ã€ŠVillain Ladyã€‹


 Chapter 1 - An Incident In Prime Ministerâ€™s Residence

    Splash! Prang!

    "Can''t you even hold on your teapot properly?"

    The berating sound filled the small garden. There were four people in the middle of the garden, two boys and two girls. Based on their ages, they were only teenagers, but their beautiful intricate clothes gave out their identities as part of the noble families in the Han Shi Kingdom.

    "My apologies," a young girl around the age of 13 bowed her head down. She had long silky black hair that was tied into two small buns. Her small and pale hands were trembling as if she was waiting for punishment. Even though her brocade clothes looked exquisite, it was the worst among the four.

    Her face was a bit round, which was the result of the baby fat that was still very visible. She had black eyes and rosy red lips. Her body itself was petite, giving off the sense that she was a fragile lady.

    "Do you think you can simply apologize after offending His Highness, Liuying?" The young boy, who looked even younger than the girl, snorted with annoyance. He had a similar face with the girl, yet his tone was the harshest among them.

    The girl who bowed her head down, Wei Liuying only lowered her head even more. "I''m sorry, Your Highness."

    "It''s nothing."

    The cold voice of the young man contrasted his age. There were only two boys in the garden, and he was the oldest among the four of them. He had an exquisite feature that would make it easy for anyone to differentiate him. His purple robe was stitched with golden thread, which was the mark of the Imperial Family. Even though the design was still fairly simple compared to the Emperor, it was already far etched from other nobles.

    The young man was around 18 years old with long black hair that was tied up. He had an exquisite face that could easily rival even the most beautiful woman, but with traces of masculine. However, his brown eyes were clearly giving off a sense of threat when he looked at the other three in front of him.

    The first boy, who looked similar to Wei Liuying bowed his head down. No one could see his face, but he was actually smiling. "Your Highness Prince Ji Shu is very generous."

    The young man, Ji Shu, merely glanced coldly at the young girl in front of him. The girl was around 14 years of age and had an exquisite face. However, she looked even thinner compared to Wei Liuying, and there were traces of panic and worry inside her eyes. And yet, it didn''t look like she even had the courage to speak.

    The girl was Wei Xiao Hua, the legal daughter from the main wife. She had a timid personality and looked like she couldn''t even harm a fly. Tears have started to form on the corner of her brown eyes as she thought for a way to salvage the situation. Yet, there was nothing that came to her mind.

    "I¡­I''ll call servant to clean up your clothes," Wei Xiao Hua finally said as she waved her hand to call her servants.

    Ji Shu''s expression was already frigid. He was still tolerating them because Wei Xiao Hua is his fianc¨¦e, but he truly felt that the Emperor made a huge mistake. Even though Wei Xiao Hua had the backing of the Prime Minister behind her, what could this timid lady possibly do?

    She would get killed when she entered his residence later on.

    This time, the boy, Wei Hong Zheng, didn''t add anything else. He was carefully watching over Ji Shu''s expression while his smile was already wiped up. The 13 years old boy was trying to act as solemn as possible as he watched over the prince before him. However, his childish face clearly didn''t match the act he was trying to portray.

    The servants didn''t take a long time to bring the towel, and Ji Shu used it to wipe his hand. When the teapot shook, it only spilled some of the tea to his hand, so it was not a big deal. However, it was rare to see a prince get slighted, so many people wanted to know what the prince would do to Wei Liuying who made a mistake.

    "You should educate your sister better, Hong Zheng."

    "Yes, Your Highness," Wei Hong Zheng replied with vigor.

    Wei Liuying kept her head lowered as if the content of the conversation was not related to her in the slightest bit. She looked more like a servant compared to the daughter of the Prime Minister, whom her identity was supposed to be.

    Ji Shu didn''t even bother to glance in Wei Liuying''s direction as he stood up. "I''ll be going now."

    "So soon?" Wei Xiao Hua was startled. There were traces of disappointment within her words as she looked at her fianc¨¦ with doe''s eyes.

    "I have some matters to attend to," Ji Shu explained curtly. His tone clearly expressed his displeasure, yet at the same time, he was trying to make himself calmer. Clearly, he didn''t have a good impression of this young lady who''s his fianc¨¦e.

    Wei Xiao Hua bit the bottom of her lips as she stood up and curtsied. "In that case, I''ll be seeing you off, Your Highness."

    Ji Shu didn''t decline. He stood up and turned around with Wei Xiao Hua hurriedly trying to catch up. However, the young lady was unfortunate as there was a rock in the garden. Her long legs stumbled upon the rock.

    "Aaaa!"

    Bruk!

    The one closest to her was Ji Shu, but he reacted late, and Wei Xiao Hua fell on the ground. The servants were all stunned when they saw that there was a trace of blood on the ground.

    "Miss!"

    "Call for a doctor," Wei Liuying instructed the servant behind her. The surrounding servants in this place were divided into three parties. Most of them were Wei Xiao Hua''s servants, while some of them were Wei Hong Zheng and hers.

    "Yes, Third Miss," the servant curtsied before she hurried out.

    Ji Shu''s face was dark. He wanted to step forward, but at the same time, he was only the fianc¨¦ and naturally, there was some etiquette that he had to follow when he was facing the unmarried lady. Luckily, Wei Xiao Hua''s closest servant quickly stepped forward to help her miss.

    Wei Xiao Hua''s forehead hit a rock in front of her. Only the Heaven knew why there were so many rocks in the garden today. The servants were already drenched in a cold sweat when they saw Wei Xiao Hua''s forehead.

    If the wound were to be untreatable, it was clear that their punishment would be worse than death. Even now, many of them already realized that they would surely die just because of this incident.

    "This¡­" Wei Hong Zheng was trying to salvage the situation, but he was clueless. As a young brat who was only 13 years old, it was clear that he was not that much knowledgeable.

    Ji Shu sighed, his eyes turned colder as the temperature in the garden dropped several degrees. "I hope Wei Family will be able to give a satisfying answer for this incident."

    The servants wanted to cry, but they had no tears. They all see that it was clearly the rock''s fault for being there. However, they knew that those who were in charge of cleaning up the garden would be the one to blame.

    Wei Liuying curtsied and bowed even lower to the point that her face couldn''t be seen. "We''ll send a messenger later to inform Your Highness about First Lady Wei''s situation and condition."

    "En."

    Ji Shu waved his hand and turned around. He couldn''t be bothered with the farce here any longer. There were other ministers that he needed to meet because his brother would return to the capital city soon. Wasting time in this place was only a hassle.

    The servants already carried Wei Xiao Hua to return back while Ji Shu walked in another direction. Wei Liuying raised her head and looked in Wei Xiao Hua''s direction. At this time, the latter''s eyes suddenly opened. There was a sharp glint inside as her expression turned solemn. It was completely different from the timid and soft Wei Xiao Hua.

    Wei Liuying could feel her heart thumped faster as trepidation filled her face. Somehow, she had the feeling that the matter wouldn''t end so peacefully today.

 Chapter 2 - Changes In Prime Ministerâ€™s Residence

    "Liuying."

    Wei Liuying raised her head to look at her younger brother. The two of them were from the same mother and father. However, the difference in gender alone meant that they were treated differently from one to another.

    "Yes, Brother?" Wei Liuying asked in a soft tone.

    Wei Hong Zheng snorted and pointed at the main hall with his chin. "You''re the one who''ll speak about this matter today."

    "I understand."

    Even if it was Wei Hong Zheng''s fault, their father would never blame him. In this world, men were placed at higher status compared to a woman. No matter how much she wanted to scream of indiscrimination, it was useless. Her status was simply too low for her to even protest.

    Their father, Wei Hong, was the prime minister in the Han Shi Kingdom. He had five children with two of them being sons. Many people envied him because he had more than one son as everyone wished that they would be in the same situation.

    After all, many children died when they were still young due to the fight in their residence.

    Wei Hong Zheng turned around and beckoned for his servant to follow after him. "If Father asks anything about that, you know what to do."

    "Yes, Second Brother," Wei Liuying replied respectfully, yet there was no change in her expression. Wei Hong Zheng might be her younger brother, but she was not allowed to call him directly with his name by their mother. As for the reason why she understood perfectly that it was simply because of the difference in treatment between men and women.

    As she waited for her brother to leave, Wei Liuying sighed internally and slowly made her way to the main hall. When she was pouring tea, her brother struck her from behind, causing her hands to tremble. As a result, some of the tea leaked to Ji Shu''s hand.

    Yet, she would never be able to tell anyone about this. All they would know was that she couldn''t hold the teapot properly and spill it to His Highness''s hand. If not for the fact that the people here were all servants of Wei Family, Wei Liuying was sure that she would be known as a concubine daughter who was trying to seduce the Fourth Prince.

    "Third Miss?" A servant asked when he saw Wei Liuying walking to the main hall. He was tasked to guard the door and informed the Master whenever there was someone who wanted to come.

    "I need to see Father," Wei Liuying said in a low tone.

    The servant nodded. "I''ll inform Master."

    "Please."

    Wei Liuying waited patiently. The sun had started to set, and the temperature dropped. It was a chilling night, and many servants were trying to rub their hands together to warm themselves. However, Wei Liuying simply stood there without moving. Her eyes were tranquil as the darkness seemed to be endless.

    Behind her, a young girl hurriedly stepped over. She was the young servant that Wei Liuying sent to call the doctor just now. The girl didn''t look any older than Wei Liuying, but she was chubbier. Her cheek would show cute dimples if she was smiling, but this time, there were clearly traces of worry.

    "Third Miss, shouldn''t we check on First Miss?" The girl asked worriedly.

    Wei Liuying shook her head. "If we come here after visiting First Miss, it''ll be too late."

    "But¡­"

    "I''ll be fine."

    The servant girl could only look at her Miss helplessly. Her name is Xiao Qing, a servant who had been following Wei Liuying ever since she was a young girl. Xiao Qing clearly knew how bad Wei Liuying was treated ever since she was young, but she couldn''t say anything. Her status was even lower than that of a concubine daughter.

    At this time, the door opened. A middle-aged man stood in the middle with the previous servant standing behind him. He looked at Wei Liuying with an indifferent gaze as if he was looking at an unimportant person rather than his daughter.

    Wei Liuying couldn''t be bothered as she bowed down. "Third Daughter Wei Liuying greets Father."

    "Tell me, what do you come here for?" Wei Hong didn''t bother to respond with pleasantries as he directly asked the reason she came.

    "There was a problem when the First Sister served His Highness the Fourth Prince. His Highness wished to leave, and when First Sister wanted to see him off, she tripped and fell down. I have called for a doctor, but it''ll be better for Father to look at her."

    Wei Hong''s brows furrowed. "Again?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t respond. Every single time Ji Shu came to visit Wei Xiao Hua, there would be problems cropped up because of something. Usually, other siblings would come to greet His Highness and then, things happen.

    Wei Hong did have two sons, but they were both from his concubines. Because of that, he had been thinking of replacing his main wife since his main wife had died a few years prior. However, his wife comes from a powerful family, and he had Wei Xiao Hua who wouldn''t be willing to be downgraded to be a concubine daughter.

    In addition, His Majesty conferred the Fourth Prince to be married to Wei Xiao Hua when the two of them reached the age for adult. Wei Hong couldn''t do anything and kept the position of the main wife far from the others.

    "Let''s go there." Wei Hong didn''t wait for Wei Liuying to answer as he waved his hand. The servants could only helplessly follow after him.

    "This daughter will¡­"

    "You come with us."

    "This daughter understands."

    Wei Liuying silently followed after her father. Behind her, Xiao Qing was looking at her Miss with a worried expression, but there was simply nothing that she could possibly do. They were not allowed to fight against Wei Hong''s decision.

    And they didn''t have the power to do that.

    The crowds headed to the Peaceful Pavilion, which is the quarter where Wei Xiao Hua stayed. The place was originally designed for Wei Xiao Hua''s mother, but it was then transferred to Wei Xiao Hua after her death. Several other concubines had already gathered there.

    They were quick to catch the news, and Wei Hong himself didn??t stop them. This always happened.

    Inside the room, Wei Liuying could see Wei Xiao Hua standing on her bed with gauze on her head. Her brown eyes were bright and clear. At the same time, there were traces of sharpness within that couldn''t be explained with words. The temperature of the room seemed cold, yet it was not suffocating.

    "Xiao Hua," Wei Hong called out. "Are you alright?"

    Wei Xiao Hua normally would wail and complain to her father, creating a spectacle. The concubines were all waiting for Wei Xiao Hua to make fun of herself. However, they didn''t see it happened at all. Wei Xiao Hua was still sitting on her bed while looking at the crowd before her with a cold gaze.

    It looked a bit intimidating.

    "Father, I''m hurt," Wei Xiao Hua said after a while.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed when she heard Wei Xiao Hua''s calm tone. It was as if the person before her was not the same Wei Xiao Hua as before, but instead, she was a completely different person.

    Was it because she had always hidden herself, or was there another reason?

 Chapter 3 - The Different First Miss

    Wei Hong had a dark expression. "I''ll punish all the servants who''re in charge of taking care of the garden today."

    Wei Xiao Hua nodded in agreement. How could they overlook such a big stone? She turned her head to the doctor, who had been cleaning up his equipment once more. "Doctor, will there be a scar?"

    "No, as long as you take care of your wound, there won''t be any scar remaining," the doctor said with assurance. The fall was not big, which is why the wound was not deep. As long as Wei Xiao Hua took care of herself and the wound well, it would surely heal without any scar whatsoever.

    "That''s good."

    Wei Xiao Hua turned her attention back to her father. This time, even Wei Hong could see that Wei Xiao Hua looked different than usual.

    "Xiao Hua, is there anything else that you want?"

    "Father, I want to ask that the next time His Highness comes, I don''t need to have my other siblings accompanying me," Wei Xiao Hua said sternly.

    Wei Hong was taken aback. "This¡­"

    The two of them were engaged, but engaged was different from marriage. It was still inappropriate for the two of them to be meeting in private together. After all, some people might be pointing fingers at them, trying to bring them down just because of simple matters.

    "Father," Wei Xiao Hua called. "If you''re worried, you can have more servants accompanying me. That way, it won''t really be only the two of us. You can rest assured that we won''t be acting out of the line."

    Wei Hong was silent for a while. In truth, he had been thinking about this matter too. Previously, Wei Xiao Hua agreed with the arrangement that whenever she met with Prince Ji Shu, the others would accompany her from a distance away. That way, the two of them wouldn''t be acting out of the line.

    However, now that Wei Xiao Hua proposed this, he didn''t know how he should respond.

    "I don''t think that would be appropriate," a woman interrupted from the side. She was wearing a peach gown that looked exquisite. Her face was extraordinarily beautiful and added with the decoration she used, it made her look even more stunning.

    Wei Xiao Hua raised her head and looked at the woman coldly. Her gaze contrasted her frail figure, making her look like a tigress who was ready to pounce on her enemy. "Do I give you permission to speak, Concubine Feng?"

    The woman who spoke was Concubine Feng, Wei Liuying and Wei Hong Zheng''s mother. Among the many concubines that Wei Hong had, she was undoubtedly the most beautiful one. It was precisely this feature that allowed her to be married into Wei Family Residence.

    "You¡­" Concubine Feng was annoyed, but she felt a small hand restraining her wrist. She turned around and saw her daughter was looking at her with a warning gaze. Despite feeling displeasure, Concubine Feng swallowed back the words that were threatening to come out just now.

    Wei Hong coughed. "She''s right, Chun''er. Don''t interrupt us."

    Concubine Feng, whose real name was Feng Chun, could only shut her mouth. Even though she was annoyed, she couldn''t possibly disobey her husband.

    Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes flashed as she looked at her father. "How about that, Father? I''m too nervous if I were to stay with my siblings, so I wish that I could be alone with His Highness when he came to visit next time."

    "But¡­"

    "Father, we''ll get married next year too, so it should be fine," Wei Xiao Hua added. She would turn 15 in two weeks while Ji Shu would turn 19 in a month. Next year, when the two of them had reached 16 and 20 respectively, they would be able to get married. It was not that long from now.

    Wei Hong sighed. He looked at the wound on Wei Xiao Hua''s forehead and finally nodded his head. Ever since the siblings were watching each other, there was clearly always some incident. Hopefully, it wouldn''t happen anymore after the siblings no longer followed Wei Xiao Hua.

    "Fine."

    "Thank you, Father." Wei Xiao Hua smiled brightly. Even though her face looked a bit malnourished, her smile was clear and beautiful, easily melting one''s heart.

    Wei Hong nodded. He didn''t really care about the matters in his residence as he left it all to his concubines, but he still needed to show his face whenever there were some troubles. This time, he decided to agree with Wei Xiao Hua.

    "If there''s nothing else¡­"

    "Wait, Father," Wei Xiao Hua called. Her gaze landed on Wei Liuying as a wicked smile plastered on her lips. "Today, Third Sister spilled tea on His Highness Ji Shu''s hand. Wouldn''t it be preposterous if you didn''t punish her, Father? What if she made such a mistake when she was already married, it''ll be the same as slapping your own face."

    Wei Liuying''s face didn''t change in the slightest bit. Their father cared for his reputation the most. Whatever happened in residence didn''t matter as long as no word leaked out. She was sure that Wei Xiao Hua intentionally mentioned the matter of reputation because she understood that Wei Hong wouldn''t like it at all.

    In addition, Wei Hong never had a good impression of her. She was merely the concubine daughter that was so ''useless.''

    ''As I thought, there''s something different with First Sister."

    Wei Hong turned his head around. This time, his eyes were chilling cold when he looked at Wei Liuying. However, Wei Liuying knew better than anyone that her Father always does that whenever he looked at her.

    "Wei Liuying, is that true?"

    "Yes, Father. This daughter is incompetent," Wei Liuying admitted directly.

    Plak!

    Wei Liuying could feel her cheek burning in pain, but there was no expression on her face at all. Her eyes were swept in the room, capturing each of the other''s expressions. Not a single one of them was on her side.

    "Go to the shed and stay there without dinner today," Wei Hong said coldly.

    "Yes, Father."

    After bowing down, Wei Liuying turned around. She could see that even her mother was looking at her with contempt as if she wished to admonish her in front of the crowd. The other concubines were whispering to themselves, feeling glad that Wei Liuying was not their daughter.

    Behind her, Wei Xiao Hua showed a satisfied smile. She looked at her father. "Father, I want to rest now."

    "Alright. Everyone disperses."

    "Yes."

    "Get well soon, First Miss."

    Everyone gave out pleasantries as Wei Xiao Hua waved them off. She stretched her body after everyone had left as a faint smirk appeared on her face. This time, she would make sure that she would be able to gain back whatever belonged to her!

 Chapter 4 - No One To Rely On

    "Miss," Xiao Lu called out from behind as she followed Wei Liuying to the shed.

    Wei Liuying cast a sidelong glance to her servant. "What is it, Xiao Lu?"

    "Why don''t you speak to them about what had actually happened? It''s not like Miss is so weak¡­."

    "What''s the use is there?"

    "Miss?"

    Wei Liuying let out a hollow and mirthless laugh. Asking for her family to care for her was the same as asking for disappointment. It would be better for her to just silently do what she had to do while keeping a way out for herself.

    When she arrived by the shed, the servants there blocked Xiao Lu. Xiao Lu''s face turned dark, but she knew that it was the rule. She was not allowed to accompany Wei Liuying.

    "Third Miss, please."

    "I can enter by myself."

    The servant nodded. This was not the first time Wei Liuying was punished by Master to stay in the shed without eating.

    As Wei Liuying entered the shed, she could see that it was still the same as before. There was a stack of hay along with some other tools such as a wooden basket, chair, and so on. It was usually used to store some unused equipment or just left empty to punish the children when they do wrong.

    Wei Liuying walked to the stack of hay and sat down. Her jet black hair looked into a distance as her hands slowly moved to pull the hay and started to align them together bit by bit. She was making a net for her to sleep by night time because if not, she would catch a cold in a place like this.

    As for eating¡­

    Taking out a steamed bun from her pocket, Wei Liuying silently ate. She had been punished here a couple of times. There was no way she would let herself be mistreated without any food at all, so she always prepared some meat buns in her pocket in case she would be punished suddenly.

    ''First Sister turns really strange today,'' Wei Liuying thought to herself.

    Wei Xiao Hua might be the legal daughter, but she was usually very timid. Because of that, the concubines usually used this chance to make sure that they would be able to gain an advantage from her. Today was no exception as it was her and Wei Hong Zheng''s turn to accompany Wei Xiao Hua.

    Wei Hong Zheng wanted to get close to the Fourth Prince, which is why he always tries to make himself look useful. The best way to do that was by making her look bad, which was why she would always look like she made fun of herself in front of Ji Shu. Even though she was unwilling, her brother would just force her with his martial arts.

    If only it was possible, Wei Liuying wanted to run away from home altogether. Unfortunately, she would only court death if she were to run away right away without anyone to support her.

    ''Done.''

    The net was only barely passable and could easily be destroyed. Wei Liuying simply gathered some of the hay and put it on top of the net before she lied down on top of the rest of the hay. It would feel warmer this way when she slept.

    Time passed swiftly.

    Clank!

    Wei Liuying sat up abruptly when she heard the sound. She quickly pulled the hay away from her and tidied up her dresses. From the small window nearby, she could see that it was already morning, which was the time for her to get out.

    "Third Miss, are you still alive?"

    "I''m alive," Wei Liuying replied calmly.

    The guard looked inside and heaved a sigh when he saw that Wei Liuying was still standing respectfully. Even though Wei Liuying''s position was basically the lowest, she still managed to survive so far in this harsh residence. Even he couldn''t count the time when Wei Liuying would be punished to stay in this shed anymore.

    "it''s morning, you can return back now."

    "Thank you."

    "It''s nothing much."

    As Wei Liuying walked back to her own quarter, the guard sighed to himself. In his eyes, Wei Liuying was clearly the most sensible one. After all, she was always the calmest whenever she was punished, yet their Master seemed to hate Wei Liuying so much that he was so harsh whenever he instructed her.

    Wei Liuying made her way to her courtyard. Xiao Lu was already waiting near the door. "Miss!"

    "Xiao Lu, it''s still early. You should have waited inside."

    Xiao Lu''s face looked troubled. "Miss, Madam Feng is..."

    She''s inside.

    There was no need for Xiao Lu to finish her words, Wei Liuying knew that clearly. She nodded and patted Xiao Lu''s hand to reassure her. Even though Wei Liuying knew that nothing good would happen even if she were to enter her quarter, she didn''t have any other choice.

    Wei Liuying pushed any thoughts from her heart as she stepped forward. Her small hands pushed the door open, revealing her mother standing in the middle of the room. As usual, Feng Chun dressed extravagantly with various headpieces and makeup to the point that the smell permeated the room.

    "Mother."

    "You still remember that I''m your mother?" Feng Chun snapped.

    "There''s no way this daughter can ever forget you, Mother," Wei Liuying replied respectfully as she bowed down to hide her expression.

    Feng Chun snorted. "That''s what you say, but why did you stop me from speaking? That b*tch should have just died because of the fall! She''s so clumsy and an idiot! Not to mention¡­."

    Wei Liuying closed the door to prevent the sound from reaching out. However, she knew that if her mother were to speak this loudly, a lot of servants would surely hear it. She sighed internally because she knew that her mother would always do this whenever something not in her favor happened.

    "Mother, Father won''t like it if you keep on badmouthing First Sister," Wei Liuying said when Feng Chun stopped to catch a breath.

    Feng Chun''s face contorted. "He hadn''t been visiting me and instead of heading over to that b*tch Mei. Tell me, what do I lack from her?"

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" if you can keep your mouth shut, Father will be happier.

    Of course, Wei Liuying couldn''t possibly say it out loud unless she wished her mother to beat her up too. After being punished by Wei Hong, she clearly didn''t want to get punished by Feng Chun too.

    "Mother, Father is busy lately, so he needs someone who can calm him down," Wei Liuying tactfully answered.

    Feng Chun frowned. "Are you saying that I''m unsuitable for that?"

    "How about if Mother tries to recite poems for Father? He might like it."

    "You''re right! I''ll challenge that annoying Mei B****!"

    After a few more talks, Wei Liuying finally managed to bring her mother out of her quarter. She turned around and opened the door again, where Xiao Lu was standing with a pale expression. She was waiting with other servants outside, and they could hear what Feng Chun said about Wei Xiao Hua.

    If words were to spread to Wei Hong, there was no telling what might happen.

    "Come in and help me get ready."

    "Yes, Miss."

    "Call Xiao Yu too."

    "I understand."

 Chapter 5 - The Reason Sheâ€™s Useless

    Wei Liuying only has two closest servants who attended her. First was Xiao Qing and the second one was Xiao Yu. The two of them were around the same age as Wei Liuying and have been assigned to serve her ever since she was young. As for their names¡­ it was the result of Wei Liuying being too lazy to pick names.

    "Miss," Xiao Yu greeted with a smile. She was taller compared to the two of them, but her round face couldn''t hide her childishness. At this age, it was simply a dream for them to have their baby fat disappear.

    "It''s time for training," Wei Liuying said simply.

    "I understand."

    Xiao Yu quickly took a set of robes from Wei Liuying''s wardrobe. It was a set of boy''s robes with brown color.

    Wei Liuying took the robe and changed by herself. Xiao Qing only helped to prepare for the ribbon and ties. Before long, Wei Liuying had changed. Her hair was tied into a bun, and a wooden sword was tied on her hips. With this appearance, no one would be able to recognize her as the third miss in Wei Family Residence anymore.

    "Miss, you''re as handsome as ever," Xiao Yu praised as she put away the accessories that Wei Liuying wore the night before.

    "I''ll be going now. Reject anyone who comes."

    "Yes, Miss."

    With that, Wei Liuying slipped away through the backdoor. There were only female servants in her quarter, and even though their number was not that many, they were all very strict with the rules. It was clear that they would never allow a man to enter the quarter.

    There was a side door that was heading to her sibling''s quarter. The area itself was quite covered with trees, making it hard for anyone to find this secluded place. Wei Liuying traveled within the bushes before she made her way to the door. Her slender hand pushed the door open.

    On the other side of the place, there were also a lot of trees. She didn''t waste any time as she rushed to the right side where there was a small open area that was covered with trees, providing the perfect cover.

    The area was completely empty with nothing but trees surrounding it. In the middle of the field, Wei Hong Zheng stood with his wooden sword, swinging it around. He raised his head to look at his sister.

    "You''re late."

    "I''m sorry, the guards just released me from the shed," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly.

    Wei Hong Zheng snorted. He knew that the guards would only release her when it was morning. He readied his stance. "Come here and help me train."

    "Yes."

    Wei Hong Zheng''s eyes narrowed as he calculated the distance between the two of them. In the next second, his legs stomped on the ground as he dashed towards his sister. His sword swung rapidly.

    Tak!

    Wei Liuying blocked the attack, but she stepped back. Even though Wei Hong Zheng is younger than her by a year, it was also a fact that Wei Hong Zheng had more strength compared to her. Besides, her task was only to defend herself in front of Wei Hong Zheng.

    "Again!"

    Tak! Tak! Tak!

    The sound of wood hitting each other filled the courtyard. The two children didn''t stop even after a long time practicing. It was only when it was already over the time for lunch that they stopped.

    "You''re still as weak as ever," Wei Hong Zheng commented.

    Wei Liuying smiled but didn''t answer. She was not allowed to attack back because if Wei Hong Zheng were to get injured, it would be hard to explain what caused it. After all, this morning practice was a secret that their mother arranged for the two of them.

    Feng Chun wanted Wei Hong Zheng to become even more powerful, both in martial arts and knowledge. Because of that, she arranged Wei Liuying to be Wei Hong Zheng''s punching bag once every three days. That way, Wei Hong Zheng will know how his opponent will block him if he tries those patterns.

    "Come here again in three days. Also, don''t get out at all in two days."

    Two days?

    Recalling the news that she got, Wei Liuying nodded solemnly. In two days, the third prince, Prince Ji Sheng, would return back from the frontline. He was sent away to the north in order to block the Xiong from breaching the line, which was the reason why he didn''t stay in the capital city. However, it would soon be the New Year celebration that signified the 20th year of Emperor Xuan''s reign.

    Because of that, all the Imperial Family members were called back to the capital city for the celebration. As for their post after this, it was still unknown whether the Emperor would want them to return back to their original post or they would be moved to other places.

    All in all, the emperor has five children, and four of them were princes. The crown prince was already determined, but it was still unknown whether there would be a war for the throne or not considering Han Shi Kingdom''s vast land. Besides, all princes have their own role in politics.

    "I understand, Brother," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly. She didn''t have any plan to get out too unless she wished to get into trouble.

    Wei Hong Zheng waved his hand lazily. The two of them were of similar heights because Wei Liuying was fairly short for a young girl in development. Considering that she hadn''t been able to eat properly, it was not that weird.

    Wei Liuying curtsied. She turned around and left using the same way she came here while Wei Hong Zheng hurried back to his quarter to eat his lunch then have his own training.

    It didn''t take long before Wei Liuying returned back to her own room. Naturally, she had ordered her servant to not linger in that area because she didn''t want anyone to see her. Her mother also disliked it if someone else found out about this arrangement because it was so unladylike.

    "Miss, you''ve returned," Xiao Qing smiled when she saw Wei Liuying.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Prepare hot water. I need to take a bath."

    "Yes, Miss. I''ll prepare the ointment too."

    "En."

    Afterwards, Wei Liuying headed to the bathroom and took a bath. Looking at her body that was filled with bruises, Wei Liuying sighed to herself. Even though she had been trying her best, she still failed to block a lot of attacks over the span of the morning to afternoon. As a result, her own body was hurt.

    "Miss¡­." Xiao Qing looked like she was about to cry. Seeing her Miss like this pained her heart, but she knew that nothing could be done. Wei Liuying''s status was simply too weak.

    "The ointment, Xiao Qing."

    "Here, Miss."

    Wei Liuying rubbed the ointment on the bruises on her skin. All along, her expression was calm as if there was no pain at all. People who saw her would even wonder if her pain''s senses were working properly because ordinary people wouldn''t be able to stay calm when they tried to cure those wounds.

    After a long session, Wei Liuying returned back to her room and picked some books before heading to her table.

    "Miss, this is the meal today."

    "Put it there."

    Xiao Qing watched as Wei Liuying began to eat with one book in the other hand. The book was about history and something like that. It was not a common topic for a young lady to read, but it was all the type of books that Wei Liuying was allowed to read by her mother.

    Slowly, Xiao Qing inched out of the room and saw Xiao Yu, who had been waiting with a tray in her hand. Her face showed worry.

    "Is Miss alright?"

    "It''s fine. Don''t disturb Miss when she''s studying," Xiao Qing beckoned for Xiao Yu to leave.

    Xiao Yu passed another glance at the room before she sighed. Despite being the Miss in a respectable family like this, Wei Liuying''s life was even worse than most servants. Many of the servants have a much better living condition compared to her.

    "I hope things will change for Miss."

    "When she''s married, she might have a better life."

    "Are you sure?" Xiao Yu was doubtful.

    Xiao Qing merely passed a bitter smile. With Wei Liuying''s status, her only option was to be married as a concubine or to be the wife of a lower official. And considering Prime Minister Wei''s ambition, the first one is more likely. At that time, what kind of life would wait for her? Also, would Wei Liuying stay silent and accepted this treatment or will she do something?

    No one knew.

 Chapter 6 - History

    Wei Liuying spent the entire day reading the books. She didn''t have any embroidery equipment because her mother would keep it away and only handed her those books. After all, Feng Chun wished for her daughter to help her son in his study in order to surpass the older brother.

    "Miss, have you done studying? It''s already late," Xiao Qing informed from outside.

    "I''m done. You can come in."

    Xiao Qing pushed the door open. Seeing the bamboo scroll neatly on Wei Liuying''s table, Xiao Qing knew that her Miss had already finished summarizing the key points of the book. This was Wei Liuying''s daily work, summarizing everything for Wei Hong Zheng to help him in his study.

    "Send this to Servant Huo," Wei Liuying said simply. Huo is her brother''s closest servant and also the one who arranged everything for Wei Hong Zheng.

    "Miss, is it not a waste to give this to him?" Xiao Qing looked at the writing and pouted. It was so neat and organized.

    Wei Liuying shook her head. "I don''t have any use for the note anymore. Besides, what''s the use of women to have this kind of knowledge?"

    "That''s¡­"

    "Give it to Huo and ask Xiao Yu to bring food. I''m going to eat dinner."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Wei Liuying stood up and stretched her body while Xiao Yu entered with the tray of food. The latter smiled. "Miss has a good figure."

    "You can also have a better figure if you train," Wei Liuying said.

    Xiao Yu pouted. "But training is so hard. I don''t want to have my body covered in sweat after all day long."

    "You little," Xiao Qing poked Xiao Yu forehead. "You''re so lazy. Why don''t you start to learn how to clean the entire quarter to practice your arms?"

    "Ah, please have mercy."

    The quarter was quite big. If she had to be the one to clean up the entire quarter, she would end up with aching bodies.

    Wei Liuying shook her head as a faint smile was formed on the corner of her lips. "Just help me to stitch the clothes, Xiao Yu. Some parts are ripped after my practice with Second Brother."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Seeing that Wei Liuying could smile again, the two of them heaved a sigh of relief. It was rare to see their Miss could relax her expression in the residence, so they always tried to lift up her mood whenever it was possible.

    As Xiao Yu served the dinner, Xiao Qing took the bamboo scroll and silently left the room. She headed to the kitchen to inform Xiao Yu before delivering the bamboo scroll. Internally, she was truly tempted to just throw it away because she didn''t wish to see Wei Hong Zheng use it. However, doing that would simply aggravate the situation.

    With no other choice, she could only deliver the bamboo scroll as she was tasked.

    Wei Hong Zheng was inside his room, reading the book with his teacher helping him. The teacher, Teacher Luo, was already feeling exasperated when he saw Wei Hong Zheng''s progress. He could barely understand everything that he taught even though he had deliberately slowed down his teaching.

    "Teacher Luo, I still don''t understand," Wei Hong Zheng said weakly.

    Teacher Luo was a middle-aged man in his forties. His hair was mostly white, and there were already a lot of wrinkles in his face. When he heard Wei Hong Zheng''s words, he felt like smacking this boy''s head several times.

    "Which part?" Teacher Luo asked in a low tone.

    They were only learning history, but Wei Hong Zheng seemed to be slow when it came to analyzing everything that was written there.

    Wei Hong Zheng''s face was white, but he continued to ask. "This¡­ before Emperor Xuan''s era, it was Emperor Gao''s era, and it''s said that he had already vanquished the enemy in the north, but why is the war still ongoing?"

    Teacher Luo sighed. This was one of the most common topics because the war against Xiong still continued to last. However, most nobles already knew how hard it was to fight against Xiong Tribes because they were all nomadic, meaning that they always moved from one place to another.

    "There are still a lot of Xiong Tribe''s people spread in the north. They don''t have fixed residence because they keep on moving. When it''s Winter, they often come to the South and raze the cities because they need food in order to survive."

    "Then why is it said that the war is Emperor Gao''s win?"

    "That''s because Emperor Gao managed to force the Xiong back and make an agreement that they''ll not come back again."

    "But the fight still continued," Wei Hong Zheng complained.

    Teacher Luo sighed. "That''s simply because when Emperor Xuan ascended the throne, there are countless people who are dissatisfied with him. The agreement is seen as void, so there''s no other choice but to send more people to guard the north area. So far, the forces between the Han Shi Kingdom and Xiong Tribe are on par, so it was difficult to reach an agreement now."

    Wei Hong Zheng fell into deep contemplation while Teacher Luo resisted the urge to sigh for the nth time. This was already the fifth time Wei Hong Zheng asked the same question over and over.

    When Wei Hong Zheng raised his head, the question he asked didn''t differ that much. "But Teacher, I''m still confused about why we can''t reach an agreement. Isn''t it easier if we can just end the war and annihilate Xiong Tribe?"

    Teacher Luo: "¡­" it''s not possible.

    He rubbed his temple and tried to think for a way to explain more to Wei Hong Zheng when the door was knocked.

    Knock! Knock!

    "Come in."

    A young man in servant clothes walked in. He looked fairly ordinary, but his neat clothing and also the different colored robe signified that he held a greater position in this residence.

    "Young Master," the servant greeted while bowing down.

    Wei Hong Zheng arched his eyebrows. "What is it, Huo?"

    "The notes for today''s lesson are here."

    "It''s late," Wei Hong Zheng complained, but he still took the bamboo scrolls. Looking at the neat writing, he began to read carefully with Teacher Luo looking from the side. Everything was written neatly and properly. He conveniently peered at the last bamboo stick and read the content.

    ''Year 1 Emperor Xuan''s reign, Xiong Tribe had started to show their dissatisfaction with the agreement that was made in his father''s reign. There have been several warnings issued from both sides such as¡­.''

    Teacher Luo sighed when he read the content and placed it down. He came here because Wei Hong wanted him to become the teacher for both of his sons, especially Wei Hong Zheng who was quite slow. As he was also friends with Feng Chun, he didn''t really have any reason to refuse.

    He knew that Feng Chun had great ambition. However, the Heaven didn''t grant her wishes according to the way she wanted it. She had two children, one boy and one girl. But the Heaven has a different plan for them.

    Wei Hong Zheng was fairly ordinary in terms of study and learning. There were a lot more people who were far smarter and quick-witted compared to him. Even his father noticed it. On the contrary, it was Wei Liuying who''s a fast learner and capable of learning so many things in a short period of time. When he found out about that, he was thoroughly surprised.

    But in this era, where women were not allowed to freely choose their occupation, the knowledge was useless.

    She had no way of using it for her own benefit. All she could do was to use the knowledge that she had gained to help her brother while neglecting her own study because it was simply impossible to study so many things all at once.

    It was truly unfair as the gifted one couldn''t even use her talent.

    "Teacher, is this correct?" Wei Hong Zheng asked as he pointed to the lines on the bamboo scroll.

    Teacher Luo peered and nodded. "Yes, it is."

    "I see. It''s easier to understand this way."

    "It''s good that you can understand."

    Teacher Luo continued to teach Wei Hong Zheng by making use of the notes that Wei Liuying had sent them. Internally, he still lamented the sibling''s situation in this place. It was truly a pity.

 Chapter 7 - The Three Sisters

    Knock! Knock!

    "Miss, are you awake?" Xiao Qing asked behind the door.

    "I''m up," Wei Liuying replied succinctly. She rested well last night after finishing her lessons then reviewed the lessons that she had to learn. However, it was a bit too tiring for her, so she didn''t manage to finish. Looking at the poetry book by the side that she barely started, Wei Liuying sighed.

    Every noble family in the Han Shi Kingdom has to attend the academy. Of course, male and females had separate sections because they learned different things. For women, they have to learn poetry, embroidery, painting, music, and arithmetic. Wei Liuying only managed to learn arithmetic because Wei Hong Zheng had to learn arithmetic too.

    As for the rest, her knowledge and skill were very basic.

    They didn''t have to attend every day because many nobles also invited teachers to their home. Only a portion of them would be so diligent to the point of attending the academy every single day.

    "Today''s lesson is poetry, Miss," Xiao Yu reminded.

    "I know."

    Wei Liuying washed her face on the water basin and wiped it. Her clear and beautiful jade-like feature was apparent. From the lustrous glint on the surface of the skin, it was easy to say that she would surely become a beautiful lady in the future. It was only because she was too young that many of her features were not defined yet.

    It didn''t take long for Wei Liuying to apply some cream to maintain her feature then changed her clothes. She was wearing a light white robe that looked a bit big. The sash has to be tied a bit more just to make sure that she didn''t look like a child who was wearing her parent''s clothes.

    Xiao Yu brought a box of accessories while looking at Wei Liuying''s appearance. "Miss, your clothes are too big. Should this servant ask for a new one?"

    "There''s no need," Wei Liuying replied plainly. She didn''t really want to bother with new clothes and whatsoever. There was no use for her to look so pretty. As long as it was enough to represent her as part of Prime Minister Wei''s house, she wouldn''t ask for more.

    Her slender hand took the pins from the box and tied her own hair into two buns with Xiao Yu''s help. Her smooth and silky hair was easy to tie up with the pin inserted in the middle. Afterwards, Wei Liuying picked two simple accessories to decorate her head.

    "Miss, is it not too simple?" Xiao Yu asked with a worried tone.

    "It''s enough," Wei Liuying said simply. Using too many accessories would only hurt her neck. She didn''t have any intention to tire herself again after a long time practicing with Wei Hong Zheng.

    Xiao Yu sighed when she looked at Wei Liuying, but they didn''t say anything anymore. It was already time for them to head over to the academy, so Wei Liuying settled with a simple breakfast and darted out of the quarter slowly.

    Three carriages were prepared for them. One was for First and Second Brother, the second one was for Wei Xiao Hua, and the last one was for Second Miss and herself. Wei Liuying could see that Wei Xiao Hua was walking to the carriage leisurely. Her hand was holding a fan that she used to cover up her yawn.

    "First Sister," Wei Liuying curtsied politely when Wei Xiao Hua stopped in front of her carriage and swept her gazes over.

    Wei Xiao Hua glanced in Wei Liuying''s direction with her deep gaze. Her brown iris seemed as if it had come to life when she was staring at Wei Liuying. "Good morning, Third Sister. You seem to be in a good mood today."

    "It''s another day to study, so my mood is good," Wei Liuying replied with a smile. However, there was no mirth within her eyes at all. All she said was simply for the sake of pleasantries.

    "Then I wish you can study a lot."

    "Many thanks for your kind intention, First Sister."

    Wei Liuying waited for Wei Xiao Hua to get on her carriage while she was still standing in her place. She glanced inside and saw a young girl around the same age as he was rushing over. Her body was plumper, which made her look adorable. She had a beautiful face that was covered in makeup, but it couldn''t hide her sparkling eyes.

    "Second Sister," Wei Liuying greeted formally.

    "Oh, you''re already here, Third Sister?" the girl looked at Wei Liuying and waved her hand. "Get on. We''ll be late."

    "Yes."

    Behind them, Xiao Qing was resisting the urge to roll her eyes. The one who was late was obviously the Second Miss, but it was inappropriate for her to say anything to them, so she stayed silent and helped her Miss to enter the carriage.

    Wei Liuying sat silently inside the carriage. The one before her is her older sister, but the two of them have a different mother. Her second sister, Wei Zilin, is only a few weeks older than her, so the two of them were placed in the same class to study in the academy. Of course, their result was also vastly different.

    "Hey, have you read the books that the teacher asked us to read last week?" Wei Zilin asked impolitely.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows and stayed silent. If it was in front of her brother, she had no other option but to answer if she didn''t wish to get beaten up. However, Wei Zilin and her both have the same status as a concubine daughter. Even if Wei Zilin''s mother was favored, it was still harder for Wei Zilin to throw a tantrum with her status.

    "Hey! I''m talking to you!" Wei Zilin was getting annoyed.

    However, Wei Liuying didn''t even bother and closed her eyes lazily.

    Wei Zilin snorted and crossed her hands. "Do you want me to report to Mother that you bully me again?"

    Wei Liuying opened her eyes. Her clear black eyes stared back at her sister. "Second Sister sure jest. If I''m so capable of being able to bully you, wouldn''t the servants have heard you scream for help? Or is Second Sister telling me that you will not complain even if I bully you in the carriage?"

    "You¡­" Wei Zilin''s face turned white. If it was really true, then the servants would be able to hear her voice. Not to mention, there were a lot of passersby around. If Wei Zilin asked for help, they would be able to testify.

    Wei Liuying smiled and didn''t respond. Honestly, there were so many scenarios that could be made just from one single incident. If only Wei Zilin was a bit smarter, she would be able to say that she wanted to preserve the house''s dignity and not make a racket over small injustices.

    However, that kind of excuse would only work in front of Wei Hong. For the others, they would just scoff since there was not even any wound on Wei Zilin''s body. The most Wei Liuying could do would be verbal bullying, but then again, wouldn''t the servants also heard about that?

    Thinking about so many scenarios made Wei Liuying closed her eyes again and fell into deep contemplation.

    In front of her, Wei Zilin snorted, but she didn''t try to disturb Wei Liuying again. She hated this sister of hers very much. Even though Wei Liuying is younger than her, this girl always seemed to be able to scheme so deeply with her mind. Wei Zilin couldn''t understand what Wei Liuying even studied in her free time.

    As silence descended in the carriage, the journey went smoothly.

 Chapter 8 - The Academy

    The carriages reached the academy. The first carriage headed to the right while the second and third carriage headed to the left. There was a differentiation in the academy for both boys and girls, one is in the building at the right while the other one is in the building on the left.

    Wei Liuying leaned to the window and peeked out. The buildings that were designed for women were bright in color. It was a large two-story building with a size that was capable of holding a thousand people or so inside. Some women had come out as they giggled around the area.

    "We''ve arrived."

    "I''m first," Wei Zilin said succinctly and alighted down the carriage. Her servant was already ready to help her out.

    On the other hand, Wei Liuying was not in a hurry. She waited patiently until her sister had come out before she alighted down. Her dress fluttered slightly along with her movement, but it was done elegantly.

    Learning how to walk was one of the few things that noble girls have to do. Wei Liuying had learned martial arts with her brother, so it was not that hard for her to adapt to the change in pace that she needed to do when studying in the academy. However, her walking was still a bit stiff at times because she had gotten used to men''s style.

    Tep.

    As Wei Liuying stepped out, her gaze swept over the area. Her clear black eyes scanned her surroundings carefully as if she wished to engrave everything to her mind. It was a picturesque scene with a beauty standing with an exquisite carriage behind her.

    "Miss, it''s almost time for class," Xiao Qing reminded.

    Wei Liuying slightly nodded and turned around slowly. Even though her movements were slow, it was the picture of elegance.

    There were many other noble ladies in the academy, but they all avoided Wei Liuying. Some of them greeted Wei Zilin and laughed together, but not a single one of them wanted to stay with Wei Liuying.

    However, she didn''t care.

    It was always like this.

    Servants were not allowed to come inside, so Wei Liuying had to enter by herself. Her steps were making a steady pace as she headed inside. Her chin was lifted up as her gaze swept the classroom. It was a big classroom, but there were only twenty to thirty young ladies who came to study here.

    Most of them didn''t even bother to attend the academy because it was expensive. Besides, the only reason why the academy was built was in order to let these ladies meet with each other regardless of their status. Officials all have a different status, but as long as they have enough money, they could send their children to the academy.

    Those who couldn''t attend will have to be satisfied with either calling the teacher or the parents teaching their children by themselves.

    Wei Liuying picked a seat on the back and silently took out her poetry book. It was filled with many poetries that were compiled from Emperor Gao''s era. It was also the book that they have to memorize.

    "Everyone, quiet down," a woman in her middle age ordered as she walked into the class. Everyone quickly closed their mouth as they put their attention to the front of the class. The teacher was quite strict, and no one wanted to be the one to receive the bad end from this teacher today.

    She smiled. "I remember assigning you all to read and memorize 108 Poetry from the poem compilation of Emperor Gao''s reign. Now, put your books away, and I want you to recite two poems that you remember from the book. No one is allowed to recite the same poems as the others. Remember, I also want you to recite with heart and not only reading words."

    "Yes."

    With that, they all began to recite one by one. On the back, Wei Liuying silently thought to herself when she listened. Before long, all the poems that she had read and memorized were already uttered out.

    ''Great, I don''t remember the rest anymore.''

    As more and more ladies have already recited theirs, the few who sat on the back were now in a difficult position. They couldn''t remember any poem that the others hadn''t recited.

    "Teacher You, I really don''t know the others," one student said with a beet red face.

    Teacher You frowned. She turned her head to the other four students, including Wei Liuying. However, each of them shook their heads. The reason why they all picked the back seat was simply because they were all unable to follow the class well.

    "This is only the beginning, and you already can''t answer?" Teacher You scowled.

    "I''m sorry, Teacher."

    Examination occurred in Winter, which was just a few days ago. The only reason why they were still told to come to the academy was simply in order to have some review because next year, they would have a different teacher. Some teachers used the last week to have fun, but some teachers like this often made use of this time to teach more lessons to the students.

    Teacher You''s gaze landed on Wei Liuying, who had the highest status among the last few students. In the examination back then, Wei Liuying scored the lowest, barely passable because of how poor it was.

    "Third Miss Wei, can''t you answer?"

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered. "I''m sorry, Teacher You, but I don''t remember any other poems."

    Some girls snickered while the rest hushed them up. The highest position among the officials were either chancellors or prime ministers. Wei Hong, Wei Liuying''s father, was the Prime Minister of Right, which was a very high position. Because of that, his children were all in the limelight.

    However, Wei Liuying continued to make his heart boil in anger over and over again. It was to the point that he had utterly given up on her and no longer cared about her. However, in front of an outsider, she was simply the disgrace of the Wei Family.

    Teacher You frowned. "Since you can''t remember, then you should copy the entire poem book. Before you finish, you''re not allowed to go home."

    "Yes, Teacher You."

    A female servant came to bring some bamboo scrolls for Wei Liuying. She picked it and started to copy with her head down, completely disregarding everything that occurred around her. She had long known that it was impossible for her to be good in two studies at the same time. She had to focus on one and forgot about the other one.

    Teacher You turned her head and looked at Wei Zilin. "In that case, Second Miss Wei, can you recite another poem?"

    "Of course," Wei Zilin replied energetically and stood up. She positioned herself before fluent words flowed out of her mouth. It was clear that she must have spent a long time just in order to study yesterday.

    Afterwards, Teacher You pointed to several others, and in the end, only a few of them managed to memorize all 108 poems. Of course, it all didn''t have anything to do with Wei Liuying, who was busy copying all the poems from the book.

    No one cared for her either.

 Chapter 9 - The Market

    "Are you not finished, yet?" Wei Zilin asked when the time for the class was over. She walked to Wei Liuying''s direction with a frown on her face. If not because they have to come home together, it was clear that Wei Zilin would have long asked the coach to bring her back home first.

    "I''m almost done."

    Wei Liuying was using a cursive that was a bit smaller than her usual writing. The writing looked messier because Wei Liuying was hurrying, but it was still readable. Though, the teacher would need to put a bit more effort to recognize the writing.

    Looking at the messy cursive, Wei Zilin''s mouth sneered to form disdain. In their residence, the worst among the three of them were Wei Xiao Hua followed by Wei Liuying. It was to the point that even their father always felt exasperated when he saw the progress of his two daughters.

    "Hurry up. I''m hungry."

    "Yes."

    Even though Wei Zilin was really impolite, Wei Liuying didn''t mind in the slightest bit. The three of them have to go home together, so if someone got punished, the others have to wait. Because of that, Wei Liuying hurriedly finished the copying.

    "Teacher You, I have finished."

    "Bring it to me."

    Teacher You took the bamboo scroll and looked at the writing. Seeing the messy writing, she sighed a bit. At the very least, it was still easy to read because the line was neat, and the writing was correct. Looking at Wei Zilin, who was already impatient, Teacher You accepted it.

    She couldn''t understand how these two girls could be so different when they all came from the same household.

    "Alright, you can leave."

    "Thank you, Teacher You."

    The two girls walked out of the room. Wei Xiao Hua was in a different classroom because she''s two years older compared to the two of them. They rarely met with each other since the class was always separated.

    Wei Xiao Hua was sitting near the carriage with her servant behind her, holding an umbrella. It was nearly evening, but the sun was still glaring hot above them. Many other girls were also trying to evade the sun as they walked under the shades.

    "Second Sister, Third Sister," Wei Xiao Hua greeted when she saw the two of them. "Is the class difficult today?"

    "Third Sister is getting punished again," Wei Zilin said. Her tone was filled with mockery even though her expression was still fairly polite. "Did you manage to pass the teacher''s strict assessment?"

    "Fortunately, I''m fine," Wei Xiao Hua replied with a smile.

    Wei Zilin looked at Wei Xiao Hua with confusion in her eyes. After all, she knew that she had to wait for her two siblings over and over. It was to the point that it has become a habit that whenever they came to the academy together, the other two would be punished.

    Did Wei Xiao Hua wake up from the wrong side of the bed today?

    It was extremely rare to see her go out of the class without getting punished at all.

    Wei Liuying''s gaze flickered, but she refrained from saying anything. Looking at the calm yet determined gaze on Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes, she felt a sense of danger from her. It was as if a sleeping tiger was slowly making her way out after the door was forcefully opened.

    "Let''s go back home."

    "I want to visit the market today," Wei Xiao Hua said with a smile. "It has been some time since the last time I bought something for the New Year."

    During New Year, it was common for them to get new clothes from their parents. However, the one who took care of these were usually their mothers, and since Wei Xiao Hua didn''t have a mother, she had been quite neglected. Wei Liuying knew that her own mother wouldn''t bother to buy new clothes for Wei Xiao Hua.

    Even if she did, it would be just one to give face in front of Wei Hong.

    Wei Zilin frowned. "Why should we head to the market? I want to go back home and rest."

    Winter had just passed not long ago, so the temperature was still fairly cold. It was fine when it was afternoon because the sun was glaring hot. But when it was evening to night, it would be cold. For pampered young miss, it would be a torture.

    "I want to take a look," Wei Xiao Hua insisted. "There''s still time before it''s time to go back home too."

    "If I don''t want to go, will you insist?"

    "In that case, I''ll be heading off myself. You can return back and tell Father that I''ll be going off to visit the market."

    Wei Zilin''s face changed. "You dare!"

    "Why not?"

    The two women were looking at each other with a fierce glare. They were instructed to stay together because it would be dangerous for them to go alone. Besides, Wei Hong wanted to make sure that neither one of them would try to do something funny behind his back when no one was watching.

    And if something happened to Wei Xiao Hua, the one whom Wei Hong blame would be Wei Zilin first because she''s older than Wei Liuying.

    "Fine, but if you take too long, we''ll leave you," Wei Zilin said in annoyance. She had no other choice but to give in because she knew that it wouldn''t do her anything good.

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled. "I''m only going to check some things then we can go back."

    All along, Wei Liuying kept quiet and watched everything unfolded before her. She followed the carriage and got inside while her brain was still thinking about her first sister, who seemed to change overnight. There were some things that were unexplainable about Wei Xiao Hua, and Wei Liuying couldn''t pinpoint what it was.

    The carriage was moving steadily to the market. After it had arrived, Wei Xiao Hua came out. This time, she was wearing a veil to cover her face. After all, it was quite unbecoming for an unmarried noble lady to not cover their face when they were outside.

    "She''s just heading to a clothing store?" Wei Zilin''s tone was filled with disdain.

    Wei Liuying looked at Wei Zilin, but she didn''t speak. Wei Zilin''s mother was the most favorite concubine among all the concubines that Wei Hong had. Because of that, Wei Zilin was quite pampered as her father would side with her unless it was concerning Wei Xiao Hua.

    "You''re going to come out?"

    "I want to take a walk," Wei Liuying replied softly and put on her own veil. Her legs slowly brought her out of the carriage as she swept her gaze across the street. The market was located not far from their residences, so it would be fine for her to walk around.

    "Miss, it''s cold outside. Please use the coat."

    "Thank you."

    Xiao Qing helped Wei Liuying to put on an outer coat before Wei Liuying walked a few meters. There were several stores in front of them, but then she stopped in front of one of the stores. It was a sweet store, which was famous for its Chestnut Cake and several other delicious cakes.

    It was quite famous in the Capital City, but the price was sky-high. Only those who came from noble families could possibly enter.

    Wei Liuying didn''t have any intention to enter. She merely stared at the cakes that the shop owner showed on the stalls. Even if she wanted to, she didn''t have the money needed to buy the cakes. There were also so many servants waiting on the line to buy the cake.

    "Ah, the line is really long."

    Hearing a sudden complaint, Wei Liuying raised her head and saw a male servant. He was dressed up in a plain brown robe with his hair tied into a bun. From his appearance, he should be around 16 or 17 years old. His dark brown eyes were scrutinizing the line before him with a hint of annoyance. Clearly, he didn''t expect to see the simple shop to have so many customers waiting on the line.

    Wei Liuying frowned. The man''s attire was simple, but she could see the pin that he used. It was exquisitely made, and only those who served high ranking officials or the Imperial Family could possibly use it. She turned around, intending to leave.

    "Oh, Miss, you''re not going to line up too?"

 Chapter 10 - A Strange Servant

    Xiao Qing immediately stood before Wei Liuying and that strange servant. Even though he looked harmless, it was inappropriate for Wei Liuying to get close with other males.

    "Ah, sorry," the young servant raised his hand. "I''m new here, so I want to ask for some direction."

    Wei Liuying scrutinized the man''s appearance. Was there any noble from other cities who came here recently? She clearly couldn''t remember anyone, but her knowledge and information that she could receive were limited. She couldn''t know that well whether this young man was lying or not.

    "What do you want to know?" Wei Liuying spoke out.

    The servant''s eyes lit up when he heard Wei Liuying''s answer. "It''s about this store. Is there any similar store that sold Chestnut Cake?''

    "There are some others, but the best is this store."

    "Ah, is that so?"

    Looking at the long line of servants, the young servant felt dispirited. He looked like a sad puppy that had just lost his favorite food.

    Wei Liuying looked at the young servant calmly. Her eyes were calmly analyzing the man''s clothes and attitude. His way of speaking did sound a bit different, but it was still fairly similar. However, when the man raised his hand, Wei Liuying could see that there were marks of sharp wounds.

    ''Is he a soldier?''

    Only soldiers usually have wound marks on their bodies. After all, they were faced with threats of war over and over again. It would be weirder if they didn''t have any wound whatsoever in their bodies.

    The young servant looked at Wei Liuying. "Miss, are you in a hurry?"

    Xiao Qing frowned. She was about to snap out and tell the young servant to go away when she sensed Wei Liuying held her upper arm to stop her from speaking rashly.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes gleamed. "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

    "It''s this¡­ do you know the best sweet in the capital city? I need to buy some popular ones for my Master before it''s time for His Highness, the Third Prince, returned," the young servant said with a worried expression.

    People who looked at his young and adorable face wouldn''t be able to reject him so easily. However, Wei Liuying was completely calm when she was facing the stranger in front of her. Her brain circulated to think about what the young servant said rapidly.

    "His Highness the Third Prince, Prince Ji Sheng will only return back tomorrow. You still have enough time to line up. There are only some pastries that are known to be good in the Capital City. This is already the best one," Wei Liuying pointed to the store beside her. "If there''s nothing else, I''ll excuse myself, Mister¡­"

    The young servant sighed, seemingly ready to resign to his fate to line up. "You may call me Yang. Many thanks for the information, Young Miss. As my thanks, would you like to have a Chestnut Cake after I bought it?"

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. She was merely answering his question, and now he wanted to give her an expensive Chestnut Cake? It was priced several dozen copper coins just for a single cake, which was an expensive price since the size was so small.

    [A/N: Copper coins were the main unit for money in Ancient China. People in ancient times believed that the Heaven is round and the earth is square, which is one of the reasons why the copper coin has the round shape and a square hole in the center. A string of 1000 copper coins is equivalent to a liang/tael of silver, but in early history, the number is not standardized and can change depending on the economic situation]

    "It''s too expensive," Wei Liuying disagreed. Before Yang could say anything else, she pointed to the line. "Also, it''ll take too much time. I''ll be taking my leave first, Mister Yang."

    "Ah, wait for a moment."

    The servant named Yang turned around to the small stalls. There were a lot of small stalls on the street with a lot of people going around. They usually sold some pastries or sweet candies or some other food.

    Wei Liuying frowned, but she didn''t move from her position. Her black eyes were watching Yang from the back as if she was wondering what he wanted to do. At that moment, Yang took out a few copper coins and exchanged them with a sugar painting in the shape of a bunny.

    Yang took the sugar painting and walked over to Wei Liuying with a smile on his lips. "This is for you, Miss."

    "There''s no need. All I do is give some information that you can easily know from other people," Wei Liuying refused.

    "I already try to ask many people, but you''re the only one who''s responding to me patiently and politely. The sugar painting didn''t really cost a lot, but if there''s a chance in the future, I''ll repay the favor." Yang winked.

    Wei Liuying was confused. This was the first time she ever saw a servant acted this brazenly on the street. However, her slender hand took the sugar painting from Yang slowly. It wouldn''t do her any good to refuse him again.

    "In that case, I''ll accept the sugar painting."

    Yang beamed. "Many thanks for your help today. If fate wills it, let''s meet again, Miss."

    "Yes, leave it all to fate," Wei Liuying replied softly. Her hand was holding the sugar painting in her hand while her eyes watched as Yang disappeared in the crowd. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

    Did he not want to buy the Chestnut Cake?

    Xiao Qing tugged Wei Liuying''s sleeve. "Miss, that servant is weird."

    "You''re right," Wei Liuying acknowledged it. Looking at the sugar painting in her hand, she sighed internally. Recalling the words that she had said, there shouldn''t be anything that she leaked out¡­

    "Xiao Qing."

    "Yes?"

    "How many people know when His Highness the Third Prince, Prince Ji Sheng''s return is exactly?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Xiao Qing blinked her large eyes. "Only high ranked nobles should be able to know because it''ll be dangerous if some enemies caught wind of the news."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed. It seemed that she had accidentally slipped out. She could only hope that Yang''s servant was not Prince Ji Sheng''s enemies or things wouldn''t be pretty. Well, even if something happened, it shouldn''t be possible to relate the incident with her because several high ranking officials also leaked the news to their children.

    "Let''s go back."

    "Yes, Miss."

    As she walked, Wei Liuying bit the sugar painting slowly, enjoying the sweet taste. Even though she was a noble daughter, her allowance was simply too pitiful. It was to the point that she didn''t even have spare money to buy sweets and pastries.

    When the two of them returned, they could see Wei Xiao Hua standing near her carriage. Her face was sour.

    "First Sister?" Wei Liuying called out.

    Wei Xiao Hua turned around and forced a smile out on her beautiful face. "Third Sister. Do you have fun?"

    "Yes. I only walk around."

    However, Wei Liuying noticed that Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes landed on the sugar painting that she held. Wei Xiao Hua didn''t have much allowance too because her father''s concubines didn''t wish for her to live well. They all kept the money for themselves and used it for other things.

    ''I should have finished the sugar painting before coming. But then again, sugar painting is only 3 copper coins¡­''

    It was cheap, so many people could afford it. However, it was more popular among the commoners because of the cheap price while noble daughters sometimes found it unsightly to eat such cheap sweets when they could buy better ones.

    "You''ve returned, Third Sister?" Wei Zilin peeked out from the carriage. Her eyes also landed on the sugar painting in Wei Liuying''s hand. "Why do you buy such cheap sugar paintings? Do you want us to be mocked by other ladies?"

    Wei Liuying merely showed a smile. "It''s only a snack, why would they bother with it."

    Wei Zilin scowled. They all knew very well how rumors easily spread and given their status, it wouldn''t be weird if other noble ladies heard about this.

    "Let''s go home," Wei Xiao Hua said after a while."

    "Yes, First Sister."

    ...

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 Chapter 11 - Prince Ji Shengâ€™s Return

    Wei Xiao Hua didn''t take a long time to look around, so the sky was still fairly bright when they were going home. However, they were suddenly surprised by a large commotion that came from the main road. A lot of people came out with clamor.

    "What happened?" Wei Liuying asked the servants outside through the small window.

    Xiao Qing''s expression was strange. "Miss, it''s said that His Highness the Third Prince, Prince Ji Sheng, had returned from the north."

    "He had returned?"

    This time, Wei Liuying was stumped. From what her brother told her, Prince Ji Sheng was supposed to return back tomorrow. How come he returned back today? Somehow, Wei Liuying''s mind thought back of the strange servant that she met not long ago.

    Was there any relation?

    She didn''t have much time to ponder because Wei Zilin was ecstatic when she heard the news. "is that true? Prince Ji Sheng had returned from the north? In that case, we should take a look!"

    From the front carriage, Wei Xiao Hua also heard it. Her ears perked up in interest. After all, they all had never met Prince Ji Sheng before because he basically spent his entire life in the north. Even though he was only 18 years old, he was known as one of the best young generals in the Han Shi Kingdom.

    Wei Liuying looked at her sister. "Is it appropriate for us to take a look?"

    "Who cares about that? This is a rare chance because normally Father will not allow us to come out at all," Wei Zilin said while sticking out her tongue. Her eyes shone in anticipation. "Wouldn''t it be a waste if we don''t take a look and maybe Prince Ji Sheng will be able to take interest in us?"

    Take interest?

    Wei Liuying shook her head and silently retracted her head back from the window. She let her two sisters order the servants to turn around to the main road so that they would be able to take a sneak peek to Prince Ji Sheng.

    However, Wei Liuying herself knew that what her sisters wanted was nothing more than a dream. Prince Ji Sheng was already engaged to a general''s daughter in the north. Even if they caught his eyes, the best position they could get would be the concubine. Afterwards, who knew how they would live in the Palace?

    With so many hidden dangers everywhere, it was the place that Wei Liuying didn''t wish to get involved in the slightest bit.

    She might be only 13 years old, but Wei Liuying knew many things from what she had learned. Her mother only wished for her to study in order to help her brother, but she had been using the chance in order to polish her mind too. As immature as she is, she didn''t wish to dig her own grave.

    "We''re here!" Wei Zilin shrieked in happiness when she saw the procession.

    On the other carriage, Wei Xiao Hua had also opened the curtain and looked at the procession with anticipation. She might have been engaged to the Fourth Prince, but there was nothing wrong for her to not take a sneak peek to the other princes, right?

    Wei Liuying allowed Wei Zilin to dominate the window while she fixed the veil that she used. Her eyes glanced out as she could see Prince Ji Sheng rode a horse with a lot of soldiers following behind him. He had defined features and tall build. His black hair was tied properly into a bun that was covered in his war helm. From this position, it was hard to see his countenance.

    She was about to move back again when her eyes caught the sight of a servant following behind Prince Ji Sheng. Her eyes widened.

    ''Yang?''

    Thinking about what had happened, Wei Liuying came to understand that Prince Ji Sheng must have sent Yang first in order to make an inquiry about the news of his coming. Since what they knew was that he would return back tomorrow, he chose to return back today in order to thwart all the plans that the officials had for him.

    Wei Liuying smiled faintly. How clever, truly worthy of the position as part of the Imperial Family.

    Afterwards, Wei Liuying pushed all thoughts to the back of her head and leaned back on her chair. She didn???t wish for that servant to find out her real identity. Besides, based on her status, it would be hard for her to stumble with those high ranking people again, so she was not worried in the slightest bit.

    "Kyaaa! He''s even more handsome than the Fourth Prince. I bet he''s even more masculine under¡­."

    Wei Liuying tentatively closed her senses and focused on resting. She didn''t want to listen to Wei Zilin''s rambling. Thankfully, the crowds were noisy, and her voice was buried in the crowd. If not, they might be scorned for defaming His Highness.

    After the procession was over, the two carriages returned back to the residence. As for the carriage for her brothers, it usually came home even later because they have more lessons. In addition, her brother usually took extra lessons to make sure that he could close the gap between the two brothers.

    Wei Zilin was still muttering a lot of nonsense, but Wei Liuying paid no heed to it all. When they reached the residence, she quickly excused herself.

    "First Sister, Second Sister, I''ll be returning back first."

    "Yes," Wei Xiao Hua said languidly. Her eyes were looking to the main residence as a glint appeared within her eyes. "It''ll be better for you to return back soon."

    Wei Liuying had the feeling that Wei Xiao Hua planned to do something, but she didn''t have any clue what it was. Her heart tightened, yet she kept her expression and quickly returned back to her own residence. Her sugar painting had long been eaten by her in the journey before she returned.

    She got back to her quarter and saw Xiao Yu was sweeping the courtyard. She smiled when she saw her Miss. "Welcome back, Miss."

    "Prepare hot water and dinner as quickly as possible."

    Xiao Yu was taken aback. "What''s the hurry, Miss?"

    "I''m afraid that there will be a lot of commotion soon," Wei Liuying replied solemnly. Her pace was faster when she had entered her quarter and took off the pin that she used. The long and silky black hair fell freely on her back.

    "I understand, Miss."

    Both Xiao Yu and Xiao Qing hurriedly prepared everything that Wei Liuying ordered them to. After they had finished, Wei Liuying wore a robe outside her nightgown and then did her hair to form two buns. She took another look at herself to make sure that she looked appropriate.

    Xiao Yu went out and returned back in a hurry. Her face looked strange. "Miss, First Miss is having a heated debate with Concubine Xie, Concubine Chou, and Concubine Feng."

    Wei Liuying''s expression turned solemn. Concubine Feng is her mother while Concubine Chou is Wei Zilin''s mother and also the most favorite concubines. Concubine Xie is another concubine who also had a son for Wei Hong. The three of them were the most powerful concubines in Wei Residence.

    Why would Wei Xiao Hua challenge the three of them?

    At this moment, Wei Liuying could guess the reason. It must be because of the monthly allowance. It was Concubine Chou who held the book, but the other two concubines could influence her because of their position. After all, Concubine Chou was the one who only gave a daughter while the other two bore sons for Wei Hong.

    With that, the power triangle was formed.

    "We''ll head to the main hall."

    "But Miss¡­" Xiao Yu''s face looked worried. The scene in the hall was utter chaos with the three women unwilling to back down in the slightest bit.

    Wei Liuying smiled faintly. "It''s fine. I''ll be alright."

    Xiao Yu and Xiao Qing looked at each other before they sighed and bowed down. They knew that once Wei Liuying decided on something, it would be close to impossible for them to stop her.

 Chapter 12 - Wei Xiao Huaâ€™s Demand

    Wei Liuying walked in slightly hurried steps to the main hall. From a distance away, she could hear the sound of something crashing. The scene might have already escalated to the point that they were throwing a tantrum.

    As she came nearer, her eyes caught the sight of her older sister who stood near the door. Wei Zilin carefully held the door frame with her small body trembling. The scene in the main hall was really scary.

    "Second Sister?" Wei Liuying called out in a soft tone.

    Wei Zilin''s body jerked. She turned her head around. With one glance, it was clear that her eyes were watery because of fear. "T¡­Third Sister."

    "Can I come in?"

    "You wouldn''t want to come in."

    "I want to take a look."

    Wei Zilin nodded tearfully and moved back one step. With that, Wei Liuying could see the hall better. She could see the three concubines along with Wei Xiao Hua and Wei Hong. The five of them were in the messy hall. There were several pieces of shattered porcelain on the floor.

    Wei Hong looked tired as he rubbed his forehead. Wei Liuying could guess that he was annoyed that Prince Ji Sheng returned earlier, which thwarted his plan. Tomorrow morning, all officials will have to gather in the palace to greet him because it was already too late when Prince Ji Sheng arrived in his palace today.

    "I''m almost 15 years old," Wei Xiao Hua said strongly, emphasizing the point that she had been uttering out since some time ago. Her eyes were blazing with determination. "When I''m already an adult, I''ll have to manage the household. Besides, as the main daughter, isn''t it only natural for me to be the one to be taking care of the household''s matter until I was married away?"

    Concubine Xie snorted. She had a tall frame that made her look thin. Her features were not the best among the three of them, but she had a huge advantage for bearing the first son. "What are you talking about? As the mother of the future head of the Wei Family, isn''t it only natural for me to be the one to take care of the household?"

    "We still don''t know which one who will be better in the future," Concubine Feng said coldly. Her pretty face flushed red in anger, making her look more adorable. Despite her older age, she still didn''t lose the touch that she had ever since she was young.

    Concubine Chou was also a pretty woman, only losing to Concubine Feng. However, her body was more attractive. In addition, she had a soft personality when she was in front of Wei Hong, and easily caught his attention completely. That way, she had been keeping tight rein over her status as the most favorite concubine.

    Wei Xiao Hua crossed her hands. "Even though it''s like that, it didn''t change the fact that you''re all Father''s concubines. When I''m still in this household, shouldn''t my position be higher than all of you."

    "You witch! You¡­."

    "Also, what''s with the meagre allowance that I got every single month? Are you telling me that I''m nothing more than a beggar on the street that could only get a few liang of silver each month? It''s not even enough for me to buy new clothes for the New Year!" Wei Xiao Hua said again.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered when she heard what Wei Xiao Hua said. When they visited the market just now, Wei Xiao Hua''s face did look terrible. It seemed that she failed to buy the dress that she wanted just now. Because of that, she chose to strike today and caught all of them unprepared.

    "Did you withhold the money?" Wei Hong asked, his face was sour.

    "No! That didn''t happen," Concubine Chou strictly rejected. The one who held control over the money was her while Concubine Xie and Concubine Feng could only make sure that they got enough for themselves. And with some threat, they managed to secure their position and money enough for them to live by. After all, it wouldn''t be good if Wei Hong heard that his son got mistreated.

    Even Concubine Chou knew that it would only worsen the situation because of the children that they had.

    Wei Xiao Hua sneered. "Why don''t you show the finance book for all of us to see? I''m sure that you''ll be able to see that I didn''t get the money that I was supposed to receive."

    "That must be Steward Bo''s fault!" Concubine Chou dodged the bullet once more. Her expression was dignified as if she was only telling the facts. However, her back was actually filled with cold sweat. "He''s the one in charge of the distribution."

    "Oh, really? Why don''t we call him here to have him talk with us?"

    "Call him here," Wei Hong said calmly.

    As the servants walked out, Wei Xiao Hua sneered once more. Wei Liuying didn''t really want to get involved, but she knew that things wouldn''t end well if this continued. She sighed internally at the grave that her mother had dug for herself with this small incident.

    It was just a few liang silver. With Feng Chun (Concubine Feng''s real name) current status, she wouldn''t lack silver at all.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying made her way to her mother and lightly patted her mother''s hand. "Calm down, Mother. It''ll only harm you if you keep on being angry."

    Feng Chun was indeed angry. After all, she knew that if Wei Xiao Hua was the one to hold the money, there was a high chance that her own allowance would be reduced. At that time, where would she cry to? After all, her allowance could be higher because of the threat that she gave to Concubine Chou.

    "I''m not angry," Feng Chun said through gritted teeth.

    Wei Liuying did nothing but to pat her mother''s hand. Her head was lowered, so no one could be able to see her expression.

    In front of her, Wei Xiao Hua merely snorted at that performance of filial piety. On the other hand, Concubine Chou turned to look at her own daughter with a glare. How come another daughter was so filial while hers is not?

    Wei Zilin felt a chill on her back when she saw her mother''s stare. With no other choice, she had to step forward and stood behind her mother. However, it was clear from her expression that she was very unwilling.

    "Steward Bo is here."

    Wei Xiao Hua passed a glance to the steward and stepped forward. "Steward Bo, do you take the silvers that are supposed to be mine?

    Hearing the question, Steward Bo''s back was filled with sweat. How could he dare to do that? However, he noticed that Concubine Chou was glaring at him. She held someone important for Steward Bo, so he had no other choice but to follow her order.

    "I didn''t take any, Miss."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes."

    "Show me the finance book," Wei Xiao Hua said as she turned to look at Concubine Chou.

    "This¡­" Concubine Chou was unwilling. Holding the finance book and the authority to distribute the money always made her feel much better. After all, it was supposed to be the main wife''s job, but because there''s no main wife in Wei Family Residence, it fell to her hand under Concubine Xie and Concubine Feng''s watch.

    In truth, her position was supposed to be the lowest, but Wei Hong favored her. It granted her a lot of benefits that she couldn''t have before.

    Wei Hong sighed. "Give it to her."

    "But, that''s¡­" Concubine Chou looked at Wei Hong with a pleading look.

    Seeing her face, Wei Hong felt his heart was sliced. He also wanted Concubine Chou to be the one to hold the finance of this residence. However, he knew that Wei Xiao Hua wouldn''t back down until she got what she wanted.

    "How about if we make a compromise?"

 Chapter 13 - From Useless To Powerful?

    Wei Xiao Hua turned her head to look at Wei Liuying. Her eyebrows creased. "What kind of compromise?"

    "The finance book will be given to First Sister, but since First Sister is still new on this, how about letting the others also help out until First Sister is familiar with the work," Wei Liuying said softly.

    "That''s a good idea," Wei Hong agreed before the others could voice out their complaint.

    Feng Chun''s face was dark. Even if she could influence Wei Xiao Hua''s decision, it would be hard for her to have the same amount of money as she had before. After all, Wei Xiao Hua changed so abruptly, making her confused. If it was the previous Wei Xiao Hua, the three of them could easily coerce her to give up on that right.

    Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes looked at Wei Liuying with a hint of darkness. However, she still nodded her head. "I don''t think it''s a bad idea."

    "In that case¡­"

    "But I want to be the one to pick my helper," Wei Xiao Hua cut off Concubine Chou''s words. She looked at her father with a smile plastered on her lips. "Is that possible, Father?"

    "That''s¡­" Wei Hong glanced in Concubine Chou''s direction. He certainly favored her more because of her personality, but he couldn''t blatantly show it in public.

    "Father," Wei Xiao Hua called out again.

    Wei Hong stilled and sighed. He looked at his daughter, who seemed to change so abruptly since her fall. Did she hit her head so hard that it affected her personality too? However, the gaze that Wei Xiao Hua gave him reminded him of his late wife.

    He used to love Wei Xiao Hua''s mother, but he also loved the others. However, he could never show it blatantly because of the power behind Wei Xiao Hua''s mother. Her father held an important position in the Han Shi Kingdom.

    In the past, Wei Xiao Hua was so timid and unremarkable. Wei Hong himself didn''t particularly fond of his first daughter because of this. However, somehow, he felt that he had truly neglected his first daughter a bit too much. The record in the book clearly showed that her allowance was half than what other concubine daughters received.

    Wei Hong sighed. "Fine."

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled happily. She eyed Concubine Chou, whose face was dark. "Then I''ll pick Concubine Xie and Concubine Feng."

    The other two concubines'' eyes lit up. Seeing Wei Xiao Hua''s sweet smile, their minds began to think that Wei Xiao Hua only acted against Concubine Chou because of the oppression she got all this time. As long as they butter her up a bit, they should be able to gain some benefit.

    "We''ll do our best, isn''t that right, Sister Feng?" Concubine Xie smiled.

    Concubine Feng nodded. "Of course."

    At this moment, Concubine Chou''s face darkened. She wanted to refute, but no words can come out. Based on position, the two of them were indeed higher, so there was nothing that she could say to refute.

    Wei Liuying watched from the side as Concubine Chou handed the finance book and family seal to Wei Xiao Hua. The other two concubines exchanged some pleasantries while secretly ridiculing Concubine Chou. The most favored one finally shot down. Even though it was only for a year or so since Wei Xiao Hua would be getting married later, it was still a remarkable view.

    "That''s unfair," Wei Zilin muttered out. However, she didn''t dare to speak loudly.

    Wei Xiao Hua cast a glance at Wei Zilin. Her brown eyes were chilling cold as if it wanted to penetrate to the soul. She smiled sweetly. "Do you say something, Second Sister?"

    "What can I say?" Wei Zilin quickly replied then she realized that she was quite impolite. "I mean, it''s inappropriate for me to say anything if it''s not useful."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed when she saw Wei Xiao Hua smiled. It seemed that the scene that Wei Xiao Hua created just now had caused a scare in Wei Zilin''s heart. She was not sure what it was, but it seemed that for tonight, Wei Zilin wouldn''t be able to act normally.

    ''What happened before I arrived just now?''

    It was not like Wei Liuying wanted to be late, but she also didn''t expected Wei Xiao Hua to make a move. It seemed that the change that occurred to Wei Xiao Hua was not limited only to her behavior.

    But also to her habit, way of speaking, and demeanor.

    She didn''t know why, but Wei Liuying felt as if she was looking to a completely different person rather than the Wei Xiao Hua that she had known for years.

    It was a weird feeling.

    At this moment, Wei Xiao Hua lifted her head and looked at Wei Liuying. She was smiling, but the smile didn''t reach her eyes. "In that case, I''ll excuse myself. Thank you for the book and seal, Concubine Chou."

    Concubine Chou''s face darkened. She turned her head to look at Wei Hong, intending the seek for help.

    Wei Hong sighed. "Are you sure that two is enough, Xiao Hua?"

    Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes narrowed a bit. However, she still put on a bright smile on her face as if Wei Hong''s words didn''t affect her in the slightest bit. She was putting on an impeccable show that not many others could possibly replicate.

    "Yes, Father. Both of them are excellent wives of yours. I''m sure that they''re going to help me a lot."

    "But what if¡­"

    "Father," Wei Xiao Hua called out again. Even though her expression didn''t change, there was a strange aura around her, as if she was the leader and everyone had to bow to her. The air felt hard to breathe all of a sudden.

    Wei Hong flinched and sighed. Did his daughter change because she wanted to be worthy of Prince Ji Shu? It was not a secret that Prince Ji Shu was known as a cruel prince who would do everything if he had a goal. The Emperor had purposely picked Wei Xiao Hua because of the previous rumor.

    The useless main daughter of Wei Family.

    She was beautiful, far beautiful than many other women in Han Shi Kingdom. However, her talent was low, making it hard for her to attract anyone.

    Only those who wanted to kiss up to Wei Hong would try to propose.

    But since the Emperor had given his edict to marry this kind of woman to his fourth son, the son he loved the most, no one could voice their complaints. Besides, they all knew that pairing a powerful prince with a not so powerful bride would be ideal.

    Yet, Wei Xiao Hua began to change.

    Internally, Wei Hong was worried over the change that might occur in the court because of this.

 Chapter 14 - What It Meant To Not Be Loved

    "Father," Wei Xiao Hua called again.

    Wei Hong nodded and waved his hand. "It''s more appropriate in Xiao Hua''s hand. If she can''t handle it well, I''ll give it back to you."

    With that sentence, Concubine Chou''s eyes lit up. Right. She could just try to mess up the arrangement one way or another. That way, the finance book would be given back to her along with the seal.

    It''s that simple!

    Wei Liuying tugged her mother''s sleeve. Feng Chun excused herself too while Concubine Xie still wished to ''talk'' more with Concubine Chou. The drama in the hall no longer had any purpose for her.

    Outside the hall, Feng Chun patted Wei Liuying''s hand. "Good work inside."

    "Yes, Mother."

    "If only Wei Hong Zheng had half of your intelligence, I wouldn''t need to worry so much," Feng Chun muttered as she walked.

    Wei Liuying didn''t reply. Both her mother and father always said the same thing to her. There was no use to have a woman so smart and calculative because they could only act in a small scope inside the residence. But if it was the male who has a smart mind, he would be able to rise to a high position.

    It was the dream of Wei Hong to have his descendant better than him. His first son was not too bad, but Wei Hong Zheng was simply too stupid. Compared to many other boys, Wei Hong Zheng was simply too slow. If ordinary children needed to be explained twice, Wei Hong Zheng would need to be explained ten times before he could understand.

    Because of that, his progress was so slow.

    However, Wei Liuying was far smarter. It was as if she had already taken all the smart gene from her mother and father, leaving her younger brother with none. The smarter she is, the more stupid Wei Hong Zheng would look like. Because of that, Wei Liuying was not allowed to show her capabilities, and even her mother told her to help her brother''s study.

    That way, Wei Liuying would look worse compared to Wei Hong Zheng in Wei Hong''s eyes.

    However, there were times when Wei Liuying needed to interfere. If she didn''t do anything, Feng Chun''s position in the household would be even worse. After all, Feng Chun is not the brightest person in this residence.

    When they were near their quarter, Feng Chun waved his hand to call her servant, "Prepare more food for Liuying tomorrow."

    The servant bowed down. "This servant understands, Madam."

    "Thank you, Mother."

    Feng Chun nodded. She waved her hand, and only when the servants were quite far did she speak again. "Continue to help your brother''s study. If he could do well in class, I''ll give you more delicious food."

    "I understand, Mother."

    Wei Liuying''s expression remained impassive. She clearly understood that her mother only wanted to have her brother become the remarkable one. No matter how talented she was, it was simply useless. Her mother would never look in her direction.

    As for her father¡­ there were already Wei Xiao Hua, who was the main daughter and also the talented Wei Zilin. There was no place for her to interfere.

    "Go to sleep. There are more books that Hong Zheng have to read, so you make the summarize first."

    "Yes, Mother."

    After that, Feng Chun left with her servants while Wei Liuying headed back to her own quarter. Xiao Qing was following her from a distance away with a worried expression.

    When they had arrived in Wei Liuying''s house, Xiao Qing finally spoke out. "Miss, why do you help Madam?"

    "If I didn''t help her, who should I help?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    "But she¡­"

    Wei Liuying sighed when she saw Xiao Qing''s expression. No matter what Wei Liuying did, Feng Chun never truly appreciated it. If she did well, all Feng Chun did was to give her more food. As for her allowance, it remained at a very pitiful amount to the point that Wei Liuying couldn''t afford to buy anything else but some cheap books.

    "If I wish to have a place to stay, I need to help her and prepare a way out for myself," Wei Liuying replied. ???I don''t have anyone to rely on in this residence, and my position is at the lowest bottom. I have to use all card that''s available in my hand properly."

    Xiao Qing helped Wei Liuying to change with watery eyes. Everyone''s fate was mostly already determined since their birth, and if they were women, it was even harder to change it. She felt that her Miss was really too pitiful. Other people still have their parents who care, but she had no one.

    Even her mother only showed care for Wei Liuying when the latter was useful. Other than that, there was none.

    Wei Liuying noticed Xiao Qing''s tears and laughed bitterly. "Silly girl, why are you crying?"

    "But Miss¡­"

    "Shuush," Wei Liuying raised her hand and took out her handkerchief to wipe Xiao Qing''s tears. "I can''t change my birth, but I definitely will not give up to my fate."

    Xiao Qing quickly took the handkerchief and pouted. "Miss shouldn''t do that. I can do it myself."

    Wei Liuying laughed lightly. "Go to sleep and remember to guard the door. Take turns with Xiao Yu."

    "Yes, Miss."

    After Xiao Qing had left, Wei Liuying lied down on her bed. Her eyes were staring at the ceiling.

    She might not be a lucky girl, but many other people had worse fate compared to her. Besides, to be able to live well was something that she felt thankful for. At least, for now, she didn''t need to worry about what to eat and wear tomorrow.

 Chapter 15 - Wei Lu

    The next day, Wei Liuying spent the day by making the summary of a new book. Her mother''s servant delivered it to her this morning, asking her to finish it as soon as possible so that Wei Hong Zheng would be able to study it. However, it was a brand new book, so Wei Liuying needed to read and understand the content first.

    If not, she wouldn''t be able to make a good summary for Wei Hong Zheng.

    "Miss, it''s time for lunch," Xiao Qing reminded.

    Wei Liuying raised her head and put away the brush in her hand. She washed her hands in the basin of water that Xiao Yu prepared.

    "Is there any new news?"

    Xiao Yu nodded. She didn''t stay near Wei Liuying most of the time as she often roamed around in the residence. Most of the time, she would be able to hear some pieces of news here and there. "Master is going to the palace today, and it''s unlikely for him to return anytime soon."

    "Oh, is there any problem in the north?" Wei Liuying wiped her hand unhurriedly.

    "I don''t know Miss, but there are several rumors."

    "Rumors?"

    "Yes. Some said that we lost big time, so it''s impossible to defend the border without reinforcement. Some said that Xiong proposed a peace treaty and¡­."

    Wei Liuying shook her head. "That''s unlikely."

    "But they sound very possible."

    Xiao Qing rolled her eyes. How could that be possible? Those were only baseless rumors that didn''t seem to have any relation with the truth whatsoever. Their military couldn''t possibly win overwhelmingly. Similarly, it was impossible to lose so miserably so suddenly without any warning.

    "It''s just some baseless rumors," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly as she finished her food.

    Xiao Yu waited until Wei Liuying finished eating before she proceeded. "Also, Second Master Wei will come in the afternoon."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes lit up when she heard the name. Second Master Wei referred to Wei Hong''s brother, Wei Lu. Wei Lu was a few years younger than Wei Hong, and he became a lower-tier official because his result in the examination back then was not too good. However, he had slowly risen in position over the years.

    "Help me change, Xiao Qing."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu were also smiling. The two of them knew that there were only a few people who treated Wei Liuying well, and Wei Lu was included in those few people. He was not overly friendly, but because he didn''t have children and his wife had died a few years before, he often came here for a visit.

    Back then, he was friendly to all children, but they didn''t really like him. After all, Wei Hong disliked his younger brother. However, Wei Liuying was the sole exception because she found her uncle to have interesting views and all.

    Afterwards, he kept came here occasionally to meet with her.

    Wei Liuying dressed up properly then headed to the main hall. She could see Wei Hong Zheng was already there, but he had a dark expression on his face. He didn''t like Wei Lu, but they all have to be polite to him, so someone had to keep him entertained.

    "Third Sister," Wei Hong Zheng greeted.

    "Second Brother," Wei Liuying greeted back. She looked at Wei Lu and curtsied once more. "Uncle Wei."

    Wei Lu had a similar appearance to Wei Hong. He had defined feature and looked a bit older than his real age suggest him. Today, he was wearing a dark grey robe that suited his status as third rank official.

    [A/N: the higher the rank, the smaller the number will be. For example, a second rank official is higher than third rank official and so on. The lowest number would be 9]

    "Xiao Ying, you look thinner," Wei Lu said with a frown.

    Wei Liuying smiled. Her uncle was the only one who would call her using endearment. The others simply didn''t care at all. "Uncle Wei must be joking. I still look the same as before."

    [A/N: Xiao here refers to small, which was one of the endearments that Chinese people usually used. Only those who were close to each other would use this type of endearment]

    Wei Lu laughed.

    Wei Hong Zheng stood up and stretched his body. "Uncle Wei, Third Sister, I still have to study so I''ll excuse myself first."

    "Study well, Second Brother."

    Wei Lu also nodded, and Wei Hong Zheng hurriedly departed. He couldn''t stand in the same room with Wei Lu for a long time because he didn''t like his uncle. Only Wei Liuying could stand hearing his story for several incense sticks'' (A/N: several hours) time.

    "Xiao Ying, I brought you a new book. It''s a story of a traveler in the north," Wei Lu said with a smile.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes sparkled. She was not allowed to have other books except those that were useful for her brother''s study. The only one who gave her story books would be her uncle.

    "Thank you, Uncle Wei!"

    "Hahaha, I know that you''ll surely like it," Wei Lu said and motioned his servant to bring the book out.

    The servant stepped forward and handed the book to Xiao Qing, who was standing by the side. They were only standing guard near the wall as if they were wall''s decoration. However, it was important to have them around because if not, some nasty rumors might spread.

    Wei Liuying smiled, a rare kind of genuine smile that she would never show to her other family members. "Uncle, I want to know more about the war."

    "War?"

    "Yes, the war in the north."

    "Ah." Wei Lu smiled bitterly. "You must have heard that Prince Ji Sheng had returned yesterday, right? You don''t have to worry about the war. The two sides are in balance, and even though some villages were attacked, the damage is not that big."

    Wei Liuying frowned. "That''s not what I''m worried about, Uncle Wei."

    "Then, what is it?"

    "I''m wondering whether there would be an imbalance of power in the north because of Prince Ji Sheng return to the capital city. If I''m not wrong, Prince Ji Sheng played a pivotal role in making sure that Xiong Tribe couldn''t win in the war," Wei Liuying said calmly.

    Wei Lu was stumped. He looked at Wei Lu with a bitter smile. "Did you read new books again?"

    "Two weeks ago, Second Brother has to learn about the war and recently, all the books are history in the north area," Wei Liuying replied. Wei Lu already knew that she was ''helping'' her brother in his study. Even though she never divulged the real detail, Wei Lu still knew that Wei Liuying read a lot to help her brother.

    Wei Lu nodded. "It''s indeed true that Prince Ji Sheng played an important role in the war, but you forget one important point."

    "What is it, Uncle Wei?"

    "Han Shi Kingdom''s North area military power didn''t only rely on Prince Ji Sheng."

 Chapter 16 - Calm Before Celebration

    Wei Liuying''s eyes widened slightly before her lips curled up to form a smile. There were a total of three generals placed at the northern border. Even though their fame lost when compared to Prince Ji Sheng, it was undeniable that they all played a pivotal role in defending the Han Shi Kingdom from Xiong Tribe.

    Even if Prince Ji Sheng was not in place, the others would be able to defend the border all the same. After all, Prince Ji Sheng only started to gain more fame in recent years. He was not an adult yet, but his position was already really high.

    [A/N: In ancient China, women usually categorized as an adult at either 15 or 16 (depending on the era) while men at 20 years old]

    "Does it mean the Han Shi Kingdom is gaining more advantage?" Wei Liuying asked curiously.

    Wei Lu smiled. "It''s possible, but you shouldn''t forget that there might be promising young generals from the Xiong Tribe too. We don''t have much information about them, and they don''t have much of ours."

    "I see."

    "Anyway, what''s a young lady like you doing to think about wars?" Wei Lu shook his head in amusement. Other women were talking about poetry, embroidery, music, or the likes, but Wei Liuying was talking about wars.

    Wei Liuying merely smiled. It was the only topic that she found interesting enough to keep her entertained in the study. If she didn''t try to make herself interested in the study, she knew that it would be impossible for her to keep up with the task of summarizing those books for Wei Hong Zheng.

    She had to partially enjoy it a bit if she didn''t wish to make it feel torturing for her.

    "Uncle Wei, will you come to dinner during New Year?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Wei Lu shook his head. "My brother didn''t really like me, so I''ll just spend my time eating alone at home."

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. Because Wei Lu''s wife had died a few years ago, it meant that he would be eating alone. Spending New Year alone didn''t sound so entertaining.

    Seeing his niece''s expression, Wei Lu shook his head. "You shouldn''t worry so much about me. Why don''t you worry about other things such as your own marriage? You''ll be 14 soon, right?"

    "Uncle Wei." Wei Liuying pouted. "There are still two years before I turn 16. There''s no hurry."

    "You lass. Are you not worried that you''ll be arranged to be with an old official?"

    Wei Liuying lowered her head. "If that happened, it just meant that Father wants to use me to expand his connection, right?"

    Wei Lu sighed. "Yes."

    "I still have two years. Who knows what will happen during the next two years," Wei Liuying replied with a smile.

    Wei Lu arched his eyebrows. Usually, Wei Liuying would be more apathetic when talking about this matter. Did something happen in the household recently? However, he also knew that two years could be either long or short. Anything could happen in that period of time.

    Besides, if Wei Liuying truly didn''t want it, there were several ways she could use to handle it. She was smart enough to understand something like that.

    "You seem to be more spirited than before."

    "There are some changes, Uncle Wei," Wei Liuying replied. "Also, I want to hear more about the new policy."

    "Ah, you little."

    In the end, the two of them talked about what was discussed in the morning court over the past few weeks. There were several problems in the Han Shi Kingdom, mainly because of the kingdom''s large size. Fortunately, there were a lot of talented officials who helped to solve the matter through discussion and talking.

    There was no more morning court because it was nearing New Year. At the same time, only the highest officials were still coming to the court because of Prince Ji Sheng''s arrival in the capital city. Wei Lu was not included because his ranking was deemed to not be high enough.

    When it was evening, Wei Lu excused himself. "I have taken too much of your time, Little Lass. You should spend more time studying too. I heard that you failed in your test not long ago."

    "It''s just the annual test," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly.

    "You can''t do embroidery?"

    Wei Liuying turned sideways and shook her head lightly. Well, she could, but the result was terrible. It was to the point that the teachers wished to berate her on the spot because of her poor result.

    Wei Lu sighed. "You need to learn more, Xiao Ying."

    "I''ll do my best, Uncle Wei."

    At this moment, a servant walked in and bowed down. "Second Master Wei, Third Miss Wei, Master had returned."

    "Ah, I understand." Wei Lu stood up. "It seems that our little chat should end today. Let''s talk again in the future, Little Ying."

    "Yes, Uncle Wei."

    Wei Liuying passed a sidelong glance to the servant before she slowly walked out of the hall. Her footsteps were unhurried, but when they were already outside the main courtyard, she spoke out.

    "Xiao Qing, note that servant''s name and action."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Wei Liuying fell into deep contemplation when she thought of that servant. It was not the usual servant that her father arranged in the main courtyard. It seemed that after getting the hold of the finance and management of the residence, Wei Xiao Hua had started to change the people.

    ''She''s moving really fast.''

    However, Wei Liuying was not that worried. She didn''t really wish to have a fallout with Wei Xiao Hua unless it was necessary. The two of them could just maintain an amiable relationship on the surface, and it would be enough.

    But if it was not possible¡­ she had to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

    While Wei Liuying returned back, Wei Lu was sitting in the main hall patiently. He raised his head when he heard the servant announce Wei Hong''s arrival.

    Wei Hong narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, Second Brother?"

    "How rude. Am I not allowed to visit my older brother?" Wei Lu stood up and smiled faintly. "Or are you worried that I''ll be affecting your children?"

    "They won''t be affected by you."

    "Little Ying is a good listener."

    "That''s because she''s stupid." Wei Hong strode into the hall and sat down. His dark brown eyes glared at his younger brother. "What do you wish to say today?"

    "I only want to know if you have changed your vision or not." Wei Lu played with the cup of tea in his hand. His lips curled up to form a playful smile.

    Wei Hong arched his eyebrows. "If you''re talking about that matter, I''ll never change my position."

    "Even if the court changes?"

    "What do you imply?"

    Wei Lu put down the cup of tea. "With Prince Ji Sheng''s return, what do you think will change? Think about it."

    Wei Hong''s face darkened as he watched his younger brother''s departing back. He was the one smarter than his younger brother, so he was annoyed with Wei Lu''s words. As for that matter, he would never change his opinion in the slightest bit.

 Chapter 17 - New Year Banquet (1)

    Time passed peacefully.

    New Year celebrations were usually held in their homes. They would have dinner with all of their family members. But since this marked 20 years of Emperor Xuan''s reign, there was a banquet in the palace on the night before New Year.

    The events were the one discussed the most by everyone. All noble families were invited to attend the banquet along with their main wife and children. And for Wei Hong, this was a huge dilemma.

    "I can''t take you to the banquet tonight," Wei Hong said to Concubine Chou in his arms.

    Concubine Chou pursed her lips. "Why not? You don''t have a main wife, and it''s obvious that you''ll need other women to watch over your children. Why can''t that woman be me?"

    Wei Hong sighed. "It''s not that easy, Darling."

    "But I want to come!"

    During that celebration, it was the best chance for her to get involved with other noble families. As a concubine, Concubine Chou''s position was extremely low. Because of that, she wished that she would be able to know more noble ladies and become acquainted with them.

    Wei Hong rubbed his forehead. "Zilin is not a child anymore. She''s already 14 years old, so naturally, it''s not possible for you to come."

    Wei Zilin had her birthday just a few days ago. Wei Xiao Hua would have hers just a few days after New Year while Wei Liuying was in a few more weeks. These three''s birthdays were all close to one another, but they only held a small party in their house to celebrate it because they were all unmarried ladies in Wei Household.

    "But¡­"

    "No more buts. Prepare Zilin for the banquet."

    Concubine Chou was unwilling, but she had no other choice but to comply. Internally, she was still feeling annoyed because she knew that she couldn''t attend the banquet. Such a rare event and she couldn''t come.

    How hateful.

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying stayed inside her residence peacefully for the past few days before the New Year celebration. She only came out to take a walk or to sneak out and have a spar with her brother. Xiao Qing would always complain that her bruises never heal at this rate, but Wei Liuying couldn''t say anything.

    It was impossible for her to escape this arrangement unless she reported to Wei Hong. However, what good would it be to report it? He would just berate Feng Chun, and her relationship with her mother would experience a huge fallout.

    "Miss, what do you want to wear for today''s banquet?"

    "A simple dress will do," Wei Liuying replied. She was not fond of wearing too many accessories and all. Her neck would only feel hurt if she tried to wear those accessories that weighed a lot.

    Xiao Yu pouted. "But Miss, this is also a chance for you to attract men''s attention."

    Wei Liuying passed a sidelong glance. Attract men''s attention? She would need to have the quality to do that beforehand. Besides, men and women''s parts were separated, so they couldn''t meet with each other.

    "I don''t need it."

    Xiao Yu wanted to urge Wei Liuying to dress up better, but Xiao Qing had already picked a pink dress. The dress was slightly peach in color, but it still leaned to pink. Normally, they would wear the red color, but aside from those part of the Imperial Family, no one was allowed to wear red. The best they could wear would be pink.

    As for males, they usually wore black if not red.

    Wei Liuying changed her dress and did simple makeup. Her face still looked childish as she was only 13 years old. The baby fat clearly didn''t want to leave her cheek, making her face look rounder. However, the fair skin and exquisite countenance marked that she would be a beautiful lady in the future.

    Xiao Yu helped to make Wei Liuying''s hair to form two buns on the side before adding pins. There were not many decorations on Wei Liuying''s head, making her look simple yet elegant.

    "It''s done, Miss."

    "Good work, Xiao Yu."

    "Hehe." Xiao Yu rubbed her nose. She was the one who usually took care of Wei Liuying''s appearance. Her slender hands were proficient when it came to make the hair.

    Wei Liuying stood up and walked out. It was already afternoon almost evening, and she had already stuffed herself with food just now. After all, Wei Liuying was certain that she wouldn''t be able to eat properly at the banquet later.

    On the main courtyard, Wei Xiao Hua was already waiting. Different from Wei Liuying, she wore several headpieces and also braided her hair prettily. She also wore a pink silk dress with rose patterns on the hem. It looked beautiful as the dress moved slowly whenever Wei Xiao Hua moved.

    "First Sister," Wei Liuying greeted politely.

    Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes landed on Wei Liuying. "Third Sister, you''re up early today."

    "First Sister must be joking, you''re the one who''s earlier than me." Wei Liuying chose to play along in their short play of conversation.

    "I wonder where the Second Sister is. I hope she won''t be late."

    "I''m sure she won''t."

    Wei Liuying turned her head to the side and saw two boys standing near the gate, talking with a cold expression. The first boy was tall and had a handsome face. His features were extremely similar to Wei Hong, which make him almost the exact copy if not for the difference in age.

    ''Wei Yijun.''

    It was her First Brother, Wei Yijun. He was around three years older than her as he was already 16 years old. In terms of study, he was pretty good, but he was fairly weaker when it came to martial arts. This was the reason why Wei Hong Zheng trained crazily in martial arts too, as he wished to surpass Wei Yijun.

    Honestly, considering their difference in age (Wei Hong Zheng was 13), it was not weird for Wei Hong Zheng to lose.

    The real problem was that in Wei Hong Zheng''s age, Wei Yijun''s lesson had far surpassed what Wei Hong Zheng currently learned. For this reason alone, Wei Hong had been rebuking Wei Hong Zheng to learn more.

    "Ah, everyone is already here," Wei Zilin was surprised to see everyone had already gathered. Her movements slowed down as she walked to them.

    Wei Xiao Hua and Wei Liuying both frowned when they saw Wei Zilin''s appearance. Her dress was even closer to red compared to theirs. At the same time, the extravagance headpieces, along with several decorations on her dress, made her look extremely grand. If one didn''t know better, they would think she''s the main daughter and not just a concubine.

    "Since you''re already here, let''s go," Wei Hong said from the side.

    Wei Xiao Hua lifted her head as her eyes darkened. However, her lisp still showed a faint smile as she said sarcastically, "Second Sister is really pretty."

    "Thank you," Wei Zilin said sweetly.

    "It makes me wonder who do you want to see with this kind of appearance," Wei Xiao Hua said with a hint of jeer.

    At this remark, Wei Zilin''s face changed drastically. "What are you talking about? I''m not planning on seeing anyone."

    "Is that so?"

    Wei Liuying chose not to comment anything and watched from the side as her two sisters clashed. With Wei Zilin''s current appearance, how come one does not know that it was certainly targeted for men to see her.

    However, it was certainly not something good to say out loudly.

    Wei Hong frowned, but he didn''t say anything and only motioned them to get on their carriage. It seemed that he understood, but he chose to turn blind eyes for Wei Zilin.

 Chapter 18 - New Year Banquet (2)

    Wei Xiao Hua''s expression turned frostier when she saw her father''s attitude.

    Their journey was filled with silence as the three girls were sitting in the same carriage. No one spoke out as Wei Zilin was glaring at the two of them. Even though Wei Liuying didn''t say anything, it was clear that she also disapproved of Wei Zilin wearing extravagant clothing.

    It didn''t take long for them to arrive in the palace. There were already a lot of people from various noble families coming.

    "We''ve arrived. For the rest of the journey, you have to walk."

    The three of them descended down the carriage. Before this, Wei Hong''s carriage had headed to a different way because the location for the banquet for both men and women was different. When they reached the inner palace, carriages were not allowed to enter, so they had to walk on their own.

    "It''s a long road," Wei Zilin said when she saw the long road. Just how long would it take for them to reach the inner palace where the banquet was held?

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled. "Isn''t it normal for the palace to be huge?"

    "You speak as if you have come here before?"

    "I''m only saying logic." Afterwards, Wei Xiao Hua was too lazy to argue as she began to walk. As she had used a light dress, it was not too heavy for her to walk towards the inner palace.

    Wei Liuying was watching Wei Xiao Hua, but she retracted her gaze and scanned her surroundings. Neither one of them have ever entered the palace before. Even though their father''s status was high, it was not to the point where his children could roam around the palace at will.

    ''It''s bigger than I thought.''

    After half an incense stick time (half an hour), they finally arrived. By this time, Wei Zilin''s back was already drenched in sweat. Her head accessories were heavy. In addition, she was a young lady who rarely exercised. This long walk clearly burdened her body.

    "We''ve arrived," Wei Xiao Hua said lightly.

    Wei Liuying nodded. She had gotten used to a long training with her brother, so it was nothing. However, she still slowed down her pace to not make her look strange. After all, it would be weird for a lady to have a lot of stamina. She didn''t want to attract attention here.

    The three of them entered the garden. There were already a lot of women there. The tables were already prepared for each of them, depending on their status. Because the three of them didn''t have an adult with them, it was Wei Xiao Hua who led them.

    "Our table is near the front."

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying followed Wei Xiao Hua quietly and sat down on the designated table. Her eyes swept the room to scan the people there, but she didn''t try to pick a conversation with anyone. There was no one whom she was close enough to engage in conversation here.

    On the other hand, Wei Zilin had already swarmed to another table and chatted with her friends. She was truly a social butterfly.

    "Are you not interested in having hearty talk?" Wei Xiao Hua asked politely.

    "I don''t think there would be anyone who wanted to talk with me."

    "Is that so?"

    Wei Liuying smiled while Wei Xiao Hua stood up, leaving the table. There was no rule that said they have to stay at their table. She headed to the table by the side, and Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed.

    The two tables near the front were for Prime Minister of the Right and Prime Minister of the Left family. Because of some political reason, the two families were not in harmony with each other. It could be said that they couldn''t stand on the same page together. However, Wei Xiao Hua was the one who stepped forward first to engage in a talk.

    ''What is she planning to do?''

    Wei Liuying watched as Wei Xiao Hua started a conversation, but she didn''t move from her own place. There was no need for her to put on so much appearance when her own image was not that high. Her hand lightly touched the cup of tea and brought it to her lips, sipping the warm tea calmly.

    "Empress You and Princess Ji Xiaoli had arrived!"

    At that moment, everyone quickly stood up and bowed in Empress and Princess Ji Xiaoli''s direction. They all greeted the two of them politely according to the custom.

    "You may rise."

    "Many thanks to the Empress."

    With that sentence, they all straightened their body. Wei Liuying could finally take a proper look at the Empress and Princess. With one look, she could see that Empress You had a pale expression. At the same time, there was a sign of tiredness on her eyes that was concealed with her smile.

    Wei Liuying''s heart shrunk when she saw that as she averted her eyes. She had heard that the Empress''s health was not good for the past few months. Now that she saw the Empress directly, she could see that the rumor was true. It seemed that many things weighted down the Empress''s heart.

    On the other hand, Princess Ji Xiaoli was as beautiful as the rumor said. With her stunning red dress and decoration that suited her status, she fully showed her full beauty. She would be 16 years old this year, reaching the marriageable age. However, she was not engaged yet, and it was unknown who will be the lucky one.

    "As you may know, I''m not too healthy today," Empress You said unhurriedly. "Because of that, I''ll only wish you all Happy New Year and leave the banquet in Ji Xiaoli''s hand."

    With that, they all began to speak of how they wished Empress You to get healthy soon, wishing her a long life, and so on. When it came to flattery, the women in this room were clearly the best.

    The Empress soon left after a glass of water while the others drank either wine or water. The ladies were not allowed to drink wine first, so they have to be satisfied with the water that was prepared. Princess Ji Xiaoli started the banquet and several people performed a play on the stage while she sat down quietly.

    Wei Liuying cast her glance to the stage as she watched the performance. It was a simple performance of a woman who was waiting for her husband to return back from the war. Every day, she would pray in the Temple while taking care of her children. Even though her heart was filled with worry, she still kept a smile on her face. And finally, her husband returned along with the news of victory. They held a celebration at the end.

    "It''s a beautiful play, Your Highness," Wei Xiao Hua praised when the play was finished. Due to her status, her sitting position was not that far from Princess Ji Xiaoli.

    "It''s a very suitable play for this occasion," another young lady praised from the side.

    Wei Liuying was a bit further on the back, but she could hear their conversation just fine. Her black eyes flickered when she saw the young lady. The young lady''s name was Xie Feng. She''s Prime Minister Xie''s first daughter. Her beautiful countenance was known to be unmatched in the entire Han Shi Kingdom, with the exception of Princess Ji Xiaoli.

    Ji Xiaoli smiled faintly. "Why do you think it''s suitable?"

    "Prince Ji Sheng had just returned from the frontline. Isn''t it safe to assume that it''s similar to this play where he brought news of victory just before New Year?" Xie Feng argued.

    Wei Xiao Hua shook her head. "It''s not possible. The only reason he came back is to honor his father because it marked 20 years after his reign."

    "How can it be? If it''s not completely safe, he won''t leave the frontline," Xie Feng argued back."

    "Wei Xiao Hua is correct," Ji Xiaoli said quietly. "The war is still ongoing, and it''s not a topic that we should bring up. How about if we all listen to music now and have talked with others?"

    "Yes, Princess."

 Chapter 19 - The Place With Hidden Danger

    Wei Liuying could understand that Princess Ji Xiaoli avoided the topic because it was unsuitable for noble ladies. With that sentence from the princess, the people began to talk with their friends and all. However, not a single one of them came to Wei Liuying''s table. She was left alone as Wei Xiao Hua walked to Princess Ji Xiaoli while Wei Zilin was talking with others.

    ''It''s noisy here,'' Wei Liuying thought to herself.

    Unbeknownst to many, she was quietly observing the noble ladies in this room. There were several factions in the politic because of the war for the throne. Even though Emperor Xuan was still healthy and all, it was also the truth that his sons were approaching the age as an adult. They would slowly but covertly build their own factions.

    The crown prince was already determined, which made many people already sided on that side. However, it was still unknown who would win in the end because Emperor Xuan himself took the throne from his brother through some schemes. Just a month before Emperor Gao''s death, the crown prince was changed because the previous crown prince had died.

    "Subject Wei Zilin greets Princess Ji Xiaoli."

    The voice made Wei Liuying turn her head. She could see Wei Zilin curtsied to greet the princess politely.

    "Wei Zilin?" Ji Xiaoli asked with a tone that was filled with questions. She turned her head to look at Wei Xiao Hua. "I never knew that you have a younger sister."

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled. "Wei Zilin is my father concubine''s daughter, Princess Ji Xiaoli."

    "Oh, a concubine daughter," Ji Xiaoli said slowly. Her eyes were filled with a hint of ridicule. "It seems that Wei Household didn''t know the difference between main daughter and concubine daughter."

    Wei Zilin, who was full of smiles, stiffened. She thought that she would be able to attract Princess Ji Xiaoli''s attention. However, she didn''t expect that her clothing would instead put her in a bad light.

    "My sister is fond of these types of clothing," Wei Xiao Hua said slowly.

    Ji Xiaoli took out her fan and fanned herself. "It''s indeed really good, but to show it outside, I can see that there is bad air here."

    Wei Xiao Hua''s smile faltered a bit. She could guess that Ji Xiaoli was also blaming her for not being able to take care of her sister. Since it was outside, people would be able to see that the concubine daughter was brave to the point of overwhelming the main daughter. That was the kind of image that they inevitably showed.

    Most people would only look at the concubine daughter who dressed inappropriately, but smart people would understand that there was the underlying reason. It can be, the main daughter was not favored and didn''t have power. Or the main daughter actually allowed it to happen.

    With Wei Xiao Hua''s previous reputation as a stupid lady, people would be more inclined to think of the first. However, Ji Xiaoli was completely different. There was no way she wouldn''t understand that it was actually the second one where Wei Xiao Hua let them think of her as someone who was easily bullied.

    ''Did I move too fast?''

    Wei Xiao Hua kept her smile and bowed slightly. "Princess is wise."

    Ji Xiaoli didn''t say anything anymore and moved to different tables. Other noble women and also noble ladies greeted her properly. Wei Xiao Hua was left behind, and she cast a glare at Wei Zilin.

    It seemed that she had to change her plan.

    Wei Zilin didn''t understand that she was being targeted as she was busy thinking about how to recover her image. There were already several noble women who were pointing fingers at her, saying that someone like her was truly a bad example of a concubine daughter who didn''t know her place.

    ''Wei Household will be very lively,'' Wei Liuying thought to herself as she sipped her tea once more. Her calm demeanor made her look as if she was not part of the two ladies.

    For the entire banquet, Wei Liuying didn''t leave her seat nor try to engage in any conversation. It looked as if she came here only to become part of the decoration. There were also not many people who even remembered her. Their attention was fully focused on Wei Xiao Hua and Wei Zilin, who created a small scene not long ago.

    When they returned to Wei Family Residence, Wei Xiao Hua was in a grumpy mood.

    "Miss, are you alright?" Wei Xiao Hua''s servant looked at her Miss worriedly.

    Wei Xiao Hua humped. "The Imperial Family is too smart. I just showed my talent a bit, and they''re already suspicious."

    The servant smiled bitterly. Her name was Qu Tan, and she had already served Wei Xiao Hua for a long time. "Miss has to be careful. Those from the Imperial Family are not simple."

    "I know that," Wei Xiao Hua said in irritation. Her tone was very casual and impolite, completely different from her usual soft approach and careful wording. "Anyway, arrange a meeting with my Grandma after New Year''s dinner tomorrow. I have some things that I want to talk with them."

    Qu Tan stilled for a moment. She bowed down. "In that case, I''ll do my best, Miss."

    Wei Xiao Hua took the cup of tea on the table and looked at the ornaments on her table. ''I should just follow the timeline if I want to be safe, but I hate just going with the flow. Besides, there are so many things unwritten there.''

    However, Wei Xiao Hua chose not to think too much and walked to her bed in annoyance. The ancient world''s living condition was truly uncomfortable.

    ¡­

    "Miss, you''re back!" Xiao Yu beamed when she saw Wei Liuying had returned.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Where''s Xiao Qing?"

    "She''s preparing your meal, Miss."

    "Alright. Help me get changed."

    "Yes, Miss!"

    Wei Liuying took off the decoration on her head and massaged her neck a bit. She might not wear too many accessories, but she was staying still in one place for a long time. Her neck didn''t feel that comfortable.

    "Miss, let me massage you," Xiao Qing offered when she returned with a tray of soup.

    "It''s fine. Give me that soup."

    "Here, Miss."

    Drinking the warm soup, Wei Liuying felt much better. She didn''t have any appetite to eat the food that was prepared on the table just now. All she touched was the tea because the rest didn''t seem to be appetizing. It looked as if it was nothing more than decoration in the palace for the banquet.

    "Xiao Yu, from now on, report everything that First Sister do."

    "Yes, Miss?" Xiao Yu was stunned.

    Wei Liuying smiled faintly. "I''m thinking that my First Sister is very interesting, so keep a tab of what she did."

    "I understand, Miss."

    Xiao Qing furrowed her brows when she heard the order, but she refrained from saying anything. However, her gaze when she looked at her Miss was filled with worry. It seemed that there would be something big in Wei Household considering Wei Liuying''s order. However, she couldn''t think of anything.

    All in all, Xiao Qing hoped that it wouldn''t affect Wei Liuying badly.

 Chapter 20 - Dinner

    The night passed quietly, and the next day, Wei Liuying came to visit her younger brother for another practice.

    Tak!

    "Second Brother, there''ll be family dinner later. We shouldn''t stay outside too long," Wei Liuying reminded her brother.

    Wei Hong Zheng frowned. "You just have to make sure that you''re not wounded. It''d be hard for them to see your bruises if you covered it."

    "Second Brother, it''ll be better to be careful."

    "Will you even attend the dinner?"

    Wei Liuying smiled. "We will never know what will happen."

    Wei Hong Zheng groaned. "Fine¡­one more then."

    With a swift movement, Wei Hong Zheng switched his stance and thrust his wooden sword forward. Wei Liuying was prepared as she side stepped to the side. Her wooden sword parried away her brother''s thrust so that it didn''t hit her.

    Wei Hong Zheng frowned. "That didn''t get in."

    "Your movement is too big, Second Brother," Wei Liuying analyzed calmly.

    "Right¡­"

    Putting the wooden sword away, Wei Hong Zheng stretched his hand and looked at his sister. "Yesterday is quite a large banquet."

    "Did something happen on your side?"

    "Not really." Wei Hong Zheng never used polite words when he was only with Wei Liuying. If there were other people, he would fix his language. "The four princes are hard to approach. They''re only talking with the older ministers. I can''t even get close to them at all."

    Wei Liuying nodded. She had expected that the princes were not going to make it easy for them to approach them. Besides, talking in front of the crowd about such a sensitive matter was clearly a big no.

    "All princes are present?"

    "Yes. It''s a big celebration, so it should be obvious that all four of them attend the banquet," Wei Hong Zheng said simply. There were a total of four princes who were still alive until now. As for the number who died in the harem, no one knew for sure. After all, there were several of them who died even before they were born because of the schemes of the concubines.

    But this kind of news never leaked out.

    "Did Father do anything?"

    "Father?" Wei Hong Zheng frowned. "He only greeted them one by one. I''m not sure what he''s talking with other officials, but they all talked for quite some time before it was time for us to go back."

    "I see."

    "So, what can you say from that?"

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows slightly, but she kept her expression neutral. "There''s not enough information for me to give any conclusion, Second Brother. However, I can say for sure that they''re not giving anything out in the event."

    Wei Hong Zheng groaned. He hated that his sister was far smarter than him, but at the same time, he needed Wei Liuying if he wanted to survive. She could analyze things better and even guessed other people''s plans correctly. That way, they would have enough preparation in case something bad happened.

    "We''ll have dinner together tonight. You can ask Father for more."

    "I doubt it. Anyway, finish the book sooner. Teacher Luo planned to test me after the New Year''s celebration is over," Wei Hong Zheng reminded.

    "I understand, Second Brother."

    New Year celebration usually lasted for 15 days, which would give her more than enough time to finish reading all the material. However, Wei Liuying knew that she had to finish it much faster to give Wei Hong Zheng enough time before the celebration was over to memorize and understood it all.

    The two siblings returned back to their courtyard, and Wei Liuying busied herself to read again until it was the time for dinner.

    "Miss, it''s evening. Master will send a servant to fetch you soon," Xiao Qing reminded.

    Wei Liuying put away the book that she was reading and nodded faintly. She changed her clothes and asked Xiao Yu to do her hair. The decoration was even simpler to the point that she could be easily mistaken as a servant.

    Xiao Yu pouted. "Miss, if you keep on dressing so simple, people will never be able to guess that you''re part of the Wei Family Household."

    "Isn''t it fine that way?" Wei Liuying stood up and looked at her appearance in the mirror.

    "But if you remain unknown, there won''t be anyone who proposed to you," Xiao Yu whined.

    This time, Xiao Qing nodded. "Yes, Miss. Miss will be 14 soon, so it''s already the time to start searching for a partner."

    Wei Liuying was speechless. In the Han Shi Kingdom, women were categorized as an adult when they were 16 years old. Most of the time, the women would get engaged when they were 15 years old, so Wei Liuying still has more than enough time to find a potential partner. Though, she highly doubted that her father would let her do that.

    He would undoubtedly try to find an official who could grant him better access.

    "Don''t talk nonsense. Marriage is determined by one''s parents," Wei Liuying said helplessly and walked out of the room. She fixed her appearance as she waited at the front door.

    Xiao Yu still pouted, but she didn''t press Wei Liuying any longer. The two of them stood obediently behind Wei Liuying as they waited for the servants to call them to the main hall to eat together.

    The sun started to set as the temperature dropped. A chilly wind blew on the courtyard, yet the servant was nowhere to be seen.

    Wei Liuying glanced to the sky with a faint smile on the corner of her lips. "Let''s go back in."

    "But Miss¡­."

    "He''s not going to invite me," Wei Liuying said faintly. Even though the size of the residence was large, she could see the merry light from a distance away. It was the mark that the family dinner had already started.

    Xiao Qing bit her lower lips with aggravated expression. This was not the first time Wei Liuying was not invited to family dinner. It was as if her existence alone was not included in the family, which made them unwilling to invite her.

    "Miss, should this servant¡­"

    "Xiao Qing, take some meat buns from the kitchen. I''ll be having a simple meal for my dinner."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Even though Xiao Qing felt that it was wrong, she couldn''t do anything. Her heart was bleeding with grievances. Wei Liuying was clearly the Miss in this residence, but she was treated worse than the servant. No, not just worse than a servant. It was even worse than an animal.

    Wei Liuying never had any hope for her so called family members anymore. Her birth status is low, and she didn''t have anyone to rely on. All she could do was just making sure that she continued to learn and making use of the situation on hand to ensure her own safety.

    As for her future¡­ she didn''t have any idea yet.

    Though, she did start to plan for her future.

    "Miss, this is the meat buns." Xiao Qing returned not long afterwards with seven large meat buns. It was definitely more than enough for Wei Liuying to eat.

    "Good work. Let''s get inside."

    "Yes."

    Xiao Qing tried to ask the servants in the kitchen just now and found out that the other ladies were invited to have dinner together. Only Wei Liuying was left out and not allowed to come.

    The difference in treatment broke her heart.

    Wei Liuying took the meat buns and ate calmly. Her black eyes were staring into a distance as she thought of the events that occurred lately. It seemed that it was already the time for her to start making her move.

    Before anyone realized her cards, she had to use them to make sure no mishap occurred to her.

 Chapter 21 - Bookstore

    The next few days, there was nothing unusual in Wei Household. However, Wei Liuying soon heard from Xiao Yu that Wei Xiao Hua left the residence.

    "First Sister is leaving?" Wei Liuying''s hand, which was holding a brush, stopped midair.

    Xiao Yu nodded. "Yes. They''re saying that First Miss is going out to Baili Family Residence."

    Baili¡­

    Wei Liuying naturally knew that Wei Xiao Hua''s mother was from the Baili Family. Baili Family was a renowned noble family in Han Shi Kingdom with many of their family members become officials. Previously, Wei Xiao Hua didn''t really have a good relationship with them, but things might change from now.

    "I see."

    "Miss, will this impact you?" Xiao Qing asked worriedly.

    Wei Liuying shook her head. "In the short term, no. Her biggest opponent is not me, but I can''t say for sure in the future."

    Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu looked at each other. Worry and concern were visible on their faces. "Should we¡­"

    "No need. I''ll be going to the bookstore with Xiao Qing, please inform my mother that I''ll be going today. Xiao Yu, you deliver the bamboo scroll to Second Brother," Wei Liuying gave the instruction.

    "Yes, Miss."

    There were only a few places that Wei Liuying could visit. On weekends, she occasionally visited the bookstore and her mother allowed her to do that. After all, Feng Chun would be happy if Wei Liuying could even add more material for Wei Hong Zheng''s study.

    The servants quickly prepared the carriage and Wei Liuying could go from the residence without any hindrance. Bookstores were not that popular because not everyone was literate in the Han Shi Kingdom. Most of the literate people were nobles and only very few commoners could read and write.

    The journey didn''t take long and soon, Wei Liuying arrived in the bookstore.

    "Welcome, Third Miss Wei," the shopkeeper was already used with her coming here.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I want to talk with Manager Xin."

    "Manager Xin is upstairs."

    "Alright. Xiao Qing, you''ll wait down here."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Whenever Wei Liuying visited the bookstore, she would be meeting with the manager. The bookstore itself has three floors. First floor was for ordinary and cheap books that even most commoners could buy if they have spare money. Second floor was for scholars because there were various books. The third floor was a reserve study room that no other people were allowed to enter.

    Wei Liuying calmly entered the third floor.

    "Who is..oh, it''s you Third Miss Wei." A plump middle aged man smiled when he saw Wei Liuying. He was still in his middle age, but his hair had turned partially bald. He usually had a goofy grin on his face, but everyone knew that he had short temper if it was talking about books.

    As he was quite a talented scholar, many people respected him despite his position as the manager and owner of this bookstore.

    "Manager Xin," Wei Liuying greeted politely.

    Manager Xin laughed. "What do you want to read today, Little Lass? Also, do you have any more manuscripts for me to copy?"

    "I have."

    Wei Liuying took out a set of bamboo scrolls and handed it to Manager Xin. It contained the summary of the books that she had read along with her own analysis. Since she had learned how to summarize the books, she would combine several books analysis to make her own. The progress was slow as she could only create one book after several months or even a year, but many people liked her books.

    Because of that, Manager Xin was also very happy when he saw the new manuscript.

    "Hehehe, with this there are a total of four volume of books from Ying Liu. There are several scholars who are itching to meet you, but I have to decline each of them," Manager Xin said with a sigh.

    If those people were to know that the one who wrote the books was a woman, who knew what kind of wave would come in the Han Shi Kingdom? After all, it was common knowledge that women were naturally not able to study this kind of topic. Not to mention, Wei Liuying would only turn 14 in a few days.

    Ying Liu was Wei Liuying''s pen name that she picked after some consideration. It was impossible for her to use her real name, so she merely twisted her own name to create a pen name that''s suitable for her.

    "It''s good that you can decline," Wei Liuying said calmly.

    Manager Xin passed a look at Wei Liuying. "Also, your share of money is still here with me. When will you take it?"

    "I''ll take it after I get married later."

    "Married?" Manager Xin was surprised. "When will you get married and to whom? You should invite me to watch!"

    Wei Liuying resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "The earliest will be two years from now. It''s impossible for me to get married when I''m still underage."

    "Well, if you''re in the north, you can get married when you''re 15¡­."

    "I''m in the capital city, Manager Xin."

    Manager Xin pursed his lips. "Anyway, who''s the lucky man? It''s not Young Master Shi, right?"

    "No."

    "Wow, you rejected me right away?"

    Wei Liuying passed a glance to the other door. There were only two rooms on the third floor and the inner room was a reserved study room. The one inside was usually Young Master Shi, Shi Yan. He was a merchant who was currently trying to enter the ranks of officials through his study.

    Needless to say, he had been failing the examination over and over.

    Shi Yan crossed his hand as he looked at Wei Liuying. He had a pretty countenance and tall figure. Yes, pretty. He had a feminine face that could easily make one wonder whether he was truly a male or female. Right now, he was wearing a natural purple robe that made him look like a scholar if only his image was not destroyed by his face.

    "Yes."

    "Why don''t you even try to consider me? I can surely make sure you live well." Shi Yan complained as he strode into the room and sat down beside Manager Xin grumpily.

    "One, even if I''m a concubine daughter, my father will not allow me to marry a merchant."

    In the social hierarchy, merchants had the lowest status while scholars were the highest. It wouldn''t be strange that noble families tend to distance themselves from merchants because they didn''t wish to be associated with them. Only those who were desperate enough would be willing to make connections through marriage.

    And Wei Hong was clearly not among them.

    "Two, you''re too old."

    "I''m only 21 years old!" Shi Yan complained.

    Wei Liuying passed him a scornful look. "Three, I''m sure that many people will question who''s the bride and who''s the groom if I marry you."

    "Nonsense!"

 Chapter 22 - Stupid Friends

    "Hey, hey, don''t make a racket here." Manager Xin quickly stopped the two of them before they could start fighting. Both of them have decent martial arts and Wei Liuying specifically specialize on defense, making her capable to prolong the fight and exhaust her opponent''s stamina.

    Shi Yan humped. His sore spot has always been his face. It was not his decision to be born with this feminine face, alright!

    "Still angry?" Wei Liuying asked with a faint smile.

    "No," Shi Yan replied and sighed. "You finally smile again. Is there something bad that occurred in Wei Household to make you look so solemn like an old man."

    "That''s my natural face."

    "So natural to the point that you wore that face constantly?"

    Wei Liuying resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "That''s why it''s called natural, Idiot Young Master Shi."

    "¡­ Let''s get out and have a bout."

    "Not on the street. It''ll be a huge disgrace if you lose to a much younger woman in terms of martial arts and knowledge."

    Shi Yan''s face turned ugly. He turned around to look at Manager Xin. "Quick! Help me to fend off this evil woman!"

    Manager Xin shook his head. "That''s not possible."

    "Manager Xin, charge Young Master Shi ten times the price of the volume 4."

    "Got it."

    "No!" Shi Yan wailed. He might be a successful merchant with several chain stores, but it didn''t mean that he wanted to waste so much money just to buy the book. "You''re so ruthless, Liuying!"

    "20 times."

    Shi Yan: "¡­" fine, you win.

    Wei Liuying smiled when she saw Shi Yan''s defeated look. She met him three years ago in this small store because he was trying to study. At that time, she had just made the first book and wanted to try her luck with Manager Xin. Shi Yan was close with Manager Xin, so he also peered into the content.

    The two of them got into an argument and Shi Yan lost terribly because of his lack of knowledge. He accused her of cheating, but when he heard her real age, he was speechless.

    Since then, he would come to this store occasionally on weekends and the two of them continued their bout in debate. Once, their debate escalated into a fight and it was at that time Shi Yan realized that Wei Liuying could also fight. He respected her more and often asked for her help in study too.

    This small store was the only place Wei Liuying could relax. The two of them would never meet outside this store as they acted as if they didn''t know each other. But in this place, they acted without care about each other''s background.

    "What''s the book this time about?" Shi Yan changed the conversation as he glared at Wei Liuying. Her smug expression didn''t look fit on her face.

    Wei Liuying corrected her expression and returned back to her normal neutral face. "It''s Han Shi Kingdom''s North area History."

    "History?" Shi Yan peered at the manuscript, but Manager Xin moved away.

    "I need to copy this first lest you destroy it with your rough hand."

    Shi Yan: "¡­"

    "Young Master Shi, you also come from the north, so I want to know your view too," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly while Manager Xin was already busy preparing some bamboo scroll. He needed to copy the manuscript by hand.

    "Why don''t you visit the north if you wish to know more about the history? There are more people who lived there, and I''m sure that you can compile better books," Shi Yan complained.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered. If only it was possible, she also wanted to do that. However, it was impossible for her to leave her own residence with her status. All she could do to gain knowledge was simply by reading books that her mother provided her to help her brother''s study.

    "If I have the chance, I''ll visit the north."

    "When that happens, I''ll bring you to meet my sister," Shi Yan said with a grin. "She has been very curious when I told her about you."

    Wei Liuying looked at Shi Yan. "Did you return back to your hometown?"

    "I did. A few times, in fact. If you can ride a horse, it''s just a few days'' journey. Besides, I only visit the capital city a few times in a year to check on my stores," Shi Yan replied calmly. "This time, I will come to meet my old friend too, though."

    "Old friend?"

    "Yeah. He''s my customer, friend, and also teacher," Shi Yan said calmly. "I can''t tell you who. It''s a secret."

    Wei Liuying nodded. She understood that each of them have a secret. The only reason why they could maintain this relationship was simply because they didn''t try to peer deeper into each other''s life. All they talked in this place was mostly about books and some unrelated manner.

    It was then Wei Liuying recalled something. "May I ask you something?"

    "Go ahead."

    "Is there anyone with the surname Yang who served Prince Ji Sheng?"

    "Yang?" Shi Yan was surprised. "Are you talking about Yang Xian?"

    "Yang Xian?"

    "He''s not that known here, but in the north, he''s famous. Yang Xian is Prince Ji Sheng''s right hand and also the strategist in many battles. He was once an orphan that Prince Ji Sheng took under his wing, but he slowly rises to become a noble through military achievement."

    Normally, one could only become a noble by academy examination. But since it was the time of war, there were some exceptions made. One of them was the promotion through military achievement.

    Wei Liuying was thoroughly surprised. She didn''t know that there was actually another talented person by Prince Ji Sheng''s side.

    It seemed she had to be more careful when she walked out next time.

 Chapter 23 - Hidden Undercurrent

    "Why do you ask?" Shi Yan asked curiously.

    "I met with a young servant with the surname Yang."

    *cough**cough*

    Shi Yan coughed on the air. He looked at Wei Liuying with incredulous expression. "You¡­ met with him?"

    Wei Liuying frowned. "Yes. Is it that strange?"

    "It is strange," Shi Yan said with certainty. "But then again, he''s an eccentric man who loves to roam around¡­"

    However, Shi Yan abruptly stopped. He looked at Wei Liuying and noticed that her eyes flickered. Internally, he howled loudly. She must have realized something from what he said.

    Wei Liuying smiled and stood up. "Thank you for the information, Young Master Shi. I have already taken your time too much. It''s time for me to leave."

    Shi Yan''s face was sour when he watched Wei Liuying leaving. He turned his head to look at Manager Xin, who was busy copying the manuscript. "Manager Xin, why am I friends with this devious woman?"

    Manager Xin arched his eyebrows. "Isn''t it because you''re stupid?"

    Shi Yan: "¡­"

    Can I kill you?

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying walked out of the third floor. When she arrived by the second floor, she could see two people were walking up. The first man was wearing a mask that hide his countenance, but there was an air of authority that emanated from his large body. His tall frame and firm figure told her clearly that he must be a powerful martial artist. In addition, there was faint pressure that he emanated as if he had just engaged in a battle of life and death.

    As for the second one, Wei Liuying recognized the smiling young man as Yang, the servant whom she met before. The two of them were wearing black and brown robes respectively that looked no different from commoners.

    But she knew better than anyone how untrue it was.

    These two didn''t have ordinary identity.

    Wei Liuying didn''t dwell on the thought. She quickly retreated to the side and hung her head low. Since they were not dressed in their proper attire, it would do her no good to greet them. The two of them also only glanced at her once before they headed up.

    Only when they had left did Wei Liuying lift her head. ''As I thought, your so called friend is actually Prince Ji Sheng, Young Master Shi. In that case, the one I met was truly Strategist Yang¡­.''

    Wei Liuying truly didn''t know whether she was lucky or unlucky to meet the infamous Strategist Yang on the street. She didn''t know much about him because of the limited information circulated about the two of them in the capital city. However, she still knew one thing or two.

    For example, Strategist Yang was known to be an eccentric strategist with a commoner background.

    Or, Prince Ji Sheng was also a ruthless young man but he was a very capable general.

    Pushing the thoughts to the back, Wei Liuying returned back to the first floor. Xiao Qing was still waiting patiently and she smiled when she saw Wei Liuying. "Miss."

    "Let''s go back."

    "Yes, I''ll prepare the carriage."

    Wei Liuying glanced to the back once more, but she had no other thoughts to return back. In any case, she would rather go back and read more books rather than wasting her thoughts on unnecessary matters.

    On the third floor, Shi Yan was stupefied when he saw the two of them entering the room.

    "What in the world are you doing out here? What are you going to do if this store is blown up by assassins?"

    Servant Yang, Yang Xian, shrugged his shoulder. "If they can come here, I''ll be greatly surprised."

    "What did you plant on the way?"

    "I wonder."

    Shi Yan shot a glare at Yang Xian and fixed his sitting position. On the other hand, Manager Xin acted as a servant as he prepared tea for the three of them. From their demeanor and attitude, it was clear that the four men had already known each other from a long time ago.

    The first man removed his mask, revealing his handsome face. He had a defined face and strong countenance. Completely different from Shi Yan, who was beautiful, his face clearly screamed the word handsome. It wouldn''t be a joke even if a lot of women in the capital city fell victim to his charm.

    "Why do you come here, Ji Sheng?" Shi Yan asked.

    If this was outside, he would have long been beaten up for addressing Prince Ji Sheng impolitely. However, the three of them didn''t really care much about formalities when it was only them in the room. After all, it was not that important.

    Manager Xin sighed at Shi Yan''s lack of respect. However, this was common when it was only the three of them.

    He silently prepared tea for the two new guests while Ji Sheng fixed his sitting position before he looked at Shi Yan. "I need you to hurry and establish the trade route with Xiong Tribe."

 Chapter 24 - Hidden Undercurrent (2)

    Ji Sheng fixed his sitting position before he looked at Shi Yan. "I need you to hurry and establish the trade route with Xiong Tribe."

    "That fast?" Shi Yan was stunned. He looked at Ji Sheng with an incredulous expression. "Do you think that I can prepare so many things so easily? Xiong Tribe wouldn''t want to accept newcomers so quickly."

    "If we want to stop the war, maintaining an amicable relationship is important. If we can establish a trade route, we''ll be able to minimize the number of tribes who still come to fight with us in the north," Ji Sheng said calmly.

    Xiong Tribe was the current largest tribe in the north. Even though they all lived nomadic, they still formed several tribes with several thousand people at each of them. Their biggest threat was the Xiong Tribe followed by several other smaller tribes that also attacked their northern border.

    Shi Yan groaned. "Fine, I''ll do my best."

    Yang Xian chuckled. "Don''t worry, I have already prepared some men for you to use in the North. I''m sure that you''ll be able to form the trade seamlessly."

    "Haha," Shi Yan let out a bitter laugh. He could never trust this seemingly amiable young man at all. The last time he trusted Yang Xian, he almost vomited blood with how ruthless his devious scheme was.

    Ji Sheng looked to the side and looked at the manuscript on the table. There were only a few authors whom Manager Xin would treat with respect like this. "Whose author came here not long ago?"

    "Ying Liu," Manager Xin said.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. He had read a lot of books and the couple of books made by Ying Liu left a deep impression on him. "Oh, is it the newest book from Ying Liu? Can I take a look?"

    "Yes, you can."

    Seeing Manager Xin handed the manuscript to Yang Xian without hesitation, Shi Yan felt like crying. "That''s unfair! How come you gave him the manuscript when he asked, but you didn''t give it to me when I wanted to see?"

    "That''s because you''re stupid," Manager Xin said seriously.

    Shi Yan: "¡­" stop insulting me!

    Yang Xian flipped the bamboo scroll and read the content seriously. The others also didn''t disturb him as they began to talk about the preparation that Ji Sheng wanted Shi Yan to do on the border.

    "Shi Yan."

    "Yes?"

    "Ying Liu is that lady from just now, am I right?"

    Shi Yan nearly spurted out the tea that he was drinking. He looked at Yang Xian with incredulous expression. How come he finds out just by reading the manuscript within a few moments?

    Yang Xian didn''t need Shi Yan to reply as he could read from Shi Yan''s expression. His lips curled up in amusement. "Wei Liuying from Wei Household. I never knew that a concubine daughter can have an even broader mind compared to men."

    As Yang Xian handed the manuscript back to Manager Xin, Shi Yan''s mouth was still wide like a fish. "You¡­ how did you¡­?"

    "I met with Third Lady Wei when I''m searching for information regarding Ji Sheng''s arrival in the capital city," Yang Xian said with a smile. "I tried to ask several noble ladies and young masters who were roaming on the street. She''s the only one who''s polite and respectful without keeping any airs."

    Most young masters, even if they were born from concubines, naturally held a high position in their household. As for the noble young lady, except for the main daughter, they all didn''t have high positions. However, it didn''t mean that there was no one who would flaunt their nonexistent position. In fact, there were a lot of ladies who would put on airs despite not having real background.

    "How did you even guess their identities?"

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Every family has their family banner and different clothing style. If you can''t differentiate the nobles, you can look at the servants behind them."

    Shi Yan: "¡­" who had the time to memorize so many different clothing styles of the noble families here?

    "I want to meet with her to discuss the book."

    "I promised her that I''ll keep her identity a secret," Manager Xin said hurriedly. Even Shi Yan also nodded repeatedly. They didn''t want to face Wei Liuying''s wrath.

    She''s also a very devious young lady.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. He turned to look at Ji Sheng. "Can you give an imperial edict?"

    "Fine," Ji Sheng agreed without any hesitation.

    Shi Yan: "¡­"

    Manager Xin: "¡­"

    Yang Xian was in a jovial mood when he heard the answer. "You shall arrange the meeting, Manager Xin. Please inform Third Lady Wei when she came to visit here again."

    "I understand," Manager Xin said weakly. He didn''t have any other option but to comply. Internally, he apologized to Wei Liuying countless times because he knew that it would be impossible for him to refuse this matter.

    Ji Sheng tapped the table. "Get serious now."

    With that, the three of them turned their head to the third prince. They knew that it was already time for them to discuss the problems in Han Shi Kingdom. Aside from wars, there was also the inevitable battle for the throne.

    It was unavoidable.

 Chapter 25 - Wei Xiao Huaâ€™s Birthday

    Wei Liuying returned back to her residence and stayed there obediently. She spent most of her time summarizing the books that she had to read. Aside from that, she also spent some time helping her brother.

    As the New Year celebration was still ongoing, it was also the time for Wei Xiao Hua''s birthday.

    They couldn''t hold a grand birthday party, so they would usually have dinner together. This time, Wei Liuying was invited as a servant was sent from Wei Xiao Hua''s quarter to invite her for a meal in Wei Xiao Hua''s residence.

    "Miss, are you going to come?" Xiao Qing asked in a worried tone.

    Wei Liuying played with a hairpin as she waited for Xiao Yu to finish bundling up her hair to form a bun. She inserted the pin carefully. "Why not?"

    "But First Miss is¡­"

    "There''s no need to worry," Wei Liuying cut off Xiao Yu''s words. "If she planned to do something, I''ll be ready to face her."

    Xiao Yu pursed her lips. She thought that her Miss had started to be reckless in her action. Wei Household had never been peaceful as it was very common for the young ladies to quarrel with each other. However, their action has been more dignified as of lately, especially Wei Xiao Hua who toned down a lot.

    Wei Liuying was not that worried as she headed to Wei Xiao Hua''s Quarter. There were a few servants who were already busy to prepare for the banquet. It was supposed to be a peaceful day with them only having lunch together.

    "First Sister, Happy Birthday," Wei Liuying greeted politely.

    Wei Xiao Hua was wearing a bright brocade dress that complimented her beauty. She smiled. "You''ve arrived, Third Sister. Please have a seat."

    "Thank you."

    Not long afterwards, Wei Zilin came. Her expression was calmer than that night, which meant that she had gotten over it. She curtsied. "Happy Birthday First Sister. Third Sister."

    "Thank you, Second Sister. Please have a seat."

    "Second Sister."

    Wei Zilin bowed and took the seat. At the same time, she started to speak again, "Mother asked me to tell you that she''s a bit busy. Because of that, she''ll be a bit late to lunch."

    "It''s fine."

    The others came one by one. Wei Xiao Hua had prepared two areas. One was for her father and his concubines while the other one was for Wei Liuying and Wei Zilin. The two girls sat on the back while their brothers sat on the front. Both brothers looked tired, but their eyes were still brimming with energy.

    It seemed that they were too busy studying to the point that they lacked sleep.

    "Xiao Hua."

    "Father."

    Wei Hong nodded when he saw the place was decorated nicely. At first, he was worried that Wei Xiao Hua couldn''t handle it and even Concubine Chou had talked to him at night, expressing her worry.

    Now it seemed that the worry was unnecessary. Wei Xiao Hua had grown up and become a proper lady who knew how to conduct herself. In just two weeks, the servants'' attitude had become much better as they were willing to follow after Wei Xiao Hua''s order without hesitation.

    Wei Xiao Hua had truly become the miss in this residence.

    "You did great."

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled. "Thank you for the praise."

    While Wei Hong was satisfied, Concubine Chou gnashed her teeth. She was hoping to see Wei Xiao Hua fail terribly. That way, she would have a reason to take the right to manage the household again. But with Wei Xiao Hua continuing to conduct properly, it was hard for her to find the chance.

    ''This is only the beginning. We shall see you fail later,'' Concubine Chou prayed as she glared at Wei Xiao Hua.

    Wei Xiao Hua thoroughly ignored Concubine Chou. She still greeted Concubine Xie and Concubine Feng along with several other concubines who didn''t have children in Wei Hong''s residence. There were a lot of them and memorizing all of their names could prove to be taxing.

    Even Wei Xiao Hua herself was confused how her father even managed so many concubines all at once.

    She didn''t really prepare much and only for them to have lunch together. After all, it was still inappropriate for her to celebrate her birthday grandly because of her age and status. It was already good enough that all of them gathered together to eat lunch.

    "Longevity Noodle," Wei Zilin muttered when she saw the dish in front of her. Her face was sour. On the last month and first month of the year, several of them have their birthdays. As the result, they ended up eating a lot of noodles.

    Not long ago, it was hers and Wei Hong Zheng, so she had started to grow sick eating this.

    "It''s for wishing for a long life," Wei Liuying said in a soft tone. She calmly took her chopsticks and ate when she saw her father and the others have already started. They were eating in harmony and chatted amongst themselves.

    Wei Yijun, her first brother, and Wei Hong Zheng were sitting not far from the two sisters. The two brothers finished their meal much faster than the other two.

    "You two sure take your time to eat," Wei Hong Zheng commented.

    "We don''t have hands and mouths that can move faster than Second Brother," Wei Liuying replied softly. She put her chopstick and wiped her mouth as she had just finished.

    Wei Zilin''s face was red, but her mouth was still filled with noodles, so it was inappropriate for her to speak. She was trying hard to swallow the noodles while averting her eyes.

    Wei Yijun nodded calmly. He was a man of few words, so the other siblings had already gotten used with his attitude. Considering that he was using most of his time to study, they wouldn''t feel weird if it was said that all he had in his mind was the materials of his study.

    "First Sister is having fun," Wei Zilin said after she had managed to swallow her food.

    Wei Hong Zheng casted a glance. Wei Xiao Hua was serving Wei Hong with a glass of wine. Even though it was still in the middle of the day, Wei Hong didn''t reject the wine and drank calmly.

    "She''s showing filial piety." Wei Liuying took the cup of tea before her.

    "That''s filial piety?" Wei Hong Zheng arched his eyebrows. "It looks more like currying favor than anything else."

    Wei Liuying sipped the tea slowly. "Women have their own battles that''s completely different from you, Second Brother. It''s only natural for us to do whatever possible to show our filial piety."

    "That''s¡­"

    "Third Sister is correct," Wei Yijun remarked. "Also, it''s time to return back."

    "Wouldn''t it be impolite to leave before Father?"

    "I''m not going to leave on my own."

    Wei Hong Zheng was completely confused, but at this time, a servant came in. She bowed on the ground. "First Miss, His Highness the Fourth Prince had come."

 Chapter 26 - The Difference

    "Third Sister is correct," Wei Yijun remarked. "Also, it''s time to return back."

    "Wouldn''t it be impolite to leave before Father?"

    "I''m not going to leave on my own."

    Wei Hong Zheng was completely confused, but at this time, a servant came in. She bowed on the ground. "First Miss, His Highness the Fourth Prince had come."

    The Fourth Prince?

    Everyone turned their heads to look at Wei Xiao Hua naturally. Some of them still acted as if they were curious while some such as Wei Zilin couldn''t react that way. She was showing her curiosity openly.

    Wei Xiao Hua stood up and smiled. "Father, may I spend the rest of the noon with His Highness?"

    "Of course," Wei Hong replied with a smile. "You''re engaged, so it''s only natural for you to spend some time together. However, I hope you can act appropriately and don''t cross the line."

    "Don''t worry, Father. I know what I''m doing." Wei Xiao Hua smiled sweetly.

    "In that case, we old fools wouldn''t stay here to interrupt your time with His Highness."

    Concubine Chou''s expression darkened again. She was about to suggest that they stayed behind to stay with Wei Xiao Hua, but it didn''t seem that it was possible at all. Since Wei Hong had already decided, she could only comply.

    The other two concubines also followed suit along with the other four children.

    "I hope that you can have fun, First Sister," Wei Zilin said sarcastically.

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled. "You don''t have to worry. I''ll make sure to use my time to the fullest, Second Sister."

    The two girls glared at each other, but they didn''t speak anything more. Wei Liuying was still acting as a spectator, watching their movements from the back without saying anything. Her black eyes perfectly reflected the scene before her.

    Wei Yijun noticed Wei Liuying''s gaze and called out softly, "Third Sister."

    "Yes, First Brother?"

    "Are you also interested in His Highness the Fourth Prince, Prince Ji Shu????

    Wei Liuying shook her head. "A dragon only deserved the phoenix. A lowly mortal can do nothing but watch from afar."

    Listening to his third sister''s words, Wei Yijun nodded in understanding. He had the highest intelligent amongst them and had been studying for a long time in hope to become an official when he grew up in the future. With just one sentence, he clearly understood Wei Liuying''s position and her view.

    On the other hand, Wei Hong Zheng was looking at the two of them with confusion. What in the world are they talking about?

    They all waited until Prince Ji Shu arrived before they all kowtowed on the ground. In front of the Imperial Family, they have to show their utmost respect. Ji Shu was wearing long blue robe that was

    "Greetings to the Fourth Prince."

    "Don''t stand on ceremony." Ji Shu waved his hand, motioning for them to stand up.

    "Thank you, Fourth Prince."

    Wei Hong cupped his hand. "Your Highness, I''ll be leaving you with Xiao Hua. May you enjoy today''s celebration."

    Ji Shu nodded. His face was a bit impassive, but he was still polite. Everyone already knew how aloof Prince Ji Shu was. However, he truly had the skill to be arrogant as he was known as a very talented prince in Han Shi Kingdom.

    The others also excused themselves, leaving Wei Xiao Hua with Ji Shu. What happened between the two of them would be something only the servants could possibly know.

    "This can''t do," Wei Zilin muttered when they were already quite far. Wei Hong and his concubines were heading to the right while she and the other siblings were heading to the left.

    "Yes?" Wei Hong Zheng asked placidly.

    "If this continues, we won''t be able to meet with the Fourth Prince anymore," Wei Zilin complained.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "What do you plan to do, Second Sister?"

    "I''ll return back."

    "That will not be appropriate." Wei Yijun knitted his eyebrows. He knew very well that the prince was also known as ruthless. Going back right now would be the same as courting trouble.

    "I''m the Miss in Wei Household, he won''t do anything to me," Wei Zilin said stubbornly. She turned around. "Let''s see. I''ll make him see how stupid Xia¡­First Sister is."

    The others didn''t stop her, but they were not stupid enough to follow Wei Zilin. It was already enough that she wanted to dig a grave for herself.

    Wei Yijun looked at his two younger siblings. "I''ll excuse myself too. May you two have a good day today."

    "Thank you, First Brother."

 Chapter 27 - Would That Be Possible?

    They exchanged short pleasantries before Wei Yijun left. He was not close with either one of them. Besides, his status was forcing him to keep a distance from them because it was impossible for him to have good feelings for his brother and sister. It was very obvious that whichever one would be the family head, they would use the other siblings to make connections.

    Wei Hong Zheng looked at Wei Liuying. "Meet me to train tomorrow."

    "Yes, Second Brother."

    Wei Liuying slowly made her way back to her quarter. Xiao Qing was keeping her distance because the siblings were talking with each other. It wouldn''t do any good for her to interfere.

    "Welcome back, Miss," Xiao Yu greeted with a smile.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Pay close attention to His Highness'' reaction."

    "Yes, Miss."

    As Xiao Yu left, Wei Liuying headed to her room and spent her time reading the books again. She wanted to train her skills that were necessary for women, but her mother had already given her more books to read. It didn''t look like she would finish her studies any time soon.

    Xiao Yu returned in the evening. "Miss, His Highness looks happy."

    "Describe it."

    Wei Liuying listened as Xiao Yu narrated what she had seen. Ji Shu was in a rare good mood after leaving. His eyes also held some interest towards Wei Xiao Hua, something that was completely different from a few days ago.

    "I see."

    "Miss, does it mean there''s no chance to get close to the Fourth Prince anymore?" Xiao Yu asked worriedly.

    "Silly girl, why would I want to get close to him?" Wei Liuying shook her head. Prince Ji Shu might be powerful, handsome, and the idol of many ladies in the Han Shi Kingdom. But on top of it all, he''s the prince of Han Shi Kingdom.

    She knew very well that a concubine couldn''t become a princess. Even if it was possible, the price would be too big.

    "But¡­"

    "The most beautiful place is also the most dangerous place. I don''t want to have a life ridden with blades," Wei Liuying said softly. Her slender hand twirled the brush that was pinched between her index finger and her thumb. "It''s tiring."

    Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu looked at each other. Wei Liuying is still very young, but she had to constantly mind her actions and words in Wei Household. It was clear that she hoped that she would have an easier life when she got married.

    But would that be possible?

    No one knew.

    ¡­

    Days passed quietly.

    Wei Liuying''s birthday was two days'' away from Wei Xiao Hua, but she didn''t usually celebrate it. Feng Chun would simply say that it was unnecessary for her to celebrate her birthday and asked the servants to return back to their original work.

    "Miss is 14 years old today," Xiao Qing said with a smile. "In two years, I''m sure that Miss will become an unparalleled beauty."

    Xiao Yu nodded in agreement. "Yes! I wonder who''ll be lucky enough to be with Miss in the future."

    Wei Liuying chuckled at their words. It was already lunch time, so she had her meal in her courtyard. Her mother didn''t even allow her to have longevity noodle as if she was wishing her own daughter to die faster.

    "I wish we can celebrate this, Miss." Xiao Yu held aggrieved tone.

    "It''s fine."

    "Why?"

    "By not celebrating it, I don''t need to see an unsightly view on this peaceful day," Wei Liuying replied calmly.

 Chapter 28 - Preparation For Lantern Festival

    "I wish we can celebrate this, Miss." Xiao Yu held an aggrieved tone.

    "It''s fine."

    "Why?"

    "By not celebrating it, I don''t need to see an unsightly view on this peaceful day," Wei Liuying replied calmly.

    Since she didn''t really have any friend that could visit her during her birthday, why should she bother with it? Meeting her siblings only made her brain work harder, and it was really tiring. She wanted to have some rest occasionally too.

    Xiao Yu pouted. She wanted her Miss to gain more attention and preferably attracted some noblemen. In a few more months, Wei Hong would surely start to search for suitors for both Wei Zilin and Wei Liuying. It was not known whom he would pick in the end.

    A servant hurriedly came in. "Third Miss, First Miss is here."

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. She waved her hand and stood up to head to the hall. "Bring her in."

    "Yes."

    Wei Xiao Hua walked in elegantly and the two women greeted each other. From their expression, one might even think that they were two loving sisters who hadn''t met for a long time and missed each other.

    "May I know the reason for your visit today, First Sister?"

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled. "Third Sister, today is your birthday. How come I don''t wish you a long life?"

    "In that case, I must thank you for your consideration."

    The two women smiled and drank the tea. Their eyes were trying to read each other, but they found that the other party was simply too hard to read. It was as if their masks were too perfect, not letting anything out of their face.

    "Third Sister is not planning to hold a celebration?"

    "My Mother is unwell today. If I insist on having a celebration, wouldn''t I be seen as unfilial?" Wei Liuying retorted back with a smile. It was always the same excuse every single year. If one still didn''t understand that Feng Chun purposely did that, they would be the biggest idiot in the world.

    Wei Xiao Hua held an ''Ah, I see'' expression. She looked at Wei Liuying with concern. "It''s such a pity. But at the very least, I will give you my well wishes."

    "Many thanks for your care, First Sister."

    The two girls chatted for a bit more before Wei Xiao Hua left the residence. Wei Liuying herself also closed the door and returned back to her room. She sighed to herself. After Wei Xiao Hua changed, she became harder and harder to deal with.

    She genuinely wondered what kind of inspiration struck Wei Xiao Hua on that fateful day.

    "Miss, are you alright?" Xiao Qing asked worriedly.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I''m fine. Where''s Xiao Yu?"

    "She''s watching First Miss''s movement after she left the residence."

    "I see."

    Not long afterwards, Xiao Yu returned. Her expression was strange. She looked at Wei Liuying. "Miss, First Miss didn''t do anything weird. She just returned back to her own quarter as if there''s nothing."

    Wei Liuying nodded. She had already expected that Wei Xiao Hua wouldn''t really do anything. Besides, it was also an unnecessary move to do anything today. Neither one of them was in a hurry for anything.

    Xiao Yu noticed that Wei Liuying didn''t seem to mind. She heaved a sigh of relief and changed the topic, "Miss, what do you plan to wear on Lantern Festival?"

    "I''ll wear a purple dress."

    "Purple?" Xiao Qing was surprised. "Wouldn''t it be weird to wear that color, Miss?"

    "I don''t want to attract attention," Wei Liuying replied.

    Lantern Festival was the most favorite festival for ladies. This was the only chance they were allowed to come out of their house without carriages and veil. They were allowed to blend with the crowd with only some bodyguards for noble ladies to celebrate New Year by lighting up lanterns.

    The street would be crowded, but everyone was excited. There were countless love stories that people often said when they were talking about the Lantern Festival.

    Who wouldn''t want to meet the man of their dream?

    Xiao Yu''s eyes glimmered. "In that case, would you like to dress up more, Miss."

    "I''ll wear a veil."

    "Miss¡­"

    The other two servants whined a bit, which made Wei Liuying laugh a bit. However, she didn''t really wish to attract any attention, so she would just stay low during the Lantern Festival.

 Chapter 29 - Lantern Festival

    After the children finished their preparation, they gathered outside.

    "I''ll allow you to leave, but you should have guards around you," Wei Hong said sternly to his children. They all wanted to come out to celebrate the Lantern Festival, and he didn''t have any valid reason to disagree. After all, there were many other noble families too who were participating in the festival.

    "We understand, Father."

    "Good. Don''t create trouble."

    "Yes."

    They all said that they understood, but Wei Hong was highly doubtful. Last year, his children attracted unwanted attention when they were outing. Even though there was nothing too bad, it was still a shame for him to have such rowdy children.

    "Where do you want to go?" Wei Hong Zheng asked when the five of them gathered near the gate.

    "I''ll go to see the Lion and Dragon dance," Wei Yijun replied.

    "Isn''t it the same every year?" Wei Hong Zheng asked in confusion. What was the fun in seeing the same dance each year?

    Wei Yijun shook his head. "There''s always some additional variety added. I wonder what it is this year."

    Seeing their eldest brother was already engrossed in his mind, the others chose not to bother him. They all knew that Wei Yijun liked arts, which was one of his entertainment in his busy schedule. Because of that, neither one of them made fun of him as they agreed to part ways.

    "What do you want to do, First Sister?" Wei Zilin asked.

    Wei Xiao Hua arched her eyebrows. She smiled lightly. "I want to see the lanterns'' riddles and try my luck."

    "Oh." Wei Zilin clearly didn''t like the riddles that the lanterns held inside because it was too hard in her opinion. She felt that her intelligence will be insulted if she tried to answer the riddles.

    "What''s so fun about those riddles?" Wei Hong Zheng complained. The gate was opened, so they started walking. Wei Yijun had already departed first after bidding them farewell while the others were still in the group.

    Wei Liuying looked at her second brother. "Second Brother, you can go and take a look at other places if you want."

    "Hmm, good idea."

    Wei Hong Zheng was only 13 years old, so naturally he was also a very curious child. He bid his farewell and several guards quickly followed him. There were only a few guards and servants left to accompany the three young ladies.

    "Do you want to leave too?" Wei Xiao Hua asked politely.

    "There''s no need."

    "Alright, let''s go to the lantern''s riddles area."

    Wei Liuying thought about wearing a veil to cover her face, but when she saw the ladies on the street, she was hesitant. Most of them didn''t even bother to cover their faces. After all, their intention when they came out was to attract some handsome and powerful young master.

    ''I don''t really want to attract anyone.''

    With that, Wei Liuying wore her veil with Xiao Qing following behind her. Wei Xiao Hua was the one who led their small group. If they excluded the servants, it would surely be a small group.

    They stopped near a stall and Wei Xiao Hua bought a lantern. The servant was holding onto the lantern as Wei Xiao Hua took the piece of bamboo scroll that was inserted inside.

    "In the morning, I have four legs. In the afternoon, I have 2 legs, and in the evening, I have 3 legs. What am I?" Wei Xiao Hua''s lips curled up to form a smile. How easy.

    Wei Zilin wore a blank look. "What is it?"

    "It''s really easy. It''s human, right?" Wei Xiao Hua asked the woman in the stall.

    The woman smiled and nodded. "Yes, Miss is really smart."

    "It''s nothing," Wei Xiao Hua laughed sweetly.

    "Uh, how can it be human?" Wei Zilin was utterly confused. She was the best when it came to painting, poetry, and so on among the three of them. But when it came to solving riddles, she was clearly the worst. Her brain didn''t seem to connect the dot at all.

    "Morning signified the start of the day, which is also the beginning phrase of life. Babies use their hands as legs, so it''s said that they have four legs. Afternoon signified the middle of life where adults use two legs. Evening meant it''s almost the end, which signified elderly who wore staff to help them walk," Wei Liuying explained.

    Wei Xiao Hua nodded. She looked at Wei Liuying with a smile. "You''re not bad, Third Sister."

    "You too, First Sister," Wei Liuying replied humbly.

    "Would you like to try another one?" the woman asked as she listened to their conversation. It didn''t seem like they were all friends.

    "Sure."

 Chapter 30 - Riddles

    Wei Xiao Hua bought another one and took out the riddle inside. Beside her, Wei Zilin was trying hard to peer into the riddle. But when she read the content, she was at a loss once more.

    "They look like twin brothers, both are sturdy and tall. They work together and never leave the other. But they can only go near solid food and not soup. Who are they?"

    Solid food, not soup? What kind of human were that retard?

    While Wei Zilin was utterly confused, Wei Xiao Hua was rereading the lines a few times. After a moment, her lips curled up to form a smile. "It''s chopsticks, right?"

    The woman beamed. "You''re correct. Miss is really intelligent!"

    "It''s nothing." Wei Xiao Hua laughed it off. Some passerby was looking at Wei Xiao Hua with admiration. It was rare to see a young woman who was so intelligent like this.

    Wei Xiao Hua was about to buy another one when she saw a figure not far from them. Her smile grew wider. "I''ll be going first to check on other stalls."

    "Ah, I''ll follow you." Wei Zilin was still thinking hard about the riddles, but she snapped back to reality when she heard what Wei Xiao Hua said. Her mother asked her to follow Wei Xiao Hua wherever she went, so she would stick to her First Sister like a glue.

    "There''s no need. I''m going first."

    "But¡­"

    With that, Wei Xiao Hua shook Wei Zilin off. Her movements were simply too fast and the guards quickly caught up to her. Wei Zilin''s expression turned ashen. "Ugh, she''s running away. Let''s chase her!"

    "I''m not interested," Wei Liuying replied softly as she watched them heading off. She could guess that Wei Xiao Hua must have seen Ji Shu blending with the crowd. After all, the princes sometimes mixed in the crowd when it was Lantern Festival.

    Xiao Qing looked at the guards with a frown. "Miss, they all left."

    "It''s fine."

    "But¡­" it''s dangerous.

    Wei Liuying merely smiled. She could guess that it must be her mother''s arrangement to not have any guard watching over her. That way, she would stick with Wei Xiao Hua or the others. Unfortunately, Wei Liuying didn''t have any interest whatsoever to go along with those two.

    "Let''s go and find some food."

    "Ah? Yes, Miss."

    The food in the Lantern Festival were small glutinous rice balls filled with fruits and nuts, called yuanxiao or tangyuan. It was usually eaten with family to signify the wholeness and unity within them.

    "Miss, what do you want to eat?" Xiao Qing asked. They were given a dozen bronze coins to celebrate the Lantern Festival outside their monthly allowance.

    "I''ll have one bowl of small glutinous rice balls," Wei Liuying replied.

    "Just one?"

    "Yes."

    Xiao Qing pouted as she felt that it was too little. However, Wei Liuying didn''t seem to be interested for more, so she had no other choice but to purchase a bowl of the small glutinous rice balls.

    Wei Liuying stood a bit on the side because the chairs were full as she slowly ate. Because she was wearing a veil, she could only eat by inserting the food from the bottom of the veil to her mouth. It was hard, but she was not a voracious eater, so it was fine.

    "I didn''t expect to see a fine lady eating while standing."

    Turning her head, Wei Liuying saw Yang Xian stood with an amused expression. He was wearing ordinary brown servant clothes, which was exceedingly similar with the previous one he wore. If not for Wei Liuying knowing his real identity, she might suspect him wearing the same clothes as before.

    "Am I not allowed to eat?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian shrugged. "I never said that. Of course, you''re free to eat. In fact, I want to join you."

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows, but she had no reason to kick him away. This was not her place but a public place. She couldn''t do anything but watch as Yang Xian ordered a bowl of small glutinous rice balls and ate while standing up.

    "You''re complaining when you see me eat while standing, but you don''t take any chair?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "How can I sit down when a fine lady is standing?" Yang Xian retorted back.

    "There''s no such rules."

    "It''s the rules of a gentleman."

    Are you sure you''re a gentleman? It was the question that Wei Liuying wanted to ask, but she forced herself not to be rude. She disliked this annoying strategist, but she didn''t want to be impolite to him.

 Chapter 31 - Meeting Yang Xian Again

    Wei Liuying lowered her gaze and continued eating slowly. The number of the small glutinous rice balls in a bowl was not that many. They finished their meal at almost the same time as Yang Xian was faster.

    "Where would you like to go, Miss?" Yang Xian asked politely.

    "I''m planning to leave on my own."

    "I haven''t paid the favor from you helping me back then, so let me be your escort today. It''s dangerous for a young lady such as you to travel alone," Yang Xian remarked.

    Wei Liuying resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but she still nodded. She had noticed that several people were eyeing her ever since she came to this stall. If not because the place was crowded, she was sure that she would have long been attacked by them.

    Not that she was afraid, though.

    The two of them passed the crowded street to a broader area. All along, Xiao Qing was watching Yang Xian carefully, wanting to know what this man wanted from them. He just appeared so suddenly out of nowhere. She was still feeling suspicious.

    Finally, they stopped near a lantern stall. Yang Xian pointed to the stall, "Would you like to try some riddles?"

    "I already tried some before, so there''s no need for more," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. He smiled. "What is it that belongs to you? However, other people use it more often than you?"

    Wei Liuying looked back. Her black eyes reflected the image of the young man before her. "Are you trying to covertly ask for my name, Strategist Yang? I''m sure that with your intelligence and ability to gather information, you would have long known who I am."

    "Ah, you found me out." Yang Xian laughed, not feeling bothered in the slightest that she knew his name. He had thought that she would have guessed his real identity in a short moment if she was truly the one who wrote that book. For a young girl, she had the kind of vision that far surpassed ordinary people.

    "Wouldn''t it be strange for me to not know who you are when you''re so famous like that, Strategist Yang?"

    "You may call me with my name directly, Third Miss Wei."

    "I wouldn''t dare."

    Yang Xian chuckled. This young girl is really rigid, but he didn''t mind in the slightest bit. He looked over to the young girl, who was quietly walking while scanning her surroundings. Her pair of beautiful eyes seemed to be capable to capture everything before her as it was reflected on the surface of her eyes clearly.

    "There''s no one else out here, so you don''t have to be so cautious."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flashed. She clearly sensed that there were more people following them after Yang Xian appeared. From their position, she could guess that they were his guards. She looked up at Yang Xian with wonder.

    Did Shi Yan not tell him about her real capabilities in martial arts?

    Considering how blabbermouth that merchant was, Wei Liuying wouldn''t be surprised if Yang Xian knew everything about her. In addition, she had quite the reputation in the capital city. If not because Wei Xiao Hua was worse and had been long known as the useless Miss, her name would have been infamous.

    "Would you like to walk around? There''s still time before it''s time for the fireworks," Yang Xian offered.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Don''t you need to attend to His Highness the Third Prince, Strategist Yang?"

    Yang Xian laughed. "No need to worry. General Sheng will be fine."

    The Third Prince''s real name was Ji Sheng. Normally, titles such as general would be followed with their surname. But in this case, Ji was the Imperial Family''s surname, so Ji Sheng was usually called as General Sheng by his subordinates.

    "Is it not dangerous for him?"

    "If you''re thinking about the race to the top, it''s still in the preparation period. At most, we''ll only probe here and there," Yang Xian said uncaringly. He didn''t seem to mind that Wei Liuying knew this kind of matter as a girl. Pointing to the lantern, he smirked. "Would you like to make a riddle instead of solving it?"

    "You can do that?" Wei Liuying asked with a hint of confusion.

    "Not all stalls, but I can ask for permission for this one. I''m sure that there are some lanterns that''s not added with riddles yet."

    Wei Liuying didn''t get the chance to reply as Yang Xian already strode over and talked with the stall owner. He borrowed a bamboo scroll and brush before waving his free hand to Wei Liuying, asking her to come over.

    "Do you want to write it?"

    "No need."

    Yang Xian thought for a moment before he wrote ''tian zhong'' (middle of the field) for the first line then wrote ''hint: study the character.''

    "What do you think of this one?"

    Wei Liuying blinked then looked back at Yang Xian. "It''s too easy."

    "You already guessed the answer?"

    "It''s 10."

    "You got me." Yang Xian laughed.

    Seeing his laugh, Wei Liuying only realized that the young man looked more casual this way. However, she understood that this was the man that was famous as the devious strategist. One must not fall for his innocent look.

 Chapter 32 - Thugs

    Yang Xian gave the riddles to the store owner, who was happy to have an additional riddle for the youngster to solve. He looked over to Wei Liuying. "How about you? Do you want to add a riddle?"

    "Let me borrow the brush."

    "Here you go."

    Taking the brush, Wei Liuying could feel that it was slightly warm. Even though Yang Xian only held it for a short period of time, it was already enough to transmit his heat to the brush. His hand was warmer than her.

    Wei Liuying pushed the thoughts to the back as she started to write.

    "I followed you everywhere for thousands of miles and did not miss home. I don''t need food and water. But I disappeared when the sun set. What am I?"

    Yang Xian read the sentences as he smiled. "You''re even worse than me. The riddles are so easy."

    "Is that so?"

    "Yes."

    "It means you''re very smart, Strategist Yang." Wei Liuying handed the brush back while the store owner looked at the bamboo scroll. His eyes gleamed in astonishment when he read the beautifully written sentences.

    Yang Xian laughed. "Are you sure it''s not because I can see the shadow clearly because I often worked out?"

    Wei Liuying cast a sidelong glance and ignored him. The answer for the riddle was shadow. After all, shadow would follow you everywhere, but when it was night time, there was no sunlight that would help to form the shadow.

    The two of them walked out of the stalls again. They simply walked on the street until they arrived back in the busy street. This time, the people had started to walk to the front as the fireworks would start.

    "I need to go now," Yang Xian said when he saw a servant hurrying over to him. Even without hearing the message, he could guess that it was an order for him to serve by Ji Sheng''s side.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Take care, Strategist Yang."

    "We shall meet again, Third Miss Wei. I still haven''t paid you for the favor that I owe."

    "You have already accompanied me today, so you can assume that the favor is paid off," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "That''s not possible. I''m not such a rogue to the point that I forget your kindness, Miss. Please take care."

    Wei Liuying was unable to speak anymore as Yang Xian had already departed. Her figure stood calmly as her black eyes watched Yang Xian''s departing back. At this moment, there was only one thing in her mind.

    ''I''ll be happier if I don''t need to meet you and His Highness again in the future.''

    "Miss, would you like to return back?" Xiao Qing asked quietly.

    "Let''s go."

    The fireworks were still playing vibrantly on the night sky, but Wei Liuying was not in the mood to watch it. She didn''t feel that it was her place to stay here, so she quietly made her way back to Wei Family Residence.

    Behind her, Xiao Qing''s body was tense. She clearly sensed that there were several people who were following them. It would be much safer if only they could reach the residence faster or it might not end up so peacefully.

    "Shall we deal with them first, Xiao Qing?"

    "Miss?" Xiao Qing was stunned. Her hands trembled a bit. "But¡­"

    "Cover my back."

    Wei Liuying walked to the nearby alleyway and lowered her hand slightly. Her eyes swept the empty area when a man suddenly emerged out from the darkness. He smiled ruthlessly. "Wearing a veil in this kind of event, which noble family are you from, Miss?"

    "Why do you care?"

    "Get her!"

    It was common for noble girls to be kidnapped because they have beautiful faces. Even though there was regulation to protect them, incidents often occurred. This was the reason why noble ladies were not allowed to walk around alone without guards. If they were sold, their fates would be even worse than many commoners.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes were cold when she saw two more men emerging from the darkness. Tilting her body sideways, she evaded the attack. Her hand swiftly moved to the side and took out a fan from under her sleeve. Women often brought a fan, and it was not an exception for Wei Liuying.

    After all, she couldn''t possibly bring a sword, so a fan would do.

    Swish!

    The man brandished his sword, but Wei Liuying had already evaded to the side. Her hand moved swiftly as she positioned her opened fan in front of her. She stepped to the back as the second man stabbed the fan. With a jerk, she closed the fan and twisted it to the other side.

    "AAAAAAAAaa!"

    The man''s joint was twisted to the other side as he let go of his sword, Wei Liuying pulled the fan to the air as it twirled along with the sword. As the first man swung his sword again, Wei Liuying caught the sword while bending her body to evade the attack within a few inches. Her hand lightly swung the sword as it made a slashing sound.

    Blood splattered and the first man looked at his nearly cut off arms with terror. The third man was too afraid to move as he stood stupefied when he saw his two friends were already screaming and wailing like crybaby women.

    "This¡­"

    Wei Liuying held the sword on her right hand while the fan had already dropped down to the ground. She looked at the third man. "Do you want to have a go?"

    "N¡­No!"

    "L¡­Let''s go!"

    The other two withstood the pain as they rushed back to the empty alley. Wei Liuying looked to the back where Xiao Qing was still standing with a worried face.

    "Miss, you have blood on your sleeve."

    "Oh?" Wei Liuying looked at her right sleeve. There was a damp spot, but the color was unclear because it was purple. "Burn this robe when we get back later."

    "Yes, Miss."

 Chapter 33 - Princess Ji Xiaoli

    Xiao Qing held complex emotion when she watched her Miss fend off the men perfectly. Normal ladies wouldn''t be able to do anything as they would be too scared to even scream. After all, they were all living in a safe place with their parents tightly protecting them from any harm.

    However, Wei Liuying didn''t have the chance to experience such warmth. She had to fend for herself and learnt how to be independent ever since she was young.

    Wei Liuying looked at the alley with a frown. She could see a shadowy figure moving in the alley. If she was not wrong, this direction would be heading to the small forest in the East area of the city. The forest was known to be haunted, so no one dared to get in when it was night time.

    "Miss, shall we return back?" Xiao Qing asked worriedly.

    "Wait for a moment."

    "Miss?"

    Xiao Qing was surprised when she watched Wei Liuying dashed into the alley. She had also learned the basics for qigong (movement technique), so she had no trouble to follow after Wei Liuying. However, she was incapable to fight properly as there was simply no chance to train.

    Wei Liuying entered the forest and glanced to the right. There was an exquisite carriage parked there and from the flag and guards, she could guess that it must be from the Imperial Family.

    "That''s an Imperial Family carriage?" Xiao Qing asked in a weird tone.

    "Yes."

    "Should we return back, Miss?"

    Parking a carriage in a place like this, it was clear that the person didn''t wish to get found. If they pried into the lives of the Imperial Family and then get caught, there was no telling what will happen to them. It is highly possible that they have to pay the ultimate price for being so meddlesome.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes swept the forest. She knew that the one from inside hadn''t gone too far, but she was not sure where the person went. Her instinct was telling her that this would undoubtedly put her in deep trouble.

    Swish!

    Her ear caught the noise of people coming in, so she quickly stepped away and hid herself behind the trees.

    "This is Princess''s carriage," A man in armor said with solemn expression. "Find the Princess. Don''t let her escape!"

    "Yes, Sir!"

    Princess?

    Wei Liuying''s heart grew cold. There was only one princess in Han Shi Kingdom, which was Princess Xiaoli. From what she had heard, Princess Xiaoli was known to be the model for many women, but why would she run away?

    The only thing that she could think of was the matter of marriage. After all, as a princess, Princess Xiaoli held a lot of privileges that many people could only ever dream. However, marriage was something that women in this era could never pick by themselves. Their parents would pick their partner.

    And for someone with high status, more often than not, it would be a marriage targeted to build connection.

    "Miss," Xiao Qing whispered while tugging Wei Liuying''s sleeve.

    However, Wei Liuying acted as if she didn''t sense it. Her eyes were watching the soldiers'' movement as her brain calculated everything. Before Xiao Qing could tug her sleeve again, Wei Liuying turned around and dashed deeper into the forest.

    Xiao Qing was stunned, but she followed Wei Liuying. Her face was riddled with worry, but she couldn''t say anything because she could see Wei Liuying was focused on the road as if searching something.

    For her, the leaves, sticks, and trees were all the same. However, it was completely different for Wei Liuying who clearly used them all to pinpoint the direction where Princess Ji Xiaoli left just now. Her traces were left behind all over the area, so it was not hard for her.

    "Kyaaa!"

    The shout of a woman chilled their hearts. Before Xiao Qing could say anything, she saw Wei Liuying dashed faster.

    Wei Liuying didn''t want to stop the princess, but she knew that the forest was dangerous. It was connected directly to the East gate which was guarded heavily, but there were a lot of tall trees in this area. As long as they could climb and find the moment when the patrol team was not in place, they could get out of the city.

    However, this place was mostly used by slave traders too. They would catch beautiful young ladies in hope that they would be able to sell them off.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli didn''t know any martial art. As someone who was pampered and lived in the palace with so many servants attending her, it was not wrong to say that Ji Xiaoli would be very vulnerable. Even though Wei Liuying didn''t wish to meddle with the matter of the Imperial Family, she didn''t want to see any of them get harmed right before her eyes.

    "This woman is really beautiful," a man''s voice traveled by the wind.

    "Let go of me!" Ji Xiaoli ordered with a harsh tone. Her eyes were red as she pulled her hand back with disgust.

    When Wei Liuying arrived, she could see that Ji Xiaoli was surrounded by several men. She could instantly guess that they were trying to harm the princess. Even though the princess was wearing a cloak and veil, it didn''t diminish her beauty in the slightest bit.

    Her brows furrowed.

    Should she interfere and help or not?

    After all, Wei Liuying didn''t want to get involved in the matter that was related to the Imperial Family in the slightest bit.

 Chapter 34 - Helping

    "Hey young lady, do you think you''re in the position to order me?" one of them inched forward. He lifted Ji Xiaoli''s chin with his hand.

    Ji Xiaoli''s expression turned dark. She swung her hand, holding her fan to slap the man''s hand away. However, her wrist was caught before she could deal any damage to him.

    "How about if we teach her a lesson a bit so that she''ll obey us?"

    "Don''t harm the face. It''s a valuable asset."

    "Don''t worry."

    The third man took out a knife and played it in his hand. His mouth curled up to form a cruel smile. "The clothes should be enough, right."

    Ji Xiaoli''s face darkened. If people were to see her with tattered clothing, she knew that her reputation would go to drain. She would be seen as an immoral woman who didn''t know how to take care of herself properly.

    "No! Let go!"

    "Be good."

    Stab!

    Just as the man''s knife was about to reach Ji Xiaoli, a sword stabbed his hand. His eyes widened, but all he saw was a shadow as a dark figure moved. The last thing he saw was the glint from the surface of the sword before everything turned into the darkness.

    "Who are you?"

    The men were stunned when they saw their friend died so suddenly. Wei Liuying had arrived out of nowhere. Her purple robe was dark in color, making it harder to differentiate her within the darkness. The only thing they could see was the sword on her right hand that reflected the light.

    Ji Xiaoli was even more surprised. She was sure that no one would be here at this time, which was why she chose to escape from this direction. With the men stopped her, she knew that her attempt would fail as the guards would reach her in no time. She didn''t expect to see a stranger save her first.

    Wei Liuying didn''t reply. She was watching the men before her as she asked, "Are you alright?"

    Hearing that high pitched tone, Ji Xiaoli was even more stunned. She was now certain that the one who helped her must be a young girl. The girl was nearly a head shorter than her, but she was brimming with power.

    The man''s face was dark. "Get them! Don''t harm the faces but the rest are fine!"

    "Yes!"

    Clang!

    Since Wei Liuying was still holding onto a sword, they all charged with swords in their hands. Their expression changed when they saw Wei Liuying blocked their attack properly. Before they could react, they saw Wei Liuying moved and swung the sword on her hand towards the closest man to her.

    The sharp edge cut through the layer of clothes and skin as blood spurted out of the wound.

    "Aaaaaaa!"

    The man bore with the pain as he pressed forward. Wei Liuying looked at them coldly as she changed her stance to block the attack. There were four men in total, excluding the leader who was watching from the back. Even for her, this was a number that she couldn''t defeat easily.

    "Stop yelling, idiot!" the second man barked as he twisted his body.

    Wei Liuying noticed him coming at her as she changed her stance. Behind her, Ji Xiaoli was still standing while holding a fan. She couldn''t run because if she did, there would be some people who chase after her. It might not sound pleasing, but she had to stay in her place to light up Wei Liuying''s burden.

    Clang!

    The sword perfectly blocked the attack. Another man was trying to sneak an attack from the side, but Wei Liuying kicked a pebble near her legs to the man''s hand while twisting her body. Her sword moved once more to the men''s direction.

    Slash!

    This time, it slashed oh the man''s chest. The sword easily pierced through the thick clothes and blood spilled out.

    "You¡­" The leader was stunned when he saw two of his men died just like that. He stomped his legs on the ground to accelerate and rushed forward to attack. His forceful movement knocked his other men.

    Clang!

    *cough*

    Wei Liuying blocked the attack, but she could faintly see the crack on the sword as it forcefully withstood the leader''s force. Her expression turned solemn as she called out, "Xiao Qing!"

    "Yes!"

    Xiao Qing was silently circling around the area without alerting them. She dashed forward and held the princess''s hand.

    "Go back to the guards," Wei Liuying ordered.

    Ji Xiaoli frowned at that sentence, but she chose to obey. Her attempt to escape today was too foolish as she instead put herself into danger. After taking one more look to the back, Ji Xiaoli allowed Xiao Qing to carry her away.

    With Xiao Qing''s movement''s speed, she could easily bring Ji Xiaoli away. The only problem left was the weight. Xiao Qing was not used to carrying someone who was far heavier than her Miss. It seemed that because Ji Xiaoli was much taller, it increased her weight too.

    The leader''s face changed. He was about to turn around when he sensed danger.

    Swish!

 Chapter 35 - Leave

    The leader''s face changed. He was about to turn around when he sensed danger.

    Swish!

    The tip of the sword barely bypassed him. The leader''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the small child in front of him. She was clearly alone, but she didn''t show any fear, and her movement could catch up to them.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes were cold. She twisted her body, evading the attack from the other three men who tried to catch her. Their blades barely passed by her body as a lock of her hair was cut. However, her sword was ready as she trusted forward.

    Jleb!

    The man nearest to her had died.

    "Boss?"

    The leader had the chance to chase after Ji Xiaoli, but he stood there. His two men were stunned when they saw their leader didn''t make any more.

    "Stop."

    With that order, the two of them moved back.

    Wei Liuying frowned. She did learn qigong to enhance her movement''s speed, but if the three of them were to go different ways, she wouldn''t be able to chase them. Besides, the leader''s martial arts were quite scary. Her borrowed sword was cracked, but it was still holding on well.

    The leader looked at Wei Liuying and lowered his weapon. "Do you know that lady, Miss?"

    "I know."

    "Would you like to stop this here now?" the leader asked.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flashed. "Alright."

    The leader nodded. He scrutinized Wei Liuying from top to bottom before he waved his hand. His two subordinates were confused about what made their leader suddenly want to compromise. However, they didn''t have the time to ask as they quickly carried their friends'' bodies and ran away.

    ''As a leader, he''s smart too.''

    Wei Liuying threw the sword away and dashed to the direction where the guard was located. She had ordered Xiao Qing to directly leave after delivering Princess Ji Xiaoli as it was too troublesome if they knew their identity. Luckily, it was dark in the forest, so their identity shouldn''t be known so easily.

    She hoped that there wouldn''t be a day when she would meet with the bandits again.

    Even if the chance was slim, she didn''t want to risk getting recognized by those people because it would surely tarnish her reputation.

    Reputation was extremely important here, especially for unmarried ladies who were searching for potential husband. If they didn''t have good reputation, it was hard to say whether they would be able to find good marriage partner or not.

    She frowned slightly when she arrived near the entrance to the alley where they first came. Her eyes made out a figure who made her way to her direction.

    "Miss," Xiao Qing said as she rushed over.

    "Did you deliver her?"

    "Yes."

    "Good. Let''s go."

    Xiao Qing was stunned. Did her Miss only want to help the princess without asking for anything? Getting a connection with the Imperial Family would be very beneficial for her as it meant that she had a huge backing. However, she could see that her Miss genuinely didn''t care about this, so she refrained from saying anything else.

    ¡­

    Ji Xiaoli saw the guards not long after Xiao Qing brought her away. Xiao Qing didn''t approach the guards, but she let Ji Xiaoli down on the ground.

    "Princess, please go by yourself."

    "Wait, who are you?"

    Xiao Qing patted Ji Xiaoli''s shoulder. "There''s no need to know who we are. Miss only wish that you won''t act so recklessly again."

    "You¡­" Ji Xiaoli turned around, but Xiao Qing had left. She furrowed her brows, but she was not that knowledgeable about the servants. As for the Miss, she didn''t see the face and only the small back.

    In this kingdom, there were countless young ladies who were still between 10 to 15 years old. It would be hard to find them. And testing them all for martial arts was clearly impossible because many of them might end up getting injured because they have weaker bodies like her.

    They would only end up hating her.

    Besides, hiding martial arts would be easy as they could just pretend to not be able to dodge. As long as they could evade and let themselves got wounded, who would suspect them?

    Ji Xiaoli frowned as she understood how tricky this situation would be if she tried to search for that mysterious helper.

    "Princess!" A man called out when he saw Ji Xiaoli. "Why did you run away? Everyone is worried about you!"

    Ji Xiaoli looked at the man with a placid expression, keeping her usual aloof expression. "You should have known that I don''t wish to return back, Commander Huan."

    Commander Huan was stumped. "Anyway, I can''t possibly leave you here. What if there''s someone who wants to take advantage of you, Your Highness?"

    "A friend helped me on the way here. Check over there."

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

 Chapter 36 - Erasing Evidence

    "A friend helped me on the way here. Check over there."

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

    At this moment, the aura Ji Xiaoli exuded was no longer the same terrified young lady, but that of a leader. Commander Huan sent his men away while escorting Princess Ji Xiaoli back to her carriage. At the same time, the soldiers were making a circle around them to prevent anyone from seeing the princess.

    Ji Xiaoli scanned the area and noticed that there were several people on the intersections to the city. Her eyes narrowed as she understood that if she stayed in that place any longer, her reputation would have gone to drain. It was lucky for her to meet with those two, whoever they were.

    Not long afterwards, the soldiers returned with the report.

    "There''s a mark of battles, but we can''t see anyone there."

    "Not even a dead body?" Ji Xiaoli asked.

    The soldiers shook their heads. "There''s only some trace of blood on the ground, but there''s no body."

    Ji Xiaoli pondered a bit. Her eyes darkened. The men escaped, probably with some kind of agreement with that young lady if she couldn''t defeat them. After all, both sides have their disadvantages.

    "Princes¡­."

    "On my birthday in three months, I want to invite all young ladies in the capital city including the lower ranking officials," Ji Xiaoli declared.

    Commander Huan''s eyes almost popped out when he heard what the princess said. He was speechless. Wait, was the one who helped Ji Xiaoli was a woman? And that woman didn''t even leave behind any trace whatsoever¡­

    Who in the world would train their daughter with martial arts?

    No matter how much he racked his brain, Commander Huan couldn''t think of anything. He glanced to the side and saw a bunch of young masters were sneaking away with several wine casks. He shook his head.

    Some young masters only knew how to create trouble.

    "We''ll return back."

    "Yes!"

    Ji Xiaoli sighed as she watched the soldiers around the carriage. With her failing this time, she understood that there was no other chance for her to escape from the palace anymore. When it was the time for her 16th birthday, it was clear that they would proceed with the deal.

    At that thought, Ji Xiaoli''s eyes narrowed. She genuinely needed to find another plan to run away.

    ¡­

    - Wei Household -

    Wei Liuying was the first one to return back to the residence. She knew that her father and his concubines were leaving for a stroll in the city, so she returned back to her quarter directly. After changing her clothes, she burned the dress that she wore just now.

    "Miss, is it not a waste to burn it?" Xiao Yu asked in a timid voice when she watched the dress burn.

    "Which one is more important, money or life?"

    Xiao Yu pursed her lips and didn''t reply. Her large eyes were watching the flames burn the dress completely. It was truly a waste in her opinion since Wei Liuying only had a few dresses and there was only one with purple color. Now, it had to be burned.

    On the contrary, Wei Liuying was perfectly calm. She didn''t want anyone to know about what had happened today. Besides, the bloodstain was harder to erase and it would be difficult to explain the position at her sleeve.

    If it was at her back, it might be easier.

    Though she hadn''t started her period yet, it didn''t really matter. It should be soon considering that she had already reached 14 years old.

    "Miss, the others have returned."

    "I''ll be there."

    Wei Liuying came out to the main courtyard and saw Wei Zilin and Wei Hong Zheng. The two of them returned one by one after having enough fun from the Lantern Festival. Wei Hong Zheng had the smell of wine. It seemed like he slipped out to drink a bit without any of them.

    "Second Sister, Second Brother, do you enjoy the festival?"

    Wei Zilin pursed her lips. "It''s not that fun. First Sister got all the fun by meeting His Highness the Fourth Prince."

    "First Sister is lucky," Wei Liuying said politely. She could guess that they all must be doing everything they could to be able to meet with the Imperial Family. However, some people could easily blend in with the crowd while some others just simply stuck out even amongst the crowd.

    Even though Wei Zilin was still dissatisfied, she didn''t say anything more. She chose to wait for the other''s return.

    Not long afterwards, Wei Xiao Hua came back with a smile on her face. Even when they were all greeting each other, it didn''t wipe the happy smile on Wei Xiao Hua''s face. Wei Zilin even had the urge to scratch Wei Xiao Hua just to see whether the latter would still smile even when she was wounded.

    "Father will only return back later, so we should rest first," Wei Xiao Hua said calmly.

    "First Brother hadn''t returned yet," Wei Hong Zheng pointed out. "Don''t we need to wait for him?"

    "Ah right." Wei Xiao Hua glanced to the gate and saw Wei Yijun walking back with a solemn expression. Even though she saw that, her smile didn''t disappear in the slightest bit.

 Chapter 37 - Plot Derailment

    "Father will only return back later, so we should rest first," Wei Xiao Hua said calmly.

    "First Brother hadn''t returned yet," Wei Hong Zheng pointed out. "Don''t we need to wait for him?"

    "Ah right." Wei Xiao Hua glanced to the gate and saw Wei Yijun walking back with a solemn expression. Even though she saw that, her smile didn''t disappear in the slightest bit.

    They didn''t need to wait long as Wei Yijun appeared not far afterwards. However, his siblings were stunned when they saw his appearance. He didn''t look like he was enjoying the festival fully.

    "First Brother, do you lose some money?" Wei Hong Zheng asked when he saw his brother''s expression. Wei Yijun''s expression looked as if everyone owed him at least a liang of silver.

    "It''s not that," Wei Yijun denied. He greeted the four of them one by one before he told a startling piece of news. "I just got back from meeting with some people. Apparently, Princess Ji Xiaoli loved to look at ghost."

    This time, Wei Xiao Hua''s expression stiffened. She looked at Wei Yijun with confusion. "What do you mean?"

    "Some of them headed to the Eastern Forest. It''s known to be haunted, so no one dared to get close to that place when it''s night time. But when they came there not long ago, they found out that there''s Princess Ji Xiaoli''s carriage."

    "That''s all?"

    "What do you mean that''s all?" Wei Yijun was displeased. "It''s already startling enough that a princess actually like this thing. I presume that in the days to come, there will be more and more people coming to Eastern Forest."

    Wei Xiao Hua looked stumped with a weird expression on her face. She could no longer digest what her brother told her because in her mind, she could only remember the news. She didn''t have any interest in the story that Wei Yijun shared about his experience in music.

    ''Why is it ghost? I thought that it''s supposed to be Princess Ji Xiaoli''s tattered reputation.''

    Thinking about the plot, Wei Xiao Hua felt that something was terribly wrong, but she could not pinpoint what it was. Ever since she had started to change the plot a bit, she noticed that the events around her changed. But how come the change in her attitude lead to a big plot''s derailment like this?

    Wei Xiao Hua didn''t understand.

    Seeing that his brother was still engrossed in describing how beautiful the dance was, she excused herself first. She thought that her plan would be going smoothly as she managed to start attracting Prince Ji Shu''s interest. However, the change in Ji Xiaoli''s fate made her a bit restless.

    If the plot changed too much, could she still use her advantage to the fullest?

    As Wei Xiao Hua was feeling muddleheaded, she didn''t realize that Wei Liuying was watching her from the back. Wei Liuying felt that Wei Xiao Hua was acting strange. It was as if she had hoped something to happen, yet what happened was instead something completely different.

    ''Did she also have high information gathering ability?'' Wei Liuying asked the question to herself, but she felt that it was supposed to be impossible. Though, it meant that she still needed to be more cautious as she didn''t know how much Wei Xiao Hua knew about today''s matter.

    If Wei Xiao Hua had some relationship with the bandits, her identity would be compromised.

    "It''s already late. I''ll excuse myself too, First Brother."

    Wei Yijun, who paused in his story, was pulled back to reality. He flashed an apologetic smile. "It seemed that I was too impatient. We can talk again in the next few days. You should rest too."

    They all exchanged some pleasantries with each other before Wei Liuying headed back to her room. She felt tired after engaging in those talks with Wei Yijun. Whenever it was about art, her first brother was simply too passionate.

    ''I''ll rest for now.''

    Wei Liuying didn''t know how much Wei Xiao Hua knew or what her first sister''s capability was. However, she understood that her first sister was very dangerous. She could only hope that things would be fine.

 Chapter 38 - Framed (1)

    Days passed swiftly.

    Wei Liuying returned back to her activity of going to the academy, got scolded and punished, then she would stay at home to summarize. Her mother still didn''t allow her to study the arts for women even when she had already finished making the summary for her brother.

    Instead, she would send her another book that she had to read. There were already several bamboo scrolls in her room. Most of them were books that she had to read for her brother.

    The only time she would feel at ease was only when she visited the bookstore or when her uncle came. She had visited the bookstore again, but Shi Yan had already departed to the north, so she was unable to have another bout with that stupid friend of hers. As for Wei Lu, he could only come occasionally and gave her some gentle reminders while telling stories about the outside world.

    The stories were all very interesting, captivating Wei Liuying easily.

    Unfortunately, those little joys could only happen occasionally as Wei Liuying was unable to go out often. She had things that she had to finish no matter what.

    "Miss, you need to rest," Xiao Qing reminded.

    Wei Liuying put down the brush and sighed. She nodded faintly. "Let''s have a short walk."

    "Yes!"

    The quarter where Wei Liuying stayed was quite large. She rarely walked around because she didn''t have the chance to do that. Besides, she was simply too busy in her own room to summarize the book.

    "Are there any new rumors?" Wei Liuying asked as she watched the view in the garden.

    Xiao Qing blinked her eyes. "There is some news about His Highness the Fourth Prince, saying that he had set his eyes on First Miss. Just a few days ago, he came to deliver a batch of gifts for her."

    "Is there anything else?"

    Wei Liuying had heard about that and immediately ordered Xiao Yu to no longer watch over Wei Xiao Hua. With Prince Ji Shu''s character, it would only seek trouble if she tried to continue watching Wei Xiao Hua.

    "His Highness the Third Prince, Prince Ji Sheng is still staying in the capital city. There''s no order for him to return back to the frontline."

    "How about news regarding Second Sister?"

    Xiao Qing pursed her lips. "Second Miss is still as usual. She would excel in class and attend some additional lessons by Concubine Chou''s friends whom she invited to come over. From what I heard, Second Miss had learned how to brew tea from the south."

    Wei Liuying nodded, not feeling that strange at all. Concubine Chou came from the southern area in Han Shi Kingdom. Even though she didn''t have high status as she was only the daughter of a small official, she must have learned some important skill for women such as brewing tea skill, cooking, and so on.

    These kind of skills were not tested in the academy, but in some areas, it was quite important to master them because the man''s parents would like to test them.

    "His Highness the Fourth Prince has come!"

    Wei Liuying heard the order and turned around. "Let''s go to the main courtyard."

    "Yes, Miss."

    When an Imperial Family member came to visit, it was common courtesy for them to all gather and welcome him. Even if their intention was to visit someone else, they still had to show their faces to be polite.

    "Greetings to the Fourth Prince."

    "You may rise," Ji Shu said placidly.

    "Thank you, Your Highness the Fourth Prince."

    Ji Shu''s eyes landed on Wei Xiao Hua. The others were tactful enough to know that he wanted to be with her. As Wei Hong was not present, they could only excuse themselves one by one to leave the couple. They better not be the third wheel in these two''s relationship.

    Wei Zilin bit her lower lip when they walked away. She wanted to stay there, but she didn''t have the courage. After staying behind last time, she was rebuked harshly and felt afraid whenever she saw Ji Shu.

    Yet, she still wished to get him.

    "Third Sister, help me."

    Wei Liuying, who intended to rest, was stunned. She looked over to Wei Zilin and pursed her lips. "Coveting something that didn''t belong to you is not good, Second Sister."

    Wei Zilin swung her arm lightly. "But I really want it!"

    "There are countless others outside."

    "But no one is the same as him. Besides, he''s really high."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying couldn''t do anything but sigh. She knew that those at the same status as Prince Ji Shu were very rare. The other princes all have their own fianc¨¦e, so it was hard for Wei Zilin to contend with them. Each of them came from prestigious families.

    The best chance was through Wei Xiao Hua, but it didn''t seem to be possible.

    What kind of woman would willingly share her man with her sister? People always said that a wife who let their husband have a concubine was virtuous. However, in the end, the battles were always fierce inside the residence. No one would want to be put in that pit of fire by suggesting concubines to her future husband.

    That would be ridiculous.

 Chapter 39 - Framed (2)

    What kind of woman would willingly share her man with her sister? People always said that a wife who let their husband have a concubine was virtuous. However, in the end, the battles were always fierce inside the residence. No one would want to be put in that pit of fire by suggesting concubines to her future husband.

    That would be ridiculous.

    On the side, Wei Yijun glanced at Wei Zilin for a moment. His dark brown eyes seemed to be thinking of something, but he didn''t voice it out loudly. There were some thoughts inside his mind as he watched them. Somehow, he felt that all of his sisters were very ambitious.

    "Let''s just go back and rest."

    Wei Zilin pouted. She turned around and trotted back to Wei Xiao Hua''s quarter.

    The others chose to pretend that they didn''t see them as they returned back to their own quarter. Wei Liuying was not an exception as she no longer had any interest in meddling with Wei Xiao Hua. But if the latter wanted to mess with her, she would definitely not stay quiet.

    "Miss," Xiao Qing greeted when she saw Wei Liuying.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Where''s Xiao Yu?"

    "Xiao Yu is taking some food from the kitchen for your lunch, Miss."

    "I see."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying walked back to her room and picked up the book again. She still wanted to read the content again because there were some things that she felt confused about. With her brother growing, the topic of the books become even more diverse and comprehensive.

    Well, that was the basic for the scholars, so she should have expected that she would have to read and understand everything eventually. Looking at the content, she felt that she understood why most scholars were already over 20 years old. To be able to recite so many words without mistake meant that their memorization had to be good.

    ''Well, Second Brother is good at memorization, but when it comes to improvement, he sucks.''

    In the examination, they would have to recite the paragraph just from the examiner giving them a sentence. Thankfully, not all books have to be memorized completely like that and only some. As for the rest of the examination, they have to be able to implement their knowledge to solve some problems.

    For this part, Wei Liuying wasn''t sure that her brother would be able to pass with flying color. He was pretty bad at it.

    "Miss! There''s a problem."

    Wei Liuying had just read a few sentences when she saw a servant come in. Her panicked expression made her heart drop, but she maintained a calm expression. "What is it?"

    "Xiao Yu is caught when she''s watching."

    Watching?

    Wei Liuying had already retracted the order for Xiao Yu to watch over Wei Xiao Hua''s movement. How come she got caught now? Thinking about Wei Zilin, Wei Liuying had the feeling that she might have a hand in this.

    "I''ll go there."

    "Please hurry, Miss."

    Wei Liuying quickened her pace, but she still didn''t use her martial art. Her expression didn''t change in the slightest even after she entered the courtyard. Xiao Yu was kowtowing on the ground while Wei Zilin was wailing while holding onto her servant. Ji Shu was sitting with Wei Xiao Hua standing beside him like an obedient young girl.

    "Third Daughter in Wei Residence, Wei Liuying greets His Highness the Fourth Prince," Wei Liuying gave formal kowtow and greetings.

    However, Ji Shu didn''t let her rise. He was looking at her with ruthlessness in his eyes. "Ben Wang* heard that you have been pulling strings to interfere with Xiao Hua. Is that true?"

    Wei Liuying calmly analyzed Ji Shu''s way of addressing. She knew that he had already put Wei Xiao Hua as part of his men, so he would surely care for her greatly. "This one is innocent, Your Highness."

    "Do you think I''ll believe your lies?" Ji Shu snorted. "Ben Wang is not stupid. If you didn''t try to interfere with Wei Xiao Hua, why would you send your servant to watch over her like this?''

    "Subject Wei Liuying didn''t send her to spy on First Sister, Your Highness."

    "Your Highness, it''s true!" Wei Zilin almost screamed. "I only came here because the Third Sister wanted to see you!"

    Wei Liuying kept her expression intact. Even though she was looking down, which naturally meant that they couldn''t see her expression, she still didn''t want to show anything out. Her weakness had to be buried deep within her heart.

    "Did Ben Wang ask you?" Ji Shu sent a glare to Wei Zilin, terrifying her to shut her mouth instantly. By now, Wei Zilin didn''t have the courage to do anything under Ji Shu''s glare. He was too frightening in her opinion.

    Ji Shu averted his eyes back to Wei Liuying. "Raise your head."

    Wei Liuying lifted her head. Her black eyes were staring back calmly to Ji Shu, who was looking down at her. He looked at her eyes, which was completely pitch black. It was different with others who were mostly dark brown, close to black but not quite too.

    "Can you still say that you''re innocent?"

    "Subject Wei Liuying is innocent, Your Highness. I have never asked Second Sister to come here," Wei Liuying replied.

    Ji Shu looked back at Wei Liuying, his expression was still as cold as ever.

 Chapter 40 - No Way Out

    The temperature in the courtyard was chilling cold. Even though it was the middle of spring, it felt as if it was winter there. No servants dared to speak up in fear that they would get implicated. Everyone knew how ruthless and unreasonable Prince Ji Shu was when he was dealing with those lower officials who dared to cross him.

    As Prince Ji Shu''s mother is the Emperor''s favorite concubine through the years, it gave the impression as if the Emperor wanted to give the throne to him. However, no one could say for sure as they would never point it blatantly in front of the emperor. They still wanted to keep their neck intact.

    "Second Miss Wei naturally has her own legs. Why would she listen to her younger sibling?" Ji Shu said rhetorically.

    With this sentence, Wei Zilin''s face paled drastically. She knew that it meant Prince Ji Shu wanted to hold her accountable for peeking into his business. Even if her father pleaded for lenience, it didn''t seem that anything could happen.

    "However," Ji Shu''s next words were even colder. "It didn''t explain why you would send your servant to watch over Xiao Hua. Do you really think that the main daughter''s position is so low to the point that a concubine daughter like you can pry into her business?"

    Ji Shu ruthlessly directly used their status as a means to oppress her. No one could pick their birth and status, which was especially restraining when it came to women. Their position would always be low as only those who were the main daughter and main wife would enjoy better treatment.

    Someone like her was simply treated worse than dirt.

    Wei Liuying kept her eyes locked on Ji Shu. There was no emotion on her face nor eyes, as if whatever Ji Shu''s said only landed on her ear to come out from the other one. Even if she was thinking something, her expression never changed. It remained placid throughout the entire time Ji Shu was talking.

    "Are you going to punish this lowly servant*, Your Highness?" Wei Liuying asked faintly.

    Ji Shu crossed his hand. "Xiao Hua is my fianc¨¦e, so naturally I''ll be the one who will protect her."

    "This servant understands. If Your Highness wished to, who can possibly stop you?"

    Hearing that, Ji Shu''s eyes flashed. He felt that the young girl in front of him was too cunning. She twisted her words so that she wouldn''t need to admit that she was watching Wei Xiao Hua. Before this, he had already seen Xiao Yu not far from them when he came to visit.

    "Do you admit that you try to pry into Xiao Hua''s business despite being in much lower rank?" Ji Shu asked again.

    Wei Liuying was still staring back expressionlessly. "If that''s what Your Highness said, who can say that it''s wrong?"

    She knew. Even if she denied it countless times, they would never believe her. If only her position in the household was a bit higher, she would be able to act braver and not completely at the mercy of the prince.

    However, it was impossible. Such were the laws of this world. Only the strong and influential had the right to speak. Someone like her was nothing in front of the prince''s eyes.

    The Imperial Family''s words were irrefutable.

    Ji Shu was still looking at Wei Liuying coldly. He waved his hand and his servant came out. "What''s the punishment for stepping on authority, peeping into important people''s business, and not willing to admit?"

    The servant cupped his hand. "It''s 20 beatings for the first one and 10 beatings for each of the two, Your Highness."

    The servant girls around them were all surprised. It would be 40 beatings if they counted it all. Normally, even just 10 beatings were already more than enough to send noble ladies crying because of pain. Now that it was upped by four times, would Wei Liuying die because of the punishment?

    Ji Shu nodded his head in satisfaction. He looked at Wei Liuying. "Do you have any objection, Third Miss Wei?"

    "This servant didn''t have any objection Your Highness," Wei Liuying replied placidly. It didn''t look as if she was about to face harsh punishment as her expression didn''t change in the slightest bit. If anything, she was so calm and unperturbed that it was the audience who felt uncomfortable.

    But her attitude didn''t affect Ji Shu in the slightest bit. He had seen a lot of people similar to her. He looked over to Xiao Yu. "Since the servant is the one at fault, she should also share the punishment. 40 beatings for two people meant 20 beatings each."

    Xiao Yu''s face paled almost immediately. Unlike Xiao Qing, she didn''t learn martial arts, which meant that she might die if she had to endure 20 beatings. However, if she dared to refute, she knew that she would be punished again.

    "There''s no need."

    "What do you say?"

    "This servant said there''s no need," Wei Liuying repeated. "The servant didn''t do anything wrong, so naturally I''m the one who had to bear the punishment."

    Ji Shu arched his eyebrows. "Are you telling me that if the servant is the one who makes a mistake, the master is the one who had to bear punishment?"

    "If the servant made a mistake because of the master, wouldn''t it mean that the master is the one who made the mistake?" Wei Liuying asked back. Her eyes were staring straight at Ji Shu without any hint of fear.

    Ji Shu snorted. He had heard from Wei Xiao Hua that his two sisters were annoying. It was especially true for the third miss because she had such a cunning mind that even Ji Shu had to respect. Even when she was at an utter disadvantage, she still showed a brave front and stayed calm.

    Unfortunately, she stood on Wei Xiao Hua''s way. Because of that, Ji Shu had to eliminate her first. Could a frail young lady even survive 40 beatings? If she didn''t die or bedridden for months, it would be a miracle.

    "Stand up."

    Wei Liuying stood up and a servant placed a chair near her. it was intended to help her keep standing even under the severe punishment.

    "You can start the beating now."

    The servant was stunned, but he quickly obeyed. "This servant understands."

    Wei Liuying was watching without a hint of fear. She understood why Prince Ji Shu wanted them to beat her up here. There were so many servants around and if news about her being beaten up in front of servants were to go out, many people would mock her. After all, noble ladies cared for their reputation the most.

    But for Wei Liuying, did it even matter?

    Because of her mother, she didn''t have the time to study arts that women have to learn, making her the second laughingstock. With her status, it was already impossible for her to marry a high ranking official unless she became a concubine.

    With this beating, would it be possible that her father finally gave up trying to match her with someone high ranking?

    Wei Liuying was more curious than worried.

    As for the beating, it didn''t matter much for her.

    "Begin."

    Pak! Pak!

 Chapter 41 - Whatâ€™s The Use?

    By the time the beating was done, Wei Liuying couldn''t feel her legs anymore. It was hurting so badly because the servant didn''t hold back at all. However, she never let any of her emotion out. Outside from the perspiration on her forehead, she still struggled to keep standing.

    Beside her, Xiao Yu was crying waterfall. She wanted to stop Wei Liuying but no words came out from her throat. She could only cry and cry.

    Wei Liuying looked at Ji Shu. "Is this enough, Your Highness?"

    Ji Shu turned his head to look at Wei Xiao Hua. "What''s the punishment that your family usually gives for mistakes?"

    Wei Xiao Hua blinked her eyes and replied softly, "It would be to stay in the shed without dinner, Your Highness?"

    "It''s still afternoon, but you can stay in the shed from now on. Not eating lunch and dinner should be alright for you, right?" Ji Shu asked.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flashed for the first time. She understood that Ji Shu wanted to thoroughly destroy her. If her legs were not treated in time, it was inevitable that scars would remain. When she got married in the future, her future husband would look down at her because of the scar.

    But what can she say?

    "Your Highness wants this servant to skip lunch and dinner?" Wei Liuying asked softly.

    Ji Shu looked back at Wei Liuying. "That''s right. Any objection?"

    The two sentences were blatantly telling her that Ji Shu wanted to use his position to oppress her. There was no need to hide it as it was plainly clear outside. But even if others knew he was bullying her, they would never side with her and could only comply with Ji Shu''s demand.

    After all, he has much higher status.

    "This servant understands."

    "Send her to the shed."

    Wei Liuying raised her hand to stop them from moving. She was still looking at Ji Shu with a calm expression. "There''s no need. This servant can walk by herself."

    The prince kept on trying to destroy her reputation with each sentence he said. It seemed that she better stayed out of Ji Shu and Wei Xiao Hua''s field of sight in the future if she didn''t wish to get involved in something nasty again.

    "In that case, you should go."

    Even though her legs were under extreme pain, Wei Liuying didn''t flinch. She turned her head to look at Xiao Yu, who promptly stood up and supported Wei Liuying. She was still crying and Wei Liuying was also hurting. The location of the shed was not far from here, but she would still need to walk for some time.

    Ji Shu took the cup of tea on the table. "Make sure she reaches the shed."

    "Yes, Master."

    After settling that, Ji Shu turned his head to look at Wei Zilin. "I believe this is already the second time you tried to interfere, Second Miss Wei. Do you think that I''m stupid to not realize it?"

    Wei Zilin''s face was pale as she kowtowed on the ground, asking for mercy.

    All along, Wei Xiao Hua didn''t do anything but standing quietly. She wanted to smile, but she knew that it was inappropriate. Even though things were progressing differently, she was happy with this outcome. At least, it showed that Prince Ji Shu had started to genuinely care for her.

    All she had to do was make sure to keep him interested in her. Hehe, as long as she followed after what she knew, it would be easy.

    ¡­

    "Miss," Xiao Yu called out when they were near the shed. "Please¡­ take care¡­"

    "I''ll be fine."

    Wei Liuying patted Xiao Yu''s hand and walked to the shed. She was partially dragging her legs, but she withstood the pain until she sat down on the shed. Xiao Yu was still crying and the guards had to remind her to leave. After she had left, they locked the door.

    The guards held complicated expressions. Even though they knew that Wei Liuying was punished, they felt that it was a bit unfair. However, what could they possibly say and do?

    If they go against Ji Shu, what awaits them is only their death.

    Inside the shed, Wei Liuying lied down on top of the hay and looked at the ceiling. There were no tears or any sort of emotion on her face. All that could be seen was an expression that looked like she was tired.

    ''Again, huh?''

    This was not the first time Wei Liuying was beaten up. In the past, it was even worse on the day her mother decided to have her as Wei Hong Zheng''s sparring partner to increase his capabilities. She was very poor and her entire body suffered countless hits. It was to the point that she had fever for the entire week.

    Her mother berated her, saying that she was too weak. The harsh treatment continued and only reduced slightly when she entered the academy when she was 12 to start learning many things that a lady required to learn. However, it was also the start of her time getting scorn all the time because of her poor result in the academy.

    Back then, she had cried and begged her mother to allow her not to become Wei Hong Zheng''s sparring partner.

    But what she got was just another beating.

    Since then, Wei Liuying never cried again. It was simply useless to show tears and weakness in front of others. What they did would be to simply use her weakness to scorn her and make her submit before them over and over.

    Xiao Qing once asked her why she did not ask her mother for more, but Wei Liuying could only ask back, ''What''s the use?''

    In front of Feng Chun, she was nothing more than a daughter whose only purpose was to help his son become better. Neither Feng Chun or Wei Hong Zheng would care for her. As long as she was still useful, they would show some kindness, but it was only up to a certain limit.

    She was not stupid enough to long for something that she knew she would never get. Love and care from her mother were included in thoe.

    There were many things that Wei Liuying knew she would never get.

 Chapter 42 - Ruthless Prince Ji Shu

    ''Maybe I should just run away from here.''

    She had thought of this countless times, but she couldn''t just leave Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu behind. Xiao Qing could follow her just fine, but Xiao Yu was younger and a bit more na?ve. If she left them here, it wouldn''t take long before their body turned into a corpse.

    She didn''t want that to happen.

    Besides, she didn''t know the world outside Han Shi Kingdom''s Capital City.

    If she truly wanted to run away, she needed to start making her preparation thoroughly. Her little money that she had alone was simply not enough. With so many soldiers in the capital city and eyes everywhere, she would only get caught not long after she left the residence.

    If only Wei Hong''s influence was not that strong, it would have been possible.

    ''How about faking death?''

    Heh.

    Wei Liuying laughed in her mind. If only it was that easy for her to fake her death, she would have done that. However, there were many people watching over her movements all the time. There was never any chance for her to find a body double for herself.

    Even if she found someone similar to her, how could she possibly sneak that person to the residence?

    It was impossible.

    She needed another plan. A plan that could allow her to leave without leaving any suspiciousness behind. With that in thought, Wei Liuying closed her eyes.

    ¡­

    Prince Ji Shu stayed in Wei Xiao Hua''s residence much longer than usual. Aside from settling some matters, he also stayed for lunch and then took a walk together with Wei Xiao Hua. There were still some servants nearby as it was still inappropriate for the two of them to stay together. Though, the servants were lowering their head to not disturb the couple.

    After the visit, Ji Shu departed back with his carriage. "What''s the schedule for today?"

    "Your Highness, you have a promise to visit His Highness the Third Prince."

    "Oh?" Ji Shu recalled the face of his brother as his face darkened. He never liked his older brother, and thankfully, the Emperor also didn''t favor Ji Sheng. If not for that, there would be no way that Ji Sheng was sent to the border for years and forced to become the general there.

    When the other princes were staying in luxury in the capital city while building their connection, Prince Ji Sheng was busy commanding soldiers to defend the border. The other three already could see that the Emperor didn''t favor him, so they knew that it was impossible for Ji Sheng to become the Emperor even if the crown prince fell out of favor.

    "Your Highness, would you like to make a detour?"

    "I''ll visit him."

    The servant acknowledged and the carriage headed to Prince Ji Sheng''s palace. The four princes all lived in different areas. After all, the palace was huge even if there were only a few Imperial Family members who stayed there.

    Prince Ji Sheng was in his office, so Ji Shu simply headed there to greet his brother. Ji Sheng was wearing a light purple robe and currently busy reading. There was also Yang Xian who sat on the corner, working on some documents.

    "Imperial Third Brother."

    "Imperial Fourth Brother," Ji Sheng greeted back. His expression was placid. "It''s rare to see you forget the promise to have lunch together."

    Ji Shu''s expression didn''t change. "My apologies, Imperial Third Brother. As punishment, I''ll willingly drink the cup."

    "No need for that." It was normal for men to punish themselves by drinking when they were late, but Ji Sheng didn''t really wish to care about such formality. "I''m more curious about the reason why you''re late, Fourth Brother. Is there any problem in Wei Household?"

    "Just some lower ranked concubine daughter creating problems," Ji Shu said simply. However, there was a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. Clearly, he regarded that person to be a threat.

    From the corner of the room, Yang Xian noticed the glint. He rubbed his chin. Other than Wei Liuying, he didn''t think that the second sister whose name was Wei¡­ Ziulin? Oh, Zilin, would be seen as a threat. He had seen her by acting as a lost servant and her acting was really bad.

    In short, that girl was quite stupid.

    Ji Sheng nodded. "To be able to make the Fourth Prince to be so busy, she must be remarkable."

    "They''re annoying," Ji Shu replied. "I have already punished them."

    "I see."

    "I''m sure that you didn''t make me come here only to talk about my matters? Are there any problems regarding the border?"

    "Fortunately, there''s none. However, I''m sure that you have heard about the agreement that Xiong Tribe proposed," Ji Sheng responded calmly. He motioned the servant who came to prepare the tea as he put away the books.

    Ji Shu frowned. "Imperial Father hadn''t given his response, but it looks like he''s going to agree."

    "Imperial Sister Ji Xiaoli wouldn''t be happy to have her marriage determined like this," Ji Sheng added.

    "Even if she disliked it, women were only useful for tying up power," Ji Shu said with a sneer. It was perfectly normal for them to regard women as nothing more than tools because that was the only reason they existed. In this era where there were no women''s rights, they were only seen as other people''s properties.

 Chapter 43 - Letâ€™s Have A Visit

    "Even if she disliked it, women were only useful for tying up power," Ji Shu said with a sneer. It was perfectly normal for them to regard women as nothing more than tools because that was the only reason they existed. In this era where there were no women''s rights, they were only seen as other people''s properties.

    Ji Sheng didn''t give out his opinion. "She might try to escape again."

    "I have already sent my order to watch over her. With so many guards, I doubt she''ll be able to escape."

    "That''s good to hear."

    Ji Shu''s words had more power compared to Ji Sheng in the palace. After all, everyone knew how much the Emperor doted on Ji Shu''s mother. On the other hand, Ji Sheng''s mother was left forgotten in the harem with only occasional visits that didn''t seem to be of importance at all. She was also very docile as she shied away from troubles and remained low key.

    The two princes talked with each other for some time, discussing this and that. There were some matters that couldn''t be brought up to the court yet, so they discussed it in private. Besides, the two brothers were silently probing each other''s view and goal through the seemingly random chats.

    After an incense stick (an hour) time, the two brothers bid their farewell. Ji Sheng tapped the table with his rough hand, which was the result of intense training over the years. "Yang Xian."

    "Yes, Your Highness?"

    Ji Sheng furrowed his brows. "Drop the formalities. What''s your opinion about Ji Shu?"

    When they were meeting each other, they would never call each other with the name directly. After all, they were not close to each other and it might be seen as impolite. But when they were discussing in private, Ji Sheng simply ignored their titles.

    "He''s a very ambitious man," Yang Xian replied. "I reckon he''ll be able to become a powerful hindrance for the crown prince''s path to the throne."

    Ji Sheng nodded, agreeing with Yang Xian''s view. It was just a short meeting after a few years, but he could see that Ji Shu was still very ambitious. He would do everything at all cost for his pursuit of power, even disregarding human lives.

    "Tell me more of the young lady in Wei Household."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "You''re finally interested? I have told you numerous times that there''s an interesting girl, but you didn''t want to listen."

    "I''m listening now."

    "You''re really." Yang Xian rolled his eyes. If this was done in public, many people would be horrified by his lack of manners. However, the two of them were very close to each other and after many life and death''s experience in war, they naturally grew closer as brothers. When it was in private, there was no longer any formality between the two of them.

    "Third Miss Wei, Wei Liuying, is a concubine born daughter. She''s smart, but she always stays low and never stands out more than necessary. If anything, she''s known to be a useless lady that''s forgotten because there were several other concubine daughters who were similar to her."

    Thinking about that, Yang Xian''s lips couldn''t help but to curl up. If Wei Liuying''s position had been higher, there would be more people paying attention. But because Wei Xiao Hua performed worse and Wei Liuying was nothing more than a concubine daughter, it was easy to forget her.

    After all, many concubine daughters were also useless since they would only ever get married as concubine in the future. Most of them still studied vehemently, though, as they wished that they would gain a better chance by trying hard.

    "Also, I think she''s raised like a boy considering that she''s good at history, philosophy, and many others. In addition, Shi Yan said that she''s not that bad in terms of martial arts. Even though Shi Yan himself is only standard at most, to be able to defeat him showed that her skill is decent."

    Ji Sheng nodded. "Shi Yan is not that good, but not everyone can defeat him."

    In his store, Shi Yan suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose in confusion. Who was talking about him? Could it be that some ladies were missing him?

    Yang Xian smiled. "So, how about if you come with me to have a chat with her?"

    "You mean in a few more weeks?" Ji Sheng looked back.

    Considering that it was Ji Shu who gave the punishment, it was easy to guess that Wei Liuying wouldn''t be able to get up from her bed for a long time. Ji Shu never cared for the fairer gender and always treated them harshly. Not that the other princes care, though Ji Shu was the most extreme.

    "Well, I''m thinking of visiting her tomorrow in her room¡­" Yang Xian''s words trailed. He wouldn''t be able to wait for a few weeks. Since she couldn''t come, why didn''t he come to visit her and have a chat about the books?

    Ji Sheng paused for a moment. "Sure."

    "Really? You''ll come?"

    "If you alarm the guards, I''ll send you to training."

    Yang Xian rolled his eyes again. Come on, he was not Shi Yan. How can it be possible for him to alert the guards?

    In the store, Shi Yan sneezed once more.

 Chapter 44 - Unwanted Visitors

    Wei Liuying made her own blanket again, but she was careful enough to not move her legs. She had seen that there were some open wounds, but there was simply nothing to help her clean them up. As an emergency measure, she tore her inner robe''s skirt and used it to bandage the wound.

    When she got out of this shed, she would treat them.

    Just like before, she still had some meat buns inside her pocket. With these foods, she was not that hungry. However, the pain in her legs did make it harder for her to fall asleep.

    "Miss, it''s already morning," the guards called out from outside.

    Wei Liuying acknowledged them and dragged her body to the door. Her movements were slower, but every step was firm. She didn''t want to show her weak appearance to anyone. In front of the door, Xiao Qing was already standing with an anxious expression on her face. Looking at Wei Liuying''s pale face, Xiao Qing was even more worried.

    She quickly stepped forward and held Wei Liuying''s hand. Her eyebrows knitted. "Miss, you''re burning fever."

    "Oh¡­ ask Xiao Yu to call for a doctor."

    "Yes."

    Xiao Qing bit her lower lips as she guided Wei Liuying away. The guards behind looked at each other and one of them tactfully headed out to call for a doctor. They couldn''t possibly let Wei Liuying get sick and didn''t call for a doctor. The news that the Third Miss from Wei Household was sick soon spread in the residence.

    In the quarter, Xiao Yu''s eyes were still swollen and red. It was clear that she had cried herself to sleep. Upon seeing Wei Liuying, her eyes turned red once more as she resisted the urge to cry.

    "Miss¡­"

    "Prepare hot water and some ointment."

    "Yes."

    The two of them moved quickly to help Wei Liuying wash up and then they treated her legs. When the doctor arrived along with Feng Chun, Wei Liuying was treating her legs after she had washed up.

    "This¡­" the doctor''s eyes widened when he saw the horrible gash on Wei Liuying''s leg. There were a lot of bruises that had changed colors. He turned his head to look at Feng Chun in disbelief. Did she ask Wei Hong Zheng to beat up Wei Liuying?

    He was Feng Family''s doctor, so he was familiar with what Feng Chun did. Besides, they couldn''t let other doctors check on Wei Liuying in fear that they would find out that the third miss learned martial arts. As part of the prime minister household, it would be weird for her to learn martial arts and yet, no one knew about that.

    "His Highness the Fourth Prince, Prince Ji Shu punished her," Feng Chun explained with a tone of disdain. She felt that her daughter had grown worse and worse each day. Now, she even got into trouble without any instruction from her.

    "Oh."

    The doctor chose not to ask anything more. The word ''fourth prince'' already explained many things.

    "Let me take a look at you."

    As the doctor checked on her wounds and pulse, Wei Liuying kept quiet. Her head was heavy, but she still forced herself to think and let her brain work. She also couldn''t pass out in front of her mother.

    After a while, the doctor finished. "The wounds will take two weeks to a month to heal. As it''s treated late, there''s a high chance that there would be scars."

    Feng Chun frowned. Usually, she would ask the doctor to do whatever it takes to make sure that there was no scar. Unfortunately, Wei Liuying still has a lot of scars which was the result of the beating she suffered from sparring with Wei Hong Zheng.

    This time, she didn''t really care, though. "It''s fine. How long will it take for her to be able to have a spar with Hong Zheng again?"

    The doctor was already used to Feng Chun''s lack of care for her daughter. "The earliest will be two weeks from now."

    "Two weeks is really long," Feng Chun complained.

    "If she forced herself to use her martial arts, her wounds will never heal. She won''t be able to give the best result in the practice," the doctor explained.

    Feng Chun snorted, feeling annoyed. However, she still nodded and looked at Wei Liuying. "Consider yourself lucky. In two weeks, I better see you in Hong Zheng''s courtyard to practice again."

    Wei Liuying bowed slightly with only her upper body. There was no change in her expression. It remained placid and indifferent. "Wei Liuying understands, Mother."

    "Good."

    The doctor proceeded to prescribe medicine and told Wei Liuying that she had to rest properly. After reminding her of the food that she had to take note, the doctor left the residence. He felt a bit of pity for Wei Liuying, but that was all. He couldn''t waste his time to take care of others when it was already hard enough for him to leave.

    "Miss, the medicine."

    Wei Liuying drank the medicine after she finished eating. It was rare for Feng Chun to provide her with lots of food. It seemed that Feng Chun wanted her to recover faster because she was still useful.

    "Xiao Yu."

    "Yes, Miss."

    "Tell me what happened that day."

    Tears rolled down on Xiao Yu''s cheek. "Miss, I was merely passing by First Miss''s quarter when there were several guards stopping me. They brought me to First Miss''s quarter and the Second Miss is telling everyone that I have been peeping on the First Miss''s business. I said that it''s a lie, but they didn''t believe me¡­."

    As Xiao Yu narrated the incident, Wei Liuying merely listened from the side. Xiao Qing''s fingers were balled into a fist as she was angry. She knew that since they dared to frame Wei Liuying this time, there was no telling how many times they would try to frame her in the future again.

    It was a common occurrence for the noble ladies to point fingers at each other.

    "Miss, they''re so hateful," Xiao Qing said with clear annoyance.

    "Yes," Wei Liuying responded calmly. She pulled up the blanket and looked at Xiao Yu. "Do not get close to First Sister''s quarter in the future."

    "Yes, Miss," Xiao Yu replied with tears rolling down on her forehead. She looked so pitiful that one would curse anyone who dared to mess her up.

    Wei Liuying sighed and looked at the ceiling. "I want to rest. You can leave now."

    "Yes, Miss."

    The two of them left the room while Wei Liuying closed her eyes. Her head was throbbing, but she still forced herself to think of things clearly. She understood very well that the event was not that simple. How could the idiot Wei Zilin even know about what Xiao Yu did in the past?

    She truly needed to reevaluate her siblings again.

 Chapter 45 - Night Visit

    Wei Liuying spent most of her time eating and sleeping over and over for the day. When it was night time, she already felt much better even though she still has her fever. Xiao Qing was still guarding outside her room, but she could clearly sense other people''s presence in her room.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying sat down on her bed and looked at the window. "Visiting a lady''s room in the middle of the night is not a gentleman''s act."

    "Are you sure you''re sick?" A man''s voice trailed in the middle of the night as a shadow-no, two shadows leapt into the room. Even under the dim light, it was easy to see their handsome features. As Wei Liuying had already met with one of them a few times in the past, she recognized him almost instantly.

    "Your Highness the Third Prince, Strategist Yang," Wei Liuying greeted them, but she didn''t leave her bed. "What do I owe to make the two esteemed guests come to visit me in the middle of the night?"

    Her tone was respectful, but Yang Xian could see that she was displeased. It couldn''t be helped. Who would be happy to have two grown up men come to visit unannounced in the middle of the night?

    On the other hand, Ji Sheng was more curious as to why she recognized him. The two of them have never met before. "I''m surprised Third Miss Wei knows me."

    "Your Highness sure jest. With your name resound in the entire Han Shi Kingdom, who wouldn''t know of you?" Wei Liuying replied.

    "You''re correct."

    Wei Liuying looked at the two of them, who conveniently took their seats without moving from her own position. The two of them have high positions and normally, it would be impossible for her to even interact with them. But now, the two of them suddenly entered her room.

    "Could I know the reason for your visit today? I''m sure that Your Highness didn''t have a hobby to visit a lady''s house in the middle of the night, right?"

    "Depends on which lady¡­." Yang Xian was about to continue, but he sensed a glare from the side. He quickly shut his mouth and pretended that he didn''t say anything while putting on a goofy grin on his face.

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips.

    "We come because Yang Xian is curious about your books," Ji Sheng said, selling out his friend without any hesitation.

    "Books?" Wei Liuying asked in a low tone. She recalled the last book that she submitted to Manager Xin and sighed. The two of them must have already seen it when they came to visit Shi Yan on that day.

    "I didn''t expect Strategist Yang to read my books. I''m honored."

    Yang Xian laughed. "The books are interesting, but what caught my interest is the content inside. Little Lass, I can see that you have a deep interest in war and the northern border''s history. The way you analyzed the past even left me intrigued."

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. The only reason she was interested was because of the ''Art of War'' that she read thanks to her mother''s insistence. There were a lot of important points from the book that she found to be very helpful, thus she chose to analyze the large war that occurred in the north.

    "The reason for your visit today is?"

    "I want to ask you, what kind of method do you think will be possible to end the war with the Xiong Tribe?" Yang Xian got into the main point.

    "Naturally, there are several ways that''s possible. Correct me if I''m wrong as I''m not familiar with the current situation in the north. However, I believe that in recent years, there are powerful generals who emerged from both sides. It makes the war stalled and some smaller tribes took the chance to rob the cities, right?"

    Yang Xian nodded. "You''re correct. However, in terms of overall power, we still have some advantage."

    "Are you telling me that your advantage is because of your endeavor, Strategist Yang?" Wei Liuying asked amusedly.

    Yang Xian shrugged, neither admitted nor denied it.

    "Peaceful end would be the best, but if it''s not possible, a grand war will ensue where the two sides will be forced to use all of their resources for battle," Wei Liuying replied.

    Hearing that, Ji Sheng passed a glance at Yang Xian. It was exactly what Yang Xian told him before they came to the capital city. If the battle couldn''t be resolved soon, the two sides would be forced to fight a grand battle because of the lack of resources on Xiong Tribe''s area and the emergence of many other tribes that possessed threat for Han Shi Kingdom.

    However, Wei Liuying shouldn''t have known about those problems, right?

    "Why?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying''s eyelids fluttered. "In the past, the two sides strike a deal because of a long lasting war that continued for a long time. Long lasting war is tiring and naturally, it''s the reason why there''s an agreement in the first place. However, after Emperor Xuan became the leader, the skirmish had started to occur and then develop into war that lasted for years.

    Counting the time, it has been more than a decade of war, so I presume that the condition of the border is no longer the same as before. The two sides will be forced to enter a grand battle soon in order to settle the war if a peaceful solution couldn''t be achieved."

    Yang Xian nodded in agreement. "As I thought, your research about the north area is plentiful."

    "Many thanks for your praise, Strategist Yang," Wei Liuying said calmly. Han Shi Kingdom is large, and it was impossible for her to know about all of them, so her focus has always been the north and the capital city itself. Though, she had to admit that the north area was much more interesting than the capital city because she was tired with the constant scheme between the noble families.

    Thankfully, most of them didn''t have any relation with her whatsoever.

    "However, you haven''t told me the specific method."

    "Marriage alliance between the two sides will be the most plausible, am I right?"

 Chapter 46 - I Want Her

    Marriage alliance?

    Once the phrase was said, the two of them looked in Wei Liuying''s direction. Currently, the marriage proposal was still being evaluated by the Emperor and his trusted advisors. Aside from the four princes and those high ranking officials, no one should know about the matter.

    "Why do you think that way?" Ji Sheng asked back.

    Wei Liuying lifted her small head and said, "Please pardon me if I overstep my bounds."

    "You can freely say anything. There are only the two of us here."

    "Along with the guards outside?" Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows.

    Ji Sheng frowned and turned to look at Yang Xian. They only brought two of their guards along with them on this trip, and they were the most powerful ones. How come Wei Liuying managed to detect them?

    In truth, Wei Liuying didn''t know whether there was truly anyone or not. She only guessed since it was impossible that the two of them truly leave unguarded. Even though Yang Xian was keeping a straight face, the glance that Ji Sheng gave to Yang Xian had already provided her with the answer.

    "Miss Liuying is really sharp." Yang Xian laughed coolly. "You don''t have to worry about those guards. They''ll never say anything."

    "Then I''ll say my piece. There''s news that Princess Ji Xiaoli headed over to the Eastern Forest to see ghosts. However, it''s impossible for someone at a high status as her to come there during the Lantern Festival just because she wanted to see ghosts. My assumption was Princess Ji Xiaoli tried to escape from a marriage agreement," Wei Liuying replied.

    Ji Sheng''s eyes darkened. How come she knows so much just from little information? He felt that he was not facing a young girl but rather a seasoned veteran strategist who was used to analyzing even the smallest detail.

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying deeply. He smiled. "It must be Miss Liuying who was so kind as to help Princess Ji Xiaoli when she''s in trouble. I must thank Miss Liuying for being so kind hearted."

    "It''s nothing more than coincidence."

    The two of them looked at each other as their eyes calmly analyzed the person before them. If one should say, the two of them have similar minds and capabilities as they could detect even the smallest hint and act in accordance for their benefit.

    "it''s genuinely a pleasure to talk with you, Miss Liuying. But I believe that you need to rest more," Yang Xian said with a smile. "Let''s have a chat when you''re already healthy again."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. "I''ll be happier if I don''t have to meet with you again, Strategist Yang."

    "I''ll be hurt if you say it so blatantly."

    "For someone as thick skinned as you, I don''t believe you''ll get hurt just from the words of a small girl like me."

    Yang Xian stood up. "Don''t devalue yourself, Miss Liuying. If you''re interested, I''ll gladly bring you away from this place and have you help us out in the north. With your skill, it''s such a waste for you to just stay in this rotten place."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered slightly. If she said that she was not tempted, then she would be lying. However, how could she trust the two of them when they barely knew each other? If her fate turned out to be worse when she came with them, where would she come crying to?

    Before Wei Liuying could reject, Yang Xian noticed her eyes and smiled. "You don''t trust us, right?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t deny. "We barely knew each other, Strategist Yang. How can you expect me to trust a stranger so easily?"

    "True."

    Yang Xian could see that Wei Liuying was living in an environment that didn''t allow her to trust anyone. If she gave her heart and care to the wrong person, what awaited her would be pain worse than what she had. In this residence, she had no one to rely on but herself.

    Taking out a bottle, Yang Xian put it on Wei Liuying hand.

    "This is?"

    "It''s a prescription that can help you to heal wounds faster. Also, there won''t be much mark left if you use it." Yang Xian winked. "It would trouble you if you have scars, right?"

    Wei Liuying held the bottle and looked at Yang Xian. "Many thanks for your care, Strategist Yang."

    Ji Sheng also stood up. "We have taken so much of your time. Thank you for having us tonight, Miss Liuying."

    The two of them left after they bid their farewell. Wei Liuying looked at the window with her brows furrowed. Towards the second half of their conversation, she could hear that they started to call her with her name and no longer status. It sounded weird, yet she didn''t mention it because she was too lazy.

    Her hand played with the bottle. As she opened the lid, smells of medicine and herbs filled the room.

    ''This is the most expensive medicine that only the Imperial Family can have, right?'' Wei Liuying thought as she scooped a bit with her finger and smelled it. She had seen it once because Ji Shu brought it out for Wei Xiao Hua wounds causally. For Imperial Family members, this medicine was so common that it no longer had much worth for them.

    Wei Liuying sighed and opened her bandage to apply the medicine. The cooling sensation felt much better than what the doctor prescribe to her. Afterwards, she bandaged her legs again and returned back to sleep. The bottle of medicine was tucked under her pillow.

    While Wei Liuying was resting, Ji Sheng and Yang Xian were busy traveling out of the residence.

    "Miss Liuying is much more interesting than what I thought," Yang Xian said merrily.

    "But you still tested her?"

    "It''s only normal to test her." Yang Xian snorted. The questions he asked Wei Liuying were all things that already have the answer. However, what he wanted to know the most was simply her way to analyze things and put the puzzle pieces in the right place.

    What he saw and heard today made him even more convinced of Wei Liuying''s ability in using history to analyze. However, that was not enough for him to put her in so much importance because there were many other scholars who could do the same with her.

    Ji Sheng was silent for a moment before he said, "I want her."

    Hearing that, Yang Xian nearly stumbled on the tree.

 Chapter 47 - Still Show Faces

    "What did you say?" Yang Xian was stunned. "Your Highness, you know that you already have a fianc¨¦e, right? Besides, based on Miss Liuying''s attitude, she wouldn''t be interested in entering the palace as a con¡­"

    "I want her as my advisor or strategist," Ji Sheng continued with cold eyes.

    "Advisor?" Yang Xian calmed down. The only ones who could make him perplexed were either Ji Sheng with his abrupt request or Shi Yan with his stupidity. However, his tone turned dissatisfied. "Wait, you''re planning to have her take my position?"

    Ji Sheng passed a glance. "You two can both be advisors."

    Yang Xian was stunned. He looked at Ji Sheng for a moment before he sighed. "Let''s wait a bit more."

    "Why?"

    "The time is not ripe."

    This time, Ji Sheng didn''t say anything more. He knew that when it came to calculation and scheming, Yang Xian was the best. After all, the place where Yang Xian lived before required him to be cunning and calculative if he didn''t want to die.

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying slept until it was morning. Xiao Qing attended her and helped her to drink the medicine before she cleaned up the place. Wei Liuying had felt much better, but she didn''t want to do anything right now. After the conversation last night, her mind was clearer, and she was in much better mood.

    Probably by thinking hard on unrelated things helped her to feel better.

    "Miss, Master is here."

    "Help me sit up, Xiao Qing."

    "There''s no need to rise," Wei Hong said as he entered the room. His expression was still as stern as ever. There was not even a fake expression to show how much he cares as he merely looked at Wei Liuying with cold eyes.

    "Father," Wei Liuying greeted.

    Wei Hong nodded. "You should reflect on yourself. Whenever Prince Ji Shu come, you don''t need to greet him now."

    "Yes, Father."

    "Good. You don''t have to do anything. Just rest."

    "Yes."

    Wei Hong could see the calm eyes on Wei Liuying''s face, but he couldn''t be bothered with her. He expected his daughter to be more sensible but looking at her now, she was still the same as usual. It was as if this incident didn''t have much impact on her at all.

    After saying a few more things, Wei Hong left the room. Wei Liuying was resting on the bed as she closed her eyes again. Rather than thinking about her father, who only came to show his face, she would rather sleep.

    It was evening when Wei Liuying wake up and drank her medicine again.

    "The fever is still there, but it''s not as bad as before, Miss," Xiao Qing said in relief. If it was still so bad, she would be very worried.

    "The medicine is good," Wei Liuying said calmly.

    "Miss, Second Young Master and Madam Feng are here."

    "Tell them to come in."

    "Yes."

    Wei Hong Zheng strode into the room with Feng Chun walking behind him. From their expression, Wei Liuying could guess that they didn''t really want to come and visit her.

    "Mother, Second Brother," Wei Liuying greeted.

    "When are you going to spar with me again?"

    "In two weeks, brother."

    Wei Hong Zheng furrowed his brows. His mother had told him the same thing, but from what he could see, Wei Liuying was perfectly fine. She still could talk with him just well. Why did it have to take so long just for her to recover? He wanted to have a partner to spar again!

    "Be patient, Hong Zheng. I''ll surely search for the best sparring partner for you," Feng Chun reassured.

    "It better be that way, Mother."

    "Yes, yes, of course."

    Whatever Wei Hong Zheng wanted, Feng Chun would surely fulfill. Besides, when it came to things related to his study, she would spare double, no triple the effort to fulfill what he wanted. There would be no way she would make her son disappointed.

 Chapter 48 - Are You Really My Mother?

    "It better be that way, Mother."

    "Yes, yes, of course."

    Whatever Wei Hong Zheng wanted, Feng Chun would surely fulfill. Besides, when it came to things related to his study, she would spare double, no triple the effort to fulfill what he wanted. There would be no way she would make her son disappointed.

    Wei Liuying simply watched the two of them with an indifferent expression. The two of them were born of the same parents, yet with just the difference in gender, the treatment became very different. She was simply treated as nuisance while he was treated like a prince.

    "Oh right, Father''s birthday is next month, but it''ll be better for you to stay indoors and don''t come out at all," Feng Chun said. "He''s going to invite a lot of officials and probably also decide on engagement for both of you."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered slightly. She and Wei Zilin were already 14 years old. Even though they could only get married when they were 16 here, it was not weird for Wei Hong to start searching for a potential marriage partner. After all, marriage''s preparation alone would take months.

    "I see."

    "But of course, he had to get my agreement first." Feng Chun snorted. It was normal that both parents had to agree.

    Wei Liuying looked at her mother. She could guess that Feng Chun wanted to use her to gain connection with some powerful officials. However, her low position in the family would make it difficult to even be a concubine.

    Afterwards, Wei Hong Zheng talked about the lessons that he needed and so on. They stayed for some time before they departed.

    "Miss," Xiao Qing called out with worry.

    Wei Liuying smiled slightly. "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine. Later on, find out who Father talked with during the birthday party."

    "Yes."

    Xiao Yu lowered her eyes and bit her lower lips. It seemed that there was never any peace in this residence.

    Wei Xiao Hua and Wei Zilin didn''t come to visit her. They only sent some gifts with the message that they were hoping for her to get healthy faster. Wei Liuying didn''t mind, though. Not seeing their faces lift up her mood a bit.

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying spent the next two weeks in peace inside her room. There was no one else who came to bother her as she stayed inside her room. Even if she no longer had any fever, she refused to come out lest Wei Hong Zheng suddenly called her to accompany him in a spar.

    However, it was entirely impossible for her to be completely at peace when the residence itself was filled with many people who were trying to scheme against one another at any given chance.

    "Miss, Madam Feng is here," Xiao Qing suddenly informed.

    Wei Liuying, who was reading a book, frowned upon hearing that. She put down the bamboo scroll and sighed. Her eyes were looking in the direction of the door as she nodded slowly.

    "Please bring her in."

    "Yes, Miss."

    It was only two weeks and yet her mother was already very impatient to visit her. Wei Liuying truly wondered what made her mother anxious.

    Not long afterwards, Feng Chun swaggered in. Her expression was filled with displeasure, but the gaze in her eyes told Wei Liuying that it was not directed at her. Something else must have happened in the residence over the span of two weeks.

    "Mother."

    "Liuying! You should hear what that wench said. Ah, she''s so ******!"

    Wei Liuying had gotten used to her mother swearing when she was in rage. She signaled Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu to leave the room and stayed out of the matter. It wouldn''t do them any good to face the raging Feng Chun.

    "Mother, please take a seat first."

    Feng Chun eyed the chair that Wei Liuying pointed at. She humped in annoyance, but she still sat down and sighed. Her eyes were filled with rage.

    "Can you tell me what happened, Mother?"

    "Of course! That ***** is trying to get my ****¡­"

    Wei Liuying was resisting the urge to slap her mother''s mouth to not utter so many profanities. However, when Feng Chun was on the verge of her rage, she would be unstoppable. There was nothing that Wei Liuying could do aside from bearing with the story that Feng Chun told her for the next incense stick time.

    It was another torturous time when her mother flared up and used her as the hole to vent her emotion.

 Chapter 49 - Asked For Advice

    "Can you tell me what happened, Mother?"

    "Of course! That ***** is trying to get my ****¡­"

    Wei Liuying was resisting the urge to slap her mother''s mouth to not utter so many profanities. However, when Feng Chun was on the verge of her rage, she would be unstoppable. There was nothing that Wei Liuying could do aside from bearing with the story that Feng Chun told her for the next incense stick time.

    It was another torturous time when her mother flared up and used her as the hole to vent her emotion.

    In short, Feng Chun was angry because Wei Xiao Hua made her move once more. This time, she was targeting the three of them as he told their father that he should spare more time with the other concubines. If they felt that they were treated unfairly, it wouldn''t do good if words were to come out.

    But in truth, how many people would be willing to share that their husband neglected them?

    Besides, many of these ladies were just some pretty ladies that Wei Hong collected because he loved their beauty. Because of that, the three of them gave objections, but Wei Xiao Hua ended up pointing to some who truly had connections. This put them in a tight spot.

    "If he had to spend time with those ******, how can it be possible for me to gain his affection, ah!" Feng Chun was annoyed.

    Wei Liuying listened while sipping her tea. She didn''t remember anymore when this first started, but now her mother always came to her whenever there was a problem. Wei Liuying would be able to solve it in a much more efficient way than her.

    "What should I do, Liuying?" Feng Chun asked in annoyance. If only Wei Liuying was not trapped in this room when the incident happened, he would have called her on the spot. Wei Zilin was also present, but that girl was simply useless. As for Wei Hong Zheng and Wei Yijun, both didn''t really have any problem.

    After all, Wei Xiao Hua''s arrangement didn''t matter to them.

    Over the time when Wei Xiao Hua was the one in charge of the management, the one who suffered was only the three concubines with Concubine Chou got the worst. Feng Chun and Concubine Xie were still better. As for the children, they were never affected as it was still the same as before.

    "Mother, even if she suggested for Father to spend equal time with all the concubines, it can never be done," Wei Liuying said slowly.

    "Why?"

    "In the first place, the concept of harem is introduced because it was a way to connect with more power and gain more influence. However, how is it possible for a person to not have bias? All one have to do is be better at gaining the favor and affection."

    Feng Chun listened to Wei Liuying and frowned. "Are you saying that I have to strive for his affection like usual?"

    "To be able to enter the residence already proved that you were once in his heart, Mother," Wei Liuying said calmly. "It''s a memory that should be buried in his heart. With a little pull, wouldn''t it be possible to bring it back to the surface?"

    Even though Wei Liuying didn''t say it blatantly, Feng Chun understood. Since she could get Wei Hong''s heart in the past, why couldn''t she got it now? With that in her mind, Feng Chun smiled brightly.

    "That''s right! I only need to make him recall the memories back."

    Without even bidding farewell, Feng Chun stormed out of the room and rushed back. She planned to use whatever memories that she had together with Wei Hong in order to gain his affection back. She didn''t believe that she wouldn''t be able to do it with the help of her maids.

    On the other hand, Wei Liuying sat at her table and shook her head lightly, not caring for what had happened in the slightest bit.

    It didn''t take long for Xiao Qing to come into the room.

    "Miss, Madam Feng had left," Xiao Qing informed as she curtsied politely.

    "I know."

    Xiao Yu also entered and curtsied. She stood near the wall with a curious gaze. "Miss, would it work?"

    "Some people liked to reminisce about the good things that had happened in the past. When things are not going well, you can''t help but reminisce about what had occurred and wished that it would still be here. If it''s truly a memorable memory, isn''t it possible for one to be swayed?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    Humans were an emotional creature. With just a little bit of tampering, she knew that it was not impossible for her to make Feng Chun become the one in Wei Hong''s heart. But of course, the other concubines wouldn''t let it happen so easily.

    Xiao Yu fidgeted. "But Miss, would it affect you?"

    "We''re only talking here and I don''t get involved, so why should I worry how it''ll implicate me?"

    "I mean, would helping her be beneficial to you?"

    Wei Liuying chuckled, yet her eyes were cold. "She''s my mother. Isn''t it only natural for a child to help one''s parents?"

 Chapter 50 - Wei Luâ€™s Visit

    "I mean, would helping her be beneficial to you?"

    Wei Liuying chuckled, yet her eyes were cold. "She''s my mother. Isn''t it only natural for a child to help one''s parents?"

    Xiao Yu wanted to ask again, but felt that it was inappropriate. From what she knew, Wei Liuying and Feng Chun were not ordinary mother and daughter. They were only using one another and never truly opened their real feelings to each other.

    No, that was wrong.

    Feng Chun couldn''t hide her real feelings all the time and often acted on impulse. Instead, it was Wei Liuying who was always so guarded and never let anyone see the real her.

    They didn''t talk again and later on, a servant came to tell that Feng Chun had sent some healthy food. Wei Liuying simply accepted it even though she didn''t touch it and ended up giving it to Xiao Yu and Xiao Qing.

    She didn''t want the reward from her mother for her ''good'' deeds.

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying didn''t interfere with what Feng Chun did. She heard from the servants that one way or another, Wei Hong followed Feng Chun but the next day, another concubine was using the similar tricks. The household turned lively, yet it didn''t have anything to do with her, so she was not interested.

    She spent her time in her residence. At first, she thought that she would be able to spend her days in peace, but things didn''t always go according to the way she wanted.

    Xiao Qing knocked when she was busy reading.

    "Young Miss."

    "What is it, Xiao Qing?"

    "Second Master Wei is here. He comes to talk with Master about some things and sends a servant to deliver some things for you."

    Wei Liuying''s movement halted. She quickly stood up and rushed to the door. If it was her mother or father, she would never care too much about them. But because the one who sent it was her uncle, she didn''t want to delay at all.

    Xiao Qing smiled when she saw her miss''s energetic reaction. The only person who cared for Wei Liuying in this residence among her family would be her uncle. It was to the point one would wonder just whose child she was.

    "Did he come here?" Wei Liuying asked eagerly.

    "Second Master said that it''ll be impolite for him to disturb your rest, so he only sent a servant over," Xiao Qing replied.

    Wei Liuying nodded. She understood that her uncle cared for her reputation, so he would not come to visit directly. If words came out, it wouldn''t do her any good. However, Wei Liuying longed to meet with her uncle again. It was far more refreshing to talk with her uncle compared to these fake family members in the residence.

    She took the herbs that her uncle sent to her. There were no messages or anything of the sort because the gifts would be inspected by the servants. If he tried to contact her through some means, they would be able to find it out and stopped the gift from coming.

    Wei Hong was quite guarded against his younger brother.

    "Xiao Qing, prepare my training clothes."

    "I understand, Miss."

    Xiao Yu came not long afterwards and helped to make the cover in the quarter to make sure that no one realized that Wei Liuying had disappeared. After setting up everything, Wei Liuying sneaked out through her brother''s quarter and into the West gate.

    The clothing was similar to that of servants, so it was not hard for her to sneak out if she truly wanted to.

    She only needed to pay attention to some servants.

    Wei Liuying walked out of the quarter and headed to the garden. Xiao Qing told her that Wei Lu was heading there. Upon her arrival, she could see her uncle sat on the chair while sipping his tea with her father just departed.

    Whatever they talked about just now, it must be something sensitive.

    The two brothers were having disagreement again.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying walked closer and Wei Lu raised his head. His dark brown eyes stared straight to the bushes as he smiled. "You''re here."

    "Uncle," Wei Liuying called out softly.

    "I thought that you''ll be happier if I don''t come to visit you and probably destroy whatever plans you have."

    "Uncle sure loves to jest. There''s no way I would dislike your visit."

    Wei Lu nodded. He scanned Wei Liuying from top to bottom and felt satisfied with what he saw. It seemed that Wei Hong didn''t mistreat his daughter more than what he had done. He heard that she was punished by Prince Ji Shu because of some matters, but Wei Hong gave strict rules to not spread it out.

    He cared for his reputation more than anything.

    "It has only been some time, Liuying. I''m afraid that it''s impossible for us to talk for a long time now."

 Chapter 51 - Be Careful

    "It has only been some time, Liuying. I''m afraid that it''s impossible for us to talk for a long time now."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered at her uncle''s words. She knew that she wouldn''t be able to put on this disguise for a long time. If some people came and tried to search for her, they would be able to find out that she was not in her quarter at this time.

    It would mean a lot of trouble.

    "Liuying understands."

    Wei Lu chuckled. "I think it''s enough with the formalities. And I''m glad that you came out to meet me here."

    "There''s no way I wouldn''t want to meet with you, Uncle," Wei Liuying answered smoothly. Her eyes looked back at her uncle. "Is there anything that you plan to do after this, Uncle?"

    "Yes. With the princes about to reach adulthood, the game will intensify. I''m afraid that it''s impossible for me to stay low and uninvolved," Wei Lu said with a bitter smile.

    Game?

    It was more like a battle.

    Battle for the throne.

    Wei Liuying understood that there were some politics played out during this period of time. Even though the first prince, who came from the Empress, was selected as the crown prince, there was no telling whether there would be other undercurrents or not. Based on what her uncle said, she had a feeling that he was not siding with the crown prince.

    "His Majesty will not like it."

    "That''s why we can''t get found out," Wei Lu said with a smile.

    The Emperor was still in his fifties, which was fairly young. If his sons began to aim for the throne, isn''t it mean that they were hoping that he would die faster? It was unacceptable for him as everyone hoped that they would be able to hold the throne and be in power for as long as possible.

    Or better, live forever.

    Unfortunately, the recipe to be able to live forever didn''t exist.*

    His sons had started to aim to become the emperor as they had reached adulthood. Even though it would be only the beginning of the process, it would be a grand battle for them that occurred in the background. No one would dare to blatantly mention in front of the Emperor that they longed for the throne.

    That was clearly seeking death.

    "It means things will get even more dangerous for you, Uncle," Wei Liuying said softly.

    "Unfortunately, yes. It''s not like I wished things to be like this, but it can''t be helped." Wei Lu sighed. "My brother and I have different thoughts about this matter, so we might end up clashing."

    Wei Liuying didn''t respond. She knew that her father, Wei Hong, would be leaning towards Ji Shu because of Wei Xiao Hua''s engagement with him. Even though Ji Shu was not the crown prince, he had firm grip over part of the officials.

    This would be his strength.

