The next day, when Yan Chi rose, Baiying informed him that Qin Guan and the others had slept very late the previous night. Yan Chi couldn't help but chuckle and instructed that Qin Guan not be woken, before heading to the military camp.
After the recent victory and seven or eight days of rest, Wuzhou City was gradually regaining its vitality.
However, the two envoys from Fengzhou City were growing increasingly anxious. As soon as Yan Chi entered the camp, they came to request an audience once more.
Yan Chi ordered Gu Ling to bring them over. Upon meeting the envoys, he said, "I called you here not to agree to the Marquis's proposal. Send a message immediately to inform the Marquis that Yongning Junzhu is in Wuzhou City and that he need not worry. As for the matter of combining forces, I still need to consider it further."
Hearing this, the two envoys were astonished, never expecting Yue Ning to have come to Wuzhou City.
Yue Ning was Yue Qiong's beloved daughter, so the envoys dared not delay and promptly went to deliver the message. Yan Chi then gathered the military officers for a discussion.
Meanwhile, Qin Guan and Yue Ning woke to find the sun already high in the sky. Qin Guan laughed at themselves and hurriedly got up to have breakfast prepared. After a good night's rest, Yue Ning had recovered somewhat. Once they were up, Wei Qizhi also arrived. After the meal, Yue Ning expressed a desire to visit the camp.
Although Yue Ning had spent many years in Jinzhou with Yue Qiong, she had never witnessed a real battlefield. Qin Guan thus took Yue Ning to the western camp. Upon arrival, Yue Ning observed the strict discipline within the camp—despite being in a rest period, training continued unabated. She realized then that the Northwest Frontier Army was not merely a reputation and felt a stirring of ambition within her.
When Yan Chi learned of their arrival, he invited the group into his tent and informed Yue Ning that he had already sent news of her to Fengzhou. Yue Ning, feeling guilty, thanked him awkwardly.
When she left, she hadn't dared to explain clearly what Yan Ze had done, fearing that even now no one would understand. Moreover, she had agreed to the marriage herself, and it was even arranged by the Empress Dowager. Her sudden flight must have caused great worry and concern. Since she was now in Wuzhou, she had no choice but to inform Yue Qiong.
When Yue Ning left, she was filled with frustration and didn't know how to broach the subject. Thinking of Qin Guan in the west gave her a sense of purpose. But now that she had found Qin Guan, she was still uncertain about the future. She feared that Yue Qiong would order her back to the capital, so she had no desire to see him anytime soon. Seeing the military environment sparked an interest in joining the army, but in this era, women were not allowed on the battlefield...
Wei Qizhi had truly come bearing gifts. When he mentioned this to Yan Chi, Yan Chi summoned Xiao Cheng, who was in charge of military supplies, and the three went off to talk. Qin Guan took Yue Ning for a walk around the camp. Yue Ning's expression grew increasingly solemn. "Before I saw you, I thought everything would be fine once I found you. But now that I'm here, I don't know what to do next."
Qin Guan looked at Yue Ning and sighed. "This isn't like you. Is it because of what happened with Yan Ze?"
Yue Ning shook her head. "Not exactly. I feel extremely guilty toward Third Brother. This feeling has been buried in my heart since childhood. I thought marrying him would be a way to atone, but I never expected him to be that kind of person."
Qin Guan frowned. "There's something I've always felt is related to his blindness."
Hearing this, Yue Ning quickly turned to Qin Guan. "What do you mean?""You mentioned that his correspondence with the Empress mentioned revenge. In fact, this revenge refers to the grudge over Princess Consort Yi's death. Princess Consort Yi died from poisoning—a toxin that first causes deafness and blindness before becoming life-threatening. Since she died from this poison, I'm uncertain about the true cause of Yan Ze's eye condition."
Yue Ning abruptly halted her steps. "Are you suggesting... that Third Brother might also have been poisoned? Not because he saved me?"
Qin Guan nodded. "Yes, but I'm not certain."
Yue Ning stood frozen, her brow furrowed, her heart sinking even deeper.
If this were true, then Yan Ze must have known all these years how guilt-ridden she had been. How could he bear to let her suffer?!
Seeing Yue Ning's expression, Qin Guan took her hand. "I told you this so you'd understand how unfathomable Yan Ze is—capable of anything. If you still carry guilt now, it's truly unnecessary. His eye condition has been cured anyway."
Noting Yue Ning's persistently knitted brows, Qin Guan said, "Come with me somewhere."
Yue Ning didn't know where Qin Guan was taking her. As they walked, Qin Guan explained, "You were right to come to me. As long as you aren't deeply in love with Yan Ze, tormented by his deception, you should set aside the troubles of the capital. After all, we're in Wuzhou now."
With that, the two left the western camp and mounted horses. Qin Guan led Yue Ning directly to the field hospital.
