Ning Yue forced a bitter smile. It seemed her anger had reached its highest level, manifesting as a desire to defy her. The more she was told not to do something, the more she wanted to do it.
"A Yuan, I was wrong this time," Ning Yue apologized in a low, sincere voice.
"Wrong about what?" Xing Yuan asked instinctively.
Before Ning Yue could answer, she was already regretting it. Hadn't she promised herself not to indulge this troublesome woman so easily? Why was she already considering forgiving her after just one soft word?
"I shouldn't have openly defied you and deliberately provoked His Majesty, all to achieve my goal of coming to the border."
Hearing Ning Yue's polite yet distant words, the anger in Xing Yuan's eyes intensified. Did she really see her as such a superficial person?
So she said, "Ning Yue, you know what I want to hear. You also know that no matter what you do wrong, I will forgive you unconditionally, because you are my sister... the person I admire. I don't believe you have no feelings for me, even just as friends. Why must we be so distant!"
Ning Yue sighed, "But, Your Majesty! There is a distinction between ruler and subject, and it is the same for us."
She wanted to reach out and pat Xing Yuan's head as she used to, but ultimately let her hand fall. She advised, "Your Majesty, you are the ruler of a nation. No matter... no matter what happens, please put it aside for now. The most important thing right now is this war."
"War? Ha! Sister, don't you know? I never cared about it. I even wish..." it would be destroyed by my hands.
Even without Xing Yuan speaking the words aloud, Ning Yue understood them perfectly.
Ning Yue looked earnestly into Xing Yuan's eyes and promised, "A Yuan, just hold on a little longer. Trust me, I will resolve everything for you." Everything.
Xing Yuan blinked, nodded sadly, and then obediently rode her horse alongside Ning Yue. As for her earlier resolve not to forgive Ning Yue so easily, what? Had she said that? Sorry, she couldn't remember. Selective amnesia (*๓´╰╯`๓).
Before long, Xing Yuan's horse was inexplicably spooked. With a startled cry, Xing Yuan quickly jumped onto Ning Yue's horse. Before Ning Yue could even ask what had happened, Xing Yuan settled herself nimbly and leaned her head directly against Ning Yue's back.
Ning Yue inexplicably no longer felt the need to ask. She gently instructed Xing Yuan to hold on tight, then urged her horse towards the direction of the military camp.
Ning Yue was well-behaved, but could Xing Yuan be? Before long, she began to whine and complain, "Sister, you're riding too fast. I'm dizzy." That's right, even though she hadn't fallen off a horse since she was ten and could perform all sorts of maneuvers, she still got motion sickness. It was truly magical.
Ning Yue understood her little ploy and didn't mind the slight delay. She obediently slowed her pace.
"Sister is so good!" Xing Yuan nuzzled against Ning Yue's sturdy back. When Ning Yue looked back, she displayed a look of just the right amount of admiration.
"Really? How good?" The familiar words brought some comfort to Ning Yue's heart. She had never forgotten their past.
"Mmm~" Xing Yuan thought for a moment and then seriously replied, "The best in the whole world!" Although Xing Yuan's words were a bit childish and chuunibyou, Ning Yue laughed with immense joy. This was the same question she had asked when she first brought Xing Yuan out of the palace, and her answer now was exactly the same as then.
They didn't speak further on the journey, but the air was filled with a warmth that permeated their very beings. In the cold weather, a wave of warmth surged through their hearts.
Both held high positions in the Feng Nian Kingdom. As they neared the military camp, they subtly moved apart, their faces etched with identical seriousness. Anyone who saw them in that state would have thought they were strangers.
Ning Yue merely glanced at Xing Yuan. The easily appeased Xing Yuan understood her meaning and obediently returned to her own quarters. Her sister was busy; she couldn't disturb her.
Ning Yue entered the main tent, intending to discuss the upcoming battle plans with Yu Yin Ci. After discussing official matters and making plans for the foreseeable future, Yu Yin Ci was the first to sit down on a nearby chair, then gestured for Ning Yue to do the same, her eyes questioning.
She asked in a low voice, "Earlier... Ning Yue, you couldn't let her go, could you?"
"Mm!" Ning Yue replied, then explained, "Your Majesty is still a bit childish. I was afraid she might act impulsively..."
Yu Yin Ci sighed, looking at Ning Yue with a half-smile, her eyes clearly conveying, "Do you think I believe that?"
Ning Yue suddenly paused, gently picked up a teacup from the table, and took a sip. Let alone the experienced Aunt Yu, she couldn't even fool herself with that statement.