    She was not too clear over the division of power between the four princes, but she heard that other than the third prince, the rest have a decent possibility to become the Emperor. As for the reason it was impossible for the third prince, it was all because of his mother whom the Emperor disliked.

    The reason was unknown as it was a private harem''s matter that Wei Liuying didn''t dare to ask too.

    "Uncle, please be careful."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll be trying to do my best to stay hidden and not be in the limelight. It''s just that, I''m afraid the princes are going to make their moves in the palace too," Wei Lu said slowly.

    The palace.

    Wei Liuying never wanted to enter that place in her entire life again. She had enough from the party before. It was filled with so many schemes and hidden daggers that could be thrown from any direction. She was worried that her hair would turn all white if she stayed there any longer.

    "Will you come to visit again?"

    "I might be able to come during my brother''s birthday, but I don''t think we''ll be able to meet again."

    "Yes."

    It was inevitable that they wouldn''t be able to meet. Even if Wei Liuying was already allowed to go out of her room, the men and women have different places to stay during the party.

    They wouldn''t be able to meet normally.

    And Wei Liuying didn''t want to create needless rumors with an attempt from her to meet with her uncle.

    That would be too troublesome.

    ¡­

    Sora''s Historical Corner:

    The method to live forever is something that many emperors searched in ancient China. Some people suggested using mercury, both by inhalation or by consuming directly. This method, however, instead made them die even faster. (After all, mercury is not something that we can consume safely as the chemical was dangerous for our body)

    A renown historical character who tried it was Qin Shi Huang Di, the first Emperor of China. He was obsessed to live forever and used the mercury, but it ended up resulting in his earlier death.

    There were many others, but I would not mention them here.

 Chapter 52 - Comforting Talk

    Wei Lu sipped the tea again. He put down the cup and sighed. "You''re already 14 years old. I''m sure that your father will try to arrange an engagement for you soon. Even though there''s no certainty, it will happen sooner or later."

    Most young ladies were engaged when they were 14 or 15 years old. There were some who were even earlier, but it was rare because many usually waited until the time was close. They wanted to make use of their daughters to strengthen their position in the court by arranging them to be with some of their old friends.

    "I know, Uncle."

    "Is there any young man whom you fancied?"

    Wei Liuying''s brain short circuited for a moment when she heard what her uncle said. A rare astonished look flashed within her eyes for a split second. "Uncle?"

    "I can try to introduce them to your father." Wei Lu smiled playfully. "Even though there''s no certainty, I can influence his decision a bit with some little tricks that I can pull from the back."

    At this point, Wei Liuying didn''t know whether to cry or laugh. She faintly shook her head. "My marriage will be something that my father decides for me. I''m sure that even if there''s any man that I fancy, it''ll not enter his eyes."

    Wei Lu arched his eyebrows. "What kind of man do you want?"

    "Someone ordinary."

    Wei Lu: "¡­"

    The word ordinary was something that was thrown out of their dictionary when someone was searching for his daughter''s marriage partner. There was no way that one would want to have an ordinary and unremarkable son in law.

    "Xiao Ling¡­. Can''t you give me another description."

    Wei Liuying was amused when she saw her uncle''s troubled look. She sighed. "I don''t have much criteria. As long as he respects me and not someone over twice my age, I wouldn''t mind that much."

    Twice her age?

    Thinking about the old officials who were still taking concubines even though they were already over forty years old, Wei Lu sighed. There were some possibilities that Wei Hong would pick them to be his daughter''s husband if he was too desperate.

    "How about the imperial family?"

    Crack.

    Wei Liuying stepped on the branch in front of her. Her eyes were looking at her uncle with menacing glare. "I don''t want to enter the palace, Uncle."

    There were too many hidden dangers within the palace. She was afraid that she wouldn''t be able to stand facing all those hidden dangers that lurked everywhere and got herself killed. That would be too tragic.

    Wei Lu coughed. "Well, the princes are 18 to 22 years old, so they''re not that far from your age. Even as a concubine, it wouldn''t be so bad."

    Wei Liuying shook her head. Even if she knew that an ending as a concubine existed, she didn''t want to be the one to jump into that pit. There was no telling whether the main wife would be trying to harm her or not because she might take the husband''s attention. Even if she didn''t attract any attention, she would just end up ignored in the residence.

    Ignored¡­

    It was a feeling that she had already experienced so many times in her own residence. She didn''t want to repeat it again for the rest of her life.

    "I don''t want to be a concubine, Uncle." For the first time, Wei Liuying told her uncle about her real goal.

    Wei Lu raised his head and looked at his niece''s eyes. It was filled with determination and solemness. He understood that she was serious. "Do you think that your father will agree with it?"

    "I''ll try."

    Try.

    Meaning that she had another plan in case she failed. However, Wei Lu had a bad feeling when he saw her gaze. It was as if she was even willing to bet with her entire life for the life that she wanted.

    "Don''t act rashly."

    "A calm rabbit will not do anything bad, but when provoked, it''s still possible for it to fight back," Wei Liuying replied.

    Wei Lu opened his mouth then closed it again. There was still time for her before it was determined, so he knew that Wei Liuying wouldn''t do anything rash. Unless there was no other option, she would bid her time.

    "You¡­"

    *rustle*

    Wei Liuying noticed that her father had returned. It seemed that the two of them still had some discussion. She cupped her hand. "I''ll be leaving now, Uncle."

    "Go."

    Wei Lu watched as Wei Liuying''s back disappeared in the distance. If only there was something that he could do for her, he would do it. Unfortunately, he didn''t have a good relationship with his brother, so it was impossible for him to interfere with her marriage.

    He could only arrange some of his good friends who have suitable sons to try getting close to Wei Hong.

    As for the rest, he could only hope.

    "You''re still here, Wei Lu."

    "Our talk is not over yet, right? Have you calmed down?"

    Wei Hong snorted and sat down. He looked at his brother with a menacing gaze. It was as if he was intending to kill his own brother.

    While the two of them were chatting, Wei Liuying returned back to her room. She had just finished changing her clothes when the door was pushed open. A servant walked in with a haughty expression. Wei Liuying recognized her as Wei Zilin''s servant.

    "Don''t you know any manners?" Wei Liuying asked in a low tone.

    The servant was startled to see Wei Liuying on her bed. Even though the light in the room was dim, she could still see that the Third Miss was lying down on her bed.

    "This¡­ this servant is here to deliver herbs from Second Miss."

    "Give them to Xiao Yu."

    "Y..yes!"

    Wei Liuying looked at Xiao Yu, who was standing behind the servant with her head lowered. It looked as if she had failed to prevent the servant from getting in, so she felt guilty.

    "You can get out."

    "Yes, Third Miss."

    Taking out her book, Wei Liuying continued to read. She didn''t want to bother with those unruly servants again. Her second sister seemed to love checking her out. It would be harder for her to get out in the future if this continues.

 Chapter 53 - Staying Low

    However, Wei Liuying was not too worried about her mother and her second sister. They were a bit too obvious in their action at times, which made it easy for her to read through them like an open book.

    She was paying more attention to the move that Wei Xiao Hua might do. Fortunately, Wei Xiao Hua didn''t seem to want to do anything.

    All she did was to go to the academy, stroll around, and have a talk with Prince Ji Shu.

    There might be more things that she did in private, but those were the ones that circulated outside and Wei Liuying heard from time to time.

    Once the two weeks were up, Wei Liuying continued back to her routine of sparring. However, she was never seen outside her residence, so many people thought that she was still sick. Even on the day her father had his birthday, Wei Liuying didn''t show up. Some guests even thought that she had died, but it was quite impossible for Wei Hong to not put on a show if that truly happened.

    After all, she was still his daughter. If it was a concubine who died, it was fairly normal for no one to know. After all, even if a concubine was to be deposed without any hint of news, it was not strange. But if a daughter died, it would be weird for Wei Hong to not put on any show.

    Still, some rumors were circulating in the capital city.

    "Miss, because you don''t attend the birthday party, there are so many rumors about you," Xiao Yu said in clear annoyance. She felt that it was unfair that there were so many people talking about Wei Liuying even when she did nothing.

    But it was precisely because she did nothing that they talked.

    Wei Liuying put down the book that she read. Her wounds have already healed, but her mother forbade her from going out because Feng Chun didn''t want her to disturb her father''s plan in the birthday party. Besides, both of her parents didn''t really like to see her face.

    "It doesn''t matter," Wei Liuying said calmly. "The rumors won''t kill me."

    Xiao Qing was speechless. Well, it was true that the rumors wouldn''t kill her Miss, but it still wouldn''t do her good to have people talk about her.

    "Besides, I''m nothing more than a concubine daughter. After a day or two, the rumors will surely die down," Wei Liuying added.

    "Still, it''s bad."

    Xiao Yu was still pouting when she prepared the meal for Wei Liuying. She didn''t like the idea of having so many people talking bad about Wei Liuying. It just left a bad taste in her mouth.

    "Rather than that, I wonder what my two sisters are doing."

    It has been more than a month since Wei Liuying was staying inside her quarter all the time. The two of them never visited her and always seemed so busy. She had heard that the two sisters seemed to compete in the academy.

    "First Miss challenged Second Miss in embroidery just a week ago. The handkerchief that First Miss made was so beautiful that many young masters were eyeing her. However, the handkerchief landed in the Fourth Prince''s hand. There are many who said that he had been using it," Xiao Yu started to babble. When it came to rumors, she was the best to gather them as she had fun with hearing many nonsensical things.

    Wei Liuying sighed. "It''s rare for the Imperial Family members to openly show their affection like this."

    It was more common for the two to never meet with each other until the night of their marriage. However, Prince Ji Shu simply didn''t care for such matters. While the crown prince and the second prince abided the rules more, Prince Ji Shu was known to be unrestrained.

    But since the story was also interesting, the crowd turned blind eyes.

    The Emperor himself turned blind eyes of Prince Ji Shu''s sudden impulse to continue visiting his fianc¨¦e. Who were they to meddle with the Imperial Family''s matter?

    They still want to keep their small life.

    "First Miss is really lucky," Xiao Yu said in annoyance. "What did she do to deserve the love from the Fourth Prince?"

    "Is it really love?"

    "Miss?"

    Wei Liuying was silent for a moment before she shook her head. "No, it''s nothing."

    Xiao Yu was looking at her Miss with confusion. If it was not love, why would the Fourth Prince even cared so much for Wei Xiao Hua? There was simply no other explanation that was possible.

    While Xiao Yu was confused, Wei Liuying was thinking of the view that he saw back then. He had seen the Fourth Prince''s gaze when he was looking at Wei Xiao Hua. At that time, there was only some interest like a predator who had seen an interesting prey and wished to play with her.

    However, it has been some time since that time.

    The interest might have grown to something completely different. Wei Liuying didn''t have any intention to meet with the Fourth Prince again just to confirm her guess. That day had already left quite a deep impression on her.

    Even if she wished to go against him, she would never confront him head on.

    She didn''t want to fight a battle that she wasn''t sure she would win.

    "How about Second Sister?"

    "Second Miss is pretty upset about the result. She wanted to challenge First Miss to play guzheng, but there was no time that day. They planned to have their battles at another time instead." this time, it was Xiao Qing who answered.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Second Sister is very competitive."

    "Would you like to compete too, Miss?" Xiao Yu asked curiously.

    "Silly girl, what can I compete with them? I don''t want to make fun of myself," Wei Liuying rejected the idea immediately. She was not familiar with the arts that most women learned. The only one she was good at was only the math, but why would she want to compete in math with Wei Xiao Hua?

    She was not interested in the glory and fame that was possible to be obtained through such things.

    It was better for her to stay low and hide her real capabilities.

    "Did you hear anything from father''s birthday party?" Wei Liuying asked.

    The two of them shook their heads. All they knew about the birthday party was the fact that Prince Ji Shu came to attend. It made some people think that the marriage between Wei Xiao Hua and Prince Ji Shu would be a grand one since the prince willingly showed up for her countless times.

    "How about Uncle?"

    "Second Master came during the birthday party, but he didn''t make an inquiry about you at all, Miss," Xiao Yu was a bit dissatisfied with this.

    Wei Liuying nodded, not feeling that it was weird at all. In any case, Wei Lu was also busy because he was arranged to be the leader of some project. The fact that she was close to her uncle must never be revealed. Wei Lu is smart, so he knew that he shouldn''t ask something like that in public.

    Xiao Qing checked the time. "Miss, it''s already time."

    "Help me change my clothes."

    It was the day after the birthday party. Wei Liuying had promised to have a spar with Wei Hong Zheng again. Hopefully she would be able to gain more information from her brother.

 Chapter 54 - Spar And Information

    Tak!

    Wei Hong Zheng had a spar with Wei Liuying while retelling what occurred. This has become the norm as Wei Liuying used her brother to obtain a lot of information that she usually couldn''t access with the pretext that she wanted to help him evade any unnecessary schemes.

    "Father only chatted with some officials for a short period of time. The only one who talked with him for a long time is Prime Minister Xie because of their rivalries," Wei Hong Zheng said with a shrug. "I think Father thinks that it''s still too early to speak about marriage for you two."

    "I see," Wei Liuying answered placidly. She side stepped to the side and positioned her wooden sword to block the next attack.

    Tak!

    "However, I can see that Wei Zilin is interested in some young masters. There are a lot of young men who came to the party yesterday. Even though there''s a layer that separates the two places, we still can take a peek in some spot," Wei Hong Zheng said with a smile. He had a feast for his eyes yesterday because there were many beautiful young ladies who came too.

    Wei Liuying looked at her brother and moved back to evade the attack. "Is there anyone of your interest, Second Brother?"

    "Nah, I just find their appearance to be appealing. However, I don''t have any interest in getting married for now," Wei Hong Zheng said with a sneer. He was only 13 years old. The earliest he could get married would be when he reached 20. It was still 7 years from now.

    He was not that impatient.

    Wei Liuying nodded. It seemed that the hormone hadn''t worked well for Wei Hong Zheng because of his young age. All in all, it was fairly good for her since it meant she didn''t have to bother thinking of how he should attract women.

    By the time he could get married, she would have long gone from this residence unless Feng Chun wanted her to be an old maid.

    Tak!

    "Let''s have it done here. I''m hungry," Wei Hong Zheng said and put his sword away.

    "I understand."

    "Also, I''m going to start learning archery, so you''ll have to be my errand boy to set up the target and pick the arrows."

    "Archery?" Wei Liuying''s brain started to think when she recalled about the hunt three weeks from now. There was an annual hunt in summer when the weather was hot and also in Autumn before the temperature got too cold. There were a lot of young masters who came, but usually they arranged so that only those above the age of 13 could come.

    Last year, Wei Hong Zheng was still under the age limit, so he couldn''t participate. But this year, he had to participate, so he would need to start learning to use bow and arrow much better.

    "Yes. I want to beat First Brother''s record!"

    Wei Liuying''s expression was impassive. Wei Yijun managed to hunt a deer last year, which was quite an achievement considering it was only his third year. Many others have to be satisfied with only getting some rabbits that they could eat.

    "What''s the location for this year?"

    "It''s in South Plum Mountain. There are several villas owned by Prime Minister Xie, so the women can come this time," Wei Hong Zheng replied.

    South Plum Mountain.

    Wei Liuying knew that place. It was located not far from the capital city and known to be a good place to hunt. However, only the Xie Family had a villa in that area and still used it because there were a lot of bandits who came and went in that area.

    "Do you have any suggestions?"

    "I need more information about the place."

    Wei Hong Zheng groaned. "Just ask Huo. He''ll help you to obtain the information that you need."

    "Alright."

    Huo was the name of Wei Hong Zheng''s servant that he used the most. He was also the most trusted servant that Wei Hong Zheng had. After all, only Huo knew the real relationship between the two of them.

    The two siblings parted ways while Wei Liuying began to ponder. It was rare for the Emperor to pick a dangerous place for the annual hunt. Usually, he would just pick some areas that were known to be safer but good hunting places.

    ''Was it because of Prince Ji Sheng''s participation?''

    Wei Liuying couldn''t think of any other reasons but this one. After all, having a general contend with pampered young masters would be overkill. It seemed that the Emperor wanted to have a reason for Prince Ji Sheng to not participate. He would be forced to clean up the area from bandits and guard it.

    Well, it didn''t really matter much to her.

    In the afternoon, Huo came to bring her some bamboo strips that contained the information of the South Plum Mountain. Just like the name, the trees in that place were mostly plum trees. In summer, they would have enough leaves that help to reduce heat if they were to rest under the shade.

    Wei Liuying read more of the information and concluded that the terrain was similar to forest with some rocky areas. There was also a map drawn on the skin, but it focused on the villa.

    "Miss, the villa looks beautiful," Xiao Yu exclaimed.

    "Yes. Prime Minister Xie built it years ago for his family. It''s focused more on beauty. Unfortunately, he couldn''t use the place too often because it''s a dangerous area after the flood occurred on the East because of Huang River. Some villages were destroyed and the surviving ones mostly become bandits in the area."

    South Plum Mountain was located slightly to the east, a dozen miles away from Huang River. Thanks to that, it became the target for the refugee who couldn''t make their way to the villages. As time passed, many of them became bandits as they couldn''t live in villages anymore or simply too poor.

    Xiao Qing looked at the villa. "Miss, since the women were allowed to come, does it mean it''ll be the chance for you to find a partner?"

    "That didn''t sound too bad," Wei Liuying said softly. "But I''m afraid that it wouldn''t be possible."

 Chapter 55 - An Accident

    "Why, Miss?"

    Wei Liuying laughed softly. "Men were going to the forest to hunt while the women would stay behind to wait. Even though we could see, it would be only from faraway locations. There were no possibilities for the noble ladies to have private conversation with the young masters without attracting any attention. The only possible way would be a secluded place, but where can you find it when the place would be tightly guarded and there were countless servants?"

    Xiao Yu was dumbfounded. It was then she realized what Wei Liuying said made sense. There was simply no chance for them to even socialize with the men because of the time and location.

    That was truly a waste.

    However, they couldn''t just blatantly ignore the rules unless they wished to be shunned by society. There was simply nothing else that they could possibly do to make use of the chance better.

    Wei Liuying stayed in the room to read the text that Huo had given her. The information was barely enough, but she would be able to design some plans to allow Wei Hong Zheng to win in the competition against Wei Yijun. As for contending against the princes, she was very pessimistic.

    "Has Second Brother returned?" Wei Liuying asked. Today Wei Hong Zheng was invited to the academy after their spar, so Teacher Luo would only come in the evening. It was already nearing the time for dinner, so she supposed they had already returned back.

    Xiao Yu walked out and made an inquiry. She returned back a few breaths'' time afterwards. "Miss, Second Master hadn''t returned."

    "It''s already late," Wei Liuying commented. "Has Teacher Luo come?"

    "Teacher Luo is in the Middle Pavilion."

    "Let''s head there."

    The middle pavilion was the place for the young masters to study if they were not in their quarter. Wei Yijun and Wei Hong Zheng often visited the place because it was a peaceful area as the servant didn''t dare to come inside unannounced.

    Wei Liuying made her way to the pavilion. As she entered the place, she could see Teacher Luo sitting there while reading. His aged face looked tired, yet he was still focused on the book that he held.

    "Teacher Luo."

    "Third Miss Wei?" Teacher Luo was surprised. He put on a smile when he saw her. "How rare to see you here. Is there any problem?"

    "I merely thought that it''ll be impolite to leave Teacher Luo alone here. Since Second Brother hadn''t come, I thought it''ll be fine for me to come and take a look," Wei Liuying replied.

    It was not that rare for the sisters to come here. However, neither one of them usually liked to come here because the knowledge was vastly different from what they learnt. They would only come to greet the teacher occasionally when they have the time.

    Teacher Luo smiled. "Come and have a seat."

    "Thank you, Teacher Luo."

    Wei Liuying sat down and Xiao Qing quickly served tea for the two of them. Afterwards, she retreated to the back in order to not disturb the two of them.

    "I heard that you were sick. Have you gotten better?" Teacher Luo asked.

    "Many thanks for your concern. Liuying is better now," Wei Liuying replied and took the cup of tea in front of her. Slowly and elegantly, she sipped the tea.

    Watching her movements, Teacher Luo sighed. Even though Wei Liuying lacked when it came to most skills, she still learned the etiquette and managed to master most of them to a decent level. That way, she wouldn''t look bad when it was the time to visit some other noble families.

    "There will be an annual hunt. This year the ladies are allowed to come. Would you like to use this chance too?" Teacher Luo asked.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "If Mother allows me to, I will surely attend."

    "Why would she reject you from coming? It''s not like something bad will surely happen in the hunt," Teacher Luo complained.

    Wei Liuying laughed and didn''t reply. There were some matters that were better left unsaid. She looked at the books in Teacher Luo''s hand. "Is it time for Second Brother to start learning the current balance of power in the capital city?"

    "Yes. It''s important for him to understand who''s on his side and who he should be more cautious with," Teacher Luo replied. "I''m worried that he''ll make a mistake during the hunt if he''s not careful enough."

    "Second Brother is a bit impulsive, but he''s not dumb. I''m sure that he wouldn''t get into that much trouble." At most, he''ll make a joke out of himself because of his loud mouth.

    Teacher Luo shook his head. The two of them knew that Wei Hong Zheng was not a bright student. Even after a long time teaching, Teacher Luo was helpless towards this student of his. He slowly sipped the tea in his hand.

    "Second Young Master took a long time today. I wonder what kind of trouble he attracted in the Academy."

    "I hope it''s not a big problem," Wei Liuying said softly.

    Teacher Luo nodded. He also wished that nothing bad would happen, but who knew what actually happen so far away?

    At this time, they heard commotion from the main door as a servant quickly stormed in.

    "Teacher Luo, Third Young Miss, Second Young Master was wounded!" he informed with a pale expression.

    The two of them were stunned. Wei Liuying stood up and looked at the servant with a cold expression. "Can you tell us what happened on our way?"

    The servants nodded vehemently and began to lead the way while telling the story.

 Chapter 56 - Farce

    As they walked to the main gate, they listened to the servants. Wei Hong Zheng was practicing to use a bow and arrow with the other students in the academy. However, one student accidentally aimed at the crowd and the arrow hit Wei Hong Zheng''s leg. Right now, everyone was in chaos because of the incident.

    The student was fearful because of his mistake and tried to run away. However, the crowd stopped him before he could possibly do that. They brought him to face Wei Hong.

    "Has the wound been treated?" Wei Liuying asked.

    The servant nodded. "Yes. The doctor had examined him and given him some prescription, but the situation is not good."

    "You can leave."

    They had arrived in the main gate. Wei Liuying could see the commotion before her as her brows furrowed. Her hand dug into her sleeve as she procured a veil before she worn it. Before the crowd, it was inappropriate for her to just show her face.

    "Teacher Luo, can you tell me more about the boy''s family?"

    Teacher Luo was stunned. "This, do you think that someone set this up?"

    "The possibility is not zero."

    "That¡­" Looking at Wei Liuying''s expression, Teacher Luo sighed. He hoped that she was only overthinking it as he started to speak, "Student Zhao is from a lower ranked official who forked a large sum of money for him to attend the academy. However, his father died not long ago, so he was not in a good condition¡­."

    As Teacher Luo continued, Wei Liuying sighed. The boy was in a huge need of money because it was impossible for him to continue studying without the necessary sum. He had a sickly younger brother who might die at any moment. At the same time, his status was already low because it would take him a few more years before he could participate in the examination.

    There would be no way a mistake such as aiming wrongly could possibly happen in this situation when the crowd was over 90 degrees away from the direction of the target. It must be intentional.

    However, Wei Liuying didn''t say anything as she watched the farce before her unfolding. Feng Chun was cursing that boy openly while wailing and saying ''poor Hong Zheng'' with a pitiful expression. Wei Hong was also enraged because his son was wounded so badly. The boy was trembling with his mother begging for forgiveness.

    "Xiao Qing," Wei Liuying extended her hand.

    Xiao Qing quickly stepped forward and grabbed Wei Liuying''s hand. There was a worried expression on her face. On the other hand, Wei Liuying suddenly looked far weaker as her face turned pale while her body leaned on Xiao Qing.

    By the side, Teacher Luo was stunned when he saw the sudden chance on Wei Liuying. The two of them were truly great actors.

    After they finished their preparation, Wei Liuying slowly made her way to the crowd with Xiao Qing''s help. This appearance could easily make people feel pity for them because of her frail figure.

    "This is just an accident! Please forgive us!"

    "Is the wound deep, Doctor?" Wei Hong asked the doctor who came along with the crowd. He was here to give some prescription that they needed.

    The doctor shook his head. "The arrow didn''t enter too deep, but it''ll take him around a month to two to fully recover."

    "No!" Wei Hong Zheng shouted. His face was as pale as a sheet, but he still held on and looked at the doctor. "It can''t be that long, Doctor!"

    "I''m sorry, but it''s already the best that I can do."

    Wei Hong Zheng''s expression was pale. Just this morning, he was bragging to his sister, saying that he would surely surpass Wei Yijun''s result from the year before. However, now he was reduced to a weakling who couldn''t even participate in the hunt.

    What a joke!

    From the side, Wei Xiao Hua walked out gracefully. She was wearing a long white robe that seemed to be eye-catching during night time like this. Her features were barely visible thanks to the veil that she wore, but her eyes shone brightly like the stars in the sky.

    "Father."

    As her soft voice trailed off, Wei Hong turned to look at his first daughter. For the past few months, he had seen her changes that made him utterly surprised. He could never imagine that she was the same timid girl in the past anymore. It was as if Wei Xiao Hua was born anew after her splendid fall in front of Prince Ji Shu.

    "What is it, Xiao Hua?"

    "The incident did sound weird, but it''ll be too much to make a ruckus in the middle of the night? How about if I ask for help from His Highness the Fourth Prince to settle this matter?" Wei Xiao Hua asked in a light tone

    Fourth prince!

    When they all heard the name, their bodies involuntarily shuddered in fear. They all knew how ruthless the Fourth Prince could be. Not long ago, they heard that he gave order to eliminate the bandits in Eastern Forest and placed more guards. After the rumors of Princess Ji Xiaoli''s night visit, there were a lot of people who tried to hunt ghosts only to get themselves killed.

    The matter was reported to the Emperor, and he ordered Ji Shu to take care of it. As a result, it was a total massacre. There were countless dead bodies that were retrieved from the forest as the guards were stationed there. No one dared to recklessly get close to Eastern Forest again since then.

    Wei Hong furrowed his brows. "Are you sure he''ll be willing to help?"

    "I''ll find a way," Wei Xiao Hua replied. There was a proud smile hung on the corner of her lips that couldn''t be seen because of her veil. However, the brilliant light on her eyes that was brimming with confidence was visible for all to see.

 Chapter 57 - Farce (2)

    Wei Hong furrowed his brows. "Are you sure he''ll be willing to help?"

    "I''ll find a way," Wei Xiao Hua replied. There was a proud smile hung on the corner of her lips that couldn''t be seen because of her veil. However, the brilliant light on her eyes that was brimming with confidence was visible for all to see.

    The crowds were stunned when they heard what Wei Xiao Hua said. Even though they had heard that the Fourth Prince doted on First Miss Wei, it was nothing but rumor. But hearing how Wei Xiao Hua seemed to be so confident in asking for his help, they couldn''t help but think that the rumor must be true.

    If not, Wei Xiao Hua''s confidence was unexplained.

    Only Wei Hong Zheng was still glaring daggers at Wei Xiao Hua. He knew very well that the two of them couldn''t meet eye to eye since his status still often be better than Wei Xiao Hua because of his gender. There would be no way Wei Xiao Hua would be willing to help him voluntarily.

    Wei Hong nodded, feeling much better. "In that case, I''ll trouble you, Xiao Hua."

    "Yes, Father!"

    "But Father¡­"

    "Don''t say anything more," Wei Hong said sternly to his son. He looked at the boy who wounded his son. "Whether you''re innocent or not, you''ll stay in prison for questioning. Don''t hope that you can escape if you did this intentionally."

    "Please have mercy!"

    However, Wei Hong didn''t want to see them anymore. A few guards hauled the boy away while his mother was crying buckets. However, the crowds didn''t show any pity whatsoever as they felt that the incident was fishy too.

    Wei Hong thanked the crowd for bringing the news to him and helped to bring his son back home. He also gave the doctor a large sum of money for his endeavor in helping his son to get the first aid that he needed.

    "Liuying!" Feng Chun noticed that Wei Liuying had come out. She ignored her pale face and weak appearance as she strode forward. "Can''t you do something?"

    Wei Liuying looked at her mother with a confused and worried expression. "Mother, what are you talking about? I don''t even know what happened. I only heard that Second Brother was hurt, so I came here in a hurry."

    It was then the crowd saw Wei Liuying. Some of them had heard that she was sick the day before, but they didn''t know the details. Now that they saw her, they could see that she was truly sick.

    Only Wei Xiao Hua was looking at Wei Liuying with a hint of malice within her eyes.

    "This¡­" Feng Chun was at a loss.

    She couldn''t possibly reveal to the crowd that the one who helped her scheme was her daughter. How shameful would it be? However, it was also the truth that her daughter was much smarter than her, which gave her more benefit in the residence, especially when it was regarding Wei Hong Zheng''s matter.

    Wei Liuying looked at Wei Xiao Hua. "Since First Sister is already willing to lower herself to ask help from His Highness the Fourth Prince, we must thank her, Mother."

    Feng Chun was obviously unwilling, but under the state of her husband and the crowd, she had no other choice but to utter the thanks. Her heart felt like it was pierced, but she had no words that she could possibly say in this situation.

    "T¡­Thank you, Wei Xiao Hua."

    Wei Xiao Hua was still looking at Wei Liuying, but she turned her gaze to look at Feng Chun. "It''s nothing, Madam Feng. I''ll surely do my best."

    Feng Chun''s smile was ugly, but she couldn''t say anything else. Wei Hong was unhappy to see Feng Chun being ungrateful like that. In his opinion, she should be happy that Wei Xiao Hua was willing to help. "Thank you for today, everyone. It''s already late, so I can''t possibly invite you all to the house."

    "It''s fine, Prime Minister Wei."

    "We''re happy to help."

    They exchanged some pleasantries as the crowd dispersed. Wei Hong Zheng still wanted to speak, but he noticed that Wei Liuying was sending a warning glare. He clamped his mouth shut unhappily as his eyes were staring at Wei Xiao Hua with clear anger.

    Wei Xiao Hua watched them with amusement. If not for the veil covering up her mouth, they would be able to see the smile that she hid there.

    The way she watched everything looked as if she was only watching a play in front of her.

    It was as if the matter didn''t involve her in the slightest bit.

 Chapter 58 - Outrageous Plan

    "Let''s go back, Mother," Wei Liuying said in a weak voice. She was still holding onto Xiao Qing''s hand, making her look like a pitiful young lady. Even though she was not sure whether this would be a good idea or not, she would rather keep on pretending since they all only knew her as the sick Third Young Miss from Wei Household.

    Wei Zilin was merely watching from a distance away. She tugged her mother''s sleeve. "Serve that b*stard right."

    "Watch your mouth," Concubine Xie warned, yet her eyes were gleaming with happiness. After all, the misfortune of other people in the residence was something to be celebrated about. She had been suffering for the past two months or so because of Wei Xiao Hua''s change and now, it was their turn.

    She felt utterly satisfied.

    Even though she didn''t do anything, she could guess that this incident must be arranged by someone who didn''t want Wei Hong Zheng to succeed.

    As the crowd dispersed, Wei Liuying made her way back to her residence. She changed her clothes to that of a boy''s clothes and then slipped to her brother''s residence right when they had returned. Wei Hong was still speaking some words to Wei Hong Zheng. Even if Wei Hong Zheng was a bit disappointing, he''s still his son after all.

    "You have to use this time to study more, Hong Zheng."

    "Yes, Father," Wei Hong Zheng replied through gritted teeth. He felt embarrassed because he had to be wounded. If only his reaction speed was faster, he wouldn''t have gotten shot just now.

    Wei Hong looked at his son and patted the latter''s shoulder. He sighed. "I''ll make sure the one who tried to harm you gets his end."

    "Yes, Father."

    Wei Hong still promised some other things before he left. On the other hand, Wei Hong Zheng''s expression was frosty as he was carried back to his room. His mother, Feng Chun was still there with a haggard expression.

    "Mother, Second Brother," Wei Liuying appeared from the shadow and greeted him.

    Wei Hong Zheng looked at his sister. "Why don''t you let me protest? Father will surely listen to my words."

    "And let you frame His Highness the Fourth Prince?"

    "But it might be him who does it!"

    "And if it''s not?"

    "That¡­" Wei Hong Zheng lost his ability to speak as he set his eyes downcast. He was still feeling unwilling about the whole matter. It felt as if there was a knife piercing onto his heart, yet he couldn''t speak about it.

    Wei Liuying looked at her brother. It seemed that he could be smart at times too. Indeed, she had suspected that the one who did this was Prince Ji Shu, but was there any proof? Even if there were any witnesses, she was sure that they would have already been killed by Ji Shu.

    That was his method: clean and ruthless.

    "Offending His Highness the Fourth Prince in Public is clearly seeking for your own death, Second Brother. If you wish to dig your early grave, there are more harmless methods," Wei Liuying said harshly.

    Wei Hong Zheng bit his lips, feeling aggrieved. However, he understood what Wei Liuying said very clearly. They should never offend Imperial Family members. That was an ultimate rule if they wished to survive.

    Feng Chun was more displeased. "Why are you so harsh with Hong Zheng? Do you know that this is the best time for him to attend the hunt and make his name? Now it''s impossible for him to be the youngest best hunter!"

    Wei Liuying was silent for a moment. The title of youngest best hunter was nothing more than an honorary title that didn''t worth much. It was always replaced each year since it was merely a temporary title for bragging.

    Besides, they would forget the name after a while since it didn''t really worth much. Unless the same person could hunt the best beasts each year, their names would be forgotten with time. And even if Wei Hong Zheng was slightly better in martial arts, Wei Liuying highly doubted that her brother would be able to accomplish something like that.

    He would be forgotten after one time of the best''s title.

    "The medicine from the Imperial Family is said to be really good. If you use it, you might be able to heal within a month, Second Brother," Wei Liuying said. She had used the medicine that Yang Xian gave her and the wound heal at one third of the estimated time the doctor told her. Of course, she still pretended to be sick while actually already jumping around inside her room.

    The medicine that she kept was already almost used up. It could only be enough for two more uses and considering Wei Hong Zheng''s wound, he would need to use it for several weeks. The effect will be very minimal.

    Wei Hong Zheng frowned. "And how can I get it? Don''t tell me to beg from His Highness the Fourth Prince. I''ll never do that."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" that''s actually a good idea.

    However, it would be the same as throwing their pride in front of the fourth prince and possibly lost all good feelings that they were trying to build. Besides, was there any guarantee that the harsh prince would be willing to help them out.

    "That''s not happening."

    Wei Hong Zheng was still staring at Wei Liuying heavily as a thought crossed his eyes. "Then, Third Sister, you can just replace me."

 Chapter 59 - An Act Punishable By Death

    Wei Liuying looked at her brother coldly. There was a faint glint within her eyes that was concealed almost immediately. "Second Brother, do you wish to put the three of us to our death?"

    "As long as you don''t get found out, it''s fine," Wei Hong Zheng retorted. His eyes were blazing with determination. "We''re similar to each other, anyway, so it''s fine."

    As a young girl in her 14, Wei Liuying was a bit small due to a bit of malnutrition. Wei Hong Zheng still hadn''t experienced his growth spurt. As a result, the two siblings have similar height with each other.

    As for countenance, they both had their mother''s beauty. However, Wei Liuying looked a bit more similar to their father while Wei Hong Zheng didn''t seem to have his trait. If one paid close attention, they would realize that the two siblings were different but from a distance, they were similar.

    Feng Chun''s eyes lit up when she heard what Wei Hong Zheng said. "Right, I should have thought about this! Liuying, you''ll dress up as Hong Zheng!"

    "Mother, you understand the consequences of lying to the Imperial Family, right?" Wei Liuying asked again.

    If she was caught dressing up as Wei Hong Zheng to be able to participate in the Summer Hunt, she would be heavily punished. It was possible that she would be sentenced with death if they were so displeased with her. With her low status, she was sure that it was highly possible.

    And at that time, if she brought down Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng with her, neither one of the three of them would survive.

    Feng Chun sneered. "So what? I can simply say that it''s what you want to orchestrate by yourself. That way, I''ll still be able to stay low with Hong Zheng while you can go and rot in the prison."

    Wei Liuying stayed silent for a moment. Her black eyes were staring back at her mother without any emotion from inside. This was not the first time she faced the harsh reality that even her mother wanted her death.

    "Why do you put so much importance to the hunt, Second Brother?"

    "One, I want the title," Wei Hong Zheng replied. "Second, I want to give a lesson to Wei Xiao Hua!"

    Wei Liuying''s pupil shrunk. "Brother, you know that you shouldn''t make a move against her, right? If Father found out, he''ll be enraged because she''s still the main daughter."

    "I just want to teach her a lesson," Wei Hong Zheng complained. He looked at Wei Liuying. "Rummaging her things when she''s away should be fine, right?"

    "Second Brother, do you forget that His Highness the Fourth Prince might have sent his men to watch over her residence?" Wei Liuying asked again. From what she knew, it was highly possible for Ji Shu to send his men to watch over Wei Xiao Hua''s residence. The security in Wei Household was not that tight, especially if it had to face highly skilled people who worked for the Imperial Family.

    Wei Hong Zheng frowned. "Then what can I do against her? Do you think I can stand being bullied by her all the time?"

    Wei Liuying merely looked at her brother. Does he think a little setback was already unforgivable? She had to bear with it every single time and bid her time to equip herself with knowledge and skills while using her wits to escape from dire situations with the minimum impact on herself.

    He was truly pampered.

    Wei Xiao Hua normally wouldn''t be able to bully him and had to borrow the power from Prince Ji Shu to deal with him. After all, Wei Hong also wouldn''t stay quiet if his son was to get bullied. It was obvious that the position of both the main daughter and his son were equally important in Wei Hong''s eyes.

    Unfortunately, Wei Hong Zheng couldn''t see it and continued to whine like a little girl.

    "Be patient, Second Brother."

    "Patient?" Wei Hong Zheng sneered. "I wouldn''t be happy unless I could deliver a slap to their faces for messing with me. It''s settled, you''re going to act as me and enter the Summer Hunt."

    Wei Liuying frowned. "Second Brother, are you not worried that you wouldn''t be able to do the same next year?"

    "I can just give excuses that I''m not feeling well."

    "Fine." Wei Liuying knew that she wouldn''t be able to change her brother''s mind. "In that case, I''ll need to have training and you should know that neither one of us are allowed to be seen in public places for the next three weeks."

    "You can train in your back courtyard. It''s not ideal but what you need to do is get used to the bow and arrow," Feng Chun decided almost immediately.

    Wei Liuying looked at her mother. "I can''t ride a horse."

    The men were taught how to ride horses in the academy, but Wei Liuying never had the chance to ride one. After all, it would be too conspicuous if she tried to ride a horse in the household.

    Feng Chun frowned. "We''ll borrow a carriage and depart. You''ll act as a servant when we go to train your skill in horse riding."

    "Fine."

    Wei Liuying no longer said anything and merely listened as both Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng were passionate to have her replace Wei Hong Zheng. All they could think in their mind was if Wei Xiao Hua saw that Wei Hong Zheng was still alive and kicking, what kind of face she would make.

    After all, it was plainly obvious that Wei Xiao Hua purposely injured Wei Hong Zheng in order to not let him participate in the Summer Hunt.

    "Now that''s settled, you can go back." Feng Chun raised her chin with a sweet smile on her lips. "Starting tomorrow morning, you''re going to train on your back courtyard."

    "Yes, Mother."

    Excusing herself, Wei Liuying made her way back to her residence. She didn''t stop and remained cautious in case there were men from Ji Shu who were sent to watch over her movements in this place. However, she couldn''t sense anyone.

    ''I hope it''s not because their martial arts are far higher than me.''

 Chapter 60 - Dream

    "Miss, you have returned," Xiao Qing greeted with a smile.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Prepare hot water and dinner. I''ll be resting after this."

    "Yes."

    As she was eating, Wei Liuying was thinking about the training that she would be forced to do for the next three weeks. It was not that fun, but she had no other choice. And she couldn''t get found out no matter what.

    If something happened, she knew that she would be dead.

    "Xiao Qing, starting tomorrow, all servants aside from you have to leave my residence. Give them tasks that will require them to stay outside the quarter," Wei Liuying ordered.

    Xiao Qing was stunned. Aside from her and Xiao Yu, there were only a few old maids who were sent by Feng Chun to clean up the quarter. After all, it was quite a hard task to maintain such a large residence by themselves.

    "Yes, Miss."

    "You can retire for today."

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying sighed and walked to her bed. She felt tired with all the fa?ade that she had to put on, but if she wanted to survive, she could never put it off ever again. it was as simple as that.

    The moment she closed her eyes, Wei Liuying slowly drifted to sleep. Before her, she could see a world of white. It was warm and comforting, completely different with the harsh and cold world that she had to face every single day. Everything was white and slowly, it changed to a different color.

    Wei Liuying took some time before she could make up the layout of the new place as she looked around her.

    "Mother! Mother!"

    The sound of a young kid startled her as she could see the image of a young girl around the age of 3 or 4 running to the direction of a young lady. The young lady was holding on a young boy who didn''t seem to be that much younger compared to the young girl. She was dressed prettily while the young girl looked far down to earth and normal.

    Wei Liuying faintly recalled this scene in her mind. It was her past, at the time when she was still a bit too na?ve to understand how the world around her worked.

    "What is it, Liuying? Can''t you see that I''m busy?"

    "Mother, look, Liuying starts to learn how to write!" the young Wei Liuying showed up the books that she held with a wide grin. She looked so eager to show the result of her study to her mother.

    Feng Chun looked at the book with a glance, but didn''t praise her. "You have to continue working hard."

    The young Wei Liuying waited for a bit more, but her mother didn''t say anything else. She was disappointed. Her expression looked sad, but her mother''s attention was never on her. Feng Chun was completely immersed in taking care of the young Wei Hong Zheng.

    "Yes, Mother." Finally, that was all the young Wei Liuying could say.

    "It''s useless," Wei Liuying said to herself as she watched the scene before her. Her eyes didn''t hold any trace of emotion as she looked at her younger self. She knew that the young her only ever wanted to have some affection from her mother. But it was precisely the affection that was never given.

    No matter how hard she worked hard, Feng Chun would not praise her.

    No matter how much she fulfilled Feng Chun''s wishes, the praise and comfort would never be directed at her.

    All the attention, care, and affection were given to Wei Hong Zheng by Feng Chun. The young her didn''t understand and tried over and over to get Feng Chun''s affection. But it was never directed at her.

    When she grew up, Wei Liuying began to understand the reason. It was simply because Feng Chun was so disappointed when she was born. Her mother was expecting to have a son, but what she got was a daughter. It was to the point that Feng Chun continued to pester Wei Hong in order to get what she wanted: a son.

    And she got it.

    She was so happy with Wei Hong Zheng and completely neglected Wei Liuying. When it was shown that Wei Liuying was far better than Wei Hong Zheng in everything, Feng Chun simply asked her to be the one who taught her brother and helped his study. All in order to make sure that Wei Hong Zheng could be successful.

    Wei Liuying stayed still in the world of white as she watched the scene in front of her change again. Now, it was back to the time when she was seven years old when Wei Hong Zheng started to learn martial arts. Feng Chun was dissatisfied with the result, so she had Wei Liuying become her brother''s sparring partner.

    She saw her young self who was crying and begging like there was no tomorrow.

    "Get back there and train!" Feng Chun didn''t care and rebuked harshly.

    The young Wei Liuying felt greatly hurt. It was her first time learning how to use a sword and her brother was already merciless. He wanted to vent out his feelings after losing so many times and was rebuked by his teacher over and over.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying closed her eyes. She didn''t want to see it all again. it was already enough to have it happened in the past. There was no need for her to remember all of those accursed incidents again.

    She didn''t know how much time had passed when Wei Liuying woke up. She glanced at the window and noticed that it was already morning. However, Xiao Qing hadn''t come in to wake her up, so it meant that it must be still very early.

    "Miss, are you awake?" Xiao Qing''s voice trailed from the door.

    "Yes."

    Slowly, Xiao Qing walked in and smiled when she saw Wei Liuying. "Miss, would you like to eat first?"

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying then proceeded to change into the boy''s clothes. Looking at Wei Liuying''s appearance, Xiao Qing seemed to have an idea of what Wei Liuying had to do. Her expression turned sad, but she refrained from saying anything. There was no need to aggravate the situation.

 Chapter 61 - Archery And Horse Riding

    Wei Liuying was already ready on the back courtyard. She saw an unfamiliar middle aged man, who was standing there with an impassive expression. Judging from his appearance, she guessed that he must be someone from Feng Family.

    The man turned to look at Wei Liuying when she got closer.

    "Third¡­"

    "From now on, address yourself as Wei Hong Zheng," the man interrupted her before she could even finish her greeting.

    Wei Liuying was expressionless when she changed her address. "Second Young Master of Wei Family, Wei Hong Zheng, is here."

    The man nodded. "Your voice is a bit higher than Hong Zheng, but you two are still kids, so it''s fine. Also, you can simply say your name from which family to address yourself."

    "Yes, Teacher."

    "My name is Tu, and you''ll call me Teacher Tu. From now on, I''m going to teach you how to use bow and arrow properly."

    "Yes, Teacher Tu."

    Teacher Tu nodded in apprehension. Feng Chun had already warned him before that Wei Liuying could be even better when she was dressed as a boy. Now that he saw the young girl with his own eyes, it was definitely true.

    Wei Liuying had a beautiful face that she inherited from Feng Chun, but around 40 to 50 percent were similar to Wei Hong. On his youth, Wei Hong was very handsome, which was one of the reason Feng Chun got attracted to him. With those two genes mixed together on Wei Liuying, she could pass as a pretty boy with the right clothing.

    Now that she started to speak loudly and not softly, one would find it harder to think of her as a young girl.

    "Alright, come here. This is the bow and arrow. I''ll teach you how to position your hands. Make sure that you keep both of your hand straight with your shoulder¡­"

    As Teacher Tu gave his instruction, Wei Liuying was trying to get the feeling of holding a bow in her hand. It was weird as she had never touched it before in her entire life. However, she soon got the hang of it.

    Afterwards, Teacher Tu have her pull the string and tried to aim to the target.

    Dzing!

    The arrow missed completely.

    "You need to pull the string more to the back and make sure that you aim properly," Teacher Tu instructed. He looked at Wei Liuying slender arm that pulled the string easily. Who would have thought that the small arm of a young girl could actually match against men? Many boys even thought that it was hard to pull the string and got tired after several tries.

    However, Wei Liuying didn''t show any sign of tiredness. Even though beads of sweat started to form on her forehead and her fingers were hurt because of the string, she still continued to practice.

    The practice continued until it was time for lunch. Wei Liuying took a short break to eat then returned with practice to imitate Wei Hong Zheng''s personality. She had to match with her brother in both her speech and walking. Even if there was any small difference, she had to make sure that all the trademarks Wei Hong Zheng had was there.

    Time passed.

    Wei Liuying continued the practice for archery for two weeks. Even though she still couldn''t hit the bullseye all the time, it was quite close. Getting this result after two weeks of practice was already good enough.

    "Today we''re going to practice horse riding. Madam Feng will be going out, and you''ll come along as her servant."

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying had to use makeup to hide her own countenance. Having a servant who looked oddly similar to their young miss and young master would be raising suspiciousness. Even though Wei Liuying was dressed as a young girl as the servant who followed Feng Chun were all women, she had to hide her countenance.

    "Madam Feng, you''re going out today?" Wei Xiao Hua came out of her residence and looked at Feng Chun with inquiry.

    Feng Chun looked at Wei Xiao Hua coldly. "The air is too foul here. I''m not in the mood to linger around."

    Wei Xiao Hua chuckled, ignoring the sarcasm. "Then I wish you safe journey, Madam Feng. Enjoy your time."

    "I will.???

    Feng Chun glared coldly at Wei Xiao Hua then get on the carriage. As the carriage went out, Wei Xiao Hua was looking at the carriage''s back with a frown on her forehead. She waved her hand. "Follow them."

    "Yes."

    In the middle of the way, Wei Liuying separated herself when they were passing by the market. There were a few servants who followed Feng Chun, so she shouldn''t have attracted attention. Nevertheless, Wei Liuying still waited in the alleyway with a cold expression as she knew that Wei Xiao Hua sent someone to follow them.

    ''First Sister is very persistent.''

    But if she was in Wei Xiao Hua''s shoes, she would surely do the same. After all, she wouldn''t want to get schemed without knowing what actually happened. And as the main daughter, Wei Xiao Hua had more freedom after she had secured her position and got the backing of the Fourth Prince.

    Swish!

    Wei Liuying arrived by the field. She could see Teacher Tu stood there with two horses beside him. He passed a glance at Wei Liuying. "Get on."

    "Uh, how?"

    "I''ll show you once."

    Teacher Tu gave the example for Wei Liuying then have her followed his instruction. It was hard for her at first and her butt felt hurt because of the saddle and the horse''s back. However, she learned how to adjust her position as Teacher Tu gave her instruction from the horse that he rode.

    They didn''t have much time and Wei Hong Zheng was a skilled horse rider, so Wei Liuying had no other choice but to learn everything much faster.

    Time passed.

    "You''re still far worse than Second Young Master, but this should pass. Return back to your residence and rest. Don''t forget to attend the academy in two days."

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Yes, Teacher Tu."

    Every student who wished to participate in the hunt have to be assessed by their teachers first to make sure that their skill was up to standard. After all, the hunt could be very dangerous, and the teachers wouldn''t want to send their students to their early grave.

    Wei Liuying had to first pretend to be Wei Hong Zheng in the academy. If she couldn''t pass that, she wouldn''t be able to act as her brother in the hunt.

    Even though it would be hard, Wei Liuying kept her calm.

 Chapter 62 - Asking For Help

    After the training, Wei Liuying headed to the Bookstore first. She hadn''t come here in ages and only sent Xiao Qing here to tell Manager Xin the reason why she couldn''t come. Nevertheless, she missed this place so much.

    "Yes?" the shopkeeper was stunned when he saw a young lady appeared with a veil on. There was no carriage this time. Did she walk on the street just like that?

    "Is Manager Xin here?"

    "Manager Xin is upstairs."

    "Thank you."

    Wei Liuying walked up while the shopkeeper was still confused. It was then he realized that he forgot to ask the young lady''s identity. After all, there were only a few people who knew that the real owner of this ordinary bookstore was actually Manager Xin.

    Knock! Knock!

    "Come in."

    "Manager Xin," Wei Liuying called out.

    Manager Xin, who was busy copying a book, froze in his movement. He turned around and smiled when he saw Wei Liuying standing there. However, her clothing made him frown as he knew that it was the clothing of servant from Wei Family.

    "Miss Liu, are you sneaking out?"

    "You can say like that," Wei Liuying responded.

    "Is it alright for you to come here?"

    "There''s no need to worry so much. I come here because I need some help from Manager Xin and Shi Yan."

    Manager Xin patted his chest. "If you ever need some help, there''s no need to worry. I''ll surely help you out, Little Lass. What do you need?"

    "First, I would like to know how far is your influence, Manager Xin."

    "Influence?" Manager Xin frowned. He has a lot of connections from his time as the official and scholar. However, he no longer communicated a lot with many of his friends since they were all already quite advanced in age. "I know some officials and others, but I don''t think that there will be many who would be willing to lend a hand if I ask for it."

    "I only want to procure the map of the entire Han Shi Kingdom Capital City."

    "Map?" Manager Xin was surprised. He looked at Wei Liuying, who was looking back at him solemnly. "Miss, are you¡­ planning something?"

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying didn''t hide it from Manager Xin. Since she needed his help, she had to be blunt with her own goal too because if not, Manager Xin might be suspecting something. Even though Manager Xin was no longer an official, he was still loyal to Han Shi Kingdom, so he wouldn''t want to see the kingdom implicated.

    "Why do you want the map, Miss?" Manager Xin asked carefully. A map could tell many things, so the detailed map of Han Shi Kingdom Capital City was always guarded tightly to make sure that no one would be able to misuse it.

    "I want to plan a way out, Manager Xin."

    "From Wei Household?"

    "Yes."

    Manager Xin looked at Wei Liuying. He had investigated a bit about her, so he knew some things in the Wei Household. Previously, Wei Liuying would always dodge the bullet and never say anything bad about her home. But now it was completely different.

    "Why so suddenly, Miss?"

    "Is it really sudden?" Wei Liuying laughed lightly. "I have always been cautious, haven''t I?"

    Thinking of the money that Wei Liuying didn''t dare to bring home because she feared that her mother would use it, Manager Xin sighed. "You wouldn''t try to harm the Imperial Family, right?"

    "I swore to the Heaven that I will not try to harm the Imperial Family unless they try to chase me," Wei Liuying said solemnly.

    "Alright."

    Manager Xin walked to the side and took out a skin. He unfurled it on the table as the sight of the entire map of Han Shi Kingdom Capital City was shown in entirety. The name of the stores was from a year ago, but most of them were still the same by now.

    "This is a map from last year. Will you take it with you?"

    "No. If I take it and someone found it, I''ll be in great trouble," Wei Liuying said while looking at all the routes. Her eyes were following after several paths that she never knew existed. It seemed that there were several ways for her to plan her escape.

    Even if she couldn''t get out of the capital city, she would be able to get out of Wei Family Residence and probably made her own living on the street. As long as she hid her feature and demeanor, she would be able to survive.

    "What do you plan, Miss?"

    "I''m designing my plan out," Wei Liuying said after a few breath''s time. She had concluded that it was possible for her to leave the capital city, but if she was out in the wilderness, she didn''t know how long she would be able to survive before dying because of some causes.

    It was tricky.

    "Manager Xin, do you know some bandits?"

    "Bandits?" Manager Xin was stupefied. He looked at Wei Liuying with astonishment. "Do you know what you''re talking about? Bandits would surely try to kill you or take you with them if you dare to appear."

    "I''m aware."

    "Then¡­"

    "But bandits are the only people who would dare to breach the law and act without restrain even when they''re in the midst of the capital city," Wei Liuying said firmly.

    "You¡­" Manager Xin wanted to speak more, but he swallowed the words that he was about to say. He sighed. "I don''t know any bandits because I have never gone out of this bookstore. If you want to meet one, I suggest you ask Shi Yan to introduce you with some of them."

    "Oh, he knows some bandits?"

    "Yes." Manager Xin sold out Shi Yan without hesitation.

    Wei Liuying nodded. She should have expected that a merchant like Shi Yan would be able to know some bandits. Slowly, she retracted her gaze from the map as she had already memorized most of the important routes that she needed.

    "Many thanks for your help, Manager Xin."

    "It''s nothing much, but please be careful Miss Liu."

    Wei Liuying smiled as her eyes glinted. "I''ll be alright."

    Manager Xin watched Wei Liuying departed and sighed. He truly wondered what did the Wei Household do to the point that they pushed Wei Liuying to finally make this decision.

 Chapter 63 - â€˜Wei Hong Zhengâ€™ Is Back

    Wei Liuying regrouped back with Feng Chun, who had just finished watching performance. Usually, Feng Chun would want to watch performance with her husband, but Wei Hong was busy for the past few days to prepare for the hunt. After all, he had to make sure that the preparation was enough to make sure no accident would happen.

    Summer Hunt was the hunt session for students and younger men. The adults would have their turn during Autumn Hunt as it was usually at a further distance away from the capital city and much more dangerous. Their target was not the deer like the youngster but could even be bear or boar.

    Feng Chun looked at Wei Liuying, but she didn''t say anything and made her way back to the residence. From the way it looked like, she was having a bad mood and tried to vent by having fun all by herself. Some people might be asking question, but Wei Hong''s private matter was not their business.

    When they returned, Wei Xiao Hua greeted them on the door.

    "Madam Feng, do you enjoy your trip?" Wei Xiao Hua asked with a forced smile. She didn''t get anything from having her men followed Feng Chun. All she did was watching performance and threw some tantrum there.

    "Of course. It''s fun," Feng Chun said simply.

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled and curtsied away. She silently gritted her teeth as she glanced at Feng Chun with confusion. In the book that she read, Wei Hong Zheng was actually not wounded. However, during the participation of the hunt, Wei Hong Zheng would spoil her time with Prince Ji Shu. Because of that, she chose to take action first to make sure that he couldn''t participate.

    Even though she had made sure that Wei Hong Zheng wouldn''t be able to get healed that fast, there was a trace of unease within her heart. It was as if the knowledge she got from the novel was not enough. But she didn''t know what it was. After all, the changes that occurred with Princess Ji Xiaoli shook her to the core.

    Still, when she tested the water with the many clashes with Concubine Chou, she found out that the book was accurate. It meant that there might be someone else who was transmigrated or there was actually a variable that she changed without her knowing.

    The fear of the unknown was truly frustrating.

    Feng Chun returned back to her room and glanced over to Wei Liuying. "Your eyes are darker than Wei Hong Zheng. Make sure that there''s no one who stay close enough with you to observe it."

    "Yes, Mother."

    "You can go back."

    Wei Liuying acknowledged it and swiftly returned back to her room. She had long known that her eyes were different than others. If one paid close attention, they would be able to see that her eyes were darker. But in normal times, there wouldn''t be anyone who was close enough to observe it, so only Wei Hong, Feng Chun, and Wei Hong Zheng knew about that.

    For the next day, Wei Liuying stayed in her room and made the summarization again. Wei Hong Zheng had already finished his lesson from what she prepared before, so Teacher Luo asked her to make more. After all, without the notes, Wei Hong Zheng''s progress was so pitiful.

    "Miss, it''s already late at night," Xiao Qing reminded in worry. Her hand was holding the lantern in her hand.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "I''m almost done."

    "Miss¡­"

    "It''s fine." Wei Liuying wrote the next word stroke by stroke unhurriedly. "I can even try to run away by relying on the hunt."

    Xiao Qing''s expression changed when she heard that. She looked at her Miss with disbelief. "But Miss, how are you going to fend for yourself in the wilderness? It wouldn''t be easy to live by yourself."

    Wei Liuying shook her head. "Which one will be harder? Fighting against those women in their schemes or living by yourself outside? I really want to know."

    "Will you really try to run away, Miss?"

    "No, I won''t."

    "But¡­ it''s a rare chance."

    "It''s a rare chance, but it''s not the best chance," Wei Liuying replied.

    Xiao Qing was confused. However, she soon understood that Wei Liuying didn''t want to leave because if she left during the hunt, it meant that she would be leaving her and Xiao Yu behind. It was not something that Wei Liuying would ever want to do.

    "Is it because of me, Miss? Miss should just leave without thinking about me."

    Wei Liuying laughed softly. "You have been taking care of me and all for the past few years. Without you two, I''ll never be able to live this long and survived in this hellish place. There''s no way I would leave you."

    Listening to Wei Liuying''s words, Xiao Qing clenched her first. She truly wished that she wouldn''t be a burden to her Miss. No matter what, she had to make sure that she would not be a hindrance. When Wei Liuying finally decided to leave the residence, she had to be able to catch up.

    The next day, Wei Liuying spent the day by resting on her room. She still pretended that she was sick, so the others were not trying to bother her at all. However, some people had been wondering about her since she never showed herself at all. It was as if she had gotten scared after offending the Fourth Prince.

    Though, only a few of them even remember her name.

 Chapter 64 - Fake Second Young Master

    The day afterwards, Wei Liuying dressed up like Wei Hong Zheng. She wore light blue robe and tied her hair up before she inserted the pin that her brother lent her. Looking at her appearance in the bronze mirror, she couldn''t see any difference from her brother except if they paid close attention.

    "Miss," Xiao Qing called out from the side. "What if there''s someone who want to visit you?"

    "Have Xiao Yu slept on my bed again. No one is allowed to get inside," Wei Liuying said calmly.

    "Yes, Miss!"

    Wei Liuying slipped away and entered her brother''s residence. Wei Hong Zheng was sitting on a chair with his legs stretched and placed on a smaller chair. It was still wounded, so he shouldn''t move it around so much. It would take around two more weeks based on the doctor''s estimation before Wei Hong Zheng would be able to run around freely again.

    He glanced up and was stunned to see Wei Liuying. It looked as if he was looking at his mirror image. "Make sure you pass the assessment for the hunt tomorrow."

    "Yes, Brother."

    "Also, I''ll never act submissive."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flashed as the aura around her changed almost immediately. "Of course."

    The sudden change startled Wei Hong Zheng. He looked at his sister with deep frown on his forehead. For a moment, he had the feeling that he was looking at his own self, but he knew for sure that it was impossible. In the end, he turned his head away. "You can go."

    "Yes."

    As she walked out of the room, Huo was following behind her. There was another servant that was loyal to Wei Hong Zheng would take care of him while Huo would follow Wei Liuying to make sure that she did her work properly.

    The servants were stunned when they saw Wei Hong Zheng came out of his room with Huo. For the past few weeks, they have gotten used with the peace without Wei Hong Zheng around. But now that second young master was back, they quickly focused on their work. No one wanted to die just because they didn''t do their work properly.

    Wei Liuying passed a cold glance at them before she bypassed them. Her strode was long and more confident, similar to that of Wei Hong Zheng. Added with the air of arrogance around her, it perfectly suited Wei Hong Zheng.

    Behind her, Huo started to have illusion that he was following his young master and not third young miss.

    The other three siblings were getting ready to depart when they noticed that there was a commotion. Wei Zilin was in sullen mood because she had been defeated by Wei Xiao Hua over and over in the academy. It was to the point she felt that Wei Xiao Hua was truly a devil in disguise.

    "What''s that commotion?" Wei Xiao Hua asked with a frown. Today was the last day they would go to the academy before the hunt, so she wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong.

    A servant quickly checked and returned back with an odd expression, "First Young Master, First Young Miss, Second Young Miss, Second Young Master is back."

    Second Young Master is back!

    Wei Hong Zheng is back? Wei Xiao Hua was dumbfounded. She was sure that Ji Shu had already reassured her that nothing would go wrong with his planning. Wei Hong Zheng shouldn''t be able to heal before the hunt. So how could he come out now?

    As Wei Xiao Hua was trying to reassure herself, a figure came out. Looking at that person, Wei Xiao Hua felt that the sky was crashing down. Were there truly some things that couldn''t be changed from the novel? She was suspicious with everything but refrained from saying anything as her eyes were fixated on the figure in front of her.

    She couldn''t believe this.

    Wei Zilin and Wei Yijun were both surprised. But they were much calmer than Wei Xiao Hua because they didn''t care much. Even if Wei Hong Zheng healed faster than the doctor''s estimation, isn''t it just show that he had better constitution?

    "First Brother, First Sister, Second Sister," Wei Liuying greeted with a wide smile on her face.

    "Second Brother," Wei Yijun was the first to reply. "Are you planning to attend the assessment today?"

    "Yes. I wouldn''t want to miss out the hunt!"

    "Then I wish you good luck."

    Wei Liuying smiled. "Have you passed the assessment, First Brother?"

    "Fortunately, I was lucky enough to pass."

    The two of them walked to their designated carriage while Wei Xiao Hua and Wei Zilin were still outside. Wei Zilin had already gotten used to be ignored by the two of them. After all, her status was much lower compared with the sons even if they were all concubine born.

    "I''ll get going first, First Sister."

    "En."

    Wei Xiao Hua forced a smile out as she also made her way to the carriage. Her heart tightened as a glint flashed within her eyes. If she couldn''t change the original plot and have to suffer as the main protagonist, she would just follow what the real Wei Xiao Hua did.

    After all, the main story end in happy ending for Wei Xiao Hua. Even though the process was not one that she liked because of so many obstacles, it was much better than having things developed without clear direction.

    In this world, she had to rely on her knowledge over the novel if she wished to survive.

    ''Calm down¡­After the hunt, Feng Chun and her family members will not be spared. As long as I follow the original story, I can destroy their lives within days after the hunt.''

    She only needed to be patient.

    Wei Xiao Hua knew that the most troublesome opponent was Wei Liuying, which was why the real Wei Xiao Hua also made the preparation to eliminate her first. However, she needed to be patient because she had to wait until her father made that move before she talked to Prince Ji Shu.

    Once everything went according to the novel, everyone''s fate would be sealed. Wei Liuying, Wei Hong Zheng, and Feng Chun would be the first three who suffered the most after the hunt. And since the plan was targeted towards the most dangerous one, Wei Liuying, it was even more so for her.

    Still, she couldn''t shake this unease. Wei Xiao Hua scanned the servants before her before she noticed the one that Ji Shu sent. It was not like she remembered all the servants around her, but the book mentioned about this particular one servant that Prince Ji Shu sent to monitor her.

    Originally, Wei Xiao Hua in the novel didn''t know about it at all. But now she needed to meet with Prince Ji Shu.

    She walked to that servant. "Tell Prince Ji Shu that I would like to meet with him."

    The servant was dumbfounded. Before she could answer, Wei Xiao Hua had already get on the carriage. She was helpless, but she had no other choice but to ask him again. Somehow, she felt that she was deviating further and further away from the novel and yet, there were still things that occurred based on the novel.

    She needed to follow the plot properly if she wished to stay in the original timeline.

    No matter how annoying it would be.

 Chapter 65 - Assessment

    - In the academy -

    This was Wei Liuying first time entering the boy''s section area. She always thought that the place was similar to the girls, but she was wrong. They have large lawns where they would be able to learn archery, horse riding, and swordsmanship too. Aside from that, the large library was also very eye catching.

    "Where do they hold the assessment this time, First Brother?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Wei Yijun pointed to the right side of the field. "You can head there and find Teacher Su. He''ll help you out."

    "Alright, thank you, First Brother."

    Wei Liuying acted all natural as she jumped out of the carriage and strode to the field. She had seen her brother did this countless times in the past. From the back, Wei Yijun merely shook his head, thinking that his younger brother was too energetic today.

    "Young Master, this way," Huo gave direction from behind.

    "Ok."

    Without even turning around, Wei Liuying could sense the direction that Huo pointed at. She noticed a middle aged man standing there. He looked quite old, but the aura around him could easily scare young boys. Wei Liuying was not that afraid, but she showed more restraint in front of him.

    "Teacher Su!" Wei Liuying cupped her hands.

    Teacher Su turned his head and looked at Wei Liuying. He arched his eyebrows. "You have finally return, Hong Zheng. I thought you would have forgotten about the hunt because of your wound."

    "There''s no way I''m going to forget something as important as this," Wei Liuying intended to scoff, but she looked like she restrained herself. "Teacher, I come for the assessment."

    "Are you sure that you won''t strain yourself?" Teacher Su''s eyes looked at Wei Liuying''s leg. The incident last time was not a secret, so he knew that Wei Hong Zheng had wounded his legs.

    Wei Liuying nodded energetically. "Rest assured, Teacher Su. I have already healed!"

    "Alright, we''ll test out your swords'' skill first. Come with me to the field."

    Teacher Su threw a wooden sword to Wei Liuying. She caught it easily and jogged to the field. Huo was waiting on the sidelines, watching Wei Liuying with his gaze intently. He knew that even a little mistake might send their plan into the drain.

    "Ready, start!"

    Tak!

    Wei Liuying dashed forward and brandished the sword. Wei Hong Zheng''s style was completely different from her. He was usually very brainless and simply attacked wherever he found a spot that was open. However, Wei Hong Zheng was also very nimble, which was something that Wei Liuying also had.

    Swish!

    Making use of the various attack from Wei Hong Zheng that she knew from their practice, Wei Liuying continued to attack Teacher Su. Her movement was a bit more crude compared to Wei Hong Zheng, but it was already similar enough.

    "Alright. That''s enough," Teacher Su said after a while. He nodded. "Your skill is still more or less the same, but you need to learn how to use your brain more."

    "Yes, Teacher Su," Wei Liuying replied, but her eyes were looking somewhere else. It was one of the traits that Wei Hong Zheng often did. After all, he was used to be reprimanded by the teacher.

    "Let''s move on to the next test."

    "Yes!"

    The horse riding and archery test was easy. Teacher Su conclusion was that Wei Liuying was poorer in horse riding and the archery was well done. After all, Wei Hong Zheng didn''t learn archery in the past because the bow was simply too big for him and he refused to use the bow for children.

    "Alright, you may participate in tomorrow''s hunt," Teacher Su said with a smile. "Don''t forget to train your horse riding skill. I wouldn''t want you to fall off when you go hunting."

    Wei Liuying merely laughed while scratching the back of her head. She made up excuse that because she was too focused on learning archery, she kind of forgotten to hone her horse riding skill any further. As the result, her skill was going a bit worse than usual.

    Teacher Su took her excuse. After all, he knew that Wei Hong Zheng''s legs were wounded not long ago.

    "It''s good that you can recover. The last class today is reading in the library. You can catch up with the others if you''re hurry."

    "Thank you very much, Teacher Su!"

    Teacher Su waved his hand and Wei Liuying darted off. He shook his head, feeling that Wei Hong Zheng had grown naughtier. However, he felt glad that the short break didn''t affect Wei Hong Zheng''s skill that much. It meant that he could be rest assured that Wei Hong Zheng would be able to maintain his performance.

 Chapter 66 - Xie Jing And Ji Shao Yang

    Teacher Su waved his hand and Wei Liuying darted off. He shook his head, feeling that Wei Hong Zheng had grown naughtier. However, he felt glad that the short break didn''t affect Wei Hong Zheng''s skill that much. It meant that he could be rest assured that Wei Hong Zheng would be able to maintain his performance.

    As someone who was not too bright in his study, Wei Hong Zheng was the source of worry of the teacher. Luckily, his result in physical ability was above average. Even if he was unable to become a scholar, becoming high ranked soldiers would be possible.

    For those who came from noble family, it was easy for them to gain high rank almost immediately in the military. They didn''t need to start from the bottom and could start from the middle according to their family ranks. This method was also conducted especially during warring era where a lot of soldiers were necessary and commanders were scarce.

    Just relying on military achievement would be hard as it took years for them to advance. Though, there were also nobles who chose to start from the very bottom and paved their way with their own skill without relying on their family''s influence.

    "Young Master, it''s this way."

    "En."

    Wei Liuying had seen the map, but she failed to judge the distance correctly. After all, the map only gave the general layout of the academy and didn''t really provide her with enough information about the direction. It was good that Huo was helping her to provide direction or she would get lost here.

    Huo was silently following Wei Liuying as they made their way to the library. He stopped on the door.

    "Servants are not allowed to come in. I''ll wait for you outside, Young Master."

    "Don''t go too far," Wei Liuying instructed.

    Huo acknowledged before he moved to the side. There were several servants who were also waiting nearby, so he took this chance to engage in a talk with them.

    "Hong Zheng, did you finish your assessment?" Wei Yijun called out.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Yes. I passed."

    "That''s great! Tomorrow we''ll make sure to obtain the best place in the hunt for our family."

    Hearing her first brother''s energetic answer, Wei Liuying was a bit stunned at first. However, thinking about it, Wei Yijun was actually a nice boy who cared for his family and always thought the best for the family. It was only in the household that he was forced to show submissive attitude in order to not create trouble for himself.

    After all, his mother''s position was also not the best in the family.

    ''I guess all of us simply have to use masks at home instead because we want to survive.''

    "Heh, I''ll make sure that I can score better than you, First Brother," Wei Liuying said with a smile.

    Wei Hong Zheng would never care about the family wellbeing. All he cared about was simply his own achievement and also being the best in the family in order to become the next family head. Compared to Wei Yijun, Wei Hong Zheng was truly unsuitable to be part of a high ranking family.

    Naturally, she couldn''t bring herself to have that kind of attitude like her brother. She never liked attention. If not because of his request, she would rather stay low and planned a way out for herself so that her father wouldn''t try to set her up with someone during the hunt.

    Unfortunately, she wouldn''t be able to attend in person.

    Wei Yijun nodded. "Come on. Your class have just started the discussion of the recent history, right? We''re currently discussing it."

    Wei Liuying nodded and looked at the other two people on the table that Wei Yijun pointed at. Almost immediately, she nearly tripped on the imaginary rock that she imagined in front of her.

    The first young man was around 16 years of age, around the same age as Wei Yijun. He had tall built but a bit slender for someone at his age. His thick eyebrows made him look a bit scary as many people usually stayed away from him. But what surprised Wei Liuying was his identity.

    He''s Xie Jing, Prime Minister Xie''s second son.

    The two prime ministers, Prime Minister Wei and Prime Minister Xie, didn''t have good relationship with each other. It could even be said that the two of them were eyeing each other and wary of each other. Besides, didn''t Prime Minister Xie was more supporting the crown prince, but the one on the table was instead the second prince?

    The second prince, Prince Ji Shao Yang, was the most low-key among the four princes. He never made any big movement on the front unlike Ji Sheng who kept on making military achievement or Ji Shu who was known in the capital city because of his many acts. The crown prince himself was fairly active in the court as he had reached the age of adult while the others were not yet.

    Right now, Prince Ji Shao Yang was sitting on the same table with Xie Jing. His handsome countenance, which was similar to the fourth prince could easily attract others. However, compared to that menacing prince, he looked the most amiable.

    Wei Liuying looked at her first brother with utter confusion. Why did Wei Hong Zheng never told her that Wei Yijun had such a weird variety of people as his friends?

    Ah, she wished to kick her second brother''s head for being so dumb.

    At this moment, Wei Hong Zheng suddenly sneezed. He looked at the window with suspiciousness, but he couldn''t see anyone, so he was confused. Who would be thinking about him? It couldn''t be his mother was worried about him, right?

 Chapter 67 - Wei Family Members Are Interesting

    "Hong Zheng?"

    "Ah, First Brother, is it fine to study together?" Wei Liuying asked with doubtful expression.

    Wei Yijun arched his eyebrows. "Are you worried about political overlook in Han Shi Kingdom? There''s no need to worry. We''re all still students and will not critically affect the balance."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" Is it true?

    She thought that her first brother was very smart, but it was apparent that he didn''t think that much. Some people might question it if they saw the two opposing parties staying together. But as they were all still fairly young, Wei Liuying also understood that this wouldn''t have much impact for now.

    Besides, it was impossible for them to not have any interaction with each other considering that they were all students around the same age... oh wait, Prince Ji Shao Yang was already 19 years old. He would be an adult in just a few more weeks and soon participated in the court.

    With the opposing party still kept harmonious relationship, it also helped to maintain the balance.

    "Then, I''ll join you, First Brother."

    "That''s great!"

    Wei Yijun brought Wei Liuying over. When she got close, Wei Liuying cupped her hand to greet the other. "Wei Hong Zheng from Wei Family greets His Highness the Second Prince and Xie Jing."

    "There''s no need to be so formal," Xie Jing said with a wave of his hand, an act that was clearly very impolite. However, the other two didn''t seem to mind his action in the slightest bit as if they have already gotten used with it.

    Ji Shao Yang chuckled. "I come here because I want to see the academy a bit. There''s no need to be so formal just because of me."

    The prince''s tone was soothing and nice to listen. However, Wei Liuying noticed the man''s eyes and felt chills on her back. She had the feeling that the supposedly low key prince was not so simple. He was giving off dangerous aura that wouldn''t lose even when she compared it against Ji Shu.

    Internally, Wei Liuying had the feeling that the fight for the throne would turn bloody.

    "Your Highness will already of age soon," Wei Yijun said calmly. "When that time comes, it''ll be even rarer for Your Highness to visit."

    "There''s no restriction."

    Xie Jing tapped the book in front of him. "Are we going to continue study? It has been some time since the last time we discussed history."

    "The teachers are interested in this topic again in order to move our minds away from the hunt."

    "Indeed."

    Their conversations only circulated around the lessons that they got not long ago. As Wei Liuying didn''t attend any because Wei Hong Zheng was supposed to be hurt, she could only listen. Truth to be told, this was the first time she ever participated in any of the discussion between the boys.

    She would be lying if she said that she was not impressed.

    Unlike Wei Hong Zheng who seemed to be confused every single sentence, these three were able to grasp the key points and expanded their discussion. With that, their conversation continued to move on and on. Before they knew it, it was already the time for lunch.

    "Ah, it seems that we forgot you''re in our group," Xie Jing said with a sneer as he looked in Wei Liuying''s direction.

    "Is our conversation a bit too fast for you? You don''t usually join us, Second Brother," Wei Yijun was a bit apologetic.

    Wei Liuying smiled. She could guess why her second brother never wanted to join them. The contrast in their intelligence was simply too much. As she had to pretend to be the stupid Wei Hong Zheng, she had no other choice but to pretend that she didn''t understand. Though, it was not that difficult for her to understand what they were saying.

    "It''s alright. Thank you for your concern."

    "Good then."

    Ji Shao Yang passed a glance at Wei Liuying, but he didn''t say anything. His dark eyes seemed to be scrutinizing the ''boy'' before him, wondering whether the rumor about Wei Hong Zheng was actually true or not. After all, Wei Liuying was much calmer than what he heard regarding the rumor was.

    Wei Yijun glanced out. "There''s no more classes after this, but I''m staying behind to have a discussion. Would you like to join us again?"

    "There''s no need. I would like to have a break," Wei Liuying replied.

    "Alright. I''ll see you at home."

    The two brothers might have come with the same carriage, but they were allowed to return back home first if one of them wanted to. Unlike the girls who have to wait with each other, Wei Hong was not that strict when it came to the two boys.

    Wei Liuying nodded and turned around. There were many other boys who were also going back home. Since tomorrow was the hunt and many students were participating, they didn''t need to come for a few days. For them, it was a long awaited break that many welcomed. Some of them would still study at their home, though.

    Just as Wei Liuying walked towards the door, a man walked in. He looked in Wei Liuying''s direction with his eyebrows raised and there was a student who was accompanying him.

    "I didn''t know the library is full today."

    "There''s self-study session in the library today," the student beside the man, Yang Xian, explained.

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian with wariness. She was using a disguise today, so she couldn''t greet him openly. Besides, Yang Xian was not wearing his usual servant clothes. This time he was wearing dark blue robe with his sword on his side. It looked more like an armor but at the same time, gave off feelings that he was that of a scholar.

    It was weird, yet it suited Yang Xian.

    "This is¡­?"

    "My apologies. Wei Hong Zheng from Wei Family greets Honored Scholar," Wei Liuying quickly cupped her hands. Wei Hong Zheng shouldn''t have known Yang Xian, right?

    Yang Xian nodded. He looked at the student. "Let''s continue."

    "Yes, Sir!"

    The student was tactful enough to not reveal Yang Xian''s identity. After all, his name was already known, but not many people have seen him for themselves. Because of that, many students only knew that he was an important person but didn''t know his real identity.

    Yang Xian passed by Wei Liuying and whispered, "Wei Family members are really interesting."

    Wei Liuying kept her composure as if she didn''t hear anything. However, her fist was tightened a bit more. As she had expected, Yang Xian recognized her even with this outfit.

 Chapter 68 - Preparation

    Wei Liuying kept her composure as if she didn''t hear anything. However, her fist was tightened a bit more. As she had expected, Yang Xian recognized her even with this outfit.

    Wei Liuying eyed Yang Xian, but she didn''t try to engage in conversation with him. She knew that he wouldn''t expose her because there was nothing that he could gain from doing that aside from getting another enemy. Based on her understanding about Yang Xian, he would not do something so stupid.

    However, this would mean that he had gained a card that he could use against her if he wanted to.

    How troublesome.

    Putting the thought to the back of her mind, Wei Liuying strode out. She could see Huo from the side. Huo also noticed Wei Liuying and quickly came over to her direction.

    "Let''s go back first. There''s no other classes in the afternoon."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Wei Hong Zheng himself also didn''t like to stay in the library for too long because he couldn''t catch up with the intelligence of many students there. He would only feel that he was severely lacking whenever he was listening to those students. Even though his age could give him a bit of leeway, he was still quite lacking compared to many other boys around the same age.

    Wei Liuying chose not to think too much about it. She was not interested in her second brother''s problems too. As long as she acted like him and passed by the three days'' hunt safely, it was all more than enough. She could care less about anything else.

    When she came back to the residence, she headed back to Wei Hong Zheng residence. "I have returned, Second Brother."

    "En," Wei Hong Zheng acknowledged it. He was currently reading a book that Teacher Luo asked him to study.

    "Second Brother, do you know about First Brother''s relationship with Xie Jing and Prince Ji Shao Yang?"

    "Xie Jing?" Wei Hong Zheng furrowed his brows. "That man is a troublemaker even in Prime Minister Xie''s residence. It''s always said that he''s a failure of the family, so I think that my brother gets close to him."

    "So you know, Second Brother?"

    "Well, they occasionally study together. I don''t understand why a failure like him would even get close with First Brother."

    Wei Liuying''s lips twitched. In private, Wei Hong Zheng would not mind his speech that much and usually became more unrestrained. Also, she knew that Xie Jing was known as troublemaker, but that young man''s intelligence was still far higher compared to normal people. He was quite a formidable person in Wei Liuying''s opinion.

    The one who was actually closer to be a failure was the young man before her¡­

    She would never say this out loud, though.

    Besides, he was still young, so he still has a lot of rooms for improvement. If he was diligent enough, he might be able to accomplish something big in the future. Who knew what will happen in the future?

    "Is that something important?" Wei Hong Zheng tilted his head. "I don''t really have any friend that''s close with me, so it shouldn''t matter that much even if you act as me."

    "It''s nothing much, Second Brother. I''ll take my leave."

    "Ok. I won''t see you out."

    As Wei Liuying slipped out of the residence, Wei Hong Zheng turned his head to look at Huo, who was standing silently on the edge of the room.

    "How did it go?"

    "It''s good, Young Master."

    "Do you think there would be anyone who suspect her?" Wei Hong Zheng asked nonchalantly.

    Huo was silent for a moment. He had seen when Wei Liuying acted as Wei Hong Zheng before and it would be a lie if he said that he didn''t feel the chills. The way Wei Liuying acted so naturally make him afraid of her. She looked nonchalant and arrogant, the perfect copy of Wei Hong Zheng as if it was already part of her nature.

    "Huo?"

    "I don''t think anyone will suspect her unless they got close enough," Huo replied.

    Wei Hong Zheng turned his eyes back to his book. "Then make sure no one can get close."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Returning back to her own residence, Wei Liuying stretched her body and changed her clothes. Even though the men''s robes were simpler, she still preferred her women clothing. After all, she was still a woman at heart.

    "Miss, can I follow you tomorrow?" Xiao Qing asked with worried tone.

    Wei Liuying shook her head. "You should stay here and take care of everything. If I didn''t come back from the hunt, you should be leaving too."

    Xiao Qing was taken aback when she sensed that Wei Liuying had slipped a slip of bamboo to her. She had learnt how to read and write in the past because she wanted to help Wei Liuying.

    "Read this when you''re absolutely alone," Wei Liuying mouthed out.

    "Yes, Miss."

    Wei Liuying smiled. "Good girl. I don''t have the plan to leave during the hunt, but just in case, you two need to take care of yourself."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Xiao Qing felt her heart was heavy after hearing what Wei Liuying said. Her eyes were reddened as she looked at her Miss, but she still obeyed. After all, she knew that no matter what she said, she would still follow what Wei Liuying said.

    After settling that, Wei Liuying sighed and returned to her bed. She lied on top of it and looked at the ceiling.

    Hopefully, nothing will go wrong in the hunt.

    She needed to come back in one piece to finish her final preparation in order to ensure that she could bring both Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu out safely with her.

 Chapter 69 - Departure

    The next day, Wei Liuying woke up early and dressed herself up. She had already ordered Xiao Yu to give excuse to her that she wouldn''t participate in the hunt today because she was still feeling unwell. Some people would think that she was simply afraid of Prince Ji Shu while others were thinking of how weak she was, but Wei Liuying didn''t really care.

    Her reputation was already bad enough, so it didn''t matter if she added something more. Besides, what was more important was the fact that the news of her getting punished by Prince Ji Shu could leak out as some people already knew about this.

    Wei Hong would never do that because he valued the family''s reputation the most. Because of that, Wei Liuying knew that the one who did it would be either Wei Xiao Hua or her own mother and Wei Hong Zheng. They were the only ones who would make use of this matter to tarnish her reputation even further.

    Wei Xiao Hua simply hated her while Wei Hong Zheng just wanted to make himself looked better. Though, the news were fairly suppressed as no one openly talked about it so far.

    "Miss, it''s time."

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying wore light blue robe and strapped her hand. The women would be riding on carriages when they were departing, but the males usually rode horse. Some of them would use carriage, but then there were some people who looked down on them because they picked the same method as the women.

    As hot blooded as youngster could be, they were unwilling to accept such insult thrown to their faces.

    "Xiao Qing, Xiao Yu. Take care of this place."

    "Yes, Miss!"

    After ordering the two young girl, Wei Liuying slipped to Wei Hong Zheng''s residence and noticed that her brother had just woken up. It seemed that he was trying hard to study just the night before.

    "Second Brother."

    "Go."

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying heaved a sigh and changed her aura around her body as she slowly made her way out of the room. Huo was already waiting and patiently followed behind Wei Liuying. His eyes were looking at Wei Liuying''s back with complicated emotion.

    For the next three days, five days if counted the journey to South Plum Mountain, the one he served would be the young lady. He tried to push the thoughts from his mind as he had to pretend that Wei Liuying was genuinely his young master. Though, just the thought alone left a bad taste in his mouth.

    "Second Brother," Wei Yijun greeted when he saw Wei Liuying who had dressed up as Wei Hong Zheng.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "First Brother. Are we going to depart now?"

    "Wait a bit more, Second Sister is slow."

    "Ah, I see."

    They had already gotten used with Wei Zilin being slow. It was almost every single day that they had to wait for Wei Zilin when they had to go to the academy. Wei Xiao Hua was also nowhere to be seen, so Wei Liuying could only wait patiently.

    Wei Hong and his concubines appeared not long afterwards. Only the concubines who had children were allowed to come in order to watch over their children as many of the younger and underage participants were there.

    "Where''s Xiao Hua and Zilin?"

    "Sorry, Father. I was making the last preparation," Wei Xiao Hua said from a distance away. She was wearing light dress that seemed to be easy to move in. Even though so, it didn''t reduce the elegance and beauty that she exuded naturally.

    Behind her, Wei Zilin was wearing thicker dress that she usually used on daily basis. Her expression looked bad, as if she wanted to take a large bite from Wei Xiao Hua. However, she still forced a smile out when her father was looking her way.

    ''What did Wei Xiao Hua do this time?'' Wei Liuying was confused as she thought to herself.

    There would be no way Wei Zilin would show this much hostility without Wei Xiao Hua did something before.

    "Shall we depart?"

    "Let''s go."

    They all gathered to their respective carriages. Wei Liuying could see her mother from a distance away, giving a fake smile to the other concubines who also participated in the hunt this time. They were only coming to take care of the children, but this was also a great chance for them to socialize.

    Wei Liuying who didn''t come had missed out big time.

    The journey to South Plum Mountain would take nearly a day of journey based on their pace. Wei Liuying climbed on the horse back and slowly made it walk. She didn''t show her nervousness at all as her teacher had warned her that the horse could know what she was feeling.

    If she''s afraid, it would be restless.

    So, no matter what, she had to act as if everything was fine.

    As they started their journey, Wei Liuying also adapted to stay on the horse back for a long period of time. She could feel her lower half started to feel numb, so she shifted position every few incense sticks'' time. It was quite uncomfortable, but she needed to do it or she wouldn''t be able to last that long.

    Wei Yijun was also in the same situation as he had to switch position a bit to make sure that his legs were not numb.

    Their journey would take some time, so it was important to take care of themselves.

 Chapter 70 - Journey

    "We''re going out of Han Shi Kingdom''s Capital City," Wei Yijun said as he pointed to the South gate that was only a few meters away from them.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "It''s magnificent."

    "This will be your first time getting out of the city. Second Brother, the world outside is much bigger than the capital city."

    "Really?" Wei Liuying was naturally curious.

    Wei Yijun nodded. "There are so many things that you''ll see when you go outside. The different terrain and views are all very beautiful. However, it''s clearly the outside world that''s filled with much more danger than what you can possibly imagine."

    Weather, bandits, natural disasters, and many more.

    Wei Liuying had heard many of them, but she hadn''t experienced any of those. After all, the capital city was safe. Aside from some thieves that she encountered or some bandits who sneaked in, there were nothing of the others in the capital city.

    Though, having to face the nature''s wrath must be even scarier compared to facing human.

    After all, the scale was thoroughly different.

    Wei Hong showed a token and the gate was opened for them. As they stepped out, they could see the completely different world. Wei Liuying was not allowed to head to the wall because it was unsuitable for ladies, so this was truly her first time seeing the outer world outside the capital city.

    There were grassland and obviously much more trees than what she ever seen before. In the faraway distance, she could see the silhouette of mountains that was covered in slight fog. It must be the South Plum Mountain where they would be holding their hunt this time.

    As Wei Liuying marveled over the sight, Wei Yijun chuckled beside her.

    "First Brother?"

    "Your reaction is not any better than me when I first get out. Come on, don''t get left behind."

    "Yes, First Brother."

    The journey took longer than what Wei Liuying expected. She never knew that sitting so long on the horse back could be so tiring. Looking at the carriages, she wondered whether the young ladies were alright because of the bumpy road. It wouldn''t be that comfortable to stay in a carriage when the road was uneven like this.

    Unlike the city, the road outside was a bumpier. Some places were higher while some were lower. It made her wonder why the road was never fixed. In case there was emergency, it wouldn''t be a smooth journey with this kind of road.

    "Why don''t I see the others, First Brother?" Wei Liuying asked curiously.

    "The Imperial Family always departed the last because they have the biggest number of people. As for the others, some is already far ahead while some are behind," Wei Yijun replied. "We''re going to meet them soon when we reach the mountain''s area."

    "I see."

    "It''s time for lunch, so I''m sure that Father will stop the carriages for a while."

    Wei Liuying nodded. Not long afterwards, Wei Hong Zheng stopped their journey and ordered the servants to prepare for food. Looking around, Wei Yijun pointed to the East. "Shall we try to hunt some rabbits?"

    "Are there any?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "This is grassland and the tall grass can hide rabbits when they''re hiding, so who knows what we''re going to find. It''ll take time until the food is cooked, so let''s go."

    Wei Liuying looked at her first brother with doubts. She never knew that Wei Yijun was actually this kind and attentive to her second brother. It looked like their relationship was not what it seemed on the surface.

    Swish!

    With their martial arts, it was easy for them to head to the forest without making any sound. Huo and Wei Yijun''s servant was following from a distance away. It was not the first time Wei Yijun chose to separate himself from the crowd and it was unlikely that it would be the last time too.

    Wei Liuying scanned the area around while Wei Yijun checked the ground to find traces of rabbit. He smiled brightly when he saw that there were some traces on the ground and quietly followed. As Wei Liuying had never hunted before, she chose to stay silent and followed from a distance away.

    Wei Yijun prepared his bow and arrow as he leaned against a big rock. His eyes were looking to one direction as he quietly stayed still in his place, perfectly blending with the nature. His presence grew thinner and if one didn''t see him there, they would never expect that he was there.

    Wei Liuying waited patiently from the side. Suddenly, she saw movement as a rabbit jumped out. Wei Yijun raised his bow and arrow in swift movement.

    Dzing!

 Chapter 71 - Journey (2)

    Wei Liuying waited patiently from the side. Suddenly, she saw movement as a rabbit jumped out. Wei Yijun raised his bow and arrow in swift movement.

    Dzing!

    The moment the arrow was shot, Wei Liuying could see it dashed violently towards the rabbit. In but a moment, the rabbit was down on the ground as Wei Yijun dashed to the rabbit.

    "It''s dead," Wei Yijun said proudly. He looked at his servant while holding the rabbit up. "Bring this back to the others, we''re going to have an additional meal today."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Rabbits were considered the most common target for hunt. There were many wild ones too, so if they journeyed outside, they would be able to encounter rabbits and possibly hunted some for their own fill.

    "Would you like to try, Hong Zheng?"

    "Sure. I''ll do even better than you, First Brother."

    Wei Yijun merely smiled at Wei Liuying''s boastful words. As someone who was close with Wei Hong Zheng, he knew how competitive Wei Hong Zheng could be.

    Afterwards, Wei Liuying tried to find traces of the rabbit like what Wei Yijun did. She managed to find one and crouched down in the grass, waiting for her prey. Her eyes were watching intently to the front with her bow and arrow ready.

    "He''s getting even better in learning," Wei Yijun commented on the back. Usually, Wei Hong Zheng would take a long time to adapt, but today, he was much faster.

    Huo merely glanced at Wei Yijun but chose not to comment. The one in front of them was not Wei Hong Zheng but Wei Liuying. It was quite natural for him that Wei Liuying learned at a much faster rate as he had seen for himself how smart she was.

    It was truly incomparable with Wei Hong Zheng.

    Dzing!

    The arrow was shot. Wei Liuying frowned when she saw the rabbit was still moving. She took out another arrow and shot it towards the rabbit once more. This time, the rabbit was no longer moving.

    "Two arrows, not bad," Wei Yijun praised.

    Wei Liuying was satisfied, but she had to act like she was not. "I still need two arrows. It''s incomparable with you, First Brother."

    "When I first try, I can''t even hunt one. Let''s bring it back. I''m sure that the others would be waiting for us."

    "Alright."

    Wei Liuying didn''t pull out the arrow yet because she knew that it would just make the blood flow out. She didn''t want to stain her clothes with blood because they still need a few incense sticks time before they could possibly reach the mountain.

    The two of them returned back to the camp when they heard sudden yell. From afar, they could see that the ladies were quarreling with each other.

    "So what if you''re the main daughter? It doesn''t mean I have to be the one to serve you! Go get your own servant!"

    Concubine Chou was yelling at Wei Xiao Hua with her face flushed red. From the way it looked like, she was suffering heavy grievances as her finger was pointed at Wei Xiao Hua. Her body was trembling in anger.

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at Concubine Chou. ???I didn''t ask you to serve me, Madam Chou, but to serve Father."

    "When you two are eating together?" Concubine Chou sneered. "Why would I even want to do that?"

    "Don''t you know that¡­"

    The two women were still going on and on. Wei Hong clearly didn''t want the two of them to quarrel, but he couldn''t find any chance to insert words. It was hard for him to keep his composure when he saw the two of them continued to argue.

    Wei Liuying looked at Wei Yijun at the same time he looked at her. The two of them seemed to come into a tacit agreement as they headed to the kitchen servant''s area. This was not the first time Wei Xiao Hua got into argument with the concubines. Unless it was their mother, they would just ignore it.

    Why should they poke their head into each other''s business?

    "Ah, Young Master, you also hunt?" A servant asked in delightful tone when he saw the rabbit that Wei Liuying handed over.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Process this one. We''re going to eat it."

    "Of course, Young Master."

    It was not uncommon for some young masters to hunt for their own food. The servants have been following Wei Yijun before, so they knew that Wei Yijun also liked to have rabbits'' meat to eat. After all, it was delicious.

    Wei Liuying chose not to return back and even Wei Yijun was also watching the servants cooked with great interest. It was as if this was his first time seeing them skinned the outer skin then chop off the meat. The two of them simply watched the process while waiting for the commotion to die down.

    "It seems complicated," Wei Liuying commented.

    The servant laughed. "It''s not, Young Master. We only need to clean up the meat before cooking. Also, we can''t drink the blood and have to dispose it far away because it can attract other beasts such as wolves."

    "Ah."

 Chapter 72 - Mountain Foot

    The servant laughed. "It''s not, Young Master. We only need to clean up the meat before cooking. Also, we can''t drink the blood and have to dispose it far away because it can attract other beasts such as wolves."

    "Ah."

    Even though some people hunted wolves, many chose not to. After all, wolves usually stayed in a pack, so it would be hard for them to fend the wolves if they have to face against so many wolves at once. No one wanted to die so quickly.

    Wei Liuying and Wei Yijun returned back when the servants had finished cooking. By this time, Wei Xiao Hua and Concubine Chou had already calmed down. By the side, Wei Zilin''s face was dark as she knew her mother was always targeted, yet she couldn''t help in the slightest bit.

    "Let''s eat," Wei Hong said with a tired face.

    "Yes, Father."

    Wei Xiao Hua was in good mood because Wei Hong acknowledged her request. On the other hand, Concubine Chou looked like she was constipated as her face was pale. Despite her tries to attract Wei Hong''s attention, she failed miserably.

    "It''s just a few weeks, but her complexion is no longer the same as before," Wei Liuying commented.

    Wei Yijun nodded. He was sitting not far from Wei Liuying since the two young masters were arranged to stay close with each other. "First Sister often nitpick Madam Chou. It seems that Madam Chou had entered First Sister''s bad book and couldn''t get along with each other at all."

    "I see."

    Wei Liuying was not too interested with that. She knew that the reason why Wei Xiao Hua targeted Concubine Chou first was because Wei Hong was very fond of Concubine Chou. It was to the point that he spent most of the nights with her and neglected some concubines.

    But now that Wei Hong listened more of Wei Xiao Hua''s demand, it was clear that Concubine Chou would fall out of her grace soon. Just because of their clashes, Wei Liuying could see that the trace of aging had appeared on Concubine Chou''s face. She was still wearing makeup, but it had grown even thicker to make sure that it could hide everything that made her look older.

    "That''s just how women are," Wei Yijun said with distaste. "Father is having too much women."

    "He needs them to expand his influence. After all, having connection here and there is important for Father," Wei Liuying said.

    "Yes. The easiest would be to have ties through marriage, but it just ended up with chaos in the household. With more than 10 women to take care of, the expenditure is just simply too large."

    "You''re right, First Brother."

    Wei Yijun scoffed lightly, still feeling annoyed. However, he knew better than anyone that the reason why this method exist was in order for some men to have better influence than others. The more powerful one person was; the more women would they have in their residence.

    Though, Wei Yijun himself didn''t like it that much because he only saw them as troubles. Just by looking at how his father was getting headache every day because of them was already more than enough as evidence.

    The two sibling no longer talked and enjoyed the food. Wei Liuying felt satisfied when she tasted the rabbit meat that she ate. It tasted much better than any other food that she had ever eat. Probably, it was because there was a sense of achievement.

    "Young Master," Huo called out when Wei Liuying headed back to her horse.

    "Yes?"

    "Please pay more attention to your conduct. You''re not that close with First Young Master."

    Wei Liuying was silent for a while. She knew that the two brothers were not close when they were in front of the others. But what about when they were just alone? From the way Wei Yijun acted, she knew that he was merely having fun and asked Wei Hong Zheng out of politeness most of the time.

    "Should I reject his invitation?"

    "Most of the time."

    "Alright. I understand."

    It seemed that Wei Hong Zheng was much more prideful than what Wei Liuying thought. She was actually having fun with being near Wei Yijun who was a bit easier to read. He might be a bit submissive in front of others, but when he was alone, he would be doing whatever he wanted to his heart content.

    Of course, his priority was still his study.

    The group no longer stopped and the angle of the road turned steeper. As they entered the mountain area, the sun was setting down. Soon, they have to walk with only the lantern''s help as the group proceeded to climb higher.

    Wei Liuying was learning how to control her horse when he was climbing up. It was a bit hard, but she managed to do it after a while. The shift in the balance made it a bit more difficult, but she was still fine.

    "Young Master, we''ll arrive in a while."

    "Really?" Wei Liuying asked in surprise. Looking up, she could see the light from lanterns not far from them. There were also several servants who were standing there as different carriages were going inside too.

    She was still sitting on the horse back as she watched Wei Hong took out his token to identify themselves. There were several servants in the area who blocked the way and only when the servant had confirmed who they were would they move away.

    "Let''s get in."

    Wei Liuying looked at the buildings in front of her with astonishment. It was built very high up on the ground with beautiful scenery. She genuinely wondered how Prime Minister Xie managed to do something like that.

 Chapter 73 - First Night Outside

    "Prime Minister Wei, welcome to my humble place," Prime Minister Xie came out and greeted. He was dressed in neat black robe and cupped his hand politely.

    "Prime Minister Xie," Wei Hong greeted back and cupped his hand to show his respect too. "This is a good place. You''re lucky to be able to have it."

    Prime Minister Xie laughed. "It''s already late, let''s go and have rest. I''m sure that you are tired after the long journey."

    "Then I won''t stand on the ceremony."

    Wei Liuying watched from the side as the group entered the building. There were a lot of people present in the place, but they were mostly the servants. With so many nobles in this place, there were even more servants around the place.

    "Xie Jing."

    "Yes, Father."

    "Take the two young masters to their rooms."

    "Yes."

    Xie Jing turned to look at Wei Yijun and Wei Liuying. "The food for your dinner will be delivered to the room later, so please follow me."

    "Alright."

    The three of them walked on the corridor towards the inner building. Wei Liuying was astonished by the complexity of the design, but she kept her mouth shut and merely looked around with her eyes. Wei Yijun was much calmer as this was not the first time he saw exquisite buildings.

    The inner buildings have several rooms that was separated with sliding door. First, Xie Jing took Wei Yijun to his room then it was Wei Liuying''s turn.

    "Oh, right. Second Brother Wei, this is your first time coming out to hunt, right?"

    "Yes."

    "There are wolves out there, so you might hear the sound at night time. However, you don''t have to worry as they will never be able to get close to the building at all. The guards will make sure that they all die horrible death," Xie Jing said in leisure tone.

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. She cupped her hand. "Many thanks for Young Master Xie for the reminder."

    Xie Jing glanced at Wei Liuying and frowned. Most young masters would tremble in fear when they heard that there were wolves. However, ''Wei Hong Zheng'' was exceptionally calm. She merely treated the news as if it was something that was so natural.

    Was this truly his first time going out?

    Xie Jing was utterly confused, but he chose not to dwell too much. Probably Wei Yijun already warned his brother before they came here.

    "This is your room. If you need anything, you can tell the servants."

    "This is enough. Thank you for your hospitality, Second Young Master Xie."

    "Alright. I''ll be going now."

    With Xie Jing leave, Wei Liuying turned to look at Huo. He was following them from a distance away as to not disturb the young masters when they were conversing with each other.

    "Young Master, I''ll be guarding on the door," Huo informed.

    "I understand."

    Wei Liuying closed the door and cleaned up herself. There was a bathroom connected to the room, so it was easy for her to attend to herself. Since she clearly didn''t want Huo''s help, she simply did everything by herself and only asked him to change the water when she was done.

    Relying on Huo to protect herself was clearly out of the question. She knew that he would be the happiest person after her mother to see her got hurt in this place. Rather than relying on him, it would be better for her to rely on herself.

    The servants delivered food after she had cleaned up. Wei Liuying ate to her fill then she stretched a bit before going to sleep.

    She put her sword on her bed. It was her brother''s sword that he borrowed to her because she would go while disguising as him. The bow and arrow were placed not far from the bed, ready to be used whenever it was necessary. It was only after she had made the preparation that Wei Liuying lied on her bed.

    ''Time to sleep.''

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying surprisingly managed to sleep well even though it was her first time sleeping outside her home. Looking at the sky brightening, she pushed her body up and took the basin that Huo had left behind last night. The water was cold, but Wei Liuying''s expression remained the same.

    She changed her clothes by herself before bundling her hair to form a bun. Her hair was much longer than Wei Hong Zheng, so the only hairstyle that she could use would be to form a bun in order to hide her hair.

    "Young Master, are you ready?" Huo asked from outside.

    "Yes. Has the hunt started?"

    "Not yet. It''s only His Highness the Fourth Prince and His Highness the Crown Prince outside, competing on their archery skill."

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows when she heard the news. At this time, Huo came in to bring the food, so she started to eat while her brain was still thinking of the news that he brought to her.

    The crown prince is the first prince, Prince Ji Tian. He was already 21 years old and known to be a very capable person. It was known that he was talented in both martial arts and knowledge. As he was born from the Empress, it was already a given that he would be the next Emperor, but there were many who thought that this might change.

    Wei Liuying herself was not sure.

    She had never seen them.

    When she had finished eating, Wei Liuying turned to look at Huo. "Are they still competing?"

    "Yes. They''re on the backyard."

    "Let''s head there."

    Huo scrunched his face, feeling that it was unnecessary. However, he didn''t have any solid reason to refuse Wei Liuying because Wei Hong Zheng himself would be curious. In the end, he shut his mouth as he followed Wei Liuying to take a look at the competition between the two princes.

    The back courtyard was located not far from the inner building. After a few turns, Wei Liuying came across a large field. Looking at the place, Wei Liuying was surprised. How did Prime Minister Xie managed to build such a large field on the mountain''s side? He was amazing.

    Dzing!

    At this moment, the sound of arrow splitting the air entered her ear.

 Chapter 74 - First Day Of Summer Hunt

    Dzing!

    At this moment, the sound of arrow splitting the air entered her ear.

    Wei Liuying turned her head to the side and saw that Ji Shu had shot an arrow. The arrow landed in the middle of the target without any deviation. It was as if there was a magnet that pulled it straight to the place.

    "You''re not bad, Imperial Fourth Brother," the other young man laughed. He had slightly larger build, but with less imposing aura. His handsome face was similar with Ji Shu, but he looked slightly feminine for a male. He looked amiable, similar to that of scholars. Only his clothing that was made with golden threads could possibly leak out his real identity as the crown prince of Han Shi Kingdom.

    Ji Shu looked at his first brother. "It''s your turn, Imperial First Brother."

    "Then I''ll start."

    Prince Ji Tian, the crown prince, pulled the string and the arrow made its way to the target in front of him. Just like Prince Ji Shu, he had decent skill when it came to archery. Every member in the Imperial Family have to learn martial arts if they wished to survive, he was not an exception.

    The two princes kept on going on their challenge. Some people were watching in admiration. To be able to hit the target in bullseye every single time, the two of them truly have great skill and stamina.

    "Your Highness, it''s already the time for the hunt," Prime Minister Xie interrupted. He was smiling. "Would you like to withhold your little competition for later times?"

    The servants were busy picking up the arrows that was scattered from the competition. Prince Ji Shu and Prince Ji Tian were looking at each other. They still wanted to challenge each other, but since this was a hunt, they would need to postpone their banter.

    "In that case, let''s have a bout again later," Prince Ji Shu said coldly.

    "I don''t mind."

    The two princes still looked as if they wanted to kill the person before them, but they held back. From the side, Prince Ji Shao Yang was watching everything that occurred with interest. He didn''t want to participate. It was too stupid if he chose to barge in and get involved when he also could get benefit as the third party.

    Wei Liuying watched as the servants quickly returned with the arrows. There were some broken arrows that couldn''t withstand the force from their competition, so it was cast aside. They planned to throw it away after getting the permission from their Master.

    "For the first day, the children who came here for the first time would be going with the large group. They''ll start learning by seeing how the hunt was done," Huo informed Wei Liuying.

    Wei Liuying looked up and nodded. "Is there anything that I need to pay attention to?"

    "Don''t hunt on the first day."

    "Ok."

    Wei Liuying also understood the reason why this was said. If she were to hunt with the crowd and exposed her skill, there was high chance that Wei Hong Zheng couldn''t catch up with it or showed different style. It would be hard to explain if that was the case.

    As they all started to gather, Wei Liuying also studied their names and learned some new things from them. It seemed that there were a lot of children who had just reached 13 years old this year as the group was quite large. Everyone was excited for their first hunt, but hunting required skill, patience, and luck.

    "Can a horse match up with deer''s speed?" a young boy asked naively.

    His friend shook his head. "How can it be possible? There''s no way that we can possibly hunt deer while riding in a horse, right? You''ll scare away the deer first!"

    "Eh, really?"

    "Yes!"

    On the front, Prince Ji Tian was awfully calm when he saw the crowd. It was his task to be the one to take care of them since he was already considered an adult and naturally would participate later in the Autumn Hunt. The Summer Hunt was for the youngsters behind him who wanted to expand their knowledge.

    Even though they were all very noisy, Prince Ji Tian didn''t mind in the slightest bit when it was still on the journey. However, when they got close to the designated location, Prince Ji Tian warned the crowd so that they would be able to stay quiet and didn''t try to do speak or anything like that.

    "Be quiet."

    With one order, no one dared to speak anymore. They were looking in the direction of the crown prince with clear interest. They wanted to know what he was planning to do. However, all he did was asking the servants to check the area for any sign of animals nearby. They would only rest near the hiding spots for hunting.

    "Your Highness, there are signs of some rabbits nearby. However, we didn''t manage to find anything else."

    "Rabbit?" Ji Tian pondered. It sounded a bit lackluster compared to many other targets. However, it was the best target for the youngsters behind him because they were all still very young. It would be a good experience for them.

    "Alright, we''ll stay here."

    "What are we going to do?" A youngster timidly asked.

    Prince Ji Tian turned around. He smiled. "You''re all going to hunt rabbits for now. Stay hiding and only make your move when you saw the rabbit, alright?"

    "We understand, Your Highness."

    They all started to scatter and stayed put in different hiding spots. Some of them managed to pick good spot to hide but the others were unable to do that and looked like an embarrassment. Of course, Prince Ji Tian didn''t nitpick them because he understood that they were all still learning.

    Wei Liuying was also hiding behind the tree and sat down leisurely there. She barely moved as she looked to a distance. Not far from her, Huo was also crouching down behind the bush. The game of waiting had started.

 Chapter 75 - Eaves Dropping

    Hunting mostly required patience and luck as only some skills were useful to be used during hunting. Wei Liuying noticed that some servants had explored deep into the forest and started to put on traps on some location where they found traces of rabbits passing by. After all, they could also make use of such items whenever it was necessary.

    Of course, they could also do the hunting by following animal''s trail. However, it would be hard to find fresh mark at times. Because of that, many of them usually played the game of waiting on the route where the animals usually passed by. Since they would only hunt some rabbits, deer, or the likes, this method could work.

    She noticed that some children were growing impatient, but the prince''s warning was enough to stop them from doing anything. In the end, they could only crouch down in their hiding spots to make sure that they would not hinder the hunt.

    A rabbit appeared.

    One of the youngsters shot it down with great precision.

    Just like that, time passed and several rabbits have already appeared. Wei Liuying simply watched as other youngsters made their move to claim the hunt. She herself didn''t want to make any move, so she just waited until it was afternoon. She joined in for the lunch then returned back alone.

    "Young Master, don''t you want to learn how to hunt?" Huo asked coldly.

    Wei Liuying passed a glance at Huo. "What do you think I can learn in the group? We''re merely taking turns to try, but when it''s outside, it''ll be a real fierce competition. No one will be waiting anyone."

    Huo was silent. What Wei Liuying said was true. When the real hunt started, these youngsters would never try to be patient. If there was someone else who tried to hunt their target, they would be very upset.

    "I''ll return back."

    "Is it appropriate?" Huo asked with a frown.

    "There''s no use staying with the crowd today. I''ll start hunting tomorrow. Besides, I''m sure that he won''t be patience enough to stay outside with this situation."

    Huo didn''t reply anymore. He knew that Wei Liuying also understood that Wei Hong Zheng would be unlikely to stay outside and followed the crowd. He was prideful and arrogant. Once he knew how to hunt, he would simply swagger off and tried to take the benefit for himself.

    Since Wei Liuying couldn''t showcase her archery ability in a crowd, she would just return back to the villa and rest for the day. It wouldn''t be wise to start hunting by herself just yet.

    "What are they doing?" Wei Liuying pointed to the row of servants who were busy moving things.

    Huo followed Wei Liuying''s line of sight. "They''re disposing unusable arrows. If the wood near the tip is broken, it''ll take a long time to fix it as the length of the arrow will be shorter."

    They were following the standard that was set by the previous Emperor for the arrows. If it was shorter, the range would be different, which was why the noble family members would simply throw out the arrows that were already unusable.

    Wei Liuying tilted her head. "Isn''t it a waste?"

    "Every arrow will be marked the owner, so if you use it and there''s someone who have dispute with you about your target, it''ll be hard to prove that it''s yours," Huo warned.

    "There''s no common arrow?"

    "There are, but the nobles rarely used them. Besides, many families usually made their own family''s arrows because it was more cost effective for them, especially those from military family."

    "I see."

    The quality might also be an issue if buying outside. Besides, wouldn''t the Emperor curious if he found out that one of his subjects suddenly went out and brought a lot of arrows all of the sudden?

    Attracting attention when the Emperor was already restless because his children were growing up were not going to do anything good.

    Wei Liuying no longer asked about the arrows, but she did alter her path to take a look closer. Huo was not interested and watched the surroundings. The other young masters were busy in the forest because they also wanted to start hunting. As for the ladies, they were in different area.

    "Huo."

    "Yes, Young Master?"

    "I''ll be walking around."

    "This servant understands."

    Wei Liuying turned to the other side and started to walk around. She hadn''t had the chance to survey the villa''s area because when she came last night, it was night time. The vision was not too clear, so there was no chance for her to sneak out.

    Now that she was in the middle of the day, Wei Liuying realized that the view from this place was beautiful. Aside from the lush forest, she could see the vast plains below. Looking from this distance made everything looked small, but it couldn''t hide the majestic views that the nature naturally showed.

    Huo was keeping his distance while Wei Liuying kept on exploring around. She was silently memorizing the layout and also the servants there. However, there were simply too many servants, so she could only try to memorize their clothing''s style.

    The nobles have to learn how to differentiate other nobles'' clothing style. Even though the difference can be very small, it was usually still very different. Every family brought a lot of servants as the ladies needed a lot of attendants.

    As Wei Liuying walked, she could hear the sudden voice of laughter.

    ''Who''s that?''

    She stopped in her track and looked in the direction of the building nearby. There was a garden on the right side of this building and the sound of several young women talking could be heard.

    Wei Liuying frowned. She shouldn''t eaves dropped here, or she could get into trouble. However, she had only stepped once when she heard her name uttered by a familiar voice.

    That effectively stopped her movements.

    --------------------------------------------------------------

    ~~~ANNOUNCEMENT~~~

    Hey everyone! Thank you for reading up until now and I''m really grateful for all the support you have shown me thro the comments, the votes, and the gifts all this times. (^_^)/

    I''m making an announcement to tell you that VL will be premium, which meant that the chapters will be locked.

    I know that many of you didn''t like the premium, but I have spent hours, days, and weeks working to create this novel. This might sound clich¨¦, but author also needs to eat and premium is one of the methods, which I pick in the end.

    I do hope that you can continue to support me in this journey with the characters. Still, if you choose to drop the novel because it becomes premium, I respect your choice since I know that many of you have other novels you would prefer to spend your coins. It has been a pleasure to spend all these times with you.

    Once again, I sincerely thank you for supporting me all this time. After all, I can''t get this far without all of your support no matter how insignificant you thought they were.

    (As for the price of the coins (I really want to write spirit stones, but *sigh*), it''ll depend on the word count. 200 words is 1 coin. With the amount of words that I usually write, the price should be around 6-8 coins per chapter, sometimes might be more or sometimes lesser, but it shouldn''t stray too far)

    (Also, you can use Fast Pass if you can''t afford to pay. Though, I''ll appreciate it greatly if you can support me.)

    Staring from next chapter, I''ll upload the chapters daily at 6 PM (GMT+8). You don''t need to give me gifts if you can''t, just use them to unlock the chapter after this if you still choose to continue reading.

    Thank you!

    With Love <3,

    Sorahana

    ...

    P.S: Just to make it clear, I won''t lock any of the previously free chapters. The locked chapter will start from the next chapter, which is chapter 76 and onwards.

    A lil bit Q&A to make it clear:

    Q: Author, I''m¡­. (well, you can fill by yourself), so I can''t afford to buy coins. Can I still read the story?

    A: Yes, you can. WN system allows you to get 3 Fast Pass, which can be used to unlock three chapters per day by doing votes and check in.

    Q: Are there any privilege?

    A: Some of you might have already know this, but yes. WN new system makes it so that every new novel that go premium will have automatic privilege of 2 chapters for 1 coins.

    Q: Does it mean I need to pay to read?

    A: No, privilege is completely optional. As the chapters are released, it''ll eventually be put in normal premium where you can use Fast Pass if you don''t want to use coins.

    Q: Are the free coins and fast pass support author?

    A: If you meant supporting financially, the answer is NO. Free coins and fast pass will not give any earning to the author and only the paid coins can give earning to the author. But, it can count as free love given by the readers.

    Q: Will there be daily release?

    A: Yes, I''ll release daily starting from next chapter every 6 PM, GMT+8

    Q: Will any previously free chapters be locked?

    A: No, the locked chapters started from the next one, which is chapter 76.

    Q: Last question, can I have a cookie?

    A: No, I don''t have cookies here.

 Chapter 76 - Poisonous Mouth

    "Ah, yes, Wei Liuying didn''t come today," the voice of a young girl traveled by the wind.

    Wei Liuying raised her head when she heard her name faintly. Due to her martial arts, she was capable to hear the sound from a distance away. It was not that good because the distance was not that far, but it could help her greatly when she truly needed it. The most useful thing would be the chance for her to eaves drop without anyone finding out, though.

    "Third Sister is feeling unwell," Wei Xiao Hua''s voice could be heard.

    "I heard that she got sick because she was playing in the garden, is it true?"

    "What I heard from my Father is that she was hurt because she offended His Highness the Fourth Prince when His Highness was present in the residence."

    "Oh right. His Highness the Fourth Prince is a bit scary. Offending him is the same as courting death."

    Wei Liuying listened from the side with pursed lips. She had long known that it wouldn''t do her anything good to offend the fourth prince. Even after she retracted back her surveillance, he still made trouble to her. And with her status and position, how can she even fight back openly?

    It was impossible.

    Unless she wished to die without an intact corpse.

    "Is that true, First Miss Wei?"

    There was the sound of a forced laugh. "What are you talking about? Are you trying to defame Wei Family Household?"

    "We wouldn''t dare."

    "Yes. We''re just curious Sister Wei."

    "You''re the best amongst us here, Sister Wei. Your fianc¨¦e is the Fourth Prince and naturally, you''ll be the luckiest princess in the future."

    Wei Xiao Hua laughed again. Her laugh sounded so feminine and refreshing. "There''s also Sister Yin who''s coming here. Don''t joke around."

    Sister Yin here referred to Xin Yuxia. She was the daughter of an honorable duke family who bore the surname Xin. As one of the families who contributed greatly because the location where the family stayed had a lot of resources. Even though his influence was not great in the capital city, he was a figure that should never be offended in the south area.

    Wei Liuying had never met with Xin Yuxia and her family. After all, the status was quite different. Though, from this, it was clear that the Emperor was trying to steer away Ji Shao Yang''s center of power from the capital city so that he wouldn''t be able to contend for the throne.

    ''But giving him a rich person¡­ it''ll surely be exploited by the second prince.''

    Wei Liuying was sure that the marriage between the two would be the start of Prince Ji Shao Yang''s movement. Once his financial matter was secured, there was no need for him to worry so much about the fund that he would need to raise an army. The only question left would be whether the time was enough or not.

    She didn''t have the time to start pondering because the conversation had continued.

    "Even though the Second Prince is older, it''s a public knowledge that the Fourth Prince held higher position," a young lady giggled when she remarked.

    "Indeed."

    "Because of that, Sister Wei, we''re only curious whether you''re living well in your residence or not."

    "Yeah. We''re also worried about you."

    Most of the sentences were full of lies. Wei Liuying knew that, and she was sure that Wei Xiao Hua also knew that these noble ladies didn''t mean it. They only wanted to use Wei Xiao Hua to find out more about her bad relationship with the fourth prince.

    "In that case, I''ll tell you, but you need to keep a secret."

    "Of course."

    "Don''t worry, Sister Wei. We''ll never utter it out."

    After a series of promise that was filled with sugar, Wei Xiao Hua began to talk again, "My Third Sister offended Prince Ji Shu because she wanted to take his attention."

    Gasp of surprise could be heard.

    "She wanted his attention?"

    "Didn''t she know that the Fourth Prince is very cruel?"

    "She knew." Wei Xiao Hua laughed. "But who wouldn''t want to try their luck when the chance presented themselves?"

    "Tsk, that young girl didn''t have any virtue. To think that someone so low is a sister of yours, Sister Wei. You must be suffering grievances."

    "Yes. Thinking of snatching other people''s husband just showed that she didn''t have any dignity!"

    "You mustn''t say that. She''s still wounded, but she shouldn''t have any problem to walk. I''m sure that she''s already ashamed of what she had done and currently hiding in her room to reflect."

    Outside, Wei Liuying was staring in the direction of the garden with her eyes gleaming. If not for the fact that Wei Hong Zheng was wounded, and she had to come as him, she would surely appear as herself in the party.

    What Wei Xiao Hua said sounded pretty, but it was the same as implying that Wei Liuying was a coward who didn''t dare to show up her face after offending the Fourth Prince. With the reputation as someone who offended the Fourth Prince, a useless lady, and also a coward, it wouldn''t be a surprise if everyone steered away from her in the future.

    The ladies were still talking and coaxed Wei Xiao Hua, saying that it was her bad luck to have such a poor sister and so on.

    Wei Liuying laughed coldly internally and turned around. When did she even have the ounce of interest in the fourth prince? Rather than marrying him, she would rather stab her sword on his heart so that he would die miserably.

    Ignoring Huo, who was getting further and further away, Wei Liuying headed to the woods. Huo frowned, but he chose not to follow. He could hear what Wei Xiao Hua said too, so he could guess that Wei Liuying must be annoyed. Since there was no one else, he would rather leave her alone.

    Even he didn''t want to face Wei Liuying when the latter was angry.

 Chapter 77 - No Longer

    There was only one instance when Wei Liuying was thoroughly angry. A servant was trying to bully Xiao Yu, who was trying to do her work. Wei Liuying heard that and then changed the schedule for the servants'' work. Then, one way or another, she managed to obtain some weird drug and poisoned that servant. The servant had strong allergic reaction when she was working in front of others. There were a lot of red dots on her skin to the point that the head maid was so disgusted. That woman was disposed and no one ever heard about her again.

    Huo remembered that incident clearly because he was present when Wei Liuying asked Xiao Yu who did it. The cold gleam on Wei Liuying''s eyes was unsuitable for someone at her age. However, with the way she was raised, he didn''t think that it was weird for her to become mature faster than ordinary people.

    When the servant was finally disposed, Xiao Yu was surprised while Wei Liuying was nonchalant.

    It was as if the incident didn''t involve her in the slightest bit.

    The trace of the drug or even the way the servant was poisoned remained a mystery. Even Huo didn''t manage to find out the reason.

    And he didn''t really want to know.

    He still treasured his life.

    There were some things that was better left unsaid. Huo knew very well how terrifying this young lady could be. Even without any support from anyone in the household, she still could survive this long by relying on the people who needed her for their own purpose.

    That way, they would offer a certain protection.

    Huo sighed.

    He turned around and chose to wait near the forest for when Wei Liuying returned back. It would be better rather than courting death by confronting her directly.

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying walked to the woods. She turned her head to the back and realized that Huo chose to leave her alone. Probably, he still had some respect to her, so he knew that she was angry and annoyed right now.

    Her black eyes were staring to the forest before her. It was evening and the sky slowly darkened. The view was beautiful, but what Wei Liuying focused on was the way the darkness slowly enveloped everything. The sky was already darkening for some time and soon, it would be a complete darkness.

    "I have always been very patient with you because I know that I have to be very conscious of my status and the differences with many others," Wei Liuying said slowly. Her eyes gleamed with ruthlessness, a gaze that she never showed to anyone outside. "But if you think that you can bully me and use me however you wished to the point of destroying all of my future, then you''re terribly wrong."

    She didn''t make any unnecessary movements so far because she understood that in the light, she would never be able to compare with the main daughter. Whatever little things she had, the worth could never be compared to what the main daughter could possibly get with just a lift of her hand.

    The status was incomparable.

    The treatment they could possibly receive in their lifetime were also very different.

    There were some stories of lower ranked people managed to achieve big in their life after a series of hardship. But the path that they took were never easy. It was not something that someone could copy just like that. They were all trying hard to be able to survive and get what they wished.

    What they wished?

    In the past, Wei Liuying wished to have her mother''s love and attention for her. However, as she grew up, she understood that it was something that could never be fulfilled. No matter what she did, what kind of accomplishment she got, or anything like that, Feng Chun would never turn her attention to Wei Liuying.

    She also wished to have her father cared for her. But with Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng''s intervention, she could only end up as a dumb lady in front of him. He never cared for them and only cared for the family reputation.

    Once more, her dream was something that she could never achieve.

    Lastly, she hoped that she could get married to a somewhat ordinary man and lived peacefully. But as time passed and the struggle in the crowd grew deeper, she could see that her father would want her to get married to expand his influence.

    To whom, she didn''t know.

    Now, she only wished to leave the residence when she had already finished her preparation. She knew that it was hard for her to stay safe inside her own residence because of the people who watched over her.

    "I don''t plan to do make a move against you, but you should know that with every action, there''s consequences."

    Slowly, she turned her body around and made her way back. She still had to show her face during the night dinner.

    ¡­

    "Young Master, it''s almost time for dinner," Huo reminded. He was glad when he saw Wei Liuying walked out of the woods. Seeing her expression, it seemed that she had somehow calmed down a bit.

    However, he was sure that the matter wouldn''t end this quickly.

    As for what Wei Liuying planned¡­ he didn''t even want to know.

    "I know."

    Huo observed Wei Liuying from a distance away. The way Wei Liuying looked like made it seem that she had already calmed down a lot. Her expression was fixed to the same nonchalant and arrogant Wei Hong Zheng. He couldn''t understand how she managed to get into her role so quickly like this.

    Wei Liuying ignored the probing gaze from Huo as she strode to the hall. She quickly spotted her father, who was currently sitting on a table alone. He was in a good mood as he didn''t have to run into Prime Minister Xie today and able to enjoy his free time with his concubines in this beautiful place.

    "Second Young Master Wei, this way."

    Wei Liuying followed the servant and sat in the designated table. She didn''t really want to stay here, but she refrained from doing anything unnecessary and acted normally. The dinner only lasted for a short time as many of the youngsters were too excited. They wanted to talk about what they did, so they excused themselves and scurried away.

    Wei Hong looked at his two sons. "Do well in the hunt tomorrow. Did you manage to get anything today, Yijun?"

    "I only managed to get a rabbit, Father," Wei Yijun said with a bitter smile.

    "It''s alright. You''ll have better luck tomorrow."

    "Thank you, Father."

    After talking for a bit more, Wei Hong also departed. He made a beeline to the resting areas, which was the place for many other adults. It seemed that they were all planning to play go with each other.

    "Second Brother, I''ll take my leave first."

    "Take care, First Brother."

    Wei Liuying bid her farewell and then walked in the direction of her room. Huo was following her from behind. When they were close, she turned around and said, "I''m going to take a night walk."

    "Young Master, that''s¡­"

 Chapter 78 - Night Talk

    Without waiting for Huo to finish, Wei Liuying had already dashed out from the side of the building. Huo was stunned for a moment, but he didn''t give chase. Even though Madam Feng instructed him to keep on following Wei Liuying, he didn''t really want to do that when Wei Liuying had clearly told him that she wanted to be alone.

    It would be better if he didn''t try to cross his boundary as he didn''t want to get into unnecessary troubles.

    Swish!

    In the woods, Wei Liuying was sitting calmly on top of a large branch. It was not far from the building, but whatever she did here wouldn''t be seen from them. Wei Liuying had learned how to climb trees from her brother because it was part of the practice that he had to do.

    The night wind was cold and comforting. Wei Liuying looked up above and noticed the beautiful sea of stars. It was shining brightly up in the sky, decorating the view with beautiful lights.

    "I didn''t know that the Second Young Master of Wei Family liked to look at the stars."

    Wei Liuying frowned and turned her head down. She could see Yang Xian walking with unhurried pace to her direction. He was only wearing black robe that seemed to blend in the darkness. At the same time, his figure was swaying lightly without any trace of his presence. If one didn''t pay close attention, they wouldn''t be able to notice that he was there.

    "I didn''t know Strategist Yang liked to stroll in the middle of the night."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. He swiftly moved his body and climbed the trees before sitting down in a branch behind Wei Liuying. "I was tasked to patrol this area."

    "To make sure there''s no bandits and wolves?"

    "You''ve quite a large knowledge," Yang Xian acknowledged without worry.

    Wei Liuying merely let out a laugh and didn''t say anything else. She was still staring at the darkness before her. "So, what brings you here today, Strategist Yang?"

    "I''m curious."

    "Yes?"

    "I never thought that I would encounter a young lady who''s cross dressing to be a man," Yang Xian replied lightly.

    Wei Liuying didn''t immediately answer. She laughed lightly and looked in a distance. "There are always some unexpected things to happen."

    "Are you not afraid?"

    "Afraid?"

    "If they found out, you''ll die a miserable death."

    "Why should I be afraid of that?" Wei Liuying asked back. If a time came when there was truly no way out for her, she would make sure that she brought down as much enemies as she could.

    Yang Xian didn''t reply. He couldn''t see her expression as he was sitting behind her, but he could faintly sense that her back was filled with power. The previous time they met, he couldn''t tell much about her aside from the fact that she was slightly smarter. The second time, he noticed that the way her mind worked and the analysis she provided was amazing.

    Now it is the third time.

    This was the first time Yang Xian saw her bared her fangs. It was still concealed as she didn''t do anything, but the aura around her body told him clearly that it was something that she would surely do.

    "What do you plan to do?"

    "Why should I tell you?"

    "I might be able to help you."

    Wei Liuying let out a laugh. "There''s no need. I can do everything on my own."

    "Two brains will be better than one."

    "There''s no need for two brains to face a young lady. Besides, what I wanted to do was just a small prank."

    A small prank?

    Yang Xian had the feeling that coming from Wei Liuying, the small prank might be actually quite big. However, he didn''t want to meddle that much in Wei Liuying''s business because he understood that she had her own goal too.

    "Don''t underestimate Wei Xiao Hua."

    "You noticed too?"

    "Are you talking about her sudden change?"

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows and turned her body around. That way, the two of them were facing each other. "How could someone who didn''t live in the capital city until the past few months could possibly know?"

    "There are some rumors and naturally, I have to investigate everyone related to the Imperial Family. As the fianc¨¦e of the Fourth Prince, wouldn''t it be weird if no one is curious about her?" Yang Xian asked back.

    "And here I thought that no one would dare to watch Prince Ji Shu''s people."

    "Normally, I wouldn''t dare. However, the one who wanted to do it is His Highness the Third Prince, so I have to arrange some people." Yang Xian shrugged his shoulder, acting as if it was never his fault.

    Wei Liuying''s lips curled up. "I reckon that what you see is not something that interest you?"

    "Not really," Yang Xian said with a groan. "She''s a weird young girl for sure. However, I noticed that there''s some pattern."

    "Pattern?"

    "She always knew about the things that will happen and prepare the necessary tools beforehand."

    Wei Liuying fell into contemplation. She had also wondered about this from time to time in the past as Wei Xiao Hua acted as if she knew everything. Besides, the hostile gaze that Wei Xiao Hua gave her was deeply etched in her memory. Even though she only helped her mother a bit with a favorable term for Wei Xiao Hua, the latter looked like she was itching to rip her bones.

    Afterwards, Wei Liuying only acted from the back and slowly did whatever important for her survival. She left no trace, but Wei Xiao Hua seemed to have eyes on her back as she knew everything. Originally, Wei Liuying thought that it was the Fourth Prince passing information, but the change in Wei Xiao Hua''s attitude right after that fall was too eye catching to be ignored.

    "Is there no possibility that it was the Fourth Prince who did it?"

    "There''s that possibility, but the Fourth Prince never liked someone weak. If Wei Xiao Hua only knew how to rely on him, he''ll leave her as fast as possible and find a way to break the engagement," Yang Xian said unhurriedly.

    The only reason Ji Shu would want to stay behind and pamper Wei Xiao Hua must be because Wei Xiao Hua had something interesting. It was strange that the young lady, who was pampered before, could change so much. But to be able to attract Ji Shu for so long, it meant that Wei Xiao Hua had some capabilities.

    "Then¡­"

    "Do you believe in prophecy?"

    "Prophecy?" Wei Liuying asked in confusion.

    Yang Xian shrugged. "This is just a guess, but Wei Xiao Hua might have seen some parts of the future and make amendments according to what she had seen. After all, her actions were a bit too eye catching."

    "That''s possible."

    Wei Liuying then recalled the incident regarding Princess Ji Xiaoli. Back then, Wei Xiao Hua acted as if she didn''t know anything about that, but the nervousness she showed was clear. Could it be that Wei Xiao Hua actually knew that Princess Ji Xiaoli would meet with a mishap, which was why she was confused?

    The possibility was not zero.

    Wei Liuying laughed lightly as she thought about it.

    Yang Xian smiled. "Are you not worried that she could predict your future movements, Miss Liuying?"

    "Future will only set in stone when it becomes the present. I don''t know what she saw or knew, but I''ll not let things go according to her way."

    So what if she knew?

    She would only need to act in different way.

    If she still could guess it again?

    She would pick a different way.

    There were many possibilities of how things progressed in the world. Would it be possible for Wei Xiao Hua to guess every single possibility? Wei Liuying was not afraid.

    Yang Xian watched as Wei Liuying''s eyes gleamed. He smiled and stood up. "If you need help, you can ask me. I''ll be going back to my work now."

    "Hmm?"

    Wei Liuying frowned, but Yang Xian had already jumped down and waved. He turned around leisurely and continued his walk. It was as if the talk just now had never happened.

    Up on the tree, Wei Liuying watched his departing back for a moment before she also returned back to have rest.

 Chapter 79 - Second Day Of Summer Hunt

    Wei Liuying somehow managed to rest for the night. Even though her brain was very active, thinking for every scheme that she could possibly do against Wei Xiao Hua, she still fell asleep in the end. There were more than 10 ways that she could think of inside her mind, but most of them were too hard to do.

    She would need help from outsiders, and it was something that she wouldn''t do at this stage.

    "Young Master, it''s time for hunting."

    "I understand."

    Wei Liuying had already changed to similar robe with yesterday. Huo passed her a glance then followed behind her dutifully. It seemed that he was determined to not let her go out of his supervision for today. After all, it was his original duties that he only abandoned because he was unwilling to incur her wrath yesterday night.

    Of course, Wei Liuying also didn''t care much.

    Today, they were all allowed to form their own groups. Those newbies who had learned how to hunt yesterday were all very excited for their first ever hunt. They wanted to show to the world that they could do it.

    "Second Brother."

    "First Brother?" Wei Liuying replied with a smile. "Is there anything wrong?"

    "Would you like to join my group?" Wei Yijun asked back.

    Looking at her first brother''s back, she could see Xie Jing there. He was wearing a scowl on his face and there was bruise on his cheek, looking like he had just engaged in a fight. However, Wei Liuying could see that it was healing and there was no other spot that he was hurt.

    Probably, Xie Jing was punished by his father due to some reasons.

    "Is it the three of us?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Wei Yijun nodded. "The others already formed their own group. Besides, it''ll be better to go in a small group rather than alone."

    Wei Liuying looked hesitant. It was apparent that she was planning to go alone in the hunt. After all, she couldn''t possibly say to the others that she was hunting a deer in order to gain the best result. Most youngsters only hunted boar or something similar since it would be difficult for them to hunt something so big.

    "You can go alone tomorrow. Let''s try to hunt in a group first," Wei Yijun suggested when he saw her hesitation.

    "Alright."

    Behind her, Huo frowned slightly, but he kept his composure and expression. He wouldn''t want to expose that Wei Liuying was not his real master. After all, normal servants will never go against their Master''s words.

    "Great! Let''s go!"

    Seeing that her brothers had taken the horses, Wei Liuying realized that he was planning to go deep into the woods. She also ordered Huo to prepare the horses then departed with the others. Their servants were following from behind.

    "Why do you even want this wimpy kid to follow us?" Xie Jing asked in annoyance.

    "My brother needs to gain experience. I want to help him to become better," Wei Yijun replied with a smile.

    Xie Jing scoffed. "You''re too kind hearted."

    "Am I?"

    "Yes. My brother would rather beat me up to submission rather than accompanying me to hunt. Just look at my handsome face! That annoying brutal ************** hits me on the face when I ask him to let me follow him," Xie Jing complained.

    Wei Liuying didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. While Xie Jing was known as a troublemaker, his brother was the direct opposite. He was the best student in the academy and also had excellent result that no one else could possibly come close. Many said that he would surely become a great scholar in the future just like his father.

    Wei Yijun laughed. "You can try to coax him through different method. If it''s impossible to ask him, you shouldn''t try to provoke a hornet nest."

    "I know, I know, geez."

    The servants all pretended that they didn''t hear Xie Jing''s words. Even though he was supposed to keep his demeanor and speech as the young master of Xie Family, he hated those formalities. Whenever he was alone, he would return back to the same demeanor and then got beaten up by his father if he got found out.

    Then it was the same routine.

    Wei Liuying listened to her brother''s words and also peaceful demeanor. She came to understand that Wei Yijun was clearly not her second brother''s opponent. He was calm and collected, along with knowing his own capabilities and advantage. With the confidence that he would be able to win every battle, he didn''t mind ''helping'' out his brother.

    From what Wei Yijun said, Wei Liuying knew that he must be able to guess that Wei Hong Zheng would be angry if Wei Yijun tried to help him. However, Wei Yijun still did it nevertheless as he knew that it was only a natural thing for brothers to help each other.

    Wei Liuying was not even sure whether Wei Yijun was simply that kind or he just have the confidence that Wei Hong Zheng would never be able to defeat him.

    ''He''s the worst matchup against Wei Hong Zheng.''

    With the difference in their capabilities, Wei Hong Zheng would just continue to get jealous. Over the span of few weeks, Wei Liuying could see that her second brother was working hard. It was much harder compared to the time when he was still attending school.

    Probably, it was because Wei Hong Zheng was always getting enraged simply with Wei Yijun''s presence.

    "Let''s stop here."

    Wei Yijun decided and they all alighted down the horses. Several servants were tasked to guard the horses, including Huo. Even though Huo looked like he was willing to murder someone because of this arrangement, Wei Liuying didn''t care. She didn''t want to be watched all the time.

    Under Wei Yijun''s lead, they entered the forest deeper. There were only one Wei Yijun''s servant who was following him from behind along with another servant from Xie Jing. They carefully searched for some tracks on the ground.

    "There''s a boar," Xie Jing said as he pointed to the mark on the ground. "It''s still warm, so it must have passed just recently."

    Wei Yijun nodded. "Let''s get into position and wait."

    "Alright."

    "Ok."

    The three of them went separate ways as the servants quickly hide behind the trees. Wei Yijun and Wei Liuying both climbed different trees while Xie Jing laid behind lush bushes. His bow and arrow was ready on his hand before he turned into a statue as he laid low and erased his presence.

    Wei Yijun also erased his presence and stayed quiet in his place. They needed to wait for the boar to return back if they wished to hunt it.

    After half an incense stick of time, Wei Liuying suddenly moved. However, with her soft steps and erased presence, the others didn''t realize her movement as she jumped to another trees and started to make a dash on top of the lush trees.

 Chapter 80 - An Arrow

    Summer meant that the trees were still filled with leaves. Unlike when it was autumn when many trees had already dropped their leaves.

    Wei Liuying moved swiftly. She had to be fast and made sure that she didn''t make the wrong move. Waiting for prey in the hunt might take long or short depending on their luck. She could only hope that the boar didn''t appear during the time she took to depart to the north.

    She was still around 200 meters away from the villas, but she could see that there were several people on the garden. From the way it looked like, they were having tea party together.

    ''I should have been there.''

    Wei Liuying took out an arrow from her back. It was a different arrow from the rest of hers. She took this silently from the servants when they were busy discarding the unusable arrows yesterday from the match between Prince Ji Shu and Prince Ji Tian. The size become smaller after she cut the edge a bit to position the blade and wrap it with bamboo.

    She was standing on top of the tree as she aimed the arrow at the group of the girls. From this position, she couldn''t see everyone clearly, but she didn''t need to. The eye catching pink dress that Wei Xiao Hua wore today stood out in the crowd as Wei Liuying could faintly see her move around.

    She waited for a few breaths of time before her finger released the arrow.

    Dzing!

    Wei Liuying didn''t wait to see whether her shot successful or not. At this distance, her accuracy was not that good as it was quite far, but she didn''t really aim to kill her. Either wounding or just tearing the dress was enough.

    In the group of the ladies, they were all laughing around. Since they couldn''t participate in the hunt, they would just gather to have tea together while watching the performance of the young masters in the hunt. Just as they were talking, the sudden tearing sound alarmed them along with the wind movement.

    Wei Xiao Hua was stunned, but then she realized that her skirt was torn. An arrow landed not far from her legs while bringing part of her dress with it. Her face turned pale.

    "KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

    Screams of the ladies alarmed the young masters who were nearby. When they came close, they were stunned when they saw Wei Xiao Hua, who was trying hard to hide her exposed legs. Her face was red as she was thoroughly embarrassed.

    "Who shot the arrow just now?" A young lady stood up and asked the young masters with angry tone.

    "This¡­"

    They were all confused. They were all still staying near here because they were practicing their archery. Could it be that there was the case of misfire again? Some young masters averted their eyes from Wei Xiao Hua but some clearly couldn''t resist to look at her pale and white legs.

    Most women would wear long dress and robe that covered their entire body. The one who would be able to see their bare legs were usually their husbands. The only exception was obviously below the ankle as when they walked, it was possible for their shoes to pop out.

    Wei Xiao Hua was thoroughly embarrassed. Her face was red as she glared at the young masters in the area. Her fingernails were clenching on her first. She turned around and rushed into the house, intending to change her clothes.

    "Find out whoever is around the perimeter!"

    The ladies were mostly angry at the irresponsible young masters. Some of them stayed to reprimand the young masters who were nearby. Even though they didn''t know who it was, they were still thoroughly angry.

    The only one who was hiding her smile was Wei Zilin.

    Over the past day, she was casted aside because Wei Xiao Hua blatantly said that they didn''t have good relationship. Besides, Wei Zilin also tried to get close to Ji Shu, but the matter was not exposed like Wei Liuying because Wei Zilin was also known to be a very talented young lady.

    It was harder to tarnish her reputation.

    Wei Xiao Hua was using the simplest way to use competition to continue put Wei Zilin down. And in the hunt, the other ladies were simply polite at her, but they didn''t dare to get close to her as she had been trying to offend Wei Xiao Hua over and over.

    This time, it was different.

    There was a case of misfire and the one who got hurt was Wei Xiao Hua.

    Wei Zilin obviously didn''t know who did it, but she secretly praised that person. With this incident, Wei Xiao Hua would be very embarrassed to get out after having her dress torn because of an arrow.

    "Miss?"

    "Let''s go back," Wei Zilin said slowly. "My First Sister is wronged, so I have to find Father to report this."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Wei Zilin took out her fan and walked while covering her mouth. She knew that she couldn''t help but smile whenever she thought about Wei Xiao Hua''s horrified expression. This made her felt much better.

    Prang!

    On the other hand, Wei Xiao Hua was angry and smashed a pot nearby. She looked at her dress and felt like crying. This was an expensive dress that she begged her father to buy because it was so pretty. Just this morning, the ladies were praising her. Now, it was torn to the point that it was unusable.

    "Miss," Wei Xiao Hua''s servant called out. "His Highness the Fourth Prince is on his way here,"

    "That''s good."

    Wei Xiao Hua paced around the room. Her brain was racked.

    In the original book, she was supposed to be poisoned because of Wei Liu¡­ oh right, Wei Liuying was not present, so it was impossible for her to do that. However, there was no such case such as misfire in the novel. What that dolt Wei Hong Zheng did was to interrupt her when she was alone with Prince Ji Shu in the novel. As she was not sure the exact time and event, she tried to stop him from coming.

    But now, things were not going according to the novel. Wei Xiao Hua was thoroughly confused. Why are there so many inconsistencies with the novel even though she only changed things a bit?

    She couldn''t understand.

 Chapter 81 - Order To Return

    Bang!

    Prince Ji Shu walked in. His face was dark. When he heard that there was someone who tried to harm Wei Xiao Hua, he came here almost immediately. His eyes darkened when he saw his fianc¨¦e was looking frustrated.

    "Ji Shu," Wei Xiao Hua called out. She slowly inched closer and looked up to him with her tearful eyes. Her doe eyes made her look cute and added with the charm that her faces had, it was easy to melt one''s heart.

    Looking at her like that, Prince Ji Shu frowned. He stretched his hand and patted Wei Xiao Hua''s head awkwardly. This was his first time trying to console a woman. Even though his heart was itching to give a lesson to whoever dared to do this, he couldn''t bring himself to leave her alone.

    She was too cute and adorable!

    "I''ll find out who did this and make him pay," Ji Shu said with murderous intent.

    Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes flashed. "Where''s the location of Hong Zheng, Yijun, and Xie Family members?"

    "Wei Hong Zheng and Wei Yijun both used horses. They traveled together, so they should be in a far location that couldn''t even hear the commotion in this place."

    The distance they took if they used horses should be a few hundred meters. Unless they were bow experts, they would never be able to shoot the arrow from that distance. With this in thought, Wei Xiao Hua''s face was darkened.

    She was hoping that they would be related to this incident in order to make sure that she could wipe them. However, things that the novel didn''t mention might be from external factor. Wei Xiao Hua felt helpless as she could not understand what made the plot derailed so much.

    There was only few small things that she did outside the novel as it was impossible for a novel to record all of the main character''s action. The most obvious one was during the Lantern Festival as she was supposed to be staying with her two sisters. However, she ditched them as she couldn''t stand the thought of staying with them together.

    And the Lantern Festival ended up having a huge plot derailment with Ji Xiaoli incident.

    Wei Xiao Hua''s face darkened at the thought of that incident. She couldn''t believe that the princess was still keeping her reputation intact. Because of that, she was also a bit anxious about the plot in the second volume as it would definitely change everything. Yet, she couldn''t say anything to anyone.

    The feeling of not knowing the future made her anxious.

    She had completely forgotten that in her ''previous'' life, she could never know what would happen in the future.

    "Then¡­"

    "As for Xie Family, I''ll try to investigate it," Ji Shu said. He was also busy investigating all the children of the officials who had bad bone with him. Many of them were secretly scheming on the back against him.

    If he found out the one who did it¡­

    Ji Shu''s eyes blazed with flames of anger. He would never let them off!

    ¡­

    Back in the forest, Wei Liuying had sat down leisurely in her hiding place. There was still no movement made by any beast. The others were also staying still in their location as they were very patient. Both Wei Yijun and Xie Jing have already experienced the hunt for three years, so they have gotten used with the situation here.

    They have to be patient if they wished to get anything.

    A rabbit appeared from the bushes. The people there frowned, thinking about whether to hit it or not. They were still contemplating when they heard xiu sound as an arrow was shot from the top of the tree.

    Jleb!

    The arrow perfectly hit the unsuspecting rabbit.

    "Why did you kill that one? Our target is a boar," Xie Jing asked unhappily.

    Swish!

    Wei Yijun jumped down from the tree and landed on the ground with swift movement. He looked at Xie Jing and shrugged. "Better than nothing."

    "You... just wait a bit more ah!"

    "Well, there''s no guarantee that the boar will return back."

    "Do you think it''ll not get scared away because of the blood smell now?" Xie Jing was feeling exasperated.

    "I don''t know."

    "You¡­!"

    Wei Yijun ignored the fuming Xie Jing and took the rabbit''s body. He still didn''t remove the arrow yet as he didn''t wish to stain the ground with the blood. It would spell trouble as the one that got attracted to the blood would be wolves. And if a pack appeared, they might not be able to survive here.

    Wei Liuying jumped down from the tree too. She looked at the rabbit curiously while looking around. There was no sign of any other animals nearby.

    "Maybe we should continue to hide?" Wei Liuying asked with a hint of uncertainty. She acted as if she didn''t know the extremely long wait for hunters. Sometimes, it was even possible for them to wait an entire day and still didn''t have any result.

    Xie Jing snorted. "Of course, we have to wait again! Our target is.."

    "Young Master!"

    "What is it?" Xie Jing turned his head around and asked harshly. He was already in a bad mood because Wei Yijun chose to target the rabbit and not wait for their real target to appear. If only they wait a bit more, probably they would be able to go home with the boar''s meat.

    Though, there was no guarantee.

    "There''s an accident in the villa. We''re told to return back."

    "What happened?" Wei Yijun stood up while carrying the rabbit''s body.

    The servant was rushing over. He looked with panic. "First Miss Wei got hit because of a misfire arrow."

    "Misfire?" Xie Jing was stunned. "Who''s the stupid one to point the arrow towards the villa''s location?"

    "They''re not sure, but everyone is told to return back."

    The three of them looked at each other when they heard that answer. Neither one of them was willing to return back when they hadn''t gotten the target they wanted. After all, there was still a chance for the boar to return back here.

    "Who''s giving the order?"

    "His Highness the Fourth Prince."

 Chapter 82 - Investigation

    The three of them looked at each other when they heard that answer. Neither one of them was willing to return back when they hadn''t gotten the target they wanted. After all, there was still a chance for the boar to return back here.

    "Who''s giving the order?"

    "His Highness the Fourth Prince."

    "Ahh, why is it have to be him?" Xie Jing really wanted to curse aloud. If not because of the fact that he was a young master of an influential family, he would not hesitate to curse out loudly.

    But if that fourth prince were to hear, he would be a dead meat.

    "First Sister is his fianc¨¦e," Wei Yijun informed. "We better go back and find out what had happened exactly."

    "Alright," Wei Liuying sounded unwilling, but she still agreed.

    Xie Jing sighed and followed after the other two. He was also unwilling. Considering that they were at least three hundred or maybe even four hundred''s meters away from the villa, it was impossible for any of them to be the one. However, he was not in the position to say that.

    They regrouped with the servants and rode on their horses to return back. Huo was looking at Wei Liuying with suspicious gaze, but Wei Liuying kept her composure. From the moment she decided to act, she was already determined to see it to the very end. At the same time, she would make sure that she would never show any loophole.

    Wei Liuying still acted like an unwilling young master. There were many others who were similar to her, but they also didn''t dare to do anything and obeyed.

    When they returned, they were asked several question.

    "What did you do before you were asked to return?" A guard asked. He was wearing the armor that only those who were the guards of the Imperial Family were allowed to wear. Because of that, it was easy to recognize him as part of Ji Shu''s guards.

    "We''re hiding to hunt."

    "It means there''s no one who can see you?"

    The three of them looked at each other and Wei Yijun pointed to the rabbit that his servant brought. "A few breaths'' time before the guards come, we had just hunted this rabbit and all three of us quarreled with each other."

    "Quarrel?"

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Yeah, our target is a big boar, but we can only get a rabbit after a long time waiting."

    "We should be waiting a bit longer," Xie Jing said under his breath.

    The guards recorded their answers before releasing them to join with the others in the villa. Based on what they said, they hunted a rabbit not long after the incident took place in the villa. It would be impossible to travel a far distance within that short period of time.

    They were not the only ones as there were many others who were also hunting or chasing their preys when they were called to return. Right now, there were a lot of dissatisfied young masters gathered in the villa, yet not a single one uttered any protest. They were staying obediently on their positions.

    "Since we can???t hunt again, let''s go our separate ways. I need to have a chat with my father," Xie Jing said with a grunt.

    Wei Yijun nodded. He cupped his hand. "Thank you for accompanying today. It''s too bad that we can''t get the boar."

    "We can try again next year."

    "Right."

    They all exchanged some pleasantries before they walked away. Wei Liuying lightly patted her shoulder. Acting as the young master was a bit tiring as she had to act as a boy for a long period of time.

    "Young Master," Huo called from behind.

    "What is it?"

    "Is it you?"

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. She turned around and looked at Huo with her calm eyes. "What makes you think that it''s me?"

    Huo opened his mouth then closed it again. Wei Liuying''s gaze was still the same indifference as usual. Even though there was the air of arrogance that exceedingly similar with Wei Hong Zheng, it was completely different when he was looking at her eyes. The black eyes seemed to be sucking him deeper and deeper without any way out.

    She''s far scarier compared to Wei Hong Zheng.

    "No. It''s nothing. This servant is befuddled for a moment, Young Master."

    Wei Liuying shrugged and turned around as she walked leisurely. All the young masters were told to gather in the main villa and many of them gathered in the main hall. She proceeded to head there and stayed low key. She didn''t want to attract any trouble with that.

    Her line of sight immediately landed on her father, who was sitting in the middle of the room with dark lines.

    "Father."

    "Oh, Hong Zheng, you''re here," Wei Hong exclaimed in surprise. "Why do you return back so early?"

    "His Highness the Fourth Prince wants us to return back, so we can''t disagree," Wei Liuying said with a shrug.

    Wei Hong frowned. "Did it interfere with your hunt?"

    "I was waiting with First Brother for a boar, but we didn''t manage to make it come out yet. So far, we only managed to get a rabbit."

    "It''s fine. It''s hard for a beginner to hunt on the first day," Wei Hong said with a consoling tone. "You can sit here and wait."

    "Yes, Father."

    Wei Liuying retreated to the back and sat down. A servant served her a cup of tea, which she enjoyed drinking while waiting. Her eyes swept the young masters in the hall as this was her first time joining in a crowd of young masters. Even if she dressed as a man in the past, she had never attended a social meeting like this.

    It seemed very different from what she imagined.

    Probably because the atmosphere was tense, but everyone in the room was trying hard to erase their presence. They were also seemed to be unwilling to engage in conversation lest that the fourth prince managed to catch some details and chose them to be the scapegoat for the incident.

    They didn''t want to die yet.

    This was a prince that paid little heed to the rules.

 Chapter 83 - Youâ€™re Stepping On The Line

    Wei Liuying was still busy observing them when she noticed a middle aged man walked towards Wei Hong. Wei Hong''s face also lit up a bit when he saw his old friend coming over to talk with him.

    "Old Wei, you don''t look so good," his friend said with a smile.

    Wei Hong rolled his eyes. "Why don''t you put yourself in my shoes, Old Mu? My daughter is wronged right in front of me."

    The one named Old Mu could only smile bitterly. "Do you think that I don''t know what happen? You have a good son in law, though. He was willing to bear the brunt for your daughter and incur the wrath of the young masters."

    "They''ll understand as they''re smart."

    "Indeed."

    Wei Liuying was resisting her urge to roll her eyes. What understand? They would be stupid if they failed to realize that this was nothing more but an act by Prince Ji Shu. He tried to question everyone just to show that he cared for his fianc¨¦e while the investigation was done on the back.

    If not because of that, why would they be afraid to talk with others in fear that they would misspoke?

    "Talking about daughter, your third daughter is in for some troubles, huh?"

    "Hmm?" Wei Hong furrowed his brows. He had heard that there might be some words flying around about Wei Liuying, but he didn''t really pay much attention at this time. After all, it was not that important in his eyes.

    "Haven''t you heard about how she tried to seduce her sister''s fianc¨¦?" Old Mu snorted. "How stupid."

    Wei Hong sighed. "That''s not true at all. She only accidentally offended the Fourth Prince."

    "Rumors have spread, Old Wei. Even if you try to tell the truth, I highly doubted that you''re going to succeed."

    "What do you want, Old Mu?" Wei Hong asked his old friend. The two of them were officials and already quiet advanced in age. After all, Old Mu had already become an official for a few years before he came.

    "With that kind of reputation spread, there''ll be very few people who would want her. That''s why I''m thinking that you should just give her to me."

    Give her to you?

    Not only Wei Hong, Wei Liuying nearly spilled the tea in her hand. If not because it was only half full, she was sure that her hand would be drenched in tea by now. Her black eyes were staring at the official named Old Mu with displeasure. Old Mu was already Wei Hong''s friend. Even if he had broad connection, it was completely different from what Wei Hong currently needed.

    Besides, this man was thrice her age!

    Not twice but thrice!

    "Old Mu, this is not the place to joke around," Wei Hong said in displeasure to his old friend.

    Old Mu laughed. "This is not a joke. I''m serious."

    "Don''t you already have 10 wives?"

    "I''m searching for some young blood and your daughter seem to be very suitable," Old Mu said in hearty manner.

    Wei Hong was not in the mood to care for his third daughter''s marriage. He was still thinking how to salvage the situation and restore Wei Xiao Hua''s reputation. Silently, he also hoped that Ji Shu would be able to be the one to solve this.

    "That''s why you set your eyes on my daughter?"

    "Of course it wouldn''t be without reward. I know that you have been paving way for your eldest daughter, so I''ll lend you a hand if you give me the third one."

    "This¡­"

    "Think about it. What best offer can you get aside from me?" Old Mu asked with a wink.

    Wei Hong was silent for a moment. While it was true that he was silently trying to gather support, it was both for his career and for Wei Xiao Hua. He was not that lacking in his connection and without this agreement, he and Old Mu would still be friend. But with Wei Liuying''s current reputation, how would it be possible for her to get a decent partner?

    "Fine, I agree."

    "Hahaha, that''s what I know you''ll definitely say. Unfortunately, we can''t toast now or it''ll arouse suspiciousness."

    "Tone down your expression and laugh. We still need to talk about this when we return back."

    "Sure, sure," Old Mu said while licking his lips. He couldn''t wait for the young girl to grow up to be a budding woman. That would be the best moment in his life.

    On their back, Wei Liuying''s gaze had turned murderous. Even Huo, who was standing beside her was stunned. Wei Liuying had never showed any particular interest whenever the others asked her about her marriage. For women, marriage was solely decided by their parents, and they have to agree no matter what.

    It was not rare for women to be married to a man far older than them in order to let their parents gain some connections and advantage.

    But Huo would never say it out loudly. He was sure that Wei Liuying understood it all, but the reason why she was angry might have something to do with Wei Hong deciding so quickly. He didn''t even take more than 10 sentences of persuasion before giving in. How could a father be so useless?

    Wei Liuying stood up and bowed to her father. She was afraid that if she stayed here any longer, she wouldn''t be able to restraint her anger.

    "Father, I want to take some fresh air."

    "Ah, sure. Don''t walk too far."

    "Yes, Father."

    Wei Liuying bowed once more and left to the other side. She passed a glance to Huo and that once glance was enough to send chills running on Huo''s back. Her gaze was deep and filled with restrained anger. it was as if a volcano was brewing and ready to blow up, yet there was still a thin layer of earth covering it.

    Huo didn''t want to court death again.

    He just felt that there were so many people who touched Wei Liuying''s bottom line in this hunt this time.

    Wei Liuying retracted her gaze and strode out of the room. Because she was dressed as a man, there was nothing wrong with her walking so quickly. Only Huo felt that even the steps sounded a bit harder than before.

    The Third Miss was even angrier at her father than her oldest sister.

 Chapter 84 - Game Of Patience

    Wei Liuying walked aimlessly in the large villa. She had seen the layout, but there were several places that she hadn''t visited because she was too busy going around in the outer area. Now that she was annoyed and needed a place to rest, she freely roamed around the villa.

    It didn''t take long before she arrived in the edge of the building. There was an unused storage room not far from her while the kitchen was not far ahead. Some servants were there, but they were quite far enough, so whatever Wei Liuying said, they wouldn''t be able to hear it.

    Huo guessed correctly, she was angry at her father.

    "You can neglect me, scorn me and even curse me as you wish, but now you want me to marry a man thrice of my age just because of your old friendship?" Wei Liuying muttered under her breath. Her eyes were gleaming in clear annoyance and displeasure.

    Wei Liuying raised her head and laughed coldly. Her black eyes were staring out of the window not far from her. it was directed to the garden where there were a lot of young masters were still fetched back from the forest. Many of them chose to venture deeper in order to get better result.

    If only she was ''present'' in this place, she would have confronted her father and refused him in place.

    But would he even listen?

    Wei Liuying had long known that her father parents would be the one to decide her marriage. The possibility of her marrying old officials was there, so she knew about it. But what made her extremely annoyed was that her father didn''t even try to talk with Feng Chun nor tried to consider other option.

    It was not like she had to get married so soon.

    And yet he decided in a hurry as if he was worried that the other party would reject in a moment of impulse.

    It looked as if he was already impatient to discard her because he didn''t think she had any use. At the same time, he didn''t care where he discarded her to because the end result would be the same.

    In other words, Wei Liuying was no different than trash in her father''s eyes.

    "Originally, I only plan to leave when there''s no way out for me in the residence," Wei Liuying said slowly in a low voice. She had prepared enough money, and she knew that she could easily become a young master if she wanted with just a change in her clothing. As for Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu, they would be disguised in a completely different way.

    At first, she only prepared that plan because she knew that she might not be able to accept her father''s arrangement.

    Marrying a person thrice her age¡­

    Does he want her to be a widow so young?

    Wei Liuying shook her head and turned her gaze back to the main hall. "But now, it wouldn''t be pretty if I didn''t leave any gift for you, Father. Right, Father?"

    Her black eyes seemed as if it had turned even darker. "I was never a good girl in the first place. And if you ended up forcing me in this path, I''ll not hesitate to make my move."

    After muttering that, Wei Liuying stayed still in her place. There was distinct aura around her body that made her look unapproachable. Fortunately, no one was there or they would be thinking that there was something terribly wrong with their young master as Wei Liuying was still dressed as Wei Hong Zheng.

    After a few breaths'' time, Wei Liuying left the place and returned back to the hall.

    ¡­

    Wei Hong was still talking with his friends. However, the number had already increased to three. When she came near, her face darkened a bit upon hearing their conversations.

    "Ah, you''re trying to court the third young miss? She''s indeed pretty just like Feng Chun, but she''s stupid."

    "What''s the use of smart women? She''ll only stay as the lower ranked concubines for all I know."

    "True."

    "In that case, you can also consider me if she rejects Old Mu."

    "Scram! It''s impossible for her to reject me. Just think about how you can coax Feng Chun to agree."

    "You''re correct."

    They all have serious faces as if the content of their conversation was something grave. However, Wei Liuying could only feel black lines appearing on her face. When did her reputation fell so deep that she could only resort to these old men to consider for her own marriage?

    When???

    Just as Wei Liuying was thinking for a way to break their conversation while trying to keep her expression normal, the door was opened and the staff quickly announced, "His Highness the Third Prince, Prince Ji Sheng and Strategist Yang is here."

    Everyone quickly bowed down in front of the prince. It was the normal courtesy that they had to show in front of the Imperial Family.

    Ji Sheng strode into the hall in unhurried pace. His cold face swept across the large hall with indifferent gaze. He had received report that there was a misfire arrow and that they were tasked to investigate it.

    "You may rise."

    "Thank you, Your Highness."

    Everyone returned back to stand up while Ji Sheng started to talk with some officials there. As Wei Liuying was standing far away, she couldn''t hear what they were talking about. What she knew was the fact that the officials'' faces turned black upon hearing what Ji Sheng said.

    "No!"

    Some of them rushed out of the hall.

    Wei Liuying frowned and focused her eyes on Ji Sheng''s lips. It was hard to make out what he was saying, but she could guess a few words.

    ''Ji Shu¡­ interrogate¡­ sons¡­''

    All of a sudden, Wei Liuying felt chilly wind around her face. She raised her head and noticed that Prince Ji Shu had walked in. He was looking at Ji Sheng with traces of amusement. "Why don''t you tell them blatantly in front of anyone that their sons are interrogated and locked away?"

    The temperature reached freezing point.

    It was common knowledge that Prince Ji Shu''s way of interrogating might even turn them into cripple.

    It was scary.

    Ji Sheng shrugged. "Isn''t it better that only they know the bad news rather than spreading it to anyone unrelated?"

    Ji Shu snorted. That was what Ji Sheng said, but it was actually just an effort to make sure that they were not scared. Ji Shu himself didn''t worry too much as it was his intention to make them fear him.

    That way, they would think twice before harming those whom he considered his own.

    Wei Liuying looked at the two princes with indifferent expression. She understood perfectly that Ji Shu would not let her off because of what she had done to Wei Xiao Hua. However, since he didn''t manage to catch her, he unleashed his wrath on the young men who saw Wei Xiao Hua.

    Very ruthless.

    This was his way to make the perpetrator feel guilty and make a mistake. But would Wei Liuying make a mistake?

    No.

 Chapter 85 - Itâ€™s You, Isnâ€™t It?

    Wei Liuying still kept her composure as if what Ji Shu said didn''t have any relation with her whatsoever. Her expression didn''t change in the slightest bit and only showed the same uncomfortable expression that many other young masters did.

    Ji Shu swept his gaze on the hall. He was also feeling annoyed when he didn''t spot anyone acting out of ordinary. Was his threat not enough?

    "Since it''s just some problems of misfire, I''ll return back to my post," Ji Sheng said, interrupting Ji Shu''s train of thoughts.

    "In that case, I won''t see you off, Imperial Third Brother."

    "I''ll see you later, Imperial Fourth Brother."

    Behind Ji Sheng, Yang Xian was keeping his head low as if he was trying hard to make his presence unknown. Even though everyone had heard the servants announced that Strategist Yang came, they didn''t pay attention to him. The two princes were shining so brightly as if they were the stars.

    Ji Sheng passed one last cold look to Ji Shu before he left. As for the others, they stayed still in their places.

    Ji Shu swept his gazes on the crowd. He showed off a dark look as if telling them that if they dared to cross him, their fates would be worse than those officials. This time, no one dared to say anything as they kept their head lowered and looked away from Ji Shu.

    After a few breaths'' time that seemed like the eternity, Prince Ji Shu left the place. They all finally heaved a sigh of relief and only some officials were still weeping for their losses. With Ji Shu''s cruel personality and the smell of blood that he emanated when he came, it was clear that he personally did what he said just now.

    "Go and rest," Wei Hong said slowly.

    Wei Liuying looked at Wei Yijun, whose face was also pale. The two of them politely bowed. "Yes, Father."

    They silently left the hall along with many other young nobles who were trying hard to not puke. They were feeling unwell because of the meeting with Ji Shu just now. All they wanted was simply to return back and have a long and good rest before they continued to feel unwell.

    "I''ll be going this way, First Brother."

    "Take care."

    Wei Yijun barely paid any attention to what Wei Liuying said. Even though many of them were already used to hear about Ji Shu''s cruelty, this was their first time seeing him make his move right on the spot. Death seemed to be so near them for the first time in their lives.

    Their breathing turned erratic and their pupil dilated. They were afraid, afraid that whatever they did, they would only end up courting their death and tortured mercilessly by the vengeful prince.

    Wei Liuying was keeping her composure and walked to her room. She glanced to the back when she had arrived at the door frame. "Find out the names of the young men who were tortured by Prince Ji Shu."

    Huo was startled with the order, but he bowed and quickly disappeared into the night. His movement was swift and fast while Wei Liuying entered the room. She took a bath and changed her robe to that of black.

    Not long afterwards, Huo returned with a list of names in a bamboo stick. Wei Liuying took it and read the names.

    ''Gao Huang, the third son of Seventh Rank Official Gao. He''s known to be a famous womanizer in Han Shi Kingdom¡­.''

    ''He Su, the fourth son of Sixth Rank Official He. He''s the most pampered son because he''s from his favorite concubines and even before reaching the adulthood, he had already taken some concubines¡­.''

    ''Yao Fang, the second on of Ninth Rank Official Yao. He was still young and loved to play around. Just recently he visited a brothel and got beaten up by his father¡­''

    The more Wei Liuying read, the more serene her face was. She had guessed as much when she heard that there were several men who appeared so quickly when the ladies were screaming. The location for men and women were separated and the forest area around the ladies'' garden was tightly guarded with only a few of them could possibly come there.

    Normally, no one would be able to enter there without permission.

    She was sure that these young masters all bribed the guards to let them take a sneak peek to the ladies. When they came out, these unmarried ladies would be wearing veil. If they wished to see their faces directly, they either should wait until they were married or Lantern Festival when the ladies would sneak out to celebrate the New Year.

    It required great luck.

    So the only option left was for them to sneak in.

    And without them knowing, their action of peeking this time resulted in their end.

    As she looked at the names, she realized that the guard who took the bribe was also included in the list. It seemed that Ji Shu moved efficiently to torture those pests who tried to take a look at his beautiful fianc¨¦e. The question left would be whether he would be leaving them alive or kill them in the end?

    Wei Liuying didn''t know.

    He''s truly possessive.

    Wei Liuying sighed and put the name list away. She prayed silently for those young masters. Even though those young masters did dig their own graves, normally they wouldn''t have to die if they were not found out.

    Which she highly doubted.

    Since she had hastened their retribution for peeking, all she could do was to offer them a prayer and lit a candle. Unfortunately, there was no suitable candle in this room, so she just silently lit it inside her mind.

    She couldn''t change the past and even if she could, she knew that she would do the same thing. There were only limited actions that she could do against Wei Xiao Hua and the limited freedom that she has today would end in mere three days.

    When she returned back, she would be back to the third young miss of Wei Family whose life was tightly guarded in the residence. There was nothing that she could do outside of the surveillance that the family provided.

    ''I wish you''ll be well.''

    Wei Liuying said slowly inside her mind. She was about to go and rest when she heard faint rustling.

    Swish!

    Turning around, she could see a young man had sneaked into her room from the window. He was looking at her with his dark eyes as he smiled devilishly. There was some weird vibe that he seemed to emanate when he looked in her direction.

    "It''s you, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 86 - No One Is Innocent

    "What makes you think so, Strategist Yang?" Wei Liuying kept her composure. Her eyes were still looking straight to the figure in front of her eyes as she asked in a melodious tone.

    Yang Xian chuckled and entered the room with a swift motion. His eyes were looking straight to Wei Liuying with traces of amusement. "Those who want to harm Ji Shu will not choose to harm Wei Xiao Hua because there''s no point in doing that. They should rather kidnap her and make Ji Shu come to them or destroy her reputation completely. What happened look like a child''s play."

    Child''s play.

    If Wei Xiao Hua heard that, she would be thoroughly enraged. Having her skirt torn in front of so many people was an utter embarrassment that no women would want to go through.

    "If women heard it, no one will want to be courted by you, Strategist Yang," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "I''m not that foolish to offend women in the public. Because of that, I know that the perpetrator must have targeted Wei Xiao Hua. Wei Zilin is too stupid. Wei Yijun can''t do something like this while he was with you all the time. Or to be exact, he was in the same hiding place all the time just like what you supposed to do."

    "And you think I''m not there?"

    "No. You''re the one who can execute the plan properly. All you need to do is to make sure that everyone believed that you''re still hiding while in truth you go back to hide. Even though the distance seems ridiculous, I know that you''re capable enough to pull that off." Yang Xian stopped in front of Wei Liuying. "And you''re the only one who''s asking for the names because you want to pray for their well being in Prince Ji Shu''s hand, right?"

    Wei Liuying raised her eyes. Two pairs of black eyes were staring at one another as their figures were reflected in each other''s eyes. They were clear that what Yang Xian said was the truth, but their eyes betrayed none of their inner emotion.

    Both of them were experts when it came to concealing their real feelings.

    "You''re smart, Strategist Yang," Wei Liuying broke their standstill as she uttered her answer after a while.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "Thank you for your praise."

    Wei Liuying neither acknowledge it nor denied it, but Yang Xian understood what she was saying. She would never tell what she did to anyone in her entire life. Yang Xian also didn''t wish to urge her to speak if she didn''t want to.

    "Why do you suddenly make risky move?"

    "If you don''t have much time, what options would you have?" Wei Liuying asked slowly. Originally, she still has two years since she was only 14 years old, yet unfortunately, her sister didn''t want to let her off the hook so easily and hastened the schemes. She looked back at Yang Xian. "Besides, there''s nothing that I lost."

    If she didn''t stop Wei Xiao Hua from seeing the ladies, she was sure that the content of the conversation that they talked about would be her. Sooner or later, her reputation would be completely tarnished as everyone talked about how shameless she was to try seducing Prince Ji Shu.

    Even if it was not the truth, who would care?

    Rumors were more interesting than the truth.

    Yang Xian rubbed his chin and pointed outside. "Don''t you feel bad that you had inevitably put those young masters to their grave?"

    "People will die sooner or later. My hands have always been stained with blood. Adding some more, what''s the different?" Wei Liuying asked back once more.

    From young, she had already taken the lives of so many servants in her residence. Those who tried to harm her, scheme against her, or tried to trip her, were all sent to their death by her. Some were directly inside the residence while some others were through external means.

    With her mother also asking her to help scheming, the number of lives that Wei Liuying had taken wouldn''t lose even if she compared to a soldier who had gone to war a few times. There were a lot of blood spilled just because the servants have much lower status and wished to overstep their bounds.

    They wanted to be like the phoenix that reborn from the ashes.

    But they forgot, the risk from offending their masters were terribly high. Just one wrong step would be more than enough to send them to their graves. The odds to be successful was very low.

    "You''re very calm," Yang Xian said.

    Wei Liuying looked back. "There''s no one who''s genuinely innocent. If there''s such a person in this world, I can only say that he or she''s very lucky as everyone would be forced to see the brutal reality of this cruel world."

    Yang Xian nodded. He knew that. Ever since he was young, he had to take numerous lives simply because he wanted to survive. In the wilderness, only the strong would be able to survive as it was a harsh life.

    In that kind of environment, killing had become an everyday activity.

    No one would want to get used with it, but in this kind of world, those who could keep their hands clean were extremely lucky.

    "Are you not afraid?"

    "If I''m afraid, I should never take a step out of my room," Wei Liuying said with a smile. "Death is always near me. All I can do is to use whatever means in my disposal to make sure that I can evade it."

    "Even if it means sacrificing the innocent?"

    Wei Liuying looked back at Yang Xian. "Do I need to repeat my words again, Strategist Yang? There''s no one who''s genuinely innocent. What I did is only to help them reach their end much faster."

    Yang Xian shook his head lightly. He also understood what Wei Liuying said, but even if she said that she had to do it for her own survival, she also prayed for them. After all, it was inevitable that they had suffered because of her schemes.

    People were selfish individual.

    As long as it was in their favor, it was all fine. Those who offended them all have to die. No one would care for unrelated people around them.

    But they completely forgot one thing:

    The world didn''t revolve around them.

    When it came to this, all that mattered was simply what they wanted. There was no longer any right or wrong. It all turned into a conflict of interest where things were unable to be resolved with peace.

    "You should rest."

    "I would have rest earlier if not for an annoying intruder and a shameless eaves dropper," Wei Liuying said calmly.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. He shrugged. "Then I won''t impose on you anymore. However, I want you to know that you''re not the only one who''s bearing the burden of those who were dead. Many positions can only be obtained through stepping on the dead bodies."

    Including general and strategist.

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian, who had departed into the night once more. What he said, she understood. There were many times when they have to make difficult option because there was no other way out.

    Sacrificing soldiers to achieve victory¡­ isn''t that what a strategist have to do? It was a cruel way to describe his work, but it was also appropriate. Even though what he did was to make sure that they win with fewest casualties and obtained the most benefit, it was inevitable that there would be countless dead bodies in his path.

    From both his enemies and comrades.

    It''s his burden and responsibility as the leader, which was not something everyone could bear.

    ''I''m thinking too much today.''

    Pushing all thoughts from her mind, Wei Liuying walked to her bed. She needed to rest.

 Chapter 87 - Third Day Of Summer Hunt

    Sacrificing soldiers to achieve victory¡­ isn''t that what a strategist have to do? It was a cruel way to describe his work, but it was also appropriate. Even though what he did was to make sure that they win with fewest casualties and obtained the most benefit, it was inevitable that there would be countless dead bodies in his path.

    From both his enemies and comrades.

    It''s his burden and responsibility as the leader, which was not something everyone could bear.

    ''I''m thinking too much today.''

    Pushing all thoughts from her mind, Wei Liuying walked to her bed. She needed to rest.

    ¡­

    Outside the place, Prince Ji Sheng looked in Yang Xian''s direction. He was leaning against the tree as his figure was covered under the shadow. The light from the moon unable to reach his place as he was perfectly hidden beneath the darkness.

    "Your Highness," Yang Xian greeted and bowed down.

    Prince Ji Sheng frowned. "What''s with the politeness?"

    "I''m acting since you seem to be in bad mood," Yang Xian replied with a large grin on his face.

    "Did she know?"

    "Yes?"

    "That I was listening in?" Prince Ji Sheng elaborated. He was standing here all along to listen in their conversation. He had high martial arts and perfectly concealed himself here. This made him wonder whether she truly knew he was here or not based on what she said at the end.

    Yang Xian smiled. "No. She''s merely guessing, but it''s spot on, right?"

    Prince Ji Sheng arched his eyebrows. "You seem happy."

    "That''s because she had the quality of a leader that many people didn''t have. The decisiveness and ruthlessness that many people didn''t have along with the sharp mind to realize the situation she''s in," Yang Xian replied. "It''s rare for anyone much less a woman since they don''t have the same right as men. If she has the chance, I''m anticipating what she''s going to do with her capabilities."

    "You favor her, Xian?"

    "Why not?" Yang Xian rebutted back.

    "I''m surprised since you''re not one to show what you thought so clearly outside."

    Yang Xian scoffed. He would only be open to Prince Ji Sheng because he was once saved by Prince Ji Sheng. If not because of this prince giving him a helping hand back then, he would never be here and probably would have lived a completely different brutal life.

    "It won''t be easy to bring her with us back to the north," Prince Ji Sheng said unhurriedly. His gaze lingered on the direction where Wei Liuying''s room was located. "But no matter what, I want to have her."

    Yang Xian rolled his eyes. He crossed his hands. "The opportunity will surely come sooner or later."

    "It better be soon. We''re going back to the north soon after the hunt is over."

    "Ah? They have already decided on that matter? I thought that His Majesty will take more time to think since it involves his treasured daughter."

    ??No." Prince Ji Sheng turned his body around. "He never cared for any of us as long as he can indulge himself. Since the negotiation is in our favor, he wouldn''t mind sacrificing a woman to achieve his goal."

    "I see."

    Yang Xian had already heard about this many times. Some women accepted their fates, but there were many of them who tried to fight back and refused the arrangement. The princess will surely try to run away again as Ji Shu''s guards had reported several attempts over the past two months.

    Not a single one of them succeed.

    "Is there anything that you want to ask?"

    "Do you also agree with the arrangement?"

    Prince Ji Sheng went silent for a moment. His gaze was looking at a faraway location beyond the forest before him. "It''s necessary, isn''t it?"

    "Yes." Yang Xian nodded. "It is."

    "Then I don''t have much option in my hand."

    "I understand, Your Highness."

    ¡­

    The next day, Wei Liuying woke up early in the morning. She readied herself as fast as possible. Even though her hair was a bit annoying since it was really long, she managed to tie it into a bun after some struggle. The pain from not having maid started to show as a woman''s hair was really long.

    She pushed the door open and saw Huo stood in front of the door. He was looking in her direction. "Young Master, today is the last day."

    "I know."

    "What''s your plan for today?"

    Wei Liuying understood that Huo was urging her to quickly finish what Wei Hong Zheng asked her to do. The only reason why Wei Hong Zheng wanted her to participate in this hunt was because it was the chance for him to make his name as talented future commander.

    If he couldn''t make it as scholar, he wanted to have a backup as military commander.

    The best way to pave the path would be through the hunt.

    "Prepare the horse. We''re going deep into the forest."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Huo proceeded to swiftly prepare the horse while Wei Liuying took her equipment once more. It felt strange for her to be acting this way for her brother, but she knew that this was necessary. There was not much time left, and she had to achieve decent result for her brother.

    Wei Liuying took her equipment and walked out of her place. Her eyes were looking in the direction of the hall.

    "Second Brother," Wei Yijun called out.

    "First Brother."

    Wei Yijun noticed that Huo had brought out horse. He smiled. "Are you planning to go hunting by yourself?"

    "Yes, First Brother. Don''t you also want to go hunting by yourself?"

    "That''s true, but I don''t really expect anything. It''s already good enough that last year I managed to find deer accidentally," Wei Yijun replied.

    Wei Liuying nodded. Wei Yijun was never that good at martial arts and even at his age, he was still a bit lacking compared to his peers. But when it came to lesson, Wei Yijun completely excelled even if it was compared to many other people.

    "I''ll be going now, First Brother."

    "Take care."

    The two of them went their separate ways. Wei Liuying hopped on the horse and waited for Huo to get on another horse that was prepared for servants before she dashed into the lush forest.

 Chapter 88 - Deer And Wolf

    The feeling of the wind slapping her cheek was very comfortable. Wei Liuying''s lips curled up in comfort as she rushed through the forest. She felt that the men were truly enviable. They could ride horse all the time they wanted.

    After riding for some time, Wei Liuying stopped. She looked in the direction of the forest as her eyes scanned the ground before her.

    "Young Master?"

    "There''s trace of deer''s footsteps here," Wei Liuying replied. She hopped down from the horse and crouched down on the ground. Her hands noticed the special footsteps that could only be made by a deer.

    Huo also hopped down and watched the ground. There were indeed some traces, but he couldn''t recognize what animal it was. He was not that familiar with the animals in the forest as in his mind, they were mostly the same.

    "Guard the horses."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Wei Liuying rushed into the forest by following the footsteps. Not far from there, she could see some scratches on the plants. Male Deer loved to scratch their horns to the lower part of the plants in order to attract females and showed their masculine. These marks were left by them when they made such noise.

    ''They should be near.''

    Walking around for a while, Wei Liuying finally found a bush and hid there. She had read a book that told her that deer often came back to the place it previously came to. Even though she couldn''t say for sure whether the deer would return back or not, she would try her luck.

    Time passed swiftly.

    Wei Liuying stayed hidden in the bushes with her bow and arrow ready. Her eyes were scanning her surroundings with ease and waited peacefully. This was her first time hunting, so she was not sure what she could do to attract deer to come here. She could only hope that they would come.

    If the deer didn''t come, she would end up getting punished by her mother and brother. Well, worst case scenario, they would make her life even more miserable because of her poor luck.

    Rustle.

    Just as Wei Liuying was thinking, she heard the sound of leaves and branches hitting something. Her eyes turned sharp as her attention focused on the front. The bright brown color entered her eyes. There was a deer coming to her direction. Considering the large size of the horn, Wei Liuying guessed that it must be male deer.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying positioned her bow and arrow. Her eyes focused to the deer before she released the arrow.

    Dzing.

    The arrow hit the deer''s neck. It didn''t directly kill the poor deer, so Wei Liuying had to shoot it again.

    Wei Liuying dashed out of her hiding place while positioning her arrow once more. She shot out and the arrow hit the back leg of the deer, making it fall with a loud thud sound. In that moment, Wei Liuying dashed forward and stood before the deer. She could see the deer struggled to move, but she had placed an arrow and shot it straight to the deer''s heart.

    The deer died.

    ''Sorry, but I need you.''

    Wei Liuying crouched near the deer and silently caressed its large body. She sighed and lifted the deer''s corpse as she walked in Huo and the horses'' direction. It was heavy, but she still could lift it thanks to her training.

    Though, she would rather not have to lift this heavy meat.

    "Young Master?" Huo called out when he heard the sound of someone coming. His eyes lit up upon seeing the deer on Wei Liuying''s back. "You''ve succeeded! It''s wonderful!"

    "Bring this back to the villa. I''ll be joining you soon."

    "Ah."

    Huo noticed that they only have two horses. Trying to bring the deer with the horse would require it to be tied in one. Wei Liuying would never want to ride with him, so it would be better for him to lead the deer away first.

    "Is it alright?"

    "Yes. I''ll be going back by walking. Besides, your speed can''t be too fast too. Also, be careful of the thieves."

    This time, Huo smirked devilishly. "Don''t worry, Young Master. No one will be able to steal this deer from me."

    Wei Liuying nodded. She was not worried, though. The arrows that she used had the marks of Wei Family. The only person who could try to claim that the deer was his would be her brother. However, everyone already knew that Huo is her servant and Wei Yijun should be in a completely different place.

    The two of them used different ways.

    Strolling inside the forest, Wei Liuying walked unhurriedly. There were still a lot of arrows left on her back. Her keen eyes suddenly noticed movements from bushes nearby. She readied her bow and arrow.

    When the rabbit hopped out, the arrow was shot out.

    It killed the rabbit instantly.

    "I didn''t know my luck will be this good," Wei Liuying muttered to herself. She bent down and picked the dead rabbit with a sigh. It can be an additional food for her since her mother never allowed her to eat that much.

    If not for that, how can she stayed so short when both of her parents were taller than her?

    Wei Liuying turned around, intending to leave when she felt chill running down her spine. Every fiber of her body was screaming the word danger as an alarm was triggered inside her mind. She turned her body around and noticed that there was something moving in her direction from a far.

    A large wolf.

    It was at least two meters'' long based on her estimation with around two third of her height. The wolf had a long wound on its face that sliced through the surface of his skin. It made the wolf look even scarier.

    Wei Liuying didn''t dare to move.

    The two were locked in a stalemate.

    Neither the wolf and human moved as they stared at one another. They didn''t dare to move in case one of them chose to attack first.

 Chapter 89 - Happy

    Wei Liuying didn''t dare to move.

    The two were locked in a stalemate.

    Neither the wolf and human moved as they stared at one another. They didn''t dare to move in case one of them chose to attack first. In the end, the first one to break the stare was the wolf as it looked at the rabbit on Wei Liuying''s hand.

    ''Is the wolf hungry?''

    Wei Liuying didn''t know for sure, but she tried to bend down. The wolf''s gaze seemed to be even scarier as it glared in her direction. However, Wei Liuying kept on moving to put the rabbit on the ground and pulled out the arrow. All of her action was done slowly as to not startle the wolf.

    Afterwards, she backed away bit by bit. With the arrow no longer in place, the rabbit''s blood started to smear the ground with red color. Metallic tang smell from the blood assaulted their noses and the wolf''s attention fell on the rabbit''s body.

    "You can eat it if you want," Wei Liuying said.

    ''Better be the rabbit than me.''

    Her second sentence was never uttered, though. She stared at the wolf, that was still keeping his distance. Slowly but surely, the wolf walked towards the rabbit and opened his mouth to eat.

    Chomp!

    As the wolf was eating, Wei Liuying continued to back away. She kept her face looking at the wolf''s direction in fear that something bad might happen if she didn''t. He was also staring at her while his mouth gnawed on the meat.

    After some time, the distance was already several dozen meters. Wei Liuying moved a bit faster until she could no longer see the wolf and the feeling of danger reduced. Even though her palm was sweating crazily, she still kept her composure when facing the wolf. If the wolf attacked her, she would be trying her best to defend herself.

    ''It should be a distance away from me, right?''

    Wei Liuying was still tense until she reached the villa. She could see Huo was also riding the horse and brought the deer back. Some young masters were looking in his direction with surprise and admiration. To have the luck encountering the deer during the hunt meant that the one who shot it down must be extraordinary.

    "That''s Wei Family''s servant, right?"

    "Really?"

    "Eh, Wei Yijun got deer two years in a row?"

    "Woah! That''s amazing!"

    Xie Jing was still near the villa. He had just returned after managed to hunt a boar and intended to hunt another one when he heard the commotion. Upon seeing Huo, his expression changed because he knew that this was not Wei Yijun''s servant but Wei Hong Zheng.

    Did it mean, Wei Hong Zheng was the one who shot the deer?

    He couldn''t believe that fragile young master could possibly do this.

    Wei Hong also rushed out when he heard that there was a Wei Family servants who came with deer on a horse. He was excited, thinking that aside from being a scholar, Wei Yijun might also become a soldier. Wouldn''t it mean that his prospect was getting better and better?

    He''s excited.

    "Make way."

    "Old Master," Huo called out when he saw Wei Hong. He quickly leapt down and bowed on the ground.

    Wei Hong''s eyes widened when he saw Huo. There was no way he wouldn''t know that this was his second son''s servants. Did it mean the one who shot the deer was actually his second son?

    "This¡­ Did Hong Zheng truly shoot it?"

    "Father, did you doubt me?"

    Turning his head around, Wei Hong noticed that ''Wei Hong Zheng'' was walking to him with a discontent expression. The arrow on his tube on the back had already reduced and there were some leaves on his body. In addition, there was smear of blood on his hand that might have come from the deer.

    Wei Hong''s face instantly lit up. He had always thought of Wei Hong Zheng as an utter failure. If not for the fact that having a son was something that should be proud of, he would have long thought of a way to disinherit his son. Now, it seemed that his worry was for naught.

    His son is an excellent martial artist!

    Wei Hong was in extremely good mood as he laughed loudly, ignoring his image. "Good, good, Hong Zheng. You make me proud."

    Wei Liuying''s face lit up as if she was genuinely happy. "It''s my duty, Father."

    "Hahaha, we''re going to have a feast tonight! I''ll call my old friends, and we''re going to eat to our heart''s content tonight."

    "Thank you, Father."

    "It''s thanks to your effort that you can achieve this."

    Wei Hong continued to sing praise to his son as he was very happy. With his first son aimed to become an official, his second son could become a renowned commander. Even though Han Shi Kingdom only had clashes at the north with Xiong Tribe, there were also some other rebellions.

    As military commanders, it was possible that Wei Hong Zheng would become a general in the future.

    It might be early to judge, but the luck and capabilities of Wei Hong Zheng to kill a deer on his own showed that he must be a good archer. He was also still fairly young, only 13 years old. With enough training and tempering, who could say that he wouldn''t become an excellent general?

    Because of that, Wei Hong was in a good mood.

    On the women''s area, Feng Chun was also happy when she heard that ''Wei Hong Zheng'' had gotten a deer. Even if she knew that it was Wei Liuying, it didn''t reduce her happiness because the one who would take the credit would be her son.

    If Wei Hong Zheng''s future prospect is good, wouldn''t it be good for her too?

    She''s happy.

    "There''ll be a feast tonight, so I''ll excuse myself. I have to make the preparation for the cooking," Feng Chun said to the other two concubines that Wei Hong brought here.

    "I understand, Sister Feng. Please take care."

    "Yes."

    Concubine Chou was smiling, yet her heart was boiling with fury. She genuinely hoped that she could also have a son. With these two concubines flaunting their sons in front of her, how can she not feel the pain?

    On the other hand, Concubine Xie was calm. She had experienced the same thing with Wei Yijun''s achievement last year. For her, it required luck to be able to succeed, so she couldn''t hope for much.

    "Second Brother is really lucky," Wei Zilin muttered in discontent.

    Wei Xiao Hua lifted her head and smiled. "Isn''t it good for him?"

    "Huh?"

 Chapter 90 - Celebration

    On the other hand, Concubine Xie was calm. She had experienced the same thing with Wei Yijun''s achievement last year. For her, it required luck to be able to succeed, so she couldn''t hope for much.

    "Second Brother is really lucky," Wei Zilin muttered in discontent.

    Wei Xiao Hua lifted her head and smiled. "Isn''t it good for him?"

    "Huh?"

    Wei Zilin looked at her first sister with a confused expression. There was no trace of discontent of displeasure in Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes as if she was truly happy.

    After the incident yesterday, Wei Xiao Hua was a bit ashamed to get out. However, Prince Ji Shu told her that he had punished the young masters and prevented them from going out. No one would bother with her anymore when she came out.

    As someone from modern times, Wei Xiao Hua prized herself as someone with thick skin and capable mind. If she couldn''t even face a little setback like this, how can she possibly survive in this ancient world. This wouldn''t do. She chose to be thick skinned and still attended the tea party with a smile on her face.

    "Are you not happy for your brother, Second Sister?" Wei Xiao Hua asked back.

    Wei Zilin''s face contorted. She knew how much her mother wanted to have a son, which was the reason why she was feeling annoyed. However, she also understood that it was something that she couldn''t control. She couldn''t possibly make her mother pregnant, can she?

    It was ridiculous.

    Trying to suppress her feeling, Wei Zilin put on an ugly smile. "Yes, I suppose so, First Sister."

    Wei Xiao Hua chuckled a bit as she hid her expression behind her fan. The only reason why she was calm was simply because in the original story, Wei Hong Zheng would get the deer and make Wei Hong happy. She knew that it would happen on the third day, so she was not that surprised.

    If anything, she was waiting for this.

    Since it was impossible for her to have a direct contact with her brothers personally, it would be hard to affect this. She chose to just stay away on the back and watched since she failed to prevent Wei Hong Zheng from coming here.

    A glint flashed by her eyes.

    After this, Wei Hong Zheng would face an ultimate fall.

    One by one, those who opposed her would surely be tortured until there was nothing left from them.

    ...

    Wei Liuying didn''t know that Wei Hong would be this happy. She had to force herself to put on the smile on her face to the point that her muscle turned stiff. It was truly a wonder how her father managed to put on such a perfect smile even though it has been several incense sticks'' time (A/N: several hours).

    There were a lot of people came to congratulate her. Huo was standing behind her, helping her to know who they were. After all, Wei Liuying had never met them before while Wei Hong Zheng certainly had interacted with them a lot. She could only ask for Huo''s help to identify each of them.

    And their identities only made her want to cry.

    First rank official, second rank officials'' son, third rank officials, and so on.

    It took her a long time before the ''torture'' finally finished. Wei Liuying told herself that she would never want to experience it ever again in her entire life. Just once was already enough.

    "Young Master, you did well," Huo said as he brought a cup of tea to her.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "What else do I need to do?"

    "Madam Feng wished to meet you if you have the time."

    "There should be some time before the party," Wei Liuying replied and nodded in agreement.

    Following Huo, the two of them arrived at the back garden. It was a spacious place but not many people came here because it was close to the kitchen. Wei Liuying had seen this place before when she passed by last night to cool her head.

    "You did well," Feng Chun said in lukewarm tone.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Thank you, Mother."

    "You can eat to your heart''s content during the celebration. Fresh deer''s meat is rare even in the capital city, so you should enjoy it," Feng Chun added again.

    "Yes, Mother."

    "I won''t be able to share the same table as you, but Huo will be with you. Make sure to act in proper manners."

    "Yes, Mother."

    In other words, Huo would be watching over her to make sure that she didn''t step on the line. Wei Liuying had already guessed as much, so she was not that surprised when her mother warned her once more.

    Feng Chun looked at her daughter and sighed. If only Wei Liuying was a boy, it would have been much easier for her. There was no need for her to make so many schemes just in order to keep Wei Hong Zheng be in Wei Hong''s favor.

    Well, it was impossible to change one''s gender.

    She had to live with it.

    "Go back and make sure that you do well."

    "Yes, Mother."

    Wei Liuying returned back to the hall as the small celebration was held. There were some others who also hunt splendidly as they held their own celebration too and prepared the feast. The night was filled with a lot of people who bragged. It seemed that many of the young masters only succeed when it was the last day.

    The sun started to set and it was then she saw her first brother came out from the forest with his servants following behind him.

    "First Brother, did you get anything?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Wei Yijun shook his head. He scratched his head embarrassedly as he had just returned when the others have already returned much faster than him. "I didn''t manage to get anything, Second Brother. Congratulations for getting the deer on your first hunt."

    "Many thanks for your praise, First Brother. It''s all due to good luck," Wei Liuying replied while cupping her hand.

    "I''ll change my clothes first before I joined in."

    "Alright, take care, First Brother."

    Wei Liuying turned around and walked to the main hall. From the corner of her eyes, she could see her first brother''s fist was clenched. Even though Wei Yijun put on a nonchalant smile and expression, it was clear that he was feeling a bit downcast. Hunting did require luck, but he didn''t feel too good when the one who succeed was his ''poor'' second brother while he didn''t get anything.

    All this time, Wei Yijun was the one who managed to win against his younger brother. Now, the table was turned. It would be a miracle for Wei Yijun to not feel anything regarding this sudden incident.

    ''I wonder what will happen in the future.''

    She was curious as to how her brothers'' relationship would progress from now. Hopefully, the two of them would be able to somehow resolve this awkward relationship.

    Wei Liuying stayed with her father all the time and enjoyed the food. Wei Hong introduced some of his old friends, and they talked a lot. There was some other young master who had come here for the first time and got something but they were mostly only managed to get rabbits.

    Well, it was already considered quite good for most of them.

    "With your son''s capabilities like this, don''t you think he''ll be able to make a try to be a commander?"

    Wei Hong nodded. "That''s my plan too. However, he''s still a bit too young. I want him to learn more martial arts before he departs to the battlefield."

    13 years old could be considered quite early. There were some general and commander''s descendant who had already departed to the military when they were younger. After all, their parents already wanted them to become commander too ever since they were young.

    But it was different for those who used to live in the capital city. Their parents hoped that they would be able to pass the Imperial Examination and become officials. By becoming officials, they would be able to get high position and earn stable income without the need to bet with their lives.

    It was a perfect life for many people.

    "Hmm, you''re correct. it wouldn''t be too late even if he goes when he''s 15 years old. By that time, his mind would have matured better."

    "You do know how my mind works too."

    Wei Liuying listening while busy eating. Besides her, Huo nodded with satisfaction. As long as Wei Hong Zheng could achieve the same result in academy and perform well in the next hunt, Wei Hong would surely see him in a green light. It was the best result that Wei Hong Zheng could possibly achieve.

    Of course, all of it didn''t have any relation whatsoever with Wei Liuying. She only enjoyed the tender deer meat that she hunted by herself. There were still a lot of leftovers, but it was impossible for her to eat anymore.

 Chapter 91 - Bandits Or Assassins?

    Wei Liuying listening while busy eating. Besides her, Huo nodded with satisfaction. As long as Wei Hong Zheng could achieve the same result in academy and perform well in the next hunt, Wei Hong would surely see him in a green light. It was the best result that Wei Hong Zheng could possibly achieve.

    Of course, all of it didn''t have any relation whatsoever with Wei Liuying. She only enjoyed the tender deer meat that she hunted by herself. There were still a lot of leftovers, but it was impossible for her to eat anymore.

    "Huo."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Wei Liuying leaned in. ''Wrap some for me.''

    Huo kept his face straight. "Yes, Young Master."

    If it was the real Wei Hong Zheng, he would not care about the food. However, Wei Liuying rarely could eat so much, so of course, she would preserve it. As it was roasted meat, there should be no problem for her to keep it inside her bag and ate it tomorrow after the journey.

    The banquet last long as the older generations were already busy to drink wine. The younger generation who were not yet 20 years old have to be satisfied with juice or water. They were not allowed to drink wine yet.

    Though, some sneak it in.

    "Father, I want to rest first."

    "Right, it''s already late, Hong Zheng," Wei Hong agreed without hesitation. He could see that some of his old friends were already quite drunk too. They were too busy chatting and drinking. "You should wake up early tomorrow because we''re going back. Go and rest."

    "Yes, Father."

    Wei Liuying walked out of the hall and heaved a sigh of relief in secret. The room reeked the smell of wine¡­.

    For the first time in her life, she was glad that she didn''t have to face this often. After all, women would not go around and drink like what the men did. Besides, chatting with those whom she didn''t even know and would never interact again was tiring.

    Wei Liuying made a beeline to her room and quickly took a bath to wash up the wine smell. Afterwards, she lit up the incense stick as sandalwood smell filled the room. Well, it was not the best smell that she liked as she preferred flower aroma, but there would be no way a man pick that.

    This would do for now.

    "Young Master, this is the food."

    Huo delivered a large bundle filled with roasted deer meat to Wei Liuying. It was wrapped carefully with the cloth and tied to make sure that it didn''t fall.

    "Good work."

    "Please keep it away and don''t let anyone see."

    "I understand."

    Wei Liuying put the meat inside her bag and kept it away. It would only be her morning snack as too long would make the taste bad. She lied down on her bed and closed her eyes. Today was quite tiring.

    Finally, she would be able to become a girl again tomorrow.

    It''s tiring to be a man.

    With that thought, Wei Liuying drifted to sleep. She didn''t know how much time had passed when she felt sudden danger.

    Swish!

    Wei Liuying sat up from her position and looked out of the window. There was no sound or anything, but she felt that there was someone out there who was aiming to kill her life. She had already experienced something similar back in the past. When her mother was her father''s favorite concubine, there were some days when the guards would suddenly move and woke her up.

    There were assassins back then.

    As their work was sloppy, they failed. However, that attempt made Wei Liuying able to wake up in the middle of the night whenever she felt uncomfortable. Most of the time, it was only a false alarm.

    ''Did someone come?''

    Wei Liuying inched closer to the window with a frown on her forehead. She was not sure why, but she felt that there was truly someone who was aiming for her. Her hand picked her sword along with her bow and arrow. She put the bow on her back while her right hand was ready to pull the sword out of the sheath.

    In that moment, she could see an arrow coming at her.

    Dzing! Swish!

    The arrow pierced through the wall, heading straight to the bed where she was lying down just now. If only she didn''t move, the arrow would hit her arm or even worse, her heart.

    "HUO!"

    Bang!

    The door was pushed open as the wall was also kicked. Several figures appeared from the darkness and Wei Liuying didn''t hesitate as her body moved. Her sword thrusted forward in the direction of the man.

    Stab!

    "You¡­." the man was wearing black clothes with a cloth covering part of his mouth. Wei Liuying could not see any mark that could tell his real identity, but his getup was screaming the word assassin.

    Spurt!

    Pulling out her sword, the blood poured out from the hole like a waterfall. Wounds were more dangerous when the weapon was pulled out as the loss of blood might end up in one''s death. This was one of the lessons that Wei Liuying had learned ever since she was young.

    Not far from her, Huo was also attacking another assassin that was coming here. His body moved swiftly and killed the assassin.

    "Young Master, are you alright?" Huo asked out.

    "I''m fine," Wei Liuying replied. But if it was Wei Hong Zheng who was staying here, he would have long been wounded.

    Of course, she would not utter this sentence out.

    Huo nodded in relief. He reacted late because there was also an assassin coming at him. Thankfully, Wei Liuying managed to react in time or things wouldn''t be pretty. If she got wounded in place of Wei Hong Zheng, it would be hard to explain to other people when the two of them have to appear at the same time.

    Wei Liuying looked at the assassins then to her own hand. This was her first time killing people directly with her own two hands. The feeling¡­ was weird. She couldn''t explain it, but she could see that her hands were trembling as the after effect of her action.

    ''Calm down,'' Wei Liuying muttered to herself. ''It''s not the time for this.''

    She glanced up but didn''t notice anyone while Huo was also looking around with his sword ready. Closing her eyes for a moment, Wei Liuying forced herself to calm down. Her trembling hands finally stopped.

    When she opened her eyes again, there was only calm gaze that was reflected on her pupil.

    ''In this cruel world, many noble families have already killed many of their servants so easily. I''m not an exception. Why should I feel bothered when it comes to self-defense that I have to do with my own hand?''

    Wei Liuying didn''t bother with Huo again as she rushed to the front. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed that the number of the men in black had increased. Not only that, there were also many of them that rushed over to the other buildings.

    ''There are two groups?''

    Her eyes noticed the faint difference in their clothing. Turning around, Wei Liuying crouched down and pulled the assassin''s clothes. A scroll fell down from the assassin''s sleeve. Looking at that familiar bamboo scroll, Wei Liuying''s eyes grew colder.

    Someone had sent an assassin to kill her brother.

    No, there were several assassins.

    Wei Liuying''s body sent her signal of distress as she swiftly moved from her position. A knife passed by her body towards the wall behind her. Her eyes looked into the forest with a cold glint.

    Her right hand quickly pulled out an arrow while her right hand sheathed her sword and took out her bow. Docking the arrow in place, she aimed towards the forest and released the arrow.

    Dzing!

    The arrow barely grazed the assassin as Wei Liuying noticed the faint leaves'' movement. However, she was not sure where the assassin headed to. There were too many options as the lush trees provided enough cover.

    Huo frowned. "There are several people targeting you, Young Master."

    "Do you know who?"

    "I''m afraid there are too many people who have bad blood with Master."

    Wei Liuying fell silent at that sentence. Her eyes were still watching her surrounding warily as her brain circulated at rapid speed. It was not a lie to say that there were a lot of people who wished to see Wei Hong''s fall and as his son, Wei Hong Zheng would be targeted.

    However, this attempt was simply ridiculous.

    There were too many people would get involved just because of one person¡­

    Wait, what if it was the opposite? The real target was actually this hunting place and someone took advantage of it?

    Wei Liuying''s eyes turned cold at the thought. Before she could think more, she heard screams coming from the direction of the house. At the same time, fire began to spread from the inner region.

    "This is bad," Huo was worried. He looked at Wei Liuying. "Can you protect yourself?"

    "What do you plan to do, Huo?"

    "I need to find Madam Feng."

 Chapter 92 - Help

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying fell silent. If the one who stayed here was Wei Hong Zheng, Huo would never want to leave. After all, it was his duty to protect his young master. But since the one here was Wei Liuying.

    It was a completely different story.

    "Alright."

    "Please leave now, Young Master."

    "I understand. I''ll leave the mountain."

    "Yes."

    Just as Huo said that, the assassin threw several knives. Wei Liuying could see his current location, but she paid no heed to it because Huo had rushed out her. Taking her bag with her, Wei Liuying rushed out.

    At this time, there was scream from the other side of the mountain.

    "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa!"

    "BANDITS!"

    "HELP ME!"

    Be it male or female, all were screaming for help. The guards and servants were moving speedily and some young masters or young misses quickly get on their carriages and left the residence. Some of them have already prepared carriages because they would leave in early morning.

    Now it came in handy.

    Wei Liuying noticed a familiar carriage when she rushed to the place where the carriages parked.

    ''Wei Family''s carriage. It should be Wei Xiao Hua.''

    From what she knew, Wei Family would leave in the middle of the crowd because Wei Hong was drunk. Because of that, the servants didn''t really prepare the carriage. But from the way it looked like, Wei Xiao Hua had already prepared her carriage in order to depart faster from the scene.

    How did she manage to be so prepared even though there''s no mark at all?

    Wei Liuying frowned, but she didn''t have the time to think because a man was rushing at her with a large blade swung over his head.

    Clang!

    Parrying with her sword, Wei Liuying stepped forward. Her sword''s trajectory headed straight to the man''s neck as she sliced the surface with the tip of her sword.

    ''It''s shallow.''

    However, it was enough because there was a servant who came and stabbed the man from the back. Wei Liuying nodded to the man and rushed to the building where the carriages were held.

    Before she could reach the place, the horses suddenly shrieked loudly. At the same time, flames began to spread from the back of the building.

    "Fire!"

    "Put it out!"

    Everything turned into a mess.

    "Get a horse over here, quickly!" a scream came from the side. Wei Liuying recognized him as Xie Jing, the second young master of Xie Family. As the one who owned the villa, he knew more of the servants who worked in this place more than anyone.

    He had to try salvage the situation somehow.

    Drap! Drap!

    The horses were running out uncontrollably. The moment the gate was opened to allow them to come out, they just rushed out due to instinct. Some unfortunate young masters were pushed back because of the forces.

    "They''re over here!"

    "Kill them all!"

    "Just ignore them!"

    Several shouts came from the sides. The wounded ones were already in despair as they had to face the bandits. Even though some young masters bragged yesterday for their awesome martial arts, when they had to face the real deal, it was all for naught.

    They couldn''t do anything right.

    Slash!

    As bandits swarmed to the area, fire spread even faster. Some bandits intentionally burned the hays and everything that was flammable. They didn''t care for the chaos and screams around them as they destroyed everything.

    "Take the girls!"

    "Aye!"

    More and more bandits came to the carriages area. They were targeting the young ladies who were trying to escape. As the ladies couldn''t ride horses, they would use the carriages, which was much easier to attack.

    Wei Liuying''s heart dropped to the bottom abyss. Her legs moved at high speed as she approached the nearby horse and pulled the rein. She had to get on the horse and get out of here.

    "Calm down. I need your help!"

    The horse neigh and tried to release himself. Knowing that it would be dangerous, Wei Liuying frowned and made her decision. She pulled the rein and jumped off to the horse''s back. The horse rushed to the forest in the attempt to escape from the raging fire.

    Wei Liuying could see that there were many others, but she couldn''t pay them any heed. She didn''t even have the necessary skill to keep her safe, much less others. All she could do was to make sure that she was not involved in the mess because she might end up dying in the process.

    Drap! Drap!

    The horse raced through the night forest. Leaves and branches fly due to the force when the two of them made their way through the forest. It left a trail of the leaves on the ground.

    Dzing! Stab!

    Neigh!

    Wei Liuying was stunned. The horse stood on its back leg, putting Wei Liuying in dangerous position. From the corner of her eyes, she could see an arrow behind her, hitting the horse''s back. She released the rein and jumped off the horse.

    Thud!

    Landing and rolling sideways on the ground, Wei Liuying could feel her muscles strained. Her back that was holding the arrow''s bag was hurting even more. However, she didn''t let herself relax as she raised her head and looked at the three men who pursued her. They wore black clothes and from their movements, they were not only some ordinary bandits.

    They were trained assassins who came specifically to kill Wei Hong Zheng.

    Just who in the world would pay so many assassins just to kill a young man who had just turned 13?

    "Who are you?" Wei Liuying asked as she readied her stance. Her eyes were looking in the direction of the assassins around her.

    "Kill him."

    There was only one sentence as the answer. Two assassins rushed forward while the other one kept his distance by circling around. Wei Liuying swiftly moved from her position while swinging her sword as the first assassin attacked. The distance between her and the assassin''s sword was only a few millimeters away, but it was enough to keep her safe.

    Her eyes were cold, but her body kept moving swiftly. There were no wasteful movements as Wei Liuying rushed forward and killed the first assassin before her. The second assassin tried to attack, but Wei Liuying disengaged and stepped back to avoid the second''s assassin''s attack.

    Swish!

    Sensing flying knives, Wei Liuying dodged even further to the back. Her eyes narrowed. It was harder to fight against these three assassins compared to those three bandits back then. However, there was no time for her to think too much as they have already started moving once more.

    "Guh." the first assassins crouched down on the ground. His stomach was cut open because of Wei Liuying and blood splattered out.

    The second assassin didn''t care for him as he dashed in Wei Liuying''s direction while the third one had already taken out several knives again. She was not sure how many knives he brought with him.

    Swish! Swish!

    While evading the knives, Wei Liuying ducked the assassin''s sword. Her own sword cut through the assassin''s leg as blood poured out. She dashed away and took out an arrow from her back and docked it to the bow.

    Dzing!

    The arrow made its way to the third assassin. He tried to evade only to have Wei Liuying shot another arrow in his direction. This time, he failed to escape and the arrow reached his heart.

    Wei Liuying didn''t have the time to prepare another arrow because she could see the second assassin had taken out his knives too. She evaded to the side and put the arrow in place. Her fingers released it.

    Dzing! Stab!

    The arrow stabbed the assassin''s hand, preventing him from shooting another knife. The assassin''s eyes were filled with disbelief. They were told that Wei Hong Zheng was nothing more than a brat who didn''t know anything about the world. But from the way it looked like, the ''brat'' was even better than them in terms of fighting.

    This is a brat that didn''t know anything about the world?

    Jleb!

    The arrow hit his neck when he was still trying to use his left hand. The assassin''s body fell on the ground with his eyes wide open in disbelief. He could not understand how come an easy mission like this turned out to be his last mission?

    Wei Liuying had just killed the three assassins when she heard sudden shout from afar. Several men were rushing with huge bags on their back. It seemed that the reason that the bandits came this time was to find food.

    They were all hunting for a long time over the past three days, wouldn''t the meat be abundant?

    ''No wonder the bandits are targeting this place.''

    However, shouldn''t the soldiers Prince Ji Sheng have placed held them back? Wei Liuying couldn''t understand how things could go so wrong.

    "There''s a young man here!"

    "Kill him."

    "Aye."

 Chapter 93 - Itâ€™s Already Dirty

    However, shouldn''t the soldiers Prince Ji Sheng have placed held them back? Wei Liuying couldn''t understand how things could go so wrong.

    "There''s a young man here!"

    "Kill him."

    "Aye."

    Wei Liuying took out another arrow and docked it to the string. She raised her hand and aimed to the men who came. Without hesitation, her fingers released the arrow.

    Dzing!

    It killed the first man.

    By this time, Wei Liuying had already taken more arrows. The arrows were supposed to be used for hunting, but she didn''t have the time to care for that anymore. She had to defend herself and make sure that she would be able to get out of here safely.

    The man was stunned when they saw how she managed to kill them so easily.

    "Get him!"

    Wei Liuying''s hand reached to the back only to realize that she had used up all of her arrow. She threw the bow to the side and unsheathed her sword. Loud metallic sound of metal clashing reverberated in the quiet forest.

    Clang!

    ''Ugh.''

    The force was completely different from what she used to face. Comparing Wei Hong Zheng''s attack to these grown up men was truly different. Her muscles hadn''t developed fully, and it was not like she focused her attention to martial arts all the time. The result was that she wouldn''t be able to face the bandits on her own.

    Clang!

    Twisting her body and rushed forward, Wei Liuying kept her calm. Even though they were stronger than her, she needed to find a way to defeat them as soon as possible. Her body was already tired from the constant fight.

    Clang! Slash!

    Wei Liuying managed to wound the man and moved back to avoid the second man''s attack.

    *pant* *pant*

    Her eyes focused on the man as she readied her sword. Just as she was about to attack, an arrow shot towards the man.

    Jleb!

    "Ugha!"

    Several more arrows shot towards the other bandits, killing them almost immediately.

    Wei Liuying kept her calm and looked up. She could see several men riding on horses sped through the forest. One of them break away from the formation and rushed over to her direction. His hand was holding a bow as the arrow killed the last bandit who was nearby.

    "Are you alright?"

    "I''m fine," Wei Liuying replied. She sheathed her sword again and sneaked a glance at the young man. "What are you doing here? Don''t you need to take care of the young master and misses back in the villa?"

    The one in front of her was Yang Xian. He smiled slightly when he heard her words. "There''s no need to worry. We have found out the location of the breach and their destination, so those who were kidnapped will be retrieved."

    "Oh."

    Wei Liuying was not too surprised that Yang Xian had already found out the location. Based on this strategist''s capability, it would be a piece of cake for him to find it all out. Probably, he had already gathered enough information beforehand.

    "You''re very calm. Aren''t you curious?"

    "I''m just wondering whether you''re worried that you''ll be blamed or not," Wei Liuying replied bluntly.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "It''s not our fault. You see, half of the soldiers in this area are actually Imperial Guards. A quarter was from Xie Family and the last quarter was from Prince Ji Sheng. The area where the breach occurred was in the place that the Imperial Guards were located. If there''s anyone to blame, it would be them."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying fell silent. It seemed that her knowledge over the distribution of power was a bit lacking. She didn''t even know that they actually divided the guards to be from several parties.

    But it made sense as the Emperor would never fully trust one party.

    Unless he wished to be killed because of trusting someone too much, it would be better for him to divide the task of guarding to several people. After all, the history didn''t lack leaders who were overthrown because his supposed right hand was the one who backstabbed him in the end.

    "You''re not trusted."

    "Who would trust someone they didn''t favor?" Yang Xian asked back.

    Ji Sheng was the unfavored son among the four princes. He was the only one who was sent to the frontline and never asked to return except for this one party. It was obvious that the Emperor wouldn''t even care whether he sick or died during his time serving in the military.

    On the other hand, the three princes lived well in the capital city and built their power through many connections.

    "I see."

    "For a young girl, you sure know a lot about politics," Yang Xian remarked. He patted the horse. "Get on."

    "Are you sure that you want a young girl to ride the same horse with you, Strategist Yang?"

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying and smirked. "Right now. you''re Wei Hong Zheng, the second son of Wei Family. Is there anything wrong for me to help out an official''s ''son''?"

    Hearing him stressed on the word ''son,'' Wei Liuying felt a bit annoyed for some reasons. It felt as if he was taking advantage of her current condition. But then again, she didn''t want to stay in this dark forest forever.

    "In that case, I''ll trouble you, Strategist Yang."

    "You do know how to ride horse, right?"

    Wei Liuying shot him a glare. She had spent an entire day learning how to ride horse until her back was hurt. Even though she couldn''t gallop properly, it was still much better than nothing at all. She bent down to pick up the bow that she had casted aside when fighting with her sword and put it on her back.

    She walked to the horse and held the horse''s back. With a swift movement, she got on Yang Xian''s back.

    "Held on tightly."

    Wei Liuying frowned. She stretched her hand and held the hem of Yang Xian''s clothes from the back. Yang Xian was wearing long robe along with an armor, so she could only hold onto the cloth that was still peeked out of his armor.

    Yang Xian looked to the back and smirked playfully. "Are you sure that you won''t fall with just holding onto the hem of my clothes?"

    "No."

    "If you feel like you''re going to fall off, feel free to hold differently."

    Towards his statement, Wei Liuying merely sent a death glare. If only they were in different situation, she would have surely try to fight back and anger Yang Xian to death too. Unfortunately, she barely knew anything about this strategist aside from what she had seen and what Shi Yan told her.

    "Hold on to me tightly."

    Yang Xian urged the horse to move faster. On his back, Wei Liuying was stunned, but she managed to tighten her grip. Her brows furrowed as she noticed that Yang Xian was galloping so fast in the middle of the forest. Was he not worried that they would crash onto a tree?

    However, her worry was for naught as Yang Xian continued to gallop in the middle of the forest without stopping. His fluid control over the horse??s movements seemed as if he knew the entire forest like the back of his hand. Wei Liuying knew for sure that this was the first time Yang Xian ever went to the capital city.

    How did he familiarize himself with the terrain despite only staying here for several months?

    Wei Liuying didn''t know.

    The horse continued to gallop. Wei Liuying frowned when she realized that Yang Xian didn''t regroup with his men who came with him before. "Don''t you need to go with your men?"

    "They''re His Highness'' men," Yang Xian corrected. "They''re heading up to help the other youngsters to get away from the inevitable battle. We''re going down to regroup with the people who have managed to escape first."

    Escape first?

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian with furrowed brows. "How do you know that there are people who have already escaped first?"

    "Isn''t it obvious?"

    "Is it?"

    "There is sound of horse galloping in the middle of the forest from the main road. Aside from the carriages, the others wouldn''t be stupid enough to use the main road. Besides, who do you think will benefit from this situation?"

    Who?

    Wei Liuying began to think as she calmed down. She noticed that there were several people who were coming in their direction. Her brows furrowed as she recognized them as bandits.

    "Stay here and don''t do anything. Young lady shouldn''t dirty their hands," Yang Xian said as he pulled two arrows and aimed to the men who came there.

    Dzing!

    "Gah!"

    Wei Liuying passed a glance at Yang Xian and stole an arrow from him. She couldn''t shoot two arrows at once, but one at a time was plausible. Her finger released the arrow to the third man as her mouth muttered out, "It''s already dirty. There''s nothing wrong with adding a few more."

    Dzing!

 Chapter 94 - Arrows

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows as he shot more arrows after stabilizing the horse. He laughed. "You''re right. But why would you want to dirty your hand if it''s unnecessary? It''ll just leave a bad taste in your mouth."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered when she heard what Yang Xian told her. There was never any need for her to add the count for the people whom she killed because of her situation. It was not like she liked killing either. She only chose to do it because it was necessary for her to kill if she wished to survive.

    Her brain recalled the time when she first scheme for her mother.

    She was nothing more than a young girl barely at the age of 7. At that time, her mother was in plight because she was accused for wounding a pregnant concubine in the residence. Because she had son and daughter, they didn''t treat her that harshly, but if the matter didn''t settle properly, it would affect her reputation a lot.

    Even if every woman in the harem scheme to kill others, they always maintained their reputation on the front. No one wanted to be labelled as unvirtuous woman by those around them.

    The young Wei Liuying set up a trap to force the other concubine to tell the truth. As the result, a concubine was beaten up to death. Wei Liuying still could remember the fear and guilt she felt, but her mother praised her greatly and prepared much more food than what she could possibly eat for several days.

    ''If I do well, Mother will reward me.''

    The young her only wanted her mother''s affection. But as she grew up, she realized that no matter what she did, it would never be given to her. Her mother would always blame her for being born a woman and ''took'' all the intelligence that was supposed to be Wei Hong Zheng''s.

    From a long time ago, Wei Liuying had frozen her own heart.

    She didn''t want to get hurt anymore.

    Dzing!

    The sound of arrow leaving its bow pulled her back to reality. She looked at Yang Xian''s broad back and smiled faintly. "Isn''t it necessary? If I don''t kill them today, they''re going to kill me."

    With that, Wei Liuying stole another arrow and shot it to the horse of the man who was coming in their direction. The man was wearing an armor, and she was not that confident about her skill, so it would be safer for her to shoot the horse instead.

    Yang Xian was amused. "Don''t you believe that I can protect you?"

    Dzing!

    "I don''t need anyone''s protection."

    Yang Xian looked back and saw the cold glint on the young girl''s eyes. Different with scheming girls who could only do something through the hands of their servants and people around them, Wei Liuying had to do it by herself.

    The servants around her were placed by Feng Chun. All of the information that she could get were already controlled by Feng Chun''s servant to make sure that she would never know some matters. Unfortunately, they forgot that it was possible for Wei Liuying to sneak out herself if she truly wished to gather information.

    If she was alone, she could bypass Wei Family''s guards with no problem.

    Her martial arts were enough to do that.

    But Feng Chun had long planted people who were far weaker than her to be her servants. They wouldn''t be able to get out of the residence by themselves without the help of others. This prevented Wei Liuying from escaping to some degree.

    Besides, with Ji Shu''s men guarding Wei Xiao Hua''s residence, it was harder for Wei Liuying to escape even if she wanted to.

    "Is this really your first time killing?"

    "If you mean directly, then yes," Wei Liuying replied with indifference. Her hands moved quickly to reload the arrow and shot it. "But if it''s through scheming, I believe I have killed too many people to count."

    Dzing!

    "I see," Yang Xian was impassive in his answer. He shot the last men and then checked at the arrows on his back. There were only two left. "I''ll fetch the arrows back."

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "I''ll do it."

    "No. You guard the horses."

    Before Wei Liuying could voice her disagreement again, Yang Xian had already jumped off and rushed to the men who had fallen due to their arrow. He pulled back the arrow, tearing the flesh and caused blood to spurt out. His movements were swift as he picked all the arrows and inspected them on his way back.

    Some can be used again while a few of them were broken due to the force.

    He had no other choice but to toss it away.

    On the horse, Wei Liuying watched everything that occurred. Her slender fingers were holding the horse''s rein tightly to make sure that it won''t run away. "I didn''t know that you can retrieve the arrows."

    "It''s normal in battlefield. Aside from collecting enemies'' head, we also collect the arrows if it can be used again when the battle had ended," Yang Xian replied. "This can reduce the time needed to produce more arrows."

    "I see."

    Wei Liuying looked at the arrows, which still has the stain of blood. Yang Xian tossed it to his back without caring for the blood. For him, this was nothing more than a common matter that occurred every single day. After all, he had lived in the midst of battlefield for years.

    "Move back a bit."

    Without answering, Wei Liuying shifted her body to the back. Yang Xian hopped up to the horse and held the rein once more. The horse tightened the rein even more as if it was acknowledging that the one who held it was his master.

    Wei Liuying watched the rein with curiosity. Back when she trained with Teacher Tu, she didn''t pay attention to the rein at all. After all, she had to master how to ride horse in the shortest time possible. She had to make sure that she was doing things correctly to make sure that she wouldn''t fall.

    "The horse knows who hold the rein?"

    "Hmm?" Yang Xian had begun to urge the horse to move again. He nodded without looking back. "Horses are much smarter than what you think. They''ll know who is holding the rein. Some war horses can even know the master''s thought and proceed forward even while betting its life."

    Wei Liuying was stunned. She looked at the horse with her black eyes. "I never knew that."

    Yang Xian chuckled. "If you follow me and His Highness to the North, you''ll be able to find out many more things."

    "About war?"

    "That''s just one thing. There are many other important matters that you can learn."

    Wei Liuying didn''t answer immediately. She was looking at Yang Xian''s back with her thoughts swirling inside her head.

    "Why Strategist Yang wants me to be part of your men?"

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "It was His Highness who wants it."

    "Isn''t it the same?"

    The same?

    How can it be the same?

    Turning his head, Yang Xian could see the young girl was looking back at him with a cold gaze. It was as if she was only stating a fact and refused to be refuted no matter what. Besides, her gaze seemed to be telling him that she already knew, so he didn''t have to lie.

    Yang Xian sighed and turned his head again. It was true. He also wished to have her in the army, to be exact, he was the first one who wanted it. Rather than leaving someone like her to plot in the harem of her future husband, wouldn''t it be better to use her talent to help them in war? Her intelligence would be a waste to be used in such small scope.

    He was sure that their army would be even more invincible that way.

    At the same time, the number of lives lost would be reduced.

    "You will be able to shine better on the frontline rather than this muddy water in the capital city."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered. "How can you be so sure?"

    "I trust my judgement."

    "Can''t your judgement be wrong?"

    Yang Xian''s lips twitched. It was impossible for him to be correct at all times. There were times when he had to make amendments to his plan because the situation in the battlefield changed rapidly.

    Dropping her eyelids, Wei Liuying stared at her own hands that were holding onto Yang Xian''s robe. "I''ll think about it."

    Yang Xian''s eyes lit up when he heard her answer. Previously, Wei Liuying only glared at them coldly and didn''t even want to do it because they didn''t know each other that well. This time, Wei Liuying didn''t reject them outright and said that she would think about it.

    It meant that she might do it.

    "I didn''t expect you to change your mind so quickly."

    "Don''t you know my position?"

    "Yeah," Yang Xian admitted. He had gathered some information and naturally, the rumors about Wei Liuying drifted to his ears. Though, it was a rumor that was hard to believe because he had met her directly.

    Why would Wei Liuying seduce Ji Shu when she was so averse to get close to the Imperial Family?

    It just didn''t make sense.

 Chapter 95 - The Plot

    "Do you want to make this your backup plans in case you can''t convince your father about your marriage?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t avoid it and say the truth calmly, "Yes."

    "In that case, you don''t have much time. We''re going back to the North in less than a month''s time."

    Less than a month?

    Wei Liuying was a bit taken aback. But thinking about it from another perspective, both the general and strategist have been staying in the capital city for a long time. The situation on the frontline can change anytime during this period of unrest. It would be better for them to return back as soon as possible.

    Lowering her gaze, Wei Liuying started to rack her brain to make the plan inside her head. She would never want to get married to someone who was over thrice her age no matter what. If he was only a few years to a decade older, she wouldn''t be so hesitant and might accept her father''s arrangement. But over thrice her age¡­

    He was even older than her father.

    "Strategist Yang!"

    The two of them arrived by the mountain foot. There were already several soldiers in the area who greeted Yang Xian the moment he returned. Their respectful attitude made it clear that they completely admired Yang Xian.

    "How''s the situation?"

    "It''s as Strategist Yang have expected. They''re rushing out from the direction that you have mentioned before," one of the soldiers replied excitedly.

    Yang Xian nodded and jumped off from the horse. It was only at this time they realized that Strategist Yang was not alone.

    "Strategist Yang, this is?"

    Wei Liuying also jumped off the horse and cupped her hand. "Wei Hong Zheng from Wei Family. I got Strategist Yang''s help when I ran off. My apologies for intruding your reunion."

    The soldiers naturally had heard this surname. it was fairly common in the capital city because Prime Minister Wei was one of the two people who held the highest position below the Emperor in this kingdom. How could they not know the name of the second son of such a famous official.

    "Second Young Master Wei sure jest. We''re only celebrating our strategist''s return."

    "There''s no need to worry about imposing yourself to us."

    "It''s our task to protect people like you, Second Young Master Wei."

    Wei Liuying cupped her hand once more with a smile on her face. She looked like a youth that was full of vigor rather than a timid young girl that she usually portrayed. "In that case, Wei Hong Zheng is thankful to all of you."

    "There''s no need to be so respectful to us."

    Most of the soldiers were commoners and only some of them were coming from noble families. Besides, those from noble families usually become commander right away and would be in important position at this time to make sure that they did their work.

    "I''ll be resting first. Many thanks for your hard work."

    "It''s our duty, Second Young Master Wei."

    "Yes, you should rest, Second Young Master Wei."

    "Second Young Master Wei¡­"

    In the end, it was Yang Xian who kicked them to make the soldiers back to their respective position. He also arranged some people to check on the other checkpoint that he had arranged.

    On the other hand, Wei Liuying sat on top of a tree trunk nearby and watched everything calmly. She acted as if she was tired. This way, no one bothered her. Besides, who didn''t know that Wei Hong Zheng was only 13 years old? To be able to survive despite being on his own was already an achievement.

    "Are you tired?"

    Wei Liuying raised her head and noticed that Yang Xian had come over. She frowned but erased it from her face as soon as it appeared. She didn''t want to appear disrespectful to Yang Xian. "It''s fine, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian nodded. He scanned Wei Liuying and aside from her slightly pale face, there was nothing wrong with her. "Do you really need to make sure that your brother had good prospect in the army?"

    "If I don''t do it, he will not be able to make it."

    "Your brother must be very bad to make you say that."

    Wei Liuying stayed silent for a moment. It was not that bad, but Wei Hong Zheng was not exactly a bright student. There were some things that he lacked in, but if he were to enter the military, he might be able to achieve better. After all, there were several types of commanders, so his future would not be that bad.

    "In terms of martial arts, he''s better than me."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "You speak as if your first brother is worse than you when it comes to martial arts."

    This time, Wei Liuying didn''t answer and only stared back at Yang Xian. Seeing the gaze on the young girl''s face, Yang Xian was stumped. It seemed that the gene combination of Wei Hong and that concubine Xiao, eh, Xie something only made him excel in terms of brain. It could be trained, but it didn''t seem like Wei Yijun had the interest to train his martial arts more than necessary.

    It was more important for him to study and made sure he could pass the examination to be an official in the future.

    "Strategist Yang, we can only find two survivors."

    Wei Liuying raised her head and noticed that several soldiers returned on top of a horse. The first man who came brought a young man on top of his horse in a position that made him look like a baggage.

    Narrowing her eyes, Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian. "Gao Huang and Ye Su?"

    "You recognized them?"

    "Yeah."

    She had only read their names from the bamboo slip that Huo gave to her not long ago about the names of the people who were captured. Seeing that Strategist Yang purposely fetched them, she had the feeling that this matter might be related to Prince Ji Shu.

    Bandits¡­

    Assasssin¡­

    "I see. He wanted to eliminate all eyewitness with borrowed hands," Wei Liuying muttered after a moment.

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying and laughed a bit. "If only you''re a bit dumber, you would not have caught our attention."

    "If I''m dumb, I won''t survive this long, Strategist Yang."

    "True enough."

    Some concubine daughters could survive even without the needs to have high intelligence, but Wei Liuying didn''t think that it would be the same for her. Different situation required different people to handle it perfectly.

    After the short banter, Yang Xian walked to his men and looked at the two unconscious youngsters. "Did they say anything about the place?"

    "They''re locked in the room after being beaten up by His Highness the Fourth Prince. When the bandits come, the servants didn''t even remember to unlock the door again, so they''re trapped," the soldier replied.

    Yang Xian furrowed his brows. "He''s slippery."

    "It''s hard to find any evidence about his action, but this should take his attention for a while, right?" the second soldier hopped down from the horse. He looked to be in his early twenties, but his attire showed that he was already a commander. As for how many soldiers under him, Wei Liuying didn''t know.

    "Yes. Make sure they can return back to the Capital City."

    The second soldier smirked. "That''ll be done quickly, Strategist Yang."

    "Don''t get caught in the middle of the way."

    "Of course I won''t¡­"

    "And don''t stop to drink."

    This time, the smile turned stiff. The second soldier looked at Yang Xian as if he wished to plead. "Strategist Yang, I won''t do it this time¡­"

    "This time?" Yang Xian narrowed his eyes. "If you fail the mission, I''ll make sure your cousin won''t be able to pay off your debt and you''ll work for me for another year without payment."

    Groan could be heard from the second soldier. He was crouching on the ground while holding his head. Yang Xian was never joking with his threat, so there was no reason for him to not do what he said should he failed again.

    Yang Xian looked at the other soldiers. "You may rest. Make sure to clean these two."

    "Yes, Strategist Yang."

    "Shi Mo."

    "Yes?" the second soldier, Shi Mo, raised his head.

    "I''ll introduce you to someone."

    Yang Xian beckoned for him to follow. Shi Mo was confused, but he followed suit and noticed that there was a youngster who was not wearing an armor. In the dark night, it was hard to tell what the clothes'' color would be. However, Shi Mo could see the dark eyes that was staring back at him.

    It was black and seemed to be filled with hidden danger.

    Shi Mo frowned and studied the young ''man'' intently. The face''s layout seemed to be leaning to the handsome type, but he couldn''t shake off the feeling that it was somewhat feminine.

    "This is?"

    "This is Shi Mo, Shi Yan''s cousin. And Shi Mo, this is Shi Yan''s little friend whom he told to you a lot."

    "Huh, but that little friend is a¡­." girl.

    Shi Mo couldn''t speak out the last word that he was about to say because two pairs of eyes were looking in his direction as if they wished to kill him if he dared to say it. He swallowed the words back to his throat and looked in Wei Liuying''s direction. That was to say, this person over here is actually a girl?

    A girl dressing up as a boy?

    Shi Mo was stumped.

 Chapter 96 - Teasing The Soldier

    Shi Mo couldn''t understand the circumstance and looked at the two of them with stupefied expression. It seemed that he was wishing they would be able to give him some explanation for this bizarre situation.

    Wei Liuying stood up cupped her hand. "Wei Hong Zheng, second son of Prime Minister Wei, greets Commander Shi."

    "Hey, how do you know I''m a command¡­" Shi Mo couldn''t say the sentence out loud because he noticed that Wei Liuying was looking at his attire. It was then he recalled that he did look a bit different because of the armor''s color. But how in the world did she manage to see it in the middle of the night like this?

    Yang Xian sighed. He looked at Wei Liuying. "Just like his cousin, he didn''t think before thinking. However, you can trust in his martial arts'' ability."

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "I see."

    "Don''t belittle me! I''m¡­"

    "Feel free to ignore him if he''s too noisy."

    "I understand, Strategist Yang."

    "Strategist, when am I noisy? I''m your¡­."

    Before Shi Mo could finish his words, Yang Xian cut him off once more, "Stay here and guard him. When its dawn, we''re going to the main road and find the group who had already departed there."

    "The main road?" Shi Mo was confused.

    Wei Liuying''s eyelids fluttered as she looked at the ground. "His Highness the Fourth Prince and His Majesty the Emperor have many of their soldiers gathered there. Those who escaped would seek refuge from them because it was the nearest camp."

    "Oh¡­"

    Shi Mo looked at Wei Liuying in admiration while Wei Liuying thoroughly ignored him. He had heard from his cousin that there was an extremely intelligent young lady in the capital city. Shi Yan only coincidentally met with Wei Liuying, but the two of them often met in the bookstore.

    Wei Liuying thought for a moment then turned her head. "When will Shi Yan return to the Capital City?"

    "Ah? He should arrive in the capital city today in the afternoon. There''s some business that''s waiting for him here," Shi Mo replied.

    "What kind of business?"

    "I don''t know. I''m not interested."

    "I see."

    Wei Liuying noticed that many of the soldiers'' way of talking was blunter and upfront. Rather than officials who loved to twist their words and talked in roundabout way, many soldiers were unable to do so because of their commoners'' background. They would rather just talk as concise as possible.

    ''To be able to talk freely¡­ it''s a bit enviable.''

    However, Wei Liuying didn''t express it out loud and stayed silent while waiting. She recalled that she had some meat on her small bag and took it out. The smell of the meat quickly spread in the small place.

    Beside her, Shi Mo was staring at the large chunk of meat on Wei Liuying''s hand.

    "Young Mi.. I mean Second Young Master Wei, that''s¡­?"

    "This is from my hunting yesterday," Wei Liuying replied. She broke part of the meat and looked at Shi Mo. "Do you want some?"

    "Yes! Yes¡­ Eh, I mean, how can I take your food?"

    Wei Liuying was amused when she saw how upfront he was. After meeting with so many people who would never wear their real feeling on the outside, seeing someone like Shi Mo could be refreshing.

    The two cousins were truly similar to each other.

    Unfortunately, people like these would surely die if they were to be placed in the capital city. Their upfront personality and way of speech would only send them to their doom even earlier. The skill that was needed to live in the upper society would be the skill to mask their real feelings and personality.

    It was a skill that almost everyone needed if they wished to be able to survive in that kind of harsh environment. It was at this point of time that Wei Liuying would feel envious to commoners. Life might be harder for them, but they could live freely and didn''t need to face poisonous people who would scheme for their death at every corner.

    If only she could pick¡­

    Wei Liuying would rather became a commoner and lived at the edge of a village. She might not have much skill, but washing and hunting should be doable. A peaceful life would be very nice.

    "Young Master Wei?" Shi Mo asked when he saw Wei Liuying didn''t answer even after a few breaths of time.

    Pulling herself together, Wei Liuying flashed a smile. She was entertaining the thoughts of living in a small and remote village with no one to bother her. But in this world, living alone as a woman would not be easy too.

    There were a lot of people who would want to take advantage of her.

    Not to mention, getting out of the capital city wouldn''t be easy. Even though she had managed to find a path to get out after this year''s New Year''s celebration, she still didn''t dare to use it yet. After all, if people found out about it, there was high chance that she might not be able to get out of the capital city.

    ''After this¡­ I''ll try once more¡­''

    If she still failed to convince her father for the last time, Wei Liuying had made up her mind that she would choose to escape and leave this hellish place forever. Living a harsh life as an ordinary villager would be much better than living in the hellish place called Wei Family Residence.

    However, she had to do it slowly because she didn''t want Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu to get hurt. Their martial arts were not as good as her and if she left without them, they would surely die in Feng Chun''s hands.

    "Sorry, I was daydreaming a bit. There''s no need to stand on ceremony."

    Wei Liuying handed him a chunk of the meat before she began to eat. The meat was dried, so it would last longer. She guessed that Huo might have thought that she wanted to bring the meat back before she even requested it. He was quite a smart young man.

    Unfortunately, Huo was also very loyal to Wei Hong Zheng and her mother. If not for that, Wei Liuying would have try to use Huo. She did entertain this thought in the past but changed her mind when she saw how Huo would not even be moved when other concubines try to use him.

    All she could do was to maintain an amicable relationship with him and keep her distance from him.

    Shi Mo looked at the meat and began to eat. Seeing this, the other soldiers quickly crowd over.

    "Commander Shi, please share some."

    "Yes! We''re also hungry. You wouldn''t want to make your comrade starved, right?"

    "Commander Shi¡­"

    "Get off!"

    Shi Mo was trying hard to protect the meat and eat as fast as possible. But how could his other friends let him off? They didn''t dare to disturb Wei Liuying because they were unfamiliar with him. Added with the fact that his father was the prime minister, who would dare to step up?

    But Shi Mo is different. They could freely bother their friend.

    Yang Xian returned. What greeted him was the sight of his soldiers trying to mooch off Shi Mo with Wei Liuying eating calmly on the side. He shook his head. it seemed that if Wei Liuying came, she would also make use of his soldiers for her amusement.

    Though, the happy light in her eyes looked much better than the gloomy one that she had most of the time. Wei Liuying was looking at his soldiers with a completely different expression compared to the one she used when she was looking at him. It looked far more refreshing and relaxed.

    In front of the normal soldiers who were only having fun, Wei Liuying was showing her real feelings. She was enjoying their reaction.

    ''I like this look of her more than her animosity towards me.''

    Yang Xian shook his head a bit. She was categorizing him as a very dangerous person. Because of that, he knew that she couldn''t possibly lower her guard when she was with him.

    He waited a bit more before he stepped up. By this time, the meat was already eaten up by the soldiers with Shi Mo only managed to eat a bit.

    "We need to depart. Shi Mo, you''re going on different way and escort those two along with Commander Zou."

    "Yes, Strategist Yang!"

    Shi Mo straightened his body and rushed over to do his work. When it was time for him to do his duty, he would not dare to slack off in the slightest bit. His leaders wouldn''t hesitate to beat him up.

    Yang Xian averted his eyes and looked at Wei Liuying. "Do you have fun?"

    "I''m only eating, Strategist Yang." Wei Liuying chose to play dumb and refused to answer Yang Xian''s inquiry.

    "We''re going back now. Clean up your face."

 Chapter 97 - Iâ€™m Back

    "I''m only eating, Strategist Yang." Wei Liuying chose to play dumb and refused to answer Yang Xian''s inquiry.

    "We''re going back now. Clean up your face."

    Wei Liuying wordlessly wiped her face and followed Yang Xian. She didn''t really bring anything aside from that chunk of meat here. Well, after they regrouped, they would be able to depart back to the capital city, so it didn''t matter that much.

    She would eat again when she returned back later.

    Wei Liuying rode a horse again. This time, she rode one on her own as she refused to ride the same horse with Yang Xian. It would be weird for her to ride the same horse with him as the young master of Wei Family.

    The distance between the location where they stayed and the mountain foot was not far. When the trees cleared out, Wei Liuying could see the crowd in a distance away. There were several people who were still alive even though many dropped down on the ground. The number of carriages there told them that there were a lot of people who managed to escape.

    ''Did they get the information beforehand?''

    Wei Liuying''s eyes gleamed with ruthlessness at the thought that someone might use this chance to kill the opposing party. If only she could get the list of the names who were killed today, she would be able to guess which party they all belonged to. Though, it would be hard with her current position.

    Killing with borrowed swords.

    It was a very common practice in the kingdom. Wei Liuying had seen countless people died through this way in her entire life. Framing then making use of other people to kill them was something that occurred many times. Almost everyone she met had already experienced it either just by bystander or participated directly.

    Well, it didn''t have any relation with her for now, so she didn''t have to worry.

    "You can go ahead," Yang Xian said while pointing to the group. "Or do you also want to make path for your brother to the northern army?"

    "There''s no need," Wei Liuying replied. If Wei Hong Zheng were to join the military army under Ji Sheng, he would be staying at the North most of the time. She was not sure that it was something that Wei Hong Zheng would even want. Besides, the Northern border was the most dangerous frontline between all four sides.

    Yang Xian nodded. He looked at Wei Liuying for a moment before he asked, "Should I come to your place soon?"

    "Even if I say no, will you follow my wish?" Wei Liuying asked back. She knew that Yang Xian wouldn''t necessarily followed what she wanted because he had his own thoughts and method.

    Though, she genuinely wondered what kind of man would want to sneak into a girl''s room in the middle of the night to discuss serious matter. Probably there wouldn''t be anyone other than Yang Xian who was brave enough to do that. Especially in a place that was covered tightly by Prince Ji Shu''s guards to the point that even an ant wouldn''t escape their watch.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "You know the answer. Though, I would prefer it if you can give me an answer as soon as possible."

    Wei Liuying looked back at Yang Xian. To be honest, she didn''t want anyone''s help nor protection. To be under someone else and putting her life in their hand was not a feeling that she liked.

    Just like her father could kill her whenever the latter wanted it, Wei Liuying knew that if she accepted Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng''s help, it wouldn''t be any different. Her lives would be in their hand. Would it be a better position compared to living freely as a normal commoner?

    Honestly, she didn''t know.

    "I need some time." Wei Liuying averted her eyes.

    One more chance.

    It was the last chance she wanted to give to her father.

    Probably it was her foolish mind that was wanting to see a different side from her father¡­. Or it might have been because she knew how it wouldn''t be easy to escape from a prime minister residence with her two servants¡­. Or it might be because she wanted to have a normal life without having to get involved in the imperial battle.

    Wei Liuying didn''t know which one was the real reason, but she wanted to see one more time.

    Would her father listen to her if she came to him upfront? Or will he simply refused to meet with her and just diminish whatever she said with a wave of his hand?

    From a long time ago, Wei Liuying have one question she wanted to ask her father.

    A foolish question yet she wanted to ask it nevertheless.

    Yang Xian could see the conflict brewed within Wei Liuying''s eyes. He knew her situations more or less, so he nodded. Children only wanted their parents'' attention and love. When they realized that they would never be able to get it, some would still cling to the hope that their parents would change while some others would abandon it.

    He himself didn''t know such feelings because he had a loving family. However, he had heard such situation from His Highness Prince Ji Sheng, so he knew that it was not easy for Wei Liuying.

    "In that case, you may go ahead."

    "Thank you for your assistance, Strategist Yang."

    Wei Liuying cupped her hand before urging the horse to move faster. Her body shook a bit on top of the horse, but she managed to make sure that she didn''t lost her balance. No one should know that she couldn''t ride horse well.

    It would reflect badly on Wei Hong Zheng,

    From behind, Yang Xian watched Wei Liuying did everything flawlessly and sighed. ''It''s good that you''re good, but what do you plan to do if your second brother turn out to be worse than you?''

    However, Yang Xian didn''t say it and looked at Wei Liuying''s lonely back. For whatever reason, he felt as if he was looking at his younger self when he had no one to rely on and have to stay strong just to be able to survive.

    ''If you see them abandon you with your own eyes, I''m sure you''ll finally be able to cut off the last string connecting you with your family.''

    Yang Xian still could remember the day when Prince Ji Sheng chose to completely abandon the thoughts of receiving his father''s affection. It was a very painful sight, but from that day on, Prince Ji Sheng was never hesitated anymore. He never treated those from Imperial Family as his true family members anymore.

    And with them not contacting each other for years, there was truly no need.

    Pushing the thoughts to the back, Yang Xian kept his expression intact. He led the soldiers to the front where all the commanders stayed. They still have some matters that they needed to discuss.

    "Second Young Master!" Huo exclaimed loudly when he saw Wei Liuying. Traces of happiness were visible in his youthful face.

    "I''m back." Wei Liuying nodded with smile that was filled with confidence. Wei Hong Zheng was a bit arrogant, so she needed to play this part well. Since she managed to go down the mountain by herself, it could be said to be an accomplishment too.

    An accomplishment that would solely belong to Wei Hong Zheng.

    There would be no connection with her anymore in the future.

    ''Is it fine like this?''

    There was time when Wei Liuying would want to stand out in the crowd too and receive the praise that was supposed to be hers. However, the murderous intent that her mother gave her when she showcased her talent along with the beating that followed her afterwards prevented her from doing so.

    Too talented will only make one the target of jealousy.

    Rather than standing tall and be accomplished, Wei Liuying would rather stay low and act as if it had nothing to do with her. Staying on the limelight could be very bothersome too.

    "Second Young Master Wei!" the guards saluted him with respect. To be able to see the young master returned safely was thoroughly surprising. They never expected that they would be able to witness something like this.

    Wei Liuying cupped her hand and smiled. "Thank you for welcoming me back."

    "Haha, Second Young Master Wei, you''re not bad yourself."

    "Yes, Second Young Master Wei, you''re very fierce."

    "Second Young Master Wei, you''re very lucky¡­."

    "Second Young¡­."

    Facing the enthusiastic guards, Wei Liuying could only put on the smile on her face. She could guess that the guards were trying to strike an impression with her because they could guess that Wei Hong Zheng might be deployed to the military in the future.

    When Huo finally reached her side, Wei Liuying quickly break free. Huo smiled widely. He checked on Wei Liuying up and down. "Are you hurt, Young Master?"

 Chapter 98 - Another Plot Derailment?

    Huo smiled widely. He checked on Wei Liuying up and down. "Are you hurt, Young Master?"

    "I''m fine."

    Wei Liuying jumped down the horse and led the horse to the camp. There were some people looking at him but most of them would ignore him. After all, they cared more for their family members who might not arrive yet.

    There were many people who were still up there in the middle of the chaos.

    "Hong Zheng!"

    Looking to the side, Wei Liuying could see her father, Wei Hong, who had haggard appearance. There were several wounds on his body and his robe was slightly tattered. It didn''t seem to be a peaceful journey for him to return back.

    By the side, Wei Xiao Hua and Wei Zilin were resting near the fire. Wei Zilin looked like a walking corpse with her pale face and dirty clothes. On the other hand, Wei Xiao Hua looked much better. She was sitting with her hands stretched to the front to warm herself up. It was dawn, so the temperature was still rather low.

    Wei Yijun was also fine. He sat near a horse while tending to his wound. When he was escaping, he was unlucky enough to meet with a bandit. It took him some time to take care of that bandit, and he ended up wounded in his left hand. Fortunately, it was shallow wound.

    "Where did you go?" Wei Hong asked in worried tone. He was holding his head, which was hurt thanks to the hangover he had.

    Wei Liuying cupped her hands. "Wei Hong Zheng apologies for making Father worried. I didn''t go through the main road and got lost in the mountain''s path. Luckily, I meet some soldiers who helped me to return back."

    "That''s fortunate."

    Wei Hong could see that Wei Liuying was dirty, but ''he'' was not wounded in the slightest bit. Looking at the arrows tube behind ''him'', he could guess that it mustn''t be as easy as how ''Wei Hong Zheng'' said it.

    "Did you meet with bandits?"

    "I did," Wei Liuying replied and raised her bow. "But I killed them all using my bow and arrows!"

    His bragging tone would only make people roll their eyes on normal times, but this time, Wei Hong instead felt gratified that his son was alive and well. He laughed. "The Heavens are nice. He''s helping all of us to escape safely here!"

    "Yes. Father, since I''m fine, you should focus on your rest."

    "Ah, yes. It''s good that you''re back. Let''s get closer to the fire and warm up."

    "Yes, Father."

    Wei Xiao Hua noticed that her father looked happy, so she looked in Wei Liuying''s direction. Her pupil dilated as her expression turned pale. Her beautiful lips muttered, "It''s impossible."

    "What did you say, First Sister?" Wei Zilin asked with a tone of displease.

    "Ah, it''s nothing. I must be mumbling because of the cold. Please forgive me, Second Sister."

    "I''m not that petty."

    Seeing that Wei Zilin no longer paid any attention to her, Wei Xiao Hua lowered her gaze. There was a faint glint. She didn''t understand why, but there was another plot derailment. Wei Hong Zheng should have been wounded hard to the point that it was almost impossible for him to use his right hand.

    In other words, Wei Hong Zheng turned into cripple in this incident because of the assassins sent to him.

    But now, Wei Hong Zheng was standing safely in front of her.

    ''How come there are so many plot derailment?''

    Wei Xiao Hua felt that her head turned into a mess with this revelation. She only changed some insignificant events because there were some that the novel didn''t put out all of the detail. But the changes that occurred here was far bigger than what she ever expected.

    From the time of Lantern Festival about Princess Ji Xiaoli and now about her second brother.

    ''I shouldn''t have interfered in Wei Hong Zheng''s event at all.''

    Right now, Wei Xiao Hua was filled with regret. If she knew that this would happen, she would have not try to prevent Wei Hong Zheng from coming here. The event when she was supposed to be spending romantic time with Ji Shu didn''t come because of the arrow''s incident. In addition, Wei Hong Zheng didn''t turn into a cripple, which meant that there would be a lot of plot derailment in the residence.

    It would be harder for her to eliminate Wei Hong Zheng in the future.

    ''Calm down, Xiao Hua.''

    ''Hong Zheng is stupid, so it''ll be easy to eliminate him later.''

    This incident should have made Wei Hong Zheng went into recluse, but since it didn''t happen, she had to think for other way that was not written previously. Wei Xiao Hua took a deep breath as a glint appeared within her eyes.

    ''Besides, the biggest enemy in the Wei Residence is never Hong Zheng. The real brain for Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng is Wei Liuying. As long as I can eliminate Wei Liuying, it''ll be a smooth journey as it''ll be much easier to deal with them.''

    Wei Xiao Hua fixed her sitting posture. She put her hand in front of mouth as a smile was formed there. ''Luckily, after the hunting event, it''ll be Wei Liuying''s downfall''s event and finally, death.''

    She was really glad that the novel chose to end such troublesome character early.

    There were only a few people who gave her goosebumps in her residence and Wei Liuying was included. Despite being a transmigrator who should have known everything like the back of her hand, she could never guess what was in Wei Liuying''s mind. It was only thanks to the novel that she managed to know what Wei Liuying would do.

    But now, some plot didn''t go according to the way.

    However, Wei Liuying''s downfall plot would not be affected in the slightest bit because her fate was already sealed from the moment she fell on Wei Xiao Hua''s trap with Ji Shu. From that day on, Wei Liuying''s days were already numbered.

    With that in thought, Wei Xiao Hua felt calmer.

    She continued to warm herself up and waited for them to return back.

    While Wei Xiao Hua was happily warming herself, Wei Liuying headed to the back to have some rest. She was tired after a long journey in the mountain for a long period of time. It was good that she could relax now.

    From the corner of her eyes, she could see Feng Chun along with the other two concubines were walking closer. They had haggard appearance after the long night running away from bandits.

    Feng Chun noticed Wei Liuying and quickly rushed over as if she had just seen her long lost son.

    "Hong Zheng!"

    "Mother!" Wei Liuying''s eyes reddened. She embraced her mother, who was acting for the sake of their appearance.

    "You naughty brat. Do you know how worried I was?"

    "Wei Hong Zheng is sorry, Mother. I didn''t mean to make you worried."

    "Silly boy." Feng Chun released her embrace and messed up Wei Liuying''s hair a bit. There was a motherly smile on her face. "You only know how to make me worry."

    Wei Liuying lowered her gaze and scratched the back of her head. ???Sorry, Mother. I won''t repeat it again."

    "Now that you''re back, you should have some rest. I''m sure you''re tired."

    "Yes, Mother. Thank you very much."

    The two of them continued their ''loving'' exchange to the point that Huo almost failed to resist his urge to roll his eyes. Some people ignored them while others complimented Feng Chun for having lucky and capable son. All in all, they were saying praise to her and some of her friends also said that Wei Hong Zheng had bright future in the military.

    To be able to escape on his own meant that he must be capable.

    All that was left was only proper training. At the same time, they also needed Wei Hong''s permission to allow him joining the military.

    Only three people were aware that the exchange was nothing more than an act. Wei Liuying could even see her mother was wiping her hand in disgust after separating with her as if she was nothing more than a pest that was not supposed to come in touch with her.

    ''I know you hate me, but even being touched by your own daughter is disgusting now?''

    Internally, Wei Liuying shook her head. From the front, she still looked like the proud young man who was bragging happily.

    "You must be tired," Feng Chun said with a smile on her face. "Go and have some rest. I''ll ask Huo to accompany you and prepare warm meal for you."

    "Thank you very much, Mother. Hong Zheng is grateful."

    "Go."

    Wei Liuying cupped her hand and turned around. Huo was standing behind her with respectful expression as he greeted Wei Liuying. "Young Master, the carriage is over there. I''ll take you there."

    "Alright," Wei Liuying replied with a smile yet it never reached her eyes. Unfortunately, no one realized the mask that she had put on.

 Chapter 99 - Her Task Is Done

    Wei Liuying sat on the carriage prepared by Huo after finishing conversing with Feng Chun. She sighed as she felt tired for putting up an act like that. "Huo, when will we depart back to the capital city?"

    "The general said that we can return back after all family members is complete or already confirmed to be dead," Huo replied.

    "The servants."

    "They''re excluded."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying was silent for a moment. The one who had lower rank compared to concubine daughter would be the servants. After all, no one would care about them. Whether they died or alive didn''t matter to most of the nobles here because many of them were not even treated as human.

