I Will Burn More Paper Money for Her.
By the end of the eighth month, Yangzhu Jing had also fallen.
So long as three more cities were taken, the great army of the Kingdom of Lu would reach the capital of the Kingdom of Yu, Cifeng Jing.
The ruler of the Kingdom of Yu sent urgent pleas for aid to the other five kingdoms overnight.
When the alliance had first been formed, they had clearly agreed to aid one another in times of difficulty. Now that the Kingdom of Lu had advanced, each of them hid like quails, silent, watching the fire from across the river, unafraid that the flames would one day burn their own bodies.
Lu Ronghuai governed his army with strict discipline. They did not harass the common people. He even opened the treasuries and granaries of local officials, distributing their contents freely to the people. With Lu soldiers stationed within the territory, order was well maintained, and the people gradually came to trust and support them.
Just as everyone believed that, with morale at its height, Lu Ronghuai would press forward in one effort and seize the next three cities, the great army of the Kingdom of Lu suddenly settled down in Yangzhu Jing and showed no intention of advancing.
This action left everyone unable to make sense of it.
The fourth day of the ninth month.
The gates of Yangzhu Jing, which had been quiet for several days, opened once more.
A force clad in black armor swiftly rode out of the city, splitting to either side. At the very center, two men mounted on tall, fine horses appeared.
Lu Ronghuai and Bai Qingyu rode out one after the other. Behind them followed Zhao Lu and Fu Qing.
The four traveled together. After five li, Zhao Lu and Fu Qing came to a halt.
Zhao Lu’s voice rang out, “Your Highness, we will see you and General Bai off here.”
Lu Ronghuai pulled on the reins. His gaze swept over the fifty thousand troops following behind. He spoke calmly, “There remain one hundred thousand troops in Yangzhu Jing. For the next two months, matters will be left to you and Fu Qing. You may remain in Yangzhu Jing without moving, or you may advance and continue the attack.”
Zhao Lu said, “Understood. Miss Fu Qing is formidable in battle. I have already discussed it with her. We intend to push forward and fight. If we cannot win, we will withdraw.”
Fu Qing laughed, her voice clear and bold. “In battle, there is no such principle as retreat. If we are to fight, then success alone is permitted, failure is not. General Zhao must have confidence in me.”
Zhao Lu raised his thumb toward her.
He truly believed Fu Qing to be formidable. From Huanglin Valley to Yangzhu Jing, she had taken command and seized both Qingjue Jing and Yangzhu Jing. Her strength could not be underestimated.
Zhao Lu had only learned midway that the valiant young woman before him was once the renowned eldest princess of the Kingdom of Yu.
Lu Ronghuai said, “Fu Qing is familiar with the terrain of the Kingdom of Yu, and the defensive map has been left with you. At present, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Yu are no match. You may seize a few more cities.”
Fu Qing said, “Your Highness speaks correctly. The Kingdom of Yu relies on its terrain advantage and neglects discipline among its soldiers. They are no match for the soldiers of the Kingdom of Lu.”
Zhao Lu chuckled. “Miss Fu Qing, you no longer regard yourself as a person of the Kingdom of Yu. You are even more eager than I am to overturn their nest.”
Fu Qing smiled.
“Let us go,” Lu Ronghuai said after giving his instructions. He lightly nudged the horse’s flank, and the horse moved forward at a steady pace.
Bai Qingyu followed behind him.
Zhao Lu and Fu Qing stepped aside, watching them depart.
The fifty thousand troops gradually receded into the distance. Upon the official road, they resembled a winding black dragon. Only after a long time did that dragon disappear completely.
The people of Yangzhu Jing saw them leave the city. While they were still curious, they saw two of them return by the same road, while Prince Li and the other young general had vanished from sight.
Before long, Yu Kui learned that Lu Ronghuai had left Yangzhu Jing and had instead led troops toward the northwest.
To their northwest lay a vast stretch of mountain forest.
Beyond that forest was the territory of the Xiqiang.
They had turned midway to attack Xiqiang.
Yu Kui’s complexion shifted between pale and livid. He flew into a great rage in court, yet beneath his anger, there was a faint sense of relief.
