Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 268 The Smoke of War Fades

"Ugh……"

Guan Ya watched as Li Zhao rode away and disappeared into the snow, then sighed softly to Lai Fu.

"What exactly is wrong with Your Highness?"

Lai Fu shook his head with a worried look on his face.

"It's all because of that love poison. Not getting rid of it is agonizing, but getting rid of it seems to make the torment even worse..."

"Perhaps Your Highness hates Miss Xue to the bone right now, wishing he could skin her alive, tear her to pieces, and rip her to shreds..." Guan Ya frowned, stroking the scabbard at his waist.

"Father-in-law, what do you think? After we return to the capital, should we secretly avenge His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"Absolutely not, Guard Guan, you mustn't do anything reckless."

Lai Fu was so frightened that he stopped Guan Ya in a voice, then looked at the gray sky with worry.

"The one who tied the knot must untie it..."

Li Zhao did not turn around.

Even after enduring so much hardship at Blackwind Pass and suffering injuries, he remained as upright as a lone pine tree on a cold peak. The contours between his brows and eyes were even deeper, and his jawline was extremely taut, as if he had been tempered in extreme cold and blood and fire, shedding the last trace of the noble and graceful demeanor that belonged to a prince, leaving only a bone-deep coldness and murderous intent.

A wave of indescribable sorrow welled up in Laifu's heart.

The young master he watched grow up was eventually worn away by the ruthless world and the even more ruthless word "love," losing his last trace of innocence and no longer a boy.
-
Outside the Chishui Pass.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, and the earth seemed to tremble slightly.

Lu Youan's voice pierced through the wind and snow, carrying with it ecstasy and excitement—

"Your Highness! This humble general has arrived late to rescue you. Is Your Highness alright?"

Looking at Lu Youan, who had returned covered in blood, with a white bandage on his forehead stained with blood but in high spirits and a smile on his face, Li Zhao couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, and the corners of his tightly pursed lips finally twitched upwards very slightly.

"General Lu, you've worked hard!"

"Your Highness is too kind to this humble general..."

Their eyes met, and no words were needed.

The two are now comrades-in-arms who have survived a calamity and veterans of the battlefield, tempered by blood and fire.

Three hours later, it was already broad daylight.

Lu Youan walked with Li Zhao to the lookout tower, his voice hoarse and weary from the battle, as he trudged through the crunching snow.

"The casualties and spoils of each unit have been preliminarily tallied. The Ashina tribe retreated fifty li, abandoning a large amount of supplies and provisions, and..."

He paused, then lowered his voice, “There are many corpses of people who froze to death or were infected with the disease. Our light cavalry squads discovered several traces of infighting among the Siz people in the rear. Judging from their attire… they seem to be the followers of High Priest Amonrah.”

Li Zhao gave a faint "hmm".

Ammonlah could no longer restrain himself and stepped out into the open, beginning to support the royal army in purging Ashina's forces behind enemy lines.

This is a golden opportunity for the great Liang.

However, there was little ripple in his eyes.

Lu Youan, observing the situation, quietly took half a step back.

In the cold wind, Guan Ya ran up the steps. Looking at the Crown Prince's cold and stern profile, which was like an ice sculpture, he hesitated for a moment, then took out a piece of thick hemp rope that was worn shiny and almost broken from his bosom and held it above his head with both hands.

"Your Highness, this was discovered while clearing the ice sleds used for delivering supplies in Blackwind Pass. The way the rope was tied... is quite peculiar."

Li Zhao's gaze finally returned from the distance to the inconspicuous piece of hemp rope.

It was an extremely ancient, complex, and remarkably resilient loop knot, not commonly used in the military, nor by the Siz or any of the surrounding tribes...

His pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, his fingertips touched the rough knot, and then slowly withdrew.

"Keep it for now."

Guan Ya replied calmly, though his heart was churning with turmoil.

It must be the old mausoleum.

It must be Miss Xue!

No one mentions this name, yet it will not be forgotten.

Snowstorms in western Xinjiang, food shortages, the spread of disease, the siege of Ashina... When they were in despair, the reinforcements and supplies from the imperial court were far less important than the silent help provided on that snowy night.

Who would have thought that behind all this, there was a pair of shrewd hands that could manipulate events at will!

But didn't Miss Xue sever her worldly ties and use the antidote to end her ill-fated relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince? Why would she still extend her reach to this hellish place thousands of miles away?

Is it atonement? Or is it scheming?
Or... is the Old Mausoleum playing an even bigger game?
His subordinates couldn't understand it at all.

"Guard Guan—" Lai Fu swallowed hard, watching the Crown Prince's retreating figure, and quietly walked to Guan Ya's side, his voice full of confusion.

"Tell me... what is His Highness's true intentions right now? Is Miss Xue actually helping him, or... is she plotting against him again?"

Guan Ya's fingers tightened unconsciously, but he didn't say anything.

Laifu wrapped his cotton robe tighter, his breath steaming in the air, and shook his head.

"Your Highness's thoughts... are becoming increasingly profound."

Guan Ya narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Crown Prince's footprints deeply embedded in the snow. "If she is truly helping me, I will protect her with my life. But if she harbors even the slightest ill intention, plotting to harm Your Highness, then don't blame my blade for showing no mercy..."
-
The cold wind swept through the Chishui army, howling and howling like ghosts and wolves.

As dusk fell, darkness swallowed the last vestiges of daylight.

Li Zhao walked alone into the empty and cold commander's tent.

The curtains were drawn, shutting out everything from the outside world.

There was no charcoal fire inside the tent, and the cold was biting.

