Chapter 132 Separation Chen Liangyu leaned down and kissed her forehead. ...
Xie Wenjun lay face down, one hand clasped beside her face, her fingers trembling slightly. Half of her face was buried in the indigo-printed down comforter, her body stretched out, her posture languid and relaxed.
She was awake, but her eyes just wouldn't open.
More than once.
Chen Liangyu only stopped when she was completely exhausted and had no strength left to even lift a finger.
The maddening longing that had been weighing on her heart was transformed into tenderness, which she expressed to Xie Wenjun through her actions.
The words that escaped from between her teeth were of no use. Chen Liangyu was unmoved by them and instead flipped her over, raising her hands and pinning them above her head.
She had her back to Chen Liangyu.
Xie Wenjun doesn't remember how she got through it; the later it got, the harder it became. She gritted her teeth and persevered.
Until finally, his fingernails scratched bloody marks on Chen Liangyu's hand, he was drenched in sweat, and tears streamed down his face... He then bit down hard on the web of her right hand.
Chen Liangyu finally gave up.
After a period of drowsiness, Xie Wenjun fell asleep, and woke up after a short, light sleep.
She was still curled up in a searing body heat.
The blanket was tucked in tightly, and she was pulled into someone's arms from behind, her breathing rising and falling. She could still feel a hand slipping between her fingers and interlocking with hers.
Chen Liangyu also briefly closed her eyes. She had woken up earlier than Xie Wenjun and wanted to let her rest a little longer, so she didn't wake her.
Her hair had long since dried, or perhaps it had been steamed, but a tuft of unruly sideburns fell down, gently teasing Xie Wenjun's profile.
The courtyard was so quiet it seemed uninhabited, with only the occasional honking of geese from the next courtyard drifting over the wall. Aunt Chu wouldn't come to urge her; she would simply leave through the back door after finishing her errands without making a sound. This goose-down quilt was sent by Chen Liangyu's soldiers when winter was approaching; Aunt Chu usually didn't use her bedding, and this was the first time she had taken it out.
It has a strong poultry smell.
When Xie Wenjun was in Yongdu, he was picky and particular about his spending, and he certainly couldn't stand this smell.
Right now, she's sleeping so soundly.
The clapper sounded again, as the guards outside were informing Chen Liangyu of the time.
It was already past midnight when sunlight slanted into the small, rough-paper window, suddenly brightening the room.
As soon as Chen Liangyu moved slightly, Xie Wenjun's eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes in her arms.
She remained in a semi-prone position, her body motionless.
Xie Wenjun asked, "Is there something you need to do?"
"An old friend has come." Chen Liangyu's words were vague, but his tone was somewhat solemn.
"Whose old friend?"
"It's Daiqing."
The wrists were red from being constricted, and there were countless fresh red marks on the collarbone and lower back.
The heat hasn't subsided.
Xie Wenjun concealed the marks around her wrist with her sleeve.
There was no bronze mirror, no dressing case. She simply gathered her long black hair up, loosely tying a section of crimson hair that was originally tied around her waist at the back of her head. Stripped of her finery, her entire demeanor was dignified and unapproachable.
Chen Liangyu had quickly changed into clean inner and outer armor. She tugged at her cuffs and found that her own clothes fit her well and were comfortable. At least she no longer had to wear clothes that were too short for her arms and legs.
Xie Wenjun's brocade cloak hung on her forearm. She walked over and draped it over her arm.
The jade lion and a well-regulated carriage belonging to the eldest princess were parked outside the low farmhouse.
Chen Liangyu mounted the saddle, her eyes softening instantly. The further north they went, the more likely they were to encounter bandits and outlaws, so Chen Liangyu added two more detachments of troops to accompany them.
They were going to take the official road.
Chen Liangyu had already ordered a round of eliminations of the Northern Border's spies and informants, but she was still not entirely at ease. To prevent Xie Wenjun and her whereabouts in the Northern Border from being leaked, she gave another order: "Clean up all the spies and informants along the way, and do not let a single word reach Yongdu."
The guard acknowledged the order, saying, "Yes, General."
The western shore of Jingzhe Lake is bordered by mountains, which are the spurs of the mountain ridge within Beiyong territory. There is a small pass there, known as Wanghu Pass of Beiyong. A few days ago, when the Beiyong army was lured back to defend, this place was occupied by Chen Liangyu's troops.
Passing through Wanghu Pass is the shortest route for Ximano to reach Suzhou, and it is also the only way to drive into Beiyong Jingzhe Lake. Daiqing came from the heart of the grasslands according to the letter, and upon seeing the military flag on the gate tower, she knew that she must have come to this place.
Since things have come to this, we should at least meet him.
