Cui Yi clarified: "Uncle sent decoys traveling north by land, escorted by General Zhong Xing. This will divert the Emperor's attention. Once we reach Ning County, Uncle will immediately march north, forcing the Emperor to focus on internal threats rather than us."
Chi Ying praised: "Uncle's military prowess will easily defeat Xie Xiao."
Cui Yi added: "I also wrote to General Wen Yu, requesting two thousand Yanzhou troops to await us at the border. Upon landing, Zhong Xing will escort you north while I lead troops south, forming a pincer movement. Within three months, we'll take Xuanzhou."
Chi Ying found no fault, delighted: "Uncle's plan is foolproof."
Cui Yi, annoyed: "It's my plan! Uncle commands eight thousand navy from the river mouth, with ten thousand cavalry and infantry supporting from the south bank. While the south fights skirmishes, the north will be decisive!"
Chi Ying chuckled: "My mistake. Your strategy is brilliant, my lord!"
Cui Yi, satisfied, opened the door: "The carriage is stuffy. I'll ride outside. Enjoy your conversation."
He left humming, and Zhong Lüping giggled, asking: "Do you always talk like this? Father described the prince as stern, but he's quite different."
"He's usually serious," Chi Ying pointed outside, "Only with close ones does he relax."
Zhong Lüping peeked out, seeing Cui Yi riding beside the carriage, ignoring flattery from a guard, responding minimally.
Zhong Lüping covered her mouth and giggled for a while, then sat back in her original position, hugging her knees, and said enviously, "It's really good to be like you and the Prince. If I could have such good fortune as you in the future, I would laugh even in my dreams."
Chi Ying smiled, leaned against the carriage wall, smoothed out her skirt with her hand, and said lightly, "You will definitely be luckier than me in the future. The Prince is still just a prince now, and I can still interject on military matters even though I don't understand them, and he won't blame me. But once he ascends the throne and becomes emperor, there will no longer be room for me to speak about major court affairs. Even if he favors me, he has to consider the tongues of the censors. The days when we can talk like this will become fewer and fewer."
Zhong Lüping stopped laughing, blinked at her, and looked a bit at a loss: "Sister... I didn't mean to say that, please don't take it to heart, I will never say it again!"
Chi Ying smiled and shook her head, "Don't blame yourself, it's my own insecurity, wanting more and better, yet afraid of losing what I have now."
"It won't happen! I see that the Prince is not that kind of person. Even if he becomes emperor in the future, he will surely treat you as before. What couples say behind closed doors, how would outsiders know?" Zhong Lüping was anxious to defend Cui Yi, fearing her words might hurt Chi Ying, "You must believe in the Prince. You two are a couple who have gone through hardships together, he will always remember your kindness and treat you well forever!"
Chi Ying smiled faintly and said, "I know. Are you hungry? It's almost lunchtime. Let's find an inn by the roadside to eat something and continue our journey." She thus changed the subject.
The group of four arrived at Ning County Harbor in Jiangzhou two days later. The Zhong family had previously given a large sum of money to merchants from Dongchang and made it clear that they did not need to take responsibility if things did not go as planned, only needing to claim they were deceived, so Emperor Qisheng would not make things difficult for them. If successful, they would benefit greatly when the new emperor ascended the throne. Thus, the four of them easily joined a merchant convoy.
Dongchang merchants claimed to their fellow travelers that they were children of wealthy families in Jiangzhou, eager to see the beautiful scenery of Dongchang. They left the bay of Jiangzhou with the fleet on the second day after the Jiangzhou army raised its banner in rebellion.
The journey north went smoothly, but it took some effort to seek supplies during stopovers at various ports in Xuanzhou. Zhong Yuanshan led the Jiangzhou navy westward along the river, like a dragon emerging from water, biting into the softest part of Chu's belly. Many regions in Xuanzhou, which had not experienced war for many years, were caught off guard, prices soared, logistics were mismanaged, and it was hard to even find people to fetch water.
At Chi Ying's request, Cui Yi followed the servants of Dongchang to fetch water ashore. He was young and strong, and with his innate strength, he could easily carry hundreds of pounds of water barrels alone, leaving a very good impression on other merchants. Many came to Chi Ying to inquire about which noble family's children they were, expressing interest in doing business with them next year. In fact, they saw that Cui Yi was extraordinary and had great prospects, merely seeking an opportunity to get closer.
"Traditionally, officials' families are not allowed to engage in commerce, but salaries are ultimately insufficient. Emperors of all dynasties have turned a blind eye to this, as long as they do not do anything outrageous, they will not interfere," Chi Ying answered Zhong Lüping's question with a smile after sending away the Dongchang merchants.
Cui Yi happened to return at that moment, pushed the door open, and asked, "What is considered outrageous?"
Chi Ying put down her teacup and went to greet him, wiping the sweat off his face: "I was talking to Sister Zhong about business, mentioning that officials are forbidden to engage in commerce. — The Prince must be tired from fetching water, I've ordered hot water to be prepared for you to take a bath, let me massage you."
Zhong Lüping also tactfully stood up: "Then the Prince should rest well, I'll go check on Jing Wang."
