Yang Yuanting seemed to have guessed the purpose of her visit. His expression grew colder, and with a sweep of his sleeves he declared: “No need to lecture me with your stinking governance theories. The Yang clan will not meddle in your vulgar power struggles! If your grandfather were still alive, his greatest regret would be allowing your mother to marry into the Wen family!”

As the family patriarch, he rarely displayed such fury. Had any other member of the household witnessed this, they would have been terrified.

But Wen Yu didn’t even lift an eyelid.

She shifted her gaze from the painting to Yang Yuanting, her eyes completely calm, with the scrutiny of a superior regarding a subordinate: “Mountains and rivers, lakes and seas, clear winds and bright moons—you discuss them all endlessly, yet never discuss the people’s livelihood or their suffering. What laughable empty rhetoric! Born into a prominent clan, enjoying the ancestral legacy of hundreds of shops and thousands of acres of fertile land, Uncle naturally can close his eyes and cover his ears to play the lofty immortal detached from worldly affairs, expounding on ‘governing through non-action.'”

Wen Yu smiled: “When Grandfather promoted empty rhetoric at the academy back then, it was to conceal his abilities and avoid disaster, to keep a low profile. Uncle has guarded Songya Academy and this study for over a decade, yet you completely fail to understand his painstaking efforts, instead treating them as sacred principles. I wonder what Grandfather would think if he knew from beneath the nine springs.”

Yang Yuanting’s impression of Wen Yu still lingered from two years ago. He subconsciously thought she was still that princess of the royal household who, despite harboring rebellious bones, still carried some innocent charm. After venting his temper, her response remained calm and measured, and the aura of one long accustomed to high position pressed down on him until he could barely breathe. Her criticism of his scholarship struck at his sore spot, and he couldn’t help but feel increasingly humiliated that his authority was being challenged.

He shouted: “Stop your honeyed words before me! If you’ve come to persuade the Yang clan to submit to you, you can abandon that hope!”

Zhao Bai, standing at the door with his sword, lifted his eyes to glance at him, his thumb pressing tightly against where the hilt met the scabbard.

Wen Yu’s eyes grew colder: “During this palace’s most difficult times, I never came begging to the Yang family. That letter back then was written only for Mother’s sake, to preserve your entire household and clan. Now this palace commands tens of thousands of troops in the southern territories, and the realm has no shortage of scholars with clear minds to write and compile books for our Great Liang. We certainly don’t lack your Songya Academy’s faction of false purists. Were it not for this palace’s mother being born of the Yang clan, with the Yang family forever being this palace’s maternal relatives, do you think this palace would personally come to Hengzhou during this chaos?”

“You!” Yang Yuanting pointed at Wen Yu, trembling with rage.

Zhao Bai’s thumb pushed the cold sword half an inch from its sheath, saying coldly: “Insolence!”

Yang Yuanting froze and withdrew his hand. Though the study’s bright candles burned high, he felt as if an immense shadow unfurled behind Wen Yu, and in those cold, brilliant eyes overflowed the imperial daughter’s killing intent and authority.

He finally realized that standing before him was not some delicate princess propped up by old retainers based on bloodline alone, but a royal princess who had wielded the king’s sword and fought her way up from mountains of corpses and seas of blood to claim her high position.

Wen Yu paid him no further attention, pulling her cloak’s hood back on as she walked out: “Wei Qishan has returned to being a Jin minister. The Yang clan remaining in the northern territories will inevitably encounter disaster. This palace’s great army is just outside the city. Dismiss your household servants tonight, pack your valuables—there’s still time to leave with this palace at dawn.”

As she neared the door, Yang Yuanting suddenly shouted behind her: “If you don’t come to Hengzhou, even if Wei Qishan becomes a Jin minister again, the Yang clan will still be safe!”

Wen Yu’s steps briefly paused. The hood concealed her expression as she said: “This palace has already told you—this palace came here only for this palace’s mother. Since the Yang clan has made its choice, this palace will leave at dawn, and no one will know this palace was here. Henceforth, the Yang clan’s honor, disgrace, rise and fall will have nothing whatsoever to do with this palace!”

Zhao Bai was about to open the door for her when someone burst in from outside.

