The Road to Glory

Chapter 210: "I Only Hope Your Lordship Will Not in Future..."

By the time the royal court hung lanterns for the New Year, Gu Xiyun had already led troops back to Liang territory.

Wen Yu had Zhao Bai return to Great Liang with her.

After Xiao Li reorganized Northern Wei, his previous reputation for penetrating deep into barbarian territory meant the barbarians' incursions into the Northern Border were far less frequent than before.

With both sides preoccupied with their own military engagements, this inadvertently led to the two camps, though not formally allied, tacitly joining forces to first attack Pei Song together.

Pei Song was forced to abandon several provinces in succession, retreating again and again. With Wen Yu having previously cut off his westward escape route, he could now only hold fast to the few cities around Luodu, barely clinging to survival.

Wen Yu sent Zhao Bai personally to take advantage of the chaos and rescue Jiang Yichu and her daughter.

Wen Yu might not trust anyone else with this task, but Zhao Bai had originally been assigned by her elder brother to serve her sister-in-law. In this world, besides herself, no one cared more about the safety of Jiang Yichu and her daughter than Zhao Bai.

Great Liang, Luodu.

After suffering consecutive defeats, the morale of the entire Pei Army had sunk extremely low.

Their retreat route to the west was cut off by the Liang Camp, and the provinces and counties to the east had long been plundered clean by them, leaving the army with no supplies. If they fled all the way to Qiling in the far east and hid in the mountains, in this severe cold where water freezes instantly, countless soldiers would likely freeze to death.

The remaining tens of thousands of Pei troops could only be trapped in Luodu, temporarily using the neighboring cities around Luodu as barriers.

When the generals gathered in the warm hall to discuss matters, none dared to breathe loudly, fearing that Pei Song, who was leaning over the table studying the map above them, might suddenly erupt in anger.

But Pei Song was unexpectedly good-tempered today. Despite the dire situation, he showed no signs of agitation or gloom. After reviewing the map and seeing how restrained the generals were, he instead smiled and asked, "What's wrong with all of you?"

The generals below naturally dared not respond.

"Could it be that you've lost your nerve and your spirit just because a bunch of rabble has surrounded Luodu?"

He strode down from the platform: "In the past, when I commanded only twenty thousand Ezhou garrison troops, I dared to march north and directly take Luodu, then attack Fengyang. Now we occupy the imperial city of Luodu and command fifty thousand elite troops and fine generals—our forces are immeasurably stronger than before. Look at Former Liang: they only managed to prolong their wretched existence because Changlian Wang's daughter sold herself to Southern Chen. And the Northern Border—after Wei Qishan died, it was usurped by some rat from Yongzhou. Truly laughable. How can such a pack of shameless scoundrels make you all afraid?"

He reached out and placed a hand on one general's shoulder: "General Ma."

The general looked somewhat apprehensive, but Pei Song didn't look at him, instead scanning the other generals and recounting his achievements: "In the battle to break Baima Pass, the general slew several famous generals of Former Liang. His glorious military exploits are still widely praised in the army to this day."

General Ma showed a conflicted expression and barely managed to nod to Pei Song when the latter turned his gaze back to him.

Pei Song smiled, withdrew his hand, and continued walking: "General Ouyang, in the battle for Luodu, you directly took the head of Gu Changfeng, Former Liang's top military strategist."

The mustached general who was named clearly also felt somewhat ashamed but could only force a smile in acknowledgment.

"General Li..."

Red banners fluttered in the cold wind. Gu Xiyun sat on the city wall battlement with one knee bent. Snowflakes fell into her eyes, and she narrowed them slightly, saying, "My elder brother was worn down to death."

Zhao Bai stood behind her holding her sword, silent.Gu Xiyun stared in the direction of Luodu, a red tassel wrapped around her wrist. "His Highness and the heir, along with the ministers and common people, have retreated to Fengyang. My elder brother must hold Luodu for at least three days to buy them enough time."

"Three days. Pei Song employed attrition warfare to besiege the city. By the morning of the second day, while my brother led the remaining two thousand Gu family troops in an unceasing defense, not a single arrow could be found in the city."

"He charged out to fight, stubbornly holding on for another half day."

"Pei Song's side claimed his fierce general directly beheaded my brother. I know that was a lie."

"My brother's body was riddled with arrow wounds—he was shot through like a sieve, clearly pierced by ten thousand arrows!"

