Duan Yunfeng couldn’t help but interrupt, saying, “If the heir is dead, then what am I? A ghost?!”

The man clearly didn’t recognize Duan Yunfeng. When he had been bound and brought in earlier, he had only thought the young officer before him looked well-built and handsome, with clear features, but often stared at people with his large eyes. He never thought this was the son of the Northern King.

At this moment, he slowly came to his senses and looked at Duan Yunfeng with a complicated expression. “Could it be… that this is His Highness, the heir?”

“That’s right! This is His Highness, the heir, the second son of King Duan!” Zhou Ye, flustered and confused about how this misunderstanding had happened, was stomping his feet. Duan Yunfeng had only recently started involving himself in the core military affairs of the Northern Army. Before Duan Yunsheng’s incident, he had mostly stayed at home, indulging in leisure, so many of the generals under the Northern King’s command had never seen this “newly appointed” heir.

Zhou Ye pointed to the bound man on the floor and introduced, “This is He Wen, a chief officer under Su Yue, the Governor of Jinzhou. Someone, quickly untie He Wen! He has just escaped from the city. He was about to write to you all! He Wen, you escaped from the city? What happened in Jinzhou? Why did you think the heir had been killed?”

“He’s a treacherous villain! He sent secret messengers to spread false news!” He Wen’s face was filled with extreme anger. After being untied, he leaned back in his chair, drank three full pots of tea, and gasped like a bull. “Not long ago, Li Jichang declared himself emperor in Bianzhou. When the news reached Jinzhou, the officials and common people were all in shock. Rumors and false information spread everywhere. No one knew exactly what had happened in Luoyang. Governor Su wanted to send messengers to investigate the truth, but just yesterday, Li Jichang’s envoy arrived in Jinzhou. He issued an imperial decree, claiming that the Northern King’s heir had been executed as a traitor, that the 30,000 Northern Army soldiers in Luoyang were in disarray and fleeing, and that the Chu army’s pursuers would soon arrive in Jinzhou. Li Jichang said that now that he was emperor, anyone willing to submit to the new dynasty would be forgiven and could retain their official positions.”

Zhou Ye said, “So he was trying to deceive Governor Su into switching sides?”

“Governor Su of course did not accept that decree. He had the envoy detained and planned to send someone to relay the message to King Duan to discuss how to deal with the Chu army.” He Wen’s eyes turned red with anger. “But who could have expected that his deputy, his adopted son Qian Kan, had long harbored ambitions of usurping power! He conspired with the envoy sent by Li Jichang, incited his troops, and claimed that the Northern King’s power was waning, and that joining Li Jichang was the right choice. Last night, he staged a mutiny at the governor’s mansion, killed the governor and his men, and—”

“He slaughtered the entire Su family! He took the governor’s wife and concubines!”

At this point, He Wen was in tears. “Then Qian Kan, through coercion and enticement, allied with Zhang Zhicheng, a prominent local noble in Jinzhou, convincing him to join forces with Li Jichang. They launched a purge against those still loyal to Governor Su, and I was the only one who escaped!”

“Unbelievable!” Duan Yunfeng, hearing this, was absolutely furious. He slammed his hand on the table, grabbed his sword, and said, “Didn’t they say I was dead? I’ll take 30,000 men and surround that bastard Qian Kan. Let’s see if I’m dead or if my sword reaches him first…!”

He hadn’t even taken a step when he felt his belt tighten. Someone had grabbed his belt, preventing him from moving. Duan Yunfeng immediately turned, annoyed, and said, “Who dares to stop me…”^[1]Your husband hahahahaha, dare to argue hahahaha

As he turned, he locked eyes with Xiao Heng’s cold gaze.

“Stop…”

Duan Yunfeng slightly raised his head to look at the sky and casually touched his eyebrow. “Well, Princess, what are your thoughts? Though I should be able to handle Qian Kan with ease, if you have a better idea, feel free to share it so everyone can hear.”

Xiao Heng released Duan Yunfeng and looked at He Wen.

— How many defensive troops are there in Jinzhou city? What about provisions and military supplies?

He Wen replied, “There are about twenty thousand troops, but a large portion of them are former subordinates of Governor Su, whom Qian Kan recently integrated. They may not fully obey Qian Kan, the treacherous man who plots to usurp the throne. As for supplies, they are adequate; the provisions can support the city’s people and soldiers for a month without issue.”

Xiao Heng:

— Jinzhou city is strong, and it’s difficult to launch a direct assault. Our supplies are nearly depleted, and with the heir personally leading the army, if they hold their ground and don’t come out, we won’t be able to break through the front. The Chu army’s pursuing forces could surround us from behind, making the situation extremely disadvantageous for us.

— I think we should turn this to our advantage.

Since the incident in Luoyang, Zhou Ye had come to greatly respect the princess’s tactics and strategies. He now thought her analysis was spot-on and immediately asked, “What do you suggest, Princess?”

Xiao Heng wrote:

— Qian Kan’s rise to power was illegitimate, and his soldiers are demoralized. Since he took power, he has urgently needed military achievements to prove his worth and unite his forces, making them believe that siding with Li Jichang is the right choice. He now believes the heir is dead, and the 30,000 Northern Army soldiers who fled from Luoyang are leaderless and vulnerable. This is his golden opportunity to gain military merit and seek favor with the new emperor, Li Jichang. Instead of confronting him head-on, we can use this to our advantage. Let’s send an envoy to Jinzhou to tell Qian Kan that the heir is dead, the army has no leader, and the remaining Northern Army troops are fleeing to Jinzhou, lacking provisions and morale. We’ll ask him to send supplies to help stabilize the army so that Deputy General Song can lead the remnants to Taiyuan and pledge allegiance to Prince Duan.

