Thousands of miles of military operations, thousands of miles of yellow sand—fierce winds blowing against us made our robes flutter and brought piercing cold.
Counting from when I left the capital, it had been nearly half a month. Along this journey, the prefectures and county seats we passed, though somewhat more desolate, remained generally peaceful as before. This showed that Nie family forces had not broken through the defensive armies to advance north. In other words, Ze Prefecture and Tongguan should still be temporarily unconquered.
During these days of taking shortcuts to hurry along, I hadn’t been able to receive timely intelligence. I wasn’t certain whether this apparent stability was because court reinforcements had reached Ze Prefecture and held the city, or whether Song Langsheng’s army had broken out of the valley and turned danger into safety, or had already been completely annihilated. I dared not think too much, afraid that overthinking would make me unable to endure. Holding onto a thread of hope in my heart, after nearly killing several horses and almost dying alongside them, I finally reached Ze Prefecture.
Looking from the mountain ridge, Ze Prefecture city was visible within close distance—with urgent spurring, we should be able to arrive within two hours.
Along this journey I was fortunate to have a hundred Bright Mirror Bureau shadow guards protecting me closely. Oh, at my command they had donned regular guard uniforms and openly followed me, so they could no longer be called shadow guards. Manager Tao had once said that Bright Mirror Bureau shadow guards had combat strength equivalent to ten ordinary soldiers each, so by this calculation I barely qualified as a Thousand-Household Commander leading a thousand troops. If we encountered any crisis, escaping should be relatively smooth.
As night approached, layers of firelight suddenly blazed in the forest ahead, almost instantly illuminating the mountain wilderness. This disciplined and precise formation naturally came from military troops. My guards all drew their swords in unison and protected me in the center. I followed the firelight to look carefully—approximately a thousand or more soldiers in dark armor sat solemnly on horseback, slowly approaching our direction. From their uniforms, they appeared to be local garrison troops.
I had expected to encounter enemy forces first, but unexpectedly, the first to discover our movements were our own people.
I breathed a slight sigh of relief and was about to identify myself when I heard someone among those soldiers shout: “What bandits dare launch a night attack on Ze Prefecture city!”
I was stunned. This voice was so familiar—though it seemed to carry more authority than the original, it still couldn’t hide that faintly amusing quality. Who else could it be but Lu Lingjun?
I called out loudly: “I am surnamed Bai, given name Yujing, and am a good brother of the famous Thousand-Household Commander Lu. Have you heard of me?”
At these words, an armored warrior dismounted and stepped forward from the formation. In the flickering firelight, his handsome features were outlined. I spurred my horse forward. When he saw my appearance clearly, he strode toward me with undisguised joy on his face: “Brother Bai, how did you come to be here?”
I dismounted and signaled my guards to sheathe their swords. Just as I was about to have a good reunion chat with Lu Lingjun, unexpectedly he came forward and embraced me, saying happily: “I’ve missed you so much.”
“…” The next moment, I heard the sound of swords being drawn again behind me, along with the dumbfounded expressions of the soldiers ahead.
What I rather wanted to say was: Brother Lu, I’m currently dressed as a man—is such behavior really appropriate in public?
Seeing my guards glaring at him menacingly, Lu Lingjun waved his hand and laughed: “Everyone relax, relax. I’m your master’s good friend. Since she doesn’t mind, you needn’t be so petty.” He then looked at me: “Right, Brother Bai?”
I smiled slightly: “Brother Lu, embracing my soft cloth robes with your iron armor—have you considered my feelings?”
Lu Lingjun immediately let go.
Seeing my barely suppressed laughter, he knew I was deliberately teasing him and stuck out his tongue: “I was just seizing the opportunity! Once I see General Song, I probably won’t have this chance anymore.”
Hearing him mention Song Langsheng, my heart leaped with joy: “Is he in Ze Prefecture city? Is he safe and well? Is he injured?”
Lu Lingjun said: “Guess?”
Me: “…”
He said playfully: “Unless you say you traveled thousands of miles to find me, then I’ll tell you.”
