No time to regret

Aqiu said, “The Northwest Army and the Shuofang Army are far away from us, so we have to give them a heads-up in advance. I believe the Northern Qiang have already heard about such a large-scale military mobilization. I only informed them out of personal friendship and did not use any imperial edict, so it is not an overstepping of my bounds. But the Marquis of Guannei and the Marquis of Yongding are both smart men, and they will know what to do.”

Lie Changkong hesitated for a moment, then said, "Young Master, have you considered the worst-case scenario?"

Aqiu said matter-of-factly, "So they just won't send troops and will sit idly by while the Northern Qiang annex our dynasty?"

Lie Changkong said, "Young Master once saved the life of the Marquis of Guannei. The Marquis of Guannei is renowned throughout the land for his righteousness and should not make such a choice. The Fanmen of the Northwest has been fighting against the Northern Qiang for generations, and General Xiao Fan is practically a hostage in the palace. The possibility of him not sending troops is extremely small. However..."

He said cautiously, "National affairs are not personal matters; the two of them are also responsible for the lives and deaths of the people in their respective regions."

A Qiu looked straight into his eyes and calmly said, "So, you don't think the Southern Dynasty has a good chance in this battle either?"

Lie Changkong sighed and said in a deep voice, "Can I tell you the truth?"

A Qiu's heart skipped a beat, but she calmly pressed down on the hilt of the Carved Moon Sword and said, "Please speak."

A sharp glint appeared in Lie Changkong's eyes as he said, "I have followed the Junior Master for ten years and I know very well that every blade of grass and every tree in the Southern Dynasty today embodies his hard work. But in my opinion, it is almost impossible to win this battle. Its most fatal flaw lies in time."

He continued, “When the Grand Tutor was alive, he never thought of launching a northern expedition, but he could not make a decision easily because the internal situation was not stable and the people’s hearts were not united. In the end, the former emperor left behind a mess. The Grand Tutor stepped in to clean up the mess and end the fragmentation of the Southern Dynasty. This was a situation that everyone was happy to see. But to launch an attack on the Northern Qiang would be extremely risky. If we were not careful, we would hand over the fruits of peace that we had enjoyed for many years. Therefore, we must have a sure chance of victory before we can proceed.”

Ah Qiu succinctly summarized: "In other words, everyone is happy for Master to help them quell the rebellion and stabilize their homes, hence the overwhelming response. But if they were asked to risk their lives and gamble their entire fortune on an unknown risk, no one would be willing to do it."

Lie Changkong said, “Young Master is wise. Therefore, the Grand Tutor’s strategy, whether internal or external, has always been to maintain calm and focus on recuperation. He has never mentioned war. But you can see that although he is powerful and influential in the court, he has never tried to weaken the Jianzhang Army of the Pei family in the past ten years. This shows that he intends to maintain the fighting strength of the Jianzhang Army. At the same time, he has been constantly contacting the Marquis of Guannei in Youyan, and he has also specially nominated General Xiao Fan in the current Flying Phoenix Four Guards, allowing the Fan family to enter the inner court from the border. This shows that he has never forgotten the Northern Expedition.”

He sighed and said, “The Northern Expedition is difficult, but it is not impossible to give enough time to unite people’s hearts and reach a consensus. Looking at your generation, whether it is Miss Pei, His Highness the Crown Prince, General Xiao Fan, or Miss Shangguan, they are all people who can set aside family prejudices and are determined to make progress. If given another five to ten years, I believe that great things can be accomplished. It’s just that this war came too quickly.”

A Qiu calmly said, "You mean the sudden death of Marquis Dongguang, and that Xiao Pei didn't have time to fully control the Jianzhang Army, and that Marquis Guannei, after the last bloody battle that broke out of Jianzhang City, is probably taking a wait-and-see approach towards us. Moreover, since the incident happened so suddenly, the Southern Dynasty was completely unprepared for immediate combat. Although powerful clans like the Shangguan family, which have stood the test of time for centuries, would certainly be ready to deal with any changes, others would not be like that."

