The army had already left the Hebei camp. An Jiu knew time was of the essence, so he immediately went to gather his men.
Internally, he claimed it was for outdoor training in batches, scheduled to last half a month.
An Jiu selected mostly former members of the Crane Control Army and those with clear backgrounds. The rest were left to guard and train.
The Crane Control Army’s assassins excelled in stealth kills and were accustomed to working alone. Therefore, An Jiu had previously focused on training these people to work together. Since everyone knew she liked to push this group hard, they didn’t find it strange.
An Jiu first ordered a letter to be sent, then led over two hundred people to camp at the Hebei main camp under the cover of night.
On the third day after their arrival, the Song army launched its first frontal attack against the Liao state in ten years!
The Liao state, still unstable from internal turmoil and with its most skilled warrior, the Northern Palace King, imprisoned, was caught off guard at the border. The Song army easily captured a city.
The first victory greatly boosted the morale of the Song troops.
No matter how well the higher-ups had spoken, all the soldiers were initially very nervous. After all, this was like entering a wolf’s den. The smooth first battle made them feel that the Liao state was indeed preoccupied, just as General Ling had said.
In reality, this was Ling Ziyue’s intentional strategy.
The next few battles weren’t as smooth, but the Song army advanced swiftly, taking another city the very next day!
As they fought, the Song soldiers unexpectedly developed a fierce fighting spirit. Though each subsequent battle wasn’t easy, no one retreated.
An Jiu, hearing the repeated reports of victory from the rear, grew increasingly worried.
Almost a month had passed, and there was no news from Chu Dingjiang.
Thunder rumbled all night, and dark clouds pressed down on the city, making it difficult even to breathe.
At daybreak, lightning-like silver snakes slithered through the cloud layers, followed by a massive thunderclap that startled heaven and earth.
On the vast plain, hundreds of black riders came galloping.
The sky began to drip rain, large droplets falling on grass leaves with a pattering sound. In the blink of an eye, the rain grew heavier.
People hiding in the grass, having identified the group of riders, quietly returned and untied horses from the woods, riding towards the Hebei main camp.
“Report—”
An Jiu was helping Da Jiu scratch an itch when she heard this urgent report and immediately became serious.
The man, drenched from wind and rain, rushed in, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head, saying, “Master, indeed a cavalry unit of about a hundred is speeding towards this location. They’re all martial masters.”
“Go inform the camp’s commanding general,” An Jiu ordered.
“Yes!”
Seeing the man leave with his orders, An Jiu looked at the armor hanging on the clothes rack, took it down, and quickly put it on.
The armor was heavy, but for her body, which had been tempered twice, it was almost negligible.
An Jiu summoned her subordinate soldiers, but in her heart, she felt these people might not act tonight.
This cavalry unit was from Misty Mountain Manor, sneaking in from the rear mainly to disrupt the Song army’s morale and buy some time for the Liao army. If so, the bigger the commotion, the better, and arson would be inevitable. However, today’s weather wasn’t suitable for starting fires.
What An Jiu worried about most now was whether Misty Mountain Manor still had any remaining explosive crossbows. Even one would be formidable.
Thinking this, An Jiu personally went to see the camp’s commanding general, bringing along Lou Xiaowu. After some discussion, they decided to set up an ambush first.
“They might have explosive crossbows,” An Jiu said. Lou Xiaowu, who had developed many powerful explosive weapons over the past few years, volunteered enthusiastically upon hearing about the ambush, leading people to “set the net” overnight.
The heavy rain stopped in the latter half of the night.
After finishing the ambush preparations, Lou Xiaowu came to An Jiu’s tent. Patting her chest, she said, “I guarantee not even a mosquito will fly in.”
An Jiu, who had been resting with her eyes closed, merely grunted in response.
“Fourteen, your current appearance reminds me of when I first met you,” Lou Xiaowu said, sitting cross-legged opposite her.
An Jiu opened her eyes, waiting for her to continue.
Lou Xiaowu first encountered An Jiu during the ancient temple trial. At that time, she thought An Jiu was very cold, which made her envious. Later, after the Lou family was destroyed and the Mei family suffered heavy losses, they spent more time together, and she could feel the changes in An Jiu.
