Chapter 28 He didn't want to apologize to the princess anymore...
An octagonal palace lantern painted with flowers and birds of the four seasons on silk illuminated the night in the Prince's mansion. In the empty and desolate dining hall, only Feng Mian and the Princess sat side by side.
The princess scooped half of the steaming longevity noodles into a small bowl, then placed the small bowl in front of Feng Mian, saying, "Today is A-Zhuo's birthday. Since he's not here, let's share this bowl of longevity noodles with him."
"Then I'm so lucky!" Feng Mian smiled as she accepted the small bowl of longevity noodles, on which rested a golden egg.
She picked up a few strands of snow-white longevity noodles with her chopsticks, took a bite, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction. After swallowing, she exclaimed, "Delicious! This tastes different from the longevity noodles I've ever had before. Is it the chef's secret recipe?"
The princess smiled gently, and seeing Feng Mian enjoying the meal, she became even happier. "It is a good recipe, but it's not from the chef; it's a family secret passed down through generations."
Feng Mian held the bowl in both hands, looking at the princess with a rare, somewhat dazed expression, "Did you make this yourself?"
“Before I was married, my mother would make me a bowl of longevity noodles like this on my birthday. When my mother was young, my maternal grandmother would make it for her.” The princess’s eyes were darting around, filled with a nostalgic smile, as if she had fallen into warm memories. “Later, after I got married and had children, I made this bowl of longevity noodles for my husband and son.”
“But they are often away fighting, and they are never home for their birthdays. For many years, I have eaten this bowl of noodles by myself.” The princess said, her melancholy disappearing, and she smiled gently at Feng Mian, “It’s good that you are with me today.”
Like any wife or mother in the world, the princess inevitably felt anxious and restless whenever her husband went to war or her son went far away with his weapons.
In the past, she never spoke of these worries to outsiders, not even to her husband and son. She always swallowed all her anxieties and concerns, and sent them off with a gentle smile, not wanting them to worry about her while they were away fighting.
Now that Feng Mian was in the household, she finally had someone to confide in. Watching Feng Mian eat longevity noodles while listening attentively to her, his dark, round eyes fixed on her, she felt a sense of peace in her heart, and her anxious and uneasy heart calmed down a little.
Listening to the princess express her sorrows, Feng Mian couldn't help but think of his own father.
She was taken to the palace at birth and did not meet her father, who was the Grand General of the State, until she was four years old. When she learned that her father was about to go to war again, she was too young to fully understand the meaning of "going to war". She only knew that she would be separated from her father again, and she cried a lot.
Later, she learned that the general had died in battle, but she no longer cried or made a fuss. Every night, she lay in bed silently praying for her father's safe return so that she could see him one last time. But what followed was devastating news.
After that incident, she came to believe that the gods would not heed the prayers of mortals, and that fate was predetermined and there was nothing she could do to change it.
Later I realized that there is no predetermined fate in this world, and everyone has to fight their own way to survive!
Perhaps it was the conversation with the princess that instilled in Feng Mian some concern for Baili Xunzhou, because that night she dreamed of a passage recorded in a historical book.
"In the early summer of the sixteenth year of Chengping, the Northern Barbarians invaded the border. The Prince of Dingbei led his son to aid Hanya Pass. The Barbarians used the border people as bait to lure the prince to Luoying Gorge, cutting off the road. Upon hearing the news, the Prince of Dingbei led his troops to the aid, but was ambushed on the way. The prince knew he had fallen into a trap, but was anxious to save his son, so he charged into the enemy alone and was eventually killed by a hail of arrows."
"The prince, wounded and covered in blood, broke through the encirclement, fell from his horse, and lay among the corpses for three days, nearly dying."
When I awoke, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
Before Fengmian could catch her breath, she threw off the covers and got out of bed. Without even putting on her shoes, she called out urgently, "Liuying, Wuliu!"
Liu Ying and Wu Liu, who were waiting outside the bedroom, rushed in hurriedly, "Princess?"