Even after more than two years, Gu Xiyun's eyes still reddened uncontrollably when recalling the gruesome state of Gu Changfeng's recovered corpse.

Facing the bitter wind, she took a deep breath of the crisp, piercing winter air. The grief and fury in her eyes transformed into an unstoppable battle intent amidst the howling snowstorm: "I will avenge my brother's death!"

The mobilization of his generals did not yield the results Pei Song had anticipated.

His expression darkened only after dismissing everyone to their quarters.

Having caught a chill on the way back, he couldn't suppress a low cough upon entering his chambers.

The injuries he sustained two years prior, never properly healed, had eventually become a chronic ailment.

Pei Yuan immediately brought a hand warmer and offered it to him: "Master."

Pei Song accepted the hand warmer, covering his mouth with one hand as he coughed and sat down. His expression remained grim as he asked, "Where is Han Qi? Why haven't I seen him these past two days?"

Pei Yuan replied, "General Han has been frequenting the Ministry of Justice archives recently, seemingly investigating something."

A sharp glint flashed in Pei Song's eyes. Setting aside the hand warmer, he said, "Let's go see for ourselves."

After Changlian Wang led the Luodu officials in evacuating the city two years ago, the six ministries' offices had been left vacant.

Since taking control of Luodu, Pei Song had been preoccupied with military campaigns. His subordinates had looted all the treasury silver but treated the sorted documents and archives as worthless scrap paper.

Han Qi spent considerable time clearing just a small section of the archives that had been neglected for two years, covered in cobwebs and dust.

Some storage rooms had been ransacked by soldiers, leaving documents either damaged or scattered haphazardly across the floor.

After searching for many days, he finally found the archives that had been mentioned during the confrontation with Fan Yuan in Jincheng—those reorganized and categorized by Changlian Wang's household.

Reading through them one by one, he felt his mind reeling. Just as he was about to take these documents away, an eerily cool voice came from outside the archives: "What are you doing here?"

Startled, Han Qi turned to see Pei Song leaning against the doorway with crossed arms, a mocking expression on his face—it was unclear how long he had been watching.

Instinctively, Han Qi tried to hide the documents behind his back, then realized such an action would only betray his guilt. His face flushed pale then red, visibly flustered as he stammered, "Minister..."

Pei Song stepped inside, smiling faintly. "Didn't we agree to address each other as brothers in private?"

Pei Yuan followed Pei Song into the room, making the space instantly feel cramped.

Han Qi complied, calling out, "Brother."

But his expression grew even more embarrassed and ashamed.

Pei Song surveyed the periphery of the archives, his tone unreadable. "This place has been well preserved. Pity we haven't been able to spare manpower to manage it yet."His gaze fell upon the dossier in Han Qi's hand, and he asked again, "What are you holding?"

His tone could even be described as gentle, yet Han Qi felt as if he had been struck by a whip lashing out from a cold wind.

He pressed his lips tighter and answered truthfully, "It's a dossier."

Pei Song didn't inquire further about the specific contents of the dossier—he could guess. Shifting his gaze, he scanned the rows of bookshelves, the corners of his lips slightly upturned with a faint trace of mockery, as if indifferent, and asked, "Why are you suddenly reading these?"

Han Qi, after all, was still young at heart, and soon found such a conversation unbearable. Tormented, he chose to lay his cards on the table: "When I fought against Liang General Fan Yuan in Jincheng, he said that Changlian Wang had been ordering the reorganization of the dossiers of the wronged ministers implicated in Uncle Qin's case back then. I... I just wanted to see if what he said was true..."

Pei Song laughed coldly, "Now that you've seen it, what do you think?"

Back when Pei Song was biding his time under Grand Commandant Ao, Han Qi was still young and ignorant, sheltered under his wing. Apart from focusing on martial arts, he knew nothing of the affairs at court.

But he was no fool. For Pei Song to later gain Grand Commandant Ao's deep trust and amass such power, he must have been well aware of the actions of Changlian Wang and his son in the court.

Yet he had still chosen to attack Luodu and overthrow the previous Liang Dynasty.

Han Qi knew Pei Song hated the previous Liang.

But now, the past was over.

Those who deserved to die were dead; the vengeance that needed to be exacted had been exacted.

With various forces now encircling Pei Song for the kill, rather than continuing down this dark path, Han Qi wanted to fight for Pei Song's only chance at survival and persuade him to turn back.

