Chapter 73 The Intelligent Northern Envoy
Inside the Honglu Guest House, the charcoal fire crackled and popped, but it couldn't dispel the chill in Helian Mingzhu's heart. Gazing at the seemingly endless snow outside the window, she suddenly asked, "Wuzhu, what day is it today?"
Wuzhu bowed and replied, "Princess, there are only three days left until the end of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Helian Mingzhu's eyes dimmed: "Yesterday... was his coronation ceremony, wasn't it?"
“Yes,” Wuchen said in a heavy tone, “The ceremony was reportedly extremely grand. The Emperor of Great Zhou… truly cherishes that Consort Chen, no, now the Empress of Great Zhou.” He paused, lowering his voice even further, “But… His Majesty still has not summoned us.”
Helian Mingzhu gave a cold laugh as if he had already expected it.
Wuzhu's face showed a deeper unease: "Princess, there is something else... I feel that the recent developments in the capital are very strange."
"explain."
"Our people managed to go out and investigate, and learned that the Marquis of Zhenbei of the Great Zhou, who is also the father of General Pei Xuan, the General of Zhenbei... about half a year ago, shortly after the late Empress Shen was deposed and the Shen family was in trouble, he hurriedly left the capital and returned to the northern border. To this day... he has not returned to the capital to reunite with his family for the New Year."
Helian Mingzhu sat up abruptly: "The Marquis of Zhenbei has not returned for half a year?"
“Yes. Moreover,” Wuzhu’s voice carried a hint of surprise, “General Pei Xuan himself has been frequently visiting the camp outside the capital recently, seemingly to… intensify troop training and make frequent troop movements.”
Helian Mingzhu's face turned deathly pale instantly, his fingers gripping the armrests of the chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white: "The Marquis of Zhenbei is stationed in the northern border year-round, but he usually returns to the capital to report on his duties during the holidays... He hasn't returned for half a year, and his son Pei Xuan is in the capital intensifying preparations for war..."
She looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with horror: "Yuwen Che... he never intended to negotiate with us! From the moment he detained us, he was preparing for war! He purged our spies, cut off our communications, sent the Marquis of Zhenbei back to the border to deploy defenses ahead of schedule, and had Pei Xuan organize his troops in the capital... He was waiting! Waiting for an opportunity, or... waiting for us in the North to make the first move, then he would have a perfectly good reason..."
Her voice trembled, and she could barely continue: "And we...we are just pawns he uses to provoke his brother, or to sacrifice his flag!"
Wuzhu realized the gravity of the situation, and cold sweat poured down his back: "Princess, if that's really the case, then we..."
Helian Mingzhu slumped helplessly into his chair, gazing at the sky separated from his view by high walls. For the first time, he felt the scent of war and death so clearly. This year-end, for them, was probably not about waiting for family reunion, but about awaiting judgment from fate. The border was about to be engulfed in flames, and they had become the most pathetic prisoners in this game. They had willingly delivered themselves to their fate…
Helian Mingzhu suddenly stood up and grabbed Wuzhu's sleeve, her nails almost digging into the fabric. Her voice trembled with the last vestige of hope: "Are these reports... really true? Could it be a smokescreen deliberately released by Yuwen Che?"
Wuzhu's face was ashen, and he shook his head with difficulty: "Princess, the specific time details may be a few days off, but the fact that the Marquis of Zhenbei left the capital and returned to the northern border shortly after the Shen family's downfall... should be close to the time that our people have found out. As for General Pei Xuan's frequent visits to the camp outside the capital and mobilization of troops... many people in the capital have seen this with their own eyes, and it cannot be faked."
He paused, his voice growing even lower and more desperate: "And the others... our people go to the palace gates every day to request an audience, but each time they are ruthlessly turned away, without even the slightest room for negotiation. Princess, there are only three days left until New Year's Eve..."
He raised his head, his eyes filled with the same fear and understanding: "I'm afraid... Emperor Yuwen never intended for us to step into the palace gates from the very beginning, nor did he intend for us to... spend this New Year peacefully in the Great Zhou."
The last glimmer of hope was utterly extinguished. Helian Mingzhu released her grip, staggered back two steps, and slammed her back against the cold wall before barely managing to steady herself.
It wasn't negotiation, it wasn't delay; it was outright imprisonment and... preparations for war.
With utter indifference, Yuwen Che isolated them within this magnificent cage. While he indulged in tender moments with his new empress, celebrating the festival, he also sharpened his knives, preparing a fatal blow against the Northern Kingdom. They were not even allowed to send a warning message.
“Chess piece…sacrifice…” Helian Mingzhu murmured to himself, a smile more painful than tears appearing on his pale face. “Brother…do you know…what kind of utter destruction will the gift you gave away…bring upon you…”
Outside the inn, the faint sounds of people preparing for the New Year could be heard, making the inn feel even more deathly silent, like a tomb. For them, this New Year was no longer a time for family reunion, but rather a guillotine hanging over their heads, ready to fall at any moment.
