After sending out scouts, Yan Chi had been waiting for a reply from White Wolf Pass for over ten consecutive days. During this period, he made another trip to the Crimson Wind Plains and, finding everything there proceeding smoothly, returned to Westfall City. At noon on this day, the letter from White Wolf Pass finally arrived!
Bai Feng hurried in from outside and exclaimed as soon as he entered, "Master! A message from General Fang!"
Yan Chi, who had been reviewing official documents submitted by the magistrate's office behind his desk, quickly stood up. "Give it to me..."
Taking the letter, Yan Chi eagerly opened it. Upon unfolding the letter, he found only a few dozen words written on it.
Yan Chi finished reading it in one glance and immediately furrowed his brows. Noticing his expression, Bai Feng asked anxiously, "Master, what is it?"
Yan Chi shook his head. "The patrol unit has reached the Rong tribe's territory but found no trace of their army. Only some women, children, and elderly remain. Their army seems to have vanished..."
Bai Feng raised an eyebrow. "Could they have moved elsewhere? Changed their base?"
Yan Chi narrowed his eyes. "That’s unlikely."
As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps echoed from outside. It was Qin Guan, accompanied by Baiying, bringing tea. Noticing the unusual expressions on the master and servant in the room, Qin Guan asked urgently, "What’s wrong? What happened?"
Bai Feng replied gravely, "A letter has arrived from General Fang at White Wolf Pass."
Qin Guan quickly set down the tea. "There’s news?"
Yan Chi handed her the letter, and Qin Guan took it. After reading it, she too frowned deeply. "This... How could there be no one?"
Bai Feng added, "Yes, I was just asking the master if they might have relocated."
Yan Chi continued, "That’s impossible. Although the Rong people are fierce toward outsiders, they still protect their own women and children. Even if they were searching for a new camp, they would only send half their people out. They would never leave only the elderly, women, and children behind. It seems more like they’ve gone off to fight somewhere."
Bai Feng frowned in confusion. Yan Chi instructed, "Send a message to the Northern Camp and have Gu Ling come here. Also, recall Yu Qi from the Western Camp."
The situation was truly bizarre, and Yan Chi had no choice but to take it seriously. Bai Feng went out to relay the orders, while Qin Guan remained in the study. "The Rong army has actually left their territory? Could it be related to the two corpses we discovered last time?"
Yan Chi shook his head. "It’s still uncertain. If it were related to those two corpses, the Rong people should have already entered Shuoxi by now. Yet, there’s no sign of them."
Qin Guan poured tea and handed it to Yan Chi. He accepted it, sipping thoughtfully as he pondered.
Qin Guan was not well-versed in military affairs and couldn’t quite grasp the key issue, but she found the situation utterly strange. "The Rong people usually roam the Cold Plains northwest of White Wolf Mountain. Further north lies Northern Wei, and to the northwest, they border the various tribes of the Western Regions. Could they have gone there?"
Yan Chi shook his head. "Not likely. Further northwest, the Yuezhi are now the dominant power. They are also skilled in warfare, and the climate there is even harsher. For the Rong people, seizing land is about survival. They have no interest in the Yuezhi’s territory and have rarely clashed with them over the years."
Hearing this, Qin Guan felt somewhat perplexed. "But so many people couldn’t have just vanished into thin air."
Yan Chi explained, "The Rong tribe numbers only a few hundred thousand, but half of them are capable of taking up arms at a moment’s notice. Even the women and children among them are trained in combat. Currently, the Rong army consists of at least seventy to eighty thousand troops. For all these people to suddenly disappear..."Yan Chi then remarked, "I can't shake this ominous feeling."
Seeing this, Qin Guan walked over to Yan Chi's side. "Once the generals arrive, we'll just increase patrols. As long as they don't invade Shuoxi's borders, all will be well."
Yan Chi took Qin Guan's hand and kissed it. "Exactly."
Bai Feng relayed the orders, and Gu Ling arrived by evening, while Yu Qi didn't arrive until the next morning. With these two and Master Qi present, Yan Chi shared his concerns. Upon hearing that the Rong people had vanished without a trace, everyone's expressions turned grave. Yet no one possessed a Thousand-mile Eye. After some discussion, they could only heighten vigilance and dispatch more patrols, still relying solely on updates from White Wolf Pass.
Three days later, Fang Qin sent another report.
In the study, Yan Chi was consulting with Master Qi. "Our scouts have ventured deeper but still found no trace of the Rong army. Meanwhile, those remaining in their tribal lands continue daily life as usual, as if the departed troops were merely off on routine business."
Master Qi sighed at this. "Still no results, but we can confirm something is amiss with the Rong. Zhang Daoshi has been observing the night skies these past days, but the weather's been poor. I wonder if tonight will be clear."
