After Huo Liuxing led his troops to East Valley Fortress, the tide of battle clearly tilted overwhelmingly in one direction.

One side had laid in wait, fully prepared, while the other had exhausted themselves for half the night trying to capture “Shen Lingzhen” alive. Even though the Xiqiang cavalry possessed extremely strong individual combat abilities, at this moment they inevitably found themselves at a disadvantage.

Without expending the slightest effort, Huo Liuxing simply moved his fingers, making a few hand gestures, and sent the Xiqiang forces fleeing in disarray.

After half an hour of slaughter, the battlefield had fallen completely silent. Only the thick, pungent stench of blood continued to spread and permeate the air.

Looking out across the field, blue-armored soldiers lay sprawled everywhere in chaotic heaps. The bodies piled so high they were stacked nearly as tall as small hills.

By this time, Shen Lingzhen had already returned to the courtyard compound halfway up the mountain.

At first, concerned for Xue Jie’s safety, she had remained standing in the tower below to observe the battle. After Huo Liuxing arrived and discovered her standing foolishly up there, he had soldiers wave flags at her, signaling for her to go rest at her lodgings.

Seeing the situation had stabilized, she belatedly found her stomach churning from that brutal scene and couldn’t bear it, so she returned here.

After the battle ended, Xue Jie arrived at the courtyard compound one step ahead of Huo Liuxing.

He was helped in by Jingmo, appearing to have sustained several blade wounds. He looked quite disheveled, and had lost considerable weight. Combined with wearing Xiqiang armor, when Shen Lingzhen caught sight of him through the window, she almost didn’t recognize him at first glance.

She immediately rose and went out to greet him, calling from a distance: “A’Jie brother, are your injuries serious?”

But Xue Jie seemed not to hear. He gently pushed away Jingmo’s hand and nodded to him: “No need to trouble yourself, I can walk on my own.” With that, he walked directly in another direction.

Shen Lingzhen froze, then hurriedly rushed forward: “A’Jie brother!”

Xue Jie frowned and stopped: “Don’t trip yourself. Go slower.”

Shen Lingzhen came to a breathless halt before him, looking up and down at the blood-stained armor he wore: “This blood…”

“It’s all other people’s. I only suffered some minor flesh wounds.”

She smiled and nodded: “That’s good then.”

“Mm.” Under her gaze, Xue Jie turned his head away. “I’ll go treat my wounds first.”

Shen Lingzhen clearly sensed his coldness. Guessing he felt ashamed to face her because of his defection, she didn’t stop him. She simply watched him walk halfway when she suddenly heard Huo Liuxing’s voice from outside the courtyard gate: “Have all the bodies been counted?”

“Yes, General.”

Xue Jie halted his steps and turned to look toward the source of the voice. He saw Huo Liuxing striding into the courtyard, removing his sword, and continuing to question the soldier beside him: “Their scouts, and any stragglers who might have escaped to report back—you’ve confirmed they’ve all been intercepted?”

“Yes, General.”

Listening to their conversation, Shen Lingzhen gradually understood.

Her aunt, as an important hostage, was certainly being held somewhere within Xiqiang territory. Even with supernatural abilities, Huo Liuxing couldn’t possibly march directly into Xiqiang without any plan. So the only option now was to suppress news of Xue Jie’s betrayal and buy time.

Thinking this, the breath Shen Lingzhen had relaxed tightened again. She turned to look at Xue Jie and indeed saw darkness flash in his eyes, revealing an expression of wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Shen Lingzhen stepped forward, took Huo Liuxing’s hand, and pulled him before Xue Jie: “My lord, could you discuss with A’Jie brother a plan to rescue Auntie?”

Huo Liuxing glanced at her lightly: “I was already planning to discuss it.”

The implication being: his thinking was meticulous, his consideration thorough, he was kind-hearted and broad-minded—he didn’t need her pleading reminders.

Shen Lingzhen shot him a reproachful look and lightly poked his lower back.

Watching the two of them go back and forth, Xue Jie knitted his brows and lowered his eyes, then suddenly said: “Before that, General Huo, and Yinyin, there’s something I need to tell you both.”

The two followed him into the guest room in confusion.

Xue Jie removed his helmet, glanced at the Xiqiang military armor, then turned and said: “During my time in Xiqiang, I uncovered some of Ya Lichong’s history. General Huo, did you already know that he was once a member of the Huo Family Army?”

Huo Liuxing’s pupils contracted. He made an affirmative sound.

Xue Jie nodded: “Then that makes sense. General Huo, your elder brother wasn’t killed by the Grand Princess.”

Shen Lingzhen’s breath caught. She stared at Huo Liuxing and found that while his expression remained unchanged, his jaw was clenched tight.

“Ya Lichong was a member of the Xiqiang royal family from the very beginning. Back then, among the Huo Family Army that Commissioner Huo cultivated, there were many orphans who had wandered the streets. The Xiqiang royal family saw this opportunity and quietly sent Ya Lichong over as a spy. Ya Lichong worked hard to befriend your elder brother, spending many years to become a comrade your brother trusted deeply.”

“During that battle in Bianjing, Ya Lichong fabricated military intelligence and lied to your elder brother, claiming that the Grand Princess was using the pretext of offering surrender terms to pacify the Huo Family Army, but her real intention was to annihilate them completely and discover the whereabouts of you and Young Master Meng. At that time, you and Young Master Meng had just been born, and your mother’s health was also very weak. Your elder brother was filled with righteous indignation, which is why he fought the Grand Princess to the death.”