I was stunned for a moment, then turned to order my guard captain: “A’Shang, stab him!”
A’Shang’s sword naturally moved very quickly. Lu Lingjun spun around easily to avoid it, then stepped three paces away from me with lingering fear, patting his chest: “Princess, you’re too petty—trying to kill someone over a joke.” Seeing my mischievous smile, he quickly said: “General Song is in Ze Prefecture city. I’ll take Brother Bai to see him right away.”
Though I still didn’t understand the full situation, it seemed Song Langsheng had successfully survived that ordeal.
From childhood, whenever I faced danger I would rationally make various worst-case preparations to give myself psychological readiness so I wouldn’t be easily crushed. Yet the results were often worse than I imagined—villains are always more shameless and cunning than imagination allows. When I had given up all hope for my life and abandoned myself to despair about the future, such good news suddenly fell from the sky. I felt it was somewhat unreal, floating and bewildered.
On the way, seeing my impatient appearance, Lu Lingjun shook his head: “You become so happy just hearing about your prince consort, yet you have no reaction at all to seeing me. We’re comrades who’ve shared hardships—how can you be so devoted to romance while neglecting friendship?”
I glanced at him sideways: “I say, Brother Lu, you’re at least a Thousand-Household Commander now—how can you still be so unreliable…”
Lu Lingjun said: “Not so—I’m now a Colonel in the Deputy General’s camp…”
“Promoted again? Looks like you achieved merit in this valley battle. What exactly happened? Tell me quickly…”
Lu Lingjun said mysteriously: “Princess should personally ask the greatest hero…”
The long night was silent. Without Lu Lingjun’s seal, we probably couldn’t have entered the city so smoothly.
Once in the city, Lu Lingjun put away his casual attitude, nodded slightly to me, and spurred his horse rapidly toward the military camp. I was slightly surprised but didn’t ask questions, following closely behind.
Ze Prefecture’s streets were empty at night. Before long, we reached the military camp location. Following him unobstructed all the way, it seemed Lu Lingjun had some recognition in the army. Having been too long without seeing my prince consort, thinking I would soon be reunited with him, I felt my heart surging with emotion, wishing I could instantly appear before him.
However, reality always differs somewhat from imagination.
When Lu Lingjun announced us and brought me into the camp, I saw several generals standing in the room. When they saw Lu Lingjun bringing me in, their faces all darkened: “Who allowed you to bring irrelevant people into the camp!”
Lu Lingjun was about to explain when I walked closer and cupped my hands: “General Zhao, General Wang, General Li—surely you can’t fail to recognize me just because I’ve changed my attire?”
Generals Zhao Qian, Wang Yi, and Li Sheng had often encountered me in the capital. Hearing my voice, they finally saw me clearly and quickly bowed in salute. Zhao Qian asked first: “Princess, how did you come to Ze Prefecture?”
“I came on His Majesty’s orders to investigate military conditions.” I took out the secret edict from my clothing and handed it to the generals. This edict was prepared for me by Jingyan before I set out. He told me that if I could arrive safely, it would at least ensure my free passage in the military camp.
After reading it, the generals respectfully returned the secret edict to me. I asked: “Why don’t I see General Song?” Seeing difficulty in their expressions, my heart sank: “Has something happened to him?”
They led me into the inner room, where I immediately saw my prince consort lying on the bed. Seeing his tightly closed eyes and pale lips, I was almost frightened senseless, rushing to the bedside to check his breathing before regaining some composure: “What happened to him?”
Zhao Qian said: “General Song was injured, but his life is not in danger. He’s just been sleeping and hasn’t awakened yet.”
I lifted the blanket and found his left side wrapped in thick bandages. Remembering how Lu Lingjun had mentioned Song Langsheng earlier as if he were perfectly fine, who would have expected such a situation? I hid my trembling hands in my sleeves: “So you didn’t want outsiders to know about General Song’s injury? What exactly happened during this time?”
The three generals exchanged glances again. Zhao Qian said: “This is a long story.”
