Chapter 56: Facing the Battle

The ordinary people living in Ye City hadn’t expected this.

Before they could receive news of another invasion by the southern barbarians, their city lord got into trouble first.

“Hey, have you heard? They say our city lord actually colluded with the southern barbarians to frame our Fengling army!”

“Sigh, who would have thought! I even heard that the reason our great general was injured in battle this time was because this Hu Jiao leaked secrets!”

“Being an official of Fengling yet colluding with those southern barbarians, it’s simply a disgrace to our Fengling nation!”

“I heard that when the great general sent people to search her residence today, they found a large amount of gold, silver and jewels – all obtained from secretly exploiting the common people over the years!”

“I used to think this Hu Jiao was kind and close to the people, but to do such inhuman things! Fortunately, the great general is wise and brought such a villain to justice!”

“Exactly! The great general is truly wise and mighty!”

…

Wei Yang’s actions were indeed very swift. In less than five days, he had Hu Jiao arrested. With irrefutable evidence, she didn’t even have a chance to quibble.

Such thunderous methods not only caught Hu Jiao off guard without time to resist, but also intimidated the other officials in Ye City. Especially those officials who attended the welcoming banquet that day – they became more anxious day by day, unable to eat or sleep well. They feared that the next Hu Jiao would be themselves!

These people who could become officials in Ye City were not fools. They didn’t believe there was no trick involved in Hu Jiao suddenly being investigated and arrested.

Before the Seventh Princess came to Ye City, Hu Jiao had been doing well, and on the surface her relationship with Wei Yang was very harmonious. How come just a few days after the Seventh Princess appeared, Wei Yang led troops to raid Hu Jiao’s home?

If someone said the Seventh Princess didn’t give a hint in between, they wouldn’t believe it!

That day at the welcoming banquet, they all thought this Seventh Princess was just a dissolute noble, with a violent temperament and unpredictable moods. Looking back now, everything at that time was just her disguise. She must have seen through Hu Jiao’s intentions early on and deliberately acted in front of them. The purpose was to lull them into a false sense of security and let them lower their guard!

After realizing this, the officials couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat!

Fortunately, they didn’t continue to entangle with Hu Jiao that day, but left early. Otherwise, they might have ended up with the same fate as Hu Jiao!

At once, the officials who still harbored ulterior motives instantly didn’t dare to think of anything anymore. They all became well-behaved, fearing that the next person to have their home raided would be themselves.

The control of Ye City smoothly returned to Wei Yang’s hands.

—

The sudden raid on City Lord Hu Jiao’s home caused an uproar throughout Ye City.

Even staying in the mansion, Wei Jing Mo could hear the commotion outside.

He looked at Feng Bai Su lying languidly on the soft couch. Her beautiful face was expressionless, as if she had anticipated everything happening outside.

“Your Highness, what’s happening outside? How come you don’t seem surprised at all?”

Hearing this, Feng Bai Su raised her eyelids and hummed lightly at him, “…It should be that City Lord Hu Jiao has been arrested. I didn’t expect your second sister to act so swiftly, taking her down in such a short time.”

The corner of her lips curled lazily, her voice sounding somewhat nonchalant.

Wei Jing Mo walked to her side, surprised to hear this: “The city lord was arrested by my second sister?”

“Mm, colluding with barbarians, framing loyal officials – naturally she deserves to be arrested!”

Feng Bai Su slowly sat up, pulling Wei Jing Mo’s waist to sit down.

“Now that the internal troubles are resolved, we can focus wholeheartedly on resisting external enemies! Starting tomorrow, I’m afraid I’ll have to stay in the military camp frequently.”

Hearing this, Wei Jing Mo no longer cared about the matters outside. His hand gripping Feng Bai Su’s clothes tightened as he softly responded with a sound, his expression seeming to become a bit downcast.

Lowering his eyes, his long eyelashes trembled slightly, “Your Highness need not worry about Jing Mo. Jing Mo will take good care of himself.”

Feng Bai Su reached out to stroke his hair, holding him in her arms and affectionately rubbing her chin against him. She said in a low voice: “Ye City is now under your second sister’s management. Hu Jiao’s downfall will also deter other officials from acting recklessly. Ye City is quite safe now. The snow these past few days has gradually stopped as well. If you get bored, you can also take Dong Qing and Dong Gua out for a walk.”

