Gongsun Sanniang’s expression immediately changed as she asked, “What happened?”

The guard leader seemed somewhat hesitant, as if it wasn’t convenient to speak. But then another armored soldier rushed in urgently from outside the courtyard, blood staining his armor, reporting urgently: “Report—that group of refugees has already broken through the defensive line and is heading toward the mountain gate!”

The guard leader’s face turned ugly. He hastily clasped his fists toward Gongsun Sanniang and said “I trouble the heroine,” then gripped the sword at his waist and quickly departed.

Gongsun Sanniang strapped on her two sabers, one wide and one narrow, and made a “please” gesture toward Wen Yu: “Madam, follow me.”

Wen Yu seemed to be pondering something. When she raised her eyes, she gently shook her head at her: “This mountain hermitage is only so large. If the arrivals are enemies, hiding in the cellar won’t conceal us for long either.”

The day she left the military camp, there had been Pei Song’s lackeys mixed among the refugees who came to abduct her. This time, Wen Yu couldn’t be certain that those attacking this mountain hermitage were Zhao Bai and the others.

Gongsun Sanniang also felt that if the other party had come looking for Wen Yu, they would certainly dig three feet into the ground throughout the entire hermitage. The cellar would likely be discovered quickly. After thinking, she said: “Then Madam should first hide with me in the back mountain.”

She led Wen Yu toward the hermitage’s back gate. The two guards remaining outside the courtyard knew they were going out. After going to inform the guard leader, they also went along with them.

But shortly after the group exited the back mountain gate, before they had even entered the forest, Gongsun Sanniang, whose eyesight was exceptional, seemed to discover something. A stone suddenly flicked from her fingertips, and a muffled groan came from the distant bushes covered with accumulated snow.

The two guards rushed over urgently. Soon they had the arms of a person dressed as a refugee who had been hiding inside locked behind his back and brought him out.

One of the guards shouted at him: “Who are you people?”

The man twisted his face and refused to answer.

That guard gave him a slap. Only then did he spit on the ground and curse something.

Neither Gongsun Sanniang nor the two guards heard his cursing clearly, but Wen Yu, who stood in the rear wearing a cloak, furrowed her brow slightly. As the two guards prepared to continue interrogating the other party, she spoke out coolly: “You’re from Southern Chen?”

Southern Chen had avoided being outside the passes for many years. Influenced by local customs, their accent had become somewhat different from people within the passes.

What that person had just cursed was clearly a piece of Southern Chen dialect.

The other party seemed not to have expected someone would identify his origin so quickly. He looked toward Wen Yu with a somewhat scrutinizing gaze, but the wide cloak hood concealed most of Wen Yu’s face. He could only make out that the speaker was a woman; her specific appearance was unclear.

Hearing Wen Yu’s words, Gongsun Sanniang didn’t know her identity and still had no particular reaction, but the other two guards suddenly became tense.

But Wen Yu’s next sentence was: “Under Dou Jianliang’s command?”

The man looked at Wen Yu with even greater strangeness. Seeing this, the two guards’ expressions changed one after another. Compared to their earlier tension, they could now clearly be described as shocked.

From afar, Wen Yu regarded that person coldly, knowing she had guessed correctly.

That wave of refugees clearly knew this place had Wei forces stationed here yet still attacked—obviously they weren’t ordinary commoners.

Even among the elite soldiers Jiang Yu had personally selected, traitors had appeared, and the mastermind behind it all hadn’t been caught yet. If Zhao Bai and the others wanted to rescue her, they absolutely couldn’t arrange for Southern Chen people to accompany them.

This person was from Southern Chen yet mixed in with this refugee group. The only possibility Wen Yu could think of was the Chen forces that had been led by Dou Jianliang to defect to Pei Song.

After all, Great Liang and the Chen Kingdom’s counterattack against Pei Song was in the southern territory. Chen Kingdom soldiers couldn’t possibly appear in the northern territory at present.

From that Chen soldier’s shocked and doubtful expression, she calmly continued asking: “Why would you lot appear in the northern territory? What do you intend by attacking this mountain hermitage?”

