Chapter 88
Wei Wanyu cowered in a corner of the carriage, holding Pian'er tightly without moving. The thin carriage body allowed in the cold wind, carrying with it the sounds of fighting.
She couldn't help but listen closely, hearing the clash of weapons outside, hearing men screaming. Fortunately, no voice belonged to that man.
The commotion suddenly subsided, as if a fierce storm had suddenly ceased. Unable to resist, she groped towards the window, rolled up the green curtain, and looked out into the snowy field.
The few of them were fighting fiercely, but she couldn't help but wonder if she should wait for them to finish.
Xilin was outnumbered, and if they killed Xilin, they would surely not spare her. If she died and didn't deliver the crown prince's message to the Northern Territory, how would she handle the consequences?
As Wei Wanyu thought about this, she felt more and more resentful towards Xilin for meddling. They should have just left instead of interfering. She silently watched the three men fighting, her mind continuously racing. No matter what, she could not die here with Xilin.
Absolutely not.
Perhaps these two men had accomplices who would soon catch up. Even if they didn't have any helpers, with Xilin being so skilled, he would have a better chance of escaping without her.
Wei Wanyu struggled for a long time in her heart, the sound of the wind becoming blurred in her ears. She tightly held onto her skirt, trembling uncontrollably. Before she could fully regain her senses, she raised the curtain and started to crawl halfway out of the carriage.
Suddenly, a cold light flashed. Wei Wanyu instinctively looked up and saw an armored guard, with snow and wind swirling around him, rushing towards her. The cold blade in his hand was aimed straight at her face.
Immediately, Wei Wanyu retreated into the carriage, clutching Pian'er and cowering in the corner. She then grabbed the package beside her, and just before the incident occurred, she grabbed a piece of cake from it. Before she could even tie the strap, everything spilled out, and she didn't care, just throwing it at the man.
The soft object blocked the attack of the cold blade.
After this scare, Pian'er, who was in her arms, woke up. Not knowing if it was from the cold or fear, she cried out. Wei Wanyu lowered her head and hugged Pian'er tightly.
Another flash of cold light came towards her, and she was about to jump out of the carriage while holding Pian'er when she heard the man outside shouting. She dared not look outside and trembled like a sieve.
"Bang."
Wei Wanyu instinctively looked up and saw the carriage collapse with a loud crash, followed by a chilling wind rushing in from all sides. She took a deep breath, but couldn't even scream. She saw the man's neck had a blood hole, a silver sword shining with a cool silver light, piercing through his neck.
Her legs went weak, and she tremblingly sat down, covering Pian'er's eyes. At this moment, she finally noticed two bodies lying on the vast snowy plain, the flowing blood almost dyeing a large area of snow red.
"Come here."
Suddenly, a low, hoarse voice rang out.
Wei Wanyu sharply followed the sound, and under the shattered boards of the carriage lay a man. His body was covered in blood, his face unclear, and his dark hair scattered in the snow. He was gasping heavily, white smoke rising above his lips.
In the dimly lit dusk, his eyes stared intently at her, those eyes as cold as ever, as intimidating as a towering mountain.
"Bring me my sword," he lightly called out, his voice tinged with exhaustion as he lay still in the snow.
He had thrown his sword earlier to help her get out of the situation. The steel-like short sword was still around the neck of the armored guard. Wei Wanyu almost instinctively looked toward the dead armored guard.
Before she could move, she saw Xilin's expression grow even colder. Trembling like a frightened bird, she quivered, "Oh."
She set Pian'er down and stood up, leaning against the broken carriage without wrinkling her brow, taking small steps to walk over to the body. The tassel of the short sword was soaked in blood, frozen stiff.
Xilin felt like his blood was about to freeze as he coldly watched her tiptoeing over to the body, refusing to let the blood stain his hands. Slowly and deliberately, he pulled a silk handkerchief from his sleeve and draped it over the sword hilt. It took considerable effort to pull the sword out of the man's neck, and the large blood hole continued to bleed profusely.
As she approached him, her hand trembling as she handed him the short sword.
