arms
The wind howls, and the Yi River is cold.
The border region was bitterly cold, and then it was hit by a once-in-a-century hailstorm and snowstorm. The frozen and moldy grain piled up like mountains, and the soldiers complained bitterly.
Despite their skillful embroidery, Yan Ji suffered repeated defeats and lost three cities south of the Ji River in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, the foreign army, full of vigor, marched towards the interior of the pass.
Military reports were delivered to Chang'an by fast horses.
In its previous life, Dongli suppressed military power and valued literature, resulting in a weak army that was no match for the well-trained and formidable forces of Great Yan. Consequently, in several battles, Dongli routed the enemy army like ants, nearly forcing them to surrender.
However, during one of his victorious pursuits, Xie Lingjun was lured into a glacial canyon. The glacier was covered with crossbows, arrows, and mines, and suddenly thousands of arrows rained down like a storm of pear blossoms, resulting in his death in battle.
Although the Eastern King was captured in that battle, the Northern Frontier garrison and even the Xie family's forces suffered more than half their losses and could not withstand further warfare in a short period of time.
Thinking about it now, it's very strange!
At that time, Dongli was still in complete disarray, morale was low, and he was attacked from both sides by the Yan army. He had no time to survey the terrain, let alone lay a trap.
So... who led Xie Lingjun to that deadly icy valley?
Xie Lingxi was previously engrossed in the turbulent events of the previous dynasty and never expected that someone would extend their reach to the northern frontier thousands of miles away. Suddenly, she remembered that the one who was ordered to lead troops to attack Li in her previous life was... General Pei Huan.
...
Inside the Pine Fragrance Pavilion.
The young man in green robes and pink makeup entered the room respectfully to serve tea. Upon suddenly seeing the two handsome faces that resembled Kao Sang Pi, he was so frightened that he almost spilled the tea from the jade pot.
Pei Qian, impatient, waved his hand.
The boy breathed a sigh of relief, kowtowed twice, and disappeared in a flash. Meanwhile, Xie Lingxi stared intently at Pei Qian and demanded, "You knew all along?"
The latter countered, "Know what?"
"..."
Xie Lingxi stared at him silently, without saying a word.
The atmosphere in the room was extremely stiff and cold. Pei Qian had not brought his pair of crickets today, and without the "playful banter" of the two crickets, the room was deathly silent, like a torrential downpour that lasted for three months.
After a long silence, Pei Qian spread his hands and smiled gently: "What do you want me to say?"
There seems to be no need for further conversation.
The person in front of her naturally had the right to remain silent, but since it concerned her brother's life and her restless soul, Xie Lingxi was determined to get to the bottom of it.
So he flicked his sleeves and swept the dust off the table.
At that moment, a person leaped in through the half-open window, performed a beautiful somersault in the air, and instantly drew a short sword, holding it firmly against Pei Qian's neck.
The blade gleamed with a cold light, gently wiping away a trace of blood from the young man.
Pei Qian exclaimed in surprise, "—You!"
The visitor was none other than Baishi.
His figure was as lithe as a swallow in flight, and his strength was so great that he could uproot a willow tree. His exquisite swordplay could even lift stars from the water.
Xie Lingxi raised her head slightly, gesturing for the person to sit down, and then gave Pei Qian a cold glance. "Everyone says that Young Master Pei is a playboy who indulges in debauchery, but I think Yuan Jing's ability to play dumb is unmatched."
"You are wise in your apparent foolishness, while I am truly stupid. Yuan Jing, could you please teach me what exactly this so-called 'cessation of war' means?"
The atmosphere inside the house was tense, while outside, from the connecting corridor, came the soft strains of love songs filled with tender emotions. A woman would giggle a few times before being hastily "kidnapped."
Pei Qian sighed, "Just a wall away, the scenery is truly 'completely different'."
He sat upright and deftly parted the white stone's knife, as if he had washed away the hardships that ordinary people could not bear. A few drops of blood were on his hand, so red that they were dazzling and made one's fragile heart pound wildly.
Then she slowly spoke up: "I should thank you for your great help, Lingxi."
...It was the matter of taking away General Pei Huan's military power in the northern frontier.
