It seemed light snow was falling again.

Tie Ci stood up. Feiyu also stood up, gathering his sleeves and squinting toward Liaodong’s direction. He suddenly said: “The snow is getting heavier. It’s time to handle some matters.”

Tie Ci silently looked at him once.

Feiyu turned to smile at her and said: “I must earn some betrothal gifts before I can marry you.”

Tie Ci said: “It would be fine the other way around too.”

Suddenly Tie Ci saw Huyin in the distance carrying a bowl of hot soup toward Rong Pu’s tent. In the cold weather, she held the bowl with one hand and covered it with the other, walking both quickly and steadily.

However, not long after she entered Rong Pu’s tent, she seemed to fly into a rage. The tent shook for a while, then she abruptly lifted the curtain and came out, also pulling Rong Pu out with her.

She dragged Rong Pu in a mad dash, actually running toward the direction where Feiyu and Tie Ci were located.

The two were currently on a small slope. Going downhill they would collide directly, so to avoid mutual embarrassment, they could only hide behind a nearby tree.

Normally such hiding couldn’t escape Huyin’s notice, but now because of the snow, with jade trees and crystal branches obscuring vision, and Huyin being in the heat of anger unable to carefully survey the surroundings, she pulled Rong Pu up the hillside, flung his hand away, and angrily demanded: “Why does your family not keep their word!”

Rong Pu coughed once and said gently: “Hezhuo, we never discussed marriage engagement. How can there be talk of going back on our word?”

Huyin angrily said: “Clearly your grandfather once expressed this intention to my brother-in-law! My brother-in-law told me!”

Rong Pu still said unhurriedly: “Hezhuo, in our Da Qian, when men and women form matrimonial bonds, there are many elaborate ceremonies required. You and I have neither parental decree nor matchmaker’s words—how can a marriage contract be determined based solely on grandfather’s private remarks? That would be disrespectful to you.”

“I’m not afraid of disrespect,” Huyin said. “We Western Rong don’t have as many rules as your Da Qian. If you like someone, you like them. If you want to be together, you report to parents once, eat meat and drink wine together, and then you’re together. When Western Rong had troubles, I thought I would never meet you again, but you came. In our Western Rong, this means destined lovers, people with fate. I have no parents left, my brother-in-law and sister are also gone. As long as you’re willing…”

“I’m not willing.”

The rest of Huyin’s words stuck in her throat.

Rong Pu maintained that composed appearance, speaking the most heart-cutting words to Huyin quietly and calmly: “Hezhuo, you’re right—if you like someone, you like them, and you can be together. But I mentioned all those rules because I simply don’t like you enough, isn’t that right?”

Huyin said nothing. From Tie Ci’s angle, she could see her tightly clenched pale fingers.

“Then at the academy…”

“I spoke very clearly at the academy.”

“You like Ye Shiba, don’t you? Because she’s more beautiful than me?”

“Hezhuo has her own beauty—don’t undervalue yourself. Whether I like Ye Shiba or not, I cannot be with Hezhuo.” Rong Pu said, “Descendants cannot speak of their grandfather’s faults. I can only say my grandfather made some mistakes in thinking, causing Hezhuo to have misunderstandings. This is our Rong family’s fault. I’m willing to take responsibility for this. In the future, should Hezhuo need anything…”

“I only want you.”

“…Pu is willing to provide Hezhuo with any help except marriage.” Rong Pu seemed not to have heard Huyin’s words.

Huyin fell silent for a while. Moments later, she straightened up, let go of her hands, and said calmly: “I understand. You may go.”

Rong Pu said nothing more and bowed before leaving.

Tie Ci remained silent behind the tree.

Perhaps Huyin still didn’t understand—she was simply born proud and wouldn’t humble herself for love.

But Tie Ci understood.

Chief Minister Rong had grand ambitions. He had indeed once tried to arrange for his grandson to marry the Western Rong Hezhuo.

Huyin was the most noble woman in Western Rong except for the queen. If nothing unexpected happened, Dan Ye would have to respect her after ascending the throne.

She had status and tribal armies—her command included one of Western Rong’s three most powerful tribes.

What Chief Minister Rong sought by marrying her as his grandson’s wife was self-evident.

