The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 186

I Will Only Give You This One Chance.

The generals behind Qu Sheng also braved the hail of arrows, leading the shield-bearing cavalry in a desperate dash toward Qu Sheng to pull her back, but they were consistently a step too slow.

Qu Sheng charged headlong into the volley. Though she was guarded against the onslaught, the rain of arrows was simply too dense. Unable to dodge in time, several arrows struck her body. Fortunately, having experienced arrow wounds several times before, she was wearing her gold-thread soft armor.

            

The arrows glanced off her body without piercing her flesh, though they tore through her outer garments.

One arrow whistled past her ear. Despite her instinctual dodge, the arrowhead still scratched a bloody line across her cheek. Blood instantly welled up, trailing down the side of her face before being blown behind her ear by the rushing wind.

Qu Sheng seemed entirely numb to the pain. Without so much as a furrow of her brow, she continued galloping toward the shattered woman lying beneath the city walls.

            

She soon reached the base of the wall. Just as she dismounted and ran forward, an arrow struck her leg. For a fleeting moment, Qu Sheng felt as though her leg had vanished. She stumbled and rolled forward, managing to evade the subsequent volley just in time.

Qu Sheng pushed forward. Freeing one hand, she yanked the arrow straight out of her leg, tossed it aside, and scrambled to the side of the mangled woman.

“General!”

            

Qu Sheng reached out to gather the woman in her arms. When the next shower of arrows descended, Qu Sheng’s personal guard hoisted their heavy shields, blocking the barrage.

Qu Sheng knelt on the ground, the corners of her eyes rimmed in red. Her hands trembled violently. She didn’t know where to place them, didn’t know how to lift Lin Xizhao without causing her pain.

The two generals guarding Qu Sheng’s sides couldn’t bear to watch the scene unfolding before them and looked away.

            

Blood had already soaked the surrounding earth. Qu Sheng knelt directly in the pooling crimson.

“Wife… Wife…” Qu Sheng’s voice was nearly gone. Her throat was so tight that every breath was an agonizing struggle.

Several times, her hands reached out to touch the body, only to spring back as if stung by needles.

            

Ultimately, she chose to gather the person into her arms, gently rolling her over.

Holding the woman to her chest, Qu Sheng used trembling fingers to untie the sack covering her head, slowly revealing a face deformed by the fall.

But with just one look, Qu Sheng froze.

            

Even though half the face was pulverized, this person was not Lin Xizhao.

Qu Sheng held the body, her gaze blankly fixed on the empty space ahead. The shattered piece of her heart seemed to slowly mend, and her taut nerves finally unwound. Soon after, fury surged onto her face, accompanied by the sting of tears in the corners of her eyes.

“Fall back.”

            

She gently set the corpse down. As she stood, she staggered. The generals beside her quickly supported her as she rose.

The shield-bearing cavalry kept their shields high, quickly escorting Qu Sheng out of the enemy’s firing range.

Upon Qu Sheng’s return, the military physician hurried over to clean and bandage the wound on her leg. But when he reached up to treat the scratch on her face, Qu Sheng tilted her head, dodging his touch.

            

Qu Sheng’s expression had dropped to a freezing point. Seeing her uncooperative demeanor, the physician shot a helpless look at the adjutant nearby.

The adjutant shook his head. The physician retreated. Qu Sheng mounted her horse once more, glaring coldly at the city walls ahead.

At that moment, the men atop the city walls were consumed with bitter regret over missing the opportunity to shoot Qu Sheng dead. Though Qu Sheng had now seen through their ruse with the imposter, they had discovered just how deeply Qu Sheng cared for Lin Xizhao.

            

Shortly after, someone leaned in and whispered a few words into the lead official’s ear. The man looked stunned at first, but a mocking smirk quickly spread across his face.

To think that Qu Sheng, a woman herself, actually harbored lesbian inclinations.

No wonder she had recklessly charged toward the corpse just moments ago.

