Chapter 117: The Letter

Seeing Murong Jin leave in a hurry, Pear Blossom looked at Dong Yun and asked, “Sister, if Eagle’s Nest Ridge is going all out to attack Jinyang, will they still attack our village?”

In fact, Dong Yun was also thinking about this question. She looked at Pear Blossom and asked, “What do you think of the Ghost?”

Pear Blossom thought for a moment and said, “He calls himself the Ghost, so he must be incredibly arrogant. Based on his previous ruthless actions, he is definitely someone who seeks revenge for even the smallest offense.”

Dong Yun pondered for a while and said, “If what you say is true, he may not be able to swallow this insult. But if they want to attack Jinyang in the short term, they must commit all their forces, and thus they should not create unnecessary trouble… Not only can we not predict his plans, but perhaps even he himself is undecided. What do you think, Yan’er?”

Xia Xunyan replied, “From the current situation, this person values Li Shubing’s opinions very much. Li Shubing, as the former county magistrate of Jincheng, is quite calculating. After being thwarted by us several times, he will certainly be cautious. Therefore, he may not rashly send troops to our village at this critical moment to stir up trouble.”

Dong Yun nodded in agreement, “the Ghost wants to capture Jinyang because he aims to achieve something big. Even if he can’t swallow this anger, he will have to grit his teeth and bear it.”

Pear Blossom asked, “So, does this mean the villages in Dongping are generally safe for now?”

Dong Yun shook her head, “Whether it’s safe or not depends on the situation in Jinyang. Once they successfully capture Jinyang and secure their position, they will turn their attention to us. If they fail to take it, unless we can completely annihilate them in the siege, they will retreat back to Eagle’s Nest Ridge and continue to plot revenge.”

“Moreover, all our conclusions so far are just analyses and guesses. Who knows what decision he will make in the end? So we must prepare for the worst. The defense of the village must continue, and we must always be ready to fight.”

She couldn’t help but worry, “Jincheng’s city walls are old and in disrepair, the county magistrate has died suddenly, there’s no backbone, and there’s no reinforcements. The defense of the city is very bleak. According to the nature of the Ghost and the others, once they take the city, the people in Jincheng will fall into an irreversible abyss.”

Pear Blossom quickly said, “If they truly intend to head for Jincheng, I’ll take people to assist with the defense.”

Xia Xunyan looked at her, “There are over a thousand bandits in Eagle’s Nest Ridge. With only two hundred of your people, how can you help?”

Pear Blossom confidently replied, “It’s always easier to defend than to attack. The master once said that there is a historical precedent of 500 people defending a city against tens of thousands. Although Jincheng’s city walls have many breaches, making defense more difficult, as long as the master arranges things properly, we should be able to hold for a while. Our people can harass them from the outside, which will greatly reduce the difficulty for the master and the others in defending the city.”

Xia Xunyan asked, “How do you plan to harass them?”

Pear Blossom answered with confidence, “We’ll focus on cavalry and archers. The archers will target their vanguard, while the cavalry will harass their formations. Once they get angry and turn to chase us, we’ll ride away on horseback. They can’t chase us forever, unless they no longer want to continue attacking the city. Back and forth like this, we’ll frustrate them and reduce their morale. With this inner and outer attack, we can defeat them.”

Dong Yun, hearing this, looked up at Xia Xunyan. Years of understanding between them allowed them to quickly see the mutual admiration in each other’s eyes.

Dong Yun nodded, “According to logic, after the death of the county magistrate, there will be heightened vigilance within the first two or three days. After that, they will begin to relax. Most likely, the Ghost will attack the city in three to four days. We still have a little time.”

Bandits are also a disorganized group, untrained, and not necessarily better than them.

She continued, “The Wuyin Army is made up of new recruits, so these next few days, you need to strengthen their archery and cavalry training. Also, try to acquire more horses, and mobilize the villagers to make bows and arrows. If funds are tight, I still have some; I’ll give them to you later.”

Pear Blossom quickly said, “That’s enough. Last time, when we robbed the Fulong Bank, we barely used any of the funds. Sister, don’t worry.”

Xia Xunyan raised her eyebrows when she heard the word “rob.”

Dong Yun smiled, “The two of them, as master and disciple, are capable of such things. For those ill-gotten gains, we can only accept them with a smile.”

Since the matter had been settled, and the day was still early, Pear Blossom did not dare delay. She stood up, cupped her hands at Xia Xunyan, and said, “Master and Sister, you may continue talking, I’ll go arrange the matters.”