Upon arrival, Qin Guan immediately busied herself again. Yue Ning followed behind, momentarily dazed.
The western camp had no wounded soldiers—she had seen the familiar layout of Jinzhou's main camp. But here in the field hospital, casualties were everywhere. The severely injured clung to life by a thread, while those with lighter wounds required daily dressing changes—injuries to limbs, chests, or abdomens. In this sweltering heat, many wounds festered and oozed, healing extremely slowly. Confronted with this scene, Yue Ning felt the heavy weight of mortality directly.
And compared to death, what significance did other emotions hold?!
Qin Guan didn't stand on ceremony either, promptly enlisting Yue Ning's help. Thus, the two worked side by side.
By afternoon, they finally found time to rest. Yue Ning was drenched in sweat from exhaustion, while Qin Guan ached from her waist to her back.
"I know we already won one battle earlier..." Qin Guan sighed, taking a sip of cold tea. "Even in victory, there were over a thousand casualties. What you see here are the survivors. Some died on the battlefield and couldn't be retrieved, while others were brought back but couldn't be saved. We watched hundreds perish before our eyes."
Hearing this, a chill ran down Yue Ning's neck, and she settled from her dazed confusion into sober clarity.
Qin Guan said, "Since you're here, I won't let you idle. I'm no good at warfare, but I come here daily to help. Will you join me?"
Yue Ning managed a faint smile. "Of course."
Yue Ning had previously considered joining the battlefield, but now she dared not rashly propose following the troops into combat. Having never witnessed real warfare, the field hospital instilled greater reverence in her—and she didn't want to cause trouble for Qin Guan either.
Yue Qiong's second handwritten letter arrived in Wuzhou City early the next morning.Yan Chi read the letter and addressed Gu Ling and the others, "The Anyang Marquis mentioned he also sent a letter to Chongzhou, though there's been no reply yet. He added that since the Rong barbarians are currently focusing their main attack on Fengzhou, this is an excellent opportunity for us to join forces. He also said he would wait for us at the Five-Zhang Plains four days from now, regardless of whether we come or not."
Yu Qi chuckled, "The Marquis is quite sincere."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Yan Chi said, "In that case, we shall accept the invitation four days from now. Gu Ling, Xiao Cheng, make preparations over the next few days and consult with Yang Jia. By then, we will need to withdraw our entire army. Wuzhou City can be left to them, but the supplies must not be cut off under any circumstances."
Gu Ling promptly replied, "I understand, General. I will make it clear to Commander Yang."
When Qin Guan learned of the appointment proposed in Yue Qiong's letter, she knew Yan Chi would attend. That evening, while dining with Wei Qizhi, Yue Ning, and a few others, she asked, "Since the meeting is set for four days from now, would departing on the same day be feasible?"
Yan Chi responded, "We must leave the day after tomorrow to ensure we arrive by noon on the fourth day."
"I wish to go as well, and Yue Ning will join us. Since we are here, we ought to meet my adoptive father."
Yue Ning, now devoid of her former stubbornness, offered no resistance and obediently agreed.
After the meal, Yue Ning tactfully retired to her room to rest, leaving Yan Chi content to settle down with Qin Guan for the night.
With the appointment confirmed, the envoy from Fengzhou departed Wuzhou. Gu Ling and the others spent two consecutive days organizing the troops. On the morning of the third day, Yan Chi set out for the Five-Zhang Plains with a thousand elite soldiers. Though the plains were not far, the journey required over a day of travel. The group pressed on swiftly and finally reached the meeting point by noon on the fourth day.
Scouts at the forefront reported back from ten li away, stating that Yue Qiong had also brought only a thousand troops and was waiting ahead.
The Five-Zhang Plains were very close to Fengzhou, so Yue Qiong arrived first. When Yan Chi arrived, he saw that Yue Qiong had already set up a command tent for discussions. Yue Qiong had brought Yan Qi and seven or eight other officers with him. As the two sides met, they were struck by a sense of how much had changed.
Especially when Yue Qiong saw Yue Ning and Qin Guan, he sighed with emotion. After exchanging pleasantries, Yue Qiong, mindful of the urgent matters at hand, invited Yan Chi, Yu Qi, and the others into the command tent.
Inside the tent, Yue Qiong was quite warm toward Yan Chi, though Yan Qi remained aloof. Recalling Yan Qi's previous opposition, Yue Qiong chose not to comment on his demeanor.
"I never expected you to send troops. Without your intervention, Wuzhou City would have already fallen into the hands of the Rong barbarians."
