The Gu Residence.
"Elder Sister, I brought you pastries from the south of the city."
The young girl shot towards Gu Mingliu like a cannonball, yet stopped a few feet away. "Was the little baby good today?"
"The baby is very good. I just wonder if the baby's auntie was good."
Hearing Gu Mingliu's words, Gu Mingzhu tossed her head proudly and recounted her day's interactions with Song Hui in detail.
"You're certainly visiting the Shen family quite frequently these days."
"Father said before he left that I should behave. If I really got too restless, I could go play at the Shen family," Gu Mingzhu mumbled. Gu Mingliu, however, laughed until she was bent over.
Their father's original intention was for Mingzhu to stay quietly at home. Thinking that Mingzhu had always been afraid of Third Young Master Shen, he figured adding that extra line wouldn't make a difference.
Who would have thought this little girl would get so bored she actually went and sought out the Shen family.
"If you're truly bored, write a letter to the Commandery Princess."
"Write a letter?" Gu Mingzhu tilted her head. "But the Commandery Princess is busy with troop deployments and battle formations now. It's very mentally taxing. My letter would disturb her."
"It won't."
In the candlelight, Gu Mingliu's face took on a hint of the serenity unique to a mother-to-be. "Letting the Commandery Princess know that Mingzhu misses her will make her happy too."
Any string kept taut for too long will snap.
She hoped Mingzhu's letter could bring the Commandery Princess a moment of relaxation and peace.
Gu Mingzhu nodded upon hearing this and scampered off towards the study.
......
When Song Shihuan received Gu Mingzhu's letter, the army had just captured Stone City and was facing the Great Yue capital across the expanse of Mist City.
"Commandery Princess, a letter from the capital."
At first, everyone thought it was just an ordinary letter.
Until...
Song Shihuan accidentally shook the letter open, fully unfurling it. Its total length... was about as long as Song Yu was tall.
It was actually a letter written on a scroll.
Everyone looked at Gu Zheng. Was the youngest daughter of General Gu's family this... bold?
Even Song Yu looked on with disdain. He and A-Huan had already agreed she would explain the battle formations to him later. This "letter" would likely take A-Huan a full hour to read.
Only Song Shihuan wore a rare, almost childlike expression of delight. She dismissed everyone, even her own father, Song Yu, who was unceremoniously pushed out of the command tent.
Outside the tent, Song Yu tilted his head back at a perfect angle, refusing to let his tears fall.
Inside the tent, Song Shihuan began to read the letter with great relish.
In the letter, Gu Mingzhu talked about everyone. She mentioned how boring Shen Qingping was, how he ruthlessly exploited Zheng Fang and the others, and recounted the events surrounding the newly minted Prince Heng, emphasizing what a principled confidante she was.
It made Song Shihuan laugh out loud.
At the end of the letter, there were clearly a few drops of ink, evidence of hesitation when writing.
Song Shihuan's gaze fell upon it, and her breathing softened.
"Elder Sister has been spacing out a lot lately. The nursemaid says she could give birth at any time. I think Elder Sister misses Brother-in-Law. She always says he wants a daughter."
A quarter of an hour later, Song Shihuan emerged from the tent.
"Commandery Princess, did Mingzhu mention me in the letter?"
Song Shihuan shook her head.
Gu Zheng's heart shattered.
"Has the team we sent out reported back?"
Seeing no one answer, the color in Song Shihuan's eyes deepened inch by inch. It seemed the matter was indeed tricky.
......
The matter was indeed tricky, so tricky that even Yu Fan took a good while to digest the reality before his eyes.
Prince Rui was actually digging an underground tunnel from the Great Yue capital to Mist City.
“What are you staring at? Prince Rui has given the order. The tunnel must be completed within half a month, or it’s execution of the nine familial generations.”
A whip lashed towards a sickly-looking man among the laborers. Yu Fan's figure flashed, blocking the whip for the man.
The whip-wielding overseer sneered at the sight, seemingly mocking Yu Fan's overestimation of his own strength.
Yu Fan, holding a shovel, mimicked the others and dug, his mind racing on how to get a message to Great Qi.
Prince Rui's scheme was utterly vicious.
Knowing that Great Qi was now unstoppable and Great Yue powerless to resist, he was abandoning cities to set up this underground tunnel.
If the advancing Great Qi forces, having captured cities one after another, remained unaware, they would attack and take Mist City as before, then deploy troops to besiege the Great Yue capital.
If at that moment, Great Yue's divine troops suddenly descended from the heavens into Mist City via the tunnel, striking Great Qi from behind...
The veins on Yu Fan's arm bulged.
But the tunnel diggers were under extremely tight guard, with no chance to escape.
Thus, a stalemate ensued.
Great Qi, after capturing Stone City, rested and regrouped there, showing no intention to advance further. Great Yue also did not take the initiative to attack.
Until the tunnel was completed.
"Your Highness, how should we deal with these workers?"
Prince Rui held a wine cup. "Conscript them. Next time we go to battle, have these men charge at the very front."
Clearly, Prince Rui intended for them to die.
"Have the archers on the city walls aim at these men when the time comes. Leave no survivors."
The secret of the tunnel must not get out.
"Yes."
Prince Rui's subordinate showed no surprise at the order and continued, "Great Qi currently shows no intention to continue their attack. What should we do?"
"If they don't want to fight, then we'll take the initiative and fight them." A ruthless glint flashed in Prince Rui's eyes. No matter what, he had to force Great Qi into his trap.
The Crane Wing formation?
Let's see how it fares against this prince's Tunnel formation.
Meanwhile, the people Song Shihuan had sent out finally made contact with Yu Fan.
"Young Master Yu."
Yu Fan looked at the four men before him, also disguised as diggers, his eyes wide with shock.
"The Commandery Princess sent a team to find you. The four of us managed to infiltrate here," the leader said, glancing around to ensure safety before speaking. "One more is blending in with the army. He will find a way to get you out."
Hearing this, a strong hope ignited in Yu Fan's eyes. It seemed the Commandery Princess had found the message he left.
"Great Yue will initiate battle tomorrow. They plan to have us tunnel diggers charge at the front, then have us shot and killed. So we must escape tonight."
Upon hearing this, Yu Fan's pupils contracted sharply, but he did not respond.
Night fell. Yu Fan was stopped by the overseer who had whipped him before.
"If it isn't 'Tiger Head,' who loves taking whips for the weak and sick."
The overseer held his long whip. "I heard you're going to the battlefield tomorrow. I came tonight specifically to... see you off."
He emphasized the last few words deliberately. The next second, the whip lashed towards Yu Fan.
"Don't kill him. They need a headcount tomorrow," another man said with a laugh. "Just vent your anger, that's enough."
"Don't worry, I know my own strength. He enjoys the taste of the whip."
Lash after lash, Yu Fan dared not fight back, fearing he might reveal his capabilities.
In the shadows, the four men clenched their fists. Only when blood began to seep through the back of Yu Fan's clothes did the overseer reluctantly stop, seemingly unsatisfied.
"Are you alright?"
Yu Fan shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Young Master Yu, shall we proceed with the original plan?"
But Yu Fan shook his head again:
"You all go ahead with the original plan."
