Huo Liuxing was pulled by Shen Lingzhen into a guest room on the second floor of the inn.
“My lord, can you hear out my suggestion?” She gripped his hand, her eyes carrying a pleading undertone.
Huo Liuxing fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
In truth, the reason he had told Shen Lingzhen about Xue Jie’s defection was precisely because he hoped to hear her thoughts.
If he had truly been determined to confront Xue Jie directly, there would have been no need to make this detour to the inn—he could have simply led the troops out immediately. But ultimately, he was unwilling to hurt someone Shen Lingzhen cherished without even giving her any warning.
“Speak. I’m listening,” Huo Liuxing said, looking at her.
“If A’Jie brother has truly betrayed the nation, when faced with righteous duty, I would have absolutely no right to stop you from killing him. But I understand A’Jie brother’s character—his defection was definitely not of his own volition. It must be that Xiqiang is threatening my aunt’s life, which has left him constrained and forced to comply.”
“So my lord, if I can step forward and make A’Jie brother turn against them, could you give him a chance? This way, not only would we preserve the Xue family, but we could also use the least bloodshed and sacrifice to completely wipe out this Xiqiang army that A’Jie brother is leading. This would be beneficial for you, for Daqi, and for the current battle situation in Hexi.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“You must be able to predict this Xiqiang army’s next moves. You need only leak word that I’m at the border, then bring me to intercept them and send word to Xiqiang that I request peace talks with A’Jie brother. Xiqiang will certainly refuse at first, but A’Jie brother will definitely guess our intentions and cooperate with us. He’ll tell Xiqiang that he’ll pretend to come negotiate with me, and during our meeting, he’ll abduct me.”
“Xiqiang knows my importance. Once A’Jie brother makes this proposal, even if they’re still skeptical, they’ll be tempted by this golden opportunity and decide to try it. During the peace talks, you can pretend to fail to protect me and let A’Jie brother capture me. I’ll persuade him to lead this Xiqiang army into a trap you’ve set up beforehand. After you ambush these Xiqiang soldiers, A’Jie brother can escape like a cicada shedding its shell, and naturally I’ll be rescued safely as well.”
Huo Liuxing gazed at her calmly. He didn’t grow angry at her risky suggestion, but patiently said: “Xue Jie was very likely coerced—I don’t deny that. You trust Xue Jie, and I don’t oppose that either. But you must understand, I cannot gamble your life on someone’s character. This has nothing to do with whether Xue Jie is trustworthy or not. Even now, if it were someone I trust unconditionally, like Qufei, in that position, I still wouldn’t let you be a hostage. Do you understand?”
Shen Lingzhen pressed her lips together and lowered her head. She had expected this result, but in the next instant, Huo Liuxing gently lifted her chin: “However…”
She looked at him in confusion: “However?”
“However, if you’re willing to follow my method, I can adopt your plan.”
Hearing there was room for compromise, her eyes immediately brightened: “What method?”
“You stay somewhere safe, and have someone else go meet Xue Jie in your place.”
Shen Lingzhen froze.
Jianjia, who had been listening for quite some time, understood Huo Liuxing’s meaning and hurriedly nodded: “Young master is right. The ordinary Xiqiang soldiers don’t even know what the young madam looks like—why must you go personally? Let this servant disguise herself as you for this trip. Young Master Xue knows this servant and understands that this servant’s words are your words. As long as his heart still lies with Daqi, he’ll surely cooperate with this servant in the act.”
“But Jianjia isn’t me after all. What if something goes wrong…”
“Yinyin, on the battlefield there’s no such thing as complete safety. This comes down to your choice.”
——
That night, Shen Lingzhen was escorted by the army to East Valley Fortress. Before leaving, she handed Jianjia a note written in her own hand.
Jianjia took the note and followed Huo Liuxing north overnight, intercepting Xue Jie’s army at the hour of the rat the following night.
On the vast boundless plain, two armies that should have been clashing in battle faced each other in a distant standoff. Though there was tension in the air, neither side had drawn their blades.
As Shen Lingzhen had predicted, Xiqiang agreed to the “peace talks.” Dozens of Xiqiang soldiers holding weapons—half protecting, half monitoring—accompanied Xue Jie to the front lines.
On this side, Jianjia also emerged from the military formation. Under the protection of Huo Liuxing and dozens of Daqi soldiers, she dismounted and stepped forward, calling out: “A’Jie brother!”
Xue Jie’s expression instantly froze, but he quickly concealed it. Lightly pressing his horse’s flanks, he approached Jianjia, looking down at her and saying: “Yinyin, what do you want to say to me?”
With this blatant lie of calling her “Yinyin,” the hand Huo Liuxing held behind his back changed gestures, from a fist to five fingers spread open.
The Daqi soldiers discreetly committed this gesture to memory—it meant to take Xue Jie alive.
Following Shen Lingzhen’s instructions, Jianjia said to Xue Jie: “A’Jie brother, can you have these people withdraw, and then I’ll speak with you?”
