Late autumn had passed, and the depth of winter approached. After a frost, the air carried several hints of coldness. During early mornings and late evenings, the chill crept in, forcing one to add layers of clothing. Charcoal fires burned in the rooms all day, as time slowly passed through these prolonged, gloomy days.

After midday, someone called at the door, but no one answered for a long while. Huan’er, who was taking an afternoon nap in her room, heard the noise and hurriedly threw on some clothes before running out. She was nineteen this year and had become the senior maid of Qingshan Courtyard. Opening the door, she saw Month Seven standing there, his cloak covered in frost, his features turning bluish from the cold. Startled, she asked urgently, “Why are you in such a disheveled state?”

Month Seven didn’t answer but asked instead, “Where is the Young Master?”

“Young Master went to the plum garden on the back hill this morning. Qing Xi and Jia’er are with him. Is something wrong?”

“Please take me to him quickly.”

Seeing Month Seven’s worried expression, Huan’er slipped her arm into her final sleeve while taking small, hurried steps ahead, repeatedly saying, “Follow me.”

But just as she stepped forward, Month Seven moved aside as a woman entered first. She wore a sky-blue Southern Ring white brocade embroidered with extremely cool, pale green water-dyed patterns. Though simple in style, the cut fit her perfectly, making her appear somewhat slender. Her distant eyebrows were dark as ink, her makeup light. Her beauty was extraordinary, although she appeared somewhat pale, which only added to her melancholy charm against the cold.

“Young Lady, please come this way,” Month Seven said respectfully. Seeing Huan’er still standing dazed, he hurriedly said, “Hurry up!”

“Oh!” Huan’er came to her senses and quickly led the way.

Yesterday’s frost and snow had caused the plum garden’s flowers to burst into bloom all at once. White and red blossoms flourished gloriously, dazzling to the eye. A thin layer of snow covered the ground, reflecting a pure white all around. The sun only vaguely cast weak light, like yellowish willow twigs scattered section by section on the mottled stone slabs.

Qing Xi and Jia’er stood holding cloaks at the corner of an old plum tree, peering into the distance and occasionally whispering to each other.

When Huan’er ran in, a sudden gust of wind rose. Through the dense plum shadows, she caught sight of a young man in blue robes sitting gracefully on a stone bench, holding a wolf-hair brush and gazing at the cold plum blossoms as he painted. A small brazier was placed beneath his water container, with boiling water above it and a fine Hui ink stone. His hood half-concealed his face, his clothes fluttered, his eyes like black jade, his lips like a touch of frost. As the wind passed, plum blossoms scattered onto his shoulders. In that instant, it seemed he could captivate one’s soul.

The silence and the cold in the air momentarily mesmerized the little maid. This time when the Young Master returned, he seemed much thinner. Though he still maintained that aloof, serene demeanor, Huan’er, having served him for so many years, sensitively detected that something was different. The Young Master would drift off while speaking, pause mid-meal without realizing it, and sometimes appear deeply engrossed in a book, yet when she cleaned his study in the evening, she’d find the page unchanged from the previous day.

She had heard that the Young Master had suffered defeat in a family power struggle this time, fallen from favor, and been blamed by the Old Master. He had been punished to kneel in the ancestral temple for three days and nights, then placed under house arrest in Qingshan Courtyard, forbidden to leave.

The Young Master was typically solitary in his conduct and didn’t get along well with his family’s brothers and sisters. When he fell from grace, who knew how many people secretly clapped their hands in delight, yet not one person came forward to speak on his behalf. Now the eldest young master had returned to the estate and had been appointed logistics officer for the northern expedition, clearly showing that the Fourth Young Master was even less favored.

Presumably, the Young Master was troubled by this matter. Ah, such a proud person suddenly reduced to this state. Huan’er frowned, gently biting her lip. The Young Master was quite a good person—far better than many other masters outside. Many people were merely frightened by his exterior.

She grabbed the cloak from Qing Xi’s hands and scolded with furrowed brows, “How foolish! What use are you?”

With that, she ran forward a few steps and draped the silver fox fur cape over Zhuge Yue’s shoulders, saying, “Young Master, it’s so cold. Let’s go back.”

Zhuge Yue looked up, his gaze as clear and quiet as a cold pond. Without speaking, a single glance conveyed all his meaning.

Huan’er immediately retreated, understanding her place, and respectfully said, “Month Seven has brought a young lady to see you, Young Master. She says it’s important.”

Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, put down his brush, and said, “Let them in.”

