The battle to defend Shangu had been raging for over half a month.

The thick stone walls bore countless marks from swords, axes, and fire. Blood had stained the black soil beneath the walls, seeping into the rock layer by layer. The air was filled with the foul stench of blood.

Wave after wave of Xiongnu attacks came and were repelled.

Several days earlier, a force of 50,000 Qiang troops led by Qiao Ci had finally arrived, providing much-needed support to the besieged Wei family forces.

The Qiang army, with lightning speed, tore open a gap in the encirclement from the flank before the Xiongnu could prepare. Upon receiving the news, the Wei family soldiers inside the city opened the gates and charged out information to the sound of war drums, fighting side by side with the Qiang army.

The Xiongnu, already more adept at cavalry warfare in open fields, had been struggling with the prolonged siege, and their morale was low. Caught off guard by this sudden change and faced with an organized counterattack, they were not only pushed back over ten li but also lost several Qianqi Generals, suffering a humiliating defeat.

Uncertain of the reinforcements’ numbers, Wu Wei dared not launch another assault on the city for the time being. He ordered his troops to regroup in place, both to catch their breath and to gather intelligence on the enemy.

…

The siege that had been desperately held for over ten days was finally eased with the timely arrival of reinforcements.

The Wei family forces, though outnumbered, had bravely resisted the Xiongnu. News that two generations of Wei clan women had personally ascended the city walls to share life and death with the soldiers and civilians spread like wildfire throughout Yuyang. More and more people began to turn back from their refugee routes and voluntarily rushed to the city from all directions.

Men donned armor taken from the fallen, picked up blood-stained swords and spears, and joined the defense.

Women, led by Xiao Qiao, tended to the wounded and promptly delivered hot soup and meals to the soldiers fighting fiercely.

Within a few short days, tens of thousands of volunteers had arrived to join the defense.

The unity between the military and civilians was unprecedented, united in their hatred for the enemy.

Everyone had only one thought: to persevere and not yield a single step.

…

Wu Wei began to feel uneasy about the battle situation.

He was the son of the Chanyu, the Tuqi Crown Prince. However, his prestige in the royal court had always been inferior to that of his uncle, the Rizhu King Wu Zhuqu.

Years ago, Wu Zhuqu had taken a Wei clan woman as his queen. Far from being offended, the Xiongnu considered it an honor that he had captured a Wei woman.

A few years back, Wu Zhuqu had brought back his son by that Wei queen, Wei Yan.

It wasn’t uncommon for Xiongnu royal or noble offspring to have Han blood. The current Yiqu King and the trusted advisor to the Chanyu, the Yizhizi King, were both descendants of princesses sent from the Former Han for political marriages.

But none of them were like Wei Yan, who made Wu Wei feel an unprecedented sense of threat from the moment he first saw him.

In just a few short years, Wei Yan’s reputation had soared. After he conquered the Eastern Hu, who had stubbornly occupied the Congling region for decades, and incorporated their territory into one of the twenty-four tribes of the Xiongnu, the Xiongnu people began to affectionately call him by the name Tuokun.

Even the Chanyu had broken precedent by granting him the title of Jianjiang King—a rank that qualified him to command ten thousand cavalry.

Wu Wei was extremely wary of this.

So when Emperor Liu Yan of the Langya court recently sent envoys through former Han officials who had defected to the Xiongnu to express his desire for an alliance and to borrow troops, Wu Wei strongly advocated for it. He finally persuaded the Chanyu to dispatch troops, with himself in command of the southern expedition.

According to his original plan, by this time, he should have long since conquered Yuyang. Not only would this have avenged the humiliation of the Xiongnu being suppressed by the Wei clan and losing the Hetao region years ago, but more importantly, in the Xiongnu royal tent where might make right, he desperately needed this victory to prove his ability to the Chanyu, his people, and especially to the Xiongnu nobles of the Huyan, Xubu, and Qiulin clans who had always doubted him.

But he hadn’t anticipated that the battle would be so prolonged at Shangu.

He had missed the opportunity to annihilate the 100,000 Wei family defenders in one fell swoop, allowing them to receive reinforcements from the Qiang. Having lost the best chance, every day of delay now worked against him.

If the delay continued and Wei Shao returned with his army, Wu Wei was even less confident about the outcome.

