War breaks out again

After seeing Zhao Lingzhi off, Fuyao stood in front of the window in a daze. She felt that she had become sentimental since she became pregnant.

"Aren't you tired of standing like this?"

After an unknown amount of time, a pair of hands from behind gently embraced her.

"I'm back."

Fuyao turned around and saw Song Chenyu standing behind her tiredly.

He lowered his head and rubbed her neck.

"I heard from Qing Ning that you've been standing there for quite a while."

Then he lifted his head and carried her to the bed, and they both half-lay on it together.

Lying in his arms, Fuyao could feel the gentle rise and fall of his chest.

Seeing her slightly swollen legs,

"Give me a massage."

Song Chenyu was about to get up while speaking.

"No."

Fuyao quickly reached out and hugged him.

"I just want to lie down like this."

In fact, she knew that he was tired after a day and didn't want to make him work harder.

Fuyao raised her hand and stroked the slight stubble on his chin, and couldn't help but teasing,

"I always thought you were smart, but now it seems your Highness can also be foolish."

Song Chenyu looked up at the bead curtain in front of him,

"Why do you say that?"

"That doesn't seem quite right."

Fuyao corrects itself,

"I can only say that you are indeed a bit dull when it comes to emotional matters."

Song Chenyu sat up straight and stared at her.

"Why did I make my wife unhappy?"

"no."

Fuyao stood up and walked towards the table.

Song Chenyu hurriedly followed.

"I want to say that, in fact, the person Zhao Lingzhi has always been fond of is you.

Three years ago, that letter was originally meant for you, but the servant made a mistake."

Fuyao sat at the table and ate a throat lozenge.

"oh."

Song Chenyu relaxed.

Fuyao planned to continue teasing him.

"I was wondering, if that letter hadn't been sent to the wrong place, would you have already been together?

From this perspective, it’s a bit regrettable.”

Song Chenyu took a step forward, he bent down and held her shoulders.

"If I had her in my heart, why would I sit and wait for her to deliver the letter?"

Humph, Fuyao chuckled.

Seeing her like this,

"You're teasing me again."

Song Chenyu quickly picked her up and said,

"You need to compensate me."

Suddenly, a report came from the eunuch outside the house that the Privy Envoy Zhao Qun had arrived.

The candlelight flickered suddenly, and Song Chenyu, who had just carried someone to the bed, looked at Fuyao and sat up straight at the same time.

The Privy Councilor was in charge of the nation's military power. Unless it was an extremely urgent matter, he would never break into the palace late at night.

"Please come in."

Song Chenyu lifted the quilt and got out of bed, the eggplant bag on his waist making a slight sound as he moved.

Fuyao hurriedly took his moon-white robe and put it on, and gave him a warm handkerchief.

"Watch your step."

The Privy Councilor Zhao Ququ strode in without waiting for the order, his black armor still on and the iron mace at his waist clanging against the wall.

Sweat was beading on his forehead, and he was clutching a roll of newspaper stained with night dew in his hand. Two panting troopers were following behind him.

"Your Highness!"

He knelt on one knee, his voice like a bell,

"Something big has happened!"

Song Chenyu stepped forward and helped him up, his eyes already scanning the scrolled newspaper.

"Speak slower."

"The northern Xindong army bypassed Longnan and broke through Yangping Pass.

To the south, Jiangzhou Governor Zhou Che and this city's Jiedushi Zhao Yan have rebelled, and their vanguard is approaching Yu'an!"

The room suddenly became dead silent.

Fuyao clenched her handkerchief tightly, her heart beating faster.

Song Chenyu bent down and picked up the two volumes of newspapers.

The first volume was an urgent dispatch from the Northern Propaganda and Appeasement Office. He glanced at the words "The Xindong Army's light cavalry took a detour" and "The garrison commander claimed to have received a secret decree", and his brows raised slightly.

The second volume is a blood letter from the Jingji Road Pacification Office, which states that the rebels "are familiar with the defense of the capital" and "have internal supporters who have submitted defense maps."

"Your Highness, the Privy Council has drawn up a plan for mobilizing troops."

Zhao Ququ stood holding his sword, his armor still stained with ink stains from his discussion with the imperial guards commander.

"The Palace Guards sent 6,000 men to guard the four gates of Yu'an, the Imperial Guards sent 5,000 men to help quell the rebellion, and the rest..."

He paused.

"Your Highness, please instruct us on whether to send reinforcements to the southeast?"

Song Chenyu suddenly turned around and pushed open the door of the hall.

The night wind blew up the dead leaves. He looked at the faint firelight in the southeast, and a taste of rust rose in his throat.

