She heard Song Yi'an asking Li Juan to book the earliest flight for him. When Li Juan asked about the return date, he mentioned a specific one: "The night after tomorrow."
A strike like this couldn't possibly be resolved within just two or three days. It was estimated that by then, Song Yi'an would just rush back to attend a birthday celebration and then have to hurry back non - stop to deal with the strike. This would not only delay his work but also add unnecessary burdens to him.
She secretly sent a message to Li Juan: "Don't be in a hurry to book the return ticket. Let him have a good rest. If he blames you, just say it was me who told you to do so."
After the phone call, Song Yi'an started the car again, his tone full of apology to Li Qiyu.
"Xiaoyu, I'm sorry. I'll take you back to Xiyu Villa first."
"You don't need to say sorry to me." Li Qiyu analyzed for him, "I think this strike is not that simple."
Song Yi'an nodded. He could roughly guess who was behind it.
Li Qiyu shared her experience of fighting on the battlefield in the past.
"I remember that when I first went to the battlefield with my father, there was a junior general who didn't respect my father. He secretly sowed discord among the soldiers and incited them to say that my father allowed a woman like me into the military camp, which was ruining the camp's atmosphere."
"What happened later? How did your father handle it?"
"My father set up a wrestling ring and let me fight with the soldiers. If I lost, he would send me back to the capital."
"Then you must have won."
"Of course. They were all just reckless men. Although I was not as strong as them, I knew how to use tricks. They were no match for me. I defeated them and silenced the gossips."
"What about the one who spread the rumors?"
"In the battlefield, it's very easy to deal with a black sheep. My father sent him to be the vanguard. Military orders are absolute, so he had no choice but to obey."
"Why didn't your father just expose his crimes to serve as a warning to others? Wouldn't people say that your father was taking revenge?"
"You've clearly never been in a war.
Since he dared to stir up trouble in the military camp, there must have been someone backing him up. Those civil officials liked to suppress their own people. If my father had reported this to the court, the answer he would have received would only have disappointed the soldiers.
Instead of doing that, it was better to handle it by himself.
On the battlefield, it's not about who is more noble but who is more insidious. When we fought against the enemy, we even used more despicable tricks. If you want to protect the people you care about, good people have to be worse than bad people.
Moreover, my father didn't treat everyone like this. In fact, most of the time, it was our Li Family Army that took the lead in battles."
"Good people... have to be worse than bad people."
Song Yi'an pondered over Li Qiyu's words, lost in thought.
Li Qiyu knew that Song Yi'an could understand what she said. But she still couldn't help reminding him, "Be careful when you go to the capital this time."
Song Yi'an nodded. He didn't want Li Qiyu to worry about him, so he changed the topic.
"I've wanted to ask you before. Why did you, a girl, go to the battlefield? In that ancient environment, which normal father would send his daughter to the battlefield?"
"Because there were no capable generals in the court."
This answer was beyond Song Yi'an's expectation.
Li Qiyu leaned back on the seat with a bitter smile.
"The Mu Dynasty valued literature over military. A bunch of civil officials were scheming against each other, making the court a mess. When the foreign enemies invaded, they all cowered like quails. My father had to take on the heavy responsibility of the great general. All the male members of our clan joined the army. That's the Li Family Army. At first, it was my under - age brother who was taken to the battlefield. Then, it was my mother. Later, I volunteered. My thought at that time was very simple. As a family, we should die together."
Although Li Qiyu said it lightly in just a few sentences, Song Yi'an could imagine what kind of spirit it took to stake the lives of the whole family and even the whole clan on the battlefield at that time.
Song Yi'an was filled with admiration.
"The court should have rewarded your family handsomely."
Li Qiyu smiled bitterly. She thought of her family members, those who were still in prison but still told her to live well.
"Yes, they rewarded us. They rewarded the 124 lives of our Li family."
Song Yi'an remembered that Li Qiyu had mentioned this when she admitted that she was a time - traveler.
A family of loyal martyrs ended up like this.
Just listening to it made Song Yi'an feel cold.
Li Qiyu lowered her head, looking dejected.
"Actually, our Li family never asked for wealth and honor. All my father wanted was for the family to be safe and for his daughter to be happy." Thinking of this, Li Qiyu couldn't help sighing, "If I hadn't married into the royal family, my father might have been able to retire without any psychological burden and now be enjoying his old age surrounded by his children and grandchildren."
Every word was like a stone, weighing on Song Yi'an's heart.
"If I were in the same era as that despicable emperor, I would definitely kill him!"
Li Qiyu turned to look at him.
This sounded familiar.
Zhou Donglin had also said it.
He said, "I'm going to kill that despicable emperor!"
But at that time, Li Qiyu had persuaded him.
Firstly, the downfall of the Li family was already a foregone conclusion. If Zhou Donglin got involved, it would implicate the whole Zhou family.
Moreover, as the son of a prime minister, for him to assassinate Song Jiaye was like an ant trying to shake a tree, a pipe dream.
Acting recklessly was meaningless.
So, to persuade Zhou Donglin, Li Qiyu said to him, "Don't go."
"Why?"
"Because... because he is my husband and I love him."
"Even at this point, you still protect him?"
"Yes, so you have to promise me that you won't hurt him."
Zhou Donglin was so angry that he stamped his feet, "You... you're so stubborn. You're so blind. I really shouldn't have bothered about you!"
The last time Li Qiyu saw Zhou Donglin in her memory ended with him angrily flinging his sleeves and leaving.
It was a pity that she never had the chance to tell him before she died.
What she wanted to protect was not Song Jiaye, but this naive man.
Now that time had come full circle and the same scene appeared again, Li Qiyu had a completely different plan in mind.
She asked, "Song Yi'an, can you promise me something?"
"What is it?"
"No matter how angry you are, you mustn't do anything illegal or criminal. Don't put yourself in danger."
"Do you think I'm that stupid?"
It was precisely because Li Qiyu trusted Song Yi'an. She knew that compared to Zhou Donglin, Song Yi'an was calm and self - controlled and would never act impulsively. That was why she dared to ask.
"Actually, you and him are in the same time - space."
Hearing this, Song Yi'an stepped on the emergency brake.
"What do you mean?"