attacking Western Shu

Chapter 57, Attacking Western Shu

When I woke up the next day, it was already broad daylight.

I stirred slightly and realized that Lan Feiyu had also woken up. She was looking at me quietly with her clear eyes, her face showing a hint of languor from being hungover, yet also a sense of tranquility after the rain.

After last night, I think something has changed between us. I can't quite put my finger on it, but we smiled at each other, as if all our unspoken words were contained within our smiles.

“Xi’er,” she said, her voice slightly hoarse, “don’t let me down, and I won’t let you down either… I will value you more than my own life, and cherish you as the most precious treasure.”

She said these things without blushing, but I was so embarrassed I almost died. I couldn't help but force a smile. Lan Feiyu glanced at me and couldn't help but laugh out loud. She reached out and poked my cheek, her voice soft and sweet: "Silly Xi'er, all you do is laugh. Aren't you going to say anything to me?"

I leaned closer, buried my face in her neck, and inhaled the fragrance, which was fainter yet more refreshing than the night before. I whispered, "I'll stay in Bozhou with you."

Lan Feiyu stopped talking and turned to bite me.

We lingered in bed like that until a maid came in to fetch us. Only then did we reluctantly get up, wash and change our clothes, and be led by the maid to see our elder brother.

The elder brother had changed out of the royal robes he wore at yesterday's banquet and was now dressed in a dark blue military uniform, with a leather belt around his waist and his hair tied up high with a matching ribbon, making him appear even more upright. His brows held a sharpness unique to soldiers. Upon seeing us, he gestured for us to sit down and got straight to the point: "The vanguard of the attack on Western Shu has already set off, and I will be leaving soon as well—what are your plans? Will you wait here, or will you join the army?"

I was a little stunned by my older brother's sudden remark: "Huh? Attack Western Shu?" My mind involuntarily drifted to the young ruler of Western Shu and Empress Dowager Fan...

Lan Feiyu pursed her lips: "Xi'er, are you stupid? Of course, the prince must get rid of Xie Kun, who is still in Western Shu, first. Otherwise, he will always be in your way if he keeps chasing after you."

A hint of appreciation flickered in my older brother's eyes. Before I could even feel proud of Lan Feiyu's keen insight, he said in a deep voice, "That's one point. Xie Kun, as a former official of Eastern Chu, has defected and is colluding with foreign powers to plot against us. This is already the behavior of a traitor. Letting him go unpunished is too damaging to the prestige of Eastern Chu. Moreover, Western Shu is weak and has long been hampered by Tu Luo. This is a good opportunity to remove this thorn in our side. When we deal with Bozhou in the future, we can avoid being attacked from both sides."

Lan Feiyu and I exchanged a glance, and we could both see the excitement in each other's expressions.

"Big brother, of course Yu'er and I will go with you!" I said firmly.

The older brother nodded and said, "Okay, then get ready, we're about to set off."

While I know that speed is of the essence in warfare, this speed is just too fast...

Lan Feiyu then asked, "Where is Mr. Tao? Isn't he coming with us?"

The elder brother said calmly, "Let him stay for now. The 'medicine people' in Bozhou are still a hidden danger. Mr. Tao has a lot of experience in medicine and poison. I have asked him to stay here and study how to crack the 'medicine people'. If we can have the help to restrain such evil things in the future battle of Bozhou, it will make things much easier for our army."

Knowing how dangerous the "drug man" is, I couldn't help but shudder when I heard the name. Getting rid of one has already nearly killed me. If Mr. Tao really has a way to solve this, it would be a great achievement.

Seeing that my older brother's gaze had turned to the geomantic map, as if he was about to continue discussing with the general, I quickly grabbed his arm and asked expectantly, "Big brother, can I go to the battlefield too?"

This question earned me a sharp rap on the forehead from my older brother, the sound so intense it made me see stars. Before I could protest, he was already grinning—his expression really resembled that of the Emperor of Eastern Chu, even though they weren't father and son. He stared at me and said, "Xiao Xi, you've never even had a day of military training. What are you going to do on the battlefield? Do you know how many commands there are for waving a military flag? In a chaotic battle, can you even tell who's the enemy and who's on your side? Even if you want to fabricate a good reputation for dying for your country, this isn't the way to do it. Just stay out of the way and don't cause me any trouble."

Then he looked at Lan Feiyu, his stern expression instantly turning into a gentle, spring-like smile: "Miss Lan is incredibly intelligent and surely understands the greater good. I'll trouble you to take good care of my good-for-nothing little sister along the way."

Lan Feiyu blushed slightly, but returned the smile gracefully and replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, Xi'er and I are sworn sisters, and Feiyu will do her best."

The older brother said no more and strode away.

Lan Feiyu and I quickly returned to our room, changed into more practical clothes, and set off with the army.

Lan Feiyu and I were seated in a relatively comfortable carriage, following safely behind the main force. I lifted the curtain and watched as rows of Dongchu soldiers, their armor gleaming and their bearing impeccable, marched past us in perfect unison, heading forward. The dust they kicked up swirled into a golden mist in the morning light, and a sense of pride welled up within me. But this pride was quickly replaced by a touch of melancholy—I was, after all, just a spectator.

"How long do you think this war will last?" I couldn't help but ask Lan Feiyu, who was resting with her eyes closed.

She looked at me and tilted her head: "Shouldn't you know better? That's the military commanded by your older brother."

