Wen Yu’s eyes lifted slightly, gesturing for Zhaobai to continue speaking. Zhaobai said, “Yan Que says that after they shook off Pei Song’s people that day, they were about to turn back immediately to find you. It was Mianyue who came looking, saying you had been captured, and when she led them to rescue you, they entered Pei Song’s ambush circle. Everyone was shot dead by a rain of arrows. Yan Que was struck by arrows and pressed beneath corpses at the very bottom. He lost too much blood and passed out, which allowed him to escape the disaster.”

“He later crawled out of the pile of corpses and was saved by a farming household. Because his injuries were too severe, he could only recuperate at the farmer’s home. After his injuries improved, news came from Fengyang, so he continued secretly searching for you, but never expected Fengyang had already fallen and he had completely lost track of you. Later, learning that you had issued a declaration denouncing Pei Song, he inquired all along about your whereabouts and came searching south.”

Wen Yu listened calmly to the end, only saying, “Settle him well, and erect a memorial tablet to honor those fallen soldiers.”

Zhaobai nodded in acknowledgment. Wen Yu continued, “Those manor guards from the Zhou family in Yongcheng that I had you send people to find earlier—there’s only one survivor. Bring him back and settle him well too.”

Zhaobai said, “This servant understands.”

Having given these instructions, Wen Yu put away the map. “Help me change clothes, then summon Lords Li Xun, Liu Chong, and He Kuan to come.”

—

Mozhou.

Pei Song dismounted, tossing the reins to the guard who came to greet him at the camp entrance. The southern territories were already in warm spring, but the north’s ice and snow had just begun to melt. The warhorse snorted, still exhaling white breath.

Baili Chou stood at the entrance of the central military tent, nodding toward him with a slight smile. “Congratulations to my lord on this victorious battle.”

Pei Song lifted the curtain and entered the tent, allowing attendants to remove the heavy cloak from his shoulders. He sat by the brazier to warm his frozen, aching hands. “Wei Qishan is old, and his son is worthless. Our army crossed the Juma River, broke through Zhuozhou, and attacked Youzhou—it was like entering an uninhabited realm!”

Baili Chou knew victory was a joyous matter and couldn’t bear to dampen Pei Song’s spirits, but he chose his words carefully to remind him, “My lord is divinely brave, but Wei Qishan has, after all, been an old general commanding the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun for many years. This time, it was only because of an old illness that he temporarily withdrew from the battlefield, or perhaps… he wanted to test his son somewhat, which is why he sent Wei Pinjin to the front lines. Losing one fortified city isn’t yet a devastating blow to Wei’s army. My lord must not be complacent either.”

Pei Song buried two sweet potatoes in the ash pile. Hearing that Baili Chou’s words had become as cautious as other strategists’, his movement paused slightly. “Teacher, if you have instruction, speak freely. Though I’ve contradicted you many times, I have repeatedly pondered everything you’ve said.”

The sparse beard on Baili Chou’s withered, thin chin trembled. In his eyes, tears seemed to flash by momentarily. He solemnly cupped his hands toward Pei Song. “To counsel my lord and support my lord—this is this subject’s duty.”

Pei Song’s elbow propped on his knee as he gazed at the firelight. “The world all fears me. I hope Teacher will not.”

Baili Chou’s cupped hands also trembled slightly. But before he could say more heartfelt words, the voice of a personal guard came from outside the tent: “Chancellor, a letter from Pingzhou.”

Pei Song said, “Bring it in.”

The guard quickly delivered a letter inside. After Pei Song read it, he passed the letter to Baili Chou. Baili Chou hesitated. “Can we use that old woman?”

Pei Song said, “Not urgent yet.” He asked, “Southern Chen rejected our proposal?”

Baili Chou nodded.

Pei Song sneered, “I even promised to cede the six prefectures north of Pingzhou to Southern Chen, yet they still refuse this proposal. Could it be they truly think they can monopolize all of Liang’s realm?”

Baili Chou said, “That remnant of the former dynasty does have some methods. She’s thoroughly stirred the south into a pot of chaos. Seeing the unstable situation, Southern Chen naturally isn’t willing to settle for merely guarding the empty promise of the six prefectures north of Pingzhou you pledged for the future.”

Pei Song laughed, with a hint of madness, speaking airily, “Then let this land also drink some Southern Chen blood.”