“Father! The current situation is perilous, and the Wei and Pei armies continue their endless campaigns. If we remain in Hengzhou, we’ll be fish on the chopping block, slaughtered at will!”

The young man who burst in and knelt before Yang Yuanting was his son, Yang Bijun.

Yang Yuanting seemed to feel humiliated and wanted to find a punishment rod to beat his son, but looking around and not finding one, he simply raised his palm to strike his son’s back, shouting: “Get up! Marquis Wei is righteous! The Yang clan doesn’t meddle in power struggles—why would he make things difficult for us?”

Yang Bijun continued his piteous pleading, but Wen Yu had no mind to continue listening to this father and son’s argument. After Zhao Bai opened an umbrella, she stepped out of the study.

Bronze Sparrow, waiting outside the door, saw the two emerge and knew the discussion hadn’t gone well. She said nothing and followed behind Wen Yu as they departed together.

When the group reached the front courtyard, Jiang Yu, who was guarding the gate, was about to approach when a shout came from behind the hanging flower gate: “Princess, please wait!”

Wen Yu turned her head slightly under the umbrella to see Yang Bijun rushing through the snow. Upon reaching them, he hastily bowed before suppressing the stabbing pain of cold air entering his lungs and said breathlessly: “The princess has traveled a thousand miles to Hengzhou to provide assistance—the Yang family is infinitely grateful. Tomorrow, all one hundred and thirty-some members of the Yang household will accompany the princess to the southern territories.”

Wen Yu frowned slightly. She had previously enjoyed close relations with her Yang cousins, so she didn’t direct her anger at him, only saying: “Your father…”

Yang Bijun quickly bowed again: “Mother and Baolin have given Father a calming tonic. He won’t wake until noon tomorrow.”

At this point, his face showed some embarrassment: “After Grandfather passed, Songya Academy’s circumstances deteriorated year by year. Father has such a rigid and conservative temperament, growing increasingly stubborn over the years. We’ve tried reasoning with him many times, but his nature is too obstinate. For today’s offenses against the princess, I apologize on his behalf.”

With that, he bowed deeply once more.

From behind the hanging flower gate, in the lakeside pavilion corridor, two people hurried over carrying lanterns. The dim yellow lamplight illuminated the exquisite tassels on their skirt hems—it was Wen Yu’s aunt and cousin.

The two had apparently taken the shortcut through the lakeside pavilion for fear of not catching up with Wen Yu. Though they had found her, they could only gaze at each other across the lotus pond. Afraid that calling out from too far would alert the neighbors, they dared not speak, only repeatedly wiping tears with their handkerchiefs and bowing deeply toward Wen Yu from afar, eyes full of apology.

Seeing her cousin and aunt, Wen Yu recalled the times she had accompanied her mother to Hengzhou. Her heart softened somewhat. After turning back from Dingzhou, she had made a detour to Hengzhou—never for her mother’s brother, but for all of her mother’s clan.

Yang Yuanting was stubborn and decayed, but this vast clan’s fate should not be decided by him alone, determining whether they lived or died.

Wen Yu said to Yang Bijun: “Cousin, please rise. We’re all family. I entered the city under the guise of a merchant caravan. Tomorrow we must leave the city by the hour of the dragon at the latest. Dismissing servants and packing valuables will all take time. Cousin should go make arrangements first.”

Hearing her call him “cousin,” Yang Bijun finally breathed a sigh of relief. When he looked up, his eyes showed faint redness. So much youthful affection had been separated by an insurmountable chasm after the incidents at Luodu and Fengyang. He said: “Thank you, Princess. This humble one will go make arrangements.”

He hurried back to deploy everything. Jiang Yu stood several steps away, narrowing his eyes as he watched his retreating figure for a while.

—

The night was cold and frost heavy. When Zheng Hu emerged from the forest stepping on pine needles, he inadvertently bumped into a branch of rime ice, and those icicles instantly fell down his neck, freezing him until he frantically brushed at his neck while gasping.

Not far away by the campfire, Xiao Li, Song Qin, and Zhang Huai sat together in a circle.

Xiao Li used a half-burned tree branch to sketch a simple terrain map on the ground, discussing with the two men tomorrow’s tactics for encircling and suppressing Pei’s army.