When the woman entered, plum blossoms scattered and snow flew. As their eyes met, even the aloof Zhuge Yue showed a slight shock. His brow furrowed lightly as he stood up, his hood falling back, watching silently as the woman approached through the deep plum blossoms, walking on the snow.

“Fourth Brother.”

The woman smiled faintly. In this era, she was no longer young, appearing to be twenty-four or twenty-five years old. Life had not been kind to her; fine lines adorned the corners of her eyes. Her voice was tender like water as she slowly approached, standing before Zhuge Yue with a gentle smile. Speaking as if nothing had changed, she said, “Still the same temperament. On such a cold day, when everyone else is warming themselves by the fire indoors, you choose to come here and brave the wind. Is your body made of iron?”

In an instant, the years rewound, time flowed backward. The same people, the same tone, and yet somehow, something had fundamentally changed. Zhuge Yue half-opened his lips, seemingly about to say something, but it froze on his lips. Within a breath, the man’s expression returned to normal, and he calmly stepped back, saying quietly, “Lady Helian.”

The woman’s smile instantly froze on her lips. She gently bit her lower lip, revealing a trace of a sorrowful smile, and finally sighed, “Won’t you invite me to sit?”

Zhuge Yue nodded and said, “Please sit.”

Month Seven and Huan’er promptly withdrew. Warm milk tea sat on the charcoal brazier. Zhuge Yue instructed Huan’er to bring a pot of clear tea instead, and the little maid quickly went to fetch it.

The woman smiled and said, “Thank you for remembering that I don’t like the gamey smell of milk tea.”

Zhuge Yue remained silent. The woman felt somewhat awkward and, after thinking for a moment, said, “I’ve heard everything. How are you now?”

Zhuge Yue smiled faintly, responding with polite courtesy, “Quite well.”

In the quiet plum garden, one could only hear the wind moving through the plum branches and the soft falling of snow. The woman sighed gently: “Fourth Brother, we haven’t seen each other for nine years. Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Zhuge Yue responded calmly, his tone without a trace of emotion: “I wasn’t aware Lady Helian was coming today. My apologies for not greeting you properly.”

“What’s this ‘Lady Helian’?” The woman snorted lightly, her tone carrying hints of self-mockery and sorrow. “The Helian clan has collapsed, and when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. If it weren’t for Aunt, I wouldn’t be sitting here alive right now.”

Zhuge Yue’s brow furrowed slightly, and he lowered his head in silence. The woman lifted her head, the corners of her mouth curving into a smile as she said, “I know that Aunt came to beg you for help. You arranged things with the exile office of the Ministry of Justice to get me back from the slave bureau and remove my slave status. Otherwise, otherwise…”

As she spoke, tears suddenly fell from her eyes. Zhuge Yue’s brow furrowed deeper, and he said gravely, “You needn’t dwell on this matter. Even without Second Madam’s request, I would have helped.”

“It’s easy to add flowers to brocade, but hard to send charcoal in the snow. When the Helian clan was prosperous, everyone in the family eagerly sought my favor. Once fallen, I was suddenly abandoned, with people desperate to drive me from the household. Only you extended a helping hand to me at such a time.”

Perhaps out of compassion, Zhuge Yue sighed lightly and asked, “What are your plans now that you’ve returned?”

The woman lowered her head and shook it gently: “I don’t know either. Aunt has grown old, and the Second House has long been empty. Although she adopted me back then, I was never entered into the family register. Moreover, I’m now a criminal’s wife. I’ll take it one step at a time. If one day I have nowhere to go, a white silk cord will end it all.”

Zhuge Yue’s brow deepened slightly: “I have some modest property outside. If you don’t mind, I can have Month Seven make arrangements for you.”

The woman glanced up from the corner of her eye, carefully studying Zhuge Yue, feeling that life turned like a bubble, everything hazy as a dream.

Time had passed in the blink of an eye. The once stubborn, solitary youth had grown into a man. The man before her was elegant and aloof. Even temporarily suppressed, the sharp, dazzling light about him remained hard to conceal. His spirit was as quiet as a deep pool, nothing like those mundane beings outside. Reflecting on all she had seen and experienced over the years, she suddenly felt a deep weariness and disgust. She slowly exhaled and said softly, “I know that even if there’s no place for me in the whole world, you would never turn me away.”

Though spoken so calmly, her words fell like a stone into a deep, frozen lake. In a daze, they seemed to return to twelve years ago, when a small orphaned girl whose family had fallen came seeking relatives, only to be turned away. Second, Madam, her aunt by blood, was too timid to help. A ten-year-old boy returning from military school happened to see her crying at the courtyard gate. The boy stood watching for a long time as his brothers, sisters, and more than ten concubines collectively bullied this little girl whose family had lost power. He watched quietly, his gaze serene, not at all like a child of just over ten years.