It turned out that long before the valley pass battle, when Song Langsheng and Huo Chuan were surveying terrain, they discovered a cave in the side cliffs of Ten Mile River valley. The cave was covered with vines and branches, extremely concealed, with considerable internal space—cool but not damp. Song Langsheng felt it would be a good place to store grain. However, this was just an idea. In such wilderness, how could grain really be stored there? Not to mention enemy troops—even birds and beasts would devour the grain first.
When rebel forces pressed forward and the emperor’s military orders came from the capital commanding the army to lure enemies into the valley for pincer attack victory, Huo Chuan was severely wounded and unconscious that day. Several generals didn’t favor this strategy much—after all, what we could think of, Nie Guang might not fail to consider. If Tongguan couldn’t deploy troops for some reason, it would almost mean this army’s complete annihilation. Though they say “generals in the field may disobey imperial commands,” openly defying the first order of the newly ascended emperor would be too disrespectful of imperial authority. In future returns to the capital, the emperor would certainly remember this against them. Song Langsheng was indifferent to this, but the other generals remained silent as cicadas, fearing one misstep would cause eternal regret.
In this dilemma, Song Langsheng remembered that cave. If someone could risk secretly transferring military provisions there overnight and guard the cave to ensure grain wasn’t eaten by insects and wild animals, perhaps this battle could become an important element in reversing the situation.
This was an arduous task. The grain guardian needed not only extremely high adaptability and courage, but also readiness to die at any moment. Whether en route or at the cave, if enemy forces received even the slightest wind of it, the result would be self-evident.
Just as the generals were considering candidates for grain transport, one person volunteered.
This person was Lu Lingjun.
Lu Lingjun lived up to expectations, successfully transporting military grain to the valley cave. The key then was devising combat strategy.
“Strategy?” Hearing this, I already somewhat understood: “If you had planned from the start for enemies to obstruct Tongguan’s troop deployment, you would have had to borrow troops from Tongguan initially.”
Zhao Qian nodded: “The princess speaks truly. If Tongguan refused to deploy troops, only fifty thousand soldiers would be needed to intercept enemy attacks. Thus, we borrowed another fifty thousand elite cavalry from Tongguan.”
I said: “But the enemy main force numbered three hundred thousand. We originally thought arriving rear troops would be at most a hundred thousand, but unexpectedly they had a hundred thousand more than we anticipated. Ze Prefecture’s forces plus Tongguan’s fifty thousand cavalry didn’t exceed three hundred thousand total. How did you ultimately achieve victory?”
Lu Lingjun smiled lightly: “How does the princess know our army was victorious?”
I glanced at him: “If you had been defeated, Ze Prefecture would certainly be in dire straits now. How would you have the mood to discuss battle conditions with me in detail here?”
Zhao Qian said: “General Song and I led a hundred fifty thousand elite troops in a surprise attack on the enemy camp. After fighting fiercely for a full day, we deliberately let enemy forces cut off our provisions and retreated to Ten Mile River valley.”
I said with lingering fear: “A hundred fifty thousand against three hundred thousand troops? You were insane.”
Li Sheng interjected: “General Zhao’s formation tactics were exquisitely clever. That defeat was intentional—if we had really fought to the death, who knows who would have won?”
I looked at this young general, seeing he greatly admired Zhao Qian. I smiled slightly: “So you ultimately withdrew completely unharmed? If so, Nie Guang wouldn’t underestimate you. Having cut off your provisions, he would rather trap you in Ten Mile River valley waiting for his rear forces to annihilate you all at once, conserving energy—thus falling into your trap.”
Li Sheng looked at me in surprise. Zhao Qian nodded: “Exactly so.”
Just when Nie Guang thought our forces were cornered and struggling desperately, Song Langsheng and Zhao Qian led everyone to distribute rations and rest well. After five days, when Nie Guang calculated the timing for decisive attack, unexpectedly Song Langsheng led well-fed soldiers in a full-strength counterattack. Simultaneously, over a hundred thousand troops in Ze Prefecture city received reinforcements from Shuoyang—though local militia of uneven quality, they were at least imposing in momentum. Finally, because Nie Guang had underestimated and scattered his forces, they were defeated piecemeal by our army. Nearly half their forces were lost, and they could only retreat in panic.