Baili Chou excelled at reading people. Once again, he saw in this young lord he had chosen the ambition to unite the Central Plains. However, Pei Song had always been decisive in killing, yet constantly erred because of one woman. He pondered for a moment, cupping his hands. “There’s one more matter. Because my lord has been at the front lines continuously, it hasn’t been reported to you.”

Pei Song said, “Teacher, speak freely.”

Baili Chou then took a letter from his sleeve and presented it to Pei Song. “This was intercepted from letters Lady Jiang sent out. She… has already investigated my lord’s true identity and attempted to inform that remnant of the former dynasty.”

From the signature on the envelope alone, Pei Song couldn’t tell to whom this letter was written. But since Baili Chou said the letter was for Wen Yu, and the envelope had been opened, he took out the letter inside. After scanning through it, the corner of his lips suddenly curved upward. “So she still has a way to contact Hanyang.”

He returned the letter to Baili Chou. “No matter. Let her send it out. This actually helps me.”

—

Jiang Yichu hadn’t seen Pei Song for quite a long time. Dressed in coarse cloth, she was washing clothes by the river. The river water, just thawed from ice and snow, froze her ten fingers red. Her little finger was slightly swollen, already developing chilblains.

Having finally finished washing that wooden basin of clothes, she had just raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead when a foot extended from behind, mercilessly kicking the basin of freshly washed clothes into the icy river water.

Jiang Yichu had suffered enough bullying these past days. She didn’t even look back to see who had kicked over the basin, only reaching out to retrieve those clothes being swept away by the river water. If these clothes were washed away by the water, she would inevitably receive punishment upon returning.

But from behind, a hand reached out, grabbed her shoulder, and forcefully pulled her backward. The strength of those five fingers nearly crushed her shoulder blade.

“The clothes…” Jiang Yichu was yanked backward by that force and fell to the ground. Her hand was scraped by the coarse sand and gravel by the riverbank. Her face was frozen bloodless, disheveled hair scattered in front, looking utterly wretched.

The words at her lips, upon seeing the instigator in a cloak leaning against a tree, were all swallowed back. She pressed her lips tightly, disregarding the pain, and got up wanting to continue retrieving those clothes that had been swept away by the river water.

Pei Song pressed down on her thin shoulder, keeping her in place. Yet his lips curved wickedly and coldly with amusement as he asked leisurely, “Elder Sister has never washed clothes for me. Whose clothes are these being washed?”

He had an indifferent attitude, as if he didn’t care at all.

Jiang Yichu was forced to meet his gaze. Her nose tip and eye sockets were frozen red. Disheveled hair was blown by the wind, scattering in front. Her slender neck and thin collarbones were trembling slightly in the cold wind. “Chancellor, please don’t make things difficult for me. If these clothes are lost, Lady Zheng and the others will blame me.”

Pei Song took some time before he recalled who this Lady Zheng she mentioned was. The only woman he had brought to Mozhou was Jiang Yichu alone. However, at that time his injuries had just healed, and his subordinates criticized her because he had risked danger to save her. They also felt he might be bewitched by beauty, so they searched and presented him with several beauties from within Mozhou territory. Annoyed by the clamor, and fearing Jiang Yichu would become a target, he accepted them.

After several fierce battles at the front lines, he had almost forgotten the existence of those women.

He smiled ambiguously and said, “So it’s them…”

Seeing the clothes drifting farther and farther in the river water, Jiang Yichu struggled forcefully but couldn’t break free from Pei Song’s restraint. She looked at him with slightly reddened eyes. “Please, Chancellor, release this guilty woman.”

Those two words “guilty woman” seemed to irritate Pei Song somewhat. He abruptly gripped Jiang Yichu’s chin tightly. His face, however, showed an extremely beautiful smile, and his tone was light and airy. “Elder Sister, do you know why they bully you?”

Jiang Yichu stared at him with reddened eyes without speaking.

Pei Song leaned extremely close to her, his breath almost entirely spraying on her pale cheeks, saying slowly, “Because they are favored. In this world, everywhere people fawn on the high and trample the low.”

As if wanting to tempt her, he released his grip on her chin and instead gently wiped away the tear seeping from the corner of her eye. “Why does Elder Sister cry? Feeling wronged? But as long as Elder Sister is willing, you can easily be more favored than them.”

