Once Ji Province fell, the southern cities would be even less able to resist!
Wei Lingci’s eyes flashed with shock, then she slowly lowered them. Her refined features paled slightly, but she remained composed, unflinching even if Mount Tai collapsed before her—her demeanor was as calm as ever. Xun Changqing bit her lip; this news was indeed too shocking. She had only met Xun Yitan once, so there were no deep feelings.
But Xun Yi valued him greatly; the Imperial Capital was likely plunged into bloodshed again.
Her expression darkened, carrying a hint of maturity, and she did not conceal her shock. “I truly did not know about this, but Xu Ke is from your borderlands…”
“You are wrong. He is from the borderlands, yes, but a disobedient one. What he does is for his own selfish interests, unrelated to me.” Ana Yanran seemed unwilling to let the person before her misunderstand and coldly interrupted Xun Changqing. She continued, “I already understand why you came. It is impossible for me to stop. In war between two armies, envoys are not slain. I will let you two return safely.”
“Princess…” Bai Yan at the entrance could no longer contain her anxiety. Her gaze fell once more on Wei Lingci’s calm face. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Bai Yan has met Miss Wei today and greatly wishes to see Great Qi’s martial arts. I want to spar.”
It was fine if they did not fight, but if the two clashed, most in the camp would flock over. Under a wheel battle, Wei Lingci would hardly escape the gate.
Xun Changqing turned to look at the agitated Bai Yan, her face unusually cold and stern. “General Bai, if we fight now, are you not afraid it will spread that you bully us with numbers? If you truly want to spar, on the battlefield between our armies, fight however you like—we will accommodate. But now is not appropriate.”
Bai Yan blocked the entrance. “Just a few moves, point to stop.”
Bai Yan could not decide now, and Xun Changqing was too lazy to argue with her. Her smile deepened at the lips. “Princess, now that we have met, Changqing has one more thing to ask you. When you left, did you take anything with you?”
Ana Yanran sat behind the desk, rummaged on it, found something like a map, and tossed it casually to Xun Changqing without a care. “Is this what you mean?”
Xun Changqing stepped forward to catch the map, unfolded it, and her expression changed drastically. “This is not the Defense Deployment Map…”
“An assassin broke into the Prince’s Mansion. After I captured him, I searched him and found this. I killed him. This is just a map of the Imperial Capital’s troop deployments. No matter who sent it to me, I kept it. If I had stayed put, I might have been accused of stealing the map. So I turned the scheme against them, took this thing, and left the Imperial Capital, eventually returning to the borderlands.”
She left out half the sentence: If not for certain people spreading rumors that she held Great Qi’s Defense Deployment Map, she would not have easily deceived her useless brother, the lord of her country, into returning her military authority.
But what she did not say, Wei Lingci guessed most of. Ana Yanran was not the mastermind of this plan but the beneficiary. She used the fake Defense Deployment Map to gain the lord’s trust and reclaim her troops.
The true mastermind was likely in the Imperial Capital, but there was no need to investigate further. Ana Yanran claimed in the borderlands that she had obtained the map; digging more would only make it worse.
Xun Changqing let out a long breath, her gaze softening somewhat. She bowed deeply. “In that case, with matters clarified, Changqing should return to report. But in the future on the battlefield, when our armies clash, I hope the Princess shows some mercy… to the common people. Regarding the matter of Border City’s soldiers being poisoned overnight, I hope the Princess never repeats it.”
Ana Yanran’s expression shifted slightly, though her face remained composed. “On the battlefield, with open spears and hidden arrows, how could I decide alone? Besides, for Border City, blame Huangfu Lin. If he had sought doctors and reported to the court, the tens of thousands of soldiers would not have ‘died of illness.'”
The two held opposing views with no common ground. After straightening, Xun Changqing pulled Wei Lingci toward the exit. Bai Yan at the door stretched out her arms to block them. Xun Changqing turned to glance at Ana Yanran. “Princess, you said outside the camp that you would ensure our safety. Are you reneging so quickly?”
“Bai Yan, let them go. This is military protocol!”
Bai Yan grudgingly withdrew her hand at the order. As the two stepped out of the tent, her expression turned stern, brows knitting. “Princess, we cannot let Wei Lingci go.”
Ana Yanran steadied her mind, her gaze shifting aside indifferently. “Bai Yan, Great Qi’s rivers and lakes are full of talents, so many experts—do you plan to kill them one by one? Your mindset is too narrow.”
Bai Yan urged anxiously, “Princess, Wei Lingci is deeply scheming and will be a major obstacle to our future victories. Moreover, with her in Ji Province now, it will be hard to take it. You are releasing a tiger back to the mountain, inviting endless trouble. Just give the order, and your subordinate will lead men to kill her. Rest assured, I will not harm Xun Changqing.”
Xun Changqing had always been a knot in Ana Yanran’s heart. Since it was her who came today, if it were anyone else, they would already be dead. Bai Yan knew her weakness and advised accordingly.
