Pei Yan tossed the confidential report into the fire basin, watching the wisps of smoke rise as the flames engulfed it, turning it to ashes. He let out a long sigh.
Ning Jianyu and Cui Liang entered. After they removed their rain capes and sat down, Pei Yan said, “Prepare yourselves. In a few days, a batch of recruits will arrive, along with military supplies. Ziming, think about how to arrange this. Once this rain stops, we must prepare for a counterattack.”
Ning Jianyu’s face lit up. “The imperial court has sent reinforcements?”
A complex smile played on Pei Yan’s lips. “The Emperor is gravely ill. The Crown Prince is now acting as regent. He’s urgently conscripted twenty thousand recruits from Weng Prefecture and Hong Prefecture. Together with Marquis Xuanyuan’s original eight thousand men, they’re rushing north. They should arrive in a few days.”
Cui Liang was stunned. “The Emperor is gravely ill?”
“Yes. The Emperor is too ill to govern.” Pei Yan turned to Cui Liang. “Ziming, consider how to arrange these twenty thousand new arrivals. We need to recapture Hexi Prefecture at the lowest possible cost.”
Ning Jianyu seemed excited. “We’ve been on the defensive against the Huan army for so long, it’s been frustrating. I’m itching for action.”
Cui Liang lowered his gaze, seemingly pondering something significant. Pei Yan watched him with a smile, not pressing for answers.
After a long while, Cui Liang raised his head, looking frankly at Pei Yan before bowing deeply. Pei Yan hurriedly stood to stop him, sighing, “Ziming, if you have something to say, just say it. There’s no need for formalities between us.”
Cui Liang hesitated. Ning Jianyu smiled and said, “I should go inspect the front lines. Marquis, I’ll take my leave.”
After Ning Jianyu left the tent, Cui Liang bowed to Pei Yan again. Pei Yan sat back in his chair and said, “I know Ziming must have something important to discuss with me. Please, speak freely.”
Cui Liang’s eyes gradually brightened as he looked directly at Pei Yan. “My Lord, I have a request.”
Pei Yan smiled. “Whatever Ziming asks, I will grant.”
“I wish to ask your permission to meet someone before our army engages in a decisive battle with the Huan army,” Cui Liang said calmly, a hint of sadness flashing in his clear, bright eyes.
“Who?”
Cui Liang spoke slowly, “The person by Yuweng Jinglun’s side.”
Pei Yan’s eyes flashed, his hand pausing as he raised his teacup. He then slowly took a sip and said, “Please elaborate, Ziming.”
Cui Liang sighed softly. “I believe you’ve heard that my Tianxuan Sect has passed down its legacy to only one disciple per generation for hundreds of years.”
“Yes, I know this. That’s why after Grand Master Yu’s misfortune, your grand-master faked his death and escaped, leading the world to believe that Grand Master Yu’s lineage had been lost. If you hadn’t recognized that crystal bead that day, I wouldn’t have believed that Grand Master Yu still had a successor in this world.”
Cui Liang sighed, “Because of what happened to my great-grandmother, my grandmother feared that if something were to happen in the future, our sect’s secret techniques would be lost. So he broke our Tianxuan Sect’s centuries-old rule of only accepting one disciple and took two disciples. One was my master, and the other, with exceptional talent and natural genius, was my martial uncle, surnamed Teng, given the name Yi.”
“Oh?! Could it be that the person by Yuweng Jinglun’s side is your martial uncle, Teng Yi?!” Pei Yan’s eyes flashed.
“Yes.” Cui Liang’s expression darkened. “My great-grand-master died tragically, and my grand-master developed a prejudice against the imperial family. He established a new rule that the Tianxuan Sect must not enter official service or work for the imperial court. My master naturally obeyed, but this martial uncle was unwilling to die in seclusion. He left the mountain alone, leaving a letter saying he was going to travel the world and never returned.”
“Then how is Ziming certain that the person by Yuweng Jinglun’s side is your martial uncle?”
“After my master passed away, only my martial uncle and I remained as inheritors of the Tianxuan Sect. In this war between the two armies, the weapons and tactics used are known only to members of the Tianxuan Sect. Take the Juanshui River bed incident as an example – this is recorded in our sect’s texts, and no one else in the world knows about it.”
Having said this, Cui Liang bowed to Pei Yan again. “I humbly request my Lord, to allow me to meet with my martial uncle. I want to persuade him to leave Yuweng Jinglun and stop serving the Huan army.”
