SWDnovel Chapter 515 A single letter shocked the entire Northern Territory.
Chapter 515 A single letter shocked the entire Northern Territory.
Zhenbei Palace.
Xu Longxiang sat behind the long table, holding the letter sent by the Moon Goddess in his hand, the smile on his lips still lingering.
The candlelight burned quietly inside the lampshade, casting his long, cold shadow on the wall.
He pressed the letter to his chest, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
Footsteps came from the doorway, hurried and heavy, like someone was running.
Fan Li strode in, his face grave and his brows furrowed.
He walked three steps to the long table, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, his voice very low, like an echo coming from underground.
"Your Highness, there is something urgent."
Xu Longxiang opened his eyes, carefully placed the Moon Goddess's letter into his sleeve, straightened his robes, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Fan Li's face.
"What is it?"
Fan Li straightened up, took out a tiny folded piece of paper from his sleeve, held it with both hands, and respectfully handed it to Xu Longxiang.
Xu Longxiang took the note and unfolded it.
His gaze swept over the words on the paper, and his brows furrowed sharply.
The note read: "The Northern Barbarians wish to unite with the Northern Border to jointly attack the Great Qin. If interested, meet me at the ruined temple north of the city at midnight three days from now."
His expression changed slightly, and his pupils contracted as if he had been pricked by a needle.
He looked up, staring at Fan Li, his voice urgent.
"Where did you get it?"
Fan Li lowered his voice even further, so low that only the two of them could hear it.
"A man claiming to be a spy from the Northern Barbarians requested an audience outside the manor gate and handed this note to the gatekeeper. I asked him, and he said he was just a messenger and didn't know the specifics."
Xu Longxiang's brows furrowed even more.
He tapped the note lightly twice with his fingers, making a "tap-tap" sound.
"Where are they? Where are they now?"
Fan Li turned slightly to the side, his gaze fixed on the doorway.
"Right here in the Prince's mansion, I placed him in a side hall and had him guarded. He said he was just a messenger and knew nothing else."
Xu Longxiang leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the note, staring at it for a long time.
His fingers tapped lightly twice on the armrest, the sound soft and carrying an indescribable complexity.
How authentic do you think this letter is?
Fan Li remained silent for a moment.
His gaze fell on the note, on the neat handwriting that showed no flaws.
He stroked his beard, his voice steady.
"It's hard to say. The Northern Barbarians have been stirring up trouble on the border of the Great Qin for years, amassing a million troops and eyeing it covetously. They've wanted to annex the Great Qin for a long time. If they could really unite with the Northern Border, it would be entirely beneficial to them."
Xu Longxiang nodded and tapped his fingers twice on the armrest.
"You mean, this letter might be genuine?"
Fan Li shook his head, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
"It could also be a trap. The Northern Barbarians are cunning and unpredictable, so we must be wary. If this is their scheme to lure Your Highness into a trap, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Xu Longxiang's brows relaxed slightly as he leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the deep night outside the window.
"What is the current situation in Northern Mang?"
Fan Li stroked his beard, his voice steady.
"The Northern Mang has been internally unstable in recent years. The old Khan is seriously ill, and several princes are fighting for the throne, resulting in bloodshed. If the old Khan dies, the Northern Mang will surely descend into chaos. Their seeking an alliance with the Northern Border at this time is either a desperate move or they have ulterior motives."
Xu Longxiang's eyes flickered.
"Desperate measures will be taken?"
Fan Li nodded, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
"If the Northern Barbarians want to march south, they must pass through the Northern Border. If they ally with the Northern Border, they can pass through and directly attack the Central Plains. But if the Northern Border does not agree, they can only detour through the western wilderness, which is a long journey with scarce supplies. They would be lucky to have half of their forces remaining. That's why they are in a hurry to come to the Northern Border, hoping to drag Your Highness into this mess."
Xu Longxiang's lips slowly curled into a cold smile. The smile was faint, yet it carried an indescribable chill.
"They've certainly got a good plan. They'll use my road, fight my battles, and then try to take a share of my kingdom. On what grounds?"
Fan Li's eyes lit up slightly, and his voice carried a hint of approval.
"Your Highness is right. The Northern Barbarians cannot be trusted. They may ally with the Northern Border today, but they can turn their backs on you tomorrow. Trying to negotiate with a tiger will only lead to disaster."
Xu Longxiang nodded and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the armrest.
