Hearing those last three words, Yu Haizhen sprang to her feet, her pretty face turning crimson. “You!”

Chen Dachang realized his blunder immediately. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he was about to explain, but Yu Haizhen interrupted with a cold laugh:

“You think Liang Yu is as cowardly as you, as timid as a mouse?” Her chest heaved slightly, and she wanted nothing more than to slam her palm down on the crown of his head. “Chen Dachang, you’re overstepping your bounds!”

Cowardly? Chen Dachang’s fists clenched instantly. But he didn’t respond, merely turning away.

He walked quickly, as if being chased by vicious dogs, taking three steps in two and disappearing at the end of the garden.

“Clang!”

Yu Haizhen could no longer contain herself. She grabbed the golden cup and smashed it against a flower pillar.

“Bastard!”

She paced around the garden twice before remembering she originally had important matters to confirm with him. In her anger, she had completely forgotten, and so she added another hateful sentence:

“Coward!”

Even she hadn’t noticed that the touch of melancholy that had been hovering in her heart all day had completely vanished.

The next day, Chen Dachang reported for duty.

He entered the study where the Queen was examining the report he had submitted yesterday. Without looking up, she said: “How was dinner at the State Preceptor’s residence?”

The Queen knew his whereabouts perfectly well, which didn’t surprise Chen Dachang at all. “I didn’t taste it.”

Feng Miaojun looked up in surprise: “You spent two years’ worth of salary to finally gather all those materials for the State Preceptor, and she didn’t even invite you to stay for dinner?” Yu Haizhen had specifically arranged for Chen Dachang to visit her residence in the evening—wasn’t it to treat him to a good meal?

She had spent the whole night imagining various scenarios, but it turned out he couldn’t even get past the first hurdle.

Chen Dachang maintained a straight face: “We didn’t see eye to eye.”

Feng Miaojun found this even stranger: “How is that possible? What woman wouldn’t be pleased after receiving gifts?”

She mentally added: Especially from someone she cares about.

“Well…” Chen Dachang replied awkwardly, “I didn’t give it to her.”

Only then did Feng Miaojun turn her head to stare at him carefully for a few moments, ending with a long sigh.

It was like this again. He truly was single through his efforts. Would this loyal subject of hers remain alone for life?

In her view, these two had feelings for each other and should have been together years ago. But for some unknown reason, they had suddenly drawn clear boundaries. Several times she had tried to probe indirectly, but Yu Haizhen would simply scowl and walk away, and even the usually forthcoming Chen Dachang persistently denied everything.

Feng Miaojun grew more curious. But now, as a sophisticated ruler, she would be happy to see such matters resolve naturally without actively intervening.

Besides, although Chen Dachang and Yu Haizhen often didn’t get along, they both lived in Ursul City and saw each other frequently. Feng Miaojun herself, on the other hand, could only meet her lover once every three to five months, and even then in secret. After the war between Wei and Yan began, she hadn’t seen Yun Ya for more than half a year.

If this continued, they would become like the Cowherd and Weaver Girl from the ancient legend.

These two before her truly didn’t know how fortunate they were! Feng Miaojun thought resentfully, but her face showed only a smile as she said: “It seems you didn’t return alone from this trip.”

Chen Dachang reported truthfully, “I brought my aunt from Wei territory. It’s no longer safe there. The Yan army is less than five hundred li from Shouping Village where she lives.”

Feng Miaojun nodded: “Excellent, she finally agreed to come back with you. After she rests for a couple of days, bring her to talk with me.”

Any other minister would have been overjoyed—this was the highest honor! Why else would the Queen, in her supreme position, want to meet an old lady from the countryside? It was clearly because Chen Dachang was highly favored.

But Chen Dachang looked troubled: “About that…”

“Is there a problem?”

Chen Dachang scratched his head: “My aunt has never left her homeland. The reason she came back with me this time was because I told her a lie. I want her to stay longer before I tell her the truth.”

This was interesting. Feng Miaojun finally put down her brush and looked at him: “You claimed you were getting married?”

She knew Chen Dachang had only this one relative left and had tried several times to bring her to Wei, but the old woman had always refused to leave her homeland. The older people get, the more stubborn they become. Apart from forcibly bringing her back, there was probably only one method Chen Dachang could use, right?

Chen Dachang was stunned: “Your Majesty is truly perceptive.”

During his previous visits to see his aunt, he had noticed her advancing age as she clung to him with tears. The old woman lived alone, and he worried about her. He wanted to bring her to New Xia, but she insisted on staying in her homeland unless he married and had children—then she would crawl over even with broken legs.

With the threat of war looming, he had no choice but to lie and trick her into coming, planning to find ways to make amends later.

Feng Miaojun understood. Indeed, throughout history, elders pressuring younger generations to marry always followed the same pattern. “Do you want me to help maintain your lie?”

He waved his hands repeatedly: “I wouldn’t dare.”

With the sovereign’s words being as precious as gold and jade, how could he ask Feng Miaojun to lie for him? “I only ask that Your Majesty not summon her for an audience in the next few months.” Otherwise, his aunt would immediately ask Feng Miaojun to arrange matters for her, which would become difficult.

Feng Miaojun seemed to hear his thoughts and chuckled: “What’s so difficult about that? Why don’t I lend you a hand? I could arrange a royal marriage for you!”

“No, no need!” Chen Dachang was startled and waved his hands frantically, not forgetting how persistent the Xie family’s daughter had been six years ago.

Feng Miaojun sighed: “If only you had obediently accepted the Xie family’s match back then. Xie Shuangling has since married someone else and now has a three-and-a-half-year-old son!”

Chen Dachang kept his mouth tightly shut. Having been by the Queen’s side for so long, he knew that at times like this, he absolutely should not respond.

Sure enough, Feng Miaojun said a few words before returning to the main topic: “Who ended up buying that Dividing Waters Halberd from the Red Cauldron Fair?”

“I couldn’t find out.” The Red Cauldron Fair was held in an island nation in Southern Region 6, where New Xia had no operatives. Chen Dachang was merely a foreign visitor there, which limited his actions. “I only know they have considerable influence.”

But Feng Miaojun knew her subordinate’s abilities; if even he couldn’t uncover the buyer’s background, they must truly be formidable. “I have some recollection of this artifact. Last night I searched through some ancient texts. The Dividing Waters Halberd is a treasure left by immortals with various marvelous uses. The one case recorded in historical chronicles describes an immortal using it to split an incoming tsunami, saving the lives of an entire city.”

She gently rubbed her temples: “For the Dividing Waters Halberd to appear and be auctioned off at this particular moment gives me an ominous feeling.”

But the battlefront between Yan and Wei remained unexpectedly quiet afterward.

The reason was simple: winter had arrived.

The Yan army had now advanced into the southern plains of Wei. Although not as frigidly cold as the mountain peaks in the northwest of the former Xi Kingdom, it was still cold enough for water to freeze instantly. Now in late November, vegetation had withered, and biting winds prevailed.

It wasn’t wise to remain outdoors for extended periods in such weather, and even less wise to attack a city protected by high walls and powerful cannons. Additionally, the plains were crisscrossed with waterways and marshes. Normally, frozen surfaces would allow armies to move as if on solid ground, but the local mountain and marsh spirits had followed Wei State Preceptor Yun Ya’s commands to shatter the ice on the plains.

Under these circumstances, even if the King of Yan was eager to advance, he had to consider the predicament facing his troops.

Voices within the Yan court were unanimously calling for a ceasefire.