Chapter 10

In the North Plain, under the starry night sky, a frail woman stood still, her beautiful face pale with illness. The night wind blew, and she coughed lightly from time to time, her delicate appearance evoking deep sympathy.

"Has the Emperor of Xia ordered the troops to move out?" the woman asked softly.

"No," a general in armor beside her replied respectfully. The young general, who looked at the woman with admiration and reverence, did not hide his feelings, though they were not intense.

"It is the will of heaven," the woman glanced at the two blood-red stars in the sky, coughed a few times, and sighed softly. "In the end, someone has interfered. It's a pity that a carefully laid plan has been ruined."

The young general remained silent, standing by the woman's side. He knew that as long as the military advisor was there, the Northern Mongol royal court would eventually break through the Central Plains' defenses.

"The planet Mars is in the heart, the true dragon's aura is unstable, and the Xia Dynasty is the most affected. Since the Emperor of Xia knows his own destiny, he will focus on maintaining his rule. If he wants to secretly increase troops, it can only be the Marquis of Qinghe in the northwest and the Marquis of Bujin in the northeast. Tomorrow morning, request the king to send troops to intercept the reinforcements from the northwest," Fan Lingyue said after a moment of thought.

"Why not the northeast direction?" the general asked, puzzled.

"Has the Marquis of Bujin ever moved in the sixteen years he has guarded the Shanmen Pass?" Fan Lingyue countered.

"Never."

"Then he won't this time either," Fan Lingyue did not intend to explain further. Her eyes looked into the distance, calm but weary, and she coughed lightly from time to time, her weariness growing more pronounced.

If it weren't for these simple words, who would have thought that this woman, who looked so frail, was the most terrifying military advisor of the Northern Mongol royal court, the one who orchestrated the political coup in the Northern Mongol royal family seven years ago, bringing the royal court to unprecedented unity and peak national strength.

Unfortunately, the limited territory and scarce resources have restricted the further development of the Northern Mongol royal court, causing its development to slow down significantly in the past two years.

"Advisor, the night is cool, let's go back," after a long wait, the weather grew colder, and the young general, unable to bear it, spoke up.

"Alright," Fan Lingyue covered her mouth and coughed, then turned and walked step by step toward the distant tent.

...

In the inner courtyard of Du An Pharmacy, the morning sun shone through the window, illuminating Ning Chen's face. Not far away, Qingning was still unconscious, and Changsun stood beside her, her clothes unwrapped, looking exhausted as she slept.

Ning Chen woke up, got out of bed, and walked around. He felt that his whole body was sore, but otherwise, he was fine.

Changsun was still asleep, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, looking tired, which made Ning Chen feel a pang of sympathy. He carefully covered her with a piece of clothing, then quietly pushed the door open and went out.

The shopkeeper had been waiting outside for a long time. Seeing Ning Chen come out, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly walked forward.

"Sir," the shopkeeper began, about to ask if Changsun had any instructions, but was interrupted by a series of intense reactions.

"You're the one who's a eunuch, and your whole family are eunuchs," Ning Chen, as if his tail had been stepped on, immediately cut off the shopkeeper's words. "Pfft, pfft, pfft, bad luck!"

"How should I address you, sir... oh, no, you?" The shopkeeper, startled by Ning Chen's intense reaction, asked cautiously.

"Ning Chen."

"Oh, then may I ask, Brother Ning, does the Empress have any instructions?"

"The Empress hasn't woken up yet, how would I know?" Ning Chen replied gloomily. He wanted to know too.

Without a second thought, he left the shopkeeper behind and started practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard, leaving the shopkeeper staring in amazement.

"Brother Ning, you are truly a remarkable person."

"Flattery."

"Brother Ning is too modest."

"Sure."

"Ning Chen, come here."

"No."

As the words fell, Ning Chen felt something was wrong. Turning around, he saw Changsun calling him, and he broke out in a cold sweat. He stopped practicing and ran over.

"Your Majesty, what are your instructions?"

"Go back inside, I have something to tell you." Changsun did not hold it against Ning Chen's rudeness; she knew that if she did, she would be driven to the brink of anger.

Inside the room, Changsun looked at Ning Chen with an unprecedentedly serious expression. "Ning Chen, I have something to entrust to you."

Seeing Changsun's expression, Ning Chen's heart sank, realizing he was about to be given a difficult task.

