Chapter 111: Setting the Trap

The Jun Manor was in an uproar, yet the calmest figures were Lady Zhou and her daughter, Jun Jun Shuyan, of Qinxin Garden; they had only delivered pastries to Aoxue Courtyard once on the day Jun Jun Zijin returned to the manor, spending all other hours accompanying the Old Lady at Jingzhu Courtyard or quietly enjoying family life within their own courtyard. As long as the external turmoil did not reach Qinxin Garden, they remained composed, acting as if everything had nothing to do with them.

Jun Jun Zijin rushed back to the military camp overnight, the sound of horse hooves exceptionally clear in the silent night. She flipped off her horse and walked into the camp, weary from travel.

"Jun Zijin!" Quan Quan Tianchen hurried forward to greet her; in the morning light, a hint of a smile graced his gentle eyes and brows, his tone carrying a touch of jest:

"You have finally returned. With Quan Aoyu absent, this troop you lead seems to obey you even more; they have been asking constantly when you would return."

Although he had seen her many times before, and though the two clearly had no direct interactions prior—this close contact being unmistakably their first—Quan Quan Tianchen felt a sense of familiarity; perhaps because she was the most important person to Quan Aoyu, she thus became the most important person to him as well; it must be so, Quan Quan Tianchen nodded inwardly.

Jun Jun Zijin offered a faint smile, a trace of exhaustion flashing in her eyes before she quickly suppressed it; she patted the horse's back to signal her attendant to lead it away, then turned to face Quan Quan Tianchen and chuckled softly:

"Since I promised Quan Quan Aoyu, I will not give up halfway."

Quan Quan Tianchen nodded, his gaze lingering for a moment on her slightly haggard face, his tone filled with concern:

"You traveled overnight and must be tired. Would you like to rest for a while? We can discuss training matters later."

Jun Jun Zijin shook her head, her gaze firm:

"Time is pressing; we must achieve results within half a month. I cannot afford any delay, lest unforeseen needs arise."

She paused briefly, then walked straight toward the training ground, with Quan Quan Tianchen following behind her.

Within the military camp, the originally somewhat low spirits were instantly ignited by her return; the soldiers rose one after another, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"The Princess Commander has returned!" Jiang Dong shouted loudly, followed by the voices of all the soldiers echoing to the heavens, carrying undisguised excitement.

Standing aside, Quan Quan Tianchen's eyes flashed with surprise; he had heard Quan Quan Aoyu say that Jun Jun Zijin had stayed in the army for less than a day, never expecting her to command such authority.

Jun Jun Zijin smiled faintly and raised her hand to signal everyone to quiet down; her voice was clear and firm:

"Time is pressing; we must complete the training within half a month. I know everyone is exhausted, but the battlefield waits for no one, and the enemy will not give us a chance to catch our breath. From today onward, we must go all out."

The soldiers responded in unison, their morale soaring; Jun Jun Zijin spoke no more, walking directly to the center of the training ground to personally guide the soldiers, neglecting no detail from wrist posture to breathing rhythm.

In the days that followed, she trained alongside the soldiers during the day and studied tactics alone at night, adjusting training plans; her figure hardly ever left the training ground, and even meals were taken in a few hurried bites before she resumed work.

Infected by her resilience and focus, the soldiers' enthusiasm for training grew even higher; though their bodies were weary, no one complained, for they knew their Princess Commander was more tired and more determined than they were.

On the fourth day in the military camp, snow had been falling continuously for several days; Quan Quan Tianchen and Jun Jun Zijin sat inside the tent, waiting for the fish to take the bait so they could stew them all together.

Jun Jun Zijin's slender fingers tapped lightly against the desk, emitting a faint sound.

Inside Prime Minister Gao's manor, Prime Minister Gao, who had been banished back home by the Emperor, sat upright before his writing desk, his brows tightly furrowed; he held a secret letter in his hand, containing only a few sparse words, yet causing turmoil to surge within his heart.