Xia Xunyan nodded, “Go ahead.”

Watching her tall figure disappear outside the door, Xia Xunyan said, “She is indeed a child who can be taught.”

Dong Yun smiled slightly, “You keep a straight face in front of her, but once she’s gone, you praise her. You’re really two-faced, Master.”

Xia Xunyan replied, “You don’t know, last time, in front of her, I even slapped her palm.”

Dong Yun raised her eyebrows, “When did that happen? I thought she was very obedient. Perhaps you had too high expectations. I didn’t know you actually punished her. What did she do wrong to provoke you?”

“Did she really not come back to complain to you?” Xia Xunyan chuckled lightly but then thought, considering Pear Blossom’s personality, it was to be expected. “About two months ago, she used the excuse of being busy with farming and disappeared during the day, not attending class at all. Her attitude was slack, so I had to reprimand her.”

Dong Yun’s face flushed upon hearing this. At that time, they had just reunited, and it was the height of their passion, with nightly revelries.

However, she had also realized this and had a falling out with her for a while. Later, Pear Blossom suddenly came to her senses and became more disciplined. It turned out that the credit for this change was due to the person before her.

“Her success today is all thanks to your guidance.”

“I dare not take the credit. But jade cannot be carved into a vessel without a craftsman, and a person cannot become talented without being molded. You needn’t worry.”

Dong Yun lightly cleared her throat. “She has tough skin and muscles. Why should I worry? Just reprimand her as much as you like.”

After saying this, she looked at Xia Xunyan’s cold eyes and hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

The two of them, once in love with each other, could now calmly sit together and discuss this issue with increasing ease. Pear Blossom played a crucial role in this transformation. If she had been slightly less competent, more foolish, or more arrogant, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.

Her diligence, sincerity, courage, and straightforwardness, along with her “early bird catches the worm” mentality, were all qualities that Xia Xunyan admired. These traits made her impossible to dislike or resent.

Yet, Dong Yun couldn’t help but feel heartache for the cool, distant woman in front of her. She wished for her to be loved, just as she longed to be loved herself, and not to remain solitary and forsaken.

…

After leaving the cave, Murong Jin, carrying stones and wood, hurried toward the city.

At a crossroads halfway there, they were ambushed by a group of more than ten refugees, who launched a surprise attack.

Murong Jin did not expect that someone would rob her. She drew her sword immediately and showed no mercy, almost decapitating one person with each strike.

However, in the confusion, Shitou, following behind, carelessly had their bundle slashed open, spilling the contents everywhere.

Shocked, he cried out, “Miss, there are important letters entrusted by Master Xia in the bundle!”

Murong Jin’s heart tightened at this and she quickly chased after the thief.

As a bodyguard, the client’s possessions always took precedence; it was part of her professional code.

The thief was extremely cunning, darting through narrow forests, and Murong Jin had to exert great effort to track him down to a stone cave.

To her frustration, the letter had been torn open and scattered on the ground.

Furious, she immediately struck the thief down with one swift blow and then collected the letters.

She quickly realized that the large envelope contained two smaller ones. The large envelope was labeled with the name “Xia Changkong.”

Xia Changkong was the former prime minister of the current dynasty, and Xia Xunyan’s grandfather.

Inside were two letters. One was addressed “To Grandfather, personal opening,” and the other had the words “To the Eldest Princess, personal opening” written boldly.

When Murong Jin saw the second letter, her usually calm demeanor cracked. She trembled slightly as she held the letter in her hands.

Dong Yun had told her the reason for the hatred between the Eldest Princess and her sister long ago. She knew how much her elder sister despised the Eldest Princess.

But what was this woman doing now?

She was secretly communicating with the Eldest Princess. Was she planning to inform the Eldest Princess of her sister’s movements?

Could it be that she was the spy the Eldest Princess had planted by her sister’s side?

Murong Jin’s eyes turned cold and sharp. Her lips pressed into a tight line. Ever since she learned about the things the Eldest Princess had done, she had despised her, and since her sister hated her, there was no way she could like her either. Now, to find out that someone close to her was secretly working for the Eldest Princess was both a surprise and an angering betrayal.

And this person was Xia Xunyan, the trusted teacher of her sister.

How could she have been so blind to even have had a small degree of affection for her?

Thinking back to the hours before, on the mountain, she had even been enchanted by her elegant demeanor and spoken with flirtation. Now, it seemed the retribution had arrived.