When she was still in Xiao Li’s forces, based on the information those two servant women had gathered outside, she also knew that the Pei forces in the northern territory had all currently withdrawn, seemingly to attack the southern territory with full force.

Every time the volunteer army garrison deployed troops, it was also to fight barbarians.

At this moment, however, there was such a Pei Song force disguised as refugees wandering within Northern Wei’s territory—it was truly strange.

The two guards clearly already regarded Wen Yu as their backbone. They immediately drew their swords and pressed them against that Chen soldier, shouting: “Answer!”

That Chen soldier was also quite tough. He quickly thought up an excuse and denied: “I don’t understand what you’re saying. I just live at the foot of the mountain and came up to gather some firewood…”

One guard directly kicked him: “You don’t have even a trace of a northern accent, yet you still dare say you live at the foot of the mountain?”

That Chen soldier stubbornly said: “I fled here as a refugee…”

Gongsun Sanniang flexed her wrists and said impatiently: “Let me question him.”

In just a short while, that Chen soldier lay in the snow with only half a breath left. One guard and Gongsun Sanniang guarded Wen Yu somewhat dejectedly, waiting in place.

The other guard, who had been a scout, went to investigate the forest. Like a mountain cat, he stepped on places in the grass where the snow had melted more, rushing back while trying not to leave any footprints.

He hid back behind the large rocks where the others were concealed, panting as he said: “There are indeed quite a few people ambushed on the back mountain side as well, probably waiting for this scout to return with information.”

After Gongsun Sanniang finished interrogating that Chen army scout, he had confessed everything he knew.

They were indeed forces under Dou Jianliang’s command, disguised as refugees staying in the northern territory. They had just received instructions from above. As for what specifically they were to do, they also weren’t clear.

Today they attacked this hermitage because when they were passing through the mountains, they were discovered by a scout guarding outside the hermitage.

The commanding officer above feared their whereabouts would be exposed and sent people to hunt down that scout. Only then did they discover that a Wei force was still stationed at the hermitage. Fortunately, there weren’t many people, so they thought they might as well wipe them all out to save trouble.

The other guard remaining tried to maintain composure: “The terrain in the forest is complex. Our scout is familiar with the terrain here and will definitely succeed in rushing back to camp to report and bring reinforcements.”

But Wen Yu stated with certainty: “The Pei camp is secretly plotting something. Who knows how many forces are hidden in the northern territory in this manner? To hide their tracks even slightly, the other party will certainly kill everyone without leaving anyone alive.”

The two guards’ faces turned ashen, but they both also carried an air of having thrown caution to the wind.

Gongsun Sanniang furrowed her brow and said candidly to Wen Yu: “This is different from what was said when I agreed to take this escort job. I can protect Madam once or twice, and will do so. But if a great army comes crushing down, I’ll barely be able to look after myself. Please don’t blame me if I abandon Madam then.”

Wen Yu didn’t answer, but instead looked at that half-dead Chen soldier: “Is Dou Jianliang in this military march?”

That Chen soldier originally didn’t want to answer. Gongsun Sanniang stepped on his chest, and blood foam began seeping from the corners of his mouth again. Finally, he painfully answered: “Yes…”

Wen Yu said to the others: “Return to the hermitage.”

Though the others didn’t know her intention, the back mountain was already full of Chen army ambushes. They could only first avoid back to the hermitage hall and defend it to the death.

One of the guards hoisted that half-dead Chen soldier and rushed back to the hermitage hall. When they came face to face with the guard leader, he was quite frantic: “Why have you all returned?”

The two guards set that Chen soldier down on the ground. Panting like bellows, they shook their heads and said: “The back mountain… is also full of Chen army ambush troops!”

After the two explained the situation in a few words, the guard leader’s face also turned somewhat ashen. But he still quickly shouted: “Our people have already rushed to camp to report. Defend the front and back mountain gates to the death. Hold out until reinforcements arrive. Madam, hide in the cel…”

“Light the signal fire.” Wen Yu’s voice was clear, deep, and calm, sounding even more composed than the guard leader.

