As soon as Mijing spoke, the entire room fell silent.

However, Mijing had already encountered the furious version of the Xianbei Emperor, so there was really no scene in the world that could scare him.

Under the gaze of everyone, Mijing spoke calmly: “What both gentlemen have said is reasonable. A gentleman should not stand under a dangerous wall, but is the Nanyong court truly such a dangerous wall? The King has traveled thousands of miles from Yanmen County to move the capital to Chenliu. Even though I have never set foot in Jinling, I know that Jinling must be in a state of panic. Right now, the Northern army is looking across the Han River at Jinling’s Yanwei Army and Shen Family Army. The people most worried about a war breaking out are not the newly arrived King, but the people of Jinling, who have been managing things for years and cannot afford such chaos.”

Xiao Rong looked at Mijing, feeling deeply moved: “Good brother!”

The Yanwei Army and the Shen Family Army were both military forces of Jinling. The former was originally a victorious army formed by Emperor He Kui, but now the Yanwei Army had become a place where idle officials’ sons spent their time, contributing little to the battlefield. Before, Yu Shaocheng had served as a guard here.

In comparison, the Shen Family Army still had some strength. Led by the most capable general of Nanyong, Shen Yangrui, it was only after the country uncle, Sun Renluan, took full control of the court that he stopped going to the battlefield, replacing him with Shen Yangrui. Unfortunately, this general only had strength, not a noble background, and in the big political mess of Nanyong, his role was like that of the Northern Army when they first sided with the court—simply a disposable pawn.

The Yanwei Army had 150,000 soldiers, while the Shen Family Army only had 70,000. The Yanwei Army stationed in the capital surrounded the palace tightly, while the Shen Family Army was stationed at the farthest corner of Jinling, the closest to the Huai River.

If an enemy attacked, they would be the first to face it.

In fact, when Nanyong’s army was first established, it was even smaller. Over the past ten years, Sun Renluan had been recruiting soldiers. He had to do this since the court was already unstable. Without enough soldiers, it was possible they would be overrun one day.

As for the useless soldiers, Sun Renluan saw them as necessary for numbers, even if they couldn’t fight. At least their presence could intimidate others.

Thinking about Nanyong’s current situation, Gao Xunzhi and Yu Shaoxie fell silent, starting to consider the impact of these factors, as Mijing had reminded them.

Qu Yunmie stared at the two of them in disbelief. After just a few words, had they turned against him?

It was truly unfair. Gao Xunzhi and Yu Shaoxie were simply thinking deeply and had not shown their stance, but Qu Yunmie, disregarding everything, had already sentenced them to death.

He thought these two were useless and also disliked the smiling Xiao Rong, but what he hated the most was Mijing, who had reversed the situation with just a few words.

Qu Yunmie turned to look at Mijing, his face dark with anger. When his expression changed to sarcasm, Xiao Rong had an instinct that something was wrong.

Sure enough, the next second, Qu Yunmie mocked Mijing: “The Buddha’s disciple is really good at evading the issue. Is this also the Buddha’s teaching? That to achieve one’s goals, one can ignore a person’s life and death? Was this how you survived in Changan?”

Xiao Rong’s eyes widened in shock, and he suddenly stood up: “Your Majesty!!!”

“You’re crazy! How could you say such a thing?”

Xiao Rong anxiously looked at Mijing, but Mijing just lowered his head slightly and didn’t respond to the remark. Even though Mijing didn’t react and seemed not to care to argue with Qu Yunmie, Xiao Rong’s world went dark. He quickly moved to Qu Yunmie’s side and, appearing to consult him, spoke firmly: “Your Majesty, I wish to discuss something privately with you. May I have a moment with you?”

Gao Xunzhi and Yu Shaoxie’s actions were like they had been copied and pasted. First, they looked at Mijing in confusion, then at Xiao Rong, and finally turned to look at Qu Yunmie in the same daze.

Qu Yunmie remained seated without moving. Xiao Rong gritted his teeth and asked again, and only then did Qu Yunmie stand up abruptly. Every muscle on his face was tightly strained. After a while, he finally stepped out.

Xiao Rong’s expression was not much better. He apologized to the other three and quickly followed Qu Yunmie out.

Once the two had left, Gao Xunzhi realized he could finally breathe again. He relaxed his back and then remembered that Mijing was still sitting there. He quickly explained to Mijing: “Your Majesty didn’t mean it like that. He was just speaking thoughtlessly. The Buddha’s disciple—”

Mijing lifted his head and smiled at Gao Xunzhi: “There’s no need to worry, Minister Gao. Mijing can tell that His Majesty is just deeply concerned about Young Master Xiao’s plan. Mijing will not take this to heart.”

Hearing this, Gao Xunzhi smiled back, though whether he truly believed Mijing was uncertain. Among the two of them, Mijing’s expression seemed more sincere. Yu Shaoxie watched Mijing, his expression a bit odd.

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to Xiao Rong and Qu Yunmie, who had already left. He had also experienced such sudden, harsh treatment before, but he hadn’t had a past as bitter as Mijing’s, so it didn’t feel as bad. Moreover, when he had confronted Qu Yunmie, it was usually him speaking more fiercely, so even if he wanted to hold a grudge, he didn’t have the guts.

But His Majesty’s habit of speaking thoughtlessly really needed to change—his words, though unintentional, could feel as sharp as ice picks.

….

They arrived at a nearby flower hall, which was also used to entertain guests. If there was no official business, only casual conversation, guests would be brought here. However, the Northern Army had such poor relations with others that no one came just for casual chats.

Since the flower hall had been set up, no one had visited. Now, it had finally found its use.

After asking a guard for a lantern, Xiao Rong placed it on the table and then fiercely began to speak to Qu Yunmie: “Your Majesty, why would you say such a thing?! Don’t you know what the Buddha’s son has been through? He too suffered the tragedy ten years ago. How can you judge his past like this and use such words to slander him? Are you trying to drive away the Buddha’s son, who you have worked so hard to invite?”

Qu Yunmie had been looking at a flowerpot when he heard this. He suddenly stood up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: “Yes! This person has ill intentions, I want to drive him away!”

When a group of people had tried to stop Xiao Rong from going to Nanyong, he was fine. When Qu Yunmie had just slandered Mijing, he was fine. But now, what seemed like just a remark made in anger from Qu Yunmie suddenly caused Xiao Rong to feel lightheaded. He shook his head forcefully to stop himself from fainting.

Qu Yunmie was serious—he really did want to drive Mijing away.

Xiao Rong used one hand to grip the back of a nearby chair. His fingers tightly clenched the wooden carvings on the chair, hard enough that his knuckles turned white.

He didn’t shout or make a scene, but his voice was unstable: “Tell me why.”

The lantern was placed on the table, and the two of them stood there. Qu Yunmie didn’t notice the change in Xiao Rong’s complexion. He just suddenly felt something was off, to the point that he didn’t clearly hear what Xiao Rong had asked.

He couldn’t help but repeat: “What did you say?”

Xiao Rong endured the dizziness and nausea, finally raising his voice, which was now louder: “I said, tell me the reason!”

“I’ve had enough of your autocratic behavior! From the very beginning, you had a problem with the Buddha son. I’ve told you so many times that his presence will bring many benefits to the Northern Army. If you really dislike him, why not just have him move out?! When the Buddha son moved into the manor, you agreed to it in person. When you persuaded him to stay, you personally made the guarantee. Why are you going back on your word after just over a month? There must be a reason for changing your mind, right? Tell me!”

Qu Yunmie’s expression became terrifying at that moment. His mind kept repeating the words “autocratic behavior,” and although Xiao Rong had used harsher words in front of him before, none of them stung as much as this one did.

Autocratic behavior?

Autocratic behavior?!

Since meeting Xiao Rong, Qu Yunmie had given him whatever he wanted. Even the decision to move the capital to this strange place, Chenliu, was something he agreed to. Anyone could accuse him of being autocratic, but Xiao Rong could not!

Qu Yunmie stared at him, silent, and the more Xiao Rong asked, the more he refused to answer. However, Xiao Rong, like him, was stubborn. If Qu Yunmie didn’t answer, Xiao Rong would keep asking, asking, until he forced Qu Yunmie to explode.

“Because he doesn’t care about you!”

Xiao Rong froze at the shout.

After Qu Yunmie exploded, he was like an uncontrollable tiger, each sentence like thunder, shaking Xiao Rong’s ears.

“In his eyes, you are just a pawn! I don’t care how reasonable his words are, why didn’t he mention the slightest danger?! Now he says it’s only a one-in-a-thousand chance, but when it really happens to you, it will be a disaster! Who will save you then, and who will even know that you need saving? If he was betting his own life, I wouldn’t say a word, but he is betting with yours!”

Xiao Rong stood dazed for a long while. After a while, he finally responded, trying to speak gently to Qu Yunmie: “But this isn’t the Buddha’s son fault. I proposed this plan. He was just analyzing the pros and cons. Moreover, a one-in-a-thousand chance is almost like saying it won’t happen.”

