It took Fan Changyu three days to fully grasp the few moves that He Jingyuan had taught her.
Unfortunately, without a sparring partner, she couldn’t gauge how much she had improved.
Fan Changyu counted the days; she could return home the day after tomorrow. By then, she would have a good match with Xie Zheng.
The last time she returned to the military camp, Xie Zheng said he was coming to Chongzhou on official business. From his words, it seemed he would stay in Chongzhou for some time.
So, besides following the army’s daily drills, Fan Changyu also squeezed in time to practice her carving skills.
After ruining countless pieces of wood, she finally managed to carve a rough shape of a small figurine.
However, on this day, after the training ended, Centurion Guo announced, “From today onwards, the military camp will be sealed off. No one is allowed to leave the camp, and the daily training duration will be doubled.”
The soldiers below whispered among themselves, while Fan Changyu and another team leader exchanged bewildered glances.
“What’s all this chatter about?” Centurion Guo’s stern voice boomed. His fierce gaze swept across the crowd, instantly silencing the deliberately lowered discussions.
He gruffly said, “The two team leaders stay behind. The rest, return to your barracks and await orders!”
The soldiers dispersed in small groups, with faint discussions spreading once again.
Fan Changyu and the other team leader remained in place, waiting for Centurion Guo’s instructions.
Centurion Guo glanced at the two of them and said, “Your chance for meritorious service has come. The main force is short on numbers, so we’ll be assigned to the right-wing camp behind the vanguard, supporting the main force’s attack. Many serve in the military for a decade and only get to follow at the tail of the army, cleaning up the battlefield. This time, we’ve lucked out. Since ancient times, wealth and honor have always been sought in danger. I’ve never been a coward in my life, so don’t you dare bring me a bunch of cowards and make me lose face!”
Only after Fan Changyu and the other team leader repeatedly assured him that they would intensify their training did Centurion Guo let them go.
The battle situation in Chongzhou had been at a stalemate for a long time. Fan Changyu hadn’t expected such a large-scale confrontation between the two armies so soon. As she walked back with a heavy heart, Centurion Guo called her back. Half of his face was hidden behind his thick beard as he spoke in a gruff voice, “I know you must have connections up there, and your martial skills aren’t bad either. But on the battlefield, if you’re in danger, no one in my squad will sacrifice themselves to save you. If you want to go find someone up there to transfer you elsewhere, there’s still time.”
Fan Changyu only glanced at Centurion Guo once, then left without a word.
When she returned to the barracks, the soldiers who were on good terms with each other had gathered, seemingly still discussing the meaning behind Centurion Guo’s words.
Seeing Fan Changyu, someone asked, “Team Leader Fan, are we going to war?”
To appear more authoritative, Fan Changyu rarely spoke in front of others and maintained a stoic expression.
Surprisingly, this method was quite effective. She hardly ever lost her temper, but the soldiers under her seemed to fear her quite a bit.
Of course, this might have something to do with her shattering Centurion Guo’s large sword with two iron hammers on her first day as team leader.
She kept a straight face and grunted an affirmative. The soldiers fell silent for a while, their faces showing anxiety about the unknown and sadness at the thought of possibly never seeing their parents, wives, and children again.
Fan Changyu knew that even soldiers were afraid of war. After all, before donning the military uniform, they were just laborers making a living or hardworking farmers.
She didn’t say anything particularly inspiring, only, “In the coming days, everyone should practice their sword and spear skills diligently. We’re not seeking wealth and glory, but we need the skills to stay alive, to survive the battlefield, and to return home to see our wives, children, and mothers when the war is over.”
She paused, then added, “I managed to survive Yixia Pass with just a butcher’s knife because those rebels hadn’t killed as many people as the pigs I used to slaughter.”
She thought hard for a moment, finally remembering the phrase, and said with an air of authority, “Practice makes perfect applies everywhere. You’re afraid of the battlefield, but so are the small soldiers in the rebel army. Everyone’s afraid, so it’s about who can swing their sword or thrust their spear faster while being scared.”