“That won’t do!” The guard leader refused without even thinking. Wen Yu had been secretly hidden in this place. Once the signal fire was lit, it wouldn’t just be people on Xiao Li’s side who would know—Wei Qishan’s side would also discover the abnormality.

If the first to arrive wasn’t Xiao Li but people under Wei Qishan’s command, that would be terrible.

Wen Yu only looked at the other party peacefully: “From now on, listen to me. I’ll do my utmost to preserve your lives.”

—

Dou Jianliang had already led people to attack the hermitage’s main gate. When he suddenly saw signal smoke rising straight to the sky from within the hermitage, he almost gnashed his teeth in hatred and shouted: “Quickly! Enter the hermitage and extinguish the signal smoke!”

The group of Chen soldiers below dressed as refugees broke through the mountain gate. Perhaps because they had already killed a large number of guards in front of the mountain, this time entering the hermitage was much easier.

Dou Jianliang sent people to extinguish the signal smoke. He also saw that although the remaining guards kept retreating, they were all retreating toward one hermitage hall.

He surmised that this Wei camp force probably wouldn’t be stationed here for no reason. Could it be that some Wei camp dignitary’s family members were here worshiping Buddha?

Thinking this, his heart couldn’t help but grow excited.

For family members of those aristocratic clans, going to temples to worship Buddha for ten days or half a month without returning was normal. If he killed those miscellaneous insects below and then held such a hostage in hand, not only would this trip not expose his whereabouts, it might even be an unexpected merit.

He led people to attack that hermitage hall, kicked open the tightly closed door, and when he saw the back of that woman kneeling before the Buddha wearing a snow-white cloak with hair like black clouds, he only felt she seemed like a jade person. Before even seeing her face, his entire heart had already melted.

He strode inside, joyfully shouting: “Beauty…”

The woman worshiping Buddha in the hermitage hall seemed to be disturbed. Finally, she lifted those phoenix-like lightly closed eyes. Without joy or sorrow, she slightly turned her head and cast a glance backward.

Dou Jianliang unconsciously swallowed. In that moment, his eyes truly went straight, his knees went so weak he was willing to kneel before this heavenly beauty.

But the gaze she directed at him was truly cold and sharp, like the year-round unmelting snow on the Tianshan Mountains. Moreover, her eyes naturally carried the imposing authority of one long dwelling in high position. She didn’t seem like a soft and easily bullied lovely person, but rather like a divine goddess haloed in splendor, noble and inviolable.

For some reason, her appearance… seemed vaguely familiar?

“Dou clan traitor, seeing this Palace, why do you still not kneel?” The other party spoke coolly and deeply. Her brows and eyes contained cold imposing authority, actually carrying an indescribable imposing momentum.

Dou Jianliang felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head. Facing those penetratingly cool eyes, he was now thoroughly awake.

He stammered unconsciously: “Queen… Queen Consort?”

When he handed over to Jiang Yu and led troops to Great Liang’s southern territory to form an alliance army to jointly deal with Pei Song, he had only glimpsed Wen Yu from afar on the military review platform where she observed the ceremony. Thus he wasn’t familiar with Wen Yu’s appearance.

But that sense of oppression like falling into an ice cave—there was no mistaking it.

Dou Jianliang’s eyes became clear.

He liked beauties, but for a beauty who held royal power like this, there weren’t many in the world who dared covet her while not valuing their lives.

Wen Yu rose with Gongsun Sanniang’s forearm supporting her. The brocade silk shawl draped from her arms, its exquisite embroidered patterns glinting faintly in the candlelight on both sides.

She took a seat in the grand armchair to one side, picked up a cup of freshly brewed clear tea, and looked down with long eyes: “You should now address this Palace as Princess Imperial.”

By this time, Dou Jianliang had recovered from his initial shock. Secretly calculating that he had brought quite a few troops on this journey and the entire mountain hermitage was under his control, he immediately no longer feared Wen Yu and said with a smile: “I didn’t expect the rumors of Your Ladyship being trapped in the northern territory were true.”

He still used the respectful title of Queen Consort to address Wen Yu, clearly not taking Wen Yu’s pressure seriously.

