Chapter 112

After leaving the central command tent, a young officer congratulated Fan Changyu.

“The previous battles have already crushed the rebels’ momentum. With Prince Changxin dead, and after Kang City fell, the rebel heir Sui Yuanqing was also captured by the Marquis. There’s no one left in Chongzhou capable of fighting. If Commander Fan can break open the city gates tomorrow and claim this first merit, the rest of us won’t even be able to catch a glimpse of your achievements.”

Though it sounded like praise, there was more than a hint of jealousy beneath it.

Fan Changyu’s foundations in the army were still shallow. She had earned the favor of her superiors through several extraordinary accomplishments, and while many people said nothing openly, quite a few were secretly envious.

Fan Changyu simply replied, “The battle plans were all devised by General Tang and Lord Li after countless days and nights of deliberation. We merely charge into battle with courage. How could I claim first merit? You flatter me too much, General.”

Once she brought up Tang Peiyi and Li Huai’an, the young officer naturally dared not continue. He merely laughed awkwardly and agreed.

Li Huai’an emerged from the command tent shortly afterward. No one knew how much of their conversation he had overheard.

Smiling, he said, “All of the generals have fought bravely. His Majesty and General Tang see your efforts and keep them in mind. The peace of Great Yin still depends upon all of you.”

The phrase “see your efforts and keep them in mind” caused the young officer’s expression to change immediately. Afraid his earlier remarks might have offended Li Huai’an, he hurriedly cupped his fists and voiced his agreement.

Fan Changyu followed suit, though her manner remained calm and neither servile nor arrogant.

Li Huai’an glanced at her and said no more.

“With a major battle imminent, all of you should return and rest. Conserve your strength. Tomorrow, Chongzhou City must fall.”

After saluting once more with the others, Fan Changyu prepared to return to her tent.

Only after walking some distance did she realize Li Huai’an had been following behind her, neither too close nor too far. It looked almost as though he was merely taking a casual stroll and happened to be heading in the same direction.

Personal guards were not allowed inside the command tent during military discussions. The other generals had all come alone, and Fan Changyu had not wanted Xiao Wu waiting outside, so she too was by herself.

She was straightforward by nature. After frowning slightly, she stopped and turned around.

“Does my lord have some instruction for this subordinate?”

Li Huai’an had not expected her to turn so suddenly.

After a brief pause, he shook his head and laughed.

“You keep calling me ‘my lord’ and referring to yourself as ‘this subordinate.’ You become more distant every time we meet.”

Fan Changyu answered, “Proper etiquette should not be neglected.”

His expression sobered slightly.

Then he suddenly asked, “Do you address the Marquis the same way?”

Fan Changyu remained silent.

Realizing he had misspoken, Li Huai’an frowned.

“That was inappropriate of me. Miss Fan, please do not take offense…”

At that moment, Fan Changyu raised her head.

With a calm but resolute expression, she said, “The Marquis holds a noble status. Naturally, I cannot be disrespectful.”

This time, Li Huai’an was silent for much longer.

Fan Changyu said, “If my lord has no further business, this subordinate will take her leave.”

Li Huai’an stopped her.

“You blame me because of Lord He, don’t you?”

Fan Changyu replied, “This subordinate would not dare.”

Li Huai’an gazed at her for a long time.

He stood partially within the shadow of a military tent. Moonlight illuminated half of his robes as the night breeze stirred them gently, while his features remained hidden in darkness. Without the gentle, mask-like smile he usually wore, he seemed strangely more real.

He said, “The secret your parents guarded may very well be the key to bringing Wei Yan down. Wei Yan has hollowed out imperial authority for years. Only by eliminating his faction can clarity be restored to Great Yin’s court.”

“Lord He could conceal the truth out of loyalty and righteousness, but I could not.”

“If Miss Fan blames me, there is nothing I can do about it.”

Fan Changyu pressed her lips together.

“My lord overstates the matter. You acted impartially and according to the law. I have no right to criticize.”

“But you used me to uncover Lord He’s wrongdoing, causing my benefactor to end up in his current situation. Yet you expect me to harbor no resentment at all. That truly puts me in a difficult position.”

Li Huai’an seemed surprised.

“So you knew all along.”

Fan Changyu did not answer.

The night wind billowed his broad scholar’s robe, outlining a figure as elegant as bamboo.

His voice carried the weight of a sigh.

“All of Wei Yan’s death warriors died at your home. I was ordered to investigate the matter in Jizhou. It is true that my encounter with you on that mountain road was staged.”

