After this political deliberation ended, Wen Yu kept Qi Simiao, Sikong Wei, and several other trusted Chen Kingdom old ministers. She also summoned Gu Xiyun, Yang Baolin, and several other Liang territory female officials to come bear witness together. She took up her brush and wrote on brocade silk an edict stating that should something happen to her on the journey to Gele City, the throne would pass to A’Li.

The atmosphere in the great hall was heavy. After she wrote the final character on the brocade silk, she took her jade seal and stamped it in the lower corner of the silk edict.

Gu Xiyun, suppressing the intensifying redness in her eyes, turned her face away. She knew what Wen Yu’s action meant.

Whether Chen Kingdom or Great Liang, both state treasuries had long been hollowed out by maternal relatives and treacherous factions. In these past years, war had continued without rest. Pei Song didn’t care about the lives of Liang territory’s people—he would squeeze out every bit of oil from the people’s bones. But Wen Yu wanted all the people to survive.

Facing the enormous consumption of military supplies and the devastation everywhere in the cities reclaimed from Pei Song’s hands, even though she had promulgated many policies benefiting the people, emphasized agriculture and sericulture, and vigorously promoted trade beyond the passes, she was still essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul to hold things together.

They had thought that after the Battle of Luodu, the war that had burned for several years could be extinguished and the common people could rest and recuperate. But then came Western Ling.

If this war continued, with each territory lost, popular resentment would only grow heavier.

Especially in Chen Kingdom—the common people below didn’t understand those political exchanges in court. They wouldn’t comprehend that Chen Kingdom dispatching troops to Great Liang earlier was both to repay the favor of Prince Changlian lending troops to Chen Kingdom years ago and to seize the opportunity to return to Liang territory.

When Western Ling forcefully invaded and Great Liang, having lost Tiger Gorge Pass, could no longer protect itself, if people with ulterior motives incited Chen Kingdom’s common people, they would likely only believe that Chen Kingdom’s current insufficient national strength was entirely due to vigorously supporting Liang territory in recent years.

All that Wen Yu had done for Chen Kingdom would also be seen as using everything from Chen Kingdom as a foundation for Great Liang.

Once the alliance between Liang and Chen kingdoms was destroyed under popular resentment, it would only make it more convenient for Western Ling to defeat them one by one.

Pei Song and Western Ling were trying to force Wen Yu into this deadlock where she could neither advance nor retreat, slowly wearing her to death.

She refused to enter this trap as they wished. She chose this mutually destructive method, using herself as bait, determined to fight to mutual destruction.

If she won, Western Ling would no longer have any possibility of attacking into Liang territory.

If she lost, she would also sabotage Pei Song and Western Ling’s plan to disintegrate the Liang-Chen alliance, binding the people of both territories more tightly together, making it extremely difficult for Western Ling to take any city in Liang or Chen territories thereafter.

But Gu Xiyun only felt distressed.

To save this toppling realm, Prince Changlian and his son had already filled it with their lives. Now it was Wen Yu’s turn to sacrifice her life to fill this enormous chasm of the realm’s collapse.

If none of this had happened, if Prince Changlian had successfully ascended the throne that year, as Great Liang’s princess showered with endless affection, what Wen Yu would worry about would probably only be how to engage in verbal battles with Confucian scholars in court, how to get the conservative old ministers in court to agree to establish women’s schools at the Imperial Academy and add women’s examinations to the civil service exams…

But there were no “ifs” in this world. This broken ten-thousand-li realm had long been shouldered on her slender back that, like a lotus stem, would only break but never bend.

Yang Baolin watched as Wen Yu placed the jade seal back on its holder, also weeping profusely.

The only calm person present was Wen Yu. She raised her eyes to look at Qi Simiao, saying: “If something unexpected happens on this journey of mine, you all shall act according to this edict.”

Qi Simiao, his face full of pain, cupped his hands and answered in a trembling voice: “This minister… obeys the decree.”

Wen Yu rose, dragging her brocade-woven skirt hem down the steps, handing the silk edict to him.

