"It's good they're willing to listen. Around what time will they reach the capital? I'll have Wuying subtly guide them."
"That would be wonderful!"
Lian Yu said eagerly, "If nothing unexpected happens, they should arrive in five to six days."
A commotion sounded from outside, and Feng Xiwu and Lian Yu instinctively looked at Lu Zhenting, who was unconscious.
Lu Qingwan's heart ached. "Don't worry about disturbing Father. You won't have to take care of him personally anymore; I'll arrange for someone. Keep him carefully away from water, and avoid letting him hear the sound of water. His chances of an attack will be much lower."
As they finished speaking, they walked out and saw Liyang and Liqing holding two golden eagles, with over a dozen more circling in the sky not far away. One white eagle stood out remarkably.
Lian Yu exclaimed, "Where did so many golden eagles come from?"
"The Consort gave them!"
Liyang laughed triumphantly, "Everyone gets one in December. Liyang and Liyang each get one, the Prince and Consort get one each, no share for you, haha..."
The Xuanjia soldiers around looked at Liyang with envy, wishing they could snatch them.
Feng Xiwu looked back in surprise, "I get one too?"
"Of course."
Lu Qingwan tilted her head and handed him a bamboo whistle. "Try it."
Feng Xiwu raised an eyebrow, took the whistle, and blew gently. The golden eagles circling in the air turned sharply and flew towards him.
Feng Xiwu skillfully extended his hand, and the golden eagle landed steadily on his arm.
A rare youthful sparkle appeared in his eyes, and he said with slight excitement, "Is that white eagle yours?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Lu Qingwan nodded proudly. "It would be fitting to get you a big yellow dog. Left hand holding the yellow, right hand holding the Cang, with a brocade hat and sable coat, charging over the hills like a thousand cavalry. That would be truly magnificent!"
Lian Yu chuckled at her words. "The Consort speaks in eloquent verses; it is truly admirable. It would indeed be magnificent to have a golden eagle circling overhead when the Prince charges into battle, but would bringing a big yellow dog create a rather discordant image?"
"The strategist is right. A big yellow dog might indeed not suit the Prince's bearing."
Lu Qingwan smiled. "However, it wasn't me who spoke in eloquent verses. Don't praise the wrong person. I am not the creator of culture; I am merely a transporter of culture."
Lian Yu had already concluded that the spontaneous verses were Lu Qingwan's own work. Seeing her unwillingness to admit it, he merely took it as her humility.
As they spoke, a loud booming sound, like muffled thunder, startled everyone.
Everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the sound, hearing the rushing of water, as if the waters of the Milky Way were pouring down from the heavens. However, even a torrential downpour wouldn't make such a noise. For a moment, no one could figure out where the sound was coming from.
As suspicion arose, Feng Xiwu suddenly said, "Not good, Yongning Dam has breached! Quickly, have the soldiers retreat..."
Upon hearing that Yongning Dam had breached, the guards immediately reacted and began to disperse in an orderly fashion.
Feng Xiwu remained in place and ordered, "Lian Yu, rush to the northern front and prepare to meet the enemy. Qin Shiguan, head to the northwest front and guard against the Yunqiang army. The rest, follow me!"
After speaking, he hurried to Lu Qingwan and said, "The camp will depart at any moment. Sleep fully clothed tonight, keep someone with you, and do not leave the camp unless it's urgent..."
The string of instructions was all about Lu Qingwan protecting herself, with not a single superfluous word, indicating the gravity of the situation.
After listening to him, Lu Qingwan urgently replied, "I know. Don't worry about me, just go quickly!"
The battlefield situation was constantly changing. A moment's delay for Feng Xiwu could mean the sacrifice of another soldier. In such a critical moment, Lu Qingwan absolutely did not want to be a burden to Feng Xiwu.
The urgent battle situation did not allow for lingering affections. Feng Xiwu hugged Lu Qingwan, then turned, leaped onto Lightning's back, and charged out.
The camp was filled with soldiers rushing back and forth. Lu Qingwan felt like an obstruction just standing there. She decisively returned to the tent where Lu Zhenting was recuperating, not wanting to disturb the soldiers with their official duties.
However, looking at the map and sand table that occupied an entire wall, she frowned. "To my knowledge, Beiw Wei experiences winter for half of its twelve months, and the mountains near Xiliang are permanently covered in snow. Yongning Dam was not built by them but formed by frozen rocks and ice. At this time of year, it should be frozen solid. How could it suddenly breach?"
Liqing, under orders to protect Lu Qingwan, had long since sent his heart to the battlefield. Hearing Lu Qingwan mention the battlefield situation, he instantly became engaged. He quickly agreed, "What the Consort says is correct. Liyang and the others often mention that the northern border is colder this year than in previous years. It's impossible for Yongning Dam to have breached naturally."
"If it couldn't have breached naturally, then it must be man-made."
Lu Qingwan looked at the somewhat crudely made sand table and said seriously, "The Yongning River is Beiw Wei's main water source, and Yongning Dam is upstream. Destroying Yongning Dam would not benefit them. Yunqiang has depended on Beiw Wei for survival for years and dares not oppose them. Xiliang suffered a great defeat at the hands of Daqian last year and has not yet recovered its national strength, so they would not dare provoke the powerful Beiw Wei enemy again. That leaves only Daqian. But judging by the Prince's demeanor just now, it seems he is unaware of this..."
As Lu Qingwan ruled out possibilities one by one, a sudden shock went through her. "Who was guarding Yongning Dam after the army captured it?"
Liqing froze for a moment, and then Li Jin entered, his face extremely grim. "The one guarding Yongning Dam was the heir of Xuánwǔ Marquis."
Lu Qingwan's gaze shot towards him. "It was him, wasn't it? He blew up Yongning Dam?"
Li Jin's face looked as if he had swallowed a fly. "The Beifu Iron Cavalry's combat strength is not weak, but both the Xuánwǔ Marquis and his son retreat when faced with trouble. The Prince was uneasy about leaving them on the front lines. He thought that since the Xuanjia army had already captured Yongning Dam, as long as he guarded it, Cheng Jiuxiao would not dare act rashly, and the Xuanjia army could be freed up to kill more enemies. Who knew he would dare to disregard the Prince's military orders and unilaterally detonate the dam."
Lu Qingwan closed her eyes, suppressing her anger as she gestured on the sand table. "With Yongning Dam breached, all of Beiw Wei will hate Daqian. Beiw Wei will have no further scruples, and the war between the two countries will have no room for de-escalation. How long will the grain and provisions in the camp last?"
Li Jin's face darkened. He gritted his teeth and said, "Less than a month's supply remains."
"How can that be?"
Lu Qingwan could hardly believe it. "Didn't the Prince request five million shi of military grain from the new Emperor when he came? And the fiefdoms of the thirteen states of Xijiang, surely the fiefdoms were granted, but the finances are still under someone else's control?"
"The new Emperor did indeed grant five million shi of military grain, but he also stopped the military grain for the other Xuanjia armies. The five million shi of grain is not only for the frontline in Saibei but also for the remaining 350,000 Xuanjia troops. Before Su Bojun left, he also hid all the wealth he plundered from the people. Now the Prince has neither grain nor money. I truly don't know how this war is going to be fought."