“What are you staring at? Get out!” Ruo Wen snapped, his gaze sweeping over his men, clearly irritated. Then he looked over at Ge Xin Wei and Ruo Lan Fei and added, “You two, get out as well!”
Ge Xin Wei gave him a sorrowful look before being the last to leave the room, her delicate hand softly closing the door behind her as if sealing away some unspeakable secret.
“What’s the difference between her and me?” she mumbled to herself, standing dumbfounded at the door.
“Her eye color, I suppose,” Ruo Lan Fei teased with a laugh. “Looks like there’ll be another person in his bed soon!”
Ge Xin Wei scoffed bitterly, “Foolish!”
Of course, it wasn’t just these three women lingering awkwardly outside the room. Lang Tou and Mang Hu were standing there, their eyes wide with curiosity.
“What should we do? I really want to see what the leader’s going to do!” Mang Hu said, almost frantically scratching his head.
Lang Tou sighed deeply, “If you’re tired of living, go in. I guarantee you won’t leave in one piece!” In truth, he was just as curious. He wanted to see the difference in their leader, to see what he was like when truly excited.
“What’s the difference between her and me?” Ge Xin Wei continued to murmur to herself, leaning against the doorframe.
Mang Hu turned to glance at her. Women who fell in love with the leader either became absolutely submissive or went mad with obsession. It seemed Ge Xin Wei belonged to the latter group. He shook his head, feeling a sudden pang of sympathy for her, knowing full well that the leader’s heart had no room for love.
“Let me tell you the difference between you two!” Mang Hu stared into her icy blue eyes. She was undeniably beautiful, and after a long pause, he coldly said, “You’re willing to risk everything for him, but she never has!”
* * *
In the snowy plains, Qing Yun sat in his tent, discussing the military situation with Liao Zhen and other generals, while Miao Jing stood nearby. In the center of the tent was a large model of the southern desert, about two meters long and half a meter wide. Several key cities and fortresses, including the snowy plains, were marked by flags—some bearing the insignia of Yunpei, others the banners of Tiandu. Ji Hua, standing by the model, reported, “Your Majesty, the vanguard battle is progressing slowly and hasn’t achieved the expected results. It seems King Zhan has the same strategy in mind as us, trying to push our lines inward.”
Liao Zhen added, “Indeed, we took the snowy plains, but they took Guazhou. Both armies are like gears, constantly countering each other without either side gaining much ground.”
Qing Yun sat in his chair, silently staring at the model of the sandy desert.
Before long, a figure in black, dressed in light armor, entered the tent. Miao Jing immediately nodded in acknowledgment. The man knelt on one knee and reported, “Your Majesty, news from Fentian. Ruo Wen has mobilized his main force of 130,000 troops and intercepted the Yunpei envoy near Mizan. They should have returned to Zhun City by now.”
Qing Yun raised an eyebrow. “What envoy? There’s no way King Zhan would send an envoy at this time!”
The man in black replied, “It appears to be Queen Consort Guan Ying, who was sent to Mizan, seemingly for peace talks. However, before reaching Youzhou, she was intercepted by Ruo Wen.”
“What!” Qing Yun’s hand slammed down on the table, veins bulging on the back of his hand. “King Zhan…” he growled, unable to contain his anger.
Miao Jing and Liao Zhen stood frozen in shock. Miao Jing, who controlled Mang Liu, knew a little about Qing Yun and Huang Bei Shuang’s history. Liao Zhen had witnessed the infamous White Horse Incident, so hearing Queen Consort Guan Ying’s name made both men uneasy.
“King Zhan…” Qing Yun’s fury was barely concealed. “Fighting a war is one thing, but to use a woman in his strategy! She is mine!”
Ji Hua, confused, muttered awkwardly, “Y-Your Majesty, she isn’t your woman—she’s King Zhan’s wife!”
Qing Yun shot him a fierce glare and abruptly stood up. “Miao Jing, bring him out! I need him now!”
Miao Jing was stunned. “Your Majesty, according to the plan, we were supposed to use him after breaking through the pass…” His words were cut short by the intensity of Qing Yun’s gaze.
Qing Yun strode over to the sand model and began pulling out the small flags representing Yunpei’s forces. “Send a letter to King Zhan. Three days from now, we will negotiate peace. The mediator will be a man named Na Yan Xing. If he refuses the talks, execute him on the spot!” He then sat back in his chair. “Miao Jing, send all of Mang Liu’s forces to the east. The chances are slim, but if an opportunity arises, bring her back to me!”
“As you command!” Miao Jing’s eyes sharpened, and he quickly left the tent.
Ji Hua and Liao Zhen exchanged worried glances.
I will not give up on anything I desire.I will not accept compromise, not even once!
* * *
At the beginning of the year 332 AD, Tiandu and Yunpei went to war, stretching across the desert from north to south. Nearly 400,000 soldiers clashed in the first battle, which resulted in a draw. The chaos disturbed the Weak Water, and seven small oases were buried under the flowing sands of the Dry Sea. Seven million refugees fled, most escaping to the east. King You Guang of Mizan watched from the sidelines, refusing to participate in the conflict. In the Huan Yuan Palace, it was predicted that the war would last a thousand days without a clear victor. However, that prediction was mistaken.
Within ten days, the two nations entered peace talks, with both armies retreating ten li from the battlefield. The reason remained unclear, but all intelligence reports pointed to one thing—Guan Ying.
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