Qun Qing was awakened by sunlight.

She sat up, her black hair falling over her shoulders dyed golden by the light. The chirping of birds was noisy. She was dazed for a moment, then dressed and washed as usual. Nanny Xue and Physician Li came in and, seeing she had already gotten up, were both astonished at the speed of her physical recovery.

Qun Qing was also astonished in her heart.

She was astonished at her own calm the next day, and even more astonished that even though the truth sealed away for many years had come to light, the world before her eyes had not collapsed.

The residence before her—the incense burners and bookshelves were mostly added by Lu Huating, delicate and elegant. In the outer room, two young maids presented flowers, smiles on their faces. Outside the window, spring leaves had already sprouted, tender green and barely visible. A gentle breeze came, and she saw that the roses she had planted in the back garden had even formed buds.

It turned out nothing had changed.

The birds were clamorous. Qun Qing threw out a handful of corn kernels, and they immediately fluttered their wings joyfully, competing to peck at the food by the window.

The maids clapped their hands in delight. Qun Qing also smiled.

The reason was simple—she had already successfully grown up. She was not a powerless young child trapped under the canopy her parents had constructed. She already had her own home.

Thinking this, suddenly a fire blazed up again within her body.

She noticed one person was missing from the household.

From inside the wardrobe, most of the winter clothes were gone.

“Master Lu went out?” Qun Qing asked.

“Recently His Majesty is selecting military examination candidates. The master must stay in the palace for several days. He left too hastily and didn’t tell you.” The maid said.

Juan Su came in. “I’ve bought the pastries from Lingxin Shop for you. Madam, come quickly!”

Dishes were prepared on the table. Lotus flower pastries were arranged on a plate, exquisite and lovely. Qun Qing picked up one and tasted a small bite—sweet and flaky, melting in the mouth, leaving only a light lotus fragrance. This pastry stirred her appetite, and she devoured a large bowl of rice along with the prepared dishes on the table.

“Madam, are you not feeling distressed anymore?” Juan Su asked carefully.

Qun Qing glanced at him.

Her eyelashes were long and dense. When she raised her eyes to look at someone expressionlessly, she had quite a few degrees of intimidating, ghostly beauty.

“What of it? Should I go on a hunger strike?” Qun Qing lowered her eyes again, picked up her rice bowl, and mixed it evenly with the fish soup. “Who my parents are, how I grew up—these are unchangeable pasts. They’re not important, and I don’t want to harbor resentment. What path one chooses to walk is where a person can exert effort. I think that up until now, I’ve still lived quite well.”

Juan Su nodded, also feeling relieved in his heart. “This subordinate is instructed.”

After the meal, not wanting to delay further, Qun Qing called for someone to help her change clothes.

Seeing she actually wanted to change into official robes to enter the palace, the maids exchanged glances, shock in their eyes. They swarmed forward to stop her. “Madam’s health has just recovered. There’s no rush to assume duties. The master asked you to rest and recuperate for several more days.”

Qun Qing’s hand paused slightly. “How many days of leave did he request for me?”

Palace duty wasn’t child’s play—one couldn’t just skip every other day.

“Four days!” “Three days.” The two maids answered simultaneously. They exchanged glances, and one of them quickly changed her answer. “This servant remembered incorrectly—it’s four days… Oh right, this servant bought a grasshopper for you today. Madam, look!”

Qun Qing was startled by this grasshopper appearing out of nowhere. She blinked before seeing clearly that what she held in both hands was a huge woven-grass grasshopper.

“This is the grasshopper you bought? Can you even fool people properly?” Juan Su snatched it over, extremely exasperated. “What kind of presentation is this? Go, go, all of you get out.”

The maids pouted and withdrew.

They really should show him what expression the Jinwu Guard at the gate entrance had when they asked him to buy a grasshopper. It was already good enough that he managed to buy one.

Qun Qing hung the official robe back and asked casually, “Little Juan, is this year’s military examination still being held at Spring Garden?”

“Yes.” Juan Su said.

“How many people?”

