#205: Settled (1)

On the seventh day of the sixth month, Qi Yin finally awoke from his illness.

His fever had subsided several times before recurring again. Just before he woke, the fever had finally broken, but his mind remained hazy as he opened his eyes.

His first reaction was to ask what day it was.

The sound of his voice startled Shen Xiling, who had been sleeping by his bedside. She looked even thinner than before, her cheeks sunken and her lips pale, her face marked by unprecedented exhaustion.

But seeing him awake filled her with immense joy. Despite the dark circles under her eyes, she sat up excitedly, her face glowing with energy.

She told him that it was already the seventh day of the sixth month.

At this, Qi Yin’s face turned even paler, as if he had heard devastating news. For someone as sharp and composed as him, he froze in shock, unable to utter a single word for a long while.

He knew—it was over.

Everything was over.

The chessboard he had spent five years setting up, the sacrifices he had made to create this situation, the painstaking alignment of timing, location, and people—all of it had turned to ashes in the blink of an eye.

He couldn’t help but close his eyes.

Qi Yin had weathered countless storms in his life. Though he was strategic and decisive, not every plan of his succeeded. He had experienced failures, such as when Gu Juhang dismantled his strategy on the battlefield, leading to a crushing defeat.

He had never feared failure because he knew everything could be rebuilt. His resilience allowed him to endure setbacks and rebuild, striving again for what he wanted.

But this time was different.

This matter involved too much. Each piece on the chessboard had been painstakingly placed, and missing this opportunity meant not knowing when another would arise.

Moreover, his health…

He wasn’t sure how much longer he could endure in this unfavorable situation. His body would inevitably collapse before his spirit. If it came to that, how could he protect those around him?

For the first time in his life, Qi Yin felt lost.

Lost and helpless.

…He was utterly despairing.

Just then, he felt Shen Xiling draw near. She seemed to be tugging at his sleeve, her small force trembling with fear and helplessness.

Yes, he had suddenly fallen ill, and she must have been terrified.

He couldn’t let her see his vulnerability or confusion. He needed to calm down and reassure her, so she wouldn’t suffer alongside him.

Qi Yin steadied himself, suppressing the turmoil in his heart and regaining his composure. Opening his eyes, he gave her a comforting smile and said, “It’s alright. Don’t be afraid. I…”

Before he could finish, he saw her expression—terrified and anxious. Her delicate hands trembled as she clutched a few thin sheets of paper.

She handed them to him. Qi Yin noticed she was on the verge of tears, her voice shaking as she said, “I… I did my best, but I don’t know if it was right… I…”

Her voice faltered too much to continue.

Qi Yin didn’t know what had frightened her so, but he set aside comforting her for now and quickly took the papers. Unfolding them, he realized they were letters.

…All written in his handwriting.

Shen Xiling had written three letters, each containing only a few words.

The first was to Xiao Ziteng: “Still proceeding southward; unwavering loyalty.”

The second was to Han Feichi: “Secure Huozhou; act with integrity.”

The third was to Xu Zhengning: “A century of family legacy; now awaits dawn.”

She had dared to write these three letters, keeping each brief out of fear that saying too much might reveal inconsistencies. Even though her handwriting matched Qi Yin’s perfectly and she was familiar with his phrasing and tone, the recipients were people who knew him well, and she feared they might detect flaws.

The letter to Xiao Ziteng was simple. Shen Xiling was certain he had received reports of Qi Yin’s ambush in Qingyuan. Without confirmation that Qi Yin was still alive, Xiao Ziteng might hesitate to proceed with the Xiaoshan plan. She needed to inform him that Qi Yin lived, so everything could continue as planned.

The letter to Han Feichi was the riskiest. From her childhood by Qi Yin’s side, she knew this young Han scion was close to him. Recently, she confirmed with Bai Song that Han Feichi shared a deep bond with Qi Yin. Han Feichi’s decision to pursue an official career was influenced by Qi Yin, and he was aware of Qi Yin’s ties with Wei Crown Prince Gao Jing. Shen Xiling reasoned that if Han Feichi knew so much, it meant Qi Yin trusted him—he wasn’t an enemy.

Shen Xiling also knew Qi Yin had intended to visit Huozhou and planned to stay in Yue’an for nine days. In her estimation, his goal was to win over Governor Han Shouzheng of Yue’an. If Han Shouye was taking risks, he wouldn’t neglect precautions. He would meticulously monitor troop movements within Liang, preventing any unexpected reinforcements from disrupting his plans. The troops least likely to raise suspicion fell into two categories: those stationed on critical borderlands facing Northern Wei and those under the Hans’ control.

