The Road to Glory

Chapter 90: Stray Dog

Lightning tore countless gashes across the night sky, and the torrential rain seemed to pour down from those ruptures.

One muffled thunderclap followed another.

Wen Yu’s thoughts seemed disturbed by the thunder. A brief daze flickered in her eyes before layers of complex emotions gradually settled, leaving only a cold stillness in her gaze as she looked at Xiao Li and said, “It seems what I told General Xiao that night wasn’t clear enough.”

“I came precisely to give you an answer to the question you asked that night,” Xiao Li interrupted her.

His height and build were imposing, the line of his jaw sharp and distinct. Whenever he lifted his head to look directly at someone, the sense of pressure he exuded was immense. Even now, disheveled as he was, he seemed more dangerous than ever before.

“That night, you asked me if, after Accompanying the Bride to Southern Chen, I would stay there for the rest of my life.” His pupils reflected Wen Yu in her wedding dress, but the emotions hidden deeper within were impossible to discern. “My answer is that I won’t let you marry into Southern Chen. I will become the third path you can choose. You can marry me, or I can marry into your family—either is fine.”

Perhaps noticing the astonishment on Wen Yu’s face, he fell silent for a moment before saying, “I haven’t read many books, so I don’t know how to phrase it more elegantly in your terms, but that’s the gist of it. So, will you choose me?”

His gaze was restrained, sincere, resolute, and calm—clearly, these words were the result of careful deliberation, not a spur-of-the-moment impulse.

Wen Yu was so stunned that she remained speechless for a long time.

She had always known that Xiao Li had feelings for her, but she had never imagined that this inherently untamed man would lower his head to such an extent. Her heart felt as if it had been tightly squeezed, suddenly swelling with an intense ache.

Her red lips, freshly painted with rouge, unconsciously tightened. The fingers hidden within the wide sleeves of her wedding gown dug more forcefully into her palms. She turned to look at Xiao Li, her gaze calm yet cruel, and spoke with detached indifference, as if entirely unmoved. “Even if you can capture Xin and Yi provinces, what difference would it make?”

“I need soldiers, I need power—do you have them?”

Thunder rumbled incessantly, and the rain fell in urgent sheets.

Half of Xiao Li’s face was shrouded in the darkness beyond the candlelight, making it impossible to discern his expression. Only the grip on Wen Yu’s wrist loosened slightly.

Wen Yu took the opportunity to break free from his hold, turning her face coldly away to gaze at the candle flame inside the lampshade. The pain from her other hand stimulated her nerves, helping her maintain her facade of indifference.

Not wanting Xiao Li to notice anything amiss, she was about to coldly order him to leave when he spoke again. “Before taking Xin and Yi provinces, we must first block Southern Chen outside the pass. After seizing these three provinces and one commandery in the Southern Border of Great Liang, we can recruit soldiers, buy horses, and recuperate. When autumn comes and the northern barbarians invade Youzhou, Wei Qishan will be stretched too thin to respond. Then, we can mobilize troops northward to join forces against Pei Song.”

His words were clearly a response to her earlier question about what capturing Xin and Yi provinces would change.

While Wen Yu was still reeling in shock, he had already taken the cylindrical case from his back, unrolled the map, and spread it out on her dressing table.The map's edges curled upward on both sides. Xiao Li used Wen Yu's dressing case to weigh down one corner while bracing his arm against the other. The distant candlelight cast his tall shadow over the dressing stool. His expression remained calm throughout as he said, "While suppressing bandits, I uncovered some information suppressed by Wei Qishan. When Pei Song withdrew from Yizhou, he already implemented a scorched-earth policy. What Wei Qishan captured was merely an empty city. Currently, he's maintaining control over two provinces with only the military forces of Xinzhou Prefecture, leaving numerous weak points. Capturing these two provinces wouldn't require significant military losses."

His hair, wet and clumped in strands, continued dripping water. Fortunately, the map was coated with waterproof wax, preventing damage from moisture.

However, a drop of water—whether from his sleeve or hair—fell precisely onto the back of Wen Yu's hand.

"Leveraging the natural defense of Hundred Blades Pass, our original plan can already block Southern Chen's troops from entering. If Southern Chen desperately launches a strong attack, given their conflicts with neighboring states, we could send envoys to Dala and Wujian. These smaller countries might seize the opportunity to directly assault the Southern Chen royal court. To ensure their own security, Southern Chen would have to withdraw troops to defend their court, never daring to fully commit to attacking Hundred Blades Pass again."

The dressing table was only so large. Though he stood near the edge, his arm bracing the map and occasional gestures to indicate terrain brought him uncomfortably close to Wen Yu. Despite her attempts to ignore it, she could clearly feel his breath and damp presence, causing her to frown slightly.