This change was mainly because of one person.
“Without Mr. Chu around, you seem to have become as cold as before,” Lou Xiaowu said gloomily.
She didn’t have many friends to begin with, and staying in the military camp often earned Ling Ziyue’s disapproval. Everyone kept her at arm’s length, and now even An Jiu had become like this. She felt increasingly lonely.
“I’m worried about him. I’m not in the mood for jokes,” An Jiu said.
Lou Xiaowu knew that any words now would only be feeble comfort.
An Jiu’s ears twitched slightly. Seeing Lou Xiaowu about to speak again, she immediately raised her index finger.
Outside the main camp, several martial masters were wandering around. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they quietly retreated.
“They’re reconnoitering,” An Jiu said.
“Hah, how bold!” Lou Xiaowu exclaimed.
An Jiu asked, “They won’t trigger the ambush, will they?”
“That’s hard to say. I buried many thunderclap mines around the area. As long as they step on the sky silk thread connected to the thunderclap mines, they won’t explode,” Lou Xiaowu paused before continuing, “Most of the traps are attached to the fences. As long as they don’t try to infiltrate, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
As they were talking, the sound of a horn suddenly pierced the pitch-black night outside.
An Jiu grabbed her bow and arrows and left the tent, hearing soldiers running and shouting, “Liao cavalry! Liao cavalry are attacking!”
The more than two hundred people who had come from Hexi County had already gathered in front of An Jiu’s tent.
The ground beneath their feet trembled, clearly indicating a significant number!
It wasn’t the cavalry unit they had detected earlier.
Amidst the urgent horn blasts, that cavalry charged towards them at ghostly speeds. They were clad entirely in black armor, only their cold eyes visible.
“Shoot!” At the Song commander’s order, the archers who had been waiting for battle released a volley of arrows.
The arrow rain was like a swarm of locusts, sweeping across the sky. The Liao ghost riders at the front were shot down, but the cavalry quickly dispersed, skillfully avoiding the arrow rain and the fallen men and horses in front.
As the torrential arrow rain fell, Liao cavalry occasionally fell, but this did nothing to slow their advance!
As they approached the fences and main gate, Lou Xiaowu nervously clenched her fists.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shook the earth. In an instant, one corner of the main gate was showered with soil and flesh. Yet the cavalry behind charged through this rain of blood.
Chaos erupted in the military camp!
The Song soldiers, already fearful of the Liao ghost riders, now saw them charging into their camp with sword-like momentum. Their hearts were in complete disarray, and some even began to flee in all directions.
The sound of explosions was incessant.
Yet the Liao cavalry showed no fear.
Lou Xiaowu held her breath as she watched for a while, then muttered in a daze, “Don’t they fear death…”
Who doesn’t fear death? But people are too easily influenced by the atmosphere. Under the unstoppable, death-defying spirit of the Liao ghost riders, all fighting spirit was ignited. How could they be afraid?
“Protect the main commander,” An Jiu ordered.
The assassins around her immediately obeyed, heading towards the defending general.
Although the Liao ghost riders were fierce, this small number of people couldn’t overturn the Hebei main camp, especially right after the rain. If they weren’t setting fires to disrupt morale, they must be trying to kill the defending general.
An Jiu also went in that direction.
After the ghost riders, an even sharper cavalry unit charged in. No one could stand in their way as they cut through layer after layer of obstacles like a knife, heading straight for the main commander’s tent.
The black-armored rider at the front of the formation suddenly raised his arm! A blue light suddenly bloomed, like a huge umbrella instantly covering the area!
The main commander’s camp collapsed with a rumble, and a raging fire ignited. Fortunately, the general guarding the camp had never been in the tent.
An Jiu drew her Dragon-Subduing Bow. The sound of a crane’s cry cut through the sky, and the Liao ghost rider at the front stiffened and fell straight off his horse.
Then, behind him appeared a petite rider.
The flames reflected in that pair of phoenix eyes, showing matchless valor.
An Jiu frowned slightly. As she raised her bow and arrow again, she saw the rider take out a large explosive crossbow from behind, aiming at where An Jiu and the main commander stood.
“Sister,” the rider hesitated for a moment upon seeing An Jiu.
