When Xiao Li stepped out of Zhaohua Palace’s doors, Bronze Sparrow was waiting at the bottom of the stairs at a distance with her people.
Seeing the bloodshot color that hadn’t faded from his eyes, Bronze Sparrow was slightly startled. She seemed to realize something but didn’t speak. When Xiao Li walked down the stone steps, she led the Azure Cloud Guards to automatically clear a path for him.
After Xiao Li left, Bronze Sparrow didn’t immediately enter the hall either. She waited for a moment before raising her hand to knock on the palace doors.
From inside came Wen Yu’s hoarse “Enter.”
Bronze Sparrow pushed open the doors and entered. Through the pearl-curtained carved moongate separating the inner and outer halls, she saw Wen Yu sitting before the vanity mirror just as she had been before Bronze Sparrow withdrew.
She respectfully called out: “Princess.”
From the back-facing position, she couldn’t see what expression was on Wen Yu’s face at this moment. She only heard her give orders in a clear, slightly hoarse voice: “Pass down the order to release the wolf riders temporarily detained in the imperial prison and let them secretly leave the palace together with Xiao Li.”
Bronze Sparrow acknowledged and went out to instruct the Azure Cloud Guards. Only then did Wen Yu look at herself in the mirror, her court makeup reapplied.
Apart from an extremely faint layer of pale redness beneath her eyes—making one unsure whether it was from lack of sleep or some other reason—this face showed no other abnormalities.
Wen Yu’s dark lashes lowered.
Earlier, after she had said those words, Xiao Li had turned his back and only answered her with one word: “Good.”
—
After Bronze Sparrow passed down the message, the guards near the imperial prison were cleared away by the Azure Cloud Guards. Zhao Youcai and a group of wolf riders were released. As they left the palace together with Xiao Li, they happened to encounter Zhao Bai passing by with a team of Azure Cloud Guards.
Zhao Youcai and the wolf riders all remembered Zhao Bai. Though they knew she shouldn’t be an enemy, seeing her now, they still became unconsciously vigilant.
The cooling autumn wind blew through the treetops. Yellowing parasol tree leaves on both sides of the narrow path spun and floated down to everyone’s feet.
The Azure Cloud Guard who had accompanied Xiao Li by order to release the wolf riders nodded to Zhao Bai in greeting: “Commander.”
Zhao Bai didn’t respond.
As Xiao Li led the wolf riders past Zhao Bai and the Azure Cloud Guards, Zhao Bai finally spoke while looking straight ahead: “Thank you.”
Xiao Li’s steps paused slightly. Without turning his head either, he only answered: “I’m also doing this for the Northern Border.”
After Xiao Li’s group had gone far, only then did Zhao Bai turn back to look at them. In those sharp eyes that always held a frosty quality, there was now a touch of complexity.
“Commander?” The Azure Cloud Guard who had called out to Zhao Bai earlier spoke again.
Zhao Bai withdrew her gaze, saying: “Let’s go.”
—
Zhao Youcai followed behind Xiao Li, walking along the lengthy palace path. He couldn’t help but say: “My lord, you don’t know how fierce that woman was earlier. We’re going to intercept that Western Ling army to help Great Liang—how can you say it’s for the Northern Border? If Tiger Gorge Pass can’t be defended, there’s still the entire Western Frontier in front of it. What does it have to do with our Northern Border? You should let everyone around the princess know that you’re doing this for the princess…”
Xiao Li softly called out the name of his personal guard. Immediately two men stepped out from among the wolf riders and hauled Zhao Youcai to the back.
Zhao Youcai was extremely anxious, but afraid that saying more would touch Xiao Li’s sore spot, he still prudently swallowed all his remaining words back into his belly.
Being escorted by two wolf riders at the very back of the group, Zhao Youcai muttered somewhat aggrievedly in a small voice: “I’m giving my lord advice—how is my lord still unhappy…”
Not one person among the wolf riders answered him.
Xiao Li led the wolf riders past palace walls where sparse shadows slanted. As they stepped out of the palace gates, Wen Yu, dressed in court robes of intertwined gold and black, hairpins and large ornamental combs adorning her head, was climbing the white jade stone steps before the Imperial Study step by step.
The autumn wind passed through. Throughout the entire royal palace, parasol tree leaves flew everywhere.
—
Inside the Imperial Study, the ministers who had been hastily summoned into the palace all bowed to Wen Yu: “We pay our respects to the princess.”
Wen Yu took her seat behind the long desk on the imperial platform and raised her hand: “Ministers, please rise. This matter arose urgently—we can dispense with these formalities.”
“The reason for summoning you all here, I presume you all know.”
