As soon as Great Yan’s peace negotiation team arrived, they were escorted into the city by General Wang Hui and Governor Liu, who had been waiting for a long time.
Seeing that the entourage included a girl of extraordinary beauty, how could everyone fail to understand?
The hot-blooded men who had fought on battlefields all felt their faces flush with heat.
They were unlike those who cowered in the capital, knowing only paper strategies and fearing death. Fighting on the front lines, having witnessed the cruelty of war firsthand, they understood best the role that the weak—women, children, and elderly—played in warfare.
Men fought to the death precisely to prevent enemies from harming the women and children in their homes, to ensure common people had food to eat and clothes to wear, and children could read and grow up safely. Therefore, any man with a shred of honor would never want to witness rape, pillaging, abduction, or plunder before his eyes!
If they died fighting, that was due to their insufficient skills, and they could no longer manage what happened afterward.
But they hadn’t died yet, and the Emperor was sending a pure, innocent girl to the enemy—wasn’t this a slap in their faces?
That Great Zhou Emperor had bullied Great Yan in every way possible. Yet their Emperor, listening to the wicked empress’s slander, not only persecuted loyal subjects but also ignored the people’s voices.
The blood of Duke Dingguo’s household, full of loyal and righteous men, hadn’t yet grown cold. The generals and soldiers were gathering their strength for a desperate fight, but the Emperor was so cowardly that when Great Zhou casually mentioned peace talks, he not only forgot past grievances but even actively sent Grand Secretary Qin’s daughter along.
Everyone harbored suppressed rage with nowhere to vent—hating the incompetent ruler and wicked empress to the extreme, feeling extreme pain for the exterminated Duke Dingguo’s household, extreme sympathy for Grand Secretary Qin whom they had always respected, and extreme pity for Grand Secretary Qin’s daughter.
Therefore, General Wang Hui, Governor Liu, and their party were extremely courteous to Qin Huaiyuan and Qin Yining.
“Grand Secretary Qin, Miss Qin, please rest temporarily at the prefectural yamen today.”
Qin Huaiyuan said, “Accommodation arrangements are not urgent. Fearing that delays might breed complications and unexpected changes, it would be better to send word to the enemy camp now to settle the location and time for peace talks.”
Governor Liu nodded, “Yes, the Grand Secretary speaks reasonably.”
Qin Huaiyuan turned to Qin Yining, “You should go rest well first. If anything happens, I’ll have someone fetch you.”
“Yes, Father.” Qin Yining bowed to everyone and withdrew.
The Governor’s wife was waiting outside with maids and matrons. Seeing Qin Yining emerge, she immediately and courteously led her to the inner residence of the yamen, arranging for her to stay in the main room of the front courtyard. She also ordered maids and matrons to prepare good food and dishes, along with hot water for service.
That night, Qin Yining tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
No matter how strong she appeared, she was still a girl who hadn’t yet had her coming-of-age ceremony. Thinking of what she was about to experience made her so nervous that her whole body felt cold.
She had always said she could accept it, always told herself that nothing was more important than staying alive.
But when the matter was truly at hand, she suddenly began to doubt whether she could persist in living if she were truly humiliated, and what, ultimately, people lived for.
Staring blankly at the lamplight cast on the bed curtains until the sky showed the pale white of dawn, Qin Yining finally dozed off in confusion. It seemed she had just fallen asleep when voices of servants reporting came from outside.
“Grand Secretary Qin has sent someone to request Fourth Miss.”
Qin Yining startled awake and sat up, pushing aside the bed curtains to see Song Lan with a colorless face and Bingtang with red-rimmed eyes.
“Understood. Go tell my father I’ll be there shortly.” Qin Yining’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
Rubbing her slightly aching temples, Qin Yining said to Bingtang and Song Lan, “Help me dress and arrange my hair.”
“Yes.”
Song Lan choked back a sob and brought out a jade-green brocade jacket and a jade-colored plain brocade cloak with white fox armpit fur collar that they had prepared for the journey, helping Qin Yining change. Bingtang opened the cosmetics case to apply makeup for Qin Yining.
Cloud-piled emerald hair arrangement, delicately swept moth eyebrows, water-cut double pupils, vermillion-dotted cherry lips…
Qin Yining looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Unlike her usual plain appearance, today she was much more radiant than usual.
She tried to smile.
She smiled, but Bingtang and Song Lan beside her both cried.
“Miss, you, you…”
“Don’t cry. I’m not going to my death.” Qin Yining stood up, lightly stroking the long hair hanging over her shoulders, and smiled, “You two shouldn’t come with me. Wait for me here.”
“Miss! I want to go with you!” Bingtang sniffled, “At least I know how to use poison. If that old bastard truly harms you, I’ll poison him to death!”
“If you poison him to death and the peace talks fail, the next to die will be the entire Qin household.” Qin Yining smiled bitterly as she took a handkerchief to wipe Bingtang’s tears. “Don’t be afraid. No matter what happens, I’ll return alive. It’s inconvenient for you to come with me, so wait here peacefully.”
Song Lan choked back sobs and fell to her knees with a thud, grasping a corner of Qin Yining’s jade-colored cloak, “Miss, you saved this servant’s life. If you’re no longer here, this servant will follow you and continue serving you in the underworld!”
“Me too! If you’re no longer here, I’ll go back and seek mutual destruction with the wicked empress. In the underworld, I’ll still serve you!” Bingtang also knelt down, grasping Qin Yining’s hand.
“Foolish words.”
Qin Yining pulled both of them up, patted Song Lan’s shoulder, and pinched Bingtang’s apple-like cheek.