Leading the elite forces of the Xiongnu, outnumbering the enemy, he couldn’t afford to lose this battle.

The next day, Wu Wei regrouped his forces and personally supervised a full-scale attack just before dawn, launching another fierce assault on the Han-Qiang allied forces.

“Kill one man, and receive a gold reward!”

“Kill ten men, receive a beautiful woman!”

“Kill a hundred men, be promoted to Centurion!”

“And if you breach the city and capture that Wei clan woman who beats the war drums, you’ll be granted the title of Qianhu and made a Marquis!”

…

The fierce battle raged from dawn until dusk.

Lei Yan and Qiao Ci led the defense fearlessly, fighting with all their might.

The sound of killing filled the air, and the ground near the city gates was covered with corpses, leaving no place to step.

The Xiongnu trampled over layers upon layers of their fallen comrades’ bodies, setting up scaling ladders and digging at the city walls.

On the battlements, as soon as one soldier fell, another immediately took his place.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom erupted from the southeast corner of the city gate, accompanied by excited shouts from the Xiongnu.

Arrows whistled overhead, one landing in the back of a fallen soldier, barely half a step away from Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao had long since ceased to feel fear.

She and two other women were carrying a basket of stone ammunition up to the wall when she saw Jia Si running towards her, his face covered in blood.

“My Lady, come with me quickly!” Jia Si shouted.

“Is the city about to fall?” Xiao Qiao asked, her tone calm.

She hadn’t slept for several days and nights. Her face was as white as paper, her eyes dry and stinging, tearing up at the slightest breeze, yet she felt no fatigue.

“A breach has been made in the southeast wall. Young Master Qiao is leading men to plug the gap, and all soldiers are prepared for street fighting. They’ve sworn to defend Shangu to the last inch! General Jia ordered me to escort you out of the city immediately! All remaining women should retreat from the city at once!”

“All of you, leave immediately through the south gate! You’re no longer needed here!” Xiao Qiao immediately told the women.

The woman’s eyes filled with tears as they knelt before her, then rose and departed.

Xiao Qiao knew that if the battle had reached the point of street fighting, her presence would only be a burden.

Madam Xu’s condition had worsened, but fortunately, she had been sent out of Shangu several days earlier.

Faced with 300,000 fierce Xiongnu cavalry, everyone here had already done their utmost to hold out until this moment.

Suddenly, she felt a wave of dizziness.

She closed her eyes briefly and steadied herself against the wall.

“My Lady!” Jia Si noticed her discomfort and reached out to support her, but stopped short of touching her.

Xiao Qiao steadied herself, opened her eyes, and said, “I’m fine. I’ll go now.”

Just then, a distant rumbling sound like thousands of galloping horses suddenly reached their ears.

At first, the sound was barely perceptible, but it gradually grew louder, like rolling thunder.

As the sound rapidly approached, the ground beneath their feet and the corner towers of the wall began to tremble slightly in rhythm with it, as if in an earthquake.

Both sides of the battle, their eyes red with bloodlust, sensed this increasingly clear and unusual ground movement.

The Xiongnu stopped climbing, and the soldiers on the battlements lowered their weapons, all turning their heads toward the sound.

Xiao Qiao was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly lifted her skirts and climbed the stairs.

She rushed to the high platform on top of the wall and gazed into the distance.

In the direction of the setting sun, at the edge of the distant plain, she saw a long, wave-like line of black troops surging rapidly toward the city.

…

On the twenty-second day of the grueling defense of Shangu, the Marquis of Yan, Wei Shao, finally arrived with his army.

…

Wei Yan stopped his horse alone on a high mound, gazing at the silhouette of the approaching army bathed in the golden evening sun, his expression impassive.

After a moment, he slowly turned his gaze towards Shangu.

The distance was too great to make out her features. He could only vaguely see the blurred silhouette standing on the high drum tower.

But he knew it was her. No matter how far, he could recognize her at a glance.

Suddenly, he remembered that year when, just like now, he had gazed from afar at her silhouette beating the drums on Luli Platform, his heart filled with unspeakable infatuation.

Even now, she remains the noble lady of the Wei clan.

While he was no longer even called Wei Yan.

He was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly shielded his eyes, gathered his reins, and with a low command, turned his horse and galloped away alone, his figure gradually disappearing over the crest of the hill.

…

As the Marquis returned with his army just in time, cheers erupted on the walls of Shangu.