The faint light from the torches of the patrolling soldiers outside the tent occasionally pierced through, casting a fleeting, cold arc of light across his black armor.

He didn't light a lamp; he just stood there in the darkness, his figure almost blending into the heavy shadows.

After standing still for a moment, his fingers curled slightly, as if trying to grasp something, but in the end he only touched a hard, cold piece of breastplate...

I couldn't sleep all night.

As the first rays of dawn pierced the thick fog of Chishui Pass, Li Zhao, clad in black armor and a dark fox fur cloak, stood on a makeshift watchtower, overlooking the mountain pass he had just reclaimed from Ashina's iron hooves.

"I have sent a messenger to inform Prince Duan that I have remembered this act of assistance!"

The cold wind was like a knife, scraping across his sharply defined face.

Lu Youan wrapped his cloak tighter and took a few steps closer.

He was somewhat surprised.

This time, Prince Duan set aside old grudges and rushed to the aid of the enemy from afar, providing timely assistance and saving the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers. He can be described as a model of a wise prince, and has made great contributions to both the country and the army...

He said, "Prince Duan's magnanimity is truly admirable—"

Li Zhao did not respond further, but simply turned around. His black fox fur cloak fluttered in the cold wind, and his voice was as cold as the ancient, unmelting ice deep in the icy plains, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Inventory the supplies and distribute them. Prepare to receive subsequent supplies as instructed by the imperial court. General Lu—"

"Your subordinate is here!" Lu Youan immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands, his armor clanging.

"Reorganize the troops! Once supplies are sufficient, we will follow me out of the valley in three days to launch a counterattack against the Ashina tribe!"

Beneath the black armor, his voice was cold and hard as ice, each word as sharp as iron.

It crashed onto the ice, stirring up a thousand layers of murderous intent.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Lu Youan's spirits lifted, and he clasped his hands in acceptance, his previous dejection vanishing completely. He failed to notice the fleeting ripples and deep melancholy in the Crown Prince's eyes.
-
By the end of April, good news kept pouring in from western Xinjiang.

After Li Zhao led his troops to break through the encirclement, he joined forces with Lu You'an and launched a surprise attack on Ashina's grain and supplies camp, burning half of its supplies.

Meanwhile, Ashina's rear was in turmoil—

High Priest Ammonlah launched the world-shaking "Holy Fire Rebellion." While Ashina was away leading troops, he colluded with the left-wing nobles of the Xiz Kingdom and suddenly launched an attack in Khalkha, the holy city at the foot of Ulan Snow Mountain. They seized control of part of Ashina's power and supported Turgutai, the second son of the old Xiz King...

The various tribes of Xiz were already outwardly united but inwardly divided, and their grudges had been brewing for a long time due to disputes over water resources. Now that the royal court has changed, the entire western frontier has almost fallen into chaos.

In May of the fourteenth year of Chongzhao (1641), it was the Dragon Boat Festival.

Inside and outside the capital, the fragrance of mugwort wafts through the air, and calamus hangs on doors.

Children are given a dot of realgar on their foreheads to ward off the five poisonous creatures.

Every household was making rice dumplings and sachets...

Along the moat, the clamor of dragon boat races masked the undercurrents of war brewing beneath the surface of the Liang Dynasty's internal turmoil.

That afternoon, on the Imperial Street, where the aroma of realgar wine filled the air, a rider on horseback galloped in through the Vermilion Bird Gate, delivering an urgent report to the capital.

The handwriting on the report was messy yet powerful, and it was indeed Li Zhao's own handwriting.

The report stated that the siege of Heifengkou was caused by both natural disasters and man-made calamities, with spies colluding with the enemy causing trouble. Now the siege has been completely eliminated, and the Emperor is awaiting his judgment.

The army received supplies, repelled Ashina's attack, and even took the opportunity to recover 300 li of lost territory outside Chishui Pass. Even more encouraging was that the epidemic in the army was brought under control, greatly boosting morale.

Upon receiving the report, Emperor Chongzhao was overjoyed and immediately issued an edict to commend the soldiers at the front, appointing Li Zhao as "Imperial General Who Guards the West" and bestowing upon him a special imperial sword, granting him the authority to act as he saw fit.

The entire court of civil and military officials submitted memorials praising the emperor's wisdom.

Prince Duan's faction also seized the opportunity to submit a memorial praising Prince Duan's efforts in overseeing the rear and strategizing, and requested a generous reward.

Emperor Chongzhao nodded and smiled, immediately expressing his opinion.

"Prince Duan has rendered outstanding service this time, and I shall reward him handsomely..."

"Father, please forgive me—"

Li Huan bowed deeply and stepped forward, his posture respectful yet unquestionable. "The three strategies for breaking the deadlock were not my own, and I dare not claim credit for them. I promised before Your Majesty that once the matter was accomplished, I would certainly recommend the one who offered the strategies for credit. I implore Your Majesty to keep your promise and reward this mastermind behind the scenes handsomely..."

Emperor Chongzhao laughed heartily, stroked his beard, and nodded.

"Who is the wise man who offered this brilliant idea? Prince Duan, please tell me the truth, and I will reward you accordingly."

Li Huan said loudly, "The one who offered the advice is a Buddhist nun practicing at Shuiyue Nunnery, whose Dharma name is Liaochen."

　Go to bed early tonight and take care of yourself...

　　With this chapter, I wish all my sisters a happy and healthy Dragon Boat Festival, with the aroma of zongzi lingering around your wrists.

　　Applying realgar to the forehead wards off evil spirits, and may mugwort fill the doorway for prosperity year after year!
　　(End of this chapter)