He Wen: “Qian Kan is an opportunist. If he believes the Northern Army is leaderless, he will definitely take action! At that point, the heir can lead the main force in a surprise attack to retake Jinzhou. Brilliant! This plan is excellent!”

He looked up at Xiao Heng, who was wearing a veil, and respectfully cupped his hands. “May I ask who this is?”

Duan Yunfeng pursed his lips, his expression quite proud. “Naturally, this is my wife.”

Xiao Heng: “…”

He Wen bowed deeply. “So, this is the heir’s wife, Your Highness. You are both wise and strategic, and your careful thinking is truly admirable.”

Upon hearing this, Duan Yunfeng’s mouth curved up even more, his eyes brightening as if the compliment were directed at him.^[2]He really is–😹😹 I really can’t with him hahahaha

Xiao Heng: “…”

Duan Yunfeng, clearly pleased, crossed his arms and said, “Since that’s the case, let’s follow the princess’s plan.”

He waved his hand, signaling for Song Shiyu. “Write to that bastard Qian Kan immediately. Tell him our army is leaderless and short on supplies, and ask him to send reinforcements.”

Xiao Heng added:

— Qian Kan is cautious, so he will likely send someone to scout our camp. If we are to turn this to our advantage, we need to create the illusion that our troops are in disarray and the generals are in conflict…

---

Jinzhou City, Governor’s Mansion.

Under the dim candlelight in the council hall, Qian Kan unfolded the letter in his hand and slowly revealed a smile. He slapped the letter on the table and said, “Just as I expected. With Duan Yunfeng dead, the 30,000 Northern Army soldiers left in Luoyang are like headless flies, their morale shattered. Now, Song Shiyu can only lead the remnants into hiding. Without provisions, they won’t even make it back to Taiyuan!”

“They must be exhausted after fleeing to Jinzhou. If I lead the army now, I can wipe them out in one fell swoop!”

Sitting to his left, Zhang Zhicheng, the deputy of Jinzhou, had a serious and solemn expression. His tightly furrowed brows almost seemed to form a deep crease as he spoke, “Now that the remnants of the Northern Army no longer pose a threat to us or the people of the city, if they do not provoke us, why should we harm them? Let them return to Taiyuan. If we take extreme measures now, the Northern King could send troops from Taiyuan at any time! You may have allied with King Chu, but can you guarantee he will come to Jinzhou’s aid? This would turn Jinzhou into a sacrificial piece in the struggle between tigers and wolves.”

Qian Kan pointed a finger at Zhang Zhicheng. “You, you—you’re always so hesitant and overly cautious. How can you accomplish anything significant like that? Do you really think that by not taking a stance and refusing to act, others will just leave you in peace? After I gained power and overthrew Su Yue, do you seriously believe there’s still any room for negotiation between us and the King of the North? Or is it…”

He stood up from his seat, resting his right hand on the hilt of his blade, and walked slowly over to Zhang Zhicheng, looking down at him with a cold, condescending gaze. “You, too, think I came to power illegitimately, don’t truly serve me, and are just waiting to see which way the wind blows? And if things turn out badly, you’ll betray me and cleanly sever ties to protect yourself and the Zhang family?”

“I respected your seniority and your reputation among the people of Jinzhou. I didn’t make things difficult for your family, and I even promoted your official rank—this is how you repay me?”

The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows on Qian Kan and the bodyguards behind him. Zhang Zhicheng nearly shuddered from fear, but he forced himself to stay calm and shook his head. “Lord Qian, you’ve misunderstood me. I’m just a naturally cautious man. I fear the Northern Army won’t be as easy to deal with as they claim, and I simply want to protect the Zhang family and the citizens of Jinzhou.”

“You needn’t worry about that.” Qian Kan chuckled. “Before sending out troops, I’ll have people scout the Northern Army’s situation thoroughly.”

---

Northern Army Camp

Duan Yunfeng sent his personal guards to assemble the troops. He was preparing to lead fifteen thousand soldiers to withdraw and lie in ambush in the hills several dozen miles away.

After making all the arrangements, he bent down and stepped into Xiao Heng’s tent, intending to speak with the princess before departing.

In the flickering glow of the lamp, he saw the figure dressed entirely in white mourning garb, with a strip of white cloth tied around the forehead. Two locks of dark hair fell gracefully in front of the band, and the side profile—elegant and ethereal—looked like a figure from a classical painting of beauty and landscape.

Duan Yunfeng froze in place, completely forgetting what he came to say.

Was the princess… holding a funeral for him?^[3]I remember Lan Zhan. Sorry😭

Xiao Heng looked up and saw him dazed. He explained:

— Aren’t we carrying out a deception?

Duan Yunfeng: “This… is very thorough.”

Even the mourning robes were on.

Though the mourning attire was meant to make it seem like he had “died,” when Duan Yunfeng looked up at Xiao Heng clad in white, his ears turned red, his eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he quickly averted his gaze…

Why was he feeling… oddly excited?

Xiao Heng: “?”

He stared at Duan Yunfeng’s reddened ears and fell silent.

Under the dim candlelight, Duan Yunfeng slowly shuffled closer to Xiao Heng, eyes fixed on him without blinking. “You look really good in this…”

“You could wear it at home sometime too.”

Xiao Heng: “……”

What in the world had happened in Dayan before I transmigrated?

Had the decay of ritual and propriety gotten this bad?

Xiao Heng:

— You like people dressing in mourning clothes for you?

Duan Yunfeng reached out and gently hooked a finger around the white ribbon hanging beside Xiao Heng’s cheek. Half of his face was flushed red in the candlelight, as if drunk. “Well… it’s not unacceptable. Isn’t there a saying…”

“A pretty person looks even better in mourning?”^[4]What fetish is that Duan Yunfeng?????