Finally, amid everyone’s mockery, the boy suddenly and unpredictably walked into the crowd, grabbed the girl’s hand, and headed straight for his courtyard. The First Madam shouted from behind, but the boy casually tossed a bank note to the steward, saying lightly, “For her food,” and then strode away.

After that, she stayed at Qingshan Courtyard, living peacefully for three years under the protection of that ten-year-old child. Later, through his mediation, she was adopted by Second Madam, gaining the status of a proper young lady of the family. It was precisely because of this status that she later managed to climb socially, becoming the wife of the Helian clan’s eldest legitimate son, even though the husband she married at just fifteen was a man over fifty.

He was still young then, and though somewhat solitary, he was still a child, not as cold as he would later become. Over time, they developed a familial bond of mutual support.

This child was stubborn back then. She still remembered how, to tame a wolf dog, he fought it bare-handed for an entire day. His hands and feet were bitten, but he finally subdued the wolf dog.

When Lord Zhuge asked him: Why didn’t you let the dog trainer handle it?

He countered: “Is this my dog or his dog?”

From then on, his status among the clan’s male children became quite different. He was not looked down upon at all despite his mother’s early death.

The Second Young Master of the First House, Zhuge Yi, had always been the family troublemaker. Relying on his birth from the First Madam and the support of the eldest young master Zhuge Huai, he was typically arrogant and domineering. Seeing that Zhuge Yue was favored by Lord Zhuge, he caused trouble for Qingshan Courtyard several times. Once he insisted on having this dog, but Zhuge Yue refused. He then begged the First Madam to intervene personally, and she took the dog away while Zhuge Yue was at military school. When Zhuge Yue returned and found out, he went directly to Huangshan Courtyard. Upon entering, he discovered the dog eating bones at Zhuge Yi’s feet. Without saying anything, he walked over and stabbed a knife directly into the dog’s neck, splashing blood all over himself. Everyone screamed and ran away, leaving only him, crouching there, stroking the convulsing dog’s head, saying nothing, just quietly accompanying it until the dog took its last breath.

She thought then that he was truly a grudge-bearing child. Later, as she grew up, she gradually understood that he didn’t hold grudges—he simply couldn’t tolerate betrayal.

But she had ultimately betrayed him cruelly, leaving with dreams of wealth and glory, abandoning the vast, cold Qingshan Courtyard entirely to him.

But now, she had returned. She remembered everything from the past, knew all that was hidden beneath his proud, cold exterior. She believed everything would be alright again if she were just given another chance.

She stood up, walked to Zhuge Yue’s side, bent down, and gently adjusted the collar of his fur cloak. She pressed her lips together and said warmly, “It’s too cold outside. Let’s go back after a while. We haven’t seen each other for so long.. I’ll personally cook something delicious for you today.”

Zhuge Yue looked at her expressionlessly. His gaze wasn’t particularly cold, but it carried a distant indifference that unconsciously frightened her. She instinctively sensed something was about to go wrong and hurriedly stood up, saying, “I’ll go back first. Another day, I’ll come see you another day.”

The wind rustled the trees, and snowflakes fell with the cold plum blossoms. The woman turned to leave, but Zhuge Yue suddenly called out, “Wanwan.”

Wanwan didn’t turn around. She hastily said, “No need to see me off. I can go by myself.”

“Wanwan!”

The voice behind her suddenly grew stern, as if seeing through her thoughts. The woman stopped immediately, her face pale.

Zhuge Yue’s gaze was distant as he calmly looked at her thin back, saying quietly, “I don’t remember that you dislike the gamey smell of milk tea. I asked the servants to change the tea only because it makes me nauseous, and I wanted something lighter.”

Nothing could have expressed his feelings more clearly than these words. Wanwan’s delicate body trembled slightly, her face turned pale, and she left without another word, as if she had never been there at all.

Zhuge Yue’s expression remained unchanged as he picked up his wolf-hair brush, dipped it in the ink stone a few times, and continued painting.

Soon, Month Seven came forward. Zhuge Yue didn’t look up but said in a deep voice, “How is it?”

“I don’t know, sir. I just returned from the north and saw the young lady standing at the entrance. The doorman was preventing her from entering, so I brought her in.”

“I’m asking about the situation of the war in the north.”

Month Seven was momentarily stunned, then hastily replied, “The heavy snow has blocked the roads, so accurate information can’t get through. However, I heard from passing merchants that Northern Shuo City is already surrounded. Yan Bei’s internal government is unstable and conscripting heavily. They say even children as young as ten have been issued weapons. Several snowstorms have added to Yan Bei’s troubles. Countless civilians have starved to death, and civil unrest has broken out in many places. The war situation is extremely favorable to our Great Xia.”

