Chapter 54

Proofreader : Mim

30 miles outside Mingyue Tower, in the rebel camp.

The King of Yi, Moqi Chuanmin, stood atop a tall platform alongside his military advisor, inspecting his forces. Tens of thousands of soldiers clad in armor stood below, a dark mass like a heavy storm cloud pressing ominously toward Mingyue Tower.

“When will the provisions and supplies arrive?” Moqi Chuanmin asked.

“According to our guards, all the supplies will arrive at camp early tomorrow morning,” the advisor replied.

“Good!” Moqi Chuanmin declared. “Once the provisions are here, we will launch our attack. We must capture Mingyue Tower quickly—”

“We’ve been stationed outside the city for two days, but there has been no movement within. It doesn’t look as though they were prepared in advance,” the advisor said with a frown. “Why is that?”

“That,” Moqi Chuanmin said as he turned and strode toward the command tent, “is something I’ve finally managed to piece together.”

The advisor followed closely behind him.

Inside the large command tent, generals were gathered around a sand table, discussing strategy in Yizhou dialect. They paused their conversation as Moqi Chuanmin entered, but he waved them off, signaling that they should continue as if he weren’t there.

The tent’s occupants were all pure-blooded Yizhou nobles, their ancestors either of royal lineage or from prominent families. Each man spoke fluent Yizhou dialect.

Moqi Chuanmin settled on a low couch and gestured for his advisor to join him. A beautiful servant girl stepped forward, pouring tea for both men.

“Lu Han really put on a good show this time! I used to think of him as nothing but a stubborn, dull man, but he’s surprised me greatly!” Moqi Chuanmin said.

“Oh? I must be ignorant—please enlighten me,” the advisor replied humbly.

“The Yan Emperor has long viewed Yizhou as a thorn in his side. I’m certain that Lu Han received secret orders to seize this opportunity to reclaim my title and lands as the Yi King. This entire fiasco is nothing but an elaborate ruse!”

“Think about it carefully. A few days before the incident, didn’t Lu Han suddenly deploy troops to guard my border? And just a few days later, his son’s severed head appears in this year’s tribute records from Yizhou? What a convenient coincidence!”

“I say that head probably isn’t even Lu Congruan’s. We can’t see it for ourselves. All he needs is a reason to declare war against us.”

“But the informants in the city say that Lu Han was so stricken with grief over losing his son that he fell seriously ill. The city’s military and administrative power has now fallen into the hands of Vice Commander Liang Yu—”

“Did you see this with your own eyes, or did the informants personally take his pulse?” Moqi Chuanmin sneered. “Lu Han’s son might not even be dead. Do you really think Lu Han himself is bedridden? This ‘illness’ is nothing but bait. He wants us to lower our guard so he can trap us!”

“If that’s true, then wasn’t our uprising premature? Aren’t we playing into Lu Han’s hands?” the advisor asked, his face uncertain.

“We can’t afford to wait any longer!” Moqi Chuanmin said decisively. “The Emperor already intends to deal with me. Sooner or later, he’ll discover that I’ve secretly amassed an army of 300,000. Once he knows, he’ll send a massive force to crush us. Wouldn’t that be far worse for us?”

The advisor nodded thoughtfully, stroking his beard.

“Your Majesty is right. We have the upper hand now. Lu Han may have set the stage, but he could never have imagined that a small region like Yizhou would secretly harbor 300,000 soldiers—”

“I have been waiting day and night for this moment—to restore our ancestral land, to rebuild Yizhou. Everything rests on this one decisive battle.”

Just as Moqi Chuanmin finished speaking, a soldier hurried into the tent, whispering a few words into his ear.

“What perfect timing. Bring Qin Ne in to see me,” Moqi Chuanmin said, smiling.

As the soldier left, the advisor asked, “Is there good news, Your Majesty?”

“The guards sent to Xian Naiyue Mountain have returned. The information provided by the traitor officer was correct—they’ve mapped out the eastern part of Mingyue Tower.”

“Not only that, but they captured Xie Lanxu’s personal maidservant.” Moqi Chuanmin’s smile widened. “The traitor officer recognized her—she is said to be someone Xie Lanxu holds dear.”

The advisor’s face lit up with delight. “This is truly excellent news!”