The soldiers burst into laughter, and the tense atmosphere dissipated considerably.
In the following training sessions, which were crucial for staying alive, and with Fan Changyu’s “practice makes perfect” speech in mind, the several dozen men under her command trained with extra vigor.
Xie Wu was particularly generous in teaching them several lethal combat techniques.
On the eve of their departure, a soldier from the squad approached Fan Changyu and entrusted her with all the military pay he had received since enlisting.
He said, “Team Leader, I’m my mother’s only son. I’m from Huangping County in Jizhou. If I die, please help me bring this money to my mother.”
He ran off after saying this. Fan Changyu stared at the few pieces of silver in her palm for a long time before finally putting them away.
She used to be afraid of the battlefield too, but thinking of her parents’ great revenge, of Yu Qianqian trapped in Chongzhou City, and of Xie Zheng, she was no longer afraid.
Military merit was currently the best way she could think of to accomplish all this on her own.
But now, she had another belief in her heart – she hoped to lead every soldier under her command off the battlefield alive.
With a few hours left before the troops were to set out, Fan Changyu couldn’t sleep despite lying down for a while. She took out the half-carved wooden doll from under her pillow and continued carving.
The doll’s hair was already carved out. She turned the blade, slowly carving out the eyes.
Since it was a round-headed wooden doll, she made the eyes a bit larger.
Recalling Xie Zheng’s appearance in her mind, she carved the outer corners of the eyes upward a bit as she finished. The silly-looking doll suddenly gained a haughty air of looking down its nose at people.
Fan Changyu couldn’t help but smile. She poked the doll’s chubby cheeks and muttered softly, “It does look quite like him.”
She wondered where he was now.
As the moon reached its zenith, crows in the forest took flight in alarm.
Zhao Xun was forced to kneel, surrounded by the corpses of his guards.
His face was deathly pale, his forehead covered in cold sweat. His pupils reflected the blood-dripping sword tip in the firelight as he stammered, “M-Marquis…”
Xie Zheng shook the thick blood off his sword and turned his gaze slightly, “Even a cunning rabbit has only three burrows, but Young Master Zhao has so many that it truly made it difficult for this Marquis to find you.”
A cool breeze rustled through the treetops, and the voice that fell amidst the flickering firelight was cold and somewhat nonchalant.
A few days after Fan Changyu returned to the camp, Xie Zheng went to see Grand Tutor Tao. He had intended to discuss the matter of the imperial grandson and the Li family with Grand Tutor Tao, but Tao mentioned he had urgent business in the capital and asked Xie Zheng to thoroughly investigate the connection between the Crown Prince and Prince Changxin before he returned.
Xie Zheng agreed and planned to seek out He Jingyuan to demand an answer about Fan Changyu’s background.
Unfortunately, He Jingyuan was personally overseeing the inventory of grain and military equipment sent by the court with Li Huai’an. He was officially in Kang City, and suddenly appearing in Chongzhou would only give the Li faction an excuse to accuse him of dereliction of duty. So Xie Zheng went directly to investigate the Crown Prince matter.
The person directly related to the Crown Prince was Zhao Xun, so he naturally started his investigation with him.
As the Zhao family was in business, they had very efficient intelligence networks. Before Chongzhou was surrounded, Zhao Xun had already left the city.
The Zhao family’s business interests were extensive, with many locations. Xie Zheng expended considerable effort before finally cornering him.
When Zhao Xun saw Xie Zheng personally arrive, he knew things were dire. He managed to reply, “The Marquis jests. If there’s anything Zhao can do for the Marquis, I would gladly lay down my life…”
Xie Zheng looked at him with a half-smile, “Young Master Zhao said the same thing when you found me in Qingping County before the new year.”
Zhao Xun’s expression stiffened.
