Frost

Bai Jiu's chess piece suddenly rolled to the ground. The jade-white piece rolled clattering to someone's boot. This person dropped his own piece, bent down, picked up Bai Jiu's piece, and blew on it while holding it between his fingertips.

"'What's wrong, Prince of Pingding?' It was Yan Jueshu, his face like a peach blossom. He languidly twirled the small white piece. 'You look like you're about to fall asleep for no reason.'"

Bai Jiu simply leaned back in his chair, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes. "'This game is quite boring.'"

Yan Jueshu sighed, "'A game set by small fries like us naturally wouldn't catch the eye of the Prince of Pingding.'" He said, his effeminate eyes slightly slanted, "'However, there have been plenty of important figures whose boats have capsized in the gutter since ancient times.'"

"'Fish and shrimp follow the tide.'" Bai Jiu raised a hand to cover his eyes, and said indifferently, "'A monstrous wave is coming. With the changing situation later, you should first seek to protect yourself.'"

"'I don't fear death.'" Yan Jueshu collected the pieces on the board one by one, smiling. "'I don't fear death. I've lived a lifetime of luxury as a solitary person, so dying now would be worth it. In comparison, it's the Little Prince of Yan who will be wronged. He's barely escaped the sea of suffering and hasn't even fully formed yet, but he'll have to struggle in the pounding of these giant waves.'" He continued to smile. "'What a bitter fate.'"

"'You don't mean what you say.'" Bai Jiu's narrowed eyes, half-open beneath his hand, fell upon Yan Jueshu's neck. At that instant, the hairs on the back of Yan Jueshu's neck stood on end, a chilling fright as if a snake had wrapped itself around his throat.

Bai Jiu said indifferently, "'You've gone to great lengths, stirred up hidden currents, and even secretly aided Great Yuan, but in the end, whether you succeed or fail, it will all be for naught.'" As he spoke, a scornful gaze flickered in his dark, beautiful eyes, and he enunciated each word clearly, "'Xin Zhenxiao is already rotting in the earth, both body and soul gone.'"

The chessboard was suddenly overturned and smashed to the ground. Yan Jueshu was expressionless, only his chest heaved erratically.

"'How dare you call His Highness by his given name directly!'" He gnashed his teeth with hatred. "'Bai... Jiu... you... dare!'"

Bai Jiu simply closed his eyes and ignored him, but his eyelids under his palm twitched slightly, and he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Shangjin.

Xin Yi ascended the city wall.

The smell of lamp oil churned in his stomach. The nightmare of Xianglan had always been accompanied by this smell, making it impossible to forget. The little cub quietly clung to his neck, obedient and silent, having not eaten for several hours, yet not bothering Xin Yi.

Wu Yu's voice was already hoarse. He lay dispiritedly on the battlements, looking at the dense crowd of Great Yuan soldiers below. Xin Yi also lay down, but couldn't spot Arslang at a glance.

"'Is there any food?'" Xin Yi rubbed the little cub's head. "'Anything is fine, give me some.'"

Wu Yu slowly rummaged in his embrace for a while, then pulled out a packet and threw it to the little cub in Xin Yi's arms. He said hoarsely, "'You really brought him with you.'"

The little cub consciously tore open the paper; inside was beef jerky.

Xin Yi leaned the side of his head against the battlement, looking down, and hummed in response.

"'What should we do?'" Wu Yu massaged his throat. "'Should we keep defending? Arslang has left Jianan Mountain, which means he no longer fears the Beiyang Army. Look at his cavalry, fully equipped, while we're like beggars.'"

"'Ah.'" Xin Yi responded in a low, slow tone, then seemed to fall silent, not answering him immediately. Both remained speechless, with only the sound of the little cub chewing beef jerky.

"'We can't hold it.'" After a long while, Xin Yi finally said, "'We can't defend Shangjin.'"

"'Then where should we go?'" Wu Yu smiled. "'Lijin? Xiajin? Once Rouhui falls, the entire Beiyang region will be lost. Where else can our Beiyang Army defend?'"

"'Rouhui won't fall.'" Xin Yi rubbed his forehead, a strand of hair falling uncomfortably. He said, "'Great Yuan's main force is concentrated here. Rouhui only has a small portion, and Ji Baiyue and Xu Hu won't let them cross.'"

"'Isn't that worse?'" Wu Yu wiped his face, saying in a muffled voice, "'If Arslang bypasses Shangjin directly, driving down to Rouhui for a pincer attack, they won't even have a chance to escape.'"

"'Why let them bypass Shangjin?'" Xin Yi's lips moved. The little cub put a piece of beef jerky in his mouth. But his stomach was burning and his ribs were aching, so he could only hold it in his mouth. "'We won't defend Shangjin; we'll drive the Great Yuan soldiers back.'"