Wen Yu scraped the surface of her tea and gave a cold laugh: “You and I are both in Wei Qishan’s calculations. In terms of circumstances, General Dou’s situation is not much better than this Palace’s.”

From these words, Dou Jianliang detected some edge. His eyes scrutinized Wen Yu: “I wonder what Your Ladyship means by this?”

After taking a light sip of tea and setting down the cup, Wen Yu didn’t look at the person opposite her, only saying: “What is Pei Song secretly plotting?”

Dou Jianliang’s expression almost changed, but fortunately his scheming ran deep enough. Only then did he feign an ignorant appearance and say: “This Dou doesn’t understand what Your Ladyship is saying.”

The corners of Wen Yu’s lips held a mocking cold smile: “No matter. Wei Qishan used this Palace as bait and has already fished out you, Pei Song’s weak point, hasn’t he? When the General falls into Wei Qishan’s hands, the new and old grievances of Majialiang—Northern Wei can settle them all together.”

Dou Jianliang’s expression changed several times. Finally, he still couldn’t quite control himself. Clearly he also perceived something strange about this hermitage: Wen Yu was in the Wei forces’ hands, yet Wei Qishan’s side hadn’t announced it publicly. Instead, they went along with the Liang camp’s claim that they had only captured one of Jiang Yu’s concubines.

After pondering slightly, he also understood the advantages and disadvantages involved.

In the southern territory, the Liang and Chen forces were currently pressing down on Pei Song in attack. If at this time it were revealed that Wen Yu was in his hands, it would be unfavorable for the southern territory’s war situation.

If Pei Song were allowed to prevail in the southern territory and then turn around to continue attacking the northern territory, Wei Qishan’s move would be lifting a rock to drop on his own foot.

He just didn’t know what Wen Yu meant by “bait.”

Dou Jianliang steadied his nerves and said with a smile: “Your Ladyship need not try to deceive this Dou. Bringing Your Ladyship back on this trip is indeed a great merit for this Dou.”

Wen Yu cast him a cold glance with eyes that regarded him as hopelessly stupid, as if too lazy to waste more words.

Though Dou Jianliang’s heart wasn’t very certain, he also feared this was Wen Yu’s scheme. Not willing to show weakness, he instructed his subordinates: “Search everywhere inside and outside this hermitage carefully. Don’t let any living soul escape.”

Having said this, he also made a “please” gesture toward Wen Yu: “Your Ladyship, please.”

Wen Yu calmly instructed Gongsun Sanniang: “No need to pack belongings. Let’s just go like this.”

When passing by Dou Jianliang’s side, she still didn’t turn her eyes even half a degree, only carrying in her expression a slight mocking air of watching a show.

This appearance of hers as if staying out of the matter made the sense of unease in Dou Jianliang’s heart grow even stronger.

Every unreasonable aspect of this mountain hermitage was infinitely magnified in his contemplation.

That’s right—even if Wei Qishan was temporarily detaining her to avoid affecting the southern territory’s war situation, shouldn’t he directly place her under house arrest in the military to prevent any eventualities?

Why choose such a remote mountain hermitage with only about a hundred troops left to guard it?

Dou Jianliang’s heart sank beat by beat. His forehead also slowly seeped with sweat. When Wen Yu was about to step out of the hermitage hall, he finally spoke: “Our military march this time travels light. There are also no suitable garments for Your Ladyship’s use among the ranks. To avoid wronging Your Ladyship, Your Ladyship should still bring a few sets of clothing for the best.”

But Wen Yu only slightly pulled at the corner of her lips and said indifferently: “No need. Before even descending the mountain, we’ll have to turn back again. How troublesome to bring luggage?”

Whether Dou Jianliang believed her words or not, his face slowly showed some gloom he couldn’t conceal.

The signal smoke had been lit earlier. Though he had ordered people to pursue and kill those scouts reporting the news, if this were a trap, there must be Wei clan forces secretly ambushed nearby.

Seeing the signal smoke, they would quickly converge.

He summoned one of his personal soldiers and instructed: “Scatter all the scouts below. If there are any abnormalities, report immediately.”

After that personal soldier received the order and ran out, he continued to stare at Wen Yu gloomily and warily.