Murong Jin tightly gripped the letters and strode out of the alley.

…

The villagers from the various towns in Dongping soon received tasks from the Wuyin Army. Villagers skilled in woodworking were urgently called to make arrows and spears, earning ten coins a day.

Though the pay was meager, in these chaotic times, having a job was rare. They could contribute to defending the village while earning a little money to support their families, and the carpenters all cherished the opportunity.

Now, in this era of turmoil, the local government had practically disbanded, and no one was overseeing the production of weapons.

Under the guidance of the system, Pear Blossom found an open iron mine.

Although the ore was limited, it was enough for their small team.

Backed by the Liu family’s grain warehouse, she used grain as wages and, with a high salary, hired five blacksmiths. They set up their operation in the valley, with a few open-air tents, and the forge burned day and night. The sound of hammers ringing echoed through the valley.

She also recruited a dozen strong men from surrounding villages to assist, and they worked day and night, seemingly tireless.

Together with the weapons seized from the bandits earlier, the Wuyin Army’s 200 soldiers quickly had their weapons replenished, and the surplus was handed over to the village guards.

In addition to the thirty horses Murong Jin had helped purchase, Li Datou had “gifted” them ten more. Pear Blossom also arranged for a trade of grain for horses with nearby towns.

With the current food shortage, Pear Blossom did not haggle over the prices, and many were willing to exchange, so they gradually gathered nearly a hundred horses.

Pear Blossom could already imagine how imposing a hundred cavalrymen would look marching out, which would certainly instill some fear in their enemies.

Over the next few days, she barely slept, only getting two hours of rest each day as she rushed to prepare and arrange various matters, including designing ambushes and setting traps. Every minute seemed precious.

Sometimes, when it’s too late, I just find a crack in the rocks in the valley to sleep for a while, then wake up and continue the busy journey.

…

At school.

It was noon break, and the children all rushed home after class, returning after eating to continue with their afternoon lessons.

Xia Xunyan walked toward the backyard, holding her books, dressed in a white robe, elegant and graceful, causing anyone who saw her to feel a sense of longing.

Xinghua was cooking in the kitchen, and Xia Xunyan returned to her room, only to find a tall figure standing inside, seemingly waiting for her for a while.

After recognizing the person, she seemed to recall something, her heart skipped a beat, but her tone remained calm: “Miss Murong, aren’t you supposed to be in the city preparing for battle? What brings you to my humble study?”

Murong Jin sneered and slapped a letter with the seal of “The Princess’s Personal Command” on the table. She went straight to the point: “What do you think I came here for?”

Xia Xunyan glanced at the letter, her expression unchanged, but her tone was slightly annoyed: “So the bodyguards of the Longwei Dart Bureau help people escort goods by opening their clients’ letters. I must say, this has broadened my understanding.”

Murong Jin frowned and countered: “The letter was opened by accident. There’s no need to divert the topic. I haven’t read its contents yet, but I would like to hear your explanation first!”

Xia Xunyan stood there, coldly responding: “There is nothing to explain.”

Murong Jin scoffed: “Since there’s nothing to explain, then I’ll take it to show my sister.”

With that, she picked up the letter and began walking toward the door.

However, after just a few steps, a cold female voice came from behind.

“Wait—”

Murong Jin turned around, shook the letter in her hand, and mocked: “What? Are you scared?”

The female scholar, rarely compromising, asked: “What do you want for me not to tell her?”

Murong Jin chuckled: “What do you think you have that can stop me from telling my sister?”

Xia Xunyan was at a loss for words. At this moment, she was empty-handed. Not only did she not have gold or silver, but she also had nothing of value.

Even if she did, the other party would hardly care for such material things. And her sister, Mingyue, was not someone who could be bought with such trivial things.

She could only awkwardly reply: “I don’t know. Take whatever you think is worth it.”

Murong Jin crossed her arms and glanced around the room.

“A bedroll and two sets of clothes, it’s quite shabby.”

Then she leisurely circled around the woman, saying, “Only this body is worth a look. But I’m a woman, why would I want your body? However… it’s not impossible. If my sister can get along with Pear Blossom, I might also want to try a woman’s touch…”

Xia Xunyan, who had been scrutinized in such a way twice before, felt humiliation wash over her again. The first time was by the Wei River, when she went to negotiate with the Southern General, who also circled her like this, as though she was merchandise, leaving her deeply humiliated.

The second time was now, and that feeling of humiliation didn’t lessen just because the other person was a woman.

