Fengyu’s eyes reddened. Because of her dangerous and nomadic life when she was younger, she had an extre lack of security. She loved hoarding food, gold, and jewels. She resembled the stingiest rchant, wanting nothing more than to pile her ho full of treasures of gold and silver.
Xie Xun had long since seen through her nature. She was selfish, emotionally barren, and miserly. She had resented her parents who fought on the battlefield yet failed to protect their own daughter.
In her eyes, there was only herself.
Now, seeing the larger world and the lives beyond her own, the Xie Xun who once called her selfish hoped she would still love herself above all else. How the tables had turned.
Xie Xun said, "Lin Zhi is dead."
He began to speak about the battle. Xie Xun rarely ever discussed the political situation or military affairs with her. In his letters ho, he only wrote about trivial daily joys, sharing his happiest monts with her. He never wanted to burden her with his hardships or struggles. Yet this ti, he couldn’t help himself; he needed soone to talk to, to release the sorrow swelled inside him.
"He left the city pale and silent, hesitating as though he wanted to say sothing. I should have known there was a trap. But the army was already at the gates; even if I had realized, there was no way to escape. He didn’t utter a word before the blood sprayed three feet. I keep recalling the sight of blood gushing from his throat—it leaves heartbroken and angry." His voice was heavy with anguish. "He was of the Lin Family and resembled Mother far more than both my uncles. His brows and eyes—nearly identical. Auntie remarked how Lin Zhi looked just like Mother in her youth when he visited us. When his letters ca, I never suspected a thing. And when he fell into that pool of blood, I couldn’t stop thinking of Mother and Auntie... it really... makes hate that scene to the marrow."
Fengyu gently clasped his hand in hers, holding it tenderly within her palm. "Yes, he has every right to hate!"
"His wife was seven months pregnant; in three months, she’d be due to give birth. Was it worth it?" Xie Xun murmured, "To abandon wife and child for the Yuwen Royal Family? Was it really worth it?"
If he hadn’t brought his forces to Jiaozhou, Lin Zhi’s family wouldn’t have been shattered.
Pain gripped Xie Xun’s heart.
"It wasn’t for the Yuwen Royal Family," Fengyu said. "After we Iron Cavalry took Jiaozhou, Zhongzhou lost its opportunity. Sending troops would an outright war. The twelve provinces haven’t formally detached from Yanyang yet and remain under its jurisdiction, except for West Continent, Huangzhou, and the Yunzhou truly ruled by Ningzhou. Zhongzhou must march with legitimacy. The court doesn’t want to be forced to halt at the river against Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. They can’t sit back and watch you conquer twelve provinces without a fight. Since they don’t dare provoke the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry on the battlefield, they resort to waging a war of public opinion."
If it weren’t Lin Zhi, it would’ve been soone else!
Xie Xun and the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry were bound to face condemnation—that was inevitable.
"If it were you, what would you do?" Xie Xun asked.
"This war of public opinion... honestly, we have no power to fight back. We can’t present Jiaozhou’s real circumstances to everyone, nor can we publish stories to clear our na. Even if Ningzhou sends official rebuttals, the rumors of you and the Iron Cavalry slaughtering Jiaozhou’s innocent citizens are already deeply rooted in people’s minds," Fengyu said. "All we can do is let ti slowly dilute it."
This was the matter that frustrated Xie Xun the most.
This battle of rhetoric, he could only endure silently, cursed as a tyrant by millions.
"What’s wrong with being a tyrant?" Fengyu smiled mischievously. "I like tyrants."
Xie Xun chuckled helplessly, locking his ten fingers around her soft, delicate neck as if to choke her playfully. "Still like them?"
"I do!" Fengyu tilted her head, brushing against his palm. "A little harder."
Xie Xun stared into Fengyu’s alluring and mischievous eyes, feeling like his hand was scalded. His ears flushed red instantly. Fengyu’s words were just too enticing, leaving Xie Xun dry-mouthed and both embarrassed and annoyed. "Where did you learn such words?"
