At this moment, they suddenly heard a messenger outside reporting that there were troops marching ten li ahead. Shi Xing, a pampered young master from a noble family who felt his own life was barely secure, didn’t care which forces were approaching. He ordered scouts to quickly investigate and report back, then lay groaning and sighing in the carriage like a corpse.
Soon a scout returned to report that it was Qin’s grain transport convoy that had entered Xichuan territory, with escort forces numbering over thirty thousand men.
Qing Xia frowned slightly. The relationship between these four nations was truly peculiar—they had just finished a bloody battle recently, yet now they were harmonious to this extent. In Qing Xia’s view, opening the borders to allow opposing armies to march straight through was no different from seeking death. Not to mention the enormous risks the host nation had to take, just think of the tremendous pressure those generals who dared enter enemy territory would face. Such simple and obvious reasoning couldn’t escape anyone’s understanding—there must be some hidden agenda here.
Upon hearing it was Great Qin’s grain transport convoy, Shi Xing immediately perked up, ordering his subordinate soldiers to notify the thousand-man units ahead to march quickly and ensure they left the Qin people far behind.
After two days of travel, the Qin people had been left over a hundred li behind. Shi Xing was smugly pleased, as if the two armies were racing, feeling that being faster than the Qin people brought him great face.
But Qing Xia was secretly cautious. Without any obvious reason, just her years of sharp sixth sense told her that beneath this seemingly calm surface, crisis lurked everywhere—it was definitely not simple. She instructed Bamber and the others to be vigilant during night watches and absolutely not allow any loss to the grain supplies. Bamber and the others didn’t understand why they needed to stay awake on guard when it wasn’t their turn for night duty, but they had always respected Qing Xia, so they became doubly careful and cautious.
That night, Qing Xia woke up thirsty in the middle of the night. When she got up to drink water, she suddenly noticed Xi Lin Chen wasn’t on his mat, which made Qing Xia somewhat worried. Since she couldn’t fall back asleep anyway, she put on her armor and walked out of the tent.
Qing Xia walked through the silent military camp. In the night, lights flickered, and the faint sounds of music and dancing drifted over from the direction of the main tent. Suddenly, a distant flute melody came floating over, the sound mournful and deep, carrying an indescribable sadness. Qing Xia followed the sound, climbing up a small snowy slope to see Xi Lin Chen standing atop it in blue clothes and cloth hat, his garments flowing freely, holding a flute with both hands and playing quietly. The bright moon cast its radiance faintly upon him, illuminating everything in brilliant white snow.
Qing Xia felt her nose sting, remembering that it had been exactly two years since leaving Southern Chu. Two years ago on this very day, the entire Xi Lin clan had perished, and Xi Lin Chen had narrowly escaped death, completing his magnificent transformation from noble young master to wandering beggar. Now times had changed, everything had undergone tremendous vicissitudes, and nothing was as it had been before.
Qing Xia knew this young boy must be hiding something in his heart—things that gnawed at his soul day and night, teaching him to face everything around him with indifferent smiles, yet never cease to view everything with heavy calculation and caution. This wasn’t his true nature, just changes made for survival after great upheaval. She only hoped she could stay by his side, slowly changing him, leaving a place in his heart, waiting for that future moment when he would risk everything, having some small leverage to hold him back.
Qing Xia stood there in a daze for a while, feeling the cold air invading. Looking up, she saw vast snowflakes falling like cotton. Xi Lin Chen standing in the swirling snow appeared even more ethereal, like an immortal. Qing Xia didn’t disturb him and turned back toward the tents.
Suddenly she heard low, tuneless singing from near the small storehouse. Qing Xia stopped and listened carefully—it was the Xunda divine song that Aunt Doihua used to love humming. Almost all Northern people could hum this tune, mainly to thank the great god Xunda for protecting their family’s safety. But the Xunda god that Aunt Doihua had believed in all her life hadn’t protected her at all—on the contrary, she had been tortured and killed in the most cruel manner by the Mulian people who worshipped the same Xunda god.
Through the tent’s gaps, Qing Xia tilted her head and quietly watched Nakdo’s softened face. This youth usually appeared dull-witted and rashly impulsive, but who would have thought he would also run out alone on such a night to silently miss his mother?
Qing Xia said nothing and was about to leave when she accidentally stepped on a dry branch. The crackling sound immediately rang out in the darkness, very noticeable.
“Who’s there?” Nakdo suddenly jumped up from the ground like a small leopard, grabbing his spear and charging forward.
Qing Xia quickly said, “Nakdo, it’s me,” to avoid being attacked by the youth.
“Xia Qing?” Nakdo was startled, lowered his spear, and slowly walked over.
Qing Xia smiled, “I couldn’t sleep at night, so I was just walking around. Sorry to disturb you.”
Nakdo smiled shyly, thinking that his tuneless singing had been heard by Qing Xia. His dark face couldn’t help but show a trace of blush as he said slowly, “I couldn’t sleep either. Since you said things might not be peaceful lately, I came out to have a look.”