The truth was about to be revealed, and Xie Lingxi felt her face burning and was almost out of breath. Bai Shi opened all four windows of the room wide, and a blast of cold air rushed in, making the two of them shiver.
Xie Lingxi said, "Close it."
Several windows closed silently again, leaving only the bright and tranquil paper-cut window decorations in sight.
"This is a family feud, which is not something that should be discussed in the first place, but now that we've brought it up to this point, it seems that it's no longer just a matter for my Pei family."
"Disagreement?"
Xie Lingxi repeated in a low voice, "Please explain in detail, Yuan Jing."
——
Since returning from Jingzhou, Yan Ji has secluded himself in his residence. Pei Qian, as his confidant, has visited him several times without success. This strange behavior has made him uneasy. He wondered what had happened between the prince and the Pei family, and thus he decided to go and find out.
The Prince of Jin's residence was so well-sealed that not even a fly could get in.
After lingering for several days, he finally got his chance—Yan Ji, unusually, covered his face with a black cloth and boarded a small boat, drifting on the river.
It seems they were simply taking a nighttime stroll by candlelight, exploring mountains and rivers.
But when the moon was high in the sky, another person quietly boarded the boat, and then soft, fragmented sounds drifted out from the water.
"...I clung to the bottom of the boat and heard about 70% of it."
“Underwater distortion makes it impossible to discern the other party’s voice, but I am familiar with Yan Ji and I can’t be mistaken about his tone and intonation. He is plotting to seize power and ascend the throne, but my Pei family’s prestige is too great and blocks his path.”
Xie Lingxi understood a little.
A powerful and influential maternal family will naturally make a prince more valued and favored by the emperor. However, water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Everything in the world is too perfect in the end, which is not a good thing.
The sages were skilled in diplomacy and strategy. With the change of commanders of the Imperial Guards and the weakening of the Empress's power, the Pei family behind the Prince of Jin became arrogant and domineering for a time...
This is the Emperor's concern, and also the Prince of Jin's concern.
If Yan Ji wants to rightfully succeed to the throne, he will have to give up some things if necessary.
Pei Qian said bitterly, "I understood then that he had a new reliance and was going to turn his arrows and spears against his own people."
Before she could finish speaking, Xie Lingxi recalled her schemes against Yan Jiaojiao. It turned out that the mess Yan Jiaojiao had stirred up had caused many stars to shift and all had a plan in mind.
"Isn't transferring General Pei to Longxi exactly what Yan Ji wanted?"
No.
Pei Qian looked at her gently and explained, "Longxi is where my Pei family first rose to prominence. My soul and body have returned to my hometown; how could I not be happy?"
“However,” he paused, his expression darkening, “what I’m about to tell you is that shocking matter that forced me to seek your cooperation.”
Yan Ji wanted to abandon the Pei family, but ultimately could not find an opportunity and had nowhere to start.
For some reason, perhaps because the Xie family had offended him in some way, he couldn't sleep day and night and came up with a "brilliant" plan.
Use Dong Li to kill Xie Heng!
"...At the same time, this killed two birds with one stone, forcing the Pei family army into a desperate situation, causing them to suffer heavy losses and never recover."
Xie Lingxi murmured the words aloud, then exclaimed in surprise—this was exactly the same as what had happened in the Northern Frontier in her previous life!
Others may not know, but she knows very well! What Yan Ji did was nothing more than his memories of his past life gradually becoming more complete, and he went mad again, indulging in a beautiful dream of supreme power and eternal glory!
The war between Yan and Li, which was supposed to happen several years later, was brought forward to today. Yan Ji wondered if following the footsteps of his past life could really make his dream come true.
Xie Lingxi disagreed.
Meanwhile, Pei Qian recounted the whole story in detail, and finally said:
"Although the war has not been stopped, it seems to be a win-win situation—my father has returned to his hometown to enjoy his old age, and your brother has not lost his life. In this respect, it is a happy thing."
——
But for Yan Ji, this was not a fortunate thing.
The Ji River has always served as the boundary between Yan and Li. Now, Yan and Ji have been forced to retreat south of the Ji River by the "weak" Dongli people, a fact that has astonished the world.
Until the chill of early spring arrives, and the jade-like mist rises.