Zhang Dongxuan now resided in Xilin City, mostly staying at the royal residence. Though Yan Chi had established his own minor court, he lacked an institution like the Imperial Observatory. While he didn't need such an entity for show, Zhang Dongxuan's skills were occasionally required. Hearing of the stargazing plans, Yan Chi held little expectation—having fought with blades and spears for over a decade, he found Daoist arts less tangible than his trusty lance.
With scant hope, Yan Chi didn't press for details. As it happened, that night turned out clear.
The Shuoxi night sky seemed lower than elsewhere, the stars exceptionally bright. Zhang Dongxuan ascended a two-story pavilion in the royal residence's rear garden, gaining a broader view for his observations. While studying the stars, he produced an Astrolabe Chart, sketching and jotting notes. By the late night, his expression grew increasingly solemn. That evening, Yan Chi also slept poorly—this Rong anomaly was unprecedented in all these years. Usually waking at mao hour (5-7 AM), he now stirred a full half-hour early.
Having tired Qin Guan the previous night, Yan Chi watched her sleep soundly, kissed her gently, then rose quietly to the outer Warm Chamber. The sky remained dark outside. Lighting a lamp without summoning anyone, he retrieved rare military texts Yan Lin had procured for him—his habitual solace during troubled times. He opened a yellowed ancient volume.
The ancient text discussed military strategies and tactics, but as Yan Chi read, a sudden realization struck him.
Last October, chaos had erupted in the north. By the twelfth month, he'd left the capital. If the Rong learned of these developments, what would they think?
Shuoxi had heavy troop deployments—they'd suffered countless defeats here. Moreover, his presence in Shuoxi made their prospects even bleaker. But the north was different. The Northern Garrison Army was mobilizing southward to reclaim the Crown Prince's position and install him as emperor. Given this, would the Rong seize the opportunity to act?!This sudden thought was an extremely bold deduction by Yan Chi, for if the Rong people intended to march north, they would have to pass through the Cold Plains in the southern part of Northern Wei, north of White Wolf Mountain. While harassing White Wolf Pass, the Rong occasionally raided Xiyong Pass in the southern region of Northern Wei. The Cold Plains they needed to traverse consisted of a series of narrow snow valleys. However, once they entered those narrow snow valleys, they could alert forces from both nations simultaneously. If both sides dispatched troops at once, the Rong would have no retreat.
Would the Rong take such a risk?!
Yan Chi couldn't help but set down the book and sit up straight.
If the Rong dared to venture north, breaking through south of Azure Dragon Mountain into Cangzhou, then moving south through the northern part of Fengzhou into Mengzhou, wouldn't the entire northwest fall into the hands of the Rong?! At this thought, Yan Chi's eyes turned cold. His deduction only accounted for the Rong tribe invading the northern frontier. But what if, as he had previously feared, the northern Man tribe also invaded simultaneously? If these two equally fierce tribes joined forces, not even the Northern Garrison Army, let alone the Northwest Frontier Army, could withstand them!
His mind raced through countless thoughts in an instant, yet Yan Chi's heart remained suspended high.
At this moment, in the Northwest Frontier, in Lin'an City, inside and outside Fengzhou City, probably everyone was fast asleep, while he alone had conceived this earth-shattering crisis. Had he overestimated the cunning of the Rong and Man tribes, or was this disaster unfolding right now, with all of them kept in the dark?!
The more Yan Chi thought about it, the more restless he became. He immediately opened the door and strode outside. Though the weather was still quite cold, Yan Chi wore only a thin robe. Just as he stepped out of the courtyard gate, he nearly collided with someone. The person, equally startled by the sudden appearance, turned out to be Zhang Dongxuan upon closer inspection!
Yan Chi frowned involuntarily. "Taoist Priest, why are you up at this hour? Is there something urgent?"
Zhang Dongxuan, pale-faced with heavy shadows under his eyes, replied gravely, "Your Highness, while observing the celestial phenomena tonight, I discovered something rather ominous."
Yan Chi's heart tightened inexplicably. "What is it? What did you find?"
Zhang Dongxuan swallowed before speaking. "The Sirius Star in the north is unusually agitated, showing bloody omens far more sinister than what I observed half a month ago. I suspect the northern war situation has taken a turn for the worse. I fear the north has already become a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood..."
Yan Chi's breath caught. He had just concluded that something was amiss in the north, and now Zhang Dongxuan came to tell him this. Could it be that his shocking speculation was actually true?!
Seeing Yan Chi's expression turn extremely grim, Zhang Dongxuan explained, "I cannot specify the details, but... it seems the outcome has been decided, and someone has committed bloody atrocities like massacring a city. The death toll is so immense that it has amplified the baleful aura of the Sirius Star."
