After Yan Chi left, Qin Wan became somewhat uneasy. The southwestern wind had been blowing for half the night, and though this was a good thing, its howling echoed through the largely empty military camp where most troops had departed, making the wind sound even more mournful and desolate.
Yue Ning knew Qin Wan was worried, so she stayed with her in the central command tent. When it was time to rest, they both lay down on the couch in the tent. Even so, Qin Wan tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Yue Ning accompanied her in conversation for quite a while before they both finally drifted off.
Qin Wan dozed on and off, unsure how much time had passed when suddenly a noise startled her awake.
She sat up abruptly and called out, “Has the army returned?”
Bai Ying rushed in from outside and said, “No, Princess Consort, one of the military banners in front of the main tent was blown down by the wind!”
Upon hearing this, Qin Wan let out a sigh of relief. “No wonder—it gave me quite a fright.”
After this, Qin Wan couldn’t go back to sleep. Yue Ning also sat up, and seeing the sky outside still pitch black, asked, “What time is it?”
Bai Ying replied, “Almost the Hour of Mao.”
With daybreak approaching after the Hour of Mao, Qin Wan and Yue Ning decided to stay awake.
When they went outside, they saw several soldiers re-erecting the fallen military banner.
Qin Wan’s heart began to race as she watched the banner. Though she wasn’t superstitious about ghosts and spirits, she felt that a military banner falling during wartime couldn’t be a good omen.
As she pondered this, she noticed the fluttering banner gradually becoming still. She reached out her hand and frowned, “The wind is dying down.”
Hearing this, Yue Ning quickly said, “It’s alright, they must have already engaged in battle. The wind stopping now is a good thing.”
Qin Wan sighed, “Let’s hope everything goes smoothly.”
The weather outside was quite cold, and Qin Wan was about to lead Yue Ning back inside when several soldiers hurried over from the direction of the camp gate. Before even approaching, the lead soldier called out, “Princess Consort! There are two people outside the camp gate claiming to be the deposed Crown Prince and your sister. They say they have an urgent matter to discuss with you. They’ve brought a middle-aged woman who they claim is the deposed Empress—she’s severely injured. We weren’t sure if they were genuine and didn’t dare let them in without your permission—”
Qin Wan was stunned. The deposed Crown Prince and her sister? That would be Yan Che and Qin Chao Yu!
And they brought the Empress! An injured Empress?!
How could this be, wasn’t this the night of the three armies’ joint battle?
Qin Wan’s brows furrowed deeply as she immediately walked toward the camp gate. “I’ll go see—”
At a time like this, no one would dare falsely claim such identities. Qin Wan was already ninety percent certain the visitors were Yan Che and the others, but how could this be?
Qin Wan couldn’t make sense of it. When she quickly arrived at the camp gate, she saw Qin Chao Yu and Yan Che on horseback and slumped across Yan Che’s horse was someone with an arrow wound in their left shoulder. One careful look confirmed it was none other than Zhao Shu Hua!
“Qin Wan!” Qin Chao Yu called out upon seeing her, red-eyed as she said, “Qin Wan, please save Mother Empress!”
Though Yan Che remained silent, his eyes, bloodshot with worry, looked at Qin Wan pleadingly.
Qin Wan made an immediate decision. “Quickly bring her inside—”
The soldiers, hearing this, knew the visitors were genuine and hurriedly let them pass. Yan Che and Qin Chao Yu rode in, and Qin Wan quickly led them to an empty tent. “First, help her inside—”
After giving this order, Qin Wan immediately instructed Bai Ying, “Go to the wounded soldiers’ camp and call for two assistants, and bring medicine for external wounds. Tell them it’s an arrow wound and they’ll know what to bring.”
As Bai Ying hurried away, Yue Ning, who had followed them, stood shocked, helping to lift the tent flap and light lamps while looking at the barely conscious Zhao Shu Hua.
