These words carried great weight. Both men immediately claimed they dared not, then Zhao Rushan continued earnestly: “The Yao territory is now bursting with vitality. Under the Queen’s rule, it will certainly prosper far beyond its former glory, which fills our hearts with joy. New Xia has talents like clouds and doesn’t need two old men like us. This retirement to the jianghu will allow us to cultivate carefully and contemplate the supreme Way!”
As both were cultivators, using the reason of wanting to delve into spiritual cultivation made it difficult for Feng Miaojun to refuse. These two were also troublemakers, not easily tamed if kept in court, and she hadn’t planned to force them to stay.
But for appearances’ sake, Feng Miaojun gave them two words: “Not allowed.”
Over the next ten days, the two requested an audience three more times, completing four formal requests. To others, it truly appeared they were determined to pack up and leave. Only then did Feng Miaojun finally nod and give royal permission.
Ten days later, Zhao and Wu left Yinzi City with their families, returning west to their ancestral lands. Following their lead, twenty or thirty former Yao court officials imitated them, requesting to resign and depart.
By the time Feng Miaojun had basically handled these matters according to their priority and urgency, more than two months had passed.
Yinzi City still clung to the tail of summer, but the leaves on the trees had quietly turned yellow. The evening breeze carried a refreshing coolness, adding a touch of leisure to this ancient city that had survived calamity.
The busiest and most exhausting period had passed. Feng Miaojun sat on a soft couch on the highest floor of Yangxin Tower, drinking a cup of warm wine. Built on a small hill, it offered a view overlooking half of Yinzi City. Looking out, she saw a sea of gold and red extending to the horizon—a beautiful scene she couldn’t witness in her Wusel City.
She had spent more than two months stabilizing the political situation and securing Yao territory under her control. Now, whether they were former Yao officials or officials sent from New Xia by Fu Lingchuan, all had taken their positions. The reorganized army had been redeployed, not only stationed in Yao territory but with a considerable portion sent to New Xia, just waiting to fight a few hard battles to quickly eliminate barriers between Yao and Xia soldiers.
In Yao territory, the massive local administration had begun operating, requiring less and less of her attention.
Feng Miaojun understood it was time for her to leave.
When Chen Dachang strode in, she was dozing in the warm autumn sun, resting her delicate chin on her hand. Her face was pure and flawless, her lips red as cherries. She wore a black and red gown with a thin golden gauze robe over it. Without any elaborate hairstyle, her beauty still appeared fierce and radiant.
She seemed to gleam in the golden sunlight, yet Chen Dachang’s first reaction was to avoid looking directly at her. He bowed properly with a lowered head: “War reports from the Southern Continent have arrived.”
By the Queen’s special permission, he was exempted from kneeling during audiences.
She didn’t move at all: “Still the same?”
“No, I’m afraid the new capital of the Xi Kingdom will soon fall.” Chen Dachang said gravely, “According to intelligence, plague is rampant in the city, with three-tenths of the soldiers infected and rendered combat ineffective. As for civilians, the entire western Cotton City has become a ghost town—only the dead remain, along with those afflicted with severe illness awaiting death.”
“Is it only spreading in Xi Kingdom cities?” Feng Miaojun was moved. “Is this Yan Kingdom’s doing?”
“From what we see, Yan Kingdom remains largely unaffected.”
“They released it, so naturally they have countermeasures.” Feng Miaojun’s mind raced. “How are the Wei forces faring?”
“They’ve been greatly affected as well, with even some generals falling ill. Two more major cities have been lost, and the Xi-Wei allied forces are retreating.” After summarizing, Chen Dachang presented the war report with both hands.
Feng Miaojun took it and read carefully, her fine eyebrows furrowing: “Judging from troop movements, the Wei army shows signs of withdrawal. Are they preparing to abandon the Xi Kingdom?”
The war reports received over the past two months showed that when Xi people were driven to desperation, Wei forces arrived, saving them from imminent danger. The two countries joined hands against Yan Kingdom, creating several inspiring stories. The combat effectiveness of Xi’s army was far inferior to Yan’s, and Wei’s forces were few—these were objective realities. However, even though Wei forces fought on foreign soil with limited offensive operations, each attack was vicious and precise, often causing Yan to face attacks from multiple fronts, suffering particularly heavy losses, including several generals killed in action.
This caused social unrest within the Yan Kingdom, with anti-war sentiment rising. Perhaps this was why the Yan King employed biological warfare, hoping to shorten the war and quickly claim victory.
Chen Dachang remained silent. Making such judgments was beyond his authority.
Indeed, Feng Miaojun continued: “Great disasters are often followed by great plagues. Is it possible that neither State Preceptor has a solution?”
Ordinary people feared epidemics, but this continent had seen many disasters and plagues over the years. How could cultivators not have countermeasures? Xi Kingdom’s State Preceptor Yu Haizhen and Wei Kingdom’s State Preceptor Yun Ya were both remarkable figures—could it be that even they couldn’t handle this?
Chen Dachang reported truthfully: “When this intelligence was sent, the epidemic was at its peak, at least half a month ago by now. Perhaps Xi and Wei have already developed countermeasures?”
Feng Miaojun felt uneasy deep down.
More than two months ago, just as Xiao Yan withdrew his troops from Yinzi City, Wei general Helian Jia led seventy thousand troops from Wei territory, rushing to the Xi Kingdom front. This showed some supernatural means of long-distance communication between them. With military speed being paramount, once the threat from Yao to Wei was removed, Wei forces could immediately free up resources to help Xi Kingdom deal with Yan.
Gaining an advantage wasn’t easy, and Xiao Yan wouldn’t waste such an excellent opportunity. When he returned to Wei’s capital to take command, he sent Yun Ya to quickly assist, especially since the Yan Kingdom had even dispatched Yangshan Jun.
Suddenly, the western mountainous region of Xi Kingdom, quiet for a thousand years, became extremely tumultuous. Three great State Preceptors and hundreds of thousands of troops turned the place upside down.
With nowhere to retreat, the Xi King could only defend this position desperately, turning the battlefield into a meat grinder that devoured countless lives. The battle was more brutal than any in the past hundred years, far beyond the scale of conflicts Feng Miaojun had experienced.
Xi Kingdom had been tottering on the brink of collapse, but the early conclusion of the Wei-Yao war allowed Wei forces to provide timely support. Although the monarch was weak, Xi Kingdom happened to have excellent generals and brave soldiers who cooperated seamlessly with Wei forces. Before this epidemic, they had recaptured several major cities!
The situation was incredibly complex, and Feng Miaojun hadn’t personally experienced it. She couldn’t analyze it thoroughly based on just a dozen war reports. However, she was interested in the various leaders involved in the conflict. In this epic battle, there were brilliant generals aplenty, and just by observing their military deployments and strategic timing, she gained valuable insights.
Of course, beyond these commanders who wielded troops like gods, the three State Preceptors shone even more brilliantly.