His grip on the dossier tightened repeatedly, and he finally mustered the courage to say, "Brother, when we stormed Luodu and overthrew the previous Liang, it was for revenge. But the line of Changlian Wang isn't entirely composed of hypocritical and treacherous individuals like the rest of the Wen clan..."

"So what?"

Han Qi, as if seeing a glimmer of hope, said with intense emotion, "We've already exacted the vengeance we sought. We... we should go and negotiate peace with Princess Han Yang! We can say... we can say that when we stormed Luodu, we didn't know Changlian Wang was willing to reopen our case. Princess Han Yang is known for her virtue. After explaining everything to her, and with Uncle Qin's wrongful case as precedent, to avoid further bloodshed, she might be willing to cease hostilities!"

Pei Song rested his fingers on his brow and let out a low laugh, "Are you saying that after I slaughtered the Wen clan, leaving Princess Han Yang as the sole survivor of Changlian Wang's line, I should now go to her to cease fighting and negotiate peace, begging her to spare my life?"

As if he hadn't heard such a hilarious joke in a long time, Pei Song laughed until the corners of his eyes crinkled, "A'Qi, would you spare the enemy who slaughtered your entire family?"

Han Qi was speechless.

Of course, he knew his idea was naive. But now that he knew the line of Changlian Wang wasn't as heinous as he had thought, he could no longer continue deceiving himself, telling himself that the war they had started was just, that the previous Liang was tyrannical, and that they had sought to replace it, and that the remaining Liang forces still locked in a life-and-death struggle with them were merely remnants of the previous Liang Dynasty.

On the other hand, there was Pei Song, who had raised him like an elder brother and father.

Han Qi took a few slow breaths, his eyes reddening as he said, "I'll go beg her. I'll beg Han Yang! It was their Liang emperor who did wrong first!"

He gritted his teeth, "If she demands a life for a life, then the hundreds of people from our Han and Qin families who died when our homes were confiscated should be enough to pay for the lives of her Changlian Wang's line!"A large hand came to rest on his back.

Han Qi’s subsequent words dissolved into choked sobs, hot tears falling onto Pei Song’s shoulder.

He gave the young man he had raised like a younger brother a brief embrace, his face still wearing a smile, his tone as casual as ever: “What’s this childish talk?”

“Or is Ah Qi scared too, thinking your brother can’t win this battle?”

Han Qi hurriedly wiped his eyes in embarrassment: “I believe you can win, Brother!”

Outside, only the soft sound of falling snow could be heard. Pei Song said, “Then we’ll win. Wanting to be emperor, wanting this world—what reason do we need?”

The three armies simultaneously launched attacks on the cities serving as barriers outside Luodu on a clear winter day.

Icicles hanging from the eaves of the city tower slowly melted under the sunlight, dripping water staining the green bricks below with damp patches. Black military boots hurriedly trod past as bows and arrows densely lined the battlements, the cold glint of arrowheads compensating for the chill of this windless afternoon.

There was little need for formal challenges between the two sides—given the Pei Army’s notorious reputation among the people, there seemed no need for further insults.

As war drums thundered and the vanguard troops roared in their first charge toward the city tower, the battle officially began.

Arrows rained down from the city tower like a sudden storm, while Liang Camp soldiers below advanced with giant shields, their formation densely covered overhead. The Pei Army’s arrow barrage inflicted few casualties on this vanguard.

Though catapults continuously hurled rolling stones downward, their limited numbers prevented attacks from achieving the density of the arrow rain.

As the vanguard neared the city walls, poised to either batter the gates or scale the walls with ladders, the defending general inside had no choice but to open the gates and dispatch troops to engage and stall the Liang Army below.

Han Qi and the mustached Pei general with the compound surname Ouyang rode forth, announcing their names in an attempt to intimidate the opposing Liang troops.

Aside from Xiao Li’s massacre of twenty thousand Pei soldiers at Sishui City, which made the Pei Army view him as a death god to be avoided, the Pei Army’s inherent brutality and their previous killings of many Liang generals often led them to shout their names to intimidate enemy commanders.

Gu Xiyun and Fan Yuan were tasked with attacking Luodu’s southern gate, while Chen Wei guarded the west and Xiao Li led the main assault on the north.

Upon hearing the mustached Pei general announce his name, Gu Xiyun’s grip on her long spear tightened, killing intent solidifying in her eyes. She said to Fan Yuan, “I’ll confront that Pei general!”