“But my desire to sincerely befriend you is genuine.”

“No matter what methods Wei Yan uses against you, the Li family will ensure your safety.”

Fan Changyu only said, “I will repay the Li family’s great kindness in the future.”

It sounded like gratitude.

Yet both of them knew the Li family’s protection was also tied to their struggle against Wei Yan.

Even Li Huai’an found the words both shameful and faintly laughable.

Seeing how politely but firmly she drew a line between herself and the Li family, he could not describe the feeling in his heart.

It was not a pleasant one.

As though recalling something, he suddenly said,

“You should also be wary of the eunuch sent from the palace.”

Fan Changyu asked, “Does His Majesty intend to deal with me?”

Li Huai’an replied, “The matter of Lord He sheltering your parents for seventeen years has not yet reached His Majesty.”

“However, an imperial decree has already been issued arranging a marriage between the Marquis and the Eldest Princess.”

“I heard that during the Marquis’s difficult times, you and he lived together as husband and wife through hardship.”

“I fear the Princess may take issue with that…”

He did not continue, but the meaning was obvious.

Fan Changyu suddenly asked,

“If I weren’t a military officer right now, but merely an ordinary common woman… would I already be dead?”

Li Huai’an said nothing.

His silence was answer enough.

Fan Changyu spoke softly, sounding utterly unable to comprehend it.

“Does being born into the imperial family mean the lives of common people are worth less than insects?”

The moment she heard the news, her sorrow over Xie Zheng’s arranged marriage had been accompanied by something else—

A profound uncertainty about the future.

To ordinary people, the Emperor was the sky itself.

In the past, Fan Changyu had believed that after earning military merit, she could seek justice for her grandfather. Like in the operas, she would present her grievances before the Golden Throne Hall, and truth would prevail.

But reality seemed vastly different from the stories.

In the plays, the officials or emperors who judged right and wrong were always impartial.

In reality, emperors had personal desires too.

The ruler seated thousands of miles away upon the dragon throne did not even know her grievances.

Yet merely because she might become an obstacle to a princess’s marriage, he wanted her dead.

Seeing how pale she looked, Li Huai’an wanted to comfort her.

Yet some truths were too dangerous to speak openly.

All he could offer was a promise.

“General Meng has borne infamy for seventeen years.”

“If Wei Yan was truly responsible, the Li family will definitely restore his justice.”

He said nothing about her father, seemingly accepting the belief that her father had once aided Wei Yan in framing her grandfather.

Fan Changyu only thanked him numbly and said she was tired and wished to return to her tent.

Li Huai’an watched her departing figure for a long time.

Then he murmured to himself,

“What a fool I was. Why did I choose this moment to tell her about the imperial marriage?”

Perhaps…

He simply disliked the polite distance she maintained toward him.

Yet after telling her and witnessing the sorrow that flashed through her eyes, he felt no better himself.

In the end, Li Huai’an laughed bitterly.


—

After returning, Fan Changyu had never felt so exhausted in her life.

Her entire body felt heavy.

It was as though all the fatigue accumulated over the past month had descended upon her at once.

When she lay down fully clothed on her military cot, even breathing felt difficult.

A suffocating pressure enveloped her.

It was as though she had sunk into a swamp, something dragging at her limbs and pulling her deeper no matter how hard she struggled.

She turned her head and looked at the deerskin wrist guard tied around her sleeve.

After unfastening it, she wanted to throw it away.

Yet she could not bear to.

Instead, she placed it on the low stool beside the bed.

Suppressing the dull pain in her chest that came with every deep breath, she exhaled heavily and covered her eyes with one arm before trying to sleep.

Tomorrow would bring a hard battle.

She needed rest.

Yet the trembling breaths that escaped in the darkness betrayed her emotions.

Moisture flowed from the corners of her eyes into her hairline, soaking the pillowcloth.

When he left, he had spoken so clearly and so decisively.

Marrying the Princess would grant him greater power to deal with Wei Yan.

For him, it was a good thing.

He would probably not refuse.

She understood all of this perfectly.

Yet she still could not stop the pain in her heart.

Her arm remained over her eyes.

Silently, she told herself that she was allowed to grieve for only this one night.

After tonight, that man’s affairs would have nothing more to do with her.

The Emperor was not a good emperor in her eyes.

But neither should the common people suffer more warfare because of that.

She would fight well tomorrow.

Besides, it was precisely because she had become an official military commander that the Emperor could not openly move against her.