Wen Yu’s expression remained contemptuous: “What? Is General Dou thinking that if Wei Qishan’s great army truly converges, whether using this Palace as a threat can allow you to escape with your life?”

She gave a laugh that seemed mocking yet also self-deprecating: “If this Palace could die at the hands of Pei clan forces, that would be exactly what Wei Qishan desires. When that time comes, the serious crimes the General can be proclaimed with by the Wei clan will also have one more added.”

Dou Jianliang’s mental state was already unstable. Barely maintaining his composure, he said: “What Your Ladyship says, this Dou truly cannot understand. If Wei Qishan allows Your Ladyship to come to harm, won’t he fear affecting the southern territory’s war situation?”

Wen Yu turned back against the light and shadow. Her profile was as compassionate as a carved stone statue: “Whether this Palace lives or dies now, doesn’t it all depend on a single word from the Wei clan? When the southern territory’s war situation has been decided and the world no longer needs this Palace, the regent Princess Imperial of both Liang and Chen camps—this Palace’s death must have an explanation, mustn’t it?”

These words she spoke seemed to have already foreseen her inevitable death as the outcome.

Dou Jianliang’s heart became even more panicked. His mind rapidly argued the truth or falsehood of those words.

When he finally discovered they didn’t seem like lies, it only made his own mental state collapse even more.

With Wen Yu in Wei Qishan’s hands, Wei Qishan truly couldn’t easily kill her. After all, in the current world, there were still mostly Liang ministers. She was of King Changliang’s lineage and had won the people’s hearts.

If Wei Qishan killed Wen Yu to restore the Jin dynasty, he would certainly be criticized by the people of the world.

So if Wen Yu must die, it absolutely couldn’t be at the hands of the Wei clan.

Wen Yu probably felt desolate. She asked Dou Jianliang with slight mockery: “When you, as a general of our Chen Kingdom, disregarded your entire clan being executed and defected to Pei Song, did you think of today? What did Pei Song promise you? That made you willing to abandon even your wife, children, and parents?”

She paused before continuing: “When your wife entered prison, she was already with child.”

Hearing these words, Dou Jianliang thought again of being forced into the Pei camp. Resentful and pained, he directly roared and grabbed the incense burner from the table, smashing it hard on the ground: “I wronged Shiniang!”

Wen Yu raised her eyes slightly: “You were recommended by Minister Jiang. When this Palace presided over this matter in the Chen Kingdom, I felt there were many suspicious points. Minister Jiang’s faction distanced themselves and declared they could have your entire clan executed, but this Palace didn’t believe the Jiang family was innocent. I strenuously protected your clan members—they’re currently still imprisoned in the great prison. Now you tell this Palace: regarding your massacre of Wei forces at Majialiang, does it have any connection with the Jiang family or not?”

Dou Jianliang suddenly raised his head. Some hope seemed to rise in his eyes, but then it dimmed again. He imperceptibly scrutinized Wen Yu’s expression and revealed a bitter smile: “Many thanks for Your Ladyship’s great kindness, but does Your Ladyship think that if this Dou speaks the truth, Wei Qishan will let this Dou off even slightly?”

Wen Yu didn’t immediately answer. She folded her hands before her and turned to look at the snow outside. Her eyes seemed to hold sharp intent: “This Palace is also unwilling. With my great revenge unavenged, how can I be trapped here?”

She looked back at Dou Jianliang: “If you truly weren’t deliberately orchestrating the Majialiang case and defected to Pei Song…”

Her tone held slight hesitation, as if considering whether he could be trusted. Finally, as if throwing caution to the wind, she said: “This Palace has a way to ensure you withdraw unscathed this time, but from now on you must serve this Palace.”

Dou Jianliang seemed greatly delighted. He quickly bowed to Wen Yu and said: “This subordinate was originally a minister of the Chen Kingdom. If I hadn’t been forced into the Pei camp, how would I do things for that Pei traitor? This time, it was also because I was unwilling to take up arms against my former comrades in the southern territory that I came to the northern territory. If the Princess is willing to overturn the case for this subordinate, this subordinate is infinitely grateful. From now on, I will only follow the Princess’s lead!”