#138: Reunion (1)

Year Qinghua 17, November 15th —the Liang army retreated.

The decision to retreat was made by Qi Ying. At that time, the Emperor of Liang had not yet passed away but received Qi Ying’s petition from across the river just before his death and approved it.

Han Shouye, General Han, was extremely dissatisfied with Qi Ying’s petition.

Though he had been frightened into wanting to retreat back to Jiangzuo after Gu Juhan’s feigned attack in Xuchang during June, the subsequent victories of the Liang army had restored his sense of bravery and ambition. He was now more determined than ever, even dreaming of marching straight into Shangjing to capture the Wei Emperor and restore the great cause. Thus, when he received the imperial decree to retreat while still fired up with passion, and upon hearing that the petition came from Qi Ying, he naturally became furious and went to argue with Qi Ying once again.

Qi Ying remained very patient with this elder uncle. Especially since the war had already concluded, he had no intention of engaging in conflict with him. He let the general vent his frustrations loudly for a while, and then the matter was dropped without further incident.

As for the decision to retreat, Qi Ying certainly had his reasons.

Although this northern campaign had gone relatively smoothly, Liang was far from strong enough to annex Northern Wei. Now that they had entered the Central Plains, advancing further into its heartland would increase risks significantly. If Northern Wei were to fight desperately, the already fatigued Liang army, stretched thin from long-distance expeditions, would be unable to withstand such an assault. Retreating at this point was a prudent move, and it also positioned Liang favorably for post-war negotiations to secure greater benefits.

From the beginning, Qi Ying never intended to march on Shangjing. His goal was merely to weaken the Gu family’s power and inflict lasting damage on Wei, thereby securing ten years of peace for Jiangzuo. Even if he eventually left the court, he could rest assured for the time being.

Since the start of the campaign in April, Qi Ying had been away from Jiankang for over seven months. By the time he returned to see Shen Xiling, it would still take another half-month or so. She had never been separated from him for such a long time, and he wondered how she was doing now—whether she was taking good care of herself.

On his desk lay every letter she had sent him, neatly arranged. Even during the most intense periods of the war, he had read each letter word by word. Her detailed descriptions of her daily life—how Snowball had gained weight, how the lotus flowers in Wangyuan bloomed and then withered, which book she had taken from the Forget Room to read that day—made him feel close to her. These letters softened the cold, empty military camp and offered him comfort amidst his exhaustion.

Now that he finally had time, he sat down to write her a proper letter instead of hastily scribbling as he had done before.

But when he picked up the brush, Qi Ying found himself at a loss for words. Despite missing her deeply, he couldn’t seem to put his feelings into writing.

Perhaps… there was a hint of apprehension about returning home.

Helpless, Qi Ying ultimately settled for briefly informing her of his expected return date. Then, recalling the line she had appended at the end of her last letter—”Even if I do not come to you, will you cease to send me news?” —he smiled faintly.

She loved reading the Book of Songs , and this was a verse from the Zheng Wind section. It expressed longing, along with a touch of playful reproach—”Just because I don’t go to you, does that mean you can stop telling me your news?”

Spoiled yet adorable.

He chuckled softly, thought for a moment, and added a line at the end of his letter: “Even if you do not come to me, I still look forward to returning to you.”

Returning to Jiangzuo would take some time. Crossing the river into Huai Prefecture alone consumed five or six days.

Having achieved victory, the triumphant army, accompanied by two high-ranking officials, naturally attracted the flattery of local officials along their route. At every stop, grand banquets were held in their honor.

General Han Shouye, who hadn’t fought such a satisfying battle since assuming his position as Grand General, was brimming with pride on their journey back. He completely forgot his earlier cowardice and desire to retreat. Every night banquet was attended without hesitation; he drank himself into a stupor each evening and slept until late morning, repeating the cycle.

However, the young Lord Qi wasn’t as easy to entertain. Each invitation was declined on account of official duties, and he spent every night staying with the troops in his tent. Upon hearing this, General Han would invariably sneer, seemingly mocking the prime minister’s rigidity and propriety while also venting his dissatisfaction with the retreat. Beyond that, there wasn’t much else he could do.

That night was no different.

After declining an invitation, Qi Ying returned to his quarters to rest. After bathing, he felt drowsy and decided to turn in early—a rare occurrence. Later, he summoned Qingzhu into the tent to ask if any letters had arrived recently.

Though Qi Ying’s question was vague, he was clearly asking whether Shen Xiling had sent any letters. It had been nearly half a month since he dispatched his last letter, yet he hadn’t received a reply, and he was growing unaccustomed to the silence.

How could a loyal servant like Qingzhu fail to understand his master’s intent? However, there truly hadn’t been any letters from Fenghe Garden recently, so he couldn’t fabricate one. With a shake of his head, he conveyed the unfortunate truth.

Qi Ying raised an eyebrow, said nothing further, and dismissed Qingzhu with a wave of his hand.

That little girl… why hadn’t she replied?

He sighed, read a bit more, and then moved inside to sleep. Only then did he notice the bulge in his quilt—there was someone lying in his bed!

Qi Ying’s brows immediately furrowed, and he turned his back to the bed.

