Among the many possibilities Jiang Xinzhi had guessed, he hadn’t expected Jin’er to be Jiang Ruan’s friend. He paused in confusion: “What?”
“Don’t you remember me?” Seeing Jiang Xinzhi’s bewildered expression, Jin’er became anxious. After checking that no one was around, she moved closer: “At the palace banquet back then, you once saved my life. I… I came to repay that debt. Don’t you remember?”
Jiang Xinzhi frowned. Earlier, he had felt this girl looked somewhat familiar but couldn’t place why. Now with her reminder, he suddenly remembered. At Empress Dowager Yide’s palace banquet, when assassins appeared, he had indeed casually saved two girls. Now thinking back, it did match the face of the girl before him. But… He said in surprise: “You’re an official’s daughter – how did you get here?”
He hadn’t paid attention at the time, so naturally didn’t know this girl’s identity. But anyone who could attend a palace banquet must be an official’s daughter. How could such a delicate young lady enter this enemy camp? Just getting from the capital to this border thousands of li away would be difficult, and how could her parents cope?
“Our household has always had the rule that life-saving grace must be repaid like a gushing spring,” Jin’er said solemnly. “Since you saved my life, I should come repay you no matter what. If you were trapped in the enemy camp and something happened to you, wouldn’t I lose even the chance to repay this debt? That would violate our family’s teachings, so I took it upon myself to mix among the female relatives in the relief army’s camp to get here, precisely to uphold our family rules. If my parents knew, they would definitely support my doing this.”
This was somewhat unreasonable – for a young lady to come out so boldly, especially from an official family that valued reputation. Her parents were probably already half-dead with anger, yet she could still speak so righteously here. Jiang Xinzhi felt a headache coming: “You shouldn’t have come here. It’s too dangerous.”
“Since I’m already here, I’m not afraid of danger.” Jin’er spoke quickly, which suited her straightforward personality: “If you drive me away now, that would be truly dangerous.”
“Then how did you get into the enemy camp?” Though he could roughly remember what Jin’er said, and she was Jiang Ruan’s friend, Jiang Xinzhi could no longer remain cold toward her. But he still had doubts that needed clearing up.
Hearing this, Jin’er smiled: “Deputy General Jiang, Prince Xiao’s Embroidered Uniform Guard has arrived – how could they stand by and watch you suffer? After all, you’re Prince Xiao’s brother-in-law. If Prince Xiao didn’t care about you, could Ruanruan let him off easy when she returned? Prince Xiao has already sent people to rescue you, but…” Jin’er stuck out her tongue: “His subordinates’ martial arts are too advanced. These Southern Frontier people are cunning, so they feared arousing suspicion. Ordinary women were unwilling to go, the bold ones weren’t smart, and the smart ones were afraid to die. Only I’m both bold and smart, so I volunteered, and Prince Xiao sent me! I’m just here to assist – in the end, we still need Prince Xiao’s people to help.”
She said all this in one breath, even praising herself a few times, showing her straightforward and lively nature. Perhaps she was different from the usual noble ladies seen in the capital – she even dared to joke about Xiao Shao with him. Jiang Xinzhi was slightly stunned, seeing this girl’s generous behavior. He wondered which family had raised such a likeable personality. He asked: “Which family’s young lady are you? What is your father’s name?”
Jin’er paused and smiled: “My father is just a minor military officer, not very notable. I imagine Deputy General Jiang wouldn’t know him. As for being a young lady? Just call me Jin’er. I’m your maid now, not some young lady.”
Jiang Xinzhi paused and said quietly: “When I saved you, it wasn’t to make you repay me. For a young lady to do such things is still too risky. Be careful in your actions from now on. The Southern Frontier people are too cunning. I’ll use my own methods to protect you, but you must also be extra careful. When necessary, you don’t need to worry about me.”