He didn't speak, but just stared at the note, at the words, his eyes flashing with a complex, indescribable light.
Fan Li looked at him, his brows furrowing slightly.
He noticed the unusual movement in Xu Longxiang's eyes—a hesitation, a struggle, and an eagerness to grasp at a straw.
His heart sank suddenly.
He stepped forward, lowering his voice even further, so low that only the two of them could hear him.
"Your Highness, we absolutely cannot ally with Northern Mang! Otherwise, we will be destroying our own foundation!"
His voice was urgent, filled with an barely suppressed anxiety.
Xu Longxiang turned his head, looked at him, and frowned slightly.
"How so?"
Fan Li took a deep breath, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable firmness.
"Your Highness, the soldiers of the Northern Frontier have been fighting the Northern Barbarians for decades. How many have died, how much blood has been shed, how many feuds have been formed? Those feuds cannot be resolved by a mere alliance. The soldiers will not agree to it. They would rather die in battle than fight alongside their enemies."
His voice grew louder and more agitated until it was almost a shout.
"Your Highness, you're pushing the morale of the northern soldiers to the brink of despair!"
Xu Longxiang's brows furrowed even more.
His fingers paused on the armrest for a moment, his gaze lingering on Fan Li's face for a long time.
He certainly knew that Fan Li was right.
The soldiers of the Northern Frontier and the Northern Barbarians are sworn enemies, irreconcilable foes.
If he joins forces with the Northern Barbarians, the army's morale will surely collapse, and the soldiers will surely rebel.
But he had no other choice.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The breath he inhaled, carrying with it the cold, stagnant air of the hall, chilled him to the bone.
He opened his eyes, and the hesitation and struggle in them were gradually fading away, replaced by a resolute determination.
"Mr. Fan, I understand what you're saying. But now, I have no other choice."
Fan Li's pupils contracted slightly, and his voice became urgent.
"Your Highness, we still have the Moon Goddess Cult! We still have 300,000 iron cavalry! We still have those soldiers willing to die for you! We don't need Northern Barbarians!"
Xu Longxiang shook his head, his voice hoarse.
"Not enough. This is still not enough. Qin Mu has annexed Li Yang, greatly increasing his strength. Relying solely on the Northern Territory and the Moon Goddess Sect, the chances of victory are less than 50%. If we add the Northern Barbarians, the chances will be at least 70%."
Fan Li's face turned extremely ugly, ashen like a piece of rusty iron.
His lips trembled violently as he tried to say something, but something seemed to be blocking his throat, and he couldn't squeeze out a single word.
Xu Longxiang looked at him, his gaze calm as still water.
"Mr. Fan, I know what you're worried about. Rest assured, I won't easily ally with Northern Mang. I just... want to see what they're really up to. I'll go to the dilapidated temple north of the city in three days. But not to form an alliance, but to test them. To see how sincere Northern Mang really is, and what they can offer."
Fan Li's brows furrowed even more.
He opened his mouth, wanting to persuade him again, but looking into Xu Longxiang's stubborn eyes, he swallowed his words.
He knew he couldn't persuade His Highness.
Your Highness is always like this; once you've made up your mind, nothing can change it.
He sighed.
"Your Highness, you must be careful. The Northern Barbarians are cunning and treacherous; we must be on guard. I will send Mo Ya to secretly follow you and protect your safety."
Xu Longxiang nodded, his gaze falling on the deep night outside the window.
"Go."
Fan Li clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and strode out of Zhenyue Hall.
The footsteps gradually faded away, disappearing at the end of the corridor.
Xu Longxiang leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest twice.
A cold smile slowly curved his lips, a smile devoid of any genuine joy, but filled with a near-mad obsession that had been suppressed for too long and was finally about to find its way out.
Northern Barbarians, the Moon Goddess Cult, 300,000 iron cavalry.
He has more and more chips in his hand, and his chances of winning are getting bigger and bigger.
Once he has all these powers in his hands, it will be Qin Mu's death day.
He opened his eyes, looked at the note in his hand, at the words on it, and his eyes gleamed with a determined light.
.......
Night had fallen, and the lights of Zuiyue Tower gradually dimmed, and the music ceased.
Su Wan stood outside Qin Mu's room, took a deep breath, and gently knocked on the door.
"Come in." Qin Mu's voice came from inside, very soft, with a hint of laziness.
Su Wan pushed open the door and went inside.