Cui Xiang, this unambitious child, was seasick as soon as he got on the boat, vomiting until his face turned yellow and he couldn't get out of bed. Zhong Lüping, having grown up by the water, naturally did not suffer from seasickness. Moreover, since Cui Xiang was Cui Yi's younger brother and born to Concubine Ye, she regarded him as her cousin and took extra care of him.
Cui Yi, already sweaty and wanting a bath, did not detain her: "Go ahead, take care of Huaiyou, but don't overexert yourself, or else Second Uncle will blame me." Zhong Lüping agreed with a smile.
After Zhong Lüping left, Chi Ying helped Cui Yi undress and bathe, sitting by the bathtub to massage his shoulders and arms, smiling: "It's a pity, such a good opportunity, but Huaiyou can't even get out of bed."
"If he could get out of bed, Green Ping wouldn't visit him every day. There's always give and take," Cui Yi relaxed in the tub, one arm resting on the edge, letting Chi Ying gently massage him.
Chi Ying smiled, "That's true, but since Sister likes generals, General Yang has a better chance. Even if Huaiyou started training now, it might be too late."
Cui Yi raised his wet hand to scratch his neck, saying, "Martial arts training differs from literary studies, focusing most on physique. One must start young. Moreover, Huaiyou has been timid and weak since childhood, and there are no mature brothers below him. Everything depends on Mother Consort and me. Even if he masters martial arts, he cannot become a great man, and Green Ping won't like him. Let it be, don't worry about it."
Chi Ying agreed. Cui Yi bent his head to sniff himself, frowned, "Bring another bucket of hot water."
"Water is hard to come by at sea, please make do," Chi Ying was reluctant to move. Cui Yi angrily shouted, "Sheep's wool comes from sheep, I worked hard to bring water aboard, yet I don't even have bathwater!" Chi Ying couldn't help laughing, threw an old loofah sponge into the bucket, and was about to get someone to boil water.
At that moment, the fleet set sail, the ship rocked violently, Chi Ying staggered and barely managed to steady herself by holding onto a pillar. Cui Yi, leaning against the tub, was nearly overturned, spilling most of the bathwater on the floor—now not only did they need to boil more water, but also call someone to clean the floor.
In the adjacent room, Cui Xiang had been feeling miserable for almost a month. Finally, taking advantage of stopping to fetch water, he felt slightly better, but the sudden rocking caused another bout of nausea, and the porridge he had just eaten came back up.
Zhong Lüping, sitting by the bed, was suddenly vomited on, screamed, and jumped back.
The ship tilted again, and Cui Xiang, originally lying by the bedside, fell off the bed and landed in the vomit.
Zhong Lüping, horrified, held up her dirty skirt, unable to cry, calling out, "Quickly, help the Prince up, fetch some water..." Before she finished speaking, the ship swayed in the opposite direction, she lost her balance, and amid the maids' startled cries, stumbled and rolled into the mess.
The door slammed open, Chi Ying grabbed the door frame to avoid falling in, seeing the chaotic scene, her first reaction was to quickly close the door.
"I didn't see anything," she steadied herself, turned around, and walked away.
However, after boiling water in the kitchen, Chi Ying still sent some to their room.
Four days later, the merchant fleet docked at Chaoshan Port in northern Xuanzhou. Cui Xiang was carried off the boat like a limp shrimp, then spent another day in a carriage, finally entering Yan Prefecture safely, where Cao Qian was waiting with twenty thousand Yan troops.
As darkness fell, Cui Yi got off the carriage, gave a few instructions, and left with his men. Cao Qian approached the carriage and asked Chi Ying, "Lady, the Prince has left, shall we proceed?"
"Let's go," Chi Ying's voice came from inside, "General Cao, thank you for your hard work. Were you injured? How are the soldiers?"
Cao Qian answered one by one, "Thanks to Your Highnesses' blessings, I escaped unscathed. Before leaving, the Prince instructed us to avoid fighting and escape if pursued by imperial forces, so casualties were not severe."
Chi Ying fell silent, Cao Qian worriedly called out, "Lady?" Chi Ying sighed and said, "Some sacrifices are inevitable... forget it, let's go!"
Cao Qian agreed and escorted them northward.
Zhong Lüping softly said, "Sister, you are kind-hearted, are you sad about the fallen soldiers?"
Chi Ying lowered her eyelids, speaking softly, "Sometimes I wonder if my insistence on the Prince's rebellion was a good thing. A peaceful world disrupted by my selfish desires, every sacrifice makes me uneasy."
"Sister, it's good to care for the soldiers, but don't blame yourself or doubt," Zhong Lüping comforted, "Each of us has our duties in life. If we can't prevent others' sacrifices, at least try to make them meaningful, so as not to disappoint heaven's plan. Isn't that right?"
Chi Ying stared at her for a long time, slowly relaxing her frown, nodding gently, "You're right, to honor them, we must succeed."
She lifted the curtain and looked outside. In the pitch-black night sky, the North Star shone brightly, its light like a spark igniting the flames of war that would rage for years to come.