    And if they tried to run away from here, they would die because they would be suspected as bandits. The soldiers would not give any lenience just simply because they were former servants. If they didn''t have any high position in their owner''s mind, they didn''t worth anything.

    And aside from some servants who were close to their master, the rest didn''t worth much. Which was a sad truth from this place.

    "I see," Wei Liuying replied after a while. She gazed at a distance. "I''ll be sleeping now. Wake me up when it''s time to depart."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Huo stood beside the carriage and looked at Wei Liuying''s visage. Her body was small due to malnutrition and forcing herself to train even under that condition. After years of such treatment, it wouldn''t be weird to see her smaller than her peers to the point that even Wei Hong Zheng could be of the same height.

    After all, boys grew up latter compared to girls.

    At this time, he could clearly see the fatigue that was accumulating on Wei Liuying''s face and expression. She must have been working hard to be able to survive in the forest and return back safely in one piece. If she got hurt, it would undoubtedly cause them some problems because Wei Hong Zheng back at the residence would have to get hurt too.

    ''She''s pitiful.''

    That was all the thoughts Huo always had towards Wei Liuying. Despite her skills, intelligence, and capabilities, she was born in a place where she couldn''t use any of them all properly.

    All she could do was to become a doll in the hand of Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng who couldn''t use her properly. Compared to those two, Huo was capable to see Wei Liuying''s mask and knew some of her extreme emotion such as anger.

    As a servant, it was a given that he had be keen of his master''s change of feelings and emotion. Thanks to that, he could gauge Wei Liuying''s feeling a bit more accurately compared to Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng.

    ''But I can''t help her.''

    Huo knew that Wei Liuying was in difficult position in Wei Family Residence, but he could never help her. He had to follow Wei Hong Zheng until the end and never ever betrayed him. It was his duty and he would fulfill it until the very end.

    It didn''t take a long time before the commanders told them to depart. The soldiers will guard them on the way.

    "Second Young Master, please wake up. We''re going to depart now."

    Wei Liuying opened her eyes. She straightened her sitting position and nodded. "I understand."

    The journey to return back took longer than expected. They were moving at even slower pace because they were being careful. Even the soldiers were tense almost all the time. In the carriage, Wei Liuying was sitting with Wei Yijun on the opposite side. They have to share carriages because the number was not enough.

    Glancing outside, Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. "First Brother, do you hear anything about the bandits?"

    "I only know that they have been captured. There were some unfortunate casualties and their names have been reported to their families," Wei Yijun replied.

    Wei Liuying nodded. This was not the first time an incident occurred during hunting, but it was rare. This incident happened before anyone could stop it, thus the casualties were very big.

    "Did this happen last year?"

    "Last year?" Wei Yijun arched his eyebrows and shook his head lightly. "I have never experienced it happening this bad if that''s what you want to know. However, you don''t need to worry about the after effect because the guards would surely do a good job to clean up the bandits."

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "Can you please elaborate, First Brother?"

    "They already have suspects of which bandit group this is, so they wouldn''t need to take a long time to capture the real culprit," Wei Yijun explained unhurriedly. He smiled and looked outside calmly. With his neat robe and sharp complexion, he did look very suitable as a scholar.

    Hearing her brother''s words, Wei Liuying gained some picture about what was happening behind the scene. While it wouldn''t be released to public yet, the guards were actually already tracking who were actually responsible for this incident.

    ''They''re fast.''

    But considering that three different armies were working together, Wei Liuying could guess that they must be working hard. As for how they managed to collaborate, she would not dare to entertain the thoughts.

    "Also, Commander Hu wants to have a talk with you later."

    "Commander Hu?"

    There were several commanders in the capital city. However, this name bore weight because he was part of the Imperial Family guards. To be able to attract his attention meant that there was also the possibility that Wei Hong Zheng would be called to the palace to be an Imperial guard.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed. While the position was not low, the danger was completely different with the frontline. If they failed to protect the Imperial Family or offend them in the slightest bit, it was death''s sentence.

    Wei Yijun nodded, his tone was a bit envious. "He was interested in your journey, Second Brother. If you have the time after things have settled up, he wanted you to come and visit him."

    "In that case, I''ll go visit him."

    "That''s a good decision."

    Wei Liuying obviously would not want to share any of her real story with Commander Hu. She would just leave it all to Wei Hong Zheng to concoct a believable story about how he managed to escape.

    Of course, it would be impossible for Wei Hong Zheng to make up the story. It was more likely that Huo would be the one to be handed the task. And it must be easy for him to do it as well because he was quite familiar with the route.

    She didn''t want to bother with this matter again and simply leave it all for her brother and mother to handle.

    They were the one who threw her to this mess, so don''t expect her to be the one to clean up too. All the glory and achievement already belonged to Wei Hong Zheng, so all he needed to do was to make sure he could keep it all for himself.

    Looking out of the window, Wei Liuying noticed that Prince Ji Sheng was riding horse not far from their carriages. He was wearing stern expression that didn''t seem to be capable to change. His eyes were looking upfront, while occasionally look around indifferently.

    ''He''s keeping his guard up.''

    As a general, it was clear that Ji Sheng was awfully familiar with how things worked at the frontline. He would not make a mistake such as dropping his guard in the middle of a mission. Besides, there might be other bandits group who passed this area and chose to target them.

    Even with the numerous soldiers around them, the possibility was not zero.

    "Do you want to become a general, Second Brother?" Wei Yijun asked curiously.

    General?

    Internally, Wei Liuying laughed coldly. How could a woman become a general who stood at the frontline and fought the enemies with sword? Besides, she didn''t like to be bathed in blood and sweat all the time. If she could choose, becoming a strategist who helped on the back would be much better.

    She smiled faintly. But she didn''t know what Wei Hong Zheng''s aspiration, so she couldn''t say anything with certainty. "I don''t know, First Brother."

    "Entering the military is a good option too. I''m sure Father will be happy if you pick this path," Wei Yijun encouraged.

    Wei Liuying smiled and didn''t continue the conversation.

    The two of them stayed silent until the carriages finally entered the capital city once more. It was only at this time that the soldiers relaxed a bit and the nobles were already impatient to get back home. The Wei Family was not an exception.

    The moment the carriages entered their household, Wei Liuying alighted down. She walked over to her father and cupped her hands. "Father, Hong Zheng is tired, so I would like to retire myself first."

    Wei Hong nodded. "Go and have some rest. I''m sure that surviving on your own has taken a toll on you."

    "Thank you, Father."

 Chapter 100 - Her Task Is Done (2)

    "Thank you, Father."

    Wei Liuying raised her head and turned around. For a moment, she could see that Concubine Xie was looking at her with malice within her eyes. It seemed that she finally saw Wei Hong Zheng as a threat to her son, Wei Yijun.

    The residence might be chaotic in the future.

    However, Wei Liuying didn''t have the time to care for all of that because she had to hurry back to her residence. She bypassed her brother''s residence and looked at Huo. "You''ll be the one telling him everything. I need to return back."

    "I understand, Third Miss."

    "Good."

    Huo watched as Wei Liuying disappeared through the sibling''s secret door in their residence while he returned back to Wei Hong Zheng''s room. By this time, Wei Hong Zheng was sitting in his room, reading a book that contained the lesson he needed to memorize.

    He lifted his head when he heard Huo coming. "How is it in the hunt?"

    "Third Young Miss managed to hunt a deer. However, there''s a problem with the rest of the journey because there''s an incident."

    With that, Huo began to tell everything that occurred with Wei Hong Zheng listening in. Hearing what Wei Liuying did, his eyebrows scrunched even deeper. He had thought that his sister was very capable, but this was the first time he realized that she was even more terrifying.

    Knowledge, martial arts, archery, and horse riding.

    If Wei Liuying was a man, she would have been a great scholar or even a commander in the military in just a few more years. Even now, her knowledge and capabilities were already far than what most men her age have. But unfortunately, she''s a girl and this knowledge were useless for her in normal times.

    At the same time, she was lacking in her own study such as music and embroidery because she spent a long time to study things that were supposed to be men''s.

    ''I''m glad she''s not a man.''

    If Wei Liuying was a man and not a girl, Wei Hong Zheng knew that all of her mother''s affection and attention would be given to Wei Liuying. The only field he was better than Wei Liuying would be the fact that he''s a man and the fact that one''s gender couldn''t be changed.

    Since women had low position in this world, naturally Feng Chun would never favor Wei Liuying over Wei Hong Zheng.

    But should Wei Liuying be a man, Wei Hong Zheng would have fallen out of favor from a long time ago. He was terribly lacking compared to his sister in almost every field existed in this world. At first, he thought it was because his sister was one year older than him, but it turned out that she was indeed much smarter than people her age.

    How vexing.

    "Why is she not coming here?" Wei Hong Zheng asked.

    "I suppose Master will call her soon after he had washed up."

    "Why is that?"

    Huo looked at Wei Hong Zheng and sighed. "There has been a talk during the hunt about Third Miss''s marriage. Master wants to pair her with Official Mu or some of his old friends."

    "Old Mu?" Wei Hong Zheng recalled that Wei Hong''s friends named Old Mu already have a wife and several concubines. It seemed that he wanted to expand more. After all, higher ranked officials can have more concubines compared to lower ranked officials.

    Some officials used this privilege they have to expand more connections. They all wanted to be able to grow stronger by having a bit of connection here and there. Only a few of them only have few concubines or even none at all.

    Official Mu was obviously the first one. He was the type who liked to have as many concubines as possible. It was only through His Majesty''s permission that he was able to expand his harem greatly so far.

    "Yes."

    "I see. It''s already the time, huh?"

    Huo was silent for a moment. Looking at the smile filled with amusement on his young master''s face, he felt his heart tightened a bit. "Young Master, don''t you plan to help her out?"

    "Help her?" Wei Hong Zheng laughed coldly. "Since she had successfully build the connection for me to become a commander, her task is done. In two years, I''ll be enlisted to be a soldier, so I don''t need her anymore. Old Mu is known to be taking good care of his women. I wouldn''t need to do anything to dispose her this way."

    Huo could feel chills running down on his spine. He understood that Wei Liuying was only kept alive because she was useful for Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng. If not for that, they would have already disposed her a long time ago because just seeing her would make them feel pain. Inside their heart, they would always compare Wei Liuying and Wei Hong Zheng.

    There were only two more years, but even without that, Wei Hong Zheng thought that it was already enough.

    Even though there was no one telling him, Huo had the feeling that Feng Chun would also say the same thing. Recently, Feng Chun had been on Wei Hong''s good side and with her son being so splendid, she would be doted more in the residence.

    With that backer, who would dare to slight her?

    No one would dare. Wei Liuying''s role as the schemer on the back would slowly disappear along with time.

    At this time, Huo could hear some voice from the other residence.

    "Oh, hear that? It means her fate is already sealed. Besides, whoever she will marry doesn''t concern me in the slightest bit," Wei Hong Zheng said with a snort. She was nothing more than a concubine daughter whose purpose to live was only to serve him and his mother.

    He never cared for her.

    Huo was silent as he silently watched everything unfolded. He knew, this would be the start of Wei Liuying''s lone battle.

    When Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng had already finished using her, they would simply discard her like a useless chess piece that had served its purpose. Whether the chess piece survive, dying, or abandoned, it would be no longer be their care. They would not even want to turn their head to look at this used up chess piece.

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying returned back to her residence after returning back. She didn''t spare time to dilly dallying as she hurriedly rushed to the bathroom and scrubbed herself clean. She poured more oil to make sure that the smell of blood was washed away. After all, it would be weird for a sick noble lady to be filled with the smell of blood.

    Aroma of flowers immediately filled the room.

    "Miss, are you alright?" Xiao Qing asked when she realized that Wei Liuying took more time.

    "I''m fine. Bring my clothes in."

    "Yes."

    It took Wei Liuying some time to change back to her usual clothes. Afterwards, she asked Xiao Yu to do her hair while Xiao Qing helped to apply some makeup to her face. She needed to make her countenance looked whiter and paler to make people think that she was truly sick. Even if the truth she was not, she knew that it would be better for her to keep up an appearance.

    Xiao Yu looked from behind with a complicated expression. "Miss, is it really necessary to pretend to be sick?"

    "I haven''t appeared for weeks. This is the best reason that I can give," Wei Liuying replied softly. She was trying to adjust back her state of mind. Living as a boy made it a bit hard for her to return back immediately to her usual attitude.

    "This servant understands, Miss."

    At this time, a servant came and Xiao Yu quickly received her. They exchanged some words before Xiao Yu returned. "Miss, Master wants to see you."

    "I know."

    Wei Liuying had been thinking about when her father would call her. It should be either today or tomorrow depending on her father''s mood. Besides, he would be busy soon because of the bandits'' matter, so he wouldn''t be able to remember the thing about marriage if someone didn''t remind him.

    Someone¡­

    The only person who could possibly do that would be her first sister.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying stood up and walked out while holding Xiao Qing??s hand. Xiao Yu didn''t follow and stayed behind in the courtyard with her head lowered. There was an old servant waiting for them outside.

    "Please follow me."

    "Wei Liuying understands."

    As they walked, Wei Liuying was still thinking hard about what she was supposed to do. She was sleep deprived and spent a long time in the carriage to think for everything that she should say when her father mentioned the matter of her marriage.

    But every scene that she could think only lead her to her doom.

    Her father wouldn''t want to listen.

 Chapter 101 - Frontal Refusal

    But every scene that she could think only lead her to her doom.

    Her father wouldn''t want to listen.

    Wei Liuying sighed softly within her mind. She looked at Xiao Qing, who led her carefully and made sure that nothing was wrong. If she wanted to get out of this residence, she had to make sure that Xiao Qing would be safe too.

    Tomorrow morning, she would start to do her plan.

    As for her marriage matter, she could only try to speak but not hope. In the first place, there was never much hope.

    "Third Miss is here."

    "Lead her in."

    Wei Liuying walked inside. She could see Wei Hong and Feng Chun inside. The two of them were holding their hands. Even though there was a slight displease within Feng Chun''s eyes, she was still smiling widely in happiness.

    "Liuying greets Father and Mother."

    "Get up," Wei Hong said lazily. "I ask you to come here to tell you that you''ll be engaged to Official Mu."

    Wei Liuying heard what her father said. Within her sleeve, her fingers clasped into a fist. Even though she had already heard what the two of them talked before, having being told directly still hurt her. Probably she used to still have some lingering hope to be cared by her father, but it was completely shattered at this moment.

    Raising her head, Wei Liuying looked at her father. "Father, do you mean Old Official Mu?"

    "Who else is there?" Wei Hong scoffed and asked back. He didn''t really like seeing the face of this daughter of his. She looked like him and Feng Chun, but her attitude was completely different from the two of them.

    "Father, is there no other option?"

    Wei Hong looked at Wei Liuying coldly. "Since you have offended His Highness Prince Ji Shu, do you think there would be anyone who dared to step forward to ask for your hand in marriage? You''re already 14 years old, so you have to start thinking about this."

    "I''m only 14 years old, Father. There are still 2 more years before it''s the time for my marriage," Wei Liuying said carefully. Her tranquil expression betrayed no emotion as she stared back at her own father. "Is it necessary to decide this quickly?"

    "Yes."

    "Liuying, this is for your own good. Official Mu is a good person, so he''ll surely treat you better," Feng Chun added. At first, she didn''t really want to agree, but after Wei Hong coaxed her with some rewards, she agreed. Besides, what would it matter to her if her daughter left earlier? It just meant that she needed to hire other teachers for Wei Hong Zheng.

    Wei Liuying looked at her mother. Her expression didn''t change in the slightest bit. "Mother, is what you say true?"

    "Of course. Mother will not lie to you," Feng Chun said with a smile.

    However, Wei Liuying didn''t respond anymore. By now, she understood that neither her mother or her brother would be on her side anymore. They had already come into an agreement that she was no longer of any use.

    "Father, I don''t want to get married to Official Mu," Wei Liuying said bluntly.

    Wei Hong''s face contorted. "Do you understand what you''re saying? Official Mu is a good man and you should be grateful that there''s still someone who wants to take you in as a bride."

    "Father, do you arrange this for my happiness or for yourself?" Wei Liuying asked once more. Her black eyes seemed to be seeing through whatever thoughts Wei Hong had in his mind. "I still have 2 years before I reached the marriageable age, but Father already so eager to see me off. If I stay low for two years, wouldn''t the rumor passed eventually?"

    "The rumor passed?" Wei Hong shook his head. "If it''s any other person, I''ll believe your words. But since it is His Highness the Fourth Prince, I can''t believe it. Do you think you won''t offend him again in the future?"

    "There''s still the possibility, Father."

    "That''s enough!" Wei Hong slammed his hand on the chair and looked at Wei Liuying coldly. "I called you here not to ask for your opinion, but to tell you that you''re going to get engaged. No matter whether you want it or not, you''ll get married to him in two years'' time!"

    When the last few sentences were said, Wei Liuying had thorough lost any hope she once had in her father. She could never see him as her father anymore. He was nothing more than a fake father who only brought her up to use her as his tool.

    But isn''t most father in this era was the same?

    If not, why else there would be the word ''concubine daughter'' whose worth was only to be married away to be concubine and let these so called father expand their influence?

    Wei Liuying didn''t answer. She merely looked back at her father with her pair of black pupil. Most people only have dark brown pupil, but hers were so dark as if one was looking at the endless abyss.

    His daughter''s gaze was one of the things that Wei Hong hated the most. He waved his hand. "Go to the hut and reflect on what you have done. I don''t want to hear you refuse the marriage again when I meet you tomorrow."

    "Wei Liuying will not agree to the marriage," Wei Liuying said slowly. "Liuying excuse herself, Father."

    Each of the word in her sentence was said without any hint of emotion. There was even a sense that she had thoroughly given up on any thoughts regarding her father. The guards were watching her, but Wei Liuying followed after the arrangement calmly. She walked to the hut obediently.

    Wei Hong slapped the table beside him with annoyance. "That insolent daughter. She doesn''t know her place."

    "Liuying has always been rebellious and only do what she wanted. I can''t even teach her without her rebelling," Feng Chun tried to soothe Wei Hong. She patted the back of Wei Hong''s hand with affection. "I''m sure she''s only refusing because of a moment of impulse."

    "Right, she can''t be taught," Wei Hong said and ordered the servants to prepare tea.

    "Don''t be angry, it''s not good for your health."

    Wei Hong stayed silent while Feng Chun tried to talk to him. His mind was thinking of the gaze that Wei Liuying showed to him. For some reason, it only reminded him of his father, who used to be the Emperor''s advisor. That gaze seemed to have the power to penetrate his mind and revealed whatever he had inside.

    His gaze landed on Feng Chun, who was still trying to coax him.

    He sighed. For some reason, there was a faint feeling inside his heart that was glad that Wei Liuying was not a boy. As for why? He was not sure himself.

    ¡­

    - Wei Xiao Hua''s Quarter -

    Wei Xiao Hua listened to the words that her servants told her while washing her face using the ointment that was prepared. The servants in the residence has been replaced by those whom she could trust from the moment she held partial control of the house''s management. Thanks to that, she could gather all news from every side of the house quickly.

    "Third Sister rejected Father''s proposal right away?" Wei Xiao Hua asked with a hint of amusement in her tone.

    The servant nodded vehemently. "Yes, Third Young Miss said that she didn''t want to get married to Official Mu bluntly. It''s surprising that she dared to go against Master so openly."

    Wei Xiao Hua laughed softly. She was not surprised with that because she knew that it was the only option left for Wei Liuying. Or to be exact, that was the best way for her to see both of her parent''s real intention for the marriage. If she merely agreed and didn''t say anything else, she would never know what their real intention is.

    "Since she comes out clean, it means that she''s ready to bet on everything she has in her hand. A cornered rat will be the most dangerous because they''ll be desperate to try fighting back at all cost."

    Putting down the cloth in her hand, Wei Xiao Hua smiled. "But a rat will only be a rat. As long enough force is given, there''s no way it wouldn''t die."

    "Miss¡­."

    "Ask her to start. Tomorrow, we''ll be making a grand play," Wei Xiao Hua said with a laugh. The real Wei Xiao Hua knew Wei Liuying''s plan, but she could only guess. However, based on the book, Wei Liuying never had a chance to start her real plan because of Wei Xiao Hua''s scheme, which she would perfectly start tomorrow. "Now, let''s have some rest."

    "Yes, Miss!"

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled at the servants around her. Since she already knew their weakness and personality from the books, it was easy for her to pull them to her side. Besides, as the main daughter and Prince Ji Shu''s fianc¨¦e, it was clear that she would be able to reach high position in the future.

    Who would dare to offend her anymore?

    Walking to the bedchamber, Wei Xiao Hua yawned. She had to admit that living in this era was not easy, especially because there was no phone or any other amusements that she used to enjoy back then. However, as an avid fan of Chinese drama and online novels, she was also excited to have her life here.

    Transmigrator is invincible as long as they make use of the plot and hug the right thigh. Her only opponent was only other transmigrator.

    Thinking about this matter, Wei Xiao Hua''s expression darkened slightly. The original Wei Xiao Hua was clueless about many outside matters during the early part of the of the novel. As the result, she also didn''t know if there was any change outside.

    Hopefully, there''s none.

 Chapter 102 - Wei Xiao Huaâ€™s Move

    "Get in."

    Wei Liuying walked to the hut and walked to the stack of hay. She was too lazy to make makeshift blanket, so she only gathered some of them to be put on top of her. Her eyes were looking towards the window as the sky darkened slowly. Her hand reached to her pocket where Xiao Qing slipped some cookies for her.

    Xiao Qing already predicted that Wei Liuying might be getting punished again for the nth time.

    It was so common.

    ''Tomorrow, I''ll get you out of this residence,'' Wei Liuying said to herself inside her mind. Her brain recalled the time when she talked to Wei Hong and Feng Chun.

    "Whether I voice it out or not at all, it makes no difference. There''s no way the voice of an insignificant young girl will be heard," Wei Liuying said softly to herself.

    Closing her eyes, Wei Liuying leaned to the back and sighed. If she simply agreed to her father today, she could use other means to reject it in the future. But then again, how could she possibly influence a different household with her current position?

    She could only rely on herself.

    "Even if you lost a concubine daughter, it shouldn''t be a big deal for you, right Father?"

    Wei Liuying stayed silent for the next minute and lied down on top of the hay. She was tired, very tired. However, she would not give up. The moment she gave up on everything, it would only mean her end.

    She would never be able to get anything if she didn''t work hard and tried to achieve her goal.

    Even if she failed in the end, at least she had tried and did whatever she could.

    That way, she would not have any regret in the end.

    In the morning, Wei Liuying woke up early. Even though she still felt that she needed sleep, she forced her body to move. Slowly, she made her way to the door and stood there without any expression on her face.

    "You can come out now¡­" the guard was stunned to see Wei Liuying right after he opened the door.

    Wei Liuying nodded. She looked out and furrowed her brows when she realized that Xiao Qing was not there. Whenever she was out from the punishment''s hut, Xiao Qing would be the very first one to come out and greet her.

    ''Could it be¡­?''

    Foreboding feelings crept out from the bottom of her heart. Wei Liuying quickly turned to the direction of her quarter and walked as fast as possible. She didn''t pay attention to anything else and quickly sped up her pace. The servants around her were treated like the air.

    When she was close, she could see several servants stood there. Her heart dropped when she realized that they were Wei Xiao Hua''s servants.

    At the same time, Wei Liuying could hear the voice of a servant yelling.

    "You''re still telling me that it''s not you?"

    Wei Liuying frowned and pushed her way forward. The servants quickly made way when they saw her. She paid them no heed. Her eyes focused on the front where she could see Xiao Qing kowtowed on the ground with Xiao Yu bowed down with tears rolling down her cheeks. In front of them, Wei Xiao Hua was sitting on a stool and her servant was pointing at Xiao Qing, yelling loudly.

    "It''s really not this servant! This servant is wronged!" Xiao Qing said with shaky voice. It was not known whether it was from anger or fear.

    The servant sneered. "The accessory is found in your room. Yet, you still deny that you take it from First Miss''s Quarter?"

    "This servant truly didn''t know anything."

    "You unruly¡­!"

    When the servant raised her hand to slap Xiao Qing, Wei Liuying made her move. She stepped forward and grabbed the servant''s hand from the back. Even though she was a head''s shorter than the servant, her grip was so strong and prevented the servant from moving.

    "What do you think you''re doing to my servant?" Wei Liuying asked in a cold tone.

    The servant was stunned. She tried to release her arm, but found that she was unable to move. It was as if her hand was held by a large man and not a young girl. There was even slight pain on her wrist.

    "Third Sister, your servant is unruly. Do you really want to defend the wrong?" Wei Xiao Hua''s melodious voice traveled on the air.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes were cold when she looked at her first sister. She didn''t move her hand in the slightest bit as she looked back. Her eyes were cold and unfeeling. "She''s my servant, so it''s my place to punish her should she do wrong."

    "This servant of yours stole an accessory of mine."

    "How do you know it''s her who stole it?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    Wei Xiao Hua spread her hand. "The accessory is found inside her room. If it''s not her who stole it, who would it be?"

    Wei Liuying was silent for a moment. Her eyes were looking back at Wei Xiao Hua, who was also equally fearless. It seemed that even if they investigated the matter, the one who would be at fault would never be Wei Xiao Hua. The confidence seemed to stem from the bottom of her heart.

    "Is that true, Xiao Qing?"

    "Miss, I didn''t steal the accessory," Xiao Qing said with quivered voice.

    "I''m asking, is it true that the accessory is found in your room?"

    Xiao Qing raised her head, tears streaming down from her eyes. She sobbed silently and nodded slowly. "Yes, Miss, the accessory is found inside my residence."

    Slap!

    A crisp slap sound was heard. The servant, whom Wei Liuying stopped was dumbfounded. She was looking from the sidelines as Wei Liuying slapped her own servant with cold expression.

    Wei Xiao Hua watched in amusement as Xiao Qing cried and beg for forgiveness, saying that it was not her who stole the accessory. However, her voice seemed to enter deaf ear as Wei Liuying looked back at Wei Xiao Hua without any expression on her face.

    "Is this enough?"

    "If you only punish your servants with a slap, don''t you think that they''ll become even more unruly?" Wei Xiao Hua asked.

    Wei Liuying''s expression didn''t change. "You have already gotten your accessory back, so shouldn''t you let the matter rest after punishing Xiao Qing?"

    "If you say a slap is a punishment, that''s too light. What are you going to do if your servants put you in difficult position in the future?" Wei Xiao Hua laughed with a hint of disdain.

    "A servant should put their Master''s wellbeing first because whatever happened to their Master would implicate them," Wei Liuying said calmly. Even though she was staring at Wei Xiao Hua, on the back, Xiao Yu hung her head low. The tears seemed to pause for a split second before it came rolling down again. It was as if she was reacting to what Wei Liuying said.

    There was a cautious glint in Xiao Yu''s eyes when she looked at Wei Liuying, but no words were uttered out.

    On the other hand, Wei Xiao Hua laughed languidly. "Third Sister, don''t speak so naively. Even if you care for your servant, you should punish them according to their wrongdoing, shouldn''t you?"

    Wei Liuying stared back at Wei Xiao Hua. The two girls were looking at each other with flames within their eyes. It was as if they were ready to kill each other at this very moment. The anger and even hatred could be seen from their eyes when they looked at the other party.

    No one said a word.

    Everyone was silent as they watched the confrontation between the two young misses. Even though they were still young, they have already showed their power and position within the residence to each other.

    In the end, Wei Liuying moved her gaze. Under her sleeve, her fingers were clenched tightly into a fist. Even if she was unwilling, she knew that this was the trap that Wei Xiao Hua had prepared.

    From when? She didn''t know.

    "In that case, I''ll give you satisfying answer later."

    "What do you plan to do, Third Sister?" Wei Xiao Hua asked and crossed her hand. "Do you think that I''ll be satisfied if you only give another slap to your pitiful servant."

    Xiao Qing was still crying. She didn''t do anything and yet, she was framed so thoroughly today. It was as if there was no way out for her aside from accepting this mistake and punishment.

    The problem was: the punishment for offending Wei Xiao Hua might even result in her death.

    "There''s no need to worry, you''ll be satisfied with my answer,?? Wei Liuying said after a while.

    Wei Xiao Hua arched her eyebrows. She looked at the servants around them and laughed lightly. "In that case, I''ll be waiting, Third Sister. Let''s go back, I''m hungry and there''s class today."

    "Yes, First Miss."

 Chapter 103 - Framing

    The servants dispersed and followed after Wei Xiao Hua quietly. They all passed a look of pity towards Wei Liuying before they departed.

    Xiao Qing bowed before Wei Liuying. "Miss, I truly didn''t do anything! This servant is wronged."

    "I know."

    "Then, Miss¡­."

    "But even if I try to investigate it, all evidence will point to you," Wei Liuying said quietly.

    Xiao Qing was stunned. "How¡­ how can it be¡­?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t elaborate anything as she looked back at Xiao Qing. She knew that Xiao Qing would always sneak to the kitchen early in the morning to sneak some meat buns for her after her punishment''s day. At that time, the room would be empty and there would be no other servant who could testify for her.

    As long as Wei Xiao Hua prepared some servants who could testify that Xiao Qing was seen in Wei Xiao Hua''s quarter, she would be deemed guilty. There was no way out.

    This was a plan that was carefully tailored to trap her.

    ''Ah, First Sister, your hatred sure run deep.''

    Wei Liuying sighed and rubbed her temple. She was only acting in accordance to what her mother and second brother wanted in order to be able to survive. But now, she had made Wei Xiao Hua her biggest enemy.

    At this time, a servant rushed in. "Third Miss, Madam Feng is here."

    Turning her head to the front door, Wei Liuying could see her mother stood there. She bowed in custom and called out, "Mother."

    Feng Chun was looking at Wei Liuying without any trace of warmth in her eyes. "Leave us alone."

    "Yes, Madam."

    Wei Liuying also beckoned for both Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu to leave. Xiao Qing passed a look of worry to her miss, but she still scurried away while wiping her tears. She felt that it was her failure as a servant that pulled her Miss to this incident.

    "You''re only making things difficult for me, Liuying."

    "I''m sorry, Mother."

    Feng Chun snorted and walked to the nearest chair with a fan on her hand. Her long brocade dress nearly swept the ground as she walked with unhurried pace. "I''m sure you''re smart enough to know that it''s the best deal Wei Hong will ever make for you. Don''t try to overstep your bounds and aim for more."

    Or in other words, know your place.

    It was the most common phrase that Wei Liuying had heard in her entire life. Her mother always told her that as long as she knew her place and did what she was supposed to do, her life would be easy.

    Easy?

    It has never been easy for Wei Liuying in her entire life. She had to constantly scheme and prepared a way out for herself. Unfortunately, she was too busy during the time she acted as a boy. It made her overlook the fact that Wei Xiao Hua could possibly make her move at that very time.

    The result was obvious. She fell into a direct trap because of a person who cared for her.

    "Why don''t you interfere, Mother?"

    "What? If you''re talking about your marriage, there''s no need for me to interfere. Official Mu is rich and if you get married to him, you''ll be able to live a life without worry. As for this incident, who would care for a servant like that? She''s nothing more than a lowly servant whose life is of no importance."

    No importance¡­

    Wei Liuying could never agree with what her mother said. She felt that their lives were also important to her. After all, they have served her ever since she was young and stayed by her side.

    Feng Chun passed a look at Wei Liuying. "You''re being swayed by feelings. Don''t you realize that without caring for anyone, you''ll be in much better position?"

    "And be like you, Mother?"

    Unlike Wei Liuying, Feng Chun could easily dispose her servants whenever it was needed. Even those who had served her for a long time was used by her in order to gain the affection from Wei Hong. It was as if the servants were nothing more but tools in her eyes that she could use freely to achieve her goal.

    "Of course," Feng Chun replied with a laugh. "How do you think I can get married to Wei Hong with my Feng Family''s condition if not for my quick wittedness?"

    It was more like ruthlessness.

    However, Wei Liuying didn''t say it out loudly. She was only looking at her mother with indifference in her eyes. After interacting with her mother for a long time, she knew that Feng Chun was not that smart, but she was also not stupid. What she could do the best was using the people around her to get what she wanted properly.

    "So, Mother will only watch?"

    "Do you need me to answer bluntly?" Feng Chun asked back. "I''m sure you''re smart enough to understand what I want."

    "Yes," Wei Liuying replied.

    Feng Chun stood up and patted her dress lightly. "Clean up the mess and dispose that servant. I''m sure you know what you should do now that you have offended Wei Xiao Hua."

    And why I offend her in the first place?

    Wei Liuying looked at her mother. "In that case, let me borrow a carriage."

    "Carriage? You''ll surely use one when you head to the academy." Feng Chun furrowed her eyebrows in displease.

    "I need a different one, Mother."

    "Why?"

    Wei Liuying looked back at her mother, who was staring back at her with suspiciousness. "To clean up the mess that I have created. I''ll make sure that there''s nothing wrong from this incident, Mother."

    Feng Chun looked at her daughter. Frown was apparent on her forehead as she disliked having to use her authority within the residence for her useless daughter. She waved her hand. "In that case, I''ll prepare one. But when Wei Hong returns, I''ll not help you."

    "It''s enough, Mother."

    "Good."

    Wei Liuying watched as her Mother disappeared before she walked to her own room. Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu were still there, looking at her with complicated expression. It was hard to say what was their feeling right now.

    "Help me prepare myself."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Within a few breaths of time, Wei Liuying took a short bath and changed her clothes. She walked to her room and crouched down near her table. Her hands moved below the table as a knife appeared. She bought this with Manager Xin''s help a long time ago for emergency use.

    Now, she no longer felt even a little bit safe in the residence.

    "Miss, the carriage is ready," Xiao Yu reported from outside.

    "Wait. Xiao Qing, pack your belongings."

    "Miss!" Xiao Qing was stunned and kowtowed before Wei Liuying. Her body was trembling. "I''m sorry! I¡­ this servant didn''t intend to¡­"

    "I know."

    "Miss¡­I don''t want to leave¡­"

    Wei Liuying also didn''t want Xiao Qing to leave. Originally, the plan was to escape along with Xiao Qing when the time was ripe. But now, it would be completely impossible. She had to punish Xiao Qing one way or another to make sure that Wei Xiao Hua would be satisfied before doing anything else.

    So, her plan had to change immediately.

    "Pack your belongings, Xiao Qing."

    Xiao Qing was startled with Wei Liuying''s tone. This was the first time Wei Liuying was so harsh in her order and didn''t give them any leeway to refute. Slowly, she stood up and wiped her tears before moving to her room in order to pack her belongings.

    Xiao Yu was still standing by the door. She looked at Wei Liuying with traces of confusion. "Miss, this is¡­"

    "Stay outside and guard the door."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Wei Liuying didn''t need to turn around to know that Xiao Yu had closed the door and waited carefully. She slipped the dagger with a strap to her hand. Afterwards, she picked up a brush and a bamboo slip before she wrote several words on the surface. She put the bamboo slip under her sleeve and put the brush away.

    Because she always copied the books and made summary for her brother, the servants wouldn''t think it was weird for her to have the brush and ink ready. However, Wei Liuying dabbed the brush on top of the cloth that she frequently used to wipe the ink away. She couldn''t let them find out that she was writing before she left.

    Not long afterwards, Xiao Qing returned. She was carrying a bundle on her back as she looked at her Miss with her big and round eyes. "Miss."

    "We should go."

    Wei Liuying passed by Xiao Qing and passed the bamboo slip. Xiao Qing tucked it away inside her sleeve and followed after Wei Liuying with troubled expression. It looked as if she was already resigned to her fate.

    Only Xiao Yu was still looking at them with some questions within her eyes. The three of them were good actors because they had learned ever since they were young how to mask their real thoughts. She was wondering whether Wei Liuying was acting or she had truly been driven to the corner with this scheme?

    "Miss, where do you want to go?"

    Wei Liuying wore a veil as she walked out. She glanced to the driver and spat out two words, "Hei Market."

    "Right away, Miss."

 Chapter 104 - Selling

    Hei Market was the nearest market from Wei Family Residence. It was also a famous place because there were a lot of people who would be crowding over there because any sort of goods could be found. Many merchants also loved to stay there because of the number of people who used to be there.

    The carriage was moving at slow speed with Wei Liuying and Xiao Qing inside. Xiao Qing looked at Wei Liuying and opened her mouth but a look from Wei Liuying prevented from speaking.

    Wei Liuying placed her finger in front of her mouth. The driver that Feng Chun prepared must be her people. There were not many servants in Wei Family Residence who would be willing to listen to her. She had to use other means if she wished to be able to survive because those whom she tried to pull over will be killed one way or another.

    No matter who they were.

    Only Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu were left behind to stay with her in order to tie her down there. But it was not necessary anymore.

    "Third Miss, we have arrived in Hei Market. Where do you want to go?"

    Wei Liuying looked out. "I''ll be walking from now. You shall wait over there."

    "Yes, Third Miss."

    Slowly, Wei Liuying walked out of the carriage. Even though it was still early in the morning, there were already several people who were busy doing their daily activities. Many of them already worked from early morning to earn more profit for themselves.

    "Xiao Qing."

    "Yes, Miss?"

    "Follow me."

    Xiao Qing''s expression was still as downcast as before. However, she didn''t say anything as she followed behind Wei Liuying. Some people were looking in their direction, but Wei Liuying didn''t pay any heed. She continued to stroll on the street before she finally stopped in front of a restaurant.

    Bountiful Delicacy

    It was a restaurant that was famous in the capital city. There were a lot of people who liked to go here. Be it noble or commoner, they could come as long as they have enough money to pay for the food.

    That''s right, the food here was expensive.

    Wei Liuying walked inside. There were already a lot of people on the first floor. The tables were full, showing how well received the store was. Most of them were commoners as nobles usually ordered a private separate room on the second floor.

    However, the one she was looking for was not a noble.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes landed on the crowd by the side. There was a young man in the middle with several young ladies around him. Even though it was broad daylight, the women were trying their best to get close to the young man without caring for their faces anymore. It was as if their best option would be to be with him.

    "Miss, what are we doing here?" Xiao Qing asked in worried tone.

    Without answering, Wei Liuying stepped forward and approached the young man. He was wearing expensive fur robe that clearly reflected how rich he was. However, he was not part of a noble because his real occupation was that of a merchant.

    "Young Master Shi?"

    "Yes?"

    The young man, Shi Yan, raised his head. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Wei Liuying, who had covered her face behind a veil. The two of them have already agreed to never greet each other in public because they wanted to keep their relationship a secret from other people.

    Now, why did Wei Liuying greet him in broad daylight?

    "Young Master Shi, do you like women?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Shi Yan smirked when he heard her question. He stood up and approached Wei Liuying, ignoring other women and men who were trying to get close to him. "I can''t really see your countenance, but I believe you should be very pretty. Are you trying to sell yourself to me, Young Lady?"

    "Young Master Shi is joking." Wei Liuying took a step backward. Her clear black eyes were staring back at Shi Yan without any hint of fear or worry. It was as if she could see through the layer of disguise that he had placed in front of him. "I come here because I''m in trouble."

    "Oh, what kind of trouble?"

    "I have an unruly servant, and my family didn''t want her to stay with me. I would like to ask whether Young Master Shi is interested or not," Wei Liuying replied.

    Behind her, Xiao Qing''s eyes turned red. She opened her mouth yet no words came out. At this point, she thoroughly didn''t understand what her Miss wanted to do. Why would she approach a merchant in the broad daylight like this?

    After all, merchants were known to be at the lowest social strata.

    Shi Yan arched his eyebrows. He was quite stupid compared to Wei Liuying, but he was also quite perceptive. After all, he had been living as a merchant for a long time and dealt with some noble family. The fact that there was always a hidden layer beneath their words was not exactly a secret.

    He looked at Xiao Qing and noticed that this was the servant who always accompanied Wei Liuying when she visited the bookstore before.

    ''Wei Family Household must be in a mess right now.''

    It was rare for Wei Liuying to fall into a trap. Without Xiao Qing beside Wei Liuying, it was clear that the number of allies Wei Liuying had in her residence would decrease. If she stayed there for any longer, who knew when she would accidentally get poisoned or received false news and fell into another trap.

    "She doesn''t look half bad," Shi Yan said with a smile. "Are you sure that you want to offer her to me?"

    "Words that have been said couldn''t be taken back again," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly. She stared at Shi Yan. "An unruly servant can''t possibly stay in my residence anymore or it''ll create chaos."

    "Create chaos?" Shi Yan laughed. "You sure have your way in your words, Young Lady. Tell me, what do you want?"

    "I want two liang of silvers," Wei Liuying replied.

    This time, Shi Yan was dumbfounded once more. Two liang of silvers didn''t worth much for noble families. For commoners, they would be able to live for half a year without the need to worry about their expense, but noble families usually used several liang of silvers just to live day by day.

    He looked at Wei Liuying with a frown. "I didn''t know that you''re so desperate of money, Young Lady."

    Wei Liuying shook her head. "I have a favor that I want to ask Young Master Shi."

    "Speak."

    "Please take care of Xiao Qing well."

    Shi Yan''s lips curled up to form a smile. "There''s no need to worry, I always take care of my people well."

    "In that case, I''ll thank Young Master Shi."

    With a wave of his hand, one of Shi Yan''s servant stepped forward and handed the money to Wei Liuying. It was two liang of silvers, just like what Wei Liuying asked. On the other hand, Wei Liuying handed the document of Xiao Qing that she had in her hand. Thankfully, her mother had given to her the necessary documents for both Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu.

    "Miss," Xiao Qing called out, feeling restless.

    Wei Liuying looked at Xiao Qing and smiled. "From now on, I''m no longer your Miss."

    Xiao Qing''s eyes turned watery, but she knew that this was the best option that Wei Liuying could give her. If she was sent away by the servants, who knew how she would end up in the end? It would be good enough if she could end up with a corpse intact when that happened.

    "Live well and be happy, Xiao Qing."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Wei Liuying patted Xiao Qing''s hand and looked at Shi Yan. "I''ll take my leave first, Young Master Shi. Thank you very much for your help today, I''ll never forget the favor I owed to you today."

    Shi Yan arched his eyebrows. He scanned Wei Liuying and Xiao Qing with eyes full of interest. "In that case, may I know your name, Young Lady?"

    "What''s the use of name? If fate wills it, we''ll meet again," Wei Liuying replied.

    For a moment, Shi Yan felt as if he saw a flash of sadness within Wei Liuying''s eyes. It was faint, yet he knew that it must be there because it was so clear. The deep black eyes that was never disturbed was now showing traces of Wei Liuying''s real feeling.

    Shi Yan frowned. ''Just what happened in Wei Family Residence to shake her this much?''

    In the past few years he knew Wei Liuying, he had never seen her being so troubled. No matter how hard it was in the Wei Family Residence, Wei Liuying still could handle everything with ease.

    Now, it was no longer the case.

    He sat down back on his chair and waved his servant to come nearer. "Do you have any clue where that young lady come from?"

    "Replying to Young Master, she must be from Wei Family Residence based on the carriage that she used."

    "Wei Family Residence?" Shi Yan asked in a low tone and laughed faintly. "I never knew they have so many interesting people from that place."

 Chapter 105 - I Canâ€™t Understand

    Shi Yan''s servant didn''t say anything else. Prime Minister Wei was considered as one of the most influential people in Han Shi Kingdom. It was close to impossible for anyone to get close to him without attracting other people''s attention. At the same time, the matter of his family couldn''t be discussed by commoners easily.

    "What''s your name?" Shi Yan asked Xiao Qing. In the past, Xiao Qing had never met with Shi Yan because Wei Liuying didn''t let him met any of her servant. They wanted to keep the fact that they knew each other a secret even from their servants unless they completely trust them.

    And Wei Liuying didn''t really have anyone whom she could completely trust because everyone around her was placed by her mother.

    "My name is Xiao Qing, but Young Master may give me another name," Xiao Qing replied softly.

    Shi Yan waved his hand to his servant. "You take care of her. I want to visit some of my old friends."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Xiao Qing hung her head low. When Shi Yan passed by her, she stretched her hand and tugged his sleeve as a bamboo slip was passed. Shi Yan''s eyes narrowed slightly, but he acted like nothing happened and kept the bamboo slip within his own wide sleeve. It seemed that Wei Liuying truly had a message for him.

    Shi Yan continued to walk to the second floor and swaggered to one of the room. There was a servant guarding the door, but he didn''t seem to mind when Shi Yan simply knocked the door and pushed it to the side.

    The two people inside raised their head when they heard the door opened.

    "What are you doing here, Shi Yan?" one of them, Yang Xian, asked in annoyed tone.

    The other one inside the room was not Ji Sheng but Shi Mo. The two of them were currently talking about some matters regarding the northern border because the Xiong Tribe had noticed that Prince Ji Sheng was not in his original place and began to make their move repeatedly over the past few days. The letters that the commanders delivered were not that of good news.

    Shi Yan sighed. "Third Miss Wei is here just now."

    "Eh, your friend?" Shi Mo asked in surprise.

    "Yes. Now, you can get out, Shi Mo."

    "What? You can''t just kick me out like that, Cousin!"

    "Please get out for a moment, Shi Mo," Yang Xian was the one who gave the order.

    This time, Shi Mo no longer complained. Yang Xian could be said to be his superior in the military, so Shi Mo have to follow his order. Besides, it was likely that the two of them didn''t want anyone to know what they were talking about.

    "What is it?" Yang Xian asked after Shi Mo had closed the door. The restaurant belonged to their friend, so they had ordered for a sound proofed room. This way, those outside wouldn''t be able to hear their voice so easily.

    "She came and sell her servant."

    "What?"

    "Hard to believe, right?" Shi Yan proceeded to tell everything that occurred to Yang Xian. Since Prince Ji Sheng was currently busy because of the court, Yang Xian couldn''t follow him to the palace. For some reason, there was a meeting between the Emperor and his subjects including the four princes.

    Yang Xian knitted his eyebrows. He had just finished taking care of the bandits'' arrangement and heard a piece of bad news from the frontline. Now, it seemed that another upheaval occurred in Wei Family Residence.

    "What did she say in the bamboo slip?"

    "Let me take a look first."

    Shi Yan took out the bamboo slip and read the sentence on top of it. His eyes widened when he realized what Wei Liuying actually wanted.

    Let the pillagers roam and in the midst of chaos, the full moon shall shine.

    "She''s so outrageous." Shi Yan groaned. The sentence was full of riddles, but he knew exactly what she wanted. Pillagers referred to bandits because they would pillage villagers, so he often termed them as pillagers. As for full moon, it meant that she needed two days because in two days, it would be full moon.

    Yang Xian took a peek to the sentence and nodded. "It seems that she has made her mind."

    "Made her mind for what?"

    "You''ll know later."

    Shi Yan: "¡­" let me strangle you.

    Yang Xian ignored the death glare that Shi Yan gave him. It was already common for him to not reveal what Ji Sheng actually planned to others, including the blabbermouth Shi Yan. The same would apply for Wei Liuying. He would not reveal her plan to anyone even if he knew what she planned to do.

    "Do you plan to help her?"

    "Why not? I can just ask Brother Shan to lead his men to create some chaos. As long as I tell him the location of some treasure, he''ll willingly do anything," Shi Yan replied.

    "Yes, both of you are money digger."

    Shi Yan: "..." can you not slight me for a moment?

    Yang Xian tapped the table with his brows creased. "Tell Shan Yi to be careful. Even though it should be save for him to make move at any time, there''s currently an upheaval in the court and might implicate him."

    "What kind of upheaval?" Shi Yan asked with a frown.

    "His Highness the Fourth Prince and His Highness the Crown Prince have been making their move," Yang Xian replied with a faint smile. "What kind of upheaval do you think will happen when both princes make their move?"

    The smile on Yang Xian''s face sent a chill on the back of Shi Yan''s body. He stared at Yang Xian for a moment then decided to not speak anymore. He knew that no matter what he asked, Yang Xian would never reveal his plan to anyone. Besides, he was sure that there would be great changes in the court soon.

    Whether it would be good thing or not for them, no one knew for sure.

    "I''ll be going now."

    "Eh, where do you want to go?" Shi Yan asked in confusion. He was holding onto a cup of tea when he listened to what Yang Xian said.

    Yang Xian smiled. "I''ll go and visit the academy."

    Pfft!

    Academy?

    Shi Yan looked at the door behind him with bewilderment. He could guess that Yang Xian must have his own plan to do this. However, he couldn''t understand what someone like Yang Xian could even do in the academy? There was no way he went there to study when he had already mastered most of the lessons.

    ''Ah, the brains of these thinkers are too hard to see through.''

    "Cousin?" Shi Mo''s head peeked from outside. "I see that Strategist Yang had left. What did you say to him?"

    "What do you think I can say?" Shi Yan asked back. "I don''t even know what''s inside his mind."

    "True enough."

    "Now that you''re here, help me out a bit, Mo."

    "Uh¡­" Shi Mo''s face turned pale when he heard what Shi Yan said. The last time Shi Yan asked him for help, it was to seduce a woman in order to gain some information. Even though he was at the same age as Shi Yan, he was not comfortable to get close with those women.

    The smell of their makeup was simply unbearable!

    "Come on, don''t be shy. I''m sure that a lot of people would be willing to get close to you with your face."

    "Cousin, my face is similar with you."

    "What are you talking about? Come on."

    "Wait, I still need to¡­Agh, stop pulling me."

    In the end, Shi Mo had no other choice but to entertain Shi Yan in the latter''s game. As a soldier, he couldn''t understand why his cousin was in the mood to have fun like this. What he didn''t realize was that the servants who usually stayed beside Shi Yan could no longer be seen in that place.

    They have already departed when Shi Yan was busy playing with Shi Mo.

    ¡­

    In the carriage, Wei Liuying told the driver to bring her back to the academy. The classes hadn''t started yet, so there should be enough time for her to arrive there. Besides, even if she was late, she didn''t mind in the slightest bit.

    The teachers would not care for her.

    "Third Miss, we have arrived."

    "You can go back. I''ll return with Second Sister."

    "Yes, Third Miss."

    Wei Liuying alighted from the carriage and scanned the area. She could see some of the noble ladies were looking at her with hostile gaze. They were the ladies who were staying with Wei Xiao Hua back during the hunt.

    Ah, it seemed that they would continue to talk about her no matter what.

    There was a faint cold gaze within Wei Liuying''s eyes that disappeared as fast as it appeared. Slowly but surely, Wei Liuying made her way back to her own class.

 Chapter 106 - Thereâ€™s Always A Way

    "Oh, she''s here."

    "Is the news that I heard true?"

    "Of course, it''s true," Wei Xiao Hua said with a faint smile. She looked in Wei Liuying''s direction with a faint smile on her lips. She wanted to know what Wei Liuying would do now that her reputation had plummeted.

    Based on the novel, she would be desperate enough to try achieving her own happiness to the point that her own reputation was completely destroyed.

    "That''s so nasty."

    "You''re so pitiful, Miss Xiao Hua."

    "Yes. I can''t believe that you have to stay under the same room with that malicious woman for so long."

    As they continued to talk, Wei Liuying was trying her best to ignore them. She had already have them talked bad about her over and over. Normally, she would never mind them and now, it was not an exception. Wei Liuying simply stayed on her table and looked at the book that she brought.

    It was poem book that her mother had prepared for her. Even though Wei Liuying herself rarely used it in the end, it was still necessary for her to learn some arts.

    "Please excuse me for a moment," Wei Xiao Hua said and walked to the front. Her servant, that she ordered to keep watch of Wei Liuying was there. She listened to her servant with a smile hung on the corner of her lips.

    ''Just like the novel, she sold her servant to the famous merchant Shi Yan. However, her attempt is futile because merchant Shi Yan will die in the north during Prince Ji Sheng''s attempt to create peace. Just like that, everyone in Wei Liuying''s side will die one by one.''

    Wei Xiao Hua felt that her confidence grew. Since the events that occurred now followed the course of the book again, she knew that it meant she still has a lot of advantage in the long run. This made her terribly excited.

    "You can go now."

    "Yes, Miss."

    The class started, but Wei Xiao Hua was not in the mood to listen. She was busy arranging the plot around this event. This was one of the biggest early event that occurred in the novel. At the same time, it was the first time Prince Ji Shu made his first move that would pave the way to the throne.

    Nothing should go wrong.

    ''It''s too bad the book never focused on the side characters. I really want to know the details of Prince Ji Shu''s attempt.''

    Wei Xiao Hua sulked a bit. However, she also knew that it was impossible for the author to give so much screen time to the side characters. She could only know part of their plans based on her memory of the book that she read.

    "Alright, it''s time for break."

    ''Break time!''

    At this time, Wei Xiao Hua was excited. She glanced to Wei Liuying from the corner of her eyes and noticed that Wei Liuying had stood up and made her way out. She smirked. It had started. All she needed to do was to wait and Wei Liuying''s reputation would hit rock bottom.

    She felt excited.

    Wei Liuying naturally didn''t know what Wei Xiao Hua was thinking. She walked to the back courtyard and looked around. The area between the boys and girls were separated with a fence. It was easy to cross if one knew martial arts, which was why the boys were not usually allowed to get close to the fence.

    On the other hand, the girls loved the view of the garden. It was beautiful, so many of them came here occasionally. Today, no one was there yet, so Wei Liuying sat on the grass and leaned on the fence.

    "If I were you, I would not stay there for a long time."

    Wei Liuying frowned and raised her head. On the tree, Yang Xian was sitting with a bamboo scroll in his hand. "I didn''t know Strategist Yang loved to stay here."

    "If you''re hoping to find a man through this way because you''re desperate, you should consider better," Yang Xian said and leapt down. With his martial arts, it was easy for him to bypass the guards and sneaked to this place. His dark eyes were looking straight at Wei Liuying.

    "I don''t think any of it mattered anymore."

    "Because you''re going to leave?"

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows and looked at Yang Xian. There was faint coldness within her eyes. "I believe it''s not your business, Strategist Yang."

    "It''s indeed not my business, but I don''t like the idea of you seeking for men randomly. Aside from making your reputation stain even further, what can you possibly get from coming here?"

    "If¡­"

    "Also, there''s no way your father will dissolve the engagement simply because you come here. Instead, he''ll make sure that you can get married earlier by using the north''s law and make you part of Officials Mu''s Household so that you won''t tarnish his name any longer. Do you think it''ll be easier for you to get out of your house when it happens?"

    Wei Liuying stared back at Yang Xian and averted her gaze. "You sure know so many things, Strategist Yang."

    "I want you to be part of Prince Ji Sheng''s men and also fellow strategist. But for that, I want you to understand that you need to learn how to take care of yourself better," Yang Xian said with a chuckle.

    "There are many things that I can''t get without betting with everything."

    "You''re not alone."

    Wei Liuying raised her head and looked back at Yang Xian, who was also staring back at her. The two of them didn''t say anything else, but their gazes seemed to contain so many words that was left unsaid. There were many things that should never be said aloud.

    Finally, Wei Liuying averted her eyes. "Many thanks for your reminder, Strategist Yang. If I survive this ordeal, I''ll make sure to make your goal come true."

    Yang Xian smiled and turned around. "I believe you can do it. When you finally join in, I''ll tell you the truth."

    Truth?

    Wei Liuying looked back and saw Yang Xian''s departing back. There was traces of loneliness from his visage that couldn''t be explained. She turned her body around and walked back to the direction of the academy.

    Not long after she disappeared, Wei Xiao Hua appeared along with her friends. She was smiling widely and chatted with her friends merrily. However, her body stiffened when she realized that there was no one on the back courtyard.

    It''s impossible.

    Wei Xiao Hua looked around in confusion. She was following after the novel''s time tightly, so she didn''t try to make any mistake in the timing. After all, the novel mentioned that if she came any longer, Wei Liuying would have already left.

    Did she make a mistake in the timing?

    Internally, she complained why novels loved to make scheme that was so detailed to even seconds. It made it harder for her to count everything properly because her brain could not catch up with the original transmigrator.

    "First Miss Wei, what are you looking for?"

    "Ah, I''m surprised that there''s no one else aside from us who are using this place," Wei Xiao Hua replied with a smile.

    Her friends giggled. "They might have picked a different place for today."

    "Isn''t it good that we can use this place freely?"

    "Yes~."

    "Let''s have lunch."

    Wei Xiao Hua forced herself to smile while her brain was in a mess. She couldn''t believe that she had made another mistake in the timing counting. It seemed that following after the novel was not as easy as she expected.

    Well, it didn''t matter.

    She''s the protagonist in this story, so she would be able to reach the highest stage in the end.

    With that thoughts in her mind, Wei Xiao Hua calmed down and began to chat with the other girls merrily. They were talking about some hottest rumors and many other things that occurred in the capital city.

    Unbeknownst to them, Yang Xian was still watching on top of the tree. After bidding his farewell to Wei Liuying, he didn''t depart right away and instead stayed on top of the tree to have some rest and watched over everything. Little did he expect to see Wei Xiao Hua came here.

    And that girl''s attitude before was clear to him.

    Wei Xiao Hua was looking for Wei Liuying.

    ''I wonder if you''re truly that perceptive or it''s simply because you have the power to see the future,'' Yang Xian thought internally. His gaze was profound and deep. ''But no matter which one it is, I would not want someone like her who couldn''t even protect herself and only know how to rely on Prince Ji Shu.''

    Standing up, Yang Xian dusted his clothes. He smirked. ''And like what Liuying said, the future will only set in stone when it becomes the present. Before that, it''s merely the probability of something that might happen in the future. Too reliant of those vision will only make you fail to analyze what happened in your surroundings.''

 Chapter 107 - Everyone Is So Impatient

    The class proceeded as usual. Wei Liuying didn''t bother with her mistake and the teachers also seemed to have given up on her. After the class was over, Wei Liuying could see Wei Zilin looked a bit restless.

    "Second Sister, has First Sister come out?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Wei Zilin shook her head. "She''s in the class beside ours, but I think the teacher wants her to stay behind to perform something."

    "I see."

    At this time, the melodious tone from zither rang out from the classroom. It was playing a slow yet elegant song that everyone was familiar with. Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed when she started to listen to the song. It was a song that represented the happiness and joy, but the way Wei Xiao Hua played it didn''t seem to reflect that feeling.

    Instead, Wei Liuying could feel the strain and also hidden sadness. It was as if she was forcing herself to put on a bright figure while she was actually feeling sad.

    ''She''s putting on another performance.''

    Wei Liuying''s eyes turned dark, but she said nothing. She glanced to the side and noticed that Wei Zilin looked distracted. It was as if there was something else that was filling her mind, yet she was trying hard to focus.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed.

    Everyone around her was so impatient. Wei Zilin must have already planned something either against her or Wei Xiao Hua.

    ''There won''t be any peace in the household anymore.''

    Wei Liuying knew that Wei Zilin could ask other people to help her. With some incentive and connection, it would be easy for Wei Zilin to achieve whatever she wanted. This will surely make it even harder for anyone to stop her from realizing her plan, whatever it was.

    Since her attention has been on Wei Xiao Hua lately, Wei Liuying realized that she also neglected Wei Zilin a bit. Slowly, Wei Liuying rubbed her temple, trying to think of the scheme that someone like Wei Zilin could possibly come up with. Based on her assumption, it would be something extremely simple yet devastating.

    What was the most valuable thing to women?

    Reputation and purity.

    ''I hope you''re not that stupid, Zilin.''

    Wei Liuying waited calmly for Wei Xiao Hua to finish before they departed home. She didn''t even want to spare a glance to Wei Xiao Hua because she was so sick of this first sister of hers. No matter what Wei Xiao Hua said, she simply continuously put Wei Liuying in the bad light.

    It was as if she was already determined to destroy her.

    Wei Liuying didn''t say anything and directly returned back to her residence. Xiao Yu was there, cleaning up the courtyard. As soon as Wei Liuying entered her room, she could notice that the brush she placed on the table had moved. A faint cold smile emerged on the corner of her lips.

    "Xiao Yu, dinner."

    "Yes, Miss."

    It was still early, but the servants usually have prepared food faster. Since Wei Liuying wanted to eat, Xiao Yu quickly head over to the kitchen and fetched some food before she brought them back to the quarter.

    Wei Liuying passed a look at Xiao Yu and ushered her out. Taking out a needle from her hair, she put it on the soup. As she had expected, the edge of the needle turned black meaning that someone tampered the soup.

    "This place is truly hell."

    Changing her clothes, Wei Liuying dressed up as a man and walked out of the residence through the back door. She was making use of the place where she usually met with Wei Hong Zheng to slip away from the residence and walked to the street. Using the money that she got from Shi Yan, Wei Liuying purchased a lot of meat buns.

    Most of the meat buns were placed in her pocket after she had wrapped it. The rest was eaten directly because she was hungry.

    Wei Liuying then walked to the nearby weapon store and bought a cheap short sword. She kept it inside her outer robe. With that, all the money that she had from Shi Yan had run out.

    Not long afterwards, she returned back to the residence and saw her mother inside her room.

    "Where did you go?" Feng Chun asked in a cold tone.

    "I was taking a stroll outside, Mother," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly.

    Feng Chun''s face was dark. "Don''t you know that you''ll only get in trouble if people find out that you''re not in your quarter?"

    "Isn''t that why Xiao Yu is here?" Wei Liuying raised her head. "She should be able to hold back anyone who want to come in."

    "You¡­"

    "If the cage is open, a canary will not stay inside when there''s no food available."

    Hearing that, Feng Chun was even more annoyed. She knew that Wei Liuying was using that sentence to tell her that as long as she was fed well, Wei Liuying will not do anything detrimental. However, this incident alone already made Feng Chun enraged.

    What would happen if people find out that the third young miss of Wei Family was actually a martial artist?

    They would be eager to find out why a young lady learn profound martial arts when she was supposed to be learning arts. And if they connect the matter to her and Wei Hong Zheng, it wouldn''t do her any good.

    "You have grown to be insolent, Liuying!" Feng Chun said angrily.

    Wei Liuying looked back at her mother. "A pet will stay loyal as long as the owner didn''t mistreat him. Isn''t it the same with people?"

    "You¡­"

    "Mother, if you have nothing else to say but calling me, you should go back and have some rest."

    Feng Chun glared at Wei Liuying. "What a good girl you are. We shall see who will win at the end! You''re not allowed to go out of your residence at all! When Wei Hong returned back tomorrow, you won''t be able to do anything anymore!"

    Returned back tomorrow?

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flashed, but she kept her composure and looked back at her mother. For the first time in her life, she blatantly refused her mother outright in her face and showed a defiant stance. It was as if she was already tired with what Feng Chun did and would not care of the consequences anymore.

    There was no longer the humble and demure attitude anymore.

    "Let''s go."

    Feng Chun led her servants out in outrage. From her stance, it was clear that she was thoroughly annoyed with how Wei Liuying acted. The servants around her didn''t dare to speak at all in fear that they would incur her wrath.

    Wei Liuying stayed still in her place and looked over in the direction of the door. "Clean up the food, Xiao Yu."

    "Y¡­Yes, Miss."

    Xiao Yu was listening to everything that occurred just now. Even though she didn''t do anything, she understood that Wei Liuying was also using this chance to blatantly say that she didn''t trust her. This made Xiao Yu''s heart ached a bit.

    Was her decision to follow after Madam Feng''s order was wrong?

    She didn''t know.

    As she raised her head, what greeted her was the cold gaze from Wei Liuying. There was no longer any warmth that usually stayed there. It was as if Wei Liuying was looking at the worst enemy that she could possibly get in the entire world.

    Her heart sank.

    It was uncomfortable.

    However, Xiao Yu didn''t say anything more as she walked away from the room. There was tears on the corner of her eyes that threatened to come down. However, Wei Liuying never said anything to her anymore. Not even a single word was said.

    All that was left was only utter disappointment.

    When Xiao Yu had left, Wei Liuying relaxed her stance and looked away. She looked at her table and opened her drawer. Looking at the items inside, she could tell that they were moved during the time she was away. It was as if Xiao Yu was looking for something important there.

    However, Wei Liuying never kept anything other than what her mother gave to her in this room.

    The books from her uncle were kept safely in the bookstore.

    The money she earned from writing were also in the bookstore.

    As for her draft?? she hadn''t had the time to write anything more, so there was none. The only thing that was left here was only the copy of her summary for Wei Hong Zheng that she still kept.

    "When I leave, they''ll naturally dispose these too."

    It was too bad that she wouldn''t be able to keep the last notes she made. These were made during the time she was staying in the residence to fake her illness, so she hadn''t had the time to bring it out to the bookstore.

    Wei Liuying looked outside and slowly sneaked out. She settled on the nearby tree and looked in the direction of Wei Zilin''s courtyard. If she was not wrong, tonight should be the time when Wei Zilin made her move.

    She wanted to know what kind of plan it would be.

 Chapter 108 - Even If I Did Nothing, My Existence Alone Is A Hindrance

    The night was quiet.

    The sound of wind slapping the leaves could be heard occasionally. The temperature was cold but not freezing. Some servants were still awake to do their work, but most of them had already left to the dreamland.

    Wei Liuying sat on top of the tree calmly. She leaned on the main branch and closed her eyes, resting. Even though she had been living a life that was not ideal, she was glad that she had learned martial arts. That way, she would be able to protect herself when it was necessary.

    Swish!

    The faint movement of the wind woke her up. Wei Liuying didn''t move from her position, but her eyes were directed to Wei Xiao Hua''s quarter as a black shadow sneaked in to that fortress.

    ''Foolish.''

    Inside Wei Xiao Hua''s quarter, Wei Xiao Hua was startled awake. She sat down on her bed and looked outside coldly. Her small mouth muttered out, "Lou."

    "Yes, Miss."

    There was the sound of faint rustling not far from her room and Wei Xiao Hua draped a robe on herself as fast as possible. She had just finished changing her clothes when Lou returned with a man on his shoulder.

    Lou was the guard that Prince Ji Shu sent to protect her. He was actually Prince Ji Shu''s guard and had been staying with him for a long time. It was only recently that Lou was tasked to protect Wei Xiao Hua at night time since Prince Ji Shu would be making some big moves.

    "An assassin?" Wei Xiao Hua asked calmly.

    Lou nodded. "Yes, Miss."

    Thud!

    He placed the man on the ground roughly. The assassin was wearing dark clothes and also covering his face with a cloth. However, from the way he winced and moved, Wei Xiao Hua could guess that Lou had already given him a thorough beating to make sure that he couldn''t make any unnecessary movement.

    This was very convenient.

    "So, mind telling me who''s hiring you?" Wei Xiao Hua asked in a light tone. She was very calm, as if an assassin had never come to find her.

    The assassin glared at her, but he refused to answer.

    Wei Xiao Hua was amused, but she didn''t find it strange. It would be weirder if the assassin was willing to speak in the first place. She took out a needle from her sleeve. Even though she was not a doctor, she knew that getting pierced by needle would be hurt, especially if it was the accupoint or the nerve.

    "Well then, let me play with you."

    Play?

    Both the assassin and Lou didn''t understand, but Wei Xiao Hua crouched down and began to stab the assassin using the long needle. It was supposed to be a needle used for medication, but in Wei Xiao Hua''s hand, it had turned into a deadly weapon. Though, it was mostly she randomly pierced in.

    The needle was fairly long, so it could pierce deeply. Wei Xiao Hua''s attention was on the assassin''s hand. She still could remember back in her ''previous life,'' she was once hospitalized and the nurse couldn''t even pierce infuse needle properly. It caused pain and there was a shift in her nerve, causing her finger to feel pain every time a point was touched.

    This time, she was trying it on the assassin.

    Not long afterwards, the assassin began to sweat. The needle was very unprofessional, but Wei Xiao Hua seemed to be able to prick him where it hurts. Before long, he could feel that his finger began to twitch.

    "I wonder if you can even use your hand after I''m done," Wei Xiao Hua said with a smile.

    The assassin was screaming internally in fear. Even though Wei Xiao Hua was a beauty, the smile looked more like a devil smile. He didn''t know since when his body began to tremble in fear.

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at the assassin and stopped, leaving the needle stuck on his arm. "Is it Wei Liuying?"

    The assassin gave no reaction aside from glaring at her.

    "Wei Zilin?"

    This time, there was trace of worry inside the assassin''s eyes, but he still didn''t answer anything. Wei Xiao Hua was also not in a hurry, but she had seen his reaction just now. Even though it must be unintentional, it was still showing the truth.

    "Heh, it seems that I have neglected my Second Sister too much that she comes to give me a big present," Wei Xiao Hua said with a bright smile. "It''ll be impolite of me to not give her back another present as a sign of gratitude."

    The assassin''s back was filled with sweat. He had the feeling that whatever Wei Xiao Hua was planning would be something really bad.

    On the side, Lou was watching everything unfolded quietly. He didn''t have any intention to interfere because Prince Ji Shu had told him to leave everything in Wei Xiao Hua''s hand. This was his first time seeing Wei Xiao Hua was not hesitant to use whatever card she had.

    Her cruelty and decisiveness matched Prince Ji Shu well.

    It was good. His Highness Prince Ji Shu didn''t need someone weak by his side. He only needed the best one.

    Wei Xiao Hua stretched her body. "Well, have you finished investigating his background, Lou?"

    Lou raised his head and waved his arm. Another man appeared from the darkness and saluted. "Miss, this assassin''s name is Zheng Guo. He''s a guard from a merchant family that''s in the verge of bankruptcy. There are several people in the merchant family¡­."

    As the man reported his family condition, the assassin was terrified. He struggled to break free but Lou moved quickly. He gagged Zheng Guo and pressed him on the ground to prevent him from moving about.

    "That''s interesting," Wei Xiao Hua remarked while rubbing her chin. She looked at Zheng Guo. "If the merchant family is wiped out, I wonder if it''ll do you a favor, Zheng Guo?"

    Mmph!

    Zheng Guo was thoroughly panicked by now. He was looking at Wei Xiao Hua''s direction with pleading expression. It was clear that he couldn''t bear with the thought of harm coming to his family. Everyone always have someone whom they cared about, which would be their Achilles heel.*

    "However, I can release you."

    Zheng Guo''s eyes lit up. He was looking at Wei Xiao Hua with eyes filled in anticipation, fearing that he might miss a word that she was about to say.

    "If you change the target to my Third Sister, Wei Liuying, I''ll release you."

    Zheng Guo nodded vehemently.

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at Lou. "Release him."

    Lou did as she said and released Zheng Guo. Upon getting released, Zheng Guo bowed down to Wei Xiao Hua. "I''ll do as you say, Miss."

    Afterwards, the assassin disappeared from his place. Wei Xiao Hua didn''t have martial arts, so naturally, she didn''t know where he went. She only glanced at Lou with her hands crossed.

    "Shall we wait for an interesting performance?"

    Lou passed a glance at Wei Xiao Hua before averting his eyes once more. He felt that Wei Xiao Hua''s confidence had been growing more and more lately. From the way it looked like, she was so witty to the point that it was impossible to scheme against her. Everything that occurred was in her favor.

    "Do you think he''ll do as you say, Miss."

    "He will. Unless he thought that Prince Ji Shu didn''t have any power, he''ll not even think of running away," Wei Xiao Hua replied with a smile.

    Lou nodded in understanding. The other man that Lou called was back in his hiding place and Wei Xiao Hua walked to the window. She could see a faint black silhouette making his way in the darkness.

    Suddenly, there was a dull thud sound.

    "What''s that?" Wei Xiao Hua asked with a frown.

    "I''ll check."

    Lou disappeared and reappeared quickly. He looked at Wei Xiao Hua. "There was someone who shot him down. Zheng Guo is dead."

    "He died?" Wei Xiao Hua used stunned expression. She shook her head lightly. "Probably there''s someone else who''s watching him. Let it be. Tomorrow will be quite hectic."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Wei Xiao Hua had already calmed down by the time she went to bed. Someone watching? Obviously it was Wei Liuying. The only person in this residence who could possibly kill the assassin with an arrow would be Wei Liuying, who had learned a bit of martial arts.

    The book mentioned this when it was near Wei Liuying''s bitter end arc, so she knew.

    She was not worried. When Wei Hong returned back tomorrow, Wei Liuying would never have a chance to get out and will walk on her own two legs to her doom.

    ¡­

    Shrouded in the darkness, Wei Liuying was still sitting on the tree. Her black eyes looked at the dead assassin on the ground not far from Wei Zilin''s quarter. Their quarter was placed so that it was in sequence with their age. Because of that, if the assassin wished to head to Wei Liuying''s quarter, he had to pass by Wei Zilin''s quarter.

    Wei Liuying raised her head. "Even if I did nothing, my existence alone is a hindrance, huh?"

 Chapter 109 - Even After All These Years, You Donâ€™t Know?

    Wei Liuying''s expression was calm. Even though she knew the truth, she never let it go to her head. Many people have already told her over and over that it would be better for her to die miserably. However, she never even once cared about that. She didn''t want to let other people''s words to enter her head and possibly control her feeling.

    Even if they hated her for being born, it was never her decision to be born in this family and everything.

    She had to live with what was given to her.

    "Trying to kill two birds with one stone, aren''t you? But I can''t let you do that," Wei Liuying murmured.

    She didn''t want to put herself in difficult situation with the assassin. Even if he was not tasked to kill her, it would be to r*pe her. After all, it was not that hard to guess what was in Wei Zilin''s foolish brain.

    Wei Liuying waited for a few more breaths time before she returned back to her room to have some rest. Even though she didn''t really want to have any rest, she knew that she had to rest because tomorrow, another big drama would start with Wei Zilin and also her decision to sell Xiao Qing.

    It had turned into a complete mess.

    ¡­

    The night passed quietly.

    There was no other incident aside from the one where Wei Zilin foolishly hire an assassin to kill Wei Xiao Hua. Wei Liuying woke up early in the morning and asked Xiao Yu to prepare food as usual. At this time, Xiao Yu was trying her best to please Wei Liuying no matter what the cost.

    "Xiao Yu, has Father returned?"

    "Yes. When this servant walked out to fetch the basin, the servants said that Master had returned."

    "I see," Wei Liuying remarked calmly.

    Xiao Yu looked at Wei Xiao Hua with worried expression. She still couldn''t read Wei Liuying''s expression. There was an indifferent expression on Wei Liuying that seemed to be capable of freezing one''s heart. It was hard to guess what was inside the hard exterior that Wei Liuying had placed to protect herself.

    "Miss."

    Wei Liuying glanced up, her black eyes perfectly reflected Xiao Yu''s figure. "What is it?"

    "Are you¡­ are you angry?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t immediately reply. She was looking at Xiao Yu with her cold and indifferent gaze. There was an air that seemed to be telling her that she should never get close to her.

    The silent was suffocating.

    Xiao Yu could feel her back drenched in sweat, yet she didn''t know what she was supposed to do. She felt as if whatever she said might bring her to her end. Her fingers were clasped in a fist as it was hidden behind her long sleeve as perspiration began to form even though it was not that hot.

    "Xiao Yu."

    "Yes, Miss?"

    "Even after all these years, you don''t know?"

    Wei Liuying''s question sound like a knife slicing the already frozen area. Everything was destroyed instantly with no chance to recover.

    Raising her head, Xiao Yu could see Wei Liuying??s cold expression.

    There was no second chance.

    That was what Wei Liuying''s expression said. Wait, no. It was not second chance, but third chance. Back when the incident that involved Prince Ji Shu started, Xiao Yu had sensed a faint coldness from Wei Liuying. At first, she thought that it was directed at Prince Ji Shu and Wei Xiao Hua.

    But thinking about it now, Wei Liuying was adept at hiding her emotion and feelings. There was no way she would want to vent her anger on the wrong person like that. The coldness was truly directed at Xiao Yu.

    This realization made Xiao Yu''s face turned pale.

    "Miss¡­"

    "You can leave."

    "This servant understands, Miss."

    Xiao Yu walked out of the room. By the time she got out of the room, she could feel her cheek wet. It was unknown since when but tears rolled down on her cheek and dripped to her clothes.

    At this time, she clearly felt it.

    She had lost something and could never retrieve it back in the future.

    It was gone forever.

    With that thought, the tears streamed out like a waterfall and Xiao Yu scurried away to wipe it all off. She should never show this appearance to anyone.

    Inside the room, Wei Liuying checked the tea in her hand with the needle. After that one failed attempt, there was no one who tried to poison her anymore. However, Wei Liuying still took out the meat buns that she kept and ate it. Even though it was no longer as good as before because she had kept it overnight, it could be eaten.

    She changed her clothes on her own and did her hair. The long hair made it difficult for her to arrange it, so she took some time before she could finally finish doing the task. Looking at her simple appearance, Wei Liuying was satisfied. It was pretty good, though it could not be compared to when Xiao Yu did her hair.

    Knock! Knock!

    "Miss, there''s a servant coming. Master is looking for you."

    "I''ll be there soon."

    Wei Liuying looked at her own expression in the bronze mirror. There was faint coldness within her eyes. Calming herself down, Wei Liuying closed her eyes for a moment and by the time she opened it once more, there was no longer any trace of coldness or whatsoever inside her eyes.

    She was back to her tranquil self.

    Without asking for Xiao Yu to accompany her, Wei Liuying made her way to the main hall. She could see that the servants were already in uproar because of the strange man who died not far from Wei Zilin''s residence. Since it was perfectly in the middle, they could only suspect Wei Zilin.

    Of course, Wei Zilin blatantly blurted out that she didn''t know anything.

    When Wei Liuying arrived in the main hall, they were precisely talking about this matter.

    "Zilin, did you call a man to the residence late at night?"

    "Father, you have to believe me! I didn''t know anything about that!" Wei Zilin tried to salvage the situation. Dressed in pink brocade dress, she looked as enchanting as ever. But the worried expression on her face made it look like she was about to attend a war rather than leisurely spent her day.

    Wei Hong was sitting in his place with his three concubines on the side. Wei Xiao Hua was sitting not far from him, watching everything with interest. She perfectly adopted the stance of a bystander who knew nothing and only there for the good show.

    "Zilin, tell me the truth," Wei Hong said once more. His face was clearly showing his tiredness, but his family at home was not making things any better. He was only leaving for a day but there were already two large incidents from his daughter and another one from his concubines.

    How could one not be tired when they have to face these?

    He was thoroughly fed up with their drama.

    Wei Zilin started to cry. "But I''m telling the truth, Father. I truly didn''t know anything about him!"

    "Please listen to her," Concubine Chou said in trepidation. "The man was dressed in assassin''s clothes, so wouldn''t it mean that he''s an assassin sent to kill someone in this residence."

    Wei Hong frowned and glanced to the servant.

    "Replying to Master, the man was indeed in assassin''s clothing. He died because of an arrow straight to his heart."

    "Can you recognize the arrow?"

    "It''s a common arrow based on the materials."

    They would normally use the same type of wood to make the arrow and might be able to trace it back to the first owner. However, it wouldn''t be always possible to do this because not everyone used special type of arrow.

    Wei Hong rubbed his forehead and waved his hand, "Xiao Hua, is it possible that the one who killed the assassin is someone sent by His Highness, Prince Ji Shu?"

    "Really?" Wei Xiao Hua acted clueless. Internally, she knew very well that it was impossible for the one to kill the assassin to be Prince Ji Shu''s men. The novel also had similar accident like this but the stingy author didn''t reveal who the person who shot the arrow was.

    When she first read the novel, she thought that it was someone from Prince Ji Shu''s side like other readers. But after experiencing it for herself, she knew for sure that it couldn''t be him. After all, they would be disrespecting the order given from her to them by killing the assassin.

    Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes narrowed. She needed to investigate this.

    "Yes. I can''t think of any other reason as to why the assassin died so suddenly," Wei Hong replied.

    Hearing that, Wei Xiao Hua simply smiled. She neither agreed to her father''s statement nor try to correct it. "Since Father said so, it must be that way."

 Chapter 110 - Since Youâ€™re So Eager To Walk To Your Deathâ€™s Door, Iâ€™ll Watch From The Side (1)

    Hearing that, Wei Xiao Hua simply smiled. She neither agreed to her father''s statement nor try to correct it. "Since Father said so, it must be that way."

    Wei Hong nodded in satisfaction. He couldn''t think of any other person who could possibly infiltrate into his residence without other people knowing. Though, the thought that there was Prince Ji Shu''s people surveying him didn''t make him feel so pleasant.

    "But, why would an assassin try to assassinate Zilin and His Highness the Fourth Prince would have his men protecting her?"

    "It must be because he''s interested in her."

    That one sentence caused two completely different reactions. Even in the midst of pressure, there was a light within Wei Zilin''s eyes as if she had just realized a very important pieces of information. She knew that if she could gain Prince Ji Shu''s affection, she would be like a phoenix reborn from ashes!

    Her fingers clenched into a first beneath her sleeves as her head was lowered even deeper.

    On the other hand, Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes flashed with coldness. Whoever dared to try taking her man from her would be facing her first. There would be no way she would possibly give them any chance to get close to Prince Ji Shu at all.

    She sneered internally and replied, "You must be joking, Concubine Xie. The assassin might have been passing by Second Sister''s Residence."

    "An assassin passing by your residence?" Wei Hong sighed. He turned his head to look at Wei Xiao Hua. The only person in this residence who was worth to have an assassin coming personally would be Wei Xiao Hua, who''s Prince Ji Shu''s fianc¨¦e.

    Wei Xiao Hua seemed to understand what Wei Hong was implying. She put on a worried expression. "Father, are you telling me that the assassin is aiming for my life?"

    "It''s possible," Wei Hong replied.

    "Father, I''m worried.

    Wei Hong sighed. "I''ll send more people to protect you."

    "Thank you, Father. With your words, now I''m less worried," Wei Xiao Hua said with a bright smile.

    In the hall, Wei Zilin was still kneeling. Her fingers were clasped into a fist as her eyes reddened. Why? Why is it so easy for Wei Xiao Hua to get in Wei Hong''s good side now? Why is it not her?

    Wei Zilin was thoroughly annoyed.

    She truly wanted to be the one receiving all attention from all ends, but what she hoped never came. Everyone''s attention shifted from her to Wei Xiao Hua. It was all started with Wei Xiao Hua''s change on that day.

    "Also Xiao Hua, is it possible for me to have a talk with His Highness the Fourth Prince later?" Wei Hong asked slowly. He could try to talk with Prince Ji Shu at the court, but it would surely attract attention. Not to mention, the topic he wanted to talk with the prince was a private matter.

    Wei Xiao Hua''s worried expression dropped a bit, but she was still keeping her fa?ade. She lightly nodded her head. "I''ll try to ask His Highness the Fourth Prince later, Father."

    "Good girl."

    Despite being praised, there was not even a hint of happiness within Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes. From the very start, she knew that this father of hers in this world was a swallow man that could easily get swayed with words and beauty.

    She''s only using her father just like he used her to get close to Prince Ji Shu.

    Wei Hong looked at Wei Zilin. This second daughter of his, who used to be the apple of his eyes didn''t look so pleasant to the eyes anymore. After seeing how useful Wei Xiao Hua was and how filial that girl was, Wei Hong was fonder of Wei Xiao Hua compared to Wei Zilin.

    However, he still softened his tone when he recalled that Wei Zilin is the daughter of the woman he loved. "Do you know anything about this matter?"

    "I don''t know, Father."

    "In that case, you may go." Wei Hong chose to end the matter here. He turned his head to the side. "Investigate what happened last night and find out where the arrow came from."

    "Yes, Master!"

    Wei Zilin bowed down and scurried away. She was thoroughly annoyed. Her carefully crafted plan was now useless because of all the protection Wei Xiao Hua had. She vowed inside her heart that someday, she would be the one who received all of those attentions.

    Wei Hong shifted his attention from Wei Zilin to Wei Liuying. He looked at his third daughter with a cold expression. "Liuying, do you know what you do wrong?"

    "I don''t know, Father," Wei Liuying replied and bowed down.

    "Do you know what people are talking about when they talked about you? They''re talking about what you do with that servant. Do you think that a servant''s life worth so much to the point you have to be the one to sell her?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t glance up and her voice remained tranquil. "I believe that this is the best method. Since Xiao Qing has been with me for a long time, I want to be the one to see her new owner."

    "You¡­" Wei Hong pointed his finger but found no words to say. He was exhausted after a long day in the court because the Emperor was furious as there are some of his people who stepped on the line. He made all officials stayed behind while he accounted everything for several people.

    Many would be sentenced to a death sentence tomorrow.

    He was lucky enough to escape by a hair breath. His body was tense from the long interrogation that the Emperor held in the palace. Thankfully, the Fourth Prince helped to cover him up covertly.

    There were some hidden schemes deep in the palace and the eunuch could be bribed, so Wei Hong was not punished badly since the eunuch helped him to put on some good words. In addition, there was no direct evidence that led to his participation. The Emperor had no other choice but to release him.

    Since Wei Lu was involved and caught by the guards, Wei Hong had been in dilemma. He was happy that it was his brother who got into trouble but at the same time, he was worried that he would get involved. Fortunately, he was not targeted this time.

    It was so tiring.

    He waved his hand. "A noble lady should never get involved in those matters. Feng Chun, what can you say from here."

    Feng Chun was in the hall too. She looked at Wei Hong with wronged expression. "I can''t do anything to this rebellious girl. She''s always so willful on her own."

    "You''re her mother but you can''t control her?" Concubine Chou asked with a scorn.

    "She has grown up, so it''s not possible for me to be the one to control her forever," Feng Chun gave her reason.

    Concubine Chou scowled, but she didn''t say anything anymore. Who didn''t know that Feng Chun deliberately favored her son and ignored her daughter? Besides, the two children were equally stupid and useless. Rather than taking care of a daughter who didn''t have a future, it would be better to pour her attention to the son who might be able to be big as long as he improved.

    Concubine Xie sighed. "The children have grown up, but they have to listen to their parents too because it''s filial piety."

    "Sister Xie is correct."

    Wei Liuying kept her silent. She knew that the sentence meant that she was too rebellious and didn''t have any filial piety. Lowering her head, there was faint coldness within her eyes. She had been trying, trying for her entire life so far to do what her parents wanted her to do in order to survive.

    But what she got in the end was nothing more but scorn and pity.

    Wei Hong looked at Wei Liuying. His eyes looked like he had long given up on her. "You should learn from your sisters. They listen from the elders and do their work properly."

    "Yes, Father."

    "You¡­ forget it." Wei Hong sighed. Towards his third daughter, he didn''t know what kind of stance he should make. "Go to the hut and stay there until tomorrow."

    "Yes, Father."

    Wei Liuying bowed down and planned to go. However, Wei Xiao Hua spoke out at this time to Wei Hong. "Father, I heard that there''s a cleaning in the palace. Is that true?"

    "Yes." It was not a secret because everything will be revealed tomorrow. Wei Hong didn''t think it would be necessary for him to worry about any deviation of the plan by telling his family members. "There are several people who will be executed because of treason and also corruption."

    Wei Xiao Hua put on an astonished face. "I''m glad that nothing happened to you, Father."

    Wei Hong smiled. "Of course not. However, my brother is involved in a corruption case. Tomorrow, he''ll be executed along with other officials."

 Chapter 111 - Since Youâ€™re So Eager To Walk To Your Deathâ€™s Door, Iâ€™ll Watch From The Side (2)

    Wei Xiao Hua put on an astonished face. "I''m glad that nothing happened to you, Father."

    Wei Hong smiled. "Of course not. However, my brother is involved in a corruption case. Tomorrow, he''ll be executed along with other officials."

    "Uncle Wei Lu?" Wei Xiao Hua asked in astonishment.

    "Yes. He''s too greedy and begin to make his move too early. There''s a report about him from other officials, so he can''t get out," Wei Hong replied. Recalling the scene in the palace, he felt glad that he was able to get out before the situation turned worse. If he stayed there any longer, he believed that he would never be able to get out safely.

    He was thoroughly glad that he was not close with his younger brother or it would be messy.

    "Executed?" Wei Xiao Hua asked again.

    Wei Hong nodded. "Yes. His Majesty is decisive and ruthless in his decision, so he will not let anyone stay alive this time."

    In truth, the cleaning this time was because Prince Ji Shu or Prince Ji Tian revealed some of the plans that Prince Ji Shao Yang had made. It was revolving his meetings with some officials and also the plan that the second prince made to strengthen his factions. There were also some other corruption cases that was brought up.

    With the two princes collaborating together attacking one prince, it was certain that things wouldn''t go well with Prince Ji Shao Yang. The best result the second prince could get from this incident would be his faction was severely weakened due to the action of the two princes.

    "I see."

    While Wei Xiao Hua was only listening, Wei Liuying could feel her heart dropped to the bottom abyss. She was planning to escape and reunited with her uncle tonight. However, it seemed that things would not go according to her wishes.

    Her uncle had offended the Emperor.

    He had fallen to the trap set by the other princes who were aiming for the throne.

    As the person who was sitting at the top with everyone trying to fawn, his word meant the law. Those who offended the Emperor will never have a good end. It was a fact known by everyone that no one would be able to escape from his wrath if he had already made the decision.

    "Since you''re unwell, shall I make your favorite soup?" Feng Chun asked in flirtatious yet concerned tone.

    Concubine Xie looked at the two and shook her head. "Husband, it''ll be better for you to rest rather."

    "I''ll eat then rest," Wei Hong said happily. Having his two wives cared for him certainly made him felt good.

    Wei Xiao Hua tried her best to hide her expression and just watched her father. As someone from modern time, she thoroughly hated the polygamy system of this world. However, she couldn''t possibly utter it out nor change it.

    There was reason why things ended up this way.

    While they were still chatting, Wei Liuying made her way to the hut slowly. Her body was rigid, yet she still acted as if she didn''t know anything. All that she heard just now was simply a piece of news that was supposed to be unrelated to her.

    Wei Xiao Hua looked in Wei Liuying''s direction with a faint smile hung on the corner of her lips. Even though other people didn''t know, it was apparent that Wei Liuying and Wei Lu cared for each other. The novel had mentioned that Wei Lu was basically the only one who treated Wei Liuying well.

    Now that Wei Lu was in trouble, would Wei Liuying stay silent?

    The answer is obviously no.

    The original novel mentioned that Wei Xiao Hua did this to put Wei Liuying into despair. Unbeknownst to her, Wei Liuying was also a capable martial artist who knew how to escape from the residence. But instead of escaping far away, she headed to the prison and helped Wei Lu to escape.

    The result:

    Wei Liuying will be dead.

    It was not the original Wei Xiao Hua''s intention, but the current Wei Xiao Hua didn''t have any intention to change this event.

    ''Since you''re so eager to walk to your death''s door, I''ll watch from the side. There''s no use stopping her. In the first place, why should she stop someone who''s so willing to walk on the path to her grave?''

    In fact, Wei Xiao Hua was eager to eliminate the first chess piece of this long game. She always felt danger whenever Wei Liuying was in front of her. It was as if that this was one of the biggest enemy that the original Wei Xiao Hua faced in the real novel.

    The path for Wei Xiao Hua''s happiness was still filled with thorns as Wei Zilin and the others were standing on her way. However, she didn''t care in the slightest bit because they were all easier to handle than Wei Liuying.

    After coming here, she still could read Wei Hong and some other people. Even without the novel''s knowledge, her reaction was still proper because it was not that hard to read past through their fa?ade.

    But some people were different.

    It was so hard for her to read through them that if she didn''t have the novel''s knowledge, it would be practically impossible. And Wei Liuying was at the top of the list as of now. There might be more people in the future, but Wei Xiao Hua didn''t know about that for sure.

    "Xiao Hua, why are you smiling?" Concubine Chou was the first to nitpick the changes in Wei Xiao Hua''s expression.

    Wei Xiao Hua looked up and smiled again. "I''m happy that Father didn''t get involved. It means His Majesty trusts Father and know that Father will not do wrong."

    Wei Hong smiled when he heard what Wei Xiao Hua said. He felt that his daughter understands him the best compared to the concubines that he had. However, he didn''t let the thought lingered in his head for long.

    "Now that the matter is finished, I hope you all can get along well."

    "Yes."

    "Everyone is dismissed."

    "Yes."

    Wei Xiao Hua stood up and walked back to her residence with a smile still hung on her lips. Right now, she looked like a demoness rather than the demure young lady from Wei Family.

    ¡­

    In the hut, Wei Liuying sat on top of the hay quietly. She noticed that Wei Xiao Hua glanced in her direction for a split second. That might be done unconsciously, but she understood that Wei Xiao Hua was trying to tell her that she did this on purpose. The question asked to Wei Hong was simply something that she intended for her to hear.

    "So the first target you wish to eliminate is me, huh?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t think that it was strange. Even though Wei Hong didn''t find anything amiss from her, Wei Xiao Hua still looked at her with vigilance. The hatred and anger from Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes was often directed to her. It gave her a feeling that Wei Xiao Hua could see through her completely.

    It seemed that, Wei Xiao Hua deemed her to be the most dangerous person in this residence. Thanks to that, the first person that Wei Xiao Hua wished to eliminate turned out to be Wei Liuying.

    ''If you wish to control Wei Family Residence, you need to eliminate strong opponents first. Wei Xiao Hua, you''re a very capable woman to be able to turn everything in your favor in mere three months.''

    Wei Liuying stood up and walked to the nearest window. Her eyes were looking at the guards who were standing guard outside. It would be the time for breakfast for them soon, so they would change shift.

    ''As you wish, I''ll disappear from this residence. Feel free to wreak havoc and turn everything upside down. I''ll not stop you at all.''

    For Wei Liuying, nothing in this residence worth anything for her anymore.

    The only one whom she truly cared about was only Xiao Qing, and she had already left the residence.

    The rest didn''t matter to her anymore.

    But once she left, Wei Liuying knew that Wei Family Residence would become a bloodbath with a lot of people losing their lives. From the moment they chose to come into this residence and follow Feng Chun''s order, Wei Liuying knew that they would never be let alive.

    ''I can''t save everyone,'' Wei Liuying said slowly. Her eyes were staring at the ceiling.

    Those servants, who were sent to monitor and watched her all the time, would surely die when the news of Wei Liuying''s disappearance reached her mother and brother. They would never want to leave any trace behind.

    ''But I was never a good person in the first place.''

    Sitting on top of the hay, Wei Liuying looked at the door. Once the guards moved, she would start her plan. Even though Wei Xiao Hua had thoroughly destroyed the plan that she originally had and planned to implement in just a few days, she didn''t care anymore.

    Right now, she just wanted to leave.

 Chapter 112 - Escape

    ''But I was never a good person in the first place.''

    Sitting on top of the hay, Wei Liuying looked at the door. Once the guards moved, she would start her plan. Even though Wei Xiao Hua had thoroughly destroyed the plan that she originally had and planned to implement in just a few days, she didn''t care anymore.

    Right now, she just wanted to leave.

    Finally, the guards moved from their place.

    Wei Liuying waited patiently until they disappeared from their position and sneaked out from the window. The frame was not firm, so with a shake, it could be moved. After all, the hut was already quite old and a lot of people have been using this room without repairing it.

    After placing the frame back, Wei Liuying sneaked back to her own residence. There were several servants on the way as they were busy. It seemed that her father was preparing for something or someone coming.

    ''Is there any important person coming to the residence?''

    Aside from the Fourth Prince, Prince Ji Shu, Wei Liuying truly couldn''t think of anyone who would come here. Not that she cared, though.

    "Hey, move faster."

    "Ah, yes!"

    Wei Liuying stopped midway when she saw a few servants coming out of the kitchen. They were preparing a lot of food as if there was a feast. However, Wei Liuying knew that it might be for her father to secretly celebrate the fact that he was free of the suspicion from the Emperor.

    ''His brother is still in the prison, about to be executed in a few more hours, yet he''s already busy celebrating.''

    There was never the word family in this residence. Everything was only based on their personal gain and losses. As long as they could get something, they would willingly do something that they might not usually do.

    Hidden behind the lush tree in the spacious garden, Wei Liuying patiently waited. She might be impatient to leave, but she knew that rush made haste. No matter how urgent the matter was, she needed to stay calm and analyzed the situation.

    If she got caught, it might be the end of everything.

    "First Miss!"

    Hearing the call, Wei Liuying looked into a distance and saw Wei Xiao Hua walked out of the main hall. Still dressed in brand new dress and wearing several jewelries, she truly looked like a princess in this small place.

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at the servant. "What is it?"

    "There''s no more meat for the feast, First Miss. Master asks for us to prepare several dishes but the main material is already used up."

    "Go and buy more." Taking out a liang of silver, Wei Xiao Hua handed it to the servant. "Remember to take note of what you purchased and show it to me later."

    "Y¡­.Yes, First Miss!"

    As the servant scurried away, Wei Xiao Hua walked into the main hall once more. She was going to act as the filial daughter who served her father. The other concubines were still inside as they were also busy trying accompanying Wei Hong.

    Wei Liuying stayed still in her place and glanced to the tree not far from the main hall. For a moment, she could sense watchful eyes coming from that place.

    ''Is it Lou? Or someone else?''

    Prince Ji Shu had several trusted attendants and one of them was named Lou. All of the princes have their own guards, attendants, and even servants that took care of them ever since they were young. Some of them were picked by the Emperor or other Imperial Family members but some others were picked by themselves.

    When they were the one who picked their own servants, they were usually more loyal.

    Lou was included among those whom Prince Ji Shu personally picked in the past. Wei Liuying had heard about this from the servants talking a bit, but she didn''t know the exact detail.

    ''Being able to have Prince Ji Shu''s trusted servant to watch over her, she has truly changed.''

    In the past, Prince Ji Shu couldn''t even stand staying on the same place with Wei Xiao Hua more than several breaths of time. But now, even several incense sticks of time didn''t seem to be enough at all.

    Wei Liuying didn''t know what made Wei Xiao Hua changed or what kind of thing her first sister was thinking. She also didn''t have time for that right now. Focusing her attention to the shadow within the tree, she waited until the unease feeling was gone before she rushed to the direction of her own residence.

    There were more Prince Ji Shu''s men lately, and she had to be careful if she didn''t want them to catch her. Many of them have higher martial arts than her since Wei Liuying''s martial arts were not that high to begin with.

    She couldn''t sense everyone.

    As Wei Liuying arrived near her residence, she could see that there were several people who were hiding in the darkness near her residence. Her eyes flashed with cold glint.

    ''So you also intend to watch over my place?''

    If only she was not trying to stay quiet, Wei Liuying would have let out a hollow laugh at this scene. She understood very well that whether it was her father, mother, or her First Sister, everyone was going against her.

    They wanted to put her under their shackles and never allowed her to roam freely.

    Attacking her servants¡­

    Then to the person whom she cared the most and also a thorn in her father''s eyes, wasn''t it the same as catching two preys with one stone?

    ''The longer I stay here, the more impossible it is for me to leave.''

    When her father grew in power, it was not impossible for him to retrain more guards and watched over Wei Liuying''s residence. If her mother also wished for her to stay inside her residence all the time, Wei Liuying knew that it would be impossible for her to leave.

    Today might be the very last chance for her to leave.

    ''Goodbye, Wei Family Residence.''

    Wei Liuying decisively abandoned the thought of going back to her residence. Even though she still wanted some of her books, it would be better to just abandon them rather than risking getting caught. She had more important matters to do right now.

    With swift movement, Wei Liuying headed to the garden. Looking around, Wei Liuying made sure that there was no one around and leapt out of the residence using the wall. It was easy for her to jump over the not so high wall and headed out. Landing on the alleyway, Wei Liuying swiftly made her way to the location of the bookstore.

    She didn''t even want to turn around anymore.

    It didn''t take long for her to arrive by the bookstore where there was barely anyone. After all, it was still very early.

    Wei Liuying bypassed the shopkeeper and walked up to the third floor. When she saw that Manager Xin was not in, she walked to the second door. The door headed to a completely different room where Manager Xin usually stayed. He disliked getting disturbed, but Wei Liuying didn''t have any other choice right now.

    "Yes? Who is it?" Manager Xin''s annoyed voice could be heard.

    "It''s Wei Liuying."

    "Liuying?" Manager Xin was stunned. He hurriedly walked to the door and opened it abruptly. Looking at the messily dressed young lady in front of her, he had a foreboding feeling that something happened.

    "What¡­ what are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be in your residence and only attempt your escape tonight?"

    "That''s the original plan," Wei Liuying replied. "But I need to go to the prison one way or another."

    "PRISON?"

    "My uncle is sentenced to a death sentence."

    Manager Xin felt that his brain was fried early in the morning. He looked at Wei Liuying with suspicious gaze. "Don''t tell me that you intend to make a break from the prison and release your uncle?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t reply and merely looked at Manager Xin. The determination within her eyes were clear to see, but Manager Xin felt that he had just met with the most foolish Wei Liuying in his entire life.

    "You¡­ Rather than making an attempt to breach the prison, shouldn''t you try to find a way to plead to the Emperor?"

    "With my current position, status, and identity, do you think it''s possible for me to meet with the Emperor even if I find the proof that it''s not my uncle who did it?" Wei Liuying asked with a cold tone.

    "You can ask for help!"

    "Who will dare to offend His Highness the First Prince and His Highness the Fourth Prince?"

    Manager Xin was stunned. He looked at Wei Liuying with bewilderment, but the gaze that the young girl showed clearly told him that she knew what happened behind the scene. The information she got was limited, but that was already enough to tell her many things that she was supposed to not know.

    "What are you talking about?"

 Chapter 113 - The Plan

    Manager Xin was stunned. He looked at Wei Liuying with bewilderment, but the gaze that the young girl showed clearly told him that she knew what happened behind the scene. The information she got was limited, but that was already enough to tell her many things that she was supposed to not know.

    "What are you talking about?"

    "My uncle told me that he had to make his move secretly. There are four princes who are eligible to the throne. Those who support the crown prince can act more openly, but my uncle clearly didn''t wish anyone to know. It meant that the one he supported should be either the other three princes.

    Uncle also in bad relationship with my father, which meant that it was not the fourth prince. There are only two options left and I''m not sure which one. However, I know that the one who will benefit the most from having him killed would be the two princes. Hence, I could guess that the one behind the scene must be either one of the two."

    Wei Liuying said everything calmly. It was as if he was merely speaking of the weather and not something heavy such as the next emperor of Han Shi Kingdom. Her voice was filled with certainty as she was merely saying a fact and not what her own speculation based on her analysis.

    Manager Xin looked straight at Wei Liuying and closed his eyes. "So you knew."

    He never thought that despite staying behind the scene and only received bits and pieces of information, Wei Liuying would still be able to make the connection. Just how her brain worked was truly a big mystery.

    "A bit," Wei Liuying replied.

    Manager Xin sighed. "The situation of the court is complicated. There are several parties got involved during the purge yesterday. I didn''t know the detail yet as Prince Ji Sheng wouldn''t be able to get out so easily."

    "He''s monitored?"

    "Yes."

    "How about Strategist Yang and Shi Yan?"

    "Strategist Yang naturally stays with Prince Ji Sheng. They still have to concoct a plan to make sure the northern border is safe because of the recent attack. As for Shi Yan, he''s currently negotiating some terms. You don''t have to worry about your request because he had already arranged people to do it."

    "That''s good," Wei Liuying replied.

    Manager Xin watched Wei Liuying''s expression. He glanced out and sighed. "This is still early in the morning. You could try other plans that you can think of in this short period of time."

    Wei Liuying looked at Manager Xin and closed her eyes for a moment. The plan that she concocted was indeed for the most desperate. Right now, she still had the time if she wanted to try other methods to safe her uncle.

    Think¡­

    There must be another way out for her uncle.

    "Prepare a scholar robe for me."

    "Right now?"

    "I believe you have a lot of scholar robes, right?" Wei Liuying asked back. "Let me borrow one."

    Manager Xin used to be a scholar, so it was not that weird if he had more than necessary. The only problem was the fact that the size was not as small as Wei Liuying''s body. After all, Wei Liuying still looked like a child no matter which direction he chose to look at her.

    "This¡­."

    "It''s fine if it''s a bit too big," Wei Liuying said as she seemed to notice the uneasiness within Manager Xin''s eyes.

    Manager Xin sighed. "I have one that''s a bit too big. However, it shouldn''t look too improper for you."

    "That''s great."

    "Please wait for a moment, Miss."

    Wei Liuying stayed still on her place and looked around her with serene expression. This would be the very first time she made her own big move. All this time, she always tried to limit the scheme that she planned to be within Wei Family Household. She would be able to limit the effect that way and calculated the consequences carefully.

    But this time, she couldn''t care less.

    Even if this decision of hers would affect the entirety of Han Shi Kingdom''s face, she didn''t want to lose her uncle. He was the only person who ever showed her warmth among her family and still tried to help her out despite the limitation.

    Even her father and mother never cared for her like what he did.

    It didn''t take long before Manager Xin prepared the necessary robes for Wei Liuying. She simply draped the clothes over her own clothes. That way, the clothes didn''t look that much too big for her. However, it was inevitable that she looked a bit plumper compared to before.

    "Is there any hairpin for men?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "I have, but your hair¡­"

    "It''s not that long."

    Wei Liuying maintained it at moderate height that was between the height for most men and women. After she took off the decoration on her head, she switched it to a simple bun and inserted the hairpin. This made her look perfectly like a young scholar who had just studied in the academy.

    Manager Xin narrowed his eyes. He had visited the academy and felt that Wei Liuying looked like someone there. However, he couldn''t recall anyone who had the look the same as her.

    "Let''s go to the law enforcement building and try to ask them to work," Wei Liuying said with a soft tone.

    "This¡­ Are you sure that they''re going to respond to your answer?"

    "Would they be unwilling to answer Wei Hong Zheng, the future commander from Wei Family?" Wei Liuying''s gaze sharpened. Right now, she no longer carried the submissive attitude that usual young girl would have. Rather, what she had was the vigor of a young man who wanted to seek for justice.

    Wei Hong Zheng?

    It was then Manager Xin recalled that Wei Liuying had a younger brother that looked like her. Scrutinizing her appearance, Manager Xin came to a terrifying conclusion. Even with the age gap of nearly a year, the two siblings were extremely similar to one another.

    It was as if they were twins.

    And based on the way Wei Liuying dressed herself so quickly, he could guess that this was not the first time. He was not sure how many times Wei Liuying had to act as Wei Hong Zheng in Wei Family Household. For sure, this was not the first time.

    ''What a rotten residence.''

    That was the only thing that Manager Xin could think. Forcing a young girl to impersonate their young master, what in the world they were thinking about? He couldn''t help but think that she must be living so miserably all these years.

    Unfortunately, he couldn''t ask them the reason directly.

    Asking Wei Liuying herself would be impossible too as she would be unwilling to answer about the affair in her own home. She was not the type to talk and gossip around about some matters that was supposed to be hidden.

    "Are you sure about this, Liuying?"

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Even if they find out about this, my Mother will deny that it''s me. She''ll surely tell that it''s only someone who look similar to Wei Hong Zheng and try to make use of his identity."

    There was no way Feng Chun would ever want to reveal the fact that Wei Liuying used to be pretending to be Wei Hong Zheng. If she ever admitted that, it would be the end for her.

    Lying to the Emperor was a big crime.

    With Wei Liuying already acted as Wei Hong Zheng during the hunt, once the matter came out, it would affect her nevertheless. Besides, without Wei Liuying present in the residence, they would have to think of a story to cover it up.

    No matter whether Feng Chun and Wei Hong Zheng wanted it or not, they would have to cover up Wei Liuying''s next action.

    Manager Xin looked at Wei Liuying then shook his head lightly. "I''m glad that I''m not going against you, Liuying."

    "Did you say something, Manager Xin?" Wei Liuying turned her head around. She couldn''t quite hear what Manager Xin was saying because he was only whispering.

    "No, it''s nothing."

    Wei Liuying looked at Manager Xin once more but didn''t try to pry deeper. Her brain was thinking of various scenario that might take place when she came as Wei Hong Zheng to that place. It wouldn''t be easy at all.

    In silence, the two of them departed.

    The distance to the office was not that far. As Wei Liuying got closer, her heart sunk. There were already a lot of people over there, trying to ask for explanation from the officers there. Many of their family members were involved in the case.

    And they all sentenced to death sentence all of a sudden.

    How can these people accept this result right away?

    "Please officer, there''s no way that my husband can possibly be so corrupt. Please help us by investigating this matter again."

    "Yes, Officer. My father is a just and upright man. He will never try to use what doesn''t belong to him."

    "Please officer, just investigate this a bit more."

    "I beg you¡­"

 Chapter 114 - The Plan (2)

    "Please officer, just investigate this a bit more."

    "Please¡­."

    "Officer, we only have him as our¡­."

    The sight could easily cause heartache. There were so many officials were involved today and got sentenced. These family members could only find out through some connection that they made. But even then, the piece of news that they got only send them to further despair.

    Many of those officials were the backbone of their family.

    Without them, the condition of their houses would deteriorate. There was high possibility that they wouldn''t be able to live well anymore. Not only that, they might be thrown to the street once the death''s sentence was done and the status of their family was revoked.

    At that time, their living condition might be worse than servants. Some women might be able to return back home but those who were ''sold'' by their parents would have nowhere to go.

    Manager Xin was stupefied. He turned his head to look at Wei Liuying, but what he saw stunned him. She was looked at the crowd with her calm gaze. Her black eyes looked unperturbed despite having to see such a scene in front of her.

    He couldn''t guess what was inside her mind.

    "Please leave here, Young Master. As you can see, the situation is a big crowded," a high ranked servant said to Wei Liuying with an apologetic smile.

    Wei Liuying pointed to the crowd and put on curious expression. "This¡­ do you know what happened?"

    "Well¡­ Have you heard what happened yesterday? These are the family members of the officials who has been sentenced to death sentence," the servant explained. It wouldn''t be a secret again tomorrow, so there was no need for him to hide it.

    Wei Liuying had a thoughtful expression. She furrowed her brows. "May I know the case that they got themselves into."

    "Sigh¡­ it''s actually quite simple. They were all tasked to manage the salt trade in the East area. Who would expect that a lot of salt mysteriously disappear and many of these people have money more than their salary. Because of that, they were caught."

    Salt trade¡­

    Salt has long been known to be a precious commodity. Even Wei Liuying understood that it was a desirable job because of the money that they could receive easily. However, there was high chance for them to get bribed because of the large amount of money that they received.

    "Is it not possible to reinvestigate the matter again?" Wei Liuying asked curiously.

    The servant looked at Wei Liuying and sighed. "Even if we want to, it''s not possible at all, Young Master. The Emperor had decreed that all offender have to be executed tomorrow."

    Emperor had decreed.

    This one sentence crushed any hope that Wei Liuying had inside her heart. She thought that it was simply the order of some officials under the Emperor, but it turned out that the order came from the Emperor himself.

    It meant that there was no other way out.

    Wei Liuying closed her eyes, trying to calm herself and cupped her hand. "The Emperor must be very angry to make such decree so hastily. In that case, I won''t disturb you any longer."

    "Many thanks for your consideration, Young Master."

    With that, Wei Liuying walked out of the area with Manager following behind her. He also had thoughtful expression on his face when he looked in Wei Liuying''s direction.

    "Young Mi¡­ Master, what do you plan to do now?"

    "Let''s return back."

    The two of them made their way back to the bookstore using the back alley. This would prevent anyone from following them and possibly knew where they planned to go. Upon arriving in the bookstore, Wei Liuying looked at Manager Xin. "I have to use another method."

    Manager Xin was silent for a moment. "Are you sure about this? Once you choose to do this, you''ll be the same as betraying the entire kingdom?"

    "Is it?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    "They''re all already criminals and if you don''t follow the law, it means that you''re going against the law. It can be said that you''re betraying the kingdom," Manager Xin said in a slow tone.

    But then again, he could never convince Wei Liuying to not do it. Many people could place the safety of the entire nation above their family. But Wei Liuying was not included in that list. Why should she sacrifice her only family member who care for her because of some meaningless dispute for the throne?

    That was impossible.

    Besides, she had nothing to lose.

    As a concubine daughter whose fate was already sealed because of her bad reputation and her father who deemed her as nothing more than a trash, she didn''t really have anything that she cared for in this kingdom.

    What''s the difference between running away from her family and running away from the entire kingdom if that was the case?

    "There''s no other plans that I can think within my capabilities, Manager Xin," Wei Liuying replied after a while. Her action was always monitored, making it difficult for her to meet with other people. The only time she could be alone would be at night time, but she also needed to study a lot, so resting was also important.

    As the result, the only place she could ever visit was only this bookstore.

    Her mother allowed her to come here because she thought that Wei Liuying was only here to read other books. Even then, Wei Liuying rarely came here and often holed herself back in the residence. There was clearly no chance for her to make more connections.

    "How about asking His Highness the Third Prince for help?"

    "He had to clear the suspicion in his ends too, when will he had the time to help me?" Wei Liuying refused immediately. "There''s no need to worry about it, Manager Xin. I only wish that Shi Yan will be able to relay the message properly so that they will be able to make the chaos without getting captured."

    "There''s no need to worry. Shi Yan is clearly the best."

    Wei Liuying nodded. She was silent for a moment as she thought about many other things related to her plan. The way out of the capital city was already prepared ever since a long time ago. She had already thought about this in the past in case she wanted to get out of the capital city.

    The way was not that good, but it was the best option.

    "I need a horse."

    "I''ll prepare it. Where do you want it to be placed?" Manager Xin asked.

    Wei Liuying frowned. "Is there any map here?"

    "Yes."

    Manager Xin took out a map and unfurled it in front of Wei Liuying. The skin was coarse, but the painting on top of it was fairly clear. It was depicting the overall situation of the capital city.

    "Here." Wei Liuying pointed to the west area, outside the gate.

    "But that''s¡­"

    "Outside, I know. Prepare one horse."

    "One?" Manager Xin felt sweat covered his back when he heard what Wei Liuying asked. "If there''s only one, wouldn''t it mean that there will be only one people who will go?"

    "I''ll stay in the capital city," Wei Liuying replied. "Regardless it''s succeed or not, I''ll not leave the capital city."

    "Why?"

    "Because I have some matters that I need to settle here," Wei Liuying replied.

    "You¡­" Manager Xin wanted to persuade Wei Liuying to just leave this den of danger. Rather than staying here where there were so many people who wanted her dead, wouldn''t it be better if she left?

    He couldn''t understand what was inside her mind.

    Wei Liuying dropped her eyelids. "I don''t know if the money I have gathered before is enough or not, but I wish to purchase a store here after everything is finished."

    "A store?"

    "Yes."

    Manager Xin was thoroughly confused. "What kind of store, Miss?"

    "Restaurant or something like that," Wei Liuying replied. "But of course, I''ll also need the former employee to stay there as I don''t know how to manage a store properly."

    "I see¡­" Manager Xin knew some stores that was not doing too well lately. If they were handed to Wei Liuying, there might be some changes, but he was not entirely sure. Besides, she did say that she wouldn''t want to get involved directly.

    Aiya, why is it so difficult?

    "For now, can you help me find men clothing, along with bow and arrow?"

    "Sure, how about sword?"

    "I already have one."

    Manager Xin''s eyes widened at Wei Liuying''s statement. When he saw her procured a short sword from her outer robe, he laughed bitterly. If only Wei Liuying had used that sword before, he was sure that it would have been a blood bath in Wei Family Residence.

    Fortunately, Wei Liuying was not that stupid to attack those people in the residence.

    Well, he wondered which one was luckier, though. The guards who didn''t get killed or Wei Liuying who didn''t have to fight until the very end.

 Chapter 115 - Patiently Waiting For The Right Time

    Wei Liuying stayed in the room and waited until Manager Xin could prepare the clothes for her. It was standard black colored servant robe along with additional cloth to cover up her face and head. At the same time, Manager Xin also prepared some food for lunch.

    "Miss, what are you doing?" Manager Xin was stunned when he saw Wei Liuying wrote some words on the bamboo strips that he had there. It was originally empty because he rarely needed one.

    "I''m writing a message."

    "Message?"

    Wei Liuying put down the brush in her hand and looked at Manager Xin. "Give this to Strategist Yang when he comes. If I''m still alive, I''ll come to find him."

    If I''m still alive¡­

    The sentence only crushed Manager Xin''s heart, but he couldn''t say anything. He didn''t want Wei Liuying to take this risk, but there was no other option. If she chose to interfere during the execution day instead, it would be also disastrous because the number of guards couldn''t be handled with just one person.

    They needed more people and certainly, more preparation beforehand.

    But Wei Liuying had none.

    All she could do was to use this chance to make an attempt to free her uncle. As for whether he would be able to make his comeback again or not, it was very unlikely. Once he had become an outlaw, there was simply no other way out.

    "There''s still time to change your mind, Miss," Manager Xin said slowly. "Please consider your decision."

    "I can''t possibly do nothing when I see my family member is about to be executed, right?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    Manager Xin opened his mouth and closed it again. Wei Lu''s family members would be more than happy to see him executed. They would never care about whatever happened to him in the end. The only person who cared for him was only Wei Liuying aside from some of his old pals.

    But now that he was already sentenced to death sentence, why would anyone still come to stay with him?

    They would abandon him for their own safety.

    "Official Wei Lu¡­ is lucky to have a niece like you."

    "I''m also lucky to have a great uncle," Wei Liuying replied. Without Wei Lu, she didn''t know how many times she would have a fallout with her own family. Meeting him was the only time when she could be at peace and talked about many things that she could never talked with anyone.

    "Please have some rest first, Miss. When it''s dinner time, I''ll wake you up."

    "Thank you, Manager Xin."

    Manager Xin ordered his servant to prepare bow and arrow. At the same time, he sent another servant to deliver the bamboo strip after he had placed it on a small container. Yang Xian should be in Prince Ji Sheng''s residence, so they needed to wait until he came out before they could deliver the message.

    Any kind of letter or the likes that entered Ji Sheng''s residence would be heavily inspected. They couldn''t afford to do it.

    There was no need for them to worry about Wei Family Household. The punishment to stay in the storage room usually lasted until morning. Because of that, they wouldn''t realize that Wei Liuying disappeared until it was too late.

    Wei Liuying found it hard for her to sleep despite trying her hardest. Her brain continued to rotate at high speed, trying to figure out a way out of everything that occurred around her. it was hard for her to rest when she was trying to make sure that her plan could work inside her head.

    Many possibilities emerged and one by one, it was analyzed. Wei Liuying didn''t even purposely think, yet her brain kept on thinking about it. If she had to say, her brain seemed to have its own will and unwilling to cooperate.

    ''Calm down, Liuying.''

    After tossing herself around on the bed, Wei Liuying finally fell asleep. Unfortunately, it was not for long. It felt only a moment had passed when Manager Xin came over to wake her up, saying that the sky had darkened.

    "Please have some dinner first, Miss."

    "Thank you, Manager Xin."

    Manager Xin watched Wei Liuying from the side. He thought for a moment before he sighed in exasperation. "I wish you good luck, Miss Liuying. May the Heaven watch over you and keep you safe."

    Wei Liuying smiled. "Thank you for your help, Manager Xin."

    "I didn''t do anything."

    If only Manager Xin was not as old as he was right now, he would surely choose to tag along with Wei Liuying and helped out. Unfortunately, his martial arts were pretty low because he spent most of his time to study and worked as an official.

    There was nothing that he could do to help as he had retired and for this matter, he couldn''t dip his hand.

    The Emperor''s decision was truly final.

    "What you have done is more than enough, Manager Xin." Wei Liuying showed a small smile. He couldn''t interfere much due to his previous position and also views. However, just by allowing her to stay in his place and supported her silently, it was already much more than what she could ask for.

    Even her family didn''t want to lend her a hand but a stranger like Manager Xin was willing to help her out.

    "Thank you."

    "I hope that you still can write the next version of the story when you have time." Manager Xin cupped his hands.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flashed. It was an indirect message for her, telling her that she should stay alive and returned back. If she died, there was no way she would be able to continue writing the book.

    "I''ll try my best, Manager Xin. I''ll depart now."

    Taking the bow and arrow, Wei Liuying slipped away from the bookstore using the back door. With her current getup, she wouldn''t be able to roam around on the street without arousing suspiciousness. She didn''t want to attract any trouble, so she headed to the prison using the black street.

    The black street was just like the name. It was a dark place where law barely had any effect. Several people could be seen drunk on the street and walked without clear direction. There were several other people who were also roaming around while keeping their head low.

    Many people didn''t want to be recognized in this place.

    Wei Liuying was not an exception.

    ''It''s quite lively in the black street today. There might be some dealing.'' Wei Liuying thought to herself as she passed by the streets. Her eyes were watching the people there with wariness.

    If they dared to interfere in her business, she would not be polite either.

    There was also the patrol people who keep people in their residence. Past a certain time, no one was allowed to go out of their houses. It was the rule and restriction that was placed in this kingdom to maintain regulation and crime. However, the black street was often the exception because there were a lot of people who cared not for the law.

    And the guards often passed by this area because they already knew the people''s habit, and they have no intention to put themselves in problem.

    It took Wei Liuying some time roaming before she could see the prison. It was guarded by several guards who stood at the gate. Wei Liuying didn''t enter and merely climbed a nearby tree to watch over the surroundings.

    ''Patrol come every two incense stick time and they''ll change shift on the right side of the gate. This will prevent anyone from entering through the gate. As for the wall, it''s made high enough to make sure that no one can climb with it.''

    It was tricky, but Wei Liuying was calm.

    She was waiting for the right chance to make her move.

    Time trickled slowly.

    The sky darkened and the moon showed part of her face on the dark sky. The stars didn''t seem to be willing to appear as the clouds covered them perfectly. It was a cold night and many people were unwilling to get out.

    Not many people who were willing to get out at this point of time too since they would be breaking the rules. Except if they wished to be detained for breaking the law, no one would dare to step out of their houses.

    Only the guards have no other choice but to get out and did their work. Still, they were wearing thicker clothes because the night was cold.

    ''Wait.''

    Unbeknownst to them, Wei Liuying was silently lurking not far from the prison. She was preparing herself to make her move when the time has come. The cold wind passed by her body, yet Wei Liuying was like a statue that had no reaction no matter what the condition outside was.

    The night was quiet. There was no one who seemed to be creating any problem whatsoever.

    Suddenly, the quiet night was disturbed.

    Bang!

    "FIRE!"

 Chapter 116 - Why Did You Come?

    The shout from outside the gate startled them. The prison was nearest to the north gate and this time, there was fire emerging there. At the same time, they could hear the sound of metal clashing with each other.

    "What happened?"

    "Let me check!"

    There were only two guards there. With one of them rushing over to look at the commotion, there was only one person left to guard the prison.

    ''It''s time.''

    Wei Liuying rushed to the gate and sneaked behind the second guard. Her small figure was completely covered behind him. By following the same steps as him, she made sure that he could not detect her. His figure was bigger than her and by concealing her presence near him, she could conveniently hide.

    "It''s really a cold night." The guard shivered a bit. He rubbed his hands and looked at the direction where the first guard left in confusion.

    Behind him, Wei Liuying used her hand to push the gate. She knew that despite concealing her presence, the guard slightly detected her presence and thought that it was the cold night wind.

    Her low martial art skill was showing its disadvantage right now.

    However, Wei Liuying kept her calm. She watched the second guard''s movement carefully. He turned his head to the opposite direction and Wei Liuying stepped back slowly and entered the gate.

    When she heard commotion from the north, she closed the gate once more.

    Turning her body around, Wei Liuying silently stayed within the shadow near the wall. She didn''t want to attract the guards'' attention.

    There were some other guards there, but they were all distracted by the ruckus that was resounding at the north. Their eyes turned to the north from time to time as they were curious what had happened over there yet they were not allowed to move from their position. After all, it was rare to have so much commotion late at night.

    "Focus!" a yell startled the soldiers and Wei Liuying.

    Staying within the shadow, Wei Liuying glanced up. She could see a commander gave the soldiers instruction. His angry tone could be heard.

    "Don''t relax at all and do your job properly. When the others return, you''ll naturally know what had happened."

    "Yes, Commander!"

    With that order, the soldiers were mover focused. However, it was clear their head still itched to look at the north.

    ''The commander is not bad.''

    Right now, Wei Liuying silently sneaked within the shadows. She didn''t have the time to care for the soldiers as she rushed into the main building. Manager Xin had showed her the map of the prison''s layout, but Wei Liuying had to search one by one to find where Wei Lu was.

    Based on his punishment, he should be at the underground prison.

    The underground prison was usually used for those who were placed in death sentence. The condition of the prison was terrible was smell of blood and some other foul smell mixed to the air.

    ''It should be here.''

    Pushing the door open, Wei Liuying kept her expression straight. The underground prison only had minimum light, which made it hard to travel at night. They had to rely on their senses and with the strong foul smell here, it was truly hard to move around according to their wishes.

    Wei Liuying made no noise and traveled swiftly. She checked on the room one by one as she entered the underground prison. Several familiar officials'' faces could be seen from the prison chambers. It seemed that the Emperor was adamant to kill anyone who showed even the slightest trace of suspicion.

    Probably, he wanted to cleanse the court from the officials.

    In the past, this notion was already made several times, but it was never done because there were not many able officials. As time passed, there were already a lot of more capable officials, so those whom the Emperor doubted would be put on the back swiftly.

    But if Wei Liuying had to say, she didn''t know what kind of criteria the Emperor used to eliminate these officials. She was not familiar with what they were doing and their work, so she had no other choice but to ignore them right now.

    Though, she had one question inside her mind.

    ''Why can''t he just capture Father?''

    Wei Hong clearly leaned to support Prince Ji Shu, yet he was let off the hook this time. Well, this might be a scheme from Prince Ji Shu too, so those who were on his side were obviously spared.

    Wei Liuying was not too clear of the real situation on the court.

    Glancing into the prison room continuously, Wei Liuying patiently searched for the right one. Even though she knew that her time was limited, she didn''t want to leave without her uncle.

    Fortunately, it didn''t take long for her to find the right place. Looking at the dark room, Wei Liuying took out her knife and hairpin before she began to pick the lock on the chain. This was a skill that she learned thanks to her uncle since he was quite naughty. A hairpin was clearly a very useful tool for women.

    It can be used for many things.

    Clang!

    "Who is it?" Wei Lu was startled when he heard the sound of metal bumped with another metal. In the underground prison, he couldn''t hear what had happened outside as the sound insulation was made to make sure no sound could come in. This would reduce the risk of them collaborating with people from outside to come out.

    Wei Liuying put the chain away and pushed the door open. Her dark eyes were looking straight to her uncle. In the dark night, it felt as if there was a pair of dark light shining to him.

    Wei Lu looked back at the figure before him. His eyes were filled with disbelief.

    There was only one person who have black eyes whom he knew in his entire life. And that small figure could only belong to one person.

    A person who should have never been here in the first place.

    Someone who have a completely different life.

    "Wei Liuying."

    "Uncle," Wei Liuying called out. Even with a cloth covering her mouth, the tone of her voice was still high pitched.

    Wei Lu''s pupil shrunk when he heard that familiar voice. Tears streamed out from the corner of his eyes as he resisted the urge to cry aloud.

    "Why¡­? Why did you come?"

    She shouldn''t have come.

    He no longer had any future in Han Shi Kingdom.

    When he received the edict, he had been thinking for ways to clear his name. However, everyone whom he thought to be on his side abandoned him without any second thoughts. No one was willing to help him out.

    But now¡­

    His niece come.

    Wei Liuying looked at her uncle and stretched her hand. "I can''t possibly abandon my family, Uncle."

    Wei Lu closed his eyes when he heard what Wei Liuying said. He stood up and looked at Wei Liuying. "Do you understand the repercussion from your action tonight?"

    "I believe you''re wronged, Uncle. Even if I have to be the enemy of the entire kingdom, I won''t abandon my family," Wei Liuying replied calmly. It was only her uncle who ever believed her and helped her during the time when she was in Wei Family Household. He would side with her and listened to what happened on her side and not blindly believed on what others told him.

    She didn''t have much power and ability, but she would not abandon him when she heard that he got into trouble.

    Besides, she didn''t have anything to lose.

    "I have never done anything to deserve this from you."

    "Do you need payment for helping your family?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    Wei Lu frowned. In his opinion, he should find a way to repay Wei Liuying for what she had done. However, from the way Wei Liuying told him, he knew that she never wanted to have any payment.

    She only wished for him to be safe just like he simply wished that she could be happy and have a better future. They just wanted the best for each other as family.

    "Little Lass, I''m not a match to you."

    "Tell me what happened before, Uncle." Wei Liuying crouched down and began to work on the chain on her uncle''s leg.

    Wei Lu''s eyes were tinged with sadness. "You see, I''m on the Second Prince''s faction. However, it''s actually the weakest one because His Highness the Second Prince never showed his real skill to anyone. But we all believed that he''s the best person to ascend the throne. Yesterday, His Highness the Fourth Prince began to nitpick us and even fabricate evidence that we have corruption.

    The people have all been pulled to his side and ended up testifying for what his people said. We have no room to come back and even His Highness the Second Prince ended up getting punished."

 Chapter 117 - Criminals

    Wei Liuying was listening while working on the chain. Her eyes were cold. "Don''t you have any countermeasure?"

    "None."

    "Your plan before?"

    "It''s failed even before we can execute the plan," Wei Lu replied. He looked over to Wei Liuying with his eyes shone in sadness. "I don''t want to say this, but your uncle is actually very stupid too. I can''t believe that I mistook the Second Prince to be the one closest to the throne and chose to support him but failed in the process."

    Clank!

    Wei Liuying had finished with one and stood up. In truth, she had met with His Highness the Second Prince, Prince Ji Shao Yang, before. He was giving off dangerous aura that wouldn''t lose even when she compared it against Ji Shu. Hence, she knew that if the second prince had the chance, he would surely make his move to get the throne.

    Unfortunately, his attempt was cut by Prince Ji Shu.

    "The conquest to obtain the throne is always filled with blood and stabbing knives. From the moment one decided to partake in the road, one had to be prepared to face anything. Nothing is certain in the game of power," Wei Liuying said calmly.

    Wei Lu nodded weakly. He perfectly understood what Wei Liuying said. Taking sides were risky but if they managed to side with the correct one from early stage, they would be able to get higher status when the person they supported turned out to be the winner.

    However, if they picked the wrong one, they would be doomed to die.

    Right now, Wei Lu no longer looked as confident as he was in the past. He had defined feature and looked a bit older than his real age suggest him, but this time, he looked much older. It seemed that the failure and the long court time had worn him out.

    "Scheming is very tiring, Liuying. I truly wished that you can be able to live without the need to think and scheme all the time," Wei Lu whispered. The blow he took this time had taken a huge toll. When Prince Ji Shu made his move, Wei Lu felt as if he was pushed to the corner with no chance to fight back at all.

    It was so frustrating.

    Wei Liuying chose not to comment. She herself knew how tiring it was to be careful in her every action. There was no time for her to rest in her residence because even a split second mistake could make them have to pay the ultimate price.

    "We''re going out now, Uncle. Please follow me."

    "I understand."

    Wei Lu heaved a sigh and started to follow Wei Liuying. When he was thrown here, he never had any intention to escape. But now that the opportunity came, he wanted to stay alive. His fighting spirit and desire to fight was ignited once more.

    Even if he could no longer live as Wei Lu, he still wanted to live.

    Wei Liuying led him out. When they bypassed the other prison rooms, Wei Liuying stopped and began to work on the chain. Wei Lu was stunned speechless.

    "Liu¡­ this?"

    "We need diversion. Unless you know how to get out without making any commotion, I''ll follow you, Uncle."

    Wei Lu could see the determination within Wei Liuying''s eyes. The people who were placed here were all the officials who were on Prince Ji Shao Yang''s side. They were all going to die soon if they didn''t do anything.

    He couldn''t possibly let them die too.

    Even if they would only end up as diversion and might get captured again, at least, they were given the chance to escape too.

    He gritted his teeth and began to work on the other chain and locks by borrowing a hairpin. Since he was the one who taught Wei Liuying, naturally he knew how to pick lock too.

    These people here were all the officials who were framed by the Fourth Prince. If they all tried to get out, wouldn''t it be chaotic?

    "Old Wei, this¡­"

    "Get out now. There''s ruckus from the bandits on the north, so most of the guards are not here," Wei Liuying ordered.

    The word ''bandit'' stunned both Wei Lu and the official. They knew very well that the bandits were the Emperor''s biggest worry. Unfortunately, the flooding Huang River only made things even more difficult for them because it increased the number of refugee and also people who turned into bandits.

    There were so many of them around the capital city.

    "How did you make them create chaos?"

    "I didn''t," Wei Liuying replied. "It''s someone''s else doing."

    Wei Lu was suspicious, but he knew better than trying to pry for more information. With the officials getting out of the prisons, they created more noise in the place. Guards were coming there and tried to stop them but to no avail.

    All of them were sentenced to death the next day, what would they were afraid of?

    This was the only way they could save their small life, so they would seize the chance to the best of their ability. They would never let themselves be defeated so easily in this place and worked hard for their freedom.

    Some of them have little hope that they would be able to clear their names.

    As long as they have enough time, they could even hide themselves and tried to change their identities. Even though the live of a noble was impossible, they didn''t want to die yet. Only some loyal officials stayed in their cells and unwilling to leave. They had resigned to their fates and refused to leave.

    "Uncle, are you angry with me?" Wei Liuying asked in a low voice when she was opening the last door.

    Wei Lu shook his head. Even in the darkness, he could see that Wei Liuying''s hands were working even faster than before. "I don''t have any family members aside from you. Even if I can only live as a criminal, I''ll find a way to clear up my name. If the one who succeed the throne in the future is not His Highness the Fourth Prince, I''ll have a chance to restore my name and position."

    "His Highness the First Prince will not let the matter settle peacefully," Wei Liuying said calmly.

    "True. You''ve become an outlaw too. Are you not worried that it''ll affect your future?"

    Wei Liuying looked at her uncle and smiled bitterly. "What kind of future I have in that residence, Uncle? I have already planned to run away, so this is also convenient."

    Runaway and criminal.

    The two of them no longer have any identity that could provide them with place to stay in Han Shi Kingdom Capital City peacefully anymore. Even though the circumstances were different, they were both chased by the guards.

    Clank!

    "Let''s go."

    "Yes."

    The guards were already in chaos because of the officials. Some of them learnt martial arts and those who were young were very energetic. When Wei Liuying began to make her move, she directly used her bow and arrow.

    Dzing!

    Jleb!

    Hitting the area between the armors, the arrow could create bigger damage to the guards in the area. Wei Liuying didn''t really want to make commotion, but sneaking out undetected was impossible with so many guards around.

    Besides, with releasing everyone, it would be harder which one was the real target.

    Everyone was put on suspicious person''s list.

    Clang!

    Wei Lu took the guard''s sword and began to make his way out. He was better in martial arts compared to study too, so this was actually more convenient for him. With this, he would be able to get out of the area.

    Along with many other officials, they began to attack the guards at the gate. Sounds of metal clashing reverberated in the area.

    Clang! Clang!

    The guards were busy fighting against the guards in front of them. Those who were still young could move better as they snatched the weapon from the guards and ran away. After this, they wouldn''t be able to return back anymore.

    Whether it was better than dying in vain, no one knew.

    Looking up, Wei Liuying furrowed her brows when she noticed that the commander was not in place. He was just up there not long ago, ordering the soldier to keep their vigilance. Where did he go?

    ''He might be called to the north wall.''

    Wei Liuying had switched to her knife and killed the guards. Her eyes were calm even as the body fell in front of her. She frowned when she noticed that reinforcement was coming. "We should leave now."

    "Ok."

    Other officials seemed to realize that something bad was happening. Upon seeing the guards coming, they also chose to abandon the thought of continuing attacking and merely making their escape on the dark alley. Even if they were already criminals, they would be able to use some of their previous connections to grant them a safe place to stay for the time being.

 Chapter 118 - Go!

    Dashing through the dark alleyway, Wei Liuying guided her uncle in the way that she had thought before. This was originally her escape route, but this time, she had to use it to save her uncle. She could only hope that there would be more escape route that she could use in the future.

    "Get them!"

    Screams mixed with the painful tearing of flesh echoed in the previously quiet night. The people who lived in the surroundings were praying hard that the commotion would not reach them. Many already prepared weapon on their arm, ready to strike whenever it was necessary.

    Wei Liuying didn''t care for them. She was going near the wall and stopped near a slum. There was a small door headed outside from this area. It was usually used for servants to throw out the dumps, but there were times when it was not guarded tightly. Around this time, it was not guarded.

    After all, the guards were heading to the north to face the bandits who were creating havoc in the middle of the night.

    "Uncle, you should leave."

    "What about you?" Wei Lu was stunned.

    Wei Liuying turned around with her bow ready in her hand. "There''s a horse waiting outside. Please leave, Uncle."

    "Liuying!"

    "I can''t leave. I still have some things that I need to finish here," Wei Liuying replied. At this time, a soldier appeared and Wei Liuying shot the arrow. "Go! Now!"

    Wei Lu opened his mouth, wanting to refute. However, he knew that if he didn''t leave now, all the hard work that Wei Liuying did for him would be useless. Gritting his teeth, Wei Lu turned around and crawled on the ground to get out through the small hole. If she didn''t stay behind to hold the guards, it was clear that both of them would die.

    His heart was aching painfully. Was the decision for him to leave with Wei Liuying wrong? Would this lead the two of them to their death faster instead? His mind was constantly troubled with the thoughts, yet no one can give him the answer.

    He had no other choice but to keep going.

    When he came out, he could see the sky was still dark. The chilly wind slapped his cheek as he tried to get out.

    Neigh!

    The sound of a horse startled him. Looking to the side, he could see a big horse tied to the tree. A saddle was already prepared and even though he couldn''t see it clearly, he could guess that it must be a pretty good.

    Wei Lu quickly get on the horse. His hands were shaking due to fear and worry. His heart was not at ease, yet he had to force himself to calm down. This incident had caused many of them to lose their footing and the short time limit given to them was clearly a death sentence.

    The Emperor was never going to let them off the hook.

    From the moment he was suspicious of them, their end would be death. No matter how much the proof stated otherwise, an Emperor will not take his words back. It would be the same as slapping his face.

    He understood that.

    Wei Liuying too.

    Because of that, the only way out would be to break the law and no longer cared for their previous position. It was a bet with their lives on the line, but there was no other option within their capabilities.

    Soon afterwards, he got on the horse and galloped on the grassland towards the east as fast as possible.

    Turning his head to the back, Wei Lu could see the capital city''s wall was getting further and further away.

    "Liuying¡­ when I come back, I''ll surely be the one to protect you. I''m not a good uncle for you as I fail you as the elder."

    With that promise, Wei Lu turned his head to the front and galloped with face filled with determination.

    ¡­

    Back in the capital city.

    Dzing! Dzing!

    Sounds of arrow continued to reverberate in the alleyway. Dozens of soldiers fell on the ground, filling the previously empty alleyway. The sky was still as dark as ever and the scream prevented people from sleeping.

    Wei Liuying didn''t stop as she continued to shoot the arrows. Her eyes were cold as she continued her progress.

    When the last arrow was shot, Wei Liuying switched to her sword and dashed to the side. There was never any intention for her to get out of the capital city. Besides, with so many soldiers following behind her, she would die before she could get far.

    The bow and the arrow''s tube were thrown to the side. They had already done their work.

    ''Uncle should have already left, right?''

    Wei Liuying didn''t know how far her uncle had left. Based on the horse''s speed, he should have been very far away from here. Hopefully, he would be able to reach other cities and get different identity. With his capabilities, Wei Liuying believed that her uncle would be just fine.

    Clang! Slash!

    A soldier caught up with her. He yelled angrily, "You won''t be able to get away, you criminals!"

    Wei Liuying''s gaze was cold. She twisted her body and thrusted her sword forward. Bypassing the gap between the helm and the body armor, her sword directly stabbed the soldier on his neck. Even with Wei Liuying''s small frame, it was enough for her to stab the sword.

    She tore part of her sleeve and bandaged her wounded arm. It was not that deep, but she had to prevent the blood to make them trace back to her.

    Pulling the sword back, Wei Liuying continued to run in the dark alleyway. She had memorized the route from the map that Manager Xin showed to her, so she was not worried that she would get lost. Her legs continued to move without any restraint as she traveled in the chilling night.

    "Yeah, I''m a criminal now."

    Wei Liuying laughed bitterly and finally reached a spacious garden. She reached to the lake and swiftly hid under the bridge that was made there. With the plants around her, it was not easy to find her unless one purposely tried to seek under the bridge.

    This should be pretty safe for her to stay for the next few days.

    She would only come out when she was certain that she was safe.

    Hiding there, Wei Liuying made no noise. She was merely looking at the front while hugging her legs to keep herself warm. She didn''t bring anything aside from the weapon because she knew how dangerous it would be if she brought extra weight.

    Her right hand was still holding onto the small sword.

    ''To be acting so reckless like this, it''s truly not your style, Liuying.''

    Wei Liuying mocked herself as she listened to the guards coming. Sound of water splashing could be heard, but the guards didn''t even stop as they continued to pass by the route. Some of them were screaming and yelling, trying to find the runaway criminal who made his way here.

    "Where''s he?"

    "I think I see him going that way?"

    "Are you sure?"

    "There are several ways from here!"

    The soldiers panicked, but Wei Liuying kept her calm. If someone found her, she would have no other choice but to fight to her bitter end. There was nothing that she could do but to wait patiently and hoped that no one would search under the bridge and found out that there was one that had small platform.

    This was originally used by children to hide. As Wei Liuying''s body was malnourished, she was small for someone of her age. It was not that hard for her to hide in this place as long as she could withstand the cold wind and water around her.

    "Let''s try to search for him over there!"

    "We have to capture them at all cost!"

    "How about the bandits on the north? Has the soldiers there finished their work?"

    "There''s no need to worry, they have already driven out. We''ll see the reports when they come back early in the morning. Now, get moving!"

    "Yes!"

    It took some time, but soon Wei Liuying couldn''t hear anything outside anymore. Still, she didn''t let herself relax as she quietly stayed in her place. The chilly wind was hitting her body continuously and the water splashed, making the hemp of her clothes wet.

    Wei Liuying didn''t move from her position.

    No matter how torturous it was for her to stay in this position, Wei Liuying had no intention to move around. She knew that the soldiers might return back to this area and possibly find out her location if she dared to move. Her blood had seeped to the cloth and dripped to the water. But as it was dark, no one should be able to see it.

    Time passed in this slow and torturous fashion.

    Suddenly, a shadow came and water splashed. Wei Liuying was startled as a hand reached down.

    Swish!

    Wei Liuying tried to stab the person, but her hand was grabbed tightly and she was pulled out. Within the dim moonlight, she could see a young man stood before her, looking back at her with his equally dark eyes.

    "You''re really unpredictable."

 Chapter 119 - I Donâ€™t Care

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed when she heard that voice. It was hard to see the other party in this dark place, but there was no way she would forget the owner of that voice. It was a very familiar voice that she had heard for a long time. She jerked her arm from the hand that was holding her wrist.

    "What are you doing here, Strategist Yang?"

    "I''m guessing where you might go," the man, Yang Xian, said in amused tone. He looked at Wei Liuying with a smile. "Looking at the map in the bookstore, it''s easy to guess that you must be planning to get out through this area with that bandits'' plan. I only never expected that you''ll go so far as to become a criminal."

    "It doesn''t matter, isn''t it?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Releasing prisoners on the death''s row deserved death''s sentence once it''s found."

    "I know."

    "And you''re not afraid."

    Wei Liuying raised her head. "I have already done my best. If I still ultimately fail in the end and received death as my punishment, then I''ll bear with it with my head hold high."

    "You don''t care for the law?"

    "Why should I care when it''s filled with so many rotten and injustice?" Wei Liuying asked back in a cold tone. "Framing other people is easy as long as you can prepare enough and have other people on your hands. Simply putting your items in other people''s room would be more than enough to accuse them stealing and by killing the servants who did it, no one will find out."

    It was one of the most common scheme in the household that Wei Liuying had seen numerous times. Whenever there was a servant that other concubines wanted to eliminate, there were several ways to do it. One of them would be to accuse them of stealing important person''s belonging.

    That way, they could kill with borrowed swords.

    It was not that hard to do it at all as long as they have enough people who were willing to do their dirty work.

    There were so many criminals if all these schemes were accounted for. The only difference was the fact that it was done within their residence, so no one could know aside from people who were wiling under the same roof. As for those who entered the prison, most of them were those who were accused.

    "Don''t you think you''re a bit brash in your action today?" Yang Xian asked again.

    "I know."

    "Then?"

    "But I don''t know any other way," Wei Liuying replied back. It was never her style to use violence first when things could be solved peacefully. But with the Emperor unwilling to listen to others and no possibility of him retracting his decree, she truly had no other way out.

    If being a criminal allowed her to save her only family member''s life, she would be willing to do it.

    There was no one else who cared for her. Even though she knew that this was a trap designed for her from her ''kind'' first sister and her first sister''s future husband, she would still willingly walk to this trap. There was no way she could possibly leave her uncle alone.

    Without him, Wei Liuying knew that she would have snapped a long time ago and possibly try to escape. And at that time, there was no doubt that her father would sent his guards to catch a helpless child who were running away. From then on, there would never be any chance for her to get out anymore.

    Her action would be monitored heavily.

    It was only because she knew the big picture that her uncle helped her to see that she understood the power her father held. If her father had requested an army to chase after her, would it be possible for her to run?

    The answer would be an absolute no.

    She kept on bidding her time, holding onto a thin string of hope that things would eventually get better while honing her own skill. Reading books, learning martial arts, and also helped her mother scheme so that she gained more access in the household.

    Everything was simply for the sake of her own survival.

    Yang Xian poked her forehead lightly. "Have you never thought of asking for us to help?"

    "Asking you?" Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian from top to bottom. "When the Emperor is furious, he''ll be targeting the princes and their subordinates first. The only reason why you can still roam freely is only because the target of this attack this time is His Highness the Second Prince.

    Still, it didn''t mean that you can act freely yet. If you make the wrong move, His Majesty''s attention will fall onto you. There''s no telling what will happen if he switches his target to you and His Highness the Third Prince."

    Listening to Wei Liuying, Yang Xian''s lips curled up to form a smile. Even though she was under heavy pressure to save her only family members, she didn''t let it cloud her judgement and still able to analyze the overall situation very clearly. It was as if everything that occurred around her would never escape her field of view.

    What she said was correct. The Third Prince was under heavy surveillance because of his position. Despite being an unfavored son, it didn''t change the fact that he was still a prince. That position alone was more than enough to make a lot of people watched his movements carefully and make sure that he would never escape their vision and did something strange.

    "Being too smart can also kill you, Little Lass."

    Wei Liuying chuckled. "It hadn''t killed me so far, Strategist Yang. I would say that it''s rather beneficial for me so far."

    "If you have been born a boy, I''m sure the court will be in a mess."

    "if I have been a boy, I would have never been in this situation," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly.

    How much had she hoped that she was a boy in the past couldn''t be counted anymore. It was a thought that kept on staying inside Wei Liuying''s head even after she grew up. If only she was born a boy, she wouldn''t have to suffer so much and be the unfavored daughter.

    She would have been able to be a scholar with limitless future.

    With her intelligence and capabilities, Wei Liuying knew that it was not impossible for her to reach her father''s position if she worked hard.

    But it was nothing more than her delusion. It was impossible to change one''s gender, so she had to live with what she had. Because of that, Wei Liuying simply did what she could so that she would be able to survive.

    This world is just especially harsh to women.

    "I''m glad you''re not a boy."

    "Why?" Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "If you''re a boy, I''ll never have a chance to meet with you and bring you along with me like this."

    His words made Wei Liuying stunned. It sounded as if he was thoroughly happy because he was able to meet with her. All this time, everyone she met was cursing her for being born as a girl and snatched all the intelligence from her brother. They were thinking that it would be better for her to not be born instead because she was a girl.

    But now, Strategist Yang was telling her the opposite.

    Wei Liuying felt strange feelings tucked at the corner of her heart.

    Yang Xian chuckled once more when he saw Wei Liuying''s expression. He noticed that the hem of Wei Liuying''s robe were wet.

    Without thinking, he took out his outer robe and draped it on top of Wei Liuying. His body was bigger than her, so naturally it made her look like a child who just stole her parent''s clothes.

    "This¡­"

    "Keep it on. Let''s go. The soldiers will not return back that soon, but it''ll be better to leave this place," Yang Xian said and grabbed her hand.

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. She looked down at their hands and pursed her lips a bit. "If you get involved, wouldn''t it be detrimental to you?"

    Detrimental as in helping criminals.

    It would be the same as voicing that they would be going against the Emperor with this simple action they had.

    Yang Xian laughed coldly. "Do you think that we care about killers back at the frontline?"

    Every soldier was basically killer.

    They were paid to kill the kingdom''s enemies.

    "This is not the frontline," Wei Liuying replied.

    "True, but as long as no one knows about this matter, it''ll be fine. Besides, I can''t possibly let our future advisor die in this kind of petty scheme."

    Future advisor?

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian''s back in front of her. He was still guiding her through the dark alleyway without turning his head around even once. However, his words were clearly telling her that they believed in her and willing to be on her side no matter what the situation was.

    Believed in her ability and her as a person.

 Chapter 120 - Respect

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian''s back in front of her. He was still guiding her through the dark alleyway without turning his head around even once. However, his words were clearly telling her that they believed in her and willing to be on her side no matter what the situation was.

    Believed in her ability and her as a person.

    They clearly knew her background and problems, but they didn''t move away from her. Even though if things got revealed to the public they would be placed in difficult situation, they still chose to pick her

    "Why¡­?" her voice choked a bit.

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying, a bit surprised to hear the slight change in her tone. His expression softened. "You''re worth it."

    You''re worth it.

    Just three words and it already warmed her heart. Wei Liuying never realized it, but these three words were words that she never expected to hear from anyone in her entire life because of what she had experienced.

    In her entire life, she had been fighting on her own for a long time and only have a few who cared for her. Those who knew her for her ability only wished to use her and gave petty compensation in the end. At the same time, she could not bear to let those who cared for her to be involved in the nasty truth from Wei Household.

    But this time, she finally met someone who genuinely willing to accept her for who she was.

    Even if it was only because of her ability, she didn''t mind. It was far better than the rotten place named Wei Family Household.

    At least, they see her as a person and respected her.

    Wei Liuying knew how easy it would be for Yang Xian to kidnap her if he just wanted to make use of her abilities. His martial arts were better than her, and he also could easily threaten her because he obviously knew the few people whom she cared about. But he didn''t.

    He chose to respect her decision and waited for her to come to him by herself.

    Probably it was only part of his schemes because only those who were willing to be used would be giving their all in their work, but Wei Liuying didn''t mind. She knew that there was no free meal in this world. It would be impossible to have other people cared to her out of the blue.

    Even those women who schemed to gain a man''s favor knew that they would have to use their body, beauty, and everything to their man if they wished to keep his heart. But of course, they knew that it would be a never ending battles with other concubines because it was not easy to hold someone''s heart.

    Not everyone could be lucky enough to have one person who love them wholeheartedly in his entire life.

    Wei Liuying closed her eyes for a moment. This was good enough.

    Strategist Yang and Prince Ji Sheng were better people as they treated her well. Compared to her blood related family, they were more humane in her opinion and will not slight her just because of her position and gender.

    "Strategist Yang."

    "Yes?"

    "Thank you."

    Yang Xian smiled at her answer. "Heh, give your thanks when we have already out of this place."

    Wei Liuying''s lips curled up to form a smile, but she didn''t reply. There was no need for her to give her thanks anymore because she knew that Yang Xian understood.

    Dashing through the cold night, Wei Liuying continued to follow Yang Xian. All the time, Yang Xian''s hand was still gripping her wrist tightly as if he was afraid that she would leave in the middle. However, Wei Liuying didn''t have any intention to leave on her own.

    She had made her decision to follow him and helped him with her abilities.

    They have reached a point of no return.

    This is her decision.

    And she would follow it until the very end.

    "Stay silent." Yang Xian suddenly stopped and pulled her to the wall. His eyes were watching the street before them as he sensed several people passed. There were guards that were deployed to search for the criminals.

    ''That''s Lou¡­ unexpectedly you also send your best man to the fray, Fourth Prince.''

    Yang Xian sneered internally. The Fourth Prince was the most ambitious one aside from the First Prince. There were a few guards around him but the one that Prince Ji Shu trusted the most was Lou.

    To be deploying Lou in this search just proved that Prince Ji Shu was placing high importance in the officials who were supporting Prince Ji Shao Yang. If they were not executed, there was no way Prince Ji Shu could calm down.

    As they waited, Wei Liuying kept her silence. She couldn''t sense anyone, but she knew that there must be someone out there that they have to avoid. It seemed that her martial arts were not high enough. Well, she had never focused to increase her martial arts that much in the future as she only learned so that she would be able to escape and survive.

    Besides, she was not that suited to hold the sword because she preferred to stay at the back rather than taking action by herself.

    "He left, let''s go," Yang Xian whispered and pulled Wei Liuying again.

    "En."

    After turning a few times, Wei Liuying was stunned. She was drawing the map inside her head, so naturally she knew that they were heading to the center once more. Not only that, the location where Yang Xian stopped was exactly Prince Ji Sheng''s residence.

    Even though it was dark and there were barely any markings that could be seen, Wei Liuying could never get it wrong when it came to the four princes'' residences. They were areas that she wanted to avoid the most in her entire life.

    "Strategist Yang."

    "What is it?"

    "Are you sure it''s fine for us to enter His Highness the Third Prince''s residence at this time?" Wei Liuying asked in a worried tone.

    "If you''re worried about the guards, they won''t see us as long as we''re using the back door. The people who are watching over the palace won''t be coming out anytime soon, so we don''t need to worry that much," Yang Xian replied.

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian with frown. "His Highness the Third Prince is out, right?"

    "You''re smart. It''s almost dawn, so he went to visit his mother to pay his respect because there''s an edict that stated he''ll leave soon. It might be a bit early, but it''s a good show of filial piety."

    "I thought his mother is in the cold palace and Prince Ji Sheng didn''t have good relationship with her," Wei Liuying remarked. If she was not wrong, after falling out of favor, Prince Ji Sheng''s mother was banished to the cold palace.

    Yang Xian pursed his lips. "Even if she''s in the cold palace and they didn''t have good relationship, putting up a face is always important."

    "I see."

    Even though Wei Liuying didn''t know much about the harem or so on, she knew that Prince Ji Sheng''s mother was totally unfavored in the harem. There were only a few who knew her and met her over the past few years. Since she was also in the cold palace, not many people wanted to meet with her.

    In addition, it was not a secret that Prince Ji Sheng''s mother didn''t have good relationship with her son. There were many words saying that she would even beat up her son. Though, Wei Liuying could never know the truth because she also didn''t dare to ask it directly to the Third Prince.

    She still wanted to keep her small life too.

    She was living simply in an ordinary palace with not so many servants. Compared to many other women who easily earned the Emperor''s favor, she was a bit pitiful in comparison.

    "His Highness the Third Prince is a good son."

    Yang Xian chuckled. "Isn''t it normal for children to be filial to their parents?"

    "There are many who were taught to never care from the time they were born," Wei Liuying said as a matter of fact.

    "Well, true enough."

    Yang Xian couldn''t deny that. He came from a humble family back then and not got involved in the so called favor battle. After all, his father only has one wife. But that simple and comfortable life didn''t last long because of the thing called war.

    He lost everything.

    Pushing the thoughts to the back of his head, Yang Xian opened the back door and ushered Wei Liuying to get inside.

    "Come in."

    Wei Liuying looked around. The backyard was filled with trees and many other plans. The sky was still dark, so she couldn''t know for sure how they exactly looked like. However, the fresh air in this place soothe her troubled mind.

    "You can appreciate them at later times. We need to go now."

 Chapter 121 - Why Is She Targeted?

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I understand."

    Under Yang Xian''s lead, Wei Liuying got into the house and looked around in curiosity. She still didn''t stop her legs even though she was curious about the place where Prince Ji Sheng stayed. After all, aside from the main palace where the Emperor held his banquet from time to time, she had never visited other palaces.

    The palace wall was brown in color because of the wood. There were many decorations on the wall with various type. It was beautiful and at the same time giving sense of elegance yet valiant.

    Yang Xian brought her to a separate small building on the side. "This is an unused building, but I usually stay here most of the time."

    "There are so many buildings in Prince Ji Sheng''s palace?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Yes. However, you''re not allowed to visit most of them. I''ll give you detailed information tomorrow regarding the places that you''re not allowed to visit," Yang Xian replied and pushed the door open.

    The room was decorated simply and the size of the room itself was not that big. It was only enough for two people to stay inside at most. However, Wei Liuying was not picky as she had been staying in an annoying hut for a long period of time.

    What could this place compare to that place?

    "There''s only one bed," Yang Xian pointed to his bed. "You can sleep there and I''ll sleep on the floor."

    Wei Liuying frowned. "How can I take your place, Strategist Yang?"

    "Just for today. It''s unlikely that I''ll sleep for long too, so it''s fine," Yang Xian said with a bright smile. He noticed that Wei Liuying was about to refute, so he spoke out again, "If you''re dissatisfied with this arrangement, I don''t mind sharing the same bed with you."

    "Hooligan," Wei Liuying muttered and walked to the bed, not protesting anymore.

    Yang Xian shook his head in amusement. His eyes lowered to Wei Liuying''s left arm and frowned as he noticed the blood. "Wait here until I find some herbs to patch the wound."

    "It''s fine."

    "If it''s not treated, it''ll get infection. I might not be a doctor, but I know first aid."

    Wei Liuying looked at her own arm and nodded obediently. She also knew some of the first aid, but she rarely wounded due to blade like this, so she was quite clueless about what she was supposed to do.

    It didn''t take long for Yang Xian to find the needed herbs and started to treat her arm. He patched it up nicely so that it wouldn''t give her infection. Wei Liuying silently watched him doing his work and not said anything out loudly at all.

    "Is it not hurt?" Yang Xian asked after he had finished.

    Wei Liuying lifted her legs to the bed. "It hurts."

    "Then why don''t you say anything?"

    "Is it important?"

    Yang Xian was stunned. He looked at Wei Liuying with bewilderment. Did it mean she would only say something when it was important? But looking at her gaze, he knew that she truly meant what she said just now. Sighing, Yang Xian raised his hand and patted Wei Liuying''s head.

    "Sleep and have some rest now."

    "I still want to¡­"

    "I''ll tell you everything that occurred outside when you wake up," Yang Xian interrupted before Wei Liuying could finish.

    Wei Liuying frowned, but she nodded her head. She lied on the bed quietly. Before long, sleepiness kicked in, and she had drifted to sleep.

    Yang Xian watched from the side until Wei Liuying had fallen asleep before he walked out. He washed his bloodstained hand outside the building. By this time, the sky had brightened, and there were a lot of people who had started working in Prince Ji Sheng''s residence.

    They saw Yang Xian, but neither one of them came to greet him. They were already ordered to ignore Yang Xian unless he was in the main building because it was just unnecessary greetings. As a former commoner, Yang Xian disliked those kind of greetings.

    "Yang Xian, can you tell me exactly why I have to sacrifice so much of my sleep time tonight?"

    The sound of an indignant young man could be heard. Yang Xian turned his head and frowned. "You have already sacrificed so much of your sleep for trade in the past. What''s the difference with just adding another day to it?"

    The young man, Shi Yan, groaned. "That''s different! Also, do you know how much of a mess that the incident caused?"

    "No one will be able to relate it to us."

    Besides, their letters were always coded. Even if others found it, they could just deflect it by saying that they were writing poetry and didn''t know how it could end in the other party''s hand. It was a bit of petty scheme, but then again, they could also say that it was not them and other people faked their writing.

    There were too many options for them to escape from suspicion list.

    Shi Yan glowered. "I''m not your errand boy, Yang Xian."

    "Yes, you''re His Highness''s errand boy."

    Shi Yan: "¡­" what''s the difference?

    Yang Xian ignored Shi Yan''s death glare and leisurely wiped his hand on the cloth. He glanced over in Shi Yan''s direction and smiled. "I''m sure you don''t come to me just because you want to complaint."

    "Can''t you speak more straightforward?" Shi Yan frowned in displeasure. However, what he got was simply another shrug from Yang Xian.

    "So?"

    "Fine. I found out that most of the soldiers that was sent to guard the prison yesterday and chased after her are the Fourth Prince''s people. He''s sending so many people to chase after one young girl," Shi Yan stressed out the word ''young girl.''

    Yang Xian pursed his lips. "That must be because he knew her abilities."

    "Huh? Just having a little bit more intelligence and martial arts can make people chase after her?" Shi Yan was stumped. There were some other women commoners who also learnt martial arts in order to serve some mater. Not many people chased after them.

    "Do you really think she''s just a bit smarter?"

    "Am I wrong?"

    Yang Xian looked at Shi Yan and shook his head. Even though Shi Yan was good at making people want to do trades with him, he was bad at judging the overall situation of everything. This was what limited him to only do some trades on his own to make sure that he was not suffering any loss.

    "When Prince Ji Shu send more people to kill her, can''t you make the connection?"

    "Uh¡­" Shi Yan scratched his head. He couldn''t understand politics at all, but he knew that Prince Ji Shu must be thinking of Wei Liuying as a threat. If not, he wouldn''t have sent so many people to chase after her like this.

    "The answer is Wei Family Household."

    "What?"

    However, Yang Xian was not in the mood to explain everything to the slow witted Shi Yan. It would be better for him to just rely on Shi Yan to gather more money rather than asking him to understand the overall situation.

    He hoped that Shi Yan wouldn''t put himself in difficult situation by making trades with opposing party¡­

    As he had expected, it would be better for Shi Yan to just stay at the north.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Prince Ji Shu''s Residence.

    "What did you say?"

    "We lost her trace. There''s blood on the water that has diffused but based on the amount, it''s possible that she has lost a lot of blood," a servant said while bowing. He was dressed in black cloth, covering him from top to bottom.

    In front of him, Prince Ji Shu was sitting on a large chair. He was looking at the people in front of him with a cold and detached expression. It was clear that he was displeased with what he had heard.

    "Then, where''s the corpse?"

    "This¡­"

    "You didn''t find her, did you?" Prince Ji Shu asked again. His tone was harsh and unfeeling.

    His servant knew that they were facing a death reaper as they banged their head to the ground in kowtow. "This servant had sinned, Master! This servant deserved to be punished!"

    Prince Ji Shu scoffed. He tapped the armrest on the chair with slow movement. There was solemn expression on his face. "Search for her and do your work covertly. If you can''t find her in a weeks'' time, your whole family will be waiting for you in the underworld."

    The servant was startled, but he kowtowed. "This servant understands! Master is benevolent."

    "Leave."

    "Yes, Master."

    Inside the room, Prince Ji Shu tapped the armrest a few more times. His eyes were staring to the front as thoughts swirled inside his mind. From the moment Wei Liuying appeared on the day Wei Xiao Hua wished to scheme against her, he had sensed that there was something off from her.

    The originally ordinary young girl that could be overlooked so easily didn''t seem to be that simple.

    "Heh."

 Chapter 122 - Chaos In The Capital City

    "Such an interesting young girl. What a shame that you have to die," Prince Ji Shu said to himself and leaned back to the chair.

    A young noble girl who could do martial arts and knew how to scheme behind the screen so perfectly¡­ if not for Wei Xiao Hua, he would never think that the seemingly ordinary young girl could be hidden so deeply.

    The Wei Hong Zheng that he met in the mountain should have been Wei Liuying. The men he ordered to stay here to monitor the servants'' movement found out that the food was delivered to Wei Hong Zheng through a door. It meant that the one who performed so spectacularly was not the young master, but instead the young miss.

    To be able to act as another person and mimicked his movements, he was intrigued.

    Unfortunately, Wei Xiao Hua and Wei Liuying were clashing against each other. Between one that was more interesting and another who was slightly intriguing, he clearly chose the former. Since it was impossible for him to bring Wei Liuying to his side, he had to destroy her at all cost.

    He would never leave such variable to roam freely.

    "Is Imperial Father looking for me again?" Prince Ji Shu asked.

    "Replying to Your Highness, His Majesty is in the Plum Garden playing with Madam Su."

    Prince Ji Shu arched his eyebrows. Even though he was so angry yesterday, today he was already in the mood to play with his women. It seemed that his father couldn''t care less for the incident that occurred in the capital city.

    "Proceed with the execution as ordered. I''ll be going now."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Within a moment, Prince Ji Shu had disappeared from his place. He had gotten used to go incognito without anyone knowing where he went. Most of the time, people would be thinking that he was still in his residence, training and training again. In truth, he had traveled to many place using this method.

    Prince Ji Shu stopped when he arrived in Wei Family Household. Slowly, he made his way to Wei Xiao Hua''s quarter and slipped to her room. The young girl was still sleeping soundly. Looking at her side figure, a smile formed on the corner of his lips.

    It was unknown since when, but the mere sight of the young girl was enough to invoke heartwarming feeling within his heart.

    "Mhm."

    Wei Xiao Hua was stirred. She opened her eyes slowly and glanced up. Upon seeing Ji Shu, she frowned. "What are you doing here?"

    "I come to visit you."

    "So early?" Wei Xiao Hua glared at him in suspicion.

    Prince Ji Shu chuckled. In front of his woman, he was more relaxed. He took a seat and tapped the table. "Do you know what happened last night?"

    "There''s commotion, right?"

    "And you''re sleeping through it?"

    Wei Xiao Hua stretched her body. "Since it''s located at the north area of the capital city, it shouldn''t affect me that much. Besides, what can a young girl like me do in front of those men? I can only possibly outtalk them one way or another."

    "You''re such a little vixen." Prince Ji Shu reached his hand forward and pinched the tip of Wei Xiao Hua''s nose.

    "Hey! I can''t breathe."

    "I can''t help it."

    Wei Xiao Hua glared and rolled her eyes. She turned her body and let her legs dangled on the edge of the bed while looking at Ji Shu. "Wei Liuying had escaped?"

    "You know?"

    "I guessed."

    "That''s only guessing?" Prince Ji Shu couldn''t believe it. What Wei Xiao Hua knew were far more than what she was supposed to know. Be it in the past or present, he found her to be so intriguing.

    "What else if it''s not guessing?" Wei Xiao Hua asked back. "There''s a breach in the prison and Wei Lu disappeared, right?"

    "Indeed."

    Prince Ji Shu had realized right away that Wei Liuying target when she came to the prison was exactly Wei Lu. However, the officials who were captured back didn''t include him and many others have already escaped. Once the matter reached his imperial father''s ear, he was sure that the guard would be punished.

    Thinking of his men that he inserted inside, Prince Ji Shu felt a bit annoyed.

    Wei Xiao Hua pursed her lips. "Wei Liuying is the one who helps them, right? Has she died?"

    Prince Ji Shu didn''t immediately reply. He understood that Wei Xiao Hua longed for Wei Liuying''s death more than anyone. After all, with Wei Liuying around in the residence, her movements were partially restricted because Concubine Feng managed to rise in power by relying on Wei Liuying''s advice.

    Wei Xiao Hua wanted full control of the residence.

    "She had died," Prince Ji Shu replied.

    Wei Xiao Hua beamed. "That''s good."

    There was never any sisterly feeling between them. Since Wei Liuying stood on her way, it was clear that she wanted to eliminate the other party. The same goes for Wei Liuying. Since Wei Xiao Hua had something that Wei Liuying wanted, it wouldn''t be weird for her to scheme against Wei Xiao Hua.

    It was all the matter of survival and living well.

    Wei Xiao Hua had been worrying since the plot had some derailment ever since she came here. Now that the course was back on tract, she hoped that everything would be back on the way it was before. The capital city should be fine, but she was a bit worried about the north.

    Hopefully Princess Ji Xiaoli''s different fate would not change the course of event too much.

    She had to rely on the impeding war to eliminate Prince Ji Sheng and his men from hindering Prince Ji Shu''s path to the throne.

    Oh well, it was still a long time.

    There was no need for her to worry so much.

    "It''s going to be the time for breakfast soon. You should go," Wei Xiao Hua said when she recalled that it was almost morning.

    Prince Ji Shu arched his eyebrows. "Are you telling me to leave?"

    "Yes."

    "Why? It''s fine for you to be seen with me, isn''t it?"

    "That''s¡­"

    Before Wei Xiao Hua could say anything else, Prince Ji Shu had leaned in and kissed her forehead. "This is my payment today."

    "You¡­" Wei Xiao Hua was stunned. Before she could react, Prince Ji Shu had already gone from the room and her servants knocked the door. Wei Xiao Hua was sure that her cheek was red, so she didn''t immediately answer.

    "Miss, it''s already morning."

    "Wait a moment."

    Wei Xiao Hua lightly fanned her face. Though she was embarrassed, there was a faint smile tugging on the corner of her lips. She felt happy.

    ¡­

    Wei Hong received the news of Wei Liuying''s disappearance at the same time as the outbreak from prison. His face turned livid. Even if these two incidents were unrelated, it wouldn''t do him any good for either one.

    One of the few who managed to escape was Wei Lu!

    "Why is that imbecile have to be the one to escape?" Wei Hong gnashed his teeth in anger and swung his hand. The plates in front of him shattered upon reaching the ground.

    The servants around him all kneeled on the ground in fear. They knew that their Master was angry, but there was nothing that they could do.

    "What did the Emperor said?"

    "He said that there won''t be any morning court today and ordered everyone to search for the missing criminals. If all failed to find them, he''ll punish you severely," the servant replied with trembling body. He felt that he would die if he dared to speak more than this.

    Wei Hong''s gaze was cold. He turned his body around and waved his hand. "Tell all servants to begin searching for the missing officials around this area. As long as they hide here, we''ll find them."

    "Yes, Master."

    Afterwards, some servants left the hall. Wei Hong was still angry, but he still hadn''t said anything about Wei Liuying''s matter. It took him some time before he could calm down.

    "When is my useless daughter disappear?"

    "We only found out this morning, Master. Third Miss never made any sound when she''s inside, so we thought that she''s just sleeping as usual," one of the guards replied while trembling. He came to report the matter as soon as he found out that Wei Liuying disappeared.

    No one noticed it at all.

    Rubbing his forehead, Wei Hong sighed. "Dispose them."

    "Yes, Master."

    "No! Master, please forgive this servant!"

    "Master no!"

    The two guards were gagged and dragged out of the main hall while Wei Hong was still there. The only one left was only the steward who had the highest position among the servants around him.

    "Keep the matter of my useless daughter''s disappearance a secret from now. Cut the tongue of anyone who dared to speak about it."

    "Yes, Master."

    Wei Hong sighed and leaned back on his chair. He felt that his head hurt so much just form thinking about this problem. No matter what, he had to make sure that the disappearance of his daughter didn''t leak out. If people found out that she disappeared on the same day as the outbreak, the matter could be connected to him.

    He didn''t want to get into more trouble.

 Chapter 123 - Chaos In The Capital City (2)

    Prang!

    The sound of porcelain shattered also filled Feng Chun''s quarter. Naturally, she had learnt that her daughter had escaped when no one knew about it. She had been trying so hard to tie Wei Liuying to Wei Family Residence, but what happened was the opposite.

    Wei Liuying had gone.

    "How can she disappear just like that?" Feng Chun was angry. However, she knew that Wei Hong asked them to not spread the matter. She couldn''t just send people to search for her at this rate because it would affect Wei Family Household''s reputation.

    She was vexed.

    "Madam, please calm down. It''s not good for your health if you keep being angry."

    "How can I be calm when I know that¡­ agh!"

    Feng Chun threw another fit and shattered another porcelain. She felt thoroughly annoyed. If only she knew that this would happen, she would not ask Wei Liuying to study martial arts. But if that was what she did, Wei Hong Zheng would never improve as fast as he was.

    It was so annoying.

    She couldn''t settle her mind no matter which side she tried to look at it.

    At this time, a servant came in. "Madam Feng, Master asked us to relay a message that Madam Feng should stay inside to recuperate from the long journey and not go anywhere for the next few days."

    With that, another fit of broken porcelain sounded from the quarter.

    ¡­

    The situation on the other residence was as bad as that one. Wei Hong Zheng could already move around as long as he didn''t strain his legs. Even though he still couldn''t run fast, he could use his hand to make his move.

    Slash!

    At this time, another servant had died. Blood splattered on the ground and reached the hem of Wei Hong Zheng''s clothes. Dead bodies covered the courtyard as their blood was enough to create a pool.

    "Who else?" Wei Hong Zheng asked in a cold tone.

    The only servant left, Huo was standing still by the side. "Replying to Young Master, this is the last servant who knew."

    "Where''s Wei Liuying''s servant?"

    "They''re all locked in the storage room."

    "Bring me there."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Huo didn''t even spare a glance to the dead servants behind them. He knew that Wei Hong Zheng wanted to keep the matter of him practicing sword and switching with Wei Liuying a secret no matter what. Since Wei Liuying had escaped, the only way to make sure that no words came out was to erase all eyewitness.

    The only person that Wei Hong Zheng couldn''t kill would be Huo because he still needed this servant.

    Wei Hong Zheng''s steps were slow yet firm as he entered Wei Liuying''s residence through the back door. There were no one around. In the first place, Wei Liuying didn''t have many servants in her residence, so there wouldn''t be many people who knew about this place.

    "How many servants know?"

    "There''s only Xiao Yu and Xiao Qing who knows, but Xiao Qing is sold to Merchant Shi Yan not long ago."

    "Any way to retrieve her back?"

    "Merchant Shi Yan is known to love playing with women. I believe that it''s not possible to get her back."

    Wei Hong Zheng frowned. "It doesn''t matter then. Just one person can''t possibly hinder my path."

    It didn''t take long for him to arrive by the storage room there. There were several servants who were tied and gagged there, including Xiao Yu. Looking at the servants there, Wei Hong Zheng could only feel his heart turned even colder. Many of them didn''t know the real deal, but they were aware of the secret door.

    He couldn''t let them alive.

    "Mmgh!"

    Tears rolled down on Xiao Yu''s face. She knew that when Wei Liuying made her move to get out of the residence, everyone here would die. Since Wei Liuying never cared for the servants around her, who were only sent by Feng Chun to monitor her, it never mattered too much for her.

    And from the moment Xiao Yu chose to betray Wei Liuying, there was no longer any place for her in Wei Liuying''s mind.

    The escape attempts didn''t even alert them.

    Filled with regret, Xiao Yu felt her world descended into darkness. If only she had another chance, she would not be tempted to follow what Feng Chun said. What kind of good ending she got from betraying her miss?

    There was no good ending.

    It was all for naught.

    In just a short period of time, Wei Hong Zheng killed all the servants there. He turned to look at Huo. "If Mother asks why I killed her people, tell her that I need to erase eyewitnesses."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    "Clean up the rest."

    Still drenched in blood, Wei Hong Zheng made his way back to his own residence. This was not his first time killing people. Ever since he and Wei Yijun were young, Wei Hong had already taught them how to kill and ordered them to do it to a servant that he wanted to dispose.

    He felt that it was necessary to teach to his sons in case they faced enemies. They should never have any hesitation to kill or it might cost them their lives.

    "Is there any search for her?"

    "There are some people sent in secret to find them. However, there''s no trace found so far, Young Master."

    Wei Hong Zheng frowned. His sister has always been watched by their people. It was impossible for her to escape so far because the number of places that Wei Liuying knew were limited.

    "The bookstore?"

    "There''s only the servants and manager there. No one match the profile that you sent," Huo replied while following after Wei Hong Zheng. He had already ordered some other servants to clean up the mess that Wei Hong Zheng created.

    "No one?"

    "Yes."

    "Height?"

    "Everyone there is much taller than you. There''s no one who wear suspicious shoes."

    Wei Hong Zheng frowned. His sister shouldn''t have escaped for that far. Thinking about the prison incident, he became even more certain that Wei Liuying escaped to safe Wei Lu. He scoffed in his heart.

    Caring about other people will only bring weakness to them.

    He had learned it from young and now, he believed it even more. Feelings were unnecessary. He could only become stronger by abandoning all sort of feelings.

    "I''m going to wash and go to watch the execution."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    Because of the execution, the class was canceled today. Many people would go to the hall to watch it because it was rare for the Emperor to suddenly announced something like this. It seemed that the officials had crossed the line this time.

    ¡­

    In the darkness, a servant was watching what had happened. He slowly disappeared from his place and appeared again in the palace.

    "Master, Wei Hong Zheng moved to eliminate all servants."

    Prince Ji Shu had just returned from meeting his imperial father and imperial mother. They were not bothered with the execution that was ordered to be done today. On the contrary, his father was only annoyed at the officials for not doing what they were supposed to do before he returned back to dote on his woman.

    It seemed that the Emperor was no longer that interested in the officials'' matter.

    He preferred to have fun with his women in his harem and let his officials to be the one to handle most matters. However, he still didn''t show any sign of relaxing his grip on his throne.

    "All of them?"

    "Yes."

    Prince Ji Shu''s lips curled up to form a smile. "I never know Second Young Master from Wei Family Residence is actually so fierce too."

    The servant kneeled in front of Prince Ji Shu. "Master, should I stop him?"

    "No need. Just keep on watching there."

    "Yes, Master."

    Towards eliminating eyewitnesses, Prince Ji Shu didn''t care. It was even doing him a favor from being the one to kill them. After all, he didn''t want Wei Hong to have more bad records because of his family member''s action.

    Wei Liuying''s incident alone was already more than enough to make them troubled. He wondered how they would cover up the incident. There was no way they would try to find a fake person to impersonate Wei Liuying, right?

    Wait, it was actually a great idea.

    Prince Ji Shu rubbed his chin and thought of proposing this idea to Wei Xiao Hua later. If he could plant his people to act as Wei Liuying and help Wei Xiao Hua, it would be for the best.

    Unfortunately, he only got this idea now, so he couldn''t hide the matter from Wei Hong and the others. The only way to actualize this idea would be through Wei Xiao Hua by having her the one to suggest to Wei Hong. If the new Wei Liuying could help Wei Xiao Hua to obtain the full control of Wei Family Household, it will be pretty good.

    He needed to find a way to convince Wei Xiao Hua of this idea.

    With that in thought, Ji Shu leisurely strolled on his residence. The air felt so good lately.

 Chapter 124 - The Aftermath

    The sky had long brightened.

    Wei Liuying didn''t know how long she slept, but she didn''t wake up for a long time. By the time she opened her eyes, she realized that it was already past midday. She must have slept for a long time.

    "You''re awake?"

    Turning her head to the door, Wei Liuying noticed that Yang Xian was standing there with several bamboo strips on his hands. She corrected her body to a sitting position and looked back at the strategist.

    "Yes. Thank you very much for allowing me to stay here last night, Strategist Yang."

    "You can call me with my name," Yang Xian said and walked forward. He poured a cup of water from the pot and handed it to Wei Liuying. "I don''t have tea here, so you should drink water first. After you wash up, I''ll bring you to the dining room to eat."

    "Thank you."

    Wei Liuying drank the water and cleared her throat. Now that she was no longer as tired as before, she could feel the pain from her arm clearer. At the same time, she noticed that there were several other bruises on her hand. It seemed that the result from shooting arrows and fighting with sword were not that mild.

    "Is there anything wrong?" Yang Xian asked when he saw Wei Liuying stared at her own palm.

    "No. I''m just surprised there''s mark from last night."

    "Even though you have trained in martial arts ever since you were young, this was a different case. I don''t think you used your martial arts a lot for a long period of time," Yang Xian said and looked at Wei Liuying''s hand. "Don''t worry, the mark will disappear and your skin will harden."

    "I know."

    "Your expression looks troubled."

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows slightly. "This is my usual expression, Strategist Yang. You''ll need to get used to it."

    "Alright. Here is the report of what had happened in the past few hours you were sleeping." Yang Xian handed the bamboo strips he was holding to Wei Liuying. "I was about to leave them on the table, but you wake up."

    "Thank you."

    Looking at the sentences written on top of the bamboo strips, Wei Liuying understood that Yang Xian was also using code. However, he was only using the simple ones that would allow others who read it understood as long as they knew the context.

    In short, there were several events that occurred.

    The princes were called to the palace for some questioning and the power fell on the fourth prince, who was asked to conduct investigation.

    There was chaos in the capital city, but the execution took place as expected.

    Wei Family Household stayed silent about Wei Liuying as if they wished to cover up the incident. There were no other movements from them at all.

    The execution had finished, so there was no one alive anymore. The family members have already taken back the bodies of the killed officials.

    Wei Liuying read the contents and frowned. "It''s rare for the Emperor to forgive the family of the wronged officials."

    Usually: kill all seven generation of the family.

    But this time, the Emperor only made a move against the officials who were wrong and have them killed. The rest of the family members were released as if it was nothing more than a warning to them.

    "There are too many of them this time," Yang Xian said lightly. "And the Emperor is not stupid enough to drag those people when he already knew that this was only a plot. If you pay close attention, only two officials have their family members alive because the rest no longer have any family members."

    Wei Liuying could feel chills running down her spine when she heard what Yang Xian said. She was not that familiar with all the nobles in this kingdom, so she hadn''t paid close attention. What she knew was that her uncle, Wei Lu, no longer had any immediate family members and only had one brother.

    "You mean¡­ they''re all those with no affiliation?"

    "Most of them no longer had direct family members anymore, which meant that it''s harder to control them," Yang Xian replied. "You see, there are many people who cared for their family, so those in power will make use of this weakness to control them."

    "I see." Wei Liuying looked at the information in her hand and realized that even those family members who picked them up were nothing more than siblings with no good relationship. It was clear that these officials were mostly alone because they don''t have children and their wives have died. Some still have a few concubines, but without the family head, those were useless.

    However, many of them were old officials who were loyal to the Kingdom.

    It was a pity that they picked the wrong person and the Emperor also found them hard to control. That was what caused this incident to happen.

    "There are a lot of struggle for power," Yang Xian added. "This is just a small portion of it that outsider can see."

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Will His Highness the Third Prince get involved?"

    "That''s something for the future."

    "How about you?"

    Yang Xian smirked. "A lowly person rise into high position is already rare enough. There was no need to push myself into deeper trouble."

    "Would I be able to meet with His Highness?"

    "Soon enough you can. He''s still resting after visiting his mother, and there might be some others who want to meet with him."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. She only knew very little about the matter of the Imperial Family. Regarding the third prince and his mother, there was very little that was known about them. However, she would also not pry when it was unnecessary.

    Knock! Knock!

    "Yang Xian, His Highness the Third Prince is here," Shi Yan''s voice could be heard from outside.

    Wei Liuying glanced to the door with bewildered expression. Never in her wildest dream would she expect to see a prince got close with an ''ordinary'' merchant. It seemed as if Prince Ji Sheng was exceedingly peculiar to have so many people from low background to get close to him.

    Yang Xian noticed Wei Liuying''s gaze and chuckled. "I''ll be going there soon, Yan. There''s no need to be so surprised, Liuying."

    "Hmm?"

    "You should know that His Highness''s position in the court is tricky. It''s not easy for him to get close to people with power. Besides, what kind of image do you think he''s trying to build?"

    What kind of image?

    Wei Liuying didn''t have much impression of the third prince. Aside from the fact that she had heard news of his victory in the battle, she only knew him from seeing him a few times. Even then, she never truly talked to him about what he actually wanted.

    Yang Xian took out a set of male clothes. "You should change to this first. I''ll be waiting outside."

    "Alright."

    It was ordinary people''s robe that she could see on the street frequently. Wei Liuying quickly changed her clothes and realized that her previous robe was tattered. One will wonder where she had gone to if she didn''t change her clothes first.

    The clothes were dark blue in color and didn''t seem to be that special. Wei Liuying scrutinized her appearance in the bronze mirror for a moment before she walked out. Her hair was tied into a small bun, which was common for males at that time.

    "You don''t look that bad. Come on, you''ll act as my attendant."

    "I understand, Master."

    Yang Xian walked to the main hall with Wei Liuying behind him. From the way they looked like, they were no different from master and subordinate. Only those close to Yang Xian would know the plot because Yang Xian was unwilling to have servants. As a former commoner, he preferred to prepare for his own needs by himself.

    The exception would be on the battlefield where everyone has their own roles.

    "Your Highness, Strategist Yang and his attendant is here."

    "Tell them to come in," Prince Ji Sheng ordered.

    ???Yes, Master."

    Yang Xian and Wei Liuying walked to the main hall. There were many other servants there from various palaces. Wei Liuying could see from the various different clothes they have that they all belonged to different place.

    His Majesty.

    Madam in the harem.

    First prince.

    Second prince.

    And fourth princes.

    All of their servants gathered in the hall right now. Wei Liuying tried to keep herself natural and ignored them by staying behind Yang Xian and kowtowed along with him. It was the customary bow especially when commoners met with a high ranking prince.

    Prince Ji Sheng frowned when he saw Yang Xian bowed so deeply. "You''re no longer a commoner, Yang Xian."

    "It''s a subject''s duty to honor their Master," Yang Xian replied.

    "You may rise."

    "Thank you, Your Highness."

    Yang Xian had the proper expression on his face, but his lips were twitching. It was clear that he actually wanted to put on his usual smirk and annoying face upfront. Too bad that there were too many servants in the hall for him to act normal.

    "Eunuch Zhang, I already heard the message from Imperial Father. Please tell him that I''ll do my duty well," Prince Ji Sheng said with a lighthearted tone.

    Eunuch Zhang cupped his hands and bowed to Prince Ji Sheng. "Replying to Your Highness, this servant will send the message to His Majesty. May you rest well here, Your Highness."

    "You may leave."

    Prince Ji Sheng quickly sorted out the things that the servants there wanted one by one. Wei Liuying listened from the side and felt stiff from all the greetings and words they exchanged from one another. Even though she had already faced it a lot back in her residence, this was the first time she realized that those from higher rank had to deal with it at even more intense rate.

    The number of servants were much more than what she had ever seen. At the same time, he had to make sure that he didn''t offend any of them.

    It was both amazing and tiring.

 Chapter 125 - What Do You Want To Do Now?

    By the time Prince Ji Sheng finished answering all the servants'' inquiry and sent them out, an incense time had passed. He finally sent the servants away as he led Yang Xian and Wei Liuying to his study room.

    "We''ll talk more in my study. It''s cleaner there," Prince Ji Sheng said in low tone.

    Yang Xian nodded readily. "It''s not a problem for me."

    Wei Liuying watched the two of them exchanged words. Even though they were still polite on the surface, their tone was lighter compared to before. It was apparent that they were comfortable near each other and didn''t feel the needs to put up so much guard like what they had done before.

    Before long, they entered the study and Yang Xian closed the door.

    "Yan, you don''t need to hide."

    "What would I do if the one who come is not you?" Shi Yan''s head popped from behind the book rack. He grinned mischievously. "I have to make sure that the one who come is you and not some other servants, right?"

    "No servant will dare to come in," Prince Ji Sheng said in a cold tone. His tall figure made way to the center, and he sat down leisurely. His eyes swept the three people before him. "In a week''s time, it''ll be Xiaoli''s 16th birthday. After the birthday party, she''ll have her hairpin ceremony and we''re going to depart to the north."

    Just like the males have their adulthood ceremony, females have hairpin ceremony as a mark that they have turned into adult. The ceremony was simpler than the males because all they have to do was to have their female friends inserted the hairpin to their bun.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered, and she looked at Prince Ji Sheng. Just like what she had seen before, he had defined features and handsome countenance. However, her mind didn''t even think about that. "Your Highness, can I speak?"

    "No need to be so polite." Shi Yan laughed from the side. "Sheng won''t execute you just from being impolite."

    Sheng?

    Hearing the way they addressed him, Wei Liuying was thoroughly speechless. The difference in the social status was so high that it was impossible to not greet him politely. After all, a mistake was enough to cost them their lives.

    "Yan is always so impolite to Sheng. But yes, you don''t need to worry about being impolite with us here," Yang Xian added.

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" even you too?

    "Do you really think I''m that polite when we''re in private?" Yang Xian asked teasingly when he saw Wei Liuying''s expression.

    Recalling the time she heard how they greeted Prince Ji Sheng in the hall just now, she felt that the contrast was a bit too much. The three of them clearly didn''t care for any manners when they were alone. Well, during the time of life and death in battles, she doubted that Ji Sheng and Yang Xian would be polite too.

    But Shi Yan''s impoliteness was baffling to her.

    Prince Ji Sheng smiled lightly. It was a completely different smile than the one he showed to the servant out of politeness. "You can speak freely, Liuying."

    "Thank you, Your Highness," Wei Liuying replied slowly. She was still not used to greet them impolitely, so she will stick with this address for now. "Will I come to the north later?"

    "Yes, you''ll come along with Xian. He''ll be the one to take care of your needs when you''re at the north."

    Yang Xian''s face darkened. "Sheng, you''re just reducing me to be a baby sitter now?"

    "You''re the one who''s so adamant to have her, are you not?"

    "I thought it''s you who said it first?"

    The two of them stared at one another, unwilling to lose in their battle of words. On the side, Shi Yan yawned because he had already gotten used to see these two battled it out like this. They were not serious and just tried to joke around, but from outsider point of view, it might look like they were ready to have a war.

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. She had just realized one thing.

    Prince Ji Sheng is different from other princes and all high ranked officials whom she had seen. They would never ever show their weakness and real side to their servants like what this prince did.

    Prince Ji Sheng withdrew his gaze. He looked at Wei Liuying. "Any inquiry?"

    "Yes. I don''t understand why Your Highness is willing to help someone like me," Wei Liuying replied.

    This time, Prince Ji Sheng looked at Yang Xian, who arched his eyebrows. Yang Xian laughed lightly. "You can say that His Highness is more interested in capable people regardless of their background rather than those who has power but no real capabilities."

    "Even a woman?"

    "Girl, you''re not even an adult yet. How can you be a woman?"

    Wei Liuying kept a poker face. She knew that she hadn''t had her monthly something due to the fact that her body was malnourished, and she learned martial arts. However, it should be soon since she had reached 14 years old.

    "Yes, regardless of gender too."

    Shi Yan rubbed his nose. "Well, you see. The one who caught Sheng''s eyes in the first place is my sister and not me."

    "I thought your sister is only 16?" and based on the way they interacted, they had known each other for years, right?

    Sensing the gaze on Wei Liuying''s eyes, Shi Yan''s face darkened.

    "NOT IN THAT WAY!"

    Wei Liuying''s lips curled up into a smile when she saw Shi Yan''s exasperated face. Somehow, she felt that teasing him was also quite fun considering how he seemed to treat everything so seriously.

    "Shi Yan''s sister is an aspiring doctor," Prince Ji Sheng elaborated. He looked at Wei Liuying. "Despite being a girl, she''s good, so I wish to have her in the troops."

    "How about me?"

    "You''re a good strategist and schemer," Yang Xian was the one who answered. "As time passed, the number of cities under Prince Ji Sheng will increase and there will be a lot of battles. I need someone to share my burden."

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Are there no capable men?"

    "There are a lot, but not many of them can be trusted."

    "And you can trust me?"

    Yang Xian smiled and walked around Wei Liuying. "A concubine daughter with no real power to speak off, running away from home, criminals who helps others to escape, and also a young girl with no connection. I believe you don''t have any other place that you can rely on, Liuying."

    What Yang Xian said was simply stating the fact. He could sugarcoat everything, but he knew that it would be useless. With Wei Liuying''s level of intelligence, she would be able to see through him easily. It would be better for him to be upfront with what he wanted right away.

    "You''re waiting for the right time, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian smiled. "I won''t deny it."

    Wei Liuying closed her eyes. She didn''t really have any other choice and by taking her here, they were also taking a gamble. If it was known that the third prince was sheltering a criminal, there was no doubt that his reputation would plummet. Not to mention, he would be making an enemy out of the entire kingdom.

    Since she could no longer live freely with her original identity and had no other way, staying here was not a bad option.

    "You''ll need to prepare new identity for me," Wei Liuying said as she opened her eyes. "And I swear to the Heaven that I''ll never betray you, Prince Ji Sheng."

    An oath made to the Heaven was something that everyone had to treat carefully. No one wanted to make one unless it was necessary because if they broke it, they would be punished by the Heaven.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "You know that you don''t have to say that, right?"

    "Isn''t it only normal?" Wei Liuying asked again.

    "True enough."

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded, satisfied with their intelligence. The only way for him to trust them was by having them give their oath willingly without any hint to do so beforehand. He had known that Wei Liuying had higher level of intelligence, but he didn''t expect it to be truly on par with what he wanted.

    He felt that he truly had good eyes this time. (A/N: You mean Yang Xian, Your Highness, not you)

    "Since you had decided, I''ll tell you my view. I don''t have any plan to get the throne," Prince Ji Sheng said bluntly. "What I want is a peaceful live on the border and create an everlasting peace with the Xiong Tribe."

    Wei Liuying looked at Prince Ji Sheng. "It''ll be hard as war has been going on for a long time. However, if we can strike a deal with Xiong Tribe, peace might be possible."

    "There are only two methods that we can think off. It''s either through violence or through peaceful method," Yang Xian said from the side. "Peaceful method is better, but if we can''t reach a deal with them, we''ll have to use violence."

    "The peaceful method, is it from trade?"

    "Yes."

    Shi Yan grinned from the side. "It''s my role."

    "I know."

    "Can''t you act impressed?"

    Wei Liuying cast him a glance without changing her expression in the slightest bit. "There''s only one merchant in this room, so who else if it''s not you?"

    Shi Yan just got another blow to his intelligence.

 Chapter 126 - Recuperating

    Shi Yan sulked on the side.

    Yang Xian shrugged and changed the conversation. "Do you think the plan will succeed? I recall you did mention something similar before."

    Tapping her chin lightly, Wei Liuying nodded. "It''s a plausible plan, but only if two sides are cooperating."

    "We plan to make our move when Princess Ji Xiaoli go to the north for the arranged marriage," Prince Ji Sheng said slowly. "It might not be the best option, but it''s the only way to stop the war temporarily."

    Wei Liuying''s eyebrows creased a bit, but she had to admit that Ji Sheng was correct. The Xiong Tribe asked for a marriage agreement to make sure that Han Shi Kingdom would not attack them. Yet at the same time, they also had to abide the rules.

    While the marriage agreement was not the best one, the Emperor readily married off his daughter. For noble family, it was extremely common.

    "Life in noble family is not easy."

    "Indeed."

    Yang Xian patted Wei Liuying''s shoulder. "You should go and have some rest. I''ll call doctor later."

    "Thank you."

    Wei Liuying walked out of the study and looked back once. There were some sentences left unsaid. No one there wanted the fate that occurred to Princess Ji Xiaoli, but this was the only method to reduce the number of casualties. If not, war will definitely continue at an even more intense rate.

    There were always some sacrifices needed.

    All they could do was hoped that everything would turn out to be fine in the end.

    After Wei Liuying had left, Yang Xian looked at Prince Ji Sheng and crossed his hands. "So, what do you plan to do next, Sheng? I know that you''re not going to agree with the plan so easily."

    "I already asked permission to make negotiation," Prince Ji Sheng replied. "Imperial Father is not too happy about what I asked, Xian."

    "Even if he''s not happy, it''s not like he''ll monitor all of your movements back at north," Shi Yan said with a grin. He played with a book on his hand as he fiddled around. "Besides, I can easily move place with my carriages and goods."

    Shi Yan was not exactly affiliated with Han Shi Kingdom. If it was necessary, he didn''t find it a big problem to move to the north and centered his trade with Xiong Tribe and many other tribes there. After all, he was familiar with what they needed and had some access to those places as well.

    It was easy for him to do the trades as long as he could control the carriages and flow of goods from trades.

    Yang Xian shrugged. "Even if the Emperor didn''t like the idea, it''s better than just relying on the marriage agreement. We all knows that it can only last 3 years at most."

    3 years was already an overstatement.

    Based on what they watched over at the north, they knew that it would be good enough if the marriage could last for two years. It would be even better if Princess Ji Xiaoli managed to get the prince''s heart and pulled him to their side. However, the chance was low.

    "You''ll be the one to prepare everything, Xian."

    "I understand, Your Highness."

    "Now you''re back to polite again."

    "Habits," Yang Xian replied uncaringly. He was used to treat Prince Ji Sheng politely when they were in the capital city because there were more ears here compared to the north.

    Shi Yan yawned. "Now that we have decided, can I catch my sleep again? I don''t understand why you have to spend so much effort just to erase that girl, I mean Liuying''s trace."

    Wei Liuying was wounded on the day she escaped. When it was day time, the trace of blood would be very apparent. However, Yang Xian had already ordered some of their men to clean up the traces and also made diversion to make sure that it couldn''t be traced to their residence.

    All were planned carefully when Prince Ji Sheng was in the palace, doing his part to finish the negotiation.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "Don''t you think she''s worth it, Yan?"

    "She''s just better than average¡­" Shi Yan''s voice trailed at the end. The memory of his crushing defeat in Wei Liuying''s hand floated inside his mind. Even though it pained him to admit it, he had to say that Wei Liuying was amazing.

    "See your expression in the mirror. Even you realize that she has something that many others didn''t have. As long as she had the talent, just expending a bit of effort is nothing much." Yang Xian turned to look at Ji Sheng. "Am I right, Sheng?"

    Prince Ji Sheng looked back. His dark pupil seemed to be capable to see through any layer of guise. He nodded his head. "Yes."

    Shi Yan pursed his lips, but he didn''t say anything more about it. When he first met with Ji Sheng and Yang Xian, they also have to spend some effort to help him. After all, he could only become a merchant thanks to their help in some matters. If not for them, he might have already died on the street a long time ago with unrecognizable body and his sister would be sold as a slave.

    The three of them continued to discuss some other matters before they went their separate ways.

    ¡­

    Time passed swiftly.

    Wei Liuying stayed within the house that Yang Xian showed to her at first. It was originally the place for Yang Xian, but he was too busy to even return back and ended up making another bed in a small room nearby. She was not sure about his work, but she knew that he was a very busy person.

    It took Wei Liuying a few days to heal completely. Aside from the wounds on her arm, she was also dead tired after three days of hunting then added with the tense condition where she had to perform series of act. Lack of sleep made her body weaker.

    "You''re still eating too little," Yang Xian complained when he saw the rest of the food on Wei Liuying''s tray.

    Wei Liuying pushed it to Yang Xian. "Please help me to finish the food."

    "You''re eating too little for someone who can use martial arts. You should finish the food," Yang Xian said sternly.

    "It''s too much for my small body."

    "You''re indeed smaller than 10 years old, but you''re a martial artist."

    It took some time before Wei Liuying could eat a few more bites and Yang Xian had to finish the rest. Over the past few days, he was the one who took care of her meal and schedule. The doctor who came over was an old doctor who had been taking care of Prince Ji Sheng for a long time. They could trust him to cure her.

    "Can you move your hand around?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "It''s already healed."

    "Good. Manager Xin will come in a few breaths'' time. He''s on his way to the residence," Yang Xian.

    "Manager Xin will come here?"

    "Didn''t you tell him that you wish to purchase restaurant from your hard earned money?"

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. She did recall saying that, but she was absolutely sure that she had never told Yang Xian about that. It seemed that he must be asking Manager Xin about the matter when Manager Xin asked to meet with her.

    "I did."

    "There are several restaurants that are in need of money. If you can convince the owner, they might want to sell their restaurant to you," Yang Xian said with a smile.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I need to see it first."

    "Good point."

    Just like what Yang Xian said, Manager Xin arrived not long afterwards. He looked at the two of them and cupped his hands. "Good morning, Strategist Yang and Miss Wei."

    "Liu."

    "Yes?"

    "Please call me Young Master Liu from now on," Wei Liuying said. There was only one family with Wei surname in the capital city. She didn''t want anyone to recognize her if she used that surname.

    Manager Xin understood and smiled. "I understand, Young Master Liu."

    "Did you talk with Strategist Yang about my plan?"

    "I¡­" Manager Xin glanced at Yang Xian, but the latter looked away. From the way it looked like, Yang Xian was unwilling to take responsibility from leaking out the information to Wei Liuying. "I don''t have any other choice, Young Master Liu."

    Wei Liuying didn''t even bother to look at Yang Xian. "In that case, I hope that there won''t be anyone else who knew about this matter."

    "Rest assured, Young Master Liu. No one else will know about this." Manager Xin was tricked by Yang Xian to reveal this piece of news. He was also unwilling at first but had no other choice at the end. "Also, Wei Family come to visit the bookstore to search for you secretly."

    "Did they find anything?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Manager Xin shook his head. "There''s no trace of your whereabouts in the bookstore. I have already burned your previous clothes along with the trash so there''s no trace."

    "Good work, Manager Xin."

    "Thank you for your praise, Young Master Liu."

    Wei Liuying looked at the bright sky. "Since the time is still early, shall we go and have a walk, Manager Xin?"

 Chapter 127 - Strolling Around

    Manager Xin smiled. "Sure, Young Master Liu."

    Yang Xian also stood up. He stretched his hands and legs. "Let''s have a walk around the city. I''m sure that you don''t have much time to look around in the past."

    "Are you going to come, Strategist Yang?" Wei Liuying asked in a deadpan tone. She was looking at him with a little hostile gaze. It was clear that she didn''t find herself comfortable to walk around with Yang Xian near her.

    He was a dangerous person, someone whom she needed to stay careful.

    "Why not? I have some free time today?"

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows but didn''t say anything else. What kind of free time he actually had? She had seen him swamped with work over the past few days. How could she not know that he was so busy that he nearly didn''t have the time for anything else to do.

    "I''ll guide you out," Yang Xian offered.

    "Thank you, Strategist Yang."

    They couldn''t get out from the front gate because there were a lot of people who were watching over Prince Ji Sheng''s residence. It was easy to guess that they must be coming from the other princes since they were so keen on watching over Prince Ji Sheng''s residence.

    They all wished to get Ji Sheng''s weakness.

    Even though they knew that the chance for him to get the throne was low, they wanted to reduce that small chance to zero.

    Yang Xian took them out from the back door. The three of them walked on the street leisurely. By this time, Wei Liuying was dressed up as a young boy, so she didn''t look conspicuous on the street at all. The only thing that they couldn''t change was her face, so she did look a bit girly.

    "The Capital City is large. Where do you want to go first?"

    "I''ll go to the outer layer," Wei Liuying replied. She preferred places that were away from the palace.

    "Please follow me, Young Master Liu."

    Wei Liuying nodded then thought of something. "Manager Xin, is it alright for you to leave the bookstore empty? There are always some of your old friends who come to visit every day, right?"

    "There are, but I already ordered that no one shall disturb me today," Manager Xin replied with a laugh.

    "What if there''s a naughty one?"

    "I''ll take care of him." Manager Xin smiled. "Or do you dislike this old bone to be your guide today, Young Master Liu?"

    Wei Liuying smiled back when she heard how Manager Xin called himself. "Of course not, Manager Xin. I''m just worried that you''ll get in trouble because of me."

    "This is just a small matter. I''m waiting for more of your writings."

    "I''ll get to it once I learn more from Young Master Yang."

    Manager Xin nodded with delight. He looked at Yang Xian and smirked. "In that case, you have to make sure that you teach him properly. I don''t want to get a bad manuscript the next time you visit the capital city in the future."

    "There''s no need to worry so much," Yang Xian replied unhurriedly. "I''ll never be a bad teacher."

    "I''ll take you upon your words, Young Master Yang."

    In the capital city, the word strategist would be too eye catching. After all, Yang Xian was practically the only strategist in the capital city with the surname Yang. There was no noble family with that surname, and Yang Xian himself was a former commoner born in the north area of Han Shi Kingdom.

    Wei Liuying looked around the street. She had never seen the people from this close as they passed by. Most of the times, she could only see them through the carriage from a distance away.

    "There''s a good restaurant nearby, but it has bad traffic lately because the owner changed," Manager Xin said after a while.

    "What is it good at?"

    "The location is strategic and the food is delicious back then. However, I don''t know for sure how it is now since many years have passed."

    Looking at the restaurant that Manager Xin pointed, Wei Liuying noticed that the building did look old. There were some dilapidated woods that seemed to stick out in the crowd. She walked closer and smelled the smell of the food and frowned.

    After being mistreated for a long time, Wei Liuying was good when it came to differentiating food''s condition. She usually had to make do with some lower quality food that might no longer fresh because it was kept for too long. Because of that, she always treasured fresh food that she could get.

    The smell from the food here was not exactly that good.

    Wei Liuying shook her head. "I don''t think this will be a good idea for our place to have lunch. Shall we continue our stroll?"

    Manager Xin and Yang Xian looked at each other. They didn''t expect Wei Liuying to reject the store outright just after seeing the store from the outside one time. It seemed that she had some high criteria for the restaurant that she wanted to buy.

    "In that case, we shall get going."

    Yang Xian rubbed his chin. "Now that I think about it, I owe you a meal, right Young Master Liu?"

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. Owe a meal? Her brain was rotating at high speed until she recalled the time when she first met with Yang Xian. At that time, he said that he would treat her to a meal as thanks. She was a noble young girl, so it was impossible for her to accept it back then.

    "Didn''t you have paid me with the sugar candy?"

    "How can it be compared with the help that you have given to me?" Yang Xian asked back with a laugh. "Don''t reject me this time, Young Master Liu. I''ll be very sad if you don''t want to accept my goodwill."

    Hearing his sentence, Wei Liuying was itching to throw a stone down his throat. It seemed that he had the skill to twist words much better than many other nobles. The way he said seemed as if she had hurt his feeling by rejecting his offer.

    "In that case, I''ll be the one to pick the restaurant."

    "As long as you don''t pick the most expensive dish, it''s fine."

    "In that case, I should pick the most expensive one."

    "Young Master Liu, are you trying to put me in trouble?"

    Manager Xin didn''t know whether to laugh or cry when he listened how these two talked to each other. They were still polite by calling each other using the honorific ''Young Master,'' but it was painfully clear that the content was anything but that. They were basically bantering with each other.

    He never knew that these two could be like this ah!

    The mischievous strategist indeed has ways with his mouth and known for his trickery. But since he was a former commoner with no family members, it was hard to control him with threats. The young girl was a bit more behaved in front of others and known to be timid, but isn''t it all was an act to protect herself? In private, she was bolder and knew what she wanted much better.

    "This is the second restaurant," Manager Xin called out to stop the two of them from continuing their banter.

    Wei Liuying turned her head to look at the restaurant before her. Different from before, it was still in good condition. If she had to say, it has the vibe of good restaurant that seemed to be very suitable for rich people.

    "Is this not a famous restaurant?"

    "The previous owner gets into a debt because of gambling. He''s hiking the price here much higher," Manager Xin replied.

    Wei Liuying scrutinized the servants who came inside. Even though the servants were walking in graceful manner, she could notice that there were some movements where she purposely showed out her woman''s charm. The movements might be done unconsciously, but it was quite clear in Wei Liuying''s eyes.

    Even Yang Xian also rubbed his chin. "He truly had a peculiar way to make sure that he can earn a lot of money?"

    "There are a lot of women who are willing to sell themselves for money," Wei Liuying said calmly.

    Manager Xin blinked his eyes. Is this restaurant also not good?

    "I''m not going to open a charity and with this kind of reputation, it won''t last long before someone from the law enforcement come knocking." Wei Liuying''s eyelids fluttered as she looked away. There were brothels in this city, but making it in restaurant was prohibited because this street was not the back street.

    "I thought you''re going to help them."

    "They choose this path themselves. I''m not a saint who will help everyone around me when I don''t have the power to do so," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian shrugged. Wei Liuying could buy the restaurant, but at the end of the day, she wouldn''t be able to use it. Besides, reporting it to the officials were much better rather than dipping her hands on her own.

    "So, what do you plan to do?"

    "Let''s make a detour there and then continue our stroll."

    From the direction Wei Liuying pointed at, Yang Xian could see several officials were sitting. They were only having a short break since they still have to do work because of the Emperor''s decree, but they would be the best people to start this.

    "In that case, let''s go, Young Master Liu."

 Chapter 128 - Unladylike

    "I heard that there''s a good place in that restaurant," Yang Xian said in neither loud or low tone as he passed the officials.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Well, but I''m not that desperate in a broad daylight like this."

    "You?" Yang Xian cast a sidelong glance. "You''re still underage who''s drinking his mother''s milk. What use do you have for those?"

    "Tsk, I''m not a little brat. You shouldn''t spout nonsense!"

    "I''m stating a fact."

    The two of them continued walking like that. Manager Xin followed behind with a bitter smile. The two of them were acting so smoothly without even saying anything to each other about the role they would take. Their expression, body language, and even words perfectly matched with a role that they created in just split second.

    He could see that the tired officials were suspicious when they heard what these two were talking about. Their eyes turned to look at the restaurant and one of them walked there.

    Manager Xin smiled. These two specialty was truly scheming. Even though they didn''t look like they have a hand in helping those young girls, they used borrowed hand to make sure that those girls would be just fine. This method made them look as if they were nothing more than passerby.

    He''s impressed.

    "It''s done."

    Wei Liuying turned to look at the back and then looked forward once more. "Where should we go next?"

    "There''s a few others restaurant that you might want to see¡­."

    The three of them strolled the street, but all the restaurant that Manager Xin showed to her didn''t seem to be suitable. Wei Liuying knew that she would just seek trouble if she truly agreed with what Manager Xin offered to her.

    "It''s already lunch time," Yang Xian reminded. "How about if we stop to eat and rest first."

    "It''s still early."

    "You need to eat in time if you wish to stay healthy."

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows, but she still agreed. They walked to the next street, which has fewer number of people walking around the area. It was less crowded, but it could still be categorized as bustling as many people were walking around.

    Manager Xin brought them to the nearby restaurant.

    "Welcome," a waiter greeted them with a smile. "For how many people? Private room or no?"

    "Three. We''ll sit on the first floor," Yang Xian replied.

    "Right away."

    The servant guided them to a nearby table. They sat down and started to look at the menu.

    "Let''s have some roasted meat duck and 3 bowls of chicken noodles," Yang Xian ordered after looking at the menu. It looked delicious.

    "Ok."

    Wei Liuying tapped the table while pondering. The restaurants that Manager Xin offered to her didn''t seem that good. They would not last long even if the owner changed, and she was too lazy to take care from the bottom again. After all, she would only stay in the Capital City for a short period of time.

    In a week''s time at most, they would depart to the north.

    The food didn''t take a long time to cook. Soon afterwards, the food was served and the three of them started eating happily. Wei Liuying was satisfied with the food. It seemed that only in Wei Family Residence that the food was bad.

    Outside, they were all really good.

    This was how food should be.

    "You should slow down a bit. The food is not going anywhere." Yang Xian didn''t know whether to laugh or cry when he looked at Wei Liuying. "If you like noodle so much, I''ll order the servants to prepare more tomorrow."

    For the past few days, Wei Liuying''s diet mostly consisted of vegetables and meat. After all, she had been lacking in nutrition, so he ordered the servants to prepare those that could grant her the most nutrition.

    Wei Liuying held her chopsticks and nodded. She liked the chewy noodle. "Yes. Thank you."

    Yang Xian smiled back in response.

    At this time, the door was suddenly banged open. Several large build men strode in with their weapon on their sides. Weapon was not that strictly regulated on the outer area of the capital city. There were some of them who could use it freely aside from the soldiers as long as they have some connection.

    A man walked forward and slapped his hand on the counter. "Where''s Manager Xia?"

    "Master You, you''re here," a manager hurriedly scurried forward. His face held fear as he looked at the large man before him. "Is there anything wrong? I have already sent the payment for this month."

    "You lacked 10 liang of silver," the one at the front, Master You, replied lazily. He tapped the table. "We''re increasing our protection fee rate."

    Manager Xia''s face turned pale almost immediately. He shook his head rapidly. "But you just increase the fee last month!"

    "And we''re increasing it again this month. You see, the business is not good lately."

    Wei Liuying listened to their conversation and looked at Yang Xian. She had just finished the bowl of noodle after some time wolfing it down. "What''s protection fee?"

    "There are some local gangs around here who loved to extort money," Yang Xian replied. "There''s not many regulations at this area, so people can freely try to extort money one way or another. This was only one of the few methods that people can use to extort money here."

    "Is there no guards?"

    "They didn''t care. These are quite common for small business. They''ll only interfere if it''s owned by powerful person," Yang Xian replied. He didn''t have the time to care for these small skirmish too. There were too many things that he had to do as the military strategist and Ji Sheng''s right hand.

    "I see."

    Wei Liuying used her chopsticks and took a piece of duck meat. They hadn''t finished eating yet because only the noodles were done. The meat was still on the table with some pieces disappearing to their stomachs.

    Manager Xia''s face turned pale. "That''s impossible! I don''t have that much money!"

    "Do you really think that we care about that? There are fewer people lately, so we''ll take our money now!" Master You said in strong voice.

    "I really don''t have any!"

    All the saving was already given for protection fee. The rest of the profit could only be used to buy the ingredients again to maintain the restaurant keep going. He was already in tights end lately.

    Wei Liuying turned her head to look at Manager Xin. "Do you know about this restaurant?"

    "Not really. This area is a bit far, but I know that the one who holds control over this area is Master You''s gang. They did create some ruckus lately and since there are some other turmoil, their movements went undetected," Manager Xin replied in a low tone. He furrowed his brows. He was already quite aged and martial arts were definitely not his forte. He hoped that there would not be any problem here.

    "You can''t pay?" Master Xia asked.

    "Yes."

    "In that case, I''ll take this restaurant as compensation. Men, Destroy this restaurant!"

    "No! You can''t do that!"

    The customers who were eating were terrified. They quickly ran out of the restaurant without caring for their food. Who would have the mood to eat when their lives were being threatened.

    Bang!

    The tables were smashed and Manager Xia tried to stop them. "Please don''t destroy the shop. If you destroy it, you won''t get anything too."

    "That''s better if the two sides didn''t get anything."

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows, but she continued to eat without caring for the chaos. Her chopsticks still moved to take the piece of roasted duck meat in front of her.

    "Do you wish to stay?"

    "This place is not bad," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian nodded. The food is good and the manager didn''t seem that bad. Since she took the fancy for this restaurant, he would sit back and watched the show unfolded. "In that case, the stage is yours."

    "Thank you, Young Master Yang."

    "My pleasure."

    A hooligan came to them with a rod in his hand. He frowned when he saw the three of them were still eating leisurely. Aside from the old man looked worried, the two youngsters didn''t seem to notice that they were in grave danger.

    Or, were they?

    "Get out!" the hooligan said.

    "And if we don''t want to get out?" Yang Xian asked back. He also used his chopstick to take the piece of roasted duck meat.

    "I''ll kill you! Get out of here, we''re going to destroy the restaurant."

    Yang Xian put the piece of meat to his mouth and chewed lazily. "Not going."

    The hooligan was annoyed. He raised his hand and attempted to smash the table.

    Tep!

    The rod couldn''t move any further. It was blocked by a slender hand, yet the grip was so strong that the rod wouldn''t budge.

    Wei Liuying''s right hand was still holding onto her chopstick while her left hand grabbed the rod. She glanced up, looking at the astonished hooligan beside her. "Be quiet. I''m still eating."

 Chapter 129 - Obtaining The Restaurant

    The hooligan was stunned. He tried to pull back the rod but to no avail. The slender fingers that grabbed the rod felt like deep rock that was impregnatable. He couldn''t move his body from the grip.

    Wei Liuying watched coldly and put the piece of meat to her mouth leisurely.

    "Boss! This lad here is unwilling to move!" The hooligan finally shouted.

    Just as the leader, Master You turned around, Wei Liuying released her grip. As the hooligan has been trying to pull it back with all of his power, he was thrown to the back when Wei Liuying released the rod.

    Bang!

    "You''re surprisingly powerful," Yang Xian commented.

    "It''s that man who''s weak," Wei Liuying replied. If she faced great master, she would have no other choice but to run. However, that hooligan only knew how to bully the weak with weapon. The strength behind his strike was not that powerful.

    Yang Xian nodded. "Indeed, he''s weaker than a young girl."

    "You''re absolutely correct, Young Master Yang," Manager Xin agreed.

    The hooligan''s face turned red. He was thoroughly enraged, not realizing that these people were only stating the fact. After all, Wei Liuying was actually a young girl who couldn''t be categorized as an adult yet.

    "You''re seeking trouble!"

    Swish!

    Just as the hooligan was about to stand up, something passed by his face and pierced the ground. There was blood on the cheek of the hooligan as he froze in his place, unable to move at all. His head tilted to the back. He could see one chopstick stuck on the wooden wall, creating a hole that was not supposed to be there.

    H¡­how did a chopstick has that much power?

    Master You was also watching from the back with dumbfounded expression. That one attack was swift and precise as it managed to hit his men''s face. However, he couldn''t even see her movements.

    "This¡­ Young Master, don''t get involved in our matter. We''re trying to sort out our problem with the manager."

    "And I''m trying to eat peacefully," Wei Liuying replied. "And I need new chopstick."

    Master You frowned. He noticed that one of the chopstick in Wei Liuying''s hand was gone. It was clear that the one on the ground was the one she had thrown in that split second.

    "You can eat outside."

    "And if I don''t want?"

    Master You''s eyes narrowed. "Are you so adamant to create trouble here?"

    Wei Liuying chuckled. She turned her body sideways and crossed her legs. This posture made her look like a troublemaker and cheeky young master. Her lips curled up to form a naughty smile. "Aren''t you the one who tried to create trouble, Mr. I''m so great that I can destroy tables?"

    Manager Xin was thoroughly stunned. This was the first time he saw this side of Wei Liuying. Even if this was nothing more than an act, he was impressed by Wei Liuying greatly. The reason why she could act as Wei Hong Zheng must be because of her spectacular act too.

    On the other hand, Yang Xian was still eating leisurely while watching everything unfolded before him. His eyes were calm and composed.

    "Get him," Master You ordered in cold tone.

    Swish!

    Wei Liuying moved from her place and threw the chopstick away. She pulled the chair and pushed it forward to block the two men. There were a total of five people who came to her direction. Her other hand quickly unsheathed her sword.

    Clang! Slash!

    With a swift movement, Wei Liuying ducked down and brandished her sword forward. Her movements were done seamlessly as if the sword was connected to her body. Afterwards, Wei Liuying twisted her body and stepped forward.

    Several hooligans fell on the ground.

    With each movement, more and more fell on the ground. Wei Liuying herself didn''t look like she expended any energy.

    "So beautiful," Manager Xin murmured. He was not an expert in martial arts, but he could see that Wei Liuying''s movement looked like arts. Rather than fighting, she looked like she was dancing.

    Yang Xian took his cup of tea and sipped slowly. "You''re right."

    "I thought you only brought he¡ªI mean him in because of his intelligence."

    "That''s the first option, but having great martial art skill is also good," Yang Xian replied with a smirk on the corner of his eyes.

    Somehow, Manager Xin had the feeling that Yang Xian was planning to have Wei Liuying in for some important position. One that was not supposed to be for a young lady. However, when they headed to the north, war will not differentiate gender and age. No matter if they were children or women, as long as they participated, they would be treated equally.

    Swish!

    Wei Liuying swing the sword down, wounding the last hooligan aside from the leader. Her cold eyes looked at the leader. "Do you still want to have a go, Master You?"

    Fear crept from the bottom of his heart. Master You had met with several people, but this was the first time he felt this way. Neither one of his people were killed, but they were on the verge of death. With their wounds near their vital points, they would die if they were not treated in time.

    "You¡­ who are you?"

    "Just a passerby," Wei Liuying replied uncaringly. She walked towards Manager Xia, who was also watching with dumbfounded expression. "Do you have any interest to sell the restaurant?"

    Manager Xia felt as if his soul was pulled to reality when he heard the question. Selling the restaurant? He had been working hard to make sure that he could make a living from this restaurant, so he had never thought of selling it before. However, with the gangs harassing him and asking for protection fee, he couldn''t do anything.

    His profit has been plummeted badly.

    "This¡­"

    "Young Brother, are you trying to stand on my way?" Master You asked with displease.

    Wei Liuying looked back and crossed her hands. "If you still value your men''s live, you better bring them back to the nearby clinic. In less than 50 breaths time they would die."

    Master You was alarmed when he heard what Wei Liuying said. Indeed, Wei Liuying didn''t show any mercy at all when she attacked the men. She headed straight for the kill, yet she didn''t hit the vital points.

    "Let''s go!"

    The men scampered outside. They were all unwilling to die, so they had to find the nearest hospital to get treated right away.

    "You''re letting them alive? If they come back and create trouble again, you won''t be able to help out," Yang Xian remarked from the back.

    Wei Liuying shook her head. "Do you really think there''s nearby hospital here? Even if there is, they have lost too much blood and it''ll be impossible for them to stay alive after getting wounded so badly."

    Looking at the blood splattered on the ground, Yang Xian''s lips curled up to form a smile. He could guess that Wei Liuying had calculated that with each of her strike, the men would only have a very short time to live. Unless they managed to reach the hospital in time and got treated by the best doctor, they would have to say goodbye to their lives.

    It was cruel, but he liked it.

    Rather than leaving loose ends to strike back at them in the future, it would be better to eliminate all of them before they could possibly do anything.

    Manager Xia looked at Wei Liuying. "Young Master..."

    "Liu. My name is Liu Ying," Wei Liuying said.

    "Ah, Young Master Liu, what do you mean by buying the restaurant?"

    "It''s simple. I want to have the right for the restaurant, but you''ll be able to operate it as usual. However, I''ll be keeping 30 percent of what you got," Wei Liuying replied. "Those hooligans also wouldn''t come back again."

    30 percent?

    Manager Xia was definitely interested. The gangs usually took more than 50 percent than what he got. In addition, they often harassed him.

    "This¡­"

    "Manager Xin, would you like to add something?" Wei Liuying turned to look at Manager Xin.

    By this time, Manager Xin understood that what Wei Liuying wanted was a restaurant as a whole. He stood up and cupped his hands. "Manager Xia, shall we have a talk?"

    "Yes?"

    Wei Liuying chose to step back and returned back to the table. Her line of sight immediately landed on the plate of meat, which only has two left. She looked at Yang Xian. "Why did you eat so much?"

    "It''s good," Yang Xian replied unhurriedly. He smirked. "Since it''ll be yours, you''ll be able to eat more by yourself later. Don''t be stingy here."

    Wei Liuying took a pair of new chopstick and took the two last two pieces of meat. "Then the last one is for me."

    Yang Xian chuckled. He looked at Manager Xin. "You sure have a knack to make people do your work. Are you planning to have a backup?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t hide it and admitted directly, "Yes."

 Chapter 130 - Thereâ€™s Something I Want You To See

    Yang Xian played with the cup in his hands. "Obtaining over a restaurant is not a bad idea. However, you should understand that you won''t be able to take care of the restaurant from such a distance."

    "I don''t mind."

    "You''re an irresponsible owner."

    Wei Liuying''s lips curled up. "Besides, all I need to do is to take care of that gang. I don''t think that you''re going to let me have proper business in the capital city when I''m going to the north later too."

    Hearing that, Yang Xian merely smiled and didn''t say more. He knew very well that Wei Liuying understood that they wouldn''t stay in the capital city for long. What she wanted was simply to have a small backup in case things turned to the worst.

    There were many other women who usually took care of stores while their husband was the officials. It was quite common and some of the young women didn''t even take care of their business and simply let it be.

    "You should eat more. Shall I order more dishes?" Yang Xian changed the conversation.

    "I can''t eat anymore."

    "Your portion is still too little."

    After staying with Wei Liuying, Yang Xian realized that Wei Liuying truly needed to eat more. It was no wonder that she was so small with the portion that she was eating right now.

    "It''s already more than what I usually eat," Wei Liuying protested. Her small stomach couldn''t endure it if she had to eat a lot. It would take time for her to get used with eating more portions of food.

    "What do you like to eat?"

    "Huh?"

    "Don''t you have any preferences?"

    Wei Liuying tilted her head to the side. In her opinion, as long as it was edible, she didn''t really mind eating anything. Besides, she never had the chance to be picky in Wei Family Residence. If she was picky, she wouldn''t be able to eat anything.

    Looking at the girl''s face, Yang Xian realized that she must have not thought about it before. He raised his hand and poked her forehead.

    "Try to think about it. I''ll try to prepare something for you tonight."

    "You can cook?"

    "Are you doubting my abilities now?" Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. He used to live as a normal commoner who had to do chores and so on in the past. Cooking was certainly included in them.

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "No. I''m just surprised."

    "I''m not a ''real'' young master." Laughing lightly, Yang Xian glanced to the side and saw that some customers have returned back in. Without that gang creating problem, this restaurant was quite lively.

    Wei Liuying could see that as well. Rumors about Yang Xian was plenty and it was not like he hid the fact that he used to be a commoner. Probably, in the past, his status made it hard for him because some people wouldn''t like a commoner to get close with His Highness.

    "I know."

    There were some waiters who took the order from new customers. Even without the owner here, the restaurant was still working properly.

    Wei Liuying put down her chopstick. It was time for her to do her work. "I''m going now."

    "Now?" Yang Xian placed his cup and watched as Wei Liuying stood up. Her small figure, that was usually overlooked, looked enchanting this time. Without hiding her feature and no longer acting submissive, it was hard to connect the current Wei Liuying with the past her.

    "Yes. I still have some unfinished business with them." Walking to the door, Wei Liuying looked around then walked in certain direction.

    Yang Xian thought for a moment then followed Wei Liuying. It didn''t take long before they reached the nearby hospital where there were several men already on the verge of death there. The leader, Master You, was busy threatening the doctor there to heal his men as fast as possible.

    "Boss, should we still continue this work?" one of his subordinate, who didn''t follow him to the restaurant back then, asked in timid voice.

    Master You turned around and glared. "Of course! We can''t earn anything if we don''t use our fists!"

    "Yes, Boss."

    "Don''t worry, Boss! We''ll follow you until the end!"

    Listening to the bandits, Wei Liuying rubbed her chin. "Is the requirement to become soldier strict?"

    "Depends on which platoon you want to be in, the requirement can be different. But if there''s a war, usually it''ll be open requirement with no specific criteria," Yang Xian explained unhurriedly.

    "How about those men?"

    "They must have been kicked out for misbehavior or running away in the midst of a campaign," Yang Xian replied. It was not that uncommon for some soldiers to become deserters when they thought that the army would lose. Not many people have unending faith to their generals.

    As for those who were kicked out, they were usually put on black list and would not be able to join the army anymore.

    "I see."

    "Do you want to have a talk with them?"

    "Yes."

    "I''ll wait for you here."

    Wei Liuying glanced at Yang Xian and nodded lightly. Afterwards, she walked towards the men from the gang.

    In the meantime, Yang Xian stayed still in his place as he watched Wei Liuying talked to the men with calm expression. No one knew their conversation aside from them, but from that day on, the gang disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place.

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying returned with Yang Xian to the restaurant. Manager Xin had already finished talking with Manager Xia. "Young Master Liu, this is the restaurant''s deeds. From now on, this restaurant belongs to you."

    "Thank you very much for your hard work, Manager Xin."

    "It''s nothing much," Manager Xin replied. He rubbed his palm together with a goofy smile on his lips. "So, will you start making your new book? I''m curious about the continuation of your view regarding the North''s history."

    Wei Liuying was stunned for a moment. Her very first reader was Manager Xin, who was interested with her point of view regarding the history at the north. The way she analyzed the battles and everything was accurate and gave clear description, which was very intriguing for Manager Xin.

    "As I said before, I''ll continue after a while."

    "Don''t take too long, Young Master Liu. A lot of people are waiting for your new book," Manager Xin reminded. Of course, he was included in the list of people who were waiting for the new one. As for the others¡­ they were some other people who liked to read this type of book.

    "Don''t worry. I don''t have any plan to make it that long." Wei Liuying looked at the restaurant. "Since the matter is finished, shall we head back?"

    "Ah wait, I want to take you to a place," Yang Xian interrupted. He smirked. "I''m sure that you''ll like it."

    Seeing the smile on Yang Xian''s face, Manager Xin shook his head. He chose not to bother with these two and returned back. His old body couldn''t catch up with their pace anymore. He wanted to have more rest and peace back in his old bookstore.

    Besides, his objective in going out today was to help Wei Liuying to select a store. Since it was done, it was time for him to relax a bit.

    "Where do you want to go?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "You''ll know later. Let''s go."

    Even though Wei Liuying didn''t understand where Yang Xian wanted her to go, she still followed him. They passed by several streets until they reached the east area of the Capital City. Along the way, there were several people who glanced in their direction for a moment.

    Probably, they recognized Yang Xian, yet they were not totally sure about it.

    Soon, the famous ''ghost forest'' could be seen from a distance away.

    Wei Liuying looked at the forest and blinked her eyes. "Yang Xian, we''re not going here to see ghost, right?"

    It was almost evening as the sky was darkening, which was the perfect time for them to see ghost. However, Wei Liuying felt that it was impossible for Yang Xian to come here because of that ghost rumor.

    Yang Xian let out a chuckle. "Of course not."

    "Then¡­"

    "There''s a place that I want you to see here."

    Glancing at that annoying strategist for a moment, Wei Liuying shook her head lightly. Why couldn''t he just say clearly the reason why they were here? Acting mysterious just made him annoying in her eyes.

    However, she stayed silent and followed after Yang Xian.

    Yang Xian continued to walk into the forest. He didn''t stop there and proceeded until they were close to the wall. Looking around, he pointed to the nearby tree. "Can you climb tree?"

    "I can." Wei Liuying looked at the tree with suspicious gaze. "But why do you want me to head there?"

    "There''s something I want to show you."

    "Up there?"

    "Yes."

 Chapter 131 - You Should Smile More

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying looked at the tree that Yang Xian pointed with confusion. There was nothing special from the tree from what she had seen so far. Why did he even want her to come here?

    Ignoring Wei Liuying''s confusion, Yang Xian began to climb. Not knowing what he actually wanted, Wei Liuying chose to follow closely from behind. The two of them continued to climb until they were above the surroundings top tree. Apparently, the one Yang Xian chose was taller than the rest of the trees.

    From this point, they would be able to see the entire forest and even beyond that. There were only a few trees climbing above the tree line and this one was included among them.

    Normally, tree that grew too tall by itself would be blown by harsh wind and then fell down. However, this tree was only a bit taller and might not be too affected by the wind. Or it was just waiting for a strong wind to push it down.

    "Is it not dangerous?" Wei Liuying asked worriedly.

    "I have been here with His Highness. You''re lighter than him, so it should be fine."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" what are you two doing here?

    She grabbed the branch and propped herself to sit down beside Yang Xian. The wood did look a bit small, but it was firm. Wei Liuying realized that there was no sign of her moving around even though it did look a bit small.

    "This tree is strong."

    "It has too much nutrition," Yang Xian commented.

    "¡­I thought that all the trees here should get around the same amount of nutrition from the ground?"

    "I''m not a gardener, so I don''t know."

    "Neither do I," Wei Liuying corrected her position. The sun was going down, so the temperature started to drop bit by bit. Cool wind passed by her body, giving her refreshing sense.

    The capital city could be seen clearly from this position. It was as if there was nothing that could be hidden here. There were very few buildings that were taller than this tree such as some few several story building or the tower in the palace.

    "This is one of the tallest place in the Capital City. You can see the beautiful sunrise from this place."

    "It''s almost sunset, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian grinned and turned his body around. "I''m just saying. The sun is covered by some buildings from here, but you still can see it descending from the horizon."

    Wei Liuying followed suit and noticed that Yang Xian was saying the truth. Even though the sun was still covered by buildings as it slowly setting down, it was still beautiful. The sky turned red for the moment when the sun slowly disappeared in the distance.

    It was a view that she couldn''t see most of the time. Being locked away in that residence with tall wall and trees covering her vision, it was almost impossible for her to see into the faraway distance. A view that was supposed to be reserved only for some people was shown to her today.

    That line wouldn''t be seen if only she was not standing at the edge of a hill or on top of a very tall building.

    "It''s beautiful," Wei Liuying murmured. Her eyes were showing astonishment as her lips formed a beautiful smile.

    From the side, Yang Xian also smiled. "You look much better when you''re smiling."

    Hm?

    Wei Liuying looked back at Yang Xian, who was sitting beside her. She arched her eyebrows. "Are you bringing me here to show the sunset to me, Strategist Yang?"

    "What do you think?" Yang Xian asked back lazily.

    The two of them stared at each other, unwilling to reveal the answer. In the end, Wei Liuying averted her gaze and looked at the disappearing sun as the sky gradually turned dark. It was beautiful, totally unlike anything that she had ever seen in the past.

    "Thank you."

    "It''s nothing. I also need some relaxing time away from the work," Yang Xian responded in his lazy tone.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "So you also have break time, Strategist Yang?"

    Yang Xian laughed. "Do you think I can work all the time? Even though so, I have to admit that my brain will continue to work no matter whether I''m sleeping or awake. There are things that I always need to do."

    That was true.

    With so many people''s lives in his hand, everything Yang Xian decided would surely affect the entire big picture. Thousands of people would move with just a word he uttered and ordered. It was a position with responsibility.

    And soon, Wei Liuying would have to share the burden as another strategist working under Prince Ji Sheng.

    The wind swayed the leaves around her, turning Wei Liuying''s attention back to the capital city once more. Beside her, Yang Xian suddenly spoke out, "This place is dangerous, but it''s also giving you a clear view from the top. Our position in the future would be like this place."

    Like this place?

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered. While it was true that this place could provide them a position that was equal to the leaders, it was a place covered with no one would look at this place. A strategist place was to observe everything yet it was hidden beneath the shadow. Everyone could see this place, yet they would not think of coming here.

    A strategist''s work would be to support from the back. Their role was to give out instruction while not showing themselves unless it was necessary.

    "Don''t you ever want to stand on the light, Strategist Yang? Your name is known far and wide," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "What''s the use of having my name known? I only wish to support Prince Ji Sheng to be able to realize his dream and create peace at the north so that there wouldn''t be any war anymore."

    "I see."

    "You don''t have to be so restrained." Yang Xian laughed. His dark eyes looked straight in Wei Liuying''s direction. "You only live once, so try to enjoy your situation too and not put yourself under stress all the time."

    Yeah, she only had one life.

    Wei Liuying nodded and Yang Xian no longer speaking. The two of them merely looking at the view of the sun setting down in the horizon.

    When the sky finally turned dark, Wei Liuying began to speak again. "Do you mind if we talk a bit serious now?"

    "There''s no one else around, so feel free."

    "Her Highness Princess Ji Xiaoli will have her birthday celebration tomorrow. Will you attend it as well?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian sighed in exaggerated manner. "I''m not the only one who will attend."

    "Yes?"

    "You too."

    "Excuse me?" Wei Liuying''s gaze turned cold. She didn''t have any intention to show her face out in the party because there would be several people who might recognize her. Besides, her striking similarities with Wei Hong Zheng would definitely raise suspicion.

    She couldn''t control what people talked about even if she could direct them in a way that she wanted.

    Yang Xian smiled. "His Highness is thinking for a way to introduce you to some other officials as Liu Ying. You''re going to be his second strategist after me, so there are a lot of important people that you need to meet."

    Second strategist?

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. "Are you sure that you want to introduce me this early? You sound confident about my ability."

    "I have already seen with my own eyes what you''re capable of. Besides, I really do need someone else to help in designing strategy for war at the north," Yang Xian said in leisure tone. He looked as if he was only talking about weather and not war where numerous people''s lives were on the line.

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying was silent for a moment. She thought that it would take some time before Ji Sheng and Yang Xian wanted to use her. However, they wanted her to start showing herself right after she had recuperated.

    "I''m still unfamiliar with your tactic and strategy."

    "I can teach you."

    "I don''t know the manner to enter the palace aside from that of noble lady."

    Yang Xian furrowed his brows. That was indeed a problem. If they did something wrong, the blame would fall on Prince Ji Sheng, and it might escalate further. "In that case, you''ll learn everything tonight. Also, you''re not allowed to leave my side tomorrow night."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. "I''ll be in your care, Strategist Yang."

    "I know you can learn very quickly." Yang Xian chuckled. "There are only some things that you need to take note of and make sure you do not offend anyone. If possible, try to stay away from everyone."

    Nodding her head, Wei Liuying tilted her head. "Are the men also liked to scheme by tripping other people?"

    Yang Xian shrugged. "How do I know about those people, but anything could happen?"

    "I''ll do my best."

    "Good, don''t disappoint me, Liu Ying."

    "I won''t."

 Chapter 132 - Cooking Together

    After the eventful journey with Yang Xian, Wei Liuying received lesion from him about the attitude she needed to adopt as Ji Sheng''s servant. All she had to do was to serve him or stood by his side all the time. Most of the time, there would be servants that the host had prepared to serve them too, so they only needed to watch everyone else.

    "Is that all?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian tilted his head. "That''s all for now. I''m going to fulfill my promise of cooking something for you first."

    Cooking?

    Wei Liuying did stay under Yang Xian''s care for the past few days, but she had never seen him cooking before. There were more than enough servants in Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence to take care of such matters.

    "Do you have the time?"

    "I suppose so." Yang Xian glanced out. It was completely dark but he still could calculate the time by the temperature and also some calculation. "I should have two incense sticks of time to cook and eat dinner."

    This time, Wei Liuying was speechless. They already had their dinner after they returned back because Prince Ji Sheng''s servants have already prepared the food. Now, he wanted to eat dinner for the second time?

    "Come with me."

    "En."

    Hearing that answer, Yang Xian paused in his steps for a moment. "Don''t use soft words like that when you''re acting as Liu Ying. It''ll be giving the wrong impression to other people."

    "Ah, I''m sorry. I won''t use it again."

    Wei Liuying completely forgotten that it was what normal young ladies usually used. Men would not reply like that because they would be seen as timid. No one would want to face the mocking and jeers.

    The two of them walked to the kitchen. There were several kitchens in Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence. One was for Prince Ji Sheng and his people while the others were for guests and also for servants. The food served for different people were not cooked in the same place at all.

    The one they were heading to was the one for guests.

    "Strategist Yang," a servant greeted. He looked at Wei Liuying in hesitation because he didn''t know how to greet the latter.

    "I''m Liu Ying, Strategist Yang''s apprentice," Wei Liuying introduced herself with a smile on her face.

    "Ah, Apprentice Strategist Liu," the servant quickly greeted.

    Seeing the servant acted politely, Yang Xian waved his hand. "I''m going to borrow the kitchen for a while. Are there some food left?"

    "There are still some vegetables and meat, Strategist Yang."

    "You can go."

    "I understand, Strategist Yang."

    Wei Liuying watched as the servant hurried away then to Yang Xian. It seemed that while the servants were under the order to leave Yang Xian alone, they were still highly revering the strategist.

    "Liu Ying, what are you doing?"

    "Sorry, what do you want me to do?" Wei Liuying quickly snapped back to reality and walked to the table. Yang Xian had taken out several vegetables and placed them all on the table.

    "Chop the vegetables while I boil the water."

    Wei Liuying took the knife and began to chop the vegetables evenly. She rarely got the chance to cook, but there were times when she had to cook by herself because her mother didn''t give her anything to eat. Her handling was a bit slow and clumsy, but it was still pretty good.

    On the other hand, Yang Xian prepared the pot and water. He let it boil before helping Wei Liuying to cut the rest of the vegetables. Seeing how he cut everything quickly and evenly, Wei Liuying felt somewhat ashamed.

    "You''re really good, Strategist Yang," Wei Liuying praised when they were done and Yang Xian was boiling it all. It seemed that he was only planning to make soup for them to eat tonight.

    Yang Xian nodded. "I''m used to cook."

    "Do you have to cook when you''re camping out for military campaign?"

    "Of course I''m not cooking by myself." Yang Xian let out a laugh. "Prince Ji Sheng will not give the me the free time to cook. There are rations that some reserve soldiers will prepare for us to eat during military campaign."

    Wei Liuying nodded. Not all soldiers were there to head straight to the battle. If they were planning for a long battle, they would have to prepare the necessary supply and also people to take care of it. This was one of the important aspect from military that one had to remember.

    "Oh right, since we already ate dinner, it wouldn''t do us any good to have anything heavy. Next time, I''ll make you something better."

    "There''s no need for that." Wei Liuying glanced at Yang Xian, where would he even find the time to cook again in the future when they were going to be busy?

    Yang Xian chuckled and looked at the pot. There was still some time before it was cooked, so he might as well fill the time talking with Wei Liuying.

    Before the two of them could speak again, there was already a servant hurrying over to them. Behind the servant, Shi Yan was coming in their direction with an annoyed expression. His fur robe fluttered along with his hastened speed.

    "Strategist Yang, Merchant Shi Yan wished to meet with you," the servant reported.

    Wei Liuying looked at Shi Yan behind the servant then to Yang Xian. This was the first time she saw someone reported when the person who wished to come was right behind the messenger.

    "I know. You can leave." At this moment, Yang Xian no longer looked as lazy as he usually was. He looked proper and looked at the servant with a faint smile on his lips that didn''t reach his eyes.

    "This servant will take his leave."

    Shi Yan entered the kitchen while the servant ran away. He looked at Yang Xian with annoyance. "Why didn''t you tell me about those people aiming for the same thing? I almost lose in the battle for the right!"

    Blinking her eyes, Wei Liuying chose to stay silent. She didn''t know what kind of deal Shi Yan was planning to make. Also, he must have come here to ask for Yang Xian''s opinion.

    "Didn''t I tell you that you''re hurrying to much?" Yang Xian shook his head. "If we''re talking about the north, you''re already quite famous. But if you wish to start trading in other areas too, you''re basically starting from the very bottom."

    "You can at least warn me about the other merchants making their movement."

    "I don''t have the time to worry about merchants."

    "Ugh¡­"

    Pulling a chair, Shi Yan sighed. He felt really tired after securing a deal with an official here. Even though he didn''t have any plan to stay in the capital city for long, he was trying to create more connection with others.

    Merchants were at the lowest social strata based on the importance, but there were a lot of people who become merchant. They were usually not respected because they were seen as people who were greedy for money. It was often hard for them to make an open deal because the officials could easily use their influence to suppress them.

    The only advantage a merchant has would be the fact that they had a lot of money.

    "You''re going tomorrow?" Shi Yan asked.

    Yang Xian nodded. "As you might have heard from His Highness, I''m going to accompany him to Princess Ji Xiaoli''s birthday party."

    Since they were not inside that enclosed room, Yang Xian had no other choice but to speak in polite language. Even an idiot like Shi Yan knew that he was not allowed to act impolite when they were outside.

    "I see. Can I ask for a favor¡­.?"

    "No."

    "Why do you reject me even before I finish my word?"

    "Because I know it''s going to be troublesome. Also, I don''t want to stand out more than necessary. The only one that should stand out is Prince Ji Sheng."

    Shi Yan opened his mouth then closed it again like a fish. He looked in Yang Xian''s direction with resentment. How did this strategist always manage to guess that it would be very troublesome?

    Yang Xian ignored Shi Yan and walked to the pot. He turned off the fire and placed it on the table. "Liu Ying, let''s eat."

    "Alright, Strategist Yang."

    "Wait, you''re still in the mood to eat even at this time?" Shi Yan was speechless. They were going on a very important party tomorrow, yet they were still very relaxed like this?

    Wei Liuying put the soup into two bowls and handed one to Yang Xian. She sat down on the chair and blow the soup in her bowl, pretending that she didn''t hear Shi Yan and focused completely on her food. Afterwards, she sipped and tasted the vegetable. It was soft and a bit chewy.

    "How is it?" Yang Xian was also eating calmly.

    "It''s good."

    "Good."

    Shi Yan looked at the two of them with a dark face. Don''t ignore him, ah!

    Looking at these two focusing completely on eating, Shi Yan felt that he was left out yet unable to say anything because he came here to ask for favor.

 Chapter 133 - Preparation

    "I can''t help you this time," Yang Xian said when he had finished his portion. He looked in Shi Yan''s direction. "I''ll help you on different matter when we''re back."

    "Not even the slightest bit of help?"

    "No."

    Shi Yan sighed dejectedly and walked out of the kitchen. He still needed to rest and planned his move tomorrow.

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian and pointed at the bowl. "Let me wash it then we''re going to rest."

    "Alright."

    Watching Wei Liuying kept her curiosity, Yang Xian felt that she hid it very well. If one didn''t know her better, just from her expression and attitude, it would look as if she never had any interest in the conversation between Yang Xian and Shi Yan just now.

    ''She always surprise me.'' Yang Xian watched as Wei Liuying walked back after she had finished. ''But in a good way.''

    "I''m done, Strategist Yang."

    "I''m going to teach you some more about the palace''s rules tomorrow before we depart. In addition, you might need to disguise yourself so that you will look different from how you look like now."

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I understand."

    "Now, go to sleep. You wouldn''t want to lack sleep when you''re facing those foxes."

    Foxes?

    The word that Yang Xian picked was truly suitable. Thinking of those people as foxes were very suitable. In fact, they were often even more daring and cruel compared to foxes. No matter what, they would work their hardest to reach their goal.

    "Yes."

    ¡­

    The next day.

    "You also don''t have to speak anything when you''re there. Leave all the speaking to me except when His Highness introduce you," Yang Xian still continued his lesson. He wanted to make sure that Wei Liuying would not make any mistake when she was facing those officials.

    Just a little mistake might be more than enough to make them pay the ultimate price. Women were not the only one who needed to scheme. The men were also scheming, but their field was completely different.

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. "How about my face?"

    "How many people know your real faces? I mean, those who had seen you without your veil," Yang Xian quickly added when he saw Wei Liuying''s cold glare. He knew that she had been wearing veil most of the time because it was the proper custom for unmarried young ladies.

    "Only my family members. I still wear veil even during New Year Celebration," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly.

    Yang Xian rubbed his chin. "Princess Ji Xiaoli invited all the noble women in the capital city to attend her birthday party, so Wei Xiao Hua and Wei Zilin will certainly be included. However, Prince Ji Sheng should be staying in the male area, so the one you should be worried about is only Wei Hong and Wei Yijun."

    "There''s only a separation of a thin layer between the two," Wei Liuying added. At this period of time, they were still very reserved and talking between men and women couldn''t be done openly.

    Well, if they were married people, it would be completely different.

    "I don''t think there''s anyone brazen enough to bypass the layer unless they want to get in bad side of many other nobles. I''m sure you already know that the rules are quite strict when it''s talking about manners."

    "It still doesn''t help me."

    "Do you think the officials will recognize you?"

    "No."

    In the first place, Wei Liuying had never met directly with any officials during her time in Wei Family Residence. They were all her father''s guests and not for the young and unmarried young ladies to visit.

    There was no reason for her to visit them either.

    "Then¡­"

    "His Highness the Fourth Prince."

    The name caused the temperature to drop. Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying carefully as if wondering why she said his name. However, light flashed within his eyes as he came to realization in the next split second.

    Prince Ji Shu had seen Wei Liuying even when she was not wearing veil. Back in Wei Family Residence, she didn''t wear any veil during the incident where Xiao Yu was accused, which resulted in Wei Liuying being grounded while wounded. She continued to act sick from that day on, and never met with him anymore.

    However, who could say for certain that Prince Ji Shu had forgotten how she looked like? If he recognized her during the party, it would be very catastrophic.

    "Can you use makeup?"

    Wei Liuying frowned. "I can, but there''s not many that I can change with powder and so on."

    "All you need to do is making your face look a bit darker and draw lines on your eyebrows to make it a bit thicker," Yang Xian said after a while. "It won''t be perfect, but altering some of your features might work."

    Even though she was quite skeptical, Wei Liuying did as Yang Xian said. There was enough make up properties that they prepared here. It was to the point she wondered if there were women living in this residence considering how complete it was.

    "I''m done."

    "Let me see."

    Yang Xian lifted Wei Liuying''s chin to make her look at him. Her features were still similar to before, but it was more defined after she had used makeup and darkened her own skin. Males usually practiced for hours under the glaring sun, so their skin was naturally darker compared to women.

    Normally, Wei Liuying didn''t bother to put on any makeup because Wei Hong Zheng''s skin color and feature were close to her real self. There was never any need for her to give additional makeup or something like that because they were already very similar to each other.

    Now, she looked different from him. At least, a bit.

    "You don''t look bad," Yang Xian concluded. He released Wei Liuying''s chin and pondered for a while. "If I tell others that you''re my child, would they believe me?"

    "¡­Strategist Yang, you''re only 18 years old."

    "I''ll be 19 in a few weeks," Yang Xian corrected Wei Liuying. He shook his head. "Forget it, you''ll just be my little brother that I picked up."

    Picked up?

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows, but then she recalled that her built was smaller than average. Besides, 14 years old was still considered as a child for boys. They were only said as an adult when they reached 20 years of age, which was still a long way to go for Wei Liuying.

    "Strategist Yang, is it fine for me to speak of my real age?"

    Yang Xian tilted his head. There was certainly no other young man at the same age with Wei Liuying that went by the name Liu Ying. However, what they would need to worry about was if someone made connection between Wei Liuying and Liu Ying.

    On the second thought, there was no need for them to worry that much.

    "It''s fine."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered and nodded. "It''ll be as you said, Strategist Yang."

    Using her real age had the advantage and disadvantage. The knowledge and wits that she had at her current age was not completely illogical and still possible. Besides, with her appearance, people might even mistake her for being younger considering how small she was.

    In addition, what Yang Xian wanted was for those old foxes to underestimate Wei Liuying. The best weapon to make them underestimate her would be her young age because most boys at that age lacked in experience. They would surely take advantage of her while trying to get close to Prince Ji Sheng.

    But at that time, they would be falling to the trap that Yang Xian had set up. The battles that women had to face in the noble family''s residence was not in any way lacking compared to men''s battle. There were already a lot of experience Wei Liuying had from her suffering inside her residence.

    That old foxes wouldn''t be able to take advantage of her.

    As for those who might know that she was Wei Liuying, they would have no other choice but to shut up.

    If words spread out that the third young miss from Wei Family had to act as a boy to survive, how would the Wei Family stay in this kingdom? They would lose all face and might even be forced to step out of the palace''s duties.

    The men might not be responsible for their children''s education, but there were still some things that were not allowed to happen. Lying to the Imperial Family was obviously included among them.

    The two of them understood that, so Wei Liuying didn''t have to worry about hiding her real age too.

    "However¡­." Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying up and down. "You might want to learn how to act a bit childish."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying''s mind turned blank for a moment. For the first time in her life, she was facing a very difficult request.

 Chapter 134 - Princess Ji Xiaoli Birthday Party

    "What is it?" Yang Xian asked when he saw Wei Liuying''s strange expression.

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian and forced a smile out. "I''m afraid that will be impossible, Strategist Yang. I don''t have anyone I can do that to."

    Everyone here have higher status compared to her. Even commoners were higher than a runaway and criminal, so obviously she couldn''t possibly act spoiled to anyone. Besides, having to act childish would be very difficult for the mature Wei Liuying.

    "You can act spoiled to me."

    "¡­I refuse."

    Yang Xian laughed when he saw the grimace on Wei Liuying''s face. Thinking about some things inside his mind, he felt that it was not that bad for Wei Liuying to be acting mature too.

    "Alright, let''s go to the main gate. His Highness should be ready."

    "Yes."

    Following Yang Xian, the two of them went to the main gate. Just like what Yang Xian said, Ji Sheng was already ready there. He was wearing fine long dark purple robe and currently waiting with a eunuch not far from him.

    "Your Highness," Yang Xian and Wei Liuying greeted.

    "Rise. Both of you will accompany me during Princess Ji Xiaoli''s birthday this time," Prince Ji Sheng gave his order.

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    The eunuch looked in Wei Liuying''s direction with a frown. Did Prince Ji Sheng''s old habit of picking people up rise again? He was sure that he had never seen this young boy before. However, he didn''t dare to speak anything because they have already entered the carriage and headed to the palace.

    As the carriage moved with the two of them guiding the horse at the front, Wei Liuying realized that the people were paving way. They would never want to block the carriage of the imperial family in case they would incur his wrath.

    Whenever they were at intersection, the other party would give way first.

    It was either out of respect or out of fear.

    "Don''t speak," Yang Xian warned from the side when they were already close to Princess Ji Xiaoli''s Residence. Just like the princes, she had a palace on her own where she would be free to do whatever she wanted. The location was located at the center of the city and also close to each other.

    Wei Liuying nodded. She hadn''t mastered the greetings and custom for the imperial family. Rather than making fun of herself, it would be better for her to stay silent and didn''t say anything.

    Besides, as a servant, there was no need for her to speak at all. All she needed to do was following the greetings by bowing and then stayed silent near Prince Ji Sheng''s side.

    "Your Highness, we have arrived," Yang Xian said after they had entered the inner region. Carriages were not allowed to pass by this point, so they have to walk by foot if they wanted to proceed.

    Ji Sheng walked out of the carriage. He nodded at Yang Xian and led the two of them. Following from behind, Wei Liuying was making sure that she was keeping safe distance and kept her head lowered most of the time. She didn''t want to attract trouble just by walking here.

    The distance was quite far and would usually take a quarter incense stick of time by walking.

    (A/N: 15 minutes)

    Even though a woman had low position, Princess Ji Xiaoli was still given a large residence for her to stay. Even if it was nothing more than to show face of the Imperial Family, it was still very extravagant.

    ''There are a lot of servants and guards.''

    Looking around her discreetly, Wei Liuying could guess that the Imperial Family was adding more guards to make sure that Princess Ji Xiaoli couldn''t escape. They had to make sure that she was staying in her place for the marriage agreement with the Xiong Tribe.

    The three of them were walking in leisure pace with Yang Xian and Wei Liuying kept their distance from Prince Ji Sheng. However, one would be able to see that the two of them were carefully protecting the prince in the middle by their formation. Even though they were staying behind the prince, their movements would be clear to those who were familiar with it.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli held her birthday party in the garden. By this time, most of the guests have already arrived and sit on their respective places. Princess Ji Xiaoli herself was standing at the front, talking with some of the young ladies.

    "Imperial Sister," Prince Ji Sheng greeted when Princess Ji Xiaoli finally turned around.

    "Imperial Third Brother," Princess Ji Xiaoli greeted back. She looked to the back and noticed that there were two young men following Prince Ji Sheng. "Did you pick up new subordinates or this is the first time I see him?"

    "My strategist finds an interesting student, so he picked him up," Prince Ji Sheng replied placidly.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli nodded. She knew that her third brother often left Yang Xian do work on his own device. While it might not be favorably looked upon amongst the Imperial Family members because it meant that Prince Ji Sheng trusted Yang Xian a lot, Princess Ji Xiaoli always admired Prince Ji Sheng for his open minded mind.

    Not everyone would willingly trust someone so greatly like that.

    "Please come here, Imperial Third Brother."

    As they were talking, Wei Liuying maintained her posture as nothing more but wall decoration. Yang Xian was also doing the same. The two of them stood there and watched everything in front of them without any intention to get involved.

    However, their posture was also that of a guard that was ready for battle. Should it be necessary, they were ready to protect Prince Ji Sheng. Even though Wei Liuying knew that these two had higher martial arts compared to her, Wei Liuying simply did her work and tried to be doing everything well.

    More and more people came. Wei Liuying''s eyes were watching their movements carefully to make sure that they were not trying to harm Ji Sheng. Her and Yang Xian''s task was to monitor everyone around Prince Ji Sheng to make sure that nothing would go wrong in the end.