Such matters naturally couldn’t be conducted openly. He must have given hints to the Western Rong king and might even have provided Huyin with the opportunity to study at the academy.

Huyin already admired Central Plains culture. Getting such news and seeing Rong Pu so outstanding, it was completely normal for her heart to flutter.

But Rong Pu, seemingly gentle yet actually rebellious, understood very clearly that once entangled with Huyin, the Rong family would truly embark on the path of seizing the throne.

This had nothing to do with whether he liked Tie Ci or not. He didn’t think highly of Chief Minister Rong’s ambitions, didn’t want the Rong family carriage led in the wrong direction by its driver, and didn’t want to become the one wielding the whip.

Tie Ci felt admiration rising in her heart.

Huyin was a good girl who shouldn’t become a sacrifice in political games. Rong Pu’s rejection was the true respect for her.

She hoped Huyin would understand early and meet someone truly suitable for her.

Her liking for Rong Pu—wasn’t it also because Rong Pu was one of the few men in Da Qian who could give her equality and respect?

But women’s equality and being respected never came from men’s gifts. They were earned by oneself.

If respect wasn’t given, you fought until you got respect—that was all.

Sharp whistling sounds reached her ears, accompanied by crashing noises.

Tie Ci looked.

Huyin indeed started fighting.

She drew out her long whip, lashing until snow flew in all directions. The whip’s tail swept those two snowmen, and the unfortunate snowmen shattered into pieces.

Tie Ci’s eyelids twitched chaotically.

Huyin suddenly flicked her whip, pointing toward behind the tree: “Come out!”

Feiyu was about to emerge but was pressed back down by Tie Ci. She calmly stepped out from behind the tree. The moment Huyin saw her, her eyebrows raised.

Before she could react, Tie Ci gave a long bow.

Huyin raised her eyebrows and sneered coldly: “What, are you apologizing to me?”

“Of course not,” Tie Ci smiled. “I haven’t done anything wrong, and you’re not in the right either. Why would I apologize?”

“Then why are you being so literary and polite?”

Because you like people to be refined and courteous.

Tie Ci naturally wouldn’t say that, but smiled peacefully: “I’m congratulating you.”

Huyin’s eyebrows shot up. She was born with sharp beauty, and when her eyebrows rose, her killing intent almost burst through her body.

“Congratulations on not going astray, not being completely deceived by that old man, not becoming a stepping stone for the Rong family’s ambitions; congratulations on not marrying into a wealthy family to be constrained by rules everywhere within four high walls where you couldn’t breathe; congratulations on not marrying a man who doesn’t love you, gradually suffocating from unrequited love, ending either as lifelong resentful spouses or drawing blades against each other; congratulations on not having to compete with women in grand courtyards for various kinds of favor, being torn apart by those white lotus and green tea bitches’ soft knives. Congratulations on your freedom from now on, forever free, in Western Rong’s deserts and grasslands, being your truest self. You may not have love, but you’ll certainly have a complete life.”

Tie Ci gave another long bow.

Huyin fell silent. Wind and snow drifted between the two women. In the distance, iron horses drank from icy rivers. Further away stretched the vast, boundless desert.

After a long while, Huyin suddenly smiled.

“You’re right.”

She coiled the whip behind her waist and strode downward.

Tie Ci breathed a sigh of relief.

She wasn’t afraid of Huyin bearing grudges against her, but felt that such a fine woman should be a free eagle written in history books. If she returned early to deep courtyards and mansions, exhausting the rest of her life in scheming and infighting, that would be too unworthy.

She hoped Huyin would break free from the web of love, soar in her own world, and realize her dream of protecting women everywhere.

In this process, her own brilliance would naturally attract truly good men who appreciated and understood her.

Huyin walked a few steps, then suddenly shouted loudly: “I won’t marry into deep courtyards to suffer!”

Tie Ci was just thinking “Now you understand, I should give you a thumbs up.”

Before she could finish the thought, she heard Huyin’s bold declaration: “I’ll capture him to the grasslands and marry him! Make him compete for favor with my eighteen male concubines—wouldn’t that work!”

Tie Ci: “…”

Silent condolences for Mr. Rong.

…

That night, accumulated snow and dust were swept up halfway to the sky by wind.

