The imperial court is ceding territory from our northern border? Then we'll rebel!

Lei Lie, listening from the side, kept grimacing, thinking to himself that these members of the royal family always spoke in such a roundabout way.

Xiao Jingchen's expression remained unchanged.

"Your Highness, you flatter me," he said slowly. "Of course, I have the Great Yan in my heart. That is precisely why I must guard this northern gate for the Great Yan."

"Now, the three-tribe allied forces, numbering 300,000, are at the city gates, and war is imminent. Within Shuobei City, weapons are everywhere, and the air is thick with murderous intent. Your Highness is of noble birth; if anything were to happen to you, I, Xiao, would gladly die for you."

"Therefore, it is not that I, Xiao, am unwilling to open the gate, but rather that I am concerned for the safety of Your Highness. I urge Your Highness to understand the plight of us border generals and return to the capital as soon as possible. Once the northern frontier is pacified, I, Xiao, will personally go to the capital to apologize to His Majesty and Your Highness."

These words were far more insightful than those of the previous lieutenant.

Not only did they shirk all responsibility, but they also took the opportunity to claim credit and point out the difficulties.

The meaning is clear: It's dangerous here, so please don't cause trouble with your delicate health. Go back quickly and don't delay our battle.

Princess Chang Le, who was in the carriage, seemed speechless at his words.

She remained silent for a moment before speaking again, her voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of anger.

"Xiao Jingchen, stop trying to play these tricks on me."

"I'll ask you one more time: will you open this city gate or not?"

"No." Xiao Jingchen's answer was firm and resolute.

"Fine! Fine, Marquis of Zhenbei!" Princess Chang Le laughed angrily. "Do you think that just because you killed the supervising officer and won a so-called 'victory,' you can hold onto your troops and disobey orders?"

"Let me tell you, my patience has its limits! If you continue to be so stubborn, what awaits you will not be my carriage, but a massive army to punish you!"

"At that time, you will be a sinner of the Great Yan! You will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame, and your name will be infamous for eternity!"

This threat is undeniably serious.

The expressions of the surrounding generals changed.

They are not afraid of fighting, nor are they afraid of dying.

But they were afraid of being accused of "treason".

However, Xiao Jingchen seemed not to hear him. He just looked at the princess, whose face had turned pale with anger, and suddenly asked a completely unrelated question.

"Your Highness, the journey from the capital to the northern frontier is long and arduous, filled with wind and snow. It must have been very difficult for you."

Princess Chang Le was taken aback, wondering what he was up to.

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," Xiao Jingchen said. "I just wanted to remind Your Highness that the Northern Frontier is not like the capital. The wind here can chill you to the bone. Your Highness is frail, and if you catch a cold outside the city, my sins will be even greater."

"So, please leave."

After saying that, he stopped looking at the carriage and turned to walk down the city wall.

"Xiao Jingchen! You stop right there!" Princess Chang Le shouted shrilly.

She hadn't expected that even after she had said all that, this man would remain completely unmoved, neither yielding to reason nor threatening her!

It's like a smelly, hard rock!

"If you don't open the city gates today, I... I will stay here outside the city and not leave!"

She's trying to renege on her promise.

Lei Lie watched in stunned silence.

This was the first time he had ever seen a princess act like a shrew at the city gate.

Xiao Jingchen stopped and turned around.

He looked at the girl whose chest was heaving violently with anger, his eyes showing no pity whatsoever, only a cold indifference.

"what ever."

He uttered those two words and walked down the city wall without looking back.

Princess Chang Le was left alone in the wind and snow, her face turning pale and then red.

She, a princess, had traveled thousands of miles to this harsh and cold land, only to be left standing outside the city by a mere warrior!

"Your Highness, this..." The Imperial Guard general stepped forward, looking troubled.

"Set up camp!" Princess Chang Le gritted her teeth and squeezed out the two words.

"Right here! I want to see just how tough Xiao Jingchen really is!"

Thus, a peculiar scene appeared outside the south gate of Shuobei City.

The three hundred imperial guards set up camp on the spot, displaying an attitude of wanting to fight the city walls to the bitter end.

On the city wall, Lei Lie looked at the Imperial Guards bustling about below and couldn't help but complain to the generals around him.

"This little wench is really going to mess with us."

"My lord, you're just leaving people out here like this. If they really catch a cold and something bad happens, we'll really have no way to explain ourselves."

A strategist-like civil official shook his head and said in a low voice, "General Lei, you don't understand. The Marquis isn't just arguing with the princess; he's testing her."

"Testing?" Lei Lie asked, puzzled.

"Yes." The strategist lowered his voice. "Think about it. If this princess really only came to reward the army, or just to deliver a message, after we firmly refused her, the most important thing she should do is to immediately return to the capital to report back."

"But she didn't. Instead, she chose to stay and stall us. What does that mean?"

"This means that she has an even more important task to complete on this trip. This task is so important that she would rather camp in the freezing cold than not complete it."

"The Marquis left her out in the cold to see what she was up to and what her trump cards were."

Lei Lie listened in a daze, and after a long while, he smacked his lips.

"You scholars are all so cunning."

He watched the Marquis's departing figure, secretly admiring him.

It seems that this battle is far more complex than he imagined.

Night fell again.

Outside Shuobei City, towards the south gate, bonfires were lit in the camp of three hundred imperial guards.

Princess Chang Le, Li Qingluan, sat in her tent, her pretty face pale with cold.

She grew up in the palace, living a life of luxury and ease; she had never suffered such hardship.

The nights in northern Xinjiang are bitterly cold, and even with two charcoal braziers burning in the tent, she still felt her hands and feet were icy cold.

A personal maid came in carrying a steaming bowl of ginger soup.

"Princess, have some ginger soup to warm yourself up. You're not well, so please don't catch a cold," the maid said with concern.

Li Qingluan took the ginger soup, but did not drink it.

She stared at the sloshing soup in the bowl, her eyes filled with frustration.

"Is there still no movement from Xiao Jingchen?" she asked.

"Your Highness, no." The maid shook her head. "The city walls are just as heavily guarded as during the day; you can't see anything at all."

"Damn it!" Li Qingluan slammed the soup bowl on the table, splashing soup that scalded the back of her hand.

She originally thought that since she had condescended to come to Shuobei City in person, even if Xiao Jingchen was arrogant, he would have to give her some face.

Once she gets into the city, she has countless ways to sow discord among his generals, read out her elder sister's secret decree, and gradually dismantle his power.

But to her utter surprise, Xiao Jingchen didn't play by the rules at all and simply locked her out.

This shattered all her plans.

"Princess, perhaps... we should return to the capital first?" the maid whispered, trying to persuade her. "This place is too harsh, and there's a barbarian army right outside. What if..."

"Shut up!" Li Qingluan shouted sharply, "I will not return until I have completed the task my elder sister entrusted to me!"

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

If Xiao Jingchen won't let her into the city, is there really nothing she can do?

No.

She still has a backup plan.