I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Inside the tent, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Lu Qingshuang was still standing there.

After Qin Mu released her wrist, she regained her freedom, but she did not move.

That brief exchange had completely shattered her last shred of hope.

She originally thought that even if she wasn't Qin Mu's match, she could at least fight to the death.

But once she actually took action, she realized she was wrong.

And it's wildly wrong.

Throughout the entire process, Qin Mu didn't even actually make a move.

The hand gripping her wrist didn't seem to be using much force, but no matter how much she struggled, it felt like she was being crushed by a mountain.

She couldn't even sense the immense power within the other person; she felt as if she were facing not a person, but a bottomless sea, calm and silent, yet terrifying to approach.

Lu Qingshuang looked down at her wrist, where a faint red mark had been left.

Her fingers slowly tightened.

"I lost."

She said in a low voice.

Qin Mu sat behind the long table without saying a word.

Huyan Lie also stood quietly to the side.

The tent was unusually quiet.

After a moment, Lu Qingshuang raised her head: "Your Majesty."

Qin Mu looked at her and said, "Mm."

"Since you know my identity, you should know that I will not lie to His Highness for you."

Her voice regained its calmness, without pleading, compromise, or even much fear, only a resolute acceptance of her fate.

Qin Mu looked at her for a moment: "I know."

"Then why are you keeping me here?"

"Because you are still useful. You are one of Xu Longxiang's most trusted men and a general in the North. You know a lot about him, and you are very loyal."

Lu Qingshuang fell silent.

She didn't know whether the words were a compliment or sarcasm.

But she knew very well that it was precisely because of this loyalty that she was in so much pain.

If she hadn't guessed Qin Mu's identity, if she hadn't known that the person in front of her was the Emperor of Qin, if she had just been a spy who knew nothing, perhaps things would have been simpler.

But now she knows.

She witnessed everything Qin Mu did in Northern Mang and knew that Xu Longxiang was still kept in the dark.

She even knew that Qin Mu could plunge the Northern Territory into a real war at any time.

But there was nothing she could do.

"I won't help you."

Lu Qingshuang spoke again.

Qin Mu wasn't angry; he simply looked at her and said, "I didn't say I wanted you to help."

Lu Qingshuang was stunned.

Qin Mu continued, "You only need to stay alive; I will handle the rest."

"Including Xu Longxiang?"

Qin Mu did not answer immediately.

After a moment, he nodded: "Including him."

Lu Qingshuang's gaze darkened slightly.

She suddenly smiled, but there was no joy in that smile.

"So, in His Majesty's eyes, Your Highness is merely a pawn on a chessboard?"

Qin Mu looked at her and said, "Everyone in the world is a pawn."

Lu Qingshuang's expression became complicated: "And what about His Majesty?"

Qin Mu leaned back in his chair: "I will take the game."

Lu Qingshuang remained silent.

For the first time, she felt the gap between the two of them so clearly.

Xu Longxiang is very strong. At least in the Northern Territory, that man has 300,000 iron cavalry, the Xu family, and countless followers. He is even qualified to compete with the most powerful forces in the world.

But now it seems that he is still on the chessboard after all.

But the person in front of you is the one who truly stands outside the chessboard.

Her fingers slowly clenched, then she suddenly remembered something: "His Highness doesn't know yet."

Qin Mu looked at her: "What do you know?"

"I know Zhao San is you."

After saying this, Lu Qingshuang closed her eyes.

She could already imagine Xu Longxiang's reaction when he learned the truth.

The man will be shocked, angry, perhaps incredulous, and even more likely to despair.

Because the card he trusted most never truly belonged to him in the first place.

He thought he had planted a pawn in Northern Mang, but in reality, that pawn was Qin Mu himself all along.

Lu Qingshuang suddenly felt a pang of sadness; she didn't even know who she should feel sorry for.

For himself, for Xu Longxiang, or for the Northern Prince who had already lost from the very beginning but never realized it.

Just then, the curtain was lifted.

A figure walked in from outside.

"His Majesty."

The voice was soft, with a familiar smile.

Qin Mu looked up: "Ruo Yao."

Chen Ruoyao entered the tent, wearing a light-colored long dress with a white fox fur coat over it. Her long hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and she had a faint smile on her face.

She had clearly just come back from outside; a few snowflakes that hadn't completely melted were still clinging to the ends of her hair.

She walked up to Qin Mu: "Looking for me?"

"Okay." Qin Mu pointed at Lu Qingshuang. "She's yours."

Chen Ruoyao followed his gaze and looked over, and Lu Qingshuang also looked up at that moment.

Their eyes met.

The next moment, Lu Qingshuang froze.

Her pupils suddenly contracted, and she even subconsciously took a step back.

She would never mistake that face.

Even after many years, even if the other person has changed their clothes, their identity, and even their demeanor, she still recognizes them.

Because that was someone she had seen countless times, someone whom the entire North had once revered.

Luna.

Lu Qingshuang's lips slowly parted, but no sound came out.