"Huh?"
In the moonlight, the girl’s features seed pure and immaculate, her expression one of innocent confusion. Xie Xun cursed himself for being overco by desire at her re words. eting her searching gaze, he could only cough awkwardly to hide his thoughts.
"Zhixu, the things you’re thinking of make your ears go so red."
Curious, she reached out to touch his ear, but as soon as her fingers grazed him, Xie Xun grabbed her wrist, his voice hoarse. "Don’t touch!"
"Why not?" Fengyu’s cheeks inexplicably ward as well.
"...," Xie Xun couldn’t find an explanation. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist and jumped down from the roof. "It’s late. Go wash up and rest."
After washing up, Fengyu wasn’t at all tired. Perhaps seeing Xie Xun had made her unusually excited. But she knew Xie Xun had marched overnight to Jiaozhou, suffered defeat, and returned to Tongzhou utterly exhausted. She didn’t disturb him. Sitting by the warm couch, she flipped through the storybooks circulating in Tongzhou. One story was particularly exaggerated, vividly describing how Xie Xun and the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry massacred the innocent people of Jiaozhou.
"That’s outrageous!"
The scholars and writers twisted black and white with their pens, and from across mountains and rivers, it was difficult to clear one’s na. They had masterfully taken advantage of ti, place, and situation—clearly a calculated sar campaign.
No wonder Xie Xun was so restless and unwilling.
The window beside the warm couch was open, and the cool breeze wafted in. Fengyu was covered by a thin blanket, reading the storybook. Xie Xun leaned in from the window, resting his elbow on its edge. "Still awake?"
"Reading storybooks!" Fengyu lifted the book to show him.
"Forgot to ask you," Xie Xun seed sowhat uneasy. "Your birthday gift—do you like it?"
"I love it!" Fengyu excitedly grasped his arm. "It’s so exquisite! Where did you find it? I’ve never seen anything as beautiful as this golden branch and jade leaves."
"How do you know I found it instead of making it myself?"
"You don’t know how to make jewelry. Besides, such headpieces aren’t trendy in Yanyang. Its intricate craftsmanship wouldn’t be appreciated by the ladies. The golden leaves alone take over three years to smith and polish. The lifelike golden cicada must have taken the craftsman years to refine. You couldn’t have made it in just a few months," Fengyu teased. "This kind of accessory requires a master craftsperson adept in shaping gold and jade."
"Expert!" Xie Xun held up his thumb in admiration. "I wanted to carve sothing for you myself, but after wasting a few jade stones and earning a scolding from Second Brother, I had to settle for picking sothing suitable from the storeroom for you."
"The storeroom has such fine accessories?"
"That’s thanks to Second Brother’s foresight. A few years ago, when he sold the family estate, he sohow decided to move the Marquis Mansion’s storeroom to Ningzhou. There are plenty of old treasures inside—if we ever run out of money, we can consider pawning them." After all, five generations had amassed considerable wealth—even though the whole storeroom hadn’t been transported to Ningzhou at the ti.
"This looks like sothing from Sannan." The golden branch and jade leaves rested in her jewelry box. A gold-and-jade artisan from West Continent once comnted it looked like sothing from Sannan. "When your birthday cos, I’ll wear it to show you."
Xie Xun’s gaze dimd slightly, but he smiled to hide it so Fengyu wouldn’t notice. "Alright!"
Ah, birthdays!
On his birthday, he likely wouldn’t be in Tongzhou. Fengyu had co especially to spend his birthday with him, but she’d surely be disappointed. He’d already set a war declaration at the gates of Jiaozhou, vowing to deploy within ten days. He wouldn’t break his word. In just two days, he would depart for Jiaozhou.
He gazed deeply at Fengyu. Under the lamplight, a beauty gained a special grace; under the moonlight, flowers exuded a unique charm. He didn’t want to deceive her. "Ayu, I must go to Jiaozhou alone. I won’t be able to spend my birthday with you."
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