“Your Highness, the inn doesn’t have that much money.” The innkeeper was badly frightened.

“Your Highness, you’ve seen it yourself — the Feng Clan is in chaos, and many of the common folk can’t even get enough to eat—”

“Unless you hand over the criminal, there is nothing more to discuss!” Noble Consort Ya flicked her sleeve and turned to leave.

“Attend to me. This Consort is tired.”

No sooner had the Second Prince retreated and caught his breath than he heard that Noble Consort Ya had led troops to the Fenglan Inn.

By the time he found a moment to go to the inn himself, it was already deep into the night.

Noble Consort Ya was none too pleased at the Second Prince’s tardiness, but as someone with her sights set on greater matters, she at least didn’t turn him away.

“Second Prince, how do things stand on your front? My troops are nearly all assembled — when shall we resume the offensive?”

Noble Consort Ya lifted her teacup, blew lightly on the tea leaves floating on top, the very picture of leisure and ease.

“Let’s discuss that later.” Feng Yan set down his armor and sat.

His hair was disheveled, his face pale, his clothes still stained with blood, as though he’d just come straight from the battlefield.

But that was not quite the case — in truth, more than ten hours had passed since the retreat.

In those hours, Feng Yan had been entirely occupied with the matter of the wounded and the dead, without even a moment to drink a bowl of hot soup.

Noble Consort Ya, by contrast, looked composed and at ease, her complexion rosy — anyone who didn’t know better might have thought she’d come here on a pleasure trip.

“Discuss it later?” Noble Consort Ya’s brow creased.

The Second Prince picked up his teacup without ceremony and took a sip.

“Noble Consort Ya, why did you come to the Fenglan Inn? I also heard you demanded the inn pay ten thousand taels of silver for the war effort — is that true?”

“So the Second Prince has come storming in just to interrogate me?” Noble Consort Ya pressed a hand to her chest and drew a deep breath.

“The Fenglan Inn has operated in the Feng Clan’s territory for decades, skimming no small amount of wealth from the common people. With the clan at civil war, what’s wrong with asking them to contribute a little money?”

“The Fenglan Inn is Mother Consort’s only enterprise in the Feng Clan. Are you deliberately going against her?” the Second Prince asked, his voice low.

Noble Consort Ya flung down the cup in her hand and said sharply, “Even now, you’re still thinking of that mother consort of yours.”

“Wasn’t it your mother consort pulling strings behind the scenes when the Night Prince escaped?”

“Noble Consort Ya, don’t spout baseless accusations!” the Second Prince frowned. “Mother Consort was only a victim in this — weren’t you deceived as well?”

Perched on the crossbeam of the side chamber nearby, Gong Xinyue slipped out through an open window the moment a patrolling soldier drew near.

Outside the city, campfires burned in clusters across the encampment.

Most were resting as they should, though quite a few were still hard at work.

The lightly wounded had been brought back to Xiyuan City for treatment, while the more seriously wounded, unfit to be moved, were gathered together on one side of the camp.

At times like these, Feng Jiu’er’s figure could always be seen moving among them, until every wounded soldier had received the best care possible.

After two full days and nights of unbroken labor, everyone was finally able to sit down and eat a proper meal.

Gong Xinyue lifted the tent flap and stepped inside. “Everyone’s here — I have good news to share.”

She had barely stepped through the door before bringing joy to the room.

“What good news?” Xiao Yingtao looked up and waved her over. “Come here.”

Gong Xinyue came to her side and sat, looking around at everyone.

“We didn’t even need to lift a finger — Noble Consort Ya and the Second Prince have already fallen into discord on their own.”

“The Second Prince felt Noble Consort Ya was targeting the Empress and went to confront her about it. Noble Consort Ya never much liked the Second Prince to begin with, and now there’s even more friction between them.”

“That settles it — let’s call the brothers back.” Feng Jiu’er looked up.

“At a critical moment like this, we can’t afford a single mistake.”