Precisely because of such busyness, she didn’t see Chu Li even once all day. When she received the transfer order for the Nanjiang border army that evening, she was slightly stunned, momentarily thinking she was hallucinating.

Chu Li wasn’t in his room, so she went directly to Shuhe Courtyard. Inside the exquisite small building, Shen Qianru was playing the qin, her music ethereal with a misty, floating quality. Chu Li wore moon-white robes, eyes slightly closed as he reclined on a long couch. Beside him was a black incense burner, gently releasing curling fragrance upward.

It must be said that Qing Xia’s timing was rather poor. Hearing footsteps, Chu Li frowned slightly and opened his eyes to see Qing Xia in official robes standing at the doorway, his expression inevitably somewhat awkward.

Seeing Qing Xia, Shen Qianru didn’t dare be careless and quickly bowed in greeting, saying softly: “This humble woman greets Your Lordship.”

Qing Xia didn’t even glance at her, only slowly saying in a deep voice: “You may leave first.”

Shen Qianru looked back at Chu Li uneasily. In her eyes, Chu Li was still just an influential advisor in the Governor’s Office, but no matter how influential, he couldn’t compare to the Grand Commander. Seeing Qing Xia’s expression now, she couldn’t help feeling worried.

Chu Li nodded slightly and smiled gently: “It’s alright, don’t be afraid. You may go.”

That simple phrase “don’t be afraid” pierced Qing Xia’s heart like a nail. As the woman’s pale garments slowly disappeared from the doorway, Qing Xia took a deep breath, gripping the Nanjiang transfer order so tightly her fingertips went white, and asked word by word in a deep voice: “What is the meaning of this?”

Chu Li’s expression remained unchanged as he continued sitting on the long couch, saying calmly: “Nothing much. I considered it and you were quite right – I really shouldn’t risk my life competing with Yan Hui over a single day’s advantage. I hadn’t realized before that the situation here in Dongnan was so favorable. If it continues developing, within three years we can monopolize the western economy. I really have no need for such unnecessary actions.”

“So you privately cancelled tomorrow’s military expedition without even informing me, is that correct?” The woman’s voice was cold as ice, carrying sharp momentum as she spoke slowly.

Chu Li frowned: “I’ve been busy with affairs recently and forgot.”

“Heh…” Qing Xia suddenly smiled bitterly, eyebrows slightly raised as she looked at him indifferently: “Busy with affairs? Busy with what? Playing music, listening to songs, or busy pleasing a beauty?”

Chu Li’s brow furrowed as he suddenly turned around, his eyes sharp as he said: “This is my affair and not for you to comment on!”

“My…” Qing Xia laughed quietly, then smiled bitterly: “Forgive me, I truly forgot my place. If that’s the case, this subject will not disturb Your Majesty’s tranquility.”

Having said this, Qing Xia slowly turned around. After just two steps, her footsteps involuntarily stopped. Her voice carried bitterness and barely concealed heartache, layered like rolling ocean waves, submerging all those underlying emotions, all burning feelings, all the gradually derailing and uncontrollable sentiments.

“Chu Li, I truly am a self-important, shameless, fickle woman. If you schemed for five years just to humiliate me like this today, then congratulations – you’ve succeeded.”

The woman’s figure gradually disappeared beyond the red walls of Shuhe Courtyard. As the sky gradually darkened, long horn calls sounded outside. Chu Li removed his brocade robes, put on heavy armor from the cabinet, turned and walked out of the room. Shen Qianru knelt in the nearby corridor, humble and obedient, her snow-white neck curved beautifully like a swan’s. Seeing her, Chu Li’s originally firm steps couldn’t help but pause.

“Qianru will kowtow one last time to her benefactor, hoping he achieves his wishes and returns safely.”

Chu Li’s eyes were like snow as he looked at her indifferently, finally nodding: “Thank you.”

Shen Qianru didn’t raise her head, only saying slowly: “Though Qianru doesn’t know who the benefactor is or what he wishes to do, I will still offer three sticks of incense daily in devotion. Whatever the benefactor wishes to do, please go quickly.”

Chu Li glanced at her, then turned around and resolutely left this warm pavilion by the water.

Only after Chu Li had gone far did Shen Qianru slowly raise her head, watching the retreating figure of that man she should never have crossed paths with in her entire life, her heart gradually softening.

If possible, she really wanted to accompany him for life, but ultimately lacked such qualification. Then she hoped another suitable good person would accompany him, so he wouldn’t have to sit alone in high towers during deep nights, isolated and lonely.

On the magnificent, imposing commanding platform, Chu Li in black armor looked at the twenty thousand cavalry below, his brow furrowing tightly as if deciding something, with indescribable gravity.

Le Song stepped forward and whispered in Chu Li’s ear: “Miss has already taken the main road. Song Yang is escorting her with three hundred black-clad guards from behind. She’ll be fine.”

