In Nanyang City, the war situation had deteriorated. The Northern Kingdom’s new fire weapons were overwhelmingly powerful, beyond human capability to match. The northern prefectures of the Southern Kingdom had united under General Wei’s leadership, but with decreasing troops and supplies, pushing back the Northern Kingdom became increasingly difficult.
In recent battles, the Southern Kingdom’s forces suffered heavy losses. Even after gathering militia, fewer and fewer could take to the battlefield.
The supply problem could originally be solved by seizing enemy provisions, but without major victories against enemy forces, this problem became increasingly difficult to resolve.
After a snowfall, while clearing the battlefield, when Luo Lingyu found General Wei outside the commander’s tent, his face was covered in blood and grime, his armor and battle robes in tatters, with snow mist scattering onto his shoulders and body. He stared blankly at the stretcher-bearers coming and going on the battlefield. Hearing footsteps behind him, Wei Cong turned his head, his gaze somewhat dull.
He slowly said: “…Lady Luo.”
Luo Lingyu looked at him, speaking gently: “General is wounded. I heard you lost your temper and wouldn’t let anyone approach. I’ve come to check on you.”
Wei Cong gave a low laugh, seeing Luo Lingyu’s dress hem stained with blood. She was slender and delicate, standing in the crude post-battle grounds like a striking rose blooming amidst the flames of war. Wei Cong rubbed his face, saying: “…This side is failing, Nanyang is beginning to fall into chaos. I promised Lu Sanlan to protect you completely. Lady, pack up and prepare to leave the city.”
Though they had been winning their great battles against the Northern Kingdom, had gained the upper hand; due to the court’s inaction, they had been forced to this point.
Wei Cong was full of frustration, yet due to his high position and authority, he couldn’t vent his suppressed feelings.
Luo Lingyu’s heart sank heavily, not expecting the war situation to be so dire. Yet her expression remained unchanged, still maintaining her gentle, soft-spoken manner: “I won’t leave. Why should the general be so discouraged? Hasn’t my third cousin infiltrated Luoyang to rescue someone? If that master is rescued and the Northern Kingdom loses their fire weapons, the advantage will come to our side… Does the general not believe in my third cousin’s ability?”
Wei Cong said anxiously: “What use is belief or disbelief? Lady Luo, you don’t know yet! If we keep fighting, we’ll run out of provisions! Our forces are already decreasing, and now heavy snow has fallen… Once we run out of supplies, does Lu Sanlan’s success or failure make much difference?”
The heavy snow after the winter solstice was just as in Lu Erlang’s dream.
Luo Lingyu had other worries, but faced with the general’s outburst, she appeared calm to the point of coldness: “If we lack provisions, we’ll demand them from the noble houses. Nanyang’s great families have stored who knows how much grain over the years. Even though they’re starting to struggle now, they still have far more resources than ordinary households. If they pool together, they can surely help us endure another day or two. In such desperate times, the noble houses naturally must shed some blood.”
General Wei’s expression changed slightly: “…Make enemies of the noble houses?!”
Lu Yun could dare do this because he had top-tier noble families backing him, but where did Wei Cong get such courage?
Luo Lingyu gazed into the distance, speaking softly: “…Hasn’t my cousin returned? Bearing both Lu and Luo’s family bloodlines, he’s the right person to be the bad guy. General, don’t worry, my third cousin has made arrangements… my cousin will help, and won’t let the general play the villain.”
Luo Lingyu: “In any case, general needn’t worry about these matters. The general only needs to try his best to buy time for my cousin.”
These words – Wei Cong, having fought wars for so many years, would understand if he thought about it for a while. Luo Lingyu was merely pointing it out in advance. Yet this early reminder gave Wei Cong considerable comfort.
Wei Cong stared at her blankly, seeing snowflakes caught on her eyelashes, her face beautiful, expression full of confidence. The wild wind whirled snow, lifting her dress hem. A snowflake blew against her neck, making her shiver. Discovering Wei Cong secretly watching her, she turned to look at him, her lips holding a smile. The light in her black eyes burned like wildfire. She was so beautiful, blooming more brilliantly the more adverse the circumstances, showing none of the timidity or sorrow common to ladies at such times.
Luo Lingyu gave him a gentle smile, crouching down to hold his arm and begin examining his wounds.
Wei Cong blurted out unconsciously: “Sister truly has a far-reaching vision, I’m ashamed…”
Luo Lingyu shook her head: “No. I’m just helping him.”
