Returning from the northern camp, Qin Guan washed up properly before resting. As she lay down, she was still speaking with Yan Chi, "Among the Rong people, are there any who resemble the Zhou people in appearance?"
Yan Chi, holding Qin Guan's waist, replied, "Yes, there are. In earlier years, the Rong people crossed White Wolf Pass, committing all manner of atrocities—burning, killing, and plundering. Not only that, they also captured Zhou women to take back, hoping to continue their lineage. In their view, Zhou women are the best childbearing vessels. Therefore, many among the Rong people bear a resemblance to the Zhou."
Qin Guan frowned, "When do the Rong usually start causing trouble?"
Yan Chi said, "In March, when the heavy snow melts and the Cold Plains beyond White Wolf Pass become less treacherous, they begin their disturbances. Because of this, I've been sending messages to White Wolf Pass every day for the past two days, but the reports coming back say there's no unusual activity there."
Qin Guan leaned into Yan Chi's embrace, thought for a moment, and added, "Could it be that they know White Wolf Pass is heavily guarded, so they're actually planning to come from the north?"
Yan Chi pondered briefly and said, "That's possible. However, if they don't take White Wolf Pass and choose another route, the cost would be significant. The White Wolf Mountains stretch all the way to the northeast. Apart from the area around White Wolf Pass, the terrain elsewhere is extremely steep and chaotic. If they try to cross the mountains, accidents are bound to happen. For instance, these two who died likely fell into the snow valley due to unfamiliarity with the terrain."
Qin Guan frowned, "If that's the case, what were these two doing? Could they just be scouts?"
Yan Chi smiled helplessly, "We'll have to wait for news. You should sleep now; you've had a long day today."
Qin Guan was indeed tired. Hearing this, she nestled closer into Yan Chi's arms and soon fell asleep.
She slept soundly through the night. The next day, Yan Chi first met with his new subordinates and then waited for news from the northern border. In the evening, Gu Ling arrived at the royal residence with a bundle.
Yan Chi went to the study to see Gu Ling and had Bai Feng notify Qin Guan. When Qin Guan arrived, she saw the bundle on the table. Inside were a few pieces of dried rations and some miscellaneous bottles and jars, but there were no clear identifying marks.
Yan Chi said, "This dried ration is the Highland barley cake, unique to the Rong people."
Qin Guan picked up the bottles and jars, sniffed them, and opened them to examine. "It's definitely the Rong people. These are medicinal ointments containing Snow lotus, Winter ginseng, and other ingredients. Such formulas are typically used by Westerners, and Winter ginseng grows in the extremely cold regions of the Cold Plains, which is more common among the Rong tribe."
Yan Chi and Gu Ling exchanged glances. Gu Ling said, "We only found these scattered items in the snow valley where the bodies were discovered, along with two horses that had already died and decayed. There were no other military-related markings or anything else."
Hearing this, Yan Chi frowned. If that were the case, the identities of these two remained questionable. Their clothing was not Rong military attire, so it was unclear whether they were ordinary Rong people or military scouts. Even if they were ordinary Rong people, it would be highly suspicious for them to risk coming to Great Zhou in such a manner.
Yan Chi then said, "I sent a message to White Wolf Pass this morning. You should return today and continue sending more patrols to scout the area. If the Rong are up to something, they're bound to leave traces in the north. I'll inform you once we receive word from White Wolf Pass. If you get any news on your end, report it to me immediately."Gu Ling accepted the order, and Qin Guan kept him at the royal residence for a meal before he departed.
That night, Yan Chi did not receive any news from White Wolf Pass but instead obtained a letter from the north.
Yan Chi and Qin Guan sat together in the Warm Chamber, reading the urgently delivered letter. As soon as the letter was opened, Yan Chi’s brows furrowed tightly. "The Empress and the Crown Prince have actually seized Fengzhou."
The letter stated that the Empress and the Crown Prince had preemptively taken Fengzhou City and used the head of the Fengzhou garrison commander as a sacrificial offering to their banner. Under the Empress’s thunderous authority, the citizens of Fengzhou dared not cause trouble. Marquis Anyang Yue Qiong, however, arrived a step too late. By the time he reached Fengzhou, the city was already under the Empress’s control. As a key northern stronghold, Fengzhou was easy to defend but difficult to attack. With the Empress now holding Fengzhou and enforcing strict defenses, she and Yue Qiong were locked in a standoff.
Although the Empress had secured Fengzhou, Zhao You had failed to capture Chongzhou.
