The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0582 Stalemate (1)

A gust of wind swept through, causing the leaves on the trees to flutter down.

Yuxi, with her heavily pregnant belly, looked at the falling leaves and spoke nostalgically, ”I miss the maple leaves in the capital.” In late autumn, it was a pleasure to visit the maple forests—seen from afar, the trees appeared as red as the morning glow. When the wind blew, the maple leaves danced like crimson silk ribbons, breathtakingly beautiful.

Zijin asked, ”Madam, are you missing the Old Lady?” Then, as if she had realised something, she hesitated and added, ”Now that I think about it, itʼs strange. The Old Lady used to send something or write a letter every month. But itʼs been three months now, and we havenʼt received anything—not even a letter.”

Yuxi thought about the current state of the northwest and tried to reason, ”The chaos in the northwest might have disrupted the deliveries.” She said it calmly, but the lack of even a single letter gnawed at her mind. It wasnʼt just her motherʼs silence—her Dage hadnʼt sent a letter either.

Yuxi had been so busy these past months that sheʼd almost forgotten it had been over two months since her Dageʼs last letter. Her face darkened as she figured out, ”Either something has happened in the capital, or something has happened to the Han family.” She had corresponded with her Dage every month without fail, and this was the first time two consecutive months had passed without a letter.

Zijin hesitated before saying, ”Perhaps there was a delay along the way. Madam, donʼt frighten yourself.” A change in the capital would be one thing, but if something had happened to the Han family, it would be truly disastrous.

Yuxi immediately got up and went to the front courtyard to find Yun Qing. ”Is there any news from the capital?” she asked. This was the downside of being so far away—news couldnʼt travel fast enough.

Yun Qing shook his head. ”No. Whatʼs wrong?”

Yuxi shared her concerns. ”Iʼm worried something has happened to the Han family.” This situation didnʼt feel right. Yuxiʼs intuition told her something was amiss.

At first, Yun Qing thought that Yuxi had received some concrete news, but after listening to her, he realised that she was simply thinking too much. ”The rebellion has disrupted the routes, so delays in correspondence are normal. Iʼm sure weʼll hear something soon.”

Yuxi sighed. ”I hope so.”

To distract her from her worries, Yun Qing brought up another topic. ”According to the timeline, Ji Xuan should have started his fight against Peng Lianggong by now. What do you think—will Ji Xuan win?”

After listening to Yun Qing talk about military matters for so long, Yuxi had gained some understanding of such topics. She raised an eyebrow and replied, ”The morale of the rebel army, the two forces are evenly matched in numbers, and the rebels hold the advantageous terrain. Ji Xuan wonʼt gain the upper hand in the short term. But in the long run, thatʼs another story.” As governor-general of Shaanxi and Gansu, Ji Xuan had the power to mobilise reinforcements from the local armies. Even if his forces suffered losses, he could replenish them, whereas the rebels couldnʼt—they would lose a man with every death.

Yun Qing pulled out a map of the northwest and pointed to a location. ”As long as we conquer these few places, we can get to the heart of the insurgent forces.”

Yuxi couldnʼt make much sense of the map, so she asked directly, ”And then?”

Yun Qing smiled and replied, ”Once weʼve infiltrated ourselves into their ranks, what do you think will come next?” If the enemy was suddenly taken by surprise, their morale would collapse. Once that happened, the battle wouldnʼt even need to be fought.

With a blank expression, Yuxi asked, ”How do you know this is the breakthrough point?” Isnʼt that a bit... uncanny?

Yun Qing chuckled and explained, ”This breakthrough point was revealed to Yu Cong by Dajun. But it all depends on the insurgents not expanding outwards. If they fortify and encircle this area, then the breakthrough point wonʼt exist.”

Yuxi questioned, ”Such an obvious flaw—do you think Ji Xuan wonʼt notice it?” Why did it feel like Ji Xuan was so incompetent?

