There is still a chance
In the days that followed, Xiao Chengyan seemed to have fallen into a state of self-numbing.
He locked himself in his room, burying himself in mountains of military documents day and night, never stepping out of the door. His already well-defined face was drained of color, pale to the point of being almost transparent.
Changfeng couldn't help but feel sorry for the prince when he saw him like this. He knew that the prince was actually blaming himself.
The Assistant Minister of the Hidden Abyss Pavilion and the Assistant Minister of the Provisional Pavilion were right beside him. If it were any other time, he would have already found a way to capture them...
On this day, as usual, Changfeng entered the inner room carrying a stack of urgent documents and military reports.
The dim indoor lighting cast a focused and silent shadow on Xiao Chengyan's profile.
He flipped through the pages and made annotations expressionlessly, his gaze sometimes sharp as a knife, sometimes shrouded in a hazy grayness beneath his lowered eyelashes.
Until—he opened one of the military reports sealed with sealing wax.
Suddenly, a sharp glint appeared in his stagnant eyes.
The military report read in bold ink: "[The waterway previously dredged at Laoyatan has been recovered.]"
Waterway!
With this waterway, the difficulties in transporting grain and supplies can be easily resolved! The chances of victory in this battle will increase dramatically in an instant!
"Changfeng!" Xiao Chengyan suddenly looked up, his voice slightly hoarse as he spoke.
"Your subordinate is here!"
Xiao Chengyan coughed twice, his shoulders and back trembling slightly. His dark eyes, which had previously seemed misty with moisture, were now as deep as a cold pool: "Issue the order: the army shall set off immediately for the southwest!"
"Yes!" Changfeng accepted the order and looked up at Xiao Chengyan's eyes.
He seemed to have something to say, but ultimately held back.
Changfeng tentatively asked, "Your Highness? Is there anything else you wish to tell me?"
Xiao Chengyan's eyes darkened: "No."
Changfeng nodded, turned around, and strode out of the study.
After Changfeng left, Xiao Chengyan took out another piece of paper he had hidden earlier. It read: "[The waterway traces are faint; the entrance boulder is half-collapsed, and the method of clearing it is questionable. Also, it seems scouts are investigating the waterway; their intentions are unclear…]"
As Changfeng stepped outside, he looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly, but he couldn't feel any warmth.
The military order has been issued and there is no time to lose.
However, the military report confirming the traces of the "Old Crow Beach" waterway clearly pointed to the person that the prince was deliberately forgetting at this moment—Gu Jinghong.
That road was her idea.
That secret passage was discovered through her knowledge and keen insight.
The key to overcoming the most dangerous part of the army's journey lies in her hands.
From both a legal and ethical standpoint, bringing her along, allowing her to provide more accurate on-site judgments at critical junctures and even handle emergencies, is undoubtedly the lowest-risk and most efficient choice.
The prince always prioritizes the overall situation, so what he didn't say just now must have been about bringing Gu Jinghong along.
If it weren't for what happened last night, the Prince would definitely have personally sought out Gu Jinghong, but now...
Changfeng's footsteps came to an abrupt halt outside Gu Jinghong's secluded bamboo-fenced courtyard.
He looked up at the tightly closed courtyard gate, and then recalled the slightly tired profile of the prince when he set off, and those two suppressed coughs...
Bringing Gu Jinghong along would be beneficial to the military and the country, but since the prince had not given any instructions, it would not be right for me to act on my own.
Changfeng seemed to be struggling to make a decision for the first time, pacing back and forth.
The prince had already given the order, hadn't he? His gaze was also a form of instruction...
After much deliberation, Changfeng finally raised his hand and knocked on the door.
The door opened, and Gu Jinghong appeared to have just finished packing. Her expression was calm as she tossed a tiny piece of paper into the charcoal brazier, where it was instantly consumed by the flames.
"Guard Changfeng." She nodded slightly and stepped aside to let him in.
Changfeng got straight to the point: "The military report has arrived. His Highness has ordered the army to set off immediately for the southwest."
Gu Jinghong's lips curled into a smile: "So? The Changfeng Guards have come for matters concerning the waterways?"
Changfeng's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm. "Yes. Scouts report that there are indeed traces of an old, man-made waterway behind Laoyatan, which highly matches the ancient records you deduced! The Prince has ordered the southwest to begin dredging and clearing it according to your method. This is the key to breaking the deadlock! Therefore..."
Gu Jinghong waved her hand to interrupt him, "I understand. The southwest grain route is related to the lives of thousands of soldiers and the success or failure of the battle. I have an inescapable responsibility."
Before he could express his gratitude, Gu Jinghong continued, "But I have three conditions for this trip. I ask Guard Changfeng to convey them to the Prince verbatim and ensure their strict execution. These are the prerequisites for cooperation and are not open to discussion."
Changfeng said cautiously, "Please speak, young lady."
"First, I need a separate tent, located to the side and rear of the commander's tent, with a wide view to facilitate observation of the terrain, while being far away from the core military area. It must not be adjacent to the prince's sleeping tent, nor should it be next to the prince's daily route."
Changfeng nodded—the intention was clear: to completely sever any possible spatial connection with the prince.