Wei Jing Mo curled up in her embrace, listening to her gentle instructions. His thin lips couldn’t help but purse slightly, the hands around her waist tightening as if unwilling to let go.

—

Starting the next day, Feng Bai Su indeed became busy. Sometimes she would even stay in the military camp for several days in a row.

At first, Wei Jing Mo was still not used to sleeping alone at night, often lying awake until late. His whole person visibly became haggard at a rapid pace.

It’s unknown whether someone reported this matter to Feng Bai Su. Later, whenever she didn’t return at night, she would write a letter back and have someone deliver it to Wei Jing Mo.

The letter was filled with details of what she had done that day, along with words to coax him to sleep.

Every night, Wei Jing Mo would wait for Feng Bai Su’s letter. Then he would read it several times before lying down to sleep. It unexpectedly cured his insomnia.

Time unknowingly entered the twelfth lunar month. Although the situation between the stationed army and the southern barbarians was tense, with a major battle possibly breaking out at any time,

Ye City remained peaceful and tranquil. Under Wei Yang’s governance, it was not affected by the tense atmosphere of war at all.

The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was the Laba Festival.

Not only did every household in Fengling have to drink Laba porridge on this day, but Ye City even had unique festival customs. The city would hold a fireworks show on this day.

Feng Bai Su still hadn’t returned today. Although Wei Jing Mo was already used to it, he couldn’t help feeling a bit low-spirited on such a lively day.

After simply drinking a bowl of Laba porridge, he lost his appetite.

Seeing his downcast expression and gloomy aura, Dong Qing and Dong Gua standing beside him softly suggested: “Young Master, it’s still early. We heard there will be a fireworks show in Ye City tonight. Why don’t we accompany you for a walk outside?”

Hearing this, Wei Jing Mo lowered his eyes to ponder for a moment, then nodded, “…Alright, let’s go take a look.”

Perhaps due to the fireworks show being held in Ye City tonight, even though the snow on the streets had not melted, it still couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the people in the city.

All the city streets were filled with people. Young men gathered in groups, traversing the streets with laughter and chatter. They held sparklers in their hands, flashing brilliant sparks.

Wei Jing Mo wore a snow-white cloak, the soft fur wrapping around his jade-like face. The hood lightly covered the top of his head, making his whole person appear softer and gentler.

His slender figure and outstanding temperament drew frequent sidelong glances from passersby.

Dong Qing and Dong Gua followed closely by his side, constantly watching the passing crowds to prevent them from bumping into Wei Jing Mo.

The three of them walked aimlessly along the street like this.

From time to time, voices of young men could be heard: “Hey! Hurry up! The fireworks display on the city wall is about to start! If you don’t hurry, you’ll miss it.”

“It’s a grand spectacle that only happens once a year, we can’t miss it!”

“Ah, if only I could glimpse the great general’s beauty and grace on such a grand day, I’d be willing to miss the fireworks display!”

“Exactly! Oh, and the Seventh Princess too! I heard that when the Seventh Princess arrived in Ye City that day, everyone who saw her face couldn’t help but be mesmerized! I really want to see what kind of graceful bearing that is!”

“Qi Xiao, isn’t your mother serving as the vice general under the Seventh Princess? Have you seen her?”

Hearing this, the young man named Qi Xiao spoke in a soft voice that seemed to contain a trace of shyness: “Mm… the Seventh Princess is indeed graceful, and very gentle too…”

As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of envious voices immediately rose around him.

“Wow! I’m so jealous that you can be close to the Seventh Princess!”

The voices of the young men gradually faded away, slowly dissipating in the air.

Wei Jing Mo listened to the whole conversation, his footsteps slowly coming to a halt.

Seeing him stop, Dong Qing spoke up somewhat cautiously: “Young Master, those young men must have been talking nonsense. The Princess stays in the military camp every day. How would she have time to meet other young men!”

“Mm, I’m not taking it to heart.”

Wei Jing Mo lowered his eyes, hiding the emotions swirling within them, his expression somewhat indiscernible.

He said in a low voice: “There’s nothing interesting on the streets. Let’s go back.”

Hearing this, Dong Qing and Dong Gua exchanged a glance, carefully following behind him.

After returning to the residence, Wei Jing Mo entered the room and dismissed Dong Qing and Dong Gua. He sat alone in a chair, lost in thought.

The spacious room was completely silent, with only the candle on the table flickering dimly.

