[Suggested song for this Chapter - Distance, by Two Lanes]
Tan Bowen stared unseeingly out across the sparkling lights of the capital, his mind elsewhere, ruminating on how much he would be hurting the young and innocent Miss Wang, when she finally understood what he had done...
"And what of you, i ili?" he asked her softly. "You’re fading away on . You’re clearly not okay. You know that your brothers and friends away at the front wouldn’t like to see you like this. You must be strong for their sakes," he urged her. "Try not to worry so much about what you can’t control."
"How can I not be anxious? My third and fourth brothers have just left for the front, where they’ve joined First and Second. Bai Li’s there, leading the army. And I’ve just heard from First that Sofya narrowly escaped death... or worse, heading into that war zone," her voice hitched as she recounted the weight of her concerns.
It was Tan Bowen’s turn to comfort her, he realised, as he sat back up from her lap and drew the girl’s head against his chest, careful not to take liberties, as he tried to provide the shoulder to cry on that she so clearly needed.
"I’m so scared, Tan Bowen," she sobbed against his chest. "I love them all so much. The thought of losing any one of them just breaks my heart."
"Bai Li is an amazing military leader, i ili. Don’t underestimate him for a mont. He’ll bring them all ho safely, you just wait and see."
Tan Bowen truly did have every confidence in his friend’s prodigious martial talents.
"I hope you’re right, Tan Bowen, I really do. I just won’t feel truly at ease until they’re all back ho where they belong," she sniffed.
"And such has been the lot of won while their n go to war, for as long as man has existed on this earth. The wonfolk must keep the ho fires burning. I know that’s no real comfort, i ili, but rember, you have a job to do as much as the n do. While they’re putting their bodies and lives on the line fighting our enemies to keep the People safe, your job is to keep a stiff upper lip and carry on living well at ho, doing your duty in the Palace, and caring for your parents while your brothers are away at war."
"I know it is, Tan Bowen," she said with a shaky breath. "You’re right, and I need to be stronger... I will be stronger," she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sat up straight, staring out across the city with a renewed determination.
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MILITARY CAMP, XINGHE COUNTY
Bai Li unfurled a ssage from the Emperor.
Commander Bai,
Despite your early success, the clamouring grows louder back here at Court. A warning for you - you don’t have much ti left to silence the naysayers. You, and I, need a dramatic win which defeats all opposition. Tell i Renlong now is the ti to implent big sweeping plans. Place your bets and bring a rapid and decisive win.
By order of the Emperor.
He read the ssage twice, before calling for Lieutenant Ju.
"Bring i Renlong here," he ordered the man.
"Sir," the Lieutenant saluted, disappearing into the night.
Ju Rong returned a few minutes later with First Brother behind him.
"Sit down, i Renlong," Bai Li gestured to the man he hoped to call brother-in-law, to be seated across his desk from him. "Lieutenant, leave us, and clear the surrounds of anyone within earshot," he looked aningfully at Ju Rong.
His Lieutenant marched quickly from the tent, pushing the guards at the door out a few tres and walking the tent periter himself to check for unwanted ears. It was rare for his Commander to be so secretive. Sothing important was clearly about to happen.
"I’ve had a ssage from the Emperor," Bai Li told First. "Our political runway is about to run out. He needs us to win this war decisively for him in the next few days. He’s asked to tell you it’s ti for your big sweeping plans and to place a bet. I know I’m putting you on the spot, but give so options to consider?"
i Renlong’s eyes widened imperceptibly. He understood the order, and that failure was not an option for them.
To return ho with only the one win and Arughtai still at large, would be considered an ignominious defeat, and soone more experienced would be given the next chance.
It would also undermine the Emperor’s power base further. He had gone out on a limb against those Ministers who advised that the expense of the campaign was too much for the treasury to bear. Not to ntion it would be a slight against the Emperor’s selection of him and young Commander Bai to lead this expedition, giving his enemies more power to use against him in Court.
"Arughtai has overrun the frontier fortress at Xinghe," i Renlong comnted. "This will be an embarrassnt to our Lord. The opposing Ministers who his Majesty went against when they said this war would be too expensive, will be making hay while the sun shines, saying that Arughtai has made fools of us and is now holed up in one of our own forts. Every day he sits safely in that fort is another day of expense the treasury cannot bear. We need to draw him out, Commander, and win a decisive victory. Arughtai must lose all of his n, or his own life, for us to succeed for His Majesty and the Empire."
Bai Li nodded his agreent. "Mm. There can be no escape for him this ti. But how do we extract the man from the safety of the fortress? He would have to be crazy to leave it."
"We must sacrifice so n to draw him out. This ti, we must lure the tiger down the mountain."
"Do you have ideas for a feint?"
i Renlong nodded. "I do, but it won’t be easy. It will require great discipline and bravery on the part of the n."
"That goes without saying, i Renlong, but at this stage we have no choice. Our backs are to the wall in the Forbidden City. We must pull out all stops to win this war for the Emperor. I’ll call the Assault Commanders. We stay up all night if we must, until we have mapped our winning plan."
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