            

Originally, he had only intended to kill the chicken to scare the monkey¹, pretending to execute someone close to Qu Sheng but ultimately inconsequential. The result, however, had completely exceeded his expectations.

“Qu Sheng, that was merely a test!” the official bellowed with all his might toward Qu Sheng, who had already returned to her army. “This official knows you have a predilection for women, and that Lin Xizhao is your guest behind the curtain²! If you continue your stubborn refusal to see reason, this official will throw her from this wall for real! When that happens, there will be no medicine for regret!”

Qu Sheng raised her eyes. Her expression remained as composed and frigid as before, but the terror still lingered in the depths of her heart, and the shattered pieces had yet to heal. She could feel her heart hammering violently in her chest. She admitted it—she could not bear the loss of Lin Xizhao.

            

Living without Lin Xizhao would be worse than death. She was afraid.

“General, you cannot agree to their terms. If you yield, Jin Mingjun will surely retaliate later. General!” The generals beside her seemed to sense that Qu Sheng had reached a decision.

Her actions had fully exposed her vulnerability. In this psychological warfare, Qu Sheng had already lost.

            

“Qu Sheng, you’d best think clearly! Once a person dies, there’s nothing left! If you truly wish to see Lin Xizhao die before your eyes, then I will grant your wish!” The men on the wall continued to use Lin Xizhao’s life as a threat.

Qu Sheng’s eyelashes fluttered. Lowering her gaze for a second, she cast a glance back at her million-strong army. Her throat bobbed as her brow furrowed.

“I want to see Jin Mingjun!” Qu Sheng turned back and roared at the wall. “Tell Jin Mingjun to come negotiate with this general personally!”

            

The officials on the wall froze. They exchanged hushed whispers, quickly conferring amongst themselves before dispatching a messenger down the stairs.

Qu Sheng stared at the dense line of officials, trying to look past them to catch a glimpse of her family and Lin Xizhao. But the men formed a solid wall, leaving no gaps. Qu Sheng kept her eyes locked unblinkingly on the wall until Jin Mingjun emerged from the palace and ascended the battlements.

Clad in a bright yellow dragon robe, Jin Mingjun stood atop the wall. Though he wore the emperor’s garbs, he exuded none of a sovereign’s noble aura. In stark contrast, Qu Sheng, clad in armor below, looked far more like a true supreme ruler.

            

“Cousin.”

Jin Mingjun opened with an appeal to kinship. Qu Sheng glared at him, a cold sneer forming. He still knew she was his cousin.

“We know you feel a sense of injustice and fury, but We truly had no other choice. If you are willing to turn weapons into jade and silk³, We are willing to split the empire and rule it alongside you. Shoulin and its neighboring territories will belong entirely to the Qu family.” This was the best solution Jin Mingjun could devise. Only this might placate Qu Sheng enough to keep her from fighting until the fish dies or the net tears⁴.

            

“Your Majesty, you must not!” a court official beside him urged. “Your Majesty needs only to stall for time. Shoulin and those territories are the most prosperous lands; their annual tax revenue makes up half the imperial treasury! Letting them go today is tantamount to releasing the tiger back to the mountain⁵. Jiangnan, the lands south of the capital, and the Northern Frontier have been embroiled in constant warfare for the past two years. The commoners desperately need time to rest and recover. If Qu Sheng returns to her territory, it won’t take her years to mount a comeback. Right now, her grand army has just marched all the way from the Northern Frontier. Her troops are exhausted. This is the absolute best time for a joint annihilation!”

“Your Majesty, Lord Meng is correct! The southern reinforcements will arrive in just one day, and the western garrisons are already being redirected here. As long as we can stall for a few days, we can permanently eliminate the Qu family threat!”

As the officials clamored, Jin Mingjun looked at Qu Sheng below. He cast a hesitant glance at his ministers and questioned, “And what if we cannot stall her?” Jin Mingjun had only been the emperor for a few months. He had no desire to be the ruler of a ruined nation.

