Coroner's Diary

After Fang Qin left, Yan Chi once again summoned all the available commanders in the camp to the strategy hall.

Seated in the main position, Yan Chi declared, "Now that the army's morale has stabilized, the situation is fundamentally different from before. I have gathered you all to discuss our next steps."

Master Qi sat in the first seat to the left, while Chu Fei Sheng sat opposite him. Zhang Dongxuan was also present in the tent. As Yan Chi spoke, everyone's expressions turned serious. Yan Chi continued, "Since I intend to claim the title of king, we must secure and defend cities. Moreover, to guard against the imperial court, the military deployment in Shuoxi must be divided into two parts."

The commanders listened with solemn expressions, and Yan Chi furrowed his brow slightly. "Currently, there are three key priorities in Shuoxi. First, ensure that White Wolf Pass remains unbreached and the Rong invaders do not advance a single step into Great Zhou. Second, guarantee that if the imperial court sends troops to attack, we have the strength to defend ourselves. Third, we must safeguard the livelihood of the people in Shuoxi and prevent them from suffering in hardship."

Yan Chi narrowed his eyes. "In the past, we only managed military affairs. The people of Shuoxi in Xilin City were governed by the Xilin City magistrate, but those in other tribal areas often lacked even proper household registrations. Therefore, in addition to military matters, we must now ensure that governance in Shuoxi does not falter. To this end, I plan to appoint several individuals to positions such as Chief Historian and Military Advisor in the royal residence. Master Qi and I have already considered this and will discuss it with each of you separately later."

After a pause, Yan Chi added, "What I need to discuss with you now is the matter of dividing our forces for defense. The royal residence is located in Xilin, while our main camp is in the northwest of Shuoxi. Therefore, I plan to relocate thirty thousand troops to Xilin and establish a camp east of Xilin. This position can defend against attacks from Mengzhou, Dingzhou, and other directions. Meanwhile, the main camp will serve to deter the Rong invaders and also counterbalance Liangzhou. Does anyone have any objections?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up!

Those who had chosen to stay were all individuals who trusted and revered Yan Chi. Though they knew the Path he had chosen was fraught with danger, they believed that chaos breeds heroes. If Yan Chi sought to secure his forces and defend his territory, reforms were inevitable. These changes would bring about a dramatic transformation in Shuoxi. For a moment, everyone felt a surge of ambition and excitement, eager to join Yan Chi in this great endeavor. One of them spoke up, "Your Highness, if we only assign thirty thousand troops to the southeast, isn't that too few? If the imperial court sends troops to attack, they will likely number no less than a hundred thousand."

Yan Chi shook his head. "In the future, we will still prioritize the western camp. The Rong people are inherently fierce and accustomed to the harsh cold and high altitudes, while the Central Plains are different. Shuoxi has geographical advantages. The imperial court's troops either come from the north or the south. For them, Shuoxi's climate and terrain alone pose significant challenges. Thus, we do not need numerical superiority. Moreover, we are all Zhou people. Unless absolutely necessary, I do not wish to wage war against our own."

Yan Chi's decision to garrison troops in Shuoxi was ultimately born of necessity, and the commanders understood this well. Upon hearing his words, they quickly nodded in agreement.

"At present, the eastern camp has yet to be constructed. These past few days, I have been working with Zhang Daoshi to select a suitable location. Once the site is finalized, I will lead five thousand troops back to Xilin. This serves two purposes: first, to return to the royal residence, and second, to oversee the construction of the eastern camp. Our goal is to have the troops relocate to the eastern camp within two months."Yan Chi looked at the people seated in the hall. "You have been stationed in the main camp for many years and must have developed an attachment to this place. Those who wish to go to the eastern camp may volunteer. If no one steps forward, I will have no choice but to issue a military order, leaving no room for negotiation."

"As Your Highness commands, we rough men are content to go wherever we are sent."

As soon as Yan Chi finished speaking, someone responded in this manner. The group exchanged glances and chuckled, showing no signs of contention. Seeing their composed attitude, Yan Chi nodded. "Very well. The eastern camp is newly established, and those who go will inevitably face hardships. If no one volunteers, I will directly assign personnel later."

No one raised objections. Observing Yan Chi's strategic composure, they understood that his decision to take this Path was the result of careful consideration rather than a rash move born of desperation. Thus, the underlying unease in their hearts gradually dissipated. Seeing no dissent, Yan Chi continued, "Over the past six months, with my father's incident and my absence from the camp, training has become lax. Starting today, all drills shall resume as before, ensuring no one grows complacent."