Chu Li nodded. Le Song thought for a moment and said reluctantly: “Your Majesty, why must you drive Miss away like this? The sea prohibition has been lifted, everything is ready. Just wait three more years – not to mention small Xiongnu tribes, even if it were Northern Qin, what would there be to fear? Your Majesty has waited so many years, wasn’t it all for you and Miss…”

Chu Li interrupted him: “I can wait, but she can no longer wait.” The black-robed man slowly raised his head: “Guli A’shu, Qidan Han, Nannu Chili – this time, we will turn the entire Xiongnu grassland upside down. If we don’t find him, we vow not to return to court.”

Strong winds blew, banners flew high, and a heavy scent of blood slowly permeated the sky.

The next evening, Qing Xia finally found an inn to rest at. The woman registered for a room, handed her horse to the innkeeper, and entered the upper room. She didn’t close the door completely, only peered out through the crack. Sure enough, several men dressed as merchants also entered afterward, booking several rooms on the second floor.

Qing Xia sat on the bed, frowning as she pondered all the preceding events. The more she thought, the more wrong it seemed, but she still kept silent, ordered some food, and closed her door.

Early the next morning, that group of merchants was suddenly awakened by angry cursing. They came downstairs to find the innkeeper shouting furiously: “Simply shameless! I saw he was a young gentleman and didn’t ask for a deposit, but he actually snuck away in the middle of the night. I…”

One man frowned and exchanged glances with his companion. Without paying any attention to the boss’s shouting behind them or settling their bill, they turned and ran out.

Qing Xia rode swiftly at full gallop, not caring about the city guard of the sea market kneeling and bowing behind her, racing back to the Governor’s Office like wind and fire. She kicked the main gate open with a bang, only to find the courtyard deserted with just a few cleaning servants who were all startled to see her.

Qing Xia didn’t speak to them and ran to Shuhe Courtyard, where not only Chu Li but even Shen Qianru were already gone.

Everything suddenly made perfect sense, and she immediately understood.

The thin woman bit her teeth hatefully, suddenly flicked her robes, and ran out.

At noon that day, an order was quietly transmitted to the frontier: Dongnan Province Grand Commander Xia Qing, after opening the sea prohibition, would establish frontier mutual markets for exchanging goods and supplies. In half a month, he would meet with Xiongnu chief leader Guli A’shu at Mount Baideng for an alliance.

Along with this news came word that the Dongnan Grand Commander’s convoy of fifteen thousand was roaring northward.

War flames and smoke signals immediately arose, and bloody winds began blowing slowly across the northern lands.

Huang Biao led a thousand Dongnan soldiers with strong crossbows, ambushed in dense forest upstream along the river course. His eyes stared as sharply as eagles at the Xiongnu approaching their stationed camp in the dim light, his palms drenched with sweat.

The sky gradually darkened. Wisps of green smoke were already rising from the distant camp – over a thousand columns of smoke rising straight up, clearly indicating the entire army cooking together in groups of ten or more, exactly right for an army of fifteen thousand. The Xiongnu were very cautious. Forward scouts observed for a long time before finally mounting horses with wrapped hooves and silently departing swiftly.

After a while, the sky grew even darker. Prairie storms came fiercely – in just a brief moment, thick clouds gradually gathered densely above.

A cavalry force of nearly two thousand Xiongnu emerged from a dense forest downstream, obviously having been in ambush for some time. Simultaneously, large numbers of fierce enemy troops appeared across the river. These men weren’t mounted but were all crouching low as they advanced quietly, wolf knives in their mouths, hooks and ropes at their waists, leading horses with one hand while gently parting the person-high grass before them with the other. The trained war horses were very cooperative, not making a single sound.

No matter how bold Huang Biao was, seeing these Xiongnu covering the mountains and fields like locusts as they launched their sneak attack, his mouth couldn’t help going dry. He had originally been an Eastern Qi pirate, later forced to become a mountain bandit when the Sea-Clearing Edict was issued. After Eastern Qi’s civil war, he too had raised his banner in revolt, becoming a grass-roots king until later being pacified by Southern Chu and finally eating imperial grain. He considered himself afraid of neither heaven nor earth, gods nor ghosts, but if today they were ambushed by these Xiongnu who were far more fierce than his bandits, then few of the thousand men behind him would survive.

Thinking this, he couldn’t help feeling cold sweat and chills down his spine, and his admiration for that tender-faced young commander grew even greater.

At this moment, the downstream cavalry had approached closely. Suddenly a bird-like clear whistle sounded, and all the Xiongnu cavalry dismounted and began advancing in crouched positions like their counterparts across the river, utterly silent. Meanwhile, the Xiongnu cavalry across the river had already begun crossing.

Most prairie rivers weren’t deep. Though this Xunsha River was considered a major river, in this September season it only reached waist level, with even the tallest Xiongnu barely submerged to their thighs.

Huang Biao’s throat was dry, and his palm gripping the crossbow was nearly dripping with moisture. Half the Xiongnu had already crossed the river with the other half still in the water. The Xiongnu on shore were gathering with the cavalry rushing up from downstream, waiting for their companions in the river. This was the moment when their guard was most relaxed – soon they would launch their attack on the main camp.