“Mei Ruyan!” An Jiu was somewhat surprised. This Mei Ruyan, who only knew how to curry favor and climb the social ladder, actually led a cavalry to launch a sneak attack!
If she had attacked the Liao main camp today, An Jiu would have praised her. But this Song woman brought Liao cavalry to attack the Song military camp!
Lou Xiaowu was even more shocked than An Jiu. “Mei Ruyan, you woman without home or country!”
Mei Ruyan sneered and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
An Jiu’s figure flashed as she pushed Lou Xiaowu down.
A blinding light caused everyone to momentarily lose their vision.
By now, the nearby Song troops had regrouped. The continuous reports of victory from the front had greatly boosted the morale of the rear soldiers. Thus, after a brief panic, under the command of the defending general, they began to respond to the attack in an orderly manner.
An Jiu’s subordinates stayed close to the defending general, not giving the ghost riders or Misty Mountain Manor assassins any opportunity.
An Jiu grabbed Lou Xiaowu and asked, “Tell me, where are all those threads!”
The Liao cavalry had only opened one gap, but it was quickly plugged by the Song army. At this time, there were still many Liao cavalry around the fence trying to break through.
Lou Xiaowu pointed to the eastern fence, “Starting from the first post, there’s a thread every four posts.”
From this distance, even with An Jiu’s excellent eyesight, she couldn’t see the hair-thin sky silk threads, but she could see the fence posts! She drew her Dragon-Subduing Bow, channeling all her strength into the arrow.
The arrow whistled through the night air, striking a fence post with a bang! In an instant, the entire post shattered and scattered on the ground.
Boom!
The power of the first thunderclap mine explosion destroyed an entire row of fences. Then, explosion after explosion followed, engulfing the nearby Liao cavalry! This saved An Jiu quite a bit of trouble.
Her heart leaped with joy, but when she turned around, she saw Lou Xiaowu chasing after Mei Ruyan towards the granary.
In this weather, using ordinary fire to burn the granary would certainly not work, but if they used an explosive crossbow, the fire in the main commander’s tent earlier was a clear example!
Lou Xiaowu’s martial arts might be on par with Mei Ruyan’s, but her thoughts were not as deep as Mei Ruyan’s. An Jiu quickly led people to follow.
Neither Lou Xiaowu nor the granary could be allowed to come to harm!
Seeing that she couldn’t catch up with Mei Ruyan’s mount, Lou Xiaowu simply took out a small thunderclap mine, infused it with her internal energy, and hurled it forcefully.
With a huge bang, Mei Ruyan was affected by the aftershock. She felt a tearing pain in her chest and could no longer withstand the jolting of the horse. Her body swayed, and she fell off.
Lou Xiaowu was also affected by the blast, but she didn’t care about that. Seeing Mei Ruyan fall from her horse, she took the opportunity to pounce on her and grab for the explosive crossbow.
When An Jiu arrived, the two were already wrestling on the ground. She drew her bow but found it impossible to aim at a target.
This time, the Liao state had sent two cavalry units to attack the Hebei main camp. One was the ghost riders, about three to four hundred strong, and the other was disguised as Misty Mountain Manor assassins, about two hundred people. The Misty Mountain Manor people deliberately disguised themselves as cavalry and didn’t hide their movements, just to divert the scouts’ attention.
The first wave of Liao cavalry that broke into the camp had already suffered heavy losses, and the cavalry outside the camp had been blown to pieces by the triggered thunderclap mines. But these people showed no signs of retreat. They were suicide troops.
Other ghost riders had already broken through and were galloping toward this area, knocking away any Song soldiers in their path.
An Jiu saw someone among them holding an explosive crossbow and immediately shot an arrow.
Until now, no one had been able to dodge An Jiu’s arrows, but that person flashed and disappeared from the horse’s back. An Jiu’s arrow missed!
An Jiu snorted. Her second and third arrows were already flying.
Although the person moved quickly, they never left the range of An Jiu’s spiritual power. With her now keen spiritual sense, she could not only accurately capture the target’s position but also feel the direction of their movement without needing to calculate or observe.
Bang! The heavily armored rider fell from the air.
One arrow to the throat, instant death.