She looked at Luoyufang again and said, "Hulü Guang's trip was ostensibly for the purpose of a marriage alliance, but in reality, he was trying to sow discord among the people of our Southern Dynasty. He even brought up the possibility that the Southern Dynasty might still have the Shuanghua Hall lineage that secretly sided with the Northern Qiang. The Dayan Kingdom has only been established for ten years, and its foundation is still shallow. Moreover, in the first half, it relied heavily on my master's prestige to suppress it. Now that my master has passed away, the one who has inherited his position is me, the Grand Music Master who only emerged half a year ago."

Lie Changkong glanced at her and said deeply, "In fact, in terms of the cohesion of people's hearts, our Dayan is not bad now. But the most critical thing is that the opponent we are facing now is probably the most powerful enemy that the Central Plains Han Dynasty has never encountered in thousands of years."

Aqiu said, "You mean that the Northern Qiang people today are no longer the nomadic people on the grasslands who only know how to fight. They not only have a strong military force, but also have integrated the Han people's experience in governing the country, as well as their strategies and tactics."

Lie Changkong sighed and said, "Just look at Prince Ning, Hulü Guang, and you'll understand. In the past, although the Hu tribes were strong and powerful, with a military strength far superior to ours, they were actually a disorganized mess, each acting independently. Their style of attacking cities and plundering was similar to their raiding on the grasslands. They seemed unstoppable, sweeping across the land, but if they couldn't win a battle, the various tribes would fall apart, and then they could be defeated one by one. That's how the former Grand Chancellor achieved the great victory of crossing the river. But now they are so well-planned and have such a clear strategy. It's obvious that there must be a mastermind behind them."

Suddenly, a figure flashed through A Qiu's mind, standing alone with his hands behind his back, a majestic silhouette against the snow-capped mountains and grasslands, and a chill ran through him.

That was my master, Wan Qiqing, the master of Lanling Hall.

She suddenly lost her composure and said impatiently, "Are you telling me to give up now?"

She suddenly remembered something, turned her head to look directly into Lie Changkong's eyes:

"Or is it that your Tianquan Lie family has already decided to protect yourselves and stand aside, and you're just here to inform me?"

Lie Changkong's expression shifted, and after a moment he said, "If I say that is indeed the case, will the young master back down?"

Ah Qiu replied firmly, "Of course not!"

Lie Changkong was surprised by her resolute attitude and asked, "Without the power of the Junior Master, you will truly become a figurehead regent. Why not step down?"

A Qiu didn't look at him, but instead looked at Luo Yu Fang, which was now completely dark except for a light still shining in one place. She said in a deep voice, "When Master was helping the world back then, he was all alone with his sword and had no junior master to guide him. Didn't he still have to do what he had to do?"

She added, "Many things we choose to do are not because we are certain of success, but because it is the right thing to do."

She turned back again, glanced at Lie Changkong, and said, "Since the Lie family of Tianquan has decided to withdraw, as the eldest son of the Lie family and the leader of the Lie family in this generation, you should go back to your own family!"

Then A Qiu didn't look at him again, stood up, and went straight into the backyard of Luoyufang.

From childhood, A-Qiu had an innate nature: the more difficult the situation, the less willing she was to give up.

The heavier the blows she encountered, the more an unnamed strength would automatically arise in her heart, supporting her and making her never give up.

She silently and completely activated the "Earth Concealment" technique, allowing her figure and aura to blend into the nighttime world of flowers, grass, vines, and trees. Even a master like Su Rouhua would find it extremely difficult to detect her whereabouts.

Although she spoke with absolute certainty and remained perfectly composed in front of Lie Changkong, she had never felt so lost and helpless in her entire life.

She faced the pressure of the 100,000-strong Northern Qiang army marching south, and the undercurrents within the Southern Dynasty.

Xie Lang was seriously ill on the dragon throne.

The power vacuum created by Gu Yi's departure.

Consort Chen, Mu Huaying, and other newly emerging Flying Phoenixes such as Pei Yu and Shangguan Yuqi are all formidable opponents, but as Lie Changkong said, the Great Yan Kingdom has only been established for ten years, and many people and things are still in their infancy.

What she least expected was that Lie Changkong would also leave her.

