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Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Yin Luo glanced at Qin Liu Yan and said lightly towards the door, "Come in."
The person who entered was He Xin.
He kept his gaze straight and directly spoke, "The prince requests the princess to come to the hall for an important discussion."
To the main hall?
Yin Luo nodded and said, "I will go immediately; you may leave now."
He Xin accepted the order and withdrew. Only then did Yin Luo raise her head to look at Qin Liu Yan and say, "This matter should not be mentioned again in the future. When it's time to leave, I will naturally leave; when it's not time, no one can persuade me otherwise."
She gave Qin Liu Yan a deep look, stood up, adjusted her sleeves, and then walked out.
In the main hall, when Yin Luo arrived, she saw Zhao Qian and Mu Li coming out from inside together. Master Zhou noticed her and specifically approached to bow before retreating.
Mu Changqing was in the hall and observed this scene. He looked up at Yin Luo and said, "A small woman can actually receive such courtesy from the cunning Zhao Qian. How many surprises have I yet to discover about you?"
His gaze was filled with curiosity as it swept over her and settled on her face, deeply examining her clear and cold eyes, as if nothing could unsettle her. Her demeanor was always calm and unruffled, which made him wonder what kind of situation would cause her to lose her composure or reveal different emotions.
Yin Luo smiled slightly at the corner of her lips, chose a nearby seat to sit down, and said, "This question can be asked anytime; there's no need to wait for this moment. Why did the prince call for me?"
Mu Changqing glanced at her and stepped down from his elevated position. "The Xiyu forces are aggressive; I fear Fenghua may not hold its ground. You should return to Lidu. As for Feng Ruoling, Fenghua has found no trace of her; she should have long since left Fenghua."
Yin Luo raised her eyes to look at him. "And what about the prince?"
Mu Changqing's lips curled slightly, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Xiyu is coming; how can I be a turtle hiding its head? I will personally lead the army and let them know the cost of invading the Exiled Nation!"
Yin Luo remained silent for a long time before raising her head. "Since the prince has such spirit, how can I be cowardly at this moment? As the Princess of Jin, I must stand with you through thick and thin."
"This is a matter of life and death, not a joke."
Yin Luo looked at him with a half-smile. "When have you seen me joke, Your Highness?"
Mu Changqing furrowed his brows and remained silent. Yin Luo then stood up, walked closer to him, and smiled. "As the Princess of Jin, I naturally must share both joy and hardship with you. I believe you will protect Zhao Qian, right?"
Mu Changqing gazed into her calm eyes for a long time, and only then did his furrowed brows relax. "As long as I draw breath, I will ensure your safety."
Yin Luo immediately smiled. "Then I will take your word for it!"
She turned to leave, but suddenly turned back at the door. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? Madam Zhou sent breakfast to the room; I'll have Liu Yuan bring it to you shortly."
Mu Changqing glanced at her but did not respond. Yin Luo smiled slightly before walking out.
Moments later, Liu Yuan indeed brought breakfast. Mu Changqing couldn't help but touch the wound on his arm while looking at the delicate dishes before him. A faint smile appeared on his lips, and even his usually deep gaze softened.
Qin Liu Yuan glanced at him and silently stepped back outside. As she reached the door, she happened to encounter He Ren returning to report. She hurriedly stopped him. "The prince is having his meal; if there's something urgent, please wait."
He Ren raised an eyebrow. "I have urgent matters to discuss; besides, it's not your place to remind me in front of the prince."
Qin Liu Yuan frowned slightly as He Ren pushed past her and entered the hall directly.
After breakfast, Mu Changqing personally arranged for a suit of armor to be delivered to him. The dark mask, combined with the imposing armor, instantly made him appear dignified and striking.
He personally led an army of twenty thousand to guard the city walls and ordered five thousand soldiers to bypass the Xiyu defenders and launch a surprise attack on the reserve troops of Xiyu via the waterways.
In battle, strategy is paramount, and Mu Changqing was undoubtedly born for the battlefield.
Xiyu had sent fifty thousand troops to besiege the city, but within Fenghua, there were only twenty thousand soldiers. However, in this battle, Xiyu gained no advantage. The fighting continued throughout the day, and as night fell, both sides ceased their assaults.
Xiyu shifted from offense to defense, attempting to use encirclement tactics to create chaos among those inside.
Mu Changqing remained calm and composed on the city walls all day, strategizing and planning.
However, when night descended and the fighting paused, he returned to the county magistrate's Yamen but wore a grave expression, staying in his study all night without returning.
Yin Luo did not inquire about the battle situation, but with the ongoing warfare, she had heard some news despite not asking directly: Xiyu seemed to be holding back, opting for a siege after launching a strong attack on Fenghua.
