The tents were surrounded in the center, and the firelight outside cast many shadows. Occasionally, arrows would pierce through the curtains and enter the tents, but before they could get close, they would be cut in two by Song Yansi's sword. Jiang Yuan carefully moved closer to him, placing herself in a safer area.
Just as she approached Song Yansi, the tent flap was suddenly ripped open, and a dark figure rushed in instantly. Song Yansi reacted much faster than Jiang Yuan. Before she could react, the sound of clashing weapons pierced her eardrums. The two exchanged blows, each move aimed straight for vital points.
Jiang Yuan retreated almost instinctively. Song Yansi occasionally glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, but focused more on the assassin in front of him.
The man seemed surprised to find that there was someone else in the tent.
Jiang Yuan hurriedly retreated to the side, her hands trembling slightly as they were hidden under the wide sleeves of her robe.
Chapter 30 New and Old Grudges
Sword in left hand, backhand strike, five feints and one real strike, the sword lands with sharp, deliberate strokes.
She knew this person's figure and gait all too well!
Shortly after Jiang Yuan returned from Wei, the Battle of Mobei broke out. Song Yanji was ordered to lead a northern expedition, but his army was ambushed during the march. Unfortunately, Li Sheng was seriously ill at that time and knew that his days were numbered. He was also eager to clear obstacles for the young crown prince, so he did not send reinforcements. As a result, Song Yanji's army was almost completely wiped out.
At the critical moment, Jiang Yuan risked her life to shield him from a sword, a blow that injured her and robbed her of the ability to be a mother. In the end, it was Jiang Zhongsi who disregarded the emperor's will and sent troops to support Song Yanji, pulling him out of his most perilous situation. This also completely severed the long-standing relationship between Song Yanji and Li Sheng, and not long after their triumphant return, the capital was thrown into chaos.
Although Jiang Yuan was unable to have children, Song Yanji was grateful for the Jiang family's kindness, and after becoming emperor, the position of empress still firmly fell to her.
Things started well, but later went astray.
The Jiang family's unease, Jiang Yuan's assertiveness, the court's criticism, the turmoil in the harem, and Song Yanji's suspicions. Her year-long disappearance and the childlessness granted by the Emperor became her greatest weakness. And the culprit who prevented her from becoming a mother was right before her eyes!
Suddenly, everything went black, and Jiang Yuan watched helplessly as the dark figure lunged at her. Before she could react, her wrist was tightened, and she looked to the side in alarm. Almost simultaneously, Song Yanji appeared beside her. She was instantly pulled into a warm embrace, and heard the sound of swords cutting through flesh, accompanied by Song Yanji's muffled groan.
Jiang Yuan was pulled to the side by him, and their eyes met. The anger that had been suppressed in his heart for many years suddenly boiled over. "Now that you're here, don't even think about leaving alive this time."
Before the man could react, Jiang Yuan's sleeve flashed with a cold light, and a jewel-encrusted dagger was plunged deep into his chest. The dagger was extremely sharp, and she used all her strength to plunge the entire blade into his flesh.
Jiang Yuan acted decisively, showing none of her previous fear and weakness. The dim firelight illuminated the tent, and her eyes gleamed like dazzling gems. She swiftly pulled out the dagger and then plunged it back in with a vicious stab, blood splattering everywhere, staining her entire body and her pale face with droplets of blood. Even as the man fell, his face remained filled with disbelief.
"Ah Yuan has such a ruthless nature." Song Yansi wrapped his arms around her and reached out to wipe away a bit of blood from her eyelids. He had noticed her absent-mindedness long ago, but the assassin was too fast for him to warn her. He was slashed on the shoulder by a sword, not deep, but he felt something was wrong. He straightened up, patted Jiang Yuan's cheek and looked into her eyes, "I can't hold on much longer."
As he spoke, everything went black, and he collapsed onto Jiang Yuan.
Jiang Yuan then calmed down and regained her senses. She was quite frightened by Song Yansi's fall and quickly helped him up. She then pulled open his clothes to look at the wound. The skin and flesh were turned outwards, and the blood and flesh were a deep bluish-purple color.
Is this poisoning?
This was the scene that Mu Qing saw when he rushed in: Jiang Yuan, lying in a pool of blood, held a dagger in one hand, her frail body supporting Song Yansi, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
In a battle between two armies, the commander-in-chief being poisoned is no good thing. News of Song Yanji's assassination was completely suppressed, and only Mu Qing and his generals, along with Jiang Yuan who had always been by his side, knew the details.