Qi Simiao extended both hands to receive it, but Wen Yu didn’t immediately release it. Her long lashes lowered slightly as if she paused for a breath before saying: “My daughter is still young. If her temperament proves stubborn and unruly in the future, I only hope you all will be more tolerant in your assistance. If her aspirations don’t lie in this court, if she cannot shoulder this realm… you all may also consult with Grand Tutor Yu of Liang territory, Lord Chen, and other pillar ministers to establish another wise ruler. Use deception to send her far from this high palace—let her be a wealthy, idle person.”

Hearing this, Yang Baolin couldn’t suppress her grief. A faint sob escaped from her throat.

The pain on Qi Simiao’s face deepened. How could he not understand that this was Wen Yu’s only bit of selfishness as a mother toward her daughter?

If Pei Song didn’t die, if Western Ling wasn’t expelled, this hatred and responsibility would continue indefinitely.

Yet high places are unbearably cold—the position of ruler of two kingdoms wasn’t so easy to occupy.

When she said that if her daughter’s aspirations didn’t lie in court and she couldn’t shoulder the realm they could establish another wise ruler, this wasn’t blame but tender affection.

She permitted her daughter to lay down hatred and responsibility, to be an ordinary person.

Tears glimmered faintly in Qi Simiao’s eyes. He bowed and received the silk edict, saying: “This old minister… will respectfully remember the princess’s entrustment.”

Wen Yu looked at him deeply. All unspoken words were hidden in that solemn gaze. Then she turned and slowly walked back behind the desk, took a letter she had written earlier and sealed it with wax. She looked at Yang Baolin and said:

“After this palace goes to Gele City, Chen Kingdom will first select a group of ministers to escort the princess back to Hundred Blades Pass together with the Liang territory female officials currently residing at the royal court. Cousin, you personally deliver this letter to Grand Tutor Yu. After the Grand Tutor reads it, he will naturally know what to do.”

Yang Baolin chokingly acknowledged and received the letter.

Only then did Wen Yu look at the group of trusted ministers: “For this palace to personally go to Gele City and to escort the princess back to Liang territory both still require much preparation. You all may go down first to make arrangements.”

After the ministers bowed to Wen Yu, they all left the Imperial Study with heavy expressions. Only Gu Xiyun remained in place.

Her brow slightly furrowed. After there was no one else around, she said: “Princess…”

—

The Western Ling royal tent.

He Yi sat lazily in a tiger-skin chair, her leather military boots propped on the low table in front, tossing and playing with the jade seal Pei Song had sent earlier, listening to a junior general below report on frontline developments.

“Princess, the Chen army inside Gele City has been completely surrounded by us, thoroughly cut off from contact with the great desert. But General Nilu sent back a message saying they’ve encountered a cavalry force. These past days they’ve been following and ambushing them. They’ve even used the unpredictable weather and complex terrain of the desert, nearly leading our soldiers into a sandstorm…”

He Yi’s hand tossing the jade seal paused slightly. A pair of sharp, imposing eyes slowly lifted: “Where did this cavalry come from? How many men in total? Nilu is an eagle of the desert—how could he fail to smell danger in the wind and sand and lead his soldiers into peril?”

Facing this barrage of pressing questions, the junior general swallowed with difficulty under that gaze. His forehead also slowly began to seep with sweat. He respectfully replied:

“After repeated verification by our scouts, they discovered it’s that Liang cavalry that appeared at Heng Lake earlier. The number of men hasn’t been determined yet. The banner they fly in Liang territory is Xiao. They seem not to submit to Hanyang’s command. They also previously attacked the royal court but apparently withdrew when reinforcements arrived at the royal court. There also seem to be people familiar with the desert’s climate and terrain in that cavalry. Their military movements are very cunning. They intermittently harass our troops and have tried several times to burn our provisions. General Nilu nearly led his soldiers chasing into the sandstorm trying to reclaim provisions they had seized.”

