Chapter 769: First Volume, Chapter 769: The Lonely One, the Lonely One, Ultimately the Lonely One

First Volume, Chapter 769: The Lonely One, the Lonely One, Ultimately the Lonely One

Chen Si's military talent and strategic vision were unquestioned, but in political intuition, Li Yu surpassed him.

According to Li Yu's analysis of the military intelligence, crushing Qin Feng politically at this moment was utterly unrealistic—indeed, its difficulty far exceeded military maneuvering.

After all, military affairs are an extension of politics; Qin Feng's rise to his current stature proves how deeply rooted his political foundation in Liang Kingdom truly is.

Li Yu pondered, then spoke in a low voice: "As General Chen said, our immediate priority is to summon Qin Feng to Wang Du immediately—he must not be allowed to continue wreaking havoc in Sangzhou."

"As for how to deal with him in the future, we'll meet soldiers with soldiers, water with earth—it's better than sitting idly on the opposite shore, powerless to act."

"Moreover, the destruction of the Snow Wolf Brigade must be strictly sealed—no word must leak, or it will be a fatal blow to Da Di Kingdom's prestige; at that point, the reverence of foreign states toward Da Di will plummet."

The Di King largely agreed with Li Yu's proposal, yet he harbored doubts about suppressing the news.

"Minister Li, if this matter involved only Da Di, suppressing the news would be simple—but Liang Kingdom will surely exploit this opportunity to broadcast it far and wide."

At once, Li Yu bowed deeply and explained solemnly: "Your Majesty, rest assured—in my view, Liang Kingdom will never expose this. After all, both nations are currently in a truce; if Liang violates the agreement by attacking our cities and killing our soldiers, would it not be a betrayal of faith?"

With Li Yu's words, the Di King's anxieties finally settled.

Yet the Di King knew well: in this battle, Liang reaped all the benefits, while Da Di could only swallow its teeth and endure in silence.

Recalling how Qin Feng had once been trapped at Qingyu Mountain, the Di King sighed in regret: "What a pity—we should have spared no cost to kill Qin Feng back then, eliminating our greatest threat."

…

Not many days later, the news reached the Imperial Study of the Great Liang Palace.

The Liang Emperor stared at the Beixi County War Report submitted by the Ministry of War, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he exclaimed: "What an extraordinary Qin Feng—how long has he been in Sangzhou? First he captured Xiongying Ridge, then annihilated the Snow Wolf Brigade, and killed Chen Mou and Chen Li, two of their top generals."

"Qin Feng's military mastery is truly unprecedented and unmatched."

"Our Great Liang was founded on martial strength, yet after generations of change, the culture of valuing literature over martial arts has become deeply entrenched and hard to reverse. With Da Di as the leader, the other states have mocked our scholars as powerless—now, they've learned their lesson and will finally understand: our Great Liang's military still stands atop Heaven!"

As he spoke these words, the Liang Emperor felt a surge of passion and his blood boiled with fervor.

Since ascending the Imperial Throne, he had lived like a detached cultivator, rarely stirred by emotion—but since Qin Feng entered officialdom, one surprise and shock after another had come without end.

The Liang Emperor knew that for the Li Imperial Clan, Qin Feng might bring little benefit, yet for the entire Liang Kingdom, Qin Feng's existence was nothing short of a blessing bestowed upon the nation.

Sitting beside him, the Chang Princess softly sighed: "Beyond military affairs, his mastery in politics and commerce is likely unmatched as well."

"This youth deserves to be called a once-in-a-millennium genius."

"With Xiongying Ridge fallen and the Snow Wolf Brigade destroyed, Sangzhou has become utterly lawless—securing our kingdom's ten-thousand-li borders. For Heaven itself, this is excellent news—why not proclaim it widely to inspire the next generation? Only by glorifying heroes can we draw more people to rise."

The Liang Emperor nodded, appearing to agree with the Chang Princess's suggestion, yet he set the war report aside and murmured: "We're in a truce now—let's quietly reap the profits. Such acts of betrayal should not be loudly proclaimed."

"How is Mingyue lately?"

At the mention of Mingyue Princess, the Chang Princess let out a quiet sigh: "As usual—she never leaves her quarters, rarely steps beyond the inner gates. When the Empress Title summons her, she always finds excuses to avoid it—she's become exceedingly reclusive."

Reclusive? The Liang Emperor secretly approved: with her connection to Qin Feng, even within the Hou Gong, Mingyue Princess could walk with impunity—her status rivaled that of the former Consort Lin.

Yet this girl had always been humble, never stirring up trouble—her skill in navigating human relations was far beyond the comprehension of those inexperienced imperial consorts in the harem.

The Liang Emperor grew fonder of her by the day, yet the more he cherished her, the more he dared not show it—otherwise, certain figures in the harem might grow restless.

"Mingyue grew up wandering the folk, naturally developing an independent nature. If she prefers solitude, we need not disturb her."

"Also, I've heard that lately, the Empress has frequently summoned Seventh Prince—do you know what they're discussing?"

At this sudden question from the Liang Emperor, the Chang Princess's eyes flickered with complexity; she forced a casual tone and lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.

"What else could they discuss? Just ordinary family chatter."

Hearing this, the Liang Emperor sneered: "Family chatter? The Empress is Second Brother's mother—what family matters could she possibly have with Seventh Prince in her idle time? Has she grown so close to Seventh Prince without my knowledge?"

The Chang Princess instinctively gripped her skirt hem—though she immediately released it, that fleeting moment of tension was fully caught by the Liang Emperor.

The Chang Princess knew her brother too well; she rose at once and knelt before him.

"Your Majesty, there are matters I cannot speak of—please investigate yourself."

"I've married out—I'm already an outsider…"

The Liang Emperor stared at her, his eyes flickering with disappointment, yet more deeply with sorrow—throughout his reign, she had been the only person he could fully trust, the one who had shouldered much of his burden.

Yet now, he realized even his own sister was drifting away from him.

The Liang Emperor desperately tried to grasp something, yet lost it even more completely.

Perhaps this was the tragedy of being a sovereign.

The Lonely One, the Lonely One, Ultimately the Lonely One…

Out of fraternal affection, the Liang Emperor did not press further; he merely waved his hand, signaling the Chang Princess to withdraw. The vast Imperial Study was left with only the Liang Emperor alone.

He slowly closed his eyes and sighed deeply: "What was bound to come… has finally come."

The Chang Princess left the Imperial Study, clenched her teeth, and decided to pack her belongings and return to her own mansion—far away from these cursed affairs.

But she had not gone far when she saw Li Yong and the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard discussing something.

Seeing this, the Chang Princess's heart lurched; she pretended not to notice and hurried past.

Li Yong ignored the Chang Princess and gave the Commander-in-Chief a subtle signal.