Chen Ruoyao looked at her, her smile pausing slightly before she seemed to remember something: "You know me?"

Lu Qingshuang did not answer, but stared intently at Chen Ruoyao.

But it was as if a thunderbolt had exploded in my mind.

The moon goddess, she really is the moon goddess.

How did she get here? Why is she standing next to Qin Mu? And why is she calling Qin Mu "Your Majesty"?

Lu Qingshuang's gaze shifted little by little to Qin Mu, and then returned to Chen Ruoyao.

She suddenly understood.

Many things that I couldn't understand before suddenly connected at this moment.

Why did the Moon Goddess disappear? Why did Xu Longxiang always refuse to mention her? Why was Zhao San able to reassure His Highness so much? Why did Qin Mu have such terrifying influence in Northern Mang?

It turns out that all of this had already happened a long time ago.

Her face gradually paled: "You..."

"Are you the moon goddess?"

Chen Ruoyao looked at her and did not deny it: "People used to call me that."

Lu Qingshuang's breath hitched suddenly.

She looked at Chen Ruoyao and remained silent for a long time.

Because she suddenly remembered Xu Longxiang.

I remember that man standing in the snow, and I remember him gazing towards the northern wilderness countless times in the dead of night.

She even remembered that Xu Longxiang had said something to her before she set off—"If you see Zhao San, tell him…"

He paused for a long time, but in the end he didn't say anything, only telling her to keep a close eye on Zhao San.

Lu Qingshuang didn't understand then, but now she suddenly does.

What Xu Longxiang was truly worried about was perhaps never Zhao San, but the Moon Goddess.

He sent the person he cherished most to Zhao San's side in exchange for Zhao San's loyalty.

But this so-called Zhao San is actually Qin Mu.

The Moon Goddess was already standing beside Qin Mu.

Lu Qingshuang suddenly felt a tightness in her chest, and an indescribable sorrow slowly welled up from the bottom of her heart.

She didn't even dare to look at Chen Ruoyao anymore, because she was afraid of seeing something in the other person's eyes—afraid of seeing happiness, and even more afraid of seeing peace.

That means the Moon Goddess has completely accepted everything, while the man still waiting anxiously for news in the North knows nothing.

He still believed in Zhao San, still believed that his choice was not wrong, and even waited for this pawn to open up the situation in Northern Mang for him.

Lu Qingshuang suddenly felt that Xu Longxiang was really pitiful.

It wasn't because he lost, but because he didn't even know when he started losing.

She lowered her head, her fingers gripping her sleeve tightly: "Your Highness..."

She uttered the two words softly, her voice trembling noticeably for the first time.

Upon hearing this address, Chen Ruoyao's gaze shifted slightly.

She looked at Lu Qingshuang for a moment, then asked softly, "Are you one of Xu Longxiang's men?"

Lu Qingshuang did not answer, but her silence was the answer.

Chen Ruoyao didn't ask any further questions, but glanced at Qin Mu and asked, "Does he know?"

Qin Mu shook his head: "I don't know."

Chen Ruoyao was taken aback: "Even she doesn't know?"

"Um."

Chen Ruoyao took a soft breath, then looked at Lu Qingshuang: "Then you must be feeling very uncomfortable right now."

Lu Qingshuang suddenly looked up: "What do you mean?"

Chen Ruoyao did not answer, but just looked at her quietly.

After a moment, she said softly, "I just think that if he knew about these things, he would be very sad."

Lu Qingshuang's eyes reddened slightly, but she did not refute it because she knew that what Chen Ruoyao said was true.

She couldn't even imagine what Xu Longxiang would be like the day he found out the truth.

He might sit alone in Zhenyue Hall, drink a lot of wine, or frantically search for Zhao San's whereabouts.

Then he finally discovered that the person he trusted most was Qin Mu from beginning to end.

And the Moon Goddess, whom he personally sent away, is now standing beside Qin Mu.

Lu Qingshuang closed her eyes, feeling as if an invisible hand was slowly clenching her chest.

"Why..." she asked in a low voice.

It's unclear who this question is directed at—Qin Mu, Chen Ruoyao, or Xu Longxiang, who is now far away in the northern border.

Why did it turn out like this?

No one answered.

The tent fell silent.

Chen Ruoyao looked at her, and for the first time, her eyes lacked their usual smile.

Of course she knew Xu Longxiang, and she also knew what place she once held in that man's heart.

But that's all in the past. Now that she stands here, she has no regrets and will not look back.

She slowly walked up to Lu Qingshuang: "You don't need to look at me like that."

Lu Qingshuang looked up.

Chen Ruoyao said softly, "I was not forced by His Majesty."

Lu Qingshuang was taken aback.

"I chose it myself."

These words, though spoken softly, were like a knife, piercing deeply into Lu Qingshuang's heart.

Because that's the sentence she fears hearing the most.

If the Moon Goddess was forced into it, then she could still tell herself that Xu Longxiang hadn't lost, but had simply been taken away by someone else.