Fan Yuan, thinking she would seek revenge for their last encounter by pursuing Han Qi, saw her heading for the other Pei general. Recalling the surname Ouyang and her brother’s death, he could only shout while cutting down a Pei soldier: “Girl, don’t act on impulse!”

Gu Xiyun remained silent, using her spear to fling Pei soldiers aside as she advanced, the red tassel wrapped around her hand fluttering in the wind like a blazing flame.

Nearby, Han Qi saw Gu Xiyun charging directly toward the Pei general and sensed imminent danger.

Having fought her before, he knew the ferocity of this Liang female general’s spear techniques. He immediately spurred his horse in pursuit, shouting, “Your Gu family spear technique is nothing special! Are you scared? Running without even facing me?”

Gu Xiyun’s high-bound hair and cloak billowed in the cold wind, her expression cold and resolute, utterly unmoved.

Seeing his taunts ineffective, Han Qi dug his heels into his horse’s flanks to pursue further when a crescent moon blade suddenly swept down from the side.Fan Yuan intercepted him, saying, "Why are you running, boy? Our last duel in Jincheng never reached a conclusion with your Grandpa Fan! Come, let's settle this now!"

Han Qi knew full well that Fan Yuan was a troublesome opponent. Engaging him would mean being trapped for quite some time, but whenever he tried to flee, Fan Yuan always managed to block his path. Frustration and anger flushed his face with a faint red hue. After deflecting Fan Yuan's long blade with his spear, he shouted, "I'll first compete with that Gu family female general for the title of top spearman!"

Fan Yuan dismissed his words as nonsense, retorting, "If her elder brother Gu Changfeng were still here, would you even have a chance to contend for the title of top spearman? The finest young general of Great Liang died at the hands of an obscure nobody under Pei Song's command. Even I feel the injustice for the Gu family! Just as your Pei Camp trampled the Gu family's generations of honor into the mud, she will reclaim it today!"

Distracted by Fan Yuan's words, Han Qi nearly got swept off his horse by a strike. He hastily raised his spear to block, his expression shifting to one of unease and shame.

He, who still aspired to restore the prestige of the Han Family Spear Technique, could deeply understand Gu Xiyun's resolve to personally avenge Gu Changfeng and restore the Gu family's honor.

With Fan Yuan's relentless harassment, Han Qi had completely lost any chance of catching up to Gu Xiyun. Resigned, he abandoned the idea of aiding the Pei general and instead channeled his inner turmoil into a fierce clash with Fan Yuan.

Gu Xiyun charged straight after the Pei general, who was about to strike down a Liang soldier. She intercepted with her spear, saving the soldier.

The Pei general clearly knew of this female general in the Liang Camp.

However, facing a woman, he instinctively looked down on her and boasted arrogantly, "So it's you—the Gu family girl, with no men left in the household, forced to don armor and come to the battlefield. When your brother died under this general's blade, he nearly pissed his pants in fear..."

A murderous aura surged in Gu Xiyun's eyes. With a furious roar, she launched herself at the Pei general.

He hurriedly raised his blade to block. The moment their weapons clashed, he and his horse were forced back several steps. The Pei general's face instantly paled, and he no longer dared to engage her, immediately turning his horse to flee.

Gu Xiyun let out a guttural roar, "Where do you think you're escaping?!"

She dug her heels into her horse's sides and pursued. Seeing the situation turning dire, Pei's Hawk Hounds fired covert arrows at her on the battlefield. She deflected most with her long spear, and when an arrow struck her shoulder, she didn't falter in the slightest. Switching her spear to the other hand, she continued her relentless charge toward the Pei general.

Noticing Gu Xiyun's injured right shoulder, the Pei general thought he saw a chance to turn the tables. Instead of fleeing, he wheeled his horse around, brandishing his weapon, and shouted, "Since you're seeking death, I'll capture you and take you back to camp to reward the troops! Let the soldiers have their fun and boost morale!"

Gu Xiyun's gaze was as sharp as a honed blade. As her horse brushed past the Pei general, the armor on her arm split open, and the russet fabric beneath quickly darkened with blood.

The Pei general hadn't ridden far before blood gushed from his mouth, a gaping hole torn through his chest. He slumped rigidly from his saddle.

On the long spear Gu Xiyun had swung backward with her left hand, the tip was coated with thick, fresh blood, thoroughly soaking the red tassel below.