After Zheng Hu walked over and sat down, he warmed his half-soaked pant legs by the fire, complaining: “This really isn’t work fit for humans. We’re sleeping in the wilderness on this snowy night while that Second Young Master Wei comfortably nestles in the city’s warm embrace, yet he has the gall to add his name to the battle reports.”

The previous battle at Youzhou had restored some morale to Wei’s army. Recently the barbarians hadn’t been attacking the city fiercely, so Xiao Li’s thirty thousand volunteer troops weren’t assigned to defend the city but were instead dispatched by Wei Qishan to recover the lost territories seized by Pei Song.

Wei Pingjin had also been sent over as military supervisor, ostensibly to let him gain experience following Xiao Li.

Zhang Huai turned the roasted sweet potatoes in the hot ashes, saying: “Whether that former Jin princess that the Marquis of Shuobian found is real or fake remains unknown, but it appears she’ll become the Wei household’s daughter-in-law. In the future, that Second Young Master Wei will be the lord. No matter how much the Marquis of Shuobian appears to dislike this son, the path that should be paved is still being laid out for him without missing a single section. To help him accumulate connections in the military, he was first sent to follow General Liao in defending Youzhou, and now he’s following you, State Mentor, to recover lost territory.”

Thinking of Wei Pingjin’s behavior on the Youzhou battlefield, Zheng Hu felt his teeth ache. He suddenly sighed: “This Marquis of Shuobian—everyone acknowledges him as a heroic lord of his generation, yet he produced such a dog of a son.”

Zhang Huai pulled several cooked sweet potatoes from the ash pile, distributing them to everyone with a smile: “What of it? In peaceful times, even if a pig sat on the dragon throne, the hundred officials would still respectfully pay obeisance.”

Zheng Hu juggled the hot sweet potato between his hands to avoid burning himself, grinning: “Still comes down to being good at choosing which womb to be born from.”

Song Qin broke open the sweet potato in his hands, not caring about the heat as he took a bite: “I reckon the Marquis of Shuobian bringing his son along isn’t just to leech military merit.”

Zhang Huai said: “Currently, though all the volunteer armies nominally fall under the State Mentor’s command, their loyalties haven’t truly aligned. If only the State Mentor were assigned to recover lost territory, after several battles these thirty thousand volunteers would definitely be forged into an iron plate by the State Mentor. Bringing Wei Pingjin along is meant to shake the various volunteer army leaders, letting them know there’s a shortcut available.”

The volunteer army leaders had initially shown goodwill toward Xiao Li because they hadn’t been valued by Wei’s army at Youzhou and sought someone to attach themselves to.

But now, Wei Qishan also seemed intent on winning over those volunteers.

Song Qin said: “Thirty thousand volunteers reporting directly to the State Mentor—the Marquis of Shuobian still can’t feel at ease.”

Several men looked toward Xiao Li. He seemed not to have heard their conversation, still looking at the simple terrain map sketched on the ground, saying: “Pei’s army’s movements these past few days have been quite odd.”

Everyone knew the current battle situation was most pressing, and they immediately gathered closer.

Xiao Li used a small branch to roughly trace Pei’s army’s retreat route over recent days, saying: “They keep retreating, refusing to engage us in combat, leading us southward. We’re nearly at the border of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.”

Zhang Huai looked at the small dot Xiao Li had marked on the ground indicating their current position and its distance from the major northern defense camps, his expression immediately growing grave: “Luring the tiger from the mountain?”

Xiao Li neither confirmed nor denied, saying: “We can’t let them keep leading us south.”

Song Qin said: “But Pei’s bandits have been plundering money and grain from the common people all along their route. Our mission is to pursue Pei’s army and recover lost territory. If we turn back now, not only would it violate military orders, but if Pei’s army massacres several villages and cities, we’ll be held accountable afterward.”

Zheng Hu stood up angrily: “Damn it, these Pei bandits had this planned all along!”

Zhang Huai furrowed his brow: “Looking at it this way, we can basically confirm the barbarians will launch a surprise attack soon.”

Xiao Li pondered for a moment, then said: “Send eight-hundred-mile urgent letters to all border defense camps, and also send one to Weizhou. Tomorrow, dispatch only two light cavalry units to continue pursuing Pei’s army. The main force will remain here awaiting orders.”