“Thirty-something, uh, thirty-six maybe…”

“You think the military examination is like the palace civil examination? At that training ground in Spring Garden, there are never more than ten people each year.” Qun Qing glanced at him. Thinking of those disappeared clothes, her heart felt inexplicably hollow. “You don’t even know how many people are in the military examination. Lu Huating hasn’t returned all night—where exactly did he go?”

Cold sweat poured down Juan Su. “This year… this year the military examination just has many people. Otherwise, why would the Minister of Rites accompany the selection?”

“Is that so?” Qun Qing was silent for a moment, then said, “If nothing has happened, why are there stationed troops outside our residence?”

Her voice was very light, but Juan Su’s hair stood on end.

These past days, Lu Huating had been impeached repeatedly by ministers outside. The Minister’s residence was blockaded by the Jinwu Guard, awaiting punishment. Although His Majesty had tacitly allowed these Jinwu Guards to withdraw to guard outside the gate, Qun Qing practiced martial arts after all and was extremely sensitive to her environment. Even a flash of an unfamiliar robe corner could reveal clues to her.

They wanted to hide it for several more days? They couldn’t even hide it for one day!

His knees went soft and he collapsed dejectedly before Qun Qing. “The master forbade me from saying…”

This bluff had actually extracted something. Qun Qing’s heart plummeted. “What exactly happened? Is it because of the Imperial Grand-grandson matter that His Majesty is punishing me?”

Juan Su struggled for a long while, then clasped his fists. “Madam, the southern city of Yunzhou has fallen. Nan Chu’s great army is attacking Jinling County. The master has already answered His Majesty’s call and gone to the Yunzhou battlefield.”

Yunzhou!

Even though she had prepared herself mentally, Qun Qing still felt as if struck by a heavy hammer. She had originally thought Lu Huating would at most be in the imperial prison or detained somewhere else, but she hadn’t expected he’d gone directly to the battlefield.

In her previous life’s fourth year of Sheng Lin, Nan Chu used rebel forces to create chaos starting from Yunzhou. Eventually all of Yunzhou fell. The Zen Master led people to kill the Yunzhou Provincial Governor and captured Jinling County, preparing to follow the waterways and point their swords toward Chang’an. In his fury, Li Huan wanted to lead troops on a personal expedition. Then came their meeting and deaths.

War reigniting was what neither of them wanted to see in this life. If it could be averted, they should exert full effort to prevent it. But Qun Qing hadn’t expected things to develop so quickly this time, giving her almost no time to react.

Lu Huating should be very clear about Yunzhou’s eventual outcome.

Did he think that with his own power alone, he could reverse the entire war situation?

Juan Su didn’t know why Qun Qing’s face had turned pale. He only heard her ask, “How many troops has Nan Chu deployed?”

“Heard it’s sixty to seventy thousand, plus one or two thousand rebel forces.”

“Who is currently defending Jinling County?”

“The Yunzhou Provincial Governor already died for his duty. Now it’s Princess Danyang’s own forces and the remnants of the Governor’s office resisting. The master and the Cavalry General also brought one thousand elite guards—altogether four to five thousand people.”

Qun Qing’s heart was sinking.

The sounds of weapons clashing and flesh breaking seemed to echo by her ears.

“Let me ask you—how can four to five thousand people defend against seventy thousand attacking a city?”

The truth was cruel to hear. Although they had Princess Danyang and the Governor’s office personnel added, it wasn’t much better than her previous life. That one thousand elite guards, compared to Nan Chu’s great army, was pitifully few.

“We subordinates talked until our lips wore out trying to persuade him, but…” Juan Su choked up. “The master just said not to worry, that he’d find a way. He said this time the northern border battlefield has General Ling Yun assisting, and currently victory reports are continuous. It won’t leave Yunzhou in a situation without reinforcement. As long as we defeat the Northern Rong people and drive them out of the pass in one breath, military forces can return to reinforce Yunzhou. So as long as we hold out for time, we can achieve victory.”

The northern border battlefield was indeed a major variable. This variable added a thread of comfort to Qun Qing’s heart.