Zhao Shu Hua was carried inside and laid face down on a wooden couch, unconscious. The arrow shaft, though already cut in half, was still visible, and even through her clothes, Qin Wan could imagine how deep the arrowhead had penetrated. Blood had flowed down Zhao Shu Hua’s entire back, now dried into dark brown scabs. Qin Wan glanced at Qin Chao Yu and Yan Che, noting they looked as disheveled as refugees!
Without wasting words, Qin Wan asked directly, “What happened?”
Qin Chao Yu spoke in a muffled voice, “Earlier when the main army left camp, only a few thousand of us remained behind. We were supposed to wait for the army’s victorious return, but at midnight, many troops suddenly arrived—they were from Jinzhou Army. They came to arrest Mother Empress and the Crown Prince. We fled the main camp, and Mother Empress was wounded along the way. We separated from the other soldiers to escape, and not knowing where else to go, after much thought, we could only come to you. Qin Wan, please save Mother Empress—”
As Qin Chao Yu spoke, tears began falling, and though she tried to wipe them away, they wouldn’t stop.
Qin Wan felt as though struck by lightning upon hearing these words.
The three armies were supposed to fight together—how could troops be attacking the Northern Manor Army at midnight?
“Who led the troops? Who gave the order? Do you know?” Qin Wan asked urgently.
Qin Chao Yu glanced at Yan Che and shook her head. “I don’t know, but since they were Jinzhou troops, it must have been…” She looked at Yue Ning with an extremely complex expression.
Seeing her look, Yue Ning immediately understood her meaning and exclaimed with wide eyes, “Impossible! It couldn’t have been my father’s orders! The three armies’ alliance made him so happy—he would never use such underhanded tactics to harm people. It must have been someone else!”
Tonight was supposed to be the joint battle of the three armies. Yue Rong must have led his troops away from Wei County. If Yue Rong had left, who could have stirred up such trouble?
A name flashed through Qin Wan’s mind, but she dared not jump to conclusions. Seeing Qin Chao Yu and Yue Ning about to confront each other, she quickly said, “The truth isn’t clear yet, let’s not conclude.”
Qin Wan then walked to Zhao Shu Hua’s side, checked her pulse and breathing, and said, “She can still be saved. I’ll do my best.”
Both Qin Chao Yu and Yan Che let out sighs of relief. Yan Che, who had been silent for a long while, now spoke, “With what happened to us, the Shuoxi Army might also face treachery…”
Yan Che’s words echoed Qin Wan’s worries. She nodded, said a quick thank you, and went outside.
Outside, Bai Ying was returning with the military doctors from the wounded soldiers’ camp. Qin Wan grabbed her and said, “Immediately tell Commander Xia, who’s guarding the camp today, to send people to find His Highness. Tell him the Northern Manor Army was ambushed, the Empress and Crown Prince have arrived, and the Empress is severely wounded. Tell His Highness all of this, and make haste!”
Bai Ying’s expression changed as she quickly agreed and left to relay the orders.
Watching Bai Ying leave, Qin Wan felt a hollow emptiness in her heart, wondering if they would make it in time…
Soon, Qin Wan collected herself—this wasn’t the time for worry, someone needed her help.
Returning to the tent, she saw Yue Ning’s grave expression and reassured her, “I trust Foster Father. Someone must be behind this.”
Yue Ning, not wanting to distract Qin Wan at this crucial moment, simply nodded without further comment.
The medicine had arrived, and Qin Wan called for strong alcohol. She prepared to remove the arrow from Zhao Shu Hua, first tearing open her clothes around the wound. Upon seeing the injury, she frowned, “The arrowhead is deeply embedded, likely affecting internal organs—”
Yan Che quickly asked, “Is it life-threatening?”
Qin Wan replied, “Not immediately, but removing the arrowhead is extremely dangerous. First, we must worry about uncontrollable bleeding, and second, about infection and decay. Either of these would be fatal.” She looked up at Yan Che seriously, “I’ve been very clear with the Crown Prince about the risks. It’s your decision—should I still proceed with the treatment?”