She would keep watch over the eunuch the Emperor had placed in the army.

And she would climb higher.

The advisers she had hired had explained the balance of power at court.

The Emperor desperately wanted Wei Yan removed, yet still had to consult him on every state matter because Wei Yan held enormous power.

Those who could be erased easily simply did not possess enough power.

Fan Changyu still disliked pursuing power.

But if it concerned the lives of herself and those around her, she would fight for it with everything she had.


—

The next morning, Fan Changyu woke with swollen eyes, exactly as expected.

Xie Wu stared at her.

“Commander… your eyes…”

Without blinking, Fan Changyu lied smoothly.

“There were too many mosquitoes last night. One bit me near the eye.”

Xie Wu opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

“There certainly are a lot of mosquitoes.”

Fan Changyu did not put on the deerskin wrist guard Xie Zheng had given her.

Instead, she fastened the iron armguard that matched her armor.

Then she said,

“Choose a few men from those I personally trained. Send them to Changning’s side under Xiao Qi’s command. Have them escort Changning and Aunt Zhao back to Jizhou.”

Xie Wu immediately sensed something.

“Commander, are you worried Miss Changning might be in danger?”

Fan Changyu did not hide the truth.

But she did not explain much either.

“Better to prepare in advance.”

Whether it was Wei Yan or the Emperor, both regarded her as a thorn in their side.

She was not afraid of what they might do to her.

She feared they would target Changning instead.

Once she entered the battlefield, she could not protect everyone.

For now, Jizhou remained under He Jingyuan’s influence.

Sending Changning and Aunt Zhao back there was the safest option.

After receiving the order, Xie Wu immediately went to make arrangements.


—

When Fan Changyu returned to the battlefield as commander of the vanguard, fear was not what she felt.

What weighed on her heart was responsibility.

So many people had entrusted their lives to her.

She wanted to win this battle.

But she also wanted those nameless soldiers she could barely remember to survive and return home.

Tens of thousands of troops completely surrounded Chongzhou City.

Fan Changyu was assigned to attack the eastern gate.

After weeks of training and smaller engagements, the cavalry and infantry under her command worked together flawlessly.

Yet when the vanguard approached the eastern gate and entered the rebels’ archery range, the defenders atop the walls appeared strangely panicked.

A few attempted to fire arrows.

Most could barely draw their bows.

Behind them stood several larger soldiers who whipped them mercilessly.

Some of the men on the wall even dropped to their knees, seemingly begging for mercy.

Riding her warhorse at full speed, Fan Changyu stared at the city wall in confusion.

Once her archers reached firing range, the young officer commanding them shouted,

“Loose!”

Arrows rained down like swarms of locusts.

Cries erupted across the battlements.

The soldiers wearing Chongzhou uniforms ran chaotically along the narrow wall passageways, not even thinking to take cover behind the parapets.

Someone on the wall suddenly cried out at the top of his lungs,

“Stop shooting! We’re all townspeople!”

The next instant, a vicious Chongzhou soldier behind him chopped off his head.

But the soldiers guarding the civilians were clearly only a minority.

More and more people on the wall ignored their threats and began shouting that they were not Chongzhou troops at all.

They were merely ordinary townspeople forced into uniform.

Fan Changyu yanked sharply on the reins.

Her horse reared and whinnied.

She raised a signal ordering the archers to cease fire.

“Target the Chongzhou soldiers standing in the rear!”

Xie Wu, riding beside her and serving as both bodyguard and signal officer, immediately relayed the command through flag signals.

The battlefield roared with noise.

Verbal commands were difficult to hear.

Flags could be seen clearly.

The archers stopped their mass volleys and began targeting the stronger-looking soldiers.

Since most of those crowding the battlements were civilians with no combat experience, Fan Changyu’s elite troops crossed the most dangerous stretch of ground with surprising ease.

After reaching the base of the wall, siege ladders were raised against the battlements.

The real Chongzhou soldiers finally panicked.

They whipped the civilians relentlessly and forced them to throw stones and logs downward.

Sheltering close to the wall, Fan Changyu shouted upward,

“People of Chongzhou! You were forced into this!”

“Once the city falls, the court will not punish you!”

“The rebels are finished!”

“If you help the army kill the enemy, you will be rewarded according to your merits after the city is taken!”

The civilians had been driven onto the walls at knifepoint.

They feared resisting.

Partly because of their ingrained fear of soldiers.

