Chapter 106 The Player is Already Involved

The journey north to Shuo'an City, the capital of Yan State, was not actually far, but the area was vast, and it took another five days to travel there.

For Lin Chengye, time flew by. The other three took turns driving, day and night without rest. Finally, at midday in a place where the wind and snow had subsided, they arrived at a stone fort that had suddenly appeared on the grassland.

The stone fortress, a colossal structure that suddenly rose to prominence, was constructed of rough, massive stones mixed with rammed earth, its color blending seamlessly with the exposed red soil of the surrounding landscape. Towering crenellations, shaped like saw teeth, stood atop the fortress, where a large wolf-head banner fluttered in the wind. Brown-gold flags were planted on all four sides.

"This is the court of the Xiongnu chieftain, the heart of Northern Yan."

Tuoba Heqing pointed at the wolf's head on the stone fortress, exhaled a hot breath, and spoke with an unconsciously arrogant tone. In the corner of her eye, Lin Chengye stared at the high-flying flag, seemingly shocked, which made her even more smug, her nostrils practically reaching for the sky.

"Isn't he handsome? Doesn't he rival even those from your country, Lai?"

"How can I see your mother, the Chanyu of Northern Yan?"

Lin Chengye glanced at her. These days she had come to realize that Tuoba Heqing's personality was something that could not be tolerated; if you did, he would climb the social ladder.

If things weren't in this state, she wouldn't think having such a boisterous friend would be so bad. But Bian Yi's health had been deteriorating rapidly these past few days, and she was almost unconscious. Just as Bian Yi herself said, she could hold on until now with gentle, nurturing care, but her life was already nearing its end.

There's no time left.

“Immediately, I sent a message back to tell my sister that we will arrive around this time. Time is of the essence, so you should go see her directly.”

Tuoba Sui's voice came, and she handed the reins of the carriage to Tuoba Heqing and gave him instructions.

"You will drive Bian Yi to my place in a moment. The rest is none of your business. Don't be curious about what happens next."

Tuoba Heqing quickly nodded, realizing that his aunt was truly serious and not entirely oblivious.

Soon, their group entered the magnificent gates of the stone fortress. After traveling a while, Lin Chengye and Tuoba Sui dismounted, and Tuoba Heqing flicked the whip, urging the carriage to turn onto another road. In an instant, only Lin Chengye and Tuoba Sui remained in the snow.

“If you go straight ahead from here, you will see the Chanyu’s golden tent, and my sister is there.”

Tuoba Sui stared straight ahead and said.

"Okay." Lin Chengye nodded and asked, "Aren't you coming along?"

“My elder sister has given a strict order that only you are allowed to enter, so even I am not permitted to enter.”

Tuoba Sui turned to face Lin Chengye. In the vast snow, she took a deep breath and suddenly knelt on one knee.

"...I don't know how you and my sister will cooperate or plot. The Golden Double-Eyed Poisonous Herb is extremely precious to Northern Yan, and to Tuoba Sui, the Right Wise King of Northern Yan. But for A-Sui, she would take it out without hesitation as long as it can save her friend."

Tuoba Sui was torn apart, splitting into two people. The one named Tuoba, loyal to the Chanyu of Northern Yan, must also be her beloved elder sister, which is why she voluntarily chose to be locked up here.

The one named A Sui couldn't help but run out when she saw her old friend, but unfortunately, she only dared to come out when no one was around.

Who in this world is without regrets? From royalty to commoners, from youth to old age, she has walked this path, and it seems that there has not been a moment without regret as she prays to the person she seeks help from.

Lin Chengye didn't move when he saw Tuoba Sui kneel down to him, but that was only because he was so shocked by her at that moment.

"...Even if you don't say it, I will do my best."

Lin Chengye calmed down and helped Tuoba Sui up with both hands. Actually, the two of them were about the same height when they stood together.

"Go ahead, it's just ahead. Be careful, you'll have to rely on yourself to get to your sister."

Tuoba Sui pointed ahead to the place blurred by the wind and snow.

Lin Chengye took a step forward and plunged headlong into the direction Tuoba Sui pointed.

At first, she could feel the intense gaze on her from behind, but as she walked, and as she was completely swallowed up by the wind and snow, that gaze disappeared, and there was no sound around her.

