A man who had been tough for decades couldn't hold back his tears.
"How can you face the king and queen who died tragically? How can you face the millions of people of the Sui Dynasty and the soldiers who fought and bled?"
Faced with the accusations, Jiang Qingwan gave a bitter smile.
The voice was ethereal and calm.
"General Xiao, how many people died at Ma Huai Slope? Can you still remember what they looked like?"
Xiao Jiuhe was overwhelmed with emotion at that moment.
They wouldn't listen at all.
"You don't need to preach such grand principles to me. Every man of our Great Sui Dynasty is a true hero. We died for the restoration of our country, and we died a worthy death."
Jiang Qingwan chuckled very softly.
“When I was young, I woke up in the Qilian Mountains. My master said I had been seriously ill and couldn't remember anything. But seeing that I had good potential, he took me in as his last disciple. The first time I saw my second senior brother, he was sitting on a rock on the back mountain, playing a broken xun. He played terribly, like a crow cawing. I threw stones at him and told him not to play if he couldn't play. He glared at me angrily, feeling wronged. He said his father had told him that whenever he missed home or his father, he should find an open space and play the xun. That way, no matter where his father was or how far away he was, he would hear him and come to see him. He played from morning till night, from age seven to fifteen. But the person he was waiting for never came. After that, he never played it again.”
Xiao Jiuhe's hands slowly clenched, his facial features tense, and he remained silent.
Jiang Qingwan looked at him.
"The soldiers left their homes, and the spies went into hiding. They were all determined to restore their country. Most of them probably had families to protect and wanted to give their families a future, a future with both home and country. They were someone's husband, father, and son..."
"Your Highness!"
Xiao Jiuhe abruptly interrupted her.
"Yes, we have had a very hard time these past years, everyone has suffered. But just because we are afraid of death, just because we care about our families and children, are we not going to avenge our national and personal grievances? You are a princess of the Sui Dynasty, how can you say such a thing!"
Jiang Qingwan was in great pain.
Standing up was already an exhausting effort.
A pale face and skin made her features seem colorless.
“I have at most a month to live. Your plan won’t work, and the mission to restore the kingdom will be unfinished. Take everyone and leave the Great Zhou. Find their families and rebuild their homes. I will make the Great Zhou give up searching for the Sui spies and grant them their freedom. I still have a lot of money saved up; take it with you too. Buy land, cattle, sheep, and houses…”
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