Zhan Yuheng glanced at what Feng Qingyin held, his brow faintly creasing.

Feng Qingyin pressed her lips together and, taking the strategic map, unfolded it and laid it open on the desk.

“I have someone placed at Feng Jiu’er’s side. The token that was taken from Linlong — I’ve had it retrieved.”

“And there is this strategic map as well. Feng Jiu’er plans to launch an assault on our troops as early as tomorrow morning.”

She tilted her head to glance at Zhan Yuheng and blinked, doing her utmost to look demure and well-behaved.

“Crown Prince Brother, take a look — is this strategic map of use to us?”

Zhan Yuheng looked down and asked in a measured voice, “Who is this person on the other side? Can they be trusted?”

Feng Qingyin nodded, smiling. “Crown Prince Brother, you need not worry — this person is certainly trustworthy.”

“He is the First Prince of the former Muhe Kingdom. At the time, he suffered grave injuries and lost his memory, and was brought back by Feng Jiu’er. He is now serving under her.”

“He harbors great ambitions and is single-mindedly set on restoring his kingdom — he can be trusted.”

“The other party wishes to restore the Muhe Kingdom?” Zhan Yuheng’s thick brows furrowed lightly once more.

Even now, his expression toward Feng Qingyin remained far from warm.

But Feng Qingyin did not mind — she continued to look perfectly composed and pleasant.

“Mm.” She nodded. “Through a twist of fate, he and I became acquainted.”

“He deeply despises the Ninth Prince and hopes to help us eliminate him. His condition is that once the deed is done, we return to him the city of Muhe, which is now under the Ninth Prince’s control.”

She glanced up at Zhan Yuheng again, blinking once.

“Crown Prince Brother, I don’t know whether this strategic map will be of use — you may study it carefully at your leisure. I won’t disturb you any further.”

“Worrying for a day and a night has left me rather tired. I’d like to go back and rest, if Crown Prince Brother will allow it.”

“Go.” Zhan Yuheng’s gaze remained fixed on the map as he waved her off.

“Yes.” Feng Qingyin turned to face Zhan Yuheng and gave a graceful bow. “Crown Prince Brother, Qingyin will take her leave.”

She lifted her eyes to glance at him one last time before turning away.

The instant Feng Qingyin turned her back, the smile on her face froze solid.

Crown Prince Brother hadn’t even spared her a single glance as she left. She was aggrieved beyond words.

But he was no longer angry, and that was something — she had no choice but to rein in her feelings and take her leave for now.

At the very least, with Tuoba Keyan in the picture, Crown Prince Brother would not be sending her away anytime soon.

When the battle broke out on the second day, Feng Jiu’er’s side found itself at a disadvantage from the very start.

One day into the fighting, Zhan Yuheng’s fifteen thousand reinforcements finally arrived on the battlefield.

The arrival of reinforcements on the enemy’s side put Feng Jiu’er’s forces in an even more difficult position.

Within just three days, their army had been driven apart and split into three separate contingents.

The forces led by Xuegu and Tuoba Keyan were pushed back toward Desert City; it was only after Feng Jiu’er led troops to reinforce them that the situation eased somewhat.

At the center, only Qiao Mu and her soldiers remained, holding the line with grim determination.

Meanwhile, Xing Zizhou and Xiao Yingtao’s contingent, along with Zhao Yusheng and Huo Bai Xue’s contingent, were being driven in the direction of Yamu City.

No one knew where exactly things had gone wrong in the plan — for now, they had no time to think about it. They could only fight.

By the morning of the seventh day, Feng Jiu’er received word that Zhan Yuheng’s forces had grown by another twenty thousand men.

She sat motionless on horseback, gazing at the sun as it rose into the sky.

Behind her, Tuoba Keyan also sat on his horse, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on her.

After an indeterminate length of time, Feng Jiu’er pulled the reins and turned her horse around.

“Jiu’er.” Tuoba Keyan rode forward to meet her.