After the meeting concluded, everyone returned to their military tents to rest.

The next day at noon, Xiao Li was leading a light cavalry unit in pursuit of a Pei army contingent. After sending scouts to monitor that Pei force’s movements, the scouts returned to report: “State Mentor, that Pei force suddenly stopped heading south and changed direction, making straight for Hengzhou!”

Song Qin, who was accompanying Xiao Li, was greatly puzzled by this news: “Pei’s army’s movements are becoming increasingly incomprehensible. Hengzhou isn’t even part of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun—what are they doing there?”

Xiao Li wasn’t very familiar with the terrain outside the northern Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, and asked: “What place is Hengzhou?”

A general below who knew answered: “I believe the Princess Consort of Changlian’s maternal family is there. After Fengyang fell, they submitted to the Marquis of Shuobian to prevent Pei Song from settling accounts with them.”

Song Qin immediately understood the scheme upon hearing this, saying to Xiao Li: “This is bad!”

Xiao Li’s eyes also changed slightly. He lightly pulled the reins: “To Hengzhou.”

—

After Wen Yu escorted the Yang household members out of the city and rendezvoused with the Liang army waiting outside, they proceeded south according to the original plan.

But shortly after the army departed, scouts discovered Wei forces pursuing from behind.

Wen Yu knew she had made no mistakes leaving the city. The Yang household members had been received at the courier station before dawn, and fearing the city gate guards would notice their “merchant caravan” had suddenly increased in numbers overnight, her subordinates had even split up and disguised themselves as ordinary commoners to exit the city.

If Wei Qishan, after publicly claiming to return as a Jin minister, had sent people to watch and prevent the Yang family from escaping Hengzhou, Zhao Bai had already led people to observe the Yang residence’s surroundings in secret for several hours before she entered yesterday, and had discovered no abnormalities.

She asked the scout: “How did Wei’s army detect our movements?”

The scout answered: “We heard that this morning a band of bandits went to the Yang residence to plunder. Wei forces in the city went to the Yang residence to apprehend them, only to discover the Yang household was completely empty. That bandit group was highly skilled in martial arts and has already left the city. Wei’s army has split into two routes—one pursuing the bandits, one pursuing the Yang household members.”

Wen Yu furrowed her brow: “Bandits?”

There were many wealthy households in Hengzhou city. Even if bandits entered the city, they couldn’t have targeted the Yang residence so specifically. This bandit group’s origins were truly suspicious.

After she raised her hand to signal the scout to withdraw, her tightly furrowed brow still didn’t relax.

Zhao Bai said: “At this critical juncture when Wei Qishan claims to return as a Jin minister, if something happened to the Yang household, anyone would think it couldn’t be unrelated to Wei Qishan.”

Wen Yu’s eyes were clear and deep: “Not only can this bestow a stain upon Wei Qishan’s reputation, it can also thoroughly ignite hatred between the Liang and Wei camps. Pei Song’s scheme of diverting disaster eastward is well calculated.”

Zhao Bai glanced in Fengyang’s direction, saying: “Counting the days, the Azure Cloud Guards sent to raid Hongen Temple should have already acted. I wonder if they successfully rescued the State Mentor’s wife and the ministers. If that bandit group was also disguised as Pei Song’s lackeys, their objective this time is the Yang household members—they probably won’t give up easily.”

Openly there were Northern Wei pursuers, but hidden in the shadows were Pei clan’s venomous insects. Their return journey would likely not be easy.

After brief consideration, Wen Yu said: “Summon Jiang Yu. Two thousand troops make too large a target. We need to split up and march separately.”

Not far away in the carriage, Yang Yuanting had already awakened, but Yang Madam, fearing this old stubborn fool would cause trouble on the road, simply had him bound with silk bands and gagged with a handkerchief.

Initially Yang Yuanting’s eyes blazed with fury, looking as if he wanted to devour his wife and children. But after hearing the conversation between Wen Yu and the scout outside the carriage, his struggling weakened and he stopped making muffled sounds.

