Chapter 72 The strategist is dead: They will not rest until the Xiao Kingdom's camp is wiped out!

Xiao Xiaoyuan walked over quickly, smiling lightly, "Young master, do you still remember me?"

Yao Ruyi nodded, "Princess."

Han Siwen was unaware of what had happened at the palace banquet last year. Seeing that the two were getting along so well, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her brother had asked her to take good care of the person, and she also had to make sure that the person was comfortable. What kind of person would stay in the mansion all day?

"So formal?" She stepped forward and stood between the two of them. "It's good that we know each other." After saying that, she looked at Yao Ruyi and said, "Just call me Miss Siwen, just like in Jiangzhou."

Yao Ruyi nodded, "Miss Siwen."

Xiao Xiaoyuan had only recently finished her postpartum confinement and was still too sensitive to the cold, so the group decided not to stand there chatting any longer. Han Siwen helped her up the mountain, followed by two or three maids. They talked as they went.

Even if they are fast, it will still take them several hours to get up the mountain.

As dusk fell, the group finally arrived at Yun Temple. The abbot instructed the young monk Mi to take them to their bedrooms to rest, and to discuss the rest the next day.

Yao Ruyi had originally planned to come alone, and although Cui Xiangzhu had asked to come with him several times, he had refused. He felt that having someone take care of him for everything wouldn't be a true act of sincerity in praying for blessings.

As night deepened, Yao Ruyi strolled to the outside of the Buddhist hall. Last year, he had taken a nap under this plum tree and was woken up by Gu Huizhou. He hadn't gone in to pray last time, but this time he was going.

Mushroom seemed a little guilty. "When nothing's wrong, I wait at the door but never go in. I only remember when something comes up." What's that saying again? A last-minute hug...

"Curing medicine at the last minute."

A sudden voice startled Yao Ruyi. He usually heard more sounds than others, but he never expected to be startled by someone else. Yao Ruyi looked at the person who came and said, "Wu Yuan."

"Yao Ruyi, I didn't expect you to still remember me."

How could Yao Ruyi not remember? Last year, when he first arrived, he was enveloped in a herb by Wuyuan. "I remember."

"What, His Majesty hasn't come yet?" Wu Yuan looked the same as last year, spending his days in the Buddhist temple processing herbs and chanting scriptures. He seemed so leisurely all day long, as if nothing had bothered him.

"Yes, Your Majesty, please come later this year."

Wu Yuan nodded, "That's fine. His Majesty's arrival time varies every year, but I never expected you to come earlier."

Why?

“I always thought you two would be together.” Wu Yuan’s words were blunt, and Yao Ruyi was stunned. “How did you know?” He had only met Gu Huizhou at this time last year, so there was no way he could have figured it out at this time last year.

Wu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "I have cultivated at Yun Temple for many years, so I should be able to glimpse some of the secrets of heaven."

Yao Ruyi remained silent, “…”

You don't believe me?

"Um."

“Tsk,” Wu Yuan frowned, “Let’s not talk about that. How did your imperial examination go?” The two walked around in circles in an open space outside the Buddhist hall, chatting as they went.

Yao Ruyi wasn't afraid of the cold, and Wu Yuan wrapped himself up in layers of clothing, so neither of them felt cold.

"I'm studying it."

He'll take the exam once the war is completely over; right now... he's still worried about it.

"You're quite impressive."

"sharp?"

Wu Yuan nodded, "Yes, I'll do whatever you say."

Yao Ruyi looked up at the sky, then down at the two figures on the ground, "What's so great about this..."

"Just listen to me saying you're amazing."

Yao Ruyi was taken aback and blankly uttered an "Oh." Just then, a gust of cold wind carrying snow blew directly into their faces. Yao Ruyi instinctively turned his back to hide, but Wu Yuan didn't think so. He quickly took a few steps and waved to Yao Ruyi, "Come on in and hide here."

The place the two went inside to take shelter from the snow was a Buddhist shrine.

"You just happened to walk in, bye-bye."

Yao Ruyi stood there, pursing his lips. "Bye-bye? You just come in and bow?" He couldn't bring himself to kneel after hearing this…

If he had come in and prayed earlier, it would have been fine, but he didn't come in and chatted with Wuyuan outside for a while. Now he's only coming in to avoid the snow. Yao Ruyi hesitated, "This is too insincere..."

The candlelight in the Buddhist hall illuminated their faces. Wu Yuan closed the door, instantly shutting out the howling wind and snow outside. Hearing Yao Ruyi's words, he gave a helpless sneer, "How can this be considered sincerity?"

