Why me?
Pei Yu strode forward, first bowing to Shangguan Yuqi and Xiao Chang'an, then looking back at A Qiu with bright eyes and smiling, "The head of the Qi family of Yixing returned to Yixing three days ago and sent letters to the Bai family of Qingzhou and the powerful clans of Wu, expressing the Qi family's willingness to obey the imperial decree and never rebel. The Bai family also immediately rose up to follow suit, and the rebel army was immediately scattered. This battle is almost over."
Xiao Chang'an's eyes flashed as he said, "No wonder they say that politics is even more important than war. Commander Pei won this battle without any effort at all, which has opened Chang'an's eyes."
Although he had previously rejected Pei Yu, it did not affect his current cheerful and joking manner, addressing Pei Yu as "Commander Pei" with an admiring look in his eyes, completely restoring his usual calm and unhurried demeanor as he strolled among the flowers.
A Qiu sighed inwardly, thinking that it was fortunate that Pei Yu was no ordinary woman. If she were an ordinary girl, she would probably be heartbroken and confused by Xiao Chang'an's behavior of being cold and enthusiastic at the same time.
She hadn't really understood before that romantic feelings could be used to her advantage, and that if used well, they could be an invaluable weapon. But now she vaguely understood that what Xiao Chang'an wanted was simply to control the distance between Pei Yu and him.
She shouldn't get too close, because he has no intention of marrying her, but she also shouldn't be too far away, because Pei Yu is ultimately the future leader of Jianzhang, and whoever wants to seize power will need to cooperate with her.
As expected, when Pei Yu heard him say this, a trace of sadness flashed across her bright and beautiful eyes, but she immediately concealed it and said modestly with a smile: "It was not entirely without effort. On the night I received the secret report that the Qi and Bai families had retreated, I did not prepare to withdraw my troops for peace talks. Instead, I immediately set out to Guangling and sailed down the river. In one night, I took Licheng almost without bloodshed."
Shangguan Yuqi exclaimed in surprise, "They've actually started fighting? I remember His Majesty's orders were always for you to hold the line and never be the one to strike first and start a war."
A Qiu then understood that for a dynasty, if it were a civil war, resolving the issue without fighting would be the best course of action. Whoever started the war could become a sinner for all time, because once a war begins, the situation is very difficult to control.
Pei Yu said confidently, "Times have changed. Licheng is the most forward fortified city of Eastern Wu. Although the Zhao family claimed to rebel before, they ultimately did not have the courage to go north along the river to confront the Jianzhang army. Our side is also hesitant to act, so the stalemate has lasted for a long time, and neither side dares to make the first move. My move is tantamount to immediately overturning the table, indicating that the battle or surrender will be decided here, putting pressure on Zhao Xuanxu and forcing him to make a decision to surrender immediately."
She flashed her pearly white teeth and smiled brightly, "Zhao Xuanxu isn't stupid. The two major clans whose strength is second only to the Zhao clan have all expressed their withdrawal from his rebel coalition. Isn't he afraid that they will take advantage of his confrontation with the Jianzhang Army and stab him in the back, taking his place? Of course he won't choose to confront the Jianzhang Army head-on at this time. I just added the last straw for him."
Her smile was so bright it could melt ice and snow, even leaving A-Qiu speechless.
Some people are indeed born to be commanders on the battlefield. Only when two armies clash, amidst thousands of troops, can they thrive like fish in water and dragons in the abyss.
Because of Pei Yu's character, he was able to easily evade Xiao Chang'an's petty tricks.
Suddenly remembering something, A Qiu immediately asked, "Do you know who the head of the Qi family in Yixing is? Why can he change the allegiance of most of Wu with just a word?"
In fact, she already had a vague feeling about the answer, but she needed to get concrete confirmation from Pei Yu.
But Shangguan Yuqi was also intently awaiting Pei Yu's answer. Presumably, she was thinking the same thing as him.
Pei Yu said casually, "Actually, even though I'm on the front lines, I've only heard rumors from others." A Qiu nodded in understanding. After all, how could outsiders know the details of the Qi family's internal affairs? However, Pei Yu was on the front lines, closer to Wu, and knew more than they did, who were far away in Jianzhang.
Pei Yu continued, "I've only heard people say that this matter is quite legendary. Many years ago, the Qi family of Yixing adopted a girl from another place, who seemed to be an abandoned baby of people who migrated south. Later, this girl was raised as a member of the Qi family until she turned fifteen. At that time, the girl showed her innate ability to see spirits, and she was chosen by a wandering shaman to become his apprentice. The eldest son of the Qi family, who was also the next head of the family at the time, actually gave up the position and followed this younger sister to wander. Later, the two of them completed their studies and became very famous in the Jiangnan area."
A Qiu was stunned. In her heart, recalling the way Qi Luo and Qi Shang got along, she felt a different kind of emotion.
No wonder Qi Shang's talent as a sorcerer was far inferior to Qi Luo's, yet he was far more astute and worldly-wise. It seems that all these years, he had willingly learned sorcery, which he was not good at, just to accompany and protect his younger sister.
His shrewdness and competence ensured that Qi Luo safely weathered the storm of being summoned to the palace to determine the true identity of the crown prince during the previous Huan Dynasty, but ultimately he could not withstand this one.
The reason why Qi Luo ultimately willingly sacrificed herself to purify the spirit was twofold: firstly, she always felt that the calamity of Jianzhang Palace should have beenfallen her; secondly, the Zhuyou Sect already had a successor, Bai Shi, who had surpassed her predecessors, so she had no regrets even if she were to die.
But there must also be another reason: she probably didn't want her elder brother, who came from a prestigious family, to continue following her around, spending most of his life wandering and hiding.