Qu Yunmie moved his jaw slightly. It was an unconscious gesture he made when he was disappointed with someone. Xiao Rong froze for a moment, and he seemed to realize that he had said something wrong, but he didn’t know exactly what. Then, Qu Yunmie answered his confusion.

“Do you think the possibility of the Huhar people breaking through Yanmen Pass is large? Do you think the chance of a month-long snowstorm is high? Those who died never anticipated that they would die in such a way. You calculated it, yet you still dare to say it is almost certain to not happen?”

Xiao Rong: “…”

He was speechless, pursing his lips. After a long time, he finally said: “Your Majesty is right. I do know that this trip to Jinling is far from certain, but I still have to go, and I have to go alone. Your Majesty, making achievements is never easy. The soldiers fight on the front lines, burying many bodies every day. Are those people any less worthy of their lives than mine? As a strategist, I shouldn’t always hide in the sheltering room. There are many kinds of battlefields in this world. Your Majesty wants to fight the Xianbei and foreign tribes, and I won’t stop you, but Your Majesty shouldn’t stop me either. Because going to Jinling alone is my battlefield.”

Qu Yunmie blurted out: “This is not the same!”

Xiao Rong countered: “Why isn’t it the same? I can’t fight in the frontlines, but the only thing I have is the strategy in my mind. When Your Majesty arranges the troops and sets up the formation, you also take risks, right? When Your Majesty pursued the enemy for thousands of miles and entered the Xiongnu camp alone, wasn’t that risking your own life? But I think Your Majesty doesn’t consider it a risk because Your Majesty knows that, in terms of courage, no one can beat you. So, please believe me. In terms of strategy, no one can beat me, Xiao Rong.”

Qu Yunmie pursed his lips. Heroes admire heroes. If one of his subordinates confidently told him that they wanted to go alone to the Xianbei as a spy to do something, he would have agreed immediately and would admire that person greatly. However, when the same thing was proposed by Xiao Rong, he didn’t want to agree, no matter what.

But Xiao Rong had hit on something deep within him—he was free by nature and unwilling to be bound by anyone. He understood, from his own heart, that he didn’t want to stop Xiao Rong from using his talents and winning his victory.

Qu Yunmie stared at Xiao Rong, confused yet somewhat helpless, and asked him: “Why do you insist on using yourself as bait?”

Xiao Rong smiled weakly: “It’s the price that must be paid. Not just me, everyone who walks this world will inadvertently find themselves at the edge of a cliff. Whether we leap boldly or tremble and hide, we can’t escape this cliff. We might dodge it today, but tomorrow we might return unknowingly. At least today, the weather is clear, and I see the cliff, knowing every step I take. A clear and conscious risk is better than unknowingly stepping into the abyss later.”

Qu Yunmie: “……..…”

He fell silent.

Xiao Rong knew that Qu Yunmie had been moved by his words. He relaxed, and the dizziness returned. Xiao Rong slumped back, hitting the corner of the table with his lower back. The pain made him nearly tear up, and then he felt something rise in his stomach.

Xiao Rong: “…”

Oh, no.

He quickly covered his mouth to suppress the nausea. Qu Yunmie rushed over, supporting him. Up close, he finally saw how pale Xiao Rong’s face was.

Qu Yunmie really wanted to scold him. Look at you, such a weakling! Just a little emotional excitement and you get sick, and the symptoms are always different. You should let old lady Wu beat you with the rolling pin three hundred times and toughen up!

But in reality, Qu Yunmie only furrowed his brow and looked at Xiao Rong. After a second, he decisively made a decision: “Let’s go. I’ll take you back to your room first, then I’ll get old lady Wu.”

… That woman from the Butewu tribe with the rolling pin?

Xiao Rong shivered and weakly pressed his hand to his lower back: “But my back hurts a bit. Don’t trouble Agusheja. Just find a regular doctor.”

Qu Yunmie frowned even harder, but since Xiao Rong insisted, he reluctantly agreed. Xiao Rong was shorter than him, and putting his arm over Qu Yunmie’s shoulder was a bit difficult. To move forward, Qu Yunmie had to endure the humiliation and walk like he had a hunchback.

…

As Qu Yunmie pondered why the Marquis’s manor was so big, he suddenly heard Xiao Rong, whom he was supporting, weakly speak: “Your Majesty, now that everything has been said, you won’t still want to drive away the Buddha’s disciple, right?”

Qu Yunmie: “………”

He gritted his teeth and took a step forward: “If you don’t mention him, I won’t bring it up again.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Rong immediately fell silent.

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

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