EWRN - Chapter 63
Chapter 63: War (III)
This handkerchief looked somewhat familiar. In the Great Yuan Kingdom, only items belonging to the imperial family were qualified to be edged with gold and stitched with gold thread. Moreover, only the emperor and empress were permitted to use the motifs of dragons and phoenixes. This handkerchief was edged in gold, adorned with a flying dragon and a painted phoenix, and was immaculately white, as if it had never been used. It was brand new.
Yan Xi sat by the bonfire and reached out to pick up the square cloth. Its silky texture and familiar pattern finally made her remember what this object she had seen once before was.
It was the Bridal Cloth that had been spread on the bed during her wedding night with Huo Jinyu several months ago!
Yan Xi was still somewhat puzzled. Why would Huo Jinyu send her the Bridal Cloth from their wedding night?
She set down the small box and unfolded the cloth. In the firelight, the handkerchief appeared exceptionally bright, without a single remaining bloodstain upon it. Bloodstains were always difficult to wash out, especially from such a pristine white cloth with a multi-layered, silky texture. It would be even harder to clean. Yet, this handkerchief bore no trace of having been washed, nor any residual bloodstains.
What did this mean?
This Bridal Cloth had never been used at all!
Huo Jinyu had given her an unused Bridal Cloth. What was he trying to say? She had seen this very cloth on their wedding night. Could it be… that Huo Jinyu, the dignified sovereign of a nation, had not performed the rites of husband and wife with his consort on their wedding night?!
Yan Xi was stunned. She suddenly remembered that on that night, Huo Jinyu had eaten with her and drunk some wine. Having grown up on the grasslands, her tolerance for alcohol was quite good, yet on her wedding night, she had been felled by just a few cups from Huo Jinyu. This was not logical! Was she, Yan Xi, so easily intoxicated?
Obviously not. In that case, the wine must have been drugged! Yan Xi was very clever; in just a few moments, she had figured it all out.
Ultimately, it wasn't just the wine that was the problem. The person who was the problem was Huo Jinyu!
Yan Xi's hand, holding the Bridal Cloth, trembled slightly. A fire of anger, born from deception and concealment, ignited within her. She simply could not understand, could not fathom, why Huo Jinyu would refuse to take her body.
Thinking back on Huo Jinyu's excuses every night thereafter, how even when they shared a bed, it never went beyond kissing, Yan Xi's heart was suddenly filled with a bleak sorrow.
They were husband and wife, after all. As people so intimate with one another, was there truly something that could not be said?
What was it?! What in the world was it?! Yan Xi's hand clenched the handkerchief tightly, a strong sense of unwillingness surging in her heart. She had long since fallen deeply in love with Jinyu, only to be met with such a cruel reality. Could it be that Huo Jinyu had never felt anything for her?
What was this supposed to mean?! Did Huo Jinyu want to use this white cloth to tell her that she, Yan Xi, was still a virgin? To tell her that he had never been moved by her? To tell her that she could go far away?
The firelight flickered. Yan Xi felt a searing heat before her, but her back was cold, a chill rushing straight to the back of her head.
Yan Xi calmed herself for a moment, then felt a great contradiction. She refused to believe that Huo Jinyu had no feelings for her. During the Rite of Heaven, he had held her hand. On the street, they had become lost in each other's gaze. During the Autumn Hunt, that deep kiss had been laced with such profound affection. She could feel all of it. And his considerate actions when they shared a pillow—all of it proved that he had feelings for her, that her love was not unrequited!
Furthermore, to help her achieve her goal of revenge, at such a critical juncture with the Northern Kingdom invading, he had lent her his private army, which was so important to him. So, he must have feelings for her, right?
Yan Xi's mood suddenly brightened. She gave a cold laugh, clutching the Bridal Cloth tightly in her hand. Huo Jinyu, you made me fall into this sea of love named Jinyu, you plunged me into this emotional vortex, and now you think you can just pull yourself out? Where in the world is there such a wonderful thing? My heart, the heart of Yan Xi, is not a place you can enter and leave as you please!
Yan Xi sneered inwardly. Although Huo Jinyu's action told her she was still a virgin, was she supposed to carry this Bridal Cloth around everywhere to prove her status? That brainless fool. From the day he saved her, their fates were destined to be bound together.
Huo Jinyu, no matter what secrets you're hiding, since you provoked me, you can forget about pulling away. Forget about escaping from my side!
The firelight reflected in Yan Xi's eyes, where a flash of madness glinted for an instant before vanishing.
For several days in a row, Huo Jinye rushed all the way toward the imperial city. Along the way, he slaughtered countless generals and soldiers, opening city gates from within to let the Wu Clan of the Northern Kingdom enter. It was truly a case of letting the wolf into the house, yet he remained oblivious.
That night.
Both sides had pitched their tents and established camps on a wide, open plain, separated by a mere five li.
Inside the tent of the Wu Clan of the Northern Kingdom.
The Wu Clan Chieftain and several elders gathered once more. The Great Elder, clearly favored, sat at the chieftain's right hand. "Reporting to Your Majesty, this old subject has examined the map of the northern territories of the Great Yuan Kingdom that the little brat Huo Jinye sent us. We have already plundered more than a dozen cities. There is one more city ahead, and not far beyond that is the imperial city of the Great Yuan Kingdom!" The Great Elder took a map from his robes, spread it on the table, and pointed to the cities the Northern Kingdom's forces had invaded as he spoke.
"This Prince Anping of the Great Yuan Kingdom is a brainless one, needing the help of an enemy nation to seize the throne. Utterly foolish," the Second Elder interjected, expressing his disdain for Huo Jinye.
