klisemfg Chapter 514 The defeated Northern Li army returns to Tianqi. On the eve of the Tianqi era, Situ Xue
Chapter 514 The defeated Northern Li army returns to Tianqi. On the eve of the Tianqi era, Situ Xue
As night fell, the inventory results came out.
Of the 200,000 troops that set out from Tianqi, only 57,000 remain, including more than 8,000 wounded.
Sixty or seventy percent of the baggage was lost, the food rations were only enough for ten days, and the loss of warhorses was also severe.
Inside the central command tent, the candlelight flickered.
Xiao Ruofeng, Lei Mengsha, and Xun Yichuan sat facing each other in silence. A steaming meal was laid out on the table, but none of them touched their chopsticks.
"Your Highness, what should we do next..." Xun Yichuan broke the silence.
Xiao Ruofeng said slowly, "I will rest for three days, and then return to the capital to apologize!"
"Apologize?" Lei Mengsha suddenly looked up. "Seventh Brother, this battle wasn't a fault of our own! Not to mention that Baili Luochen was prepared, Wen Yanzhao's drug-man evil magic was even more terrifying. You shouldn't have..."
“Defeat is defeat!” Xiao Ruofeng interrupted him. “With more than half of our 200,000-strong army lost, I, as the commander-in-chief, am largely to blame. After returning to the capital, I will resign from my position as Grand General to my brother, the Emperor, and I will take full responsibility for all the crimes!”
"Seventh Brother!" Lei Mengsha exclaimed urgently, "Do you know what His Majesty... how he will deal with you?"
Xiao Ruofeng did not answer, and the tent fell silent once again.
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from outside the tent, approaching from afar and heading straight for the central army!
"Who goes there?!" the guard outside the tent shouted sharply.
"Commander Xiao Yu'an, a close attendant of the Prince of Langya, has urgent military intelligence to report to Your Highness!" The messenger's voice was urgent, hoarse from a long journey.
Xiao Ruofeng frowned upon hearing this—Xiao Yu'an was a trusted confidant he left at the Tianqi Prince's Mansion, and he would never have abandoned his post to chase after the army unless it was an extremely urgent situation.
"Let him in."
The tent flap was lifted, and a man dressed in bright yellow martial attire rushed in and fell to the ground.
"Your Highness! Miss Situ has disappeared!"
"What?!" Xiao Ruofeng suddenly stood up, knocking over the table and scattering bowls and chopsticks all over the floor.
Xiao Yu'an prostrated himself on the ground, his voice trembling, "On the fifth day after you went to war, she disappeared from the palace! I originally thought that Miss Situ was worried about you and secretly followed the army south, but even after sending several groups of people to follow the troops, we couldn't find any trace of her..."
He paused, then said with difficulty, "It was later determined that Miss Situ did not accompany the army. I am incompetent; after searching for many days, I have been unable to find her. I beg Your Highness to punish me!"
Xiao Ruofeng's face turned pale, and he grabbed Xiao Yu'an, asking, "Why did she leave without saying goodbye? Did she say anything before she left?"
“He didn’t say anything…but…” Xiao Yu’an hesitated.
"But what? Speak!"
“A few days ago, Miss Situ was feeling unwell, and the head steward summoned the imperial physician to examine her,” Xiao Yu’an said in an even lower voice. “The imperial physician said… Miss Situ has been pregnant for a long time, but her pregnancy isn’t showing yet. The imperial physician also said that she’s been very secretive about her pregnancy, as if… she doesn’t want outsiders to know…”
These words were like a thunderclap!
Xiao Ruofeng released his grip, staggered back two steps, and slumped into a chair.
She's pregnant... Situ Xue is pregnant? But she never told him, and instead left without saying goodbye at this crucial moment...
why?
Was she afraid that if he were to be defeated and demoted upon returning to the capital, it would implicate her and the child?
No, Situ Xue isn't that kind of person. If she truly cared about the child, she should have stayed in the Prince's residence, where at least she would have royal protection.
Why did she leave? Where did she go?
Countless questions churned in Xiao Ruofeng's mind. He suddenly recalled the expression on Situ Xue's face as she packed his bags the night before he set off for the expedition—she seemed hesitant to speak, her eyes filled with deep worry.
At the time, he thought she was just worried about the war, but now he realizes there might have been something else behind that worry.
"Your Highness?" Lei Mengsha asked with concern when she noticed his unusual expression.
Xiao Ruofeng waved his hand, took a deep breath, and said to Xiao Yu'an, "I understand. Go find a tent with Xiao Ping to rest in, and come back to Tianqi with me tomorrow."
After Xiao and An left, the tent fell silent once again.