Dai Qing has the title of Princess, but her current status is that of the Ke Zun of the Ximano tribe. She must carry a letter of credence in advance to enter and leave Da Lin, and can only enter after the Ministry of Rites approves and the Emperor grants her permission.
Unable to allow her to enter the borders of the Great Lin Kingdom, Xie Wenjun had no choice but to set off to meet her.
After a day and a half's journey, we need to rest at night.
The official road stretched like a grayish-yellow ribbon. The weather was fine, and although no new snow had fallen, the roadside was piled with dirty, unmelted snow.
The cold wind was like a knife.
Rong Jun turned his horse around, approached the carriage window, and said through the hanging curtain, "Your Highness, we must leave the Northern Border by the hour of Chen the day after tomorrow at the latest. The carriage is too slow, and the round trip will be too rushed. I am afraid we will not make it in time. It would be better to abandon the carriage and ride on horseback."
No one around objected; everyone knew how terrible this cold and dry weather was. During the day, the horses could still manage to move forward with sheer willpower, but at night, the temperature plummeted to an icebox, and even the horses' hooves trembled as they stepped on the frozen ground. If they really tried to force their way through, these animals would freeze to death in the snow before midnight, and then people stranded in the wilderness would be in even greater trouble.
Chen Liangyu calmly surveyed the desolate hills on both sides of the official road and said, "The nearest post station is ten miles ahead. We can change horses there."
After traveling only a few miles, a rider galloped out from behind the hills along a side path ahead of the main road.
The rider on horseback, clad in leather armor, gallops at full speed, his tightly bound cuffs and trouser legs a striking red, and the "urgent" flag tucked behind him adorned with feathers.
He was a messenger on the swift cavalry from the eastern front of the lake.
He could see the imperial procession in the distance, the jade lion standing out starkly white among a herd of warhorses of mixed colors.
"Emperor Zhai Ji of Beiyong has not returned to defend Shanhu County with his main force of 100,000 troops. Instead, he has led the Beiyong army to sneak across the icy river in Chaya Valley and launch a surprise attack on the flank of the Hudong Grassland. Deputy General Jing and General Bu are leading their troops in a desperate defense!"
On the northern horizon, an ominous column of smoke was already clearly visible.
This place is only half a day's fast horse journey from the east of the lake and the cloud cliff. If the horses are strong enough, the Yong army can reach us in less than half a day.
Zhai Ji lost Yunya military town and his supply lines were cut off. Instead of taking a break and reorganizing his troops, he rashly launched a surprise attack. She couldn't figure out what kind of battle strategy Zhai Ji was employing. Since the Yong army had courted their own doom, Chen Liangyu had no choice but to gather her forces to meet them in battle.
Decisions are made in the blink of an eye, in an instant.
Chen Liangyu said, "Rongjun, send half of my personal guards to protect His Highness's carriage. Turn around immediately and return to the central army camp at full speed! Make sure His Highness is safe. If anyone obstructs you, kill them!"
Rong Jun bowed and said, "Your subordinate obeys." He immediately turned his horse around and directed the Changning Guard and the personal guards to protect the princess's carriage in the center, preparing to retreat.
Chen Liangyu handed a seal to the messenger, saying, "Horse back to camp immediately and order Duan Xuchi to mobilize 50% of the garrison in Wuzhou to Hudong." He then sent two personal guards, saying, "You two hurry back to the Suzhou camp and tell the Suzhou Sima, You Zhuoran, to lead his troops to Hudong by 7 PM at the latest. If you are even a step late, you'll lose your heads!"
Zhai Jishe hastily attacked Hudong with provisions and supplies, determined to fight to the death.
Inside the carriage, Xie Wenjun was startled by the sudden clatter of hooves, her body swayed, and she abruptly lifted the carriage curtain.
A cold wind swept in, carrying with it a chill and a sense of desolation, and Xie Wenjun's hair at her temples was lifted by the wind.
A single glance was enough for them to understand.
As if it were destined, the time allotted for them to meet was always so meager.
The carriage had already set off on its return journey.
The road split into north and south, with the princess's carriage and Chen Liangyu's warhorse traveling in opposite directions. Through the carriage curtain, Xie Wenjun let her heavy gaze remain fixed on Chen Liangyu's figure, on her old wounds…
In the end, all I could say was, "Take good care of yourself!"
Chen Liangyu's eyes stung with pain, and he spurred his horse, sending the Jade Lion charging towards Xie Wenjun's carriage like a flying arrow.
She suddenly leaned to the side and bent over the saddle, rolling up the curtain of Xie Wenjun's carriage with one hand.
Xie Wenjun was slightly taken aback and looked up. Chen Liangyu was always proper in her words and deeds, but this time, she had lost her composure in front of others. In the depths of her eyes as she looked at Xie Wenjun, there was an unfathomable emotion and apology.
No words were spoken, and time stood still.