Wei Jing Mo lowered his eyes, his expression full of loneliness. His heart felt a mix of emotions.

Although he knew that young man might not have been telling the whole truth, hearing it firsthand still made him overthink.

During this time, the number of times Feng Bai Su returned to Ye City could be counted on one hand. And every time she came back, it was late at night. After exchanging just a few words in the morning, she would leave again.

Even though she wrote letters daily, Wei Jing Mo still couldn’t help feeling insecure.

He couldn’t help but laugh bitterly in his heart: It seems he had truly been spoiled by her! Nothing had even happened yet, and here he was, feeling anxious.

Letting out a soft sigh, he stood up and walked towards the bed.

The bed curtains hanging on both sides had fallen at some point, gently swaying in the cold breeze that slipped through the window cracks.

Wei Jing Mo reached out with his slender jade-like fingers. Just as his fingers lifted a corner of the bed curtain, a hand suddenly extended from inside and grasped his slender wrist.

With a slight force, Wei Jing Mo was pulled inside!

“Ah!”

Wei Jing Mo let out a short cry, falling in without any defense, landing in a warm embrace.

His delicate nose immediately bumped into a soft chest, his breath filled with a seductive floral scent.

His face showed some panic, his other hand unconsciously grasping the clothes of the person beneath him.

A warm breath approached his ear, and a husky voice immediately sounded: “What were you sighing about outside?”

Feeling the tingling sensation by his ear, Wei Jing Mo’s body couldn’t help but tremble sensitively. He abruptly raised his head from the embrace.

His clear dark eyes instantly met Feng Bai Su’s charming peach blossom eyes.

At this moment, her eyes were filled with laughter, the corners of her lips curled into a faint smile as she gazed at him full of mirth.

Wei Jing Mo’s breath slowed for a moment, his voice full of pleasant surprise: “Your Highness, why are you here? When did you come back? Why didn’t you have someone notify me?”

“It’s the Laba Festival today, of course I had to come back.”

Feng Bai Su lowered her head to nuzzle his nose, softly asking again: “You still haven’t told me why you were sighing just now?”

But Wei Jing Mo shook his head, taking the initiative to kiss her lips, “It’s nothing, I just missed Your Highness a bit.”

Seeing him rarely so proactive, how could Feng Bai Su easily let him go? She directly pursued his thin lips, pressing down and invading at will for a while.

After kissing for a while, she lay down holding him, tightly confining Wei Jing Mo in her embrace.

Her voice was somewhat languid: “Your second sister simply treats this princess like a mule turning the millstone, sitting in the tent all day ordering me to do this and that. Today I had to pull you out as an excuse before she reluctantly let me come back.”

She complained, burying her face somewhat pitifully against Wei Jing Mo’s warm neck.

“This princess has been exhausted these past days! As her own brother, you must say some nice words to comfort this princess!”

Seeing her childish grumbling, a trace of laughter flashed through Wei Jing Mo’s dark eyes. But then remembering the words he had heard earlier, the laughter in his eyes faded again.

He spoke in a low voice: “How come I heard that Your Highness met other young men these days? It seems you’re not that tired after all!”

“Who’s spreading rumors about this princess again! Every day, besides being ordered around by your second sister, my mind is full of thoughts of you. My body and mind are occupied by you siblings. How could I have the mood to look at other young men?”

She raised her head to look at Wei Jing Mo, her voice full of frustration: “This sounds obviously fake, don’t tell me you believed it again, young master?”

Wei Jing Mo: “…”

He guiltily averted his gaze, his cheeks slightly reddening.

He said sternly: “How could that be possible! How could I believe such words! I was just casually mentioning it to you.”

“Oh?”

Feng Bai Su had just asked casually, but seeing him so agitated now, she suddenly couldn’t help but become suspicious: “Really?”

Wei Jing Mo looked into her eyes, pretending to be calm as he nodded, “Of course it’s true! Does Your Highness not believe me?”

Only after Feng Bai Su looked away did he finally let out a sigh of relief.

The dejected emotions that had accumulated over this period finally dissipated.

Wei Jing Mo tightly hugged Feng Bai Su’s waist, his cheek nuzzling against her chest. The gloom in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a smile.

After nuzzling a few more times, he suddenly felt the hand on his waist tighten.