    "It''s been a long time, Your Highness," an official walked to Prince Ji Sheng with a smile. He looked at the two servants behind Prince Ji Sheng. Yang Xian was already known since he had appeared in some places with Prince Ji Sheng, but Wei Liuying was new.

    "It''s been a while, Official Yun."

    The official nodded. "I see that you have taken an interest to another youngster. Did you pick him amongst the commoners again?"

    Without even turning his head around to look at Wei Liuying, Prince Ji Sheng shook his head. "My strategist is the one picking him up. Since he''s quite useful, I don''t have any reason to reject him staying with me."

    "I see."

    Wei Liuying felt a shiver when she saw the official sized her up. However, she kept her mouth shut and stayed silent. Her heart only felt at ease when the official began to talk about other things to Prince Ji Sheng.

    Beside her, Yang Xian silently nudged her as if to remind her that it was fine. The real reason why they brought her along was so that the officials knew that Prince Ji Sheng had someone else.

    As for her skill, that would only be revealed in the future.

    "His Highness the Fourth Prince, Prince Ji Shu is here," the eunuch announced the arrival of the youngest prince.

    Prince Ji Shu was wearing purple robe that was stitched with golden thread, which was the mark of Imperial Family. Just from standing there, he could easily capture the attention of everyone inside the main hall. They felt like they were sucked by his presence alone.

    "Imperial Fourth Brother," Ji Xiaoli greeted, yet there was a hint of coldness from her tone.

    Ji Shu nodded. He noticed that his three brothers have all arrived. "Imperial Father asked me to relay a message that he was unwell, so he only sent his present to you, Imperial Sister."

    Ji Xiaoli''s expression turned even colder. "In that case, I must thank you for relaying the message, Imperial Fourth Brother."

    "It''s my duty."

    "Please have a seat. We''ll be watching performance not long from now."

    "Please excuse me, Imperial Sister."

    Ji Xiaoli still had a smile on her face, yet her eyes were far cry from smiling. It looked so chilling as if she was ready to kill someone. Considering her status, it was indeed something really weird for her to look like she was about to go crazy.

    Wei Liuying lowered her gaze as she could guess the reason.

    Prince Ji Shu must be one of the few officials who agreed vehemently with the discussion of the marriage agreement between Han Shi Kingdom Princess Ji Xiaoli with the first prince of Xiong Tribe. Since the first prince would be the emperor later because he was also the crown prince, it meant that the position of the Empress would be in Ji Xiaoli''s hand. However, who would want to get married outside Han Shi Kingdom like that?

    It was clear that Princess Ji Xiaoli was unwilling to the point she tried to bet with her own life to escape.

    "Let the play start."

    As the melodious music was played, Wei Liuying could vaguely felt that there were hint of sadness from the tone. The play was a happy one, yet the song was borderline sad.

    This was Princess Ji Xiaoli''s message.

    She''s looking at a happy performance, yet her heart could not be happy.

 Chapter 135 - The Abandoned Princess

    When the play was over, the music played on the background as they began to chat with each other. Princess Ji Xiaoli was naturally surrounded by those with the highest status among the young ladies, which included Wei Xiao Hua and Xie Feng. They were the main daughter of both Prime Minister of Han Shi Kingdom.

    "Princess have reached marriageable age. I''m sure that your marriage partner must be someone great," Xie Feng started the conversation.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli''s hand that was holding a cup of tea froze in the place for a moment. She had always known that Xie Feng was a very straightforward person, but she didn''t expect to hear this young lady posed the question right away like this.

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled lightly. "Of course, Princess Ji Xiaoli is beautiful and talented. Her partner must be someone extraordinary."

    "Yes."

    "There''s no way Princess Ji Xiaoli would be paired with someone bad."

    The ladies started to suck her up. However, Ji Xiaoli couldn''t bring herself to smile. She had heard that Xiong Tribe''s Crown Prince was a very talented young man who was also very powerful. However, she also understood that if war were to occur again, there was high chance that she would die.

    After all, the Xiong Tribe would never allow her to stay alive.

    How long can peace due to marriage treaty last?

    She didn''t know.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli kept her composure and continued the talk with the ladies. Even though she was unwilling to talk about this, there was no other option for her. She tried to divert the conversation to something else after they had enough.

    "I want to know if there''s any of you who''s interested in martial arts," Princess Ji Xiaoli remarked.

    One of the ladies giggled. "Martial arts are indeed amazing, but mastering their movements won''t be easy. It''s already enough that the males are the one who had to study."

    "I''m content with not learning martial arts too."

    "Yes. That''s true."

    The ladies didn''t like to learn martial arts because it would make their hands rough too. Who would want to have muscular body when they were all fair maidens? It was also unnecessary for them to learn martial arts.

    Wei Xiao Hua laughed. "It''s too hard for us to learn, Princess."

    "I agree," Princess Ji Xiaoli smiled. "Embroidering and playing music is much more suitable for us."

    "Yes. Princess knew us the best."

    The girls were laughing by themselves while the males were trying to suck up to the princes. It was not hard to guess what these officials were thinking to do as Wei Liuying could hear the conversation in Prince Ji Sheng''s table.

    "My daughter is of marriageable age as well. Your Highness, have you perhaps thought about adding more flower to your garden?"

    Ji Sheng raised the cup of his tea. "A young sprout like me shouldn''t be thinking about something like this. If you have any suggestion for flowers, shouldn''t you speak to my Imperial Mother?"

    The official had an awkward face. Who didn''t know that Prince Ji Sheng''s mother was unfavored in the palace? She rarely showed herself in the public, so it was hard for anyone to meet her as she rejected most of their visits. Some criticized her, but they didn''t dare to do it publicly because it would be tarnishing the Imperial Family''s name.

    Prince Ji Sheng acted as if he didn''t hear anything and continued drinking the tea. Whenever one mentioned about adding women to his harem, he would reject them almost immediately. His words might sound pleasant, but the content was anything but that.

    Yang Xian was still standing with a poker face while Wei Liuying was trying hard to match his. She really wondered what the officials were thinking when they tried to get close to Ji Sheng. Didn''t they realize that he was not interested in the slightest bit?

    Why would they still continue that type of conversation?

    At this time, Wei Liuying heard interesting conversation from the other side of the screen.

    "Princess, would you like to hear us play some song so as to congratulate you for your engagement?" Wei Zilin braved herself to ask.

    "Ah yes, Your Highness. We''re all confident that we would be able to gift you the best song."

    "Please give us this chance, Your Highness."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli''s face turned sour. How could she not know that these young noble ladies were trying to use their talent to attract the males behind the screen? But how could she possibly reject them when they were all looking at her with those expression, ready to strike her even if it was necessary.

    "is the play from before not enough, Ladies?"

    "That''s a different one. What we want to give to you this time is a completely different song that come from the bottom of our heart," Wei Zilin tried to reason.

    Another young lady chirped in. "Yes, Your Highness. We might not be as skilled as the professional, but we have learned in the academy for a long time. I''m sure that we can perform a great music to comfort your heart."

    Comfort?

    Princess Ji Xiaoli was trying her best to not show her real feeling to these people as she smiled lightly. Her beautiful face was heightened even more now that she had reached 16 years of age. Many people would fall for her face alone, yet it was precisely this reason why she was even coveted by people from Xiong Tribe.

    "In that case, I''ll be waiting for your performance."

    "Many thanks for your kindness, Your Highness!"

    Princess Ji Xiaoli smiled and maintained her composure. Who didn''t know that they were actually trying to make use of this chance to attract the males who were staying on the other side of the room?

    But she didn''t say anything.

    Their faces already showed that they were not afraid of offending her in the slightest bit. All they wanted to do was to make sure that they would be able to grasp this chance and attract better person for their marriage. As for Princess Ji Xiaoli? Who would care for someone who will leave the kingdom in just a short period of time?

    Soon, they started to play music.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli turned her head to look at the young ladies. "Are all the young ladies in the Capital City come here today?"

    "My sister, Wei Liuying is not here," Wei Xiao Hua responded with a bitter smile.

    On the other side of the screen, Wei Liuying''s eyes turned cold when her name was mentioned. She did disappear without doing anything because her plan changed. However, she didn''t expect that Wei Family would continue to hide the truth of her death without revealing anything like this.

    "Do you know the reason?"

    Wei Xiao Hua looked to the screen and bowed her head slightly. "My sister is a bit muddleheaded and tried to get close to my fianc¨¦. He''s angry and punished her again not long ago, so she can''t show her face out."

    Again?

    Wei Liuying was speechless. She was clearly not in Wei Family Residence yesterday because she was too busy trying to find a perfect restaurant. In addition, she was busy learning the Imperial Palace etiquette to care about whatever they thought about her.

    "You need definite closure."

    "I know," Wei Liuying replied in whisper. She understood perfectly that because her plan changed, she was unable to fake her death. Originally, she planned to burn down that shed and escaped during the chaos by blocking the door from inside so that no one will know that she was still alive.

    But she had to escape earlier to save her uncle.

    Thus, her plan failed miserably even before it could be executed.

    Yang Xian chuckled without changing his expression. His mouth moved a bit as a faint whisper entered her ear. "You can finish everything now or later."

    Now?

    Wei Liuying did think of returning back to Wei Family Residence and create chaos. But thinking about Prince Ji Shu''s men there, she didn''t think that it would be a good idea. Her fist was clasped tightly.

    "There''s no hurry. I''ll finish everything in a while."

    "As you wish."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli arched her eyebrows when she heard what Wei Xiao Hua said. She did hear that Wei Liuying hadn''t appeared in public for the past three months. No one knew what happened to her as there was no one who could meet her. Besides, no one was close with Wei Liuying.

    Her eyes narrowed. ''Could it be that Wei Family hide something?''

    Looking at Wei Xiao Hua''s innocent expression, Princess Ji Xiaoli understood that she must be saying those in purpose. She acted as if she was unaware that what she said could destroy someone else''s reputation.

    ''What a vicious young lady from Wei Family. But then again, isn''t that what everyone do to survive?''

    "In that case, I wish she can recover soon," Princess Ji Xiaoli said in a low tone.

    "Many thanks for your concern, Your Highness."

 Chapter 136 - Poisoning

    Wei Liuying listened to the conversation and looked at Yang Xian through the corner of her eyes.

    "Would it be fine for me to leave my position for a moment?"

    "A servant should never leave without the master''s order or permission," Yang Xian replied back.

    "Oh."

    She had completely forgotten that now she was the servant. Even though Prince Ji Sheng would not treat her as one in private, they couldn''t act the same when they were in public. Both Yang Xian and her had to stay with their image as the servant of Prince Ji Sheng who only acted on his order.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying closed her eyes and tried to think about what she could do without moving from her position. Running her mouth like that would surely prove to be a problem.

    "Liu Ying."

    "Yes, Master?" Wei Liuying replied instinctively. It was then she recalled that she should have called him as ''Your Highness'' and not ''Master.''

    Ji Sheng was not even looking in her direction. He was still looking at the front with his hand holding a cup of tea. "I want you to take an additional plate of fruits."

    "This servant understands, Your Highness."

    Wei Liuying cupped her hand and left. Yang Xian was staying still in his place with his eyes flickered slightly. How could he not understand that Ji Sheng was giving her a chance to do whatever she wanted to do by sending her away? But whether she would get found out or not would depend on herself.

    After all, Prince Ji Sheng was able to hear their conversation.

    ''I hope you''ll do well, Wei Liuying.''

    As she walked through the door to the kitchen, Wei Liuying silently counted the location of the young ladies. Her eyes scanned the materials in the kitchen and also to the flowers decoration on the side.

    A beautiful yellow daffodil flower attracted her attention.

    It was one of the most common flower that was used as decoration in some houses. Since Princess Ji Xiaoli also loved flowers, it was certain that she would be keeping some of them at her home.

    Wei Liuying brushed past the flower and her hand quickly took several bulbs from various location. As she entered the kitchen, she could see that the next that would be served would be soup. She counted the number to Wei Xiao Hua''s plate as she passed by the plates and the bulbs on her hand had already moved place.

    All along, Wei Liuying''s expression didn''t change and her posture was still the same as usual. She was thankful that she had to learn martial arts when she was young. Without the skill that she learned after being forced to learn with Wei Hong Zheng, she would never be able to do this.

    Wei Liuying walked to the nearest servant. "Excuse me, is there any additional fruits? His Highness the Third Prince requested for some."

    "Ah, yes. You can take this plate." The servant showed the plate in front of her. She was still busy preparing for the food but she could immediately recognize that Wei Liuying was part of the Imperial Family''s servant based on her attire.

    She didn''t know which one, though.

    "Thank you very much."

    Wei Liuying accepted the plate and walked out of the kitchen using the same as before. She didn''t show anything on the surface as if she was merely a little servant who was doing her work. There were a lot of servants who were walking around but they didn''t even spare her any glance.

    No one cared for a little servant who was only doing their work. With so many servants who were also carrying food, they only thought of her as someone who was doing an errand. It was naturally not their business either.

    Soon afterwards, Wei Liuying had already arrived back in her original place with the plate of fruits.

    With slow movement, Wei Liuying crouched by Prince Ji Sheng''s table and placed the plate of fruits respectfully. Prince Ji Sheng didn''t even spare any glance at her and continued to converse with the people beside him.

    Wei Liuying slowly returned back to her position.

    "If you get in trouble, we won''t be able to help you."

    "I''ll be fine," Wei Liuying replied. Her eyes showed traces of coldness. "Even if they can finally found the reason, they won''t be able to connect it to me."

    Finally found the reason?

    That sentence made Yang Xian understand that this was not the first time Wei Liuying used this method. He chose to stay silent and watched the performance in front of him. Unless Ji Sheng gave an order, his task was simply to stay beside him and watched over everyone around him. Later he had to report anyone who looked suspicious to him.

    Time passed swiftly.

    Prang!

    The sudden sound of broken porcelain could be heard from the women''s section. Wei Liuying raised her head and looked at the figure behind the curtain. She was certain that it must be Wei Xiao Hua.

    "First Miss Wei?"

    "I''m¡­ fine¡­," Wei Xiao Hua replied. Yet she could feel intense nausea coming from her stomach. She felt as if she was about to vomit her gut out. It was so painful. However, how can she possibly show that kind of image in this place?

    Ugh.

    Wei Xiao Hua was fighting the urge to vomit. Tears welled up at the corner of her eyes because she knew that she wouldn''t be able to hold on any longer. And if she were to vomit in front of so many people, the first thing they would like to know was the cause.

    And the common cause for vomit was¡­

    It was something Wei Xiao Hua couldn''t possibly allowed to happen.

    Her reputation was at the stake here.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli frowned. She called the maid. "Please bring First Miss Wei to the room to rest."

    "Yes, Princess."

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at the scattered pieces of the broken mug porcelain and frowned. There was nothing unusual from what she had eaten just now. There were only common vegetables, but why did she feel nausea now?

    The novel didn''t mention any of this event during this time.

    ''I didn''t offend Princess Ji Xiaoli too. There''s something terribly wrong here.''

    ''Why is this happening?''

    With the help of the servants, Wei Xiao Hua walked out of the garden. Just a few steps outside, Wei Xiao Hua couldn''t hold on any longer and vomited on the ground. She emptied the content of her stomach to the ground.

    "First Miss Wei!"

    The servants were panicking while Wei Xiao Hua felt like crying. Her servant was also trying to mask the disgust she felt from seeing Wei Xiao Hua vomiting like that.

    If only Wei Liuying was here, she would surely ask why Wei Xiao Hua vomited and used words to misled them to think that Wei Xiao Hua was no longer a pure girl. After all, the first stage of pregnancy usually caused a woman to vomit a lot when they ate some that didn''t suit them. But as she couldn''t do that, only the servant''s whispering could be heard discussing about the cause.

    Wei Xiao Hua felt like crying. In the ancient times, reputation was everything. She knew very well that once her reputation was destroyed, it would be the end for her.

    "First Miss Wei vomited."

    "Is it because the food is not to her liking?"

    "Or was it because she''s pregnant?"

    Wei Xiao Hua struggled to stand up and when she heard the word that the servant said, she nearly fainted. Even in modern world, she was someone who never slept with anyone because she only believed in having intimacy after marriage. Now in ancient world, she had never gone further than a kiss with Prince Ji Shu, ah.

    Feeling enraged, Wei Xiao Hua was about to lash out when she felt her stomach acted up again. Nausea assaulted her as she crouched down and vomited once more. Water and other liquid came out from her mouth to the ground.

    "First Miss Wei!"

    "Miss!"

    "Ugh, the food," Wei Xiao Hua said after exhaling sharply. Her murderous gazes were directed straight at the servants around the place as if accusing them that they had poisoned her.

    The servants'' faces changed considerably and no one dared to gossip around. They kowtowed on the ground with a bang and pleaded that they were wronged. The food was not poisoned in the slightest bit.

    "Take me to rest."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Holding the urge to vomit again, Wei Xiao Hua was led into an empty room. All along, she was thinking rapidly about this kind of scene in the main novel. The novel that she read before was not that long because the author liked to use time skip. But was there a similar incident with this?

    Similar incident¡­

    Nausea and vomiting? Suddenly, a thought flashed within Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes as her expression turned into that of disbelief.

 Chapter 137 - Suspect

    The males section was peaceful until a servant came over to call Prince Ji Shu that Wei Xiao Hua was poisoned. The previously calm Prince Ji Shu slammed the table abruptly. "What did you say?"

    "Your Highness, First Miss Wei looks like she had been poisoned heavily. She keeps on vomiting everything that she had eaten¡­"

    Prince Ji Shu furrowed his brows and stood up. He cupped his hands to the other people. "Please excuse me."

    No one dared to stop him, but the servants'' words had left them to their imagination. There were several causes for vomiting and the one thing that most of them thought was not poisoning but rather¡­ pregnancy.

    Of course, no one dared to utter it out in case it was wrong.

    If Prince Ji Shu heard about them slighting his future princess, they might not be able to keep their head intact to their neck anymore. No one wanted to purchase the ticket to hell yet.

    When Prince Ji Shu left, they started to send their own servants to inquire what had happened. Prince Ji Sheng was not an exception as he looked at Yang Xian. "Xian, go and figure out everything."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Yang Xian walked to the other side of the area and asked the servants. It only took him a few breaths of time to return back and told Prince Ji Sheng what had happened.

    "First Miss Wei suddenly feel nausea and vomited everything that she had eaten. From the remains, there didn''t seem to be anything suspicious. The physician has been summoned to check on her," Yang Xian gave his report.

    Prince Ji Sheng tapped his plate. "Is the food here not suitable for someone like First Miss Wei?"

    "Imperial Physician still hadn''t given out his words."

    "In that case, we shall wait here for news."

    The official beside Prince Ji Sheng also heard what Yang Xian said. After all, Yang Xian purposely didn''t lower his voice too much and allowed those who had decent martial arts to hear what he said.

    Nothing wrong with the food?

    With that sentence alone, the thoughts of some officials were already sent into a raging whirlwind. They already knew that Prince Ji Shu was not one to follow the rules and often acted according to his will.

    Would it be possible that he was already impatient and¡­?

    Many of them thought the same, but neither one of them dared to speak it out loud. Besides, Wei Hong was also present in this place and not a single one of them dared to speak about his daughter so openly to him.

    However, Wei Hong still could sense their gazes as they looked at him.

    "I''m going to check." Wei Hong couldn''t stand it and hurriedly left the party. He was no longer in the mood to enjoy Princess Ji Xiaoli''s birthday party celebration anymore. With his daughter''s reputation at the stake, he needed to find out the truth as fast as possible.

    As long as it was not true, he would do everything he could to restore her reputation.

    Yang Xian watched the other servants as he stood on the back with solemn expression. He could already guess that it must be Wei Liuying''s craft. Whatever she did just now made Wei Xiao felt nausea and eventually vomited.

    It was truly the cause of poisoning. But if they couldn''t figure out the poison, the suspicions will surely remain in their mind that Wei Xiao Hua was an indecent young lady.

    ''How ruthless, but I like this move of hers.''

    Wei Xiao Hua had been going to such length in order to destroy Wei Liuying''s reputation over and over. It was to the point that even Yang Xian was speechless when he heard how much Wei Xiao Hua wished to destroy Wei Liuying''s reputation.

    If only he didn''t know how the two girls usually behaved, he would have thought that the two of them were archenemies and not step sisters.

    On the other side of the curtain, the ladies were also fidgeting. The number of ladies who didn''t like Wei Xiao Hua couldn''t be counted. There were many who were jealous with Wei Xiao Hua''s accomplishment. Yet, they would never dare to attempt something like this. This simply made everyone perplexed just who actually made their move.

    The Imperial Physician was baffled when they checked Wei Xiao Hua''s pulse. "Her pulse showed that she''s normal."

    "What do you mean normal?" Prince Ji Shu asked in annoyed tone. "What can cause her to vomit so much suddenly?"

    "Replying to His Highness the Fourth prince, there might some substance within the food that was prepared today that''s not suitable for First Miss Wei."

    Prince Ji Shu''s face turned dark. He looked at Wei Xiao Hua''s servant. "Does she had any allergy to food?"

    "There''s none, Your Highness."

    The servants were completely terrified now. They knew that Prince Ji Shu was terribly angry because Wei Xiao Hua suddenly vomited, yet the physician couldn''t figure out what was wrong.

    After asking several times, the physician couldn''t conclude what was wrong. Aside from Wei Xiao Hua''s urge to throw up and the nausea, she didn''t really feel anything else. In the end, Ji Shu had to send the physician away in annoyance.

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at her fianc¨¦ and forced a smile out. "I might have used too much of my vision lately and my body is tired."

    "I shouldn''t have asked you to tell me so much," Prince Ji Shu said with a crease on his forehead.

    "It''s fine. I''m happy to be able to be of help."

    "You should care for your health more."

    Wei Xiao Hua was smiling, but she knew very well that what she was saying was nothing more than a lie. She didn''t use any power to tell him those vision because they were all simply based on her memories. However, she definitely couldn''t say that to him.

    She could only tell him that she could rarely see some kind of vision about the future while she herself was trying hard to make sure that everything was suitable.

    It was not easy.

    How she hoped that she was the original Wei Xiao Hua who transmigrated into this novel because that way, she would be able to survive and fare better. The real Wei Xiao Hua was a naturally cunning young lady who knew how to use her intelligence and wits to be able to get whatever she wanted.

    "Your Highness, there''s also one thing that I need you to help?" Wei Xiao Hua recalled the servant''s discussion and her face turned red. She looked with pleading look at her fianc¨¦.

    "What is it?"

    "That is to clarify that I¡­ still¡­" Wei Xiao Hua''s voice turned low. She felt embarrassed to say it straight to Prince Ji Shu''s face.

    Thankfully, Prince Ji Shu knew what she wanted to say. He nodded solemnly. "Don''t worry. I know for sure that it''s not true."

    With his servants watching Wei Xiao all the time, there was no way he wouldn''t know that she was still pure. The only person who had ever gotten close to her would be him and him alone. The others were already killed even before they could think of taking advantage of Wei Xiao Hua.

    Prince Ji Shu stroked her forehead. "You should just rest here. I''ll explain to Imperial Sister that you can''t attend the rest of her party."

    "Would it be suitable?"

    "It''s fine."

    "En." Wei Xiao Hua closed her eyes then she looked at Prince Ji Shu in front of her. She then opened her mouth and spoke with hesitating tone, "Is Wei Liuying truly dead?"

    Prince Ji Shu''s hand stopped moving. His irises looked at his fianc¨¦e as he creased his eyebrows. Wei Liuying was still alive, but she couldn''t possibly say that to Wei Xiao Hua. Especially after he promised her that Wei Liuying would have died during that chaos before.

    After a while, Prince Ji Shu replied," Yes, she had died."

    "Oh."

    Wei Xiao Hua no longer speak, but Prince Ji Shu knew that there must be something that Wei Xiao Hua thought. For her to be asking about Wei Liuying at this point of time proved that his fianc¨¦e suspected that Wei Liuying was the one who did this.

    But how?

    It should have been possible for a runaway and criminal to enter this place. And if there was any servant that looked like Wei Liuying, Prince Ji Shu wouldn''t stay silent and try to investigate.

    "Rest well." Lowering his head, Prince Ji Shu kissed Wei Xiao Hua''s forehead. "When you wake up, everything will be fine."

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at Prince Ji Shu and smiled. "Yes, I believe in you."

    "Good girl."

    Prince Ji Shu walked out of the small house that Princess Ji Xiaoli had prepared. His eyes narrowed with dangerous glint. "Lou, investigate the servants in Princess Ji Xiaoli''s Residence. Especially those who knows how to fight."

    "Yes, Master."

    If Wei Liuying was truly alive, Prince Ji Shu would do anything possible to eliminate her. He would not allow such unstable variable to exist in this world and disrupted his plan.

 Chapter 138 - Questioning

    As Prince Ji Shu left, Wei Xiao Hua looked at the ceiling and frowned. In the original novel, nothing should have happened during the birthday party. How come she fell on such schemes over and over like this?

    Shouldn''t a transmigrator''s path be smooth sailing because they''re the protagonist?

    ''Ah really, changing too much of a novel can get things very hectic.''

    Wei Xiao Hua sighed and then thought about the incident back at the hunt. Because she prevented Wei Hong Zheng from coming, the one who didn''t come in the end was Wei Liuying. Thanks to that, there was one incident that she had missed.

    Yes, it was precisely the poisoning incident.

    At that time, Wei Liuying somehow managed to poison Wei Xiao Hua and tarnished the female lead''s reputation. The novel at that time showed how Wei Liuying rebutted in clear and harsh word whenever Wei Xiao Hua talked about Wei Liuying''s attempt to get close to Prince Ji Shu. And during that incident, Wei Liuying was the one who suggested that Wei Xiao Hua had an illicit relationship with other people or had intimate relationship with Prince Ji Shu before marriage.

    During this time, reputation was everything for a young lady.

    She knew that Prince Ji Shu would surely trust her because he had sent Lou to guard her 24 hours a day. However, he could never speak about that point to anyone else because it wouldn''t do him anything good to let other people knew that he was protecting his fianc¨¦e from the shadow.

    "A young noble lady who suddenly vomit, are you sure it''s because of poison?"

    That was what Wei Liuying said to her back then.

    Wei Xiao Hua closed her eyes as she tried to recall the words from the novel that she had read. Since Wei Xiao Hua and Wei Liuying in the novel fought so harshly and bitterly, it was clear that the first suspect would be Wei Liuying.

    But¡­

    Nothing was found.

    ''No one can ever figure out how Wei Liuying did it because the author didn''t reveal it and let it be a secret where the readers are busy discussing by themselves.''

    Sighing, Wei Xiao Hua started to think of plants that might be only exist in the novel. It was not strange for authors to create herbs with some weird composition or even effect and used it. After all, many times the setting of a novel was at fantasy world, so they didn''t follow the list of real herbs that existed.

    ''What a sneaky author.''

    Back in the novel, Wei Xiao Hua was able to put all suspicion away thanks to the virgin mark that she had in her arm. This time, she still had it too and if it was necessary later, she would have to show it to others.

    Young ladies didn''t like to show their hands or legs because it was considered to be improper. But as someone from modern age who had even wore even more open clothes, Wei Xiao Hua had no qualms. The real Wei Xiao Hua was also someone who dared to do that to prove her innocence.

    If it was necessary, Wei Xiao Hua didn''t mind.

    Turning her body around, Wei Xiao Hua thought about the words that Prince Ji Shu told her.

    ''Wei Liuying is dead.''

    Didn''t that mean that someone else was actually doing this method to poison her? Was there another transmigrator or the author was the one who transmigrated?

    The thought of facing the author of the novel inside the novel that author created only dampened Wei Xiao Hua''s mood. The cheat level an author had over his or her novel was simply too high. They knew everything because they were the one who had created the world in the first place.

    ''I''m sure Ji Shu will tell me the result of his investigation later. At that time, I''ll try to ask if he know what kind of method is used to poison me and destroy my reputation like this.''

    Wei Xiao Hua sighed.

    There was no use mulling over this any longer. Her stomach was hurt and the unease from the nausea was still there. Even after eating the prescribed medicine from the physician, she was still feeling unwell.

    She would just trust Prince Ji Shu and waited for his report later.

    For now, she should just focus on the matter on hand. Thankfully, the matter with Princess Ji Xiaoli would be over after this.

    Wei Xiao Hua closed her eyes and thought to herself. After this, Princess Ji Xiaoli would leave the capital city along with Prince Ji Sheng and his men. There was no chance for them to cross path again.

    Even if Princess Ji Xiaoli disliked her thanks to this incident, what can she do when she was thousands of kilometers away from her?

    ''I should just sleep.''

    ''Tomorrow is another game with the concubines. Tsk, they truly didn''t know when to give up,'' Wei Xiao Hua grumbled and finally let herself drifted to sleep.

    ¡­

    Prince Ji Shu didn''t take a long time to stay with Wei Xiao Hua. He was still waiting for Lou when he saw Wei Hong walked over in their direction. Furrowing his brows, he looked at the other party coldly.

    Wei Hong never truly cared for his children. In his eyes, they were all nothing more than tools for him to expand his influence and also inherited his legacy. The daughters were especially worthless in his eyes because they were only useful for marriage.

    However, Wei Hong was also a capable official.

    Prince Ji Shu chose to tolerate him even though he didn''t like the other party that much.

    "Your Highness," Wei Hong greeted Prince Ji Shu politely. No matter how haughty he usually was, he knew that he had to be humble in front of Prince Ji Shu if he wanted to keep his small life. This prince cared not for him if it was not for Wei Xiao Hua.

    Prince Ji Shu nodded coldly. His cold demeanor was simply telling everyone that he wanted to stay alone. They all could see very well that this prince was enraged without even getting close to him.

    "Prime Minister Wei."

    "My daughter, is she¡­.?"

    "She''s poisoned."

    "Ah?" Wei Hong was startled. Before meeting Prince Ji Shu, he had met with the doctor who told him that they didn''t manage to find the cause.

    Prince Ji Shu looked at Wei Hong with cold glare. "Do you not believe it, Prime Minister Wei?"

    The blunt question seemed to poke into Wei Hong''s heart. He quickly bowed down and kowtowed. "This humble one didn''t dare to question His Highness'' words! This one¡­ just feeling insecure because my precious daughter is hurt and as her father, I''m concerned."

    Concerned?

    When in the world would these ministers ever cared for their daughters? The daughters in a noble family were only good for marrying them off. It was something that everyone knew, yet they chose to never speak it out loudly.

    Prince Ji Shu snorted. "This prince might not have good reputation, but Ben Wang* will not break the tradition and tarnish First Miss Wei''s reputation. Do you doubt this prince, Prime Minister Wei?"

    The cold and suppressive tone caused Wei Hong to shiver. There were a few other servants there, but Wei Hong didn''t dare to act arrogantly just to save his face. In front of Prince Ji Shu, there was no one who could do things on their own will.

    They have to be very careful.

    "This humble one didn''t dare! Please forgive this humble one for his previous rudeness. This humble one will not question you, Your Highness."

    Prince Ji Shu looked at Wei Hong then glanced to the side. There were too many servants here, and he didn''t wish to make a scene either. Even though he was annoyed at Wei Hong, this proved to him that this matter would become big if it was not handled properly.

    ''I''ll need Xiao Hua to show her virgin mark to those officials later.''

    The thought of having to show Wei Xiao Hua''s arm in front of outsiders displeased him. However, he had to make sure that he could protect her reputation, lest that his father got displeased with his marriage and wanted to think over.

    "You can leave."

    "Yes, this humble one will leave."

    Just like a scared rabbit, Wei Hong dashed away from the place. The servants around the area quickly dispersed when Prince Ji Shu''s cold gaze swept over them. Not a single one of them wanted to stay here and faced his wrath.

    Besides, they have gotten what they wanted.

    As for whether their masters would believe what Prince Ji Shu said or not, that would be another matter unrelated to them.

    Prince Ji Shu swept his gaze once more then looked to the room. He spoke out, "Lou, what did you find?"

    "Replying to Your Highness, all the servants served Her Highness Princess Ji Xiaoli are her normal people. Most of them are yours and they didn''t notice anything strange. However, there are a few servants from other young masters who come to the kitchen to find other food that satisfy their wishes."

 Chapter 139 - Life Is More Interesting If Youâ€™re Daring

    "Sending servants?"

    Prince Ji Shu sneered when he heard the report. He waved his hand. "Investigate all of them, especially those who stood opposite of me."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    After giving that instruction, Prince Ji Shu stayed still for a moment. He looked at the room where his fianc¨¦e was staying but refrained from going in and possibly disturbed her. Prince Ji Shu chose to return back to the celebration, but this time, he didn''t beat anyone.

    He was only giving them cold reception.

    The celebration continued for a period of time afterwards. The officials couldn''t possibly go against his words and chose to believe his excuse in the surface. In the end, they all simply expressed that they wished First Miss Wei could get well soon.

    Prince Ji Sheng''s entourage also left the party after some had started to leave.

    "I wish you well, Imperial Third Brother. The border is cold, so you should make sure to take care of your health."

    Prince Ji Sheng cupped his hands. His face was still as rigid as ever. "Many thanks for your concern, Imperial Fourth Brother. May your fianc¨¦e get healthy soon."

    The two brothers bade their farewell and they departed. The other two princes also didn''t stay there for a long time anymore. Princess Ji Xiaoli will still have her hairpin ceremony tomorrow, so she had to rest early.

    ¡­

    When they had returned back to the residence, Wei Liuying finally spoke out, "The hairpin ceremony is right after the celebration?"

    "Yes," Yang Xian admitted. "The Emperor decided that it''ll be for the best that Princess Ji Xiaoli had her hairpin ceremony as fast as possible so that they could proceed with the marriage agreement with Xiong Tribe and ended the long lasting war.''

    "When the war stopped, I''m sure that everyone will be full of praise to the Emperor''s insight and Princess Ji Xiaoli''s bravery," Wei Liuying added.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "Yes, but only temporary. When war started again, whose reputation would go to drain in your opinion?"

    Princess Ji Xiaoli.

    The answer was obvious, but Wei Liuying didn''t dare to utter it out. The three of them were in Prince Ji Sheng''s study room. The room was designed so that no one would be able to hear anything that was said from inside. That way, they could talk freely without the need to worry that someone will hear.

    Of course, Prince Ji Sheng never let anyone near the study room.

    "What did you use, Liu Ying?" Prince Ji Sheng asked.

    Wei Liuying straightened her position. "Replying to His Highness, I used daffodil bulbs to Wei Xiao Hua''s food."

    "Daffodil?"

    "Daffodil is a common flower in the capital city and it''s often used by women when they were using some makeup or taking a bath with herbs," Wei Liuying replied. "However, daffodil bulbs are poisonous if its ingested because it can cause nausea, vomiting, rash, or in large amount, even death."

    Prince Ji Sheng didn''t say anything when Wei Liuying said that. Several types of flowers were indeed poisonous, but women liked their scent and also their aroma. Because of that they didn''t care and kept the flower to decorate their garden. Of course, only some of them could be eaten and they were not foolish enough to poison themselves.

    Yang Xian rubbed his chin. "I believe this is not the first time you use it?"

    "I eat it in the past," Wei Liuying replied with a deadpan expression.

    "You eat it?"

    "Yes."

    When food was scarce, Wei Liuying had no other choice but to scavenge for food in the residence. There was nothing but flowers and some herbs around, so she had to test them one by one to find out which one was edible. When she was poisoned due to the flowers, the physician didn''t find anything wrong and only thought that she was malnourished.

    Medicine was not that advance yet as people''s focus has always been war. Maybe in the near future they would be able to realize that there was indeed something strange with the flowers. But at this point of time, Wei Liuying knew that she could use it to her advantage.

    Yang Xian nodded. "Don''t eat it anymore."

    "I won''t."

    "Good."

    "Also, this is the first time I see you take action on your own like this," Yang Xian commented. "Most of the time you''re only an insignificant figure at the background who will not do anything."

    "I can''t act on the front because of my position, so I have to scheme from the back. Right now, I''m not playing the role of a good yet timid daughter of the Wei Family. Is there any need for me to continue playing the passive role on the surface when it has nothing to do with my current identity?"

    Wei Liuying''s eyelids fluttered slightly. "But if you wish for me to not do any action on my own¡­"

    "Feel free to do what you want," Prince Ji Sheng interrupted. His expression was still as cold as ever. "As long as you don''t put me on disadvantage, I don''t mind whatever you do."

    "Yep. You can do whatever you want. Besides, isn''t life look more interesting when you''re daring than when you''re timid." Yang Xian winked and laughed. "You need to use your mind to create advantage for yourself too and don''t let other people continue to take advantage of you just because of your lower position."

    "I''m not going to scam ladies just like you, Strategist Yang."

    *cough* *cough*

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying with a frown, trying to keep his composure. "When did I ever scam ladies? All I did is just asking them some question."

    "And make them fall for your charm."

    "And make¡­. No! I didn''t do that. I''m the righteous Prince Ji Sheng''s right hand, so how can I possibly do something so immoral?" Yang Xian denied right away.

    Wei Liuying merely looked at Yang Xian with a cold face. Over the past week when she stayed in Prince Ji Sheng''s residence, she had heard of rumors regarding Yang Xian. He was already known to be a peculiar strategist who loved to roam around on the street and talked about many things.

    Of course, most of his target would be the ignorant ladies who didn''t know when they should close their mouth.

    "You learn too much from Yan."

    "Why do you think it''s from Yan?"

    "Because he''s the one who start to flirt with any women who throw themselves to him in order to get advantage without the need to promise them anything," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly. Though, Shi Yan''s girly face also made it harder for him to get close to women without them suspicious that he might be a woman.

    If he cross dressed, she was sure that it would be really good.

    In the store, Shi Yan sneezed loudly. He furrowed his brows and looked outside the window with confusion. ''Who''s the pretty lady who think about him? Has his charm finally work?''

    Listening to Wei Liuying, Yang Xian was speechless. Well, he had to admit, though. Part of his skill did come from Shi Yan because the two of them used to work together to search for information.

    "Back to the topic."

    When Prince Ji Sheng started to take control, both Yang Xian and Wei Liuying stopped talking. It was as if they were already trained to get serious whenever they heard Prince Ji Sheng''s voice.

    "Tomorrow Princess Ji Xiaoli''s hairpin ceremony, you two don''t have to come," Prince Ji Sheng gave his order.

    Yang Xian frowned. "Are you sure about this, Your Highness? There are already several officials who are looking at you with malicious gazes today. From what I had seen, those who still keep neutral can be counted with fingers."

    "I know."

    Prince Ji Sheng had also noticed most of the people''s gaze this afternoon. However, he didn''t want to attract attention and tried to keep low profile tomorrow. "I want you to stay behind and take care of our departure."

    "When will we depart?"

    "The day after hairpin ceremony."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "So quick?"

    Prince Ji Sheng tapped his fingers on the armrest. "There are too many dangers in the capital city. Besides, those who didn''t want peace to happen will surely make their movements and tried to stop us."

    "Leave it to me, Your Highness."

    "And you, Liu Ying," Prince Ji Sheng looked at Wei Liuying then frowned. Everything could be done by Yang Xian splendidly without the need of help from other people. "You can do whatever you want."

    Whatever she wants?

    Wei Liuying was perplexed when she heard what Ji Sheng said. She turned her head to look at Yang Xian, but he simply shrugged. "I can take care of everything for now. However, it''ll be better if you do some closure for your own case or something like that because who knows what will happen to your original names?"

    "It''s fine even if they want to use my name," Wei Liuying replied. "What they can''t do is finding someone with similar face and stature as me so quickly."

    Hearing that, Yang Xian smiled bitterly. Who could possibly be as beautiful as Wei Liuying but has such small stature because of malnutrition? The Wei Family wouldn''t be able to find her replacement in such a short period of time. And even if they could, Wei Liuying didn''t mind. At least for now.

    Because she had a more important matter to do.

    From now on, she was not Wei Liuying.

    She''s Liu Ying, Prince Ji Sheng''s second strategist and also Yang Xian''s apprentice.

 Chapter 140 - Last Day In The Capital City (1)

    Yang Xian and Wei Liuying talked for a bit more before they returned back to the small place where the two of them stayed for the past few days.

    "Strategist Yang, don''t you have better place since you''re a noble now?"

    "Noble?" Yang Xian thought for a moment then laughed. "Even though I have the rank of a noble because of war achievement, I don''t really have the skill and manpower to do what my role gives me. In any case, I know that I don''t want to have so many servants serving me."

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "But you''re a leader."

    "I did give order, but the real leader is always His Highness. The role of a right hand is to support him no matter what his decision is," Yang Xian replied. He pushed the door open and entered. "Before we depart, I need to remind you that Prince Ji Sheng''s army is not as big as what people said. Our accomplishment is limited because of the army''s number."

    "Is it because the Emperor is afraid that the military will overthrow him?"

    "Yes. You sure know history well."

    Wei Liuying gave a halfhearted smile. There were several cases the change of the Emperor was because of military power. Besides, the change in dynasty usually occurred because of the military power that was held by one person too much.

    A kingdom can''t have too many soldiers under one general or it would spark troubles.

    "Prince Ji Sheng''s rank is general, right?"

    "Yes. His soldiers are only 8,000 or so in total. We have been doing some recruitment and some are lost during our exchange with Xiong Tribe lately, so I haven''t known the exact number," Yang Xian explained.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "That''s a large number."

    The rank below general was 5,000 men''s commander. It was also the most important rank because those who could reach that rank and succeed in battlefield would be able to be promoted to general''s rank.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "Only in surface it does look big. However, other generals have more than 10,000 soldiers in their hands. As you can see, the Emperor didn''t trust His Highness that much."

    "I see."

    By limiting the number of soldiers in Ji Sheng''s hand, the Emperor was also reducing his possibility to obtain the throne no matter how hard Prince Ji Sheng tried to do it. The other generals would have better chance.

    "There are a total of three generals at the north. Are their location similar to Prince Ji Sheng?"

    "No, they''re spread across the vast border with four vital points. Prince Ji Sheng is only responsible for one of the vital points while other generals can defend on the other points. When one general is in trouble, those from the sides will send reinforcement. Aside from generals, there were several smaller independent armies roaming around."

    "Independent armies?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    Yang Xian nodded. "Some noble families will have their sons sent to the battlefield. Many of them already become a commander at a young age and entrusted an independent army to rake their own achievements and pave their way to become generals. Of course, the number of successful army was small. Most of them could never increase their rank and only roam around at low rank to fight for skirmish battle."

    "I see."

    By this time, Yang Xian had drawn the map and also the location of the soldiers. Even though it was said that the north had four generals in total including Prince Ji Sheng, she had just realized that their position was a bit too wide. One was near the west while the other was near the east.

    It was hard to determine whether they were actually at west or east since they were also very close to the north.

    "Han Shi Kingdom''s northern border is vast," Wei Liuying commented.

    "It''s indeed big," Yang Xian agreed. "However, we still can protect the people who lived in the city well."

    "is it because of the terrain?"

    "More or less. Also, you need to rest, Liu Ying."

    "I''m going to rest after you have finished your explanation." Wei Liuying took off her coat and placed it on the side. She stretched her body a bit. "Is it fine for me to roam on the street alone?"

    "It''s fine."

    "Thank you."

    "Have some rest."

    Wei Liuying waited until Yang Xian had left before she continued to change her clothing and lied on her bed. Tomorrow would be her last day in the capital city. She wondered whether she would miss this place or not.

    Probably no.

    She hated this hellish place.

    ¡­

    The next day, Wei Liuying woke up early and slipped away as soon as she had finished her breakfast and her preparation. Yang Xian was busy today because he needed to prepare the horses and carriages for their departure.

    It didn''t take long for Wei Liuying to arrive by the bookstore again.

    "You come back again?" Manager Xin asked with surprise. He was more used with Wei Liuying''s rare visit.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "How''s your health, Manager Xin? I hope you have been well."

    "I''m fine." Manager Xin laughed and ushered Wei Liuying to sit down. The third floor was as empty as before because there was not many furniture that Manager Xin placed there. "Are you going to leave soon?"

    "Today will be the last day I can visit you, Manager Xin," Wei Liuying replied. "I hope that Wei Family didn''t create too much trouble for you."

    "Those people can''t do anything. Even if they try to overturn the bookstore, they wouldn''t find anything." Manager Xin was not worried in the slightest bit. He had already faced with so many officials, how could he not know what he should do when he had to face someone like Wei Hong?

    Besides, Wei Liuying was truly not here. There was nothing that they could do to him without evidence either.

    "I need a favor from you, Manager Xin."

    "Don''t speak so formal. What do you need help with?" Manager Xin asked back and patted Wei Liuying''s shoulder as if telling her that she should speak freely. He would not mind whatever Wei Liuying asked.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "I want to know when Wei Family start to show Wei Liuying."

    Show Wei Liuying?

    The phrase made Manager Xin''s eyes narrowed. He understood that Wei Family had been hiding the matter about Wei Liuying''s disappearance for days. However, it never crossed his minds that they would be planning to replace Wei Liuying with another girl.

    That just sound¡­.

    "Insolent! How dare they faked Wei Liuying like that?" Manager Xin was angry whenever he thought that they would be replacing Wei Liuying with another woman. Her reputation would go down the drain!

    On the contrary, Wei Liuying was awfully calm. She chuckled. "Even if they tried to replace me, there are some things that they''ll never know. Those small things will surely expose them."

    "But that¡­"

    Wei Liuying raised her hands. "Some of the noble ladies have already noticed that my hands are coarse due to the fact that I practiced martial arts. Even with medicine, it can only cover the back and not the front. But when they tried to find my replacement, will they think about it?"

    "A woman who can do martial arts?" Manager Xin asked with a weird tone. "It''ll be impossible."

    Trying to find a woman with her stature and face alone would be difficult. Madam Feng was known as the most beautiful women back in her days. Trying to find someone who could match her would be extremely difficult. Not to mention, Wei Liuying looked similar to both her parents.

    How could they find a girl that looked so similar to the two of them?

    It would be hard.

    Now if they had to add the fact that Wei Liuying practiced martial arts, it was obvious that they would never find one with similar stature.

    Their only option was to wait for some time until they all had forgotten how Wei Liuying used to look like. That way, they would not suspect anything if there was anything different from her.

    "Despicable!"

    "Isn''t it just normal?" Wei Liuying asked back. "I''m sure a lot of women will be lining up, trying to act as Wei Liuying."

    Manager Xin frowned. If someone else was trying to use his name, he would be terribly angry. But why Wei Liuying looked so calm as if it has no relation to her.

    "Why are you not angry?"

    "What''s the point of getting angry?" Wei Liuying asked back. "Since they''re so kind as to prepare someone to look like me, it means that I can also use it to my advantage, right?"

    "You¡­" Manager Xin wanted to say that it would be too dangerous, but his words stuck in his throat. In the end, he just sighed. "Whatever you planned to do, please be careful, Liuying."

    "Yes, Manager Xin."

 Chapter 141 - Last Day In The Capital City (2)

    Wei Liuying talked more to Manager Xin before she walked out. This time, she headed to the restaurant that she had just bought a few days prior. Without the gang creating trouble, the restaurant''s business was thriving.

    Looking from outside, the small restaurant was bustling with people. There were a lot of customers walking to the restaurant and talked about how good it was inside. They were all giving positive review regarding the restaurant.

    "Young Master Liu," Manager Xia quickly greeted her with a broad smile.

    Wei Liuying smiled back. "The restaurant seems to be bustling with customers now."

    "It''s all thanks to Young Master Liu for eliminating the gang. Not only this restaurant, several others who used to be pressured are now happy," Manager Xia said while rubbing his hand. He had never expected that the business would be so good like this.

    "That''s good. Don''t forget to keep the money."

    "I understand," Manager Xia answered readily. He felt that Wei Liuying''s arrangement for him to bury the money on the back courtyard of the restaurant every six months sound weird. However, since she was the one who asked, he would do it.

    Maybe the money can grow to be a tree?

    He highly doubted it, though.

    "Now, I''m only a customer here. I want to order a bow of chicken noodle," Wei Liuying said with a smile.

    "Right away, Young Master Liu."

    Wei Liuying headed to the empty table and watched the people around her. Looking at their happy expression and how the servants conducted themselves, she was satisfied. This was nothing more than a small store, but it was more than enough for her to get some side income.

    In case of emergency, she would be able to have enough money aside from the one that she had from selling the books.

    "Young Master Xie, are you sure that you want to eat in this kind of place?"

    The voice from the side made Wei Liuying turned her head. She was stunned when she saw Wei Yijun and Xie Jing walked to the restaurant. This place was located quite far from the center, including the academy.

    Eh wait, there was no class today.

    But the young masters usually would not waste their time to roam around the street like this. They would be beaten up by their fathers if they dared to waste their time for any unnecessary.

    "I''m bored," Xie Jing replied with a harsh tone.

    "Young Master Xie, this is nothing more than a small restaurant," the servant was still trying hard to make Xie Jing change his mind.

    "You''re just in bad mood because of the recent incidents, right?" Wei Yijun added from the side. His tone was still as innocent as usual, but there was also a hint of tiredness from his voice.

    Xie Jing snorted. "Anyway, this small restaurant is bustling, so it''s a good place for us to rest today."

    "I don''t have any opinion."

    The two of them picked the seat near Wei Liuying. The servants were still trying to persuade them, but the two young masters didn''t listen. They purposely picked this place so that they could stay away from the tense atmosphere back in their residence. No one was in the mood to study when there was still large scale searching for the missing officials.

    One of them was found in his family members'' house not long ago and executed in place. The family members were also executed because they helped criminals like the official to escape.

    Wei Family was not out of suspicion list yet because Wei Lu hadn''t been found.

    Even with Prince Ji Shu''s protection, they couldn''t avoid getting checked by the guards when those came. Of course, there was nothing that they found but they nearly found out that Wei Liuying disappeared. Wei Hong had to come up with some believable story to make sure that they would not try to check inside the quarter.

    Thankfully, it would be incredibly impolite for soldiers to barge into an unmarried young lady''s quarter. And with a servant posing as sickly Wei Liuying, they managed to bypass this disaster.

    Wei Hong had to be thankful that Prince Ji Shu was helping him, though. Without the prince and Wei Xiao Hua, he would have been exposed for having a missing daughter and might have his reputation went to drain.

    "How long will this last?" Xie Jing asked in annoyance after making his order.

    "I believe that it''ll end soon. Besides, your brother has been very active in trying to help out the search."

    Xie Jing sneered. "Since His Highness the Fourth Prince didn''t manage to get the result so quickly, His Highness the Crown Prince is also tasked to search for the missing officials. There are still six of them missing."

    Six¡­

    Wei Liuying knew that there were a lot of officials got involved, but she didn''t count back when she was releasing them from the prison. It might have been 10 or 12 since she was not totally sure. She only knew that she needed to make diversion in order to make sure that they would not focus on her.

    Who would have thought that the number of missing officials would turn out to be so many?

    "The food is here."

    "It looks good," Wei Yijun commented and started to eat. He did pick this place randomly, but he didn''t expect that it was truly as good as what people said. It seemed that there were also good places at the outer layer of the capital city.

    Xie Jing nodded. He still wanted to roam around the city after this, so he had no other choice but to continue eating. His stomach has been protesting since he didn''t give enough nutrients lately. He went out of his residence early in the morning to avoid getting lectured by his father again.

    "What''s your plan after this?"

    "Just walk around the city and try to find some amusement," Xie Jing replied. "If necessary, I don''t mind going to brothel."

    Pfft!

    *cough* *cough*

    Xie Jing was perplexed when he heard that there were two different reactions. He turned his head to the side and noticed that there was a young boy sitting on the table by the side. The young boy was wearing ordinary civilian clothing, but there was the Imperial Family mark on his sleeve. It was usually used by the servants of the Imperial Family and from the way it looked like, it was from the Third Prince?

    While Xie Jing was confused, Wei Yijun also turned to look at Wei Liuying. His eyes landed on her sleeve then to her face. She was wearing the same makeup as before to make sure that no one will mistook her as Wei Hong Zheng.

    "Pardon us, Strategist Liu," Wei Yijun said while cupping his hand. "We have showed an unsightly view from the young masters here."

    "There''s no need to worry," Wei Liuying replied while lowering her tone to make her sound more masculine. "Also, I''m not an official strategist, yet. At best, I can only be called as Strategist Yang''s apprentice."

    Wei Yijun smiled. "Strategist Apprentice Liu."

    By this time, Xie Jing had realized who Wei Liuying was. Just yesterday, Prince Ji Sheng introduced a young boy during Princess Ji Xiaoli''s birthday celebration. The surname of the boy was Liu, and he would be the second military strategist by Prince Ji Sheng.

    From the way he looked like, many thought that Prince Ji Sheng was picking up another young stranger again. After all, Prince Ji Sheng had picked several young and talented people to be by his side over his time on the north. The only problem was the fact that most of them were commoners.

    "First Young Master Wei." Wei Liuying cupped her hands too in order to greet them. "Second Young Master Xie."

    "I''m flattered that Strategist Apprentice Liu knew us," Xie Jing said while forcing a smile out.

    "Your name has been spread in the capital city for some time." Wei Liuying said and stood up. "I don''t want to take too much of your time, Second Young Master Xie and First Young Master Wei. However, I think that you should care for your health more because you''re both are still young."

    Xie Jing''s face turned bright red. He was only 16 years old, which meant that he was still far cry from being an adult. If he went to brothel at this age, wouldn''t he just start destroying his own health and future?

    By this time, he was sure that Wei Liuying must have heard what he had just said.

    Agh!

    Xie Jing felt so embarrassed.

    Wei Yijun patted his friend''s shoulder. "We''ll just continue to walk around the city. I''m sure that things will change in the court soon."

    "Well, in our current position, there''s nothing that we can do."

    "True." Wei Yijun held a bitter smile. He wanted to show his support to the second prince, but the time was not right. The second prince has been under suspicion because of the incident not long ago. In addition, he wouldn''t be able to provide any support whatsoever with his current ability.

    He was nothing more than a little young master with no real power.

    While the two young masters were still in their heated discussion, Wei Liuying walked out of the restaurant. She glanced back inside as her lips curled up. Wei Yijun and Xie Jing didn''t seem to be so bad. Even though they were immature, they were able to see things clearly too.

    Their conversation was a bit funny, though.

    At this time, Wei Liuying had completely forgotten that she was more than two years younger compared to the two of them.

 Chapter 142 - Departure

    After the short meeting with Wei Yijun and Xie Jing, Wei Liuying returned back to Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence and stayed there. The next day, everyone headed out to the north gate and there were already several carriages plus a lot of horses ready. Many of Prince Ji Sheng''s soldiers were already there too.

    "This looks as if we''re departing to war rather than going back," Wei Liuying commented.

    Yang Xian laughed. "When we come here, His Highness bring a lot of soldiers with him. This is the one that caused the large number here."

    "Are you sure that it''s not because you have been recruiting more soldiers during your time here?"

    "¡­Can you be less smart?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t reply again and moved her gaze back to the soldiers. She had seen the large number of soldiers when they first came to the capital city. Even though the increase was not drastic, she could see that Yang Xian must have already recruited more people than what he said on the surface.

    However, he didn''t seem to report the matter to the Emperor.

    "Are you sure that you won''t be hated because of taking their people?"

    "It''s fine. I''m targeting people like you who no longer had any place anymore. Of course, most of them are only in trial period because we still need to test them," Yang Xian said with a smile.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Trial period, huh?"

    What Yang Xian wanted to say was the fact that none of these people could compare with Wei Liuying, but he couldn''t bring himself to speak those words. He knew that because of his frequent meeting with Wei Liuying, the two of them didn''t want to let her off. They would do anything possible to make sure that she became part of their army.

    These people were slightly talented, but they still need a long time to groom. On the other hand, he wanted to use Wei Liuying almost right away because her talent was simply too rare.

    And slightly horrifying if he had to admit.

    "Her Highness Princess Ji Xiaoli is here."

    When they heard the voice, they all quickly moved to greet her. Wei Liuying and Yang Xian were not exception as they quickly moved to the front and bowed down.

    "Your Highness, please this way," Yang Xian said while bowing his head.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli was wearing long brocade dress. There were several maidservants following behind her. They were already tasked by the Emperor to make sure that they would never leave Princess Ji Xiaoli no matter what. They had to accompany her at all time.

    "Strategist Yang."

    "This subject is here, Your Highness."

    "Can you bring me back to the palace?" Princess Ji Xiaoli asked with a cold tone.

    Yang Xian didn''t even have any change in his expression as he spoke out. "I''m afraid it''ll be impossible, Your Highness."

    "What if I give an edict?"

    "Emperor''s Edict was to escort Princess Ji Xiaoli safely to make sure that there was nothing wrong with the arrangement to Xiong Tribe," Yang Xian replied with a deadpan tone. Emperor''s Edict was naturally higher than a princess'' order. He was looking at the princess with his dark eyes. "Would you please collaborate with us, Your Highness?"

    His tone was soothing and calm, yet there was a hint of threat beneath it. Princess Ji Xiaoli could feel that whatever words she was about to say, it was stuck within her throat. She didn''t feel like saying anything else.

    "You''re a rigid man, Strategist Yang."

    "Many thanks for your praise, Your Highness. It''s a necessary trait I need to have to be able to do my job properly," Yang Xian said unhurriedly.

    "I can see that very clearly."

    The atmosphere between the two of them seemed to have reached the freezing point. Wei Liuying could hardly bring herself to listen to their words when they were just simply antagonizing each other.

    It took some time before Yang Xian arranged Princess Ji Xiaoli into one of the carriages.

    "Shi Mo."

    "Yes, Strategist Yang."

    "You''ll be the one to watch over Princess Ji Xiaoli. Make sure that she never disappears from your watch."

    "Yes, Strategist Yang."

    Shi Mo looked at the carriage with curiosity. This was the first time he was asked to be the one who watched over an important person. He couldn''t say that he was happy with this arrangement, but he didn''t have a choice too.

    "No matter what she said, make sure that you''re not too far away from her," Wei Liuying added.

    "There''s no need to worry, Strategist Apprentice Liu. I''ll not disappoint Strategist Yang."

    Wei Liuying didn''t say anything more and walked to follow Yang Xian. The two of them were to ride horse not far behind Ji Sheng because of Yang Xian''s current position. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that someone like him used to be a commoner.

    "General, everything is ready." Yang Xian changed his way of addressing Prince Ji Sheng. When they were on the battlefield, he was more used to call Ji Sheng as general or even Master. He only changed his way of addressing because they were in the capital city where there were so many eyes watching over from the shadow.

    "Onward!"

    They all started to move with Prince Ji Sheng at the front. There were only several soldiers who were staying near him to guard him from each side, including Yang Xian and Wei Liuying who were not far from him.

    "Liu Ying."

    "Yes, Strategist Yang?" Wei Liuying replied.

    "From now on, you won''t be able to return back to the capital city for a long period of time," Yang Xian said in leisure tone. His way of talking changed to be more relaxed now that they were no longer in the capital city. "Do you think that you''re going to miss the capital city?"

    "Miss the capital city?" Wei Liuying repeated the question. Inside her mind, the memory of her suffering back in Wei Family flashed for a split second. There was no way she would forget the days when she had to think hard and worked hard just in order to survive. Her family members basically didn''t care whether she was alive or dead.

    It was only after she showed that she was useful to her mother that the latter started to make sure that she was fed at least once a day. But even then, it was not really a good treatment.

    "I wish from the bottom of my heart that I''ll never have to return back to the Capital City again," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "Based on General Sheng''s position, there''s low chance that he''ll be called to the Capital City ever again."

    "I see."

    Of course, Wei Liuying already knew that. This was the first time ever since Prince Ji Sheng was sent to the frontline nearly a decade ago he returned back to the capital city. The Emperor never summoned him and it was very unlikely for Prince Ji Sheng to be called back to the capital city if there was no emergency.

    Yang Xian watched Wei Liuying''s expression but didn''t say anything else.

    The journey was long, and they didn''t even stop in the middle. They were all had to be satisfied with only dried meat for their meal as they continued to walk. It felt as if they were heading to war rather than returning back from a trip.

    The one who felt the most miserable was Princess Ji Xiaoli. Even though they have already used the best carriage to bring them all back to the north, it was still uncomfortable for her to sit for an entire day in the carriage. She almost threw a fit if not for her maidservants stopped her from doing so.

    "Will we stop when it''s night time?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Yes. We''re going to stop in the valley nearby. There''s rock formation that''s perfect for protection," Yang Xian was the one who responded.

    Wei Liuying nodded. She studied the area when they reached the place that they picked. As Yang Xian arranged some soldiers to keep watch, Wei Liuying realized that the position each soldiers picked was strategic. They would be able to see until it was quite far from their position.

    "There are many things that I need to learn."

    "At the very least, you have the basic book knowledge," Yang Xian remarked. "Many of us have to learn with experience rather than the academy."

    "I never attended the academy. All I studied are from self-study, so if there''s any part that I got wrong, I hope that Strategist Yang would be so kind to point it out."

    Yang Xian nodded. "Of course. You don''t need to worry about that."

    "Xian, Ying."

    "Yes, Your Highness?"

    "Yes, General?"

    Wei Liuying just realized that she had just gotten new nickname from Prince Ji Sheng. He must have wanted to shorten her name to make it easier for him to call her. Since she would be using Liu as her surname to hide her real identity, he picked Ying.

    "Come with me."

    Without explaining anything, Prince Ji Sheng started walking.

 Chapter 143 - Rematch

    "Let''s go."

    Seeing that Yang Xian also started to walk, Wei Liuying followed from behind. Internally, she was still confused as to why Prince Ji Sheng would want to bring them away from the camp. However, she chose to stay silent and followed obediently.

    She would know when they reached the destination.

    "Strategist Yang."

    "Yes?"

    "Would it be fine to leave the camp at this point of time?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian''s eyes flickered. He smiled lightly. "Don''t worry. No one knew about our disappearance. Besides, we''re not going for a long time. Even if something happened, it wouldn''t be detrimental."

    Seeing the confidence in Yang Xian''s expression, Wei Liuying chose not to say anything more. She was sure that this annoying strategist knew what she was worried about. Since he trusted his soldiers, she would need to trust them too.

    Prince Ji Sheng didn''t walk that far. He was only heading to the nearby higher hills that was covered with trees. There were no other soldiers nearby, but Wei Liuying could sense that there were several other people in the darkness.

    "Shan Yi, come out now."

    "You found me?" a voice replied.

    Wei Liuying turned her head and looked at the large man who came. His built was certainly far bigger than what most people usually had. However, he was still very nimble as he walked in their direction. At this time, Wei Liuying came to realize that he was actually the bandit leader whom she met around three months prior in the East Forest.

    The moon was showing brightly and now that they were not inside the forest, Wei Liuying could see his countenance clearly. Dark eyes and sharp chin, clearly he had quite a good countenance compared to most people.

    It seemed that Prince Ji Sheng''s people were mostly good looking people.

    Well, scratch that, there were a lot more good looking people amongst the nobles. In fact, Wei Liuying rarely saw anyone who looked bad.

    The bandit leader, Shan Yi, scratched his head and looked at the three of them. He frowned. "There''s new person?"

    "This is Liu Ying," Ji Sheng introduced Wei Liuying.

    "Liu Ying?" Shan Yi repeated and looked at Wei Liuying up and down. Even though it was dark, he still could see her very clearly. She looked different from before and he didn''t really remember the incident, so he didn''t recognize her. However, he still realized that this ''Liu Ying'' was not really a man.

    A crease formed on his forehead. "Brother Sheng, since when you begin to bring little girls during your campaign? You didn''t even bring Lu''er."

    Lu''er was the nickname for Shi Yan''s little sister. Wei Liuying had heard him called his little sister that way, so she was quite familiar with it. Hearing what Shan Yi talking, he seemed to be oddly familiar with them.

    Her eyes flickered as several thoughts crossed in her mind. It seemed that even though Prince Ji Sheng acted as if he didn''t care in the slightest bit, he was actually trying to help out Princess Ji Xiaoli back then.

    Unfortunately, his method was a bit¡­

    Wei Liuying shook her head, not wanting to think too much. While it was true that she was the one who stopped the bandits from getting Princess Ji Xiaoli, she wouldn''t have been able to escape. There were a lot of people who roamed in the forest at that night and being seen with bandits will only destroy her reputation.

    Afterwards, there might even be possibility that the marriage agreement would be called off. If it was not called off, Princess Ji Xiaoli would surely become a concubine rather than the future empress.

    Not really a good position if one should say since it meant her position would be lower.

    Probably, having her interrupted in that incident would be a good thing. Still, the thought that a slight chance for Princess Ji Xiaoli to escape was ruined by her made Wei Liuying''s heart ached a bit.

    Maybe¡­ she shouldn''t have helped the princess back then.

    Yang Xian noticed Wei Liuying''s sudden mood change and patted her back lightly. He knew what she was thinking and leaned in, whispering softly.

    ''The plan had failed back then. There''s a patrol guard right outside the forest and Shan Yi almost didn''t manage to escape.''

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered. She looked at Yang Xian, who gave her warm smile. It felt as if he could guess what she was thinking and worrying about. The thought that he could see through her felt a bit frustrating at times.

    But she also did the same to him most of the time in order to find out what was going on through his head.

    ''Thank you.''

    While the two of them were whispering, Prince Ji Sheng and Shan Yi talked to each other.

    "Xiao Lu can''t fight," Prince Ji Sheng said simply.

    "And this girl can?"

    "Why don''t you try?"

    "Hahahaha!" Shan Yi laughed heartily and took out a large sword. He looked at Wei Liuying with interest. "In that case, please, Lady Liu."

    Wei Liuying returned her attention back to Shan Yi. Truthfully, the two of them have already fought before, but since Prince Ji Sheng wanted her to give it a go again, why not?

    She cupped her hand and took out her small sword. Just as she was about to step forward, Yang Xian stopped her and handed her a new sword. "I forgot to give this to you. That small sword can''t really be your main weapon. It''s too short."

    "Oh. Alright."

    Taking the new sword, Wei Liuying circled it around to test the weight. It was perfect for her as if the sword was custom made just for her and her alone. With a smile on her lips, Wei Liuying stepped forward and looked at Shan Yi. The two of them were waiting for the right chance to start their attack.

    "Who do you think will win, Xian?" Ji Sheng asked.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Based on raw power alone, Shan Yi is at utter advantage. However, if we count their ability to think, Liu Ying is at advantage."

    "Precisely."

    Clang!

    Shan Yi began to attack and Wei Liuying shifted her body position to receive it as parry. She knew very well that her body size would be at disadvantage, so she couldn''t block it directly or she would be dead meat.

    Wei Liuying twisted her body and swung her sword to Shan Yi''s thigh. He sensed her movement and stepped forward to evade the attack. The two of them didn''t stop there as it was Wei Liuying''s turn to move forward and brandished her sword again while Shan Yi twisted his arm to block the attack in time.

    Clang! Clang! Clang!

    Sounds of metal clashing filled the small hill.

    Yang Xian and Ji Sheng were still watching from the side as the two of them traded blows. It was clear that they would not finish anytime soon since they were trying to probe each other with each of their attack and blocking.

    "I did hear that she''s good at martial arts, but this is the first time I see it by myself," Prince Ji Sheng commented. "She''s still lacking."

    "Her martial art focused in defending, but it''ll be hard for her if she needs to fight with multiple people," Yang Xian concluded after he saw Wei Liuying''s fight with the sword. Back then, she was using bow and arrows, so it was not a problem for her to fight with multiple enemies.

    Now seeing her skill with sword, he came to conclusion that there were still a lot to work on. Since Wei Liuying was still young and not really focusing in martial arts, it seemed to be only better than average.

    At the very least, she was adept at changing her pace according to her enemies and made adjustment in order to put herself at advantage. She would not directly challenge her enemy at their strongest point and would find loophole that she could take advantage of.

    "In one to one battle, she might not necessarily lose against a commander," Yang Xian finally said. But if it was in the army, there would be several other factors that they needed to consider. She would need some training.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. His eyes narrowed when he saw Shan YI''s big movement. That bandit was finally getting impatient.

    The battle will be over soon.

    Finally, the chance that Wei Liuying had been waiting came. She could see that Shan Yi was coming at her while swinging his large sword horizontally. Her movement came into a halt as she bent her knees, barely avoiding the attack.

    The moment the sword passed by her, Wei Liuying kicked the ground and dashed forward. Her sword was thrusted to the front and stopped right before Shan Yi''s neck. The tip blade was nearly touching his skin. Shan Yi no longer dared to move.

    "You¡­"

    "You lose," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly.

 Chapter 144 - Rematch (2)

    Shan Yi wanted to protest, saying that her pitiful strength wouldn''t be able to wound him in the slightest bit. However, his words stuck in his throat, and he was unable to say anything else. All he could do was to stare at her with dumfounded expression with his sword not far from him.

    "Not satisfied, Bandit Leader Shan Yi?"

    "That''s¡­" Shan Yi wanted to speak, but he found her gaze to be quite disturbing. The cold and calm gaze seemed like she had long gotten used with killing. It was both scary and frightening.

    What caused a young girl to look like she was so used with spilling blood?

    "It''s a long battle."

    "You can keep your sword now," Yang Xian said from the side.

    Wei Liuying nodded and lowered her weapon. She knew that her face and back were drenched in sweat by now while her hand started to feel numb. Parrying the attack of a big man like Shan Yi was not easy for a young girl at her stature.

    Any longer and it would be her who would be killed.

    "Are you really a girl?" Shan Yi asked in exasperation. However, he knew that his eyes were good when it came to differentiating between women and men. There was no way that the young girl in front of him could be a boy.

    Men and women were different in stature. While there might be those that could disguise themselves, Shan Yi had trained his eyes to differentiate them. This was very important for him because bandits have to deal with all sort of annoying people.

    Getting tricked was clearly not in his plan.

    "I am."

    "Ugh¡­"

    Shan Yi sighed and walked a step back. He looked at Wei Liuying from head to toe, feeling a bit appalled. From her stature alone, he would have never guessed that the one who would meet the end would be him.

    She was truly good with sword.

    Yang Xian laughed lightly. "Do you already forget about the young lady whom you fought in the forest not long ago?"

    "Young lady? Forest?" Shan Yi never bothered to store unimportant information inside his head for a long time. It was then he recalled that he did find a young girl who was worthy of his blade when he visited the capital city not long ago. His eyes widened as he turned to look at Wei Liuying.

    She hadn''t grown taller, so she still looked the same as she was three months ago. With that, Shan Yi could say for sure that she was truly that young lady.

    "The one that stopped me from doing your task?"

    Yang Xian rolled his eyes. "I only ask you to stop Princess Ji Xiaoli in case she come to the forest and not harassing her."

    "Well, you know that my men are rowdy."

    "Good thing those who come with you had disappeared."

    Shan Yi snorted. How could he know that his men often act by themselves when he had so many subordinates? It was already hard for him to control most of them when it was most necessary.

    "I met with some guards after meeting you. Guess my luck was really bad that night." Shan Yi grimaced. The harsh battle that ensued afterwards was not light at all. It was truly a nightmare for him to run into a patrol army that was stationed there.

    Who would have thought that they were patrolling near the forest at that damned time?

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered. She glanced at Yang Xian who gave her a smile. He must have known that the plan eventually failed because of an unexpected factor. Whenever they schemed something, they would put everything into their calculation, but there would always be something that they might missed out.

    "Anyway, let me introduce myself properly, I''m Shan Yi, leader of Shan Xi Gang."

    "Shan Xi?" Wei Liuying felt that it was the name of the destroyed village not far from Huang River. When the Huang River flooded again a few years'' prior, several villages were drowned and refugees flocked the street to find new place to stay. Shan Xi village was one of the few who got heavily damaged by the incident.

    There were a few other villages too. After all, there was not only one village that was staying near Huang River.

    "Do you know the place?" Shan Yi asked.

    "I have heard of a village named Shan Xi, but I have never been there."

    Shan Yi smiled. "My parents used to be the village head there and our ancestors are the founder, which is why my surname is Shan. There''s a long story about how they managed to¡­."

    As Shan Yi began to tell his story, Wei Liuying was a bit dumbfounded. She didn''t expect that the previously scary bandit leader was actually quite a good story teller. From the way it looked like, he was so proud of his previous village to the point that he could sing a song about it.

    Not just song, he was practically making poems out of his previous village. Wei Liuying sneaked a glance at Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian only to see that they had poker expression. It seemed that this was not the first time Shan Yi told them the story about his wonderful village.

    But¡­

    Couldn''t they do something to stop this man from giving them an extremely long story? Wei Liuying had the feeling that she wouldn''t be able to last if she had to listen to him like this because he looked like he could last for several incense sticks of time.

    "Shan Yi wants to rebuilt Shan Xi village," Yang Xian remarked from the side as if answering Wei Liuying''s wish. "However, the location near Huang River is completely flooded. Even though there has been some effort to fix it, there was no apparent result so far."

    "Even during autumn?"

    "Yes. The water is still flooding part of the area and with the coming of spring, the entire place had turned into that of a river. There wouldn''t be any way people could possibly live there," Yang Xian explained.

    Huang River was also known to be full of mud, which eventually gave out the color of the river. While it was good for farming, it would also give a lot of trouble when the river flooded the residential areas around it. The destruction was much larger compared to river without muddy water.

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian. "With the war still ongoing, how can they divert their attention fully to suppress the flood?"

    "That''s one of the reason."

    Shan Yi laughed. "That''s why I''m going to support Prince Ji Sheng and wait for the time he can become the one at the top. At that time, I''m going to rebuilt Shan Xi village for sure and give place for my men."

    "Make sure they don''t misbehave first."

    "I know that, Xian."

    Wei Liuying listened to their conversation with interest. This was the first time she knew that Prince Ji Sheng''s group actually consisted of people with many background, goals, and also personality. Looking at how he worked, she could guess that he was simply picking them based on their capabilities and also personality.

    If only the world was not divided by class and also power, would it be possible for everyone to work together?

    Wei Liuying laughed lightly. That was too good of a dream, but probably changes could be made little by little. After all, there were also a lot of commoners who were actually very talented in numerous field. It would be a waste if they were just buried under the mud without any chance to show their brilliance.

    After getting interrupted, Shan Yi chose not to tell the story anymore. He could tell from Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng''s eyes that they would kill him if he dared to say anything more at this time.

    Shan Yi stretched his body. "I guess it''s almost time for me to leave. Before that, can you tell me clearly why is there even a noble young lady who can fight so well?"

    "Circumstances."

    Shan Yi groaned.

    "I know that one! D*mn, if you don''t want to tell then I''m not going to ask. Let''s go boys! Time to *********!"

    Wei Liuying was stunned for a moment and rubbed her forehead. She had forgotten that Shan Yi was a real bandit, so his way of speaking was rougher than most people. It wouldn''t be weird even if he cursed all the time in his speech.

    Yang Xian patted Wei Liuying''s back. "You''re not bad, but we''ll need to work on your strength more."

    "I''ll train."

    "There might not be enough time for you to train too long. However, I''ll ask the commanders in the camp to let you train whenever there''s time," Yang Xian said after mulling for a bit. Having too little strength would do her no good in the battlefield, so he had to have her worked on her overall strength first.

 Chapter 145 - There Are Some Unavoidable Things

    Wei Liuying nodded. "It doesn''t sound that bad."

    "Good. Now, shall we drink some wine to cele¡­."

    "You''re underage, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian winced a bit and turned to look at Prince Ji Sheng. On the other hand, Prince Ji Sheng shook his head. "Next time. We''re in important mission now."

    "Fine."

    In truth, Yang Xian didn''t really bring anything with him when he was coming here. All he wanted was simply to make sure that they were all well. The three of them descended the small hill and returned back to their respective camps to sleep.

    When it was dawn, Wei Liuying woke up early.

    Awoooo!

    There was faint howling of wolves not far from there. Furrowing her brows, Wei Liuying walked out of her camp.

    "Apprentice Strategist Liu," a soldier greeted her.

    "Is there any wolf nearby?"

    "We''re currently scouting. There''s no need to worry, Apprentice Strategist Liu."

    Wei Liuying nodded and looked around once more. Her eyes landed on the hill where she played with Ji Sheng and Yang Xian yesterday. Slowly, she bypassed the trees towards the hill and looked around. Even though the sky was still dark, she could see that most of the layout of the forest and all from this position.

    A head peeked from the bush.

    Wei Liuying gripped her sword and looked at that wolf''s head. There was a deep scar on the face, a familiar scar that she had seen just around two weeks before.

    The wolf could sense Wei Liuying''s wariness, so he only stepped forward and wagged his tail. Rather than a wolf, he looked more like a big dog who was paying his respect to his owner.

    He looked happy.

    Wei Liuying was confused. She didn''t try to attack the wolf but didn''t really put down her guard. After all, she didn''t want to risk having the wolf suddenly attacked her.

    As if knowing that Wei Liuying would not let him get close, the wolf also didn''t move. He merely looked in her direction for a few more breaths of time. After a while, the wolf howled to the night sky once more before he turned his body and disappeared into the bushes once more.

    "What is he doing here?" Wei Liuying was confused.

    She looked around, but the sound of the wolf howling slowly disappeared in the darkness. After a moment of confusion, Wei Liuying turned around and returned back to her tent only to find the others have woken up too.

    Yang Xian glanced up. "Clean up your things. It''s time for us to depart."

    "Alright."

    ¡­

    Their journey truly felt like military advance as they moved forward to the north. The distance was several days'' worth of travel, so they had no other choice but to continue walking and walking again. The good thing was that they were riding horse, so that it would be smoother.

    Wei Liuying learned how to ride horse better along in the journey. She had to admit that it was not a pleasant experience, but she loved it. At least, she didn''t fall off the horse after the long journey.

    "We''re going to pass by a small village," Yang Xian informed. "We''ll stop for a while to stock our food supplies. You should stay behind and watch here."

    "Got it."

    Just like what Yang Xian said, they passed through a village and stopped near there. Wei Liuying was staying with the crowd while Yang Xian headed to the village to buy some necessary supplies that they were running out of.

    At this time, Ji Xiaoli was looking out from her carriage. She was feeling indignant after having to suffer for a long time in the carriage. Not to mention, her maidservants would never leave her alone even when she had to go because of nature''s call. It was so frustrating for her.

    This time, they were a bit more scattered because they had to help the soldiers.

    ''This is my chance.''

    Slowly, Princess Ji Xiaoli sneaked out of the carriage. The areas where they stopped were filled with trees on the opposite side of the villages. She was unfamiliar with the terrain here, but she knew that there must be another village after a day''s worth of journey. Not eating for a day would be worth it if she could escape her fate.

    With that in mind, Princess Ji Xiaoli rushed through the forest. Her dress made it hard for her to walk fast, but she didn''t care. All she could think of right now was how to make sure that she could escape from this dense place.

    Slip!

    "Kyaaaa!"

    Splash!

    Inside the forest, there was a small creek. Ji Xiaoli was already having a hard time trying to walk with her dress. Her unfamiliarity of the terrain only made things worse. Her body was now drenched from head to toe.

    "Ugh."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli tried to stand up, but she found out that it was hard for her to move due to the slippery ground. Just as she was frustrated, a hand pulled her from the back and pushed her out from the creek.

    "Your Highness, are you alright?" Wei Liuying asked in a low tone.

    "You! Don''t touch me!"

    Slap!

    Once more, Princess Ji Xiaoli nearly fell down to the creek. She was looking at Wei Liuying''s direction with trepidation in her eyes. When she was trying to run away, she had seen that Wei Liuying was still within the group of soldiers, arranging them to help. How can she come here so quickly?

    Wei Liuying wore calm expression as she looked at the princess before her. She had guessed that Ji Xiaoli would try to escape someday. It was not out of her calculation that she would try to escape at this time, so she simply followed from behind in a leisure pace.

    "You¡­ how¡­.?"

    "Princess, we can''t choose who we born as, but we can decide our course of action," Wei Liuying said slowly. "It''s not your decision to be born as the princess of Han Shi Kingdom, but since you have been born as one, it meant that you have responsibility to fulfill."

    "What responsibility?" Princess Ji Xiaoli screamed. "Do you think I want to be born as a princess? If I can, I want to be a commoner instead."

    "Even a commoner have their marriage determined by their parents."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli winced. "Then I wish to be a man!"

    "A man had to be able to protect his family and worked hard for the sake of everyone around him. He will not run away in the face of trouble," Wei Liuying said slowly.

    "You won''t be able to persuade me." Princess Ji Xiaoli was looking at Wei Liuying with hatred within her eyes. She wanted to escape.

    "I won''t persuade you. I simply wish for you to listen¡­"

    "I''m not going to listen."

    Wei Liuying could see that Ji Xiaoli tried to block her ear with her hand. However, she still continued speaking, "The marriage agreement between Han Shi Kingdom and Xiong Tribe is made to make sure that the two can coexist. Without the agreement, thousands people will die because of war.

    Every single day, there''s an attack from the Xiong Tribe to the border of Han Shi Kingdom. Many people lose their home, their family members, and also their friends. They had no other choice but to become refugee and moved to a safer place. Those who didn''t have any option will stay in the same place and had to brace themselves for the next attack.

    Only if the war stop would they be able to live better."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli had no intention to listen, but how could she stop the words from Wei Liuying''s mouth from entering her ear. Even when she used her hand to close her ear, she still could hear what Wei Liuying said.

    "All of us will die too if we fail our mission. The Emperor had been wanting to find faults with Prince Ji Sheng because he didn''t like him. If you wish to send all of us including thousands of soldiers to our death''s door, you can try to leave again, Princess."

    The lives of a lot of people are in the princess'' hand.

    In front of her, Princess Ji Xiaoli had started crying. Imagining so many people suffering has become easier for her because of her own hardship lately. She had to stay in a carriage for a long time and could only eat dried meat when it was day time. Only when it was night time would the condition be a bit better.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli looked at Wei Liuying. "You purposely tell me the story, don''t you?"

    Wei Liuying looked at Princess Ji Xiaoli. "Every action has the consequences. If you chose to run away, you have to be ready to bear the burden of killing so many people who could have been alive with your different course of action. Your position will affect a lot of people, Your Highness."

 Chapter 146 - Playing The Bad Person

    Princess Ji Xiaoli looked at Wei Liuying with tears rolling down her cheek. "You''re cruel."

    "I''m merely stating a fact. From the moment you were born with high status, the number of people who will be affected with your action increased. Even ordinary people can indirectly kill other people with their action, what''s more a leader."

    Wei Liuying looked at Princess Ji Xiaoli in front of her. She knew that life as part of the Imperial Family was not easy. For princesses, they were already destined to be married for an agreement like this. The only positive point would be the fact that they would have high status even after their marriage.

    "Who do you tell me all of this?"

    "It''s to allow you to understand more of your position. Even concubine''s daughters will be married away because of their father''s wish to expand his career. Only a select few can possibly be married to the man they wanted by using schemes or something like that. Some can run away, but they have to live bearing the burden of killing so many servants who were left behind."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli looked at Wei Liuying''s direction. There was only calmness on her expression, but her eyes seemed to be giving off the sense of determination.

    "How do you know so much about¡­.? You''re a girl, aren''t you?" Ji Xiaoli asked back.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "Yes."

    "And you run away?"

    "Yes."

    "Even if it cost the lives of so many servants?"

    "Yes."

    The three yes sent chills on the back of Ji Xiaoli''s back. Her heart couldn''t bear with the thought of killing so many people, but Wei Liuying didn''t seem to be bothered in the slightest bit. It was as if she could only see it as something normal that didn''t hurt her conscience at all.

    "Do you not have any heart?" Princess Ji Xiaoli asked in a cold tone.

    "I didn''t know whether I have a heart or not, but I know that if I wish to survive, I don''t have any other option," Wei Liuying replied. She slowly stood up and looked to a distance. "If you''re arranged to get married as a man''s plaything, would you be happy? At the very least, you''ll still be crown princess after your marriage with Xiong Tribe Crown Prince."

    Men''s plaything.

    How many women fell to this type of fate because their father was the one who sent them there? Ji Xiaoli had heard about those very often from her maidservants. And those maidservants who failed and sent back to the department would be suffering from the same fate altogether.

    There was no place for them to serve any master anymore.

    "Every position has their own responsibility that''s different from each other. Now, it''s your turn to choose, Princess Ji Xiaoli. Also, please remember that everyone in this group today will die if you were to escape because we''re responsible for your safety to the border."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli merely looked at Wei Liuying and then lowered her head once more. Even though her position was not ideal, this marriage agreement would give her good position even among the Xiong Tribe. Who would dare to slight their crown princess?

    However, there was no telling whether she would be happy or not.

    All would depend on her ability.

    "Shall we return, Your Highness?" Wei Liuying asked in low tone.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli was still crying, but she no longer looked as distraught as before. There was a faint light within her eyes. It was as if she had finally come into terms to her condition or at the very least, she considered it.

    "What do you think would happen to me?" Princess Ji Xiaoli asked in a low tone.

    Looking at the pitiful princess in front of her, Wei Liuying stayed calm. How many times had she seen the servants acting pitiful just to be able to gain compassion from others? Sometimes, it could work because the one who saw it couldn''t stand seeing them, but Wei Liuying was different.

    She would not be moved just because someone cried.

    "Princess, do you have someone whom you fancied?" Wei Liuying actually wanted to use the word ''love'' but it didn''t seem to be appropriate. For those who were at high position, they would not give out their heart so easily unless they were so na?ve and fell at the very first sight.

    "None." Princess Ji Xiaoli replied unhurriedly. Women were not able to meet with the males often. The only people whom Princess Ji Xiaoli could meet all this time were only officials in the palace who came for business with her father.

    And they were mostly old men.

    There was no way she would suddenly fancy as most of them were already married and already above thirties.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "You''ll be fine."

    One sentence.

    From all the answer that Princess Ji Xiaoli thought that Wei Liuying would give, she only gave out one sentence as the answer. Raising her head, she looked at Wei Liuying with disbelief.

    The gaze on Wei Liuying''s gaze didn''t change in the slightest bit. She was looking at the princess in front of her with calmness that didn''t suit her age at all. It was as if she had seen a lot in the world despite their age being almost the same, no, Wei Liuying was even younger than Princess Ji Xiaoli.

    "How¡­" The words from Princess Ji Xiaoli''s throat came out little by little. Her eyes were still filled with disbelief. "How are you so sure?"

    "The most important thing that might affect your decision is if you have someone whom you fancy, Your Highness," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly. In the name of love, there were so many people who did stupid things. She had seen some servants who dared to go against her mother because they wanted to be released.

    They dared because they had someone whom they loved.

    "If you don''t have anyone whom you loved, you may try to love Xiong Tribe Crown Prince. And even if you can''t like him, you will still be respected as long as the two sides want peace."

    Wei Liuying''s eyelids fluttered. She knew that the Xiong Tribe might not be able to stay in this agreement for a long time. When war broke out again, there was no doubt that Princess Ji Xiaoli would be used as prisoner.

    "But what if¡­."

    "You won''t be alone at the north," Wei Liuying replied. "There''ll be someone who will protect you and keep you in contact with us. Even though you won''t be able to communicate with His Highness Prince Ji Sheng a lot of times, you can ask through him if you have any difficulties."

    At this information, Princess Ji Xiaoli''s expression hardened. Planting someone to act as intermediary between Xiong Tribe and Han Shi Kingdom meant that they were taking risk. If that person was found out, war would inevitably break out. And at that time, it meant that she wouldn''t be able to return back either.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli laughed lightly internally. The only person whom everyone ignored because of her father was actually the only one who willingly took risk for her. She felt really stupid because all this time, she thought that Prince Ji Sheng was only a coward and annoying brother who was not any different from any other of her Imperial Brothers.

    "Fine, let''s return back."

    "As you wish, Your Highness."

    In front of her, Wei Liuying stepped forward to help the princess stood up. However, what she actually told Princess Ji Xiaoli was only partially the truth. The reason why Prince Ji Sheng had someone inside the Xiong Tribe was not only to ensure Princess Ji Xiaoli safety.

    In fact, it was only the second mission.

    The first and foremost mission was for him to observe the weather, soldiers, and many other things at the north. That way, they would be able to make an ample preparation should they enter deep into Xiong Tribe area.

    While this had been done countless times, Prince Ji Sheng would have to put his men deeper this time because of Princess Ji Xiaoli''s matter. In addition, the opening of trade route might be able to help him realize his plan to protect the border better.

    But she couldn''t possibly tell the princess all of this.

    Wei Liuying guided Princess Ji Xiaoli back to the camp and ordered the maidservants to clean her up. She turned to look at Shi Mo, who was standing by the side with his head lowered. He was caught off guard and didn''t manage to notice that Princess Ji Xiaoli had left her place.

    "You should do your work properly. Even if you feel compassion or pity, you have to make sure they understood their position."

    Shi Mo was startled. "I don''t¡­."

    However, he couldn''t bring himself to speak the sentence. Wei Liuying was giving him a cold glare that seemed to be telling him that there was no need for him to lie. Back then, he did feel sorry for Princess Ji Xiaoli''s terrible fate. He wanted her to be better because he had been watching over her for a period of time.

 Chapter 147 - Dong Shan City

    However, he couldn''t bring himself to speak the sentence. Wei Liuying was giving him a cold glare that seemed to be telling him that there was no need for him to lie. Back then, he did feel sorry for Princess Ji Xiaoli''s terrible fate. He wanted her to be better because he had been watching over her for a period of time.

    That was why, he thought that he would be able to give her a better option like this. His mind didn''t even think that there would be heavy repercussion on their sides if they allowed the princess to leave.

    He didn''t expect that Wei Liuying would be able to see through him with just a glance.

    "I understand, Apprentice Strategist Liu."

    Wei Liuying looked at Shi Mo deeply once more and shook her head. She patted his shoulder. "Having compassion is good, but this is not the right time."

    Just like his cousin, Shi Mo had soft spot for young ladies. That was also one of the reasons why Wei Liuying could interact with Shi Yan freely back then. She just didn''t expect that his cousin was actually similar with him.

    Shi Mo was startled. He hurriedly cupped his hand politely. "I understand, Apprentice Strategist Liu. This will not happen again."

    "You better keep your promise."

    "Yes."

    At this time, Shi Mo''s fingers were balled into a fist. He didn''t know why, but he felt shiver running down his spine when he heard Wei Liuying talked to him coldly. In terms of raw power, it was clear that she must be weaker than him. However, he felt that if they actually fought, he would lose.

    Looking at his hands, Shi Mo pulled all unnecessary thoughts to the back. He had to make sure that he did his work properly.

    Wei Liuying leave the two of them and returned back to her tent. She stretched her body and sighed. Taking care of others were not easy. Stopping her movement, Wei Liuying glanced to the back. "You don''t have to hide."

    "I didn''t expect you to be so truthful with your condition to her," Yang Xian remarked from the side. He stepped forward and looked at Wei Liuying up and down, inspecting her condition to make sure she was not hurt.

    "You''re the one who set up the trap for her to escape. If I didn''t appear, you''ll be the one to play the bad role too," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly. Her black irises were staring back at Yang Xian without any emotion.

    Yang Xian shrugged. "Someone needs to give her a wakeup call. Since you''re there, I think that it''ll be better to let a woman be the one to do it."

    "Is that so?"

    "Besides, the only reason why you can be so calm is only because the servants who served you were all your mother''s people. There''s no way you will be bothered when you know that they''re all spy who only go against you and even schemed for your death," Yang Xian said calmly.

    There were many instances where the servants were the one who acted on their own to make their master''s life miserable. Those unloved daughters and unfavored concubines had to fight against their own servants if their position was not high enough.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered. "There''s no need for her to know."

    "Indeed."

    It was Wei Liuying''s private matter, and Yang Xian didn''t have any intention to leak it to anyone.

    "I have nothing to lose since those servants are already in for their doom from the moment they chose to be the one to monitor my movements," Wei Liuying said without any trace of emotion. "I''m a selfish person. I have never been a good girl and could not be one. I can only care for my people and not those who have double intention when coming to me."

    "There''s nothing wrong with that." Yang Xian turned his body around. He knew for sure that he couldn''t care for everyone. And those who have bad intention at him were at the lowest bottom of the list. How do they expect for him to care for them when they wished to take his life?

    "It''s impossible to care for everyone. You should just focus on those who are important to you."

    Wei Liuying nodded.

    Yang Xian raised his hand and lightly touched her cheek. It was warm and look a bit meatier than before. His attempts to make her eat more seemed to work quite well. "We''re going to depart soon. You should hurry to back to your horse."

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying watched Yang Xian''s departing back for a moment. It took her some time before she could reach her horse.

    They only stocked some food that was necessary for their departure. It was not that much, but it would be enough to bring them back the North in one piece. After a few more time, they could finally depart again.

    ¡­

    Time passed swiftly.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli no longer had any intention to escape again, but from the way she looked like, she also started to hide her emotion. There was no more bubbly expression on her face. Only desolation and depression could be seen from her previously full of anger face.

    "Shi Mo is a bit taken by emotion." Wei Liuying said when they were near the last city before the border.

    Yang Xian could see from the front that Shi Mo was paying closer attention to Princess Ji Xiaoli now. "I talked to him last night. He said that he only wished the best for the princess and nothing else."

    "Do you consider replacing him with someone else?"

    "I did, but he can be stubborn at time too," Yang Xian replied. "Also, he''s the one most familiar with Xiong Tribe territory, so he''ll be the one with the best qualification to act as the middleman between us and Princess Ji Xiaoli."

    Before this, the one who was sent to guard at the frontline was Shi Mo. Yang Xian knew that amongst the soldiers he had, Shi Mo would be the best option to go there and blend in because of his ability and familiarity.

    Wei Liuying nodded. Without turning around, she added, "I hope that this will not impact in his performance in the future."

    "If it did, I''ll have Shi Yan take care of him."

    "Shi Yan?" Wei Liuying was stunned. This was the first time she heard that Shi Yan was capable to take care of someone. After all, she had heard from Manager Xin that it was Shi Yan''s sister who usually took care of her older brother and not the other way around.

    Yang Xian pointed to the wall before them. "This is City of Dong Shan and also the city where Shi Yan, Shi Mo, and Shi Lu Wen came from."

    Dong Shan City.

    Wei Liuying had heard about this city from time to time when she was back in the Capital City. This was the biggest city before the border and also the central location for Prince Ji Sheng''s activity. Most of his men were staying in this place because if the border fell, this would be the first layer of defense.

    Looking at the terrain, Wei Liuying knew that if this city fell, it would be hard to stop the advance until the capital city. They might be able to fight in the forest, but it wouldn''t be that effective either.

    Shi Lu Wen was the name of Shi Yan''s sister. She was 16 years of age this year, but she was not married yet. Based on what Shi Yan told her back then, he was unwilling to marry his sister away to some random man. What he wanted was a perfect person to entrust his sister to him.

    Well, she doubted that he would be able to find one anytime soon.

    Besides, Shi Lu Wen herself was also fixated to become a capable doctor. She had been studying about medicine for a long period of time and didn''t seem to care in the slightest bit about getting married. Commoners who were not in dire money situation would not usually got married so early.

    Many even didn''t get married at all.

    They preferred to be alone.

    "We''re going to stop there?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian nodded. "Shi Yan should have arrived in the city too. We''re going to bring him with us to the North so that we''ll be able to do the negotiation with Xiong Tribe regarding the trade route."

    "Trade route, huh?"

    "Don''t you think it''ll work?"

    "There''s the possibility," Wei Liuying replied. "But the chance is not that big considering the current situation."

    Yang Xian smiled bitterly. "We should try. Peace is much better than a war. If it come to the worst, we''ll just have to go all out in a war to eliminate most people from Xiong Tribe and try to strike another peace treaty."

    "Or just eliminate them for once and for all." Wei Liuying''s eyes glinted at this thought.

    "The price is big. No one will want to pay that much."

    "True."

    "Let''s enter the city first."

    "Yes."

 Chapter 148 - Shi Lu Wen

    With Prince Ji Sheng''s identity, it was easy for them to get the permission to enter Dong Shan City. The guards opened the door almost immediately to allow them to come in. Besides, there were a lot of people who were around the area watching Prince Ji Sheng''s crowd when they came in.

    Many were cheering in happiness. They were happy to be able to see Prince Ji Sheng''s return after nearly four months he was away to the Capital City.

    "His Highness is loved by his people," Wei Liuying commented when she saw the crowd around them.

    Yang Xian nodded. "They all know that it was His Highness who protects them, so they support him."

    "Aren''t they just happy that they didn''t have to go to war?" Wei Liuying asked again. The only reason why the people can be so happy with Prince Ji Sheng would be only if he gave them benefit. The only thing Wei Liuying could think of would be making them so happy with Prince Ji Sheng''s return.

    "That''s another point." Yang Xian was calm and composed. "It''s his role to make sure that his people can stay safe and alive without the need to worry about going to war. Still, there are enough preparation made in this city in case a tribe managed to breach through the border."

    Wei Liuying nodded and looked at her surroundings with a composed gaze. She was carefully looking at the people around them. Many of them were cheering for Yang Xian.

    From the bottom of her heart, she wondered whether they would be keeping the same expression on their faces when the city had to go to war in the future? Wei Liuying didn''t know and didn''t feel like she wanted to know too. Not everyone will still support Prince Ji Sheng if they had to suffer.

    "Shi Yan''s house is at the edge of the city, near the North. Do you want to go there first?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Shouldn''t I follow you to learn about the soldier''s location and also plan to protect the city?"

    "True enough. Come on."

    In the end, Wei Liuying followed Yang Xian touring the city to look around. She didn''t do much when Yang Xian was doing his work to arrange the people to work. Ji Sheng was already busy discussing their battle plan, so the one who took care of the soldiers was Yang Xian.

    It took some time before they were finished.

    "Xiong Tribe hadn''t come to attack again during the time we''re in the Capital City. However, another tribe seems to be dissatisfied with the condition here and tried to breach the border," Yang Xian concluded after talking for some time.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "What''s the plan now, Strategist Yang?"

    "For sure, we''re going to the North and try to look at the real situation. I already sent the commander to head there first ahead of us to aid the battle there should the war still going on."

    "I see."

    "Now that it''s done, it''s time to meet with Shi Yan and Shi Lu Wen."

    Wei Liuying followed Yang Xian to the North border of Dong Shan City. It was then she realized that there was a spacious area that was a bit further down the street. Not far from there, she noticed a small and simple hut with a young girl standing outside, watering the plant.

    The young girl had beautiful appearance that could easily rival many noble young ladies. At the same time, she was dressed so simple with brown dress and simple hairpin to lock her hair to the back.

    "Lu Wen!" Yang Xian called out from a far and waved his hand.

    The young girl, Shi Lu Wen, stopped watering the plant. She raised her small head and turned to the side. Almost immediately, she smiled brightly. "Brother Yang! You have finally returned!"

    "Yeah, the Capital City is a bit big and hold us back from returning in time," Yang Xian gave his excuse as they walked closer. He peered at the plants and clicked his tongue. "You have started to develop more plants now? Are you not worried that you won''t have the time to take care of them all?"

    "I can do it," Shi Lu Wen replied with a giggle. She turned her head and looked at Wei Liuying with clear interest. "And this is?"

    "This is my apprentice, Liu Ying."

    "Hello, Young Master Liu," Shi Lu Wen greeted politely. She bowed in a way noble girl would, but she bent a bit too far and made her posture look weird.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "There''s no need to be so polite. Also, you should straighten your hand more."

    "Ah? Sorry, I just learn this from Yan Ge."

    "It''s fine."

    Yang Xian resisted the urge to laugh. As one of the few people who knew Wei Liuying''s real identity, he was also aware that she has great knowledge regarding etiquette. After all, even the smallest mistake would be nitpicked if Wei Liuying dared to make one back in the Capital City.

    "You can be the one to teach her etiquette if you want, Ying."

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Do you want me to teach her etiquette that was befitting of noble family?"

    "Yes."

    "I can, but are you sure that we have the time?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    Shi Lu Wen giggled. "There''s no need for you to teach me now. You should return back and take care of the border again. The recent news that come from the border is not that pleasing."

    "We will."

    Yang Xian rubbed Shi Lu Wen''s head lightly when he heard sound of something fell from the house.

    "XIAN! HANDS OF MY SISTER!"

    "Oh, hi Yan."

    Shi Yan rushed out of the house and glared at Yang Xian. He would never let this annoying man to touch his little sister no matter what.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "There''s no need to worry, I won''t have impure thoughts about your little sister. Also, what are you doing holing yourself inside your home when you have guests?"

    "I''m not holing myself inside my home," Shi Yan protested. "I was sleeping because I didn''t get the chance to rest lately."

    "How''s the preparation?"

    "it''s done. I just need to send the word and the carriages will depart. All I sell is the raw material of food, so there''s no need to worry about them going bad," Shi Yan added the explanation.

    Yang Xian nodded. He pointed to Wei Liuying. "How about having her teach Lu Wen the etiquette of nobles? You''re going to attend the examination next year, right?"

    "The local examination, yes." Shi Yan shrugged. "I don''t mind having her be Lu''er teacher. However, I''ll need your help in the national examination in the capital city two years from now."

    There was examination in local and also in the capital city. Afterwards, there was also the Imperial Examination where they would be making long (three legged) essay to the Emperor in order to become official. Shi Yan still hadn''t passed the local first, so he wouldn''t be able to attend the higher ones.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Are you aiming to become palace official?"

    "That''s the only method I can think of to get title for myself and my sister," Shi Yan replied with a frown.

    "While it''s true, but the world in the Capital City won''t be that peaceful. If you don''t wish to get embroiled in politics because your thoughts are too easy to guess, it''ll be better if you just aim to become local official," Yang Xian suggested.

    Shi Yan''s face turned sour. He could guess perfectly that Yang Xian didn''t believe him to be suitable as imperial officials in the Capital City. However, it was also the position that he wanted to get because of the stable income he could get.

    Living as merchants were not easy because of scorn he received almost every single day. Not to mention, there were also a lot of uncertainty about tomorrow''s result because he had to rely on his luck to make sure that he could earn enough for living and making the next investment.

    "It''s alright to just be local official, Yan Ge," Shi Lu Wen said from the side. "I don''t want to stay in the capital city too."

    "But the Capital City is more beautiful!"

    "It''s too big and far from home."

    Shi Yan wanted to say that they could build new home, but he knew that it was impossible for Shi Lu Wen to plant everything in their garden from scratch again. There was no way Shi Lu Wen wanted to leave this place that she loved so much.

    "Fine¡­"

    "Being a local official is more suitable for you, Yan," Wei Liuying also added. "Your intelligence is a bit bad especially when it comes to hiding your real thoughts in your face."

    "But¡­."

    "That''s why you have never defeated me in chess."

    "DON''T REMIND ME OF THAT, AH!"

    Shi Yan felt like crying. He didn''t want his sister to know that he was so bad at playing chess!

 Chapter 149 - Everyone Has Different Role In A Play

    Shi Lu Wen giggled. From their conversation, she could infer something. Her eyes landed on Wei Liuying with deep interest. "Young Master Liu, are you a girl?"

    "Yes," Wei Liuying didn''t bother to hide it.

    "Really? You look so cool that I can''t believe it."

    Shi Lu Wen circled around Wei Liuying with excitement. Wei Liuying was half a head shorter than Shi Lu Wen, so she had to look up when she wanted to talk with this young lady too. She could clearly see the clear excitement in Shi Lu Wen''s eyes.

    "Lu''er, who''s cooler? Me or Liu Ying?"

    "Liu Ying!"

    There was no hesitation in Shi Lu Wen''s voice to the point that Shi Yan felt he had just received the biggest blow. His sister, whom he had pampered ever since he was young, was now idolizing someone other than him.

    Shi Yan crouched on the ground while holding his head.

    Yang Xian shook his head when he saw the sulking Shi Yan. "You can''t be a cool young man with a face that look like women, Yan."

    "It''s not like I wish to be born with this face!"

    Now that Yang Xian mentioned it, Wei Liuying could see that both Shi Lu Wen and Shi Yan had similar face. They looked so similar to each other to the point that one might mistake them for twins if not for their difference in height and Shi Yan''s slight masculine features.

    "It''s similar with you and your brother."

    "My brother didn''t have feminine face."

    "That''s one of the difference too."

    Shi Lu Wen laughed at the two''s talk while Shi Yan felt like burying his face deeper to the ground. Should he make fake moustache under his nose to make him look more masculine? Or maybe beard? He wanted to cry when he thought that his real face was too smooth for his own good.

    "You all seems to be having fun here."

    The voice made them all turned their head. They could see Ji Sheng walking with Princess Ji Xiaoli following behind him and Shi Mo. His imposing aura felt like suppressing the area almost immediately, but the people there were already immune to it.

    "We''re only talking about having Liu Ying as Lu Wen''s etiquette teacher," Yang Xian said with a smile.

    "And I agree," Shi Yan quickly followed. At least, it was a much better reason compared to the real one when they were all targeting Shi Yan''s intelligence.

    Ji Sheng nodded and looked at Shi Lu Wen. "You have grown taller again. The villagers said that you have started to do your practice?"

    "Yes. I''m going to open a clinic soon," Shi Lu Wen replied cheerfully. "The governor also agreed with me without asking many questions."

    "That''s good."

    "Yes. I''m going to start soon with ¡­.."

    As Shi Lu Wen began to blabber about herbs, Ji Sheng glanced at Shi Yan. At this time, Shi Yan had turned his head around. How could he admit that he was paying the governor a sum of money to allow Shi Lu Wen to start opening a clinic now that she had already gotten the qualification?

    Besides, if Shi Lu Wen were to continue to learn, she would be able to become even better in the future.

    "Alright, Lu Wen, you can go show your garden to Xiaoli and Liuying."

    "Yes!"

    Liuying?

    Ji Xiaoli didn''t pay attention to Wei Liuying''s name before. Aside from the fact that she heard many called her Apprentice Strategist Liu, she didn''t know Wei Liuying''s full name. Now that she heard the name, her mind recalled the name of a concubine daughter in the Capital City.

    Wei Liuying.

    She had heard that Wei Liuying was known to be the useless lady in the capital city with not many people knew about her. In addition, she was also ''sick'' lately because of her clash with Prince Ji Shu. But looking at the young girl before her, Ji Xiaoli knew very well that the rumor was completely wrong.

    How could a useless lady be so smart to the point that she attracted Prince Ji Sheng''s interest?

    How could someone who can be so calculative fall for Ji Shu''s trap and feel down because of that?

    How could someone who''s capable to ride horse perfectly fall sick so easily because of a single setback?

    And how could a ruthless person who dared to abandon everything she had be someone who''s weak?

    Princess Ji Xiaoli felt that she had to keep her mind broad even more. There were so many things that she needed to know that might be outside of what she could possibly think in her entire life.

    This was one of them.

    "Come on, the flowers are blooming right now," Shi Lu Wen called the two of them. Her cheerful attitude attracted the two of them almost immediately.

    "Do you know the name of the flowers?"

    "Of course. Would you like to hear them all, Princess?"

    "Sure."

    Wei Liuying followed from behind and watched as Shi Lu Wen continued to cheerfully explain everything. The garden was quite big, so it was clear that Shi Yan must have asked the governor to give him some additional benefit.

    Well, he was quite rich too.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli''s expression began to warm up a bit. Facing such a cheerful girl, it was hard for her to not smile too. After all, Shi Lu Wen continued to smile so happily while explaining whatever Princess Ji Xiaoli wanted to know.

    In the end, Wei Liuying excused herself first to sit down and watched the sunset.

    "You''re not going to continue walking with Lu Wen?"

    "Princess Ji Xiaoli is uncomfortable with my existence," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly. "It''ll be better to let her alone with Shi Lu Wen so that she would be able to fully relax and talked about what interest them."

    Yang Xian nodded and pulled a chair to sit with Wei Liuying. "Everyone have their own role in a play, so do they in real life. Sometimes, you can switch with others but there are many who can only be played by certain people."

    "You''re smart, Strategist Yang."

    "I''m only stating my opinion," Yang Xian said with a hearty laugh. "Don''t be so hard to yourself. You should also learn how to relax and enjoy your time. Life is only once, Liuying."

    Wei Liuying merely smiled lightly but there was no mirth within her eyes. If she was not hard to herself, how can she possibly survive until this long? It was impossible for her to relax as she understood that she needed to do everything within her control to let her be able to survive.

    At this time, Shi Lu Wen began to cook with Princess Ji Xiaoli helping her. From how awkward Princess Ji Xiaoli held the knife, it was clear that she had never gone to the kitchen to cook before.

    "Be careful with the knife, Princess."

    "Yes, I know."

    "Would you like to join in and help, Yan Ge?" Shi Lu Wen turned her head to look at her brother, who had just finished talking with Ji Sheng.

    Shi Yan shook his head. "I''ll leave you to have fun with Princess Ji Xiaoli. I''m going to play chess with His Highness."

    "Alright."

    They walked inside the house and Shi Yan took out a chess board. Yang Xian rubbed his cheek and looked at Wei Liuying. "Who do you think will win?"

    "Prince Ji Sheng."

    "There''s no hesitation?"

    "Nope," Wei Liuying replied right away. She had seen Shi Yan''s skill before and his deception skill along with his ability to analyze the entire board suck. It would be better to trust Prince Ji Sheng rather than him.

    Yang Xian nodded. "You have good judgement."

    "I''m not that bad!"

    Shi Yan was annoyed and began to play. But it didn''t even take half an incense time for him to lose miserably in Prince Ji Sheng''s hand. From the way it looked like, he was unable to stop Prince Ji Sheng''s advance and ended up sacrificing all of his pieces for a bitter end.

    "You''re still 10 years too early to challenge Prince Ji Sheng," Yang Xian commented with a laugh.

    "Mo, let''s play!"

    "Are you sure?" Shi Mo, who was originally only watching from a distance asked in hesitation.

    "Yes! Don''t hold back."

    "Ok."

    And the result was¡­

    Shi Yan lost again.

    When Shi Lu Wen came to bring the food along with Princess Ji Xiaoli, they were greeted with the scene of Shi Yan banging his head on the table. She arched her eyebrows. "Yan Ge, are you playing chess again?"

    "Lu Wen, help me defeat Mo."

    "Eat first."

    "Fine¡­"

    "Why did you even start playing against Cousin Mo when you already know that you''re so bad?" Shi Lu Wen muttered in confusion.

    The others could hear her voice, but they chose to pretend that they didn''t hear anything. Shi Yan already got the heaviest blow with his little sister already knew his poor abilities when it came to play chess. Only Shi Mo was unable to hide his expression as he began to laugh slightly.

    "Mo, let''s spar."

    "Yan, you know that I''m a soldier, right?" Shi Mo reminded.

    Shi Yan''s face turned sour. Be it in the battle of mind and body, he could win neither. He wished to bury his head on the ground even more now.

    Listening to this, Princess Ji Xiaoli smiled lightly. She never knew that the people around her third brother was actually so much fun. There were also a lot of benefit from having low identity.

 Chapter 150 - The Border

    After meeting with Shi Lu Wen, Princess Ji Xiaoli looked much better than before. Her complexion was clearer, and she didn''t look as gloomy as before. Even though there was no change in the plan, she seemed to be able to accept her fate with better attitude.

    The border was located less than a day''s journey.

    They departed early in the morning and managed to reach the border by night. After all, they couldn''t move that quickly with Princess Ji Xiaoli was still in the crowd. Even as the sky darkening in the horizon, Wei Liuying could see the border clearly.

    The high wall seemed imposing as it separated them from the Xiong Tribe. Thousands of soldiers were standing on top of the wall, ready to protect the area as much as necessary. They were fighting for the sake to protect their homeland. The atmosphere was completely different now that she was standing here rather than back in the capital city.

    One thing for sure.

    There would be a completely intense battle here soon.

    "The commanders are gathering in the meeting room," Prince Ji Sheng informed in unhurried tone. "I''ll only introduce you to them."

    "I understand."

    "I''ll settle Princess Ji Xiaoli first and join with you two later," Yang Xian added. He still had to arrange the soldiers back in their previous position and also settled Princess Ji Xiaoli in a temporary dwelling in this border city.

    Even though it was called as border, it was also a city at the same time. The city was completely surrounded by tall walls that would protect it from the attack of Xiong Tribe and all. There were not many people living here as usually only the families of the soldiers would want to stay here.

    Some of them also stayed back in Dong Shan City as they were afraid to get involved in battle if they stayed in this city.

    Wei Liuying followed Ji Sheng inside. The layout of the border was clear as it was circling to the center. It seemed that Ji Sheng made it like a circle fortress to make sure that he would be able to protect those who were at the very center. The meeting room was located not far from the center but slightly to the north.

    "General Sheng!"

    The commanders quickly kneeled on the ground when they saw Prince Ji Sheng came in.

    "You may rise."

    "Thank you, General!"

    The commanders then noticed that Prince Ji Sheng was not alone. There was a young boy following behind him. From his age, he should be around 12 years old? They were not too sure since the boy''s growth was indeed a bit slower than girls and would not grow in height that much when they were in their early stage.

    "This is Liu Ying, Yang Xian''s apprentice. I bring him here to introduce him to all of you."

    "Strategist Yang''s apprentice?" they were surprised. Some of them sent a look of pity to Wei Liuying while some others were astonished. They all knew how eccentric Yang Xian was and what he could possibly do, but at the same time, they knew that his standard for intelligence was extremely high.

    So far, there was no one who was smart enough to attract his attention amongst those in the army. Who would have thought that he would finally find one after his visit to the Capital City?

    Strategist Yang is lucky.

    "Hello, my name is Liu Ying," Wei Liuying began her introductions. The commanders soon followed suit and tell them their names. It was hard for her to remember all of their names, but she realized that they were all commanders under Ji Sheng. She had to memorize their names at the very least.

    Ji Sheng walked to the table in the center and tapped the surface. "How''s the condition?"

    "The one who attacked us are Nu Tribe. We manage to fend them off, but they seem to be trying to rob us at even earlier time," one of the commanders replied.

    Earlier time?

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows, trying to follow the conversation. Her knowledge regarding the north was limited to what the books had told her. As for the real situation, she had to see it with her own eyes to be able to be sure about what was needed to survive in this place.

    "They can''t wait until winter?"

    "I think they want to increase their stockpile and fight earlier so that they would not meet with other tribes who attack in the Winter," one of the commanders gave his speculation.

    Ji Sheng nodded. The chance was there. Han Shi Kingdom was a big and rich kingdom with plenty of resources. On the other hand, those tribes were living nomadically and moved to wherever resources exist. They would do their best to make sure that they would able to earn enough food to live by.

    And robbing was the easiest when food was scarce during Winter.

    "Tighten the security. We''ll sweep the area tomorrow morning," Ji Sheng said after a while. "Protect the surrounding small villages and make sure that there''s no attack to their crops."

    "Yes, General."

    Ji Sheng gave a few more instruction before he turned to Wei Liuying. "Tomorrow morning, you''ll depart with Commander Zhao."

    "Yes, General!" Wei Liuying turned to look at Commander Zhao and cupped her hands. "I''ll be in your care, Commander."

    Commander Zhao was a man in his forties. His hair had partially gone bald, but he was still full of vigor. Even if one compared him with men who were in their prime, he would not lose in the slightest bit. His body was a big on the large side, but it didn''t look like it would hinder his movement.

    Commander Zhao scrutinized Wei Liuying and nodded. "We''ll depart before the sun rise."

    "Yes, Commander."

    Wei Liuying was racking her brain when the meeting was over and Prince Ji Sheng brought her out of the place. If she was not wrong, Commander Zhao was a commander of 3000 men. It was in the middle of rank, but it was still pretty good in overall.

    "Oh, the meeting is over?" Yang Xian had only arrived.

    Ji Sheng nodded. "You''ll stay in the city to supervise the defense tomorrow. I''ll be leading for the battle after the scout has returned."

    "Got it. How about the little one?"

    "He''ll go with Commander Zhao tomorrow."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Commander Zhao is not that good when it comes to teaching newbies. Make sure that you don''t make any mistake tomorrow, Xiao Ling."

    Wei Liuying was speechless at the new nickname that Yang Xian gave to her. Why did she have to be termed as small now? She knew that she was a bit smaller than average children her age, but it didn''t mean that she would be this small forever!

    However, she pushed the thoughts and went back to the matter on hand.

    "I don''t think I''m a complete newbie, Strategist Yang."

    "Are you sure?" Yang Xian asked back. "Well, as long as you can implement what you learnt back in the Capital City, you''ll be fine. I''ll not be able to help you this time. You have to think by yourself how to make sure that they will follow your order. It''ll all depend on your action."

    Strategist don''t usually participate in the battle directly. Their role was to supervise the battle from a distance and then made proper arrangement to make sure that everything was done well. Because of that, many strategists couldn''t protect themselves without the soldiers around them.

    It would be hell.

    Wei Liuying put on a slight smile. "There''s no need to worry, Strategist Yang. I''ll be able to do well."

    "If it''s you, I believe you can." Yang Xian laughed. "I''ll be waiting for the report of your performance tomorrow. Also, take note that Commander Zhao usually strategize on his own, so you don''t have any rival."

    "Thank you, Strategist Yang."

    Wei Liuying had been thinking about whether there was strategist in Commander Zhao''s army or not. Hearing what Yang Xian said, she felt relieved.

    "Also, you''re going to stay with Xian." Ji Sheng suddenly dropped a bomb to Wei Liuying.

    "¡­Excuse me?"

    Yang Xian was walking at the front. "It''ll be hard to hide your identity if you have to mingle with the soldiers in the city. I don''t mind if it''s in the battlefield because there''s only few chances you''ll ever open your armor, but it''s dangerous in the city. I still need to teach you a lot, so you''ll stay in my residence."

    Wei Liuying''s gaze was cold. She turned to look at Ji Sheng as if saying, ''Can''t she got her own residence?''

    Ji Sheng shook his head. "It''ll be better for you to stay with him. There''s no new residence around his place where you can commute easily."

    "But¡­."

    "Don''t worry, I won''t let you starve."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" that''s not the point.

    She decided to give up when she saw that neither one of the bulge from their decisions. It seemed that she had to live with this annoying strategist for the time being.

    Hopefully, the day when she could have her own residence would come soon.

 Chapter 151 - Attacked Village

    Yang Xian''s Residence was quite large. Considering that he had been bestowed with noble''s title by Ji Sheng, Wei Liuying didn''t find it to be strange. However, the lack of human''s presence baffled her.

    In this large residence, there was only her and Yang Xian?

    "I don''t like servants," Yang Xian said bluntly. He used to be commoners, so he disliked the thought of having servants serving him all the time. "The house where I reside is not that big. I used the rest of the place for forest and garden."

    Looking at the not so big house, Wei Liuying felt that Yang Xian truly didn''t know how to use the space properly. The house was barely using one tenth of the entire area''s size. Even then, it was a house with several rooms and also spacious hall in the middle area.

    This was small?

    Yang Xian seemed to notice Wei Liuying''s inquiry. He yawned. "There''s no need to put on that look. I originally ask for a smaller place, but Sheng didn''t allow me. There''s no other choice but to use this place."

    "I see¡­"

    "There''s only one bathroom. You can use it first and change to a more comfortable clothing. I''ll cook some food."

    "Ok."

    Both of them could cook, but since Yang Xian volunteered, Wei Liuying would not bother. She did feel a bit sticky after a long ride without taking a bath, so she took her spare clothes that Yang Xian had prepared and headed to the bathroom. The bathroom was consisted of a tube and screen along with several other utensils.

    Wei Liuying was glad that she had gotten used to take a bath by herself for some time. That way, she didn''t need to worry about the lack of servants in this place in the slightest bit.

    ''The only one I can trust is myself, huh?''

    Somehow, that was the feeling that she got when she looked at how sparse the servants in this place were. Now that they were talking about servants, she hadn''t asked Shi Yan about Xiao Qing. Back when they were in Dong Shan City, she hadn''t seen Xiao Qing too. She could only hope that there was nothing bad happened to her.

    Wei Liuying finished taking her bath and walked back to the other room. She could see Yang Xian had finished making simple soup with radish and carrots.

    "I only have these ingredients, so help yourself."

    "Do you pick them from the back garden?"

    "Yep. There are a lot of vegetables and many others growing there."

    Wei Liuying was speechless. Looking at the radishes he put on the table, she truly wondered how did it manage to grow in the first place with no one tending the plants? However, she chose not to think too much and began to eat. The soup was not that bad.

    "There are several rooms here. You can pick the one you want to use. I usually use the one at the center."

    "Ok."

    Since Yang Xian picked the center, Wei Liuying chose the one by his left. The room was left untouched for a long time, so dust have been piling up. Not that she minded as she cleaned up the room for a moment then slept on the bed. She''s tired.

    ¡­

    The next day, Wei Liuying was the one who cooked before the two of them went out. She had to make sure that she woke up before the sun rise and rushed to the city''s North gate. There were already a lot of soldiers there, ready to depart.

    "Liu Ying," Commander Zhao called out. "We''ll depart now."

    "Yes, Commander."

    Wei Liuying joined with the soldiers and rode on a horse. Some soldiers were looking at her with curiosity, but they didn''t question Commander Zhao''s decision.

    "ONWARDS!"

    Following the commander, the soldiers began to move out of the city. The gate was opened as there was no war currently. When there was a war, they would put large stone to block the gate aside from closing the door to make sure that the enemies wouldn''t be able to break it so easily.

    Chilly wind slapped Wei Liuying''s cheek. She had worn thick robe for this trip, but she didn''t expect that the North was colder than her expectation. As the sun rise, she could finally see the terrain better.

    The area was both like dry lands and plains.

    The ground was dry and the wind were chilling. There were barely any plants around as water was sparse. During summer, many water source had dried up because of the scorching heat.

    "Is this your first time coming to the North?"

    "Yes," Wei Liuying replied truthfully.

    Commander Zhao nodded. He could see that Wei Liuying was analyzing everything around her calmly. There was no trace of hesitation in her action at all. It was as if she was already in the battle mode from the time she appeared.

    "We''ll be circling the West part from Prince Ji Sheng''s City."

    "Prince Ji Sheng''s City?"

    "The city is made by His Highness after he expanded the territory this far," Commander Zhao explained. "It took around two years to build it this big and also migrating some people to fill the space in order to develop it to be a proper city."

    "I see."

    The expansion of one''s territory was done by making cities. Wei Liuying had heard about this from the books, but she didn''t expect that the time they needed to build the cities were this short.

    "There are several other cities that were under construction not far from Dong Shan City. We should be able to see the result by the end of this year," Commander Zhao added.

    Wei Liuying nodded. Adding more cities were also another way to strengthen one''s territory. If their enemies wanted to completely eliminate Han Shi Kingdom, they would have to eliminate the cities and captured them. If they didn''t do so, they would be placing themselves in danger in case there were soldiers placed in the city.

    Even a group of soldiers can give great damage if they were to give sudden attack.

    Enemies caught unprepared was more vulnerable than attacking enemies when they were prepared.

    "Are you surveying, Apprentice Strategist Liu?"

    "Yes. I need to make sure I''m familiar with the area and memorized everything on our way," Wei Liuying replied. If she didn''t know the terrain, she wouldn''t be able to make proper strategy to make sure that they would not lose in the battle.

    Commander Zhao nodded. He had seen Yang Xian when the boy was still young. He was also doing something similar to Wei Liuying when he was first brought to the battlefield a few years ago. At that time, he was even younger than the current Wei Liuying, yet he insisted to participate in the battle.

    The wind blew.

    Wei Liuying raised her head and frowned. The atmosphere changed suddenly or was it because she was so tense because of her careful nature she had developed back in the Capital City?

    "There''s an attack nearby," Commander Zhao said suddenly. "Men! Let''s move."

    "Yes, Commander!"

    At this time, Wei Liuying chose to stay silent and followed the commander. She only felt the air changed a bit, but Commander Zhao could determine that there was a battle nearby. It seemed that her knowledge was still very lacking when she compared herself to Commander Zhao.

    She still needed to learn a lot.

    Clang! Clang! Kyaaa!

    The sound of battle soon entered Wei Liuying''s ear. From a distance away, she could see a city was under attack. Numerous soldiers were waving their weapons and tried to break into the city.

    "Men! We''re going to make force breakthrough."

    "Wait! If you just charge inside, you''ll destroy the lands."

    "Is this really the time to worry about that?" Commander Zhao looked at Wei Liuying with annoyance.

    Wei Liuying didn''t fall back. "From our direction, the closest angle will bring us straight to the people''s field. Rather than attacking directly, and letting the attackers run from the other side, why not we split into two with the archers attacked first from this side and Commander Zhao entered from the main entrance?"

    "Wha¡­."

    Commander Zhao made the simulation in his head. When he came out, he only brought one third of his men, but there were still around 300 archers that he brought along. The rest were all cavalries who rode horse. Positioning archers would take time and he would have to circle a bit to trap the men.

    "Do you think they can hold on that long?"

    "Yes." There was no hesitation in Wei Liuying''s eyes when she replied. She could see that the soldiers placed in that city was still defending and the gate was not breached. They had to make sure that they could capture the most of their enemies.

    ''Interesting.''

    Commander Zhao heard from Ji Sheng that this was Wei Liuying''s first time going to head into battle, but the clear gaze in her eyes reminded him of two people. The two of them could make people tremble in fear just from hearing their names.

    Their two leaders.

 Chapter 152 - Victory

    ''Heh, did I become muddleheaded?''

    Commander Zhao felt that he was getting out of hand. How could this little boy who barely knew anything and have few experience could possibly be compared to their great leaders? He felt that his mind was playing a joke with him.

    Yet, there was that bugging feeling.

    Feeling that he was truly seeing someone who was on par with those two, but still on the progress.

    "In that case, I''ll try to trust you this time, Liu Ying."

    "Many thanks, Commander Zhao!"

    Wei Liuying cupped her hand for a split second before focusing her attention back to her horse. They were going at high speed, so it wouldn''t do her any good to lose focus in the slightest bit. If she didn''t want to die, it would be better if she could hurry and made sure that she was doing everything properly.

    "Archers, follow Apprentice Strategist Liu and the rest follow me!"

    "Yes, Commander!"

    The soldiers were split and Wei Liuying quickly directed them to the small hill near the city. When she had been studying the terrain, she realized that the right side of the city had a small hill that was close with them. It would be a perfect position for the archers to begin their shoot.

    "Stop here!" Wei Liuying gave her order. Her eyes were looking at the group of attackers who were swarming in front of the city''s gate. Many were trying to enter the city by climbing the wall. However, the result hasn''t been too good as the soldiers there were trained to prevent them from entering.

    "We''ll be targeting the soldiers at the bottom," Wei Liuying said and arranged them to take position. Even though her heart was anxious, she showed none of it on her face. "Take position!"

    Wei Liuying averted her gaze and noticed that Commander Zhao was on the way.

    "Shoot!"

    Dzing! Dzing!

    300 arrows were shot to the front of the city. Many didn''t hit the target, but would it even matter? Their aim was to scatter the opponents while taking the most of their lives.

    "Reload! Take aim! Shoot!"

    Wei Liuying repeated the same command and watched the soldiers'' reaction. They were slower than what she thought. However, she still continued to give them the order until Commander Zhao''s soldiers reached the area.

    Some of the bandits have begun to run away to the left side, but Commander Zhao managed to stop them by arranging his soldiers to intercept them. They would not let anyone escape from here.

    "Is there anyone who can shoot 300 meters?" Wei Liuying asked. The distance to the edge of the city was around 200 to 300 meters, which was almost the furthest distance one could possibly reach with their bow.

    Seeing that no one responded, Wei Liuying stretched her hand. "Let me borrow a bow and arrow."

    "Yes, Apprentice Strategist Liu."

    Taking the bow, Wei Liuying frowned slightly. It was a bit heavier than what she used back then¡­ oh right, she was still using the smaller version because Wei Hong Zheng was categorized as a boy. The one the soldiers used were definitely much bigger and heavier because they have to reach farther.

    Well, she could shoot for 200 meters back then. This time, she might be able to shoot even further.

    Taking aim, Wei Liuying tried to pull it back as much as possible. She aimed to the people who were running away from the left side.

    Dzing!

    The man fell on the ground with the arrow stuck on his back. Wei Liuying didn''t stop and took another arrow to aim once more. She shot the arrows a few more times to kill some of the people who managed to run away. Beads of sweat began to gather on her forehead.

    It was hard to shoot from this distance with this bow.

    "Go and regroup with Commander Zhao."

    "Yes!"

    "Leave five people here."

    "Yes, Apprentice Strategist Liu."

    By now, their tone was filled with respect. When they first accepted Wei Liuying here, they were only doing that because of order. Now that they had seen Wei Liuying''s capabilities, they knew for sure that she was truly capable.

    However, Wei Liuying was too focused to realize this difference. She had to make sure that she would not hit any ally with her attack.

    Dzing!

    "Tell me, how Commander Zhao usually give strategy?"

    "Commander Zhao likes to fight head on, so his strategy is usually go straight to the center and break through any obstacles there."

    Wei Liuying''s lips twitched when she heard that. Even though brute force could do wonder at times, there was a limit of what human''s physical abilities could do. She peered to the side and realized that Commander Zhao''s men were mostly bulky men. It was no wonder that his strategy usually relied on their physical attack.

    Well, it was good if they have good physique, but if they don''t, it would be hell.

    Dzing!

    "This is the last one. Let''s go and regroup with Commander Zhao."

    "Yes, Apprentice Strategist Liu."

    Wei Liuying handed the bow back. Carrying that heavy bow with her would surely slow her down even though she was riding a horse. The group rushed down and regrouped with Commander Zhao. By this time, the men there have been mostly eliminated and only a few were left alive for interrogation by Commander Zhao.

    "Apprentice Strategist Liu," Commander Zhao called respectfully. The result was much better than what he calculated. "Would you like to be the one to extract information from them?"

    "I already know that they''re one of the tribes on the North," Wei Liuying responded calmly. "Based on their clothes, is this Nu Tribe?"

    "Yes, we suspect so too. However, I''ll need to ask them to know more about the tribe."

    "Then I''ll not bother you with your interrogation, Commander Zhao."

    Wei Liuying didn''t like torturing people. She would rather leave the task to someone else if it was unnecessary. She just wanted to stay behind and possibly clean up the area now that the battle was over.

    "Alright. We''ll enter the city now. I''ll send messenger to Prince Ji Sheng''s City to let them know about our situation."

    "That will be for the best."

    Whenever there was an attack, they have to make report to Ji Sheng. There were always messengers ready in each city to be sent back to the city. The city would also open their gate to welcome the soldiers who helped. The citizen was awfully happy that they were safe from the attack.

    Living at the border was not easy as they have to be prepared for war at any time.

    "We can stay in the city for tonight. Would you like to come with us?"

    "No. I rather not."

    Wei Liuying had heard from the soldiers'' talking that they were intent on visiting the brothel. She''s a woman herself, so why would she want to head there? It would be better for her if she walked around the city to see the defense.

    Even after the persuading soldiers tried to talk to her, she didn''t change her mind and walked around aimlessly. It was still evening and the messengers finally returned back along with a group of soldiers behind him.

    "Apprentice Strategist Liu, there''s a message from Strategist Yang."

    "Thank you."

    Wei Liuying took the letter and opened the cover. There was only one bamboo strip inside with a coded sentence.

    The moon gives guidance for the bird to fly back.

    ''That Strategist must be worried that there will be people opening the seal when delivering the letter.''

    Wei Liuying could see that the seal was still in a good condition, so she was not that worried. Besides, Yang Xian often talked with riddles so as to make sure that no one knew the content.

    "Prepare horse for me."

    "Ah? I understand, Apprentice Strategist Liu."

    Wei Liuying kept the letter away and sighed. Can''t that Strategist Yang give her clear order to return rather than talking about the moon? No wonder people always say that Strategist Yang was very eccentric, his message must have looked like he was composing poem rather than giving order.

    It didn''t take long for the horse to be ready and Wei Liuying bid her farewell to Commander Zhao. Even though Commander Zhao disliked having Wei Liuying leave when it was almost night time, he would not disobey Yang Xian''s order.

    "I''ll be going now."

    Riding the horse, Wei Liuying dashed through the plains along with the messengers. He was told to return back as soon as he received the reply that he needed.

    Swish!

    The chilly wind brushed past her clothes. Wei Liuying could feel the wind even clearly as the sky darkened and stars began to appear. Looking up, she could see numerous stars filling the sky and showed beautiful formation.

    It was a view that she would never see back in her city.

    ''It''s completely different here at the North,'' Wei Liuying thought to herself. ''It''s beautiful.''

    "Apprentice Strategist Liu, we''ll arrive in Prince Ji Sheng''s City not long from now."

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Is there no formal name for the city, yet?" She felt a bit uncomfortable having to call it using Prince Ji Sheng''s name over and over.

    "There''s none yet. We''ll need to wait for the Emperor''s approval, so we have been calling it Prince Ji Sheng''s City," the messenger replied.

    "I see."

    Even naming need the Emperor''s permission? The Emperor must be a very busy person.

    Little did she know that this matter was already pushed back because the Emperor was too busy pampering his concubines.

 Chapter 153 - Reunion

    Little did she know that this matter was already pushed back because the Emperor was too busy pampering his concubines.

    "Open the gate!"

    The messenger and Wei Liuying entered the city. The night had fallen and there were not many people were still awake.

    "The distance is quite far," Wei Liuying commented and scanned the crowd with her eyes.

    "Yes."

    "Xiao Ling."

    Hearing the call, Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. There was only one person who would call her using that name. As she had expected, Yang Xian was standing not far from their location while waving his hand with a broad smile on his lips.

    "Strategist Yang," Wei Liuying greeted properly.

    "Tell me your experience outside and also, there''s someone who wants to meet you at home."

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows and nodded. "Ok."

    She proceeded to tell everything that occurred to Yang Xian, including her decision to not rashly engage in fight and to positioned the soldiers in the most advantageous position she could think from that terrain. Yang Xian listened to her explanation carefully as they walked back to his residence.

    "Commander Zhao is still reckless," Yang Xian said with a sigh. He had concluded from what Wei Liuying said that her work was splendid and there was nothing much he needed to nitpick. Though, he would need to make her more familiar with the soldiers here and also their capabilities.

    There was a mistake in the calculation Wei Liuying did because it was the first time she came to the camp. The movements of the soldiers would also depend on their physical ability, and Yang Xian wanted Wei Liuying to be familiar with them.

    In addition, she needed to work on her physical strength.

    "Has Commander Zhao stayed in the army for a long time?"

    "Commander Zhao was the one in charge of this area before General Sheng came. He''s a headstrong commander, but he''s someone who trust strength more than wits, so it''s a bit hard to persuade him."

    Thinking of the days when he first came here, Yang Xian felt a headache. He had clashed with Commander Zhao for so many times to the point he lost count. There were numerous times when he felt that Commander Zhao was following the rules of fist is much stronger than brain for so many times.

    It was only after he had gained some fame that Commander Zhao realized that by following Yang Xian, he would be able to minimize the casualties. In addition, they would be able to recruit more soldiers.

    Though, Commander Zhao refused to have them in his army.

    "He''s not that hard to persuade," Wei Liuying said with a confused tone. She only needed to give him the clear picture and the commander understood.

    Yang Xian pondered for a bit. "He might have already accepted that the youngsters are smarter than him."

    "I''m not sure he''ll be happy if he heard your words."

    "There''s no need to tell him."

    Wei Liuying smiled faintly when she heard what Yang Xian said. It seemed that this strategist was someone who was blunt when talking about other people. However, he didn''t let the words reached the person''s ear.

    "I didn''t know you like to talk about someone behind their back, Strategist Yang," Wei Liuying teased.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Rather than talking about them, I''m analyzing their capabilities. I don''t think there''s anything wrong with my words."

    ''Yes, there''s nothing wrong, but your words are so blunt that if they heard it from you, they''ll surely be heartbroken and unable to respond to you. Worst case scenario, they''ll hate you for life.''

    However, Wei Liuying certainly will never utter it out. She knew very well how deadly words could be. Even the same message, if delivered differently, could have a completely different result.

    Yang Xian''s direct words were hurtful, but if sugarcoat it and told the other party politely, there''ll be less chance for them to get offended. Though, in the military, most of them were blunt about their abilities and strived to improve better because every improvement meant that they have better chance to keep their lives.

    "Have you told Commander Zhao about your plan for him?" Wei Liuying asked. She was sure that Yang Xian must have already planned for Commander Zhou to have a strategist beside him.

    "I have," Yang Xian replied. "Commander Zhao knew that having strategist can be beneficial to him, but until now, there''s no one trustworthy enough to be put inside his army."

    "I see," Wei Liuying murmured lightly.

    The hidden message within Yang Xian''s words meant that now there was someone trustworthy enough to be placed within Commander Zhao''s army. All that was left would be for that particular trustworthy person to get admitted there, which would happen sooner or later.

    Wei Liuying noticed that they were not far from Yang Xian''s residence. "I see that you have prepared everything, Strategist Yang."

    "I would never move when I''m unprepared."

    "I have expected that."

    Yang Xian chuckled. The two of them didn''t talk anymore as they continued to walk towards his residence.

    When they reached Yang Xian''s residence, Wei Liuying could see a familiar carriage in front of the residence. It was a carriage belonged to Shi Yan, meaning that that merchant must have come. A smile was formed on the corner of Wei Liuying''s lips when she thought about her funny friend.

    "Come in. He''s already waiting inside."

    "Yes."

    The two of them come inside. Yang Xian had only closed the gate when there was a scream coming from inside.

    "Xian! How long do you want to make wait?" Shi Yan asked in annoyed tone while he walked out. His long white robe fluttered along with the movements that he did. He was dressed in blue robe along with dark fur coat that he wore to reduce the cold.

    "And how come you two only wear basic robe? Don''t you realize that the temperature in this place is so chilling? Also, why are there no servants here to serve me some food?"

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "You sure have a lot of complaints, Yan."

    "Liu Ying! You can''t imagine just how poor this place¡­"

    Kick!

    Yang Xian had kicked Shi Yan to the side to shut him up. "How I take care of my residence is none of your business, Yan."

    Shi Yan was rubbing his back as he grimaced. He looked at Yang Xian with aggrieved expression. "What if there''s any thief coming into your residence? Don''t you think it''ll be better for you to have a guard here?"

    "There''s no one who would dare to barge in here if they want to stay alive."

    "How could it be."

    "Why don''t you try?" Yang Xian''s tone was confident. He had set several traps around his residences, which he would explain to Wei Liuying so that she didn''t trigger any by accident. Besides, there was nothing really important in his residence.

    All important papers and his work were all inside Prince Ji Sheng''s residence. There were only some food and a few liang of silvers that he kept inside his house. The rest of his important belongings were mostly related to military, so he didn''t keep it by himself in case something might happen to him in the future.

    Shi Yan pursed his lips. "That''s what you say, but what if you lost your papers?"

    "I never bring my work home," Yang Xian said clearly. "All of my work is in His Highness''s Residence. If you ever have any interest to read them, you can head there and request for permission from His Highness."

    Hearing that, Shi Yan was speechless. Who was interested with Yang Xian''s works anyway? Aside from letters filled with code, the others were documents related to war and military. He didn''t understand any of them, which meant that he would not regard them highly.

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes as she listened to their exchange. "How did you come inside the residence in the first place, Shi Yan?"

    "Ah? I have the key¡­."

    "Should I ask you to give me back the key if you''re going to destroy my residence?"

    "Wait, wait, wait, no! Don''t! I''m sorry! Don''t be as cruel as His Highness ah¡­.!"

    Wei Liuying tried her best to not think too much as she saw Shi Yan begging. Truthfully, if his words were heard outside, people would surely wonder what kind of relationship they have with Prince Ji Sheng. In addition, they would surely be confused as to why Shi Yan termed Prince Ji Sheng as cruel.

    The one who had made his name to be known as cruel was Prince Ji Shu and not Prince Ji Sheng.

    Yang Xian sighed and shook his head. "Come on, we should get inside to warm ourselves."

    "Hahaha! That''s a good idea. Oh right, if you want, I can be the one to serve the tea this time!"

    Seeing how Shi Yan changed his attitude upside down, Wei Liuying looked at the sky. Her funny friend might have his brain roasted this time.

 Chapter 154 - Discussion

    Seeing how Shi Yan changed his attitude upside down, Wei Liuying looked at the sky. Her funny friend might have his brain roasted this time.

    Yang Xian''s face turned slightly dark when he saw how Shi Yan behaved. He raised his legs and delivered another kick to Shi Yan''s back.

    Kick!

    Even though with their martial arts, they didn''t really have any problem staying outside like this since their clothes were quite thick, it would be better for them to stay inside. The chilling wind would be too much for them.

    "Xian! Is that how you treat your friend?"

    "That''s how I treat troublemaker."

    Shi Yan was speechless. Yang Xian didn''t deny him as his friends, but he was called as troublemaker. Ah¡­ he felt that it was truly very difficult to have a proper talk with Yang Xian without getting slighted by this annoying strategist.

    As they got closer to the residence, Wei Liuying could sense another person''s presence inside and it felt awfully familiar. Wei Liuying quickened her pace and got into the house and saw a young woman sitting there. Her eyes widened as a smile formed on the corner of her lips. "Xiao Qing."

    Xiao Qing turned around and smiled brightly when she saw Wei Liuying. Even though Wei Liuying was dressed as a boy, how could Xiao Qing not recognize her after spending so much time with Wei Liuying in the past? She was sure that even if Wei Liuying wore disguise, she would still recognize her perfectly.

    "Miss!"

    "You look healthy!"

    "You too, Miss."

    Wei Liuying patted Xiao Qing''s shoulder. "There''s no need to call me Miss anymore. You''re with Yan now."

    "You can take her back with you if you want. I settled her in this city not long ago." Shi Yan''s voice came from behind. He walked straight to the fireplace to warm his body up. The night wind was too cold.

    "No."

    "Miss!"

    "Thank you for that offer, but I would like Xiao Qing to be happy too," Wei Liuying replied. "Not as my servants anymore but as someone free outside."

    Xiao Qing frowned. She was always happy to stay by Wei Liuying''s side. it has been a very memorable time for her to follow Wei Liuying during the time when she was in Wei Family Residence. Even though there were so many difficult things occurred there, she treasured her time with her Miss.

    "But, Miss¡­."

    "I won''t be able to take care of you, Xiao Qing," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly. "Besides, I''ll have to live on my own when I depart to the battlefield."

    Whatever words Xiao Qing wanted to say, all of that was left in her throat. She was unable to bring herself to say anything as she looked at her Miss. She had heard from Shi Yan that from now on, Wei Liuying would have to pose as a man and roamed on the battlefield. It was unknown when she would return back to live as a noble young lady with her disguise like this.

    Xiao Qing couldn''t fight as well as Wei Liuying. In addition, what she good at was only movement''s technique, so it would be impossible for her to be of help to Wei Liuying in the dangerous battlefield.

    But¡­ there was a faint sense of unease within her heart as she looked at her former Miss.

    "Xiao Qing, have you ever thought of what you want to do in your life?" Wei Liuying asked slowly. She first met Xiao Qing when she was 8 years old because Feng Chun didn''t want to take care of Wei Liuying on her own anymore.

    Xiao Qing was sold by her own parents because they were poor. It was not weird for parents to sell their own children. Even nobles did that all the time towards their daughter, much less poor people who truly needed money to buy food. If they have several children, they could sell someone out.

    Usually, the one sold would be the girls.

    "I¡­" Xiao Qing opened her mouth but didn''t answer. When she was sold by her parents, she truly didn''t know what she should do. All she could do was to follow Feng Chun''s instruction to stay with Wei Liuying all the time.

    But when she saw the young Wei Liuying got beaten up by her own mother because the girl failed to help her improve Feng Chun''s relationship with her husband, Xiao Qing felt her heart was torn. Wei Liuying was younger than her, yet the treatment she got in the residence was even worse than animals.

    At first, it was clear that Wei Liuying was enduring and hoping that she would still be able to get her mother or father''s love.

    But neither gave her any.

    The young girl was forced to accept the reality that neither one of her parents wanted her. Xiao Qing couldn''t do anything as she was nothing more than Feng Chun''s spies that was sent to watch over Wei Liuying. And all the time, she was filled with fear, fear that she would be caught by Feng Chun for not doing her work correctly.

    It was tiring.

    Xiao Qing didn''t like the residence either.

    But as Wei Liuying gradually grew colder and kept her distance, Xiao Qing made her decision. She wanted to help the poor little girl so that they would be able to get out of that inhumane residence.

    "We agreed at the beginning that we''ll get out together," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly. "Now that you''re free, you can do whatever you want. Don''t you also have your dream to fulfill?"

    Dream?

    Ah, right. When she was young, Xiao Qing always wanted to have a family on her own and be happy with someone who loved her too. Raising her head, she smiled at Wei Liuying. "Yes, Miss."

    Wei Liuying smiled. "Good."

    "But if you ever need my help, I''ll surely come to help you, Miss," Xiao Qing said seriously. At first, it was nothing more than pity and also the common goal. However, Xiao Qing also cared for her Miss, so if Wei Liuying ever needed help, she would not hesitate to lend her hand and do everything in her power to make Wei Liuying''s wish came true.

    "I''ll be fine." Wei Liuying patted Xiao Qing''s hand. "Can you tell me what you want?"

    "I¡­" Xiao Qing knew that she wanted to have a peaceful life, but she was not certain about what kind of life it would be and where.

    Listening to the two girls'' conversation, Shi Yan frowned. "Are you sure about this?"

    "Yes."

    Yang Xian returned with several bowls of food in his hand. "I don''t have the time to cook, so this time I bought them."

    "Thank you, Strategist Yang."

    "You can call me by my name directly."

    "Strategist Yang."

    "You''re stubborn." Yang Xian turned to look at Xiao Qing. "You can choose either to live as a commoner in this city or other cities or to serve another master. I''m sure Yan will not mind releasing you if you want to."

    Xiao Qing fell silent. She watched as Yang Xian distributed the four bowls for them to eat, including her. It was a bit overwhelming for her to sit on the same table as these powerful figure, but she knew that rejecting would only meet with them persuading her. She had already tried that back with Wei Liuying.

    What did she want to do now?

    Now that the time was up, she should start a new life.

    "I want to live as commoner."

    "Here?"

    "Dong Shan City," Xiao Qing replied after a while. She didn''t want to have to see Wei Liuying whenever she returned. It would only torment her about her decision to finally leave her previous Master.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Can I trouble you to send her to Dong Shan City, Yan?"

    "I''ll return back there after the negotiation is over, but I''ll send people to send you there along with the messenger for my sister in a few days," Shi Yan offered generously.

    "That''ll be good."

    "Alright. Now that it''s over, time to eat."

    "Yes, Strategist Yang."

    "Call me Yang Xian."

    "Strategist Yang."

    Shi Yan shook his head when he watched Yang Xian tried to make Wei Liuying called him with his name directly. Even though it sounded childish, he felt that Wei Liuying chose to be polite with Yang Xian as a way to make sure that she didn''t get over comfortable. After all, it would be hard for her to not get attached if she ever got comfortable.

    It was the same as the others.

    When they first met with each other, they would be polite and tried to keep their distance. The distance will be reduced from time to time as they continued to interact with each other.

    The four of them didn''t spend a long time eating. Shi Yan left with Xiao Qing after they were done, leaving the two of them back in the residence. Once the two of them left, Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying and asked, "Have you decided?"

 Chapter 155 - The Treaty

    "Decided?"

    Yang Xian nodded when he saw Wei Liuying''s confused expression. "Have you decided what you want to do from now on after you have experienced your first battle? Do you want to stay on the city and defend or do you want to venture outside along with the soldiers?"

    Stay or venture?

    There were only two choices for Wei Liuying. However, she knew that there was only one answer that she felt the most suitable for her. "I want to venture into the plains and fight numerous battles, Strategist Yang."

    "Why do you pick that one?"

    "I''m still inexperienced and just staying to defend will depend on the enemies'' initiative to attack. But if I''m venturing, there''ll be higher chance to meet and engage in battle whether it''s because they''re breaching the territory or because they attack nearby cities," Wei Liuying replied.

    What she needed the most was experience and study. She had learned most of the basics on her own back in the Capital City with some additional information given to her by Yang Xian. However, she wanted to apply what she had learned back then to the real battlefield.

    Yang Xian smiled when he heard her answer. "That''s a good choice."

    "You support this, Strategist Yang?"

    "Commander Zhao will return back either tomorrow or two days from now. He''ll continue to venture into the plains, so you can join him in order to gain more experience and knowledge."

    "Thank you, Strategist Yang." Wei Liuying smiled.

    Yang Xian sighed when he saw her smile. He walked forward and patted her head. "If there''s something that you want, you should say it clearly. I''ll not mistreat you."

    "I know, Strategist Yang."

    "In that case, why don''t you trust me more?"

    Wei Liuying raised her head and looked at Yang Xian. Two pairs of dark irises were locked to one another. Emotion swirled deep within their eyes as if they were trying to convey something from their eyes alone.

    In the end, Wei Liuying retracted her gaze. "I trust you, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian chuckled. The two of them understood that what Yang Xian talked about was not that kind of trust. However, he would not pressure her and just let her be part of their group slowly but surely.

    "The representative will come tomorrow. You''ll stand by the side to watch everything as ordinary soldier."

    "I understand, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian didn''t want anyone to know that Wei Liuying was Yang Xian''s disciple from Xiong Tribe. Even though they knew that Yang Xian had accepted a disciple, only a select few knew how she looked like. Many simply said that the disciple was still a young boy.

    There was just another problem.

    There were a lot of boys around the age of 13 to 17 years old in the military because of the strict rules. Since the North was dangerous, the boys were already trained since they were young to be able to defend their homeland. Thanks to that, it would be easy for Wei Liuying to mix with the other soldiers if it was necessary.

    The two of them talked a bit before they headed to rest.

    ¡­

    The next day, Wei Liuying draped the standard military uniform and woke up early. She followed with the other soldiers and line up in her place not far from the front. Yang Xian had arranged her to replace one of the young soldiers to line up.

    "The representatives have arrived! Open the gate!"

    Wei Liuying watched as the people came into the city. They were wearing thick fur robes with fox fur around their neck. She had heard that the tribes loved to hunt foxes for their fur because it would help them to face the winter. Even though she was a bit curious how they did that with the eagles, she would not ask blatantly here.

    From her position, she couldn''t hear their voices when they talked clearly. However, she could guess that they were going through standard procedure and brought Princess Ji Xiaoli away.

    "Princess, please this way."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli''s expression was icy cold. She was wearing her veil as usual as her maidservants guided her to the carriage that the Xiong Tribe had prepared.

    From now on, she could no longer return back.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli stopped for a moment. She turned her head and looked at her Third Brother, who was standing not far behind her. He was talking with the representative with his cold and indifferent expression. Prince Ji Sheng seemed to notice her gaze as he stopped talking and looked back.

    The two brother and sister seemed to be communicating with their gaze, yet there was no change in their expression.

    In the end, Princess Ji Xiaoli turned around and walked to the carriage. She couldn''t return back. From now on, she was no longer just part of Han Shi Kingdom but also Xiong Tribe. When war happened again¡­

    She could only pray for the best.

    "We shall depart now, Your Highness Prince Ji Sheng," the representative said after he saw Ji Xiaoli entered the carriage.

    "I still have one matter that I need to discuss."

    "What is it?"

    "it''s a private matter, so I hope that you will give us some time later," Prince Ji Sheng replied mysteriously.

    The representative was a bit hesitant. He was ordered to bring Princess Ji Xiaoli back as soon as possible. However, rejecting upfront wouldn''t do him any good either. This placed him in a dilemma.

    "It will only take a few breaths'' time."

    "Alright."

    With that, Ji Sheng brought the representative to a private room by the side and they came out after a few breaths of time as he had promised. From the way it looked like, there was only enough time for them to speak a few sentences when they were inside the room.

    "I''ll be waiting for our pleasant cooperation, Prince Ji Sheng."

    "Thank you for your consideration, Representative Mo."

    They exchanged a few pleasantries before the representatives returned back and the soldiers also returned back to their previous position. Wei Liuying waited for a while before she climbed to the top of the wall and watched the departing carriages heading to the north.

    The plains were consisted of uneven hills and mountain in the dry lands terrain. It was clear that it would be hard for them to follow these people should they ever try to battle in the dry lands.

    "Shi Mo is following from a distance if you''re worried about Princess Ji Xiaoli."

    Without even turning back, Wei Liuying knew that Yang Xian was behind her. "I''m worrying more about wars that we might face. Without knowing the terrain of the dry lands, we''ll be facing tough and harsh battle."

    "I know." Yang Xian looked at the vast dry lands. "This is one of the reason why we can''t expand our border more to the north."

    "We''re not familiar with dry lands''s terrain and weather."

    "You''re correct."

    Wei Liuying nodded and looked at the disappearing figure in the dry lands. There was no way they would be able to see them anymore from this position. "If we don''t have definite strategy to win, we just need to pull them back to the place where it''s advantageous for us."

    Yang Xian smirked. That was also his plan all along. If he couldn''t force them to lose when they were in the enemy''s territory, he would push them to their own territory before making a comeback. However, this plan was risky because they would have to be able to have enough people and power to reclaim their territory back.

    "There shouldn''t be any grand war for the time being and only some skirmish with other tribes nearby."

    "They agreed with the trade agreement?"

    "As long as the traders are not soldiers, they don''t mind having traders to trade food and so on with them. Living in the dry lands meant that food will be scarce when it''s Winter because of snow," Yang Xian explained.

    Snow¡­

    Wei Liuying had rarely seen snow before. Back in the Capital City, it was not always snowing when it was Winter and only when the temperature was extremely cold would there be snow. The thin layer of snow was not that fun to play when she was still a young girl back then.

    "I''ll be waiting for Winter."

    "You want to see snow?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Aren''t they beautiful when they''re piling up a lot? That''s what I always heard."

    Yang Xian frowned for a moment then he realized that Wei Liuying had never seen so much snow before. The Capital City was not at the north but rather in the middle of Han Shi Kingdom. Because of that, the snow was not as much.

    "Yes, they are."

    Wei Liuying smiled. "I can''t wait for Winter."

    "Winter is also the time where there are the most wars," Yang Xian added. "For now, the treaty will stop Xiong Tribe from attacking us, but it''ll not stop other tribes from coming and try to plunder our food."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed when she heard that. Slowly, she nodded her head. "I know. I''ll be prepared for it."

    "Good."

 Chapter 156 - Sudden Call

    Wei Liuying rested for the night and woke up early the next day. They had come to a tacit agreement to take turns for cooking and only will not do it when they truly didn''t have any time. This time, it was Wei Liuying''s turn in the morning.

    "What did you cook?" Yang Xian asked as he walked to the dining room. His robe was still a bit messy as he was correcting the outer robe when he walked out.

    "Warm porridge."

    "Is there no other ingredients?"

    "Your storage room is empty and only a bit of grain is left with some others."

    Yang Xian rubbed his forehead. He forgot that he now had to feed two mouths. In the past, he only needed to buy for himself, so the amount he bought was no that much. Well, it just slipped his mind.

    "I''ll buy more ingredients later. We''ll eat out for dinner tonight."

    "Didn''t I have to go out again?" Wei Liuying asked and brought the pot over. She looked at Yang Xian for a moment, thinking that if it was any other noble, they would not come out of their room unless they were full prepared. No one would be as brash as Yang Xian to come out with his outer robe still messy.

    Yang Xian pondered. "Commander Zhao should return back in the afternoon. He''ll depart again tomorrow after resting his soldiers, so you don''t have to go yet."

    "How about you?"

    "I''m staying with His Highness as usual."

    "Oh."

    Wei Liuying listened as Yang Xian gave her clear picture of the power distribution here. In the past, Yang Xian did wander a lot to the battlefield. But as his position rise, he had to stay by Prince Ji Sheng''s side to make sure that there was nothing wrong. The other commanders no longer restrict him despite his lower background because of his intelligence.

    "So, you pick me up to help when roaming on the battlefield?" Wei Liuying put down the bowl as she had finished eating.

    Yang Xian nodded, not hiding his intention. "It''ll be difficult to just have one head as the sole thinker. There are some other commanders who are also intelligence, but most of them are muscle head. They''ll rather use their muscle to speak rather than using their brain."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" How did they become a commander like that?

    "There are other strategist, but they can''t be compared to you," Yang Xian said unhurriedly. He grinned. "Of course, you also still have a lot to learn. For example, martial arts and also some of the war arts."

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I understand."

    "Stop being so polite with me. I don''t really like those higher ranking families'' attitude, so relax a bit when we''re at home," Yang Xian protested. He did match his demeanor to them when it was necessary, but when they were alone, he would never do that. It was too tiring for him.

    On the other hand, Wei Liuying merely passed him a glance. This was already her second nature because her every action was always watched in the past. Whenever she made a mistake, no matter how small it was, her mother would use it to punish her.

    She didn''t want to relax her guard.

    Yang Xian had also finished eating and walked out. He leaned on the door frame while looking outside. "There''s trouble. Bring your weapon and wear your armor."

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying swiftly took her sword and then walked out of the room. Her armor only consisted of a simple outer body armor where she could protect herself. Besides, she couldn''t move if she had to wear thick armor that was hard so heavy to the point it restricted her movements.

    Yang Xian walked to the center and found Prince Ji Sheng was already there. He looked to their direction without changing his cold expression. "There''s a smoke call from the West. Judging from the direction, it should be General Gao''s call."

    General Gao.

    He was one of the three generals who stayed at the north. While the other two generals were slightly to the east or to the west, General Gao was right in the middle. To be exact, General Sheng was slightly to the east while General Gao was slightly to the West, but they were still at the north.

    If she had to draw the line, it could be said that these two generals were the two big generals at the frontline.

    As for the smoke call, it was the method for them to call for each other. The distance between each city would take several incense of stick time to reach. The best method for them to call for help would be through voice or fire smoke. As long as they could light it up, it would continue to lit the next one from a distance away.

    This was one of the method used for them to call for help when there was trouble.

    "Do you want to go there, General Sheng?" Yang Xian asked.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "You know that for sure."

    "Since Ling''er is there, I''m sure you''re worried about her."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed when she heard the name. Ling''er as in Gao Ling was General Gao''s only daughter. There were some words that said she was a tomboy young girl who loved to participate in war thanks to her father''s influence. And being a bit of doting father, General Gao allowed his daughter to be at the backline and supported them from behind.

    She was one of the potential candidates to be Ji Sheng''s fianc¨¦e and if she was not wrong, they agreed to have her as Prince Ji Sheng''s marriage partner just a few months prior. Of course, she was not too sure about this since she didn''t follow the news regarding Prince Ji Sheng that much.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "What''s your opinion, Xian?"

    "I can''t let you go there without me following you," Yang Xian said unhurriedly and walked to the front. He leaned on the other pillar. "Normally, I''ll go against the notion of having you leave this city again after leaving for so long since our position is unstable."

    "I see. But it''s normally, right?"

    "Yes. This time, I''ll let you go."

    "Without you?"

    "You can use Liu Ying."

    Prince Ji Sheng turned his head to look at Wei Liuying and nodded faintly. Even though Wei Liuying was still highly unfamiliar with this place, she was capable to make great judgement when it was necessary.

    "Alright. I''ll leave it to this arrangement."

    "I''ll prepare the men now. And Liu Ying, your task is to protect His Highness while arranging the plan for him to help General Gao."

    "I understand, Strategist Yang."

    Just like that, Wei Liuying was thrown to the pit of fire. Internally, Wei Liuying wondered what she could possibly do without much knowledge of the area. She had only started to familiarize herself with the North''s dry lands and plain terrain.

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at Wei Liuying. "We''ll discuss the tactic when we reach the place. I hope you can catch up with our pace."

    "I''ll do my best, Your Highness."

    "Good."

    There was nothing but indifferent expression on Prince Ji Sheng''s face, but Wei Liuying could faintly see the ripples in his eyes. No matter how much this prince tried to hide it, it was clear that he was worried about Gao Ling and also the men under General Gao.

    Probably, this was another case like Prince Ji Shu who also fell for the woman his family arranged for him to marry.

    The Imperial Family members were good at concealing their feelings, but their action may betray that.

    "General Sheng, everything is ready."

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "I''ll leave the city to you, Xian. If there''s any disturbance, make sure you uproot the root."

    Yang Xian grinned. "Of course, General Sheng. I''ll do my best."

    When looking at their expression, Wei Liuying had the feeling that she was seeing dark and evil smile. Probably it was only her feeling, but these two could be brutal when they were serious about their work. Just seeing the result from their battles before, it was easy for her to make this conclusion.

    They went to the front gate where thousands of soldiers were already waiting. They were all donned in full armor and rode horses. Many of them were large and bulky men who had been honed in the battlefield for a long time.

    Wei Liuying felt that she was like a little kid here.

    "Don''t leave my side," Prince Ji Sheng ordered. "Your task is the same with Xian. You''ll have to analyze the battlefield and give me the best method to overcome it."

    The best method as in strategize.

    Looking at the soldiers before her, Wei Liuying understood that from now on, the lives of these men would be under her hand. With her command, she could send them to their death simply because of their position. Yet, it was very impossible for war to have no casualties.

    Some people, no, a lot of people will die for the sake of victory.

    Wei Liuying nodded solemnly. "I understand, Your Highness."

    "Call me General Sheng in the battlefield," Prince Ji Sheng ordered.

    "General Sheng."

    "Men, depart!"

 Chapter 157 - Gao City

    Thousands of people departed all at once. Wei Liuying could sense tremendous pressure that push her forward. Even though the men were only galloping on the plain and dry lands towards the direction of Gao City, she felt as if they were already in the middle of battle. Smell of dust and sweat combined together as time passed.

    The pace was quick, and Wei Liuying kept her composure to maintain her speed. She was thankful that she had learned how to ride horse and practiced a lot during her journey to Prince Ji Sheng''s City. If not, she knew that it was impossible for her to maintain the same speed as these men.

    Prince Ji Sheng led them across the plain and dry lands while Wei Liuying kept her eyes wandering around.

    There were so many places where spies and ambush could be hidden.

    "General Sheng, I think it''ll be better to send scout ahead," Wei Liuying said when she noticed the rocky areas they were heading to.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. Actually, it was the same command as the one that Yang Xian used to give him whenever he rushed to Gao City. "Send the scout."

    "Yes, General Sheng!"

    The booming voice from behind her startled Wei Liuying. She had to admit, she was not used to have these rowdy men around her, yelling and screaming. Yet at the same time, she felt as if her body was filled with power with so many people uttering battle speech around her.

    It was weird.

    She didn''t understand why.

    "General Sheng, the front is clear."

    "Continue."

    They continued their march while sending scout in most areas. Looking at the terrain, Wei Liuying thought about the Huang River. However, it was supposed to be still very far on the south from here.

    Or, could it be that they made another route for the river to flow so that there was another source of water for them?

    Wei Liuying needed to ask about this later when she had the time.

    The soldiers didn''t even stop to eat as they continued their march. In the battle, even stopping for a moment would be the same as allowing a lot of people to die. They all understood that, so they continued to march.

    As the sun started to go down the west, Wei Liuying could see Gao City.

    Gao City was a city under General Gao. It was given his name because it had already stayed under his command for years. The city used to be the only forefront city on the north that Han Shi Kingdom had. It was only recently that Prince Ji Sheng''s City became the second city to protect the frontline.

    "They''re completely surrounded," Prince Ji Sheng said with a glint.

    "Has the city fallen?" Wei Liuying asked, her heart tightened.

    "No. Some Han Shi Kingdom''s soldiers are still at the top of the wall, but they''re getting suppressed."

    Wei Liuying nodded. She averted her attention to the tribes who attacked the city and furrowed her brows. There were three different clothing that she could see from this direction, meaning that they were all collaborating together.

    "What''s your instruction, Apprentice Strategist Liu?"

    "Split into four," Wei Liuying replied almost right away. "Create long formation from each wall and trap our enemies inside. Even if we have no numerical advantage, they''re all facing Gao City, so they''ll find it hard to fight at the two ends all at once. The last line shall be made with archers who will support with sending arrows."

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "Commander Shu, Commander Zhao, Commander Bei, you all take the position on the east, west, and south respectively. I''ll be taking the North."

    "Yes, General."

    "General, I¡­"

    "You''re coming with me, Liu Ying."

    Wei Liuying shut her mouth and continued to gallop with Prince Ji Sheng. She was still unfamiliar with the soldiers, so she couldn''t be the one to give command. Until the time she could stand on her own and give command like Yang Xian, she would have to stay near the general or leader.

    The only exception would be battles that used their general as the bait.

    She would stay behind at that time.

    The soldiers were moving quickly to trap their tribes. But of course, the men there realized what happened and quickly split their soldiers to intercept. Unfortunately, there was nothing that they could do when they had to face so many soldiers all at once.

    Wei Liuying stayed by Prince Ji Sheng''s side as they marched forward. Her strength couldn''t be compared to the elite soldiers, so she could only help a bit.

    "Maintain the formation!" Wei Liuying shouted when she saw the breach on the east.

    "MAINTAIN THE FORMATION!"

    When Prince Ji Sheng repeated the command, Wei Liuying felt her ear would turn deaf. However, she focused on her enemies and swung her sword. Fighting on top of the horses were not easy at all. Wei Liuying already felt exhausted just from controlling the horse while swinging her sword around.

    Still, she couldn''t possibly go down because she would be trampled to death.

    Suddenly, series of attack came to her. The soldiers were moving forward a bit too fast, leaving a gap where the enemies soldiers could come to her.

    "Kill the horse!"

    Jleb!

    Wei Liuying''s horse was targeted and stabbed. Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed as she pulled the rein and switched the horse''s position. With a swing of her sword, she killed the soldiers.

    ''The difference in height is a bit too much.''

    Sword was not an ideal weapon on top of horses because of the limited distance. Unless she was a great expert, it would be hard for her to make sure that the enemies would not hit her horses. The best weapon would be glaive, spear, or the likes that could reach further.

    Well, it was impossible for her to learn new weapon so quickly.

    "Liu Ying!"

    Wei Liuying noticed that Prince Ji Sheng was close, so she left her horse and jumped to behind Prince Ji Sheng. Despite moving in the air, her movement was swift as if she had done this countless times before. "Pardon for my insolence, General Sheng."

    "You need to learn how to ride horse again," Prince Ji Sheng said coldly, but his hand was moving to kill the enemies before them.

    Wei Liuying had no words to reply.

    They continued their advance and even as the sun started to set, the soldiers were still in deadlock. Han Shi Kingdom clearly gained advantage ever since Prince Ji Sheng came as they pushed the enemy soldiers from their wall. The enemies were now pressured by two sides as many were trying to escape to no avail.

    Dead bodies piled up on the ground as the smell of blood reeked to every corner.

    Wei Liuying could see everything clearer now that she was sitting behind Prince Ji Sheng. She could see that the sun was setting, which meant that it wouldn''t be good for them to keep the battle going. Fighting in the dark was not easy.

    "Open a gap on the north right."

    "You''ll let them go?" Prince Ji Sheng asked coldly, killing intent emanated from his body. His hands were still busy killing the soldiers before him.

    "Fighting when it''s dark is not ideal even for us. The sun is setting and it''ll be hard for us to differentiate between enemies and comrades in the plain like this. Unless we''re all inside Gao City, it''ll be a battle where we might lose miserably," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly.

    "Tsk."

    "General Sheng?"

    "You''re as calculative as Xian."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" I''m only telling my opinions. Besides, didn''t you take me in because of my capabilities are similar with Strategist Yang?

    Of course, Wei Liuying didn''t dare to say it all out loudly. She didn''t want to incur Prince Ji Sheng''s wrath when they were outside like this. Internally, Wei Liuying was thinking whether this choice would be correct or not since it would be hard for her to calculate everything.

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at the enemy soldiers before him. If he had to say, he wished to send them all to their graves for trying to harm his fianc¨¦e.

    Yet, he also understood that it was not an ideal battle like what Wei Liuying said.

    "Open the right side and we''ll switch to archer. Kill as much as possible."

    "Yes, General Sheng."

    Wei Liuying sneaked a glance and understood all at once. Trying to pacify a man who wanted to kill everyone who tried to harm his woman wouldn''t be easy. She sighed when she thought about that.

    At the same time, she was a bit curious just what kind of a woman Gao Ling was to be able to move Prince Ji Sheng''s heart.

    Hopefully, she wouldn''t be like Wei Xiaohua who was so adamant to kill everyone on her path of happiness.

    The battle didn''t last for that long anymore. With Prince Ji Sheng''s arrival, the enemy''s advantage was gone. They were forced to retreat after losing more than half of their original soldiers. Prince Ji Sheng truly didn''t give them any mercy.

 Chapter 158 - Gao Ling

    "The battle is our victory!"

    Wei Liuying hopped down from the horse when they entered the city. She had enough of staying on Prince Ji Sheng''s horse. There were too many soldiers looking in her direction when she was there.

    Besides, having a little kid joining such an important battle was quite rare. Other children her age would be still in training because their skill and strength couldn''t match with the adults.

    "Prince Ji Sheng!"

    Hearing that high pitched voice, Wei Liuying raised her head instinctively. She could see a young lady donned in light armor ran towards them. Her hair was tied into braids behind her while she was holding bow and tube of arrows on her back. Seeing how everyone respected her, Wei Liuying could guess that this must be Gao Ling, Prince Ji Sheng''s fianc¨¦e.

    As the young lady got closer, Wei Liuying could see her appearance more clearly. She had fair and lustrous skin. Her cheek flushed red either because of the heat, excitement, or the battle before. Her long eyelashes fluttered in happiness at the sight of Prince Ji Sheng in front of her.

    "Gao Ling," Prince Ji Sheng responded. His face was still as cold as ever, but there was traces of warmth within his eyes.

    The young lady, Gao Ling, smiled widely. "Thank you for coming. My father is still busy arranging the soldiers and to give proper funeral for those who had died."

    "I understand," Prince Ji Sheng replied. He stretched his hand and lifted Gao Ling''s chin lightly. "Do you also participate in battle?"

    "Eh? I''m only at the back, helping with the archer," Gao Ling replied.

    "You should have stayed behind."

    "I''m not going to leave my father alone. Come on, you should come with me. I have already prepared a place for you to stay for the night."

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. It was then he recalled something. "Ling''er, there''s someone I want to introduce to you."

    "Yes."

    "Liu Ying."

    "This servant is here, General Sheng." Wei Liuying cupper her hand and kneeled down with one knees. This was one of the way of greetings that the soldiers gave to their superior.

    Prince Ji Sheng pointed to Wei Liuying. "He''s Yang Xian''s apprentice."

    "So young?" Gao Ling was astonished. Wei Liuying''s figure and childish appearance gave her an utter shock. Could it be that the one who gave the order back in the battlefield just now was this young kid? He didn''t even look like he was over 13 years old!

    Wei Liuying still cupped her hand politely. "Lady Gao, this servant is 14 years old."

    Gao Ling nodded and looked at Prince Ji Sheng in surprise. She herself was only 15 years old, which meant that their new strategist was even younger than her. Somehow, she felt that Prince Ji Sheng was truly a people treasure picker. He often brought some new people with him regardless of their status and each of them proved to be exceptional.

    "I''ll prepare a place for you near us. Is that fine, General Sheng?" Gao Ling asked.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "That''ll be for the best."

    With that sentence, Gao Ling knew that Prince Ji Sheng valued Wei Liuying greatly. Well, someone who could surpass or on par with that black bellied strategist were all really good in Gao Ling''s opinion. She had seen how Yang Xian managed to have calm head even in the midst of large battle, he could analyze everything perfectly.

    Even if Wei Liuying couldn''t match up to Yang Xian yet, there was no one who could tell for the future.

    Her interest was piqued up.

    But that was for later. The most important thing would be to bring Prince Ji Sheng back.

    "I''ll see the soldiers first, General Sheng," Wei Liuying said and excused herself. She had seen Yang Xian did it before and with the help of the commanders from Gao City, she could help the soldiers have their place to stay for the night. After all, an increase in several thousands of people would not be easy.

    It was only after she had finished everything that Wei Liuying headed to the small house that Gao Ling prepared for her. A maidservant was already waiting for her.

    "Apprentice Strategist Liu," the servant greeted.

    "You are?"

    "This one is Hai Yue. This servant will serve you during your stay here, Young Master," the servant, Hai Yue, said in her soft tone.

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. She was posing as a man, right? Why would they send a young girl to serve her? Oh wait, it was normal for a young girl to serve men here. She forgot since most of her brother''s servants were boys.

    "Did Lady Gao send you here?"

    "Yes."

    "I see."

    "I have prepared dinner and bath for you, Young Master. Would you like to see if it suits your taste?"

    Wei Liuying nodded and walked to the dining room. Looking at the food on the table, Wei Liuying was speechless. It was too many! However, Wei Liuying didn''t say anything and sat down.

    "You don''t have to serve me. I can eat by myself."

    "Yes, Young Master."

    When Hai Yue left, Wei Liuying took out a needle from her head and checked the food one by one. Upon seeing that none of them made her needle turn black, she started to eat. It was not bad to have a servant prepared everything for her since she had long gotten used with it back in her residence. However, she always has to stay vigilant because there were many instance when they tried to poison her.

    It was more tiring than anything.

    Wei Liuying took a short bath and rested. She sent Hai Yue out and stayed inside her bedroom before drifting to sleep. Her sword was placed on the right side of her bed, ready to be used when it was necessary.

    ¡­

    The next morning, Wei Liuying woke up early and finished her preparation. Hai Yue prepared a simple meal for her before she departed to Prince Ji Sheng''s place in order to inquire what they were going to do next.

    "You may not pass here," a guard said when he saw Wei Liuying.

    Wei Liuying stood before the gate and nodded. "Please give a message to His Highness the Third Prince that Apprentice Strategist Liu wished to meet with him."

    "We''ll relay the message."

    The guards were confused when they heard how Wei Liuying introduced herself, but they didn''t try to probe deeper. There were a lot of soldiers who came with Prince Ji Sheng yesterday, so there might be Apprentice Strategist Liu among them.

    Not long afterward, the messenger returned back, telling them to let Wei Liuying in. A servant was assigned to guide her to Prince Ji Sheng''s location.

    "Please follow me, Young Master Liu."

    "Thank you."

    Wei Liuying didn''t feel that comfortable when they called her with young master. However, she chose to stay silent and accepted it. Maybe in the future she would be able to find a different way to call herself.

    The house where General Gao lived was a large residence. It took her some time circling the garden and all before they could arrive in the location where Prince Ji Sheng stayed. He was sitting while enjoying tea when Wei Liuying came.

    "Liu Ying greets General Sheng."

    Prince Ji Sheng glanced to Wei Liuying and nodded. "Did you have a good rest yesterday?"

    "Yes, General Sheng."

    Even without Wei Liuying saying it, he knew that she was coming here to inquire about what they should do. Different with Yang Xian who was already highly familiar with how he did things, Wei Liuying was still clueless for most things.

    "We''ll stay here for a day and departed back to my city tomorrow morning. For the time being, you should accompany Ling''er."

    Accompany Gao Ling?

    Wei Liuying was stunned with Prince Ji Sheng''s request, so she looked in his direction with questions all over her face.

    "I''ll tell her about your real gender. She''ll be happy to have another female in the military."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" now you''re using me to make your fianc¨¦e happy?

    However, Wei Liuying nodded and cupped her hand. "I understand, Your Highness."

    Prince Ji Sheng pointed to the wall. "Wait here. She''ll come soon."

    Wei Liuying did as Prince Ji Sheng said and stood near the wall. She was wondering how Prince Ji Sheng could know when she faintly heard footsteps from a distance away. It was clear that there were several people who were coming.

    "General Sheng, Lady Gao is here."

    "Let her in."

    The door was opened and Gao Ling entered. Behind her, there were two young ladies with one of them was Hai Yue. It seemed that Gao Ling sent her own maidservants to prepare for Wei Liuying''s needs.

    "General Sheng," Gao Ling greeted.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. He looked at the two young ladies behind his fianc¨¦e, which send message to Gao Ling. "You may leave."

    "Yes, Miss."

    After her two maidservants have left, Gao Ling didn''t stand on ceremony and quickly sat down. Her eyes twinkle mischievously. "So, is there any interesting news from the capital city?"

 Chapter 159 - Mischievous Young Lady

    Prince Ji Sheng smiled faintly when he saw Gao Ling''s eyes filled with interest. "You''re only asking what I did in the Capital City?"

    "You know that I''m not allowed to leave the city at all. Father is so strict about me leaving the city unless I''m with you on the battlefield," Gao Ling responded coquettishly. "So, the only option left for me is to ask you about your experience back in the capital city."

    "There are not many interesting things."

    "Liar!"

    "Why do you think I''m lying?" Prince Ji Sheng arched his eyebrows. "I''m mostly grounded because His Majesty suspected me to be part of a force that wished to topple him down. There''s no way I can have fun."

    Gao Ling pursed her lips. "Capital City is really dangerous."

    "Indeed."

    "If I ever need to visit there, you need to protect me properly. I won''t accept no as the answer."

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded and patted Gao Ling''s head tenderly. "There''s no need to worry about that. I''ll make sure to protect you properly."

    On the side, Wei Liuying was starting to think that she was only kept here to watch these two having fun by themselves. Should she learn the skill to disappear into the wall? She didn''t want to disturb these two.

    While Wei Liuying was contemplating, Prince Ji Sheng finally remembered that she was still in the room.

    "Right, Ling''er, do you still remember Liu Ying?"

    "Yang Xian''s apprentice, right? I sent Hai Yue to serve you last night, but you don''t seem to appreciate it," Gao Ling said while crossing her hands.

    Wei Liuying looked at Gao Ling with confusion and cupped her hands. "My apologies if I look as if I didn''t appreciate your kindness. I have a good rest last night thanks to your care, Lady Gao."

    This time, it was Gao Ling who was stunned. She looked at Prince Ji Sheng and crossed her hands. "He''s a noble, right?"

    "What makes you think so?"

    "His way of speaking is even more formal than Yang Xian! Not only that, he seems to be so familiar with how women usually speak!" Gao Ling replied with while humping in indignation. She couldn''t believe that she didn''t know there was a noble with surname Liu in the capital city.

    Wait, is there really any?

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded and patted Gao Ling''s head once more. "You''re correct. She used to be a noble born."

    "What? Did you kidnap him?"

    (A/N: in case you''re wondering, both she and he in Chinese is spoken ''ta''. Even if there''s difference in writing, it sounded exactly the same when it''s spoke out. Ji Sheng is using the ''ta'' for female while Gao Ling is using ''ta'' for male)

    "I''m not." Prince Ji Sheng looked at Wei Liuying as if telling her that she should speak the truth.

    Wei Liuying cupped her hands. "My full name is Wei Liuying, Miss Gao. I''m the concubine daughter of Prime Minister Wei."

    Concubine daughter¡­

    Prime Minister Wei¡­.

    Gao Ling took several moments to let the two phrase inserted deep in her brain. Her few brain cells seemed to be overloaded for a few breaths of time. Afterwards, she looked at Ji Sheng in disbelief. "You''re taking a young girl to war."

    "Yes."

    "Are you crazy, General Sheng? She''s even younger than me but you already show her the cruel, disgu¡­. Battlefield?"

    Prince Ji Sheng sipped the tea in his other hand calmly. "She has long gotten used with battles. Wei Family Household is a great place to temper your body and heart with so many wars and battles that occurred there."

    "What?"

    "She can do martial arts and know a lot of strategies. You don''t think I can possibly teach her so much in just three months, do you?"

    Gao Ling had heard that it was Wei Liuying who gave advice and order back in the battlefield. Even though her help in terms of killing enemies were negligible as she could barely protect herself, the strategy she gave give them advantage and protected them from harm.

    The worried Prince Ji Sheng might not be able to pay so much attention because he was keen on reaching Gao City as fast as possible.

    "Right," Gao Ling said after a moment. She looked at Wei Liuying for a moment. A young girl learning martial arts was very rare in Han Shi Kingdom because women were mostly only used to bear children. It was only because Gao Ling was born in General Gao''s family that she was allowed to learn martial arts.

    Then again, the only one she learned was archery and a bit of swordsmanship.

    Her father would never want her to be on the frontline where the death''s rate was so high and many people died each day.

    "So, Wei Liuying?"

    "Yes, Miss Gao?"

    "Do you have any interest in Prince Ji Sheng?"

    Prince Ji Sheng: "¡­" you ask her when I''m right in front of her?

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" you''re very blunt.

    Gao Ling didn''t think that there was anything wrong with her question. She was looking at Wei Liuying with her clear gaze.

    "I don''t have any interest in Your Highness romantically if that''s what you mean," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly. Her eyes were calm and tranquil as she had never even though of the possibility of marrying to the Imperial Family.

    She didn''t want it too.

    Gao Ling nodded. "Then, who''s the most attractive in your opinion. Prince Ji Sheng, Yang Xian, Shi Yan, Shi Mo, or Commander Zhao?"

    Commander Zhao?

    Wei Liuying was stunned when she heard that name in the list that Gao Ling gave her. She had only met with Commander Zhao for a day at most. There was no way she could possibly know a lot of things regarding this commander in such a short period of time.

    Prince Ji Sheng sighed. "Commander Zhao is one of the few commanders who have followed me from a long time ago."

    "I understand, Your Highness."

    "Hey, you haven''t answered my question."

    Wei Liuying thought inside her head for a moment. She obviously will not answer Prince Ji Sheng because Gao Ling could potentially try to kill her if she did have even an ounce of interest on him. Well, in the first place, she never had any interest to this prince.

    Shi Yan was so feminine that Wei Liuying felt she would never get attracted to him while she had only met Shi Mo a few times. He did look similar to Shi Yan, but he has more muscle because of his training as solider.

    It too her some time before she replied, "Yang Xian."

    Prince Ji Sheng arched his eyebrows. "I believed that I''m more handsome than that fella. It seems that I need to teach him how to be less attractive."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­"

    Back in Prince Ji Sheng''s City, Yang Xian suddenly sneezed. He looked to the sky with confusion. Who in the world think badly about him early in the morning? He could even feel faint chills now.

    ''Hopefully it''s not Prince Ji Sheng asking me to have another harsh training¡­''

    Gao Ling laughed freely when she heard Wei Liuying''s answer. "Strategist Yang is not too bad either."

    Wei Liuying merely smiled. She never thought of these people around her that way because she didn''t think that it would be even possible. Besides, many of them have high status, far higher than the current her who was only a runaway.

    "I''ll appreciate it if you stop trying to scare other women," Prince Ji Sheng said faintly.

    Gao Ling shrugged. "I''m always so straightforward. Besides, why should I let those women who tried to take what belonged to me live? I would rather let them all suffer and die miserably."

    Even though Gao Ling was speaking in a light tone, the content of her words were the complete opposite. This made Wei Liuying wondered what kind of environment this young lady was grown up with. Obviously, it was completely different with her.

    "You should continue your study now that the battle is over. Let Liu Ying follows you."

    "Are you sure you want to have a ''young man'' following me?" Gao Ling asked with arched eyebrows.

    "She''s just a little brat. You can think of her as your younger brother."

    "Got it!"

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" are you sure I''m the younger one? Also, this was the first time she knew that as a lady, Gao Ling was speaking so informally. It was as if she didn''t have any qualms of speaking so informally even with someone who has high ranking.

    Gao Ling stood up. "Father wants to play go with you once they have finished cleaning up. Afterwards, he wants to visit the deceased family members of the commanders."

    "I''ll come with him."

    "Good. I''ll let him know."

    Gao Ling excused herself and gave order to her servant. She looked at Wei Liuying with a faint smile, yet her eyes were filled with playful glint. "Let''s have some fun, Liu Ying."

    "Yes, Miss Gao."

    For some reason, Wei Liuying felt that she would be seeing something special not long from now.

 Chapter 160 - Double Face Or Double Personality?

    Gao Ling seemed to be oblivious of Wei Liuying''s gaze as she walked out of the residence. Her quarter was located on the other side of the residence since her father would never let them stay too close before their marriage. He was all about it was not proper and so on.

    "I''ll be having tea party. Apprentice Strategist Liu can watch from the side," Gao Ling said with a smile.

    "Yes, Miss Gao."

    Hai Yue and the other servant of Gao Ling looked at Wei Liuying with confusion. It was rare to have a male attended the ladies'' tea party. However, it didn''t seem like Gao Ling was bothered with the arrangement in the slightest bit. In fact, it looked as if she was excited for it.

    Wei Liuying followed Gao Ling to the other side of the residence and waited patiently by the side. Not long afterwards, several ladies came. They were all dressed in beautiful dress that didn''t seem to lose from the noble ladies back in the capital city.

    "Welcome Lady Su," Gao Ling greeted with a smile.

    The first lady smiled back. "Greetings to Lady Gao. Congratulations for the victory in the battle yesterday."

    "It''s all thanks to the reinforcement."

    "Young Lady Gao is so gallant when she stood at the front. Many soldiers are singing praise for your bravery."

    "Thank you for your compliment. I''m flattered with your praise."

    The young ladies were all singing praise for Gao Ling. Gao Ling responded to each of them calmly with the proper manner that she was supposed to have. Afterwards, they were all simply talking about many random things about Gao City that Wei Liuying was unfamiliar with.

    Gao City was located quite far from Huang River, but it was like what Wei Liuying thought. They had created a passage of clean water from Huang River to flow not far from their place and reached nearby lake. That way, they would be able to get clean water with just half an incense stick time of journey.

    Aside from that, there were also several well that they built deep enough to gain water. Thanks to that, the condition in Gao City was not that bad. But when it was Winter, they would have to face very harsh condition and many people were unwilling to leave their houses at that time.

    The tea party lasted for a long time before Gao Ling sent them all out. She stretched her body when there were only her maidservants and Wei Liuying in the garden. "They''re putting on so much layer of their faces."

    Wei Liuying didn''t reply. For her, it was something that was very normal because she had seen how those people in the Capital City acted.

    Gao Ling looked at Wei Liuying with a grin. "So, are the people in the Capital City also use face mask?"

    "Yes, Miss Gao."

    "How about you?"

    "One who didn''t put on a face mask will not be able to survive," Wei Liuying responded in a roundabout way.

    Gao Ling clicked her tongue when she heard how Wei Liuying spoke. She was even harder than Yang Xian to crack back then. After all, Yang Xian was used to stay in the village and talked normally. On the other hand, Wei Liuying had already engraved this way of talking to her bone.

    "Can''t you speak normally?"

    "This is my normal way of speaking, Miss Gao."

    "Even when you''re alone?"

    "Yes."

    "Why? Isn''t it tiring?"

    Wei Liuying smiled. "Mask is the best method if one wishes to survive, especially if there are a lot of enemies around."

    Chills ran down the spine of the other three ladies. Wei Liuying''s smile looked so dark at that moment as if she had seen the darkest of human''s nature. It gave them scare and at the same time, trepidation.

    For whatever reason, Gao Ling felt that it would be for the best to not pry any deeper.

    "The Capital City is that dangerous?"

    "One wrong move might cost the ultimate price, Miss Gao," Wei Liuying spoke truthfully. If she ever made a wrong mistake, she would have to pay with the price. The number of times when she almost died back in Wei Family Residence was simply uncountable now. Besides, she didn''t wish to remember those times again.

    Let the past be the past. There was no need to bring it all up once more.

    Gao Ling looked at Wei Liuying. She had heard from Prince Ji Sheng about the capital city from time to time, but she never thought that the lives of people there would be that miserable. Was it really that hard to live in the capital city to the point that Wei Liuying had to wear a mask in every moment of her life?

    Thinking about wearing a mask and not allowed to act freely all the time, Gao Ling shivered. She didn''t want to experience it at all.

    "Is there no one whom you could trust?"

    Trust?

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered. In her entire life, the number of people whom she trusted could be counted with the number of fingers. Even then, the degree of trust she had towards those people were quite low. She never dared to reveal everything about herself because it would be the same as putting her own life in their hands.

    While her life might be worthless to many people, she treasured her own life. She wanted to live for a long time.

    "The only person whom you could trust is yourself¡­" Wei Liuying paused for a moment. "Is what I want to say, Miss Gao."

    Hearing Wei Liuying''s sentence, Gao Ling arched her eyebrows. Looking at the clear eyes that was staring straight at her, Gao Ling could feel some kind of strange feelings. It was as if Wei Liuying wanted to tell her something, but she couldn''t.

    After a while, Gao Ling spoke out. "You just haven''t found the right person."

    "You can say it like that, Miss Gao."

    Being betrayed by the one who had been accompanying her ever since she was a child, Wei Liuying didn''t want to repeat the same mistake ever again. Her eyes stayed calm and there was no emotion resurfaced, but she knew how much her heart was hurt back then.

    From the moment she allowed someone to enter her heart, even though it was only at the edge, it would be impossible to not have that person affect her in the slightest bit. Seeing then turning their head back and tried to harm her, it was hard to believe at first because of the long history.

    She gave a chance.

    Only to be disappointed once more.

    Gao Ling tilted her head. "How''s life in your household before? I heard from Prince Ji Sheng that you''re a noble''s son in the capital city, right?"

    It was actually daughter, but Gao Ling didn''t want to let her two maidservants to know about that. She did trust them, but there were still some things that she couldn''t possibly told them.

    Wei Liuying smiled lightly. "It''s a life that you will never want to experience, Miss Gao. You''re very lucky to be able to stay in this place and have a loving father and fianc¨¦."

    "You sure know how to talk." Gao Ling rubbed her nose. She had the feeling that if she had to had a contest in debate with Wei Liuying, she would have lost very miserably without any chance to comeback.

    "Many thanks for your compliment."

    "Back to the main topic." Gao Ling rubbed her chin. "I guess it''s good that I don''t have to live in the Capital City."

    "You might need to visit the Capital City, Miss Gao," Wei Liuying added.

    "Eh?"

    "Paying respect to your husband''s parents would be something that you need to do," Wei Liuying added.

    It was then Gao Ling recalled her future marriage with Prince Ji Sheng. When it was the time, she would need to come to the Capital City to pay her respect to the Emperor. Thinking about that alone already made Gao Ling''s head hurt. She didn''t to come to the capital city after hearing what Wei Liuying said to her.

    "Oh well, that''ll be for later. Now, it''s time for my training. You come too, Liu Ying."

    "Yes, Miss Gao."

    For the rest of the time, Wei Liuying accompanied Gao Ling on the field. She was practicing her archery and tried to hit the target from longer distance. From the way she ordered her servants to push the target back over and over, it was clear that she was calculating the longest distance she could aim.

    When it was dinner time, Wei Liuying excused herself and ate on her own while Gao Ling accompanied Prince Ji Sheng. She didn''t want to be the third wheel again because she hadn''t mastered the method to disappear into the wall. Afterwards, she could finally rest on her own without the need to be worried that Gao Ling would bother her again.

 Chapter 161 - The Underground Prison

    When it was dinner time, Wei Liuying excused herself and ate on her own while Gao Ling accompanied Prince Ji Sheng. She didn''t want to be the third wheel again because she hadn''t mastered the method to disappear into the wall. Afterwards, she could finally rest on her own without the need to be worried that Gao Ling would bother her again.

    ¡­

    The next day, they were departing back to Prince Ji Sheng''s City. It was impossible to stay in this place for a long time because it would make the other city more vulnerable. The only reason they came here was because General Gao asking for reinforcement.

    "What do you think of Ling''er?" Prince Ji Sheng asked when they have started walking.

    "She''s an interesting young lady."

    "Is that all?"

    "¡­What do you want me to say, Your Highness?" Wei Liuying didn''t think that it was correct of her to say anything bad about Gao Ling. Besides, she truly liked Gao Ling for her straightforwardness and also ability to switch her act so quickly.

    It was no wonder that even though she was within the army, no bad rumors were flying around.

    "Do you think she''ll be a good princess?"

    Princess?

    Thinking about how Gao Ling could switch her gear so quickly, Wei Liuying nodded. It was important for a princess to act according to the situation. Even though Gao Ling was a mischievous young lady, she still knew how to act properly when it was necessary. With that skill alone, it would be able to help her a lot to be able to survive.

    "Yes."

    Prince Ji Sheng smiled faintly when he heard that. He had been worrying about that because of Gao Ling''s blunt personality. But it seemed that he was worried for nothing.

    "Didn''t Your Highness sends people to watch over?"

    "¡­ I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    Wei Liuying resisted the urge to laugh when she saw Prince Ji Sheng averted his eyes. He didn''t want to admit that he actually sent people to watch Gao Ling from the darkness because he was worried about her. Besides, it wouldn''t do good for her reputation if people knew about it.

    These princes were actually very similar to each other. They were very protective of their respective partner because they didn''t want them to get hurt. Though, they were not allowed to reveal it to the public.

    Those who knew also understood that they had to keep their mouth shut if they wished to stay alive. The two princes would never let them slight their princess, even if the princess was still only their future princess.

    Prince Ji Sheng stayed silent for a moment before he spoke again. This time, he was talking about serious matter, "My city is attacked the night we left."

    "Did Strategist Yang already guess it?"

    "More or less. There''s barely any casualties, so we have been trying to repair the damage after they had left," Prince Ji Sheng replied. "They''re moving too late."

    "Indeed."

    If they attacked during the time when Prince Ji Sheng was away, there was high chance that they might succeed. However, they just had to make their moves after Prince Ji Sheng had returned back to the frontline and finished the deal with Xiong Tribe.

    The preparation that Yang Xian prepared before the departure of Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian to the capital city was enough to hold them back for a set period of time. That way, the border was relatively safe.

    Though, there might be some dangerous situation.

    It might sound ridiculous that the existence of one person could change the tide of battle, but Wei Liuying had seen for herself how even one person could make difference. With the high position like Prince Ji Sheng, just his existence alone would boost the morale of his soldiers.

    As for Yang Xian¡­. There was no need to say that he would surely make sure that the enemies paid dearly for attacking them by creating the most wicked scheme and tactic that he could think of.

    If not because of his cunningness and brutality, there was no way his name would be known with how much Prince Ji Sheng was famous in this place.

    "Their messenger is late," Wei Liuying said after a while.

    "The news from the capital city will not arrive at the border so quickly. Besides, it''s not like I always participate in all battles," Prince Ji Sheng replied unhurriedly. The people he left to protect the city kept on giving impression that Ji Sheng was still there while in truth, he was at the Capital City.

    Even though they could not move their men around the area recklessly, this provided enough time for them to stall their enemies.

    Three months could be either long or short.

    And in the battlefield, it was a long time. They had to make sure that the enemies never breached into their territory during this period of time.

    "It''s still winter when you return back to the Capital City, but they''re no longer attacking."

    "Winter was over, so I pushed them back and focused on defense," Prince Ji Sheng replied. "Xian told me that it''s the best method to fool the tribes since I''m going away for a long period of time."

    Wei Liuying nodded. Without Prince Ji Sheng, it would be hard for them to continue their strike continuously. They have to make sure that they could defend the city properly and no longer expanding so much. It was good that the time coincides perfectly, so Yang Xian could arrange the plan to stall them as long as possible.

    If the plan was leaked out, there was high chance that their border would be pushed back. Thankfully, it was not leaked out until the time they returned back to the border and protected the place well.

    "We''ll hear the detail of the battle from Xian when we return back."

    "Yes, General Sheng."

    "Also, you''ll continue to learn from Xian about how things work on the north."

    "Yes, General Sheng."

    "One more thing, you''re not allowed to participate at the front of the battle until you work on your physical ability."

    "¡­Yes, General Sheng."

    Right now, Wei Liuying felt like burying her face on the ground. Having Prince Ji Sheng pointed out so blatantly to her face that she needed to train more felt a bit hurt. Though, she knew that compared to those people who pursued martial arts wholeheartedly, she would obviously fell short.

    Well, she liked to stay at the back too.

    For a moment, Wei Liuying recalled the time when Yang Xian brought her to the forest and showed her that view. It was clearly at the top too, yet not many people paid attention to that place because it was inconspicuous.

    At the battlefield, sometimes, that was the role of a strategist. They would stay behind the leader and probably would not be known unless they were very exceptional.

    Wei Liuying shook her head lightly, Pushing all of the thoughts from her mind. There was no need for her to think so much.

    Since they were going at a slower pace than before, it took them a considerable amount of time to be able to reach Prince Ji Sheng''s City. Wei Liuying took the chance to memorize the route and also the layout of the place while comparing it to the map she had seen before. There was some difference as sand easily moved from one place to another.

    "We''re back."

    Wei Liuying alighted down the horse and noticed Yang Xian coming to their direction. His face gloomy.

    "You''re late, General Sheng."

    "I stayed behind to have a chat with General Gao. Is there anything important happened when I''m away?" Prince Ji Sheng asked in a cool tone.

    Yang Xian sighed. "Tribe Huo attacked not long ago. They''re making use of the fact that you''re not here and sent reinforcement to General Gao. It seems that there are some moles that we need to take care."

    "Have you found them?"

    "Yes. They''re in underground prison."

    Hearing the phrase ''underground prison,'' Wei Liuying recalled her uncle once more. Back then, he was also placed in a place like that because they wanted to put him in the death''s row punishment. Now that she thought about it, there must be a similar place to that prison in Ji Sheng''s City.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "Shall we extract information?"

    "I already ordered the men to do it. If you wish to visit by yourself, I''ll make the preparation, General Sheng."

    "Do it."

    "Yes, General Sheng."

    "Uhm," Wei Liuying called out from the side. "Strategist Yang, is it possible for me to visit the underground prison with all of you?"

    "That''s not the place for children."

    "I''ll be an adult soon," Wei Liuying protested. Women were considered as an adult when they were 16 years old. She might be only 14 years old, but she was not that small too.

 Chapter 162 - The Underground Prison (2)

    "I''ll be an adult soon," Wei Liuying protested. Women were considered as an adult when they were 16 years old. She might be only 14 years old, but she was not that small too.

    Yang Xian furrowed his brows. The scene there might be a bit too much for children, but in the future, it was inevitable that Wei Liuying would be visiting the place too. Would it be fine if she came with them now?

    "That''s¡­"

    "How old are you when you go to underground prison?"

    Yang Xian: "¡­" younger than you for sure.

    He couldn''t really remember that time anymore because it has been so long, but he knew that at that time, he was even younger than Wei Liuying. Having to learn how to become Prince Ji Sheng''s right hand, he had to accompany Prince Ji Sheng no matter where the latter went.

    But the scene back then didn''t really surprise him as he had been living at the border for a long period of time. Seeing deaths has become very common to him because war has been going on for a long time. There was no sign of war ending back then.

    Sighing, Yang Xian nodded his head. Wei Liuying would eventually come to that place in the future. There was nothing wrong with her coming sooner and see it for herself. Hopefully, she would be fine with bloody sight.

    "In that case, you can come with us."

    "Thank you, Strategist Yang."

    After ordering the servants to tell the guards in the Underground Prison that Prince Ji Sheng would come, Yang Xian led them there. The prison was located near the middle with a lot of guards protecting the area. From outside, it looked no different than a storage room with some important material that the guards were protecting.

    While in truth, it was the door that lead to the underground prison.

    The three of them entered. The storage room itself was not that large and only contained several barrels. It seemed that the barrel must contain some wine or water or something similar like that.

    "Please stand back a bit."

    Wei Liuying moved a step back and Yang Xian pushed one of the barrels, revealing a door on the ground. It was the door that headed to the underground prison. From the way it was hidden, Wei Liuying could guess that there were not many people who knew about this prison.

    ''Secret prison, huh?''

    She should have expected that it was this type of underground prison that Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian wanted to visit. It might be different from the one at the capital city since that one was open for public.

    Glancing down, there were only stairs from what Wei Liuying could see. The underground prison might be quite deep.

    "Let''s go."

    The place was damp and reek with the smell of blood. Wei Liuying looked at the dark wall and noticed that it was made of uneven rock. It seemed as if this place was an underground cave rather than prison.

    After walking down for some time, they reached an area where there were guards. In front of them, there were bars that was used for prisoners along with the chains.

    Clink!

    The sound of chain moving attracted Wei Liuying''s attention. Her eyes landed on the first prisoner that was near them. Both his hands and legs were tied to the wall behind while his head hung low. There were numerous wounds on his body which seemed to be made during his time in the prison.

    "This is?" Wei Liuying asked in a curious tone.

    Yang Xian was watching Wei Liuying''s reaction when she saw the prisoner. However, she didn''t show the slightest bit of discomfort and merely asked back about who the prisoner was. The fear that was supposedly appeared on her eyes didn''t even showed outside. Only cool and indifferent gaze remained.

    Truly¡­

    He couldn''t read her completely.

    "He''s one of the Huo Tribe soldiers whom we manage to capture. Right now, we''re in the process of questioning him," Yang Xian replied calmly.

    "I see."

    Wei Liuying''s gaze remained still. She was only looking at the soldiers before her, who was experiencing pain with indifferent gaze. Her body remained as if she was nothing more than a statue.

    Prince Ji Sheng didn''t pay much attention to her. He was asking the guards about the information that they managed to gather. "What have you got?"

    "They''re in alliance with several tribes. Since Xiong Tribe is moving back, they plan to use their alliance to push us back and gain advantage from Xiong Tribe," one of the guards replied.

    Prince Ji Sheng shook his head. "They''re not stupid enough to challenge the large Xiong Tribe. There''s a reason why Xiong Tribe dominated the north."

    The guards couldn''t reply. He was only reporting what the man they interrogated responded. After all, he was not that familiar with the overall situation of the war. Especially if he tried to compare to Prince Ji Sheng.

    He would never come close.

    "Has the other speak?"

    "No, not yet, General."

    "In that case, you should give them more lesson. I want you to provide more information by tomorrow," Prince Ji Sheng gave his order.

    "Yes, General!"

    The guards were looking at the prisoners with eyes filled with annoyance. They wanted to finish their work faster because this place smelled so foul. Now that Prince Ji Sheng was dissatisfied with the information they received, they had no other choice but to work all night long.

    Wei Liuying noticed their gaze, but she said nothing.

    The three of them continued to walk with Prince Ji Sheng leading. The men from Huo Tribe was not the only one here. There were numerous other prisoners of war that Prince Ji Sheng let alive to extract information. After all, war was often a battle of wits and brain more than a battle of fist.

    They needed to grasp their enemies'' movement before it was too late.

    This was the fastest method.

    "That''s all. Let''s return back," Prince Ji Sheng said.

    "Yes, General."

    The guards looked at the two people behind Prince Ji Sheng. They were already familiar with Yang Xian because he often came there to check on the prisoners too. However, this was their first time meeting with Wei Liuying. They could not understand why Prince Ji Sheng would bring a kid to a place like this.

    Not to mention, the kid seemed to be so expressionless.

    Even when facing the gory scene before him, the young boy didn''t show any reaction as if it was nothing more than normal things.

    When the three of them reached the storage room again, Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying while pushing the barrel back. "Are you alright?"

    "Do I look not fine?" Wei Liuying asked back, her voice was clear without any trace of disturbance in the slightest bit.

    Yang Xian smiled lightly. "No. You look too fine with it that I don''t think this is the first time you see the prison."

    "If you''re talking about the torture in underground prison, then this is the first time," Wei Liuying responded without any change in her expression. "But seeing people killed in front of me with punishment and torture, this is not the first time,"

    How do you think the servants usually die in the Wei Family Household?

    Many of them who tried to breach the hierarchy and tried to take advantage of the situation was in much worse condition. Wei Liuying had already seen so many of them got killed mercilessly by the concubines. Just a slight mistake in the servant''s part could grant them the ultimate price.

    And the way they died could be so cruel.

    Some even punished their servants right in front of their courtyard just to teach a lesson to other servants so that they didn''t misbehave. It would serve as an example and those who were unlucky enough have to die.

    Wei Liuying had seen so many deaths that she couldn''t feel bothered with it again.

    After all, her mother didn''t bother to hide it from her back then either. Instead, Feng Chun wished so that Wei Liuying would see it all so that she would be afraid and followed her mother. If she didn''t want to, her end would be like those servants.

    That was the warning given to her.

    Yang Xian chuckled when he heard what Wei Liuying said. He rose to his legs and walked to Wei Liuying before patting her head tenderly. "As I see it now, the battle for women can be so violence too, huh?"

    "With so many of them fighting for the affection of a man, it''s not weird that the situation turns bloody at times."

    "True enough. One woman is already enough trouble," Yang Xian agreed wholeheartedly. Heh, he came from a commoner family where his father only had his mother. They lived peacefully back then without the need to worry about backstabbing concubines because there was basically none.

    Wei Liuying nodded in agreement.

    On the side, Prince Ji Sheng listened to these two conversing with each other. He sighed. "Are you two talking about this because you want me to hear it, Xian, Liu Ying?"

 Chapter 163 - Cold Atmosphere

    Wei Liuying nodded in agreement.

    On the side, Prince Ji Sheng listened to these two conversing with each other. He sighed. "Are you two talking about this because you want me to hear it, Xian, Liu Ying?"

    The two of them looked at each other before they looked at Prince Ji Sheng. Yang Xian started, "I know you''re not a person like that, General Sheng."

    "Are you speaking from your heart?"

    "I''m not lying when I talk to you, Your Highness."

    Wei Liuying looked at Ji Sheng. "Besides, if General Sheng showed even an ounce of interest to another woman, Lady Gao will never let things rest so easily. There''ll be hell in the residence, and I''m sure that Lady Gao will not even hesitate to kill her with her own hands should the woman enter Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence."

    Prince Ji Sheng: "¡­"

    Yang Xian: "¡­"

    On another note, they had to agree that it was true. Gao Ling was very straightforward in what she wanted and didn''t want. Even though she could cover up her feelings when she was in front of other women and have a tea party with them, she would never show the real her.

    But in front of Prince Ji Sheng, there was no need for Gao Ling to hide anything as she would say everything in the bluntest way possible. Those who dared to have an inch of interest to Prince Ji Sheng would be killed without any mercy. And Prince Ji Sheng himself would not mind because he didn''t have any interest in any other woman beside his fianc¨¦e.

    "That reminds me," Yang Xian clapped his hands. "You didn''t show any interest to Prince Ji Sheng, right?"

    "No."

    The direct and blunt way of Wei Liuying''s speaking was both relieving and annoying in Prince Ji Sheng''s ear. He felt as if in Wei Liuying''s eyes, he was worth nothing. But then again, Yang Xian had already told him that Wei Liuying didn''t have any interest in the Imperial Family whatsoever.

    Yang Xian grinned. "That''s good. If you show even the slightest interest, I might not be able to have you as my disciple."

    "Has something similar happened?"

    "There''s a farmer that''s quite interesting in Prince Ji Sheng''s eyes not long ago. However, the girl showed different attitude when she learned that Ji Sheng is the third prince and began to create troubles. Lady Gao is furious, so she chose to take action on her own," Yang Xian replied.

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. "I thought that the engagement has only been settled not long ago?"

    "Yes, but the two of them are childhood friends. Lady Gao disliked it when someone tried to get close to Prince Ji Sheng without regards of their own self. Trying to sacrifice everything in the name of love only received scorn from her," Yang Xian replied.

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "Isn''t it obvious?"

    "Yes?"

    "Sacrificing so many lives just for one person is a heavy burden. Would that person be worth it for so many people to put their lives on the line just to ensure his or her safety?" Wei Liuying asked back. "Attaining happiness by sacrificing so many people''s life, would you really be happy knowing that so many people have to die just because of you?"

    Prince Ji Sheng: "¡­" surprisingly, you have similar views with Gao Ling.

    Yang Xian: "¡­" you and Lady Gao will surely be good friends.

    "A person who can sacrifice the lives of so many people for an unimportant person is not fit to be a leader," Wei Liuying added. "But then again, there''s also several questions that''s need to be addressed such as who''s the person they''re going to safe, the role of that person, and many others."

    Yang Xian sighed and poked Wei Liuying''s forehead. "There''s no need for you to think about it so much. Everyone can strive for their happiness no matter who they are, but sometimes, the price is too big that they can''t afford it."

    "¡­Yes?"

    "If you become a leader too, you''ll understand more." Yang Xian chuckled when he saw Wei Liuying''s face full of confusion. She looked cuter this way rather than when she was so serious. "Also, you shouldn''t think too much or your hair will turn white even faster."

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows and pulled her hair to her face. Seeing that it was still all black, she heaved a sigh of relief. It would be weird for her if her hair turned white when she was still 14 years old. She didn''t want to be suspected as an old lady because of her hair color.

    Seeing her gesture, Yang Xian resisted the urge to laugh. She looked more normal this way rather than when she was speaking about tactic and many other serious matter.

    "Let''s go home. Your hair is a mess."

    "Yes."

    "Wait a minute, Xian. I need to talk about some matters first," Prince Ji Sheng said from the back. "You can return first, Liu Ying."

    "Yes, General."

    After Wei Liuying had left, Yang Xian looked at Prince Ji Sheng and crossed his hands. "What kind of matter is so important to have you make me stay?"

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at Yang Xian. "I have a question."

    "Yes?"

    "If I order you to kill Wei Liuying, can you do it?"

    Almost immediately, the temperature in the storage room dropped to the lowest degree. The two young men were looking at each other with cold gazes. It was unclear what they were thinking as silence descended in the place.

    Time ticked, yet no one answered.

    The temperature was getting even colder.

    After some time, Yang Xian moved his gaze away and cupped his hands. "If that''s your order, General Sheng, I''ll have no other choice but to comply."

    Prince Ji Sheng watched Yang Xian''s movements carefully. The two of them never tried to hide their movements from each other because they were already familiar with the other''s habit after spending so much time together in the battlefield. It was to the point that they were more similar to brothers rather than master and subordinate.

    Yet, there were times when Yang Xian still had to act as his subordinate because of their difference in status.

    "I won''t ask something like that to you," Prince Ji Sheng said after a while. "But should the day come, what will you do afterwards?"

    Yang Xian didn''t immediately answer. He was contemplating what he was supposed to say as he looked at Prince Ji Sheng. There was solemn expression on Prince Ji Sheng''s face that was unclear what it wanted to say.

    Their lives at the frontline has always been near death. Fighting with their lives on the line every single day, there was no telling when they would be called back by the Heaven and died. All they could do was to live their lives to the fullest each day because no one knew when these all would end.

    Just a single mistake in the battlefield could become their end.

    It was that simple.

    "Nothing," Yang Xian replied. "I''ll continue to strive and fulfill my dream that I have in the past."

    "Will you stay as my right hand even after everything is over?" Prince Ji Sheng asked once more.

    "I don''t know." Yang Xian stared back. "There are many things that didn''t have the clear answer until it''s the time. I don''t know for sure whether I''ll stay behind or leave, General Sheng as you know that living at the frontline is not really an ideal life."

    Prince Ji Sheng couldn''t deny that. He turned his body around and walked to the door. "In that case, we shall have this conversation again when things are over."

    "I understand, Your Highness."

    Yang Xian stayed still as he watched Ji Sheng left the storage room. The question that Prince Ji Sheng asked was so abrupt that he was stunned. But then again, without that question, he would never consider the thoughts of Wei Liuying dying because of the war in this place.

    How high is the chance?

    The chance would never disappear. As long as they continued to live in the battlefield, their lives were always put on the line. There was no one who could tell when they would die because the war has always been very unpredictable.

    They could win at one time then lose at the next time.

    Yang Xian sighed and rubbed his forehead. He didn''t understand why, but he didn''t want Wei Liuying to die at all cost. Even though they have only known each other for a limited period of time, he had already treated her as one of their close friends.

    ''Did I open my heart too quickly?''

    Wei Liuying was still keeping her guard up around them. With her polite gesture and the restraint she put on herself, she was making sure that she wouldn''t be falling deeper to the point of no return. Because once they cared for each other, it meant that they were allowing the others to enter their heart.

    When something happened to the others, their heart would be hurt.

    And it would be painful.

    With his head still in a mess, Yang Xian walked back home. He noticed that there was food on the table. It seemed that Wei Liuying had bought food on her way back here.

    ''I better start thinking of our counterattack attack to Huo Tribe rather than thinking of this matter.''

    Yang Xian walked to the side and headed to the bathroom. He wanted to wash his face and cool his head from the annoying question Ji Sheng asked him. It was truly hitting him at the most unexpected time.

    As he entered the bathroom, he heard faint sound of water splashing.

    His movement stopped.

    "What are you doing here, Strategist Yang?"

    The temperature dropped to the lowest degree possible once more.

 Chapter 164 - Youâ€™re A Girl Not A Woman

    His movement stopped.

    "What are you doing here, Strategist Yang?"

    The temperature dropped to the lowest degree possible once more.

    For the second time today, Yang Xian felt chills running down his spine. The temperature was so chilling that he felt it could freeze him in place. He didn''t dare to turn around in fear that he would regret it for his entire life.

    "I want to wash my face," Yang Xian replied truthfully.

    Splash!

    Wei Liuying moved a bit and submerged her body into the bathtub. She had just started to wash her body when she heard the sound of the door opening. Just when she thought that it was enemy, she could see Yang Xian''s face from the gap between the screen and the wall.

    Her hands stopped from her attempt to take her small sword. Instead, she splashed it to the bathtub to attract Yang Xian''s attention.

    "When I''m still inside?"

    "I didn''t know you''re inside?"

    "Oh? Has my martial arts'' skill increased to the point that even Strategist Yang can''t detect my presence?" Wei Liuying asked coldly again.

    From what she knew, her martial art was still far lower compared to Yang Xian. She didn''t know how high his was, but she knew for sure that her attempt to erase her presence didn''t work much when she had to face Yang Xian. He would be able to detect her in just a short amount of time.

    She had to keep a long distance from him.

    Besides, why would she erase her presence when she was bathing? It would be good if he could detect her so that he would not come in.

    Yang Xian could feel cold sweat running down on his back. Unlike other women who would surely scream loudly, Wei Liuying was arguing with him even though she was still inside the bathtub. However, the cold and chilling killing intent emanated from her seemed to be able to break any layer of defense.

    At this time, Yang Xian was cursing Prince Ji Sheng for asking him such question at this time.

    He completely forgot about the possibility of Wei Liuying bathing when he returned back home.

    Usually, he would be able to detect her, so he would not come inside carelessly. But because his mind was too busy thinking, he only did what he always did when he was at his home.

    He forgot.

    Forgot that he was no longer living alone.

    The faint flowery smell permeated from behind the screen. Yang Xian didn''t dare to turn around even if he knew that she still inside the bathtub.

    "Can''t answer, Strategist Yang?" Wei Liuying asked again. "It''s not very gentlemanly of you to peek on a woman bathing."

    "You''re a girl not a woman."

    Wei Liuying scrunched her face. Well, that was not wrong, she hadn''t had her monthly period yet thanks to several factors. Without having her monthly period, Wei Liuying couldn''t really say that she''s already a woman.

    Somehow, she felt a bit frustrated.

    "So, what do you plan to do, Strategist Yang?"

    "Since you''re not done yet, I''ll excuse myself."

    Yang Xian truly didn''t know what he was supposed to do in this situation. If it was normally when women were screaming, he could just run away without the need to worry so much. But Wei Liuying was asking him to debate instead.

    He would rather run away rather than debating with a young girl who was bathing.

    Wei Liuying looked at the screen with a cold glare. What in the world was that eccentric strategist thinking to enter the bath room at this time? She felt that his head needed to be checked by doctor so that they would know what he was thinking. He might have burnt some gear inside his brain so that it didn''t work properly.

    In the end, Wei Liuying finished her bath faster and dressed properly before walking out. She could see Yang Xian was still sitting after he had finished eating.

    "Did you buy it?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "There''s no time to cook, so I buy it from a nearby stall and checked it. I hope the taste is to your liking."

    "it''s alright."

    "Now, care to explain why you get sudden interest to peek on young girls?"

    The condensing tone was as bit hard to bear, but Yang Xian knew that it was his fault. He stood up and bowed in Wei Liuying''s direction. "I''m sorry. It was not my intention to enter the bathroom."

    "Is there something wrong with your head?"

    "What?"

    "You''re not acting like yourself."

    Yang Xian''s lips twitched. He sighed and sat down once more followed by Wei Liuying. "I have some matters that I''m pondering about, so I forgot that you''re also living in this house."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" there''s also matters that can make you forget about your surroundings?

    From what Wei Liuying had known about Yang Xian, he was the type of person who had already known everything like the back of his hands. Even when he had to strategize the most difficult battle, he would do it with a smile on his face and continued with his playful attitude.

    And now this same person was telling her that there was a matter that made him forget about his surroundings?

    "Is there any emergency?" Wei Liuying asked in a frown.

    "No. Just some impossible request from His Highness the Third Prince."

    "Oh." At this time, Wei Liuying didn''t feel that much suspicious again. After all, she knew that if it was Prince Ji Sheng, it was highly possible for him to ask for something strange from Yang Xian without caring about whether it was possible or not.

    Yang Xian watched Wei Liuying''s reaction and silently apologized to Prince Ji Sheng. Well, since it all started from Prince Ji Sheng''s weird question, he didn''t have much qualm about letting him took the blame too. It would be for the best.

    "Why didn''t you answer that way in the bathroom?"

    "I''m a bit confused," Yang Xian admitted.

    "Why?"

    "You''re not acting like normal girls would."

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. Thinking about her action, a smile formed on the corner of her lips. "Do you wish for me to scream loudly and let everyone knows that there''s a girl living in the same house as you, Strategist Yang?"

    Yang Xian opened his mouth then closed it again. If Wei Liuying had screamed, it was clear that everyone around here would know that there was a girl living in the same house as Yang Xian. Afterwards, there would be countless rumors spreading like wildfire in the city.

    It would be a total disaster.

    "You''re surprisingly clear headed about it."

    "I just simply wish to avoid problem since my real gender is hidden in this city," Wei Liuying replied calmly. "There''s no way I can scream loudly when there''s someone who enter the bathroom."

    "What if it''s not me?"

    "I bring my sword with me." Wei Liuying took out her small sword from under her sleeve. She smiled. "Do you think this will be enough for me to kill an assassin?"

    Yang Xian nodded. The assassins might be unprepared for Wei Liuying attacking even when she was bathing. It seemed that he had underestimated Wei Liuying. If she didn''t recognize him back then, it would have turned into a bloodbath between the two of them fighting.

    And he was a bit absent minded, so he might lose.

    He really should never let Prince Ji Sheng''s question entered his brain like this again in the future. He still treasured his life.

    "Thank you for your consideration, Liu Ying."

    "if you try the same thing, I don''t mind having a bout with you, Strategist Yang. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to use my entire ability," Wei Liuying said with a smile. However, there was a hint of darkness and killing intent from her eyes that she didn''t even bother to hide.

    Yang Xian forced a smile out on his lips. He really needed to be careful. The person he was living with was not a meek flower, but rather a flower that was filled with thorns. At the same time, she would not hesitate to use her thorns once she felt threatened in any way.

    "I won''t repeat the same thing, Liu Ying."

    "That''s good. I''ll head to rest first, Strategist Yang."

    "Before that, we''re going to have a talk with General Sheng tomorrow about the arrangement of your work during your stay here. Aside from the fact that I also have a lot of work, you''ll need to applicate what you have learnt in real battle," Yang Xian informed her.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Then, I''ll wake early tomorrow. Good night, Strategist Yang."

    "Good night, Liu Ying."

    Yang Xian waited until Wei Liuying had left before he buried his head on his palm. He needed to be more careful from now. Should he ask Ji Sheng to prepare a different residence for Wei Liuying? But then again, he didn''t wish to lose time waiting for her to wake up and prepare herself before starting lessons.

    That was really a dilemma.

 Chapter 165 - The Arrangement

    The next day, the atmosphere was still very cold. There was no telling what Wei Liuying was thinking, but Yang Xian didn''t have any intention to irk her again. After what had happened last night, he was sure that Wei Liuying might want to kill him if he dared to make a mistake like that again.

    Even if he didn''t see anything and only hear¡­

    He better not said it, though. He didn''t want to raise her anger by making her remember the incident last night.

    Wei Liuying finished her breakfast and tapped the table. "Where will we have the talk with His Highness?"

    "In his residence. Let''s go."

    "Ok."

    As it was summer, Wei Liuying knew that the temperature was not that cold despite it was morning. However, it was still a bit colder compared to the time when she was at the Capital City.

    She had to learn to get used to this place.

    It didn''t take a long time for them to arrive in Ji Sheng''s Residence.

    "Your Highness, Strategist Yang and Apprentice Strategist Liu are here."

    "Send them in."

    The two of them came in and saw Ji Sheng was there. Shi Yan was sitting by the side, looking at a pile of bamboo strips filled with letters before him. He was still dressed with fur robe as usual, but it had changed to be slightly thicker.

    "Yang Xian (Liu Ying) greets His Highness."

    "No need to stand on ceremony," Ji Sheng said simply and then signaled for the servants to leave. That way, there were only the four of them in the large hall.

    Yang Xian sighed. "I didn''t expect you to be the one who comes first, Yan."

    "A merchant has to wake up earlier if they want to earn the most profit. Don''t you know the saying that time is money?" Shi Yan protested. He put down the bamboo strip in his hand and looked at Wei Liuying''s direction. "You seem healthier after you come here, Liu Ying."

    "Really?" Wei Liuying touched her cheek in confusion. She didn''t pay much attention to her appearance, so she didn''t realize whether she was getting healthier or not.

    "Yes. You''re no longer look like you can fly with a gust of wind."

    "I''m not that thin, Yan."

    Shi Yan laughed and corrected his sitting position. "So, what brings you here, Xian? I thought you''re going to be busy with the aftermath from dealing with that Hao, eh Hia, eh Huo Tribe?"

    "It''s Hou Tribe," Yang Xian corrected Shi Yan. "And before I can finish the matter regarding Hou Tribe, there are some things that I wish to discuss with His Highness. Would you like to join in the conversation, Yan?"

    "Well, if you''re also going to asks about my carriages, then yes."

    "That''s one of them. How''s your preparation?"

    "It''s finished," Shi Yan replied. "The people at the north cared more for thick clothing aside from food, so I traded some valuable materials with clothing back in the journey to come here. The stock should be more than enough for me to trade with Xiong Tribe once I reach their location."

    "Show me your way."

    Shi Yan nodded and took out a scroll. It was made of animal''s skin, probably something that was big enough. There was a map on top of the skin as Shi Yan unfurled it with red line that marked his journey''s plan.

    "This is the way that I agreed with them, and I''ll not get too close with their settlement in case I''ll incur their wrath," Shi Yan added. She had heard that these people have eagles as their pet. He didn''t want to be targeted by the eagles, so it would be better for him to not get too close to their range.

    "This path, it''s blocked."

    "Eh?"

    "We just passed by yesterday when we''re going to Gao City," Wei Liuying said. "If you try to use this path, there''ll be hills of sand waiting for you."

    Shi Yan groaned. This was one of the reason why he didn''t like going to the dry lands. The fact that they could change the terrain so easily was one of the reason why he felt that they would not be able to survive.

    "Rely on the stars more if you''re lost," Yang Xian added. "It''ll be better if you learn how to read the stars and find your way back. I wouldn''t want to see you get lost in the dry lands."

    "I understand."

    Prince Ji Sheng tapped the table. "Also, Shi Mo will be waiting in a small village between Xiong Tribe and us. It''s a lawless area, so you can visit there without worry. He''ll give you message that you have to bring here."

    "Can''t you use different method?"

    "It''s too far for bird."

    "Fine."

    Shi Yan felt that he had just gained new occupation aside from being a merchant. He had to be the message courier for Prince Ji Sheng along with his real work.

    "Are there any other merchants?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Shi Yan nodded. "I already spread the words for them to join in. However, they wouldn''t be able to come so soon, so I''ll be first."

    "In that case, be careful."

    "I will."

    Yang Xian added some other things that Shi Yan needed to be careful during his journey because the north was vast. It wouldn''t do him any good to get lost in such a broad area with little chance to return back if he was not careful enough. The profit he could earn couldn''t be compared to his life.

    After he had finished, Yang Xian changed the topic. "Now, about Liu Ying."

    "Is there any problem with her?" Shi Yan asked in confused tone.

    "I''m thinking about the arrangement for her. I still need to teach her a lot, but at the same time, she needs to learn how to apply everything she learned in the real battlefield. I don''t want her to only know how to think and not action."

    Shi Yan was stunned. "Aren''t you hurrying her growth?"

    "I am."

    "Why? If you let her grow at normal pace, you''ll get a great strategist in a year or two''s time. It shouldn''t be too late for you to wait for that long, right?" Shi Yan asked again in confusion.

    "Normally, I wouldn''t be in a hurry, but it wouldn''t take long before all the princes will reach of age," Yang Xian replied unhurriedly. "Don''t you think the situation will be far more interesting and dangerous at that time?"

    Interesting?

    Shi Yan completely disagreed. He felt that it was not interesting at all. He only wished to keep his life and not get involved with political matters like that. If only it was possible, he wished to run away as fast as possible.

    "She can follow Commander Zhao," Prince Ji Sheng gave his decision. "Whenever she returns back, you''ll be her teacher, Xian. However, you have to make sure that you didn''t forget your real task in the battlefield."

    "I''ll do my best," Yang Xian replied.

    "I don''t want you to do your best."

    "I understand. I''ll do it."

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded in approval at Yang Xian''s answer. He then gave Wei Liuying the thorough schedule of Commander Zhao''s arrangement in the battlefield. He was one of the few commanders whom Prince Ji Sheng placed importance to supervise the entire battlefield by roaming around with no fixed direction.

    Their task was simply to help all who needed the aid.

    "The border is not as peaceful as what you think. Even without Xiong Tribe, it''ll not be easy at all."

    Wei Liuying nodded. She smiled. "I can do it, Strategist Yang. There''s no need to worry so much."

    "Good to hear that."

    They talked a bit more until a servant came in. He brought a message from the men Prince Ji Sheng placed in the capital city. The message was tightly sealed inside a tube with no way to open it without breaking the seal.

    Prince Ji Sheng tore it open and read the content. His brows furrowed when he saw the bamboo strips containing different information.

    "This is about my brothers. They''re pinning Ji Shao Yang to a disadvantageous situation," Prince Ji Sheng put down one of the bamboo sticks. "This one is about the court decision. I reckon you''ll be able to learn more about this, Xian."

    Taking the bamboo strips, Yang Xian studied the recent decision that they made in the court. It was not that many, but some of the important decision might change the overall situation in Han Shi Kingdom.

    "They''re going to keep you here, Your Highness."

    "It''s not that weird," Prince Ji Sheng remarked and handed the last bamboo strip to Wei Liuying. "This is about Wei Family."

    Wei Liuying frowned when she took the bamboo strip. When she read the content, she understood what had happened. After everyone was happy about the piece of news regarding the peace treaty with Xiong Tribe, Wei Hong got another happy news.

    One of his concubines was pregnant.

    He would be happy thinking that he could get another son from this.

    "Even when his daughter is gone, he''s still in the mood to have another child." Shi Yan clicked his tongue. "What a father he is."

    "They never announced Wei Liuying''s death. I''m sure that they''re planning to have someone replace her soon enough."

    "I know," Wei Liuying put the bamboo strip away. "But it''s not that important anymore."

    Prince Ji Sheng smiled when he heard their response. He looked at Yang Xian and Shi Yan too. They were all filled with determination.

    "In that case, let''s all start our move."

    "Yes!"

 Chapter 166 - Growth

    Time passed swiftly.

    Season changed as leaves started to wither. The temperature that was exceedingly hot grew cooler and colder as time passed by. Winter was approaching close, which meant that the border will be even more brutal than before.

    "Strategist Liu, have you finished?" a soldier asked softly.

    Wei Liuying was standing inside a tent with a large map before her. Her slender hand moved the piece to another location. "Yes. Send word to Commander Zhao that he can launch the last attack."

    "Yes, Strategist Liu."

    The soldiers saluted and left the camp. Wei Liuying sighed and walked out of the camp, letting the cool wind slapped her cheek. She had been at the border for five months by now. Staying here for this long allowing her to learn many more things that she previously couldn''t. At the same time, she gained more experience as time passed by

    The battles were all against the smaller tribes, who were more active than Xiong Tribe lately. It seemed that they were trying to take advantage to gain more fame now that Xiong Tribe had agreed to not attack.

    Yet, there was no successful advance so far.

    Only the relentless battles felt like it would never end in this situation. The two sides were completely matched, not giving anyone any chance to gain advantage in the slightest bit.

    "Strategist Liu, there''s a message from Prince Ji Sheng''s City," a messenger rushed to her and kneeled on the ground.

    Over the course of time, Wei Liuying was no longer called as apprentice. As news of her prowess in the battlefield resounded far and wide, no one dared to call her as mere apprentice. They felt as if they were seeing Yang Xian''s shadow from the time he was on the offensive and continued to expand the north''s border.

    Now that Yang Xian focused on defense, it was Liu Ying''s name that resounded far and wide at the north. After Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian, the soldiers were most familiar with her name other than any other names. The other commanders were quite pale in comparison since they didn''t actively participate in battle as often as Wei Liuying because they had to take turns between defending and attacking.

    Taking the tube, Wei Liuying broke the seal and took the bamboo strip out. Upon seeing the line that looked like poem, she understood immediately that it was coming from Yang Xian. He was giving another order for her.

    ''Return back with the soldiers, huh?''

    For the past week, Wei Liuying was staying outside Prince Ji Sheng''s City with Commander Zhao and his soldiers. Thanks to his victory so far, he was promoted to become 4000 men commander and could lead his men even further away from Prince Ji Sheng''s City.

    Of course, Commander Zhao also trusted Wei Liuying a lot and allowed her to be the second in command here.

    The soldiers also respected her a lot, especially with so many victories they gained with her strategy and command. By this time, there were also many other commanders who were eyeing her, wanting her to be in their station, but Prince Ji Sheng didn''t let her move from her position.

    She only moved to other platoons occasionally during offensive battles where she would be in charge to create the strategy. It was the reason why her name was known amongst the soldiers so much.

    "Tell Commander Zhao to meet me when he returns," Wei Liuying said.

    "Yes, Strategist Liu."

    Wei Liuying kept the message and returned inside the tent. She started to put her belonging back to her back including the large map. Her belongings didn''t consist of so many things, but it was more than enough to keep her alive and well in the military camp for months.

    It didn''t take long for Commander Zhao to return back. His armors were dyed red with blood, but a broad smile could be seen on his aged face. It was clear that he was ecstatic.

    "Hahaha, Liu Ying. With this, we have cleaned most of the smaller tribes around this area," Commander Zhao said in a good mood.

    "There are still many others that didn''t make their moves to pillage us. Also, Strategist Yang wished for us to return back," Wei Liuying informed.

    "Ah, so soon?"

    "He might have some order that he require us to return. There''s no need to stay here with the enemies have already been defeated too, so we should return back."

    "Alright. Let''s go!"

    Commander Zhao ordered his men to prepare and they set off not long afterwards. Wei Liuying had gotten used to ride the horse by now, so she didn''t have any problem to fight on top of the horse. Even if her skill was still average at most, it was more than enough for her to protect herself.

    "Liu Ying."

    "Yes, Commander Zhao?"

    "Do you think they''re going to put you under another commander?" This was one of the few things that Commander Zhao most afraid of. He was thinking that it would be for the best that Wei Liuying was staying under the direct order of a general because that way, her skill and capabilities would be put to use the best.

    Wei Liuying frowned. "It''s too early."

    "Why?"

    "I still have a lot that I need to learn."

    Commander Zhao was speechless. Based on what he had seen on Wei Liuying''s skill so far, he could say for certain that she was one of the best strategist among many others in Prince Ji Sheng''s City.

    Well, there was never any end to study.

    Wei Liuying focused her attention to the view before her. it was so beautiful to be able to see everything around her so clearly like this. She simply wished that everything would be able to work for the best.

    It didn''t take long for them to return back to Prince Ji Sheng''s City. Wei Liuying quickly made her way back to the center of the city and met with Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian, who was staying there.

    "Strategist Liu is here."

    "Let him in."

    "General Sheng! Strategist Yang," Wei Liuying greeted loudly. After staying in the military for a long time, how could she not know that they were supposed to greet this loud? She was no longer the same young lady who had just came out of her residence back then anymore.

    In addition, there was no need for her to be so formal with them.

    She could relax a bit when there was no one else.

    "Sit."

    "Yes." Wei Liuying walked to the nearby chair and looked at Yang Xian, who was studying a bamboo strips. "Is there something important, Strategist Yang?"

    Yang Xian pursed his lips. "Lady Gao will come here in a few days. I want you to be the one to bring her around and show her the situation in this place?"

    "Me?"

    "Also to become Lady Gao''s study partner."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­"

    Thinking about her skill in embroidery, music, and painting, Wei Liuying felt like she was going to cry. It was all the skills that she was very unfamiliar with. Even after spending a long time to learn in her spare time back then, she couldn''t learn a lot. Now that she hadn''t touched them for a long period of time, how could she expect herself to still remember everything?

    She would only make fun of herself if she became Gao Ling''s study partner.

    "Strategist Yang, why do you want me to be her study partner?" Wei Liuying asked in restrained voice. She was unwilling to learn everything that she had to learn as a young lady once more. It was so tiring and making it hard for her to learn everything.

    Yang Xian smiled. "It''ll be good for you to learn how to become a proper lady once more."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" do you think I''ll believe such a poor excuse?

    At this moment, it was not hard to guess that Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng have ulterior motives for calling her back from the camp. Even though she will return back soon too, she would not return back to Prince Ji Sheng''s City this early.

    Yang Xian sighed. "It''s almost Winter, so it''ll be better if you stay away from the frontline."

    "You''re talking about Lady Gao, aren''t you?"

    "That''s¡­."

    "In order to put her away from danger, you wish for Lady Gao to learn some other things before sending her away," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly. Her dark iris stared straight to the two men who were sitting not far from her. "Am I right, Strategist Yang?"

    Yang Xian rubbed his forehead. "Is there nothing I can hide from you?"

    "What do you think?"

    "Why did you pick someone as smart as her, Xian?" Prince Ji Sheng asked in a low tone.

    Yang Xian sent a glare at Prince Ji Sheng. "Do you think that I didn''t ask that question so many times to myself? Anyway, just be blunt with her if you don''t want to get surprised with¡­ cough, I mean, it''ll be better if you can be a bit blunt with your instruction, General Sheng."

    Seeing the two of them trying to keep themselves acting formal, Wei Liuying shook her head. They often switched their gear so quickly when they were in private room. It only made her wonder if they never slip up, but with their habits of acting formal, she guessed that they would not.

    It seems that the approaching Winter caused them to be tenser than usual.

    "Anyway, you''re going to accept, right Liu Ying?"

    "No."

 Chapter 167 - Study With Gao Ling (1)

    "No."

    The blatant refusal from Wei Liuying put both Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng in difficult position. Ji Sheng obviously would never allow any other men to be Gao Ling''s study partner. He might even chop their hands if they dared to get close to his fianc¨¦e. On the other hand, Yang Xian had no other ide who could fulfill as Gao Ling''s study partner except from Wei Liuying.

    Yang Xiang arched his eyebrows. "You''re daring enough to refuse now, Liu Ying?"

    "Aren''t you the one who asked me the question first, Strategist Yang?" Wei Liuying asked back, her tone was still as calm as ever.

    Prince Ji Sheng sighed. Well, it was true that they were the one who wanted Wei Liuying to be more open with them and no longer treated them with such formality. However, it would be quite difficult for them if she rejected this request of his.

    "Why not?"

    "I''ll only make fun of myself," Wei Liuying replied. "Do you forget my reputation back when I was still in the Capital City?"

    Useless girl.

    Stupid concubine daughter.

    Disgrace of Wei Family.

    Trash that couldn''t do anything right.

    There were so many nicknames that Wei Liuying received back then. Even though most of it came from the fact that she hid her real talent, it was also the truth that she was different from any other girls. She was forced to learn things that were targeted for men, which meant that she was truly useless compared to other women.

    If she was compared to men, then she might be able to be much better. After all, she had learned much more than what they were supposed to.

    "That reminds me, Manager Xin sent a message, asking you to send a new draft soon," Yang Xian added.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I haven''t had the time to write. I''ll find a time later."

    "That''ll be good."

    "So, can you become Ling''er¡­"

    "The same answer stands, Strategist Yang."

    Prince Ji Sheng''s face darkened. This couldn''t go on. He pointed to the two of them one after another. "You two will accompany her tomorrow."

    "What? I can''t possibly stay away from my work!"

    "Finish everything by tonight. Whenever there''s something come up, I''ll send a soldier to your place."

    "But¡­."

    "This is an order."

    Both Wei Liuying and Yang Xian''s face fell. Wei Liuying knew for certain that she would do bad. On the other hand, Yang Xian believed that he was the worse. He had never learned all of them in his entire life.

    Ji Sheng must have done this on purpose.

    With no other choice, the two of them accepted the arrangement that Ji Sheng gave them. When they returned back to rest, they started their discussion once more.

    "Why do you want Lady Gao to learn other things first?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian glanced over to Wei Liuying. "To give her an excuse to not participate in the battle. If she insists to participate in the battle, there''s almost nothing that we could to do stop her."

    "If Prince Ji Sheng can just select you to be her study partner, why did I have to return back so quickly?" Wei Liuying complained. She put down the bowl of soup on the table and sat down. "I still want to visit the other cities and see the defense in those area."

    "And participate in more battles?"

    "That''s the only way I can catch up to you, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian curled his lips as he put down his bowl of soup. "I never ask you to catch up to me this quickly. Besides, what you have done is already enough."

    "What do you mean?" Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. She was only familiar with the area around Prince Ji Sheng''s city and still in the process to explore other areas with the soldiers. Five months were not that long for wars as many wars could even last for years if the two sides matched evenly.

    "For this year, your task will be to protect Lady Gao."

    "Protect Lady Gao?"

    Thinking about the young lady, Wei Liuying started to think about many other possibilities. After a long time warring against each other, this was the first year the two sides managed to reach consensus together and agreed to stop the war. Even though the detail was never divulged to the public, Wei Liuying knew that the two sides would not go to war with Princess Ji Xiaoli still in Xiong Tribe as the crown prince''s fianc¨¦e.

    "It''s uncertain whether they''ll follow the arrangement or not, isn''t it?" Wei Liuying asked after a while.

    Yang Xian nodded. "Each year, we''ll sent Lady Gao away from the battlefield. Her father usually sent her to some other cities in the middle of Han Shi Kingdom, away from the border."

    "You don''t have any confidence to win?"

    "It''s only the measure because the two generals at the north wouldn''t be able to bear if Lady Gao got hurt," Yang Xian replied. "They cared for her more than anything, so I don''t wish to see them got hurt too."

    "When it''s spring, Lady Gao will return back?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Yes."

    "I see."

    Yang Xian smiled when he saw Wei Liuying''s ponder. "Even though Lady Gao''s ability is limited, her existence itself is something important for the two leaders. After all, sometimes, we all simply want to protect the person important to us rather than everyone in the entire of Han Shi Kingdom."

    Wei Liuying raised her head and saw that Yang Xian had lifted his cup to drink the soup. She understood that too. If it was possible, she also wished to keep everyone whom she cared about alive.

    No matter what the price.

    Hah¡­ thinking about that, Wei Liuying couldn''t help but chuckle to herself. If it was possible, she wished for those who were important to her to be safe all the time. She didn''t want them to get hurt in the slightest bit.

    "Eat quickly. Lady Gao will arrive early in the morning."

    "She''s going when it''s night time?" Wei Liuying was stunned.

    "She''s stopping in a small village nearby," Yang Xian replied. "That way, she''ll be able to reach Prince Ji Sheng''s City soon tomorrow."

    "I see."

    "Now rest."

    "Yes."

    For the past few months, Wei Liuying stayed in Yang Xian''s Residence whenever she returned back to Prince Ji Sheng''s City. It was not the most ideal place, but he had so many books that she could borrow along with studying under Yang Xian when he had the time. Well, it was mostly self study since Yang Xian''s position didn''t allow him much rest.

    The two of them stopped their conversation and took turns to take a bath before they rest.

    ¡­

    In the morning, they headed to the gate early in the morning. Gao Ling''s carriage could already be seen when the sky started to brighten.

    "She''s very early," Wei Liuying commented.

    "The two of them can''t bear to be separated for a long time, so whenever she got the permission, she would try to reach this place as fast as possible," Yang Xian explained. "However, there''s never much time they could spend together in the current situation."

    "They''re both busy."

    "True."

    The carriage entered the city and Gao Ling alighted down the carriage with her maidservant''s help. She was wearing long dress, unlike the previous time when she was wearing robe that was supposed to be for males. After all, she was not going here to participate in the battle.

    "Lady Gao," Yang Xian and Wei Liuying greeted at the same time.

    "Strategist Yang and Apprentice¡­ I mean Strategist Liu," Gao Ling responded. She had heard about Wei Liuying''s achievement in the battlefield, so she also changed her address to make sure it was more suitable. Knowing Wei Liuying''s real gender, it felt a bit complicated.

    "General Sheng is still busy, so we''re going to have a class for you to study while waiting, Lady Gao," Yang Xian informed with his usual friendly smile.

    Gao Ling''s face turned stiff. Clearly, this was not the first time this happened. "Strategist Yang, can you please adjust the learning to make it more fun. I think that the previous time, I suffer when I have to wait for Prince Ji Sheng."

    "We have already arranged it to be easier, Lady Gao," Yang Xian replied. Of course, only a little bit since he couldn''t possibly let Gao Ling finished the lesson too quickly because it would only make her bored.

    "Alright."

    "Also, for this session, me and Strategist Liu will accompany you during your lesson to make sure that you''re not bored," Yang Xian added. If Gao Ling had to wait until the two of them finished, it would take a long time.

    Gao Ling arched her eyebrows and looked at Yang Xian. "Are you sure, Strategist Yang?"

    "I''m only going to supervise by the side," Yang Xian corrected his words. It would be weird for him to learn it all since he didn''t really think it was that important too. Well, he could learn more things too if it was necessary.

    Wei Liuying cupped her fist and smiled. "Please guide us, Lady Gao. We''re untalented."

    Gao Ling covered her mouth with a fan. She giggled a bit. "Leave it to me, Strategist Liu. I''ll make sure to teach you well."

    Somehow, the two of them (Wei Liuying and Yang Xian) felt that they would experience something bad when learning with Gao Ling. However, there was no turning back anymore now.

 Chapter 168 - Study With Gao Ling (2)

    The location for their study was in Prince Ji Sheng''s Garden. It was not usually used by anyone, so it would be perfect for them to stay. Besides, staying indoors all day long could be tiring.

    "What are we going to learn first?" Gao Ling asked in curiosity.

    "Painting."

    "Oh?"

    Yang Xian smiled bitterly and called the servants to arrange the plants. Prince Ji Sheng had prepared enough people for today''s activity because Yang Xian wouldn''t be able to leave his position near Gao Ling.

    "His Highness the Third Prince asked that we should draw the flowers that he had arranged before. Can you do that, Lady Gao?"

    "Flowers?" Gao Ling tilted her head. That was common subject that her teacher back then also asked them to train with. Besides, it was not that hard with her current painting skill to make something simple.

    "Yes."

    "In that case, let''s start."

    Gao Ling excitedly began to prepare the brush and ink before she started to draw on the skin leather that they had prepared. The quality couldn''t be compared to those at the capital city, but it was still good enough for them to play around. Aside from Gao Ling, the other two were basically amateurs.

    Wei Liuying watched the flower before her and began to draw stroke by stroke in her own leather skin. It took her a long time to be able to draw properly as the end result was not one to be seen.

    "It''s all black?" Gao Ling asked when she peered to Wei Liuying''s drawing.

    "I¡­ can''t apply color properly."

    "I thought the rumor about you being a useless lady was wrong, but you truly can''t paint?" Gao Ling was stunned. She thought that it was truly just nothing more than rumor since she had seen how talented Wei Liuying was. But then again, the field in which Wei Liuying shine the most was not the one that most women usually shine in. Instead, it was a field where men were supposed to shine brightly.

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" do you have to be so blunt in your word?

    "My bad." Gao Ling laughed a bit when she saw Wei Liuying''s sour mood. "Let me help you apply the color."

    "Can you?"

    "Of course."

    With elegant movement, Gao Ling dabbed the brush and started to add color to Wei Liuying''s painting. It was not as hard as what Wei Liuying thought at first, but it was not that easy either. Her hand was moved by Gao Ling to add the beautiful color to the previously plain painting.

    Slowly but surely, the beautiful color merged with the layout that Wei Liuying had drawn before. It was beautiful.

    "This looks much better," Gao Ling said with a grin.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "You''re very talented, Lady Gao."

    "This much is nothing. To be able to survive in the women''s world, you need to be able to be proficient in the arts. If not, you''ll just incur ridicule to your head."

    It was common sense that every young lady has to learn the arts from the time they were young. Gao Ling might be General Gao''s daughter, but it didn''t mean that she could skip her lessons. She still had to fulfill her duties as a young lady.

    "Now, how about yours, Strategist Yang?"

    "I''m untalented, Lady Gao. Please don''t be so harsh with me," Yang Xian said with a bitter smile.

    "It couldn''t be that bad," Gao Ling said with a laugh and peered. Looking at the black painting before her, she recalled the one that Wei Liuying made. Her brows furrowed. "Do you and Wei Liuying agreed to only use black ink?"

    "I have only made maps before this," Yang Xian explained. "I only knew how to add strokes for the overall layout, so this is how it all turns out."

    Gao Ling: "¡­" I have the feeling that you also the one who teach Wei Liuying to draw like this.

    The way these two held their brush was similar. Not to mention, the layout style that they used to paint the flowers were also the same. It was as if they have the same skill when it came to drawing.

    "You should try to add color by yourself?"

    "Won''t you help me, Lady Gao?"

    Gao Ling arched her eyebrows. "You''re a man and I''m a woman, how can I get close to you and help you out? Instead, you can take a look at my painting so that you can get inspiration from it."

    Yang Xian smiled bitterly. He had never learned anything like this. For his entire life after he had lost his family, he spent them on the battlefield. Never even once he touched the brush for the sake of amusement like this.

    He''s a bad artist.

    Wei Liuying giggled. "In that case, should I try to help you, Strategist Yang?"

    "Would you like to?"

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying showed her own painting, which was half colored and moved it beside Yang Xian. She tried to apply what Gao Ling taught her as she dabbed her brush in the colored ink before she started to paint slowly. Her movements were slow, yet it was precise as if they were in the middle of the battlefield.

    With Wei Liuying by his side, Yang Xian began to draw as well. His movements were stiffer than Wei Liuying, but it was good enough for someone who had never learned how to paint before.

    ''She''s not that bad,'' Gao Ling concluded when she saw the two of them paint side by side. ''Even though her color placement need to be evaluated again, she''s good at mimicking other''s technique. All that''s left would be for her to practice more and more.''

    Painters would usually paint a lot of paintings on their own to practice their technique. Gao Ling did teach Wei Liuying a few of them and it could be seen that Wei Liuying started to apply what she knew. However, the way she did it was still very crude as if this was only the third or even fourth time she learnt this.

    ''Surely, it''s not because she''s acting as a boy, right?''

    ''Acting as a boy¡­.''

    Gao Ling looked at Wei Liuying''s current appearance. She was dressed in fine blue robes that was suitable for male scholar. Even though this made her looked like boy, there was still the feminine air around her. It could be easily brushed off because she was still young, but those who knew that she was a young girl wouldn''t miss it so easily.

    "Liu Ying."

    "Yes, Lady Gao?" Wei Liuying stopped her brush.

    "Have you learned how to paint before?"

    "I learned a bit, but this one is untalented," Wei Liuying replied. She hated to have to show her skill like this when she knew for certain that her skill was exceedingly poor to the point that it was truly unsightly to look at.

    Gao Ling giggled. "Practice makes perfect. Besides, you''re still better than Strategist Yang."

    "Lady Gao, please don''t mock this untalented one too," Yang Xian replied with a bitter smile. Internally, he was trying to concoct a scheme to make sure that Prince Ji Sheng suffered the same way as he did. However, he couldn''t possibly ask Prince Ji Sheng to paint because Prince Ji Sheng''s kill was off the charts.

    He might be even better than Gao Ling.

    Gao Ling smiled. "Now that you have learned how to paint, we should take a short break. I''m a bit hungry."

    "That''ll be a great idea."

    "I''ll ask the servants to prepare some food for us." Yang Xian stood up and walked to the side where several servants were standing patiently, waiting for the orders to be given.

    Gao Ling smiled and looked at Wei Liuying. "Xiao Ling."

    "Did you call me, Lady Gao?"

    "No need to be so formal," Gao Ling said with a laugh. "Say, have you been living as a boy, Xiao Ling?"

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. Living as a boy? How could it be possible for someone like her to live as a boy since she was known as a young lady. Besides, Wei Liuying knew how much her mother hated her existence.

    "I''m not, Lady Gao."

    "Really?"

    "Yes. I lived as the young lady," Wei Liuying replied. "But I have to learn some additional things."

    Learn some additional things?

    Gao Ling would not believe that, but she didn''t say it out loudly. Wei Liuying''s past education was that for a young man, but she was living as a young girl. She truly wondered what kind of situation she had in Wei Family Residence.

    But if Wei Liuying didn''t want to tell, she wouldn''t for her to answer.

    "Shall we continue painting whilst waiting for Strategist Yang to return?" Wei Liuying diverted the conversation.

    Gao Ling smiled. "Sure. Would you like me to teach you a new technique?"

    "Lady Gao sure jest, this is already a lot."

    "In that case, I''ll be watching from the side."

 Chapter 169 - A Good Pair

    "Lady Gao sure jest, this is already a lot."

    "In that case, I''ll be watching from the side."

    Wei Liuying smiled. "Have you finished your painting, Lady Gao?"

    "it''s more or less finished," Gao Ling pointed to her painting, which was already exceedingly similar to the flowers that the servants arranged in front of them. She smiled lightly. "You don''t think that I don''t have the skill to paint, right, Xiao Ling."

    "I would never dare," Wei Liuying replied hurriedly.

    Gao Ling chuckled. She had met some young ladies who thought that she couldn''t do any of the arts because she had been living at the frontline for a long time. However, Gao Ling still honed her skill so that she would be able to perform better as a young lady. She didn''t want to lose even if she had to learn archery.

    That was one of the condition that her father imposed to her when she started to learn martial arts. She shouldn''t slack off at her education as the young lady. While she might not be the best in the entire kingdom, it was still far better than most people.

    "My skill in archery and swordsmanship can barely protect me as it is," Gao Ling said with a bitter smile. "All in all, I''m still a young lady who had to focus on arts for my study."

    Wei Liuying nodded. "You''re amazing, Lady Gao."

    "Shouldn''t someone like you is the one to be amazing? There''s not many people who can be like you and roam on the battlefield freely without the need to worry."

    "There are things that need to be paid attention to when you''re at the frontline, Lady Gao. The overall situation of a battlefield could change in a blink of eye if you''re not careful enough."

    Gao Ling sighed. When it came to talk about strategy and so on, she would never be able to answer. Her father had asked her to study back then, but she still couldn''t see the overall situation that well. It took her a very long time just to be able to understand what her father meant.

    In the end, it was decided that she would only act as one of the archers who helped them to reach victory.

    "The food is here," Strategist Yang said. He looked at the two of them. "Did I interrupt something?"

    "Not at all." Gao Ling smiled. "Please join us in the meal, Strategist Yang."

    "I wouldn''t be so impolite," Yang Xian refused immediately. It would be better for him to not share the same table with the two of them because of his gender. He didn''t want to hear rumor flies.

    Especially if it came to Prince Ji Sheng''s ear.

    Yang Xian wouldn''t have any peace for the next few weeks because Prince Ji Sheng would never let him off for eating with his fianc¨¦e. Obviously, he also didn''t want to court his own death, so it would be better for him to eat at different table.

    "In that case, enjoy your meal, Strategist Yang."

    "Thank you."

    There were two tables prepared. Gao Ling had no other choice but to eat by herself because Wei Liuying was acting as a young man. If she ate with Gao Ling on the same table, rumors would never stop at all.

    After their lunch, they continued with their lessons, or to be exact, just doing the arts according to what they were capable of.

    "The next one would be music. Can you play zither, Lady Gao?"

    Gao Ling giggled. "Of course I can."

    "In that case, please."

    The servants hurriedly came inside and brought a zither inside. It was beautiful and from the craftsmanship, it was clear that the zither was persevered well. The faint engraving on the surface was showing beautiful view on top of a mountain.

    Gao Ling blinked her eyes. "Is this, His Highness''s Zither?"

    "Yes. General Sheng ordered us to prepare his zither for you to use, Lady Gao," Yang Xian explained.

    Hearing that, there was a tinge of red on Gao Ling''s cheek. It was clear that she was embarrassed, yet she didn''t try to say anything and lightly touched the string. Happiness could be seen on her eyes as she started to play song.

    There were additional two ordinary zithers prepared for Yang Xian and Wei Liuying, but they chose not to interrupt Gao Ling. In any case, they couldn''t play music properly, so it would be better to not embarrass themselves.

    The wind blew softly.

    Beautiful tunes carried over by the wind to envelope the garden.

    Flowers were dancing in rhythm accompanied by the leaves that fell and fluttered before they reached the ground.

    It gave sense of peace inside a beautiful view.

    When it was finished, Gao Ling''s face flushed red. She looked at her two audience with a wry smile. "My apologies. I''m too excited when I know that this is His Highness''s zither, so I went and play songs."

    "It''s alright. We''re lucky to be able to hear such beautiful song from you, Lady Gao."

    "Yes. It''s very beautiful."

    Gao Ling smiled. She sighed lightly. "Until when do you plan to keep on your polite demeanor?"

    "There are some servants around."

    "They''re only my maidservants," Gao Ling said unhappily. "Do you know how tiring it is to talk formally all the time. I have to think very hard on what to say just in order to not offend anyone. It was so tiring!"

    Wei Liuying could only smile bitterly. She knew the feeling all too well. Whenever she had to face with her mother, father, and many others, she had to pay close attention to what she said. If she spoke wrongly, her mother will hit her and punish her. If she spoke impolitely, her father would punish her and lock her away. If she spoke badly in front of others, they would mock her.

    It was not easy.

    Yang Xian sighed. He really wanted to talk informally too, but there were Prince Ji Sheng''s men around the area watching them. If Prince Ji Sheng caught him too be too comfortable around Gao Ling, he knew that it would be his end.

    Prince Ji Sheng would never let him off.

    He rubbed his forehead, thinking for a way to solve this without having himself getting punished badly by Prince Ji Sheng.

    "Shall we just try to play song? It''ll be a waste to just leave the zither the servants have prepared here," Wei Liuying changed the conversation.

    "Strategist Liu, you''re trying to avert the conversation, aren''t you?" Gao Ling asked back.

    Wei Liuying smiled bitterly. "Please understand, Miss Gao. We''re General Sheng''s subject while you''re his fianc¨¦e. It''s only understandable that we''ll act polite around you when it''s outside with so many people watching."

    "So many people watching?" Gao Ling looked around in confusion. She couldn''t see anyone but her maidservants around here. Who in the world that Wei Liuying talk about? She glanced to Yang Xian''s face and noticed that he was also giving the same smile.