Zhuge Yue’s brush suddenly froze, and a drop of thick ink fell onto the white rice paper. He remained silent, but his brow furrowed slightly.

“Young Master, the Young Miss is in Northern Shuo City. We have people in Yan Bei’s interior. Should we help her at this critical moment, at least to prevent her from falling into enemy hands?”

Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone as cold as the snow on the frontier: “Help her? Do I have any standing to do so?”

Zhuge Yue rose to his full height, his tall figure standing amid the red and white plum blossoms with a unique charm and bearing. He quietly stepped forward, then suddenly turned back and said in a deep voice, “Don’t meddle in so many affairs in the future.”

Month Seven’s forehead beaded with cold sweat as he quickly bowed and said, “This servant will obey. I won’t speak out of turn again.”

“I meant about the Young Lady’s matter.”

Zhuge Yue strode away with Huan’er, Qing Xi, and the others hurriedly following behind. Month Seven stood in the plum garden, feeling the clothes on his back nearly soaked through.

The Young Master has been in a very bad mood lately. I must be careful.

Month Seven cautioned himself this way when suddenly a gust of wind blew up, lifting a corner of the rice paper on the stone table. He quickly stepped forward to hold down the painting. Looking at its contents, he was slightly surprised. The Young Master had sat in the plum garden for half a day, and everyone assumed he was painting plums, but unexpectedly, the drawing depicted a bustling, lively street. With light ink and just a few strokes, he had vividly portrayed the merchants and porters on the street—figures moving about, colorful lanterns burning high—creating an extraordinarily prosperous scene.

The Great Xia regulated commerce, and except during festivals, such lively scenes were rare. In the center of the painting was a woman on a tall horse, fading into the distance. Only her gradually receding back could be seen clearly—slender yet straight, incongruous with the surrounding scenery, faintly exuding a melancholy indifference.

The entire painting was roughly sketched with a few ink strokes, not detailed at all, appearing vague and indistinct. But the object in the woman’s hand was very clear. It had a long handle with a thin line, and the suspended object had long ears and round eyes—at first glance, it looked like a rabbit.

The scenery remains the same as in years past, but the people are not those of former days. That bustling street still exists today, still extraordinarily lively during the Lantern Festival, but the child from those years has long since grown up.

Standing in the center of the plum garden, Month Seven sighed softly and carefully rolled up the painting. The east wind blew catkins as petals fell in profusion.

Huan’er followed Zhuge Yue back to his room. As soon as they entered, she hurried to brew tea and boil water. Suddenly, Zhuge Yue called the maid’s name from the inner chamber. The little maid ran in swiftly, panting as she asked, “Young Master? What is it?”

“Take that down.”

“Ah?” Huan’er was startled. She saw that Zhuge Yue was pointing at a painting directly facing his bed. It depicted a young girl, about eleven or twelve years old, with bright eyes and a sweet smile, wearing a tender yellow upper garment and a light green skirt, looking adorable. This painting had been displayed there for over ten years. The paper had already turned slightly yellow. Everyone knew the painting was extraordinarily meaningful to the Young Master and handled it with great care during cleaning. She never expected the Young Master to ask her to take it down today.

“What? Can’t you reach it?”

“Oh? No, I can.” Huan’er hurriedly moved a chair over, climbed up, and carefully removed the painting from the wall. Then, holding it high above her head, she asked, “Young Master, where shall I put it?”

Zhuge Yue took the tea handed to him by Qing Xi, drank a sip, and said casually, “It’s yours now.”

“What?”

The little maid nearly tumbled over. Seeing that Zhuge Yue was not joking, Huan’er nervously rolled up the painting and, with a worried expression, left the room with the other two maids.

Zhuge Yue approached his desk, which was covered by a large lid. When he removed it, an enormous sand table was revealed, complete with mountains, rivers, and geography. Among them were small flags in five colors—red, yellow, blue, green, and black—densely inserted in the northwest corner.

He sat down and pondered in silence. After half an hour, Zhuge Yue frowned slightly and said slowly, “Not Northern Shuo. They’re going to attack Chiyuan Crossing.”

—*—*—*—*—*—

“Not Northern Shuo! The Xia army’s next target is Chiyuan Crossing!”

