Chapter 44: A Single Flaw in a Hundred Plans

Yun Chu looked at her and said, “It is not my eyes…”

Li Yunli had just been thinking about how even Feng Mu had perished in the flood when she suddenly heard about her own fate. She froze.

The monk’s words were too direct, yet she felt dull-witted in processing them.

The concept of death, when not personally experienced, failed to evoke fear in her—it merely made her feel threatened.

But…

Li Yunli tilted her head slightly.

Wasn’t the original host supposed to die at Yun Chu’s hands? How was this related to the events in Yongzhou now?

Yun Chu’s expression was heavy.

He clenched his hands, watching Li Yunli anxiously.

She noticed his worried gaze from the corner of her eye but did not acknowledge it. Instead, she gave a brief smile and turned to Qing Nian. “Your friend, he must be Daoist Wuyou from the Astronomical Bureau in the capital.”

Qing Nian smiled and nodded. “Indeed.”

“Wuyou is a man truly devoted to the Dao. The moment he let slip half a sentence, he insisted that heavenly secrets could not be revealed. When I pressed him for answers, he refused to explain further.” He stirred the embers in the brazier, set down the iron poker, and continued, “In my past life, I died without ever uncovering the mastermind. But now, does Your Highness have any leads?”

“We did capture a confidant of Marquis Yongcheng. He’s still under interrogation, though I dare not conclude that Yongcheng is the one behind everything.”

“Judging from past events, in Yongzhou, his goal is to drive a wedge between Your Highness and the court. He wants you to fail in disaster relief and repeatedly suffer setbacks in your own fief. That is the outcome he desires.”

Li Yunli shook her head slightly.

She had too many enemies. Even the original host, perhaps, had died without ever realizing who her true foes were.

She had once wondered—Yun Chu, a fallen prince of a destroyed nation, how could the remnants of his kingdom ever hope to challenge Chu, a country that had stabilized and prospered over two years?

Now, Qing Nian’s words gave her an answer. There was an unseen force aiding Yun Chu, perhaps even beyond his own knowledge.

She had once believed the original host had lost the country due to indulgence and decadence. But now, it seemed the true culprit who brought ruin upon the nation was not her.

Considering her current predicament, she spoke slowly, “Given my position now, there are too many people who want me dead. Though I am merely a woman, my lineage surpasses even that of the current emperor. Chu does not strictly adhere to male supremacy, and the late emperor had few heirs—only myself and the current ruler. When he passed two years ago, he may well have considered naming me Crown Princess.

“Though I was later adopted out, weakening my official claim to the throne, I gained the support of the former Jin Prince’s old forces—real military power within the army. The emperor is only twelve, yet he has an elder sister with no official authority but with significant military influence. How could those controlling the court tolerate my presence? Each of them has reason to move against me.”

“Furthermore, though my years have been short, I spent my early life on the battlefield. Defeated generals surely wish for my downfall as well.”

Amid the turbulence of the court and the military, she was alone. There was no one she could rely on.

Qing Nian lifted a small teapot from the brazier, tilting it to pour a stream of fragrant tea. He said, “Speaking solely of Yongzhou, in the past, Your Highness was a step too slow and lost everything. But times are different now. I share your will to strike back. Please accept my sincerity.”

As he spoke, he pulled out two scrolls from his sleeve—one was a nearly complete topographical survey of the Wei River, missing only the areas beyond Yongzhou. The other, shockingly, was a map detailing the military deployment and full terrain of Leopard Head Mountain.

Li Yunli was slightly surprised.

Qing Nian glanced at Yun Chu without saying anything further.

Yun Chu understood the meaning in his eyes—Qing Nian did not welcome him being here for this discussion. So, he stood up, straightened his sleeves, and said, “I will wait in the carriage.”

“No need.”

Li Yunli reached out and grasped his wrist.

“Master Qing Nian,” she turned to him, “I know you have concerns about him. It’s true that he once raised an army for revenge, causing turmoil in Chu and great suffering for the people. But I did not bring him here today out of foolish sentiment. He has a reason to be here.”

As she spoke, she pressed Yun Chu back into his seat.

Qing Nian raised his gaze.

He had spent a decade immersed in Buddhist teachings, making him far more composed and calculating than the little novice monk she remembered as Jingkong.

He was now considering whether Yun Chu held a different identity in the eyes of the princess.

Li Yunli said, “He has sworn an oath for past misdeeds. Now, he is my person. If he harbors any disloyalty, I would not need Grand Tutor Gongliang to incite me—I would handle him myself. But at this moment, I trust him. What we are about to discuss not only concerns you and me but might also involve people from his past. I believe it is best for him to stay.”

Hearing this, Qing Nian nodded in understanding.

He pushed a cup of hot tea toward Yun Chu, silently permitting him to remain.

“In that case, let me tell Your Highness about my ten years of work in Yongzhou.”

Qing Nian unfurled the scrolls, his voice steady.

The brazier resisted the chill of the wind. Tea was poured and sipped, and none of them felt the cold.

After hearing everything, Li Yunli dipped her finger in tea and marked several points on the map. “So, I should thank you. You spent over a decade simulating every possible scenario. If it wasn’t a natural disaster, then these remaining locations must be the key suspects.”

Qing Nian had dedicated over ten years to surveying all of Yongzhou’s waterways, preparing for a disaster long before it happened.

The missing areas on the map were all within the territories of the Wurong tribe.

“Impressive effort,” she said.

For years, his warnings had been dismissed by the bureaucrats, forcing him to seek alternative solutions. Eventually, he turned to Leopard Head Mountain for support.

He was not a traditional monk, nor a true believer of any divine path, yet he had followers willing to join his cause.

Perhaps he did not even realize it himself—his unwavering resolve to save Yongzhou had made him a true ascetic, one who walked the path of suffering with no thought of himself.

Li Yunli knew she could never compare. Even now, all she was trying to do was save herself.

But Qing Nian might not see it that way.

Looking at the points she had marked, he smiled. “Your Highness is correct. But these areas are beyond my reach—they must be handled by you.”

These locations were forbidden lands of the Wurong tribe, off-limits to outsiders.

But Li Yunli had fought against the Wurong before. She knew their customs and secrets.

If necessary, she could bring an army.

“I lack troops,” she admitted. “General Xiao is trustworthy, but his forces are occupied with disaster relief. If reinforcements are needed, I’ll need your help.”

Qing Nian chuckled. “If Your Highness wishes, Leopard Head Mountain has over ten thousand strong men, and if we count women, children, and the elderly, the population exceeds thirty to forty thousand.”

Li Yunli did not want to rely on them—they were militias, not disciplined soldiers.

But there was something about Leopard Head Mountain that intrigued her.

She resolved to visit and see for herself.