The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0583 Stalemate (2)

After chatting for a while, Yun Qing finally remembered the most important thing he had yet to mention. ”Yuxi, I have just received news from the capital—your Dage has been appointed as Minister of War by the Emperor.” The Ministry of War had close dealings with them, and with his brother-in-law now holding that position, they would surely face fewer difficulties.

Upon hearing this, Yuxi did not smile. Instead, she asked, ”When was my Dage appointed as Minister of War?” News from the capital often arrived late in reaching Yu City, though their information channels had improved under Yuxiʼs strong urging, albeit only within the northwest region.

Yun Qing replied, ”Mid last month. Itʼs been about a month now.”

Yuxi frowned, ”A promotion to Minister of War is a significant matter, yet my Dage hasnʼt sent even a hint of news. Something about this doesnʼt feel right.”

Yun Qing hadnʼt given it much thought and said, ”I donʼt think itʼs because he hasnʼt sent any news—itʼs probably that the messengers have been stopped on the way.” With war raging in Nancheng and banditry rampant in the Taiyuan🔗 region, it wasnʼt safe to travel by either route.

Yuxi was suspicious but had no evidence to back up her suspicions.

It was then that Yun Qing expressed his concern. ”Yuxi, if we really go through with our plans, wonʼt it implicate your mother and your Dage?”

Yuxi had already considered this and reassured him, ”Donʼt worry about that. My Dage is a flexible person—heʼll know how to handle the situation.”

Yun Qing asked, ”How will he handle it?”

Yuxi shared her guess: ”If it truly comes to that, my Dage will undoubtedly declare that a married daughter is like spilt water. Heʼll say that whatever I do in my husbandʼs household is beyond their control. To avoid being implicated, he will probably cast me out of the family and sever all ties with me.”

Being expelled from oneʼs clan and severing familial ties were serious matters. Looking at Yuxi, a trace of guilt appeared in Yun Qingʼs eyes. If it werenʼt for him, Yuxi wouldnʼt have been forced into such a situation.

Seeing this, Yuxi quickly said, ”This is only a temporary measure, not a real severing of ties. Once weʼve established ourselves and the Imperial Court can no longer threaten us, we can completely restore these ties.” She was now part of the Yun family, so even if the Han family expelled her, it wouldnʼt affect her in any way.

At this point, Yuxi grew a little worried as she let out, ”Iʼm just afraid that Mother wonʼt be able to handle it at that time.” She couldnʼt help but feel guilty for being an unfilial daughter, always making her mother worry and fret. But the circumstances forced her hand—if there were another way, she wouldnʼt have chosen this path of no return.

Yun Qing, who was determined to go ahead with his plans, understood the gravity of the situation. He said, ”Mother-in-law will understand and support you.”

Yuxi sighed, ”I only hope everything goes smoothly so that Mother wonʼt have to worry too much. Out of the three siblings, Iʼm the one who worries her the most.” This was undoubtedly true. Han Jianming had never caused Qiu Shi a single worry. Han Jianye had only given her headaches during his marriage, but since then, things had been peaceful since. It was only Yuxi who kept causing trouble and keeping Qiu Shi on edge.

Seeing Yuxiʼs eyes redden, Yun Qing gently patted her shoulder. ”In the future, weʼll make it up to her and be good to her.” Although he had never met Qiu Shi, the people and things she had sent for Yuxiʼs sake showed how much she loved her daughter. Yun Qing held great respect for her because of this.

Yuxi nodded. ”Weʼll definitely take good care of her in the future.”

After dinner, Yuxi took a stroll around the courtyard to aid her digestion. It was already in the middle of the eleventh month, and the weather was cold, so she didnʼt dare to walk outside for too long.

Zijin approached her and reported, ”Madam, I just heard some news—Heshou, that wretch, is dead.” Zijin absolutely despised Heshou, second only to Imperial Song Guifei and Qinxin Gongzhu.

Upon hearing this, Yuxi immediately asked a series of questions: ”Where did you hear this? When did it happen? How did she die?”

Zijin replied, ”I heard it from Xu Wu. That wretch died about a month ago. The news said she had an illness, but the exact cause isnʼt clear yet.”

After listening, Yuxi frowned slightly.

Noticing her expression, Zijin asked in confusion, ”Madam, Heshou was our enemy. Why arenʼt you happy to hear sheʼs dead?” Zijin herself was thrilled by the news.

Yuxi shook her head as she replied, ”Whatʼs there to be happy about?” Whether Heshou lived or died had nothing to do with her. However, Yuxi couldnʼt help but find it suspicious. Heshou had died a month ago, the same time her Dage had been appointed Minister of War. Still, no matter how clever Yuxi was, she couldnʼt imagine that these two events could be connected in any way.

Zijin thought for a moment and agreed—it was true that whether that woman lived or died had nothing to do with them. Changing the subject, Zijin mentioned something else to Yuxi: ”Madam, Fu Tianleiʼs concubine had a miscarriage yesterday.” Ever since the incident with Fu Qingluo, Yuxi had realised that she couldnʼt rely solely on Xu Wu alone for information. Having Fuji Restaurant as an ideal place to gather intelligence had saved her a lot of trouble.

Yuxi raised her eyebrows and asked, ”What time yesterday?”

Zijin replied, ”The concubine miscarried first, and then Chen Shi had complications with her pregnancy afterwards. Fortunately, the concubine lost a girl.” If it had been a boy, Old General Fu would have been furious.

