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墨書 Inktalez
It had been over twenty days since leaving Xuanyuan City, yet Qing Luan still had no way to send anyone back in. Yun Nishang was nearly beside herself; the wedding was drawing closer, and she could find no excuse to decline. Her temper was growing increasingly volatile, putting more pressure on Qing Luan.
Qing Luan had been stalling the Bu Family's demands to give Yun Nishang a chance to delay, but for some reason, the Emperor was adamant, pushing Qing Luan to her limits.
Damn Old Fox! Whatever trick he used had even made the Emperor impatient for the princess to marry—when had royal daughters ever been so anxious to wed? There must be something sinister at play.
Qing Luan felt overwhelmed, suddenly realizing she was no match for Prime Minister Huang. He could confront the Emperor directly and stir up all sorts of issues, while she could only sit back helplessly, unable to do anything. This sense of powerlessness severely undermined her confidence.
"Miss has been acting strangely these past few days," Sister Yun observed, noticing Qing Luan's despondency with concern.
"Yes, she hasn't smiled in days. It's really worrying," Qin'er chimed in, her face betraying her anxiety. "Sigh, her appetite is poor; she hardly eats. At this rate, how will her health hold up?"
As Qin'er and Sister Yun were discussing this, A-Song rushed in hurriedly, startling everyone.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Sister Yun scolded, clutching her chest that was still racing from the scare.
"Miss, something has happened!" A-Song ignored Sister Yun's outburst and looked at Qing Luan with an expression full of unease.
"What is it?" With the current turmoil, Qing Luan felt an inexplicable jolt of dread upon seeing A-Song's worried demeanor.
"We lost a battle," A-Song exclaimed breathlessly.
"What?" Qing Luan and the others gasped in unison, clearly struggling to believe the news.
"A-Song, where did you hear this?" Qing Luan quickly regained her composure and asked sharply.
"The news is everywhere; they say Xuanyuan General lost a battle several days ago. The court has been suppressing it until today when it somehow got out..." A-Song spoke hurriedly, his words tumbling over each other.
"Why did we lose? Is there any explanation?" The more tense the situation became, the calmer Qing Luan grew.
"No details were given; just that the general suffered defeat. Now the people are anxious about it, and rumors are spreading," A-Song relayed everything he had discovered to them...
"What's going on? Has something happened to Xuanyuan Rui?" Qing Luan's heart raced with anxiety as she murmured to herself.
"Miss, let me find out about Xuanyuan General's situation!" A-Song suggested upon hearing her muttering.
"No, I'll go myself," she replied, having forgotten someone who should know the court's affairs. Originally, asking Yun Nishang would have been best, but she was in the palace and unreachable. Moreover, several days had passed since the incident occurred, and she was still unaware, indicating that it was no simple matter.
The person Qing Luan sought was Bai Feiyang, whom she located through Fu Tianlin. By coincidence, Bai Feiyang had been away from the capital for several days and had just returned yesterday, making him available today.
"What exactly happened at court?" Qing Luan asked as soon as she saw him.
"Uh," Bai Feiyang hesitated for a moment before forcing a smile. "I just got back yesterday, so I probably know about as much as you do..."
"Didn't your father mention anything?" She was frustrated; such a significant event had occurred, and he hadn't even bothered to ask.
"My father only said that after the army was defeated, the general was injured but it wasn't serious. He has already returned, but many soldiers were lost," Bai Feiyang replied, feeling intimidated by her slightly menacing questioning—was this woman a demon? The heavy aura of killing intent made his heart race; he feared she might end him right there.
"How did the news leak out?" The court had intended to keep it under wraps, yet now it was spreading like wildfire. Someone must have done this on purpose.
"It spread this morning. My father was also taken aback; I guess the emperor is furious right now," Bai Feiyang said cheerfully, though the implication in his words was unmistakable.
Indeed, Xuanyuan Rui was a general known for his victories and a guardian of the people. With this defeat, the emperor likely wanted to avoid panic and had tried hard to conceal it. After all, Xuanyuan Rui was his beloved grandson; he would do everything to protect him. It was unexpected that the news had leaked; he must be furious.
"Do you know why they lost?" She wasn't interested in the emperor's anger; her only focus was on finding out why—Xuanyuan Rui possessed such high martial skills that even four Chimeras couldn't match him; how could he have been injured?
"The weather," Bai Feiyang shrugged and sighed helplessly. "A sudden heavy snowstorm hit the north, and the soldiers were so cold they couldn't even hold their weapons. How could they fight like that?"
"Didn't the court send any winter supplies?" Fu Tianlin interjected, unable to hold back.
"They did, but they haven't arrived yet," Bai Feiyang's tone shifted as he spoke about this matter. His sharp Black Eyes narrowed as he continued, "Originally, these winter supplies were supposed to be sent along with Xuanyuan General to the north. However, some people in court opposed it, arguing that General Bu had just won a victory and that the soldiers should be rewarded. They claimed it was cold in the south too and that northern soldiers weren't accustomed to that weather... In short, one side insisted on prioritizing the north while the other insisted on the south, and in the end, both sides dragged their feet..."
"Damn it!" Qing Luan exclaimed, her temper flaring as she slammed her hand on the table, startling Fu Tianlin and Bai Feiyang.
"Qing Luan, are you okay?" Fu Tianlin asked with concern, thinking to himself that this was a matter of the court; their anger shouldn't warrant such an outburst.
Ignoring him, Qing Luan turned to Bai Feiyang and asked, "Is your father over there?" The supporters of the South were certainly backed by that old dog, Prime Minister Huang, so she needed to clarify.
"My father believes it's true that the South has won the battle, but the weather there is still warm while the North is already covered in ice and snow. He thinks we should send winter supplies there first, but he got criticized for it and hasn't calmed down since!" It was because her father was upset that he had shared these matters with her; otherwise, she wouldn't have known anything.
"Bai Feiyang, can I meet your father?" When pushed to her limits, one must find a way out. For days, she had trapped herself in a dilemma, pondering how to get those people into the palace to see the emperor. Now that she thought about it, she realized how foolish she had been; Bai Feiyang's father was the perfect candidate.
In fact, when she had made a deal with Fu Tianlin, she had already looked into Bai Feiyang's father, Bai Song. She knew he was upright and honest—a rare good official—so she hadn't pressed him too hard.
"Meet my father?" Bai Feiyang was taken aback. "Why do you want to see my father?" As a merchant's daughter, her father likely wouldn't want to meet her.
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