There was no one behind her, and no one beside her.

The world was vast and clean, and she was the only one who continued on her journey.

...

The Chanyu's golden tent was far more breathtaking than Lin Chengye had imagined. At first, she couldn't see it clearly and thought that what appeared in the blurry distance was a snow-covered mountain range.

Upon closer inspection, Lin Chengye saw that the continuous expanse was actually a vast tent covered entirely in white felt, numbering at least several hundred in a row, with a golden wolf perched proudly on the dome. The surrounding area was embroidered with tribal totems in gold and silver thread, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight.

The path she walked on became narrower and narrower, but this path was different from the others. It was marked on both sides by soldiers from Northern Yan, but they all ignored Lin Chengye and let her go as she pleased.

As Lin Chengye walked to the entrance of the golden tent, the soldier guarding the door with a scimitar immediately made way for him.

This smooth process caused Lin Chengye to pause before entering the tent. She could vaguely sense the oppressive aura emanating from within the golden tent. The Chanyu was probably just a curtain away from her; they couldn't see each other's faces, but it seemed they had already sensed each other's imposing presence.

But in the end, Lin Chengye still raised his hand and lifted the curtain.

The tent was covered with several layers of intricately patterned carpets from the Western Regions. Inside, a towering throne for the Chanyu (ruler) stood, adorned with gold and covered with the hides of wild beasts. Behind it hung a suluding (a symbol of military power), exuding an imposing aura.

But all of this paled in comparison to the man sitting on the throne.

Tuoba Lu was not a martial artist, so her face was as old as she was, naturally aged, with wrinkles growing on her face. Unlike Tuoba Heqing's bright white hair, the white hair at her temples had turned a pale, aged white.

But this did not diminish her bearing at all; on the contrary, it added to her majesty. Tuoba Lu smiled faintly, placed her hands on the gold-decorated handles on her sides, lowered her eyes slightly, and gazed calmly at Lin Chengye with her somewhat cloudy, dark blue eyes.

This leader was different from Ji Gongyun and Wei Jingchen whom Lin Chengye had met. The two of them had some sharp emotions because they were fighting for the throne like wild beasts, which made people fear them.

The mere gesture of lowering one's eyes is enough to convey the meaning of "imposing without anger."

Besides Tuoba Lu and Lin Chengye, there were several other servants present, all of whom trembled with fear as the two women stared at each other silently.

"You may all leave."

Tuoba Lü's voice was like an imperial edict. The servants hurriedly thanked him and dispersed.

No matter how much pressure he exerted, it couldn't be applied to a martial artist who had no way out. Lin Chengye didn't find the atmosphere in the tent to be overly oppressive; instead, he blinked when his eyes felt sore.

"Ah. General Lin's daughter, you are indeed interesting. It was worth it for me to meet you in person."

Seeing her like this, Tuoba Lu suddenly gave a faint smile.

"That's true. Your Northern Yan and my Lin family have fought hundreds of wars, big and small, so it's normal that you know me."

When Lin Chengye heard Tuoba Lu mention his mother, she remembered that she had probably caused her a lot of headaches in the past, and she added.

"You probably know more than Tuoba Sui."

It's hard to say what the relationship between Tuoba Lu and Tuoba Sui really is; they seem distant, yet they also seem to be each other's most trusted confidants.

“Ah…After all, Northern Yan and Southern Qi are not currently allied. I have heard about the new Half-Immortal before, and I also know that you are seeking revenge.”

Tuoba Lu made no attempt to hide it. The only players in this game were actually Wang Yi and Lin Chengye, but she preferred to be the one reaping the benefits, as did the young emperor of Southern Qi.

She tilted her chin up and said.

Tell me about it.

"Is your plan worth exchanging for the one and only Golden Double-Herb?"

...

Their discussion didn't last long; Lin Chengye felt his mouth opening and closing repeatedly.

It was already decided who would live and who would die.

"...Your plan is feasible. As for sending messages and making contact, we can use the spies that Northern Yan has planted in Lai. As you said, the emperor is eager for that fake princess to die."

