Chapter 1255: First Volume, Chapter 1255: Parting Ways

First Volume, Chapter 1255: Parting Ways

Qin Feng turned away silently and returned to his tent; before he could react, Shen Qingci had already embraced him.

Shen Qingci buried her head against Qin Feng's shoulder, her left arm wrapped around his waist, her right hand patting his back in the gentlest possible way to comfort him.

Shen Qingci had seen everything that happened on the Jiaochang; she knew Qin Feng's heart must be wounded at this moment.

It was not because he had lost authority, but because he had been forced out by his closest comrades.

Shen Qingci said nothing; simply staying silently by Qin Feng's side at this moment was the greatest comfort and encouragement she could offer him.

Indeed, this was true—Qin Feng felt a warmth in his chest and said nothing in return, answering her with a strong, firm embrace.

Originally, Qin Feng had planned to settle matters on the Jiaochang and then confront Shen Qingci directly.

But now, he clearly had no such mood; he simply held Shen Qingci tightly and fell asleep, exhausted in body and spirit.

In the past, Shen Qingci would never have allowed Qin Feng to sleep in the same bed with her, but this time was an exception—she feared waking him, so much so that even her breathing became extremely light.

Beneath the faint firelight of the camp, she quietly studied the face of the man she knew best.

This was the first time Shen Qingci had observed Qin Feng so closely and in such detail.

The mischievous, restless boy she remembered—always darting about, never still—had, in an instant, become a towering man; his weathered, rough cheeks bore countless traces of time.

Yet even such a man had moments of weariness; Shen Qingci silently resolved that no matter what their future held, she would protect this man without reservation.

The night passed without words; at dawn the next day, Qin Feng dispatched his subordinates to begin packing their belongings.

News of Qin Feng's departure had spread across the entire Front Line; countless officers came rushing to beg him not to leave.

But the matter was settled; no plea could change it.

Still, Qin Feng gathered all the officers and delivered his final speech on the Jiaochang.

Feeling the complex gazes of the crowd, and seeing Zhao Yuxiong standing tall and proud as ever, Qin Feng laughed heartily in this moment of farewell.

"Before I go, let me leave you with a few words."

"Zhao Yuxiong, like me, is a man willing to devote himself entirely to the people of Liang; we merely chose different paths."

"Zhao Yuxiong is not only a capable general but also a loyal minister; with him leading you in continued warfare against Nan Jing, no mistake will arise."

"After I leave, you must obey Zhao Yuxiong's arrangements and command—do not defy him or form opposing factions over this matter; that is the very thing I wish to avoid."

Hearing this, many officers began secretly wiping away tears; had they not fought bloodily on the Front Line solely to follow Qin Feng?

Now that Qin Feng was leaving, their hearts felt hollow, as if they had suddenly lost their purpose.

Zhao Yuxiong's gaze toward Qin Feng was no longer as sharp as before.

As Qin Feng had said, in Zhao Yuxiong's heart, Qin Feng remained his greatest brother in life; yet in serving the nation, Zhao Yuxiong had indeed diverged from Qin Feng's path.

Since they could no longer stand united on the battlefield, the only choice was to step back gracefully and maintain their bond in private.

At that moment, Qin Feng's voice rang out again: "I step down—I wish you all glory, achievement, and distinction!"

With that, Qin Feng bowed to everyone present.

Seeing this, the officers could no longer hold back; they wept openly, wailing in grief.

Yet they knew deep down that no matter how hard they begged, it was too late to keep Qin Feng—they could only watch helplessly as he departed.

"Your Majesty Qin…"

"We were about to capture Gusu City—why must you leave now…?"

"Damn it! Damn it! Your Majesty Qin devoted himself utterly to Liang—why must he end up leaving in solitude?"

"Where is the glory and honor that rightfully belonged to Your Majesty Qin?!"

Hearing the sobs and shouts behind him, Qin Feng did not slow his steps; after all, this outcome was not necessarily bad for him.

At least he now had more time to prepare his own future.

Since the Northern Border Troops formed one of the main forces on the Front Line, even if Qin Feng left, he could not possibly withdraw all his troops.

Thus, when Qin Feng departed the Battlefield the next morning, he took only the Tianji Camp Guards and the Black Riders; all other troops remained behind to continue aiding Zhao Yuxiong, even the painstakingly constructed siege engines and the most vital craftsmen from Beixi.

Among the officers, almost none moved—only Zhao Zhenhai was taken along.

Liu Ming, who controlled critical military intelligence, had to remain to serve as Zhao Yuxiong's eyes and ears.

Qin Feng and Liu Ming agreed that after the war ended, Liu Ming would travel to Beixi County to rejoin him.

As for reporting to the capital, forget it—Qin Feng had received word that Qin Tianhu had already left Jingdu with his entire family.

The thought of his entire family reuniting made Qin Feng unable to suppress his excitement.

The Tianji Camp Guards and Black Riders numbered fewer than two thousand; since they were all soldiers, their marching speed was swift, and within days they had left the Nan Jing region.

Meanwhile, the news reached Jingdu.

Upon learning that Qin Feng had resigned and departed the Front Line, the Liang Emperor fell silent for a long while.

With his hands behind his back, he stood at the entrance of the Imperial Study, gazing at the tiled rooftops beyond the walls, his eyes flickering with a touch of melancholy.

The newly reactivated Heiyi Si, after the Great Purge, now consisted only of Heiyi loyal to the Liang Emperor—members of the Imperial Party.

The new Heiyi Si Zhu Shi, Zhang Zhonghai, stood behind the Liang Emperor, reporting the latest intelligence.

"Your Majesty, we have just received word: after leaving the Front Line, Qin Feng did not return to Jingdu to submit his Imperial report—he headed toward the Northern Border."

"Moreover, Qin Tianhu did not depart Jingdu alone as ordered; he took all his family members and every Tianji Camp personnel still in the capital."

Hearing this, the Liang Emperor closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

Though he said nothing aloud, his heart was filled with sorrow—for the situation was now unmistakable: he and the Qin Family had parted ways forever.

Recalling the Qin Family's sacrifices for Liang, the Liang Emperor felt nothing but gratitude; had the Qin Family remained faithfully loyal, perhaps their relationship as ruler and subject might have ended peacefully?

But alas, a cage cannot hold a potential dragon for long; the world often calls Qin Feng a tiger, yet in the Liang Emperor's eyes, Qin Feng had long since become a latent dragon.

One day, Qin Feng will transform into a true dragon, commanding wind and rain.

And that day draws nearer; when the Liang Emperor opened his eyes again, his gaze had returned to its usual coldness.