Chapter 16

Outside the Pass, the snowfall was particularly heavy, and even in Shengjing, thousands of miles away, the snow fell thickly.

Jiang Lianzhi left the Ministry of Revenue, and the carriage proceeded along Zhongbao Street.

The snowy road was slippery, with many pedestrians on the street. The carriage couldn’t move forward, and eventually came to a complete stop.

Attendant Gao Jin lifted the curtain and said, “My lord, it seems we’ll be stuck here for a while. Luckily, the Three Flavors Pavilion is nearby. Would you like to rest there for a while?”

Jiang Lianzhi looked out and saw a horse blocking the road in the middle, apparently numb from the cold, refusing to move no matter how much the whip was used. The passing vehicles had blocked the road completely.

Jiang Lianzhi decided to get off the carriage. As he entered the Three Flavors Pavilion, he coincidentally encountered a waiter carrying dishes to a table, with a small plate of pineapple cakes on the tray.

Jiang Lianzhi paused for a moment and then followed the waiter upstairs.

“Are the pineapple cakes from earlier still fresh?” he asked.

The waiter smiled and said, “You’re in luck, sir. They were just taken out of the oven, still fresh. Shall I bring you a portion?”

Jiang Lianzhi replied, “Please pack them carefully. And if there’s any osmanthus-scented chestnut cake or pine nut lily pastry, include some of those as well.”

The waiter nodded and soon brought a delicately crafted wooden food box.

Jiang Lianzhi opened the lid and silently looked at the pastries inside.

In the past, Shen Yu often took medication year-round and had a sweet tooth. Several kinds of pastries she loved were always kept at home.

Jiang Lianzhi picked up a piece from the food box and took a bite. He found it overly sweet, as he didn’t like sweet foods. Most likely, it was because Ah Yu had endured so much suffering that she craved such sweetness.

“You’re fast. Take this food box to the general’s residence,” Jiang Lianzhi ordered.

Knowing who it was intended for, Gao Jin felt displeased but still promptly set off.

It was not unusual for him to deliver food and clothing to the general’s residence every two or three days, but Miss Shen never showed up to meet him. Each time, it was Miss Shen’s younger sister who relayed the message. She really had an air of superiority.

After Gao Jin finished delivering the items and returned, the road had cleared.

Jiang Lianzhi boarded the carriage and asked, “Was it Miss Second who came out to receive it today? Did she say anything about her sister’s health?”

“Yes,” Gao Jin replied. “Miss Second said that Miss’s condition has improved a lot. However, today, Miss Second had a message for you.”

Jiang Lianzhi raised his eyebrows. “What message?”

“She said not to send any more items. She wanted to ask if you had any news about Yanliang Pass.”

Jiang Lianzhi frowned. Tomorrow would be the twenty-seventh of October, when General Shen would be defeated in battle, and a few days later, Shen Yu would go to collect the bodies of her father and brothers. She would meet her fate on that journey.

He needed to stop her this time. At the very least, he needed to ensure she had a healthy body, because he wanted to accompany her for many more years.

Outside the Pass, the snowstorm raged on. Overnight, several tents collapsed under the weight of the snow, but fortunately, no one was hurt.

In the morning, the army began to dismantle the camp and retreat into the Pass.

Shen Yu blackened her face and eyebrows again and walked alongside Shen Zhao.

Suddenly, a soldier rushed over. “General, Supervisor Liang has disappeared.”

Shen Zhao’s expression turned solemn. “What happened?”

“The gate guards said that as soon as it was light, Supervisor Liang took his own men and horses towards Yanliang Pass.”

Shen Zhao clenched the reins tightly and looked at Shen Yu. With a nod, they led a group of soldiers forward.

Shen Yu felt very uneasy.

They had successfully avoided the deadly battle from their past lives, so there was no reason for this inexplicable panic.

After traveling for another two miles, they stopped and set up camp again. They were now less than five miles from the city gate.

With only five miles left, yet they were not entering the city. Speculation began to spread throughout the army.