Xie Zheng rested his blood-stained sword on Zhao’s shoulder. Zhao Xun swallowed hard and said hoarsely, “Please calm your anger, Marquis. This worthless life of mine is in someone else’s hands. In many matters, I have no choice.”
Xie Zheng applied a bit more force, pressing the sword down. Zhao Xun was so frightened he dared not say another word. Cold sweat rolled down his temples like beads, his body as rigid as iron.
The bloodied sword brushed across the clothing on his shoulder, leaving a glaring blood stain on his robe.
Although there was still a layer of clothing between them, Zhao Xun seemed to already feel the sword’s chill and the stickiness of blood soaking into his clothes. The smell of blood stimulated his senses, draining all color from his face. His entire body shook like a sieve.
Xie Zheng withdrew his sword and handed it to his guard behind him, saying casually, “Don’t mind me, I’m just using Young Master Zhao’s clothes to wipe off some blood.”
Zhao Xun collapsed entirely, saying somewhat dejectedly, “Please, Marquis, spare this lowly one’s life.”
Xie Zheng’s lips curled into a thin smile as he said, “When this Marquis was in dire straits, Young Master Zhao bought two hundred thousand shi of grain for me. We could be considered old acquaintances. Let this Marquis ask Young Master Zhao a few questions. As long as you answer truthfully, this Marquis won’t make things difficult for you.”
It would have been better if he hadn’t mentioned the grain purchase. As soon as he did, Zhao Xun’s face turned even paler.
Back then, he had bought the grain because he saw that Wei Yan wanted to bring about his demise, while Grand Tutor Li was sitting on the sidelines, only wanting to make the situation worse to impeach Wei Yan. That’s why he had taken precautions and stockpiled grain for Jinzhou.
But Zhao Xun had deliberately left a trail for He Jingyuan, letting him know that Xie Zheng had bought the grain.
Originally, he had wanted Xie and He to fight each other, as one had fallen out with Wei Yan while the other was still loyal to him. Who would have thought that He Jingyuan wouldn’t make a move at all, which led to Wei Xuan forcibly requisitioning grain later, and Sui Yuanqing impersonating grain requisition officials to kill people and fan the flames.
He kowtowed heavily to Xie Zheng, his forehead touching the ground as he said in a trembling voice, “Please calm your anger, Marquis. This lowly one did try to advise His Highness at the time, but my words carried little weight and couldn’t sway His Highness’s decision. What happened then was not this lowly one’s intention.”
Xie Zheng asked, “You say you work for the Crown Prince. How can this Marquis believe that the person behind you is indeed the Crown Prince?”
Zhao Xun’s eyes flashed with struggle, but he finally answered, “This lowly one’s mother was a senior palace maid to the Crown Princess. Later, when she came of age, she was released from the palace. In truth, she was married to my father to secretly manage the Crown Princess’s properties outside the palace.”
Xie Zheng had already ordered people to investigate the files related to the Eastern Palace fire case and knew that the Crown Princess indeed had a senior palace maid who was released from the palace at the age of twenty-five.
The defeat at Jinzhou and the Eastern Palace fire happened one after the other. With the death of Crown Prince Chengde, the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince also met with a tragic fate. Anyone with eyes could see that these two events must be related.
Behind the Eastern Palace fire might lie the truth of the Jinzhou defeat.
Xie Zheng’s hand behind his back unconsciously clenched as he asked in a cold voice, “Didn’t the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince die in the Eastern Palace fire?”
Zhao Xun answered, “The Eastern Palace fire was set by the Crown Princess herself to give the Crown Prince a chance at survival.”
Xie Zheng’s brows furrowed deeply as he asked, “Who wanted the Crown Prince dead?”
Zhao Xun smiled bitterly, “This lowly one truly doesn’t know. Even my mother only received a letter written by the Crown Princess herself after the Eastern Palace fire, regarding the Crown Prince’s whereabouts. But the letter didn’t mention a word about who wanted to harm the Eastern Palace.”