This was advice. Jiang Xinzhi’s words showed he believed Jin’er and would protect her from now on. The young man’s expression was resolute, his features naturally refined yet with the sharp edge that only martial artists possessed. His words and actions were upright and honorable, and his serious demeanor had a special charm. Jin’er’s face reddened slightly as she stepped back: “Yes.”
While they were talking, the outside had somehow become quiet. It was now deep night, and the Southern Frontier soldiers had all drunk strong liquor and fallen asleep on the ground. Outside was completely silent, the entire camp fallen into extreme quiet, seeming very peaceful.
Jiang Xinzhi frowned. Those who practiced martial arts were extremely sensitive to any changes. Though everything looked normal now, he vaguely felt something was wrong. This military camp seemed too quiet – so quiet it felt like something was about to happen. However, he didn’t lift the tent flap to look outside – the two guard soldiers were still at their posts.
Jin’er noticed his expression and seemed somewhat uneasy too. She moved close to Jiang Xinzhi’s ear and whispered: “Why is it so quiet? It’s like…” Her voice was too soft, and Jiang Xinzhi couldn’t hear clearly. He turned his head to hear what she was saying, but when he turned, Jin’er’s lips brushed past his cheek. Jiang Xinzhi’s body stiffened, and Jin’er’s face instantly turned red.
Having grown up this far, Jiang Xinzhi had never had such intimate contact with a woman. Perhaps witnessing the cruel scheming among wives and concubines in the Jiang Manor and being deeply harmed by it, apart from his only sister, Jiang Xinzhi always kept women at a respectful distance. In the military camp, as a deputy general with bright prospects and later called a war god, not counting those who wanted to use their daughters to curry favor, there were quite a few women who came forward to express their admiration. He was young and handsome, tall and extraordinary, with gentlemanly conduct – naturally eye-catching. This sudden contact left Jiang Xinzhi feeling somewhat annoyed, yet he didn’t know how to apologize to Jin’er.
After a brief moment of panic, Jin’er calmed down. Under the dim lamplight, her expression couldn’t be seen clearly. She turned her head as if nothing had happened: “I feel something’s strange. Could it be that Prince Xiao’s people have come to rescue us?”
Jiang Xinzhi paused, then heard Jin’er ask: “How much of your martial arts have recovered now?”
“Seventy percent.” Jiang Xinzhi thought before answering.
“Can you defeat those two people outside?” Jin’er asked.
“Yes.”
“That’s good,” Jin’er became somewhat nervous: “You need to be ready. I… I think I hear the signal from outside.”
“Signal?” Jiang Xinzhi was puzzled.
“Before I came here, I asked about it. They use wolf howls as signals. Listen—”
In the quiet night, there were indeed several wolf howls. There were quite a few hungry wolves on this grassland, but they usually kept their distance from soldiers with torches and weapons. These distant wolf howls now seemed nothing special, but since Jin’er was so certain, there must be some particular rhythm to them.
The two in the tent held their breath. Outside in the dark night, there seemed to be rustling sounds. The soldiers turned over and continued sleeping soundly, ignoring those slight noises.
Until the rustling sounds became crackling sounds, mixed with the sound of things collapsing. A piece of hard wood fell down with a “crack,” startling a sleeping soldier awake. He rubbed his eyes, stood up cursing, and walked out of his tent to see what was making such noise. As soon as he emerged, he felt a wave of heat hit his face.
His drunken stupor instantly cleared. He immediately widened his eyes to see flames spreading wildly in the distance, almost lighting up the entire sky. The black night became bright as day, with firelight reflected in his pupils. The fire grew larger and larger, almost consuming his thoughts as well. It wasn’t until the flames had spread to the nearest tent that he suddenly snapped awake, letting out a difficult scream from his throat, then shouting in a changed voice: “Get up! Wake up! The granary is on fire!”
Like thunder in the dark night, it nearly woke everyone in the tents. Soldiers grabbed their weapons and rushed out, immediately stunned by the scene before them. No longer caring about anything else, they shouted: “Put out the fire quickly – put out the fire!”