"Supplies will pass through Black Wind Ridge today."

Quan Quan Aoyu had departed for the Northern Frontier while Jun Jun Zijin purchased grain in the city; He He Donghai feigned illness but was actually personally escorting the supplies; Black Wind Ridge was the inevitable route, presenting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ambush the provisions; no matter what, they had to cut off the Crown Prince's retreat and remove the stumbling block from Yi's path.

Prime Minister Gao placed the letter paper over the candle flame; the fire licked at the paper, turning it to ash in moments.

Under the candlelight, his eyes grew increasingly profound, as if weighing something.

"Someone come!" Prime Minister Gao commanded in a low voice.

A shadow guard appeared silently within the study and knelt on one knee: "What are your orders, my lord Prime Minister?"

Prime Minister Gao turned around, his gaze sharp as torchlight: "Transmit my secret order: assemble the troops and act today."

The shadow guard paused briefly in surprise, then nodded: "Yes, this subordinate will attend to it immediately."

With a sinister look in his eyes, Prime Minister Gao instructed the shadow guard: "Remember, leave no traces; if this matter is exposed, do not bother returning to see me."

The shadow guard accepted the order and departed, vanishing swiftly outside the door.

Silence returned to the study once more, leaving only the unextinguished candle flame swaying in the wind, emitting a faint crackling sound; he walked back to the writing desk, sat down again, and a cold sneer curled the corners of his mouth.

"Quan Quan Aoyu, do you think the Northern Frontier war will grant you another military merit? Little do you know, the true battlefield has never been at the front lines."

"Thinking you can win this round by relying on a woman is a joke; a woman who does not stay properly in her boudoir but scurries about all day annoying everyone, truly believing that holding a broken token allows her to command the world? What is so great about a Princess Commander? This old man will show you what happens when you stand in my way!" Prime Minister Gao said through gritted teeth.

Today was destined to be unrestful; inside Liulidian, Noble Consort Gao leaned against a soft couch, the tea in her hand having long gone cold, yet she remained completely unaware.

"Your Ladyship, news has come from the Prime Minister's side; the operation has begun," a palace maid reported softly.

A trace of triumph flashed in Noble Consort Gao's eyes: "That wretch Jun Jun Zijin thought she could deceive me?"

It was time for the position of Crown Prince to change hands; this time, she would ensure Quan Quan Aoyu went but never returned; anyone blocking her son's path must die.

Noble Consort Gao gently set down the teacup in her hand, a cold sneer curling her lips; she rose slowly, walked to the window, and gazed out at the vast expanse of white, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes.

Inside Jun Jun Zijin's tent, Quan Quan Tianchen and Jun Jun Zijin stood beside the desk, Jun Jun Zijin's gaze fixed upon the unfolded secret letter before her; the contours of her profile were distinct, her brows revealing a hint of sharpness.

Quan Quan Tianchen stood at her side; dispelling his momentary daze, he looked intently at the secret letter and said:

"Quan Aoyu's main army has already joined with the supplies at Changzhou; it takes only half a day to travel from Changzhou to Rong City. We can finally rest easy."

Jun Jun Zijin smiled triumphantly and then explained the scheme she and Quan Quan Aoyu had laid out to Quan Quan Tianchen in detail.

Quan Quan Aoyu, departing for the Northern Frontier, had anticipated obstacles regarding supply provisions; however, given the situation in the Northern Frontier, grain supplies could not be delayed for even a single day; thus, Jun Jun Zijin and Quan Quan Aoyu devised a plan to kill two birds with one stone, ensuring the safe delivery of supplies while also luring the snake out of its hole.

As expected, Prime Minister Gao's faction, assisting the Third Imperial Prince, had seized control of the army's supply provisions but delayed them under various pretexts.

What they did not know, however, was that Quan Quan Aoyu and Jun Jun Zijin had already set their trap.