"Find a way to enter the Changsun residence, see the Marquis of Taiping, and inform him of my whereabouts. Remember, you must see the Marquis of Taiping, no one else."

The matter was serious, and Changsun had to be cautious. She could not guarantee that there were no traitors in the Changsun residence, so she had to be extremely careful.

The Marquis of Taiping is her elder brother and the leader of the Changsun clan in the capital. He must have already heard of her troubles and is searching for her.

"An opportunity to run away." Hearing Changsun's instructions, Ning Chen's first thought was to take the chance to leave. However, seeing Qingning still unconscious and Changsun's trusting gaze, he felt a bit embarrassed.

"Try," Ning Chen answered hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Changsun frowned, clearly dissatisfied with this answer.

Ning Chen sighed inwardly, no longer hesitating. He looked up at Changsun and said seriously, "Your Majesty, as long as I am alive, I will deliver the message."

Hearing Ning Chen's promise, Changsun felt reassured. Her expression softened, and she took out a crescent-shaped jade pendant from her waist and handed it to him. "Take this, the Marquis of Taiping will believe you when he sees it."

"Your Majesty, if I don't return by sunset, take Qingning and move to a different place." Ning Chen said this without any warning as he took the jade pendant.

Changsun was taken aback, her eyes full of confusion, not understanding why.

Ning Chen smiled and said, "I'm afraid I might be captured and can't withstand torture, and I might reveal your whereabouts."

"Ha," Changsun laughed, "Don't worry, I don't expect you to withstand any torture. If it comes to that, just try to save your own life."

"Bye."

Ning Chen said goodbye, turned, and left, leaving Changsun puzzled by his last two words.

After a long while, Changsun shook her head helplessly and sighed, "This young man is too hard to understand."

The capital of the Xia Dynasty was vast and prosperous, arguably the first city in the world. Ning Chen walked through it, feeling dizzy and disoriented. He only knew the general direction of the Changsun residence, so he walked and asked for directions, and by the time he reached it, it was already midday.

At this moment, Ning Chen realized a terrifying fact—he had no money! His only coin had been confiscated by Changsun, leaving him penniless.

"Miss, how do I get to the Changsun residence?"

After asking for directions for a long time, Ning Chen's throat was parched. Seeing a woman walk by, he instinctively stopped her and asked.

"Hehe, asking for directions all the way to a brothel, sir, you have quite the refined taste," Yue Han Yi glanced at the young man and giggled.

"Sir, you seem thirsty, come in for a cup of tea."

"This, it's not good, right?"

Ning Chen hesitated for a moment, then followed the woman into Lingyan Pavilion without a word. What's wrong with a brothel? Can't I get a drink of water?

"Sir, please," Yue Han Yi poured a cup of tea and handed it to Ning Chen with a smile.

"Does it cost money?" Ning Chen looked around at the luxurious decorations and asked tentatively.

"Sir, you're joking, it's just a cup of tea," Yue Han Yi smiled.

Ning Chen's face lit up, and he took the tea, drinking it in one gulp. Refreshing!

"Another cup?" Yue Han Yi poured another cup and offered it to him.

"You're so kind, sister," Ning Chen took the cup and smiled shyly, offering flattery before drinking the water.

"This cup costs money."

"Pfft," Ning Chen had just taken a sip when he heard her words and spat it out.

"Cough, cough," Ning Chen looked at Yue Han Yi, his face red with embarrassment.

"Hehe, I was just teasing you, look at you, so scared," Yue Han Yi laughed, her body shaking with laughter.

"Ha," Ning Chen awkwardly wiped his mouth, his eyes darting around, avoiding Yue Han Yi's gaze.

"Hey, why is no one here?"

Ning Chen then noticed that the luxurious pavilion was empty, with no customers. Looking at Yue Han Yi, with her willowy figure and fair skin, she looked like a beauty who should be in high demand.

"Don't think too much," Yue Han Yi, seeing Ning Chen's strange expression, knew what he was thinking and scolded him, "This Lingyan Pavilion is mine."

Hearing this, Ning Chen looked at the woman in surprise. The shy smile on his face disappeared, and a flash of disgust crossed his eyes, though it was gone in an instant, almost unnoticed.

"Excuse me, I'll bring the money for the tea tomorrow." Ning Chen put down the cup and said politely, then turned and walked out.

"Hey, ladies, I'm here, come down quickly