            

“This…” The officials wavered. No one wanted to bear the blame for offering a strategy that resulted in the empire’s destruction.

Qu Sheng watched the men above continuously whispering amongst themselves. She tugged her reins, urging her horse a few steps forward, appearing to consider Jin Mingjun’s offer.

“Then come down here, and let us have a proper talk,” Qu Sheng said, reining in her horse.

            

“Good! We will immediately order men to draft the treaty.” Hope flared in Jin Mingjun’s heart upon hearing her words.

Jin Mingjun hastily led his ministers down from the wall. As the battlements cleared, Qu Sheng noted that the family members brought up to the wall had vanished as well.

She scrutinized the space for a long moment, ensuring they had indeed been taken back down. Worry for her family and wife gnawed at her. She had to placate the people inside the city to keep them safe.

            

---

Back in the palace, Jin Mingjun synthesized his own thoughts with the advice of his ministers, delineating the territories to give Qu Sheng a place to settle.

“Which of Our beloved subjects is willing to go?” Jin Mingjun needed an envoy of high prestige, someone with the absolute authority to represent the Jin Dynasty.

But his words were met with dead silence. The officials in the hall kept their heads bowed, acting as if they hadn’t heard him. It was a stark contrast to their eloquent, unyielding debates when drafting the treaty just moments before.

            

Everyone knew stepping out those gates meant a narrow escape from death. Qu Sheng had merely agreed to “talk”; she had never accepted the terms outright. If the envoy went out and Qu Sheng suddenly turned hostile, they would undoubtedly never return.

“No one is willing to go?” Jin Mingjun’s face instantly darkened. “Hmph—” He was just about to unleash a string of scathing mockery when he was interrupted.

Marquis Feng, now completely sober, stepped forward. “This subject is willing to go.”

            

Feng Sugao had risen in rebellion alongside the Jin family. The Feng family’s ties to the Jin family were intimately close, and his two grandsons were now princes. He was the most suitable candidate.

Seeing Feng Sugao step up to accept the task, Jin Mingjun’s initial joy gave way to guilt. At that moment, he changed his form of address. “The National Father-in-law deeply concerns himself with the safety of Our Great Jin. You are truly a pillar of the state. With you here, Our heart is at peace.”

As Jin Mingjun offered these flattering words, the officials in the hall all turned to look at Feng Sugao. Those who had previously mocked him for losing his daughter without the emperor even granting her a posthumous title now looked at him with trepidation.

            

“Your Majesty, this journey concerns the very survival of Great Jin. We must also select a member of the imperial clan to accompany this subject to meet Qu Sheng.” Feng Sugao was well aware of how dangerous this task was, but if the Jin family fell, the Feng family would undoubtedly suffer the same fate, not to mention his two grandsons. So, even knowing the perils, he had no choice but to go.

Furthermore, he couldn’t trust anyone else not to bungle the negotiations. Right now, the only faction truly united with the Jin family was the Feng family.

“Who does the National Father-in-law wish to take?” Jin Mingjun’s mind immediately went to his younger sisters, who had entered the palace following his ascension to the throne.

            

Aside from Jin Mingyi, the Jin family had a few other daughters born to concubines, but no other sons.

This was the result of Aunt Jin’s intolerance toward concubines bearing male heirs.

“That is for Your Majesty to decide.” Feng Sugao actually wanted Jin Mingyi to accompany him.

            

Jin Mingyi had a deeper relationship with the Qu family and visited them frequently. The other Jin family daughters had been confined to the estate year-round by Aunt Jin and were forbidden from going out; a few were still far too young.

Jin Mingjun lowered his eyes in thought, internally settling on Jin Mingyi.