The drums thundered, battle cries rose, and the Xiongnu who had climbed halfway up the walls fell back.

The soldiers threw open the city gates and charged out to meet the enemy.

This battle to defend Shangu, which had lasted for over half a month, came to an undramatic end.

Wei Shao’s return, bringing with him the Wei family’s iron cavalry that was in no way inferior to the Xiongnu horsemen, filled the air with killing intent, their thunderous rage reaching the depths of hell itself.

The Xiongnu, having lost their numerical advantage and with morale already low from days of failed assaults, saw their fighting spirit plummet instantly.

After a brief resistance, they collapsed like a mountain giving way, retreating northward in disarray.

The pursuit continued until the next day.

The Xiongnu suffered nearly 100,000 casualties and prisoners.

…

Many times, it had seemed that just one more push would overwhelm the city’s defenders, that breaching the walls was within reach.

But time and again, the opportunity slipped away. The city stood there, separated only by a wall, yet remained impregnable.

As Wu Wei fled back across the river to the grasslands, he still couldn’t believe that his confident southern expedition with overwhelming forces had ended in such a disastrous outcome.

…

With the siege of Shangu lifted, the oppressive and solemn atmosphere that had hung over the city for days finally dissipated.

Laughter and cheers could be heard everywhere.

Without even pausing to catch her breath, Xiao Qiao immediately rushed to the temporary infirmary set up near the city gate to check on her brother.

Qiao Ci had sustained injuries to his arm and back. The military doctor was tending to his wounds.

Due to significant blood loss, his face was pale, but his spirits were high. As he extended his arm for the doctor to bandage, he joked and laughed with a group of Wei family soldiers gathered around him.

“Young Master Qiao, we’ve heard that Qiang women are charming and passionate. If they fancy a young man, they’ll offer flowers to show their interest. Surely a handsome fellow like yourself must have received some flower offerings?” one soldier who had just had his wounds dressed asked.

After a fierce battle, men’s thoughts inevitably turn to such matters.

Qiao Ci, completely unpretentious, had bonded closely with both the Qiang reinforcements he had brought and the Wei family soldiers during their shared life-and-death experiences over the past few days. As the curious soldier asked his question, the others burst into laughter.

Qiao Ci’s face reddened slightly, and he waved his hand dismissively. Suddenly spotting Xiao Qiao entering, his eyes lit up with joy. He called out “Sister” and immediately stood to greet her.

Xiao Qiao gestured for him to remain seated.

The soldiers turned their heads, and seeing the lady arrive, quickly made way for her.

The previously noisy infirmary instantly fell silent, with countless gazes turning towards her.

Xiao Qiao quickly approached Qiao Ci. Seeing that he hadn’t yet changed out of his blood-stained battle robes and was covered in wounds, with a gash on his forehead, her heart ached. She gently touched the wound and asked, “Does it hurt?”

Qiao Ci grinned and said, “It’s just a scratch! Doesn’t hurt at all!”

The nearby soldiers couldn’t help but feel envious at the sight.

“Sister, are you alright?” Qiao Ci asked.

“I’m fine,” Xiao Qiao smiled.

“My Lady, how is the Old Madam doing now?” a lieutenant asked.

Xiao Qiao looked up to see many eyes on her. She nodded to the crowd and said, “The Old Madam has been sent back to Yuyang to recuperate. She will surely recover. Thank you all for your concern. This time, it was entirely due to everyone’s selfless efforts that the city was preserved. On behalf of the Marquis, I extend my gratitude to you all.”

“We would die a thousand deaths willingly to serve our Lady!” a bold soldier called out loudly.

Everyone immediately echoed the sentiment.

Xiao Qiao smiled, looking at the faces of the soldiers gazing at her eagerly. Suddenly, she began to feel dizzy and lightheaded.

Over the past few days, with Madam Xu’s illness, she hadn’t had a moment’s rest. She had been forcing herself to keep going, driven by the absolute conviction that she couldn’t falter.

Now that the siege was finally lifted, and having just learned of her brother’s injuries, she had rushed over to check on him.

Seeing that he was alright, her body finally relaxed. The tension that had been holding her together suddenly snapped, and she could no longer support herself.

“Sister—”

“My Lady—”

Amidst a ringing in her ears and fading, chaotic voices, her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground.