With Zhan Yuheng’s support, Feng Qingyin, who had been weeping until her face was a picture of pear blossoms in the rain, sat down on the long bench.

“Crown Prince Brother.” She gripped Zhan Yuheng’s hand with one hand, her body still trembling.

Zhan Yuheng lowered his gaze to glance at her, then sat down beside her.

Feng Qingyin wrapped herself around the man’s arm, and only then did her state appear to improve somewhat.

Lingling stood at the entrance of the tent, hesitating, not daring to step forward.

“Lingling.” Feng Qingyin’s hoarse voice rang out. “You — what on earth happened to you? How could you…”

Before she could finish speaking, she covered her lips with her hand and raised her head with great care.

With just one glance, she tightened her grip on Zhan Yuheng even further.

“Who did this? Lingling, tell me — who exactly did this? I will absolutely see justice done for you.”

Not only her body — even Feng Qingyin’s voice was trembling.

“Miss.” Lingling stepped into the tent and knelt before Zhan Yuheng and Feng Qingyin.

Drawing a deep breath, she raised her eyes and glanced at Zhan Yuheng.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, this subordinate failed in her duties and still let Feng Jiu’er escape.”

“At the battle of the West City Gate, after I narrowly escaped with my life, I followed Feng Jiu’er’s trail here.”

Before she could finish speaking, Lingling coughed weakly several times, and blood even seeped from the corners of her mouth.

The moment she looked up, Feng Qingyin immediately pushed Zhan Yuheng aside and walked toward Lingling.

“Lingling, you are seriously wounded — why are you not resting properly? You should not be doing this…”

Feng Qingyin came to Lingling’s side and carefully helped her up.

“Come, sit down and speak. I will have the physician come and examine you.”

“Miss, I am… fine.” Lingling pressed her hand over her chest and, supported by Feng Qingyin, made her way to a low chair nearby and sat down.

“Lingling, do not worry. I will certainly have people heal you properly. And your face — it will certainly recover. Do not worry. You must get better.”

Releasing Lingling’s arm, Feng Qingyin moved to turn and leave.

Lingling caught the hem of her garment, yet did not dare to raise her eyes.

“Miss, let me finish saying what I must say. Otherwise, I…”

With a sudden sound, a mouthful of dark blood spilled from her mouth. Lingling immediately clutched her own robe and pressed it to her lips.

“Miss.” She drew a deep breath, stood up, then knelt down on the ground again.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Feng Jiu’er… has returned to camp. It was approximately three or four hours ago.”

“She brought… several thousand reinforcements from Mo City back to camp. Our brothers and the five thousand soldiers Your Highness had stationed inside Yamu City now number… perhaps only a thousand remaining.”

“Based on the information I have gathered, Feng Jiu’er intends to use the thousand surrendered soldiers she holds to… coerce Your Highness into submission.”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, you must not… fall for it. Feng Jiu’er is the Ninth Prince’s person. They intend to commit… commit treason.”

“My face was also destroyed by Feng Jiu’er. Her kindness is all a fa… facade. Your Highness the Crown Prince, do not… be deceived…”

Having said everything she needed to say in one breath, Lingling’s body went limp and she collapsed.

“Lingling.” The feeble Feng Qingyin wanted to support her but was powerless to do so.

Just as she was about to crouch down, Zhan Yuheng appeared at her side, taking hold of her arm to prevent her from going down.

“Someone come.”

Zhan Yuheng’s voice carried outward, and Qing Yun appeared inside the tent in an instant.

Two attendants carried Lingling out. Inside the tent, only Feng Qingyin’s sobbing remained.

“Crown Prince Brother, you must avenge Lingling!”

Sitting back on the long bench again, Feng Qingyin wrapped her arms tightly around Zhan Yuheng’s waist and buried her head in his embrace.

“Crown Prince Brother, Lingling is in such a miserable state. Why is Jiu’er so ruthless and cruel? Even if she had killed Lingling outright, she need not have destroyed her face.”