    In that moment, she understood.

    Her fianc¨¦ must have sent some men to watch over the area.

    "You¡­ should just play."

    "Thank you, Lady Gao."

    Wei Liuying looked at the zither in front of her and sighed. It has been such a long time since the last time she touched this zither. If she had to be honest, she had high doubts that she would be able to play anything properly considering how she used to play before.

    Well, she should just try.

    The notes began to play slowly but surely. Wei Liuying continued to play the song, but it was clear that many were off tune. It was a bit unbearable to watch and hear. Gao Ling felt as if her ear would be wrecked if she continued to listen.

    It was so¡­ torturing.

    "Strategist Yang, would you please try too?"

    "Sure."

    Yang Xian noticed that Wei Liuying stopped as she understood that her play was so poor. In that case, Yang Xian started his. Melodies began to play, but it didn''t take long for Gao Ling''s face to turn sour.

    It was so bad!

    These two were often off tune and plucked the wrong string. She felt that it was so unbearable to watch.

    "Can you two¡­ play zither?"

    "Truth to be told, this is the first time I ever touch zither," Yang Xian admitted with a bitter smile. When in the world would he had the time to touch zither and play it in the past? He was too busy to arrange everything for war and battles.

    Wei Liuying fidgeted. "I have touched zither before, but I still can''t play it properly."

    She was not given any time to practice by her mother. Every time she returned back from the academy, what she had to do was to read the books that her brother had to learn. In that kind of situation, she had no other choice but to learn as hard as possible in her limited time in the academy.

    Yet, it was impossible since she often skipped class thanks to her mother''s intervention.

    Gao Ling looked at the two of them and sighed. "You two are really a good pair."

    Wei Liuying and Yang Xian looked at each other then laughed.

 Chapter 170 - Visiting Shi Yan

    Wei Liuying and Yang Xian looked at each other then laughed.

    Gao Ling looked at the two of them and sighed. She truly wondered how these two could be so similar to each other. Were they actually the same person inside? But that should be highly impossible since they clearly have different lives. One was an orphan of war while the other was a low concubine daughter.

    Yet, they have similar gift when it came to their brain.

    They were capable to create such complicated scheme in a short amount of time given to them.

    "Anyway, I don''t think I can hear you two play zither anymore. My ear is tortured by the sound alone," Gao Ling said with a grunt.

    "In that case, I won''t play again," Yang Xian said and retracted his hands. "I was never good when it came to delicate arts like this, so please pardon this one for making you hear such embarrassing song, Lady Gao."

    Gao Ling rolled her eyes once more. Can''t they speak normally, ah?

    She was already tired with the way those people talking so formally to the point that their words could create damage in her heart. However, she restrained her feelings and only sighed.

    "I''ll be the one to play until Prince Ji Sheng arrived."

    "In that case, we''ll be your listener."

    Gao Ling smiled and started to play a different song. Her fingers nimbly moved on top of the zither, producing beautiful tune as time passed by. It was only through rigorous training would she be able to play so elegantly and gave happiness to those who heard her play.

    Time passed by.

    Since Gao Ling didn''t want to hear the off tune songs from either Wei Liuying or Yang Xian, she was the one who played zither all the time. It was beautiful and enchanting, making them forget that time continued to pass.

    "General Sheng has come!"

    Gao Ling stopped playing and turned around. She could see Prince Ji Sheng entered the garden, wearing his purple robe. This time, he didn''t wear his armor because it was unsuitable for the occasion.

    "Gao Ling (Yang Xian, Wei Liuying) greets General Sheng."

    "Rise. There''s no need for formality here," Prince Ji Sheng said unhurriedly. He took a seat and looked at Gao Ling. "Do you have fun during your stay here?"

    "Yes. Strategist Yang and Strategist Liu are really good," Gao Ling said with a wide smile. At the same time, she was trying to push the thoughts of them doing so poorly in arts to the back of her mind. It was so unbearable even if she didn''t have to do anything and only watched.

    "Did they reach your expectation?"

    Gao Ling sighed. "Your Highness, do you really think that these two are capable in arts? I would suggest you close the window when they started playing so that they would not embarrass you who recommend them."

    Yang Xian and Wei Liuying couldn''t refute. It was never their intention to be good at arts too because they had already busy learning many other things. Besides, when would they have the time to enjoy such things?

    Prince Ji Sheng laughed. "I can see that, Ling''er."

    "Your Highness, have you finished with your work?"

    "I''m done. Xian, Ying, you two can leave now. Thank you for your hard work today," Prince Ji Sheng said.

    "Yang Xian (Wei Liuying) excused himself."

    The two of them walked out from the garden while Prince Ji Sheng looked at Gao Ling in amusement. "I can tell that you''re having fun around them. Even if their performance is bad, they can give you amusement, right?"

    "It''s indeed fun, but I can''t believe that they''re really bad," Gao Ling replied. "They''re truly a good pair, good at strategy, warfare, and martial arts, but bad when it comes to arts and the likes."

    Ji Sheng listened to Gao Ling''s complaint and smiled. "You''re correct."

    "Yes?"

    "They''re truly a good pair."

    Gao Ling could notice the light in Prince Ji Sheng''s eyes, but she could not understand what he was thinking. She was only saying that they matched each other when it came to their skills, right? Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, she smiled brightly.

    "Since you''re here, Your Highness, would you like to accompany me a while longer?"

    "If that''s what you want, I''ll stay, Ling''er."

    ¡­

    The two strategists who left the garden heaved a sigh of relief. They had to admit that having to study arts for the entire day were not fun at all. Both of them preferred to study books and read rather than spending their time to learn the arts that were so difficult to master.

    "Strategist Yang."

    "Yes?"

    "Where are we going now?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Since today is the day Lady Gao comes, the security is a bit lax. We''ll be able to sneak away from here and met with our old friends," Yang Xian replied. His dark iris stared at the direction of the north wall.

    Wei Liuying smiled. She knew that the reason Prince Ji Sheng sent them to attend to Gao Ling was in order for them to not meet with the people from Gao City. Some of them were not really genuine soldiers and instead, they were spies sent from other places to monitor this place.

    Even though their faces were already known to their soldiers, they would never make any move unless it was during war. They looked exceedingly similar to ordinary young men who were new soldiers here, which would be greatly advantageous to mask their real identity during the time Gao City''s soldiers were here.

    "In that case, let''s sneak out."

    "Alright."

    They didn''t use the front door to leave Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence. Instead, they were using the back door and headed to a different residence that was located not far from Ji Sheng''s Residence. With their skills, it was easy for them to bypass the guards and sneaked away.

    "You still need to learn how to erase your presence better," Yang Xian said when he saw Wei Liuying nearly alerted the guards.

    "I''ll learn better, Strategist Yang."

    "When we''re outside, call me Xian."

    "I can''t do that."

    "This is an order."

    Wei Liuying glared at Yang Xian and sighed. Prince Ji Sheng had ordered them to stay away from the soldiers since it was very likely that there would be people sent to monitor them. Yang Xian had already ordered some people to arrange their stay, but it would not be beneficial for them to stay in the dark without doing proper work like this.

    The defense of Prince Ji Sheng''s City relied greatly on Yang Xian''s skill and arrangement. They couldn''t possibly let him roam free like this all the time.

    Before long, the two of them arrived by the house.

    Knock! Knock!

    "Who is it?"

    "Yan, you better open the door."

    "Uwah, how do you know that I have arrived here?" there was sound of something hard fell on the ground then the door was opened. Shi Yan''s face with disheveled clothes appeared in front of them. Based on the way he looked like, it was clear that he was feeling annoyed.

    "What in the world are you two doing here?"

    "Long story short, we''re hiding," Yang Xian replied. "Now, would you like to let us in or we talk outside?"

    "Come in," Shi Yan said begrudgingly. He had only returned yesterday and currently resting here while counting his profit when these two came.

    They sat down in the small guest room and Shi Yan handed Yang Xian a tube.

    "What''s that?"

    "Letter from Shi Mo. He''s still in his position, watching over Her Highness''s safety from a distance away," Shi Yan explained.

    Yang Xian opened and read the content before he put it away. The situation was as he had expected. Xiong Tribe didn''t show any sign that they were going to break the treaty and currently staying quiet far at the north.

    However, they needed to stay vigilant for attack from Xiong Tribe in case they change their minds suddenly.

    "Will you go to the north again?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Shi Yan nodded. "There''s one last trip before we''ll be unable to head to the north. Snow will start to fall in a few days'' time, so we have to hurry and prepare everything for the last trip before we''re unable to leave."

    "The north is really cold when it''s winter. They wouldn''t survive if they have to roam around the area when it''s freezing cold."

    "Also, there are possibilities that some wars would happen soon."

    Yang Xian nodded. "Good work, Yan."

    "I''m only message courier." Shi Yan stretched his body. "I don''t know why you''re here aside from the message. There are no other messages."

    "You''re going to stock your goods, right?"

    "Yes?"

    "I need you to deliver another message."

    Shi Yan: "¡­" he truly had the feeling that he had become their official message courier. Ah, he wanted to return back to his old profession as nothing more than merchant!

 Chapter 171 - Disguise

    Yang Xian smiled when he saw Shi Yan''s dark face. "Do you not like the new job I give to you?"

    "Not really. It''s not my real task, Xian. Do you think that I''ll be happy receiving so many tasks from you?" Shi Yan replied in annoyance. He stretched his body. "Anyway, I''m not going to go back to the capital city, so¡­."

    "It''s not there."

    "Then?"

    "I need you to deliver some messages to the nearby city''s leader. It''s already time for them to star working again," Yang Xian replied unhurriedly.

    Shi Yan looked at Yang Xian for a moment then sighed. "You''re truly a weird one, Xian."

    "I heard that a lot."

    "You act as if you''re not suitable to be a leader, but you know the overall situation better than anyone. There are even many occasions when you''re far better than His Highness in terms of analyzing."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "It''s because that idiot lost all reasons whenever it''s something concerning his beloved ones."

    "Right."

    Wei Liuying pretended that she didn''t hear anything. This was not the first time Yang Xian called Prince Ji Sheng an idiot in private. After all, that prince truly forgot about everything around him when the matter in his hand involved Gao Ling. It was truly a wonder how he managed to survive for this long with that kind of attitude.

    Yang Xian was the one who had to control the situation from the back and reminded Prince Ji Sheng about the overall situation.

    "Is there any recent news from the Capital City?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Capital City?" Shi Yan tilted his head. "I have just returned back from the north, but some of my men had sent me a report. His Highness the Second Prince will be executed next week."

    "What?"

    Yang Xian rubbed his chin. "I presume he had made his move. It''s a bit early, but those who strike first gains advantage at times."

    Wei Liuying nodded. From what she knew, Prince Ji Shao Yang was not that easy to handle. Yet in the span of five to six months, he had already fallen to the lowest and about to face execution.

    "He fails?"

    "It''s not that weird. Prince Ji Shao Yang often work from behind the shadow and collected supporters from behind. However, he failed to use them properly when the time comes, so they''re nothing more than decoration. The other princes must have realized that he was showing weakness and strike him greatly."

    Yang Xian poured a cup of tea for himself. His expression was still as tranquil as ever. "Because if they don''t, they knew that Prince Ji Shao Yang will make a comeback and overturn everything else."

    Wei Liuying nodded. She had met with Prince Ji Shao Yang, so she had to admit that he was truly a capable man. However, he failed to use his cards properly in the end, resulting in great loss for himself.

    It was too bad, but thinking about the other Imperial Family members, Wei Liuying didn''t think it was weird. Each of them was taught ever since they were young that they have to hide their fangs and lived in harmony. Of course, scheming on the back became extremely common as time passed.

    Not only the women, even the princes were the same.

    "It''s a brutal blow?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian nodded. "I''ll ask for the detailed information and sent it to you too. However, you''ll need to blend with the new soldiers tomorrow."

    "New soldiers?" Shi Yan nearly dropped his cup of tea. He looked at the two of them with bewilderment. "What in the world are you planning to do now?"

    "We''re trying to be inconspicuous as much as possible."

    Shi Yan looked at the two of them with disbelief. How could it be possible for them to act as if they were nothing more decoration on the wall. With Yang Xian''s fame, almost all soldiers would be able to recognize him so easily. As for Wei Liuying, there were only a limited number of soldiers who were as small and petite as her.

    Well, in the new soldiers, there were a lot, though since they were all younger than her or at the same age.

    "Is there something important happened here?"

    Towards that question, Wei Liuying and Yang Xian merely passed a glance at Shi Yan. Gao Ling''s arrival to Prince Ji Sheng''s City was not covered in the slightest bit. Everyone who were staying in this city would obviously knew about her arrival because of the clamor.

    And yet, Shi Yan didn''t know?

    "Yan."

    "What is it, Liu Ying?"

    "You need to learn how to use your men properly."

    Shi Yan: "¡­"

    Yang Xian nodded. "Ask them to gather news from outside and I''m sure that you''ll understand what had happened."

    Shi Yan looked at the two of them and sighed. He had no other choice but to call his men and asked what had happened recently. It was then he realized that Gao Ling had come to Prince Ji Sheng''s City with her people.

    "You''re avoiding her people?"

    "There might be some spies mixed in, Yan. Do you want to give information to your enemies?" Wei Liuying asked unhurriedly. She stood up. "Also, we should go home and rest."

    "We''ll stay here today."

    "They''re watching your residence?"

    "Of course."

    "How troublesome."

    When the two pairs of eyes looked at him, Shi Yan swore that he was facing two devious beasts. He had no other choices but to ask his servants to prepare additional rooms for the two of them because they have to rest properly. Internally, he was thinking of charging a lot of money from Yang Xian to ease his heart.

    If he could earn money from this, it would be for the best.

    ¡­

    The next morning, Wei Liuying watched the two young men debated with each other about the payment. From the way they talked about it, it was as if Yang Xian owed Shi Yan greatly for using his properties.

    "Even inn is not as expensive as your house," Yang Xian commented.

    Shi Yan snorted. "I''m providing you two with the best rooms available, so of course, the price is high. Do you think that I''ll let you off without paying for anything?"

    "Shall I recount your debt, Yan?"

    "I never had any debt with you!"

    "How about with the advice I have given you so that you can succeed? Do you think that I''m already kind enough to not make you pay for asking advice from me?"

    Wei Liuying felt as if she could see dark aura around Yang Xian. She sighed. "I''ll be going now. The new soldiers should be training."

    "You can leave."

    "Yes."

    The two of them of them answered in unison before they continued their debate and dug into each other''s past. Wei Liuying chose to leave immediately as she didn''t wish to hear their debates any longer. It was so annoying.

    "Commander Zhao," Wei Liuying greeted when she reached the field.

    "Ying, you have arrived," Commander Zhao replied. "For today, you''re going to follow the drill. Don''t worry, we''re only doing basic movement''s training and then we''re going to run while bringing basket filled with water."

    Wei Liuying nodded. This was the basic training to increase their stamina since many of the new soldiers lacked in stamina. In here, she would be called ''Ying'' since there was rarely anyone who knew Strategist Liu full name. They would only call her with her surname which was Strategist Liu most of the time.

    "Line up!"

    The commanders ordered and everyone line up properly. Wei Liuying was positioned in the middle and watched the movements intently. She had never participated in the new soldiers'' training before because she was busy learning under Yang Xian. When he didn''t have time, Wei Liuying would simply read the books and familiarize herself with the theory.

    The training consisted of maintaining stance then movement of their weapons. It was designed for attacking, defending, and also to cover their teammates. They have to be able to use their weapons properly if they didn''t wish to die nor wound their own teammates in accident.

    As they were training, Gao Ling and Prince Ji Sheng came to take a look.

    "So, he''s really there?" Gao Ling asked in a low tone.

    Ji Sheng nodded. "You don''t see anyone who stand up more than necessary or worse than the rest, right? They''re all already training for a few weeks."

    Except Wei Liuying.

    Gao Ling nodded and crossed her hands. "In that case, they must be quite good in martial arts, right?"

    "Only average."

    "Can I pick one to accompany me to the temple?" Gao Ling asked in excited tone.

    Ji Sheng nodded. "Sure. Wait until they started running before you pick one."

    "Yes."

    Gao Ling smiled brightly. Her eyes were looking at the new soldiers while her brain was thinking about which one was Wei Liuying. After all, that conversation was simply an act they had agreed together.

 Chapter 172 - The Decision

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "Sure. Wait until they started running before you pick one."

    "Yes."

    Gao Ling smiled brightly. Her eyes were looking at the new soldiers while her brain was thinking about which one was Wei Liuying. After all, that conversation was simply an act they had agreed together.

    As expected, one of the guards who were sent to accompany Gao Ling didn''t like her decision. "Young Miss, they''re all only new soldiers who are not very accomplished. If you wish for more guards¡­."

    "Who said that I want him to be my guard?" Gao Ling asked in scorn. "I only want teammates to train together. It''s boring when you''re all so skilled and I''m so poor."

    The guard: "¡­" poor?

    When they were only talking about swords'' skill, it was not weird to call Gao Ling''s skill to be poor. But when they were talking about archery, no one dared to slight Gao Ling in the slightest bit. They all knew that she was one of the best archer on the frontline because of her precision.

    The only weakness she had was her slow reloading speed since holding the bow could be tiring for her. However, it was all good since they didn''t really rely on her completely when they were in the middle of the battlefield.

    "You can pick anyone you want," Prince Ji Sheng promised.

    Gao Ling nodded and clapped her hand. "That''s good. I''ll pick one man to accompany me on my journey. You''re not going to get jealous right?"

    Prince Ji Sheng smiled and didn''t answer. As long as the one Gao Ling chose was Wei Liuying, there was no way he would be jealous. Besides, it was his plan to have Wei Liuying accompanied Gao Ling in the journey because they have to be cautious in the frontline border in case the tribes were ready to attack.

    As they talk, the new soldiers began their training to run on uneven grounds while holding buckets of water on their shoulder. This was not their first time training like this, but it was clear that they still had to try their hardest in order to not spill any of the water.

    "Every drop of water meant additional hour of training."

    "Yes."

    With that, they became even more careful, but their slow speed was simply unbearable to see. Prince Ji Sheng sighed and looked at Commander Zhao, the one he ordered to train the new soldiers for today.

    "If they didn''t finish in an incense stick time, they have to repeat the same training this afternoon."

    "Yes, General."

    The new soldiers nearly wailed when they saw Commander Zhao lit up an incense stick and smiled in their direction. "You heard what General said, RUN!"

    With that, the new soldiers ran frantically while trying their best to keep the water didn''t spill. Wei Liuying was in the middle of the crowd, trying her best to make sure that she could keep up. It was more tiring than what she expected it to be, but it was also fun.

    In the end, they somehow managed to finish in time.

    Many of them have to get additional punishment for spilling the water, though.

    "You did great," Commander Zhao said in a low tone when he passed by Wei Liuying. She didn''t stand out more than necessary, but she also didn''t do worse than most of them. At the very least, she looked very normal.

    Wei Liuying nodded and drank the water. She looked in Prince Ji Sheng and Gao Ling''s direction, wondering when they would step up.

    At this time, the two of them did have conversation.

    "Which one do you want to bring with you?" Prince Ji Sheng asked.

    "It''s hard to pick," Gao Ling responded. "If only it''s possible, I would like to have you be the one to accompany me, General Sheng."

    "Unfortunately, I have to stay behind here and watch over the border."

    Gao Ling pursed her lips. She also knew that since the safety of the kingdom would depend on her father and General Sheng''s performance. They only wished for her to stay safe, so she had to go to a different place during winter since it was the harshest time.

    Scanning the crowd, Gao Ling''s eyes locked to Wei Liuying. At this time, Wei Liuying didn''t look any different from other new soldiers around her. However, the tranquil gaze that she had in her eyes never changed. It was calmly analyzing everything in her surroundings so that she wouldn''t lose out in any situation.

    ''Her gaze is indeed different.''

    "Then I''ll pick that one who''s drinking water," Gao Ling said with a grin. "He looks fairly small and normal, so I''m sure that he''ll be able to be a great partner to spar with me."

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at Wei Liuying then to Gao Ling. It was then he recalled something. "He''s even smaller than you. Are you sure that you won''t be the one to bully him?"

    "He''s your soldier, right? How can he be bullied so easily?"

    The guards behind them were helpless when he heard Gao Ling''s playful tone. Thinking of the soldiers that Gao Ling forced to train with her back then, they felt that the new soldier was a bit pitiful. Gao Ling would not show any mercy to anyone during training because she enjoyed it greatly.

    "Alright. I''ll arrange him to come with you tomorrow."

    "Thank you, General Sheng."

    "Now, shall we go?"

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying stayed in the field for a period of time before she returned back to Shi Yan''s house. She noticed that Yang Xian was already there with several bamboo strips in his hand. Each of them was filled with some words that she could not read from this distance.

    "Strategist Yang?"

    "Oh, you''re done?" Yang Xian asked and put down the bamboo strips. "For this trip, Lady Gao will be heading to East Temple that''s located at two days'' travel distance from here to the East."

    "Temple?" Wei Liuying was stunned. She thought that they would send Gao Ling to their relatives'' place.

    "Yes. Double Ninth Festival had just passed, so Lady Gao wanted to visit the temple to pray for her father''s safety. As she''s a weak lady, she can''t help much when it''s Winter," Yang Xian replied. "At least, that''s what it is on the surface."

    Double Ninth Festival was a festival that was held on the ninth day on the ninth month in Lunar Calendar. It was also known as Chongyang Festival and at this time, it was usually the time where everyone celebrated by enjoying chrysanthemum, eating Chongyang cake, and also drinking chyrsanthenum wine.

    During this time, people also climbed mountain and enjoyed the time together.

    (A/N: the tradition for Double Ninth Festival had started ever since Han Dynasty, but the tradition gradually developed as time passed. For more information, you can search by yourself)

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Are you sure she''s not going there to pray for her successful marriage with Prince Ji Sheng?"

    "That should be on different festive," Yang Xian said with a laugh. "This should be enough for her cover to make sure that no one will be suspicious of her when she''s visiting the temple instead of staying at the border."

    "There are several of General Gao''s relatives, right?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian nodded. "There are several of them, but it''s impossible to meet them at this point of time. They''re currently under heavy supervision from many other people from the Capital City."

    "They live near the Capital City?"

    "Yes."

    "How troublesome."

    Yang Xian sighed. If it was possible, he also wanted to send Gao Ling to another city which was safer with more guards. However, the condition of this place clearly prevented him from doing that. With the war still raging on, it would be hard for them to find a way to send Gao Ling to those areas.

    They have to pick other places.

    "Battle for succession might start soon, huh?" Wei Liuying muttered in a low tone.

    The youngest of the four princes, Prince Ji Shu would be 20 years old in just a few more months. When he reached of age and had his adulthood ceremony, it was clear that he would start making his move. At that time, Prince Ji Sheng''s position might be in problem because he held military power of the north area.

    If Prince Ji Shu wanted it, it was not impossible for him to try making Prince Ji Sheng got killed in action.

    "Will you help Prince Ji Shao Yang?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "I don''t know the overall situation as the information brought here are scarce and late. Besides, I''m not going to do something useless. He had more than enough capabilities to safe himself if he truly wants to. I''m not going to spend so much time just to try helping him."

    "I see."

    "You should rest. Tomorrow you''ll depart early. Also, this is for you."

    "Yes?" Wei Liuying took the bamboo strip that Yang Xian handed to her. Upon reading the information on the surface, her face stiffened. She raised her head lightly. "Are you sure they''ll be there?"

    "Yes."

    "Can I back out from this plan?"

    "You can''t," Yang Xian said while shaking his head. "Don''t you think it''ll be more suspicious if you back out suddenly? Also, it''s impossible for me to be the one to accompany Lady Gao unless you wish to see me getting jailed by Prince Ji Sheng."

    That jealous annoying prince¡­

    Wei Liuying looked at the information once more and sighed. "Fine. I understand."

    "Good. Now go to rest."

    "Yes."

 Chapter 173 - Journey To The Temple

    That jealous annoying prince¡­

    Wei Liuying looked at the information once more and sighed. "Fine. I understand."

    "Good. Now go to rest."

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying sighed and turned her body around. She had no other choice but to rest now and no longer think too much about this.

    What a hassle.

    Hopefully, things would turn out to be alright when she came to the East Temple later.

    ¡­

    The next day, Wei Liuying got prepared early and headed to Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence. There was a carriage ready in front of the residence along with several horses and also soldiers. From their clothing, it was not hard to say that they were all people from Gao City who were sent to protect Gao Ling.

    "You are?"

    "My name is Ying," Wei Liuying said with a smile on her face. "General Sheng told me that I''ll be coming with Lady Gao. It''s an honor for me to be able to meet with the famous Lady Gao!"

    The guards nodded at the seemingly too enthusiastic young brat. He pointed to the horse by the side. "Can you ride horse?"

    "I can! It''s one of the basic training that¡­."

    "There''s no need to explain everything to me," the guard interrupted Wei Liuying before she could begin to share all the experience that she had back in the training. Even though the guard didn''t know the specific, he knew that Prince Ji Sheng was known for his strict training.

    "Okay!"

    "Lady Gao didn''t like people to be polite with her. When you met with her, you can act normally like you did now."

    Wei Liuying nodded, but there was traces of nervousness on her eyes. It was unclear whether she was too excited or too nervous. The guards only casted a gaze to her for a moment before they looked away again. They were not interested in such a youngster who didn''t seem to be so capable.

    Besides, he was simply too young.

    Not long afterwards, the gate was opened and two people came out along with many servants. Gao Ling was wearing light pink robe while Ji Sheng was wearing his usual purple robe. They looked so good together that many people would surely sing on the street about them.

    "General Sheng, Lady Gao."

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "Protect Lady Gao in the temple. When the flowers start to bloom again, send her back here."

    "Yes, General Sheng!"

    "I''m also sending some soldiers to protect you aside from the little one you ask to accompany you training."

    Gao Ling nodded and stepped forward. She grinned. "Don''t worry so much, General Sheng. I''ll be alright even if I have to fight a bit. I still need some exercise after being confined inside the city for so long."

    "You shouldn''t strain yourself," Prince Ji Sheng said unhurriedly. He raised his hand and stroked Gao Ling''s head tenderly. Looking at his current gentle appearance, it was hard for anyone to think of him as the famous great general at the north border. "Be careful."

    "Yes!"

    Gao Ling bid her farewell and alighted to the carriage and the people departed.

    All along, Wei Liuying didn''t even try to look at Ji Sheng because she was supposed to not know him because of her current status. She simply followed the soldiers while riding on the horse with her body swayed here and there from time to time. It looked as if she hadn''t mastered the skill to ride on horse properly.

    Prince Ji Sheng''s eyes narrowed as he entered his residence once more. "Has all the people who come with Ling''er left?"

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    "Good. Call Xian."

    He walked back to his study. Before long, Yang Xian came over while holding several bamboo sticks that seemed to be the result of his investigation. During the time he was not allowed to show himself in public, Yang Xian made sure that he was doing his work properly.

    "What have you found, Xian?"

    "Aside from some turmoil in the Capital City that we can''t get involved with, I didn''t find many things worth consideration," Yang Xian replied with a sigh. "Many events need us to steer away if we don''t want to be embroiled in something nasty."

    "Ji Shu moved?"

    "He''s not the only one. Prince Ji Tian has been pulling more people to his side lately and because of his status as the crown prince, it''s not that hard for him to influence the people. By Spring, I feared that the officials in the court would have been completely divided into two." Yang Xian explained.

    Prince Ji Sheng tapped the table and sighed. His cold and detached expression was still intact, but there was a lingering ruthlessness within his eyes that was not covered in the slightest bit. He looked at Yang Xian.

    "Will they make their move to eliminate me?"

    "It''s not known yet, but the possibility is there."

    "How generous." Prince Ji Sheng chuckled a bit. He glanced in the direction of the Capital City and smiled lightly. "If they want a battle, why don''t we give it to them."

    Yang Xian furrowed his brows. "The situation at the north is relatively unstable, General Sheng. I hope you reconsider this decision because if you choose to participate in the struggle of power, it''s clear that we''ll need to divide our resources."

    "Nothing big, Xian. Protect our position is more important."

    "That''s¡­" Yang Xian thought about the things that he needed to do. Looking at the solemn gaze on Ji Sheng''s face, he understood right away that Ji Sheng was never interested in the battle of power. What he wanted was simply enough power to protect what was important to him.

    This northern border, no matter how chaotic it was, it was still a very meaningful place for Yang Xian as it was the place where he started everything.

    His first meeting with Yang Xian, Shi Yan, Gao Ling, and many others happened at the north. They were all his most important people and Ji Sheng wished to protect them no matter what.

    "Can you do it, Xian?"

    Yang Xian nodded. "In that case, I''ll begin to make the necessary preparation. In the case it''s important for you to step up, it''ll be better if we have finished the matter with Xiong Tribe."

    "Let''s hope that it won''t be a life or death''s battle."

    "It''s not impossible."

    Prince Ji Sheng sent a glare, but Yang Xian shrugged. It was his duty to tell Prince Ji Sheng the truth no matter how painful it was. A battle might be embroiling deep at the north even as they spoke now and nothing could stop it. All they could do was to prepare to the best they could.

    ¡­

    The journey to the temple would pass by several cities. The first city that they passed would be Dong Shan City, which was also the place where Shi Lu Wen stayed. They were all curious about this young lady whom Gao Ling also wanted to meet after a long time.

    "We''re going to enter the city, would you like to stay in the inn, Lady Gao?" a guard asked.

    Gao Ling shook her head. "Enter to the end of the road. There''s a place that I want to visit."

    "Now?"

    "Yes."

    The guards looked at each other and sighed. They all knew about Gao Ling''s interaction with Shi Lu Wen, but they didn''t like it too much. After all, Shi Lu Wen was nothing more than an ordinary young girl who was born and raised as a commoner.

    However, no one dared to speak any word.

    There was already a best example of a commoner who risen through the rank, which was Strategist Yang. If they dared to speak lowly about commoners, Gao Ling would without hesitation say Yang Xian''s name and said that there might be some other gems hidden underground.

    Why couldn''t they set away their prejudice and treated them better?

    With that question, it was clear that they have no other choice but to give in to Gao Ling''s willfulness.

    "We''ve arrived, Lady Gao."

    Gao Ling nodded and hopped down the carriage. She didn''t need any help from others as she looked in the direction of the house. The garden was still the same as usual, full of live and looked like it was the best in the world.

    "Lu Wen!" Gao Ling called out.

    "Ah, yes!"

    There was sound of something fell within the house before the door was opened. A young and petite young girl stood there. She was dressed so simple with brown dress and simple hairpin to lock her hair to the back. Even in the dark, they could see that she was smiling brightly to their direction.

    "Sister Gao!" Shi Lu Wen waved her hand excitedly.

    On the other side, Wei Liuying was looking at the two of them with dumbfounded expression. Sister? Shi Lu Wen has become Gao Ling''s sister? Why didn''t that stingy and annoying strategist told her about this, ah?

 Chapter 174 - The Group Grows

    "Sister Gao!" Shi Lu Wen waved her hand excitedly.

    On the other side, Wei Liuying was looking at the two of them with dumbfounded expression. Sister? Shi Lu Wen has become Gao Ling''s sister? Why didn''t that stingy and annoying strategist told her about this, ah?

    While Wei Liuying was grumbling at the information that Yang Xian withheld from her, Gao Ling had already stepped forward and begun to chat merrily with Shi Lu Wen. It seemed that the two girls were close to each other.

    "Soldier Ling."

    "Yes?" Wei Liuying turned her head to the back. She could see a man stood behind her. He had large built and was far taller than her. Donned in an armor, he looked even more menacing, but she knew for sure that he was not used to stay on the limelight like this.

    She had seen him before. His name was Du Min, a servant who usually guarded Prince Ji Sheng from the shadow. This time, Ji Sheng asked him to be Gao Ling''s escort to make sure that there was nothing wrong.

    "is there anything I can help, Soldier Min?"

    "Lady Gao will be staying here for the time being. We should head to a different place to guard them." Du Min pointed to the tree.

    Wei Liuying nodded and followed him. They settled on top of the tree and leaned back. With their martial arts, it was not a big problem to stay outside in the winter night. If they couldn''t even handle this, they would be punished greatly by a certain prince and strategist.

    "Lady Gao and Miss Lu Wen are sisters?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Yes. The two of them agreed to call each other as sisters because of their past relationship."

    "I see."

    Wei Liuying watched as Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen spent the dinner together. They looked so happy together as if they were meeting a long lost friend after a long time not meeting each other. Seeing the sight, Wei Liuying faintly remembered her uncle, whom she hadn''t met for a long time.

    She hoped that he was fine.

    "Would you like to stroll around the city, Soldier Ying?"

    "There''s no need for that," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly. Her dark iris was still staring straight to the house. "My task is to protect Lady Gao no matter what. I can''t possibly leave her alone."

    "I understand, Soldier Ying."

    Du Min peered at Wei Liuying, but he didn''t say anything more. Prince Ji Sheng sent three soldiers to accompany Gao Ling here, including him. However, he was the only one who knew Wei Liuying''s real identity because he had been following Prince Ji Sheng ever since a very long time ago.

    The sight of Wei Liuying entering the group so seamlessly and got accepted so quickly made him baffled back then. But when she started to shine, he understood why Prince Ji Sheng wanted her so much.

    She had the talent and skill.

    "They''re going to rest. We''ll take turns, Du Min."

    "Yes, Soldier Ying."

    The night passed quietly. This was not the first time Wei Liuying spent her time outside and slept on top of the tree. When she was sick of her servants whom her mother sent to her fake attitude, she would climb tree silently at night and spent her time gazing on the stars. The night wind was cool, and it made her feel much more comfortable when she spent her time on top of the tree.

    Maybe, it was because there was always nothing but silence around her when she was on top of the tree. At the same time, there was no need for her to keep on using the fake expression on her face all the time.

    As the sun rise, Wei Liuying climbed down the tree. "We should eat."

    "Yes."

    They grouped with the soldiers again and ate their meal before they waited for Gao Ling to come out. However, they were dumbfounded when they saw Shi Lu Wen also came out with a small bag behind her.

    "Lu Wen will be coming with me," Gao Ling said with a grin. "It''s not a problem, right?"

    "Lady Gao, please act with caution. It''s hard for us to protect the two of you if you insist on bringing Miss Lu Wen."

    "Yes, please think about this again!"

    The soldiers were begging Gao Ling. They didn''t want to have to protect two people all at once. It was clear that they would be in for a much harder task if they tried to protect two people all at once.

    "Why not? It''s not like it''ll be such a dangerous journey for us." Gao Ling protested. "We''re going to the temple and it''ll be hard for me without having someone to chat with since you''re all so rigid."

    The soldiers: "¡­"

    After a few more time debating, Shi Lu Wen finally could enter the same carriage with Gao Ling. The soldiers chose to pretend that they didn''t see anything and didn''t know about anything. If they thought about it, they would be feeling so indignant.

    Du Min silently sent message to Prince Ji Sheng about this development. It would be better for him to know that Gao Ling was asking for someone else to follow her to the temple rather than keeping it a secret from everyone.

    "I can''t believe that you have to go to the temple this time, Sister Gao," Shi Lu Wen said inside the carriage.

    Gao Ling waved her hand lightly. "It''s just the same as usual. But I''ll hate it if they arrange someone to be my teacher and teach me about the etiquette again."

    Shi Lu Wen giggled. "it''s necessary for you to learn a lot of things, Lady Gao. If you didn''t learn, you might end up embarrass yourself as Prince Ji Sheng''s fianc¨¦e in front of other young ladies."

    Gao Ling didn''t reply again. She still knew the basic, but she also understood that the battle for women would not be that easy. Standing at the top meant that no one would dare to blatantly refute her, but she would be under heavy surveillance. Everyone would be waiting for her to make a mistake if they wished to be able to bring her down.

    It would be a very tiring battle.

    "The men are busy fighting at the frontline, but we have to stay on the back and fight our own battles," Gao Ling said with a smile. "And of course, I''ll not let anyone speak ill about my future husband."

    Shi Lu Wen giggled. She knew how much these two liked each other. It was to the point that no one could possibly separate them no matter what happen.

    "What is your plan in the temple, Lady Gao?"

    "I just have to stay there and probably copy some scripture. I only hope that it won''t be that boring."

    "Would you like to have some other friends, Lady Gao?" Shi Lu Wen''s eyes sparkled with mischievous glint. It was clear that she had some naughty plan.

    "What kind of friends?"

    "Those whom your soldiers might fear."

    Gao Ling blinked her eyes. She rubbed her chin. "As long as this will not result in bad reputation for Prince Ji Sheng, I don''t mind. What kind of plan do you have, Lu Wen?"

    "Just wait."

    Shi Lu Wen took out a small flute and put it near her mouth. Before long, melodious song rang out from the carriage, startling the soldiers. Because flute was uncommon, most noble ladies were not used to play it. Only some people would learn how to play it.

    Gao Ling couldn''t play the instrument, but Shi Lu Wen was proficient in it.

    "Why is Miss Lu Wen playing the flute?"

    "Maybe Lady Gao wished for her to play the flute?"

    Wei Liuying listened while watching her surroundings carefully. The song was fast in tempo and sounded cheerful. At the same time, there seemed to be a message that was conveyed through the melodious song.

    *rustle*

    "What''s that?" The soldiers quickly raised their swords and be on their guards. They could hear the rustling of leaves on the forest as they walked. Since they have been going to the south, the terrain had long changed to that of forest and no longer the harsh dry lands anymore.

    "I don''t know."

    Swish!

    A large man appeared before them. He had large body with his clothes partially ripped. At the same time, he brought a large saber on his back. His eyes looked dangerously to the carriage and soldiers before him.

    Several other men followed him from behind. Each of them wore ragged clothing, but their menacing aura was clear.

    "They''re¡­"

    "Bandits," Wei Liuying muttered. She had heard that Shi Yan was acquaintance with the bandits, but from the way it looked like, the one who knew them would be Shi Lu Wen and not Shi Yan. She needed more clear explanation when they met each other later.

    "Miss Lu Wen," the large man at the front, Shan Yi, called out.

    Shi Lu Wen peeked her head from the carriage. "What are you doing here, Shan Yi?"

 Chapter 175 - Another One?

    Huh?

    The soldiers were dumbfounded when they heard how Shi Lu Wen greeted the bandits'' leader in front of them so nonchalantly. It sounded as if they were already friends from a long time ago and only met at the street.

    But¡­how in the world that happened?

    Looking at the menacing expression and also blood thirsty aura that the bandits exuded, the soldiers definitely couldn''t connect it to the harmless Shi Lu Wen.

    What kind of connection would they even have with each other?

    "Miss Lu Wen, this¡­" a soldier tried to speak.

    Shan Yi smiled. He cut off the soldier''s speech. "I heard the sound of your flute, so I guess you''re leaving Dong Shan City?"

    "Just for a short trip," Shi Lu Wen replied. "Also, you haven''t answered my question, Shan Yi."

    "I did."

    "Really?"

    Shan Yi shook his head. "Are you still so adamant that you don''t wish to be with me, Lu''er? I promise you that I''ll be your most loyal husbands and you can even use my men as you wish."

    "Leader!" The men were trying to stop their leader from giving more promises. They didn''t mind following Shi Lu Wen''s order, but they didn''t wish it to be a widely spread fact. Come on leader, why would he sell them out like this?

    "Follow your sister in law''s words."

    "¡­Yes."

    The bandits felt like crying when they saw their leader like this. Come on, leader, they were already trying to keep their faces. But their leader just mercilessly trampled on their faces by proposing to Shi Lu Wen in front of the soldiers.

    Ahhh, they were sure that it wouldn''t take long before everyone knew that Shan Xi Gang''s leader fell head over heels over a woman.

    Shi Lu Wen rolled her eyes as she had seen this a few times in the past few months. On the other hands, the soldiers felt as if the sky had fallen on top of their head. The infamous bandits who was so notorious in the northern area actually fall head over heels over Young Miss Lu Wen.

    This¡­

    This¡­.

    They can''t accept this, ah!

    Thinking of the difference in the two young people''s temperament and built, they couldn''t imagine just how could someone like Shan Yi even met with Shi Lu Wen. The two of them should have been living a completely different life, right?

    Did the sky rise from the west today?

    "Shan Yi, how many times I told you that you should stop proposing to me at random times?" Shi Lu Wen protested.

    Shan Yi laughed heartily. "I only want you to remember that no matter how long, I''ll only wait for you."

    The soldiers: "¡­"

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" who is this?

    Du Min only sighed. He had already seen Shan Yi proposed to Shi Lu Wen numerous times in the past. It was considered as common occurrence because Shan Yi''s persistence was so big and he was unwilling to try finding another woman.

    In his eyes, there''s only Shi Lu Wen and Shi Lu Wen alone.

    Wei Liuying rubbed her temple. She had met with Shan Yi before in the forest and fought with him. At that time, she knew that he was a brash person and also quite powerful as a bandit. At the very least, that was all that she knew.

    She never heard from Yang Xian or Prince Ji Sheng that Shan Yi actually had a crush to Shi Lu Wen. And being the blunt person he was, he proposed to her countless times only to get rejected¡­.

    "Shan Yi, that should be enough, isn''t it?" Shi Lu Wen asked in clear annoyance. From her tone, it sounded as if she didn''t like Shan Yi''s presence at all and was also very brave to utter out her discontent.

    Well, with Shan Yi was trying to please her, there would be no way that he would mind her attitude.

    Shan Yi laughed. "Miss Lu Wen, please don''t drive me away."

    The soldiers: "¡­"

    Inside the carriage, even Gao Ling was struggling hard to resist from laughing out loud. She had already known about Gao Ling and Shan Yi''s relationship. Saying that these two didn''t like each other would be too much as they were clearly close to each other.

    Though, Shi Lu Wen always refused to acknowledge it.

    In public, the two of them would look as if Shan Yi was the only one who had a crush on Shi Lu Wen. But in private, Gao Ling grinned lightly. These two were close friends. Seeing their interaction was always brought smile to her lips.

    Shi Lu Wen snorted and shook her head. "You''re annoying, Shan Yi."

    "I''m only expressing my feelings to you, Miss Lu Wen!"

    Wei Liuying: "¡­"

    Alright, she underestimated the affection that Shan Yi had for Shi Lu Wen. Wei Liuying thought that Shan Yi only had some interest to Shi Lu Wen, but from the way it looked like, he cared for nothing when it was about Shi Lu Wen.

    For some reason, it reminded her with Gao Ling and Prince Ji Sheng''s relationship. Whenever they were talking about Gao Ling, Prince Ji Sheng would never had any other thoughts but her. Now, this Shan Yi was clearly similar.

    What made her baffled was their interaction. Despite the clear discontent in Shi Lu Wen''s tone, there was no hatred or anger within her eyes. It looked as if they were only two children who were quarrelling with each other. The entire settings now looked like they were only playing.

    But Wei Liuying clearly couldn''t say it out loud. Based on the way Shan Yi acted, it was clear that Shan Yi would never give up unless he got what he wanted:

    Shi Lu Wen.

    Well, she didn''t know their relationship that clearly, so she could only accept this development for now. Though, based on her observation, there was nothing bad with this thing.

    ''Prince Ji Sheng truly collect interesting people around him.''

    Wei Liuying resisted the urge to rub her temple again. At that time, she had completely forgotten that she was included in the list of interesting person whom Prince Ji Sheng brought into his group.

    "Don''t block the route, Shan Yi. We''re going to the temple."

    "Ah, what a coincidence. We''re also heading there, so I''ll be guarding you along with my men!"

    The bandits: "¡­" Boss, when did you learn how to lie so quickly?

    The soldiers: "¡­" it''s A LIE!

    Wei Liuying chose to stay silent and hid in the crowd. Shan Yi knew her face, so it would be better for her to act as if she was nothing more than an extra in this group. In any case, having Shan Yi would mean more protection for Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen since the soldiers from Gao City were quite untrustworthy.

    Internally, she was thinking about the flute sounds from before. For whatever reason, she had the feelings that it was Shi Lu Wen who purposely played the flute to bring Shan Yi out.

    But she would never say this out loudly.

    Even if she had suspicion, she should never tell anyone.

    "Really?" Shi Lu Wen asked with distrustful tone.

    Shan Yi laughed lightly. Even though he looked scary, when he laughed, he looked far more refreshing than usual. He looked at Shi Lu Wen. "When have I ever lied to you? These are some new men I brought in, so going to the temple to practice should be good for them."

    Since when bandit head to temple when they want to train?

    By this time, the bandits behind Shan Yi chose to shut their mouth. What Shan Yi said was partially the truth. Half of them who came here were new recruits that Shan Yi brought into the gang not long ago.

    Shan Yi had been wanting to test their skill.

    Since Shi Lu Wen planned to go to the temple, wouldn''t it be a good chance for him to train them there? Should a battle break out, he would be able to use the chance to evaluate their loyalty and also skills.

    ''It''s not a bad idea.''

    Shi Lu Wen opened her mouth but no words came out. She turned her head inside to Gao Ling as if asking for help. Her brain had run out of idea about what she should say to Shan Yi.

    "Shan Xi Gang''s leader, Shan Yi," Gao Ling called out in soft tone. Her eyes were watching Shi Lu Wen carefully as she tried to decipher what Shi Lu Wen actually wanted to say. "Would you create trouble for us?"

    "I won''t create trouble if Miss Lu Wen didn''t want me to," Shan Yi replied with certainty. He patted his chest as if he was saying that he would uphold his promise. Afterwards, he swept his gaze to the soldiers and his men. "I just think that this will be a good opportunity for both of us, wouldn''t you agree Miss Gao."

    The soldiers tensed up when they heard Shan Yi greeted Gao Ling with such familiarity, but inside the carriage, Gao Ling''s lips merely perked.

    This Shan Yi truly knew how to create trouble.

 Chapter 176 - Wei Family?

    This Shan Yi truly knew how to create trouble.

    Gao Ling chuckled. "Lu Wen, what do you want to say to your future boyfriend?"

    "Miss Gao!" Shi Lu Wen protested the new title that was bestowed to her. She glanced out of the carriage and pursed her lips. "Fine, you can come along, but there are several rules that you need to follow, Shan Yi."

    "Bandits don''t follow rules, Miss Lu Wen."

    "Shan Yi!"

    "Let me listen what you want me to do first. If it''s not something interesting, I don''t want to do it."

    "You¡­" Shi Lu Wen sighed then started to say what she wanted.

    After some time of debating, in the end, Shan Yi and his men followed Shi Lu Wen in the journey. This time, the soldiers were trying their best to restrain themselves because the bandits have higher number compared to them.

    They were utterly confused internally as they couldn''t understand how did their group grew so much in such a short period of time?

    Buy no one dared to speak out loudly because they knew that it would be very bad if they offend the bandits.

    "Somehow, it ended without bloodshed," Du Min commented.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "The bandits didn''t have ill intention. They''re only here because Shan Yi heard the song from Miss Lu Wen."

    "He''s been trying to court her since forever."

    "He didn''t succeed?"

    "Not yet," Du Min replied.

    Hearing the answer, Wei Liuying''s lips curled up to form a smirk. It seemed that their relationship was actually quite good with each other. And here she thought that it was only Shan Yi trying hard to make sure he was in Shi Lu Wen''s good side.

    "It''s good, then."

    Du Min arched his eyebrows. He only uttered one sentence and Wei Liuying could already grasp these two''s relationship? By now, he felt that Wei Liuying and Yang Xian truly had brains that far exceeded normal human''s ability.

    Little did he know that Wei Liuying had already suspected such just from the little events that unfolded before her eyes. As someone who had to continuously observe her surroundings, it was not hard for her to draw conclusion from what she had seen so far.

    These two were really funny.

    That was her conclusion. After talking with Du Min, Wei Liuying stayed silent and made her presence unknown. There was no need to draw unnecessary attention.

    The journey continued.

    Shan Yi didn''t try to get close to Shi Lu Wen more than necessary. Besides, they only needed around two days'' journey to reach the temple. When the sun started to set, they had already reached the mountain where the temple was held.

    Their large group, consisting of soldiers and bandits clearly raised alarm to people there. It was truly an odd combination and the soldiers also didn''t dare trying to attack the bandits because Gao Ling had ordered them to stay in peaceful situation.

    Still, outsiders would be baffled to no end with this weird lineup.

    "Hold on!" several soldiers stood guarding the temple.

    "Lady Gao, daughter of General Gao from Gao City wished to enter the temple," one of the soldiers reported and gave their identification token so that the soldiers there would allow them to come in.

    The soldiers who were guarding looked at each other. They already saw that there were several bandits among the group there, which made it confusing. Why would this odd group want to enter the temple?

    "Excuse me, but would you like to explain who they were?" a young man stood forward and asked.

    On the back, Wei Liuying nearly fell from her horse. The one who came forward was Xie Jing, the second son of Prime Minister Xie. Even though she had heard that there were some people who didn''t like the second son, but she had never heard of him being called over to be the one to guard the temple.

    Also¡­ isn''t this position was quite low? Based on how prestigious Xie Family was, there was no way that the second son could only get the position as guards in this small temple. There might be other reasons as to why Xie Jing came here in the first place.

    Based on his clothing, he was nothing more than a small squad captain, which was pitiful considering his status. After all, most other nobles could become the commander of even a thousand soldiers if they used their connection properly.

    "Young Master Xie, this¡­."

    "We''re only here to accompany our sister in law."

    "Yes!"

    Shan Yi snorted. He looked at the young child not far from him and nodded. "I''m accompanying my future wife."

    Bletak!

    A wood was thrown from inside the carriage. "Who in the world is your future wife? I never accepted your proposal!"

    "Lu Wen, don''t get angry, ok?"

    There were two young ladies'' voice from inside the carriage. From the way they talked, Xie Jing could conclude that they must be Gao Ling and someone with the name Lu Wen. Unfortunately, he didn''t know any noble with that name even after spending most of his time in the capital city to study.

    As for Gao Ling, he had already heard her name a lot. It was hard to not hear her name, one of the few females who managed to make their name in the battlefield. Calculating the time, Xie Jing knew that it was time for Gao Ling to be away from the north as safety measure.

    ''And they had to pick this temple from any places existed.''

    Xie Jing had the feeling that if something were to happen to Gao Ling, his end would be worse than this. He truly didn''t wish to create more trouble.

    "This¡­"

    "Just give us permission," Shan Yi cut him off. "I''m going to accompany my lady. I won''t create any trouble there unless you try to provoke me first."

    Xie Jing felt his back was filled with sweat. He turned his head to the leader, who was suffering the same fate. They already heard of the infamous bandits and since they were only a small group, there was nothing that they could actually do.

    Besides, their arrangement to be positioned in this place was nothing more than a punishment because Prince Ji Sheng would kill Prince Ji Shao Yang not long from now. This was the only way he could eliminate those who supported Prince Ji Shao Yang, which was by sending his men to push them all away.

    "Leader¡­" Xie Jing called out. He would rather push all the blame to the leader. Since he was at a rank lower, it would be better to leave those at higher rank to give the decision.

    The leader glanced at Xie Jing with an expression as if he was ready to cry. Right now, he truly wished that he was not the one chosen to guard the temple. Having to make the decision¡­..

    "You.. can pass."

    "Heh, this is better. Let''s go men!"

    "Yes!"

    Xie Jing watched the crowds go up and then resumed his position again. Sitting on top of a rock, he was silently wondering what he was supposed to do. His father couldn''t do anything when Prince Ji Shu suggested that he was to be sent away from the Capital City to become a soldier instead of a scholar.

    Besides, Xie Jing was known to be of lesser importance and skill compared to his brother. His father didn''t have any hesitation to send him away, which was the same as telling him that he would be abandoned.

    ''An abandoned young master and now there''s important guest.''

    Xie Jing''s fingers clenched into a fist. If his father already knew that Gao Ling would come here, it meant that even his own father was dissatisfied with him and wished for his end. As the young master, this was the first time Xie Jing felt that he was truly alone.

    There was no one who would help him.

    "Young Master Xie."

    "Yes?"

    "You should return back inside. It''s not safe outside."

    "I''m a soldier now," Xie Jing replied with a laugh. "There''s no way I can stay on the back and just sit idly. At the very least, I don''t need to meet with so many fake people here."

    The leader looked at Xie Jing and sighed. He knew that Xie Jing missed the capital city because in that place, Wei Yijun would be able to accompany him and talked about so many things that they have interest in.

    Speaking of the Wei Family, they had just come here, right?

    ¡­

    While the soldiers were talking, the rest walked up the steep path. It became harder to ride the horse and carriage as time passed, but they still could last for some time. In the end, they spent a long time before they could reach a small stopping where it was possible to put their carriages and horses.

    "There''s already someone else here," Gao Ling commented when she saw the carriages and horses. When she saw their clothes, her brows furrowed. "Wei Family?"

 Chapter 177 - Wei Xiao Huaâ€™s Prophecy

    When she saw their clothes, her brows furrowed. "Wei Family?"

    "Yes, the three young ladies from Wei Family come here, Lady Gao," one of the servants there responded out of politeness.

    Three young ladies?

    Hearing that phrase, Gao Ling felt her blood boil from anger. She knew for sure that Wei Liuying was standing behind her, blending with the soldiers and acted like a little kid who had just joined the army. There was no way she could be with the people from Wei Family on top of the temple.

    There was only one explanation.

    The Wei Liuying who was with the other Wei Family members were not the real Wei Liuying, but a fake one.

    To think that the Wei Family was so desperate that they even arranged someone to take her place. Gao Ling felt that the image of Wei Family as one of the prominent family in Han Shi Kingdom had fallen even deeper and deeper.

    "Lady Gao, we should hurry and go up. It''ll be late."

    "I know."

    Shi Lu Wen grasped Gao Ling''s hand. She also knew that the one there was not the real Wei Liuying, but there was no way they could say that. From the moment Wei Liuying came to the north, she has already abandoned her previous identity as the concubine daughter of Wei Family.

    "Sister Gao, come on."

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying saw the two girls'' expression and somehow, her grip tightened. This was the first time someone other than her uncle, Xiao Qing, and Shi Yan got angry on her behalf. In the Wei Family, no one ever cared for her and only thought of her as nothing more than tools that they could use.

    But here, she was treated as their friends.

    "Soldier Ying," Du Min called out when he saw Wei Liuying was in a trance. "We need to hurry."

    "Ah yeah, sorry. This is the first time I visit East Temple, so I''m a bit curious," Wei Liuying gave her excuse.

    "Be mindful of your action. You''re here to protect Lady Gao."

    "Yes!"

    The journey to the temple didn''t take a long time. They quickly met with the Abbot and paid their respect. Since it was already late at night, they were already arranged some rooms so that they could rest for the time being. Even though the people there didn''t like Shan Yi''s presence, they had no other choice but to prepare more rooms for him too.

    "Shan Yi, you absolutely can''t enter my room without permission," Shi Lu Wen reminded when they headed to their room.

    Shan Yi shrugged. "Fine. But you need to call me to play tomorrow."

    "As if!"

    They had just walked to the back courtyard when they saw three young ladies walked from the opposite direction. The first young lady was wearing long white robe. She had fair skin and beautiful complexion. Even with her current plain dress, it was not hard to say that she was very beautiful.

    The second one was wearing light pink brocade dress. She was wearing a lot of hairpins, yet there was some clear exhaustion on her face. Even though it was covered in makeup, those who were keen enough would be able to see past the layer of powder.

    The last one was a bit shorter than the rest. She had small frame and figure, while her face was that of an excellent beauty. There were some traces of tiredness on her face, but it couldn''t cover her charm in the slightest bit.

    Wei Xiao Hua, Wei Zilin, and fake Wei Liuying.

    Wei Liuying looked in their direction from a distance away, but she didn''t try to come close. The one who was tasked to be her fake one was clearly a prostitute from a brothel. She was good at hiding her real feeling and seduce other people with her exceedingly beautiful face.

    ''What a good one you prepare here, Xiao Hua.''

    Gao Ling looked at the three young ladies with a cold expression. Her maidservant, Hai Yue, immediately stood forward and blocked the three young ladies from getting closer.

    "Oh my, we''re sorry for intruding your night walk," Wei Xiao Hua said with a lighthearted tone. Her soothing voice was filled with charm as if it was intended to make people grew comfortable with what she said. The smile on her face never disappeared as if a glue stick it to her face.

    Gao Ling stayed still. "It''s already late, I won''t disturb you three again."

    "Isn''t it a bit impolite to not introduce yourself?" Wei Zilin asked in an unhappy tone. She had already learned how to mask her expression, but her eyes and attitude often revealed her real feeling.

    "Who''s the impolite one, you or me?" Gao Ling refuted. She waved her arm. "Besides, what''s the use of asking for unimportant person''s name? It''ll be better for us to not meet with each other again."

    Wei Zilin was stunned by Gao Ling''s harsh words. She was thinking hard about whether she had ever offended Gao Ling or not, but she couldn''t think of anything. After all, she had never met with Gao Ling in the past.

    On the other hand, Wei Xiao Hua held an indescribable expression. She looked in Gao Ling''s direction and smiled.

    "Indeed. It''ll be better for us to not meet again." besides, since you''ll die in a few days'' time, how can we possibly meet with each other again?

    Of course, Wei Xiao Hua never uttered out the second sentence. It was a knowledge that she knew from reading the book and memorizing the key points of the story''s progress. At the end of the second volume, Wei Xiao Hua would be meeting with several people who were actually holding important position in Prince Ji Sheng''s heart.

    They were all Shi Yan''s sister, Shi Lu Wen and also Prince Ji Sheng''s fianc¨¦e, Gao Ling. At the same time, there was also the hidden Strategist Liu in the group.

    ''But the annoying author never explained much about them. She only said that they''re all important people for Prince Ji Sheng. However, most of them have commoners background, which meant that everything they have will be gone once they died. There''s no one who had large backing aside from Gao Ling.''

    There would be an attack to the temple from a tribe that managed to sneak pass the border by disguising as merchants. The trick that was supposed to be increasing their relationship instead used as method for the tribes to enter the city. Even though they looked a bit different from people here, they could hide their faces with scarf or something like that.

    Wei Xiao Hua knew the future events, but in this part, she was only an innocent bystander because she was busy trying to eliminate Wei Zilin. Though, her plan was foiled thanks to the appearance of those people.

    ''Well, it didn''t matter.''

    ''With the death of Shi Lu Wen, Gao Ling, and the injured Strategist Liu, Prince Ji Sheng would be in utter despair. As for Wei Xiao Hua, she''ll be fine because of the men Ji Shu sent to protect her. The fake Wei Liuying will die here while Wei Zilin will be traumatized for life.''

    Thinking about her smooth sailing life in the future, Wei Xiao Hua was extremely content. She had been suffering for the past few months trying to make sure that everything was going according to the novel timeline. There was no way she wanted to make another blunder like before.

    Even now, she was still not totally sure how much change she had created because of her action that was not in line with the real Wei Xiao Hua.

    It was a hassle.

    ''But the author never detailed the specific of the battles in the novel,'' Wei Xiao Hua thought to herself.

    ''And these characters; Strategist Liu, Shi Lu Wen, and Gao Ling, only appeared for a short period of time in front of Wei Xiao Hua before the news of their death was heard. Well, they''re all never a truly important character in the novel too.''

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at the group who was following Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen. The soldiers were mostly adults, but there was one who was fairly smaller than the rest. When she read the book, she recalled Strategist Liu''s description.

    Small and petite with beautiful appearance. It was as if the young man was actually a young girl.

    She hadn''t seen the kid''s face, but she trusted the book''s description because they were all so accurate. In any case, what she recalled from the incident in the temple was the sentence that Strategist Liu uttered when he heard that Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen had died.

    In the incident in the temple later, Wei Xiao Hua was perfectly safe, but those people from Prince Ji Sheng''s side suffered a lot. From dozens of people who came here today, only one person who would be alive:

    Strategist Liu.

    And there was one sentence that Wei Xiao Hua could never forget from the novel. It was used as the chapter title and on that chapter, a lot of readers raged on in the comment section because the author gave so much screen time to the side character. In addition, it was such an emotional part.

    "Why am I still alive?"

    Wei Xiao Hua shuddered a bit when she thought about that. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Just thinking about it said by someone made her feel the pain and heartache once more.

    She laughed internally.

    If only the one here was the real Wei Xiao Hua, she would never feel anything. After all, the transmigrated Wei Xiao Hua in the book was a cold blooded person who knew that if she wanted to achieve anything here, she could never have any feeling.

 Chapter 178 - First Day In The Temple

    After all, the transmigrated Wei Xiao Hua in the book was a cold blooded person who knew that if she wanted to achieve anything here, she could never have any feeling.

    "Miss Xiao Hua?" her maidservant asked in a worried tone.

    "I''m fine," Wei Xiaohua replied with a faint smile on the corner of her lips. There was no need for her to think about those matters anymore. It shouldn''t have any relation whatsoever to her either. "Let''s go back and rest. The night wind is cold."

    "Yes, Miss!"

    ¡­

    Gao Ling was still annoyed whenever she thought about her meeting with Wei Xiao Hua and the people around her. It was painfully clear that there was a fake Wei Liuying in their group too. In addition, she looked beautiful yet miserable, which was very similar to how Wei Liuying used to portray herself based on what Gao Ling had heard.

    It felt frustrating.

    "I really wish I''m allowed to use my bow and arrow right now," Gao Ling muttered when she reached her room.

    Beside her, Shi Lu Wen sighed. "I also brought some medicine. If she goes overdose, wouldn''t she suffer?"

    "That''s a great idea."

    "Right?!"

    Gao Ling nodded. "But I''m sure a certain person wouldn''t let us to do as we wish."

    Shi Lu Wen peered to the back and saw Wei Liuying was still following them faithfully. She was looking in their direction with a tranquil gaze as if there was nothing that could affect her in the slightest bit. Her black iris was staring back without any intention to ask them any help.

    The appearance of the fake Wei Liuying didn''t seem to enter her head at all.

    "I''m going to rest now. You can leave," Gao Ling said.

    "Yes, Lady Gao."

    Everyone quickly departed.

    Wei Liuying obviously noticed the look on Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen''s gaze. She knew that they were asking her why she didn''t have any reaction in the slightest bit, but in her opinion, there was no need to care so much. Even though her real identity has been taken by other people, it just simply meant that they wished to use what she had left behind.

    Of course, she would take care of that fake Wei Liuying.

    But not now.

    She couldn''t possibly make a move that would involve Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen. She didn''t wish to put them in danger at all.

    Patience is a virtue.

    She had to be patience if she wished to get proper result, but she shouldn''t miss the right timing like before again.

    Wei Liuying stopped near the garden and looked to the back. The location of the servant and guards were not far from the main quarter where Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen stayed for protection. As for Wei Liuying, she was arranged a room that was right by the side of Gao Ling''s room.

    She looked at the large man behind her. "Is there anything I can help, Leader Shan?"

    "As I thought, you''re Liu," Shan Yi said while messing his hair. He had been suspicious when he saw Wei Liuying''s small figure and face. However, he didn''t dare to step forward because he understood that she was hiding her identity by blending with the soldiers. Besides, she also acted as if she didn''t know him.

    He might be a muscle brain, but he was not a complete idiot.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "There''s some circumstances."

    "Can''t you just kill those people from Gao City? They''re nuisance," Shan Yi said bluntly. "Weak but they pretend that they''re going to protect their young lady. How can they protect with measly strength like that?"

    "Muscle strength is not everything in a battle."

    "Their intelligence didn''t even reach a tenth of yours."

    "If they heard it, they''ll be angry." Wei Liuying shook her head lightly and fixed her posture while looking at Shan Yi with her tranquil gaze.

    Shan Yi snorted. He felt that Wei Liuying was truly too patient. If it was him, he would have long landed a punch on their faces to teach them a lesson. "It''s not important. Anyway, what''s your role this time? Should I pretend that I know you or¡­"

    "There''s no need. I''m nothing more than a new soldier that Prince Ji Sheng recruited for his army," Wei Liuying replied. She turned around slowly. "Please protect Miss Lu Wen because it might not be peaceful here."

    "That''s my intention in the first place," Shan Yi refuted. "Even if you don''t say it, I''ll surely protect her."

    Wei Liuying didn''t turn around and merely waved her hand while walking away. Shan Yi messed his hair again and cursed under his breath. He had heard about Wei Liuying''s fame when he was traveling, but he didn''t expect that she truly changed so much in just a short period of several months.

    The young girl who was exceedingly cold had grown to be harder to read and more powerful. He was sure that if he had to fight Wei Liuying again, he would lose miserably because of her scheme.

    ''Ah ****, I can''t possibly lose to a little girl.''

    Shan Yi mused to himself before he turned around and left. Well, it could be for later as his intention in coming here was to protect Shi Lu Wen. When he heard the melodious song, he knew that Shi Lu Wen was asking him to come, but he had to pretend as if he only came because he was interested in her.

    He truly couldn''t understand how these people could live by so much scheming every single day.

    He felt his brain was roasted just thinking about it.

    Time passed quietly.

    There was nothing remarkable on the first night and when it was daybreak, the servants began to move. In the temple, everyone had to wake up early for their morning activities. As for Wei Liuying, she woke up early to prepare for her task to protect Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen.

    "Soldier Ying, you''re up?" Du Min called out.

    "Ah yeah!" Wei Liuying turned around and smiled. Her previously unreadable expression turned bright like that of a na?ve youngster. "Is there anything wrong, Soldier Du? I thought that we''re going to stand by the side like usual."

    "Not for today. Lady Gao wished to practice archery, so I want you to accompany her."

    "Eh? Will I be able to match up to her skill?" Wei Liuying asked in surprise. She hadn''t seen Gao Ling in action if she had to be honest, so she was not sure how much she should hold herself back when facing her.

    Du Min laughed. "There''s no need to worry. Lady Gao won''t go too hard for you."

    "That sounds relieving."

    "Come on."

    When Wei Liuying got closer, she noticed that Du Min stretched his hand a bit. A bamboo strip was passed successfully that way. Internally, Wei Liuying sighed for the nth time because she understood that this was the only method they could possibly use to communicate with each other.

    When they were already near the place, Wei Liuying climbed the nearby tree to look around the location. At the same time, she took the chance to read the bamboo strip that Du Min passed to her.

    ''Raging fire had occurred and only those who are away can stay safe.''

    Wei Liuying sighed.

    In other words, Yang Xian wished for her to not get involved in the battles and stay focused on protecting Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen. Well, it was not that hard of a task, but she didn''t like to be kept in the dark forever. She wanted to be able to know what happened outside too.

    "It''s morning, where do you want to go, Sister Gao?" Shi Lu Wen asked.

    Gao Ling grinned. "I''m going to practice archery. Do you want to come alone, Lu Wen?"

    "Ugh, I can''t use bow properly," Shi Lu Wen admitted. For self defense, she was only taught how to use a knife because it was the best method that her brother thought for her. Besides, a knife was light and easy to carry even for someone as small as Shi Lu Wen.

    "You can just watch. I have someone else to invite this time."

    "Oh, who?"

    "Where''s Soldier Ying?"

    "He''s up there," Du Min pointed to the tree.

    Wei Liuying jumped off and looked at Gao Ling with sheepish smile. "I''m sorry Lady Gao, the view from the tree is so beautiful that I can''t resist from climbing up."

    Gao Ling smiled. "It''s fine. Now, you should just come with me and practice me, okay?"

    "Okay."

    The guards were all watching from the sides and lit a candle in their heart. They knew how harsh Gao Ling''s training was, so they simply watched from the side. Wei Liuying hurriedly set up the target then returned back to Gao Ling.

    "Can you use bow?"

    "Just a bit. I''m not proficient with it," Wei Liuying replied. She was trying to stay away in order to not reveal her real skill with the bow.

    Gao Ling nodded. "In that case, your task is to retrieve my arrows every time I have finished, got it?"

    "Yes!"

    With that, Gao Ling began to dock the arrow and aimed to the target. The aura around her changed greatly. Previously, she still looked as usual, which was the amiable young miss of the Gao Family, but now, she looked like a valiant warrior.

    The arrow didn''t stay in the bow for long as Gao Ling''s finger released it.

    Dzing! Jleb!

    It hit right in the middle.

 Chapter 179 - The Villain

    The aura around her changed greatly. Previously, she still looked as usual, which was the amiable young miss of the Gao Family, but now, she looked like a valiant warrior.

    The arrow didn''t stay in the bow for long as Gao Ling''s finger released it.

    Dzing! Jleb!

    It hit right in the middle.

    "Wow! Sister Gao is amazing!" Shi Lu Wen cheered from the side.

    The guards were watching in silence. They all already knew that Gao Ling was capable of this much. Not only that, she was capable to do even more than this.

    Gao Ling smiled and took another arrow and repeated the same process.

    It hit in the middle again.

    And again.

    After she had shot 10 arrows, Wei Liuying had to pull the arrows back and then returned it all to Gao Ling. They continued to stay in the field for all morning until it was the time for lunch.

    "Do you always practice this much?" Shi Lu Wen felt like she had bathed in sweat just from watching Gao Ling.

    Gao Ling laughed. "This is nothing much."

    In Gao City, she had to hit moving target because there was no way that their enemies would be kind enough to stop moving for her. This time, she was merely training her arm as she was bored. Learning etiquette and so on would be so boring for her, so it was clearly a big no.

    "Let''s go to the main hall."

    "Yes."

    They all walked with the soldiers following from behind. Gao Ling looked at the entourage with deep crease. "You all should go and eat too. I''m only taking Hai Yue, Soldier Du and Soldier Ying with me."

    "But Miss¡­."

    "If you''re worried, should I bring Shan Yi along?"

    Shan Yi?

    Hearing that name, they all turned to the side where Shan Yi was standing while leaning to the tree. He was still wearing his usual getup, which was his tattered clothes that was very suitable as a bandit. Though, this kind of clothes made him looked a bit scarier in overall.

    "What are you looking at?" Shan Yi asked back with a growl.

    "it''s nothing."

    Gao Ling crossed her hands. "Scram now."

    The soldiers had no other choice but to run back to the servants'' quarter and watched Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen from a distance away. Only Du Min and Wei Liuying stayed behind to protect the two of them.

    "Now that the nuisances are away, let''s go to the dining room. I''m already famished," Gao Ling said to Shi Lu Wen.

    "Yes, Sister Gao!"

    The two of them walked to the dining room. Shi Lu Wen clearly enjoyed her time here as she looked around in happiness. The food only consisted of vegetable and fruits because the monks were vegetarian and for Shi Lu Wen, it was Heaven.

    "I can''t believe the vegetables here are so fresh!" Shi Lu Wen said with a large grin.

    Gao Ling forced a smile. Now that she thought about it, she had to eat only vegetables for the next few months during her stay here¡­.

    Shi Lu Wen was fine since the young girl also loved herbs a lot and only eat meat when it was necessary for the nutrition. But Gao Ling was different. She had gotten used with the food in Gao City and her favorite was obviously meat.

    This would be a torture.

    "Soldier Ying."

    "Yes?"

    "I would like you to sneak some food to the temple starting next week. Most importantly, it has to have meat," Gao Ling gave her instruction.

    Wei Liuying was stunned then she nodded. "I understand, Miss! I''ll do my best."

    Gao Ling nodded in satisfaction as she ate the vegetables in front of her. Since this was only her first day, she didn''t really have qualms eating the vegetables now. However, Gao Ling was sure that after a week, she wouldn''t be able to last.

    The two girls enjoyed their meal while Wei Liuying and Du Min had theirs in separate table. The menu was similar, but the quality of the vegetables was slightly worse compared to Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen. After all, they were still categorized as servants of these two.

    "Wouldn''t it be better for you to assume different identity?" Du Min asked in a low tone.

    Wei Liuying raised her head and lightly shook her head. She was picking the vegetables with her chopsticks as she muttered, "This is already enough."

    There were many worse times when she didn''t even have enough meal to eat and have to resort to eat the wild herbs. Some of them made her end up having stomach pain, but there was simply nothing else that she could eat. The only thing she could possibly do was to endure until it was the time to eat again.

    Back then, she was still unable to sneak out of the residence because her skill was too poor. She had no other choice but to suffer in silence.

    The meal was peaceful then they heard the sound of complaining from the right side of the hall. There were three young ladies there and from their appearance, it was easy to recognize them as Wei Xiao Hua, Wei Zilin, and the fake Wei Liuying.

    "I can''t eat this! This is worse than dirt!" Wei Zilin complained when she only saw vegetables on her plate.

    "Vegetables are good for you," Wei Xiao Hua said unhurriedly. "Wouldn''t you like to be healthy and well?"

    Wei Zilin sneered. "I''m not a cow who eats grass."

    "We''re staying here for two days to pray for Father''s child to be born safely. Would you last that long without eating at all?" Wei Xiao Hua asked again. "Look, even Wei Liuying is eating well."

    Hearing that, Wei Zilin''s face turned red. They were coming here under their father''s order to pray for his child''s safe birth. Concubine Chou has been trying all kind of means to prevent the child to be born, but Wei Hong was even faster. He sent the children away so that there was no one Concubine Chou could use.

    The fake Wei Liuying raised her head. "If you think you''re so great, why don''t you complain to Father about this arrangement?"

    "You! Who do you think you are to speak so rudely to me? You''re nothing more than¡­."

    Splash!

    The fake Wei Liuying held the bowl of soup that belonged to Wei Zilin and splashed the content to Wei Zilin. There was a faint grin on her face. "Oh, sorry. My hand slipped. But since you didn''t have any intention to eat it, it''s fine, right?"

    Wei Zilin''s face turned red. Looking at the male monk, even though they were already devoted here, she still felt utterly embarrassed. Her wet clothes made her body a bit see through.

    "Let''s go!"

    "Yes, Miss."

    Wei Xiao Hua shook her head lightly and looked at the fake Wei Liuying. "Don''t you think you''re going too far?"

    "So what? Even if you''re the main daughter, it didn''t mean I have to abide by the rules that you set," the fake Wei Liuying replied sarcastically.

    The servants around had their head hung low, but it was not hard to guess what they were thinking. They must be thinking about how the third miss of Wei Family had no manners and the fact that she was nothing more than a disgrace.

    "How vicious," Wei Liuying muttered.

    Looking at how the fake Wei Liuying''s eyes still held a trace of fear to Wei Xiao Hua, she could guess that she was acting according to the instruction of Wei Xiao Hua. It meant that the girl they sent to impersonate the ''death'' Wei Liuying was someone under Prince Ji Shu who was tasked to help Wei Xiao Hua in taking care of the unruly concubines and siblings there.

    At the same time, the fake Wei Liuying would be acting like a real troublemaker and villain to Wei Xiao Hua. That way, it would look as if she was trying to take over Wei Xiao Hua''s position and in the end, Prince Ji Shu would have legitimate reason to kill her in the most miserable way.

    ''Tarnishing my name, making me act as the villain, and finally tossing me away.''

    Wei Liuying held the chopstick in her hand. It was trembling due to the sheer power and anger that she was trying to hold back. Even though she had been telling herself that it was her mistake to leave the matter of her real self stayed unattended before, she never thought that they would use her name this far.

    They even dared to change her personality and action so greatly just to increase Wei Xiao Hua''s name and popularity.

    Wei Liuying''s expression turned dark and her light smile was cold. The temperature around her seemed to be dropping several folds as she muttered lightly, "If you truly wish for me to be the villain, fine. I''ll be one. But this time, you better not regret your action, Wei Xiao Hua."

    Because I won''t play by your rules.

 Chapter 180 - Letâ€™s Compete

    Crack!

    Gao Ling looked at the chopstick that she was holding. Due to her martial arts, she could hear what Wei Xiao Hua and the rest were talking about. Those girls didn''t even try to hide their conversation as they bantered with each other and enacted that disgusting act. If not because Gao Ling knew the real Wei Liuying, she would surely believe what they were saying.

    Besides her, Shi Lu Wen''s expression was not any better. She looked to the direction of the three young ladies because her sitting position was opposite from Gao Ling. Even though she didn''t learn martial arts, she still could hear some of their sentences that they shouted out loudly.

    "Sister Gao."

    "Yes?"

    "Can I concoct a medicine then handed it out?" Shi Lu Wen asked with a bright smile on her face. Somehow, she truly wanted to teach those girls a lesson for trying to tarnish Wei Liuying''s name.

    Wei Liuying was already declared as ''death.''

    And yet, they couldn''t let her off and still used her name to make things even worse. Shi Lu Wen couldn''t accept things like this. She wished that she was capable of beating them all up so badly to the point that no one could possibly recognize them anymore. If not, then let her poison them.

    There were more than enough herbs in her current possession to poison them. While it might not be able to kill them directly, she would be able to make them suffer for a long period of time.

    That was easy.

    Gao Ling tapped the table and snorted. "In that case, let''s just confront them and have fun."

    "Eh?" Shi Lu Wen was stunned.

    She did say that she wanted to poison them, but she didn''t expect that Gao Ling would truly make a move. Before she could say anything else, she saw Gao Ling put down the chopsticks.

    After saying that, Gao Ling walked to the other table in an unhurried manner. She was looking at Wei Xiao Hua''s direction as if she was wishing the other party to die. However, her amicable smile didn''t leave her face in the slightest bit. It was as if whatever they saw was nothing more than an illusion.

    Wei Xiao Hua raised her head.

    The novel did tell her that Gao Ling would come to her with a bit of malicious intent. It was uncertain why and the real Wei Xiao Hua would think that it was because of the rivalry of their fianc¨¦. After all, Wei Xiao Hua had never interacted with Gao Ling before.

    ''The description in the novel is inaccurate.''

    Looking at Gao Ling, Wei Xiao Hua felt that it was no longer just a bit of malicious intent but instead, it was a load full of malicious intent. It was as if Wei Xiao Hua was her biggest enemy and Gao Ling would never let her off no matter what.

    But even now, Wei Xiao Hua never knew the real reason for Gao Ling''s hostility. In the novel, there were some speculation that the readers made but the stingy author didn''t reveal the answer at all.

    She felt like shaking that stingy author for answer so many times.

    (A/N: why did you have to call the author stingy so many times, ah?)

    "Is there anything that I can do to help?" Wei Xiao Hua asked with a bright smile. When it came to concealing her real thoughts, she was also capable to do the same thing.

    "I''m just thinking that since this is no longer late at night, I should start to introduce myself," Gao Ling replied in a soothing tone. She looked at the two of them. "Gao Ling, the only daughter of General Gao."

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled. "Wei Xiao Hua, the first daughter of Prime Minister Wei."

    They would usually use the position of their father as if they wished to compete who has the best position. After all, both of their father were accomplished in Han Shi Kingdom despite the difference in the field.

    Gao Ling looked at the fake Wei Liuying. "And this?"

    "Wei Liuying, the third daughter of Prime Minister Wei," the fake Wei Liuying replied.

    Hearing the introduction, Gao Ling resisted the urge to not stomp on her and shouted lies. She knew full well that the real Wei Liuying was with them, but she couldn''t tell anyone about this matter because of the restriction that Yang Xian told her.

    Wei Liuying couldn''t live as the prime minister''s concubine daughter anymore.

    If only she didn''t care for her image and the fallout between two families, she would not hesitate to make a move. However, the teaching that she had from young had taught her that violence couldn''t solve everything.

    There were many matters that shouldn''t be solved with fist.

    "Have you finished eating?" Gao Ling asked and pointed to the empty plate. She felt that Wei Xiao Hua was truly a fast eater.

    In truth, Wei Xiao Hua was quick to eat because she knew that there would be trouble soon. If she faced it with empty stomach, it would be the same as torturing herself. She wouldn''t want to do that.

    "Yes."

    "In that case, would you like to have a walk? We can get to know each other that way," Gao Ling offered with a smile on her face.

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled back. "Of course."

    The two of them looked like they could kill each other immediately, but they still held smile on their faces. The others were confused about this development, but they had no other choice but to follow them.

    "Would this one come along?" Gao Ling asked with an amicable tone. However, the cold glare she used when looking at the fake Wei Liuying seemed to be able to pierce through the hardest steel.

    It was as if she wished to bury the fake Wei Liuying to death.

    The fake Wei Liuying was tongue tied. Looking at the scary aura that Gao Ling emanated, she couldn''t say anything. Everything that she wanted to say was stuck inside her throat, unable to come out in the slightest bit.

    ''What should I do?''

    She was nothing more than a little girl that Prince Ji Shu found in the red district. Compared to the noble young ladies who were already used to the hidden threat beneath everyone''s tongue, she was more used to the covert flirt talk. It was practically useless in this kind of situation.

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled and spoke out quickly. "Would you mind if I bring my Third Sister along, Lady Gao? She''s a poor child who didn''t have many experiences outside and might be able to learn something from us."

    If one didn''t know better, they would think that Wei Xiao Hua was such a kind sister. Even though the fake Wei Liuying treated her harshly, she was still treating her sister so politely and even gave the other a chance.

    However, Gao Ling knew that it was nothing more than an act.

    Seeing Wei Xiao Hua made her disgusted, but she chose to swallow everything that she wanted to say. She shouldn''t create unnecessary troubles without proper preparation. There was no need to rebuke Wei Xiao Hua harshly.

    "I wouldn''t mind."

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled. "Liuying, follow me."

    "Yes, First Sister."

    This time, the fake Wei Liuying couldn''t do anything but to play the role of a good girl. She felt terrified from the bottom of her heart, yet she couldn''t say anything. Internally, she wondered if Gao Ling hated the real Wei Liuying because of the way Gao Ling treated her.

    If Wei Xiao Hua heard what the fake Wei Liuying was thinking, she would have rolled her eyes.

    While Wei Liuying used to be famous as the useless girl, there was no way Gao Ling would have heard about her. There were a few other useless concubine daughters in the capital city because not everyone was bestowed with great skill.

    Still, Wei Xiao Hua was also curious as to why Gao Ling showed such hostility to the two of them.

    Gao Ling looked at her own group. "Soldier Ying, Soldier Du, you can stay a bit further. And Lu Wen, come with me."

    "Yes!"

    Shi Lu Wen patted her bag lightly as she walked over. She had brought a lot of medicine inside her small bag which would be more than enough to poison someone if it was necessary.

    Somehow, she couldn''t wait for the chance she awaited to be able to harm Wei Xiao Hua for doing so much to Wei Liuying.

    "These two¡­" Du Min didn''t know what to say. They knew what these two were thinking because they have been here for some time. However, it was impossible to utter it out because it would be impolite and revealed Gao Ling''s real intention.

    Wei Liuying put down her chopstick. "How foolish."

    "Yes?"

    "If they want to make a move, they should have done that using a completely different method," Wei Liuying replied.

 Chapter 181 - I Know

    Wei Liuying put down her chopstick. "How foolish."

    "Yes?"

    "If they want to make a move, they should have done that using a completely different method," Wei Liuying replied. This way, Wei Xiao Hua''s suspicion would fall on them if something were to happen.

    "Can''t you say something nicer?" Du Min asked. ''They did this for you.''

    Even though Du Min didn''t say the latter half of his sentence, he was looking at Wei Liuying with a clear expression. Wei Liuying naturally knew that, but she merely smiled and stood up.

    There was no need for her to explain so much because that small gesture already answered everything that Du Min wanted to know. He opened his mouth again, but in the end, no words came out.

    The faint smile on the corner of Wei Liuying''s mouth and also her clear eyes showed that she understood. She felt grateful, but she didn''t really approve their way of handling things. Because of that, she would be the one to meddle and made sure that it couldn''t be traced back to them.

    That was what Wei Liuying''s current expression told him.

    "They''re too na?ve." Wei Liuying chuckled a bit.

    Hearing that, Du Min could only force a smile on his lips. Well, he had to agree with Wei Liuying that both Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen were a bit na?ve if they thought that Wei Xiao Hua was easy to deal with.

    From Prince Ji Shu, he knew that Wei Liuying had already experienced some troubles because of Wei Xiao Hua in the past. It was to the point that Wei Liuying''s plan was shattered into pieces even before it could be done.

    Pretty much, it was the same with Prince Ji Shao Yang.

    Before they could even start to enact their plan, their opponent had already made the move to push them to the bottom abyss. For Prince Ji Shao Yang, it was both Prince Ji Tian and Prince Ji Shu. While for Wei Liuying, it was Wei Xiao Hua and Prince Ji Shu.

    Somehow, those two managed to grasp the right time to attack when their opponent was unprepared.

    "Come on, we need to follow them."

    "Yes."

    The four ladies didn''t go too far and only headed straight to the field where Gao Ling trained this morning. The place was simply unattended because it was an empty field that was mostly used for exercise if they ever needed it.

    "Let''s have a competition," Gao Ling said while taking out her bow. She grinned. "Can you do that, Miss Wei? I heard that the third miss is really good at martial art."

    Wei Xiao Hua was dumbfounded with this development. Based on what she knew; Gao Ling was supposed to be challenging her to poetry or music as it was something normal for ladies. But now, they were being challenged for martial arts?

    She couldn''t do martial arts.

    In the modern world, she was nothing more than an ordinary office lady. She mostly worked as a secretary and certainly would not touch the bow nor any other weapon. As for here, she had to learn the arts, so she had no other time to learn others because the arts were already hard enough.

    As for the fake Wei Liuying¡­

    She was even worse. Prince Ji Shu didn''t think that there would be anyone who knew about Wei Liuying''s capability in martial arts. Besides, finding a young girl who was capable of martial arts and have the same beautiful face like Wei Liuying would be extremely hard.

    The best that he could do was to find a beautiful young lady from a brothel. And the one he found clearly can''t do martial arts.

    "What are you talking about?" The fake Wei Liuying laughed. "How can it be possible for me to learn martial arts?"

    "Oh? Really?"

    "Yes."

    "But I heard from some rumors that the third young miss from Wei Household often seen practicing with the second young master. Is that rumor not true?" Gao Ling asked in menacing tone.

    The fake Wei Liuying''s face turned red in embarrassment and shame. Of course, that rumor was true, but it was only for the real Wei Liuying. How could she possibly do martial arts when all she had learned in her entire life was how to seduce men with her charms and arts?

    Prince Ji Shu had already explained to her the real situation regarding the real Wei Liuying so that she would be able to match the story. However, the fact that she couldn''t do martial art was not something that one could easily change.

    Learning martial arts required years of studying and dedication.

    Someone who spent her time donning herself in beautiful attire in order to attract men wouldn''t have the time to learn that.

    "That''s untrue," Wei Xiao Hua was quick to reply. "It''s impossible for us to use martial arts because we''re only ladies. How about changing the content of the challenge to something different that we all can do?"

    "Are you sure that there''s no young lady who can do martial arts?"

    "There might be some." Wei Xiao Hua racked her brains. There were a lot of people in this era and there might be some young ladies who learned martial arts just like Gao Ling. However, she clearly didn''t know any of them.

    "But I don''t know any aside from you, Miss Gao."

    Gao Ling passed a glance at Wei Xiao Hua and sneered lightly. This Wei Xiao Hua truly knew how to talk. If only this young girl was a little more foolish, she would be easy to deal with.

    But then again, even Wei Liuying lost in the past against Wei Xiao Hua.

    Though, it was quite an unfair battle since Wei Xiao Hua used Prince Ji Shu''s help. But if Gao Ling ever mentioned the matter, Wei Liuying would readily admit that Wei Xiao Hua won.

    Because in war, everything is fair.

    "You flatter me."

    Wei Xiao Hua laughed lightly. "With that said, do you still want to have martial arts competition, Miss Gao?"

    Gao Ling looked at Wei Xiao Hua for a moment. Wei Xiao Hua''s built and demeanor clearly told her that this young girl had never learned martial arts in the past. After all, most women''s battle was inside and not outside.

    Turning her head to the side, Gao LIng raised her bow and docked her arrow to the place. Despite wearing dresses since she had changed her clothes after the training this morning, she didn''t have any problem to prepare the arrow properly.

    Dzing! Jleb!

    The arrow hit the tree at the end of the field.

    "What a shame. I was thinking that I finally found someone else who can do martial arts. In that case, shall we go and have formal competition?"

    Wei Xiao Hua formed a forced smile on her face. That kind of power that Gao Ling showed clearly told them that the rumor about Gao Ling being an archer in the battlefield was completely true. If the target was no tree but human, there was no telling what would happen in the end.

    The person would surely die thanks to the sheer power from the arrow.

    Thinking about that frightened Wei Xiao Hua.

    For the nth time inside her mind, Wei Xiao Hua felt that her transmigration was nothing more than a joke. For her to contend against someone like Gao Ling was clearly an overestimation of her skill. The real Wei Xiao Hua didn''t fear Gao Ling, but the current Wei Xiao Hua felt trepidation.

    She didn''t want to die again.

    Even though she didn''t know how she ended up in the novel like this, she didn''t want to experience death.

    In fact, she didn''t know whether she had died back then in the modern world or not. The last memory she had was that she was reading the novel in WN app after she had finished her work.

    There was no pain, no death, nothing.

    All that she knew, when she opened her eyes was that everything had changed. She had entered the novel in the place of the real transmigrator who should have been here and faced these things.

    "Indeed, that''s a shame," Wei Xiao Hua forced herself to speak with a bitter smile on her face.

    Internally, she was screaming loudly, ''What in the world I ever do to you, Lady Gao to the point that you wish to shame me? Also, how in the world you know about the real Wei Liuying''s capabilities when there''s supposed to be no one who knew?''

    There were many questions inside Wei Xiao Hua''s head, but she had no other choice but to push everything to the back of her mind. She felt as if she would only make the situation worse if she tried to find out the real answer right now. This was not the right time as she had to make sure that she diffused the situation properly.

 Chapter 182 - A Little Tampering

    This was not the right time as she had to make sure that she diffused the situation properly.

    "In that case, shall we go?"

    "Yes."

    Gao Ling turned around. "Soldier Ying, fetch the arrow."

    "Yes, Lady Gao."

    Wei Liuying purposely lowered her voice to make her sound more like male. Wei Xiao Hua knew her real voice, so she had to change it. Even though several months have passed since the last time they met, Wei Liuying was not about to take a chance to make it easier for Wei Xiao Hua to recognize her.

    Thankfully, Wei Xiao Hua''s attention was fixated on Gao Ling, so she didn''t realize that Wei Liuying was trying hard to make sure that her voice changed. If only she paid a little bit more attention, she might have realized it.

    ''The arrow is deep.''

    Wei Liuying looked at the arrow that was embedded deep into the tree and worked hard to pull it out. It was not that easy since it was planted so deep, but with enough force, Wei Liuying managed to pull it out.

    ''I also wish to shoot the arrow, dummy. But if I do that, the guards around Wei Xiao Hua will have no hesitation from killing me immediately.''

    There were several guards who were following Wei Xiao Hua from the shadow. With Wei Liuying''s current martial arts, she could barely sense them from a distance away, so she could only estimate their number. They all must have been Prince Ji Shu''s elite guards since they were tasked to protect Wei Xiao Hua.

    With this, it was clear that Wei Xiao Hua possessed an extremely high position in Prince Ji Shu''s heart.

    Wei Liuying shook her head and then headed inside. By this time, the two young ladies have started to compete in poetry as they began to recite several famous poetries on the spot. Shi Lu Wen was sitting by the side, listening to the famous poetries that both Gao Ling and Wei Xiao Hua uttered.

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" I can''t understand any of them.

    She was never good when it came to arts too, so Wei Liuying chose to be bystander.

    Poetry.

    Music.

    The two young ladies continued to compete and tried to be the one with the last laugh.

    "Lady Gao, I''m sure you haven''t heard that¡­"

    "Oh, Miss Xiao Hua, you must be kidding¡­"

    The servants and other people inside the room were forced to listen to these two flattering each other while hiding the hidden blades inside their words. Even though not a single one of them said it out loudly, they were trying to make sure that they were not getting involved.

    If only words could kill, these two might have already started massacre from a long time ago.

    Time passed swiftly in this manner until it was the time for dinner. The others were already tired, but the two young ladies didn''t seem to be willing to rest.

    "It''s already the time for dinner." Wei Xiao Hua forced a smile out. She had to admit, Gao Ling truly had high tenacity and stamina. She was already dead tired from trying to catch up with the pace Gao Ling was going at.

    "In that case, shall we compete on drinking?"

    "Drinking?" Wei Xiao Hua''s interest was piqued up. She always loved wine back in her real world, but here, she couldn''t drink because she was not of age yet. It was to the point that she wanted to wail at her misfortune for transmigrating to a body that was still so small.

    "Yes!"

    "Lady Gao, you''re still not of age," Du Min tried to remind Gao Ling.

    Gao Ling waved her hands. "It''s fine. This is not the first time I''m drinking wine too."

    Wei Xiao Hua thought about the novel. Back then, the real Wei Xiao Hua was also a good drinker and had a good time with Gao Ling. The two of them ended in a tie, so it was all good.

    "In that case, I don''t mind."

    "But of course, we need to find way to bring wine to the temple first," Gao Ling added and looked at Wei Liuying. "Bring some wine here."

    Wei Liuying resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that order. Well, it didn''t really matter since she knew that there was actually wine in this temple. Some naughty younger monk didn''t like the strict diet and secretly smuggled some barrels of wine here. With Wei Liuying''s keen sense, she managed to detect the faint smell of wine when she passed by one of the storage room.

    "Please wait here, Lady Gao. And please eat first."

    "Fine. Serve the food in this room instead."

    "Yes, Lady Gao."

    While Wei Xiao Hua and Gao Ling ate to their fill, Wei Liuying walked to the storage room and opened it. Looking at the barrels inside along with several other items, she shook her head lightly. Those people must have been very naughty to smuggle so many barrels of wine.

    For now, she should just do what Gao Ling wanted and observe the situation.

    She picked one of the barrel and rolled it out of the room back to the location where Gao Ling and Wei Xiao Hua was staying.

    "Lady Gao, here is the wine."

    "Great! We can start now. Lu Wen!"

    "I''ll pour it," Shi Lu Wen replied. She picked up a cup and started to divide the wine while both Wei Xiao Hua and Gao Ling glared to each other. They were holding a glass of wine in each of their hands.

    "Let''s start, First Miss Wei."

    "With pleasure, Lady Gao."

    On the side, the fake Wei Liuying had no other choice but to stay silent. She was not taught about what kind of response she should have in this kind of situation, so she simply stayed silent and tried not to attract any attention to herself.

    Wei Liuying looked at the fake one and noticed the hostile gaze shown to her from outside.

    ''Heh, I''m under watch too now?''

    She crossed her hands and leaned to the back wall, leaving Gao Ling and Wei Xiao Hua on their drinking competition. Du Min was standing not far from her, watching the commotion before him without any change in his expression. From his alertness, Wei Liuying knew that Du Min also realized the guards around Wei Xiao Hua.

    They were trying to make sure that no harm could happen to their young miss as they didn''t wish to incur the wrath from Prince Ji Shu.

    "Uhm, Soldier Ying, is there any other wine? This one is almost run out," Shi Lu Wen asked with hesitation.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I''ll take more."

    She went through the same way as before while paying attention to the plants around her. There were several familiar ones as the one that she had tried to eat back in the past. In addition, there were several of them that Wei Liuying knew to be poisonous because of the properties.

    Her hand lightly picked several stalks when she was on her way to return back and headed into the room.

    "Ah, thank you," Shi Lu Wen gave her thanks when she saw the second barrel. Even though she was curious where Wei Liuying found these barrels, she was glad that it was here.

    "There''s poison¡­." Wei Liuying whispered when she was near Shi Lu Wen.

    Shi Lu Wen was also good at maintaining her facial expression thanks to her brother''s training. When he was meeting his guest, she had to make sure that she made proper expression no matter how displeased she was. There were some bad customers too who just wouldn''t do anything properly and simply very annoying.

    There were several plants and herbs that Shi Lu Wen brought with her. It was easy for her to mix the herbs to the glass that was used for Gao Ling. Aside from some medicine to prevent Gao Ling from getting drunk, now she added more to prevent Gao Ling from getting poisoned.

    "Did you do something?" Du Min asked when Wei Liuying had returned.

    Wei Liuying raised her head. "Do you see anything?"

    Du Min furrowed his brows. Wei Liuying was simply leaning in slightly when she passed the barrel and put it in standing position. He couldn''t see what she was talking because she was only facing Shi Lu Wen at that very moment. And one sentence was more than enough for Wei Liuying to pass the message.

    "No."

    "Then, what do you think I do?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    This time, Du Min couldn''t answer and merely watched the performance from the side. The two young ladies slowly grew tired and Wei Xiao Hua began to feel dizzy. Gao Ling was in much better condition thanks to the medicine that Shi Lu Wen mixed in, but Wei Xiao Hua was not.

    "Is there anything wrong, Lady Xiao Hua?" Gao Ling asked with a grin.

    Wei Xiao Hua glared at Gao Ling. "You¡­"

    Blargh!

 Chapter 183 - Aftermath Of The Little Competition

    This time, Du Min couldn''t answer and merely watched the performance from the side. The two young ladies slowly grew tired and Wei Xiao Hua began to feel dizzy. Gao Ling was in much better condition thanks to the medicine that Shi Lu Wen mixed in, but Wei Xiao Hua was not.

    "Is there anything wrong, Lady Xiao Hua?" Gao Ling asked with a grin.

    Wei Xiao Hua glared at Gao Ling. "You¡­"

    Blargh!

    All of a sudden, Wei Xiao Hua lunched her body slightly and vomited on the spot. Her face was pale as she looked at the mess on her clothing. There was definitely some confusion on her face when she looked at her own condition.

    ''It''s weird¡­ the real Wei Xiao Hua can handle this much,'' Wei Xiao Hua thought to herself about the weird development. ''Could it be that my alcohol resistance was even lower than the real Wei Xiao Hua?''

    Their body was supposed to be the same, was alcohol tolerance was also affected by one''s soul?

    For some reasons, Wei Xiao Hua felt that she would never be able to get the answer for this one. Transmigration was supposed to be only something inside a novel. Besides, how to examine one''s soul and determine if there were things that affecting the soul that would affect the body?

    Is there even a method to switch one''s soul?

    That was another question without answer.

    Gao Ling laughed lightly, feeling satisfied with Wei Xiao Hua''s current condition. "You vomited, Miss Xiao Hua. In that case, can I count this as my win?"

    "Yes, Lady Gao¡­urgh."

    Seeing that Wei Xiao Hua was not in a good condition, Gao Ling felt invigorated. She stood up and dusted the nonexistent dust from her clothes. "I''ll be going now, get well soon, First Miss Wei."

    Wei Xiao Hua tried to answer, but she felt that she was truly not feeling well. With no other choice, she lowered her head and vomited once more.

    "First Sister!" the fake Wei Liuying panicked. This was the first time she encountered a situation like this were Wei Xiao Hua would be incapacitated because of drinking so much. Well, in the first place, there was no way they would touch wine when they were in Wei Family Household.

    "I''m fine."

    "But¡­"

    "I''ll be resting now."

    Wei Xiao Hua felt as if her stomach was experiencing acute pain. She felt extremely confused about this. Was it because her body was too young that she was unable to drink properly?

    She was sad when she thought about it.

    At this moment, the servants quickly went to Wei Xiao Hua''s side to help her out. They had to resist the disgust they had when they saw the vomit on the ground. It had truly become a mess in this place.

    "I''m fine¡­. Blargh!"

    By now, Wei Xiao Hua felt that her decision to agree with Gao Ling to have a drinking contest was terribly wrong. She was sure that when she returned back, Prince Ji Shu would never allow her to drink anymore.

    ''Ugh, is my alcohol tolerance really that bad because I''m the one who transmigrated and not the real person?''

    Wei Xiao Hua leaned on her maids and looked outside. The guards that Prince Ji Shu sent were still protecting the place very well. Her clear eyes were looking in their direction for a moment before she lowered her eyes.

    Without anyone knowing, a faint glint flashed within her eyes.

    Even though her current condition was bad because of her nausea, she knew that she would be better soon with some medicine. Besides, it didn''t really matter that much to her.

    The attack would happen tonight.

    No one from Prince Ji Sheng''s side would be able to escape unscathed from this incident while she would be safe thanks to the guards.

    "Miss, come on."

    "Ask for some hangover medicine from the Abbot."

    "Yes, Miss!"

    Wei Liuying originally wanted to stay behind because she needed to take care of the remainder wine. However, Gao Ling''s fast pace to walk out of the room made it impossible for her to stay behind. With no other choice, Wei Liuying silently followed Gao Ling from a distance.

    Gao Ling''s group leave the room as soon as possible. Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen returned to their room while Hai Yue get out to fetch tea for Gao Ling. After drinking that much, it would certainly affect Gao Ling.

    Tea would help her to regain some clarity.

    "Lu Wen, thank you."

    "I didn''t do anything," Shi Lu Wen smiled and mouthed out to prevent anyone from knowing what they were talking about, ''It was Wei Liuying.''

    Gao Ling raised her head and resisted the urge to laugh. She had noticed when Shi Lu Wen added more herbs to her glass that there was something terribly wrong. After all, just a little bit should have been enough to prevent her from getting too drunk.

    It turned out, the one who tampered with the wine was Wei Liuying. With her capabilities, it would be a piece of cake to use some kind of normal herbs and added it to the barrel without anyone noticing. After all, she had been touching the closed barrel for a long period of time.

    Even if no one seen her when she inserted it, Gao Ling could guess that it must be done in a way that no one would expect.

    As for how, she would not ask. It might be better for her to not know because she might blurt the method out in front of Prince Ji Sheng should the latter asked.

    "It''s really good. I''m very satisfied today and¡­" Gao Ling was about to ramble on and on when she saw Wei Liuying looked in her direction. There was a faint warning within Wei Liuying''s eyes as if she didn''t want Gao Ling to continue her words.

    It was then Gao Ling realized that Prince Ji Shu''s men were still around. Even though she was Prince Ji Sheng''s fianc¨¦e, offending Prince Ji Shu just because of Wei Xiao Hua was clearly a big no.

    There was no need to add more reasons for the two princes to fight with each other.

    "I won."

    Shi Lu Wen smiled. She also sensed faint pressure from Wei Liuying. Due to Wei Liuying''s martial arts, sending a bit of pressure and intimidation when she was not located that far away was not that hard.

    "Yes, you''re the best, Miss Gao."

    "Ah, but don''t tell my father about today." Gao Ling knew that if her father heard that she drank when she was outside, he would punish her miserably. After all, her father hated it when she was drinking since she was not of age yet.

    There were already several occasions in the past when Gao Ling was punished horribly due to breaking this rule.

    Shi Lu Wen giggled. "Of course, I won''t."

    "Good."

    Gao Ling glanced out and furrowed her brows. She should also ask the soldiers to keep their mouth shut tomorrow. If they blabbered to her father, she would drill them as hard as possible to make sure that they would regret it.

    Turning her body around, Gao Ling felt a pang in her head. She sighed as she realized that she truly overestimated her ability.

    "My head is a bit lightheaded. I drink too much this time," Gao Ling said with a sigh. Even with the herbs that Shi Lu Wen added, it was hard for her to drink so much in one go. Her head was still affected.

    Shi Lu Wen smiled bitterly. The two young ladies practically drink a barrel of wine plus a bit more. If not because of Wei Liuying''s tampering, it was clear that Gao Ling would have to drink much more. Wei Xiao Hua''s alcohol tolerance was simply terrifying.

    "Let''s have some rest."

    "Yes."

    While Shi Lu Wen returned back to her room, Gao Ling lied on her bed and sighed. Her father had long told her that she shouldn''t drink too much because it was not good for her health. In addition, she had to make sure that nothing bad happened to herself because when she was drunk, it was harder to protect herself.

    ''This is going to be hard.''

    Gao Ling rubbed her forehead and looked at the ceiling. She felt that the ceiling was blurry as she tried to focus her gaze. Her vision was disrupted because she was drunk and unable to perceive things well.

    Closing her eyes, Gao Ling drifted to sleep.

    On the other hand, Wei Liuying was walking in the courtyard near Gao Ling''s room. She was trying to think for a way to destroy the barrel of wine before anyone tried to drink too. The herbs that she inserted would give them heavy stomachache and diarrhea, so it wouldn''t be good if anyone tried to drink.

    ''Should I return back or sneak back and destroy it?''

 Chapter 184 - Sudden Attack

    ''Should I return back or sneak back and destroy it?''

    *rustle*

    When Wei Liuying was still contemplating, she heard the sound of something moving. Instinctively, her body moved as she raised her head. She readied a defensive position to make sure that she was ready to face any sudden danger.

    But the one who came was only Shan Yi.

    "Liu¡­" Shan Yi was about to call Wei Liuying out when he saw her glare. He shut his mouth for good as he recalled that she would not want to be called with her real name here. He quickly changed his way to call her.

    "Soldier Ying."

    "Is there anything I can help, Leader Shan?" Wei Liuying asked in cheerful and curious tone. Her action looked like a new soldier who was very unfamiliar with how battlefield worked and only came here to have fun.

    If one didn''t know better, they might think she was a stupid soldier.

    "There''s some commotion there," Shan Yi said as he walked to the courtyard. His mind was constantly reminding himself to be careful around Wei Liuying. No matter how harmless she looked like, he knew that he would lose miserably if he was not prepared.

    Wei Liuying raised her head. "Is it because of the wine?"

    "Yes."

    "What happened to the wine?"

    "The Abbot was angry and kicked it. He didn''t like having wine in the temple," Shan Yi replied. Internally, he was lamenting that it was too bad that such a good wine has to be thrown away because of the location.

    Wei Liuying smiled lightly. "It''s good that it''s taken care of."

    "Where did you find the wine?"

    "Don''t tell me you want to steal it."

    "Rather than leaving it to rot in this place, I better take it with me when we descend later." Shan Yi licked his lips. Wine was one of the few delicacies that he and his men loved a lot. They always spent a long time to drink wine because it was hard to get even a barrel with their occupation.

    Besides, the only time they were allowed to drink was when they were celebrating something. it could only come rarely, so if they could get an additional barrel of wine for free, that would be good.

    "There''s a storage room that''s used to store the barrels. I guess there are a lot of naughty students here," Wei Liuying replied.

    "You have to show me!"

    "I''ll do it when we''re about to descend. We can''t possibly have you get drunk in the temple and destroy everything, right?"

    Shan Yi scratched his head, didn''t know what else he could say to refute. When he was drunk, he would not care for anything else. In the end, he would surely destroy everything in his surroundings without a care in the slightest bit.

    But he could hold back and made sure that he didn''t drink at all. He looked at Wei Liuying with hopeful gaze, hoping that Wei Liuying would change her decision.

    "No."

    "But¡­"

    "I''m not taking any chance."

    Shan Yi felt that Wei Liuying didn''t trust him that much. He believed that he had good self-control. Though, if Shi Lu Wen heard him said that, she would have rebuked him harshly and called him a liar.

    Facing Wei Liuying''s decision, Shan Yi had no other choice but to obey. "Fine."

    "Good."

    Shan Yi stretched his body lazily. "What do you want to do now?"

    "Now? Nothing in particular," Wei Liuying replied. She was looking to a distant location as her eyes narrowed. The air just gotten tenser as if she had returned back to the frontline where battles were very common. Her dark eyes narrowed as she tried to see pass the layer of darkness around her.

    The night was quiet, so even the slight sound could be heard from a distance away. Those who had high martial arts were even more so as they had keener senses. Right now, the two of them realized that there was definitely something wrong.

    "Would you like to have a walk, Leader Shan?" Wei Liuying asked in solemn tone. She didn''t know who were there or if it were animals. One thing for sure, the atmosphere was getting tense real fast.

    Whatever it was, they were approaching at rapid speed.

    Not only her, Shan Yi''s body also tensed up. He was very keen of danger because his life had been revolving around dangers and danger again all the time. Looking to a distant location, there was a sense of trepidation in his heart.

    "I''m afraid we''re not only going for a walk tonight but something more," Shan Yi replied. He turned his body around and called out, "MEN!"

    "Yes?"

    The bandits all came out from their place while Wei Liuying headed to Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen''s room. Just as she reached there, several arrows were shot to their location.

    Clang! Clang!

    The arrows were cut with her swords. Wei Liuying looked to the distance and noticed that a small army was going to their location. Even though it was still categorized as small, their number was at least three or four times their own number.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes habitually swept over the soldiers who came here. She needed to estimate their formation and number in order to prepare for the defense and counterattack. If she was not wrong, the layout of the temple should have been good for her to create square formation here.

    "DU MIN!"

    "I''m here," Du Min replied and shot towards the army that was approaching them.

    "Fend them off. Ask the soldiers to start moving. Those from Gao City should go to the right and the rest go to the left. All you need to do is to form a defense line and make sure they can''t come close. I''ll leave the rest to you, Leader Shan."

    This was the first time Shan Yi ever received order from someone else aside from Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian. However, the clear and concise order made it easy even for someone like Shan Yi to understand.

    ''So she''s truly a proper strategist.''

    "Men! You heard him! Go!" Shan Yi gave his order as he rushed forward. A cruel smile formed on the corner of his lips. Those who dared to come here and try to harm his girl should die!

    Swish!

    Seeing the soldiers began to move, Wei Liuying completely ignored everything else. Even though her identity should be confidential, this would be the best option to make. If she delayed, there might be more lives losses in the process.

    She didn''t want to increase the number of death people.

    Wei Liuying glanced into the room and noticed that Gao Ling had woken up from the movements inside. Even though Gao Ling was drunk, it didn''t hinder her sense of danger in the slightest bit.

    "Lady Gao!"

    "Ying?"

    "Take out your bow and prepare for battle. We''re going to fight."

    As if returning back to the battlefield, Gao Ling quickly replied, "Yes."

    Gao Ling picked up her bow. Because of her dizziness, she hadn''t changed her clothing, so she was still wearing the dress used to go out. She could feel that her vision was a bit blurry, but Gao Ling tightened her grip on her bow.

    She couldn''t back down now. Their lives would depend on their performance.

    "Sister Gao?" Shi Lu Wen called out in a timid tone. She woke up because of the commotion and now felt afraid. Different from others, she didn''t engage in battle as much as them. Even if she had learned how to protect herself, she was too afraid to even make a move.

    Gao Ling shifted her gaze and saw Shi Lu Wen''s trembling hand. She knew that having the skill alone was never enough. They needed the courage to step forward. When she first stepped onto the battlefield and faced danger for the first time, she had nearly lost her life.

    All because she was not brave enough.

    "Go and hide under the bed. Try to cover yourself with the blanket to prevent yourself form getting hurt."

    "Yes!"

    When Gao Ling opened the door, she could see the temple was flooded with people from different places. Based on their clothes, Gao Ling could guess that they must be one of the tribes at the north.

    But how in the world they reach here?

    She couldn''t understand.

    Slash!

    A man died not far from her. She could see Wei Liuying was already fighting bitterly with her sword. There was traces of worry within her eyes when Wei Liuying looked at Gao Ling. Wei Liuying had already arranged the soldiers to make perimeter around them along with the bandits, but the overwhelming number would put them in disadvantages.

    Even though the attack was sudden, Wei Liuying''s reaction was very swift as if she had already predicted that this would happen. Which was impossible, so she must have calculated everything in that very short moment.

    They needed reinforcement as fast as possible.

    "Lady Gao, can you fight?"

    Fight?

    Gao Ling tightened her grip on her bow. "Yes!"

 Chapter 185 - Betrayers

    Gao Ling tightened her grip on her bow. "Yes!"

    Wei Liuying nodded and turned around. She noticed a man crept close to her, so she twisted her body and swung her sword. The sharp blade connected to the man''s body and gave a harsh and deep wound.

    Without any time to rest, Wei Liuying already headed to the nearby man who managed to bypass the layer. The soldiers were not doing their work properly even though Wei Liuying had asked them to guard the perimeter.

    ''The soldier''s defenses are too weak!''

    Even though Wei Liuying had guessed that their performance was not up to par with Prince Ji Sheng''s soldiers, she felt that they were really bad. How did General Gao even pick them to be his daughter''s guards if they were this poor?

    She felt that she needed to have a good long talk with General Gao about this.

    "Don''t let anyone pass!" Wei Liuying yelled.

    "Yes!"

    Despite the clear yell, the soldiers were not doing their work properly. Wei Liuying noticed three men passed as she stepped forward. Her body moved agilely as she twirled her sword and cut them.

    Slash!

    Fresh blood and flesh spilled on the ground.

    By this time, Wei Liuying''s robe was already tainted with blood. It made her felt as if she had returned back to the frontline. She had to make sure that everyone was doing their work properly if they wanted to survive from this incident.

    Her martial arts were limited, so she had to make use of the soldiers and people here to face those people who came here.

    "Lady Gao!"

    "Yes!"

    Gao Ling could see the men from a distance. Even though her vision was a bit blurry, she forced herself to focus on the faraway distance. There were numerous people from unknown tribe rushing in with their weapons ready. Her ear was ringing, but Gao Ling didn''t want to let it affect her.

    ''Ah, damn it. I should never drink so much next time.''

    Dzing!

    The arrow was shot and hit the man on the shoulder. There was faint scream from the opponent''s side. Gao Ling couldn''t see them properly from her current position, but she still directed it to the foremost back. At the very least, she knew that there was none of their soldiers were there.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed when she saw the distribution of power turned imbalanced. The enemies still managed to crack through their defenses.

    "Shan Yi, head to the left!"

    "Du Min! Go to the back with some of the bandits and protect the residence!"

    "Yes!"

    The two men moved swiftly and diverted their number so that they could move more effectively.

    Du Min saw that the soldiers from Gao City were doubtful. They moved sloppily and not doing their work properly. His brows creased.

    "Protect the Young Miss!"

    "Ah? Just who the hell are you, giving us¡­"

    Swish!

    Swinging his sword close to the men''s face, Du Min looked in their direction with anger. It seemed that these people were the type who couldn''t set their prioritize straight.

    "Do your work properly if you still wish to be alive," Du Min uttered each word slowly. "If something happened to Lady Gao, you won''t be able to get out of this alive."

    The soldiers were stunned, but they hastened their speed. While Du Min''s words were annoying to their ear, it was also the truth. Should something happened to Gao Ling, they wouldn''t be able to get out of this place alive.

    Not only that, their family members would be killed as punishment because they didn''t do their work properly.

    Clang! Clang!

    The sounds of blades clashing could be heard from a distance away. Wei Liuying glanced into a distance with her brows furrowed. From the sound alone, she knew that the soldiers and bandits were trying to hold them back.

    But they couldn''t do proper work and still left some passed.

    Turning her head, Wei LIuying looked at Gao Ling. "Lady Gao, please climb to the roof for better vision."

    "Alright."

    This was the first time Gao Ling was in the same battle with Wei Liuying, but she still followed Wei Liuying''s instruction without any question. With her head still so dizzy, she only knew that she could rely on Wei Liuying''s judgement to be able to safely protect herself.

    Wei Liuying noticed the men that managed to pass with her cold eyes. Her grip on her sword tightened as she dived down. In her lower position, Wei Liuying twisted her body and her sword managed to cut the opponents down in a breath''s time. It was so quick and precise.

    Slash!

    ''There are too many. Why are they targeting this direction and not Wei Xiao Hua?''

    Looking to a distance away, Wei Liuying could see that the battle on Wei Xiao Hua''s side was not as fierce as here. There was a faint feeling of discomfort welling inside her heart, but she couldn''t put her words to it. It was as if everything that happened here was nothing more than a plan made by Prince Ji Shu for them.

    After all, who didn''t know how much Prince Ji Sheng loved Gao Ling just like Prince Ji Shu loved Wei Xiao Hua so dearly?

    While it might not be too obvious for Prince Ji Sheng, but the rumors about how much he loved Gao Ling had been heard from time to time. Unlike Prince Ji Shu who showed his affection openly, Prince Ji Sheng was still a bit more restrained and didn''t act out of the line.

    Slash!

    Wei Liuying tried to push everything back to the back of her mind as she looked to a distance away. She had sent a message to Yang Xian this morning, telling him about Gao Ling''s competition with Wei Xiao Hua. Because of that, the messenger was not here and the distance from here to the north border was more than a day''s travel.

    Even if they paced their horses to reach the temple, it would still take them several incense stick of time.

    Holding the enemies for that long¡­ would it be possible?

    ''Well, it didn''t matter whether it''s possible or not. I just have to do it.'' Determination flashed within Wei Liuying''s eyes. No matter what, she had to succeed. Because if she failed, the cost would be everyone''s life, including hers.

    Wei Liuying griped her sword and attacked the men who came inside once more. She looked to the back with a frown, but with Du Min there, she knew that nothing bad should happen.

    Du Min on the back and Shan Yi on the left and front. She only needed to take care of the leftover from the right side that somehow managed to pass by the soldiers. How come they were so bad¡­? wait¡­

    Pass by the soldiers¡­?

    "Lady Gao, kill everyone on the right!"

    "Eh?"

    "NOW!"

    Gao Ling looked to the right and frowned. Aren''t there also some soldiers from their sides? Within her dizzy mind, she recalled the conversation with Prince Ji Sheng.

    "There might be some people who''re sent to monitor you and eventually kill you amongst the soldiers from Gao City. I don''t know who for sure, but you need to be careful."

    At that time, Gao Ling felt that it was not possible. Everyone who came here with her had passed her father''s test to make sure that they were loyal and had good skill. After all, her father would never let anyone harm her.

    But now¡­

    ''You''re right, Sheng¡­ I can''t trust them too much.''

    Gao Ling raised her bow and docked several arrows. She was glad that she brought several tubes of arrow with her. That way, she would be able to use the arrow to kill many of her enemies.

    Dzing!

    "GAH!"

    "AGH!"

    Screams from pain and terror began to spread from the right side. Wei Liuying''s gaze was cold when she saw three men approached her once more. The weakest defense line turned out to be the right side.

    "Die!" The first men shouted and thrusted his sword forward.

    With an agile movement, she rushed over and passed by the first man''s sword that was trusted forward. Her sword moved in circle and cut off the man''s stomach.

    Side stepping to the side, Wei Liuying approached the second and the third men. Before they could attack her, her own sword had already cut through their throat and blood spurted out like waterfall. Their bodies fell on the ground with a loud thud.

    Wei Liuying looked up, her eyes flashed in red as she muttered out, "Do you know what kind of people that I hate the most?"

    "Guh."

    Slash!

    Standing up and looked at the right as more and more enemies came from the right. Her lips curled up to form a cold smile. Her enchanting figure along with the bloodied robe created a gory yet beautiful sight.

    Gripping her sword tighter, Wei Liuying muttered, "Betrayers."

 Chapter 186 - Overwhelming

    Standing up and looked at the right as more and more enemies came from the right. Her lips curled up to form a cold smile. Her enchanting figure along with the bloodied robe created a gory yet beautiful sight.

    Gripping her sword tighter, Wei Liuying muttered, "Betrayers."

    Swish!

    "Kill him!"

    Rushing forward, Wei Liuying controlled her sword and formed an arc. The enemies who came to her direction fell one by one. No hesitation present in her movement as she stepped forward and continued to kill the enemies who came.

    Just like the torrent water, nothing could stop her as she eliminated those who dared to challenge her.

    Stab!

    When the last one had fallen, Wei Liuying stood up and looked around her. There were countless bodies around her. At the same time, screams continued to resound on the right side of the building as more and more men fell down thanks to Gao Ling''s arrow.

    "Lady Gao, can you hold on?"

    "Yes. Don''t worry about me."

    Gao Ling could barely aim with her head throbbing so painfully. She was looking in the right''s direction and the men looked blurry in her opinion. Still, she didn''t care and simply docked more arrows to her bow and killed the men in a swift motion.

    They were all betrayers.

    Or probably, they were spies. Gao Ling didn''t care and knew that if she left them alive, the one who would end up hurting and dying would be her.

    She couldn''t let that happen.

    Within a few breaths of time, the men were already killed. There were only several of them who were still standing still and rushed over to Wei Liuying''s direction. Because of Gao Ling''s current condition, she certainly didn''t dare to shoot her arrow when they were already near Wei Liuying.

    She was afraid that she would accidentally injure Wei Liuying because her accuracy was not that good at this night.

    Thud!

    "You¡­" a man donned in soldiers'' clothing looked at Wei Liuying with heated gaze. There was pure hatred in his eyes. "HOW DO YOU KNOW?"

    Wei Liuying looked at the soldiers before her. She recognized him as one of the few soldiers from Gao City who came with them. However, right now, the soldier was looking at her with hatred.

    He had obviously blended very well and only leaked a few people from time to time while buying time by asking the other soldiers to only delay the enemies. They would not kill the enemies and wished to let Gao Ling and Wei Liuying to suffer from crushing defeat when there were more people there.

    After all, once there were too many enemies, they would rather turn around and help the enemies attack.

    At that time, it would be the end for these two.

    There was no way Wei Liuying and Gao Ling could possibly handle so many enemies charging at them at the same time. It was the tactic that they had agreed upon with the tribes, but now, it would be impossible.

    He couldn''t understand.

    How?

    How did Gao Ling and this supposedly new soldier could figure out his plan so swiftly? There were not enough enemies yet to incur the devastating lost that they had been planning.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. Her lips curled up to form a sneer. "Isn''t it obvious when it''s only your side that allowed the men to pass?"

    "You¡­"

    "Soldiers from Gao City are tasked to protect Lady Gao with their lives. Since you didn''t even do your work properly, I could guess that there are a lot of spies among your ranks. The real loyal soldiers are already dead in your hand, right?" Wei Liuying asked with a calm tone.

    There was no anger present in her voice, yet her eyes grew colder. The temperature in that cold night seemed to drop several more degrees around Wei Liuying. Her facial expression said nothing but the faint pressure around her suggested that she was angry.

    Very angry.

    In that very moment, the soldier felt trepidation from the bottom of his heart. When he looked at Wei Liuying, he couldn''t treat him* the same as before anymore. Just who is this new soldier?

    This pressure and his ability to command was simply comparable to those terrifying leaders.

    There was no way he could simply be a new soldier who tag along with Gao Ling.

    Even though she still has the same small body and looked harmless, her action was saying otherwise. She was filled with power and generated enough pressure to crush everyone around her without even uttering a word.

    How could someone so young and small be so accomplished and powerful?

    Young and small¡­

    A name emerged within the soldier''s mind as realization dawned on him. The soldier in front of him was not a new soldier who came in this trip to accompany Gao Ling practicing. There was no way someone so skillful and powerful could be here just to amuse the young lady.

    Only one person with such skill and power matched the appearance of this young man before him.

    His real purpose was to protect Gao Ling, meaning he must be Liu Ying, the famous rising strategist in Prince Ji Sheng''s City.

    "Men! Kill¡­"

    Slash!

    Before the soldiers could finish speaking, Wei Liuying had killed him.

    Thud!

    Hearing the dull sound, Wei Liuying looked to the back and noticed the two maidservants who used to accompany Gao Ling. Hai Yue was on the back, trying to protect the house from the back while the other maidservant was trying to grab the torch. Or to be exact, she was trying to make it fall.

    "You stupid!"

    Wei Liuying rushed forward to the maidservant and brandished her sword.

    Slash!

    The maidservant fell on the ground without able to touch the torch. Wei Liuying looked at the torch and grabbed the dirt before she poured it into the torch. The dirt effectively made the torch die. At this time, she felt sudden pain on her back.

    An arrow hit her back.

    "I hit him!"

    "Liu Ying!" Gao Ling shouted from above. She couldn''t see the archer, but she saw the arrow passed by and hit something below her.

    "I''m fine."

    The voice sounded more like she was trying to reassure others. Gao Ling knew that the arrow must have hit Wei Liuying as she noticed several men from the right came over to Wei Liuying. She docked more arrows and directed it to the men who were coming.

    Dzing! Jleb!

    Wei Liuying looked at the men but stopped moving when she saw Gao Ling''s action. She looked at the arrow behind her and gritted her teeth.

    Crack!

    "Liu Ying!" Gao Ling called out from above. She was cursing her stupidity for getting drunk at a crucial time like this. If she could survive, she promised herself that she would never drink so much again to the point of having her head hurt like this. If she couldn''t fight, she would be putting herself in the mercy of other people.

    The feeling made her so frustrated.

    She really wished that she could turn back time and made a different decision. Making Wei Xiao Hua suffered didn''t worth if she ended up losing her life or even someone important to her.

    "I''m alright."

    "What did you do?" Gao Ling asked in worry. Her fingers trembled as she prepared the next arrow. Her heart was swarmed with fear.

    Wei Liuying looked at the broken arrow in her hand. Since she couldn''t pull it now or she would risk dying because of blood loss, she snapped the arrow in two. That way, she wouldn''t have to worry about having her movements hindered because of the arrow on her back.

    "It''s nothing."

    "But you¡­"

    Several men had approached again. Wei Liuying rushed out and moved to kill them. Even though she was wounded, her movements didn''t seem to change in the slightest bit. She continued to move and kill the next one as if moving around didn''t give her pain on her back.

    "Liu Ying!" Gao Ling called out, her voice chocked a bit due to the fear and worry she experienced. For the first time in her life, she felt death was so near. She had the feeling that Wei Liuying might die if this continued.

    Her heart ached terribly as the thought crossed her mind.

    Wei Liuying glanced up and smiled. "Don''t worry, Lady Gao. I''m perfectly fine. You should stay there and continue the battle."

    "But¡­"

    "Don''t cry, it''s not over yet."

    Suppressing the pain, Wei Liuying stepped forward and swung her sword. The dull pain nearly stopped her movement, but she pressed on. Determination was written all across her face.

    Even if she had to bet with everything, she would never allow them to succeed.

    She would make sure to protect everyone here and come out of this place safely. It''s her duty as the strategist and promise she made for her friends.

 Chapter 187 - Fire

    She would make sure to protect everyone here and come out of this place safely. It''s her duty as the strategist and promise she made for her friends.

    Slash!

    "Liu Ying!"

    Wei Liuying walked out of the corridor and glanced up. She smiled faintly, as if saying that everything would be fine. They would be able to get out of this predicament together.

    Gao Ling felt like crying even more when she saw Wei Liuying''s smile. It was a warm smile that didn''t seem to suit the situation. The smile gave her hope and guarantee that they would be alright. However, Gao Ling only felt like she would be crying even more because of the gesture.

    She felt so stupid and useless here.

    Because of her impulse and anger, she acted on her own accord and put herself in this situation. If only she hadn''t drunk before, she wouldn''t be feeling this bad and would be able to help Wei Liuying more.

    That way, there was no need for Wei Liuying to get hurt.

    And yet, the one who had to reassure her was instead Wei Liuying. This made Gao Ling felt immense regret for her foolish decision.

    ''No, I can''t cry. There''s no use crying over spilled milk.''

    Gao Ling wiped her tears and set the next arrow. Her eyes were looking to the distance as her fingers trembled once more. She didn''t know why, but she wished that she would be able to become a proper leader that didn''t make things hard for Wei Liuying.

    This would be her promise.

    Dzing!

    The arrows in her hand moved even faster. The number of people approaching from a distance was reduced and Gao Ling felt that she could see the situation better. Even though she was still feeling annoyed because of her condition, she didn''t want to let it affect her in the slightest bit.

    ''Faster and faster.''

    ''I want to help her.''

    Focusing her attention, Gao Ling shot the next arrow and the next one without stopping.

    Thud!

    Several men fell before they could even reach Wei Liuying. Seeing that, the corner of Wei Liuying''s lips curled up to form a smile. It seemed that she would be able to focus on the overall situation more now that Gao Ling had covered for her.

    Previously, Gao Ling was unable to be the archer properly because her head was too dizzy. But now, Wei Liuying knew that Gao Ling could be trusted to cover the area. For the time being, she could focus on other things.

    "Move back two steps. Tighten the formation!" Wei Liuying gave her order.

    With the number of the bandits have been greatly reduced, she knew that it wouldn''t be easy for them to maintain a big formation. They have to reduce the size so that they could cover for each other beside them. And the best way to reduce the size would be by reducing the distance to the center.

    "Yes!"

    The bandits were following her order without asking any question.

    By this time, Shan Yi had been lamenting that he was no longer the bandit''s leader but it was Wei Liuying. The way she gave order didn''t seem to be like that of someone who was borrowing the men from others.

    ''Tsk, just how did you train her back in the north, Yang?''

    Shan Yi felt that Wei Liuying seemed to grow so quickly. The fame that had been spreading far and wide from what he heard didn''t seem to be able to match with the truth that was presented before him.

    She''s clearly much better, smarter and more powerful than what the people have been saying about her.

    He had the feeling that sooner or later, she would be able to match with that black bellied strategist if this continued.

    "Leader?"

    "Hold the formation!"

    "Yeeeeesss!"

    The men were trying to fight in a formation, which was something that they have never done before. If anything, they would never try to do something like this because they usually were on the attacking side and not defending like this. They were not used to defend.

    On the back, Wei Liuying could finally see their discomfort. Her eyes narrowed. "The bandits on the front and side, attack the men who came here without hesitation. Those who passed by from front and side will be handled by Lady Gao and me!"

    "That''s utterly reckless!" Shan Yi shouted.

    "Our goal in the end is to kill as many bandits as possible!" Wei Liuying replied. "Since they can''t fight in a formation, what''s the use of forcing it on them?"

    "YES!"

    The bandits were even more excited when they heard the order from Wei Liuying. It was as if they were already waiting for this order from a long time ago. Brandishing their swords and other weapon, they began to move forward and killed the men more effectively.

    However, there were more men that passed by their defense.

    "Lady Gao!" Wei Liuying called out and began to move her body to attack the men who came here. Her movements were extremely agile as she was trying her best to make sure that there was no one who could pass by.

    Dzing!

    On top of the roof, Gao Ling had already used her second tube and continued to shoot the arrows. There were more people on the courtyard, but she stayed as focused as ever. Her eyes followed the men who were trying to get close while at the same, she was making sure that there was not many who came to attack Wei Liuying.

    Even though Wei Liuying gave that kind of order, Gao Ling knew that Wei Liuying was wounded. She was forcing herself to be able to hold on.

    ''Since you force yourself so much for my sake, I''ll also do my best.''

    In the past, Gao Ling could never understand why Prince Ji Sheng valued Yang Xian greatly and always treated him as friend and not subject. He only told her that Yang Xian was a very smart and loyal to him. Besides, having someone who was capable as their subject would benefit him.

    But Prince Ji Sheng also told him. Even if their relationship was nothing more than subject and master at first, after experiencing a life and death struggle together, they just simply grew closer. In the end, they became simply friends rather than only having business relationship.

    ''Grow closer, huh?''

    It was only in the face of life and death that they would see the true color of other people. Gao Ling knew that this meant that Wei Liuying truly prioritized her and was loyal to her promise.

    Gao Ling didn''t want to lose Wei Liuying even more. She hoped that they would be able to be safely escape from this situation.

    Swish!

    Wei Liuying gritted her teeth. The pain on her back had started to hinder her, but she tried to suppress it. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.

    Blarr!

    The sudden heat startled them all. Gao Ling noticed that fire began to spread from the right side of the building.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed as she looked up. "Lady Gao! JUMP!"

    "But¡­"

    "NOW!"

    Gao Ling gritted her teeth and jumped forward. She thought that she would crash to the ground when she felt that something held her.

    "Are you alright?"

    Gao Ling noticed that Wei Liuying had caught her. Despite their difference in build, Wei Liuying still managed to catch her effortlessly. It looked weird in the eyes of outsider, but there was no time to think about it.

    "I''m fine. Lu Wen is inside!"

    "Protect yourself!"

    Wei Liuying kicked the door open and rushed inside. She could see the right side of the wall had started to burn. At the same time, there was a young girl crouching on the ground near the bed. The blanket on top of her had started to burn, but it hadn''t reached her at all, so she was safe.

    However, tears streamed out from the corner of her eyes. Unlike Wei Liuying and Gao Ling who had gotten used with battlefield, Shi Lu Wen had never gone to the frontline in her entire life.

    "Lu Wen!"

    "Liu Ying!" Shi Lu Wen replied with terrified voice.

    "Come here." Wei Liuying crouched down and pulled Shi Lu Wen up before she carried her up. However, at this time, there was sound of a sword slashing from behind and hit the pillar.

    "Lady Gao, catch!"

    "Wha¡­"

    Thud!

    Gao Ling was surprised by Wei Liuying''s order, but her hands moved faster to catch Shi Lu Wen, whom Wei Liuying pushed forward. Or to be exact, she threw outside. At the same time, she could see the building before her crumbled to the ground as fire enveloped everything.

    Her face changed. "LIU YING!"

    Shi Lu Wen was about to call out too when she saw a man approached near them with his sword ready. She screamed out loudly, "HELP!"

 Chapter 188 - Fire (2)

    Her face changed. "LIU YING!"

    Shi Lu Wen was about to call out too when she saw a man approached near them with his sword ready. She screamed out loudly, "HELP!"

    Clang!

    A sword pierced the man behind them. Gao Ling pulled out an arrow and thrusted to the man as she pulled back the sword. Sweat filled her face as she looked at the sword and the direction of the house.

    When it came to close combat, she was quite poor and her father never allowed her to be at the frontline for a reason. Just now was close and that sword¡­

    Thud!

    The broken woods were pushed to the side as a small figure walked out limpidly. Wei Liuying''s clothes were partially burnt along with her hands. However, she still walked out with a smile on her face.

    "Why do you call? Pay more attention to your surroundings."

    All words that Gao Ling wanted to say seemed to stuck in her throat. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, yet nothing came out from her mouth. There was nothing she could say at this very moment.

    "Watch out!" Wei Liuying readied herself to fight.

    Gao Ling turned her head around. they could see another row of men coming close. Before they could come close, a shadow came from behind the burning house and rushed forward. With a strike, several men fell on the ground.

    Slash!

    "Lu Wen!" Shan Yi called out in fear. When she screamed, he didn''t care for his previous position and rushed here. What would the arrangement mattered if he couldn''t protect the one person he wished to protect the most?

    His eyes were filled with fear as he glanced in the three girl''s direction. When his eyes landed on Shi Lu Wen, his pupil contracted. He scanned her from head to toe in order to determine whether she was hurt or not.

    Seeing that she was fine without any harm whatsoever, he heaved a sigh of relief.

    "I''m fine thanks to Liu Ying," Shi Lu Wen replied with a bright smile. Traces of tears from the corner of her eyes were still present, but she felt genuine relief to be able to stay alive and see Shan Yi again.

    Wei Liuying picked her sword again. When she was inside, a pillar fell on them and hit her legs. She cut off the wood with her sword to free herself, but her legs felt hurt to move around now. Her hands also had traces of burns from moving the wood to pave a way out for herself.

    After freeing herself, she had thrown her sword out in order to protect Gao Ling. It seemed that the sword did its work properly.

    ''I can''t move around so much, yet the fight is not over yet.'' Wei Liuying closed her eyes for a moment. She knew that she had to do something because brute force alone wouldn''t safe them in this situation.

    Gao Ling furrowed her brows. "You''re so reckless!"

    "Continue with your arrows. They''re coming."

    "En."

    Taking more arrows from her tube, Gao Ling aimed to the incoming men around them. She felt relieved that Wei Liuying was fine, but at the same time, she didn''t know what else she was supposed to do. There didn''t seem to be any way out from here at all.

    "We need to leave," Wei Liuying said as she looked at their surroundings. Her dark irises reflected the fire that started to envelope everything around. A thought crossed her head at this very moment. "Burn the gates and other buildings with fire."

    "What in the world are you thinking of doing?" Shan Yi was stunned.

    "There are several villages nearby and also soldiers stationed at the bottom. If the commotion can''t be heard that far, they should be able to see the blazing fire if the entire temple is on fire, right?" Wei Liuying reasoned as she dragged her limpid legs.

    "That''s¡­"

    "Gao Ling, let me borrow your bow and arrow."

    "Ah, yes."

    "Shan Yi, guard us."

    "Yes."

    Shan Yi still didn''t understand what Wei Liuying wanted to do, but he did as he was instructed. For some reasons, he felt that it would be the best choice to follow what Wei Liuying had arranged.

    Contrary to the others, he was still healthy and robust, so he continued to attack the men who managed to defeat his men and entered the perimeter. With his large power, more and more men fell prey to his sword.

    Wei Liuying tore open part of her outer robe and used it to tie burning grass and wood to the arrow before she positioned it on the bow. The stature was not that firm, but it was enough for her to send it to another place. Her eyes paid close attention to the nearby buildings.

    The buildings in the temple were mostly built with wood, so it was not that hard for her to set them ablaze as long as she had the necessary material to do so.

    It would take time for the fire to spread, so she had to hasten it by adding more points where the fire could start.

    Dzing!

    The arrow bypassed the barrier and quickly headed to the nearby buildings. The burning woods and grass that Wei Liuying put on the arrow help it easier to set the building with fire.

    Blarr!

    Several more arrows were shot as the entire area was set ablaze. Fire burned everything as the temperature risen. Some poor enemies were trapped between buildings and burned alive.

    Screams started to fill the previously quiet temple.

    There was no emotion within Wei Liuying''s face as she continued her attempt to deliver burning arrows. On the other hand, Gao Ling was killing the enemies who managed to bypass the formation of the people they had set there.

    ''I hope this will help us buy enough time.''

    "Can we leave this place?" Shi Lu Wen asked in worry. She wanted to leave this place as soon as possible because the temperature continued to rise steadily. Sweat filled her small face.

    "We''re safe in this dirt courtyard," Wei Liuying replied.

    "Eh?"

    "There''s no flammable material around us. If we stay here, the fire will not reach us and died down before. However, the rising temperature will make it impossible for us to leave this area."

    It would be dangerous to stay here, but it was still the safest option. The ground around the area was dirt and not grass, so fire couldn''t reach the place. While the hot temperature and the smoke would make it torturous for them, there was no other option.

    "Cover your mouth with cloth and breath that way," Wei Liuying instructed. She glanced to the side and furrowed her brows. The wind was coming from the back''s direction which barely had any building.

    Hopefully, not much smoke would cover them at this period of time.

    "It''s a gamble, isn''t it?" Gao Ling asked in solemn tone.

    "Yes."

    The calm tone that Wei Liuying used seemed so surreal. It was as if there was nothing in this world that could make fluster and panic. Her dark eyes simply stared into a distance as she analyzed everything.

    The wind barely blew that night and the smoke at the back''s area was not as intense as the rest. The area where they were staying was partially free of smoke, but Wei Liuying still didn''t allow them to breathe without using the cloth to cover their mouth.

    Smoke from burning materials could be dangerous.

    "I see."

    While they were still in the middle of the courtyard, the bandits were trying to push the men who came outside, towards the fire. Some of the unfortunate ones were thrown straight to the fire.

    "AAAAGGGH!"

    "FIRE!"

    Shan Yi grinned with an evil smirk. "Push them to the fire, MEN!"

    "YES!"

    With loud roar, they continued to move faster and faster to push the tribe men to the fire. Thanks to their action, some of the men chose to run and escape before the fire continued to spread further.

    "The wind blow is good today."

    Wei Liuying sat down on the ground and looked at the surroundings. The entire temple was set ablaze. It was not a good thing to do, but there was simply no other way out for them.

    "Where are the monks?"

    "They have been evacuated," Shan Yi replied. "When there''s chaos here, they escape from a secret passage at the back. But we can''t go there because there are several buildings preventing us from reaching that place."

    Wei Liuying nodded. There must be an escape route that the people here had prepared in case of emergency. However, it was simply too far from their location. It was as if the people there were already prepared to abandon the guests who were the target and escaped with their lives.

    Not that she could blame them.

    As it was simply how the world worked.

 Chapter 189 - This Is Not Over Yet

    Wei Liuying closed her eyes and pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. More than anything, it was more important for her to arrange the way out from this disaster. They had to find a way out.

    "So, what should we do?"

    Several of Shan Yi''s men who were still alive gathered there. Shan Yi was looking at them with pained expression. He brought over around 10 men with him, but there were only 6 of them left. Not to mention, three of them hurt because of the battle and fire just now. Only three were able to fight.

    Some of them were new recruits and based on their performance so far, Shan Yi was quite satisfied with them. He felt that it would be hard for Shan Xi group in the future if he were to lose everyone.

    "We''ll wait for the fire to die down."

    "When?"

    "When there''s nothing else it can burn; we should be able to leave."

    Shan Yi''s lips twitched when he heard what Wei Liuying said. Looking at the forest beyond the temple, he could only pray that it would be able to burn faster so that they could leave this accursed place.

    However, Wei Liuying instead hoped that the fire would keep burning forever. With the fire around them, they would be safe in this place. The wind allowed them to be able to breath and those people from the tribes couldn''t come closer.

    They were safe for the time being.

    Wei Liuying tugged Shi Lu Wen and pointed to her back. "Can you treat my back? The battle is not over."

    "I can."

    Shi Lu Wen was still wearing her small bag. She quickly used her small knife to create a hole on Wei Liuying''s back so that she would be able to pull the rest of the arrow. Looking at the blood that continued to ooze out, Shi Lu Wen resisted the urge to cry.

    She couldn''t bear to see this.

    With such a wound on her back, how did Wei Liuying capable to move around? Just a slight movement would change the position of the head arrow and could possibly harm Wei Liuying even more.

    "I''m fine, Lu Wen." Wei Liuying laughed lightly and hissed lightly when she felt Shi Lu Wen pressed the wound. Even though she also knew that they were in dire situation, she had no other choice but to continue smiling and reassure everyone around her.

    ''Maybe, this is why Strategist Yang is such a joker most of the time.''

    Wei Liuying felt that she had just realized that it was much better to continue put on positive attitude. Even though she herself understood that hope was slim, they have to try their best so that they could survive.

    "You should stop saying that. We all know that it''s nothing but a lie," Shi Lu Wen sniffled and finished making temporary cover for Wei Liuying''s back. "I need to tie this, but it means you''ll need to open your robe."

    "I''ll open my outer robe."

    Gao Ling swiftly moved and blocked the other''s vision from them. After all, Wei Liuying is still a young girl, so it would be impossible for her to let these rowdy men to look at her when she was being treated.

    Shan Yi understood and coughed, "Men, turn around."

    "Eh?"

    "NOW!"

    The men swiftly turned around and looked at the fire burning around them. The sight of the burning was not that bad at all. They could just spend their time enjoying the view before them like this.

    That would be for the best.

    For some reasons, they had the feeling that once they turned around, they would regret it for the rest of their lives.

    "You have swords'' wound too," Shi Lu Wen said with surprise.

    "I''m not careful enough," Wei Liuying replied calmly.

    Shi Lu Wen pursed her lips. This was not a matter whether she was careful or not. It was simply because Wei Liuying was on the verge of death that she had no other choice but to fight with her life on the line.

    "It''ll be painful, so please hold on."

    "I''m fine."

    Wei Liuying stayed silent as Shi Lu Wen continued to treat her. She could feel the wound hurt because Shi Lu Wen had to press it, but she said nothing to it. This was nothing much. She didn''t mind that much.

    "Where are the soldiers?" Wei Liuying asked. Even though she was currently being treated, she didn''t let her mind rest at all.

    Gao Ling''s mind blanked a bit when she heard Wei Liuying''s question. Now that they thought about it, there were no soldiers and only the bandits were around. Could it be that they had died?

    Shan Yi frowned. "I''ll check."

    "Don''t take too long and don''t get too close to the fire," Wei Liuying gave her instruction.

    "I know."

    Rushing to the back, Shan Yi scanned the place. It was not burning that badly because part of the wall was formed by rocks. He could see several soldiers there, but he couldn''t find Du Min anywhere.

    ''He''s Prince Ji Sheng''s elite guard, so he should have been fine, right?'' Shan Yi doubted that Du Min would die so easily. However, he couldn''t find their traces anywhere.

    "Come with me to the middle."

    "Eh?"

    "If you don''t wish to die, you should follow¡­"

    "I''m sorry, I can''t move." A soldier raised his hand. His legs were trapped by some rocks while his comrade had passed out by his side. From their wounds, it was clear that they wouldn''t be able to leave here.

    Shan Yi frowned. "Wait here."

    He rushed back and told the others about the soldiers he found. Afterwards, he took some medicine from Shi Lu Wen so that the men could treat themselves. Shi Lu Wen would have to prioritize Wei Liuying more than the soldiers, so he didn''t bring them here.

    *cough* *cough*

    "Try not to inhale the smoke," Wei Liuying reminded.

    Gao Ling nodded. Her brows creased due to the smoke just now, but she felt that it was nothing much. Compared to the wound that Wei Liuying had to sustain in order to keep them alive, her misery right now was not much.

    "Are you really fine?" Shi Lu Wen asked with worried tone.

    Wei Liuying raised her head and smiled. "I''m fine, Lu Wen. Are you done?"

    "I need to check your legs and hand."

    "Oh."

    Rolling her pants, Shi Lu Wen could see that the cloth was sticking on Wei Liuying''s skin due to the burn. Carefully, she pulled it apart and started to examine Wei Liuying''s leg in slow motion. Her eyes were paying close attention to the burned and wounded flesh.

    It was damaged so badly, but Wei Liuying said nothing.

    She simply endured it.

    "I can''t understand how you can withstand the pain like this," Shi Lu Wen muttered as she pulled the cloth away, revealing the burned flesh. She used the herbs and bandage and began to close the wound on Wei Liuying''s leg.

    Wei Liuying simply smiled. After Shi Lu Wen was done with her leg, she moved to her arm and began to bandage everything. She tried to make it as thin as possible because Wei Liuying still have to use her sword.

    "I want to recommend you to not use your hand to fight again."

    "But you know that it''s impossible, right?"

    Shi Lu Wen sighed and nodded. She moved to Gao Ling and checked the latter, but Gao Ling was not wounded at all aside from some light bruises. Afterwards, she treated Shan Yi and his men before treating the trapped soldiers as they waited for the fire around them to die down.

    The surroundings forest only made things worse because it made the fire last longer. In the end, they had to wait for a long time.

    "It''s so hot."

    "But this is better than having to fight all night long." Wei Liuying looked into a distance. The other quarter should have been burned at this time just like theirs. For some reasons, she wondered about the Wei Family''s situation there.

    But even if something happened to them, she doubted that she would care.

    Shi Lu Wen nodded. She wiped her sweat and sat down beside Wei Liuying. Her eyes expressed worry. "I wish this is already over with this."

    "It''s not over yet," Wei Liuying replied and patted Shi Lu Wen''s head. She wanted Shi Lu Wen to be able to smile like usual. Seeing the bright and cheerful girl on the brink of despair like this hurt her heart. "We''ll be fine. Shan Yi will protect all of us."

    "Of course!" Shan Yi patted his chest proudly. "I''m the only one who didn''t get hurt at all, so I''ll be able to protect you securely!"

    "Boss, you''re just bragging."

    "He''ll probably crash onto the tree later."

    "Hey! Help me boost my image, you idiots!"

    The men laughed as Shan Yi berated his uncooperative men.

 Chapter 190 - Arrows

    Seeing that they were still able to laugh, the corner of Wei Liuying''s lips curled up slightly. Even when they were facing danger and might lose their lives soon, they still could relax and laugh with their friends before the time of battle.

    The sight felt warm.

    "The sun will rise in a while," Gao Ling said as she pointed to the East''s sky.

    "But the fire hadn''t died down yet."

    "Is it possible for reinforcement to arrive?" Shi Lu Wen asked worriedly.

    Wei Liuying looked to the north with narrowed eyes. She stood up slowly as the fire around them had died down, leaving nothing but ash from the destroyed buildings. The smoke was no longer as intense as before and only some areas still left the rising smoke intact.

    "Before they can come, our enemies will arrive first."

    "Eh?"

    It was then they realized that several people have appeared from a distance. They were wearing the same clothes as the men who intruded here last night. From their gazes, it was clear that they were very hostile towards them.

    "Form a circle with Lady Gao and Shi Lu Wen in the middle," Wei Liuying gave order.

    "Yes."

    Shan Yi wanted to give order too as a leader, but he felt that Wei Liuying was even faster than him. Not only that, his men were following her order without questions too. It was as if they knew that she could be trusted, even more than Shan Yi.

    He felt that his position as the leader was severely threatened.

    From the bottom of his heart, Shan Yi was glad that Wei Liuying was not his rival or he would have lost his influence very soon. There was no doubt that Wei Liuying would be able to become a proper and capable leader.

    "Kill them!" the men who came said in menacing tone.

    "Fight!" Wei Liuying also shouted.

    The men from two sides stepped forward and began to attack.

    Clang! Clang!

    The sound of blade clashing reverberated in the empty courtyard. Wei Liuying swiftly moved and joined the fray. Her sword cut through her enemies without any hesitation, making use her small stature to attack from below and deal heavy damages to them.

    Slash!

    Blood splashed. The dried area because of the fire had changed completely to that of the battlefield once more.

    Dzing!

    Jleb!

    Gao Ling was not staying silent. She was making use of her arrows to shoot down her enemies. After an entire night, she no longer felt tipsy and dizzy because of the alcohol. She had become extremely sober and ready to face everything before her.

    "Kill them!"

    "Hii."

    Shi Lu Wen grasped Gao Ling''s robe as she sat on the ground. She couldn''t be of much help when it came to real battle, so she tried her best to stay away from others and stay safe. The number of the men who came was overwhelming and Shan Yi along with his men were forced to fight with unfair disadvantages in their number.

    ''Can we win?''

    Slash!

    Thud!

    Wei Liuying frowned when she saw that another one of Shan Yi''s men had fallen. Due to the wound they sustained, they were not really in the condition to fight. Along with the exhaustion after an entire night, they dropped down after a short period of time.

    "Lady Gao!"

    Because the one of the bandits fall down, a man rushed over to Gao Ling''s direction. Gao Ling swiftly shot her arrow and killed the man.

    Jleb!

    From the side, Gao Ling noticed that another one had come to her. Fear filled her face as she tried to reload her bow as fast as possible. She knew that there was simply not enough time for her to put the arrow in place.

    Jleb!

    A sword was thrown to the man.

    Gao Ling looked to the side and noticed that Wei Liuying had thrown her sword to her direction. There were two other men who were trying to attack Wei Liuying as the young girl twisted her body. The sword of the first man barely grazed her as she held the wrist of the man then used it to twist her body.

    Kick!

    Her legs kicked the first man''s head as she stole the sword and raised it in time to block the second man''s attack.

    Clang!

    Sound of the metal clashing reverberated. Wei Liuying twisted her sword position using her opponent''s force and swung it as fast as possible. Large wound was formed on the man''s chest as blood spurted out.

    Slash!

    The first man still didn''t give up and swung his hand that was holding a small sword. Wei Liuying ignored her injured thigh and directed her new sword downwards. She stabbed the first man right in his heart from behind, effectively killing him.

    "Liu Ying!" Gao Ling called out.

    An arrow passed by Wei Liuying to the third man who was approaching her.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Protect yourself well, Lady Gao."

    "Yes. I¡­"

    Gao Ling was about to say yes when she saw several arrows headed to Wei Liuying. She used her sword to block, but two still grazed her shoulder and arm. Wei Liuying swiftly turned to the side and saw a young man was standing with several people around him. He was looking in their direction with utter disgust.

    "Why are they still alive?"

    "There are some miscalculation," the man on his right side replied right away.

    The young man looked at them with sneer. "No matter how good they are, Yang Xian can''t possibly guess our plan so quickly. Eliminate them."

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

    ''Your Highness?''

    Wei Liuying''s head was working quickly as she readied her stance. There shouldn''t be possible for the prince or king of a tribe to come so deep into their territory without being found out, right?

    Swish! Jleb!

    More arrows were heading in their direction. Wei Liuying managed to block the arrows, but the bandits were not that lucky. Several of the arrows pierced through their body as blood oozed out from their wounds.

    *pant* *pant*

    Wei Liuying felt that her body was growing heavier. She had lost a good amount of blood because of yesterday''s battle. With the wound throbbing, she felt that she wouldn''t be able to keep her consciousness for long.

    She had to settle this as fast as possible.

    "Lady Gao, please kill them all with your arrow. I''ll protect you."

    "Yes."

    Gao Ling had no hesitation as she set several arrows on her bow and shot towards the young man and the others near him. Some of the arrows were cut, but one still hit the target correctly. Gao Ling didn''t stop and repeated the same process repeatedly.

    Clang!

    "How useless," The young man said in mocking tone. "Quicker."

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

    With Gao Ling focused, Wei Liuying did whatever she could to protect the two of them. With only her and Shan Yi still could move, she had to be able to protect Gao Ling no matter what the cost.

    Jleb!

    An arrow pierced Wei Liuying''s hand. She was simply focused on the arrows that the men shot as the people around them were killed by the raging Shan Yi. The battle turned into that of a battle of archers.

    "Liu Ying!" Gao Ling called out in panic.

    "Continue!"

    With that order, Gao Ling had no other choice but to continue shooting the arrow. She really wanted to cry and wail loudly because she understood that there was almost nothing that they could do. There were still several people in a distance away and they couldn''t even get close there.

    The young man was looking with impatience. "There are only four people left. How come you''re so slow?"

    "Your Highness, do you want us to fight in close range battle?" a man asked while showing his large blade.

    The young man snorted. Ruthless glint appeared within his eyes. He crossed his hands. "Just rain them down with arrows. Kill that one who was holding the bow."

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

    "Shan Yi¡­ can you head there and kill them if you can get close enough?" Wei Liuying asked. Her breathing was rough, telling them that she was almost at her limit.

    "I can," Shan Yi said slowly. He was practically the only one with barely any wounds. There were only some scratches at his arms from some of his negliance. "But it''s impossible for you to protect them by yourself."

    "Go."

    "But.."

    "GO NOW!"

    With that order, Shan Yi gritted his teeth and rushed over to the young men and his people.

    Wei Liuying watched the distance grew closer as she looked at the arrows heading to her as she smiled lightly. There were too much for her, but she had no other choice but to fight.

    Slash! Swish!

    With a faint movement, Wei Liuying swiftly blocked most of the arrows. The rest of the arrows pierced her arms and legs. She looked at the distance where Shan Yi had already arrived as a smile formed on the corner of her lips.

    "Please protect them."

    And she fell.

    Thud!

    "LIU YING!"

 Chapter 191 - Is This The End?

    "Please protect them."

    Thud!

    "LIU YING!"

    Gao Ling screamed loudly as she prepared her arrows. By this time, Shan Yi had already arrived by the young man''s location and started his spree. The people there were unable to fight back as the large man began to kill everyone on his path.

    "Your Highness¡­"

    Slash!

    Shan Yi killed everyone around him without any exception. He didn''t even think anymore as he let his body be the one to move and command him. By this time, he had already lost all kind of reason and only knew that he had to kill everyone.

    They dared to harm him, his beloved, and his friends, so he wanted to kill them all.

    Kill

    And kill more.

    Slash!

    The people no longer had any hope to survive. Shan Yi looked just like a madman as he rushed over and killed so many of their people.

    The young man looked at Shan Yi with fear and trepidation. "Kill him, quickly!"

    "Your Highn¡­*ugh*"

    The men closest to the prince had fallen. Shan Yi didn''t even care who he was anymore as he jumped up and brandished his sword. He could see the fear within the previously cocky prince.

    Slash!

    The prince was killed on the spot and Shan Yi didn''t stop at all. He swung his sword and continued his massacre. The ground was covered in blood and severed limbs, creating gory sight.

    Thud!

    As the last person die, Shan Yi stood silently. His sword by his right hand with blood trailed at the blade. By this time, his breathing had turned rough, but he didn''t care for his condition at all.

    There was just one thing inside his mind now.

    ''How''s Liu Ying?''

    Ignoring the numerous swallow wounds he had, Shan Yi turned his body around. He had purposely resisted his urge to turn around and see Wei Liuying because he feared that if he had seen how she was, he wouldn''t be able to stop himself.

    What he saw only made his blood boiled.

    Wei Liuying was lying on the ground. She was in the middle, between Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen. He didn''t know how her condition was, but he didn''t think that it would be that good.

    Shan Yi charged forward and swiftly reached the place where Gao Ling and the others were. The two young ladies were crouching near the location where Wei Liuying had fallen with tears covered their beautiful faces.

    "Is she alive?" Shan Yi asked with fear.

    Shi Lu Wen was crying buckets, but she nodded. "Yes! Yes, she''s still breathing. We need to treat her fast."

    Wei Liuying had lost her consciousness because of the previous battle. She was pushing herself to the limit to make sure that she could protect Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen without caring for her condition in the slightest bit.

    Gao Ling nodded. "Then, we should¡­"

    Drap! Drap!

    The earth shook and they all turned around. They could see there were another group coming in their direction once more. The men were riding horse and forced their horses to climb the steep stairs. Their eyes landed on Gao Ling and the others.

    "Well, well, what do we have here?"

    "It seems that Tribe Bo had failed their mission," the man beside the first one replied.

    The first man nodded. He looked at the two young girls and grinned. "Since they have failed, we should just take the credit. Besides, who would have thought that an entire tribe will be wiped up like this with just a small number of people."

    Gao Ling''s fist tightened as she held her bow in her hand. There were only several arrows left on her back, but she should be able to use it to buy some time. When Ji Sheng arrived later, they would be fine¡­

    They would be fine¡­

    While Gao Ling was chanting, Shi Lu Wen chose to move from Wei Liuying''s body and moved to the side. She tightened her small fist and looked in the men''s direction as if she wished to kill them.

    ''I have to stay away from Liu Ying¡­ that way, they will not know that she''s actually still breathing.''

    There was simply no other option. If the reinforcement truly came in the end, she could only hope that Wei Liuying would be able to stay safe even if they were not. Shi Lu Wen''s brain could only think of this method.

    They had to survive.

    But most importantly, she didn''t wish to see Wei Liuying die.

    Even if they ended up dying because the reinforcement was late, they might be able to safe the dying Wei Liuying since the tribes would let her off if they didn''t know that she was still alive.

    Shan Yi gripped his sword tighter. "Do you think that it''s possible for you to touch these girls?"

    "Heh, bandits like you should just silently give up to us. You''re just one facing dozens. How do you think you can survive?" the first man mocked.

    Shan Yi furrowed his brows. He silently thought of last night''s event when they were already in despair. It was Wei Liuying who told them that they could survive, which was the main reason why they didn''t give up. They picked up their weapons and fight until it was the last drop of their blood.

    No one wished to abandon their lives so easily.

    And now, there was truly no hope in sight anymore. Wei Liuying was unconscious because of her wounds while his men were no longer in any shape to fight. Gao Ling had run out of her arrows while it was impossible for the soft and small Shi Lu Wen to fight.

    He had to fight by himself.

    But Shan Yi knew that he was nearing his limit.

    Stalling for a few breaths of time would be the most he could do.

    ''Is this really the end?''

    Looking at the people from the tribe, Shan Yi smirked. Even if they were at the depths of despair, he would never show his desperation to anyone. They have to stand tall, believing they would be able to survive even if there was actually no hope.

    ''Ji Sheng, Yang Xian, it seems that I''ll be the first one.''

    "Why do you think I can''t?" Shan Yi asked back in mocking tone. Even in the face of danger, he would laugh. "I''ll kill all of you and return back safely."

    "You?" The second man shook his head. "We can have fun with the girls first. Men, move!"

    "You dare!"

    Shan Yi brandished his sword, ready to fight to his bitter end. The two girls behind his back were also standing firm despite their fear. Even if this would be their end, they would never show their weak side!

    ¡­

    In the other side of the temple, Wei Xiao Hua was also facing the attacks from the tribes. However, the people who were attacking were dealt cleanly by Prince Ji Shu''s men who were sent to protect her.

    "Miss, please follow us."

    "En."

    Wei Xiao Hua knew from the novel that she didn''t even need to fight. Besides, the original Wei Xiao Hua didn''t know how to fight too. What kind of noble young ladies would be able to fight?

    All she had to do was following the guards'' instruction to get out of the temple safely before Strategist Liu started to set the temple ablaze. In the novel, she learned that Strategist Liu was quick witted and knew that by setting fire, they would attract attention. At the same time, they would be safe inside the dry courtyard because there was only dirt there without any grass whatsoever.

    However, the reinforcement they waited for a long time will not arrive in time.

    By the time the soldiers from Prince Ji Sheng''s City arrived, it would be too late. The sight they would see would be something they wished to never see in their entire life.

    The soldiers below were already busy because of another tribe attacking it. After all, the attack this time didn''t only have one tribe behind it but several tribes who were collaborating together.

    "KYAAAAAAa!"

    Wei Zilin was scared, but she still rushed out with the guards from Wei Family''s protection.

    "Miss, please follow us."

    "There are so much blood!"

    "It''s¡­."

    "KYAAA!"

    It took some time before the guards from Wei Family could possibly pull Wei Zilin together to bring her out of the temple. Their work has been lessened thanks to Prince Ji Shu''s men, but they still have to work on their own to bring Wei Zilin out.

    They couldn''t afford to lose her.

    Or Wei Hong would kill them without hesitation.

    The fake Wei Liuying''s fate was the most miserable. Even though Wei Xiao Hua had arranged her to stay with them, the tribes reached her room faster and finished her faster than the rest. There was nothing the soldiers could do.

    And Wei Xiao Hua herself didn''t want to keep that annoying woman around anymore. While it was fun for some time, it was already time to end the play.

 Chapter 192 - Twist

    Or Wei Hong would kill them without hesitation.

    The fake Wei Liuying''s fate was the most miserable. Even though Wei Xiao Hua had arranged her to stay with them, the tribes reached her room faster and finished her faster than the rest. There was nothing the soldiers could do.

    And Wei Xiao Hua herself didn''t want to keep that annoying woman around anymore. While it was fun for some time, it was already time to end the play.

    "First Miss, Third Miss Wei is still trapped inside, and we can''t get close," one of the guards reported as he led Wei Xiao Hua out.

    Wei Xiao Hua waved her hand. "Just let her be. We can report this as Wei Liuying''s death to Father. That way, it''ll seem as if Wei Family had lost something from this attack and wished for compensation from the northern tribes."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Even though that was what Wei Xiao Hua said, she knew that the tribe who was responsible for the attack would be wiped out. As for how they would be wiped out, it would be because of Strategist Liu who was quick witted and smart. One way or another, he managed to make use of a small number of people who were there to protect them and eliminate the tribe.

    This kind of achievement was what made him an important figure after Yang Xian. It was simply unfortunate that Strategist Liu would turn despondent due to his wounds and also the loss of Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen.

    Wei Xiao Hua didn''t know what their real relationship was.

    She''s also not interested in it.

    In any case, she felt that the fate for Strategist Liu was simply too bad. There was truly nothing that the young man could do to prevent the tragedy because he had already done all he could only to become the sole survivor because the tribe men thought he had died.

    What a twist.

    Strategist Liu wished Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen would be safe. Even at the cost of his life, which was why he sacrificed a lot in the battle.

    But in the end, the one who survived was Strategist Liu.

    He suffered burns and many wounds on his body, but he still survived in the end. Well, he was bedridden for an entire month if Wei Xiao Hua was not wrong since the details of the aftermath didn''t focus on Prince Ji Sheng''s side.

    ''If only I know who Strategist Liu is, I would like to pull him to my side.''

    Wei Xiao Hua lamented the fact that the author hid the time when Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian find Strategist Liu. She only knew that during the time of Princess Ji Xiaoli''s birthday, they would have already found a strategist and gave out the name during the party. However, there was nothing about Strategist Liu''s background nor backstory.

    The author skipped it all.

    ''If only the author is here, I''ll directly ask.''

    (A/N: but I won''t answer)

    She only knew very little about Strategist Liu. Besides, the real Wei Xiao Hua never interacted with Strategist Liu in the novel. The two of them never crossed path with each other and only passed by in this temple for a short period of time.

    "Miss, are you sick?" the men sent to protect her was worried when they saw Wei Xiao Hua walked unsteadily.

    Wei Xiao Hua shook her head. "I''m just a bit sleepy."

    "We''ll reach the location for your carriage, Miss. Just a bit longer."

    "En."

    "We have arrived, Miss."

    Hearing that, Wei Xiao Hua raised her head and nodded faintly. She could see the carriages were already prepared by Prince Ji Shu''s men. Now, all that she needed to do was to sleep peacefully in the carriage. When she woke up, she would have to play an act of a pitiful young lady.

    Being the heroine was sure really fun.

    Though, Wei Xiao Hua did miss her previous life. She really enjoyed her time in this place too despite the harsh battle that she had to undergo many times due to the fact that the main character''s path was always so thorny.

    Wei Xiao Hua stretched her body and thought internally. Since she couldn''t know anything about Strategist Liu, it was good that the latter would lose his will to live in this place. It would be for the best.

    Looking outside the carriage, Wei Xiao Hua thought about what had happened in the temple and the future that awaited her. With this incident, Prince Ji Sheng''s factions fell by large margin. While the truth was that Prince Ji Sheng never had a chance to get the throne, Prince Ji Shu didn''t like other princes have too much power.

    The military power that Prince Ji Sheng had was seen as a threat by Prince Ji Shu.

    ''What happens after this is¡­''

    Recalling the novel, Wei Xiao Hua''s face turned dark. If she was not wrong, she would have to face the concubines schemes again. Wei Hong would lose his child because of some concubines and Wei Xiao Hua had to help cleaning up the mess.

    It was really annoying.

    Knowing that she had to follow the novel in order to make sure that there was nothing wrong again, Wei Xiao Hua felt really tired. She wished that the author could make the protagonist''s life easier because this was simply too much.

    Having such a family was truly tiring.

    Why couldn''t the parents love their children properly and make sure that they were doing their work as parents properly?

    "Miss."

    "What is it?" Wei Xiao Hua asked and glanced out. She could see Lou was outside her carriage''s window.

    "His Highness wish to meet you."

    "Ji Shu is?" Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes lit up. She did know that he would come here because he couldn''t stand the thought of putting Wei Xiao Hua in danger from the novel. However, she didn''t know the exact time when Prince Ji Shu came to visit her.

    Luo nodded. "Yes. Please follow me."

    The only person who was allowed to call Prince Ji Shu''s name so freely and openly would be Wei Xiao Hua. In fact, Prince Ji Shu was the one who asked Wei Xiao Hua to call him with his name rather than using honorific.

    "Alright."

    Wei Xiao Hua climbed down the carriage and entered the forest under Lou''s lead. Her eyes scanned her surroundings before she could see Prince Ji Shu standing beside a large tree. His figure under the dawn''s light looked so handsome. If only she had camera with her, Wei Xiao Hua wished to take picture of this prince and kept the picture close to her all the time.

    "Ji Shu!"

    "Xiao Hua." Prince Ji Shu stepped forward and hugged Wei Xiao Hua tightly. He caressed her head and checked her condition. Upon seeing that she was fine, he felt glad that his men did their work properly.

    If they allowed Wei Xiao Hua to get hurt, he would not mind putting them into hell training again.

    "What are you doing here?" Wei Xiao Hua asked and poked Prince Ji Shu''s stomach. "Aren''t you busy with the court?"

    "It''s fine, I can make time for you," Prince Ji Shu replied with a smile.

    Wei Xiao Hua pursed her lips. "That''s what you said, but if His Majesty angry at you because you miss the morning court when there''s a large incident, he''ll be angry."

    Prince Ji Shu laughed. "I told him that I''m visiting my mother who''s not feeling well."

    Hearing that, Wei Xiao Hua''s face changed a bit. Prince Ji Shu''s mother was not the Empress but only one of the many Imperial concubines that the Emperor had. However, she was also the most favored Imperial concubines amongst many others, which was why there were many people who thought that Prince Ji Shu would be the one to inherit the throne later.

    Prince Ji Tian was already conferred as the crown prince but there was no telling whether the Emperor would eventually change his decision or not.

    Besides, if Prince Ji Shu wanted it, he was capable to command a lot of soldiers and raise flag of rebellions.

    "That means we''re going to visit your mother?" Wei Xiao Hua asked.

    Prince Ji Shu asked. "Yes. Try to get along with her, alright."

    "I will."

    Burying her head in Prince Ji Shu''s embrace, Wei Xiao Hua thought about the novel''s description regarding Prince Ji Shu''s mother. In the original novel, the real Wei Xiao Hua was close with Prince Ji Shu''s mother because they were both equally ruthless and unforgiving. For their goal, they didn''t care how many lives were lost.

    ''Again¡­ I''ll have to act.''

    Heaving a sight, Wei Xiao Hua chose to put the thoughts to the back and nestled in Prince Ji Shu''s embrace. She didn''t know since when, but the safest place in her opinion was within Prince Ji Shu''s arm.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, in the temple.

    Just as they were about to charge, suddenly they could hear the howling of wolves around them.

    Awoooooooo!

    The sound sent chills on the back of their body. The men were unable to move when their horses began to panic as wolves appeared from the destroyed forest. Dust filled with ash spread around as the wolves rushed to their location.

    Gao Ling nearly fainted when she saw everything.

    After tribes, they now have to face the wolves.

    However, something out of her expectation occurred right before her eyes. Neither one of them would have expected the wolves to make their moves like this.

 Chapter 193 - Wolves

    Awooooo!

    The howling of wolves startled them. A large wolf with distinctive scar on the surface of the face stepped forward. Behind him, numerous wolves were following at close direction and bare their teeth.

    "What in the ******!" the leader of the men shouted in surprise.

    "We need to get away from here."

    "But the wolves¡­."

    The leader gritted his teeth and noticed that the large wolf with distinctive scar on his face had already walked to the three people. Based on the wolf''s temperament, it was not hard to guess that he must be the wolf pack''s leader. The rest of the wolves already circled them around.

    The leader looked at the wolf as a sudden foreboding feeling enveloped him. Even though he didn''t want to believe that this was true, he couldn''t help but feel that it was the correct one.

    The wolves were protecting these puny people.

    Why?

    He couldn''t understand either. This was the first time this ever occurred in his entire life.

    "Kill them," the leader said through gritted teeth.

    "Yes¡­"

    Slash!

    Awooooo!

    The sound of the flesh tearing filled the burnt temple. At the same time the leader gave his order, the wolf''s leader did the same. He was ordering his pack to start the killing spree to eliminate the people there.

    Bloody battle ensued.

    "Wha! Stop biting me!"

    "AAAAAAAAAAAa!"

    Only the three people, Gao Ling, Shi Lu Wen, and Shan Yi were spared. They were staring dumbfounded at the sudden development in front of them without being able to say anything. It felt so surreal to see the wolves fought against the tribe''s men like that and defended them.

    In fact, even if the sky falls, they doubted that they would be that surprised compared to this development.

    "Brother Shan, am I dreaming?" Shi Lu Wen asked in doubts.

    Shan Yi shook his head. His eyes were still looking at the chaos the wolves have created. Blood spilled everywhere thanks to the wolves'' attack. "No, you''re not dreaming. This truly happened, Lu Wen."

    "The wolves help us?"

    "Yes, they help us."

    Even Gao Ling felt that it was so amazing that she was unable to react properly. Her eyes were glued to the wolf pack before her, that kept on attacking the men. Only the leader was standing between the two of them as if he was waiting for the right chance to attack. His back was facing them as if reassuring them that they would not be attacked in the slightest bit.

    Gao Ling rubbed her temple. "I feel as if I have grown crazy."

    "If you''re crazy, then I must be crazy too," Shi Lu Wen responded with a laugh.

    They did nothing but watch the wolves fought. Even if they wanted to participate, their current condition clearly didn''t allow them to do so. Even Shan Yi chose not to bother with the wolves and merely watched.

    They couldn''t believe what they saw.

    But they had to, because it happened right in front of their eyes with no possibility to refute it in the slightest bit.

    Just as the tribe''s men were pushed back due to the high casualties, they could hear the sound of people coming from the stairs loud and clear.

    "The temple is near!"

    "Hurry!"

    Gao Ling tightened her grip on her bow. "Who is it?"

    A group of people came out from the areas of the rubbles and ashes. From their direction, they could see two men were leading the group. Their clothes stuck to their body due to the sweat as the result of rushing here. However, relief washed over their faces when they saw the three of them.

    "You''re late!" Shan Yi shouted.

    The first leader, Prince Ji Sheng, replied, "We''re already going on our highest speed. What''s with the wolves?"

    "The wolves are helping us!" Shi Lu Wen shouted happily.

    "What?"

    While Prince Ji Sheng was confused, Yang Xian swept the place and noticed Wei Liuying not far from the wolf''s leader. She was still lying unconscious on the ground and with the current position, it wouldn''t be weird for Yang Xian to think of her as if she had died.

    "Liu Ying¡­"

    Prince Ji Sheng heard the mutter and averted his gaze. His pupil constricted. "Has Liu Ying¡­"

    "She''s alive!" Shi Lu wen quickly crouched down near Wei Liuying and checked on her wounds. The pulse was weak, but Wei Liuying was still alive. A faint smile formed on the corner of her lips when she realized that even though some time had passed, Wei Liuying''s condition didn''t deteriorate.

    Her action sent a wave of relief on Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian. They didn''t expect to lose someone important so quickly.

    "Don''t hurt the wolves and eliminate the men. Can you do that?" Shan Yi asked.

    Yang Xian nodded. "Leave it to me."

    Prince Ji Sheng noticed that there was a strange aura around Yang Xian right now. it was as if Yang Xian was preparing for a harsh battle and gave these people a terrible lesson that they would never forget in their entire life.

    No, not just lesson.

    This strategist was going on a killing spree. He wished to bury everyone under the mountains of corpses.

    Once the thought flashed within Prince Ji Sheng''s mind, his pupil contracted. "Leave one alive."

    "Yes."

    With that, the soldiers began to join the fray. The wolf''s leader stopped watching and turned his large body around. Shi Lu Wen nearly dropped the bandage she was holding because of surprise. After all, the wolf was so near her.

    "Don''t make any unnecessary movements, Lu Wen," Shan Yi warned. He didn''t want a mishap to happen at this point of time.

    Shi Lu Wen stayed silent. At the same time, the wolf walked nearer to Wei Liuying and nudged her lightly with his nose. There was a faint whimper from him as if he was a dog who had lost his master. The sound startled the three people who were near the wolf''s leader.

    A conjecture was formed within their mind.

    "Lady Gao, am I correct if I assume that the wolf comes here because of Liu Ying?"

    Gao Ling blinked her eyes. "We can''t ask her right now, but I want to say that it might be true considering how the wolf reacted around Liu Ying."

    Shan Yi''s lips twitched. Even though he had heard about people who tamed wolves during their free time, he didn''t expect that he would encounter one right before his eyes now. Just what in the world Wei Liuying did to be able to be friends with a wolf''s leader?

    Truthfully, it was nothing special. What Wei Liuying did was to give up her hunt to feed the hungry stray wolf, who actually turned out to be the wolf pack''s leader in the future. It was truly an unexpected meeting.

    "Um, Sir wolf, I need to treat Liu Ying. You don''t mind, right?" Shi Lu Wen asked hesitantly. She felt as if she had grown crazy to talk with a wolf, but she needed to ease her mind when she was treating her patient, or she might make a lot of mistake.

    The wolf raised his head. The distinctive scar on his face made him look scary, but there was indescribable gaze in his eyes. It was as if the wolf was trying to convey something, yet he regretted the fact that he couldn''t speak. The wolf nudged Wei Liuying once more as Shi Lu Wen worked faster.

    This was the first time in her life Shi Lu Wen felt so stressed when she was treating a patient. After all, there was a large wolf watching her every movement. Thankfully, she soon finished with the treatment.

    But the sight only made tears started to roll on the corner of her eyes.

    "There''s no way scars will not be formed," Shi Lu Wen muttered. She knew that Wei Liuying is a girl, which was why she felt that it was really bad. From this incident, it was inevitable that there would be several arrow''s scar on Wei Liuying''s body in the future.

    "At least, she''s still alive." Gao Ling also felt her heart ached. If only she had been helpful at the very beginning, things wouldn''t escalate this far. Wei Liuying might not be wounded so badly like this.

    "Yeah." Shi Lu Wen wiped her tears and noticed that Shan Yi was checking on his men. There were several of them who were still breathing, so Shi Lu Wen began to move and tried to treat them. Who knew whether they would be saved or not.

    On the other hand, the wolf had given up trying to wake Wei Liuying up. He was lying beside her and rested her head near hers. His eyes were looking outside, watching the movement of everyone around him. If there was someone who tried to get close to Wei Liuying, he would bare his teeth.

    He didn''t want to leave Wei Liuying.

 Chapter 194 - The Aftermath

    If there was someone who tried to get close to Wei Liuying, he would bare his teeth.

    He didn''t want to leave Wei Liuying.

    "The wolf looks like it''s guarding its master," Prince Ji Sheng commented when they were finished. The wolf pack was surrounding their leader in a certain distance as they were too afraid to get too close to the wolf''s leader in case they incurred his wrath. They didn''t want such a thing to happen because they knew they would get in trouble.

    Yang Xian blinked his eyes. For the first time in his life, he felt a teeny bit jealous of the wolves. He wanted to be the one to stay near Wei Liuying.

    ''I must be crazy to be jealous of animals.''

    Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, Yang Xian glanced at Gao Ling. "Do you know how the wolves get so close with Liu Ying?"

    Gao Ling shook her head. "It might have been a meeting before she came to the north. In any case, I have never thought that she''ll be friends with the wolves like this."

    "It''s good that they come."

    "You''re late," Gao Ling said and looked at Prince Ji Sheng. "If not for the wolves, I''ll never make it out alive."

    Prince Ji Sheng could feel a pang in his heart when he saw the expression on Gao Ling''s face. He had been pacing his horse along with Yang Xian and the others as fast as possible. However, they still came here late after they have received the warning given to them in the middle of the night.

    If only the wolves hadn''t come, he was sure that they would be greeted with the sight of their cold corpses instead of their healthy expression like this.

    "I''m sorry," Prince Ji Sheng muttered.

    "Don''t do it again."

    "I won''t."

    Even if he had to go against the entire world, Prince Ji Sheng would make sure that he could get to Gao Ling right in time. The thoughts that he might lose her sent fear to the bottom of his heart.

    He knew that if he had truly lost Gao Ling, he would never be able to forgive himself.

    Gao Ling looked at her fianc¨¦ and noticed the look within Prince Ji Sheng''s eyes. The fear and worry that was not usually present in the confident and arrogant prince was now present. It was clear that this incident had left him with bitter memory. She was not the only one who suffered greatly from this incident, but he too.

    Gao Ling sighed. It was truly a taxing battle even for her. "But I understand why you treasure Yang Xian so greatly, Prince Ji Sheng."

    "Yes?"

    "A loyal subject, a talented person, and a good friend," Gao Ling said unhurriedly. "Am I right?"

    Prince Ji Sheng was startled by the sudden remark. He nodded and smiled. From the way Gao Ling said it, he could guess that she must have experienced Wei Liuying''s talent with her own eyes. At the same time, Wei Liuying was unwilling to leave them no matter what happened.

    This must be what had caused Gao Ling to understand the meaning of his words back then.

    Yang Xian was looking at the wolf and slowly approached Wei Liuying and the large wolf. He crouched near them while keeping half a meter''s distance from Wei Liuying. His dark eyes were staring to the suspicious wolf.

    "Wolf''s leader, I need to bring Liu Ying to a different place that''s much warmer. This place will make her grow cold because of the temperature and if she were to get sick in this condition, it''ll be really bad," Yang Xian said unhurriedly.

    The wolf was looking at him with suspicion. He glanced at Wei Liuying''s expression and noticed that she did look pale. With no other choice, he stood up and wagged his tail as if giving Yang Xian permission to bring her.

    If only his size was not so big and had such scary face, people might think of him as a loyal dog and not a scary wolf.

    "Thank you."

    Slowly, Yang Xian carried Wei Liuying in his arm. He had heard about what happened roughly but not the detail yet. Still, from the wounds that Wei Liuying sustained and the fact that she could barely breathe now, he knew that she was forcing herself to make sure that they were all save.

    He lowered his face and whispered near her ear, "You did a great job, Liu Ying."

    By carrying her, he could sense that she was still much lighter than ordinary girls at her age. He might need to ask her to eat much more again in the future so as to make sure that she would be able to stay healthy.

    "And I''m sorry that I can''t be with you this time."

    The one who asked her to come here was him. Even though he knew that it was inevitable that Wei Liuying would put her own life at the stake to finish her mission, he still felt a pang within his heart.

    He didn''t want to see her get hurt.

    Not at all.

    Slowly, Yang Xian turned his body around and looked at Prince Ji Sheng and Gao Ling. Upon seeing their expression, he had the feeling that they were thinking about something inappropriate again.

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at the two with Gao Ling. Contrary to his indifferent expression, Gao Ling was grinning like crazy. It seemed like she was having fun seeing the two strategist like this.

    "Ah, he''s looking this way," Gao Ling said with a hint of regret. She was thinking of hiding her thoughts from him, but it didn''t seem to be possible. Well, even if she did try, there was no doubt that he would be able to guess after a short period of time.

    "Are you trying to get them together?" Prince Ji Sheng asked while his hand gave code to his men to start cleaning up. They would do their interrogation when they have reached a suitable place to rest.

    Gao Ling shrugged. "It''s clear that they''re almost always together, right? Besides, I''ll agree to anything as long as the man is not you, Ji Sheng."

    If the one that a woman wanted to get close was Prince Ji Sheng, Gao Ling would have no hesitation to kill that person and beat her black and blue. But if it was the others, especially her close friends, she would have no qualms. In fact, she would feel happy for them as she felt that they truly suited each other.

    "You should think about the punishment that your father will give to you rather than that." Prince Ji Sheng poked Gao Ling''s forehead.

    "Ah?"

    "I can smell wine from you."

    Gao Ling''s face instantly lose all colors. She had been trying to hide the fact that she drank from everyone, including Prince Ji Sheng. But since he came here at this point of time, there was still the lingering smell of wine on her body.

    Prince Ji Sheng could guess that he was correct from Gao Ling''s expression. "How many times have I told you not to drink so much?"

    "I''m sorry."

    "Hm?"

    Usually, Gao Ling would evade his question and try to reason her way out. This was the first time Prince Ji Sheng heard Gao Ling admitted her wrongdoings regarding wine so openly and apologized. Did the sun truly rise from the west today?

    Gao Ling noticed Prince Ji Sheng''s gaze and pursed her lips. "I won''t drink too much anymore and only what''s needed. I promise."

    "Can you hold your promise?" Prince Ji Sheng asked. From what he knew, Gao Ling liked to sneakily drank wine ever since a long time ago. Even though General Gao had already warned her from time to time, Gao Ling just liked the wine so much that she didn''t care about anything else in the slightest bit.

    But this time, Gao Ling was determined to change this habit of hers.

    "Yes. I''ll not forget," Gao Ling replied solemnly.

    She was sure that she would never be able to forget last night. The time when she was dizzy and still trying to fight back her hangover, there was someone who was fighting with her life on the line just to protect her. she didn''t want it to happen again in the future, so she should never allow herself to be so vulnerable anymore,

    That regret¡­ she didn''t want to repeat it in her entire life.

    Prince Ji Sheng saw the gaze Gao Ling had and raised his hand. He lightly stroked her head. "It''s not like you''re not allowed to drink at all when you''re of age, but you need to limit the amount you drink."

    "En."

    At this point of time, Gao Ling looked like a young child. Prince Ji Sheng continued to stroke her head tenderly, ignoring the blatant gazes from the people around them. Even though it was not proper based on the current custom, there wouldn''t be anyone who dare to point it out to his face.

    Instead, they would turn blind eyes to this.

 Chapter 195 - The Aftermath (2)

    Instead, they would turn blind eyes to this.

    Yang Xian was carrying Wei Liuying as he walked to Prince Ji Sheng and Gao Ling. At first, he thought the soldiers were looking in his direction because it was weird of him to carry a man like this. But upon seeing the two of them, he knew that they garnered even more attention than him.

    "We''re going to descend the mountain and rest in the nearby village," Yang Xian said as he ignored the obvious stare from the soldiers to him and prince Ji Sheng. "At the same time, I''ll make the report to His Majesty about this time''s incident."

    "Include the result of the interrogation."

    "I will."

    For a moment, Yang Xian''s eyes flashed with ruthlessness. Those tribes who dared to come here using the disguise have to be killed no matter what. He would make sure that they paid a high price from coming here and threaten the lives of Wei Liuying and the others.

    He would need to investigate how in the world they managed to enter so deep into Han Shi Kingdom''s territory.

    "How''s your men, Shan YI?"

    "Bad," Shan Yi replied with a sour tone. Even though Shi Lu Wen had done her best to save his men, there were only three people who were still alive. But then again, their situation was so dire that they could die at any moment.

    "We should sweep the area to find any other survivor."

    "Yes."

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at the burned temple. "Who have the idea to burn this place?"

    "Liu Ying," Gao Ling replied. She sat down on top of Prince Ji Sheng''s horse while looking at the soldiers moving around to find the survivors. "The best way to drive the men away and keep us safe is by making use of fire to eliminate most of them."

    "I see."

    "You don''t sound surprised."

    Prince Ji Sheng smiled but didn''t answer. He had heard Yang Xian once said the same thing. If they were in the middle of a building and the building was not their own too, there shouldn''t be any qualm in destroying it if they could end up eliminating most of their opponents.

    He was sure that it was what Wei Liuying thought at that time.

    The group descended from the mountain in a slow yet steady pace. The wolves were still following them, making it a bit awkward. However, they were glad that the wolves didn''t do anything to them.

    "It''s strange that wolves would even appear here. I thought most of them are either in the dry lands north or far in the south," Gao Ling commented.

    "There are always some strays in some areas. However, it''s true that most wolves are in the dry lands because many of the tribes make use of them to help them in hunting," Prince Ji Sheng explained unhurriedly.

    Gao Ling sent a glance to Prince Ji Sheng. "I didn''t know you''re so knowledgeable."

    "Am I?"

    "Yes. You seem to know so many things."

    Prince Ji Sheng merely smiled and didn''t answer anything. It took them some time before they could arrive in a small village and set their own tents nearby. The soldiers who came also bring the necessary equipment for everything.

    They couldn''t reach the nearby city and long journey was not good for those who were wounded. Resting in this village would be more than enough for now as they needed to treat those who were wounded first.

    "Can you lift her down?" Shi Lu Wen asked when she saw Yang Xian was still holding Wei Liuying on top of his horse.

    "Don''t worry."

    With a swift movement, Yang Xian landed on the ground. He looked at Wei Liuying in his arm and his grip tightened slightly. She was still sleeping peacefully, but her breathing was shallow.

    He knew that he shouldn''t move her around so much. Her wounds were simply too deep. "Your Highness, do you want me to tell the Emperor the truth of this matter or should I hide some parts?"

    "The wolves should be hidden, but I want you to give most of the credits to Liu Ying. That is only if Gao Ling agrees."

    "I agree," Gao Ling said without hesitation. "I was not in a good condition to fight because I have a drinking contest with Wei Xiao Hua. Without Liu Ying, we won''t be able to survive the incident at all."

    "Drinking contest?" Yang Xian asked.

    Ah¡­

    Facing the stare of both Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian, Gao Ling felt her cheek turned hot. It was never her intention to leak this matter, but she knew that it would be impossible for her to hide this matter from them.

    "That¡­ uh¡­ Wei Family is also in the temple at this time."

    "I know," Yang Xian replied curtly. He had sent some people to the temple beforehand to find out if there were anyone who planned to come there. Because of that, he knew that the three sisters from Wei Family, no, two sisters and one fake from Wei Family would come here.

    He had also told Wei Liuying about them before.

    However, he didn''t think that they would be able to create trouble for Wei Liuying because their schemes shouldn''t have affected her that much.

    "That''s¡­." Gao Ling had no other choice but to tell everything to them, including the fact that she acted on impulse to challenge Wei Xiao Hua. Even though she felt ashamed for her mistake, but she felt that it was only fair for them to know what had happened.

    "I see."

    Sensing the dangerous tone from Prince Ji Sheng, Gao Ling felt that she was digging her grave right now. He wouldn''t forgive her so easily for acting on impulse and possibly endanger anyone.

    "You''re going to be punished, Gao Ling," Prince Ji Sheng said solemnly.

    "¡­Yes."

    "Don''t try to run away this time or I''ll double the time."

    Gao Ling said yes again in timid voice. She felt that if she dared to say anything to Prince Ji Sheng right now, he would even triple the time period for her punishment. As for what her punishment would be, she already had some inkling.

    Yang Xian sighed. "Should I put in the report about your misbehavior, Lady Gao?"

    "No. You only need to report that she''s not feeling well."

    "Alright."

    If they put the report that Gao Ling was drinking before she was an adult, it would also reflect badly on her. There was no need to tarnish her reputation.

    Shan Yi nodded in agreement. "You should just erase the fact that I''m here and said that Liu Ying ordered the soldiers from Gao City and also Prince Ji Sheng''s City. In addition, you almost lost your treasured close soldier that you sent to fight."

    Not long ago, they managed to find Du Min who was unconscious. He was wounded during the fight and didn''t manage to stay in the large courtyard. Thankfully, the alley where he fainted was also filled with dirt that didn''t catch fire, so they managed to safe him. However, full recovery will take a long time.

    "Yes. I''m sure that creating tales is your expertise, Strategist Yang," Gao Ling said in excitement. Thinking about how many people would be praising Wei Liuying, she felt elated. After all, she''s proud to know someone who was so talented and amazing.

    Yang Xian sighed. He knew that it meant he had to work a lot. "Fine. Help me set up a tent first for Liu Ying."

    "I''ll do it!"

    "NO, let me!"

    Looking at the soldiers who were eager to set up the tent, Yang Xian felt that Wei Liuying''s fame would be even higher than himself after this incident was made known. Despite the fact that there was no survivor from the soldiers, the fact that Gao Ling was safe and sound was more than enough to give her the highest credit.

    After all, it was the soldiers'' task to protect their ''princess.''

    When the tent was finally set, Yang Xian set Wei Liuying on the bed. The wolf''s leader was still following him and settled near Wei Liuying without any intention to leave her in the slightest bit. He truly wondered what kind of good deeds Wei Liuying had done to make the wolf so loyal to her.

    Well, he could ask when she was awake and healthy.

    Yang Xian set another glance at Wei Liuying and lightly raised his hand to brush her hair to the side. "You should rest and get well soon. Everyone is worried on your behalf, Liu Ying."

    Wei Liuying didn''t answer. No, she couldn''t answer because she was still unconscious. Yang Xian could feel his heart ache deeply when he saw her condition. If only it was possible, he wished that he could take her place and experienced the pain she suffered in her stead.

    But that was nothing more than a foolish dream. Yang Xian pulled himself together because he knew that the matter was not finished yet.

 Chapter 196 - Report And Investigation

    But that was nothing more than a foolish dream. Yang Xian pulled himself together because he knew that the matter was not finished yet.

    Yang Xian got out of the tent, leaving Wei Liuying and the wolf''s leader inside. There were several other wolves who were around the tent, unwilling to leave their leader. From their current behavior, they looked more like a pack of dogs rather than wild wolves.

    "She might be mistaken as the wolf''s princess if this continues," Shan Yi commented.

    Yang Xian sent a glance to Shan Yi. "You''re not going to rest? You took quite a beating when you''re staying in the temple."

    The wounds that Shan Yi suffered was only superficial in his eyes. However, there were so many of them to the point that one wondered what kind of thorny forest he passed through.

    "Rest?" Shan Yi rolled his eyes. "I can''t rest like those three ladies over there."

    "Shan Yi."

    "Yes?"

    "Should I stitch your mouth?" Yang Xian asked with a smile, yet the dark and menacing aura around him prevented anyone from trying to get close to him.

    Shan Yi was stunned then he realized he had made a grave mistake. Liu Ying was posing as a man, which meant that he shouldn''t utter any words regarding her real gender to anyone. If he did, there would surely be someone who wouldn''t hesitate to make his life miserable.

    "I''m sorry, Xian. It''s just a slip of tongue."

    Yang Xian shook his head and glanced to another tent. He was sure that both Prince Ji Sheng and Gao Ling were inside because that prince didn''t want to leave his fianc¨¦e alone. He slowly turned around.

    "I need to interrogate the men. Do you want to come with me?"

    "Hell yeah! I have been wanting to beat them black and blue for messing with me and my men! I can''t believe that he can make 7 out of 10 of my men died just like this," Shan Yi said while clenching his fist tightly. He wanted to make them pay dearly for what they have done to him.

    "If they speak peacefully, I''ll not harm them in the slightest bit," Yang Xian said unhurriedly.

    "Hah? Do you think I believe such kind hearted words from you? You''re someone who had roamed in the most dangerous area in the world by yourself without relying on the adults in the slightest bit," Shan Yi refuted.

    Yang Xian smiled but didn''t elaborate. He walked to the small room where the prisoners were held. They were all tied to make sure that they couldn''t even try to kill themselves nor wounding others.

    "Now, shall we start?" Yang Xian asked as he walked to the numerous type of weapons by the side. Shan Yi looked at the collections and felt that he felt nausea. Somehow, the number of torture tools that Yang Xian have increased over the span of the time he didn''t see him.

    "I''ll never tell you!" the man blurted out.

    "Oh, really?" Yang Xian asked in a low tone. He took out the needles and looked at the man. "In that case, we should start. Since you''re already prisoners, you don''t need your martial arts ability, right?"

    "What are you¡­AAAAAAAAAAA!"

    The screams filled the tent, but Yang Xian''s expression didn''t change at all. By the side, Shan Yi was only watching without any interest in the slightest bit. In any case, he knew the cruel side of Yang Xian because he had been accompanying him for a long time. The young man never had any qualm for dirtying his hands.

    And knowing parts of Yang Xian''s past, Shan Yi didn''t think that it was that strange. Even though others would feel nausea when they saw other people''s organs were pulled out and creating gory sight, Yang Xian would not even change his expression in the slightest bit.

    Time passed with only occasional screams sounded from the tent.

    By the time it was finished, the sky had brightened. It was already the time for lunch.

    Shan Yi watched as Yang Xian wiped his hands on the cloth he had prepared. "Are you going to eat now?"

    "Yes. It''s already the time to eat. Do you not want to eat?"

    "I better go and catch some sleep. After seeing how gory it is, I can''t believe you''re still in the mood to eat."

    Yang Xian passed a look at the minced flesh and also the pool of blood, but he felt nothing. For someone who had grown up in the midst of battlefield, he had to get used with all kind of cruelty there.

    "I''ll ask them to heat it up for you."

    "You should know that Prince Ji Sheng is capable to do the same with you, right?"

    "Even if he can, it''s my job to make sure that I can be his right hand and protect him," Yang Xian replied. "Even if I have to dirty my hands to do it, it''s all very normal."

    "You¡­Forget it, you''re not the type to be the one standing at the forefront."

    Yang Xian smiled and walked out of the tent. Not everyone liked to stand in the limelight and stayed at the forefront. Even though he had the ability to do so, he preferred to be nothing more than a strategist whose task was to assist and help Prince Ji Sheng to achieve the victory.

    Shan Yi scratched his head and thought about the two strategists. "These two are really similar. They both really don''t like to be the leader and preferred to stay in the dark to assist. Is it true that similar people attract each other?"

    But when he thought about his own, he quickly shook his head. "Nah, it''s just that they have weird taste. That must be it. Now, I better rest so that I can check on Lu''er condition tomorrow."

    While Shan Yi was heading to rest, Yang Xian headed to the tent where Prince Ji Sheng stayed. Since Gao Ling had fallen asleep, Prince Ji Sheng was currently free from taking care of her and had to review their current situation.

    "Your Highness."

    "What is it, Xian?"

    "We can''t leave the frontline for too long. This time, there''s barely any preparation from our side and if they managed to find out that we''re not present, it''s hard to say what they''re going to do."

    Prince Ji Sheng sighed. He did think about this matter before, but he didn''t think that it would be so quickly. "We''ll talk about it later. Have you found out who''s the one behind the attack this time?"

    "Yes. Three tribes are collaborating with each other. The first is Bo Tribe, but their members including their leader has been annihilated under Liu Ying''s leadership. The second one is Tu Tribe, which is the men whom we met when we arrive at the top. The last one is Xu Tribe. They''re making diversion for the local soldiers so that no one can assist Lady Gao."

    Prince Ji Sheng''s eyes narrowed. "How did they find out Gao Ling''s location so quickly?"

    "There are spies planted within General Gao''s soldier. When you return back, please sent a letter to him containing the names of the higher ranked soldiers who are actually spies," Yang Xian replied.

    "Have you found them?"

    "The man spilled quite a lot. Since he''s one of the advisors for Tu Tribe, it just meant that he knows more than what other people can possibly know."

    "It''s good," Prince Ji Sheng said and sighed. "Good work, Xian. Sorry for always troubling you."

    "It''s not a trouble at all, Your Highness. This is just how my task is," Yang Xian replied.

    "Make the report to the Emperor. At the same time, tell him that I''m going to depart back to the north with Gao Ling because I can''t bear to have her in this condition. As for the capital city, I''ll leave it to you and Liu Ying. Do you know what to do, Xian?"

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    "Good."

    Yang Xian looked at Prince Ji Sheng for a moment, but he didn''t say anything more. He knew that whatever he said wouldn''t help him much in this situation.

    "In that case, excuse me, Your Highness¡­."

    "Xian."

    "Yes?"

    "I''m sorry."

    "Your Highness?!"

    Prince Ji Sheng looked up at Yang Xian. "I''m sorry for assigning Liu Ying to this mission. If only we''re more careful, we won''t fall for their trap."

    Yang Xian didn''t know what to say. It took him some time before could muster the strength to answer the question, "If you say it to Liu Ying, I''m sure that she will only say that it''s her job, so there''s no need for you to feel sorry, Your Highness. Also, we''ll need to investigate the relationship between each tribe."

    "Ah yeah, that one¡­ I''ll do it as soon as you return back to the north."

    "Your Highness, can you stop giving your job for me to do?"

    The two men looked at each other and laughed.

 Chapter 197 - Regain Consciousness

    In the end, it was settled that Yang Xian would take care of all the troubles in the Capital City before he returned back to the north. The execution wouldn''t be pretty, but it was the best that they could possibly do in their current situation.

    That night, they stayed quietly in their place.

    "En¡­"

    Wei Liuying felt as if she had descended into a total darkness. There was nothing around her but darkness. She couldn''t see, couldn''t move, couldn''t hear. She was drifting around with no control of her body.

    ''Where am I?''

    It was a comfortable sleep, but Wei Liuying didn''t know how much time had passed in reality. All she did was continuously sleeping for as long as she could possibly do. It was more comforting and felt relaxing compared to anything that she had ever done in her entire life.

    However, she knew that it was only temporary. No matter how comfortable she was, she knew that she would have to end it one way or another when it was the time in the future.

    As for when it was¡­.

    "Hmm?" Wei Liuying''s eyelids slowly fluttered open. She could see the faint light on top of her. At the same time, she could feel warmth on her right side as if there was something there that she had to pay attention to.

    ''Lady Gao?''

    Wei Liu Ying eyes sharpened as she focused her senses. Hearing faint laugh and jokes from outside, her tense muscle softened.

    She''s in a tent.

    And the atmosphere is light.

    Everyone should be fine. She didn''t need to worry about anything and should just focus on her condition.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying turned her head and noticed the wolf. "Oh, you''re that wolf from before? Why are you here?"

    The wolf whimpered lightly and nudged Wei Liuying with its nose. It tickled her, but Wei Liuying was simply smiling. The previous two times when she met with the wolf, he still kept his distance with her. But this time, the wolf was approaching her.

    Even though his look was scary, Wei Liuying''s keen sense didn''t detect any kind of malicious intent from the wolf.

    It was simply accompanying her.

    "How did you come to the north so quickly? Or is it possible that your real home is at the north?" Wei Liuying asked slowly.

    The wolf just whimpered and didn''t reply to her question. However, Wei Liuying was stunned when she saw the wolves who were peeking from the tent''s door from the side. It looked as if they were trying to catch a glimpse of her now that she had woken up.

    There were various sizes of the wolves and mostly were grey in color. From their attitude of wariness towards the wolf beside her, Wei Liuying could partially deduced some things. But the things that she noticed only caused her to feel amazed.

    "Did you become a pack''s leader now? That''s amazing."

    The wolf perked his ear and snuggled to Wei Liuying''s hand. Seeing how close the wolf to her today, Wei Liuying felt that she finally understood the wolf''s intention. He didn''t want to harm her.

    Instead, the wolf wanted to be her friend and helped her. Wei Liuying slowly raised her hand and patted the wolf''s head tenderly. The furry paws felt so comfortable to touch and the wolf also nestled near Wei Liuying, enjoying her light touch.

    "Liu Ying?"

    When the familiar voice entered her ear, Wei Liuying raised her head instinctively. She could see the face of an annoying strategist, Yang Xian. He was passing by the wolves carefully and entered the tent while bringing a bowl of porridge.

    "Strategist Yang."

    For the first time in his life, Yang Xian felt glad to hear her calling his name out. He had been worried sick that she might not be able to regain consciousness ever again. If it truly happened, he wouldn''t be able to forgive himself to give her such a dangerous mission to do.

    "You should eat first."

    "Ah, ok."

    Wei Liuying struggled to sit down and felt a strong hand helped her up. She smiled to Yang Xian. "Thanks."

    "Can you hold it? Your shoulders are wounded quite badly."

    "It''s fine. I''m a fast healer," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian looked at her with arched eyebrows and settled to sit near her. At the same time, he scooped the porridge and beckoned for her to open her mouth. His action only made Wei Liuying stunned.

    "I can do it by myself."

    "You''re wounded, so let me be the one to take care of you."

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows and looked at the porridge for a moment. This was the first time in her entire life she had someone else who took care of her. In the past, Xiao Qing couldn''t go to this extent because it would be breaking the rules as a servant. Wei Liuying also couldn''t push Xiao Qing to do that because it wouldn''t do her anything good.

    As for her mother and other family members¡­

    There was no way they would want to take care of her. At most, they would only send doctors to make sure that she would not die. She had to take care of herself with the help of Xiao Qing.

    Slowly, she opened her mouth and let Yang Xian fed her. The porridge was still warm, so it must have been made not long ago.

    "What time is it, Xian?"

    "The sun had just set," Yang Xian replied. "You slept for two days."

    "Two days?" Wei Liuying was stunned. She didn''t expect that she would be sleeping for that long. But looking at her wounded arms and body, she felt that she truly needed a good sleep.

    ''At the very least, I''m still alive.''

    Death was so near when she was fighting back then. Wei Liuying even thought that it was possible for her to leave this world earlier due to the heavy wounds she sustained. But it was good that the worst didn''t happen.

    As if sensing the shift within Wei Liuying''s mood, the wolf''s leader nudged his head to her arm.

    "Ah, wolf?"

    Awoo!

    Hearing the faint whimper, Wei Liuying had the feeling that this large wolf was actually worrying about her. It was strange to have an animal worrying about her when in the past, there were barely anyone who would even pay attention to her.

    "Thank you wolf."

    She raised her hand and stroked the wolf''s fur. The wolf wagged his tail as he snuggled closer to Wei Liuying.

    Watching the scene, Yang Xian''s lips twitched a bit. Why did he start to feel that the wolves were a bit of an eyesore because he was too close with Wei Liuying? However, he knew that the wolves had saved Wei Liuying''s life, so he would not try to slight them at all.

    "How did you get close with the wolves?"

    "Ah?" Wei Liuying tilted her head. "I don''t know either, but I once fed him with meat when he''s starving."

    Yang Xian: "¡­" just that?

    For some reasons, he felt that Wei Liuying was truly lucky to be able to meet with the wolves. No, not only that, her decision to feed him instead of killing the wolf turned out to be the one that would save her own life in the future.

    Wei Liuying patted the wolf''s head lightly. She knew that it would be impossible for the wolves to stay with her forever. While she didn''t know their reason for staying in the area around this place, Wei Liuying knew that it was a good coincidence.

    She had helped the wolf once and they helped her once too.

    They might even meet with each other in the future anymore. Wei Liuying felt a bit sad at that thought, but she knew that it would be inevitable.

    "Have you figure out who the perpetrator for the attack?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian nodded. He repeated the same report he gave to Prince Ji Sheng to Wei Liuying to tell her the overall situation. Based on the map that they had, they knew that these tribes were located at the North east.

    It meant that one way or another, the tribes managed to pass by that area.

    "There''s still possibility of getting pulled in for responsibility." Wei Liuying creased her eyebrows. The thought of getting blamed for something that had nothing to do with them made her mouth sour.

    "There''s no need to think so much." Yang Xian smiled. "They won''t be able to do something like that."

    "You have a plan?"

    "Yes."

    Seeing how confident Yang Xian was, Wei Liuying smiled. While their plan might not always succeed, she knew that she could trust Yang Xian. Her fingers lightly tapped the bed.

    "Is there anything I can do to help?"

    "You should just focus on recuperating so that you will be able to work again."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. Yang Xian''s words sounded as if he wished for her to get well soon just to be able to work again.

 Chapter 198 - Who Is This?

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. Yang Xian''s words sounded as if he wished for her to get well soon just to be able to work again.

    "Are there so much work?"

    "Just the usual," Yang Xian replied. "His Highness is dumping his work on me again, so I hope that you can be there to help me out."

    Hearing that, the corner of Wei Liuying''s lips curled up to form a smile. She already knew that Prince Ji Sheng truly loved to dump his works to Yang Xian and Shi Yan on some matters. After all, they were more proficient in it compared to him.

    "Where are the others?" Now that she thought about it, Wei Liuying hadn''t seen Prince Ji Sheng and the others.

    "Lady Gao and Prince Ji Sheng had departed this morning to the north. On the other hand, I have been requested an audience with His Majesty along with you, the one who fend the tribes people away."

    It took Wei Liuying a moment before she could recall everything that happened before she went unconscious. She might need to talk under the gazes of those officials if she had to enter the capital city again.

    Yang Xian studied Wei Liuying''s expression for a moment. "Lady Gao also wished to tell you that she''s sorry."

    "Yes?"

    "She hope that you will forgive her for making things difficult this time."

    "I''m totally fine," Wei Liuying responded. If anything, she was glad that Gao Ling could help her out in the end. Everyone made mistake and this time, Gao Ling''s mistake was not that big to the point she couldn''t forgive the other party.

    "She also wished for you to attend her study¡­."

    "Help me decline that one."

    Yang Xian laughed at Wei Liuying''s quick reply. The time when Wei Liuying and Yang Xian were forced to watch Gao Ling studying the arts were quite the torture. The two of them were not used to do arts and compared to Gao Ling, they looked like a child who had never learned art before.

    Wei Liuying recalled the others. "How about Lu Wen and Shan Yi?"

    "They''re still outside, but I think they''re already going to sleep soon."

    "It''s night?"

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying sighed lightly. It seemed that her wake up time was quite bad. Thinking that it was night time, she looked at Yang Xian with arched eyebrows. "In that case, why are you still awake, Yang Xian?"

    "I still have work," Yang Xian replied unhurriedly.

    Two pairs of dark eyes were looking at each other as if trying to sound each other out. Even after such a long time, Wei Liuying still liked to study Yang Xian''s eyes to figure out the man''s real intention.

    After all, eyes were the window to their heart. it was easier to detect their lies from their eyes and some small reaction that they might not realize it themselves.

    "Are they going to go soon?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian nodded. "Shan Yi has been requesting his men to pick them up, so we''re going to stay with them for the time being. Besides, Shi Lu Wen didn''t wish to leave before you wake up."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying lightly nodded. She could guess that one of the main reasons was because there were not many female doctors. Even if there were some, Prince Ji Sheng couldn''t trust them.

    The one that they trusted greatly was Shi Lu Wen, so Yang Xian would have her check and took care of Wei Liuying.

    "I see."

    "I don''t really like the thought of you working right after you wake up, but this is quite urgent." Yang Xian put the empty bowl to the side and took out a bamboo scroll and handed it to Wei Liuying. "This is the copy of the report I gave His Majesty regarding this incident."

    "The report? Are there anything different from what had happened?"

    "I don''t know the details of your instruction, but from what the others give out, this is the report that I send to His Majesty not long ago. Please make sure you memorize it." Yang Xian walked to the side and took a teapot along with two cups.

    Wei Liuying looked at the scroll and resisted the urge to not laugh. She had just woken up, but Yang Xian already pulled her to have another work related to her occupation as a strategist again. It seemed that there was truly no time for her to have a real rest.

    "Do you want me to work again now?"

    "No. I want you to be aware of this because once you''re healthy enough, we''ll go to the capital city for an audience with His Majesty."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying nearly dropped the bamboo scroll in her hand. She had thought about meeting the Emperor because of this incident. But when Yang Xian told her that they would go once she was healthy enough, she felt that it was too quick. She was not prepared to meet with him at all.

    "Do I really have to?"

    "Lady Gao have prepared a letter of recommendation for you, Liu Ying. I''m sure that His Majesty will be waiting for you to meet with him too."

    Wei Liuying sighed. She was sure that the letter Gao Ling wrote would be filled with praise because of what she did. After all, she had seen the gaze in Gao Ling''s eyes when she was protecting her back in the temple.

    And based on what Yang Xian told her about what had occurred¡­.

    Wei Liuying hoped that the praise would not be over the roof. She might not be brave enough to walk out of her house if it was too much.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying opened the scroll and began to read the content inside. It was not that long, but it gave enough detail for one to be able to imagine what kind of battle was going on in the temple.

    Looking at it, Wei Liuying had a hard time believing everything she read.

    "Courageous, brave, unyielding Strategist Liu¡­ Who in the world is that?" Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian with scrunched face.

    How in the world she got such a high praise?

    Yang Xian laughed when he saw Wei Liuying''s expression. "It''s His Highness the Third Prince''s order to make sure that everyone know Liu Ying''s greatness in the battlefield."

    Wei Liuying was speechless. What kind of greatness? She only held down the enemies by giving order and then fighting with the help of others around her. There was nothing great with what she did.

    "Yang Xian, are you sure they''re going to believe this kind of report?"

    Looking back at Wei Liuying''s face, Yang Xian smiled as he poured the tea. His skillful action looked as if he had been doing it for years. "With so many soldiers giving the same testament, I''m sure His Majesty had no other choice but to believe."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" the soldiers who are still alive praise me that much?

    Forcing her feelings down, Wei Liuying lowered her head and looked at the scroll once more. The more she read, the more confused she was. The person Yang Xian described in the scroll didn''t seem to be like her at all. In fact, it was so outrageous that Wei Liuying felt the ''Liu Ying'' in the report was a surreal person.

    Who would know about the enemy''s movement when she could barely see them? She could only guess and estimated while keeping her own life safe.

    Who would think of trapping them in fire and burn them? She only thought of creating a barrier between her and the enemies.

    Who would think of delaying time by wounding herself, ah? She was not that idiot to think that by using her body as shield, she would be able to stall time that much. What she wanted at that time was to give chance for Shan Yi to eliminate the enemies.

    However, they were not allowed to put Shan Yi into the report, so the events were changed bit by bit.

    Thus, Wei Liuying felt that this report would only make the Emperor had extremely high expectation on her. This was all truly heavy praise, especially when it came from Yang Xian who was already famous to be a young and talented strategist.

    "Wouldn''t this make Prince Ji Sheng in more difficult situation?"

    "Why do you think so?"

    "Because this report is praising me to the sky and the two of us are under Prince Ji Sheng. I''m sure the Emperor will want to take us away from Prince Ji Sheng since having one great strategist is already a great threat," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly.

    Yang Xian laughed. "That''s our goal."

    "What?"

    "We want to make it seems as if Prince Ji Sheng can''t do anything without the help of the talented people around him. That way, they would be trying to poach us. Since you''re fairly new, I''m sure a lot of officials will try to come for you," Yang Xian said. He smiled bitterly. "This is why your position will be the hardest to have."

    Wei Liuying looked at the report and sighed. "I need to act, right?"

    "Yes."

    "I see. In that case, I hope that you''ll be able to handle the degree of my acting."

    "Heh, don''t underestimate me."

 Chapter 199 - Recuperating

    "Heh, don''t underestimate me."

    Wei Liuying smiled. "But I have a condition before I can do what you want me to do, Strategist Yang."

    "What is it?"

    "You have to trust me."

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying and sighed. Since they would be pulled into the battle for the throne, he knew for sure that there wouldn''t be any peace anymore in the future. But for now, their focus would be more to the north since the battle was still ongoing.

    However, they needed the preparation because there might be some inevitable battle.

    "Fine. I''ll trust you," Yang Xian replied. "This time, this is just a short visit. But we wouldn''t know whether it''ll be the same in the future or not."

    Wei Liuying nodded. There was a high chance that they would have to return back to the capital city once more because of many things. It was not something that they would like to do, but they have to.

    "By the way, what actually happened after I go unconscious?" Wei Liuying asked. After all, the report stated that she only went unconscious when the reinforcement came, which was not true at all.

    "Oh, the wolves come," Yang Xian replied. He proceeded to tell everything that Gao Ling and Shi Lu Wen shared to him not long ago. The story sounded so fascinating and hard to believe. After all, who would have thought that there was actually a human who was capable of commanding wolves?

    Well, not really commanding. She was simply being protected.

    Wei Liuying looked at the wolf''s leader beside her. The distinctive scar on his face was very apparent. She still could remember the hungry wolf back then in the mountain. It was only because she wanted to keep her life that she left her hunt behind for him to eat while she herself kept her distance.

    That small encounter was what changed the course of everything.

    It was very unexpected.

    "Thank you," Wei Liuying said to the wolf''s leader. She smiled. "You saved my life this time."

    The wolf''s leader wagged his tail. He seemed glad that Wei Liuying was awake. Afterwards, he turned his body around and walked out.

    AWOOOOOOOO!

    The wolf howled to the sky as the others in his pack also did the same. After he had finished, he rushed to the forest and headed to the north, disappearing in the midst of the darkness once more.

    "He''s very active," Wei Liuying said with a giggle.

    Yang Xian looked at the north with curiosity. "I have to say, I''m impressed that you can make friends with a wolf."

    "Well, I kind of saving his life when I first met with the wolf," Wei Liuying replied. "Even though I''m not totally sure, I guess he felt indebted to me for saving him back then, so he come to help me."

    "You save a wolf''s leader?"

    "He''s a stray wolf back then."

    Hearing that, Yang Xian nodded. He had the feeling that he started to understand how this bizarre situation could happen in the first place. It was all because Wei Liuying saved a stray wolf that she could be alive now. If not because of that, Yang Xian knew that he might not be able to see her alive and well like this.

    "You should rest for now. I''ll take care of everything here."

    "Ok. Don''t exert yourself too much, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian poked Wei Liuying''s forehead. "You should start calling me with my real name rather than my title. It''s not that comfortable to have you call me that way over and over."

    Wei Liuying simply laughed and didn''t reply. She shifted her body position slightly before she fell into deep slumber once more. Her body was still tired and added with the wounds that have only started to heal, she was not in a good condition to move around.

    ''It''s good that you''re awake.''

    Yang Xian walked out of the tent and met with Shan Yi, who was waiting with his arms crossed. "So, what happened?"

    "She''s awake."

    "And the wolves left?"

    "Yes. It seems that the wolf''s leader only waited for Liu Ying to wake up," Yang Xian replied. He pointed to the tent. "Now, you don''t mind if I ask you to help guarding, right?"

    "You black bellied¡­."

    "It''s already good enough that I didn''t detain you here, Shan Yi. You better make yourself useful before I change my mind and push you to the authorities," Yang Xian said with a dark smile.

    Shan Yi resisted the urge to sigh and nodded. He knew that Yang Xian wished for him to help guarding Wei Liuying. After all, in this condition Wei Liuying was still very vulnerable and needed to be guarded all the time.

    Just as he was going closer, he noticed that the wolf pack had returned.

    AWOOOOOOOOOOO!

    "Xian, are you sure that you need me?" Shan Yi asked as he pointed to the wolf pack. From their mouths, he could see traces of blood. It seemed that the wolf only left to hunt for a while before they returned back to Wei Liuying.

    Yang Xian sighed and nodded. "If there''s anything that happened, call me."

    "You should rest. I barely see you rest for the past two days. Even if you''re a powerful martial artist, it''s not good if you continue to deprive your body from sleeping."

    "I''ll rest soon."

    "You¡­" Shan Yi looked at the soldiers waiting for orders and sighed. "Fine, but don''t let your body collapsed. You''re the leader in this place."

    "Yes."

    Yang Xian walked to the soldiers and began to give his instruction. There were only a portion of them who would be able to enter the Capital City. Even then, he also needed to prepare an escape route in case things turned bad. There were too many of their enemies in the capital city.

    He was so busy.

    Time passed swiftly.

    By the morning, Wei Liuying woke up and managed to eat by herself. She was not joking when she said that she healed fast because she had been facing a lot more situation when she was forced to endure the harsh situation yet still have to survive. Her wounds were already mostly healed, and she could move around.

    Even Shi Lu Wen was stunned when she saw Wei Liuying walked out of the tent to join the lunch.

    "You can already move your body?" Shi Lu Wen asked with surprise.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I''m fine, Lu Wen. Though, I''ll need to trouble you to change my bandage later."

    "You have good constitution."

    "I''d rather say that I''m quite lucky to be able to heal faster," Wei Liuying replied. "If I didn''t get well soon, he won''t be able to rest too, right?"

    Shi Lu Wen followed Wei Liuying''s gaze and noticed that she was looking at Yang Xian. She nodded. "He''s pushing himself because he wants to make sure that there''s no danger when you all visit the capital city."

    "We''ll be fine," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly. Her eyes glinted with determination and ruthlessness. It was clear that she was also brewing plan inside her head in case the situation turned bad.

    Shi Lu Wen looked at Wei Liuying and sighed. This was not the first time she saw this, but she felt that Wei Liuying truly used her brain too much. She kept on thinking of every possibilities and the method to overcome it in case it truly happened.

    "You should learn how to relax a bit."

    Wei Liuying smiled. "I''m fine."

    "Also, I would like to thank you formally for helping me out in the temple. Without you, I would have died numerous times."

    In fire, in facing the enemies, Shi Lu Wen couldn''t count the time she was saved by Wei Liuying''s action. Without Wei Liuying protecting her with all she got, Shi Lu Wen might have been the first one to leave this world because she was incapable to fight properly.

    "It''s just my task."

    "Is that all?"

    Wei Liuying raised her head and looked at Shi Lu Wen''s smiling face. Her smile grew bigger. "Yes."

    "You''re a liar," Shi Lu Wen joked and stood up. "I''ll leave the group after lunch since Shan Yi''s men are here. We shall meet again when you return back to the north and this time, let me treat you with my cooking."

    Wei Liuying recalled that Shi Yan often said that Shi Lu Wen''s cooking was really good. When she came to their house in the past, she had tasted it, so she had to admit that it was really good. "I''ll look forward to it."

    "I''ll do my best!"

    The two of them chatted a bit more before Shi Lu Wen departed with Shan Yi. Of course, she changed Wei Liuying''s bandage first because they couldn''t possibly leave it to other doctors who didn''t know Wei Liuying''s real gender.

    Just like what Wei Liuying said, most of her wounds have started to heal but many left scars.

 Chapter 200 - Tu Tribeâ€™s Advisor

    *Warning: The scene in this chapter might not be comfortable for readers below the age of 14 because of mild gore and violence described here*

    "How are you today, Liu Ying?"

    It has been four days since the time they left the temple. Yang Xian was still arranging the soldiers for their work and position, so the number of the soldiers have reduced. The wolves were still around Wei Liuying and only left occasionally when they wanted to hunt. It was as if Wei Liuying had become their mother, so they were unwilling to leave her.

    Wei Liuying raised her head and noticed Yang Xian coming to the tent. She smiled. "I''m better than yesterday."

    "That''s good."

    "When will we head to the Capital City?"

    Yang Xian noticed Wei Liuying''s eyes and sighed. "I do want us to head there faster so that we can finish as soon as possible. However, I can''t do it without you fully heal. The risk of danger is simply too big."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. The small wounds were no longer seen, but the areas that got shot by arrows were still hurting. It was already quite a miracle that she was still alive even after got hit several times. What they felt most relieved was the fact that there was no poison mixed on the arrow''s head.

    If there was poison, it was unknown whether Wei Liuying would be able to recover or not.

    "I''ll be fine soon. Are you ready?"

    "There''s no need to worry, I have already sent the necessary messages and prepared what we need," Yang Xian replied with a smile. He raised his hand and lightly caressed Wei Liuying''s head.

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. "What are you doing, Strategist Yang?"

    "I''m checking your wound."

    "I''m not wounded at my head, though?" Wei Liuying glared suspiciously at the annoying strategist before her. Sometimes, she felt that there was something missing from his brain because his action was unusual.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "I know, but I think that I still need to check if there''s any wound."

    "If you''re worrying that my intelligence is affected by this incident, you don''t have to worry. I''m perfectly sure that I can handle everything properly."

    "Is that so?"

    The tone that Yang Xian used sounded a bit odd. Wei Liuying couldn''t put her fingers into it, but she felt that this strategist was behaving in unusual way today.

    "What happened?"

    "There''s nothing."

    "Are those people from the tribes saying something that bothers you?"

    Yang Xian locked his gaze to Wei Liuying. Two pairs of dark irises were looking at each other before he broke the stalemate. "I can''t hide anything from you, can I?"

    Hearing that question, Wei Liuying merely pursed her lips. She might not do anything but recuperating here, but it didn''t mean that her brain stopped working. She knew that Yang Xian had been going back and forth to one of the huts in the village.

    From what she heard from the soldiers, it was an abandoned hut that they used to take care of prisoners from the battle previously.

    "Is there something important?"

    "The advisor said that this is not only their plan. There might be other tribes that had already entered Han Shi Kingdom''s land." Yang Xian''s eyes glinted with anger. The thought of those tribes trying to harm the people close to him made him feel angry. He didn''t want it to happen in the slightest bit.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Have you asked the general and other commanders about the groups that they allowed to pass recently?"

    "I have, but there''s no answer yet."

    "I see."

    No wonder Yang Xian seemed anxious. If there were more tribes who were trying to attack Han Shi Kingdom from inside, there was no doubt that they might be facing wars. Not to mention, the damage would be big.

    "Do you know the name of the tribes?"

    "He didn''t want to speak."

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Bring me there."

    "You?" Yang Xian asked in doubtful tone. If he was not wrong, Wei Liuying had never interrogated anyone before. In the past, the task of interrogating was always handed to someone who had gotten used with it. Wei Liuying would stay at the back.

    "Yes."

    "Are you sure? The sight is not nice to see."

    Wei Liuying let out a laugh. "When I see the underground prison back then, do I look bothered with it?"

    In the past, Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng had brought Wei Liuying to their secret underground prison. In that place, Wei Liuying had seen how cruel the treatment to the prisoners could be. They also didn''t hide the torture that they used to extract information from the prisoners.

    Yang Xian opened his mouth then nodded. "Fine. Come with me."

    "Thank you. But before that, can you tell me who the man is?"

    "He''s the advisor¡­." Yang Xian proceeded to tell everything he knew regarding the man''s identity to Wei Liuying. There was not as much information they had regarding the advisor since Tu Tribe was located at the east.

    However, they still managed to find out some matters.

    Wei Liuying walked behind Yang Xian with the large wolf behind her. Some soldiers were looking at her with curiosity, but they didn''t dare to come close. Aside from the fact that the wolf looked scary, they didn''t wish to hinder Wei Liuying''s recovery after such a hard battle.

    The house was located outside the village. It used to be the place of a hunter who loved to stay outside, but the hunter had died many years ago due to some reasons. Since then, the hut was left empty.

    There were several soldiers that Yang Xian had placed in front of the door to guard the man inside.

    "I''m going in," Yang Xian said.

    The soldiers nodded and opened the door. Even though their eyes landed on Wei Liuying for a split second, they didn''t ask anything.

    As the door opened, the putrid smell along with metallic tang of blood assaulted their senses. Wei Liuying''s eyes were calm as she scanned the small room. There were only some hunting materials there that was left behind.

    Her eyes moved to the middle where a man was tied to the chair. There was a pool of blood below him at the location of his legs. Just one glance was more than enough for Wei Liuying to see that the man had lost all of his nails. Probably, Yang Xian had plucked them off when the man didn''t want to tell the truth.

    There were several other scars on the man''s body, but Wei Liuying didn''t pay much attention. If she was not wrong, Yang Xian must have destroyed the man''s martial arts and also dislocated his arms.

    He looked pitiful right now.

    "Liu Ying¡­" Yang Xian called out, worrying about her reaction.

    Wei Liuying turned her head to look at Yang Xian. The calm gaze within her eyes hadn''t changed in the slightest bit. It was as if she was not seeing a gory sight but rather a normal scenery one could find anywhere.

    "What''s your name?" Wei Liuying turned her head around and asked.

    The man jolted awake. He raised his head, which showed that his face was deformed a bit. It might be the result of Yang Xian punching him due to impatience or it might be part of his attempt to extract information not long ago.

    "A child?" The man asked in hoarse tone. "Have you gone insane in asking a child to come here, Yang Xian?"

    Yang Xian didn''t like looking at this man, but he stayed silent and leaned back on the wall. His dark eyes were looking in their direction without any hint of interest.

    It was as if he was only a spectator.

    "You haven''t answered," Wei Liuying replied back unhurriedly. Her eyes were scanning the man''s appearance and clothing. Based on the material of the clothing, he should have been someone of high rank before.

    ''Advisor is respected in Tu Tribe.''

    "Why should I answer the question of a brat like you?" The man snapped and roared. Afterwards, he had a coughing fit because his throat was dry.

    Wei Liuying kept her composure and didn''t seem to be bothered in the slightest bit. She paced around the room, looking at the advisor in the middle while analyzing his actions properly.

    "Tu Tribe only send half of their men here. I wonder what they''re going to say if we send forces to eliminate the rest."

    The man was stunned for a moment, but then he laughed. Tribes at the north were living nomadic lifestyle. It would be impossible for them to be captured so easily.

    "You''re talking nonsense. There''s no way¡­"

    "Near Yi Tu Hill, there''s a long river. While it is frozen almost all the time, everyone needs water to live. Tu Tribe will not be able to stray far away from the small river."

 Chapter 201 - Ruthless

    Hearing what Wei Liuying said, the advisor was silent for a moment. He couldn''t see her face because she was standing behind him, but he felt as if she was able to know his thoughts.

    Afterwards, he calmed himself down.

    "There''s no use knowing that. The river is long and¡­"

    "Behind Yi Tu Hill is the location of Tu Tribe during winter. If we come there, I''m sure there will be a lot of people," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly. She looked at the advisor in front of her. "Such a strategic and hidden place, what do you think they will think if they know that the advisor is the one who leak out the place to them?"

    Chills ran down the advisor''s back. He felt that every word that Wei Liuying uttered was a threat to him. She didn''t ask anything from him to reveal, but the sentences and story that she talked about was very precise.

    It was as if she had known everything just like the back of her hand.

    "You''re lying. There''s no way you will know¡­."

    "Your voice is quivering. What you said is not convincing at all, Advisor of Tu Tribe," Wei Liuying continued. She walked to the front of the advisor and looked at him. "You have wife and child. Should I bring them here and have Strategist Yang treat them the same way as you?"

    "You bastard! Don''t you dare¡­!"

    Bang!

    Due to the violent move that the advisor made, the chair was unable to hold on his weight anymore. He fell to the ground and hit his head. However, he still tried to look at Wei Liuying with pure hatred.

    Curses spewed out of his mouth with heavy accent.

    Wei Liuying was looking at the advisor without changing her expression in the slightest bit. Maintaining a poker face was a skill that she had developed ever since she was young, so it was not that hard for her to keep the same expression all the time.

    "Are you not done yet?" Wei Liuying asked after the advisor had stopped talking and panting for breath.

    "You¡­"

    "Just an order is enough to send soldiers to Yi Tu Hill. I''m sure you know what you need to do if you don''t wish for that to happen."

    The advisor still wanted to curse even more, but looking at the cold expression on Wei Liuying''s face, he knew that even if he cursed all day long, Wei Liuying would not care. When she had run out of patience, all that was needed would be an order. The order to send soldiers to fetch his wife and son.

    The thought of his family would be captured hurt his heart.

    "You''re not human! You damn villain!"

    "Villain?" Wei Liuying laughed out lightly. Her eyes showed a glint for a moment. "That has a nice ring to it."

    The advisor cursed again when he heard what Wei Liuying said.

    On the other hand, Wei Liuying was calm. She had never regarded herself as a good person, so naturally, she didn''t feel offended. In fact, she did think that there will be a lot of people who saw her as a villain because of what she had done.

    It didn''t matter to her either way.

    There were many things that she had to do that might not be morally right just because she wished to survive.

    "I''ll speak¡­" the man said in hoarse voice. He looked at Wei Liuying. "But first, who are you?"

    "My name is Liu Ying," Wei Liuying responded. "Is that enough?"

    Liu Ying, the new rising strategist within Prince Ji Sheng''s rank. The advisor glanced at the back where Yang Xian was standing and then to Wei Liuying''s face. With this, he seemed to understand that things would never go according to their way anymore.

    Prince Ji Sheng had taken in another powerful person under him.

    ¡­

    "That should be everything," Wei Liuying said to Yang Xian when they walked back. The advisor ended up revealing almost everything that he knew regarding other tribes'' movement.

    Yang Xian nodded. He was listening in, so he knew the name of the tribes that they needed to be wary of. In addition, they might need to send some people to scout the areas in fear that there might be some people who managed to sneak in and blend in.

    This would be a very tedious work.

    "You did great, Liu Ying."

    "You should have been able to do the same thing, Strategist Yang. You have the information, right?"

    Yang Xian chuckled. "I do have the information, but I don''t know anything about that Yi Tu Hill."

    The information regarding the advisor''s family was provided by him before they came here. He had learned the advisor''s name, so he sent some people to search for information. Based on what he had learned, he only knew they were from the east area along with several other tribes.

    But their specific location could not be found because of their nomadic lifestyle.

    "Oh." Wei Liuying then realized that Yang Xian didn''t know about that. She smiled lightly. "I read about that before."

    "You read it? Are you saying that I hadn''t read it?"

    "Yes."

    For some reason, Yang Xian felt that Wei Liuying was insulting his memory for forgetting or his intelligence for not reading that book. Also, which book mentioned about Tu Tribe? He didn''t know about that.

    Wei Liuying chuckled a bit when she saw Yang Xian''s dark face. "I''m not saying that you''re stupid, Strategist Yang. The book I read is a record that''s left behind by a poet regarding the north east."

    Poetry¡­

    Now Yang Xian finally knew why he hadn''t read the book. While Prince Ji Sheng also learned the books regarding arts and others, Yang Xian often skipped those. Yang Xian completely focused on books that taught him strategy, military, and also leadership.

    "I presume you have read it from a long time ago."

    "Yes. There''s a poetry written from someone who fall in love with a woman at Tu Tribe. I remember the writer said that they met under a tree on top of Yi Tu Hill and when we learnt about the geography, I know the location of the hill is real," Wei Liuying replied.

    The rest was only her deduction.

    Since the one who used to write the poetry could meet the woman in that place each year, it meant that Tu Tribe often passed by the area or they had a hiding place nearby. She tried to gamble using this place with the advisor and got remarkable result.

    "I see. You''re good, Liu Ying."

    "Many thanks for your praise, Strategist Yang."

    The two of them returned back to Wei Liuying''s tent as Yang Xian took the pot and poured tea for the two of them. Talking with that advisor for so long was quite tiring. Though, it was also worth it because they gained a lot of information.

    "I''ll write some letters first. Could you ask the soldiers to prepare some food in the mean time?"

    "Alright."

    There were no servants in this place, so the one who cooked were soldiers. When they were at the frontline, it was also the same. There were a group of soldiers who were in charge of supplies and protecting it.

    Due to limited materials, their meals were simple. Carrying the two bowls of porridge, Wei Liuying returned back to her tent. She came right in time to see Yang Xian finished writing the letters and sent them.

    "Do you think we''ll be able to handle this in time?"

    "I hope so," Yang Xian replied. He didn''t want to see more battles occurred because of this matter at all.

    Wei Liuying passed the bowl and the two of them ate in silence. Their minds were working hard to digest all the information and thought about the preparation that they might need in order to face it.

    "Do you need to return back and take care of it?"

    "It''s not possible for me to personally leave, so I have to send some people to take care of this." Yang Xian put the bowl away. "After we''re done with the matter in the capital city, we''re going to hunt those tribes first."

    Wei Liuying nodded. Those intruders should be still at the north area of Han Shi Kingdom, which was still part of Prince Ji Sheng''s territory. Because of that, they had quite the access to track them down to a certain degree.

    "But that''s for later. The most important matter for us is our visit to the capital city not long from now."

    "Right. Have you prepared the excuse?"

    "Excuse?" Yang Xian asked with amusement. "If you''re talking about scapegoat, it''s obvious that I have already prepared more than enough. Besides, the locations of the tribes are not in the location where Prince Ji Sheng usually guards. In fact, it''s quite far from him."

    That statement made Wei Liuying stunned.

 Chapter 202 - Changing Bandages

    Wei Liuying was stunned. She looked at Yang Xian in disbelief. "is that true?"

    "Yes."

    "In that case, we''ll be able to get away without much damage from this case," Wei Liuying said with a grin on her face. "I''m sure someone will get in trouble because of this matter in the future."

    "You don''t know that it''s no longer part of Prince Ji Sheng''s area?"

    "No. I thought that the area where they came through is still within his territory, which is why I''m worried."

    Well, there was never any clear distinction about the areas for the generals at the north. However, Yang Xian knew that the specific location that the advisor mentioned was far from the location where Prince Ji Sheng was.

    In fact, it was much closer to the other general at the east.

    "This will make things easier." Wei Liuying smiled happily.

    Yang Xian shook his head. He was sure that Wei Liuying was thinking the same as him. They would put the blame to the one who was truly responsible plus adding some others from their enemies. That way, they would be washed the responsibility away from themselves and stayed away from the capital city as fast as possible.

    Wei Liuying tapped the bed lightly. "Is there any news from the Capital City?"

    "Prince Ji Shao Yang tried to escape and got killed by the guards just yesterday," Yang Xian replied. "They''re disposing his body away."

    "Not buried and no ceremony?"

    "No."

    Wei Liuying felt chills on her back. It was common for them to bury the body of a deceased person rather than throwing it away. Without any proper burial, it was as if they regarded the second prince with so much loathing to the point that they didn''t give him peace even after his death.

    It was a taboo based on their tradition to even talk about deaths. Even more so, having someone killed and not buried.

    She felt as if Prince Ji Shao Yang had become the most hated person in Han Shi Kingdom.

    Yang Xian sighed. "The Emperor believed that Prince Ji Shao Yang is the one behind the incident."

    "That''s¡­"

    "Unlikely, yes. It''s impossible for Prince Ji Shao Yang to target Prince Ji Sheng because they barely have any interaction. However, in the face of the throne, everyone is seen as competitor who can possibly threaten them," Yang Xian said without any emotion on his face. He understood that in the face of power and glory, everyone simply tried to obtain it no matter what.

    They wouldn''t care for the method they used as long as they can achieve their goal.

    Wei Liuying sighed. "You should tell me the situation more clearly."

    "I will after you change your bandage. It hadn''t been changed ever since Lu Wen left for Dong Shan City, right?"

    Looking at her bandage, Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. It was impossible for her to change the bandages by herself because of the position. Because of that, she hadn''t changed it again.

    "Is there any female servants?"

    "No."

    "Then¡­"

    "I''ll help you change."

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian with a deadpan expression. She shook her head. "I''m not going to let you be the one to do it."

    "Why not?"

    "You''re a man."

    "You''re just a little kid, so it''s fine."

    "I''m not a kid," Wei Liuying protested. She would turn 15 years old soon enough. She glared at Yang Xian. "You''re the one who''s a kid."

    Yang Xian smirked. "Well, since I''m also a kid like you, it should be fine, right?"

    Yang Xian had only turned 19 years old not long ago if Wei Liuying was not wrong. Yang Xian himself was not too clear about his birthday since he hadn''t celebrated it for years. Besides, without his family, who would keep tab of his birthday when he was just a little brat who could barely remember those?

    It was not important for his survival, so he didn''t care too much.

    "Even if you''re a kid, you''re still a man, Strategist Yang."

    "Don''t worry, a kid hadn''t grown up yet."

    That statement didn''t sound wrong, but Wei Liuying couldn''t fully trust Yang Xian in this matter. He was already 19 years old, which was close to the adult''s age for men. Besides, she knew that there were many young men who liked to go to the brothel even before they were of age.

    "Would you like to be reported, Strategist Yang?"

    "For what?"

    "Molesting a young girl."

    Yang Xian rolled his eyes. "I''m only changing your bandage. Besides, there''s none at your chest, right?"

    Somehow, Wei Liuying had the urge to punch Yang Xian as hard as possible. The wounds were either on her shoulder or her arms and legs. However, it would still require her to take off her robe because of the one at her shoulder.

    "You have foul mouth, Strategist Yang."

    "This is not the first time I''m being told that. Do you want to change the bandage by yourself?"

    Wei Liuying''s face darkened. Her wounds were located at her back. Even if she could locate it by relying on her pain senses, it would be hard for her to bandage it all perfectly on her own.

    Yang Xian smirked when he saw Wei Liuying''s expression. "Turn around and take off your robe. I''ll only change your bandage and nothing else."

    Wei Liuying passed another glance at Yang Xian, but she did as he said. Turning her body around, she took off her outer robe slowly and then pushed her inner robe to the side to reveal her bandaged back to Yang Xian.

    Even though she couldn''t see him doing his work, she could feel his fingers touching the bandage and slowly unraveled it. Compared to when Shi Lu Wen helped her, Wei Liuying felt more conscious about her body. It felt weird for her.

    Looking at the scar on Wei Liuying''s shoulder, Yang Xian lightly touched it.

    "Is it hurt?"

    "Not that much anymore," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian took the bandage and began to wrap it. When it had to circle Wei Liuying''s body, he would ask for her assistance to circle it. He looked at the wounds for a moment before he started to talk again.

    "Do you regret it?"

    "Regret?"

    "Coming here and become my apprentice then face so many dangers."

    Face so many dangers?

    Wei Liuying snickered.

    "I''m serious, Liu Ying."

    "And I''m also serious. Your question just simply too stupid, which is unlike you, Strategist Yang. Do you think that by staying in that rotten residence, I''ll be happier? Besides, the most I can do by myself is to roam around as a beggar on a street while bothering Manager Xin to help me," Wei Liuying said replied unhurriedly.

    From the moment her escape plan had to be used for her uncle, she had long known that it was impossible for her to leave. She had to assume a different identity and probably lived hard in the capital city. Roaming around with no clear destination, there was no telling what would happen to her.

    Yang Xian didn''t ask anything more and finished changing the bandage and placed the herbs. He knew that Wei Liuying had truly accepted being part of their group.

    There was no need for him to ask more question to her.

    "We''ll depart in three days. I hope that you''re ready."

    "I''ll be ready if you teach me more about the power structure."

    Yang Xian sighed. "I''ll teach you tomorrow, now you should sleep."

    "Yes."

    For the next three days, Wei Liuying started to come out of her tent and roam around the area. With the wolves accompanying her, no one dared to get close to her in case the wolves attacked. After all, they knew that the wolves were not exactly friendly creatures.

    Yang Xian also fulfilled his promise and told her about the power structure of the officials. Since Prince Ji Shao Yang was deposed during the power struggle, it was clear that his follower would have to move sides. So far, the power balance would be like 30 percent Prince Ji Tian, 30 percent Prince Ji Shu, 35 percent neutral, and 5 percent Prince Ji Sheng.

    The supporters for Prince Ji Sheng was very pitiful, but it was quite a rational figure considering how the Emperor didn''t favor Ji Sheng. Besides, the crown prince was already clear, yet the two princes were still aiming for the throne.

    Yang Xian also told Wei Liuying another thing.

    ''If Prince Ji Shu still wants to become the Emperor when Prince Ji Tian had ascended the throne because he''s the crown prince, he will have no other choice but to do it through blades.''

    Or in other words:

    Rebellion.

    Wei Liuying didn''t know what will happen, but she had to be prepared for the worse. Their group departed on the third day, just like what Yang Xian told her.

    "We can''t bring the wolves with us unless you want them to be killed," Yang Xian said while pointing to the wolves. "What are you going to do with them?"

 Chapter 203 - Back In The Capital City

    "What are you going to do with them?"

    Wei Liuying looked at the wolves. Obviously, she wouldn''t want them to get hurt. They have already helped her a lot when she was in danger back then. It was already the time for them to return back to where they came from.

    "Wolfie," Wei Liuying called out. This was the nickname she gave since she didn''t know what else she could use to call the wolf''s leader. "It''s already the time for you to return back to the north. I''m going to visit a dangerous place, so I want you to wait for me to come back."

    The wolf''s leader raised its head and looked in Wei Liuying''s direction. From its eyes, Wei Liuying had the feeling as if the wolf knew what she was talking about. The wolf is really intelligence.

    Awooooo!

    The wolf stood up and wagged its tail. It nudged Wei Liuying''s hand lightly and licked her fingers.

    "it tickles," Wei Liuying remarked.

    The wolf only wagged its tail even harder before he started to run in the direction of the north. The wolf pack followed behind the wolf''s leader, leaving the group once again. This time, they would not return back anymore.

    "Do you miss them?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "I''ll surely miss them, so let''s go to the capital city then head back to the north to check on the wolves."

    Yang Xian shook his head. What kind of reason was that? However, he agreed that it would be better for them to spend less time in the capital city because he had to return back to the north again. He couldn''t possibly let Prince Ji Sheng alone for too long or it might turn into chaos.

    Besides, they have to hide the fact that Prince Ji Sheng himself was also very capable.

    The journey took a few days because they didn''t hurry. With Wei Liuying was still recuperating and Yang Xian also busy arranging people to make sure that there was no mishap, their progress was slow. On the third day after their departure, they finally could see the gate to the capital city.

    Looking from outside, the city was surrounded by high and layered walls. There were a lot of soldiers guarding on top of the walls to make sure that there was no intruder coming. In the face of such grand city, everyone would feel as if they were nothing but a small and insignificant person.

    "Are you ready?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying was riding horse after riding the carriage for the past few days. She looked at Yang Xian. He had told her that since they would be meeting with the Emperor, they would have to meet with Wei Hong and also many other important officials. It was inevitable.

    Nodding her head lightly, determination flashed within Wei Liuying''s eyes. "Yes."

    "Good."

    Slowly, the group entered the city.

    Wei Liuying let Yang Xian handled the permission and all while she simply followed him from behind. From the horse, she could see the people from the capital city surrounding them. Their expressions were clear from her position and many of them were expressing awe and gratefulness.

    ''The news of Liu Ying''s bravery has spread, huh?''

    This was the first time she ever received this kind of welcome. In the past, everyone only show scorn when they saw the carriage from Wei Family because they knew that it was the carriage for the third miss, which was nothing more than a useless and unremarkable person.

    But now, Wei Liuying was put in the spotlight for a completely different reason.

    ''It feels strange.''

    And Wei Liuying didn''t really like it. As she had thought, it would be better to just stay in the shadow and never tried to do anything at the forefront. The burden of having so many people watching her every movement can be very heavy.

    "If you''re still unwell, I can ask for the meeting to be postponed."

    "It''s fine." Wei Liuying smiled. "Isn''t it better to have this finish quickly so that I can rest for a longer time?"

    Yang Xian grinned back in response. The two of them were already used to talk with double layers of meaning. He nodded. "Of course. We should hurry, then."

    "Don''t you dare to speed up, Strategist Yang."

    "Hahaha, I won''t make it faster than necessary."

    While the two of them were in the midst of talking, there was someone who was watching from afar. Several carriages stopped in the narrower road so that they could see the procession without getting out of the carriage.

    "Miss?"

    The young lady, Wei Xiao Hua, was looking at the horses before her with disbelief. In the past, Strategist Liu was honored for his bravery, but many people mocked him because he failed to protect anyone but himself. It was to the point that they said he was a selfish person who couldn''t do his duty.

    Even if it was not the truth, only those who saw the scene will understand that Strategist Liu had truly worked hard but ultimately fail.

    However, what Wei Xiao Hua saw now was a completely different scene. She had heard that Gao Ling was still alive while the others in the group was not known. Or more exactly, it was not spread because it was not important.

    When Wei Xiao Hua heard that, she nearly flipped the table before her.

    ''How is it possible that Gao Ling is still alive and well? She''s supposed to die in the incident in the temple, which will bring Prince Ji Sheng in utter despair.''

    But none of the sort happened.

    Wei Xiao Hua was thoroughly confused, so she came out today to watch the procession coming to the city. Looking at the perfectly well Strategist Liu along with Strategist Yang, she could feel her body grew stiff. Their expression showed that even though there were so many sacrifices made, the most important person was still safe and sound.

    They didn''t fall into despair because of failure.

    No¡­

    "This can''t be happening¡­."

    "Miss?" the maidservants panicked when she saw Wei Xiao Hua looked so dejected.

    "Don''t talk to me!"

    "Y..yes!"

    Hiding her head back to the carriage, Wei Xiao Hua buried her face to her palm. She couldn''t believe that there were so many plot derailments. Now that Strategist Liu was hailed as a great and capable strategist, she knew that a lot of people would be trying to rope him in.

    Including Prince Ji Shu.

    She had seen that he was interested in Strategist Liu when they talked yesterday. Even though she told him that Strategist Yang and Strategist Liu were close to each other, Prince Ji Shu still wanted to try.

    The two of them only knew each other for half a year at most.

    How close would they be?

    Besides, he heard that Strategist Liu was sent to the battlefield in a different platoon compared to Strategist Yang. It was clear that they were trying to groom Strategist Liu to make sure that he could stand independently. And that was why Prince Ji Shu wanted to try getting Strategist Liu to his side.

    Of course, he would only try to give a good first impression to Strategist Liu and not do anything else.

    Wei Xiao Hua sighed and raised her head. She knew that the plot had derailed so much. As for why it changed¡­ she could only think that there must be another transmigrator aside from her in this world. After all, the term ''multiple reincarnated individuals'' were not that uncommon in novels.

    ''At the very least, the matter of Wei Liuying''s death is settled.''

    With the fake Wei Liuying died under the flames back in the temple, who would know whether she was the real one or not? There was no one who would know. The corpse was already mixed with many other people who were inside the residence back then and completely charred.

    It would be impossible to recognize her anymore.

    Also, it was the time for her to start making her preparation to take care of Wei Hong Zheng and Wei Zilin. The plot would be focusing more in the capital city after this because it was close to the time when she would be married with Prince Ji Shu.

    Before her marriage, it was clear that she had to settle all problems with her siblings.

    ''Only Wei Yijun is safe because he''ll be sent away to stay in the academy in preparation for the examination. Even the original Wei Xiao Hua chose not to bother with him since he barely has any interaction with her and with Prince Ji Shu''s factions.''

    Wei Xiao Hua sighed.

    She was tired of changing the plot, but following the plot was also a hassle because it was so difficult. The original Wei Xiao Hua in the novel was so smart and capable to the point that she was able to concoct so many difficult plans and execute it. And with a heart made of stone, she didn''t feel anything even with the deaths of so many people.

    ''Well, I should just try to follow the original plot and see what I can do. If there''s truly another transmigrator, I''ll just have to face her or him with Prince Ji Shu''s help. It should be alright.''

    "We''ll return back."

    "Ah, yes, Miss."

    Wei Xiao Hua glanced out of her carriage once more and looked at the two people at the forefront. In any case, they would die soon enough. She should just focus on herself and not other people.

 Chapter 204 - Audience

    "What is it?"

    "I feel someone is looking intensely," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian laughed. "There will be no lack of beautiful women staring at us with all of their loves."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­"

    If she was a man, she would be happy with what Yang Xian said. However, she felt that it was inappropriate for her since she''s a woman¡­ a girl. It was already weird enough for her to receive that kind of stare from people and if she had to add the girls staring at her like hungry wolves¡­

    She would rather hide.

    Yang Xian laughed at Wei Liuying''s change of expression. "We''re going to enter the palace soon. Have you memorized the etiquette needed?"

    "I''ll leave all the talking to you unless my name is called," Wei Liuying replied. "I don''t like the palace at all."

    "I know."

    "You have good memory."

    "It''s necessary."

    Wei Liuying had once mentioned it to Yang Xian about her dislike to the palace and all. She never wanted to have any connection whatsoever to the royalties and the likes, but her ability was what attracted them to us. If only she didn''t have this kind of ability, she doubted that they would ever attracted to her.

    But she didn''t regret having so many abilities.

    After all, it was thanks to these that she was able to survive for so many years despite being mistreated back then in Wei Family Residence. Now that she had entered the men''s world, she would need to be extra careful because of her secrets and all.

    "We''ve arrived."

    "We''ll need to walk from now," Yang Xian said without much emotion. He looked at Wei Liuying. "Are you alright?"

    "I''m fine," Wei Liuying replied. She could feel her disgust at the thought of stepping to this place. Many people thought of the gold decorated the palace as the most heavenly place in the entire earth. But she could only think of the dirty things that occurred here.

    Schemes.

    Poisons.

    Masks.

    And deaths.

    They were all the things that was very common in the palace. How many concubines of the Emperor died each year was not made known. However, Wei Liuying knew that more than half have already in their grave because they lost the battle of power to get the Emperor''s affection.

    The thought itself was sickening for Wei Liuying. Though, she knew that many of them yearned for power and the grandiose of the palace. They would do anything to become the most powerful woman in the world.

    "Let''s talk about something else," Wei Liuying said.

    "As you wish. What would you like to talk about?"

    "Do you know the situation below the mountain of the temple after the attack? I wanted to know the condition of the soldiers located in that are as I believed that they shouldn''t have left the place unguarded."

    Yang Xian nodded. "You''re correct. I''m sure you already know that the third tribe attacked them to prevent them from giving reinforcement to the temple. However, it''s inevitable that many have already gotten their punishment."

    Wei Liuying was silent for a moment. She had heard that the commanders were punished heavily because they couldn''t guard the place properly. Even though she didn''t know the exact detail, she knew that it was not a good thing. It was then the face of a young man appeared in her mind.

    "Have you heard anything regarding Xie Jing?"

    "Xie Jing? The second son of Prime Minister Xie?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I saw him among the soldiers near the foot of the temple. However, I don''t know what had happened to him because I have been too focused on recovering."

    "He was sent to the north," Yang Xian replied. "He didn''t do anything wrong and with his lower position, he did well in trying to defend the place. But it was inevitable that the people in that area will be replaced, so he was sent away to the north to gain real battle experience."

    "And his father allowed it?"

    "He can''t go against imperial edict. Besides, I''m sure that he''s more than happy to send his ''useless'' son away."

    Useless.

    When Wei Liuying heard that word, she couldn''t help but think about herself back then. She was also categorized as a useless young lady because of her inability to do what young noble ladies were supposed to do. Women only have to learn how to satisfy their husband and learned arts to entertain them. But Wei Liuying was unable to do that because her mother didn''t want her to excel in them.

    Even though the circumstances were different, she felt like she understood why he was called useless by Yang Xian. After all, Xie Jing was always compared to his perfect brother who could do everything by himself. It was to the point that many people had already assumed that he would become the next prime minister if he continued going this way.

    As for Xie Jing¡­ many had already forgotten about him.

    "Xie Family''s first son, Xie Han," Wei Liuying muttered. "Would we see him in the palace later?"

    "It''s very likely," Yang Xian replied. "Xie Han is already an adult and his father had arranged for him to participate in the meetings. Even though he only had the lowest official position until the next examination where he would be reevaluated, he had been trying to give accurate analysis in private to his father."

    "Your information guild is quite scary."

    "It''s nothing much. Besides, I''m sure you know who delivered the messages to me."

    Wei Liuying smiled but didn''t answer.

    The two of them continued walking. The large palace''s road looked like it would last forever before they could finally reach the hall. There were already a lot of people there wearing the usual dark red that was slightly purple official robe plus some additional things that represented their ranking. Wei Liuying was not too clear on them, but she had heard a bit from her father.

    All the officials have their hair tied into a bun and tied up. They also wore a hat that covered their bun. This time, both Yang Xian and Wei Liuying also tied their hair to form a bun but without any proper hat like those officials. After all, they were not formally palace officials like them.

    "Strategist Yang and Strategist Liu have arrived."

    "Bring them in."

    The cold voice sent chills on Wei Liuying''s back. She knew that this would be her first time meeting the most powerful person in the entire Han Shi Kingdom. With just a word, he could easily seal one''s fate.

    Wei Liuying kept her face firm as she walked to the hall with Yang Xian. The officials were sitting in their positions as they sneaked a glance to the two youngsters who came in. The two of them didn''t even reach the age of adult, yet their name had already resounded so loudly.

    Just one incident was enough to make people know the name of "Liu Ying" while Yang Xian had long been famous at the north. Even though some officials in the capital city would not know much about him, asking some questions to the people at the north would be more than enough for him to know Yang Xian''s great endeavor.

    "Yang Xian (Liu Ying) greets His Majesty. Long Live Your Majesty."

    The two of them kowtowed according to the formality. Even though they were still quite a distance away, they were not allowed to get close because they were not considered as nobility. Yang Xian might have been bestowed title by Prince Ji Sheng, but he preferred to think of himself as a commoner rather than a high ranking nobility.

    "You may rise."

    The two of them stood up. It was then Wei Liuying could see the Emperor''s face more clearly. Even though there were still a distance away between her and the emperor, she could see that he had defined facial face that didn''t seem to wither with age. He might be in his forties, but he still looked very energetic. It didn''t seem like he would wither soon, yet his sons had already started to scheme.

    Emperor Xuan¡­

    Wei Liuying had heard his name a lot, including his ruthlessness. He had several siblings and most of them had died in his hand. Even though there was no one who said for certain, it was hard to believe that it had nothing to do with him because of how he claimed power so quickly.

    Twenty years ago, it was complete bloodshed in the capital city. Wei Liuying had heard many things. By now, the Emperor had already lowered his hand, but it was sure that he would never forgive his sons who were aiming to take his life.

    After all, talking about deaths were taboo here.

    No one wanted to be cursed to die, especially by their own children. The Emperor was certainly not an exception.

    Emperor Xuan tapped the armrest. "I have heard a lot about you, Yang Xian."

 Chapter 205 - Meeting With The Emperor

    Emperor Xuan tapped the armrest. "I have heard a lot about you, Yang Xian."

    "It''s an honor for someone so powerful as you to remember a lowly person like me, Your Majesty." Yang Xian cupped his hands and bowed politely. His expression was completely proper as if he was truly thankful for the Emperor.

    However, who didn''t know that everyone here put on a mask on their faces? What they show, what they talked, and what they were thinking, could be completely different. It was hard to guess what the other person really wanted from them.

    Emperor Xuan laughed.

    "Well, well, let''s start with the main reason for us to call you here."

    He waved his hand and Prime Minister Wei walked forward. He was holding a scroll in his hand that he opened and read.

    "Strategist Liu is a just and upright man. Despite his young age and limitation, he managed to minimalize the damage from Tribe Bo infiltration and saved Lady Gao whilst annihilating the entire tribe members with only several people from Gao City. For his bravery and accomplishment, he''ll be awarded with 100 liang of silver and have his nobility rank risen by one."

