Li Yao bowed to Wen Yu: “This old minister thanks the princess on behalf of the subjects and people of the three provinces and one commandery.”

Wen Yu silently watched this elder, then finally turned her head to look out the window at the garden scene where green vines had climbed all over the wall. She seemed to take a deep breath and said: “If the teacher has no other matters, you may withdraw.”

The other party repeatedly used Great Liang’s foundation and the lives of subjects and people in three provinces and one commandery to pressure her, and adhered to the proprieties between sovereign and minister—nothing more than reminding her to remember her own identity.

But Wen Yu still called him “teacher” rather than “minister.”

Hearing her form of address, Li Yao also froze. His aged pupils tinged with gray reflected Wen Yu’s profile as she looked toward the window. His lips beneath his grizzled beard moved, then pressed tightly together again. The expression on his face remained as stubbornly firm as ever as he said to Wen Yu: “This old minister takes his leave.”

The sound of footsteps and a cane striking the ground sounded together, followed by the sound of the door closing.

Throughout this time, Wen Yu kept her gaze fixed on the view outside the window. She stared until her eyes grew slightly dry from looking too long before slowly closing them.

She told herself that Li Yao had done nothing wrong. He had only done what a strategist should do. She was the one who shouldn’t have viewed him as a teacher and mentor, then hoped he would truly treat her like one.

He used righteousness and responsibility to pressure her. Rather than saying he dared not gamble with Great Liang’s foundation and the lives of subjects and people in three provinces and one commandery, it was better to say he had never considered trusting her.

From beginning to end, what that elder wanted to accomplish was only the grand ambition her father-king had failed to complete. That was why he wouldn’t allow her, the inheritor of this legacy, to have the slightest possibility of making a mistake.

—

When Zhao Bai returned, Wen Yu was writing a letter at her desk. Invigorating incense had been lit in the room, and the dosage was quite large. After inhaling for a few breaths, Zhao Bai frowned. She glanced at Wen Yu, who sat by the window concentrating on her writing, and reported on the arrangements for Cen An, Tong Que, and the other Zhou Mansion guards: “As per your instructions, proper lodgings have been arranged for them all, and the mansion physician has been summoned to check their pulses and prescribe tonics.”

Wen Yu hummed in acknowledgment and said: “Treat them generously. These people all risked their lives to protect me. After they’ve recuperated, if any have thoughts of retiring into seclusion, provide them with generous wealth. For those willing to stay, arrange positions for them as you see fit—don’t let them be wronged. For those who died along the way, ask Cen An for their names and native places. If they still have family members, send some compensation and goods to them as well.”

Zhao Bai knew that Wen Yu had always been generous to subordinates. After responding affirmatively to each instruction, she looked at the person whose face was half-hidden in the thin smoke of the incense burner by the window and said: “The mansion physician said inhaling too much of this incense harms the body and told you to use it sparingly. Why have you used such a large dosage?”

Wen Yu only said: “This incense has good invigorating effects.”

Zhao Bai personally attended to Wen Yu’s daily needs, so she naturally knew that Wen Yu had begun using this incense when she worked day and night reading books and studying scrolls to complete the coursework Li Yao assigned.

The drowsiness that even strong tea couldn’t resolve could be dispelled by this incense, showing how potent it was.

She pressed her lips tightly together: “Your health is important. If you’re weary, rest for a while first. How can you keep exhausting yourself like this? Haven’t many affairs already been handed over to Minister Li and Minister Chen to handle?”

After keeping her mind taut for too long, it seemed to have indeed triggered a headache. Wen Yu raised her fingers to press the acupoint at her temples, but what she said sounded like a sigh: “Even after handing them over, I still need to personally review everything once.”

Zhao Bai wanted to advise further, but heard Wen Yu instruct: “Rearrange informants to go to my sister-in-law’s side. Pei Song very likely has already discovered that my sister-in-law has been secretly communicating with us. The few hidden informants sent before should have already become exposed pawns.”