Partly because they did not know whether the army outside would execute them alongside the rebels.

After hearing Fan Changyu’s words, most remained afraid.

But some courageous men finally exploded.

With loud roars, they snatched weapons from the rebels and turned them against their oppressors.

Chaos erupted atop the wall.

The Jizhou troops below found it much easier to climb the siege ladders.

After scaling the wall, Fan Changyu cut down several rebel soldiers with ease.

But seeing how few defenders remained behind the battlements, she immediately realized something was wrong.

Sweeping her gaze around, she spotted an armored officer attempting to flee.

Before she even reached him, her eight-foot black iron blade flew through the air.

The weapon pierced the officer’s calf.

He screamed in agony.

Trying to move the blade only worsened the pain.

By then, Fan Changyu had already caught up.

She stepped on his injured leg, picked up her blade, and demanded,

“Where is Prince Changxin’s eldest son?”

The officer howled.

“My leg! My leg!”

Fan Changyu eased her pressure slightly.

“Answer!”

Seeing the city already lost, the officer abandoned all resistance.

“The Young Master left the city last night.”

Fan Changyu’s expression changed dramatically.

Her blade pressed against his throat.

“You’re lying!”

The officer begged desperately.

“Great Auntie, how could I lie about something like this? Just look around! How many troops are left in the city?”

He was right.

This was the main gate of Chongzhou.

Yet even with civilians dressed as soldiers filling the walls, the numbers looked pitiful.

Something was clearly wrong.

Fan Changyu asked coldly,

“The four gates were heavily guarded. How did the rebels leave the city?”

The officer replied,

“The army withdrew through the western gate last night. As for what happened to the western gate defenders, I truly don’t know!”

Realizing she would learn nothing more from him, Fan Changyu had him bound and immediately dispatched scouts to report to Tang Peiyi.

The rebels had slipped out through the western gate without causing the slightest disturbance.

That was no small matter.

Every city gate had been surrounded by five thousand troops stationed beyond the range of the walls’ arrows and catapults.

For Prince Changxin’s eldest son to escape with an army…

He might as well have flown.

Fan Changyu’s thoughts tangled into a mess.

Leaving Xie Wu to guard the gate and strictly forbidding Jizhou soldiers from harassing civilians, she seized a Chongzhou soldier and ordered him to guide her to Prince Changxin’s residence.

There she discovered only servants remained.

After questioning several of them, she learned Sui Yuanhuai had fled during the previous night.

She searched for Yu Qianqian and Yu Bao’er but found neither.

Further questioning revealed that several months earlier Sui Yuanhuai had brought back a woman and child.

The woman’s surname was indeed Yu.

No one knew her full name.

They only knew she was one of his concubines and that the child had been born after she had previously escaped.

After hearing this, Fan Changyu sat silently for a long time.

Only then did she realize her mistake.

Ever since Changning mentioned seeing Yu Bao’er in Prince Changxin’s residence, she should have suspected Yu Qianqian’s identity was far from ordinary.

Though they had not known each other long, Fan Changyu knew Yu Qianqian was strong-willed.

Since she had once escaped, she could not have willingly become Sui Yuanhuai’s concubine.

The problem now was that both mother and child had been recaptured.

Everyone in the residence knew Sui Yuanhuai had a son.

If Sui Yuanhuai were eventually captured, Yu Bao’er could easily become implicated.

Rebellion was punishable by extermination of nine generations.

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

“Commander, General Tang has entered the city with the army. He urgently requests your presence for discussion.”

It was Xie Wu.

Fan Changyu rose.

“I’m coming.”


—

The moment she entered the meeting hall, Fan Changyu could tell the atmosphere was grim.

Tang Peiyi sat at the head of the room with a dark expression.

The assembled officers all stood with their heads lowered.

Fan Changyu quietly took her place at the back.

But Tang Peiyi had already noticed her arrival.

“Commander Fan, I heard you searched Prince Changxin’s residence after the city fell. Did you discover anything?”

Fan Changyu stepped forward and saluted.

“Reporting to General. Only about a hundred servants remained. They all stated that Prince Changxin’s eldest son left the city last night. I have sealed the residence and detained all servants for questioning.”

The report did nothing to improve Tang Peiyi’s mood.

He waved her back.

The moment she returned to her place, Tang Peiyi suddenly overturned the table before him.

Tea cups and wooden furniture crashed to the floor.

Porcelain shattered in every direction.

Everyone jumped in shock and became even quieter.

The situation was absurd.

