The Jin generals were emotional and had different thoughts, none of them willing to sign the contract.
The generals of Yue Kingdom were anxious; they couldn't let the duck that was already in their mouths fly away.
In order to achieve a balance between them through the agreement, Leng Qingning promised that all one million dan of military rations would belong to the Jin Kingdom, and Dayue would not want a single grain of food.
Upon hearing this condition, most of the Jin generals no longer objected. They weren't stupid; since Dayue had agreed, they would no longer wage war against Cangqiong. They only had a little over 100,000 men left, and in the end, they would have no choice but to withdraw.
Their deliberate and firm refusal was intended to secure more benefits for the Jin state.
Leng Qingning noticed the change in their expressions and smiled slightly: Giving up military rations is not a loss.
However, some generals were still dissatisfied. At this moment, Jin Yan, who had been silent all along, addressed the generals of the Jin Kingdom:
"If I'm not mistaken, Cang Qiong's army is more than 800,000. If we try to fight them head-on, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock. For now, we have no choice but to agree to peace talks."
When Jin Yan spoke, the Jin generals stopped arguing. They knew they were indeed powerless to fight, and they had no choice but to agree.
Finally, the contract was signed, in black and white, in triplicate.
Before leaving, Chi Yan approached Leng Qingning calmly and said to her, "Ning'er, see you in the main city tonight. I have a lot to say to you."
Fearing that Leng Qingning would refuse, he quickly left with his people after speaking.
Leng Qingning chuckled softly and watched him leave.
That night, Yuejin's troops withdrew from Cangshan and retreated to their camp outside the mountain.
The Left Protector arrived on time to pick up Leng Qingning and take her to the main city for their appointment. He was accompanied by another person.
On the way, Amu handed the belated letter to Leng Qingning and explained that it was sent to Yue Kingdom by Chi Yan, but unexpectedly it had come full circle back to Cangqiong.
Leng Qingning's emotions didn't fluctuate much after reading the letter, as Chi Yan had already explained the contents of the letter.
The carriage stopped by a tranquil lake in the main city.
Chi Yan stood at the bridgehead, gazing at Leng Qingning.
"Why here?" Leng Qingning walked onto the bridge with a question in her mind.
The man on the bridge wore a charming smile, his face, illuminated by the moonlight, was sincere and affectionate.
The words that came out were filled with tender affection: "Ning'er, I miss you so much."
"I thought you weren't coming, but I didn't expect... you still have feelings for me, right?"
Leng Qingning suddenly realized that Chi Yan's appearance reminded her of the intimate time they had spent together in the past.
If I hadn't suddenly remembered that I was forced to travel to the modern world because of him, I really wouldn't have been able to resist the beauty before me.
She deliberately turned away from him and calmly said, "The past is like the wind and cannot be retrieved; there is no point in dwelling on it."
"How could it be meaningless? Ning'er, have you forgotten me so quickly?" Chi Yan took a step closer and stared intently at Leng Qingning as he asked.
“Your Majesty, you have overstepped your bounds.” Leng Qingning took a step back.
Chi Yan followed closely, staring intently at Leng Qingning's perfect profile, and asked, "Ning'er, must we be so distant? Have you forgotten the beautiful times we had together? You promised you would love me forever."
"Did I? Did I say that?" Leng Qingning frowned slightly, looking as if she didn't remember.
Chi Yan was frantic, and sadness appeared on his face. He quickly helped her recall, "Don't you remember? You once said that no matter where I am, your love for me will never change. You also said that if I can't let go of Cang Qiong, you are willing to wait for me, and you will always love me, Ning'er. Have you really forgotten?"
Hearing him say that, Leng Qingning seemed to recall that she had indeed said those words before.
“I remember now, but back then there was no barrier between us. Things are different now. Now, what stands between us is not just distance, but also... your betrayal.”
Chi Yan was filled with remorse. He gently tugged at Leng Qingning's sleeve and sincerely apologized to her: "I'm sorry, Ning'er. I know I was too selfish. I only thought about possessing you, which led to this terrible mistake. It's only right that you blame me."
"But I... love you too much. I don't want to share you with Wen Yanche and the others, so... that's why I believed the doctor's fabricated story about amnesia."
"It was my fault, can you forgive me?"
"Please give me another chance, okay? I'll never do it again."
Is it just possessiveness at play? Leng Qingning turned her head to scrutinize him. "Is that all?"
Chi Yan didn't know what Leng Qingning was referring to, and remained silent.
Leng Qingning was furious and said bluntly, "I don't blame you for not knowing it was a soul-sacrificing array the day I offered my soul. But before that, the divine doctor clearly told you that cutting my blood essence would cause me to lose my memory. Even if that was just a lie, you didn't consider me at all at the time. You still resolutely watched me cut my palm. That's what makes me the angrier."
“I…” Chi Yan recalled the way Leng Qingning looked when she died that day, and lowered his head in shame, his eyes beginning to redden.
Leng Qingning continued to question him: "I can understand that you want to save your family, but have you thought about it? If I really lose my memory and forget A-Che, A-Yuan, and Xian-Zhi, is that fair to them? Is that fair to me? You know that I love them and they can't live without me, yet you didn't stop them. Is this what you call love?"
Chi Yan wanted to argue that he had only been ignorant about how to love her before, but his throat was incredibly bitter. Leng Qingning's words were so reasonable that he couldn't refute them, so he had no choice but to swallow his ridiculous explanation.
Leng Qingning raised her head and scrutinized him, questioning, "Besides, if I have amnesia, I naturally won't remember you either. So what makes you think that I would fall in love with you again if I had amnesia? What makes you so arrogant?"
"Chi Yan, you have really disappointed me."
He finished speaking in one breath, as if he had found an outlet for his emotions, and vented the resentment that had been building up in his heart for many days.
The barrage of questions left Chi Yan speechless. He knew he was terribly wrong, and all he wanted to do at that moment was to win Leng Qingning back.
The usually arrogant man swallowed his pride and pleaded with a sob in his voice, "It's all my fault. I'm sorry, Ning'er. I'm willing to make it up to you. I'll do anything you ask. Please, don't be so cold to me anymore, okay?"
Hearing his sincere apology, the resentment buried in Leng Qingning's heart softened slightly, but it still could not be eliminated.
Chi Yan seemed to have thought of something, and solemnly promised, "Ning'er, I know what you want. I am willing to pave the way for you with the entire sky. Today's contract is valid for life. As long as you need me, I will be your strongest support."
"What are you talking about? What do you know?" Leng Qingning didn't understand what he meant by paving the way.
Since the upheaval in the heavens, Chi Yan would repeatedly read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms whenever he missed Leng Qingning, and then he would have different insights.
Just like when Leng Qingning coldly watched the Second Princess fall into the water last time, Chi Yan once again refreshed his understanding of Leng Qingning.
In his view, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is full of scheming and ambition, and it points out the idea of unifying the world everywhere.
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