Chen Liangyu leaned down and placed a very light kiss on Xie Wenjun's forehead.
"Wait for me, I'll hold them off!"
The curtain fell.
The carriage turned, rolling over the ruts on the official road, and sped back the way it had come. Xie Wenjun slowly lowered her hand, and all that remained before her eyes was the silhouette of Chen Liangyu heading north through the fluttering curtain.
We parted amidst the flames of war, our fates uncertain. Our return can only be secured by fighting to the death, a promise made only with victory.
Beacon fires rise, and the sound of hooves pounds the frozen earth.
Just as Chen Liangyu received the urgent report, the vanguard of the Yong army's rapid attack had already torn open the east and west gates of the lake and burned the grain stacks in the west gate. With a disparity in troop strength, by half, Jingming and Bu Ping'er were gradually losing ground.
The left flank of the eastern lake had been scattered by Yong's army, while the central and right flanks were still fighting desperately. The routed soldiers retreated, their formation disorganized, like headless flies. The panic from the earlier rout still lingered in their bones, and morale was on the verge of complete collapse.
A series of sharp hoofbeats came from the south.
The sound carried a power capable of calming chaos, and briefly drowned out the blood-curdling roars of those shouting to kill.
The jade lion's four hooves seemed to never touch the ground, and its white mane left a long trail behind it.
"The commander-in-chief has arrived!"
Someone shouted first, and everyone instinctively turned to look back.
As dusk fell, Chen Liangyu, clad in black armor and a red robe, rode in on horseback. The crisp sound of the horseshoes pounding the ground was steady, and the hem of his red robe was lifted by the wind.
Chen Liangyu glanced at the disheveled, routed army, but did not reprimand them. "What's the panic?"
She reined in her horse and said in a low voice, "Stand up."
Six words, plain and simple.
Chen Liangyu rode his horse into battle, using minimal force to overcome great strength.
Unbeknownst to them, the scattered soldiers quietly gathered around. The wind was still blowing, and the sound of the pursuers seemed to be getting closer, but the morale of the troops on the left flank of the lake strangely settled down.
The Yong army had over ten thousand pursuing troops, indicating their intention to exterminate them all.
Chen Liangyu was accompanied by only two thousand light cavalry; the main army was following behind and would still need some time to arrive. She urgently ordered the garrison at Wanghu Pass to be summoned.
At the same time, the sword moved with him, and he killed another soldier of the Yong army.
Dusk, like cotton wool soaked in ink, pressed down little by little.
A strange sight in the west caught Chen Liangyu's attention.
A huge and unusual plume of smoke suddenly rose from the direction of Wanghu Pass; it was not a scattered sand curtain formed by the wind.
With her sharp eyesight, she was the first to recognize the gray wolf fur winter coat of the Ximano tribe and the ox horn bow that was usually hung next to the saddle.
The woman at the head of the group blew a bone whistle, the piercing sound making the warhorses prick up their ears. Upon hearing the whistle, the grassland cavalry drew their swords and charged into the Yong army, brutally forcing the pursuers back several steps.
The woman was dressed in grassland military attire, with a lion and tiger skin under her fine scale armor and a pair of grassland trousers inlaid with wolf teeth. Her long hair was no longer tied up in a bun as it was in Yongdu, but was braided into many braids with fine silver chains wrapped around them.
They look exactly like the children of the grasslands.
The battle at Jingzhe Lake has taken on a completely different situation than it had an hour ago.
The steppe cavalrymen crouched low, close to their horses' necks, without any complex formation changes. Even their weapons were not standardized; they held scimitars, carried maces, and had lassos coiled above their heads ready to be thrown at any moment. It was a chaotic scene, with whatever they had on hand.
Yongjun was completely unable to deal with the barbarians' fearless and reckless fighting style.
The defeated left-wing troops regrouped and began to fight again.
Caught between internal and external attacks, the pursuing troops of Beiyong were attacked from both sides and quickly disintegrated, proving utterly vulnerable.
The woman in grassland military uniform held a long curved knife upside down in her hand. She reined in her horse a hundred paces away from Chen Liangyu and, as she dismounted, she touched her lower back.
“Daiqing”.
"General, how have you been?"
Dai Qing's cheeks were flushed from the sun. "How is Your Highness?"
Chen Liangyu said, "Everything is fine. Your Highness is rewarding the troops and stayed in the central camp. I originally came to see you, but unexpectedly the war broke out, so I had to turn back in haste."
Dai Qing said cheerfully, "Your Highness's health is of utmost importance. There's no need to rush to meet now, as there's plenty of time."
Author's Note: The next chapter will begin the direct power grab; we've finally reached the last plot point. Thank you all for sticking with me through thick and thin. There's a red envelope in this chapter; leave a comment to claim it.
Thank you, my lovely Deepwater!
Thank you for reading this far!
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