That was the smell of blood splattered on armor during the battle with Xingdong at the border more than a year ago.

"Reinforce the southeast?"

He chuckled softly, and as he turned around, the sole of his boot crushed a dead leaf.

"Xindong went around Longnan and attacked the empty base.

Zhao Yan leading the rebels to attack Yu'an is the bait."

Zhao's pupils shrank slightly.

Song Chenyu has walked to the hanging "Mountain and River Map" and pointed his finger at the line connecting Fengxiang and Yu'an.

"Xindong's Western Army appears to be attacking Jiu'an, but in fact, they are waiting for us to evacuate the eastern and western garrisons before heading straight for Sanguan.

And Zhao Yan..."

He traced the dotted line from Xiuzhou to Yu'an with his fingertips.

"He brought 8,000 soldiers to attack Chongde in order to force us to push the main force of the Imperial Guards to the south.

By then, Xindong will be able to march straight in and occupy our central granary!"

Zhao Qun heard this and whispered,

"So what should we do?"

"Three routes."

Song Chenyu turned around, the candlelight reflected in his eyes like a blade.

"The first route is to suppress the rebellion."

He pointed his finger towards Chongde.

"Ma Chong and Wu Yue, commander of the Imperial Guard's cavalry, will each lead 4,000 cavalry. Do not attack Chongde directly, but instead go around to Pingwang Town, north of Jiaxing."

"Pingwang?"

Fuyao exclaimed softly,

"That's the Taihu Lake water network, the rebels may not..."

"Most of Zhao Yan's former subordinates were former Taihu Lake pirates."

Song Chenyu sneered,

“They have a private port in Pingwang, where they hide twenty fast ships.

They could lead their cavalry to intercept these ships from the south and the north, thus cutting off the rebels' retreat.

A trapped beast will still fight. It would be better to force them to abandon their boats and go ashore, and then fight a decisive battle on the Taihu mudflats."

Zhao Qun's forehead was sweating, and his pen was moving like a dragon.

"What about the second route?"

"The second route is to defend Yu'an."

Song Chenyu lowered his head with deep eyes.

"Yang Yide led 6,000 men to stay behind.

Zhao Yan dared to rebel because he knew that I was young and didn't have much experience.

He didn't know that more than a year ago, on the border battlefield, I led 600 death warriors to attack Xindong at night and cut down his vanguard flag.

He pointed to the fire outside the temple,

“If he leads the main force to attack the North Gate, he will think that the victory is in his pocket.

I want to show him that the army of the crown prince of the Song Dynasty is not made of paper."

"The third route, led by me, is a 5,000-strong cavalry, armed with divine arm bows and gunpowder, rushing towards the southeast.

We are not going to Jiu'an, but to go around to Fengxiang and behind the enemy lines to burn their grain ships!"

"Your Highness!"

Zhao Qun suddenly looked up.

"You are the crown prince, how can you take risks?"

"I am the crown prince, and also a general of the Lan Kingdom.

The general leading the troops in Xindong this time is their famous general Jin Jie. Apart from Yu Chengdong, who is defending the eastern district, he has also won battles with me, and the only other battle I fought against him on the border last year."

Song Chenyu's voice was long and clear.

"At this moment, it is not appropriate for the generals in various places to be transferred back and forth to avoid unnecessary complications.

At the same time, distant water cannot put out a nearby fire.

And this battle can only be won, not lost.

Otherwise, we will be in a very passive position!"

Zhao Qunyu frowned.

"But Fengxiang is a thousand miles away from Yu'an."

Song Chenyu interrupted him,

"Three years ago, the people of Xindong intercepted my grain ships, and I set fire to thirty of their ships.

This army must move quickly and intercept the grain and grass in Xindong before they cross the river.

If their food supply is cut off, the vanguard of Xindong will fall into chaos."

Song Chenyu held the tiger talisman tightly, and turned to Zhao Quju and said,

"Pass on my order: Ma Chong and Wu Yue should assemble at Chou time and take three days' worth of dry food to march around Pingwang.

Yang Yide, the commander of the Palace Guards, took off his armor and set out from the North Gate at 3:00 AM.

I will lead my men out at the hour of Mao, taking the Tiaoxi River waterway, and we must reach Fengxiang within three days."

Outside the main hall of the East Palace, Qing Ning handed Ma Chong a purse embroidered with a long life message that she had just made a few days ago, and reluctantly said, "Take care."

Then she quickly turned and went into the house.

Ma Chong looked at her back as she turned away, his eyes full of reluctance.

A few days ago, Fuyao was making fun of Qingning.

"Girl, don't you want to be with me forever?

