Chapter 149: Breaking In

In the early morning during the grand assembly of the Ye Dynasty's capital, the civil and military officials bowed in ritual salute as Feng Yewu directly and bluntly posed his question.

"Following yesterday's events, have you lords deliberated and decided who is willing to march and fight for the country?"

Before Feng Yewu's voice had even faded, a military general stepped out from the crowd and spoke first.

"Your Majesty, this subject believes that the present priority should be to reinforce the remaining fortifications of the northern border. To dispatch troops hastily is indeed unwise."

Hearing this, Feng Yewu looked over and saw a burly, rugged general with a thick beard and eyes wide as copper bells, though for a moment he could not recall who this person was.

"Who are you? Why does Us have no impression of you?"

Upon hearing Feng Yewu's inquiry, the general hurriedly knelt and replied.

"Your Majesty, this subject is Li Siyuan, currently serving as the Censor of Jingzhou. If Your Majesty is willing to heed this subject's counsel, this subject is willing to lead the troops thither."

Looking at Li Siyuan's robust physique clad in the red robes of a imperial censor, Feng Yewu found the sight somewhat awkward and asked, "Censor Li, you recommend yourself as commander, but what degree of certainty do you possess?"

Li Siyuan frowned, his fierce eyes pondering for a moment before he replied in a deep, muffled voice.

"Your Majesty, this subject possesses no certainty whatsoever."

Enraged by this, Feng Yewu rebuked sternly, "Audacious! Are you mocking Us?"

Seeing Feng Yewu's anger, Li Siyuan dropped to one knee and hurriedly explained.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. This subject has no intention of mockery whatsoever. Now that the Tidi have invaded, eleven cities of the northern border have fallen, and national crisis is imminent. This subject knows well that he is no master general, yet is willing to dedicate his body to the country and test the depth of the Tidi. At any time, Your Majesty may find a commander to replace this subject and recover the lost territories."

Only after hearing these words did Feng Yewu slightly relax his brow, finally understanding the man's intent. It seemed this Li Siyuan was truly a patriotic minister; otherwise, he would never have dared to submit such a petition against the prevailing wind at such a critical juncture.

"It appears Us has wronged Censor Li. Yet Censor Li's physique does not resemble that of a civil official's background; why do you wear the garb of a civil servant?"

Feng Yewu's words immediately drew the eyes of the entire court. Originally, Li Siyuan was merely a minor censor who stood quietly in a corner during court assemblies. Now, under Feng Yewu's prompting, everyone naturally noticed Li Siyuan's strange attire and began covering their mouths to snicker covertly.

As if oblivious to the world, Li Siyuan felt no sense of oddity regarding his attire. Standing proudly with his head held high and his copper-bell eyes wide, he replied in a deep voice, "This subject originally hailed from a military background, but lacking any patron to elevate me, I was relegated to a local post as a censor. Today, when Your Majesty asked, this subject was willing to answer the call of duty for the country, ready to die without regret."

Li Siyuan cast a disdainful glance at those mocking his attire, holding them in absolute contempt. Great minds walk different paths; how could these cowards who cherish their lives ever comprehend the aspirations within Li Siyuan's heart?

Watching Li Siyuan's righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor, Feng Yewu nodded slightly with inner praise. Then, he slammed his palm heavily upon the desk before him, glared fiercely at the remaining officials who had been mocking Li Siyuan's attire, and rebuked them.

"How dare any of you mock Li Siyuan! He serves the country without fearing life or death. It is bad enough that you feel no shame, yet you still have the leisure to ridicule another's clothing!"

Feng Yewu's reprimand echoed throughout the imperial hall, instantly causing the faces of the civil and military officials to flush with humiliation. One by one, they lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

...

"Who on earth are you?"

Tiyana looked at the young man before her and asked in a low voice. After all, anyone capable of entering and leaving the Prince Changwu's residence with such ease clearly possessed an extraordinary identity.

"Are you a Grandmaster?"

Sensing the aura emanating from Yang Guang, Tiyana asked with puzzled suspicion.

Having finished inspecting the entire secret chamber, Yang Guang turned his gaze to Tiyana and posed his own question.

"Who are you? Though I cannot fathom your exact cultivation, the fact that you can so easily identify me as a Grandmaster suggests your own martial attainment must be quite formidable."

Seeing that Yang Guang had ignored her question, Tiyana naturally felt disinclined to answer his. Instead, leaning lazily against the cold iron bars of the cell behind her, she provoked him with a remark.

"You have been standing there observing for quite a while; why bother asking me?"

Observing Tiyana's demeanor—which bore none of the crude wildness typical of the Tidi people, but rather resembled the strict breeding of a noble of the Ye Dynasty—Yang Guang frowned slightly and hazarded a guess.

"You must be a noble of the Tidi tribe."

Tiyana had not expected Yang Guang to guess her identity so directly, and a trace of amusement flickered in the depths of her eyes. For over a decade, she had been imprisoned in this sunless secret chamber, seeing no new faces save for Chen Sinian. Yang Guang's arrival actually brought a sense of novelty.

"Indeed, I am of the Tidi royal family, the Snow Princess Tiyana."

"The Snow Princess?"

Hearing this name, a flash of astonishment crossed the depths of Yang Guang's eyes. When he had previously followed Prince Changwu on campaigns against the Tidi, he had indeed heard of this moniker.

The Snow Princess was blessed with extraordinary innate talent; it was said that at the age of nine, she had already broken through to the realm of a Grandmaster, and she was considered the Tidi tribe's most promising candidate to become their next high priestess. Regrettably, she had suddenly vanished over a decade ago, her whereabouts remaining unknown ever since. By now, all the Tidi people believed that this princess had perished in a foreign land.

"What? You have heard of me?"

Seeing the slight look of surprise on Yang Guang's face after hearing her name, Tiyana smiled faintly at the corner of her lips and asked, "How interesting. A little fellow like you can scarcely be more than twenty years old, yet you have heard of my moniker."

Yang Guang looked at the Tidi woman before him, who exuded a faint scent of decay and appeared quite disheveled. It was difficult for him to associate her with the proud goddess of the Tidi tribe, but given her current plight, she clearly had no reason to deceive him.

"You claim to be the Snow Princess, yet I have heard that the Snow Princess perished in an avalanche in the Far North more than a decade ago."

"Perished?"

Hearing Yang Guang's skepticism, Tiyana could not help but let out a self-deprecating laugh before tilting her head back in a sigh.

"Indeed, the Snow Princess died more than a decade ago. She has long since ceased to exist."

As her voice trailed off, the look of despair in the corners of Tiyana's eyes suggested that fateful accident still felt as vivid as yesterday. How could her present, wretched self be worthy of the title of Snow Princess?

"What is your name?"

Tiyana turned her gaze toward the indifferent Yang Guang and asked out of curiosity. After all, Yang Guang was the first person she had seen in over a decade, and she had no idea if she would ever have the chance to see anyone else again. Following her conversation with him, a decision had already formed within her heart. Living as she did now was merely enduring endless humiliation; even if she managed to escape, she would have no face to ever meet her clansman again.

Now that her mind was made up, Tiyana intended to soon reveal the tribe's deepest secret to Chen Sinian, trading her own life for the survival of the child.