Chapter 105

The sun slipped behind the clouds as the wind stirred the reeds on both sides of the gentle slope. Their pale golden plumes drooped low, swaying in waves across the wilderness. The young woman in riding attire rode farther and farther away through the sea of reeds until she became nothing more than a tiny reddish-brown dot.

Xie Zheng remained mounted where he was.

The breeze lifted the loose strands of hair across his forehead, revealing eyes whose whites were bloodshot, as though tangled with crimson spiderwebs.

That distant reddish-brown dot eventually vanished from within those blood-filled pupils.

Yet not a trace of emotion showed on his face.

When he pulled the reins and turned his horse around, he even casually called out, “Hyah.”

The warhorse immediately trotted off in the opposite direction.

Only the hand gripping the reins betrayed him.

The veins stood out sharply beneath the skin. Looking closely, one could see the reins stained a faint crimson color.

His palm had long since been torn open by his own fingernails.

—

Fan Changyu lashed the whip hard and rode at full speed.

Only when there was no longer a single figure visible either ahead or behind did she finally stop.

The weather was neither hot nor cold.

Even the wind seemed silent.

Only the soft fluff atop the reeds drifted gently through the air.

Seated on horseback, she lifted her head and gazed at the vast, boundless sky.

She breathed deeply, gulping down mouthful after mouthful of air.

Yet her chest felt as though it were filled with molten lead.

Heavy.

So heavy she could barely breathe.

Aside from the day her parents died, she had never felt so helpless.

Her grandfather had been cursed by the world for seventeen years.

If his name could not be cleared, he might remain a sinner condemned for all eternity.

The father she had admired most in her life had once served Wei Yan.

Even his marriage into her mother’s family might have been part of a conspiracy.

Crown Prince Chengde.

General Xie.

Thousands upon thousands of soldiers.

All had died miserably in Jinzhou after reinforcements and provisions failed to arrive before the city fell.

The weight of so many lives pressed down on Fan Changyu until her mind felt numb.

Of course she believed her father could never have done something so foolish.

But before concrete evidence was found, her faith alone meant nothing.

Faced with such a crime against history, how could she not be afraid?

Even with her head tilted back, tears continued slipping from the corners of her eyes.

They rolled down her cheeks and fell into the barren wilderness.

She knew she shouldn’t blame Xie Zheng for doubting her.

Yet she couldn’t stop feeling hurt.

Fan Changyu wiped her face clumsily with her hand.

In the end, a choked sob escaped her throat.

The warhorse beneath her seemed to understand her mood.

It stood quietly without taking another step forward.

One woman and one horse remained motionless amid the swaying reeds.

Only her hoarse crying echoed through the empty wilderness.

—

When Fan Changyu returned to the military camp, the only sign she had been crying was the faint redness beneath her eyes.

Nothing else showed on her face.

Xie Wu had been waiting anxiously at the camp entrance.

When he saw her return, he hesitated briefly before stepping forward as he always had to take her horse.

“Squad Leader.”

Fan Changyu swung down from the saddle and walked toward the camp as though nothing had happened.

Only after they were some distance from the gate did she ask,

“He told you to stay?”

Her voice was somewhat hoarse, but otherwise sounded normal.

The moment Xie Wu heard the question, he guessed she must have caught up with Xie Zheng.

“The Marquis told Ah Qi and me that once we followed Squad Leader to Chongzhou, we would never be transferred back.”

Fan Changyu paused.

Xie Wu explained,

“For the Marquis, once something is given away, he never takes it back.”

Looking at her, he said awkwardly,

“If Squad Leader doesn’t want Ah Qi and me anymore, then after leaving, we’d only be able to continue serving in the army and start again as ordinary soldiers.”

Fan Changyu lowered her eyes.

No one knew what she was thinking.

After a long while, she finally said,

“Then the two of you can stay.”

After a pause, she added,

“As long as I have wealth and status, your share won’t be lacking.”

Xie Wu immediately clasped his fists.

“To follow Squad Leader into battle and protect the peace of the people is already our greatest aspiration.”

Fan Changyu patted his shoulder and said nothing more.

The bandages on her hands were no longer wrapped as thickly as before, and she could now move them a little.

Xie Wu’s words completely extinguished any thought of sending him and Xie Qi away.