"That Huo Jinye is a useless good-for-nothing. In his desperation to get the throne, he has resorted to any means necessary, even selling out his own country's cities. He has no depth! None of the cunning a ruler should possess." The Wu Clan Chieftain shook his head. He, too, looked down on the shortsighted Huo Jinye. Compared to the Emperor Yuanjin, whom he knew little about, he felt Huo Jinye was far inferior.
In truth, the Wu Clan Chieftain was misjudging Huo Jinye somewhat. In his previous life, Huo Jinye had patiently endured for decades, slowly building his power on the frontier. On the surface, he had maintained an appearance of brotherly affection with Huo Jinyu and had even managed to pull Prince Qin over to his side. He was, in truth, a master of schemes.
"Your Majesty, are we really going to let the meat that's already in our mouths fly away?" the Great Elder asked, his eyes fixed on the Wu Clan Chieftain with deep meaning. The chieftain naturally understood what he meant.
The Wu Clan Chieftain tapped his fingers on the table and said in a low voice, "Of course not. I, Wu, have lived for decades. How could I let such a thing happen on my watch? Besides the ten cities he promised, this entire Great Yuan Kingdom… I, Wu, am determined to have it! Hehehe." After speaking, the Wu Clan Chieftain let out a sinister laugh.
"Hahaha, Your Majesty is right! Our Wu clan has always taken pleasure in plunder. We certainly can't miss such a fine opportunity! Hahaha!" The Great Elder's eyes lit up as he loudly agreed.
"Your Majesty is right! Absolutely right! Hehe," the other elders chimed in.
The men put away the map and began to drink, presenting a scene of cheerful camaraderie, as if the Great Yuan Kingdom was already a prize in their pocket, easily obtainable.
In the Northern Garrison Army camp, inside Prince Anping's tent.
It was a familiar scene. Chief Steward Lu stood dutifully behind Huo Jinye, while Huo Jinye and Hou Yuwen sat facing each other at a low table.
"Your Highness, it is time we planned our next move," Hou Yuwen said thoughtfully after taking a sip of tea.
"The plan… do you remember the map I gave the Wu Clan? It only marks the north gate of the imperial city. When the Wu Clan attacks, they will only choose to attack from the closest and most direct route—the north gate. We just need to withdraw a few hours ahead of time, circle around to the west gate, and wait for the battle to begin. While the Imperial Guard is tied up fighting the Northern Kingdom, we will enter the imperial city through the west gate and can march straight for the imperial palace! Then, while the palace guard is depleted, we will attack directly!" As Huo Jinye spoke, he grew more and more excited, his eyes shining brightly, which made Young General Hou stare at him in a daze.
"Brother Hou, are you listening to me? What are you spacing out for?" Huo Jinye snapped out of his excitement to see Hou Yuwen staring into his eyes. Hou Yuwen's dark eyes made his skin crawl a little.
"Ah… it's nothing. This subject was just rejoicing over Your Highness's brilliant strategy! In my opinion, this plan is feasible. It is truly marvelous!" Hou Yuwen clapped his hands a few times to express his approval.
The two began to chat cheerfully over tea. Behind Huo Jinye, Chief Steward Lu stood, hiding his own contributions and fame.
In the middle of the night, Huo Jinye gave the order for the entire Northern Garrison Army to strike camp and depart without making any loud noises. The Northern Garrison Army extinguished their bonfires, took down their tents, and after packing everything up, they set off toward the imperial city under the starlight, holding torches to light their way in the dark.
Early the next morning, the Wu Clan Chieftain, an early riser by habit, received a report from his scouts that Huo Jinye of the Great Yuan Kingdom had taken the Northern Garrison Army and fled. The chieftain was surprised. There was still one more city ahead, and he had been waiting for that fool Huo Jinye to open the gates for him! Could it be that Huo Jinye intended to break their agreement?
The Wu Clan Chieftain's face darkened. "I told you to keep an eye on them. How could you not even know when they left?" he said fiercely. Without waiting for the scout's explanation, he turned and went back into his tent.
The Wu Clan Chieftain took out the map and found another official road on it. Although this road was a bit of a detour, it did indeed bypass the nearby city. The chieftain immediately decided to forgo attacking the small city before them. He would take the imperial city directly!
Little did he know that his own nest was about to be raided.
The Wu Clan Chieftain led the people of the Northern Kingdom to immediately strike camp and set out, taking the official road to bypass the city and head straight for the imperial capital.
Having traveled through the night, Huo Jinye's party arrived early not far from the west gate. He raised his hand, halting the army's advance, and sent scouts to the north gate to check the situation. A team of scouts acknowledged the order and galloped off.
After a morning of trekking, the Wu Clan Chieftain and his army finally reached the north gate of the Great Yuan Kingdom's imperial city.
From the city wall, the soldiers saw dust billowing in the distance and sensed that something was wrong. They hurriedly reported to the Imperial Guard defending the city. The Imperial Guard general knew this was bad and quickly ordered the soldiers below to close the city gates and prepare for battle. The general was puzzled; he hadn't heard of any invaders breaking into the Great Yuan Kingdom, so why had a force resembling an enemy army appeared near the imperial city?
What the general didn't know was that along the way, the defending generals of the cities had either been killed or bribed, and not a single war report had flown into the imperial city. Thus, apart from Huo Jinyu, who had her own channels of information, these generals were completely bewildered.
As the Wu Clan's forces drew near, the three-way battle for the imperial city was about to begin!
Meanwhile, Yan Xi had also led 50,000 elite soldiers to the eastern part of the Northern Kingdom.
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