Pei Yan pondered for a moment, stood up, and paced a few steps before turning back to gaze at Cui Liang with deep eyes. Cui Liang met his gaze calmly but with a hint of anticipation.
Pei Yan spoke slowly, “Ziming, are you confident that you can persuade your martial uncle to leave Yuweng Jinglun?”
Cui Liang replied frankly, “My martial uncle chose to assist Yuweng Jinglun for his reasons. But now I lead the Tianxuan Sect, and I have my responsibilities. I can’t be certain whether he’ll listen to my persuasion and leave Yuweng Jinglun. But we must try. If I can convince him to leave the Huan army, I believe reclaiming our lost territory and ending the war could be achieved soon. I implore you, my Lord, to let me try.”
Pei Yan thought for another moment, then nodded decisively. “Very well. We must try, regardless of the outcome. If we can persuade him to leave Yuweng Jinglun, perhaps the Huan army will retreat without a fight. That would be a great blessing for the common people!”
The rain gradually ceased. In the military camp, mud and water were everywhere, but the persistent foul odor had been washed away by the rain.
As the fighting had become less intense, the number of wounded soldiers decreased, finally giving the military physicians and medicine boys some respite. Jiang Ci didn’t need to work the night shift that day. After reading medical texts for a while, she blew out the candle and suddenly saw a figure standing silently outside her tent.
Jiang Ci looked at the shadow cast on the tent curtain, then lay back down on her mat.
Pei Yan waited a while longer, then had no choice but to lift the curtain and enter.
Jiang Ci sprang up and said calmly, “My Lord, it’s late. You should avoid suspicion.”
Pei Yan was silent for a moment, then said softly, “Then accompany me for a walk outside.”
His tone carried a hint of weariness and seemed to have a touch of uncertainty. Jiang Ci’s heart stirred slightly, suddenly feeling that she had seen Pei Yan like this before. Thinking carefully, she recalled the scene by the lotus pond on the night of the birthday banquet at the Marquis’s mansion, when he had lost his composure due to drinking.
Pei Yan turned silently, and after a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Ci followed him out of the camp.
It was already midnight, and frog calls filled the air. The earth was shrouded in darkness, with the lamp-lit tents of the camp not far behind them. Pei Yan stood under a tree, silent.
Jiang Ci stood half a step behind him, sensing that the person before her exuded a cold authority, but behind that authority was an indescribable loneliness.
Pei Yan’s face was expressionless as he gazed at the lights in the camp. He let out a soft sigh and said quietly, “Do you still not think about your birth parents now?”
Jiang Ci was taken aback, then replied, “Sometimes I can’t help but think about them, but knowing it’s useless, I try not to.”
“Have you ever wondered if they might be somewhere, old or sick, wanting to see you one last time?”
Jiang Ci smiled faintly. “What’s the use of thinking about such things? I’ll never see them in this lifetime anyway.”
Pei Yan tilted his head to look at the night sky, smiling self-mockingly. “There’s someone in this world who’s sick, very seriously ill. Likely, I won’t see him one last time.”
“Is he very important to you?” Jiang Ci asked with a hint of concern.
Pei Yan shook his head slightly. “I don’t know if he’s important to me or not. There are some things I don’t know the truth about. But if he were to die like this, I would be unhappy.”
Jiang Ci sighed, “My Lord, you should ease your mind. He will surely wait for you to return victorious and see you one last time. You need to keep your spirits up now. The tens of thousands of brothers in the Long Feng cavalry, and the people of Hua Dynasty, all rely on you to drive back the Huan army.”
Pei Yan smiled bitterly. “But if I drive the Huan army back, I don’t want to see him alive again. Isn’t that funny?”
Jiang Ci didn’t understand his meaning and remained silent. Pei Yan said no more, just gazing at the night sky for a long time before turning to face south.
The frog calls grew more intense. Pei Yan stood silently for a long time, the melancholy in his brow slowly fading. He brushed his robe and straightened his posture as usual, then turned back with a smile. “Let’s go.”
Jiang Ci followed, saying softly, “It seems My Lord’s wounds have healed.”
Pei Yan laughed heartily. “Yes, they’ve all healed. It’s about time they did.”
The day after the heavy rain stopped, the sun blazed in the sky. The scorching heat moved slowly across the azure sky, baking the vast plains, with waves of heat rolling across the land.