Lei Mengsha and Xun Yichuan exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and worry in each other's eyes—Situ Xue had left without saying goodbye and was pregnant; if this news reached Tianqi, who knew what kind of waves it would cause.
Xiao Ruofeng sat alone by the candlelight, unable to sleep all night.
He recalled Situ Xue's face countless times, her smiling eyes and her silent profile. But the more he thought about it, the more confused he became.
Situ Xue, where did you go? Why did you leave at this time?
The night was deep, and the campfire flickered on and off.
In Tianqi City, thousands of miles away, some people also stayed up all night.
……
Tianqi City, Zichen Palace.
At the beginning of the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), before dawn, the palace was already brightly lit.
Xiao Ruojin sat behind his desk, wearing a bright yellow nightgown, holding a vermilion brush in his hand. The memorial spread out in front of him was a summary of the new war report from the Ministry of War in the southwest—the remnants of the Prince of Langya's army had reached Ezhou and would soon return to the capital.
He stared at those lines of text for a long time, the vermilion brush hovering in mid-air, hesitant to fall.
Very light footsteps came from outside the hall. Jinxuan quietly entered with a tea tray, placed a cup of ginseng tea on the table, and stood at attention with her hands at her sides.
Xiao Ruojin didn't look up, but suddenly spoke: "Jinxuan, something's not right with you today."
Jin Xuan's heart skipped a beat, but her face remained calm: "This servant is terrified. What makes Your Majesty say such a thing?"
"Ever since the news of the defeat in the southwest came, you've been restless." Xiao Ruojin put down her vermilion brush and looked up at him. "Is there something you're hiding from me?"
The question was asked casually, but Jinxuan's back was already soaked with cold sweat.
He had followed Xiao Ruojin for many years and knew his master's temperament all too well—the calmer the situation, the more dangerous it was.
He hesitated for a moment, then leaned down and whispered, "This servant dares not hide it... but I am a little worried."
"worry about what?"
"The Prince of Langya is about to return to the capital. This major defeat in the southwest has resulted in the loss of more than 100,000 soldiers, and many officials in the court have already submitted memorials impeaching him."
Jinxuan lowered her voice even further, "This servant is worried that if His Majesty punishes the enemy too leniently, it will be difficult to convince the people; if he punishes them too severely, it may discourage the soldiers..."
Upon hearing this, a complex expression flashed in Xiao Ruojin's eyes.
He got up and walked to the window, pushed it open, and the morning breeze rushed in. The outline of the palace wall in the distance gradually became clear in the brightening light of the day.
He had only been in this imperial city for a few months, yet he already felt an unprecedented sense of loneliness and isolation.
"What do you think I should do?" Xiao Ruojin suddenly asked.
Jinxuan was taken aback and said cautiously, "This is a matter of great importance to the military and the country, and this servant dares not speak recklessly."
"I forgive your guilt, speak!"
Jin Xuan took a deep breath and slowly said, "The Prince of Langya is indeed guilty of a major defeat. However... he is, after all, His Majesty's younger brother, and enjoys extremely high prestige in the army... if not handled properly, unforeseen circumstances may arise!"
"Oh?" Xiao Ruojin turned around, her gaze sharp. "Are you afraid he'll become too powerful with his military force?"
"This servant wouldn't dare!" Jinxuan immediately knelt down. "But... but now Beili is beset by internal and external troubles, Baili Luochen in the southwest is eyeing us covetously, and the border of Nanjue is also not peaceful. If the court falls into chaos again, I'm afraid..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
Xiao Ruojin remained silent for a long time, then suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with desolation: "Jinxuan, oh Jinxuan, you've followed me for so many years, and you still don't understand!"
He walked back to his desk, tapping his fingers on the surface: "My younger brother is loyal and compassionate, and he commands great respect in the army—these are his strengths, but also his greatest weaknesses!"
"Your Majesty means..."
“If he truly harbored rebellious intentions, he wouldn’t have relinquished the throne to me in the first place,” Xiao Ruojin said slowly. “But while he may not have rebellious intentions, he has the ability to do so. That’s the problem!”
He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Of the 200,000 troops, 70 or 80 percent have been lost, yet the commander-in-chief has returned safely, and the enemy hasn't even pursued him... Jinxuan, do you think this is normal?"
Jin Xuan was shocked: "His Majesty suspects the Prince of Langya and Baili Luochen..."
Xiao Ruojin interrupted Jinxuan with a wave of her hand: "I have no doubts about anything, I only look at the facts! The fact is, he was defeated, utterly defeated, and a defeated general should no longer hold military power in the world!"
These words were spoken calmly, yet each one was like a knife.
……