"'Us?'" Wu Yu laughed until his throat hurt. He said, "'Just us?'"

They couldn't even muster 30,000 cavalrymen; how could they pursue over 100,000 cavalrymen? Furthermore, would they truly be pursuing, or being pursued?

"'Yes.'" Xin Yi swallowed the beef jerky, the churning in his stomach making him frown. "'It's us. The Beiyang Army has dealt with Great Yuan for generations; what we know best is Great Yuan cavalry and Great Yuan grasslands. If we retreat, we'll lose all advantage, and even be pulled by the south. Once the Prince of Tang makes a move, we can still counterattack from the north. If we only defend Shangjin, we might be overwhelmed from front and back, falling further into despair.'"

"'What about the reserve military provisions?'" Wu Yu asked. "'Yan Jueshu won't give us food, and the court's provisions have been delayed for a long time. Even if we pursue them, what will we eat?'"

Xin Yi didn't make a sound. He lay on the battlement, sinking back into silence.

That's right, even if they rushed back hundreds of miles in one go, what would they eat? Living off the land through war was absolutely impossible, because Great Lan had prosperous towns, while Great Yuan only had grasslands. Before Arslang arrived, Great Yuan's cattle and sheep would have been moved behind Jianan Mountain. Were the Beiyang Army supposed to eat wild grass with him?

What to do?

What to do.

Jingdu, for some unknown reason, suddenly began urgently requisitioning money and silver from influential families. But this money was not for the front-line Beiyang Army; instead, it disappeared into the palace. The official reason given was that it was a severe cold winter and that the Hall of Heavenly Purity was so dilapidated it was drafty and needed renovation. But where it actually went, each family tacitly understood.

At this critical juncture, they should have united against external threats. But regrettably, Jingdu had not yet realized that Beiyang was in dire straits. The emperor's military provisions, after passing through the Crown Prince's hands several times, were reduced to a mere thin layer. This still had to be further divided by the 'little devils' below, and what finally reached Beiyang was not even enough for three days' worth of porridge for the officers and soldiers.

Take this day, for instance, when the weather finally cleared. The Minister of the Imperial Stables and the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat arranged to go fishing at Luyi Lake, at the foot of Luyi Mountain. Holding their rods by the shore, they first exchanged pleasantries, inquiring about each other's parents and children, and then ramblingly got to the main topic.

The Minister of the Imperial Stables stroked his goatee and said with a worried expression, "'I hear Beiyang isn't doing well these days.'"

The Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat tremblingly baited his hook. "'Indeed, they can't even get enough to eat.'"

"'How can this be?'" The Minister of the Imperial Stables shook his rod. "'The Prince of Pingding has left Jingdu, and there's no one to advise His Majesty.'"

The Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat said, "'Indeed, look at these money and silver allocations.'"

"'Alas.'" The Minister of the Imperial Stables sighed, "'There's no one who can speak up.'"

"'Indeed.'" The Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat breathed out cold air. "'In this bitter cold, the charcoal fires in the army camps cannot be allowed to go out.'"

"'Why are Xuhang and Jiangtang silent?'" The Minister of the Imperial Stables stroked his beard again. "'How can the granaries also play dead so vigorously?'"

"'Indeed.'" The Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat folded his sleeves. "'The Prince of Tang hasn't even mentioned sending troops.'" He then smacked his lips and said, "'But he's always been a coward. The Great Yuan people are like wolves and tigers; his fear is obvious. As for the Little Prince of Yan, he's so young, let's hope he doesn't stay on the battlefield. When all is said and done, his parents and elder brother aren't even cold yet!'"

"'Don't even mention it.'" The Minister of the Imperial Stables frowned. "'I think it's possible. How old is he? And he can't speak. Now, with insufficient military might and unprepared provisions, alas, if Shangjin falls, who can stop them after that?'"

"'Then it's the common people along the way who will suffer.'" The Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat finally didn't say 'indeed', but instead said, "'Given Great Yuan's deep hatred for Beiyang, it's inconceivable that they wouldn't slaughter the city. Jingdu is far away; I see His Majesty also intends to use money to resolve it. Although he won't suffer any grievances then, he'll still feel uncomfortable in his heart.'"

"'How can this be comfortable?'" The Minister of the Imperial Stables muttered again in a low voice, "'How can this be comfortable?'"

A withered leaf hung over the lake, creating tiny ripples. There was still a chill on the lake's surface, and a small boat slowly drifted out from behind the lake. The two immediately fell silent, looking at each other, their hearts in turmoil.

They saw that the boat was unpiloted, simply drifting erratically with the light cold wind. As it passed in front of the two, the hanging coarse leaf-patterned kudzu cloth shifted, vaguely revealing a corner of the person holding a book inside, and then the boat drifted further away.

