Chapter 55: Meeting
Early the next morning, just as Feng Bai Su got up, she heard servants outside reporting that City Lord Hu Jiao was waiting outside the mansion.
Hearing this, Feng Bai Su slightly raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth curling into a faint arc.
Is she still not giving up?
“Your Highness, what’s wrong?”
Wei Jing Mo saw Feng Bai Su suddenly lift the covers and get out of bed. He struggled to open his eyes and asked in a muffled voice.
“It’s nothing, go back to sleep.”
Feng Bai Su turned around and stroked his hair, her voice gentle: “I might come back late today, don’t wait for me for meals.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Wei Jing Mo immediately woke up and sat up.
“Is Your Highness going to the encampment?”
“Mm.” Feng Bai Su nodded, seeing his somewhat anxious look. She smiled reassuringly: “Don’t worry! I’ll take a good look at your second sister’s situation for you, and report back to you honestly when I return!”
After saying this, she raised her hand and patted Wei Jing Mo’s head again, “Go back to sleep! It’s still early!”
Then, she got up and walked outside.
When Feng Bai Su came out, she saw Hu Jiao standing under the eaves waiting.
Seeing her, a smile immediately appeared on her face: “This official pays respects to Your Highness!”
“There’s no need for such formalities, Lord Hu!”
Feng Bai Su raised her hand slightly, apologizing: “Yesterday this princess was in a bad mood, I hope Lord Hu will forgive any offense!”
After saying this, she cupped her hands and raised them towards Hu Jiao.
Seeing this, how could Hu Jiao dare to accept, she hurriedly said: “Not at all! It was this official who disturbed Your Highness’s refined mood! It was this official’s fault!”
“To make up for last night’s discourtesy! How about today this official personally escorts you to the encampment. What does Your Highness think?”
She bowed, her face apologetic.
Seeing this, Feng Bai Su’s eyes deepened, but her face smiled lightly: “How could I trouble Lord Hu like this?”
“It’s no trouble! No trouble at all!” Hu Jiao smiled with sincerity all over her face.
Seeing her insist like this, Feng Bai Su seemed unable to refuse further, and could only compromise: “Well then, I’ll trouble Lord Hu.”
The two were cordial on the surface, but each harbored their own thoughts inside.
Seeing Feng Bai Su agree, Hu Jiao immediately walked outside: “Your Highness, please follow me this way. This official has prepared horses.”
——
The encampment was in the northwest direction of Ye City, about 20-30 kilometers away from the town.
Feng Bai Su followed Hu Jiao on horseback towards the encampment, and arrived at the encampment after about an hour.
When they were about five kilometers away from the camp, Hu Jiao, who was leading the way in front, suddenly stopped. She turned to look at Feng Bai Su and said: “Your Highness, after crossing this long river ahead, we’ll reach the encampment.”
She pointed to the front right with her hand and explained: “The encampment is heavily guarded, and this official cannot enter without the General’s writ. Your Highness will have to go the rest of the way alone.”
“I see.” Feng Bai Su nodded to her, smiling gratefully: “Then thank you for guiding me this far, Lord Hu! Please go slowly!”
“Your Highness is too kind! It’s what this official should do!”
Hu Jiao cupped her hands towards her while sitting on her horse, then turned her horse around and rode away.
Feng Bai Su sat on her horse standing in place, glancing at Hu Jiao’s retreating figure.
The smile on her face gradually faded, and a deep meaning flashed through her peach blossom eyes.
After a long while, she finally tightened the reins and continued riding forward.
When she arrived at the entrance of the encampment, before she could get close, she was stopped by the military generals guarding on both sides.
“Who goes there? You cannot enter without the General’s writ!”
Feng Bai Su unhurriedly dismounted, took out a token from her bosom and held it up to them.
When the guarding generals saw the token, their expressions immediately changed, and they knelt on one knee: “So it’s the Seventh Princess! This soldier pays respects to Your Highness!”
“No need for formalities.”
Feng Bai Su put away the token and said: “This princess has come to provide support by order of the Emperor Mother! Where is your General? Take this princess to see your General.”
Hearing this, the general immediately replied: “Your Highness, please wait a moment, this soldier will go report to the camp right away!”
With that, she walked inside.
About half an incense stick’s time later, a woman wearing silver armor walked out from inside.
Seeing Feng Bai Su, she immediately bowed and saluted: “Greetings to the Seventh Princess! This soldier is Chen Tian, the deputy general by the General’s side. The General is injured and unable to move, so she specially asked this soldier to come and escort Your Highness over.”
