The Slender Waist-Chapter 113 - 88 Aunt Aunt

At night, whenever a fast horse galloped past on the street, Feng Yun would startle awake and listen intently for a moment.

She had instructed her servants to inform her as soon as there was any news, no matter the time.

But by dawn, there was still no word.

She got up to have breakfast at the main hall of Yutangchun, making a full round before sitting down and asking Xiaoman.

"Have you seen Guard Ao Qi?"

Xiaoman shook her head, "Could he have taken his siblings back to Central Capital?"

Before her voice had faded, suddenly the delicate and immature voices of children rang out from the entrance, followed swiftly by the appearance of two small figures who ran in, bouncing energetically.

"Auntie, auntie, save us!"

All the servants in the room looked surprised at the two kids, then at Feng Yun.

Feng Yun: "I am not your auntie."

"You are our auntie... shh... please save us..."

Azuo, quick-witted, quieted his voice and gave Feng Yun a pleading look.

"Auntie, auntie, you are our elder, only an auntie can decide for us, right...?"

Feng Yun’s eyelid twitched as she turned to Ao Qi, who had a gloomy face as he followed them inside, "What’s going on?"

The two children quickly hid behind Feng Yun, indignantly telling Ao Qi, "Auntie will decide to keep us, so brother, you can’t send us away."

That was Azuo speaking.

Ayou cleverly nodded in agreement.

"Right. Cousin County Lord also said that there are many bandits on the road, so unless brother personally escorts us back to Central Capital, we can’t feel safe with anyone else."

Ao Qi himself sneaked out, to send the two back to Central Capital would be like a sheep entering the tiger’s mouth, wouldn’t it?

The two kids knew precisely how to leverage their older brother’s weak spot.

But Ao Qi, having been worn down by them for a whole night, was clearly on the verge of a breakdown.

"You can stay," he said.

After saying this, he looked at Feng Yun.

"Stay close to the young lady here until father sends someone to pick you up."

He had thought it through; he couldn’t let his siblings follow Cui Zhi—that would be too improper. Feng Yun had men from the Imperial Guard Camp by her side, which was the safest. Most importantly, the Feng Family ate well; they wouldn’t mistreat his siblings.

Azuo and Ayou, as if granted amnesty, responded in unison.

"We’ll be good and listen to Auntie!"

This repeated calling of ’auntie’ was grating on Ao Qi’s nerves.

"I told you, stop calling me auntie!"

Azuo, being a boy, was tough-skinned; he stuck out his tongue, almost wishing to infuriate him further.

Ao Qi, thoroughly vexed, turned his head, refusing to pay them any more attention.

"Young lady..." His tone softened when he addressed Feng Yun.

It was that kind of voice, raspy with fatigue from a night without sleep, yet unusually magnetic and pleasant to hear.

"One piece of good news and one piece of bad news, which do you want to hear first?"

Feng Yun was somewhat baffled.

One child to her left, another to her right, and in front of her, the big child Ao Qi.

All Pei Jue’s nephews!

What sin had she committed?

Feng Yun said, "The good news."

Ao Qi stood still, his eyes slightly narrowed as he observed Feng Yun’s expression, speaking each word with grave seriousness.

"The Great General has won another battle."

Feng Yun felt a stone in her heart settle.

Xinzhou had been captured.

Ao Qi continued: "The Northern Yong army divided into three groups, crossing the Huaishui River at night. Led by Zhu Cheng, the Red Armor Army feigned an assault from the main camp at Huaishui Bay, tying down the main forces of the Qi Army. Meanwhile, Vice General Helian Qian accompanied by the Orange Crane Army, Vitex Nigra Army under the command of Deng Guang, Ma Xu, and the Purple Lightning Army led by Shi Yin, crossed the river at Shengshuitan via a pontoon bridge, reaching the northwest of Xinzhou City. The Great General himself transported troops by tower ships from the dockyards of Shiguan County, moving directly to the southeast of Xinzhou City. With all three army groups advancing simultaneously at the sound of the order, they struck a heavy blow head-on... It’s a pity, the Qi troops, which boasted that Xinzhou City was impregnable, crumbled at the first blow. The Great General captured Xinzhou in just a short two hours..."