An Jiu went forward to retrieve the explosive crossbow, only to be shocked to find there was no arrow inside!
She turned back to see Mei Ruyan had Lou Xiaowu in a tight chokehold. Lou Xiaowu’s face was pale, her lips blue, but not from suffocation. She had been poisoned!
An Jiu immediately shot an arrow, deliberately not aiming for vital points.
An Jiu rushed over, took out a Hundred Poisons Cure pill, and was about to feed it to her when she caught a glimpse of the laughter in Mei Ruyan’s eyes. She turned and stomped hard on Mei Ruyan, demanding, “The antidote!”
“Ha, sister, you’re not so stupid after all,” Mei Ruyan laughed somewhat maniacally. “This is a poison specially concocted by Doctor Ning for Divine Doctor Mo’s Hundred Poisons Cure. Taking the Hundred Poisons Cure won’t neutralize it; instead, it will enhance the poison’s potency.”
“The antidote!” An Jiu pressed down harder with her foot, grateful she hadn’t impulsively killed Mei Ruyan earlier.
“I’ll give you the antidote,” Mei Ruyan said. Her internal organs had been injured by the thunderclap mine earlier, and now with An Jiu’s forceful pressure, she couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of bloody foam. “But before that, I want to tell sister some news about Chu Dingjiang…”
An Jiu was about to use more force but stopped abruptly upon hearing this name.
“He single-handedly killed two hundred experts,” Mei Ruyan laughed heartily. “But he perished along with them!”
An Jiu’s mind was greatly shaken. “Nonsense! Give me the antidote!”
Mei Ruyan’s laughter was too jarring. An Jiu kicked her face hard, drew her short sword to cut open her armor, and searched for the antidote.
“Mei Ruyan, you bitch,” Lou Xiaowu struggled to get up, snatched the explosive crossbow from her hand, and dismantled it quickly. “Traitor! Unworthy of being a Song citizen!”
“Pah! As if I care!” Mei Ruyan, vastly outmatched by An Jiu and unable to move under her restraint, could only glare fiercely at Lou Xiaowu. “Where were the people who cared I was a Song citizen when I was forcibly sold to a brothel? Where were they when I was beaten in the brothel? What has the great Song given me for being its citizen?!”
Mei Ruyan had no family and no country. All her beauty and love were devoted to one person, and she had no regrets even in the face of death!
“An Jiu! That person has an explosive crossbow!” Lou Xiaowu cried out in alarm.
“There’s no arrow!” An Jiu, having been fooled once, wouldn’t believe it a second time.
“There is! Trust me!” Black blood flowed from Lou Xiaowu’s nose. Though extremely weak, she still clutched An Jiu’s leg tightly. “We can’t let him destroy the granary!”
Lou Xiaowu was most skilled in this area. If she said it was true, it was likely to be true.
An Jiu knocked Mei Ruyan unconscious with a wave of her hand. “You look for the antidote first!”
The man had already raised his hand, aiming at the granary.
Without thinking, An Jiu directly released two bursts of spiritual power. The man’s spiritual power was struck, temporarily immobilizing his body. Other Song soldiers swarmed in and killed him.
Dismembered limbs and remains were everywhere. The hundreds of cavalry that had rushed in swept through the main camp for a while before being cut down from their horses. Some were still struggling at the front, but the killing in this area had come to an end.
An Jiu’s spiritual power was rapidly depleting. Her whole body was exhausted, her internal organs could barely cope, and the injury from her previous confrontation with Xiao Che had flared up again. She felt completely drained, wanting nothing more than to collapse and sleep, but she still wanted to ask Mei Ruyan about the news of Chu Dingjiang.
Mei Ruyan was Yelü Quancang’s woman, so her words had some credibility.
She had just turned around when she saw a not-quite-dead ghost rider suddenly raise his hand. On that arm was strapped a large explosive crossbow. With the power of this crossbow, if there was an arrow, it could destroy the entire granary in an instant, and even the nearby armory would be affected.
An Jiu was about to draw her bow when she saw Lou Xiaowu get up and use the arrow she had just removed from the crossbow to stab into the crossbow’s chamber.
