Big Moon Ballad

Chapter 2618 Fall
While Shanhaiguan was engulfed in war, Ying Baoyue and the others, who were in the forest, were unaware of it.

“Your Highness… no, Your Majesty, I’m going back now.”

After being reminded by Murong Yin, Meng Shi decided to return to the border immediately.

"Call me whatever you like," Ying Baoyue said, holding Meng Shi's hand. "Be careful on the road, and if anything unexpected happens, send me a message immediately."

“I understand,” Meng Shi walked out of the woods, turning back to look at Ying Baoyue. “Your Highness, I wish you great success in your military endeavors.”

"You too, be careful."

Meng Shi's figure disappeared into the dawn. Ying Baoyue stared in the direction she left, her heart inexplicably racing.

"I don't know if it'll be too late."

Murong Yin also stared in the direction Meng Shi had left. "If that old fellow Emperor Ying had already made his plans, even if we were prepared, there would be nothing we could do. It's impossible to defend against such a thing."

indeed so.

“Master’s wife, do you know why His Majesty insisted on exterminating the entire Jin family twenty years ago?” Ying Baoyue suddenly asked.

Murong Yin was taken aback. "Why?"

Of the three heroes of the Qin Dynasty, the Jin family suffered the most tragic fate. Although the Gui and Mu families also lost a lot, they did not meet the same miserable end as the Jin family.

Why was Emperor Ying so determined to destroy the Jin family?
"When Your Majesty unified the world, the three heroes were responsible for different territories," Ying Baoyue murmured. "Back then, Mu You was in charge of the eastern battlefield, Gui Chen's grandfather, General Longxiang Gui Ming, mainly fought in the south to subdue Southern Chu, while Jin Cheng..."

General Jin Cheng was in charge of the northern battlefield back then.

"North..."

Murong Yin understood everything when she heard the word "north".

Compared to the east and south, the northern battlefield, which is closer to the Western Rong, is far more important.

“Many of the current Northern Wei garrison are former subordinates of Jin Cheng,” Ying Baoyue said softly. “Although His Majesty has already purged a number of them, quite a few have remained.”

"When the Great Wall of Eternal Night was being built, Jin Cheng was also in charge of many tasks."

"I see."

Murong Yin took a deep breath. It was precisely because she was involved in too many confidential matters that the Jin family was ultimately destroyed.

The Jin family might also know that Emperor Ying and the Western Rong were colluding.

"and many more?"

Murong Yin suddenly realized something, "You said there are many former members of the Jin family in the north?"

If the Jin family had been operating in the north for many years, and Yun Zhongjun was an orphan of the Jin family, then wouldn't that mean...?

“Master’s wife, you must return to Hou Liao immediately,” Ying Baoyue said through gritted teeth. “Something is probably going to happen at the Great Wall of Northern Wei. Tell the King of Hou Liao that he must hold the Great Wall of Hou Liao and guard against the invasion from Northern Wei and the Western Rong.”

"I see."

Murong Yin realized the horror of the situation even more, and she flipped herself onto the back of the White Tiger God, saying, "I'm going back to Hou Liao now."

"Baoyue, what about you?"

"I need to go back to the Epang Palace to check on the situation. Mu You is still waiting for me there."

Before attending the ranking ceremony, although Ying Baoyue pretended to leave the city with the Guijia Army and the Mu Family Army, she secretly left Mu You behind.

She knew in her heart that if anything unexpected happened, only the old minister Mu You could stabilize the situation.

“Okay,” Murong Yin nodded, then added worriedly, “Be careful.”

Murong Yin left.

Only Li Ji and Ji Jiashu remained in the forest beside Ying Baoyue.

The sky was already fully bright.

“Let’s go back too,” Ying Baoyue said, looking at Guiyang City in the morning light.

Ji Jiashu and Li Ji nodded.

It seemed like a quiet morning.

Although they had some foresight about what would happen in the future, none of them expected the situation to deteriorate so rapidly in such a short time.

……

Ying Baoyue, Li Ji, and Ji Jiashu returned to the capital Guiyang just as the city gates opened in the early morning.

Because they had made prior arrangements, the three of them, carrying tokens that concealed their identities, traveled without hindrance and returned to the Epang Palace in less than an hour.

Although it had only been half a month since she left the palace, Ying Baoyue felt as if she had been in another world when she stood in the square in front of Ganlu Hall again.

The first to notice her return was none other than the deity guarding the palace.

"Hug the moon!"

The large snake, which had been lazily lying on the roof ridge basking in the sun, suddenly slid down, transformed into human form, and rushed in front of her.

"hug……"

Ying Baoyue knew that Tengshe knew what she had encountered in Lishan, and she didn't have time to reminisce with Tengshe right now. She simply asked, "Did anything happen while I was away?"

Tengshe shook his head, then hesitated before speaking, "An hour ago, an urgent secret letter was sent from the border."

"The letter was delivered to the Ministry of Imperial Prayer, and there seemed to be a sound of something being smashed coming from there."

What news could have caused the shrewd and calculating Mu Youdu to lose his composure like this?
Ying Baoyue's heart tightened. Without saying a word, she rushed towards the Imperial Prayer Hall.

After ascending the throne, she handled military affairs in the study of the Imperial Prayer Bureau. After she left the Epang Palace, Muyou also stayed in that room to issue orders.

Just as Ying Baoyue pushed open the study door, Mu You, dressed in armor, was sitting to the side of the desk.

"Your Majesty, you're back."

Mu You rose and bowed to Ying Baoyue.

His voice held no joy at the return of his lord, only solemnity and seriousness.

Ying Baoyue walked step by step to the desk, her gaze falling on the blood-stained letter lying on the table.

What terrified her most was that the letter bore the insignia of both the Silver Cicada Guard and the Flowing Cloud Tower.

"what happened?"

"Your Majesty, please calm down and listen to what this old minister has to say."

Mu hesitated, a rare occurrence, "The Great Wall..."

“Speak your mind,” Ying Baoyue interrupted him. “What haven’t I been through?”

Mu You raised his head, his white beard and lower lip trembling slightly. "Shanhaiguan City has fallen."

"what?"

Just as Wan Ying Baoyue stepped into the Imperial Prayer Province, Ji Jiashu overheard these words and froze at the threshold.

"how is this possible?"

Although he and Ying Baoyue were away from the palace, important battle reports from the border would be sent to them in a timely manner.

They hadn't received any news yesterday, so how could Shanhaiguan have fallen this morning?
Unless someone takes Shanhaiguan Pass in just one night.

But who can do such a thing?
Li Meiniang, Wan Liuyun, Lin Wangong and others are all guarding Shanhaiguan. Who can take down Shanhaiguan in less than a day?

"Is there some mistake?"

“I also hoped for that,” Mu You’s voice was heavier than ever before, “but unfortunately it is not so.”

Mu You handed the blood-stained battle report on the table to Ying Baoyue. "Just last night, mutinies broke out simultaneously within the garrison of Northern Wei and Later Liao. The rebels and the Western Rong people colluded from within and without, opening the gates of more than a dozen border fortresses."

"The Sword Saint went to Later Liao and, together with the King of Later Liao, suppressed the uprising. The Great Wall of Later Liao was barely preserved, but what about Northern Wei..."

"The rebels massacred Shanhaiguan City, General Plum Blossom disappeared, and the Northern Wei border..."

Mu You glanced at Ying Baoyue.

"Your Majesty, the borders of Northern Wei have probably already fallen."

　It feels like it's been ages since I updated twice (Smith Marseille).
　　(End of this chapter)