"And then what? Will we end up like General Ji Yue, with our entire family wiped out? It's good that things are as they are now. The court doesn't dare cut off our supplies, and the capital won't let us return? They can't persuade us to come back. Hmph, they keep asking us, trying to trap us like turtles in a jar again."
"His Highness the Third Prince is not that kind of person."
Qiu Su pulled the tiger tally from her hair and held it up, saying, "Zou Yi, I respect you as an elder, and I don't have time to wait for your consideration. The Third Prince is my husband, and his fate is currently unknown. I am just a woman, and I have stayed in the Yibei Camp for a year, doing nothing, yet bringing trouble to the camp. This is my fault. But he is the Third Prince, the current emperor's elder brother, and the late emperor's third son. He values loyalty and righteousness, and if he could ascend the throne, the lives of the soldiers on the front lines would certainly be better. I don't intend to say too much, but I will ask you one question: you were once my father's subordinate, do you really disregard his wishes?"
Zou Yi frowned. "The Ji surname is a branch of the dragon lineage, with generations of generals. I admire General Ji, but as for helping the Third Prince seize the throne..."
"It's not about seizing the throne, but about finding a way to enter the capital and take over the military forces held by Sun Hu. The Third Prince is close to the current emperor, so there will be no more killings."
Zou Yi stared at the tiger tally, and Qiu Su smiled and said, "It's not impossible for you to take this tiger tally away, but I know you are a good general. Although you have been summoned by Sun Hu several times over the years, you have not chosen to go to the capital to take up your post. You have just stayed in this desolate land with the soldiers. I know this, which is why I dared to come. General Zou, the people of the world are grateful to you."
Zou Yi frowned more and more deeply, and after a long while, he finally asked, "Is General Ji still alive?"
Qiu Su shook her head, "Maybe, but I've never seen him even once in my life."
Zou Yi waved his hand, "In war between two armies, envoys are not killed. Besides, the Northern Wing Camp and the Southern Wing Camp have always maintained a policy of non-aggression. You may go back now."
"The matter of merging the armies?"
"We'll talk about it once we find the Third Prince."
"I hope that the Southern Camp, the Northern Wing Camp, and a force under General Huo will merge as soon as possible. The situation in the capital can no longer be delayed, and the news of the Third Prince's arrival here must have already reached the capital."
"If the Emperor cannot even protect himself, what use is there for us to protect him?"
Qiu Su smiled bitterly, "Many times, things don't go as planned. Each of these past few times, I could have lost my life. It's only through these experiences that I've come to understand the hardships faced by soldiers on the frontier. Every time they go to battle, aren't they prepared to die? If one day the world can be at peace, if there is no more killing, and soldiers can reunite with their families, that's what my father would have wanted. General Zou, I believe the Third Prince will be a wise ruler. Perhaps after this war, the world can be at peace."
His fate is unknown.
"If he can't even protect himself, how can he be worth fighting for?" Qiu Su said this, but her heart was being squeezed so hard that she felt dizzy.
"He'll be alright. We should prioritize ensuring His Majesty's safety."
"You still want to go to General Huo's place yourself?" Zou Yi frowned.
“Yes,” Qiu Su smiled. “But General Zou, don’t worry, I won’t take the military seal with me. Even if something happens, it will only be me alone. General Huo’s relationship with my father is not like General Zou’s. I can’t guarantee I can persuade him, I can only advise him not to get involved in this matter.”
Zou Yi stroked his chin thoughtfully and then asked, "General Ji, did he really not go to see him?"
Qiu Su's eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled, saying, "I haven't seen him, but I feel like he's always been here. Maybe he'll come back sometime to catch up with General Zou. Do you think he's ever truly left us all these years?"
Zou Yi rubbed his forehead. "I'll discuss the details with General Qin."
"On behalf of the Third Prince and the people of the world, I thank General Zou."
Zou Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, "The future empress, how dare she!"
Qiu Su curled the corners of her lips. "Since General Zou has made his decision, could you perhaps allow me to meet the soldiers of the Southern Camp?"
Zou Yi seemed lost in thought, remaining silent for a long time before finally nodding hesitantly with a furrowed brow.
Facing hundreds of soldiers, a dark mass, the atmosphere was no longer as relaxed as it had been with the Yibei Camp. The same rhetoric was used, but this time it wasn't General Qin, but Qiu Su standing with her hands behind her back, forcefully rebuking the Regent Prince for his heinous crime of murdering the late emperor, and condemning his unscrupulous methods in harming a great general.
When Qiu Su came down from the high platform, she looked at the rows of people beside her, these people who were about to go to the battlefield and fight face to face with their fellow villagers, and sighed softly.
