Wen Yu said, “Then speak truthfully. What exactly happened in the Battle of Majialiang?”

Dou Jianliang avoided making eye contact with Wen Yu and said, “This matter is a long story. Since the Princess is willing to overturn the case for this subordinate, if this subordinate can rescue the Princess this time, naturally I will send the Princess back to the Liang camp. While the Wei camp forces haven’t yet arrived, we should depart immediately. If we can successfully escape, that would be best. This subordinate will explain this matter to the Princess in detail on the road.”

Wen Yu gave a cold laugh: “What do you take Wei Qishan for? Do you really think he would only deploy this few forces here to guard this Palace? Going down the mountain would only send your subordinates to their deaths in vain!”

After stating this with certainty, she looked down at Dou Jianliang again: “If you don’t present solid evidence, how can this Palace believe that the Battle of Majialiang was not orchestrated by you?”

Dou Jianliang said urgently, “This subordinate has military duties on this journey. The evidence that would convince Your Ladyship is not currently on this subordinate’s person…”

Wen Yu’s expression turned sharply cold: “Are you toying with this Palace?”

Dou Jianliang repeatedly said he wouldn’t dare. He looked at Wen Yu twice more, confirming that apart from suppressed anger, there were no other emotions on her face—she didn’t seem to be bluffing to deceive him. He apologized: “After this subordinate tells the Princess the full story of the Battle of Majialiang, the Princess will naturally make her own judgment. But this subordinate and so many soldiers below must rely on the Princess to protect their lives. This subordinate still wants to know the Princess’s method first.”

Wen Yu said coldly: “You don’t trust this Palace?”

Dou Jianliang quickly apologized profusely before saying: “This subordinate only wants to seek security for the soldiers below. I hope the Princess will be understanding.”

Wen Yu withdrew her gaze and said: “Forget it. Since you’re so concerned for your soldiers, if this Palace insists on not speaking, it would become this Palace’s fault instead.”

Dou Jianliang directly said he wouldn’t dare.

Wen Yu asked: “In the Wei camp, are there people who would recognize you?”

Dou Jianliang pondered Wen Yu’s intention in asking this and answered: “When this subordinate attacked Jinzhou, I worked together with Yuan Fang from the Wei camp.”

It was just that the officers under Yuan Fang’s command had already been completely massacred by him at Majialiang, with only about a hundred personal guards lucky enough to escape with him.

But naturally he didn’t dare tell Wen Yu this.

Wen Yu furrowed her brow slightly, seeming to ponder before saying: “You should exchange clothes with your personal guards and hide among the troops.”

Dou Jianliang was somewhat puzzled, but Wen Yu had already raised her eyes to look at him: “When the Wei forces attack, you lot will pretend to be Chen Kingdom soldiers who came to rescue this Palace. This Palace will use my life as a threat to force them to let you all leave.”

Dou Jianliang was overjoyed and quickly said: “The Princess’s plan is wonderful! I’ve long heard the Princess’s strategies are extraordinary. This subordinate has witnessed it today!”

As he spoke, he stepped toward the hermitage hall exit: “There’s no time to waste. Let’s depart immediately!”

Wen Yu stood in place with no intention of moving.

Dou Jianliang looked back at her, only then putting on an expression of sudden realization, chagrinned: “Look at me, I got so overjoyed I nearly forgot something I need to report to the Princess.”

Wen Yu made no sound. Gongsun Sanniang moved the grand armchair over. Wen Yu sat down again, peacefully drinking her tea and waiting for his explanation.

Dou Jianliang then appeared as if he’d suffered countless grievances, saying sorrowfully: “In the Battle of Majialiang, this subordinate was truly wronged! It started because the Wei forces’ grain supplies were exhausted. But at that time, all the main routes between north and south were controlled by Pei Song. The northern territory couldn’t transport grain storage over. The Wei forces wanted to borrow grain from the Liang camp.”

He heavily clapped the palm and back of his hands together and sighed: “The Princess also knows that the grain supplies currently supporting the Liang camp were all sent over in advance by Southern Chen as part of the dowry. The Princess also promised that these grain supplies were only temporarily stored in the Liang camp and would later be used for Chen forces entering the passes. When Marshal Fan consulted with this subordinate, naturally I didn’t dare agree to this grain borrowing on my own. Just as I was hesitating whether to send a message back to the Chen Kingdom to ask Minister Jiang whether this matter was feasible, scouts in the army discovered a Pei forces grain transport convoy.”