In the past, Lie Changkong's presence by his side was tantamount to being half a shadow of Gu Yi. To outsiders, this was also practical proof that Gu Yi's influence remained. The Junior Master Charioteers were her most basic team.

Lie Changkong's departure dealt her a blow that left her breathless.

With a "whoosh," a sound rang out in a courtyard of Luoyufang. Although it was separated by dense foliage, Aqiu still heard it clearly.

That sounded like a screen being pushed over.

She immediately banished all useless thoughts and focused her energy on the present moment. At this moment, Luoyufang was no less a dangerous place than a tiger's den, and she had to be fully prepared to face it.

For the first time, she realized that under immense pressure and loneliness, she had finally lost her usual rationality. Otherwise, no matter what Lie Changkong said, she should have kept him as an ally, at least to get through this current situation.

But the decision had been made, and she had no time to go back on it, so she could only follow the sound and tread the path.

The sound came from the only house in the mansion that still had a light on.

A-Qiu silently crept onto the roof, removed the tiles, and peered into the house.

At first glance, she felt a tremor in her heart, but then she realized what was happening and immediately adjusted her breathing to avoid being discovered.

The hall was brightly lit, and a tall, graceful figure in a white robe stood by the window. Her chestnut hair cascaded down like a waterfall, tied with a gold ring at the crown. At first glance, she looked remarkably like Su Rouhua, the leader of the Hidden Moon Clan.

Ah Qiu had suffered at her hands before, so he was so shocked that he almost lost his composure.

But after a few more glances, it becomes clear that this is not Su Rouhua, for this person is more slender and graceful than Su Rouhua, befitting her elegant and charming figure.

A finely crafted, three-sided nanmu wood screen, meticulously engraved, has been smashed to pieces inside the hall.

Yuan Si Niang stood quietly amidst the shattered wooden blocks and fragments of the screen, her face calm and as if nothing had happened.

From A Qiu's perspective, however, one could see that her hands, which were behind her back, were clenched into fists, and her long, crimson fingernails were deeply embedded in her palms.

A moment of silence fell over the room, and the atmosphere became awkwardly heavy.

Seeing the situation, A Qiu suddenly realized that the other party must have offered Yuan Si Niang a condition, but Yuan Si Niang refused it, so the other party smashed the screen in a fit of rage.

The woman in white robes said, word by word, "I only asked you, Fourth Sister, to invite the King of Wanxiang Kingdom to Luoyufang as a guest, not to kill or harm him. Yet you are making such a fuss. I am very curious, what kind of bewitching potion did the Grand Musician of the Southern Dynasty give you?"

Although the woman spoke Chinese, her accent was strange and peculiar, and to A Qiu, her voice sounded somewhat familiar.

Yuan Si Niang shook her head again and reiterated, "I told your Su Clan Chief before that the only one cooperating with you is me, Yuan Si Niang. It does not involve the other sisters of the various clans in the building, let alone the Gongye family. This is something that even the Su Clan Chief acknowledges."

Looking at the shattered screen on the floor, she said again, "Now that the clan leader is not here, the princess is going too far."

A Qiu's heart pounded, and he suddenly realized who the white-robed woman standing with her back turned was.

It turns out that Su Rouhua, the leader of the Hidden Moon Clan, is not here. So the one in charge here now must be Princess Wansui, the half-sister of her sworn brother Li Chongyu, who is skilled in the dance and music of Kucha.

No wonder her voice sounded familiar; we had met and interacted with her before.

The fact that the Hidden Moon Clan invited Gongye Fusu to be their guest at this juncture was certainly not a simple matter.

For example, when A-Qiu was invited by Hulü Guang, he almost suffered a great loss.

A few days ago, when Yuan Si Niang met with A Qiu, A Qiu also gave her a lot of warnings, knowing that Yuan Si Niang had a tough backbone and could not be easily threatened into submission.

But Princess Wansui clearly had little patience. She turned around like the wind, gritting her teeth, and said, "Times have changed. Now I am in charge. I can guarantee that within a month, the iron hooves of the Northern Qiang will trample into Jianzhang. It seems you don't want Luoyufang anymore."