The fierce woman frowned and said, “For three whole days, the Xia army has conducted no regular charges, only small-scale harassment and skirmishes. This is abnormal, very abnormal. With the Great Xia’s military strength, if they combined their forces, they would have already launched a fierce attack on Northern Shuo. The current situation indicates that the Xia military’s internal command is not unified, and the forces gathered here are not their main strength…”

“Any new battle reports?” General Cao Mengtong, as if not hearing her, yawned while addressing his other subordinates: “Have the Zhao Qi brothers been frightened by our million-strong army? Have they forgotten the task their father sent them to accomplish?”

Everyone immediately burst into laughter. For these three days, the Yan Bei army had won victory after victory. The Xia army seemed like a block of tofu, scattering at the slightest touch. The troops of Zhao Qi and Zhao Ying appeared disunited. The Northwestern Allied Army favored Great Xia’s new favorite, the Fourteenth Prince Zhao Ying, while the Batuha Family Army followed behind Zhao Qi. Each time they charged, either one side disrupted the other’s formation, or one side ran into the other’s flank. They had no absolute formation whatsoever, merely putting on a show, with neither wanting to be the first to sacrifice troops as cannon fodder.

Before the Yan Bei army could even release their first volley of arrows, the Xia army would shout, “We can’t hold! We can’t withstand it!” and hastily retreat. Even a group of teenage soldiers would be stronger than them. Northern Shuo City housed over 600,000 regular troops and over 300,000 militia—truly a million-strong army as claimed. Originally, people had some apprehension and fear facing Great Xia’s iron-blooded strong army, but after several battles, even the peasant soldiers now dared to venture outside with their hoes.

“It seems we don’t need to wait for His Highness to return. The Xia dogs will retreat and flee back to Zhenhuang.”

Everyone laughed heartily. Lu Zhi, a general under Cao Mengtong, called out, “In my opinion, we should split our army in half now and help His Highness take Meilin Pass.”

“That’s not necessary. We might as well pursue the fleeing Xia troops to Zhenhuang.”

“That’s right!”

With these words, everyone responded in unison. They all chattered, as if they had already won a great victory.

“General Cao!”

Chu Qiao stood up abruptly, her eyes flashing like lightning as she said in a low, stern voice: “General, gentlemen, if you didn’t hear clearly what I just said, I don’t mind repeating it! To this day, we haven’t determined where the enemy’s main force is. The charges and attacks we’ve seen have all been small teams of under ten thousand men. Although the central army flag is among the troops, we haven’t seen the enemy’s main cavalry force. The heavy snow has blocked our information channels. We don’t even know where the enemy camp is located. This is utterly farcical! I don’t understand the Batuha Family and the Northwestern Allied Army, but I know Third Prince Zhao Qi, and I’ve directly clashed with the Fourteenth Prince Zhao Ying on the battlefield. Zhao Qi is a cautious person, careful in his conduct and rigorous in his actions. He would never lead troops to attack so boldly without precaution. Even if he did come, his methods wouldn’t be so clumsy. As for Zhao Ying, though young, he is a senior commander from Great Xia’s Imperial Military Academy, deeply strategic and skilled in tactics. His military discipline is strict, his methods unpredictable. He excels in positional warfare and siege warfare, with rich battle experience in commanding large army groups. This man is resilient and adept at ambushes, known as the ‘Viper’ within the Xia military. He would never make such suicidal attack movements!”

“I ask all of you gentlemen to think carefully. How could Great Xia, which has dominated for nearly a hundred years, have only such capability? They are deceiving us, making us complacent! If I’m not mistaken, Zhao Qi and Zhao Ying must not be in the opposing army now. There’s more than one path to enter Yan Bei. If I were the Xia commander, I would cross the Helan Mountains, break through via Changyin Mountain Ravine, and attack Chiyuan Crossing. Once they gain a foothold there, with attacks from both sides, Northern Shuo would fall without a fight! Fortunately, although we’ve wasted three days, there’s still time. If we now reinforce Chiyuan with 200,000 troops, relying on the terrain, we can certainly withstand the Xia army. Military opportunities are fleeting. Please consider carefully!”

Silence. Deathly silence.

Everyone looked up at this woman in military attire. She stood alone in the vast meeting room, her back straight, her eyes blazing, her body slightly leaning forward, her brows tightly knit, looking at everyone with a serious expression, faintly showing traces of hope and anger.

The wrinkles on Cao Mengtong’s face trembled slightly. Suddenly, he stood up and then walked out the door without a word.

This was the perfect way to express a commander’s emotions. In no time, the vast room was empty except for Chu Qiao. She sighed deeply, sat down helplessly in a chair, supporting her forehead with her hand, the corner of her eye twitching repeatedly.