She didn't go to General Huo's place after all, not because she was afraid, but because Ivan intercepted her halfway. Ivan's reason was simple: General Huo's place was not like Zou Yi's, where a single careless word could cost her her life. Yes, the three armies were stationed in separate territories, seemingly dependent on the imperial court, but in reality, breaking away was just a matter of changing their designation.
He Zhuo had already returned. Qiu Su rode back at breakneck speed and saw him in her tent, his beard disheveled. He was holding and playing with Mo Mo, and his eyes flickered when he saw Qiu Su return.
"Qin Su has come looking for us; she almost fell into the hands of those bastards, Wu Na." He Zhuo lowered his eyes and gritted his teeth.
"Ah." Qiu Su responded softly, took Mo Mo from his arms, and gently rubbed her face against Mo Mo's.
He Zhuo remained silent for a long time, then sighed, scratched his head, and frowned, saying, "We didn't find Pei Yuan. But it's a good thing we didn't find him, right? Even if he's dead, he should at least leave a bone. There's not a trace of him at all, so he must still be alive."
Qiu Su wanted to laugh, but her lips twitched slightly and she didn't actually laugh.
He Zhuo stood up irritably. "Don't make that face. If you want to cry, just cry."
"Why should I cry? He's still alive. Besides, he's the Third Prince, the future Emperor, and has nothing to do with me."
He Zhuo glanced at Mo Mo in her arms, pursed his lips, and said nothing more.
"Where's Qinqin? Did she run so far away all by herself?"
“Tara is helping to look after her.” He Zhuo rubbed his dry, chapped face and sighed, “She’s gotten so thin, she doesn’t even say a word when she sees me, she just bites her lip and glares at me.”
"She's a good girl."
"You're a good girl too."
Qiu Su curled the corners of her lips. "Once the three armies are all assembled, will there be anything left for me to do?"
He Zhuo scratched his head, and after a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Why don't we go back? This is their battle, what does it have to do with us?"
Qiu Su smiled with her lips pursed, but her eyes reddened again.
"This is their battle, but it was our battle long ago too. We can't escape, we can't run away." Qiu Su looked up at the tent ceiling. "Once their three armies are assembled, I'd better leave. I'm afraid I don't have enough courage to lead tens of thousands of troops to sweep through the capital. I can't bear to see people die. He Zhuo, tell me, is my father really Ji Yue? Or was it all just a deception from the beginning?"
"Mom, I want Daddy." Momo tugged at Qiu Su's hair and pouted.
He Zhuo reached out and ruffled Mo Mo's hair. "Silly boy, so what? Just because he's brave and legendary doesn't mean we can't hide and live a peaceful life. Su Su is the best. She raised so many brothers on the mountain. If it weren't for Su Su, they would be stealing money on some street corner or waiting to die in some jail. Su Su should stay in Qingyuan Mountain and live a peaceful life."
Qiu Su grinned, "I just hope this battle ends soon."
"Mother~~" Momo struggled to crawl out, "Waaah, Momo, Father."
He Zhuo stood up, picked up Mo Mo, lifted him above his head, tossed him a couple of times, and said with a smile, "Uncle will take you to find Daddy."
Qiu Su looked at He Zhuo in surprise. He Zhuo turned around and smiled, saying, "Su Su, I won't force you, but remember to come back to me whenever you're tired."
As she wished, Qiu Su never led troops on the battlefield again. The Yibei Camp and Wuna fought three battles, and the entire camp was filled with the atmosphere of war and death. Mo Mo began to cry day and night. Every night, whether it was a nightmare or something else, she would cry with her eyes closed until her voice was hoarse. She always had to be patted awake and then gently coaxed back to sleep.
On a quiet night in southern Xinjiang, the heartbreaking cries of a child echoed from the military camp.
General Qin met with Zou Yi at some point, and they even met with Qiu Su together.
General Qin pointed at Mo Mo and said, "You don't need to think that raising an army is useless, as it is the Third Prince's child."
Qiu Su's face was very unpleasant, and she said coldly, "Even if Pei Yuan couldn't come back in time, there's still the Emperor. He's Pei Yuan's younger brother."
Zou Yi sighed, "I wonder if he's still alive. If Sun Hu made his move beforehand, what pretext would we have to raise an army and march on the capital?"
“Even if she were, Mo Mo would not become emperor.”
Zou Yi looked at General Qin, who frowned as he looked at Qiu Su.
Qiu Su pursed her lips and said, "I will go to the capital with you, and I will leave when we capture the capital. If the emperor is no longer here, it is because you are incompetent in protecting him. There are so many prime ministers and ministers in the court. Even without my son and me, the world will continue to move forward day by day. No one can outmaneuver my son's ideas."
That evening, Ivan suddenly reappeared, pulling Qiu Su out of the tent and leading two horses south. After riding for a while, Ivan asked, "Sister, do you not want your husband to be emperor?"
"No, that's his dream. He's endured it for so many years, it's his right to have it."