With the ongoing war in the deserts of the North, people entering and leaving Yunzhong Pa.s.s need to go through strict screening before they could pa.s.s to and fro.

Feng Luodi was currently sitting in a teahouse not far away from the city gate. She seemed to be enjoying her tea leisurely, but her gaze subconsciously floated to the busy crowd pa.s.sing through the city gate.

Standing not too far away from Feng Luodi was Covert Guard Quattor disguised as a manservant, his appearance respectful and courteous.

Time went by quietly, and the people visiting the teahouse came and went one batch after another. Feng Luodi was still sitting there as steady as Mount Tai[1], and just as Covert Guard Quattor was about to remind her of the time, Feng Luodi finally spoke in an unhurried manner.

"Miss Linglong, there's one thing I would like to ask you about."

Sitting at the table behind Feng Luodi was a simply-dressed woman, who looked like a married woman from the countryside that seemingly came to pay a visit to her relatives here in the city.

As soon as Feng Luodi finished speaking, several groups of people sitting at the tables around her got up and left one after another, and at last there was only one table left behind.

Feng Luodi wasn't in a rush as she unhurriedly poured more tea for herself and drank a few sips. In the end, the person behind her couldn't keep her cool; she stood up and walked towards Feng Luodi's table. That person was undoubtedly dressed in coa.r.s.e hemp garment and there was also something smeared on her face to make her appear older, yet her graceful movements brought out a sophisticated bearing that couldn't be concealed.

"It looks like Miss Feng has followed General-in-Chief all the way to this bitter cold place."

Linglong no longer disguised her voice and deportment.

"For what reason did Miss Feng point out my ident.i.ty? I'm merely an ordinary citizen now, and I'm no longer competing for splendor with the girls in that prosperous Chang'an City. "

Feng Luodi, on the other hand, remained indifferent towards her humble stance. She slowly put the teacup in her hand and said,

"Moyin pa.s.sed away, did you know that?"

Hearing this, Linglong's pupils abruptly contracted. She finally recovered after a while and tried to conceal her emotions again, but it was already too late. In that short interval, Feng Luodi had already gotten the answer she wanted.

"You were the one who placed that poisonous seed in the flower pot in Moyin's room…"

Feng Luodi suppressed her sorrow and said those words in affirmation.

"Although Moyin was sickly to begin with, your poison has only accelerated his pa.s.sing. But, Linglong…"

Feng Luodi stared straight at Linglong with an indifferent expression, and saw the latter's body tremble slightly.

"Linglong, I know that you like Moyin. I have got to hand it to you for harming him for the sake of your country. As expected, the Third Prince, no, the King of the Huns' means are truly ruthless. "

Feng Luodi didn't beat around the bush with Linglong. After Situ had told her about Linglong's ident.i.ty, all the doubts in her heart had been pieces together and she understood everything.

Linglong was a spy planted in the Xuan Kingdom by Li Hengba, the former Third Prince of the Huns. She was usually responsible for collecting intel, but her main mission was to encourage the Eight Prince to commit treason when an opportunity presented itself. In this case, Li Hengba would be able to use this as an excuse to start a war, and persuade other countries to join forces with him to seize control of the Xuan Kingdom.

During Linglong's stay in Chang'an, she fell in love with the prodigy Jiang Moyin, yet she had to feign civility with Gan Qingjia and other Young Masters. She originally wanted to use Gan Qingjia to control the Minister of the Left and incite disharmony between the deposed Heir's faction and Situ. At the same time, she'd also wanted to get close to Jiang Moyin. Although she liked him, she had no choice but to scheme against him to frame the deposed Heir.

Unfortunately, her first source of intel, Gan Qingjia, had been cut off with the appearance of Qi Jianqiu, and likewise, Feng Luodi's appearance had destroyed her second source, Jiang Moyin.

When Linglong fled back to the Huns, she was no longer of use to the King of the Huns. Although she grumbled and resented her fate, at the same time, she felt aggrieved and didn't want to resign herself to fate. They were all human beings, but some people's journey were bound to be smooth sailing, some people were fated to be well-liked and supported by many, and some people had no choice but to do the dirty work for others in order to survive.

Linglong still remembered the bitter days she had experienced. She was still a child back then when Li Hengba brought her back to his residence and from that moment onwards, she'd started receiving training. Those despicable means and those torturous days had, in the end, nurtured a vicious heart. She initially thought that she had long forgotten the emotions that a human being should have. However, upon meeting Moyin, she'd started to antic.i.p.ate that man's appearance and his gentle gaze. Yet, that man was one of the targets she was ordered to kill. In the end, that man's gentle gaze was reserved for another person and not her…

"What are you trying to say?"

Linglong no longer masked her feelings and asked, her gaze fixed on Feng Luodi. This woman in front of her was one of the few that she resented and envied.

Feng Luodi smiled playfully and gently moved her vermillion lips to say, "I just need you to say a few words in the King of the Huns' presence."

The next day, the King of the Huns himself went to battle and led an army of five hundred thousand to challenge Situ Muye in a fight thirty miles away from Yunzhong Pa.s.s.

Situ acted as the General-in-Chief of the Northern Army and led three hundred thousand soldiers to confront the enemy.

This was a b.l.o.o.d.y battle where both parties had a.s.sumed that their opponent on the other side had fallen into a trap, struggling futilely on the battlefield.

The banners were dyed red with blood. Broken golden daggers were stuck randomly on the ground with rivers of blood and corpses everywhere.