Before coming to Nanyang, when she cut up Lu Yun’s letters and burned the old things he had given her, she had been afraid then, considered leaving Lu Yun. But she still came to find him. After seeing him, her previous hesitation no longer mattered. Luo Lingyu was the type who, once determined, would crash into a wall rather than turn back. She had no grand righteousness, no great compassion… she just wanted Lu Yun to live.
Live to marry her.
She longed for a happy marriage and, most of all longed for marriage after the wedding of Lu Yun. When so close to her dream, even as Nanyang began to be covered in swirling snow, she was unwilling to take even one step back. She silently recited in her heart: You said you would live, you said you would marry me… you can’t break your word. If you break your word you’ll be killing me, I won’t accept such a fate.
…
While Luo Lingyu actively helped the army handle backup supply issues, Lu Yun had indeed spoken with Luo Yan before leaving. When Luo Lingyu went to find him, Luo Yan was wearing a crane-feather cloak, leading soldiers door to door, negotiating with Nanyang’s noble houses, and demanding grain. The noble houses barely had enough grain for themselves, how could they accommodate Luo Yan? They naturally gave perfunctory responses.
As Luo Lingyu was bandaging wounded soldiers with several ladies in the tent, her maid Lingyu, whom she had arranged to watch for news, ran in and urgently whispered in her ear: “Some noble houses are arranging for their young masters to flee Nanyang, they’ve reached the city gate. Second Young Master Luo probably can’t control it.”
The lady beside them barely registered what was happening before seeing Luo Lingyu lift her skirts and run out following the maid. The lady called out “Ah!” trying to stop her but couldn’t. She ran outside the tent, wanting to ask where Luo Lingyu was going. She saw in the snow that the lady ran so fast, in the blink of an eye disappearing along with her maid.
This lady: “…”
Usually, Luo Lingyu moved so leisurely, she’d never seen her so urgent!
Luo Yan and several Nanyang noble family patriarchs were in a confrontation at the city gate. The other side wanted to open the gates to let their young masters leave the city, but Luo Yan refused, leading troops to block the gate and prevent anyone from leaving. Near and far, common people in tattered or rough clothing observed the conflict between the noble houses and the military, weighing something in their minds.
Both sides argued loudly—
“Second Young Master Luo, don’t go too far! Nanyang is still Fan family territory. It’s not that we Fan family refuses to provide grain. Just let a few of our clan’s young masters leave the city, and our Fan family will tighten our belts to gather one day’s worth of provisions for you, how about that?”
“Thank you for Lord Fan’s assistance. However, now is not the time to leave the city. All of you are Nanyang’s established noble houses, the common people are watching. If you flee at this time, people’s hearts will scatter… My lord, look at those common-born people, they’re still willing to help now only because they see you staying.”
“It’s just sending a few disciples out of the city!”
Luo Yan shook his head: “This kind of trap game, we’re all noble houses, no need to play tricks, right? You see Nanyang as hopeless and want to abandon it. I won’t agree.”
“Since you’re from a noble house, won’t you consider our position?! Nanyang is about to be defeated! We’re going to lose! The court has abandoned us… If we don’t leave now, should we be buried in the city? You’re surnamed Luo… you act righteous, when the Ruyang Luo clan was destroyed we sympathized and praised you as heroes. But Second Young Master Luo, just because you sacrificed before, does that mean we must sacrifice together now?”
The voices of several noble house patriarchs grew louder, pressuring Luo Yan. Luo Yan stepped back twice, the pressure mounting.
Suddenly, horse hooves thundered on the ground, and an authoritative cold voice rang out: “What’s all this noise?!”
The crowd blocking the city gate saw a group of soldiers approach, led by the one who dismounted and strode forward – the Great General of Yingchuan stationed recently in Nanyang, Prince of Hengyang Liu Mu. Liu Mu drew his sword, pointing it at the people at the city gate. The soldiers behind him moved in unison. In an instant, dozens of iron-blooded warriors stood with drawn swords, causing the noble house patriarchs to turn pale: “What are you doing?!”
Liu Mu spoke coolly: “A gentleman’s agreement. We agreed no leaving the city, so no one leaves the city.”
“Also, we’re out of provisions. You figure out how to gather them, at least get tomorrow and the day after’s provisions together. If you can’t deliver them, no one gets to leave this place. Second Young Master Luo, isn’t this your responsibility?”
The young prince’s eyes showed slight impatience, clearly meaning “having to appear for such a small matter.” Luo Yan smiled bitterly: to intimidate these noble houses required high status. Luo Yan’s status wasn’t high enough. This would be best done by Third Brother Lu… but Lu Sanlan had too many things to do already.
In the chaos, the noble houses were cowed by Liu Mu’s cold aura, not daring to speak. Behind Liu Mu, the graceful Luo Lingyu came running up, her face pale white.