"Does it mean you have to kowtow every step of the way from the moment you leave the palace until you appear in the Buddhist hall covered in blood before you can be considered sincere?"

He wouldn't do that, but if someone did, he would think that person must be determined to seek Buddha's help.

Just looking at him, I could tell that's what he was thinking, so Wuyuan shook his head. Then he looked up at the golden Buddha statue and murmured to himself, "Let me think..."

“All appearances are illusory.” After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Yao Ruyi. “Don’t always look at the surface, look at how you think.” After saying that, he seemed to feel as experienced as the abbot, and shook his head to himself.

“Come on, follow me. Put your hands together in front of your chest, then bend over... Yes, place your right palm in the center of the prayer mat…”

The sound of two chanting scriptures echoed faintly in the Buddhist hall until the sky began to lighten. As the abbot passed by the hall, he paused, looked at the two figures inside, and sighed deeply, "May Buddha have mercy."

Yao Ruyi and Wuyuan left the Buddhist hall last night without knowing what time it was. He returned to the bedroom where Gu Huizhou used to live and slept until dawn, but he still didn't get enough sleep.

He was still thinking about his morning class, so he went out in a daze.

He knelt on the prayer mat with several others, murmuring something.

Last night's snowstorm didn't affect today's weather; a gentle breeze could be felt as soon as you stepped out of the Buddhist hall. It even melted the snow in the corners of the walls. "It'll only be warm for the next couple of days."

Han Siwen stretched his arms. "The capital has always been like this. It seems to be warm for a couple of days before spring arrives, but if spring really comes, then it will be quite cold for a while before then."

"Yes, it was last year."

"Are people coming from over there?"

Han Siwen looked in the direction of the voice and immediately smiled, "Qingxiao?"

“Siwen,” he said, then looked at the remaining two, “Princess and Lord Nineteen.”

Xiao Xiaoyuan and Baili Qingxiao didn't know each other. They nodded politely to each other and then sat down without exchanging more than a few words. Han Siwen noticed something was wrong and stood up. "I'll go say a few words to Qingxiao. Ruyi, please keep an eye on Xiaoyuan for me."

"good."

Baili Qingxiao nodded, "Farewell."

After the two left, Yao Ruyi poured Xiao Xiaoyuan a cup of tea, and then sat down with the woman at the round table to enjoy the breeze.

It was also because of the warm wind today, otherwise Xiao Xiaoyuan wouldn't have come out.

"If my words offended you at the time, I should apologize to you."

Yao Ruyi was taken aback, then remembered, "It's nothing, I'm fine." After saying that, he thought of Gu Huizhou again. Now that he thought about it, he had mentioned to him many times that the princess was cruel, perhaps because of this matter.

The corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up, which was noticed by the sharp-eyed Xiao Xiaoyuan. "Thinking about His Majesty again?"

"Um."

"You're quite honest." Xiao Xiao sighed softly, looking at the clouds on the cliff edge, clumps of them floating weightlessly in the air. "His Majesty treats you well, it's normal that you like him."

So she knew too.

"Anyone with eyes can see it." Xiao Xiaoyuan chuckled. With the emperor's undisguised nature, he didn't try to hide it either. Almost everyone who had seen the two of them could tell.

Yao Ruyi nodded, "If you can see it, then you can see it."

Miss Siwen asked him to take good care of Xiao Xiaoyuan, but he really didn't know how to do it. Seeing that the woman's cup of tea was empty, Yao Ruyi quickly filled it with more tea. "Would you like something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry, thank you."

The two sat facing each other without saying much, but fortunately Han Siwen returned soon. She looked somewhat serious and said, "Xiaoyuan, something has happened at my chamber of commerce, and I have to go back tomorrow. You'll come with me."

Xiao Xiaoyuan didn't mind, and she nodded, "Okay."

After they made the arrangements, they went back to pack their things. Later that night, Han Siwen apologized to Yao Ruyi for the incident.

Yao Ruyi didn't think too much about it. The next day, he smiled and escorted the group to the mountainside, then returned to the mountain to have a vegetarian meal.

It's good that they went back; he had originally planned to stay at Yun Temple for a few more days anyway.

A thousand miles away, in the Northern Yuan.

The armor on his body was stained with the blood of countless people. Since Gu Huizhou arrived at the front line, morale has been soaring. Almost everyone believed that this war would end soon. Xiao Kingdom was already a defeated enemy, not to mention that His Majesty was with them this time.

"rush!"

"kill!"

The sky was filled with yellow sand, and men on tall horses charged out one after another, constantly wielding their long swords on the battlefield. In the next instant, with a "whoosh," they would either stab others or be stabbed through the flesh by others.