At present, she had yet to find anyone in the army who could compare to the two of them.

Having served by Xie Zheng’s side for years, they were intimately familiar with military affairs.

Driving them away and training new personal guards would be a long and troublesome process.

With so many pressing matters demanding attention, Fan Changyu had no desire to create additional difficulties merely out of pride.

Besides, with Xie Qi watching over Changning, she felt much more at ease.

—

After returning to her quarters, Fan Changyu discovered that not only was Captain Guo present, but several other Centurions she barely knew were also waiting there.

Each had brought gifts.

Looking at the table piled high with pastries, wine, medicinal supplements, and the smiling faces surrounding her, she finally realized they had all come to visit her.

What surprised her was that some of them were leaning on crutches or had arms hanging in slings.

She couldn’t help staring blankly.

As far as she remembered, she wasn’t particularly close with any of them.

Some even appeared more seriously injured than she was.

They had come all this way specifically to see her?

Seeing her bewildered expression, Captain Guo, still technically her superior and the person in the room most familiar with her, spoke first.

“You were unconscious for two days and two nights after returning from the battlefield. Everyone was worried about you. Today we heard you’d woken up, so we discussed it and came together to visit.”

Fan Changyu immediately replied politely,

“Changyu thanks all of you, gentlemen.”

Everyone hurriedly waved their hands and told her not to be so formal.

Fan Changyu thought to herself that aside from Captain Guo, she had probably met the others no more than three times before today.

How had they suddenly become so familiar?

Outwardly, however, she simply invited them to sit.

“You are all injured. Please don’t stand. Have a seat.”

Everyone smiled warmly and sat down.

Yet once seated, they found themselves with almost nothing to talk about.

There weren’t enough stools in the tent, so Xie Wu had to borrow several benches from neighboring tents.

Fan Changyu found the atmosphere increasingly strange.

No one seemed comfortable.

Yet everyone was trying hard to act as though they were close friends.

Only Captain Guo had set his sights on one of the jars of wine gifted to Fan Changyu.

He spoke bluntly.

“Squad Leader Fan, now that everyone’s here, why don’t you open a jar of wine for us?”

In the army, camaraderie was forged either on the battlefield or over wine.

After sharing a jar of liquor, even strangers could become sworn brothers.

Looking at the white bandage still wrapped around Captain Guo’s head, Fan Changyu hesitated.

“Everyone is injured…”

The soldiers clearly found the atmosphere awkward as well.

They immediately chimed in that it wasn’t a problem.

One of them laughed.

“Back at victory banquets, weren’t we all covered in wounds too? If we really avoided wine and meat because of injuries, we’d never get to enjoy either!”

The remark sent everyone into laughter.

A more tactful officer glanced at Fan Changyu’s injured hands and said,

“Let the brothers fool around if they want. Don’t drag Squad Leader Fan into it. Her injuries are probably quite serious. We shouldn’t pressure her to drink.”

The quicker-witted men immediately caught on.

“That’s right, that’s right. We’re just craving a drink. Don’t take our nonsense seriously, Squad Leader Fan.”

The Centurion who had brought the wine seized the opportunity.

“You bastards! I’ve been saving this jar of Dukang wine for ages. Now you’re eyeing it the moment it reaches Squad Leader Fan’s hands!”

No matter how inexperienced Fan Changyu might be with social maneuvering, she could tell they were flattering her.

After a moment’s thought, she understood why.

After the battle outside Chongzhou, she had become famous.

Everyone in the army knew she was about to be promoted.

For the past two days she had been unconscious, preventing anyone from visiting and building connections.

The moment she woke up, she was summoned by He Jingyuan.

To outsiders, that looked exactly like she had earned He Jingyuan’s favor.

And this promotion would likely be much more than one or two ranks.

For low-ranking officers like these Centurions, if they didn’t build goodwill with her now, it might become difficult to even exchange a few words with her in the future.

Grand Tutor Tao’s question from the carriage on the day she first entered the army suddenly echoed in her ears.

Did she want empty titles with no capable subordinates?

Or did she want to rise from the bottom and cultivate capable people of her own?

When she first became a Squad Leader, all her attention had been focused on selecting talent from the few dozen soldiers under her command.

Only now did she truly understand the meaning behind Grand Tutor Tao’s words.

The people she could truly use in the future were right here.