Yuxi listened but said nothing.

Zijin, however, couldnʼt help but gossip, ”Madam, do you think it was Chen Shi who caused the miscarriage? It wouldnʼt be the first time sheʼs done something like that.”

Yuxi shook her head. ”Without proof, I canʼt say.” Even speculation must be based on something, not unfounded guesswork.

Zijin nodded, ”Madam, honestly, I kind of miss Fu Qingluo. Yu City was much livelier with her around.” Without Fu Qingluo, there was one less source of entertainment—one less spectacle to watch.

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Yuxi said, ”Donʼt worry, youʼll see her again one day.” As long as nothing went wrong, Fu Qingluo and her husband would eventually seek them out.

At that moment, Fu Qingluo had settled in a remote village dozens of miles from Maicheng. The village, nestled in the mountains, was home to just over ten families. This time, Fu Qingluo had learned her lesson and no longer dared to act as arrogantly as before. Instead, she disguised herself as a delicate woman who had been separated from her husband. Given her condition—pregnant and physically weak from too much travelling—her act of frailty was quite convincing. Under normal circumstances, she wouldnʼt have managed it.

After settling down, Fu Qingluo sent Qiushuang to gather information. She estimated that it had been more than half a month since she left Nancheng, and she had no idea what the situation was like there now.

Qiushuang didnʼt return until nightfall and reported back to Fu Qingluo what she had learned: ”The fighting has been going on for three days now, with casualties on both sides.” As of now, the outcome of the battle remained undecided.

Fu Qingluo asked, ”How many troops does Ji Xuan actually have? Were you able to find that out? If he really has brought an army of 100,000 as rumoured, then the insurgentʼs army is in serious trouble.” Naturally, she was referring to their forces as the ʼinsurgents armyʼ rather than rebels.

Qiushuang shook her head. ”Some say itʼs 100,000, while others claim itʼs 200,000. I couldnʼt get a clear answer.” The information outside was chaotic and contradictory—no one could tell what was true and what was false.

Qiuyu said, ”Miss, itʼs better not to let Qiushuang go out to gather information anymore. Iʼm worried it might attract unwanted attention. Right now, the most important thing is you and your child. As for Master, Iʼm sure heʼll be fine.” Qiuyu was the maid who had previously refused to follow Yuxi.

Qiushuang also agreed with Qiuyuʼs suggestion. ”Miss, Qiuyu is right. Right now, you and the child are what matter most.”

Fu Qingluo nodded, ”You shouldnʼt go out to gather information for the time being.” These were turbulent times, and to avoid attracting unwanted attention, it was better to remain cautious.

Qiuyu, being a practical person, added, ”Winter has already set in, and we need to prepare more supplies to get through it.” They needed to stock up on enough food, winter clothes and firewood. Without firewood in the dead of winter, they could freeze to death.

Fu Qingluo had brought some gold and silver with her and handed them all over to Qiuyu, saying, ”Take care of it as you see fit.” Being pregnant and physically weak after half a month of travelling, she didnʼt have the energy to manage these tasks herself.

Taking the money, Qiuyu reassured her, ”Miss, you should focus on resting and taking care of your child. Once this is over, Master will definitely come for you.”

In truth, the situation on the battlefield was growing increasingly dire. Ji Xuan had come prepared this time, bringing with him 60,000 elite troops equipped with superior weapons and combat skills. He had also adopted a cautious strategy, favouring stability over aggression. In a series of clashes, the ʼinsurgent armyʼ found itself at a disadvantage and retreated step by step. In less than ten days, they were forced to withdraw from the Maicheng region.

By this time, Peng Liangong had calmed down and shed his former arrogance. He asked the strategist Yang Duoming, ”What do you think we should do now?”

After a momentʼs thought, Yang Duoming replied, ”Hold firm at Nancheng.” The battlefront stretched across four counties, and the insurgent army, which had started with just over 50,000 troops, had already lost more than 10,000. Attempting to defend all of their territory was clearly impossible. Yang Duoming suggested that they concentrate on holding Nancheng. Besides, Nancheng was close to the Sichuan region and offered an escape route if the city couldnʼt be defended.

Jun Yuanbo agreed with Yang Duomingʼs suggestion. Nancheng was not only fortified but also had enough grain to last until spring.

Peng Liangong was reluctant to give up the territory he had fought so hard for, but Ji Xuanʼs forces were advancing aggressively. With nearly 20,000 casualties, the insurgent army was down to just 30,000 troops. If they didnʼt retreat now, they might lose the chance to retreat at all. Peng Liangong nodded, ”All right, weʼll fall back to Nancheng.”

However, news of the retreat reached Ji Xuanʼs forces. At this point, the Imperial Army abandoned its steady approach and launched a fierce offensive. By the time Peng Liangongʼs forces reached Nancheng, they had lost another 10,000 troops.

Yang Duoming was well aware of the reason for Ji Xuanʼs sudden shift in tactics—there was an informant within the insurgent army, and this informant held an important position. If this person wasnʼt dealt with, Nancheng might not hold. However, it wasnʼt easy to identify the spy. These people had been with Peng Liangong from the beginning, putting them beyond the reach of someone like Yang Duoming, who had joined midway.

Yang Duoming muttered to himself, ”I just hope we can hold out until then.” He was well aware that Yun Qing and his wife were waiting for the best moment to send in their troops. What he didnʼt know was when that moment would finally arrive.