It has been more than a month since the two countries started fighting, and His Majesty has been on the battlefield with them for no less than ten days.

The war between the two countries was fierce, and the Crown Prince of Xiao Kingdom on the other side seemed tireless, fighting alongside his soldiers on the battlefield every day.

Gu Huizhou's face was cold and stern. He slashed a man's throat with his sword, hot blood splattering on his cheek. Sitting on the black horse, he looked like a cold-faced Yama who had walked out of hell.

The man suddenly laughed, staring intently at the opposite side, a hundred meters away, where the battle between the two countries was at its fiercest. He sat on horseback like Gu Huizhou, but instead of a sword, he held a long saber.

If this person didn't appear on the battlefield, he would definitely be seen as a scholar who only buried himself in his studies in the classroom.

"That's Xiao Zhuyue!" Han Jiqing rode up to Gu Huizhou's side. The two of them standing side by side inspired the surrounding soldiers to fight even harder. It seemed that as long as they stayed by the side of these two, they would not lose.

After so many days, we finally managed to meet.

Gu Huizhou's eyes flashed with murderous intent. He watched as the man opposite him made a throat-slitting gesture. The man watched coldly, but suddenly moved his left hand to repel a soldier who tried to ambush him.

"Damn it!" The man's arm was severed by Gu Huizhou, and then his throat was slit by Han Jiqing in an instant. Han Jiqing gritted his teeth in hatred and gasped for breath, "One day, we'll make him beg us!"

"Kill—" With a loud shout, Han Jiqing stopped looking at Xiao Zhuyue opposite him and started fighting again.

Gu Huizhou continued to wield his sword. The wound on his left palm had healed. In the past few days, he had not received any letters from a certain mushroom, but he had received quite a few messages from Fourteen.

When he's not around, that mushroom certainly knows how to keep itself busy.

"Go to hell!" A soldier, confident in his martial arts skills, believed that if he killed the emperor of Yun Kingdom, he would surely be ennobled and appointed prime minister!

"Ah—" However, before she could even reach Gu Huizhou, she had already been pierced by countless swords, and she didn't even get a glance from the man.

Jiang Shuang laughed loudly from the side, "Hahahaha, so many people have been trying to rise to the top in one step these past few days, it's just wishful thinking!"

They couldn't even defeat the soldiers around His Majesty, yet they still dared to try to assassinate His Majesty!

From dawn until dusk, countless people died on both sides. As darkness fell, the Xiao Kingdom suddenly withdrew its troops. Gu Huizhou felt something was amiss; they hadn't seen Xiao Zhuyue for an hour.

"General! General!"

"His Majesty!"

Just as they were withdrawing their troops, a messenger suddenly came running from behind as if his life depended on it. As he ran, he tripped over a soldier from the Xiao Kingdom and almost fell onto a long sword that had pierced through his body.

He cried out anxiously and fearfully, "No, something bad has happened!"

For some reason, Han Jiqing felt a vague unease. He wiped the blood from his sword with his sleeve, then mounted his horse and rode alongside Gu Huizhou. Looking at the messenger who staggered to his feet, Han Jiqing hissed, "What kind of behavior is this, panicking like this in front of His Majesty!"

"General!" The messenger's face was covered in blood, which made Han Jiqing frown. It didn't look like he had just been stained with blood. He suddenly tightened his grip on the reins. "Speak quickly!"

Gu Huizhou squinted and looked at the messenger, who was looking at Han Jiqing with a guilty and heartbroken expression. Perhaps...

"General! Military Advisor Han! Military Advisor Han has been killed by the Crown Prince of Xiao's men!"

"Military Advisor Han is dead!"

"Who died?" His pupils trembled, and Han Jiqing felt as if he were enveloped by something, unable to breathe for a long time.

Who? Who died?

"Military Advisor Han was assassinated by the secret guards beside the Crown Prince of Xiao, and he's already gone!"

Gu Huizhou reached out to support Han Jiqing's trembling body, his face grim.

With red-rimmed eyes, Han Jiqing gripped the reins tightly. He could no longer hear what the people around him were saying. He had seen Ji Wen looking at a topographical map outside the tent when he left that morning. How could he be dead...?

He's dreaming, he must be dreaming—

Thinking this, Han Jiqing suddenly raised his fist to punch himself in the chest, but was stopped at the last second, "Ji Wen!"

Turning his head, he saw Gu Huizhou. "Your Majesty..."

Ignoring his numb hands from the beating, Gu Huizhou ordered Jiang Shuang to withdraw his troops, "Back to camp!"