Her tone paused slightly, her eyes as calm as a pool of stagnant water: “Don’t let the newly dispatched shadows reveal their identities to my sister-in-law either.”

Since Pei Song had already set his sights on her sister-in-law, and her sister-in-law didn’t know about it, the shadow guards arranged to go there must conceal themselves even from Jiang Yichu to prevent Pei Song from detecting them as well.

This move was for the safety of Jiang Yichu and her daughter, and also to further confirm whether Pei Song had truly discovered the communications between her sister-in-law and herself.

Zhao Bai was greatly alarmed upon hearing this: “Then won’t the Crown Princess and the young princess be in danger?”

Wen Yu had finished writing her letter. She lowered her long lashes to seal it with wax, her tone calm and firm: “I’ve already allied with Southern Chen and Northern Wei. When the critical moment comes, my sister-in-law and A’Yin are Pei Song’s best bargaining chips to threaten me. Before that, Pei Song won’t harm them.”

While Zhao Bai’s heart settled somewhat, looking at Wen Yu’s slender profile, she suddenly felt mixed emotions. She, an outsider, had been so panicked, yet Wen Yu acted as if nothing had happened—having already analyzed the pros and cons clearly and provided a solution, as if… she had never experienced panic or confusion.

But how could she not have?

She simply knew there was no time to panic, no time to be afraid, so she devoted all her energy to finding a way to break through the situation, leaving no time to spare for any other emotions.

As Zhao Bai’s throat turned bitter, she heard Wen Yu continue instructing: “Furthermore, Pei Song has also set his sights on Xiao Li. I don’t know if he truly has Xiao Li’s mother as leverage. Zhou Sui should know most clearly what happened at Zhou Mansion that day. Send someone to Yongzhou to make contact with Zhou Sui and thoroughly investigate Xiao Li’s mother’s situation. If she’s truly in Pei Song’s hands, find a way to rescue her. His mother once rendered me great kindness—we must not allow her to come to any harm.”

Wen Yu’s long fingers pressed the secret letter Li Yao had brought and pushed it toward Zhao Bai.

After reading it, Zhao Bai was shocked and suspicious. She instinctively wanted to say that Xiao Li was actually a spy, but combining it with Wen Yu’s earlier words, she also worried this was Pei Song’s alienation scheme. However, the fact that Xiao Li had connections to Pei Song’s birth father truly made her scalp tingle. Holding the letter, she looked up at Wen Yu: “Xiao Li actually studied under Qin Yi?”

Wen Yu said: “The only suspicious point that could identify him as a spy is this one. What the truth is, we’ll only know after asking him. Go yourself and bring him back.”

Zhao Bai pondered the meaning in Wen Yu’s words and recalled the wretched appearance of Xiao Li leaving in the rain that night. She suddenly felt that Wen Yu having her bring the person back didn’t seem like it was to raise an army to question and verify whether the other party was a spy, but more like a form of disguised protection.

After all, if this truly was Pei Song’s alienation scheme, then with Xiao Li currently alone outside, it would instead give Pei Song’s side an opportunity to exploit.

Even if Pei Song couldn’t recruit him, with his mother as leverage, trapping him was still achievable. Then, by deliberately spreading rumors that Xiao Li had defected to him, firstly it could destroy Xiao Li’s reputation, leaving him unable to defend himself and never able to return to Pingzhou; secondly, it could also severely strike at Pingzhou’s morale.

Having thought through these points, Zhao Bai felt that Pei Song’s scheme was extremely vicious.

Fortunately, the princess had first suppressed the news that Xiao Li had already left Pingzhou. Otherwise, if Pei Song’s side made the first move, they would fall completely into a passive situation.

Zhao Bai quickly clasped her fists toward Wen Yu and said: “Princess, rest assured. This slave will definitely bring the person back!”

—

Li Yao slowly walked along the covered corridor with his cane. The summer lake breeze blew toward him, finally driving back the heat by several degrees.

