Chapter 69

Only one person called him “Brother Jingyu.” Shao Jingyu didn't even need to look to know it was a letter from Jian Yu'er.
The handwriting was clearly that of a woman, and with such an intimate address, no wonder Yan Yiming's expression had been so teasing earlier.
Shao Jingyu's heart sank. Although he and Yan Yiming weren't particularly close yet, the fact that she had discovered the existence of his “sweetheart” before they had even developed a relationship made him feel that the road ahead was long and fraught with difficulty.
So, if you do wrong and betray others, you'll face retribution sooner or later. His retribution had come faster than most.
Shao Jingyu tried to remain calm as he took the letter and set it aside casually. Yan Yiming glanced at it and asked offhandedly, “Aren't you going to read it, General?”
“It's not important. I can read it later,” Shao Jingyu quickly seized the opportunity to deflect.
Just then, Yun Xiao returned from outside, lifted the tent flap, and asked curiously, “Read what?”
“Nothing.”
“A young lady sent a letter to the General.”
Yan Yiming and Shao Jingyu spoke at the same time. After listening, Yun Xiao quickly discerned the truth and immediately winked playfully at Shao Jingyu, teasing him with a grin, “Oh my, is it a letter from Miss Jian? How could that not be important? Weren’t you eagerly waiting for it every single day?”
Shao Jingyu buried his face in his hands, pleading, “Please, just stop talking!”
Yun Xiao didn’t stop; instead, he grew even more excited and gossiped with Yan Yiming, “Yiming, let me tell you, back in the day, the general and the young lady from the Jian family were inseparable. But then Old Master Jian looked down on the general, saying he was useless and a disgrace. Now that our general has risen to the second rank and been enfeoffed as a marquis, Old Master Jian will probably be scrambling to send his daughter to the manor…”
Yan Yiming glanced at Shao Jingyu and chimed in, adding fuel to the fire, “Absolutely, absolutely.”
Shao Jingyu: “...Get out, both of you!”
Unable to bear it any longer, Shao Jingyu drove his pig teammates out. Turning back, he looked at Yan Yiming’s calm and indifferent face, suddenly at a loss for words.
There was no denying the history between him and Jian Yu’er, but it was also true that he had developed feelings for Yan Yiming. He had already given up Jian Yu’er for Yan Yiming, yet he had no idea what Yan Yiming truly thought of him.
At times, he wished he could straightforwardly confess his feelings to Yan Yiming. He wasn’t afraid of Yan Yiming’s indifference, but he feared that doing so might create distance between them. So, every impulse was suppressed.
Now, after the teasing, his peripheral vision caught the lonely letter lying on the table.
His own letter to Jian Yu’er had surely not reached her yet, so he could guess what her letter contained. Whether he read it or not no longer mattered.
Under Yan Yiming’s slightly surprised gaze, Shao Jingyu tossed the letter into the brazier and asked knowingly, “Why burn it?”
“I don’t want to read it,” Shao Jingyu replied bluntly. “I’ve already written to her. From now on, we’re merely acquaintances.”
“Oh,” Yan Yiming responded indifferently. After a moment, his tone turned slightly peculiar as he added, “That young lady will surely be heartbroken when she receives your letter.”
“It’s better to tell her that my heart belongs to someone else than to keep her in the dark. I’ve wronged her, and when we return to the capital, I’ll do everything in my power to make it up to her.” Shao Jingyu stood up and walked out from behind his desk. “After this battle, the Mongols have suffered heavy losses and retreated a hundred li. However, the Mongol Khan still survives, and the Left Wise King, though wounded, still has a chance to recover. I’ve requested His Majesty’s permission to press our advantage, hoping to take the Mongol Khan’s head in one strike. The emperor’s decree will arrive in three days.”
They had just been discussing Jian Yu’er, and suddenly the topic shifted to national affairs and vengeance. Yan Yiming couldn’t quite follow Shao Jingyu’s train of thought and could only reply with a standard answer, “This general will follow you to the death, Commander.”
Shao Jingyu smiled. “I know that.” He paused before continuing, “What I mean is, if we can destroy the main Mongol forces or force them to sign a treaty, the northern frontier will enjoy at least ten years of peace. We won’t need to garrison here anymore. At that time, Yiming, would you be willing to go home with me?”
Yan Yiming pretended not to understand and replied, “If it is His Majesty’s decree, this general would naturally be willing to go to the capital.”
“Going home” and “returning to the capital” both meant returning to Jinling, but their implications were vastly different. Shao Jingyu’s heart suddenly felt heavy, and he let out a bitter laugh.
“Let it be, this matter cannot be rushed. With another major battle likely on the horizon, it is not too late to discuss this once the dust has settled.”
Shao Jingyu’s prediction was correct, the emperor’s decree arrived as expected on the third day.