Yang Bijun sat on the cushion opposite, partly relieved that he’d retrieved a lifeline for the entire household, partly unable to stop the lingering fear. Yang Madam and her daughter had completely paled.

When Yang Madam looked at her husband again, she couldn’t help but tearfully reproach him: “All these years you’ve been this way. Even in matters of life and death for the family, you insist on dragging the entire household to their doom with you before you’re satisfied?”

Yang Yuanting seemed to feel humiliated and closed his eyes.

Yang Bijun thought of how his father had spoken so offensively to Wen Yu last night, and now both the Pei and Wei sides were targeting them. Their future survival would depend entirely on Wen Yu. He felt even more ashamed and embarrassed, saying:

“I know Father believes that since the Yang family doesn’t meddle in political affairs, given Marquis Wei’s character, he wouldn’t make things difficult for us. But we’re already in the game. Many times, it’s not that we can stay out of it just because we wish to. Aunt was the Princess Consort of Changlian in life and was posthumously honored as Great Liang’s Empress Wenhui in death. The princess carries the Yang clan’s bloodline. As long as the Yang family retains any value in stirring the realm’s power struggles, that butcher’s blade will forever hang suspended above the heads of all Yang household members. Only the princess will truly protect the Yang family’s safety.”

He looked toward Yang Yuanting and knelt down: “Father, please turn around and apologize to the princess. Otherwise, how can the Yang household members have the face to receive such great kindness from the princess?”

Yang Yuanting had remained silent throughout. Yang Bijun crawled forward two steps on his knees and removed the handkerchief stuffed in his mouth.

But unexpectedly, the first words Yang Yuanting spoke were still bitter: “Had I known it would come to this, Father should never have married Yun Ying to the Wen clan…”

Yang Madam didn’t wait for her eldest son to speak. She snatched the handkerchief and stuffed his mouth tightly shut again. Clutching the silk handkerchief, she pointed at Yang Yuanting, tears streaming: “Don’t let him speak again for the entire journey!”

With that, she buried her face in her daughter’s shoulder and wept.

—

Wen Yu naturally knew nothing of this scene in the Yang family carriage.

After summoning Jiang Yu, she ordered the two thousand volunteers split into several groups, taking different routes to infiltrate back to the southern territories.

Too large a target, especially within northern territory, would be easily swept up by Wei’s army in one net.

Regarding whether to travel with the Yang household members, Zhao Bai and Jiang Yu both consistently advised against it. Currently, Wei’s army and Pei Song’s forces didn’t yet know Wen Yu was also in the northern territories, so their target was only the Yang household members, and the troops dispatched were limited.

If they truly managed to escape the northern territories, it wouldn’t be a particularly great loss to either the Pei or Wei sides.

But if news leaked that Wen Yu was in the northern territories, whether Pei Song or Wei Qishan would inevitably spare no effort in pursuit. Therefore, traveling with the Yang household members would be most dangerous for both her and them.

After deciding on methods to shake off the pursuers, Wen Yu went to see Yang Madam and her cousin siblings, then parted ways with them.

To avoid causing Wen Yu trouble and to protect his mother, sister, and clan members, Yang Bijun even proposed he alone follow a volunteer unit as a decoy.

Wen Yu naturally refused, but Yang Bijun’s mind was set. Bowing to Wen Yu, he said: “The princess traveled a thousand miles to rescue us—the Yang household is infinitely grateful. Now that circumstances have changed, we absolutely cannot draw the princess into danger. Moreover, I take this risk more for the Yang family’s sake.”

If the Yang clan had never left Hengzhou, that would be one thing. But having privately departed Hengzhou meant they’d made their choice between the Liang and Wei camps. If captured and taken back, they wouldn’t receive their former courtesies—they would truly become Northern Wei’s bargaining chip to threaten Wen Yu.

As the two remained at an impasse, the carriage curtain lifted nearby. Yang Madam, red-eyed, said to Wen Yu: “Princess, please let him go. He’s the Yang family’s eldest son. When the household faces difficulty, he should naturally step forward. Shrinking back would make him unworthy of being called a man and would shame all those sage books he’s read. How could he set an example for the clan’s younger generation?”

Yang Bijun bowed to Wen Yu once more, earnestly saying: “Please grant this request, Princess.”

