She has no ability to command an army, absolutely none. So what if she's Ji Yue and Zang Ran's child? What good does it do? She's still just an ordinary person. They're too outstanding; you can't blame her for being too stupid. Forgive her; she can't bear this burden. Forgive her.
~~~
The nights in southern Xinjiang are as cold as ever.
Qiu Su picked up Mo Mo, who was crawling towards the mountain master, and put the goat milk to the mountain master's mouth. She watched it drink half a bowl, stopping and starting, before she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Xiao Qiu hadn't appeared since that battle, nor had Pei Yuan. Someone coughed lightly at the door. Qiu Su frowned and said in a low voice, "Come in."
General Qin lifted the curtain and entered. Looking at Qiu Su, who was sitting cross-legged holding Mo Mo, he chuckled twice and said, "She's alive?"
Qiu Su looked at the mountain lord, curled the corners of her mouth and said, "Actually, General Qin, you can scold me for being ignorant. For the sake of a dog, for my own life, I have caused the deaths of too many people."
General Qin sighed, "It's not your fault. I've been on the battlefield for decades, and sometimes I still feel panicked. I'm afraid people will laugh at me for saying this, a grown man, a general, actually feeling fear. It's human nature, and it's normal to show it."
Has something happened in the capital?
"We were a bit too slow."
Qiu Su looked at Mo Mo, touched his eyebrows and eyes, and sighed, "Any news?"
"Commander He hasn't returned yet. However," General Qin looked at Qiu Su, "let's prioritize the overall situation."
"Could I...could I gather the troops here and leave?"
"How could General Ji's military tally fall into someone else's hands?"
“He Zhuo and I grew up together. Giving it to him means that I’m the one who’s taking it.”
"It is not enough to convince the public."
"What if I die?"
General Qin sighed, "Then we'll wait for the Third Prince to return, until then..."
"Before that, I will do what I am supposed to do."
General Qin sighed again, got up and left. Qiu Su looked at Mo Mo, who was lying on the blanket staring blankly at the mountain lord. If Pei Yuan were to return... if, what were the chances?
Look, she's such a selfish woman. She fled with the mountain lord, never realizing that even if Pei Yuan had wings, he couldn't escape Wu Na's cavalry once he ventured deep into the military camp alone. If it weren't for General Qin's large-scale search for her, she might have already died on the desolate land with the mountain lord due to her blindness.
Look, she's still so timid, so timid that she's still thinking about escaping as quickly as possible. That night, countless people died because of her. General Ji of the Yibei Camp was kidnapped from the camp in the middle of the night; if word got out, the world would laugh their heads off. Because of her broken promise, Wu Na immediately led the remaining troops to attack Black Gorge after that battle. Qiu Su doesn't know how He Zhuo is dealing with this; even if Wu Na temporarily retreats, he'll probably come back again.
"Sister." Ivan burst in and reached out to poke Momo's face, but Momo pouted and crawled away.
Where have you been these past few days?
"I've gone to look for someone." Ivan casually sat down to one side, staring at Momo for a long time, then suddenly turned to Qiu Su and asked, "Sister, are you going to the Southern Camp?"
Qiu Su looked at Ivan, thought for a moment, and said, "I want to go to Una's camp again."
Ivan's eyes widened in shock. "Not to mention whether my brother-in-law is still alive, even if he is, his body has already been burned and buried by now. If he's not dead, are you going to deliver yourself to my doorstep and then have my brother-in-law risk his life to save you again? And what about Mo Mo? If you all leave, what will happen to him?"
"No, I just want to go and take a look." Qiu Su pursed her lips. "Whether they are alive or dead, there should be an answer."
Ivan rolled his eyes, glanced mysteriously at the tent flap, and leaned closer to say, "My brother-in-law treated my sister so badly, it's only right that he learns a lesson."
"You don't understand, and sometimes I don't understand either." That day, lying on the grass with the mountain lord in her arms, looking at the distant firelight, she felt a deep self-loathing. The entanglement with Pei Yuan was now in the past; looking back, it seemed like nothing more than a childish quarrel. She made the wrong choice with her sentimentality, and so she made one mistake after another. In the battle at Black Gorge Pass, she was reckless and cowardly, finally bringing about these unnecessary disasters.
She shouldn't stay here any longer. If she had left sooner, perhaps the millions of soldiers would have been better off.
"Does my sister really have to go?"
"I'm just going to take a look, nothing will happen."
“His camp is now just a pile of ashes.” Ivan smiled, his eyes narrowed. “But if you want to go take a look, I’ll go with you.”
Qiu Su smiled and said, "Thank you."
Ivan stroked his chin and stared at Qiu Su. After hesitating for a long time, he said, "Sister, don't blame yourself. Anything can happen on the battlefield. This is your first time on the battlefield. You probably haven't even killed a chicken before, let alone killed anyone. Mother always said that only incompetent men would force their women to go to the battlefield. Someone like you should be someone who stays at home and lives a peaceful life."
"Your mother? Is she back?"
"You're back. When are we going to visit each other?"
Qiu Su smiled slightly, her mind seemingly clearer yet also more confused.
57
57. The final journey...
The former encampment of Una had truly been reduced to ashes. Qiu Su, mounted on her horse, looked at the charred pile of human bones left by the fire, then turned and spurred her horse back.
Ivan followed closely behind, without saying another word.
Upon returning, Qiu Su went directly to General Qin, but He Zhuo still hadn't returned. She took a few attendants and headed straight for the Southern Camp. The Southern and Northern Frontiers were separated by a mountain; both were generals, yet neither was really under the control of the capital.
Entering the Southern Camp was not easy; Qiu Su was captured as soon as she entered their territory. Qiu Su did not struggle and quietly waited for General Zou, the leader of the Southern Camp, to summon her.
Zou Yi was in his forties, the prime of his life as a general. He possessed both abundant physical strength and rich experience accumulated over many years of warfare. Just looking at his fierce eyes, one could tell he was a formidable figure.
"Ji Heng?" Zou Yi looked at Qiu Su, who was being tied up and pushed in, and said, "I heard that the Third Prince went to the Yibei Camp, was it because of you?"
"Women are not allowed to enter the military camp, no wonder the Yibei Camp suffered heavy losses."
Qiu Su looked over and said, "I am Ji Yan, Ji Heng's younger sister."
Zou Yi snorted with a hint of disdain, "I can tell, it's a woman."
"Have you ever seen my father's tiger tally?"
"What does it matter if I've seen it or not?"
Qiu Su struggled to free her arms. "Untie me, I have something to say."
Zou Yi waved his hand, signaling his men to untie her. Qiu Su rubbed her wrist and said, "I'm carrying the Tiger Tally. I hope it will unite the troops of the Northern and Southern Camps and General Huo's forces, so that His Highness can reclaim the throne."
"You?"
“No, I am just a woman who cannot stand in the public eye.” Qiu Su lowered her eyes. “It is not me. Although I have the blood of the Ji family, I have not inherited the Ji family’s character. I am using the identity of General Ji’s daughter to ask you to unite again.”
"What benefits would my Southern Camp gain?"
"Whether it's the Northern Wing Camp or the Southern Wing Camp, they all rely on the imperial court's military pay. In the nearly twenty years that Prince An has held power, have any of the armies ever returned to their hometowns? They are all soldiers who have fought their way up from the front, capable of killing barbarians, but unable to turn their swords against their own people. General Zou, to speak frankly, your army alone is insufficient to obtain that position, and it is not legitimate. Why not return to the late emperor's empire and continue to be your Grand General guarding the borders?"