“You’re both still young. Besides, if I’m truly gone, wouldn’t you want to help me care for my mother?”
“Miss…” Song Lan cried even harder.
Qin Yining blinked to force back the tears about to spill, leaving them with her most brilliant smile.
“Alright, I’m leaving.” With that, she turned around and pushed the door open without hesitation.
Bingtang and Song Lan sobbed as they followed, but could only stand in the corridor, watching Qin Yining’s retreating figure as she followed the Governor’s wife, growing more distant.
Qin Huaiyuan hadn’t slept all night. He now stood in the corridor wearing a black sable coat, looking up at the azure sky in contemplation. General Wang Hui had already prepared departure arrangements outside, while Governor Liu stood beside him as company.
“Father.”
A clear call brought Qin Huaiyuan back to his senses.
Following the voice, he saw Qin Yining, dressed elegantly yet so radiant that one couldn’t look away.
“Father, shall we go now?” Qin Yining smiled.
Qin Huaiyuan’s Adam’s apple kept moving up and down. After a long while, he forced himself to grit his teeth and nodded, “Whether the peace talk location is set inside or outside the city, neither inspires confidence. Therefore, after last night’s consultation, temporary tents will be erected between the two armies outside Xihua City, with each side allowed to bring one hundred soldiers along. Yi’er, you’ll accompany me shortly.”
Qin Yining nodded obediently, the pearl tassels by her temples swaying slightly. “Not being in the city is perfect—it prevents Great Zhou people from infiltrating to harm us. We should also close the city gates tightly and leave people to guard when we depart.”
“You speak correctly. I have already discussed this with Governor Liu and General Wang Hui. I will preside over the peace talks with Ministry of Rites officials, while General Wang Hui and Governor Liu remain to guard the city.”
“This arrangement is excellent. We can also feel at ease.”
Before long, General Wang Hui had selected one hundred men from the army. Qin Huaiyuan and Minister of Rites Cui Wenqing led in front, with Qin Yining alone behind, as they left the prefectural yamen together.
Before leaving through the city gate, Qin Huaiyuan brought Qin Yining up to the city wall. General Wang Hui, Governor Liu, and the accompanying one hundred men followed closely behind.
Standing atop the majestic city gate tower, a wild wind blew, and Qin Yining’s long hair fluttered behind her head.
She gazed at the beautiful mountains and rivers under the morning sun, at the Great Zhou military camp besieging the city not far away, and at the pale, rolling mountains in the distance. Suddenly she felt the vastness of heaven and earth, and her depressed mood expanded.
Qin Huaiyuan stood with his hands behind his back and called out loudly, “Yi’er, are you afraid?”
“Afraid of what? When people come into this world, none can leave alive. At worst, death—what is there to fear?”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but everyone present heard clearly.
The selected one hundred men had all come with the determination to die, and even Minister of Rites Cui Wenqing was nervous enough to break out in cold sweat down his back.
If the peace talks failed and Great Zhou turned hostile, not one of their party could survive.
But now, these men had their blood stirred, their courage immediately born, their heroic spirit soaring to heaven!
What was there to fear?
If even a young woman could have such a mindset, there was no reason for these grown men to fear death!
General Wang Hui was moved and said, “Miss Qin truly deserves to be from a distinguished family. We all admire you! Grand Secretary Qin, rest assured—if peace talks fail, even if we die fighting, we’ll kill these thieves who dare to bully Great Yan at our doorstep!”
“Good. With General Wang and Governor Liu guarding the city, we have no worries behind us.” Qin Huaiyuan smiled peacefully, then called out loudly, “Prepare carriages and horses. Depart.”
“Yes!” The men responded loudly, their voices shaking the clouds.
Qin Huaiyuan and Cui Wenqing boarded the first carriage, while Qin Yining sat alone in the second carriage, escorted by one hundred soldiers as they headed toward the temporary camp just erected between the two armies.
Because both sides brought equal numbers of soldiers, plus their respective tents and the main tent for negotiations, the campground covered a vast area.
As soon as Qin Yining’s party’s carriages entered the camp, they saw two groups of people in red clothes with black armor and earth-yellow military uniforms already occupying half the campground in orderly fashion.
Those in red clothes and black armor all had tiger head emblems on their sleeves. Behind these people, several black flags with golden tigers and a large flag with black characters spelling “Pang” on a red background fluttered in the wind.
Behind the men in standard earth-yellow Great Zhou military uniforms flew a large flag with the character “Lian.”
Qin Yining knew that those in red clothes and black armor were Prince Zhongshun Pang Xiao’s Huben Army, while those in earth-yellow uniforms were ordinary Great Zhou soldiers, probably belonging to Minister of War Liang Shengjie.
The carriages slowly stopped, and Qin Huaiyuan and Cui Wenqing alighted one after another.
Qin Yining also slowly descended using the black lacquered wooden stool as a step.
Looking up, she saw a group of people emerging from the opposite camp tents.
Leading was a man over fifty, robust in build, but with sagging eye bags and an oily face all over, wearing golden armor.
Upon seeing Qin Yining, this man’s eyes went straight, his steps instantly stopping, as if he wanted to gouge out his eyeballs and hang them on Qin Yining’s body.
Such a lustful person must be Great Zhou’s Minister of War Liang Shengjie.
Qin Yining felt disgusted internally but pretended not to know on the surface. Her beautiful eyes turned, and her gaze fell upon an elderly man of about sixty wearing a light gray cotton cloak, with flowing whiskers and an immortal-like bearing.
Who was this person? He looked like a strategist.
And this immortal-like elder was staring deadly at Qin Huaiyuan with hateful eyes.