But on this barren grassland, water was precious. Daily drinking and eating water was already scarce – such a large fire was utterly hopeless to fight. Yet what was burning was the granary! That held all the Southern Frontier soldiers’ supplies and provisions. Watching the fire burn more fiercely, the soldiers felt heartbroken, followed by deep fear. Troops move after provisions are secured – they had been mocking how the Great Jin Dynasty’s military provisions were burned to ashes in the capital, and now it was their turn. The Great Jin Dynasty soldiers could still hold out for a while with previous reserves after losing their provisions, but with their current food burned completely clean, they couldn’t last even one more day. Moreover, without sufficient water, they had to watch helplessly as their life-sustaining grain became a pile of ashes. How cruel!
“What’s the panic? Use sand to put out the fire!” A low shout suddenly came from the darkness. Everyone looked to see the gray-clothed man had somehow already stepped forward, his voice heavy, clearly containing anger: “Be careful not to disturb the Saintess!”
“Military Advisor! The provisions are burned!” A soldier couldn’t help but panic: “What should we do?”
“Shut up,” Yuan Chuan said: “All soldiers go to the front sand dunes to scoop sand. Anyone who makes another sound and disturbs her will face military law!”
The soldiers immediately fell silent. Yuan Chuan was their leader – with him there, everything seemed manageable. With Yuan Chuan’s command, everyone rushed toward the nearest sand dunes.
Yuan Chuan stood with hands behind his back, his wide robe covering most of his face so his expression couldn’t be seen clearly. However, his beautiful red lips weren’t curved upward as before, clearly showing his mood wasn’t pleasant. Though he spoke confidently, but… looking at the fire’s momentum, he knew the grain could probably no longer be saved – they were powerless.
His fingers under the long robe slowly curled into fists. Yuan Chuan stood motionless, as if something had been forgotten. This fire must have been set by Great Jin Dynasty soldiers – this move was quite sinister. They had underestimated the Embroidered Uniform Guard. These days without movement were they waiting for an opportunity? They had specifically chosen such a moment when Southern Frontier soldiers were most relaxed – truly well-planned.
But what exactly had been forgotten? Yuan Chuan looked around, his gaze pausing slightly when it passed a certain large tent. The two soldiers outside the tent still stood straight, but their posture seemed somewhat stiff. Yuan Chuan turned his head – those two soldiers didn’t move at all, like two stone statues.
Yuan Chuan’s heart jumped as he realized something was wrong. He shouted: “Go check where Jiang Xinzhi is!”
The soldiers were also startled and quickly ran toward the large tent where Jiang Xinzhi was confined, only to discover the two guards at the entrance had been dead for some time. They had merely been propped up with long poles to maintain a standing posture. The tent was long empty – where was anyone?
“No good – Jiang Xinzhi has escaped!” The panicked voice drifted over the entire Southern Frontier camp. Yuan Chuan stood in the distance, lips pressed tight, saying harshly: “In such a short time, he can’t have gone far. Chase him!”
His subordinates took orders and left. Yuan Chuan looked at the granary fire burning fiercely in the distance, then at the empty tent. The tent was completely empty – even that maid was gone. Jiang Xinzhi was quite the gentleman who cherished beauty… No, wait. Thinking of something, his body suddenly stiffened. Jiang Xinzhi’s daily food contained muscle-weakening powder – how could he have defeated the guards at the entrance? Today’s fire created chaos for his escape, but how could he time it so accurately, coordinating so seamlessly? That maid – that maid!
Jiang Xinzhi wasn’t someone who easily trusted others, especially in this Southern Frontier camp where he guarded against everyone. When they first sent spies to Jiang Xinzhi’s side, they couldn’t get any useful information from him. Yet now during his escape, Jiang Xinzhi had even brought that maid along. That maid definitely wasn’t simple – she might well be someone Xiao Shao sent to support Jiang Xinzhi!