But within this, there were still too many uncertain factors, ultimately making her heart uneasy, unable to be so optimistic.

That was a battlefield after all.

Always gambling fate with heaven—would they win every single time?

“Your master’s illness flares up whenever he’s overworked.” Qun Qing said. “Going so rashly like this, why didn’t you stop him?”

“Actually during that period when you were poisoned, Madam, the master’s episodes were already very frequent.” Juan Su said. “The master had Zhu Su seek out Jade Boiling Pills.”

“Jade Boiling Pills?” Qun Qing was astonished. Jade Boiling Pills contained opium—such harmful substances should have already been destroyed, shouldn’t they?

“The master said Jade Boiling Pills can suppress the poison of Yearning引. The Deposed Crown Prince used them that day to revive his energy and ride into Chang’an. So when absolutely necessary, Jade Boiling Pills can support the body…”

Jade Boiling Pills certainly couldn’t cure illness. It was just that opium and the poison of Yearning 引 shared the same root and origin. The so-called “suppressing” effect was nothing more than drinking poison to quench thirst.

“The master said you, Madam, want to become a Crimson-Robed Envoy to exchange for your mother. Once you’ve recovered your health and the war situation has stabilized, he’ll write to bring you over to tour Yunzhou together.” Qun Qing could almost imagine Lu Huating’s tone.

“Previously he didn’t know your mother had another identity. Now that he knows, he can’t let you be torn between filial piety and righteousness. Having already committed patricide, he no longer fears… Madam! Madam! You can’t go!” Qun Qing suddenly stood up. Juan Su was so frightened he locked his arms around her.

“What use is there in me going now? Let go of me. I’m not going.” Qun Qing walked to the desk and faced the white rice paper spread before her, her expression cold and contemplative. After deliberating for a long while, she picked up the brush. “Let me ask you—can letters be delivered to Yunzhou?”

Juan Su said, “Yes.”

“Help me deliver letters.” She lowered her eyes to dip ink and wrote a line on the white paper. “One letter every day.”

—

Half a month passed in a flash.

Under the vast sky, the setting sun was like blood.

Jinling County’s city tower loomed high. On the blue bricks, dark brown bloodstains had congealed into rust-colored scabs. Countless broken arrows were stuck in the battlements. The ground was covered with corpses lying in all directions, long since covered by thin ice, flesh and blood blurred.

Lu Huating stood on the tower looking down. Nan Chu’s Black Armor Army covered the field like black ants. In the clouds and mist, dots of crimson flags were even more like venomous snakes flicking their tongues.

Dark clouds pressing on the city—nothing exceeded this.

Even the stagnant, congealed air smelled of smoke and blood mixed together.

“Commander, eat something. Freshly baked flatbread.” The Cavalry General wrapped flatbread and lamb leg in oiled paper.

Seeing Lu Huating made no comment, he quietly placed the food in Zhu Su’s arms and stepped away.

Zhu Su said, “Master, you haven’t closed your eyes much these past two days. Why don’t you go to the quarters and rest? We’ve already laid out felt.”

Lu Huating said, “Then if they suddenly attack, you defend.”

Zhu Su immediately dared not speak further.

Within several days, Ling Yunnuo had ordered fierce attacks twice. At first, the momentum was extremely violent—he couldn’t wait to devour this small city in one bite. At the most severe time, the entire tower shook violently, and the heavens and earth echoed with hoarse shouting and killing.

Unfortunately, Jinling County’s tower was built by a previous generation’s monarch to show off imperial majesty, constructed with refined stone materials. The city wall bricks and stones were polished smooth and flat—hooks couldn’t catch, ladders slipped. This caused Nan Chu’s army’s two attempts at ant-swarming attacks to fail, with even more people falling to their deaths from slipping.

Seeing the casualties were too heavy, Ling Yunnuo could only withdraw first and change to a siege. The ant tide receded. The tower, shot full of arrows like a target, still stood intact. The gate remained tightly closed—only half the city plaque had shattered.

