Murong Zhining sat dispiritedly in the tent lost in thought. Cai Sang had arranged a meal for her, but she wasn’t in the mood to eat.
Cai Sang urged her in a low voice, “Princess, eat a little bit at least. If General comes back and sees you’ve starved yourself thin, he’ll blame me. At least for the sake of your servant, please eat.”
Murong Zhining woke from her trance. “Mm, did the fool eat? Tell Siyao to bring him over and eat together.”
The fool walked happily into the tent. “Wife… hungry…”
Cai Sang threatened menacingly, “Fool, if you don’t want to die, don’t ever call Princess that again, you hear me? General will get angry and kill you. You must call her Princess. Come on, try it, princess.”
The fool said with difficulty, “Pri… Prin … Princess…”
Murong Zhining let Luo Siyao help the fool to eat, but the fool seemed to be eating very well on his own and there was nothing to worry about. He ate like a gale sweeping clouds, everyone could tell he had been constantly hungry for a long time. The three girls enjoyed a fun meal full of laughter as they competed for food with the fool.
After lunch, Murong Zhining went to Chiyun Yuexuan’s tent. She walked to the desk, picked up a brush and paper to write a letter.
Murong Zhining packed the note into a brocade sachet. Exiting the tent, she summoned a soldier. “Deliver this to General Chiyun on fast horse.”
The soldier accepted the order. He put up an imperial golden flag on a fast horse and rode away.
Murong Zhining called another soldier and whispered something to him. Despite nodding doubtfully, the soldier left to carry out what he was asked.
…
Chiyun Yuexuan led the front of the procession, frowning as he pondered hard for a plan to break into the city. A city was always easy to defend and difficult to attack, not to mention that the desperate Yao Shilei threatened them using the lives of soldiers and civilians inside, making the situation impossible to control. Forcefully charging in would undoubtedly cause sufferings upon the innocent. Chiyun Yuexuan sighed.
“Make way, make way! Urgent military report!” shouted someone from behind the line. A horse with a golden flag galloped to Chiyun Yuexuan. The soldier on it dismounted and knelt on one knee. “Reporting to General Chiyun, Madam sent me to deliver this to you.”
The soldier respectfully presented a sachet.
Chiyun Yuexuan took it with a frown. He opened the brocade sachet and took out a slip of paper, unfolding it to see the neat and elegant handwriting within: Delay for two days. Ning’er has a way to break through the city.
Chiyun Yuexuan’s brows relaxed, he blurted out, “What clever plan does my little wife have for me? Should I follow her plan or keep thinking of something myself?”
Feng Wenbin rode to the left of Chiyun Yuexuan. Seeing the latter troubled, he asked, “What’s Madam’s plan? Can you let me know more about it?”
Chiyun Yuexuan shook his head and smiled, “My little lady is too naughty. She only said to delay for two days and didn’t reveal anything about the specific plan.”
Feng Wenbin nodded. “Two days isn’t long. If we can reclaim the city without hurting one person, it will be a perfect achievement.”
Chiyun Yuexuan also nodded. “I plan to delay them as well. We cannot break in using force and I haven’t come up with a good plan anyway.”
Two hours later, the troops arrived outside the captured capital city of Wuzhou County. It was dusk as the setting sun hid behind a smoky cloud screen. The isolated city was closed off, enveloped in a dreary atmosphere. Chiyun Yuexuan ordered the soldiers to set up a camp over 500 feet away from the city wall.
Chiyun Yuexuan stood on high ground to observe situation on the city wall. Aside from an eye-catching fluttering marshal flag with the character “Yao” on it, there were the heads of the two soldiers guarding the city gate hung on the wall.
The sight made Chiyun Yuexuan’s blood boil. He gripped his halberd, his palms starting to sweat. He never have expected Yao Shilei and his father-in-law to be so rampant that they’d go to this level of insanity for revenge. Chiyun Yuexuan’s expression couldn’t be seen under his green mask, but the murderous intent emanating from him would make normal people tremble with fear. Had it not been for his concern for the soldiers and citizens inside, he would have just broken through the city and dragged out that Yao thief, tearing off his skin and pulling out his tendons.
