“Why not fight?” Yun Mo was anxious and sat up. Although his body had not recovered, the poison had been largely cleared, with only some residual effects. His movements were slow.
Yun Xiao pressed his shoulder and said softly, "The soldiers in the city were poisoned and their vital energy was greatly depleted. Those who were not poisoned, plus the newly dispatched fifty thousand troops, are less than one hundred thousand. The Four Liang army, however, has over one hundred thousand. How can we fight? We can only outsmart them, and that requires time. It's unlikely we'll fight today."
Hearing this situation, Yun Mo knew it was reasonable, but he still resented the despicable Western Liang army. Their methods were too base, actually sending spies into Fengya Pass, and they had been there for many years.
This showed their ambitious intentions were not formed overnight but had been planned long ago.
Thinking of this, Yun Mo punched the bed. After the punch, he gasped for breath.
"It's alright. With brother and the Prince here, and so many generals, they will think of a way. Father, you should lie down."
Frankly, Yun Xiao was confident in her medical skills, but she was an outsider when it came to military strategy, so she couldn't offer them any assistance.
This matter could only be resolved by her brother, Prince Shangguan, and the others.
The Western Liang army constantly shouting outside was not a solution. The soldiers in the city were all hot-blooded men; they would rather die fighting than hide within the city.
If a solution wasn't found by tomorrow, the people in the city would undoubtedly fight. And fighting would only lead to one outcome: defeat.
Yun Xiao fell into deep thought. The tent was silent…
At night, the cold moon cast a clear frost. The moonlight was like silver ripples, soaking the quiet, clear river water. The willows on the bank gently brushed the water's surface, creating ripples of shimmering waves.
By the West River, all was quiet. In the silent night, unknown insects chirped. The lights were hazy, and the cold moon shone brightly.
Yun Xiao sat in the tent, holding a brush and drawing on paper from various angles. The ink smeared, creating dots of dark pigment, making it difficult to discern what she was drawing. It looked somewhat like scribbles. Wanwan leaned over from the side to take a look and after a while, asked vaguely.
"Master, are you drawing flowers or animals?"
Yun Xiao raised her hand, tapping Wanwan's head with her wolf-hair brush. The ink splashed, spilling a few drops onto Wanwan's clothes. The girl looked down at her clothes, pouting, "Master, my clothes are stained."
Yun Xiao's interest was piqued. Taking advantage of her looking down, she used the wolf-hair brush to dot her face twice, then threw down the brush and clapped her hands, laughing.
"Now you've become an ugly girl."
"Young Master," Wanwan pouted indignantly, crossing her hands on her hips in a mock stern posture, "You must compensate me with a new set of clothes."
Just as Yun Xiao was about to speak, the candle in the tent extinguished without any wind. A faint fragrance permeated the air, subtle and lingering. Wanwan let out a startled cry and jumped to Yun Xiao's side, trying to grab her.
However, her body was as soft as a ball of cotton, and she slowly collapsed.
At this moment, the candlelight in the tent reignited. Where Yun Xiao had been sitting, another lazy and disdainful figure now occupied the seat.
A cold aura surrounded him. His deep, unfathomable clear eyes occasionally rippled with light, and at other times, they were as cold as ice. He leaned elegantly against the table, his white robes as pure as snow, accentuating his ink-black hair that cascaded down like water.
His chin was cocked imperiously, displaying his irresistible pride. He simply gazed at her through the dim yellow lamplight.
Suddenly, he looked down at the drawing she had made and casually picked it up.
"What is this?"
Yun Xiao's expression turned cold. She walked straight over, snatched the drawing from his hand, and threw it onto the table. She managed to speak from her throat.
"What are you doing here again? If others find out, they might mistake you for a Western Liang spy."
"That depends on whether they have the ability."
His magnetic, lazy voice drifted freely in the cold night, exuding a commanding presence.
Yun Xiao was exasperated. She placed her hands on the table, looking at him very seriously, and said word by word, "Even if you didn't intend to harm the Yun Wang Mansion back then, why have you traveled thousands of miles to come here now?"
Murong Chong didn't say a word. His eyes, deep as a secluded pool, were clear as glass, dark as cold stars. He slowly opened his mouth.
"To see if you are alright."
"I am very well. How could I not be? Don't think about harming me..." Yun Xiao chattered on, then suddenly realized the implication of what he said and her eyes widened.
Her large, clear black and white eyes were veiled with a thin mist, making them incredibly alluring, still that casual, captivating allure.
No way, did this man come to see if she was alright?
What did that mean? He, the dignified Palace Master of the Divine Dragon Palace, had said something like this.
If this were to spread, no one would believe it. No, no, I must have misheard just now. It was an illusion.
Rumor had it that Murong Chong was cold, bloodthirsty, and a ruthless killer. How could he say something so tender and affectionate to her?
She couldn't fathom it and racked her brains, but she would never foolishly think he had fallen in love with her. That was too unrealistic.
"Thank you. You don't need to come to see me anymore. I am very well, everything is fine."
Yun Xiao showed no joy at all.
Frankly, when Murong Chong was at the palace, they had been like friends.
Sometimes, she would even feel a little confused. But after experiencing him trying to kill her, and then his transformation into Ximen Yao, regardless of his motives, she dared not easily accept this person again, because she had no idea what lay hidden beneath his mask.
"You're still angry with me."
Murong Chong stood up, a sting of pain rising in his heart, as if he had been stung by a bee.
Let alone her, even he himself didn't understand his own actions. He wasn't someone who idled about.
On the contrary, his plans had just begun. He shouldn't be engrossed in sentimental matters. He shouldn't have abandoned everything and rushed to the border upon hearing she was missing. He shouldn't have sped here upon hearing of the plague in Fengya Pass.
But for the past four years, his heart had been numb, filled with bloodthirsty hatred. In his dreams at midnight, he longed to grasp something firmly to give himself enough courage to deal with those people, but he didn't know what he could grasp or what he wanted to grasp.
But at this moment, he knew clearly that he wanted to firmly grasp this little girl. From the moment she had cursed him, this thought had taken root in his mind, but he hadn't realized it until his subordinates reported the plague in Fengya Pass.
His heart felt like it was doused with hot oil, burning. He had rushed here day and night, and the moment he saw her safe and sound, his heart settled. He knew then that he had held onto her again.
Although he wanted to hold onto her, he couldn't, because he bore too much responsibility.
The people he faced were insidious and used every means possible. If they knew she was his weakness, it would undoubtedly put her in grave danger. Therefore, all he wanted now was to quietly watch her live well.
One day, he would let her know how important a piece she was in this game, a piece that resided in his heart.
Knowing she was angry with him, he wouldn't argue. One day she would understand.
He had no intention of harming Yun Mo. On the contrary, he had considered killing her, causing a complete rupture between the Yun Wang Mansion and the royal family.
This was the only time he had been truly despicable, yet he met her. It was like a reincarnation of fate, predestining who you meet, what kind of life you lead at a certain time.
Yun Mo was an old minister heavily relied upon by the former emperor. If he fell into Shangguan Yao's hands, the Yun Wang Mansion would face only a dead end.
Only by him leaving the capital could he better protect himself. Although the Emperor's words were as good as gold, a border thousands of miles away was beyond his reach.
Even if an imperial decree was issued, with the abilities of Yun Mo and Yun Zhen, they could safely escape and hide in the mountains and wilds, waiting for a comeback.