Chapter 126: I Will Never Leave You

Once they brought her back to the yurt, Chunhua and the others hurriedly dried her off, found some loose-fitting clothes, and rushed to dress her.

Kaiming let them have their way, neither speaking nor resisting. Ji’s personal guards brought over a bowl of hot soup. Kaiming held it in her hands, staring blankly at the ground.

Chunhua sighed audibly from the side. "Why put yourself through this? Oh..."

Xiacao and Qiuju looked at Kaiming, then at Chunhua, failing to understand. "Eldest Sister, we don't quite follow."

Chunhua rolled her eyes at them. "It's still too early for you two to catch on."

The felt flap of the tent was lifted, and Ji walked in. His hair had been dried, and he had changed out of his wet clothes. As soon as he entered, his gaze fell naturally upon Kaiming—her long, dark, disheveled hair, the oversized robe that hung loosely on her frame, and the hot soup in her hands, while her lashes remained cast down toward the floor.

The three maids quickly stood up and bowed. "My Lord."

Ji nodded to them and said in a low voice, "I must discuss the upcoming battles in the Western Palace with the Vice General."

Chunhua and the others retreated from the tent with tact.

Ji pulled over a stool and sat down opposite Kaiming. He clasped his hands on his knees and leaned forward to look at her face. "Are you feeling any better?"

Kaiming tugged at the corner of her mouth. Her voice was hoarse as she replied, "I am perfectly fine. Please proceed, Imperial Guard."

Ji was startled by her sudden change in demeanor. His gaze roamed over her calm face. "Are you truly all right?"

Kaiming slowly raised her lashes. Her eyes were clear and bright. "Do I look like there is something wrong?"

Ji watched her. Her long, damp hair was half-dry, falling on either side of her cheeks. The wide-collared, oversized garment made him feel a strange illusion—as if the person before him were the same one returning from bathing that night, the unruly, disobedient little soldier who had once been so submissive under his command.

Yet, her presence now was clearly different.

"You need not concern yourself with the matter of Xuan..."

"I assumed, Imperial Guard, that you came to discuss military matters." Kaiming cut him off sharply, setting the bowl back on the side table and turning her gaze to him. "Thank you for the hot soup, my Lord."

Ji looked at her in astonishment. "Kaiming, you don't need to be so formal with me."

"The Imperial Guard is a man of the Palace Emperor. To be informal with you would be to show disrespect to His Majesty, would it not?" She looked at him coldly. "Please, my Lord, do not indulge in wishful thinking. Even if Xuan truly does not want me, I would still never follow you."

"Kaiming..."

"Speaking of which, the death of General Dayin is quite suspicious. I hope you might offer some insight," Kaiming said, her gaze turning icier, piercing him like a frosted blade. "Why were you not by the General’s side when she fell into such a predicament? Might I ask what official business you were attending to at that time?"

Ji swallowed hard. "The Western Palace intercepted the supply wagons. I was in pursuit of the raiders..."

"Even if you were truly chasing supply wagons," Kaiming said, locking eyes with him, her voice frigid, "leaving Dayin isolated and without support—that was surely the intention of Dai Yuheng and yourself, wasn't it?"

Ji’s expression changed abruptly. "What do you mean by that?"

Kaiming stared at him, trying to discern the truth from his face. "Wasn't Dai Yuheng’s declaration of war against the Western Palace too hasty? The Heavenly Emperor had just passed away, and he had already sent the Palace Emperor’s trusted confidants far away. A general with military power is naturally a sensitive subject during a transition of power. Using the war as an excuse to send the General to the border, isolating her during the conflict, and using the Western Palace’s hands to conveniently remove a major threat—all while preserving his own reputation among the people—was that not killing two birds with one stone? Besides, such despicable deeds are not beneath Dai Yuheng."

As she spoke, Ji’s face shifted through various expressions. His phoenix eyes flickered with light, but he did not offer a single word of rebuttal.

"I heard that after the first battle, when Dayin suffered heavy losses, she requested reinforcements from the Central Palace, but Dai Yuheng did not send a single soldier. That only strengthened my suspicion. If you had not been the supervisory officer during this campaign, planning things behind the scenes, I doubt General Dayin would have died so easily. Does the Imperial Guard accept this assessment?"

Upon hearing this, Ji’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and his lips curled into a charming, alluring smile. "General Kaiming is becoming smarter by the day."

Kaiming scoffed. "I was never stupid. Since drifting with the current only leads to being beaten at every turn, I have no choice but to swim against it. I am merely curious: what exactly did Dai Yuheng promise you to make you so fiercely loyal to him? If I remember correctly, back at the recruit training camp, you once asked me if one could have both the fish and the bear’s paw. I suspect your heart was wavering even then."

Ji sighed and laughed. "You are right. Dai Yuheng did indeed promise me something of immense value—something that left me no choice but to be loyal to him."

Kaiming was puzzled, her brows furrowing. "You have already reached the pinnacle of officialdom, my Lord. What higher position could possibly tempt you?"

Ji smiled faintly. "Titles and high offices are not my ultimate goal. Unless it is the highest position of all, what rank could possibly attract me?"

"The highest position?" Kaiming widened her eyes. "You have such ambition? Are you not afraid that if Dai Yuheng finds out, he will take your life?"