Feng Wenbin summoned a lieutenant and ordered, “Wu Zelin heed the order. Take a dozen men to form a shield formation to escort yourself to the city wall. Ask the enemy what their purpose is.”
Wu Zelin cupped his fists. “Yes!”
As soon as the shield formation entered the shooting range of bows and crossbows, a rain of arrows were fired. Watching from a distance, Chiyun Yuexuan gasped, “General Feng is indeed a veteran garrison general. Thanks the Heaven he handled it so carefully, or we would have lost another good soldier in vain.”
The shield formation slowly approached the base of the wall. Wu Zelin shouted, “Listen, people in the city, Grand General Chiyun has set up a camp outside. Wise enough, you’ll surrender at once. If one more soldier in the city is hurt, General Chiyun shall make sure you lot won’t be let off.”
Standing on the wall, Yao Shilei raised a cut off hand wrapped in white cloth with a savage face. “Go back to your General Chiyun and ask him whether he’ll yield his own hand or make all the commoners and soldiers in the city lose one for him.”
Wu Zelin shouted from the gate, “Since ancient times, a war should never involve the lives of innocent people. Besides, Huayan and Shangxia have been friends for generations. Immediately put down your butcher’s blade and you can slowly state your requirements, then maybe General Chiyun will spare your lives for the sake of our relationship with Shangxia.”
Yao Shilei laughed loudly and threw down the severed hand of a Huayan soldier. “If General Chiyun valued the friendship between the two countries at all, he wouldn’t have cut off my arm or captured Princess Fengyi without permission. I can slowly grind out time with him and throw out a severed arm of a Huayan soldier every day during this. I’d like to see how many it will take until he hands over his own hand.”
Wu Zelin shouted, “General Chiyun has given order to satisfy all of your demand, Marshal Yao. He asked you to give him two days. After he handles the remaining military affairs, General Chiyun will personally give you a satisfactory result.”
Yao Shilei brazenly said, “Doesn’t matter, General Chiyun can take as much time as he needs, only that I’ll still throw down an arm on time every day. If he dares to take this chance and launch a surprise attack, I’ll assure you I’ll wipe out this city.”
Wu Zelin returned to the camp and reported the dialogue to Chiyun Yuexuan. The latter’s face was unclear under his mask, but the fury in his phoenix eyes was so intense it could burn the city to ashes.
Chiyun Yuexuan suppressed his anger and said to Feng Wenbin, “As long as that Yao thief doesn’t slaughter the city, our plan to delay the battle still works for the time being. You guard here tonight and don’t let our soldiers provoke the enemy. I’ll hurry back to the garrison post to find out about my madam’s plan. If it won’t work, we’ll have to work out another siege plan. I’ll be back early tomorrow morning.“
Feng Wenbin cupped his fists. “I will do according to your arrangement. Be careful on the road, General.”
…
Murong Zhining was cutting a pile of wicks into small pieces with Cai Sang in her tent when she heard a soldier outside shouting, “General Chiyun has returned!” She threw down her work and hurried out of the tent.
Chiyun Yuexuan had just dismounted when he saw Murong Zhining rush over, wrapping her arms around him. He tightly hugged her back with his free arm that wasn’t holding the halberd and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “It’s only been half a day, Ning’er already misses me this much?”
In his embrace, Murong Zhining repeatedly bobbed her head.
Chiyun Yuexuan threw his halberd aside and took off the green cloth covering his face, then lifted her face with both hands. One looking up and one bending down, their lips softly met. Chiyun Yuexuan’s eyes behind the eyepatch overflowed with affection.
Murong Zhining gently pushed him. “You must be tired. Go rest inside.”
Hand in hand, they entered Chiyun Yuexuan’s tent.