Shen Yu rode her horse closer and heard Shen Zhao scolding someone.

“Tell Liang Jianfang to open the gate!”

Liang Jianfang stood on the city tower and shouted, “General Shen, it’s not that I won’t open the gate, but His Majesty has ordered us to win this battle. Now that both sides are deadlocked, there’s no reason for our army to retreat.”

Shen

Zhao was furious, and before he could speak, his deputy had already started cursing, “You damned coward! Our supply line can’t keep up, and you want us to fight a useless battle at the front line! You useless piece of garbage hiding in the city enjoying the good life!”

“How dare you!” Liang Jianfang shouted from the city tower. “As the supervisor, I can arrest you immediately for spreading false rumors.”

“If you have the guts, come down and arrest me!” the deputy shouted back. “If you don’t come out, you’re just a coward.”

The gate entrance was filled with curses, but the gate remained unmoved.

As the sky grew dark, campfires were lit in the camp.

Shen Zhao stood on a small mound, looking into the distance at the faint glow of torches on the city gate.

On the first day, the army ran out of food, and the city gate remained closed.

On the second day, the soldiers in the army showed signs of exhaustion due to hunger. They rested, trying to conserve energy as much as possible.

On the third day, the city gate remained closed…

Shen Zhao lifted the curtain and stepped out of the tent, finding Shen Yu sitting on the mound.

“What is Liang Jianfang planning?” Shen Yu asked as he sat down beside her.

Shen Zhao picked up some snow and twigs, “He’s planning to force us into a corner. There are several factions in the capital fighting each other, and we could become the expendable pawns in their internal strife. Either that, or Liang Jianfang is a spy for the Western Barbarians.”

Before Shen Yu could ask another question, Shen Zhao gestured for silence and took out a paper package from his pocket, offering it to her like a treasure. “Hungry?”

Shen Yu stared at the cornbread in a daze, and Shen Zhao pushed it towards her. “Eat.”

Shen Yu took the cornbread, broke it in half, but Shen Zhao didn’t take any.

“If you’re not eating, then I won’t either,” she said.

Shen Zhao smiled and lifted his lips, took a bite of the cornbread. Only then did Shen Yu start to eat.

The taste wasn’t good. It was cold, hard, and even a bit dry. As she swallowed, she could feel the rough texture scraping down her throat.

The two of them finished the cornbread under the cover of the night and the cold wind.

“Tomorrow, I’ll send a small team with you. Kong Qing will accompany you. You’ll head north, to the territory of the Northern King, and then make your way back to the capital by a roundabout route,” Shen Zhao said.

Shen Yu remained silent. She could tell this was akin to arranging for afterlife matters.

No, she had worked so hard, why couldn’t she stop the tragedy from happening?

Over the past two days, they had both realized an unavoidable fact.

If they lost this battle, it wouldn’t be due to natural disasters but human folly. Ever since they set out from Shengjing, this had been a dead end.

Someone wanted them dead, wanted them to fail.

But she was just a mortal. She could find a way to avoid the deadly battle, but she couldn’t stop the hands behind them from wielding the knife, because you couldn’t predict where those knives would strike next.

Shen Yu turned her face away. “I’m not leaving.”

“Listen to your brother,” Shen Zhao urged.

Shen Yu was resolute. “We’ll attack the city tomorrow. The garrison inside the city is less than ten thousand. Taking Yanliang Pass won’t be a problem.”

Shen Zhao sighed bitterly. “Are you suggesting we raise arms against our own people?”

“They are not our own people! They want us dead!”

“But the civilians aren’t,” Shen Zhao’s gaze was inexplicably clear. He said, “Once we attack the city, we’ll be seen as rebels.”

“Then we’ll lead the army to flank from the rear.” Shen Yu couldn’t consider much anymore. Whatever thoughts were in her mind came pouring out.

Shen Zhao said, “You yourself mentioned that the garrison inside the city is less than ten thousand. If we flank from the rear, Xijue will be able to charge straight to Yanliang Pass. What about the hundreds of thousands of civilians inside the Pass?”