Entrusting nearly a million lives to this mob of incompetents was simply suicidal for the army. That the quality of Yan Bei’s military had deteriorated to such an extent—allowing people with no battle experience to command large military operations—was truly an unimaginable disaster. Did Yan Xun know about this situation in the army? If he were here, he could still use his prestige to control things, but how could she reverse all this?

These old fogies of the Datong Alliance—they were more valiant than anyone when it came to arguing, quarreling, making trouble, and fighting among themselves. Their ability to shout slogans was unparalleled, and their skill at inciting civil unrest was world-class. But to have them lead troops in battle, formulate battle plans, see through the enemy’s shallow military defense—by god! Wouldn’t that be a waste of talent?

The fire in Chu Qiao’s heart surged unstoppably. Seven groups of messengers had been sent to notify Lady Yu, but not one had returned. If someone who could control the situation didn’t come soon, then in this battle, Yan Bei would undoubtedly be defeated!

The setting sun cast a blood-like glow. Outside, the soldiers’ joyful songs could be heard, interspersed with the clear, tender laughter of children. Chu Qiao didn’t know how long such songs would continue, just as she didn’t know how much longer those people outside would live. If she had an army, even just a hundred men, she could immediately bind those vile officers, but she didn’t. The guards Yan Xun had left her had all been sent to find Lady Yu. Now, she didn’t even have a single messenger guard.

“Should I sneak in tonight and kill all those old fogies?”

This thought flashed through her mind. Chu Qiao frowned in frustration; if she had an AK assault rifle, she would consider the feasibility of this method.

The sky gradually darkened. Chu Qiao slowly stood up. The bright moonlight shone through the window onto the ground. In the darkness, her silhouette was thin and lonely, bearing heavy helplessness and desolation.

Just as she walked out of the City Defense Office, several young soldiers came running in panic. The leader bumped right into her, and seeing her luxurious clothes, suddenly realized his error. He immediately knelt with a thud, repeatedly apologizing.

These men were former serfs who hadn’t yet adapted to Yan Bei’s reforms. When they encountered officers on the road, they still habitually knelt and kowtowed. Chu Qiao saw that these young soldiers were all just children, the oldest being only twelve or thirteen, the youngest possibly not even ten, with their entire bodies not as tall as a rifle. Each held a wooden stick with an iron bar inserted at the end, serving as a spear. Such weapons on the battlefield wouldn’t withstand even a single round against the enemy. Great Xia’s military swords were the sharpest weapons in the world, able to easily pierce all armor and effortlessly cut through these children’s so-called “spears.”

To call them soldiers would be less appropriate than calling them beggars, yet they constituted a significant part of Northern Shuo’s million-strong army. Chu Qiao felt a profound sense of helplessness, like falling into the sea with seaweed entangling her feet, unable to swim ashore no matter how hard she struggled.

Chu Qiao’s brow was tightly furrowed, feeling as if her heart was being firmly gripped. After Yan Xun left, Cao Mengtong had been recruiting soldiers indiscriminately. All refugees within a hundred-mile radius were gathered—women forced to become military prostitutes, men conscripted into the army, and the elderly enlisted as laborers. In an instant, Northern Shuo had become a hellish inferno. The officers of the Datong Alliance, like beggars who had suddenly become emperors above thousands, committed atrocities that would make even Great Xia’s nobles feel ashamed. Chu Qiao had attempted to remonstrate several times but was shut out. After killing a few soldiers who had abused civilians, those common people who refused to be enslaved either fled the city or hid in the Advisory Department, which was now filled.

This was Yan Bei’s free regime. These were the leaders who had fought for Yan Bei’s independence for years. These were the future and hope that the people of Yan Bei had eagerly supported!

Chu Qiao took a deep breath. The people suffering from hardships had welcomed their destroyers with drums and gongs!

The woman’s fist was clenched tightly, as if to crush something. When Yan Xun returned, when he came back, she would definitely…

“My Lady,” the leader of the children called timidly, “are you Lady Chu from the Advisory Department?”

Chu Qiao lowered her head and saw that this child was barely eleven or twelve years old. His thin arms looked as if they could break with just a little force. His complexion was sallow, clearly malnourished, with only his eyes still flashing with childlike intelligence—black, round, and darting. He wore a tattered coat with a large padded jacket outside, so worn that the cotton padding was visible.

“How do you know me?”

“There’s only one female officer in the army!” The child soldier said happily. “My Lady, we’ve all heard that you’re a good officer!”

The children behind immediately crowded forward, unafraid and chattering: “My sister is in the Advisory Department. You saved her! Do you know her, My Lady?”

“My mother is there too!”