Chiyun Yuexuan sat down at the desk and pulled Murong Zhining to sit on his lap. “Why did Ning’er tell me to delay without any following instructions? I want to hear your plan.”
Fiddling with her hair, Murong Zhining said playfully, “So you didn’t believe in Ning’er and ran back to ask about it. And here I thought you came back because you missed me!”
Chiyun Yuexuan pressed her head on his chest. “Whether I believe you or not, I don’t believe you can’t see it. Of course I missed you, so much so that I’d die if I saw you just one second later.”
Murong Zhining gently punched him with a smile. “So cliche! General can rest assured. I guarantee that in two days’ time, without losing a single soldier or citizen in the city, I’ll make that thief open the gate himself to surrender.”
Chiyun Yuexuan’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, is my wife an omnipotent goddess?”
Murong Zhining took off his eyepatch and teased, “Although I’m not a goddess, I can invite one to help. I’ve told Siyao to prepare hot water, you first take a bath and then had a good sleep. Leave the rest to me.”
…
As Chiyun Yuexuan leaned against the bath tub, Murong Zhining squatted beside to help him wash. The favor had him overwhelmed. “My wife is personally helping me bathe? This is too high of a treatment, I can’t bear to let you do this.“
Murong Zhining pretended to leave. “I’ll call Siyao then.”
Chiyun Yuexuan hastily grabbed her hand. “In that case, I’d like my wife to wash for me.”
Murong Zhining helped him wash his back. “Goodness! Why is the word Murong tattooed on your back?“
Chiyun Yuexuan took her hand and held it to his lips for a kiss. “I’m willing to do anything for Ning’er. Even if I be your slave, I have no complaints.”
Murong Zhining pouted. “How can there be such an unseemly general like you, have a woman’s surname engraved on your body. You’re not afraid of being laughed at?”
Relaxing as he leaned against the tub, Chiyun Yuexuan squinted. “People can laugh all they want. I not only tattoo my wife’s name on my body, but also engrave her in my heart. I wish to let the world know that I have my wife’s surname on my back. How is it unseemly for a husband to love his wife? If you say that again, I’ll tattoo your name on my face.”
Murong Zhining’s face was flushed in embarrassment, but her heart felt as sweet as honey. She caressed the scar on his back where her surname was tattooed. “Was this wound left when you saved Ning’er?”
Chiyun Yuexuan opened his eyes. “Are you asking about the one under the tattoo? That was from when you stabbed me with a hairpin in your anger. The bigger one a little lower was left by an arrow when I took you to escape.”
Murong Zhining’s eyes reddened, and a teardrop fell on his back. “I used to be so cruel? How could I do that to you?”
Taking her hands into his, Chiyun Yuexuan tried to act pitiful. “Then you need to love me lots in the future.”
Murong Zhining gave a strong nod.
Chiyun Yuexuan stretched out his face “A kiss as compensation please?”
…
After his bath, Chiyun Yuexuan changed into a white satin robe and lay on the bed. Murong Zhining put the blanket on him. “You must be very tired today, hurry and rest.”
Chiyun Yuexuan pulled her into the blanket with him. The two fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Around the fourth period (1am – 3am), Chiyun Yuexuan gently pushed Murong Zhining away and got out of bed. He had to return to Wuzhou City.
Waking with a start, Murong Zhining also got up to help him into his armor. “Try to stabilize that thief so that he won’t hurt people. We’ll be able to reclaim the city tomorrow morning, just wait for my good news.”
Chiyun Yuexuan hugged her tightly, very reluctant to let go. “What can I do when I miss you?”
Murong Zhining gave him a push. “Hurry and hit the road.”
When Chiyun Yuexuan arrived at Wuzhou on fast horse, the sky was just getting bright. Feng Wenbin was standing on the hillside to observe the wall. Following his line of sight, Chiyun Yuexuan saw that the entrance gates had been opened a crack, from which several people dressed in commoner’s clothes were running out from the city.