Snow fell across the northern border like heaven was trying to quietly cover the evidence.
Unfortunately—
There was too much evidence.
Burnt supply camps.
Ghost soldiers under the mountains.
A rebellion growing stronger by the day.
And somewhere to the south—
My dear Third Brother was finally coming to visit.
Honestly?
I should have sent flowers.
Instead, I stood inside the command hall staring at the largest war map we had ever used.
It covered half the table.
Mountains.
Trade roads.
Ancient forts.
Village alliances.
Supply routes.
And right in the centre—
a red line marking Chen Lie's march north.
Very dramatic.
Very annoying.
Yue Lian stood beside me, already in full battle armour.
"The scouts confirmed it. The Third Prince travels with the royal command banner."
I nodded.
Of course he did.
Nothing said "family reunion" like bringing imperial authority and thirty thousand elite soldiers.
Lord Xue folded his arms.
"He also brought the Crimson Guard."
The room grew quieter.
That mattered.
The Crimson Guard was not a normal military force.
They were royal monsters in armour.
Personally trained by palace elders.
Each one is worth ten soldiers and twenty political headaches.
Wonderful.
Old Master Zhao sighed.
"He came to kill, not negotiate."
I smiled faintly.
"Good."
Everyone looked at me.
I pointed at the map.
"If he came to negotiate, I'd have to pretend to be polite."
Hu Mei clapped.
"Master continues to inspire me."
A tragedy.
A real tragedy.
Feng Yuehuang stood by the window, golden eyes calm as fire, pretending to be civilised.
"He is stronger than General Xu."
I nodded.
"Yes."
"Smarter too."
Also yes.
"More dangerous."
Absolutely yes.
I smiled.
"Which is why I'm already enjoying this."
Mo Jianli grinned.
"There's the problem with your personality."
Thank you, I thought.
Recognition matters.
I walked around the table slowly.
This battle was different.
General Xu had been at war.
Chen Lie was politics wearing war as jewellery.
He would not simply attack.
He would divide.
Corrupt.
Manipulate.
He would turn fear into weapons.
Which meant—
I had to be worse.
A healthy life goal.
I pointed toward the western valley.
"He'll camp here."
Chen Yao, still somehow remaining in my territory like an emotionally dangerous consultant, nodded.
"Yes. It gives him control of the pass and distance from the Ghost Legion."
She knew him too well.
I liked that and hated it equally.
I pointed to the valley.
"Then we welcome him there."
Bai Wuchen stepped forward.
"My Lord?"
I smiled slowly.
"We built him a palace."
Silence.
Hu Mei whispered,
"Oh no."
Excellent.
I continued.
"A beautiful battlefield."
I pointed at the cliffs.
"Ghost Legion beneath the snow."
At the ridges.
"Phoenix Guards above."
At the forest line.
"Frost wolves and beast corps are waiting in the dark."
At the centre.
"And me."
Mo Jianli folded his arms.
"You're bait."
I nodded proudly.
"Yes."
He looked impressed.
Correct reaction.
Feng Yuehuang looked directly at me.
"No."
Ah.
There it was.
The dangerous word.
I sighed.
"Unfortunately, yes."
She stepped closer.
Golden eyes, sharp.
"You do not need to prove everything alone."
That—
hit harder than expected.
Annoying.
I smiled faintly.
"I know."
And I did.
That was the problem.
I wasn't choosing this because I had to.
I was choosing it because Chen Lie needed to see me standing there.
Not hiding.
Not surviving.
Standing.
Equal.
Brother to brother.
Throne to throne.
I lowered my voice.
"He spent my whole life deciding what I was allowed to be."
I looked south.
"Now he walks into my territory."
Then back at her.
"I want him to understand exactly who he failed to kill."
Silence.
Cold.
Honest.
Feng Yuehuang held my gaze for several seconds.
Then—
very softly—
"Then do not lose."
Ah.
Emotional violence.
Again.
This woman truly believed affection should feel like battlefield pressure.
I respected consistency.
By sunset, the entire outpost was moving.
The western valley transformed.
Traps beneath the snow.
Formation arrays hidden under stone.
Supply routes closed.
Escape paths controlled.
Even the villagers were helping, carrying wood and stone like they were personally offended by imperial politics.
Honestly—
same.
That night, I stood alone on the wall.
Rare.
Quiet.
No reports.
No fox spirit is trying to emotionally blackmail me.
Peace.
For almost thirty seconds.
Then footsteps.
Of course.
Chen Yao joined me.
White robes.
Silver moonlight.
Dangerous elegance.
She stood beside me and looked south.
"He always hated losing."
I smiled.
"Good. He'll have many opportunities."
She actually laughed.
Small.
Real.
Then her voice became quieter.
"Be careful."
Not politics.
Not a strategy.
Just that.
Interesting.
I glanced at her.
"You sound worried."
She didn't deny it.
"Because I know him."
That mattered.
Maybe more than anything.
She looked at the snow.
"When Chen Lie decides someone must disappear…"
Her voice lowered.
"…he does not stop halfway."
I nodded.
"Yes."
I knew.
I had lived it.
She turned toward me.
"Then why are you still smiling?"
Good question.
I thought about it.
Then answered honestly.
"Because for the first time…"
I looked at the banner above the outpost.
"…I'm not waiting for him to decide my life."
That was it.
The real victory.
Not armies.
Not titles.
Choice.
Freedom.
The right to stand and say no.
Chen Yao watched me for a long moment.
Then said quietly,
"That is exactly why he fears you."
Maybe.
Hopefully.
Honestly, I worked hard for that.
Far away, beyond the southern mountains, a royal army marched north.
The Third Prince.
The empire's favourite son.
The man who thought exile was a grave.
Good.
Let him come.
Let him bring banners, soldiers, and the weight of the throne itself.
Because this was no longer the capital.
This was my battlefield.
And here—
Brothers were judged by what survived after the snow melted.
I smiled into the cold wind.
"Third Brother…"
My voice disappeared into the night.
"Welcome to my battlefield."