The candlelight burned quietly inside the lampshade, illuminating the room with a dim and warm glow.
Qin Mu leaned against the soft couch by the window, one hand supporting his chin, his moon-white robe loosely draped over his body, the collar slightly open.
His gaze fell on the deep night outside the window, a half-smile playing on his lips.
Yunluan stood at the door, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her back straight.
Jiang Zhaoyue sat on a stool to the side, holding a book in her hands, but she wasn't reading it.
Xu Fenghua sat in the corner, head down, seemingly lost in thought.
Su Wan walked to the center of the hall, stopped, and slowly knelt down, her forehead touching the ground, her long hair slipping from her shoulders and spreading out on the ground.
"Young master, the matter has been taken care of." Her voice was soft, with a hint of barely suppressed tension.
Qin Mu turned his head to look at her, the smile on his lips deepening. "Get up and talk."
Su Wan straightened up, knelt on her own heels, lowered her head, and dared not look at him.
Her fingers clenched slightly inside her sleeve, her fingertips icy cold.
She took the blank slip of paper from her sleeve, held it in both hands, and raised it above her head.
"I have already delivered the message that the young master asked me to pass on. The spies over there should have received it by now."
Qin Mu took the note, glanced at it, casually placed it on the small table beside him, and nodded. "Well done."
The weight that had been hanging over Su Wan's heart for so long eased slightly.
She bit her lip, raised her head, and looked at Qin Mu with a hint of cautious probing in her eyes.
"Young master, when may I leave?"
Her voice was very soft, as soft as a withered leaf falling from a branch.
She didn't know if Qin Mu would let her go, or what awaited her.
All she knew was that she didn't want to stay here anymore.
She didn't want to stay a moment longer in this Drunken Moon Pavilion, this Yanmen City, this northern border.
Qin Mu looked at her, his gaze calm as still water. "Where do you want to go?"
Su Wan was slightly taken aback. Her lips parted slightly, then closed, then opened again, then closed again.
Where does she want to go?
she does not know.
She was sold into a brothel as far back as she could remember, never left Yanmen City, and never saw the outside world.
She didn't know what the outside world was like, where was safe, or where her final resting place was.
Her eyes were slightly red, and tears welled up in them, but she held them back tightly.
"I...I don't know. I just...don't want to stay here anymore."
Her voice was hoarse, carrying a deep-seated weariness and despair.
Qin Mu looked at her for a long time.
Then he laughed.
"Since you don't know where to go, then follow me for now."
Su Wan suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with disbelief and almost ecstatic light.
The light surged from the depths of his pupils, like suddenly seeing a ray of light in boundless darkness, like suddenly grabbing a vine in an abyss from which he could never escape.
"Young master...is what you're saying true?"
Qin Mu nodded, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest. "I keep my word. However, you should think carefully. Following me is not an easy thing. There might be danger, and you might lose your life."
Without any hesitation, Su Wan touched the ground with her forehead, making a loud "thud," her voice hoarse but firm.
"I am not afraid. As long as I can leave this place, I am not afraid of anything."
Qin Mu smiled at her resolute expression. "Very well. From today onwards, you will follow me. However, your identity must not be revealed. To the outside world, you will still be the most beautiful courtesan of Zuiyue Pavilion. When I leave Yanmen City, I will take you with me."
Su Wan's tears finally fell, silently streaming down her pale cheeks.
She didn't wipe it; she just knelt there, her forehead touching the cold gold brick, her shoulders trembling violently.
"Thank you, young master... thank you, young master..."
Her voice was hoarse and choked with sobs; every word seemed to be squeezed out with all her might.
Qin Mu waved his hand casually. "Get up. Go back and get some rest; there's a lot to do tomorrow."
Su Wan stood up, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and curtsied deeply. "Yes, young master. I take my leave."
She turned around and walked towards the door.
He took two steps, then stopped without looking back.
Her voice drifted over from the front, very soft and faint, as if seen through a thin veil, indistinct.
"Young master, I... I don't know your name yet."
Qin Mu smiled. "You'll find out later."
Su Wan remained silent for a moment, then stepped across the threshold and disappeared into the night outside.
The palace doors closed slowly behind her with a soft "bang".
Xu Fenghua sat in the corner, head down, the teacup in her hand had gone cold, but she didn't drink it.
Her gaze fell on the small, dark ring of water stains in the teacup, but her mind was churning with turbulent emotions.