“Why is the good Director Wan cursing my future husband?”

Jinshu glared at Wan Xiao. Wan Xiao calmly met her gaze. After a long while, Jinshu finally murmured: “Actually, this servant has also considered that he might no longer be in this world.”

“So, what if he is dead?”

Wan Xiao pressed repeatedly, provoking three parts anger in Jinshu.

“If he is dead, naturally I must remain chaste for him. We have a marriage contract.”

“Have you even seen your husband? Yet you brazenly speak of remaining chaste for him?”

For some reason, Wan Xiao also felt a simmering anger: “When you come of age, have your master release you from the palace. Properly choose an honest family to marry into and find a stable livelihood to live peacefully. Isn’t that good?”

“None of your business.”

Jinshu put her hands on her hips, glaring angrily at Wan Xiao: “How do you know I haven’t seen my husband? My father said when I was small, I grew up on my husband’s back. Wherever he went, he would carry me. He loved me so much.”

“My father said from childhood I was born with great strength and often accidentally hurt those around me. Only my husband didn’t mind and stayed with me all day. I remember it all.”

Though she was young, from babbling speech to early childhood, she still had some hazy memories.

She just knew that if she found her husband, that person would surely treat her very well.

Wan Xiao lowered his head halfway, not knowing what he was thinking. After a long while, he laughed softly: “So many years have passed. Is it worth it?”

“None of your business!”

Who keeps cursing someone’s husband to die early? Jinshu felt angry in her heart. After holding it in for a long time, she finally said resentfully: “Advising another man’s wife to remarry—you’re shameless.”

Even if his rank was high, there was no reason to curse people like this!

Jinshu frowned and turned to stride away.

Wan Xiao was stunned by her scolding. Seeing the young girl’s trembling back as she walked away in anger, he laughed helplessly.

After this bitter laugh, he returned to the Eastern Palace.

Ji Rong was packing personal items for Shen Qianyu. Wan Xiao sat in a chair, silent for a long time before suddenly saying: “If I cannot return from this journey, find a man around twenty-three years old with no surviving parents or clan.”

“What for?”

“Choose one with excellent character and disposition, and in good health.”

Taking out a small note from his sleeve, Wan Xiao lazily handed it to Ji Rong: “There’s an identity arrangement on it. Help him create household registration according to this identity.”

Ji Rong didn’t understand: “What is this person for?”

“There’s a maid named Jinshu beside Chenghui Song in the Eastern Palace. This…”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Wan Xiao’s voice carried fatigue: “Once you’ve chosen the person, have him marry Jinshu as his wife.”

Ji Rong looked at Wan Xiao, gripping the small note in his hand with some force. After a long while, he slowly released it. The two shared a common fate—with just a few simple sentences, Ji Rong understood Wan Xiao’s difficulty.

After a long silence, Ji Rong said: “If you return, should we still continue searching for this person?”

“Naturally.”

“Perhaps that young lady wouldn’t mind…”

Before he could finish, Wan Xiao laughed scornfully: “I owe her family greatly. I cannot commit such sins.”

The two fell silent. Wan Xiao patted Ji Rong’s shoulder and turned to walk out of the Eastern Palace.

Accompanying the Crown Prince on this campaign, he also had things to arrange. If he returned to Dong Chang now, there was still time.

Ji Rong held that small note, feeling a sense of sympathy for his own kind.

The Eastern Palace was busy for two consecutive days. When departing, Shen Qianyu did not go to see Song Wan. He feared that if he saw her, he would no longer have any ambition, and would only want to indulge in tender affection.

Song Wan also understood his thoughts. On the day he left the palace, she sat alone in Laiyi Pavilion, gazing toward the palace gates.

“Your Highness, the seal.”

Handing the military command seal to Shen Qianyu, Wan Xiao walked behind him and mounted his horse.

For this military deployment, Emperor Wenhui allocated one thousand troops from the Shenshu Camp in the capital, along with three hundred firearms. Combined with the Su River command post, they would total seven thousand troops, enough to contend with the elite forces in Qin Rao’s hands.

Shen Qianyu gripped the reins, looked back once toward the palace gates, then rode away.

Yesterday during troop inspection, everyone gathered at the guard camp in the capital outskirts. Now they only awaited Shen Qianyu, Ming Chun, and others to arrive before departing.

“Your Highness, we’ve arrived.”

Wan Xiao dismounted and presented Emperor Wenhui’s handwritten letter to the camp guards for inspection. Upon entering the commander’s tent, they discovered that neither Ming Chun nor Cui Chengdong had appeared.

