proton
The wind at the end of September swept withered leaves into the tent, and golden ginkgo leaves clung to Su Jing's clothes like drops of congealed blood.
Outside the Northern Qi camp, charcoal fires blazed brightly, sizzling with oil from roasting mutton. Soldiers gathered brazenly around the fire, their eyes unabashedly scanning the Southern Su people who entered. Palace attendants followed behind Su Jing, their boots crunching a few fallen leaves as they drifted in.
Helian Chong jumped off his horse, the tip of his whip still glistening with dew in the morning light.
"Is there no one left in Nansu?" He suddenly used the tip of his whip to lift Su Jing's chin. "Sending a child who hasn't grown up yet to deliver the letter?"
The rustling of ginkgo leaves outside the tent couldn't mask the laughter of the Northern Qi soldiers. Some even deliberately tapped the ground with their sword sheaths, shouting, "Aren't all the Southern Su people short and thin like this?!"
Su Jing remained calm and presented the letter with both hands: "Southern Su is willing to make peace with Northern Qi and cease hostilities from now on."
His voice was very steady; not even his fingertips trembled.
Helian Chong took the letter, glanced at it, and suddenly smiled meaningfully: "The capital of Northern Qi has recently undergone renovations. Why doesn't the prince go and be a guest?"
He leaned down and lowered his voice: "That was where your father lived... Your Highness hasn't been there yet, has he?"
—Yanjing (Beijing).
The former capital of Southern Suzhou, which was occupied by the Northern Qi Dynasty twenty years ago.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but now that the letter has been delivered, we should naturally return."
Su Jing turned to leave.
"Clang—"
A flash of light appeared as the Northern Qi soldiers drew their swords in unison.
A general stepped forward to block their path: "Does Northern Qi belong to you Southern Su brats who come and go as you please?"
A palace servant behind Su Jing mustered his courage and said, "How dare you! How dare you be disrespectful to the Southern Su royal family? Is this how you Northern Qi treat your guests?"
A flash of cold light, and the blade was already embedded in the palace servant's abdomen. His eyes widened; he looked down at the hilt of the knife buried in his stomach, then looked up at Su Jing, his lips moving slightly as if he wanted to say something—
"Bang!"
The general drew his sword, and the corpse fell to the ground with a thud.
Chu Yiran's eyes sharpened, and the remaining two palace servants instantly went limp. One of them even lost control of his bladder. The heavy smell of blood mixed with the stench of urine slowly permeated the surroundings.
Helian Chong shrugged and spread his hands, saying, "Now, is the prince willing to go to Yanjing as a 'guest'?"
Su Jing stared quietly at the corpse on the ground, where the pool of blood gradually widened, soaking the tips of his boots.
"……good."
When he looked up, a perfectly timed faint smile even graced his lips, as if the one who had just died was merely an ant.
——
The envoy sent by Helian Chong stood before Chu Zhongling, his face displaying feigned respect, but his mouth uttering blatant threats.
“General, my commander said that since His Highness the Seventh Prince has come to Northern Qi for a rare occasion, we should naturally ‘treat him’ well.” The envoy smiled meaningfully. “However, the war over the past two months has cost a lot of money. The commander hopes that the Emperor of Southern Su will send another two million taels of silver as… His Highness’s ‘food and lodging expenses’.”
Chu Zhongling's face was ashen, and his knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists.
Seeing this, the envoy added slowly, "Of course, if Nansu is unwilling to give it, then Your Highness's days in Beiqi... will probably not be very easy."
"Bang!"
Chu Zhongling slammed his fist on the table, causing the teacup to overturn and spill tea all over the floor.
The envoy remained unfazed, still standing there with a smile, as if he had anticipated his reaction.
"Get out." Chu Zhongling squeezed out the word through gritted teeth.
The envoy bowed and turned to leave.
The tent was deathly silent.
The strategist sighed and said in a low voice, "General, Northern Qi is trying to squeeze every last drop of blood from Southern Su."
Chu Zhongling closed his eyes, suppressing his anger: "Their actions have only two purposes—first, to use the Seventh Prince to blackmail us and demand more money; second, to humiliate the Southern Su royal family."
He took a deep breath: "Your Highness now represents not just himself, but the entire Southern Su."
But what could he do? He had actually anticipated this before coming; Northern Qi wouldn't let it go so easily, and the one in the Golden Palace probably wouldn't care about this prince he'd hated since childhood...