It's only been a few days and he's changed his mind.

But after the Spring Festival, I will tell His Highness to approve your marriage."

Thinking of this, Qing Ning's eyes instantly turned red. Through the window, she seemed to hear the clattering sound of Ma Chong's armor when he left.

Due to time constraints, Song Chenyu first went to Feiwei Palace to pay farewell to the imperial concubine.

Because the emperor was in poor health and had been recuperating in Deokshou Palace, he was not informed of this incident.

"Mother, I left Yang Yide and others to guard Yu'an City, so don't worry too much."

Song Chenyu, dressed in armor, stood in front of the table.

Concubine Feng had experienced life and death before, and she knew clearly all the risks that a king of a country might face.

This time she did not stop her son from going to the battle.

"You can go without worry. His Majesty has Han Qing guarding him every step of the way, and Fuyao and I will also go there every day.

As for the East Palace, as long as I am here, I will ensure Fuyao is safe and sound!"

Concubine Feng spoke the most resolute words in a gentle tone.

"You take care of yourself too."

Song Chenyu lowered his head and spoke in a soft voice.

The glass lamps in the East Palace bedroom were emitting cold white lights, which made the books on the desk look yellow.

Fuyao leaned on the couch, stroking her bulging belly with her hand.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from outside the hall, coming from far away and breaking the silence before dawn.

Her heart tightened, and just as she was about to call for help, she heard the shrill voice of the eunuch on duty.

"Your Highness, the marching order has arrived!"

When Song Chenyu lifted the curtain and entered, his black armor was still on and his shoulder armor was still stained with night dew.

He held a gilded tiger talisman in his hand, and when his eyes fell on Fuyao, his iron-like brows finally softened.

"I have to go."

Fuyao tried to stand up, but he held her down.

Song Chenyu knelt on one knee in front of the couch, his palm covering the back of her slightly cool hand.

"Take care of yourselves and our children!"

"I know."

Fuyao felt a lump in her throat.

Song Chenyu took off the jade pendant from his waist and gently tied it around her wrist.

"This is the Hetian jade gifted to me by His Majesty, engraved with the word 'Yu'.

When you wear it, it’s like I’m around.”

He paused, his voice hoarse.

"Fuyao, I promise you, after we defeat the Xin army, I will take off my armor and return to the East Palace. I will count your fetal movements with you and read to you."

Fuyao suddenly smiled, but tears welled up in her eyes.

Song Chenyu's Adam's apple rolled, and he reached out to touch the eggplant bag on his waist.

"I always carry this bag with me, just like you are by my side.

After the battle, I want to hold you in my arms and listen to you teasing me again."

The night watchman's drum sounded outside the hall, it was already the hour of Mao.

Xu Jing urged outside the door,

"Your Highness, the cavalry has formed its battle array and is awaiting your orders!"

Song Chenyu stood up and tucked the corner of the quilt for Fuyao.

He looked at her pale face, and suddenly leaned over and kissed her on the lips.

"wait for me."

Then he looked at Qing Ning and Aunt Xu in the outer room and said,

"Make sure you take good care of her!"

Fuyao clenched the jade pendant on her wrist and watched his back with his cloak fluttering as he disappeared at the palace gate.

Outside the window came the shouts of soldiers and the neighing of war horses, intertwined into one.

She took out the book from under her pillow and wrote in the blank space,

"On December 29th, Chen Yu set out on his expedition.

May God bless the country of Lan, may my son be safe, and may he return victorious."

As the morning light began to appear, the corner gate of the East Palace slowly opened.

Song Chenyu mounted his warhorse and looked back at the palace that had hosted countless joys.

The red walls and black tiles were faintly visible in the mist, and I could vaguely hear the sound of the wind.

"Watch your step."

He chuckled and whipped his horse.

The sound of horse hooves shattered the silence of the Eastern Palace and all the tenderness of a crown prince. All that remained was the hot blood under his armor and the most steadfast promise to the city and the person behind him.

Zhao Ququ watched his back merge into the sky, and suddenly remembered the young general who was covered in blood but still waving the flag under Yu'an City when he was escorting food and grass back three years ago.

He whispered,

"Send the order to all camps. The Crown Prince will personally lead the army. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed!"

Then Zhao Ququ turned around and went to Fan Mansion with the secret order. It was time to investigate him.

A meteor streaked across the sky. Song Chenyu reined in his horse and looked at the flags fluttering on the city wall. His spear gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

He knew that this battle was not only about the throne, but also about the lifeblood of the Lan Kingdom.

And he is ready to use his passion and strategy to clear his name for this city, for his father, and for himself.