Without hesitation, Yan Che nodded, “Of course! If you can’t save Mother Empress, then it must be her fate!”
This trust surprised Qin Wan. She paused briefly, then nodded, “I will do my absolute best.”
While cleaning Zhao Shu Hua’s wound with the strong alcohol, Qin Wan said, “Yue Ning, take them to rest nearby. We don’t need so many people standing here.”
Yue Ning, her mind full of concerns, immediately said, “Come with me.”
She left the tent, with Yan Che and Qin Chao Yu following.
Meanwhile, Qin Wan began removing the arrowhead with the help of two physicians. Her medical skills were now renowned throughout the entire Shuoxi Army, and these two naturally held her in high regard. Knowing the difficulty of removing an arrowhead, they remained intensely focused, not daring to make any mistakes. Before long, beads of cold sweat began dripping from Qin Wan’s forehead. Though the two physicians were only assisting, they watched with bated breath. When the arrowhead was finally extracted, they couldn’t help but praise Qin Wan, but the most challenging part—stopping the bleeding—still lay ahead.
While Qin Wan raced against time to save a life, Yan Che and Qin Chao Yu waited restlessly in the adjacent tent. Yue Ning, unable to believe her father would order an attack on the Northern Manor Army, finally broke her silence after holding back for so long: “It couldn’t have been my father. You must have misunderstood. At this hour, my father must be engaged in battle with the Rong barbarians.”
Yan Che, concerned only with Zhao Shu Hua’s life, sighed and said, “They were indeed Jinzhou troops, but we don’t yet know who gave the order. Princess, there’s no need for explanations at this time.”
Yue Ning felt both angry and wronged, but in the end, remained silent despite parting her lips to speak.
However, her heart was in turmoil, unable to comprehend how things had come to this.
Though she wanted to go to Wei County immediately to investigate, she feared her absence would worry Qin Wan, so she could only pretend to remain calm and stay seated.
Before long, Yan Che couldn’t sit still any longer and walked to the entrance of Zhao Shu Hua’s tent, with Qin Chao Yu naturally following. Standing at the entrance, they watched the two military doctors carrying out basins of bloodied water, a sight that only increased their anxiety.
Yan Che had never known a person could lose so much blood. Thinking of the soldiers falling in pools of blood on the battlefield, he grew even more fearful that Zhao Shu Hua would pass away.
Seeing his pallid face, Qin Chao Yu stepped forward and took his hand. Yan Che gripped back, finally regaining some composure.
Time passed, and the pitch-black sky gradually turned azure, with dawn breaking on the horizon. As Yan Che grew increasingly anxious, suddenly the wind picked up again, and a muffled roll of thunder crossed the sky, followed by lightning and a downpour of rain.
Yan Che was soaked through, and Qin Chao Yu worriedly said, “Your Highness, let’s return to the tent, lest you fall ill as well.”
Yan Che gently pushed Qin Chao Yu away, saying, “You go back. Don’t worry about me. I can’t rest easy.”
Qin Chao Yu stopped persuading him and simply stood with him waiting. After another half hour, when daylight had fully broken, the tent flap suddenly lifted.
Qin Wan stood at the entrance, looking exhausted, and said to the two in the rain, “The bleeding has stopped. Whether the Empress lives now depends on her fate.”
Yan Che’s knees went weak. Seeing Qin Wan’s exhausted state, he could only say, “Thank you… thank you… if Mother Empress survives by some fortune, we will certainly repay your life-saving kindness…”
Seeing their state, Qin Wan sighed, “If you want to see her, go in for a brief look. Don’t stay long, and don’t bring the dampness inside.”
Yan Che agreed repeatedly before entering the tent. Zhao Shu Hua now lay face down, completely pale and motionless, her eyes tightly shut as if lifeless. The sight filled Yan Che with sorrow, and thoughts of Zhao You still at Luofeng Slope brought another wave of worry.