But now that the leverage was in the other party’s hands, she had no way to retaliate.

She could not let Mingyue know about her connection with the Princess, no matter what that connection was. Doing things behind her back was unforgivable.

Mingyue had always said that she hated concealment and betrayal, hated doing things in the name of “what’s best for her.”

Their relationship had already suffered two misunderstandings because of such matters, and if another one occurred, the trust they had painstakingly built would collapse.

Especially since this involved the Princess, one of Mingyue’s most despised people.

She could not let this happen, so she endured the discomfort in her heart and replied: “Miss Murong, if you don’t mind that I am a widow and my body is impure, and still want it, then I give it to you.”

“Tch, you’re willing to offer such conditions. It seems you do know how much my sister hates being deceived and betrayed, and how much she despises that hypocritical Princess. I thought you didn’t know.”

Xia Xunyan closed her eyes and said nothing.

“Since you want to use your body to buy me off, I’m not unwilling to accept, but you have to answer me a few questions first.”

“Go ahead.”

“Did you come to Jinyang by chance or with intention?”

Xia Xunyan hesitated for a moment before answering: “With intention.”

“Who told you that my sister is in Daliushu Village?”

“The Princess has a confidant named Zuo Qi. Last year, Liu Dagen went missing while on a mission, and everyone thought he was dead. Pear Blossom insisted on seeing him alive or dead. Mingyue was soft-hearted and gave her a token to let her go to the Hanyang military camp to find Zuo Qi. Zuo Qi then reported this matter to the Princess.”

She continued: “Zuo Qi was stationed in the Hanyang military camp on another mission and couldn’t go to Daliushu Village. The Princess knew that Mingyue resented her, and Zuo Qi was one of her people, so Mingyue couldn’t accept having him around. But the Princess still wanted to keep track of Mingyue’s movements, so I was called to do it.”

Murong Jin listened, secretly cursing: This enchantress, trying to manipulate my sister from a thousand miles away, doesn’t know what kind of illness she has.

“Why did you obey the Princess’s orders and spy on my sister?”

The word “spy” made Xia Xunyan feel very uncomfortable.

She furrowed her brows and responded: “It’s because of family matters. The Princess holds something over my family, and I had no choice but to obey.”

“What is this leverage?”

“I’m afraid I cannot say.”

Murong Jin snorted coldly.

“You fell into the hands of bad people and were rescued by Pear Blossom while being sent to Baihu Villa. You thought it was a coincidence, but it turned out to be a well-planned scheme. Zuo Qi really knows how to calculate. The dagger my junior sister used to kill those bad people was also a gift from him. She must still be grateful to him now.”

Xia Xunyan felt a bit disoriented hearing the plan described, and she heard the other party continue asking.

“Since you came to Jinyang, how many times have you exchanged letters with the Princess?”

She replied: “I received letters twice, but this is the first time I’m replying. I didn’t expect you to catch me on the first try. If I had known your Dart Bureau operated this way, I might not have dared to entrust you with the task.”

The voice was cold, tinged with a hint of anger.

Murong Jin’s face darkened upon hearing this.

The Longwei Dart Bureau had always adhered to its duties and never touched its clients’ belongings, but this woman dared to question her professional ethics, repeatedly accusing her. This was truly intolerable.

“Are you still justified in communicating with my sister and the Princess Dowager behind my back?”

“Yes, and as for the letter being torn, I’ve already said it was an accident, but you insist on clinging to it. Truly detestable.”

Xia Xunyan snorted.

Seeing her aloof expression, Murong Jin gritted her teeth. “You better not hide anything from me. If I find out, you’ll regret it!”

“And don’t send any more letters to the Princess Dowager. If I catch you, I will immediately send that letter to my sister!”

With that, Murong Jin stuffed the letter into her bosom and walked away without looking back.

Xia Xunyan watched her retreating figure, and unexpectedly, the heavy weight in her heart lightened.

She never intended to send a letter to the Princess Dowager in the first place, and now that this incident had occurred, it would be impossible to send one anyway. However, she feared the Princess Dowager might later question her and direct her anger toward her grandfather.

What she truly worried about was whether Murong Jin would break her promise and reveal this matter to Mingyue. After all, if she could open a client’s letter, could she really be trusted to keep her word?

Thinking of what the person had said about taking her body, then walking away with a cold expression, she couldn’t help but wonder: did this matter count or not? Did she want it, or not?