He firmly plunged the sword into the snow, struggling to stand up with the support of the hilt. Wei Wanyu saw him stagger a few times and quickly reached out to support him. It wasn't until he sat down that she dared to glance at his wound. His clothes were intact, except for a cut on his leg, most of the blood on him was from those two men.
She quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Can you tell where those two men came from?" his cold and somber voice sounded.
Wei Wanyu nodded, recognizing the clothes they were wearing when she pulled out the sword. It belonged to the Panlong Camp of the Eastern Palace.
"They are guards from the Panlong Camp."
Xilin gradually revealed a certain sense of amusement, "Is the Crown Prince trying to kill a pregnant woman?"
"Impossible!" Wei Wanyu immediately denied it.
The wind whispered through the land, the cold fog swirling, the sound of snow rustling.
Xilin glanced at him, then got up and walked towards the woman who had fainted on the ground. He was unsteady on his feet, but luckily Wei Wanyu came to support him in time.
He lowered his head to look at her, "Were you planning to escape on your own just now?"
"No." Wei Wanyu denied it without changing her expression.
Xilin noticed another flaw in her, "Deceiver."
Wei Wanyu looked up at him, guiltily lowered her head, and remained silent.
*
"Your Highness, a scout reports that thirty thousand Northern barbarian troops marched towards the Black Adder Ridge yesterday afternoon."
Inside the camp, He Xian knelt before Li Yicheng, the dark red robe trailing down, snowflakes sticking to it and melting into droplets.
"Order the three armies to prepare for battle, depart for the Black Adder Ridge at the hour of the dog." Li Yicheng stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the wolf-skin map hanging in the tent.
The Black Adder Ridge was the border of the East Lattice, and the large army of the Northern barbarians had invaded the Black Adder Ridge, brazenly encroaching on the border, their aggressive intentions visible.
He Xian bowed, "Your Highness, we cannot fight. Since last year, the court has repeatedly withheld our provisions. If we rashly go to war, I fear..."
"Fear what?" Li Yicheng turned to look at him.
"Fear that the provisions won't last long, and waiting for reinforcements from the court may lead to a dead end."
He Xian did not finish his sentence, but Li Yicheng's expression froze, then changed color. He fidgeted with the token in his hand and coldly said, "I am here to guard the border by the Emperor's decree. Now that the enemy army is pressing in, you want me to turn a blind eye?"
"Your Highness, the Emperor, and the Crown Prince want you dead in this way! They hate you but are constrained by public opinion, so they use this indirect way to force you! Knowing it's a dead end, why do you have to seek death?"
"Let it be death." Unlike in the past, Li Yicheng seemed strangely at ease now, as if he was about to find relief: "I have my responsibilities as a prince. I will guard the country here, and unless the Northern barbarians step over my dead body, I will not retreat."
The fire in the distance illuminated the night as bright as day, the deep and powerful sound of war horns mingling with the majestic sound of organizing troops, faintly reaching the tent from outside. He stood in front of the tiger stool, gazing at the burning fire, but thinking that if he died in battle, perhaps the Emperor and his older brother would no longer remember the mistakes he had made in the past.
Fu Yu and his children could live on with their heads held high.
He Xian wanted to advise further, but Li Yicheng said, "General He, you followed Brother Wei for many years and endured the cold land with me. If you are unwilling to fight, you can stay behind."
"After I die, take my bones back to the capital, and let the Emperor and Crown Prince spare my wife and children."
Li Yicheng turned around, picked up his armor, fastened the golden lock, retrieved his hand, and looked up at He Xian.
He was extremely handsome, and wearing this blood-stained war armor, he exuded a hidden air of determination and combat readiness. Seeing that Li Yicheng was determined to go to war, He Xian could only bow deeply and say, "I am willing to follow Your Highness, even if it means risking my life, I have no regrets."
Li Yicheng's expression returned to his usual calm and self-control. He nodded slightly as if wanting to say something but not saying it. Finally, he just glanced at him, grabbed the sword on the weapon rack that belonged to him, and strode out of the tent's door.
He Xian hesitated, looking outside the tent, feeling puzzled.
Why hadn't the troops that were supposed to escort Cui Fuyu back to Luo Jia returned?
Had something gone wrong with the Prince's men?