After more than two hours of exhausting work, Qin Wan could barely stand. She returned to the central command tent first, and after washing up and having some soup and flatbread, Bai Ying announced that Qin Chao Yu and Yan Che requested an audience. Qin Wan naturally had them brought in.
Seeing Qin Chao Yu’s state upon entering, Qin Wan ordered Bai Ying to find clean clothes for her to change into. When she offered the same to Yan Che, he declined.
Qin Wan didn’t insist, knowing Yan Che had come to speak about something.
Sure enough, Yan Che said, “This attack on the Northern Manor Army must have been carefully planned by someone with ulterior motives. They struck right after the main army left, at midnight when the camp’s soldiers were in their deepest sleep, and with superior numbers, they could succeed with minimal effort.”
Qin Wan watched Yan Che, knowing she could deduce all this herself. Yan Che surely had more important points to make.
Soon, Yan Che continued, “Regardless of who gave the order, they aimed to destroy the Northern Manor Army. Since the Shuoxi Army’s position is similar to ours, likely, that person won’t spare them either—”
Qin Wan replied, “The camp was temporarily safe last night. I don’t know about the battlefield ahead, but I’ve already sent people to relay messages.”
Yan Che nodded and continued, “I… I would like to request a squad from the Princess Consort to send a message to Chongzhou. There are still twenty thousand Northern Manor troops there. Since someone is targeting us now, I want to bring them here to avoid being short-handed.”
With Yan Che and Qin Chao Yu having fled without any subordinates, they couldn’t even find messengers.
This was a simple request, and Qin Wan naturally agreed. Yan Che added, “Mother Empress can’t leave your care now, so… I want the Northern Manor troops from Chongzhou to come here since the eastern camp has already been destroyed. Also, I’d like you to send someone to find my grandfather and inform him of this situation. If he’s currently safe, have him come to see… Mother Empress might not… have much time left…”
With Zhao Shu Hua’s life hanging by a thread, forget about moving her—it wasn’t even certain she would survive until nightfall. Yan Che feared that if the worst happened, Zhao, You wouldn’t even get to see Zhao Shu Hua one last time. Qin Wan naturally agreed to this request as well.
Thus, Yan Che personally wrote two letters, one to be sent to Chongzhou and one to find Zhao You.
After arranging everything, the downpour had stopped, though the sky remained dark and gloomy.
Qin Wan calculated the time—if everything had gone smoothly last night, Yan Chi should have returned with the main army by now. Yet there was still no sign of him, and even the first group of messengers hadn’t returned…
Remembering Yan Che’s words, Qin Wan’s heart rose with anxiety.
Those who wanted to destroy the Northern Manor Army would surely target the Shuoxi Army as well.
They had used the Jinzhou Army, and last night in Wei County, only twenty thousand Jinzhou troops remained. While their own Shuoxi Army also had twenty thousand troops waiting in camp, a direct attack on the Shuoxi main camp was impossible, and last night had indeed passed peacefully. Therefore, that person’s tactics could only be employed on the battlefield…
Battlefield situations could change in an instant. Although the Shuoxi Army had made thorough plans, if someone were to stab them in the back…
At this thought, Qin Wan’s heart clenched painfully.
…
On the plains west of Luofeng Slope, torrential rain fell, yet the sounds of grieving hadn’t ceased.
Just then, a group of scouts returned from the north. Their leader approached Yan Chi and reported, “Your Highness, five li ahead, the Northern Manor Army has engaged the Rong barbarians. The barbarians have been completely scattered. The Northern Manor Army has learned of our situation—Zhao You and his forces are heading this way—”
The last remnants of summer heat were washed away by the sudden downpour. All the Shuoxi Army soldiers stood silently on the scorched earth, their faces showing bone-deep grief and disappointment. Hearing these words, Yan Chi’s brows twitched slightly.
He turned his horse to face north, and indeed, a group of light cavalry was racing toward them, led by Zhao You, whom he hadn’t seen in many years!