However… breaking out with a hundred fifty thousand troops against enemy main forces while at disadvantage was itself a gamble. In this life-or-death battle, rebel generals were ordered to surround and kill Song Langsheng. Thousands of swords and blades all struck toward him. He sustained two sword wounds and one arrow wound. That he could barely preserve his life and return to Ze Prefecture was already extremely fortunate in misfortune.
I could imagine the battlefield’s cruelty and tragedy, but hearing firsthand about my prince consort’s narrow escape from death, I could still hear the trembling in my own heart. Fortunately he was still alive—for me, this was the best thing.
Seeing me listening in stunned silence, the generals didn’t know how to continue. Lu Lingjun, understanding my feelings, said: “The princess and prince consort are reunited after long separation. We won’t disturb the princess’s rest. This subordinate takes leave first.”
With his words, the other three generals also understood and quickly bid farewell. Finally only my prince consort and I remained in the room.
Outside the window the sky was pitch black, cool breezes making the candle flames flicker. Seeing his pale complexion, I guessed he was cold. Thinking of this, I removed my outer garment and slipped into his bedding to warm him. Unexpectedly, this severely wounded patient’s bed was quite warm. Having traveled so many days, I was truly exhausted. As soon as I closed my eyes, waves of soft warmth enveloped me. In just moments, I fell asleep embracing him.
I slept until daybreak.
I was awakened by birds chirping noisily. When I woke, the sun hadn’t fully risen and the sky was still dimly bright. Rubbing my eyes, my mind was somewhat muddled, not immediately realizing where I was. Upon seeing my prince consort still sleeping peacefully beside me, remembering his narrow escape from death and that I had shared his bed for a night, my heart inexplicably settled.
When my thoughts returned, I propped myself up to look down at his face. A small scabbed cut on his eyebrow must have been from narrowly avoiding an enemy blade on the battlefield. Heartbroken, I gently touched his wound, then couldn’t help touching his eyes and eyebrows, then his nose bridge. When I finally touched his lips, somehow my fingers disobediently gave way to my lips.
Having missed him for so long and fearing this was all a beautiful dream, I carefully kissed him, but saw his eyelashes flutter slightly. I stopped in bewilderment, watching him slowly open his eyes. In the dawn light, those clear eyes rippled with movement. I stared at him blankly—for a moment not realizing he had awakened. The next moment, he embraced me, his body trembling slightly: “A’Tang…”
I was about to speak when he suddenly said: “Don’t talk. Every time you speak, you disappear.”
My whole body stiffened. Upon understanding his meaning, I felt my eyes heat up and tears disobediently fell. Seeing me cry, he reached up to wipe away my tears. I heard my own choked voice: “Am I a crybaby in dreams too?”
Song Langsheng’s fingers trembled. He was almost completely stunned. After a long moment, he asked me softly: “A’Tang… is it really you?”
I raised my hand to wipe my tears: “Didn’t you say I would disappear with a poof if I spoke? Since I didn’t disappear, that proves I’m real.”
“You—how did you come here? Do you know how dangerous this is?” He couldn’t help scolding me, but his arms around me tightened. I was afraid of pressing his wound and pushed him away slightly, saying petulantly: “You call me dangerous? Who was the one with nine lives? If Lu Lingjun and Zhao Qian hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t dare believe it. When did you become so valiant you’d risk even your life?”
He smiled slightly and touched my hair: “I knew I could definitely overcome this ordeal. Having promised to return and find you, I would never break my word.”
I hugged him grievously: “Anyway, I won’t leave you again. I don’t want to pretend to be righteous anymore—I just want you safe and sound.”
He said gently: “Alright, I promise you. But you must tell me what happened.”
I was confused for a moment: “What happened?”