As she spoke, she stepped aside, “Your Highness, this way please!”
Feng Bai Su nodded and followed her inside.
——
The encampment was more than twice the size of the capital garrison. Because the southern Yi barbarians had been eyeing them covetously lately, occasionally causing disturbances in the border areas.
The atmosphere in the camp had also become very tense and serious.
Military generals wearing armor held guns and swords. They patrolled around the camp, and some were training in the training grounds.
Everything was orderly, with everyone performing their duties!
Even when Feng Bai Su passed by them, it didn’t attract their attention at all, they were still carrying on with their own tasks.
One look and you could tell that the person leading the army was a serious and conscientious person, to be able to train such a rigorous army!
Feng Bai Su followed Deputy General Chen Tian all the way to the depths of the camp, until they came to a white tent.
She stopped, lifted the curtain and turned to invite: “Your Highness, please enter! The General is inside.”
“Thank you!”
Feng Bai Su nodded to her and walked inside.
In the tent, Wei Yang wore a white inner robe with a dark cotton robe draped over it, sitting on the bed platform, holding a map of the border region in her hand.
Her face was deep, her features spirited and sharp, like an unsheathed sword. Even sitting there quietly, one could feel the irresistible edge about her.
However, at this time her face was slightly pale, her lips showing an unhealthy whiteness, and the aura around her had a hint of weakness. One look and you could tell she was not yet recovered from a serious injury.
As soon as Feng Bai Su walked in, she sensed the movement and turned her head.
Her black eyes lightly scanned up and down, then she put down the map in her hand and cupped her hands: “Seventh Princess.” Her voice was cold and brief.
“General.”
Feng Bai Su also raised her hand slightly towards her, then pulled up a chair and sat down. Very much at ease.
She looked Wei Yang up and down, leaned back in her chair and raised an eyebrow slightly, her voice somewhat lazy: “It seems the General was badly injured this time! Why didn’t you return to Ye City to recuperate? Jing Mo is very worried about you, his second sister, I was thinking of coming to see you.”
“Mo’er?”
Wei Yang’s expressionless face couldn’t help but frown: “Did he come here with you?”
“Does the General not know?”
Seeing her surprised face, Feng Bai Su found it interesting, “By rights, this Ye City is not far from the military camp, this princess arrived in Ye City yesterday. Yet the General didn’t receive any news at all. It seems your relationship with this Ye City is very delicate!”
Wei Yang fell silent upon hearing this, her black eyes also darkening.
She raised her head again to look at Feng Bai Su, saying flatly: “If Your Highness has something to say, please speak frankly.”
“Heavy snow has fallen continuously, and snow disasters have broken out in various parts of Feng Ling country, with the court overwhelmed. It just so happens that at this time, the southern Yi barbarians have coordinated with the surrounding 36 tribes to invade. And you, the mighty general, just happened to be seriously injured at this time due to being outnumbered by the enemy.”
Feng Bai Su’s voice was unhurried, “Things happened so coincidentally. This princess doesn’t believe there isn’t something fishy going on!”
A lazy smile curled at the corner of her lips, “And coincidentally, after this princess arrived yesterday, I was warmly received by your Ye City Lord Hu Jiao. Not only did she prepare a courtyard for this princess, but she also held a welcoming banquet in the evening. What does the General think Hu Jiao’s intentions are in being so enthusiastic towards this princess?”
Feng Bai Su leaned back lazily, but her peach blossom eyes were calm and unperturbed.
After hearing this speech, Wei Yang’s gaze lingered on her face for a few moments, then she said in a low voice: “This invasion by the southern Yi barbarians was indeed not an accident, but premeditated! I suspect someone has colluded with the southern Yi barbarians.”
As for who this person was, after Feng Bai Su’s speech, both of them already knew in their hearts.
Wei Yang’s expression became serious, her voice also turning cold: “For the southern Yi barbarians to be able to rally the surrounding 36 tribes, this is not something that can be achieved overnight. I’m afraid they have been planning for a long time. They attacked at this time because someone must have leaked information to them, taking advantage of the court being overwhelmed by snow disasters in many places.”
“As for my injuries…” She raised her hand to her chest, frowning, “I suspect that the military deployment plans were leaked, giving the southern Yi barbarians an opportunity to exploit!”
Thinking about the existence of loopholes in the army, her whole aura suddenly turned chilly.
After being vigilant for so many years, she didn’t expect someone would still find an opportunity to exploit.
“The General really shouldn’t have handed over the authority of Ye City to others!”