Pei Jue was capable of launching surprise attacks.

With his fearsome reputation preceding him, the defenders of Xinzhou City were likely terrified before his arrival.

Feng Yun had long anticipated the outcome of this battle, and now that the dust had settled, the expected joy seemed less pronounced.

She couldn’t imagine how Xiao Cheng would rage like thunder, for she had never seen Xiao San lose his composure...

And she felt some sympathy for her eldest brother.

Witnessing the fall of the Xinzhou City he had painstakingly defended, his trained soldiers routed by Pei Jue, how agonizing must it have been for him?

Feng Yun asked, "There are rumors outside that General Wen was leading the vanguard, is that true?"

Wen Xingsu would not join Pei Jue in attacking Nanqi.

This, better than anyone, Feng Yun understood.

A quiver ran through Ao Qi’s eyelids, and he seemed hesitant.

"That..."

Faced with Feng Yun’s intense gaze, his voice grew softer.

"General Wen is injured and hasn’t recovered yet, so how could he fight? The Great General had Zhu Cheng carry General Wen to the bottom of Xinzhou City..."

Feng Yun laughed lightly, "Pei Jue is truly ruthless."

Ao Qi watched her expression, uncertain whether she was commending or condemning.

In Xinzhou City, there were many of General Wen’s former troops, his past comrades. His presence at the front would have been enough to shake the morale of the army.

War is that merciless.

It’s either you die, or I perish.

A kind-hearted person commanding soldiers is a disaster for them.

Ao Qi did not think his uncle was cruel.

So he went on to talk about many tactics to take Xinzhou.

Especially when he spoke of how Pei Jue charged forward on his horse and with a single arrow broke the flagpole on the city tower of Xinzhou City, frightening the defending commander into screaming in terror, and Qi Army’s morale was utterly dispersed, his eyes blazed with excitement. He wished he were the one charging into battle...

Feng Yun saw an adoration for her uncle in her great-nephew...

But who knew what Xiao Cheng, who lost a city in just two hours, would think?

She asked Ao Qi, "So, the bad news? Does the Qi Dynasty court have any countermeasures?"

Ao Qi’s previously beaming face suddenly darkened, casting a strange look towards Feng Yun.

"Xiao Cheng has been coronated as emperor in Tai City. The news only reached Andu this morning."

Feng Yun lightly stroked her left index finger.

"That’s indeed not good news, but it’s just a change of emperor for Nanqi, not necessarily bad news, right?"

Ao Qi’s eyebrows lifted slightly, and he snorted heavily with youthful indignation.

"My lady is not unaware, unlike Xiao Jue, that licentious and decadent emperor, Xiao Cheng has the people’s heart and the means. Upon receiving Xiao Jue’s letter of abdication, he imprisoned over thirty thousand members of the Qi Dynasty royal family, court officials, and their families for interrogation. Scouts say that the streets of Tai City ran red with blood, cries of agony lasting till dawn without cessation. Anyone who spoke of Xiao Cheng’s ascent to the throne as illegitimate, or did not accept his coronation, was not spared..."

Feng Yun’s eyes slightly lowered.

The famous scholar of the first rank, Xiao San.

He too is ruthless.

Pei Jue’s ruthlessness is skin deep, but Xiao San’s runs deep to the bone.

"Who knows how many will die in Tai City this time..."

Ao Qi, unable to see the dark emotions within her beautiful eyes, still exclaimed with compassion for the palace upheaval and tragedy in Tai City.

On his face, one could see pity for the common people and the pure goodness of human nature.

Feng Yun said, "With the change of dynasties, so it goes. The glory atop the Golden Throne Hall is built on piles of white bones..."

Ao Qi looked at her calm expression and felt a little annoyed.