He recalled that when leaving Wen Yu’s presence, her address of “teacher” and the final profile of her avoiding eye contact and refusing to look at him again—his heart also felt quite unpleasant.

Throughout his life, he had been arrogant and dismissive. Only in his twilight years had he truly accepted such a student. She was intelligent, diligent, and hardworking. Any principle that could be found in books never needed him to teach a second time.

He also deeply believed that his lifelong ambitions could all be realized through her.

She had always done very well, only in the matter of that Xiao boy had she lost her usual impartiality, showing favoritism and protection time and again.

He had asked Fan Yuan. That Xiao boy had left his letter of resignation the morning after he broke into Wen Yu’s residence at night. That day, Li Yao had also gone under the pretext of visiting Wen Yu to ask about the reason for Xiao Li’s nighttime intrusion. Wen Yu had answered with the bandit suppression map and testing the shadow guards and staff members.

Looking at it now, those were all excuses!

That Xiao scoundrel was audacious beyond measure, having developed improper thoughts toward Wen Yu—otherwise, why would he break in at night?

Since he dared to do such a thing, he must not have feared being discovered by the shadow guards and had also prepared to prevent Wen Yu from marrying into Southern Chen!

The more Li Yao thought about it, the more alarmed he became, and the more furious he grew, becoming even more convinced that Xiao Li was a spy. If he used romantic feelings between men and women to bewitch Wen Yu and caused Wen Yu to break her engagement with Southern Chen, wouldn’t the alliance between Great Liang and Southern Chen collapse?

And by relying on Wen Yu’s trust, he could completely control the forces of Great Liang’s old subordinates!

The chess move Pei Song made was truly vicious and insidious!

Even if the other party wasn’t a spy, daring to develop improper thoughts toward a princess and committing such an audacious act was absolutely unforgivable!

Li Yao struck his cane heavily, so angry that his internal organs ached faintly.

Since Wen Yu had let Xiao Li leave that night, she presumably had rejected the other party’s proposal. But that didn’t necessarily mean she had no feelings for that scoundrel at all—she simply still retained her reason and remembered to prioritize national enmity and family hatred first.

If she continued to be bewitched by that scoundrel…

Li Yao recalled Wen Yu’s many arguments and defenses on Xiao Li’s behalf, and the gravity in his eyes deepened several more degrees.

So be it. If that child wanted to blame him, let her blame him.

This old bag of bones couldn’t accompany her for many more years anyway.

—

The sun was setting in the west. The lone wild geese sweeping across the sky looked like only a few small black dots from afar.

Cooking smoke had already risen in the camp. The sandy soil that had been scorched under the sun all day seemed to still retain residual warmth at dusk. Black boots hurrying along kicked up clouds of floating dust.

A personal guard presented the latest letter report to Pei Song: “Commander, a letter from the south reports that Wen Shi Hanyang posthumously honored Prince Chang Lian as emperor in Pingzhou, and also conferred upon herself the title of Great Liang’s Zhen Guo Princess. She has single-handedly brokered a temporary alliance between Southern Chen and Northern Wei.”

Gongsun Chou, standing to the side, locked his brows tightly after hearing this: “This woman’s cunning borders on demonic—she is truly a great threat! In the past, Pingzhou was merely Chen Wei alone struggling to support it, but in less than half a year, she has forged it into an iron plate. Now she has also won over Southern Chen and Wei Qishan…”

He looked toward Pei Song, his eyes full of worry: “This is greatly disadvantageous to you, my lord!”