Just then, he heard the urgent drumming from outside the tent. He quickly got up, grabbed his sword, and rushed out. Countless soldiers holding torches began to split into two sides, creating a path. Before long, a horse carrying a bloodied man galloped straight towards the commander's tent.
Guards led the horse, helping the man down. The man was covered in blood, his appearance unrecognizable. The guards pushed aside his long hair and shouted, "It's General Chen."
Li Yicheng stood outside the tent, snow swirling around his face, watching the bloodied Chen He on horseback. He should have escorted Fu Yu to the North Mansion Yamen in Luo Jia by now, but here he was, covered in blood, lying in front of him.
He stood there, stunned, watching the meandering army like a fiery dragon, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth without his awareness.
The guards approached Chen He and heard his final words before his death. After a moment, holding a blood-stained jade pendant, one of them walked up to Li Yicheng and reported, "General Chen said that the Crown Prince ordered the abduction of the Concubine, and when General Chen refused, they killed all the guards."
Li Yicheng lowered his head, looking at the lotus jade pendant in his hand.
Fu Yu was innocent, why target her?
*
"According to the latest news, the Northern barbarian troops have already advanced towards the Black Adder Ridge."
Standing in the corridor, Mu Gui respectfully presented a military report to the man leaning against the railing outside, his hands wet from the raindrops falling from the eaves. He opened the envelope, only glancing at its contents briefly.
"When Yan Chi and Dongli fought, the Northern barbarians remained on the sidelines. Seeing the Yan Chi envoy about to arrive in the capital, they intervened, making Yan Chi think they were backing him up." Li Wenjian chuckled.
Mu Gui said, "The Northern barbarians and Yan Chi have occupied the eighteen cities for fifty years. Now that Yan Chi is returning to two cities, they understand the principle of mutual benefit, so this is expected."
Li Wenjian nodded slightly and heard the sound of the door being pushed open.
Looking up, he saw Zhao Heng pushing the door open and entering the study.
Mu Gui bowed as she approached, then respectfully left.
"So early to come back?" Li Wenjian asked as she walked through the empty study to the corridor.
âI came back from old Duke's place and also visited the Third Princess's Mansion. Jun Ning is having a difficult time with this pregnancy, she has been feeling unwell lately, and is taking medicine to prevent miscarriage.â Zhao Heng saw raindrops flying diagonally from the eaves onto his body, so she pulled him closer to her chest, raising her sleeve to gently wipe the raindrops off his cuff, and then touched her belly, "Thankfully, he is very obedient and doesnât let me suffer too much.â
Li Wenjian wrinkled his nose, âHe dares.â
Zhao Heng pursed her lips and smiled, âYou are not as strict as a father as you think.â
Li Wenjian straightened his body, turning to look at her. The dusk had fallen, and the lanterns under the eaves swayed in the wind, struggling with the flickering candle flames. Suddenly, he bent down, the cold fragrance from his body enveloping her, his eyes like water-soaked gemstones, soft and bright.
Zhao Heng blinked her eyelashes lightly, her breath quickening.
He whispered, âNo one is allowed to bully you, not even our child.â
âI wonât let anyone bully me.â Zhao Heng smiled at him, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth.
âHmm.â He stood upright, nodded gently, and reached out to lightly tap her reddened nose. Zhao Heng kept looking at his face, and he suddenly pulled out a piece of candy and put it in her mouth.
A faint orange scent spread in her mouth.
Lately, she had been experiencing frequent morning sickness, so he always carried candy on him and would magically offer it to her from time to time.
âEven if you donât feel sick, you can still have some candy.â Li Wenjianâs warm eyes remained focused on her cheek, speaking earnestly.
Zhao Heng suppressed the urge to smile, this man always brought her so much joy. She turned her head and noticed a piece of paper beside him, unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, âWhat is that?â
Li Wenjian casually glanced at the raindrops-soaked letter, picked it up, and handed it to her.
The letter was filled with densely written words. Zhao Heng read it slowly, her brows furrowing involuntarily. She was worried, so she looked up at Li Wenjian and asked, âIs there still no news from Wei Wanyu?â
Li Wenjian nodded.