---

“I told you to go, so go! Who asked you to be a Princess? Your brother gave you such an illustrious status, and now you’re refusing to do a single little thing for him?” Upon receiving the news, Aunt Jin immediately arrived to coerce Jin Mingyi into leaving the city to negotiate with Qu Sheng.

            

Jin Mingyi scoffed. “He can clean up the mess he made himself. And I don’t care about this Princess title!”

Confined all day in a violently seized palace—who would want such a thing?

“How can you be so heartless? I fed and clothed you, and now you won’t even help with this small matter? You deeply disappoint this mother.”

            

“Your heart was never warm to begin with! The Jin family is in this state today entirely because of you and Eldest Brother. If Eldest Brother had just behaved himself, then when Cousin returned from the Northern Frontier, who would have dared look down on the Jin family? Why would we ever cross blades with her? Are you trying to blame me for this situation?”

“Shut your mouth!” Aunt Jin roared, cutting her off.

Jin Mingyi curled her lip and turned away, ignoring her mother.

            

Just then, someone outside the door asked, “Your Majesty, is Princess Wanyi ready? The National Father-in-law is urging us to hurry.”

Hearing the commotion, both women looked toward the door. Annoyed by the urging, Aunt Jin grabbed Jin Mingyi by the sleeve. “Hurry up and go! You don’t want to see your brother killed by Qu Sheng, do you? What about your two nephews? Think of how young they are.”

Pulled and pushed by her mother, and hearing these emotional pleas, Jin Mingyi remained reluctant, but her resistance weakened.

            

Jin Mingyi exited the room and went outside, where Feng Sugao had been waiting for some time.

“Uncle Feng.” Whether dealing with her late sister-in-law or her sister-in-law’s family, Jin Mingyi had always been exceptionally courteous.

Feng Sugao looked up at her voice and bowed his hands. “Thank you for your trouble, Princess.”

            

Jin Mingyi’s expression stiffened at the title. Looking somewhat uncomfortable, she followed behind him.

“Going out there today means a narrow escape from death. Are you afraid, Princess?” Feng Sugao asked as they walked.

Hearing this, Jin Mingyi hurried forward a few steps to walk beside him. “Will Cousin kill me?” The thought of Qu Sheng’s furious face was genuinely terrifying.

            

“It is entirely possible,” Feng Sugao said, glancing sideways at her.

Jin Mingyi’s steps faltered slightly as she lowered her head. Seeing this, Feng Sugao added, “We are holding the Qu family hostage. Qu Sheng might just take us as hostages in return.”

But he knew full well that, given Jin Mingjun’s nature, the emperor wouldn’t care whether the two of them lived or died.

            

The moment Jin Mingjun decided to send his own biological sister out there, Feng Sugao had understood.

---

Jin Mingjun and his ministers once again ascended the city walls. Meanwhile, Qu Sheng had issued no further orders to attack.

Even now, the lingering terror of seeing that body thrown from the wall gripped her heart. She could not let any rash action or command of hers put Lin Xizhao in such a perilous position.

            

Her family was equally important, but losing Lin Xizhao alone would end her own life.

“General,” the adjutant prompted, calling out to Qu Sheng, who had been sitting on her horse with her head bowed, lost in thought.

“Jin Mingjun has reappeared.”

            

Qu Sheng lifted her head and spotted Jin Mingjun. Soon after, the massive gates at the base of the wall cracked open just enough to let two rows of soldiers march out, followed closely by two figures.

Qu Sheng stared at the pair, instantly recognizing who they were.

Qu Sheng looked up at the wall. Jin Mingjun was watching her closely. Upon seeing his sister and father-in-law step out, he shouted, “Cousin, We have sent Our envoys! You may discuss the terms with them. So long as it is not excessive, We will agree to it all!”

            

This display of weakness caused the officials beside him to stare in disbelief, but Jin Mingjun ignored their gazes. He knew that the moment Qu Sheng stopped caring about her family’s safety, his death would be an absolute certainty.