During the two city attacks, Lu Huating never left the watchtower one step, letting flying arrows and stray missiles shuttle wildly past his ears. After counting the corpses, five hundred defenders had fallen—three thousand remained.

“The tower?” Lu Huating asked.

“The engineers have already constructed it. Princess Danyang says she will guard atop it. If there’s enemy activity, she’ll light a fire as signal.” Zhu Su said. “There’s also the deep well—already dug. The city residents’ water and grain supplies have been replenished.”

Lu Huating acknowledged this and looked again at the map in his hands.

His complexion was extremely pale. The more serious the occasion, the more silent and taciturn he became. Zhu Su didn’t dare disturb his thoughts and only placed the food gently on the zither table.

Lu Huating glanced at the lamb leg but didn’t touch it.

It wasn’t that he wouldn’t eat. His thoughts were too heavy—he truly had no appetite.

He set down the map and used a plain handkerchief to clean his fingers. He broke off a bite of flatbread and had just swallowed it when he felt blood and qi surging up in his chest. His fingertips probed into his sleeve, almost unbearably touching the porcelain bottle containing Jade Boiling Pills. He only touched the bottle mouth before releasing it, instead tightly gripping the sachet hanging from his waist belt.

He knew this substance harmed the body. If he could avoid using it, he would try not to.

He was no longer as he once was—without attachments, with only one thought of entering the netherworld. In this world, there were still people he couldn’t let go of. If this would harm his body or shorten his life, he was unwilling to accept it.

Fortunately, this half month was still under control. He could barely manage.

Several cold crows flew slanting across the sunset clouds.

“They’ve even filled in the river. Cutting off water and grain for so many days—how is there still no sign of loosening?” In the ranks below the city, some Nan Chu soldiers couldn’t help speaking.

“When will we attack again? My feet are about to freeze in this mud hole…”

“See that person in crimson robes on the watchtower? Heard this campaign’s Military Adviser was formerly the Northern Chen Emperor’s strategist. This person led Li Huan to first battle the Northern Turks, then marched on Chang’an to force abdication—invincible in every campaign, not your ordinary strategist. Heard he knows the Eight Trigrams Formation, can borrow ghost soldiers. Probably borrowed water and grain from ghost soldiers, looks like…”

The surrounding people were listening with trepidation when they were interrupted by the Centurion’s slap. “He can borrow ghost soldiers? Can he also make snow fall from heaven? Whoever spreads nonsense again gets military cudgels!”

The soldiers were instantly pulled back to reality. Turning their heads, they saw the young Nan Chu ruler’s ceremonial procession passing before their eyes. They all begged for mercy.

Ling Yunnuo inherited the old Chu imperial family’s refined appearance—a pale face made exceptionally handsome by his full silver armor. Only this face was filled with gloomy anger. He stopped the Centurion with one hand. “Enough!”

Ling Yunnuo glanced up at the city.

This year’s winter was frighteningly long and frighteningly cold.

A few days ago, fine snowflakes even floated in the air. Know that Yunzhou belonged south of the Huai River—it hadn’t snowed in eight hundred years. Nan Chu’s army’s customary light clothing and thin armor were fundamentally insufficient against the cold. Such prolonged siege—those inside the city had it difficult, but the troops guarding outside suffered even more.

Moreover, for Nan Chu to assemble tens of thousands of troops in a short time was no easy matter. Within the ranks were conscripted farmers, even local Yunzhou residents. How could they be expected to maintain high killing spirit?

After two failed city attacks, morale was already extremely depleted. Now with the river filled and the siege prolonged, the other side remained unaffected.

Atop the tower, that crimson-robed figure swayed in the wind. He hadn’t even moved. Occasionally broken, intermittent zither sounds transmitted out—he seemed to still have leisure, still had spare capacity.

Every time they heard string sounds, rumors would spread.

Unexpectedly, with ten thousand men pressing境, they still couldn’t take Jinling County. This wasn’t just unfavorable—it also made Ling Yunnuo’s heart feel as if roasted over fierce flames.

