Southern Beacon Fire
In her letter, He Xi Chengyun specifically mentioned that Lin Chen wanted to kill his wife to prevent her from suspecting that he was close to the nobles of Chu. Fortunately, He Xi Chengyun learned of Princess Anpinglan's identity, rescued her, and entertained Lin Chen every day.
"Brother Lin is doing well; his arms and legs are still intact, just a bit loose. Those men in my Saintess Bureau wouldn't dare say they're anything but; I call myself my concubine selection office. Sigh, this poor thing has to play the lecherous guy, boohoo. Hug me, baby needs comfort~"
This poor thing is really well-seasoned... Those girls have it tough too, I just hope things will change soon so that no one has to live in humiliation anymore.
Jiang Liu said that Yun Qing's situation had also been investigated; she was actually supported by Su Xike. Yun Qing was a prodigy, having written extensively on laws. Unfortunately, she suffered from a chronic illness when she escaped from the Qi family, and was now at her last gasp. She intended to pass her position to a woman named Yuan Ruoli, Su Xike's sister-in-law, who was building a secret trade route to provide Cangshan with a large amount of money, food, and supplies.
Jiang Liu suggested using the guise of providing aid to infiltrate Cangshan and firmly grasp this power in their own hands. Lu Yunchu sighed and slowly nodded: "Alright... but... don't offend Yun Qing and Ruoli, and think of a way to treat Yun Qing..."
Jiang Liu said that Qi Shen eventually died of anger. Lu Yun Chu didn't want to hear that name, feeling it was an insult to her ears, so she remained silent.
Her sister's letter arrived. Unfolding it, she read that there was an urgent need to replenish the martial arts forces, both men and women were welcome. She had her eye on Cangya, an all-female kingdom, but its leader was stubborn and unwilling to submit. Moreover, Cangya was a thorn in the side of the righteous factions. Rather than accepting Cangya, it was better to accept the righteous factions. At this stage, they needed male support, otherwise, it would be insufficient to restore their kingdom. Furthermore, Cangya seemed to oppose the system of female-led kingdoms and wanted to eliminate class distinctions, which conflicted with the aspirations of the Women's Alliance.
The younger sister proposed a treacherous yet effective plan: to use the righteous forces to wipe out Cangya, and then take those helpless and loyal women under her control. In this way, Lu Yunchu could also win the position of martial arts alliance leader and expand his sphere of influence by eliminating the "evil sect."
Lu Yunchu gripped the letter tightly until it was crumpled. Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, illuminating the general's robe bestowed upon her by the emperor, giving it a cold, gleaming sheen.
Sacrificing some women in exchange for more women's living space and future control? What a cruel trade.
But with the grand undertaking at hand, she had no choice; she couldn't afford to jeopardize things by being soft-hearted. Cang Ya's open rebellion against the existing rules was futile, akin to throwing an egg against a rock. Even if she didn't act, someone else would take it. She knew this was robber logic, but she had to bear the consequences. Her sister and Chu Qin could operate openly and ethically, while she alone could get her hands dirty and cower in the shadows.
“At this stage, women’s power is still too small…” she murmured to herself, as if explaining to herself, “We must rely on men, utilize the rules… even exploit their contempt and persecution of women…”
"Pass down the order," she said, looking at Jiang Liu, her voice completely calm, "gradually withdraw the people we've placed in the Cangya Sect... do it cleanly, leave no trace of us, and preserve as much manpower as possible. As for the Women's Alliance... don't leak any information for now."
“One day…” she made a silent promise to the void, not daring to look at Jiang Liu again: “Today’s sacrifice will surely be comforted in the new world.”
The Western Desert had been subdued, but the war to reclaim the Northern Desert continued. Its most important city was Xiangcheng. Lu Yunchu abandoned conventional tactics and personally led elite cavalry on a thousand-mile raid. At night, he ordered his men to set fire to the grasslands, engulfing a thousand enemy camps in flames, and the defending general fled in disarray.
Soon after, the various tribes of the northern desert joined forces to launch a counterattack, besieging the Chu army at the treacherous Bailang Pass. Lu Yunchu ordered deep trenches and high walls to be built, relying on the terrain to hold the position and using powerful bows and crossbows to wear down the enemy. When the enemy could not break through after a long siege, he ordered Su Lang to lead the iron cavalry that had been lying in ambush to attack from the flank, launching a pincer attack from both inside and outside, resulting in countless casualties for the enemy.
The Northern Kingdom assembled its last elite troops, relying on the natural barrier of the Yinma River, and arrayed themselves with their backs to the river. Lu Yunchu observed the celestial phenomena and hydrology, and saw that there was a river upstream. At the time of the decisive battle, he feigned defeat, lured the enemy deep into the low-lying riverbed, and then breached the dam to release the water and collapse the enemy's formation.
She pressed her advantage, advancing to the gates of Longcheng, the royal capital of the northern desert, but did not rush to attack. Instead, she placed the captured noble families at the front lines, explaining the advantages and disadvantages to them, and sent spies into the city to spread rumors and sow discord. The people inside the city were filled with fear, and in less than half a month, a noble insider opened the city gates, and Longcheng fell without a fight, winning the hearts of the people once again.