Xue Jie glanced at the Xiqiang soldiers surrounding him, then looked at Huo Liuxing: “Yinyin, now that we meet with weapons drawn, things are different from the past. Right now it’s Daqi seeking peace talks with me, so Daqi should be the one making concessions, not me. If we’re really going to have idle parties withdraw, shouldn’t General Huo set an example first?”
Huo Liuxing smiled faintly: “General Xue seems not to have grasped the situation clearly. The one seeking peace talks with you is not Daqi, but Yinyin. This Huo has two thousand elite soldiers behind him and does not fear battle with your Xiqiang forces. It’s only out of consideration for Yinyin’s feelings that I’m unwilling to engage in major conflict.”
“This is the first time I’ve seen someone negotiate peace with such sincerity. In that case…” Xue Jie’s hand hanging at his side formed two fingers together, discreetly making a “shoot” gesture.
A heavy arrow instantly shot from the Xiqiang formation through the air, aimed straight at Huo Liuxing’s face.
Huo Liuxing dodged with a quick movement. Xue Jie seized this opportunity, leaning down to grab Jianjia and pull her onto his horse, then wheeling around and galloping away. Xiqiang soldiers flowed like water to surround him.
Jianjia cried out in alarm.
Huo Liuxing abruptly raised his head: “Chase them!” But the gesture he made behind his back gave a different signal—go slow.
The Daqi soldiers then pursued with movements that said “Oh heavens the general’s wife has been captured we must save her” combined with paces that seemed to say “Why is someone holding my horse’s legs why can’t I run fast at all.”
Up ahead, the Xiqiang soldiers were cheerfully saying: “General Xue truly has excellent skills! When we return to Xiqiang, the king will surely reward you handsomely!”
“Indeed! Now General Xue not only has a bright future ahead, but he’s also obtained this beautiful woman. From now on, General Huo’s romantic pleasures will be yours!”
Jianjia couldn’t help but mentally retch. While struggling, she secretly slipped the note Shen Lingzhen had given her to Xue Jie, saying aloud: “A’Jie brother, let me go back…!”
Xue Jie silently received the note and replied: “Daqi wronged the Xue family first. Yinyin, I had no choice. From now on, you’ll stay with me.” As he spoke, he took advantage of the moonlight to glance down at it.
The note contained a short poem—
The east wind blows without strength,
In spring valley, parting dreams persist.
Green mountains laugh with casual ease,
Withering or flourishing rests with your intent.
Xue Jie quickly closed his hand, hiding it in his wrist guard.
This was a code poem Shen Lingzhen used to play with him.
The first character of the first line, the second character of the second line, the third character of the third line, and the fourth character of the fourth line, connected together read: East Valley Awaits You.
——
Approaching the hour of the tiger, the night was cool as water. No one in East Valley Fortress slept that night.
Shen Lingzhen wrapped herself in a fur cloak, standing on a three-zhang-high tower overlooking the fortress entrance, her heart perpetually stuck in her throat.
About half an hour passed. Seeing dawn approaching, she finally couldn’t help asking: “Jingmo, has my lord sent any new messages?”
“Half an hour ago, word came that everything was proceeding smoothly. They should arrive soon.”
Shen Lingzhen nodded. Just as she was about to ask something else, she suddenly saw Jingmo’s expression turn serious. His ear tilted slightly and moved: “They’re here. Cavalry, no less than three thousand. Xiqiang horses.”
Shen Lingzhen immediately gripped the railing and looked down. After about the time it takes to burn a small portion of an incense stick, she indeed saw a group of blue-armored cavalry in disorderly formation surging toward the fortress entrance. Leading them was none other than Xue Jie, holding Jianjia captive.
The Daqi soldiers who had been lying in ambush all night swarmed forward the moment the horse beneath Xue Jie tripped on a rope strung between tree stumps.
“It’s a trap! There’s an ambush!”
“Retreat!”
“General Xue…” A Xiqiang soldier was about to help Xue Jie and Jianjia, who had fallen from the horse, but Xue Jie raised his hand and slashed the man’s throat with a single stroke.
Xue Jie locked eyes with Shen Lingzhen on the tower from afar, gritted his teeth, and shoved Jianjia: “Go!” He himself turned and plunged into the Xiqiang formation alongside the Daqi soldiers.
“Xue Jie, you treacherous bastard! Don’t forget your mother is still in the king’s hands!” someone reminded him.
Xue Jie remained silent, only focused on fighting with all his might.
Watching spears pierce past his ribs again and again, each time seeming about to run him through, Shen Lingzhen turned back to Jingmo in alarm: “Where’s my lord?”
Her words had barely fallen when she suddenly heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching from far to near. Looking back, she saw a line of orderly crimson cavalry galloping toward them. Reining in his horse before the fortress, Huo Liuxing calmly made a gesture signaling “total annihilation” and said with composed ease: “Except for General Xue, leave not a single one alive.”