“My Lady, we saw you cut down that soldier the day before yesterday. You were so amazing!”

“Yes, My Lady, speak to us for a while, teach us a few skills. We’re about to go to the battlefield!”

“Yes, My Lady, talk to us! Teach us how to kill enemies!”

“My Lady, say something!”

Looking at the faces of these children barely in their teens, Chu Qiao suddenly felt as if her heart had stopped. She began to doubt—doubt her beliefs, doubt her values, doubt the correctness of her actions. She even considered turning around and rushing back to the City Defense Office to continue the horrifying thought she’d had in the meeting room. But thinking was one thing; she just stood there, not moving, doing nothing. The torchlight shone on her face, bright and blood-red.

Her voice was low and hoarse, with a suppressed quality. She spoke slowly, emphasizing each word: “When charging, don’t run at the front.”

Then, as if unable to bear it any longer, she immediately turned and walked away quickly, leaving behind a group of dumbfounded children staring at her back. The child soldiers scratched their heads in confusion, watching her silhouette and wondering: Why did the Lady’s words differ from what the officers said?

Just as she reached the corner of the long street, Chu Qiao stopped. She simply didn’t dare to continue facing the children’s eyes, nor could she encourage them to do well, to be loyal to their country and win this battle. She thought she had been hardened by war like steel and iron, but now she knew she was far from it.

“General Cao has finally won such a victory, yet you said in the meeting that Great Xia was deliberately showing weakness to numb everyone’s senses. Naturally, he doesn’t want to believe you.”

A cold voice suddenly sounded beside her ear. Chu Qiao turned her head to see Xue Zhiyuan leaning against a wall with his arms folded, looking at her sideways with an expression that seemed somewhat gleeful at her misfortune.

Chu Qiao now felt complete disgust for these native Datong Alliance officers. She snorted coldly and turned to leave.

“Is His Highness planning to abandon us?”

After just one step, Xue Zhiyuan suddenly asked the shocking question. Chu Qiao immediately stopped and slowly turned back, her gaze as sharp as a knife, her tone low: “What did you say?”

“His Highness and Mr. Wu are rare military leaders from Yan Bei. They took the elite forces of the First Army to attack Meilin Pass, yet left no one to defend Northern Shuo, giving the Second Army’s main force ten days to directly confront the Xia army and wear each other down. Military experts like Lady Yu are merely stationed in Blue City, not reinforcing Northern Shuo. Military strategists like Lady Chu have no power. The entire Northern Shuo City has fallen into the hands of a mob that knows nothing about military affairs. Heh, if I hadn’t seen that Lady Chu hasn’t left Northern Shuo, I would truly believe that His Highness has decided to abandon the Second Army.”

In an instant, it was as if lightning had struck her mind. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of it; she just didn’t want to believe it.

Would Yan Xun not know what kind of person Cao Mengtong was, what the Second Army was like, what the Datong Alliance was? What was his intention in attacking Meilin Pass at this time? Was it truly to catch Xia’s army off guard, prevent the crisis of fighting on two fronts, and encircle the Northern Expedition Army from the west? Or was it to allow these ten days for the Northern Expedition Army and the Second Army to fight until both were damaged?

Otherwise, why would he hand military power to Cao Mengtong? Why not leave Mr. Wu to oversee Northern Shuo? Why send her to seek refuge with Lady Yu in Blue City? Why had none of the seven groups of people she sent to find Lady Yu returned?

What was the reason behind all this? Could it be, as Xue Zhiyuan suggested, that everything was Yan Xun’s arrangement? Was the purpose to consume the Second Army’s main force and stabilize his position in Yan Bei using the Great Xia’s hand?

But for such a purpose, disregarding hundreds of thousands of civilians and placing Yan Bei in danger—was it worth it? Could Yan Xun do such a thing?

“But even if His Highness is clever, General Cao is no fool. In ten days, those hundreds of thousands of militia can hold on. When His Highness returns, only the civilian army will have been consumed. The Second Army’s main force will remain intact. His Highness’s plan doesn’t seem to be working out well.”

“In my homeland, unfounded speculation about one’s superior is punishable by military law!”

The young woman glanced sharply and suddenly said coldly.