The rebels had possessed tens of thousands of troops.

After being surrounded, they had simply abandoned the city and walked away.

No one even knew how to write a battle report explaining such a disaster.

If the Emperor became enraged, even Tang Peiyi’s life might not be spared.

At that moment, Li Huai’an entered.

Seeing the scene, he calmly said,

“General Tang, please do not be angry. We have already determined how the rebels escaped through the western gate.”

Tang Peiyi immediately looked up.

“What happened?”

Li Huai’an answered,

“Commandant Lu Dayi, who was responsible for the western gate, was acquainted with one of Prince Changxin’s advisers. The two had maintained secret contact.”

“The military achievements Lu Dayi earned in previous battles were all based on intelligence that adviser secretly provided.”

“After you decided yesterday to launch today’s assault, the adviser wrote a surrender letter overnight. Together with Chongzhou’s defensive map, he attached it to an arrow and shot it into Lu Dayi’s camp.”

“He promised to open the city gate at midnight, allowing Lu Dayi to seize Chongzhou without losing a single soldier and claim first merit.”

Tang Peiyi’s eyes nearly turned red.

“That idiot actually believed him?”

Li Huai’an nodded heavily.

“In pursuit of that merit, Lu Dayi withdrew the scouts near the western gate to avoid attracting attention.”

“He secretly led the western garrison into the city during the night.”

“The rebels ambushed them in the alleyways and killed them with volleys of arrows.”

“Then they used the opportunity to escape.”

“Lu Dayi’s adviser had tried to stop him. Lu Dayi thought the man was simply cowardly and had him tied up in camp.”

“I discovered him while investigating the western gate.”

Tang Peiyi snatched the surrender letter and cursed furiously.

“Lu Dayi deserved to die!”

“Worthless fool!”

“Who can bear responsibility for a catastrophe of this magnitude?”

Li Huai’an lifted his amber eyes.

“Lu Dayi was recommended by the Chancellor.”

Tang Peiyi slammed the armrest of his chair.

The sturdy chair exploded into splinters.

“Wei Yan’s ambitions know no bounds!”

“Lord He entrusted Jizhou’s military authority to me.”

“Was Lu Dayi so desperate for merit because he wanted to help Wei Yan reclaim control of Jizhou?”

Turning back toward his desk, he gritted his teeth.

“I may be willing to sacrifice myself, but Wei Yan won’t escape responsibility!”

Li Huai’an lowered his eyes.

“The immediate priority is determining the rebels’ next destination.”

“Lu City,” Tang Peiyi answered instantly.

“If they continue north, they’ll run into the Xie Army under Marquis Wu’an.”

“That would be suicide.”

“Kang City, where Prince Changxin’s wife’s family resided, has already fallen to the Marquis.”

“The only path left is south.”

“Taizhou’s troops have not moved, while all of Jizhou’s forces were sent to Chongzhou.”

“If they break through Lu City, they can sweep straight south.”

His teeth trembled.

“Mobilize immediately. Head for Lu City.”

Li Huai’an shook his head.

“The rebels left at midnight. The main army cannot catch them.”

“We should send scouts ahead first and dispatch cavalry reinforcements immediately.”

Tang Peiyi had nearly lost his composure.

“Yes. Yes. We’ll do that.”

Zheng Wenchang stepped forward.

“General, I request permission to lead cavalry back to Lu City.”

Fan Changyu knew He Jingyuan’s injuries likely prevented him from fighting again.

And she worried about Changning and the others encountering the rebels on the road.

She stepped forward as well.

“This subordinate also requests permission to reinforce Jizhou.”

Tang Peiyi glanced at them.

Knowing both were highly skilled and deeply respected He Jingyuan, he immediately agreed.

“The two of you will lead three thousand cavalry to Lu City.”

At that moment, a shrill voice sounded from outside.

“Hold on—”

The eunuch who had arrived at the camp earlier entered slowly, supported by a younger eunuch.

Li Huai’an’s brow twitched the moment he saw him.

Tang Peiyi was already overwhelmed and showed no courtesy.

“What advice does Eunuch have?”

The eunuch’s heavily powdered face creased into a smile.

“His Majesty appointed me as military supervisor while sending me to comfort the Jizhou soldiers.”

“General Tang will listen to my words, won’t he?”

He was clearly using his authority to pressure him.

Tang Peiyi replied stiffly,

“Of course not. It’s simply that military affairs are urgent—”

“I came precisely because they are urgent.”

The eunuch interrupted him.