Of course, there's also Meng Xizhi.
"Master! The man isn't coming back." Xue Sheng gritted his teeth. "Shenxing's men haven't sent any messages, so they must have succeeded."
"What a pity, he's been with me for over a decade." Meng Xizhi looked at the pristine night sky, his eyes narrowed to slits, his pent-up anger barely contained. He had lived for twenty years and had finally met someone who wouldn't let him have an easy time. If he was uncomfortable, then no one else could be comfortable either. His voice was calm, like a clear spring in early spring amidst the lingering smell of blood and rust.
Compared to Meng Xizhi, Song Yanji's condition is much worse now. Even though the military doctor has tried everything he can, he can only remove the toxins little by little. His high fever persists, and he spends far less time awake than asleep.
Mu Qing was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. The Song Yansi he knew was a shrewd strategist. The Han assassination incident had served as a warning to him. He would never let anyone get close so easily unless absolutely necessary. After that, his gaze towards Jiang Yuan became more complex and calculating.
Jiang Yuan couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself. Sure enough, he was still the same Mu Qing. As long as she posed the slightest threat to Song Yanji, this man would become wary and distant. In her previous life, he never befriended her, probably because he looked down on her.
Thinking about it, she wet the handkerchief again and placed it on Song Yansi's forehead. After everything was done, she sat down by his bedside as usual and habitually held his hand. The temperature of his palm was still frighteningly hot.
“Mu Qing and I grew up together.” Song Yansi opened his eyes at some point and looked at Jiang Yuan as he spoke slowly.
"You're awake? Would you like something to eat?" Jiang Yuan quickly changed the subject.
Shaking his head, Song Yansi took her fingertips in his hand and said, "He was just worried and confused. Don't take it to heart."
"I'm not a child anymore, why would I hold a grudge against him?" She was so small, it sounded almost ridiculous coming from her serious mouth.
A smile crept into the corners of his eyes. Song Yansi wanted to raise his hand to pat her head, but he couldn't even lift her arm, so he had to give up. His fingers caressed the back of her hand, and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
In a daze, he heard Jiang Yuan's voice.
"I've heard there's a Fifth Master in Qi'an, a renowned folk healer. I had Mu Qing deliver a letter to Fu Zhengyan..."
Fu Zhengyan had mentioned this person in a letter to him, so he wasn't surprised at all that Jiang Yuan knew about it.
Three days later, the guards assembled and marched forward, and war was imminent.
Song Yanji's mental state was frighteningly bad, and Jiang Yuan dared not hide it any longer. At this time, everyone shared the same fate, so he simply stayed with him in the camp.
It has been a rule since ancient times that women are not allowed to enter the general's camp when accompanying the army. Even if it was to take care of Song Yanji, it would still displease most of the generals in the army.
Jiang Yuan and Song Yanji have been husband and wife for nearly twenty years in their past and present lives, so their tacit understanding is unparalleled. Often, Jiang Yuan can understand Song Yanji's meaning with just a glance, and it is almost always accurate.
In addition, she had rich experience on the frontier in her previous life, and had followed Song Yanji for many years, watching him arrange his troops and deploy his forces. She had learned a lot from him and was able to offer advice at crucial moments. After this happened several times, the opposition in the camp decreased.
Faced with Jiang Yuan like this, the most shocked person was Mu Qing. Others could not see it, and perhaps even Jiang Yuan herself did not realize it. Her plan seemed cunning and strange, but in the end, it was similar to Song Yanji's.
“Zhong Li.” After watching Jiang Yuan leave the tent, Mu Qing turned to look at him, his expression complicated, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
"You figured it out?" Song Yansi guessed pretty much from his expression and asked with a smile.
He leaned back on the cushion, his lips still slightly pale. Judging by the days, Fifth Hui should be arriving in Yunzhong soon, and in a few more days he should be arriving in Longdi.
"I didn't notice it at first, but I realized it when she mentioned the snake formation later. It's very similar to the line water formation you taught me. Although there are slight differences, it's essentially the same." Mu Qing didn't believe that Song Yanji would teach Jiang Yuan these things. If her ancestors had started from horseback riding, it might be possible, but she was born into a civil service rather than a military family. "You knew all along?"