As they spoke, Qin Ne entered the tent, pushing aside the curtain with quick strides. He stepped forward and saluted Moqi Chuanmin and the advisor.

“What do you know about this maidservant?” Moqi Chuanmin asked.

“Her name is Li Zhi. She is the daughter of the former Second Rank Chancellor, Li Qiaonian. After her father’s conviction for treason, she was sent to Mingyue Tower as a laborer. I only encountered her once in the city, at that time she had already volunteered to follow Xie Lanxu to the Xipeng Grasslands.”

“If you’ve only seen her once, how can you be so sure she’s someone Xie Lanxu values?”

“It’s common knowledge in the city,” Qin Ne replied. “During their exile, Xie Lanxu helped her numerous times. Her position at the Duhu Office was also arranged at Xie Lanxu’s request. After his leg injury healed, he was sent to herd horses at the ranch, and she willingly abandoned the comforts of the Duhu Mansion to follow him to the grasslands. Moreover—”

“Moreover what?” Moqi Chuanmin prompted.

“When I captured her, I found this on her.”

Qin Ne took out the dragon-pattern jade pendant. “Dragon designs are exclusive to the imperial family. As the daughter of a criminal, she couldn’t possibly possess such an item. This must be a keepsake given to her by Xie Lanxu as a token of his affection.”

Moqi Chuanmin accepted the jade pendant, examining it carefully before nodding.

“Indeed, this is royal craftsmanship. Even if she isn’t someone Xie Lanxu loves, she clearly has a close relationship with him.”

For some time, Moqi Chuanmin had been searching for an opportunity to connect with Xie Lanxu. Now that such a chance had been delivered to his doorstep, how could he let it slip away?

Suppressing his excitement, he turned to Qin Ne, his expression now warm and friendly.

“Qin Ne,” he said, “you have done well.”

“This matter was well-handled by you. Bring the person here,” said Moqi Chuanmin.

“Yes,” Qin Ne bowed, turned, and left.

Moqi Chuanmin began pacing excitedly in place.

Before long, Li Zhi was shoved before them, bound tightly with ropes. Her clothes were muddy, the hem of her skirt was torn and snagged by branches, and her hair dripped with water. Despite her disheveled appearance, her bright, sharp black eyes stared coldly at Moqi Chuanmin and his strategist, like a small but fierce wolf cub.

Were it not for the horrifying festering red sore on her cheek, she would have been a rare beauty.

“Why is she soaking wet? What did you do?” Moqi Chuanmin circled Li Zhi, feigning anger.

“To prevent her from shouting or escaping, I knocked her out. When Your Grace summoned her, she still hadn’t woken, so I had someone splash a bucket of water to wake her,” Qin Ne replied.

“She’s our guest; how could you treat her this way? Give her a towel to dry off,” Moqi Chuanmin said.

A maid brought a clean towel, but Li Zhi coldly refused to accept it.

“Such a lovely face—what happened to cause such a sore?” Moqi Chuanmin asked.

“It appears to be an insect bite that turned poisonous,” Qin Ne explained. “When I found her, she had a basket of medicine. The army physician examined it earlier—these are all antidote herbs.”

“Zeng Wen, take a look,” Moqi Chuanmin instructed.

His strategist, Zeng Wen, who was skilled not only in military tactics but also in poisons and exotic plants, stepped forward to inspect the wound on Li Zhi’s cheek. After a moment, he frowned, then returned to Moqi Chuanmin.

“It’s indeed caused by venom, leading to festering. It must have been from some highly toxic creature. Only lan song zi (blue pine seeds) can neutralize such a poison,” Zeng Wen explained. “Blue pine seeds are rare and don’t keep long, so they’re not stocked in ordinary pharmacies, let alone by common folk. I assume she went up the mountains to gather herbs out of desperation since the city of Mingyue Tower is under siege, making travel impossible.”

“Ah, I see,” Moqi Chuanmin nodded. “But tell me, how exactly did this venomous creature bite your face?”

Li Zhi refused to answer. Qin Ne unsheathed his sword and placed it against her neck.

“Answer the Master’s question!” Qin Ne threatened coldly.

“Don’t mind my subordinate. He knows nothing of pitying beauty,” Moqi Chuanmin said with a smirk. “I advise you to cooperate. I have no ill will toward you or the prince. On the contrary, I have long admired the deposed Crown Prince’s son.”