Xie Zheng’s eyes suddenly turned cold, his face showing a mocking expression, “So Young Master Zhao has made up a story to fool this Marquis?”
Zhao Xun hurriedly said, “This lowly one wouldn’t dare. If the Marquis doesn’t believe me, there’s still the Crown Princess’s handwritten letter and token as proof.”
Xie Zheng’s phoenix eyes were deep and unfathomable in the firelight, making it impossible for anyone to discern his true thoughts. He asked, “Is the Crown Prince the eldest son of the current Prince Changxin?”
Having already uncovered so much, and with Zhao Xun’s close dealings with Prince Changxin’s household, plus what Changnin had said earlier about Yu Bao’er and her son being held at Prince Changxin’s residence, everything pointed to one answer. Xie Zheng’s final question was asked with such certainty.
Zhao Xun dared not conceal anything and nodded.
Xie Zheng’s long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly.
Everything matched up. Prince Changxin’s rebellion could only be carried out under the banner of removing Wei Yan and purging the court, but he dared not directly claim the Crown Prince’s legitimacy because Prince Changxin didn’t know his son had been switched.
The Crown Prince also dared not reveal himself.
After all, if Prince Changxin could directly rebel, once he discovered his son had been a cuckoo in the nest for all these years, he likely wouldn’t give the Crown Prince any chance to survive.
Xie Zheng asked, “Was Sui Yuanqing’s appearance in Qingping County before the new year also the Crown Prince’s doing?”
Sweat dripped from Zhao Xun’s eyelids as he answered, “Yes.”
The Crown Prince, through Zhao Xun, learned of Xie Zheng’s presence in Qingping County. He arranged for Sui Yuanqing to go there, intending to use Xie Zheng to eliminate Sui Yuanqing.
At that time, Chongzhou had not yet shown signs of defeat. If Prince Changxin could take advantage of the Xie family army being tied up with the Northern Que and swiftly capture Jizhou to continue southward, it wasn’t impossible to reach the capital and force the Emperor’s hand.
But Prince Changxin had named Sui Yuanqing as his heir apparent. Even if they conquered the empire, Sui Yuanqing would be the one to inherit the throne.
So the Crown Prince wanted Sui Yuanqing dead.
Now that Prince Changxin had lost, the Crown Prince knew that reaching the capital to reclaim the throne was no longer feasible, which is why he had been repeatedly showing goodwill towards the Li family.
Xie Zheng sneered, “Is this what the descendant of Crown Prince Chengde has become?”
Zhao Xun smiled bitterly, “As a child, to replace Prince Changxin’s eldest son, His Highness had half his face burned, leaving him with chronic illnesses. Over the years, he’s become increasingly mercurial. Although I’m just a merchant reeking of copper, I can still distinguish right from wrong. I secretly admire world-class heroes like Your Excellency, and I understand that if His Highness were to inherit the throne one day, I fear the people would suffer greatly.”
He seemed to struggle for a moment before finally risking to voice his thoughts, “His Highness already has an heir, which I believe Your Excellency has met. The female innkeeper at Yixiang Lou in Qingping County is His Highness’s escaped concubine, and her child is the Imperial Great-Grandson. In today’s world, as Your Excellency has seen, imperial power is waning, factional strife is endless, and the people’s lives are difficult. Your Excellency surpasses even Wei Yan of the past. If Your Excellency is willing to emulate Wei Yan and support the Imperial Great-Grandson’s ascension to the throne, this lowly one is willing to serve Your Excellency with utmost loyalty!”
Xie Zheng’s eyes showed not the slightest interest, as if he couldn’t care less about what Zhao Xun had said. With a mocking curl of his lips, he said, “You can betray your prince and turn to this Marquis, but how can this Marquis be sure you won’t turn to someone else next?”
Throughout history, servants of two masters have always been despised.