Feng Bai Su’s breathing became somewhat rapid, her voice hoarse as she spoke: “Are you doing this on purpose?”

“I was planning to have a good sleep tonight. Since the young master is so enthusiastically inviting, then…”

She suddenly flipped over, pressing down on Wei Jing Mo, her hand also moving downwards, “…I’ll respectfully comply!”

Wei Jing Mo immediately widened his eyes, pushing back: “No… mmph”

Unfortunately, he had only uttered one word before Feng Bai Su sealed his thin lips, leaving him only able to tremble and endure.

—

The next morning, Feng Bai Su felt completely relaxed, her eyes full of satisfaction.

She lifted the blanket and got out of bed with light movements. After dressing, she returned to the bedside.

Looking at the young master on the bed with closed eyes, breathing softly. The corners of his eyes were slightly red and still had tears hanging, his jade-like face flushed red. He looked thoroughly ravished.

She couldn’t help but curl her lips, silently chuckling.

Raising her hand, she used her fingertips to wipe away the tears at the corner of his eyes, then pinched his cheek before getting up to walk outside.

When Wei Jing Mo woke up, he felt that the person beside him was already gone.

He opened his eyes, and as soon as he moved his body, he felt sore and weak all over. His small Adam’s apple moved up and down, his throat so dry it felt like it was about to smoke.

He couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

Just as he propped himself up to sit, Dong Qing pushed open the door and entered, “Young Master, you’re awake?”

“Has Her Highness left?”

Wei Jing Mo raised his head, looking at Dong Qing who was walking over, “What time is it now?”

“In response to the Young Master, it’s almost noon. Her Highness has already gone to the military camp.”

Hearing this, he nodded, his expression quite calm, no longer showing the dejection of previous days.

Seeing that the gloomy aura around Wei Jing Mo had disappeared, Dong Qing couldn’t help but feel happy.

He said somewhat cheerfully: “Does the Young Master want to get up? Let this servant help you dress!”

With these words, he took the clothes from the rack beside and walked towards Wei Jing Mo.

—

Meanwhile, after Feng Bai Su returned to the military camp, she walked towards the tent with light steps.

Hearing her come in, Wei Yang raised her head. Glancing at the somewhat intoxicated expression on her face, she said: “It seems Your Highness had a good night last night.”

Hearing this, Feng Bai Su raised an eyebrow, not feeling embarrassed at all.

“Though Second Sister is alone, it seems you understand quite a lot!”

She gave her a somewhat meaningful look, as if implying something.

Wei Yang: “…”

After spending so many days together, she had come to deeply understand Feng Bai Su’s thick skin.

Not continuing to tangle with her, she returned to the main topic, “I predict that the southern barbarians’ next attack might be around New Year’s Eve. Your Highness should be mentally prepared.”

Her wounds had not fully healed yet, so when the time comes, Feng Bai Su would likely need to take full control on the battlefield.

Seeing her mention official business, Feng Bai Su’s expression also became serious: “Don’t worry! According to our deployed plans, we definitely won’t let the southern side gain any advantage!”

As they spoke, they took out the map again, spreading it on the table.

They gathered around, pointing at positions on the map and speaking in low voices.

As New Year’s Eve drew closer, households in Ye City began to decorate with lanterns and colored streamers, full of anticipation for the new year.

In the military camp 20-30 kilometers away from Ye City, the atmosphere became increasingly tense. Everyone was on high alert, preparing to meet the attack from the southern barbarians.

On the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, New Year’s Eve.

In the early morning, the southern barbarians suddenly led a large army across the Ye River to attack the Fengling border.

Feng Bai Su, wearing armor and holding a weapon, led an army of 100,000 to meet the enemy. The war broke out again!

The two sides met on the plains 5 kilometers away from the Ye River. The person leading the southern barbarian army was the general who had injured Wei Yang last time, the Second Princess of the South, A Hu Na.

Seeing Feng Bai Su opposite her, with delicate skin and a face as exquisite as a man’s, she couldn’t help but laugh loudly: “What’s this? Has your Fengling run out of commanders? Sending such a pretty boy to fight! Be careful my knife doesn’t scare you to death!”

Feng Bai Su, however, paid no mind to her provocation, a faint smile still on her lips. She spoke leisurely: “Well then… let’s wait and see.”

As her words fell, she waved her hand, and the army behind her immediately gripped their weapons tightly and charged forward with loud battle cries!