His gaze passed over Fan Changyu.

She felt as though a snake’s tail had brushed against her.

Cold.

Slimy.

Disgusting.

Remembering Li Huai’an’s warning from the previous night, she immediately suspected trouble.

And sure enough—

The eunuch drawled,

“General Tang surrounded Chongzhou for days. Capturing the rebels should have been as easy as catching turtles in a jar.”

“Yet things ended up like this.”

“These three thousand cavalry may not even catch the rebels.”

“And even if they do, can three thousand men defeat nearly twenty thousand rebels?”

He looked utterly unconcerned.

“I must report the situation to His Majesty immediately so the Ministry of War can prepare defenses south of Jizhou.”

Tang Peiyi’s face darkened.

The eunuch was already acting as though Jizhou had fallen.

“If Eunuch wishes to report to His Majesty, then report.”

“I will lead my officers and spare no effort in reinforcing Lu City.”

The eunuch chuckled.

“Your loyalty is admirable.”

“I shall certainly speak highly of you before His Majesty.”

Then his tone shifted.

“But if I travel alone and encounter rebels, I may never deliver the report.”

At last, he revealed his true purpose.

“Give me two thousand cavalry escorts.”

Tang Peiyi’s eyes nearly burst with fury.

“Two thousand?”

“If I lose two thousand men, what do I have left to reinforce Lu City?”

The eunuch replied lazily,

“General Tang, you’re deceiving yourself.”

“Jizhou is already lost.”

“Even if your three thousand cavalry reach Lu City, what can they accomplish?”

“Give me two thousand. I’ll travel through Taizhou and deliver the news first.”

Tang Peiyi roared,

“If you want to report, no one is stopping you!”

“But my cavalry? Absolutely not!”

The eunuch’s smile vanished.

“General Tang, are you defying an imperial decree?”

Tang Peiyi had reached his limit.

“I am defying it!”

“You worthless castrated dog!”

“You can play your political games in the palace, but not here!”

“I could kill you right now and tell His Majesty you died at rebel hands!”

“What could you do about it?”

The sheer ferocity of his temper genuinely frightened the eunuch.

Li Huai’an intervened.

“General Tang, please calm down.”

Tang Peiyi shoved him aside.

“Commander Fan! Zheng Wenchang!”

“Take your troops and depart for Lu City immediately!”

Fan Changyu knew this matter was beyond her ability to resolve.

If Lu City held, Tang Peiyi would not be punished.

The people of Jizhou would also be spared war.

She and Zheng Wenchang saluted and departed immediately.

Behind them, the eunuch was still shouting.

“Tang Peiyi! How dare you treat an imperial envoy this way—”

Tang Peiyi turned and barked at his attendants,

“Bind him!”

“Throw him among the corpses!”

“Let him see how many men died in this battle!”

Staring fiercely at the eunuch, he growled,

“I’ll send the report myself.”

“As for you, stay here with my fallen soldiers.”

Then he shouted,

“Army, move out!”


—

As they marched, Li Huai’an followed behind Tang Peiyi.

“General Tang, why go this far?”

Tang Peiyi, an imposing man over eight feet tall, had tears reddening his eyes once more.

“Tell me, nephew.”

“We risk our lives for peace.”

“Yet all of it can be overturned by the words of those beside the Emperor.”

He laughed bitterly.

“It’s not that I look down on scholars.”

“They’re the ones who speak beautiful words.”

“Whether they have integrity or not, I don’t know.”

“But those bones on the battlefield…”

“Those men gave everything.”

“Yet history may not even remember their names.”

“That eunuch thinks Jizhou cannot be defended.”

“But I know Lord He.”

“As long as he still has a single breath left, he’ll hold out until reinforcements arrive.”

“And those two children riding ahead with the cavalry?”

“They’re courageous to the core.”

“The longer they hold on, the greater our chances.”

Hearing this, Li Huai’an suddenly felt endless guilt.

He said softly,

“Even if Jizhou falls, perhaps things won’t be so terrible. It can always be retaken.”

Tang Peiyi looked at him sternly.

“How can warfare be treated so lightly?”

“When Jinzhou fell to foreign tribes, how many years passed and how much blood was spilled before it was reclaimed?”

At that moment, a guard hurried over.

“General, the army is ready. Your horse has been brought.”

Tang Peiyi nodded.

“Chongzhou is in your hands now, nephew.”

Li Huai’an watched him stride away.

His emotions churned violently.