Zhao Heng's brows furrowed even deeper, anxiously hoping that Wei Wanyu would arrive safely at the North Mansion, meet the Second Prince smoothly, and resolve the misunderstanding between him and the Crown Prince.
After the New Year, a rebel army in Shu land rose under the guise of remnants of the former dynasty. This rebel army had about a few thousand people, and although they had been unsuccessful, their leader seemed to be a former great general from the previous dynasty, highly skilled at concealing their whereabouts and causing trouble sporadically.
This time, they had gathered a force of thirty thousand in Shu land, forcing Li Wenjian to dispatch troops from Yuzhou to quell the chaos. The north was just recovering from the war with Yan Chi, and was low on resources; in Jiangnan, new policies had been implemented since the previous year, causing discontent among many noble families who were now eager for a chance to seize opportunities.
The Northern barbarian invasion at this time was not good news.
If the Second Prince was willing to fight the enemy with all his might, it would be fine. But if he neglected to resist due to a rift with the Crown Prince, allowing the Northern barbarians to advance south, the court would have to deploy troops from Tongzhou to support the northern defense.
In this way, without the Tongzhou army as a backing, the capital would be completely exposed to the rebel forces.
Li Wenjian reached out to pat her head, his eyes curved into a gentle smile, âItâs alright, the rebel army in Shu land is struggling to gain momentum, the noble families in Jiangnan dare not take rash actions, they will only bide their time; Ziren and I may have some differences, but he is dedicated to his country, he wonât make foolish decisions when faced with important matters. It seems that their situation is even more difficult. We just have to endure this period of time.â
His tone was light and profound.
Zhao Heng lowered her eyes, Li Wenjian leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her eyes, âLetâs go, it's time for dinner. After dinner, Iâll accompany you for a walk in the garden to aid digestion.â
*
The streets of Luo Jia City suddenly became crowded.
Beggars and starving refugees filled the streets, their fine clothes torn to shreds.
The area outside the apothecary was packed with beggars, creating a chaotic scene.
âThe Northern barbarians are now stationed under Wushe Ridge, what does that mean? Are we going to war soon?â
âWill there be a war? I heard that the border camp has not mobilized yet.â
Amidst the disorderly and noisy voices, these snippets of conversations faintly reached Fuyu's ears.
Wei Wanyu cooked a pot of chicken soup in the physician's kitchen. These days she felt like she was going crazy, she had never had to cook before in her life, even when she was mixing with the refugees all she needed was a meal, she never actually cooked!
But that damn Xilin just slaughtered the chicken and threw it at her, without caring about anything else.
With the apothecary's business unexpectedly booming these days, the runners in the apothecary didnât have time to take care of the patients, so she angrily chopped the chicken in half and put it in the pot, seasoning it to make a pot of chicken soup with an unknown taste.
She served it to Fu Yu, who unexpectedly ate two bowls of it.
âWe canât send you back to the North Mansion now.â Xilin was not very good at conversations.
âI know, if the spies around him are not eliminated, sending me back would mean death as well.â Fu Yu's wounds were still not fully healed, a slight movement made her pale face crease in pain, âBut I can't wait any longer.â
âWhat do you mean?â Wei Wanyu didnât quite understand.
âThis time, he never planned on coming back alive.â Fu Yu held the steaming chicken soup, tears unknowingly falling, tasting a bittersweetness on her lips, âThe North Mansion is cold and barren, lacking in provisions, the court withholding military supplies for the North Mansion, our remaining provisions canât last much longer. He just didnât want me to die with him there.â
Over the years, although there were times when he was plagued by nightmares and would grip her neck, forbidding her from leaving, insisting that she stay by his side forever, regardless of life or death. But unconsciously, he no longer bound her as tightly as before, not forbidding her from leaving even a step.
He hoped she would live, even if alone, she had to live well.
âI left the border camp not because I didnât want to die with him.â The hot steam from the bowl gently brushed her face, âI just couldnât bear to see him knowingly walk down a path of no return. I want to live with him.â
âBefore I left, he said that he stayed at the border camp to drive out the Northern barbarians, he despises them so much, yet he hesitates to send troops now that my life is uncertain, he is torn between coming to rescue me or fighting the Northern barbarians.â Fu Yuâs tears flowed freely, âI have only brought trouble to him.â
Wei Wanyu didn't say any words of comfort, she stared at Fuyu blankly, "I have already sent a letter back to the capital. Once His Highness receives the message, he will surely order General Xu to come from Meizhou to assist, which will help lift the siege on Luo Jia."