Yan Chi and Yue Qiong sat together in the main seats, while the officers from both sides faced each other. Yan Chi replied solemnly, "It was your sincerity, Marquis, that moved me to come. Since we are here, let us get straight to the point. I am currently branded a rebel, and the troops you lead were originally dispatched to subdue the Empress. Now that you seek an alliance, I must ask: what are your intentions regarding the Northwest Frontier Army? And are you and your forces worthy of our assistance?"At these words, every officer of the Northwest Frontier Army wore a cold expression, while Yue Qiong quickly interjected, "You need not worry about that. With external enemies at our gates, we are all allies against the Rong barbarians. Moreover, I know your character well—precisely why I sought to join forces with you at the first opportunity. For now, let us unite to repel the Rong barbarians. Afterward, you may freely return to your Northwest Frontier, and we will not hinder you. If the Rong suffer a major defeat, they will surely retreat. We only need to collaborate until the Rong withdraw, and we will handle the recapture of Cangzhou ourselves. Then, you may come and go as you please—not just you, but I have also sent word to Chongzhou. The truth is, the Rong invasion is so fierce this time that it could become a national crisis for Great Zhou."
Yan Chi’s gaze swept over the other officers like icy arrows. Seeing their resolute and composed expressions, he felt somewhat reassured. When his eyes fell on Yan Qi, the latter hurriedly said, "Yan Chi, it has been many days since we last met as brothers. That we can reunite now and fight side by side against the Rong is a twist of fate. I fully support the Marquis’s proposal. At the very least, we cannot let outsiders take advantage. Cangzhou has already fallen—we must defend Fengzhou properly."
Though Yan Qi spoke these words, his eyes flickered slightly. Yan Chi knew that Yan Qi had likely opposed the idea initially, but this was no surprise.
In contrast, Yue Qiong and the others seemed somewhat trustworthy. Moreover, Yue Qiong’s proposal to cooperate only until the Rong retreated aligned perfectly with his own intentions.
If they drove the Rong all the way back to Azure Dragon Mountain, without the Rong as a restraining force, it was hard to predict how Jinzhou’s army might change. But as long as the Rong remained even slightly threatening, Yue Qiong’s top priority would be dealing with them—not with the Northwest Frontier Army.
"Very well. In that case, we shall join forces to repel the enemy. However, the Northwest Frontier Army and Jinzhou’s forces will not fully merge. We will discuss battle strategies and deployments together, but the final authority rests with me and the Marquis. Beyond that, the Northwest Frontier Army requires no interference from anyone."
Yan Chi’s tone carried a clear warning. Yue Qiong, overjoyed, replied, "Excellent! That is only fair! With this, the Rong will not hold out for long! Yan Chi, the Five-Zhang Plains are the ideal location to station troops. Today, I have brought five hundred tents, which will be set up for you shortly. Once your men arrive, they will have a place to settle. When you are ready, we will jointly drive back the enemy. I have also arranged for some food and drink today—"
"There is no need for such hospitality with the enemy at our gates, Marquis. Yue Ning likely has no desire to go to Fengzhou with you. You should speak with her first. Afterward, you may depart. The city’s defenses are strained, and we require no assistance in establishing our camp."
Yan Chi was strictly businesslike, showing no leniency. Yue Qiong and the other Jinzhou officers grew cautious, not daring to take him lightly.
Seeing Yan Chi’s firm stance, Yue Qiong naturally acquiesced. The arrangements for food and drink had been Yan Qi’s idea, which Yue Qiong had considered unnecessary but had allowed for fear of deepening Yan Chi’s distrust. Now, it seemed indeed superfluous. Yue Qiong added, "Very well. Take two days to set up camp. Three days from now, we will meet in your camp to finalize our strategy and deliver a decisive blow to the Rong!"
Yan Chi agreed, and Yue Qiong went to speak with Yue Ning.
In the adjacent small tent, Yue Qiong sat in the central seat, his gaze stern as he looked at Yue Ning. "Why did you flee from the marriage, exactly?"Yue Ning stubbornly avoided looking at Yue Qiong, insisting, "Father knows my temperament well—there must be a reason for this. Please don’t press further." After a pause, she added, "But I must remind Father, Third Brother is not as simple as he appears on the surface. You must not allow him to join the Jinzhou Army."
Before leaving, Yue Ning had heard that Yan Ze intended to join the Jinzhou Army. She didn’t know his motives, but she couldn’t let him succeed.
Yue Qiong narrowed his eyes. "What exactly happened? You won’t tell your mother or your brothers—can’t you even tell me?"
Yue Ning clenched her fists tightly, and after a long silence, she finally said, "When the Empress and the Crown Prince fled the capital in secret, everyone assumed it was Prince Rui who aided them. But in truth, it was Third Brother who helped. I saw the correspondence between Third Brother and the Empress at Prince Yi’s royal residence—"
Yue Qiong’s eyes widened in disbelief. Yue Ning looked at him and continued, "Based on this alone, Prince Yi’s entire household could be executed. And Third Brother is far from the calm and unambitious person he pretends to be. His schemes are likely even more unfathomable than yours, Father. How could I possibly marry such a man?"
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