When Qi Zongbi woke up again, half a day had already passed. Fortunately, during this time, the Northern Qiang camp had remained calm while he was incapacitated. Both sides were focused on rest and recovery, and abstained from engaging in any military actions.
As Qi Zongbi opened his eyes, he found himself lying in bed. He stared blankly for quite a while before realizing that what he had experienced was not just a nightmare.
"Minister Qi, this is not the time to rest in bed," said a voice from the corner of the room.
Qi Zongbi turned to look and saw that Ah San was the only other person in the room.
When Qi Zongbi spoke, he realized his throat was hoarse, sounding like a broken gong, likely due to illness.
Ah San was silent for a moment before replying, "Ephemeral
Qi Zongbi slightly closed his eyes and nodded, knowing full well that the man before him had no intention of revealing his true name. However, he did not mind and continued in his usual calm tone.
"It must have been a hard journey for you."
Considering the significant events that had unfolded at the manor, it was impossible that no one had been sent to deliver the message to him. The fact that he had only heard about it today from this black-clad man spoke volumes about the fate of those messengers. Just thinking about the circumstances was enough to confirm that the black-clad man’s earlier words were no exaggeration.
Ah San toyed casually with an exquisitely crafted teacup and said indifferently, "Just some minor clowns from the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Guardians. Speaking of the Imperial Guardians, there's some bad news for you, my lord.
"His Majesty has issued a decree promoting Lord Lin of the Five Armies Command to Commander of the Imperial Guardians. The former commander has been sent east to oversee canal construction.
"Most of the operatives you planted within the Imperial Guardians have been removed... In other words, the Imperial Guardians no longer belong to you."
Qi Zongbi's expression remained unchanged, his demeanor calm, showing none of the anxiety one might expect from someone encountering such a major upheaval for the first time. He simply lifted the quilt and sat up from the bed.
"The Imperial Guardians have always belonged to the imperial family. Such treasonous words should not be uttered outside these walls."
Seeing Qi Zongbi getting out of bed, Ah San also stood up. "Where are you going, my lord?"
"Naturally, to attend to official duties," Qi Zongbi replied as he put on his shoes. "The situation on the battlefield is urgent. As you said, this is no time for me to rest in bed."
Ah San was taken aback and asked, "Then, what about your affairs at your manor, my lord?"
Qi Zongbi paused briefly as he walked toward the door, then spoke softly, "My wife has been gone for many days. Once the war is over, I will return to pay my respects." With that, he prepared to step out of the room.
Ah San quickly followed after him, watching as Qi Zongbi reached the edge of the courtyard. Unable to restrain himself, he exclaimed, "The court forced your wife to kill herself! And you remain unmoved?!"
Qi Zongbi stopped in his tracks but did not turn around. "And what do you think I should do?"
Ah San grew stern. He could no longer tolerate Qi Zongbi's indifference. "The capital is in turmoil, and countless people at court want your head. Are you just going to wait here to die?!"
Upon hearing this, Qi Zongbi suddenly whipped around. Bloodshot eyes glaring intensely, he finally contronted Ah San.
"Did my junior brother send you to tell me this?!"
Ah San's breath quickened. Realizing he had spoken too much and fearing he might ruin Sikong Yan's plans, he quickly waved his hands to explain, "My lord, you've misunderstood—"
"Is there anything else you want to say?" Qi Zongbi took a step closer, his presence growing to the point that Ah San instinctively stepped back. Years of authority honed from controlling a cutthroat court erupted at that moment, unchecked at last.
"Are you going to say next that I, Qi Zongbi, command an army of a million troops, and since the court has treated me this way, I should seize the opportunity to rebel?!"
Ah San's expression hardened as he calmed his mind. Bowing with clasped fists, he said, "Please calm your anger, my lord... I am but a simple soldier, who is used to speaking bluntly. Naturally, I cannot match your foresight. I have spoken out of turn."
Qi Zongbi snorted coldly and turned away with a wave of his sleeve.
"My lord, please wait," Ah San called out from behind. "There is one more thing I need your assistance with."
Ah San hesitated briefly before continuing, "Now that the message has been delivered, I must prepare to leave. I would like to request some provisions for the journey, and I will also need you to have someone open the southern gate when I leave the city."
"Just go to the logistics office to request it. I'll handle the arrangements at the city gate," Qi Zongbi said before walking away without hesitation.
Ah San cupped his hands toward Qi Zongbi and said, "Many thanks, my lord."
Early the next morning, Ye Beizhi received the provisions needed for the journey from Ah San.
At their parting, Ah San said, "The southern gate will open at noon. I cannot accompany you, so you must leave on your own."
Ye Beizhi nodded, fully aware of why Ah San was unable to travel with them.
"One more thing..." Ah San hesitated before adding, "Please pass on a message to Impending Sword for me. Qi Zongbi was not responsible for what happened to the North Watching Pass. Tell him not to endanger my junior sister by taking desperate risks."
Ye Beizhi looked up at Ah San and, after a moment of silence, nodded quietly.
When Ye Beizhi returned to the inn, everyone had already packed their belongings. No one seemed overly surprised at the sudden abundance of provisions he had brought. They simply divided the supplies silently and left the inn.
Chi Nanwei took out a key to lock the inn’s door, her expression tinged with reluctance. "The innkeeper left in such a hurry without leaving any information behind. Who knows when or if we’ll be able to return this key to its owner."
Ye Beizhi gently held her delicate hand and said softly, "Let's go."
Nine people and four horses. It was a rare feat to find four horses in the city at such a time. The group's figures gradually disappeared around the street corner.
When they reached the city gate, however, they encountered the one person they least wanted to see. Qi Zongbi.
As they reached the foot of the city wall, Qi Zongbi happened to descend from the wall. He came face-to-face with Ye Beizhi, their gazes meeting across the street.
Ye Beizhi and Baili Gucheng were ready in an instant, leveling icy cold glares. Yang Lu clung tightly to Baili Gucheng as her entire body trembled slightly. The others, including Chi Nanwei, had never seen Qi Zongbi in person, so their emotions remained relatively unaffected.
Qi Zongbi was initially puzzled when he noticed a group of people who stood out so much from their surroundings. Upon second thought, he found Ye Beizhi and Baili Gucheng familiar. His face quickly turned ashen as recognition dawned upon him. He instinctively stepped back, alerting the guards at his side to approach him. They promptly supported him and tried to figure out what was going on.
Ye Beizhi came to a halt, and the others stopped in their tracks as well. Chi Nanwei followed Ye Beizhi's gaze and asked curiously, "Dummy... what's wrong?"
Ye Beizhi remained silent for a long moment before he shook his head and patted Baili Gucheng on the shoulder. "It's nothing... let's leave the city."
Baili Gucheng released his grip on the hilt of his sword, took Yang Lu by the hand, and walked forward with his head held high.
Ye Beizhi gave Qi Zongbi a long, piercing look before pointing distantly at the city gate, his meaning unmistakable.
When the group arrived at the city gate, the soldiers operating the winch looked them over and were about to ask questions when an officer hurried over. Producing a badge from his waist, the officer quickly told the guards, "The External Minister has ordered these people be allowed to leave the city."
The city gate creaked open slightly, and the group filed out one by one. As Xue Qiming, the last to leave, stepped through, the gate shut behind him with a resounding bang.
Ye Beizhi helped Chi Nanwei mount her horse and handed her a conical hat draped with black gauze to keep the sun off of her.
Ye Beizhi squinted up at the sky and said, "It's about time to set off."
Baili Gucheng nodded in agreement. "We should be on our way. After midday, the Northern Qiang forces may attack the city again. We need to leave here as soon as possible."