Pei Song’s long fingers, bearing scars, twisted the letter report that had been presented. He narrowed his eyes to look at it for a while, but his expression was lazy, making it difficult to discern whether he was pleased or angry at this moment: “Somewhat interesting. This commander gave Wei Qishan a scorched-earth Yizhou precisely to string Wei Qishan along. When Southern Chen’s army attacks those two provinces, if I directly abandon them, he certainly won’t bear to let them go. Deploying troops to support would cost too much, not to mention his main forces are still tied up with me in Mozhou. To make Wei Qishan lower his guard so he could dispatch troops to Yizhou to hold the line against Southern Chen, this commander feigned weakness for so long and gave him quite a few cities. Looking at it now, was it all wasted effort?”

Gongsun Chou said: “The urgent matter at hand is to find a way to respond to the joint attack by Southern Chen and Northern Wei in the near future.”

Pei Song placed the letter report on the desk and lightly tapped his knuckles, smiling dismissively: “If they form a vertical alliance, we can very well form a horizontal alliance.”

Gongsun Chou first hesitated, then his expression changed slightly: “My lord’s meaning is…”

He didn’t continue his words, but looking at Pei Song’s expression, it should be what he was thinking. For some reason, Gongsun Chou’s expression didn’t relax because of this but instead showed some hesitation to speak.

Just at this moment, a guard outside the tent suddenly hurried in and whispered something in Pei Song’s ear.

Pei Song’s originally casual gaze condensed slightly. He said “I understand” and waved the guard away.

Only then did he look toward Gongsun Chou and the other advisors in the tent: “If there are no other matters, today’s council shall end here.”

The advisors left in small groups. Gongsun Chou seemed to still have something to say to Pei Song and hadn’t risen. Only after most of the people in the tent had left did he speak: “Has something happened with Beauty Jiang?”

Pei Song’s eyelids lifted slightly, his face showing an indifferent smile: “Just minor squabbles between women.”

He seemed not to take the matter to heart at all.

Gongsun Chou had also heard about the friction between Jiang Yichu and Beauty Zheng. He knew it was impossible to persuade Pei Song to send Jiang Yichu away, so he could only sigh and say: “As long as my lord has it under control.”

Pei Song rose and retrieved a saber from the weapon rack to hang at his waist. Fastening his armguard, he said to Gongsun Chou: “While the sun hasn’t set yet, I’ll go to Daobei Ridge to ride and survey the terrain for the next battle. Sir, you’ve been mentally taxed with much thinking lately—go back and rest first.”

Gongsun Chou hastily said: “My lord, about the horizontal alliance matter…”

But Pei Song had already lifted the tent flap and departed. Gongsun Chou looked at the tent curtain that had fallen back into place and could only heave a deep sigh.

—

After Pei Song walked out of the main tent, the personal guard who had entered earlier to report was waiting outside. Upon seeing him, the guard quickly stepped forward to follow.

The smile Pei Song had shown in front of Gongsun Chou had completely vanished. His expression could even be called cold: “Her people have gone to see that old woman?”

What the personal guard had entered the tent to report to him was not that Jiang Yichu had quarreled with some beauty, but that the maid by her side had discovered the current residence of Xiao Huiniang.

The personal guard answered: “Not yet. The maid beside Beauty Jiang has only confirmed the old woman’s residence.”

Pei Song walked forward with long strides, coldly instructing: “Do not let Sir Gongsun know of this matter.”

The personal guard acknowledged the order, knowing in his heart that if Sir Gongsun learned that Beauty Jiang had been secretly stealing intelligence to communicate with Hanyang, with Sir Gongsun’s temperament, he would certainly remonstrate unto death for the Commander to execute Beauty Jiang.

The personal guard couldn’t understand why the Commander would protect a criminal woman to such an extent, but he also didn’t dare say more to touch Pei Song’s sore spot. He asked cautiously: “Then should we have that old woman change residences?”

Pei Song said: “Send that old woman back to Yongzhou.”

He looked toward the sky filled with fiery clouds, like a beast competing for the throne staring at an opponent he had never met face to face: “Hanyang wants to unite Southern Chen and Northern Wei to attack me together. Not only will I sever one of her arms in Pingzhou, I will also eliminate the chess piece she placed in Yongzhou!”