Shen Xiling understood Qi Yin’s broader strategy and his caution. Even with a secret pact with Gao Jing, he wouldn’t trust Northern Wei completely and wouldn’t mobilize border troops. Instead, he might rely on the Hans. Han Shouzheng was likely a carefully chosen ally. Qi Yin intended to use his forces to stabilize the situation in Xiaoshan, possibly positioning himself as the ultimate arbiter controlling both Han Shouye and Xiao Ziteng.

This was too critical for Shen Xiling to delay. She immediately dispatched men to gather information about Han Shouzheng, learning he was a Han cadet branch member who had always been estranged from his legitimate brothers. Unable to secure a position in Jiankang, he was sent to the remote Huozhou as governor. Relations with his elder brother, Han Shouye, had soured years ago after Han Feicong drunkenly assaulted Han Shouzheng’s daughter-in-law. When Han Shouye sided with his son, it drove Han Shouzheng’s daughter-in-law to suicide.

Since then, the brothers had severed ties.

Qi Yin had originally planned to personally persuade Han Shouzheng, but his sudden illness made that impossible. Given their limited rapport, Shen Xiling doubted a letter alone could secure his trust and convince him to lend troops by the tenth day of the sixth month. After much deliberation, she decided to send the letter to Han Feichi, asking him to personally persuade his uncle.

The risk lay in not knowing the stance of other Hans. While Han Feichi was loyal to Qi Yin, what about others like his father, Han Shousong, or his brother, Han Feiyu? Were they unwilling to risk rebellion, or had they aligned with Han Shouye? These uncertainties were beyond Shen Xiling’s grasp, but with time running out, she had no choice but to gamble.

Success or failure—she left it to fate.

Yet, reflecting later, Shen Xiling still found the move too bold. If Han Shouzheng refused—or worse, reported Qi Yin to Han Shouye or the Emperor—everything would collapse. But Shen Xiling couldn’t prevent such possibilities. Every gambit carried risks, unavoidable yet manageable to some extent. To mitigate potential fallout, she wrote a third letter to Xu Zhengning, once a subordinate in the Privy Council and now its deputy head.

Xu Zhengning was known for his loyalty to Qi Yin, having been saved by him during peace talks with Wei. Gratitude and respect bound him to Qi Yin. Shen Xiling’s eight-word message carried one meaning: Protect the Qi family.

Though Qi Yin wasn’t in Jiankang, his family remained there—his mother, father, brothers, nephews, and nieces—all potential hostages. Once Xiaoshan’s outcome was decided, Han Shouye might order Zhao Qinghan to detain the Qi family to pressure Qi Yin. Even Xiao Ziteng, while using Qi Yin, might harm his family.

She needed the Privy Council to safeguard the Qi family, ensuring Qi Yin had no distractions. Even if her actions led to failure, at least his family would survive.

During Qi Yin’s coma, Shen Xiling tirelessly gathered intelligence, exhausting all resources. Day and night, she analyzed every detail, searching for overlooked vulnerabilities or opportunities. Her relentless focus worsened her back wound, yet she felt nothing, consumed by anxiety. She yearned for Qi Yin to wake, hoping he’d tell her whether she was right or wrong.

But he hadn’t woken.

With no other choice, Shen Xiling steeled herself to send the three letters and arranged for Qi Yin’s southern retreat to near Xiangzhou. They had to reach Xiaoshan before the uprising to control the situation.

All water routes were blockaded by Han Shouye and Han Feicong. After much thought, Shen Xiling enlisted the salt merchant Gong Xun, who had ties to Han Feicong, to smuggle them across the river. Aware of Gong Xun’s past dealings with Han Feicong, she hid Qi Yin, Bai Song, and herself aboard his merchant ship. Meanwhile, she arranged decoys to impersonate Qi Yin and divert attention. The ruse worked, and they successfully fled south, arriving in Xiangzhou by the fifth day of the sixth month.

And now, Qi Yin had finally awakened.

Shen Xiling watched as he hastily scanned the letters, her fear nearly overwhelming her. She dreaded making mistakes that might lead him to ruin.

If that happened, then she…

Her thoughts raced, her heart pounding wildly. Suddenly, she saw him abruptly lower the letters and look up at her!

His phoenix eyes shone brilliantly, more radiant and intense than ever. His expression was one of excitement—something she had never seen in their ten years together.

Her mind went blank. Before she could react, he pulled her into a tight embrace!