Chapter 39: The Cause of the Disaster

“Nothing else matters, as long as you always, always…”

“Quickly, let him in.”

The raised volume of this statement seemed somewhat overemphasized. Li Yunli took a step forward, scanning the surroundings.

“This area is messy. Let him sit in the small pavilion.”

With that, she walked toward the pavilion.

Yun Chu followed, and Li Yunli turned back, saying, “Speaking of which, I lost our previous bet. Didn’t you want to know where Zhilian went?”

“Hmm?”

Yun Chu looked at her. He could guess that Zhilian had gone to handle something for her, but he hadn’t expected it to be related to the current situation.

“Since Wurong was defeated years ago, the northwest region has been under the rule of the Great Chu. The garrison forces here are connected to the northern border camp. After my father passed away, General Ji took command—he was originally from the Jin Prince’s army.”

Yun Chu was slightly surprised. “Miss Zhilian went to mobilize troops from the northern garrison on your behalf?”

“How could that be? She’s just a young woman. Even if she’s my personal aide and carries my command token, without an imperial decree, she couldn’t mobilize the northern border army. That would be treason! What are you thinking?” Li Yunli smirked. “It’s just that the situation in Yongzhou is more complicated than I anticipated. We might have a battle to fight.”

“If you’re not mobilizing troops, then how will you fight? And against whom? With only the current forces in Yongzhou?” Yun Chu questioned.

“The Yongzhou provincial troops are weak. Even with General Xiao’s army, we have less than ten thousand soldiers. If we can negotiate with Gongliang Chong and rally the people from Leopard Head Mountain, we might barely scrape together twenty or thirty thousand men. Still, that’s not a lot.”

She smiled. “But with me here, and you here, we can join forces. Want to experience the thrill of leveling up by defeating enemies?”

Yun Chu frowned in confusion. “What do you mean by ‘leveling up by defeating enemies’?”

She always had strange ways of expressing herself. Just like when she once described herself as an “evil dragon”—concise yet refreshingly novel, just like her vibrant personality.

“It doesn’t matter. Just think of it as me asking—will you fight alongside me?”

There was only one possible answer. Without hesitation, Yun Chu replied, “Of course, I will stand with you.”

He pressed his lips together, as if afraid he had answered too quickly and sounded insincere. He then seriously explained, “It’s not because I think it will be easier since you’ve been through this once before. Even if you knew nothing right now, I would still stand with you. Can you tell me—who is the enemy?”

Li Yunli thought to herself, I haven’t actually lived through this, only had some lucky dreams with key information. Those pieces just happen to form a coherent picture.

There was an element of gambling involved—but the odds were in her favor.

She looked at Yun Chu. “Though you’ve never been to Yongzhou before, you already know a lot about the situation. Now that Qingnian and Leopard Head Mountain are allies, who do you think the enemy is?”

Yun Chu pondered for a moment. “Leopard Head Mountain shares our goal. Qingnian has spent over ten years helping the people of Yongzhou avoid disasters, yet still extended an offer of alliance when you arrived. This suggests there is a looming catastrophe, or a problem too big for him to handle alone—but perhaps you can solve it.”

At that moment, Yun Chu suddenly understood why Li Yunli had come here. He looked up at her, concern rising in his heart. “So this is the battle you spoke of? The flooding in Yongzhou—isn’t a natural disaster? There’s a human force behind it, targeting you?!”

No wonder, in the past timeline, they had forced her to come to Yongzhou. No wonder she had lingered here for so long. Had she faced a real threat to her life here?

Yun Chu’s gaze burned into her.

Li Yunli asked, “You’ve reviewed Yongzhou’s official records from recent years, including those on agriculture. Based on the recorded weather patterns, was the rainfall this year enough to cause the Wei River to flood so severely?”

Yun Chu paused, then after a moment of silence, looked up. “The rainfall this year is no different from past years. The issue isn’t the weather. If it’s not a natural disaster, then… the problem must be upstream on the Wei River?”

Li Yunli said, “The Wei River flows westward, beyond the borders of Chu. But you and I have both been there.”

“The Wurong tribes,” Yun Chu exhaled. “Years ago, Chu and Wei agreed to resist Wurong together. The lost northern territories were given to Wei, while the western lands were claimed by Chu. However, beyond that is nothing but barren land, with no fortifications or cities. So, Chu continued allowing the Wurong tribes to inhabit the area, collecting tributes in return. But now… they dare to manipulate the upper reaches of the Wei River, using the suffering of commoners to target you?!”

“If it were just the Wurong, it would be simple—they were defeated once before. Why fear them now?” Li Yunli said. “But someone in court deliberately pushed me to Yongzhou. That doesn’t seem like coincidence. It’s likely that someone in the imperial court is colluding with our enemies to trap me here.”

She hadn’t expected things to be this dire before arriving. As a long princess who once held military power, she was naturally viewed as a threat. And now, with her growing ties to General Xiao, figures like the Empress Dowager and the Eternal Prosperity Marquis would be eager to eliminate her.

She chuckled softly.

Yun Chu’s expression was serious. “Even now, you can still laugh—does that mean you already have a plan?”

“It’s not a plan, exactly,” she mused. “I just realized that this time, I might be luckier than before. Last time, you and I were enemies. This time, we’re on the same side. So, tell me—following me, the Long Princess of Great Chu, might seem glamorous, but I’m constantly constrained, facing both open attacks and hidden schemes. Do you regret it?”

“Your Highness,” Yun Chu’s expression darkened slightly, his gaze dropping. “Last time, I didn’t stand with you, and I deeply regret it. I made mistakes. This time, I only seek a chance to make amends.”

Seeing his sudden dejection, Li Yunli realized she shouldn’t have brought it up.

After all, she hadn’t truly experienced the events of the book herself. She couldn’t fully empathize, and her words had been too abrupt.

Now wasn’t the time to wound him.

She coughed lightly. “It’s fine. Don’t dwell on it.”

Yet, Yun Chu’s reaction stirred a strange melancholy in her. That nagging sense of unreality she had suppressed started creeping up again.

She silently mocked herself for being sentimental.

There was no need to say something unintentionally hurtful—especially when she was the one left feeling worse.

Yun Chu lifted his head, his emotions unsettled. His voice carried a weighty seriousness. “Your Highness.”

“Hmm?” Li Yunli was startled.

“Please, you must tell me—what dangers will you face?” His eyes were filled with remorse, his voice urgent. “I know danger is coming, and I will give my all to help. I swear—I will do everything I can. Please, trust me!”

Li Yunli felt a pang of sorrow.

A faint, trickling spring suddenly surged forth like a geyser.

Her gaze lowered.

But she had no answer to give—only a helpless sense of frustration.

She sighed lightly. “Just stay by my side.”

“Nothing else matters, as long as you always, always stay by my side. Never betray me.”

“Never,” Yun Chu promised, looking straight into her eyes. “I will not betray you.”

Li Yunli nodded, her voice calm. “Then that’s enough.”