Chapter 1019: First Volume, Chapter 1019: The War Ends

First Volume, Chapter 1019: The War Ends

Li Zhang first ordered two thousand men to scale the City Wall and conduct a thorough search of its entire interior and exterior to confirm no enemies were hiding, then gradually secured the wall and seized its most critical defense facilities.

With the City Wall as their foundation, Li Zhang felt reassured; the rest of the operations could now proceed methodically.

The generals each took charge of their duties, leading their troops to control all military and governmental facilities within the city.

As a result, five thousand men remained; at Li Zhang's command, they surged straight to the heart of the Di Wang Du and surrounded the Imperial Palace completely.

Soon after, a messenger ran up to Li Zhang.

"His Highness, as ordered, all military facilities in the city have been secured; most officials and commanders have surrendered. The few who resisted stubbornly have been executed on the spot, without any delay or hesitation."

"The Imperial Palace has been encircled by our forces and can be attacked at any moment."

Hearing this, Li Zhang's stern expression finally softened.

Since entering Bei Di territory, Li Zhang's heart had been in constant tension; after all, Qin Feng was trapped in Changshui County, and all burdens rested squarely on Li Zhang's shoulders—any misstep would be unforgivable.

Now that the Di Wang Du had been captured, it meant the Winter War was essentially over; all that remained were cleanup operations.

Li Zhang, relieved, finally showed a relaxed expression: "Tell the commanders ahead to merely besiege the Imperial Palace—no attacks permitted. Violators will be punished by military law."

"If the palace garrison provokes us, retreat a short distance—do not fall for the Enemy Army's Provocation Method."

The messenger bowed deeply, mounted his Horse, and galloped off in a cloud of dust.

At that moment, a crisp "tap-tap-tap" of footsteps came from behind Li Zhang; when he turned, he saw Jing Qianying approaching, clad in Light Armor, elegant and commanding.

Since the Xiongying Brigade attacked the Expeditionary Brigade, Jing Qianying had been reassigned to the Main Force and remained inseparable from Li Zhang's side.

Jing Qianying's importance rivaled even Qin Feng's—she could not afford the slightest mishap.

Even now that the entire situation was under control, as the saying goes, "Fear not the ten thousand, fear only the one in a million"—a dozen Tianji Camp Guards still followed Jing Qianying closely, guarding against any possible emergency.

Jing Qianying gazed at the distant Imperial Palace, her emotions complex.

When she left Bei Di, she had been very young; after so many years, her memories of the former Imperial Palace were nearly gone.

Now, returning to this place, she found the towering Imperial Palace Wall strangely unfamiliar.

Yet that palace held countless memories; given time, perhaps she could recall the days spent with her Imperial Consort. As for her Father Emperor—like most Princes and Princesses, Jing Qianying's memory of him was nearly nonexistent; any notion of familial affection could be described as "better than nothing."

Perhaps this was the tragedy of royalty: since ancient times, emperors have been cold-hearted—even between father and daughter, it felt as if ten thousand mountains lay between them.

Jing Qianying let go of her turmoil and looked at Li Zhang, asking softly: "Young Master, the entire Di Wang Du is now in our hands, the Imperial Palace is right before us—why not attack?"

Facing Jing Qianying's question, Li Zhang did not hesitate—he immediately explained.

"Fourth Miss, you yourself said the Di Wang Du is entirely ours—why rush this one moment?"

"The Imperial Palace itself is a massive Fortress: its walls are tall and sturdy, and only one main gate leads inside—all others have been sealed. Forcing an assault would be no different from Siege Warfare, inevitably causing massive casualties."

Knowing that a direct assault on the Imperial Palace was unwise, Jing Qianying no longer pressed—but her mind remained filled with doubts.

"If the Imperial Palace is hard to breach and the Bei Di King hides inside, what if he holds out for a year or two? Will we just wait outside indefinitely?"

Li Zhang smiled, calm and unperturbed: "Fourth Miss, do not worry."

"Though the Imperial Palace is strong and stocked with ample Materials and Supplies, holding out for a year or two is certainly feasible—but what meaning does a lone, isolated palace hold?"

"We need only treat the Imperial Palace as a besieged city. If the Bei Di King wishes to hold out, let him. Meanwhile, we will fully seize control of the entire government. Once all officials recognize Fourth Miss's status and authority, then wherever Fourth Miss stands, there the Imperial Palace truly lies."

With Li Zhang's words, Jing Qianying finally understood: nothing should be forced. If rushing into the palace caused countless soldiers to die, how could she ever explain it to Qin Feng?

Jing Qianying tore her gaze from the Imperial Palace and asked urgently: "When will Feng'er return?"

Li Zhang's face also lit with anticipation: "I've sent word to Changshui County. I estimate Qin Brother will arrive in the Di Wang Du in three days at the earliest, five at the latest."

At this, Jing Qianying frowned slightly: "Why so long? Isn't Changshui County close to the Di Wang Du?"

Li Zhang knew Jing Qianying was desperate to see Qin Feng, so he smiled to soothe her: "It is close, yes—but Qin Brother has spent so long in Changshui County. Now that he's leaving, he'll never return. He must finish all the aftermath."

"Fourth Miss, you waited three months—what's three more days?"

Jing Qianying sighed inwardly; even if she didn't want to wait, what could she do?

Since Qin Feng left Sangzhou and entered Bei Di, Jing Qianying had been consumed day and night with longing—as if, whenever she closed her eyes, Qin Feng appeared before her.

Back at the Daliang Qin Fu, when she spent every day with Qin Feng, she never felt anything unusual.

But after their "confession of love" in Sangzhou, the once strong, cold Jing Qianying vanished entirely, replaced by a fragile woman, melancholic and love-sick.

Perhaps… this is what it means to be a woman: no matter how high her status or how strong her martial skill, she cannot escape fate.

Once the heart is stirred, it becomes impossible to let go.

At this moment, Changshui County was in frantic motion: from Qin Feng down to the Commoners, everyone was packing and preparing to relocate.

Although Qin Feng knew Li Xiaolan was still seven months from childbirth and showed no visible signs of change, he could not relax—he stayed by her side constantly, forbidding her from lifting a finger; the task of packing belongings naturally fell to Xiao Xiangxiang and Shu Feng.

Li Xiaolan frowned slightly and whispered: "I'm not dying of a terminal illness—you don't need to watch me so closely."

Hearing this, Qin Feng clapped his hand over Li Xiaolan's mouth, scolding: "Pah! Bad luck! Don't speak nonsense!"