Xiao Li, unaware of the reason for her frown, assumed she was growing impatient and simplified his explanation: "Pei Song has suffered several consecutive defeats while Wei Qishan pursues him fiercely. Before autumn, Pei Song won't have spare forces to campaign south. Wei Qishan won't cross Pei Song's territory just to attack us over two distant Southern Border provinces. Come autumn, caught between northern barbarians and Pei Song, he'll be even less likely to move against us. Once Pei Song is defeated, since Wei Qishan claims to be quelling rebels, you—as the Princess of Liang—can demand his submission. If he refuses, he becomes a traitor himself, giving us justified cause to attack him."

After saying this, he finally looked up at Wen Yu: "I currently possess neither troops nor power. You can wait until I do before marrying me."

This was his answer to her second question.

Wen Yu glanced at the densely annotated and revised map, feeling a subtle burning sensation where the water droplet had landed—as if it had been hot oil instead of rain.

She rested her chin in her hand, quietly studying the map for a moment before hardening her resolve: "Why should I take your promissory note when an alliance with Southern Chen could grant me the same? By leveraging Southern Chen's influence to negotiate peace with Northern Wei, I could obtain Xinzhou and Yizhou without losing a single soldier, with no need to garrison troops at Hundred Blades Pass against powerful enemies. That would be the truly beneficial path, wouldn't it?"

By this point, Xiao Li's face had visibly paled.

"Moreover..." Wen Yu clearly wasn't finished. She raised her eyes, meeting his gaze directly. "I believe General Xiao has misunderstood something."

Her fingertips lifted the scented sachet he'd placed on her dressing table. "I keep this wood carving only because I greatly admire the phrase 'Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate' that you once mentioned—nothing more. Your repeated transgressions have made things quite difficult for this princess."Without a sound, she had changed the way she referred to herself, as if she had truly been troubled and annoyed by this for a long time.

With that, her fingertips loosened, and the sachet containing the carp wood carving fell to the ground. The ties on the sachet had long been loose, and the carp wood carving inside tumbled out, rolling to Xiao Li's feet.

She seemed indifferent as she said, "Since this wood carving has been lost, I shall consider it as never having been recovered."

Xiao Li tilted his head slightly, most of his face hidden in shadow. Only the tense lines of his neck muscles were visible, and his throat seemed to move with difficulty before he continued to ask, "What about the cloak during the river embankment repair?"

Wen Yu seemed to make an effort to recall before understanding what he meant. Her expression was inexplicable as she said, "On that day, I went to inspect the site and bestowed many rewards. If General Xiao hadn't mentioned it, I might have already forgotten about it. General Tan Yi said you had been guarding tirelessly for several days without rest, and when I went to the main tent, I saw you asleep at the desk, so I had someone find a cloak for you. Did this also cause General Xiao to misunderstand?"

That final question struck the deepest blow.

Her eyes, meeting Xiao Li's directly, were filled with sharp, thorn-like indifference.

Xiao Li tasted what it felt like to be utterly shattered. He steadied himself for a long time, but could only raise a hand to cover his face. After standing in place for a moment, he said, "My apologies. It was my own wishful thinking that caused you so much trouble. I, Xiao Li, wish you and King Chen... mutual respect and a long, harmonious life together."

His voice was hoarse, like gravel scraping over rubble.

With that, he turned and strode out. The joints of his hanging fingers were stained with moisture. The moment he opened the door, cold wind and damp air rushed into the room, and a black iron blade was pressed against his neck.

Xiao Li remained bowed in his door-opening posture, his disheveled hair covering his eyes. He showed no intention of fighting the newcomer.

Zhao Bai, who had been lured out and circled around in the heavy rain, was drenched from head to toe. In the distance, chaotic shouts of "Catch the assassin!" could be heard.

The blade she held against Xiao Li's neck dripped with water, its edge already cutting slightly into the skin of his neck, drawing a line of blood. Her face was full of rage, as if she would sever Xiao Li's neck with a single command from Wen Yu inside the room. But when she saw Xiao Li's eyes, she paused slightly.

At that moment, a clear, deep voice came from inside the room: "Let him go."

The trailing tone was cut off by the curtain of rain, making it impossible to discern any emotion.

Zhao Bai looked inside and saw only the silhouette of Wen Yu sitting before a mirror behind the beaded curtain. With mixed feelings, she glanced at Xiao Li, then sheathed her blade with a clang.

Seven or eight Shadow Guards, who had been lured out and hurried back, saw this scene and also sheathed their blades, no longer blocking Xiao Li.

Xiao Li bowed his head and stepped into the rain, like a defeated dog, never looking back.

