bayedsolid Chapter 248 The Living Abandoned Empress of the Cold Palace X The Invading Unruly Buddhist Son 82
Chapter 248 The Living Abandoned Empress of the Cold Palace X The Invading Unruly Buddhist Son 82
"Of course I want cavalry, but building an elite cavalry unit is not something that can be done overnight." Yun Qian sighed softly, "If the peace talks are successful, I will have time for you to prepare, select strong men, purchase good horses, and build a cavalry unit that can truly compete with the Northern Fate Iron Cavalry."
Lu Zheng nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his expression. He had never seen such a calm and decisive woman before. Even many veterans couldn't match her vision and planning.
Just as Yun Qian and Lu Zheng were discussing this, news arrived from the front lines—the Northern Border's Iron Cavalry seemed to be making unusual movements. Their harassment had decreased significantly over the past few days, and on several occasions, they had even withdrawn their scouts.
All of this seems very unusual, and one can't help but wonder what is going on.
After pondering for a moment, Yun Qian ordered his men to intensify their defenses. At the same time, he secretly sent people to contact the northern border to test whether the other party had the intention of negotiating peace.
As the days passed and the New Year drew to a close, heavy snow covered the entire Jinzhou. The soldiers in the camp were all looking forward to having a good New Year.
But Yun Qian's heart was always hanging in the air.
A few days later, Yun Piao's reply finally arrived. In the letter, although Yun Piao verbally stated that "if peace can be negotiated, it will be the best for the people", she did not explicitly issue an order, but instead handed the decision-making power to Yun Qian.
Yun Qian looked at the letter, a mixture of emotions welling up in her heart. This was Yun Piao's support for her, despite his own personal feelings, but it was also a test. If she succeeded, he would be a great credit; if not, all the responsibility would fall on her shoulders.
She put down the letter, looked up at the snowy plains in the distance, and muttered to herself, "Fighting and then making peace is common, but if we don't have enough strength, the North will definitely not agree."
But what arrived even faster than her plan was Qi Jueyu's reply...
"I want you to come to the gates of Liaoshun alone."
Yun Qian looked down at Qi Jueyu's reply, her brow furrowed slightly. It was a short sentence, without any extra explanation, not even the sharpness or provocation that usually permeated his words. It was just a cold request. This letter was inconsistent with Qi Jueyu's usual style, and it made her wary.
Liaoshun City was a key route between the Northern Border and Jinzhou, and also served as an outpost for the Northern Border army. Qi Jueyu's invitation to her to go alone was clearly not a friendly one.
She folded the letter and casually tossed it into the brazier. The flames licked the paper, quickly reducing it to ash. The wind was biting outside the tent, and the firelight reflected on her profile, making it look a bit cold.
"General Lu." Yun Qian summoned Lu Zheng into the tent and briefly informed him of the situation. "I'm going to Liaoshun City."
Lu Zheng's expression changed: "Your Highness, Liaoshun City is extremely dangerous, you..."
Yun Qian waved his hand, his tone firm: "There can be no more scorched earth. If we can negotiate peace, what does it matter if I risk my life?"
"But he's from the Northern Territory, how can we trust him?" Lu Zheng said anxiously, "If he sets an ambush—"
"He won't kill me." Yun Qian raised his eyes with a calm expression.
Lu Zheng was speechless, but his heart was filled with doubts. Where did this confidence come from? Before he could say anything else, Yun Qian spoke again.
"Lu Zheng, I can see that the reason you told me the other day that you wanted revenge was just a facade. In reality, your parents are still alive, and you disguised yourself as that homeless child just to make a name for yourself. But I want to tell you clearly, this world needs warriors to win battles, but the purpose of all this should be to restore peace to the people."
After the words fell, Lu Zheng was stunned. It turned out that... the Crown Princess had already sent people to investigate.
He stammered twice, but said nothing. "I don't care what others say, but when it comes to human life and victory in war, I, Yun Qian, will always stand on the side of the former."
……
In the end, Lu Zheng watched Yun Qian leave. Her resolute back didn't show at all that...she was a noble person who lived a life of luxury.
------
When Qi Heyao learned that Yun Qian planned to go to Liaoshun City alone, his face suddenly darkened. Then, he was speechless. He had thought he should have considered Yun Qian's safety first, but he didn't expect his first thought to be—"Why did the enemy send the letter to the Crown Princess?"
A heavy feeling of having his power taken away hung over him like a thick cloud.
Qi Heyao immediately stepped forward to look for Yun Qian, but he only saw Yun Qian ordering people to pack up. His heart tightened, and he stepped forward to stop her, his eyes revealing a hint of suppressed anger: "Yun Qian, are you crazy? Going to Liaoshun City alone? That's the headquarters of the northern border, Qi Jueyu's territory. You're putting yourself in danger! Haven't you thought about me?"
Yun Qian stopped and looked up at him, her eyes as calm as water, without a trace of hesitation.
"Your Highness, Liaoshun City is the key. Qi Jueyu took the initiative to invite me, which shows that he has other purposes. If he wanted to kill me, there would be no need to go through so much trouble." Her tone was neither hurried nor slow, but with unquestionable certainty.
"But if you go, what if..." Qi Heyao paused, his brows furrowed even tighter, his hand unconsciously clenching his sword. "You know who Qi Jueyu is. He's insidious and cunning. There's no guarantee he won't set a trap."
"It's precisely because he's so sinister that I have to find out his intentions." Yun Qian sighed softly, and his tone softened. "Don't worry, I won't put myself in danger easily. I have my own plans."
"Are you planning to go into danger alone?" Qi Heyao sneered, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. "Do you understand your current status? How many people in the court are watching your every move? If something goes wrong, how will you let me explain it?"
Yun Qian was slightly startled by his serious tone, then said softly, "Since General Qi is so worried, why don't you come with me?"
"If I could go with you, why would you take such a risk?" Qi Heyao pressed his forehead helplessly and lowered his voice. "Liaoshun City is not a place I can set foot in. All I can do is persuade you not to go."
Yun Qian was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised her eyes, a look of tenderness and determination in her eyes: "I will stay in the sedan chair and will not show my face, let alone rashly enter the city. Send someone to escort me to the city gate, and I will be cautious."
Qi Heyao was very angry, so how could he listen to Yun Qian's words?