She glared coldly at the fallen Pei general and declared, "To die by my Gu family's 'Returning Horse Spear'—you've been granted undue honor."

With the loss of a senior general, the Pei Army fell into disarray on the battlefield. In contrast, the Liang soldiers' morale soared, and they surged forward with triumphant shouts.Cold sweat dripped from Gu Xiyun’s temples. In the bleak daylight, she raised her right hand, bound with a red tassel.

—That red tassel had been taken from her elder brother’s spear, but now it was clotted and sticky with blood seeping from her own wound.

After only a fleeting glance, she lifted her spear once more and charged back into the thick of the fray with a furious cry.

The death of General Pei had allowed the Liang army to gain the upper hand in this battle.

Seeing the situation turn against him, Han Qi attempted to flee back to the city, but Fan Yuan clung to him relentlessly. As they fought, Fan Yuan roared, "You stubborn fool! I told you long ago that Pei Song, that treacherous scoundrel, was no good! Your Han family has been loyal for generations—are you truly determined to tarnish your own name?"

Han Qi blocked fiercely, knocking away the long blade Fan Yuan had used to parry his spear. Suddenly, like a beast provoked to fury, his eyes reddened as he launched a frenzied assault on Fan Yuan. "So, generations of loyalty mean our entire clan should be executed or imprisoned, and we should bow to the imperial family with foolish devotion? What did my Han family do wrong? All we wanted was justice!"

Fan Yuan defended against Han Qi’s onslaught, seizing a moment to retort, "Nonsense! What twisted logic is that? To seek justice, you’d slaughter the entire city of Luodu? Did every official at court persecute your Han family? Or did the innocent civilians who died in this war persecute you?"

Having fought with reckless abandon until now, Han Qi was nearly exhausted. Gasping for breath, he seemed torn by inner conflict yet still struggled to justify himself: "My Han family is already wiped out. What do I care if others in this world bear me grudges or not? Anyone who stands in my way deserves to die!"

Fan Yuan’s expression turned icy as he stared at him. "I’ve heard of your father, Han Zongye. I know your Han family was wronged, and I told you the late emperor had already begun overturning those unjust cases from the end of the Zhenwu era. The princess will continue his will. But if you persist in this path, I won’t hesitate to strike you down today!"

Han Qi grinned bitterly, sweat dripping from his eyelids. He spurred his horse toward Fan Yuan again, bellowing as if seeking death: "Then strike me down!"

The sun slanted westward, casting jagged shadows on the eaves of Luodu’s northern gate tower.

Pei Song stood at the battlement, draped in a heavy cloak, locking eyes with the figure on horseback at the forefront of the black-armored army below.

This was their first true confrontation on the battlefield.

Pei Song’s impression of Xiao Li remained fixed on that moonlit night: the long blade that had cleaved through the carriage and swung toward him, and those wolf-like eyes blazing with crimson hatred.

Over a year had passed since then, and now the other man had become the new ruler of the northern territories.

Pei Song had to admit that Xiao Li had grown far faster than he had anticipated.

He recalled how, two years ago, it had been Wei Qishan standing across from him in a similar face-off atop and below the city walls.

But alas, in just a year, the hero had passed into history.

This man before him lacked the decades of authority and cunning that Wei Qishan had accumulated. Yet Pei Song intensely disliked the feeling of this first encounter.

The old wolf king would weigh pros and cons, knowing they were evenly matched in strength, so every move was made with extreme caution.

Pei Song excelled at manipulating such situations—where one tug could shift the entire battlefield.

That was why his previous clashes with Northern Wei had been relatively balanced.

He wasn’t afraid of temporary setbacks like these, for he could always quickly identify his opponent’s weaknesses and find a way to counterattack.But in the eyes of this newly appointed Northern Warlord, all he could perceive was a battle intent so dense it seemed tangible.

It was neither a concealed blade nor an unsheathed sword, but rather like the cracking of layered earth upon the surface, revealing a pillar that reached the heavens, born between the sky and the earth.

No matter how many conspiracies and schemes, they could all be crushed beneath that overwhelming force.

Yu Zhiyuan and his son were among the few truly capable men under his command. Pei Song believed there were no missteps in Yu Zhiyuan’s every move after infiltrating Northern Wei.

Yet Yu Zhiyuan and his son still died—and died with exceptional brutality.