"'Th-that's not...'" The Minister of the Imperial Stables shrank his neck and quietly whispered a name to the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat. The Secretary also shrank his neck, and the two old men, like two quails, held their breath until the boat disappeared from sight.

They didn't know how much of their recent conversation had been overheard by that person.

"'Qing Liu indeed, Qing Liu indeed...'" The Minister of the Imperial Stables sighed, "'What a pity.'"

The Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat raised his empty hook and echoed, "'Indeed...'"

It was He Anchang.

Only after the boat had drifted out of sight did he put down his book, brew tea with water boiled on a small red clay stove at his side, feeling content and at ease in the cramped space of the boat.

It had been over half a year since he gradually withdrew from court. Although the young phoenix Hou Ke had taken over court affairs, his methods were ultimately different from when He Anchang was present, often making people recall him. As for He Anchang himself, after returning home, he either secluded himself to study obscure ancient texts or went out fishing and wandering leisurely. By his count, it had been a long time since people in Jingdu had seen him.

Speaking of today's outing, he unexpectedly heard about the affairs of Beiyang. He Anchang usually kept his ears shut to worldly matters. Although he had intermittently known of Great Yuan's renewed invasion, he didn't know that Bai Jiu had already departed. But he could make some guesses and imagine the current situation.

He only returned to the He Manor when dusk fell, entering through the back gate, where a young attendant was waiting for him. He went straight back to his courtyard, bathed and changed his clothes, then sat by the lamp to write a letter by hand, not extinguishing his lamp until the third watch of the night.

The next morning, the young attendant pushed open the door and found the bed empty, with no sign of anyone having slept there. His master, the Qing Liu gentleman, was gone, and the usual pen from the cabinet was also missing.

With only a few scrolls of thin garments and a few taels of broken silver, He Anchang struggled to climb over his manor wall and left the capital amidst a cloud of dust. On the way, he took a donkey cart, sitting among piles of cabbage and radishes, constantly pondering his plans, and enduring the cold all the way to Qingping.

Now, the Prince of Pingding was in Qingping. From what he had gathered on the road, Yan Jueshu was also in Qingping. When else would be a better time to go to Qingping?

Xie Jingsheng was incredibly busy in Qingping. When he heard someone was looking for him in the front hall, he assumed it was just his dissolute friends and refused to see anyone.

He Anchang, his thin robes fluttering from the cold at the entrance, turned to leave expressionlessly upon hearing the refusal. Unexpectedly, as he turned, he ran directly into Yan Jueshu.

"'He Anchang!'" Yan Jueshu clung to the carriage window, eyes wide, and said, "'What kind of mischief are you up to?'"

He Anchang was pale from the cold, and his gaze when he looked at people was even colder, indeed making Yan Jueshu shiver.

These two still had a bit of a past karmic entanglement.

Back when Yan Jueshu was studying in the Hanlin Academy, Zhang Taiyan often had delays in his lectures, so he would call upon He Anchang. Strictly speaking, He Anchang was half a teacher to Yan Jueshu. However, Yan Jueshu had always loved money, and privately resold He Anchang's calligraphy and paintings, for which he was often disciplined by this Master He. So now, upon seeing him, he both wanted to vent his frustration and was deeply afraid.

"'A teacher for a day is a father for life.'" He Anchang said coldly, "'What are you calling your father for?'"

"..." This person was still so annoying. Yan Jueshu held back for a while, then simply lifted his carriage curtain and said impatiently, "'You're frozen solid, yet still trying to show off. Get in quickly.'"

He Anchang rubbed his frozen nose tip and got in.

It was very warm inside. Yan Jueshu seemed to have covered everything with thick furs, making it dazzlingly golden and flashy. As He Anchang recovered from the cold, he raised his eyes and surveyed the entire carriage interior.

Yan Jueshu, embracing his mink fur, indulged in laziness. "'Isn't this an insult to scholarly dignity? You noble Qing Liu types don't seem to have much integrity either.'" He then cast a glance at him with his peach blossom eyes. "'You almost got frostbite. What are you doing here?'"

"'Eating steamed buns.'" He Anchang sat upright and prim. "'What are you doing here?'"

"'Beating a dog.'"

He Anchang nodded, then rubbed his eyes again.

"'What are you doing?'"

He Anchang said, "'Dazzling.'" Then he added, "'Why are you wrapped up like a peacock?'"

"..." Yan Jueshu threw aside the mink fur and said fiercely, "'I'm cold.'"

"'This place is indeed quite cold.'" He Anchang nodded, then abruptly changed the subject. "'If you don't release provisions for Beiyang, it will get even colder.'"

The smile in Yan Jueshu's eyes faded. He snorted, "'You've come as an envoy too.'"

He Anchang paused, then said seriously, "'No, I'm here to save you.'"