At that moment, she understood exactly why Captain Guo wanted her to share wine with everyone.

Turning to Xie Wu, she said,

“Bring bowls for the wine. I’ll pour everyone a drink myself.”

Xie Wu froze briefly before understanding her intention.

He hurried outside and returned carrying a stack of bowls, arranging them across the table.

A few people still tried to decline.

Fan Changyu smiled.

“Getting drunk isn’t necessary. Consider it a taste to satisfy the craving.”

Since she had already put it that way, no one could continue refusing.

Her injured hands made gripping difficult, so Xie Wu removed the red cloth seal from the wine jar.

Fan Changyu then personally filled each bowl.

After every Centurion had taken one, she raised her own bowl and addressed them solemnly.

“I entered the army only recently. Thank you all for your care and guidance during this time. I hope that one day in the future, we’ll share another jar of wine together.”

Whether every word was sincere or not hardly mattered.

As soon as she finished speaking, she tilted back her head and drained the bowl in one gulp.

Today, she was the one toasting them.

In the future, others would be toasting her.

The Centurions immediately raised their bowls.

“Squad Leader Fan is too modest! We also hope to drink with you again someday!”

Then they emptied their bowls as well.

When the bowls were lowered, smiles spread across their faces.

The tension that had existed earlier visibly disappeared.

That single bowl of wine represented an unspoken alliance.

Military achievements were not easy to earn.

Especially after reaching the rank of Centurion.

An ordinary soldier could serve for ten years and still find himself stuck at that level unless he encountered a benefactor or possessed extraordinary talent.

Their willingness to curry favor with Fan Changyu stemmed from the fact that they knew she had risen through merit and still lacked trustworthy subordinates.

If she promoted them in the future, they too might encounter their own benefactor.

And now it was clear that Fan Changyu had accepted their goodwill.

After another round of casual conversation, everyone gradually departed.

Captain Guo was the last to leave.

Once the tent was empty, Fan Changyu stood and gave him a respectful salute.

“Thank you for the guidance just now, Captain Guo.”

Captain Guo was a straightforward man and had no interest in beating around the bush.

“Stop calling me ‘sir.’ It makes my teeth hurt. And it wasn’t really guidance. Even if you hadn’t shared a drink with those roughnecks today, they’d still be willing to follow your lead when you needed people.”

He glanced at her.

“But they’re old hands in the military. They might respect you on the surface while secretly refusing to accept you. If you’re not even willing to drink a bowl with them, they’ll think you’re looking down on them. That’s just an unwritten rule of army life.”

Fan Changyu nodded.

“I’ll remember that.”

Then she added sincerely,

“If I don’t understand something in the future, I’ll come directly to you for advice. I hope you won’t find it troublesome.”

It was a subtle form of recruitment.

Captain Guo readily accepted.

“Right now my rank is still higher than yours, so I won’t bother speaking politely. Once you get promoted, if you can use me, then I’ll follow you. Back then I misjudged you and thought you were just another person chasing military achievements. I’ve fought for years and never enjoyed killing enemies on the battlefield as much as I did this time. I figured becoming a Centurion was the highest I’d ever go. Now I want to earn myself a general’s title too!”

After Captain Guo left, Xie Wu grinned.

“Congratulations, Squad Leader!”

Now that she was rising through the ranks, she finally had a group of people she could call her own.

Fan Changyu rubbed her temples tiredly.

“The ability to say one thing to people and another to ghosts… that’s not a skill ordinary people can learn.”

Xie Wu laughed.

“Squad Leader has finally figured out how relationships are built in the army.”

Fan Changyu lifted her eyes and looked at him.

“What I said earlier wasn’t courtesy. You and Ah Qi will both remain as my personal guards.”

Without waiting for a response, she added,

“I have a headache. You may go.”

Xie Wu glanced at her before quietly withdrawing.

—

Left alone, Fan Changyu sat in silence for a long while.

She could vaguely see what awaited her in the future.

Something far more complicated.

Yet if she wanted to uncover the truth behind the events of seventeen years ago, she would have to move even closer to the center of power.

Her gaze drifted to the unfamiliar saber resting on the weapon rack.

Remembering Xie Wu’s words—”The Marquis never takes back what he gives away”—her thoughts grew complicated once more.