It took him a long time to realize that after deciding to frame Xiao Li, Yu Zhiyuan’s only chance of victory was to kill Xiao Li that very night.

Failing to ambush and eliminate Xiao Li meant waiting for the counterattack of this vicious wolf.

At this moment, Pei Song suddenly felt a deep loathing for Yongzhou.

After seizing Luodu and capturing Fengyang, his momentum should have been unstoppable. Yet the first setbacks he suffered, both openly and covertly, were in Yongzhou.

First, the Governor of Yongzhou, Zhou Jing’an, committed suicide as an act of loyalty before surrendering. Then, the prices of grain and medicine soared south of the Wei River. After that, the street Rogues and the Remnants of the Previous Liang Dynasty began causing him endless trouble.

Pei Song thought that if he could start over, after taking Fengyang, he would immediately attack Yongzhou and slaughter every last soul—then there would be no such lingering troubles.

When the first war drum thundered beneath the city walls, though Pei Song looked down from his high position with disdain, he could still see in the eyes of the man below a gaze as if looking upon a dead thing.

The shadow he had glimpsed on the high cliff across the river during the encirclement and killing of Wei Qishan outside Luodu city resurfaced before his eyes.

He murmured ambiguously, "So alike…"

Xiao Li coldly watched Pei Song on the city tower, drew the sword at his waist, and roared as he spurred his horse forward: "Kill—"

"Kill—"

Behind him, a thunderous roar erupted instantly.

The charge of thousands of soldiers made the ground tremble like quicksand, and even the solid bricks on the city walls seemed to shake loose pebbles.

The army, like black ants, transformed in an instant into a surging black tide, like a monstrous wave about to overturn the sea.

In this battle, Pei Song oversaw only half of it before withdrawing into Luodu city.

Certain defeat.

This was a clarity Pei Song had never experienced before.

He prided himself on being unmatched in political manipulation, and he had no shortage of strategists who devised ingenious plans.

But he had never witnessed such a method of commanding troops.

It was as if… the soldiers below were one with their commander, and the adjustments in the enemy’s military formations were as effortless as moving one’s own limbs.

The city standing north of Luodu was effortlessly torn apart by that giant beast formed of thousands of men.

The banner bearing "Xiao" was planted on the northern city tower.

Xiao Li ascended the tower and saw the shadow of a Green Canopy Carriage escorted by over a hundred elite cavalry arriving at the foot of Luodu city.

A guard beside him, unable to contain his excitement, shouted to Xiao Li, "My Lord! We have won!"

Recalling the distant exchange of glances with Pei Song beneath the city tower earlier, Xiao Li could feel the hatred that had kept him awake countless nights boiling in his gradually heating blood.

He said coldly, "We march on Luodu again."

Pei Song, who had just arrived at Luodu, seemed to sense something and glanced back toward the northern city.

It was too far to make out the figures on the tower.

But Pei Song still knew who was staring at him so intently.

Upon entering the capital and reaching his residence, Pei Song stumbled as he stepped out of the sedan chair and was steadied by Pei Yuan, who stood closest to him.

From afar, a Hawk Hound rode up in disarray to report, "Report—Minister over the Masses, the southern city has been breached!"

Pei Song seemed to want to nod in acknowledgment, but when he opened his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of blood.A group of officers hurriedly called for "Physician" to carry him indoors, but Pei Song raised his hand to stop them.

Wiping the blood from his lips, he asked, "Where is Han Qi?"

The Hawk Hound replied with a grim expression, "General Ouyang fell in battle, and General Han was captured alive and taken to Liang Camp."

Pei Song then ordered, "Pass my command: fortify and defend the four city gates of Luodu."

As the imperial capital, Luodu's city defenses were far more robust than those of the outer four cities. With ample garrison troops and sufficient provisions, they could hold out for months without issue.

After Pei Yuan assisted Pei Song into the inner chamber, he said, "Go and bring the person from the Secluded Courtyard."

Hearing this, Pei Yuan hesitated visibly and said, "Master, that person has gone mad."

Pei Song smiled mockingly and replied, "I know."

"He never taught me those things, yet he passed them all to that wolf. Wasn't he determined to guard the imperial city and protect the emperor? Then let him do so.The outer cities serving as Luodu's protective barrier had fallen. With the joint attack on Luodu imminent, the various armies were bound to cross paths.