The assembly rose in unison to acknowledge the order and soon dispersed. After the others left, Yan Chi retained Master Qi, Chu Fei Sheng, and Zhang Dongxuan.

On the long table to the left of the council hall lay an extensive map. Yan Chi was examining the southeastern direction of Xilin City. Master Qi studied it with a smile and remarked, "Now that we have Zhang Daoshi with us, we must select a location with favorable feng shui."

Having traveled this far with Yan Chi, Zhang Dongxuan had gained broader experience. He waved his hand dismissively. "Your Highness is destined for victory. The location will not affect the outcome." Yan Chi had not truly intended for Zhang Dongxuan to assess feng shui. While Zhang Dongxuan might possess genuine skill in the Path, Yan Chi personally avoided relying on such practices in military strategy. His earlier mention of feng shui was merely to reassure the troops. Nevertheless, feng shui emphasizes the harmony of timing, geographical advantage, and human unity—a principle Yan Chi found valuable, which was why he included Zhang Dongxuan in the discussion.

Soon, the group settled on a location. The eastern camp was also chosen in a plain depression backed by hills.

With this decided, Yan Chi consulted Master Qi on the selection of the chief administrator and military advisors for Prince Rui's royal residence. They spent additional time summoning and interviewing candidates one by one. After several busy days, all these trivial matters were finally resolved. During this period, the main camp echoed with thunderous battle cries as soldiers trained with renewed vigor, swiftly dispelling the gloom that had lingered for over half a year.

In these days, Qin Guan occasionally strolled through the camp and visited the infirmary to check on soldiers wounded in the battle against Lin Xugui's forces, leaving her with little idle time. Gradually, her reputation for medical skill and compassion spread throughout the main camp. Moreover, as Xu Zi'ang and others returned from the White Wolf Mountain camp, more people became aware of Qin Guan's care for the wounded. Whispers circulated that the princess consort was gentle, merciful, and possessed healing hands. Combined with Qin Guan's striking beauty, she earned the nickname "the living Bodhisattva." Consequently, whenever Qin Guan visited the infirmary, the injured soldiers became exceptionally well-behaved. They no longer complained about bitter medicine or cursed during painful bandage changes, unwilling to display any rudeness in front of the princess consort. Some even secretly wished their ailments would last longer, hoping for her daily visits.After several days of such busy work, everything in the camp was in good order, and the soldiers' morale had stabilized. Seeing that everything was returning to normal, Yan Chi ordered preparations for their return to Xilin.

In the central command tent, Qin Guan instructed Baiying, "Leave all the medicinal herbs we brought earlier in the camp. Although there are no battles for now."

Baiying promptly acknowledged the order. When Yan Chi entered the tent, Qin Guan approached him and said, "I'd like to write another letter to Yue Ning. Would that be alright?"

Qin Guan had previously written a letter from White Deer Isle two months ago, which should have reached Yue Ning by now. At that time, Qin Guan hadn't yet arrived in the Northwest Frontier, but now that they were mostly settled, she wanted to update Yue Ning to ease her worries. Yan Chi immediately smiled and said, "Of course. Write the letter. Once spring begins, the northern routes become much easier to travel, so your letter should reach Yue Ning quickly."

Qin Guan smiled and hurried to prepare writing materials. Yan Chi remarked beside her, "Yue Jia left the Northwest Frontier at the end of last year. Before departing, he rescued two Northwest Frontier Army generals who had been captured by Lin Xugui."

Qin Guan looked up. Having been at the main camp for several days, she had heard some details about Yue Jia but not the full story. She quickly asked, "What happened after he returned?"

Yan Chi reassured her, "Nothing serious. He'll probably join the Garrison Battalion temporarily. His matters are unrelated to ours, so he won't be implicated."

Yan Chi seemed to understand Qin Guan's concerns. She nodded upon hearing this and said, "Good timing. I'll ask about this in my letter too. Now that we're settled, if Yue Ning wants to send us letters, we should be able to receive them."

Yan Chi agreed, "Just have the letter delivered to Xilin."

Following his suggestion, Qin Guan included these details in her letter. Though it was just a brief message, she spent the entire afternoon writing it. After handing the letter to Yan Chi, he immediately ordered it to be swiftly delivered to the capital. Two days later, Yan Chi led five thousand troops and set off for Xilin City with Qin Guan.

The journey from the main Northwest Frontier camp to Xilin City took two days, and the roads remained challenging. Nevertheless, the landscape began to show some changes.