He concealed many details—how Pei camp strategist Yu Wenjing had once defected to him, offering schemes to harm the Wei forces, and how he had deliberately leaked information about that grain convoy. Using a victimized tone, he said:

“At that time, the Pei traitor forces at Jinzhou were already at the end of their rope. As long as we cut off their grain supplies, we could completely trap them to death and also resolve the Wei forces’ urgent need. We then had Marshal Fan make the decision to set a plan that appeared to be raiding grain but was actually using this to ambush and completely crush the Jinzhou Pei forces in one stroke.”

“Marshal Fan led the Liang forces in a feint attack on Jinzhou, Yuan Fang led the Wei forces to raid the grain. This way we could make the Jinzhou Pei forces truly believe we were raiding grain and come in pursuit. This subordinate then led the Chen forces to ambush at the Majialiang gorge entrance, waiting for the Pei forces to pursue before cutting off their retreat.”

Wen Yu had long known the many details of what happened after the Battle of Majialiang from the battle reports sent by the Liang camp. Her fingertips lightly tapped the teacup as she raised her eyes impatiently: “Why does the General keep saying things this Palace already knows from the battle reports?”

Dou Jianliang’s expression was somewhat awkward. Then he heard her say: “Since the General won’t focus on the key points, let this Palace ask instead.”

Dou Jianliang’s heart immediately felt uncertain. If he fabricated the story himself, at least he could go through the events once to round out his lies. But with Wen Yu asking, given her perceptiveness, he might accidentally let something slip.

He wanted to say something to deflect, but Wen Yu had already handed the teacup in her hand to Gongsun Sanniang and asked the first question in an understated manner: “Why did Yuan Fang personally testify that the General led Chen forces to ambush on the mountain but never sent troops to aid?”

Dou Jianliang immediately showed an expression of grief almost ready to cry: “This is all because before the battle, this subordinate sent a message to inform Minister Jiang of this matter. Minister Jiang sent back instructions for this subordinate to deploy troops later during the Majialiang ambush, allowing the Wei and Pei forces to heavily damage each other before intervening. This way we could weaken the Wei forces…”

“Absurd!” Wen Yu’s voice was clear and deep as she raised her palm and struck the armrest of the grand chair: “With the great enemy not yet destroyed, to engage in such internal strife—the Jiang clan has such audacity!”

Dou Jianliang knelt down, clasping his fists earnestly: “This subordinate… truly was only following orders. I also feared the Wei forces would suffer too severe casualties and the Marquis of Shuobian would blame us afterward. So one quarter-hour after the Pei forces entered the gorge, I led the Chen soldiers charging out. But who could have predicted that all three of our forces had miscalculated the Pei forces’ strength? We originally thought only twenty thousand Pei forces would come in pursuit, but a full fifty thousand Pei forces entered the gorge…”

He seemed extremely sorrowful and ashamed as he lowered his head: “Yuan Fang was already surrounded by Pei forces. It was dark. This subordinate led twenty thousand soldiers below charging and killing for quite a while but couldn’t find him. To prevent further casualties among the soldiers below, this subordinate could only withdraw first…”

Wen Yu’s left arm resting on the armrest of the grand chair slightly raised. Seeing this, Dou Jianliang couldn’t help but stop his remaining words.

Wen Yu asked: “Since the General had the letter from the Jiang faction in hand, after the incident, why did you abandon your wife, children, and parents and not expose the Jiang family?”

Dou Jianliang’s expression stiffened slightly, but he quickly said sorrowfully: “The Princess doesn’t know—this letter was personally delivered by someone from Minister Jiang’s side. After this subordinate read it, I had to burn the letter in front of that person. Otherwise, it would mean this subordinate was disloyal to Minister Jiang…”

Wen Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly: “In other words, the General has no solid evidence in hand to identify Minister Jiang?”

Dou Jianliang seemed very afraid Wen Yu wouldn’t believe him and quickly said: “There is! There is! Delivered together with that letter were two gold leaves, both stamped with the Jiang family’s seal.”

Wen Yu pressed her temples, her expression cold: “It seems General Dou has long had a perfect strategy for leaving this place and is thus toying with this Palace.”

Hearing these words, Dou Jianliang’s face showed great panic. Somewhat grieved and indignant, he said: “Every word this subordinate has spoken is true. Without Minister Jiang’s consent, how would this subordinate dare make such a decision on my own?”

He pounded his knee with his fist, almost in tears: “I only hate that this subordinate was forced into the Pei camp. Now even if I claim everything was Minister Jiang’s instigation, no one will believe this subordinate’s words anymore…”

Wen Yu looked at him calmly and continued asking: “Just because of the Battle of Majialiang, you were certain Minister Jiang would use you as a sacrificial piece, so you defected to the Pei camp and even wounded Marshal Fan with a poisoned arrow when he was leading our Liang forces in retreat?”