Chu Dingjiang had said that guarding the camp was a small matter, but preserving one’s life was important. In his heart, nothing in this world could be worth more than her life. She must live and not risk herself personally.
But An Jiu had no time to think of other methods. Almost instinctively, she mobilized all the strength in her body, rushing over like a flash of light to grab Lou Xiaowu and pull her aside.
A blinding light erupted, instantly engulfing the figures of the two.
Everyone felt the ground shake beneath their feet. No one within ten Zhang was spared. For a moment, flesh and blood flew everywhere, then fell like rain.
The world in their eyes returned to pure white.
An Jiu felt that everything was over, but she still regretted not seeing Chu Dingjiang.
The Song army pressed on with one vigorous effort.
In just two months, victory reports came one after another.
In the imperial court of Bianjing, another round of debates began over the issue of grain supply. According to the rules, the power to dispatch troops belonged to the Privy Council. Ling Ziyue’s unpredicted attack on the Liao state was considered unauthorized troop deployment! It was a capital offense!
The emperor was furious. But his anger was not directed at Ling Ziyue’s unauthorized troop deployment, but at those courtiers who feared that the Liao state would recover and start retaliating.
“You! You! You!” The emperor pointed at several ministers who opposed continuing the war. “As long as you can guarantee to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun for me, I will immediately order Ling Ziyue to return to the court for trial!”
The great hall fell silent.
The emperor sneered. “If you can’t, then mind your tongues! Since I dared to appoint Ling Ziyue as the commander of three routes, I dare to allow him some autonomy from imperial orders while in the field!”
The emperor wished he could lead the troops personally. He had been weak enough as a prince. This opportunity couldn’t be missed. If Ling Ziyue usurped the throne, then it would be his own bad luck and inferior skill!
However, it was also time to elevate someone who could check Ling Ziyue’s power. His gaze swept over the courtiers below, pausing on Hua Rongtian.
“I hear that the city guards of Hexi County have rendered meritorious service in defending the Hebei main camp this time. The two hundred soldiers they brought suffered heavy casualties, which is admirable,” the emperor looked at Hua Rongtian. “This Hexi County magistrate, Wu Lingyuan, is your protégé, isn’t he, Minister Hua?”
Hua Rongtian stepped forward and bowed, “Yes, Your Majesty, he is.”
“Very good,” the emperor praised.
With this simple praise, everyone knew that the Hua family would rise again.
…
Three months after the war began, the Liao state sent envoys to Bianjing to negotiate peace.
The Liao state was not incapable of resistance. The Song army had been weak for a long time and couldn’t become an elite force overnight. However, the Liao emperor was gravely ill, the fate of the state preceptor was unknown, the Northern Palace King was imprisoned, and there was no one to restrain the tribal leaders. Each was ambitious, and the entire Liao state’s internal affairs became precarious.
And the cause of all this was Yelü Quancang’s coma.
At the Song-Liao border.
Mo Sigui lay in a patch of deep grass, fanning himself, looking completely at ease.
Beside him lay a person on the brink of death.
All the sunlight seemed to be attracted by this person’s face. Even in such a sorry state, it did nothing to diminish his beauty.
Seeing this face again, Mo Sigui felt as if a lifetime had passed.
Years ago, a person called Gu Jinghong had asked him to take blood from his heart. Years later, a person who looked exactly like Gu Jinghong was having blood taken from him.
“Divine Doctor,” Yelü Jinglie said, “Did Jinghong suffer as much as I am now?”
Whether it was because people speak kindly when near death, or because Mo Sigui had concealed the fact that there was poison in the heart blood, the usually cruel and irritable Yelü Jinglie spoke to him very kindly.
Yelü Quancang’s life was coming to an end, but Mo Sigui still couldn’t feel happy. Hearing this, his hand paused in fanning, “Him? He suffered much more than you and died even more miserably. His face was ruined beyond recognition, and he died by his enemy’s sword.”
Gu Jinghong knew that after taking the heart blood, he would be no match for Yelü Quancang and Yelü Huangwu, but he still went to assassinate them. His goal wasn’t to kill anyone, but to let those people see with their own eyes that the medicine man they had painstakingly nurtured for over twenty years had been destroyed!
He destroyed himself, but what he destroyed was their hope.