In that moment, the eyes with which Jiang Yichu looked at him filled with sorrow, as if seeing an old friend through him. Hoarsely she said, “Don’t call me Elder Sister.”

Pei Song’s eyes flickered with slight surprise.

Jiang Yichu said, “My little brother A’Huan died fifteen years ago.”

Pei Song suddenly laughed. He laughed especially wantonly, his entire chest beneath the cloak shaking. Yet his expression revealed ruthlessness and madness. “Everyone in this world wishes me dead, but what can be done? Not only am I alive and well, I also slaughtered clean those several clans who framed my Qin family and that imperial family who couldn’t distinguish right from wrong, and pushed this rotted-through Liang into a pile of dust!”

Jiang Yichu stared at him blankly. Tears streamed down her wind-chilled, stinging cheeks. She swung her fist at him, crying and shouting, “Madman! You madman! The Qin family suffered tragically, and you sought revenge—but why did you become a running dog for the Ao family? My husband was trying to save Liang, to save those common people struggling bitterly under the corruption of court strife between imperial relatives and external clans! Why did you kill him!”

“Save?” Pei Song sneered coldly. Once again, he gripped Jiang Yichu’s chin, staring coldly at her. “Could he have saved it?”

His other hand gently caressed Jiang Yichu’s tear-stained cheeks, as if sighing yet murmuring, though his expression was icy. “You remember all of Wen Heng’s good qualities only because he died early. After another five years, ten years, when he sits high on the imperial throne with countless beauties in his harem, and you’ve aged and lost your looks, do you think his heart would still hold only you?”

Jiang Yichu didn’t know if she was trembling from cold or frightened by the touch of that hand—her entire body kept shaking.

Pei Song’s tone was gentle, with a hint of condescending pity as he looked at her. “Power is the same. When he hasn’t yet sat in that position, in the eyes of the upright faction supporting their father and son, naturally they see how lofty their aspirations are, how magnificent their ambitions. But what about after he sits on the imperial throne?”

Pei Song sneered, “What do the realm’s countless people matter? What does a single Ao faction matter? What they’ll do then is only continuously consolidate their own imperial throne. Who would care whether the ministers serving them are loyal or treacherous?”

He lowered his eyes, saying in a low voice, “The one who condemned my entire Qin clan wasn’t Emperor Mingcheng of that year, but every Wen emperor who sat in that position and would make such a decision.”

Jiang Yichu trembled even more violently in his grasp.

Pei Song’s lips curved high. “This is what his entire Wen clan and the former Liang owe my Qin family. Isn’t it right that I slaughter them?”

The cold wind blew, causing the tears brimming in Jiang Yichu’s eyes to roll out. She looked at the person before her, only murmuring two words: “Madman…”

—

Pingzhou.

Because of the assassination incident, Pingzhou city had been quite jittery for a while. The prominent families had restrained their actions considerably in recent days. At the same time, Pingzhou had also dispatched envoys to persuade Yizhou and Tao Commandery to surrender.

Li Xun had been working continuously for several days. The strategists often argued due to differing opinions. As peacemaker, just mediating disputes had caused blisters to form in his mouth.

When messages came back from Yizhou and Tao Commandery, he didn’t dare stop for a moment, bringing the news to Wen Yu’s side. “Wengzhu, that Xinzhou has wolfish ambitions! Seeing that you intend to persuade Yizhou and Tao Commandery to surrender, they’ve also revealed Northern Wei as their trump card and, like us, sent officials to persuade surrender!”

Incense burned in the room, fine white smoke rising in wisps and threads from the boshan burner. A slender, fair hand gently stirred that insubstantial, light smoke as a calm voice said, “No need to panic. I have a plan in mind.”

Li Xun gazed at that figure whose features seemed blurred by the light smoke. Though his heart still didn’t know Wen Yu’s countermeasure, having received these words, he felt somewhat relieved at once. He raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead produced by his hurried journey, inquiring, “After Xinzhou came to disrupt matters, both Yizhou and Tao Commandery have quite the intention of selling to the highest bidder. In Wengzhu’s view, what should be done?”

The book scroll in Wen Yu’s hand turned a page. Without raising her eyes, she clearly and calmly dropped one word: “Attack.”