Feng Jiu’er looked at him, the corners of her mouth rising slightly — but the curve it made was one of quiet bitterness.

“Keyan, I intend to surrender.”

“Surrender?” Tuoba Keyan’s brow furrowed.

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “Watching our brothers fall wounded, and even die, day after day — I can no longer bear it.”

“The Crown Prince’s side has gained another twenty thousand reinforcements. We’ve been pushed apart and scattered to three different locations — we simply cannot win this fight.”

“As the saying goes, while the green hills remain, one need never worry about firewood. For this trip, I will go alone.”

“You cannot!” Tuoba Keyan stepped in front of Feng Jiu’er. “You must not take such a risk!”

“And besides, no one knows how the Crown Prince will treat soldiers who surrender. I believe our brothers all wish to fight until the very last moment.”

Thinking back to those recent days when they had all shared tea together in celebration — and how, in just a handful of days, so many familiar faces had vanished from sight forever — Feng Jiu’er could not count the numbers.

Whether they were brothers she herself had brought out, or those who served the Ninth Imperial Uncle, or even the men of Qiao Mu, Bai Xue, and Zhao Yusheng — they were all family.

How could she bear to let her family leave home and never find their way back?

“There is nothing more to say — I have made up my mind.” Feng Jiu’er waved her hand and rode away.

“Jiu’er, you must not take this risk.” Tuoba Keyan immediately spurred his horse and gave chase.

But Feng Jiu’er paid him no heed whatsoever, riding swiftly back toward the war encampment.

Losing one city in exchange for the lives of so many — if the Ninth Imperial Uncle were here, he would agree as well, would he not?

The moment Feng Jiu’er returned to the encampment, she sought out Xuegu.

“I do not agree.” Xuegu’s position was the same as Tuoba Keyan’s.

“Xuegu, I have no intention of seeking your approval this time. I only hope that after I leave, you and Keyan will settle the morale of our brothers and wait for news.”

Feng Jiu’er drank a cup of tea and rose to her feet.

“The Crown Prince and I have known each other since we were children — we shared some measure of friendship then. I will come to no harm. Please do not worry.”

“And besides, I…” The words had not yet left Feng Jiu’er’s lips when her fine brows suddenly creased sharply.

Her gaze swept across the cup she had just set down, then met Xuegu’s eyes once more.

“Xuegu — you have put something in my drink.”

As Feng Jiu’er extended a finger, intending to seal her own acupuncture points to stop the medicine from spreading through her body, Tuoba Keyan suddenly appeared behind her.

He struck firmly at the base of her neck, and Feng Jiu’er, caught completely off guard, collapsed and lost consciousness.

Tuoba Keyan immediately swept her up in his arms and carried her swiftly toward Xuegu.

“Godmother, what did you put in Jiu’er’s drink?”

He laid Feng Jiu’er gently on the bed and crouched beside her, his face drawn with urgency.

“I only wanted to let her rest for a while.” Xuegu let out a quiet sigh, stood, and came to sit at the edge of the bed.

She reached out both hands, intending to help Feng Jiu’er sit up. Before she could, Tuoba Keyan reached out a long arm and carefully supported the slender figure from the bed himself.

“That girl has gone nearly seven days and seven nights without proper sleep. Even someone made of iron would not be able to hold up.”

Xuegu seated herself behind Feng Jiu’er, crossing her legs, and placed both palms against the key acupuncture points on her back.

“It’s a good thing I administered the medicine in time. If she had gone to find the Crown Prince in that state, there was no guarantee she would come back.”

She shook her head, her eyes slowly closing.

“Keyan, the affairs outside are in your hands for now. If they attack, keep fighting.”

“If things become truly untenable, we will retreat into the city to hold out. There are still many things waiting for Jiu’er — she must not fall.”

“Yes, Godmother.” Tuoba Keyan cupped his hands in a respectful salute.

He looked at Feng Jiu’er once more, then turned and walked out of the tent.