The reinforcements dispatched by Marquis Anyang proved effective, halting Zhao You outside Chongzhou’s walls. After learning that Fengzhou was under the Empress’s control, Marquis Anyang sent an additional thirty thousand troops toward Chongzhou, determined to prevent the city from falling into Zhao You’s hands. Thus, the northern situation had evolved into a stalemate: the Empress held Fengzhou, confronting Yue Qiong, while Zhao You faced off against the forces inside Chongzhou to the north. With both sides having roughly equal numbers and neither willing to relinquish their positions, the deadlock persisted.
After reading the letter, Yan Chi smiled wryly. "I never expected the situation to turn out like this. No wonder we’ve heard little from the north recently."
They had initially assumed that Yue Qiong’s presence in the north would likely lead to the Empress and the Crown Prince’s defeat, yet unexpectedly, the Empress and the Crown Prince had managed to capture Fengzhou.
"Fengzhou is an ancient city with exceptionally sturdy fortifications. In the past, when the barbarians breached Azure Dragon Mountain, ravaged Cangzhou, and marched south, they were ultimately defeated at Fengzhou. At that time, the citizens and Fengzhou garrison held the city firmly, withstanding a siege for half a month relying on its robust defenses. It was only when the imperial court sent reinforcements that the siege was lifted. This time, the Empress’s preemptive capture of Fengzhou was indeed a clever move. Now, Marquis Anyang finds himself momentarily at a loss."
Qin Guan asked, "What if Marquis Anyang redirects his troops to attack Zhao You at Chongzhou?"
Yan Chi chuckled, "Then the Empress would continue her southward advance and might even lead her forces to flank him."
Qin Guan frowned. "Then the northern situation would truly be deadlocked."
"As it should be. The Northern Garrison Army was never easy to defeat, and Marquis Anyang’s forces total only about a hundred thousand. With both sides having similar numbers and comparable strength, the outcome of this confrontation is truly uncertain. I suspect Marquis Anyang doesn’t dare act carelessly now."
After a moment’s thought, Qin Guan said, "However, this northern stalemate works to our advantage."
Yan Chi nodded. "As long as the north remains undecided, the imperial court cannot spare the resources to attack Shuoxi. This gives us time to recuperate and rebuild."
With that, the tension in Qin Guan’s heart eased slightly. Having received this news, Yan Chi no longer needed to worry about the imperial court and could focus his attention entirely on the north. The Rong people were not easy to deal with. If they were to launch a large-scale offensive this spring, he would need to prepare early. Alternatively, he might deliver a severe blow to the Rong this year to buy more time for Shuoxi.
Once this idea took hold, Yan Chi sent an unusually high number of messages to White Wolf Pass and the Western Camp. Although the Eastern Camp was newly established, under the supervision of Xiao Cheng and others, everything proceeded smoothly.Three days later, Gu Ling entered the royal residence once more, this time bringing news from the returning patrol teams.
"Your Highness, we dispatched five hundred men in five batches to patrol the northern foothills of White Wolf Mountain for two days. They found nothing—no traces of any more Rong people crossing the border aside from those two individuals. The area is desolate, with no living creatures aside from occasional sightings of birds and snow wolves."
While this report from Gu Ling could be considered good news, what exactly was the situation with those two people?!
Upon hearing this, Yan Chi said, "White Wolf Pass has also sent word. Fang Qin’s side hasn’t detected any abnormalities either."
Gu Ling frowned, "Then... could it just be a coincidence? Were they merely ordinary Rong people attempting to cross the border?"
Yan Chi shook his head, "That assumption is too optimistic. We must prepare for the worst. Continue sending patrols. I’ve already issued orders for both White Wolf Pass and the southwestern border—not a single point should become an entryway for the Rong people."
Gu Ling promptly complied, not daring to show the slightest negligence.
This news brought temporary relief to both Qin Guan and Yan Chi. While Yan Chi remained occupied with military and administrative affairs, Qin Guan, taking advantage of the fine spring weather, coordinated with prominent local gentry to set up porridge distribution stations outside the city. Since Yan Chi had taken up long-term residence in Xilin City and established several new government offices while reducing taxes, more people sought to settle there. New areas outside the city had been developed for housing construction, attracting many impoverished citizens in search of work. Soon, the outskirts became overcrowded. A couple of days earlier, Yuanshi had mentioned that many laborers outside the city had nowhere to live and lacked food and clothing. Qin Guan took note of this and, through her mediation, porridge stations were quickly set up. When the commoners learned that the benefactor was the princess consort of Prince Rui, they expressed deep gratitude. Within days, Qin Guan’s reputation as a "living bodhisattva" grew even stronger.
Meanwhile, in Fengzhou City, Qin Chaoyu was also busy distributing porridge to soldiers who had toiled all day.
