Chapter 501: This Is What You Deserve

The other side of the Main Camp.

Feng Zhou looked at the orderly, bustling soldiers and was quite surprised: "This Main Camp is truly impressive!"

"I had thought that without food supplies and without Imperial Court support, Xibei would be a bleak wasteland!"

Xiao Er and Lu Qi snorted: "With the Little Princess present, how could that be possible!"

"Feng Sir!"

A coarse, booming shout rang out as Zhang Wu'an strode over like a comet, slapping Feng Zhou's shoulder so hard it nearly sent him toppling.

"Ha ha! Feng Sir! What brings you here as well!"

Feng Zhou steadied himself, looked at the dark face before him, his eyes a little warm: "Zhang Wu'an!"

Zhang Wu'an grinned, flashing a big tooth: "Since the Little Princess first arrived at the camp, crying and shouting that she would save you, it's been ages! You finally emerged!"

Feng Zhou was startled: "Little Princess, she cried for me?"

"Exactly!" Zhang Wu'an said, "That tiny little person, tear‑filled, told us 'Feng Zhou has been captured, hurry and rescue him!'"

Feng Zhou lowered his head, lifted his sleeve and quickly wiped his corner of eye.

Xiao Er patted his shoulder: "The Little Princess really ran all across the rivers and mountains for you."

Feng Zhou inhaled deeply, raised his head, and laughed sincerely: "Little Princess, people are just wonderful."

"Come, come, come," Zhang Wu'an tugged him inside, "Many old brothers have been thinking of you! Let's go, meet them!"

Feng Zhou followed him forward, encountering many familiar faces along the way.

"Feng Sir has arrived!"

"What fresh weapons has Feng Sir brought this time?"

"Feng Sir, do you still remember me? Back then you even forged me a short sword!"

Feng Zhou smiled in response, the warmth in his heart rising bit by bit.

Suddenly, his steps halted.

"Zhang Wu'an," he looked around, "Where is Fang Qing? Where is Old Li the Third? Why haven't I seen them?"

Zhang Wu'an's smile froze on his face, and Xiao Er and Lu Qi exchanged a glance.

Feng Zhou's heart sank sharply.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Wu'an whispered: "Feng Sir, they have already been buried at the border pass."

Feng Zhou stood dumbfounded.

"That battle was terribly disastrous," Zhang Wu'an said bitterly, "Fang Qing shielded the Prince from an arrow and died on the spot."

"Old Li the Third was slashed a dozen times by Da Xia's brutes, leaving not even a whole corpse."

Feng Zhou's tears burst from his eyes.

"Little Princess knows?" his voice trembled, unable to imagine how Tuan Tuan would feel when she found out.

Zhang Wu'an hurriedly said: "Feng Sir! Please don't let it slip! We've kept it from her! We only told her they stayed at the border pass to recover."

Feng Zhou nodded firmly, wiping his face with his sleeve: "I understand, rest assured."

He turned back to glance at Prince Ning's large tent in the distance, where Tuan Tuan was happily reuniting with family.

"Princess (Commandery) is still so young; these matters should be shouldered by us adults. Come, let's go drink!"

That night, Xibei Daying was brightly lit.

Xiao Jieyun, clad in bright yellow armor, stood on the elevated platform normally used for siege drills, facing the wind.

The firelight reflected his resolute face and illuminated the swarming soldiers below. Fifty thousand youths stood silently, banners rustling in the night wind.

Xiao Jieyun slowly scanned the crowd, raised his arm, and pointed behind himself: "Soldiers! Look, who they are!"

The crowd looked behind him, and three figures slowly rose.

The three walked to Xiao Jieyun's side, the firelight lighting their faces.

Below the platform was silent at first, then the crowd erupted.

"That's the Twelfth Prince! Isn't he enthroned in Jingcheng?"

"Prince Jing! That's Seventh Prince Jing!"

"Old Heaven Lord! How did they come to Xibei?"

Amid the gasps, the soldiers stared in disbelief, hardly daring to trust their eyes.

Xiao Jieyun waved his hand, waiting for the crowd to settle a bit before speaking again: "My Twelfth Prince was forced by the Ni Ze to become emperor, imprisoned in the inner palace, enduring humiliation and heavy burdens!"

"My Seventh Prince, who served the nation loyally, was placed under house arrest in Chengxi Hall, his life hanging by a thread!"

He paused: "But now! They all stand here! Standing by my side! Standing in our Xibei Main Camp!"

"Do you all want to know how they arrived?"

The soldiers looked at each other.

Xiao Ze stepped forward and loudly told the soldiers: "It's Princess Jiayou!"

Everyone turned together, eyes flashing toward the platform below, where Tuan Tuan laughed merrily in her father's arms.

Xiao Ze looked at her, softly saying: "She is the Immortal Envoy of my fiery nation! Bravely risking danger, she rescued my mother and the two of us from under the Ni Ze's very eyes!"

"She first rescued the Twelfth Brother, then disguised herself as him, acting as emperor for an entire day during the Heavenly Sacrifice ceremony! She made the two Ni Ze, Prince Chen and Prince Qing, spin around Tuan Tuan!"

"Now those two Ni Ze are still roaming Jingcheng, searching for their missing emperor!"

A roar erupted below the platform.

"Little Princess?"

"Disguised as emperor? My goodness! How young is she! Such boldness!"

"Old Heaven Lord, isn't this like stabbing a hole in the sky?"

An old soldier looked up and shouted: "Your Majesty! I've fought countless battles alongside the Prince, and have never seen anything like this!"

The Little Princess took back their Emperor for us—what rebel still dares to plot treason!

"Exactly!" another young soldier shouted, "The emperor they installed is in our hands—what do they have to fight us with?"

Right! See how they can still claim to be the legitimate side and call us rebels?

The soldiers were exhilarated, boiling over, and shouted in unison: "Little Princess! Little Princess! Little Princess!"

The sound waves rose one after another, shaking the ground as if it were trembling slightly.

Tuan Tuan lifted her head to look at her father: "Dad, my ears are about to go deaf from the shaking!"

Xiao Yuanhang lowered his head to her ear: "They're shouting how awesome you are. Good girl!"

"Oh," Tuan Tuan blinked, "could you get them to lower their voices a bit?"

Xiao Yuanhang laughed: "Tuan Tuan, this is what you deserve—the louder the better!"

"Come, let everyone see you!"

He lifted his daughter high overhead; Tuan Tuan raised both hands and waved them vigorously at the crowd, and the cheering instantly became even more deafening.

In the crowd, Feng Zhou brimmed with hot tears, thinking about how he had risen step by step from a destitute scholar to today, all thanks to Tuan Tuan's help!

He shouted at the top of his lungs until his voice gave out.

The next morning, Xiao Er brought Feng Zhou to the Emperor's grand tent.

Prince Ning and his three sons stood to the side, with the twenty-seven bronze items placed on the table.

Xiao Jieyun asked: "Feng Zhou, do you have confidence in piecing these nine keys together?"