Staring at the map, Yun Qing explained, ”If Ji Xuan were truly capable, the Northwest wouldnʼt have fallen into chaos with bandits running rampant. Since his appointment as Governor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu, Ji Xuan has never personally commanded a battle. The suppression of the bandits in the northwest was mainly the responsibility of two people: Bao Xiaofan and Chen Wei. Bao Xiaofan is already dead, leaving only Chen Wei for Ji Xuan to rely on. Chen Wei has the ability to fight but is overly cautious. If he had been sent to deal with the bandits earlier, they wouldnʼt have suffered a complete defeat.”

Hearing this, Yuxi remarked, ”If Bao Xiaofan hadnʼt been blinded by beauty, he wouldnʼt have led his army to ruin. This shows that the outcome of a battle isnʼt determined solely by military strength alone.”

Yun Qing didnʼt argue any further and instead, said, ”Itʼs already the eleventh month we donʼt achieve victory soon, the conflict will drag on into next year. A prolonged war wonʼt benefit either side.” This contradicted Yuxiʼs earlier assertion that a protracted war would favour Ji Xuan.

Yuxi had a different perspective: ”The longer the conflict drags on, the better. Both sides will suffer heavy losses, and weʼll be able to reap the benefits.”

Yun Qing responded, ”If thatʼs the case, then we have no justification for sending troops. If the two sides remain deadlocked, the Imperial Court wonʼt issue an order for me to lead the army to suppress the rebellion.”

Yuxi replied, ”Whether we get the order or not, we must send troops before the second month of next year. If the two sides are still at a stalemate, the second month will be the best time for us to act.”

Seeing Yun Qingʼs silence, Yuxi added, ”If you want a legitimate reason to deploy troops, then help the insurgents by launching a surprise attack on Ji Xuanʼs forces. That way, the insurgents will win.”

Yun Qing was reluctant as he said, ”If thatʼs the case, itʼs better to send troops directly.” Backstabbing was the one tactic he despised the most.

Yuxi felt a little helpless. This wouldnʼt do and neither would that. She asked, ”If the Imperial Court doesnʼt issue an order, will you just not send any troops?” This kind of behaviour, to put it bluntly, would only delay things as long as possible. Yuxi found it genuinely frustrating.

Yun Qing replied, ”If the worst comes to the worst, I will send troops.”

Yuxi sighed, ”Opportunities in battle are fleeting; you know this better than I do.” She didnʼt want to push the matter any further. She had already said everything she needed to.

Yun Qing placed his hand on Yuxiʼs shoulder and assured her, ”I know what Iʼm doing.” In truth, he had already made several contingency plans to deal with unexpected situations, but he hadnʼt shared them with Yuxi. He didnʼt want to implement them unless it was absolutely necessary.

Yuxi, well aware of Yun Qingʼs stubbornness, said, ”As long as youʼve thought it through.” Then she added, ”The school will start classes in the next couple of days. I still need to discuss a few things with Hao Dazhuang.”

Yun Qing didnʼt stop Yuxi from keeping herself busy. Having tasks to occupy her mind not only prevented her from overthinking but also kept her in a good mood.

Before Hao Dazhuang arrived, news came that Qiulai, a maid beside Da Nainai Fu, requested an audience. When she heard that it concerned Chen Shi, Yuxiʼs brow furrowed. She said, ”Let Mama Qu see her to find out whatʼs going on.” Yuxi was thoroughly tired of Chen Shi and didnʼt want to meet anyone related to her. Since Mama Qu was the head stewardess of the inner courtyard, it was quite appropriate to send her to meet the Fu familyʼs maid.

After a while, Mama Qu returned and reported, ”Madam, Chen Shi is experiencing pregnancy complications and wishes for Mama Lan to come and help.”

Yuxi showed no urgency or concern over Chen Shiʼs situation. She replied indifferently, ”If the pregnancy is unstable, they should call for a physician. Mama Lan isnʼt a physician, so what good would it do to send her?” Yuxi found Chen Shiʼs behaviour incredibly annoying.