Dou Jianliang seemed overcome with grief, only panting without immediately responding. After a while, he said as if in extreme pain: “That Pei traitor once sent a strategist under his command to pretend to defect to this subordinate. This subordinate looked down on that person’s meager talents and drove him away. But after the Battle of Majialiang, that traitor actually sent a message forcing this subordinate to kill Marshal Fan and defect to his Pei camp. Otherwise, he would publicly claim this subordinate had long colluded with the Pei camp and deliberately worked with them to massacre the Wei forces!”

This time Dou Jianliang truly cried with reddened eyes: “With Minister Jiang placing blame on this subordinate before, and the Pei traitor harming me like this after—this subordinate… now truly cannot clear my name even with a hundred mouths. In the end, I could only make one mistake after another!”

Just then, one of Dou Jianliang’s personal guards rushed urgently from outside the hermitage hall: “General, there are Wei forces at the foot of the mountain—”

That personal guard hadn’t yet entered the hall when, through the wide-open hall doors, he glimpsed Dou Jianliang kneeling in tears while Wen Yu sat properly in the grand armchair to one side. For a moment he was shocked speechless, not daring to step inside, seemingly uncertain whether to continue speaking.

Dou Jianliang felt awkward having his personal guard see him in this state. He wanted to stand but Wen Yu hadn’t given permission.

He was only focused on observing Wen Yu’s expression and didn’t notice that Gongsun Sanniang standing behind Wen Yu seemed to inconspicuously let out a sigh of relief.

Wen Yu glanced sideways at Dou Jianliang’s personal guard who was in a dilemma outside the hermitage hall and said: “Very well. This Palace will tentatively trust the General once. Today I’ll first help the General escape this predicament. In the future when this Palace returns to Southern Chen, I’ll scheme with the General to bring the Jiang clan to justice and clear the General’s name. General, please rise.”

Only then did Dou Jianliang hurriedly stand. But with Wei forces truly converging at the foot of the mountain, if he wanted to leave this place safely, he still had to rely on Wen Yu. He still needed to perform the proper courtesies on the surface, bowing with clasped fists: “The Princess’s grace toward this subordinate is no different from giving me new life. From now on, this subordinate will follow the Princess’s every command!”

Wen Yu’s expression was grave as she looked at him, as if making some desperate gamble: “Whether this Palace can leave this place still depends on the General.”

She pulled a gold hairpin from her hair and handed it to Dou Jianliang: “After the General departs on this journey, take this hairpin to the Liang camp to find Chen Wei or Li Xun. They will naturally trust the General. Tell them where this Palace is being held so they can carefully plan before coming to rescue.”

After receiving the gold hairpin with both hands, Dou Jianliang quickly expressed thanks and vowed he would not fail this trust.

After leaving the hermitage hall, he asked that personal guard: “What’s the situation at the foot of the mountain?”

The personal guard stammered: “There… there are large numbers of Wei forces surrounding the entire mountain from all sides in an encircling formation.”

Just hearing this made Dou Jianliang’s scalp tingle. At the same time, he secretly felt fortunate that he had bet correctly and obtained a guarantee of survival from Wen Yu.

He looked at Wen Yu. Wen Yu only calmly nodded at him and said: “This Palace will help the General descend the mountain.”

—

The snowy roads were difficult to travel, and Wen Yu’s dress was elaborate. Dou Jianliang ordered his soldiers to cut green bamboo to make a simple sedan chair, carried by four soldiers as they walked down the mountain path.

Gongsun Sanniang, as Wen Yu’s “maid,” followed beside the sedan the entire way, using all the strength of her life to control her facial expression so as not to reveal anything abnormal.

When they reached halfway down the mountain, they encountered Wei forces urgently ascending.

Looking out across the mountain path and bamboo groves, there were densely packed armored soldiers everywhere, holding bows and crossbows. The arrows gleaming with cold light in the arrow slots were like countless eyes in a bat cave at night—a chilling sight.

The entire path down the mountain was completely sealed off.

Probably seeing Wen Yu sitting in the leading sedan, they hadn’t released arrows.

Wen Yu’s gaze calmly looked at the Wei forces blocking the road ahead. Her forearm slightly raised, and the several Chen soldiers carrying the sedan carefully set it down on the ground.

Dou Jianliang, disguised as an ordinary refugee, followed behind. One of his personal guards stood on the other side of the sedan, playing the role of the leader of this military force.

Gongsun Sanniang inconspicuously stole a glance at them, dutifully playing her role as a maid. She stepped forward to let Wen Yu support herself on her arm as she rose, while her gaze scanned among the opposing Wei forces, searching for Song Qin and Xiao Li.

Finally spotting Song Qin in the crowd, she began desperately making eye signals in the direction where Dou Jianliang was located.