The soldiers were filled with patriotic fervor after hearing the messenger's words. The Xiao Kingdom was full of despicable and shameless villains! How could they commit such a sneak attack!

"Your Majesty! Kill the Crown Prince of Xiao!"

"Kill the Crown Prince of Xiao!"

Han Jiqing's eyes had just been slightly bloodshot, but now, under the moonlight, his eyes were completely bloodshot, and he was shrouded in extreme sorrow. "Jiwen, wait for me to avenge you!"

"Han Jiqing! Back to camp!"

Gu Huizhou rebuked him coldly.

"Your Majesty! He killed my brother! I cannot obey!"

Seeing the man's current state, Gu Huizhou suddenly sneered, "What can you do if you rush up now! Can you slaughter the entire capital of Xiao Kingdom by yourself! Or can you kill Xiao Zhuyue in Xiao Kingdom's territory?"

"I said, return to camp!"

"I will not let Han Jiwen's death go so easily, but if you rush in now, my revenge in the future will not only be for Han Jiwen, but also for you!"

It was as if a bowl of ice water mixed with snow had been poured over his entire body, causing Han Jiqing to tremble and freeze in shock.

"Jiang Shuang".

Jiang Shuang rode up from afar, shouting, "Your subordinate is here!"

"Take your general back!"

"Yes, sir! I obey!"

The soldiers' fervor was suppressed by the emperor; their eyes were filled with hatred and loathing for the Xiao Kingdom! Their strategist had been killed by the people of Xiao!

Han Jiqing galloped back to the camp, almost kneeling on the ground.

After Jiang Shuang helped him up, he staggered towards the tent. He hoped to see that familiar figure walking out of the main tent. With a slightly blank expression and furrowed brows, he asked, "Brother, what's the rush? Why don't you come and have a drink with me?"

"General!"

Jiang Shuang was thrown to the ground. Just as he was about to follow, he saw His Majesty following closely behind. The atmosphere in the camp was heavy and oppressive. "Damn it!"

One day they will hang Xiao Zhuyue's head on their Yun Kingdom's banner!

"Ji Wen!" The moment he saw that figure, all other thoughts vanished.

Han Jiqing strode in, a buzzing sound ringing in his ears. Han Jiwen, who had smiled at him that morning, was now completely pale and cold, and was placed on the bed in the tent where he had always lived.

Han Jiwen's brows were tightly furrowed. The dagger that had been stuck in his chest was removed by the military doctor. He was still wearing the same dark green robe he had worn during the day, with a fox fur coat that should have been wrapped around it.

Han Jiqing's voice choked with sobs as the robust man knelt by the bed like a lump of mud. "Jiwen, brother's here. Open your eyes and look, brother's here!"

"Han Jiwen! Stand up! Han Jiwen!" Han Jiqing roared like a madman. His whole body trembled violently. Several people behind him tried to pull him back, but they couldn't hold him back.

"Han Jiwen! I've come to drink with you, Jiwen!"

Gu Huizhou clenched his fists, concealing the grief in his eyes, and turned to look at the military doctor.

The two arrived outside the tent, and the military doctor said, "This humble general greets Your Majesty."

"explain."

The military doctor felt guilty for what happened that afternoon. His voice trembled slightly as he said, "Yes, yes, it was me! I heard something was wrong on the back mountain, so I went up the mountain and saw a person lying on the hillside."

"The man had an arrow stuck in his chest. I thought he was one of the soldiers in the camp, so I hurried over. On the way, I met Military Advisor Han, who was anxious to save the man, so he came with me..."

The sobbing grew louder and louder.

Gu Huizhou's expression was cold. "Continue."

"We went to see it together, and there was an arrow stuck in the man's body, and blood was flowing all over the ground. I recognized the man; he was the messenger from the mountain! I was in a hurry to go back and get my medicine box, so Military Advisor Han said he would stay there for now. But when I went back, I saw Military Advisor Han lying on the mountain with a dagger stuck in his chest!"

He was heartbroken, "The messenger was also stabbed again."

If it weren't for him, if he hadn't left, that person might not have dared to make a move!

"dagger?"

The military doctor quickly showed it to Gu Huizhou, saying, "This kind of dagger is exactly what the shadow guards by Prince Xiao's side use."

Gu Huizhou gripped the dagger tightly, veins bulging on his wrists, and remained silent as he listened to Han Jiqing's roars from inside the tent.

After a while, the army doctor said again, "Your Majesty."

"When I went there with Military Advisor Han, the messenger seemed to be holding a note in his hand, but I couldn't find it when I looked for it later."

"Um."