Qing Xia patted his shoulder and smiled, “Since there’s nothing else to do anyway, let’s sit together.”
A fire basin burned in front of the small storehouse. Qing Xia felt a wave of warmth as the cold air was immediately dispelled. She sat down beside the fire basin, took the wine flask Nakdo handed her, tilted her head back, and took a gulp.
During this period, her alcohol tolerance had been trained up. Traveling in such snowy lands, one really couldn’t survive without being able to drink strong liquor.
“Xia Qing, do you really think someone will come raid the camp?” When it came to fighting, Nakdo’s eyes immediately lit up with brilliance.
Qing Xia smiled and patted his head, like hitting her own younger brother, saying, “All you think about is this stuff. I’m telling you, if someone really comes to raid the camp, you just need to protect our own grain supplies. If you rashly engage the enemy in battle, I won’t forgive you.”
Nakdo smiled foolishly and didn’t respond.
Qing Xia continued, “Nakdo, I don’t expect you brothers to achieve great merit and become marquises and ministers. I only know that since I brought you two out, I must bring you back safely. Otherwise, Aunt Doihua’s spirit in heaven won’t forgive me.”
At the mention of his mother, Nakdo’s expression darkened and he hung his head without speaking.
Qing Xia sighed and said solemnly, “I’m not saying I don’t want you to seek revenge, nor that I think you can’t. The hatred of killing one’s mother cannot coexist under the same sky—if it were me, I would also seek revenge. It’s just that I hope while you’re seeking revenge, you can think of your sister, think of your mother, and think of Xudalie. I don’t want to see you blinded by hatred, forgetting everything around you, your heart filled with hatred unable to see anything else. Nakdo, can you understand what I’m saying?”
Nakdo kept his head down and didn’t speak for a long time. As Qing Xia said these words, she also looked toward the other side of the snowy slope.
I already have one such person by my side. Nakdo, I just don’t want you brothers to be like him too, with even the roars in your dreams being suppressed.
“Xia Qing?” Nakdo’s voice suddenly rang out dully. Qing Xia turned her head to see his pair of bright eyes looking steadily at her, asking sincerely, “Am I very stupid?”
Qing Xia frowned and raised her eyebrows, asking, “Why do you ask that?”
Nakdo thought for a moment and said heavily, “I know I’m not as smart as Bamber, and I’m even more inferior to Han people like Li Xian and Sun Jie, not to mention compared to Xi Lin Chen. When you explain those things, I’m always the last to understand. But you also said that to become a general, one must learn those things, so I know I’m very stupid and can only ever be a common soldier, never able to become a general.”
Qing Xia smiled and said, “Nakdo, do you know what truly stupid people are like? They clearly know they’re stupid but don’t dare admit it, spending all day immersed in fantasies of being invincible. Since you can recognize your own weaknesses, you’ll work harder and put in more effort than others. Sooner or later, you’ll gain more than others. Besides, there are specializations in different fields. You have the greatest strength and best martial arts, and you learn the skills I teach you the fastest. They’re good at military formations and deployments, while you excel at field combat. In the Northern regions, the importance of field combat far exceeds siege warfare, so how can you belittle yourself here?”
Nakdo was naturally straightforward, and hearing Qing Xia say this, he felt it was indeed so—his horsemanship was superb, his mounted combat and hand-to-hand fighting were indeed better than theirs. His face immediately lit up with joy as he laughed heartily, “That’s right!”
Seeing his happy expression, Qing Xia smiled knowingly, her mood also improving. The sadness from worrying about Xi Lin Chen earlier eased slightly as she cheerfully clinked cups with Nakdo and took a big gulp of wine.
In great spirits, Nakdo said in his gruff voice, “Xia Qing, you’re the most capable person I’ve ever met. We all say privately that if you became the general, you’d definitely be much better than that brat Shi Xing.”
Qing Xia smiled but didn’t respond, just shook her head faintly while drinking.
Seeing her shake her head, Nakdo thought she didn’t believe him and quickly widened his eyes, saying, “Really! Look at that brat—he’s like mud that can’t stick to walls, living in debauchery all day. Sooner or later his nest will be raided and he won’t even know it.”
Qing Xia said, “I don’t have such great ambitions. I just hope you all stay safe and sound without any incidents.”
Nakdo smiled foolishly and said, “Following you, we guarantee nothing will happen.”
Qing Xia felt a wave of warmth in her heart, cozy like soaking in hot springs. She smiled and stood up, waved to Nakdo, and walked toward her own camp.
When she returned, Xi Lin Chen was already back, lying in the felt bedding as if he had never gone out, quietly maintaining his previous sleeping position without moving. Qing Xia stared at him blankly for a while, then walked over to adjust his blanket corner and moved the fire basin closer to his side before sighing softly and lying down to sleep.