Could there truly be divine assistance?

If not for insufficient range, he would have already shot an arrow up there.

“How is the Zen Master’s situation?” Ling Yunnuo asked.

“The engineers the Zen Master leads are advancing day and night, urgently attacking the city. Master, be at ease. There are only a thousand people up there. Even if we exhaust them to death, they can’t outlast us. No need to rush for a moment.” Seeing Ling Yunnuo continuously looking toward the watchtower, the strategist said, “The Zen Master said, Master need not be intimidated by the opposing Military Adviser. This person is accustomed to psychological warfare—in truth, he’s already at the end of his tether. He can’t hold out much longer.”

Ling Yunnuo’s expression cleared slightly.

Both poisoned with Yearning 引—it was impossible for him to be in high spirits.

He greatly anticipated that day. He wanted to see that person first fall from the tower, then storm the city and seize the stronghold. He wanted to see Elder Sister’s expression. She had ultimately chosen the wrong person. The person she chose would be utterly vulnerable under his absolute superior strength.

This desire instantly licked at his heart and lungs like flames.

“Today let everyone light fires and rest. Select one thousand elite troops to attack by boat at night while the other side sleeps!” Looking deeply once more at the tower, Ling Yunnuo spun around and left.

“They’ve made camp. Finally couldn’t bear the cold anymore.” On the tower, the Cavalry General saw the ground light up with scattered campfires. “Looks like they won’t attack today. Tonight we can finally get a good sleep, right?”

Lu Huating watched Ling Yunnuo’s commander flag flutter toward the main camp, his gaze heavy. He looked again at the map in his hands.

On the map, several passageways had already been marked with colored ink layer upon layer. The land routes were sealed inside and out in three layers. There was still one waterway leading into the city.

“Is there someone guarding the Xu River mouth?”

“Report to the Commander—there are enemy boat shadows at the Xu River mouth.” A scout bowed to report. He had been submerged in water to scout, his face covered with mud from the crossing, mud and water dripping all along the way.

“The abandoned empty boats I told you to prepare earlier, and the lanterns?”

“One hundred broken boats have all been sunk. Eave bells are hung at the boat bottoms. There are sufficient lanterns. Five hundred brothers skilled in holding breath and diving underwater are all in position.”

“Good, you rest now.” Lu Huating said. “Tonight let everyone get a good sleep.”

Night fell heavily.

Above and below the city, soldiers lay sleeping in their clothes in all directions. In this exhausted silence, night was so thick it could hardly dissolve. Even the crow’s cry was lazy.

At midnight, the Xu River’s tide rose. One hundred Nan Chu warships came attacking with the current, all without lights.

The crossing guards were also nodding drowsily, seemingly not seeing these ghost-like black shadows. The tower boat soldiers on the ships quietly emerged, using hand signals to command the boats forward.

The vanguard fleet was like a steady, dark blade swiftly cutting across the river surface toward the tower. Just past White Egret Crossing, they suddenly heard a tremendous clanging sound underwater—metal striking metal.

“Slow…” Before they could shout the warning, the boats had already heavily crashed into countless huge objects underwater. The boats behind crashed into the boats ahead. Bronze bells rang out, shocking eardrums, covering the warning shouts from the forward boats. Countless more boats crashed heavily together!

For a moment, bronze bells shook and rang. A whole beach of night herons startled up, flapping into people’s faces and onto bodies. Black shadows filled the sky, covering heaven and moon—extremely eerie. Someone shouted “Ghost soldiers are coming!” The whole boatload of people immediately panicked. Just at this moment, hundreds of Kongming lanterns suddenly lit up on the beach, illuminating snow-white faces frozen in alarm.

Instantly—those colliding, those one after another, those crowding became complete chaos. Those struck by arrows, those shouting, those falling into water—blood激荡ed.

Five hundred defenders hidden underwater fired crossbows in succession. The crisp sound of feathers breaking through air mixed with wails and splashing sounds, frightening the Nan Chu fleet’s rear ranks to hastily retreat.