Though not in the desert, Chen Tuntian was skilled at controlling wind. Snow was lighter than sand—the rolled-up snowstorm was dense and layered, suffocating when it hit your face, with no human figures visible nearby.

The snowstorm made everyone hide back in houses and any place that could shelter people, not daring to open their eyes.

But few noticed that the snowstorm only occurred within five li around Huyin’s main camp—this was the maximum range Chen Tuntian could control.

Chen Tuntian couldn’t control storms anytime—generally large-scale ones could only happen once per day and were very energy-consuming. That’s why when Tie Ci and others attacked him, he initially chose to attack with scorpions.

Taking advantage of this snowstorm, Eagle Lord led three thousand elite soldiers, avoiding the snowstorm’s range from the beginning, wearing captured armor from the eldest prince’s army, and selecting a batch of eldest prince’s army captives as vanguard. With horses bridled and bits muffled, they attacked Qiu Wujiu’s main camp at Zeye.

He had those captives lead carriages with wine and meat to Qiu Wujiu’s main camp, falsely claiming the eldest prince had sent people to reward General Qiu.

Coincidentally, the gate guards and the soldiers calling at the gate were from the same tribe and even knew each other. Qiu Wujiu himself was Western Rong royalty, with various tribal mixed soldiers under his command who were close to the former royal family.

Seeing old acquaintances whom they knew were indeed under the eldest prince’s command, smelling the aroma of wine and meat, the shivering little gate leader in the wind and snow immediately forgot military orders and opened the gate without much thought.

Eagle Lord’s army ambushed behind immediately charged wildly forward. Eagle Lord shot four arrows from one bow, instantly eliminating sentries on watchtowers in all four directions.

Other subordinates quickly cut the drawbridge’s suspension ropes and rushed into the camp.

Qiu Wujiu wasn’t without precautions. He had just received news that Oasis Soldiers had emerged from the desert and was constantly guarding against the eldest prince’s surprise attacks. He just hadn’t expected Eagle Lord to come so quickly, and Eagle Lord’s army disguising as the eldest prince’s army was obviously beyond Qiu Wujiu’s expectations.

The main camp sleeping peacefully in wind and snow immediately became chaotic.

A small squad led by Eagle Lord, skilled at animal sound imitation, howled like wolves in unison. Those soldiers in their sleep thought it was wolf pack attacks. Confident in their numbers and not feeling too urgent, they even thought patrol teams could handle it and dressed unhurriedly.

The result was that Eagle Lord cut through like slicing melons, killing almost everyone in front before those behind panicked.

Huyin led her army around the river, destroying the essential route for Qiu Wujiu’s main force to reach Liaodong, then attacked Qiu Wujiu’s rear guard and joined forces with Eagle Lord.

Both sides served as sharp blades, stabbing clean through Qiu Wujiu’s main camp.

But the disparity in forces was indeed huge. After Huyin and Eagle Lord joined up, she urged him to leave quickly.

But Eagle Lord refused to give up, gazing toward Qiu Wujiu’s main tent.

Contrary to his belief that he could strike at the heart and capture the king, the main tent area reacted fastest, immediately gathering layers of troops like iron armor. That iron armor range grew larger and larger, expanding and advancing outward step by step.

Huyin: “Leave! Qiu Wujiu is only temporarily confused! If we don’t leave now, we’ll be trapped here!”

Eagle Lord: “No! I’m not far from the main tent! One arrow and I can kill him!”

“Look how many people are on this stretch of road! How many shields and how many spears!” Huyin roared in his ear. “Are you planning to die here! Won’t you avenge your father king and mother queen! Don’t you ever want to see Tie Ci again!”

Eagle Lord’s whole body shook.

Fireworks shot out from Qiu Wujiu’s main tent in a streak. Iron-armored troops rolled forward like a tide.

Huyin knocked Eagle Lord down with a hand chop, threw him onto a horse, jumped on herself, and shook the reins: “Retreat!”

Just before the roaring iron armor tide arrived, the two led their soldiers in a mad rush back.

This battle didn’t seek to cause Qiu Wujiu much damage, but to provoke conflict between Qiu Wujiu and the eldest prince. In the chaos between these two, Huyin and Eagle Lord’s force would have a chance to survive.