He sighed: “Your heart must have suffered grievances, otherwise how would you become a tearful person the moment you saw me?”
I stopped crying and looked at him quietly for a while, then said softly: “Prince consort, I… father emperor… before his death, told me a secret. He told me about my background…”
Whether it was my imagination, I felt his whole body stiffen slightly. When I looked up again, his expression was normal: “Background?”
“Mm.” I nodded: “He told me… I’m not his and mother empress’s biological daughter…”
I slowly recounted what father emperor had revealed to me that day.
Those heart-piercing truths had been lingering in my heart unable to disperse. I felt like a bird that couldn’t find its way home, flying aimlessly in the vast sky. Only when I returned to Song Langsheng’s side could I shed all restraints and burdens, cry without inhibition, and tell him my sadness and heartbreak without concern.
He would wipe away my tears when I cried severely, pat my back when I couldn’t continue speaking—like a bird’s wounded feathers. Though it hurt, being gently licked at the wound felt itchy and warm. Nothing made me feel more at peace than him.
At the end, I sobbed: “So… I’m not really a princess at all. Even my biological mother doesn’t acknowledge me. Now I’m just alone…”
“Who says you’re alone?” Song Langsheng tapped my nose, his voice like a gentle breeze brushing my ear: “You’re mine.”
Feeling something surge violently in my chest, I nodded vigorously. After thinking, I felt something was wrong: “Your wife is no longer a princess, so you can’t be a prince consort anymore. How can you act like nothing happened…”
He smiled: “It’s fine as long as my wife is you. Whether you’re a princess or not—what difference does it make to me?”
I lowered my head and said slowly: “But father emperor said the empress dowager won’t spare me. I also don’t want to be enemies with them. I… can’t go back anymore…”
Song Langsheng said: “Then don’t go back.”
“Ah?”
He held me firmly in his arms: “The overall situation of this war is decided. Nie Guang’s days are numbered. We need only pursue victory, and soon the world will be peaceful.”
He said: “When that time comes, I’ll take you far away, never to be disturbed by these mundane worldly affairs again.”
——Second Update——
There is someone in this world who understands my heart—without my speaking, he knows what I hope for.
I stared blankly at Song Langsheng: “A fleeing princess and a fleeing general—I’m afraid after we fly far away, there will be even more mundane worldly concerns to worry about.”
He smiled: “Anyway, marrying you means I was destined never to live peaceful days.”
I glanced at him: “Who said that? Look, you’re the one still concerned about world peace. Otherwise, if we departed immediately, no one would be able to find us.”
He was stunned: “You want to elope with me right now? That would be wonderful.” He sat up straight and put on an outer robe, about to get out of bed: “Wait for me, I’ll pack our belongings right away.”
I quickly hugged his waist tightly to prevent him from moving: “How can we leave quietly at this critical moment? We mustn’t disturb military morale and let Nie Guang take advantage.”
Song Langsheng looked at me with eyes full of smiles, saying leisurely: “So who exactly is the one concerned about world peace?”
I let go and turned my head away: “I’m not talking to you anymore. I’m hungry—I’m going to eat.”
Good news always comes one after another.
On the second day after Song Langsheng awakened, General-in-Chief Huo Chuan, who had been unconscious for so long, also woke up. For the three armies, the return of both great generals was more inspiring than receiving two hundred thousand reinforcements from the court. Now that rebel forces had suffered heavy losses while our army was well-supplied, after consultation, the generals decided to deploy troops at full strength before the rebels could recover and regroup, pursuing victory to capture the remaining rebels in one stroke.
Victory seemed just ahead. Throughout the military camp, one could constantly feel the soldiers’ high morale. Oh, they had heard that even I, a noble imperial relative, had been sent by the emperor to join the soldiers in fighting the rebels. Whenever they saw me, they would respectfully bow. I hadn’t known I had such authority in the army, but Song Langsheng said flatly: “This is all thanks to your good friend Lu Lingjun, who often speaks highly of you in the army. Over time, those soldiers actually believe it’s true.”
