"Very good." Xiao Xun slowly uttered two words, his voice low and carrying a strange sense of approval. He didn't say anything more, but simply closed his eyes again, as if resting or perhaps pondering something.

The carriage returned to the prince's residence in silence. As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, You Ye hurried forward with a solemn expression, holding an urgent military report stamped with the Ministry of War's wax seal.

"Your Highness! Urgent dispatch from the Northern Territory! The vanguard of the Rongdi main force, numbering about ten thousand cavalry, has been spotted in the direction of Black Stone Ridge! They have already engaged in fierce fighting with our forward scouts! General Xin Yunzhou has urgently reported this, requesting reinforcements and the allocation of winter supplies!" You Ye's voice carried a hint of urgency.

Xiao Xun stopped in his tracks, took the military report, and quickly opened and scanned it. In the dim lantern light, his already pale face instantly became even more stern, his thin lips pressed into a hard, straight line, and the pressure around him suddenly dropped to freezing point. That heavy, murderous aura was more chilling than the cold wind of the northern border.

Xin Jiuwei's heart sank to the bottom! The worst had happened! Her brother…

After reading the military report, Xiao Xun slammed it shut with a sharp "snap." He looked up, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over You Ye and the several advisors who had rushed to the scene. His voice was as cold as a knife, carrying an undeniable, iron-fisted decisiveness:

"Order the chief officials of the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works to come to the council hall of the Prince's Palace immediately!"

"Order the deputy commander of the capital's military camp to muster 10,000 elite cavalry and prepare to depart within three days!"

"Open Warehouse B, Warehouse No. 3, and allocate all stockpiled winter furs, oil, and fine iron arrowheads to prioritize supplying the Northern Territory!"

"Notify Judge Lin to prepare a list of the accompanying medical officer and necessary wound medications!"

A series of orders rained down like ice beads, swift and efficient, instantly igniting the tense atmosphere in the prince's residence. The advisors obeyed and rushed off.

Xiao Xun then turned to Xin Jiuwei. His eyes were still deep, but beneath that calmness lay a resolute and solemn determination to go to the battlefield.

"The northern border is in dire need of attention. I must personally oversee the Ministry of War and coordinate military affairs. I fear I will have no time to spare." His voice was low and rapid. "You Ye will arrange all matters within the palace. You..." His gaze lingered on her pale face for a moment, and the unfinished instructions were finally condensed into a concise statement, "Take good care of yourself and do not worry."

Having said that, he didn't linger, not even glancing at Xin Jiuwei again, and strode towards the brightly lit council hall. His dark cloak fluttered in the cold wind, his back straight and solitary, like a sword about to be drawn, carrying an unwavering determination, quickly disappearing into the deep night.

Xin Jiuwei stood rooted to the spot, the biting wind whipping her cheeks, yet unable to dispel the turmoil in her heart. She gazed in the direction where Xiao Xun had disappeared, at the bright lights of the council hall reflecting countless busy figures, and seemed to still hear the echoes of his series of cold and urgent military orders.

The flames of war have already been lit in the north.

The older brother is in a dangerous situation.

The man who had just handed over the power of revenge to her and declared that they were "fellow travelers" was now heading to another, even more brutal battlefield to protect this land and everything she cared about.

The lingering echo of that "Don't worry" drifted lightly in the cold wind, yet it weighed on Xin Jiuwei's heart like the heaviest boulder. She slowly raised her hand, her fingertips icy cold. The night was as black as ink, so thick it seemed impenetrable, as if foreshadowing even more turbulent undercurrents and unknown storms. She clenched her fist, her nails digging deep into her palm, leaving clear crescent-shaped marks.

A storm is brewing, and the wind is already howling. She has nowhere left to retreat.