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She laughed heartily and picked up her brush to draft a wedding invitation…
General Yun set off late at night and by dawn had already reached the borders of Yongzhou.
The men sent by Zheng Siyian were familiar with the mountain paths. They traveled swiftly through the night, avoiding the main roads and instead taking hidden trails through the forest.
At a crossroads, Yun Chu dismounted and examined the hoofprints. Each fork in the road had artificially aged tracks, a clear sign that the person they were pursuing was highly skilled in counter-tracking, covering their trail well.
One of Yun Chu’s subordinates asked, “General Yun, which way do we chase?”
“We don’t.”
Yun Chu swung back onto his horse and issued a military command through a messenger.
“March northward, cross Yongzhou, and strike directly at Wurong.”
No matter how useful Prince Changling might have been, now that he had lost his military power, he was merely a pawn—a part of Zheng Siyian’s calculated performance, one that he had no choice but to rescue.
But what Zheng Siyian wanted most now was Wurong’s support.
Zheng Siyian believed that Li Yunli, in order to capture Prince Changling, would recall his army and focus all his efforts on tracking down the prison-break group.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent was Yun Chu.
“But General Yun, attacking Wurong is a significant matter. Should we report to the Grand Princess?”
The men under Yun Chu’s command were loyal, but they still harbored concerns.
“When we left Yizhou, we were given orders to capture Prince Changling.”
This was true—the weapons they carried were lightweight, suited for capturing rather than waging war.
However…
Yun Chu smirked. “Who said the orders I received upon departure were to capture Prince Changling?”
His men were momentarily stunned. Seeing Yun Chu’s unwavering confidence, they quickly adjusted their thinking, assuming this was a classified military operation. They dared not ask further questions.
“Pass down my orders!”
“Yes, sir!”
Half a day later, they encountered Yang Xu on the road.
Yang Xu had stationed his troops in anticipation, as if the two forces had coordinated in advance.
Only then did Yun Chu’s men understand their true mission.
“Her Highness, the Grand Princess, instructed me that if General Yun passes through Yongzhou, I am to provide full support and deliver this silk pouch to him.”
Yun Chu took the pouch and ordered his troops to rest for half a day.
At the same time, he issued a strict command—anyone who abandoned their post or left their encampment without permission would be executed.
When he finally had a moment, he opened the silk pouch from Li Yunli.
Inside were just five words: “I’ll be there soon.”
Meanwhile, in Yizhou.
Only a small contingent of Li Yunli’s personal guards remained. Most of the troops had been dispatched under various generals, leaving only Ji Wenxun’s forces to maintain order.
With Yongzhou to the north serving as a buffer, Ji Wenxun wasn’t too worried about a sudden Wurong attack. However, she couldn’t understand her assigned task.
Li Yunli had ordered her to keep a close watch on the surrendered forces of Prince Changling and prevent any unrest.
Ji Wenxun had grown up in the military and was well-versed in managing troops. This order was not unreasonable.
Prince Changling had already been taken, and though her forces weren’t vast, they were sufficient to keep the scattered surrendered troops in check.
Yizhou remained stable under her watch, but she still couldn’t fathom why the majority of the army had been sent away.
Judging by the situation, it seemed as though they were preparing for a decisive confrontation with Wurong. Yet, Li Yunli herself had not gone to the front lines…
Suddenly, a thought struck Ji Wenxun.
“Quick,” she called to her personal guards, “go check where Her Highness, the Grand Princess, is right now.”
Half an incense stick’s time later, a soldier returned quietly and whispered in her ear: the Grand Princess was no longer in Yizhou.
Ji Wenxun, enraged, stabbed her sword into the ground.
The soldier quickly handed over a silk pouch. “This was left behind by Her Highness.”
Ji Wenxun snatched it and unfolded the note inside.
“Yizhou is now under your full control. Apologies, sister. If necessary, Prince Changling may be executed.”
Ji Wenxun immediately calmed down.
Without hesitation, she ordered the imprisonment of all surrendered troops.
Li Yunli, having secretly slipped away, rode swiftly to Yongzhou. By the time she arrived, Yun Chu had already launched a two-pronged assault, engaging Wurong’s vanguard in battle.
Zheng Siyian, who had anticipated a different scenario, was caught off guard. He suffered a swift defeat and scrambled to adjust his strategy.
With Li Yunli’s arrival, General Liu’s forces executed a flanking maneuver from the northwest, forming a three-pronged encirclement around Wurong.
Wurong, having suffered a crushing defeat to Chu years ago and paying annual tribute ever since, harbored deep resentment.
For years, they had been waiting for a chance to reclaim their lost honor. But instead of an opportunity, they found themselves suddenly surrounded by Chu’s army on three fronts.
Feeling both aggrieved and unwilling to concede, they attempted to send envoys to negotiate peace.
Li Yunli received intelligence of their intentions but saw no sign of an envoy leaving the city.
A day later, a secret report arrived—Zheng Siyian had executed the envoy due to internal disagreements with Wurong’s leadership.
With this, Li Yunli ordered the assault on the city.
At the same time, in Yizhou, Prince Changling resurfaced. Rallying the surrendered troops, he attempted to seize the Grand Princess’s rear stronghold, clashing with Ji Wenxun.
This battle prompted General Sun, who had been stationed outside Yizhou in reserve, to swiftly mobilize reinforcements for Chu.
Zheng Siyian had banked on Prince Changling flanking Li Yunli’s forces from the rear.
Unfortunately, he did not last three days.
Over those three days, Zheng Siyian deployed multiple schemes, only for General Yun to counter them one by one.
Furious and frustrated, Zheng Siyian found himself pushed to a dead end by a prince of Wei he had once disregarded.
In the end, his alliance with Wurong crumbled, leaving him with no options.
During the final siege, General Yun personally led the charge, shattering Wurong’s defenses.
Wurong, seeing no way out, surrendered once again.
Their leader sacrificed territory to secure peace, ceding three cities and handing over Zheng Siyian and his Wei supporters.
Upon hearing the news, Prince Changling, realizing there was no escape, took his own life amidst the chaos of his defeated army.
Thus, three successive victory reports were sent to the capital from the Grand Princess, filling the court with celebration.
Following the great triumph at the border, the capital rejoiced.
But after the celebrations, a new concern arose.
The Grand Princess had yet to be rewarded for her previous achievements, and now she had won a decisive campaign, eliminating the rebellion and securing the frontier.
The accumulated military merit was so immense that the court found itself at a loss for how to reward her.
Adding to their anxiety, she now commanded a massive army.
Would the capital remain stable with such a force returning?
While ministers debated, Li Yunli offered a solution.
She split the army into three:
As for herself, she declared that the capital held no appeal and that she wished to remain in her fiefdom, enjoying the landscapes.
Her declaration reached the capital, bringing both relief and admiration.
The young emperor pondered for a long time before asking, “She’s really not coming back?”
And so, the court formally granted her request.
And somewhere in Yongzhou, preparing for a wedding of her own choosing, Li Yunli received an irate letter from Ji Wenxun.
She laughed and picked up her brush—to write a wedding invitation.