Chapter 188
"He only reports what is necessary to ensure you are healthy," Cassian clarified, taking a sip of his own tea.
Lin Wan accepted the warm cup with a soft nod. "Thank you for the tea."
"I saw the baby clothes you were making," Cassian mentioned casually, looking out over the frozen lake.
Lin Wan nearly choked on her tea, her cheeks turning bright red in an instant. "You... you weren’t supposed to see those! They are private."
"They are improving," Cassian noted, a small, rare spark of amusement in his golden eyes.
Lin Wan narrowed her eyes at him. "That means you thought the first ones were absolutely terrible."
"They were indeed quite terrible," Cassian confirmed honestly.
Lin Wan let out a soft, embarrassed groan, covering her face with her hands. "You are not very polite, Your Majesty."
"I am only being honest," Cassian replied, his voice softening slightly as he looked at her. "But I believe our children will not mind the uneven stitching when they are born."
Lin Wan froze, her hands dropping from her face as the words hung heavily in the cold air. She stared at him, her heart beating faster at the phrase "our children."
Neither of them spoke for a long moment. Cassian seemed to realize what he had just said, a rare look of awkwardness appearing on his usually calm face. He looked away, his fingers tightening around his teacup.
Lin Wan slowly lowered her eyes to her cup, her voice dropping to a soft whisper. "The babies are completely innocent in all of this."
"I know," Cassian agreed quietly. "They should not have to carry the heavy burdens of adults."
Lin Wan looked toward the frozen lake, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. "I only want them to grow up safe and happy, far away from all of this war and hatred."
"They will be safe," Cassian promised.
She turned her head to look at him, searching his golden eyes. "Do you promise to protect them, no matter what happens to us in this war?"
"I promise you," Cassian answered, without a single second of hesitation.
His immediate, absolute vow left Lin Wan staring at him in silence. She could see no doubt or hesitation in his expression, only a deep, sincere determination. She quietly looked away, her heart feeling a strange mix of relief and confusion.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Meanwhile, outside the Citadel walls, the military report finally reached the main palace. A kneeling Shadow Guard delivered the message to Cassian’s chief advisers inside the grand hall.
"The Silver Leopard army has stopped their march," the guard announced. "They have set up a temporary camp inside Black Cliff Valley."
One of the generals frowned deeply, looking at the map. "Why would they stop there? That valley is a natural trap. They are exposing themselves to our attack."
"Patriarch Wang personally gave the order to halt," the guard clarified.
A heavy silence filled the room as the generals tried to understand the move. Finally, an elderly adviser stroked his long beard, a realizing look in his eyes. "The enemy leader is testing us. He knows we are watching him."
"Yes," another adviser agreed. "Wang knows we have prepared a trap in that valley, and he is refusing to walk into it. He wants to see what we will do."
The generals exchanged thoughtful, worried looks just as the heavy doors opened and Cassian entered the grand hall. Everyone in the room immediately stood up and bowed.
"Your Majesty," the chief adviser stepped forward, handing him the scroll. "The enemy has made an unexpected halt in the valley."
Cassian accepted the scroll and read the contents quickly. A faint, knowing smile crossed his handsome face as he realized his rival had noticed the trap ahead.
"Should we launch a surprise attack tonight while they are camped in the valley?" one general asked eagerly.
"No," Cassian shook his head, tossing the scroll onto the table. "Attacking them now would reveal the exact positions of our hidden forces. It is exactly what Wang wants us to do."
"Then what is our move, Your Majesty?" the adviser asked.
"We will do nothing," Cassian decided, his voice calm and cold. "We will leave them waiting in the cold. Let them wonder and question every shadow in the mountains."
One by one, the advisers nodded in understanding, realizing that this was now a battle of patience and wills, rather than just a clash of physical armies.
That evening, the Silver Leopard camp was unusually lively despite the freezing cold. Several younger warriors had gathered around a large, roaring campfire to laugh and relax after finishing their long duties.
Wei Xiang walked past the group, carrying a wooden bowl of hot meat stew, when a young soldier called out to him.
"Commander Wei Xiang! Can we ask you a quick question?" the young man asked, grinning.
The surrounding soldiers laughed, nudging each other. Wei Xiang stopped and smiled, looking at the group. "What is it? If it is about the battle plans, I cannot tell you."
"No, it is not about the war," another soldier leaned forward eagerly. "We wanted to know... is it true that Lady Lin cooks better than anyone else in the Lower Realm?"
Wei Xiang let out a warm laugh, shaking his head. "Who told you that story?"
"The elders said so," the soldier grinned. "They claimed that Patriarch Wang used to eat three large bowls of her food every single meal."
Wei Xiang smiled "Actually, that is not entirely true. Sometimes he ate four bowls." Although he hadn’t been with them, it wasn’t hard to guess.
The soldiers burst into loud, hearty laughter, their faces bright in the firelight.
"And is it true that she used to scold the Patriarch?" another young warrior asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yes, she did," Wei Xiang confirmed with a nod, cooking up whatever that came to his mind. "She caught him skipping his meals once because he was too busy working. She made him sit down right there and refused to let him leave until he finished every single bite."
The younger warriors laughed even harder, unable to imagine anyone ordering their fierce, terrifying Patriarch around like a child.
"She was the only one who could make him listen," Wei Xiang added, his voice turning soft and gentle.
’Well, that was true.’
The laughter slowly faded as the soldiers pictured the peaceful, happy life they had left behind in the Lower Realm. It was a life that was truly worth fighting to protect.
They realized they were not fighting for glory, territory, or simple revenge. They were fighting because someone they deeply cared about was waiting for them to bring her home.
Across the quiet camp, Wang stood near his tent, quietly watching the younger soldiers laughing around the campfire. Although he was too far away to hear their words, he knew exactly who they were talking about.
His cold, stern expression softened for just a brief moment. He turned his head, looking toward the dark, jagged outline of the distant Supreme Citadel rising against the night sky.
Only two days remained. If nothing unexpected happened, he would finally see her again. Even if she was angry with him, or even if she hated him for what had happened, he only wanted to know that she was safe and warm.
—————
The palace physician slowly withdrew his warm hand from Lin Wan’s wrist and smiled.
He nodded his head with a look of great satisfaction, confirming that everything was perfectly stable.
Lin Wan let out a long, quiet breath of relief, her shoulders dropping. The old physician adjusted his long robes and added gently that both the young masters and the little princesses were growing very healthy.
A surprised, bright smile appeared on Lin Wan’s face as she realized his meaning. "You already know the genders of all the babies?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.
The physician chuckled softly, his kind eyes wrinkling at the corners. "His Majesty has insisted we check every single detail of your health carefully. It is quite easy for an experienced healer to feel their distinct energies."
Lin Wan lowered her eyes to the floor, her fingers tightening around her sleeve as she quietly acknowledged the news. A mixture of joy and deep worry swirled inside her chest at the thought of her children.
The physician began packing his various herbs and tools back into his heavy wooden box. "You should continue to walk in the garden every day instead of staying inside this dark room all the time. The movement is very good for your body."
Lin Wan nodded her head obediently. "I understand, Doctor. I promise I will not stay in bed all day."
The old physician bowed politely to her before leaving the room, followed closely by the other healers. The spacious bedroom became quiet once again as Sister Yun began folding the clean blankets on the bed.
The older woman looked over at her with a teasing smile. "You heard the doctor, Lady Lin. He wants you outside in the fresh air."
Lin Wan looked at her with a helpless expression. "Are you going to start lecturing me too, Sister Yun?"
The older woman laughed softly, walking over to pat her hand. "I only wish to see those little ones born safely into this world."