Seeing that I was sullen, Lan Feiyu softened her tone, stroking the back of my neck casually, and said softly, "Yu'er, what Prince Xinan said is right. If you go to the battlefield, he will have to take care of you. If you get hurt, it will be even more difficult for him to explain. So please let your older brother go."

I pursed my lips, but before I could speak, a trace of sadness welled up in her eyes again: "Besides, Xi'er, war isn't fun... anything that involves death isn't fun..."

“I know.” I sighed. “I didn’t just have this idea out of curiosity. Yu’er, I’ll be with you in Bozhou from now on. After Bozhou is incorporated into Eastern Chu, it will be the first line of defense against Tuluo. Of course, it would be best if both countries were at peace, but… regardless of their plans, isn’t there a saying, ‘Forgetting war is dangerous’? So, Bozhou will definitely need to develop its defenses and strengthen its military in the future. We can’t just abandon it because we’re bored, can we? I also want to be useful as soon as possible… even if I can’t be as useful as Mr. Tao, at least… useful…”

Lan Feiyu stared at me blankly for a long while. I thought I had said something wrong or that I was being arrogant, but then she reached out and grabbed my face tightly and kissed me.

Before I could recover, she stepped back, smiling at me, but her eyes were serious: "No wonder your older brother said you were silly... You're very useful, Xi'er. If it weren't for you, King Xinan wouldn't have believed me so readily, and I certainly wouldn't have been able to be so trusting of Eastern Chu. We would probably have spent more time making the alliance, and perhaps your older brother wouldn't have so quickly sent troops to Western Shu. Xi'er, tell me, isn't this better than you charging into battle yourself?"

I bit my lower lip, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up from the depths of my heart.

This is my Yu'er. She wasn't trying to comfort me, but she gave me immense comfort.

After traveling for about two hours, the carriage stopped on a flat area in a mountain valley. The faint sounds of clashing metal and indistinct shouts could be heard from ahead, indicating that the vanguard had already engaged the defenders of Western Shu. Lan Feiyu and I were "invited" off the carriage by the guards and placed in a temporary tent with a relatively open view, which had obviously been carefully scouted to ensure safety.

My older brother was nowhere to be seen; he must have gone to the front lines to direct operations. My heart ached with worry for him, and I felt utterly helpless sitting here in vain. Time ticked by, the sun gradually setting, painting the sky a magnificent crimson. The shouts of battle from the front rose and fell, each fierce outburst sending shivers down my spine.

Seeing that I was restless, Lan Feiyu took my hand and invited me to sit with her on a low couch covered with a felt rug. She softly told me stories of old Bozhou or anecdotes about her childhood medical studies at the clinic, trying to distract me. I knew her good intentions and tried to calm myself down, but my ears kept involuntarily picking up on distant noises.

"Do you think... Xie Kun and Yuanzi might take advantage of the chaos to do something?" I couldn't help but ask again.

Lan Feiyu thought for a moment and shook her head: "Yuanzi... I can't back down, but she certainly won't sit idly by and wait to die. However, given her intelligence, she won't confront the Eastern Chu army head-on when the odds of victory are slim..."

Just then, a louder horn sounded outside the tent than before, followed by a thunderous cheer. The sound spread rapidly in our direction as it approached!

"We won! We won!" I almost jumped up, and I looked at Lan Feiyu. We both saw unbelievable joy in each other's eyes.

Sure enough, a short while later, a personal guard rushed in with a joyful expression to report: "His Highness has led his army to capture the capital of Western Shu, and all the defending generals have surrendered! His Highness will return shortly!"

I held Lan Feiyu's hand, laughing and shouting. The anxiety that had been hanging over me all day finally subsided.

Before darkness completely fell, the eldest brother finally returned. His armor was stained with some dust and barely perceptible dark stains—presumably bloodstains. His face bore the weariness of battle, but his eyes remained bright as stars, gleaming with the light of victory, adding to his imposing aura.

"Big brother!" I rushed forward to greet him, carefully looking him up and down. Seeing that he was only a little tired but had no injuries, I finally felt completely relieved.

“Xiao Xi, Miss Lan,” the older brother greeted us with a gentle smile, his battlefield fierceness seemingly fading somewhat. “The capital of Western Shu has fallen; everything went smoothly. I…”

Before he could finish speaking, a scout, travel-worn and with bloodstains on his armor, rushed in with a panicked expression. He didn't even have time to catch his breath before kneeling on one knee and reporting in a hoarse, urgent voice: "Your Highness! A thorough search of the city has yielded results! We've captured Empress Dowager Fan of Western Shu and the young emperor! However… however, that traitor Xie Kun, so cunning, managed to escape through a secret passage in the palace before the city fell! We couldn't catch him in time. I… I failed in my duty; please punish me, Your Highness!"

I couldn't help but blurt out, "What about the kite?" Then I explained, "Did you find a young woman? She... she's quite tall, looks like a woman from another tribe, with dark green eyes..."

When I saw the scout shake his head, my heart sank, but for some reason, a trace of... relief rose within me.

What is wrong with me?

The older brother's brows furrowed instantly, a flash of cold light crossing his eyes, but he quickly regained his usual calm. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Let them escape. Two clowns can't cause much trouble. Send down the order to guard all passes strictly, post notices and portraits, and issue arrest warrants for these two. Also, keep a close eye on Empress Dowager Fan and the young emperor, and do not neglect them in any way."

"Yes, sir!" The scout saluted and left.