If everything had gone according to plan, Jizhou had likely already fallen.

He was not worried about the civilians.

Because he knew Sui Yuanhuai was actually the Imperial Grandson.

He would not slaughter innocents.

This had always been a carefully arranged performance.

A battle that should have ended in victory.

But because one of Wei Yan’s men ruined the plan, the rebels escaped food-starved Chongzhou and occupied Jizhou.

The court would be enraged.

The entire nation would be enraged.

Wei Yan would become the target of everyone’s hatred.

Then Jizhou would be swiftly retaken.

The “rebels” would be captured and reveal everything.

They would claim that Wei Yan helped them escape Chongzhou in exchange for prolonging the war and delaying the transfer of military authority.

As for Lu Dayi’s death—

That would be blamed on Wei Yan silencing a witness.

To make the performance convincing, people like Tang Peiyi could not be informed.

Only enough bloodshed could make the scheme believable.

Perhaps because of Tang Peiyi’s words, Li Huai’an suddenly felt deeply uneasy.

He kept asking himself one question.

Was this plan to destroy Wei Yan right…

Or wrong?

For years, he had believed that as long as Wei Yan controlled the government, Great Yin had no future.

Compared to removing such a traitor, what did political maneuvering matter?

The Li family had sacrificed countless people in their struggle against Wei Yan.

Why, then, did he suddenly feel guilty over the dead soldiers?

Their deaths could bring down Wei Yan.

Their deaths could improve life for countless common people.

Sacrificing the small self for the greater good—

Wasn’t that supposed to be right?

Li Huai’an closed his eyes and refused to think further.


—

A carriage traveled along a winding mountain road.

Above it, a white sea eagle circled the sky.

When the carriage stopped beside a river at the foot of a mountain, a young man went to fetch water.

He accidentally slipped and fell flat on his back.

The other young men guarding the carriage laughed.

Rubbing his backside, he suddenly noticed traces of cooking smoke hidden beneath the weeds.

“Huh? Why is there a fire pit here?”

Kicking aside several suspicious patches of grass, he found more.

“All fire pits.”

He scratched his head.

“How many people cooked here?”

A small head poked out from the carriage.

Holding a fluffy yellow duckling, Changning asked excitedly,

“Are we cooking?”

The young man was Qin Yong, one of the soldiers Fan Changyu had assigned to protect Changning and Aunt Zhao.

He grinned.

“We can save ourselves the trouble of digging a new fire pit.”

Xie Qi sat on the carriage shaft and had not seen the pits.

The moment he heard about them, he became alert.

“How many?”

Qin Yong described what he had found.

Xie Qi immediately walked along the river valley.

After some investigation, he discovered fire pits stretching for over a mile.

He said firmly,

“At least ten thousand troops passed through here.”

Everyone froze.

“The rebels are trapped in Chongzhou. General Tang is attacking them. Where would an army that large come from?”

Xie Qi ignored the question.

Touching the ashes, he murmured,

“The ashes are cold.”

“It’s nearly noon now.”

“Armies don’t cook at night.”

“That means these were used this morning.”

Qin Yong asked,

“Could it be the Marquis marching from Kang City toward Chongzhou?”

Xie Qi shook his head.

“That route would be a detour.”

His expression became grim.

Returning to the carriage, he found paper and brush, wrote a message, rolled it tightly, and looked up at the sea eagle soaring overhead.

After a sharp whistle, the bird dove down.

He placed the note into the metal message tube attached to its leg.

“Go find the Master.”

The eagle immediately took flight again.

Qin Yong watched with envy.

The fierce white raptor that had followed them overhead terrified everyone except Xie Qi.

“Are you sending it to the Commander?”

Before Xie Qi could answer, Changning pouted.

“Where did Uncle Xiao Qi send the birdie?”

Xie Qi reassured her.

“It’s just delivering a letter. It’ll come back.”

Qin Yong became even more impressed.

“So it really belongs to the Commander?”

Xie Qi’s expression cooled.

“No.”

“It’s delivering a message to our Commander’s husband.”

Every young soldier immediately perked up.

Qin Yong stammered,

“Co… Commander is married?”

“Of course.”

“What kind of man is her husband?”

“Is he in the army too?”

Another soldier quickly answered,

“He is! I heard from men who fought at First Line Gorge. The Commander joined the army because her husband was conscripted and taken away.”

“Really?”

Xie Qi nodded proudly.

“Of course it’s true.”

The others immediately demanded more details.