Compared to the withered trees and snowy fields they had seen when entering the Northwest Frontier from Liangzhou, occasional greenery appeared along the way to Xilin City. Although the terrain still featured successive transverse ridges, the climate seemed noticeably milder. After traveling for one day, the land before Qin Guan suddenly flattened considerably, with only low hills remaining as transverse ridges. Occasionally, they could see smoke rising from village chimneys. The local people mostly wore heavy clothing and fox furs, their skin tanned and healthy-looking. Contrary to rumors that Northwest Plateau residents had barbarian ancestry and were generally rough and unreasonable, most common people Qin Guan encountered along the way were quite simple and honest. A troop of five thousand soldiers was hardly small on the snowy plains, yet strangely, Northwest Frontier civilians showed no fear of the Northwest Frontier Army. On the contrary, when they saw the army camping by the roadside to rest, some villagers voluntarily offered flatbreads—clear evidence of how highly respected and righteous the Northwest Frontier Army was in the hearts of the local people.

Traveling and observing along the way, Qin Guan gained deeper understanding of this land. At nightfall two days later, their party arrived outside Xilin City.In the distance, beneath the deep indigo sky unique to the Northwest Frontier, the city of Xilin appeared exceptionally magnificent and splendid. Its walls were constructed from massive crimson stones native to the region. Though it featured upturned eaves and towers similar to those in Central Plains cities, the lack of meticulous precision lent it an untamed, bold grandeur that retained its own aesthetic appeal. The brilliantly lit battlements made Xilin resemble an impregnable fortress—a sense of solidity and resilience unmatched by the ornate carvings and paintings of the capital or southern cities. Qin Guan drew a sharp breath, suddenly moved by this formidable city.

As the procession drew nearer, the blurred outlines gradually sharpened. Qin Guan could even discern soldiers standing guard atop the city walls, armed with long spears and clad in heavy armor like ancient warriors. Just as she wondered, Yan Chi explained, "Xilin has five thousand patrol troops to maintain ordinary governance. They all come from the Northwest Frontier Army and rotate every two years."

Understanding dawned on Qin Guan. When they approached closer, she noticed a crowd gathered at the city gate. Yan Chi lifted the carriage curtain and observed, "The Xilin Magistrate has come to greet us."

Qin Guan focused her gaze and confirmed the leading figure wore crimson official uniform—a rank of the fifth grade.

The carriage rumbled forward, soon arriving outside the city gate. The Xilin Magistrate, followed by officials of various ranks, stepped forward and knelt in the snow to pay formal respects. Yan Chi personally alighted to help them up, then introduced Qin Guan, leading to another round of ceremonial greetings.

After the formalities, the Xilin Magistrate said, "We have long awaited Your Highness, fearing you might encounter difficulties on the journey."

Yan Chi smiled, "The journey was fairly smooth. How fares the city?"

The Magistrate, a white-haired elder well past fifty, spoke with a raspy voice as if afflicted by a throat ailment. Hearing Yan Chi's question, he promptly replied, "Rest assured, Your Highness. Everything has been arranged. The citizens now universally know the Old Prince was murdered by the Emperor. They all await your return. The royal residence has been cleansed, and crowds gather daily at its gates—only your presence can ease their hearts."

Yan Chi nodded, "Well done. You have my gratitude. Any changes in the administration?"

The Magistrate hurriedly responded, "Two officials resigned. Their families are in Mengzhou—they were originally transferred here due to marginalization. After the incident, they dared not stay."

"Understandable. Let them depart."

The Magistrate nodded, "Precisely. In short, the city remains peaceful. Your Highness need not worry. Had you arrived by daylight, the citizens would have lined the streets in welcome, blocking all passage."

Yan Chi naturally preferred to avoid such spectacle. The quiet night suited him better. "This timing is perfect. Let us enter the city."Thus, the party finally entered the gates of Xilin City. Once inside, the city differed from Qin Guan's expectations—unlike the ruggedness at the city gates, the layout of the urban districts and markets was no different from places like the capital, Jianzhou. Rows of houses and residences stood in orderly lines, mostly constructed of stone and not particularly refined. Yet in such a place, transplanting the delicate waterside pavilions and flower terraces of the southern regions would have seemed quite out of place. It was nearly the first watch of the night, and the streets were already sparsely populated, though colorful lanterns still glowed in the distance, hinting at lively spots that never slept. Qin Guan kept the carriage curtain drawn, gazing outward, and the more she looked, the more she found Xilin City possessed a unique charm.

Following the main road northward through the city led to the most splendid structure there—the royal residence of Prince Rui. Built entirely according to the standards of the capital, though Prince Rui's residence wasn't considered the most aristocratic in the capital, in Xilin City it stood unrivaled. The moment the carriage halted before the residence's gates, Qin Guan heard Fuling's excited voice from outside!