Yan Chi's pupils trembled violently. Massacre...
The Empress and Zhao You, who still intended to make the Crown Prince emperor, would never issue orders to massacre the Zhou people. As for Yue Qiong, he was even less likely to carry out such slaughter. Since neither side in the north would resort to massacring cities, there could only be one conclusion: a third force had arrived in the north. It was they who had taken hundreds of thousands of lives...
Yan Chi took a deep breath and suddenly shouted, "Bai Feng!"Bai Feng was on standby in the side room of the attached chamber. He had woken up when Yan Chi went out earlier and had just finished changing clothes when he heard Yan Chi's low command. He hurried out and heard Yan Chi order, "Send Chu Fei Sheng and Xiao Cheng back to Xilin immediately! Wake up Gu Ling and Yu Qi too!"
...
At the first watch, Yan Che returned from the front courtyard. As soon as he entered the courtyard gate, he saw Qin Chaoyu standing under the apricot tree in the central courtyard.
The night was bitterly cold. Qin Chaoyu wore a fox fur cape, but her dark hair was left loose, making her appear even more graceful and gentle. Yan Che narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly before curving his lips into a smile and walking forward. "Why are you standing here? The nights are still very cold."
Seeing Yan Che return, Qin Chaoyu's eyes held a touch of tenderness as she smiled. "I was waiting for you here."
As she spoke, Qin Chaoyu pointed at the night sky. "Look, the stars are particularly bright tonight."
Yan Che walked to Qin Chaoyu's side, wrapped an arm around her, and held her close as they gazed at the stars together. Looking up, his eyes narrowed with satisfaction.
The northern sky was almost as vast as that of Shuoxi, giving the feeling that one could pluck the stars with their hands. Tonight the Milky Way was exceptionally brilliant, especially the brightest star in the far north, which shone with dazzling intensity. Though Yan Che wasn't well-versed in celestial phenomena, seeing how happy Qin Chaoyu looked while stargazing, he didn't rush to urge her inside.
Leaning against Yan Che's arm, Qin Chaoyu suddenly said, "Sometimes I feel that now is so much better than before."
Yan Che made a questioning sound, and Qin Chaoyu continued, "In the past, I never dared to imagine I could hold Your Highness like this while watching the stars."
Hearing this, Yan Che's gaze darkened slightly as he said apologetically, "It was my narrow perspective before—I could only see the distant Chongzheng Hall but failed to see the person right before me. I've made you suffer."
Qin Chaoyu smiled. "Not exactly. Your Highness had your position, and I had mine. Now that we've left and live among common folk, I've come to understand how ordinary couples are. Your Highness has seen it too, so you're different from before."
Throughout their journey, Yan Che had witnessed firsthand how much hardship Qin Chaoyu had endured for him. Yet now she described it so lightly. His heart stirred, and he held her tighter. Humans aren't made of wood or stone. In the past, his vision had been filled entirely with the glory and power of the capital. On rare moments of leisure, his attention would drift elsewhere. Only after leaving the capital, with only Qin Chaoyu by his side, did he truly understand the depth of her affection for him.
Yan Che stayed with Qin Chaoyu watching the stars for a while and was about to return to their room with her when hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the courtyard!
"Your Highness! Come to the front courtyard quickly! Something's happened—"
Hearing this, Yan Che frowned deeply. "What happened? Everything was fine when I left earlier!"
"Just now, someone arrived from the western city gate, covered in blood. He's a soldier from the Northern Garrison Army that the General left in Cangzhou. They've come to deliver a message—Cangzhou was suddenly attacked. Now... I'm afraid the city has already fallen..."
"What?!" Instantly, all romantic thoughts vanished from Yan Che's mind. Releasing Qin Chaoyu, he strode swiftly outward.Qin Chaoyu was startled by these words and instinctively followed. When they reached the front courtyard, they saw it brightly lit, with the Empress draped in a heavy cloak seated in the main position. Below the hall knelt a man covered in blood, weeping bitterly as he recounted:
"The ten thousand troops left by the Great General were stationed to guard Cangzhou. Under normal circumstances, that would have been sufficient. We had received no prior intelligence, but two nights ago, hundreds of thousands of soldiers suddenly stormed into the city. They... they killed everyone they saw, looted all the gold, silver, and jade they could find, and dragged women away to violate them. Your Majesty, you cannot imagine—in just over two hours, before the second watch had even sounded, the entire city of Cangzhou was engulfed in flames. Not a single soul remained alive in Cangzhou. I... I have never seen so many corpses, nor so much blood. The very ground of Cangzhou was stained red..."
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