"The Palace Emperor has just ascended the throne; he faces troubles both internal and external. He is not foolish enough to prune his own wings." Ji tilted his head, smiling at her.

Kaiming watched him, biting her lip and remaining silent.

Ji reached out and gently touched her silky hair, his eyes fixed on her without blinking. "The reward he promised me was you."

Kaiming gasped; the vague sense of unease she had felt was finally confirmed. The condition Dai Yuheng had promised Ji in exchange for his help was, in fact, herself. Her mouth twitched, and she unnaturally averted her gaze. "The Imperial Guard truly thinks too highly of Kaiming. I wonder, what do you plan to do with this lowly life of mine?"

Ji smiled with unfathomable depth. "General Kaiming’s life is no longer what it once was. When the time comes, you will naturally know."

She glared at him. She was not a stock to be traded—was her life meant to wait until it appreciated in value?

Ji laughed softly. "Whether or not I am Dai Yuheng’s man, you should know very well how I feel about you."

Kaiming couldn't help but recall what he had said in the pouring rain: "If Xuan doesn't want you, there is still me." Was he sincere? Or was it all a pretense? She felt more confused than ever.

"Judging by the Vice General’s appearance, you seem to be doing better. Please, let us discuss the battle plan for tomorrow." Ji suddenly dropped his smile, shifting into a serious, professional tone.

She opened her mouth, unable to adapt to his shifting personas so quickly.

Ji continued on his own, "I heard that Zhaoming of the Western Palace suffered a severe arrow wound. Tomorrow, we will send men to provoke them before the Western Palace camp, forcing him to fight despite his injuries. Even if Zhaoming does not come out, the other generals will surely be unable to restrain themselves. If we can slay even one or two of their commanders, it will be a massive boost to our morale."

She nodded; the idea was not bad.

Ji added, "The express reports sent to the Central Palace have brought news: the reinforcements sent by the Palace Emperor will arrive tomorrow or the day after, and supplies are already on the way. We can finally fight this battle with our full strength."

Kaiming sneered. "Now that Dayin is dead, Dai Yuheng is finally willing to send troops? Isn't the intent too obvious?"

"This is not the time to dwell on such things," Ji said solemnly. "Win this battle, and the Palace Emperor will finally look at you with new respect."

"I don't need him to look at me with respect. I do this for Dayin, and for Spoon."

"Regardless of who it is for, you are a General now. You must take responsibility for all the soldiers. Even if you have prejudices against Dai Yuheng, do not let them affect your judgment."

She sighed. "Rest assured, I am no longer the person I once was. I will make the right decisions."

Ji looked at her deeply. "That is good. Please rest early, General Kaiming. Tomorrow’s battle will be grueling." He stood up, nodded slightly, and walked out of the yurt.

Once Ji’s silhouette disappeared from the tent, Kaiming stretched out her limbs and lay face up on the bed. She remained motionless, staring quietly at the felt ceiling. Her mind was chaotic yet blank; so much had happened that she could not even begin to process it all.

After staring at the ceiling in silence for a few minutes, she closed her eyes. Without even pulling up the blanket, exhaustion swept over her like a tide, and she sank into a deep sleep. She dreamed throughout the night, but when she woke, she could remember nothing. All she could recall was darkness—boundless, endless darkness.

When she opened her eyes, it was already daylight. The sound of running feet outside the yurt was clearly audible, and the soldiers were lining up in formation, leaving the camp with their weapons in hand. She was startled—how could they have marched without notifying her?

The shock was immense. She immediately sat up, her mouth opening to call out. Her eyes darted to the side, and she saw a figure standing quietly there. She froze as if paralyzed, her lips trembling, but no sound escaped her.

The person in the tent was dressed in clean clothes, his hair combed without a single strand out of place, and his face wore that familiar, gentle smile as he stood by the bedside, watching her.

She trembled, unable to believe her eyes. It took a long time before she could force out a single word: "Xuan..."

Xuan walked toward her, knelt on one knee before her, and bowed his head. "Vice General’s personal guard, Xuan, awaits the Vice General’s orders."

"Xuan!" Her emotions surged like crashing waves, and her face contorted as if she were about to weep. "What are you doing?"

"Vice General," Xuan raised his head, a faint smile on his lips. "I shall rely on your promotion in the future. Xuan swears his life to your service."

Kaiming slid to the floor and opened her arms, hugging him tightly. "As long as you are safe, as long as you are safe!"

Xuan’s arms wrapped around her waist, his grip so strong it felt as if he were trying to press his very heart against her chest. He murmured, "I'm sorry, Kaiming. I'm sorry. I said I would never leave you again, yet I have been so cruel to you..."

She shook her head frantically. "I don't blame you, truly! Xuan, I blame myself for having no talent! For having no ability!"

Xuan held her even tighter, his voice low. "Such a thing will absolutely never happen again! Kaiming, I swear, I will follow you for the rest of my life and never leave you! Unless I am dead!"

Tears slid down Kaiming’s face once more as she buried it into the crook of his neck, sobbing silently. Countless voices echoed in her heart: *Xuan, have you already let go of Dayin? Can you ever really let go of Dayin?*