The advance of the Kingdom of Lu had been too fierce. The Kingdom of Yu had no strength to resist. Now that Lu Ronghuai had left, Yu Kui’s thoughts became active. He quickly summoned the noble clans of the Kingdom of Yu and selected several young men of skill in martial arts, intending to drive back the remaining soldiers of the Kingdom of Lu.
Among the noble clans summoned to court this time, the Wan family alone was absent.
Since Wan Huang had fled before the battle, the Wan family had become the laughingstock of the nobility. Yu Kui had stripped them of their title outright, thrown every member into the dungeons, and seen to it that they were greeted daily with severe punishment.
Yu Kui attempted to strike back. Yet just as he was making his plans, another urgent military report arrived.
The Lu army had attacked Zongping Jing. The defending general rode out to meet them and was shot through the throat with a single arrow by an obscure female general of the Kingdom of Lu, dying on the spot.
Yu Kui was consumed by anger. Zongping Jing held out for seventeen days, yet in the end it still fell. Yu Kui resolved to personally lead the campaign.
The two forces met at Dongshang Jing. The Kingdom of Yu also received eighty thousand reinforcements from the Kingdom of Shi.
With the addition of the Kingdom of Shi, the forces of the Kingdom of Yu grew. They now outnumbered the Kingdom of Lu by sixty thousand men, temporarily gaining the upper hand. They held Dongshang Jing, and the advance of the Lu army slowed. The two sides entered a prolonged stalemate.
In the blink of an eye, it was the latter part of the tenth month.
Within the camp of the Kingdom of Lu, Fu Qing walked quickly to Zhao Lu’s tent. “General Zhao?”
“I am here. Come in.”
Fu Qing lifted the tent flap and entered.
Zhao Lu was discussing battle conditions with several subordinates. The atmosphere was still steady. These men were veteran generals who had followed Lu Ronghuai for many years and were deeply trusted. When she entered, all of them turned their gaze toward her.
Zhao Lu asked, “Is there news of His Highness and the others?”
Before departing, Lu Ronghuai had told them that he would return in at most two months. Now that two months had passed, there was still no sign of their return and no message sent back. Zhao Lu could no longer remain at ease.
Fu Qing nodded. “The scouts we sent out have reported that His Highness has already taken Xiqiang. As for why they have not yet returned, it is because... General Bai has been injured.”
“Injured?” Zhao Lu rose to his feet. His brows drew together so tightly they could pinch a fly. “General Bai’s martial skill is comparable to His Highness, and Xiqiang is but a small territory. By all reason, it should not have come to this. How was he injured?”
The others all showed worry upon their faces.
Fu Qing said, “The report did not say. We must wait for their return to learn more.”
“Very well. His Highness has already brought down Xiqiang. Then we must also hasten our pace. I will not continue to drag this out. We will attack.”
Fu Qing said of her own accord, “Let me go. I understand Yu Kui better than anyone here. The chances of victory will be greater.”
Zhao Lu refused. “You are a young lady. Do not always rush to the front. Leave some matters for us men to handle.”
Zhao Lu added, “Besides, Yu Kui may already recognize you. If you face him in battle, it would be too dangerous.”
Fu Qing knew they meant to protect her. Her expression remained calm, with a faint smile. “He will not. I have been away from the Kingdom of Yu for a long time. He will not recognize me. Moreover, I wear a mask.”
“Even so, it will not do.”
“General Fu Qing, heh, we brothers also wish to earn some merit. If we do not move soon, our bodies will grow stiff.”
Fu Qing looked at the sincere eyes before her.
In the end, she relented with a helpless smile. “Very well. Take care of yourselves.”
Lu Ronghuai pushed open the door and entered a thatched hut filled with the scent of medicine.
He looked toward the person lying upon a bamboo mat. “Are you better?”
Bai Qingyu sat up. His upper body was bare, and he wore only light trousers below, revealing the firm muscles of his waist and abdomen.
“Mm, it is nothing now,” Bai Qingyu’s face lacked color, making his eyes appear as blue as gemstones. “Third Brother, when do we depart?”