To prevent private conflicts, Li Xun, representing the Liang and Chen camps, visited Xiao Li's camp. Xiao Li had no objections to temporarily allying against Pei Song and, after receiving the envoy, promptly signed the alliance agreement.

Li Xun still felt some regret over Xiao Li's departure from Liang Camp. As he rose to take his leave, he couldn't resist bringing up the past: "After you left Liang Camp, my lord, I am deeply gratified by your achievements. However, regarding the Poison Arrow incident back then, there were many misunderstandings..."

Xiao Li raised a hand, signaling Li Xun to stop. "Those past events, I have already forgotten. You, Lord Li, once taught me and visited my Xiao Army camp multiple times, so I shall speak plainly: my unwillingness to return to Liang Camp is not because of those old grievances."

That Poison Arrow no longer concerned him.

But Li Xun clearly misinterpreted Xiao Li's meaning, assuming that now that he held great power and ruled his own domain, he would never return to Liang Camp. He hurriedly explained, "When I brought up this matter today, my lord, it was not to persuade you to rejoin Liang Camp."

With a complex expression, Li Xun smiled wryly at Xiao Li. "I merely recalled that the princess repeatedly instructed us that you and your late mother were our benefactors and that we must not mistreat you. When you wished to study military strategy in Pingzhou, it was also the princess who secretly ordered me to guide you..."

"After Pei Song's scheme to sow discord, the duke, for the sake of the greater situation, pressured the princess to recall you. The princess argued with the duke repeatedly until they reached a compromise. She sent the Azure Guard to explain the circumstances and ask you to return to Pingzhou, both to ensure your safety and to discuss how to rescue your mother. However, the duke, driven to extremes, feared the princess might secretly allow you to leave due to her gratitude toward you and your mother. Thus, he secretly ordered the Azure Guard that if you insisted on not returning to Pingzhou, they were to take your life."

At this point, Li Xun's eyes reddened. "When Miss Zhao Bai brought back news of your death, the princess nearly broke ties with the duke and dismissed him from his post. It was I who tearfully persuaded her to consider the bigger picture. Only then did the princess transfer the supervisory authority over Liang to be jointly held by the duke, Lord Chen, and myself."His voice was slightly choked with emotion: "The princess never saw His Lordship again after she married into Chen. It wasn't until you returned to Yongzhou to save your mother and rescued Young Master Zhou that we learned it had truly been Pei Song's poisonous scheme all along! When His Lordship learned you might be in Tongzhou, he specially rushed from Pingzhou to the front lines just to see you personally in Tongzhou—to apologize for his past mistakes and invite you back to Liang Camp. Yet fate played us cruelly..."

Li Xun found it difficult to continue. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve before continuing in a choked voice: "Then came that traitor Dou Jianliang's rebellion in the army. In that battle, Northern Wei lost twenty thousand troops at Majialiang, but our Liang Camp also suffered greatly. General Fan nearly lost his life to a poison arrow. We barely escaped danger thanks to a letter you'd sent ahead to the camp, but then Dou Jianliang joined forces with Pei Song and pursued General Fan and me relentlessly. At that time, General Fan was unconscious from poisoning, and I was merely a civil official..."

Li Xun shook his head repeatedly, the memory of that escape still bitter. "When we finally reached Wayaobao and saw His Lordship, I nearly broke down weeping. I feared our troops would be completely wiped out there, destroying the foundation the princess had laid before entering Southern Chen. Had that happened, any future northern expedition by the princess would have been impossible! It was His Lordship who insisted I take General Fan and flee first to Xinzhou, while he and old General Yuchi stayed behind at Wayaobao to block Pei Song's offensive that sought to annihilate Liang Camp. But with his passing, the misunderstandings from those years can never be cleared up..."

Li Xun said sorrowfully: "With all these burdens, the one who suffered most was the princess. Separated by thousands of li between Liang and Chen, she never saw His Lordship again before his passing, nor could she speak words of reconciliation about their past rift. The misunderstanding about that arrow can never be clarified with you..."

"In her heart, the princess has always felt guilty toward you, Lord Marquis. That's why, even after you joined the Wei camp, whenever you faced danger, she always sent us to welcome you back to Liang Camp."

He bowed to Xiao Li and said: "I risk great presumption in telling you this today, Lord Marquis. I seek nothing but to beg that in days to come, you will not let that arrow's grievance create discord between you and the princess, or Liang Camp."