Wu Liu noticed that Feng Mian was barefoot on the ground, so she quickly went to the bedside to get some slippers and put them on for Feng Mian.
Feng Mian supported Liu Ying with one hand, subconsciously letting Wu Liu do as she pleased. His mind was still a little muddled. He ordered, "Quickly go and invite Commander Lu here. Go now!"
Liu Ying was startled by her anxious appearance. She gave a hasty reply and ran away as she was pushed away.
Feng Mian suddenly raised his voice again: "When he comes, tell him to go to the Jiyu Camp and find a soldier who is familiar with the terrain of Luoying Gorge!"
"I've got it!" The firefly's voice drifted back from afar, fading away with the sound of footsteps.
Wu Liu rose and helped Feng Mian up, gently comforting her, "Is Your Highness having a nightmare? Please sit down, I'll go and fetch the physician..."
Feng Mian grabbed Wu Liu's hand as she tried to pull away and shook her head. "Don't alert anyone..."
She paused, then suddenly changed her mind, "Help me with my makeup, I need to see the princess."
Feng Mian originally intended to send the Luanyi Guard to Hanya Pass without informing the Princess, but then she thought that the terrain of this place, where even the Prince of Dingbei and Baili Xunzhou had fallen, must be more treacherous than she could imagine. Moreover, the combat strength of the Luanyi Guard was certainly not as good as that of the soldiers from the Northern Frontier who had fought their way through countless battles. If she wanted to rescue the Prince of Dingbei and Baili Xunzhou quickly and successfully, she would need the support of the soldiers from the Northern Frontier.
With both the prince and the heir apparent absent, she lacks the power to persuade the soldiers. Perhaps only the princess can mobilize them.
Now, all we can hope for is that the princess will believe her "dream" statement.
To Feng Mian's surprise, without her having to explain further, the princess agreed to go to the military camp to mobilize troops.
"I don't know why I felt anxious and short of breath last night; I didn't sleep well at all." The princess had faint dark circles under her eyes, and her lips pursed bitterly. "Since you dreamt so vividly, you might as well believe it. If you are held accountable for the unauthorized troop deployment in the future, I will take full responsibility!"
“I will stand with the Princess Consort through thick and thin.” Feng Mian grasped the Princess Consort’s hand tightly and said with a firm gaze, “Please bring me the map of Han Ya Pass first. I want to try to deduce the location where the Prince and the Crown Prince encountered danger.”
All she knew was that Baili Xunzhou was trapped in Luoying Gorge, and where the prince was ambushed.
As the sun rose higher, Feng Mian suppressed his anxiety and unfolded the map on the table, revealing the mountains and terrain of the Han Ya Pass area.
She dipped her brush in cinnabar and first drew a heavy circle around the Eagle Falling Gorge, like a drop of blood falling between the precipitous mountains.
Flanked by two mountains with sheer cliffs, once the return route is cut off, there is no way to escape.
The only narrow paths available for rescue are the Shenshan Valley on the northeast side and the Duanyun Ravine on the west side.
The prince and the heir apparent must have already split their forces at Hanya Pass. The prince rushed to the heir apparent's aid as soon as he was trapped, so the two armies must not have been far apart...
"Which places around here could hide hundreds of ambush troops?" Feng Mian asked, looking at a soldier in Swift Feather Camp armor standing by the table.
Coincidentally, the soldier whom Commander Lu summoned, who was familiar with the terrain of Luoying Gorge, was none other than Wang Er.
Wang Er gazed at the map and pondered carefully. He then took the pen that Feng Mian had placed above the map and suddenly drew a circle in the mountain hollow beside Duan Yun Jian.
"The terrain here is winding and the entrance is hidden. If the Northern Barbarians were to set up an ambush, they would definitely choose this place."
"Alright. Then you two split into two groups. One group will go to Shenshan Valley to rescue the Crown Prince, and the other group will go to Duanyun Gorge to find the Prince. Make sure to bring them back safely."
"Yes, Princess!"