Shangguan Yuqi exclaimed in disbelief, "So they're not actually siblings?"
Pei Yu looked surprised and asked, "Have you seen them?" Then he said with relief, "I see. No wonder I heard that the head of the Qi family returned to Yixing from the capital by official ship, escorted by soldiers. Because of this, the Zhao family was terrified, knowing full well that the Qi family had formed an alliance with the court. I wondered which mastermind in the capital had orchestrated this scheme so easily to resolve this military crisis. What's most remarkable is that this person not only knows the Qi family's affairs clearly but also has a deep understanding of the relationship between the Qi family and the Zhao and Bai families. They must be extremely familiar with the local situation in Wu and have a comprehensive understanding of it. I really can't figure out who it is."
When A Qiu heard her say this, he felt only deep sadness in his heart.
Zhao Lingying's dying advice to Xie Lang on how to secure Jiangdong for generations to come was also her prophecy, and every single one of it came true. This predecessor was a master strategist with flawless plans and far-reaching vision, truly deserving of the title of the foremost female talent of her time and a national hero of the Dayan Kingdom. It's just that from now on, we will never hear her teachings again.
Shangguan Yuqi said, "Your mother, Madam Pei, and Zhao Zhaorong, the Director of the Imperial Library, are sworn sisters. Don't you know that Zhao Zhaorong is from Wu and comes from the Zhao family of Wu?"
Her words were quite obvious, yet she phrased them tactfully.
Pei Yu first seemed to realize something, then revealed an expression of immense admiration, slapping his head several times and saying, "So it's Aunt Ling! I knew it! Although my mother is also skilled in strategy and tactics, she comes from a northern aristocratic family and isn't familiar with the situation in the south. Aunt Lan has lived in the palace for many years, and Aunt Zhao is a native of Jianzhang Army, yet we've completely forgotten about Aunt Ling. But…"
Her once bright eyes suddenly lost their light as she said, "I had just returned to the capital when I learned of the devastating news of Aunt Ling's passing. Now that I think about it, I truly don't remember her being from Wu. And I'm afraid not only I don't know, but even my mother and the others probably don't know much about her either. Because over the years, there has never been any indication on Aunt Ling that she had any connection with her homeland or clan. In short, we didn't know she had any family or relatives."
She gave a wry smile and said, "It's not hard for me to imagine why she would offer this strategy to pacify Jiangdong."
In fact, among Shangguan Yuqi, Pei Yu, and A Qiu, Pei Yu had the most contact with Zhao Lingying because she was Mu Huaying's daughter, and her feelings for Zhao Lingying were the deepest.
As the head of the Shangguan family, Shangguan Yuqi used to occasionally be summoned to the palace by Xie Lang, and she would always encounter Zhao Lingying. Only now did she realize that Zhao Lingying was taking special care of her, probably because of her aunt Yanxiu. But over the years, they had only met a few times.
A Qiu had only entered the palace in the last six months and had only interacted with Zhao Lingying a few times, yet she felt that her understanding of her was probably deeper than that of anyone else in the world.
Because they both had Yanxiu as a close friend in different times and spaces.
However, what A Qiu did not expect was that even she, as a fellow Fei Feng sister, was not very aware that Zhao Lingying came from the Zhao family of Wumen.
So Zhao Lingying's past must have been buried deep in her heart long ago.
Xiao Chang'an said thoughtfully, "A true national hero should plan for the whole world, not just one family or one country. A thousand years from now, Zhao Zhaorong may be a sinner in Jiangdong, but she will be a heroine who brings blessings to China. Not to mention the distant future, she has already averted a potential war."
A Qiu couldn't help but glare at him and said, "If none of us here speak out, who will know a thousand years from now that Zhao Rong is a sinner from Jiangdong and the instigator?"
Upon hearing this, even Pei Yu, whose eyes had been brimming with tears, couldn't help but laugh. She said emphatically, "That's absolutely right! Whoever spreads this and ruins Aunt Ling's reputation is a dog." She glanced at A Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi one by one, and finally fixed her gaze on Xiao Chang'an, saying fiercely, "Of all the people present, I think you're the most likely to leak this information, Xiao Chang'an. Swear an oath!"
When she mentioned "those present," A Qiu subconsciously looked towards the other side of the railing, only to find that the figure of Lord Liyang had already disappeared without a trace.
He must have already left when Pei Yu came up. For some reason, seeing that he was suddenly gone, she felt a sudden emptiness in her heart.
Xiao Chang'an protested, "Why me?" He then mimicked Pei Yu's gesture, looking around before pointing directly at his own face and saying, "Among all the people here, am I the only one with the word 'traitor' written on my face? You don't seem to suspect Miss Shangguan or Sister Aqiu."
Pei Yu, hands on his hips, declared confidently, "A lady's word is her bond. Miss Shangguan is the renowned 'Gentleman's Sword' of the Southern Dynasty; she would never engage in such gossiping. Miss Aqiu is the successor of the Young Master; like master, like disciple, she will surely keep her promise. Only you, Xiao Chang'an…"
At this point, Pei Yu realized that he could no longer continue the conversation.
In fact, she wasn't the only one who thought Xiao Chang'an had a problem; everyone present thought so too. This wasn't because of his background, since even Mu Huaying came from a noble family that had migrated from the north. Sometimes, the difference between north and south is just a matter of a single thought.
Although Xiao Chang'an was dashing and charming on the outside, those who got a little closer could sense his inherent arrogance and unconventionality. This in itself wasn't anything special, but it always carried a hint of wickedness. And this was seen as strange and eerie by Pei Yu and Shangguan Yuqi, who came from aristocratic families, as well as by A Qiu, who came from the martial arts world.
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