The King of Mobei led his remaining forces into the frigid far north, where they stubbornly resisted, relying on the terrain. Lu Yunchu adopted the strategy of the women's alliance, encircling and cutting off their supplies, ultimately trapping the King of Mobei and his last personal guard in a snow valley, where they were all annihilated.
When the good news reached the capital, Chu Cheng'an was overjoyed and sent a flood of rewards to the Zhenyong Earl's mansion. He also bestowed upon Lu Yunchu the title of Zhenbei Marquis. Lu Yunchu declined the title, citing "it is against etiquette for a woman to be granted a marquisate," and submitted three memorials to firmly decline, but Chu Cheng'an insisted.
With constant warfare and a lack of capable generals, she was spared only because of her life and needs to make plans as soon as possible.
Just as she was busy reorganizing the northern desert and secretly incorporating some of the surrendered tribal women into the women's auxiliary military camp, a secret letter from the capital plunged her into an icy abyss.
Mu Xin had mysteriously disappeared and could not be found anywhere. Almost simultaneously, the palace issued an edict, bestowing upon Mu Sheng the title of Princess Ning'an and sending her to the Western Desert for a political marriage.
He could have easily sent troops to completely crush the Western Desert long ago, but instead he's taking this opportunity to humiliate himself...
According to the scouts, Chu Cheng'an plans to send assassins to kill Mu Sheng on the road, inciting Lu Yun Chu to fight against Mo Xi. He knows that the border troops are exhausted, so he will punish her at that time.
Lu Yunchu immediately summoned his most capable secret guards and martial arts figures, not even having time to be angry: "At all costs, catch up with the marriage procession and bring back Mu Sheng!"
However, it was ultimately too late. The elite guards dispatched caught up with the wedding procession on the western border and launched a surprise attack, attempting to rescue Mu Sheng. But in the chaos, the Western King's main army arrived, and the rescue failed.
Upon hearing the reply, Lu Yunchu slammed his fist on the table, instantly cracking the hardwood surface.
"Strengthen our manpower in the Western Desert and bribe the close attendants of the Western Desert Royal Court. I need to know Mu Sheng's situation there!"
News from the Western Desert Kingdom, through layers of covert agents, finally reached Lu Yunchu. Mu Sheng said she hadn't been bullied here, and conquering Western Desert was the priority. She would find a way to investigate the internal situation of Western Desert before trying to escape. Finally, she wrote a sentence: "Brother's matter is Chu Cheng'an's evil, and has nothing to do with sister. I have never resented sister, but I always cherish the joy of our first meeting and the happiness of being friends. Sister Xin went to the southwest to help Sister Xiao Qiuhe restore the kingdom. I don't want to start another war. I will just follow you to build the women's alliance. Sister Xin, please don't worry about me. She only feels heartache and concern for you. I hope we can meet again in a prosperous era."
Soon after, Mu Sheng sent a reply detailing the internal conflicts within the Western Desert Kingdom: the leaders of several large tribes were dissatisfied with the Western Desert King, the kingdom's finances were strained due to years of warfare, and the herders at the bottom of the social ladder were burdened with heavy taxes and filled with resentment. She instructed Lu Yunchu to spread rumors that "the king intends to reduce the military power of various tribes to replenish the national treasury," exacerbating internal suspicions. She also attached to the letter the locations of the kingdom's granaries, the distribution of military horse farms, and a map showing the Western Desert King's troop deployment in preparation for an attack from the Central Plains.
Lu Yunchu immediately took advantage of the trade routes established by Chu Ling to secretly and drastically increase the prices of essential goods in the Western Desert, such as salt, iron, and tea. At the same time, he severely suppressed the purchase prices of furs and livestock in the Western Desert, exacerbating their economic difficulties. Meanwhile, he dispatched eloquent individuals with large sums of money to secretly contact discontented tribal leaders in an attempt to win them over.
The terrain of the Western Desert is rugged and unsuitable for large-scale advances. It is the perfect time to utilize the female cavalry, who are skilled in reconnaissance and assassination, to precisely strike the Western Desert's supply lines based on Mu Sheng's intelligence.
Mu Sheng escaped through a secret passage before Lu Yunchu took action and joined the Women's Alliance.
The day of the final assault was chosen to coincide with a large-scale sacrificial ceremony in Moxi. A deputy general who had been turned by Mu Sheng and was in charge of the city gate keys secretly opened the main gate of the royal court. Lu Yun Chu led his troops in a massive attack, and the King of Moxi and his generals were killed in battle.
With both the Western and Northern Deserts destroyed, war has broken out again in the Southern Border. After Lu Yunchu has properly handled the border affairs, he will head to the Yangcheng camp to face the Southern Dynasty and the Ze Kingdom.
Mu Sheng had already changed her name to Mo Sheng to forget her past. From now on, she was willing to be a member of the Women's Alliance. All fame and fortune were not worth it, but rather the hope that no woman in the world would ever be bullied again.
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