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An Invitation to Ride Together? But does this mean she wants to…
Li Yunli took over the conversation and said, “Three months ago, it was indeed him who came to suppress the bandits. However, it seems now that he was deceived at the time. Miss Feng, now that we have returned to Yongzhou, if we do not understand the situation, we will inevitably repeat past mistakes. Would you be willing to help us by explaining the current state of Yongzhou?”
Feng Mu stood up and knelt before Li Yunli. “The situation in Yongzhou is murky, beyond the ability of ordinary people to resolve. If you are willing to save us, I will do everything in my power to assist you!”
“The ones who captured you have already been subdued by us. Aren’t you already saved?”
Feng Mu shook her head. “The leader of the bandits has vast influence. Since you have taken his men here, he will definitely come for you. And we… we won’t be able to escape either.”
“What kind of person is this leader?”
To win a hundred battles, one must first understand the enemy. They needed to gather information.
However, Feng Mu merely shook her head.
Xiao Linjia, who had been listening on the side, grew impatient.
“Miss, you need to explain this clearly. What exactly is the situation with Baotou Mountain? Who is this lawless leader? Tell me clearly, and I will lead my men to wipe them out tonight!”
It wasn’t that he was impulsive—it was a matter of his duty as a general.
Three months ago, he led troops to suppress the bandits. Captain Yang personally guided the route, and they returned victorious after eliminating the threat.
Yet now, upon returning to Yongzhou, the common people informed him that bandits still plagued the area. Was the suppression three months ago merely a staged act?
Then what had he been doing? Had he played along in a grand deception orchestrated by the bandits of Baotou Mountain?
Unacceptable!
“It’s not that I am unwilling to tell you, General,” Feng Mu said helplessly, shaking her head. “It’s just that this so-called leader has never shown his face. He indeed resides on the mountain, but for the past two years since his rise to power, all messages have been conveyed by his second and third-in-command.”
She glanced toward a mound of dirt.
The third-in-command—the only one here who knew the identity of the leader—had already been killed.
“Well then.”
Li Yunli sighed lightly and helped her up.
Though this young woman seemed far from ordinary, obtaining this kind of information from a woman in this era was no easy task. Even if she knew, it was likely just hearsay.
After thinking for a moment, Li Yunli asked, “Do you know how much time remains before you are required to go up the mountain?”
Feng Mu hesitated. “The bandits of Baotou Mountain demand young women from the city. The families, fearing their wrath, have no choice but to comply, but they do so reluctantly. Now, the deadline is upon us.”
That meant the bandits could arrive to collect the girls as early as tonight or by tomorrow at the latest.
At first, there likely wouldn’t be too many of them, so their military strength would be sufficient to handle it.
The problem was that they still had no idea how many men Baotou Mountain had or what the situation was like. Going into battle unprepared would be a great disadvantage.
As Li Yunli pondered, Yun Chu turned to Feng Mu.
“The reason Baotou Mountain demands young women is clear—they wish to force them into prostitution. Poor families have no choice; to ensure their survival, they sacrifice their daughters. But you… you wear fine clothes and seem well-off. With enough money, you could have avoided this fate. Why were you sent?”
His voice was calm and gentle, yet his words cut straight to the point, making his skepticism evident.
Li Yunli and Xiao Linjia both turned to look at her.
The girl beside Feng Mu, named Qiao’er, trembled and tugged at her sleeve.
Feng Mu pressed her lips tightly together. “Alright, I will tell you.”
She finally seemed to make up her mind and sighed. “I am the adopted daughter of Lord Zhou. I was not kidnapped—I volunteered.”
“Volunteered?”
“The bandits of Baotou Mountain demand young women from the city. These girls are timid and weak. Without someone capable of making decisions, once they are sent up the mountain, they will be tortured to death.”
Li Yunli frowned. “But you are a girl yourself. How can you ensure their safety?”
“I can’t save all of them,” Feng Mu admitted. “But if there is even the slightest chance—if my status grants me respect on the mountain, if I can protect even one sister—then why wouldn’t I go?”
Li Yunli fell silent.
This girl had the mind of a true strategist, always seeking the greatest possible advantage within a given reality. She calculated gains and losses rationally.
And yet, her self-sacrificing actions puzzled Li Yunli.
At the same time, she saw in this frail-looking girl a resilient strength—one she could only describe as the power of womanhood.
“How long have they been demanding girls from the city?”
“Two years,” Feng Mu exhaled softly. “It started when the leader of Baotou Mountain first rose to power. In the past, when my adoptive father was alive, they could only abduct women in secret, making the city unsafe for them to walk alone. But now that he is gone, they have become bolder, taking girls openly.”
“Two years ago… That was when the Chu Kingdom was at war,” Li Yunli mused. “He truly is a warlord rising in chaos.”
While the court was preoccupied with war, he slowly swallowed up the local powers in Yongzhou, growing so strong that even the imperial authorities could not control him.
Yun Chu tilted his head slightly and stoked the fire, flipping the grilled fish.
Li Yunli poured a cup of tea and handed it to Feng Mu. “Miss Feng, we came here to provide disaster relief, not expecting the troubles in Yongzhou to extend beyond famine. Please tell us everything about Baotou Mountain so that we can prepare accordingly.”
As the fire crackled and night fell, only the occasional fluttering of birds disturbed the riverside camp.
Feng Mu detailed the bandits’ actions—building a stronghold, defying the government, and pillaging the people.
The leader had spent two years fortifying Baotou Mountain, taking advantage of the famine to recruit desperate refugees and turn them into bandits. Now, even the authorities couldn’t control him.
Li Yunli remarked, “A capable man.”
“No matter how capable he is, he merely exploited the timing and location,” Yun Chu replied indifferently. “But now that Your Highness is here, the imperial court will take notice. Their reign is coming to an end.”
Li Yunli was surprised at his certainty. She turned to him. “Then, what would you do next?”
Yun Chu picked up a stick and drew a square in the dirt. “Do you remember the Battle of Wurong six years ago?”
Li Yunli’s mind went blank.
She had seen the name “Wurong” in her predecessor’s notes and heard it mentioned in a dream about her youth.
But she had never experienced it firsthand—she knew the general idea but not the details.
For once, she hesitated. “Hmm… You explain.”
Yun Chu lowered his head.
The Battle of Wurong was how he and Li Yunli first met. Two ambitious youths, crossing paths in their prime.
Now, things had changed. He hesitated to bring it up.
After a pause, he drew another box. “The Wurong army was strong, but their command was divided. We exploited that division to break them.”
Understanding dawned on Li Yunli. “You want to divide the leaders? But to do that, we need to know their personalities and current situation. Right now, we know nothing.”
“That’s why disaster relief is a long-term effort,” Yun Chu said.
Li Yunli stood, gazing at the distant hills.
“Enter the city.”
Xiao Linjia did not question the order.
As night fell, Li Yunli pulled back the curtain of her carriage.
“Miss Feng, bring the girls aboard. We will travel through the night. There is nothing to fear.”
Then, she mounted her horse.
“Your Highness.”
Yun Chu stood beside her, looking at her helplessly.
Only then did Li Yunli realize—she had taken his horse.
Without thinking, she reached out her hand.
“Come up. Ride with me?”