At the fifth watch, Ling Yunnuo arrived at the crossing.

The sky had already lightened slightly. Only the river full of floating corpses and war船 fragments drifted over.

“Such tricks of pretense can frighten you into chaos?” He said.

“Master, Master be careful!” The expression of the accompanying general suddenly changed. He hastily turned the boat’s bow.

The hundred floating corpses on the river surface drifted near—they weren’t real people but straw figures tied to the boat bottoms when ships were previously sunk. The corpse群 followed the current and crashed directly into Ling Yunnuo’s warship. Phosphorus powder ignited upon contact with water, instantly climbing up and igniting the dragon flag.

“Put out the fire!”

…

“Last night at Xu River mouth, great victory. Beheaded approximately two thousand Nan Chu tower boat soldiers. Burned Ling Yunnuo’s commander flag.”

Lu Huating only asked, “How many casualties?”

“Sacrificed two hundred and two Great Chen tower boat soldiers. Three hundred remain.”

Hearing the numbers, Lu Huating’s facial expression relaxed slightly. “Order the remaining men to rotate rest shifts.”

He descended the watchtower. On the last step, his foot suddenly stepped into empty air. He was caught by Zhu Su. “While soldiers can rotate rest shifts, Master consuming yourself like this is not a long-term plan.”

Lu Huating反抓ed his hand. The veins on the back of his hand had already burst out. His black eyes held no emotion. The tinnitus gradually turned into the whistling of arrows and killing shouts. In the dizziness and vertigo, he heard Juan Su running over breathlessly. “Madam, letter from Madam…”

Before he finished speaking, Lu Huating had already snatched the letter and torn open the paper to unfold it.

On the paper, elegant handwriting—sparse.

“Purple-flower violet rice, water celery stir-fried with wild boar.”

Lu Huating stared fixedly for a long while, confirming his vision should have no errors, then uttered a few words: “What is this?”

“Oh, purple-flower violet, water celery!” Juan Su leaned over to look, thought for a moment, and said, “These two have cold properties—they’re wild vegetables特产 of Yunzhou. There’s plenty inside the city. As for wild boar… we do have wild boar. Madam probably wants you not to forget to taste Yunzhou’s local game.”

Lu Huating’s brow slightly relaxed. He stuffed the letter to Zhu Su. “Have the camp kitchen prepare it according to this.”

That evening, the dishes were prepared and distributed to each quarters.

On the table, hot steaming dishes—rice grains distinct, colors appetizing, looking indeed very fresh.

Lu Huating picked up chopsticks of water celery and brought it to his mouth.

Actually, he couldn’t eat. But gazing at these dishes, this slowly rising色泽 and fragrance, still carrying warmth—as if it were their only connection across time and space—he still ate mouthful after mouthful until finishing.

After bathing and resting in his quarters one night, the next day when spring wind passed, at almost the same time, Juan Su came running madly again, handing Lu Huating a new letter.

Lu Huating unfolded the paper: “Native chicken stewed with whip bamboo shoots, fish head tofu soup.”

That night, steaming hot new dishes were brought into each quarters. All quarters transmitted joyful cheers, as if extremely excited.

Here, Lu Huating uttered not a word but still guarded a single candle flame, quietly eating all the food.

After the last Xu River water battle, Nan Chu lowered flags and muffled drums for several days. But on this night, the calm was suddenly broken.

In the middle of the night, killing shouts shook heaven. The entire city trembled again.

“Attacking the city?” The Cavalry General hastily rushed out wearing his clothes and saw scattered ghostly lights below the city.

“They’re not attacking the city.” The defending general said. “They’re shooting arrows at the tower!”

The ghostly light转瞬 approached. Only then did they see clearly they were arrow tips燃ing with firelight. Coming closer, they fell powerlessly down.

“Joking. So high—they can’t even shoot up here.” The Cavalry General said. “Has Ling Yunnuo lost his mind?”

A spark bullet bounced onto the city wall and burst apart, rising into a fine wisp of smoke. Lu Huating’s步 entering the watchtower paused. He stared at that smoke, pupils slightly contracting.

