"I have received word. There is no news of Hua Wenbo in the capital."
Yin Xuan's deep black pupils darkened further, like the dim night sky, revealing nothing.
His large hand lightly gripped the blueprints on the table. His well-defined fingers, under the lamplight, were as beautiful as sculpted marble.
"I also received news from Huacheng. He didn't go to Huacheng, so where might he have gone?"
Qing Yao echoed Yin Xuan's words. Her eyes, as dazzling as ink-grinding stones, flickered with an undeniable brilliance. They seemed to have reached a dead end, unable to fathom where this man might have gone. Both were perplexed.
Mo Chou entered with dinner, followed by Xiao Yu'er. "Eat something."
Mo Chou spoke softly. Qing Yao nodded slightly. Seeing Mo Chou reminded her of Mo You. Suddenly, a peculiar thought arose, a flash of inspiration that wouldn't leave her. Could Hua Wenbo intend to cut off their escape route, leaving them caught between two attacks? This was a dangerous prospect. Her pupils narrowed sharply.
"I know where he might have gone!"
"Where?" Yin Xuan swiftly put down the blueprints and looked up, his gaze fixed on her. Qing Yao's voice was as cold as ice. "He must have gone to Huangyuan Country."
"He's going to Huangyuan Country to borrow troops? That seems unrealistic."
Yin Xuan found it hard to believe. Many in the seven kingdoms knew that the current new emperor was on good terms with Xian Yue. How could he dare to involve Huangyuan Country?
Mo Chou's eyes flickered. She spoke urgently, "Mo You wouldn't interfere with him; he's not that kind of person."
Qing Yao glanced at Yin Xuan and Mo Chou. Both had looks of certainty in their eyes, not doubting Mo You's character one bit.
"I also believe in Mo You's character, but don't forget, Mo You has just ascended the throne. Liu Yunfeng is not the Emperor's man at all; he belongs to the court officials. Therefore, all it takes is to instigate a portion of those officials and issue a secret order to Liu Yunfeng, and Liu Yunfeng will disobey orders."
Upon hearing her mother's analysis, Xiao Yu'er immediately became anxious and moved closer to them.
"What do we do now?"
Yin Xuan remained still, his brow furrowed, his pupils dark as ink, slowly illuminating. He stood up and spoke with arrogant coldness, "Immediately dispatch people to monitor Liu Yunfeng's every move. Also, send a few people to Huangyuan Country to report this matter to Shen Yu, and have Shen Yu reappoint a trusted subordinate as the commander of Shicheng. As for Liu Yunfeng, kill him the moment he makes any move."
Yin Xuan spoke fiercely. He could not tolerate any mistakes. He looked up, his black eyes meeting Qing Yao's, and slowly curved his lips. "What do you think, Yao'er?"
"Yes, that's what we'll do!"
Qing Yao nodded, turning to look at Mo Chou beside her and Bing Xiao, who had just entered from outside.
"Mo Chou, immediately lead a few people to Huangyuan Country to meet Shen Yu and report the situation here, including Liu Yunfeng's potential defection."
"Yes," Mo Chou accepted the order and turned to leave. Originally, she didn't want to see Mo You, but at a time like this, there was no room for romantic sentiments. Her master had entrusted her with this mission precisely because of her loyalty, so she would carry it out without hesitation.
As Mo Chou left, Qing Yao looked at Bing Xiao. "You take a few people and quietly leave Chentang Pass. Infiltrate Shicheng and closely monitor Liu Yunfeng's every move. If there is the slightest disturbance or any disloyal intentions, kill without mercy."
"Yes, Marshal." Bing Xiao turned and walked out, her steps elegant and composed. As she neared the door, she paused, looked back, and asked, "What about the Princess?"
"She'll stay with me for now. You focus on completing your mission."
Qing Yao instructed, and Bing Xiao left with peace of mind. In the study, Xiao Yu'er nestled into Qing Yao's arms, and the mother and daughter looked at the standing Yin Xuan. His tall, straight figure was like a mountain. He wore a black brocade robe, exuding boldness and arrogance.
The black enhanced his skin, making it appear even more lustrous. His dark hair was tied back with a silk ribbon, with a portion left to fall diagonally across half his face, exuding an indescribable mystique. She used to think this was cool, but now she realized it wasn't about coolness, but about minimizing any potential flaws.
"What do we do next?"
Qing Yao asked. In many aspects, his wisdom was not inferior to hers, and his military strategy was astonishing.
"Attack Huacheng, advance north, and strike directly into the heart of Danfeng Country, the capital, Fenglian City."
Yin Xuan stated concisely, easily articulating Qing Yao's own thoughts. Capturing Chentang Pass so smoothly pleased her greatly, indicating that taking Danfeng Country was only a matter of time. They had been attacking Chentang Pass for days, and many soldiers in the army were infected with the蛊 (gu). Therefore, after a period of recuperation, they would soon be ready to set off.
"Good. After three more days of rest, we will attack Huacheng."
Qing Yao embraced Xiao Yu'er, her eyes alight with a radiant smile.
Yin Xuan remained silent. He turned and looked at the two women, one large and one small, before him, his heart filled with emotion. He walked over and sat opposite Qing Yao. A warm, watery atmosphere enveloped the study.
Huacheng.
Hua Wenbo, who had been missing for many days, finally appeared. Ji Xue, upon seeing him, spoke with anger, "Why did you take so long to return?"
Hua Wenbo remained silent, his delicate face etched with exhaustion, his clothes covered in dust, clearly indicating he had traveled day and night to return in such a short time. To think this woman still found him slow, his black pupils darkened.
"You lost Chentang Pass, and you blame me for being slow? Didn't I tell you to hold out for ten days to half a month?"
Hua Wenbo waved his hand impatiently, turned, and walked to the head seat, lifting his robe to sit down. He reached out, picked up the tea urn on the table, and drank from it. Despite the coarse action, the man performed it with extraordinary elegance. Beautiful people looked good doing anything, Ji Xue sighed and said weakly.
"That woman is not human at all, she's a demon. Everything she does is planned meticulously. Our prepared stones and archers were useless. She ordered large kites to be made, from which she dropped hand grenades to blow up the city gate. She also threw smoke into the city, filling the sky with smoke, making it impossible to see anyone. How could we fight? If I hadn't retreated quickly, perhaps the remaining seventy to eighty thousand troops would have been lost as well."
As Ji Xue finished speaking, Hua Wenbo's teeth gnashed audibly. That woman was indeed too formidable. From now on, they had to be extremely cautious. If they couldn't recapture Chentang Pass, they wouldn't be able to explain themselves back home.
Hua Wenbo's face was covered with a pale, cold light. He heavily set down the tea urn, splashing the tea.
Ji Xue's anger wasn't just because Chentang Pass was lost, nor because he returned late. The real reason was that the Fifth Princess, Ji Meng, had arrived with fifty thousand troops but had not helped them recapture Chentang Pass. If she were to mobilize the troops under her command, she would have to hand over her military authority and obey her orders. Thinking this way, when they reached the Empress, she would claim all the credit. Meanwhile, they had lost Chentang Pass and tens of thousands of soldiers. It was unlikely they would escape severe punishment.
"Ji Meng brought fifty thousand troops under the Empress's command."