Meng Anshi's voice was very soft, but I still heard it. I glanced back at the people behind me, really hoping that Sizhou and the nearby cities would be recovered soon so they could go home.
After crossing another small path, we came out and saw the camp with its lights on.
"Won't it be safe to camp here after this path is discovered?"
"Don't worry, Madam. This path was specially built by the Marquis and General Ji, just in case."
These two even created a secret path during their military campaigns.
"Madam, let me tell you something first. This time, the main purpose is to subdue Sizhou. The first battlefield wasn't here; it was on the border, more than a hundred miles away. Back then, the Marquis and General Feng fought fiercely for several months before driving out the Hu people and the barbarians of Champa. After the border was recovered, Commander Ji led 100,000 elite troops to garrison there. Originally, they planned to return to the capital, but then the Eastern Qin Kingdom allied with several smaller countries and invaded Sizhou. Later, fearing that the Marquis's achievements were too great, the Prime Minister petitioned the court to send the Prince Consort to provide support. This time, the situation is a bit dire, so the Crown Prince volunteered to lead the expedition."
Yuan Cheng is so pitiful. He is devoted to the country, yet he is still ostracized.
"I've memorized it all."
"I was afraid that you might forget once you meet the general, so I told you in advance. The Crown Prince will be entering the camp tomorrow, so please be careful."
“Anshi, it’s thanks to you being by Yuancheng’s side that he was able to escape.”
“These are all things I should do. Now I admire you even more, Madam, for coming to the camp for the Marquis. Many young ladies would not do that.”
I chuckled awkwardly. Last time he returned covered in injuries, and Yu'er was only a little over a month old when he had to go to war. There were menacing forces all around, and I was always worried about him. I hoped he wouldn't make things worse this time.
As soon as Meng Anshi and I arrived outside the main camp, the soldiers saw me and bowed with their hands clasped: "Prince Consort, Military Advisor Meng."
Meng Anshi is doing quite well; he's even become a strategist.
After I dismounted, I lifted the curtain and went inside, smiling as I greeted them.
I've had this mask on my face for so long, and it still feels itchy.
"The prince consort has returned. Please have a seat."
Dad is really something, he looks so serious, I have no idea how he actually said that title in his heart.
I listened to them talk about their methods of attacking the city. Sizhou is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Dongqin came prepared this time, so they could not conquer it.
I suddenly thought of Li Zhaole's little lover, the Crown Prince of Dongqin, Lin Yu. I wonder if he has gone to war.
“My lord, the emperor of Dongqin is personally leading the expedition. He knows you are in the camp, and this time he is probably targeting you.”
A soldier with a long beard said to me, and I was completely confused.
“Me? I have no dealings with the Emperor of Dongqin, so why would he target me?”
"For the princess."
"Then he's really out of the loop. Although the princess and I have been married for many days, she doesn't like me."
"You flatter me, Prince Consort. Everyone knows that the princess went to the Northwest twice just to find you. The Emperor of Dongqin originally intended to form a marriage alliance with our country, but unexpectedly, the princess has already married you. This time, he seems to have gotten wind of this from somewhere and may be plotting against you. Be careful."
"Thank you for the reminder, General."
If Lin Yu were to snatch Li Zhaole away, I would feel relieved.
But thinking back to how he abandoned Li Zhaole in Linyang for the sake of the throne, completely ignoring her. He already knew Li Zhaole had been betrothed to me, yet he still used her; this man is too cunning.
Sometimes when I think of Li Zhaole, I feel guilty towards her. She was a beautiful young woman in the prime of her life, born into nobility, yet she married a fake.
I sat to the side and tried my best to keep smiling. I had little experience with war before, but I could understand some of what they said and occasionally said a few words.
When the rooster crowed, everyone finally dispersed, leaving only my dad and me in the tent.
"father."
Seeing him this time, my feelings were different from when I thought it was Ji Shuang. He looked more haggard, and his hair had turned grayer.
"Ying'er, get up quickly, this is not the place to talk. You've gone too far this time, and Yuan Cheng is just letting you have your way."
“Father, he went back covered in injuries. After I gave birth to Yu’er, I was always worried that something would happen to him, so I kept pestering him to come with me.”
"You've always been willful since you were little."
"It's all your fault that I married Li Zhaole. She makes me feel like I'm caught in the middle every day. Luckily, Yuan Cheng appeared, and that's how I was able to have Yu'er."
“Royal orders cannot be disobeyed. Let’s not talk about her anymore. As for Yu’er, I wanted to go see him as soon as I received the letter. He is our Ji family’s grandson, and I, as his maternal grandfather, haven’t even been able to see him once.”
“He would occasionally babble and cry when he was hungry, and laugh when he was full. He was small, and the people in the mansion said he looked like me, and sometimes like Yuan Cheng.”
Upon hearing this, Father's brows relaxed, and his smile lost its previous sternness.
I told him more about Yu'er, and he laughed even harder.
When the rooster crowed four or five times, Dad finally let me go to the tent to rest. I fell asleep as soon as I lay down on the bed, fully clothed.
I was sleeping soundly when I heard someone calling my name.
"Prince Consort, Prince Consort, wake up!"
I made a gesture, and the sound became even louder.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Meng Anshi standing in front of him. "Anshi, what time is it now?"
"It's just past Chenshi (7-9 AM), and they're already training. You need to go and inspect the training grounds."
So I've only slept for a little over an hour. When Xie Yuancheng comes, I'm going to beat him up. He tormented me last night, and he kept covering my mouth so I couldn't make a sound.
I had just straightened my clothes and was about to leave when I was stopped again.
"Your Highness, you haven't changed your clothes yet."
I looked at the clothes in front of me. I wanted to wear this red armor too, and just thinking about it made me realize how heavy it was.
I quickly changed into the clothes. They looked heavy, but they looked quite neat on me. I put on the dark red cape. If there were a mirror, I would like to take a look at myself. I would definitely look very handsome.
I went out wearing a hat; the morning breeze was quite cool.
My father's soldiers have been training for years on end; I was just going through the motions.
Meng Anshi, disguised as me, rarely spoke in the barracks and didn't appear often. Only today, with the Crown Prince about to enter the camp, did everyone pay more attention.
These soldiers were all young, and they had left their homes for the country. If they were lucky enough to survive the battlefield, they could return home in glory.
I watched them rehearse all morning. I stood behind my dad and watched until my eyes were blurry.
"Commander, His Highness the Crown Prince and the Marquis have arrived outside the camp."
They finally arrived. Dad glanced at me, as if to say, "Be careful." He was actually worried about me? How could I be so unreliable?
"Your Highness, please come in."
"Hehe, General Ji, you've worked hard, being allowed to command from here all this time."
That's quite a statement; it implies an immediate desire to seize power.
Xie Yuancheng always appears aloof and serious in formal settings. If we hadn't been together yesterday, I would have thought he had taken the wrong medicine.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
