nucmednet Chapter 257 The Living Abandoned Empress of the Cold Palace X The Invading Unruly Buddhist Son 91
Chapter 257 The Living Abandoned Empress of the Cold Palace X The Invading Unruly Buddhist Son 91
Everyone in the camp looked at each other in confusion, no one dared to answer. A deputy general was about to step forward to explain, but Yun Qian waved him away.
She turned and looked at Qi Heyao, who sat in the main seat. Her gaze was sharp as a knife. Though her chest was boiling with rage, she suppressed her emotions, calming the agitated expression on her face. Her tone became calm and controlled. She stared at Qi Heyao and spoke slowly. Her voice was low but carried an undeniable power. "Your Highness, I, your concubine, have failed in my mission and failed to reach a peace agreement with the leader. However... right now, there is something more important. Lu Zheng is under siege and urgently needs reinforcements."
Qi Heyao's fingers stopped on the armrest, and the tapping action slowly stopped. There was silence in the tent, as if everyone was holding their breath.
He raised his eyes and looked at Yun Qian's face, with some hesitation and helplessness.
The pain and turmoil within him churned endlessly, disturbing him to no end. Earlier, he had learned that Yun Qian had disobeyed his orders and secretly traveled to the enemy camp to negotiate with the leader. He was filled with anger and pain. In that moment, he was furious, even feeling that no amount of persuasion could change her resolve, and he felt a sense of self-destruction, letting her go. However, just then, one of his staff members proposed a plan, saying that they could use Yun Qian's failure as an opportunity to better control the current situation.
The idea did tempt him at first, but Qi Heyao knew full well that the current situation couldn't be easily reversed by calculation alone. His gaze was deep and complex, and when it fell on Yun Qian, besides a hint of scrutiny, there was also an unconcealed worry and helplessness.
"Yun Qian," he whispered, his tone a touch softer, yet still hesitant. "I know you're anxious. Lu Zheng was someone you single-handedly promoted. You don't want to see him isolated and helpless, and neither do I. But this isn't just about one person's life or death, nor is it just about the gains and losses of a city. Have you ever considered the consequences of rashly mobilizing reinforcements?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Qian clenched her fists slightly in her sleeves. She suppressed the aching pain and anxiety in her chest, and her tone was a little hurried, but she remained rational: "Your Highness, I naturally understand your concerns. But the enemy army is besieging the isolated city, and it is clear that they want to tear through our defenses from this point. If we sit back and do nothing, not only will Lu Zheng and his five thousand soldiers be sacrificed, but the fall of the city will also bring about a complete collapse! The enemy is coming now with great momentum, and we can't wait!"
Qi Heyao listened quietly to her words, a faint frown of fatigue between his brows. His gaze swept across Yun Qian's tightly pursed lips and stubborn features, and a wave of inexplicable emotions welled up in his heart. He understood that her words had some truth. But in the current predicament, as the commander, he had to weigh the costs and risks of every decision.
He slowly stood up, looking at her steadily, his voice low but filled with complex emotions: "Yun Qian, I never doubted your loyalty, nor did I doubt Lu Zheng's ability. But what I want is not just Lu Zheng, nor a city, but the balance of the entire war. I understand that you are anxious, but there are some decisions that I cannot make just because I want to."
Yun Qian felt a tightness in her chest when she heard this, and the anger in her eyes threatened to burst forth. She stared directly at Qi Heyao, her gaze stern and her voice even colder: "Your Highness, if Lu Zheng dies alone and without support, who will atone for this loss? Who else can muster his spirit to continue resisting the enemy? A siege will inevitably lead to a shortage of troops. Your Highness, we are not without a solution!"
Qi Heyao was filled with mixed emotions, his brow furrowed. He clenched his fists and moved his lips, as if about to retort, but in the end, he only sighed softly, "Yun Qian, I can't send these soldiers."
Upon hearing this, Yun Qian felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her from head to toe, leaving her body icy cold. She stared at Qi Heyao, her eyes frosty. After a moment, she managed to suppress the churning emotions in her chest. Her voice was as calm as a knife: "Since Your Highness has made the decision, I have nothing to say. However, if this decision leads to the loss of the battle, I dare not say anything. I only ask Your Highness to bear the consequences yourself."
With that, she turned and left, her cloak whipping up a gust of wind in the tent, carrying with it the anger and helplessness in her heart. Qi Heyao watched her resolutely departing figure, his gaze gradually darkening. He opened his mouth, but in the end, nothing came out. Only a long sigh echoed in the quiet tent.
…………
Yun Qian hurried out of the tent. The cold wind blew against her face, like countless sharp knives slicing at her face, yet it couldn't suppress the pain and self-blame she felt in her heart. The night was as dark as ink, and the flags fluttered in the wind. Her steps gradually slowed until she stopped in a deserted spot. Her clenched fists slowly unclenched, then drooped helplessly.
She looked up at the starry sky, which now seemed remarkably indifferent. A dull pain throbbed in her chest, as if a huge rock were pressing down on her, suffocating her breath. Lu Zheng… that young man, aspiring to achieve great things, a passionate general, was now surrounded by fifty thousand enemy troops, and she was powerless to save him.
The thought of Lu Zheng, isolated and helpless, deepened the pain in her heart. She had harmed him... She had personally pushed him into this hopeless situation.
It wasn't just him, there were so many... innocent people. If she didn't surrender, what would the rest of her life be like? The answer was obvious. She knew she couldn't be blamed for this, but it was indeed her fault that Lu Zheng was trapped in the city. If she could have the situation firmly under her control, why would it have come to this?
Now, she tried her best to request reinforcements, but to no avail. She could only watch him face the enemy that was ten times his number.
She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, but it couldn't relieve the self-blame and powerlessness. Frustration overwhelmed her at this moment. She had always been confident and conceited, thinking that everything was under her control.
But human life is at stake. She is not a pure ruler. Her inner defenses prevent her from sending people to their deaths...
Yun Qian closed her eyes, and Qi Jueyu's face surfaced in her mind. His narrow eyes often held an unfathomable meaning. He sent his men to siege the city, pressing forward step by step. Yun Qian saw the coldness and determination in his eyes clearly. However, what broke her heart even more was Qi Heyao—the man who seemed hesitant but actually had a plan in mind.
Qi Heyao… She bit her lip, a complex emotion etched in her eyes. His expression remained impassive, his words radiating a calm and rational mindset, yet Yun Qian could tell he wasn't completely indifferent. She understood that the order to "let Lu Zheng attack the city" was Qi Heyao's handiwork.
Perhaps it was his arrogance, perhaps it was his calculations... Or perhaps, this was the cruelty in Qi Heyao's bones. He could use the gentlest tone to say the most cruel decision. His heart was hard enough, knowing her pain, he still refused to give in.
Yun Qian even thought for a moment whether she could change his decision if she begged him again, but she knew in her heart that he was the instigator of all this, so how could he change his allegiance? After all... wasn't attacking her exactly what he wanted at the moment?