Though spring had just arrived in Fengzhou, it was even colder than in Shuoxi. Qin Chaoyu wore a plain-colored cape, its hood concealing most of her face. She had been distributing porridge here for several days, surrounded by the pungent smell of blood and burly soldiers. They were surprised to see a woman working diligently but were unaware of her identity. When someone mustered the courage to ask, she invoked the Crown Prince’s name, ensuring that his benevolence was recognized.
As dusk approached, Qin Chaoyu finished distributing the day’s porridge. Accompanied by her maid, she left the station and boarded a simple blue-curtained carriage parked nearby.
Although Fengzhou City was under the Empress’s control, their authority remained illegitimate, so the city was still under strict curfew. Their carriage hadn’t traveled far before being stopped by a patrol. The maid quickly presented the Crown Prince’s token, allowing them to proceed. Following the main road, the carriage eventually stopped in front of the prefect’s office.
This building, originally the prefect’s office and residence, had been requisitioned by the Empress. The prefect himself had died on the city walls just two days prior.Qin Chaoyu did not favor bloodshed, yet she was an exceptionally composed and rational person. Under the present circumstances, if deaths could aid their cause, she would not object. Passing through the estate gates, she made her way toward the inner quarters. Just as she reached the entrance along the covered corridor, she spotted Crown Prince Yan Che standing beneath a tree in the central courtyard.
The courtyard housed an apricot tree, its blossoms newly bloomed in soft shades of pink and white. Yan Che, dressed in a deep blue robe, appeared both carefree and strikingly handsome.
Calling out "Your Highness," Qin Chaoyu approached. Yan Che turned, and upon seeing her attire, immediately understood her errand. He stepped forward and took her hand. "Have you been distributing porridge again? Such tasks need not involve you personally, especially given the chaos and noise there."
Qin Chaoyu smiled. "Though the city has recently stabilized, with Anyang Marquis stationed outside the walls with his army, people remain uneasy. I have no military expertise to contribute, so I offer porridge instead. When they see me, they know Your Highness cares for their welfare, which may bring them some comfort."
Yan Che’s heart ached at the sight of Qin Chaoyu’s visibly thinner face. He drew her into an embrace, but his gaze fell upon her hands, marked with fresh injuries. As the cherished daughter of a marquis, she had never known hardship growing up. Yet now, following him, she endured laborious chores—frostbite from the New Year cold still lingered, and new wounds from porridge distribution had appeared. He sighed. "Starting tomorrow, I will accompany you."
Qin Chaoyu pulled back hastily. "Absolutely not. If Your Highness goes, it might stir further anxiety among the people."
Frowning, Yan Che listened as she explained, "Your presence is needed in the government offices, assisting the Empress and generals with coordination. Should you visit the troops, they would inevitably press you about battle plans and prospects of victory—questions you can neither answer nor ignore."
Her constant consideration for him, evident over these past six months, softened Yan Che’s heart. "Very well, I shall heed your advice."
Qin Chaoyu smiled again, lifting her eyes to the apricot blossoms. "What were you thinking beneath this tree earlier, Your Highness?"
Yan Che responded with a bitter smile. "Of when we might return to Lin’an City."
Only then did Qin Chaoyu recall he had been facing south. She squeezed his hand. "Do not worry, Your Highness. We will return."
As the words left her lips, a figure appeared at the gateway. "Your Highness, the Empress requests your presence in the main hall for discussions."
Releasing Qin Chaoyu, Yan Che said, "You should rest now. I will return shortly."
She nodded, and he turned to leave. Qin Chaoyu watched until he disappeared from view before heading indoors. As she walked, her maid whispered from behind, "My lady, when I went out this afternoon, I overheard news from the west."
Qin Chaoyu paused. "News from the west?"
The maid nodded. "Yes. They say Prince Rui has reached the western regions and established his own court in Shuoxi. The people there honor him as their king, and even elsewhere, they call him the Western Zhou King. Ninth Miss has accompanied Prince Rui there as well."Qin Chaoyu was slightly taken aback by these words. Since leaving the capital, those names had become so distant. The Crown Princess of Great Zhou was dead, while she herself followed Yan Che, nameless and unknown, struggling to hold Fengzhou. And Qin Guan—she had actually reached Shuoxi. Hearing that Shuoxi was a place of fierce customs and harsh conditions, could a noblewoman like her endure it?
Qin Chaoyu shook her head, once again feeling how unpredictable life could be. She glanced down at the mud stains and congee splatters on her skirt and let out a bitter smile.
Now, everything had changed, yet Lin'an City remained as far away as ever. On the road to Lin'an, a hundred thousand or more soldiers awaited them.
At this thought, Qin Chaoyu shuddered slightly.
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