Yuweng Jinglun tossed aside his horsewhip and returned to the main tent with Yi Han. As an attendant came to help him remove his armor, he wiped away his sweat and said to Teng Rui, who was reading in a corner of the tent, “Master Teng, this stalemate cannot continue indefinitely.”
Teng Rui put down his book and stood up. “There’s nothing we can do about it. Without reinforcements, we can’t crack this tough nut that is Pei Yan.”
Yuweng Jinglun, frustrated by Pei Yan’s blockade at the Hexi Canal which had thwarted his plan to march directly on the Hua Dynasty capital, said irritably, “Even if we call for reinforcements, it will take a month. By then, if Hua Dynasty sends more troops to support Pei Yan, this battle will be even harder to fight.”
“That’s why, Your Highness, I still maintain my original suggestion. We must—”
As Teng Rui was about to finish speaking, a military officer hurriedly entered and knelt to report, “Your Highness, Pei Yan has sent a letter.”
Yu Wen Jinglun, Teng Rui, and Yi Han exchanged surprised glances. Yu Wen Jinglun reached out to take the letter, opened it, and read it carefully before asking, “Who is Teng Yi?”
Teng Rui was suddenly startled and quickly stepped forward. Yu Wen Jinglun hastily handed him the letter. Teng Rui lowered his head to read it, his brows furrowing deeply as he remained silent for a long while.
Yu Wen Jinglun waved his hand, dismissing everyone else. He then called out with concern, “Mr. Teng?”
Teng Rui snapped back to attention, realizing it was time to be honest, lest suspicions arise. He adjusted his robe and knelt on one knee before Yu Wen Jinglun. Yu Wen Jinglun quickly helped him up. Teng Rui raised his head and spoke frankly, “Your Highness, to be honest, the Teng Yi mentioned in this letter is me.”
Yu Wen Jinglun chuckled, “I’d like to hear the details.”
The three men sat down, and Teng Rui took a sip of tea before beginning his explanation. “I’ll be frank with Your Highness. I was trained in the Tian Xuan Sect. When I was studying there, I had a senior fellow disciple. However, our sect strictly forbade disciples from entering official positions or serving the imperial court. Despite my skills, I had no way to put them to use, which greatly frustrated me. So, I left the mountain to travel the world. It wasn’t until five years ago when I met Your Highness in the capital that I was moved by your ambition and sincerity and decided to assist you. Now it seems that someone from my sect is in Pei Yan’s army. Based on our battlefield encounters, they’ve deduced that I’m in Your Highness’s army and want to meet with me.”
Yu Wen Jinglun’s handsome brows furrowed slightly. “So, Mr. Teng, do you intend to meet with them or not?”
Teng Rui bowed deeply, his voice filled with sincerity. “Your Highness, my master’s kindness to me was as vast as a mountain. I am, after all, still a member of the Tian Xuan Sect. This letter bears the mark of the sect leader. Regardless of the circumstances, I must meet with them. I implore Your Highness to trust me and allow me to meet them. Please be assured that I am only going to meet with someone from my sect. I have no ulterior motives, nor will I forget the promise I made to Your Highness in the capital to help you achieve your grand ambitions and unify the world!”
Yu Wen Jinglun pondered for a long while before saying, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Mr. Teng. It’s Pei Yan I don’t trust. Pei Yan must know that you are my right-hand man. What if he takes this opportunity to kidnap you while you’re meeting with your old acquaintance—”
Teng Rui’s mind raced, guessing Yu Wen Jinglun’s unspoken concerns. He said, “That’s not a problem. I have a solution.”
“Please, do tell.”
“Your Highness fears that Pei Yan might try to kidnap me, but Pei Yan likely fears that we might abduct his strategist as well. Why don’t we send a message to Pei Yan, suggesting that I meet with my sect member at Zhen Bo Bridge at Chen time (7-9 am) the day after tomorrow? Each side will be allowed only one person as protection.”
Yu Wen Jinglun considered this for a moment, then nodded decisively. “Very well. Mr. Teng has been honest with me, so I shall trust you. I’ll allow you to meet with your old acquaintance to fulfill your wish.”
Teng Rui bowed deeply. “Your Highness’s kindness is beyond what I can repay. I can only dedicate myself wholeheartedly to serve you and repay your trust in me.”
Yu Wen Jinglun laughed heartily. “Please, Mr. Teng, there’s no need for such formalities.”
