One must leave.
The day Feng Ye Xuan's whereabouts in Long Teng Kingdom were leaked was the day he would depart.
Chu Qian Li prepared many things for him to eat on the journey.
"These are compressed biscuits. A few bites will fill you up. Take them with you and eat them slowly."
"This is an anti-inflammatory medicine. You must take it whenever you are injured. It will help you heal faster and reduce the chance of fever."
"And this, my own special wound healing powder. It's more potent than the conventional medicine you use, but I don't have much left, so use it sparingly."
"Take this chocolate to Jin Rui. It will appease him. He must have suffered a lot during the time you were away."
"Jin Rui is grown up now. He doesn't need me to appease him."
Feng Ye Xuan held her in his arms, burying his face in her embrace, closing his eyes and nuzzling her gently.
After finally mending their differences and being together.
Now, after only a few days, they had to part.
He truly felt terrible.
Chu Qian Li's heart felt the same as his.
Her hand rested on Feng Ye Xuan's head, gently stroking his hair.
"Your brothers are all waiting for you. Don't disregard their lives for a woman. If you do, I will become a sinner for eternity and will never earn their recognition."
Feng Ye Xuan remained silent, only tightening his arm around her slender waist.
Soft jade, warm fragrance.
But in reality, apart from that night of passionate intimacy, they had no other opportunity to be together.
War had erupted, and in the past few days, they had been together less and less, each leading their troops into battle.
Now that they were finally reunited, they had to face an even longer separation.
"Ye Xuan, don't be childish. You should depart."
If she had spoken to him like this before, Feng Ye Xuan would have retorted.
He was the revered, invincible, omnipotent God of War Prince Xuan. How could he be childish?
But now, he wished he could be a child and stay by her side.
"Let's go, okay?" Chu Qian Li coaxed again.
The battlefield was merciless, and time was of the essence.
Now that Long Tian Liu's state letter had just been sent and the army had not yet approached Yi Tie City, he needed to return quickly.
Before the army arrived, if he could reorganize the three armies, Yi Tie City would be safe from any threat of capture.
But if he were a moment late, and the war broke out, and the situation became severe, even the God of War might not be able to turn the tide.
"Go, be careful on the road. Long Tian Liu will surely send people to hunt you down. Take care of yourself."
Chu Qian Li cupped his face and lowered her head, kissing his forehead.
Feng Ye Xuan finally released her and stood up.
He hadn't said a word, but his gaze was fixed on her eyes.
"Alright, I don't necessarily have to be Empress. After things here are settled, I will return to Bei Ming and marry you."
His tensed muscles finally relaxed.
He embraced her once more.
"If you wish to be Empress, I can also come to Long Teng and guard you. However, you are not allowed to have a harem of three thousand, nor are you allowed to touch other men. If you do, I will kill whoever you touch."
"At that time, your Long Teng Kingdom will have a terrifying murderer."
If the atmosphere of parting wasn't so heavy, Chu Qian Li would have burst into laughter.
But at this moment, she couldn't.
Feng Ye Xuan added, "Give me some time. Jin Rui needs to grow. When he can stand on his own, I will accompany you and defend the empire of Long Teng."
This was his promise.
Chu Qian Li hadn't truly decided how she would live in the future.
In fact, she disliked the constant scheming and deceitful life in court.
For now, she could only take things one step at a time.
She tiptoed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him down to her level.
Her lips brushed his ear as she whispered, "I will come to find you."
"Absolutely not!" Feng Ye Xuan was too worried. He held her shoulders, his expression serious. "Wait for me. I will come to you."
"Do you think so little of me? Perhaps I can conquer Long City very soon."
"Even if you conquer Long City, you are not allowed to come find me."
Although Long City was not too far from Yi Tie City, with his speed, he could reach it in three days and three nights without rest.
But that was him, not her.
If Chu Qian Li were to go, it would take at least seven days.
Seven days of travel, fraught with dangers, and there would surely be remnants of Long Tian Liu's forces targeting her.
Chu Qian Li merely smiled and gently pushed him. "Go."
Feng Ye Xuan pursed his lips, no longer delaying.
"Wait for me!"
After releasing her, he immediately walked out of the tent and leaped onto his horse.
The horse had been waiting for him for a long time, and Fu Ning had already packed his luggage.
He glanced back at Chu Qian Li, seeing her mouth the words "be careful." His gaze deepened slightly, and he nodded.
Then, he spurred his horse forward. "Giddy up!"
He galloped away like a shooting star, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
From the moment the news broke to Feng Ye Xuan's departure, less than half an hour had passed.
Even Long Tian Liu hadn't expected their reaction to be so swift.
He had thought that this so-called pair of lovers would cling to each other for at least a day.
Therefore, Chang Ming, who had prepared assassins to intercept Feng Ye Xuan, didn't even get a chance to act. They heard that Prince Xuan had already left.
Fast as lightning!
The war continued to rage.
After Feng Ye Xuan's departure, the army he had led indeed faced fierce attacks and suffered continuous defeats.
Three days later, Wei Qiong arrived, covered in wounds.
"Your Highness, the Royal Army of Long City severely defeated our army last night in Ji City. Should we retreat and avoid their sharp edge?"
Ji City was too close to Long City. Previously, with the God of War Asura leading the troops, the Long City Royal Army, upon seeing him, would be so terrified that their limbs would go weak, and their combat effectiveness would be greatly reduced.
But now, with the news of the God of War Asura's departure being widely publicized, the Royal Army's morale had soared, and they were advancing like a broken bamboo.
If this continued, their brothers would inevitably be routed.
The importance of a good general to an army was evident.
"Your Highness, if Ji City falls, we will not be able to hold our position here either. Should we retreat?"
"No need." Chu Qian Li looked at the terrain map, her gaze resolute. "Not only will we not retreat, but we will immediately organize and depart, striking directly at Long City."
"What?" Long Zi Yue and Wei Qiong exchanged glances, looking bewildered.
Wei Qiong said urgently, "Your Highness, our army has only a little over fifty thousand men. The Royal Army stationed outside Long City has fifty thousand, and the city's garrison is at least a hundred thousand. If we strike directly at Long City now, it's equivalent to facing an army of one hundred and fifty thousand. We... have no chance of victory!"
"Then let's make it a swift victory."
Chu Qian Li put away the terrain map. "Listen to me. Organize the three armies, and attack the city at dawn tomorrow!"
"Your Highness..."
"My mind is made up!"
Chu Qian Li waved her hand, not listening to any persuasion.
"Military orders are like mountains. Anyone who dares to disobey will be punished by military law!"