---

Three days later, as everyone was preparing for battle, Pear Blossom received a shocking piece of news. The Eagle’s Nest Ridge was gathering two thousand men, planning to head towards Dongping and flatten several villages in the eastern part of Jinyang.

The villagers of Dongping were as startled as startled birds, hurriedly packing their belongings, intending to flee into the mountains.

Villages like Daliushu, Fuping, and He village, which had formed an alliance, were still observing the situation, though fear and unease spread quickly.

Everyone was thinking: if they entered the mountains, what would they eat? With so many fierce beasts in the deep forest, it would be a death sentence. Who could guarantee there were no bandits in the mountains?

The crops they had planted were about to mature in a few months—could they just abandon them for the bandits to destroy? Could they really give up their hard-won homes like this?

As a result, some villagers were reluctant to flee into the mountains, unwilling to abandon their homes.

Because once they left, they would be no different from the ragged refugees outside.

A large group of villagers remained in the village, hoping the alliance would come through.

When Pear Blossom received the news, she immediately met with Dong Yun and the teacher to discuss how to arrange the defense and resistance against the bandits.

“We originally planned to assist Jin City, but now it seems our situation is the worst!”

Dong Yun sat silently, lips pressed tightly together, without a word.

Xia Xunyan asked, “Is the news reliable?”

Pear Blossom shook her head. “The information came from inside the bandits’ group. It is said they began arranging their forces early this morning, with a few dozen riders scouting the way towards Dongping. The main force is likely to move soon.”

Dong Yun spoke at this point, still sticking to her original judgment: “Two thousand men attacking Dongping is just a ruse. Their real target is Jinyang City. This is likely to confuse the situation, catching Jin City off guard. Therefore, our plan to assist still stands.”

Pear Blossom disagreed. “Though this news is unverified, I cannot risk leaving you all in the village. If two thousand bandits really attack, we will be powerless to stop them. My departure would only make matters worse. If I’m here, even if we can’t fight them off, at least I can lead you into the deep forest to escape temporarily. The beasts won’t harm me.”

Abandoning the villagers they had fought alongside to escape into the mountains was a last resort.

If it weren’t absolutely necessary, no one would want to resort to this strategy.

Xia Xunyan thought for a moment, then spoke: “The bandits wouldn’t leak such news to let the common people escape. After all, when people flee, they would take their valuables with them. If they leave, why would the bandits attack? Are they coming to collect houses?”

“And this news is too widespread to be true.”

Pear Blossom had been busy arranging the preparations for the last three days and had no time to investigate the situation herself. She couldn’t gather information from ten miles away and could only report what her scouts had said: “Our people saw the bandits heading this way with their own eyes. Could that be false?”

Dong Yun shook her head. “Just because someone is coming doesn’t mean the news is true.”

Xia Xunyan said, “In my opinion, Ghosty’s Troubles wouldn’t sacrifice Jinyang City for a small village like Daliushu. Such a loss wouldn’t be worth it for us, and even less for them. If it weren’t for Jinyang’s lack of military defense and deteriorating city walls, it would be laughable to think they could take the city with just those few men. He wouldn’t waste his troops on such an endeavor!”

Dong Yun narrowed her eyes. “Unless—”

“Unless what?” Pear Blossom and Xia Xunyan both stared at her.

“Unless the heavens favor him and send him a batch of troops.”

Pear Blossom was stunned, while Xia Xunyan laughed.

Dong Yun then explained, “Unless he managed to trick another group of people to fight us, without losing a single soldier, and just sits back to reap the benefits, focusing on his own Jinyang. Even if our village is taken, he wouldn’t suffer any loss.”

Pear Blossom suddenly understood, “I heard that Eagle’s Nest Ridge once said that anyone who wanted to join them must have proof of loyalty. Perhaps someone might attack us to join them. Now, the refugees around Jinyang…”

Dong Yun nodded. “If they are truly just refugees, they are even less of a threat than bandits. It shouldn’t be a major issue.”

Pear Blossom already had some judgment in her heart. She stood up and said, “I will personally investigate. If the situation is exactly as you and the teacher have analyzed, I will immediately head to Jinyang City. As for the village, everything will proceed as originally planned. My father and brother will protect everyone. Please make sure to take care of yourselves.”

Dong Yun looked at her and said, “Jinyang is where the main event is. Be careful, and we’ll be waiting for your return.”

Pear Blossom nodded, gazed deeply at the woman, picked up her large knife, and mounted her horse, setting off.