“I have my own plans.” Song Yansi gently closed his eyes, concealing all his emotions. “Some people, if you just give them a hint or two, they will chew on your words over and over again until they make sense.”
"Jiang Yuan?" Seeing that Song Yansi did not answer, Mu Qing was rarely angry. Gu Sijun left and Jiang Yuan came. Why is it that none of the women around him are easy to deal with? "Do you really have to find a scheming and calculating woman to keep by your side?"
"We've known each other for over a decade, and we should know best that I'd rather be schemed against by a clever person than be implicated by a fool." He was different from Mu Qing; a naive woman couldn't survive by his side. Jiang Yuan was ruthless yet clever and quick-witted, and quite adept at playing the field. Such a person was perfect for him. Besides… Song Yansi smiled slightly, "A Yuan is also a rare beauty."
Mu Qing was speechless after being shut up by his words. Just as he was about to reply, he saw him close his eyes and drift off to sleep again.
"Damn it!" The Wei State camp was eerily quiet, except for Meng Xizhi's rage. The battle report was slammed to the ground, showing that the 20,000-strong army had suffered a complete rout.
He was known for his swift, accurate, and ruthless military tactics, but the Southern Liang army was like a venomous snake, gradually encircling and entangled his troops before finally biting them hard.
It's not particularly ingenious; it's just a tactic specifically designed to counter his troop deployment methods.
"Could the information be wrong, and the guy surnamed Song is actually fine?" someone wondered.
"Nothing wrong? If he were alright, he would have launched a full-scale attack long ago. Why would he need this defensive formation?" Meng Xizhi sat at the table, propping his head up with one hand. He knew Song Yansi's injuries well. The poison was neither too mild nor too severe, but its strength lay in its difficulty to remove quickly. Even if the person was saved, he would remain delirious and weak for dozens of days.
Both Mu Qing and Deputy General Tian prefer to maintain control of the situation. If they launch a direct attack, he can exploit the weaknesses in Liang's army and catch them off guard. However, he is now proceeding slowly and methodically, gradually defeating them, clearly understanding their tactics very well.
“It seems we’ve missed something in our intelligence.” Meng Xizhi stood up, his back to the camp’s generals, with a huge map in front of him. He slowly traced the map with his fingertips, as if caressing every inch of the land. “Such a beautiful land, I really want to take it all.”
The surroundings were completely silent. The generals kept their eyes down, none of them daring to say what they had heard.
Chapter 31 Attacked on the Way
The situation took a turn a few days later when Fifth Master arrived in Chaisang. Further north lay the front lines. Fu Zhengyan's troops were Qi'an's retainers, and sending him to Chaisang was already a taboo for the emperor, so it was absolutely impossible for him to go north. They had no choice but to send someone from the front to meet him. Mu Qing had to be ready to go to the battlefield at any time and couldn't leave, so the task fell to Feng Xiuyuan.
Li Qingping insisted on going with him no matter what, and Jiang Yuan felt that once Wu Hui arrived, Song Yansi could finally relax. It would also be a good opportunity to send Qingping back to Chaisang, so he told Mu Qing.
Mu Qing felt that swords and spears had no eyes, and it was not appropriate for the two women to follow them to the front line indefinitely. Song Yansi had fallen into a coma again these past few days, so he had no choice but to make the decision himself. He immediately agreed, and even the escort team was a group of elite soldiers and generals that he had personally selected.
It was supposed to be a good thing, but who knew that a big problem would arise halfway through.
The sounds of fighting erupted in front of the carriage, startling Jiang Yuan, who was resting with his eyes closed inside. He lifted the curtain and asked, "What happened?" After looking around, he turned back and asked, "Where is the county magistrate?"
"I went to the front to find Supervisor Feng early this morning," Zhu Chuan replied. She didn't understand why they had to stay together all the time, given that it was only a short distance.
The line stretched out very long, and Jiang Yuan was stuck in the middle. News of what was happening at the front couldn't reach him for a while, and Jiang Yuan was extremely anxious. About an incense stick's time later, Li Qingping was escorted over.
She had been stabbed in the arm, and Bifan desperately pressed the wound with a handkerchief, her eyes red from crying.
"What happened!" Jiang Yuan carefully examined Li Qingping's wounds, her tone towards Bi Fan inevitably tinged with anger. "Did I tell you to take care of the county princess like this?"