Lu Ronghuai sat across from him. He took out a small, exquisite dagger and a bamboo slip from his bosom. His gaze swept over the man’s chest before lowering his head to carve slowly.
“No hurry. Your chest is black. The poison has not yet cleared. We will leave after you recover.”
“I...”
“If you do not wish to worry Xiao Ba, then quietly nurse your body. It will not matter if it is delayed by a day or two.” Lu Ronghuai seemed to have seen through his thoughts and grasped directly at his weak point.
Bai Qingyu fell silent.
He raised his eyes toward Lu Ronghuai, who was focused on carving the bamboo. In a hoarse voice, he said, “I have already recovered seven to eight parts. If we delay further, Third Brother will not return in time for the new year.”
“It will still be in time,” Lu Ronghuai blew away the bamboo shavings. When he lifted his gaze, he looked at him with a faint smile. “Rather than that, I am more curious as to why you possess Xiqiang blood.”
Bai Qingyu’s fingers shifted slightly. He lowered his head to look at the black poison spreading across his chest. Just a little more, and it would have entered his heart meridians.
“My mother was from the Kingdom of Lu.”
Lu Ronghuai raised a brow. A trace of interest passed through his eyes.
“When I was young, I was abandoned outside the borders. It was Father who found me and brought me back.” When Bai Qingyu spoke of Bai Yi, warmth appeared in his features.
“Then,” Lu Ronghuai turned the dagger in his hand, “the one you are... blood-related to is a person of Xiqiang?”
Bai Qingyu said, “Twenty years ago, Xiqiang once launched a large-scale invasion. My mother was an ordinary citizen of Lu Cheng. After being taken by Xiqiang, she soon conceived me...”
“Later, Father led troops into Xiqiang and rescued those women who had been taken. My mother... attempted to take her life several times. After Father persuaded her, her emotions gradually stabilized, and in the end she chose to give birth to me...”
Lu Ronghuai did not speak. He listened quietly to this difficult past.
“When I opened my eyes, she saw my blue eyes and screamed as though mad, attempting to strangle me. The midwife was frightened and carried me away.”
“Later, when no one was watching, she carried me far away, left me at the border of Xiqiang, and then leapt from a cliff herself. Father searched without food or rest for two days before he found me, nearly devoured by wolves.”
As Bai Qingyu spoke, his expression remained calm. His tone was ordinary, as though he were speaking of the weather, without the slightest fluctuation.
Over the years, Bai Yi had raised him by his side. Because of his blue eyes, Bai Yi did not dare return to the capital, fearing suspicion. To raise him safely, Bai Yi had spent great effort.
Including having him dress as a woman, which was also meant to protect him.
Lu Ronghuai seemed thoughtful. “Among the Xiqiang royal family, all possess blue eyes?”
Bai Qingyu shook his head and corrected him. “Only the male members of the royal family possess blue eyes.”
Bai Qingyu said, “To ensure the purity of their bloodline, the Xiqiang royal family forbids marriage with outsiders. The poison within me was specifically developed for this purpose. It does not affect those of Xiqiang or the Kingdom of Lu. It only affects those with mixed Xiqiang blood.”
“Ruthless indeed.”
“Thus, your biological father should be of the Xiqiang royal family,” Lu Ronghuai pointed at his blue eyes. “Bai Yi had you disguise yourself as a woman and claimed to the outside world that your mother was from overseas. It was to prevent others from suspecting you to be of Xiqiang descent.”
“Mm. This feature is rather too obvious. Anyone who sees it would be suspicious.”
For a long moment, the dagger in Lu Ronghuai’s hand began to move once more.
“Do you resent your mother?”
Bai Qingyu frowned slightly. “It is not resentment. Now, I even feel a measure of gratitude toward her.”
“Gratitude?”
Bai Qingyu smiled faintly. His blue eyes were gentle as water. “If she had not given me this life, I would not have met Ah-Shen.”
Lu Ronghuai was convinced. “That is reasonable. In that case, I must also give thanks to my Imperial Mother.”
Without her, he would not have met Ah-Yuan.
“To express my gratitude, when she dies, I will burn more paper money for her.”
Bai Qingyu: “...”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Lu Dog: Filial words always at the lips, good fortune will come naturally.
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