The War Ends

As soon as the stone stele was unveiled, word of its contents spread through every street and alley. Everyone named on it gained a reputation for virtue, much to the delight of the ladies who had thought they were stitching a wedding dress for Yan Wanning.

They were also more convinced of Yan Wanning's abilities. This Princess Consort of Anbei from the capital did have some skill.

"Princess Consort, Princess Consort! His Highness has sent word!"

Yan Wanning sat listlessly by the window, lost in thought and weighed down by worry. When she was busy, she had no spare thoughts for anything else, but now that her work was done and she had time on her hands, her mind had begun to wander.

Si Yunqi had not returned since leaving the residence that day, nor had he sent a word back. It had been about ten days now, and there was still no news.

At the sudden sound of Xiao He's voice, she seemed to come alive at last. Seeing the envelope in Xiao He's hand, she could not help feeling excited.

"Here, Princess Consort."

Yan Wanning eagerly tore open the envelope. When she saw what was written, she read it over twice in disbelief. Pressing her lips together, she did not know what to say.

All is well. Do not worry.

Xiao He had naturally seen what the letter said. When Yan Wanning remained silent for a long time, she took a deep breath and said slowly, "Perhaps... His Highness is busy with the war and has no time to spare?"

What Si Yunqi had feared had finally come to pass. The day before he and Yun Yin reached Yucheng, news came from the city that General Meng had fallen in battle. General Zhang and Tian Meng led the officers and soldiers in a desperate defense of the city gates, while Tian Meng fought the enemy with his life on the line and finally retrieved General Meng's body.

The Western Rong seemed to have committed half their forces to attacking Yucheng, determined not to return until the city fell. The commander leading the campaign was the Western Rong's third prince.

"Your Highness, our scouts discovered that, for some unknown reason, an epidemic broke out among the Western Rong three months ago. At first, it appeared only in a small, decrepit mountain village, and no one paid it any mind. They treated it as an ordinary fever until, half a month later, more and more people became infected. Only then did they learn it was an epidemic."

"More and more people have been infected. Though precautions were taken, they could not stem the epidemic's fierce advance. The Western Rong are now doing everything they can to find a cure. The epidemic has killed many cattle and sheep, and Western Rong land is barren, with few resources. The bitter cold is drawing near, and for this reason, the Western Rong have spent more than four months preparing for this campaign."

When Yun Yin finished his report, Tian Meng snorted. "No wonder those barbarians have been so hard to deal with this time, as if they'd taken some kind of drug. Turns out they're out of food and want to take Yucheng and seize its grain. Pah! In their dreams."

"Report! The Western Rong have sent out their troops. They're less than a hundred li from us!"

Clad in golden armor, Si Yunqi strode out of the tent with a long saber in hand. He selected three thousand elite soldiers and led them out of the city to meet the enemy. Tian Meng roared with laughter and followed close behind.

In this war, Si Yunqi swept through the enemy forces with the force of thunder. On top of that, the Western Rong army had been short of provisions for two days, and every soldier went into battle with a rumbling, empty stomach. Some soldiers' stomachs even growled from hunger in the middle of the fighting; the moment their attention wavered, they were cut down, dying with their eyes open.

In the end, it took less than a month to bring the war to a close. Si Yunqi struck the Western Rong's third prince from his horse with his long saber. Left like a host of dragons without a head, the Western Rong soldiers fled in disarray, drawing a round of jeers from the Ningbei Army's officers.

After the war came the clearing of the battlefield. General Zhang directed the soldiers to dig pits and bury every body on the field, enemy and ally alike, to prevent an epidemic from breaking out. If that happened, there would be even less idea of how to bring matters under control.

After such a victory, a proper celebration was only natural. Smoke rose throughout the camp, the scent of roasting meat drifted through the air, and the mellow aroma of fine wine made it hard to stop. The officers had been craving both for quite some time. Drinking was forbidden in the army lest it interfere with their duties, though they could drink in moderation at a victory celebration after battle.

"Your Highness, let old Tian drink a toast to you."

Grinning, Tian Meng gestured to Si Yunqi to drink, then drained the fine wine in his bowl in great gulps. He laughed heartily. "That hit the spot!"

Si Yunqi also drank a large bowl, then ate meat and drank wine to his heart's content with the officers.

"How are Meng He's funeral arrangements coming along?"

"Rest assured, Your Highness. I've already had Old Meng's body sent back to his home, and gave his young child and widowed mother five hundred taels of silver in compensation. That's enough to keep them for a few years."

"Mm. Make sure they are looked after. We must not let Meng He's heart grow cold in the Yellow Springs."

"I know." Tian Meng silently took a great swig of wine, feeling somewhat melancholy. After all, he and General Meng had shared decades of comradeship on the battlefield.

Five days later, the Western Rong sent a letter of surrender and expressed their intention to send a Western Rong princess to Zhaoyuan for a marriage alliance. Si Yunqi dispatched someone to deliver it overnight to the emperor in the capital by eight-hundred-li express.

By the time everything in Yucheng had been dealt with, nearly two more months had passed. Si Yunqi raced back to Ningguan City without stopping.

His longing for his wife at home was nearly spilling out of his heart. He had never been so eager to return home, and now it was all because of that delicate, soft little princess consort.

Apart from the letter he had sent a month ago, he had sent no more since. Yan Wanning, on the other hand, had sent two letters, every line urging him to be careful in all things and stay safe.

The old dowager princess consort had also sent a letter, its contents much the same as his young wife's.

He missed her. She... must have felt the same?