This defensive line covered a vast area.

Retreating a hundred miles might not seem like much at first glance, but considering the average marching pace of soldiers, even the most elite units would need a day or two to cover that distance.

Her demand was to force Haozhou’s army to retreat far from Da Hui’s defensive line!

Moreover, any future military movements would require significantly more time.

On the battlefield, a delay of one or two days could completely alter the course of a war.

All of Haozhou’s generals looked grim, while others, like Tailan, were infuriated, feeling that Wen Yuesheng was making an outrageous demand.

Someone opened their mouth to curse but swallowed their words when they saw Wen Yuesheng’s slender, jade-like hand casually playing with a pale green teacup.

Rumor had it that this hand had once snapped many necks.

The atmosphere was tense. Haozhou’s generals felt both frustrated and stifled, yet they dared not speak out.

Yu Shun paused briefly, his gaze deep as he said, “One and a half million taels, and Haozhou will retreat thirty miles.”

Thirty miles was the equivalent of a day’s march for an average infantry unit.

Wen Yuesheng didn’t even lift her eyelids and replied coldly, “Three million taels for a hundred miles.”

She wouldn’t back down an inch!

Haozhou’s generals were fuming, but Yu Shun maintained his calm demeanor and said, “Two million taels for a fifty-mile retreat.”

The room fell silent. No one dared to interrupt their negotiation.

Wen Yuesheng finally raised her eyelids and glanced at him.

Just when everyone thought she might compromise, she said coldly, “Three million taels for a hundred miles.”

Tailan: “?”

Wasn’t that the same as before? She wasn’t retreating at all!

Before anyone could react, Wen Yuesheng added lightly, “And Haozhou must release all Da Hui prisoners of war captured previously.”

The faces of Haozhou’s generals darkened.

She wanted to add conditions? How could that be reasonable?

Yu Shun’s eyes flickered slightly. He looked up at Wen Yuesheng and heard her say coldly, “In exchange, Da Hui will release Wuge.”

Wuge, one of Haozhou’s five greatest generals, had previously been captured by Wen Yuesheng.

Her words left the room in silence.

Yu Shun’s eyes shifted subtly.

After years of war, most of Haozhou’s captured prisoners from Da Hui were civilians or soldiers too wounded to fight.

To Wen Yuesheng and Da Hui, they held little value.

But Wuge was different.

Especially after the crippling of Nu Lie and the death of Jilan.

If Wuge could be ransomed, it would be a tremendous advantage for Haozhou.

Wen Yuesheng’s unwavering stance and inclusion of Wuge in the deal made it clear: the three million taels wouldn’t just buy temporary peace—it would secure the return of Wuge.

The question now was whether Yu Shun, as emperor, would trade vast sums of silver and a significant retreat for one powerful general.

While many praised his wisdom, they didn’t realize that in all his encounters with her, he had never gained the upper hand.

She rarely spoke much, and she appeared indifferent to Haozhou’s affairs. But once Yu Shun sought peace, she immediately pinpointed Haozhou’s vulnerabilities.

Yu Shun had a long-term perspective, but not everyone in Haozhou shared it.

Haozhou, being a militaristic nation, had many who were unwilling to bow to Da Hui.

Though Yu Shun pushed for peace, Wen Yuesheng countered by presenting him with a dilemma.

Wuge was important to Haozhou but not worth such an enormous price and a retreat of a hundred miles.

Yet if Yu Shun refused, it would spark internal strife.

Twice, she gave him a choice, and both times, she cornered him.

After a moment of silence, Yu Shun chuckled softly.

He said lightly, “As the Princess suggests.”

He agreed!

After nearly twenty years of bitter warfare at the border, Haozhou was finally forced to sue for peace under Wen Yuesheng’s iron rule. They even agreed to a five-year truce and to pay a hefty indemnity.

Such an outcome had been unimaginable before.

The stark contrast between Haozhou’s silence and Da Hui’s jubilation underscored the magnitude of the event.

Wen Yuesheng stood, leaving with Zhang Yulin.

Yu Shun, however, couldn’t take his eyes off her retreating figure for a long time.

Chu Liehong stood by his side and said with a complex expression, “Da Hui has never had a precedent of a woman in power.”

Even if she held military authority, without a legitimate claim to the throne, it would lead to endless trouble.

That was another reason why Chu Liehong strongly supported the peace talks.

The Princess of Sining was too formidable. They were no match for her, but if internal strife in Da Hui resulted in her downfall, then things would become much simpler.

When Yu Shun heard those words, his thoughts drifted back to the day he left the Great Wei, with the sunset spreading across the sky.

If, on that day, he had proposed to rule the world with her, he wondered if things would have turned out differently.

But that thought passed quickly.

The three months of warfare had made it clear to him: Wen Yuesheng was a person of the Great Wei.

She would never change.

And it was because of this that he found it impossible to approach her even a little.

“Let’s return,” Yu Shun said, his eyes reflecting a complex mix of light in the cold wind.

One day, they would meet again on the battlefield, and then, they would have to decide who would emerge victorious.

And as of now, what he wanted more than anything else, more than anything or anyone, was her.

