"I am going to Tingzhou," Xiao Huayong said to Shen Xihe.
"I know." Shen Xihe nodded. She hadn't originally planned to move against Xiao Changtai so soon, but since he had exposed himself, she knew Xiao Huayong wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.
Xiao Changtai himself was not much to fear, but his methods and the wealth he had preserved were potential future troubles. It was better to eliminate him sooner rather than later.
"Indeed, we are of one mind." Xiao Huayong's eyes crinkled with pleasure.
"I must remain here. Be careful in all matters," Shen Xihe urged.
Since Xiao Huayong was going to Tingzhou, he naturally couldn't stay here to accompany her. Yet this was a critical time for her—her father had passed away, and her brother was missing. By both emotion and reason, he should be by her side.
But the two of them had ways to make Xiao Huayong's departure for Tingzhou appear justified. For instance, by having Shen Yungan, who had already met privately with Shen Yueshan, cooperate with their plan, it could be accomplished.
On the very night Geng Liangcheng set out with reinforcements for Tingzhou, someone came to report: "My lady, I truly saw the young master outside the city. He rode past me at full gallop on his horse. I could never mistake the young master's fine steed!"
In the northwest, a horse symbolized a person's status. Both Shen Yueshan and Shen Yungan had their own warhorses—valuable and unique. Such fine steeds were fiercely loyal and could only be ridden by their masters.
Hearing this, Shen Xihe ordered the steward to check the stables. The steward returned after his inspection: "Crown Princess, the young master's horse is gone. The groom was found unconscious and has just been revived. After questioning him, I learned he fainted at some unknown time. Would you like to speak with him personally, Crown Princess?"
"It's Brother! It must be Brother!" Shen Xihe seemed convinced. She sprang to her feet and made to rush out, but suddenly her legs gave way, and she collapsed into the quick arms of Xiao Huayong. Clutching him, she pleaded, "Your Highness, I must go find Brother!"
"In your current state, how could you leave the city?" Xiao Huayong asked. "Moreover, you are needed here. If you also depart, rumors may spread that the Shen family has abandoned the city's people due to the war. If such talk reaches the front lines, it could damage morale."
Xiao Huayong's words struck home. Shen Xihe's face stiffened, but she refused to give up: "But Brother..."
"Leave it to me. Stay here, and I will search for him in your stead." Xiao Huayong's gaze was firm and profound.
Shen Xihe struggled inwardly, gripping Xiao Huayong's sleeves, unable to decide.
Meanwhile, Sang Yin had gathered more details from those who provided clues about Shen Yungan's whereabouts and concluded: "Could the young master have gone to Tingzhou?"
This startled everyone, yet it seemed highly plausible. As for why Shen Yungan had suddenly disappeared without a word and sneaked off to Tingzhou, everyone was puzzled, but no one voiced the question aloud.
"Wherever your brother has gone, I will bring him back safely," Xiao Huayong promised Shen Xihe.
Xiao Changfeng and Pei Zhan exchanged glances. Seeing that Shen Xihe had been persuaded, Pei Zhan stepped forward: "Your Highness, going alone is too risky. With the turmoil of war, this old minister begs to accompany and protect you."Xiao Huayong had slipped out of the palace without bringing many attendants. Those sent by the Youning Emperor to track him were lurking in the shadows. Pei Zhan, concerned for Xiao Huayong, initially intended to dissuade him from going. However, as the maternal uncle of Jing Wang, Pei Zhan also sensed that Xiao Huayong was no ordinary man. In fact, ever since Xiao Huayong arrived in the northwest, nothing had been straightforward. Thus, Pei Zhan chose to accompany him.
Shen Xihe cast a deep glance at Pei Zhan. "Minister Pei is advanced in years. Perhaps Xun Wang should be the one to protect the Crown Prince."
Without hesitation, Pei Zhan declined. "Xun Wang has been entrusted by His Majesty with the duty of guarding the Crown Princess. If he were to leave with the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess were abducted again, Xun Wang would be hard-pressed to answer to His Majesty."
Shen Xihe nodded upon hearing this and said no more.
"I shall trouble Minister Pei, then," Xiao Huayong agreed.
"Meng Hu, you shall also accompany them to protect the Crown Prince," Wei Ya suddenly instructed.
Shen Xihe had handed the Commander's Seal to Wei Ya, making his words a military order. Moreover, although Meng Hu held grievances against the court—especially those with the surname Xiao—he was willing to protect Xiao Huayong out of respect for him as Shen Xihe's husband and for his willingness to observe mourning rites for the late prince.
"Understood."
Thus, Xiao Huayong, accompanied by Tianyuan and guarded by Pei Zhan and Meng Hu, left the city overnight, heading in the direction Shen Yungan had taken. Xiao Huayong, frail in health, had to rest frequently along the way, deliberately timing their progress.
Fortunately, they encountered people on the road and inquired about Shen Yungan. A couple of them claimed to have seen the young master's prized steed, though they could not confirm whether the rider was the young master himself, as the horse had galloped by too swiftly.
Tingzhou, which had not seen a major battle in eight years, was the closest northwestern territory to the Tujue. The scars of war had only just begun to fade, and the people were slowly relaxing their tense nerves when the Tujue launched another sudden invasion, catching them off guard.
The gates of Tingzhou were sealed, but the areas outside the city had already fallen to the Tujue. Fortunately, the borderlands between the two nations were sparsely populated, though the several patrol units stationed along the route—numbering one to two thousand men—had perished under Tujue blades. Most of these soldiers were sons of ordinary families in Tingzhou, and in recent days, the city had been shrouded in the urgency of impending war and the grief of losing their children.
On the day Geng Liangcheng arrived in Tingzhou, he personally led a charge beyond the city walls to boost morale, only to find the Tujue assault ferocious. Sensing the unfavorable turn, he retreated early. Though there were no casualties, he realized the Tujue's determination in launching this campaign.
"Reinforcements have arrived in Tingzhou—one of the Northwestern Tigers," the Tujue King remarked in his tent, addressing the masked young man beside him.
This was the man who had brought news of Munuha's death and his personal effects. He was the Fourth Prince, disowned by the Celestial Dynasty's Emperor. He claimed that the Crown Prince had driven him to this plight, and with the Crown Prince now in the northwest, his goal was the Crown Prince, while the Tujue King aimed to conquer the northwest. They could collaborate.
The Tujue King did not truly trust the Xiao royal clan, but Xiao Changtai had offered him vast treasures—enough to tempt him into waging this war. Most importantly, Shen Yueshan was dead. Even without the treasures, the Tujue King would not have passed up this opportunity, though he might not have committed his entire force so decisively.
Xiao Changtai, who had only learned the Tujue language that year, replied, "Tomorrow, have the general feign defeat to lure him in.""In the Central Plains, you have a saying: 'Do not pursue a desperate enemy.' He is a seasoned general, how could he fall for such a trick?" the Turkic King did not find it clever.
"Precisely because he is a seasoned general, he will be confident. Even if he sees through it as a ruse to lure the enemy, he will turn it to his advantage—he is too desperate for victory." Xiao Changtai's lips curved upward beneath his mask.
Xiao Huayong, he thought the situation was entirely under his control.
This time, they would settle the score once and for all!
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