I said: “What do you mean ‘believe it’s true’—I really do have genuine abilities, you know.”
Speaking of Lu Lingjun, after Song Langsheng learned he had embraced me in full view of everyone, he very casually had Colonel Lu, who was drilling troops on the training ground, practice horse stance until he returned. More than an hour later, when Song Langsheng said he wanted to take me to a good noodle shop in Ze Prefecture, I couldn’t help reminding him that Lu Lingjun was still on the training ground. Only then did he remember Lu Lingjun’s existence. When we went to check, Brother Lu was already drenched in sweat from his stance. Looking at Song Langsheng through gritted teeth, he said: “Using official position for personal revenge…”
Song Langsheng said leisurely: “Disturbing the princess’s noble person—punishing you with one hour of horse stance is already lenient. Military orders are like mountains—do you have any objections?”
Upon hearing this, Lu Lingjun looked up at me and asked joyfully: “Does this mean if I practice stance for another hour, I can disturb the princess’s noble person once more?”
Me: “…”
Song Langsheng: “I originally came to call a halt, but it seems that’s unnecessary now. A’Tang, let’s go eat noodles.”
Lu Lingjun: “…”
Seeing Song Langsheng had already walked several steps away, I quietly crept back and patted Lu Lingjun’s shoulder: “Don’t be angry. I’ll secretly bring you wine tonight. Just squat casually for a while longer—don’t mind him.”
At this point Song Langsheng impatiently turned back to look at me. I nonchalantly caught up and linked arms with him: “Coming, coming.”
He glanced at me sideways: “What, still reluctant to leave him?”
“You’re so petty. He acts so casually because he treats me as a friend. If he really had improper thoughts about me, he’d be avoiding suspicion. Besides, Brother Lu has great potential…”
Song Langsheng said: “Precisely because he has potential but doesn’t know restraint, acting according to his nature in full view of everyone—if we don’t manage him now, when he causes great trouble in the future, it will be too late.”
I nodded and smiled: “So you’re doing this for his own good, not out of jealousy…”
Song Langsheng said flatly: “I have never been jealous.”
Me: “…”
Military camp nights lacked the colorful prosperity of city folk, instead often featuring bonfires under starry skies and cheerful conversation and laughter, with soldiers drinking and eating meat without restraint. Oh, there was no heavy drinking now—tomorrow the great army would deploy against rebels. With battle imminent, alcohol was forbidden in the camp. However, it wouldn’t matter if Lu Lingjun had a little secret drink, since he wasn’t accompanying this campaign. Song Langsheng had arranged for a hundred thousand elite troops to defend the city, having him remain to hold the fort.
Unable to go to battle was more painful for Lu Lingjun than being forbidden wine and meat. While other soldiers played wrestling and sword competitions around the bonfires, he alone sat unusually glum against a tree, staring at the stars in a daze. I approached with a small wine flask and quietly handed it to him: “See, I didn’t break my word.”
He took it casually and sniffed after opening the cap: “Top quality?”
“Of course—I bought it. Could it be inferior?”
He smiled slightly, set the wine flask aside, and sighed: “Brother Bai, do you think General Song and the others don’t think highly of me?”
“If they didn’t think highly of you, why have you guard the city? Think about who’s staying behind with you this time.” I pointed to my nose: “Me! Song Langsheng had you stay to protect me, which actually shows his trust in your abilities.”
Lu Lingjun nodded: “What you say seems to have some merit…”
I said: “This attack gives our court forces the initiative. As long as nothing major goes wrong, victory is inevitable. But defending a city is different—Ze Prefecture and Tongguan are Daqing’s most important defensive line. Guarding them well ensures we remain undefeated. See, you don’t even understand this after fighting so many battles.”
Lu Lingjun thought for a moment, and his expression immediately brightened: “Brother Bai, fortunately you told me, otherwise I would have hated the prince consort to death.”
