Zhou Sui was momentarily stunned by Xiao Li’s words. When he wanted to say more to him, he saw that Xiao Li had already walked far away.

The wind swept through the forest sea. Amid the lush vegetation of the mountains, Xiao Li passed through a mountain hollow and saw Song Qin, Zheng Hu, and a group of brothers who had been waiting for quite some time. Seeing him approach, everyone stood up from beneath the trees, with many brothers calling him “Second Brother.”

Xiao Li nodded toward them, and Song Qin greeted, “Let’s go!”

Everyone picked up their belongings and was about to mount their horses when Xiao Li hesitated for a moment and called out to Song Qin, “Big Brother, I’m no longer any kind of general from Pingzhou. You’re bringing the brothers to follow me, but I can’t guarantee everyone will gain a good future…”

Song Qin heavily slapped his shoulder, cutting off his remaining words. He asked with a smile, “When I brought you all to work at the gambling house before, what kind of future did I give you?”

He turned to look at everyone. “Now the world is in chaos. The turtles in the well and the bastards in the mountains are all claiming to be kings and tyrants. Those scoundrels from the streets drill into military camps, come out wearing military uniforms, and dare to piss everywhere marking territory, putting on airs like they’re the heavenly king while scraping ointment and searching for fat from the scalps of common people. We brothers do honest business running an escort agency, yet every few days people come to pick fights and collect tribute money. As long as we don’t have to suffer this damn frustration anymore, we’d even be willing to become outlaws like others and go into the mountains to be greenwood bandits!”

All the brothers laughed heartily in agreement, saying yes.

Zheng Hu also said, “Second Brother, don’t say such alienating words. As long as we brothers are together, where isn’t a place to go!”

Xiao Li naturally knew how precious this unconditional trust was. His hand gripping the silk ribbon tied to Xiao Huiniang’s urn box tightened, suppressing that upheaval in his heart. He flipped onto his horse’s back and said to everyone, “Good. After we pick up Godmother and the others, we’ll go to Tongzhou and forge our own world!”

—

At the end of July, Princess Hanyang of Great Liang led a ceremonial procession of three thousand out of the pass to form a marriage alliance with the Chen Kingdom court.

At the same time, the advance troops of the Liang, Chen, and Wei forces in the northern campaign against Pei Song also began breaking camp to head toward Jinzhou.

On the day Wen Yu left the city, the common people within spontaneously followed the wedding procession out to see her off, chasing after her carriage while crying and calling her “Princess.”

Wen Yu sat in the palanquin wearing her wedding attire. Her vision was blocked by the dense agate bead curtains hanging from her headdress. Even though she raised the left and right carriage curtains, she still couldn’t clearly see those faces with reddened eyes calling out to her. Only those cries of “Princess,” one after another, mournful and reluctant, reached her eardrums with exceptional clarity through the sounds of gongs, drums, and firecrackers.

Through the bead curtain, Wen Yu’s eyes also reddened. She straightened her back and no longer dared to glance even once toward the source of those calls.

This was a path she had been walking since the disaster at Luodu. Only initially, those seeing her off to marriage were just her brother-in-law, elder sister, and mother. Now, the common people of the entire Pingzhou city had been added.

Arriving at the gates of Bairen Pass, one could see from afar the mass of black Chen Kingdom wedding reception troops outside the city gate. Wen Yu ordered the ceremonial convoy to stop. With Zhao Bai’s support, she emerged from the phoenix palanquin carried by sixteen people. Li Xun, Chen Wei, Fan Yuan, and a host of officials all stood at the city gate. Seeing her, they cupped their hands with mixed feelings and called out “Princess.”

The bead curtain covering Wen Yu’s face had already been hooked to both sides of her headdress before she descended from the palanquin. She wore the rich and gorgeous makeup of a grand wedding, yet there was not half a trace of charm. What accumulated between her brows and eyes was only the nobility and dignity refined over hundreds of years in Liang territory. She looked toward everyone, her eyes containing reluctance and complexity, but absolutely no timidity. She opened her mouth and said, “Everyone, please see me off only to here.”