How could Wen Yu not understand? He made this decision hoping to sacrifice himself alone to draw away the pursuers, protecting both her and all Yang family members’s safe return to the southern territories. Should he truly meet with misfortune, she would remember his actions today and not hold Yang Yuanting’s offensive words against them, protecting the Yang family in all things.

Power and position truly could make everything around one feel strange.

Two years ago, when he and cousin Baolin had called her “cousin,” it seemed like only yesterday. Now all household members addressed her respectfully as “Princess.”

Wen Yu’s heart suddenly filled with endless bitterness. She turned away, instructing Zhao Bai: “Assign six Azure Cloud Guards to accompany Cousin.”

She still called him “Cousin.”

Yang Bijun gazed at her retreating back, his eyes slowly reddening. He bowed again: “Thank you, Princess.”

Wen Yu didn’t look back.

—

After splitting up the march, the formation became much lighter and their marching speed increased considerably.

Near noon, Wen Yu ordered the soldiers who’d been traveling all morning to rest briefly by the roadside.

Zhao Bai went to find a water source to fetch water but didn’t return for a long time. Just as Wen Yu was preparing to send someone to check, she heard a commotion outside the carriage.

Lifting the curtain to look, she saw Zhao Bai dragging a Chen army soldier of unknown life or death like a dead dog back to camp. Raising her whip, she lashed toward Jiang Yu, who stood with the other Southern Chen soldiers: “Traitor!”

Jiang Yu reacted extremely quickly, his body leaning back just in time to dodge Zhao Bai’s whistling whip. Before he could steady himself, Zhao Bai’s second strike already swung over. He dodged sideways again, and before his sword could be drawn, he blocked Zhao Bai’s pressing blade with his scabbard. His handsome brow furrowed as he suppressed his anger, asking with complete bewilderment: “What madness is this?”

Because of Dou Jianliang’s betrayal, the Southern Chen soldiers had frequently clashed privately with Liang troops during their month-plus journey north. Now both sides drew their weapons in confrontation, the conflict at breaking point.

Zhao Bai coldly spat two words: “Playing dumb!”

Her wrist suddenly turned, the blade about to strike down again when Wen Yu’s clear, stern voice rang out from behind: “Stop!”

Seeing Wen Yu being helped down from the carriage by Bronze Sparrow, Zhao Bai finally sheathed her sword, leading the Azure Cloud Guards and Liang soldiers to protect Wen Yu behind them.

Her blade still pointed toward Jiang Yu and his group, saying coldly: “The Chen army are traitors who leaked information about the Princess being in the northern territories.”

At these words, both Wen Yu and all the soldiers present were shocked.

Jiang Yu’s expression changed, his refined features filled with fury as he shouted: “Stop slandering people!”

Zhao Bai turned her eyes toward him, unscrewed her water flask, poured all the cold water inside onto the face of the Chen army soldier she’d dragged back, then threw down the quiver from her back.

The quiver’s style was standard Chen army issue, apparently seized from that Chen soldier.

When it hit the ground, the arrows inside along with several cloth strips also tumbled out.

When Jiang Yu saw those cloth strips, his heart jumped violently. He crouched to pick up one strip, unfolding it to see written in vermillion: “Princess Hanyang Accompanying the Army.”

Zhao Bai said coldly: “When I went to find a water source, I noticed this soldier from your army acting suspiciously, so I secretly followed him. I discovered he’d backtracked to a fork we’d passed earlier and used an arrow to nail this cloth strip to a tree by the roadside. Further ahead at other crossroads, similar markers were found!”

The soldier had slowly regained consciousness during these moments, moaning softly.

Zhao Bai said: “When he fell into my hands, he tried to bite a poison capsule to commit suicide. I dislocated his jaw.”

Jiang Yu looked at the soldier, his gaze filled with pain and suppressed fury. Of the two thousand troops accompanying them, one thousand were Southern Chen elite he’d personally selected—all men who’d followed him onto battlefields and survived death alongside him.

He directly punched the soldier’s jaw, forcibly resetting the dislocated jawbone, then grabbed his collar and demanded: “Who instructed you to do this?”