The Fan family patriarch suddenly understood, glaring at Luo Lingyu: “Lady Luo, did you go find the Prince of Hengyang? Did you bring reinforcements to deal with us? Are you still a Nanyang native, still a noble family lady?”
At once, many gazes fell on Luo Lingyu. So many gazes, heavy with resentment and malice. Liu Mu frowned, thinking these old men were threatening a young girl. He discreetly stepped forward, wanting to shield Luo Lingyu behind him. But Luo Lingyu only paled slightly, her resolve unchanged: “Nanyang is in crisis, the army is in difficulty, you should naturally provide support.”
Fan Qingchen’s father Lord Fan sneered – he had always disliked this low-status orphan girl, and after his son broke off the engagement with her, his disdain was unconcealed: “Since when did this become our duty? Is Nanyang’s lack of troops and provisions our doing? Did we make you deploy troops? Isn’t our money and food what we earned? Yet now, you won’t even write an IOU, just want to requisition all our grain. Even noble housechildren can’t be provided for! Who isn’t suffering and starving? We’re supposed to be exploited, have you sucked our blood at this time?”
“So this is the Ruyang Luo family’s teaching, to be generous with others’ resources.”
Liu Mu’s gaze turned cold and solemn.
Luo Yan’s face also tensed.
Luo Lingyu’s eyelashes trembled slightly as she looked at Lord Fan: “In ordinary years, the noble houses’ glory relies on common people’s support. Land, farming, commerce, military… they all sustain you. In a national crisis, especially in your territory, you should give back what you normally receive. They no longer have the ability, but you still do… Even if the army suppresses and forces you to provide grain, it’s justified at this time.”
“Wanting only usual luxuries but unwilling to contribute in a national crisis. There’s no such good fortune in this world.”
The atmosphere fell silent and tense. Liu Mu looked at Luo Lingyu in surprise, not expecting her to say such things. Liu Mu himself had no good feelings toward noble houses, and if not for Second Young Master Lu constantly reminding him… he wouldn’t have expected Luo Lingyu to have such understanding.
Luo Yan also looked at his cousin’s sister in amazement.
From afar, among the commoners watching them, a cheer burst from the crowd: “Well said, Lady Luo!”
“You should provide grain! You take so many tributes from us in normal times, going on pleasure trips, and now you’re poor? Don’t believe it!”
“You can’t leave the city! If you leave, we’ll flee too!”
Lord Fan’s face reddened with anger – to be scolded by a teenage girl, and then criticized from all sides by that chaotic crowd of commoners, how infuriating!
As he opened his mouth to argue further, Liu Mu had already said impatiently: “Enough! This ends here!”
He pointed at the noble houses: “Provide grain, then you can leave.”
The noble house patriarchs blocked at the city gate looked at each other. In the blizzard, they couldn’t keep standing here forever, still watched intently by that crowd of commoners. After the old men gathered to discuss, they reluctantly agreed to Liu Mu’s conditions, willing to write agreements to provide grain to the army.
Liu Mu stood straight-backed beside Luo Lingyu, watching Luo Yan busy with registration. The sky had grown dim, and seeing no fights had broken out, Luo Lingyu quietly sighed in relief, shifting her feet. But a soldier came to Liu Mu’s side, whispering something in the prince’s ear. Liu Mu’s expression tensed, and he immediately called for his troops to gather, turning to mount his horse and leave.
Luo Lingyu reacted extremely quickly, chasing after him: “Your Highness, is it about him…”
She wanted to ask “Is there news about him.”
Liu Mu cut off her words: “I will help him.”
He leaned down, looking at the lady gazing up at him from below his horse. The lady’s eyes were clear and beautiful but concerned only for another man. Liu Mu felt a slight sting in his heart, but still told her: “If there’s news, I’ll tell you, don’t worry.”
He had indeed received news from Luoyang and was going to check it, but he didn’t want to cause Luo Lingyu excessive panic.
Liu Mu brushed the snow off his horse’s back, called out “Ya!” and rode away. The troops followed closely!
At the city gate behind them, Luo Lingyu gazed after them, her heart in turmoil, barely managing to keep herself from overthinking—
But Lu Yun’s deadly tribulation was imminent. She had no one to confide her worries to, every slight movement making her uneasy. She was like a startled bird…
When would she see him return safely?
That annoying man made her so angry.
…
In the Taichu Palace of Jianye City, a thin layer of misty snow covered everything. At night, fog rose in the imperial city, palace lanterns swaying, with very few palace servants in the shadowy corridors. Outside His Majesty’s bedchamber, Prince Chen Liu Shu waited with an expressionless face. He had waited nearly an hour, yet his father still hadn’t summoned him inside.