Watching the pair approach with their handful of guards, Qu Sheng furrowed her brow.

She glanced sideways and issued a curt order to her generals. Immediately, the archers in the rear ranks stepped forward and let their arrows fly.

            

Seeing the arrows thud into the dirt just ahead, Feng Sugao frantically grabbed Jin Mingyi and retreated. Jin Mingyi looked toward Qu Sheng in disbelief.

Had Cousin truly come to view her as an enemy?

Watching the two scurry back, Qu Sheng raised her hand, and the archers immediately ceased fire.

            

“Cousin, what is the meaning of this?!” Jin Mingjun stood atop the wall, his face turning pale with fright at the scene below.

Qu Sheng’s weary expression strained to conceal the lingering dread in her heart. She raised her eyes and demanded, “I want you to come down!”

Panic surged through Jin Mingjun at the direct demand. He was afraid of dying—if he wasn’t, he would have gone down himself from the start.

            

He was roughly aware of how Qu Sheng had taken revenge on the Tiansheng imperial family. Her ruthless methods left him no choice but to be on high alert.

“If you want me to halt the siege, come down personally. I will only give you this one chance.”

Even as she said this, she had no intention of pushing these men into making another move against her family.

            

“Your Majesty, you absolutely must not go!” the ministers beside him began pleading once more.

By now, Feng Sugao had retreated back into the city and climbed the stairs to the wall. Jin Mingjun met his eyes, his heart fluctuating with hesitation.

“My family is in your hands. Are you truly afraid I’ll kill you?” Qu Sheng added. Right now, her only priority was exchanging terms for her family and wife. Everything else could wait.

            

Inside the city, search parties were still hunting for Lin Xizhao and the others. She had no idea how long they could stay hidden.

“Your Majesty, we don’t have the Qu family in our hands! You absolutely cannot go out there!”

Jin Mingjun wavered. Feng Sugao merely stood silently to the side. After a moment, Jin Mingjun looked at him and asked, “National Father-in-law, do you believe We should go?”

            

Being explicitly asked, Feng Sugao actually wanted Jin Mingjun to go. He felt they should comply with whatever Qu Sheng demanded. “Your Majesty, though we do not have them in hand, Qu Sheng does not know that. Furthermore, those people are definitely still inside the city. As long as we continue the search, we will eventually find them. If you refuse to go out now, it will blatantly expose your guilty conscience. Once Qu Sheng confirms we do not have her family, she will certainly resume the siege.”

Ultimately, Feng Sugao was a feudal lord. While he hadn’t been incredibly prominent at the time, anyone capable of governing a territory was no ordinary man. With just a few words, he cut through Jin Mingjun’s inner turmoil and helped him make up his mind.

“Who is willing to accompany Us?” Jin Mingjun looked around, but the ministers all lowered their heads.

            

“Let this subject accompany you after all.” Feng Sugao glanced back at the crowd, shooting a look of utter disdain at their cowardly behavior.

Jin Mingjun finally saw the true hearts of his court; only his father-in-law was entirely devoted to the Jin family. “No. Once We leave the city, someone must remain to make decisions. The National Father-in-law is the only candidate. You must stay and govern the city.”

Jin Mingjun cast another sweeping glare at the crowd. At that moment, the defending commander, Jiang Pingchao, stepped forward and bowed. “Your Majesty, allow this humble subject to accompany you.”

            

He had devised many brilliant strategies for defending the city, but none could withstand the bombardment of Qu Sheng’s catapults. Though Jin Mingjun had intended to bring a civil official, Jiang Pingchao’s intellect was no lesser. Perhaps he could be of some assistance when bargaining with Qu Sheng.

Feng Sugao turned to look at the approaching Jiang Pingchao. Lowering his eyes for a second, he cupped his hands to Jin Mingjun. “Your Majesty, this subject believes General Jiang is a suitable choice.”