The soldier’s mouth and nose were bleeding, yet he smiled at Jiang Yu like a street hoodlum: “Commander, that question… wasn’t it you who instructed me?”

Hearing this, Wen Yu’s eyes lifted slightly.

Jiang Yu punched his face again, knocking out one of his front teeth.

Like venting rage, he threw several more punches until the man showed no more life, then turned around. Leading the hundred-plus Southern Chen soldiers behind him, he knelt on one knee before Wen Yu, expression dark: “This subordinate’s negligence in duty allowed vermin to infiltrate the ranks. I request the Princess’s punishment.”

From the moment the soldier claimed Jiang Yu had instructed him, Jiang Yu knew he’d been set up.

Wen Yu asked: “Commander Jiang truly knew nothing?”

Jiang Yu gave a self-mocking laugh: “This subordinate’s mission on this journey is to safeguard the Princess. If the Princess encounters danger, this subordinate must first stake his own life. Why would this subordinate seek his own death?”

Wen Yu said: “But a traitor appeared among Commander Jiang’s troops. This palace cannot be certain such incidents won’t happen again.”

In the distance, a scout came galloping urgently. Nearing them, he rolled off his horse, his expression filled with alarm: “Report—the Wei force that left the city this morning is pursuing us at full speed, now only fifteen miles away! Twenty miles to the east, a Pei force is also converging on this location!”

Everyone’s expressions turned grave.

The cold wind howling through the mountains and wilderness stirred Wen Yu’s temple hair and the step-shake ornament hung with delicate golden leaves. Her hands and feet were ice-cold, her long lashes lowered, yet her expression was unprecedentedly calm.

Among the Southern Chen elite Jiang Yu had brought were infiltrators, and he himself hadn’t detected them until today. The problem had become rather thorny.

To bypass the Empress Dowager and the Jiang family and plant a nail beside Jiang Yu without knowing if there was only one or if others were hidden deeper—this mastermind must be a formidable figure within Southern Chen.

But whether she or Jiang Yu fell into Pei or Wei forces’ hands would bring nothing but harm to Southern Chen.

Yet the other party still did this, which could only mean that Southern Chen’s decline would bring them even greater benefits.

In that flash of insight, Wen Yu suddenly thought of what she’d said when persuading Southern Chen’s Minister of State Affairs Qi Simai to support her.

Hadn’t Western Ling always been eyeing Southern Chen covetously?

Had ministers secretly colluding with Western Ling already appeared in Southern Chen’s court?

They’d remained dormant throughout the northward journey because previously their marching route had avoided Pei army garrisons, and Wei Qishan hadn’t yet announced his intention to return as a Jin minister?

Had the detour to Hengzhou to retrieve the Yang household members finally given them their opportunity?

“Princess, please proceed ahead. This subordinate will lead the Chen army soldiers to hold the rear here!”

Wen Yu’s contemplation was interrupted by Jiang Yu’s shout.

She raised her eyes to look at him. Jiang Yu’s eyes rolled with ferocity and suppressed rage as he met her gaze—clearly he too had realized what she’d been thinking.

Since they couldn’t ensure no more infiltrators remained among his troops, they should completely separate the Liang and Chen soldiers.

He would lead the Chen army as rear guard while Liang soldiers and Azure Cloud Guards escorted Wen Yu continuing south.

From the beginning, Zhao Bai had chosen to expose the matter publicly before everyone, probably also intending this solution.

After two breaths of eye contact with Jiang Yu, Wen Yu said: “This palace will await Commander Jiang on the road ahead.”

The situation was urgent—they couldn’t delay another moment. She turned back to the carriage. Zhao Bai immediately ordered full-speed march.

Bronze Sparrow removed her outer jacket while saying: “Princess, exchange clothes with this servant.”

But Wen Yu said: “I must not be in this marching column.”

Bronze Sparrow and Zhao Bai first froze, then understood Wen Yu’s meaning.

Even if infiltrators had leaked news of her accompanying the northward march, both Liang and Chen sides absolutely had to deny it. Otherwise, should anything happen to her, not only would it deal a massive blow to both camps’ morale, it would affect the southern territories’ battle situation.

So even for Wen Yu’s safety, no one could impersonate her to draw away enemy forces, or they’d be handing evidence to the Pei and Wei sides.