"Send someone back to the capital to report," Chu Zhongling finally said through gritted teeth. "I will continue to guard this place."
——
Helian Chong's main army set off for Yanjing that very day.
The autumn wind was bleak, swirling up withered leaves and dust. Chu Yiran kept his head down, mingling with the palace servants, but his gaze couldn't help but sweep towards both sides of the road.
— Corpses were scattered everywhere.
The people of southern Sudan were driven like livestock, and the starving dead lay by the roadside, unburied. A woman sat in the ruins, holding her dead child, her eyes vacant; an old man knelt on the edge of the field, futilely rummaging through the withered crops.
Chu Yiran felt a tightness in her chest.
He followed his father to the battlefield from a young age, witnessing the clash of swords and the carnage, but he had never seen so clearly what lay beyond the war—that it was always the common people who suffered.
"Get out of here, you old bastard!"
Suddenly, angry shouts came from ahead. Chu Yiran looked up and saw a Northern Qi soldier waving a long spear, driving away an old woman who had fallen in front of a carriage.
The old woman was dressed in rags, clutching a worn-out bundle tightly in her arms. She seemed to have injured her leg and struggled a few times but couldn't get up.
The soldier grew impatient and raised his spear to thrust it down—
"Stop!" Chu Yiran rushed forward and grabbed the gun barrel.
The soldier roared, "Who do you think you are?!"
As he spoke, he raised his long spear towards Chu Yiran, who was also ready to fight back.
"Come up."
A cool, clear voice came from the carriage behind.
Everyone was taken aback.
Su Jing lifted the carriage curtain, his gaze sweeping over everyone indifferently before finally landing on Chu Yiran: "What are you all standing there for?"
The soldier who had just been angry glared at Chu Yiran, snatched the gun, and continued on his way. Chu Yiran gritted his teeth, finally turned around, and got into the carriage.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the old woman staggered to her feet, clutching her bundle, and stumbled into the woods.
Inside the carriage, Su Jing closed his eyes to rest, as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with him.
“Your Highness is quite composed,” Chu Yiran said indignantly, “but they killed my people from Nansu.”
“Since you’ve asked me to teach you martial arts, the first condition,” Su Jing looked up at him, “is that you are not allowed to resist or use martial arts within the territory of Northern Qi without my permission!”
Chu Yiran said with displeasure, "Your Highness—"
The carriage lurched over a pothole, and the teacup overturned. Chu Yiran caught the low table, but the brown tea still soaked half of Su Jing's sleeve.
Su Jing interrupted him directly: "Emperor Helian Di of Northern Qi has twelve sons. Helian Chong is the fourth son, the most favored and the most valiant among them. This southward invasion must have been his idea..."
"The offensive was so fierce in the first two months, have you ever thought about why they stopped fighting?" Su Jing leaned against the carriage wall, his fingers lightly tapping his knee. "It's late autumn, and the Northern Qi's supply lines can only last until the winter solstice at most... If you ask me, this letter of peace came at just the right time. It allows us to stop in time and have a peaceful winter, and it also allows us to boost morale with the territories and money we've captured."
Chu Yiran's eyes lit up: "If our army can hold out until the winter solstice—"
“So our Emperor is stupid,” Su Jing sneered, his damp sleeves clinging to his wrists, making him look rather forlorn. “He was beaten for two months and was completely routed, hastily ceding territory, paying reparations, and sending a peace treaty! As for threatening me as a hostage… he just wanted to win some favor from Helian Di.”
Listening to Su Jing's calm analysis of the situation, Chu Yiran was both impressed by his clear-headed and rational assessment of the circumstances, and also felt uncertain about the future...
Seeing Chu Yiran's worried expression, Su Jing curled the corners of his mouth: "Don't worry, we won't die anytime soon..." Then he added with a hint of self-deprecation, "But my father, the emperor, can't care about my life or death in Northern Qi... so we have to fight for our own lives."
"Yes!" The setting sun had somehow moved onto Chu Yiran's face, making his eyes appear clear and firm. "I believe in Your Highness."
Su Jing suddenly leaned forward, her tea-scented sleeve brushing against Chu Yiran's knuckles: "Since you've chosen me..." Her voice trembled slightly at the end, but she quickly regained her composure, "I certainly won't let you down."
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