“But the Grand Princess never actually dealt your elder brother a fatal blow. During the chaos of battle, the Huo Family Army had escorted your elder brother to the rear of their formation. It was Ya Lichong who delivered that knife to your elder brother’s vital point. At that time, all of Bianjing was a mountain of corpses and sea of blood, the Huo Family Army was decimated—no one cared about one missing body. That’s exactly how Ya Lichong escaped all the way back to Xiqiang, and from then on rose to great heights.”

Huo Liuxing stood in place without saying a word, but his face had turned deathly pale.

Shen Lingzhen’s long lashes trembled as she gripped his hand, discovering his palm was covered in cold sweat. She looked at Xue Jie: “A’Jie brother, thank you for investigating the truth for my lord. I’ll accompany him next door to rest first. You should also hurry and treat your wounds. We’ll discuss countermeasures shortly.”

After a moment of silence, Xue Jie nodded.

Shen Lingzhen half-dragged, half-pulled Huo Liuxing back next door, pressed down on his shoulders, and made him sit on the edge of the bed.

Seeing he still remained silent, she worriedly felt his forehead and cheeks: “My lord…”

Huo Liuxing nodded: “I’m fine.” Then he nodded again to himself. “I had already guessed some of this.”

It was just that he had only anticipated the fabricated military intelligence part. He hadn’t expected that Ya Lichong had used his and Meng Qufei’s lives as leverage to enrage his elder brother, then delivered the final blow.

He even smiled: “The truth has come to light. This is a good thing. I’m really fine.”

Shen Lingzhen stood before the bed watching him for a while, then pulled him into her embrace: “My lord must never say ‘I’m fine’ in front of me. I am my lord’s wife—I’m someone who can wipe my lord’s tears.”

Standing and sitting, Huo Liuxing’s forehead happened to rest against her slender, soft waist.

But at this moment, neither had any romantic inclinations.

Huo Liuxing seemed to be laughing, yet also seemed to be sighing. He reached out to encircle her waist, pillowed his head on her lower abdomen, and said softly: “Alright, then let me lean on you for a bit.”

——

Huo Liuxing quickly finished resting and went to discuss serious matters with Xue Jie.

Shen Lingzhen, worried about him, kept holding his arm and staying close by his side. But when they were about to enter Xue Jie’s room, he gently pushed her away: “You haven’t slept all night either. Go rest for a while.”

She shook her head: “If my lord is sending me away, it’s definitely not for anything good.”

This was the result of understanding each other too well. Huo Liuxing had no choice but to let her follow him in, but gave her advance warning, looking into her eyes and saying: “What I’m about to discuss with Xue Jie is not a consultation, but a decision.”

Shen Lingzhen understood his unspoken meaning.

He was saying this was a decision she couldn’t change.

She nervously swallowed and nodded.

Inside the guest room, Xue Jie had already removed the Xiqiang blue armor and was about to toss it aside.

“General Xue, don’t be hasty to discard that armor.” Huo Liuxing raised his hand in a gesture to stop him. “You are now the only one among us who has the opportunity to openly lead troops into Xiqiang. You still have use for this armor.”

Xue Jie froze mid-motion: “General Huo means…”

He pointed toward the base of the mountain: “I’m going to have my Daqi soldiers put on those Xiqiang cavalrymen’s armor and follow us to the Xiqiang capital.”

He said “follow us,” not “follow you.” Shen Lingzhen’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at Huo Liuxing in shock.

But she didn’t see even a trace of hesitation in his eyes.

Xue Jie glanced at the panicked Shen Lingzhen: “I do indeed plan to return to the Xiqiang capital to save my mother, but I’m now all alone—risking my life doesn’t matter. General Huo, however, still has a wife and family. You shouldn’t act impulsively out of past grievances.”

Huo Liuxing shook his head: “The battle situation in Hexi has been deadlocked. Disrupting the enemy capital is the fastest means to end the warfare and restore civilian life. Right now is a good opportunity. You save your mother, I take Ya Lichong’s head—it’s merely incidental. I won’t sacrifice the lives of over a thousand soldiers to satisfy my personal feelings. Even if they die, it must be for the nation, for the people.”

The hand hanging at Shen Lingzhen’s side began trembling uncontrollably.

Because she understood Huo Liuxing’s meaning.

This Daqi army disguised as Xiqiang cavalry was essentially a suicide squad going to their deaths.

Xue Jie looked hesitantly at Shen Lingzhen’s increasingly pale face: “General Huo, if you trust me, stay here and let me lead the troops.”

Huo Liuxing shook his head again: “You alone cannot accomplish this. If anything goes wrong, everyone’s sacrifice will be in vain.”

Xue Jie frowned. After a long while, he released a heavy breath: “Very well.”

Huo Liuxing immediately turned to instruct Jingmo: “There’s no time to lose. Go down immediately to muster the troops. Explain the full situation to everyone. Those willing to follow me should strip the armor from those Xiqiang cavalrymen, put it on, and wait for me at the base of the mountain. Those unwilling can remain at East Valley Fortress and won’t face punishment.”

Jingmo acknowledged the order and left.

Xue Jie looked at the red-eyed Shen Lingzhen, picked up his armor, gritted his teeth and departed: “I’ll go down to help as well.”

Only the married couple remained in the room.

Shen Lingzhen struggled to keep her face tilted upward.

Huo Liuxing used his fingertip to wipe away the tears suspended on her lower eyelid: “Don’t cry.”

She blinked and took several deep breaths: “When do you have to leave?”

“Depending on how quickly we muster the troops—at the earliest, half an hour from now. At the latest, an hour.”

She nodded, then said with difficulty: “My lord, do you still remember that when we played cat’s cradle last year, you lost and owed me two things?”

“I remember. I only completed one.”

“Then complete the other one now.”

Without her needing to say it, he nodded: “Alright, I promise you.”