“What’s going on? Ming Chun is not one to disregard military discipline. How could he not have arrived at this hour?”

Wan Xiao shook his head. Just as they were puzzled, Jiang Xingjian arrived from the distance. Seeing Shen Qianyu, both men’s expressions turned somewhat ugly.

“How is it you?”

Jiang Xingjian’s expression was detached: “This minister only received His Majesty’s edict last night. There’s an emergency in Shaanxi. Military Commander Ming Chun was urgently transferred to Shaanxi. For this journey, this minister will lead the Shenshu Camp to accompany Your Highness.”

Shen Qianyu frowned deeply. After a moment, he asked: “What about Cui Chengdong?”

“Lord Cui departed yesterday with the grain supplies, already on his way.”

After speaking, both men fell into silence.

Shen Qianyu didn’t know whether Ming Chun’s urgent transfer was truly due to problems in Shaanxi. Moreover, this man Jiang Xingjian held enmity against him for taking his wife. He didn’t know if conflict might arise on the battlefield.

But now the arrow was on the string—there was no turning back.

Though Ming Chun was absent, the deputy commander, battalion commanders, and supervisory officials on this journey were all people from the Eastern Palace. After considering for a moment, Shen Qianyu decided to depart today.

He had not received news from Liu Changque about Nanqing’s internal strife for a long time and didn’t know whether it was fortune or disaster. But at this season, Huaijun, Qin Rao, and others must be ill. If the opposing forces arrived at the Su River exhausted from their journey, he might perhaps win without battle.

After brief discussion, everyone had no objections and broke camp that day to depart.

The journey was arduous. By the time they reached the Su River, three months had passed. Everyone was worn from travel, ultimately arriving just one step behind Qin Rao.

Across the river was where the elite forces in Qin Rao’s hands were stationed.

As soon as Shen Qianyu dismounted, Cui Chengdong hurriedly came to report.

“Reporting to Your Highness, Su River Regional Commander Fang Xingli received His Majesty’s secret order and half a month ago took all troops from the five thousand-household offices under his jurisdiction to Shaanxi. Now only five hundred-household offices remain at the command post, fewer than six hundred troops.”

“What did you say?”

Shen Qianyu and Jiang Xingjian both exclaimed in shocked unison. Cui Chengdong wore a mournful old face, at a loss for what to do.

As soon as he reached the commander’s tent, Shen Qianyu violently threw off the seal he wore.

“How dare he? How dare he!”

As ruler of a nation, how dare Emperor Wenhui treat the nation’s territory so frivolously?

Jiang Xingjian also wore a grave expression. He brooded with darkened eyes for a long time before slowly saying: “What does His Majesty mean by this? Does he want you, the Crown Prince of this nation, to perish here?”

Irritably wiping his face, Shen Qianyu kept his eyes lowered: “No, that’s not right. There’s no one left to use in court. Even if he dislikes my birth, he wouldn’t send me to my death.”

“Then what exactly does His Majesty mean?”

Shen Qianyu gritted his teeth and said resentfully: “He must have privately promised Qin Rao something, deliberately withdrawing troops to prevent the two of us from clashing with Nanqing.”

Jiang Xingjian’s face twitched violently: “So His Majesty deployed troops only as a show for the important ministers in court…”

“But privately engaged in secret dealings, secretly communicating with Nanqing, promising what Qin Rao demanded?”

Jiang Xingjian’s voice suddenly rose: “Dongning cannot possibly produce thirty million taels of silver, so His Majesty plans to hand over Suncheng and Chiyang?”

“Suncheng is easy to defend and hard to attack. Beyond it lies the entrance to eastern Gansu. If Nanqing truly has ill intentions, reaching Guanzhong would not be difficult. And Chiyang has fertile land and is our dynasty’s key grain-producing region. How… how dare he! Isn’t he afraid of historical censure, of having these myriad crimes recorded?”

Shen Qianyu’s eyes showed three parts killing intent as he said through gritted teeth: “Historical records? How would historical records know of today’s events?”

“You are the commander-in-chief. If Suncheng and Chiyang are truly lost, do you think you’ll have a life to return to the capital?”

After speaking, Shen Qianyu looked at Cui Chengdong: “Having you go ahead must have had another purpose. What exactly did he have you convey to Nanqing?”

Apart from himself, Emperor Wenhui never planned to leave any survivors from this journey. So Cui Chengdong must have a reason that would ensure his death!