Moqi Chuanmin returned to his short couch and gestured for Li Zhi to sit. She didn’t move, and he did not press her, continuing with a smile.

“If you cooperate, I will send you back to Xie Lanxu. How about that?”

“I’m just a maid. I know nothing,” Li Zhi replied coldly.

“You think I need information about the city?” Moqi Chuanmin laughed. “You’re sorely mistaken. I only need you to write a letter inviting Xie Lanxu to come to my camp. My grandfather’s generation was once allied with the Cui Kingdom through marriage, so strictly speaking, the imperial grandson should call me cousin. I mean no harm to either of you; I would treat you both as honored guests.”

Li Zhi remained silent but furrowed her brows slightly, as if puzzled.

Moqi Chuanmin anticipated her reaction and chuckled.

“Miss Li Zhi, there’s no need for hostility. Your Master and I are both victims of the current emperor’s tyranny. We share a common enemy—why not join forces and avenge our blood debts?”

“I believe the imperial grandson isn’t loyal to the emperor who caused the Eastern Palace to be drenched in blood. He simply doesn’t want Mingyue Tower to suffer needless casualties. If that’s the case, we can negotiate. If an agreement is reached, I’m even willing to withdraw my army.”

“Your words sound noble, but all you want is to make the imperial grandson a traitor who collaborates with the enemy. I won’t write that letter,” Li Zhi said sharply.

The sword against her neck pressed closer.

“Kill me if you want. If I feared death, I wouldn’t have survived the three-thousand-mile exile,” she mocked.

“You’re naive,” Moqi Chuanmin said, shaking his head with a laugh. “You’re already in my hands. Do you think you still have a choice?”

Moqi Chuanmin stepped closer to Li Zhi, drew a dagger from his waist, and a moment later, a lock of her black hair fell into his hand.

“Take her away! Watch her closely and treat her well. Give her food and drink as she asks until my dear cousin arrives,” Moqi Chuanmin ordered with a laugh.

Two soldiers stepped forward, shoving Li Zhi out of the tent.

Outside the tent, the camp buzzed with incomprehensible Yizhou dialects. Li Zhi was locked in a storage tent, where a concubine of Moqi Chuanmin was assigned to monitor her. The concubine did not mistreat Li Zhi; she followed orders to provide her with food and water but did not worry about her escaping—the guards outside the tent ensured that was impossible.

No one bothered to blindfold Li Zhi during her capture, likely because she was a young girl.

Li Zhi closed her eyes, mentally retracing every step.

The Xian Niayue Mountain… enemy camp… valleys and forests… two streams. At the camp entrance, two watchtowers stationed with guards. From the gate to the main tent was about two miles southeast. The soldiers were of inconsistent quality. There were no signs of large-scale siege weapons. The countless tents lining the route were far too few to accommodate 200,000 soldiers. It was likely that Moqi Chuanmin’s claim of a massive army was just a bluff.

“You are the most crucial part of this plan.”

Xie Lanxu’s face emerged in her memory. Underneath the azalea trees, they sat side by side as Xie Lanxu held her hand.

“Moqi Chuanmin surrounds himself with aristocrats, but they are nobility in name only. They lack real skill or merit. If Moqi Chuanmin truly wants to overthrow the Emperor of Yan, he cannot rely solely on his ragtag army. My maternal ancestors had ties to the Yi Kingdom, and the Cui Kingdom’s loyalists continue their resistance. Moqi Chuanmin will undoubtedly seek my help to strengthen his position.”

“If he unites with anti-Yan factions, overthrowing the Yan Emperor will be simple.”

“This mission is dangerous. They may even torture you,” Xie Lanxu had said. “You can still change your mind. I originally trained Taozi for this purpose.”

Azalea petals fluttered down as their hands intertwined.

“Ah-Li once asked me if I could help you return to the capital,” Li Zhi recalled.

“I was joking,” he had replied.

“But my answer was not,” Li Zhi said, her eyes filled with unshakable resolve. “I told Ah-Li, ‘I can.’ That remains true today.”

“Ah-Li’s wish is my wish.”

—

Notes:

1. “Lan Song Zi” (蓝松子): This fictional rare medicine aligns with traditional Chinese medicine’s use of rare herbs for specific cures. Its mention adds authenticity to the setting.