"This month has been quiet," Murong Jin said, gazing out the window at the bustling crowd.
She often came to Yumen Jiao now, disguised in plain clothes. The place had changed hands, but the memories remained.
"Quiet is good. Do you crave bloodshed, General?" A'Ya smiled, pouring her tea. "You left the little prince with the Fourth Prince. You must be worried."
"Worried or not, it's safer than the palace."
"Aren't you overthinking it? Guo Lingyu relies on her father's power. She fights for favor, yes, but would she dare harm the prince now? It would be too obvious." A'Ya rolled her eyes.
Murong Jin smiled, shaking her head. "Better safe than sorry. Fourth Brother is recovering well. Qi'er will be good company for him."
"The Fourth Prince has no wife. A grown man taking care of a baby… I can't imagine it." A'Ya giggled.
Murong Jin laughed too. Xue Zhuoran accepted the task without a frown, but she knew the chaos behind closed doors.
I need to bring him back soon. Fourth Brother's health isn't good. She rested her chin on her hand, watching the street.
Suddenly, hoofbeats. Fast and urgent.
"Victory in Wuchuan! The Turks are routed!" A soldier shouted, waving a report high.
Behind him, three men beat gongs and drums, echoing his cry. The crowd cheered, lining the streets to watch them pass.
Murong Jin snapped to attention. The horses thundered past her window.
"General Murong wins again!"
"The north is safe, thanks to the General!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
She closed the window and stood.
"Leaving already?" A'Ya asked. "You should be happy. Your family has won."
"Mm." Murong Jin's face was grim.
"General?"
She looked at A'Ya. "My family has guarded Wuchuan for twenty years. We have won countless battles. Have you ever seen one announced with gongs and drums?"
A'Ya froze. It was true. Even when Murong Jin was titled Lord of Yuling, the news had come quietly.
"You mean… it's a trick?"
Murong Jin frowned. She didn't know. But she knew her father. He would never order such a spectacle.
"I don't know. I'm going back to the palace to ask Xue Liulan." She hurried out.
A'Ya stood in the doorway, stunned.
"Did Wuchuan really win?" a voice asked behind her.
She turned. Yan Lingfu was watching Murong Jin leave.
"Why do you ask?"
"The Murong family is already too powerful. To announce a victory so loudly now… it makes no sense. Unless…" He smiled, a knowing look in his eyes. "Unless they want the whole world to know something else."
A'Ya nodded, her heart sinking. Was this news a blessing or a curse?
Murong Jin rushed back to the palace. Xue Liulan was not in the Imperial Study. The messenger was gone.
"Where is the Emperor?" she asked the guard.
"He went out, Your Majesty."
"Where?"
"He didn't say."
She frowned. "Did you see the messenger from Wuchuan?"
"He didn't see the Emperor. He gave the report to Eunuch Ding."
Something was very wrong.
She turned and strode toward the palace gates. Even without seeing the report, she had to find that soldier.
"Your Majesty!" Little Dingzi ran into her in the corridor.
"Where is he?"
"The Emperor didn't come to you?"
"He left the palace?"
"Yes. He received the report and left in a rush. He took a carriage and forbade anyone to follow." Little Dingzi was confused. The Emperor was usually unflappable.
Murong Jin tapped her forehead. "Where is the soldier?"
"Oh! I forgot him. He was exhausted, so I told him to wait in a side room by the gate."
"Take me to him."
But the room was empty.
"I… I left him right here," Little Dingzi stammered.
She bit her lip, staring at the empty space. "Tell me the moment the Emperor returns."
"Yes."
He watched her hurry away, scratching his head. "What's going on? Isn't a victory a good thing?"
"What? Victory in Wuchuan?" Li Yan stared at his servant.
"Yes, my lord. Drums and gongs all through the streets."
"I heard. Go." Li Yan sat heavily. His brow furrowed.
"Master! Master!" The steward ran in, colliding with him.
"What is it?"
The steward pointed behind him, breathless.
Xue Liulan stood in the doorway, a soldier in armor behind him.
"Leave us," Li Yan ordered. He ushered them in and closed the door.
"Your Majesty? Why are you here?" He glanced at the silent soldier.
"This is the messenger. And this…" Xue Liulan pulled a letter from his sleeve. "…is the real report."
Li Yan took it. He had suspected, but the words still shocked him.
"Murong Yan has led armies for thirty years. He has never suffered a defeat like this." Xue Liulan sighed, sinking into a chair. "His defenses were set. Yet his entire army was wiped out."
Li Yan lowered the letter. "General Murong knew a defeat would cause panic, so he sent a false victory to buy time. Does he suspect a traitor in Jindu?"
"Guo Shangzhong cut their supplies before. I sent replacements recently. But for this to happen now…" Xue Liulan slammed his fist on the table. "He suspects a spy in the supply convoy."
"Or collusion with the enemy." Li Yan shook his head. But finding one traitor among a thousand men was impossible. "What are your orders?"
"Question him. Find out everything about Wuchuan." He pointed at the cowering soldier. "As for reinforcements… we will see."
"Your Majesty is wise." Li Yan bowed. "But we should prepare. If the defeat is real, the Turks will be at our gates before we know it."
"True. Keep this quiet. I will write a letter. Send it to Gongzi Moran immediately."