That he could completely believe my casual nonsense showed Song Langsheng was right—he still needed more experience before taking on great responsibilities. I propped my chin watching him, when suddenly I thought of a question: “Brother Lu, after fighting so long, do you know whether Nie Ran has personally led troops in battle?”
“Doesn’t seem like I’ve heard of it… isn’t he the former dynasty’s heir? How would Nie Guang bear to let such a precious person show his face? If he accidentally got an arm or leg cut off, wouldn’t all their efforts be wasted?” Lu Lingjun tilted his head slightly: “Why are you asking about him?”
I said: “Nothing much, just find it strange. Logically speaking… he should establish authority to achieve twice the results with half the effort. Such a passive combat attitude shows no rebellious spirit at all, right?”
Lu Lingjun looked at me sideways: “Why does this sound odd to me? You’re so concerned about him—does your prince consort know?”
I stepped on his toe: “Who’s concerned about him? I’m just concerned about battle conditions, paying attention to enemy intelligence. But don’t tell anyone what I asked…”
A light, effortless voice came from behind: “Don’t tell whom?”
I patted Lu Lingjun’s shoulder: “Tonight’s heart-to-heart chat about life ideals with Brother Lu was very rewarding. I need to digest it further. Farewell…” Having said this, I immediately ran forward like smoke, but just as I took a step, a hand grabbed my collar and pulled me into an embrace. Without changing expression, I turned to look at Song Langsheng: “Prince consort, how are you here? What a coincidence.”
Song Langsheng smiled slightly: “What do you think?”
By now Lu Lingjun had vanished without a trace. I laughed dryly and coughed: “I thought you were still discussing expedition matters with General Huo and the others…”
He stared at me for a long moment. Seeing me hanging my head, he sighed helplessly: “You, you—I really don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone in Ze Prefecture…”
I brightened: “So you’ll take me to the battlefield?”
“…Dream on.”
I spread my hands: “Ten thousand soldiers would be more than enough to defend the city, yet you’re leaving a hundred thousand. Even if fifty thousand enemy troops came to attack the city in rotation, it would take at least eight to ten days to capture it… Can Nie Guang conjure up a new army from thin air? You’re just overthinking. Besides, who am I? In terms of studying military law and strategy books, I’m no worse than ordinary generals. With me here, Ze Prefecture will be impregnable as a golden fortress. Just rest assured.”
He put his arm around my shoulder: “If there’s truly any emergency, immediately have someone escort you away overnight. I don’t need Ze Prefecture to be impregnable—I only need you safe and sound.”
I shook his arm: “Alright, I promise you I’ll be fine. You must promise me too.”
He ruffled my hair and looked down at me: “When I return, we’ll travel the world together.”
When the great army deployed again, Lu Lingjun and I stood side by side on the city wall watching from afar. Banners flew like birds. Seeing my reluctance to part, Lu Lingjun couldn’t help asking why, though clearly unwilling and unable to bear it, I neither obstructed nor tried to keep him.
I leaned against the wall, using my hand to shield against the glaring bright sun: “Sometimes people can’t always live just for selfish desires, can they?”
Ten days later, Ze Prefecture received military reports from the front. Huo Chuan and Song Langsheng each led armies attacking Huguang. After days of troop engagements and clever maneuvering, they broke through enemy defensive lines to reach Guiyang. Both sides fought bloody battles for days, finally achieving great victory over Nie family forces, retaking Guizhou and capturing about fifty-eight thousand enemy prisoners.
Nie Guang barely survived, retreating while fighting. The rebel-suppressing army’s morale was high, unstoppable as they advanced southward.
Lu Lingjun smiled: “It seems the day when princess and prince consort reunite is close at hand.”
Receiving this victory report should have brought uncontainable joy, yet despite this, I still felt somewhat uneasy. Nie Guang was crafty and cunning—would he truly have no backup plans? For safety, I ordered Bright Mirror Bureau agents everywhere to investigate carefully, reporting any trace of suspicious activity. Unexpectedly, we really obtained a terrifying piece of intelligence.