Bi Fan had followed Jiang Yuan for so many years, and when had she ever seen her so angry? She immediately knelt down. Li Qingping watched Bi Fan kneeling on the ground, crying sadly, and felt extremely distressed. The whole thing started because of her, but in the end, it was Bi Fan who was blamed. He couldn't help but wipe away his tears.
"Alright, stop crying! Answer me!" Jiang Yuan looked at Bi Fan, not bothering to comfort the frightened Li Qingping.
“We encountered refugees, and some children were so hungry they could barely stand. We kindly gave them some food, but then more and more refugees came. They were so hungry they wanted to steal our food.” Bi Fan was still sobbing, feeling more and more aggrieved. She had tried her best to stop them, but what could she do if the county magistrate wouldn’t listen to her?
"Who told you to give them food? How many times have I told you! Don't be soft-hearted if you can't give them food. I've told you a thousand times, but have you ignored me?" Jiang Yuan had witnessed the riots and understood best that in the eyes of those refugees, they were not an army, but walking food supplies.
When people are starving, they're bound to die anyway, so of course they'll fight to the death.
“Sister Jiang, it’s my fault.” Li Qingping clutched her sleeve tightly and sobbed, “That child is so pitiful. If I don’t give him something to eat, he will really starve to death.”
“He’s pitiful, but can’t you think before you act? These are such young children; without someone instructing them, would they dare to ask the army for food?” Jiang Yuan couldn’t bring herself to speak harshly, so she continued, “Who else?”
If it were just refugees, it wouldn't have escalated to this extent.
“And bandits too,” Bi Fan added, sniffing. “They came as soon as the refugees started to riot.”
As expected.
"Madam, what should we do?" Although Zhu Chuan felt some resentment towards Li Qingping, given her status, she wouldn't dare to do it even if she had ten times the courage.
"Let's wait and see." Jiang Yuan glanced at Li Qingping, who was covered in dust, his brows furrowed. If he was just an ordinary bandit, that would be fine, but if not...
When people are down on their luck, what they wish for often comes true; this group of bandits was exceptionally fierce. The warriors of Nanliang, who had to protect Jiang Yuan and Li Qingping while also fighting off the refugees and bandits, were clearly overwhelmed and found themselves in a stalemate.
The encirclement was getting tighter and tighter. The refugees, driven mad by hunger, charged forward like madmen, backed by a large number of bandits, making Jiang Yuan's army fight in disarray.
"Madam, she can't hold on any longer." The general who came to report had already dispersed and was covered in dust, looking utterly disheveled.
"Sister Jiang." Qingping almost cried out, but finally bit her lip to swallow her sobs.
"Go ahead and tell them I need to see the bandit leader. As for the refugees, give them half of the grain." This can't go on like this.
"Our men have already gone to inform General Mu." The general quickly shook his head; he couldn't bear the responsibility if anything went wrong.
"It's too late." Jiang Yuan had served in the army before and knew that they couldn't hold out any longer. Rather than waiting to be killed, they should take the initiative and perhaps there was still room for maneuver.
"Boss, news has come from the army. Their superiors want to see you." A man on a tall horse cracked his whip and laughed. "Do you want to see them?"
"Since we've come this far, of course we'll meet." Meng Xuesheng stroked the small mustache sticking to his chin; his rugged attire concealed his original face.
They initially lay in ambush, simply waiting for Song Yanji's troops to pick up the legendary divine doctor, intending to abduct him en route. Unexpectedly, they encountered a woman instead. Xue Sheng, having grown up with Meng Xizhi, had seen many royal ladies. At a glance, he knew the woman was no ordinary person, which led him to have other ideas.
"Aren't you going to kidnap that divine doctor?" Tang De asked curiously.
"Do you think our master is more curious about the divine doctor or that girl?" He was Meng Xizhi's confidant and was best at guessing his master's thoughts. Not to mention that the army's protection of that woman had exceeded his expectations. "Besides, even without the divine doctor, Song Yansi's symptoms would be almost gone in another twenty days."
No sooner had Jiang Yuan sent someone to distribute the grain than Meng Xuesheng's men followed.
"Why be so aggressive, hero?" Behind the thick curtain, they, being of lower status, had no choice but to bow their heads first. Seeing Jiang Yuan nod, Li Qingping spoke as she had instructed, "Even if you plunder these things, they are useless because they bear the military's mark."