“The Ninth Prince has a great many affairs of state to attend to — how could he possibly have the leisure to come to a place like this?” Feng Jiu’er met the gaze of Tuoba Keyan, still seated on his horse, with a smile that was unhurried and composed.
“What I would ask of First Highness is this — the great army is still stationed at the border city, awaiting orders, yet you abandoned them and rushed back to the capital from the front for the sake of your own glory and reputation. Does First Highness truly hold his brothers’ lives so cheap?”
“You little girl — what did you just say?” Tuoba Keyan’s expression darkened, and his hand nearly let the long whip fly.
“This Prince returned to eliminate traitors like you — to keep you from bringing chaos to the court and the realm!”
“But has First Highness considered this — if the Ninth Prince were to march his forces southward right now and strike directly at your army’s encampment, could your brothers hold the line?”
Feng Jiu’er truly had no fear of death. There were only a handful of them here, and yet she dared to speak to the First Prince in such a tone and manner.
Even the people on the Second Prince’s side could not help but be impressed by this girl’s sheer audacity. The Second Prince’s men were present here, yes — but who could guarantee the Second Prince could truly protect her?
This little girl looked so young, yet she was far too brazen.
Still, a number of the hot-blooded young guards found themselves gazing at Feng Jiu’er with a kind of hidden admiration, even a flicker of something more.
The Ruhe soldiers had always carried the fierce blood of wolves in their veins — and this little girl, it seemed, possessed that same untamed, wolf-like spirit. Remarkable.
Tuoba Keyan was briefly startled by Feng Jiu’er’s words — but very quickly, he laughed with cold disdain.
“You little girl, do you really think this Prince doesn’t know what state your Bei Mu is in right now?”
Feng Jiu’er said nothing. Tuoba Keyan laughed coldly. “As it stands, Bei Mu’s so-called War God Ninth Prince is nothing more than a wanted man. The imperial city has put out a grand proclamation to bring him to justice. He couldn’t hold his position in the imperial city and had to flee back to his own Phoenix City! Right now the Ninth Prince is at the end of his rope — just keeping Phoenix City safe would already be no small feat. How would he dare to risk moving against my forces?”
Though the Second Prince said nothing in response to the First Prince’s words, there was a measure of agreement in him as well.
The Ninth Prince was pressed on all sides. At this moment, he would absolutely not dare to recklessly strike at the Ruhe forces. There were several armies within Bei Mu’s own territory eyeing Phoenix City like tigers waiting to pounce — the moment the Ninth Prince sent troops against Ruhe, those armies might very well march on Phoenix City immediately.
No matter what reason or justification was invoked, Emperor Qiwen could always find a pretext to convince the people of the realm, to defeat the Ninth Prince’s forces and reclaim Phoenix City for the imperial court.
So at this juncture, the Ninth Prince’s situation was genuinely precarious. The First Prince’s confidence in coming back was likely rooted in having seen exactly this.
Yet Feng Jiu’er lifted the corner of her lips in a faint, composed smile. “To know yourself and know your enemy is to secure victory in a hundred battles. No wonder the First Prince has dared not challenge the Ninth Prince’s forces all these years — waiting until today, until the Ninth Prince’s trouble within Bei Mu, before finally making his move.”
“What did you say?” Tuoba Keyan’s large hand clenched tight, and the whip in his grip finally snapped out — he could no longer hold it back.
Qiaomu stepped forward in one swift motion. With a sharp crack, a long sword appeared from somewhere, and she swept it against the tail of the whip.
The whip’s tip was not severed, and the long sword was not knocked from her hand. Both had exerted their inner force to the full — but neither had gained any advantage over the other.
Qiaomu stepped back to stand behind Jiu’er again, as though nothing had happened, resuming her position as before.
But as she stepped back, she glanced sidelong at Jiu’er, conveying something through her eyes alone.
This First Prince’s martial power exceeded hers. That whip strike had been entirely casual on Tuoba Keyan’s part — yet she had needed to channel at least seven-tenths of her inner force to meet it on even terms.
Jiu’er said nothing. She had already taken note internally — she had not expected that the First Prince, having led troops in battle for so many years, was no mere brute, but a genuine master of martial arts.
Tuoba Keyan’s gaze swept over Qiaomu briefly, then locked back onto Feng Jiu’er’s face. “Wild little girl — dare to speak recklessly in front of this Prince again, and don’t blame this Prince for showing no mercy.”
“Whether I am speaking recklessly — First Highness should know better than anyone. If I hadn’t struck a nerve, why would First Highness lose his temper?”
Feng Jiu’er was utterly unmoved, still speaking evenly. “First Highness truly does not understand the Ninth Prince. And you don’t know that when the Ninth Prince turns savage, even Emperor Qiwen is afraid of him.”
“That’s only because your dog emperor is timid as a mouse.” Tuoba Keyan let out a derisive snort from his nose.
“Then First Highness is welcome to make a wager with me. My guess is that the Ninth Prince will very soon attack your forces. I stake my own head as the wager — and I give First Prince two days’ time. Do you dare?”
“Hmph! You’re nothing but trying to buy time for yourselves! You think this Prince would fall for your trick?”
By now, his forces were positioned all around them. Even with wings, they could not fly out of his grasp.
Even with the Second Royal Brother’s men present — what grounds did the Second Prince have to protect them? These people were traitors. To protect them was to openly admit to aiding the enemy against the state. Did the Second Prince dare?
“Does Eldest Royal Brother not dare?” To everyone’s surprise, Tuoba Ermeng too was watching him now, a smile on his face. “The people are already in Eldest Royal Brother’s hands. Whether they are killed now or two days from now — what difference does it make?”
“And you dare speak up in defense of such traitors?”
“Then let us put it this way. I want not two days — I want only one opportunity to speak before the Ruhe Great King.”
Feng Jiu’er stepped forward two paces, without the slightest fear that Tuoba Keyan’s whip might snap at her at any moment.
Xing Zizhu and Qiaomu naturally followed, keeping pace with her every step, close at her back — afraid that Tuoba Keyan might suddenly make a move.
“First Prince, all I ask right now is a chance to say a few words before the Great King. Surely you won’t deny me even that?”
“Why should my father the Great King bother meeting with a lowly traitor such as yourself?” Tuoba Keyan gripped the horse whip tight.
“First Prince, if you have done nothing that weighs on your conscience — if you feel there is nothing you have done to wrong the Ruhe Great King — then why fear what I might say in his presence?”
Feng Jiu’er fixed a sidelong gaze on him. Tuoba Keyan pressed his lips into a thin line, his five fingers tightening.
Tuoba Ermeng added, “All guests deserve courtesy, and moreover — whether they have truly done anything to harm the people of Ruhe is for our father the Great King to judge. That in itself is not unreasonable.”
His face bore its ever-present gentle smile, warm and approachable. “Eldest Royal Brother, what do you think?”
“They are traitors. If they are given the chance to approach our father, who can guarantee they won’t move against him?” Tuoba Keyan’s expression was cold and set — he simply refused to yield.
“Does First Prince truly think that with his own abilities, he cannot stop a few traitors?”
Feng Jiu’er’s challenging gaze settled on him. From beginning to end, she remained unhurried and unflappable — the very picture of someone who had everything under control.
“Or is it that First Prince has truly done something that cannot bear the light of day, and fears we will speak of it before the Ruhe Great King?”