"But Wanming..." Xiao Jingnan let out a silent sigh. "I have to go."
His pupils were as black and bright as stars in the dark night. However, where his gaze was fixed were the deaths of the three sons of the Xiao family, the loss of the six cities in the Southern Border, and the blood and tears of the common people in those lost cities.
Even though he knew that this trip was a trap set by Empress Dowager Kang and that there might be thorns all the way ahead, he still had to go - he must go!
"The expedition to the Southern Border is an opportunity that General Feng and I have been waiting for for many years. This imperial edict from Empress Dowager Kang allows us to send troops in a justifiable way. I can't give it up."
Li Wanming looked at his face, and her eyes welled up with moisture.
The moonlight split his outline like a silver blade, cutting his angular face into a light and a dark half. The shadow cast by his eyebrow ridge was as deep as a cliff, making the corners of his eyes even more sharp.
She knew that he had made up his mind.
She couldn't persuade him.
The night wind blew up a few strands of his unbound black hair, and the broken light on the tips of his hair was like tiny ice crystals.
It was so soft, yet unbreakable.
The cool breeze caressed her face, and the cold moon was like a hook. Li Wanming's mood gradually calmed down.
She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and after a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Why did the Empress Dowager go against her usual practice this time and agree to send troops?"
Since she couldn't stop him, she had to figure out the reason.
As the newly - appointed Princess of the Heir Apparent, she would enter the palace to express her gratitude soon. Only by figuring out Empress Dowager Kang's mind could she guard the Xiao family and the rear for Xiao Jingnan during this period.
"Because this time..." A sarcastic smile curled up on the corner of Xiao Jingnan's mouth. His voice was low and cold. "This time, she has the rosters of the Xiao and Huo families in her hands."
Li Wanming's heart sank suddenly, as if being tightly grasped by an invisible hand.
The roster!
How could she forget about this?
Her fingertips trembled slightly, and her mind was surging like a tide.
Xiao Jingnan glanced at her, pursed his lips, and reminded her, "Although General Feng is the main general, the supervisor of this expedition is the Empress Dowager's father - Marquis Xuanping, Kang Wende."
Li Wanming's pupils shrank, and her mind suddenly became clear.
So that's it!
Empress Dowager Kang held the rosters of the Xiao and Huo families and appointed Marquis Xuanping as the supervisor. She wanted to take this opportunity to carry out a major reshuffle in the army and seize military power!
This was a huge trap...
If Empress Dowager Kang really succeeded, the entire army of the Great Sheng would undergo a major reshuffle!
Maybe, General Feng Yuanji's days as the General Who Guards the State would come to an end... By then, whether it was the Xiao family's army, the Sheng family's army, or the Feng family's army, they would all belong to Empress Dowager Kang!
Empress Dowager Kang didn't care about the lost land in the Southern Border at all. She just used the Southern Border as a hook to lure General Feng into the trap.
Feng Yuanji and Xiao Jingnan were her real targets this time!
But Li Wanming also knew that, as Xiao Jingnan said, he had to go.
The defeat back then and the loss of the six cities in the Southern Border were the pain of all the men in the army, and also an untouchable scar in the hearts of General Feng and Xiao Jingnan.
Using this as an excuse, Empress Dowager Kang was so high - sounding that General Feng must have already agreed to the expedition.
Empress Dowager Kang also appointed Xiao Jingnan as the army's staff officer, responsible for formulating the marching route, drawing maps, gathering intelligence, and sorting out information. He would set off first before the main army.
That is to say, Xiao Jingnan would be traveling alone on this trip and would arrive in the Southern Border earlier than General Feng.
In the border areas of the Southern Border, since the Prince Ning returned to the capital with a worsening leg injury seven years ago, the soldiers and generals in the army had been removed or replaced by Empress Dowager Kang for various reasons. There were no longer the old soldiers from that time.
This time, Xiao Jingnan would go first without General Feng's care. It was no different from going deep into a den of wolves alone.
He was also the hope of both the Xiao and Huo family's military forces. Those moths in the army in the Southern Border now would surely regard him as a thorn in their side.
This expedition was a situation of nine deaths and one survival.
...
Li Wanming opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that her throat was so dry that she couldn't make a sound, as if it was blocked by something.
She tightened her grip on his hands, only feeling that his knuckles were distinct and digging painfully into her palms.
"Don't worry." Xiao Jingnan's voice was low and gentle, like the night wind brushing past her ears, with a soothing tone.
Looking at her pale face, a hint of pity flashed in his eyes, and his tone became even softer. "Although Empress Dowager Kang holds all the power, she has never led an army. She thinks too simply of war."
There were two clusters of quenched stars burning in his dark pupils. There were faint blood streaks in the whites of his eyes, but in the moonlight, they showed a kind of clarity and determination like a mutual destruction of jade and stone.
"If it were that easy to reshuffle the army before a battle, my father and uncle wouldn't have dedicated their whole lives to the army."
Li Wanming knew that he was trying to comfort her, but her heart was filled with anxiety, which made it almost hard for her to breathe.
She lowered her head, her fingertips trembling slightly, but still tightly clutching his arm, as if letting go would make him disappear.
There was deep guilt and reluctance in Xiao Jingnan's eyes.
He grasped her hand, looked up in the direction of the Southern Border, and his neck formed an arc like a bowstring. The moonlight flowed down his prominent Adam's apple and pooled into a silver pool in the hollow of his collarbone, like凝结的 tears.
"Wanming, I know you're worried about me, but as the Langzhong of the Military Affairs Department, it's my duty to draw maps and collect information. It's only natural for me to serve as the army's staff officer this time."
He paused for a moment, still looking into the distance, and his tone became more confident. "Moreover, I once trained in the army in the Southern Border in my early years and am quite familiar with the local situation. Even if they want to trip me up, they may not succeed."
Listening to his words, Li Wanming's heart ached even more, as if a dull knife was slowly cutting her heart.
She lowered her head and still tightly clutched his arm, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force.
Xiao Jingnan was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned his head and fixed his gaze on her. His tone became solemn. "Compared to me... it's you who should be more careful."
"I originally thought that I could protect you in the mansion... at least until you got familiar with everything here and established yourself firmly in the mansion, and then I would deal with the matters in the Southern Border and the Ghost - Crying Path. But I didn't expect..."
Xiao Jingnan's voice, along with the cold night wind, fell on her ears. "I didn't expect that I didn't even have one night to spare."
His eyes drooped, and he began to exhort earnestly.
"My second aunt is a very scheming person. When you deal with her, you must be extremely careful and never let her get hold of any handle on you."
"Although my parents are familiar with you, their current identities are the Prince and the Princess. I'm afraid they won't be as kind and indulgent as they were in Pingkangfang. You should be respectful to them."
"I've already informed my aunt to come to the palace more often to take care of you. If you have any trouble, you can send Chuntao to the Princess Mansion for help. She will surely help you."
"Oh, by the way, there's one more thing..."
Before Xiao Jingnan could finish, Lu Ping had already gently tapped on the window lattice outside the door. "Your Highness, the time is almost up."