One month later, in Anling City.
The sky was just beginning to brighten, with a few lingering stars still visible. In the distant east, the first light of dawn began to appear, casting a faint glow. The guards stationed at the eastern city gate, bearing long spears and stifling yawns, walked to the gate. Two of them approached and opened the city gate.
The old gate emitted a heavy rumble as the iron doors slowly swung open, releasing a flurry of dust that drifted downward. With the gate open, the cold wind from outside rushed in.
Amidst the deafening footsteps in the wind, the guards shielded their eyes as the wind kicked up dust. When the wind subsided a bit, they lowered their hands and peered outside.
What they saw startled them, and some even dropped their weapons.
Outside the city gate, there were tall horses, fluttering banners, and a commanding general in silver armor, reflecting the cold light of the early morning. Beyond him stretched an endless army, solemn and silent.
“General Qin!” When they recognized the appearance of the commanding general, the guards couldn’t contain their joy.
One of the guards turned and ran back hastily. “I’ll go inform Deputy General Liu that General Qin has arrived!”
“Stay put!” Qin Yue raised his hand. With one hand holding the reins, he gestured to halt with the other.
Dismounting gracefully, Qin Yue patted the shoulder of one of the guards with a warm smile. “Oh, I’ve run into you on duty again.”
One of the guards stumbled from the pat, his face twisted in pain. He exclaimed, “General Qin, please be more gentle!”
Qin Yue smirked, “You’re still this sensitive to a pat. It seems we need to intensify your training.”
“General!”
“General!”
Several horses galloped out of the city. When Qin Yue turned to look, he was met with the weathered face of Deputy General Liu, which resembled a wrinkled orange peel filled with tears.
Liu Wei and several other accompanying deputy generals dismounted and discarded their reins. They immediately knelt down on one knee and said, “We pay our respects to General Qin.”
Qin Yue waved his hand for them to rise, and a soldier led his horse forward. He mounted the horse and said, “No need to be bound by formalities. First, have the army enter the city to rest and reorganize. On the way, tell me about the recent situation in Anling.”
“Yes.” Liu Wei and the others got up and mounted their horses. After doing so, Liu Wei glanced back, looking puzzled.
Qin Yue found it strange. “What are you looking at?”
Liu Wei hesitated for a moment and whispered, “In the imperial decree, His Majesty assigned Prince Chen and the Crown Prince to supervise the army. Why haven’t we seen them?”
His words were vague, and Qin Yue raised an eyebrow. “Prince Chen and the Crown Prince have been traveling continuously, suffering from travel fatigue and discomfort. They are currently recuperating in the rear and are expected to arrive in a few more days.”
Liu Wei breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s truly fortunate for General. I will make arrangements first so that even if they come, it won’t interfere with your command.”
“Wait a moment.” Qin Yue furrowed his brow. “Are you suggesting that I would be restrained by Prince Chen and the Crown Prince?”
Liu Wei spoke softly, “His Majesty sent Prince Chen and the Crown Prince as military supervisors without a clear reason. It’s likely to imply a sense of mistrust towards you. Moreover, Prince Chen and the Crown Prince are not well-versed in military tactics. This time, it’s a coalition between Wei and Northern Qi, so we must be on high alert. If any mistakes occur, it could be…”
The reason for Wei’s previous defeat against Northern Qi in the Battle of Sishui was due to the Crown Prince, who served as the military supervisor for Wei, seeking personal gain, abused his authority, and issued reckless orders, resulting in the Wei army being outmaneuvered and nearly annihilated by Northern Qi.
Liu Wei had been thinking of a strategy ever since he learned about the contents of the imperial decree, considering how to undermine the credibility of Prince Chen and the Crown Prince in the military under their watchful eyes. He didn’t expect that Prince Chen and the Crown Prince wouldn’t accompany the army to Anling. Liu Wei felt as though heaven had opened its eyes, and fortune was on his side.
“You’re overthinking it,” Qin Yue remarked as they arrived at the military camp. He raised an eyebrow and continued, “The Crown Prince may need someone to watch over him to ensure he doesn’t make foolish decisions. As for Prince Chen, someone who I admire and follow would never commit such a low-level mistake.”
Liu Wei was stunned. “…” What? General, could you please repeat that? Did you just say you admire someone?
Liu Wei’s eyes widened, showing a look of utter astonishment. Could it be that he had accidentally stumbled upon the ultimate reason why General Qin, at over thirty years old, was still unmarried?
Qin Yue, thinking that Liu Wei didn’t believe him, furrowed his brow and said, “Why do you still doubt it? Prince Chen surpasses me in both martial arts and strategy. I genuinely admire him.”
He paused for a moment, unwilling to say more.
“If you still doubt it, give it some time. You’ll understand what I mean,” Qin Yue added.
At the border of Anling lay the border city of Wei State, known as Fufeng City.
As Qi Shao stepped onto the soil of Fufeng City, his legs were trembling. He had never expected that he would wake up in a different world after a night’s sleep.
That crazy uncle of his, Qi Heng, had drugged him to sleep, and then, with Qi Shao unconscious and a servant named Zheng Er, the three of them had somehow made their way into the enemy’s main camp.
Unlike the tranquility of Anling, Fufeng City was bustling, as if it were a festival. Street vendors set up stalls along the roads, and they enthusiastically sold their goods to the passing customers. Aside from the occasional patrol, there was no sign of the tension of war. The city had an atmosphere of peaceful living.