    Wei Liuying was trying her best to keep calm, but she was thoroughly astonished. Even a liang of silver was already a lot for her since she only needed a few coppers to feed herself. A liang of silver might even sustain her for more than a week. With 100 liang of silver, Wei Liuying was sure that she would be extremely rich. Even if she didn''t work for the next several years, she would be able to sustain herself.

    However, in the eyes of many nobles, that money was anything but much. It was only because Wei Liuying was nothing more than a little brat and also because she was a commoner that it would already seem a lot.

    As for the nobility rank rise, it just meant Wei Liuying was no longer a commoner, but a noble. She was not totally sure about the nobility ranking nor she cared for them. However, since she was just given a title without land, it could be said that she was only a fake noble.

    Nobles that only have honorary title.

    "Liu Ying, please accept the edict."

    "Thank you for your benevolence, Your Majesty."

    Wei Liuying stepped forward and kneeled in one knee to accept the edict. In her entire life, she would never expect that there would be a day when she would be accepting an edict by herself.

    After all, a concubine daughter with no relations whatsoever to the Imperial Family would be very unlikely to receive an Imperial Edict. But right now, she was Liu Ying and not Wei Liuying. The course of life had turned to a completely different route thanks to many factors.

    As Wei Liuying walked back to Yang Xian, Emperor Xuan was paying close attention to Wei Liuying''s small stature. If one didn''t know better, they would never think that this skinny young brat was the famous Strategist Liu who had a sharp mind and capable of leading soldiers to achieve victory.

    It looked a bit surreal.

    Emperor Xuan smiled. "Based on your small stature, I believe you''re still very young, Liu Ying. This makes me curious. How did you manage to grow up to be so capable?"

    Wei Liuying cupped her hands according to the custom. She raised her head. "Replying to Your Majesty, this one is nothing but a b*stard child who can only rely on oneself to survive. It''s only by listening in and sneaking to library this one managed to learn so much."

    This was the story that Yang Xian and Wei Liuying agreed upon. Concubine daughter was not exactly a legal or main daughter, so it was not weird to say that she was even worse compared to a b*stard son. And there were many illegitimate sons who were not treated well, which would make the story believable.

    If it was just a small not too influential family, there were a lot of illegitimate children who didn''t fare well and not known to the mass. After all, those officials would usually hide the fact that they had illegitimate children because it wouldn''t look good on them.

    No one would admit openly about this matter unless they wished to be subjected to punishment.

    They were also not completely lying about how she managed to learn so much as Wei Liuying did sneak to the bookstore a lot in order to learn.

    Emperor Xuan smiled. This was the first time he met someone who was so upfront with his background. "In that case, how old are you, Liu Ying?"

    "Replying to Your Majesty, Liu Ying is 14 years old."

    For their ages, it would be better for them to not lie. Wei Liuying''s small stature itself already made it hard for them to make her look older. If one didn''t know better, they would not even think of Wei Liuying as 14 years old but maybe 11 or 12 years old. Even if Yang Xian wanted her to pose as someone older, her appearance was simply unconvincing.

    In the end, they both decided to use her real age. For boys, it was still a young age and there were dozens of people of the same age with her.

    "14 years old," Emperor Xuan repeated and looked at Yang Xian. "You''re really lucky to be able to meet such a promising young lad, Yang Xian. Even though you''re still a brat yourself."

    From the harsh tone, Wei Liuying could guess that Emperor Xuan didn''t like Yang Xian. As for the reason why, she could guess that it must be related to Prince Ji Sheng. The fact that the Emperor didn''t look favorably upon Prince Ji Sheng was an open secret in the capital city.

    Since Yang Xian had followed Prince Ji Sheng for a long time, it was clear that there was no possibility of Yang Xian ever betray Prince Ji Sheng unless they have a huge fallout. Besides, the Emperor had been neglecting his son to the frontline for a long time, so he didn''t know how close they were.

    But based on their performance, it didn''t seem like getting Yang Xian was an achievable dream.

    Yang Xian cupped his hand and showed a faint smirk on the corner of his lips. "Since his father didn''t even care for him and his mother neglected him for her other children, there shouldn''t be anything wrong if I took him in."

    Emperor Xuan looked at Yang Xian coldly. He never liked the commoners and so on, but when they were showing enormous potential like this, he couldn''t just ignore them. Usually, commoners could only distinguish themselves either through military or through the Imperial Examination.

    But both Liu Ying and Yang Xian were made known through different ways.

    "You''re in front of His Majesty, restrain your language," an official rebuked when he saw Yang Xian''s expression.

    "This lowly one doesn''t dare." Yang Xian cupped his hands, but there was still a distinctive aura of arrogance around him. For someone who was accomplished, it was not weird for him to be proud of himself. But this kind of appearance would only make more enemies for himself.

    ''He''s really well versed in his act.''

    Wei Liuying still kept polite demeanor, but Yang Xian was a bit more unbridled. Even though that annoying strategist didn''t break any rules, just seeing his face was already more than enough to make one wished to punch him on the face.

    Of course, Wei Liuying was not an exception.

    "I don''t mind," the Emperor laughed and looked at the two youngsters in front of him. "They''re only commoners children."

    "His Majesty is wise!"

    "The Emperor is kind."

    Yang Xian and Wei Liuying also cupped their hands and gave thanks to the Emperor. However, they knew very well that the Emperor''s words were nothing more than scolding them for their low background that led to their bad attitude.

    But even if they understood, they had no intention to correct him.

    It was their intention.

    The Emperor was still looking at them with interest. He truly wanted to find out more regarding both Wei Liuying and Yang Xian, but not now.

    It would be unbecoming of him if he tried to get involved personally with them. He would ask for his subordinates to find out more about Liu Ying such as finding out how Yang Xian managed to meet him in the first place or something like that. Of course, he also needed to consider the fact that Liu Ying might not be his real name.

    ''This is why I hate those around Ji Sheng. That brat is very unpredictable like that person.''

    The Emperor sighed a bit. For a moment, his eyes were looking a distance as he recalled the bitter memory of the past.

    "Excuse me, Your Majesty. The fact that Tribe Bo managed to breach in, I think that it''s an important thing to be addressed properly."

 Chapter 206 - Debate

    The Emperor sighed a bit. For a moment, his eyes were looking a distance as he recalled the bitter memory of the past.

    "Excuse me, Your Majesty. The fact that Tribe Bo managed to breach in, I think that it''s an important thing to be addressed properly."

    Wei Liuying looked to the side and saw a middle aged man spoke out. Based on his clothing, Wei Liuying could see that he was at the same status as her father. Looking at his face, she recognized him as Prime Minister Xie.

    He didn''t change that much from the last time she met him. However, the trace of aging became even more visible. It seemed that the unstable situation at the court had taken the toll on him.

    Emperor Xuan nodded, finally returning back to the main topic. "Yang Xian, do you have any excuse?"

    "Do you want to put the blame on me, Your Majesty?" Yang Xian asked, yet the smirk on the corner of his lisp hadn''t disappeared. It was as if he was confident that even if they tried to put the blame on him, they would never be able to do so.

    That appearance of his nearly made many other officials enraged. However, they had to restrain themselves because they were in the presence of His Majesty. Besides, Yang Xian''s position as Prince Ji Sheng''s right hand meant that he had a very high rank compared to many of them.

    "I''m merely asking on behalf of the curious officials here."

    Yang Xian nearly scoffed at the Emperor''s reply. He knew very well that the Emperor wanted to bring him down because he was one of the most important people around Prince Ji Sheng. Without him around, it was clear that Prince Ji Sheng would have lost quite a considerable amount of influence and power.

    However, he restrained himself and straightened his body. "Do you have a map, Your Majesty?"

    "Bring out the map."

    Yang Xian waited patiently for the map to be placed in the middle of the hall. He could see the faces of the officials around him, who looked like they were ready to pounce on him and point out all the mistakes that he had. Towards their attitude, he wanted to laugh more than anything.

    They were so funny.

    Trying to trap him without knowing the real situation of the north.

    Very stupid.

    "First of all, I''m sure that you all know the location of Prince Ji Sheng''s City is here. The tribe that''s facing us direction is Xiong Tribe, the largest tribe with several thousands of people who are capable to fight back. At the same time, there are several small tribes named¡­."

    Hearing Yang Xian named all of them, Wei Liuying began to think that Yang Xian was not a normal human. How did his brain managed to store so many information all at once? However, she recognized some of the names because she had been fighting at the frontline against them.

    But thinking that she also learned some other tribes through her lessons and many others, Wei Liuying thought that it was not that strange either. They were practically living beside those tribes for a long period of time.

    Yang Xian had been staying there for nearly two decades of his life.

    He was already familiar since the only method for him to survive is by observing his enemies. Know your enemy, know yourself, so that in a thousand battles, you will win a thousand times.

    "Some of them have been defeated, but whether there are deserters or not, we''re still uncertain," Yang Xian replied modestly. Of course, he would never reveal the fact that Prince Ji Sheng had completely eradicated some annoying tribes who continued to pillage the villages at the north. He was not that benevolent enough to let them off after they had harmed so many people in their path.

    "As for Bo Tribe, the tribe that have been attacking us, they come from here." Yang Xian moved his finger near the eastern sea. Seeing the place, several officials'' face turned pale. Because they were not at the north, many of them didn''t know the real geography of the place and merely thought that all the tribe must be the same.

    They were simply at the north.

    What they had completely forgotten was the vast border at the north was. It was simply impossible to put one person to be in charge of everything and the Emperor was not that stupid enough to let Prince Ji Sheng had so much power.

    But Yang Xian knew that they were stupid if they tried to challenge him this time.

    "Of course, if you don''t believe me, you''re free to try asking the soldiers who used to stay there. They must have already gained the necessary information about the tribes'' people that they have to face over the years. In addition, Bo Tribe is known for their clothing that also resemble fisher because they were not in the dry lands area¡­."

    The more Yang Xian spoke, the more dejected they were. Some officials who already knew this merely sighed. They didn''t point it out because they knew that Emperor Xuan wanted to hear how Yang Xian defended himself.

    Even though they knew that Yang Xian would be able to deflect this, they wanted to see his performance.

    And now, those na?ve officials who thought that the Emperor wanted to teach Yang Xian a lesson could only hung their head low.

    They had just realized that above the sky was another sky.

    (A/N: Idiom, meaning, there''s always someone better)

    And Yang Xian was clearly much smarter than them despite his young age and limited experience. Still, they believed that it was simply because they were talking about the north that Yang Xian was familiar in. If they were talking about other areas, Yang Xian would never be able to do the same.

    With that thought, they could feel slightly better about their inferiority.

    "Is this explanation enough, Your Majesty?" Yang Xian asked. He smiled. "If you feel it''s not enough, you can ask the soldiers who used to serve under General Ge."

    General Ge was the one who was tasked to guard the north at the east area. Since the location of Bo Tribe was previously in the area where he stood guard, it was clear that he wouldn''t be able to escape punishment. As for how heavy it was, it was not known to them, and Yang Xian was not really interested.

    Emperor Xuan laughed. "You''re really amazing, Yang Xian. To be able to discern so many things within a week''s time since the incident."

    "It''s nothing much, Your Majesty."

    "However, I''m sure that the reason why they can infiltrate is because of your trade treaty," Emperor Xuan continued. His eyes were looking at Yang Xian as if he wanted to pry deeper into the young man''s body. "Do you know what we should do?"

    "There are several restrictions that I have set in Prince Ji Sheng''s city, but I believe that it''s not imposed in other areas," Yang Xian replied. He took out a scroll and handed it to Prime Minister Wei who was standing not far from him. "Please take a look at the system in Prince Ji Sheng''s City, Your Majesty."

    The Emperor waved his hand and Wei Hong stepped forward to take the scroll. As he took the scroll, Yang Xian silently examined the prime minister before him. Even though they didn''t have much relation with each other, Yang Xian could see that Wei Hong was keeping his distance from him.

    Internally, Yang Xian laughed coldly.

    ''There''s no need to worry. I don''t have any intention to get close to you either, Prime Minister Wei.''

    In fact, he would be more than happy to unseat this prime minister from his position if he had the chance. But since the condition in Han Shi Kingdom was already unstable enough as it was, there was no need for him to worsen the situation.

    They have to deal with the outside threat first.

    Wei Hong checked the scroll before he handed it to Emperor Xuan. Reading the content, Emperor Xuan''s eyes narrowed. It was simple restriction, but if it was truly implemented, there was no way an incident like this would ever happen. It was truly unfortunate that General Ge was unwilling to put it into action.

    Wei Liuying had seen the content before, so she knew what they were talking about. They were talking about the number of carriages and servants'' restriction. In addition, their guards could only be people from Han Shi Kingdom in order to prevent the intervention from the tribes.

    In Prince Ji Sheng''s City and Gao City, they always checked the merchant who passed by thoroughly. Even if there was intruder, it would only be one or two people who will be interrogated heavily when they reached the next city. But General Ge certainly didn''t implement such things because it was clear that there was nothing of the sort at the east area.

    How unfortunate for him to not follow the simple instruction.

 Chapter 207 - The Hidden Power Structure

    In Prince Ji Sheng''s City and Gao City, they always checked the merchant who passed by thoroughly. Even if there was intruder, it would only be one or two people who will be interrogated heavily when they reached the next city. But General Ge certainly didn''t implement such things because it was clear that there was nothing of the sort at the east area.

    How unfortunate for him to not follow the simple instruction.

    The more Emperor Xuan read the content, the more he understood that Prince Ji Sheng was actually already prepared for this possibility. Unfortunately, the other commanders and generals didn''t have the same vision as him and chose not to follow the rules.

    The result was that there were people who come into Han Shi Kingdom''s territory. And those people didn''t have any intention of playing by the rules and respected them. Instead, they were coming to cause trouble.

    "This is a good plan, Yang Xian. You have done well."

    "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."

    Emperor Xuan handed the scroll to Prime Minister Xie, who also read the content. The latter''s eyes widened in surprise because he didn''t expect that Prince Ji Sheng was actually so capable.

    Or was it Yang Xian''s idea?

    They would never know as these two would never divulge such information.

    "The case should be over this time¡­"

    "Pardon me, Your Majesty," Yang Xian interrupted. Even though he knew that it was very impolite to intrude someone''s speech, he knew that it would be better for the Emperor to know about this.

    "What is it?" Emperor Xuan lowered his gaze. His eyes flashed with dangerous glint.

    Yang Xian coughed lightly. "There are more tribes that had managed to enter into Han Shi Kingdom''s territory and their current location is unknown."

    What?

    The court immediately thrown into uproar. The officials thought that the matter would be finished right here because Prince Ji Sheng had already eliminated them. But now, it didn''t seem to be the case?

    Emperor Xuan narrowed his eyes. "Silence."

    Everyone shut their mouths and focused their attention to Yang Xian and Emperor Xuan. Even their breathing was partially restricted because they didn''t dare to breath loudly in this situation.

    "Are you sure about this, Yang Xian? You know that you''ll be punished heavily if you give false information."

    "I received the information from the Advisor of Tu Tribe," Yang Xian replied. "If you would like, I can bring him here so that you can ask him question by yourself, Your Majesty."

    Emperor Xuan narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?"

    "Yes. However, I would like to ask Your Majesty to not be surprised by his appearance if I were to call him here," Yang Xian responded.

    In that instant, everyone understood how Yang Xian managed to get the information.

    Torture.

    While not many people dared to utter it out, they were smart enough to know the implied meaning behind Yang Xian''s words. The current condition of that advisor must be extremely bad if Yang Xian were to reveal it to the Emperor like that.

    "Bring him here. There''s no coward in the court."

    "I understand, Your Majesty."

    Yang Xian turned to look at Wei Liuying, who then cupped her hand. "Please excuse this lowly one for a moment, Your Majesty."

    Emperor Xuan waved his hand, giving her permission to leave. Afterwards, Wei Liuying turned around and walked out of the place. One way or another, they had managed to keep the advisor alive all this time and brought him along with them.

    However, the advisor''s life so far hadn''t been easy either.

    As Wei Liuying walked out, Emperor Xuan glanced to the ministers near him. "I want you to start preparing to sweep the areas."

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

    The ministers began to move around in rapid motion while Yang Xian stood leisurely at the middle. There was not even the slightest bit of intention for him to meddle and help them out.

    "You didn''t seem to be very worried, Yang Xian."

    Yang Xian focused his attention back. He smiled and cupped his hands. "I believe that His Majesty is wise and naturally will not make the wrong decision, so there''s nothing that I need to worry about."

    Emperor Xuan smiled. He had already heard countless praises over the course of his life. Yang Xian''s praise couldn''t even touch him anymore.

    At this time, Wei Liuying walked while holding a rope that bind the hand of a ragged man. The man was wearing Tu Tribe''s robe and couldn''t walk properly. Stains of blood was visible on his hands and legs. His face was swollen and pale, but it was clear that he was still breathing.

    Awful stench emanated from his body as the two of them entered the court.

    The officials'' faces turned black when they saw the advisor. Judging from his appearance, they knew that whatever befall him was anything but good.

    "Your Majesty, this is Tu Tribe Advisor," Wei Liuying introduced. She was keeping her composure even though the advisor''s condition behind her was truly pity inducing. It was as if she couldn''t see him and only treat him as a decoration.

    Emperor Xuan nodded. While he had his fair share of battles too, this was the first time he saw someone brazenly brought a tortured prisoner in front of him. He looked at the advisor from Tu Tribe.

    "You''re Tu Tribe Advisor?"

    "Yes."

    His hoarse voice and pitiful appearance had already made several officials felt nausea. In the end, one of them turned around and ran out before vomiting on the spot. He couldn''t bear to see the pitiful appearance of the advisor anymore.

    It was too much!

    "Is what Yang Xian said the truth?"

    The Advisor didn''t even dare to look at Yang Xian and replied to every question the Emperor asked him. It further clarified that there were indeed several other tribes who managed to enter Han Shi Kingdom at various number.

    The realization sent chills to the officials'' body.

    How many people might die if war were to break out.

    "I order you to send people to sweep the area as fast as possible. Detain all suspicious person," Emperor Xuan gave his order coldly.

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    "Call that General Ge to the capital city. I want to have a good talk with him."

    Good talk?

    Based on the aura that Emperor Xuan emanated, the officials knew that General Ge''s fate along with his families would be sealed. There was no way that they would be able to escape safely now that the Emperor had given his order.

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Emperor Xuan nodded. He looked at Yang Xian. "For bringing such important person here and information, is there anything you want as the reward, Yang Xian?"

    "Replying to Your Majesty, this lowly one didn''t dare to ask anything. Also, this is not only my work but also Liu Ying''s," Yang Xian acted humbly. However, the proud tone at the end of his sentence could be heard very clearly.

    Almost all officials who didn''t have any pressing matter turned their heads to look at Liu Ying. They were truly wondering just who this strategist was to be able to be so accomplished despite being so young.

    Also, why didn''t they have the good luck to find him first when Liu Ying was originally from the capital city? The one who found him first in the end just had to be someone from the north, Yang Xian.

    "I see. You have done great, Liu Ying."

    "This is only my duty, Your Majesty."

    The advisor looked at their interaction and raised his head. "Liu¡­ I mean, Strategist Liu, would it be too much for me to ask you to grant me peace?"

    Wei Liuying had promised the advisor that she would kill him and not touched his tribe if he told the truth to the Emperor. Now that he had finished his task, he only wished that his misery would end.

    Wei Liuying looked at the Emperor. "Your Majesty, may I?"

    Emperor Xuan narrowed his eyes. He could guess what Wei Liuying was asking, but killing someone in the palace was really not a good thing, right? Oh well, he was feeling a bit curious right now.

    What would this little strategist actually do?

    "Go ahead."

    "Many thanks for your benevolence, Your Majesty."

    Wei Liuying walked to the nearby guard and raised her hand. "Let me borrow your sword for a few breaths of time."

    The guard was a bit absent minded when he saw Wei Liuying walked to him. In the court, only the guards were allowed to bring weapon because no one wanted the officials to hurt the Emperor. Aside from them, any other weapons were placed outside the hall.

    "H¡­here."

    "Thank you."

    Taking the weapon, Wei Liuying walked to the advisor. Ignoring the fearful gazes of the officials and the terrified expression of the guards, Wei Liuying had no hesitation as she stood before the advisor.

    "Your Majesty, this¡­!"

 Chapter 208 - Poaching?

    "Your Majesty, this¡­!"

    Emperor Xuan raised his hand, preventing that official from speaking any further. His eyes were still looking in Wei Liuying''s direction with interest.

    Wei Liuying swung the sword.

    The advisor didn''t seem to be full of remorse. Instead, he was relieved and glad as he smiled lightly.

    Slash!

    Thud!

    His body fell to the ground in the middle of the hall and several other officials fainted on the spot. They were not used to violence and seeing someone killed right in front of them was a bit too much for some of them.

    They had already learned martial arts and participated in the hunting. But at those times, they would not see someone got killed so swiftly in front of them. The way Wei Liuying killed the advisor only sent nightmare to many of them.

    Emperor Xuan''s expression was also not too good. He looked at the fallen body and then his attention shifted to Wei Liuying.

    "Liu Ying, you''re a brave boy."

    "Many thanks for your compliment, Your Majesty. This one is also a soldier, so this is only my duty."

    The reply only sent a faint smile on the Emperor''s face. How could it be possible that this kind of ruthlessness and decisiveness be nurtured in such a short period of time? He had the feeling that in Liu Ying''s previous residence, the young boy was also taught this way.

    In fact, the Emperor was not the only one who was thinking that way. Many other officials were thinking the same thing when they saw how swift Wei Liuying''s movement was. Added with the fact that there was no hesitation at all, they were even more convinced of this.

    "Clean up the mess."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    The officials began to move while Wei Liuying returned back the sword to the guard. She walked back to Yang Xian''s side and stood beside him. This was something that they had agreed upon, which was to make Wei Liuying as a bit of pitiful child.

    While she didn''t really like being pitied, this would be a good cover because it would reflect her real background a bit.

    Emperor Xuan sighed and waved his hand. "I would like to talk more with you when we have time, but Liu Ying had just recovered, so I won''t be taking more of your time. You''re all dismissed."

    "Thank you, Your Majesty. The Emperor is wise. Long Live the Emperor."

    It didn''t take long for Emperor Xuan to leave and the officials heaved a sigh of relief. They never liked the morning meeting because it was so tiring when there was nothing really important to talk about. Besides, their real schedule was over a long time ago, and they were only here to wait for Yang Xian''s arrival.

    And now, they have to work a lot because of the sudden news that Yang Xian gave to them. No one protested as they knew that this would involve the safety of the entire kingdom.

    They had to make sure the tribes didn''t do anything bad in their territory.

    Wei Liuying also heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Yang Xian as if asking what they were going to do now.

    "We should return back soon since our task here is done."

    "Yes, Strategist Yang."

    "You''re still calling each other formally?"

    The sound of a young man made them turn their head. They could see a young man around the age of 23 or so standing not far from them. He had exquisite face and also fine temperament. Right now, he was showing a beautiful smile on his lips.

    Even after the gory sight from the court, he still looked very normal.

    "Official Fang," Yang Xian greeted. "Is there anything I can help?"

    Official Fang, Fang Lin, smiled back in response. "I''m surprised to see you''re still well and alive, Yang Xian. Considering how the north has been so violent, I would have thought that you have already been eaten by the sand alive."

    Yang Xian smiled. "I guess I''m quite lucky."

    "Also, I have only heard about you before, Liu Ying. Let me introduce myself, I''m rank 8 official Fang Lin," Fang Lin introduced himself.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "I''m Liu Ying, Strategist Yang''s apprentice."

    The ranking for officials was simple. They were numbered from 1 to 9 with the ninth was the lowest. Fang Lin was still fairly young, so it was not really weird for him to have low ranking. Even those who had passed Imperial Examination didn''t always reach high ranking immediately as they have to climb slowly with accomplishment.

    Fang Lin nodded. "I still have a lot to learn, and I wish that we can have a talk over a dinner?"

    "I''m afraid that I have to reject the offer. Liu Ying is still not in good condition, so we plan to depart after having a short meal," Yang Xian refused.

    "You''re really cold, but I appreciate your thoughts. Let''s meet again in the future, Yang Xian."

    "Likewise."

    Afterwards, several other officials were also trying to get on Yang Xian''s good side or try to invite him for dinner. Even though their real aim was Wei Liuying, they couldn''t do it so blatantly with Yang Xian was still standing guard beside Wei Liuying. It would be better for them to ask covertly.

    It took half an incense stick time before Yang Xian could release himself from the officials'' pestering. When they came out of the hall, Yang Xian noticed that Wei Hong and Prime Minister Xie along with Xie Han, were still standing there. It was clear that they also didn''t want to lose this chance to interact with Yang Xian without Prince Ji Sheng''s presence.

    "Strategist Yang," Prime Minister Xie greeted first. "I haven''t been able to meet with you directly. It''s truly a pleasant surprise for you to come here today."

    Yang Xian smiled without mirth. "It''s indeed a surprise."

    Back when he first came to the capital city, Prince Ji Sheng would never allow him to roam around the street on his own. He had to follow Prince Ji Sheng whenever he visited the palace because Prince Ji Sheng didn''t wish to see anyone trying to poach Yang Xian. In the end, Yang Xian never had a chance to talk with any of the officials.

    Since Prince Ji Sheng was not here, they naturally took this as a chance for them to step forward.

    "If it''s not a bother, would you like to talk while enjoying tea in my office, Strategist Yang?"

    "Prime Minster Xie, I think that it''s impolite to speak first when there are two people here. Strategist Yang, I would like to invite you for a short tea break and have a talk."

    Wei Liuying was keeping her composure, but it was clear that she was trying her best not to make eye contact directly with Prime Minister Wei. All in all, he''s still her father, and Wei Liuying didn''t wish for her father to recognize her. Her facial face had been tampered slightly, but the similarities with Wei Liuying would be seen if Wei Hong were to come close to her.

    She didn''t know how much her father remembered her. After all, Wei Hong always thought of her as nothing but disgrace and seemed to be unwilling to even look in her direction.

    But she didn''t want to take the risk and possibly lose everything.

    Yang Xian also knew that, so he put on a smile. "I''m terribly sorry for your loss, Prime Minister Wei. But since Prime Minister Xie had asked me first, it''ll be impolite of me to reject him."

    "That''s¡­" Prime Minister Wei glanced to Prime Minister Xie and saw the annoying smug smile. He had no other choice but to concede since Yang Xian had said so much. "In that case, I''ll be waiting for another chance to invite you to have a drink, Strategist Yang."

    "I''ll be waiting for that, Prime Minister Wei," Yang Xian replied politely. He looked at Wei Liuying. "We''ll be having a short tea with Prime Minister Xie. It won''t take a long time."

    "Yes, Strategist Yang."

    Contrary to her father, Wei Liuying had been a bit curious about Prime Minister Xie. She had only seen him from a distance away during the hunt several months ago and only heard about him. This would be the first time she ever met with him directly.

    Prime Minister Xie was delighted. "In that case, please follow me, Strategist Yang."

    "I hope it won''t take too long as Liu Ying is still not fully recovered."

    "Don''t worry, it won''t even take half an incense stick time."

    Yang Xian nodded and followed Prime Minister Xie and Xie Han. Xie Han glanced over to Wei Liuying, but he refrained from talking since his father hadn''t given him the permission. Nevertheless, he truly wondered whether the Emperor was truly thinking so highly about this little boy or not.

    No matter which angle he saw, he couldn''t see this malnourished brat as someone special.

 Chapter 209 - Battle Of Schemes

    Yang Xian nodded and followed Prime Minister Xie and Xie Han. Xie Han glanced over to Wei Liuying, but he refrained from talking since his father hadn''t given him the permission. Nevertheless, he truly wondered whether the Emperor was truly thinking so highly about this little boy or not.

    No matter which angle he saw, he couldn''t see this malnourished brat as someone special.

    On the other hand, Wei Hong felt as if he had lost a great opportunity. Seeing Yang Xian and Wei Liuying followed Prime Minister Xie calmly, he felt that he had also lost face. He should have asked first.

    ''But that boy Liu Ying truly appeared out of nowhere.''

    There was no one named Liu Ying in the Capital City. Just a few days ago, Emperor Xuan had been ordering them to conduct comprehensive search all over the capital city because he was so curious about that new strategist. He was still far cry from being an adult, yet the accomplishment he had was something far beyond his age.

    However, the result was futile.

    Yang Xian didn''t visit any mysterious place in public.

    He might have done some incognito visit, but no one managed to trace him during that period of time. Besides, they were all so busy with Princess Ji Xiaoli''s marriage preparation that they basically forgot about everything else. The guards were only watching over Prince Ji Sheng before they got thorough report about the north''s war.

    It was then, they found out about the role that Yang Xian played. It was not an exaggeration to say that even without Prince Ji Sheng, the north border would be safe as long as Yang Xian was there to lead. With such a high evaluation, they began to watch Yang Xian more tightly.

    But the result only ended up in disappointment. Yang Xian spent his time leisurely in Prince Ji Sheng''s office or walked around in the garden for a stroll. When it was night time, he would rest in his room.

    And if they dared to come closer¡­. They would have to fight because he was so alert.

    All in all, their investigation didn''t result much.

    Now that another person at Yang Xian''s caliber had appeared, it was clear that the Emperor didn''t want that person to grow as the second Yang Xian. If they couldn''t get Liu Ying to their side, he would be eliminated before he could grow further.

    Besides, he''s nothing more than a 14 years old brat.

    It shouldn''t be that hard.

    "Master, the carriage is ready."

    "I''ll be going back now," Wei Hong replied. "Also, inform Prince Ji Shu that Yang Xian and Liu Ying go with Prime Minister Xie."

    "I understand."

    It was at this time Wei Hong felt that there was something strange. The name of that strategist was ''Liu Ying'' and his age was 14 years old. It was exactly the same as his third daughter.

    Well, that should have been impossible, right?

    Wei Liuying was nothing more than a useless young girl who couldn''t do anything right. She was sickly, weak, and so stupid that he couldn''t bear to see her. if not because of her brother, he would never even think of seeing her mother and the useless daughter.

    Wei Hong looked to a distance while shaking his head, unaware that he was so close to the truth.

    However, it was the truth that he couldn''t believe so easily.

    ¡­

    Back to Yang Xian and Wei Liuying.

    The two of them followed Prime Minister Xie as he guided them to his workplace. As the prime minister, the Emperor provided him with a place where he could do his work more effectively. There were several servants there who were already busy preparing for a tea.

    "I hope you''ll like the tea, Strategist Yang."

    "Thank you, Prime Minister Xie," Yang Xian replied.

    "Ah right, let me introduce you. This is my untalented child, Xie Han. He had just turned into an adult and I asked for permission from His Majesty to have him attend the court."

    Yang Xian nodded to Xie Han before turning back to Prime Minister Xie once more. "You have a good son, Prime Minister Xie."

    "Thank you for your praise, Strategist Yang."

    Wei Liuying cast a glance at Xie Han then turned her head away. She didn''t really like this young man. Compared to Xie Jing who was more open and brash, Xie Han was the replica of Prime Minister Xie. They were both cunning and calculative, the type that Wei Liuying knew she had to put her guard on.

    "What would you like to talk about, Prime Minister Xie? I believe you didn''t call me over just to have a simple tea."

    "I would like to talk about the battle in the temple, Strategist Yang. I really can''t comprehend how they managed to infiltrate."

    "Oh, it''s fairly simple," Yang Xian replied unhurriedly. He glanced to Wei Liuying. "If you feel uncomfortable here, you can walk around. I''m sure it''s fine, right Prime Minister Xie?"

    "It''s fine," Prime Minister Xie replied.

    "He''s still used to live freely and not accustomed with the etiquette along with the customs here, so please forgive him."

    "It''s not a bother at all."

    Prime Minister Xie was thinking that since Wei Liuying was a neglected child, it was only obvious.

    On the other hand, Wei Liuying was resisting the urge to roll her eyes. If they were talking about women''s etiquette, then she was good at it. After all, she had drilled all the basic into her bone and flesh over the course of the years she spent in Wei Family Residence. There was no way she would forget them all.

    But if they talked about men''s etiquette, she only knew the basic from what she had seen and what Yang Xian taught her. She was also not very interested to mingle with the male nobilities, so she chose to agree with what Yang Xian said and walked out.

    "In that case, please excuse me."

    Wei Liuying walked out of the room unhurriedly while looking around in curiosity. Yang Xian was watching Prime Minister Xie as he began his analysis. It was not really a secret as he was sure that there was also the investigation done by the palace. Prime Minister Xie only wanted to compare notes while giving a chance for his son to poach Wei Liuying.

    Internally, Yang Xian wanted to laugh sinisterly. He wanted to know what these people would do to win over Wei Liuying.

    By this time, Wei Liuying had walked out of the room. The building itself was large with several rooms and many servants maintaining it. However, not a single one of them dared to get close to the work room or they might risk getting killed because they were trying to touch the properties belonged to the Prime Minister or the kingdom''s secret.

    Many of them couldn''t even read, so it was not strange that they wouldn''t want to risk getting accused for something they didn''t understand.

    "Strategist Liu, please wait for a moment."

    Wei Liuying turned her head and saw Xie Han walked out of the room. "Is there anything wrong, Official Han?"

    Since Prime Minister Xie was using his formal title with his surname, his sons used their names. Besides, they were considered to be of lower accomplishment if they were to be compared to their father.

    "The palace is large and I''m afraid that you''ll walk to a restricted place. How about if I accompany you?"

    If she could be honest, Wei Liuying wanted to reject such offer. But since she was in the palace as a guest and had to play her part, she nodded. "Sure. I''ll be giving my thanks first for your help, Official Han."

    "It''s nothing much."

    Xie Han walked to match Wei Liuying slow pace as they walked to the garden. The location of Prime Minister Xie''s office was not that far from the main hall. However, it was still quite a considerable distance because they needed to walk for a long time. Besides, carriages and horses couldn''t get close to here, so they needed to walk out of the garden.

    "Over there is the location for the carriages. Did you come here with carriages, Strategist Liu?"

    "No, I ride horse."

    Xie Han looked surprised. "Is your wound¡­"

    Wei Liuying smiled. "I''m fine, Official Han. Riding on a horse didn''t put much strain on my body, so I''m mostly fine."

    "That''s good."

    Afterwards, the two of them stayed silent and watched each other from the corner of their eyes. It was clear that the two of them were cautious. While Xie Han wished to poach Wei Liuying, he had to be careful to make sure that he would not fall into any kind of trap that Wei Liuying set.

    It was a battle for those who mostly work with their brains.

    "The garden is big. Do you like to walk around here, Official Han?" Wei Liuying chose to break the silence first. It was a normal question, but she could see that Xie Han looked unprepared.

    Did he rarely come here?

 Chapter 210 - Giving Face

    "The garden is big. Do you like to walk around here, Official Han?" Wei Liuying chose to break the silence first. It was a normal question, but she could see that Xie Han looked unprepared.

    Did he rarely come here?

    "Official Han?"

    "Ah, I''m sorry. It''s surprising for you to ask something like that," Xie Han replied with a smile on his face. He thought that Wei Liuying would ask something that was related to the work immediately, which was why he was nervous. However, she ended up asking unrelated question.

    "What do you think I''ll ask?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    Xie Han smiled. "Something more serious. Also, regarding that question, the answer is no. My father is busy with his work and I have to study a lot, so naturally I don''t have much time to spend playing around."

    Wei Liuying nodded. She was walking aimlessly while looking around her. Beyond this garden would be the wall and also the gate to reach outside. There were a lot of plants that she rarely seen in this place. It seemed that the palace was truly a wonderful place.

    "Would you like to walk further, Strategist Liu? It''ll be outside soon."

    "It''s fine¡­"

    "Brother!"

    Hearing the childish voice of a young girl, Wei Liuying raised her head and noticed a young girl around the age of 11 walked in their direction. She was trying to maintain the same pace, but it was clear that she actually wanted to run. It was only because running would be improper that she held herself back.

    Xie Han looked at the young girl and smiled. "Ni''er, what are you doing here?"

    Ni''er¡­ Xie Ni.

    Wei Liuying had heard about the family members of Prime Minister Xie. He had three children from his main wife, which was his first daughter and his two sons. Aside from them, he had one concubine daughter named Xie Ni. In the past, Wei Liuying had never met with her because the young girl was only 11 years old this year.

    (The young girls started to go to the academy when they were 12 years old)

    The young girl, Xie Ni, smiled brightly at the sight of her brother. "Han Ge, I''m here to meet with you."

    "You should just stay at home obediently," Xie Han said helplessly. He passed an apologetic glance to Wei Liuying. "I''m sorry. My sister is a little naughty, so she comes here to see me."

    "It''s fine. Young children should be able to play a lot and not be restricted by the adult''s words so much," Wei Liuying replied with a smile. However, there was no mirth within her eyes as she understood what these two were trying to do.

    She was only 14 years old while Xie Ni was 11 years old. When she turned 20 later, Xie Ni would only be 17 years old. While it might not be the most ideal age to get married for young ladies, it was still within an acceptable range because she was waiting for the man.

    After all, Wei Liuying knew that it was impossible for them to forget telling the second daughter to not coming here when they already knew that she and Yang Xian would come. Would they make their daughter wait for hours in the carriage? Unless they were like her mother and father, she would think of it as unlikely.

    Even if Xie Ni was nothing more than a concubine daughter, she would still be of use to Prime Minister Xie if she was to be paired with a good man.

    Xie Han''s smile stiffened and he bent down to pat his little sister. "Ni''er, this is Strategist Liu. I''m currently accompanying him, so you return back first, ok?"

    Xie Ni raised her head and smiled sweetly in Wei Liuying''s direction. "Xie Ni greets Big Brother Strategist Liu."

    Wei Liuying looked at Xie Ni and nodded slowly. Most people from Xie Family seemed to have higher intelligence than most other people. She had to make sure that she was being careful enough around them in the future.

    Only Xie Jing seemed more normal.

    After that short greeting, Xie Ni turned around and returned back to the carriage. On the other hand, Wei Liuying walked around in the garden once more.

    "Official Han."

    "Ah, yes?"

    "Are you knowledgeable about plants too?" Wei Liuying asked as she pointed to the nearby plant. "Do you perhaps know the name?"

    Xie Han smiled. It was one of the basic education his father gave to him when he was still young. He nodded lightly. "I know some of them. It''ll be my pleasure to talk with Strategist Liu about them."

    The two of them continued their conversation that was mostly consisted of Wei Liuying asking about the plants. She didn''t have any intention to ask about other things that was related to the politics and so on. Xie Han himself was also a smart young man, so he didn''t try to breach into those topics.

    They were nothing more than strangers who were wary of each other. There was no need to make the other party their enemies just from this short meeting in the palace today.

    "Liu Ying."

    Wei Liuying turned her head at the call of her name. Seeing Yang Xian walked with Prime Minister Xie, she smiled lightly. "Have you finished talking, Strategist Yang?"

    "I''m done," Yang Xian replied. "Let''s go back."

    "Ok."

    "Would you like me to prepare a carriage for you?"

    "Is there any need for something like that?" Wei Liuying shook her head lightly. She was not a disabled. Slowly, she raised her head to look at Prime Minister Xie, "Prime Minister Xie, I''ll be taking my leave first."

    "Take care, Strategist Liu."

    After bidding farewell, they headed to a completely different way. Xie Han was looking as the two strategist walked. From behind, they looked different because of their built and somehow, he had the feeling that the way Liu Ying walked was so similar with a young girl.

    ''If Liu Ying is a girl, he looks good with Strategist Yang¡­. What in the world I''m thinking?''

    Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, Xie Han looked at his father. "Father, I think they found out our real intention?"

    "Even if they find out about it, it''s fine," Prime Minister Xie replied. "I''ll never think that we''ll be able to trick them too."

    Trying to trick the two extremely talented and smart youngsters who were capable of leading even before they were already an adult¡­ it was something that Prime Minister Xie would never be able to try. From the very first, he already understood that Yang Xian was only giving him face, but he was unwilling to play by their rules.

    These geniuses only wanted to play by their rules and bent other people''s rules to match theirs.

    "Then¡­"

    "They''re only giving us face today. The two of them are going to the north soon, so it''s unlikely that they''ll participate in the upheaval next year," Prime Minister Xie said unhurriedly.

    Next year¡­

    Xie Han nodded solemnly. There would be Prince Ji Shu''s marriage soon along with many other things that would happen. Whether the princes would try to contend to the throne right away or wait a bit longer, it was still something uncertain. They would need those at the forefront to start making their moves first.

    ¡­

    - Prince Ji Shu''s Residence -

    Prince Ji Shu was reading the report and listened to his men giving him detailed events of what had happened in the palace. Because he was not categorized as an adult yet, he couldn''t come personally. Of course, he also made it so that his first brother couldn''t attend by sending him far away.

    "Liu Ying?" Prince Ji Shu asked in a low tone.

    "Yes. Strategist Liu''s real name is Liu Ying. However, we didn''t manage to find any record of a young man with the name Liu Ying in the capital city."

    Prince Ji Shu didn''t say anything for a moment. He had heard the description for Liu Ying and somehow, there was a sense of trepidation within his heart. An image of a young girl around the age of 14 years old appeared for a split second.

    Wei Liuying.

    Was their name only a coincidence or¡­

    Thinking about that possibility, Prince Ji Shu''s eyes narrowed. Even though the tone that his servant used was different from the word of Wei Liuying''s name, he couldn''t shake the feelings that the two of them might have been the same person. After all, Wei Liuying disappeared without a trace half a year ago.

    ''But if they''re really the same person, would that timid yet capable girl even shows her face in the limelight like this?''

    Prince Ji Shu furrowed his brows. "Prepare a carriage to Wei Family Residence."

    "Y..Yes, Your Highness."

    Tapping the table, Prince Ji Shu looked into a distance. If they were truly the same person, he had to destroy that strategist.

 Chapter 211 - It Better Be Not Him

    "Y..Yes, Your Highness."

    Tapping the table, Prince Ji Shu looked into a distance. If they were truly the same person, he had to destroy that strategist.

    It didn''t take long for the carriage to be ready and Prince Ji Shu departed to Wei Family Residence. Even though this was nothing more than a conjecture since the two''s temperament seemed to be so different, he had to make sure. He couldn''t meet with that strategist yet, so he better head over to Wei Family Residence and ask someone who had met with that strategist:

    Wei Hong.

    "Your Highness, to what do I owe your presence today?" Wei Hong greeted politely.

    Prince Ji Shu walked forward and looked at Wei Hong with his usual indifferent gaze. "Today, you meet with Strategist Liu. What do you think of him?"

    "Him? He looks a bit small for a young boy aged 14 years old. Aside from his sickly pale face, he looks normal," Wei Hong replied. "it''s also hard to believe that someone with that kind of appearance is actually one of the best strategists in Han Shi Kingdom."

    "One of the best strategists?" Prince Ji Shu scoffed. "There are many more talented strategists in Han Shi Kingdom, but many of them didn''t make their name because it''s their leader''s name who is famous. After all, strategist are key players whose task is to help gaining victory."

    "Your Highness is wise, this one can''t be compared."

    Prince Ji Shu didn''t continue with that. There were many generals who were also great strategist, so they never need other people to prepare strategy for them. However, some of them were muscle head who only knew how to charge forward without thinking of any strategy. They would usually need a strategist who was capable of thinking the plan ahead for them.

    Then again, many of the generals usually have their commanders helped to create strategy. Even if most of the commanders were not that bright, they should participate to be able to gain experience.

    "Your Highness, is there anything else do you want to know?"

    "Do you recognize Liu Ying''s face?"

    "Strategist Liu''s face?" Wei Hong was stunned. He had seen the young boy''s face, but he still couldn''t think of anything. For a moment, he did think that Liu Ying looked familiar, but there were too many differences. Besides, he was not totally sure about Wei Liuying''s face because he never wanted to look at that embarrassing daughter of his directly.

    "Yes."

    "I have never seen his face before. Today is the first time I meet him."

    Prince Ji Shu looked at Wei Hong and studied the latter''s expression for a moment. "How about his attitude? What do you think of him?"

    "He looks fairly normal and follow Strategist yang obediently. Also, they come to meet with Prime Minister Xie after the meeting is over."

    The last part was something that Prince Ji Shu already knew from the report he received. He stood up and turned his body around. "I''ll be going now."

    "Your Highness?"

    Not caring for Wei Hong, Prince Ji Shu continued to walk. He should have known better that Wei Hong never paid close attention to Wei Liuying. The supposedly useless young girl was actually a great threat if she was truly the one named Liu Ying because that kind of talent would be rare even amongst men.

    Wei Hong never even looked at his own daughter properly. If not for that, how could he not know that his daughter actually received the training of men and switched places with her brother once?

    That prime minister was truly useless.

    Prince Ji Shu shook his head and then looked in Wei Xiao Hua''s residence''s direction. Since he was already here, it would be better for him to pay her a short visit first. He hadn''t been seeing her for a long time.

    "Your Highness, there are several officials who want to meet with you today," his guard reminded.

    Furrowing his brows, Prince Ji Shu recalled that he was indeed quite busy. If it was not because of the sudden coming of Yang Xian and Liu Ying to the capital city. Gathering capable people were something that these princes were doing most of the times.

    They had to be able to collect them and made use of their abilities.

    "Postpone the meeting."

    "Yes?"

    Walking faster, Prince Ji Shu headed out. His eyes were looking at the wall as his eyes narrowed. Before he saw Liu Ying''s face for himself, he couldn''t feel calm. The faint foreboding feelings within his heart was hard to ignore.

    ''It better not be her.''

    Prince Ji Shu''s eyes flashed with ruthlessness. It seemed, he would need to be more careful with Prince Ji Sheng now or things would turn ugly.

    He had to try to take a good look on that Strategist Liu''s face.

    ¡­

    - Yang Xian and Wei Liuying''s side -

    "It''s finally over," Wei Liuying said in low tone after they have gone quite far from the palace.

    Yang Xian nodded. "Do you want to visit the restaurant first?"

    "There''s no need. I don''t really need anything there. If anything, I only want to visit the bookstore and meet with him again."

    Him here referred to Manager Xin. She had never gained any chance to meet with Manager Xin again for the past few months, which was quite a bummer for her. After all, her meeting with Manager Xin always felt very comfortable for her in the past.

    "I can call him over if you want."

    "No. it''ll only attract attention," Wei Liuying replied. "It''s already good enough if we can pass by that street."

    "We can look around a bit if you want," Yang Xian suggested.

    "That''ll be a great idea."

    With that, Yang Xian directed the horse to a different street while introducing Wei Liuying to the stores there. It made her wonder whether he truly had come here in the past or not based on how he managed to know the name of the stores like the back of his hands. He might have just memorized it before they came here, though.

 Chapter 212 - Youâ€™re Late

    He might have just memorized it before they came here, though.

    Even though Wei Liuying knew the name of most of them, she still pretended to be listening carefully. There were a lot of people who were watching them walking around on top of their horses.

    Finally, they reached the area that Wei Liuying wanted to. She could see Manager Xin stood in front of the store while holding a book in his hand. His aged face looked tired, but there was a smile on his face when he saw them. In the midst of many other people around there, he didn''t look conspicuous at all.

    ''Manager Xin¡­''

    By now, Wei Liuying had already missed that kind manager. He was one of the few people who treated her kindly during the time when everything was hard for her. Without him allowing her to stay in the bookstore, she wouldn''t be able to learn things that actually interest her.

    Unfortunately, they couldn''t talk with each other right now.

    Wei Liuying smiled back then looked at Yang Xian. "Would you mind if I play a bit more here?"

    "Play?" Yang Xian asked with arched eyebrows. What kind of game could they play in the capital city? But looking at the sparkling eyes that Wei Liuying held, he didn''t have the heart to say no.

    It was strange, but he felt as if he wished to indulge the young girl in whatever she desired and allowed her to lead him on doing whatever she wished to do.

    "Sure. You''re free to do whatever you want."

    "Thank you."

    Wei Liuying smiled and silently jumped down. Silently, her hand took out a bamboo strip. From the corner of his eyes, Yang Xian could see that there were some words written on top of it. He arched his eyebrows, wondering when did Wei Liuying had the time to write without anyone looking at all.

    Oblivious of the man''s stare, Wei Liuying passed by a servant who had been staying there for a long time.

    "Pass this to Manager Xin."

    The servant was still walking as normal but as they brushed against each other, the bamboo strip had exchanged place from her hand to the servant''s hand. Wei Liuying too, didn''t stop at all as she walked to the store right beside the bookstore. It was an antique store that had a lot of people walking around.

    Her eyes showed interest as she pointed inside. "Are these real antique?"

    "Yes, they are." Yang Xian smiled. He looked inside. "Each of them have been assessed by the teachers to ascertain their authenticity. If you wish to see more, I can accompany you inside."

    Wei Liuying shook her head and smiled brightly. "No need. You have already showed me a lot of things during this period of time. Thank you very much."

    For whatever reason, Yang Xian felt like he couldn''t move his gaze from Wei Liuying''s face. She was still dressed as a male and certainly didn''t wear any makeup that would highlight her feature at all. But the bright smile that she showed to him was more than enough to captivate him.

    It was a very beautiful smile that suited her very much.

    After pausing for a moment, Yang Xian smiled back. "It''s my pleasure. You''re my disciple, so obviously I have to teach you a lot of things when you need it."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll be a good disciple."

    "You did well. I can already see that you managed to learn one of my skills." Yang Xian winked, indicating about her skill to write message without allowing anyone to know. He already did that numerous times and showed to Wei Liuying how to do it. Little did he know that she would be able to copy him so perfectly.

    Wei Liuying smiled back. "Unfortunately, I still can''t copy your skill to flirt with the ladies, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian: "¡­" I don''t need you to learn that skill.

    The thought of seeing Wei Liuying trying to flirt with other girls caused a strange expression to surface on his face. However, the thought of her flirting with other man would be even worse.

    "Is there anything else that you want to do now?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t immediately reply and instead climbed back on top of her horse. She patted her horse''s neck to calm it down. "Let''s go back. We shouldn''t delay our return any longer or His Highness might be angry to us."

    "En."

    Yang Xian guided her to the gate once more. At the same time, he noticed that Prince Ji Shu''s carriage was not far from them, only several streets away. He sneered because he could guess that Prince Ji Shu wanted to know whether Liu Ying was truly Wei Liuying or not.

    There might be even some other servants who were following them and watched their every action. But Yang Xian knew that they would never be able to figure out what they were planning for real.

    ''He''s quite sharp, but you''re too late.''

    When Prince Ji Shu''s carriage had reached the gate, Yang Xian and Wei Liuying had disappeared into the dense forest. The soldiers behind them blocked the view from Prince Ji Shu, preventing him from seeing Wei Liuying''s directly. Only Yang Xian glanced back once with a mocking smile on his lips.

    If Prince Ji Shu could see it, it was clear that he would want to stab his weapon to Yang Xian''s heart to stop him from mocking him. That annoying strategist could be infuriating when he wanted to.

    "Your Highness?"

    "Return back."

    "Yes!"

    Prince Ji Shu glanced to the back once more as his eyes gleamed with hatred. That annoying strategist. Someday, he would make sure to make him ate the dirt and stomped on his smug face!

    There was no direct contact between Prince Ji Shu and Yang Xian, but the former still hated the latter greatly because of his interaction with Prince Ji Sheng. Now that they had left so quickly, Prince Ji Shu knew that he had lost the chance to take a proper look at Liu Ying.

    "Send some people to tail them."

 Chapter 213 - Yes, Youâ€™re A Good Disciple

    There was no direct contact between Prince Ji Shu and Yang Xian, but the former still hated the latter greatly because of his interaction with Prince Ji Sheng. Now that they had left so quickly, Prince Ji Shu knew that he had lost the chance to take a proper look at Liu Ying.

    "Send some people to tail them."

    "Ah?"

    Prince Ji Shu''s eyes narrowed. He couldn''t leave the capital city at this time unless he wished to incur the wrath of his father, so he could only send some people. Besides, there were a lot of people who were watching his movements.

    "Send some guards and follow them. Report everything to me."

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

    He would never allow them to act according to their wishes!

    While Prince Ji Shu was feeling indignant, Wei Liuying was riding the horse at a leisure pace. She glanced to Yang Xian. "Did he know?"

    "Who?"

    "You know who I talk about," Wei Liuying replied, refused to reveal the name of the prince in case the soldiers could hear. There might still be some spies around and the two of them would like to prevent unnecessary rumors from spreading around.

    Yang Xian snickered. "We can go a bit further to the front to prevent them from hearing our voice. Do you want that?"

    "Fine."

    They hastened their pace a bit to create a considerable distance with the soldiers. As the soldiers there were all Prince Ji Sheng''s men, they knew that their strategist wanted some space. They continued with the same pace towards the north.

    "So?" Wei Liuying asked again.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "He might be suspicious because of your name, but not even your father can recognize you when he saw you, right?"

    "Yeah. He didn''t even know that his daughter is standing before him."

    "What do you feel when you noticed that he didn''t recognize you?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying was silent for a moment. Thinking about her own father when she met with him back in the castle and he didn''t recognize her. What did she feel at that time?

    "Relief."

    "Yes?"

    "I''m feeling relieved that he didn''t recognize me. It seems that he truly never regards me as his child even after all the years. As I don''t have any value for him, he''ll not even bother to remember me," Wei Liuying replied.

    However, a trace of disappointment still lingered in Wei Liuying''s tone. It might be her unconscious mind playing out. After all, all children wanted their parents to care for them and as someone who was unloved, Wei Liuying had long craved for the attention.

    Attention from her father that would never be given to her.

    Her mind understood, but it couldn''t stop her heart from getting hurt because of the faint expectation that was within her mind.

    Yang Xian noticed it, but he would not mention it to her because he knew that she might not even do it consciously. It would take time before Wei Liuying some time before she could come in terms and completely accepted with her entire heart her severed relationship with her parents.

    He blinked his eyes. "You sound very calm about this."

    "I don''t have any expectation to him anymore, so I''ll not feel any disappointment over his indifferent attitude towards me. He didn''t care for me, he saw me as an embarrassment, he wanted to sell me out just simply because he wanted to please other people that could be easily done in other way. Simply put, I worth nothing in his eyes," Wei Liuying said without any change in her expression. It was as if she was not talking about herself but other people.

    There was no expression in her eyes anymore as her mind had already completely accepted it. However, the faint tone on her voice when she spoke at first before coming to a flat tone still showed that her heart was not completely in sync with her mind.

    Yang Xian was silent for a moment too. "Don''t think of him as your family anymore. You have us here."

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian and nodded. "I know."

    "Also, what is the message you left to Manager Xin? Is that about something regarding your first sister?"

    "Yes." As much as Wei Liuying didn''t want to get involved in Wei Xiao Hua''s matter at all, she had been dragged to that annoying girl over and over. It was to the point that she herself felt sickened with it.

    Since that girl wanted to play with fire, she would let her play with it.

    "What is it, if I may know?"

    "You''ll hear about it soon enough. I''m just asking him to spread news regarding what happened at the temple." Wei Liuying smiled. "She cares for her reputation, isn''t she? Would it do her any good to have her future husband sent so many men following her and watching her from the shadow?"

    Yang Xian blinked his eyes. He nodded in understanding. It was normal for a husband to send his men to protect his wife, but future husband to his future wife? That would be calling for some questions.

    He chuckled. "I can see that you''re intending to create trouble to them."

    "They had already tarnished my reputation. Why couldn''t I do the same to them?" Wei Liuying asked with a smile. "Besides, I need to give her gifts for her present to me. Since I have already made some money from the store, it''s time to put it into good use. But of course, I don''t need to play by her rules."

    Yang Xian nodded, understanding that Wei Liuying wanted to make her sister paid for what she did even though it might not be that much. He raised his hand, wanting to caress her head when he realized that they were in front of so many soldiers.

    That action would look weird because the two of them were men.

    "It''s just too bad that I won''t be able to see her reaction first hand." Wei Liuying sighed. She wouldn''t be able to return back to the capital city for the time being, so she wouldn''t be able to know how Wei Xiao Hua fared later on.

    But she was sure that this would cause another headache for her first sister for some time. Maybe in the future they would have more chances to interact more.

    Not that she hoped for it, though.

    "I can ask them to include the report regarding Wei Xiao Hua if you want," Yang Xian offered.

    "No need. I''m not that idle to watch over her situation all the time."

    "Alright. If you say so."

    Wei Liuying turned her head and looked at Yang Xian. "Are you disappointed?"

    "Disappointed?"

    "Because I''m ruthless and¡­ not really a good girl." Wei Liuying''s tone was a bit strange. She felt that it was weird for her to care for Yang Xian''s opinion so much. Why should she bother with what he thought? But her mind was still thinking about it.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "Not at all. In fact, I liked you this way."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying smiled lightly.

    The two of them stayed silent for some time before Yang Xian spoke out, "We''re going to stop by Dong Shan City before heading to Prince Ji Sheng''s City. Do you want to visit Shi Lu Wen first?"

    "Is it fine if we don''t return back to Prince Ji Sheng''s City directly?"

    "It''s totally fine. That prince wouldn''t die even if we''re late just by a day."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" is it something that a strategist like you should say? You''re responsible for the lives of many soldiers and civilians who lived in Prince Ji Sheng''s City.

    Yang Xian noticed Wei Liuying''s face and laughed a bit. "You don''t have to worry. If there''s enemy breaching the city, I''ll instead scold a certain general because he can''t even do a simple task."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying seemed to understand a bit. It seemed that Yang Xian had already prepared a plan in case there was an attack. Because of that, there was no need for them to return back so quickly.

    "You should phrase your words better."

    "it''s already good enough?"

    "It''s easy to make people misunderstand."

    Yang Xian laughed. He didn''t try to correct Wei Liuying as he continued to lead the journey with normal pace.

 Chapter 214 - Donâ€™t Die

    "It''s easy to make people misunderstand."

    Yang Xian laughed. He didn''t try to correct Wei Liuying as he continued to lead the journey with normal pace. The weather that day was quite nice. Even though they still have a lot of things to do, there was no need for him to hurry so much.

    The soldiers were following behind them towards Dong Shan City. The journey alone would take several days because of the distance, so they knew that they would have to spend their time in this area for now.

    Time passed swiftly.

    "The air is tense."

    The sudden statement paused Wei Liuying''s movement. She looked at Yang Xian with a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about?"

    Yang Xian didn''t reply. They have been walking for a day by now and had been quite a distance away from the capital city. However, there was a faint unease within his heart that he couldn''t shake. After thinking about what those tribes might do, his mind was filled with countless conjectures.

    His eyes were looking to the west. Some of the tribes that the Tu Advisor mentioned were not staying at the northeast. Instead, they were from northwest.

    As for how they managed to contact each other¡­

    Yang Xian truly didn''t know.

    But with the tribes usually living nomadic lives, it was no that weird that they would be moving from one place to another. During that time, they might meet others from other tribes that originally located far away from them.

    "Yang Xian?"

    "There''s smoke."

    Turning her head to the west, Wei Liuying could see the smoke that Yang Xian mentioned from a distance. Her eyes widened when she saw the color of the smoke. Unlike usual smoke that was usually grey to black, the smoke looked like glaring fire with its fiery red color.

    "That''s¡­"

    "This is bad. Men, we need to head to the West towards An You City!" Yang Xian shouted. He controlled his horse and began to pace it.

    Wei Liuying swiftly followed behind Yang Xian. While she didn''t understand how to make that red smoke or what it implied, she knew that it must have been something serious. Thinking about the tribes that came to Han Shi Kingdom''s territory, Wei Liuying''s eyes grew cold.

    "Is that distress signal?" Wei Liuying asked while pacing her horse as fast as possible. The pressure coming from the soldiers behind her made her felt as if she had returned back to the battlefield. At this point, there was not even an option to stop because those at the front might even get trampled by those behind them.

    Of course, these elite soldiers would not make such mistake. Only those who came to the battlefield for the first time would ever make a mistake like that.

    "Yes." Yang Xian''s face was solemn. "It''s Yan."

    Shi Yan?!

    The thought that something might happen to her friend caused Wei Liuying''s heart to drop. She didn''t want it to happen at all. Clenching her grip on the reins, Wei Liuying focused her attention to the front. She had to focus now!

    The terrain in this area was mostly filled with forest. While there were several hills and some other types of places that they have to pass, there were still the crudely made road for them to pass. Still, the thought that these terrains would hinder their path frustrated Wei Liuying greatly.

    "We''ll make it," Yang Xian muttered. His tone made it uncertain whether he was convincing himself or was certain about it or was just trying to reassure Wei Liuying beside him. After all, the distance towards An You City was quite far.

    They would take at least half an incense stick of time if their path was not hindered and during that period of time, anything could happen.

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes scanned her surroundings carefully. They were charging to this area without prior scouting and so on. There might be traps lying down around, waiting for them to fall for it.

    "Watch out!"

    The two shouted at the same time, urging the soldiers to form defensive formation. Several men appeared from behind the bushes.

    Clang!

    Using her sword to block the attack, Wei Liuying pulled the rein and switched the horse''s direction for a moment. Afterwards, she swung her sword and killed the person who attacked her.

    Thud!

    The soldiers were also facing several other men who ambushed them. From their clothing, Wei Liuying could guess that they were local gangs who used to be refugee from flood. They changed jobs because there was nothing else that they had.

    ''This is bad.''

    "Maintain formation!" Yang Xian shouted. "Heavy infantry¡­.shit."

    The heavy infantry was lagging behind because Yang Xian was leading them at such speed. In this situation, only the cavalry soldiers were present while the infantry was lagging behind and couldn''t catch up at all.

    In the first place, they didn''t have that many soldiers coming with them because they had to return back to the north in order to protect the border. They couldn''t possibly leave behind so many.

    Who would have thought that Yang Xian had to go towards An You City before returning back?

    Clang!

    "Captain Hu and Captain Tang stay here with me along with their soldiers while the rest follow Strategist Yang to An You City!" Wei Liuying gave her order.

    "You''re not in the right position to lead!" Yang Xian protested. Wei Liuying''s wounds were mostly healed, but she was still not allowed to fight yet if it was unnecessary.

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian. "Go."

    "But you¡­"

    "If something happens to Shi Yan because you''re delayed here, I won''t be able to forgive myself for not being able to do anything," Wei Liuying said coldly.

    Yang Xian narrowed his eyes. He was still worried about Wei Liuying''s condition, but he knew that they couldn''t waste any time. Turning his body around, Yang Xian''s eyes focused on the direction of An You City. There was a faint glint as if he wished that he could tear off that city in this very moment.

    "Don''t die."

 Chapter 215 - I Wonâ€™t

    Wei Liuying''s eyes widened when she heard what Yang Xian said to her. It was totally unlike him to give such advice because he would usually tell her that what he needed the most from her was her capability.

    The strange request.

    Felt oddly warm.

    Looking at the row of men who were coming in their direction, Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed. "I won''t."

    "Good." After saying that, Yang Xian raised his sword and yelled, "The rest come with me! Head to An You City as fast as possible!"

    "YES!"

    Drap! Drap!

    The cavalry soldiers were leaving to follow Yang Xian while a small portion of them stayed behind to help Wei Liuying.

    "Wait until infantry come! For now, trample them all!"

    "Yes!"

    Wei Liuying didn''t recognize the men who came charging in. in the first place, there were so many refugees because of the flood that they practically covered the entire area with people. It was not known how they lived after losing their home as Emperor Xuan could only handle a part of them.

    The rest were abandoned.

    "Kill them!" The man also shouted.

    The men rushed over with their weapon ready. From their position, Wei Liuying could guess that they were waiting for her and Yang Xian to come. It seemed that someone had deliberately set a trap for them.

    "Captain Hu soldiers to the front and Captain Tang soldiers to the back! Watch out for the rear!" Wei Liuying shouted.

    The leader''s face turned dark when he heard Wei Liuying''s order. It got even darker when he saw how fast the soldiers moved. Under Prince Ji Sheng''s harsh training, not a single one of them would dare to slack of, so they drilled the order and movement to their body.

    Just as Wei Liuying had predicted, several men rushed out of the bushes from the other sides, intending to circle them. But as the soldiers were ready, the surprise attack didn''t do much damage to them.

    Staying in the middle, Wei Liuying narrowed her eyes. She needed to hold on until the infantry came here.

    "Hold your position."

    "Yes!"

    Taking the bow from her horse''s bag, Wei Liuying turned her horse around. It was now facing the back, towards the area where the infantry was heading to them. Due to Prince Ji Sheng''s pace not long ago, they were left behind.

    Docking two arrows, Wei Liuying aimed to the back and released them.

    Dzing! Jleb!

    The two arrows landed on the ground. The infantry soldiers were led by one captain, who was maintaining their speed. Upon seeing the two arrows, he immediately understood that Wei Liuying was warning them.

    One arrow meant sneak attack.

    Two arrows meant an ambush.

    "Prepare for battle!"

    Uooo!

    The soldiers shouted as they prepared their weapon. As they kept their pace despite their heavy armor, the aura that they had suppressed exploded out. Dozens of soldiers were now ready to march forward in order to fight.

    "Leader, this is bad!" one of the attackers shouted.

    Clang! Clang! Clang!

    Sitting on top of the horse, Wei Liuying didn''t participate in the battle anymore. She settled in the middle of the soldiers while looking to her surroundings carefully, analyzing what might have happened while giving occasional order.

    The attacker''s leader also knew that the situation was getting worse for them. They were thinking of catching Wei Liuying unprepared and ambushed the soldiers, thus injuring most of them. But Wei Liuying was still as wary as ever and guessed their plan within split seconds.

    The decision she made only make it hard for them to proceed forward.

    ''The title as one of the best strategists at the north is not given in vain, huh?'' The leader swung his hand, giving signal for retreat.

    "Move back!"

    "You''re not going anywhere."

    Wei Liuying''s cold voice startled the attacker''s leader. He looked at Wei Liuying as if he was looking at an idiot. Right now, Wei Liuying''s soldiers were getting attacked and only barely hold on. How could it be possible for them to stop them if they wanted to leave?

    However, the same calm expression on Wei Liuying''s face remained. She was looking at the attackers'' group coldly.

    "Now."

    Turning his head to the infantry soldiers'' side, the leader''s face turned ugly. It was only now he realized that there were a group of archers who were lying low and prepared to shoot them.

    "Run!"

    Dzing! Jleb!

    AAa!

    Several of the attackers were hit and unable to retreat in time. Only the leader along with those who were quick enough managed to escape. They rushed into the forest, intending to use the terrain to escape.

    "Let me¡­" Captain Hu was prepared to step forward when a slender arm stopped him.

    "There''s no need." Wei Liuying was looking at the direction where the attackers have left. The attack didn''t seem to be that strong and only had the intention to hinder them. Though, Wei Liuying had to admit that most of them were not that bad.

    "We''re proceeding to An You City."

    "Yes, Strategist Liu!"

    "Onwards!"

    With that order, the soldiers began to rush towards An You City. They didn''t know what had happened there, but the distress signal wouldn''t be given without reason. Rather than wasting time here, they should head there as fast as possible.

    Wei Liuying turned her head to the back once more. Her cold eyes flashed with a glint as she looked at a certain direction, but she didn''t do anything and ordered her horse to go in An You City''s direction.

    Drap! Drap!

    As the soldiers left, a man walked out behind the tree from the direction where Wei Liuying looked at.

    "Strategist Liu, huh?" the man muttered in low voice. "His Highness is correct. That strategist can be an eyesore."

    The man''s eyes narrowed. It seemed that his mission to follow Wei Liuying under Prince Ji Shu''s order wouldn''t go as smoothly as he thought it would be. That strategist was even more troublesome than most soldiers.

 Chapter 216 - An You City

    That strategist was even more troublesome than most soldiers.

    With that in thought, the man disappeared into the darkness once more. He couldn''t let anyone saw him openly.

    ¡­

    An You City

    In the past, An You City was known as a prosperous city because there were a lot of rich people here. Of course, the main reason why many people head there was because An You City was located at a distance away from Huang River and never got flooded.

    A small river was connected to the main river, providing them with the water they needed for farming and living.

    But right now, none of the liveliness could be seen.

    The previously bustling city had turned desolate. A lot of people were hiding in their houses as they didn''t dare to come out. Several people were standing on the previously bustling street with weapon on their hands. There were several other people who were lying on the ground, unconscious.

    Blood stained the ground along with several other items. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that some of them might even had died in this situation.

    A young man who wore fur robe was sitting on the ground. Despite being surrounded by so many large man at least twice his side, there was no sign of fear in his eyes. He stared back at them while holding onto his wounded attendant.

    "If you want me, you should have said that from the very beginning," the young man, Shi Yan, said in a cold tone.

    There was no trace of his previous playfulness and childishness that he usually had. Only cold gaze that was filled with anger could be seen. His dark eyes were looking at the men without any hint of fear.

    Despite knowing that he would not win against them in a battle of martial arts, Shi Yan had no intention to run away.

    "Young Master¡­ run."

    "I won''t." and I can''t.

    With his limited martial arts, Shi Yan knew that he wouldn''t be able to defeat these people. In fact, it would be nothing short of miracle if he could stay alive after facing these bulky men.

    Just what did they eat to grow so much?

    "You''re quite brave, Merchant Shi Yan," one of the men said with a laugh. "Unfortunately, your bravery wouldn''t bring you anywhere."

    Shi Yan didn''t bulge and kept his calm. "What do you want?"

    "Where''s your trade token?"

    Trade token?

    There was only one trade token that he had with him, which was the token that Prince Ji Sheng had given him. That was a special token that was issued for those who wanted to cross the border. With that token, it would be easy for him to bypass the border and take a visit at Prince Ji Sheng''s city when he needed it.

    Not all merchants have the token because Yang Xian strictly watched the distribution for each token. The merchants who were given the token would be inspected heavily to prevent spies from entering.

    After all, the two sides were having war with each other for a long period of time.

    ''Why are they¡­ah, illegal traders.''

    At this moment, Shi Yan finally understood that these men purposely targeted him today because they wanted his token. He might be quite stupid most of the times, but he could guess that they were either spies or soldiers from the other side.

    They wanted the token so that they would be able to infiltrate easily into Han Shi Kingdom''s territory.

    The thought only made Shi Yan''s blood boils in anger. Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian had worked tirelessly to create a long lasting peace that was not the result of war. But these people just had to come and break everything they wanted to create.

    What a group of ungrateful ingrates.

    "What token?" Shi Yan asked with a sneer. "There are a lot of tokens that I have with me."

    "Give it all to me."

    "Why should I?"

    Swish!

    The sword on the man''s hand was rested at Shi Yan''s neck. He looked at the dandy merchant in front of him coldly. "If you don''t wish to see your severed head, you better give it to us."

    Shi Yan''s eyes were cold. He had already sent the distress signal, but the distance between this place to Dong Shan City would take more than a day''s journey. It was unknown whether he would be still alive at that time.

    As for the soldiers in other areas, Shi Yan didn''t have much confidence.

    He raised his hand and searched his robes. Taking out several tokens, he threw it to the ground, far away from him.

    "You b*stard!"

    Kick!

    Being kicked back, Shi Yan watched as the men scrambled to collect the tokens. Of course, he would never take out the real tokens. Those were only inn tokens that he gathered during his visit there.

    Some inns didn''t ask him to return the tokens back because it was unnecessary.

    As for the rest¡­ they were nothing more than poems that Yang Xian wrote as code for their messages. It was not known what the men''s expression would be if they were to read those cringed poems.

    After all, Yang Xian''s poetry skill was not that good.

    "Young Master?"

    "We''re leaving," Shi Yan muttered and pulled his attendant to the nearby house. He opened the storage room and pushed the attendant inside before he closed the door once more.

    "Young Master Shi!" the attendant was stunned.

    However, Shi Yan paid no heed to his attendant''s words as he rushed over to turn in the next corner of the building. The only chance for him to run was when the men were busy trying to search for the right token.

    Before they figure out that the real one was not there, he should leave.

    Bang!

    "Where do you think you''re going, Little Merchant Shi?"

    The voice stilled Shi Yan''s movement as he raised his head. Seeing the unfamiliar clothing, realization dawned to him. They were not Han Shi Kingdom''s citizen.

 Chapter 217 - Any Last Words?

    The voice stilled Shi Yan''s movement as he raised his head. Seeing the unfamiliar clothing, realization dawned to him. They were not Han Shi Kingdom''s citizen.

    "Your Highness!"

    The men were carrying the tokens as they greeted the large man before them. Thinking that they had almost let Shi Yan go because they were too busy with the tokens, they were feeling extremely ashamed.

    The one called Your Highness raised his head for a moment then looked back at Shi Yan once more. He crouched down, bringing his eyes to the same level as Shi Yan. "Where''s the real token?"

    "Hadn''t I given you all of the tokens?" Shi Yan asked with arched eyebrows.

    The man called Your Highness sneered. He stretched his hand and grabbed Shi Yan''s robe before standing up. The difference in height made it so that Shi Yan''s legs couldn''t touch the ground.

    "Do you think I''m stupid, Shi Yan?"

    "Yes."

    Bang!

    Before Shi Yan knew it, the world before him turned into a circle. He was slammed terribly back to the ground with his back at the bottom. Pain spread to his entire body, preventing him from moving around anymore.

    The sky was very bright, but Shi Yan couldn''t bring himself to enjoy the scenery at all. His life was already at the line.

    Tep.

    A sword was rested at his neck once more. Shi Yan didn''t dare to move his head at all in fear that he might wound himself accidentally.

    "Where''s the real token, Shi Yan?"

    They were really persistent, but Shi Yan didn''t want to hand over the real token to them. He knew that things would turn to the worst if they had the token. How many soldiers would be sneaked into Han Shi Kingdom''s territory once they got the token?

    He couldn''t imagine it nor he wanted to.

    Sssh!

    The sword cut a bit into his flesh, sending tearing pain to his body. However, Shi Yan was still staring at the sky with no intention to reply. He was currently thinking for the best method to deal with this situation.

    But his little brain couldn''t think of anything.

    "Your Highness, he didn''t turn silly, did he?"

    The man called Your Highness was looking at Shi Yan with a cold glare. He didn''t move his gaze away as he gave an order, "Burn all the buildings."

    "But¡­"

    "Burn!"

    The cold order sent chills to those who heard it. Shi Yan was not an exception as he shuddered a bit. The small reaction he had was captured by the man called Your Highness, who smirked evilly.

    "I know you can hear me, Merchant Shi Yan."

    Shi Yan nearly cursed out loudly. He really needed to learn how to act better, but in times like this, he truly had no power to deal with the situation by himself. How he wished he had martial arts comparable to Prince Ji Sheng.

    The man called Your Highness was still as calm as ever. He watched as his men started fire and began to burn the buildings. "Why don''t watch this beautiful show with us, Merchant Shi Yan? If you don''t give me the token soon, everyone here will die."

    Kyaa!

    The sudden scream shattered all lines of defense that Shi Yan had placed upon himself. He shifted his eyes to look at the man called Your Highness. Even though he was very unwilling, he knew that he had to give in.

    "Will you let them go if I give you the token?"

    "It''ll depend on whether I can trust you or not."

    Shi Yan gritted his teeth. As the sound of screaming grew even more intense, he knew that he couldn''t delay any longer. "Move your sword."

    "So that you can run away again?"

    "I can''t take out the token like this."

    The man called Your Highness scoffed, but he withdrew his sword nonetheless. Besides, he knew that Shi Yan''s martial arts couldn''t possibly help the latter in the slightest bit if he wished to run away.

    Shi Yan sat down and moved his hand to his robe and took out a beautifully carved token. It was the token that Yang Xian had given to him not long ago so that he would be able to go across the border easily.

    "Here''s the token you want so badly!"

    Throwing the token into the burning building, Shi Yan jumped up and rushed over in the direction of another burning building. He could see that the men there were blocking the front door.

    "This¡­"

    The man called Your Highness raised his hand and gave an order, "Take the token."

    "Yes!."

    While the men were rushing in another direction, Shi Yan could no longer think about anything.

    "MOVE!"

    Kicking forward, Shi Yan pushed the man away from the door. He swiftly moved his hands and pulled the door open, hoping that those inside were still alive.

    In the meantime, another man was picking the token that Shi Yan had thrown. As it was made of metal, it wouldn''t be destroyed so easily just because Shi Yan threw it into the fire just now.

    "Your Highness."

    The man called Your Highness lowered his gaze and picked the token that his men presented to him. It was the real token just like what that person had told him. At this moment, a smile formed on his lips.

    Finally, he got the token. With this token, it wouldn''t be a dream to invade Han Shi Kingdom and ended the long lasting war that had occurred for years. Their people were already tired from living in that harsh place.

    To be able to breach into Han Shi Kingdom''s territory would be very nice.

    "Shoot him."

    "Yes!"

    Shi Yan had just managed to open the door when he saw the men were aiming their bow and arrow in his direction. The people inside were rushing to get out as Shi Yan also moved away. However, the arrow followed his movement.

    Thud!

    Tripping on something, Shi Yan fell to the ground. At this moment, his face paled considerably. He closed his eyes as he knew that it would be too late to escape.

    Dzing!

 Chapter 218 - The Changes

    Han Shi Kingdom''s Capital City, Wei Family Residence

    "Miss, what are you doing?"

    In Wei Family Residence, Wei Xiao Hua was dressed in warm clothing. After taking ahold of the residence''s finance book, she could finally fulfill all of her needs. Luxurious food almost every single day and also suitable clothing for the seasons. There were some troubles with her reputation, but Prince Ji Shu had already shut their mouths.

    It was annoying but Wei Xiao Hua knew that she could depend on her man. She didn''t quite understand why the rumors started, though. In the novel, there was no such rumors because everyone was too busy with the failure Strategist Liu and also the death of Lady Gao Ling.

    But now, they have too much time in their hand.

    Based on the novel, she knew that in the past, Wei Xiao Hua didn''t have the chance to live comfortably because the other concubines were taking the money that was supposed to be hers.

    "Xiao Hua?" Prince Ji Shu called out.

    Wei Xiao Hua turned her head around and smiled lightly. "I just see a beautiful red smoke just now. I didn''t know that you can add colors to the smoke."

    Hearing that, Prince Ji Shu arched his eyebrows. There were various ways to deliver information in the battlefield and one of the most common method was through the smoke signal.

    Red smoke¡­.

    His eyes narrowed, yet there was a satisfied glint within his eyes. "It''s just a trouble at a distance away from the Capital City. You don''t need to worry so much."

    Wei Xiao Hua blinked her eyes. "Don''t you mean An You City?"

    "You knew?"

    Ah¡­ she made another blunder.

    Compared to the original transmigrated Wei Xiao Hua who knew how to act better, Wei Xiao Hua paled in comparison. In the original novel, Wei Xiao Hua would not know the exact location where the events took place because she had never left the capital city without supervision.

    An You City was more than a day''s journey away from the capital city.

    There was no way Wei Xiao Hua could visit that city even if she wanted to. Knowing about that city itself was already strange enough because it was not that famous in the capital city.

    "I guessed," Wei Xiao Hua said with a forced smile.

    In truth, she knew that today was the second blow for Prince Ji Sheng''s faction. The tribes who managed to sneak into Han Shi Kingdom knew that Merchant Shi Yan, who was also Prince Ji Sheng''s friend, had the special token. With that token, it would be easy for them to go into Han Shi Kingdom''s territory.

    Well, their plan failed in the end for some reasons that the author didn''t mention, though. Wei Xiao Hua only knew that the token didn''t work as intended in the end and ended up brought demise to those tribes who tried to take advantage of the situation.

    The detail¡­ was unknown.

    The real Wei Xiao Hua also had no interest in this matter because it was simply unrelated to her.

    "You always surprise me with your knowledge, Xiao Hua." Pulling Wei Xiao Hua to his embrace, Prince Ji Shu lamented the fact that they were not married yet. He truly wanted to have her as fast as possible.

    But he needed to wait.

    Wei Xiao Hua giggled. She looked into a distance. "Do you think they''re going to succeed this time?"

    "Even if the tribes didn''t wound them as expected, they will surely suffer heavy losses. There''s no need to worry so much."

    This time, Wei Xiao Hua didn''t answer. If she was not wrong, without Merchant Shi Yan, the plan to create peace through trades utterly failed. Merchant Shi Yan was known as the best merchant at the north and also managed to gain the trust of the tribes.

    Thanks to the fallout of the trade system, the border became unstable until finally¡­

    It happens.

    The novel did only mention this incident briefly, but Wei Xiao Hua still remembered that event very clearly. It was written that because Strategist Yang was too preoccupied with Strategist Liu''s condition, they didn''t manage to reach the city in time.

    An You City was enveloped in flames and Merchant Shi Yan died with an arrow stuck on his back, piercing through his heart.

    That day, a lot of people were grieving and Strategist Liu was thoroughly broken with the incident. He lost the confidence he previously had over his intelligence because everything never worked on his way. With that loss of confidence, Strategist Liu was no longer a threat.

    In fact, he would be the one to bring down the others with him.

    Closing her eyes for a moment, Wei Xiao Hua pushed the thoughts to the back. She didn''t want to think the novel''s plot too much. The author somehow liked to torture the characters so much to the point that many readers were complaining.

    They were grieving.

    Because the fates of some side characters were simply too sad.

    But since they didn''t really affect the main character, Wei Xiao Hua''s, life so much, their events were only mentioned in passing. Some readers did demand the author made the side story, but she hadn''t reached that far in the story to know what happened in detail.

    This damn transmigration occurred when she was still in the middle of reading the novel¡­.

    "Xiao Hua?" Prince Ji Shu noticed that Wei Xiao Hua''s mood changed. He wondered if he did something wrong.

    "I''m just thinking about that city," Wei Xiao Hua replied with a smile. "I want to go see the entire world."

    "We''ll have a journey in the future," Prince Ji Shu promised and kissed Wei Xiao Hua''s forehead tenderly.

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled. She glanced to the sky once more, wondering whether the changes in Strategist Liu''s attitude would change today''s battle or not. Because if it did, it meant that the last final battle might not be as easy as it was in the novel anymore.

    That thought caused Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes to narrow.

    Things were not going according to the novel anymore. She had to learn how to adapt to the changes and probably acted accordingly. It wouldn''t be easy.

    ¡­

    An You City

    Tak!

    The sound of wood hitting wood could be heard. The man called Your Highness had his eyes widened as he turned around. He could see a group of soldiers were rushing in their direction.

    At the forefront, a young man was holding a bow and arrow, ready to be directed in his direction.

    Dzing!

    "Your Highness!"

    The man called Your Highness swiftly evaded. He could see the soldiers who were rushing were aiming towards Shi Yan. His eyes narrowed. "Kill that merchant!"

    "Yes!"

    The man beside Shi Yan swiftly swung his sword towards Shi Yan''s neck.

    Slash!

 Chapter 219 - Anger

    "Kill that merchant!"

    "Yes!"

    The man beside Shi Yan swiftly swung his sword towards Shi Yan''s neck.

    Slash!

    "Shi Yan!" Yang Xian shouted out. The bow in his hand had released another arrow towards the man who attacked Shi Yan.

    Dzing!

    Jleb!

    "I''m fine!"

    Shi Yan managed to evade in the nick of time. The sword slashed through his clothing, ripping it off. This made him look a bit miserably, but he didn''t care in the slightest bit since the most important thing was that he was still alive.

    Swish!

    Directing his horse towards the group of people, Yang Xian blocked the next attack. He waved his hand, instruction for the cavalry soldiers behind him.

    "Surround them and kill them all!"

    "Yes!"

    Panting for breath, Shi Yan watched as the soldiers moved in orderly way and began to eliminate the people one by one. His eyes turned to the group of people from the house once more. They were coming out and running away, staying away from the fire as fast as possible.

    Crack! Crack!

    The sounds of building collapsing could be heard. Shi Yan''s face was pale. Before he managed to react, an arm had gripped him and pulled him on top of the horse. Yang Xian quickly paced the horse away from the burning building.

    Crash!

    Everything was destroyed. The building couldn''t hold on anymore as it collapsed in place. Thankfully, everyone had managed to get away.

    "Your Highness!"

    The man called Your Highness was still standing still in his place. His eyes were looking as his men were pushed back and defeated by Yang Xian. Even though Yang Xian had just arrived, the formation the soldiers created was the most suitable one to eliminate his people.

    "We''re leaving."

    "Did I give you permission to leave, Prince Nuo from Tang You Tribe?" Yang Xian asked coldly.

    The man called Your Highness, Prince Nuo, turned his head around and narrowed his eyes. It never occurred to him that Yang Xian might be able to recognize him so quickly like that. After all, there were a lot of tribes and naturally all of the leader''s children were called as princes.

    Just counting them all, there were already more than a hundred.

    How did Yang Xian even know him?

    "It seems that Strategist Yang still couldn''t see the situation properly. In this situation, I can¡­"

    Bang!

    At this moment, another building was destroyed and the soldiers were already blocking the route out. Every direction that they might possibly pass was already completely sealed.

    Yang Xian sneered. "You can''t get away."

    Prince Nuo looked at Yang Xian coldly. His escape route was discovered even though there was no indication whatsoever that he planned to use that path. This strategist surprisingly knew the route so well.

    "Fight!"

    ¡­

    What followed afterwards was a bitter battle between the soldiers and Prince Nuo''s men. They couldn''t get out and only a few of them were left alive by Yang Xian. The rest of the tribes'' people were already killed.

    Shi Yan went to the storage room and pushed the door open to let his attendant out.

    "Young Master Shi!" Shi Yan''s attendant cried out.

    "Treat your wounds along with others. I''ll check on you later."

    "Yes, Young Master Shi!"

    Walking towards Yang Xian, Shi Yan noticed the former''s expression was really not good. He coughed and asked, "How did you manage to reach this place so fast, Strategist Yang?"

    "I was on my way to Dong Shan City when I see your signal," Yang Xian replied coldly. "That said, who did you offend this time?"

    There were many times Shi Yan offended someone in the past and ended up putting himself in predicament. This was the first time things ever got this serious, though. After all, Shi Yan had a lot of bodyguards with him who would protect him all the time.

    "It''s not my fault this time!"

    "Yes?"

    "They''re aiming for my trade token!"

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "And you didn''t give it to them?"

    "Of course not! If I give it to them, they''re going to kill me and use it to fool you¡­."

    "Shi Yan."

    "What is it? Don''t cut my speech before I¡­."

    "You''re stupid."

    "Excuse me?!"

    Yang Xian rubbed his forehead. He couldn''t believe that Shi Yan was truly this stupid. "Your trade token is different from other traders. If they had taken your token and tried to enter the border, they''ll be captured at no time because the token is different. Besides, we already asked the soldiers to bring you immediately to us if they see the token."

    "¡­what did you say?"

    At this time, Yang Xian genuinely felt that Shi Yan was the stupidest person he had ever met. There were several tiers for the token and Shi Yan''s token was the highest. So far, they had only given it out to him.

    If he was not wrong, Shi Yan was present when they handed a different token to the other traders. How did he fail to realize that his token was actually different from others?

    "Uhm, the other tokens are¡­."

    "Bronze token. Yours is silver."

    Shi Yan: "¡­" I didn''t realize it at all.

    Yang Xian sighed and then turned his head to look at Prince Nuo. At the very least, he knew that Shi Yan''s action of withholding the token also prevented them from killing him so fast. They would torture him first to force him to give the token to them.

    "Get your wounds treated."

    "Ah?" Shi Yan glanced down and nodded. He forgot that there were several wounds on his body too. He was too preoccupied with the trade token that he basically forgot everything.

    Yang Xian waved his hand and Shi Yan quickly scurried away to the place for wounded soldiers. On the other hand, Yang Xian''s gaze turned cold. He looked at Prince Nuo.

    "Now, you better start talking, Prince Nuo."

    Even though Prince Nuo had prepared himself for getting tortured, he felt chills running down his spine when he saw Yang Xian''s gaze.

    Right now, Yang Xian is thoroughly angry.

 Chapter 220 - The Other Tribes

    AAAAaa!

    The screams of a prince could be heard loud and clear. Even though they had moved outside the city while the rest of the soldiers were busy putting down the fire and dealt with the aftermath, Yang Xian was still busy.

    Drap! Drap!

    The sound of soldiers coming could be heard and Yang Xian turned his head around. Wei Liuying was still riding the horse as she led the rest of the soldiers.

    "Strategist Yang."

    "Strategist Liu," Yang Xian greeted Wei Liuying politely. His hand was still holding a small knife that was coated in blood and flesh, so he didn''t cup his hands together. For some reasons, he really didn''t want to let her see this scene at all.

    Wei Liuying responded to Yang Xian''s gaze by stopping before him. Jumping out of the horse, she looked at the bloodied person before her.

    "This is?"

    "Prince Nuo from Tang You Tribe, one of the few tribes that sneak into Han Shi Kingdom''s territory," Yang Xian replied unhurriedly.

    "Leave him to me and deal with the aftermath. I''m sure that the people also need places to stay, right?" Wei Liuying pointed inside. There were several people who were wounded. Even though Wei Liuying was not clear of the overall situation, she knew that there were some damages inside.

    Yang Xian glanced at his hand for a moment. "I¡­"

    "It''s fine. I can do it."

    "Alright. If he tried to do anything, you can just kill him. There are other soldiers that we can ask."

    Glancing to the side, Wei Liuying knew that Yang Xian was telling the truth. They had left several people alive in order to question them. Of course, the method that Yang Xian picked to ask them questions wouldn''t be the peaceful method.

    They dared to come into Han Shi Kingdom illegally and launched an attack here. There was no mercy given to them.

    Not to mention, their target was Shi Yan.

    Even Wei Liuying couldn''t forgive them easily for what they did.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I got it."

    Yang Xian threw the knife to the ground and walked in the direction of the city. Wei Liuying took the bloodied knife then looked in the direction of Prince Nuo. There was a cold glint within her eyes, which contrasted her usual indifferent attitude. It was much colder and crueler than any gaze she ever showed in her entire life.

    "I''m sure you have reasons as to why you enter our territory, Prince Nuo."

    "You¡­"

    "And I''ll appreciate it more if you can tell us the truth."

    It didn''t take long for Wei Liuying to gather the necessary information that she wanted from Prince Nuo. Yang Xian had managed to force him to speak to some degree and Wei Liuying continued the rest.

    The tribes wanted to break the stall that had occurred at the north for a long time. They were slowly pushed to the north, where the winter was cold and even in summer, they needed to use heater. Attacking Han Shi Kingdom was seen as the method in order to preserve their lives.

    They plundered the cities and took over the warmer areas.

    After finished ''talking'' with Prince Nuo, Wei Liuying entered the city. By this time, Yang Xian had already helped to settle the villagers who had lost their home due to the fire not long ago. In addition, he also made a deal with the local governor to send help and reprimanded the other party for allowing the tribes to sneak in.

    The soldiers led her to the temporary house that Yang Xian used for meeting with the governor and some people before. There were several soldiers who were guarding the door.

    They immediately opened the door when they saw Wei Liuying, though.

    "Strategist Yang," Wei Liuying greeted.

    Yang Xian raised his head and nodded. "I have already finished the matters in this city. We can leave anytime we want."

    "It''s already evening. I don''t think it''s wise to leave the city at this time."

    "You''re right." Yang Xian pointed to the nearby chair. "What did you get from the talk with Prince Nuo?"

    "There are a total of three other tribes that managed to get in so far including Tang You Tribe," Wei Liuying replied. "Not all who planned to enter Han Shi Kingdom succeed due to some reasons."

    Yang Xian nodded. There were five tribes that Tu Tribe Advisor told them before. After doing some investigation, Yang Xian knew that one failed to enter but he was not sure about the other four. Now that Prince Nuo had given the confirmation, they knew that there were only two other tribes here.

    "Where are they?"

    "They''re planning to attack the cities near northwest border and also the one near the capital city." Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. "Do you bring map around?"

    "No. There''s no map here. Is it small cities?"

    Some new small cities were not written in the map yet. After all, one of the method to expand the territory was by building new cities while the map was only updated once every few years when there was an order from the higher ups.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "It''s a fairly new city, and the one near the capital city looks more like village."

    "Village?" Yang Xian was stunned. Why would they take over a village? Unless¡­.

    "They plan to stay here and become illegal immigrant."

    Hearing that, Yang Xian went silent for a moment. The characteristic of people in Han Shi Kingdom and those tribes were not that different. While some features might be very apparent, those who lived in villages wouldn''t pay much attention to it.

    And after a few years, the next generation might be already a mix without them knowing about it.

    Wei Liuying waited for Yang Xian''s reaction. When she first heard the information from Prince Nuo, she was already very surprised. It was not like they would immediately reject if those people wanted to become Han Shi Kingdom''s citizen.

    But not like this¡­

    "Which tribe?"

    "Zhang Huan Tribe," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian''s eyes narrowed then he shook his head. "It''s impossible that they want to settle peacefully here. I''m going to have a talk with them while taking some soldiers with me. On the other hand, you''re going to have a visit at the other city and eliminate the threat."

 Chapter 221 - Relief

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. She was sure that the ''talk'' that Yang Xian mentioned wouldn''t be a peaceful talk between the two parties like what he said on the surface. There was no way that they would trust those people so easily.

    "Alright. I''ll depart tomorrow morning."

    "Take half of the soldiers with you. The rest will come with me." Yang Xian tapped the table while his eyes glinted in ruthlessness. "If they dare to try harming the citizen, eliminate them as quickly as possible."

    "Understood."

    "Now, shall we visit Shi Yan first?"

    Wei Liuying''s eyes lit up when she heard that they were going to meet with Shi Yan. The reason why they came here in the first place was to help Shi Yan.

    "Is he alright?"

    "Yes, he''s totally fine."

    "That''s good."

    Back when Wei Liuying first arrived in An You City, she didn''t dare to ask about Shi Yan''s condition in fear that she wouldn''t be able to take it. But after seeing the soldiers were not as tense as before, she could guess that the situation was not that bad. There were some losses, though.

    There was no doubt that some people would be grieving.

    Yang Xian proceeded to lead Wei Liuying to an inn. There were several of Shi Yan''s men there that Wei Liuying recognized. After all, Shi Yan only had a few people whom he could trust around him.

    "Where''s Yan?"

    "Young Master Shi is resting inside, Strategist Yang," one of the men replied politely.

    Nodding his head, Yang Xian gave hand gesture for them to open the door. They quickly opened the door without any delay. If one didn''t know better, they might even think that these men were Yang Xian''s men and not Shi Yan.

    The room where Shi Yan stayed was an ordinary inn''s room with simple furniture. It was made of wood and only covered in thin skin carpet that didn''t look that good. Shi Yan himself was sitting on his bed while holding a book in his hand. Some parts of his body was bandaged but his complexion was normal.

    When he heard the door opened, Shi Yan raised his head. "Oh, Yang¡­ I mean, Strategist Yang and Strategist Liu."

    The men quickly closed the door again while Yang Xian shook his head. "You don''t have to be so polite with me."

    "Heh, sure. I don''t like such formalities anyway."

    "How''s your wound?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Shi Yan grinned and pointed to his neck. "Aside from this, the rest are mostly bruises. It''ll heal in a few days, so it''s nothing much."

    "That''s good."

    "But you''re almost late. I can''t believe that¡­."

    Kicking the edge of the bed, Yang Xian effectively stopped Shi Yan from spouting nonsense. He glared at Shi Yan. Even though he disliked it when Shi Yan was spouting unnecessary things, he wouldn''t want to lose his friend. There was happiness and relief in his eyes that didn''t match his annoyed expression.

    "It''s already good enough that I managed to come in time. There''s an ambush before I can reach your place," Yang Xian said as a matter of fact. Internally, he knew that if it was not for Wei Liuying leading half of the soldiers, he would never be able to reach Shi Yan in time.

    At that time, what greeted them would be nothing more than cold corpses.

    Shi Yan shut his mouth and sighed. He nodded solemnly. "You should stop bringing trouble to my door, Yang Xian. Do you know that this is already¡­."

    "I''m the one cleaning up the mess too, so you don''t have to worry that much."

    Not knowing what else to say, Shi Yan finally shut his mouth. He couldn''t refute what Yang Xian told him and based on the slightly harsh tone that Yang Xian used, Shi Yan knew that the latter was still upset.

    Or more exactly, angry because of some reasons.

    Wei Liuying scrutinized Shi Yan''s wounds and could see from it that Shi Yan was actually quite lucky. None of the injury seemed to hit his vital point, allowing him to act normally even though he was completely bandaged.

    "What do you plan to do now, Yan?"

    "I''m going to return back to trade, of course." Shi Yan grinned. "Just a little setback like this couldn''t possibly stop me from my quest of creating a kingdom of fortune!"

    Seeing Shi Yan still excited as usual, relief washed over Wei Liuying''s heart. She had been worrying about what would happen to Shi Yan and whether he would be fine after this or not. But it seemed that she was thinking too much.

    He didn''t look any different than usual.

    Shi Yan looked at Wei Liuying and grinned. "Are you concerned about me, Liu Ying?"

    "Yes."

    Thinking that Wei Liuying would not admit to it, Shi Yan was taken aback a bit. If it was Yang Xian, he would never admit that he was worried about Shi Yan and chose different wording to express it.

    But since the one he asked was Wei Liuying, the answer was completely different.

    "That''s¡­ well, you don''t need to worry so much. As you can see, I''m already used to get attacked from time to time," Shi Yan replied with a grin. "But there''s no point in dwelling over things that had happened. I just have to keep on looking forward."

    Yang Xian shook his head lightly. Someone like Shi Yan would never think too much about what had happened because he treated the past simply as the past. He would not let anything burden his mind and just continued on living his life.

    That way, Shi Yan didn''t look like he had any burden in his mind whatsoever.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "I''m just glad that you''re fine, Yan. If something happens to you, I''m not sure what I''m going to do to those tribes."

    "Heh, I didn''t know that you''re thinking about me that much. You can''t possibly have fallen for me, right?"

    "Dream on. With that feminine face of yours, I will never fall for you."

    "Ouch!"

 Chapter 222 - Departure

    Having his facial feature mentioned like that again, Shi Yan felt that his heart was hurt. However, he noticed that Wei Liuying''s speech has gotten a bit more informal and blunt. It seemed that living with the soldiers for some time had allowed her to be more relaxed.

    After all, the soldiers were mostly straight forward people.

    They would not laden their words with hidden blades and tried to backstab other people because there was no need for that. In battlefield, they were trusting their backs to their comrades, so traitors were especially hated there.

    Yang Xian smiled lightly. "I have sent messages to Shan Yi. He''s going to meet you on your way to the northwest."

    "Ah, when did you write the message?" Wei Liuying was stunned. She had only relayed the messages not long ago and didn''t see Yang Xian wrote anything, right?

    "Before you come, I already know that there''s one tribe near northwest border, so I send the messages at that time. Shan Yi is already at Dong Shan City, so the distance you need to cover are more or less the same."

    Wei Liuying nodded. Calculating the distance and time needed to travel this far, Wei Liuying knew that it wouldn''t be an easy journey. Once they reached their destination, they would need to prepare for another battle almost immediately.

    It seemed that her life was now completely filled with battles and more battles.

    "You''re truly a war maniac," Shi Yan complained.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "I can say the same to you. You''re money lover, Yan."

    Shi Yan: "¡­" I can''t refute that.

    They have their own reasons why they turned to be like this. Besides, it was not really a bad trait to have. At the very least, they were both good at the things that they loved the most.

    "I''m going to rest. You two should leave."

    "Alright."

    "Take care, Yan."

    Yang Xian and Wei Liuying bid their farewell. The two of them then settled the soldiers and set up tents for the night. While it might be tempting to stay in the city, the inns would be filled to the brim if all the soldiers had to book it.

    And it would be wasting money.

    They had brought their tent along, so they quickly set it up for the night.

    Wei Liuying stared at the tent that Yang Xian set up. She furrowed her brows. "Strategist Yang, tell me again why I should share the same tent with you?"

    "There''s no time to set another tent. Also, you''re still not in good condition to fight alone," Yang Xian gave his excuse.

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying''s face turned dark. The tent that they were using were all the makeshift tent that could easily be made within a quarter of incense stick time. There was no way that they wouldn''t be able to make another tent.

    As for her condition, Wei Liuying was sure that her wounds were already healed.

    "There are two beds, so don''t worry." Yang Xian pointed inside. "You rest first. I''m going to¡­."

    "No, you rest now, Strategist Yang. You can think about the letters that you''re going to write to Prince Ji Sheng later."

    Wei Liuying pushed Yang Xian into the tent, not allowing him to protest at all. She knew that if she didn''t force Yang Xian to sleep, there might be a chance that he didn''t have any rest at all for the night because he would be busy thinking about the plan he wanted to make against the tribes.

    Helplessly, Yang Xian headed to his bed. He glanced to the side for a moment and smiled lightly.

    "Good night, Liu Ying."

    "Good night, Strategist Yang."

    ¡­

    The next day, the two of them were up very early. Yang Xian divided the soldiers and let Wei Liuying led half of them to the north. When it was dawn. The two of them were already heading their separate ways.

    The distance to the northwest border city was quite far. Wei Liuying didn''t know the name of the city because it was a fairly new city that was built early that year. She only knew the location because Prince Ji Sheng had marked the map they had back in Prince Ji Sheng''s city.

    It would take a few day''s journey.

    Even though they were in a hurry, Wei Liuying didn''t urge the soldiers to move faster than what they could. If they were too tired in the journey, they wouldn''t be able to fight to their best of ability.

    "Strategist Liu, the city is up ahead."

    "We''re going inside."

    Leading the soldiers, Wei Liuying stopped before the gate. There were soldiers who blocked the gate and looked at them with hostility. After all, this area was no longer under Prince Ji Sheng''s rule.

    "Strategist Liu from Prince Ji Sheng''s army wished to come inside the city to reinforce the border," Wei Liuying stated her name and business.

    Strategist Liu?

    The soldiers were looking at the ''young man'' at the front with bewilderment. They had been wondering whose child he* was, but they didn''t think that he would be the famous Strategist Liu.

    However, the word reinforcement puzzled them. After all, this city was located a distance away from the real border. In fact, the battles very rarely reached this point and would usually only happened when it was winter.

    Eh, wait, it was already winter.

    Could it be that the situation at the border was so dire?

    "Could you prove your identity?"

    Wei Liuying took out a token from her robe and threw it to the soldiers. They caught it and could see the word ''Third Prince'' written very clearly. And based on the materials of the token, there was no doubt that it was the one used by Prince Ji Sheng''s closed people.

    "Is that enough?"

    "Y..yes! Please come in, Strategist Liu."

    Nodding her head, Wei Liuying gave hand signal for the soldiers to start moving. Looking at the city before her, Wei Liuying took a deep breath. This would be the first time in her entire career as strategist that she entered a city as the leader.

 Chapter 223 - Nameless City

    Walking into the city, Wei Liuying could see that the city was truly still under development. There were many areas that was still being built by the people there and the number of citizen was not as many as most cities this size.

    A higher ranked soldier rushed out and stopped not far from Wei Liuying. He cupped his hand. "3000 man commander, Commander Cao wished to speak, Strategist Liu."

    Wei Liuying''s real status was actually not any higher than the commander. After all, she didn''t have any formal military title. But because she was considered as one of the few close aides of Prince Ji Sheng, her status became higher. Unless one was already a general, they would have to greet her formally.

    "You may speak."

    "This one didn''t understand why Strategist Liu come here at this time. Aren''t there also other attacks at Prince Ji Sheng''s City''s border?" Commander Cao asked bluntly.

    Wei Liuying narrowed her eyes. While it was not wrong, most of the soldiers there would be able to defend the city properly. After all, most of the elite soldiers were still staying behind in that city and not coming with her and Yang Xian.

    "The attack is not only from the one outside the border but from inside. Have you heard about the tribes that managed to get in, Commander Cao?" Wei Liuying asked with a faint smile on her face.

    However, that smile only caused chills to run down Commander Cao''s back. The news spread not long ago, so he had heard about it. In fact, their general was punished because some tribes managed to get in through this area too without them stopping them.

    The result was not too pretty.

    Commander Cao gritted his teeth and then bowed down. "This commander will help you, Strategist Liu!"

    "Get up. I''m not your superior and naturally have no intention to command you," Wei Liuying said in an indifferent tone. She turned her head around. "My task is to give aid in order to defend against an attack that might target this city."

    "I understand, Strategist Liu!"

    "However, I do have a question."

    "Ask away, Strategist Liu. I''ll answer you to my utmost ability."

    "What''s the name of this city?"

    The question caused Commander Cao to be taken aback. He was sure that Wei Liuying would ask some kind of important question to him and all. But the one that she asked was instead the name of this city?

    Wei Liuying watched as Commander Cao''s expression changed a bit. She wanted to laugh but held it in. By their short conversation, she had seen that Commander Cao was a very rigid person, so she wanted to lighten up the atmosphere a bit. Besides, she did want to know about the city''s name.

    "Replying to Strategist Liu, this city didn''t have a name, yet."

    "Oh?" Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. Did the Emperor was still lazy for naming cities? She felt that the Emperor she met not long ago was truly busy to the point he couldn''t even write a letter to bestow a name.

    "I¡­it''s the truth!"

    "I don''t doubt you." Wei Liuying smiled. "Would you be so kind as to bring us to the barracks? In the meantime, can you tell me more about this city and the number of soldiers here?"

    "With pleasure¡­ I mean, I''ll do it, Strategist Liu!"

    Upon entering the city, Wei Liuying had seen that the city was constructed quite well, which helped to defend the city when it was attacked. However, the number of soldiers and their skills would eventually play big roles to determine whether the city would fall or not.

    And based on the number that Commander Cao give her, there was not even 3000 soldiers here. Commander Cao was also the one with highest command, but not all of his soldiers were here because some of them were sent to reinforce a small village that was hit by local bandits not long ago.

    "For a city at this size, 3000 men is not that many, isn''t it?" Wei Liuying asked slowly. She thought that there would be more soldiers, but with this number, it would be hard to keep all four walls covered.

    They needed more soldiers to protect the city.

    "Well, the city is still under development and the focus during winter is to defend the border," Commander Cao stammered.

    "I understand. In that case, I''ll distribute the soldiers that I brought here and positioned them in some places after I see your plan. Do you mind, Commander Cao?"

    "No, not at all!"

    Wei Liuying could see the soldiers behind Commander Cao was feeling uneasy. It seemed that they knew that their commander was a bit unreliable at times. But to be able to become a commander despite having this kind of personality, she could guess that Commander Cao was quite capable.

    As for how capable he was, she would need to see for herself.

    "Please lead the way, Commander Cao."

    "Huh? Now?"

    "Yes."

    Commander Cao was stunned, but he had no other choice but to give tour to Wei Liuying around the city. On the other hand, the soldiers that came along with Wei Liuying settled down in the temporary dwellings that they had prepared.

    The soldiers that Wei Liuying brought were only hundreds in number. It would be impossible to create significant differences unless the disparity between skills was large. But looking at the city, Wei Liuying could see that the undergoing constructions work caused the place to be a bit chaotic.

    It wouldn''t be impossible for people to sneak in under this kind of condition.

    At the same time, Wei Liuying could see that the people there were smiling upon seeing Commander Cao. However, they refrained from approaching when they saw her. It seemed that they knew how impolite it would be to intrude them.

    ''He''s a leader loved by his people.''

    Even though he might not look like it, Wei Liuying could finally see why Commander Cao could become a commander and become the leader in this city.

    "Commander Cao, I''ll be honest, I need you to keep being the leader."

    "Ah, but¡­"

    "I''ll only help to give advice. As for the soldiers that I brought with me, I''ll ask them to cooperate with you."

 Chapter 224 - Shan Xi Gang

    "Ah, but¡­"

    "I''ll only help to give advice. As for the soldiers that I brought with me, I''ll ask them to cooperate with you."

    Commander Cao''s expression changed when he heard what Wei Liuying said and looked at the other party in bewilderment. It was common knowledge that a soldier would not follow the words of other people aside from their leader. Besides, not all leaders would willingly give their soldiers to someone else.

    "They''re your soldiers, Strategist Liu¡­."

    "They''re His Highness, Prince Ji Sheng''s soldiers. But before that, they''re also Han Shi Kingdom''s soldiers," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly. "Also, I''m only lending them temporarily because I have another matters to attend to."

    "Ah?"

    "Commander Cao!" A soldier was rushing in. His face showed traces of panic. When he saw Wei Liuying, he flinched a bit, but he still came to them and kowtowed on the ground. "Commander Cao!"

    "What is it?" Commander Cao asked back.

    "Shan Xi Gang is here!"

    Hearing that, Commander Cao nearly fainted on the spot. One of the biggest gangs in this area was Shan Xi Gang. However, that gang was quite inactive lately because their focus so far was only to target some hateful officials and rich people.

    Did they find someone whom they want to rob from this city?

    While the governor''s face was pale, Wei Liuying was still calm. She knew that Shan Yi will come sooner or later, and the timing was pretty convenient. It seemed that her calculation was correct.

    They arrived later than her.

    "I''ll speak to them."

    "Strategist Liu?" Commander Cao was taken aback once more. Just by meeting Wei Liuying, he was already taken aback a few times because of her decision. "That''s going to be very dangerous. You shouldn''t do that, Strategist Liu."

    "I''ll be fine." Wei Liuying glanced to the gate. "Bring me there and call Captain Tang."

    "¡­Alright."

    With no other choice, Commander Cao had to bring Wei Liuying to him to the gate. Shan Xi Gang''s people were already standing ready in front of the gate. They were looking in the direction of the city but there didn''t seem to be any intention for them to rush in and attack.

    As soon as they reached the gate, Wei Liuying noticed that Captain Tang was already standing there. It seemed that he ran when he heard that she called for him.

    "You''re going to stay here. Follow Commander Cao''s command."

    Captain Tang furrowed his brows when he heard that order. He didn''t like the idea of listening to someone whom he had only met for the first time. But upon seeing Wei Liuying looking at him with solemn gaze, he swallowed any words that he was about to say and cupped his hands formally.

    "This Tang understands, Strategist Liu."

    "That''s good." Wei Liuying patted his shoulder and walked to the gate. "Open the gate and don''t follow me."

    The soldiers didn''t immediately respond to her request. They turned their head to the back as if they were asking for Commander Cao''s permission. It was only when they saw Commander Cao nodded his head did they open the gate.

    Wei Liuying walked out of the gate and headed to the woods. There were several Shan Xi Gang''s members who were standing there. From the words written on the banner that they carried around, one would be able to recognize them everywhere.

    She stopped just a few feet away from them.

    "Liu Ying, Strategist from Prince Ji Sheng''s army, wished to speak with Shan Xi Gang''s leader."

    The relationship between Prince Ji Sheng and Shan Xi Gang was never made public. In fact, there were only very few people who knew that the two unlikely sides were actually comrades. Of course, there was no plan to disclose the matter to everyone because it would change everything.

    The two sides were not supposed to be close to each other because of the large difference in status.

    Shan Xi Gang people were looking at Wei Liuying with suspicions. Only some of them knew about their leader''s relationship with Prince Ji Sheng and a few others, but they had no plan to disclose it either.

    Their leader will behead them if they dared to utter any words about that.

    Slowly, Shan Yi walked out from the back. He had changed his clothes and now wearing his usual trademark messy clothing. From the way it looked like, his wounds were also healed because there was no trace of it at all.

    "I''m the leader. What do you want?"

    "I would like to inquire your intention to come here, Leader of Shan Xi Gang."

    Shan Yi creased his eyebrows. Honestly, he truly had no interest to deal with someone like Wei Liuying nor Yang Xian. The two of them were very good at talking to the point that it was difficult for him to speak with them when they began to start twisting their words again.

    It was so annoying. He truly couldn''t understand why there were a lot of people who had the hobby of talking with that kind of language.

    Couldn''t they just be upfront with what they want?

    "I''m thinking of attacking this nameless city. I heard that there are a lot of food and money that are unused here," Shan Yi lied.

    Wei Liuying cupped her hands. "There are no such things in this city. In fact, this nameless city is still under development and didn''t look too good."

    "How do I know that you''re saying the truth?"

    "I won''t lie. If I lie to you, let lightning strike me."

    Shan Yi narrowed his eyes when he heard what Wei Liuying said. While it was true he didn''t like these two''s way of speaking, he still understood the consequences of saying oath like that. No one dared to say something like that so easily because they didn''t dare to face the result.

    Not all of them wanted to put their lives on the line.

    ''These two strategists are really troublesome. How come they always put their lives on the line in whatever things they do?''

 Chapter 225 - Scout

    ''These two strategists are really troublesome. How come they always put their lives on the line in whatever things they do?''

    Shan Yi pursed his lips. "Alright, tell me what do you want, Strategist Liu?"

    "There''s another place where you can get bountiful harvest of food and some other necessities," Wei Liuying replied. "Rather than attacking this newly formed city, wouldn''t it be better to attack a fatter lamb?"

    "What if I say that this one is already enough?" Shan Yi asked after a while. It took him some time to understand what Wei Liuying was saying. Internally, he was grieving because he felt that if Yang Xian and Wei Liuying attempted to trick him through their words, it was most likely they would succeed.

    Even now, he already had difficulties in understanding what Wei Liuying was saying.

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "I''m giving this suggestion because I heard that Shan Xi Gang is an upright gang. Despite being unlawful people, they''re only attacking unjust people and will not harm the innocents. Could it be that I was wrong?"

    Shan Yi wished he could smack Wei Liuying and asked her to speak in normal language.

    "Of course not!" Shan Yi half shouted in impatience. "Who do you want us to attack?"

    "Illegal traders."

    The phrase caused the bandits to suck in deep breath. They all knew the meaning of the word trade because those people were mostly rich. And added with the word illegal, it was clear that they would not be blamed even if they attacked those people.

    After all, those people didn''t even have the permission to trade.

    Shan Yi''s eyes shone. Yang Xian didn''t reveal much in his short poem letter. In fact, Shan Yi was tempted to throw that bamboo strip away because of how much it hurt his eyes. However, he still understood that Yang Xian needed his help in this place.

    Though, he didn''t expect to meet with Wei Liuying instead of Yang Xian. Maybe Yang Xian was busy this time?

    "Alright, tell me more about them!"

    If it was attacking illegal traders, Shan Yi had no qualms whatsoever. In fact, he was eager to do so because it would allow them to get rich very quickly.

    "No problem." Wei Liuying smiled and walked with Shan Yi.

    While she knew that Shan Yi would never hurt her, Wei Liuying still didn''t lower her guard. Many of the gang''s members didn''t know that she was actually Shan Yi''s friend, so they were still hostile to her.

    "Tell me more."

    "I don''t know their exact location, but there''s a group of illegal traders not far from here. They''re planning to enter this nameless city soon to try their luck."

    Shan Yi narrowed his eyes. How did Wei Liuying get so much information without able to meet with those traders personally? However, he felt that he didn''t want to know because he was sure that there was another agenda as to why Wei Liuying asked for his help to attack.

    "I''ll send my men to scout the area." Shan Yi waved his hands and several people left their position.

    Looking at their speed, Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed. It seemed that Shan Yi actually had a lot of capable people under him. Based on their skill alone, they shouldn''t lose that much compared to Prince Ji Sheng''s elite soldiers.

    ''Prince Ji Sheng truly gathered a lot of little monsters to his side.''

    At that time, Wei Liuying had completely forgotten that she could also be included in that term.

    "What can you tell about the traders?"

    Wei Liuying proceeded to tell about their goods that they brought. In fact, those goods were only cover to bring those people into Han Shi Kingdom without arousing suspicions. However, it was also true that they had no other choice but to bring a lot of goods with them.

    If not, they would not be able to pass off as real merchant with such strict requirement that Prince Ji Sheng had set.

    Half an incense stick passed and a man returned. He bowed in front of Shan Yi. "Boss, I found them. They''re hiding behind the hill and covered in thick forest. It seems that they''re doing their best to conceal themselves before they could enter a city."

    Shan Yi nodded. "is it a large group."

    The man''s eyes shone when it was asked. He nodded once more. "There are at least a hundred carriages there. As for the number of people, I believe that it''s in thousands."

    While Shan Yi was excited, Wei Liuying felt like cursing the general at the border. If she was not wrong, they had clearly stated that those traders were not allowed to bring a lot of people with them and the number of carriages should be limited.

    ''Those generals truly didn''t follow Prince Ji Sheng.''

    As for why those generals didn''t want to follow what Prince Ji Sheng had set, Wei Liuying knew that part of the reason was because the Emperor didn''t really favor Prince Ji Sheng. While the other reason could be simply because they disliked Prince Ji Sheng and all.

    Anything was basically possible.

    "In that case, we''re going to attack tonight!"

    Wei Liuying smiled. "That''s not a bad idea, but you need to make sure that you know the terrains where they''re hiding. Also, you need the estimation of the number of their soldiers and guards because if they outnumber you, you won''t be able to conduct the robbery properly."

    The explanation that Wei Liuying gave nearly made Shan Yi tripped. He knew that Wei Liuying was a capable strategist, but he didn''t expect her to be the one to help him like this. Also, did she treat robbing the same as battlefield?

    "That''s¡­"

    "Going blind without knowing your enemies will only lead to losses, Shan Xi Gang''s Leader." Wei Liuying smiled sweetly.

    The men under Shan Yi were stunned but agreed internally. While Shan Yi was a good leader, he was quite a poor strategist. Many times, their attack had to rely on complete brute force and also their advantage in terms of combat.

    If they were facing overwhelming number, there was no doubt that they would lose miserably.

 Chapter 226 - Sneak Attack

    "That''s¡­."

    "Boss, listen to him. He''s much smarter¡­ouch!"

    Shan YI hit his men to stop him from talking. He felt like smacking his other men too when he saw their gazes. While he knew that his intelligence couldn''t be compared with Wei Liuying, he hated it when it was blatantly pointed to his face like this.

    "Fine, you give us the strategy, Strategist Liu."

    "I don''t mind, but¡­"

    "What?"

    "Can''t we eat first?"

    "¡­"

    It was only then they realized that it was already close with the time to eat dinner. The bandits were also human beings, so they quickly prepared some food from the rations they brought and shared with Wei Liuying.

    Only after they had eaten that they brought Wei Liuying and Shan Yi along with several other men to the location where the traders were. Just like what Shan Yi had said, they were staying in a covered place that was completely hidden from outside. It was as if they were not here to trade but to hide.

    Wei Liuying scanned the area while they were walking. Shan Yi also gave her the rough map of the place, but it was not that well made. In fact, Wei Liuying felt the map didn''t help that much because it looked like doodle.

    "You have seen this place. Now, can we attack?" Shan Yi asked in impatience.

    "We have only seen from outside. I can''t determine their number from this position."

    "Then why do you choose to stop here?"

    They were standing on top of the small hill and stayed behind the trees to prevent the traders from seeing them. At this time, Wei Liuying was looking at their camp below her. Just like what the scout said, it was quite a big group.

    "I''m looking at the geography. Having height advantage is good, isn''t it?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    Shan Yi felt like screaming that he didn''t care about geography whatsoever, but he didn''t dare to do so in front of Wei Liuying. Besides, he didn''t want to make a scene here when they were supposed to be quiet.

    Wei Liuying stood still in her place. "They''re moving."

    "Ah?"

    "A large group of the traders are going to leave tonight." Wei Liuying noticed that the soldiers were preparing to come out. It seemed that the attack they planned to the nameless city was actually tonight.

    ''It''s good that we''re not late.''

    Shan Yi tilted his head. "And?"

    "It means that tonight will be a good time to attack. If most of them are not present, we''re going to be able to conduct raid easily. Can you divide your man into two?"

    "Yes?"

    "There''s only one route from here to the city, so they''re going to send the soldiers through this path. If you make an ambush at the rear, they''re going to be late to respond and it''ll create distraction from the main force that''s plundering the camp," Wei Liuying said with a smile. "After that¡­."

    While she was used to talk in roundabout way, she needed to be concise and precise when explaining her plan. Because of that, Shan Yi could understand what she wanted better than when they were discussing before.

    "That didn''t sound like a bad plan. Alright, we''re going to go with this. Are you going to come, Strategist Liu?"

    "I''ll watch from here and send messages whenever necessary. I''ll create owl sound from here. One meant that it''s time, two meant it''s time for retreat."

    "Okay! Men.." Shan Yi was about to yell when he realized that they were supposed to be quiet. He grunted and lowered the volume. "Men, let''s move!"

    As the bandits began to move and went to their respective position, Wei Liuying stayed still in her place. She noticed a bandit, one who followed Shan Yi to the temple back then, was standing not far from her. He was tasked to guard her, but the bandits were only seeing it as if he was sent to watch over her.

    Wei Liuying chose to ignore the man and looked down. As the night went deeper, the men started to make their moves. They came out in a large group, leaving only a third of their men inside the camp.

    Slowly, she put her hands in front of her mouth and blew a bit. Faint owl sound could be heard from the hill.

    The bandit that was already setting his position not far from Wei Liuying swiftly moved to relay the messages. Soon, the bandits were moving in the forest towards the camp that was already partially abandoned.

    "Strategist Liu, would it be fine for you not to observe the people in the city?" the bandit asked politely.

    Wei Liuying glanced in the direction of the city and shook her head. "The people there are enough. Also, I can''t show my face this time."

    While Prince Ji Sheng had never explained everything to her thoroughly before, Wei Liuying knew that the relationship he had with other generals were not that harmonious. They didn''t like him because the Emperor didn''t favor Prince Ji Sheng.

    Even though Prince Ji Sheng had already made several accomplishments on the battlefield, it didn''t enter their eyes in the slightest bit.

    "Once the reports are out, it''ll be Commander Cao''s work."

    The bandit behind Wei Liuying was silent for a few moments. "Giving your accomplishment to someone else, is it fine, Strategist Liu?"

    "Glory and fame are indeed nice, but keeping one safe is still the priority," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly. Her dark eyes were watching the movements below her carefully.

    "I see."

    "From your way of speaking and attitude, are you His Highness'' men?"

    "¡­ I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    Wei Liuying''s lips curled up to form a smile. And here she thought that those people under Shan Yi were all pure bandits, but there were actually several elite soldiers whom Prince Ji Sheng had put inside.

    Probably, it was done because Shan Yi could be quite a blockhead when it was time to attack.

    Noticing the faint movement of the soldiers and also sound of battle from a distance. Wei Liuying shifted her gaze to the city. The battle was over. It was time for her to wrap this up.

    Wei Liuying slowly formed owl sound once more.

    "Hooot, hooot."

    The faint sounds of the owl signaled the end of the battle.

 Chapter 227 - Returning Back

    Swish!

    Moving in the dense forest, Wei Liuying reached the temporary dwellings that Shan Yi''s men had set up. The two groups slowly returned back while carrying stuffs on their backs. From their faces, it was clear that they were very satisfied with this performance.

    "I''m going to return back with the men to our bases," Shan Yi informed. "You can return back to the city."

    "Many thanks for your kindness, Shan Xi Gang''s Leader." Wei Liuying cupped her hands and smiled.

    Shan Yi scratched the back of his head. He had to admit that the battle this time was easier than any other battles that he had ever experienced in the past. With Wei Liuying already planning their plan, there was barely any wounded bandit amongst his people.

    He felt very satisfied.

    "Strategist Liu, have you ever thought of becoming¡­."

    "I''ll refuse."

    "I hadn''t even finished speaking!"

    Wei Liuying shook her head lightly. It was very easy for her to guess what he wanted to say. Unfortunately, she had no plan of leaving Prince Ji Sheng''s army and the others there. Besides, she was living well there.

    "I have no intention of switching my work, Shan Xi Gang''s leader."

    "Tsk." Shan Yi sighed and leaned in. "Fine, but you better tell me why you ask me to attack this illegal traders next time we meet."

    There was no change in Wei Liuying''s expression when she heard what Shan Yi said. If Shan Yi was a stranger that she duped into attacking the bandits, he would not ask for anything and only thought that Wei Liuying wanted him to eliminate those people. But he came here per Yang Xian''s request.

    There was no way Yang Xian would ask him to do something without any clear reason behind it.

    "I understand, let''s have a talk in the future."

    "You better keep your promise!"

    Wei Liuying stayed still in her place as Shan Yi led his men happily. She lightly shook her head and turned around. There was never any intention for her to follow them. The reason why she wanted to make use of Shan Yi was because she needed a cover.

    It was the same as Yang Xian.

    If not because of that, they wouldn''t have called Shan Yi through Yang Xian''s special letter.

    Returning back to the city, Wei Liuying could see that they were in jubilant mood. The attackers were eliminated and now they were busy treating the wounded. As soon as Wei Liuying entered the city, she helped Commander Cao out.

    It took them several incense sticks of time before they could finally rest.

    "There''s not many inns yet, so I hope this one is to your liking, Strategist Liu."

    "It''s enough. You may go."

    "Yes!"

    Plop!

    Sitting on the bed, Wei Liuying sighed. Marching and battling then marched and battled again was very tiring. After several days, she could feel that her body began to experience the toll of her pushing herself a bit.

    ''I hope there''s nothing else I need to do before returning back to Dong Shan City. Now I wonder what happens on Yang Xian''s side.'' Wei Liuying stood up and headed to the bathroom. ''But thinking that it''s him, I''m sure that he''ll defeat them with overwhelming advantage.''

    When the thought flashed in her mind, the corner of her lips curled up slightly without her realizing it.

    Wei Liuying rested for the day and departed to Dong Shan City immediately the next day. She wanted to avoid meeting with the general and other commanders there, so she told Commander Cao to only say that she provided him with news.

    ¡­

    A City Near the Capital City

    Slash!

    Thud!

    The sound of body falling to the ground marked the end of the battle. Standing at the forefront with clothes covered in blood, Yang Xian held down his sword. He wiped the blood on his cheek.

    "Strategist Yang, this is all of them. Should we clean it up?"

    "There''s no need. Just leave it be."

    "Yes!"

    Wiping his sword, Yang Xian glanced across the place. When he came here, he was a bit skeptical but then he realized that this was actually a well-made village but all the people inside were not Han Shi Kingdom''s citizen.

    ''Someone inside must be helping them out. And amongst the powerful people in the capital city, there''s only one person who can be this daring.''

    Yang Xian''s eyes glinted. He knew that there were still some other people who were roaming around in this place, but there was basically nothing he could do anymore. Tracking them all one by one would be completely impossible.

    ''Let''s just hope those people do their work well.''

    Walking across the village, Yang Xian let his soldiers do the work. The village might be used to be an abandoned village with not many people there. Some buildings looked fairly old while the rest was new.

    Yang Xian stopped before a fairly old building. Based on the written signboard, he could guess that it used to be a teahouse. There was a large scroll made of bamboo hung on the wall. Those who entered the house would be able to see it almost immediately.

    He could see three words were written there.

    "Live and prosper."

    At that moment, Yang Xian felt a pang in his head. An unknown feeling of sadness and frustration suddenly washed over his mind as if he had lost everything.

    ''What¡­?''

    "Strategist Yang!" a soldier shouted when he saw Yang Xian staggered.

    "I''m fine." Yang Xian waved his hand. His eyes were looking at the three words before him in confusion. Just what had happened to him just now? It felt as if his mind was not his for a moment.

    The soldier still looked at Yang Xian with worry. He knew that this strategist also often pushed himself to the limit.

    At this moment, another soldier rushed in and bowed in front of Yang Xian.

    "Strategist Yang, we have finished scouting the area. There are several people who managed to escape."

 Chapter 228 - A Dream?

    *Fair warning before you proceed, this chapter depicts a bit of disturbing scene*

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Track them and kill them all."

    "Yes!"

    Looking at the bamboo scroll once more, Yang Xian shook his head. Forget it, he didn''t understand what was going on either, so there was no need to dwell on this matter for a long time. There were other important things that he needed to do.

    The process of tracking the escaped people didn''t take a long time. Yang Xian immediately eliminated them on the spot since he had obtained the information that he needed. Afterwards, they set up a tent and rested in an open area not far from the capital city.

    "Strategist Yang, please have some rest. Your complexion didn''t look too good."

    Yang Xian nodded. "I will."

    Internally, he was wondering whether his face was really that pale. He was only a bit taken aback with that unfamiliar emotion that he experienced not long ago.

    ''I''ll just get some sleep.''

    After closing his eyes, Yang Xian drifted into sleep. Usually, he would have dreamless sleep as he never allowed himself to sleep too deep in fear that there might be an attack directed at him when he was resting.

    Yang Xian felt that he had entered a completely different world, yet at the same time, it was familiar to him. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the color that started to form in front of him. What he saw was himself¡­

    "Faster!"

    Hmm? The familiar scene made him recalled the time when he was pacing the horse to reach the temple as fast as possible. Looking at Prince Ji Sheng beside him with white and pale face, Yang Xian knew that it was precisely that time.

    "We almost reach the peak!"

    "Just a bit more!"

    Expecting the wolves to attack, Yang Xian was stunned when he saw the bloodied scene in front of him. Gao Ling''s chest was stabbed with a sword as blood continued to ooze out. Her pale face was looking to the side as dried tears'' mark was apparent on her face.

    Shi Lu Wen lied next to her with her neck slit open. A pool of blood was formed under her small head as her eyes were looking straight towards Gao Ling. The gaze was filled with desperation and rage.

    On the other hand, Shan Yi''s body was on top of several people''s dead body not far from them. The bodies around him were badly chopped into pieces, the indication of Shan Yi last struggle and also bloody massacre out of his rage.

    It was a bloody and gory sight as if coming out straight from a nightmare.

    The prince was still there with his men. His hand was touching Gao Ling''s side face while his eyes were looking with pity. Upon hearing their coming, he raised his head in surprise as if he didn''t hear them coming before.

    "Who are¡­?" The prince asked in confusion.

    "Your Highness! RUN!"

    "What is this¡­?" Yang Xian was filled with disbelief. This was not what he had seen back then. There was no way that¡­

    "AAAAAAAAa!"

    Prince Ji Sheng shouted with rage and lunged forward. His hand chopped on the men around him without caring for anything, creating a massacre. The prince''s men didn''t even have a chance to react as Prince Ji Sheng killed them all. Blood and flesh filled the ground along with his desperate cries and yell.

    Yang Xian couldn''t do anything as he watched the scene unfolded within his eyes. He couldn''t believe it. This was precisely the scene that they had tried to prevent. His eyes moved as he saw his dream self.

    The Yang Xian inside the dream was standing motionless with cold aura around him. He scanned the surroundings and his eyes fell on Wei Liuying, who was lying not far behind Gao Ling and the others.

    Slowly but surely, he walked to Wei Liuying and crouched down. It was then he faintly sense that her chest was still moving up and down. The movements were faint, but it was clear that she was still alive.

    For now.

    "Bring medicine here!" The dream Yang Xian shouted.

    "Yes!"

    Then, everything turned white.

    Yang Xian watched everything while trying to keep his calm. His hands were trembling as trepidation filled his eyes. As the scene before him distorted, he had the faint feeling that he knew what he would see next.

    Sometimes, it was worse to be the sole survivor when all others had died.

    The colors returned and Yang Xian found himself in the tent. The soldiers were all in mourning situation and Prince Ji Sheng''s expression was completely grim. There was no joy within his eyes anymore as if he had lost all will to live.

    Clasp!

    Watching the confident and strong Prince Ji Sheng to be in this state hurt Yang Xian''s heart. He didn''t want to see this scene. His best friend was in pain, yet there was nothing that he could do.

    Yang Xian raised his hand, yet it passed through.

    Because this is a dream and not reality.

    Bang!

    The sound of something falling attracted Yang Xian''s attention. He could see the dream Yang Xian also rushed into the tent and pushed it open. What Yang Xian saw was Wei Liuying who had just woken up and looked panicked.

    "Liu Ying, you¡­"

    "Where''s Lady Gao?" Wei Liuying asked almost immediately. She could hear the soldiers were grieving the moment she woke up from the tent, so she guessed that there must be something bad that had occurred.

    The dream Yang Xian couldn''t answer. He was merely looking at Wei Liuying with lifeless eyes and shook his head.

    "Shi Lu Wen? Shan Yi?"

    Once more, the dream Yang Xian couldn''t answer.

    Wei Liuying''s body lost strength almost immediately. Her dark eyes were no longer brimming with light and instead only despair remained. She had been working so hard to make sure that everyone could stay alive.

    But why¡­?

    WHY¡­?

    "Why am I still alive?" Wei Liuying asked in hoarse voice. It sounded as if she was choking as tears threatened to spill out from the corner of her eyes. Right now, she didn''t even try to conceal her expression like what she always did.

    If one should say, her current expression right now was completely filled with despair, sadness, and anger.

    It was to the point that if it was possible, she will not hesitate to trade her own live in exchange of Gao Ling and the others.

    The dream Yang Xian couldn''t do anything and the dream Prince Ji Sheng was also standing still, not far from the tent. Neither one of them wished for this ending, but it was what happened in the end.

    Swish!

    Yang Xian instinctively moved and tried to hug Wei Liuying, but he realized that his hand passed through her. He couldn''t touch her at all. Even though he wished to comfort her, he knew that it was not possible. But just thinking that this was nothing more than a dream was also torturing.

    Glancing to his dream self, he noticed the faint gaze that was within his eyes.

    Ah¡­.

    Disappointment.

    By now, Yang Xian felt a pang within his heart. He had always paid more attention to Wei Liuying and recently took even more interest in her before this mission¡­ but why is his dream self looks so different?

 Chapter 229 - Broken Mind And Heart

    *Fair warning before you proceed, this chapter depicts a bit of disturbing scene, which was the continuation from the previous chapter.*

    ''Why?''

    Yang Xian couldn''t understand why did their relationship differ so greatly. He was intrigued by Wei Liuying''s quick wittedness when he first met her on that street. And since then, his interest only grew.

    But the relationship between Yang Xian and Wei Liuying in the dream looked more distanced as if it was him and the current Wei Liuying a few months prior. It was as if the two of them still had the walls around their heart and they were not willing to let anyone enter.

    Why?

    He couldn''t understand why it ended this way. It was so different to the point that he couldn''t even understand himself.

    What was different?

    The scene in front of him changed once more despite Yang Xian''s confusion. Now, it was the meeting with the Emperor. And this time, Yang Xian couldn''t hear any voice. He could only see as they entered the capital city under the gaze filled with contempt of the people in the capital city.

    And then there was also the talk with Prime Minister Xie and this time, the dream Wei Liuying looked a bit more taken aback. She was forcing herself to smile and kept her expression the same, yet the faint gesture that she made from time to time showed her unease.

    Watching her like this caused pain on Yang Xian''s chest. If only it was possible, he wished to stand forward and grabbed her hand. He wanted to ease her heart, yet he also knew that after experiencing all of that, his dream self would not be in the right state of mind.

    The dream Yang Xian was still dealing with the officials with his usual smile, yet the hint of tiredness under his eyes were visible. He had no time to care for the dream Wei Liuying when he was already under heavy burden. He was just a normal human, who had feeling and also thoughts.

    When they were finished, the dream Wei Liuying looked in the dream Yang Xian''s direction and her lips trembled.

    But no words were said.

    "Please stop this¡­"

    Yang Xian muttered to himself. Watching this scene only tortured his mind even more. His hand clenched onto his heart. For some reasons, he felt that his heart was hurting even more than what he thought he would feel.

    Every scene was as if a knife stabbed into his heart.

    And with each passing moment, he felt that the wound in his heart was bleeding and blood dripped onto the ground without any ability to stop it. The pain was so unbearable.

    The scene changed once more and this time, Yang Xian knew that it was the battle towards Shi Yan.

    "STOP!" Yang Xian screamed. He didn''t want to see it. He had the bad premonition that what he saw next would only leave a deep scar in his heart.

    Bang!

    The sudden attack stopped their movements. The dream Wei Liuying reacted late and from her sluggish movements, Yang Xian could see that her complexion was not that good. The past few days might have taken the toll on her body because of guilt and everything that she had experienced.

    She was no longer herself. The previous Wei Liuying, who was always so calm and composed had disappeared. She had lost the confidence for her skills and abilities. Failing so miserably and caused her friends to die made her unable to accept herself anymore.

    Being the sole survivor haunted the dream Wei Liuying.

    "Liu Ying! Move!"

    "Ah?"

    "Damn it!" the dream Yang Xian cursed out loudly, something that he rarely did because he would always keep his composure no matter what he did. His eyes were looking at the group of enemies that was approaching close.

    The dream Wei Liuying clenched her first. "Leave first! I''ll deal with this."

    "Can you do it?"

    The question was filled with doubt and it was clear from the dream Wei Liuying''s expression that it was the last thing she wanted to hear. She had failed once, miserably at that. Even though she did everything possible, she still couldn''t do it.

    The dream Yang Xian never knew what had happened back in the temple. But the current Yang Xian knew. Gao Ling had shared the story about how Wei Liuying worked so hard for them to survive to the point of exhaustion. So much that it made her fall into coma for a long time.

    It was also known that the mistake lies in Gao Ling for not properly taking care of herself and nearly dragging everyone down.

    But in this dream, no one told the dream Yang Xian about anything. All he knew was that Wei Liuying had failed and allowed their friends to die. Maybe¡­. Because of that, their relationship strained from each other once more.

    The dream Wei Liuying couldn''t forgive herself.

    The dream Yang Xian also couldn''t forgive himself.

    "Captain Hu and Captain Tang stay here with me along with their soldiers while the rest follow Strategist Yang to An You City!" Wei Liuying finally said, struggling to utter the word out of her mouth.

    The dream Yang Xian gritted his teeth and closed his eyes for a moment. "Liu Ying, don''t die."

    Wei Liuying raised her head. There was surprise written on her face, but she nodded. "I won''t die."

    "Good." After saying that, Yang Xian raised his sword and yelled, "The rest come with me! Head to An You City as fast as possible!"

    "YES!"

    Yang Xian watched as the scene followed himself. As they approached the city, he felt that the time the dream him took to talk with Wei Liuying was actually wasting precious time because the battle too much longer time than when they reacted swiftly like what had happened in reality.

    If he was not wrong¡­

    Thud!

    The dream Yang Xian arrived right when the arrow pierced Shi Yan''s body. There was no time for him to prepare his bow and arrow like what he did a few days ago. He couldn''t do anything but to watch as Shi Yan died in front of him.

    One by one they left him.

    After years of staying together¡­ it only took but a moment for them to leave him behind. Just a moment of mistake led to this brutal end.

    "AAAAAAaaa!"

    The dream Yang Xian rushed forth and gave the order to circle them and kill all of them as the men were trying to burn the entire city. It was similar like what he did just a few days ago, but this time, Shi Yan was not with him.

    Shi Yan had died.

 Chapter 230 - The Birth Of The Second Villain

    *Fair warning before you proceed, this chapter depicts a bit of disturbing scene, which was the continuation from the previous chapter.*

    "AAAAaaa!"

    The scream from the dream Yang Xian from the battle still lingered.

    Blood and flesh splattered on the ground, creating gory sight.

    Yang Xian was silent. He could see that this time, he blamed himself for not coming faster and when Wei Liuying came, the two only exchanged glances. The two of them didn''t exchange any words but they understood what each other was feeling.

    Guilt.

    Anger.

    If only they could arrive faster¡­.

    Yang Xian didn''t say anything more, but he was gripping his hand so tightly that if this was not a dream, blood would have oozed out from his palm. Watching a scene that was so unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time felt strange and painful.

    His heart continued to be stabbed with pain from every scene.

    If only he was wounded physically, Yang Xian was sure that the place where he was standing now would have been filled with a pool of blood.

    The scene didn''t end there as Yang Xian saw some of the people managed to escape and set An You City in fire. The villagers were scrambling to escape as they lost their home while the dream Yang Xian struggled.

    When Wei Liuying returned, what greeted her was the sight of the burning city.

    The light in her eyes dimmed and probably will never return back anymore. Shi Yan, despite being a bit stupid, was the only person whom Wei Liuying befriended during her most miserable times in Wei Family.

    Now, she had lost him too.

    The scene changed once more.

    Now, he had arrived at the village, the same village that he had seen this morning where he massacred those from other tribes. There was no hesitation within his eyes at all as if he was determined to eliminate his enemies.

    The questioning was the same.

    But several reports came over. The dream Yang Xian was looking at the messenger in front of him with a cold gaze.

    "The deal is off?" the dream Yang Xian asked in a cold tone.

    "Y¡­yes, Strategist Yang. They said that they''re not going to switch to other more reassuring deals¡­" the messenger trembled.

    More reassuring deals?

    The dream Yang Xian let out a cold laugh. There was only one person whom those people could turn to: Prince Ji Shu. After all his hard work these past few years, those people will fall to Prince Ji Shu''s hand just because he had lost the leader.

    "Tell them to make a move now and destroy the entire gang."

    The messenger was stunned, but he bowed down then left.

    Watching this, Yang Xian narrowed his eyes. He knew that they were talking about Shan Xi Gang. After all, the only power that he had been trying to pull over to Prince Ji Sheng''s side yet unable to all this time would be that gang.

    Aside from Shan Yi and several other leaders, the rest didn''t want to follow Prince Ji Sheng.

    ''I see¡­ losing Shan Yi meant losing the entire gang.''

    And Shan Xi Gang was a big power between the capital city and the north. It would make things more dangerous for Prince Ji Sheng in the future.

    So far, Yang Xian had created countermeasure to make sure that the people in the capital city couldn''t hurt Prince Ji Sheng easily. But with the crumbling deals with the gang, there was simply no hope from them.

    He had to make another method.

    And fast.

    The battle for the throne will begin soon enough and without enough preparation, it was the same as presenting a fat lamb for slaughter.

    He turned around.

    "Ji Shu¡­"

    The dream Yang Xian clenched his fist. He looked at the capital city. "Even though His Highness say that he didn''t want the throne, I''ll not let you get it easily either. If Han Shi Kingdom falls to your hand...I''ll personally make sure that you''re going to live a life full of misery!"

    The promise that he made to himself didn''t sound that strange. Yang Xian himself was angry at Prince Ji Shu but not to the point of sacrificing everything. After all, right now, Yang Xian still had his friends.

    But the dream Yang Xian had lost everything.

    Those people had already accompanied him ever since he was young but now, they had left the world much quicker than him. One mistake led him to lose everything in but a few days'' time.

    There was nothing else that he could possibly lose anymore. And if he didn''t wish to bring Prince Ji Sheng down, he could simply step down from the position and said that everything was his scheme without any relationship with Prince Ji Sheng and Wei Liuying in the slightest bit.

    In fact, in this dream, it looked as if his relationship with Wei Liuying was nothing more than master and apprentice, which was why the dream Yang Xian didn''t even care that much about what happened around her.

    "Even if I have to destroy the entire world, I will make you pay, Ji Shu¡­"

    Even in the dream, the one responsible for settling the tribe was also Prince Ji Shu. However, the decision those tribes made to enter Han Shi Kingdom and attacked Gao Ling was not Prince Ji Shu''s fault. Prince Ji Shu was not the one who ordered the attack because it was done by another group that Yang Xian found after interrogation.

    But with him already losing so many people important to him, the dream Yang Xian simply cared nothing anymore.

    He needed someone to blame.

    And that person was Prince Ji Shu because he was the only person who had slight relation with the incident that occurred here. And also because the one who would benefit the most from all these incidents would be that very prince.

    The dream Yang Xian walked to the same inn and stood there. Looking at the three words that was written on the bamboo scroll, it felt as if the words were mocking him.

    What happened to him was exactly the opposite of what had happened there.

    There was no longer any words that the dream Yang Xian uttered, but Yang Xian understood himself. He knew that from that day, he would have launched full investigation regarding Prince Ji Shu regardless of the cost in order to make Prince Ji Shu paid. Whatever happened in the future, he would surely block Prince Ji Shu''s path.

    And with the dream Wei Liuying might be adamant to make Wei Xiao Hua''s live worse too, the confrontation between two sides would be inevitable. After all, she had lost her confidence and everything that she had just gained.

    She had lived a miserable life in Wei Family residence and after gaining a fulfilling life for several months, now she lost everything. The pain she felt must be¡­ unbearable.

    Yang Xian closed his eyes.

    "Why did you show this to me, Yang Xian?"

    Turning his body around, Yang Xian could see himself standing in front of himself as if a mirror was placed in front of him. But the expression of ''Yang Xian'' in front of him was filled with anger and vengeance.

    There was a faint smile formed on the corner of the ''Yang Xian'' when he saw Yang Xian turned around yet there were no words said.

 Chapter 231 - Smile

    Yang Xian waited.

    Yet there were no words. What he could see was only his deranged self slowly disappearing. The same smile was still formed on the corner of his dream self as if he was feeling relief.

    Relief that the reality differed from what this ''Yang Xian'' had had seen.

    Bang!

    Yang Xian woke up with a start. He glanced around and saw the familiar furniture in his tent. His brows furrowed as he looked at his hand. There was faint nails'' mark on his palm as if he had been clenching his hand tightly for a long period of time. Thankfully, there was no blood on his hand but it was close.

    ''What is that?''

    Ruffling his long hair, Yang Xian sighed. He felt that he might be under stress lately and think too negatively. However, he knew that the decision he made would be the same if he were to be put in the same situation as his dream self, the decision he made might be extremely similar.

    Only his reaction with Wei Liuying might be a bit different¡­

    Getting out of his bed, Yang Xian glanced out of his tent. For some reasons, he felt glad that whatever he dreamed before didn''t occur in real life. If it had happened, he was sure that he would lose his mind because he couldn''t bear with losing so many of his important people in just a matter of days and having all of his plan that he had worked years thwarted in such a short period of time.

    ''That''s why, I can''t lose.''

    A glint appeared within Yang Xian''s eyes. He had to be more prepared for what would happen in the future. If something happened to those around him, he knew that he would be very angry and might not be able to act rationally anymore.

    "Strategist Yang! Have you felt better?" a soldier rushed in when he saw Yang Xian walking out of his tent.

    "Yes." Yang Xian nodded. He looked at the soldier for a moment. "Is Lady Gao still alive?"

    "Pardon?"

    "I''m asking whether Lady Gao is still alive."

    The soldier was looking at Yang Xian with bewilderment, but he still responded politely. "Yes, Lady Gao had returned back to Prince Ji Sheng City with His Highness a few days ago."

    "You may leave."

    Ignoring the soldier''s puzzled look, Yang Xian only felt glad that whatever he saw just now was nothing more than a dream. There was no need for him to think about it too much. He just needed to be more careful so that what happened inside his dream would not happen in the real life.

    ''I can''t possibly start doing investigation on Ji Shu. It''s too dangerous,'' Yang Xian thought to himself. However, he knew that if Prince Ji Shu was truly trying to use the tribes people, the future wouldn''t be peaceful at all.

    There might be some unwanted wars occurring because of those people making mess.

    ''I''ll start my investigation soon.''

    Yang Xian cleaned up his belongings and then ordered the soldiers to prepare for their return. It was time for him to return back to Dong Shan City and reunited with the others. After seeing that dream, he wished that he could see his friends again to confirm that they were still alive.

    ¡­

    Time passed swiftly.

    The two groups of soldiers met in the middle of the way. There was only one main road towards Dong Shan City when it was already fairly close, so the two were bound to meet with each other. Though, if the timing was wrong, they might have missed each other.

    "Strategist Yang, there''s a group coming from the West."

    "I can see them," Yang Xian replied. The group of soldiers were using the familiar armors that belonged to Prince Ji Sheng''s army. In addition, the faces at the forefront was familiar to him.

    Wei Liuying was leading the group calmly. Upon seeing her healthy complexion and faint smile on her lips, Yang Xian felt relief and happiness. She was still the same as before and didn''t lose her confidence. There was no fear and distraught in her eyes like what he had seen in his dream.

    ''As I thought, she''s better looking this way.''

    "Strategist Yang," Wei Liuying greeted and cupped her hands when they were near each other.

    Yang Xian nodded and waved his hand. His hand signal told the soldiers that they were to form a group again and that they were going to travel to Dong Shan City together. Swiftly, the soldiers moved in orderly manner.

    "How''s the battle?"

    "It''s good. I''m borrowing Shan Yi a bit, so he might be a bit annoyed," Wei Liuying admitted.

    Yang Xian nodded. "It''s fine. I''ll give him a share of profit¡­"

    "He already gain a lot from robbing the carriages."

    This time, Yang Xian was silent. If he were to offer Shan Yi more money, it wouldn''t be that appropriate. The resources that Shan Yi had gathered so far would be more than enough for the gang to live peacefully for the time being.

    "I''ll just tell him that if want to know the real reason, he had to pay me," Yang Xian finally settled after thinking a bit.

    Wei Liuying was stunned then laughed lightly. It seemed that if Shan Yi tried to inquire the real reason, he would have to be ready to pay the price.

    Seeing Wei Liuying smile happily, the corner of Yang Xian''s lips also curled up slightly. "Let''s hurry a bit more. We''re going to Dong Shan City as fast as possible."

    "Yes!"

    ¡­

    From that position, it took them two days to reach Dong Shan City. The journey was relatively smooth with no more mishap occurring in the middle of the journey like before.

    "Dong Shan City can be seen," Yang Xian said as he pointed to the front. "You can stay behind and stay with¡­."

    "I''m a strategist, so isn''t it also my job to make sure I know what I''m supposed to do?" Wei Liuying asked back, blatantly refusing Yang Xian''s attempt to make her only rest and did nothing.

    Yang Xian looked away and sighed. "Fine."

    "Didn''t you take me in because you''ll need help?"

    "We did but not in everything."

    "It''s still good if I can learn how to interact more with other people and so on," Wei Liuying replied placidly. She passed a glance to Yang Xian. "Don''t you think so?"

    This time, Yang Xian chose not to reply anymore. He controlled his horse leisurely as they entered the city. With the token that he had from Prince Ji Sheng, there was no one who would dare to stop him from entering the city.

    The two of them met with the governor first as Yang Xian arranged the soldiers'' location to stay for the night. It was already evening, so making the trip immediately to Prince Ji Sheng''s City would be unwise.

 Chapter 232 - Thank You

    "You have calculated the time properly," Wei Liuying commented after they have finished talking with the governor.

    Yang Xian shrugged. "It''s only estimation. Come on, we should be in time for dinner with Shi Lu Wen."

    "Would Shi Lu Wen protest if we barge in?" Wei Liuying asked with a giggle. Shi Lu Wen might not know about their coming, so she did not prepare enough food for them all. It seems that she would need to test her skill in cooking.

    Well, hopefully she would not end up embarrassing herself since she was not that good when it came to cooking. She could only make enough to make sure the food was edible and not hurt her when she ate it.

    "Is Shan Yi here?" Wei Liuying noticed a few men were guarding the area where Shi Lu Wen stayed. The only person who would prepare so much for Shi Lu Wen and have the time to do that would be Shan Yi. Shi Yan was busy preparing for another trade on the north while recuperating, so he shouldn''t have the time to visit here.

    Though, she had to admit that Shan Yi was truly fast to return back to Dong Shan City after that attack.

    Yang Xian nodded. "He''s still around Lu Wen. If I''m not wrong, he''s trying to court her again."

    "Again?"

    "Yeah. He did it almost every single day whenever he''s here."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" did he get rejected every time?

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying''s expression and laughed. "Lu Wen didn''t agree yet since she wants to become a doctor first. Shan Yi respected her decision, but he still won''t give up in his effort trying to win her over."

    "What a complicated relationship."

    "Indeed."

    By this time, the two of them had arrived in front of Shi Lu Wen''s house. There was no sign of Shi Lu Wen everywhere, so Wei Liuying guessed that she must be inside the house, cooking for dinner. It wouldn''t take that long for the sun to set and the sky turned dark.

    "Get out, Shan Yi!"

    The door was pushed open violently as a large man swaggered outside. Shan Yi looked at the two people before him and his smiling expression turned stiff. "How come you two arrived so quickly?"

    "Do you wish for us to not arrive yet?"

    "Well, I thought that you two will delay because of¡­" Shan Yi didn''t blatantly say it, but he was looking in Wei Liuying''s direction.

    Yang Xian sighed. "There''s no way I''ll let small incident hinder my movement. You shouldn''t think too much, Yi."

    "Tsk, there are many times I wonder whether you''re a human or not, Xian. How come you always manage to calculate everything so perfectly?"

    Towards that question, Yang Xian raised his hand and tapped his head with his finger. He knew that he was not that perfect and there were times when he also made miscalculation. But his performance was still better than what most ordinary people could possibly do.

    "If you learn how to use your head even a little bit, I''m sure that you''ll end up to be a very remarkable leader rather than someone who only know how to use brute force."

    Shan Yi: "¡­" I''m a proper leader!

    Even though Shan Yi often only used his muscle to speak, it didn''t mean that he couldn''t think by himself. Yang Xian was simply making fun of him because they all knew that compared to Yang Xian, the others were indeed lacking.

    "Anyway, Lu Wen is inside cooking. Do you want to help out, Liu Ying?"

    "I''ll help," Wei Liuying replied and walked into the room. She noticed that Shi Lu Wen was facing a pot in front of her. When the latter heard the sound of the door creaking, she turned her head around.

    "Ah, Liu Ying?"

    "Yes. What did you make, Lu Wen?"

    "I make soup¡­ wait, in the first place, how did you arrive so quickly? I didn''t prepare enough for all of you!" Shi Lu Wen complained. If only she knew that they were coming here, she would have prepared more food.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "It''s fine, I''ll help you to cook more."

    "Fine. Can you make stir fry for vegetables? I''ll cut more vegetables first," Shi Lu Wen suggested. Making another soup would take a long time, so she chose not to. Besides, Shan Yi was already waiting to eat from a long time ago.

    "I can and I''ll help you cut the vegetables."

    "Eh, you can cook?"

    "As long as you don''t ask me to make beautiful decoration out of the vegetables, I''m sure I can," Wei Liuying replied with a laugh and began to pick the vegetables.

    Shi Lu Wen giggled at Wei Liuying''s words. There were some restaurants who would provide beautiful sculpture made of vegetable such as radish. The chef would have to put a lot of effort to make it because it was not easy to have such precision and beauty when cutting the vegetables.

    Of course, Shi Lu Wen herself couldn''t do it. She could only cut the vegetables evenly in order to cook for her dinner.

    As she was busy cleaning more vegetables, Shi Lu Wen began to speak, "Liu Ying, I haven''t told you back then, but thank you."

    "Yes?" Wei Liuying was surprised. She lifted her head for a moment then lowered it once more. "You''re thanking the wrong person. If it''s not because of Shan Yi and his men, the result will be the same."

    "No, if you''re not there, the result will be completely different. Shan Yi might be a good martial artist, but he''s very brash and will not think ahead. I''m sure that I would have long died if it''s not because of your help," Shi Lu Wen said with a faint smile.

    "You''re giving me too much credit."

    "I''m sure Lady Gao will be even more thankful to you. If you didn''t manage to wake up again, I''m sure that neither one of us will ever feel peace in our entire life."

    Wei Liuying''s hand stopped cutting. She looked at Shi Lu Wen. "Don''t you think it''ll be the same if I wake up and find out that the three of you have died?"

    "That''s¡­"

    "I heard from Strategist Yang about what had happened," Wei Liuying continued. "Your plan is very reckless and honestly, it''s not something that I wish to happen either."

    Shi Lu Wen didn''t say anything for a while. The two of them were busy cutting the vegetables before them and refrained from saying anything else. They understood that there were some things that was better left unsaid.

    "You''re surprisingly friendly," Shi Lu Wen finally broke the silence.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Did I look unfriendly?"

    "It''s not that, but you''re always putting on composure on your face. In addition, it''s very hard to read what''s inside your mind with the poker face that you always have. I can''t even imagine what you might be thinking to be able to stay calm in that kind of situation."

    "It''s not the first time I''m in danger," Wei Liuying replied. "And having a face that''s devoid of any feeling will prevent me from showing weakness to others around me."

    If she ever showed any weakness, those around her would exploit that particular weakness as much as possible.

    Wei Liuying didn''t want it.

    She had to make sure that they couldn''t read her and didn''t get close to her. Because if it was not because of her feelings, she wouldn''t get hurt so easily.

    "You''re a kind person, Liu Ying."

    "What is it so suddenly?"

    Instead of answering, Shi Lu Wen giggled happily.

 Chapter 233 - Yang Xian And Shan Yiâ€™s Conversation

    "What is it so suddenly?"

    Instead of answering, Shi Lu Wen giggled happily.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows and shook her head lightly. "I believe I''m not as kind as you believe me to be. There are already too many people who died by my hands just for the sake of my survival."

    Shi Lu Wen looked at Wei Liuying''s hands. She smiled. "Then, it''s not just for yourself, but also for us. Don''t bear all the burden by yourself. One day, you might not be able to carry the weight properly and everything just came crashing down."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying was silent for a while. She looked at Shi Lu Wen''s clear gaze and smiled. "You''re the one who''s very kind."

    "Well, then both of us are."

    "I''m really curious just what''s your definition of kind."

    "Who cares, ah?"

    The two girls were talking as they continued to make the dinner. The atmosphere turned lighter as they felt comfortable with each other. Even if Wei Liuying already have such a deadpan expression on her face most of the time, it didn''t change the fact that she''s still a normal human being.

    Outside the house, the two young men were also having a conversation.

    "Now, you have to explain the meaning of this annoying message you sent to me, Xian!" Shan Yi demanded after pulling Yang Xian a bit away from the house. He didn''t want to let Shi Lu Wen heard what he would talk with Yang Xian.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. He would not admit that he was happy to see that Shan Yi was still alive. Moreover¡­.

    "Be glad that you can get a lot of resources."

    "You stingy strategist! I already help you so much¡­"

    "If you want to know, give me a portion of what you have taken from the illegal traders. I can make good use of the resources."

    At this moment, Shan Yi quickly changed his expression and shook his head. "There''s no way I can give what I have gotten to you. Besides, there are a lot of strange goods¡­.Wait, is it related to those?"

    Yang Xian nodded lazily. Since the owner of those carriages were people from outside the border, there would be a lot of strange items. He was planning on learning how to use those tools before deciding what he would do. Perhaps, there might be something interesting that he could do with it.

    Shan Yi was frozen in his place. He felt that he was being used by Yang Xian, yet he himself was the one who willingly came and be used. Sighing, Shan Yi waved his hand. "I''ll get my men to give the goods that seem unusual to you. However, I''ll be keeping the others such as food and clothing."

    "Fair enough."

    "I also won''t give you the gold!"

    This time, Yang Xian was looking at Shan Yi as if he was looking at an idiot. At times like this, he felt that Shan Yi was not any better than Shi Yan in terms of intelligence. If Yang Xian was someone who was greedy for money, he would rather become a merchant rather than a strategist.

    After all, his salary was not as much as many people thought.

    Even Shi Yan could easily earn ten times the amount he earned in a month within a few days.

    Shan Yi coughed when he saw Yang Xian''s gaze. For some reason, he felt that a hole was drilled in his head. "Cough, so are you going to tell me why you ask me to attack that illegal trader? There are a lot of other illegal traders, right?"

    "They''re not genuinely traders," Yang Xian replied.

    Hearing that, Shan Yi narrowed his eyes. Even though Yang Xian hadn''t explained everything fully to him, he could guess what it meant. The people were not in Han Shi Kingdom''s territory because they wanted to trade because it was nothing more than a disguise.

    "Ah, you''re using me again, Xian¡­."

    "You can use the money to build Shan Xi village, but I still can''t give you your previous location," Yan Xian said lazily. "It''ll be enough to build a small village for the children in your group."

    "How did you know that there are more children in my group?"

    "I just know."

    Shan Yi clicked his tongue. He felt that Yang Xian truly didn''t hold back in his investigation and chose to search a lot of things. And here he was thinking that it would be good if Yang Xian didn''t know about his matters.

    "You''re annoying, Strategist Yang."

    "Are you copying Liu Ying?"

    Shan Yi nodded. He thought for a moment then chose to change the conversation. "Are you going to depart immediately tomorrow?"

    Yang Xian shook his head. "I''m going to check on Huang River first. Lately, the water seems to overflow a tad bit too much. I''m worried that there might be flood when it''s spring next year."

    "Ah, you also have to worry about something like that?"

    "Geography is important, Shan Yi."

    Shan Yi scoffed. He hated to study so much that it was to the point he would have long preferred to never have to touch those subjects. It was good for him that he was born in normal environment and not be forced to attend the academy like those nobles.

    Even though people liked to aim for such a high position, he would rather have a free life like this rather than busying himself to bootlick those annoying people. He liked the freedom he could have without the need to tie himself with those dual faced people.

    "In that case, what''s your plan?"

    "I''ll make a tunnel to the north," Yang Xian replied.

    "Ah?"

    "Prince Ji Sheng''s City is a bit too far from the river, so it''ll be a good idea for us to create another path for the river to flow. That way, it''ll be easier for us to live there."

    "You say that but the people who lived there also moved to Dong Shan City when it''s winter. The north is simply too cold," Shan Yi commented.

    Yang Xian didn''t refute. Only the soldiers were left in Prince Ji Sheng''s City when it was winter. After all, it was known that the tribes on the north would attack when it was winter time more often than any other time. They have to be prepared for the worst, so the villagers would be moved to Dong Shan City.

 Chapter 234 - Yang Xian And Shan Yiâ€™s Conversation (2)

    They have to be prepared for the worst, so the villagers would be moved to Dong Shan City.

    There were not many people living in Prince Ji Sheng''s City so far and only the families of many soldiers dared to stay there. They wanted to be close to their husband or father who was serving in the military.

    "You''re comfortable here, Yi?"

    "Well, it''s not like I can return to roam around when I''m worried about Lu Wen. Besides, you''re the one who told us that there might be another war coming up soon even though you have already signed the treaty."

    "The treaty is only between Han Shi Kingdom and Xiong Tribe. Other tribes didn''t have any obligation to follow us. However, it''s indeed very interesting that many tribes who didn''t even have 100 members in their entire population dared to come into Han Shi Kingdom''s territory," Yang Xian said unhurriedly.

    Shan Yi furrowed his brows. "What are you planning?"

    "Investigating."

    "In person? Again?"

    "What do you mean again?" Yang Xian refuted. "It''s better to see everything with my own eyes before I fell to someone''s trap again. It''s annoying when I find out that what I have been fighting so far is nothing more than fake ones."

    Shan Yi: "¡­" I recall that the last time you miscalculate so badly was a few years ago when you just started to join the military, right?

    However, he chose not to say that because he knew that Yang Xian didn''t want to lose any of the soldiers. If only the real world could be that beautiful, it would have been great. Unfortunately, it was completely impossible.

    All they could do was to make sure that the number of the casualties didn''t increase so much.

    "You can drive them back to the north."

    "If it''s possible, I would like to do that," Yang Xian replied. "The situation at the north is not as peaceful as it is on the surface. Even if you think that nothing is going on because of the calm, there are a lot of hidden undercurrent."

    Shan Yi frowned. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

    "In case Dong Shan City has to become the frontline, I want your help to protect the people here."

    Chills ran down Shan Yi''s spine when he heard what Yang Xian said. Prince Ji Sheng''s City has become the frontline for the past few years. Even though in the early times there were still times when soldiers managed to pass, they didn''t reach Dong Shan City anymore. As the result, Dong Shan City has been flourishing with more people and all.

    But if war were to reach this place again, it was inevitable that many people might be too afraid to stay here. It would severely undermine the plan to expand their territory to the north by making cities.

    "Do you think, it''ll be possible for the war to push us back so far?" Shan Yi asked quietly.

    Yang Xian looked back. "Who knows?"

    "You¡­" Shan Yi messed up his hair and sighed deeply. He knew that Yang Xian was only making the worst possible estimation to prepare them for the worst. However, he still felt that it was annoying.

    Very annoying.

    Yang Xian glanced inside. "The girls should have already finished cooking. Let''s have our dinner."

    "Ok."

    The two of them entered the house and found the table was already filled with food. Shi Lu Wen glared when she saw Yang Xian. "Why didn''t you send any news or something like that before you come here?"

    "I don''t think it''s necessary."

    "It''s necessary!" Shi Lu Wen fumed. She was annoyed by the fact that she couldn''t prepare the food so quickly and had to have Wei Liuying''s help.

    "Come on, let''s just eat."

    "Wash your hands first, Yi."

    "Ah, it''s already clean¡­"

    "Wash your hands!"

    In the end, Shan Yi relented and rushed to wash his hand with the water from the well. Yang Xian was also ordered to wash his hand by Shi Lu Wen.

    "To think that a great strategist will follow a little girl''s order."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Shall I tell the story of how a great bandit like Shan Yi have to follow the instruction of a young girl who''s not even an adult yet in a fight?"

    Shan Yi''s face turned dark. Now that he thought about it, Wei Liuying was also a girl. Not to mention, she was only 14 years old, which meant that she was not considered as an adult yet.

    This realization only made his mood sourer.

    "Come on, time to eat and rest."

    Slowly, they walked into the house and have their dinner together with Shi Lu Wen and Wei Liuying. The four of them talked about some unrelated things before they rested in separate rooms.

    ¡­

    Shi Lu Wen''s house was small, but there were several additional rooms. It was usually intended for Shi Yan''s friends when they came to visit, so Shi Lu Wen always cleaned them regularly.

    This time, Wei Liuying and Yang Xian borrowed the rooms while Shan Yi was kicked out by Shi Lu Wen because she didn''t trust him. The other two merely sent him gazes filled with pity when they saw his state.

    "It''s morning, Ying."

    "I''m awake," Wei Liuying responded. She sat up on her bed and looked at the door. Even though she couldn''t see him, she knew that Yang Xian was standing near the door. "What is it, Strategist Yang?"

    "I want to go and check Huang River''s site. We''re planning to create a smaller river to flow to the north for water supply for Prince Ji Sheng''s City."

    Wei Liuying thought for a moment. "Is that also in order to prevent flood?"

    "Yes. You''re quick to catch it."

    "If you can prevent flood this way, why don''t you also apply the same method on the south area?"

    Yang Xian was silent for a moment. "Do you really think that the governors in the other areas are going to listen to what we''re going to say?"

 Chapter 235 - Huang River

    Ah¡­

    Wei Liuying forgot that the reputation Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng had was not exactly that good. They were known to be great at military, but there was never any word that said anything regarding their abilities in other field. If they wished to convince other people, it wouldn''t be easy.

    Besides, Prince Ji Sheng was sent to the north because the Emperor didn''t favor him. Why would these officials follow his words if they would only gain dislike from the current Emperor?

    No one wanted to dig their early grave.

    And since the generals at the north also saw Prince Ji Sheng in unfavorable light, how could the officials had different view? That was simply impossible.

    "I guess it''s not a plausible option."

    "Come on, we''ll take a short detour first. Lu Wen will be preparing breakfast while we''re away."

    Wei Liuying was amused. Usually, Yang Xian would prepare simple breakfast for the two of them in the morning or it was her turn. This time, they would give the task to Shi Lu Wen because they would go for a while.

    It didn''t take long for them to prepare their horses and galloped out of the city. The location of the river were several dozen feet away from Dong Shan City. It was not that far, so they could easily take water that they needed.

    The sound of water stream entered their ears. Looking at the harsh current of the water, Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. They have passed the river yesterday by making use of the bridge that was built in the area with shallow depth. However, the current seemed to be faster here.

    "Is it always this fast?"

    "It''s not that obvious in the place where we cross yesterday. This part has a lot of rocks, so it''s more dangerous if you fall into the river," Yang Xian replied.

    Wei Liuying watched the river for a moment. "This can be a good defense wall against the tribes."

    "You have read about it, haven''t you?"

    "If you''re talking about how we managed to fool the tribes back then, then yes," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly. Her lips curled up to form a smile. "Crossing the river at the unexpected place, Han Shi Kingdom''s men caught them unprepared and made sure that the tribes were pushed to the back."

    Yang Xian nodded. "We''ll not let them use the same tactic as us, so we have already created plan to prevent such thing to happen. But of course, I can''t say it''ll be the same with other leaders."

    "They should have already learned about the history, right?" Wei Liuying asked in confusion.

    "Not all commanders and generals are literate."

    "Oh."

    Wei Liuying forgot that some generals have commoners background or probably lower noble. They didn''t learn how to read that much and their knowledge was limited. Not all of them have spent their youth in the academy where they learned about history, strategy, and many others.

    Yang Xian didn''t let Wei Liuying ponder for long. He pointed to one side. "Also, the path is over there."

    There were several people who have already started working as path in the mud could be seen heading to the north. There were hills that they have to cross too, not far from Dong Shan City.

    Wei Liuying frowned. "Do you plan to destroy the hills?"

    "No, we''ll circle around it."

    "There''s another hill again a few thousand feet ahead."

    "We''re going to make another detour later. The path for this area is already almost complete, so we''ll be able to get fresh water soon," Yang Xian said with a smile.

    Wei Liuying rolled her eyes. The way Yang Xian talked sounded as if they couldn''t get fresh water every single day. All they needed to do was to get the water from the well. It was not as easy as taking water from the river, but the long journey to the river would make it hard.

    "It''s a project from a long time, right?"

    "Yes. We''ll open the path in a few days, but for the second one that''ll be making a small river between Dong Shan City and Prince Ji Sheng''s City, we''ll need more time," Yang Xian said helplessly.

    "I see. It''ll be good if we can gain more people to help."

    "The Emperor won''t approve."

    Wei Liuying chuckled and averted her eyes to Huang River once more. The water was filled with mud and the surface reflected the light from the sun. From a distance away, it looked like gold, which was why the name ''Huang River'' was given to it.

    "Why do you bring me here?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Next year, you''ll be the one to supervise when we create another channel," Yang Xian replied.

    "Eh, another one?"

    Yang Xian looked to the west. "The water has been steadily gaining more volume as time passed by. I''m afraid it''ll create another flood soon."

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "Are you sure it''s not because there are a lot of mud at the bottom of the river?"

    "That''s one of the reason too, but there''s nothing that we can do about that," Yang Xian said helplessly. There was no method to take out the mud except from manually taking them bit by bit. Who would want to do the menial task aside from farmers? But then again, they would keep their distance from the Huang River in case it was flooding again.

    "Is it because of winter?"

    "That''s one of the reason."

    Wei Liuying sighed. She nodded. "Fine, let''s create another channel while trying to move the farmers to this area. If they can help to pull the mud out for their farm, it''ll greatly help the overall situation."

    "True."

    The two of them stopped speaking as they watched the river before them. It was flowing steadily to the East and headed to the sea. Nothing could stop it''s current.

    ¡­

    After talking about Huang River with Wei Liuying, Yang Xian brought her back to Dong Shan City for breakfast before they departed with horses again. Shi Lu Wen wanted them to stay behind, but she understood that they were busy, so she didn''t try to prolong their stay. On the other hand, Shan Yi was glad that he didn''t need to see that strategist anymore.

    At least, for the time being.

    Who knew when that strategist would suddenly call him and asked him to do something again?

 Chapter 236 - Preparation To Leave

    Pacing their horses along with the soldiers, Wei Liuying and Yang Xian only took one day to reach Prince Ji Sheng''s City. The soldiers were arranged to return back to their previous position while Yang Xian and Wei Liuying headed straight to Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence.

    "At this point of time, I doubted that the city will change its name anytime soon," Wei Liuying commented when they were already near the residence.

    Yang Xian laughed lightly. "We''ll get used to the previous name first."

    "Indeed."

    It didn''t take long for them to arrive in Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence and noticed that the general was staring at a map before him.

    "General Sheng," Yang Xian called.

    Prince Ji Sheng glanced up. "You''re late."

    "I''m already coming here as fast as possible. Is there any matter that requires my attention immediately?" Yang Xian asked and walked to look at the map. He stared at the pieces with a frown. "They''re making a move?"

    "I found some of them scouting around, trying to find any recent news," Prince Ji Sheng replied. His long finger pointed to a point. "Also, they''ll not let you infiltrate so easily even if you''re disguising as merchants."

    Yang Xian groaned. "Is that all you can say to me when I just returned back?"

    "I''m warning you so that you''ll be careful," Prince Ji Sheng replied. He looked at the map before him and sighed. "I wouldn''t want you to lose in the dry lands and never returned back, Xian."

    Yang Xian grinned. He shrugged. "We''ll be fine."

    "We?"

    "I''m taking her along with me."

    Prince Ji Sheng frowned when he heard what Yang Xian said. He glanced over in Wei Liuying''s direction. "Are you sure you want to bring her to the north? The cold might be unbearable for her."

    At this time, Wei Liuying also spoke out, "I have never heard about anything like this, Strategist Yang. Can you please explain to me?"

    "In short, we''re going to investigate the tribes at the north and also their relationship. Xiong Tribe should have adhered to their words, but there might be some other variables that we forgot," Yang Xian explained. "I want to see with my own eyes along with Liu Ying."

    "What variable?"

    "Internal dispute."

    Wei Liuying and Prince Ji Sheng fell into silence when they heard what Yang Xian said. If what he was thinking was correct, they knew that Xiong Tribe had broken the treaty, and they were allowed to wage war once more. However, this would certainly make them look like the stupid one for giving up their princess yet they didn''t have any result.

    Prince Ji Sheng sighed. "If it''s true, you should bring Ji Xiaoli back."

    "That''ll be included in the plan. But before that, I''ll need to inform Yan about our plan," Yang Xian replied.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Make sure to explain thoroughly. He''s a bit slow."

    "True¡­"

    Thinking about the explanation he had to provide, Yang Xian could only sigh internally. If only Shi Yan was as quick on the uptake as these two, he could easily progress to the next plan without the need to explain so much.

    Prince Ji Sheng waved his hand. "I''ll take care of the city for now. You better come up with a good result from your visit."

    "Ah right, I forgot to mention that I might not return back for the entire winter¡­."

    The temperature turned cold as Prince Ji Sheng looked at Yang Xian with his cold gaze. It was already good enough that he allowed Yang Xian to leave Prince Ji Sheng City. Now that Yang Xian said that, Prince Ji Sheng no longer had any intention to let him off just like that.

    "There are still time before you have to go."

    "It''s already late, so¡­."

    "So, you have to arrange new plans for the battles. After all, there''s no way the great Strategist Yang will leave this place without any backup plans, right?" Prince Ji Sheng asked in a cold tone.

    Yang Xian felt like he was digging his own grave right now. He turned to look at Wei Liuying, but the latter turned her head away. There was no way she would want to bear the brunt of Prince Ji Sheng''s anger that was supposed to be directed at Yang Xian.

    "Liu Ying."

    "Yes?"

    "You can talk with Yan when he arrived tomorrow. For now, you should head back and rest."

    "Yes, General!"

    Wei Liuying ignored the puppy eyes that Yang Xian directed to her as she rushed out of the room. If she stayed any longer, she feared that Yang Xian would already concoct a scheme to make sure that she would suffer together with him. She wanted to have a good rest before the long journey tomorrow.

    "Now," Prince Ji Sheng took out another map. "Shall we start?"

    Yang Xian forced a smile out. "Don''t you need to rest too, General Sheng?"

    "You''re not going to stay in this city for the next few months, so I have to make sure that you have ample preparation in all areas. You can do this, right Xian?"

    Yang Xian: "¡­" seems like I won''t be sleeping tonight.

    With no other choice, Yang Xian began to do his work and wrote down all kind of possibilities that might happen when he was away. Of course, when he was working, Prince Ji Sheng was resting in his own room and not accompanying his annoying strategist in the cold night.

    Wei Liuying rested in one of the rooms in Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence since the servants have prepared a room. It was a large room that was specifically prepared for guests. Even though Prince Ji Sheng rarely had any guest who would stay over, he still needed to be prepared for it.

    "If you need anything, you can tell us," a servant informed Wei Liuying after they showed the room.

    "Thank you, but it''s enough."

    Walking into the room, Wei Liuying inspected her surroundings. There were more guards Prince Ji Sheng arranged in his residence as if he was worried that there might be a mishap happening again.

    ''Lady Gao is still in this city.''

    Wei Liuying''s lips curled up to form a smile. She hadn''t had the chance to talk with Gao Ling again after the incident at the temple. This would be a great chance for her to talk with Gao Ling again.

    Well, not now but tomorrow.

    She was not that tactless to visit someone in the middle of the night.

 Chapter 237 - Preparation To Leave (2)

    With that in mind, Wei Liuying walked to her bed and lied down. Her eyes were looking to the ceiling as she let her mind drifted into dreamland. There were still many things that she had to do, so she had to rest properly.

    The night passed quietly.

    Aside from Yang Xian, who was still awake due to Prince Ji Sheng''s punishment, the rest was having a comfortable night rest. Wei Liuying woke up early and looked at her surroundings. Somehow, she had grown the habit to survey her surroundings first when she woke up in the morning because she kept on moving to different place within a short period of time.

    "Young Master Liu, would you like to be served?"

    A faint pleasing voice sounded from the door. Wei Liuying raised her head and narrowed her eyes. "There''s no need. I can take care of myself."

    "Yes, Young Master Liu."

    The servants in Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence were not aware of Wei Liuying''s real gender. They treated her as a young master despite the fact that Yang Xian made her hide her ''noble'' background. After all, those who were close with Prince Ji Sheng were all very remarkable regardless of their background family.

    Wei Liuying washed up and prepared herself quickly. Her long hair was tied to form a bun in an orderly manner, then she changed her clothes.  As she had been tending herself without anyone''s help for the past few months, she had gotten familiar with dressing up as a man and acted as one.

    Habits were really scary.

    "Liu Ying is here?"

    Hearing the surprised tone, Wei Liuying turned her head and saw Gao Ling walked to her direction. Gao Ling held surprised expression, yet there was also happiness light from within her eyes when she saw Wei Liuying. Clearly, the event back in the temple had scared her greatly.

    "Lady Gao," Wei Liuying bowed and greeted. "My apologies for making you worry."

    "Don''t be so formal with me," Gao Ling said with a grunt. She looked at Wei Liuying up and down. "You look much better now. Do you still have any wound?"

    "Fortunately, my wounds are healed."

    "That''s good." Gao Ling smiled happily. She glanced at the servants around her and her brows creased a bit. This place was a bit unsuitable for her to talk with Wei Liuying privately. "Let''s go to the garden."

    Wei Liuying looked to the hall for a moment but then nodded. There was still enough time for her to check on Yang Xian and talked with Prince Ji Sheng later. For now, she should just accompany Gao Ling.

    The two girls walked to the garden and Gao Ling dismissed her servants.

    "Liu Ying, I haven''t had the chance to tell you this before, but thank you. Thank you very much for protecting me until the very end," Gao Ling said sincerely.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "It''s my duty, Lady Gao."

    "You know that you can just run away and leave us alone, right? With my drunken state, I won''t be able to survive," Gao Ling said while shaking her head. Thinking of that day, she was full of loath to herself. If only she didn''t drink so much because of trying to make fun of Wei Xiao Hua, she would have been able to fight better and Wei Liuying might not need to be wounded so badly.

    As a commander in the battlefield, she felt that she has brought shame to herself and her soldiers. Even though her father never allowed her to command the soldiers from the front and only at the back, she''s still a commander.

    Wei Liuying shook her head. Leaving Gao Ling and the others? While it was possible, Wei Liuying never thought of that possibility. They have accepted her and trained her to be part of them. Even though Wei Liuying herself still kept her heart tightly wrapped, she didn''t want to leave.

    This was the only place she could feel at home.

    Home¡­

    The corner of Wei Liuying''s lips curled to form a smile. In the past, she could never consider Wei Family Household to be her home. It was a very dark and murky place that she hated so much.

    But here, it was completely different.

    "This is my home, Lady Gao," Wei Liuying said slowly. "There''s no way I would want to leave this place."

    Gao Ling looked in Wei Liuying''s direction and smiled brightly. "Right. You can always return back here no matter how your condition is. That''s what a real home is."

    "Yes."

    "I''m glad."

    "Yes?"

    "I didn''t think that you''ll find this place to be that comfortable for you," Gao Ling replied with a laugh. "I''ll be happy too if you''re happy."

    Wei Liuying was stunned for a moment. Afterwards, a smile was formed on the corner of her lips. "Yeah. Thank you for accepting me."

    "Silly gi¡­.child."

    The two of them looked at each other and laughed. There was nothing important in their conversation, but this was the first time Wei Liuying felt so comfortable. Probably, having a home meant that she would also have people who cared for her no matter what.

    ¡­

    In the meantime, not far from them.

    "I didn''t expect that the mighty Third Prince would fall so low as to eavesdrop the conversation of two young ladies."

    Prince Ji Sheng glanced to the back and scowled, "What are you doing here, Xian? Have you finished your work?"

    Yang Xian rolled his eyes and grunted. "I have finished."

    He glared at Prince Ji Sheng. Thanks to a certain prince, he had to work all night long when the others were resting peacefully. He lacked sleep because of the work that Prince Ji Sheng assigned to him.

    "Good. Call Yan to depart soon."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Yan have arrived?"

    "Yes. The servants reported that he''ll make a stop in this city for an incense stick of time to buy some food. Afterwards, he would depart to the north."

    "Alright, I''ll talk to him after I tell Liu Ying¡­."

    "I''ll be the one to tell him."

    Yang Xian sighed and turned around. "Fine, but make sure that he''ll come to the gate in less than half an incense stick time."

    "I know."

 Chapter 238 - Departure Beyond The Northern Border (1)

    Prince Ji Sheng waited for a while longer so that Yang Xian disappeared from his view. Afterwards, he walked to the direction of the two girls, who were laughing in the garden.

    "General Sheng."

    "Ji Sheng," Gao Ling called out. When they were in private, she would call Prince Ji Sheng with his real name directly. She had gotten the permission, so she had to make use of her privilege to the fullest.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded his head. He looked at the two of them then shifted to Wei Liuying. "Xian will depart with Yan, so you have to reach the gate in half an incense stick time."

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I understand, General Sheng."

    Gao Ling pursed her lips. "Are you saying that Liu Ying will have to leave so soon?"

    "Yes."

    "Why?"

    "They''re going to have a short visit at the north. In the meantime, you''ll have to stay here, Ling''er."

    The soldiers from Gao City couldn''t be trusted fully. Even though most of them were loyal soldiers under General Gao, there were still some of them who were spies from other factions. Prince Ji Sheng didn''t want to risk Gao Ling got hurt if she were to return back to Gao City.

    Gao Ling nodded. "That''s easy. I just need to make up an excuse to my father and stay here for a longer period of time. But since I''ll be staying here, shouldn''t you also start to train me in archery again, Ji Sheng? I feel like my skills have turned rusty after not touching the bow for so long."

    "If you want to, I can teach you personally."

    "Aren''t you busy?"

    "I can make the time for you."

    Hearing their conversation, Wei Liuying felt as if she was seeing two completely different people than those whom she knew from a long time ago. Then again, she knew that they would always act like this whenever it was only the two of them.

    ''Am I treated as an air here?''

    At the very least, Wei Liuying knew that both of them trusted her enough to make them could disregard her presence when they were their real self. However, she felt that she would just become the third wheel if she stayed here any longer. Rather than torturing herself, she better just left.

    "I''ll be going to see Strategist Yang now, General Sheng. Please excuse me."

    Prince Ji Sheng finally shifted his attention back to Wei Liuying. "Before you go, I want you to be careful in your journey. If they ever found out that you''re visiting the north, you''ll be an even bigger target than Xian."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. If people talked about Strategist Liu, they would be thinking of a way to rope him in. He had only stayed with Prince Ji Sheng for more or less half a year''s time, so the bond shouldn''t be that strong yet.

    Besides, Wei Liuying had never showed her undying loyalty to Prince Ji Sheng in public despite the fact that she would not get swayed by other people''s offer so easily. After all, she liked here much more than her original place in the past.

    "There''s no need to worry, General Sheng. I''ll never fall for their trap."

    "I''m more worrying you''ll get hurt."

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes and glanced up. Prince Ji Sheng was looking at her with his dark iris that seemed to be able to see through her. Somehow, within his cold gaze, Wei Liuying felt that there was concern. Coming from someone who was so cold and unfeeling like Prince Ji Sheng made it sounded a bit strange.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying lowered her head and cupped her hands. "I understand, General Sheng. I''ll be careful."

    Prince Ji Sheng studied Wei Liuying''s expression carefully. Even though she acted like a man, he couldn''t help but seeing her like a small animal that was trying to act tough. Probably, it was because her body was really small.

    "You should go."

    "Yes, General Sheng."

    Gao Ling watched Wei Liuying left and pursed her lips. "Why do you have to arrange everything to be moving so fast, ah? I still have a lot that I want to talk with Liu Ying."

    "Will it be related to some girl''s matter."

    "Well¡­ there''s that too," Gao Ling admitted and looked away. No matter which angle she saw, Wei Liuying still looked like a child that haven''t grown up yet, so there were some things that she was worried about.

    "Tell me. What do you want to talk to him?"

    "I want to ask if he''s eating properly or not. He''s so skinny and small!" Gao Ling replied with a huff. Comparing the power that Wei Liuying could hold with her small frame, it was always hard to believe that she could be so powerful. Besides, she was so skinny that Gao Ling felt like she was mistreated in the military.

    Prince Ji Sheng rubbed his temple. "He''s not a big eater, so it might be one of the reasons. However, I can assure you that no one can take his ration."

    If anyone dared to bully Wei Liuying, they would have to be prepared to face her retaliation. She was no longer confined under the guise of a meek and obedient lady, but she was a valiant strategist. If they still wanted to be alive, they couldn''t possibly offend her in case she would chose to put them in the most dangerous location during war where the possibility of staying alive would be close to zero.

    Gao Ling nodded. "She better eat much more. She looks like just bone and skin."

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded in agreement. He would just leave a message to Yang Xian later to inform that strategist to make sure that Wei Liuying would be eating a lot during her journey to the north.

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying chose to eat first before she came to the north. Looking at Yang Xian and Shi Yan, she could guess that they must have debate from their body language. It seemed that Shi Yan couldn''t accept Yang Xian coming with him.

    "Xian, you know that it''s highly impossible for you to come along with me like this," Shi Yan said with a frown. "A lot of people already know your face. If you really think that your meagre make up and disguise can fool them, you need to think twice."

    Yang Xian sighed. "Like I say, just leave it to me."

    "But you¡­"

    "I can assure you that no one will be able to find me out. Besides, I''ll be leaving your group along with Liu Ying when we reach the city where Shi Mo is staying to deliver us message in set interval."

    Shi Yan furrowed his brows. Shi Mo has been staying in Xiong Tribe''s territory. There was a small city, which was more like a village where a small tribe was living. The location of that tribe''s village was right between Xiong Tribe and Han Shi Kingdom. Due to the fact that it was so small and poor, the two sides never tried to take the small village for their own.

    Both of their original location was a bit far. Xiong Tribe was also a nomadic tribe who would not want to have set location. They always needed to move to wherever food was. Because of that, they would never want to take over that small and worthless village.

    Shi Mo has been staying in that place, disguising as a traveler who lost his way and lived there. This way, he would be able to get information easily and sent it back to Han Shi Kingdom using merchants who came once a month.

    "How about Liu Ying?"

    "Don''t worry, no one will be able to recognize him too."

    Shi Yan still looked at Yang Xian with distrust. In the end, he gave up and waved his hand. "You better not drag me to a power struggle of Xiong Tribe, ok."

    "That will not happen."

 Chapter 239 - Departure Beyond The Northern Border (2)

    "That will not happen."

    Shi Yan rolled his eyes. "I''m just saying it as precaution, alright? I can never guess what''s inside your mind!"

    Yang Xian curled his lips to form a smile. He lightly nodded his head and looked to Wei Liuying''s direction, who was standing not far from them. "Liu Ying, come with me. I need to prepare you for the journey."

    "Ok."

    The two of them entered a carriage and Yang Xian took out a small box. "Change into this here. I''ll be waiting outside. Also, from now on, your name will be Lady Ying."

    Lady Ying?

    Wei Liuying didn''t have the chance to ask because Yang Xian had stepped out of the carriage and locked the door. She pursed her lips and opened the box. Inside the box was a set of women clothing in white color along with the accessory. It was beautiful.

    ''It means I have to ''disguise'' myself as a girl?''

    Internally, Wei Liuying didn''t know whether she should cry or laugh. Since she was hiding her female''s persona from everyone in the capital city, she didn''t expect that she would be able to wear women clothing again so soon. It was safer for her to be a male when she was facing her father and everyone else in the capital city.

    But since they were far at the north and needed to disguise themselves, this was the best method. Who would ever think that the great Strategist Liu was actually a young woman who haven''t reached adulthood yet?

    As it has been some time since the last time Wei Liuying wore women clothing, she struggled to find the correct position to wear the clothes. After fiddling here and there, she finally finished changing her clothes. Wei Liuying then changed her hairstyle and wore the hairpins prepared for her. Once everything was set, she knocked on the door.

    "You''re done?"

    "Yes."

    Yang Xian opened the door and looked at Wei Liuying. She hadn''t worn any make up, but she had changed a lot because of the hairstyle and clothing. Right now, she looked like a lady who came out from a painting, very beautiful and elegant.

    "It has been some time, do I look weird?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "No, not at all," Yang Xian replied. "My lady looks very beautiful."

    Hearing his address, Wei Liuying was stunned. It was then she noticed that Yang Xian had donned brown servant robe and darkened his complexion. If one were to say, they wouldn''t be able to see him as the great strategist anymore.

    However, this attire made her recall the first time she met with Yang Xian. He was also wearing the same or more like similar clothing back then.

    "You''ll be my servant?" Wei Liuying asked in a low tone.

    Yang Xian grinned. "No one will suspect a servant of a young and beautiful lady, right?"

    Wei Liuying was speechless. She always knew that Yang Xian was very eccentric from the moment she met him in the capital city, but this was the first time she realized he was much more than that. Since he used to be a commoner, he didn''t have a qualm to act as someone of low status, which many nobles would find it hard to.

    "In that case, your name¡­."

    "Call me Xian."

    "¡­"

    "There''s no way a master will act so politely to her servants, right?"

    Somehow, Wei Liuying had the feeling that Yang Xian purposely disguised himself as her servant in order to make her call him with his name directly. Over the past few months, she never dared to call him with his name directly, much less without his surname.

    Yang Xian was still smiling as he waited Wei Liuying to call him. He looked like a puppy dog who was waiting for its owner to call him and pet his head. It made him look so cute, which was very contrasting to his original image.

    Wei Liuying sighed. "Xian."

    Yang Xian beamed and Wei Liuying imagined that there was a tail wagging behind him. She lowered her head to hide her laugh from her imagination. If Yang Xian ever know she imagined him as a little puppy, he would surely punish her harshly like what Prince Ji Sheng did to him.

    "You''ll get used to it, Miss," Yang Xian also corrected his words. It would be more common to call their master as Miss if it was an unmarried young woman. But when he talked with outsiders, he could either change it to lady or stick with miss. There were no strict rules in this matter.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I know."

    "Also, I have asked Yan, so you can act normally around him. Your role this time is to be a young noble lady who wants to see the world outside with an eccentric father who allowed you to do that."

    Internally, Wei Liuying truly wondered if there would be a father who would allow their daughter to roam in the dry lands with minimum protection like this. But then again, there was already General Gao who cared for his daughter so much to the point that he couldn''t bear if there was any mishap to her.

    Those people at the north should have heard of some eccentric father by now.

    Well, hopefully they would be able to pass with that kind of story.

    Wei Liuying got into the carriage again and Yang Xian followed after her. He pointed to Wei Liuying''s head. "Your hair is a bit crooked. Let me fix it for you."

    "Oh."

    In the past, Wei Liuying had never tied her own hair with the women hairstyle by herself because it was so complicated. She always asked her servants to help her.

    Turning her body, Wei Liuying sat sideways on the chair with Yang Xian behind her. His hand moved skillfully to remove the hairpin then he combed Wei Liuying''s hair carefully as if he was touching a treasure. Afterwards, his long finger began to braid the side carefully to tie them in the middle.

 Chapter 240 - The Harsh Dry Lands

    "You seem familiar with this."

    "Lu Wen taught me when I have to infiltrate a brothel. She told me that the best way for male to come in without the need to be the customer would be by becoming the hair stylist."

    "So, you practiced a lot."

    "Yeah. I borrowed Yan''s head for a long time," Yang Xian replied. His lips curled up when he thought of those days. "He''s annoyed because everyone directly assumed he''s a woman when I change his hairstyle. We have a good laugh back then."

    Wei Liuying chuckled when she imagined Shi Yan wearing women''s hairstyle. He had feminine face, so if he was also wearing women''s hairstyle and clothing, no one would be able to guess that he was actually a male.

    However, Yang Xian''s sentence also bring question to her. "Why don''t you practice with Shi Lu Wen''s hair?"

    Yang Xian paused his movement for a moment. He chuckled. "Haven''t you heard that the only man who''ll be allowed to touch a woman''s hair would be their husband?"

    Husband?

    The word sent realization to Wei Liuying. Her mother did mention about it before that males were not allowed to touch a woman''s hair if they were not married. However, the thought had long flown out of her head since Wei Liuying was used to act as a male. She furrowed her brows.

    "You''re already touching a woman''s hair, Yang Xian."

    Yang Xian''s eyes lit up when he heard how Wei Liuying called him. He laughed. "If you want to, I''ll marry you in the future."

    "No."

    "Instant rejection? Am I really that bad?"

    "You''re too black bellied and hard to guess. If I have to stay with you, I''ll have to guess what kind of thoughts you have in your mind every single time."

    Pushing the hairpin in, Yang Xian finished. He reached out his hand and grabbed Wei Liuying''s chin lightly and raised it slowly. Their eyes were looking at each other at close proximity.

    "I can say the same thing to you, Lady Ying. You''re also an expert at hiding your real thoughts."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips and pushed Yang Xian''s hand away. "It''s necessary for survival."

    "I can say the same."

    Yang Xian walked out of the carriage then looked back at Wei Liuying. His dark iris seemed to be piercing deep into her body. "But if you want me to be honest with my feelings when I''m with you, I''ll do that."

    Wei Liuying stayed silent in the carriage as she watched Yang Xian''s figure walking away. She felt her mind was pushed into a large swirl without any chance to get out.

    ''Why is he¡­.?''

    Wei Liuying opened her mouth slightly yet no words came out. She felt strange that she wanted to know what Yang Xian was thinking. Even though at first it was nothing more than an effort for her survival, has it gradually grown to something more?

    She didn''t understand it either.

    "We''ll depart now!"

    The yell telling them about the departure halted Wei Liuying''s thoughts. She sighed and corrected her position while looking at Yang Xian, who came to close the door and led the horse, from the corner of her eyes.

    Yeah, she didn''t understand.

    The carriage closed and the horses began to pull the carriages. Shi Yan was staying at the front while Wei Liuying and Yang Xian were in the middle. The two of them no longer talked after that conversation.

    It seemed as if they were careful.

    Careful to not destroy the fragile relationship they have as master and disciple.

    Wei Liuying opened the curtain and looked out to the dry lands. This was the first time she went to the dry lands by using carriage. Previously, she would be riding on top of a horse and stayed just right behind the commander, ready to help him whenever it was necessary.

    ''As I thought, I prefer to stay on top of horses.''

    The horses were not moving at high speed. They needed to make sure that they were not too fast because they would not want to damage the goods they brought along. When it was lunch time, the carriages stopped.

    "Miss, it''s time to eat."

    "Shall I come out?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian was silent for a moment. "Master Shi wants to talk with you. He''s waiting in his large carriage."

    The carriage that Shi Yan used was also one for travel and items. Because of that, the carriage was excessively big. It was big enough to allow them to sleep inside the carriage if it was necessary.

    "I''ll see him."

    Wei Liuying opened the carriage and saw Yang Xian''s hand. Internally, she felt that he continuously breaking the rules. After mulling for some time, she could remember some of the etiquette that she learned back in the past. One of them was the fact that the only person who could escort her out of the carriage like this was supposed to be her husband.

    Well¡­ she might need to start forgetting the fact that she was a noble lady or Yang Xian''s action would be completely unacceptable.

    Her hand touched Yang Xian''s hand as she walked out of the carriage. The harsh dry lands wind slapped to her face, bringing along the cold air.

    "It''s cold."

    "Winter will be coming soon. This is already the end of autumn, so the temperature will continue to drop," Yang Xian replied.

    Wei Liuying nodded. It might be a bit hard to imagine snow in the dry lands, but the dry lands here was not completely made of sand. There were still grass and dirt on the ground, making it more similar to dry plains.

    In any case, the rivers would freeze, so they could only get water from heating up the ice.

    "Speaking of which, I didn''t see any river nearby."

    "There are rivers, but the size is much smaller than Huang River. There are also some small oasis and the likes but the distance is quite far from here," Yang Xian replied.

    If the location of the water was so far, would they be fine when trying to survive in this place? Wei Liuying was not totally sure how they could gain water so easily, but maybe they have their own way to store water efficiently. That way, they would be able to survive without the need to make the trip to take water over and over.

    Still, to be able to live in this kind of temperature¡­ she had to applaud them.

    Not everyone would be able to live in this harsh condition.

 Chapter 241 - The Harsh Dry Lands (2)

    Still, to be able to live in this kind of temperature¡­ she had to applaud them.

    Not everyone would be able to live in this harsh condition.

    Yang Xian noticed Wei Liuying''s discomfort and spoke out. "This place will be much colder than the city you came from, Miss. If you would like, I''ll ask for additional blanket and fur for you."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" it''s still too early, isn''t it?

    Internally, she was glad that she posed as a girl again. However, this would only make things difficult for her if she had to wield her sword again. There was no way a young lady could easily carry sword around wherever she went.

    As for blanket¡­ it was a bit too fast. The temperature was not that unbearable yet, so Wei Liuying shook her head.

    "There''s no need for now. I can still withstand this much. It''s not that much different from early winter back in my city," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian stayed silent even though he knew that Wei Liuying was lying. He came to the capital city when the winter had just passed, but the temperature there was already much warmer. The snow had already melted and only leaving some thin layer that still stuck on the buildings or ground.

    The distance between the two places caused the winter to be so different. But since Wei Liuying didn''t want to reveal that fact, Yang Xian would not step out of his bounds either.

    The two of them reached Shi Yan''s carriage. He was currently sitting inside while sitting on the carriage''s floor. In the first place, there was no chair in that carriage because the design was different.

    "Master Shi, Lady Ying is here."

    Shi Yan raised his head. He looked at Yang Xian for a moment then nodded. "Come in, Lady Ying. You can stand on the door, Xian."

    Wei Liuying climbed into the carriage slowly. She scanned the items in the carriages with a frown. It seemed that Shi Yan never liked to store many items in his own carriage and chose to live simply. However, would he survive the winter with such thin clothing?

    Shi Yan sighed. "I can''t believe I have to act."

    "You''ll be able to do a good job, Yan."

    Shi Yan smiled bitterly. Having Yang Xian treated him so politely was truly a large hurdle. He nearly had a heart attack when he noticed that the one who was calling him as Master Shi was Yang Xian. Both of them used to have normal background that was not remarkable in any way, so they were not used to be treated as the young master.

    Even though Shi Yan has been developing his business, he used to be just a small merchant with no influence whatsoever. Now that he had come this far, he had no other choice but to live as a young master because of his newfound position.

    "Anyway, I''m calling you here to tell you about our path."

    "Path?"

    "Yeah." Shi Yan took out the map on the animal''s skin and spread it in front of Wei Liuying. There was a city that was marked in the map along with several other small villages from some people who lived nearby. However, they all didn''t belong to Han Shi Kingdom as they stood by themselves as free region.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes landed on the small village marked not far from Prince Ji Sheng''s City. She pointed to it. "Is that our destination?"

    "Yes. Normally I''ll be roaming on the north for a few days around the village to have trade with other tribes. However, this time I''ll only go to the village because the temperature has been dropping so badly," Shi Yan replied.

    "It''ll be Winter soon."

    "I know that, you don''t have to repeat that fact," Shi Yan said in annoyance. "In any case, Princess Ji Xiaoli and Prince Kou often visited the city, so if you can meet with them later, check on their condition too. As a young girl, it wouldn''t be that hard for you to ask for a meeting with her."

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. She was unfamiliar with the marriage custom in the tribes, but she knew that it would be hard for her to ask for permission to meet with any royalty. Still, she knew that the lives of females here were filled with more freedom. It was something that she longed ever since a long time ago.

    "Have you met them?"

    "I did. A few weeks ago, I come to Village K when they came to visit too. Princess Ji Xiaoli was still not used with the custom and life at the north, so she wanted to stay in Village K once in a while since it was quite similar to Han Shi Kingdom in terms of culture," Shi Yan explained.

    "I see."

    "Also, you should eat in this carriage or in your carriage."

    "Why?"

    "It''ll be a trouble if a noble lady were to join in with those rogues," Shi Yan said with a sigh. This was a request made by Yang Xian, so he had to make sure that he conveyed what Yang Xian wanted. Still, he didn''t think that it was any problem as long as she didn''t come to direct contact with them, right?

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. "Xian is worrying too much."

    "How do you¡­?" Shi Yan was stunned, but then he recalled who he was dealing with. If it was any other person, they would not be able to know that it was Yang Xian who said anything because Shi Yan didn''t give any clue.

    He sighed. "You''re sharp."

    "Many thanks for your compliment."

    "Anyway, just eat and then return back to your carriage. You have to rest because tomorrow will not be an easy journey."

    Wei Liuying merely smiled and cleaned her hand in the basin. This kind of journey was nothing much compared to military march. But of course, it was not something she would ever tell Shi Yan.

 Chapter 242 - Village K

    Wei Liuying''s activity during the journey was severely limited due to her identity as the young miss. However, Wei Liuying didn''t voice out any complaint because she was also busy studying the terrain from the carriage. Her vision might be limited, but she still could make use of what she knew.

    "Miss, we''ll arrive in Village K. Do you want to walk around?"

    "Yes."

    Walking out of the carriage elegantly, Wei Liuying slowly scanned her surroundings. There were a lot of people who were already busy to do their daily work. Farming here would not yield much result, so most of them were breeder. They have a lot of animals that they took care. Once the animals were big enough, they would be eaten together with the villagers here.

    "It''s like one big family," Wei Liuying commented. She was using a veil to block her face, which would prevent anyone from seeing her countenance. As it was something normal even for the tribes, no one would find it strange.

    "Shall we take a walk, Miss?"

    "Sure."

    Wei Liuying followed the road and looked around. There were many people there, but their work consisted of herding and taking care of the animals most of the time. The women were busy embroidering and also cleaning the fur of foxes that the men caught before winter.

    Because winter was so cold, it was necessary for them to hunt foxes for the fur by using eagles. The meat would be given to the eagle as the reward.

    Wei Liuying had never seen them hunting by herself, but she had heard of them a lot during her time in the border. In order to survive the harsh winter, they have to hunt foxes for the fur. As for the method, it was quite surprising for her too because it seemed to be pretty complicated.

    "Do you also want the fur, Miss?" Yang Xian asked when he noticed Wei Liuying looked at it.

    "Ah, no need. I already have enough fabric," Wei Liuying replied. Shi Yan practically shoved a lot of winter clothes for her inside her carriages. It was all some that was smaller in size and hard to sell because there were not many nobles here. Since it was all still good, he chose to just give it all to Wei Liuying rather than letting it rot in his storage room.

    "Then¡­"

    "I''m just thinking about the hunting method to earn the fur. I heard that it''s very unique," Wei Liuying replied.

    Yang Xian nodded in understanding. He smiled. "If you would like, I can explain the method to you, Miss."

    "Do you know how?"

    "I have read¡­." Seeing the annoyed gaze on Wei Liuying''s eyes, Yang Xian resisted the urge to not laugh. Even though Wei Liuying had poker expression because she was hiding what she was really feeling, there were times when her eyes reflected what she truly felt when she was around those whom she was comfortable with.

    "How about if I have the honor to tell the story to you, Miss?"

    Wei Liuying and Yang Xian turned their head to the back as they saw Shi Mo standing there. He was dressed in the local villagers'' thick brown robe. With the fur hat on his head, it made him look no different from the people here.

    Yang Xian smiled. "You are?"

    "Ah, my name is Mo," Shi Mo replied with a grin. "If you would like, I can tell the story until you''re satisfied. Believe me when I say that the hunting method is something that you will never get bored of."

    Wei Liuying giggled at Shi Mo''s antic. Just like his cousin, he also loved to joke around. She nodded. "In that case, sure."

    "Please come with me to my place. It''ll be better to sit near fire rather than standing in the open like this."

    "Alright."

    "This way, Miss."

    The two of them followed Shi Mo to his humble house. The place was simple, but there were a lot of skin and fabric that Shi Mo kept there. It was all used to make sure that he would not freeze to death when it was night time.

    "Please take a seat," Shi Mo beckoned for them to sit down.

    Wei Liuying took a seat, but Yang Xian still stood behind her. It only took one look from Shi Mo to understand the role that these two were playing. Internally, he felt that Yang Xian was more suited to stay in the capital city where he could make use of his acting ability to the fullest to make sure that he could survive.

    "It''s rare to see someone of high status to come here, Miss. I hope you''ll enjoy yourself during your stay here," Shi Mo said with a smile.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I hope so too."

    "Tomorrow, another high ranking noble will come to visit too. I''m sure that you can get along just well."

    Yang Xian was resisting the urge to hit Shi Mo''s head. He was being a bit too blatant in his words when he was telling them who would come. But since Princess Ji Xiaoli would come here soon, it meant that they would need to be prepared to welcome her coming too.

    He had to make a way to make sure that they would be able to meet with each other and have a short chat.

    "I see. Now, can you please tell me more about the hunt?"

    "I''ll start from taming the eagles first. The eagles are naturally proud and big bird, so it''s only possible to tame them if you have raised them ever since they were young. In order to make them recognize you as their owner, you have to spit to their mouth¡­."

    As Shi Mo began to tell all kind of story that he knew from what he had seen and heard, Wei Liuying was listening carefully. Here and there, Shi Mo inserted crucial information regarding this village and also the terrain around here. After living here for more than half a year, Shi Mo has grown familiar with everything.

    He could easily pass as a local without doubt.

 Chapter 243 - Meeting With Princess Ji Xiaoli

    Time passed.

    "We have taken so much of your time. We''ll be taking our leave now," Wei Liuying said with a smile that was hidden behind her veil.

    Shi Mo nodded. "Please come again! I''ll make sure that I can tell you every story that I have heard."

    "Many thanks for your offer."

    It didn''t take long for the two of them to walk quite a distance away from Shi Mo. Wei Liuying sighed a bit and spoke in a rather loud tone. "He''s quite a talkative young man."

    "I think he''s only excited because he could get the chance to speak with someone of your rank, Miss," Yang Xian said politely.

    "En."

    "It''s already the time for lunch. Shall we return back to the carriages?"

    "Yes."

    Shi Yan would be staying in this village for around a week before making a detour to the west and visited another small village there to sell his goods. It would take him some time before he could return back to Han Shi Kingdom, but it was all worth it for Shi Yan. He loved money a bit too much.

    For the rest of the day, Wei Liuying stayed in the carriage and thought of tomorrow''s meeting with Princess Ji Xiaoli. She hoped that the princess was tactful enough to not reveal their real identity because she was sure that Princess Ji Xiaoli knew her real identity.

    "Miss, it''s already the time to rest."

    Wei Liuying glanced up and smiled bitterly at Yang Xian, who came into the carriage while bringing a blanket. "You should stop your act when we''re alone."

    "We''ll never know who''s listening. It''s better to be careful."

    They were talking in low voice, almost like they were whispering. In the end, Wei Liuying merely mouthed out what she wanted to ask because she was too tired to think of any roundabout way to speak.

    ''Tomorrow''s meeting with Princess Ji Xiaoli, should I stay with the merchants or stay away?''

    ''What do you think, Ying?''

    ''I think it''ll be better to stay here so that I can have an excuse to speak with her when her husband is picking some goods to buy. Besides, a noble young lady staying in a secluded village was not that uncommon.''

    Yang Xian nodded. ''That''ll be a good idea.''

    "I want to rest. You can leave now, Xian."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Wei Liuying looked in Yang Xian''s direction for a moment and sighed. She felt that living a life filled with acting was really too tiring. However, to be able to become oneself without the need to put on a mask would be impossible if they wished to survive. Such na?ve person would surely be killed sooner or later.

    After mulling for a bit, Wei Liuying pulled the blanket and fixed her position. She needed to sleep.

    Tomorrow would be a brand new day.

    ¡­

    The next day, Wei Liuying woke up early and prepared herself. Shi Yan and his men were already busy when they heard the coming of Prince Kou and Princess Ji Xiaoli. Prince Kou was the current crown prince in Xiong Tribe, so his position was very high here. No one dared to slight him in the slightest bit.

    "Everyone is so busy," Wei Liuying commented.

    Yang Xian nodded and poured the tea once more. His action looked like he was already familiar with how maidservants usually served their Master. In turn, this made Wei Liuying felt a bit awkward because she was not used to be served again. Though, she hid her discomfort and acted as natural as possible.

    "His Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Kou, will come here with his wife. It''s only natural that everyone will be busy."

    "I see."

    At this point, Wei Liuying was glad that Princess Ji Xiaoli loved to visit the small village. It would make it easier for them to know her condition without the need to take the risk to enter deep into Xiong Tribe''s territory. Despite the treaty, it was clear that they were all very vigilant to each other and would not tolerate having their enemy enter their territory.

    "His Highness the Crown Prince has come!"

    When they heard that, everyone quickly got into position and bowed in respect. They might not be part of Xiong Tribe, but they still needed to pay respect when they were facing the royalty.

    "You may rise. There''s no need to be so polite."

    Wei Liuying raised her head and looked at the two people who came. The crown prince was donned in thick fur robe with fox fur around his neck. He was looking at the goods with gleaming eyes. At the same time, there was hint of laughter from the corner of his eyes as if he was feeling happy.

    On the other hand, Princess Ji Xiaoli was still similar to the one that Wei Liuying seen before. Dressed in thick red robe and fur, the color perfectly contrasted her skin and highlighted her beauty. As someone who was so perfectly beautiful, Princess Ji Xiaoli would be able to catch anyone''s eyes who saw her.

    In just a short time span, she had grown even more beautiful.

    "It''s a great honor for me to have you come here, Your Highness," Shi Yan said politely with great respect. He was smiling at Prince Kou with his friendly business smile.

    "What you brought here are all very great, so I thought of coming here with my wife again," Prince Kou replied. "I heard that you also brought some hunting equipment from Han Shi Kingdom? I''m curious about them."

    "As Your Highness requested before, I have brought it here with me."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli maintained the same smile on her face as usual. She tugged Prince Kou''s arm, "I want to take a look at others."

    "Ah, you can go ahead. Don''t go too far."

    "I won''t."

    Since there were rarely women who liked to see hunting equipment, Prince Kou dismissed Princess Ji Xiaoli without much thought. The servants behind them were divided into two as part of them followed Princess Ji Xiaoli.

 Chapter 244 - Meeting With Princess Ji Xiaoli (2)

    "I won''t."

    Since there were rarely women who liked to see hunting equipment, Prince Kou dismissed Princess Ji Xiaoli without much thought. The servants behind them were divided into two as part of them followed Princess Ji Xiaoli.

    It was then Princess Ji Xiaoli noticed Wei Liuying and Yang Xian standing a bit to the back. Her brows creased as she knew their identity.

    ''They''re really brave to come here like this.''

    Princess Ji Xiaoli walked to their direction slowly. "You are?"

    "Wei Ying greets Your Highness," Wei Liuying bowed to greet.

    "And this?"

    "This is my servant, Xian, Your Highness."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli blinked her eyes. This person was clearly Yang Xian, the great strategist in Han Shi Kingdom. However, she understood that they were coming here under disguise, so she would not overstep her bounds and revealed their identity either. It would only create chaos without any point here.

    "It''s the first time I see you here."

    "I''m coming here to have a look at the area beyond the border, Princess. It''s been my dream since I was a child to see wider world," Wei Liuying lied so naturally. Her eyes were looking at Princess Ji Xiaoli as she examined the latter''s countenance.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli looked like she was happy and all, but she could see that there was thick layer of makeup on her face. It looked like Princess Ji Xiaoli was using makeup to hide the fact that was not feeling that good at the north in order to not make people worry about her.

    She might be a young girl who also longed for her happiness, but she understood her position. When it was clear that she could not run away and the risk to not follow this road was too big, she chose to bear with it bravely. Princess Ji Xiaoli was doing everything she could to be a proper princess from Han Shi Kingdom.

    "I see. This must be an interesting journey to you."

    "Yes. I''m happy that I choose to come here. I can even meet with the wonderful Princess who''s so brave," Wei Liuying praised.

    This time, the praise was coming from the bottom of her heart. She knew full well that if it was her, she might not be able to perform as well as Princess Ji Xiaoli. It was a fact that she herself had run away when her father tried to marry her with someone thrice her age on a whim.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli smiled. "I''m going to look around. It''s a pleasure to talk with you, Lady Ying."

    "It''s my honor to be able to talk with you first, Your Highness."

    After seeing Princess Ji Xiaoli away, Wei Liuying turned around and looked at Yang Xian. She didn''t speak, but her eyes were telling to him what she had seen just now. Princess Ji Xiaoli was not as happy as she was on the surface.

    Yang Xian smiled bitterly. "Shall we return, Miss?"

    "I want to visit the village again."

    "I understand, Miss."

    Wei Liuying walked around aimlessly in the village. There was barely anything here. As for place to eat, there was only one inn that was owned by an old lady with her children. The food there only consisted of what the village had decided to have because they couldn''t possibly consume their entire livestock if they wished to survive the harsh winter.

    After walking for a bit, Wei Liuying chose to come inside and sat near the window.

    "I would like a bowl of soup, please."

    There were still common herbs around here that the people used to make soup or something like that. Wei Liuying called it as soup, but she herself was not totally sure what they actually used inside.

    "Miss, would you like your usual meal instead?" Yang Xian asked.

    "It''s fine," Wei Liuying replied. She looked at the soup and tried her best to not furrow her brows. In all honesty, she didn''t understand what kind of food this was, but it was common here because they could only butcher one goat each week if they didn''t want to run out of their livestock.

    Because of that, meat was scarce.

    Fish was even harder to get because the river was quite a distance away. There was a team that was arranged to take water from the river each day to fulfil the needs of clean water of the people in the village.

    Yang Xian sighed and stayed standing behind Wei Liuying. He knew that she didn''t want to stay in the carriages area any longer because of Princess Ji Xiaoli''s presence. Having to see Princess Ji Xiaoli acted to be happy when she was in fact not would be very heart wrecking. It would only leave a bad taste in their mouth because they were the one who brought her to this place.

    At this time, Yang Xian noticed that Princess Ji Xiaoli walked to the village. She stopped near the intersection as Shi Mo appeared. He was still in his usual demeanor as he smiled and joked around.

    "She''s smiling."

    Wei Liuying stopped eating and put her spoon down as she glanced out of the window. Her eyes widened when she saw Princess Ji Xiaoli laughed so happy with Shi Mo joked before her while bringing something in his hand. It seemed that he had just hunted and showed off to everyone there, including to Princess Ji Xiaoli.

    "Have you thought of this possibility, Xian?"

    "I don''t¡­"

    Yang Xian lowered his gaze and looked at Wei Liuying, who was also looking back at her. He smiled bitterly. "At least, we know that he''ll protect her properly, right?"

    Wei Liuying rolled her eyes. "I can''t believe you''re such a cold hearted man."

    "Well, what do you expect me to say?"

    "The same thing as what you said," Wei Liuying replied and returned back to her soup. "There''s never any other option in the first place. There''s no way time can return back, only the future can change. I only hope the best for them."

 Chapter 245 - Staying Beyond The Border

    Wei Liuying replied and returned back to her soup. "There''s never any other option in the first place. There''s no way time can return back, only the future can change. I only hope the best for them."

    Yang Xian opened his mouth, yet he didn''t speak for a long time. It was only when Wei Liuying had finished eating did he speak, "Do you regret it, Miss?"

    "Regret?" Wei Liuying repeated the word. She laughed faintly. "If only I know that things will develop like this, I might not want them to proceed with it and just continue with how it was before. But since there''s no way to change it, I don''t even want to think about it."

    Standing up, Wei Liuying turned around to face the door. "All I could do is to think about the lives of those who end up living because of this delay."

    Without Xiong Tribe participating in the war, Han Shi Kingdom had successfully repelled most of the other tribes there and eliminated their threat. Aside from the one that managed to sneak into their territory and threaten their position, their overall condition had improved.

    As long as the Xiong Tribe didn''t declare war, it was clear that the north would be in peace after this year because all the other tribes were most or less subdued. There would be only small skirmish here and there occasionally.

    Yang Xian nodded, his face was solemn. "Indeed."

    Becoming the leader was never easy. There were so many things that they have to think and put into consideration before they picked their decision. Most people only see the glory that was showed at the front, but they didn''t realize that behind all of that was a thorny path that pierced the leader''s skin terribly. Those who only wanted to become the leader because of the glory and wealth would only destroy the kingdom. They didn''t realize the result that might come from their action.

    "Would you stop them?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying stopped in her position for a moment. Her eyes flickered as she slowly shook her head. "I don''t have the right for that. Besides, I''m sure she understood the consequences better than me."

    Yang Xian stayed silent. It was inevitable that they have to think of the kingdom''s well being as their top priority. But no matter what was said, they were also humans who have emotion. As long as no one found out about it, it would be fine.

    They have already robbed her from her happiness by doing their work. There was no need for them to take away the little things that made her happy. Even if it might not end well, they didn''t want to be that cold hearted.

    Just like what Wei Liuying said, as long as no one found out, it didn''t matter.

    "Let''s go back."

    "Yes."

    ¡­

    Prince Kou and Princess Ji Xiaoli didn''t stay there for a long time. They returned back the next day after they have filled several carriages with gifts and many other things they bought. Shi Yan was so happy that he earned a lot of money that he chose to stay here for a while longer.

    Unfortunately, the time has come for him to leave since he had traded most of the clothing that he brought with him.

    "I''ll have to return back to the city," Shi Yan said when he called Wei Liuying to have dinner with him. This time, Yang Xian entered the carriage and sat on the edge while watching the surroundings.

    "If you have to leave, it''s fine. We''ll be able to live by ourselves here," Wei Liuying replied. She had packed enough food in the carriage for months. Even though the menu wouldn''t be that delicious, it was already more than enough.

    Shi Yan scoffed. "But for a girl to live with a man alone¡­"

    "If that''s what you''re worrying about, you''re thinking too much, Yan," Yang Xian said coldly. He glanced inside and fixed his sitting position. "Do you really think of me that low?"

    "Yes! I mean, no¡­" Shi Yan quickly changed his words when he saw Yang Xian''s dark face. It seemed as if Yang Xian was ready to skin him alive if he truly said that.

    Yang Xian scoffed. "If you''re that worried, you can simply leave more money for us."

    "WHAT? I already give you more than enough."

    "Oh? Should I recite all the help that I have given you yet you never paid for my advice?" Yang Xian asked.

    Shi Yan''s words stuck in his throat. He couldn''t refute that. Be it in the past or present, he often asked Yang Xian for help regarding some matters, especially when it came to deal with the nobles. After all, he was unfamiliar with their relationship with each other.

    More importantly, he didn''t want to befriend Prince Ji Sheng''s enemies.

    "Don''t tell me that I have to pay for that¡­."

    "You''re the one who''s slandering me. So if you ask me, I''ll have to make sure you pay the price properly," Yang Xian said with a smile.

    This time, Shi Yan could only stay silent and sighed. He had asked all of his servants to stay away from his carriage today because he wanted to stay alone. Besides, everyone had worked hard to help him sell everything, and they deserved to rest.

    This was the reason they were not that polite in their words to each other.

    Having to act for the entire day would be extremely tiring.

    "I can protect myself, Yan. Besides, we''re going for a short trip and will not stay in this village all the time," Wei Liuying added.

    This time, Shi Yan frowned once more. He looked at Wei Liuying with disbelief. "If you roam around, wouldn''t you attract attention?"

    "Not if we''re not that far from this village."

    "What''s your plan, Xian?"

    Yang Xian smiled. "it''s not something someone with low intelligence like you can possibly comprehend."

    Shi Yan: "¡­" stop insulting my intelligence, ah!

 Chapter 246 - Staying Beyond The Border (2)

    Wei Liuying shook her head when she saw Shi Yan sulking on the side. She picked up the warm cup of tea before her and blow the surface lightly. "We''re not here to play around, Yan, but to investigate the tribes around Xiong Tribe."

    "You have already exterminated most of them, right? The news of your victory resounded whenever I come to the north," Shi Yan asked in confusion.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "Not all of them. There are still small tribes that only consist several people like this small village that still roaming out there. Even though they''re not a big of a threat, but they can become spies under Xiong Tribe."

    "Spies?"

    "Yes."

    "But why would they even employ spies?" Shi Yan asked with his head tilted to the side. He couldn''t understand why Xiong Tribe even needed to prepare spies when the kingdom and the tribe has been in amicable relationship so far. With the treaty, there shouldn''t be any war, right?

    Wei Liuying: "¡­"

    Yang Xian: "¡­" what did I expect from you?

    "Do you know that we also have spies, Yan?"

    "Eh, we did?"

    Yang Xian resisted the urge to throw the rock not far from the carriage to Shi Yan''s head. "It''s important for us to keep on watching our enemies'' movement. That way, we''ll be able to guess their next movement and the likes. If they show any sign of war, we have to be prepared."

    Shi Yan frowned. "If they truly want to wage a war, how do you plan to relay the message?"

    There would not be any stupid merchant who would pass by this route anymore when it was winter. The harsh temperature would kill them if they were not careful enough, so everyone would choose to stay behind in their warm home rather than torturing themselves under the harsh night wind.

    "There''s naturally some methods," Yang Xian replied, refusing to tell.

    "You''re always full of secret!"

    "It''s better to have trump card rather than revealing it all in front of you. Didn''t I always teach you that you have to do the same with trading."

    "I already did!"

    Wei Liuying sipped her tea calmly as she listened to the two of them changed their conversation to that of a lecture. With Shi Yan''s mind that was only filled with money, she highly doubted that he would be able to memorize what Yang Xian told him today.

    It took some time until they finished their conversation and they returned to their respective carriages.

    "Miss, is it too cold?" Yang Xian asked when they returned to Wei Liuying''s carriage. By this time, he had changed back to that of a servant.

    "It''s enough," Wei Liuying replied. With her martial arts, it was not that hard for her to withstand this much. Besides, she was not the type that got sick easily just because the temperature was cold.

    "We''ll depart tomorrow after Master Shi had left."

    "Alright."

    Wei Liuying lied down on top of her bed and bundled herself with the blanket. Her eyes glanced to the tea that she left on the table. The water had turned into ice because this place was so cold during winter.

    She sighed internally when she thought that she had to live in this environment for the next few months.

    The plan that they have was actually simple. There was a small hill beside Village K that was located between the village and the river. They would park the carriage there with Wei Liuying staying inside while Yang Xian would scout the surroundings and leave from time to time.

    There would be soldiers coming under the guise of traveler once every two weeks and Yang Xian would relay the message through him.

    That was their plan.

    And that was what they would do.

    ¡­

    Time passed uneventfully.

    Wei Liuying and Yang Xian did their plan for the next few weeks. It took Yang Xian a lot of time to gather enough information from other tribes, but it was all important information that could possibly change the tide of the battle.

    "The tribes'' movement are strange," Wei Liuying reported when she saw Yang Xian returning back. They would not care about greeting first when they were only talking about business like this.

    "What do you see?"

    "There are a lot of people moving from a distance away. This is already nearing the end of Winter, so the temperature has grown warmer. It''s strange that many of them are moving to the south," Wei Liuying replied. From this place, she could watch the surroundings'' movement far clearer than anything.

    Yang Xian furrowed his brows. "It didn''t seem like Xiong Tribe have the intention to have peace from the very first."

    "Why do you think so?"

    "There are some tribes that have been moving under their order to disturb us," Yang Xian replied. He looked to a distance and laughed faintly. "The internal battle in Xiong Tribe might be a bit deeper than what we thought previously."

    Wei Liuying maintained her calm and brought out the tea out. She poured a tea for Yang Xian. "Warm yourself up. You have been outside for too long."

    "It''s nothing much."

    "I''ll be troubled if you get sick, Xian."

    Yang Xian smiled bitterly and drank the warm tea. "I''ll be going to their main camp after this. Please relay the last message to the soldier."

    He handed a bamboo strip to Wei Liuying that was not covered. There was only one poetic sentence written on top of the bamboo strip. It seemed that Yang Xian had grown used to poem by now, so he could write anything so easily.

    "This is the last message?"

    "After I returned back, we''ll return back no matter what. It''ll be suspicious if I''m not present when it''s New Year," Yang Xian said helplessly.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "If there''s war, no one will care about the New Year celebration."

    "If there''s war, it''s even more important for me to return back."

    "You should be careful."

    "I''ll be fine."

 Chapter 247 - Sneaking In

    "I''ll be fine."

    Wei Liuying shook her head and handed a piece of hard bread for Yang Xian. It was one of the little food that she had, which the soldiers brought when they came last week. Since hard bread could be conserved for longer time, she kept them for Yang Xian.

    "This is the last one. Make sure you eat to your fill later."

    "I can hunt," Yang Xian replied. "I''ll return back as soon as possible. You should stay inside and be careful. Don''t invite people to attack you."

    "I''m never inviting anyone."

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying''s appearance and his words stuck in his throat. She was dressed up in normal dress, but it instead made her look even prettier and alluring. After staying with the soldiers for some time, she had built up her figure. She was still at the petite side, but she looked much healthier and beautiful.

    Somehow, Yang Xian felt that Wei Liuying would only look at him in disdain if he ever uttered this out.

    "I''ll be going now."

    Wei Liuying watched as Yang Xian paced his horse and shook her head lightly. She leaned on the carriage behind her as she watched into the distance. This place was the best for her to watch her surroundings.

    ''I hope they''ll not make any move so suddenly.''

    There was nothing Wei Liuying could do aside from waiting. She sat on top of the carriage and watched her surroundings. Despite the cold temperature, Wei Liuying still stayed there and only returned inside when it was night time. Her sword would accompany her when she was about to sleep.

    Time passed in that fashion.

    But this time, Wei Liuying realized that Yang Xian was taking more time than before. When the soldier whom Prince Ji Sheng sent came, Wei Liuying passed the bamboo stick from Yang Xian plus another one that she wrote.

    "There''s no need to come here again," Wei Liuying gave her instruction.

    The soldier looked up in confusion. "Why?"

    "We''ll return back once Xian returns back."

    "Ah, I understand. General Sheng also ask me to give this to you."

    "Thank you."

    Wei Liuying took the bag and waited until the soldier had left. The bag was tied with bamboo string. She loosened it and checked the content. There were several buns inside along with hard bread. Since she had been staying here for a long time, it was clear that she would need more food.

    ''The water is running out.''

    Yang Xian had already brought water for her before, but it was close to run out by now. The problem was the fact that Wei Liuying didn''t want to leave this location and driving the carriage would take a long time to the river.

    ''In that case, I''ll head to the river tomorrow morning if Yang Xian still hadn''t returned,'' Wei Liuying thought to herself. She looked to a distance and wondered if there would be any movement soon. Internally, she hoped that there wouldn''t be any problem.

    ¡­

    While Wei Liuying was waiting, Yang Xian travelled across the dry lands to the location where Xiong Tribe was located. The treaty never said anything about spies as it was impossible to not have any. He could only come here by hiding himself and make sure that he could blend into the crowd.

    ''It''s good that Xiong Tribe have so many people. However, it''s still not easy to get closer.''

    Yang Xian tied the horse to the tree near the small river to make sure it wouldn''t die because of hunger or thirst and continued his journey by walking. There were several dried trees and rocks in this place. It seemed that they chose this small valley to stop and rest because the formation of the rock shielded them from the wind. It was night time, so Yang Xian could be hidden within the darkness too.

    He inched closer to the makeshift gate that they built. There were several people roaming around.

    ''There should be a path or something.''

    Roaming near the wall they built, Yang Xian finally found a small gap between the rocks. Since trees were scarce here, they usually relied on the rocks to make the wall and formation here. Because of the limitation of the amount, there were not many of it.

    The location of this place was already near Village K. It was only a day''s journey if Yang Xian were to pace his horse at the highest speed. But still, the temperature was so freezing that no soldier wanted to stay out. They were already preparing themselves by wearing thick clothing and also prepare fire, but the temperature was still far below the freezing point.

    The water buckets that they left outside had the water completely frozen due to the low temperature.

    Yang Xian''s condition was not any better. Despite his martial arts and thick clothing, his movement was slow because it was so cold. Trying to infiltrate the enemies'' camp when it was night time was the same as suicide.

    But he couldn''t come in when it was early.

    ''I need to find a warm place as soon as possible.''

    Walking to the stable, Yang Xian could see the place where they gathered their goats. He jumped inside and rushed to the stack of dry grass at the edge of the building. The smell was bad, but the wall helped to protect him from the cold and the dry grass could be used to warm himself as long as he could hide inside.

    ''It''s good that there are still a lot of dry grass here,'' Yang Xian thought to himself and hid himself inside the stack.

    "Hey, what are you doing outside?"

    "I''m taking more of the ''coal'' to heat up. It''s so cold."

    "Just use the one that''s nearby. Don''t walk too far or you''ll freeze yourself to death."

    "Yes."

    Listening to the conversation, Yang Xian carefully peeked outside from the wall and noticed that there were two people who were outside. One was staying near his house while the other one was bending down to pick up a black rock. Well, that was not rock, but rather horse poop. Even though it sounded bad, they used that ''black rock'' as a coal to lit up fire because it could last for long.*

    Since there was no wood, this was the alternative that they have. It warmed their room, but the smell¡­ eh.

    Well, it was simply marvelous and after a while, they would get used to it.

    Yang Xian could only sigh as he stayed inside. For the entire day tomorrow, he would have to listen in to their conversation before finally leaving this place in two days from now and headed back to Wei Liuying.

    At least, that was his original plan.

 Chapter 248 - The Truth

    Yang Xian could only sigh as he stayed inside. For the entire day tomorrow, he would have to listen in to their conversation before finally leaving this place in two days from now and headed back to Wei Liuying.

    At least, that was his original plan.

    The night passed quietly. It was a torturous night for Yang Xian, who was still not used with the life in this place. In Prince Ji Sheng''s city there were still enough wood for them to use if they wanted to build something or used it as coals.

    But over here, trees were simply too rare. Yang Xian had to endure the smell and uncomfortable living place if he wished to stay here.

    "Time to work!"

    The word startled Yang Xian. He narrowed his eyes when he saw a young man walked to the gate where they kept their goats and opened it. The goat would be let out freely with their dog or probably wolf hybrid watching from a distance away. The dog was kept out of the place, but Yang Xian had to be careful to not attract its attention.

    Lying down in the stack of dry grass, Yang Xian didn''t dare to move as he lowered his presence even more. He didn''t want to risk getting found by anyone. Even though it was tiring, this was the best place that people wouldn''t suspect because no one would even want to be in his position.

    In any case, Yang Xian only wished to listen in to some of their conversation.

    "Help them to entertain the guests. Those from Chun Tribe have come."

    "It''s my duty to guard the goats, so you can take that work."

    "I hate it when they come. They''re clearly just a small tribe who''s latching onto us to gain advantage, but they act all cocky and mighty as if it''s our duty to help them," one of the young man said again.

    Yang Xian couldn''t see what they were doing from his position, but he could imagine it from the sound made from their action. They were walking not far from where he was hiding but beyond the wall.

    "Heh, even if Chun Tribe did nothing, we won''t lose anything."

    "It''s Prince Lian''s order to make use of the neighboring tribes. Besides, having Han Shi Kingdom deal with them first will help us to become the only ruler in the north. When all the tribes have been dealt with, it''s time for us to strike them."

    "You''re too loud."

    "Everyone talked about this."

    "But if Crown Princess Ji Xiaoli or Crown Prince Kou heard it, they''ll be angry because we''re breaching the agreement."

    The first man laughed. "We''re not breaching the agreement. The two princes have been debating about this for a long time."

    "But¡­."

    "Forget it, you already know that there are dividing¡­."

    The two people were too far for Yang Xian to hear. He furrowed his brows as he thought about what they were talking about. Prince Lian was the second prince in Xiong Tribe. He was a year younger than Prince Kou and known to be a battle maniac who often roamed around in the dry lands.

    He had heard that the princes have different opinion when it came to their negotiation with Han Shi Kingdom. While the crown prince and the emperor agreed to have the treaty, the second prince preferred for war.

    ''Considering how much of a war maniac he was, it''s not that weird.''

    But lately, Prince Lian no longer focused his attack at Han Shi Kingdom. They were all busy eliminating other tribes who didn''t want to submit to Xiong Tribe. It was his dream to unite the entire north area. But so far, they couldn''t reach an agreement with some other big tribes.

    In total, there were three big tribes at the north. Each of them have their own territory and tried their best to maintain it. Even though the dividing line between each of them was still unclear, they were keeping their distance from each other. There were only some skirmish a bit here and there, but they tried not to bother with each other.

    ''Time to wait again.''

    There were several other people who passed by the place where Yang Xian was hiding, but neither one of them managed to find him. They were talking about this and that along with the fact that there was some preparation for war.

    "His Highness the Crown Prince had left?"

    "Yes, he left with Crown Princess Ji Xiaoli to Village K."

    The first man scoffed. "Leaving during this kind of situation, is she not worried that she''ll die in the middle of the road?"

    "The dispute between the two princes are not that apparent in the surface. Besides, it''s also true that Village K is warmer than this area."

    "True enough."

    "So, are the preparation enough?"

    "Chun Tribe have already sent all their available soldiers to make camp not far from Village K. They''re waiting for order to move tomorrow."

    "That''s great¡­"

    Yang Xian could feel his heart tightened when he heard their conversation. Yesterday, he talked with Wei Liuying about the movements she saw. Even though he was not sure whether they have truly made their move or just moving further south to escape winter, he still sent warning to Prince Ji Sheng.

    It would be impossible for him to leave when it was daytime like this. And leaving when the night has just fall would be suicide. The cold temperature would kill him before anything.

    He had to wait until tomorrow''s dawn before he could move.

    ''Ah, so stupid! Who think that sneaking in is the best idea?'' Yang Xian cursed himself internally while keeping his body low in the ground and erased his presence. He couldn''t let anyone find him here.

    Time ticked ever so slowly.

    When it was lunch time, Yang Xian simply stuffed the hard bread to his mouth without moving from his position. It felt weird to eat while lying down like that, but he couldn''t afford getting found out by others.

    When the sky was turning dark, there were several people coming from the gate. The sound horseshoe hitting the ground entered Yang Xian''s ear.

    "Your Highness!"

 Chapter 249 - Countdown Start

    When the sky was turning dark, there were several people coming from the gate. The sound horseshoe hitting the ground entered Yang Xian''s ear.

    "Your Highness!"

    Yang Xian''s body tensed up as he tried to lower his presence even more. When facing someone who had higher martial arts, he had to be extra careful because he didn''t want to get found.

    "How''s the preparation?"

    "It''s all complete, Your Highness. We''re ready to depart tomorrow."

    "Good."

    Prince Lian''s voice was low and his reply was only a short one word answer. From his tone, it was clear that he was satisfied with the result.

    "Where''s my imperial older brother?"

    "Replying to Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince left this morning with Crown Princess Ji Xiaoli."

    "He''s with that princess again? My imperial brother had turned soft," Prince Lian said with a laugh. "How about his people?"

    "They''re staying still at the back."

    "Suppress any kind of news tomorrow."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Yang Xian listened carefully as he thought of what Prince Lian said. It seemed that the prince was still being careful when dealing with anything that was related to Prince Kou. The balance between their power was not too clear to Yang Xian, but he knew that they were not allowed to kill each other.

    Even if people knew that the princes might have a battle of blood between each other for the throne, it was never good to have it revealed to the public. As long as they could hide it, it was all that matters.

    As the sky continued to darken, the temperature dropped once more.

    Yang Xian was still staying on his hiding position as he watched the goat entered the place again. They looked satisfied after eating their fill on the dry grass as they began to rest in the place. The dog or that wolf hybrid was kept in other place to warn them if there was intruder.

    For someone like Yang Xian, he didn''t have to worry alarming them as long as he was not that close.

    Even if the animals have sharp senses, there was a limit to how far they could detect proficiently.

    ''I need to rest too.''

    Yang Xian forced himself to sleep, yet his hand was holding onto his sword. He knew that if someone found him here, that person would be an enemy. Even though he was worried for his life, he still rest to make sure that he could wake up early.

    The next day.

    Just before dawn, Yang Xian opened his eyes and began to move. There were no one around him. Only the goats were speaking in their language lightly when they felt uncomfortable as Yang Xian passed by their body.

    ''Just a bit more.''

    Awoooooo!

    The sound of wolves howling disturbed the quiet night. Yang Xian''s heart dropped as he stopped near the gate of the pen. His eyes were watching the surroundings carefully as a man walked out of the house with his body completely wrapped with thick clothing. This place was simply too cold.

    "Where''s the wolves?"

    "It should be still far away, General."

    The man called General didn''t answer immediately. He was looking into a distance before turning his body and entered the tent again. If it was unnecessary, no one would want to stay outside when the wind was still freezing cold like this.

    "Keep watch."

    "Yes, General!"

    Yang Xian stayed still in his place. He was thinking that his luck must be really bad because he didn''t only need to face the soldiers but also wolves out there. However, he had to leave as soon as possible and inform Prince Ji Sheng along with others about the impeding war that would happen soon.

    He didn''t want to be late and possibly lost his comrades.

    After waiting for a bit, Yang Xian got out sneakily while evading the location where the dogs were located. He got into the gate and got out. The cold wind came crashing down to his body, chilling him to the bone.

    ''The North is so cold.''

    Yang Xian tried his best to hold on. It would be dawn soon, so he had to reach the place where he tied his horse and returned back to where Wei Liuying was supposed to be. Despite the cold, Yang Xian began to run towards the river.

    His eyes lit up when he saw the horse. The sky had started to light up, but the temperature was still freezing cold. Yang Xian could feel his body already partially froze because he stayed outside for too long.

    He might have been going out a bit too early.

    However, there was no other choice. If he got out any longer, he knew that there wouldn''t be any chance for him to get out of the place and leave. They would find out the existence of an intruder.

    "Let''s go."

    Yang Xian released the horse and pulled it to the side. Since the area near the river was damp, the horse was fine. It was freezing a bit, but because it was one of the few breeds who survived in this area, he knew that it would be just fine. Though, it was inevitable that it wouldn''t be able to run as fast as before.

    Tightening his grip on the rein, Yang Xian began to rush through the plain dry lands.

    Drap drap!

    There was only sound of his horse galloping as he went further and further. Sweat formed on his forehead when he noticed that there was no sign of the soldiers from the second prince. If they have reached the location where the first prince and Princess Ji Xiaoli was located, Yang Xian knew that it would be disaster.

    ''I hope I''m not too late.''

    The only thing Yang Xian could do was to pace his horse as fast as possible. It was nearly evening when he finally saw the sign of other people. However, the sight nearly caused his heart to fall to the abyss.

 Chapter 250 - Countdown Start (2)

    ''I hope I''m not too late.''

    The only thing Yang Xian could do was to pace his horse as fast as possible. It was nearly evening when he finally saw the sign of other people. However, the sight nearly caused his heart to fall to the abyss.

    Just below the small hill, he could see countless dead bodies. There were still a lot of people fighting and scattered everywhere. Blood streamed out of their fallen bodies just like river. It was a very devastating sight.

    "Where''s Princess Ji Xiaoli?"

    Yang Xian scanned the surroundings and noticed that there was a horse pacing to the direction of the West with several soldiers rushing to catch up. At the same time, there was someone coming out from Village K came closer riding another horse.

    The prince and the princess was on top of the horse. On the other hand, the one who came out of the village was Shi Mo.

    ''I''m too far.''

    Gritting his teeth, Yang Xian continued to pace his horse. He had to get to their location as soon as possible. Those two couldn''t die if they wished to reverse the situation.

    There were only three princes in Xiong Tribe. However, the youngest prince was still very young, so only the first two princes have high influence. With the first prince being the crown prince, the second prince have to kill him if he wanted his position. This was what exactly happened here.

    As the two princes were in disagreeable terms, it was very easy for conflict to spark between the two of them. Just a little push was all that was needed to make them fight with each other.

    And the scale will depend on how big the matter was.

    Clang!

    Shi Mo managed to reach the first soldier and brandished his sword. The sword finely cut through the man and pushed him off the horse. With the speed they were going right now, it would be a miracle if the man was alright after falling and wounded.

    ''Damn it!''

    There were so many soldiers sent to get the princess and prince. It was as if this attack was already planned ever since the very beginning to get them. Shi Mo''s task here was to ensure Princess Ji Xiaoli and lent a helping hand if it was necessary.

    "There''s another soldier here!"

    "Just deal with him!"

    "He''s too fast!"

    Slash!

    Another soldier fell down and Shi Mo rushed forward. His eyes were looking at the soldiers and gritted his teeth. He had to come even closer.

    "Shoot those two."

    Shi Mo''s eyes widened when he heard the order. One of the soldiers was an archer, and he quickly took his arrow to shoot. Shi Mo rushed forward and jumped off his horse, landing right behind the soldier. His swift movement didn''t allow the soldier to react in the slightest bit.

    Dzing!

    The sound of the arrow made his heart fell, but Shi Mo still brandished his sword to kill the archer. His eyes watched in despair as he saw Princess Ji Xiaoli''s body swayed. He paced the horse and jumped right when he saw Princess Ji Xiaoli was unable to hold on any longer.

    Thud!

    Shi Mo held Princess Ji Xiaoli firmly. His heart was cold as he could feel the fresh warm blood on his hand. While Princess Ji Xiaoli fell, the crown prince only looked behind once then ran away again as if there was nothing he could do. He didn''t want to risk his life to safe a woman.

    "Catch him!"

    "Kill the woman!"

    It would not be easy for him to fight while holding Princess Ji Xiaoli. Just as Shi Mo was about to brandish his sword, sound of arrows pierced the wind came to his ear.

    Dzing! Dzing!

    Thud!

    Turning his head to the back, he noticed a young girl was pacing a horse in their direction. A bow and arrow was on her hand as she aimed to the soldiers around them. However, it was still nearly the limit of an arrow''s distance. She wouldn''t be able to come soon enough to help him.

    "Princess, please hold on."

    "Ugh¡­"

    Shi Mo tried his best to not move Princess Ji Xiaoli around and swung his sword. The nearest soldier was killed with his sword while another one fell in Wei Liuying''s arrow. He didn''t know what Wei Liuying do, coming from the river''s direction. However, he was glad that she would be coming because he wouldn''t be able to do this alone.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli could faintly feel that she was being protected, but she also knew that she was wounded terribly. Her consciousness was fading. Her eyes could only watch as the man before her fought bravely, trying to save their lives.

    "Just a bit more, Princess."

    "En¡­you¡­."

    "Princess?"

    "you¡­ did¡­ well," Princess Ji Xiaoli said slowly and smiled. A drop of tear fell on the corner of her eyes.

    Slash!

    "Princess!" Shi Mo called out and stood up while rushing in Wei Liuying''s direction. It was then he noticed that another man was coming from different direction.

    "Get on a horse and go!" Yang Xian shouted.

    "Y-yes!"

    Shi Mo turned around and ran while Wei Liuying kept on shooting the arrows. She frowned when she saw the soldiers coming closer. When she was taking more water for herself, she heard the sound of battle, so she came here. Little did she expect to encounter something like this.

    Dzing! Jleb!

    Another soldier fell on the ground.

    Yang Xian finally reached the area and brandished his sword. He cursed himself for not arriving here sooner. Looking at the wound on Princess Ji Xiaoli''s back, he knew that she had lost too much blood. They needed a doctor as soon as possible.

    ''How come it''s bleeding so much when the arrow still stuck in her body?''

    Slash!

    Sound of fighting continued for a long time before it ceased. Dead bodies filled the area, leaving only three people standing.

    "Shi Mo, bring her to the village and get a doctor."

 Chapter 251 - Failure

    "Shi Mo, bring her to the village and get a doctor."

    "Yes!"

    "No¡­"

    The weak voice startled them. By this time, Wei Liuying finally arrived, and they noticed that Princess Ji Xiaoli was looking at them as best as she could. Even though her consciousness was fading, she tried to keep herself awake as she looked at the three people before her.

    It would be a lie if she said that she was not angry at them. They were the ones who sent her to this place, making her live miserably for the past few months. Yet at the same time, she also knew that they were only doing their work and hoped for the best of the kingdom. Unfortunately, the situation at Xiong Tribe was too messy and the crown prince''s position was not that firm.

    There were many times Princess Ji Xiaoli thought about the plan failing, and she met with them again. At that time, she thought that she would be scolding them and lashed out because of their incompetence.

    But now that she was faced in this situation, she couldn''t bring the words to her throat.

    Their expression, their action, and their appearance.

    All of them showed how much they were worried about her. Even though the plan was not going according to the plan, they still vowed to protect her because she''s the princess.

    ''How stupid of me.''

    She always tried to create trouble for them. Abandoning her duties, trying to escape, refusing their coaxing, before finally giving up. Princess Ji Xiaoli didn''t know how many times she had troubled them in the past, yet they never looked at her with the same type of gaze.

    They were worried for her wellbeing, which was something that she felt very clearly today.

    If only she could turn back time, she wanted to scold her younger self for being so selfish. Even though living at the north has been very good for her, she always whined for not having to live in Han Shi Kingdom again. Never even once she ever thought that to be able to become the future empress of Xiong Tribe was an honor.

    "You¡­ did well¡­ thank you¡­."

    Princess Ji Xiaoli smiled faintly and looked at Shi Mo. He was the one who always tried to cheer her up whenever it was possible when she came to visit. At first, she felt annoyed by his presence, but his joking and cheerful attitude finally ease her heart. Thanks to him, she felt much better even when she had to stay in this place.

    Slowly, light left her eyes.

    She had so much regret for her own stupidity and ignorance. If only she worked harder to become the princess that everyone loved, they might be able to prevent this from happening. Yet, she only stayed inside and amuse herself with everything that she had.

    All this time, she was wasting her time, unaware of the impeding war.

    Heh, ignorance was not an excuse. For someone at her position to be ignorant of her surrounding, it just showed that she had failed as the princess.

    And the failure of someone at her position will lead to a big change in the world.

    With a smile on her face, Princess Ji Xiaoli breathed her last in Shi Mo''s embrace.

    "Princess!" Shi Mo called out, his voice quivered. He could see Princess Ji Xiaoli''s head fell limpidly to the side as her eyes closed. However, her smile was still there.

    "Why? Why, Princess?"

    Wei Liuying was silent as she looked at the dead princess.

    She failed.

    She had failed.

    Even though they had promised the princess that they would protect her when they brought her to this place, they ultimately failed in the end. When they were needed the most, they couldn''t help the princess.

    Looking at her own hand, Wei Liuying wished that she had been faster. If only she was not late, she would be able to save Princess Ji Xiaoli''s life and this tragic fate will not befall her.

    "Liu Ying."

    Raising her head, Wei Liuying met with Yang Xian''s gaze. He was looking at her with his dark eyes as he raised his hand and held her chin lightly. "Look at her expression."

    Her expression?

    Wei Liuying lowered her head and focused on Princess Ji Xiaoli''s expression. Rather than grieving, all that she could see was relief and calm. It was as if Princess Ji Xiaoli already knew that this would be her fate and she had accepted it.

    As for why¡­

    The gaze she gave to Shi Mo just now had told them a lot of things.

    Wei Liuying gritted her teeth and bowed down. "I''m sorry, I can''t do my work properly, Princess. If only I was faster, this might not happen."

    "She''s not angry at you."

    "Still, I¡­"

    "The fault doesn''t lie on you," Yang Xian repeated once more. He shook his head faintly. "I managed to find out that they''re preparing for war, but I can''t leave my place because I''m within their territory. If only I have informed you about the matter beforehand, this might not happen at all."

    But that was all only if.

    They couldn''t turn back time and returned back to the past. Wei Liuying clasped her fingers tightly, silently swearing inside her mind that she would not let this kind of incident ever repeat itself.

    She didn''t want to lose anyone whom she held dear. Slowly, she spoke out, "Blaming ourselves will not solve anything."

    "What do you plan to do?" Yang Xian asked, keeping his composure. His tone betrayed none of his real emotion as he looked at them with placid expression. It was as if he didn''t feel anything from this situation at all.

    But the faint gesture of his hand showed his feelings. He was only keeping calm on the surface while in truth, he had been blaming himself countless times.

    The two strategists were the one in charge when it came to create strategy.

    When they ultimately failed like this, they would feel that whatever they had done was not enough.

 Chapter 252 - This Is The Only Option

    When they ultimately failed like this, they would feel that whatever they had done was not enough.

    They should have done more.

    Wei Liuying closed her eyes for a moment, pushing all emotions to the back of her mind. She had to be strong because if she lost her mind in this situation, it might be too late.

    She looked at the grieving Shi Mo then to Yang Xian. Her eyes were cold as she spoke out, "Tell me what you know about their plan."

    Yang Xian gave the simplified version of what Xiong Tribe planned to do. They wanted to eliminate the crown prince and the princess in order to say that they no longer have to follow the treaty. Besides, this would also secure the second prince''s path to the throne.

    "And they succeed," Shi Mo said slowly, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Princess Ji Xiaoli had died."

    His hand was still warm from Ji Xiaoli''s blood. At the same time, he felt as if his heart was crushed to pieces. At first, he only did this work because Yang Xian ordered him. But as he watched the princess, he noticed things that many people didn''t notice because there was no way Princess Ji Xiaoli could act freely.

    She had to pay close attention to what she did and say to make sure that she would be able to stay alive. Twisting one''s word and inserted trap in between was extremely common in the palace to the point that it could make one fell sick.

    But it was simply the common ways for those who were living at higher social strata. And as the princess, Princess Ji Xiaoli had already experienced that kind of life from the moment she was born.

    A nauseating life filled with lies.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes darkened. She looked at Princess Ji Xiaoli. At this time, she was wearing white dress that was decorated nicely. In Han Shi Kingdom, white signified grievances and grief. The dress looked as if she had already known that this would be her end when she came out today.

    That shouldn''t be.

    "Xian, you should return back and help General Sheng."

    Yang Xian furrowed his brows. "How about you, Liuying?"

    "I''ll head over to Xiong Tribe."

    "Do you want to kill yourself?"

    "I''m not going as Wei Liuying, but as Ji Xiaoli," Wei Liuying said slowly. "My eyes are darker and my height is a half a finger shorter, but aside from that, I can disguise myself as her. If the princess hadn''t died, I can create havoc in their territory, right?"

    "You¡­" Yang Xian said and then didn''t continue. That small piece of information was already more than enough for him to know what Wei Liuying was actually planning to do. If the entire Xiong Tribe soldiers wage war, it would be hard for Prince Ji Sheng to hold on because of the limited soldiers.

    Also, it was not known when the Xiong Tribe would send reinforcement by asking for help from the surroundings tribe.

    The best way to ensure that this battle would not last long would be to have a diversion inside the Xiong Tribe itself and at the same time, block the second prince''s way to the throne.

    "If they found out that you''re not Princess Ji Xiaoli, you''ll die," Yang Xian said.

    "Playing around near the fire, isn''t that what my specialization is?" Wei Liuying asked with a faint smile. This would not be the first time she acted as someone else, so it would not be that hard. Besides, she had been acting for her entire life.

    Adding another role for her to act out shouldn''t be that difficult.

    She had already failed Princess Ji Xiaoli, but at the very least, she wanted people to also remember Princess Ji Xiaoli as someone who had done something for the kingdom. She would not let this princess be blamed for the impeding war.

    Shi Mo looked at Wei Liuying with a frown. "What are you talking about? Do you plan on stepping¡­?"

    "Princess Ji Xiaoli will die properly after she finished her task to rally the people," Wei Liuying replied. "If this succeed, she''ll be the idol of many people in Han Shi Kingdom."

    "Do you think this is what¡­"

    "Princess Ji Xiaoli is also someone who cares how other people see her. Rather than dying as a dry landser in the dry lands, wouldn''t it be a better piece of news for her to die as someone who tried to save Han Shi Kingdom''s people?" Wei Liuying asked.

    From the moment Princess Ji Xiaoli was placed at the forefront, she was already faced with scrutiny from all over the world. Everyone was watching her. Even though she was a woman, whose status was incredibly low here, it was clear that she had become very important the moment that they placed her to be the bride of the crown prince in Xiong Tribe.

    Shi Mo opened his mouth, wanting to refute. However, no words came out from him. He merely looked at Wei Liuying who was staring back at him without fear in her eyes.

    "Do you think you can do this? What will you do if you fail?"

    "I''ll succeed. If I fail, it just meant that it''s already the time for me," Wei Liuying replied with a faint smile.

    "You¡­"

    "Will you trust me, Shi Mo?"

    Trust?

    Shi Mo faintly feel as if he was back in his youth. At that time, he was nothing more than an orphan who had lost his parents. It was Prince Ji Sheng who came and asked him to trust him that he would change the entire city for the better.

    And he fulfilled his promise.

    Be it Prince Ji Sheng''s City or Dong Shan City, the two of them were flourishing in his hands.

    Slowly, Shi Mo stood up. He was still holding onto Princess Ji Xiaoli in his embrace as he looked at the two of them. "What do you want me to do?"

    "I¡­"

 Chapter 253 - Impersonation

    "Your disciple is crazy," Shi Mo said after he settled Princess Ji Xiaoli to be buried temporarily inside his house. He couldn''t find any other place more suitable than this because no one would come here.

    Yang Xian laughed faintly. "Don''t you always say that to me?"

    "You agree with her plan?"

    "I don''t think there''s any other option for us," Yang Xian replied. He walked to the bird that Shi Mo kept. It would be used for emergency message. With a swift movement, Yang Xian wrote several letter on a piece of cloth then tied it to the bird''s feet. "Return to General Sheng."

    Chirp!

    The bird flew out of the window and disappeared into a distance. Yang Xian looked at Shi Mo. "I''ll not forgive you if you die."

    Shi Mo''s hand paused for a moment. He looked at Yang Xian and nodded. "I''ll do my best."

    They came out and noticed the horse that Wei Liuying rode as she walked to them. She was wearing a veil, yet the layer of makeup on her upper face was already more than enough to startle them. It looked as if she was the princess and not Wei Liuying.

    "Are you finished?"

    "Yes. We''ll depart soon."

    "I''ll be counting on you."

    "Yes."

    Shi Mo hopped to the horse and took the hold of the rein. He was sitting on the back with Wei Liuying in the front. With their difference in height, it was not that hard for him to see the front.

    After this, they wouldn''t be in the same situation as before anymore. Once they set up, they would never be able to turn back anymore and had to finish the mission no matter what it took.

    "Are you ready?"

    Hiya!

    The horse began to gallop to the north.

    Yang Xian watched the two of them leaving and sighed. He led his own horse, that he had already paced for the entire night with a biter smile. "It''ll be night soon, so we''ll rest first. Tomorrow, we have to pace again."

