Chapter 153: Kidnapping Qingyun

Hearing this, Ming felt a surge of joy. Truly, obtaining what one desires requires no great effort; instead of searching blindly for an empty tent, she only needed to follow this chatty soldier. Without wasting a moment, she exchanged a signal with the trio of party members and cautiously trailed the soldier walking ahead.

The man walking in front was none other than Qing Yun’s personal guard. Completely oblivious to the fact that he had just attracted a group of ill-intentioned infiltrators, he blundered straight into his own felt tent and found the young military strategist sitting in a single layer of robes under the oil lamp at the desk, wielding his brush with fluid grace.

The guard instinctively picked up the thick, quilted outer robe from the couch, draped it over Qing Yun’s shoulders, and grumbled, "Strategist, if you continue to neglect your health like this and come down with a fever or a chill, won't you make things difficult for your subordinates?"

Seeing him, Qing Yun laid down his brush and smiled, "It really is hard on you, having to wait on someone as lazy as I am."

The guard’s mouth twitched into an unnatural grimace. "What kind of talk is that? Are you trying to treat me like a stranger?" Catching a glimpse of Qing Yun’s slightly reddened hands, he immediately poured a cup of tea, handed it over, and fretted, "I knew telling you would do no good."

Qing Yun smiled, pulled his robe tighter around himself, and took the teacup in both hands. A wave of warmth flowed from his palms through his entire body. He took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked, "What is the situation outside?"

The guard replied, "The commanders are rushing toward the front lines. It seems a small squad of enemy troops is shouting provocations outside the camp."

"Just shouting?" Qing Yun opened his eyes and gazed thoughtfully at the felt wall of the tent. "No attack?"

The guard reported truthfully, "Not yet."

"Oh." Qing Yun lowered his teacup. "If it were a raid on the camp, why would the Central Palace make such a grand spectacle of it? If it were a pitched battle, they could easily wait until tomorrow. Why bother running over to shout at the camp gates in the dead of night, and with only a small troop at that? It defies logic."

The guard looked at him nervously. "Could the Central Palace be up to some trick again?"

"A trick?" Qing Yun tapped his fingers rhythmically against the desk, sinking into deep thought. The candlelight on the table seemed stirred by a sudden breeze, tilting to one side and flickering erratically.

Not just Qing Yun, but even the guard heard the disturbance this time. The felt flap was lifted, and a flurry of light footsteps sounded, entering the tent from outside.

The guard whipped around and saw four low-ranking soldiers walking straight into the strategist’s tent without so much as an announcement. His face immediately darkened as he barked, "Audacious! Do you know whose tent this is?!"

"Strategist, there is news from the commanders..." The leading soldier approached him with lowered head. The guard stared intently, waiting for him to continue.

Suddenly, the soldier’s wrist flicked, and a steel blade was already pressed against the guard’s neck. Lifting his head, the soldier smiled mischievously at him, "We knew whose tent it was before we came in!"

Startled by the unfamiliar face and the ambiguous voice—neither entirely male nor female—the guard froze in sheer bewilderment. The one holding him was none other than Chun Hua. Chun Hua flashed a glance behind her, and the two party members understood immediately, stepping forward to tear a bedsheet from the couch to bind the guard’s hands and feet. They stuffed a rag into his mouth and discarded him onto the floor.

Having accomplished this, the two party members tacitly slipped out of the tent and stood guard outside. Chun Hua looked down with malicious glee at the guard, whose face was purple with rage, his eyes wide as he glared at her with a murderous expression.

During the few minutes it took to subdue the guard swiftly, Qing Yun sat by the desk, watching silently as if he were an outsider to the events. It wasn't until the guard was tossed onto the floor that Qing Yun lifted his eyelids and looked at the fourth person in the tent—the soldier who had remained motionless from the start. Speaking in a calm voice, Qing Yun said, "Since you are here, whatever your demands might be, why not sit down and discuss them with me in detail?"

Upon hearing these words, that soldier let out a hearty chuckle, stepped forward, and said in a clear voice, "Strategist Nangong truly remains unflustered in the face of danger. To be able to keep your cool under such circumstances is truly admirable."

A faint smile graced Qing Yun’s face as he gazed at her unblinkingly. "Did you draw away our attention with a small troop just to target me personally, Your Excellency? I had no idea I possessed such a great attraction that you would ignore Nangong's tens of thousands of troops and risk your own safety?"

"The strategist is still as silver-tongued as ever, not a whit inferior to before." The soldier walked up to the desk, reached up to remove her face-guard helmet, and placed it slowly on the table. As she removed it, several strands of dark hair slipped from beneath the helmet, swaying before Qing Yun’s eyes and stirring a look of astonishment in his gaze.

Kaiming leaned forward toward him, one hand braced on the tabletop. Qing Yun looked up, and once again, he beheld that face: the lightly smiling brows, the slightly upturned corners of the lips. The face was still the same, the smile just as exasperating. The only difference was that now, not a trace of her former identity as a mere private remained; she was suffused entirely with the bearing of a seasoned general.

Qing Yun looked up at her, silent for several seconds.

She looked down at him, a faint smile playing on her lips. Off to the side, Chun Hua watched their exchange of glances with a sense of dejection, while the bound guard thrashed and muffled frustrated cries of "Mm-mm!"

At last, Qing Yun chuckled and murmured, "Kaiming?"