With the national treasury now full and two major victories already secured, no one in the court questioned Shao Jingyu’s abilities anymore. The Mongol army had been pushed back step by step, making it the perfect time to press the advantage. Thus, when Shao Jingyu once again requested the emperor’s permission to launch another campaign, aside from a few dissenters, the entire court agreed to annihilate the Mongol forces in one decisive strike.
Compared to the previous two campaigns, the emperor was even more confident this time, placing 100,000 cavalry under Shao Jingyu’s command. In addition to the cavalry, there were 100,000 infantry, countless horses, weapons, and ample logistical support, clear evidence of the emperor’s emphasis on this battle.
The massive army marched through the pass in grand formation. Shao Jingyu, holding the commander’s seal, convened with several generals and officers to discuss the battle plan.
The previous two battles had already weakened the Mongol forces by thirty percent. Now, true authority rested solely with the Mongol Khan and his uncle, the Left Wise King.
According to intelligence reports, the Mongol Khan was stationed far to the northeast at Chifeng, while the Left Wise King guarded the western front. The main Mongol forces, however, remained under the Khan’s control.
Given this situation, the strategy was to divide the army into two routes and defeat each enemy force separately.
Shao Jingyu aimed to target the Khan himself, so he personally selected the most elite and courageous soldiers to lead the assault on the Khan’s main forces. The task of defeating the Left Wise King would fall to the remaining generals.
However, Shao Jingyu faced a dilemma. After the two previous battles, although the veteran generals had ample experience, they had achieved little in terms of merit and had been largely inactive during the campaigns.
Decades of peace had resulted in a court teeming with civil officials but a scarcity of military officers, with truly capable ones being even rarer.
Since the last campaign, Shao Jingyu had observed that although Yan Yiming came from a humble background, she had studied military strategy, excelled at analyzing battlefield situations, and acted decisively without hesitation. Compared to the veteran generals, Shao Jingyu was more willing to entrust Yan Yiming with the task of containing the Left Wise King.
Yet, doing so would inevitably provoke resentment and dissatisfaction among the older generals.
While Shao Jingyu hesitated, Yan Yiming noticed his unease. That evening, as Shao Jingyu frowned over the battle map, Yan Yiming asked why he looked so troubled when the plan was already set.
After a moment’s hesitation, Shao Jingyu confessed, “I intend to place the Western Route Army under your command.”
To his surprise, before he could finish, Yan Yiming immediately responded, “No.”
Shao Jingyu was taken aback. “Why?”
Because I’m panicking.
Upon hearing this, Yan Yiming’s heart trembled with fear.
Ever since entering this instance, I've been carrying my head on my belt, ready to die at any moment.
Yan Yiming couldn't truly die, so she didn't mind sacrificing herself. But if he were to lead tens of thousands of soldiers to their deaths, even if she completed the mission, she wouldn't be able to leave with a clear conscience. What should have been a simple game had become stained with too many lives, it was no longer just a game.
Perhaps the memories of four lifetimes had made her more capable than most, but she was no natural-born general like Shao Jingyu. He lacked the confidence to accomplish such a task.
Yan Yiming pursed her lips and said softly, “I dare not take on this responsibility.”
Shao Jingyu understood and wasn't surprised.
Nevertheless, Shao Jingyu still believed that Yan Yiming would prove more reliable than the other generals.
After much persuasion, Little A couldn't hold back and whispered to Yan Yiming, “Why don't you just agree? Although this battle will be tough, Shao Jingyu will ultimately win. When it comes to warfare, you can trust him completely.”
Little A knew this would be the most difficult battle of Shao Jingyu's life. In the original plot, the army responsible for containing the Left Wise King had suffered devastating losses, partly due to strategic errors by the commanders. Even though Shao Jingyu eventually turned the tide with a miraculous intervention.
Little A couldn't reveal more details to Yan Yiming, but it believed that since the original Western Route Army had achieved the worst possible outcome, perhaps the host could fare slightly better.
Although the host didn't realize it, having been by his side for so long, Little A was certain that Yan Yiming did have some talent for leading troops.
With Little A, who knew the entire plot, urging him on, Yan Yiming finally accepted this incredibly daunting task.
The Xia army split into two routes. Shao Jingyu personally led 50,000 elite troops to directly assault the main Mongol force, while Yan Yiming, who had been exceptionally promoted to Colonel by Shao Jingyu, bypassed several veteran generals to command 20,000 cavalry. The remaining three generals each led 10,000 soldiers under Yan Yiming's orders.
As expected, once the military order was issued, everyone was shocked. Standing before the crowd, Yan Yiming felt as if he were being pierced by countless sharp gazes. He took a deep breath, knelt solemnly, and accepted the order in a clear voice:
“This general obeys the command!”