If she hadn’t realized the truth and chased after him, he might really have left without a word.

Had Xie Wu said that because he feared she would return everything Xie Zheng had ever given her?

The ache she had finally suppressed during the ride back spread through her heart again.

Not wanting to drown in those emotions any longer—and with her head still throbbing from everything she had learned—she intended to take a short nap.

Then her hand accidentally brushed against the broken silver hidden beneath her pillow.

Immediately, she remembered the soldier who had entrusted all his military pay to her before the campaign.

Her drowsiness vanished.

When she first woke up, Xie Zheng—disguised as Xiao Wu—had told her that thirteen men from her unit had died and seventeen had been seriously wounded.

She had intended to visit them then, but He Jingyuan’s summons and everything that followed had delayed her.

Fan Changyu immediately called for Xie Wu.

Carrying the pastries and medicinal supplements the Centurions had given her, she headed toward the lower barracks.

The ordinary soldiers were not as well-informed as Captain Guo and the others, but they also knew that once rewards were distributed, Fan Changyu might be promoted directly to general.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to build connections.

But she had been unconscious for two days.

Then He Jingyuan had summoned her.

And when she finally returned, the Centurions had beaten them to it.

No matter how eager they were, their turn simply hadn’t come.

So when Fan Changyu arrived, every soldier looked surprised.

“S-Squad Leader…”

The large barracks housed twenty-five men per tent.

Conditions were cramped, but this was war.

No one expected comfort.

Several beds stood empty.

Clearly, they had belonged to the soldiers who died.

There were no tables inside.

The only place to put anything was on the beds, so the gifts Fan Changyu brought were placed atop one of the empty bunks.

She asked,

“Whose bed was this?”

A soldier with one arm in a sling and bandages wrapped around his head instantly reddened around the eyes.

Grinning sadly, he replied,

“Reporting to Squad Leader, it belonged to Ge Mazi. He’s from my hometown. He… he was probably trampled beyond recognition on the battlefield. I searched for two days and still couldn’t find his body.”

By the end, his voice trembled with tears.

Fan Changyu asked,

“Who does he have left at home?”

“His mother and younger sister.”

Fan Changyu nodded.

“When the rewards and compensation arrive, I’ll add a portion of my own reward and send it to his family.”

Then she looked at the others.

“The same goes for everyone here. No matter who dies in the future, their parents, brothers, and sisters become our parents, brothers, and sisters. We’ll support them together.”

Many soldiers immediately burst into tears.

“Good!”

The shout shook the tent.

Perhaps because of the protective mirror she had gifted him before the battle, the soldier who had entrusted all his pay to her had actually survived.

He had suffered only minor injuries.

Fan Changyu returned the silver.

“From now on, don’t worry about your parents having no one to support them.”

The young soldier accepted it and grinned sheepishly.

His eyes were red.

“Yes, Squad Leader.”

Then he tried returning the protective mirror.

Fan Changyu shook her head.

“Keep it. I have no use for it.”

The soldier thanked her repeatedly.

Under the envious gazes of his comrades, he carefully tucked the mirror away as though it were a priceless treasure.

One of the bolder soldiers asked eagerly,

“Squad Leader, when you get promoted, can we still follow you?”

Fan Changyu replied without hesitation,

“Of course.”

Although they had defeated the Chongzhou army, it had only been a narrow victory.

He Jingyuan had been struck by a hidden arrow.

The rebels spread rumors that he had died, throwing the Jizhou army into chaos.

The losses had been severe.

Had they not managed to kill Prince Changxin at the very end and reverse the situation, the outcome might have been completely different.

Even Fan Changyu’s successful stab had been largely due to Prince Changxin’s contempt after discovering she was a woman.

After retreating into the city, the rebels had shut the gates and refused to emerge.

Rumor had it that Prince Changxin’s eldest son was temporarily in command.

He Jingyuan had not ordered an immediate follow-up assault.

Partly because his injuries were truly grave.

And partly because the Jizhou army, though in slightly better condition than the rebels, had also suffered tremendous losses and needed time to recover.

At a time like this, manpower was desperately needed.

Even if Fan Changyu received a promotion, she would likely not be given a brand-new army.

More likely, she would simply inherit the position of a commander above her current unit.

Hearing her firm answer, the soldiers visibly relaxed.