But now the Moon Goddess herself is telling her that it was her own choice.

That means Xu Longxiang lost not just a woman, but someone who was willing to walk a long way with him.

Lu Qingshuang stood there, silent for a long time.

Looking at Chen Ruoyao, she suddenly felt that the woman in front of her was terrifyingly unfamiliar, and she also realized that she had never really understood her.

Looking at the expression on her face, Chen Ruoyao sighed softly: "You are very loyal, so you must be feeling terrible right now because you feel like you have betrayed him."

Lu Qingshuang's eyes finally reddened.

She gritted her teeth: "I did not betray Your Highness."

"I know," Chen Ruoyao said, "That's why His Majesty didn't kill you."

Lu Qingshuang looked up.

Chen Ruoyao glanced at Qin Mu: "His Majesty knows you won't betray Xu Longxiang, so he never intended for you to do anything for him from the beginning."

Lu Qingshuang remained silent.

Qin Mu finally spoke: "Ruoyao."

"Um?"

"Take her away."

Chen Ruoyao nodded: "Okay."

Lu Qingshuang did not move.

She stood there, looking at Qin Mu: "Your Majesty, may I ask you a question?"

"explain."

Lu Qingshuang was silent for a moment: "Why didn't you kill me?"

Qin Mu looked at her: "Because I wanted to see what a person truly loyal to Xu Longxiang would choose after learning the truth. Now I've seen it. You didn't choose to betray, nor did you choose to submit; you're just very sad."

Lu Qingshuang's eyes trembled slightly; she hadn't expected Qin Mu to say such a thing.

Qin Mu stood up and walked to her. The two were very close, but Lu Qing Shuang did not back down.

Qin Mu looked at her and said, "So you don't need to feel guilty. You've already done your best."

Lu Qingshuang's eyes were completely red. She lowered her head, not letting anyone see her expression.

"But I couldn't bring anything back. His Highness is still waiting, but I can't tell him anything."

Qin Mu remained silent.

Lu Qingshuang's voice trailed off: "He'll keep waiting, he'll keep believing in Zhao San, he'll think Zhao San is still helping him. But he doesn't know..."

She bit her lip, unable to utter the rest of her words.

Chen Ruoyao stood beside her, watching her quietly.

After a long while, she reached out and gently patted Lu Qingshuang's shoulder: "Let's go."

Lu Qingshuang did not move.

Chen Ruoyao repeated, "At least for now, you're still alive."

Lu Qingshuang slowly raised her head and looked at her: "And then?"

Chen Ruoyao did not answer, but turned around and lifted the curtain.

The wind and snow outside rushed in, and a chill swept over us.

Lu Qingshuang stood in the tent, looking out at the vast snowfield.

She suddenly thought of the Northern Border, of Zhenyue Hall, and of the man sitting by the window waiting for news.

She knew that from this day forward, she would probably never be able to face Xu Longxiang the same way she used to.

It wasn't because she betrayed him, but precisely because she didn't betray him.

She knows too much, and there are things she can never tell him.

Lu Qingshuang slowly stepped forward, but stopped abruptly when she reached the tent flap.

She turned to look at Qin Mu: "Your Majesty, when do you plan to tell His Highness?"

Qin Mu looked at her, his face expressionless: "When it's time for him to know."

Lu Qingshuang's fingers trembled slightly. She didn't ask any more questions and turned to walk out.

Chen Ruoyao followed behind her, and the two figures quickly disappeared into the wind and snow.

The curtain fell again, and Qin Mu stood there, watching the slightly swaying fabric.

A moment later he walked back to the long table.

The map of Northern Mang on the table was still lying there, with every mark made in vermilion ink.

He reached out and picked up the corner stone, gently flattening a corner of the map before speaking: "Yunluan."

A voice came from outside the tent: "Your subject is here."

Send a message to the North.

"Yes."

Qin Mu's finger landed on the northern border: "Tell Xu Longxiang that Zhao San has received his message and to put his mind at ease."

There was a moment of silence outside the tent, then Yunluan's voice rang out: "As you command."

Qin Mu looked down at the map, a slow smile playing on his lips.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, at Zhenyue Hall.

Xu Longxiang was standing by the window, clutching a secret letter that had just been delivered.

The letter contained only a few words, which he read once and then again.

The brows that had been furrowed all night finally began to relax little by little.

Zhao San replied.

He's still here, everything is normal, and the plan is continuing.

Xu Longxiang closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

At that moment, he felt as if the boulder pressing on his chest had finally been lifted.

"I knew it..." he murmured, "You wouldn't let me down."

He folded the letter again, carefully tucked it into his sleeve, and finally a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

"Moon Goddess... wait a little longer. Once things in Northern Mang are over, I will definitely bring you back."

After he finished speaking, he raised his head again and looked out the window at the swirling snow.

Little did he know that at this very moment, Zhao San, whom he spoke of, was in the Northern Mang King's Palace, thousands of miles away, quietly watching his own chessboard.