He saw the bright lights in the palace hall and heard the sounds of revelry within… After standing in the corridor a while longer and calculating the time, Liu Shu stopped waiting and entered directly. The eunuchs outside the hall tried to stop him, but after Liu Shu gave them several ingots of gold, they closed their mouths. After all, they were father and son, surely there was no harm in the prince entering?
Liu Shu’s shoulders were covered in frost from outside, and as he stepped into the warmth of the hall, snow rustled from his boots, wet like flowing streams.
The emperor, drunk beyond measure, vaguely raised his eyes from behind his table, seeing three or four overlapping shadows before him. He stared hard but couldn’t recognize who had come. After all, this son was too unremarkable.
The Northern Kingdom princess accompanying the emperor’s drinking was startled, seeing this suddenly entering prince: “Prince Chen, how dare you enter? His Majesty hasn’t summoned you!”
The Northern princess wanted to rebuke him to leave, even turning to complain to His Majesty. But the two beautiful maidens sitting beside His Majesty gave her a cold look, monopolizing the emperor and not letting the Northern princess approach. They patted their chests and greeted Prince Chen, then continued sending grape wine to the emperor’s lips: “Your Majesty, Prince Chen has come to see you.”
Their voices were sweet and alluring with charm, nothing like what the proper Northern princess could produce.
The Northern princess’s heart surged with shock.
She heard Prince Chen Liu Shu say calmly: “All of you, leave first.”
The Northern princess naturally didn’t want to, naturally wanted to scold this prince for disregarding imperial authority. But the two imperial concubines by His Majesty’s side had been given to his father by Prince Chen. Grateful for Liu Shu’s patronage, when he told them to leave, they led the Northern princess away.
The Northern princess kept looking back: “You can’t, you can’t… Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”
Shadows layered behind the screen, lamplight flickering, nothing clear. The Northern princess saw Prince Chen climb the steps, bowing before His Majesty. Having grown up in the palace and seen countless plots and schemes, the Northern princess broke into a cold sweat, her mind blank, thinking Prince Chen meant to assassinate the Southern emperor—
How could this be?!
If His Majesty were to…
The Northern princess opened her mouth to scream but was muffled by the two women beside her. One of them scorned her: “What are you yelling for? A father and son having a private conversation, why do you keep interfering? Could you be a Northern spy? Hmph, no wonder His Majesty usually dislikes you.”
A quarter-hour later, when Prince Chen emerged, he still wore that refined face with an expression so calm it bordered on coldness. He didn’t explain anything to these people, only saying the emperor was asleep. The Northern princess wrenched free the hand covering her mouth and ran into the great hall to check.
She was afraid, fearing she had witnessed a palace assassination. This made her legs weak, and when climbing the steps she stumbled and fell. Yet while rubbing her knee, she still determinedly crawled upward: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty…”
Those who didn’t know the truth would surely think this princess truly loved the emperor.
Liu Shu, reaching the great hall’s entrance, merely glanced back calmly before leaving, opening his umbrella as he headed out of the palace.
The Northern princess threw herself before the Southern emperor’s seat, her eyes wet with tears, her trembling fingers placed beneath the old emperor’s nose. She was about to cry when she felt steady breath on her fingers.
Northern princess: “…?!”
The old emperor was just asleep, not killed by Liu Shu? How was this possible? Had she overthought things? Was Prince Chen Liu Shu a filial son as others said? He had trudged through snow into the palace in the middle of the night, standing in the snow for an hour. Was it not that he had ulterior motives, but that he truly simply cared for his father?
The Northern princess was confused, unable to understand Liu Shu’s intentions.
Meanwhile, Liu Shu walked straight out the palace gates, along the city wall to a sheltered spot, where a suddenly appearing hand pulled him behind a tree. Behind the tree, Lu Erlang Lu Xian asked anxiously: “Did you get it? Did you get the imperial edict for troops and provisions? Did His Majesty agree?”
Liu Shu took an imperial edict from his sleeve, his beautiful eyelashes lowering: “He, didn’t agree, but he drank, too much.”
Lu Xian: “…”
Liu Shu’s attitude was so natural that Lu Xian momentarily felt this seemed quite reasonable. Liu Shu showed him the edict, and after Lu Xian scanned it twice and confirmed it was indeed the edict they wanted, he smiled. Then Second Young Master Lu realized, suddenly raising his head: “…Your Highness, you don’t mean you forged this edict and just went in to stamp it with the imperial seal? You- you’re committing treason… Aren’t you afraid His Majesty will wake and punish your crime?!”