"Secondly, avoid contact unless absolutely necessary. Unless it is an urgent military matter directly related to the clearing of supply lines, map calculations, or the deployment of headquarters, I do not need to meet with the Prince. All instructions will be personally conveyed to me by Commander Feng. All reports will also be forwarded to the Prince by you. There will only be official business between me and the Prince, and no private interactions are required."
—This is to sever all possible military connections with the prince.
She paused, her sharp gaze fixed on Changfeng: "Third, and most importantly—the purpose of this trip is solely to resolve the hidden dangers in the Flying Eagle Gorge supply route and assist the army in its smooth advance. My role is limited to 'military advisor.' I urge Your Highness and Commander Feng to ensure that my relationship with Your Highness is strictly confined to this scope, without any deviation!"
Gu Jinghong was smiling, but Changfeng subconsciously swallowed.
She continued, "If these three conditions can be met, Jinghong will do her utmost to repay the Prince's promise to accompany me, and also to contribute to the people and soldiers of the Southwest. If the Prince feels that Jinghong's demands are too demanding, or cannot guarantee their fulfillment... then Jinghong will stay in the capital and await good news."
Looking into Gu Jinghong's determined eyes, Changfeng instantly understood where the inexplicable pressure he felt earlier came from. It turned out that Gu Jinghong's words were not a negotiation, but an ultimatum.
Seeing that Gu Jinghong agreed, Changfeng finally couldn't suppress his joy and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Miss Gu's conditions, Changfeng...understands! I will definitely report to the Prince without missing a single word. Please wait a moment, Miss, I will be right back!"
He took two quick steps forward, then suddenly turned back and bowed earnestly: "Changfeng is here, on behalf of the soldiers of the Southwest, to express my gratitude to Miss Gu."
Gu Jinghong nodded and watched Changfeng leave.
When his figure had disappeared, she turned back to look at the charcoal brazier.
The last bit of paper ash in the charcoal brazier swirled and died out.
The Southwest… She had just received intelligence from the Hidden Abyss Pavilion that Hawk had also appeared in the Southwest, and seemed to be inquiring about the secret passage to Old Crow Beach. If she let him do this, wouldn't it mean the deaths of so many innocent soldiers… That beast!
...
When Changfeng returned to Xiao Chengyan's bamboo hut, he was looking down at a map of the southwest, with a book called "The Water Mechanism for Dredging Rivers" beside him, and he remained motionless for a long time.
The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a long shadow on his tall, yet somewhat lonely figure.
"Your Highness." Changfeng's voice broke the silence.
Xiao Chengyan didn't look up, but Changfeng knew he had heard him.
Changfeng's throat bobbed, and he forced himself to say in a low voice, "Your subordinate... went to find Miss Gu."
The figure in front of the map remained motionless, but Changfeng seemed to sense that the stagnant air had become even heavier.
"The Laoyatan Waterway... was proposed by Miss Gu, and I've been thinking about it..."
Changfeng's voice grew softer, carrying a hint of apology, as he repeated Gu Jinghong's three cold and clear isolation conditions. "This subordinate acted without authorization; please punish me, Your Highness."
A long silence.
It was so quiet that you could only see dust particles floating in the beam of light.
As Changfeng stared at the floating dust until his eyes were almost sore, Xiao Chengyan finally raised his eyes very slowly.
Those deep, pool-like eyes were icy cold.
"If I remember correctly, it was you, Changfeng, who told me that Gu Jinghong... she is the chief of the Qianyuan Pavilion, an... intelligence chief."
Changfeng felt a chill run down his spine, lowered his head even further, and dared not reply.
Xiao Chengyan's gaze seemed to pierce through the long wind, landing on a point in the void. His voice remained calm and even: "This trip to the southwest is for war. Swords clash and everything changes in an instant. Every decision concerns the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers. And yet, we've brought along... an intelligence chief?"
He paused slightly, his voice trailing off with a barely perceptible hint of confusion, as if asking Changfeng, or perhaps himself, "...Do we really have to bring her along?"
Changfeng was stumped by the question, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
The prince's calm statement was even more suffocating to him than his previous rage.
Before Changfeng could reply, Xiao Chengyan slowly shifted his gaze back to the mark on the map.
"But... this matter concerns whether the waterway can be successfully dredged... the person who understands it best... seems to be only her, isn't she?"
Changfeng suddenly looked up at the prince.
But Xiao Chengyan didn't seem to need Changfeng's answer.
He stood up, slowly walked towards Changfeng, then slowly squatted down, looking at Changfeng kneeling on the ground, "...This, is always...worth it, isn't it?"
He squinted and thought for a moment.
Finally, Xiao Chengyan parted his lips slightly: "Granted. In addition, I order Wang Gongcheng and Li Gongcheng to get involved in the river dredging work as soon as possible. They must understand the river itself and its surrounding environment and formulate a feasible plan before we arrive at the military camp. Under no circumstances should they act on their own."
Changfeng hesitated for a moment, then finally clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes! I will immediately arrange for Miss Gu to accompany me!"
Before Changfeng could leave, Xiao Chengyan suddenly came to his senses: "Is Xie Yan much better?"
Changfeng shook his head in confusion: "Young Master Xie, he..."
Xiao Chengyan wore a very complicated expression: "He's so badly injured, I'm afraid he won't recover. We need to let him stay for a few more days..."
As long as the two of them can separate, he still has a chance, doesn't he?
Changfeng frowned, then nodded knowingly: "That's natural..."
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