Wen Yu continued: “Send word back to Liang camp to announce externally that this palace has been at Chongsheng Temple the entire time, holding prayer services for Teacher and General Weichi’s funerals, and never left Pingzhou.”

“As for the intelligence leaked by Southern Chen’s infiltrator, claim it was false information deliberately released to draw away pursuers in order to rescue the Yang household members.”

Now with her as the obvious target, Yang Bijun and the Yang household members should be able to safely reach the southern territories.

Zhao Bai and Bronze Sparrow both briefly froze, shocked that under such life-threatening circumstances, she could still think so clearly about the most advantageous response for the overall situation.

After recovering, Zhao Bai quickly stood to leave: “I’ll find armor and clothing for the Princess.”

Since “Hanyang” couldn’t appear in the column, disguising Wen Yu as an ordinary soldier would be safest.

—

The afternoon sun was rather dazzling, melting the thin snow that had accumulated overnight on the forest treetops. The slender pine needles dripped snowmelt.

On the muddy official road, raggedly dressed mixed troops escorted two carriages forward, trudging through mud.

Wind blew through the forests on both sides. The treetops all bore thin snow, not even producing rustling sounds. The entire world was eerily quiet.

As another drop of melted snow from a pine needle was about to fall, several eagle-claw hooks flew from deep in the forest. The cold iron shattered that water droplet, clanging as they embedded in the thick wooden carriage walls.

Instantly eight eagle-claw hooks’ iron chains pulled taut, directly ripping off the left and right walls of the two carriages on the official road.

Women’s screams came from inside the carriage as the accompanying mixed troops shouted “Enemy attack.”

Several bat-like black shadows flew from the pine forest, heading straight for the carriage with passengers. When a black-clad figure reached to grab the woman dressed as an official family’s young lady huddled with two maidservants, unexpectedly the two trembling maidservants suddenly attacked—the instant they stood, daggers in their hands already slashed over.

One black-clad figure suffered, while the lead attacker reacted extremely quickly to dodge, then backhanded and broke that maidservant’s arm. When he reached again for the young lady, the moment she raised her eyes he managed to block with his forearm, at least trading a blood gash on his arm for avoiding having his throat slit.

Bronze Sparrow yanked off the skirt covering her that hindered movement, deliberately speaking in the tone of a Yang household death warrior: “Still trying to capture our lady and mistress? You fell into the trap!”

The black-clad figures scanned their surroundings but saw no other women who looked like nobility. Their brows furrowed deeply as they immediately withdrew.

As the lead black-clad figure stepped on mixed troops’ heads to leave, he inadvertently glanced down and noticed one soldier in the melee possessed unusually agile skills, working with several other soldiers to protect one particular soldier absolutely securely.

He realized something, smiled coldly, blew a whistle, and led the black-clad figures who were about to withdraw to immediately change course and attack those several soldiers.

When Zhao Bai’s blade clashed with the lead black-clad figure’s, merely from those eyes she recognized his identity. Her sword-gripping hand trembled slightly, hatred so thick it nearly overflowed from her eyes as she ground out that name from between her teeth: “Pei—Fif—teen!”

Hearing this name, Wen Yu nearly being surrounded and killed on that rainy night flashed through her memory. Her hand gripping the sword was already tight enough, yet she still shivered in the cold wind.

That moment’s memories carved into her bones were indescribable—fury, terror, and the deepest despair she’d ever experienced.

Pei Song had actually sent Pei Fifteen to capture her!

No, wait!

Pei Song couldn’t have received intelligence about her being in the northern territories this quickly.

This person appearing here now could only mean the bandit group that went to the Yang residence this morning was them!

Pei Fifteen deliberately provoked Zhao Bai, his gaze sweeping over the sword in her hand, saying casually: “This sword… I remember it. But I seem to have already beheaded you once at Fengyang?”

The one who died at Fengyang was Zhao Bai’s twin sister, Can Ye.

Before Zhao Bai could rage, his gaze already passed over her, contemptuous and malicious: “But since you’re here, the intelligence about Princess Hanyang being in the northern territories is probably true after all.”

As his gaze met Wen Yu’s, his lips curved: “Princess Hanyang, we meet again.”