Hearing this, Jin Mingjun gave Jiang Pingchao a longer look. After a few seconds of thought, realizing he had no other options, he nodded. “Then beloved subject Jiang shall accompany Us.”

            

Having spoken, Jin Mingjun glared at the other ministers. Seeing the raw fury in the emperor’s eyes, they kept their heads bowed, not daring to meet his gaze.

With the decision made, the party descended the stone steps of the city wall. The officials exchanged awkward glances before turning to look at the National Father-in-law.

Feng Sugao eyed them. With Jin Mingjun gone, he made absolutely no effort to hide his contempt.

            

Qu Sheng waited on horseback for a long while. It had been a gamble, but she had ultimately persuaded Jin Mingjun to move.

In the distance, Jin Mingjun emerged from the city gates. He brought a much larger escort than the previous envoys, fully guarding the Emperor’s ceremonial carriage.

Even though it was the emperor venturing out, the gates were only opened just wide enough to accommodate the carriage, guarding against any sudden assault by Qu Sheng.

            

Seeing the carriage emerge, Qu Sheng waved her hand, ordering her grand army to fall back.

Now that Jin Mingjun was out here, she didn’t dare make a move against him. Her family was her fatal weakness. She had to ensure they all made it out alive and unharmed.

Watching the massive army retreat, Jin Mingjun let out a slight breath, some of his tension easing.

            

“Your Majesty, do not worry,” Jiang Pingchao analyzed. “From what this humble subject knows, Qu Sheng cares deeply for her family, and she holds that sworn older sister of hers in exceptionally high regard. So long as they remain in the city, she absolutely will not dare to touch Your Majesty.”

He had seen it for himself earlier. Qu Sheng was the supreme commander; her personal safety affected the lives of a million soldiers. Yet she had recklessly charged forward for Lin Xizhao, proving just how much she cared.

Jin Mingjun nodded. How could he not know of Lin Xizhao’s worth? But in his eyes, while Lin Xizhao was important, she was not more important than his life and the empire.

            

Jin Mingjun’s carriage soon arrived before Qu Sheng.

Sitting upon her horse, Qu Sheng shot a cold look at the carriage, tightened her reins, and turned her mount around. At that moment, Qu Sheng’s adjutant rode forward. Whether under Qu Sheng’s orders or acting on his own initiative, he addressed Jin Mingjun as ‘Cousin.’

“Cousin, please follow us.”

            

Qu Sheng was already riding away. Hearing the address, Jin Mingjun hesitated for a moment and looked at Jiang Pingchao.

Before Jiang Pingchao could speak, the adjutant added, “Cousin, there is no need to worry. Our General cares deeply for her family; I imagine you are fully aware of this. She merely wishes to trade for her wife and relatives. I swear to you that, before that happens, she will do nothing to harm you.”

Jin Mingjun turned his head to look at the adjutant, then glanced back at Jiang Pingchao once the man finished. What the man said aligned perfectly with Jiang Pingchao’s own assessment. For Qu Sheng to have someone explain this so plainly meant there was genuine sincerity in the offer. Right now, they could only take the gamble.

            

Jiang Pingchao nodded. Jin Mingjun pursed his lips and ordered his carriage to follow.

---

Inside the city, the guards hunting for Lin Xizhao and her family, having failed to find them in house-to-house searches, shifted their focus to the most likely hiding place: the Back Mountains near the capital.

The area was massive, and searching it would consume a great deal of time, but successfully capturing the fugitives there would be an enormous merit.

            

The new Commander of the Imperial Guards led his men, along with newly added troops, to completely encircle the Back Mountains before ordering a sweep of the hills.

Lin Xizhao and the others were constantly relocating. They knew hiding here was not a permanent solution, but if they could just hold out until Qu Sheng breached the city walls, they wouldn’t be used as leverage to threaten her.

Yet they had no idea that someone had posed as them on the city walls, and that their mere presence trapped within the city was giving the enemy exactly the opportunity they needed.

            

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