Teng Rui then bowed to Yi Han. “I must trouble you, Mr. Yi.”
Yi Han smiled and returned the gesture. “You’re too kind, Mr. Teng. I’ll ensure your safety at Zhen Bo Bridge the day after tomorrow.”
Yi Han noticed a flicker in Yu Wen Jinglun’s eyes and understood that he had more to discuss privately with Teng Rui. So, he excused himself. Outside the tent, the blazing sun made him squint. He touched the wound on his side, feeling a warmth in his heart, and strode towards his tent.
Yan Shuang Qiao saw him enter and stood up with a smile, saying gently, “Father, your wounds have just healed. You should rest more and not overexert yourself.” She then poured him some tea.
Yi Han gazed at her graceful figure and gentle demeanor, momentarily dazed, as if seeing that serene woman smiling softly at him again.
Yan Shuang Qiao brought over a clean blue robe. As Yi Han changed into it, he caught a faint scent of soapberry. “Where did you get soapberry?” he asked in surprise.
Yan Shuang Qiao’s cheeks reddened slightly as she answered softly, “Ming Fei found some by a field. He knows I… I like cleanliness, so he picked some for me.”
Since reuniting with his daughter, she had been distant and cool towards Yi Han. It wasn’t until he was wounded on the battlefield and she tended to him day and night, preparing medicines and taking care of his clothes, that the father and daughter began to talk more, gradually dissolving the barriers and resentment between them. During this time, Yan Shuang Qiao’s attentive care deeply moved Yi Han, filling him with remorse. Now, seeing that she had found a life partner, he was truly happy and wished he could gather all the world’s treasures to make her smile, hoping to make up for his guilt and self-reproach of the past twenty years.
With this in mind, he smiled and said, “Shuang Qiao, do you want to find your junior sister disciple?”
Yan Shuang Qiao looked up with great joy. “Father!”
Yi Han stood up and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll go ask Mr. Teng to help me with this favor. If your junior sister’s disciple is still in Pei Yan’s hands, we’ll find a way for you two to reunite.”
The weather was scorching, and some of the wounded soldiers’ conditions had worsened, with signs of infection in their wounds. Physician Cui came to examine them and personally went to the hills and fields to find a particular herb. He tried applying it to the wounds and saw improvement. Jiang Ci and others like Xiao Tian then spent time under the blazing sun gathering large quantities of this herb.
It wasn’t until Si time (3-5 pm) that she returned to the military camp with a large bamboo basket full of herbs. Zhou Mi of the Chang Feng Guard was waiting for her in the medical tent. Seeing her enter, he stepped forward to take the basket, smiling as he said, “The Marquis wants to see you.”
Jiang Ci spread out the herbs and replied, “I’ll go over in a while.”
Military Doctor Ling looked up and said, “Little Jiang, you should go now. Zhou Mi has been waiting for you for a long time. The Marquis probably has something urgent to discuss with you.”
Jiang Ci was startled and hurried to the central military tent. Pei Yan was talking with Wei Zhao when she entered. Seeing her, both men stood up, and Pei Yan said with a smile, “Tomorrow, we’ll trouble you, Third Young Master.”
Wei Zhao bowed slightly and said calmly, “Young Lord, rest assured. I will ensure Zi Ming’s safety.” He glanced at Jiang Ci before quietly leaving the tent.
Pei Yan returned to his seat and picked up a brush, writing quickly on paper. Jiang Ci, not wanting to leave, quietly walked to the desk and began grinding ink for him.
Pei Yan’s expression was solemn, but what he wrote seemed chaotic, like a mix of poetry and prose. Jiang Ci knew it must be a secret message and didn’t bother to look. Having spent a long time gathering herbs outdoors, she was covered in sweat and couldn’t help wiping her forehead with her sleeve.
Pei Yan glanced at her and took out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve, offering it to her. Jiang Ci accepted it, saying, “Thank you, Lord Pei.”
Pei Yan slowly put down his brush and waited for the ink to dry before carefully folding the paper. His right-hand fingers tapped lightly on the desk. Finally, he turned and looked down at Jiang Ci.
Jiang Ci took a small step back, but Pei Yan continued to stare at her intently. Feeling uneasy, Jiang Ci called out, “Lord Pei.”
Pei Yan gazed at her face, slightly reddened by the summer sun, and slowly spoke, “Xiao Ci.”
“Yes?”
“Do you… want to see your senior sister disciple?”