One soldier said,

“I heard the Commander’s husband was seriously injured at First Line Gorge.”

“They say he’s half-paralyzed now.”

The soldiers sighed sympathetically.

What a hard life their commander had.

Xie Qi nearly choked on the water he was drinking.

Even Aunt Zhao could not remain silent.

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

The soldiers immediately lowered their heads.

Changning, who knew they were talking about her brother-in-law, looked up and asked,

“Aunt Zhao, what does half-paralyzed mean?”

Aunt Zhao spat twice.

“It means they’re calling him a cripple.”

Changning immediately protested.

“My brother-in-law isn’t crippled!”

The soldier scratched his head awkwardly.

“I only heard it from others.”

Aunt Zhao still knew nothing about everything that had happened between Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng afterward.

Worried people might look down on him now that Fan Changyu held high rank, she deliberately spoke up.

“Changyu’s husband is extraordinarily handsome.”

“He can read and write.”

“And he’s highly skilled in martial arts.”

Qin Yong immediately concluded,

“Then he must be a commandant or general too!”

Aunt Zhao did not actually know Xie Zheng’s rank.

The last time she saw him, he seemed to hold a lower position than Fan Changyu herself.

Not wanting to exaggerate, she simply lowered her eyes and played with Changning instead of answering.

Qin Yong still failed to realize his mistake.

The others exchanged puzzled looks.

Xie Qi finally said,

“You’ll understand who he is when you meet him someday.”

The topic ended there.

While the group rested and prepared food, Xie Qi kept watching the horizon where the sea eagle had vanished.

His expression remained troubled.

The note detailed everything they had discovered.

Whether the army that passed through belonged to Xie Zheng or not, the information needed to reach him immediately.


—

Black-armored troops wound through the endless mountain ranges like a river of iron.

The wolf banner bearing the character “Xie” snapped sharply in the wind.

A clear eagle cry echoed from above.

One of the guards riding beside a carriage looked up.

“My Lord, it’s the sea eagle.”

Inside the carriage, a pair of sharp phoenix eyes opened.

He had left the eagle with her.

Fan Changyu would never use it to contact him.

Only Xie Qi or Xie Wu would.

Had something happened?

Suppressing a cough that rose in his throat, Xie Zheng lifted the carriage curtain.

The sea eagle swooped down and landed firmly on the carriage edge.

After retrieving the message and reading it, his eyes turned icy.

“Change course.”

“Full speed to Lu City.”

One guard hesitated.

“My Lord, even if we leave now, we may not arrive before dark.”

The reply came cold and unquestionable.

“Bring me my warhorse.”

“The cavalry rides ahead with me.”


—

The sun sank westward.

The sky glowed blood-red.

The wilderness outside Lu City was bathed in brilliant crimson light.

Fan Changyu had long since come to hate sunsets.

The color reminded her too much of blood.

Just like now.

After leading three thousand cavalry back to Lu City without stopping, she saw blood staining the earth beneath that gorgeous crimson glow.

Her heart grew heavier with every step.

Lu City had not fallen.

But corpses piled beneath the gate in layers so thick they nearly rose above the walls.

Earlier that day in Chongzhou, she had seen civilians forced onto battlements at swordpoint.

Now she saw civilians willingly defending Lu City.

He Jingyuan stood in armor at the center of the city wall.

Like a mountain.

An immovable mountain.

Merely seeing that figure from afar made tears well up in her eyes.

Despite the shortage of troops, he had truly led the city’s civilians in defending the gate until now.

Zheng Wenchang let out a thunderous roar and led the cavalry straight into the rear of the rebel formation.

Fan Changyu followed close behind.

Whether the rebels were exhausted from the prolonged siege or heaven itself favored them, they carved a path all the way to the front lines.

The rebel army possessed numbers, but no capable commanders.

Unable to withstand the assault, they temporarily retreated.

The reinforcements successfully entered the city.

Cheers and sobs erupted from the defenders atop the walls.

Fan Changyu and Zheng Wenchang hurried to find He Jingyuan.

A deputy general looked at the stern old man staring toward the battlefield and cried out excitedly,

“My Lord! Lu City has been saved!”

The old man did not answer.

His expression never changed.

A sudden sense of dread struck the deputy.

He reached out.

The old man’s body was already stiff.

Only the sword supporting him kept him standing.

The deputy general let out a grief-stricken wail.

“My Lord!”

Just as Fan Changyu and the others reached the wall, that cry struck them like thunder.

Their hearts instantly turned cold.