"It's too late," Fuyu said, "By the time the message reaches the capital from here, and then the order is sent to Meizhou, he may starve to death at the border before the reinforcements arrive."
"What should we do then?" Wei Wanyu scratched her head in distress.
"I will take you to the military camp to find him," Xilin finally spoke up.
Fu Yu shook her head, "No, I don't know who the spies are around him, rushing into the military camp will lead to death. If I die, he won't be able to go on. I can't create chaos and put him in a more difficult situation."
They had known each other for so long, how could his thoughts and intentions escape her?
Sending her back to Luo Jia to bear a child was a facade, the real purpose was to secure a path for her survival.
Li Yicheng knew that staying at the border camp was a path of death, but he still refused to leave. Because he needed to protect the country.
Fu Yu also knew, so she didn't stop him, she obediently followed his instructions back to Luo Jia, so he wouldn't worry about her.
However, before leaving, she took his jade pendant.
Because she had originally planned to use his token to go to Meizhou to request General Xu to open the granaries for assistance.
Even if His Highness didn't care about their brotherly relationship, surely the border generals cared about the country and people, right?
If she couldn't borrow provisions, then it meant that Dongli was truly rotten to the core.
When that time came, if she and him died together, it would be a clean break.
He had always saved her at all costs, giving everything for her.
And now, it was her turn to protect him, to save him.
Knowing that this separation could mean a permanent goodbye, she still left. Dying together was easy, a knife at the throat and it's over, but living together was hard, even with a glimmer of hope, one must strive for it.
Fu Yu never expected to encounter assassins impersonating the Panlong guards halfway.
Learning that Wei Wanyu and Xilin were sent by the Crown Prince, she cried tears of joy. After so many years of waiting, the General finally received news from the capital. She couldn't wait to bring this good news to him, to let him know that the person he always cherished and loved, hadn't abandoned him or cast him aside.
He was not just her treasure.
But she couldn't go back yet.
"Please take me to Meizhou," her thin eyelids still slightly swollen, but this time she didn't shed tears, she instead drank the warm chicken soup in big gulps, "I need to go to Meizhou to borrow provisions."
"I wasn't very confident before, but now that I know the Crown Prince's feelings towards the General, I must go," Fu Yu instinctively looked towards the sunlight streaming through the window, her eyes squinting slightly from the long-lost sunlight, "Then I will have General Xu's men escort me back to find him."
She needed to protect herself.
If all efforts failed to secure a lifeline, she was not afraid to accompany him to the next life.
*
In the middle of the night, a sudden gust of wind slammed against the window frames, with a "clap" sound echoing through the window.
Zhao Heng was startled awake from her dream, sitting up abruptly.
"Ah Heng?" Li Wenjian was always alert when sleeping, and in the flickering candlelight, he vaguely saw Zhao Heng sitting up, so he sat up as well.
âWhy are you crying?â Li Wenjian lit the lamp on the desk, the candlelight revealing Zhao Heng's teary eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Zhao Hong's voice was a bit dazed, "Your Highness."
"What did you dream about?" Li Wenjian pulled her into his arms, gently patting her back.
"I dreamt about you." The howling wind made her heart race, and she tightly wrapped her arms around him, "I dreamt that you were bleeding a lot."
Feeling her cold hands, Li Wenjian wrapped her in the blanket, holding her tightly to comfort her, "I'm perfectly fine, see?"
Li Wenjian's breath enveloped Zhao Heng, calming her down gradually.
It must be because she had been too anxious recently, always thinking about the matters at the Northern Mansion, that she dreamt of His Highness facing off against the Second Prince in battle, the Second Prince stabbing him in the heart with a sword.
She slipped her hand into his sleeve, feeling his warm skin against hers, and whispered softly, "I might be too tense, I think I'll find time to go to the Daxiangguo Temple to pray for blessings."
Li Wenjian held her even tighter, "Alright, I'll accompany you there."