“Lingling, she… sob, sob…”

“Crown Prince Brother, will Jiu’er do something this vicious to me as well? Crown Prince Brother, I am so frightened!”

Looking up at Zhan Yuheng, Feng Qingyin wept with even greater anguish.

“Lingling is my person, yet Jiu’er actually… Crown Prince Brother, I am truly terrified!”

“Lingling also said that we still have a thousand surrendered soldiers in Jiu’er’s hands. What if she uses those surrendered soldiers to threaten Crown Prince Brother into handing me over — what then?”

“Crown Prince Brother, I do not want to fall into Jiu’er’s hands. She hates me so deeply. She will certainly torment me. She… sob, sob…”

“My stomach… my stomach hurts! Crown Prince Brother, my stomach hurts…”

Shortly afterward, two or three imperial physicians hurried into the Crown Prince’s tent.

This sort of situation, in recent days, had become all too commonplace…

On the other side of the mountain, upon seeing Xue Gu and Tuoba Keyan return, everyone who had spent the entire night with their hearts in their throats finally relaxed.

As dawn broke, wisps of cooking smoke curled upward. Inside Feng Jiu’er’s war camp, it was unusually lively for once.

Soldiers who had rested sufficiently were refreshed and spirited. Those who had kept watch through the night, after eating breakfast as they pleased, went to rest.

After finishing breakfast, Feng Jiu’er and Xue Gu returned to the tent.

“Jiu’er, sit down. Let me have a proper look at you.” The moment the curtain was lowered, Xue Gu’s voice rang out.

Looking at Xue Gu, who had pulled her back to the tent with some urgency, Feng Jiu’er furrowed her brow slightly, feeling somewhat puzzled.

“Xue Gu, what is it?”

“Your color is poor. Come here.” The words had barely fallen before Xue Gu settled herself down on the mat in a corner of the tent.

Feng Jiu’er touched her own face, her crescent-shaped brows still lightly furrowed.

She walked over and sat down beside Xue Gu.

Xue Gu picked up her hand, rested it on her own crossed legs, and placed her long fingers on Feng Jiu’er’s pulse.

Watching Xue Gu’s lightly knitted brow, Feng Jiu’er blinked and asked softly, “Xue Gu, is something wrong with me?”

In recent days, she had had her own suspicions.

The true energy within her body was sometimes strong and sometimes weak — completely beyond her control.

When it was strong, her spirit was particularly good, and she moved through combat with ease and precision. But when it weakened, her entire body would go limp, and she could not even be bothered to lift her hand to eat.

Yet during this period, it had been nothing but fleeing or fighting. Feng Jiu’er had had no spare time whatsoever to attend to this.

Now, seeing Xue Gu’s expression, she grew anxious.

Xue Gu said nothing. She took hold of Feng Jiu’er’s hand and gave it a gentle push outward.

With that motion, Feng Jiu’er turned around, her back now facing Xue Gu.

When Xue Gu extended both hands and placed them against her back, Feng Jiu’er crossed her legs, closed her eyes.

A full hour later, Xue Gu slowly withdrew her palms.

As Xue Gu pulled her hands back, Feng Jiu’er slowly leaned and fell toward her.

Xue Gu gently supported her and helped her lie down.

Looking at the young woman lying on the mat, she let out a soft sigh, stood up, went to fetch a quilt, and draped it over her.

When Xue Gu stepped out of the tent, Tuoba Keyan was waiting just outside.

Seeing Xue Gu emerge, he immediately came forward to meet her.

“Godmother, how is Jiu’er’s condition?”

“For now, I am not entirely sure. We will observe for a few more days before saying anything.” Xue Gu let out a soft sigh. “Have someone keep watch over her, and let her rest for a while.”

“This girl — just like her mother. Always thinking she is made of iron.”

“I will keep watch over her myself.” Tuoba Keyan turned and stood guard outside the tent.

Xue Gu glanced at him, gave a small nod, then turned and walked away.