Enemy troops had bypassed Mount Taihang and were assembling naval forces at Lingchuan, intending to break through canal defenses by surprise. If they successfully crossed the Yangtze River, rebel forces could advance directly on the capital!
Lu Lingjun’s face went deathly pale as he asked: “How many naval forces do the enemy have?”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead: “At least two hundred thousand… But the Five Army Camps and Three Thousand Battalion main forces all followed Huo Chuan south. Even if they returned immediately, it would take at least ten days… Relying solely on the capital’s Yulin Guard and Tiger Guard units to stop enemy forces would mean a bloody battle…”
Lu Lingjun angrily pounded the table: “What treacherous villains indeed! But with Nie Guang defeated at Guiyang, who commands this rebel naval force?”
I sighed and placed the secret message on the table: “Nie Ran.”
For over half a year, Nie Guang had led his great army in repeated northward attacks, forcing the court to deploy most of its forces to resist. This was Nie Guang’s first move—victory would naturally be excellent, but even if ultimately defeated, they had at least drawn our most elite troops far from the capital.
The next step was having the long-dormant Nie Ran lead troops in attack. They would cut off waterway hubs to delay intelligence, and by the time the capital received word, Nie Ran’s great army would likely be pressing close. Mobilizing regional troops through various Regional Military Commissions would then be extremely dangerous.
This military force was the most important piece in the enemy’s overall strategy!
Fierce winds threw open doors and windows. I walked to the window and gazed at the heavy distant mountains, their winding paths like life’s long journey. After much thought, I turned back to Lu Lingjun: “The places closest to Lingchuan are Ze Prefecture and Shuoyang. The only strategy to stop Nie Ran before Huo Chuan’s great army returns is to block their path…”
Lu Lingjun suddenly looked up, understanding my meaning: “With strong north winds today, they cannot cross the river… Traveling through the night, we should reach Lingchuan before dawn. I’ll immediately…”
“Brother Lu…” My eyes slowly blurred: “We only have a hundred thousand troops, while the enemy has two hundred thousand… This journey means only total annihilation, no survival…”
“Yes.” He had already turned to grasp the sword on the table, then knelt on one knee: “This subordinate will certainly not fail in this mission, gaining more time for His Majesty and the princess to completely annihilate the rebel party!”
My heart felt pierced by a thousand needles, my fingers clenching tightly: “Lu Lingjun, actually, if you…”
“Princess.” Lu Lingjun had already stood up again and smiled at me: “You said it yourself—people can’t always live just for selfish desires. Isn’t that right?”
Isn’t it?
I had no answer.
Only after Lu Lingjun led troops from the city did I ask myself repeatedly: Are the monarch’s life worth more than these hundred thousand iron-armored soldiers’ lives? When soldiers naturally sacrifice their lives to protect territory, do those in high positions ever sacrifice themselves for the world’s people?
Xiao Qitang, oh Xiao Qitang—even you, upon learning your background, thought of abandoning all responsibilities to live your own carefree life. What right do you have to resent anything?
Night fell thick and impenetrable. This night had no stars or moon, and no one in the military camp slept peacefully.
Before dawn the next day, continuous military horn sounds came from outside, so abrupt they couldn’t help but disturb one’s peace of mind.
When I hurriedly ran to the city tower, the city-defending soldiers were also running outside in unison. Standing on the city wall and looking into the distance, I saw a single horseman galloping toward us, shouting across the moat: “Central Army scout Sun Ping reports! Large forces are approaching Ze Prefecture from Anyang direction! They appear to be Liang Kingdom cavalry!”
Someone on the city wall panicked: “Liang Kingdom? Isn’t Liang Kingdom our friendly nation? How could Liang Kingdom’s great army come?”
I stared blankly at the distant, endless mountain ranges. Dark clouds blocked the light, black shadows pressing closer from afar, making it hard to breathe.
When the ruler doesn’t attend state banquets, if not facing internal troubles, there must be external threats.
This time, both internal troubles and external threats had arrived together, yet Ze Prefecture’s defending forces were pitifully few.