The fierce battle ended with the victory of the Northern Army.

After their defeat, not only was the King of the Huns not discouraged, but he was quite vigorous as he led the rest of his troops to rendezvous with the armies of Xianbei, Fuyu, Shushen, and the other allied countries. As such, he was commanding an enormous army once again.

When Feng Luodi heard that Situ was wounded, she immediately dropped the needlework in her hand and rushed to the medical camp. Meanwhile, Mama was sitting peacefully at her original spot with a peculiar smile on her face.

"Situ!"

Feng Luodi abruptly lifted the curtain of the tent and what came into view was the military doctor talking to Situ in a low voice. When the two men realised that someone had broken in without being announced, they looked up in surprise and saw a worried Feng Luodi.

"咳咳。"

"Cough, cough."

The military doctor dry coughed a few times and bade his farewell, leaving behind Situ, who was in the midst of twirling the bandage around his hand as he gazed at Feng Luodi's worried expression with interest.

Feng Luodi stared at the bandage on Situ's hand that had been dyed red and felt tears p.r.i.c.kling the corners of her eyes, but she held them in and quickly walked to Situ's side. She then grabbed the bandage and dressed his wound while reproaching him.

"Didn't you say that it was just for show? Why are you still hurt? You've lost so much blood, and there's even blood all over your armor."

Feng Luodi frowned as she stared at Situ's attire with a worried expression.

"It's not my blood."

Situ explained leisurely, without the slightest intention to say more.

Feng Luodi raised the bandage a little and pointed at a wound as she coolly asked, "And this also isn't your blood?"

Situ didn't respond and listened attentively to Feng Luodi's endless chatter with a joyous expression. Like this, he felt that she was truly by his side and that she didn't go anywhere.

"So…you're telling me that you're worried about me?" Situ raised an eyebrow and deliberately asked with a bitter voice.

"It's a pity that a certain lady is still unwilling to marry me, so I'm quite sure that she's not worried about me."

Feng Luodi continued dressing the wound and ruefully grumbled, "How old are you already? Yet, you're still playing such a childish game. If I don't want to marry you, then what am I doing here?"

The smile on Situ's face widened, but he continued, "You're talking to me with this kind of tone, yet you say that you're willing to marry me?"

Since he was used to seeing Feng Luodi's calm and collected appearance, he really wanted to witness other expressions on her face.

"We have already reached that stage and done all that, what else do you want?"

Sure enough, Feng Luodi, who was originally sad and depressed about Situ's injury, finally exploded with anger after being challenged by Situ repeatedly.

It was just that her words were somewhat unsuitable for others to hear.

Zhang Xin, who casually lifted the curtain and walked in, was stupefied on the spot. Meanwhile, Cheng s.h.i.+fei, who followed in behind him, wanted to withdraw from the tent unnoticed when he saw that dark expression on Situ's face.

The air in the tent froze, and Feng Luodi sheepishly turned her head to see the two men standing at the entrance. Her cheeks instantly flushed red and how she wished that she could bury her head in the sand right then and there.

In the face of such an awkward situation, Feng Luodi's first reaction was to quickly leave this place. However, the moment she turned around, she was held back by Situ and the latter pulled her to sit down beside him.

"What's the matter?"

His icy-cold voice made Cheng s.h.i.+fei halt his steps. He moved forward with a smile on his face and nudged the stupefied Zhang Xin as he spoke, "General, someone wants to meet you in private."

Someone wanted to meet Situ at this critical time?

Feng Luodi cast a suspicious glance at Situ. Could this be another act? They hadn't even finished this act, so who came to cause trouble this time?

Situ misunderstood the suspicious look in Feng Luodi's eyes and directly asked Cheng s.h.i.+fei, "Man or woman?"

At that instant, Cheng s.h.i.+fei, who normally remained calm in the face of a storm, blanked out as well.

Zhang Xin didn't pay attention to Cheng s.h.i.+fei, who was frozen on the spot as if he was struck by lightning, and he casually answered,

"It's a man, he's an old acquaintance of General, King of Xianbei."

"Wait a second, you said King of Xianbei? But, isn't Xianbei part of the alliance that attacked Xuan Kingdom?"

Feng Luodi was puzzled for a moment, but she quickly sobered up and started to a.n.a.lyse the situation.

"He's visiting at this time?"

As Feng Luodi was deep in thought, many scenarios flashed in Situ's mind too.

"Apart from the meeting place and time, did he say anything else?"

Was he a friend or foe?

Who was the one laying out the trap and who was the one falling into it?

When it came to fighting a battle, victory wasn't determined by whose army was the largest, whose weapons were more powerful, or whose justifications could move the citizens' hearts.

The battlefield was a dangerous place, and victory depended on the stratagems laid out on the battlefield.

Zhang Xin and Cheng s.h.i.+fei looked at each other. They didn't understand why Situ's imposing aura intensified all of a sudden. They shook their heads and said, "He didn't say anything else."

At night, Feng Luodi sat in the tent still vexed by her indiscretion earlier that day, seemingly at a loss. Mama, who was tidying up the tent, studied Feng Luodi's expression for a while before she broke the silence.

"General sure has it tough! Even with such a serious injury, he's still discussing official matters with the other generals at this time. It's already so late and he still hadn't come back to rest. Miss Feng, could you please go check on him?"

Feng Luodi instantly reined in her emotions. Seeing this, a sly smile flashed across Mama's features.

1. Chinese idiom meaning: Meaning: very stable, standing (in this case sitting) firmly in place