The next evening when the troops returned to camp, Chen Tuntian performed another snowstorm. Remnants mixed with snowflakes, yellow sand, and black earth were swept up halfway to heaven. The sky above and below looked like a gigantic three-colored cylinder standing upright. Tie Ci remembered her master mentioning chocolate vanilla ice cream cones.

When the storm subsided, the returning people silently went back to camp.

During this time, in the eyes of Qiu Wujiu’s scouts, Huyin’s main camp maintained its usual pace, very peaceful, with no signs of going out.

When Qiu Wujiu recalled his scouts and inquired about movements of Huyin’s main camp and various forces, the report he received was that everything was quiet.

Under these circumstances, the eldest prince became the biggest suspect.

After all, people had personally seen his subordinates and their armor.

The generals in Qiu Wujiu’s main camp were extremely angry, immediately expressing they wanted to trample the royal city.

Qiu Wujiu said there were suspicious points and they shouldn’t be easily taken advantage of. Currently, he and the eldest prince were the two strongest forces in Western Rong. Provoking the other side to fight with remnant forces was the kingly way. If the two strongest clashed, only others would benefit, such as Huyin’s main camp.

Unfortunately, though he was a clear-headed person, his troops were mixed. Western Rong people were naturally rebellious and violent, always believing in hitting back when hit. They didn’t understand and didn’t want to understand conspiracies, schemes, and mutual deception.

At this time, the disadvantages of multi-tribal coalition forces became apparent. Even more devastating was that when Huyin and Eagle Lord launched night attacks, they barely touched troops directly under Qiu Wujiu, mainly striking those tribal coalition forces that had betrayed the old king.

Therefore, tribal coalition forces suffered major losses, while Qiu Wujiu, who suffered fewer losses, asked them to be patient—how could they endure it?

The main camp argued for three days, with tempers growing hotter and hotter.

This time academy students were responsible for scouting missions, each cooperating with Western Rong soldiers in teams, gathering intelligence on all movements around and recruiting able-bodied men to join the camp.

The scholars’ eloquent tongues opened Western Rong people’s eyes. Under the persuasion of Yang Yixiu and others, many Western Rong civilians around joined Huyin’s main camp.

Yongping Army soldiers actually had no place to use their skills and just served as bodyguards.

Rong Pu still held clinic in the main camp. Western Rong life was harsh and bitter—civilians with illnesses mostly endured on their own. Good doctors were extremely rare. When Rong Pu held clinic, nearby tribal civilians flocked to seek medical treatment, thereby also obtaining much information. After he cured several major households nearby, he even received batches of dried meat and provisions as support.

In the icy winter, these things were extremely precious.

Because the numbers kept growing, military provisions soon became a major problem. Western Rong itself had little arable land—half farmers, half hunter-gatherers. Winter was the hardest time to endure. This year, encountering upheaval and disasters, fields yielded almost nothing. What little there was had been seized by armies. Many people became refugees, finally running to various military camps seeking survival opportunities. But winter also prevented farming, hunting yielded limited results, and food became the most troubling problem for Huyin and Eagle Lord.

Both had previously been Western Rong nobles who never worried about food and had never borne responsibility for so many people’s fates. Now with heavy responsibilities, they discovered leading an army involved so many concerns.

These two people, not skilled at production, were very worried. Tie Ci saw this but had no mind to pay much attention.

Because Feiyu had disappeared again.

Just when they returned victorious from the night attack and the snowstorm rose again, when everyone closed their eyes because of the snowstorm and opened them again, he was gone.

On the table in Tie Ci’s tent was a sand painting depicting colorful clouds accompanying a full moon. On the moon was written: “I’ll go and return soon.”

At first glance, you might think he just went out to relieve himself.

But Tie Ci knew it wasn’t that.

He had said heavy snow was good for doing things.

“Go and return soon.”

Wait for me to finish my business, I’ll come back and explain everything clearly, so we won’t be uneasy with mutual suspicion.

Tie Ci sat down beside the sand painting. Wind blew through tent cracks, brushing over the sand painting. In an instant, the sand painting turned to fine scattered gravel and disappeared.

Her heart remained vaguely uneasy.

He felt the moon was full with colorful clouds accompanying in the human world, but didn’t know that glass breaks easily and colorful clouds scatter readily.