Liu Shu: “Third Brother, can’t wait. I, can’t delay, more.”
“…So you deceived your father?”
Liu Shu remained expressionless: “He was drunk.”
What exactly happened, he might not remember. And even if he remembered… Liu Shu lowered his eyes: “Hope the Lu family, won’t waver.”
Lu Erlang’s hand gripping the edict tightened.
Liu Shu spoke slowly: “The night is long for dreams, first send the edict out of the imperial city tonight. As for His Majesty… I’ll handle it for now.”
As long as Lu Sanlan succeeded, with the Lu family standing on his side, Liu Shu would still have room to maneuver with His Majesty. But if Nanyang was defeated… Liu Shu would face a capital crime.
Lu Xian was shocked, looking deeply at this prince — he realized for the first time that this outwardly refined, usually unremarkable Prince Chen could make such bold moves at crucial moments. He even dared to forge an imperial edict!
All to save Third Brother?
Lu Xian said quietly: “…Your Highness rest assured if His Majesty blames you, the Lu family will stand with you.”
Liu Shu made a sound of acknowledgment, saying nothing more, indicating Lu Erlang shouldn’t waste words. Before His Majesty woke, sending the millions of troops and provisions with the edict north was the top priority.
…
Everything was slowly deviating from Lu Erlang’s dream path.
Deep in the night, snow fell on Jianye as Lu Erlang drove alone, racing through the cold night. Full of burning passion, carrying a scorching imperial edict, he drove toward the brightly lit Sima mansion—
He had gotten the edict! The Grand Marshal should deploy troops immediately! They had to act before dawn!
Faster, faster, faster still!
…
In Nanyang territory, troops were exhausted, and noble houses maneuvering. Luo Lingyu busily rushed between the army, noble houses, and commoners, wringing her hands, constantly looking into the distance.
In Jianye City, the forged edict was delivered to the Sima mansion. The next day as large troops left the city, the Sima mansion caught fire, burning tens of thousands of scrolls, including last night’s edict. Prince Chen sat in his residence, letting those who set the fire leave the city directly. As the Jianye Sima mansion fell into chaos, the Prince climbed high, gazing into the distance while quietly awaiting questions from His Majesty who would soon awaken.
Further north, in Luoyang City, the sensation caused by Lady Chen Xue was quietly drawing to a close. Snow fell for three days straight, not diminishing the Luoyang governor’s pleasure. That night the governor wished to take Chen Xue as his concubine, inviting military and noble personnel to witness. Under the night snow’s watery light illuminated the beautiful woman playing Qin behind the screen.
Chen Xue’s grace once again made those beauty-pursuing nobles shake their heads in admiration.
Chen Xue emerged, accompanied by the governor, toasting each guest in turn.
Across another waterway, beneath the pavilion in the lake’s heart, renowned scholars composed paintings for Lady Chen Xue.
Shortly after, Chen Xue claimed to change clothes, leaving the governor’s side. When the governor didn’t see her for a long while, he grew slightly uneasy as he drank at the banquet. More and more guests got drunk, the atmosphere growing quieter until the governor’s unease made him suddenly stand. He stumbled out of the room, head fuzzy, but grabbed a wine-serving boy to ask: “Where’s Xuexue? Why hasn’t she returned?”
The servant boy: “The lady seems to have returned to her room…”
The governor shook his head, forcing himself to clear his mind somewhat. He felt increasingly uneasy, the whole courtyard unnaturally quiet. He looked back at the people passed out drunk at the banquet, wine spilled on clothes, then gazed at the reflection of scholars still presumably painting on the water pavilion’s screen… The governor stumbled toward Chen Xue’s room to find her.
He pushed open the door, drunk: “Xuexue, Xuexue…”
The room was silent, unlit. As he fumbled in the darkness, he accidentally knocked over a screen. The screen crashed to the ground, tripping the governor. The governor became instantly alert, raising his head, then froze — behind the fallen screen in the inner chamber, he saw an open window and someone with their back to him, half-dressed, their snow-white spine reflecting in his eyes.
Their long hair was loose, the jade crown in it slightly askew.
Just the back view made his eyes burn with desire. His mouth went dry: “Xuexue…”
That person paused, then turned around. Brilliant in bearing, like carved jade, however… it was a man’s appearance.
Lu Yun raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly.
The Luoyang governor flew into a rage, sobering as he scrambled up: “Who are you? Why are you in my beloved concubine’s room? What relationship do you have with her, guards? Could it be, could it be…”
Lu Sanlan smiled ambiguously as he finished dressing, slowly standing up, offering an answer: “Could it be that I’m having an affair with your beloved concubine?”
The governor: “…!!!”