"If she were willing, the Emperor would have a Grand Tutor to teach her. Ning Yue, you learned only what a general should know from childhood. What more can you teach her? I am old and don't understand what you young people are thinking, but one thing I am sure of: your feelings for His Majesty are far more than just ruler and subject."
Yu Yin Ci hadn't intended to be so blunt, but she feared that the longer the matter dragged on, the harder it would be to resolve. "Ning Yue, although you didn't grow up under my direct supervision, your mother and I were close friends. She wrote to me many times over the years, and many of her letters were about you. So, I understand some of your temperament. There are some things you cannot do. I thought you would have figured this out before coming to the border."
Ning Yue lowered her head and remained silent. She had indeed figured things out, just not in the way Yu Yin Ci expected. She had simply made a decision she had never dared to make before. When she came to the border, she had genuinely believed they would never see each other again. But she hadn't expected Xing Yuan to follow her, especially after her own actions. Even though she acted as if she didn't care, as if she were merely here to fight, Ning Yue knew she had come for her. Likewise, her original resolve crumbled the moment she saw Xing Yuan. Since that was the case, why should she persist? Her "deceiving the emperor," her "disobeying superiors," what was so wrong with that? However, she didn't argue with an elder. She simply listened silently to Yu Yin Ci's admonishments, offering no response.
After a long while, Yu Yin Ci grew tired. She looked down at Ning Yue, whose eyes were filled with stubbornness, and shook her head helplessly.
The war grew increasingly tense. The Feng Nian Kingdom, being the attacked nation, actually had some geographical advantages. Man Chen was a renowned general. Due to the emperor's suspicion, he was usually stationed in the capital of the Xi Kingdom. The fact that the Xi Kingdom had sent him out proved that this war would not be easily concluded. Both sides engaged in genuine combat with their armies for several rounds. After paying the price of tens of thousands of lives, they gradually began to understand each other's tactics.
Just as the battle was reaching its peak, the Emperor of the Xi Kingdom suddenly sent a summons to Man Chen. As with many times before, Man Chen assumed His Majesty had heard of his performance on the battlefield and was feeling uneasy. However, he was naturally unwilling to compromise easily and simply employed delaying tactics, hoping to defeat the enemy with his own hands.
Meanwhile, something had happened in the Feng Nian Kingdom. There was a rebellion! A group of refugees, led by remnants of the previous dynasty, had launched a large-scale uprising. Although it seemed serious, Xing Yuan had no intention of dealing with it. However, the emperor was not worried while the eunuchs were anxious. Messages urging Xing Yuan to return to the capital arrived one after another. The Prime Minister also constantly advised Xing Yuan to be diligent. After all, the throne had been obtained through the efforts of her ancestors, and she couldn't neglect it.
The Prime Minister was a person of great wisdom. She directly advised, "Your Majesty, I know you dislike these matters, but think about it. If others truly succeed in their rebellion, what will happen to the war effort here? If the Young General is bullied by those with wolfish ambitions, and there is no one to avenge her, do you want that, Your Majesty?"
This directly struck Xing Yuan's Achilles' heel. Her sister was what she cared about most. The throne was unimportant. The key was that as long as she sat on it, no one would dare harbor ill intentions. Moreover, she had read several storybooks in the past and heard tales of generals whose achievements overshadowed the ruler. She became deeply worried. After careful consideration for an entire night, she bid farewell to Ning Yue the next morning. She was forced to leave the side of the person she loved most, looking utterly pitiful.
Ning Yue understood her feelings, but the war effort was too critical to abandon at the moment. Therefore, as soon as she heard news of the rebels, she began making preparations. At the time of their parting, Ning Yue gave Xing Yuan a sachet embroidered with crooked mandarin ducks.
Xing Yuan received the sachet with an expression of extreme delight. It wasn't that she had never received gifts from Ning Yue before, but this was a sachet! It was something a woman used to express her feelings to a man. "Sister Ning~ Is this for me?" Xing Yuan reasonably suspected.
"No..." Ning Yue said deliberately, then watched Xing Yuan's expression instantly fall before slowly adding, "Who else could it be for?"
Xing Yuan's expression shifted from sadness to joy. Realizing she had been tricked, she glared fiercely at Ning Yue. Suddenly, she stepped forward and hugged the person she loved. She said, "Sister~ I will handle everything and wait for you patiently in the capital. But Sister, don't make me wait too long, or I'll be unhappy."
"Alright~ I'll return as soon as possible," Ning Yue smiled, gently stroking her head.
Xing Yuan left, looking back repeatedly. Before long, she encountered a small group of rebels. But the guards accompanying Xing Yuan had been carefully selected. How could a group of untrained rebels, who relied only on brute force to become bandits, possibly defeat them? Thus, their only outcome was death.