The officials present all understood that with this departure, she was using her own strength to prop up the entire national fortune of Great Liang. Some officials had already bowed their heads to wipe away tears.

Li Xun’s eyes were also red. His throat rolled several times before he said, “Commander Ling has fallen ill and is bedridden, unable to personally come see the Princess off. He has this old minister represent him in wishing the Princess smooth winds on this journey.”

Wen Yu and Li Yao, master and disciple, had not met since the rift arose over the matter of poisoning Xiao Li. At this moment hearing Li Xun’s words, Wen Yu did not say much more. Only after turning her head to look once more at the Liang territory behind her did she bow deeply toward the hundred officials present: “Great Liang, I entrust to all of you.”

With these words, all the Liang ministers present felt heartache, and weeping voices filled the air.

Jiang Yu, sitting on a tall horse waiting before the Chen army formation, glanced at the sun, then looked toward Wen Yu still bidding farewell to the Liang ministers at the city gate. His gaze lingered for a breath on that face of extreme beauty and extreme dignity before moving away to say to his personal guard, “Go urge them once or twice. It’s time to depart.”

The personal guard quickly jogged over and said something.

Jiang Yu saw Wen Yu cast a glance in this direction. He was no longer imprisoned in Pingzhou; rather, it was Wen Yu who was about to step into their Chen Kingdom territory. The situation was already different. By rights, he should no longer harbor any fear toward this Great Liang imperial daughter.

Yet when Wen Yu’s gaze fell over neither warmly nor coldly, he still felt his entire body unconsciously stiffen.

He later came to understand that even if that glance was ordinary, it was still the gaze of a king from among her people.

Wen Yu returned to her palanquin. The three-thousand-person ceremonial procession she brought was surrounded by the Chen army reception troops and continued southward.

After the procession departed, Jiang Yu rode his horse wanting to approach Wen Yu’s carriage. The accompanying Qingyun Cavalry immediately drew their swords from their sheaths, watching him as if facing a great enemy.

Jiang Yu was quite surprised. He smiled helplessly, raised both hands to show he had no ill intent, and called out loudly through the lowered curtains outside Wen Yu’s carriage, “This humble minister has come only to inform the Princess that before arriving at the royal court, we will first traverse half a month’s journey through the Gobi. In the wilderness, temperature differences between day and night are large, and wolf packs often appear. I hope the Princess’s subordinates remain vigilant. If the Princess has any needs along the way, she may also command this humble minister.”

Zhao Bai, riding alongside Wen Yu’s carriage, had no intention of having the Qingyun Guards sheathe their blades. She leaned close to the carriage window and bent her ear as if listening to instructions from the person inside. When she straightened up again, she stared at Jiang Yu expressionlessly and said, “The Princess says she knows and thanks Commander Jiang for his kind intentions.”

From her expression and voice, it was truly difficult to hear any gratitude.

Jiang Yu smiled indifferently. After performing a Chen Kingdom salute toward Wen Yu’s carriage, he spurred his horse away from this place.

—

On the city tower soaring at the peak of Bairen Pass, an old man with white hair and beard leaned on his cane, watching the Azure Dragon Red Cloud banner of Great Liang gradually recede into the winding mountain hollow, his eyes full of vicissitudes.

Li Xun ascended the city tower and gazed with the old man at the departing troops, sighing, “You came all this way here, yet why are you unwilling to see her off in person?”

The wind was strong atop the city tower. Even Li Yao’s sparse white hair, combed meticulously without a strand out of place, was blown somewhat disheveled. He said, “That child holds resentment toward me. I suppose she doesn’t wish to see me.”

Hearing these words, Li Xun thought of Xiao Li’s “death” and sighed again.

Li Yao, with one hand behind his back, turned around somewhat hunched over while leaning on his cane. Amid the whistling wind and the hunting sound of banners flapping, he said, “Let’s return.”

—

The officials of Pei within Yongzhou territory had recently been living in constant fear.

