqing that Situ Haonan was looking for, but someone else—Yingzi.
He’d already made inquiries earlier: Ziqing had gone to Longxi City to gather several mercenaries, and once they returned to Akbachu for the peace conference, Ziqing would surely leave the mercenaries stationed on the western frontier!
Because this was a major bargaining chip for Jun Beiyue’s negotiations!
Everyone said Han Ziqing commanded an elite unit under her, one that won battle after battle, an undefeated force—yet to this day, no one had personally laid eyes on who exactly made up this elite force, or how many of them there were!
Only a handful of people knew that this elite force actually numbered no more than six or seven people.
If Ziqing left this mercenary unit stationed in Xijing awaiting orders, without revealing their actual numbers, the rumors would only grow wilder and more fantastical, and the Xijing emperor would only grow more wary—which meant Jun Beiyue would have all the more leverage over the Xijing emperor at the peace conference!
Situ Haonan was completely certain that Han Ziqing wouldn’t take this mercenary unit with her—she’d position them somewhere in hiding instead.
Arriving at Ziqing’s tent, he found the lamp lit inside.
“Ziqing, are you awake?” Situ Haonan called out tentatively, knowing that Yingzi was inside packing.
“Her Highness went out on an errand. Are we setting off?” Sure enough, it was Yingzi’s voice that answered.
“Mm.” Situ Haonan’s voice was somewhat heavy as he stepped inside.
Yingzi didn’t even look at him, continuing to pack while saying, “Almost done. I’ll go find Her Highness.”
“No rush. Yingzi, when will Jun Beiyue arrive?” Situ Haonan asked.
“Definitely on his way by now. It’s been a while since we’ve had any word—Master’s probably coming personally to deliver the good news! Heh heh.” Yingzi sounded excited; it had been a long time since he’d seen his master, and though the man was cold, he was still someone worth missing.
“Coming personally… that worried about me?” Situ Haonan said, still smiling, but the moment these words left his mouth, Yingzi’s hands, still busy packing, suddenly froze.
What did Situ Haonan mean by that?
He whipped his head around, only to find a dagger pressed an inch from his heart, ready to take his life at any moment!
Yingzi didn’t fight back—he knew he was no match for Situ Haonan. He looked at Situ Haonan and couldn’t help but laugh coldly, “You… heh, Situ Haonan, it seems we all underestimated you. Only Master truly understood you!”
That Master had sent Sha Qiuzi to deliver the letter said everything—unfortunately, he and Her Highness had, after all, been far too careless, far too trusting of Situ Haonan!
And this fellow had put on quite the performance!
“So what if you did? Distant water can’t put out a nearby fire. From the northern front to here is too far.” Situ Haonan smiled faintly, without malice, without hatred, his expression utterly pale and empty.
“What exactly do you want? Please, just be reasonable! How has Her Highness ever wronged you people! Would you only be satisfied if Her Highness got herself killed by your grandfather? Her Highness has helped you all so much—this whole mess started because of you in the first place!” Yingzi couldn’t help himself, roaring furiously.
But Situ Haonan remained unmoved, “I know all that. She’s done nothing wrong, she owes me nothing—it’s I who owe her. So, I don’t know what to do either. All I can do is hand her over to Nangong City—consider it my final answer to Nangong City.”
“What do you mean, what are you going to do!” Yingzi panicked.
Situ Haonan’s face twisted with pain, his handsome brow knotting tight. “My family, my friend! My family feels like my friend, my friend feels like my family—Yingzi, tell me, what am I supposed to do?”
Yingzi glanced at the blade tip at his chest, a flash of coldness crossing his eyes, and suddenly swung his hand—but Situ Haonan had already anticipated this, sweeping his leg out and knocking Yingzi hard to the ground, dagger pressed against his throat. “Yingzi, this is the only way I have. I won’t hurt Ziqing. But everyone has to answer for what they’ve done—Ziqing does, and so do I. I’ll explain myself to Beiyue in person. These next few days, I’m sorry to trouble you…”
With that, Situ Haonan gave a sharp twist of the wrist holding the dagger, then suddenly drove his fist hard into Yingzi’s chest. Yingzi’s eyes went wide with shock as he spat up a mouthful of black blood and passed out cold…