Wang Er readily agreed. He was straightforward and, seeing the princess beside him, he didn't even think to wonder how the princess knew the prince and the young master were in danger. He was filled with worry and only thought, "We must rescue the prince and the young master as soon as possible!"
Commander Lu of the Luanyi Guard had lived in Shengjing for a long time and was quite cunning; he was almost overwhelmed by doubt.
Firstly, the Dingbei Army was known as the "Iron Wall of the Northern Frontier," and he never imagined that he would one day be able to shoulder the responsibility of rushing to the aid of the Dingbei Army. Secondly, if the rescue was successful, the reward for his merits would probably be enough to buy him a lifetime of wealth and honor.
His ambition and courage were not enough for him to join the Dingbei Army and risk his life for military merit, but he was willing to take the risk and live a worry-free life. Such an opportunity was not something that could be encountered at any time, so he was willing to take the gamble and try it!
After the princess left the palace to arrange the troop deployment, Feng Mian finally calmed down a bit.
She sat in the sunlight, yet still felt cold all over, her mind churning with thoughts vying to emerge.
Unconsciously, she tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, listening to the crisp tapping sound, and pulled out the most important thoughts from her mind.
If the Prince of Dingbei truly died in this battle, Baili Xunzhou should inherit the title. But why, in her dreams in Shengjing, was he still the heir apparent to the Prince of Dingbei? Was the delay in inheriting the title due to obstruction from the court, or... was there another hidden reason?
Could this be related to his future acts of treason?
There are also rumors circulating in the brothel that spread the prophecy that she is "born as a lonely star and will bring misfortune to her family." If the Prince of Dingbei dies in battle and the Crown Prince is seriously injured, it is likely that someone will soon use this to make a big fuss and pin the crime of "bringing misfortune to her husband and father" on her.
She closed her eyes, suppressed her agitation, and went to see Lu Mingzhu.
The trip to the brothel will probably have to be moved up.
At that time, the sun, high in the sky, refracted dazzling light from the rugged ridge of Luoying Ridge.
Bai Lixun, holding a long spear, reined in his horse and stood on a high place, watching as dozens of ragged border people were driven into the valley by soldiers of the Uhe tribe dressed as northern barbarians.
The scout jogged up to Baili Xunzhou and reported: "The enemy in the valley number less than a hundred, all light cavalry, and they are not wearing armor."
Bai Lixun unconsciously stroked the shaft of the spear.
Initially, only a little over a thousand men had been reported attacking from Hanya Pass. He and his father had planned a swift victory so they could return home and have birthday noodles with their mother, but they were forced to divide their forces. He already sensed something was wrong, and now, seeing this situation, his suspicions deepened.
But seeing the elderly, women, and children crying and being forced into the precipice, he finally raised his hand and ordered: "General Zhao, lead half of your men to guard the valley entrance, and the rest will come with me to rescue them."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
A troop of iron cavalry charged into the canyon like sharp swords, and the instant they plunged into the midst of the Uhhe tribe soldiers who were driving away the border people, a sudden change occurred.
Suddenly, dark banners rose up on both sides of the cliffs, and rolling logs and rocks fell, cutting off the way back.
Bai Lixun pulled hard on the reins, and the warhorse reared up. The lance knocked away an enemy soldier and protected the child beside him.
"Form ranks, protect the people first!"
The cavalry moved at the command, instantly forming a circular formation to protect the terrified border people.
The sound of metal clashing against metal immediately filled the air.
Deep in the frigid canyon, blood soaked through Bai Lixun's battle robes, and the setting sun cast a desolate and tragic glance from the horizon.
The splattered blood smeared on his eyelids, staining everything in front of him with a deep crimson hue.
In his hazy state of consciousness, Feng Mian's image and voice inexplicably surfaced in his mind.
...I can't die here.
He gritted his teeth, held on to his last breath, and gripped the spear tightly.
Their marriage was not canceled. With the wedding date fast approaching, he couldn't very well leave the princess alone at the wedding, only to be ridiculed and gossiped about by all the guests.
He didn't want to apologize to the princess anymore.
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