Yelü Jinglie had originally wanted to find some comfort on his deathbed, but who knew this person would specifically rub salt in the wound? This was probably karma. He tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, “I know the woman you’ve always liked, her name is Lou Mingyue, right?”
Mo Sigui’s face darkened.
“To love one person for a lifetime, even if it’s just a dipper of water, is also unrestrained, and sincere,” Yelü Jinglie smiled. This light remark pierced Mo Sigui to the core. “You should have understood long ago that in this life, you would never love any woman other than her. If so, even if separated by life and death, you wouldn’t feel such regret now.”
Just for speaking the truth, did he deserve to be stabbed in the heart like this? Mo Sigui angrily said, “You people of the Yelü family all have such strong vengeful hearts, none of you should have good endings!”
“Lou Mingyue is also one of us,” Yelü Jinglie smiled and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Mo Sigui ignored it.
“In my life, I’ve never sincerely thanked anyone, but now I want to say thank you to you. Dying here is much more dignified than I imagined,” he said.
Mo Sigui snorted, “Don’t promise anything about the next life. I’ll be very busy in my next life. The people who’ve said they’ll repay me in the next life are lined up to the heavens, there’s no room for you.”
Yelü Jinglie sneered, “You’re thinking too much. Up… until now, you’re the only one worthy of hearing a word of thanks from me. I only wish… after death, to become a gust of wind, with no future life.”
Facing the light, his beautiful phoenix eyes held a triumphant smile, gradually losing focus. Yet under the sunlight, those eyes remained captivating.
“For someone who’s done as much evil as you, even as wind you’d be a gust of ill wind,” Mo Sigui touched the ashes hidden in his bosom. “So many people have promised me things in the next life, I originally didn’t believe it. But if the bonds of this life can truly bring about a meeting in the next life, I’ll promise only you.”
Initially, he didn’t seek revenge for Elder Qi because he knew Elder Qi’s greatest wish was for him to achieve success in medicine, rather than waste time on other pursuits.
“But Mingyue, what would you have me do?”
When there was nothing else to do, the unresolved hatred in his heart became unbearable. Yet, even after exacting revenge, he found no great satisfaction.
When Yelü Jinglie’s rebellion failed, he ingested the poison of defeat. This toxin not only destroyed the original medicinal properties but also lingered in his blood.
However, Yelü Jinglie only knew half the truth. The poison needed years to fully take root in the heart.
In other words, Yelü Jinglie’s blood wouldn’t be enough to kill Yelü Quancang. Mo Sigui reached out to close his eyes, softly saying, “But you needn’t worry. I came here specifically to settle the score.”
This time, with over a dozen physicians watching the blood-drawing process, the opportunity for poisoning was slim. However, for Mo Sigui, nothing was impossible if he set his mind to it.
Upon arriving in Liao, Mo Sigui feigned ignorance, insisting that Yelü Jinglie had forced Lou Mingyue to her death. He agreed to help with medical treatment but demanded that Yelü Jinglie be handed over to him afterward.
Those people indeed believed he had mistaken the mastermind behind the scenes.
Mo Sigui’s success was due to Yelü Quancang falling unconscious before taking the medicine. Despite a lifetime of shrewdness and manipulating situations at will, in the end, even his life and death were in the hands of the fools around him.
No matter how hard one struggles, fate always prevails.
While the outcome couldn’t be chosen, the process was in everyone’s hands. In the end, he still felt regret. Even if his enemy died ten thousand more times, it couldn’t dispel the lingering pain in his heart.
“Elder, you said to never betray the word ‘qing’ (emotion/love). I originally thought it was a simple matter.”
Among all the people he knew, only An Jiu truly embodied this principle. Yet, that person probably didn’t even know what ‘qing’ meant.
Mo Sigui lay back down, flicking open his fan to cover his face.
In the eleventh month, Bianjing was blanketed in silver snow.
A woman in a dark blue formal dress emerged from the palace, holding an umbrella. As the only female general in the Great Song Dynasty, even with just a fifth-rank official position, she was still the most eye-catching.
The current emperor was a man of great determination. He wanted to cultivate someone who could counterbalance Ling Ziyue. While Hua Rongtian was a civil official, he also needed someone controllable among the military officers. After much consideration, Mei Shisi emerged victorious in the battle at the Hebei military camp.