The fierce assault had resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. Nevertheless, reinforcements from Xiyu continued to arrive, while Fenghua was surrounded and had become an isolated island. Although they had sent someone to request reinforcements early on, three days had passed with no word except for a thousand troops sent by Gan Lin; there was no news from anywhere else.
This was a troubling issue. Although Mu Changqing had controlled the government for many years, many eyed him covetously, waiting for an opportunity. Now that he was trapped in this isolated city of Fenghua, if they managed to cut off his supplies or even sacrifice a city to eliminate him, it was not impossible.
Many soldiers had died on the battlefield. No matter how powerful he was politically, isolation would make it difficult for him to receive aid. Thus, trading a city for control over the realm was likely what his opponents hoped to see!
He had released news early on and even sent He Xin out during such a critical moment out of fear of any unforeseen changes. With the war becoming increasingly perilous, he had no choice but to consider every possibility more carefully.
As time passed day by day, the originally abundant meals gradually turned into simple fare.
Yin Luo watched the situation unfold, knowing it was not optimistic. Meanwhile, Mu Li and Mu Changqing were busy outside, guarding against Xiyu's invasion while trying to contact reinforcements. By the sixth day, food supplies in the city were dwindling, and there was insufficient medical care for the injured. All these difficulties weighed heavily on them.
That night, after finishing dinner and preparing to return to her room, Yin Luo suddenly found the entire Yamen in chaos.
Servants were frantically packing their belongings and rushing out with their bundles. Someone bumped into her, not even stopping to apologize, and dashed out of the manor, disregarding all previous decorum.
Qin Liu Yan's expression changed as she murmured, "Could it be that the city has fallen?"
Yin Luo's gaze sharpened as she headed towards the study, with Qin Liu Yan closely following her.
On the way, they encountered more fleeing people. Qin Liu Yan immediately grabbed one of them and demanded, "What happened?"
The servant caught sight of Yin Luo behind Qin Liu Yan and began to cry out, "General Li Rui is dead! The gates of Fenghua City are open, and a large number of Xiyu troops have poured into Fenghua City, killing anyone they see. They are already heading west towards us; in just an hour or two, they will be here! Please calm down, Your Highness; I don’t want to die..."
"Liuyuan," Yin Luo called out to Qin Liu Yan. Qin Liu Yan turned back to look at her before releasing the servant with a cold command: "Get lost."
The servant scrambled away as quickly as he could.
"Princess, the city has fallen; should we leave as well?"
Yin Luo glanced at her but had not yet responded when someone in black hurriedly approached from the courtyard entrance.
"Your Highness." It was He Ren. He did not pause as he spoke, "I am here under the orders of the prince to escort you out of the city. The situation is urgent; please do not ask anything and follow me quickly!"
Yin Luo's eyes darkened, but she did not move: "Where is the prince?"
He Ren's gaze dimmed as he said, "The prince is holding off the Xiyu army ahead, and the Eleventh Prince is distancing himself from the people. This time, King Huai of Xiyu is personally leading an army of forty thousand into battle. We in Fenghua only have a little over ten thousand men. The prince has said that Fenghua cannot be defended, and he ordered the princess to leave quickly with her subordinates."
"Princess, hurry and leave! It will be too late if you delay!" Upon hearing this, Qin Liuyuan's expression also turned serious as she looked at Yin Luo.
Yin Luo raised her eyes to look at the panicking servants fleeing outside. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought. After a long while, she turned back and replied, "Alright."
Qin Liuyuan immediately went back inside to pack their belongings, while He Ren went to prepare the horses. Yin Luo glanced back at the large county magistrate's Yamen, her gaze lowered, and a hint of sorrow flashed across her expression.
Qin Liuyuan soon emerged from the inner room to escort Yin Luo out of the residence.
At the entrance, He Ren led a horse to Yin Luo and said, "The city gates have already been occupied by the Xiyu army. The prince is at the north gate; he wants us to go to him so he can escort us away."
Mu Changqing returned. Although they had been in the same room, they had seen each other only a handful of times over the past few days.
Mu Changqing was followed by Qin Liuyuan. Without waiting for Yin Luo to step forward, he directly instructed Qin Liuyuan, "Bring more silver and medicine; just take one or two sets of clothes."
Qin Liuyuan complied and moved forward to open the cabinet to pack clothes. Seeing this, Yin Luo furrowed her brows and looked at Mu Changqing, asking, "Are you going to let me leave?"
Mu Changqing turned back; his gaze met hers and instantly deepened. He stepped forward and pressed his hands on Yin Luo's shoulders, saying, "Listen, regarding this war in Fenghua City..."
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