Mama Qu responded, ”Chen Shi probably thinks Mama Lan is more reliable than a physician.” While Mama Lan was indeed skilled at caring for pregnant women and children, she wasnʼt a physician. For something like pregnancy complications, calling for Mama Lan wouldnʼt be of any help.

Yuxi laughed softly, ”Usually, she looks down on me in every way and acts as if sheʼs desperate to sever all ties with me. But now that she needs something, she can even put aside her pride.” Chen Shiʼs attitude had never escaped Yuxiʼs notice, but she simply didnʼt bother to confront her about it.

Mama Qu remarked, ”This is the problem with marrying a wife who isnʼt of equal family status.” If Fu Tianlei had married a young lady from an officialʼs household, even if their personalities clashed, for the sake of maintaining relations between the families, they would at least keep up appearances. But Chen Shiʼs actions were entirely based on her own likes and dislikes.

Yuxi smiled, ”Thatʼs a bit biased. In truth, oneʼs birth isnʼt the most important thing; what truly counts is oneʼs character and ability.” To Yuxi, Chen Shiʼs character was flawed—she was selfish and self-centred.

Mama Qu nodded in agreement, ”Madam, what should we do now? Should we let Mama Lan go?” Mama Qu already knew the answer—Mama Lan would undoubtedly be sent.

Yuxi replied, ”Let Mama Lan go. If something happens to the child and Fu Tianlei blames me for it, that would be unfair. But make sure to tell Mama Lan that she must return to the residence today. A short visit is fine, but staying too long wonʼt do.”

Mama Lan returned in the evening and reported to Yuxi, ”Madam, Da Nainai Fuʼs pregnancy has been stabilised. However, the physician said that her body is extremely weak, and she must remain bedridden to preserve her pregnancy.”

Since Mama Lan was someone she trusted, Yuxi had no reservations and asked, ”Da Nainai Fu is already more than six months pregnant. Can you tell if sheʼs carrying a boy or a girl?”

Mama Lan replied, ”Da Nainai Fuʼs belly is pointed, so itʼs probably a boy.” She hesitated before adding, ”But Da Nainai Fuʼs body is too weak. The child may not survive, and even if it does, giving birth will be life-threatening for her.” As for whether the child would be weak, Mama Lan chose not to mention it.

Yuxi shook her head, ”You should go check on Zaozao.”

After Mama Lan left in the afternoon, Yuxi gently touched her own belly. Her child was a month older than Chen Shiʼs, yet Mama Lan had never mentioned the gender. The only reason for this, Yuxi thought, was that Mama Lan believed she was carrying a girl and chose to remain silent. Fortunately, Yuxi had prepared herself mentally, so she wasnʼt too disappointed.

Yun Qing walked into the room and saw Yuxi talking to herself. He smiled and asked, ”What are you mumbling to yourself about?”

Yuxi gave him a side glance and replied, ”Who said Iʼm mumbling to myself? Iʼm talking to the child in my belly!”

Yun Qing laughed, ”The child is already over seven months along. Itʼs time to think of a name. What do you think it should be?”

Yuxi said, ”You pick the formal name, and Iʼll pick the nickname.” As for the nickname, Yuxi decided to wait until the baby was born. Although she suspected it was a girl, she couldnʼt be sure until the baby arrived.

Yun Qing didnʼt hesitate and said, ”Letʼs name her Ruiqi.”

Yuxi chuckled. The name Ruiqi conveyed a sense of calm and obedience. Yun Qing was probably hoping for a quiet and well-behaved second daughter after being worn out by Zaozao. Shaking her head, Yuxi said, ”The meaning is lovely, but itʼs awkward to pronounce. It wonʼt work.”

Yun Qing had spent a long time searching through books to find this name, and now that Yuxi had rejected it, he would have to start all over again. Feeling a bit exasperated, he rubbed his forehead.

Yuxi smiled and said, ”Take your time; thereʼs no rush.” Zaozaoʼs formal name had been decided long ago by the elder Yun and couldnʼt be changed. But for the baby in her belly, they had plenty of time to come up with the perfect name.