They seemed to feel that as long as they followed her, even the battlefield was no longer quite so terrifying.

Fan Changyu’s emotions were complicated.

She carefully asked after every wounded soldier under her command.

She also memorized the name of every man who had died.

After leaving the barracks, she slowly exhaled.

Looking toward the distant horizon, her gaze became even more resolute.

The more she understood the cruelty of war and the suffering of ordinary soldiers, the less she could tolerate the possibility that the Battle of Jinzhou seventeen years ago had been a conspiracy.

To this day, Crown Prince Chengde and General Xie were still praised throughout the land.

People mourned the deaths of a crown prince and a pillar of the nation.

But those countless soldiers who died on the battlefield had families waiting for them too.

The truth should not be buried beneath the schemes and intrigues of the powerful.

—

Kang City.

Dark clouds pressed down upon the city.

A storm was coming.

Cold winds whipped the banners atop the walls.

Under the rolling thunderclouds, the solitary city seemed increasingly fragile and insignificant.

Fine droplets of rain struck the face, carrying a chilling cold.

Standing atop the battlements, a deputy general stared at the vast black mass below.

The army of the Xie family from Yanzhou stretched into the distance like storm clouds themselves.

His voice trembled.

“H-Heir… news has come from Chongzhou. The Prince is dead. Chongzhou City will likely fall soon. Now that Marquis Wuan has gathered his forces and begun attacking, he’s clearly determined to take Kang City as well…”

“If he attacks, then we defend.”

The man beside him spoke without the slightest fluctuation in tone.

A pale jawline emerged beneath the rain and wind, cold as frost.

For a moment, it was impossible to tell whether he had accepted his fate or simply remained confident.

Compared to before, Sui Yuanqing had grown even thinner.

The dark circles beneath his eyes had deepened, and blood vessels streaked across the whites of his eyes.

The deputy general knew attacking a city during a rainstorm was disadvantageous to the attackers.

But the enemy commander was Marquis Wuan.

That fact alone prevented him from feeling reassured.

Marquis Wuan was famous for his unpredictable tactics.

He never followed conventional military manuals.

There was even a saying that if one compiled all the strategies he had ever used, it would form an entirely new military text.

The deputy general cautiously peered over the battlements.

To his surprise, the Yanzhou army hadn’t brought a single siege ladder.

The black iron-like army spread across the plains beyond bow range.

At the front stood crossbow troops.

The weapons they carried required such tremendous strength that ordinary men couldn’t draw them.

The soldiers had to lie on the ground and use their legs and waists to pull them open.

Assistants then loaded three arrows at once.

When released, the volleys shot toward the city walls like meteor showers.

The defenders barely had time to react before being skewered straight through.

Though these weapons lacked the devastating force of giant siege ballistae, they far surpassed ordinary bows in both range and lethality.

The deputy general’s face turned white.

He nearly dragged Sui Yuanqing away from the wall in panic.

“Heir! This is bad! Marquis Wuan intends to launch a direct assault!”

Below the city walls, behind the crossbow formations and before the cavalry ranks, stood a war chariot.

Gongsun Yin held a feather fan like the strategists of old.

His white robes billowed dramatically in the battlefield winds, making him seem almost immortal.

Looking first at the dark thunderclouds gathering overhead and then at the man beside him, whose entire being radiated cold killing intent, he asked in confusion,

“The rain is about to fall. Even if you want Kang City, waiting another day or two wouldn’t matter. Why are you so determined to attack right now?”

The Ferghana black-hoofed warhorse beneath Xie Zheng stamped restlessly.

Holding a halberd in one hand, Xie Zheng’s palm was wrapped in a thin strip of bandage.

Rainwater streaked across the dark metal blade.

His cold gaze remained fixed on Kang City’s walls dozens of yards away.

The fierce beast-shaped shoulder guards on his armor made the hostility in his features seem even more terrifying.

“Before the storm falls,” he said coldly, “Kang City will already have fallen.”

Gongsun Yin couldn’t help looking at him again.

He knew Xie Zheng had always been arrogant.

But he had never imagined he could be this arrogant.

Recalling Xie Zheng’s behavior since returning from Chongzhou—outwardly unchanged, yet strangely abnormal in every way—he suddenly frowned.

“Why do I feel like you’re fighting this battle just to vent your anger?”