Wen Yu then drew the dagger she had been gripping in her hand. She only wore a cloak without the hood, so when she pressed the dagger blade against her own neck, it was clear enough for those around to see.

Her gaze looked distantly toward a spot in the bamboo grove as she spoke clearly and deeply: “This Palace knows that today I cannot escape your Wei clan’s hands. Release the soldiers who came to rescue this Palace and let them return. Otherwise, this Palace will take my own life here today. Let’s see how your Marquis of Shuobian explains this to the people of the world in the future!”

Song Qin’s gaze seemed to shift slightly toward somewhere in the bamboo grove. Finally, he raised his hand to signal the soldiers below to put away their crossbows, yielding the mountain path and retreating to both sides of the bamboo groves.

Wen Yu continued pressing the dagger against her own neck and said to the Chen forces behind her: “Go.”

But her gaze was on Dou Jianliang.

Dou Jianliang knew Wen Yu was warning him to keep his word. Seeing that the leading Wei general opposite looked unfamiliar to him, he figured the other party probably didn’t recognize him either and felt much more at ease.

As he passed Wen Yu’s side, he lowered his voice: “I trouble the Princess to accompany us and see us to the foot of the mountain.”

Wen Yu calmly lowered her eyes halfway, pressing the dagger against her neck as she followed them down the mountain.

Dou Jianliang fell several steps behind her. While keeping his eyes fixed on Song Qin’s movements, he also continuously scanned the bamboo groves. His ears were used to the utmost, constantly alert for any sound of bowstrings being drawn in the forest.

This distance meant people wouldn’t suspect him, but if anything changed, he could instantly take Wen Yu hostage.

When passing by Song Qin on horseback, Dou Jianliang was on such high alert that nearly every hair on his body stood up.

Having barely passed by, before Dou Jianliang could breathe a sigh of relief, the subtle trembling sound of a released bowstring in the bamboo grove and the sound of an arrow cutting through air still stimulated him to immediately form his two fingers into claws and lunge toward Wen Yu, intending to capture and lock her throat.

But it was already too late.

That arrow carrying the whistling cold wind sound of a wild goose feather arrow was like a meteor in daylight fiercely piercing toward him.

The formidable force meant he couldn’t stabilize his form at all. His entire body seemed to have been struck by a sharp cone meteorite, and when he was pierced down to the ground, that wild goose feather arrow far exceeding the length of ordinary feathered arrows only had its tail still remaining outside his chest cavity.

The arrowhead had already penetrated through his back and pierced the frozen earth of the mountain path, hard as iron, pinning his entire person like a fish tail nailed down.

All this happened in an instant. After Dou Jianliang’s personal guards reacted, they split into two groups—one came to rescue him, another group still tried to capture Wen Yu. But that unusually tall maid following beside Wen Yu directly seized the sword from one of his personal guards and cut down people as cleanly as slicing vegetables.

Wei forces from both sides of the bamboo groves also converged in an encircling formation.

Song Qin even rushed over on horseback before Dou Jianliang’s personal guards could rescue him, pressing his blade horizontally against his neck and shouting loudly: “The ringleader has been caught in the net! You lot should stop your dying struggles!”

Dou Jianliang’s personal guards, seeing him captured, didn’t dare move rashly. The soldiers below were even more leaderless, putting down their weapons in panic at Song Qin’s shout.

Dou Jianliang hadn’t yet recovered from that piercing pain. Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth as he stared fixedly at the direction in the bamboo grove from which that arrow had come.

He saw the black-armored soldiers in the bamboo grove all yield a path. A tall and exceptionally imposing figure walked slowly against the light, his military boots stained with mottled bloodstains, his armor also stained with large patches of dark blood. The hand with bulging veins gripped a black iron great bow.

His gaze moved upward to see that person’s face clearly. Dou Jianliang only felt the coolness of this sky full of ice and snow seemed to have invaded his lungs along with that arrow. Shocked and enraged, he laboriously raised one hand to point at the other party: “It’s you…”

When Pei Song attacked Wayaopu, he had sent him to clear out the ragtag forces. He had crossed blades with this person.

But the other party didn’t spare even half a glance in this direction. Those wolf-like fierce eyes wrapped in murderous aura had from beginning to end only been tightly locked on one place.

Dou Jianliang followed his gaze and saw Wen Yu, whose snow-white cloak had been splattered with some bloodstains during the recent chaos.

That Great Liang Princess truly lived up to her reputation as the foremost beauty. Standing in the pool of blood spreading from his several dead personal guards, the wind blowing her hair and clothes, she was like an ice-white epiphyllum blooming from that sea of blood.

She clearly was acquainted with that person and was also looking at him.