As soon as these words fell, a minister immediately said: “Princess, is the news that Western Ling dispatched thirty thousand elite troops toward Tiger Gorge Pass accurate?”
Wen Yu said: “After General Mu was forced by the Western Ling army to retreat and defend Gele City, we lost our eyes and ears in the great desert. This news was delivered by the wolf riders who wish to return to Liang territory via Tiger Gorge Pass. The wolf riders hope to cooperate with us.”
Her eyes lowered slightly: “It’s also an apology for their previous siege of the royal court. They will bite tight to that Western Ling army heading to Tiger Gorge Pass, buying more time for the Liang army to rush to Tiger Gorge Pass.”
That minister immediately said: “Princess, don’t easily trust these honeyed words. That Xiao clan son is cunning. Previously he deceived the tribes friendly with our Chen Kingdom, using their names to evade entrance inspections and bring troops to the royal court. This time he’s probably colluding with the Western Ling army again, with some conspiracy behind the scenes!”
Wen Yu looked at that minister: “Several tens of thousands of Western Ling troops have been added outside Gele City precisely to cut off Chen Kingdom’s route to aid Tiger Gorge Pass. Right now Gele City is indeed extremely difficult to defend and cannot send even a single soldier to provide aid. This palace has summoned you all to discuss together how to restrain the Western Ling army outside Gele City so that after they discover the wolf riders’ harassment, they won’t additionally dispatch troops from the rear to intercept them. It’s the wolf riders who need to risk their lives to fight. The Chen army only needs to restrain them. May I ask what conspiracy this is, minister?”
When Xiao Li had previously besieged the royal court, it had left quite a few Chen Kingdom ministers feeling resentful. So upon learning the news was delivered back by the wolf riders, they instinctively felt it must be ill-intentioned again.
Now, after Wen Yu said this, that minister knew his previous words were unreasonable and stopped speaking.
A minister nearby took up the conversation: “What the princess says is extremely correct. If we only need to dispatch additional troops to Gele City, then naturally that’s possible. But this action by Xiao Li—if you say it’s an apology for previously besieging our royal court, isn’t that climbing up the pole a bit too much!”
That minister humphed: “It’s his Xiao camp that needs to borrow passage through Tiger Gorge Pass to return to Liang territory. It’s our Chen Kingdom that’s doing his Xiao camp a favor!”
Wen Yu closed her eyes: “Minister Lu.”
The minister who had just spoken also knew his words completely failed to consider Tiger Gorge Pass and Great Liang, separating Liang and Chen as clearly as possible. He hadn’t even considered Wen Yu, the ruler of both territories—he might as well have said that Xiao Li helping Great Liang wasn’t doing them Chen Kingdom people a favor.
Since the two territories were to be unified, these words were extremely taboo. After Wen Yu called his name, he lowered his head and said no more.
Wen Yu asked: “Do you know how many troops Western Ling currently has surrounding Gele City?”
That minister answered: “Seventy thousand.”
Wen Yu raised her eyes: “How many cities and territories has Chen Kingdom already lost in the western border? Does the minister think that relying solely on Chen Kingdom’s strength, you can independently block the invasion of these seventy thousand fierce tiger-wolf troops going forward?”
That minister felt ashamed and lowered his head even more.
Wen Yu’s gaze swept across all the Chen Kingdom ministers present: “The wolf riders need not rush to return to Liang territory at this moment. They roam outside the pass, living by nomadic herding, and can choose their moment to return. With a great enemy before us, the wolf riders are willing to atone for their past wrongs and reestablish relations with both Liang and Chen camps to jointly resist foreign enemies. In this battle… the wolf riders face certain death with no survival.”
She concealed the grief in her eyes: “You all may naturally consider that the wolf riders’ action only helps Great Liang, and their apology is only to this palace. But what this palace needs to solemnly tell you all is that if Tiger Gorge Pass falls, the Western Frontier will certainly be lost. When war rages again in Liang territory and it cannot take care of itself, it won’t have surplus strength to aid Chen Kingdom.
“Seventy thousand Western Ling troops are stationed outside Gele City. They also cannot possibly abandon continuing their advance into Chen territory just because Liang territory broke open this opening at Tiger Gorge Pass.
“Great Liang will no longer be Chen Kingdom’s fallback route. This palace only asks you all—when Western Ling presses closer step by step, where else can you lead the Chen territory people to retreat?”
After these words fell, all the ministers present felt ashamed.
Chen Kingdom had initially wanted to use this marriage alliance to return inside the pass precisely to avoid Western Ling’s encroachment. If inside the pass also became Western Ling territory, then their Chen Kingdom would be completely surrounded. Destruction would only be a matter of time.