Ye City, as a border town, was so close to the military encampment. Yet Wei Yang had allowed the position of Ye City Lord to be given to an outsider, which was practically nurturing a tiger to invite calamity.
After hearing Feng Bai Su’s words, Wei Yang didn’t get angry. She did indeed regret her past negligence.
Back then, she had only focused on guarding the border and training the army, and rarely returned to Ye City.
Although many military families lived in Ye City, she didn’t have much interest in the position of City Lord. She just thought it didn’t matter who held the position, since she was busy with military affairs daily and couldn’t attend to the city’s affairs anyway, so it was better to let someone else manage it.
But she forgot that one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. As a border town, her reputation as the mighty general was formidable in all directions.
When the people of Ye City spoke of the mighty general Wei Yang, they felt admiration, and the existence of the Ye City Lord was almost like a figurehead. Anyone in such a situation would inevitably feel resentful!
It could be said that City Lord Hu Jiao was a trouble that Wei Yang had nurtured with her own hands!
After pondering for a moment, Wei Yang spoke again: “In this battle, the southern Yi barbarians and I are both wounded, neither side gained an advantage. They probably won’t launch a large-scale attack in the short term. The urgent matter now is to handle the affairs of Ye City properly, so we can focus on dealing with the enemy.”
“This princess has the same intention.”
Feng Bai Su looked at her and smiled lightly.
Hu Jiao had calculated everything but hadn’t figured out that the series of rumors about Feng Bai Su in Feng Ling City were just a disguise, and had exposed her intentions early on.
Now it could be said that I am in the dark, while the enemy is in the light.
Hu Jiao is just a jumping clown, not worth fearing! But if we keep letting her jump around like this, it’s truly annoying!
Feng Bai Su and Wei Yang were both decisive people, and immediately reached a consensus.
Today, Feng Bai Su had only planned to come and see Wei Yang’s injuries. After talking for a while longer, she stood up to take her leave.
Before leaving, Wei Yang suddenly called out to her, “Your Highness!”
Hearing this, Feng Bai Su turned back to look at her.
She saw Wei Yang’s face seemed a bit stiff as she said in a low voice: “…I hope Your Highness won’t tell Mo’er about my injuries, to avoid him worrying too much.”
Hearing this, Feng Bai Su’s gaze circled her face, until Wei Yang’s expression became more and more unnatural.
Only then did she chuckle lightly, saying slowly: “Second sister, rest assured, this sister-in-law understands, and won’t say much in front of Jing Mo.”
Wei Yang: “…”
She couldn’t help but choke and cough, as if frightened by the “second sister” from her mouth.
Seeing this, Feng Bai Su raised an eyebrow, a smile spreading on her lips.
——
Not long after Feng Bai Su left, Deputy General Chen Tian escorted her away and then returned to the tent.
“General, the Seventh Princess has left.”
Sitting on the bed, Wei Yang heard this and made a sound of acknowledgment, then picked up the map she had put aside and started looking at it again.
After Chen Tian stood in place for a while, she couldn’t help but ask: “General, what exactly did the Seventh Princess come here for today? Why did she leave so quickly?”
“Although the southern Yi barbarians don’t have any major movements for now, I’m afraid they won’t stay quiet for long. You’re seriously injured, when the time comes…”
Her face was somewhat worried, and her heart was even more twisted.
No one knew the General’s injuries better than her. That arrow had missed the heart meridian by a hair’s breadth. If it had been off by another fraction, the General’s life might have been difficult to save.
The fact that she could wake up now was also thanks to her strong physical constitution. But to recover to her peak condition would not be possible in a short time.
Chen Tian was really worried, “If the southern Yi barbarians invade again, can such a precious princess as the Seventh Princess handle it?”
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Feng Bai Su, but that she didn’t trust a princess who had grown up in luxury and never experienced hardship.
After hearing these words, Wei Yang’s expression didn’t change much, as if she didn’t feel worried.
After a long while, she spoke in a low voice: “This Seventh Princess is not as simple as she appears on the surface.”
Not to mention that she had already received a letter from the Northern King’s mansion. Between the lines, it revealed her mother’s admiration for this princess.
Moreover, just taking her words from earlier, it wasn’t something a foolish person could think of.
“Don’t worry about the southern Yi barbarians for now, go and handle another matter first.”
Wei Yang’s face became somewhat cold, “The fact that our army fell into an ambush this time, I fear someone deliberately leaked our movements. This person is probably still lurking in the army. Leak information to the army, saying that my condition has changed, and I might not make it through tonight!”