Such incidents had occurred frequently lately. Most were the result of local officials taking the initiative, thinking that the lords, weary from the northern campaign and lacking female companionship in the military camp, deserved some relaxation. While the war was ongoing, such behavior was inappropriate, but now, following such a significant victory, breaking a minor military rule didn’t seem like a big deal. Thus, these officials began sending women into the lords’ beds.

Qi Ying had already lost his temper over this once. He hadn’t expected it to happen again tonight. Qingzhu and Baisong had grown too lax; they hadn’t noticed a living person being brought into his tent.

His anger simmered, and his voice turned icy as he addressed the figure in the bed without turning around: “I’ve already said not to send anyone in here—get out.”

The coldness in Qi Ying’s tone would have made even those unfamiliar with him realize he was angry. Yet the person in the bed seemed unfazed, first rustling as they got up, then audaciously embracing him from behind!

Qi Ying’s brows tightened further, and he immediately tried to pull the person away. Before his hand could make contact, he heard a plaintive voice from behind: “I worked so hard to find you, and you’re already trying to chase me away?”

The voice was gentle, melodious, and achingly familiar.

It was… Shen Xiling.

The person truly was Shen Xiling.

The young girl had grown quite resourceful. Long before Qi Ying wrote to her, she had learned of Liang’s plans to retreat and could no longer restrain herself. Secretly gathering a few people, she set off from Jiankang and traveled north to find him.

She missed him terribly. Having never been apart from him for so long, she couldn’t bear to wait even a single day upon hearing he was returning. Without hesitation, she ran off to find him.

Of course, she hadn’t acted recklessly. Along the way, she gathered information about the army’s movements and endured nearly half a month of travel before finally meeting them in Huai Prefecture.

These fifteen days were grueling. The distance between Jiankang and Huai Prefecture was nearly five hundred miles. Fearing she might miss him, she pushed herself to travel faster, sometimes going without rest, traveling through the night. In the harsh winter cold, she trembled in her carriage but refused to stop at an inn, enduring the freezing temperatures to continue her journey.

Possessed, almost.

Fortunately, her efforts weren’t in vain. She finally met the army in Huai Prefecture.

She sent Liu Zi to fetch Brother Bai Song, asking if she could see Master Qi. When Bai Song saw her, his usually stoic face showed visible surprise. After a long moment, he composed himself, deliberated, and eventually smuggled her into Qi Ying’s tent under cover of night.

Her journey into the camp was filled with both tension and joy. Unfortunately, Qi Ying hadn’t returned when she arrived—he was still out attending banquets. So, she sat on the bed to wait. Exhausted from her travels, she soon fell asleep unintentionally, only waking when Qi Ying called Qingzhu in and their conversation stirred her.

After more than half a year, she finally heard his voice again—low, clear, and comforting, stirring her heart and bringing tears to her eyes.

For a moment, she almost rushed to embrace him. But she wanted him to discover her first, to see the surprise in his eyes. Suppressing her excitement, she stayed hidden under the covers. To her dismay, upon entering, he immediately ordered her to leave, seemingly mistaking her for someone else.

Had other women visited his tent besides her?

Or worse—had they shared his bed?

Shen Xiling instantly felt wronged.

When she hugged him and voiced her complaint, the man she had longed for abruptly turned around. His phoenix eyes, which she hadn’t seen in so long, widened in astonishment, followed by unmistakable delight—bright and expansive, like the moon rising over the sea.

He looked… genuinely happy.

Shen Xiling’s fatigue and grievances melted away in the light of his joy. He then pulled her tightly into his arms, his hands firmly encircling her waist. In a low voice, he asked near her ear: “Why are you here?”

Why are you here?

Such a simple sentence, tinged with a faint sigh, yet she could sense the depth of emotion behind it, stirring her own feelings even more.

Her eyes grew warm as she wrapped her arms around his neck, not directly answering him but saying instead: “I missed you so much…”

I missed you so much.

I missed you so desperately.

Even though we were separated by such a vast distance, I still had to come find you.

No sooner had she spoken than she felt Qi Ying’s grip on her waist tighten again, his breathing faltering slightly. She sensed his arousal and felt her own heart flutter in response.

But just as suddenly, he pulled her away, gripping her arms and examining her from head to toe. His brows furrowed again, and in a stern tone, he scolded her: “How did you get here? Did you come alone? There’s been rampant banditry everywhere lately. What would you have done if something had happened to you?”

It wasn’t unreasonable for Qi Ying to be angry.

Though Liang had won this battle, the cost had been heavy. Due to insufficient manpower, conscripts had been hastily recruited from various counties during the war. On their journey south, they witnessed many villages nearly deserted. Most men had died on the battlefield, leaving behind only women, children, and the elderly. With the year-end approaching, unrest was widespread. Bandits descended from the mountains to harass civilians, and in some areas, there were even reports of brazen kidnappings of virtuous women in broad daylight. Chaos reigned.

In such turbulent times, with her striking beauty, what if…

Given the earlier incident with Yang Dong, Qi Ying couldn’t help but worry excessively.

He was genuinely very concerned for her.