A hundred li is neither near nor far, but the troops took only half an hour of forced march to arrive at the city gates.
Qin Yu chose to attack from the east gate, but upon reaching it, she found the gate wide open, not a single soldier inside, and only a few pedestrians scattered along the streets, making the place seem eerily quiet.
“Maintain vigilance, enter the city!” Qin Yu ordered.
Everyone heightened their alertness and slowly rode into the city, reins held steady.
At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.
A man in plain clothes, looking like an officer, descended from the city tower, followed by a group of unarmed surrendered soldiers.
They all knelt before Qin Yu.
The Imperial Guards raised their spears, ready for combat, but Qin Yu waved her hand, signaling for them to lower their weapons.
The officer prostrated himself and shouted, “General, spare our lives! I am Wang Lu, the Jingyuan Commandery Deputy Magistrate. The ringleader Yang Wei has fled, the secondary culprit Yang Dan is dead. I hereby pledge Jingyuan Commandery’s loyalty to the court!”
Seeing it was Wang Lu coming to surrender, Qin Yu asked, “Did you try to stop Yang Wei when he rebelled?”
Wang Lu argued, “At that time, I was forced by circumstances to serve him. Now that the royal army has arrived, we will definitely remain loyal to the court!”
Afterward, Wang Lu and his surrendered soldiers kowtowed again to express their remorse.
Qin Yu, sensing Wang Lu’s sincerity and considering he might have had no choice, decided not to press charges further.
However, what to do with the surrendered soldiers remained a problem.
“Rise,” Qin Yu said to Wang Lu and the soldiers.
“I pardon your crimes in the name of the Crown Princess. Wang Lu will temporarily serve as Governor of Jingyuan Commandery. Soldiers, disarm and return home with ten silver coins for travel expenses. Further arrangements await the court’s notice.”
“Yes!” Wang Lu and the soldiers responded loudly, thrilled at avoiding death for rebellion.
Qin Yu quickly calmed the surrendered troops with a few words, then ascended the city tower to look for any letters from Yang Wei, hoping to find clues to his whereabouts.
After a fruitless search, Qin Yu sat at the desk and wrote a report on the surrender of Jing City, detailing the personnel and supplies, to be sent to the court.
Luo Shangyu, meanwhile, arranged for soldiers to comfort the Jing City citizens and issued a notice guiding those who fled to avoid the chaos back to their homes.
***
The sun was high; it was already noon.
Yang Wei squatted in a peasant’s courtyard, staring blankly at the clear autumn sky.
This morning, news of the Crown Princess’s suppression forces entering Jing City quickly spread throughout Jingyuan Commandery.
Those who once followed Yang Wei had long raised white flags and surrendered.
When the rebellion began, countless officials responded, many out of coercion or opportunism.
Now with Yang Dan dead and Yang Wei fled, the rebel regime had collapsed.
Yang Wei dared not stay in the city for fear of being captured by some rebel official as proof of loyalty.
‘I’ll go to the Changning King’s domain,’ Yang Wei thought.
“Rumor has it his rebellious heart has long burned; maybe he’ll accept me…”
Hope flickered in Yang Wei’s eyes as he led several confidants away from the hiding farmstead toward the Changning King’s Domain.
***
Qin Yu finished the paperwork and stepped out of Jing City’s tower.
Thanks to Luo Shangyu’s arrangements, people who had fled the war were gradually returning, and order was slowly restoring in Jing City.
“Finally some free time?” Luo Shangyu came over from the other side of the city wall.
“Mm, there’s still a lot of paperwork. We need to arrange for the Northern Mountain Eastern Road Transport Commissioner to allocate supplies for repairing Jing City’s infrastructure, and submit changes to personnel assignments…”
Qin Yu shook her right hand, which had been gripping the pen for a long time, trying to relieve the fatigue.
Luo Shangyu grabbed Qin Yu’s right hand and saw it reddened from extended writing.
“You’ve worked hard,” Luo Shangyu said as she gently massaged Qin Yu’s hand.
Her hands were warm and soft; Qin Yu felt the blocked meridians in her hand gradually loosen under Luo Shangyu’s massage.
“Thank you.”
Qin Yu thought back to how, in her past life, her hands often ached from staying up late writing.
She had longed for a girl who could massage her and encourage her.
Now, all that has come true.
She even remembered swearing in her fantasies to marry such a considerate girl, and couldn’t help but smile faintly.
Looking at Luo Shangyu in front of her, her figure slowly overlapped with the girl she had imagined.
‘Hm? Wait, marriage?’ Qin Yu suddenly startled.
‘Why am I linking Luo Shangyu to something like that? We’re just friends… not lovers, right…?’
“To know Your Highness is the greatest fortune of my life.”
“We’re not ordinary friends—we are best friends.”
Scenes from the past flashed through Qin Yu’s mind: Luo Shangyu defending her to the death in the Changning King’s Residence, the unforgettable barbecue night on the beach, their breathing mingling as they shared a bed…
‘Maybe our bond has already surpassed ordinary friendship…’ Qin Yu mused wildly.
“Still daydreaming?” Luo Shangyu waved her hand in front of Qin Yu’s eyes.