Xue Zhiyuan was momentarily stunned. Then Chu Qiao continued coldly: “You needn’t try to instigate. Even if Yan Bei’s internal situation is unstable and the Datong Alliance is seriously competing for power, His Highness wouldn’t use the entire Northern Shuo City as a stake in this game of attrition! Even if everything is as you say, I believe he is not someone who would stop at nothing for power and profit. From a strategic perspective, His Highness’s counterattack on Meilin Pass is a perfect ambush, with no tactical problems! Lady Yu hasn’t responded, which must be due to reasons we don’t know. This battle concerns the life and death of all Yan Bei. Only the blind and ignorant are still fighting for power and scheming against each other here. Once Yan Bei falls, its regime will vanish in an instant, and everyone will be on the road to the underworld. With all your spare time, you might as well train the recruits, so at least you won’t die so miserably!”

Xue Zhiyuan’s brow darkened coldly as he said, “If My Lady is so confident, why repeatedly send people to notify Lady Yu? If it’s as you say, three days is enough time to make a round trip from here to Blue City. Why hasn’t Lady Yu appeared yet? If Lady Yu hadn’t received orders from above, do you think she would stand by and watch Northern Shuo being mismanaged without intervening?”

Chu Qiao’s heart sank. Just as she was about to argue, she heard a warhorse rapidly approaching. Everyone on the street made way as the rider shouted, “Lady Chu! Where is Lady Chu?”

“I’m here!”

Seeing the man, Chu Qiao’s face lit up with joy. Standing on tiptoe, she called, “I’m here!”

The warhorse galloped forward. The man jumped down and ran up, shouting, “My Lady!”

“What happened? Why are you back only now? Where are the others? Did you see Lady Yu?”

“My Lady, we encountered bandits on the road. All our brothers were held by the bandits!”

“What?”

Chu Qiao and Xue Zhiyuan exclaimed simultaneously. Chu Qiao asked incredulously, “What bandits are so bold? You had over five hundred men in total. How could you be held by bandits?”

“My Lady, though our numbers weren’t small, they had more—over seven thousand.”

“Nonsense!” Xue Zhiyuan coldly shouted. “You were careless and now blame it on bandits. Volunteer armies are everywhere in Yan Bei now. Where would seven thousand bandits come from? You’re shirking responsibility!”

The guard’s eyebrows shot up as he righteously declared, “General Xue, though we brothers may lack ability, we have fought alongside His Highness north and south as elite troops. Even if we were to die in battle, we wouldn’t flinch. If there’s a single falsehood in what I say today, may I be pierced by ten thousand arrows and die a miserable death!”

Chu Qiao’s face turned pale as she asked, one word at a time, “What about the first group? The team escorting my sisters to Blue City—were they also held up?”

The guard’s expression immediately darkened. He kowtowed to the ground and said sorrowfully, “This servant is incompetent. Please punish me, Young Lady.”

Chu Qiao took a deep breath, thinking of the Jing family women and wondering how frightened they might be. She asked gravely, “How are they now? What demands do these bandits have? Have they harmed our people?”

The guard immediately perked up and quickly answered, “No, not one was harmed. They ambushed us, and even our injured brothers were few. Originally, they were fierce, threatening us to deliver a message, but when they heard we were Lady’s subordinates, their attitude greatly improved.”

Chu Qiao was startled and asked, “What did you say?”

“My Lady, these people didn’t know who we were. They intercepted us only to find someone to deliver a message. They said they wanted to see you.”

“They want to see me?”

“Yes.”

Chu Qiao’s brow furrowed as she asked, “Who is their leader?”

“A man in his thirties, extremely valiant in battle. He’s not an ordinary bandit but seems to have received formal training. Their entire force is of very high quality with excellent individual combat skills. Their weapons and equipment are complete, though they don’t wear regular military uniforms. They refused to reveal their identity, only saying they had no ill intentions. Once you see him, they said, you’ll know who they are.”

Chu Qiao frowned, pondering for a moment before suddenly saying, “Prepare horses. Let’s go meet them.”

“Are you crazy?” Xue Zhiyuan grabbed her hand. Although the two had always been adversaries, they were still in the same trench. The man said gravely, “Leaving the city now—don’t you value your life?”

Chu Qiao turned to look at him, her expression serious: “My sisters and subordinates are all in their hands.”

“So what? Can you alone defeat them?”

“Does General Xue want to provide me with troops? Not many—five thousand would suffice.”

Xue Zhiyuan was immediately at a loss for words. He was only a vanguard commander. Now that Cao Mengtong wanted to preserve the Second Army’s strength, he couldn’t mobilize even five hundred men, let alone five thousand.

Chu Qiao snorted coldly, mounted the warhorse brought by the guard, and, following behind him, coldly commanded, “Hya!”

The warhorse reared up and galloped towards the city gate, leaving only dust behind.

Xue Zhiyuan’s eyebrow arched. Just then, a soldier led a horse over. He seized it and followed behind Chu Qiao, racing towards the West Gate.