Yuan Chuan’s face was dark as water, his heart already furious. He had always prided himself on his supreme intelligence, believing everything was under his control, yet he hadn’t expected to be played like this. First, that maid didn’t seem to have any advanced martial arts, and second, he thought she lacked the courage – yet she had fooled him completely. Today Xiao Shao sent people to burn his granary and rescue Jiang Xinzhi – this was no less than a tremendous humiliation. The angry feeling of being insulted outweighed everything else.
…
On the wilderness at night, the wind was fierce. Horse hooves clattered past, with the howling wind blowing the riders’ long hair high.
Jin’er sat on the horse with Jiang Xinzhi behind her. His arms reached around her to hold the reins, making it look like he had her entire person circled in his embrace. Being so close, with the man’s pleasant crisp fragrance right at her nose, Jin’er’s face reddened slightly. To prevent the man behind her from noticing her embarrassment, she said: “What if they catch up?”
Jiang Xinzhi smiled slightly, thinking she was afraid, and comforted: “Don’t worry. Once we cross Liao River, we’ll be safe. Since Xiao Shao sent people to respond, he naturally made complete preparations.”
Jin’er thought for a moment and suddenly laughed: “Prince Xiao’s move is truly ruthless – rescuing you while conveniently setting a fire. That granary can’t be saved. This is called treating others as they treat you. If I were a Southern Frontier person, I’d probably be dying of anger right now.”
Jiang Xinzhi didn’t understand her phrase “treating others as they treat you.” Being confined in the tent, his information wasn’t very current. Hearing Jin’er speak this way, he roughly guessed some things. Thinking of Jin’er’s earlier performance, he smiled: “Your martial arts are quite good, and your courage is great too.”
Actually, Jin’er’s martial arts were still far from “quite good” – one could only tell she had practiced, but probably because her family felt sorry for a good girl tiring herself with martial training, Jin’er’s skills were rather shallow defensive techniques. What was admirable was her decisive killing ability. Facing those awakened guards blocking their way, she showed no fear and struck without hesitation – quite like someone from a military family.
Hearing this, Jin’er turned back with a smile: “That’s natural. I…” Seeming to realize something, her words stopped abruptly. She looked at Jiang Xinzhi somewhat uneasily, only to find him staring at her in surprise, reaching toward her face. She nervously remained motionless as Jiang Xinzhi peeled off a piece of leather-like material from her face, raising an eyebrow: “Fake?”
That piece of burn “scar” was now in Jiang Xinzhi’s hand. Jin’er sighed in relief and smiled again: “Of course it’s fake. Without some disguise, it wouldn’t be proper. You didn’t recognize me before – now look, do you remember?”
She smiled in a particularly cheerful and straightforward way, deliberately moving closer so Jiang Xinzhi could see clearly.
She still held the small torch for lighting. Under the firelight, her skin appeared clean and fair. Without that layer of scars, she was truly a beautiful girl with delicate features and a heroic air. Her every movement was frank and direct. Jiang Xinzhi’s heart stirred slightly as he turned away: “You were just a little girl back then.” Now she was a fresh young maiden. He felt an inexplicable joy, having thought Jin’er had suffered some misfortune in recent years when he saw the scar on her face. He hadn’t wanted to touch her painful spot. Now discovering it was just a fake scar, he felt relieved while finding his own worry amusing. When had he started paying attention to such trivial matters?
During their movement, they had reached Liao River. Above was a small bridge woven from bamboo baskets, with turbulent water below creating huge waves – one careless step could be swallowed by the waves. Jiang Xinzhi and Jin’er dismounted, drove the horses away, and stepped onto the bridge. Just as they crossed to the other side, sure enough, there were people waiting to respond. Seeing Jiang Xinzhi and Jin’er arrive safely, without a word, the person instructed his companions to draw their knives and cut the bridge cables with several strokes. The bridge collapsed thunderously – even if Southern Frontier people wanted to cross the river, they couldn’t for now. The group mounted prepared horses and disappeared into the night.