The Cavalry General also saw clearly that wisp of smoke. He reacted and shouted loudly, “Careful—poison gas bombs! Everyone hold breath, retreat, all retreat back to quarters!”

Arrow rain bundled with snake scale glue, like snake群 hungry and near death in the abyss, jumped upward to bite.

After a moment, defending generals with covered mouths and noses filled in the gaps, splashing basins of water down the tower to extinguish the flaming arrows.

The sword rain only lasted a short while before stopping.

“Heard Nan Chu’s Zen Master is skilled at developing poisons. Materials are hard to find—one poison pill is worth a thousand gold. So expensive, estimate they didn’t brew many poison pills either.” After returning, the Cavalry General said with relief.

The defending general reported: “The range was too far. Arrows fundamentally couldn’t reach the tower. Only a few touched the city top. Even fewer poison gas bombs bundled on arrows that exploded in—estimate only a few. At the time, over a hundred night-watch defending generals were on the city wall, but they showed no reaction.”

Lu Huating glanced at the two halves of empty snake scale glue on the table, but his expression held not half a moment of ease.

“Replace these men.”

“But they have no discomfort.”

“Replace them.” Lu Huating said.

When first poisoned, naturally there would be no discomfort. Wait until time passed and they’d know.

He knew better than anyone the厉害 of this poison.

Or rather, this night attack was originally aimed at him.

Even if only one bomb came in, it would be sufficient.

That night, Lu Huating suddenly developed high fever.

Using up all the ice water, the high fever repeatedly wouldn’t subside.

In the frosty weather, he was already soaked through with sweat. Large beads of cold sweat rolled down his pale forehead, and he kept shaking uncontrollably.

Several people were discussing military matters in the quarters. The Cavalry General noticed his异常 complexion and reached out to support him. “Commander…”

“Get out.” Lu Huating lifted his eyes, opening calmly. “Don’t come in. Don’t let anyone come in.”

After a moment, everyone was practically pushed and shoved out the door. Due to military orders, they dared not enter, but the violent sounds of objects falling and colliding传出 from inside the quarters made several people’s hearts jump.

Lu Huating’s entire body seemed gnawed by insects and ants. He truly couldn’t control his body’s convulsions. His fingertips struggled极艰难ly to grab the curtain’s hanging rope and yanked it down with one pull!

Outside came the sound of running footsteps: “Report to General Commander—Princess Danyang saw from the tower this morning that the Xu River water had become muddy. There seems to be sand and soil in the water! Princess Danyang immediately ordered people to lower bamboo tubes into the deep well that was dug. They seemed to hear earth-moving sounds that have continued for seven or eight days…”

“Stirring up sand and soil? Someone is tunneling underground?” The Cavalry General’s expression tensed. “So Ling Yunnuo’s frontal city attacks were to divert attention. The Zen Master’s people have probably already been digging tunnels underground. Seven or eight days—they’re almost dug into the city!”

The city walls were smooth and difficult to climb, but the underground situation wasn’t necessarily so.

Hearing about underground attacks, the city-defending soldiers immediately panicked, as if at the next moment enemy troops would burst forth from the earth beneath their feet.

“How is the northern border battlefield? When will reinforcements come?”

“Heard it’s still at a stalemate.”

“Why not ask the Commander?” Princess Danyang’s military aide had originally intended to report again to the Commander, but when he saw several people standing outside the door with grave expressions, and noticed the heavy curtain over the quarters hanging still, silent and soundless, he dared not speak for the moment, holding his breath as he waited.

Lu Huating forcibly bound both hands together to suppress the violent convulsions, only then successfully extracting the porcelain bottle. He brought the bottle to his mouth, bit open the stopper—Jade Boiling Pills rolled into his mouth. Only amid the heat waves did he obtain a breath of penetrating coolness, immediately followed by deep vertigo, as if heaven and earth had turned upside down.

“Listen to me,” he leaned on the bed, forcibly steadying himself. “Speak.”