Recalling the injured Mei Shisi, the emperor immediately recognized her as Chu Dingjiang’s wife upon meeting her. Her martial prowess was unmatched, even by men, but she had lost her memories of the past in the explosion.
He secretly investigated and confirmed that Chu Dingjiang had perished under the siege of hundreds of Liao experts. While the emperor regretted this loss, he also felt a secret joy. Only with the death of a formidable strategist like Chu Dingjiang did he dare to use Mei Shisi. As a woman, she was isolated and weak. With proper control, even if she eventually commanded a large army, there would be numerous reasons to recall her power.
Thus, the emperor devised ways to elevate her, transferring her back to Bianjing to hold an important position in the military affairs bureau. He planned to send her out for more experience once her injuries healed…
Many in the court couldn’t guess the emperor’s intentions, assuming that with such outstanding beauty, she would eventually become one of the favored consorts in the palace.
An Jiu herself was clear that while her future was fraught with danger, it was also limitless.
However, she felt she had lost the most important thing in her life.
According to Lou Xiaowu, when she saw a ghost rider preparing to fire an explosive crossbow, there wasn’t enough time to stop it. So she picked up a scattered explosive arrow and inserted it into the crossbow chamber to block the arrowhead, causing the two arrows to collide and explode on the spot.
An Jiu saved Lou Xiaowu with supernatural speed but was severely injured in the explosion, waking up with no memory of her past.
During her months of recovery, occasional fragments would surface. The most vivid memory was of a phoenix-eyed woman laughing maniacally amidst the flames of war, seemingly saying something. But no matter how hard she tried to recall, she couldn’t remember what this woman had said.
An Jiu speculated that this must have been a deeply impactful event that occurred just before the explosion.
The snow fell heavily and continuously.
An Jiu stood alone for a long while until a carriage stopped in front of her.
Hua Rongjian poked his head out of the carriage and asked, “Ah Jiu, want to go eat?”
An Jiu stared at his features, lost in thought.
“Hey!” Hua Rongjian leaned half his body out and flicked her forehead with his finger.
This gesture was so familiar that it seemed to trigger a memory! An Jiu felt a buzzing in her head. Her body swayed, and she fell straight back into the snow, her umbrella blown far away by the wind.
She lay there, eyes wide open, staring at the swirling snowflakes, motionless, trying desperately to grasp the fleeting memory in her mind.
“Hey! Hey! Ah Jiu! Fourteen!” Hua Rongjian called out anxiously as he ran down from the carriage.
An Jiu came to her senses and snapped, “What are you yelling for? I’m thinking!”
Hua Rongjian sighed in relief and sat down beside her. His breath formed misty flowers in the air. “Is this how you think? You frightened me.”
An Jiu got up and walked straight ahead with her hands tucked in her sleeves.
Hua Rongjian instructed the coachman to fetch the umbrella and hold it over her head.
After walking for a while, An Jiu said, “You go back first. I want to walk alone for a bit.”
Hua Rongjian sighed and placed the umbrella in her hand. “Come back early. You’re an important figure now, and many people have their eyes on you.”
“Mm.” She responded absent-mindedly and turned to leave.
The street was a vast expanse of white. As evening approached, there weren’t many pedestrians.
Hua Rongjian watched her walk alone on the imperial street, the smile gradually fading from his face. “Ah Jiu, even though you no longer remember him, it seems no one can take his place.”
The houses lined both sides of the imperial street, sheltering it from the wind. The goose-feather-like snowflakes fell slowly, as if at leisure.
The sky began to darken, and red lanterns were lit in front of the shops, casting a warm orange glow over the world.
She was a female general, a master of the highest martial arts realm, and the strongest woman in the Great Song Dynasty. Yet, perhaps no one knew that she was now filled with confusion and loneliness.
Looking ahead, the imperial street seemed endlessly long. How long would it take for one person to reach its end?
An Jiu wandered until she suddenly sensed a familiar spiritual energy when she reached the entrance of Pan Lou Street.
She slowly followed this faint guiding thread.