Helian Mingzhu forced herself to calm down. She looked at Wuzhu, whose expression was equally solemn, and asked in a hoarse voice, "In your opinion... what will Yuwen Che do next?"
Wuzhu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and said in a deep voice, "Princess, based on what we can find out about Yuwen Che's behavior over the past six months—the Shen family somehow offended him, the late Empress Shen was deposed, and later it seems she was suddenly given a death sentence. As for the details... we can't find out, we only know that the Shen family was even slaughtered, completely wiped out. Yuwen Che is a ruthless man, and he plans carefully before acting. Once he makes a decision, he leaves no room for retreat."
He paused, then continued his analysis, his expression growing increasingly grim: "Now, the Pei family father and son have clearly taken action. Pei Xuan's frequent troop movements at the main camp outside the capital are preparations for subsequent reinforcements or logistical support. As for the Marquis of Zhenbei... his absence for half a year is far from ordinary. This can only mean that he has already been preparing his troops in the northern border, fully geared for war! He's just waiting for Yuwen Che's orders..."
Wuzhu's voice trembled slightly: "This battle... is inevitable! Moreover, given Yuwen Che's character and the current strength of the Great Zhou, the purpose of this battle is far from a small skirmish. Either... it will severely weaken my Northern Kingdom, forcing it to submit and pay tribute; or..."
He stopped abruptly, a flash of extreme fear crossing his eyes, as if he dared not utter the worst possible word.
Helian Mingzhu spoke for him, his voice icy: "Either... completely... eliminate any future troubles."
Wuzhu nodded heavily.
Just then, as if remembering something, he frowned deeply and muttered, "Wait... no... there's something else..."
Helian Mingzhu looked at him: "What is it?"
"The coronation ceremony!" Wuzhu looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt. "Princess, don't you find it strange? Why did Yuwen Che suddenly move the coronation ceremony forward by several days? If it's just to show his favor, holding it on the original date wouldn't be a problem. Why is he in such a hurry..."
A terrifying thought formed in his mind, and his voice tightened with disbelief: "Could it be... that he's in a hurry? He plans to... to personally lead the army to the northern border after the New Year?!"
This guess was like a thunderclap, exploding in Helian Mingzhu's ears!
Yes! If there wasn't a reason for him to leave the capital as soon as possible, why would he rush to hold the empress coronation ceremony ahead of schedule? He wanted to completely solidify Su Luoxue's position before setting off on the expedition, so that she could rightfully become empress and have no more worries!
If he truly leads the army in person... then Yuwen Che's determination in this battle is self-evident! What he wants is probably not just submission, but... complete...!
Helian Mingzhu felt a chill run from his feet to the top of his head, his whole body turning ice-cold. They were not only prisoners, but they were also about to witness firsthand how that man would use them as bait to unleash a bloody storm that would sweep across the grasslands!
Wuzhu's speculation about "the emperor personally leading the expedition" was like the last straw, completely crushing the last remaining hope in Helian Mingzhu's heart. Her legs went weak, and she would have collapsed to the ground if she hadn't grabbed the table in time.
"He really wants to... lead the troops... himself...?" She murmured, repeating these four words, her face deathly pale, her eyes filled with unprecedented fear.
“Princess…” Wuzhu looked at her with concern.
Helian Mingzhu suddenly grabbed his arm, her nails digging deep, her voice shrill with extreme fear: "Wuzhu! You and I both know what this means! Yuwen Che... he is not only the emperor, he is also... a war god on the battlefield!"
Her breathing quickened, and the vague yet terrifying descriptions of Yuwen Che's early military exploits sent back by spies from the North flashed through her mind:
"Why is my brother so wary of him? It's not just because the Great Zhou army is strong and well-equipped! It's also because of Yuwen Che himself! Before he ascended the throne, he personally led troops into battle several times as a prince. He was a brilliant strategist and ruthless! How many of the tribes and kingdoms that were his enemies ended up well? They were either slaughtered or completely destroyed, with no chance of ever rising again!"
Her voice trembled with despair: "If he were to remain in the capital and direct operations remotely, our Northern Kingdom might still be able to find a glimmer of hope by leveraging our geographical advantage and maneuvering... and then negotiate peace... But if he were to personally lead the army..."
Helian Mingzhu closed his eyes, as if he could already see the grasslands strewn with corpses and the burning royal court, his voice as low as a whisper:
"Then it's all over... His personal trip to the Northern Border means he's determined to destroy our country! He won't give the Northern Kingdom any chance to breathe, and he won't accept any form of peace... He'll treat him like he treated his first wife, eliminating him completely and preventing any future trouble..."
She opened her eyes and looked at Wuzhu, her eyes filled with a deathly desolation: "We...we became his best excuse to ignite the war...and also became the sinners of the North..."
The inn was deathly silent, save for the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire. The festive atmosphere outside, preparing for the New Year, stood in stark contrast to their icy despair. They could almost hear the approaching thunder of iron hooves from the northern grasslands. And beneath those hooves lay the fate of the northern kingdom, and their own… demise.
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