    Neigh

    The horse seemed to understand as it lowered its head and began to munch on the grass that began to appear. Its action only stunned Yang Xian who couldn''t help but laugh.

    ''You better not die, Liuying.''

    ¡­

    "It''ll be night soon. If we''re outside at this temperature and wind, we''ll die," Shi Mo reminded.

    "Their previous camp is not that far," Wei Liuying replied and pointed to a distance. "There''s still some mark of their horse passing through this area. We should be able to rest there for the night."

    "But¡­"

    "It''s already the best option for us."

    "Alright."

    It didn''t take long for them to reach the place Wei Liuying pointed at. The sky was darkening and there were scraps everywhere. At the same time, there were several abandoned tent that was not used anymore.

    "How do you know that there would be tents here?" Shi Mo asked in surprise.

    Wei Liuying jumped off the horse. "The soldiers are only tasked to attack the prince before regrouping with the main group. It means that there would be a lot of tents they left behind in their previous headquarter as they tried to meet back with the main soldiers."

    "If we stay here, won''t we¡­"

    "No. These people are all from different tribe. The second prince is too smart to make mistake. I''m sure he''ll pretend that he didn''t know about the attack at all and refused to acknowledge the tribe. In addition, this headquarter is not placed in the most strategic location and only good to stay for a short period of time," Wei Liuying analyzed calmly.

    Shi Mo was completely stumped. When he first met with Wei Liuying, she was still a very immature young girl who only knew a bit about war. It only took several months for her to transform completely to a young teenager who knew many things about war.

    "Princess Ji Xiaoli will never talk like that."

    Wei Liuying paused and closed her eyes. When she opened it again, the atmosphere around her changed almost immediately. She turned around and looked at Shi Mo. "Rest for tonight. It''s not good to stay outside for long."

    The tone was less forceful, but it carried the same authority and commandment as before. Once again, Shi Mo was speechless. He felt that there was clearly nothing that Wei Liuying couldn''t do.

    Unfortunately, he didn''t know that if Wei Liuying was asked to embroider something¡­ the result would be a total disaster.

    The night passed quietly.

    The two of them continued their journey to the north using the way that Wei Liuying had arranged. They have to bypass several small rocky mountains in order to escape from the second prince''s sight. Since the second prince brought along a lot of soldiers, there was a limit to the path they could pick.

    Wei Liuying evaded those path almost immediately and picked the least conspicuous one.

    "We''ll arrive soon. Are you ready, Princess?"

    "Yes," Wei Liuying replied.

    Shi Mo had met with several of people who were tasked to take care of Princess Ji Xiaoli. Even though it was not complete, the information would be enough for Wei Liuying to pass as the princess for a short period of time. They only needed to make sure that Wei Liuying could command the soldiers there and make use of the people who were loyal to Prince Kou.

    Since the first prince had abandoned them, there was no one who knew the truth of the story.

    "Stop!" Xiong Tribe soldiers stopped them when they were about to go through the gate.

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows and looked at the people. She was sitting sideways on top of the horse, a position she just changed to because Princess Ji Xiaoli couldn''t ride horse properly.

    Taking a deep breath, Wei Liuying''s aura changed completely to that of a ruler. She shouted, "Who are you to stop me from coming in?"

 Chapter 254 - Impersonation (2)

    The high pitched voice coupled with the tone of authority startled the soldiers. Their eyes landed on the young woman on top of the horse. The veil prevented them from seeing her face, but that pair of eyes filled with power were something that they were familiar with.

    Princess Ji Xiaoli?

    Some soldiers were doubtful because they knew that the second prince have already told them that the first prince and his wife would not survive. Yet, the one standing before them was clearly that very princess.

    "Open the gate," Wei Liuying commanded.

    "But¡­"

    "Who''s the one holding authority here?" Wei Liuying asked, her tone was forceful. "I have only come out for a few days but it seems that the concept of power has completely change."

    "That''s¡­."

    "Mo."

    "Yes, Princess." Shi Mo jumped off the horse and lunged forward. As a veteran soldier in Prince Ji Sheng''s army, it was clear that he had good swordsmanship. The two soldiers blocking the way were killed almost immediately.

    Wei Liuying watched the two of them dying with indifference. She was sure that when Princess Ji Xiaoli was here, she had already seen this countless times. The dispute between the two princes could never be resolved so easily.

    "Let''s go in."

    "Yes, Princess."

    Shi Mo pushed the gate open and noticed that there were a lot of soldiers there. They were wearing confused expression, and when they saw Wei Liuying, they were stunned. Many of them were on the second prince''s side because they believed that only the second prince was worthy of the throne.

    A middle aged man came forward and looked at Wei Liuying. He frowned when he saw the two dead bodies behind her.

    "Care to explain what this is?"

    "I come to ask you the same question. Why are soldiers from Xiong Tribe come to kill me and my husband?" Wei Liuying replied.

    The middle aged man frowned. "What are you talking about? We¡­"

    Trang!

    A knife was thrown to the front. It was taken from one of the soldiers who attacked Princess Ji Xiaoli. Xiong Tribe have unique craftsmanship that would make high quality weapon along with their tribe''s mark.

    The knife had the tribe''s mark.

    "This knife can only belong to someone in Xiong Tribe. It comes from an attacker to me."

    The middle aged man looked at ''Princess Ji Xiaoli.'' In the past, Princess Ji Xiaoli might be a bit annoying, but she was mostly only care for herself. She would not step on other things that would damage her reputation among the people there.

    Her wariness made them happy because they could make use of her.

    But now, it didn''t seem to be the case.

    "They might have stolen¡­"

    "Stolen the knife that belong to the second prince?" Wei Liuying asked with a sneer.

    "You¡­ Don''t spout nonsense!"

    "Who am I spouting nonsense to? I''m sure that by now, His Highness the Second Prince have already departing for war because I''m supposedly die, am I right?" Wei Liuying asked with a cold tone. "It seems that you people from the second prince''s faction are nothing more than blood thirsty people."

    "That''s a lie!" The middle aged man shouted. "We''ll never¡­"

    "Who are lying by now?" Wei Liuying asked and stepped forward. Her eyes were looking at the middle aged man with challenge. "Since you want to kill me so badly, why don''t you do that right now in front of all of your soldiers?"

    Shi Mo felt sweat covered his back when he heard what Wei Liuying said. He had heard what she planned to do, but when she truly executed it, he was astounded. It was much more than what he expected her to ever do. She basically challenged all the soldiers here upfront without caring for her life.

    Did she not want to sneak in and do this in a more covert way?

    What Shi Mo didn''t know was that there was no time to waste. Wei Liuying didn''t know anything about Princess Ji Xiaoli''s interaction with the elders and many other people. Even with Shi Mo''s knowledge, the risk of her getting found out was simply too big. Rather than risking her life to impersonate the princess, it would be better for her to strike it upfront and acted as if she changed because of shock.

    Wei Liuying looked at the middle aged man. "If you kill me right now, you would achieve your objective, no? No one will be able to stop your prince''s path to the throne."

    "Princess Ji Xiaoli, mind your language!" the middle aged man interrupted. His eyes were filled with fear. The princess he faced right now felt completely different than the one he ever faced in the past.

    Wei Liuying laughed. "What? Are you afraid that I''ll say the truth? The truth that all of you are conspiring to go against the Emperor''s words and supported the second prince to the throne? Do you think I''m stupid to not realize it with your action towards me?"

    The middle aged man was trying to find way to stop Wei Liuying from speaking. If he used violence, it would be the same as acknowledging the truth. But if he didn''t do something, everything will fall apart.

    The soldiers around him were already looking at him with suspicious gazes.

    Wei Liuying stopped speaking for a moment and scanned the soldiers. Some of them were already wielding their sword, ready to pull it out when it was necessary. However, no one seemed to dare stepping over their leader''s head.

    ''They''re good.''

    ''But this won''t stop me.''

    Wei Liuying stepped forward. "Why don''t you say anything? Do you want to tell me that everything is nothing more than my imagination?"

    The middle aged man forced a smile on his face. "Princess, you must be tired because of the journey, why not¡­"

    Swish!

    A sword was pointed to the middle aged man''s neck. Wei Liuying was naturally good at swordsmanship, so it was very easy for her to control it so that the sword would not wound him. However, having a sword pointed at one''s neck could easily make one''s determination falter.

    The middle aged man''s eyes turned cold as he eyed the sword warily. "Princess, do you wish to wage war against us?"

 Chapter 255 - Stand Up And Fight!

    "I didn''t wound you, did I?" Wei Liuying asked with a sneer. "Also, who actually makes the first move is clear, isn''t it? What''s the purpose of me staying here if I know that all of you are going to kill me?"

    "The treaty is still existing, Princess."

    "Oh, really?" Wei Liuying didn''t avert her eyes from the middle aged man as she spoke out. "Mo."

    "Yes."

    Shi Mo was originally standing by Wei Liuying''s side. But when Wei Liuying was provoking the middle aged man, whom she didn''t recognize but knew his status was high, Shi Mo moved to the pile of ''black rock'' and dried grass.

    The moment the order was said, a pouch was torn and Shi Mo started the fire on top of the pile of the black rock and the dried grass. Grey smoke mixed in red color immediately soared to the sky. It was as if a pillar was born in the middle of the dry lands.

    "That''s¡­"

    Smoke signal.

    It was hard to communicate with each other due to the distance, so several types of communication device were created. One of them was this smoke signal that would give different message according to the color. Shi Mo always carried the pouch and items to start fire with him in order to send the message.

    Black and red smoke meant the treaty was broken and the princess got hurt.

    When the message reached Han Shi Kingdom, it would undoubtedly start the war. From other places, similar smoke pillars were formed. Those travelers who roamed in the dry lands with no apparent destination were Prince Ji Sheng''s people who have been assigned to give this message.

    But of course, they could not use this message carelessly. The only reason why they chose to use this right now was because they have to be prepared for an all out war against Xiong Tribe.

    Yang Xian wanted to use it back in Village K, but Wei Liuying had different plan. Since they still have the bird to communicate, she wanted to use this pillar right in front of their faces. That way, she would be able to give them the hardest blow.

    The middle aged man looked at Wei Liuying with bulged vein. "Do you want to court death?"

    "You''re the one who wants to court death," Wei Liuying replied. "Assassination attempt to both the crown prince and also the princess of Han Shi Kingdom, what do you think the most suitable punishment would be?"

    "You b*tch!"

    Swish!

    A soldier beside the middle aged man couldn''t take it any longer and lunged forward. Wei Liuying stepped back right away, but the tip of the sword still hit her hands. Blood dripped on the ground.

    Wei Liuying looked at the ground then at the middle aged man. "You should understand the consequences for breaking the treaty."

    The middle aged man''s face was pale. He planned to coax ''Princess Ji Xiaoli'' and led her back, away from the eyes of the soldiers here. Not everyone here was on the second prince''s side, so war would be inevitable if ''Princess Ji Xiaoli'' were to get hurt.

    And his idiotic subordinate had to be the one to make the move.

    Now, there was no option to return.

    "KILL HER!"

    "Protect the princess!"

    Shouts, screams, sound of metal clashing, and meat slashed filled the area almost immediately. No one was spared from the brutal war against one another. No one knew who the enemy nor friends was. All they knew was that they have to either protect or kill the princess.

    Those who shout kill the princess would be killed by those who say protect the princess and vice versa.

    It was chaos.

    In the middle of everything, Wei Liuying stood still. Her white dress fluttered along with the wind generated by the fight around them, contrasted the gory figure. As dead bodies began to pile up, blood started to form pool below her.

    Her eyes watched everything with indifference. It was as if everything that occurred didn''t have any relation with her whatsoever. The fact that she was the one who instigated this cruel fight didn''t deter her in the slightest bit.

    "You B*tch! Do you really think that you can get away safely after you have created this mess?" the middle aged man roared angrily. "We''ll never let you off. I''ll kill you, chop your limbs, and mince your meat before giving it to the wolves."

    Slash!

    Wei Liuying looked at the middle aged man with hollow gaze as if she felt nothing from his threat. Her black eyes showed nothing but calm. The sword in her hand was rested firmly by her side as her small fingers were holding the handle tightly.

    "Why don''t you try?"

    "Do you think that you can be protected by your guards? You''re nothing more than a pampered princess who will¡­"

    Slash!

    In but a moment, Wei Liuying had arrived by the middle aged man''s side. Her sword was swung in swift motion. The movement was light, yet the middle aged man could feel pain deep within his hand.

    Fear filled his face. His body jumped to the back to evade her as his eyes watched the unfamiliar woman before him. That movement, that gaze, and that composure, the middle aged man felt as if he had seen a demon.

    "You¡­ you''ll not survive! The one who''s following the first prince have all left and died in the dry lands!"

    "Do not fret, my husband will return with reinforcement soon," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly. Her eyes were looking at the middle aged man without any emotion. "Do you really think I''m stupid enough to come here without any preparation?"

    It was a lie. She didn''t know where the first prince was after he run with his tail tucked on his back to the west. But even if it was a lie, she had to act as if it was the truth. This would be the only method for her to survive.

    "You''re lying," the middle aged man shouted in response.

    "It''s up to you whether to believe me or not," Wei Liuying replied. In that moment, she dashed forward and slashed her sword against the middle aged man.

    Clang!

    The middle aged man parried the attack as his eyes narrowed. The weight that Wei Liuying put on the sword didn''t seem to be comparable with her body frame. His pupil dilated as he looked at Wei Liuying''s direction.

    "Who are you¡­?"

 Chapter 256 - I Never Say Iâ€™m A Good Person

    Clang!

    The middle aged man parried the attack as his eyes narrowed. The weight that Wei Liuying put on the sword didn''t seem to be comparable with her body frame. His pupil dilated as he looked at Wei Liuying''s direction.

    "Who are you¡­?"

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows and looked at the middle aged man. She knew very well that she was not Princess Ji Xiaoli and naturally had different temperament too. However, she would never admit it.

    "Can''t you recognize me?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    The middle aged man''s eyes widened. It took a moment for Wei Liuying to disappear from her position and appear right before the middle aged man once more. Her sword swung in very efficient manner and cut through the middle aged man''s robe.

    Slash!

    Just a bit more and the middle aged man would have died.

    He looked in Wei Liuying''s direction with disbelief. He had been accompanying Princess Ji Xiaoli for a long time during her time here. Princess Ji Xiaoli was a typical normal spoiled princess who was used to get whatever she wanted. She didn''t express what she disliked openly but used the method that was used by people of the royal family.

    It was normal.

    There was nothing weird.

    But the princess who was standing before him didn''t give the same vibe as before. It was as if she had transformed from the meek yet silently scheming lamb to a wolf who was baring her fangs.

    It was strange.

    The middle aged man couldn''t understand what happened to Princess Ji Xiaoli.

    Clang!

    The sound of the battles started to cease as most soldiers have died. In the middle of everything, Wei Liuying was watching everything unfolded while looking at the middle aged man. She knew that he was the one who was in charge of everything when the second prince was away.

    "You''re not Princess Ji Xiaoli," the middle aged man said slowly.

    "If I''m not Princess Ji Xiaoli, who am I?" Wei Liuying asked back as she stood before the middle aged man. Her sword was ready by her side.

    If she''s not Princess Ji Xiaoli, who could she be?

    There were no other young ladies in this area aside from the maidservants who came along with Princess Ji Xiaoli. However, Wei Liuying didn''t fit with any of them. There was two of them who could do martial arts, but they were far worse compared to the soldiers in Xiong Tribe.

    Her small frame and dainty figure would make it hard for them to see her as a martial artist.

    There were no young ladies around who fit these criteria.

    "You¡­" the middle aged man was about to speak when he saw Wei Liuying''s shadow before him. His pupil dilated as he raised his sword, yet pain assaulted him from behind. He turned to look behind and saw the small figure silently turned her head to the side and moved so swiftly that it was hard for the eyes to follow her movements.

    There were no young ladies who fit the criteria.

    However, there was someone who fit the small frame perfectly.

    "Strategist Liu¡­."

    Wei Liuying looked at the middle aged man with a frown. As she had expected, he would find out her real identity soon enough. Crouching near the middle aged man, Wei Liuying pulled the sword and looked at the seal he brought with him.

    ''Second in command. I see, he''s the second prince''s attendant.''

    The princes here would have someone close to them who would become their attendant. The second prince was not an exception as he had someone capable to stay with him. His task was to support the second prince in his endeavor.

    Clang!

    "Sneak attack is bad, isn''t it?" Wei Liuying asked in a light tone. Twisting her body, her sword moved below the soldier who attacked her and slashed his stomach open. Blood spurted out like waterfall as the body fell down.

    Scanning the people around her, Wei Liuying could see that they were very disorganized. If they were Han Shi Kingdom''s people, she would have long scolded them for not taking care of their position well. However, they were all Xiong Tribe people, and she didn''t know their method of training.

    "Princess, watch out!"

    Swish!

    Wei Liuying stepped to the side and evaded an attack from behind. Her right leg stepped a bit more to the back, which made her position sideways from the soldier. Her right hand thrusted forward as she switched legs.

    Stab!

    The soldier fell down.

    Wei Liuying nodded to the soldier who warned her and stood in her position. The battle had ceased as there were only a few soldiers were left there.

    "Whose side are you on?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "We''re on Crown Prince Kou''s side, Crown Princess," one of the soldiers replied and bowed immediately.

    Wei Liuying nodded. She looked at the others as they immediately bowed down. It seemed that the soldier on the crown prince''s side was still on the winning side this time. However, the battle was not over.

    "Shi Mo?"

    "I''m here."

    The weak voice startled Wei Liuying. When the battle started, Shi Mo was heading to a different field and disappeared from her side. Wei Liuying glanced to the back and rushed over.

    The sight there was terrifying.

    The temporary houses were broken and the clothes were burned. As it was blocked by a tall stone wall, Wei Liuying couldn''t see anything from this side. Countless bodies were lying on the ground. Be it men, women, children¡­ there was no exception.

    Shi Mo was sitting with his back facing a stone wall with his right hand pressing onto his stomach. His entire body was drenched in blood, yet there was a crazed yet somewhat satisfied gaze in his eyes.

    "Shi Mo, what is this?"

    "They''re all the second prince''s people," Shi Mo replied.

    "I never give you order to kill the women and children," Wei Liuying said coldly.

    Shi Mo looked at Wei Liuying. "You didn''t. It''s my decision because I can''t let them grow up and become like you. Even a woman can be dangerous if they grow stronger, aren''t they?"

 Chapter 257 - I Never Say Iâ€™m A Good Person (2)

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. While it was true that women could be very dangerous, it didn''t mean that she wanted to kill them when they were merely here. From the sight here, she could guess that Xiong Tribe would be losing so much just from this battle alone.

    "War should have just targeted the soldiers."

    "They''re additional unintentional damage," Shi Mo said unhurriedly. "Are you going to be a good girl and say that I shouldn''t have killed them?"

    Wei Liuying was silent for a moment. There was always a saying that all is fair in war. Even though she didn''t want to involve these people if it was unnecessary, Shi Mo didn''t seem to be able to see it that way. However, Wei Liuying knew that there was nothing she could do anymore.

    "I never say I''m a good person."

    "Then¡­"

    "But I won''t allow you to continue your massacre for these innocent people anymore."

    Shi Mo frowned and struggled to stand up. "There''s no innocent person."

    "Yes, there''s no innocent person. Still, there''s no reason to involve them in the war." Wei Liuying looked to a distance where many soldiers were coming over. From their reaction, she could guess that they were not on their sides.

    "You¡­"

    "Too kind?"

    "Yes."

    "It''s stupid, but I don''t want them to be the one to die because they can''t even defend themselves properly. Are they wielding weapon and tried to kill you?" Wei Liuying asked once more. Her dark eyes were looking straight at Shi Mo.

    This time, Shi Mo couldn''t answer. They were not trying to fight back but run, yet he didn''t allow them. They were in the second prince''s side, so he didn''t want to spare any of them. In his eyes, even children could potentially become his enemies in the future.

    He didn''t want to sow any seeds of hatred where they would be coming to him again in the future.

    But Wei Liuying was completely different. She didn''t want to involve them because these people didn''t do anything. They didn''t wield weapon and didn''t even try to fight back, so she didn''t want to kill them. Unless even the women were carrying weapons and attacked, she wouldn''t kill them.

    Really¡­

    Despite living such a cruel life since childhood, Shi Mo felt that Wei Liuying was too soft as a person.

    "The battle is not over. There''ll be more soldiers coming."

    "You''ll fight?"

    "If I''m not fighting, who will fight?" Wei Liuying asked and looked at Shi Mo. "This time, do you want to fight the soldiers properly?"

    Fight the soldiers¡­.

    The one who killed Princess Ji Xiaoli back then was not only the second prince''s men but also his soldiers. There were many of their soldiers here, so he knew that he didn''t want to let them off.

    Slowly, Shi Mo struggled to stand. His gaze turned sharp. "Bring it on!"

    Wei Liuying looked at the incoming soldiers and closed her eyes for a moment. This entire incident was caused by her, but this is her choice. She could not turn back time. All she could do was to keep moving forward and face the consequences of her action.

    "As despicable as it might be, I can only make use of the soldiers in order to prevent any reinforcement for the second prince. This is the only possible method to reduce the casualties in our sides," Wei Liuying murmured. Her eyes looked at the people coming at her. "Because of that, you all have to die."

    Clang! Slash!

    ¡­

    - Prince Ji Sheng''s City -

    "The last message from Yang Xian," Gao Ling said with a frown. "Why is it a bird this time?"

    "It means the time has come," Ji Sheng replied unhurriedly. It was dawn, yet the bird came knocking to his window and disturbed him. Gao Ling, who was staying in the room next door, was also awake because of this.

    "You mean¡­"

    "Prepare for war," Prince Ji Sheng said in a low tone. "This will be a long battle."

    "Yes!"

    As Gao Ling rushed out, Prince Ji Sheng looked at the cloth in his hand. It was part of Yang Xian''s robe, which was torn forcefully to provide something to write. After all, it was hard to tie the bamboo strip to the small bird.

    The writing was done in a hurry. There was sign of the ink rubbed to the side, making the word a bit unclear. Prince Ji Sheng could also faintly notice the small red mark on the side.

    ''Xian, you better return back safely.''

    "General! There are soldiers from smaller tribes at the north of the city!"

    "Call everyone to prepared for battle."

    "Yes, General!"

    Prince Ji Sheng sighed. The last message from Yang Xian before this had already informed him the strange movements that they saw in the north. Even though there was no clear and definite proof, he had been preparing for war for some time. This message this morning just proved that it was already the time to start war.

    He looked at the north once more before he changed his clothes and wore his armor for battles.

    "Report the situation."

    "The two sides are ready, General Sheng. The tribes who come here are Tribe Yu, Hu, Mi, Ciao, and Rou."

    Prince Ji Sheng furrowed his brows. If he was not wrong, all of those tribes were located at the most north from them. There was no chance for his army to meet with people from these tribes because of the distance. They didn''t have any conflict between each other too.

    Walking to the front, Prince Ji Sheng could see the leader of each tribe was already standing in front of their army.

    "Can you give me a reason for coming so far away?" Prince Ji Sheng shouted.

    "You have already eliminated most of the tribes in this area. If we don''t stop your advance, you''ll take over our homeland!"

    "We come here to stop you and to take back the areas that belong to us in the past!"

 Chapter 258 - Itâ€™s A War

    It was true that the area where Prince Ji Sheng was standing now used to be part of the tribes. However, it was thanks to the war that Han Shi Kingdom managed to push the tribes back or coerce them to be part of Han Shi Kingdom. This was what caused the border to be pushed to the front a bit.

    Prince Ji Sheng frowned. He knew that even if he said to them that he didn''t have any intention to expand the territory to the north, they would not believe him. After all, there were already constant war in this area for so long.

    "FIGHT!"

    The shout from another leader started the battle. The soldiers from the tribes were rushing to the wall and tried to climb with the stairs they have brought along. On the other hand, the soldiers on the wall prevented them from reaching the wall by shooting arrows.

    "Continue shooting," Gao Ling ordered. She was the one who had to take care part of the archers.

    "Yes!"

    Gao Ling gritted her teeth as she watched the situation before her. These tribes were middle sized and normally would not come here to seek trouble. After all, they have their own way to live at the very north of this area. Yet they came here today and wage war with Han Shi Kingdom.

    "How''s the situation?"

    "We''re holding the line."

    The tribe soldiers who managed to climb the wall was facing the soldiers who were already arranged to stall and kill them. The archers continued to shoot for hours. Even if their hands were already numb, they didn''t stop and continued to fight.

    The casualties from the two sides were growing.

    Han Shi Kingdom was having advantage, but Prince Ji Sheng knew that tomorrow it would be an even bigger battle. With the reinforcement from the second prince that the two strategists couldn''t stop on their own, there would be a massive battle here.

    "General Sheng, it''s nearing night time."

    "Continue shooting."

    "Yes, General!"

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at the north and frowned. Now that the city was under siege, how did the two strategists will return to the city. He couldn''t possibly open the gate that they have blocked with large rock just to bring those two inside.

    ''What should I¡­''

    Bang!

    At this time, one of the stairs was suddenly pushed back. It sent the soldiers who were trying to climb to their death due to the fall. At the same time, one of the soldiers who were wearing the tribe''s clothing suddenly began to attack his friends.

    "Hey!"

    "What in the world¡­?"

    "AAAa!"

    Prince Ji Sheng''s soldiers were stunned by the sudden development, yet they didn''t stop moving. When the other tribe soldiers were all killed, the man stopped moving and removed his cap. Even though the sky had dimmed, they could see the youthful face of the familiar strategist of theirs.

    "STRATEGIST YANG?" one of the soldiers shouted with a dumbfounded tone.

    "Yep," Yang Xian replied with a laugh. "Where''s General Sheng? I need to have a talk with him."

    "This way, Strategist Yang."

    Wiping the blood from his face, Yang Xian sighed. This was actually a risky plan that he thought when he was approaching this place. Since the soldiers came from several tribes, there should be less security amongst themselves because of the difference between each tribe. It would make it easier for him to sneak in.

    The next problem was to climb the stair without getting wounded by his friends. He could only stick behind other soldier and tried to stay outside the arrow''s range. At the same time, he purposely chose the area that was far from Gao Ling''s location.

    She often changed her course to shoot those who were climbing, so he had to evade her at all cost.

    It didn''t take a long time for Yang Xian to arrive by Prince Ji Sheng''s place. The latter was looking at the battle before him before he turned around. "We''ll be running out of arrows soon."

    "Who are you to kid? We''ve more than enough to launch full scale attack for an entire month without stopping," Yang Xian retorted. He had already send message to Prince Ji Sheng numerous times to continue replenish their arrows supplies. When it came to defending the city, arrows were very essential.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. By this time, there was already order to retreat from the enemy''s side because it was night. He waved his hand to signal the gong to ring in order for the soldiers to return back and rest.

    "Where''s Liu Ying?"

    "She''s at the north, taking care of the mess," Yang Xian replied.

    Prince Ji Sheng furrowed his brows. "Elaborate."

    "Second prince''s army will arrive here soon. Prince Lian is personally leading the army and he''s not far behind me when I departed. However, due to the dispute in their main camp, Prince Lian can only use half of his soldiers and the rest are still there to safeguard their headquarters."

    Prince Ji Sheng was silent for a moment. "And Liu Ying is there to stop them?"

    "Yes. She''ll make use of the soldier''s loyalty to Prince Kou to make them help her. Whether she will succeed or not is still not known."

    Yang Xian''s fingers were clenched into a fist. He didn''t want to agree to this too, but he knew that Wei Liuying had no chance to slip like what he did. If a short and small soldier suddenly sneaked in, people would be suspicious. It was already the best option for her to stay behind and help in different way.

    "Can you prepare everything for tomorrow?" Prince Ji Sheng asked. His eyes were looking at Yang Xian''s fist as he pondered internally.

    "Yes, I can. I''ll make haste."

    "Wait."

    "Yes?"

    "First, you need to eat and take a bath. Your smell will scare the soldiers away."

    Yang Xian: "¡­" I completely forgot about that point.

    Before Yang Xian could leave, Prince Ji Sheng turned around and looked into a distance. "This is war, Xian. Risk is inevitable."

    "I know, General Sheng," Yang Xian responded without turning around. "I''ll take my leave."

 Chapter 259 - Stalemate

    "I know, General Sheng," Yang Xian responded without turning around. "I''ll take my leave."

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at Yang Xian''s back and sighed. No one wanted to lose anyone, but in a war, it was inevitable. They have to take a risk in order to achieve victory and sometimes, they have to put the one whom they cared about at the frontline. This would not stop until the time the war end.

    But when would it be?

    No one knew.

    The preparation went smoothly. With Yang Xian''s presence, they began to arrange the commanders in their respective place more effectively. At the same time, Yang Xian would continue to make circle in order to see the situation in each wall. They have to make sure no walls was lacking in manpower.

    When Prince Lian arrived by the location, the war started once more.

    The two sides clashed heavily on top of the wall. Arrows continued to shoot nonstop towards the tribes'' soldiers as time passed. And this time, Prince Ji Sheng joined the fray directly at the north wall and eliminated most of the enemies with his own hand.

    "With Strategist Yang, the battle become even more efficient," a soldier remarked.

    Beside him, Gao Ling nodded. "There are clear division in the battlefield. Besides, having to do so much all at once is not easy."

    "Are you trying to find excuse to escape your training miss?" Hai Yue asked in deadpan tone. Her hands were carrying several tubes filled with arrows as her task was to make sure that this small squad didn''t lack in arrows.

    "I''m not."

    "Making reason that there are too many things to learn is not good, Miss."

    Gao Ling pursed her lips and focused her attention to her enemies again. It was not like she liked to escape from her training, but there were times when she felt that learning women arts were too hard. She still could do the basic just fine, but when it was compared to many other ladies, she might be lacking at times.

    Dzing!

    The battle lasted until it was night time before the gong was sounded. Neither side managed to gain the victory as they have similar strength. The balance of power would make it hard for either side to gain the advantage.

    "What''s your plan, Xian?" Prince Ji Sheng asked when he saw Yang Xian coming to the north wall.

    "Press them," Yang Xian replied. "We''ll eliminate most of the soldiers tomorrow."

    "Not targeting the leader?"

    There were two methods to end a war. One was to target their commander and killed him at the shortest time possible. Second was to eliminate most soldiers so that the war couldn''t continue. If one wanted to end the war as soon as possible, they would surely target the commander first and not chose the second method that would be time consuming and wasted more soldiers.

    "No."

    "Why?"

    "It''ll be hard to target the commander unless they go up here. We don''t have archer that could shoot from a distance away accurately with full power," Yang Xian replied. They have good archers, but the distance to the commanders was too long to reach. This method would be unusable.

    Prince Ji Sheng furrowed his brows. "It''ll take more time."

    "It''s better than losing everything in one go."

    "How about Liu Ying?"

    Yang Xian''s lips twitched a bit when the name was mentioned. There was no news coming from Wei Liuying even until now. it was a bit weird from his perspective, but he had no other choice but to wait.

    "We''ll wait."

    "Speaking of that, you know that there''s smoke signal on the day of your return, right?" Prince Ji Sheng recalled that there was smoke signal. It must have already warned General Gao and many other commanders in this area. They were rushing to the north as soon as possible to help them.

    Yang Xian nodded. "I know, but it''ll take at least two days for the soldiers to reach this place. Besides, most of them would stop between Dong Shan City and this city because of the suitable terrain."

    In other words, they would abandon Prince Ji Sheng'' City.

    Since Winter had just passed, there were only soldiers in this place. They would be used to push the tribe soldiers to the back and advance further into Han Shi Kingdom''s territory.

    "You want to make them move into the territory?" Prince Ji Sheng asked.

    "Prince Lian hated you the most, so he''ll try to have a frontal battle with you when he realized our strategy is to eliminate most soldiers. If they wish to capture cities, a certain number of soldiers is necessary," Yang Xian said with a smile. "If there are not enough soldiers, they won''t be able to move forward."

    "Indeed. Relay the message to the commanders."

    "Yes, General!"

    By the side, Gao Ling was listening with chills running down her spine. When she saw Yang Xian''s smile just now, she felt as if she was looking at a demon rather than a human. She didn''t understand how he could speak about that cruel strategy so nonchalantly as if it was a talk over the weather.

    "What is it, Ling''er?"

    "Your strategist''s other side is surprising," Gao Ling replied.

    Prince Ji Sheng arched his eyebrows and shook his head lightly. "Even though he looks amiable, he''s still someone who used to live by himself at the frontline and faced those depraved human beings where many were forced to show their true nature under severe conditions. You should have already known how scheming and black belly he could be."

    Gao Ling: "¡­" true enough.

    She was not present when Prince Ji Sheng first met with Yang Xian, but she had heard the story. The story that was told was about Prince Ji Sheng taking in a beast in. it was only later that the beast changed to that of a formal strategist. Only those who were close with Prince Ji Sheng knew how Yang Xian looked like nearly a decade ago.

    "What does Yang Xian look like when he was young?"

    Prince Ji Sheng paused in his steps. The memory of his first meeting with Yang Xian emerged as the scrawny figure of a kid resurfaced. "You wouldn''t want to know."

    "Eh?"

    "Go to rest. Tomorrow will be another long battle."

    "Yes!"

 Chapter 260 - Stalemate (2)

    The next day, the stalemate continued. With Yang Xian''s order, the archers were now more focused to wound all the soldiers rather than just shooting randomly. This lowered their shooting rate but increasing their accuracy. At the same time, the infantry placed on the wall was experiencing higher pressure due to the increasing amount of soldiers who managed to climb.

    Fortunately, they were able to hold on well.

    "Strategist Yang, the east wall is asking for reinforcement!"

    Yang Xian waved his hand. "Ask the archers to begin rapid shoot."

    "Yes!"

    By changing the strategy between the archers and infantry, Yang Xian controlled the city''s condition to make sure that no wall was breached. Wars could last for days or even weeks, so he had to make sure that they made no mistake. Even a single mistake could lead to a fatal result.

    They could not afford it.

    ''It''s been two days since you lit up the smoke signal, but you still haven''t returned?'' Yang Xian looked at the north with frown. He was still worried for Wei Liuying, but he couldn''t possibly depart back to the dry lands and searched for her. Two days were enough to reach Prince Ji Sheng''s City from the location where Xiong Tribe camped out.

    Yet, Wei Liuying still hadn''t come.

    There were also possibilities that Wei Liuying was somewhere outside and unable to come inside, so yang Xian tried his best to calm down.

    Gong!

    When the gong sounded, it marked the end of the third day of the battle. The two sides were still at stalemate, but the number of casualties on the two sides increased. It was even more so for Xiong Tribe who realized that the number of the soldiers in their side lost great deal.

    "Your Highness, we won''t be able to fight if this continues."

    "Taking over a city is more important than taking this city," another soldiers chirped in.

    Prince Lian looked at the soldier coldly. He knew very well that they needed to bypass this city if they wished to enter. However, the biggest problem lies in the fact that if they chose to ignore this city, they might get trapped in two sides.

    At that time, it was unknown what would happen.

    "Your Highness, there''s a messenger from the back."

    "Give it to me."

    Prince Lian took the cloth and read the word. His eyes widened when he read the content then he looked at the commanders. "Have you seen Strategist Liu anywhere?"

    "No."

    "Strategist Yang also unexpected sneak in to the troops back then."

    "We have only seen Strategist Yang around."

    Playing with the cloth, a smile formed on the corner of Prince Lian''s mouth. "Send people to the north. We''ll bypassing the city tomorrow."

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

    Prince Lian was in a good mood. Even though the battle resulted in more losses for them, he had gained another piece of good news from this piece of cloth. It would be more than enough for him to recoup the losses that he had experienced all this time.

    "is it not too hasty, Your Highness?"

    "This is the best time. Isn''t Prince Ji Sheng also someone who cares for his subordinate a lot. I want to see whether the news is true or not," Prince Lian replied while humming a song.

    His subordinates couldn''t say anything and chose to stay silent. It would be better if they didn''t say anything or they might not be able to face the consequences.

    ¡­

    The next day, Yang Xian noticed the enemy''s movement almost immediately. He furrowed his brows. "It''s too fast."

    "Isn''t fast good?" Gao Ling asked with questions.

    "In this case, no."

    "Why?"

    Yang Xian no longer replied. The number of troops that Prince Lian had was still more than enough for him to last much longer in this place and tried other tactics to win over the city. Directly bypassing the city was the same as courting death no matter how many soldiers they left behind to take care of this place.

    He couldn''t understand what was in Prince Lian''s mind right now.

    "There must be something that made them confident to bypass the city right now," Yang Xian said unhurriedly. He looked at Prince Ji Sheng. "Take 5000 soldiers and open the south gate. I''m coming out with you and we''ll attack with pinch attack."

    "The area is all lower ground there."

    "It doesn''t matter."

    "Xian, you''re not allowed to make hasty decision," Prince Ji Sheng warned.

    Yang Xian looked back at the third prince with his clear gaze. "The soldiers they left behind to take care of Prince Ji Sheng''s City are only the soldiers from other tribes with part of their soldiers. I''m sure that Commander Zhao and Lady Gao will be more than enough to ensure the city didn''t fall. They only need to follow the same strategy that we have agreed upon before."

    Looking at the enemy''s movement, what Yang Xian said was correct. With that number of enemies, there was a low chance that the enemy would be able to breach Prince Ji Sheng''s City''s defense.

    But¡­.

    "How about reinforcement? We''re not the only one who can ask for reinforcement," Prince Ji Sheng asked.

    "There''s no reinforcement," Yang Xian replied. "From the moment the smoke signal was lit, it meant that Liu Ying had arrived in their headquarter and managed to instigate battle. I''m sure that the damage she did there would be more than enough to create catastrophic losses on Xiong Tribe''s side."

    His tone was cold and indifferent. It was as if he had no intention other than reporting what happened to Prince Ji Sheng. There was no longer any sign of nervousness and worry that he showed just yesterday. Yang Xian had completely sealed all of his emotion deep into his heart.

    He couldn''t show his weakness in front of others, especially when it was in a dire time like this.

    "In that case, we''ll go with that plan."

 Chapter 261 - Frontal Battle

    "General Sheng!" Gao Ling was stunned. "If we open the gate, it''ll be hard for us to close it again!"

    "We''ll be fighting outside and brought enough supplies to last for a week''s time," Yang Xian replied. After we go out of the gate, we''ll stay in the south wall for a while and eliminate all the soldiers there before chasing Prince Lian. Will that do?"

    "That''s..." plenty.

    Gao Ling felt that she was utterly defeated by Yang Xian. No other words could come out of her throat anymore as she nodded unwillingly. Even though they were in a dire situation where they have to make decision almost right away, there was nothing but calmness in Yang Xian''s face.

    It was as if everything was within his calculation even though they knew that it was completely untrue.

    He only kept calm because it would soothe the overall situation.

    "We''ll go now. Take care, Ling''er."

    "En. You too, Ji Sheng."

    Taking his elite soldiers with him, they began to move to the south wall. While the soldiers were still busy fighting, Prince Lian led his soldiers to bypass the city by splitting his soldiers into two. The arrows still reach their uttermost side, but they could bypass the city just fine.

    "Is this alright, Your Highness?"

    "Yes, continue to report the situation to me."

    "Yes!"

    Prince Lian looked at the city with a smile on his face. It was as if he was provoking those people to come and chase after him.

    Bang!

    The gate was pushed open and soldiers rushed out. Prince Ji Sheng was at the leading position as he looked at Prince Lian''s direction. There was determination in his eyes to chase after that prince.

    "Your Highness!"

    "Giddy up!" Prince Lian ordered.

    Prince Ji Sheng furrowed his brows. Just as he was about to give order to chase, Yang Xian came out on top of a horse. "Stop and eliminate the soldiers around here first. Don''t get in to your emotion, General Sheng."

    "You always know how to destroy the fun, Xian."

    "It''s my duty."

    "Heh," Prince Ji Sheng changed his stance and began to lead the soldiers to eliminate the soldiers in this area. The archers swiftly moved to the east and west side in order to help while the soldiers were working to block the gate again after all the soldiers have come out.

    Yang Xian sighed and continued to give order as he paid close attention to the soldiers'' movement. When it came to battle, Prince Ji Sheng sometimes were hard to control because he would be too excited or fully determined to reach his goal. At that time, Yang Xian had no other choice but to take over the control.

    "Keep the line!"

    "Yes!"

    It took them some time before the gate was fully closed and the rock was placed back into its original place. Yang Xian finally looked at Prince Ji Sheng, who was already in killing spree of the soldiers there.

    "MOVE FORWARD!"

    The order startled Prince Ji Sheng. A smile broke out from his lips as he raised his sword and shouted, "To the South! We''ll chase Prince Lian!"

    Ooooo!

    Shouts from the soldiers were mixed with the sound of clashing. Under Prince Ji Sheng''s lead, they all rushed on top of their horses to the path between Prince Ji Sheng''s City and Dong Shan City.

    "Archers!" Gao Ling gave order on top of the walls. "Shoot now!"

    As Prince Ji Sheng and his soldiers left, she was the one who took control of the city along with Commander Zhao and other commanders there. Looking at a distance, she silently prayed for the best.

    Drap! Drap!

    The horses were forced to move faster. As they got deeper into the territory, Prince Lian furrowed his brows. "Aren''t they supposed to be smaller villages between Prince Ji Sheng''s City and Dong Shan City?"

    "They''re up in the hill, Your Highness."

    "Oh? They moved?"

    Back then, there were several smaller villages in this area that belonged to other tribes. Prince Lian still remembered their existences because they always gave his father headache back then. Now that they have moved their village location, it felt strange to him.

    "Why did they move?"

    "Isn''t it because the location is too low and battle often occurred?"

    "It''s possible," Prince Lian responded. Still, he couldn''t shake off the feeling that there was something wrong.

    "Your Highness, there are soldiers at the front!"

    Prince Lian raised his head and looked at the row of soldiers before him. He furrowed his brows and waved his hand. "Shield at the front!"

    Dzing! Dzing!

    Rain of arrows were heading in their direction. Between Prince Ji Sheng''s City and Dong Shan City, there was a row of hills. It was a perfect place for the commanders to positioned their soldiers. After all, higher places have better advantage.

    "Move forward!"

    "Your Highness, Prince Ji Sheng is approaching from behind!"

    "So quick?" Prince Lian was stunned. It seemed that he underestimated the capabilities of Yang Xian and the soldiers under Prince Ji Sheng. However, he was already prepared for this as he waved his hand. "Double line!"

    "Yes!"

    Clang! Clang!

    As Prince Ji Sheng approached, he started the fight. Behind him, Yang Xian slowly led the soldiers and gave order for them to spread to the sides. They have to reach the hills if they wanted to gain the advantage in this battle.

    Clang!

    "You''ve come, Ji Sheng."

    "I didn''t expect you to be so brave, Prince Lian," Prince Ji Sheng replied.

    Prince Lian laughed coldly. "Do you think I''m stupid to come here without any preparation? MOVE!"

    The soldiers began to move. As it turned out, half of the soldiers that Prince Lian brought with him were heavy cavalries. They were donned in heavy armor, which would slow them down. But at the same time, they were much stronger and could easily eliminate their enemies.

    "Ho." Prince Ji Sheng looked at the soldiers coldly. "You sure come prepared."

 Chapter 262 - Bargain

    "Ho." Prince Ji Sheng looked at the soldiers coldly. "You sure come prepared."

    Prince Lian laughed. "Of course."

    "But do you think this will be enough to stop me?"

    "Heh."

    Clang! Clang!

    Sounds of battles continued to ensue in the entire road. Yang Xian led the soldiers to the hills and looked to the other side. It seemed that there was no one who stopped their advance. However, the enemy soldiers were approaching fast because they also wanted to reach the hills.

    "Archers to the back and the rest stop the soldiers!"

    "Yes!"

    Yang Xian arranged the archers in position while looking to the other side of the hills. He furrowed his brows and gave signal for them to follow suit. It would be a bit hard because the commander there was quite slow in uptake. Thankfully, they began to make the necessary formation.

    "General Sheng!" Yang Xian called out.

    Prince Ji Sheng furrowed his brows when he heard that. He looked at Prince Lian before him, who was still wielding his sword. They have been clashing with each other for some time. But now, the time was up.

    "We shall fight again later."

    "Are you afraid, Ji Sheng?" Prince Lian asked coldly.

    "No, but it''s not necessary."

    "Do you think I''ll let you go?"

    Prince Ji Sheng smiled and waved his hands, signaling his soldiers to climb the hills and leave him be. Afterwards, he switched his stance and stopped his horse. His sword was raised as he blocked the attack from Prince Lian perfectly.

    "Can you even stop me?"

    His legs moved from its position and kicked Prince Lian''s horse at the same time his sword moved below Prince Lian''s sword.

    Swish!

    Neigh!

    The horse was unstable for a moment, but it was more than enough for Prince Ji Sheng to leave Prince Lian.

    Drap! Drap!

    Prince Lian could only watch with gritted teeth as Prince Ji Sheng rushed to the side where Yang Xian was staying. His eyes were looking at the soldiers who were chasing after them as he gave his order, "Stop them."

    "Yes, General!"

    The soldiers began to move rapidly and continued their work to stop the soldiers from coming closer. The fight continued to last for a long time. By this time, the formation of Han Shi Kingdom''s soldier had turned to that of U shape while the Xiong Tribe was trapped in between.

    "Are we not going to surround them?"

    "Our number lose greatly against them," Yang Xian replied. "Besides, the sun will set soon, so it''s a bit inefficient."

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at Yang Xian. "Isn''t it because you have different plan?"

    "That''s something that you don''t need to worry so much," Yang Xian replied.

    Prince Lian was forced into a defensive position. Just as the sun was set, a horse was coming from the north to their direction.

    "What''s that?"

    Yang Xian furrowed his brows as he tried to squint his eyes. By this time, the battle had halted because it would be too dark soon enough. The two sides ceased their attack as the horse was coming in. There was one man on top of the horse while carrying something like items in front of him.

    No, it''s not item.

    It''s human.

    "Xian."

    "I know, Your Highness," Yang Xian glowered through gritted teeth. His eyes were looking at Prince Lian as he cursed his stupidity. Of course they would notice if someone like Wei Liuying were to disappear from the scene, yet he forgot to create a fake one.

    They were too preoccupied with the battle that they forgot that Wei Liuying was famous in the battlefield. Those generals and commanders at the north basically knew her name. If they didn''t see a childlike person coming in and out of Prince Ji Sheng or Yang Xian''s place, it would be utterly suspicious.

    Not to mention, there might be some spies from the other side among their soldiers.

    Prince Ji Sheng sighed. "It''s my mistake."

    "It''s not." Yang Xian closed his eyes and looked to the back. "Lit up the signal."

    "Strategist, this¡­"

    "Do it."

    The soldiers were unwilling, but he knew that he couldn''t possibly go against Prince Ji Sheng and Strategist Yang''s words. Besides, these two would know what they were doing better than anyone else.

    "Yes¡­"

    Prince Lian looked at the soldier who came and then to the young girl who was tied. The white dress was dirty along with several patches of blood. Even though she was wounded, there was no sign of giving up on her beautiful face.

    "Liu Ying?" Prince Lian asked as he came forward. His hand clasped the young girl''s jaw and lifted her head to look at him. It was then he could see her expression better. "I never expect that the upcoming strategist is actually a pretty boy, or are you a girl?"

    Wei Liuying kept her mouth shut. She was cursing her mistake for coming close enough and then got surrounded by the soldiers. Her small frame alone was more than enough to attract their attention.

    Prince Lian looked at Prince Ji Sheng who was staying up above. His hand grasped Wei Liuying''s shoulder roughly as he pushed her to the front.

    "Ji Sheng!"

    "What do you want, Prince Lian?"

    "I heard that you''re someone who cared for your subordinate. How about seeing your most beloved upcoming strategist die today?" Prince Lian asked with a broad smile.

    Prince Ji Sheng didn''t immediately reply. He simply turned to look at Yang Xian as if asking for the latter''s opinion.

    Prince Lian noticed the strange atmosphere and arched his eyebrows. "I have always been thinking about this, but Strategist Liu is surprisingly feminine. Could it be that your first strategist is falling for this little b*stard?"

    Once again, Prince Ji Sheng was silent. He continued to look at Yang Xian as if waiting for him to say something.

    At this time, Yang Xian was looking in Wei Liuying''s direction. His dark eyes were staring back at Wei Liuying with no intention of moving his gaze somewhere else. At the same time, his fingers were clasped so tightly that blood started to ooze out.

    "Wei Liuying, what do you have to say?"

    At that moment, Yang Xian used Wei Liuying''s real name. The soldiers were stunned when they heard what Yang Xian said. Some of them knew this name while the others didn''t know. Those who knew felt sweat was dripping on their back.

    Wei Liuying was the name of Prime Minister Wei''s third daughter, who was supposed to die in the temple not long ago. Yet, Strategist Liu has been with them ever since their departure from the capital city half a year before that incident.

    What did that imply?

    No one dared to speculate as they were waiting for their strategist answer.

    Wei Liuying raised her head weakly and looked at Yang Xian. Slowly, she opened her mouth, "I¡­"

 Chapter 263 - What It Meant To Be The Leader

    *Three days prior*

    Clang! Clang!

    The sky had darkened, yet the battles were not over yet. Wei Liuying could feel the freezing temperature began to penetrate her clothes. It was unbearable.

    All of them were forcing their selves to the limit. There was no end to the soldiers who wanted to kill Wei Liuying. Prince Lian had already worked himself to the bone in order to secure his position.

    This time, Wei Liuying would eliminate all of them.

    ''I can''t believe Yang Xian survived in this kind of place.''

    "There are more soldiers on the back, but we don''t have enough people, Princess," one of the soldiers said with hint of heartache.

    The camp where Xiong Tribe was staying was separated into three parts. The outer part was where the soldiers were staying. The second part was where the rest of the soldiers along with their families lived. The last part has the least soldiers because it was the location where the ordinary people lived.

    "It''s over," Wei Liuying replied. She turned to look at the soldiers and noticed that only two soldiers were still alive. "I''ll rest now."

    "Yes, Princess."

    Dragging her weary body, Wei Liuying walked to the nearby camp and looked at the side. There was a pile of corpses there, in which most of them were the soldiers who tried to kill Wei Liuying. The one who killed them all were Shi Mo.

    Her heart dropped when she didn''t see the sight of Shi Mo anywhere. In the end, she chose to call out, "Shi Mo, are you still alive?"

    "¡­Yes¡­"

    Hearing his faint voice, Wei Liuying rushed forward. She looked at the front and noticed Shi Mo''s body amongst the dead bodies. He was wounded terribly as he had to force himself to fight despite his fatigue and wounds.

    "I''ll treat you."

    "No, Princess, I¡­"

    "Don''t be like Princess Ji Xiaoli," Wei Liuying said coldly. But as she tried to pull Shi Mo''s body, she noticed the sword that pierced through the man''s stomach. If she pulled him carelessly, his wound would open and blood would flow out, killing him because of blood loss instantly.

    Shi Mo laughed drily. "I¡­ can''t fulfil my promise¡­"

    "You won''t die. I''ll treat you, so¡­."

    "Give this¡­ to Yan¡­"

    Shi Mo took out a piece of cloth from his clothes as he looked at Wei Liuying. He laughed drily. "It''s¡­ a suicidal mission¡­"

    Wei Liuying opened her mouth and closed it again. When she decided to come here, she had known that the chance for her to survive was extremely low. Because of that, she didn''t want to bring Shi Mo with her, but he insisted that she would need him.

    Now, it was proven true that she needed him.

    But he had to pay the ultimate price.

    "I''m sorry," Wei Liuying muttered out. Her dark eyes were staring at Shi Mo with pain and guilt mixed in.

    "It''s... not your fault¡­ it''s my decision to come here¡­"

    "But I''m the one who¡­"

    "It''s our duties¡­. and we''re¡­ willing¡­. to step¡­. forward. That''s why, even¡­ if we¡­. know that¡­. our general is¡­. asking us to give¡­. our lives¡­ for victory, we''re¡­ ready."

    Wei Liuying looked at Shi Mo, who was staring back at her. He was gasping for breath, yet he continued to speak.

    "Aren''t you¡­ the same?"

    The same?

    When she was in the middle of battle, Wei Liuying could no longer count the time when she simply did what she had to do. Even if the task that Prince Ji Sheng or Yang Xian''s gave would meant that she had to give up a high price, she still did it. It was all simply because she knew her duties and responsibility as a soldier.

    Yes¡­

    Even if she knew that she had to die, she would still do what she was supposed to do.

    "I understand. Thank you¡­. very much, Shi Mo."

    Shi Mo gave a smile on his face. As he looked to the sky, a faint figure of Princess Ji Xiaoli resurfaced. When he was doing his work to protect her and all, he began to see many sides of the princess. Unfortunately, they were born in a completely different side and thus, they were unable to stay together.

    He could only protect her from afar and seeing her smiling happily, it was enough for him.

    If there was another life for them, he hoped that fate would be kind enough to give them a better chance to be together.

    With that, Shi Mo breathed his last.

    Wei Liuying stayed still in her place and looked at Shi Mo. The sun had completely set, making the temperature dropped terribly. However, Wei Liuying stayed still in her position for some time before she started to walk to the empty tent. She lit up the fire and sat down on the bed.

    She didn''t know who this place used to belong to.

    And she was not in the right mind to think about it.

    Looking at the front, tears streamed out from the corner of her eyes. Wei Liuying had been living as the strategist for months. She had seen countless deaths and people dying because of her order and strategy. Because of that, she thought that she had gotten used with the responsibilities of a leader.

    Yet, why? Why would she feel the burden too much now?

    She had only met with Princess Ji Xiaoli and Shi Mo a few times, but she was closer to them rather than the soldiers that Prince Ji Sheng commanded. As she had to move platoons several times, she didn''t have the time to get close to all of them. She could only remember some of them whom she interacted directly with.

    ''A true leader is someone who understand the consequences of his/her action and come into terms with it.''

    It was impossible for her to make sure that no one died in the battlefield. All she could do was to make sure that the number of casualties was low. It was her role. However, she knew that it was also her order that sent them to their end.

    Generals and strategist could only reach their position by stepping on the pile of dead bodies laid before them. It was a path that was created through countless sacrifice from people who were willing to serve the kingdom.

 Chapter 264 - What It Meant To Be The Leader (2)

    However, she knew that it was also her order that sent them to their end.

    Generals and strategist could only reach their position by stepping on the pile of dead bodies laid before them. It was a path that was created through countless sacrifice from people who were willing to serve the kingdom.

    ''I should rest and leave tomorrow.''

    Wei Liuying wiped her tears and tore part of her sleeves and rolled it up. There were several marks of blades on her arm. After fighting for so long, she didn''t come out unscathed. She searched for some medicine in the tent and then wrapped her wounds with bandages.

    After a while, Wei Liuying put the equipment away and lied down on the bed.

    The night passed quietly.

    The smell of blood would surely attract more people from Xiong Tribe, but Wei Liuying couldn''t possibly leave the area directly. The cold wind would kill her if she were to get out now.

    She had no other choice but to stay here until it was morning.

    Just right before dawn, Wei Liuying draped thick fur clothes and headed to the stable. She picked one of the horses there and ride it, completely ignoring the complete mess in the area. People from the third area would surely come soon because of the smell of blood, so she couldn''t stay here any longer.

    ''I wish I''ll not be too late.''

    She dragged Shi Mo''s body with her. She couldn''t possibly let his body stayed in this place and possibly left the traces. Even though it pained her greatly to see his body, she pushed down all of her feelings and proceeded with her plan.

    There was no one around, so Wei Liuying immediately paced the horse through the plains. As for the third place, she had little confidence that she would be able to survive should she meet them.

    Bang!

    It was not long after she had left that soldiers were coming into the bloody camp.

    "Your Majesty!" the soldiers who were still alive, which only amounted to two, quickly stepped forward and bowed down.

    The Emperor looked in their direction with cold gaze. The third area, which he was staying was located in the middle of rock formation. It was the safest area and also a distance away from this military camp. It was the place where their people lived and the reason why it was located a bit further from the military camp was to prevent children from coming in.

    They didn''t want to create unnecessary casualties because of their mistake.

    One of the soldiers stepped forward and told the emperor about what happened the day before. He explained everything, including the change that occurred to Princess Ji Xiaoli and the fact that Prince Kou was going to come with reinforcement.

    "So, it''s a brutal battle between siblings," the Emperor said slowly. He had heard that there was a lot of noise in the military camp, but since the people here were always like that and often have mock battle suddenly, he didn''t pay that much attention. It was only when it was night time that he realized the smell of blood and also the fact that there were several pillars.

    Unfortunately, it was impossible for him to get out of the tent when it was night time unless they wished to die.

    They have to wait until it was morning.

    "You''re telling me that Princess Ji Xiaoli changed overnight because of battle?" the Emperor asked coldly.

    "Y..yes, Your Majesty."

    "She hold sword?"

    "Yes."

    "What else?"

    "Her words were very concise and she''s great at commanding."

    The Emperor snorted. He had met with Princess Ji Xiaoli countless times in the past. He would believe it more if people say that chicken could fly rather than Princess Ji Xiaoli commanded the soldiers who used to belong to the first prince. It was simply an unachievable feat for someone like Princess Ji Xiaoli.

    The only possibly person to do this would be a veteran in battle who had already fought at the frontline countless times. However, there shouldn''t be anyone who had similar built with Princess Ji Xiaoli¡­.

    Unless they were children.

    "She''s not Princess Ji Xiaoli."

    "Your Majesty?"

    "You''re all fooled by Strategist Liu," the Emperor said coldly. He waved his hand and his soldiers killed the two men. Looking to the west, he knew that his first son would never return. Prince Kou always had the tendency to run away when problem arise, so he could guess that his first son would never return.

    Looking at the mess in the camp, the Emperor felt his head hurt. There were hundreds or even thousands soldiers died because of one person.

    "Hah, if I don''t personally kill that Liu Ying, I''m no longer the Emperor of Xiong Tribe," the Emperor said coldly. He turned to look at his soldier. "Send a message to Lian. Tell him that Strategist Liu is not within the city but in the dry lands. He can use that strategist to push Ji Sheng back or just simply kill that strategist."

    "Yes, Your Majesty!"

    The soldiers in Xiong Tribe have been docked greatly because of this incident. It would not be easy to recover from this loss. At the same time, the battle was not over yet because they have to take over several cities from Han Shi Kingdom if they wished to recoup the losses they got.

    ''I can''t send more soldiers to help Lian.''

    The soldiers who were left were soldiers under direct order of the emperor. He couldn''t possibly send them to help Prince Lian out when the defense here was already compromised. The only thing that he could do was to send message to Prince Lian to inform what happened here.

    "Lian better win the war or Xiong Tribe''s name will be wiped from the map," the Emperor muttered in a low voice.

    More losses on their battle would be fatal for them.

    They could not afford to have any other loss.

 Chapter 265 - Miscalculation

    *pant* *pant*

    It took two days for Wei Liuying to reach Village K and buried Shi Mo''s body in his house just beside Princess Ji Xiaoli''s grave. The grave was crude, but it was all that Wei Liuying could do in her current condition.

    ''Should I stay here or return back?''

    Wei Liuying looked to the south as the sky turned bright. She could guess that the battle had already started ever since some time ago. It would be impossible for her to join into the battle if they found out that she was not in the city.

    Sneaking into that fortress city would be difficult unless she was ready to be persecuted because of trespassing.

    ''What should I do?''

    As Wei Liuying stuffed some dried bread that she bought, Wei Liuying chose to head over to the river to wash her clothes. She had been pacing the horse nonstop to reach Village K because she wanted to bury Shi Mo in this place along with evading the chase from Xiong Tribe''s soldiers.

    Splash!

    The water was cold, yet Wei Liuying didn''t have a change in her expression.

    She had the option either to wait here until the battle was over or to rush in and help them. However, Wei Liuying highly doubted that she would be able to help them in her current condition. Her body was weary from the long journey and there were many wounds all over her body.

    She felt tired.

    Washing her face on the river, Wei Liuying felt a bit better. She wiped her face and then looked down at her dress. It was still the same dress that she wore a few days ago. There was no chance for her to take a bath and changed it over the past few days because she was rushing back.

    If she was any other young ladies, she might have long screamed, asking for bath and all.

    It was good that she had gotten used to this situation.

    ''There are people coming.''

    Wei Liuying stood up and looked into a distance. There were several people riding horses who were coming from the south. The war shouldn''t have ended yet and their number was a bit too many for messengers.

    ''Did they found out about me?''

    She dressed up as a girl, but it was inevitable that there was only one person with small frame that they knew would be able to accomplish something such as destroying the enemy''s base effortlessly. In addition, her swordsmanship skill would be hard to believe if one didn''t see it with their own eyes.

    In other words, she had to escape.

    Wei Liuying rushed to her horse and jumped onto the horseback. Her eyes were looking into a distance as she furrowed her brows. There was not much option for her to leave. The next village was either at the west or east, but they were half a day''s journey. Leaving at this time would make her land there after it was night time.

    She would die during the journey if she were to be exposed to the night wind.

    There was no other option.

    "Giddy up!"

    Ordering the horse to gallop, Wei Liuying chose the right side without any hesitation. She was not totally sure about the distance, but it didn''t matter right now. She didn''t want to get captured and possibly be used to threaten Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian.

    Considering his personality, would he waver?

    Wei Liuying didn''t know, and she didn''t want to try it. Besides, if she ever got captured, there was only one ending she could think for herself.

    Death.

    "It should be her!"

    "That girl is Strategist Liu?"

    "He''s dressing up as a girl based on the information. GET HIM!"

    The sound of horse galloping on the dry lands came closer to her. Wei Liuying noticed that they were catching up as her horse was slower than them. After rushing through the dry lands for a long time, her horse was already tired.

    ''I should have changed horse before I come here.''

    However, Wei Liuying couldn''t possibly see any villagers with her appearance. It was already weird enough for a young girl to travel by herself. Even more so for a young girl with blood stained dress.

    Suddenly, Wei Liuying felt sudden danger and controlled her horse to the side.

    Swish!

    An arrow bypassed her side. Her heart dropped to the bottom as she realized that if they couldn''t capture her alive, they would just try to kill her.

    "We have to catch him alive, idiot!"

    "Just a wound will not kill him!"

    The yell came closer. Wei Liuying knew that they would catch up to her soon. Her small fingers pulled the rein of her horse and made it stop abruptly. At the same time, she brandished her sword and slashed it to the soldiers chasing after her.

    Slash!

    Thud!

    Two soldiers fell off their horses. On the other hand, Wei Liuying controlled her horse with her left hand and rushed to the next soldier. Since she couldn''t escae from them, the only option left for her to win would be to strike first.

    Clang!

    "Careful! He''s an expert at swordsmanship!"

    Slash!

    Wei Liuying ignored their yell and rushed over. Bypassing the soldiers'' side, her sword directly cut through the soldier''s stomach as he fell down the horse once more. There were more than ten soldiers and only three were dead. From a distance away, she could see several more soldiers were coming over here.

    Prince Lian was determined to catch her.

    "Watch out!"

    Slash!

    As if she was playing in the battlefield, Wei Liuying controlled her horse and rushed to the next soldier. Her sword perfectly cut of the next soldier as he fell down his horse.

    For a distance, it looked as if she was simply controlling her horse, evading the blow, and swung her sword carelessly. Yet for the soldiers near her, it was nothing more than nightmare. All they saw was a glint of light and they found themselves lying on the ground, breathing their last.

    "You¡­"

    Slash!

    The last soldier was killed when Wei Liuying sensed sudden danger. She swiftly tried to move from her position, yet her horse neighed suddenly. It raised its front leg, creating sudden force that throw her to the back.

    ''An arrow?''

    That was the only thought within Wei Liuying''s mind as her body crashed on the ground.

 Chapter 266 - Prisoner

    It raised its front leg, creating sudden force that throw her to the back.

    ''An arrow?''

    That was the only thought within Wei Liuying''s mind as her body crashed on the ground. She tried to correct her position midair, but the time was not enough, so her weight pushed her legs to the ground and hurt her.

    Her eyes looked at the horse before her that had an arrow sticking at its back. It neighed once more before it fell down as several more arrows hit the horse.

    Swish!

    "You can''t leave anymore, Liu Ying."

    A sword was placed near her neck. With her body still hurting due to the fall, Wei Liuying didn''t expect herself to be able to move properly too. She only sent a glare at the man as another soldier took away her sword.

    "I can''t believe Strategist Liu is really as small as they say he is," a soldier remarked.

    "We have to hurry and go to Prince Ji Sheng''s City. With this, the war will be in our favor."

    "Hell yeah!"

    The soldiers tied her hand to the back along with her legs before they put her on top of the horse. Wei Liuying was silent all the time as she focused her attention to her own condition. If they rushed with horses, they should be able to reach Prince Ji Sheng''s City by evening''s time.

    ''I wonder how''s the war condition.''

    Wei Liuying rested and tried not to move her body too much. The position was clearly uncomfortable, but it was better than having them tied her to the horse. Besides, she was only momentarily disabled because of her fall and not because of bleeding.

    It was a good news for her.

    The time passed swiftly.

    With nothing to do, Wei Liuying could only spend her time thinking about the situation of the war and everything. At the same time, she knew that her existence in the battle might shift the entire war''s situation.

    "He''s quiet."

    "Do you think that Strategist Liu has given up?" the soldier on the side asked with a sneer. "Well, he''s nothing more than a brat. It''s not that weird if he''s afraid after having to face so many talented soldiers."

    Talented soldiers?

    Wei Liuying wanted to laugh. If it was not because of repeated battle and fatigue, she was sure that these soldiers wouldn''t be able to defeat her. If she could survive from this, she wanted proper meal and rest.

    It was so tiring over here.

    Her dark eyes finally saw the familiar shape of Prince Ji Sheng''s City. There were many soldiers surrounding it with several types of robes. That information alone was enough for her to guess that Xiong Tribe must have asked several other tribes to help them in this war.

    ''Let''s see, Yu Tribe, Mi Tribe, Hu Tribe, and I don''t know the names.''

    Wei Liuying did study the tribes under Yang Xian''s teaching, but she still didn''t know all the tribes at the north. Each of them have their own signature clothing that would differentiate them from each other, but she still didn''t know some of them.

    Still, this information was enough for her.

    ''I see, Xiong Tribe is cooperating with tribes that was living even more north than them. I thought those tribes are already self-sufficient despite living in such a harsh weather, but I guess I''m wrong. If they have the chance, they still want to take advantage of Han Shi Kingdom and the warmer territory.''

    "Hey, what are you doing here?"

    "We''re here to deliver Strategist Liu."

    "Well, keep going then."

    Keep going?

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed when she saw the soldiers brought her pass Prince Ji Sheng''s City. She glanced up and noticed that Gao Ling was the one leading the soldiers. She didn''t seem to realize the existence of small squad bypassing Prince Ji Sheng''s City with so many other soldiers were going against her.

    At the same time, she noticed that the most conspicuous person in the entire place, Prince Lian, was nowhere to be seen.

    ''If the one leading here is Lady Gao, it means the one who''s facing Prince Lian must be both Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian. Eh wait, Yang Xian had already regrouped with Prince Ji Sheng, right?''

    Thinking about the soldiers who have different clothing because they came from different tribe, Wei Liuying was sure that Yang Xian must have used the chance to regroup with Prince Ji Sheng and the others. After all, he could sneak as their soldiers and then mix with people with different clothing.

    They would not think too much and allowed him to come because in the war where they have to cooperate, they just needed to pay attention to what they have to do. The soldiers from other tribes were there to help them and that was all. The lower ranked soldiers would not even know the detailed plan from their leaders.

    Swish!

    As the sound of arrows slicing through the air was sounded, Wei Liuying could finally see the area of the battle. Her eyes widened when she saw the neat formation Han Shi Kingdom had formed on the hills with Xiong Tribe below them.

    The horse stopped, but Wei Liuying didn''t pay attention to them. She was looking on top of the hills where she could see Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian standing with their soldiers near them. Behind them, a smoke pillar was slowly formed.

    ''Ah, that message¡­''

    "Liu Ying?" Prince Lian asked as he came forward. His hand clasped the young girl''s jaw and lifted her head to look at him. It was then he could see her expression better. "I never expect that the upcoming strategist is actually a pretty boy, or are you a girl?"

    The voice pulled Wei Liuying''s attention as she looked at Prince Lian. She kept her mouth shut and simply stared back at the prince with no emotion apparent in her eyes. There was no way she wanted to show her weakness at times like this.

    Tsk.

    She could hear the prince clicked his tongue before he looked at Prince Ji Sheng who was staying up above. His hand grasped Wei Liuying''s shoulder roughly as he pushed her to the front.

 Chapter 267 - Iâ€™ll Not Be A Burden

    There was no way she wanted to show her weakness at times like this.

    Tsk.

    She could hear the prince clicked his tongue before he looked at Prince Ji Sheng who was staying up above. His hand grasped Wei Liuying''s shoulder roughly as he pushed her to the front.

    "Ji Sheng!"

    "What do you want, Prince Lian?" Prince Ji Sheng asked from above. His eyes didn''t leave Wei Liuying''s face.

    At this time, Wei Liuying also responded to his gaze. He was looking at her solemnly as if calculating her worth. It was the same gaze she had seen in him when she met with Prince Ji Sheng back in the capital city.

    He was contemplating.

    "I heard that you''re someone who cared for your subordinate. How about seeing your most beloved upcoming strategist die today?" Prince Lian asked with a broad smile.

    Prince Ji Sheng didn''t immediately reply. He simply turned to look at Yang Xian as if asking for the latter''s opinion.

    Wei Liuying noticed his movement and chose not to comment anything. However, her heart was in doubt. Why would Prince Ji Sheng leave the question to Yang Xian? He was not the type to leave it to him.

    Prince Lian noticed the strange atmosphere and arched his eyebrows. He glanced to Wei Liuying and smirked, "I have always been thinking about this, but Strategist Liu is surprisingly feminine. Could it be that your first strategist is falling for this little b*stard?"

    Once again, Prince Ji Sheng was silent. He continued to look at Yang Xian as if waiting for him to say something.

    At this time, Yang Xian was looking in Wei Liuying''s direction. His dark eyes were staring back at Wei Liuying with no intention of moving his gaze somewhere else. At the same time, his fingers were clasped so tightly that blood started to ooze out.

    Wei Liuying stared back at him with no emotion. She could perfectly see the smoke behind the strategist while he was keeping his composure. There was no word that they needed to say for her to understand the plan that Yang Xian wanted to use.

    "Wei Liuying, what do you have to say?"

    At that moment, Yang Xian used Wei Liuying''s real name. Wei Liuying felt her heart skipped a beat when she heard it. When was the last time she heard her real name used to call her? It was almost a year ago since she could use her real name.

    Wei Liuying raised her head weakly and looked at Yang Xian. Slowly, she opened her mouth, "I''m your soldier, Strategist Yang. My life is in your hands."

    Prince Lian was stunned. "Shouldn''t it be in His Highness''s hand?"

    Only three people understood why Wei Liuying said it to Yang Xian and not Prince Ji Sheng. In the very first place, the one who wanted her to be part of the soldier was Yang Xian. He was also the one who took care of her and made her part of their army.

    At that time, she had vowed that no matter what, she would follow them.

    Not only Prince Ji Sheng but also Yang Xian.

    Yang Xian nodded and looked at Prince Ji Sheng. "You have heard her answer, Your Highness. It is your decision."

    "In that case, kill her."

    The two words startled everyone.

    The soldiers were looking at their leader with eyes widened. This was not the first time one of their comrades were captured by the enemies. There were many times Prince Ji Sheng have to make the difficult decision to let them die in the enemy''s hand so that their soldier would be able to achieve victory.

    Including those with high position, they willingly sacrifice themselves.

    But this time, the soldiers felt that Prince Ji Sheng''s tone was even colder than usual. It was as if he wanted to slice Prince Lian into mincemeat because of this.

    Did it mean that Prince Ji Sheng placed Wei Liuying at even higher importance?

    The soldiers didn''t know.

    "You want to kill a kid to win the war now, Ji Sheng?" Prince Lian asked and laughed out loudly. "You have truly become a cold blooded person, Ji Sheng. I never thought that someone like you will fall so low just in order to win the war!"

    Wei Liuying struggled to stand up. Her legs were tied together, so it was hard for her to move. She spoke out, "Your Highness, you might not understand but rather than living in pain and agony due to guilt of losing war because of one person, I''ll rather die."

    "You¡­"

    Bang!

    Pushing the soldiers behind, Wei Liuying pulled the sword out and then stabbed it to the ground area between her legs. It cut off the rope almost immediately and Wei Liuying used the sword to cut off the rope between her hands.

    "Don''t let him get away!"

    Swish!

    Wei Liuying swung the sword then rushed to the hills. She could see Yang Xian was already wielding a bow with an arrow docked there perfectly. He was clearly aiming in her direction.

    Prince Ji Sheng was standing beside them with no emotion in his face. In the first place, Prince Ji Sheng was someone who rarely showed any of his emotion up front. He would keep whatever he felt deep inside his heart.

    Prince Lian gnashed his teeth and looked at Wei Liuying. When he saw the stance Yang Xian was in, he was startled.

    "Your Highness, shall we chase¡­"

    "No need. Just watch and prepare bow and arrow."

    Wei Liuying didn''t know why, but she felt as if Yang Xian was hesitating. She glanced to the back and realized that the soldiers have stopped moving. However, she knew that if Yang Xian didn''t shoot her, they would.

    She stopped running and glanced above with her hand stretched outwards. Smiling faintly, she shouted, "Do it, Strategist Yang!"

    The sentence sounded like an order, yet no one cared for it at that moment.

    Dzing! Jleb!

    All of their attention lied on the arrow that was shot straight to Wei Liuying''s right chest and pierced to the ground behind her as if the force was simply too big. In the next moment, her body fell on the ground with a thud.

    It was dead silent in the battlefield.

 Chapter 268 - The Real Plan

    It was dead silent in the battlefield.

    Prince Lian looked at the fallen body and laughed. He looked at the two people at the top of the hill and laughed. "To achieve victory, it''s not important how many people you have to sacrifice, Ji Sheng? Taking children to war and now you''re the one who kill him. How do you feel now? Can you continue our battle tomorrow with your head clear?"

    Prince Ji Sheng merely looked at Prince Lian coldly. There was no emotion within his eyes as he walked to Yang Xian. "Hold on tight."

    "Yes."

    "What are you two talking¡­?"

    The ground suddenly shook heavily. Some soldiers have felt that the ground was shaking a bit, but they thought that it was merely their imagination because of fatigue. After all, it was not weird for them to experience as if the world was shaking because they were too tired after a battle.

    But now that the shook was greater, they realized that it was not the case.

    Prince Lian''s face changed terribly. "You¡­"

    "There''s no tomorrow, Xiong Tribe Prince Lian," Prince Ji Sheng replied. He looked at Prince Lian as if looking at a dead rat. "You''ll die tonight."

    Looking to the side, Prince Lian suddenly noticed that the U formation was no longer intact. Between the two hills that separated the south with the west side where Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian were standing, there was a gap. Rocks were pilling that area, but now it was shaking badly.

    At the same time, there was water coming out from the other side.

    His face turned pale as he looked at Wei Liuying and noticed the rope that was tied to the end of the arrow. When Yang Xian shot the arrow just now, he did it with the arrow tied firmly with a rope.

    "Shoot Liu¡­"

    Swish!

    The archers behind Yang Xian immediately shot their arrows to Prince Lian and his soldiers before they could even make any move. They were forced to step behind. To their horror, they saw the rock suddenly broke and the water flooded in.

    In truth, this was the area that Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian had designed to make river flow. The progress was not yet done, so they hadn''t opened the path. But now that the Xiong Tribe soldiers were coming to this place willingly, they would just use this chance to open the path.

    With the spring coming, the water was in great volume, so the path that they had blocked would have a hard time to block the water completely. They knew that they have to speed up the construction, but the war halted their progress. There might be some other problems later, but it should be fine.

    They just needed to ask help from the soldiers to dig more path to Prince Ji Sheng''s City.

    Splash!

    Water rushed in with great volume. Half of the soldiers who come there were heavy cavalries, which meant that they wouldn''t be able to move properly. As water washed over them, they were forced to quickly escape for their lives.

    Screams of terror filled the place along with the water volume rushing in rapidly.

    "Xian, can you hold on the rope properly?"

    "Yes, but I need help to pull her up."

    "Help him."

    "YES!"

    The soldiers have numerous questions in their head. Starting from the moment Yang Xian said Wei Liuying''s real name to the point when he shot her, the soldiers were having a hard time keeping up. They felt that their brain was roasted due to their incompetence and lack in intelligence.

    "Wei Liuying, are you alive?"

    Splash!

    From below, they could hear faint movement. Wei Liuying was walking in their direction while holding the rope tightly. The arrow was heading to the gap between her hand and her chest. It scraped her before it hit the ground. Her hand was hurt a bit, but she was fine in overall.

    "Don''t worry, Strategist Yang have great control in his strength," Wei Liuying responded with an unhurried tone.

    Unlike the soldiers who were trying to fight the sudden harsh current, Wei Liuying was using the rope to slowly climb up. It created a hole in her robe, so she was partially save as long as her robe didn''t tear apart. Still, she had to climb the hills with the help of the rope.

    The only reason she rushed forward was so that she didn''t have to climb so much. It was also safer to be outside of the soldiers'' range when they realized Prince Ji Sheng and Yang Xian''s real plan.

    Swish!

    Yang Xian jumped to the front and landed not far from her. He lightly reached in and lift Wei Liuying up in bridal style. "Hold on tight."

    "En."

    The soldiers simply watched as Yang Xian arrived by the hill once more. They felt that the situation was surreal as everything seemed to move at a faster rate than what they could comprehend.

    "You nearly fail, Xian," Prince Ji Sheng said with a blaming tone.

    Yang Xian raised his head. "Why don''t you try aiming at Lady Gao, Your Highness? I''m sure that you''ll have a difficult time to shoot the arrow too."

    Prince Ji Sheng clearly couldn''t refute that. If he had to shoot Gao Ling, he would rather have himself got shoot. He furrowed his brows and looked at Yang Xian. "She''s my fianc¨¦e while Wei Liuying is your apprentice."

    "She''s also my future wife."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" Wait, I never heard that.

    The soldiers: "¡­" Strategist Yang, what did you say?

    Prince Ji Sheng also paused a moment when he heard what Yang Xian said. He looked at his strategist as if he was looking at a stranger. "You need to properly discuss it with the person in question."

    "That''s¡­"

    "Strategist Yang."

    "Yes?"

    "First, since when I will be your future wife? Second, can you put me down?" Wei Liuying asked in a deadpan tone.

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying and laughed lightly. "You have been living in my house for so long. Do you still think that it''s possible for you to marry someone else?"

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" this scheming strategist!

    She had thought that there was something weird when Yang Xian first ordered her to stay in his house. After all, it would be unusual for unmarried man and women to live in the same residence. Disregarding the fact that she was still a kid and not yet an adult, it was still an unusual custom.

    In the past, it was not much of a problem because everyone thought Wei Liuying was a boy. But now that they knew her real gender, the fact that she lived under the same roof with Yang Xian would come into questions marks.

    She had lived with him for months.

    It was as if declaring that she would be his wife when she had come of age.

    Now that Wei Liuying thought about this, she felt that this was a trap that Yang Xian prepared for her. From the moment her real gender would be revealed, she would be tied to him for her entire life.

    "Strategist Yang."

    "Yes?"

    "You better be prepared because I won''t let you off," Wei Liuying said threateningly. Her face was dark as she realized that Yang Xian had set her up.

    Yang Xian smiled bitterly. Originally, he didn''t want to tell this to Wei Liuying, especially in this situation. However, there was simply no other choice since this incident had unexpectedly revealed her real gender. It was partially his fault too, though, but he wanted to let her know since it was possible that the plan would fail.

    "You should stop your bicker, the survivors are getting out of the river," Prince Ji Sheng interrupted.

    "Shot them down."

    "Yes!"

    The soldiers began to do their work again as they shoot down the soldiers who managed to get out of the river. The majority of the soldiers were unable to get out because they were too heavy. Added with the heavy current, they were washed away before they could possibly come close to the shore and drowned in the middle.

    Prince Ji Sheng''s soldiers began to move as they also walked along the edge to eliminate the soldiers who managed to go to the shore. The temperature was still fairly cold, so they knew that the soldiers would eventually die if they stayed under the water for too long.

    "How about the other end for the river?" Wei Liuying asked because she hadn''t been here to watch the progress of the construction.

    "There''s a path that lead it back to the main river. However, we haven''t dug deep enough, so there might be a bit of flood when it''s spring."

    "It''s spring now."

    "That''s why it''ll be a bit flooding in the west area."

    Wei Liuying thought about the villages in that area and sighed. It seemed that aside from war, they have to take care of flood problem too.

    What a tiring work.

 Chapter 269 - Aftermath

    "So, when will you put me down?"

    "You''re wounded, so you should just stay here."

    "I believe that it''s only a scrape."

    Yang Xian glanced to the young girl in his arm and shook his head lightly. "I don''t have that great confidence in my ability. If there has been a mistake, you won''t be here right now, Liuying."

    Wei Liuying didn''t answer. She looked at her right arm and the area between her chest and her arm. Her robe was torn and her skin was scraped. If he had missed the shoot just now, it would mean that she might not be able to survive. Worse yet, she might still alive but be a cripple.

    "It''s the plan."

    "You realize it?"

    "The smoke signal is clear enough even though the sky is darkening," Wei Liuying replied. It was the signal for them to use the river as a method to eliminate their enemies. Considering how the Xiong Tribe was using heavy cavalries, the plan was a succeed in killing most of the troops.

    "Yeah."

    Internally, Yang Xian recalled the time of his conversation with Prince Ji Sheng many weeks ago.

    *

    "I have a question."

    "Yes?"

    "If I order you to kill Wei Liuying, can you do it?"

    Almost immediately, the temperature in the storage room dropped to the lowest degree. The two young men were looking at each other with cold gazes. It was unclear what they were thinking as silence descended in the place.

    Time ticked, yet no one answered.

    The temperature was getting even colder.

    After some time, Yang Xian moved his gaze away and cupped his hands. "If that''s your order, General Sheng, I''ll have no other choice but to comply."

    Prince Ji Sheng watched Yang Xian''s movements carefully. The two of them never tried to hide their movements from each other because they were already familiar with the other''s habit after spending so much time together in the battlefield. It was to the point that they were more similar to brothers rather than master and subordinate.

    Yet, there were times when Yang Xian still had to act as his subordinate because of their difference in status.

    "I won''t ask something like that to you," Prince Ji Sheng said after a while. "But should the day come, what will you do afterwards?"

    Yang Xian didn''t immediately answer. He was contemplating what he was supposed to say as he looked at Prince Ji Sheng. There was solemn expression on Prince Ji Sheng''s face that was unclear what it wanted to say.

    Their lives at the frontline has always been near death. Fighting with their lives on the line every single day, there was no telling when they would be called back by the Heaven and died. All they could do was to live their lives to the fullest each day because no one knew when these all would end.

    Just a single mistake in the battlefield could become their end.

    It was that simple.

    "Nothing," Yang Xian replied. "I''ll continue to strive and fulfill my dream that I have in the past."

    *

    That was not the end of the conversation, but Yang Xian remembered that it took him everything just to answer that question. Should he truly lost Wei Liuying, could he still act as if there was nothing that happened?

    Back then, he answered with certainty.

    But now, he was not sure anymore.

    "Yang Xian, you''re daydreaming," Wei Liuying pointed out and looked at Yang Xian''s face. His clear gaze fell onto hers. "What are you thinking about?"

    "I''m thinking what would I do if I have made a mistake," Yang Xian replied. "Not a single mistake can be tolerated here because even the smallest mistake can cost many lives."

    Generals, strategist, leaders, and all were all always under pressure. They have to be careful in whatever they did because if they were not careful enough, they would risk sending so many people to their graves. It was a very costly mistake that one might not be able to accept.

    "It''s fine."

    "Yes?"

    "If you made a mistake, it just means I''ll be leaving you faster," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly.

    Yang Xian felt his heart turned cold when he heard what Wei Liuying said. "Do you think your life is that low, Liuying?"

    "No, but I''m also a soldier here. The risk for me dying is not zero, so I just try to accept my situation."

    The voice was clear and concise, yet Yang Xian could see Wei Liuying''s hand was shaking. No matter how many times they faced death in the battlefield, it would never be able to erase the fear they have towards death. Even if they forced themselves to keep calm and faced it bravely, their inner feelings would reveal the truth that they were afraid.

    It was inevitable.

    It was part of human''s nature to fear the unknown. Even though they have seen deaths so many times, they still didn''t want to experience it themselves. At least, not now, not until it was their time.

    As for when, nobody knew.

    "I won''t let you die."

    Wei Liuying raised her head and looked at Yang Xian''s dark eyes. Under the setting sun, the light shone from behind him, giving her different view of the strategist before her. He was looking at her with determination in his eyes. "No matter what happened, I''ll not allow you to die, Liuying. You''ll live-no, we''re going to live together."

    Her hand unconsciously grabbed her side. Slowly, Wei Liuying nodded her head and averted her gaze. Somehow, the thought of staying with Yang Xian didn''t seem that bad either. The two of them had been living in the same house for a long period of time and got along quite well.

    And¡­ she wished to continue staying with him too.

    Furrowing her brows, Wei Liuying chose to push the thoughts to the back of her mind. She felt that she was thinking too much lately. Having such strange thoughts when she was near Yang Xian seemed to become more common lately.

 Chapter 270 - Promise

    ¡­What is she thinking this time.

    Wei Liuying chose to push the thoughts to the back of her mind. She felt that her mind would be getting weirder the more she thought about Yang Xian. It was then she noticed the soldiers were scrambling around. They were trying to make the tent as fast as possible.

    "I nearly forget that the night here is not as fierce as the north."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. This little woman sure knew how to change conversation at the worst time possible. Well, he can be patient.

    "It''s still bad nevertheless. The distance to the nearby city is too far and village won''t be enough to fit all of us. We''ll have to make do with camping out for tonight."

    "How''s the search for the soldiers going?"

    "Prince Lian escaped." The one who answered was Prince Ji Sheng, who came over to their direction. For this rare occasion, he didn''t force Yang Xian to continue being the lead one. His gaze held a trace of amusement when he saw the two of them. "We''ll go to Dong Shan City and settled the injured there."

    "Any prisoners?"

    "No, we killed them all after getting the necessary information."

    Yang Xian nodded. It would be risky to keep prisoners in their current situation. "How about the progress of the search for other survivors from the valley below?"

    "It''s more suitable to call as a river. We''ll have to halt the progress until it''s autumn or we''ll risk getting drowned too. Starting tomorrow, the villages near the new path of the river have to¡­."

    With the new path of the river was opened faster than their plan, some areas have to move their citizen or they would risk getting flooded. Spring had just started, so it meant that the water volume that would come to their place would increase exponentially. If they wished to stay alive, they have to stay away from riverbanks.

    When it was autumn, they would close down the path once more and finished their work to dig deeper. At the same time, they would need to clean up the remains of the buried soldiers in this area.

    It was loads of work.

    "You should rest for tonight. Your tent is over there."

    "Got it. You rest too, General Sheng."

    "I still have to talk with the commanders."

    Yang Xian glanced to the back and noticed the commanders that was coming from Dong Shan City. He looked over to Wei Liuying in his embrace and sighed. It was originally his work to talk with other commanders about Prince Ji Sheng''s new order. He had been doing that for a long time.

    "Your Highness, let me¡­."

    "I''ll take over for today. It''s also a good time for me to know how they react in front of me," Prince Ji Sheng interrupted. He didn''t want to disturb their time together either since it was hard for these two blockhead to make any advance.

    Yang Xian nodded. "It might be surprising for you when you notice their behavior later. But believe me when I say that I never try to influence them."

    "Somehow, it''s hard to believe you, Xian."

    "¡­Please don''t arrange new training for me again."

    Prince Ji Sheng passed a glance at Yang Xian and turned around. "That will depend on how your performance will be."

    Yang Xian resisted the urge to scowl and walked to the tent that have been prepared for them. He put Wei Liuying on top of the mattress slowly and carefully. Even though there was no visible wound outside, he knew that she didn''t come out unscathed after the brutal battle.

    "You''ll have to tell us the story of what happened at the north."

    "I will," Wei Liuying responded. It was then she recalled something. "Also¡­ I''m sorry for Shi Mo."

    Yang Xian, who was taking the bandage, paused in his movement. He sighed and muttered, "That idiot."

    When Shi Mo persisted to come to the north with Wei Liuying, he already had the inkling that the young man didn''t want to leave Princess Ji Xiaoli. It turned out that he was correct.

    He didn''t want to leave her, literally.

    ''If I can''t be with her, it''ll be better for me to go down with her after taking as many people who are responsible for killing her¡­''

    Yang Xian could guess that it was what Shi Mo was thinking when he chose to fight to his bitter end. Unlike Wei Liuying who fought just to survive, Shi Mo was hoping that he could die from this incident.

    It was a sad truth.

    "I''m sorry. I didn''t manage to¡­"

    "It''s not your fault. I''m sure you''re also busy fighting and keeping your lives when you''re there. It''s good that you can return back safely."

    Wei Liuying raised her head and looked at Yang Xian. He was staring back at her with his eyes held complicated gazes that seemed to tell numerous messages he tried so hard to convey. After a while, Wei Liuying retracted her own gaze.

    "I failed to realize and¡­"

    "Even if you do realize, he''ll not stop."

    "Yes?"

    "I believe that he''s happy with this end result," Yang Xian responded. He put down the medicine and bandages on the bed, near Wei Liuying. "This is the best end that he could possibly ask for."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips and lowered her head. Even though she knew that it was his decision, she still felt bad because she couldn''t stop him from getting killed. In that brutal battlefield, she could only try to keep herself save and fought against the leader to stop him from wounding those who supported Prince Kou.

    It was the only method of survival.

    "I''ll inform Yan and Shi Lu Wen later."

    "I''m sure they won''t blame you if that''s what you''re worrying about."

    "Why?"

    "Why?" Yang Xian reached out his hand and lifted up Wei Liuying''s chin to make her look at him directly. His eyes seemed to be able to penetrate deep into her body as he replied softly, "Because it''s always Shi Mo''s dream to be able to die in the battlefield."

 Chapter 271 - Treating Wounds

    Wei Liuying was stunned.

    Yang Xian retracted his hand and sighed. "Yan will tell you more if you want to know about it when you come to Dong Shan City."

    "He''s there? I thought he had returned to other cities."

    "He''s accompanying his little sister in Dong Shan City. Also, take off your clothes."

    "Yes?"

    "Take off your clothes," Yang Xian ordered.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows and looked at the medicine that Yang Xian picked up. She shook her head. "I can treat myself."

    "Do you not trust me?"

    "No, I don''t."

    "Why?"

    "You''re a man."

    Yang Xian: "¡­" in other words, you will not trust any man?

    Wei Liuying locked her gaze to Yang Xian. "Also, I won''t fall for any of your trap anymore, Strategist Yang. How long have you been scheming to tie me up with you?"

    "Who knows?" Yang Xian responded, unwilling to elaborate. What would Wei Liuying do if she knew that he had basically started his plan just a few weeks after their first meeting? She was only intriguing him then it changed to the point that he wanted her.

    When Prince Ji Sheng finally showed interest, he too had the similar interest. Of course, he had a completely different goal at the end after some time had passed.

    "You have very complicated mind, Strategist Yang."

    "Thank you for your compliment. Now, take off your clothes and let me look at your wounds. Your back is also wounded, right?"

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. It was true that her back was also scratched a few times. Added with the uncomfortable journey, it couldn''t be said that her back didn''t suffer a lot. However, she refused to fall for his scheme again.

    "I don''t want to."

    "Why?"

    "Because you''ll surely use it as a material to make me marry you."

    Yang Xian arced his eyebrows. He inched closer and stopped right before Wei Liuying''s face. There was only a short distance between their faces. "You don''t want to marry me?"

    "I don''t."

    "It''s not your decision anymore since you have given your life to me and Prince Ji Sheng, am I right?"

    The frown on Wei Liuying''s forehead only grew more solemn when she heard what Yang Xian said. Just a single sentence from Prince Ji Sheng would be more than enough to make her marry Yang Xian. Besides, it was also her words back then that brought her into this situation right now.

    "You''re a very black bellied person, Strategist Yang."

    "Do you hate me?"

    "No."

    "Then¡­"

    "I don''t want to play into your game," Wei Liuying responded coldly. She looked at Yang Xian''s face directly and scowled lightly. "I''ll defeat you with my own method."

    Hearing that, Yang Xian didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. He knew that Wei Liuying always hated having her life in other people''s hand made into plaything. After all, she had been living under harsh treatment with her family back then for so many years. She might be Prince Ji Sheng''s people or servant, whichever one could be suitable depending on the situation, and she had much more freedom here.

    There were duties she had to follow, but she could freely choose her path that she wished to take without the need to follow the conventional rules.

    "In that case, what do you want, Liuying?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying pointed to the side. "Look away. You''re not allowed to peek."

    "Alright."

    Yang Xian turned his body around and looked in the other direction. He could sense Wei Liuying''s movement behind him as she undressed. Internally, he felt that he should have walked a bit further so that his sense was not disturbed to this degree.

    "You can turn around."

    Turning around, Yang Xian noticed Wei Liuying was sitting while facing the other side. Her back was visible to him, but she was hugging her robe to cover her front. Her head looked back at him. "It''s cold, so don''t take too long."

    "Ok."

    There were bruises on Wei Liuying''s back along with several scratches here and there. He carefully applied the salve and then moved his hand to take the bandage. It was then he realized that he needed to circle it around her body.

    "This¡­"

    "Pass it to me when you need to circle it. I know how to do basic treatment."

    "Alright."

    It took some time until the treatment was finished. Yang Xian lightly traced her back as there was some old wound barely visible there. "Do you also get wounded when you''re performing your duties as strategist?"

    Wei Liuying shifted uncomfortably with Yang Xian''s sudden touch. Turning her head to look at the back, she glared at him. "Turn around. I need to treat myself now."

    "Fine."

    Yang Xian moved to the nearby makeshift chair and sat down with his back facing Wei Liuying. His mind was still thinking of the old wound mark on Wei Liuying''s body, feeling that it was weird to have wounds in that part. After all, they would usually protect their back when they were facing their enemies.

    "It''s from my training when I was young," Wei Liuying finally replied. She was applying the salve to her side as she answered. Since this one was close to her chest, she didn''t want Yang Xian to be the one to take care of it.

    "With your brother, Wei Hong Zheng?"

    "I''m surprised you know."

    "That''s the only possible explanation for your martial art skill. However, I can see that you''re mostly defending yourself and not attacking," Yang Xian remarked. When he first met Wei Liuying, her martial skills were mostly good for defending. It took her some time to increase her attacking skill under the training.

    "True. I was the testing subject for any technique my brother learned. I''m not allowed to attack him unless it was a mock battle where he had to try applying everything he had learned in a real battle," Wei Liuying responded.

    Yang Xian''s face darkened. "Did you not treat yourself?"

    "I did, but there''s a limit to what I can do."

    "Is that so?"

    Wei Liuying could sense the faint anger from Yang Xian''s tone. However, she had long accepted her situation back then. "It doesn''t matter anymore. It''s thanks to those experiences that I can become who I am right now. Even if it''s not the best method, it''s the only possibilities for me to survive."

    Without her martial arts ability, Wei Liuying knew that it was hard for her to escape from Wei Family Residence

    "You''re surprisingly positive."

    "I don''t think too much about it anymore. In fact, I thought that I''ll never use my real name ever again from the time I become the strategist here," Wei Liuying responded.

    "That''s the plan, but I don''t have the confidence that I''ll be able to shoot properly. At the very least, I wish that you''ll be remembered with your real name and not the fake one," Yang Xian replied.

    Wei Liuying put down the medicine and started to bandage herself. "I only hope the Capital City won''t hear about it."

    "It''ll take a long time before they caught wind of it. I''ll make sure that the soldiers didn''t speak about it until it''s the time," Yang Xian replied.

    "I doubt it."

    "Yes?"

    "They''re already very surprised when they heard my real name. Even though only those at this side can hear and they are all Prince Ji Sheng''s soldier, I''m sure that their treatment to me will change."

    Yang Xian scratched his cheek. Well, he couldn''t refute that¡­

 Chapter 272 - Whoâ€™s The Scheming One?

    Yang Xian scratched his cheek. Well, he couldn''t refute that¡­

    Internally, he began to have a slight regret over his decision to reveal her real name so quickly. But in that heat of time, he knew that it was inevitable.

    Besides, at the very least, he could now start to pursue her openly. Hmm, maybe he should learn a bit more from Prince Ji Sheng how to flirt with women or from Yan since that merchant was also a womanizer.

    "It won''t spread. I''ll make sure of that."

    "En."

    Yang Xian sighed. "Are you done?"

    "Yes."

    Turning his body around, Yang Xian noticed that Wei Liuying had already finished wearing her robe again. She was trying to tend to the wounds on her arms from the battles. It only required her to roll her sleeves, so it was not much of a big problem for her.

    Yang Xian watched for a moment and shook his head. "You''re unlike any other girls, Wei Liuying."

    "As in?"

    "Most girls will not even want to let a man see their hands."

    Wei Liuying lowered her gaze to her arm that was exposed when she was treating herself. For her, this was something normal because she had treated herself a few times when she was out for campaign. Of course, she would be staying alone in her tent when it did happen.

    Noble girls in the capital city were taught to wear long sleeve dress in order to cover their arms and legs. They were not allowed to show it to anyone other than their husbands. But for ordinary girls, it didn''t really matter since their work often required them to roll their sleeves.

    "I''m not a noble girl anymore, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Now you''re back to your old address for me?"

    Wei Liuying passed a glance and shrugged. "We''re not acting as if we''re master and servant anymore, right? There''s no need for me to keep on with the fa?ade."

    "I would rather you call me with my name directly."

    "I have the feeling that the act is part of your plan to have me call your name directly."

    "What would you do if it''s true?"

    The two of them looked at each other. Their gazes conveyed thousands of messages that could not be uttered out. Having to wear a mask on their faces every single day, they knew very well that the best way to know what someone else was thinking was through their eyes and unconscious response.

    It would reveal much more than what the person intended to.

    "You have weird interest, Yang Xian."

    "Can''t I say the same to you?" Yang Xian took the salve from Wei Liuying and helped to apply it to her arm. There were many cuts that came from blades because of the fight Wei Liuying had back then. She had treated her wounds from her fight in Xiong Tribe camp, but some reopened again because of the strain and all.

    Wei Liuying raised her head to look at Yang Xian. She pursed her lips. "What makes you say that?"

    "Are you saying that you don''t have any interest?" Yang Xian responded unhurriedly. His hand continued to apply the salve while his face showed a light smirk on the corner of his mouth.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "You''re very confident, Yang Xian."

    "I don''t have anything to lose."

    "Figured."

    "I would like to ask that question to you, but I''m sure that I''ll only face rejection." Yang Xian took the bandage and wrapped Wei Liuying''s arm carefully. He was making sure that he didn''t tie it too tight or too loose. "Rest for tonight. We''ll go to Dong Shan City tomorrow."

    "You should rest too. I''m sure that your mental stress is high."

    "Now that you say that, it''s true."

    Yang Xian finished the bandage and put it all away. Afterwards, he walked to the bed and lifted Wei Liuying lightly before putting her a bit at the side. He lied down beside her and shared her blanket.

    "Yang Xian, mind explaining to me what are you doing?" Wei Liuying asked coldly. She was staying still in her place, but the position was not completely comfortable. With him lying so close to her, she could sense his breathing and every movement.

    "I''ll be resting."

    "There are other mattress, right?"

    "It''s safer near you."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes narrowed and lightly turned her body around so that her back faced Yang Xian. "If you touch me, I''ll cut your fingers."

    "Feisty," Yang Xian commented and laughed. However, he didn''t have any plan to do anything tonight. Originally, he didn''t plan to say anything until everything was over because there was still the impeding rebellion that might happen, but there was a slight mistake in the plan.

    Pushing all thoughts to the back of his mind, Yang Xian forced himself to sleep.

    Time passed ever so slowly.

    While Wei Liuying immediately slept due to fatigue and ignored the man behind her, Yang Xian was lying while looking at the ceiling. It was not the best circumstances for him, but there was nothing that he could do to change the past. Sleeping beside the woman he liked without able to do anything was¡­ torturing.

    He started to feel slight regret for suggesting this.

    It was nearly dawn when Yang Xian walked out of the tent. The temperature was cold, but it was nothing compared to beyond the border.

    "You''re up early," Prince Ji Sheng remarked. He walked towards Yang Xian while looking at the man''s appearance. "From the way it looks like, it''s still a bit too early for someone like you."

    "What are you talking about? There''s no way I''ll make my move when it''s still uncertain," Yang Xian retorted. He sighed and swung his arms around lightly. "I need a bit exercise to keep myself warm."

    "Are you sure you''re not trying to change the conversation?"

    "Your Highness, I¡­"

    "And if you do wish for me to give an edict, I''ll give my word," Prince Ji Sheng said unhurriedly.

    By this time, Yang Xian didn''t reply back. He looked at Prince Ji Sheng and narrowed his eyes. "I believe you have been interfering all this time, Your Highness?"

    "Your little tricks will not escape my eyes. Besides, having my two strategists close to each other will be a good thing."

    "Are you not worried that I end up running away with her to avoid getting complicated position?"

    "Will you do that?"

    The two of them looked at each other without saying anything.

 Chapter 273 - My Answer

    Yang Xian finally sighed. He stretched his body. "You know me very well, Your Highness."

    "I didn''t raise you for nothing."

    "You speak as if I''m your child." Yang Xian chuckled. Though, it was partially true since he was raised by Prince Ji Sheng ever since he was a brat. It was thanks to Prince Ji Sheng that he could become who he is right now.

    "I have to make sure that I can keep you all around. It''s impossible for me to be the leader without having capable subordinates around me." Prince Ji Sheng looked into a distance. "There''s a limit to what I can do by myself."

    Yang Xian didn''t immediately reply. He still could remember that when they first met, he was nothing more than a little schemer who lived by duping others and scraped by on the border. It was Prince Ji Sheng who offered his hands to help him out during that situation. Even now, Yang Xian could never forget that moment.

    He had nothing at that time but somehow Prince Ji Sheng took him in.

    "Back then, I always wondered what is this rich kid doing talking with a dirty street brat like me," Yang Xian said with a laugh. "But I guess you have your own difficulties and it''s hard for you to get people from noble families because they''re affected by His Majesty''s words."

    Prince Ji Sheng didn''t refute. He looked back at Yang Xian. "What I see is a young brat who''s doing everything he can to live. The fact that you can survive in that kind of situation already showed to me that you''re a capable person. Not everyone can live at the border."

    Yang Xian chuckled. He was a war orphan and the fate of war orphans were never good. Some of them would be taken in by the relatives and lived well, but those who didn''t have any relatives would usually become slaves. Yang Xian didn''t have any relative who was still alive.

    He had to become a slave.

    Or at least, that was what he was supposed to be.

    "I never thought that you''re still going to keep me even when you know that I already killed a lot of people through schemes back then. But I guess you need ruthless people by your side." Yang Xian smiled.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "You''re no longer a child, so I''m sure that you can see things better. I need people who I can use and will never betray me."

    The two of them looked at each other. Yang Xian knew that very well and understood why Prince Ji Sheng chose him. But he never resented the other party for making use of him because without Prince Ji Sheng, Yang Xian knew that he might have died.

    That one meeting changed his entire life.

    From the time he took the hand that was offered to him, he was given a completely different course of life. Because of that, he knew that no matter what Prince Ji Sheng ordered him to do, he would have to do it.

    But he knew that he had to make an exception now.

    There was something that he couldn''t give up no matter what. Even if it was Prince Ji Sheng who ordered him, he would never be able to do it.

    Yang Xian heaved a sigh. He changed the conversation. "Do you still remember your question back then, Your Highness?"

    "Yes?"

    "If I order you to kill Wei Liuying, can you do it?"

    Prince Ji Sheng''s eyes flashed when he heard that question. It was the question that he asked back then to Yang Xian. He lowered his gaze and met with Yang Xian''s gaze. "I remember."

    "Do you remember my answer back then?"

    "If that''s your order, General Sheng, I''ll have no other choice but to comply."

    Yang Xian nodded. He looked to a distance as the sun began to rise. "I want to change my answer, Your Highness."

    "What''s your answer now?"

    "I can''t do it. Should the time come that I have to be the one to kill her, you''ll lose two of your strategists," Yang Xian said unhurriedly. His gaze was still fixated into a distance without any intention to look at Prince Ji Sheng.

    Prince Ji Sheng also didn''t force Yang Xian to look at him. He smiled faintly. "So, the time has come, huh?"

    "Your Highness?" Yang Xian turned his head around to look at his Master.

    The smile on the usually indifferent Prince Ji Sheng looked eye catching. "You''ve finally grown up, Xian. I''ll never give you an order like that anymore in the future. But if I truly give you that order, I give you the freedom to go against me and severed all of our relationship."

    It was a harsh statement, but Yang Xian knew that Prince Ji Sheng was serious.

    Prince Ji Sheng was basically giving his words to him that he wouldn''t separate the two of them if they were willing to be together. And if one day he forgot about this, Yang Xian would be free to remind him and schemed against him freely.

    There was no need to take into account their past anymore.

    Of course, neither one of them wished for it to happen. But they chose to talk about this matter because the possibility was there.

    Slowly, he straightened his body position and cupped his hands before bowing his head and body. "Many thanks for your kindness, Your Highness."

    Prince Ji Sheng glanced and shook his head slowly. His eyes were looking towards his strategist with an unreadable gaze. "I never act out of kindness, Xian. It''s all simply a method to keep you stay with me."

    "I know you''re a great person, Your Highness. I wish to be by your side when you realize your dream," Yang Xian responded. His eyes were showing the determination that he didn''t wish to leave Prince Ji Sheng no matter what happened.

    As for that order, Yang Xian knew that Prince Ji Sheng would never do it unless it was for something like this ever again. But of course, no one wished for it to happen. The two of them were very scheming, but people only knew that it was Yang Xian who was one. They completely forgot that their leader was actually the one who taught Yang Xian for many tricks that was more commonly used.

    With these two often study and work together, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the two of them were both equally capable when it came to scheming and getting what they wanted.

 Chapter 274 - The Not So Importantâ€ News

    "What do you plan to do with her now?"

    "Nothing," Yang Xian replied. "It might be a bit too fast for her, so I will keep it the way it is and focus on ending the war first."

    "There are several messages from the Capital City over the past two to three months you''re staying beyond the border. I didn''t relay the not so important messages to you," Prince Ji Sheng took out several bamboo strips and handed it to Yang Xian.

    "I think using cloth will be more efficient."

    "Washing all the ink will be hard."

    "True enough."

    Yang Xian read the messages one by one. It was written in code as usual, so he needed some time to crack them. Though, it was simply too easy, so he could guess everything that occurred from the time they were left.

    "You should send congratulation message to the Fourth Prince soon. I''m sure that many will be asking when it will be your turn," Yang Xian concluded after he had finished reading the information.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "Wei Family is not the only one staring to make their moves."

    "They''re the most conspicuous one, though."

    "Because Prince Ji Shu''s fianc¨¦e is there?"

    The two of them turned their head and saw Wei Liuying walked out of the tent. It was cold, so she was still wearing the thick blanket over her body as she walked out. Her dark eyes were looking at the two of them as if asking for an answer.

    "Yes."

    "Did something happen?"

    Yang Xian handed a piece of bamboo strip to Wei Liuying. "There are some bad news for them, but there are several pieces of good news."

    Taking the bamboo strips, Wei Liuying began to read the content. Her brows furrowed when she read the third one. She raised her head and looked at the two of them. "My mother was executed?"

    "Yes."

    As Wei Hong''s concubine, it was weird enough that Feng Chun would get involved in something nasty to the point that she was executed. Based on what was written here, Wei Liuying realize that the reason for the execution was because she was cheating. However, it was weird that no one ever found out about it in the first place.

    "It''s said that your brother is not Wei Hong''s son but from the man Feng Chun had an affair with. She was executed a week ago, so you can''t meet her anymore," Prince Ji Sheng informed.

    Wei Liuying nodded. The information written was incomplete because they have to explain everything with as little words as possible. However, she could guess what had happened just from the information written here.

    Wei Liuying closed her eyes. It seemed that her mother''s end was so quick without her around.

    ...

    *A few months prior, Wei Family Household*

    Prang!

    "What did you say?" Feng Chun stood up from her position. She had just heard that the girls returned back safely from the Temple not long ago and now they were inviting some people to say that there were some misdoings in this residence?

    The maid trembled and bowed in fear. "It''s true, Madam¡­"

    Feng Chun gritted her teeth. For the past few months, she had just realized that she was struggling to keep her position high. Wei Xiao Hua constantly tried to search faults in her and Concubine Xie to the point that they were tired of it.

    The household was never peaceful anymore.

    And more infuriatingly, Wei Xiao Hua didn''t have to be the one to take care of the matter on her own. She only needed to state some facts and revealed her real intention in some matters, which pushed her back badly.

    Right now, Feng Chun was no longer the same beauty that attracted Wei Hong''s heart. She seemed to age more than a decade since the time Wei Liuying left Wei Family Household. The skin that she usually took care so badly was damaged, which also made her beauty slowly diminished.

    Though, the charm remained.

    "Lead me to the main hall!" Feng Chun said with harsh tone.

    "Yes!"

    Straightening her back, Feng Chun looked to the front. No matter what, she would never let a girl who hadn''t grown up yet to be the one to decide her future. She would surely take back what was supposed to be hers.

    As she walked to the main hall, the atmosphere had gotten colder.

    She didn''t know what she should think anymore when she saw the servants lowered their heads when they saw her. It was as if they were looking at a criminal that had brought so much shame on them.

    ''It''s strange.''

    ''Just who is it that Wei Xiao Hua bring today?''

    Feng Chun was still utterly confused as she walked into the hall. She could see Wei Hong Zheng kowtowing on the ground with Wei Hong standing in front of him. On the side, Wei Xiao Hua, Wei Yijun, and Wei Zilin were standing with other concubines. From their expression, it was as if they were looking at a piece of trash.

    There was also another man who was kneeling not far from Wei Hong. Feng Chun quickly recognized him as Feng Bo, her cousin who used to play with her at young. She had not contacted him for years because he was busy with his work.

    Why is he here?

    As Feng Bo turned his head around, there was fear, regret, and also despair within his eyes.

    At that moment, Feng Chun''s heart dropped to the bottom abyss.

    ''Why?''

    "D...Dear?" Feng Chun''s voice quivered.

    Wei Hong raised his head and looked at Feng Chun, his gaze was chilling cold. If only one could kill with his gaze, he would have done so from a long time ago. Right now, he truly wished to kill this woman in front of him.

    She might be his wife, but the news that his first daughter informed him only told him something that was so sickening to the point that he wished he never knew.

    "Feng Chun, what have you done?"

 Chapter 275 - Even If Itâ€™s A Lie, Who Would Believe You?

    "I didn''t do anything, My Lord! This concubine is innocent!" Feng Chun immediately kowtowed and banged her head on the ground. Her hands were trembling as if she was afraid that she had made a mistake.

    Wei Hong banged on the chair behind him. His eyes were full of rage. "Do you admit your wrong?"

    "My Lord, this concubine is falsely accused! This concubine is innocent!"

    "Innocent?" Wei Hong asked in cold gaze.

    At this time, Feng Chun felt that there was something terribly wrong. Usually, Wei Hong would never look at her with that kind of gaze because he still cared for her deeply. However, it looked as if the loving look he showed to her all this time was nothing more than lies.

    "I¡­."

    "You''re a b*tch! You even slept with your own cousin and gave birth to this b*stard son?!"

    What?

    Feng Chun was stunned with the accusation. She looked at Feng Bo with dread and suddenly understood why he looked so tortured. In her entire life, she had only ever slept with one person, her husband.

    "That''s a lie! This concubine had never¡­!"

    "Silence! There are witnesses!"

    "What, but that''s¡­."

    "Look behind you."

    Feng Chun turned around and saw a maidservant standing not far from the door. Her face looked aged, showing the fact that she was no longer a young woman. However, there was deep hatred within her eyes when she looked at Feng Chun.

    "You¡­"

    "Madam throw me away because I know about your affair, but Heaven is kind and let me stay alive."

    "That''s a lie!" Feng Chun shouted. She only threw this maid away because this person dared to covet her jewelries. When she found out about it, she threw the woman away and never allowed her to get close to her anymore.

    Wei Hong slammed the table. "Feng Bo, repeat what you tell me before."

    Feng Bo''s body trembled heavily. He gritted his teeth. "Cousin in law, I''m sorry but that day Chun''er is crying because she gave birth to a girl. I come to comfort her and¡­.and¡­."

    Comfort her?

    Feng Chun felt her body boiled in anger when she heard what her cousin said. She had never come to Feng Bo to find comfort and only complained to the other party. Besides, they met each other in the garden at midday for a quarter incense stick of time with a lot of servants.

    How could she possibly do anything indecent with such a short period of time?

    "Feng Bo! Stop spouting lies!"

    "I¡­I''m not. We''re drinking so you might not remember but I remember clearly that¡­."

    Bang!

    Wei Hong couldn''t contain his anger anymore and kicked Feng Bo. He felt disgusted when he thought that he had been treasuring Feng Chun all this time because of the woman''s beauty. But as it turned out, the stupid son was not his blood son.

    He''s angry.

    "Father, you shouldn''t be so angry like that. You''re going to make your health worse, Father." Wei Xiao Hua stepped forward and reminded with cool tone. Her eyes looked as if she was concerned about her father.

    Wei Hong glanced down at his daughter. He smiled faintly. For the past year, the only person he thought looking good in his eyes was his daughter. No matter what this little girl do, it would benefit him, and thus, it made him happy.

    Feng Chun looked at the two of them with her nails digging into her skin. If only it was possible, she wished to scratch Wei Xiao Hua''s face so badly until nothing was left. Suddenly, Wei Xiao Hua turned her head slightly and mouthed out.

    ''Even if it''s a lie, who would believe you?''

    Instantly, Feng Chun''s face turned pale.

    The scene from around a year ago when she said the exact same thing to Wei Liuying was playing in her head. At that time, she was threatening her own daughter to become Wei Hong Zheng and participated in the hunt. Wei Liuying rejected the notion at first because it would be dangerous for them if they got caught.

    However, Feng Chun immediately told Wei Liuying that if anything happened, she could just put all the blame to Wei Liuying.

    At that time, she said with full confidence that no matter what Wei Liuying said, no one will ever believe her. After all, who would believe the word of a poor and useless concubine daughter?

    Now, the same sentence was thrown to her.

    "No¡­ I really didn''t¡­"

    "Take her away!" Wei Hong ordered. The more he looked at Feng Chun, the more disgusted he was.

    "No! I¡­mph!"

    The servants gagged Feng Chun to prevent her from saying anything else. From their expression, it seemed as if they were determined to make sure she never said anything and went quietly with her punishment.

    Feng Chun was staring straight at Wei Xiao Hua with despair filled her eyes. Who would have thought that she would have received the same treatment she gave to her daughter for years?

    Was it karma?

    Tears streamed from the corner of Feng Chun''s lips. No¡­ she couldn''t accept. She couldn''t accept this!

    "Father, please investigate this first!" Wei Hong Zheng suddenly spoke out. He might not really like his mother, but he knew that without his mother, he wouldn''t be able to survive well. He was not like Wei Xiao Hua who somehow managed to stay well even though her mother had died a long time ago.

    However, his words only made Wei Hong felt even more disgusted.

    Kick!

    "You''re not my son."

    The words stabbed deep into Wei Hong Zheng''s heart. He had been trying his entire life to be able to please his father so that he would be able to had a good position in this kingdom. But seeing the gaze that his father gave him, he knew that it was nothing more than a dream.

    He looked at Wei Xiao Hua, who was staring back at him. There was no disgust but only hatred.

    Many times, he had interfered in her affairs and relationships. It was not strange to see her hated him so much because of what he had done all this time.

    "Wait."

    When Wei Hong suddenly gave the order, the servants halted their steps. Feng Chun raised her head and looked at Wei Hong with expectation, hoping that he would still believe her. They have lived with each other for decades. Surely, he would still put her in his heart, right?

 Chapter 276 - Chaos In Wei Family Household

    Feng Chun stared at Wei Hong with loving gaze. She was still hopeful, hopeful that he would still care for her because they have spent most of their lives with each other.

    But Wei Hong didn''t give her what she wanted.

    His cold gaze stopped any words that was about to come out of her throat.

    Right now, Wei Hong was feeling utterly disgusted by the woman in front of him. From the moment he heard that he had been made cuckolded, he could never see her the same way as before.

    He felt so disgusted at the thought that he had been sleeping with the same woman who was sleeping with her cousin.

    How immoral.

    And disgusting.

    Wei Hong walked to the guard and pulled the sword there. "Since you dare to step over your bounds, I shall be the one to give you your end."

    "Mmph!" (no!)

    Slash!

    Feng Chun''s eyes were filled with disbelief as her body fell to the ground. Tears streamed on the corner of her eyes along with the blood that spilled out like a waterfall.

    From the moment she saw Wei Hong raised his sword, her heart was crushed. The husband she cared for all this time and loved so greatly would be the very person who killed her in the end.

    She could not believe it.

    To think that this would be her end¡­

    If only¡­ if only that day she didn''t fall for Wei Hong, would she had this end?

    She only wished to be able to be by his side and bear his son because she wished that he would give her all of his attention. She did give him a son, but he never paid much attention to her. Her son was not capable; her daughter was the only one who was talented.

    But what was the use of having a talented daughter?

    Wei Hong didn''t care for a daughter.

    But no matter how much Feng Chun used her daughter to increase her son''s worth in his father''s eyes, it never worked much. The only momentary affection he gave to her was when Wei Hong Zheng managed to hunt that deer. At that time, she was genuinely happy with the attention Wei Hong gave her.

    But then, things turned south as Wei Hong Zheng could never met with his expectation and his treatment to her grew cold.

    Using her own son and daughter to try getting his affection over and over, battling against other concubines for countless days, waiting for him¡­ All of her life experience flashed before Feng Chun''s eyes as she laid on the floor, unmoving. Tears were still streaming out like a river without dam.

    A question aroused within her mind: Why did she give him her heart?

    Heh, people always said that women fell for the wrong person most of the time and it seemed that she was also included in that number.

    How pathetic.

    Light within Feng Chun''s eyes dimmed as she breathed her last, filled with regret and despair.

    "MOM!"

    Wei Hong Zheng ran to his mother''s side as his body trembled in anger and helplessness. The blood his hand touched turned his heart cold. He looked at his father. "How could you do that to your wife, Father?"

    Hearing the word ''father'' again, Wei Hong''s brow creased. He had long known that Wei Hong Zheng was stupid, but to think that this boy would be this tactless too, it seemed that he was also glad that Wei Hong Zheng was not his real son.

    Such a useless son, it was really good that he was not his son.

    And that missing troublemaker daughter. How befitting of these two to be this wicked woman''s children. They might not even be his children since this was the woman who had been sleeping around.

    "Wife? She''s a concubine, Hong Zheng," Wei Hong''s tone was as cold as ice. He looked at Wei Hong Zheng. "And for cooperating with that woman to pretend to be my son, you ought to be put in jail."

    "No! I¡­"

    "Drag him away!"

    This time, the servants moved even faster as they brought Wei Hong Zheng away. Wei Hong snorted and turned his body around. He didn''t care in the slightest bit that his wife had died just now.

    Even though she was someone who had spent most of her life with him, he didn''t have any feelings for her. In his eyes, she never worth much and the only reason why he got close to her was because of her worth back then.

    But now, she was just someone worthless, not even worth remembering.

    The other concubines were looking at the dead Feng Chun with mixed feelings. Some of them were gleeful that the concubine had died while some other were afraid that Wei Hong would do the same to them. Even though they hadn''t done anything wrong, they could be easily framed as long as the instigator was influential enough.

    And there were several people who could fake evidence easily here.

    "You may be dismissed. Feng Bo, you stay."

    "Y¡­yes."

    The others quickly turned around as they greeted Wei Hong formally. Some of their voices sounded cracking while others kept their composure.

    Wei Xiao Hua watched everything before. Her face was slightly pale, but it didn''t look much different than usual. She put on a smile on her face. "In that case, Xiao Hua will return back first, Father."

    Not waiting for her father to respond, Wei Xiao Hua walked out of the main hall and headed to her own residence. The servants around her were doing as usual as they followed her. The moment they arrived in her residence, Wei Xiao Hua waved her hand.

    "You may go."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Plop!

    Laying on her bed, Wei Xiao Hua buried her face on the pillow. She was thoroughly tired of living in the ancient world. Unlike many other transmigration scene, she didn''t inherit any of Wei Xiao Hua''s real memories. All that she knew was based on the novel that she had read along with her own experience here.

    Everything felt so strange and odd.

 Chapter 277 - Chaos In Wei Family Household (2)

    Wei Xiao Hua felt so tired.

    At first, she knew that she had to treat everyone around her as if they were nothing more than a character inside a novel. Because of that, she didn''t have to be afraid of anyone here and could just act as if she was the real Wei Xiao Hua.

    It just felt like a game where she was the protagonist and it didn''t matter what she did because plot armor would always help her. Relying on the information she gained from the novel she read before this transmigration, she could do anything she wanted.

    Everything felt like a dream.

    But as things progressed differently from the novel, she started to tread more carefully and no longer as playful as before. She started to feel the pressure that there were so many things she didn''t know. Collecting information, learning how to fight with the women here, she had to learn everything from the very basic.

    Just by relying on the information she had from the novels were not enough.

    Time progressed extremely quickly and the events from the novels only made her felt that her position was always in danger. At the same time, the more she interact with these ''supposed characters,'' the harder it was for her to treat them as mere characters.

    ''I can''t look at them as if they''re characters anymore.''

    They were all living beings.

    In the beginning, all of the schemes that Wei Xiao Hua made looked nothing more than a child play with it just being battle of words. She was only trying to gain her father''s trust and pushed the concubines out of power. But¡­

    The novel was not only that.

    The setting of the novel was not during peaceful time, but instead, it was during upheaval. Even though Wei Xiao Hua would not be getting too deeply involved in the battles, many other characters were already having wars outside. And because of her connection with Prince Ji Shu, she would be dragged inside their battles.

    And the battle that would occur next would be: succession''s battle.

    The Emperor might not be that old but he was not that young either. His children were already adults, albeit the youngest one just turned 20. But since they were all adults, the battle of successions had already started.

    Both covertly and openly.

    The main character was involved in the battle of succession, which meant that there would be a lot of people around her dying. In the novel, most of them would be strangers whom she didn''t know but there would also be those whom she actually knew since they were her enemies in the resident. She had started to feel it from the moment she was in that temple, but Wei Xiao Hua would have to see more deaths in front of her eyes even more often.

    The author made it so.

    Because the main character was also a powerful person who could handle it. She was growing faster as the dreadful situation forced her to be.

    ''But it''s hard¡­.''

    Seeing people dying in front of her for the first time, it was hard to believe. And having them getting killed so gruesomely would only make her want to vomit blood and cried until there was nothing left. Wei Xiao Hua was also haunted by nightmare after seeing someone died in front of her for the first time.

    She was a person from modern world and the peace she had there was completely different from one she saw in this place. Back then, death was so rare and even if there was one, it would not occur in front of her.

    But she had to act.

    And act again.

    Because if she acted like her real weak self, she would die in this cruel world. The only possible way for her to survive was by acting like the real Wei Xiao Hua and probably, once the novel end, she would be able to return back to her real world.

    At least, that was what Wei Xiao Hua hoped.

    She¡­ was never suited for this world.

    Slap!

    Lightly slapping her own cheek, Wei Xiao Hua smiled. The same confident smile had returned. She knew that Lou was watching her from a distance not far from this room to give reports to Prince Ji Shu.

    She couldn''t let him know that the real her was not as ruthless as he thought her to be.

    Because the thing that attracted Prince Ji Shu to the real Wei Xiao Hua was the fact that Wei Xiao Hua had the same ruthlessness and could stand beside him with no fear. A strong woman would be the one that suited Prince Ji Shu the most.

    ''I had to be strong.''

    Knock! Knock!

    "Yes?"

    "Miss, there''s a guest who want to come and see you."

    Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes narrowed. If she was not wrong, after this event, it would be Wei Yijun''s mother''s turn. The real Wei Xiao Hua was truly ruthless but then again, she was also afraid of keeping those concubines around.

    They were always watching her and trying to trap her.

    If not for the novel, she would have long died in their hands. Their schemes and the way they hid it was so perfect. Wei Xiao Hua was not a master of reading people''s expression but she had learned how to do it bit by bit during her stay here.

    "I''ll meet her in the garden."

    "Yes, Miss!"

    ¡­

    Wei Xiao Hua was not the only one who was shaken up by the incident.

    Wei Yijun''s gaze was filled with deep apprehension. While he was glad that his ''somewhat useless'' brother was out of the rivalry, there was a deep sense of unease within his heart. For the past few months, he realized that Wei Hong Zheng was actually growing much faster than before.

    It was as if Wei Hong Zheng had finally found his path as a martial artist rather than an official.

    "Yijun."

    Hearing his mother''s call, Wei Yijun raised his head. They had arrived in his mother''s residence by now. "Yes, Mother?"

    "Come inside. I want to talk with you."

    "Yes?"

 Chapter 278 - Chaos In Wei Family Household (3)

    "Come inside. I want to talk with you."

    "Yes?"

    Wei Yijun followed his mother, Concubine Xie, and took a seat in the guest room. He could see that his mother''s face was pale. Even though Concubine Xie had lived in this residence for a long time and managed to keep her position by staying low most of the time, she still often acted here and there.

    Concubine Xie looked at Wei Yijun with loving gaze yet there was sadness deep within her pupil that she tried hard to hide. "Yijun, I want you to never involve yourself with Wei Xiao Hua no matter what happened."

    "Mother? Why are you talking about this? Your son know that he can''t mess around with her, so your son had never interacted that much with her," Wei Yijun tried to reassure his mother.

    However, Concubine Xie shook her head. "It''ll be my turn soon."

    Wei Yijun''s face turned pale. "In that case¡­."

    "I want you to stay away."

    "But Mother!"

    Raising her hand, Concubine Xie knocked Wei Yijun''s forehead. "I might not fall into trap that easily, but your first sister is hard to read, even more so than you and your father. So, no matter what happened to me, you have to promise me that you won''t get involved with her in the slightest bit."

    "But Mother¡­!"

    "Yijun, promise me!"

    Wei Yijun could see the despairing expression of his mother. He spent most of his time to study outside, but it didn''t mean that he was blind with what happened in the residence. There were many times when his mother had schemed against Wei Xiao Hua in the past but kept quiet about it.

    After all, to be able to gain the power to be in control of the household for so long, there were several tactics that Concubine Xie employed. And pushing down the main daughter was also something included.

    She was not a person without faults.

    Battles within the residence was as fierce as the battles occurred outside.

    A drop of tear fell from the corner of Wei Yijun''s eyes. He gnashed his teeth, "¡­I understand, Mother. Yijun promised that Yijun will never get involved with Wei Xiao Hua in the slightest bit no matter what happened."

    "Good boy."

    Concubine Xie patted his son''s eyes, yet her eyes were also watery. Whose mother didn''t want to protect their children? Unfortunately, she had already done so many wrong things in the past just to be able to in power and it would be her turn to pay the price soon.

    Wei Yijun didn''t say anything else. He only lowered his eyes as he understood that being born in this low position, it just meant that his future prospect was limited. And there were many times when those at lower position could do nothing to those with higher position.

    And this time, he couldn''t help his mother.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile.

    In the prison, Wei Hong Zheng was staying at the edge of his room. He couldn''t understand why it could happen so fast and why? Why would his uncle frame his mother?

    He couldn''t understand.

    And time passed in that fashion. Days passed with Wei Hong Zheng gotten no news of the situation outside. The only thing that help him kept tab of the word outside was the meal that the guards sent three times a day.

    At least, he wouldn''t die out of starving in this place.

    From the conversation of the guards outside, he came to find out that his mother and uncle were banished from their family. Feng Family might not be that big and prestigious, but it still had its honor. They would not allow to let those who brought so much shame to be inside their family.

    And naturally, they also didn''t acknowledge Wei Hong Zheng to be their descendant and chose to leave him be in this prison. Not even a single person came to visit him in this cold and dark prison.

    It also gave Wei Hong Zheng a long time to think.

    ''If I''m truly not Wei Hong''s son, would it be possible for that Feng Bo to be my father?''

    Thinking about his uncle, Wei Hong Zheng didn''t think that it was possible. His countenance different greatly from Feng Bo. And even though he was quite stupid, he was good at martial arts. From what he knew, there was no Feng Family''s descendant who was good at martial arts so far.

    And after several days, Feng Bo came.

    "Uncle!" Wei Hong Zheng called out. He could see his uncle was looked beat up, but his eyes were shining as if he was happy.

    "Hong Zheng, you''re still alive."

    "What do you mean by that, Uncle?" Wei Hong Zheng frowned. With the guards didn''t mistreat him at all and allowing him to have enough food, he didn''t fare that bad in this place.

    Feng Bo smiled sheepishly and then looked at Wei Hong Zheng. "Hong Zheng, if you acknowledge me as your father, I''ll bring you out of the prison."

    "Uncle, you better tell me what happened first."

    The cold tone that Wei Hong Zheng used seemed so different from the tone that the soft and useless Wei Hong Zheng usually used. It seemed as if Feng Bo was facing against someone different.

    For a moment, the figure of Wei Hong appeared in front of Feng Bo.

    However, he quickly pushed the thoughts behind his mind. He couldn''t possibly let anyone knew the truth or it would be his neck that was on the line.

    "You know it''s the truth. I''m your father."

    "That''s not possible." Wei Hong Zheng''s gaze turned even colder. "I don''t have any similarities with you at all, Uncle."

    "Even if you want to deny it your entire life, the truth will never change," Feng Bo said with a sneer. He glanced at the guards and waved his hand, asking them to stay away. "Anyway, I''ll be living outside the capital city, so if you want to come out and¡­"

    "Why Father let you out?"

    "He didn''t. Someone else did."

    "What?" Wei Hong Zheng was looking at Feng Bo in disbelief. There was actually someone who wanted to help them?

 Chapter 279 - Informing

    "What?" Wei Hong Zheng was looking at Feng Bo in disbelief. There was actually someone who wanted to help them?

    Feng Bo grinned. "I''m saying the truth. If you follow me and lived as my son from now on, you''re going to live well. Don''t worry, I know a way to make sure that you can enlist as soldier."

    Wei Hong Zheng was looking at Feng Bo with disbelief. With his uncle already being disinherited by the Feng Family, where would he find the backup to realize what he was saying? Not to mention, Feng Bo was a normal man who didn''t have any connection to the military whatsoever.

    He might be a bit slow, but he was not completely stupid.

    "Who?"

    "Yes?"

    "Who''s the one helping you out?" Wei Hong Zheng repeated his question. His eyes were looking at his uncle with murderous gaze.

    Feng Bo scratched his cheek. He didn''t want to tell Wei Hong Zheng. "That''s a secret. I can''t divulge it to you¡­."

    "In that case, I won''t come along."

    "Hong Zheng!"

    "Don''t speak to me as if you''re my father!" Wei Hong Zheng shouted back. His eyes were looking at his uncle. "Since you don''t trust me and only want to use me, why should I follow you?"

    "You ungrateful brat! You''ll die in this prison! I''ll make sure of that!" Feng Bo shouted back and stomped out of the prison in anger.

    On the other hand, Wei Hong Zheng hugged his legs and sat on the bed. For the first time in his life, he felt that he was alone. There was no one else whom he could trust anymore. He knew that his life in prison would not always be this good, but what could he do? He couldn''t do anything.

    ''I''m really¡­ useless.''

    Wei Hong Zheng closed his eyes. He didn''t have any friend in the academy who would be willing to help him. Many of them got close to him only after he showed that he had some skills and might rise to prominence in the future.

    But when he got into trouble, they would definitely run the fastest.

    He was truly useless.

    And completely alone.

    While Wei Hong Zheng was staying still, Feng Bo was rushing to the gate. He was cursing under his breath but he prioritized his life more than anything else. Since he could have the chance to escape, he had to make use of it to the best of his ability.

    However, before he could reach it, a shadow moved and killed him without a sound.

    Thud!

    "Your Highness, Feng Bo had died. However, Wei Hong Zheng is not here."

    "He''s not here?" Prince Ji Shu walked out of the shadow. He looked at the cell where Wei Hong Zheng was staying and nodded his head. "it seems that the boy is not completely stupid. Unfortunately, I have no use of someone who can easily fall to a trap like him. Let''s go."

    That brat was not completely stupid but a child with no influence nor connection whatsoever would be useless. Prince Ji Shu was not that idle to the point that he would waste time to take care of that young boy.

    "Yes, Your Highness!"

    ¡­

    *Back to the present, Wei Liuying''s side*

    "I believe Feng Family is in trouble."

    "They disowned their daughter and claim innocence. It won''t be long before Prince Ji Shu starts to clean them up based on what he wanted," Yang Xian said. "Do you want to have a visit there?"

    "For my brother?"

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying looked at the bamboo strip and shook her head lightly. "There''s no use visiting him now. I think that by staying in the jail, he''ll learn how to be more mature and rely more on himself rather than other people."

    She never had much feelings for her younger brother and there were even times when she hated the other party. But thinking about it now, such feeling was useless as the other party couldn''t even do anything to her now. Their position would no longer be the same as before and there was no chance for them to interact with each other.

    "I see."

    "How about my brother Wei Yijun?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "He''s sent to the academy and not going home yet. There will be province examination soon then followed by the imperial examination. With the chaos in Wei Family Household, it won''t be weird if he will not be allowed to return back soon."

    "Wei Zilin?"

    "She''s still in Wei Family Household, but I believe she''ll be married out soon."

    Wei Liuying handed the bamboo strips back. It was not like she didn''t expect it, but it truly happened as she had expected. Both Wei Zilin and Wei Hong Zheng were not a match for Wei Xiao Hua. The fate of Wei Family Household was sealed from the moment Wei Xiao Hua was given the access to handle everything.

    With Prince Ji Shu as her backing, there was nothing that she needed to fear.

    Clenching her fingers into a fist, Wei Liuying still could remember the days when she was forced to the back because of the duo. Some time had passed but the memory still lingered. She didn''t want it to happen again.

    Being forced to submission without being able to do anything.

    She hated it so much.

    "I wish them luck."

    "Do you think your siblings will be able to stay alive?" Yang Xian asked with arched eyebrows. He highly doubted that any of them would be able to stay safe after what had happened.

    Wei Liuying shrugged. "It''ll depend on how they respond to Wei Xiao Hua. Besides, it didn''t matter to me anymore."

    Whether the entire family was destroyed, flourish, or even disappeared, Wei Liuying no longer cared that much. She hadn''t interacted with them for a long period of time and was not close with any of them. Each of them only treated each other with lukewarm attitude in order to survive.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. He glanced to Yang Xian.

    "Change your clothes. We''re heading back to Dong Shan City," Yang Xian finally replied.

    "I understand."

 Chapter 280 - Informing (2)

    The soldiers hurriedly packed their belongings. Prince Ji Sheng led half of them to go to Prince Ji Sheng''s City while Yang Xian led the rest, who were wounded to Dong Shan City along with the commander there. Wei Liuying refused to be carried by him again, so she followed by riding on the same horse with Yang Xian.

    While on the journey, Wei Liuying listened in to what Yang Xian had to say to the commanders.

    They also sent letter to the capital city to inform about the events. Of course, what Wei Liuying did was changed to Princess Ji Xiaoli. It was to the extent that they also spread the news on their way back. This way, no one would be able to contain the news anymore and people would know what the princess had done.

    "The story will get more ridiculous as it passed by from people to people." Wei Liuying looked at a distance. She pursed her lips. "Do you think that people will believe it by that time?"

    Yang Xian shrugged. He was riding on the horse beside Wei Liuying''s carriage. Due to her wounds, Prince Ji Sheng arranged for Wei Liuying to travel inside the carriage. They were also not in a hurry as Prince Ji Sheng and Lady Gao Ling would be handling the frontline while they would take the injured to Dong Shan City first.

    "Even if they didn''t believe it, they had no other choice but to believe. How do you think we manage to stop them from having reinforcement otherwise?" Yang Xian replied unhurriedly. His eyes were looking at Wei Liuying calmly as his lips curled up to form a smile. "Or do you think that the story is a lie?"

    It''s a lie.

    Because the one who stood up was Wei Liuying but such matter shouldn''t be known to other people.

    Wei Liuying looked at the sky. "Uncle said that when people died, they''ll be watching us from the sky until it''s their time to leave. Do you think that those two are watching at our action from the sky?"

    "Why?"

    "Because I want to know whether Princess Ji Xiaoli will like this news spread about her. At the very least, her life is not thrown away just like that." Wei Liuying''s eyes stared into the distance.

    Yang Xian didn''t know. He never even thought about that. "If you''re speaking like that, it would sound as if you''re carrying the burden of every life you take."

    "Isn''t it always like that?" Wei Liuying smiled mockingly. "With my hands, I have taken the lives of so many people, preventing them from enjoying the beauty of life any longer. It''ll never change and I know that the fact that I have killed them will never be able to be erased."

    Yang Xian paused for a moment. He stretched his hand to the carriage and patted Wei Liuying''s head. "Yeah. It''s just the burden of your position."

    "Our position. Aren''t you the same?" Wei Liuying blinked her eyes.

    Our?

    "Yes." Yang Xian retracted his hands. They would have to live with the fact that they had killed a lot of people for the sake of their kingdom or their survival. It could be burdensome but they were not alone.

    "I''m sure she''ll accept your arrangement with a smile."

    "Hmm?" Wei Liuying glanced at Yang Xian then she retracted her gaze back to the carriage and closed the curtain once more.

    The two of them were silence for some time until they reached Dong Shan City. Yang Xian spoke out, "We''ve arrived in Dong Shan City. Do you want to visit Lu Wen?"

    "Yes. I won''t take long."

    Yang Xian rubbed his chin. "Technically, you''re also wounded, so it''s fine if you stay in Dong Shan City with the rest of the soldiers."

    "And not participating in the war?" Wei Liuying turned her head and glared. "I''m not going to rest while waiting for the war to end, Strategist Yang. I''ll be right back."

    "Fine."

    Yang Xian watched as Wei Liuying walked towards Shi Lu Wen''s house. His dark eyes flickered slightly. He then noticed that his soldiers were looking at him. He waved his hand. "If you''re so bored, I don''t mind arranging some additional drills after the war is over for all of you."

    With that sentence, the soldiers scampered to leave. It was not only Prince Ji Sheng who supervised the training but also Yang Xian. They didn''t want to offend him in case they would be dragged to have a hellish training when they return back later.

    Wei Liuying walked to the garden and noticed that Shi Lu Wen was there, watering the plants as usual.

    "Miss Lu Wen?"

    "Yes?" Shi Lu Wen turned her head and looked at Wei Liuying. Upon seeing her face, a smile was formed naturally, showing cute dimples on her cheek. "Liuying! I didn''t expect to see you here."

    "I come to visit," Wei Liuying responded with a forced smile.

    "What is it?"

    "I have bad news for you."

    Shi Lu Wen''s expression fell. She looked at Wei Liuying and then to soldiers who were at a considerable distance. There were many of them who were wounded and all. She clenched her fist and then looked at Wei Liuying once more.

    "I''m all ear."

    Wei Liuying looked at Shi Lu Wen and slowly explained what happened at the north and beyond the border. She tried to make sure that she explained everything carefully, including the mistake that she made for not realizing Shi Mo''s real plan. There was nothing that she hid from Shi Lu Wen.

    It took some time before Wei Liuying finished. She looked at Shi Lu Wen then bowed down. "I''m sorry."

    Shi Lu Wen didn''t reply. Her large eyes were looking at Wei Liuying as tears started to form and fall.

    "I''m sorry¡­" Wei Liuying couldn''t do anything but to repeat the same sentence.

    Silence fell between them as Shi Lu Wen cried.

 Chapter 281 - Informing (3)

    Wei Liuying didn''t know how she managed to relay the message to Shi Yan after that. He was staying with Shi Lu Wen and naturally came out when he found out his sister was crying. When he heard the news, he didn''t cry like Shi Lu Wen, but it was clear that his expression was distorted.

    Clearly, they didn''t expect to hear such news.

    It took some time before they calmed down and asked for more details regarding his body''s location.

    "You buried him in Village K?" Shi Yan asked. His usual playful tone sounded strange now that his voice cracked a bit.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I can''t possibly leave him in Xiong Tribe area, so I brought him to his old house and dug a grave there. When the war is finished, it''s possible to move him back if you want to."

    Shi Yan nodded. He was thinking of moving the grave back to Han Shi Kingdom''s cities when there was time. However, he was not sure when would be the perfect time for him to do that. The war would not end anytime soon and moving the corpse would be difficult in this situation.

    "It''s hard to believe, though." Shi Lu Wen wiped her tears.

    "I''m so¡­"

    "That Shi Mo can actually fall in love."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" I can''t comment on anything in this topic.

    Shi Yan shrugged. "It''s time for that brat to mature too."

    "In that case, when will it be your time, Yan Ge?"

    "¡­I''ll think about it."

    Wiping her tears again, Shi Lu Wen sighed. She looked at Wei Liuying and smiled faintly. "Don''t worry, I''m sure that Mo Ge is happy to be able to be reunited with Princess Ji Xiaoli in the afterlife. Since they can''t be together in this life, they might be happy because they can be together in their next one."

    Wei Liuying nodded. She looked at the siblings who have calmed down considerably. They looked much better now than before.

    "I won''t blame you," Shi Yan said after a while. His expression had turned better, but his tone was still tinged in sadness. "Shi Mo is always like that. Even if you disagreed with him, he''ll follow you on the back and then create chaos in the designated place. No matter what you do, there''s no way you can stop him."

    "I see."

    "You should focus on your work. The war is not over yet. With Prince Lian is still out there and many other tribes joining force, it''s clear that the northern border will need a clean sweep," Shi Yan said. "I was hoping that I could have started the trade again, but I don''t think it''s possible."

    Shi Lu Wen shook her head. "You''re always thinking about money, Yan Ge."

    "Money is important!"

    "Yeah, yeah, I know. Strategist Yang will soon depart. If you want to reach Prince Ji Sheng''s City before it''s night time, you need to leave now," Shi Lu Wen added.

    Wei Liuying nodded and stood up. "In that case, I won''t bother you anymore. If you need my help to locate and move Shi Mo''s body, I''ll surely help you."

    "It''s fine." Shi Lu Wen walked to the door and opened it. Her eyes were looking down. "Unlike our parents, Shi Mo''s father was a soldier. Ever since he was young, it has been his dream to become a soldier and died in the battlefield honorably just like what his father did. I''m sure that he''s happy because he can fulfil his dream."

    Shi Lu Wen''s voice cracked nearing the end of the sentence. Wei Liuying patted her shoulder lightly. "Thank you."

    Even if it was only said to make her feel better, Wei Liuying appreciated Shi Lu Wen''s thoughtfulness. The young girl was still young, but she always cared for others a lot. Probably, it was also why she would make a good female doctor.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying walked out of the house and strode back to the location where the soldiers were staying. Shi Lu Wen stayed still in her place, watching Wei Liuying''s back disappeared into a distance.

    "Why do you tell her that?"

    "It''s the truth," Shi Lu Wen said. "And I''m sure that you know about foolish Mo Ge''s dream better than me."

    "Falling in love with the most beautiful girl and died in the battlefield for her?" Shi Yan asked. He sighed and stood up. "He''s still as stupid as ever."

    "You''re one to talk, Yan Ge."

    Shi Yan was silence for some time. The three of them were children from ordinary family who used to live in a small village. Shi Mo''s father was his father''s brother, so they were cousins.

    While Shi Mo''s father was a soldier, Shi Yan''s father was a farmer. They lived a poor but fulfilling life. Unfortunately, such life didn''t last long as the flood and war occurred, increasing crime rates. It also caused some bandits to come to the villages to exhort the villagers there.

    Naturally, there were guards, but the bandits had their own way to make sure that they can bypass them. They could simply give the guards exception that they would not touch their families as long as they were allowed inside.

    The guards, who were not strong enough, finally let the bandits pass and let them do whatever they wanted. They did nothing but watch with their family members while the other villagers were suffering.

    One of their those who suffered was their parents.

    That brutal night when everything changed for them was an unforgettable memory for Shi Yan. Back then, Shi Lu Wen was still small and he kept her hidden to make sure that she didn''t watch any of those cruelty. However, he had seen it by himself.

    How the village elders allowed the bandits to come in just for meagre sum of money.

    How the women, both married and teenagers, were taken away by the bandits and there was nothing the children could do but to fight back and failed miserably due to their low power.

    How the cries of the people were not heard by those who had ability and they were simply left to suffer alone.

    How those with power were misusing the authority given to them and abandoned the weak ones.

    That was the day he swore that he would do anything to become rich and make sure that no one would be able to harm those around him anymore. And it was also the very day Shi Mo was determined to join the military.

    Their lives changed from that very moment.

    Shi Yan closed his eyes for a moment. He looked at Shi Lu Wen and patted her head tenderly. "I''ll arrange for my carriages to move in different route for now. With the war raging on like that, I won''t be able to go to the north."

    "Yes." Shi Lu Wen''s gaze dropped to the ground. She lifted her hand and wiped her tears. "I hope the war will end soon."

    "It will." Shi Yan looked in the direction where Wei Liuying went. The others must have been there too. He believed that if it was them, they would be able to end this long lasting war. "The war will end soon."

    "En."

 Chapter 282 - A Step Into The Future

    Wei Liuying regrouped with the soldiers who were going to return back to Prince Ji Sheng''s City. Yang Xian was on top of his horse, holding a bag filled with meat buns while he started to eat.

    "Do you want some?"

    "Thanks." Wei Liuying took one of the meat buns. "Are we going to depart directly to Prince Ji Sheng''s City?"

    "Yes. I received report that even though they have suffered heavy loss, they will not give up yet. Besides, other tribes had started to move because Gao City is under attack too."

    Wei Liuying frowned and swallowed the piece of meat bun in her mouth. "Will Lady Gao ask to return back?"

    "it''s unlikely. I''m sure General Gao will be just fine."

    "I see."

    "Also, Prince Lian is executed by Lady Gao." Yang Xian''s lips curled up when he remembered this matter. That prince was unlucky to be spotted by Gao Ling and with her skill as an archer, he was killed on the spot.

    Those who ran with him were also killed quickly by the other soldiers whom Lady Gao deployed.

    Wei Liuying smiled and laughed faintly. "That''s good news. It meant we''re not going to have difficulties facing him anymore."

    "Yes."

    The war at the border would soon come to an end but they still might take a few more months to completely stabilize the situation. The soldiers might not even move back so quickly as there were other princes who might be in charge of the war.

    Besides, there were also other tribes.

    The two of them continued to discuss what had happened and their plan. The soldiers were tactful enough to keep a certain distance from them. Some soldiers gave her odd gazes from time to time, but Wei Liuying ignored it. Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng had already given them order to not speak the word regarding her real gender.

    For now, she would stay as the male ''Liu Ying.''

    The war continued for the months to come. The news of Princess Ji Xiaoli''s ''sacrifice'' was told as tales at the Capital City while those at the border were focused on the news of war. It was even told to children that the princess was a noble person and there were many people who sang praise for her.

    Her name was known.

    While the others'' achievement seemed to die down.

    But the others didn''t care. At the north, those who had seen the war talked more about the military commanders such as Prince Ji Sheng, Yang Xian, Liu Ying, and Lady Gao. The news about the other generals were also spread far and wide, highlighting their achievement.

    As the temperature getting warmer, Prince Ji Sheng began to make his move deep to the north and claimed Village K along with several other villages as part of Han Shi Kingdom. Massive number of migration started to happen as Prince Ji Sheng ventured deeper.

    Yang Xian was in charge for the front battle while Wei Liuying keep tracking on the minor conflicts and battles that occurred in the area that Prince Ji Sheng conquered. It took them some time to settled on a line and started to build another city and wall to mark it as the new border of Han Shi Kingdom.

    General Gao was doing his work splendidly, which prevent the tribes to breach deeper. On the other hand, the general at the east was also doing even better and helped to expand the border further to the north.

    The shape of the border was now a bit uneven, but it was still quite straight line.

    Xiong Tribe was pushed to the north by the end of summer and unable to return back anymore. Prince Ji Sheng deployed his men to patrol on regular basis to make sure that they would be able to avoid the battles with Xiong Tribe.

    With this, the war was over.

    There were no other tribes in their area who could threaten Prince Ji Sheng''s position. There might be some skirmish here and there, but it would not affect the overall situation too much.

    But when Autumn came, they were faced with unexpected situation¡­.

    ¡­

    - Capital City -

    "The battle is almost over?" Wei Xiao Hua asked with surprise. She married Prince Ji Shu in early summer, so she lived with him. Today, he unexpectedly started to share to her the news of what had happened at the north.

    Prince Ji Shu nodded. "Prince Ji Sheng emerged victorious. There are many people resounding his story. Even though the battle cost us the life of Princess Ji Xiaoli, everyone soon forgot about her."

    "It''s only normal that not many people remember the princess. Still, I''m sure that they''ll tell story about how the princess was able to help Prince Ji Sheng," Wei Xiao Hua remarked.

    "Only some, but the one I need to pay attention the most is Ji Sheng."

    Wei Xiao Hua pursed her lips. "He won''t be able to threaten your position with only military power. The south area is not under his order, so they will never want to follow what he asked them to do."

    "Indeed, but it''s still worrying."

    "Why?"

    "His two strategists are more capable than what I thought at first," Prince Ji Shu replied.

    "Two strategists?"

    "Strategist Yang and Strategist Liu. With the two of them joining hands, the conquest has been faster and faster. I''m sure that before the autumn''s hunt, Han Shi Kingdom will be declared victorious."

    Wei Xiao Hua blinked her eyes and looked at Prince Ji Shu as if she had heard of some strange news. "Strategist Liu is still active?"

    "Yes. He''s the one leading part of the soldiers to ease the civil disputes."

    "That''s¡­" impossible.

    "Xiao Hua?"

    Wei Xiao Hua was looking at her husband with confusion written in her face. There were some details from the novels that she never revealed to anyone. This one was one of the few things that occurred without the need of the real Wei Xiao Hua''s intervention.

    Strategist Liu should have died under Strategist Yang''s hand.

    She should have listened to the story from Prince Ji Shu a few months after the incident, which was today. However, the news that she got from him was something completely different.

    "Did something happen?"

    Prince Ji Shu played with the book in his hand and nodded. "They locked the news, but apparently there''s time when Xiong Tribe nearly passed the border safely. They''re strengthening the border now, but it won''t last that long since they''re lacking in the number of soldiers."

    "I can guess that you must have sent someone to spy on them, right?" Wei Xiao Hua asked with a smirk.

    "You know me very well, Xiao Hua."

    Pulling his wife to his embrace, Prince Ji Shu sneaked a kiss. Wei Xiao Hua smelled so good today. He lightly fondled her soft arm as he continued to speak, "The details are covered and the soldiers who are presents are only Prince Ji Sheng''s elites'' soldiers, so they won''t tell the details. However, there are some other soldiers who said that they see Strategist Liu got captured."

    Wei Xiao Hua nodded. She had expected this. The novel did say that Strategist Liu was captured when he was scouting the enemy. The exact detail was not provided because the real Wei Xiao Hua didn''t leave the capital city again after the temple incident because it was the time to settle scores with her family members.

 Chapter 283 - Wei Xiao Huaâ€™s Worry

    The novel did say that Strategist Liu was captured when he was scouting the enemy. The exact detail was not provided because the real Wei Xiao Hua didn''t leave the capital city again after the temple incident because it was the time to settle scores with her family members.

    But¡­.

    "But he''s safe?"

    "Yes. They said that one way or another, Strategist Yang save him," Prince Ji Shu replied.

    Hearing that, Wei Xiao Hua blinked her eyes a few times. She had thought about this a few times in the past, but she didn''t expect that it really would be that way. Based on the story, Strategist Yang would make a critical mistake and lose miserably. Because of that mistake, Strategist Liu died in the battle, making Strategist Yang in despair¡­

    When thinking about this plot, Wei Xiao Hua was always so speechless. She had met with Yang Xian thanks to Ji Shu, so she knew that he was very remarkable. However, how could someone this excellent would actually fall for another young man who was also similarly remarkable but a few years younger?

    She only came to one conclusion.

    The author was strange.

    (A/N: ¡­)

    In any case, without Strategist Liu, Strategist Yang still managed to turn over the victory to Han Shi Kingdom. However, they lost so many soldiers and Prince Ji Sheng was in far weakened condition. The situation was dire for them and the war ended right before the battle for succession started.

    There was confrontation and Prince Ji Shu won it. When they had lost, Yang Xian would try the last resort but failed and killed himself while Prince Ji Sheng would have been killed by Prince Ji Shu in a confrontation.

    The bloody conquest to the throne ended then.

    With no other princes still alive, Prince Ji Shu was the only one who was suitable to become the emperor. Wei Xiao Hua would be his empress and Prince Ji Shu never looked in other women''s direction, falling deeper and deeper for Wei Xiao Hua and became one of the rare emperor who didn''t practice polygamy.

    Or at least, it was supposed to be that way.

    Now that the situation changed, Wei Xiao Hua felt that things would not end so easily. The additional character named Strategist Liu might change everything that she had planned in store.

    The plot wouldn''t be able to follow the original path anymore.

    "How are their condition from the battle?" Wei Xiao Hua asked slowly.

    "Still good, which is bad news for us," Prince Ji Shu said unhurriedly. He lifted his wife and changed her position in his embrace. "The Autumn hunt will start soon. Do you want to come along?"

    "No. I don''t have any interest to see bloody scene."

    "It seems that you know my plan even without me telling you."

    Wei Xiao Hua pushed Prince Ji Shu back before he could snuggle close. The novel said that the autumn hunt at the middle of autumn was the start for the conquest to the throne, so it would turn into a bloody one. She disliked seeing blood directly, so it would be better for her to not attend the hunt and possibly create trauma for herself.

    She took Prince Ji Shu''s hand and pinched it lightly. "I won''t forgive you if you return back while getting hurt."

    "I won''t be the one making the move now." Prince Ji Shu pulled Wei Xiao Hua closer and rested his chin on her shoulder. This position felt very comfortable for him. "Do you still need help to deal with your family members?"

    "No need," Wei Xiao Hua responded. A smile formed on the corner of her lips. "My second sister is married now. I don''t want to interfere with her happy marriage."

    "Happy, huh?"

    "It''s the marriage that she wanted to have."

    Playing with Prince Ji Shu''s hand, Wei Xiao Hua sighed. Wei Zilin tried to enter the room where Prince Ji Shu was staying when they were having a visit to Wei Family grounds outside of the capital city. Prince Ji Shu came along to accompany Wei Xiao Hua. There were many other people in the inn where they were staying, so Wei Xiao Hua switched the room where Prince Ji Shu was staying with other young masters.

    In other words, Wei Zilin ended up in other people''s room and humiliated herself. Since she was caught in another young master''s room, she could only end up as his concubine. It has been several months since then and Wei Xiao Hua didn''t know what had happened to Wei Zilin.

    In any case, she would never let anyone else have Prince Ji Shu.

    Besides, it was the same trick that the real Wei Xiao Hua did. At this point of time, Wei Xiao Hua had no interest to make the plot derailed from the original story anymore. It was too tiring when she had to play with what those people wanted and read the messages behind their twisted words.

    "You''re the one who should be careful. What will you do if Prince Ji Shao Yang''s followers are still out there?" Wei Xiao Hua nagged.

    "You seem to be very worried about him."

    Wei Xiao Hua pursed her lips. Of course she was worried. The second prince''s followers were a lot as many of them wished for the low key prince to be the one who sat on the throne. She hadn''t finished that damn novel as she somehow only managed to read up until the death of Prince Ji Sheng and their return to the capital city.

    There were some troubles thanks to Yang Xian but she knew from the spoiler given by the authors that Yang Xian would fail and ended up killing himself. He was not her source of her worry anymore because she knew that Prince Ji Shu should be able to deal with that mad strategist.

    However, in some spoilers that she managed to obtain by ''threatening'' to take the author''s strawberry milk in discord¡­.

    *cough*

    Yeah, she and some other readers were playing around with the author in discord and managed to obtain some information since they hadn''t caught up and didn''t have enough coins. The author slipped out and revealed that there was another arc involving the second prince''s people that would be on Prince Ji Shu''s way.

    The story should be happy ending, but Wei Xiao Hua knew that it would not be easy.

    Because of this, she was a bit anxious of second prince''s people. The second prince had nearly run away back then before he was eliminated by Prince Ji Shu''s people. Yet, there were still a lot of people who were supportive of the second prince behind the screen.

    "You''re worrying too much."

    "But¡­"

    "And one of the people who are very supportive of him is your first brother," Prince Ji Shu dropped the news almost immediately. "He''s still only 18 years old, so he''s not a big threat yet. However, I''m sure that he''ll be a threat if he becomes an official."

    Wei Yijun.

    In the first place, Wei Xiao Hua never have many interactions with her first brother. He remained someone she rarely met thorough her life. Even though she did try to get close to him from time to time, she realized that it was not completely possible.

    Their path and schedule didn''t match, so she didn''t try to get close to him.

    "What do you plan to do, Ji Shu?"

    "To him?"

    "Yes."

    "What do you want me to do, Xiao Hua?"

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at her husband as she thought of her first brother.

 Chapter 284 - â€˜Helperâ€™

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at her husband as she thought of her first brother.

    "I don''t know."

    "Yes?"

    "I don''t have animosity with my first brother. if he''s standing on your path, I won''t stop you from eliminating him," Wei Xiao Hua responded after a while. In this world, the real Wei Xiao Hua never have anyone important to her aside from her husband and maidservants. Those people who claimed to be her family members were only trying to get close to her because of Prince Ji Shu.

    When she was the spectator as the reader, there were times when she felt that Wei Xiao Hua was too ruthless. But now that she was facing them by herself, she felt that the real Wei Xiao Hua was still too lenient.

    These people were so annoying, and she had to entertain them in many occasions. It was so tiring.

    However, she didn''t want to kill unnecessary people too. Since she had no animosity with Wei Yijun, she would only kill her first brother if he stood on Prince Ji Shu''s path to the throne. And killing people with her own hand¡­ still made her feel so sick that she was unwilling to do so.

    They have to win the throne. It was the only way to survive as part of the Imperial Family members. If they didn''t, they would die? Wei Xiao Hua forgot the exact detail of the princes who failed to get the throne but many of them died in the end because of their failure.

    "Is there anyone you wish for me to keep alive?" Prince Ji Shu asked.

    "I only wish for you to stay alive and don''t kill people unless it''s necessary," Wei Xiao Hua replied.

    "Yes, yes."

    After that, Prince Ji Shu turned Wei Xiao Hua around and kissed her deeply. It might be still evening, but he was already feeling impatient.

    In any case, there was nothing else that he needed to do for the day. As for the autumn hunt that would be held soon, he only needed to do what he planned to.

    ¡­

    - Northern Border -

    A few months had passed since the last battle and by now, everyone had already heard about Princess Ji Xiaoli''s merit. There was even a memorial held for her in the capital city but Prince Ji Sheng and the others didn''t come to participate. They were still busy trying to use the momentum to win the war.

    It was the Emperor and the other princes who generously gave the announcement and have mourning period for her. Even if it was just to show face because of her achievement, it didn''t matter much to the people living in the capital city.

    The people were sad, but they didn''t dwell too much on it since the north felt so far away from them. All they knew was that the historian would be asked to record this incident, albeit just one sentence about how Princess Ji Xiaoli would help the war from behind the scene.

    That was enough for them.

    Slash!

    Blood spurted out as a body fell down to the ground. Wei Liuying was holding her sword as she looked at the tribe''s member in front of her. The war was technically finished since they have already pushed Xiong Tribe back. However, there were still a lot of small groups roaming this are that needed to be cleaned up.

    Wei Liuying was part of the people who were tasked to clean up the mess.

    "Strategist Liu, it''s clear over here."

    "Good. Regroup with Commander Zhao."

    "Yes, Strategist Liu."

    Wei Liuying wiped her sweat and looked around. She furrowed her brows and sighed. The bloody sight had become something that she had to face from time to time. It was already autumn, but their work was not finished yet.

    Walking back to their camp, a soldier rushed in. "Strategist Liu, there''s a message from Strategist Yang."

    "What is it?"

    "He said that he''ll be coming in half an incense stick time."

    Wei Liuying rolled her eyes and nodded. Since the messenger had already arrived here by now, it meant that Strategist Yang will arrive in just a few breaths time. She waved her hand. "I understand. You''re dismissed."

    "Yes, Strategist Liu!"

    Commander Zhao was watching from a distance away and smiled when he saw how Wei Liuying ordered the soldiers to continue their work after she had received the message. It was only a few months, but she had gotten even better with her position as the strategist.

    "Good work today, Strategist Liu."

    "Thank you for your hard work too, Commander Zhao," Wei Liuying responded. She smiled faintly. "Are you thinking of having some rest?"

    "We have basically cleaned this area, so I think that it''s time to make the report and give it to His Highness."

    "You should wait a bit before submitting the report. His Highness is going to get married tomorrow."

    "Ah, right. How could I forget something so important! In that case, we need to return back to Prince Ji Sheng''s City and attend His Highness''s Wedding!"

    Wei Liuying shook her head amusedly when she saw Commander Zhao hurriedly ordered his soldiers to move. That cleaning was the last one for their work, and she had already told the soldiers to clean up. It was for that reason that she participated directly in the cleaning.

    Prince Ji Sheng chose the date to get married not long after the war with Xiong Tribe was over. There were still several other troubles in the border, but it was not enough to hinder his plan to get married to Gao Ling. The two of them have waited long enough, so it was their well deserved marriage if one should say.

    Before Wei Liuying could return back, she heard a familiar voice calling her.

    "Liu Ying."

    "Yang Xian."

    Yang Xian grinned and waved his hand on top of his horse. "You haven''t prepared yourself for a journey, yet?"

    After a few months, Wei Liuying no longer called Yang Xian with his title and directly used his name. He would nag her for a long time if she ever returned back to her previous way to call him, so she finally gave in to his request.

    Besides, Prince Ji Sheng would look at her with strange gaze whenever she returned back to using formal title to address Yang Xian. For one reason or another, Wei Liuying just felt these two were collaborating together to push her towards Yang Xian.

    Wei Liuying smiled and shook her head. "I''ll be going soon after I took my bag. The soldiers have already prepared the horse."

    "You seem to be well suited to be a leader."

    "I''m merely a helper here."

    Yang Xian laughed and waited patiently. Looking at the camp condition along with the soldiers'' atmosphere, he could tell that Wei Liuying had been working hard for a long time to make them accepted her. There were still many people who didn''t like having a kid ordered them around, but with Wei Liuying continuing to prove herself, they gradually accepted her.

    By now, Prince Ji Sheng''s soldiers would not have any complaint no matter which platoon Wei Liuying was placed into.

    ''It''s good.''

 Chapter 285 - We Wait

    "Yang Xian, I''m ready," Wei Liuying called out after she had rode her horse. The soldiers were already lining up neatly behind Commander Zhou on the other side. He would be the one to lead them back to Prince Ji Sheng City.

    "In that case, let''s depart!"

    "Yes!"

    The soldiers began to move with Commander Zhou at the front. Not far from Commander Zhao, Wei Liuying and Yang Xian were following him. They didn''t join with the platoons since their position was a bit unique.

    "I don''t understand why I have to return back too," Wei Liuying said in a low tone.

    "His Highness will be happy if you can attend his wedding with Lady Gao."

    "You know full well that unmarried young girl can''t possibly attend the wedding. Also, the drinking session is only for his close friends and that didn''t include young unmarried young ladies."

    Yang Xian scratched his cheek. Ever since he had ''accidentally'' revealed Wei Liuying''s real gender to some soldiers, Wei Liuying has been refusing to keep on acting as a male during some formal matters. The marriage was one of the few things that Wei Liuying didn''t want to back off.

    After all, it would reflect badly on Prince Ji Sheng if he allowed a young unmarried girl like her to attend.

    "Would you like to get married first?"

    "Yang Xian, should I remind you that I''m still 15 years old?" After New Year in around four more months, she would turn 16.

    "You can get married if you have your hairpin ceremony when you''re 15 years old. No one will say anything here," Yang Xian replied.

    Wei Liuying rolled her eyes. Certainly, she didn''t have any plan to have a hasty marriage like that no matter how her identity has been changing rapidly so far. Right now, she was only 15 years old, which meant that she was not an adult yet. Even though she had already started her monthly period, she still looked like a kid very much.

    Well, if they used the north''s rule¡­ she''s already an adult, though.

    "Rather than worrying about me, why don''t you worry about the piece of news from the capital city, Strategist Yang."

    "Which one?"

    "Autumn hunt."

    The two words sent cold expression on Yang Xian''s face. It was clear that he disliked that hunt very much, yet at the same time, it was a custom for Han Shi Kingdom to have two hunts each year. The Summer Hunt was for the young generations and the Autumn Hunt was for the older generations.

    Wei Liuying knew that the two of them usually have different regulations, but she was not too clear. After all, she had never participated because it was designated for adults.

    It was a good method to let them interact with each other and create bonds.

    "Is there anything wrong with it?" Yang Xian asked back, trying to keep his voice calm as he looked at Wei Liuying''s direction.

    Wei Liuying looked back at Yang Xian and spat out each words slowly, "You know that it''s going to be a dangerous hunt, don''t you?"

    Yang Xian opened his mouth, wanting to change the subject. However, the warning gaze from Wei Liuying stopped him from doing so. He could only unwillingly close his mouth and nodded. "it''s indeed dangerous, but there''s no other option. We can''t abandon the border just to participate in the hunt."

    "Even if it means that the entire face will change?"

    "¡­Yes."

    It was highly possible that the two other princes would try to realize their plan, whatever it was, when they were hunting. Even though there was no clear order or something like that, Wei Liuying knew that it was the only time that the princes would gather in one place and fought directly in the open.

    Prince Ji Sheng didn''t have any plan to return back to the capital city and got himself involved in the mess. However, it didn''t mean that he wouldn''t get affected should something unwanted occurred during the hunt.

    "What are you going to do if there''s an accident?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Acted accordingly."

    "Not preventing it this time?"

    "No. It''s too dangerous. Know yourself, know your enemy and in a thousand battle, you''ll win a thousand times," Yang Xian said unhurriedly, quoting the famous Art of War that has been circulated for some time.

    Wei Liuying chose not to reply. The capital city was like a foreign battleground for them. If it was at the north, they would be able to use almost everything to their advantage. From the terrain, weather, to the people who lived here, they would be able to make use of whatever they have to achieve victory.

    On the other hand, they barely spent so much time in the capital city. Wei Liuying might have come from the capital city, but her experience when she was there was very limited. There were still many things that she didn''t know.

    The two of them no longer spoke during the journey until they reached Prince Ji Sheng''s City. The city was no longer at the foremost border and by this time, no one bothered trying to find a suitable name for the city. They simply duped it as Prince Ji Sheng''s City because he was the leader and also the one who had been leading them when they were here.

    "We''ve arrived."

    "It''s pretty late. Should we head back and rest directly?" Wei Liuying asked as she gave signal for the soldiers to return back to their resting areas. The commanders already knew that they would have to come tomorrow, so there was no need for her to brief them again.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "I would like to meet with His Highness first. Don''t you wish to meet with him after a few weeks without meeting?"

    Not really.

    That was the answer that Wei Liuying wanted to give, but she chose to shut her mouth. There was nothing good would come from her defying Yang Xian this time. In any case, this would be a great chance for her to give the report of the cleaning progress.

    "Fine¡­"

    "Let''s go."

 Chapter 286 - Prince Ji Shengâ€™s Marriage Preparation

    "Fine¡­"

    "Let''s go."

    Yang Xian and Wei Liuying headed to Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence.

    Before the two of them could enter Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence, the gate was opened, and they could see Prince Ji Sheng standing before them. He looked at the two of them and signaled for them to head to the garden without giving them the chance to greet him.

    "Your Highness?" Yang Xian called out when they reached the garden.

    "You''re late."

    Yang Xian and Wei Liuying looked at each other and smiled bitterly. It was not their plan to be late, but they have no other choice with so many works they have to do. Well, they couldn''t really complain because they knew that it was necessary, though.

    "Replying to Your Highness, the cleaning up process is not done yet, Your Highness," Wei Liuying responded.

    Yang Xian nodded. "Replying to Your Highness, the border is already secured for the time being, but I''m sure that there are still a lot of things to do because of the deserter."

    "I see. Anything else to report?"

    In the end, Yang Xian reported Xiong Tribe''s movement. After losing so many battles with Han Shi Kingdom, they finally moved further to the north. The temperature was getting even harsher the more they went to the north, but the Xiong Tribe didn''t seem to care about it in the slightest bit.

    Yang Xian chose to stop not far after Village K because it would be too dangerous for him to depart too far. Prince Ji Xiaoli and Shi Mo''s graves have been secured and the people living in Village K moved to other places. They chose not to move the grave after some time since the area has become part of Han Shi Kingdom.

    "You''re going to accompany me tomorrow, Xian."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    "Liu Ying, Ling''er wished to have a talk with you early in the morning."

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes in confusion. She rarely talked with Gao Ling because some people still thought of her as a male strategist. It would be hard to make up an excuse to meet with Gao Ling with her identity, so they didn''t really meet with each other that often.

    She couldn''t possibly refuse Prince Ji Sheng''s order, though. It has been some time since she met with Gao Ling, so she was wondering how her condition was.

    "I understand, Your Highness."

    "You may return to rest."

    "Thank you, Your Highness."

    The two of them leave the garden while Prince Ji Sheng headed inside once more. From the way it looked like, he was trying to distract himself before the big day as it was pretty apparent that he couldn''t forget the fact that he would get married.

    "I''m wondering about something."

    "Yes?"

    "How did Prince Ji Sheng sent his betrothal gifts during the war to Lady Gao?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "He asked Shi Yan''s help. And since Lady Gao frequently moved around between the two cities, it''s not that hard for Prince Ji Sheng to be the one to make the visit and sent the gifts along the way," Yang Xian explained.

    "How did you know so much?"

    "His Highness bragged to me."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" I don''t want to know what you''re talking in private times now. It sounds a bit too much for me.

    "We''ve arrived. Do you want to take a bath first or should I go first?"

    "I''ll be first. You should go and buy some food. Don''t try to cook when it''s already this late, Yang Xian."

    "Fine."

    Despite having to work in different places during the cleaning since it would be inefficient if they worked in the same place, the two of them still lived together in Prince Ji Sheng''s City. It was more like Wei Liuying was too lazy to buy a residence for herself and chose to just stay with Yang Xian.

    Most of the soldiers ignored her and those who knew her real gender preferred to turn a blind eye. Since Wei Liuying herself was still categorized as a kid, it should be fine. After all, they believed that their strategist would not make a move against a minor. Though, Yang Xian himself had finally reached 20 years old but didn''t have the adulthood ceremony yet. They planned on postponing it until they had finished the matter on hand.

    Right?

    The day passed quietly.

    The next day, Wei Liuying departed earlier to the temporary residence where Gao Ling was staying. She knew that women have to prepare themselves since it was very early in the morning, so she better hurry and visited them before Gao Ling finished his preparation.

    "Miss, Strategist Liu is here."

    "Bring him here."

    "But¡­"

    "It''s fine. He can stay outside the room," Gao Ling replied.

    "Yes, Miss."

    Internally, Gao Ling felt that asking Wei Liuying to come to visit was extremely hard because of her supposed gender that she let people know. If only Wei Liuying could return back to be a girl right away, it would be much more convenient for her. Well, it was more like a wistful thinking since acting as a man would be easier for Wei Liuying when she was being the strategist.

    "Miss, Strategist Liu is here."

    "Liu Ying greets Lady Gao."

    Gao Ling smiled while she was keeping her body straight. Her maidservants were currently doing her hair, so she couldn''t move from her position. "Thank you for coming at such late notice, Strategist Liu."

    "It''s nothing much, Lady Gao. Is there anything that I can do to help you?"

    "I only wish that you can help me to know more about the situation at the border since you''re one of the few who are very active in the cleaning process."

    "Replying to Lady Gao, if you wish to know the details, wouldn''t it be better to ask His Highness?"

    "I want the truth."

    That one sentence made it clear that Gao Ling didn''t wish for the type of information with Prince Ji Sheng covered up some to make sure she was not worried. She wanted to know everything very clearly.

    Wei Liuying was silence for a moment then she cupped her hand. "In that case, please pardon my rudeness, Lady Gao."

    "Go on."

 Chapter 287 - Drunk

    She wanted to know everything very clearly.

    Wei Liuying was silence for a moment then she cupped her hand. "In that case, please pardon my rudeness, Lady Gao."

    "Go on."

    It took some time for Wei Liuying to explain most of the things that occurred in the border for the past few months. Even though women were not supposed to know about these matters, Gao Ling was not an ordinary young lady. She was also someone who stood at the front and fought bravely with the soldiers, so Wei Liuying chose to let her know.

    "That''s all, Your Highness."

    "Thank you, Liu Ying."

    "It''s my honor to be able to fulfil your wish."

    "You may leave."

    "Thank you, Lady Gao."

    Wei Liuying headed out from the residence and went to the street. There were already a lot of people there, waiting for the procession to start. General Gao was also present as he wished to give his final goodbye to his daughter.

    The procession started after a long while. The red sedan headed to Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence with so many people watching. When it finally arrived, Prince Ji Sheng came out to kick the sedan and brought his bride back. From his eager expression, Wei Liuying knew that he was already waiting for this for a long time.

    ''I should just wait outside.''

    Being an unmarried young girl, Wei Liuying stayed outside the residence while the commanders were trying to get their general drunk. She could hear their laughter from outside, but she believed that their attempt wouldn''t bear any result. Prince Ji Sheng can hold his liquor well.

    "Are you still there, Liu Ying?"

    "Is it done, Yang Xian?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Not yet, but I''m already getting pretty lightheaded myself," Yang Xian replied with a bitter smile. "If I stay there any longer, I''m sure that I''ll be the one to pass out and not Prince Ji Sheng."

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian and scoffed. "You''ve just turned to be an adult and you already drink so much?"

    "I can''t possibly disappoint His Highness. Putting that aside, can you help me walk back to the residence? I don''t think I can walk by myself properly¡­"

    Wei Liuying could see that Yang Xian could barely walk straight. She sighed and put his hand on her shoulder as she led him back to their residence. His smell reeks of alcohol, but she stayed silent. There was no use talking to him when he was in this condition.

    "There will be more work to do tomorrow, Yang Xian."

    "En. We''ll depart early in the morning."

    "Don''t you need to give report to His Highness?"

    "I already told him that we''ll be leaving to do our work tomorrow, so it''s fine."

    "In that case, I understand."

    Thinking about the work that she had to do, Wei Liuying sighed. She better made sure that Yang Xian didn''t have a hungover or her workload would increase.

    Slowly, they made their way back to their residence. Wei Liuying dragged Yang Xian to his bed as the strategist could barely move properly. His movement was sloppy and totally unlike his usual self.

    "You''re drinking too much," Wei Liuying complained.

    Yang Xian laughed lightly. "I''m not drunk yet, ugh."

    "Yes, you are. Come on, I need to take off your shoes."

    "I want to rest."

    "You¡­" one way or another, Wei Liuying managed to pull his shoes out. She put him on the bed and looked at his outer robe. Should she also loosen it a bit? She was not sure how she should treat a drunk person.

    After a while, Wei Liuying chose to leave him be. She stood up, intending to take a basin and prepare a cup of tea for Yang Xian.

    A hand stopped her.

    "Yang Xian, I''m just taking a basin of water," Wei Liuying said helplessly.

    Yang Xian furrowed his eyebrows, clearly looking displeased over the matter. He exerted more force and pulled Wei Liuying to him.

    Thud!

    "Yang Xian!"

    Wei Liuying was now standing right in front of Yang Xian. She could see that his face had turned a bit red. His other hand held her chin as he leaned in.

    ''This strategist¡­''

    Turning her head to the side, Yang Xian''s kiss landed on her cheek. Wei Liuying could feel her face burning up as she thought of what Yang Xian had did. She used her hands and pushed him away.

    "Go to sleep! You''re not in your right state of mind, Yang Xian!" Wei Liuying said in a cold tone.

    "I''m not drunk."

    "Every drunkards always say that!"

    Without waiting for Yang Xian''s answer, Wei Liuying rushed out of the room. She was sure that if Yang Xian was sober, he would realize that she had totally lost her composure. Standing in front of the door, Wei Liuying touched her cheek lightly. It felt warm and most importantly¡­

    She didn''t dislike it¡­

    Shaking her head, Wei Liuying worked hard to regain her usual composure and quickly prepared the tea and carried a basin. When she entered the room, she could see that Yang Xian was already sleeping soundly on the bed. His long hair partially covered his handsome face while his robe had been pulled off slightly.

    ''What did he do when I go out?''

    Wei Liuying was speechless, but she chose not to think too much. Putting the basin and tea on the table, she looked at Yang Xian. He had fair complexion. Now that she was looking at him properly, she noticed that he looked cute when he was sleeping.

    Wei Liuying raised her hand and pushed his hair so that it wouldn''t cover his face. Ah, really, she didn''t think that she would ever get bored watching him like this.

    But she also needed to rest now.

    "Sleep well, Xian."

    Wei Liuying stood up and walked out of the room. She made sure that she closed the door as quiet as possible so that she wouldn''t wake him up.

 Chapter 288 - Imperial Edict

    The next day, Yang Xian felt his head hurt. Thinking about the wine that Prince Ji Sheng asked him to drink last night, he felt that he truly overestimated his alcohol tolerance. It was not as good as Prince Ji Sheng.

    ''Next time, I''ll switch my wine with water.''

    Knock! Knock!

    "Are you awake?" Wei Liuying''s head peeked in.

    Yang Xian glanced up. He was about to answer when memory from last night came into his mind. His words immediately stuck in his throat.

    "Yang Xian?"

    "I''m awake! Can you prepare something to help with my headache?" Yang Xian asked, his tone was forced to stay calm.

    "Alright."

    As Wei Liuying left, Yang Xian turned his head and buried it in his palm. He couldn''t believe that he made such a blunder last night. Even though he was a bit drunk, he didn''t think that he would actually lost his patient and made a move.

    However, from Wei Liuying''s action, it seemed that she wanted to treat as if nothing happened.

    After all, most drinkers forgot what had happened when they were drunk.

    ''I''ll just leave it be for now.''

    Wei Liuying returned back with a porridge and tea. She passed the tea first. "By the way, there''s a servant from His Highness asking you to return back to work this afternoon."

    "¡­I understand." Yang Xian silently cursed Prince Ji Sheng in his mind. Even on the day after the latter''s marriage, he still had to work?

    While lamenting his fate, Yang Xian quickly finished the porridge and went to work with Wei Liuying.

    ¡­

    Time passed swiftly.

    The warm temperature was dropping slowly. It was getting a bit cold and dry after a while. It has been some time since the marriage, but Wei Liuying''s activity hadn''t changed much as she was still busy establishing the border. Winter was only a few weeks away, so they have already started to make their preparation for the day to come.

    At the same time, Wei Liuying was anticipating news from the Capital City.

    "Liu Ying."

    Wei Liuying turned her head to the back. She furrowed her brows when she saw Yang Xian walking over to her direction. "Is there anything that I can do to help, Yang Xian?"

    "There''s news from the capital city."

    "What happened?"

    "Do you know the hunt?"

    "Autumn hunt?"

    "Yes. There''s an incident," Yang Xian replied. "His Majesty was wounded by a misfire and currently bedridden."

    Misfire.

    This word was used by countless people in numerous occasions. Wei Liuying had already used that method to harm Wei Xiao Hua back then as a way of her retaliation. Besides, if they said that they didn''t mean to do it, they were trying to wash off the responsibility off their hands.

    Wei Liuying narrowed her eyes. "Fatal wound?"

    "Some of the Imperial physicians said that he only had a few days to live," Yang Xian responded. His fist was clasped tightly as he looked at the bamboo strip in his hand as if he wished to destroy that piece of wood.

    Even though he didn''t say anything, Wei Liuying understood what Yang Xian was feeling. The timing was too precise.

    They have just finished the war against Xiong Tribe, which meant that their soldiers were tired. Many of them have just returned back to their home and would only return back to military in a few days'' time. If the Emperor were to die at this point of time, they would be dragged to the battle of succession at the most awful time possible.

    Not to mention, it was nearly Winter, which meant that the temperature here was colder. It would be harder for them to stay fit in such condition.

    "Is he awake?"

    "No. However, he had already prepared the Imperial Edict beforehand that pointed Prince Ji Tian as the successor." Yang Xian put the bamboo strips away and pointed to Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence. "There''s also an edict that required His Highness to send one of his trusted confidant or come by himself to watch the reading of the Imperial Edict for the future successor should the Emperor fail to survive."

    Chills ran down Wei Liuying''s spine when she thought about what Yang Xian said. It was definitely a very risky move to enter the capital city at this point of time. As for the close confidant that they spoke about¡­.

    "You''re going?"

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian with furrowed eyebrows. "The matter at the north is not finished yet and you''re already running around again."

    "I can''t help it. My position is a bit too high for me to have a lot of private time." Yang Xian laughed faintly.

    "Has His Highness agree?"

    "No. I need your help to convince him."

    Wei Liuying sighed. It was clear that either option was simply too difficult for Prince Ji Sheng to take. It was either him or Yang Xian who depart to the capital city and no matter who it was, they would be exposed to painful and scary schemes that other princes have prepared in the capital city.

    "I''m sure he wants to volunteer for himself to go."

    "You''re correct," Yang Xian said in a low tone. "Who do you think should go to the capital city?"

    Raising her head, Wei Liuying locked her gaze with Yang Xian. He was more than a head taller than her, so she rarely looked at his face directly unless when they were sitting down. Slowly, she averted her eyes.

    "You."

    Yang Xian nodded and patted her shoulder. "Help me out a little bit to deal with His Highness. I''m sure that I can''t get his permission without you and Lady Gao voicing out your thoughts."

    Wei Liuying smiled bitterly. She could guess that Gao Ling must be asking for Prince Ji Sheng to not leave for the capital city because it was too dangerous. Even though she also didn''t want Yang Xian to leave, one of them have to go. If not, they would be declared as criminals who defied the Imperial Edict.

    ''It''s difficult.''

    As she walked to the inner part of the residence, Wei Liuying was thinking of the overall situation. Once the Emperor died, there was no doubt that Prince Ji Shu would raise the rebellions flag and lead his soldiers to take the throne back from Prince Ji Tian.

    When the time came, Wei Liuying doubted that things would be peaceful. If either of the prince won, they would still be pulled into the inevitable flames of rebellions and might be forced to give their power. The military power in Prince Ji Sheng''s hand was a card that was hard to miss. If Prince Ji Sheng were to disobey any of them, it would be the same as instant death.

    ''This is why politics are so¡­.''

    "Your Highness, Strategist Yang is here."

    "Enter."

 Chapter 289 - Decision

    ''This is why politics are so¡­.''

    "Your Highness, Strategist Yang is here."

    "Enter."

    Walking into the study room, Wei Liuying noticed Gao Ling was sitting not far from Prince Ji Sheng. On the other hand, Prince Ji Sheng was sitting behind his table with a few books in front of him. His right hand was holding onto a brush that he had just dipped to ink.

    "Yang Xian (Liu Ying) greets His Highness."

    "Enough with the formality." Prince Ji Sheng waved his hand and looked at the two people who had come. "I''m sure that you know why I called for you, right?"

    "It''s about the one who should come to the capital city, am I right, Your Highness?" Yang Xian asked.

    "Yes. I''m thinking that I should be the one to¡­"

    "With all due respect, I can''t agree. It''s too dangerous for you to leave the border, Your Highness."

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at his right hand. "And do you think that it''ll be less dangerous if you''re the one who leave, Xian?"

    "At the very least, there'' still chance for the final victory if I''m the one who leave, Your Highness," Yang Xian responded.

    Their target was never the throne. It was good if they could get it, but the hope was not high. Raising the rebellions would not be easy because there were a lot of people with conflict of interest. In addition, there was no way for them to control everything when it was in chaos.

    The only reason why both Yang Xian and Wei Liuying thought that it was better for Yang Xian to be the one to leave was simply because they could not afford to lose Prince Ji Sheng.

    Losing him meant they had lost the right to the throne.

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at Yang Xian. "You could have played the card ''Chosen by the Heaven.''"

    "It''s not a good decision when there''s someone more suitable," Yang Xian responded.

    Change of dynasty was occurred when rebellions started. The leader of the rebels would claim that they have the order from the Heaven directly to stop the leadership of their current Emperor and that he was the one chosen from the Heaven. However, very few rebellions ended up successful as many failed in their attempt.

    Yang Xian didn''t have any interest to take the throne too. Even though it was tempting with so many power, glory, and wealth that was offered, he disliked it all. The only reason he chose to follow Prince Ji Sheng in the first place was to help him obtain peace at the northern border and stop the wars that have been going for years.

    "You don''t have any interest for the throne?"

    "Never in my life I have an ounce of interest in the throne, Your Highness."

    If it was possible, Yang Xian wished that he would be able to have a normal life just like what he did back in the past. Wars have been going on and on for a long time, so it was very tiring for him to be the one in charge of facing them.

    "You can obtain peace by becoming the Emperor."

    "After a long and brutal war of succession?"

    "Yes."

    "I don''t want to," Yang Xian said unhurriedly. "Besides, what are you going to do with your wife if you were to lose your life?"

    Prince Ji Sheng and Gao Ling got married just a few weeks prior. The celebration was a bit toned down compared to the usual custom, but it was all they could do. War had just finished and Prince Ji Sheng still have to go to the frontline, so this was the only option that they could take.

    Gao Ling nodded. "If you were to leave, I''ll follow you wherever you go, Ji Sheng."

    "Ling''er, it''s very dangerous."

    "Do you think it''s not equally dangerous for me to stay here all the time?" Gao Ling asked back, glaring at Prince Ji Sheng.

    In the entire world, she might be the only person who could act insolent in front of Prince Ji Sheng without having her head leaving her neck. Other people who acted without thinking in front of Prince Ji Sheng and infuriate him would die shortly after their meeting.

    "It''s¡­"

    "I''ll not die so easily," Yang Xian added. "If the situation got any worse, I''ll return back to the north almost immediately."

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at Yang Xian and sighed. "Ji Shu might lock down the entire capital on the day he made his move."

    "I''ll find loophole."

    "He will not let anyone on different sides alive."

    Yang Xian nodded. "Who do you prefer to sit on the throne, Your Highness?"

    At this question, Prince Ji Sheng couldn''t answer directly. It was not like he didn''t know the advantage and disadvantage of each prince, but he knew that his position was at risk no matter who it was. He could accept having his position restricted, but he didn''t want to see so many people have to die.

    In addition, he also didn''t want to die. And the best option out of the two bad options would be¡­

    "Ji Tian."

    It was an answer that Yang Xian had expected. Prince Ji Tian was the rightful heir to the throne and certainly had been learning to be the Emperor. However, he was lacking in his temperament and ability compared to his three other siblings. If not because he was the oldest and came from the Empress, he would not be given the position as the crown prince.

    The others could only stay silent, but not everyone wanted to stay silent.

    The fourth prince was an ambitious and willful person. He wanted the throne and will do whatever it takes for him to be the one to inherit it. Since it was hard for him to make the Emperor look in his direction and give him the throne, he would have to pick the path with swords.

    The second prince was also a good option. He was low key and only have a few officials supporting him. However, Prince Ji Sheng noticed that all of them were officials who have important position and very capable. The reason why they picked Prince Ji Shao Yang should have been very clear.

    Unfortunately, he was not an option right now.

    "If he failed, would you take up the throne for yourself?" Yang Xian asked.

 Chapter 290 - Decision (2)

    Prince Ji Sheng raised his head and nodded slowly. "Yes."

    Prince Ji Shu was a very ruthless person. Prince Ji Sheng knew that the chance for him to stay alive when Prince Ji Shu became the emperor was basically zero percent. Prince Ji Shu will not let anyone who could possibly hinder his path to stand before him.

    He would die and everyone close to him will die.

    It was an outcome that Prince Ji Sheng would never want to see in his entire life.

    Yang Xian nodded. "In that case, I''ll prepare for going to the capital city. In the meantime, I think it''ll be better for you to get more allies to help you out."

    "Who do you have in mind?"

    "General Hao who replaced General Ge should be a decent option," Yang Xian replied.

    General Ge was the general who was given the post at the very northeast. It was the position where there was problem with people from the tribes breaching in and targeted Gao Ling just a year before. Since General Ge performed poorly, he was replaced with General Hao and since then, the condition there had stabilized and the border had been stretching to the north a bit more.

    It could be said that General Hao was a very capable person based on this observation alone.

    Prince Ji Sheng arched his eyebrows. "Don''t you think that I''ll be getting into trouble should I try to approach General Hao?"

    "You''ll be put into suspicion list without a doubt, but there''s no one who say that you have to come there directly." Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying. "If the one who comes is the young and rising strategist, it can be said that he only comes because he wants to learn something from that capable general."

    "Do you think that it''s an acceptable excuse?" Gao Ling furrowed her brows. "Everyone knows how capable Strategist Liu is despite his young age. Even if Strategist Liu were to head there, a lot of people will suspect it."

    "If I act as an ignorant kid who had never seen the sea, I''m sure that they''ll understand why I want to come there when my supposed teacher is busy with other assignment and can''t accompany me," Wei Liuying elaborated.

    Prince Ji Sheng never tried to hide the fact that Wei Liuying was someone who came from the capital city. The capital city was located far away from the sea and the border where Prince Ji Sheng was having his post was also a dry land. If she wanted to see the sea, she would need a good excuse.

    Gao Ling was stunned. "That¡­"

    "Besides, in front of many other people who didn''t meet me directly, I''m just a rising strategist thanks to Yang Xian''s fame," Wei Liuying said with a smile.

    What happened back then in Xiong Tribe place was never leaked to anyone. The fact that Princess Ji Xiaoli had died before the event was not made known. Instead, people have been singing praise for the princess'' bravery to face the soldiers head on and made use of whatever she had for Han Shi Kingdom.

    Wei Liuying''s alias ''Liu Ying'' never appeared in the story at all.

    It was as if she never had a role in defeating Xiong Tribe. Only those who stayed at the border knew very well the remarkable achievement that both strategist had.

    The only incident that was made known was when Wei Liuying protected Gao Ling. But since it was a simple protecting task, people downplayed it and simply said that she was lucky or something like that. Many would never believe that such a young kid could possibly have so many achievements like that.

    "I don''t lack people who are underestimating me," Wei Liuying replied with a smile.

    Gao Ling looked at Wei Liuying''s nonchalant attitude. Unknowingly, a drop of tear fell from the corner of her eyes.

    "Your Highness?"

    "Ling''er?"

    "Ah, sorry." Gao Ling raised her hand wiped the tears that dropped on her cheek. She looked at Wei Liuying and smiled bitterly. "It''s just that, I feel sad. The achievement that should have been yours couldn''t be claimed by you at all."

    Wei Liuying was stunned. Her gaze was unfocused for a moment. "It''s not important, Your Highness. Even though I have so many achievement, it''s not important for me to have it made known. What important is that there are results from what I have done and the war could provide us with less casualties."

    Gao Ling had already married Prince Ji Sheng, so Wei Liuying had to change her way of addressing her. Now, Gao Ling was already part of the royalties.

    "Yeah."

    Prince Ji Sheng sighed. "When it''s time, I''ll ask historian to write down what she had done. Even if not many people will know about it because she''s not someone of the royalties, it''s still an achievement."

    Yang Xian shook his head. "It''s not possible, Your Highness."

    "Why do you think so?"

    "History is written by the winner. You can only ask historian to write such things if you become the Emperor, Your Highness."

    At that sentence, Prince Ji Sheng stopped talking. He waved his hands. "You should be prepared to leave. The horses will be prepared tomorrow early in the morning. At the same time, you can leave for Zhuang City, Liu Ying."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    "I understand, Your Highness."

    "Xian, Ling''er, I want to talk with Liu Ying for a moment. Can you leave first?"

    "Sure."

    "Alright. Don''t take too long, Your Highness. It''s late."

    Prince Ji Sheng waited until the two of them have left the room before he looked at Wei Liuying. "Tell me what do you think will happen at the north. The book you write about things that occurred here is incomplete."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. For the past few months, Wei Liuying used her spare time to write the things that occurred in the north during the war. There were many things that she could not write because it would reveal all of Prince Ji Sheng''s plan, so she only wrote the generals and the analysis of most of the battles.

    "The tribes at this area have been defeated by you, Your Highness. However, it''s also the truth that there are three big tribes at the north, including Xiong Tribe. At this time, the west part has been idle while the one at the east has started to make their move. I''m afraid that another war will break out soon."

    "How soon is that soon?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t answer immediately.

 Chapter 291 - Request

    "Less than a month, Your Highness."

    A month.

    It was not a time that Prince Ji Sheng expected to hear. He tapped the table and looked at Wei Liuying. "In other words, General Hao won''t be able to come here if there''s a problem?"

    Wei Liuying slowly nodded her head. Should Prince Ji Shu try to eliminate Prince Ji Sheng in a frontal battle, the soldiers would be forced to have a fight with their comrades. It would be a very sad battle.

    And the only method to stop it was by eliminating the leader.

    If they have to come with military showdown, Wei Liuying knew that Prince Ji Sheng would need all help he could get. Having General Hao helping him would be a great helping hand as they would be able to win in terms of number. But if the tribes were to start attacking at this time, the new area they have just claimed would be in danger once more.

    They have to pick either to face the internal battle or handle the outer battle.

    "Do you think you can convince General Hao?"

    "It''ll depend on the situation there and also the movements of Nu Tribe."

    One of the three big tribes, Nu Tribe, have been reigning the northeast ever since a long time ago. They didn''t try to create as much trouble as Xiong Tribe because they still could live peacefully one way or another. Even though there were several attempts of attack because of some conflict of interest, there was never any large war like with Xiong Tribe.

    Now that Xiong Tribe was pushed back, it was not without a price. Asking Prince Ji Sheng to go for another war with the northern tribes would deplete the human resources far too quickly. In addition, they would require a lot of food, which was hard to grow at the north area like this.

    They have to rely on the farmers who lived near the border and was close enough to the river to make sure the plants didn''t die out.

    "Do you need anything to help you out there?"

    "I just need transportation," Wei Liuying replied. She did get her salary, but buying horse when she only needed to make short trip and taking care of it was too much of a hassle. It would be better if she asked Prince Ji Sheng to prepare one for her.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "it''s easy. What else?"

    "Recommendation letter saying that I want to learn about the tactics that involved the sea."

    "¡­Fine. Anything else?"

    Wei Liuying tilted her head and shook her head lightly. "I don''t think that there''s anything else that I need."

    "I haven''t rewarded you for what you did back then during battles with Xiong Tribe because I can''t mention what you did in their headquarters," Prince Ji Sheng said. There was no award ceremony yet because of the Emperor''s condition and the fact that the war was not quite ended yet. However, Prince Ji Sheng still gave reward that was within his capabilities to his men when it all ended.

    It was a simple ceremony where Yang Xian read the names and the reward that he gave. For Wei Liuying back then, it was simply some monetary reward that didn''t seem to worth that much.

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "I can ask for anything?"

    "As long as you don''t step on the line."

    For a moment, Wei Liuying thought about what she wanted. She tapped the table. "Can you give an Imperial Edict?"

    "Don''t ask for making you a commoner and order to leave your current position," Prince Ji Sheng said unhurriedly.

    Wei Liuying''s lips twitched. For some reason, she had the feeling that these were the rewards that Yang Xian had asked from Prince Ji Sheng. If it was all written in Imperial Edict, only the edict from someone at higher status could change it. And if the content was to relieve Yang Xian from his position, other people would not try to interfere at all.

    Instead, they would celebrate.

    There were countless people who would be more than happy when Yang Xian finally step down from his position. After all, many thought of him as a threat.

    "I don''t want to ask that."

    "What do you want?"

    "I want an edict to be free from my family and can get married with the one I want," Wei Liuying replied.

    Prince Ji Sheng arched his eyebrows. He looked at Wei Liuying and nodded lightly. If Wei Liuying were to return back to her previous identity, it was clear that she would be tied down to Wei Family once more. If her father tried to interfere with whatever she wanted to do again, she would not be able to accept it.

    "Alright, I''ll write the edict and pass it to you."

    "Thank you, Your Highness."

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. It was then he thought of something. "And the person you want to marry, is it Xian?"

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "Your Highness, I''m still a bit too young to get married."

    An adult in the capital city and to the south was 16 years old for women. Even though at the north the hairpin ceremony was done when they were 15, which was earlier, Wei Liuying still hadn''t done hers. With the war raging on, there was simply no time for her to have the hairpin ceremony.

    "I didn''t say that you have to get married right away, but I''m asking if he''s the one you want to marry," Prince Ji Sheng elaborated.

    This time, Wei Liuying was silent for a longer time. The two of them never tried to breach the lines they have drawn as master and disciple. Even though there were some awkward moments because Wei Liuying was staying in the same tent with Yang Xian sometimes and also in his house, they respected each other''s privacy.

    It was to the point that Yang Xian ended up punishing the soldiers for trying to peek on their conversation one time.

    But if she had to be honest, the only person she would want to marry would be Yang Xian. They might have their differences and shortcomings, but she knew that she could always be herself when she was with him.

    She knew how hard it was for him to hide everything from her considering that she was quite sharp. However, all this time, she had never once realized his scheme that he had prepared for her until he revealed it to her at that battle a few months prior.

    How cunning.

    Excluding the fact that he basically created schemes to tie her with him, she did have some interest on him. She also didn''t dislike having him thought so much just to get her.

    After a while, Wei Liuying responded, "Yes."

 Chapter 292 - Calm Before The Storm

    After a while, Wei Liuying responded, "Yes."

    "That''s good."

    "You sound as if you wish for me to say yes in the first place, Your Highness."

    Prince Ji Sheng laughed lightly, showing a rare smile on his usual indifferent face. "It''ll be a lie if I say no. You two have been going on and on in a battle of mind."

    Wei Liuying merely smiled. He was the one who started it, so she would continue to challenge him over and over. Besides, it was fun for her to keep on having a battle of mind with Yang Xian. It served as a good practice to keep her mind active.

    "Do you plan to do anything with him?"

    "Not now, Your Highness."

    "Alright. I''ll write the message to General Hao. There are some of your friends in Zhuang City, so you might find time to meet with them too."

    Friends?

    Wei Liuying''s lips curled up slightly. The only friends she ever made was only Xie Jing whom she met a few times during her time in the capital city and temple. They were not close, but still could be considered as close acquaintance. After the failure to help defending the temple, Xie Jing was transported to other places. Just recently, he moved to Zhuang City, so Wei Liuying might have the chance to meet with him.

    "Can you tell me more about General Hao, General Sheng?"

    "General Hao used to stay in the East area and rarely got involved with the conflicts. His family is trying to stay further away from the eye of the storm and so far, there was no one who can tell much about his ability. He has decent ability and known to be a good person," Prince Ji Sheng replied.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "To be able to expand the territory during this period of chaos, I don''t think that the word decent will be enough to describe him, Your Highness."

    "I believe he got some help. However, there''s not much information that I can get. It''s your task to figure things out, Liu Ying."

    "I''ll do my best, Your Highness."

    Prince Ji Sheng handed the letter he wrote to Wei Liuying and pondered for a moment. "When you arrive in Zhuang City, try to stay focus on your work and not bother with what happened in the capital city. No matter what kind of news you got, you should never care about that and focus solely on your task in Zhuang City."

    Listening to the third prince''s words, Wei Liuying was silent for a moment. It meant that even if their plan ended in failure and Yang Xian was wounded or something else happened to him, Wei Liuying was not allowed to help him at all. She should just stay focused on what she had to do.

    "I understand, Your Highness."

    "You may leave."

    Wei Liuying cupped her hand and bowed down slightly. She left through the door without turning around even once. Her mind was busy thinking about the things that she had to do starting tomorrow. It wouldn''t be easy for her to finish everything in time, especially when the situation was getting worse and worse recently.

    "Liu Ying."

    "Yang Xian," Wei Liuying greeted back. She smiled faintly. "Are you waiting for me?"

    "I brought food for tonight. His Highness'' servant prepared too much for dinner," Yang Xian explained.

    Wei Liuying shook her head. It must have been done on purpose. Ever since Prince Ji Sheng got married, his servants often prepared too much food, so Yang Xian usually brought it back with him for the two of them.

    "The time finally comes."

    "Have you been worrying about it for a long time?" Yang Xian asked.

    "Yes."

    "I thought you don''t have much access to the overall political situation back then."

    Wei Liuying looked to the sky and sighed. "My uncle is the one letting me to know the overall situation. Even though the details are kept confidential because of the limited time I have with him, I managed to discuss so many things with him."

    "Your uncle sounds like a good and capable man."

    "He''s a good official, but he''s a bit rigid and hard to cooperate with," Wei Liuying giggled. "That''s one of the reasons why his position is still far lower than my father."

    Yang Xian nodded. The ability to give in and cooperate with other people was important. There were some principles that Wei Lu held that other officials disliked, thus making it harder for him to climb the rank. Even back then, it took him extremely long time to be able to become third rank official.

    If he had to say, Yang Xian didn''t know much about Wei Lu. However, he knew that one of the few things that Wei Lu chose was the option to not have any concubine. He was one of the few people who didn''t want to make connection by using women, which was why some disliked him.

    "We''re home. Should I take a bath first?" Wei Liuying asked. They have to make sure who was would be using the bath first in order to avoid the same incident from happening again.

    Yang Xian nodded. "You can go in first. I''ll wait outside."

    "Ok."

    "If you want to take a bath together¡­"

    "I''ll pass," Wei Liuying cut off Yang Xian''s words before he could possibly finish. There was no way she wanted to take a bath with him right now.

    "Fine."

    The two of them took their turns to take a bath before they have dinner together. Their conversation only talked about some reports of what happened recently and also the fact that Prince Ji Sheng would have to send his men to several areas to keep the security there.

    "There won''t be enough soldier if there''s a war happening," Wei Liuying said after a while. She put down her chopstick. "It''ll be a fight with us being at disadvantage."

    "There''ll be several option of how we should fight back, but it''ll be for the best if we can make use of the terrain." Yang Xian stood up and looked at Wei Liuying. "I''ll think of it after it''s clear that Prince Ji Tian''s faction failed to protect their prince."

    "Will you make your move?"

    "Me? I can only hope to protect myself and not others."

    Wei Liuying watched Yang Xian''s back as he entered his room and sighed. They were not present in the capital city and only heard words here and there, but the chance for Prince Ji Tian to win in the showdown with Prince Ji Shu was extremely low.

    They could only hope for the best.

    Prince Ji Sheng''s men didn''t have much influence when it came to the capital city. Yang Xian could only try to protect his life when he came there.

 Chapter 293 - Leaving

    The night passed quietly.

    The two of them woke up early the next morning and began their preparation to leave. There were not many things that they required, but they still brought some of their personal belongings including their weapon and writing tools.

    "Before you leave, I wish you can hand this to Manager Xin."

    "Is this your new book?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I already got His Highness'' approval on the book, but you might want to read it again. It contains some of the things that occurred at the north during the war against Xiong Tribe."

    "Do you include yourself?"

    "No."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "And here I thought that you''re going to include yourself in the story."

    Wei Liuying shook her head. It might sound glorious to have her name written in the history and all, but as a young girl, she knew that it would only give her unwarranted attention. Besides, there were some things that would be better to be kept a secret forever.

    "There''s no need for them to know so much about me."

    "Fine. Take care, Wei Liuying."

    "You too, Yang Xian. Don''t get killed by their schemes or I''ll create a method of how to bring you back alive and become Prince Ji Sheng''s slave."

    Yang Xian chuckled and waved his hand. The horses and the soldiers who would accompany him was already waiting not far from the gate. He only needed to ride on the horse that was prepared for him and departed to the capital city.

    As he walked out, he turned to look at the wall. Prince Ji Sheng was standing there with Gao Ling beside him. The two of them were keeping calm and indifferent expression as if they were only seeing normal things.

    ''They''re always good at keeping their emotion in check.''

    Yang Xian waved his hand and cupped his fist before he saluted to Prince Ji Sheng. Prince Ji Sheng waved his hand, which was the signal that told him that he should leave and return back safely.

    "Are you ready, Strategist Yang?" the messenger from the capital city asked.

    "Yes. We can depart anytime."

    The messenger nodded and ordered the soldiers to start moving. He sneaked a glance to Yang Xian. Back in the capital city, Prince Ji Shu had said that it would be better for Prince Ji Sheng to be the one to leave. But since it was easy for him to give excuse that the war was still going on, they could just settle on Strategist Yang.

    No matter which one it would be, Prince Ji Shu was satisfied as long as one of them departed to the capital city.

    Standing on top of the wall, Gao Ling was trying hard to keep her expression stoic. She was feeling anxious because she knew that it would be a dangerous journey, but she didn''t have any capabilities to stop it.

    "He''ll be fine," Prince Ji Sheng said in a low tone.

    Gao Ling looked at her husband and nodded. "Yes."

    "Don''t show any emotion on your face. Keep your head straight and look at the front."

    The message from Prince Ji Sheng was something that Gao Ling had heard countless times. When she undergone training in the past, her father had warned her that she couldn''t show her real emotion outside. It was not only for the battle of women. Even men were the same because they couldn''t let anyone grasp their weakness.

    The marriage she had with Prince Ji Sheng might become a double edge sword in the future, but they have to keep supporting each other.

    That was the best method.

    "Liu Ying will leave now."

    Gao Ling peered down and noticed that Wei Liuying walked out with a small bag on her back. She was wearing light brown robe with her hair tied into a small bun. Her current appearance could easily make one mistake her for a boy.

    "She still hadn''t grown up."

    "She''s only 15 years old."

    (A/N: reminder that ''ta'' that meant she and he in Chinese sounds the same. Even if they used the one for women, no one else would be able to notice it as long as it''s not written because the writing is different)

    Gao Ling passed a glance at Prince Ji Sheng before she focused her attention back to Wei Liuying. Even though she had turned 15 years old, Wei Liuying still didn''t show much of her womanly features. It might be a good thing since she was acting as a boy, but it would surely hinder her in the future if it continued.

    ''May the Heaven be with you.''

    Wei Liuying glanced up just like what Yang Xian did and cupped her hand when she saw the two of them. Afterwards, she began to pace her horse towards the east. The journey to Zhuang City would take two to three days with horse, so she would have to camp a lot in the journey.

    Originally, Prince Ji Sheng wanted to send someone with her, but Wei Liuying was more comfortable to have a journey by herself. As for protecting herself, she didn''t have any problem whatsoever.

    "We should return back, Ling''er."

    "Yes."

    Gao Ling passed one last look to the south and east before she turned her head around. If only it was possible, she wished that there wouldn''t be any war happening that would involve the lives of so many people.

    ¡­

    - Capital City -

    "There''s a message from the bird, Your Highness. The one whom Prince Ji Sheng selected to come is Strategist Yang."

    Prince Ji Shu was cleaning his sword with a cloth as he nodded. There were several dead bodies lying in front of him. Some unfortunate people were looking for troubles with him.

    "Where''s Xiao Hua?" Prince Ji Shu asked nonchalantly.

    "Replying to His Highness, Her Highness is resting in the garden."

    "You can leave."

    Slowly, Prince Ji Shu made his way to the garden. When he saw his wife, a smile broke down from the corner of his lips. One would never be able to guess that he was known as the tyrant when they looked at his current expression.

    "Xiao Hua."

 Chapter 294 - Hidden Undercurrent

    "You can leave."

    Slowly, Prince Ji Shu made his way to the garden. When he saw his wife, a smile broke down from the corner of his lips. One would never be able to guess that he was known as the tyrant when they looked at his current expression.

    "Xiao Hua."

    Wei Xiao Hua raised her head. She was tending to the plants and clearly didn''t expect to see her husband coming. A smile was formed on her lips. "Shu, what are you doing here? I thought you''re busy because His Majesty refused to meet with anyone."

    After falling ill and staying on the death''s door, the Emperor refused to meet with anyone including his favorite concubine. Prince Ji Shu''s mother has been trying all kind of means to be able to enter the main palace, but she kept on getting rejected. Other women didn''t have it any better, though, as they were busy trying to enter only to be kicked out of the gate.

    The only message that they got out was the fact that he wanted his third son to send representative. Prince Ji Shu was hoping that he would order his third son to return back but it ended up only for a representative.

    He would have to wait for another chance if he wished to kill Prince Ji Sheng.

    "Yang Xian will come here in a day''s time."

    The message came late and the journey from Prince Ji Sheng''s City to the capital city would take 3 days at the earliest. Prince Ji Shu estimated that it wouldn''t take that long for Yang Xian to arrive since the messengers were told to bring him at the fastest speed possible.

    Wei Xiao Hua nodded, not feeling surprised at all. "In that case, what do you plan to do?"

    "I''ll monitor his movement. The other officials seem to have the same opinion with me that he''s a dangerous person."

    "Even if he''s dangerous, what can he do by himself?" Wei Xiao Hua asked in a low tone. In the original novel, the one who came here was indeed Yang Xian. However, there was nothing weird that Yang Xian did when he was staying in the capital city. At the very least, there was nothing that Prince Ji Shu managed to find.

    However, in the end, Yang Xian managed to escape from the capital city. Not in one piece, but it meant that he had somehow managed to relay message to a helper that helped him to get out of the capital city.

    How?

    The stingy author never explained and Wei Xiao Hua felt like berating the author for that.

    (A/N: ¡­)

    Well, it might be in future arc that Wei Xiao Hua hadn''t read. After all, she only knew the plot until the war with Prince Ji Sheng was over and Prince Ji Shu emerged victorious with his sibling''s death. With no one else to threaten his path to the throne, he became the sole successor.

    "It''ll be fine. Be careful, Ji Shu."

    "I will."

    "Hey, hands off! It''s still early!"

    "It''s already dark enough for me."

    "It''s not¡­!"

    ¡­

    Yang Xian looked at a distance as the sight of the capital city was getting clearer. If he had to be honest, he didn''t want to come here in the slightest bit. It would have been for the best if he could just stay at the border and busy fighting with the tribes who were still scattering around the dry lands.

    "Strategist Yang, we''ll arrive in the capital city."

    "Yes."

    Riding the horse to the gate, Yang Xian kept his expression calm. Unlike the expressionless Ji Sheng, Yang Xian was more used to keep a neutral expression and looked relaxed. It was his face that made it easy for people to think of him as looking down on them because he could keep such a straight face even when he was facing difficult officials.

    Entering the capital city, Yang Xian was led to the palace directly. The one who ordered him to come to the capital city was the Emperor, so they headed straight to the palace. Even though the Emperor was sick and lying on his death''s bed, the eunuch still welcomed him in and reported to the Emperor and his physicians about Yang Xian''s arrival.

    He could only arrive a week after the incident, so the condition of the Emperor was already critical enough.

    "Strategist Yang, you''ve arrived."

    Yang Xian noticed that Prime Minister Xie and Prime Minister Wei were among the few people who were staying in the hall. He cupped his hand as greetings. "Prime Minister Xie, Prime Minister Wei, my apologies for my tardiness."

    "His Majesty is already informed of your coming," Prime Minister Xie said with a smile. "I''m sure he''ll understand your circumstance."

    The distance from the capital city to Prince Ji Sheng''s City was extremely far. It was already hard enough for him to come here at such short notice.

    "Thank you for your kind words, Prime Minister Xie."

    Some other officials also stepped forward and greeted Yang Xian. Prime Minister Wei didn''t try to get close to Yang Xian. Since Prince Ji Shu didn''t like this young man, he didn''t try to get close too.

    After all, he didn''t want to incur Prince Ji Shu''s wrath.

    Yang Xian recognized some of the officials and greeted them accordingly. He had good memory, so naturally he would not forget them. Those who stayed in the hall were all rank 4 officials or above since those below didn''t dare to come. Their ranks were too low for the Emperor to remember, so they didn''t want to step on their bounds.

    "Strategist Yang," the head eunuch came out from inside. He had placid expression as he looked at Yang Xian. "His Majesty wished for you to come."

    "I understand." Yang Xian cupped his hands then looked at the officials. "Please excuse me, I have to go."

    "It''s fine, Strategist Yang."

    "Don''t make His Majesty wait."

    They all exchanged some pleasantries as they watched Yang Xian entered the inner palace with the eunuch.

 Chapter 295 - Hidden Undercurrent (2)

    "I understand." Yang Xian cupped his hands then looked at the officials. "Please excuse me, I have to go."

    "It''s fine, Strategist Yang."

    "Don''t make His Majesty wait."

    They all exchanged some pleasantries as they watched Yang Xian entered the inner palace with the eunuch.

    Prime Minister Xie stroke his lower chin. He glanced at Prime Minister Wei, who was standing not far from him. "Who do you think the Emperor will place at the throne?"

    Prime Minister Wei only sent a cold look. The Emperor was originally unconscious for days, but he regained his consciousness yesterday. It was hard to say how his current condition was, but the physicians were still skeptical over his condition.

    "You''re not going to win this battle, Prime Minister Xie."

    "You shouldn''t be so confident before it''s clear who the winner is," Prime Minister Xie retorted.

    "Heh."

    The two prime ministers sent each other cold glare. Ever since the death of the second prince, there were more ministers who adopted neutral stance. Many of them were unwilling to be pulled to the battle of the officials and chose to stay far away. They simply did their duties.

    However, the two prime ministers were at the eye of the storm. Prime Minister Xie was very supportive of Prince Ji Tian while Prime Minister Wei was very supportive with Prince Ji Shu. It could be said that their support was also influenced of their children as Prime Minister Xie''s brother''s daughter was Prince Ji Tian''s wife. On the other hand, Prime Minister Wei''s first daughter was Prince Ji Shu''s wife.

    At first, the wanted to pair Prime Minister Xie''s first daughter, Xie Feng, with the first prince. But because of the difference in age, they chose to settle with another girl who still had some relation with him.

    With that, it was awfully clear that the two prime ministers will never meet eye to eye.

    While the two prime ministers were clashing, Yang Xian was following the corridor to head inside. She was looking to a distance and noticed that there were only a few maidservants and eunuch was staying in the large inner palace.

    ''The Emperor is keeping the number of people who can see him as low as possible.''

    Yang Xian didn''t know the reason, but he could speculate. There were several possibilities as to why the Emperor didn''t want to meet with other people.

    "Your Majesty, Prince Ji Sheng''s right hand, Strategist Yang is here."

    "Come in."

    Yang Xian''s eyes narrowed when he heard the voice. It was not the voice of the Emperor but the Imperial physician. Was the Emperor''s condition so bad that he was unable to speak?

    As the door slowly opened, smell of herbs was carried out. It was pungent and filled with many mixed herbs. Yang Xian furrowed his brows as he looked at the room''s overall condition. It didn''t look that good since the smell of medicine was so strong. It was as if the Emperor could only live by relying on medicine.

    His line of sight fell on the bed. The Emperor was lying there with the Imperial Physician standing not far from him.

    "Strategist Yang."

    "Yang Xian greets His Majesty," Yang Xian gave his formal greetings.

    "Stand up," the Imperial Physician said while looking at the Emperor''s lips. "Thank you for coming here, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian stood up and watched their interaction. With his martial arts, he could faintly sense the Emperor was trying hard to move his lips and spoke to the Imperial Physician, who would relay his message to Yang Xian.

    "I have a task for you, Yang Xian."

    "Please speak, Your Majesty, I''ll do my best to fulfill it."

    The Emperor moved his hand as his finger pointed to the table. Following what he pointed at, Yang Xian could see a scroll on the table.

    "Your Majesty, that¡­"

    "Give it to Ji Sheng," the Imperial Physician said while looking at the Emperor''s lips. "He''ll understand."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    "You won''t be able to leave the capital city without arousing suspicion, so stay here and act."

    The Emperor stopped speaking by this time. He was looking at the ceiling of his room and closed his eyes. Even though he was trying his hardest to keep his rein on the throne, the day still came when he needed to face his son trying to kill him to get the throne.

    As for who it would be¡­ he didn''t know.

    Either one could have a chance to kill him, yet he couldn''t possibly change his decision for the heir so suddenly.

    Yang Xian took the scroll and kept it inside his robe. It was quite small, but he could guess that the content must be an Imperial Edict. As for what the content was, he didn''t want to peek inside before it was the time for Prince Ji Sheng to see it by himself.

    "Please rest, Your Majesty."

    "You may leave," the Imperial Physician said. He looked at the Emperor and noticed that the Emperor had fallen asleep, so he turned his head to look at Yang Xian. "Strategist Yang, it wouldn''t be peaceful here. If it''s possible you should stay as low as possible."

    "No matter how low I tried to be, there will be people aiming for my head. Thank you for your warning, Imperial Physician."

    "I wish the best of you."

    Yang Xian cupped his hand and then turned around. His robe was quite thick since it was nearing Winter, so it was easy for him to hide the scroll. However, this meant that he needed to be careful to make sure that he never revealed it to anyone.

    Looking at the condition of the Emperor, Yang Xian knew that the Emperor would die soon. When it truly happens, all hell would break loose.

    Brutal war would surely ensue in Han Shi Kingdom all in the pursuit of power.

    "Strategist Yang, please follow me."

    Yang Xian nodded and followed the eunuch. The room was sound proofed, so he knew that the only one who knew the conversation just now was the Imperial Physician. Still, he was worried that things might not be going that smoothly.

 Chapter 296 - Acting Their Roles

    "Strategist Yang, please follow me."

    Yang Xian nodded and followed the eunuch. The room was sound proofed, so he knew that the only one who knew the conversation just now was the Imperial Physician. Still, he was worried that things might not be going that smoothly.

    Walking back to the hall, Yang Xian noticed that each of the official was keeping close attention to each other. They would try to catch anyone who act suspicious.

    ''This is truly a battlefield on its own.''

    "Strategist Yang, did His Majesty say anything?" Prime Minister Xie asked directly.

    Yang Xian smiled. "His Majesty is worried about the border getting affected. Fortunately, His Highness the Third Prince is still holding on there."

    The news regarding the war at the north was not new for the officials. They have heard about it countless times and ever since the fallout of the treaty, no one seemed to feel that it was strange for wars to happen again and again.

    "Ah, that''s good news," Prime Minister Xie said with a bitter smile.

    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yang Xian left the main hall. He thought about what Wei Liuying asked him to do and felt that it was difficult. If he was seen visiting the bookstore, everyone would be suspicious of him.

    As he walked out, Yang Xian noticed Manager Xin was walking into the main hall. Manager Xin had already retired but he had quite a high position back then. It was not strange to see him in the palace occasionally, helping out the younger officials to do their duties. This time, he was walking with a stick in his hand.

    ''He''s acting.''

    Yang Xian knew very well that Manager Xin was still capable to walk properly without the need of a stick. He was only carrying one because it was important for him to act weak to not be targeted with anyone.

    It was then, the stick suddenly shook and Manager Xin nearly fell.

    Thump!

    Moving to Manager Xin, Yang Xian held his arm and whispered, ''Liuying, right arm.''

    In but a moment, the scroll that he kept under his sleeve was gone. Manager Xin was already used with this kind of exchange because he couldn''t interact with Yang Xian properly.

    ''His Majesty?''

    ''No need.''

    "Are you alright?" Yang Xian asked while trying to keep Manager Xin stable.

    Manager Xin nodded and tried to take his stick back. "Yes, yes, sorry, my old hand is a bit too old."

    "You should be more careful."

    "Yes, yes."

    Yang Xian smiled bitterly. Everyone knew that Manager Xin hated to talk with the younger generation, so they could only try to be patient when they faced with his annoying behavior. They were taught to respect the elderly ever since they were young, so they have to keep their emotion in check when they were facing Manager Xin to make sure that they didn''t lash out.

    He never wanted to get close to any youngsters and never gave any of them a chance when they met in the palace. Of course, this was also the front he adopted to all youngsters he met in public because he didn''t want to let anyone knew who he truly fancied in private.

    "I''ll get going now, Elder Xin. Please take care."

    Yang Xian walked away and tried to act as normal as possible. This was not the first time Manager Xin pretended to fall to test the young generations. He had done it numerous times that the old officials could only shake their heads when they saw their old friend''s antic.

    Manager Xin didn''t even take another glance to Yang Xian, but he was still thinking about the whisper Yang Xian made.

    No need.

    It meant that Yang Xian was determined to bring whatever the Emperor asked him to do to Prince Ji Sheng by himself. In other words, he was confident that he could get out of the place safely without anyone could stop him.

    ''I hope you didn''t just have baseless confidence.''

    Walking out of the palace, Yang Xian headed to the temporary residence that the Emperor had prepared for him. The Emperor''s days were numbered, so he could only try his best to not catch anyone''s attention while he was staying in the capital city. Hopefully, his plan would go undisturbed.

    ¡­

    - Zhuang City -

    The journey didn''t take as long as what Wei Liuying first expected. Looking at the high walls around Zhuang City, she came to understand that this must be one of the reasons as to why this city could stand tall even after all these times.

    She stopped before the gate and showed the token that Prince Ji Sheng handed to her.

    "Strategist Liu?" the guard was stunned when he read the name. When Wei Liuying first appeared before him, he thought it was just a young traveler roaming around at the wrong time. But seeing the name, he was stunned. Everyone did say about how young Strategist Liu was, but no one ever said that he looked like a child even when he was already 15 years old.

    "Yes?" Wei Liuying tilted her head. "Is there anything wrong?"

    "No, there''s nothing wrong. I''ll inform General Hao about your arrival. In the meantime, please wait inside."

    "I understand. Thank you for your hospitality."

    Wei Liuying passed the gate and entered the city before alighted down the horse. The city was well developed now that she had seen from inside. It was far better than what she had imagined at first.

    "Strategist Liu?"

    Turning her head to the side, Wei Liuying saw Xie Jing walked. There were several soldiers following behind him with one standing a bit at the front. He looked like the adjutant of Xie Jing based on the way they walked.

    "It''s been a while, Soldier Xie Jing," Wei Liuying responded with a smile.

    "Yes," Xie Jing responded and scratched his head. It was out of his expectation to see Wei Liuying in this city. In the next second, he recalled the incident and bowed down. "I''m sorry!"

 Chapter 297 - Meeting With Xie Jing Again

    "It''s been a while, Soldier Xie Jing," Wei Liuying responded with a smile.

    "Yes," Xie Jing responded and scratched his head. It was out of his expectation to see Wei Liuying in this city. In the next second, he recalled the incident and bowed down. "I''m sorry!"

    Wei Liuying looked at Xie Jing and shook her head lightly. "If you''re referring to the incident last year at the temple, then I never blamed you, Soldier Xie Jing. It was not your fault that the people breached the defense."

    Xie Jing raised his head and opened his mouth, yet no words came out. His father berated him heavily after that incident because he was already 17 years old, yet he made such a fatal mistake. Even now, he was not regarded as someone important in the military because he was not cut to lead the soldiers.

    "Thank you for your benevolence, Strategist Liu."

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I believe that your rank has risen a bit ever since I last seen you?"

    "I''m still 100-man commander," Xie Jing responded embarrassedly. He didn''t want to admit it, but he was unable to get promoted even after a year serving here. The commanders didn''t see him as a talent that was worth grooming.

    "Do you have some difficulties?"

    "No, I mean, yes¡­" Xie Jing scratched his head. Wei Liuying felt as if she could see dog''s ear plummeting down when Xie Jing answered. He might be older than her, but he looked a bit cute when he was embarrassed like this.

    As straightforward as he was, he still had his pride.

    Wei Liuying resisted the urge to laugh and continued the conversation, "Can you tell me more about your difficulties?"

    "It''s¡­"

    The two of them began to speak about some matters regarding leading the soldiers. As part of the nobility, it was not hard for Xie Jing to get better position from the time he entered the military. It didn''t take long for him to become 100-man commander, but he couldn''t get promoted any further than this.

    It was as if the higher ups determined him as someone who was not good enough to lead.

    "You''re a bit too straightforward in your word," Wei Liuying said after a while. "While it''s good to be blunt, there are times when you need to phrase your words better. That way, it''ll be easier for people to listen in and accept you."

    Xie Jing groaned. "It''s hard."

    "You don''t have filter for speech."

    "No, I just feel like it''s better to speak the truth since if I''m not blunt in the battlefield, a lot of people will die."

    "Yes, but if you keep this on, you''ll die because of people who backstabbed you."

    Wei Liuying was keeping on a friendly smile on her face, but Xie Jing felt that it was actually threatening him. Even though Wei Liuying didn''t do anything to him, just her face and expression was enough to give him pressure.

    "So, how is it, 100-man commander Xie Jing?"

    "...I''ll try." Xie Jing looked away, unwilling to look in Wei Liuying''s direction any longer. It was then, he muttered lightly, "Even you are saying the same thing."

    Same thing?

    Wei Liuying could guess that someone must have said the same explanation and advice as her to Xie Jing. The boy was still fairly young and less experienced. While it was good to have him experience everything first hand, he would need to learn how to conduct himself better first.

    "Strategist Liu," a soldier came over. "General Hao is ready to meet you."

    "I''ll be there." Wei Liuying turned her head to look at Xie Jing. "Let''s talk again at later time, 100-man Commander Xie Jing. I wish you all the best."

    Xie Jing nodded and walked away unwillingly. He was not on duty today, so he could stay in the city. It was then he recalled that he forgot to ask why Strategist Liu was in Zhuang City.

    "Why is he here when the situation is unsafe?"

    Not wanting to think too much, Xie Jing rushed to his post. He still had to undergo training if he wished to survive here.

    "Strategist Liu, please follow this road."

    "Thank you."

    The soldier only brought Wei Liuying to the road directed to General Hao''s Residence. He didn''t follow along because he didn''t have the permission to pass by this area. General Hao disliked when someone came in the area around his residence without anything important to tell him.

    Wei Liuying followed the road. There was nothing but walls around her. With her martial arts, she could faintly sense the movement of some servants. However, their number was fairly scarce. Considering the size of the area, it was quite remarkable.

    It didn''t take long before she arrived in front of a large gate. A servant was standing faithfully in front of the gate. He looked at Wei Liuying with suspicion. There were rarely any kids who have business with his master.

    "Excuse me. You are?"

    "My name is Liu Ying. I would like to request a meeting with General Hao per General Sheng''s order."

    The generals were mostly around the same rank with each other no matter their age was. Great general was a rank higher than them, but in Han Shi Kingdom, there was no general worthy to be granted this rank. As there was no grand war that required them to deploy majority of their soldiers, there was no need for the Emperor to appoint anyone to become the great general.

    The servant bowed. "Please wait here. I''ll relay the message to General Hao."

    "Many thanks."

    Wei Liuying waited while looking around. The smell of the sea was carried over by the wind. It felt damp, yet at the same time cool. As someone who had never gone to this area in the past, Wei Liuying felt that it was really refreshing.

    Before long, the servant returned back. "Strategist Liu, please follow me."

    Wei Liuying walked into the residence and walked along the stone path. She could faintly sense the servants were looking in her direction. From their attitude, she could guess that she was not welcomed here.

    ''I guess everyone is on edge because of the political matters.''

 Chapter 298 - Conversation With General Hao

    ''I guess everyone is on edge because of the political matters.''

    Wei Liuying chose to not pay them any heed and just watched her surroundings carefully. One thing that she had learned over the course of her life was that she should never let her guard down. Danger could come even at the most unexpected place.

    "Strategist Liu, it''s here."

    "Thank you."

    Walking inside, Wei Liuying could see a simple guest room. There was one table in the middle with several chairs around it. A servant was standing not far from the right side of the room while looking down. It was clear that General Hao was someone who keep tight rules for his servant.

    There were two other doors that was connected to this room. Wei Liuying stood near the middle, but she didn''t make any attempt to sit down.

    "I see that Yang Xian have taught you some of the etiquette."

    Turning her head to the side, Wei Liuying saw a middle aged man walking in. His large stature could be easily noticed in the crowd and with the authority aura around him, no one would dare to mess with him. She hurriedly cupped her hand and smiled while bowing slightly. "Liu Ying greets General Hao."

    General Hao nodded and pointed to the chair with his chin. "Please take a seat."

    "Thank you."

    The two of them didn''t immediately strike a conversation. Even though it was subtle, the two of them were observing each other. They wanted to know what kind of person they were dealing right now.

    "I have heard of you for some time, Strategist Liu. Now, would you like to tell me the purpose of your visit, Strategist Liu?"

    "It''s an honor for me to have you remember my name, General Hao. I come here because I want to learn under you since I have never visited the sea before," Wei Liuying replied with a smile. In a graceful manner, she took out the scroll that she kept inside her robe.

    General Hao took the scroll without averting his eyes from Wei Liuying. Her movements and behavior didn''t look like a child that was taken from the street. Even though he had been living with Strategist Yang and learned etiquette, it was too fast. It was simply too natural.

    There was only one possibility that General Hao could think of. The rumor that Liu Ying was a b*stard son of a high ranking official or noble was true.

    Taking a look at the content, it was short and concise. General Sheng only wrote down that he wished for General Hao to take care of his strategist for several days to learn about new types of tactic that could be employed near the sea.

    "You have quite an interesting request, Strategist Liu."

    "I have heard it before. Thank you for your compliment, General Hao," Wei Liuying replied with a smile on her face.

    General Hao nodded and put the letter on the table. The sound of the bamboo scroll hitting the wooden table was quite loud, yet the two people in the middle was not disturbed in the slightest bit.

    "I believe this is not only your reason for coming. The tactic is not that useful for fighting in that terrain."

    "I might have some other ideas to fight on the river from this observation, General Hao."

    Wei Liuying purposely didn''t mention about the matter that she actually wanted to know the most. The two of them were smart people, so she could guess that General Hao also knew what she actually wanted.

    General Hao sighed. "I can''t exactly reject General Sheng''s request. However, I would like you not to divulge the military power of Zhuang City to anyone."

    "Please rest assured that I will not do anything that could possibly put Han Shi Kingdom in disadvantage situation."

    "In that case, you''re free to watch the training and join the discussion."

    Wei Liuying cupped her palm and fist. She smiled brightly. "Thank you very much for your kindness, General Hao."

    General Hao nodded. He could see that Liu Ying didn''t want to divulge anything to him, much less speaking openly. The only thing he could think off that would make this little strategist so cautious was about the matter of succession. With the Emperor was bedridden and his condition unknown, everyone would be on edge as the next successor might change in a bloody battle.

    "Would you like to discuss some things, Strategist Liu?"

    "It would be my honor, General Hao."

    "I have heard that you''re very capable and smart. Recently, I have been making bold moves to capture more areas to the north and get the beaches. Unfortunately, Nu Tribe is not being too friendly with my advance, so I would need some help to discuss about my next movements."

    Wei Liuying looked at the general''s face and smiled faintly. He was not telling her explicitly, but she understood what he wanted to tell her. The Emperor''s sickness was out of the expectation for him. He couldn''t make any move with his current position because of the recent battle that occurred here.

    It was not unexpected.

    After hearing of what happened here and how their territory have been expanded, Wei Liuying and Yang Xian already guessed that it was impossible to ask for General Hao''s help. However, they needed to know the general''s position regarding the succession''s problem.

    Would he help if Prince Ji Shu started a rebellion?

    Or will he support the first prince or the third prince?

    "I''ll be happy to help, but I''m afraid that I need to learn more about the current situation. Would you like to allow me learn for a while first, General Hao?" Wei Liuying asked.

    General Hao laughed lightly. "Of course. We shall have a discussion tomorrow with other commanders."

    "In that case, I''ll excuse myself. Thank you very much for giving me your precious time, General Hao."

    "It''s my pleasure, Strategist Liu."

    The two of them were polite to each other as Wei Liuying left the room. She passed another look at the servant and smiled kindly but no words were said.

    As soon as the door was closed, the temperature dropped to a chilling degree.

 Chapter 299 - Watching

    As soon as the door was closed, the temperature dropped to a chilling degree.

    General Hao was sitting still in his place, but it could be seen that his fingers were clenching tightly. The short conversation with Liu Ying just now already put him in so much edge. He could tell that the young strategist was watching him so tightly that even breathing felt hurt.

    "The pressure is no joke."

    "Yes. I feel as if I''m seeing another mirror of Prince Ji Sheng," General Hao said in slow pace. His body gradually calm down, yet his eyes showed traces of fear. "His action is perfect. He didn''t let me know what he''s thinking at all. At the same time, he''s keeping the demeanor of a young master perfectly as if he has been living as one all this time."

    The servant, who was lowering his head before, raised his head and looked at the general. "He''s dangerous."

    "He even realized your presence. Do you think that he''s truly a b*stard son of a noble family?"

    "No."

    "Then¡­"

    "I know who he is," the servant said unhurriedly. "Whether he actually realized my identity or not is still another question. There''s still time for us to know more about him while he''s staying here."

    General Hao was silent for a moment then sighed. He nodded. "If that''s what you wish, I''ll comply."

    "I''ll go now."

    "I understand."

    General Hao watched as the servant left. He sighed and stood up slowly. He couldn''t erase the trace of uneasiness that has been sprouting inside his heart. It was as if they were playing with fire and just a single wrong move, they would be done for. It was terrifying how such a young child could give him the feeling as if he was facing a great adversary.

    ¡­

    Wei Liuying looked around the area as she walked to the door. There was a faint smile on the corner of her lips, yet her expression remained the same as when she came here. No joy, no fear, no disappointment was apparent in her eyes. Everything was concealed deeply.

    "Strategist Liu, Soldier Xie Jing will be waiting for you at the end of the road. He''s the one responsible for taking care of you during your stay here."

    Wei Liuying looked at the servant, the one who was guarding the door before, and nodded. "Many thanks for your hospitality."

    "It''s nothing much, Strategist Liu. We wish you enjoyed your stay here and achieved your goal."

    Wei Liuying nodded and walked out of the residence. There was nothing but calm on her steps while her gaze was looking to the front. Her eyes didn''t reflect her emotion, yet they captured everything around her.

    Just like what the servant said, Xie Jing was waiting for him.

    "Strategist Liu," Xie Jing greeted. "I''ll be taking you to your temporary residence. It''s not far from here."

    "You don''t have to be so polite with me."

    "I can''t do that. You''re a respected strategist with high rank," Xie Jing refused almost immediately. When he got the order, he almost got a heart attack because he knew that Liu Ying''s status was extremely high. However, he was one of the few soldiers that Liu Ying recognized almost immediately.

    Because of that, General Hao told him that he would be the one to watch over Liu Ying over the next few days. It would be an easy task if only he could guess what Liu Ying was thinking. The strategist was keeping a smile and polite expression, yet there was no clue as to what he might be thinking deep down.

    Wei Liuying chuckled. Truth to be told, she didn''t have fixed military rank. After all, many strategists didn''t follow the ranking for soldiers because they would be deployed just based on their capabilities. There were many other strategists under Prince Ji Sheng, but not a single one of them could come close to Yang Xian and Wei Liuying.

    It was for this reason alone that the two of them were dubbed as two of the best strategist in the entire Han Shi Kingdom.

    "I''m not a ranked soldier, so you don''t have to be so nervous around me," Wei Liuying responded.

    "Yes¡­"

    Wei Liuying knew that it was impossible for Xie Jing to not be nervous around him. It was funny to see how this temperamental and brave young man to act so scared and nervous just because of the difference in status. Back when she was dressing up as Wei Hong Zheng, Xie Jing was so insolent and annoying.

    "I have a question."

    "Replying to Strategist Liu, I''ll¡­"

    "Do you always act this stiff in front of your superior?"

    "¡­Pardon?"

    Wei Liuying looked at Xie Jing and smiled. "For a hot blooded young man like you to act so submissive. Are you sure you''re not lying to yourself?"

    This time, Xie Jing was thoroughly stunned. He tried to rack his brain, finding any memory he had with Strategist Liu inside. Did he ever act insolent in front of this capable strategist? He couldn''t remember anything.

    Wei Liuying chuckled. "I want to know other soldier aside from you here, Soldier Xie Jing."

    "Yes?"

    "Is the training hard?"

    "We have normal training where we have to complete the set designated by the superiors," Xie Jing responded after a while. He tried to act normal, but he felt that the strategist before him was too strange. He couldn''t shake the feeling that he had met with this strategist in the past, yet he didn''t recognize the latter.

    It was a strange feeling.

    "Can you tell me the details?"

    "Yes!"

    With that, Xie Jing began to tell the story about the training in this area. Even though Wei Liuying would be able to see it with her own eyes tomorrow, she still preferred to have Xie Jing told her some of them because she wanted to know how the soldiers perceived their own training.

    It didn''t take long for Wei Liuying to arrive by the temporary residence that was prepared for her, so Xie Jing excused himself.

 Chapter 300 - We Need To Talk

    Wei Liuying refused any servants to serve her. Since Yang Xian was also similar, the soldiers there didn''t think that it was weird. For those who used to be commoners, having someone served them could feel strange.

    ''This place is more interesting than what I thought.''

    The next day, Wei Liuying woke up early and headed to the training area for the soldiers. The people there didn''t say anything and resumed their training as usual while Wei Liuying was watching from the sides.

    She didn''t do anything but watching.

    Time passed swiftly.

    "Strategist Liu only watched the soldiers?" General Hao asked when it was evening. The meeting was over, and he needed to get the report of what happened that day.

    "Yes. Strategist Liu didn''t do anything but staying by the sidelines and watch."

    General Hao walked to the training area and fixated his gaze on the side. There, he could see a young kid standing while leaning to the wall. While it was not the best position as a soldier because of how leisurely it looked like, he could see that Liu Ying''s right hand was close to her sword.

    If there was any threat nearby, the sword would move for the kill.

    "You''re dismissed."

    "Yes."

    Walking to Liu Ying''s direction, General Hao tried to follow the young strategist''s line of sight. It was then he realized that the young strategist was looking to the servant that was following behind Xie Jing.

    "Strategist Liu."

    "Good evening, General Hao," Wei Liuying greeted.

    General Hao nodded. "I thought you come here because you wish to study more of the tactics."

    "Battle tactics will not work as well, so I''m planning to wait until you come and have a short chat. Besides, your training is more interesting because I can see that you''re trying to make the soldiers have balanced built," Wei Liuying responded with a smile.

    "Balance is important."

    "Indeed."

    "What would you like to ask me, Strategist Liu?"

    "I heard that there''s going to be a confrontation with Nu Tribe, so I''m wondering whether there''s any preparation ongoing or not?"

    "There''s obviously some preparations. I wouldn''t want to face Nu Tribe without preparing my soldiers beforehand. Going to the battle blindly is the same as asking for the opponents to defeat you so badly."

    Wei Liuying nodded. It was the basic of wars for them to gather information about their enemies before going to a war. Tapping the wall behind her with her fingers, Wei Liuying decided that it would be best for her to ask directly.

    "If there''s both internal and external battle ongoing, what''s your position would be, General Hao?"

    Position?

    The question was vague, and it was only comparing two types of battle. General Hao thought that Strategist Liu came here because he wanted to find out about whether he would support Prince Ji Sheng or not. But the question asked was clearly out of his expectation.

    Looking at the side profile of the young strategist, General Hao felt that it was hard to guess what was inside the young kid''s mind.

    "Isn''t it better to keep neutral stance unless it''s necessary to participate in?"

    Wei Liuying laughed lightly. "Don''t you mean, you plan to become the third party, General Hao?"

    General Hao felt cold sweat started to form on his back. He looked at the young strategist carefully, fearing that he might have missed something from the short conversation just now. However, he couldn''t see any trace of emotion on his face.

    "The training is almost over. Thank you very much for allowing me to stay here, General Hao."

    "The pleasure is all mine," General Hao forced himself to speak. He felt that the more he talked to Liu Ying, the more information that he would give to the young strategist. It was as if he was an open book that Strategist Liu could pry open at any time.

    Even a single sentence was more than enough to reveal so much thing about him.

    ''Am I getting paranoid?''

    While General Hao was disturbed, Wei Liuying walked to Xie Jing, who had finished his training. Xie Jing might be appointed to accompany Wei Liuying around, but since she only stayed here, Xie Jing was ordered to join the practice. His result was not that good, so it was clear that the superiors wished for him to join in the practice for better result.

    "Would you like to return back, Strategist Liu?"

    "Yes. Before I return back, can you tell me any good place to eat?"

    "Sure. Please follow me."

    By now, Xie Jing was using half polite and half casual words. It was hard for him to keep on using polite words when he was facing Wei Liuying, who would push him to act more casual.

    There were several restaurants in Zhuang City. Xie Jing brought Wei Liuying to one of them, and she directly booked a room.

    "I won''t disturb you any longer, Strategist Liu," Xie Jing said with a sheepish smile. He didn''t want to intrude on her.

    Wei Liuying passed a smile. "There''s no need to worry, Soldier Xie Jing. I won''t force you to come with me."

    "Thank you¡­"

    "However, I would like to talk with the soldier who have been following you all this time. Is that fine?"

    Xie Jing''s smile froze. He looked at Wei Liuying with stiff expression, yet he knew that he couldn''t possibly reject without making himself looked suspicious. Slowly, he turned his head to the side where the soldier or servant or the man who have been following him all this time was standing.

    The man seemed to notice the gaze as he stepped forward. He cupped his hand. "Is there anything I can do to help you, Strategist Liu?"

    "I don''t like calling you out of the blue like this, but there''s something I need to talk with you," Wei Liuying said with a smile.  "Is that fine?"

    Xie Jing opened his mouth, yet the man glared at him, signaling for him to shut up. He nodded. "I understand."

    "In that case, please excuse me, Soldier Xie Jing."

    Xie Jing couldn''t do anything but watch as Wei Liuying and the man entered the room. He felt like slammed his head on the wall. Hopefully, there wouldn''t be anything wrong from their conversation.

 Chapter 301 - The Emperor Had Passed Away

    Morning.

    Wei Liuying walked out of her temporary residence and saw Xie Jing standing with resentful expression. After the secret talk last night, she was sure that the man had already told Xie Jing the gist of what had happened.

    "How do you know?" Xie Jing asked with a grunt.

    "It''s not hard to guess," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly. She walked to the front and noticed that there was faint gong sound from a distance. "I''m not too knowledgeable, but it''s the signal that tell the Emperor had died, right?"

    Xie Jing was stunned and looked to a distance. His expression turned grave. "It''s true¡­"

    "So quick," Wei Liuying murmured

    "Pardon?"

    "It''s nothing." Turning her head away, Wei Liuying''s eyes glinted with a trace of determination. "It''s time."

    "Yes."

    "I would like to ask for some help, Soldier Xie Jing. I hope you can listen to my request."

    Xie Jing looked at Wei Liuying warily. After last night, he felt that the strategist was too dangerous for him to deal with. And he was right.

    Listening to the young strategist request only made him want to cry.

    ¡­

    - Prince Ji Sheng''s City -

    "We''re departing to the north?" Gao Ling asked with confusion. Should they really make their moves like this when the situation was tense and bad?

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. He was donned in armor and looked at his wife. "Protecting the border is a very important task, isn''t it?"

    Gao Ling pursed her lips. She knew that it was an important task, but they were waiting for news from Yang Xian. Should something happen to Yang Xian, she was sure that her husband would never let things go.

    "Why?"

    "What do you mean, why? If we''re staying here, there''s nothing that we can do either. Rather than waiting for the inevitable, it''s better to make the first move and change the course."

    Gao Ling was even more confused. At the very least, she was glad that she could participate in the battle because Prince Ji Sheng didn''t tell her that she had to stay behind. She could come along with him to the battlefield.

    "Your Highness, we''re all ready."

    "Let''s depart."

    Coming out of the front gate, Prince Ji Sheng led the soldiers to the dry lands towards their new border. There were several cities that was currently built by their soldiers but not many people would be staying there until the location was safe.

    Time passed as the soldiers continued to move.

    "We should have passed the surveillance, Your Highness. This area is hidden," Commander Zhao reported. Without either Yang Xian or Wei Liuying, he was the one tasked to inform anything important to Prince Ji Sheng. While his real position and personality didn''t really suitable, he was the one who knew Prince Ji Sheng the best.

    Prince Ji Sheng nodded. "Ling''er."

    "Yes?"

    "You''ll stay here with Commander Zhao and defend the frontline. Make sure no one can guess that I''m not here."

    Gao Ling nearly rolled her eyes. Making it seemed like General Sheng was not here would be difficult because of how eye catching he was. However, she could just make some kind of act to make sure no one knew about his disappearance. By the time they knew, it would be too late.

    "Leave it to me. Where do you want to go, Ji Sheng?"

    "Dong Shan City," Prince Ji Sheng replied. "If battle start, it''s the best place for me to be."

    "I understand. Take care of yourself."

    "I will."

    Watching her husband departing back, Gao Ling noticed that the soldiers were scattered to several small groups. It was as if they were tasked to guard the area and covered an even wider area with more groups. This was one of the normal tactics considering that the area they needed to guard was large.

    ''I see, it''s for the sake of fooling the people who watch over.''

    If Prince Ji Sheng departed to the north with his soldiers, no one would dare to question or even doubt him. Their thoughts would be that he wanted to defend the frontline because the situation might turn dire because of the Emperor''s impeding death. Even if there was report of him going to the north, other people would only think that he was caring for the kingdom as a whole more than the throne.

    But it was not the truth. Even if he didn''t care for the throne, he cared for his life too. If the one who ascend the throne was not Prince Ji Tian, he might not be in safe position even at the north.

    "Your Highness?" Commander Zhao looked at Gao Ling in confusion.

    Gao Ling smirked. "We''ll camp out tonight. Prepare Ji Sheng''s tent for me and act as if he''s with me."

    "It''ll be done as you say, Your Highness."

    Gao Ling nodded and hummed. Thinking that she had to fool so many people made her a bit excited. Those people would never realize that they were actually fooled by a girl, would they?

    At the same time, Gao Ling felt a bit worried. Prince Ji Sheng was going away to make sure that he could reach Dong Shan City to face Prince Ji Shu, but she couldn''t be there for him because of her current position.

    ''I''ll make sure to do a good job. You better not die, Ji Sheng.''

    After praying in her heart, Gao Ling made her way to the hill and looked around her. She sighed internally and wished for the best.

    ¡­

    - Capital City -

    Inside his residence, Prince Ji Shu was waiting patiently. He didn''t want to make any movements unless it was already the time.

    "What did Yang Xian do during this time period?" Prince Ji Shu asked.

    "Replying to Your Highness, Strategist Yang stayed inside his temporary residence and didn''t go out unless it''s time to eat. He paid close attention to the restaurants to make sure that he''s not poisoned, but he didn''t do anything aside from eating."

    "Did he leave any trace?"

    "There''s nothing, Your Highness."

 Chapter 302 - Inauguration

    "There''s nothing, Your Highness."

    Prince Ji Shu played with the glass of wine in his hand. His eyes were cold as he looked to a distance. "How meticulous. I wonder what he''s planning."

    The servants didn''t dare to speak and patiently waited for the prince to calm down. He knew that the prince was waiting for Yang Xian to make a mistake, but it would be hard. Yang Xian was not known as a smart strategist because of his military endeavor alone, even his daily action was hard to grasp.

    Prince Ji Shu stopped his movement when a servant came in. "What is it?"

    "Your Highness, His Majesty had passed away."

    A smile was formed on the corner of his lips. He wanted to wait a bit longer for this piece of news. Little did he expect that the time came so soon. It seemed that he would have to be ready for what was to come.

    Well, he had already prepared everything. The only question left was whether his brother was ready.

    ¡­

    The ceremony to bury the Emperor was done very quickly. Everyone already started preparing ever since a few days ago despite the fact that no one dared to talk about it. It was a taboo to talk about deaths because it would seem as if they were wishing for the other person''s death.

    No one would like it if someone wished for his or her death.

    Yang Xian didn''t participate and merely watched from a distance. He did talk with some officials, but their conversation was nothing more than pleasantries. The real battle started from now. His mind recalled the edict that was read just a few moments after the Emperor''s death.

    "This is the Emperor''s Edict, please accept it, Your Highness Prince Ji Tian."

    The edict declared that Prince Ji Tian would be the next Emperor. No matter how much the Emperor loved his wife and Prince Ji Shu, he couldn''t bear to lose the support of the Empress''s family. As a result, the next appointed Emperor was already fixed.

    But of course, Yang Xian knew that Prince Ji Shu would not accept it.

    However, there was no movement so far. Everything was going smoothly as it was supposed to be. Prince Ji Tian would be crowned as the Emperor today, so all officials have to gather in the palace.

    One way or another, Yang Xian was also categorized as an official.

    "Strategist Yang, please come this way."

    A servant was tasked to take all the officials to the main hall. The ceremony would last from morning until afternoon where the Emperor have to follow the long procedure. If one didn''t finish this, they would not be acknowledged as the Emperor.

    There were several high ranking officials coming from other cities today. They were the important officials from some other cities who attended the previous Emperor''s ceremony.

    ''If Prince Ji Shu wants to make his move, this would be the time. When Ji Tian had already become the Emperor, it''ll be hard to give reasons to the crowd regarding what had happened to him¡­''

    Yang Xian was still thinking when he sensed sudden danger. His body moved to the side as he unsheathed his sword. The sharp blade cut through the shadow that bypassed him and nearly stabbed him.

    Slash!

    His eyes were cold and indifferent. Looking at the black clothed man, Yang Xian knew that it was an assassin. As for who would send an assassin to kill him, either one of the two princes could do that because they didn''t want Prince Ji Sheng to remain strong.

    ''In the end, battle for the throne will always end up this way. Blood related brothers act as if they''re enemies and try to kill each other. How laughable.''

    "Strategist Yang!" the servant was stunned.

    Yang Xian waved his hand. "By no means am I an official formally appointed by the previous Emperor. I shall take my leave."

    The servant watched as Yang Xian turned around when his expression. "You can''t leave."

    Swish! Slash!

    The sword in Yang Xian''s hand made a perfect curve as he stopped the servant from hurting him. Looking at the short sword in the servant''s hand, Yang Xian shook his head lightly. It seemed that the number of people who wished for him to die had increased exponentially.

    His eyes narrowed as he sensed several other people coming towards him

    ''I guess I have to fight if I want to live.''

    With so many assassins entering the palace area, Yang Xian could imagine that the number of people who wanted to take the new Emperor that was about to be crowned would be even more so. To washed his hands from this incident, Prince Ji Shu wouldn''t be able to act on his own. He had to rely on people such as assassins.

    Yang Xian made his way out of the palace after fighting for a bit. Following the alleyway, he dashed to the gate while watching his surroundings carefully.

    There were not many people who were on Prince Ji Sheng''s side in the capital city because he had been staying at the border for so long. Only some retired officials and a few nobles were actually on Prince Ji Sheng''s side, but they acted as if they were neutral.

    Swish!

    "You can''t go!" the soldiers were stopping the officials who attempted to leave.

    "There are assassins aiming to take my life!"

    "The city is locked because today is the inauguration day for the new Emperor, so you¡­"

    Yang Xian paid no heed to the soldiers and the people. He reached to the gate and walked to the small door at the side. It was a door that was designed for servants and usually locked. But this time, it was open.

    Clack!

    The soldiers there didn''t have the time to react when they saw Yang Xian dashed out of the city.

    "Don''t let anyone escape!"

    "YES!"

    Yang Xian looked at the horse that was already prepared for him and smiled lightly. Manager Xin was truly reliable.

    Without any hesitation, Yang Xian hoped on the horse''s back and rushed through the forest to the north. His eyes were looking forward, making sure that he could pass by the forest. As long as he could get into the forest, he would be safe¡­

    Dzing! Jleb!

    "Gah!"

 Chapter 303 - Chaos In The Capital City

    Without any hesitation, Yang Xian hoped on the horse''s back and rushed through the forest to the north. His eyes were looking forward, making sure that he could pass by the forest. As long as he could get into the forest, he would be safe¡­

    Dzing! Jleb!

    "Gah!"

    Yang Xian looked at the arrow that was sticking from his back shoulder and looked to the wall. Standing on top of the city''s wall was Prince Ji Shu, who was holding a bow and currently docked another arrow to his bow. From this distance, his expression was unclear, but Yang Xian could guess that Prince Ji Shu was sneering.

    ''So, it''s your plan, huh?''

    By having Yang Xian stayed in the capital city, there was only two outcomes. No matter whether Yang Xian alive or death, it would serve as a method to weaken or even eliminated Prince Ji Sheng.

    If Yang Xian ended up dead in the capital city, Prince Ji Sheng would have lost a very valuable asset. It meant that his battle prowess was already reduced since Yang Xian was also an important military soldier, who usually stayed by Prince Ji Sheng''s side. But if Yang Xian escaped alive, he would be dubbed as a traitor who planned rebellion and wished to take the throne.

    He might even spread news that Prince Ji Sheng was the one who planned to have Prince Ji Tian killed with the way Yang Xian escaped in a hurry.

    Smart officials would know that it was nothing more than a lie. But dumber and easier to manipulate officials would never realize it no matter what, including the citizen who only heard half of the truth. They would pin down everything on Prince Ji Sheng.

    ''How treacherous.''

    From the very moment the imperial edict to have Yang Xian came to the capital city, their fate was already sealed.

    Drao! Drap! Drap!

    Rushing into the forest, Yang Xian ignored the pain from the arrow. He had already made some precaution in case that the people were doubtful about Prince Ji Sheng, but it might not be enough if Prince Ji Shu proclaimed it loudly.

    ''A battle is inevitable, huh?''

    A glint appeared on Yang Xian''s eyes. It was if he was saying, ''Bring it on. No matter what you take out, I''ll win the last battle.''

    Slowly, Yang Xian''s figure disappeared into the distance.

    ¡­

    "How unfortunate," Prince Ji Shu remarked as he stood on the wall. He could guess that Yang Xian would try to escape and his little wife told him that it was possible for him to leave through the north gate. There was nothing wrong in this place aside from some nobles trying to escape until Yang Xian slipped away.

    He didn''t know how this strategist managed to prepare horse and everything. It was covered in trees and bushes, so ordinary people wouldn''t be able to see it unless they were searching carefully.

    "Your Highness, that''s Strategist Yang!" a soldier blurted out in panic.

    Prince Ji Shu passed a sidelong glance to the soldier. His cold gaze prevented the soldier from speaking any further in fear that he would lose his life just from a sentence.