“Ring, ring, ring.”
A horse-drawn carriage adorned with wind chimes came to a stop in front of the only inn in the city. Such a carriage was considered luxurious in a small town. It attracted the attention of onlookers.
The coachman jumped down from the carriage, and following him, a young and handsome nobleman in azure clothing alighted. He seemed a bit displeased, probably because he stumbled as he got off the carriage. There was a hint of annoyance on his face.
Finally, a young man in white stepped out of the carriage, but he was veiled by a curtain that covered most of his body, making it impossible for anyone to see his appearance. However, his graceful and aristocratic demeanor indicated that these two individuals were of extraordinary origin.
A silver coin was casually placed on the counter, drawing the covetous gazes of the people around, but the trio seemed oblivious.
The innkeeper was initially startled by their lavish gesture but quickly recovered. He held the silver coin with both hands. He bit it to test its authenticity, and then broke into a smile that bordered on servility.
“Dear guests, would you like a meal or a room?”
“Three upper rooms.”
“Unfortunately, the penthouse rooms in the inn have already been booked,” the innkeeper replied somewhat apologetically, “but we still have two rooms available in the commoner’s section.”
Zheng Er hesitated for a moment and glanced back at Qi Heng.
“Then, two commoner’s rooms,” Qi Heng responded indifferently.
Qi Shao chimed in, a bit hesitant, “Shouldn’t we let Uncle… both of you share one room? It doesn’t feel right for me to take a room by myself. After all, Wang Shu is our elder.”
Considering that Qi Heng was their senior and it might be uncomfortable for him and Zheng Er to share a room, Qi Shao felt a bit guilty.
Zheng Er looked sympathetically at Qi Shao, who seemed somewhat naive for his age. “Young Master, what are you thinking? I’ll naturally share the room with you.”
Qi Heng’s martial prowess surpassed theirs. There was no need for him to put in any extra effort. As for the Crown Prince, he was powerless, and Fufeng City was a mix of good and bad elements, being enemy territory. Zheng Er had to keep a watchful eye on him.
Qi Shao’s expression darkened. “…” I’m not used to sharing a room with others.
“Guests, your rooms are ready,” the innkeeper said with a beaming smile. “The deposit has already been deducted, and here’s your change.”
“We don’t need the change,” Zheng Er replied generously, “but we have a question for the innkeeper.”
Upon hearing that they didn’t need the change, the innkeeper’s smile became even warmer. “Please, ask anything you’d like.”
Zheng Er began, “We’re here in search of relatives. Over a decade ago, a lady from our family fell in love with a wealthy merchant surnamed Wei. They had a child together, and the merchant promised to return to Fufeng City to see his family after leaving but never came back. Now, the lady is on her deathbed, and as her juniors, we’ve come to fulfill her wish by finding her long-lost family.”
“Wei?” The innkeeper’s expression grew cautious, as Wei was the imperial surname of their country.
“Yes, Wei Qiu’s Wei,” Zheng Er affirmed, retrieving a slightly faded copper token from his pocket, bearing the character “Wei” carved on it.
“This is the token left behind by that merchant. It’s said that the Wei family in Fufeng City was quite prominent, and inquiring about them should yield information.”
The innkeeper, relieved that it was Wei and not Wei1different characters, softened his expression. He looked at the two young men in front of him with a touch of sympathy. “I’ve run this inn here for over twenty years, and indeed, there was a prominent Wei family in Fufeng City. However, a few years ago, the Wei family incurred massive debts, lost all their wealth overnight, and moved away.”
“Do you know where they moved to?” Zheng Er wore an anxious and troubled expression.
“I’m afraid I don’t know. Perhaps the guests can inquire with the former neighbors of the Wei family,” the innkeeper shook his head.
…
“A wealthy merchant named Wei? Lured an ignorant girl into a relationship, fathered a child, and then left to visit his family, never to return?”
On the third-floor corridor, a young gentleman leaned against the wooden railing, staring wide-eyed at the three individuals below. He possessed inner strength, so even on the third-floor corridor, he could hear their conversation downstairs clearly.
Isn’t this the same method his promiscuous uncle often used?
Whether it was due to a psychological reason or not, the more he looked at the young man in sapphire blue attire, the more he resembled his unfortunate uncle.
The inn’s server led the three men upstairs. The young gentleman waved slightly behind him, and a well-dressed man stepped forward. “Master?”
“Do you see those three people? Keep an eye on them for the next few days,” the young man regained his composure and pointed to the staircase. The attendant quickly glanced in that direction and then bowed, saying, “Yes.”
The young gentleman hadn’t expected that after finally seizing the opportunity to get some fresh air, there would be an unexpected surprise.
“Master, it seems he’s about to leave?” one of the guards pointed to the young man in sapphire blue attire who was currently heading downstairs.
“However, they just lost some money. If he goes out like this, it might…” The guard hesitated.
The young gentleman’s eyes flickered, and he closed his fan. “We’ll go out as well.”
Qi Shao had no intention of staying in Fufeng City any longer. He felt like he had a noose around his neck while staying in enemy territory. So, taking advantage of Zheng Er’s trip to request hot water, he slipped out. He was determined to return to Anling.
However, as he stepped out of the inn, a cloth was placed over his nose. Qi Shao only had time to catch a strange scent before his body instantly went limp, losing consciousness.
The pedestrians passing by seemed not to notice the scene at all and continued walking as if nothing had happened.