Qi Simiao, who had remained silent but understood the situation better than anyone, led the ministers in the hall to kneel down: “We ministers are ashamed.”
Wen Yu seemed weary. She only said: “This palace has said all it will say. I only hope you all will temporarily set aside past prejudices and unite to resist foreign enemies.”
Qi Simiao said: “Since the alliance between Chen Kingdom and Great Liang was formed, we have long been in a position where glory and loss are shared. No matter what circumstances we reach, continuing to support each other is the best strategy.
“Since the wolf riders are righteously holding back the Western Ling army heading toward Tiger Gorge Pass, then our Chen Kingdom will, no matter what, do our utmost to hold back the Western Ling army outside Gele City. It’s just that Western Ling has lain dormant for many years. For this battle, they’ve probably been plotting for a long time. Even if the troops outside Gele City are restrained, there’s no guarantee they won’t dispatch more troops from within Western Ling territory toward Tiger Gorge Pass…”
Wen Yu said: “This palace already has a countermeasure. Summoning you all here today is also to explain to you all the various matters after this palace leaves the royal court.”
When the ministers heard Wen Yu was leaving the royal court, they couldn’t help but panic. They hurriedly asked: “Princess, where are you going?”
Wen Yu said: “Even if Tiger Gorge Pass falls, Western Ling still needs to expend some effort to completely take both Liang and Chen territories. But if this palace personally goes to Gele City to supervise the battle, the benefit of capturing this palace alive far exceeds forcibly attacking and taking Tiger Gorge Pass. Western Ling will certainly pour all their military strength into the campaign. The wolf riders won’t be blocked front and back, gaining one more chance to restrain those thirty thousand Western Ling troops, buying more time for the Liang army rushing to Tiger Gorge Pass from inside the pass.”
This was the only method she had thought of that had any chance of resolving this crisis after hearing Zhao Bai’s urgent report.
The difference was that at that time, Xiao Li wasn’t yet in her plan.
It was he who forcefully entered this sacrifice that led to the same destination as hers by different paths.
Qi Simiao almost urgently spoke the moment Wen Yu’s words fell: “Absolutely not!”
He earnestly advised: “Princess, your safety concerns whether both kingdoms experience turmoil or not. How can you venture into such dangerous circumstances? If something should happen to you… even ten thousand deaths couldn’t absolve us ministers of this fault!”
Wen Yu seemed to have made up her mind. She said peacefully: “If this palace sits by and watches Western Ling continue to invade Liang and Chen territories, that would truly fail you all and the people’s support of this palace. This palace will issue an edict. If something happens to this palace on this journey, you all shall support my daughter A’Li as ruler and lead the people to retreat to Liang territory. Before this palace departs, I will also send a letter to Liang territory explaining this matter.”
Her gaze swept across each minister kneeling below one by one. She said with a sigh: “Yu is incompetent. When the time comes to drive out foreign enemies, it will depend on you ministers.”
One sentence made all the ministers below turn red-eyed.
Wen Yu was clearly once again sacrificing herself to preserve both Liang and Chen kingdoms to the greatest extent.
If they truly resolved the siege of Tiger Gorge Pass, then Liang territory would be safe. When Western Ling continued to invade and Chen Kingdom couldn’t hold out, they could migrate back to Liang territory from Hundred Blades Pass.
Although the Northern Border hadn’t yet pledged allegiance, Xiao Li and the wolf riders would also die together outside Tiger Gorge Pass. The entire Northern Border, having just changed hands, would once again be without a leader. Even if they didn’t submit to the Wen clan, they could no longer become a threat.
Conversely, with the reputation Wen Yu had accumulated over these years in the southern border and central territories, Great Liang’s old ministers and the former Prince Changlian’s old faction would certainly support this only bloodline Wen Yu had given birth to. Relying tightly on this bloodline and these old folks to hold on, the Liang and Chen camps wouldn’t scatter.
Given time, driving out Western Ling and reclaiming lost territories wasn’t without hope.
But even if Tiger Gorge Pass fell and they exhausted themselves at this point, they still couldn’t rewrite this ordained fate.
This princess of both Liang and Chen kingdoms personally guarding the nation’s gates and dying for the state—her heroism could also stir the fighting spirit of both territories’ subjects and people. When Western Ling tried to take any city hereafter, they would need to step over the corpses of the entire city’s people.
Their princess—when saying she was incompetent and that even sacrificing her flesh and blood couldn’t protect them—still wanted to armor them.
The ministers’ tears flowed freely. They couldn’t help but cry out in grief: “Princess…”