    "Strategist Yang is a traitor who deserved death," Prince Ji Shu said unhurriedly. "He''s the one plotting for the assassination of my brother."

    The soldiers could feel chills running down their spine. For whatever reason, they felt as if the prince was so scary. There was no investigation whatsoever and only Prince Ji Shu suddenly claimed that because Yang Xian ran away from the capital city.

    However¡­

    "Your Highness is wise!"

    "Your Highness is correct."

    All they could do was to praise Prince Ji Shu and said that he was the one who knew the best. If they didn''t agree with him, they knew that their heads would be sent flying this instant. No one dared to say no to the powerful prince.

    Prince Ji Shu nodded in satisfaction and looked to the forest that covered Yang Xian''s track. There was a sneer on his face. ''You won''t be able to get away, Yang Xian. Sooner or later, you''ll die along with your master in my hand.''

    Turning around, Prince Ji Shu made his way to the palace. By now, the entire place was in chaos because of the assassination attempts. He purposely didn''t attend the ceremony before because he knew that it would be very messy. All the officials that he targeted would be killed.

    From a distance away, he could see a young girl standing in the midst of the chaos. Her long black hair fluttered along with the wind as her eyes were looking to the brutal killings around her without any emotion in her face.

    "Xiao Hua, why are you here?" Prince Ji Shu asked in worry.

    Wei Xiao Hua turned her head around and looked at Prince Ji Shu. There was a faint smile on her face. "I want to know the result of your work. It''s quite unexpected."

    Prince Ji Shu furrowed his brows and pulled Wei Xiao Hua to his embrace. He could sense that her skin felt cold to the touch. There was no apparent emotion on her face, but it seemed that she actually didn''t like this brutality.

    "It''s fine. You should just wait for me in the residence."

    "Aunt Baili Lin told me that I should watch and understand you more," Wei Xiao Hua replied.

    Prince Ji Shu furrowed his brows when he heard that. Baili was the name of Wei Xiao Hua''s maternal family''s surname. Her mother died since she was young and Wei Xiao Hua got close with her other family members after some meeting. This Aunt Baili Lin was one of the few who Wei Xiao Hua treasured so much.

    He patted Wei Xiao Hua''s head. "Still, I don''t want to put you in difficult position like this."

    "I''ll get used to it."

    "Don''t force yourself. I like you for who you are and not because I want you to match mine."

    Wei Xiao Hua raised her head and smiled lightly. "En."

 Chapter 304 - Equally Ruthless

    Wei Xiao Hua raised her head and smiled lightly. "En."

    Prince Ji Shu smiled when he saw her cute gesture. He felt that he was the luckiest man in the entire kingdom to be able to meet with someone so perfect. No matter what Wei Xiao Hua did, he always felt that she was the best for him.

    "Do you want to enter?" Prince Ji Shu asked and pointed to the main hall.

    Wei Xiao Hua shook her head. "I don''t think I''ll be able to handle what I''ll see if I enter that place."

    She thought that she could act like the real protagonist of the story who was transmigrated as Wei Xiao Hua. After all, the real protagonist also came from the modern world, yet she could adapt to the situation so quickly.

    However, Wei Xiao Hua still felt uneasy when she saw the real battles. She could not get used to the brutal warfare in this place and all. Even though following the novel''s route was not that hard in the beginning because Wei Xiao Hua didn''t really participate in all of the harshest method. It was getting harder as time passed by because of the brutal ways that Prince Ji Shu did.

    Yet, she couldn''t bring herself to stay away from him. While it was true that she always liked the male protagonist from the novel, the real Prince Ji Shu that she met here also made her heart beat faster. It was surreal and astonishing.

    However, she still could never get used to his brutal way of eliminating everyone in his way. Wei Xiao Hua understood that in this man eat man world, she had to be able to face it all because if she couldn''t, she would be the one to die without grave.

    For someone who used to live in modern world, the difference in value and way of thinking could be a bit overwhelming.

    ''I can''t understand how the real Wei Xiao Hua in the novel managed to get used to the life here so quickly. I¡­ miss the modern world.''

    Wei Xiao Hua closed her eyes for a moment, thinking of herself in the modern world. She didn''t even know how she managed to enter this world in the first place. All that she could remember was that she was opening WN app in excitement to be able to read the novel again. When she opened her eyes later, she had become Wei Xiao Hua in the novel.

    Slowly, Wei Xiao Hua pulled her head away from Prince Ji Shu. She smiled brightly. "Go and finish what you have to do. I''ll go visit the Empress."

    "Take care, Xiao Hua." Prince Ji Shu leaned in and planted a kiss on Wei Xiao Hua''s forehead. He didn''t want to leave her, but he knew that he had to finish everything first. Other matters have to be pushed to the back for later.

    Wei Xiao Hua watched as Prince Ji Shu walked to the hall. Whatever happened there, she didn''t want to see it. The real Wei Xiao Hua would accompany Prince Ji Shu and watched the mass murder with ease. But she couldn''t do that. Even though she had traveled to this kind of world where deaths were common, she couldn''t bring herself to watch everything unfolded.

    ''I''ll take a look at the Empress.''

    In the novel, the Empress would be captured by her aunt, Baili Lin. Baili Lin was one of the few members from Baili Family who were close with the real Wei Xiao Hua. As for the reason why they were close¡­

    Bang!

    "You won''t be able to get away now."

    The female voice coming from the courtyard pull Wei Xiao Hua''s attention. Looking into a distance, she could see Baili Lin stood with her arms crossed. Baili Lin had pale countenance and perfectly sculpted body. However, she had quite the temper and known to be very fierce even in her own household.

    Not far from her, Empress You was standing with her arms held by the soldiers. There was still the same glamorous and proud aura emanating from the Empress, but her appearance had turned haggard. Her hair and clothes were slightly disheveled from her attempt to get away from here.

    "Baili Lin!" the Empress hissed.

    The woman named Baili Lin merely laughed. She shook her head. "Do you think that you can stand on the throne for so long? Unfortunately, it''s already the time for you to die."

    Wei Xiao Hua walked over unhurriedly. It was then she noticed another woman standing in a distance, watching everything unfolded without fear in her eyes. It was Imperial Concubine Xu, Prince Ji Shu''s birth mother. She didn''t seem to be willing to get involved in the battle, but the truth that Wei Xiao Hua knew how much Concubine Xu had been trying to make the Emperor appointed Prince Ji Shu as the crown prince but failed.

    Imperial Concubine Xu was very beautiful. She would not lose to someone who was in their twenties. It was no wonder that the Emperor doted on her so much.

    "Aunt Lin, Mother," Wei Xiao Hua greeted properly.

    Imperial Concubine Xu raised her head and nodded at Wei Xiao Hua. She was not a person who often speak a lot to other people. In front of the crowd, she would be the meek and demure lady. Because of that, it was easy for her to attract other people''s attention, including the Emperor.

    The only thing that she lacked was powerful family behind her. Unlike the Empress who had the backing of her paternal family, Imperial Concubine Xu came from a rather ordinary family. She didn''t have the backing, but she was the second most powerful woman in the entire harem.

    Baili Lin smiled brightly when she saw Wei Xiao Hua. "Xiao Hua, you also come here and take a look."

    "Yes."

    "Don''t you think it''s awesome that the time has finally come? We have been waiting for so long for this day!" Baili Lin said with a hearty laugh.

    Wei Xiao Hua merely smiled and refused to comment. She still remembered this scene in the novel even though there was some difference in the details. This was one of the reasons why the real Wei Xiao Hua was close to Baili Lin.

    The two of them were equally ruthless and would not hesitate to do everything to achieve their goal.

 Chapter 305 - Butâ€¦

    Wei Xiao Hua merely smiled and refused to comment. She still remembered this scene in the novel even though there was some difference in the details. This was one of the reasons why the real Wei Xiao Hua was close to Baili Lin.

    The two of them were equally ruthless and would not hesitate to do everything to achieve their goal.

    "Don''t take too long," Imperial Concubine Xu said from the back. She looked at the Empress with a faint smile on her lips. "We still have a lot of others whom we have to take care."

    "True enough," Baili Lin said with a laugh. She pulled the sword from the nearby soldier near her. Every soldier who were still standing all belonged to Prince Ji Shu, so there was no need for them to worry about the Imperial family soldiers attacking them.

    "Any last word?"

    Empress You looked at Baili Lin with hatred in her eyes, then her gaze moved to Imperial Concubine Xu. The two of them have been fighting for who knows how many years in the harem. They would act as if they have amiable relationship on the surface, yet the truth was that they could not wait to kill each other.

    Now, her son had lost and Imperial Concubine Xu''s son won.

    There was no way for her to turn the situation around anymore.

    However, she refused to show a weak front. No matter how desperate the situation was, she would never show an aggrieved expression that her enemies wanted to see the most. Staring back at Imperial Concubine Xu, she showed a bright smile. "Are you that happy to stain your hands with blood? You''ll never win, Ji Shu!"

    Imperial Concubine Xu sneered. "Who cares about those who lost their lives because they lost? In the battle, winner takes all."

    "True," Empress You replied. She still kept the same expression as before, unchanging despite the turmoil in her heart. "But you''re not the winner."

    At this moment, Imperial Concubine Xu''s expression darkened. She waved her hands. "Kill her."

    "Yes!"

    Slash!

    Even up until the end, Empress You kept her gaze looking straight at Imperial Concubine Xue. There was never any fear and despair in her expression. All that present was the condemning expression as if she was the one at the top and Imperial Concubine Xu was the one at the bottom.

    Kick!

    Imperial Concubine Xu''s face turned slightly red. She had seen that expression so many times whenever Empress You won in their exchange. Whenever she saw that kind of smile and expression, she always wished to tear open the woman''s face and pull her heart apart from her body.

    ''Even in the face of death, there''s not a trace of fear in her eyes. Empress You might have already fallen from the glorious place, but the bearing of an empress who owned the world will never change. She''s the mother of the kingdom and even until her death, it''ll never change.''

    It was the paragraph used to describe Empress You''s reaction in the novel. Seeing how Empress You still kept her posture and dignity, it was clear that she would never abandon her identity as the Empress. Even at the end of her life, she was still the proud Empress of Han Shi Kingdom.

    ''I admire her.''

    ''But it''s impossible to keep her alive.''

    Wei Xiao Hua walked to Imperial Concubine Xu and bowed in formality. "Xiao Hua greets Mother."

    "Silly girl, why are you still caring for formality at this time?" Imperial Concubine Xu was distracted when she saw how Wei Xiao Hua acted.

    "Xiao Hua only feel that Mother is worthy of all the respect that I can give you no matter what the situation is."

    Imperial Concubine Xu calmed down almost instantly. She nodded and smiled. "Come. It''s time to visit the Cold Palace."

    Cold Palace.

    It was the place for the imperial family members who had wronged the Emperor before and banished to live in this cold and frigid place. No matter what, they were not allowed to leave the place.

    There were several people who had been banished over the past few years, but Wei Xiao Hua knew that there was only one person whom her mother would want to visit.

    Concubine Ling, Prince Ji Sheng''s birth mother.

    Unlike other concubines in the palace, Concubine Ling was an unloved concubine who stayed in the palace. She had Prince Ji Sheng due to an accident when the Emperor stayed with her during the routine night visit. But even if she had given him a son, the Emperor still disliked this woman.

    Thanks to that, she was neglected and after Prince Ji Sheng was sent to the frontline, she was banished to the cold palace to live there on her own. Over the past few years, no one came to visit her, not even her own son.

    It was unknown how her relationship with her son was.

    However, Imperial Concubine Xu will not take a chance.

    "How about the other concubines?"

    "They''re already dead," Imperial Concubine Xu said unhurriedly. She smiled brightly. "By now, they must be happy to be able to accompany the Emperor in the afterlife."

    Even after all this time, Imperial Concubine Xu never loved her husband. What she wanted from marrying the Emperor was simply the power and position that could be given to her own son. Other than that, she didn''t care about anything else in the slightest bit.

    The Emperor also knew that he had to marry for political reason and not for love. Many of the concubines were those whom he needed to have relationship because of their parents. Some might not be of much importance but some were extremely important.

    Having to share their husband, it was clear that the fight between the concubines was exceptionally fierce.

    Wei Xiao Hua nodded. "In that case, let''s visit the cold palace, Mother."

    "Good child."

    Watching as Imperial Concubine Xu and Baili Lin lead the way to the cold palace, Wei Xiao Hua slowly followed them. However, there was a complicated glint in her eyes.

 Chapter 306 - Concubine Ling

    Wei Xiao Hua nodded. "In that case, let''s visit the cold palace, Mother."

    "Good child."

    Watching as Imperial Concubine Xu and Baili Lin lead the way to the cold palace, Wei Xiao Hua slowly followed them. However, there was a complicated glint in her eyes.

    The cold palace was quite far from the location where the main hall was located. There were only a few soldiers around while the rest had died. Prince Ji Shu''s soldiers were ordered to kill everyone and prevent those who were captured inside from getting out alive.

    "Your Highness!"

    "We''re going inside now."

    Imperial Concubine Xu knew the layout very well. It was not a secret that she had already ordered some people to draw the layout and kept the drawing safe in her residence. After all, it was important for her to know everything in the palace.

    After a few turns, they arrived in an old building. There was no servant around and only one woman was sitting in before a table in front of the house. She didn''t wear any makeup nor fancy clothes, so there were some traces of aging from her skin. However, her expression was calm and peaceful as if there was nothing wrong in this place at all.

    When she heard footsteps, she raised her head and passed a glance to the entrance. Yet, her hands were still holding the same cup of tea that she has been holding all this time.

    "You come, Xu''er?"

    Xu''er?

    Wei Xiao Hua never came to this place in the original novel. Because Prince Ji Shu was with them when they executed the Empress in the novel, he proceeded to take Wei Xiao Hua away to have some fun. But this time, she quickened the pace a little bit because she didn''t want to see the mess in the hall.

    The gore description in the novel already made her feel nausea.

    Imperial Concubine Xu arched her eyebrows. "I never know that you''ve changed so much after all this time, Ling Jie."

    Concubine Ling smiled faintly. There might be no makeup that she wore, but her appearance looked very beautiful. She looked at the three of them without any trace of fear.

    "What brings my sister and her friends to visit me at this time? Unfortunately, I don''t have anything but tea here, so I can''t serve you."

    Sister?

    Wei Xiao Hua felt her brain short circuited for a moment when she heard the word. It was then she recalled that the two of them were actually blood related sisters. Concubine Ling was the older sister while Imperial Concubine Xu was the younger ones.

    The novel only mentioned this once, so she didn''t remember it until she heard their conversation with each other. The two sisters were from an ordinary family with not much backing but decent capability. Because the two sisters were extremely beautiful, the Emperor took fancy of them and took them as his concubines.

    The older one never had any interest in the throne while the younger one was very excited. Not long after they entered the palace, both of them were pregnant, which was why Prince Ji Sheng and Prince Ji Shu was not that far in age. They only have several weeks'' difference.

    "I don''t need the tea. I come here to inform you that your son will die soon."

    Clack.

    The previously composed Concubine Ling looked a bit disturbed. She raised her head and looked at Imperial Concubine Xu. "What did you say?"

    "I said that your son will die soon, and you''ll help us to achieve that."

    Wei Xiao Hua thought that Concubine Ling would go hysterical, but what she saw next sent chills on her spine.

    HAHAHAHA

    Concubine Ling looked at the women who came but didn''t even try to restrain her laugh. She laughed so freely as if she had received the best piece of news that she could possibly get. Tears also started to well up on the corner of her eyes.

    "Really?"

    "Yes."

    "Good," Concubine Ling said with a smile. "Finally I can get rid of that boy."

    Imperial Concubine Xu''s face turned ashen. She looked at her older sister as if she could not recognize her anymore. "He''s your son and you want to see him die?"

    "He''s that man''s child. Why do you think I''ll care for him?" Concubine Ling asked back and looked straight to Imperial Concubine Xu''s direction with an aghast smile. "If he could die in your hand, I don''t mind in the slightest bit since he never allowed me to kill his child."

    Wei Xiao Hua was stunned speechless. Seeing the crazy expression on Concubine Ling''s face, she felt as if the entire world was turned upside down. It looked as if the decision to send Prince Ji Sheng to the frontline when he was nothing more than a ten years or so brat was not because the Emperor didn''t favor him but because the Emperor wished to keep him away from his mother who tried to kill him.

    In the palace, every concubine wished to have their son ascend the throne so that they would become the Empress Regent. Yet, Concubine Ling instead wished that she could kill her son because Prince Ji Sheng was the Emperor''s child.

    How messed up could this be?

    Wei Xiao Hua felt that the author didn''t mention this in the novel for a good reason. If she had shown such a crazy character, how many people would have run away in disgust?

    Even she could feel chills creeping on her skin just from seeing Concubine Ling right now.

    "What did you say?" Baili Lin found it hard to accept that Concubine Ling wished to have her son died so badly.

    Concubine Ling looked at her sister and laughed sinisterly. "Aren''t you the one who wished for me to be trapped in this place for my entire life? You killed my lover and forced me to attend the meeting just so that you can get close to the Emperor."

 Chapter 307 - Youâ€™ll Never Win

    Baili Lin found it hard to accept that Concubine Ling wished to have her son died so badly.

    Concubine Ling looked at her sister and laughed sinisterly. "Aren''t you the one who wished for me to be trapped in this place for my entire life? You killed my lover and forced me to attend the meeting just so that you can get close to the Emperor."

    Imperial Concubine Xu didn''t say any objection. She knew that it was the truth, but who cared? It was something that occurred more than two decades ago.

    "Aren''t you happy here? Getting pregnant with the Emperor''s child even before I can, you stole his affection right away," Imperial Concubine Xu said with hatred.

    Concubine Ling laughed. "Who wants that man''s child? I wish that he could be burned in hell for all I care."

    "You¡­ you''re crazy!"

    "Call me crazy or anything. I never want to be part of the Imperial Family in the first place," Concubine Ling said unhurriedly. "Besides, you''ll never win, my little sister. If not because of using me, you''ll never be able to get the Emperor''s affection."

    Imperial Concubine Xu''s face turned red. She glared at Concubine Ling and kicked the nearby rock in her older sister''s direction. "In that case, you should just go and die here! No one will be able to get you out."

    "You''re keeping me alive, my dear sister?" Concubine Ling asked.

    Imperial Concubine Xu sneered. "Death is too easy for you. Besides, aren''t you waiting for your son''s death news? I''ll surely deliver it to you and afterwards, I''ll send you to be with him."''

    Concubine Ling hummed and laughed. "It doesn''t sound half bad."

    "Consider it as my thanks for helping me in the palace all this time."

    "Helping you?" Concubine Ling played with the cup in her hand as her composure slowly returned. She was back to the same composed woman like before. "In that case, I''ll be waiting for the good news."

    Imperial Concubine Xu sneered and stomped out of the hall. Wei Xiao Hua and Baili Lin followed from behind, feeling utterly confused with the development. Compared to the two of them who were stunned speechless, Imperial Concubine Xu looked calmer as if she had known about this matter.

    They could still hear the hearty laugh from behind them but what they had missed was when a drop of tear fell from Concubine Ling''s eyes before she disappeared into the rundown building.

    After walking for some time, Imperial Concubine Xu stopped walking.

    "I used my sister to gain the Emperor''s affection because the one the Emperor loved back then is my sister," Imperial Concubine Xu admitted.

    Wei Xiao Hua''s heart skipped a beat when she heard this. The novel that she read never revealed this information, or it might be inside the part that she hadn''t read due to her sudden transmigration. The author kept the information regarding the war in the harem to the minimum and only revealed a bit when it was the time for the battle here.

    But even then, Wei Xiao Hua never knew what had happened more than two decades ago between Prince Ji Shu''s mother and Prince Ji Sheng''s mother.

    Imperial Concubine Xu didn''t turn around, but her voice cracked a bit. "She had a lover, so she didn''t want to go to the palace. The Emperor never pressed her, but I know that if my sister agreed to come to the palace, I can tag along too. So, I killed her lover and force her to enter the palace with me."

    Chills ran down Wei Xiao Hua''s spine when she heard that. Looking at the demure and elegant Imperial Concubine Xu, she found it hard to believe that she was the same person who killed her sister''s lover without second thought like that. Just because she wanted power and position, Imperial Concubine Xu chose to sacrifice her own sister''s happiness.

    "Just a month after entering the palace, it''s made known that my sister is pregnant and the Emperor began to shower her affection. However, it''s also the time when she starts to go crazy and tried to kill herself numerous times," Imperial Concubine Xu said without any emotion.

    "The Emperor never let her be alone and watched her over to prevent her from killing herself. So, I pressure her to get the Emperor close to me so that she would not be pressured. In the end, I managed to get pregnant but the Emperor still kept tight watch over my sister.

    After she had given birth to Ji Sheng, she grows quiet. The Emperor is also busy for a period of time, so I used this chance to snatch him away. With our similar countenance, it''s not that difficult to lure the Emperor away."

    Imperial Concubine Xu stopped for a while. "She had tried to kill Ji Sheng numerous times in the palace before."

    Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes widened when she heard that. The novel never revealed Prince Ji Sheng''s childhood even after his death. All she knew about that villain was the fact that Prince Ji Sheng stood in the way of Prince Ji Shu''s way to the throne. After all, they were all of the same status, which was concubine born prince.

    The only one who had higher status was Prince Ji Tian, who came from Empress You, which was why he was named as the crown prince.

    Baili Lin furrowed her brows. "She''s truly an ungrateful woman."

    "She''s a romantic person who didn''t want to accept that relationship from love will not be able to grow." Imperial Concubine Xu sneered and turned around. She looked at Wei Xiao Hua. "I don''t care whether you love my son or just wished to be around him or wanted his power and position. As long as you don''t cause him any harm, I''ll let you off."

    "Yes, Mother."

    Wei Xiao Hua felt that the turmoil she experienced in her heart was even bigger than before. In the novel, Imperial Concubine Xu never revealed her other side to the real Wei Xiao Hua because there was no chance for her to do so. But now, Wei Xiao Hua began to understand Imperial Concubine Xu a little bit.

    She was someone who wanted the power from this position. She strived for that. Many other women were in similar position as there were many concubines, but not everyone could be as ruthless as Imperial Concubine Xu.

    Baili Lin laughed. "Men are there so that we can use them. There''s no benefit in marrying them otherwise."

    "You know me so well, Lin''er."

    "You flatter me, Your Highness."

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at the two women in front of her, feeling a bit alienated. She wanted to believe in love and that one should strive for their happiness. Was the real transmigrated Wei Xiao Hua also a ruthless person who would kill even the innocents to achieve her goal? Is that why she was so close with these two?

    She didn''t know, but she knew that she couldn''t get along with Imperial Concubine Xu and Baili Lin that well. She was different from the real transmigrated Wei Xiao Hua and even now, she still held the same view she had from the modern world.

    ''But I have to survive here¡­ so I can never let them know¡­''

    It was so frustrating for her.

 Chapter 308 - Heading To Dong Shan City

    Is that why she was so close with these two?

    She didn''t know, but she knew that she couldn''t get along with Imperial Concubine Xu and Baili Lin that well. She was different from the real transmigrated Wei Xiao Hua and even now, she still held the same view she had from the modern world.

    ''But I have to survive here¡­ so I can never let them know¡­''

    It was so frustrating for her.

    Wei Xiao Hua put on a fake smile on her face and said in a lighthearted tone. "Mother is wise."

    Imperial Concubine Xu smiled brightly. "You''re a nice girl as well, Xiao Hua. Now, let''s go back before my son began to preach me about taking you out for so long."

    Wei Xiao Hua giggled. "Yes."

    Baili Lin also shook her head, thinking about how Prince Ji Shu has smitten with Wei Xiao Hua for a long time. For the past two years, the two of them were often seen together and looked to be attracted to each other so much.

    Wei Xiao Hua slowed her pace so that she would be behind the other two. There was a faint sigh escaped from her lips. Somehow, she felt that the ancient world was not any better than the modern world and vice versa.

    Even here, she had to wear a mask all the time.

    "Xiao Hua, come on."

    "Yes, Mother."

    She just had to do her best so that she could survive and probably someday¡­. Return back to her own world.

    ¡­

    - Wei Liuying''s Location -

    The news of how the Emperor had passed away circulated so quickly. It seemed as if everyone wished that everyone in Han Shi Kingdom will know that the Emperor had passed away.

    In addition, the inauguration ceremony was planned to be done in a rush.

    "Strategist Liu, we''re going to Dong Shan City and not Prince Ji Sheng''s City?" Xie Jing asked in confusion.

    Wei Liuying turned her head around and nodded faintly. "It''s nearer to the capital city from Dong Shan City rather than Prince Ji Sheng''s City."

    "I thought that we''re going there to inform His Highness first."

    "There''s no need for that."

    Xie Jing tilted his head while furrowing his brows. He could never understand what was inside Liu Ying''s head. No matter what the strategist has been saying all this time, it was something that Xie Jing could not comprehend easily. In addition¡­

    He turned his head to the back and looked at the man who was following them on top of the horse. He was wearing a cloak that covered his head and body, which would make it harder to recognize him. The man was the supposed ''servant'' who had been watching from a distance and also the one who talked with General Hao before.

    ''How did Strategist Liu managed to convince him?''

    While Xie Jing was confused, Wei Liuying looked at the row of carriages in a distance. She stopped the horse. "I''ll be going to visit a friend for a while. Would you like to come along?"

    "Who?"

    "Northern area most famous merchant, Shi Yan, isn''t it?" the man asked. He raised his head lightly as his dark eyes stared straight to Wei Liuying.

    Wei Liuying nodded, not trying to hide anything. The carriages belonged to Shi Yan, so she could guess that he must have just returned back from a trip since the carriages were heading to Dong Shan City.

    Xie Jing tilted his head once more. "But who is this¡­."

    Plak!

    "You need to review your lesson again, Xie Jing."

    Hearing that, Xie Jing nearly wallowed in despair. He looked at the young man behind him with pleading look, yet the man ignored his gaze. He simply nodded at Wei Liuying. "You can go to visit him. If we''re heading in the same direction, it''ll be better to travel together."

    Wei Liuying smiled. "Thank you very much for your consideration. Let us depart."

    Xie Jing was baffled when he saw their interaction. They clearly only knew each other for days, but it looked as if the man had already accepted Wei Liuying as part of them. It was weird considering that Strategist Liu was known to be part of Prince Ji Sheng''s people.

    Their horse didn''t take long to reach the row of carriages. Some people in the carriages were looking at them with distrust, but Wei Liuying simply ignored them and walked straight to the front.

    Neigh!

    Pulling the rein so that the horse moved at the same speech, she knocked the window of the carriage at the front.

    "Yan, are you there?''

    "If it''s not me, who do you think will be here?" Shi Yan asked with a grunt. He pulled the carriage window open and peeked his head out. His expression clearly showed his displeasure as he looked at Wei Liuying. "What do you want?"

    "There''s only two or three incense stick of time before we reach Dong Shan City. I''m wondering whether I can join you or not," Wei Liuying said with a smile.

    Shi Yan sighed. "The guards already recognize you, and you''re clearly already here. Do what you want."

    "In that case, let me enter the carriage."

    "What? NO!"

    "Why?"

    "Yang Xian will kill me!"

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" he''ll kill you just because I enter your carriage?

    Shi Yan pursed his lips and shook his head rapidly. He crossed his arms and looked away, pouting like a girl. Added with his feminine countenance, no one would think he was a man like this.

    Wei Liuying creased her brows. Why is it that Shi Yan looked even more feminine after he grew up? Shouldn''t guys turn more manly when they grew up?

    While she was pondering, she heard light cough from the back and noticed the man and Xie Jing were close to her. They were controlling their horse to keep a certain distance while looking at her with curious look.

    "I asked for Yan''s opinion. He agrees to let us tag along with him."

 Chapter 309 - Arrival In Dong Shan City

    "I already asked for Yan''s opinion. He agrees to let us tag along with him."

    Shi Yan grunted. "You never ask for opinion. In fact, you''re the one who welcome yourself inside."

    Wei Liuying laughed faintly. She looked at the man and smiled. "What do you think? There''s only a little bit more time and it''s much safer to travel with his guards rather than alone."

    Xie Jing furrowed his brows. He was about to speak when the man waved his hand. He nodded. "We''ll tag along."

    "Yan, please take care of us."

    "You just love to decide things on your own like Yang Xian."

    Wei Liuying chuckled. "He''s my teacher, so of course I''m similar with him."

    Shi Yan passed a sidelong glance and murmured, "Also his lover."

    At this time, Wei Liuying sent a cold glare at Shi Yan. There were many people who didn''t know that her real gender was a girl. If they heard what Shi Yan said, they would think that Yang Xian had some unique taste. It would be something that the two of them wanted to avoid because in truth Wei Liuying is a girl.

    Behind them, Xie Jing''s lips twitched. Did he just hear¡­ a secret right now? However, he felt that he should never listen to that because he wouldn''t be able to see either Yang Xian or Liu Ying in the same light anymore.

    "Are you close?"

    Wei Liuying turned to look at the man, who asked the question. She shrugged. "We''ve known each other for a long time."

    The man nodded and looked at Shi Yan. Facing the scrutinizing gaze, Shi Yan felt shiver running down his spine. It was as if he was in danger just because the man was watching over him. It was a strange feeling.

    "I''ll go to the back," the man said after a while.

    "Ah, wait for me."

    Shi Yan watched as the two of them headed to the back and then turned his head to look at Wei Liuying. His gaze reflected fear and confusion. "Who are they?"

    "They''re the helpers who can help us out of this situation," Wei Liuying replied.

    "What kind of helper?"

    "You''ll know soon."

    "¡­ You''re growing even more annoying just like Yang Xian."

    "Thank you for your compliment."

    Shi Yan: "¡­" I''m not complimenting you!

    Wei Liuying paid no heed to Shi Yan anymore as she looked around her. Based on the estimation and the news that she received, the inauguration ceremony should have been done a few days ago. Because her location was far from them, she usually received the news a bit late.

    This felt a bit vexing for her.

    Time passed ever so slowly. Shi Yan''s carriages couldn''t move so quickly, so the journey took a bit longer than what they expected. Wei Liuying also took the chance to look around at what Shi Yan was carrying.

    "I can see that you''re well prepared. I believe that it''s not easy to bring all of this for Prince Ji Sheng," Wei Liuying commented when they were near Dong Shan City, and she had returned to her position beside Shi Yan''s carriage.

    Shi Yan''s face contorted. "He better give me a good payment for all the work I have done. I nearly die because I need to pass some areas that didn''t belong to him."

    "You did great."

    "I don''t want to hear it from you."

    Wei Liuying chuckled. Each of them have their own role that they needed to play. Missing even one would be detrimental for Prince Ji Sheng because he wouldn''t be able to utilize his card well.

    They passed the gate and was instantly welcomed with Prince Ji Sheng. He stood not far from the gate and looked at the two of them with solemn expression.

    "You''re late."

    "I already come here as fast as possible!" Shi Yan complained when he got that remark. He should have never expected more from someone like Prince Ji Sheng. Even a bit of praise seemed to be too much for someone like him.

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows. "What happened?"

    "Xian is hurt."

    The moment they heard that, the temperature dropped to the freezing point. Shi Yan''s face contorted in anger while Wei Liuying kept her composure. Yet her eyes were filled with rage that was ready to spill out at any moment.

    "How did it happen?" Wei Liuying asked slowly.

    "Come with me to the residence and I''ll explain everything. Xian is also there, resting with Lu Wen tending to him."

    "Before that, there are two people that you need to meet." Wei Liuying looked to the back while trying to keep a proper expression.

    The man and Xie Jing walked to the front. The man passed a look at Wei Liuying for a moment before he turned his head to look at Prince Ji Sheng. There was a knowing look in Prince Ji Sheng''s face.

    "As I thought, you''re the only one who can bring him here, Liu Ying."

    "Thank you for your compliment, Your Highness. Please excuse me," Wei Liuying said and paced the horse to Prince Ji Sheng''s residence.

    Shi Yan still didn''t understand what had happened, so when he saw Prince Ji Sheng waved his hand, he chose to bolt as fast as possible. It would be better for him to not get involved when their conversation turned to be too much to handle.

    "Xie Jing, you can leave."

    "But¡­"

    "I''ll be fine. I just need to have a short talk with my dear friend."

    Xie Jing still looked worried, but he chose to comply. Before he left, he passed another look at Prince Ji Sheng as if he wanted to warn the other party to not do anything that crossed the line.

    Prince Ji Sheng paid no heed and looked at the man. "You have a good subordinate."

    "I can say the same to you." The man said unhurriedly. "Also, you''re far luckier than me to find so many capable youngsters."

 Chapter 310 - Waiting

    "You have that brat."

    "He still need a lot of polishing."

    "Along with so many others that I prefer not to mention here," Prince Ji Sheng added. He pointed to the nearby restaurant with his chin. "We should talk more there. I''ll listen to your request."

    The man arched his eyebrows. "Are you sure it''s not the other way around?"

    "You won''t listen if it''s about doing me a favor."

    "True enough."

    ¡­

    While Prince Ji Sheng and the man was having a talk, Wei Liuying rushed to the residence and jumped off her horse when she had arrived. The guards were stunned, but before they could react, Wei Liuying had already charged inside. Their martial arts were not that bad, but they didn''t manage to react in time because they were contemplating what they were supposed to do.

    "That''s¡­ Strategist Liu, right?"

    "It should be fine if we let him pass, right?"

    The guards looked at each other and chose to let it be. There were already countless times in the past when Strategist Liu and Strategist Yang came to Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence. Usually, there was no need for them to even asked for permission from Prince Ji Sheng because the two of them came to bring news from war most of the time.

    It was not report this time, but they chose to just let it pass.

    Bang!

    "Hey, didn''t I tell anyone to not disturb¡­ Oh? It''s you, Liu Ying?" Shi Lu Wen was wiping her hand on a piece of cloth. She looked at the door and smiled bitterly. "You come so quickly.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. Prince Ji Sheng told them that they were late, but why Shi Lu Wen said that she was too quick. She would address this matter later. "Where''s Xian?"

    "He''s sleeping. I give him some medicine after addressing his wound," Shi Lu Wen replied. "Don''t worry, it''s not life threatening."

    "Oh¡­"

    Wei Liuying was calmer when she heard that, but she still strode inside. When she saw Yang Xian lying on the bed with some bandages near his neck and chest, her blood felt cold again. The clothes he wore made it hard for her to see the wound, but because the clothes were not worn properly, the upper part was a bit open.

    "What kind of wound?"

    "It''s an arrow sticking on his back. There''s also poison mixed in and based on what Prince Ji Sheng say, the one who shoot him should be Prince Ji Shu," Shi Lu Wen explained. There were only limited number of poison circulating in the capital city. This type of poison was quite deadly and Prince Ji Sheng knew only Prince Ji Shu had it in the capital city.

    "Will he recover in time?"

    "For battle?"

    "Yes."

    Shi Lu Wen nodded. "He''ll be alright. Before he reached here, he had already treated the wound with the soldier''s help. I only helped to dress it again and fed him some antidotes. However, I wouldn''t recommend him to fight at the frontline in this condition."

    "But you will allow him to participate?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Even if I say no, I doubt he''ll listen," Shi Lu Wen said with a bitter smile. Based on her experience, some of them would need to be one foot at their grave before they could be stopped from going to an important war. Unfortunately, Yang Xian was included in that number.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "That''s true."

    "You can wait for him here. He should be able to wake up before dinner''s time. However, you have to remind him to not stress his body, or he would only worsen his condition."

    "I''ll keep it in mind." Wei Liuying noticed Shi Lu Wen packing her belongings. "Do you want to go somewhere?"

    "Shan Ge will not allow me to stay in the same room with a man for a long time," Shi Lu Wen said helplessly.

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. Now that she thought about it, Shi Lu Wen and Shan Yi had gotten closer over the past year, right? After the incident in the temple, Shan Yi often spent his time around Shi Lu Wen to the point that she wondered if he had any other work. It seemed that by now, the two of them had already gotten used to each other''s presence and probably even closer than that.

    She hoped that Shi Yan was aware of this or he might be surprised when his sister told him that she wanted to leave in the future.

    "I see."

    "Don''t worry. If you need anything, I''m still in this residence. Please excuse me now, Strategist Liu."

    Shi Lu Wen walked to the door and turned her head around once more. She could see Wei Liuying was sitting on the edge of the bed while looking at Yang Xian''s face. From this direction, she couldn''t see her expression, but she could guess.

    Not wanting to interrupt them, Shi Lu Wen walked out and stretched her body. She might like treating patient, but having to sit for a long time was still tiring for her. There were several more books that she needed to read if she wished to deepen her knowledge in medical field.

    "Have you finished?" Shan Yi asked. His head poked out from the roof.

    Shi Lu Wen furrowed her brows. "Can''t you find a better way to walk around? It''s weird to see you hanging upside down like that."

    "Sorry. My bad."

    Shan Yi jumped down and landed in front of Shi Lu Wen. He smiled faintly. "I guess his condition is not that bad?"

    "For now, but he might need more dose of antidotes. His immunity is already good enough because of his past, but it''s better not to take chances," Shi Lu Wen explained. She then looked at Shan Yi with accusing look. "Before that, why don''t you warn me that Wei Liuying had returned? I''m surprised when the door was opened so loudly like that!"

    Shan Yi laughed drily. "It''s only Wei Liuying and not a stranger. Besides, you know that the two of them are close with each other, so I don''t think there''s any need to stop her."

 Chapter 311 - Preparation For The Final Battle

    Shan Yi laughed drily. "It''s only Wei Liuying and not a stranger. Besides, you know that the two of them are close with each other, so I don''t think there''s any need to stop her."

    Shi Lu Wen rolled her eyes and crossed her hands. "Do you think that you can get away if you say it like that?"

    "Ah, have mercy!"

    "Stop where you are! Come here!"

    Shan Yi''s men, who were hiding in the dark, could only watch helplessly as their leader played around with Shi Lu Wen. For the nth times in this year, they felt that they didn''t know their leader anymore. He looked far more amicable and easy going when he was with Shi Lu Wen, totally unlike his stern image with them.

    ¡­

    Inside the room, Wei Liuying sat down beside Yang Xian. She did hear the news regarding the Emperor''s death, which was why she knew that Prince Ji Shu would make his move. The capital city was a foreign territory for them because the number of their allies was very limited.

    They didn''t have the strength to help others and could only try to save themselves.

    "You better not die, Xian," Wei Liuying whispered in a low tone. She reached her hand out and touched the side of Yang Xian''s face. His face felt cool to touch, yet there was still the warmth that belonged to a living person.

    After a while, Wei Liuying retracted her hand. She quietly sat down while watching Yang Xian''s face.

    Time passed ever so slowly.

    It was quiet inside the room that a drop of a pin would be able to be heard loudly. There was nothing that Wei Liuying did but to continue watching and observing. Based on Yang Xian''s breathing, she could guess that he was sleeping peacefully.

    At least, until recently.

    "How long do you want to pretend sleeping?"

    "You noticed?" Yang Xian opened his eyes. His dark eyes were looking straight at Wei Liuying, who was sitting on his bed. He smiled faintly.

    "Your breathing changed for a moment."

    "I thought that I covered it well." Yang Xian pressed his hand on the bed and pushed his body up. Almost immediately, Wei Liuying reached her hand out and helped him to sit down. "Thank you."

    "You can just wake up normally."

    "I can''t possibly open my eyes so suddenly when you''re watching so intently."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. "I''m only watching because I want to know your condition. Prince Ji Sheng acted as if you''re already at your death''s door when he informed me that you are wounded."

    "I''m fine. I won''t die so easily," Yang Xian said with a laugh. He reached his hand out and lightly touched Wei Liuying''s cheek. "I''m glad that you''re fine. He''s not that easy to handle."

    Wei Liuying allowed him to do what he wanted as she looked at his complexion. Seeing his bright eyes did relief her to a certain degree. "It might be true, but I only come because of Prince Ji Sheng''s order. If things end up badly, I''ll just push the blame to him."

    Yang Xian: "¡­" well, I can''t say it''s wrong.

    Wei Liuying looked to the glass on top of the nearby table. "You must be thirsty. I''ll take some water¡­."

    Before she could stand up, Yang Xian pulled her arm and pressed her body close to him. Her body stiffened almost immediately. Staying by his chest, she could hear his rapid heartbeat.

    "Xian?"

    "Just let me stay like this for a while."

    "You''re going to reopen your wound."

    "It''s on my back, so I''ll be fine," Yang Xian murmured in low voice. His voice sounded so close to her ear that Wei Liuying was not used to. She still kept the same expression as usual, but her ear had turned a bit red. This position was a bit unusual.

    "Am I interrupting something?"

    Yang Xian raised his head and glared at the door. He could sense Shi Yan and Prince Ji Sheng standing behind the door now that he focused his attention to it. The door was slightly open with Shi Yan''s head peeked inside.

    "What are you doing here, Yan?" Even though he was caught red handed, Yang Xian had no intention to let Wei Liuying go yet. If they wanted to watch, then they should just watch as much as they wanted.

    Prince Ji Sheng pushed the door and looked at the two of them with straight expression. "How''s your condition, Xian?"

    "I''m good. I should be able to move properly tomorrow."

    "Can you ride horse in your condition?"

    Yang Xian nodded. "I can use my right hand and not my left one. It''s not going to be a big problem."

    Wei Liuying shifted her position so that she could look at the two of them. Now, her back was facing Yang Xian with his arm circling around her shoulder. She could feel that he was unwilling to let her go even though she was not totally sure what the reason was.

    Shi Yan''s face contorted when he watched the two of them. "Can''t you sit down normally? I feel my eyes burn just from watching you two."

    "That''s good."

    "WHAT?"

    "I hope you can recover well from your burn. If you need medicine, you can ask some from your sister," Yang Xian rephrased his sentence and smiled.

    Hearing that, Shi Yan felt like screaming. It was not his point, yet Yang Xian simply twisted his sentence. As he had thought, having tongue battles with Yang Xian would only resulted in his utter losses.

    Wei Liuying paid no heed at Shi Yan''s antics and looked at Prince Ji Sheng. "What is your plan for now, Your Highness?"

    "That''s what I want to discuss with the three of you," Prince Ji Sheng replied. "It''ll take a few more days before they realize that I''m not at the frontline. At the same time, I''m sure my little brother will declare me as a traitor and speed up the inauguration ceremony."

    Shi Yan''s face contorted. "Can''t we just interrupt their inauguration ceremony like what he did to his first brother?"

    "Nice idea, but it''s impossible since his inauguration is today."

 Chapter 312 - Preparation For The Final Battle (2)

    "Nice idea, but it''s impossible since his inauguration is today."

    "WHAT?"

    Yang Xian was calm as he lightly snuggled his head near Wei Liuying''s shoulder. Since she was practically sitting on his lap, her small height didn''t hinder him from putting his chin near her shoulder. Still a bit short, but not that much.

    "I heard the news when I reached Dong Shan City. I''m sure that it''ll be a matter of time for him to do a reorganize and then declared war against Prince Ji Sheng."

    Shi Yan was stunned. "How¡­ how are you so sure?"

    "There''s no point for him to keep me alive," Prince Ji Sheng said unhurriedly. "I''m sure Ji Shu will think of me as someone who will hinder his path to achieve the throne."

    Even though Prince Ji Sheng was never interested in the throne, he knew that other people will never see it that way. They would want to push him to get the throne because his men preferred him over Ji Shu. Unfortunately, Prince Ji Sheng never had the chance to make a move in the capital city because his position as the general at the north.

    It would be impossible for him to gather the necessary people to reclaim the throne even if he wanted it.

    "The Imperial Family''s life is very complicated," Shi Yan murmured.

    Yang Xian glanced at Shi Yan and shook his head. "You already interacted with them occasionally when you want to trade, so I''m sure that you know the situation better than anyone else."

    "¡­ I can''t possibly get close if not for your advice."

    "Right, you still haven''t paid me for my service."

    Shi Yan''s face darkened when Yang Xian brought it up. He could only look away and pretended that he didn''t hear anything. Without Yang Xian''s help and advice in his early stage of business, he would never be able to make it this far.

    "What do you think will be the best move for us, Your Highness?" Wei Liuying chose to divert their attention once more.

    "Strike first."

    "That''s not a bad idea," Yang Xian agreed. He smiled faintly. "I''m sure that Ji Shu will not be prepared for an all out war."

    "Do you really want to have a war with him and possibly caused so many soldiers to lose their lives?" Wei Liuying asked back. She disliked the idea because it would make them lose so many Han Shi Kingdom''s people. They were all people of one kingdom, so the thought of having internal war didn''t sound really great to her.

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at Wei Liuying. "We can find a way to make sure the soldiers stay away from this."

    "Is that even possible?" Shi Yan chirped in. "I can''t think of a way where it''ll be possible for us to win the battle without so many soldiers."

    In the first place, the only advantage Prince Ji Sheng had over Ji Shu was the fact that he had participated in numerous wars in the past. The accumulated experience was what made it possible for Prince Ji Sheng to keep calm even when his life was threatened.

    Yang Xian sighed. "We didn''t only win the battle with number but also wits, Yan."

    "I don''t understand."

    "I mean, there''s a way to make sure that the soldiers will not participate in the battle," Yang Xian replied and looked at Prince Ji Sheng. "That''s why you wish that you can pull him on your side, right?"

    Prince Ji Sheng kept his composure and nodded. "Yes."

    "Wait, who are you talking about?"

    "A person who has been moving in the shadow," Wei Liuying responded. She tilted her head. "It''s not that hard to convince him to join you, Your Highness. I only need to have some light talk with him."

    Yang Xian chuckled. He messed up with Wei Liuying''s hair while his eyes glinted in ruthlessness. "In the first place, the only person who could possibly get close to him and he allowed so is you, Liu Ying."

    "Me?"

    "Yes."

    Prince Ji Sheng could hear the displeasure in Yang Xian''s tone. When he received the news and decided to send Wei Liuying, Yang Xian already knew what he planned to do. It was not something that Yang Xian liked, but since it was necessary, he didn''t try to hinder Prince Ji Sheng''s plan.

    "So, what do you plan to do?" Shi Yan asked.

    "I''ll force Ji Shu to have a duel with me," Prince Ji Sheng replied.

    Shi Yan''s eyes widened. Comparing their martial arts skill, Prince Ji Sheng would not necessarily come at the top. After all, Prince Ji Shu was known to be exterminating the bandits around the capital city during his free time. He also had high martial arts.

    If the two of them fought, it might not end until one of them die.

    "But that¡­"

    "It''s a gamble too," Yang Xian admitted. "However, this is the best option compared to sacrificing so many soldiers in the war."

    Prince Ji Sheng was silent for a moment. "Should I lose, you have to lead the soldier and declare war."

    "And create the second rebellions?" Yang Xian shook his head lightly. "I''m sure the capital city is already in enough chaos after so many people die in the palace just a few days ago. If another rebellions strike, the tribes around our border, especially the north one, will not stay quiet."

    "I know."

    "If you lose, I''ll make sure to support Lady Gao in avenging you and drag you back from hell," Wei Liuying added.

    Prince Ji Sheng sighed. He looked at the pair in front of him with his dark eyes. "I won''t lose."

    "Good."

    Yang Xian grinned. "Now that we had agreed in one thing, it''s time for us to make the preparation to depart tomorrow morning."

    "Wait, you haven''t told me what I have to do!" Shi Yan protested.

    Prince Ji Sheng passed a sidelong glance. "Your role is done. Good work bringing the additional weapons here. What you have to do is to stay in this city and make sure that the defense is secure."

    "That¡­"

    "Yes?"

    "How do I do that?"

    The others: "¡­"

 Chapter 313 - Tension

    Yang Xian ended up kicking Shi Yan out of the room after explaining what the latter supposed to do. He couldn''t believe that Shi Yan still didn''t know what to do even though they have already explained everything so clearly.

    Prince Ji Sheng shook his head as he left the room. "Have some rest, Xian. You''ll need it."

    "Thank you."

    All this time, Wei Liuying was still sitting in Yang Xian''s lap. She raised her head to look at his face. "Now, can you let me go?"

    "No."

    "Why?"

    "I miss you."

    At this time, Wei Liuying couldn''t answer anything anymore. The position was not that uncomfortable, but she felt a bit awkward to stay in his embrace like this for a long period of time. Though, she didn''t mind that much.

    "Because you miss me, you want me to stay on your lap?" Wei Liuying asked in low tone.

    Yang Xian tightened his grip slightly. "Why not? I want to make sure that you''re not going to leave anytime soon."

    His answer only made Wei Liuying speechless. He could just do that by having her stay near him, alright?

    However, Wei Liuying didn''t feel like rebuking Yang Xian and chose to silently sat on his lap. She could faintly feel his warmth on her back, the warm of a living person. A smile formed at the corner of her lips.

    She was glad that he was still alive and be here with her.

    Her hand lowered and looked at Yang Xian''s hand just right below her chin. The muscle could be seen clearly thanks to his disheveled robe. At the same time, there were various blades marks that had started to fade with time.

    Some marks were small while some others were bigger. Wei Liuying normally didn''t notice them as they were covered with his clothes. It was only now she managed to properly pay more attention.

    If one didn''t pay close attention, there were also some marks that couldn''t be seen.

    "You have a lot of scars, Strategist Yang."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Call me Yang Xian or just Xian like usual is enough. And they''re just old wounds from my childhood."

    "You have old wounds from childhood?" Wei Liuying asked curiously.

    For a moment, Yang Xian didn''t say anything. He moved his hand and messed up Wei Liuying''s hair once more. This time, she didn''t even have a reaction and just waited patiently as if she knew that he was not comfortable with it.

    She didn''t press him and simply waited. After all, it was his decision to tell her or to never tell her about it.

    His past¡­

    Wei Liuying had never heard anything about Yang Xian''s past before. Some soldiers did mention about it from time to time but they only wanted to say that he was an orphan that Prince Ji Sheng picked up. In addition, he was not a noble and rather commoner.

    Or perhaps¡­ even slave?

    She didn''t know. He never said anything about his past but he always said that he was a commoner.

    "What do you know about war orphans, Liuying?"

    "War orphans?" Wei Liuying tilted her head. She furrowed her brows. Even though she had heard about them from time to time, it was not an exaggeration to say that she didn''t know much about them. There were no war orphans back in the capital city because the Emperor didn''t allow them to come in.

    She only heard more about them when she came to the north because there were a lot of children who lost their parents due to war. Many of them were taken by their relatives and the rest were taken care by the village head.

    "War orphans are either taken by their relatives or staying with the village head?" Wei Liuying asked in uncertain tone. So far, the one who took care of the war orphans and other villagers were other soldiers and not her since Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng kept on placing her at the frontline.

    She heard the arrangement for the orphans from Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng from time to time, but she never got involved directly.

    Yang Xian nodded. "The condition had improved here ever since years ago. But back then, the treatment is not that good."

    Wei Liuying was silent. She didn''t move from her position as she could feel the sour mood from Yang Xian behind her. It was clear that he didn''t want to say much about the condition back then.

    Slowly, she patted Yang Xian''s arm on her shoulder as if telling him that if he didn''t want to tell her, it was fine. She would not force him to tell him the detail if he didn''t want to tell her.

    She could tell that his past was not a good one. It must have been filled with wounds that had pushed him to become who he was right now.

    They were all children who were forced to grow up early due to the situation in their childhood. Facing with the brutality of the world, how could one stay innocent in this period of time?

    Only those who were lucky enough to be shielded will stay innocent.

    "It''s fine," Yang Xian smiled faintly and lowered his gaze. "There are a lot of orphan children back then and no one who take care of them. Those without relatives will be sent to the local villages around or just abandoned to die."

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying''s brows furrowed in anger. To think that the children were left to die in the wilderness.

    "They only pick the healthy children to the village head and let us stay there. At first, it might not sound too bad, but all the children are forced to work because the village head didn''t want to spend any money to raise us," Yang Xian replied unhurriedly, his tone was as cold as ice.

    For some reason, Wei Liuying began to think that there was something else that had happened based on his tone.

 Chapter 314 - Yang Xianâ€™s Past

    "Yang Xian, you¡­"

    "I don''t have any relatives left." Yang Xian didn''t mind telling her about this matter. He could still remember the day he lost his family very clearly. It was supposed to be similar to any other day in his childhood, but that was not what happened.

    Enemies came rushing in, killing everyone on sight.

    Be it man, woman, children, or even animals, everyone was killed on sight. Yang Xian managed to survive by hiding under the corpse of his own father. He could remember how his father protected him with his body to make sure that the young boy survived.

    His expression, his words, everything seemed as if it had just happened right in front of his eyes.

    Yang Xian closed his eyes for a moment. He had a mother and younger siblings but they all died. He and his father were outside when the soldiers strike and his father covered him. With his father''s body on top of him, the soldiers didn''t find him.

    However, he could see they rushed into the house and killed his mother and younger siblings brutally.

    He could remember how he wanted to struggle free and yet his father forcefully held him. He told the young him that he should stay hidden and not do anything. If the boy dared to make a move, the soldier will kill him.

    So, Yang Xian could only lie down and watched everything.

    His family were killed, leaving him as the sole survivor.

    His friends were all murdered, their bodies filling the streets.

    The villagers who were just playing with him not long ago were dying and their blood formed a river in the village.

    "They''re all killed," Yang Xian summarized everything that happened in one sentence. He could not bring himself to describe everything that occurred back then anymore. The event was brutal and savage, letting him knew the cruelty of the world and the fact that war was so close to him.

    "I managed to survive because I was covered by my father''s corpse. However, no one in my family survived and none of my relatives can get away." Yang Xian was still holding Wei Liuying tightly, not allowing her to turn around and see his messed up expression.

    "You can stop¡­" Wei Liuying''s voice was low but she had detected the unease within Yang Xian''s tone. Whatever happened there must have been very tragic and sad.

    She didn''t want to bring those memories back to Yang Xian.

    He can just forget it all.

    Yang Xian took a deep breath. "It''s alright. After I survived, I end up in different village and the people there assign me to the village head to work there. I thought that it''s already quite bad for me and things will not be so bad to work as a labor there.

    But I was wrong.

    It''s not that hard to work as labor, but that''s not all he wants us to do. Many of the children, both boys or girls will be told to serve the guests who come to the house and provide money for him."

    Chills ran down Wei Liuying''s back. When Yang Xian said the word ''serve,'' his tone was cold so Wei Liuying could understand the underlying meaning.

    Resisting Yang Xian''s grip, she turned her body around and looked at Yang Xian before her. He was still looking in her direction with his dark eyes. Emotion brewed from within the depth of his eyes that he held back while his face contorted slightly.

    Even at this time, he was still trying to control his expression from all the anger, disgust, sadness, and probably despair.

    "I''m sorry."

    Yang Xian shook his head. "Nothing happened to me in the end. I killed the village head on my second day there when they try to involve me along with the other guests who are present there."

    The second day?

    Wei Liuying had heard from the others that Yang Xian lost his parents when he was like 6 or 7 years old? It meant that he had already started killing people at that tender age?

    Somehow, she didn''t want to hear anything more about what had happened to Yang Xian back then. Hearing it right now only made her feel angry, yet she was helpless to help him. Because during the time it happened, she was nothing more than a baby or toddler who hadn''t understand anything.

    "It''s scary isn''t it? A child who''s barely 7 years old is already killing an adult with no regards of anything." Yang Xian smiled bitterly. Aside from Wei Liuying, only Prince Ji Sheng knew about this. He had no intention to tell anyone about this in the past because it was horrible.

    For a child who was supposed to still understand nothing to take other people''s life so easily, what would they grew up to?

    After he had seen the brutality of the war, he had no more qualms of taking other people''s life. All he wanted was to be able to survive and life well. However, the price he had to pay for that was not the same as what other people normally had to.

    But back then, even if they didn''t know about this point, people still abhorred him and hated the fact that he could stay near Prince Ji Sheng. He was deemed to be too dangerous, yet Prince Ji Sheng cared not for it. Because after that day, he grew to be a child whose hands had stained with numerous people''s blood.

    "No. It''s not."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows and looked at Wei Liuying through his dark eyes. Their equally dark eyes were looking at each other.

    "I did the same. I killed the concubine who tried to frame my mother through schemes when I was 7 years old."

    The two of them were silent as they stayed still in their place. Both of them understood very well the weight of what they said.

    It was the same as saying that you''re not alone and you should not bear the burden by yourself. Even though neither one of the two said the sentence openly, they both understand each other''s thoughts.

 Chapter 315 - Misunderstanding

    "It''s a surprise you can still grow up well and didn''t turn into a cold blooded killer." Yang Xian smiled.

    "I can say the same to you."

    "I was once like that." Yang Xian pulled Wei Liuying closer and hugged her. In this position, she couldn''t see his expression as she was inside his embrace. "The villagers chase all of us, orphan children, from there because of that incident. They''re scared because we''re violent and even dare to fight back.

    No one wants us to be there and being children, it''s impossible for us to fight against them. I was fine and only wounded slightly due to the battle without any fatal wounds. We have to run and escape to the wilderness. Each of us chose different path.

    I lived near the wall, trusting no one and scavenge for food. Fighting with the thugs there for food, I learn to use my brain to make sure that I can get food without the need to put myself in danger. Many times, I used their greed to take advantage of them and steal what I need.

    There are also times when I had to kill my opponents. Lives¡­ are cheap on the border."

    There was no emotion within Yang Xian''s tone. He just simply wanted to survive back then and as a child who hadn''t learned much about morality and many others, he was not restrained by many rules. What he knew was that he had to find food, water, clothing, and warm place to stay if he wished to survive.

    He was not any different from a beast.

    If he couldn''t get what he needed, he would kill others to get it. There were many whom he could targeted as they were weaker than him or he just simply trapped them to get their food.

    That was how he managed to survive those brutal cold days.

    "But then you changed?" Wei Liuying asked. She could hear his rapid heartbeat with her ear so close to his chest. It was clear that he was trying to calm himself down but his body still could remember those days every clearly.

    Yang Xian chuckled. "I met His Highness after a few years living like that. He was the one who taught me by allowing me to attend lessons with him. If I hadn''t met him back then, I might be still roaming on the street or had died because of some thugs trapping me."

    Trapping Yang Xian?

    For some reason, Wei Liuying felt that it was completely implausible for such things to happens. With Yang Xian''s intelligence, she wouldn''t be surprised if those thugs end up dying in his hands first.

    "I see."

    "You might be luckier because you can learn many things by yourself," Yang Xian caressed Wei Liuying''s hair. It felt soft.

    Wei Liuying furrowed her brows and pushed her hand against Yang Xian''s chest to push her away a bit. She looked at the annoying strategist in front of her. "I met my uncle, Yang Xian. He''s the one who taught me morality and also how to look at things from broader point of view. Do you think that my mother will be so kind as to teach me how to become a better person?"

    If not for her uncle, Wei Liuying knew very well she would have made stupid mistake and probably end up dying as a dishonorable concubine daughter in Wei Family Residence or married away even before of age or even dying out of hunger.

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying deeply, thinking of her words.

    Considering how Wei Liuying''s mother was¡­. It was highly improbable.

    Yang Xian laughed coldly. Just as he was about to speak again, the door was pushed open and the sound of a tray falling to the ground could be heard.

    Clang!

    The two of them turned their head around and saw Shi Lu Wen standing there with red face. She was trying to hide her expression, yet her small hand couldn''t cover her face properly.

    "That¡­did I disturb something?"

    Wei Liuying''s mind blanked for a moment. Disturb what? She was only talking to Yang Xian. As for her current position, it was simply because Yang Xian didn''t want to release her, so she could only stay here.

    On the other hand, Yang Xian could guess what was inside Shi Lu Wen''s mind, but he had no intention to correct her. He smirked. "What brings you here, Lu Wen?"

    "Ah, I was about to check on your condition again. But if you''re busy¡­."

    "We''re not busy." Wei Liuying released herself from Yang Xian and stepped down. She conveniently sat down on the chair.

    Shi Lu Wen''s face was still red as she walked to Yang Xian and took his pulse. She could see that Yang Xian''s face was a bit dark, yet he hid it very quickly. As she had thought, she had truly bothered them when they were busy.

    "Have you ever told anyone about it before, Yang Xian?" Wei Liuying asked as she watched Shi Lu Wen took the pulse.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "Only you and His Highness."

    "Thank you."

    Their conversation perked Shi Lu Wen''s interest. She looked at the two of them and tilted her head. "You''re talking about something?"

    "Yes, about my past," Yang Xian replied.

    This time, Shi Lu Wen retracted her hand and glared at Yang Xian. "You never want to tell us whenever we ask you about it in the past? Don''t you know how curious me and my brother was because you''re so mysterious?"

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "It''s not your business."

    Shi Lu Wen pursed her lips. "I''m just curious! Do you know that my brother even said that you might be a lost prince because of how smart you are? And that Shan Yi said that you''re the long lost child of a ¡­.."

    Bang!

    "Lu Wen, please don''t expose that," Shan Yi stopped Shi Lu Wen before she could reveal all of their conversations in the past. He knew that Yang Xian would kill him if he dared to say something like that.

    Yang Xian arced his eyebrows. "Why do you think that way?"

    "That''s because you''re too smart! I just kept on thinking that you must be the descendant of someone powerful and talented¡­."

    Listening to Shi Lu Wen''s rambling, both Yang Xian and Wei Liuying were speechless. Even though Wei Liuying hadn''t known Yang Xian as long as Shi Lu Wen, she could already guess that he had commoner background because he admitted it that way. Why would he even hide his identity if it could help him gain foothold?

    "Are you saying only the descendant of powerful people can be an accomplished person?" Yang Xian asked with a disdainful tone. Even if Shi Lu Wen didn''t want to believe it, his parents were ordinary people who had never hold important position. They were farmer in a small village and the two had loving relationship. His grandparents from both sides were also normal villagers living there.

    And he himself would just be an ordinary person with slightly higher intelligence if nothing happened. He was supposed to be a farmer to continue his parents'' work if not for the war. His achievement today was mostly thanks to his hard work and also the chance that Prince Ji Sheng gave him, which allowed him to study.

    "Eh?" Shi Lu Wen quickly shook her head. She grinned. "No, of course not. I''ll surely not think that way¡­."

    Thwack!

 Chapter 316 - Departure

    "Eh?" Shi Lu Wen quickly shook her head. She grinned. "No, of course not. I''ll surely not think that way¡­."

    Thwack!

    "Ouch! Do you want to kill me, Shan Yi?!"

    "I''m stopping you to prevent you from having yourself killed because of your words," Shan Yi replied with a sigh. He looked at Yang Xian with an apologetic look. "She''s just hoping for that kind of story because she has been reading some¡­ books with such interesting story."

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes, now wondering what kind of books that Shi Lu Wen read. She knew that Shi Lu Wen read some medical books for her study, but she didn''t know other books that Shi Lu Wen might read.

    Shi Lu Wen pursed her lips. "Isn''t it interesting if a long lost prince suddenly appears then take back the throne and then eliminate all others who dare to go against him in the past and make a much better kingdom¡­."

    In the end, Shan Yi dragged Shi Lu Wen out to prevent her from uttering more nonsense. Thankfully, Yang Xian''s condition was stable and didn''t require any medical attention anymore.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "She must have read too many fictional stories."

    "There are also book that depicted stories?" Wei Liuying asked. It was hard to find books in this period of time because only a portion of people could read and write. Most of the books that they could find were for those who want to enter the palace as officials, so the books were mostly about etiquette and many others.

    "There are some. Shi Yan bought them from many different places during his journey for Lu Wen. If you want, you can ask her to lend you some." Yang Xian yawned and lied down on the bed again. He was quite sleepy and Shi Lu Wen did tell him that by sleeping more, he would be able to recover faster.

    Even though his emotion was stirred a bit by telling his past to Wei Liuying, he was still under the effect of the drugs. The drug would make him more tired so that he could rest more to aid in his recovery.

    "I see."

    "You should also rest, Liuying."

    "I will. Sleep tight, Xian."

    Yang Xian''s lips curled up when he heard how Wei Liuying called him. It took him a long time to make her got used to this way of addressing. Even then, she still often changed it due to habit.

    At least, there was some progress.

    He definitely was not that impatient. There were still a few more months before she turned 16 too. Not to mention, the battle was not exactly over yet and there were still many things they had to do.

    Wei Liuying didn''t stay in the room for much longer and walked out of there. She didn''t want to bother Yang Xian who was recuperating.

    Walking in the corridor, Wei Liuying headed to the main hall. There were a few servants walking around and greeted her when they saw her. By now, the servants in Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence had long gotten used to the presence of these two strategist. It was quite convenient of him to have multiple residences that he could use.

    In front of the door, Wei Liuying signaled the servant to announce her arrival.

    "Liu Ying is here to meet His Highness."

    "Come in."

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at Wei Liuying with arched eyebrows. His hand put down the book he was reading just moments before. "You don''t have to use formality when meeting with me."

    "Liu Ying greets His Highness Prince Ji Sheng," Wei Liuying greeted formally and smiled. "Shouldn''t I keep up with the appearance, Your Highness?"

    "Is there anything you want to speak?"

    "I would like to stay near Yang Xian when we depart to the capital city tomorrow."

    Prince Ji Sheng arched his eyebrows. It was quite unusual for Wei Liuying to request something to him, much less something like this. "Are you worried about him?"

    "Yes."

    Hearing Wei Liuying''s straightforward answer, Prince Ji Sheng''s lips curled up. He should have expected that it would be impossible trying to tease Wei Liuying since she had no qualms of speaking her true concern for others.

    "In that case, feel free to stay near him. But make sure that you have already prepared the formation necessary for the battle."

    "I understand, Your Highness."

    "You''re dismissed."

    As Wei Liuying walked out, she noticed a local official walked in. There were several people who worked together with Prince Ji Sheng and while their positions were mostly low, they had influence in their respective places.

    Even if Prince Ji Sheng lost the war, the north would not be under other prince''s influence so easily.

    ''I shouldn''t have expected any less from them.''

    That night, Wei Liuying rest in the room prepared for her.

    ¡­

    The next day, the soldiers were prepared to depart once more. While they wanted to avoid direct confrontation between their soldiers if possible, they also needed to stay careful as much as possible. However, it was also impossible for them to leave with all of their soldiers because they needed to leave some behind as precaution.

    Defense was also an important aspect in war.

    "Shan Yi, are you going to come along?" Wei Liuying noticed that Shan Yi was also preparing himself. She thought that it would be impossible for Prince Ji Sheng to bring them all to the Capital City.

    Shan Yi passed a look to the back and saw Wei Liuying, his lips curled up to form a playful smile. "What do you think? Will I make a good commander if I were to come along with you?"

    Wei Liuying didn''t change her expression as she looked at Shan Yi. Slowly, she replied, "It''ll be good enough if you didn''t die in the first confrontation because you didn''t use your brain and pick the worst position."

    Shan Yi: "¡­" I''m not that bad, alright!

 Chapter 317 - Departure (2)

    Shan Yi wanted to wholeheartedly refute whatever words Wei Liuying said to him. But upon seeing the expression on her face, he definitely couldn''t bring himself to do that. She was merely stating a fact based on his performance so far.

    Still, he couldn''t stop his foul mouth from complaining a bit.

    "You''re really annoying."

    Wei Liuying blinked her eyes. "I''m merely stating a fact, Shan Yi."

    "Ugh, I know."

    "And you haven''t answered my question."

    "Oh, the one about whether I''ll come or not?" Shan Yi tied the bag to the horse and shook his head. "I''m not heading to the capital city if that''s what you''re asking. His Highness will not allow all of us to come with him to the capital city without leaving anyone for defense."

    "Yan will stay behind."

    "Can he even defend a city?"

    At this time, Shai Yi didn''t even bother hiding the scorn he had for Shi Yan. If it was about trading and bargaining, Shi Yan was indeed the best. But when it came to defending cities¡­ they would rather ask other people rather than Shi Yan.

    Shi Yan, who was in his residence, suddenly sneezed. He looked at the sky, wondering whether his charm finally worked or not. He also wanted to be fancied by beautiful woman, ah!

    "No." Wei Liuying also knew about it, so she was also being straightforward. Her eyes landed on Shi Lu Wen, who came to her while carrying a tray.

    "Shan Yi! Liu Ying!" Shi Lu Wen greeted with a smile on her face.

    "Good morning, Shi Lu Wen."

    "Lu Wen, do you come to accompany me?" Shan Yi immediately entered his shameless mode.

    Shi Lu Wen rolled her eyes and passed the tray to Wei Liuying. "Give this to Yang Xian. He needs to drink medicine every day if he wishes to participate in battle. The bottle also contains enough medicine for several days and you only need to heat it up."

    "Thank you." Wei Liuying held the tray carefully.

    Shan Yi watched Wei Liuying''s action and felt slightly amused.

    "I won''t be staying here any longer. Make sure that you don''t forget anything before departing." Wei Liuying had resumed her position as the strategist once more as she reminded Shan Yi.

    Shan Yi nodded. He recalled that they were still in the middle of the war and his gaze landed in the direction of the capital city. For a moment, ruthlessness flashed within his eyes. One that he didn''t even bother to hide.

    "Liu Ying."

    "Yes?"

    "Should you fail¡­ no, I''m not jinxing things, I''m only informing you that in the worst case scenario, Shan Xi Gang will lead rebellions." Shan Yi''s expression was solemn.

    Wei Liuying paused for a moment. Her dark eyes were staring back at Shan Yi, who was declaring his position. She knew that he had his own reasons for wanting to fight against those in the capital city.

    But¡­

    "You''ll die."

    Shan Yi''s skill as strategist was not good enough to compare to the veteran and seasoned soldiers. If he were to clash with Ji Shu, Wei Liuying knew that Shan Yi would not even last for long before he would be defeated soundly.

    The men who followed him would also die under Ji Shu''s hand.

    It would be pointless in the end.

    "Do you really think that bad about my skills?" Shan Yi was speechless. "I''m not going to die. What I want is to make sure that b*stard can''t sit on that place."

    He''s cursing Ji Shu?

    At this moment, Wei Liuying seemed to realize something that she hadn''t realized before. Whenever Shan Yi was talking about Ji Shu, he was still thinking about Prince Ji Sheng and it might be because he was loyal that he didn''t want the worst to happen.

    Should they fail, he would take revenge.

    However¡­

    "You''re not only one person but also the leader of the entire Shan Xi Gang. Could you still make that decision when you know that it''ll implicate the entire people of your village?"

    Shan Yi was stunned as he didn''t expect Wei Liuying to ask him this question. It was true. There were a lot of people in Shan Xi Gang, including children. If he waged a war unprepared, it was the same as walking straight to their death.

    Even though he felt that he would do the right thing, it was inevitable that he would still drag the innocent.

    "We''ll do our best. In the worst case scenario, do you really think that I and Yang Xian will stay quiet?" Seeing Shan Yi''s state, Wei Liuying asked as her eyes turned deep. She was staring at the front yet at the same time was also beyond that.

    For a moment, Shan Yi could feel chills on his back when he saw Wei Liuying''s gaze. She was merely standing there but he felt as if he was thrown to hell and there was nothing he could do.

    Intimidation?

    Or killing intent?

    Shan Yi''s eyes narrowed but he didn''t have the time to investigate more because Wei Liuying had already returned back to normal. Looking at the seemingly ordinary young girl in front of him, Shan Yi suddenly felt that he had never known Wei Liuying before.

    He should have expected that someone who was honed on the battlefield would not be the same as ordinary people.

    She was not a pampered young lady nor an ordinary soldier.

    She was the strategist and also a leader at times, which meant that her skills would be filled with killing intent too.

    "No." Shan Yi looked at Wei Liuying.

    Wei Liuying nodded and turned around. "I''ll bring the tray to Yang Xian. You may return back first to ensure that your men can still do their best for the work. Don''t carry unnecessary things because it''ll only hinder your journey."

    "Yes!"

    Shan Yi looked at Wei Liuying''s departing back. His mind was replaying the terrifying scene he experienced just now. Those who fought with her might not realize it¡­ but they were honing her to become a soldier slowly but surely.

    "Are you really going to fight?" Shi Lu Wen slowly asked from the side. Her large eyes were staring straight at Shan Yi in search for answer.

 Chapter 318 - Departure (3)

    She had listened to their conversation and naturally knew that Shan Yi would not want to let Ji Shu sat on the throne peacefully.

    She might be young and there were many things the others chose not to divulge to her, but she would not let other people walk to their death just like that.

    Shan Yi looked at the young girl beside him as he let out a dry laugh. For the past few years, he had been staying as the leader of Shan Xi Gang and also tried to court her. He knew that if he were to leave, she would be alone once more.

    However¡­ he couldn''t give this up.

    If not because of Prince Ji Sheng, Yang Xian, and even Shi Yan, Shan Yi knew that his life would be completely different. From the moment he had gained so much help from them... Shan Yi knew that he could never repaid this debt even if he worked for his entire life.

    It was just like that.

    "Many of my brothers have died for the sake of our livelihood, so I won''t drag them to follow me if they didn''t want to and find a way to settle them down in some remote place." Shan Yi was still a leader and he understood his responsibility. However, he was also someone who appreciate his brothers and friends.

    Should Prince Ji Sheng and the others died unjustly¡­ he would never be able to rest in peace without avenging them. It would not sit well for him.

    "I can''t possibly abandon them." Shan Yi held an apologetic tone. He wanted to give her a good life but as a bandit, how could it be possible?

    He could roam freely so far because Prince Ji Sheng had worked his hand behind the scene to allow him to be free. If the one in charge was someone else, Shan Yi would never be able to experience all of this and might instead be caught for being an outlaw.

    At that time, he would not even be able to live peacefully with Shi Lu Wen.

    Shi Lu Wen''s eyes flickered as she sighed. Both her brother and¡­ should she call him boyfriend? Hmm, the term sounded strange but anyway, both her brother and Shan Yi held ideals and goals they wanted to fulfill.

    They all came from ordinary background and it was only thanks to Prince Ji Sheng giving them the opportunity could they reach this far. Should Prince Ji Sheng fail, their path would not be as smooth as before.

    And they also couldn''t possibly abandon His Highness'' goal.

    They would do their best to fight for many reasons.

    "Lu Wen."

    "Just¡­ promise me that you won''t throw your life away." Shi Lu Wen turned her body around, refusing to look at Shan Yi.

    Shan Yi took a deep breath. His mind was replaying the scene of when Huang River flooded and drowned his entire village. Everything came without warning and it was hard for him to be able to survive on his own.

    He was already a teenager back then and with his strength, he managed to gain a hold of the strong trees, pushing himself out of the water way.

    Many other villages who were staying near Huang River were also washed away. The survivors were barely able to survive as they lacked food, shelter, and clean water. It took them everything to reach the nearest city.

    At that time, Shan Yi took the role as the leader for some reasons but because of his inexperience, he arrived late to the city.

    Probably, that was for the best.

    When he arrived there, what he saw was not salvation.

    ¡­It was hell.

    The one in charge at that time didn''t bother with those who came and ordered the soldiers to kill every survivor from the flood.

    The area was filled with blood.

    Shan Yi and his villagers were alive because they were late and Shan Yi watched everything from the back. How those soldiers killed everyone in the camp ruthlessly, not allowing even a single one of them to survive.

    When the daylight come, the entire area was already cleaned. Not even any trace was left.

    Thus, Shan Yi knew that he and his villagers would be reported dead. They would no longer have any identity left and his decision from afterwards was for them to become a bandit group in order to live.

    When he met with Prince Ji Sheng, his agreement was only collaboration.

    Collaboration that Prince Ji Sheng would help him to build his village once more and allowed him to roam freely. In addition, if possible, Shan Yi wished for the one to sit on the throne to be Prince Ji Sheng.

    But he knew that Prince Ji Sheng never aimed for the throne for himself.

    "I promise, Lu Wen." Shan Yi looked at the young girl and solemnly promised. He would make sure that he would be able to stay alive. It was the only way he could perfectly fulfill his revenge.

    Shi Lu Wen stopped and turned her head around and smiled.

    While both Shan Yi and Shi Lu Wen were talking, Wei Liuying made her way to Yang Xian''s temporary room. The guards allowed her to come inside from the moment they saw her face.

    "How''s your condition today, Yang Xian?" Wei Liuying asked as she entered his room while carrying a tray.

    Yang Xian was wearing his outer robe as he nodded. If one didn''t know better, they wouldn''t think that he was injured with the way he behaved. "I''m better. Has that person come?"

    "Yes. He''ll tag along while hiding within the soldiers," Wei Liuying responded. She looked at Yang Xian and furrowed her brows. "Please avoid any direct confrontation with anyone, Strategist Yang. Your presence is important in the battle."

    "I can say the same to you."

    "I''m not the one wounded in the battle."

    This time, Yang Xian couldn''t refute again. He picked his sword then looked at the cup of tea on the tray that Wei Liuying brought in. Seeing the dark liquid and that awfully familiar herb''s smell, his brows creased.

    "Is that my medicine?"

    "Lu Wen had prepared more than enough for our journey. Please make sure to drink your medicine in time, Yang Xian."

    Yang Xian looked at the cup then sighed. It seemed that he still needed to drink this annoying medicine for a longer period of time. And here he was hoping that he could finally escape from this torture.

    Enduring the bitter taste, he drank the entire medicine in one gulp. If one was not close to him, they wouldn''t be able to see the faint crease on his eyebrows when he drank the medicine. He disliked it, but it was nothing for him to eat something like this.

    "Let''s go."

    "I''ll be staying beside you during the journey, Yang Xian."

    "Hm?" Yang Xian paused for a moment then looked at Wei Liuying. Their dark eyes were conveying messages even without them talking. He turned his head around and raised his hand to pat her head. "You don''t need to worry so much, I''ll be fine."

    "En, you better be."

    Yang Xian merely smiled as the two of them walked out of the residence and to the gate. Prince Ji Sheng and the others were also getting prepared.

    It was time for the last battle.

    "ONWARD!"

 Chapter 319 - Unexpected Development (1)

    - Capital City -

    The new Emperor, Ji Shu finished his inauguration and began to arrange everything. Because of the sudden death of the Emperor and many other officials were killed, the work piled up. Most of the officials were not in his side, so Ji Shu did a thorough cleaning in the hall and only left the neutral and those who were by his side.

    It was a complete bloodbath.

    Even though some people knew about that, they couldn''t say or do anything. Everything was monitored by the soldiers, so they could only be patient and watched from the sidelines. Afterwards, the people lived their lives normally. Despite the tense atmosphere, they could not show it on the surface, so everything looked peaceful.

    In the palace, Ji Shu was looking at the officials in front of him coldly. "How are the preparation?"

    "Your Majesty, it''ll take us a bit more time. There is too much work," one of them replied in fear. He tried to keep his voice sounded normal, but the terror of getting killed of Prince Ji Shu just because he couldn''t do his work well haunted him.

    Ji Shu''s mood was even sourer. He knew that there were a lot of talented officials who were on his first brother''s side, so he had no other choice but to replace them all and killed those people. Now, it was clear that the administration couldn''t work well because too many people were missing.

    "Where''s the new prime minister?"

    "We¡­ can''t decide yet, Your Majesty."

    Prime Minister Xie was killed a few days ago because he supported Prince Ji Tian. Prince Ji Shu didn''t want to keep a double edge sword around him, so he killed the prime minister. This meant Prime Minister Wei was the only prime minister in Han Shi Kingdom for the time being.

    "Wei Hong."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    "I want you to appoint someone by this evening. Prepare soldiers too as I''ll depart to the north."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Ji Shu swept his gaze on the people in the hall once more before he turned around. His cold gaze sent fear on their back as everyone tried to avert their gazes. They knew that his decisive and ruthless action was much better than the first prince, but it was still scary around him.

    Those who were close with him all got respectable position and glory, so they knew that he was someone who kept his words.

    Walking out of the hall, Ji Shu felt a bit annoyed. He knew that there were a lot of works to be done, but he wanted to hurry and came to the north to eliminate Prince Ji Sheng as soon as possible. Time was draining bit by bit, and he knew that it would continue to run out.

    If he didn''t eliminate Prince Ji Sheng as soon as possible, he would come back to attack him.

    "Where''s Ji Sheng''s last location?" Ji Shu asked with a cold tone.

    A man donned in black clothes appeared beside him. "Replying to Your Majesty, Prince Ji Sheng last located at the north, near the border."

    "He''s still there?"

    "There''s no one who see him lately because Her Highness, Princess Gao Ling, kept him away in her tent."

    Kept him in her tent?

    It was nothing unusual considering how much Prince Ji Sheng loved his wife. The two of them were often seen together in the past when there was battle. There was also time when Prince Ji Sheng didn''t show up because he was busy attending his wife.

    This time, the news felt odd for Ji Shu. He rubbed his chin with his fingers and his eyes glinted dangerously.

    "Watch over the area."

    "Yes, Your Majesty!"

    Without waiting for anything more, Ji Shu rushed back to his palace to meet with his wife. Wei Xiao Hua has been cleaning up the palace too lately, so the two of them were very busy. He missed her so much right now.

    "Xiao Hua!"

    Wei Xiao Hua placed the book in her hand on the table. Her face brightened the moment she saw Ji Shu automatically. "Ji Shu, what brings you here today?"

    "I want to meet you," Ji Shu replied back. He strode inside and stopped right in front of Wei Xiao Hua before pulling her to his embrace. The sweet smell wafted to his nose as he snuggled in her embrace.

    "It''s ticklish."

    "You smell sweet."

    "Stop it." Wei Xiao Hua pushed Ji Shu away with a laugh. She looked at Ji Shu with a bright smile. It was unknown since when, but she was gradually falling for him over and over. From only trying to finish the novel and reached the happy ending, she started to genuinely felt happiness from the bottom of her heart.

    Ji Shu released her with a bit unwillingness. However, he still kept her close with him as his expression grew solemn. "How''s the palace?"

    "It''s not bad."

    "Do you like your new residence?"

    "I like it very much," Wei Xiao Hua replied. She mused, "I have to clean up so many people who are part of Prince Ji Tian''s side. It''s a bit tiring, but it''s worth it."

    Ji Shu nodded. He knew that there were a lot of servants under Prince Ji Tian. In the very first place, his father had always favored his brother to become the next Emperor, so his brother had better privilege than him.

    "It''s good to hear."

    "En." Wei Xiao Hua thought for a moment before asking, "How''s the war preparation?"

    "It''s going well. I have already asked my men to send reinforcement from the south and prepare everything to go to the north. There''s only a bit of worry about Ji Sheng''s position and his movements," Ji Shu replied. His eyes glinted with ruthlessness for a split second. Thinking about his third brother always dampen his mood, especially because he knew that it was not easy to deal with Prince Ji Sheng.

    Wei Xiao Hua nodded. If she was not wrong, Prince Ji Sheng in the original novel would choose to make the first move and try to strike a peaceful conversation. However, it was hard to trust the other party considering the large power that Prince Ji Sheng wielded in the north.

    In the end, the two of them have a duel and Ji Shu won.

    While she was thinking, a servant hurriedly came and kowtowed. "Your Majesty, there''s emergency!"

 Chapter 320 - Unexpected Development (2)

    While she was thinking, a servant hurriedly came and kowtowed. "Your Majesty, there''s emergency!"

    Ji Shu looked at the servant with a scowl. "What happened?"

    "There''s a messenger from the south magister. He came to carry this and said that Your Majesty have to read it right away."

    Ji Shu took the bamboo and opened the seal. Unfurling the bamboo strips, he began to read the words inside. The more he read, the angrier he got.

    Pak!

    The scroll was thrown to the floor. Ji Shu looked at the servant with dangerous aura. "Lead me to the servant."

    "Yes, Your Majesty!"

    Ji Shu took a last glance at Wei Xiao Hua and gave an apologetic smile. "I need to handle something. Please wait here."

    "En."

    Wei Xiao Hua didn''t remember this scene from the novel. She picked up the scroll and read the content. The words were describing about the chaos that occurred in the south. Apparently, there were some officials who disagreed with Ji Shu as the Emperor and launched rebellions.

    ''Another rebellion? That shouldn''t be possible.''

    Based on the novel that she didn''t manage to read until the end, there shouldn''t be any other obstacle that was left¡­ oh right, it was not ending yet. If she was not wrong from the spoiler that she got from the author, Ji Shu would have to retake the capital city. After that, there was no more obstacle.

    But retaking from whom was never explained by the stingy author who didn''t want to give out the spoiler until they read by themselves.

    ''Also, there''s no indication of the south in chaos before the battle with Prince Ji Sheng.''

    Wei Xiao Hua was utterly confused. Was the changing timeline she had caused due to some of her negliance or interference in some things would really affect the big picture this big? She was hoping that she would not change things too much since she didn''t want to change the happy ending that the protagonist got after so much hard work.

    Still, there were some things that she could not do exactly the same as the real transmigrated Wei Xiao Hua.

    She couldn''t be as ruthless and as indifference as the real transmigrated Wei Xiao Hua. At first, she did treat everything like a game and followed the same course of action as what the author wrote in the novel. But when she saw an incident for the first time in her life, she felt fear. Fear that she would die so miserably if she took the wrong action.

    Being the protagonist meant that she would have the golden finger. Unfortunately, the author of the novel was known to make the protagonist''s life difficult so that the character would grow both mentally and physically. It was a rough journey and might even scare away some readers. However, it was the type of story that Wei Xiao Hua loved so much. She loved to see the changes that occurred in the real protagonist Wei Xiao Hua as she grew more decisive and ruthless in order to survive.

    She thought that she would be able to do the same.

    But now, she realized that it was impossible. She didn''t have the capabilities to do the same because of the difference in her mentality and the real transmigrated Wei Xiao Hua.

    ''There''s no point thinking about this.''

    ''I should just focus on the matter on hand.''

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at the scroll once more, thinking hard of when did she ever saw something like this. After the battle with Prince Ji Sheng, where Ji Shu emerged victoriously, there was a message from the capital city. They could not celebrate their victory for long because they have to return back soon and prepare for one final battle.

    But she didn''t know the detail.

    The last chapter she read was the one that depicted their return. Ji Shu didn''t elaborate the details to Wei Xiao Hua in the novel, so the readers would have to wait until the designated chapter to be able to know what happened. And she just had to stop at that moment¡­

    If only she could read a few minutes longer¡­

    Wei Xiao Hua sighed, blaming her transmigration here. In fact, she didn''t know how she managed to get transmigrated in the first place since she didn''t even have the memory of dying or anything like that. Her last memory was simply the time when she open WN app and read the chapter of their return to the capital city.

    ''What if¡­ there''s truly a change?''

    ''A small change that''s enough to cause massive butterfly effect¡­''

    If there was anyone important that she knew still alive even though he was supposed to be death, it would be Strategist Liu. She didn''t think too much about it before since she believed that Ji Shu would be able to do things well.

    But now¡­

    She was not totally sure anymore.

    ''I need to find out who Strategist Liu truly is and then¡­.''

    "Your Highness!" a maidservant rushed in and bowed in front of Wei Xiao Hua. "There''s emergency."

    "What is it?"

    "The capital city is surrounded by soldiers! We''re trapped here."

    Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes widened in disbelief. How come so many soldiers coming out of nowhere?

    "That''s impossible!" Wei Xiao Hua blurted out.

    "It''s true, Your Highness. You can come out and take a look¡­"

    Without waiting for the servant to finish, Wei Xiao Hua rushed out of the residence and dashed out. She got into her carriage and ordered them to lead her to the wall. There was nothing in her mind but to reach the wall as soon as possible and confirmed that there was truly a war going on.

    It shouldn''t have developed this way.

    It shouldn''t be possible.

    Chanting in her mind, Wei Xiao Hua prayed hard so that things were not as bad as the servants said. By the time she arrived at the wall, she rushed up. Upon looking around, no words came out of her throat.

    She wanted to cry.

 Chapter 321 - Confrontation

    It shouldn''t have developed this way.

    It shouldn''t be possible.

    Chanting in her mind, Wei Xiao Hua prayed hard so that things were not as bad as the servants said. By the time she arrived at the wall, she rushed up. Upon looking around, no words came out of her throat.

    She wanted to cry.

    Rows of soldiers were standing around the capital city. They made the formation without anyone in the capital city realizing their presence at all. It took mere moments for the soldiers to appear from all direction and formed their formation so that when Wei Xiao Hua climbed, everyone was already in their proper place.

    ''It''s impossible. It shouldn''t be this way¡­''

    ''What had gone so terribly wrong?''

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at the soldiers and felt that everything was wrong in the most terrible way. Standing in front of the soldiers at the north wall was Prince Ji Sheng. He was donned in armor as he sat on top of his war horse with his sword ready on his side as if he wanted to declare war at any time.

    This should have not happened.

    The battle should have occurred in two days when Ji Shu was already ready. He would intercept Prince Ji Sheng''s path in the plains not far from the capital city where they would have a brutal battle with each other.

    Not like this¡­

    ''Calm down, Wei Xiao Hua¡­. You have to calm down. Even if the details change, the end will be the same, right?''

    Wei Xiao Hua raised her head and looked at Prince Ji Sheng. The prince was standing still on his horse without any intention to attack. However, his presence alone was already more than enough to send chills to everyone who saw the scene. They felt as if Prince Ji Sheng was preparing for war and they would die at any time.

    Her eyes drifted to other people standing there.

    Yang Xian was staying at the west. He stood at the front in a laidback position that didn''t make him seem like he was preparing for a battle. It was known that the strategist would always look so nonchalant that people didn''t know his real limit. At the same time, there was no indication that he was wounded.

    In just a few days'' time, he had fully recovered from the poison and wound?

    How was it possible?

    Wei Xiao Hua''s mind churned when she recalled the two women who survived during the temple incident. The other woman was just a villager whose name was only mentioned occasionally in the novel, but she remembered that her occupation was¡­ doctor.

    That woman was a rare talented female doctor.

    ''Just how many people transmigrated to this novel exactly?''

    Everything that changed seemed to be related to Prince Ji Sheng. Was there someone there who transmigrated just like her? She didn''t know. She didn''t understand. It was very confusing.

    Turning her head to the other side, Wei Xiao Hua could see a small kid sitting on top of the horse. His small body was quite conspicuous considering the soldiers'' large built behind him. Just from the position alone, she could guess that it must be Liu Ying.

    Strategist Liu is still alive.

    Even though he was supposed to die in Yang Xian''s hand, now Liu Ying is standing in front of her along with the soldiers. Could it be that they approached faster because of this strategist''s presence?

    Could it be that everything has gone wrong from the moment that Strategist Liu managed to save Gao Ling?

    ''No¡­ don''t give up.''

    ''I''m the protagonist in this novel. I''ll be the one who win in the end.''

    Wei Xiao Hua raised her head as her eyes glinted with determination. No matter what, she would strive to be the final winner.

    "Your Highness, His Majesty is here!"

    Turning her head around, Wei Xiao Hua saw Ji Shu rushing from the stairs. The tense expression in his face eased up when he saw Wei Xiao Hua, but he still strode to her. Looking at her husband, Wei Xiao Hua felt calmer.

    At the very least, she had him with her.

    ¡­

    Among the soldiers in front of the wall.

    Prince Ji Sheng was looking at the wall before him with cold expression. In the first place, he didn''t want to do this because this would just confirm Ji Shu''s words about him being a traitor. But even if he didn''t make a move, Ji Shu would surely send an army to exterminate him.

    Rather than dying without any fight, it would be better for him to make the first move and seize the advantage.

    Still, he didn''t want to involve the civilian unless it was absolutely necessary.

    "You come, Ji Shu."

    Looking at the top of the wall, Prince Ji Sheng could see Ji Shu hugging his wife. With his martial arts, he could see that his imperial younger brother was worried about his wife to the point that he rushed over as fast as possible to this place.

    ''So, you''re the same¡­''

    Having someone whom they cared about was a major weakness for someone in the Imperial Family. Everyone knew that, so they always tried to restrict their feelings because once they grew attached, they would be exposing themselves to weakness.

    However, Prince Ji Sheng came to realize that loving someone was a great feeling. It might be exposing him to weakness, but he felt more complete with Gao Ling. No matter what the obstacles in front of them, he didn''t wish to let her go at all.

    It was as simple as that.

    "Watch your tone, Ji Sheng," Ji Shu said from top of the wall. His hands were still holding Wei Xiao Hua tightly while his eyes glowed dangerously. "You''re speaking to the Emperor."

    "Your Majesty," Prince Ji Sheng greeted, but there was not even an ounce of respect in his tone. "Would you retract your previous accusation of me trying to assassinate the crown prince? We all know full well how impossible it is."

 Chapter 322 - Battle Of Patience

    Ji Shu looked at his older brother and sneered. "Do you really think that I''ll retract my word? You''re overestimating me, Ji Sheng."

    Prince Ji Sheng looked back at his brother without any emotion in his face. He knew. In the very first place, it was impossible for Ji Shu to suddenly retract what he had said. For them to say that they said things wrongly would be the same as slapping their own face. It would be a great dishonor.

    As the one chosen by the Heaven, the Emperor could never be wrong.

    "I wish you can investigate the matter fully, Your Majesty."

    "Don''t ask for the impossible. Retract your soldier, Ji Sheng, or I''ll declare war."

    The two brothers were looking at each other from a distance. There was invisible spark between the two of them that couldn''t be explained. It was clear that they would never be able to reach the word deal.

    "If you can declare war, Your Majesty, feel free to do so," Prince Ji Sheng finally answered after a moment.

    Ji Shu''s expression turned even colder, but he knew that what Prince Ji Sheng said was correct. Just now, he received news that the officials under him at the south was under attack and couldn''t send reinforcement. From the way Prince Ji Sheng said it, it was as if everything was under his control.

    It was strange.

    Prince Ji Sheng should have no influence at the south because he spent more than half of his entire life at the north. But now, Prince Ji Sheng was able to act calmly for something that occurred from the south.

    "You''ll pay for this, Traitor Ji Sheng," Ji Shu spat out each word clearly.

    Prince Ji Sheng didn''t change his expression and merely looked at his brother with indifferent expression. There was also a small flame filled with determination that was hidden beneath his gaze. If he wanted to protect those who were important to him, he had to win.

    Ji Shu pulled Wei Xiao Hua. "Watch their movements."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Prince Ji Sheng didn''t want to start a war that would eventually involve the citizen while Ji Shu didn''t have enough soldiers to protect the citizen and the city. If a war broke out, the one who suffered the most would be the citizen in the area. It was simply inevitable for them to get involved.

    ''This is a battle of patience, Ji Shu¡­''

    Yang Xian watched the exchange from a distance while staying still on his horse. The two sides would try to prolong the war. Prince Ji Sheng didn''t want to launch an attack when Yang Xian was still wounded badly. On the other hand, Ji Shu didn''t want to waste the solider in a bitter war where they might lose because of the difference in number.

    He might be an arrogant person but he knew the importance of soldiers and also the fact that the kingdom would be in perilous situation if there was a rebellion. Those at the north or other areas would definitely come to take advantage of the situation.

    There was no way he would let them do as they wished, so he had to win this with as little loss as possible.

    He would wait for reinforcement.

    But would the reinforcement come first, or he would be forced to give in first?

    Time passed slowly.

    "It''s time for camping," Yang Xian said as he directed his horse near Prince Ji Sheng. He had already ordered his soldiers to rest while keeping a few of them on guard. Of course, they were not resting completely as they kept their weapon near them in case of emergency.

    Prince Ji Sheng passed a look at his strategist. "Who do you think will give up first?"

    "Him."

    "You''re very confident."

    "When he realized who we''re teaming up with, I''m sure that he''ll give up resisting," Yang Xian replied with a shrug. "All that''s left is for you to win the battle. Can you do it?"

    "Win the battle?" Prince Ji Sheng looked at his hands and clenched it tightly. He nodded faintly with flames of determination within his eyes. "You know that I won''t lose, Xian."

    "That''s General Sheng that I know~."

    "Your tone will be more than enough to punish you."

    "I know that you won''t punish me, General Sheng," Yang Xian retorted. He glanced to the side and saw that Wei Liuying was also riding the horse to their direction. A smile tugged on the corner of his lips. "We''ll have to win this."

    Prince Ji Sheng watched his strategist''s gaze and shook his head lightly. There were no words that they needed to say. At this point, what they wanted to do was to win the battle to be able to protect those who they care about.

    Neither side was willing to lose.

    Thus, the brutal and tiring game of patience began. With Prince Ji Sheng''s soldiers blocking the route, it was hard for Ji Shu to gain any information from outside. The food and water supplies continued to dwindle as the soldiers blocked the access. Slowly but surely, people started to feel restless because their daily life got impacted.

    "Your Majesty, we need to make a move as soon as possible."

    "It''s impossible for us to hold on any longer, Your Majesty."

    "Winter is coming and if we don''t stock more food, we''ll starve to death!"

    The complaint and many others flooded the meeting to the point that Ji Shu was enraged. It has been two weeks since Prince Ji Sheng started to camp outside the city with his soldiers. Even though there was no attack or anything like that whatsoever, they prevented anyone from coming in and out.

    At the same time, the food and water supplies were cut.

    The people''s life would turn miserable.

    And soon¡­ it would be chaos.

    Ji Shu tapped the chair and waved his hand. "Send a messenger and inquiry what Ji Sheng wants."

    "Yes, Your Majesty!"

    The officials were also restless, but they didn''t dare to overstep their bounds.

    "Your Majesty, Empress Wei is here!"

 Chapter 323 - An Agreement

    "Yes, Your Majesty!"

    The officials were also restless, but they didn''t dare to overstep their bounds.

    "Your Majesty, Empress Wei is here!"

    Raising his head, Ji Shu could see Wei Xiao Hua walking to the hall with the empress'' dress. The phoenix hairpin decorated her hair as she slowly walked inside. After becoming the empress, her attitude had slowly changed to that of a ruler. She was no longer the same playful girl who acted according to what she wanted, but she grew even more dignified.

    Traces of weariness could be seen from Wei Xiao Hua''s face. For the past few days, she was trying hard to make sure that everything was still under their control to make sure that they held the power. However, it was not easy. With Prince Ji Sheng blocking the route and all, they were forced to compromise or the people would rebel inside the city.

    It would turn into a complete bloodbath and countless people would die.

    Ji Shu didn''t want that.

    "Xiao Hua, what are you doing here? You should just rest in your palace?" Ji Shu said worriedly.

    Wei Xiao Hua smiled lightly. "Your Majesty, I think it''s already the time for us to stop hiding. Delaying will not give us anything good."

    Ji Shu sighed. Just now, they managed to smuggle a letter into the palace and found out the situation at the south. It was really bad. The rebellions had killed many of his men there and decreased his influence. Without the officials and soldiers helping him, he would not be Prince Ji Sheng''s match.

    "I''m sending a messenger now."

    "In that case¡­ we should wait," Wei Xiao Hua said with a forced smile. She could guess what Prince Ji Sheng''s demand would be. Prince Ji Sheng was depicted as a cold blooded general in the novel, but he was also someone who cared for his soldier very much. He wouldn''t want to put his soldier and make them kill each other in a brutal brother''s war.

    Ji Shu noticed Wei Xiao Hua''s smile. "Do you have any idea what he would ask?"

    Under the gazes of the officials, Wei Xiao Hua found it hard to speak out. However, she knew that Ji Shu often asked her opinion in the past. She could always rely on her knowledge over the novel to figure out the situation around her. But¡­ her knowledge was almost over.

    The knowledge she knew was limited to this event.

    And the event had changed over the course of time either because of her interference or because of other people here who had also transmigrated.

    "He would want a duel with you, Your Majesty," Wei Xiao Hua said slowly.

    The official nearby scoffed. "That''s impossible! Even though General Sheng is a great general, he would not ask for something like that when he know that Emperor Ji Shu is also someone with great martial arts."

    "Yes! It would be suicide!"

    Wei Xiao Hua pursed her lips and refused to elaborate her reply. She merely looked at Ji Shu, wanting to see his reaction. Different from the officials, he was mulling her answer as if it might be something possible. No matter how absurd Wei Xiao Hua''s suggestion in the past, Ji Shu would always try to consider it.

    It was his good point that Wei Xiao Hua loved very much.

    "It might be possible."

    "Your Majesty!"

    Ji Shu raised his head and looked at Wei Xiao Hua. "If that truly happens, all I need to do is just to win the battle."

    "It''s dangerous!"

    "Your Majesty, you must be kidding!"

    "Your Majesty¡­!"

    As more and more officials complained, Wei Xiao Hua simply stared at Ji Shu. The two of them didn''t exchange any words and let their eyes speak to them, ignoring the frantic officials around them.

    ¡­

    Prince Ji Sheng''s Side.

    "They finally send a messenger," Yang Xian commented. He directed the horse to Prince Ji Sheng''s direction with a faint smile. "Are you ready, General Sheng?"

    "I am ready."

    "Can you do it?"

    Prince Ji Sheng kept his composure. There was no emotion visible in his face as he nodded faintly. "It''s fine."

    For the past two weeks, they didn''t do anything but camping out here. Still, Yang Xian didn''t let the soldiers relax because it was possible that Ji Shu turned desperate and launched a covert attack. They might have already tried to attempt it, but so far, there was no attack in sight.

    "I''ll relay the message now."

    "Yes."

    Sitting on top of the horseback, Wei Liuying watched everything unfolded from her position. She felt that it was already the time for everything to start. Yet, there was the unease that she experienced from the bottom of her heart.

    Slowly, she turned her head to the back and saw the soldiers who were standing behind her. They treated this as if they were in training and stood still while preparing for battle when it was needed. It was good that they didn''t make things difficult here.

    Watching the messenger went back and forth, Wei Liuying wondered what they were talking about to the point that they have to negotiate it all a couple of times. She hoped that they would be able to finish everything as soon as possible. However, war was always a game of patience because those who were impatience would lose first.

    When it was night time, she finally got the chance to ask what the messenger asked.

    "There''ll be the duel tomorrow," Yang Xian explained. "The messenger wants it to occur at the west side and with the soldiers keeping a distance more than three hundred meters away to prevent any side breaching the rules."

    "What''s the rules?"

    "Are you asking about the duels or what we''re going to get afterwards?"

    "The second one."

    "it''s a life and death battle," Yang Xian said unhurriedly. He looked at Wei Liuying with a bitter smile. "No matter which one win, the other one will have to die."

 Chapter 324 - The Duel

    Hearing what Yang Xian said, Wei Liuying fell silent for a period of time. She looked at Yang Xian. "It''s not all, right?"

    "No."

    "We''ll have to serve Emperor Ji Shu if we lost?"

    "Not really," Yang Xian replied. "That''s something that Emperor Ji Shu also wants, but Prince Ji Sheng refused the notion. In the worst case scenario where he lost, he didn''t want us to be by Emperor Ji Shu''s side and helped him."

    "Then¡­."

    "No matter what the result will be, Prince Ji Sheng''s soldiers will return back to the north. As for the two of us, we''ll be released from our previous position and free to do whatever we want to do," Yang Xian responded.

    Wei Liuying''s eyes widened. "He agrees to something like that?"

    "Even if it''s said that we''re free to do whatever we want; the only catch is that we''ll never cross the river to the north. That way, we''ll never be able to return back to our previous position."

    "Oh¡­"

    "It''s not that bad, but I''ll surely miss the scenery at the north." Yang Xian grinned.

    "True, but I''m from the capital city too, so it doesn''t matter that much. The cold at the north is also a bit too much for me."

    "That''s harsh."

    The two of them might be saying this, but they didn''t have the intention to see Prince Ji Sheng lost. If the worst case scenario truly happened, they would join the rebellions at the south and tried to win. It would be the only way to salvage the situation.

    After talking a bit more, they returned back to their tent and have rest. Tomorrow''s result would seal everything.

    When morning came, the situation was tense.

    Prince Ji Sheng still kept his composure and prepared himself with his armor and weapon. The soldiers around him looked anxious, but they were trying hard to hide their expression as they watched their general prepared himself.

    Yang Xian was waiting outside the tent, wondering whether this would be the best decision or not. There were always two types of generals, one who stayed at the front and led his soldiers from the frontline and the other one was the one who arranged strategy and only led from behind. Prince Ji Sheng was clear the first one and all this time, he was the one who brought victory from the frontline.

    His task was only to support Prince Ji Sheng from behind.

    "General Sheng!" Yang Xian greeted when he saw Prince Ji Sheng walked out.

    Prince Ji Sheng passed a glance and nodded. "Should a war break out, I trust everything to you."

    "Yes!"

    There was already a large field prepared for the two imperial family member. The gate to the capital city was slowly opened as Ji Shu walked out. Wei Xiao Hua was following behind him with solemn expression on her face. The novel did end up with Ji Shu''s victory, but anything could happen here.

    "You should wait here," Ji Shu said to his wife.

    "Please, be careful."

    "I''ll win."

    The soldiers prevented the citizen from coming out. They didn''t want to let this duel known until it was time. All they told the people was that they have to stay in their house while they have negotiation directly with the traitor prince. For the past few weeks, there were already many kinds of rumors floating around regarding Prince Ji Sheng. Even though some people were skeptical, some believed the rumors.

    "I''ll be going now," Prince Ji Sheng said.

    "If you lose, I''ll not stop Lady Gao from chasing you after getting her revenge," Yang Xian remarked.

    Prince Ji Sheng''s lips curled up. If Gao Ling was here, he knew that she would surely tell him that he was not allowed to lose no matter what. In any case, he didn''t have any intention to lose. There were too many things at the stake. He still wanted to have a long and peaceful life with his wife.

    Of course, he had no intention of abandoning his position as the general yet.

    The two of them walked to the middle with their weapon in their hand. It was clear that they didn''t have any intention to let their opponent off easily.

    "You''ll regret this, Ji Sheng," Ji Shu said in a cold tone.

    Prince Ji Sheng looked back at Ji Shu with menacing gaze. "I can say the same to you, Ji Shu."

    "Heh."

    As if they had agreed before, the two of them kicked the ground and dashed forward. Their weapons moved to form a curve before it crashed against one another.

    Clang!

    Sound of metal clashing could be heard. The two sides were equally matched as they were locked in the middle. Their determined gazes showed that they were unwilling to lose no matter what.

    Clang! Clang! Clang!

    Moving their body around, the two brothers rapidly attacked their opponent with whatever they got. Ji Shu thrusted forward and Prince Ji Sheng parried the attack as he stepped in, his sword swung hard.

    Swish!

    By pausing his movement, Ji Shu barely evaded the attack. His eyes narrowed as he looked at his older brother and twisted his body. Once again, he was in the attacking his position as he brandished his sword from above.

    Clang!

    Prince Ji Sheng blocked the attack with ease. He moved his body in accordance to what he had learned during his time in the military. Both of them have their own share of experience when it came to battle of life and death.

    "You''ll lose," Ji Shu said coldly.

    "The result is not clear yet."

    Clang!

    Maneuvering his body once more, Ji Shu was trying hard to make sure that his attack could get in. However, Prince Ji Sheng would not give him the chance that he needed. The two of them have their own reason why they could not lose.

    On the side, Wei Xiao Hua was watching the battle with her hand clasped in front of her. She was praying hard, hoping that Ji Shu would win just like what the novel said.

    Slash!

    When the sound of flesh tearing, everyone''s gaze turned to the middle. They were anxious to see who were wounded.

 Chapter 325 - Youâ€™re Not The Only One Who Canâ€™t Afford To Lose

    Wei Xiao Hua''s face brightened when she saw the tear on Prince Ji Sheng''s outer arm. It might be only the clothes with no blood pouring out, but it showed that Ji Shu is the one with the advantage.

    ''He can do this.''

    ''He''ll win.''

    While Wei Xiao Hua was convincing herself while looking at her husband with intent gaze, the two people fighting in the middle didn''t even paid the wound any need. Prince Ji Sheng kept his composure and moved nimbly to evade Ji Shu''s next attack. His gaze was directed to the next attack as he switched his position and parried the attack.

    Ji Shu''s heartbeat increased as he recognized what Prince Ji Sheng wanted to do. Abruptly, he stepped to the back, barely evading the tip of the sword that was about to reach his chest.

    Swish!

    ''As I thought, it''s not easy.''

    Prince Ji Sheng kept his patience. There were many times in the past when he had to fight against the general of the opposite army. The battle could last from morning until night, so this was not the first time he faced this kind of fight. For that kind of long fight, even a lapse of attention for a split second might seal their fate.

    He kept his concentration to Ji Shu and maneuvered his body to block the counterattack that Ji Shu produced.

    "This is another battle of patience," Wei Liuying said from the sidelines. She was not allowed to get close, so she could only stay with Yang Xian. They were watching the fight unfolded from the side.

    Yang Xian nodded. "It''s not the first time."

    "Are you used with waiting from the side?"

    "It might be vexing to be unable to help, but in the battlefield, this kind of battle often occurred because the generals wished to trade blows. Besides, having the two strongest leaders from each army have a bout will reduce the number of dying soldiers," Yang Xian replied.

    "True enough," Wei Liuying responded and kept her gaze to the battle. "It''s a bit of a pity, though."

    "Yes?"

    "If we have a normal battle, I would like to try shooting him."

    Yang Xian: "¡­" do you have a personal grudge with Ji Shu?

    If she had to be honest, Wei Liuying never liked Ji Shu. Ever since he was only a prince back then and also her first sister''s fianc¨¦e, Wei Liuying always found Ji Shu to be unpleasing to the eyes. She hated those part of the Imperial Family member and Ji Shu was clearly at the top of the list because of the exchange she had with him.

    Ji Shu was always a ''perfect'' prince who was known for his decisiveness and brutality. Still, everyone knew his capability, which made them able to tolerate his way of conducting things. However, when news about him being head over heels with her first sister began to spread, many women were envious of Wei Xiao Hua.

    They wanted to be in her position!

    Ji Shu might be scary as a prince, but those who could gain his favor would be in a safe position for a long time in the kingdom. For that reason alone, a lot of people wanted to be in Wei Xiao Hua position.

    On the other hand, Wei Liuying wished that she could just steer away from him. After all, she knew very well that Ji Shu was indifferent to everyone else but those whom he cared for. Aside from Wei Xiao Hua, he would never pay any attention to other woman. It was something she had seen countless times because of his visit to Wei Family Residence.

    And even when she didn''t do anything, he would still find faults in her.

    That made her disliked him even more.

    She had never done anything to him that could possibly put him at disadvantage, but he was treating her as if the two of them could never live in the same world.

    "Yang Xian, how do you think I''ll fare if I change my occupation to be an assassin?" Wei Liuying asked in a low tone.

    Yang Xian was stunned. He tilted his head for a moment then smiled bitterly. "In terms of martial arts, you might not be able to fare well. But as long as you can master the skill to erase your presence and catch your opponent''s unprepared, I''m sure that you''ll be the best assassin."

    "it''s decided, then."

    "¡­Yes?"

    "If I can''t return to the north, I''ll be an assassin."

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying for a moment then sighed. He chose not to comment on her decision. Though, he didn''t think that it would be a bad idea, but he would rather create an organization and silently built his army to defeat Ji Shu.

    That didn''t sound too bad at all.

    Not knowing that his subordinates were thinking of doing outrageous things if he were to lose, Prince Ji Sheng continued to push forward.

    Clang! Clang! Slash!

    Whenever there was faint tearing voice sounded, everyone''s eyes would surely focus on the two of them. They were anxious and even after the sun started to go down, the intensity of the fight hadn''t decreased in the slightest bit.

    Yet, none of the soldiers dared to leave their position.

    They were too anxious.

    They completely forgot about eating, resting, or anything else. Their future would rely on the result of the battle between the two leaders.

    Finally, the moment they have been waiting came.

    Clang!

    Fighting his fatigue, Ji Shu rushed forward and brandished his sword once more. His body was already covered with sweat from the battle, yet he stayed focused. The strain was completely different because there were already countless near miss when he fought with Prince Ji Sheng.

    Twisting his body, Ji Shu thrusted forward.

    Clang!

    Parrying the attack, Prince Ji Sheng twisted his body and then slashed his sword. Even after all this time, his attack didn''t decrease in speed at all. The tip of the sword reached Ji Shu''s hand.

    Alarmed, Ji Shu hurriedly stepped back. However, Prince Ji Sheng didn''t allow him to go. Stepping forward with his other leg, he twisted his sword from the other side and slashed Ji Shu''s chest once more.

    Slash!

    This time, blood gushed out.

    Ji Shu''s face was pale as he looked at his older brother in front of him. "Impossible¡­. You¡­"

    Prince Ji Sheng stood silently with his sword ready and looked at Ji Shu coldly. "You''re not the only one who can''t afford to lose this battle, Ji Shu."

    Many people''s lives depended on the result of this battle. Neither side could afford to lose in this important battle. Their own wife, subordinates, soldiers, and the future of the kingdom. It would be determined with this battle.

    Swish!

    Not wanting to give up, Ji Shu swung his sword once more. However, it hit nothing but thin air as Prince Ji Sheng evaded from the side. After evading, he stretched his leg forward and kicked Ji Shu''s right hand, sending the sword far away from him.

    "Any last word?" Prince Ji Sheng asked in a cold tone.

    Ji Shu glanced up to look at his older brother. The two of them have never gotten along with each other because they understood that they would be enemies when they grew up. He spat out, "Go to hell."

 Chapter 326 - The Reason For Failure

    "Go to hell."

    With his eyes facing his brother''s eyes, the sword was swung.

    Slash!

    "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

    The high pitched scream reverberated in the large open field. The soldiers were unable to move from their position as they watched blood poured out from one of the two brother''s chest. It created a pool of blood on the dusty ground.

    Yang Xian watched everything and closed his eyes. "It''s finally over."

    "The soldiers might not¡­"

    "ARCHER!''''

    The soldiers behind Yang Xian snapped back to reality when they heard the order that Yang Xian shouted. He was ordering them to be prepared if they truly needed to fight a bitter battle in the end.

    Beside him, Wei Liuying was watching the end of the fight with composure. Her grip had eased, but there was still mixed feelings within her eyes. The scream and cries that Wei Xiao Hua shouted out right now sliced everyone''s heart.

    Normally, no one would want to show their real feelings outside, especially when they were those noble ladies. Every single one of them would surely kept their composure and acted as if they didn''t care at the front before crying silently behind. After all, they would not want to show their weakness in front of others. But Wei Xiao Hua didn''t care for all of that as she rushed to the front and crouched before her husband.

    "Protect the Empress!"

    At this time, Lou, who had been watching from the shadow moved towards Prince Ji Sheng. But before he could get close, several arrows were going in his direction.

    Clang! Jleb!

    Wei Liuying glanced to the side where Du Min, Prince Ji Sheng''s servant was standing. He was holding onto a bow and arrow. It seemed that Yang Xian had already predicted that Lou, Ji Shu''s right hand, would appear should Ji Shu lost.

    ''With this, there shouldn''t be anyone around Ji Shu who are still alive anymore except for Wei Xiao Hua and his mother. The officials will likely change sides. As for his maternal family, I''m sure His Highness has his own plan.''

    Once more, Wei Liuying averted her attention to Wei Xiao Hua, who was crying like a waterfall as she rushed in to Ji Shu''s body''s side.

    Tears were staining Wei Xiao Hua face as she rushed to Ji Shu''s side. Blood was rushing like a river without anything could possibly stop the flow. Ignoring the blood, Wei Xiao Hua put her hand on top of Ji Shu''s wound, hoping that she could stop him from dying.

    "You¡­ are¡­ not¡­ allowed¡­ to¡­ die!"

    In between her cries, Wei Xiao Hua tried to speak properly. She didn''t care what other people were thinking about her. All she hoped was that she would be able to be with Ji Shu and saved him.

    Prince Ji Sheng stood silently beside them and watched as his brother watched his wife lovingly. It was the same gaze that he had when he looked at Gao Ling. They both loved their own wife despite their position and the fact that they would be exposing their weakness by having feelings.

    He raised his head and watched as that man and Xie Jing walked over. The two of them were watching from a distance away. Clearly, they didn''t have any intention to participate in the battle at all.

    "Why don''t you kill him?" the man asked.

    "At least, he needs to know the reason why he lost, Ji Shao Yang."

    The man, Prince Ji Shao Yang, arched his eyebrows. He looked at Ji Shu, who was staring at him with wide eyes. Ji Shao Yang didn''t unsheathe his sword as he merely walked with leisure pace to the middle with Xie Jing following behind him. All this time, everyone thought that he had died.

    The second prince, Prince Ji Shao Yang.

    He was the first one that Ji Shu attempted to eliminate by killing the officials who were by his side. Unfortunately, many of them escaped and was never heard again afterwards. Ji Shu had been trying to track them to kill many of them, but they were too slippery and seemed as if they have disappeared from the face of the earth.

    Afterwards, he targeted Prince Ji Shao Yang. Even though Prince Ji Shao Yang escaped from the prison, he managed to track his brother and then killed him during the journey. There was also the body that his soldiers recovered and then buried.

    But what if, it was a body double?

    It was not that hard to find someone who was of similar stature with Prince Ji Shao Yang. The hardest would be to find someone with the same face, but with a bit of makeup and all, it would be done. Ji Shu didn''t check the corpse again after seeing that it was indeed his brother because he couldn''t delay the matter for a long time.

    Yet, he had inevitably made a slip up. Thinking about that, Ji Shu wanted to curse his second brother loudly.

    He could feel strength leaving his body. His gaze landed on Wei Xiao Hua''s face that was filled with tears. This would be the first time he saw Wei Xiao Hua this sad and also the last time he would see her. A bitter smile escaped from her lips as he muttered out, "Sorry¡­. Xiao Hua¡­"

    Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes widened as she watched Ji Shu''s face tilted to the side and light disappeared from his eyes.

    He had died.

    Ji Shu had died.

    And it''s her fault¡­

    Wei Xiao Hua knew full well that if only she had followed the storyline according to the way it was supposed to be, this would never happen. The two of them would have their happy ending in this world, and she would be able to stay with him forever.

    AAAAAAAAa!

    Crying and screaming loudly, Wei Xiao Hua could only shout to the sky, venting her feelings. She was transmigrated as the main character, the one who was supposed to win the battle and have her happy ending. Yet, the ending she got was the one where she lost the one whom she loved.

    Why¡­

    Just why everything didn''t follow the proper storyline?

    What had she done wrong?

    In between her cries, Wei Xiao Hua felt her heart was breaking apart. It was all her fault that everything turned this way. She should have known that the battle for the throne was a battle that would put their lives on the line. Yet, she simply enjoyed her life and didn''t try to pay more attention.

    Slowly, her gaze was turned to the man who came in her direction. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

    ''Ji Shao Yang¡­''

    In the novel, it was said that Ji Shu had already killed him during the chase after his breakout attempt from the prison. Why is he standing here now?

    It was then Wei Xiao Hua recalled the stingy author''s little spoiler once more.

    ''After the battle with Prince Ji Sheng, there''s still one last battle because of the second prince.''

    Now she understood.

    The second prince, Prince Ji Shao Yang, was not dead in the first place. He was still alive and kicking, which meant that the last arc that the author mentioned before should be a battle between Ji Shu and Prince Ji Shao Yang.

 Chapter 327 - The Reason For Failure (2)

    ''How stupid am I to not realize such a point?''

    Authors loved to revive some dead characters at some point, so unless they stated the character''s death properly, there was always chance that the character was actually still alive. There were several characters whom Wei Xiao Hua never witness their deaths. But by now, Wei Xiao Hua was certain that only some of them were truly dead because the novel only stated clearly for some characters.

    The second prince was only one of them whom the novel mentioned that Prince Ji Shu told the main character.

    The process nor the method was never properly mentioned.

    Wei Xiao Hua laughed bitterly. Her oversight of the novel truly brought her a great disaster right now. If only she had been more careful and not just flaunting what she had known from the novel, she might have a better chance to survive everything.

    But, how could she know that it would end up this way?

    She never asked to be transmigrated in the first place, either.

    Yet, she had come to love this place after staying for a period of time.

    "You''re not killing her?" Prince Ji Shao Yang asked.

    Prince Ji Sheng shook his head. "I have already made a promise with Ji Shu that I''ll not touch his wife."

    It was one of the agreement that they made with each other. Prince Ji Sheng and his soldiers will not touch Wei Xiao Hua at all. They would leave her alive or just let other factions to make the move.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang arched his eyebrows. "I see."

    "She recognize you."

    "I have already shown my face in front of her once in the past," Prince Ji Shao Yang admitted. He was about to speak more when he sensed someone coming. Turning his head to the side, he could see Wei Liuying and Yang Xian walked in their directions.

    "Will you take over from here?" Yang Xian asked.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang nodded. "It''s the agreement we have with each other, isn''t that right, Miss Wei Liuying?"

    Wei Liuying?

    Wei Xiao Hua, who was still trying to comprehend the reason for her failure widened her eyes. She wiped her tears and looked in Wei Liuying''s direction. All this time, she had never met with Strategist Liu directly because Ji Shu will not allow her to meet with the males so easily. Even in the temple, she was not able to get a clear look at Strategist Liu because Gao Ling was occupying her attention.

    Now that she could see Wei Liuying clearly, she could see the striking similarities that Strategist Liu had with Wei Liuying. The only difference was that Strategist Liu was wearing male clothing with standard hairstyle that most men have around here.

    "Impossible¡­" Wei Xiao Hua murmured.

    Wei Liuying should have died during the time she tried to let her uncle escaped. There shouldn''t be any way for her to escape from the chase of the guards from the prison back then.

    In addition, she had asked Ji Shu to send his men to chase after Wei Liuying in order to confirm her death. Could it be that in the first place, Wei Liuying never died during the battle and was instead saved by Yang Xian or Prince Ji Sheng and then departed to the north?

    After all, the original novel did mention about Strategist Liu.

    Then, Wei Xiao Hua recalled the author''s sneaky habit.

    It wouldn''t be strange if she actually made a complicated villain in the story and then chose to use the same character, yet didn''t reveal it to the readers until the end of the story. After all, she didn''t manage to finish the entire story back then.

    By now, Wei Xiao Hua felt that the reason for Yang Xian''s despair was clearer by now. Because Strategist Liu was actually a woman whom Yang Xian loved, making a mistake where he killed her would surely haunt him really badly.

    Did it mean that the deviation was actually Wei Liuying?

    Thinking about it now, there were several things that Wei Xiao Hua had actually changed around Wei Liuying''s life. From small things to bigger things, Wei Xiao Hua had continuously interfered in Wei Liuying''s life. Or could it be¡­?

    "You¡­ are also a transmigrator?"

    "Transmigrator?" Yang Xian asked while tilting his head. He had finally arrived by their sides while the soldiers were still in a stalemate as no one dared to make the first move. "What''s the meaning of that word?"

    "This is the first time I heard it too," Wei Liuying admitted. She might have read a lot of books when she visited the bookstore, but there were still many others that she hadn''t read.

    Prince Ji Sheng arched his eyebrows as it was an unfamiliar term to him. He glanced at Prince Ji Shao Yang, who also looked confused. From the expression in his face, it seemed that Prince Ji Shao Yang was considering that Wei Xiao Hua might have turned crazy from losing her husband like this.

    Xie Jing blinked his eyes. "Maybe she''s talking about migration?"

    "Neither one of us ever migrate from other places, though?" Yang Xian said again.

    Wei Liuying passed a glance at Yang Xian. "Didn''t you migrate from your village to Prince Ji Sheng''s City?"

    "Then you also migrate from the Capital City to Prince Ji Sheng''s City."

    Prince Ji Sheng: "¡­" I don''t think the word migrate will be suitable for that case since it''s only an individual. If he was not wrong, migration meant a large number of people moving from one place to another place.

    Listening to their conversation and their genuinely confused expression, Wei Xiao Hua felt her mind blanked out. It turned out there was never any other transmigrated person in this world like her. Everyone was someone who had been living their lives in this world from the very moment they were born.

    Then¡­ the one who made deviation was her?

    Wei Xiao Hua''s brain was churning as she looked at her third sister.

    The first change that she made was not far from the first day of her transmigration, which was the day she chose to visit the clothes store. After all, Wei Xiao Hua was still not used with the changes that occurred and chose to take a look at the brand new world before her. At that time, Wei Liuying had gone out of the carriage for a moment, an event that never took place in the novel.

    The second change was the lantern festival where originally, Wei Liuying and Wei Zilin would be following her when she had her date. At that time, Wei Liuying disappeared and then there was a plot derailment regarding Princess Ji Xiaoli.

    ''Wei Liuying have martial arts¡­''

    So it meant Wei Liuying must have been the one who helped Princess Ji Xiaoli and thus, it completely changed the future events. With Princess Ji Xiaoli still loved by the people, they wouldn''t try to slight her openly even if they knew that she would be married off.

    It changed the structure of the noble parties.

    The third change was when Wei Hong Zheng was wounded because Wei Xiao Hua didn''t want him to attend. Yet he still attended¡­. No, he never attended the hunt. The one on that day was Wei Liuying.

    The fourth difference was the scene in the academy. For some reasons, even though Wei Xiao Hua had calculated the timing properly by following the novel, she was still late. Since she had followed the same timing precisely, the one that was different had to be the conversation she had with the male there.

    The male there¡­ Wei Xiao Hua faintly recalled that the author described the man as a young man, who was dressed in strange clothes and came from the north. At that time, Wei Xiao Hua didn''t pay much attention to the description but thinking about it again, it must have been Yang Xian.

    The conversation between Wei Liuying and Yang Xian on the day of the academy was different.

    Thus it changed the course once more.

    It was all her.

    Now, Wei Xiao Hua felt that all of the puzzles pieces were already placed in the rightful place.

    The real reason why she failed was simply because her attempt to change the course of the events early in the beginnings led the most dangerous person to be diverging from the original path.

 Chapter 328 - Their Real Agreement

    The real reason why she failed was simply because of her attempt to change the course of the events early in the beginnings led the most dangerous person to be diverging from the original path.

    Tears streamed from the corner of Wei Xiao Hua''s eyes. She had realized that it was all her fault. If only she didn''t try to divulge from the path that the author had set in the novel, this would have never happened. She would have her happy ending with Ji Shu while Wei Liuying died in the hands of the one who loved her.

    Now, the opposite happened.

    Her action had led Ji Shu, her husband, the one whom she loved, to die.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang looked at Wei Xiao Hua. "I have no such agreement with Ji Shu regarding leaving you alive." He raised his head to look at Prince Ji Sheng. "Do you mind, General Sheng?"

    "No."

    Prince Ji Sheng would never leave Wei Xiao Hua lived because he knew that Wei Xiao Hua was also the one who affected Ji Shu''s decision. In addition, she knew so much and have a lot of connections. Letting a loose end was the same as inviting them to get revenge in the future when they had the chance.

    He knew that Ji Shu would never agree to the duel if he didn''t promise letting Wei Xiao Hua off. However, it didn''t really matter to him because he knew that Prince Ji Shao Yang would be the one to take care of this matter. Prince Ji Shao Yang also wouldn''t want to let anyone from Ji Shu''s side alive.

    This obviously applied to Wei Xiao Hua, Ji Shu''s wife.

    "Good."

    Wei Xiao Hua couldn''t even see Prince Ji Shao Yang unsheathed his sword. All she could see was a flash of light before she could feel pain on her neck. However, the only thing that Wei Xiao Hua could think was that if only she had followed the original novel, she would have been able to live happily with Ji Shu.

    How foolish of her¡­.

    Wei Liuying watched as Wei Xiao Hua''s body fell to the ground and turned lifeless. Her body fell on top of Ji Shu as if she wanted to chase after him in the afterlife. It was a beautiful yet tragic view.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang sheathed his sword back. He looked at Wei Liuying. "Do you still care for your sister?"

    "I''m sure you know the answer very well, Prince Ji Shao Yang," Wei Liuying responded.

    "True."

    Prince Ji Shao Yang chuckled as he watched Prince Ji Sheng''s soldiers and his own began to approach the capital city. The soldiers who were previously belonged to Ji Shu dropped their weapons and chose to surrender. They didn''t have any intention to continue the battle.

    As he watched the soldiers making their move along with Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng ordering the soldiers to create a path, his brain recalled his meeting with Wei Liuying back in Zhuang City.

    ¡­

    *A few weeks prior, Zhuang City*

    "However, I would like to talk with the soldier who have been following you all this time. Is that fine?"

    Xie Jing''s smile froze. He looked at Wei Liuying with a stiff expression, yet he knew that he couldn''t possibly reject without making himself looked suspicious. Slowly, he turned his head to the side where the soldier or servant or the man who have been following him all this time was standing.

    The man, Prince Ji Shao Yang, seemed to notice the gaze as he stepped forward. He cupped his hand. "Is there anything I can do to help you, Strategist Liu?"

    "I don''t like calling you out of the blue like this, but there''s something I need to talk with you," Wei Liuying said with a smile. "Is that fine?"

    Xie Jing opened his mouth, yet Prince Ji Shao Yang glared at him, signaling for him to shut up. He nodded. "I understand."

    "In that case, please excuse me, Soldier Xie Jing."

    The moment Xie Jing left the room, the temperature seemed to drop. Prince Ji Shao Yang looked at Wei Liuying with wariness, not knowing what she might say to him in this situation.

    "It would be better for you to sit down, Prince Ji Shao Yang."

    Prince Ji Shao Yang arched his eyebrows. His lips curled up to form a smile. "I didn''t expect the famous Strategist Liu to recognize me."

    "We have met before, and I''m sure you do realize that, Your Highness."

    The gaze that Wei Liuying gave him was indifferent, but Prince Ji Shao Yang could sense the solemnness behind it. The dark gaze seemed to be able to penetrate dep within his body, exposing all the secrets he had been trying to hide with his life.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang sighed. "I would have never imagined that I''ll be able to see you here, Wei Hong Zheng¡­ no, Wei Hong Zheng is still in the capital city because he had gotten the attention of many influential people. The only person who could possibly come here is his older sister who has similar countenance with him, Wei Liuying."

    After saying that, Prince Ji Shao Yang paused for a moment. He looked at the young kid in front of him with scrutinizing gaze. If he had to say, he almost got a heart attack when he saw her face for the first time. The striking similarities with Wei Hong Zheng made him confused because he knew that it would be hard to find someone who was that similar with him.

    However, it didn''t take long for him to realize that there was only one person who could perform noble''s act splendidly and have that face.

    Wei Liuying, the unremarkable third daughter of Wei Family.

    "You''re very smart, Your Highness," Wei Liuying praised with a smile. She was not surprised at all to hear that Prince Ji Shao Yang managed to figure out her identity just like that.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang looked at Wei Liuying and sighed. "If I can say, I''ll be happier if I got this wrong this time around."

 Chapter 329 - The Changes

    Wei Liuying chuckled and kept her composure. "Since you already know that, I''m sure that there''s no need for me to introduce myself again, Your Highness. Shall we talk straight to business?"

    "What did my brother ask you to ask from me?" Prince Ji Shao Yang asked unhurriedly. He had guessed that the only person who could see through his ploy would be someone like Prince Ji Sheng. The two of them were smart and knew how to utilize their people around them to the fullest, so he guessed that the one who asked her to come would be Prince Ji Sheng.

    "His Highness Prince Ji Sheng wished for your help to confront Prince Ji Shu," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang arched his eyebrows. Very blunt and straight to the point, which was totally unlike the usual conversation. However, he liked this better than circling around before talking to the point.

    "And what''s in it for me?"

    "You''ll be the Emperor."

    Hearing that, Prince Ji Shao Yang paused for a moment. He looked at the young girl before him with an incredulous expression. However, the solemn expression on her face told him that she was serious.

    A deal with him being the Emperor should they succeed?

    A smirk was formed on the corner of his lips.

    "Continue."

    ¡­

    In the end, Prince Ji Shao Yang listened to everything that Wei Liuying said. He decided to come and help Prince Ji Sheng because the offer that they gave him was one that he couldn''t possibly say no.

    "Will you give up the seat, Ji Sheng?"

    "It''s not my position to take it in the first place. I''ll be content as long as I can stay at the north," Prince Ji Sheng replied. He glanced at Prince Ji Shao Yang. "Or you''re also paranoid like our fourth brother?"

    "I can''t say that I don''t have the thoughts, but if you''re willing to give it up, I''ll also not interfere with what you want," Prince Ji Shao Yang responded.

    "That''s good."

    "If I happen to take back my words, what do you plan to do?"

    "There''ll be the biggest internal war happening. I''m sure that there are several influential figures on your side who might not even support you if that should happen, Prince Ji Shao Yang."

    Prince Ji Shao Yang clicked his tongue, but he didn''t give his answer. He knew what Prince Ji Sheng said was true. There were several officials under him who actually prefer neutrality. Should he declare war against Prince Ji Sheng, he knew that there would be a lot of them who rise up and voiced out their complaint.

    In the end, he might even lose support.

    "You''re very meticulous, Third Brother."

    "I have to if I wish to survive," Prince Ji Sheng responded and walked up. They were heading to the palace through the main route. Some people were looking at them from their windows, but they didn''t dare to come out.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang chuckled and chose not to comment. From their position, it was clear that they have to be careful because even a small mishap might seal their fate and took their lives.

    "And if it will help you to erase suspicion, Imperial Father had already decreed for me to stay at north for the rest of my life once the battle of succession is over." Prince Ji Sheng smiled faintly. That ridiculous Emperor thought that with such a message, he would never step back to the Capital City.

    Unfortunately, Prince Ji Sheng didn''t care much for that order nor the decree. Though, it was within his intention to stay at the north as he never had any interest for the throne.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang arched his eyebrows then chuckled lightly. "Right, as the Emperor, I could simply decree for you to stay at the North. It''ll be a bit of a waste of your talent, though."

    "What would it be waste when I''m only good at military?" Prince Ji Sheng sneered. "Just stay here obediently with your wives and concubines. I''ll be waiting at a distance away. If you''re bored with the throne, feel free to give it up. The official would be happier than to see you wither slowly with power."

    "You must be joking, my good Imperial Brother." Prince Ji Shao Yang narrowed his eyes. "Would you like to not be able to step in the Capital City anymore?"

    "It didn''t matter."

    The two Imperial brothers didn''t say anything else.

    "We''ve arrived," Yang Xian reminded the two prince. He was still wondering why they couldn''t stop talking even when the situation was this dire.

    "Tell Liuying to come when she had finished."

    "Yes."

    Wei Liuying directed the soldiers first before coming here. After all, they have to make sure that the citizen was not completely disturbed by the change that would occur in the capital city. Aside from a lot of officials would be facing their death, many other officials who were hiding would come out and help out.

    Yang Xian stepped to the side and allowed the two princes to come inside. He ordered the soldiers to sweep the area and cleared the soldiers who were unwilling to give up along with the officials who were trying to run away. The rest would be handled by the two princes.

    It didn''t take long for the palace to be filled with the smell of blood.

    Slash!

    "This woman should be Baili Lin, right?" Prince Ji Shao Yang asked as he looked at the woman he killed.

    "Yes."

    "That disgusting Baili Family is still trying to use underhanded method? I have underestimated them a bit."

    Prince Ji Sheng paid no heed to the woman. He knew that the Baili Family was one of the few influential family in the capital city. However, their deeds were quite disgusting when he heard them. They often made use of their women to get close to officials and gained their foothold. While it was a normal practice, the two princes disliked the idea of sacrificing so many women just to get what they wanted.

    "Is your fianc¨¦e still alive?" Prince Ji Sheng asked.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang arched his eyebrows. "You mean my wife. I have married her just a few days before our fourth brother made his move. I know that you didn''t come to the wedding, but you need to remember that point."

    "Right."

    "She''s in the cold palace. I arranged my people to protect her in case that crazy Imperial Concubine Xu came."

    Prince Ji Sheng furrowed his brows when he thought of that imperial concubine. He turned his head to the back. "Let''s go and find her."

    "Where?"

    "The cold palace."

    Prince Ji Shao Yang was stunned. There were only those who were abandoned staying in the cold palace. Why would that crazy imperial concubine would even head there?

    "Do you think she''s searching for your mother?"

    "It''s possible."

    "Even after knowing that your mother tried to kill you several times ever since you were a baby?"

    Prince Ji Sheng chose not to comment and walked to the hall. He noticed that Yang Xian had already cleaned up most of the servants and soldiers who were siding with Ji Shu. When the two of them saw each other, they nodded.

    "To the cold palace."

 Chapter 330 - Actors For Life

    They headed to the cold palace and noticed that the guards there were already killed. Yang Xian had already send soldiers to this place in order to make sure that the concubines and servants were not trying to escape. As they came closer, they could hear hysterical scream coming from inside.

    "Don''t come closer or I''ll kill her!"

    Prince Ji Sheng frowned and walked inside. His soldiers were standing in front of a residence, not daring to come any closer in case they would make the Imperial concubine hurt the woman in her arm. When he stood in front of the residence, he could see Imperial Concubine Xu was holding his mother, Concubine Ling, in her arm with a knife near the latter''s neck.

    Imperial Concubine Xu''s eyes turned crazed when she saw Prince Ji Sheng. "YOU! Why didn''t you die?!"

    "I''m sorry to disappoint you, Imperial Concubine Xu, but I''m still alive," Prince Ji Sheng replied with indifferent tone. Even though his mother was in Imperial Concubine Xu''s hand, there was not even any fear or disturbance in neither his expression nor tone. It was as if he never regarded his mother as his real mother in the very first place.

    However, Imperial Concubine Xu was looking at Prince Ji Sheng with utter hatred. "You should have died! I''LL NEVER ALLOW YOU TO TAKE THE TRHONE!"

    "I have no interest in the throne."

    "Liar, you!"

    "I''ll be the one taking the throne."

    When the sentence was uttered, Imperial Concubine Xu was dumbstruck. She looked at the entrance with her mouth wide open. At this time, Prince Ji Shao Yang walked to the front and looked at the imperial concubine with serene expression. He smiled brightly. "Do you miss me, Imperial Concubine Xu?"

    "That''s not possible¡­ no! You¡­ should have died¡­."

    "In your son''s hand? Unfortunately, Ji Shu is not smart enough to see that the one who died is my body double. He does have similarities with me since I managed to make him change his face, but it didn''t change the fact that he''s not me," Prince Ji Shao Yang revealed unhurriedly.

    "That''s not¡­ that''s not¡­"

    Imperial Concubine Xu''s body trembled in anger and fear. The dignified and pure front that she always wore had long disappeared. It was as if she was a completely different person.

    In front of her, Concubine Ling didn''t have any expression on her face. She looked as if she was bored with the performance and completely disregarded the knife that was pointed straight to her neck.

    Due to trembling, the tip of the knife wounded a part of Concubine Ling''s neck.

    "Do you plan to kill me? If you do, you should do it after killing my son," Concubine Ling complained.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang frowned when he heard what Concubine Ling said. It was as if she was provoking Imperial Concubine Xu to kill her own son that was standing in front of her.

    "SHUT UP! YOU B*TCH, YOU SHOULD¡­"

    Dzing! Dzing! Jleb! Clang!

    The sound of two arrows slicing the air could be heard. Imperial Concubine Xu watched in fear as she noticed that the two arrows were hitting her backhand and the knife respectively. The knife was thrown to the side without harming Concubine Ling while her hand was bleeding as pain filled her body.

    Concubine Ling seized the chance and twisted her body. Despite her small frame, she could move nimbly and pushed Imperial Concubine Xu away from her.

    Thud!

    Imperial Concubine Xu fell to the ground. It was then she realized that there were two people standing in different place with their bow and arrows ready. One was at the front while the one was at the side. They stood in front of the wall and thus, they could reach her. If only she was not agitated, she would surely able to see the two of them very clearly.

    At this point, the one at the front shoot the arrow straight to her heart.

    Jleb!

    Prince Ji Sheng strode forward and looked at his mother worriedly. "Are you alright, Mother?"

    The indifferent expression was completely wiped off from his face. Right now, he looked like a normal filial son who cared for his mother.

    While Prince Ji Shao Yang and the soldiers thought that Concubine Ling would surely try to kill the third prince, they were dumbfounded when they saw what happened next.

    "I''m fine. You can just leave me alone, silly child."

    "I can''t possibly leave you to die, Mother."

    Concubine Ling merely smiled. "You will have a lot of explaining to do after this. Don''t bother with me."

    "It''s fine. I can do it later," Prince Ji Sheng replied unhurriedly.

    At the back, Prince Ji Shao Yang felt that the sun had just set on the east. He could never imagine that the mother and son duo, who had always been at odds with each other, would show this kind of performance in front of him.

    Are they acting?

    Or is this the real one?

    Recalling the rumors of how much Concubine Ling wished to kill her son because she never wanted to be a concubine, Prince Ji Shao Yang felt that his entire world had crashed down. He had also seen for himself when he was a child when Concubine Ling tried to kill Prince Ji Sheng in front of the servants.

    The miserable look of Prince Ji Sheng back then was still printed in his mind.

    This¡­

    The one in front of him¡­ look so surreal.

    He turned his head to look at Yang Xian, who had jumped off from the wall with incredulous expression. "Strategist Yang, this is¡­."

    "Yes?"

    "I mean, aren''t their relationship¡­" very bad?

    Prince Ji Shao Yang had seen for himself Concubine Ling attempting to kill her son in many occasions. And when there was family dinner, Concubine Ling would try to shame Ji Sheng at every chance she got. It was to the point that the Emperor no longer wished for them to have dinner together and separated the mother and son.

    This¡­ was clearly out of his expectation.

    However, Yang Xian merely tilted his head. "Isn''t this normal?"

    Prince Ji Shao Yang: "¡­"

 Chapter 331 - Their Discussion

    Prince Ji Shao Yang: "¡­"

    While he was still trying to understand what was going on, Wei Liuying walked to their direction. She was still quite far when she heard the commotion, so she climbed wall on the side. It was then she realized what had happened and readied her bow and arrow for the right time.

    Thankfully, Concubine Ling was not harmed in the end.

    "Has everyone been eliminated?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "There are several officials who are being held in the main hall. We''re going there after Prince Ji Sheng had finished his business."

    "I see."

    Wei Liuying took a glance to the mother and son inside the residence before turning her head away. She had no interest to listen to what they were talking about because it was a bit private.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang looked at Wei Liuying''s indifferent reaction. "You¡­ don''t think this is strange?"

    "It''s normal for mother and son to care for each other, right?" Wei Liuying asked back.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang: "¡­" you too?

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying. Considering the household where Wei Liuying was raised, it was impossible for her to have that kind of view from the bottom of her heart. She must have a completely different thought since even her own mother didn''t care for her and wished for Wei Liuying''s death.

    He pursed his lips. "When did you realize it?"

    "From the moment you told me that Prince Ji Sheng is in the palace, visiting his mother."

    Yang Xian: "¡­" that''s during the time you first come to Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence, right?

    Wei Liuying saw Yang Xian''s stunned expression and showed a sweet smile. She had guessed from the very first time that Prince Ji Sheng and his mother must have good relationship with each other. Even though the rumors were saying that they have thorny relationship, she didn''t think it was that way when she saw Prince Ji Sheng''s expression after he visited his mother.

    He might be expressionless most of the time, but there was still the minor difference in his face.

    "I presume you must have realized His Highness'' real reason for not wanting the throne."

    "Yes."

    Prince Ji Sheng is not¡­ the Emperor''s son.

    He was the child of Concubine Ling with her lover. The Emperor must have realized this point too, but he decided to play along in order to keep Prince Ji Sheng''s life save. There were only a limited number of people who knew this and since Prince Ji Sheng''s face was more similar to his mother, no one could guess that point.

    The two mother and son were playing their roles very well. It must have all been for show when Concubine Ling acted as if she hated her own son while in truth, she was hoping for his wellbeing all day long.

    Yang Xian nodded. "It''s really hard to hide things from you. You''re too smart."

    "And you''re the one who''s giving me clues, Xian."

    "I need to keep my guard up around you a bit more," Yang Xian said with an exasperated smile. He could guess that it would surely be hard for him since he had grown accustomed and comfortable around Wei Liuying.

    Wei Liuying merely passed a smile as if challenging him to do that.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang listened to their conversation and felt that his presence was unwanted here. He tried to focus on the front and noticed that Prince Ji Sheng had already walked out of the residence.

    "We''ll clean up the officials now," Prince Ji Sheng said. "I hope your men are ready to take over the position because there are several problems we need to handle."

    "They''re on their way here," Prince Ji Shao Yang responded. "Would these two come along?"

    "Yes."

    "Are you sure that the view won''t be too much for a young girl?"

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Many thanks for your concern, Your Highness, but I believe that I''ll be just fine."

    Having killed so many people during the war, Wei Liuying would be a complete joke if she couldn''t even handle this small view. She was already used with so many bloodbaths to the point that it was completely normal for her. Even though she didn''t really like war, it was something that she had to deal with if she wished to survive.

    "That''s¡­"

    "You should never underestimate other people, Imperial Second Brother," Prince Ji Sheng said unhurriedly. "How many officials are left?"

    "I let the neutral side live. Also, I''m contemplating whether to use Prime Minister Wei or not?"

    "Prime Minister Wei?" Yang Xian''s eyes turned cold when he heard that name. "You can kill him directly for all I care."

    Prince Ji Shao Yang: "¡­"

    "Even if he''s on Prince Ji Shu''s side, he''s also a very talented man and¡­"

    "He''s just a scum," Wei Liuying added from the back. "He can''t do his work without asking for help from other officials, so you don''t have to worry about his real capabilities. Even the servants in his house is smarter than him."

    Prince Ji Shao Yang was completely speechless. He had the feeling that if he tried to defend Prime Minister Wei a bit more, the one who attacked him next would be Prince Ji Sheng. If he had to be honest, he didn''t really like Prime Minister Wei too, but his influence was not to be underestimated.

    Besides, there were many people who have connection with the so called prime minister in this kingdom.

    "His connections¡­"

    "They won''t help him out when there''s someone else who can replace him," Wei Liuying responded. If she was not wrong, based on her first brother''s personality, he should have already started to use his father''s connection to strengthen himself from the back. After all, they knew that they could not always rely on their father.

    "You want to replace him?"

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Wei Yijun is a much better person compared to him."

    "He''s not even an adult yet¡­"

 Chapter 332 - Thereâ€™s No Second Chance For Some People (1)

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Wei Yijun is a much better person compared to him."

    "He''s not even an adult yet¡­"

    Wei Yijun was 19 years old if Prince Ji Shao Yang was not wrong, so they would need to wait for another year before they could use him in the court. Even then, it was impossible for him to directly claim the position of prime minister because it was too high for such a young man. Besides, it meant that they would need to find another person to fill in the position first.

    "I never said that he''ll be the next prime minister. I thought that you''re planning to use my uncle, Your Highness," Wei Liuying continued and looked at Prince Ji Shao Yang. "Did I get it wrong?"

    Prince Ji Shao Yang shook his head. it was completely correct, which was why he felt that the young girl in front of him was even scarier. She knew so much even though he didn''t give much clue.

    "How do you know I want to use him?"

    "His Highness the Third Prince told me that you actually have people who intend to let him out from the prison that day. Even if I didn''t do something, you''ll never let him die," Wei Liuying replied.

    There were many times when she felt that her action was too rash. Still, if she had to repeat that time again, she would surely make the same decision. She would never want to leave her uncle just in order to make her escape plan better.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang glared at his third brother, but the latter ignored him. Prince Ji Sheng was used to tell his subordinates many things. Yang Xian and Wei Liuying were clearly among those who would know very first regarding any plan that Prince Ji Sheng might have.

    "You are really smart," that was all Prince Ji Shao Yang could say.

    Wei Liuying smiled. She cupped her hands towards Prince Ji Shao Yang. "I would like to thank you for taking care of my uncle, Your Highness."

    She didn''t know how her uncle fare in the south after they had separated. But not long ago, Yang Xian gave her the news that she had longed to hear. Prince Ji Shao Yang naturally took care of her uncle very well.

    And with him as her uncle''s backing, she knew that it wouldn''t take long before her uncle''s name would be restored. Not only that, Wei Lu would be the new Prime Minister because all along, he had been siding with Prince Ji Shao Yang.

    Prince Ji Shao Yang waved his hand. "As you had said, I''m only taking care of my subordinate."

    Wei Liuying bowed down before she turned around. Yang Xian and Prince Ji Sheng looked at her for a moment but they didn''t say anything. When it came to Wei Lu, they had no contact with him either because there was no relation. All they knew of him was from the messages of their subordinates.

    However, they also knew that Wei Liuying had close relationship with her uncle to the point that she treated him as if he was her real father.

    "We''re in the main hall."

    The main hall was a complete mess. There were countless officials who were lying on the ground, already turned into corpse. The rest of them were standing at the side, watching everything unfolded while bowing their heads in fear that they would be implicated.

    Sweeping her gaze across the hall, Wei Liuying''s gaze landed on her father, Wei Hong. He was crouching in the middle of the hall with unkempt clothes and messy appearance. His eyes were filled with fear as there were two soldiers who kept him alive but their swords were rested on his neck. If he made unnecessary movements, they would not hesitate to kill him.

    "He''s the only one?" Prince Ji Sheng asked.

    "There are two officials, but the other one is kept in the dungeon because I can''t trust him yet," Prince Ji Shao Yang replied. "Wei Hong is far weaker and has less resistance, so I choose to keep him here."

    "Oh."

    Yang Xian noticed that Prince Ji Sheng glanced in his direction, so Yang Xian sighed and stepped forward. He looked at Prime Minister Wei while trying to keep his expression proper. If he could choose, he didn''t want to let this man alive even for a second longer. From the very first, Prime Minister Wei was the one who continued to support Prince Ji Shu loyally.

    "Prime Minister Wei, I believe you understand your faults."

    "I¡­." Wei Hong didn''t know what to answer. From the moment he heard that Ji Shu had died, he felt that the sky was falling apart. The only person that he chose to support from the beginning had been Ji Shu.

    But now, Ji Shu had died. Wei Xiao Hua was killed.

    Would they believe him if he concocted a believable story and tried to shift the blame to Ji Shu and his first daughter?

    This¡­.

    He had to try.

    "I didn''t do this out of my willingness, Strategist Yang. All I want is my daughter''s happiness, so I have to do the work and make sure that she''ll be able to live happily after her marriage. And, and¡­."

    Yang Xian felt sick when he listened Wei Hong saying that he loved his daughter so much like that. He wondered just how thick this man''s skin was to be able to spout lies to the point that his mouth was foaming. Everyone knew that the men rarely took care of their children much less daughters since their wives would be in charge of their education completely.

    "That is to say, you love your daughter so much that you''re willing to sacrifice everything for her?" Yang Xian asked.

    "Yes, yes, that''s true! I¡­"

    "In that case, why don''t you show the same care to your sons and other daughters?"

    Wei Hong''s face paled. If he only cared for his first daughter, his words would sound very untrustworthy.

    A soldier stepped forward and handed a bamboo scroll to Yang Xian. Opening the scroll, Yang Xian began to read. "Wei Yijun, despite faring well in his education, he''s living in the academy and refused to return back to the residence because of the ''chaos'' in the household. Wei Hong Zheng, it''s said that he''s the son of an affair of your concubines, yet the investigation is lacking and there''s no proof. Wei Zilin, she''s married away to be a concubine and recently died because of malnourishment and mistreatment of her husband."

    The more he heard it, the more Wei Hong''s face paled. He thought that his sons and daughter would be able to back up his words.

    "That''s¡­"

    "I can''t see you as a loving father, Prime Minister Wei. In addition, there''s still your third daughter, Wei Liuying."

    Wei Hong''s face immediately paled considerably. He raised his head in fear that he would hear another uncalled story, but the cold gaze that Yang Xian showed to him stopped him from saying anything. He felt fear from the bottom of his heart from the treatment that Yang Xian showed to him.

    "Neglected in the household, she''s forced to be your son''s substitute many times without your knowing. In the end, she fled from the household to save your brother when he''s faced with the false accusation."

 Chapter 333 - Thereâ€™s No Second Chance For Some People (2)

    Hearing that, Wei Hong''s blood turned cold. He had tried to hide Wei Liuying''s disappearance with everything he could. Yet, it was now revealed in front of him at the most unfortunate time.

    The officials on the side were already looking at Wei Hong as if they saw a disgusting heap of trash. Even if they didn''t care much for their children, they would always make sure that their children were treated well in their residence. Internally, all of them swore that they would ask their wives about their children''s treatment to make sure that they would not be subjected to the same question and humiliation that Wei Hong suffered.

    "No! That''s wrong, I would never¡­."

    "And you hired a fake girl to impersonate your daughter because you don''t want rumors to spread and possibly taint your reputation."

    The clear voice with slightly childish tone came from the back. All eyes landed on the young strategist who was standing on the back. Based on what they knew, Strategist Liu was still only 15 years old, going for 16. Because of that, they were surprised when they realized that the strategist voice was still quite high pitched.

    Wei Hong turned his head to look at Strategist Liu as the latter walked in his direction. The steps were slow yet steady, but the look that Wei Liuying gave him only sent him chills to the bottom of his heart.

    "Did you recognize me, Prime Minister Wei?" Wei Liuying asked.

    "Yes, you''re Strategist Liu, Liu Ying¡­" Wei Hong felt the same odd sensation as the one he experienced in the past. Looking at Wei Liuying''s face in close distance, he felt that Strategist Liu''s face was oddly familiar.

    Wei Liuying chuckled. "Let me reintroduce myself. From a year and a half ago, I went by the name Liu Ying. But before that, my name is Wei Liuying. Did you not recognize me, Father?"

    The word ''father'' was uttered coldly. She never really wanted to recognize the person before her as her father anymore after all that she had went through in the residence in the past.

    Wei Liuying¡­

    Now the officials were looking at Wei Liuying with a dumbstruck expression. There were many of them who were trying to figure out just who Liu Ying was. Many people turned the capital upside down in hope that they would be able to find clues.

    But they would never ever think in this direction¡­

    That Liu Ying was actually a girl. Not only that, she was actually the known useless third daughter of Wei Family¡­.

    Wei Hong''s face paled considerably as he looked at Wei Liuying once more. Now, he realized why he felt that Wei Liuying was familiar to him. It was because he had supposedly seen her from time to time in his own residence.

    Unfortunately, he never recognized his own daughter and completely neglected her.

    Regret?

    He completely regretted everything. It was normal for men to not pay attention to their daughter''s education because it was left to the women in the household. However, he never thought that his third daughter was actually forced to have boy''s training. And the fact that she could do it well was even more surprising to him.

    "His charge is more than that." Prince Ji Sheng walked to the hall and leaned to the pillar. "Let''s have a trial right now."

    Prince Ji Shao Yang arched his eyebrows. "Sure."

    Yang Xian smirked and retrieved another bamboo scroll. He had already prepared his men to dig into everything that Prime Minister Wei did for the past two years and more. It was astonishing how someone like him could actually influence so many people.

    Wei Hong could barely hear what Yang Xian said as he crouched on the ground. The indifferent gaze that Wei Liuying gave him only sent him chills. He felt as if he had already made the biggest mistake from a long time ago.

    And there''s no turning back at all.

    As Yang Xian finished listing out all of his mistake, Wei Hong raised his head once more and looked at Wei Liuying. She didn''t even look in his direction, but rather the other officials. Her figure at that time reminded him of the time when he was still young and full of ambitions. He believed that he would be able to do everything with the knowledge that he had. If there was any difference, it would be the cautious approach that Wei Liuying did as she was unwilling to make even a slightest mistake.

    The soldier stepped forward with his sword ready.

    Wei Hong closed his eyes.

    He regretted everything very much.

    If only he could turn back time, he wished that he realized the real abilities of his third daughter. Afterwards, what would he do? Probably either eliminating her or to use her to strengthen his position.

    Heh, in the end, all that mattered the most was still himself.

    Swish!

    The sword didn''t reach him. Wei Hong was dumbfounded as he raised his head. His eyes met with the cold gaze of Yang Xian.

    "While it''s true that you''re not a competent person, you''re still quite capable," Yang Xian said with a smile. "Hang what he did at the front of the gate and demote Wei Hong to become ninth official."

    Wei Hong''s face paled considerably. Thinking that he had to live in misery for a long time, he could already imagine the mocking look people would give him. Gritting his teeth, he rushed to take the sword of the soldier.

    Bang!

    But how could someone like Wei Hong possibly defeat a veteran soldier? He was pinned down to the ground.

    "Make sure he can''t kill himself for at least a week. Tie him up and recite every wrongdoing he had done," Yang Xian gave his order.

    "Yes!"

    "No¡­."

    Unable to do anything, Wei Hong was dragged out of the hall. He felt both angry and devastated, but he knew that he would not only lost his face but also his reputation that he had created all this time.

    All because of his neglected daughter named Wei Liuying.

    If not because of her, with his crime, he could have an easier death¡­

    Wei Liuying looked at Prince Ji Sheng. Her gaze was as indifferent as ever. It looked as if that her father never had any relation with her aside from letting her live inside his residence for a period of time. "There are a lot of corruption?"

    "It''s to be expected when he''s growing in power and wealth so quickly," Yang Xian explained unhurriedly. His gaze was as indifferent as ever as if he was not the one who gave the order to reveal what Wei Hong did. For someone who treasured his reputation and position so much, this method would be more devastating than instant death. He gave the bamboo scroll away. "It''s already time for cleaning up. For the time being, would you like to help out?"

    Passing a glance to the officials who were watching with absent minded expression, Wei Liuying slowly nodded her head. "If I can help, then I will."

    "Good. There are a lot of works to do."

    "I understand."

    Prince Ji Shao Yang watched the two of them headed to the other officials before he averted his gaze to Prince Ji Sheng. "What do you want to do now?"

    "Work. And you''re not an exception."

 Chapter 334 - Some People Can Get Second Chance

    The days passed quietly.

    Prince Ji Sheng and Prince Ji Shao Yang kept everything that occurred in the palace under wrap and only informed the family members of those who got involved. They didn''t want to create unnecessary drama.

    At the same time, they revealed the fact that Prince Ji Shao Yang was still alive. The one who died before was a fake who pretended to be the prince. Some people were skeptical about the news but majority of them believed it because of the influence of some officials who continued to circulate the news.

    It would take more time for everyone to fully understand the situation, but majority of the people outside the capital city didn''t really care much about the royalty because there was no chance for them to meet with the Imperial Family members.

    The north was stable thanks to the agreement Prince Ji Sheng made with General Hao. Along with the fact that Xiong Tribe was no longer capable to kick up any fuss, General Gao and Gao Ling were having the most peaceful winter they could possibly have.

    As for Wei Hong...

    "He killed himself?" Wei Liuying asked. It was exactly a week after Wei Hong was sentenced to have his crime posted to let everyone knew just what kind of person their prime minister was.

    Yang Xian nodded. His order was only to keep Wei Hong alive for a week. Afterwards, the soldier left him alone and Wei Hong immediately killed himself out of shame. "He''s someone who cares for his face and reputation. Without those two, he can''t live comfortably."

    "I see."

    The indifferent expression on Wei Liuying''s face betrayed none of her real feelings. Seeing her like that, Yang Xian inched closer and patted Wei Liuying''s head. "You didn''t do anything wrong."

    "I didn''t say anything, Strategist Yang."

    Hearing how Wei Liuying called him that way again, Yang Xian chose to retract his hand. He smiled lightly. "Your uncle will come soon."

    "When?" Wei Liuying''s eyes lit up.

    "I''ll tell you when he come."

    "You mean the servant."

    "It''s all the same," Yang Xian remarked as he brought a scroll to Wei Liuying. "This is the last one we need to take a look."

    Wei Liuying nodded. "I don''t understand why there are so much work for officials. Do you always have to work this much?"

    The hall was filled with dead tired officials who couldn''t get up and continue their work. They were lying on the ground, passed out once they have finished their work because their body couldn''t sustain them awake for any longer.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "I believe that Ji Shu didn''t manage to finish the work properly, leaving so much for us to do now."

    "I thought he''s a very capable man with a lot of officials under him."

    "He''s capable, but those around him are not capable enough. It''s a bit of a shame that those who are part of the first prince was killed," Yang Xian said with a sigh. They were a bit understaffed even after having the people who followed the first prince returned to the palace to work after demoting them and punished those people severely.

    Wei Liuying chose not to comment. There was nothing that they could do in that situation. Their soldiers couldn''t possibly move to the capital city undetected and sudden influx of people would be suspicious. Not to mention, creating fake identities for hundreds of people would be impossible since Ji Shu had already implemented methods to make sure that everyone who entered the capital city was checked.

    They would only court deaths.

    "How about the children?"

    "Children?" Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. Wei Liuying herself was also still a child considering that she hadn''t reached 16 yet. "The officials'' kid?"

    "Yes."

    "Some of them participated in their father''s scheme. They grew up very quick." Yang Xian''s lips curled up to form a knowing smile. As someone who also grew up too quick for his own age, Yang Xian knew very well what these children were capable of.

    "Did you catch them?"

    "I put them in the prison for the time being. I can''t possibly kill all of them because they''re going to be a good asset for me. Speaking of which, your first brother, Wei Yijun, is preparing for the examination this spring. If he managed to pass, he''ll be amongst the youngest one to ever pass the examination," Yang Xian remarked.

    Wei Liuying nodded. Wei Yijun was still 19 years old, so it wouldn''t be strange even if he didn''t pass this time around. But if he managed to pass and then attended the next examination, he would be able to become an official not long after he become an adult. It would be a great achievement.

    "What do you think of your first brother?"

    "He''s a capable person. He might be young, so his experience is limited, but his knowledge and capability are good," Wei Liuying replied. At the very least, Wei Yijun was also not like their father who could only think of himself.

    Yang Xian nodded. "I''m glad you think that way."

    "Yes?"

    "Prince Ji Shao Yang also thinks highly of him, so he might be of someone important in the future. You''ll need to work together with him if there''s a chance."

    Wei Liuying nodded slowly. She didn''t have any odds with her first brother. In the first place, they rarely interacted with each other and the only time she has more interaction with him was when she acted as Wei Hong Zheng. At that time, she realized that her first brother was truly brilliant, but it would still take him some time to become a proper official.

    Besides, she also heard that Wei Yijun was actually supporting Ji Shao Yang back then. Though it was not that obvious because he still couldn''t actually participate actively in the court and only discuss at the back. A student without much influence couldn''t do much yet.

    Her real identity was already made known to the other officials who were not present. Many of them were dumbstruck when they found out and some of them were unable to accept it. In this society where men were the one who lead and all, they would never accept a woman interfering with their work.

    In the first place, Wei Liuying herself also had no interest to become an official. What she wanted to do was simply to live freely.

    "I''ll be happy if I don''t have to visit the capital city so often," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly.

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Do you not like it so much?"

    "Not really."

    "I''ll tell His Highness about it."

    "Thank you."

    Neither one of the two of them liked the capital city. While it was true that they would need to come here a few times in the future because of work, they would rather keep it as minimal as possible.

    Yang Xian noticed that Wei Liuying was still pondering. It seemed that there was still something else inside her mind aside from the fact that they would need to visit the capital city once in a while in the future. He still wanted to talk about some other things, but he doubted that she would listen if he brought it up. "Are you tired, Liuying?"

    "No. I want to visit a place after this work is done if you permit it."

    "Where?"

    "The prison."

    Prison?

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. "Why do you want to go there?"

    "I want to visit my brother," Wei Liuying responded after a while.

 Chapter 335 - Some People Can Get Second Chance (2)

    Hearing that answer, Yang Xian was silent for a while. He nodded his head. "Fine. We''ll go there together."

    "You don''t have to come with me."

    "I want to. Besides, I also need to talk with the other officials'' children who are locked there."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips and passed the bamboo strip containing the last information to Yang Xian. "There''s nothing wrong with this one. You can pass it to the officials and have them start working."

    "You mean, pass it tomorrow." Yang Xian pointed to the officials who have already passed out.

    "Yes, tomorrow."

    Looking at the officials who had passed out, Yang Xian sighed. These people really needed to start having martial arts training if they didn''t want to pass out just from a few sleepless nights. He had to mention it to the prince.

    "Would you like to rest first?"

    "Yes."

    "Let''s go back home."

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. Thinking about the small house that Yang Xian used in Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence, she sighed internally. It seemed that she had to get used to stay within Prince Ji Sheng''s place for the time being.

    ¡­

    The next day, Wei Liuying departed early to the prison. Yang Xian also came along and went to separate ways because he needed to see the officials'' children. He wondered what would happen to them after being locked up for a few days here.

    Walking on the dark corridor, Wei Liuying was brought to a small room. There was only one person inside, Wei Hong Zheng. It has nearly been two years since the last time Wei Liuying saw her brother. The last time she heard about him was also nearly a year ago when they told her that her brother was sent to the prison because of their mother''s deception.

    By now, Wei Hong Zheng was no longer the same young master as before. His clothes were haggard while his face looked tired. It didn''t look like the face of a child at all as Wei Hong Zheng seemed to age overnight. He looked far more mature, very similar to Wei Liuying who had grown up too quick for her age.

    "Wei Hong Zheng."

    "Who?" Wei Hong Zheng raised his head and looked at the young person before him. His eyes were already used to the darkness, so he could faintly see Wei Liuying''s face. However, the striking similarities he saw only made him stunned despite the fact that Wei Liuying was still wearing a boy''s clothes.

    He never thought that he would meet with his sister again, even more so in a situation like this.

    His hand trembled as emotion welled up. How many times he had mistreated the other party couldn''t be counted anymore. Even if Wei Liuying chose to never come and see him in his lifetime, he would never find it strange.

    Someone like him¡­

    "Sister?" Wei Hong Zheng asked in parched tone. It was clear that he found it hard to speak as his body trembled a bit.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "Do you really regard me as your sister, Hong Zheng?"

    "That''s¡­" Wei Hong Zheng had no words to reply. He simply looked at Wei Liuying with blank expression. Slowly, his eyes watered for he remembered what had happened a long time ago. He never had any right to call Wei Liuying as sister.

    And with him just being a b*stard son from his mother''s affair, he knew that his worth was even less than that.

    "Why do you come?"

    "I want to have a chat with my brother."

    "I''m not your brother, not after knowing that I''m just the child of an affair," Wei Hong Zheng said bitterly.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "Do you really think that way?"

    "Yes."

    "Why?"

    "Mother is stupid* at times. I wouldn''t be surprised if she makes such a huge blunder. With my intellectual, I don''t think that I inherit father''s intelligence, so I guess the chance for me not being his son is high," Wei Hong Zheng responded.

    And knowing that he couldn''t be as accomplished as his other siblings, Wei Hong Zheng knew that the possibility of him being some random man''s child was there. Who knew what his mother actually did back then?

    He could never know.

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows when she heard the word play that her brother used. Her lips curled up to form a smirk. "Yes, our mother is stupid.* However, she''s not that stupid* to the point that she''ll go for an affair just to have a child. She knows very well that if the affair was known, it''ll result in great problem."

    (A/N: their mother''s name was Feng Chun. In these three, the two of them used the word "chun" to say stupid. Their mother''s name is chun with first tone meaning spring while chun for stupid is third tone)

    "What do you mean?" Wei Hong Zheng was confused.

    "In other words, you''re Wei Hong and mother''s child."

    "But¡­"

    "If you''re talking about how your appearance didn''t look like father, it''s because you look more like our grandfather. You''re tricked into believing that you''re not father''s son because of your appearance, so I guess you inherit mother''s stupidity," Wei Liuying said unhurriedly.

    Wei Hong Zheng''s face turned red from Wei Liuying''s words. He opened his mouth but no words came out. At this point, he knew for sure that it would be all for naught. What his sister said was correct. He believed their words too fast when he was supposed to doubt their words first.

    Wei Liuying watched her brother without any change in her expression. She had heard from the guard about what had happened to Wei Hong Zheng in the prison all this time. At first, they treated him well but later on, they let him got into many kinds of fight and so on.

    No one ever stopped it.

    Looking at her brother''s haggard hand, yet mature expression on his face, Wei Liuying knew that her brother was no longer the same as before. But in front of her, he would revert back to his usual self.

    "I have a question."

    "Yes?"

    "What do you want to do in your live?"

    "Huh?" This time, Wei Hong Zheng was stunned. He raised his head and looked at his sister, the one whom he never treated properly all this time in the past.

    Wei Liuying smiled lightly. "You''re unsuitable to be an officials based on how low your comprehension was. However, I heard that you do quite well in your training to become a soldier. Would you like to continue entering the military or would you like to become an ordinary person?"

    Hearing that, Wei Hong Zheng was stunned. It was truly an unexpected question since he thought that he would be staying here for the next few years. Wei Liuying''s words were the same as telling him that he could get out and enter the military or just become a free man.

    "Is that¡­" possible?

    "Yes. I have the authority to release you," Wei Liuying responded.

    That answer only made Wei Hong Zheng feel that he didn''t know his sister anymore. She didn''t look the same as she was years ago. She looked as if she was standing at a far away distance, a place that he would never be able to reach even if he worked for his entire lifetime.

    It was a strange feeling.

    "What''s your answer?"

    Wei Hong Zheng was startled. "I¡­"

 Chapter 336 - Reunion

    Wei Liuying came out of the prison with Yang Xian after they were done with what they wanted to do here. Yang Xian released some other children from the prison because they were unrelated to the event and didn''t wish to have connection with their father. While some children cared for their father, most of them didn''t have that much care for their parents since they were not close to each other.

    "Are you done?" Yang Xian asked.

    Wei Liuying nodded. "Yes."

    "I didn''t expect you to give your brother a second chance."

    "Why not?"

    "Considering how he behaved before, I can''t say that I have good feeling for your brother." Yang Xian shrugged his shoulder.

    Hearing that, Wei Liuying chuckled and shook her head lightly. While it was true that she also didn''t have good feeling for her brother, it was not to that extent. In her brother''s eyes, she was never worth much. It was very similar to many other people who were looking in her direction because women''s worth was extremely low in this place.

    Whilst it was not something Wei Liuying liked, she also knew that her brother was capable. Ever since the accident happen, Wei Hong Zheng had been working hard to be able to become better. He might not be able to become an official in his entire life, but it shouldn''t be a problem for him to be a soldier.

    "Enlisting in the army will be a good lesson for him. Also, even if he becomes a better person, I''ll still not want to talk with him that much," Wei Liuying replied with a faint smile. Even if she said that she was fine, the scar from her childhood would never leave her forever.

    She couldn''t forgive her brother fully, but at the very least, she didn''t want to become the reason for his downfall. He had suffered enough, so she would give him a chance. But after this, she still didn''t want to meet him and just let their path never cross each other anymore.

    "It''s fine." Yang Xian raised his hand and patted Wei Liuying''s head once more. Her small figure made him want to pat her forever. "Anyway, there are several others we should meet."

    "Who?"

    "Xie Han, Prime Minister Xie''s son."

    Wei Liuying''s eyes flickered when she heard the name. After Ji Shu became the Emperor, he killed Prime Minister Xie and caught those who were part of his household. Since the Emperor was busy, they were only under house arrest, but it was unknown whether they would be willing to serve the new Emperor now.

    Well, they could try to ask because Prime Minster Xie''s sons were quite capable in her opinion. Many officials were taught to put the kingdom above their family, but she didn''t know whether they would also think the same.

    After all, they had lost their father in a struggle of power.

    "How about Xie Feng and Xie Ni?"

    "Xie Feng is already married away outside the capital city not long ago. As for Xie Ni, she''s still a little kid who''s waiting to grow up before getting married. She was engaged not long ago."

    "To who?"

    Yang Xian pursed his lips. "Wei Yijun."

    Wei Liuying: "¡­" what in the world?

    "Wei Family proposed a few months ago. Wei Yijun will be 20 soon enough while Xie Ni was around a year or two younger than you, so the age is quite a match," Yang Xian explained.

    "I see."

    "We still also need to see Wei Yijun. He''s still in the academy and might not like the development for this matter."

    Wei Liuying was silent for a moment. "I will visit Wei Yijun. You can visit Xie Han and try to talk with him."

    She was not close with Xie Family either. And rather than visiting those people, she wanted to meet with her brother again.

    "Alright."

    Parting ways with Yang Xian, Wei Liuying headed to the academy. Since her father sent her brother to study here and stayed here for the time being, Wei Yijun could steer away from all the problems. However, there was no doubt that the entire Wei Family Household right now would be in turmoil without Wei Hong.

    The academy was large and Wei Liuying didn''t have any hesitation to enter. Almost all guards have already realized that she was the strategist, so they made way from her. The soldiers were quick to deliver the news.

    "Strategist Liu, is there anything I can do to help??" a servant scurried over.

    "I would like to meet with Wei Yijun," Wei Liuying replied unhurriedly.

    "He''s in the library. Would you like us to call him or shall this one lead the way?"

    "Lead the way."

    Looking around, Wei Liuying felt that the people''s gaze was strange as they fell onto her. While it was true that having a woman in this position was strange, she felt that they were more afraid and respectful rather than scorning that fact. Probably, the fact that Strategist Liu was already known because of her endeavor made them able to accept the fact that she was a woman.

    It didn''t take long for Wei Liuying to arrive by the library. With just a glance, she could see Wei Yijun sitting with a book in front of him. He was focused on the text in front of him as if it was the most precious thing in the entire world.

    "First Young Master Wei, Strategist Liu is here to see you," the servant quickly informed.

    Wei Yijun raised his head and looked at Wei Liuying. He had heard from the servants that Strategist Liu was actually Wei Liuying as many officials had heard it in the palace. At first, he was skeptical. But now that he had seen Wei Liuying with his own eyes, he knew that it was the truth.

    Wei Liuying is Strategist Liu.

    Standing up, Wei Yijun cupped his hand and bowed slightly in formality. "Wei Yijun greets Strategist Liu."

    "Please don''t stand on ceremony, First Brother. I only come to have a short talk."

    Hearing the friendly tone, Wei Yijun staggered a bit. He was the only one in the Wei Family Residence who has higher intelligence compared with other siblings. With just one sentence, he understood that Wei Liuying didn''t want to treat him as stranger but as her brother.

    Despite the fact that they were not close to each other, Wei Liuying disregarded everything. Wei Yijun knew that with Wei Liuying acknowledging him as her brother but not even want to accept their father, his worth would soar in front of other officials.

    Wei Yijun raised his head and saw Wei Liuying smiling at him. It was the same kind smile that she always had back in Wei Family Household. A fake yet harmless smile when she was simply needed to talk about something.

    ''What a scary sister I have.''

    "In that case, I won''t stand on ceremony, Third Sister," Wei Yijun replied and straightened his position. "Please have a seat."

    "Thank you."

    Wei Liuying walked forward and pulled the chair before she sat down. Her eyes landed on the book that Wei Yijun read. "I see that you''re still studying hard, First Brother. Do you have any intention to become an official in the future?"

 Chapter 337 - Reunion (2)

    Wei Yijun tapped the book. "I have already studied ever since I was young to become an official who served the kingdom. Why should I back out now that the kingdom needs more people to take care of the administrative problem?"

    "You''re right, First Brother."

    By saying that he would serve the kingdom, Wei Yijun was telling Wei Liuying that he would not care about who the Emperor was. Even though Wei Yijun disliked Ji Shu back then, he would not show it in his face and acted normal. Now that the one who would become the emperor was Prince Ji Shao Yang, he would certainly be much happier since he had already supported the second prince ever since a long time ago.

    However, Wei Yijun still knew the proper manner and would not mention it so openly.

    Wei Liuying smiled. "Hearing that you''re still willing to help is very reassuring, First Brother."

    "It''s my dream to become an official, so I won''t back down."

    "In that case, do you mind telling me what happened to Wei Family Residence in the past year?"

    The question made Wei Yijun freeze in his place. He was sure that Wei Liuying already heard the report about what happened in the Wei Family Residence, so there was nothing that he could tell her. However, he had to act as if he didn''t know and tried to report everything that he thought important.

    Slowly, Wei Yijun showed a slight smile on his lips. "There are many things that occurred in Wei Family household. First of all, Second Sister was married away and recently died due to sickness. Secondly, the number of people living in Wei Family Household is declining and even Second Brother is in jail. Third, Concubine Feng had died because of an incident."

    Wei Liuying listened to Wei Yijun and smiled lightly. As she had expected, her brother was trying to see things in the broad outlook by saying things that only has relation to her. It showed that Wei Yijun knew what she might be asking.

    But at the same time, he was trying to gloss over the matter to make it didn''t seem to be as serious as it actually was. While it might be a good trait to have, it wouldn''t help him much when he had to report to the court in the future. But to be so blunt¡­ might not be that good either.

    It was easier to offend someone when they were blunt.

    "Second Sister is married? She''s still 15, right?" Wei Liuying acted surprised.

    Wei Yijun chuckled. "Yes. She had a crush on a young master and sneaked to his room during a meeting. Since Father didn''t want the matter to spread, he chose to marry Second Sister to him."

    "I see."

    "Unfortunately, Second Sister is not lucky enough because she fell sick and died not long afterwards," Wei Yijun added.

    Wei Liuying nodded. She was sure that this was the version of the story that everyone talked about because the truth would be far from that. Wei Zilin surely tried to enter Prince Ji Shu''s room, but Wei Xiao Hua switched the room. That way, the one inside was another young master who had no relationship with them whatsoever.

    She didn''t know whether she should pity or scold Wei Zilin for her stupidity. Even after knowing that Prince Ji Shu would never see anyone other than Wei Xiao Hua, she still tried to get his affection. It wouldn''t be surprising if the young master who was inside the room back then would be another useless young master who only knew how to play around with women.

    "I have already met with Second Brother, so I have heard from him regarding the matter of my mother. However, I heard that other concubines didn''t have it easy?" Wei Liuying asked once more.

    Wei Yijun held a bitter smile on his lips. He nodded lightly. "First Sister was the one who holds the power in the residence even when father was still alive. She accepted many more concubines for Father and threw away those who were older and no longer of Father''s taste."

    "I see."

    As the Prime Minister, Wei Hong never lacked women. There were many young girls who willingly throw themselves to his lap in order to get power. Because of that, what Wei Xiao Hua did was simply giving them a chance by accepting their advance and informing their father.

    Technically, it was not wrong.

    "And Concubine Xie died because of poison."

    Wei Yijun raised his head and clenched his fist. He nodded. "Yes."

    Women''s battle usually occurred on the background. He couldn''t do much to help because when he returned back home, he found out that his mother was already poisoned so badly that doctor didn''t have any way to cure her. As for finding out who was the one who did it, Wei Hong never had any interest and only superficially tried to find out by sending some people to investigate.

    It was at that moment Wei Yijun completely lost hope in her father and chose to no longer regarded him as his father. Since he had promised his mother, he knew that he couldn''t do anything to the perpetrator and only staying silent. But it was so unbearable.

    Living in that rotten residence only caused pain and grievances for him. Everyone was fighting because they wanted to live well and in the end, it was simply impossible to satisfy everyone''s wished. There were winner and losers.

    Wei Yijun asked for permission to stay in the academy just so that he could stay away from that rotten place.

    Wei Liuying could only sigh. She didn''t want to care for Wei Family anymore, but pulling in so many girls to this pitfall was also pitiable. While those girls were the one who wanted to enter, if they didn''t have the chance, they might be able to find better man to marry and lived a different live.

    Truly a pity that some women thought that they would have a better live if they become a concubine rather than the legal wife of a small official.

    Though, some of them might have been in her previous position, a concubine daughter who had no other choice but to get married to an old official that their father decided. Wei Liuying managed to run away, but many other concubine daughters wouldn''t be able to do so.

    She looked at her brother''s hand and understood that even if he wanted to do something, he couldn''t. If he tried to force his way to make things difficult for Wei Xiao Hua back then, he would have ended up dying.

    "Would you like to return back?"

    Wei Yijun shook his head. "Living here has been peaceful and nice, so I would like to stay here."

    Wei Liuying thought for a moment. "You''re going to get married to Xie Ni in few years'' time, so you''re going to need a residence. Sell your previous household and bought a new one, I''ll help you find a quiet and nice place to settle in."

    The offer was simply too good to be passed. Wei Yijun looked at his sister, the one who was always ignored and treated badly in their residence. A small smile formed on the corner of his lips.

    "Thank you very much for your help, Third Sister."

    "It''s nothing."

 Chapter 338 - Reunion (3)

    "It''s nothing."

    After that small talk, Wei Liuying talked about some other small matters with Wei Yijun before she left. While Wei Yijun would still continue to be a student for a longer period of time, he had broad knowledge and talking with him was not that bad. There were still many things that she had to pay attention to because of her new position.

    Wei Yijun looked at the other children around him and then focused his attention back to his book that he was reading. He knew that many other people would try to get close to him because of his relationship with his sister. It would surely feel weird because he was not used to that kind of attention.

    However¡­.

    ''Having such a talented younger sister sure put the pressure on my shoulder.'' Wei Yijun smiled. ''But I''m not going to lose. I''ll live well in the future and become a good official unlike our father.''

    He didn''t want to repeat the same mistake as before and without other Wei Family members still alive aside from him, Wei Hong Zheng, and Wei Liuying, he knew that the weight in his heart was already lifted.

    At the very least, there was no Wei Family that would restrict his movement anymore. His future path was for him to choose.

    ¡­

    For the next few weeks, the officials were facing total reconstruction. Prince Ji Sheng and Prince Ji Shao Yang replaced all the officials who were previously on Ji Shu''s side. At the same time, they were also swamped with works because there were only a limited number of capable people.

    Thankfully, they managed to finish the inauguration ceremony for Ji Shao Yang. He became the next emperor while Prince Ji Sheng was only watching from the shadow with no intention to step forward. After becoming the Emperor, all Ji Shao Yang did was to make sure that the condition in the capital city and many other administrative problem was addressed and taken care of.

    At the same time, Ji Shao Yang also appointed Ji Sheng as the duke who would continue to monitor the border at the north. Yang Xian and Wei Liuying were appointed as the strategists and would help him out. In addition, Ji Shao Yang gave Yang Xian the position of military advisor, so he would have to return back to the capital city once in a while.

    Yang Xian tried to argue privately, but in the end, he had to accept the position.

    As for Wei Liuying, she was only given the position by Prince Ji Sheng''s side. When Ji Shao Yang announced her new position, there were many officials who finally realized that she was the third miss of Wei Family household. With the achievement she had in her back, no one dared to voice complaint for the fact that she was a woman and not a man.

    In fact, there were many people who started to share her story on the street, making her a bit famous.

    "Liuying."

    "Yes, Xian?" Wei Liuying asked back. Even though her position was now with Prince Ji Sheng, she still helped out in the capital city during this period of time. Other officials also didn''t dare to disrespect her. While some of them didn''t like her because of her gender, some others also accepted this anomaly.

    "Wei Lu is coming. He''ll become the Prime Minister, but before that, would you like to meet with him?"

    Wei Liuying''s eyes shone when she heard her uncle would be coming. After leaving the capital city, Wei Lu headed to the south and got help from Prince Ji Shao Yang''s people. He became the local governor and took care of the problems there, becoming a well-respected leader.

    Now that Ji Shao Yang needed someone to become the prime minister, the one he chose was her uncle. The other prime minister was Manager Xin, who had been complaining that the workload was too much since a long time ago. The younger officials were tortured by his demands and worked harder to make sure that they could finish the work.

    Xie Han was included in the younger officials who were working in the palace. While he didn''t have high position, he was one of the few who had already supported Ji Shao Yang ever since a long time ago. Naturally, he would want to help Ji Shao Yang to make a better kingdom and prevent something like what happened with Ji Shu to occur ever again.

    "Yes, please!"

    Yang Xian chuckled. "He''s in the waiting room. You can meet him there."

    "Thank you."

    Wei Liuying walked out of the room and rushed over to find her uncle. After living as a man for a long time, she was more used to stride when she walked rather than walking slowly like what she usually did when she was still a young noble lady.

    Before long, Wei Liuying arrived in the waiting room.

    Wei Lu was sitting there with a cup of tea ready in front of him. His tranquil expression showed indifference and calmness that one would never be able to understand.

    "Uncle," Wei Liuying greeted.

    Wei Lu''s eyes shook when he saw Wei Liuying. A bright smile was formed on his lips. "Ying''er! You have grown so much."

    Wei Liuying smiled and strode inside. There were no servants inside the room. It seemed like Yang Xian already knew that she would be unwilling to have her reunion session be interrupted with the presence of servants inside the room.

    "It has been some time, Uncle."

    "Indeed, it has," Wei Lu replied. He smiled. "I have heard about your endeavor so much even though I''m staying at the south. You''re amazing, Ying''er."

    Wei Liuying smiled. "I have found a place where I can truly be myself, Uncle. At the same time, I also meet with wonderful people who could understand me very well."

    "I can see that you''re very happy," Wei Lu said with a laugh. He looked at Wei Liuying''s complexion. She did look tired, but the glow in her eyes showed her real feeling. She felt happy.

    Ah, how long he longed to see his niece happy? When Wei Liuying was in Wei Family Household, she had to restrain her action and mind whatever she said at every turn. It must have been so tiring, yet it was also necessary if she wished to be able to survive.

    Originally, Wei Lu wished for Wei Liuying to have a less dangerous position. But seeing how happy she was, how could he say that?

    Slowly, Wei Lu started to speak, "I can''t do much for you, Liuying, but I''ll do my best to keep the kingdom safe so that I can protect your happiness."

    Wei Liuying smiled faintly. "Thank you, Uncle. To be able to chat with you from time to time like this would be really good."

    "I''ll be staying in the capital city. Whenever you''re bored with your work, you can come to visit me. I''ll make sure to make you feel as if you''re at home," Wei Lu promised. He had long treated Wei Liuying as his own daughter, so he wished that she would be able to be happy.

    "Thank you, Uncle."

 Chapter 339 - Asking To Return

    "Thank you, Uncle."

    Wei Lu nodded and then relaxed his position. He looked at the ceiling and sighed. "As much as I wished for you to steer away from problem, I''m sure that you won''t abide to my words, would you?"

    "You know me very well, Uncle." Wei Liuying didn''t deny it. She knew very well that she was not exactly the type to stay silent for a long time. Besides, she loved to stay at the north and participated in the battle from time to time in order to keep the kingdom save.

    "I''m more concerned about another thing."

    "Yes?"

    "When will you get married?"

    "¡­Sorry?"

    Wei Lu chuckled when she saw Wei Liuying''s expression. "Strategist Yang came to talk with me not long ago. Since you didn''t have any parents anymore, he could only talk with me and asked for your hand in marriage."

    By this time, Wei Liuying didn''t know what kind of expression she put on her face anymore. She was simply looking at her uncle while her brain was trying to digest what he was telling her. While she knew that Yang Xian already told her that he wanted to marry her, she didn''t expect that he would be telling her uncle about this so soon.

    "That''s¡­"

    "He also passed this to me as the betrothal gifts since his real properties are at the north."

    Wei Lu passed a bamboo scroll to Wei Liuying along with a small pouch. Looking at that scroll, Wei Liuying''s expression turned strange but she still opened it. Inside it listed the house that Yang Xian had along with the land around it that also belonged to him.

    In other words: he would give her his entire property.

    The small pouch contained some money that Wei Liuying knew Yang Xian carried with him. It was his portion for the week while the rest was already kept with Wei Liuying. She pursed her lips at that thought.

    "I told him that I don''t have any say in regards of your marriage," Wei Lu said slowly. "Whether you want to or not, I''ll leave it all to you. All I hope is that you can be happy, Ying''er."

    With her father''s death, the Imperial Edict Wei Liuying asked from Prince Ji Sheng back then was useless. He also didn''t make one for her because it would be useless and simply told her that he would give her another reward. Wei Liuying hadn''t talked about it with him again.

    Wei Liuying looked at her uncle as she slowly regained her composure. She faintly nodded. "Thank you, Uncle."

    Wei Lu chuckled once more when he saw Wei Liuying''s stiff expression. There were not many people who could render Wei Liuying unable to say anything. Yang Xian might be the only person Wei Lu knew who could make Wei Liuying wore this expression in her face.

    The uncle and niece duo continued to speak for a while longer before Wei Lu departed because he had to start working.

    On the other hand, Wei Liuying headed to the room where she was staying before. Yang Xian was still sorting out the documents as usual as if there was nothing wrong. He raised his head when he heard Wei Liuying coming and smiled lightly but didn''t ask about what she was talking about with her uncle.

    Wei Liuying could see Yang Xian had returned back to face the document. They have a lot of works to do, so it was not weird that they would be working from morning until night. It was only lessened recently since several weeks have passed, but it was inevitable that there were still a lot of work to do.

    She put the scroll and pouch back at the table. Yang Xian looked at it for a moment but he didn''t have any intention to take it back after giving it to her. He resumed to look back to his document.

    Wei Liuying smiled faintly. Slowly, she opened her mouth, "Xian."

    "Yes?"

    "I accept."

    This time, Yang Xian raised his head from the document. He could see Wei Liuying was keeping her face straight but her ear had turned a bit red. Even though she always acted nonchalant around him, it would not erase the fact that she was still a young girl.

    He smiled broadly and stood up. With a swift movement, he hugged Wei Liuying tightly.

    His action startled Wei Liuying, but she didn''t resist. His embrace felt warm and comforting. It felt reassuring to stay inside his arms like this.

    "When?"

    "After my hairpin ceremony," Wei Liuying mumbled. It would be spring soon, so she would turn 16 in a few more weeks, not long after New Year.

    Yang Xian nodded. He could wait that long. With tender movements, he released Wei Liuying from his embrace and smiled lightly. "Shall we finish our work in the meantime?"

    "Yes."

    Not wanting to keep this awkward atmosphere, Wei Liuying made her way to her seat. She looked at the pile of documents in front of her. Now, it was time to work again.

    ¡­

    As spring came and the New Year celebration started, it was done in a very much humble way. The Emperor was simply too busy trying to restore everything. In addition, they were in mourning period because the previous Emperor passed away not long ago, so they simplified everything to the point that it didn''t look grand at all.

    "Your Majesty, Prince Ji Sheng is here to meet with you."

    Just a day after the New Year ceremony, Ji Shao Yang received unexpected request. He furrowed his brows but waved his hand to allow Prince Ji Sheng entered the hall.

    The servant scurried away and opened the door. Standing behind the door was Prince Ji Sheng who was wearing light robe, which contrasted his usual gallant appearance with his armor and everything else. The sharp gaze from Prince Ji Sheng rendered the servants unwilling to look at him directly in fear that they might incur his wrath.

    Prince Ji Sheng walked inside and cupped his hand. His gaze was directed straight at his older brother. "Ji Sheng greets the Emperor. May the Emperor live a long life."

    "No need to stand on ceremony. What brings you here today, Ji Sheng?"

    "I wish to return back to the frontline, Your Majesty," Prince Ji Sheng replied without beating around the bush.

    Ji Shao Yang arched his eyebrows. The New Year ceremony had just passed yesterday and Prince Ji Sheng already wanted to return back to the north?

    "Why are you in such a hurry, Ji Sheng? The Lantern Festival is still in 13 more days."

    Lantern Festival was held 15 days after the New Year and also the peak of New Year celebration. There were many people who waited for this day because they wished to be able to celebrate it together with their family.

    "My wife is waiting for me at the north. Since she had been helping me to guard the border, I wish to reunite with her," Prince Ji Sheng replied unhurriedly.

    Ji Shao Yang sighed. Knowing how his brother''s attitude towards his wife, he could understand that Prince Ji Sheng didn''t want to spare even a second longer. The most urgent matters were dealt with and there were already two prime ministers along with several other ministers.

    It was already time for him to return back.

    "In that case, I give you permission to return back to the north, Ji Sheng."

    "Many thanks for your kindness, Your Majesty. Your subject will excuse himself."

    As Prince Ji Sheng turned around, Ji Shao Yang''s eyes were looking at his younger brother. They were not related by blood, so Ji Shao Yang knew that Prince Ji Sheng was not part of the royal family. In addition, he knew that Prince Ji Sheng would not have any interest to fight for the throne based on his action before. However¡­.

    "Ji Sheng."

 Chapter 340 - Sugar Painting [END]

    "Yes, Your Majesty?" Prince Ji Sheng replied without turning around.

    Ji Shao Yang pursed his lips. "Please protect the north."

    "I will."

    "I wish you happiness."

    Prince Ji Sheng''s eyes flickered when he heard what Ji Shao Yang said. The two of them couldn''t help but wary with each other, but they had decided to trust each other to a certain degree. After all, they knew that it was important to make connections in order to be able to protect Han Shi Kingdom.

    "Thank you, Your Majesty."

    In the end, all Prince Ji Sheng do was to nod his head and walk out of the hall.

    Behind him, Ji Shao Yang watched his brother''s departing back and sighed. This was only the beginning for a new Han Shi Kingdom. He looked at his hand and vowed that he would create a better kingdom that promoted peace.

    Historian would later note down that Emperor Ji Shao Yang was a peace loving Emperor. He would settle the problem with the neighboring kingdoms by signing a treaty that allowed them to coexist. At the same time, there were also increase in economy during his reign, increasing the citizen''s prosperity.

    There was not much record about Prince Ji Sheng anymore, but he would not try to create war with his brother. Thus, the kingdom was at peace for a long period of time. What happened during that time to his retainers were not recorded as the historian focused on the Emperor.

    ¡­

    Near the gate, Yang Xian and Wei Liuying were waiting for Prince Ji Sheng to get the permission to leave the capital city.

    "How many messages have Princess Gao Ling sent?" Wei Liuying asked while standing near the carriage. Her black eyes were watching the soldiers who were doing their duty and some others who were waiting for their general. This time, she had returned back to her previous appearance as a young girl with white dress. It might be convenient for her to wear men robe, but she still preferred to be a woman again.

    She would only wear men''s robe if she was about to go to the war again.

    Yang Xian tilted his head. "She sent nearly one message each day, so I guess it should be more than 50 messages."

    "I see."

    Thinking about how Prince Ji Sheng also responded to each message, Wei Liuying laughed faintly. She could guess that the two of them were missing each other very much. At the same time, Gao Ling was doing a good job to fend the frontline all this time. There was not much war going on since Prince Ji Sheng already pushed Xiong Tribe back far away. Only some skirmish still occurred from time to time.

    "His Highness sure takes his time."

    "It might not be easy to get the permission from His Majesty."

    Yang Xian pursed his lips. He turned his head to the side and grinned. "Wait here for me a bit. I''ll return back soon."

    "Yes?"

    Wei Liuying watched as Yang Xian dashed to the side and shook her head. She wondered what did he want to do this time since this strategist was truly eccentric. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Manager Xin coming with a box in his hand. Her eyes widened when she saw him.

    "Manager¡­. I mean Prime Minister Xin, what brings you here?" Wei Liuying asked worriedly.

    Manager Xin smiled and passed the box to Wei Liuying. "I could guess that you''re planning to get married at the north. It''s a pity that I won''t be able to see it, but I hope that you can be happy."

    The box was heavy and at that time, Wei Liuying knew that it was the money she had entrusted Manager Xin with for the past few years. After she used the money to buy the restaurant, it had given her more profit with time. Even though it was already used from time to time for some matter, the rest of the sum was still quite substantial. She had told him that she would take it once she got married and now that she was about to reach 16 years old, it was time for her to take the money back.

    A smile formed on her lips. "Thank you very much for your help all this time, Prime Minister Xin."

    "I only hope that you won''t stop writing. The book you give is very interesting and there are already a lot of people who want copies of it. I want to know what kind of research you''ll do in the future," Manager Xin said with a laugh.

    Wei Liuying nodded enthusiastically. "I''ll send you the next one after I have finished my research, Manager Xin."

    "That''s good."

    At this time, Yang Xian returned back. In his hand, he was holding onto a sugar painting in the shape of a bunny. He looked at Manager Xin and bowed slightly as he continued to walk in Wei Liuying''s direction.

    Manager Xin''s eyes flashed. "I won''t disturb the two of you again. And Liuying, if you find him annoying, you''re welcomed to return back to the bookstore at any time."

    "There''s no need to worry so much, Prime Minister Xin. I''ll not mistreat my future wife," Yang Xian said with a smile, yet there was a hint of darkness in his eyes. He had worked so hard to make sure that he could tie her with him. How could he possibly let her get away from him?

    Manager Xin chuckled. "We shall meet again, youngsters."

    As Manager Xin left, Yang Xian and Wei Liuying saw Prince Ji Sheng coming on top of his horse. He had changed his clothing to wear the armor again and waved his hand, signaling that they would depart soon.

    Yang Xian made an eye contact with Prince Ji Sheng. They didn''t say anything, but it was enough to convey a message. After that brief moment, Yang Xian opened the door to the carriage and looked at Wei Liuying with his hand extended.

    "May I help you enter?"

    "Thank you¡­"

    Normally, it would be maidservant who helped her or her husband, but Wei Liuying had long decided to overlook Yang Xian''s obvious advance. She felt as if he was trying to mark her as his even though they were not married yet.

    Wei Liuying watched as Yang Xian also entered the carriage and closed the door. As the carriage began to move, she opened her mouth. "Why did you enter?"

    "I wish to stay with you."

    "Won''t people complain because their strategist is inside a carriage and not riding on a horse?"

    "We''re not marching to war, so it''s fine." Yang Xian stretched his hand that was holding the sugar painting and smiled lightly. "For you."

    "Sugar painting?"

    "Didn''t this remind you of something?"

    Wei Liuying took the sugar painting as she thought of two years or so ago. At that time, she was going to the street due to Wei Xiao Hua''s sudden whim when she met with a servant named Yang. He asked about sweets and something like that and as thanks, he gave her a sugar painting.

    A smile formed on the corner of her lips as she licked the sugar painting. It was sweet and tasty. "I remember our first meeting ends with this kind of sugar painting."

    Yang Xian chuckled. "That''s the first time I see a peculiar young girl from a noble family who didn''t put on airs."

    "I''m sure I''m not the only one as there are many other noble ladies who will not put on airs in front of strangers."

    "But you''re the only one who received men''s education and still keep your composure even when facing an unknown stranger."

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips. Yang Xian must have found out because of Shi Yan since he was one of the earliest people who knew about her real abilities. Putting the sugar painting in front of her, Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian.

    "Have I attracted your attention from such a long time ago, Yang Xian?"

    "You did, Wei Liuying." Yang Xian smiled. "When did you first take notice of me?"

    When did she first take notice of Yang Xian?

    Wei Liuying''s eyes landed on the sugar painting in her hand. From the moment she got the sugar painting back then, she had been looking out for him in wariness because she knew that he''s a dangerous man.

    Slowly, Wei Liuying raised the sugar painting. "Since this incident."

    "Oh."

    Yang Xian lowered his head and licked the sugar painting in Wei Liuying''s hand. His movement was swift and before Wei Liuying could protest, he raised his hand and pulled her head closer. In that moment, their lips locked in a kiss. The sweet smell from the sugar painting assaulted their nose as they tasted each other''s lips.

    After a few moments, Yang Xian moved back. He licked his lips. "Sweet."

    "It''s because of the sugar painting," Wei Liuying said slowly, trying to control her erratic breathing.

    Yang Xian chuckled and leaned on the chair, not believing the excuse.

    Wei Liuying pursed her lips and inched closer. Slowly, she rested her head on his shoulder as her eyes watched the sugar painting in her hand. It was funny that everything started from this small sugar painting that only worth 3 copper coins. A food that usually only commoners enjoyed because the noble family scorned it.

    "Unexpected encounters can lead to something more," Yang Xian said unhurriedly. He smiled faintly. "The best day in my life is the day I meet with you."

    Wei Liuying chuckled. They were not this close at first, but they gradually grew closer as time passed. She licked the sugar painting again. "This is only the beginning, Xian. There''s still a long road in front of us."

    Yang Xian nodded and caressed Wei Liuying''s hair with his hand. It was soft. "Yes, it''s a new beginning for the kingdom and for us. And this time, it''ll be a peaceful world."

    "Peace, huh?" Wei Liuying closed her eyes. "Yeah, it''ll be nice."

    After tirelessly scheming and waging war all this time, it would be nice if they could relax for some time.

    "Yes." Yang Xian kissed Wei Liuying''s head. "We''ll work together to protect this peace."

    "En."

    As the carriage departed to the north, the couple continued to talk about many things.

    Historian recorded that the peace treaty with other tribes were made as trades started to develop. While the scale was still small, it was a good start for a peaceful era where economy would grow and the citizen life''s improved.

    ~Fin

    ---

    Hey everyone, the author is here *waves hand with broad smile*

    Thank you very much for reading this novel until the end. While there might be still many things that occurred in Han Shi Kingdom, I think it''ll be better to leave the rest to your imagination and let the character lived their lives, away from the peeping eyes of me and the readers.

    While I''m at it, I''ll like to say that the story is NOT based on real history. The setting and what happened here is completely fiction. Whilst I''m keeping the culture and location to Ancient Chinese during Qin and Han Dynasty, I''m not following all of the real timeline and history when I''m making this story.

    P.S: There''s also no Han Shi Kingdom in the real Chinese History.

    Back to the point.

    I know that some of you would like to read more of the story, but this is the ending that I have in my mind and adding more would only stretch the story more than necessary.

    And I don''t want that.

    So, this is the end¡­.

    Yeah.

    *sniff*

    I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Thank you very much for the past few months.

    It has been an eventful journey with all of you here.

    Thank you very much for reading up until now. I''m extremely grateful for all of your support. No matter how small you thought they were, it was all of this that kept me continue writing and eventually finished the story. :D

    For this story, I''ll post a few epilogues after a short break and as for side story¡­. I have a question asked in the next chapter.

    Thank you very much everyone.

    With love,

    Sorahana <3

 Chapter 341 - Epilogue 1: Wei Xiao Hua In Alternate Modern World (1)

    Bang!

    Falling from her chair, Wei Xiao Hua looked at the familiar ceiling. Her eyes watered, making her vision blurry, and her body felt hurt. She felt as if a sword had just sliced through her neck just now.

    It hurts¡­.

    It hurts so much¡­

    "Xiao Hua, what are you doing?"

    Wei Xiao Hua raised her head and looked to the side. A familiar face appeared before her, a face that she hadn''t seen for the past two years and thought that she would never see in her entire life anymore.

    "Yan''er¡­"

    "Are you alright? Shall I call a doctor? You fall quite hard." The woman named Yan''er asked the questions in worry.

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at the person before her and then shook her head lightly. She saw the area around her as she noticed that she was back in the familiar world. There was a wooden desk and comfortable chair not far from her. There were several documents placed neatly on her table along with her other items.

    She had returned back¡­

    Back to the modern world¡­

    "This¡­." Tears streamed out from the corner of her eyes. She had missed this world very much. For the past two years, she was struggling to live in a completely different world, unaware whether she would have the chance to return back to her real world or not.

    Yan''er was stunned when she saw Wei Xiao Hua started to cry. She hurriedly extended her hand and tried to help Wei Xiao Hua up. "Xiao Hua, what happened to you? Are you alright? Did someone bully you?"

    "What? Oh, no¡­ I just felt the story is sad."

    "Geez, story again? Just how many times would you read the same story?"

    "Sorahana''s stories are interesting," Wei Xiao Hua defended herself. She wiped her tears and started to look around. At this time, she noticed that she was still holding her phone. Her heart tightened a bit.

    Did the storyline change because she entered the novel?

    Or did everything that happen was nothing more but a dream? Still, it all felt too real to just be a dream.

    The feeling, the touch, the fear, and also the experience. Everything that happened for the past two years in that world was printed clear in Wei Xiao Hua''s mind. It didn''t look like a dream at all.

    ''But if it was real...no, it must be just a dream¡­''

    Yan''er shrugged. "Anyway, it''ll be the end of the work hour soon. I''ll finish my work first then we can go and grab a drink."

    "En."

    "En?" Yan''er was stunned. She looked at Wei Xiao Hua and extended her hand to touch the latter''s forehead. "Are you still dreaming? Why did you suddenly use shy speech with me?"

    Wei Xiao Hua was speechless. Now that she thought about it, she would never use ''en'' when she agreed to Yan''er in the past. Using it did feel weird for her, but it was not like it was intentional. Living for two years in the ancient world did affect her a little bit.

    It took her some time to convince Yan''er that she was fine before Wei Xiao Hua corrected her chair and sat down. Her eyes were looking at her phone. Taking a deep breath, Wei Xiao Hua swipe the screen open. The screen was still showing WN app with the last chapter she opened when she was reading back then.

    ''The time didn''t change too. It felt as if I only leave for 2 minutes like sleeping?''

    Wei Xiao Hua didn''t know, but she chose to just read the novel. The reason why she chose to read this novel in the first place was because the name of the main protagonist was the same as her. Later on, she genuinely liked the story because of the extensive world and interesting storyline.

    As she read, Wei Xiao Hua noticed that the story was progressing in the same storyline as what she had known previously with no change like what happened to her.

    Wei Xiao Hua started to read the part when Ji Shu battled with Prince Ji Sheng.

    *

    ''You have lost.''

    ''You''re not bad, Imperial Brother,'' Prince Ji Sheng said with a smile. Trail of blood came out from the corner of his lips.

    Ji Shu looked at his older brother and sneered. ''I can''t lose this battle, Ji Sheng. Don''t blame me for what I have done for the throne.''

    ''No, I''ll not blame you, Ji Shu. Everyone had a reason why to do what they did.'' Prince Ji Sheng coughed. He looked at the sky with a sad smile. ''And I had already lost the reason for me to win the battle.''

    Ji Shu didn''t mock Prince Ji Sheng because he understood what his older brother was talking about. That incident was unfortunate, but there was simply nothing that he could possibly do. Besides, why would he care for his older brother''s fianc¨¦e?

    Not to mention, all of Prince Ji Sheng''s support had been cut down one by one along the way. Even if Prince Ji Sheng could win, Han Shi Kingdom would be put in perilous situation.

    ''This is the end.''

    ''Yes.''

    *

    Wei Xiao Hua closed her eyes for a moment. The scene that played just before her return to the modern world was completely different. Because at that time, Prince Ji Sheng still hadn''t lost his reason to win.

    ''The changing events¡­ are my fault.''

    Glancing at the time, Wei Xiao Hua knew that there was still more than enough time for her to read today since her work was done.

    ''I''ll continue reading.''

    The story shifted to Yang Xian''s point of view. Different from Prince Ji Sheng who had lost his will to live, Yang Xian''s eyes were blazing with flames of revenge. After coming to that world, Wei Xiao Hua understood that Yang Xian blamed Ji Shu for everything that happened there.

    Even if Ji Shu only responsible for part of them, Yang Xian still considered it to be his faults.

    Commanding the soldiers, Yang Xian scattered the soldiers and made them attacked Ji Shu continuously during his return journey to the capital city. The supposedly smooth journey become torturing thanks to Yang Xian.

    ''¡­.Why is the author writing so much about this strategist now?''

    ¡­

    (A/N):

    This is the question I would like to ask: would you like me to make a side story for Wei Xiao Hua in the modern world that''s longer than this 3 chapters'' epilogue? If you want, you can COMMENT IN THIS paragraph and if there are more than 30 likes to ONE of the PARAGRAPH COMMENTs that say yes by next week (16 July 2021), I''ll consider making the side story but if not, then forget it.

 Chapter 342 - Epilogue 1: Wei Xiao Hua In Alternate Modern World (2)

    Wei Xiao Hua had a bad feeling, but she just continued to read the story.

    When they reached the capital city, it was then revealed the most annoying fact that the author had completely hidden for more than 200 chapters.

    The second prince was still alive and tried to take over the capital city once more. Ji Shu had to work harder to deal with Ji Shao Yang and a long lasting war occurred. It took him months before he could regain the capital city with Wei Xiao Hua helping from behind the scene to gather more officials under Ji Shu.

    There were several time skips and Wei Xiao Hua could see that Yang Xian kept on appearing here and there to create chaos. It was clear that he actively tried to bring them down and even sent assassins to kill Wei Xiao Hua several times.

    But it didn''t succeed.

    Then finally, it was the chapter that depicted Yang Xian''s end.

    *

    ''Why? Why are you still the one standing at the end?'' Yang Xian asked. His youthful and handsome face looked distorted as he looked at the two couple in front of him. There was disgust and anger within his eyes.

    Ji Shu scoffed and waved his hand. ''You''re slippery and know very well how to control the army, but still, you fail to bring everyone together.''

    Yang Xian laughed while looked at the sky. His eyes turned red from both anger and grieve. Even all this time¡­ all the attempts that he did was completely useless. He tried over and over to go against Wei Xiao Hua and Ji Shu only to ultimately fail.

    There were already countless people died in his way.

    Wei Xiao Hua looked at Yang Xian and furrowed her brows. ''Have you never thought of the people who had died just because you try to stand before us, Yang Xian?''

    Lowered his gaze to look at Wei Xiao Hua, there was a cruel gaze within his eyes. ''Have you ever asked the same thing to yourself, Empress Wei? Don''t you know that there are so many innocent people whom you killed just because you suspect them?''

    His tone, when he called her with her proper title, was filled with nothing but mocking.

    ''Innocent? Don''t make me laugh, Yang Xian. I only go against those who try to go against me and schemed to bring me down. Tell me, should I just stay quiet and let them do as they wished when they attempt to kill me?'' Wei Xiao Hua asked in a tone filled with contempt.

    Yang Xian didn''t avert his gaze. He laughed self depreciatingly. ''Have you ever try to have a proper talk with them?''

    ''Why should I?''

    ''Xiao Hua..''

    ''How dare you!''

    ''Not everyone wants to go against you in the first place, but you''re too self-conceited to see the world around you.'' Yang Xian''s gaze was cold. His mind was remembering a figure that he had missed so much. It seemed that after several weeks of the torture in this world without her, he would be able to meet with her again.

    Wei Xiao Hua''s face darkened. ''What do you know, Yang Xian? I was living a harsh childhood ever since I was a child. Being treated worse than a servant, I¡­.''

    ''You''re not the only person in the world who''s mistreated. But do you think that it gives you the right to go and kill other people without restrain?''

    ''You¡­.''

    Bang!

    Yang Xian stood up suddenly, there was a smirk on the corner of his eyes. Rather than giving up like a sacrificial lamb, he would just stay and laugh at them. ''Mark my words, Ji Shu, Xiao Hua. You two will never be happy in this world. You start your path with blood, so you''ll also end your path with blood!''

    Slash!

    Ji Shu slashed his sword against Yang Xian and looked at the other party with a cold gaze. ''You''re not any better, Yang Xian. An orphan of war who had killed thousands of people for your own sake. But we''re different as I stood at the place you''ll never hope to get. Even if I have to turn the entire world into a pool of blood, I''ll stand at the very peak.''

    However, Yang Xian only sent him a mocking gaze. There was never any regret nor remorse as if his entire life was focused solely for revenge.

    *

    "Huh?"

    Wei Xiao Hua touched her cheek as she realized that she was crying. Because she understood that Yang Xian cared greatly for Wei Liuying, she felt that she could understand this strategist a bit better.

    In addition, there were many times when she felt that the real Wei Xiao Hua was indeed cruel. Yet there were also other times when she thought that the real Wei Xiao Hua was still too lenient. But she couldn''t understand everything as well as Wei Xiao Hua even after entering the novel as Wei Xiao Hua, so she couldn''t say anything much.

    Taking a deep breath, Wei Xiao Hua continued reading the story.

    Without Yang Xian, the defense of Ji Shao Yang was growing weaker. After all, Yang Xian and Ji Shao Yang worked together to some degree. In the end, Ji Shao Yang was defeated under Ji Shu.

    Ji Shu became the Emperor in the end with Wei Xiao Hua as the Empress.

    When reading about this part, Wei Xiao Hua took a deep breath. She felt that the long lasting war was very annoying to read. If only it was possible for the war to end faster, she would surely take that option and not let this happen. But it was too late and everything truly felt like a dream for her now that she had returned back to the real world.

    ''if only I had known that the second prince is still alive, I''ll surely make the necessary preparation.''

    Wei Xiao Hua sighed and continued to read. The story didn''t end just with them becoming the leader of the kingdom. It continued a bit more about Wei Xiao Hua''s life in the palace.

    However¡­

    "The novel''s description is lacking compared to the real thing."

    In fact, Wei Xiao Hua felt that the character of Baili Lin and Ji Shu''s mother were toned down a bit in the novel. It was as if the author was scared that she would scare the readers away if she revealed their real cruel side.

    And novel will not follow the characters 24 hours a day. There were many things that was not mentioned in the novel that Wei Xiao Hua witnesses.

    For some reason, her impression of the novel was no longer the same as before after reading about it. The way the author written it only made it hard to differentiate who was the real antagonist because everyone had a reason that driven their action.

    But the story hadn''t ended yet.

    ''Hmm? There are several side stories.''

    ''Side Story 1: Strategist Liu (Wei Liuying) Story.''

    Eh?

    Thinking about her experience, Wei Xiao Hua hurriedly read the content. It was then she realized that the author had already designed that Strategist Liu was actually Wei Liuying in disguise. She had business relationship with Yang Xian, whom she first met in the academy and struck a deal during desperate moment.

    Because the two only had business relationship, they talked quite a lot. It was at that time Wei Xiao Hua came and interrupted them, thus ruining Wei Liuying''s reputation further.

    The two of them gradually grew closer as they learned about each other. But by the time they realized their feelings, it was too late. The despaired Princess Ji Xiaoli betrayed Han Shi Kingdom and put Wei Liuying in utter danger. When Wei Liuying was captured and Yang Xian had to shoot her, she was unable to hold onto the rope and ended up drowned to death.

    Reading the story, Wei Xiao Hua felt tears were formed on the corner of her eyes.

    Why¡­?

    Why did the author have to put so much detail to the background and then unleashed the onion warriors?

    It was so sad reading all of this.

    At the end of the side story, Wei Xiao Hua saw a note made by the author:

    "If Yang Xian and Wei Liuying had met earlier, things will be completely different because the two of them would be able to build trust faster to work together better and prevent Ji Shu from becoming the Emperor."

 Chapter 343 - Epilogue 1: Wei Xiao Hua In Alternate Modern World (3)

    Her eyes shook when she saw the note. Wei Xiao Hua looked at the note and thought about what she had done when she was inside the novel. She was both confused, excited, curious, and didn''t act like what the original Wei Xiao Hua did. The original Wei Xiao Hua was calm and tried to analyze everything there.

    Not long after she entered the novel, she came out and visited a store right on the day of Prince Ji Sheng''s return¡­.

    It was then she recalled that Wei Liuying also came out of the carriage and returned back with a sugar painting in her hand. Knowing that most noble would not eat something like that, it was not hard to guess that the sugar painting must have been from Yang Xian¡­

    The two of them met far earlier than the original story.

    FAR EARLIER

    And the result¡­.

    Was a total disaster.

    In the original novel, the two of them were a pair that met at the right time yet at the same time also a wrong time. They developed feelings yet things didn''t end up well because their trust as comrade and feelings of love developed too late.

    But during Wei Xiao Hua''s transmigration¡­

    Wei Xiao Hua laughed bitterly and then looked at the ceiling. She felt that the author cheated on her. Other people transmigrated and managed to live happily by using their knowledge from either the modern world or from knowing the storyline. But in her case, she changed the storyline and dug an early grave for herself.

    Who in their right mind would create such a powerful villain, ah?

    But if she thought about it again, the side story revealed everything that she needed to know. Wei Liuying learned male education because of her brother and that was what helped her at the very end. While she might be scorned by the people in the capital city as a woman, she would be a very successful ''young man.''

    And that was the reason why the author made her.

    Powerful adversary.

    ''Well, the author is known to like making troublesome opponents that nearly took the protagonist''s life in several of her novels. While it makes the story interesting as an OP protagonist can be tiring, it''s difficult when someone else is the one possessing her character.''

    Wei Xiao Hua sighed and swiped the page again to the next epilogue. She felt that if she stayed there any longer, she would start lamenting of her mistake that she had done. Her biggest mistake was very simple¡­.

    Going out on that accursed day.

    Then leaving Wei Liuying on her own during the Lantern Festival¡­

    After that, was the hunt also got affected? Wei Xiao Hua had the feeling that the chance that occurred in the story was also affected by Wei Liuying''s coming to the hunt as Wei Hong Zheng.

    Everything fell into place now that Wei Xiao Hua understood the reason why the original Wei Xiao Hua was so wary of Wei Liuying. She must have realized that the most dangerous person, not only inside the residence but also outside, was Wei Liuying. Which was why the real Wei Xiao Hua cut off Wei Liuying''s wing from the very first moment.

    She needed to get rid of that ticking bomb.

    And in the novel, Wei Xiao Hua succeeded in doing so.

    Unfortunately, Wei Xiao Hua who transmigrated into the novel didn''t managed to realize all of this and inevitably walked straight into the bottomless pit. She had sealed her fate from the moment she deviated from the novel.

    ''The next epilogue¡­''

    ''Oh, this time it''s about their future.''

    Reading about how Ji Shu and Wei Xiao Hua would live happily with their kids only sent tears to Wei Xiao Hua. She wanted that kind of life so much. It was much happier for her if only she could stay with Ji Shu and changed the storyline.

    But it was impossible.

    She had returned back to the modern world while Ji Shu have died because of the battle with Prince Ji Sheng.

    And¡­ there was the cruel truth that Ji Shu was a character inside a novel that she read while she was living in the real world. She felt it was so vexing that she wished that she could repeat everything again.

    This time, even if she had to go through the monotone cycle, and suffered, she would bear through it.

    She just wished that she could end with Ji Shu.

    "In the first place, how did I even enter the novel?" Wei Xiao Hua pondered to herself. She was reading the novel in WN app when she was suddenly sent inside the novel and became the main protagonist. Everything was weird in her opinion.

    Was it just a dream?

    Or was it a memory?

    Memory of an alternate world?

    A different life¡­?

    "Xiao Hua, how long do you plan to stay in the office? It''s already 4 PM. Have you finished your work?"

    "Ah yeah, I have already submitted the work to Manager Yu."

    Thinking about her work, Wei Xiao Hua felt cold sweat pouring on her back. She could no longer remembered the detail of her work before her transmigration. While it was supposed to be something she wrote just a few hours ago, it felt as if two years had passed in her memory.

    While reading the document once more, Wei Xiao Hua felt that her memory started to return back to normal. Her experience when she was inside the novel turned fuzzy as if it was nothing more than a dream, yet Wei Xiao Hua knew that she could never forget the story.

    The warmth she experienced with Ji Shu¡­.

    The cold war that she had to face just in order to survive in that world¡­.

    Everything left deep impression in her heart. Even if she ended up unable to remember everything, she would not be able to forget the deeply ingrained impression that was carved to her mind and body.

    ''Well, I guess I should go and visit the author with a dummy account¡­ if I''m not wrong, the author left the discord''s group invitation somewhere. Oh, here it is.''

    Wei Xiao Hua played with her phone and smiled lightly, yet there was a tinge of sadness from the corner of her eyes. She noticed that there were many other readers who were complaining at the end of the first epilogue because of the sad ending and the fact that there could be a different ending for them at the cost of the main protagonist.

    It was truly a cruel setting.

    ''Let''s play a prank to the author~. I should make a dummy account and play a bit~.''

    Signing up to the discord using the name Wei Xiao Hua, Wei Xiao Hua entered the chat and saw the author welcomed him. She grinned and started to chat.

    "Author, you''re so cruel! Why do you create such a setting like that and make the characters have to fight with each other?!"

    She could see many other members were commenting the same thing and pointed her nickname was the same as the protagonist''s name. Wei Xiao Hua chuckled and played with her phone.

    At the very least, she felt a bit better after playing a prank to Sorahana.

    Hmm, she would reveal her real account later after she was satisfied with this~

    ¡­

    (End of Epilogue 1)

 Chapter 344 - Epilogue 2: The Dream (1)

    *This is the continuation of Yang Xian''s dream from the main story. It''ll continue the ''real'' path of Yang Xian in the ''novel'' that Wei Xiao Hua read. The content can be a bit disturbing, though.*

    "Xian, now that we have returned back to the north, it didn''t mean that you need to overwork yourself too," Wei Liuying said helplessly when she saw that Yang Xian only returned back late at night.

    Yang Xian smiled lightly. "Sorry, His highness wished to discuss something with me not long ago."

    "With you so busy like that, how do you plan to prepare for the marriage?" Wei Liuying teased.

    "Don''t worry, I already ask His Highness''s help for the preparation."

    This time, Wei Liuying was the one who was stunned. Usually, the one who would take care of the youngsters'' marriage would be their mother or elders. But in Wei Liuying and Yang Xian''s case, they didn''t have parents anymore. The only relative that Wei Liuying had were only her uncle and her two brothers.

    Asking her brothers to help preparing marriage would be the dumbest thing to do.

    While her uncle was already the prime minister and naturally very busy.

    "Are you sure you''re not asking the wrong person?" Wei Liuying shook her head. "Forget it, I already talked to Her Highness about it and she wished to help preparing the marriage too."

    "Ah, that sounds better." Yang Xian let out a dry laugh. Gao Ling would surely do better work compared to Prince Ji Sheng. After all, Gao Ling also participated in her own marriage preparation.

    "Go wash yourself. I already prepared dinner."

    "Got it."

    The two of them were still living together even though Wei Liuying''s gender was already revealed. Besides, the two of them didn''t care that much about the rumors going around outside as they simply wished to stay together. Since they had been together in the past, why should they listen to those nonsenses and lived separately now?

    Too bothersome.

    Though, they still slept in separate rooms.

    After eating, Yang Xian returned back to his room and lied down on his bed. He might be busy, but he was also feeling much happier. The things that occurred after the war was over seemed to be far better than what he could ever hope.

    But as he drifted to sleep, Yang Xian noticed that he was in an empty space once more. His brows furrowed. He knew very well that he was not one to dream most of the time, so he still could remember that the previous time this happened was the time when he got strange dreams.

    It was as if his worst nightmare had occurred.

    Clang!

    The sound of metal clashing attracted his attention. Yang Xian looked to a certain direction and saw the light in that place. He felt uneasy, but he still walked in that direction when he saw the battle at the north. He could see that the area was far beyond the border.

    ''This is during my visit to the north with Liuying?''

    Looking at his own pale complexion, Yang Xian could guess that he was not exactly living well during his time at the north this time. There were many things that he had to pay attention to and if he had to pay close attention to Wei Liuying''s condition, it was clear that he wouldn''t be able to rest properly.

    The development didn''t look too good either.

    At this moment, what he saw was the time when Princess Ji Xiaoli died with Shi Mo following them. Her expression was filled with remorse compared to relief and Shi Mo was more filled with anger and hatred. They couldn''t accept this ending.

    "Their relationship is also different?"

    Yang Xian paused in his steps and looked at the dream Wei Liuying. Her anger and helplessness could be seen within her eyes. Even though she kept a poker face, her eyes were showing her real emotion.

    "I''ll go to the north.''

    Closing his eyes, Yang Xian sighed. It was the same development and he could guess what would happen in the future¡­

    "Stop it, please."

    But the events in front of him changed once more. The battle near the river was showing in front of his eyes. He could see the dream Yang Xian was despairing when he saw Wei Liuying got caught by them. Her battered condition was not much better than what Yang Xian had seen back then.

    However, the weariness within Wei Liuying''s eyes showed that she was thoroughly tired and unable to move properly.

    "Kill her."

    With the order ensued from Prince Ji Sheng, the dream Yang Xian raised his hand. The arrow was on the position of the bow and could be released at any time when it was necessary.

    His hand was trembling.

    "Stop this." Yang Xian didn''t want to see this scene the most. He had been agonizing over this scene over and over in his mind for a long period of time. What he was worrying the most was, what if he had slipped? What if he aimed poorly? The difference between life and death was only as wide as a strand of hair.

    Just a little bit mistake was more than enough for him to be the one to send Wei Liuying to hear death.

    "Do it, Yang Xian!"

    The scream from that familiar voice only caused Yang Xian''s body to tremble. He couldn''t keep his gaze to the front anymore as he felt his vision turned blurry. The scream from the dream Yang Xian entered his eyes as the water flooded the place.

    "Yang Xian, what are you doing?!"

    Splash!

    The dream Yang Xian rushed over and tried to pick Wei Liuying up. He was crying, yet there was nothing much that he could do. Had he not shoot the arrow, the people there would have killed Wei Liuying too.

    Which one would be better, letting the soldiers killed Wei Liuying or kill her with his own hand?

    He didn''t know.

    And he didn''t want to know.

    Yang Xian tried to avert his eyes from the scene, but he found out that he was unable to. He could only look helplessly as the dream Yang Xian was forced to face the consequences of his failed plan.

 Chapter 345 - Epilogue 2: The Dream (2)

    Splash!

    The sound of water, screams, and cries, pierced through Yang Xian''s heart. He knew that this was nothing more than a dream, but he felt helpless because he couldn''t stop anything from happening.

    He didn''t want to see this, yet, he couldn''t look away and could only watch in despair as he lost her.

    Just as he felt that he was about to lose his mind, the scene changed to the battle between Prince Ji Sheng and Ji Shu.

    This time, it was Prince Ji Sheng who had lost.

    "The location is different." Yang Xian noticed that they were still at the north and not near the capital city like what had happened previously. The soldiers there were willing to follow Prince Ji Sheng''s order, but they broke down when they saw that Prince Ji Sheng had lost.

    When soldiers lost their leader, there were only two outcomes. One, they would have a breakdown and unable to continue fighting. Two, they would be filled with anger and tried to avenge their leader no matter what the cost was.

    ''It''s the first one.''

    Yang Xian was not surprised. He knew that the soldiers at the north were extremely reliant on Prince Ji Sheng. Without the latter, they wouldn''t be able to fight properly and the prolonged battle with the northern tribes had long diminished their will to fight. Without proper leader, they would fall.

    He himself also clenched his hand when he saw that. The real event was the complete opposite, but seeing Prince Ji Sheng fell down and Ji Shu roared in happiness, he still felt that he wished to stop this.

    If only it was possible, he wanted to kill this dream Ji Shu too.

    He averted his eyes and saw the dream Yang Xian, who was standing at the edge of the battle. His eyes were red and his hands were clasped so tightly that blood oozed out. It was dripping to the ground beside him.

    "I have lost everyone," the dream Yang Xian muttered. "Why should I care for anything else?"

    Yang Xian felt as if he was seeing his old self back before he met with Prince Ji Sheng. At that time, he could be said to be nothing more than a beast who didn''t care for anything for the sake of his survival. No matter what the cost, the young Yang Xian only wished to survive and live.

    And the dream Yang Xian''s sole purpose was to get revenge. He had lost everyone dear to him one by one in unfortunate accidents. It felt as if he was cursed, cursed to lose everyone whom he cared for.

    Bang!

    The scene changed again. This time, it was a future that Yang Xian had never known. He was ordering some soldiers who had changed their professions. Those who wished to avenge their leader no matter what the prize followed him and created trouble for Ji Shu during his return journey.

    "Poison the water."

    The cold tone of the dream Yang Xian could be heard. Yang Xian saw the bottle and noticed that it was one of the few poisons that Shi Lu Wen had developed back then for self defense. It was never used, so now, the dream Yang Xian used the poison to create damages for Ji Shu''s side.

    Countless attacks were launched on Ji Shu''s way to return back to the capital city. And when they arrived at the capital city, Prince Ji Shao Yang had taken the chance to take the capital city under him.

    Another war was inevitable.

    ''I see, Ji Sheng failed to strike a deal with Ji Shao Yang because there''s nothing much that Ji Sheng could do to help in that battered condition. The prolonged war and the weary soldiers....''

    Yang Xian watched everything unfolded before him like a nightmare. He saw the dream Yang Xian talked with Ji Shao Yang, but the two could never reach the word deal. Ji Shao Yang wants the throne with less damages as possible but the dream Yang Xian wished for total destruction.

    But the two of them knew that they would need to collaborate to some extent.

    Unfortunately, the dream Yang Xian could never deal significant damages to Ji Shu and Wei Xiao Hua. Even though he had killed countless soldiers and people of Ji Shu''s side, there were still many more left. On the other hand, he had started to lose more and more of his people.

    "This shall be the last," the dream Yang Xian gave his order to the last few people near him. "No matter whether we succeed or not, we''ll not retreat."

    "Yes!"

    The dream Yang Xian walked out of the cave where he was hiding. Ji Shu and Wei Xiao Hua was still unable to enter the capital city at this point of time because of his attempt along with Ji Shao Yang''s works. But it would soon be the last battle.

    All three sides were already weary.

    *rustle*

    "Who''s there?"

    The dream Yang Xian turned around and saw a large wolf appearing from behind the bush. He stood there carefully and didn''t dare to come closer.

    On the other hand, Yang Xian was stunned because he could recognize that wolf as the wolf that helped Wei Liuying in the past. The large scar on its face was clear, but there were more wounds on his body compared to the one that Yang Xian met back then. He looked at the wolf and felt as if the wolf was also staring back to him past his dream self. There was no emotion visible on the wolf''s eyes as it turned around and howled to the night sky.

    In the next moment, the wolf had disappeared back into the forest while the dream Yang Xian was only standing with a dumfounded expression.

    The scene changed and Yang Xian could see his dream self''s death in Ji Shu''s hand. He heard his dream self cursed Ji Shu as his last words yet there was no regret. Of course, there would never be regret.

    He had lost everything, what should he do even if he kept on living?

    Now, he even lost the last battle he put his life on the stake. He failed to get his revenge and could only fall helplessly as his death came nearer. However, death sounded to be comforting instead of scary as his dream self knew that he would be reunited with the others who had left him earlier from this world.

    At least, that was what his dream self expression told Yang Xian.

    Yang Xian watched in silence as he heard the word he spoke out with hatred. Even though none of these happened, he knew very well that he never liked Ji Shu and Wei Xiao Hua. It was as if they could never stay in the same world for peace to exist.

    "Are you satisfied now, Yang Xian?"

    Yang Xian turned his head around and saw his dream self standing there. There were only minute differences in their expression because of what had happened in their point of view.

    The dream Yang Xian stared forward and didn''t reply.

    "Why do you show me all of this? Are you trying to tell me to be careful so that I''ll not make any miscalculation?" Yang Xian asked in harsh tone. Seeing all of this, yet he couldn''t do anything and forced to see everything until the end was very torturing. He didn''t want to see it ever again.

    The dream Yang Xian stared back with its dark eyes and opened his mouth. No words came out, but he mouthed out a sentence, ''Live well and be happy this time.''

    And everything turned white as the scene disappeared.

    "Wha-?"

    ¡­

    Bang!

    Yang Xian was stunned and noticed that he had returned back to his room. Just now, he fell off the bed and landed on the hard ground. Blinking his eyes, Yang Xian felt that his world was completely distorted just now.

    Knock! Knock!

    "Xian, are you alright? I heard a loud voice." Wei Liuying''s concerned tone could be heard from outside the door. With her martial arts, it was easy for her to know that Yang Xian was alone in the room, yet he was on the floor.

    "I''m fine. I just slipped because I''m still sleepy."

    "¡­Just sleep again. It''s not even dawn yet."

    "Alright. Sorry for waking you up," Yang Xian replied with an apologetic tone. He knew that due to Wei Liuying''s martial art, she must have been startled when there was a loud voice from his room.

    "It''s fine. Just rest if you''re tired."

    He stood up and looked at the window. It was still night and the dream felt very real to him. After all, his heart felt as if it was crushed to pieces and only when he heard Wei Liuying''s voice again did he calm down a bit.

    The dream was surreal, but Yang Xian knew that it was something that might happen if there was even a slip in their plan so far.

    Thankfully, there was none.

    All the important points that allowed the events to flow like this was here, so he and his friends could stay alive.

    ''That wolf startled me a bit, is there any connection between the wolf and the dream?''

    Yang Xian didn''t understand, so he pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he laid on the bed once more. At the very least, he knew that he would do what his dream self last told him.

    He will live well.

    ¡­

    (End of Epilogue 2)

 Chapter 346 - Epilogue 3: Marriage (1)

    - Yang Xian''s Residence -

    The place was filled with festive atmosphere. Red decorated everything and there were some servants, who were actually Prince Ji Sheng''s servant busy distributing the meals and wine. Several people were dressed in bright colors and enjoyed the feast that was prepared. However, the main character, Yang Xian, was looking resentfully at the prince who was holding the wine glass.

    "Your Highness, didn''t I tell you that I can''t drink too much?" Yang Xian asked with an annoyed tone.

    Prince Ji Sheng laughed lightly. Right beside him, Gao Ling was holding onto his arm while drinking happily. She also had high alcohol tolerance which allowed her to drink more than what normal people could possibly drink.

    "Today is the day of your marriage, how can I not drink?" Prince Ji Sheng reasoned.

    Yang Xian got the urge to throw this prince out if not for the fact that he was the latter''s subordinate. He glanced to the side and noticed that Shi Yan was already sleeping with a wine glass in his hand. His sister and her fianc¨¦ was trying hard to wake him up.

    The residence that Yang Xian had was not that big, but it was more than enough to fit all of them along with several other higher ranked soldiers. They were also trying to make Yang Xian drunk much to his annoyance. Unfortunately, he had to at least drink a sip for each toast he got.

    ''It''s good that I switch the wine with water for mine.''

    "Shan Yi, you haven''t toast with Yang Xian," Prince Ji Sheng called out.

    Shan Yi, who pretended to be a normal person to be able to attend this ceremony walked to their direction. Unlike his usual self who would wear casual clothing, he was wearing proper robe that would not make him looked like a bandit. In fact, he didn''t look much different from normal soldiers who attended the ceremony.

    "Xian, let''s toast."

    "¡­You better prepare yourself."

    Seeing the dark smile on Yang Xian''s face, Shan Yi shuddered. He could guess that this black bellied strategist would have prepared some kind of retaliation for him. It seemed that he had to find a perfect excuse to stay away from Prince Ji Sheng''s City in the future or it wouldn''t end well for him.

    Yang Xian was forced to drink a few more glass. His eyes started to stare unfocused when Prince Ji Sheng chose to let him go.

    "The bride must have been waiting."

    "Don''t let her wait for long, Xian."

    "You''re all the one who held me back." Yang Xian stood up as his body swayed to the side. His hand quickly held onto the table and he glared at Prince Ji Sheng. "Just you watch, I won''t let you off."

    Prince Ji Sheng looked at Yang Xian amusedly. In normal condition, Yang Xian would never provoke him openly in front of others. After all, they would usually act in accordance to their status to make sure no one could nitpick them.

    "Come on, Xian."

    It took them some time before Yang Xian was sent away to the bridal chamber. Prince Ji Sheng and the others didn''t follow them, but some stayed not far from the door. Gao Ling looked at her husband and rolled her eyes. "Pervert."

    "I just want to know how he will perform," Prince Ji Sheng replied.

    "Shameless!" Gao Ling face turned red and she turned around, unwilling to be associated with this shameless prince. Even Yang Xian back then didn''t dare to peek on her and Prince Ji Sheng.

    Shan Yi shook his head. "I need to pack up tonight, so I''ll leave first."

    "Yi, you''re going to help out moving some people tomorrow."

    "Your Highness, can''t you let me off this time?"

    "Of course not."

    Hearing that, Shan Yi felt that his world collapsed. It seemed that he just had to enjoy himself thoroughly tonight because tomorrow, that black bellied strategist would surely take his revenge on them for forcing him to drink so much.

    He walked in the direction of Shi Yan and chose to ignore the drunk merchant before focusing on the wine. Let him be drunk too so that Yang Xian would not punish him too much.

    "Shan Yi! Stop drinking ah!"

    "It''s fine Lu Wen, I have high alcohol tolerance."

    "You stink!"

    Prince Ji Sheng was watching them and shook his head. His friends were really different from each other. He glanced into the room for the last time and smiled knowingly. While Yang Xian''s acting was good, it didn''t manage to fool him at all. Yang Xian had changed the wine with water with some underhanded method to prevent himself from getting drunk.

    "Enjoy your night, Xian. Tomorrow you''re going to work again."

    "You don''t have to remind me," Yang Xian''s voice was clear without any trace of drunkenness. "Also, make sure that you''re ready for overtime, Your Highness. There are a lot of work you need to do."

    Ah¡­

    Prince Ji Sheng walked out with a light laugh. Only when he was with his friends and comrades he could relax and showed his true self.

    Inside the room, Yang Xian sighed and looked at the bed decorated in red. In fact, the entire room was completely decorated in red color. A young girl was sitting there with the red veil covered her face.

    "Sorry that I took so long, Ying''er. Sheng didn''t let me off until the end."

    After some time, Yang Xian had changed his way to call Wei Liuying to use endearment. At first, Wei Liuying was against it, but in the end, she just accepted it. As for herself, she was more used to call him with his name.

    Wei Liuying chuckled. "It''s not long at all."

    "Let''s drink this first."

    Walking to the table, Yang Xian picked the nuptial cups. He handed one to Wei Liuying and the two of them crossed their hands against each other together before drinking the content. Afterwards, Yang Xian opened the veil.

    Wei Liuying was dressed in red and wore makeup just for today. Of course, Gao Ling had to force her to sit down from dawn just to finish the preparation and completely tortured her body.

    For a moment, Yang Xian couldn''t speak anything. Her face looked so beautiful and enchanting. No words in the world could ever describe what he felt right now. From now on, the two of them were husband and wife.

 Chapter 347 - Epilogue 3: Marriage (2)

    "Why are you staring at my face?" Wei Liuying asked, feeling that her own face had heated up a bit. They had already looked at each other a lot in the past, but this was the first time Yang Xian had ever stared so intensely at her face. Did he find her look bad with this makeup?

    Yang Xian quickly pulled himself back to reality. He forced a smile on his face and scratched his cheek. "You''re too beautiful. I don''t know where to look."

    This time, it was Wei Liuying''s turn to be speechless. With her cheek turned redder, she pursed her lips and tried to stay calm. "For someone who''s usually good at his words, you''re so bad today."

    Yang Xian: "¡­" I was caught unprepared, okay?

    He never dared to look at her for so long because he was worried that she would catch him. In the past, he had always thought that Wei Liuying was beautiful, the most enchanting woman in his eyes. However, he would not dare to stare at her for a long time because it would be rude.

    But seeing her face right in front of him today, he just couldn''t help himself. She looked so perfect that he wanted to hold her and never let her go forever.

    "Cough, anyway, I have something for you."

    "What is it?" Wei Liuying asked. She shifted her body position. Even though she had learned martial arts, having to stay in the same position for hours would surely be very uncomfortable.

    Yang Xian walked to the drawer and took out a key along with a box. He returned back with the two of them. "I don''t have many things in my possession, but from now on, you''ll be the one taking care of it."

    Having the key placed on her palm, Wei Liuying looked at the box that Yang Xian placed not far from her. She had seen this box before and knew that Yang Xian put everything he deemed important for himself in this box. As for the work that he had, he left it all in Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence because his house was often left unattended.

    Wei Liuying looked at Yang Xian with uncertain expression. "Are you sure?"

    From what she knew, while a man would give most of the possession to his wife to manage, they would usually keep some secret stash. In fact, Wei Liuying knew that her father had kept a lot of money by himself and didn''t let his wives and concubines touch it.

    As for where it came from, she was not interested to find out back then.

    Yang Xian nodded. "If not you, who else should I give it? Besides, you''re already the one who manage the money all this time."

    To be exact, since the time Wei Liuying lived in his house. It would be a hassle to keep their spending separated because they ate together, so Yang Xian simply handed Wei Liuying most of his own money so that she would be able to buy ingredients for their meal. He only kept some for daily use.

    Wei Liuying was stunned then laughed lightly. "You''re correct."

    Seeing her laugh, Yang Xian also smiled. He always liked her smile more than when she looked so serious.

    "Right, let me get something for you to eat first. It hasn''t been easy for you."

    "I already eat." Wei Liuying smiled mischievously. Of course, when they left her here alone, she had sneaked out and made porridge for herself. There was no way she would let herself suffer for a long time.

    Yang Xian laughed then tapped the box. "Aren''t you curious about what''s inside?"

    "You sure can read me even when I show nothing."

    "I can say the same to you."

    There were times when words were not needed, but sometimes, mentioning it didn''t feel that bad either. Of course, the two of them were only adjusting to the most comfortable situation.

    Using the key, Wei Liuying opened the box. There were several silvers inside along with several bamboo scrolls. Besides those, there was a dagger that looked fairly old, yet the edge still reflected light.

    "This is...?"

    "It''s the dagger I used back when I was a kid," Yang Xian explained. "My Father gave it to me just a few days before the soldiers reach our city and since then, I always used it to protect myself until I met with His Highness and learn how to use swords. I don''t want to throw it away even though it didn''t worth much."

    "I see."

    Taking the dagger, Wei Liuying could see that it was well made. There was also sign that the dagger was used so many times in the past that it was no longer as sharp as before. Just from this, Wei Liuying could tell that Yang Xian''s life was not easy in the past.

    Yang Xian didn''t stop Wei Liuying and moved to her back. Gao Ling''s servants were the one who made her hair today and used some hairpins to tie it up. He looked at the decoration for a moment before pulling one out.

    Her long and silky hair fell onto his hand. After not maintaining the length anymore, Wei Liuying''s hair had grown much longer. Back when she was in Wei Family Residence, she always made sure that her hair was not that long because it would hinder her movement when she pretended to be Wei Hong Zheng.

    But it was no longer necessary here.

    Wei Liuying turned her head around and arched her eyebrows. "You''re still good at women''s hairstyle?"

    "Yan taught me," Yang Xian immediately shifted all the blame to Shi Yan. Even Wei Liuying knew how much Shi Yan spent his time in the brothel for his business deal, so it was not weird that he also learned other skills.

    "I know that much."

    "Do you doubt me?"

    "No." Wei Liuying chuckled. She put the dagger back into the box and locked it again. She handed the box back to Yang Xian. "Keep it for tonight. I don''t know where to put it yet."

    "Alright."

    Wei Liuying watched as Yang Xian put back the box inside the drawer. She laid down on the bed with a lazy posture. "With your brain, it''s not hard for you to get any girl you want. But since you stick to me and tried to keep me stay with many methods, should I be worried?"

    Yang Xian narrowed his eyes. It seemed that she had found out some other means he had kept secret. Tsk, he had to put his guard up more around her if he didn''t want her to find out. Though, he highly doubted that it would be possible.

    Plop!

    Sitting on the bed, Yang Xian pulled Wei Liuying to his embrace. She pursed her lips as she was already comfortable in that position. "The night is not over, Ying''er. There''s still a duty that we need to fulfill."

    Wei Liuying put both of her hands on Yang Xian''s shoulder and smiled provokingly. "Then can you prove to me that my decision to choose you is not wrong?"

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows. No man would want to have his ability doubted. He leaned his hand while pushing Wei Liuying''s head closer as he locked his lips with hers. Flames of desire was ignited as he tasted her soft lips.

    The long night had begun.

 Chapter 348 - Epilogue 3: Marriage (3)

    The sunlight entered the room through the window. Wei Liuying blinked her eyelids, adjusting her eyes to the new light. She felt tired and sore as if she had just finished the hellish training that Prince Ji Sheng designed without any preparation.

    She raised her head and saw Yang Xian''s handsome face. From up close, she noticed that his eyelashes were long. His defenseless expression looked cute. She had never seen him sleeping so soundly like this before. The last time, he was wounded and not in this peaceful situation.

    "How long do you want to look at my face?" Yang Xian asked with a low grunt. He had woken up but felt her stares at him, so he didn''t know how to greet her in this situation. Opening his eyes, he could see Wei Liuying lying next to him with her face close to him. Suddenly, he felt his throat dry.

    Wei Liuying chuckled. "I''m just admiring my husband''s face."

    Yang Xian arched his eyebrows and pulled Wei Liuying closer. "Are you trying to tempt me, Little Devil?"

    "If you don''t want to be punished by His Highness because you''re late, you can stay here, Xian," Wei Liuying reminded him. Even though they had just gotten married, there were still a lot of work that they had to do.

    The sentence made Yang Xian stopped his action. Right, he still had to review the battle report and arrange the reinforcement when needed. If he was not wrong, there was currently some skirmish at the east side, so they were asked for reinforcement not long ago. But since it was not really under Prince Ji Sheng''s territory, they couldn''t meddle too much.

    Groaning lightly, Yang Xian stole a peck on Wei Liuying''s lips and walked out. He looked at the sun''s position as he picked his robe. "It''s still early, you can rest more. I''m sure that His Highness will not mind if you''re late today."

    Wei Liuying was still working as Prince Ji Sheng''s strategist along with Yang Xian. Her work was mainly to help out in the city now that the battles were not as much as before, but it didn''t mean that she could just take days off as she wished.

    Though, she really wanted some more sleep.

    "In that case, please tell His Highness that thanks to a certain black bellied strategist, his other strategist can''t move from bed."

    Yang Xian was speechless. He was sure that Prince Ji Sheng would kill him for flaunting his love life if he did say like what Wei Liuying did. Shaking his head, Yang Xian headed to the bathroom to wash himself.

    On the other hand, Wei Liuying was still lying on the bed and covered herself with the blanket once more. After adjusting herself to the most comfortable position, Wei Liuying drifted to sleep once more.

    When Yang Xian walked out of the bathroom, he found out that his little wife had slept again. He chuckled then took out a bamboo strip to write a message for Wei Liuying before making breakfast. Afterwards, he headed to Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence.

    In Prince Ji Sheng''s Residence, Prince Ji Sheng was already staying in his work room when Yang Xian came.

    "You''re early today," Yang Xian commented.

    "Since someone said that I have to be prepared to work hard, shouldn''t I come even earlier?" Prince Ji Sheng smiled.

    Yang Xian clicked his tongue. "The problem here is not just war, Your Highness. We need to establish temporary distribution line for the new farmer who had just settled down. They won''t be able to generate profitable result in short period of time."

    "You can settle it yourself."

    "Your Highness, don''t run from your work."

    In the end, Prince Ji Sheng was forced to review all the work that they left yesterday because of Yang Xian''s marriage. There were no urgent matters, but all of these had to be addressed.

    It was way past lunch time when Wei Liuying came to the work room.

    "Your Highness," Wei Liuying greeted. She was dressed in normal woman''s dress. After revealing her real gender, she had no intention of wearing male robes anymore. It was more comfortable for her to use the proper dress for women.

    Prince Ji Sheng raised his head and nodded. "I hope you have good rest, Liuying."

    "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I''m fine." Wei Liuying smiled. She woke up not long after Yang Xian left but purposely didn''t come here directly. There were some things that she needed to do according to the message that Yang Xian had left her.

    Yang Xian looked at Wei Liuying. "If you want to, you can rest more."

    "I''m fine."

    "But¡­"

    "However, I would suggest Your Highness to increase Yang Xian''s physical training. He has too much stamina," Wei Liuying added with a sly smile.

    Hearing that, Yang Xian was speechless. He should have known that he wouldn''t be able to use normal means that Shi Yan told him to deal with Wei Liuying. "Does that mean you''re satisfied with my performance, Liuying?"

    Wei Liuying arched her eyebrows. "It''s good, but I would die if I have to keep up with your pace."

    "Don''t worry, I can adjust if you want."

    Prince Ji Sheng''s expression darkened as he listened to these two talking. Their expression was still as composed as ever, but the content of their words were clearly flirting. He felt that his strategists were giving him the lesson for making them watched him and Gao Ling''s flirt so much in the past.

    These two really bore grudges, ah!

    Even though it was against the rule, Prince Ji Sheng was not one to care about it nor Yang Xian cared that much. Because of their friendship, it was clear that at times, Yang Xian could act as insolent as he wanted without offending Prince Ji Sheng.

    Not wanting to be the third wheel any longer, Prince Ji Sheng quickly told Yang Xian to have lunch break. Afterwards, he quickly left to meet with his wife to ease his wounded heart.

    "You didn''t have lunch yet?" Wei Liuying asked.

    Yang Xian shook his head. "I was too busy keeping His Highness with the work we left yesterday. There are still some matters that need to be addressed."

    "Let''s buy some food then, I heard that there''s new restaurant that Xiao Qing opened not far from here," Wei Liuying suggested. Just a few weeks ago, Xiao Qing told her that she wanted to open a restaurant after accumulating enough money. She helped the latter to obtain a good place not long ago.

    "That''ll be a good idea." Yang Xian walked by Wei Liuying''s side and then smiled lightly. "Have you done the task that I asked?"

    "Of course." Wei Liuying grinned. "I''m sure later Shi Yan and Shan Yi will come running after you and ask you to help them."

    "Good girl."

    "I want a reward."

    "Yes?"

    Wei Liuying reached her hand to his shoulder to pull him closer and tiptoed, kissing Yang Xian''s cheek. Seeing his stunned face, she smiled happily. "Let''s go and eat."

    Yang Xian looked at his little wife and leaned in to give her another kiss. There were no servants around because no one would dare to pass through this area near Prince Ji Sheng''s work room. Even if there were any, he would not care because they were already lawfully wedded husband and wife.

    After the light kiss, he moved his face away and saw Wei Liuying''s cheek reddened a bit. But it didn''t seem that she disliked it, so the smile on Yang Xian''s face widened.

    He caressed her head tenderly, feeling that he was truly the happiest man in the world. Hopefully, everyday would be as peaceful as today.

    It was all that he hoped.

    ¡­.

    (End of Epilogue 3)

 Chapter 349 - Epilogue 4: The Unwritten History

    Years have passed ever since Emperor Ji Shao Yang ascended the throne.

    Lives have been peaceful and the small kingdoms near Han Shi Kingdom didn''t dare to come closer. There were peace treaty and these kingdoms submitted to Han Shi Kingdom while giving their tribute once a year. Since Han Shi Kingdom was big enough, they wished to be under the kingdom''s protection.

    "Your Majesty, Prince Ji Song wished to meet with you."

    Ji Shao Yang raised his head and arched his eyebrows. He had retrieved his wife back from the cold palace and made her the Empress. Since he was so busy, he had no intention to take other concubines and created messy residence. Though, some officials were a bit too hard headed for him to deal with since they wished to strengthen the royal family''s power through these women.

    Ji Song was his first son with the Empress and had received proper education since he was young.

    "Tell him to come in."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    The servant bowed and walked to the door. He opened it and allowed the little prince to come in. This year, Prince Ji Song would turn 10, and he had already started to show that he was a very capable child. He had truly taken after his father when it came to his intelligence.

    "Imperial Father," Ji Song greeted properly.

    Ji Shao Yang nodded and beckoned for Ji Song to come closer. He could see that his son was excited, yet he was trying hard to restrain his expression. Ever since they were young, the princes have learned how to control their emotion and conduct so that they would be a proper prince who knew how to conduct himself.

    "What is it, Ji Song?"

    "There''s a message from Strategist Liu, Imperial Father. She''ll come to visit the capital city with Yang Xing."

    Ji Shao Yang arched his eyebrows. Yang Xing was the name of Yang Xian and Wei Liuying''s first son. He was a year or two younger than his own son, but his intelligence was already far ahead from his son. At the same time, he inherited his father''s mischievousness and his mother''s boldness.

    Thinking about that troublemaker, Ji Shao Yang resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I see. Did she say what did she plan to do?"

    "No, she only said that she''ll visit the capital city with Yang Xing because she wanted Yang Xing to learn from the officials here," Ji Song replied while sulking. Whenever he was talking about Yang Xing, he would feel a bit inferior, so he had been trying to work harder. He didn''t want to lose against that annoying person.

    Ji Shao Yang sighed. "I understand. When they come, you can accompany Yang Xing to play."

    "Yes, Imperial Father."

    After excusing his son, Ji Shao Yang leaned back on the chair and sighed. He took a document which detailed the things that occurred at the north recently. There was a little skirmish with Nu Tribe, but Wei Liuying and Yang Xian were prepared and made sure that the tribe could not attack again.

    The plan that they shared through some secret code here revealed to him their deviousness.

    ''These two should have never got together.''

    Ji Shao Yang had the feeling that the two of them would produce a lot of little monsters as time passed. Just recently, he heard that their third son was born. Wei Liuying no longer spent so much time at the frontline, but she still helped out a lot from the shadow without leaving any trace.

    Yang Xian himself didn''t let himself stand in the limelight and allowed Prince Ji Sheng to take the glory for himself. He was said to only help out from the back and didn''t have much contribution.

    Those who knew these two very well would know that it was a total lie.

    "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Wei is here."

    "Let him in."

    Wei Lu walked inside and greeted Ji Shao Yang formally. His eyes landed on the document in front of Ji Shao Yang. "Your Majesty, there''s another report from Prince Ji Sheng regarding the trade. He wished for you to see if there''s anything else that needs to be fixed."

    "Put it here."

    Aside from the war, Ji Sheng also established a short trade route around the border. It helped the economy there to grow and at the same time, introduced a more peaceful livelihood for the people who lived there. Though it was still imperfect, it helped them very much.

    At the same time, there was also report regarding the new river''s route that Prince Ji Sheng constructed. It helped to reduce the flood and allowed farmer to be at ease that their crops would not be swept away. He ended up using the same method at the south to prevent the increase of bandits from villagers who lost their homes due to flood.

    "Wei Lu."

    "Yes, Your Majesty?"

    "Your niece will come to visit in a few days. I would like you to be the one to accompany her around. As for your work, you can hand it to Xie Han."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Wei Lu was smiling happily when he walked out of the room. It has been a few years since the last time he met with Wei Liuying. Last time, the one who came here was Yang Xian with Yang Xing as he wished to show his son around. Now that Wei Liuying would return back, he was excited to welcome her.

    Ji Shao Yang shook his head and then turned his attention to the history book.

    It was said that history would only be written by the victor, but even then, there were many details that were left unwritten.

    ''Should I ask the historian to record what happens at the north?''

    However, at this point of time, there was not really much point in recording detailed history. Ji Shao Yang ended up casting the thoughts away from his mind and let the historian did their work as they wished.

    In the end, all the historian wrote was the fact that the Emperor and his third brother had an amicable relationship and worked together for the better of the kingdom. But for those who lived in this era, they understood that there were many other people who were actually working behind the shadow. Yet their names were not written in the records.

    ¡­

    (End of Epilogue 4)

    This is the last epilogue, so this is the end. Thank you very much for reading up until this far. I''m thankful for all of your support all this time.

    Also, to tell you the truth, this story was inspired by several events in the real history of China, one of which is 441 BC, the Zhou Dynasty. During this year, King Zhending of Zhou (the 28th king of Zhou and also 16th king of Eastern Zhou) died. His first son (Ji Quji) inherited the throne, but he was then killed by his second brother (Ji Shu) after three months. However, five months afterwards, Ji Shu was killed by his third brother, Ji Wei, who become the Emperor. The fourth son, Ji Jie would then become Duke Huan and didn''t contend for the throne, living peacefully with his brother at separate area.

    I was interested at this incident, so I tried to research more, but I couldn''t find much detail about this era even after reading several books because the description mostly only several sentences. In the end, it just spurred me to write a story with similar situation to this year. However, I chose to make an alternate world rather than sticking to the real history because of the lack of details of this era. (>.<)

    This is also why I matched the habits, culture, and some other development in accordance. (The example is the fact that there''s no paper at this point of time in history, thus people mostly used animal skin or bamboo sticks). Though, not everything is suitable.

    It''s still an alternate world, so it''s NOT the real history.

    This is a part of how "Villain Lady" story came from. I hope you all enjoyed the story even though it didn''t really match the real history.

    *Sending virtual hugs*

    Sorahana