After he had gone far, Zhao Bai, still drenched, entered the room and knelt on one knee outside the beaded curtain. "It was my negligence in protecting you, my lady. I beg for your punishment."

Wen Yu said calmly, "General Xiao came tonight only to report military intelligence he obtained while suppressing bandits."

Zhao Bai was taken aback and looked up toward the beaded curtain, but only heard Wen Yu ask, "Do you understand?"

Zhao Bai immediately nodded. "I understand."

Only then did Wen Yu softly say, "You may go."

Zhao Bai seemed to have much to say, but since Wen Yu had spoken, she had no choice but to obey and withdraw. However, she never left Wen Yu's courtyard again, standing guard outside the door with her blade in her arms.The candle in the room burned slowly. Wen Yu picked up the wood carving that had fallen to the ground earlier, intending to brush off the dust that had settled on it. As her hand passed over it, bloodstains smeared the surface. Lowering her gaze, she realized her palm had been clenched so tightly that it had broken the skin at some point, and blood had spread in a patch.

She casually wrapped the wound with a handkerchief and took another one, meticulously wiping away the bloodstains from the wooden carp.

But the blood on her hand hadn’t been fully cleaned, and the more she wiped, the more she smeared the bloodstains on the wooden carp.

After wiping fruitlessly for a while, a tear fell onto the wood carving. Her hand paused slightly, and she murmured to herself, "It really hurts."

Then, more and more tears rolled from her eyes, soaking into her wedding dress in damp patches, yet her face remained completely expressionless.

She thought it was just the wound hurting too much.

The pain suddenly brought back many memories: being chased into the mountains by Pei Song’s Hawk Hounds, him carrying her on his back as they traveled through the forest at night; her running a high fever, him staying awake by her bedside in a farmhouse all night; and when she was captured by Pei Song’s Hawk Hounds, him being beaten into the muddy rain by countless fists and kicks, yet still staring at her, telling her he cared…

Finally, what surfaced in her mind was the day she left Luodu. Her elder brother, who had been guarding the city gates for days and nights, hurried back, still clad in battle armor covered in the marks of smoke and scratches. When he saw her, he didn’t say a word of small talk but simply crouched at the doorstep and said, "Come, let your elder brother carry you out of the bridal chamber."

Her mother and sister-in-law wept bitterly under the eaves. Afraid of making them even sadder, she hadn’t dared to cry. Only when she leaned on her brother’s armored yet still frail back did she quietly shed tears. Her brother’s figure seemed to stiffen slightly.

The path from the inner courtyard to the main gate wasn’t far, but he carried her in silence for a long time before saying, "A Yu, I’m sorry."

Then he added, "Don’t be afraid when you go to Southern Chen. Your elder brother will come to bring you home soon."

Under the setting sun, he turned his head as if to take one more look at her, but she caught sight of the freshly healed scar on his face.

Wen Yu blinked lightly, and scalding tears rolled from her long lashes. She cried silently, without a sound.

Her elder brother had died in Fengyang. He would never come to bring her home again.

No one would come to bring her home anymore.

This path, she had to walk it alone.

She hadn’t told Xiao Li that his seemingly thorough plan had many fatal flaws. On the chessboard of schemes and calculations, everything was mutual.

He plotted to sideline Southern Chen and then defeat Pei Song and Wei Qishan one by one. But in reality, from the moment she and Southern Chen broke their agreement, Southern Chen would turn against them and side with Pei Song. In the end, whether Pingzhou could be held and how many loyal ministers and capable generals would die were beyond estimation.

She knew his intentions and understood that he had given her everything he had.

But since she couldn’t reciprocate even a fraction of it, it was better to shatter all his hopes, to completely sever the chains binding him and set him free.Thank you to the little angels who nourished me with nutrient solution: Have You Struck It Rich Today? 68 bottles; Miss Friday 24 bottles; I'm the Cutest 20 bottles; Flying Catkins 18 bottles; Rice Ball 11 bottles; ......, Proper Little Beibei, Tan Huan, Ni 10 bottles; 45814802 7 bottles; Xiao Zhao, Jin Shu Yan Hui 6 bottles; Grilled Cheese Rice Cakes, Treat You to Lettuce, 46190020, Whale Doesn't Eat Cilantro, kfpy_L 5 bottles; Suisui Hates Chattering, shinecherry 3 bottles; Nan Ye's Cat, Coffee Beans, Gu You, yzlc 2 bottles; Only Studying in My Heart, Shede, 65140677, Faery, -, Stella, 27428371, Under the Flower Border, Finish Homework Then Play Arcade Games, Will Love Eating Bamboo Shoots in the Future, 64279385 1 bottle;

Thank you all very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!