Meanwhile, after the peace agreement was decided, the entire Great Wei was almost in a state of celebration.

After years of tension, everyone saw Hao Zhou as a great threat. Children were even scared into silence at night with tales of Hao Zhou soldiers.

For nearly twenty years, the Great Wei had been oppressed, losing land and paying heavy compensation, with the people in the border regions living in misery.

All of this changed after Wen Yuesheng appeared.

For the first time in twenty years, Hao Zhou had been defeated, and a large sum of silver was paid as compensation, setting a record for the most significant victory in years.

And the frontier would, for a time, be free of war.

The Great Wei no longer needed to send a woman to marry for peace, nor lose sovereignty. Instead, they had forced the enemy to retreat a full 100 miles.

How could the people not rejoice at such news?

Not to mention that Wen Yuesheng also brought back all the war prisoners that had been captured by Hao Zhou over the years, using part of the compensation to resettle these citizens of the Great Wei.

One good thing after another.

Because of this, the people of the capital eagerly awaited the return of their princess.

But unlike the excitement in the streets, the news sent shockwaves through the court.

No one had expected that Hao Zhou genuinely sought peace, nor that Wen Yuesheng would return so quickly after a victorious campaign.

The imperial edict calling for the removal of the corrupt officials was still fresh in their minds, and now, she was coming back to the capital.

Though most of the 200,000 soldiers she led had been stationed at the frontier, with many left behind to guard against a potential counterattack from Hao Zhou, and to train the Great Wei army during this period, there were still two thousand elite soldiers of the Dao Camp with her.

Throughout the Great Wei, who didn’t know that the Dao Camp was the strongest?

Besides, she was the commander of the three elite military divisions and the guards.

Her return would likely shake the entire capital.

In the past three months, those who were usually patient found it hard to sleep after hearing this news.

The court, which had barely held together in some semblance of calm, was now unable to hide its turmoil.

In order to buy time, after the peace talks had been concluded, some ministers began to draft petitions to keep Wen Yue at the frontier.

These individuals had plenty of reasons to support this.

“Your Majesty, though the frontier war has temporarily ceased, Princess Sining, as the commander of the army, should not leave the frontier so easily,” said Jiang Gaoran, a scholar in the cabinet, raising his voice during the morning court.

“Hao Zhou’s ambitions are well known to all. Since Princess Sining has the ability, she should drive them out completely, not be blinded by a brief victory and easily agree to their peace offer.”

Wang Jinzhī sneered. “Minister Jiang speaks wisely, but if Minister Jiang is so insightful, why didn’t we hear you speak out against the princess’s proposal for peace earlier?”

Jiang Gaoran was momentarily stumped. When Wen Yue proposed the removal of the corrupt officials, who dared to oppose her?

But he knew that if he didn’t oppose now, once she returned to the capital, it would be too late.

So, despite being mocked by Wang Jinzhī, he insisted, “Princess Sining is too focused on power. When we tried to intervene in the frontier’s affairs, she did not give us that chance.”

“Now that things have developed this way, I believe she should remain at the frontier.”

Jiang Gaoran’s voice rang out, “By doing so, His Majesty will not need to worry about Hao Zhou breaking the treaty and attacking again. Princess Sining can use this time to train and prepare, waiting for the right moment to strike Hao Zhou once and for all.”

His words were casual, but in them, he didn’t treat Wen Yuesheng as a person.

He seemed to view her solely as a tool to safeguard the frontier, expecting her to remain there and die slowly, never to return to the capital.

“Your Majesty, I agree with Minister Jiang’s words,” another official from the Hanlin Academy joined in, supporting him. “Princess Sining, as a military general, is similar to General Fu Guo, who also served at the frontier for many years.”

“The duty of a general is to protect the frontier, and if Lord Lu can stay there for so long, why can’t the princess?” the official added, pausing for a moment. “This victory should be rewarded, and since she has been officially conferred a title, she should remain at the frontier, easing the Emperor’s concerns.”

The underlying implication was clear: the emperor should give Wen Yue a military post, trapping her at the frontier for good.

Wang Jinzhī was almost laughing with anger as he listened.

Having spent many years in the court, he had seen countless ministers, but these people, who enjoyed the peace earned by others on the battlefield and yet shamelessly demanded even more, were a first for him.

And these ministers who supported Jiang Gaoran had only been promoted in the past month.

Even Jiang Gaoran himself had only recently entered the cabinet. Before, he was a low-ranking editor at the Hanlin Academy and had somehow easily caught the emperor’s attention.

At the top of the court, the emperor’s expression was unreadable, making it difficult to gauge his emotions.

He didn’t respond to Jiang Gaoran’s words but didn’t refute them either. Instead, he simply said, “Issue a decree to the frontier—until the new commander’s orders are delivered, no one is to leave.”

As soon as the emperor spoke, many ministers in the hall felt a sense of unease.

Before they could react, a palace servant hurried in, panic evident in his demeanor.

“Your Majesty!” the servant knelt before the emperor, his voice trembling. “The city gates have reported that…”

“Princess Sining is leading her troops back to the capital. The army has arrived at the capital!”

The entire hall was stunned.