“Ah? No, no. Just distracted for a moment.” Qin Yu snapped back to reality, putting the thoughts aside for now.
“Your Highness, lunch is ready!” A soldier ran up the tower to report to Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu.
“Let’s eat!” Qin Yu pulled Luo Shangyu down from the tower.
The army’s breakfast was hardly appetizing—just hardened flatbread with no side dishes—so Qin Yu looked forward to lunch.
The lunch was prepared by Jing City’s garrison cooks, using fresh ingredients stewed into a hearty dish.
A large pot of reddish-orange broth held tender beef, fragrant potatoes, and tangy tomatoes.
This was Qin Yu’s first hot meal since leaving the palace.
Though not as refined as palace cuisine, she still ate a full bowl of rice.
During the meal, a report came in: Yang Wei’s trail was found on the southern foothills of Juhan Mountain.
Qin Yu was overjoyed and urged the troops to finish quickly so they could pursue Yang Wei sooner and complete the task of suppressing the traitor.
At 1 p.m., the troops were reorganized.
The court acknowledged Qin Yu’s battle report and had dispatched officials to handle the aftermath.
All preparations were complete; the pursuit of the rebel had begun!
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu took to the air with magic, guiding the troops forward.
From above, they could better use magic to track Yang Wei’s location.
The soldiers urged their horses onward at full speed while Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu fully activated their powers to search.
Soon, they reached the last reported spot of Yang Wei.
It was a dense forest with a flowing stream, sunlight filtering through the leaves in scattered rays.
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu narrowed their magical detection range and began scanning meter by meter, aiming for a precise strike.
“There!” Qin Yu spotted Yang Wei’s trail and dove into the forest.
“Hey, wait for me!” Luo Shangyu hurried after her.
Soldiers rode horses weaving between trees, heading toward the spot Qin Yu had indicated.
***
Yang Wei lay by the creek, enjoying his midday rest.
The autumn wind rustled through the trees, leaves whispering softly, bringing fresh cool air.
The stream gurgled—a natural white noise.
Yang Wei dozed by the water, while five loyal followers rested against nearby stones.
Suddenly, one stood and shook Yang Wei awake: “Master, I’m afraid the pursuers have arrived!”
Still groggy, Yang Wei shouted, “Run! Run quickly!”
The others were awakened and scrambled onto their horses with him, preparing to flee.
Suddenly, the sound of branches breaking came from above, followed by a shower of broken twigs and leaves falling down.
Yang Wei and his men raised their hands to shield themselves.
“Yang Wei, you’re surrounded!” Qin Yu descended from the sky, announcing loudly.
Yang Wei was startled; the pursuers had arrived!
He had expected a large force but looked up and saw only a small girl with white hair and blue eyes, who looked somewhat innocent and naive.
His attitude immediately softened, and he laughed heartily, “You? You want to catch me? I’ve eaten more meals than you have! Come on, catch her and teach her some respect for elders and the young!”
“Yes, sir!”
The five men beside Yang Wei moved to attack, but another figure jumped down from the branches torn apart by Qin Yu’s attack—it was Luo Shangyu.
Everyone was stunned, unsure what had happened.
Yang Wei reacted quickly: “Attack!”
One of the five reacted too, flicking his hand to reveal a staff.
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu were shocked—according to the Ministry of War’s documents, the rebels didn’t have any mages.
Apparently, this was a trap set by Vice Minister of War Guo Qing for Zhong Chang Gong.
While Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu were caught off guard, the man’s staff sparked electricity—an arc of lightning whip rushed forward.
An A-class combat skill: Lightning Five-Strike Whip!
Just as the attack was about to land, Luo Shangyu lightly tapped the man’s chest with her staff.
The Saint Light Sword appeared, piercing from the tip of her staff straight through his chest, killing him instantly.
The lightning whip flickered and died out.
“Trying to bully Qin Yu? Not on my watch!” Luo Shangyu stepped forward, blocking Qin Yu, her proud gaze fixed on Yang Wei as if staking her claim.
Yang Wei swallowed nervously, his throat moving, but no words came out.
The dead mage had been his greatest support.
Now Luo Shangyu had killed him with a single strike; Yang Wei was utterly devastated.
“I know my crimes…” Yang Wei knelt, his voice trembling.
***
At four in the afternoon, Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu led the troops back to Jing City.
The capture of the ringleader brought joy to the townsfolk, who lined the streets to welcome Qin Yu’s return.
Back at the city tower, Qin Yu organized the day’s gains: first, the ringleader Yang Wei and his confidants; second, the leader of the Order of the Lingyan Pavilion Special Action Group One and his ten members.
As for Jingyuan Commandery Marshal Yang Dan, he had been blown up on the river, his body incomplete.
The townspeople had barely managed to retrieve his head, now sealed in a box by Qin Yu, ready to be taken back to Yongan City.
Qin Yu ordered an immediate departure to return to Yongan City as soon as possible.
This time, she and Luo Shangyu rode in a carriage—solving the problem of Qin Yu wearing a skirt making it difficult to ride horseback.
The scenery outside the window rapidly retreated.
Qin Yu stared out, murmuring to herself, “Tomorrow won’t be easy either…”
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