In front of his uncle and the lady, he really lacked the composure expected of a real man. Dead people were just that; he had seen them before. Why should he overreact?

How could he win the lady’s favor with such an attitude?

Whether out of shame or disappointment, Ao Qi’s ears slowly turned red, and he appeared somewhat wronged.

"If obtaining supreme power requires the killing of many innocents, I’d rather not have it. My lady, you would laugh at me, wouldn’t you?"

In the young man’s earnest eyes, there was a clarity.

Feng Yun, moved by his gaze, suddenly felt touched, "Are you a fool? Why would I mock kindness and praise brutality? Ao Qi, your innocent heart at this moment is the most supreme of all, incomparable to any power."

Ao Qi’s chest tightened slightly.

The sweetness that surged with her every smile and frown filled him up, weighing his heart down heavily, giving him a bitter and swollen sensation. He wished he could embrace her tightly in his arms...

But he could not.

Under Feng Yun’s smiling gaze, all he could do was nervously fidget with his palm.

"Would you like to hear more about Xiao Cheng?"

Feng Yun: "Go on."

In truth, Feng Yun knew what Xiao Cheng would do without Ao Qi having to say it.

After seizing power, he’ll purge the court, kill the decadent emperor’s followers and install his own.

Those that must be killed will be executed, those deserving reward will be rewarded, securing military power firmly in his hands, then he will turn to counterattack Jin Country...

Ao Qi said: "Warlords from places like Dongquan and Fujiang, hearing of Xiao Cheng’s ascension, all rallied to his banner. Commanders from regions like Chunning, Rui’an, and Quhang all waved his flag and swore undying loyalty. Xiao Cheng has reorganized an army of 200,000 around Jingji, declaring that he will personally lead the charge and set his sights on Xinzhou... My lady, once Xiao Cheng initiates an attack, Xinzhou will face a siege from all sides..."

Feng Yun asked, "Is this your bad news?"

Ao Qi: "Isn’t it bad enough?"

Feng Yun: "It’s just inevitable."

Under Xiao Jue’s rule, Nanqi was like loose sand, and Xiao Jue himself distracted from governance, indulging all day in collecting beauties and licentiousness, with the court falling into extreme corruption...

To the weakened and decayed Qi Dynasty court, Xiao Cheng brought hope, or else he wouldn’t have so easily snatched away Xiao Jue’s throne.

Frankly speaking, what seems miraculous is but the accumulated outcome of years of Qi’s weak governance.

Xiao Cheng simply took advantage of an opportune wind.

However, in his previous life, the defense he had arranged in Xinzhou City was not affected by the chaos in Tai City since Pei Jue had no knowledge of the internal strife within Qi Palace, so he did not cross the river...

This time, Xiao Cheng took the helm, and looking back, he found Xinzhou was lost.

What would he think?

Feng Yun smiled faintly, "You must have faith in your uncle."

Ao Qi was filled with conflicting feelings as he looked at her gentle words.

Pride for his uncle mixed with a hint of jealousy.

So he said: "Is Xiao Cheng insane? He hasn’t even warmed his seat on the Dragon Throne yet, and he’s ready to lead an expedition personally..."

Feng Yun was also pondering.

In her previous life, Ren Rude had come to her later and spoke of this matter.

He said, "His Majesty abandoned court affairs and led a great army in person, all to bring you back sooner."

"Otherwise, with so many issues awaiting resolution, His Majesty need not have taken the trip personally..."

So, Feng Yun believed him.

And that’s how she was fooled, completely and utterly.

"Perhaps he’s simply not willing to accept it?" Feng Yun speculated to Ao Qi, and smiled again.

"Everyone says that the third son of Xiao, Xiao San, is like a divine being. If he does not lead the troops himself into battle, would it not disappoint his famed reputation?"

Ao Qi, taking her words seriously, nodded with a look of concern on his face.

"Once the Qi Army encircles Xinzhou, it will be like an isolated island. What then is the best strategy?"

Feng Yun paused for a moment, then called out to Xiaoman.

"Bring paper and pen."