Entering through the alley next to Ju Bao Zhai, she made several turns before finally discovering a small stall selling wonton.
The stall owner was a tall man, so tall that he had to bend awkwardly to check the wontons in the pot. He wore a dark blue robe, his beard and hair neatly groomed. His facial features were chiseled, and handsome, not at all like someone who would set up a stall in the snow for a few coins.
Steam rose, enveloping his face. He seemed to notice someone approaching and naturally looked up, smiling warmly at her. In a deep voice, he asked, “Would the young lady like some wonton?”
Looking at this face that seemed both familiar and strange, An Jiu inexplicably felt a lump in her throat. She slowly walked over and sat down at the table.
He said nothing, simply ladled a bowl of steaming wonton and placed it before her. As he turned to leave, An Jiu grabbed the hem of his clothes.
“Uncle, I…” she began.
The man’s body stiffened. He turned back, his deep black eyes shimmering like stars, looking at her with emotion.
An Jiu’s eyes reddened. “You look like my mother.”
This troublesome child!
Chu Dingjiang prided himself on being patient and tolerant, but at this moment, he couldn’t help wanting to grab her collar and throw her out of the alley. He had been planning for her since she found her life’s purpose, maneuvering to make Ling Ziyue the commander of the three-route army, changing the court’s dynamics, setting up situations for her to gain military merit in rescuing the Hebei camp, and even mobilizing long-hidden forces to assist her. Finally, he had painstakingly faked his death so the emperor would feel at ease using her.
If all went well, she would now be on the bright path he had paved for her! And he wouldn’t mind living in obscurity for the rest of his life.
Even though he had used Mo Sigui’s medicine to neutralize the drug that accelerated martial arts growth and dealt with those fake experts, it had still been a near-death experience.
But she had to go and put herself in danger just because reinforcements were a little late in arriving.
Chu Dingjiang, severely injured and having to maintain the illusion of his death, had refrained from contacting her for over a month. During this time, he had been extremely worried that she might do something rash out of anxiety. In the end, when he finally inquired, it turned out that his concern had been unnecessary – someone had sustained serious injuries and forgotten everything!
After all his painstaking calculations and efforts, this troublesome child was now eating wonton and calling him “mother”? Who exactly had he been working so hard for?
However…
Seeing her eyes and nose reddened, Chu Dingjiang could only channel his tumultuous emotions into a sigh and reach out to ruffle her hair.
Although she didn’t remember who he was, her instinctive attachment to him remained. She had etched their relationship into her very bones. What more could he ask for?
An Jiu, her nose tingling from the steam, found this warmth both familiar and longed for. Clinging to a glimmer of hope, she asked, “Uncle, do you perhaps have a long-lost daughter?”
Chu Dingjiang, who had just managed to calm himself, felt as if he’d been hit with another blow.
He tossed the cloth onto the table and sat down across from her, his legs spread wide. The warm firelight illuminated both their faces as he stared at her intently. “Uncle doesn’t have a long-lost daughter. Uncle has lost the person who would bear my daughter.”
Snow fell silently around the canopy, and steam rose from the bowl.
An Jiu’s cheeks flushed. She lowered her head and stirred the wonton for a moment before saying softly, “Should I be angry? But I’m happy to be teased by you…”
She looked up at Chu Dingjiang, confused.
Their eyes met, and in an instant, Chu Dingjiang leaned forward and kissed her lips.
At that moment, the narrow alley became their world, with snow blanketing time itself.
P.S.: “A lifetime of love, a dipper of drink, both unrestrained and true to oneself.” This line is adapted from a verse by Huang Wenze. Considering the character is from modern times, it’s appropriate to cite the source.
The full poem is as follows:
Wielding a long sword, entrusting to white clouds,
A lifetime of love, a dipper of drink
Dancing under the autumn moon, swaying with the river breeze,
Both unrestrained and true to oneself
Sword in hand, asking for the way, the path is rugged,
Relying on clouds to convey emotions, feelings ebb and flow
Looking back on life, all is chaos,
Raising wine to drunkenness, forgetting worries
The bright moon of the autumn equinox, thoughts of love arise,
River breeze and string music, dancing ripples
Once ambitious enough to pierce the nine heavens,
Once carefree enough to let things be