"At this time, the eldest princess is seriously injured, so he will turn a blind eye to this kind of thing. The entire Lin Su City is probably leaking like a sieve right now."

Tuoba Lu nodded in satisfaction, his expression softening slightly as he looked at Lin Chengye. However, this gentleness stemmed from the fact that Lin Chengye's proposed plan was utterly ineffective against Northern Yan.

It's incredibly worthwhile that just one Golden Double-Eyed Poisonous Herb could cause the princess's demise.

"But what I really want to ask you is, is there any other way, even if it requires a long-term plan..."

Lin Chengye gritted his teeth and gently closed his eyes.

She understood that perhaps they could take a longer approach, but what good would that do for Tuoba Lu or Northern Yan? Now that they could accomplish this by sacrificing only two people, why take the risk and find another way?

But for her, this seemed too much to bear. It forced her to bow her head to Tuoba Lu and beg her to think of a solution.

"I'm afraid this is not a good long-term solution... If we give that princess another chance to turn things around, we'll all be close to death."

"She needs to find someone to be her puppet emperor right now, and that person could be one of the three princes of Lai. But once she has the whole world under her control, will she really still be subject to whether or not the surname is Wei?"

Tuoba Lu rose from the golden throne, her smile fading, and walked step by step toward the young man. She firmly grasped the girl's shoulder and whispered in her ear.

"Lin Chengye, you are the player in this game. But you don't want to use your pieces. Is there such a good thing?"

"As you said, this princess has already missed the Spring Festival. She certainly won't miss your Lai Kingdom's Spring Festival celebration. After all, how could she miss such an important event that would allow the people of Lai Kingdom to witness her power and even let the world know about her status as the eldest princess of Lai Kingdom and demonstrate her legitimacy?"

Tuoba Lu felt the girl under her command's shoulders tense up and down. She looked down and saw Lin Chengye's clenched fist, his nails embedded in his flesh, the blood absorbed by the carpet and turning into spots.

She suddenly smiled, abruptly releasing Lin Chengye. Tuoba Lu pulled back the curtain of the golden tent, letting in a fleeting ray of sunlight that didn't even touch Lin Chengye's shoulder before plunging her back into darkness. Leaving behind only one sentence.

"April 4th, I'm waiting for your good news."

...

Bian Yi never expected that what would wake her up was the cool water droplets that kept falling on her face. By the time she realized they were tears, she had no idea how long the person had been crying by her bedside.

She slowly opened her eyes, reached out, and rubbed Lin Chengye's head.

The girl grabbed her hand and, haltingly and with a choked voice, finished explaining her plan.

Bian Yi didn't actually know why Lin Chengye was crying. It was such a perfect, wonderful ending that it made her want to cry too.

"Chengye, you don't need to do this."

Bian Yi knew he was terrible at comforting people, so he could only wipe away Lin Chengye's tears again and again before finally managing to force a smile.

"I couldn't have asked for this opportunity more than I could have."

"But I..."

But what? Lin Chengye felt that things shouldn't be like this. But before he could say anything, Bian Yi's voice rang out again.

"Don't overthink it, Chengye. Matters of the martial world should be handled by the people of the martial world."

"If one battle fails, then another. If that still fails, then I will spend my life hunting that person down to the ends of the earth."

...

"Who gave you this letter?"

Liu Yue's hands trembled as he held the letter, staring in disbelief at the ordinary-looking woman in the imperial kitchen.

Today, he came to draw blood for the emperor as usual, but since the spring search, for some reason, he has been taking an extra bowl every day.

As for where it went, he didn't know; in any case, it was taken by someone else.

The woman always worked quietly in the corner, just like any other servant in the palace, always cautiously concerned that her head might be in danger at any moment. Therefore, they never spoke a word to each other, nor did they even exchange glances.

"Speak up!" Liu Yue snapped at the woman, exasperated.

But after the woman handed him the letter, she stopped looking at him and continued tending her boiler, slowly heating it. She seemed to be deaf and mute.

The letter had only one word on its cover:

Ye.

The author says: Actually, this ending is called "getting what you want," and everyone gets what they want.

But from a conventional perspective, it might not be a good ending? I'll ask again when I finish writing if I need a more perfect epilogue (runs away).

I've been praising myself for three days in a row.