First, Zhou Sui and that young general surnamed Xiao, after nearly half a month of citywide lockdown and searching, still showed no trace. Then the Liang, Chen, and Wei forces in the southern border directed their troops straight toward Jinzhou.

Even more ominous, Wei Qishan’s main army on the northern battlefield was becoming increasingly aggressive. The current situation was greatly disadvantageous to their Pei clan from every level.

Battle reports from Jinzhou in the southern border and Mozhou in the northern border arrived every few days, showing how urgent the situation was.

However, even at this time, Pei Song still had no intention of hastening to either location to personally supervise the battle. He remained in command at Yongzhou, and the orders he issued below remained: capture the fugitives Zhou Sui, Xiao Li, and others at any cost.

The Pei generals in charge at Yongzhou and the commander responsible for raiding the Zhou residence that day had long since received heavy punishment. However, the search matter still had not half a bit of progress.

The longer this time dragged on, the more terrified the officials below became. Every time they were summoned by Pei Song, without exception, before even walking through that door, their backs were already half-soaked with cold sweat.

On this day, Pei Song’s personal guard carried urgent reports sent from various places to see Pei Song. Before even approaching the door, he heard reprimanding voices coming from inside, followed by the sound of cups and bowls shattering, as well as officials’ panicked voices begging forgiveness.

In a moment, the minister who had been lectured inside pushed open the door looking disheveled and left in disgrace.

The personal guard took two breaths before raising his hand to knock on the door.

“Come in.” A low and weary voice came from inside.

The personal guard pushed open the door and entered, presenting the urgent reports in his hands on the desk. He bowed his head respectfully and said, “Master, urgent reports from Jinzhou and Mozhou.”

Pei Song sat leaning back against the grand preceptor chair, his elbow propped on the chair’s armrest, five fingers supporting his forehead, his entire aura gloomy, already appearing extremely weary. He did not look at the reports the personal guard presented and asked, “That side with Beauty Jiang, have there been any movements recently?”

The personal guard replied, “Everything is as usual.”

Pei Song lifted his eyelids. “What about the people serving nearby? Have any new faces been added?”

The personal guard shook his head.

The irritation between Pei Song’s brows became even more pronounced.

Xiao Li wasn’t dead and had appeared in Yongzhou together with Zhou Sui in good health. This meant Hanyang had not fallen for his alienation scheme but had deliberately spread the news of Xiao Li’s death in Pingzhou to deceive him.

Instead, his matter of using Jiang Yichu to set a trap for them had been exposed.

Before this, Hanyang already had the means to plant people beside Jiang Yichu. Now that the matter was exposed, for Jiang Yichu’s safety, it was impossible for Hanyang not to separately dispatch people to protect Jiang Yichu.

However, his people had not found any trace. This could only mean Hanyang’s people were hidden deeply enough and concealed enough.

Thinking further about Zhou and Xiao, the two who had disappeared within Yongzhou city, Pei Song’s expression became increasingly ugly. His eyes full of sinister gloom, he said, “So that’s how it is…”

The personal guard didn’t understand the meaning in Pei Song’s words. “You mean?”

Pei Song laughed coldly. “I pulled out Zhou Sui, this nail Hanyang planted in Yongzhou. His Zhou family has already fallen into a desperate situation, yet those who escaped that night were still able to leave no trace under a citywide lockdown search lasting over a month. What does this indicate?”

The personal guard, enlightened, exclaimed in shock, “There are still Zhou family insiders in the city!”

Pei Song’s eyes fully revealed their murderous intent. He ordered, “Go investigate. Jinzhou has Han Qi guarding it, and Pei Thirteen assisting. In the short term, no chaos will arise. Mozhou has the Master commanding, and he won’t let Wei Qishan gain much advantage. Yongzhou is now my Pei clan’s heartland. We absolutely cannot let insects bore holes here anymore.”

The personal guard immediately received the order and withdrew.

With leads in the investigation, Pei Song’s expression improved somewhat. He casually opened a battle report placed on the desk. Scanning over the words, just as the personal guard was about to pull open the door, he suddenly spoke out again, “Come back.”