Gu Huizhou was about to leave with the dagger when Jiang Shuang suddenly exclaimed from inside the tent, "There's something in his mouth!"

Gu Huizhou flung open the tent flap and watched as Han Jiqing reached out and pried open Han Jiwen's mouth, pulling out a note from it.

Han Jiqing's face was deathly pale, and he was speechless when he saw the blurry handwriting on the note.

General Han, would you like to know where the Imperial Sister is? Perhaps you should send a letter to inquire whether she is still in the capital of Yun Kingdom.

It is Xiao Zhuyue.

"This is outrageous!"

Jiang Shuang also saw it, and he frowned. "No matter what, the eldest princess is still his imperial sister! General, please relax! Since Military Advisor Han doesn't want the general to see this, the news is probably false."

Han Jiqing suddenly laughed upon hearing this.

Hahahahahahahaha!

His laughter was tragic. He had been a dim-witted fool since childhood, and Ji Wen always stood up for him in school. Later, when the two joined the army, he would always consult Ji Wen about everything.

Even at the very end, when a dagger was plunged into his chest, his younger brother was still scheming for his useless older brother.

"Bang—"

"General! General!"

The group quickly helped Han Jiqing up from the ground, and the military doctor rushed over to check his pulse. "The general is so angry that he has suffered a heart attack. Quickly, carry him into the tent!"

Gu Huizhou exuded a cold aura. He looked at the deathly silence of the military camp without saying a word, and strode towards the commander's tent. At this time, Thirteen had also returned. "Your Majesty."

"Um."

Thirteen followed behind him. "It was Xiao Han, who was beside Xiao Zhuyue, who sneaked into the back mountain at dusk." Thirteen felt somewhat guilty. "It was my dereliction of duty!"

Gu Huizhou frowned and raised his hand, his eyes filled with gloom. "Send a letter to the capital. Where is Xiao Xiaoyuan?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The yellow sand was almost completely covered by blood, making it impossible to see the original appearance of this wasteland.

After a day of despondency in the Yun Kingdom's military camp, rumors began to circulate that Commander-in-Chief Han Jiqing was seriously ill and unconscious.

A few days later, the emperor himself led tens of thousands of troops straight to the Xiao Kingdom's camp early in the morning. The camp was routed, and two or three generals were beheaded by Gu Huizhou with a single sword. Upon hearing the news, the rear army immediately came to the rescue, and the border city was almost lost.

Although Gu Huizhou had only been working with these soldiers for half a month, the soldiers had the advantage of having a burning passion in their hearts.

They will not rest until they have wiped out the Xiao Kingdom's camp!

The capital city.

Yao Ruyi stayed at Yun Temple for a whole month, until spring was almost here in the capital, before he returned to the palace. He had lost a lot of weight, which made Cui Xiangzhu very anxious and busy.

He kept urging people to come back during that month, but it was all to no avail.

Now that she has finally returned, the chief eunuch runs to the imperial kitchen seven or eight times a day, just so that Yao Ruyi can have one more bite to eat.

The court did not experience any major chaos this month under the rule of Xu Yi and Xue Qingping, but it left the two men exhausted. Many people in the court took this opportunity to try to make a name for themselves and talked about various things all day long.

Xu Yi was so angry he laughed. He couldn't help but ask Yao Ruyi, "Do you know what they're saying?"

Yao Ruyi shook her head. "Of course I don't know."

"Two officials from the Ministry of Revenue actually stood up and said that the court should tighten its supplies to the front lines and save them for future emergencies."

"If we can't even defend the city, what's the point of fighting for a rainy day?"

Yao Ruyi fell silent. He knew that some people didn't use their brains when attending court, but this was an extreme case. He quickly poured Xu Yi a cup of tea, saying, "Calm down, just ignore them."

Even someone as composed as Xu Yi was so angered; who knows what Lord Xue will do?

"Lord Xue doesn't have the same temper as me."

How could this be?

Xu Yi glanced at him, disregarding all formalities, and downed his tea in one gulp. “Lord Xue has seen so much of this over the years that he’s long since dismissed it as nothing. Only His Majesty’s words are taken to heart by Lord Xue, which is why he seems a bit short-tempered.”

Yao Ruyi nodded. When Gu Huizhou was mentioned, he realized that the man had been gone for almost a month and a half.

The two were chatting on the stone steps of the Cloud Palace corridor when they heard footsteps and turned to look. Yao Ru saw that Fourteenth was holding a battle report and hurriedly asked, "Is it news from the front?"

"Um."

Fourteen's face was solemn. "A message from the front lines says that Han Jiwen, the second young master of the Han family, is dead."