Kaiming hummed in acknowledgment, sat down beside him, and chuckled, "Strategist... outside?"

Qing Yun shifted his gaze to follow her movements. "A little."

Kaiming picked up the teapot from the table, poured herself a cup first, chugged it down in one long gulp, wiped her mouth with her sleeve, and glanced sideways at him. "I didn't come here today to reminisce."

Qing Yun smiled and nodded. "Naturally. I only wonder what General Kaiming might need my help with."

Amused, Kaiming laughed, "You certainly know how to read the situation."

Qing Yun smiled without replying. Kaiming continued, "I need the strategist to come with us."

"Go? Where?" Qing Yun blurted out, his eyes flashing as he fixed his gaze on her face. "Could it be that the General wishes to use me as a hostage to force Nangong to retreat?"

Kaiming smiled slightly. "That is part of the plan."

Qing Yun pressed his lips together in a smile. "That is impossible, General Kaiming. Capturing me will do you no good. The absence of one Qing Yun will have no impact whatsoever on Nangong."

"Ah, then we move to the second step of the plan," Kaiming chuckled heartily. "Abducting the Nangong strategist will, firstly, strike a blow to Nangong's morale, and secondly, prevent you from devising strategies and coming up with more wicked schemes to deal with us."

Qing Yun tilted his head to look at her. "I am flattered by the General's high opinion of me. So I still hold such a weighty role!"

"Stop playing the fool!" Kaiming rose to her feet and commanded in a low voice, "Chun Hua, escort the Nangong strategist out!"

Chun Hua acknowledged the order and strode forward.

Qing Yun stood up as well, set aside the teacup in his hand, and raised a hand to halt Chun Hua's approach. Looking at Kaiming, he said, "There is no need to trouble your Excellency; I shall cooperate of my own accord." With that, he slowly put on his outer robe and tied the sash, his movements so slow and leisurely that he acted as though the two of them were thin air.

Kaiming cast a cold look at him and said in a deep voice, "The strategist is full of cunning. Should circumstances force us to treat the strategist with any lack of courtesy, I trust you will not take offense."

Qing Yun smiled faintly. "Not at all. Did I not say I would cooperate with the General?" He made a polite gesture toward the two of them. "Let's go!" He then took the lead, striding out of the tent door on his own accord.

Xia Cao and Qiu Ju, who were keeping watch at the entrance, were startled when he emerged and instantly drew their weapons. They only relaxed when they saw Kaiming and Chun Hua stepping out right behind him.

Kaiming and Chun Hua exchanged baffled glances, utterly unable to guess what kind of game this Qing Yun was playing. He was so relaxed and composed that it almost seemed as though they were the ones who had been taken hostage.

Seeing that they hadn't followed, Qing Yun paused after taking a few steps, turned back, and smiled at the four of them. "Why aren't you moving? Weren't you going to take me back to the Central Palace?"

"Wait!" Kaiming hurried a few steps to catch up with him, threw out an arm to block his path, and hissed in a low voice, "What kind of game are you playing? You're a hostage right now—can't you look even a little bit nervous or scared? This is far too abnormal!"

Unable to hold back his amusement, Qing Yun teased, "It seems the one who looks nervous and scared right now is actually you, Kaiming. As a commander of the Central Palace, you are still far too immature."

Stung by his words and feeling a twinge of embarrassment, Kaiming rebuked angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting!"

As Qing Yun stepped closer, a wave of guilt washed over her, causing her to retreat backward. "You are truly extraordinary, Kaiming. In the span of just a few months, you rose from a humble soldier to a commander, and from a commander straight to the rank of general. Shattering the Yinghuo star, slaying Zhaoming—you possess the true bearing of a generation's military star..."

"What—what military star?" she blurted out in a panic.

"When the Kaiming star appears, the earth shines as bright as a flame, and warfare should cease," Qing Yun said with a smile. "The Kaiming star favors only the public and the king; it does not favor the art of governing armies. How about it, Kaiming? If you wish to ascend the throne as emperor, it is not entirely impossible. Comply with the will of heaven, and with my assistance, how would you like me to help you become the Emperor of the Central Palace?"

Hearing this speech, Kaiming stood there dumbfounded before suddenly throwing her head back in prolonged laughter.

"Help me become the Emperor of the Palace? What kind of joke are you playing!" She abruptly cut off her laughter, waved her hand at Chun Hua, and ordered, "Tie him up!"

"You cannot tie me up!" Qing Yun moved faster than her words. With a swift reach, he caught her by the waist, spun her around so that she pressed against his side, and murmured softly in her ear, "Look!"

Caught off guard by this sudden maneuver, Kaiming was about to struggle when she heard his words and looked up. In the dark encampment, the flickering light of several torches revealed a squad of soldiers marching directly toward them.

She instantly grew tense and broke out in a cold sweat. Had her actions not been swift enough, she wondered, and had this embrace by Qing Yun alerted the Nangong soldiers?

Tightening his grip around her waist while keeping his eyes on the approaching soldiers, Qing Yun whispered, "Don't move around. Leave everything to me." Matters having reached this point, she had no other choice. Seeing the situation turn grim, Chun Hua and the others gripped the hilts of their blades even tighter, preparing to strike at any moment.

The soldiers marched up to Qing Yun and saluted him. "Strategist, the commanders have already ridden out in pursuit. Are you planning to go inspect the situation now, Strategist?"

Qing Yun nodded with a smile. "That is precisely my intention."