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The bamboo raft floated steadily. Li Yunli closed her eyes slightly but was suddenly jolted.
She immediately opened her eyes, hearing the excited voices of the secret guards on the shore:
“Your Highness!”
Turning her head, she saw that the raft had already neared the shore, but she hadn’t even noticed when Yun Chu had left.
“Your Highness, we’ve finally found you!”
The leader of the group was Shiliu, who had brought along the imperial secret guards. They had searched for an entire night and were now finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Li Yunli glanced around in confusion as Shiliu stepped forward, pulling the raft closer while kneeling on one knee to report the current situation.
“Last night, urgent news arrived from Yongzhou—Marquis Yongcheng brought troops to the city gates but was stopped by General Ji and Master Qingnian. They demanded to know Your Highness’ return date.”
Shiliu’s gaze swept toward Li Yunli as she stepped onto the shore. He adjusted his stance before continuing,
“This morning, General Xiao sent a message via carrier pigeon, reporting that Marquis Yongcheng’s troops have retreated ninety li (about 45 km).”
Li Yunli knew the reason behind this.
Marquis Yongcheng had retreated because Yun Chu had cut off his reinforcements.
The alliance between Yongcheng and the Wurong tribe was not strong to begin with. Now that this had happened, it would surely spark suspicion and discord between them.
Li Yunli nodded, “I understand. Where is General Xiao now?”
Shiliu replied, “Last night, due to the urgent military situation and Your Highness being out of contact, General Xiao rushed back to Yongzhou to handle the crisis. He left behind a thousand troops, who are now stationed at Wushuang Town, awaiting orders.”
After finishing his report, the secret guard finally turned his attention to Li Yunli herself, looking at the bamboo raft still on the water.
“Your Highness, did something happen last night?”
Li Yunli coughed lightly.
“Nothing serious. The mountain paths have been in disrepair for years. I was careless and got delayed.”
She turned back, but Yun Chu had already vanished without a trace, as if he had never been there.
Seeing that the secret guards had carefully led Zhu Xue (her horse) off the raft, Li Yunli took the reins, mounted the horse, and issued orders,
“Leave a few who are good at swimming to investigate the waterworks beneath Yunfeng. Record the construction details and compare them with the Ministry of Works’ records to determine if they were built by Da Chu’s craftsmen. The rest will follow me back to Yongzhou!”
Shiliu bowed. “Yes, Your Highness!”
Li Yunli had not been here long, so she was unaware if the imperial court had carried out any waterworks projects upstream of the Wei River after the Wurong tribe was defeated and the Western Territory became part of Da Chu years ago.
However, based on Zhou Foxiao’s notes, there had been plans to construct such works in Yongzhou.
Strangely enough, the Yongzhou project had failed, while the one in the Western Territory had succeeded. Why?
Li Yunli glanced back at the river.
The project here was not an extravagant, resource-consuming endeavor, but a simple and effective method that had saved Wushuang Town from flooding.
Unfortunately, the people of Yongzhou weren’t as lucky.
Traveling day and night, Li Yunli’s group rushed toward Yongzhou under the starlit sky. But before reaching the city, they encountered an unexpected person.
“Shen Ziyu?”
Li Yunli frowned for a long moment before recognizing the young official dressed in blue robes leading a group of men.
“What are you doing here?”
Shen Ziyu was the son of Princess Roujia, which made him Li Yunli’s cousin in terms of family ties.
She had only met him once at the Bai Guo Banquet but remembered him as an upright and well-mannered official, likely a loyal and honest minister.
Shen Ziyu had heard the sound of approaching hooves and had been waiting by the roadside.
Seeing the approaching Western Region steed, Zhu Xue, he immediately stepped forward and saluted.
“Your Highness.”
“Rise.” Li Yunli assessed him and the people with him, noticing irregularities in the ceremonial attire. Lowering her voice, she asked,
“Did the Emperor send you?”
“Yes.” Shen Ziyu’s voice was steady, though he was visibly travel-worn.
“His Majesty received a letter from the Eldest Princess and sent a Vice Minister of Works to assist Your Highness in Yongzhou. Additionally, I was tasked with delivering a secret decree.”
A secret decree sent in such a discreet manner suggested a complex situation.
The fact that Shen Ziyu was entrusted with the mission showed how much Emperor Li Han trusted him.
Li Yunli’s expression turned serious. She pulled the reins.
“Minister Shen, let us hurry into the city. I also have an urgent report for His Majesty.”
The group quickly entered Yongzhou.
On the city walls, Ji Wenxun had not slept all night. The moment he saw Li Yunli return safely, he rushed to greet her. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they proceeded to the governor’s office.
Everyone knew the situation was complicated. Even Master Qingnian, who was well aware of the political landscape, was stunned when he saw the decree Shen Ziyu had brought.
It was none other than the military tally that once belonged to the former Prince of Jin—now capable of commanding the Northern Army!
Li Yunli realized the severity of the situation once more.
She took a deep breath and asked,
“Is His Majesty safe?”
Shen Ziyu solemnly nodded. “For now. But His Majesty holds no real power. He managed to deceive the Empress Dowager during the New Year’s banquet to obtain this military tally. His Majesty has instructed that the Eldest Princess is a general and should return to her rightful battlefield. ‘A general in the field does not have to obey the Emperor’s orders.'”
Li Yunli’s expression darkened.
“Someone is controlling the Emperor to command the ministers?”
For Emperor Li Han to specifically tell her she need not obey imperial orders, it meant he was already under constraint and unable to send a proper edict.
In the original book, there was a mention of the young Emperor of Chu being imprisoned when treacherous officials seized power. That was also when Yun Chu, the protagonist, began rapidly expanding his influence.
Back then, Li Yunli had skimmed over the story as an outsider. All those unrelated details were mere background noise.
But now, trapped in this intricate web, she could feel the suffocating tension.
Ji Wenxun, as her close friend, immediately sensed the gravity of the situation from her expression.
She rolled up her sleeves.
“So what?! We have the military tally now! Once I return to the North, I can rally the troops. If we go to war, do you think that old fox He Liancheng can stop us?!”
“Wait.”
Li Yunli grabbed Ji Wenxun’s sleeve, signaling her to hold back.
She turned to Shen Ziyu.
“On your way from the capital, did you hear any reports of military movements in the Western Territory?”
Shen Ziyu shook his head.
“I traveled discreetly, but I did stop at relay stations and read intelligence reports. There was no such news.”
Li Yunli glanced at Qingnian.
“If we count from the day the information blockade on Yongzhou was lifted, news from the Western Territory should have reached us by now.”
Yet, when Marquis Yongcheng arrived at the city gates yesterday claiming to lead ‘Western Territory troops,’ no one had questioned his identity.
The more Li Yunli thought about it, the more wrong it seemed.
Perhaps, from the very start, this wasn’t just a scheme against her alone.
She took a sharp breath and immediately ordered,
“Qingnian! Gather everyone in Yongzhou and evacuate them to Leopard Head Mountain. At the very least, get them away from the low-lying areas near the Wei River!”
Qingnian’s eyes widened in shock before he nodded solemnly.
“This time, we will succeed.”
Li Yunli echoed firmly,
“We will!”