…
In the Great Jin military camp, the young man in the commander’s seat wore dark blue military attire, his eyebrows cold as jade. A subordinate guard entered to report: “Master, Deputy General Jiang and Miss Zhao are safe and will arrive shortly. We also burned the Southern Frontier people’s granary with fire – now they shouldn’t be able to cause any more trouble temporarily.”
Xiao Shao gave a light “mm” and lowered his eyes without speaking. Guan Lianghan, sitting beside him, couldn’t help saying: “Third Brother, your subordinates are truly extraordinary – able to silently burn someone’s military camp. If it were my people, they probably couldn’t do it so beautifully. In all the world, only your Embroidered Uniform Guard could achieve this level. Too damn satisfying!”
He wore a white outer robe with faint white bandages visible underneath. Though his wounds hadn’t fully healed, he couldn’t contain himself and insisted on watching how this battle would unfold. When Guan Lianghan and Jiang Xinzhi were ambushed by Southern Frontier spies embedded among them, Guan Lianghan hated the Southern Frontier people to his core: “These Southern Frontier people are full of evil schemes. We’re fighting that bunch of bastards from Tian Jin Kingdom, yet Southern Frontier has to stick their nose in too – and not with honorable methods either, using dirty tricks. What kind of skill is that!”
“All’s fair in war.” Xiao Shao said lightly, but his brow furrowed slightly. He naturally understood why Southern Frontier people would interfere, but some things couldn’t be shared with outsiders. Guan Lianghan didn’t know the deeper meaning. Southern Frontier people’s ambitions were obvious – now was the time to draw the snake from its hole. His relentless suppression of Southern Frontier wasn’t actually as far-reaching as Guan Lianghan imagined.
Xiao Shao thought of previous letters from the capital by carrier pigeon, writing that Xia Jun and Jiang Chao had joined forces to burn grain provisions bound for the border, but Jiang Ruan had blocked them with an eye for an eye. Xuan Li lost his wife and soldiers too, while Xia Jun and Jiang Chao reaped what they sowed. Qi Feng’s letter inadvertently revealed his admiration for Jiang Ruan, and Xiao Shao felt honored by association. But since Xuan Li was also colluding with Southern Frontier, they had schemed against the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the capital. Jiang Ruan had blocked it for him, but Prince Jinying’s manor had never swallowed losses – naturally they would spare no effort to get revenge.
So without hesitation, he had people burn Southern Frontier people’s granary. Southern Frontier and Tian Jin Kingdom should have reached some agreement – this fire burning Southern Frontier camp’s military provisions would naturally make them seek help from Tian Jin Kingdom. But Tian Jin Kingdom was barely surviving itself, being a small place without abundant resources. Where could they produce such grain supplies? Without grain supplies, Southern Frontier people wouldn’t continue stationed here – there was no point in dying for nothing. If the Southern Frontier and Tian Jin Kingdom alliance broke apart, divide and conquer would come much faster.
As for Zhao Jin, it was just that he hadn’t found a suitable candidate yet. Since Zhao Jin volunteered and seemed quite suitable, he had tacitly agreed. Now that Jiang Xinzhi had been safely rescued, some things no longer needed consideration – they could really let loose and fight properly.
Guan Lianghan said: “Now that Old Jiang is back and Southern Frontier is severely damaged, we just need to focus on Tian Jin. Damn it, I’ve been annoyed with those Tian Jin bastards for a long time. Third Brother, I’m much more at ease with you here. This time, if we don’t teach Tian Jin Kingdom a lesson, we don’t deserve to be called sworn brothers from Mount Jianan!”
This had some goading intent, though Guan Lianghan knew it wasn’t really necessary. Xiao Shao’s personality was quite direct – so direct that his battle tactics didn’t need much cunning. With such an invincible army plus their master’s cold and decisive commands, the frustration previously constrained by Jiang Xinzhi’s imprisonment and now having a breakthrough would certainly be unleashed mercilessly.
This battlefield would soon become a slaughter field.