After hearing all this, He Yi’s knuckles tapped the armrest of the tiger-skin chair. Her expression wasn’t very clear: “Northern Xiao, born on Northern Wei’s bones? This princess has heard of this force’s reputation. When the prince consort was still in Liang territory, that little princess of Great Liang once tried to rally them together to resist the prince consort. Have they now joined forces again?”

He Yi’s eyes became dangerous: “This princess is very curious—since General Hatu said contact between Gele City and the great desert has been thoroughly severed, how did that little princess far away at the royal court learn that this princess dispatched troops to Tiger Gorge Pass?”

Bean-sized beads of sweat slid down from the junior general’s temples. He hurriedly said: “This subordinate is willing to swear to Lati Rilang that the news of the march to Tiger Gorge Pass absolutely could not have been discovered by the Chen army inside Gele City and reported to the Chen royal court! Moreover, it’s heard that the Xiao camp’s leader has an old grudge with Hanyang. Therefore, after he besieged the royal capital, the Chen King handed over Hanyang to him in surrender. It’s precisely because of this great enmity that after Liang reinforcements arrived at the royal court, this Xiao camp cavalry fled at the sight of our banner! They absolutely wouldn’t have coordinated in advance!”

Lati Rilang was their Western Ling’s founding monarch. Swearing to this monarch meant there wouldn’t be a single false word in what was said.

What he said was also reasonable. The sharpness in He Yi’s leopard eyes receded somewhat. She said in puzzlement: “That cavalry running into our army dispatched to Tiger Gorge Pass—could it really be coincidence?”

She put down the jade seal in her hand, rose to look at the topographical map hanging high behind the commander’s seat, locked onto the route from the Chen royal court to Tiger Gorge Pass, and narrowed her eyes: “After seizing the royal court, they found they couldn’t hold it and wanted to return by the original route, re-entering Liang territory through Tiger Gorge Pass, running into those thirty thousand troops along the way?”

As for why they repeatedly ambushed, the only thing He Yi could think of was that the cavalry realized those thirty thousand Western Ling troops were going to attack Tiger Gorge Pass. Being Liang people, naturally they wouldn’t sit idly by, which was why they repeatedly caused trouble.

The junior general, fearing He Yi would blame him again, hurriedly said: “It must be so!”

After pondering for a moment, He Yi suddenly said: “The Xiao camp leader ran off with his troops—where is Hanyang who was offered to him?”

The junior general was startled. Then he too realized something. His expression suddenly became excited. He Yi’s eyes were also full of playfulness and excitement. She immediately ordered: “Send a message to Nilu—at any cost, surround and annihilate that cavalry and capture their leader! If you discover any women, send them all back to the royal tent!”

The junior general immediately acknowledged and turned to leave, but was called back by He Yi.

She took a troop deployment arrow from the arrow tube on the desk and tossed it to the junior general, saying: “Just in case, dispatch another twenty thousand men to cut off that cavalry’s retreat route from behind.”

After catching it, the junior general saluted He Yi and was about to withdraw when the tent flap was lifted open first by someone else. He Yi’s personal guard hurried inside to report: “Princess, news from the front line—Hanyang has personally come to Gele City to supervise the battle with twenty thousand Liang troops!”

He Yi raised a pair of tiger-leopard-like eyes. After frowning, she suddenly laughed derisively: “At precisely this time?

“This really does seem like an attempt to deceive oneself and others.”

The personal guard was completely confused, but He Yi had no intention of explaining further. She only ordered: “Have someone call for battle formation. This princess wants to go see for herself!”

After the personal guard went out to relay the order, the junior general also wished to leave the tent but was called back by He Yi again.

The junior general asked: “Does the princess have other orders?”

He Yi said: “First send a message to Nilu. Suspend the matter of dispatching additional troops for now. Wait until this princess returns before making a decision.”

Hanyang appearing at Gele City with such fanfare—her first reaction was that this was a deception.

After some deliberation, she also thought that even if this was a foolish scheme the royal court ministers devised to cover up losing their ruler, and an imposter had come, after she captured Gele City, she would make it “real.”

At that time, no matter how the royal court ministers clarified, it wouldn’t matter. All under heaven would only know that she captured Hanyang at Gele City!