The stalemate that lasted for months ended with a narrow victory for the Great Yan. Just when all hope seemed lost, a formidable force suddenly emerged from Yanmen Pass, its banners obscuring the sun, and became the key to turning the tide of the battle.
On the day of their triumphant return to the capital, besides Yan Ji, there was another person sitting on the warhorse with its fiery red mane.
Xie Lingxi was buying pastries at Babaozhai at the time, intending to go back and coax Liu Xu, when he saw a commotion not far away. Ahead was a string of "precious horses and carved carriages filling the road with fragrance," and men, women, and children were all gathered on both sides of the road, waving their hands wildly:
"Your Highness is wise and mighty! Dayan will last for generations to come!"
"Your Highness is wise and mighty! Dayan will last for generations to come!"
"..."
Xie Lingxi clung to one of the men's arms and asked, "Which prince is this? Why such a grand procession?"
The other person looked her up and down, thinking to himself, "Are you from Yan? Don't you even know that?"
Thinking this to herself, she inadvertently blurted it out. She covered her mouth, forced a smile, and, acting as a kind person, pointed out to Xie Lingxi, "Look, that one."
As she spoke, her voice became as lively as a blooming flower, seemingly making it clear to everyone around her—
"Don't let her appearance fool you; she's a lady, and a 'delicate' princess at that. It was she who helped this legendary wise king defeat the Li Kingdom!"
As he spoke, Yan Yun rode his steed "Fire Clouds" to her.
The woman had a heroic air about her, and was very beautiful; she looked every bit the part of a general.
Upon seeing her, the older woman was captivated and exclaimed, "Who says women are inferior to men! Our fine young lady of Great Yan is capable of governing the country with her literary skills and securing peace with her martial prowess!"
"oh!"
They shouted again, "Your Highness is wise and mighty! May the Great Yan Dynasty last forever!"
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the carriages and horses, Xie Lingxi and Yan Yun suddenly met eyes. The latter smiled slightly at her and rode away on horseback.
Xie Lingxi seemed to be deep in thought, then carried the pastries home.
Upon entering the house, Xie Lingxi saw Liu Xuting standing gracefully in front of the flowers and plants in the courtyard, picking up scissors and fiddling with something. As Xie Lingxi approached, the man immediately turned his head to the side.
All that could be seen was a smooth, fair chin.
After all this time, are you still not satisfied?
Xie Lingxi stroked his chin like she was scratching a kitten, but Liu Xu suddenly grabbed her wrist—
"You went to see him?"
Whom are you going to see? Yan Yun?
Too.
Liu Xu works in the court, so his information network is naturally much better than that of a "secluded woman in her boudoir" like her. This woman is a "flower on a high mountain," and although she has a unique charm, if time goes on, she will truly become a resentful woman.
It was rare for Liu Xu to take the initiative, so she said, "Yes."
"Now she is loved by the people and has gained power, which is completely different from before."
These words gnashed at Liu Xu's heart—how dare Xie Lingxi openly talk about her lover from her past life and her lover in this life in front of her legitimate husband?
The praise was still so excessive.
Thinking about it, I felt depressed and unable to express it.
If Xie Lingxi's heart and soul have already flown back to Prince Jin, then wouldn't he be considered the third party among them, an outsider in this sea of love and hate, having lost his wife's love?
Liu Xu almost burst into tears.
Seeing that the man remained silent for a long time, and that his eyes were frighteningly wet, as if they were filled with the melting snow from the eaves of Chang'an in the winter month, Xie Lingxi placed a stack of pastries in his palm and said, "I bought these especially for you."
"There were so many people today, I had to wait for ages!"
Perhaps because of the special "care," the pastry, which Xie Lingxi had been holding close to her chest, was now slightly warm through the paper wrapping. As a result, the fragrance of the pastry melted into her eyes, bringing a sense of spring to the four corners of her heart, and even the waning moon in the sky seemed to become a little fuller. "Good."
"What's good about it?"
Liu Xu looked up and saw his wife peel back the creases on the paper, revealing a corner of bright red peach gum cake. She picked it up with her delicate hand and roughly stuffed it into his mouth. "Is it good?"
Liu Xu: "..."
"Um."
"Hmm?" Xie Lingxi repeated, "You think you can just dismiss me with a single 'hmm'?"
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