From within the curtain came Lu Huating’s slightly hoarse but steady voice: “Nan Chu engineers are most skilled at underground attacks… their speed is extremely fast. In a single day, they can dig twenty feet. In the past, beneath the Daming Palace, there were tunnels they dug. I’ve brought the palace engineering records—they’re with Zhu Su. Mobilize all engineers immediately: dig trenches encircling the city and fill them with firewood… the faster, the better. Princess Danyang is skilled in engineering—she understands what must be done.”

“Yes.” The people outside said.

Lu Huating’s fingers moved, as if he still wanted to say something, but he had already closed his eyes and fallen into unconsciousness.

The war situation atop the city was not optimistic.

Intimidation tactics could ultimately only repel the enemy temporarily. Living defending generals were fewer and fewer. Each person’s responsibilities grew more and more—this was indisputable fact. Exhaustion and despair slowly seeped into everyone’s hearts.

“Master, Master!” When he awoke again, Zhu Su had barged in. Seeing him lying on the floor unable to wake him, he said, “Madam’s letter has arrived, Master. Dinner has arrived.”

Hearing dinner had arrived, Lu Huating only then reluctantly opened his eyes.

One Jade Boiling Pill in the stomach—indeed the fever was gone. But very painful. Dizzy and vertigo, as if stepping on clouds—painful.

He disliked this pain of being unable to grasp time.

This unconscious spell—unexpectedly already two days and one night.

“Ling Yunnuo attacked a third time.” Zhu Su told him.

Detecting hesitation in Zhu Su’s tone, Lu Huating asked, “How many died?”

“…This time they brought fire arrows. Over a thousand died atop the city. Nine hundred remain.”

Lu Huating said nothing.

“But we still held. The Zen Master’s side didn’t fare well either.” Zhu Su said. “Underground attack casualties were even greater. Corpses blocked up the tunnels.”

Nan Chu engineers dug tunnels day and night. Digging to the near front, they were blocked by newly dug trenches around the city and encountered ambush. Princess Danyang ordered people to ignite the firewood, desperately fanning outward. Those burned to death, those choked by smoke—countless.

“The Zen Master retreated?” Lu Huating asked.

“Retreated.” Zhu Su said. “With such heavy casualties, they probably won’t underground attack again in the short term.”

Lu Huating nodded. He didn’t rush to stand but sat on the floor leaning against the bed, gathering the多日 letters Qun Qing had sent into his bosom, turning them over one by one for a long time.

He wanted to infer her mood and state from the handwriting.

Gazing for a long while, he smiled mockingly.

“Is she tormenting me?” He said. “Why are they all recipes, not one extra word?”

However, after a moment, he slightly froze, pulled out the newest one, and examined it carefully.

This one wasn’t a recipe. The letter paper was snow white. Qun Qing’s tone, like her handwriting, was cold and restrained to the extreme, yet concealed a thousand words.

“Last night I dreamed of you—you were beneath flowers.”

Lu Huating gazed at this line for a long time, then suddenly asked Zhu Su: “Where in the city are there flowers?”

…

Inside Chang’an city, Qun Qing tore open the letter and extracted it. The paper was blank—not a single character.

She gazed at the white paper for a long time, then turned the envelope upside down and poured out a handful of dried flower petals.

“Did you find out?” Qun Qing asked. “How is the northern border battlefield? When will reinforcements return?”

“There’s no news.”

“No news?” These past days, every day she had Juan Su go investigate news. The northern border’s victory reports arrived at the palace first, and information then reached her desk.

Jinling County had held firm—already over a month.

Continuing to hold on would be very difficult.

Previously, every time there were victory reports, Qun Qing counted the days day by day, originally thinking reinforcements would come soon. Who knew today—sudden changes.

“Madam, heard that General Ling Yun led three thousand elite troops pursuing the Second Prince’s remnants into Yunque Gorge and suddenly encountered ambush. Currently there’s no news.”

Qun Qing said not a word. She changed into official robes and placed the memorial she’d deliberated over for days from her drawer into her sleeve. “Move aside. I’m entering the palace.”