“General, what is your intention with this?”
“This person has someone behind them, if they know that my life is in danger, they will probably immediately report to the person behind them. At that time, we’ll catch them all in one net, and root them all out for me!”
Wei Yang’s voice was somewhat cold, her gaze sharp and deep.
If it weren’t for Feng Bai Su coming today and saying these words, she wouldn’t have been able to target City Lord Hu Jiao so quickly.
After all, although Ye City wasn’t large, there were many officials inside.
And usually, their relationship with Wei Yang wasn’t very harmonious.
In comparison, this City Lord Hu Jiao was a flexible character, and her relationship with Wei Yang was more harmonious than others.
Therefore, although she had targeted someone in Ye City, she hadn’t focused her attention on City Lord Hu Jiao so quickly.
Hearing this, Chen Tian’s face also turned cold. She immediately bowed and responded: “Yes, General! This subordinate will go and do it right away!”
With that, she strode out quickly.
——
After leaving the encampment, Feng Bai Su returned to Ye City.
When she arrived at the mansion, it was just noon.
Wei Jing Mo was just about to sit down for a meal when he saw Feng Bai Su walking in.
His ink-black eyes immediately lit up, and he stood up to welcome her, “Your Highness, you’re back!”
“Dong Qing, quickly add a set of bowls and chopsticks for Her Highness!”
After turning his head to instruct, he looked at Feng Bai Su again and said: “Your Highness, please come and sit!”
Feng Bai Su walked over and sat down beside him. Seeing that he was only wearing a thin cotton robe, she asked softly: “Are you cold?”
As she spoke, she took his hands and held them.
Feeling that his hands were warm in her palm, she then let go of him.
However, Wei Jing Mo anxiously asked: “Your Highness, how is my second sister? Is her injury serious?”
Seeing that he immediately asked about Wei Yang, Feng Bai Su couldn’t help but tease: “You little heartless one! You only care about your second sister.”
Although she said this, she still honestly told him about Wei Yang’s condition.
“Her spirit is quite good, she just can’t get out of bed and move around for now.”
As for the severity of her injuries, Feng Bai Su didn’t mention a word.
Hearing that Wei Yang was conscious and just temporarily unable to get out of bed, Wei Jing Mo breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s good! I thought she was still unconscious! It’s good that she’s awake!”
With the weight lifted from his heart, the worry that had been gathering between his brows slowly dissipated.
Finally in the mood to ask about other things, “Didn’t Your Highness say you would come back very late? Why did you come back so quickly?”
“There was a change of plans…”
She picked up a mouthful of food with her chopsticks and chewed it slowly, only continuing after swallowing: “The southern Yi barbarians won’t launch a major attack for now, so after discussing some other matters with your second sister, I came back.”
Wei Jing Mo nodded somewhat understandingly, picked up some food with his chopsticks and put it in her bowl, saying softly: “Your Highness, please eat first, we can talk about anything else after the meal!”
Only then did the two stop talking and quietly began to eat.
In the afternoon, the snow that had stopped for half a day began to fall again in flurries.
The courtyard that had just been cleaned by the servants was again covered with a layer of white snow in no time.
Feng Bai Su had no other plans for the afternoon, so she stayed indoors, sitting by the window with Wei Jing Mo, watching the snowflakes flutter outside.
Suddenly, she spoke: “When the weather gets better, how about I take you to tour the streets of Ye City?”
Wei Jing Mo’s eyes immediately lit up, but then he became a bit hesitant, “Does Your Highness have time? Won’t it affect Your Highness?”
“It’s fine.” Feng Bai Su pinched his cheek, smiling lightly: “Anyway, we’re going to stay here for a while, wouldn’t it be a pity not to go out and see?”
Hearing this, Wei Jing Mo finally put his mind at ease.
He enthusiastically began to talk about the border scenery he had seen recorded in those scrolls when he was in Feng Ling City.
“I’ve heard that the young men in the border areas are very lively and cheerful, completely different from the young men in Feng Ling City. They’ve even learned martial arts. I’ve also heard that the mountains and rivers of the border are very magnificent, and the grasslands are endless, with cattle and sheep visible everywhere. Oh right, they also like to hold bonfire gatherings, where everyone dances and sings around a huge bonfire, it’s very lively…”
Wei Jing Mo enthusiastically recounted the wonders he had seen in books, his voice full of curiosity and longing.
Feng Bai Su didn’t interrupt him, just sat quietly beside him listening.
Her peach blossom eyes seemed to contain a pool of spring water, full of tender affection.