Zhao Xun was well aware of this and finally laid everything bare, “This lowly one only wants to secure a way to survive for myself and my mother. Since the Imperial Great-Grandson was found, His Highness has become increasingly erratic, even sending shadow guards to monitor me and my mother, just to prevent us from supporting the Imperial Great-Grandson. His Highness’s suspicions grow by the day, and I fear that one day he might move against me and my mother.”
He paused, then added, “This lowly one has felt from the first glance that Your Excellency is a man of great stature, which is why I dare to speak such presumptuous words before you.”
Xie Zheng ignored his last few flattering remarks, his dark lashes half-lowered as if pondering the current situation.
The pine resin torch crackled as it burned, sounding particularly clear in the night when only the wind could be heard.
Xie Zheng asked, “Where are the Imperial Great-Grandson and his mother now?”
Zhao Xun answered with difficulty, “They are still in Chongzhou City with my mother.”
Essentially, they were being held as hostages, ensuring he wouldn’t dare to have second thoughts while working outside.
Hearing this, Xie Zheng’s brows furrowed slightly.
The Crown Prince was now cooperating with the Li faction. To help the Li faction gain military merit in Chongzhou, they would first need to bring down He Jingyuan.
With the capital and Chongzhou separated by a thousand li, news of the court’s impeachment of He Jingyuan had not yet reached Xie Zheng’s ears.
He asked, “What leverage have you obtained against He Jingyuan?”
Fan Changyu spent the entire night carving the wooden doll, finally completing the head and body.
It wasn’t exactly pretty, but the longer she looked at it, the cuter it seemed.
She was quite satisfied with her first finished product.
While washing up, Xie Wu somehow procured a heart-protecting mirror for her, telling her to tuck it inside her military uniform.
Fan Changyu looked at the size of the heart-protecting mirror and felt that continuing to carry the two steel plates she had forged when leaving Jizhou to find Changnin would be safer.
Xie Wu was shocked to learn that she wanted to bind a steel plate both front and back, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Fan Changyu thought Xie Wu’s extreme surprise might be because he had never seen someone as afraid of death as her, but adhering to the principle that staying alive was most important, she resolutely tucked in the steel plates.
Generals wore heart-protecting mirrors because their armor already protected other vital areas, with the chest being the final line of defense.
The common soldier’s uniform she wore probably couldn’t even stop a single blade, so in crucial moments, she’d have to rely on the steel plates to save her life.
As for the palm-sized heart-protecting mirror, Xie Wu complained it was inconvenient and affected his agility, so Fan Changyu secretly gave it to the soldier who had entrusted her with his silver.
When he received the heart-protecting mirror, he looked at Fan Changyu with tears in his eyes, as if seeing a savior, making Fan Changyu feel particularly embarrassed.
When Centurion Guo was checking the ranks, he noticed Fan Changyu hadn’t left. His eyes showed a complex emotion, whether it was fear of trouble or something else was hard to tell.
He shouted, “On the battlefield, killing one enemy breaks even, killing two is profitable! For those who come back alive, I’ll throw you a celebration!”
Fan Changyu joined the surrounding soldiers in shouting “Good!” loudly.
Fear, passion, and concern all seemed to be released in that single shout.
Unlike her previous battlefield experience, this time Fan Changyu and her comrades were positioned not so far back, and they weren’t going in as reinforcements, so they could see the complete formation of the two armies before the battle.
The two sides looked like two ant colonies facing off. From the distance, they could only see the red tassels wrapped around the long halberds of the rebels on the opposite side, forming a sea of red.
When the horns on both sides sounded, the vanguard troops of both armies roared and charged forward, quickly colliding with a seemingly muffled crash.
Fan Changyu thought that among the soldiers, those in the vanguard must be the bravest.
After all, the soldiers behind followed those in front, but those in front charged directly into the enemy’s blades and spears.
What surprised and pleased her was that the several dozen soldiers under her command stayed close to her, almost inseparable. Wherever she went to kill, they immediately rushed over.
Fan Changyu couldn’t tell if they were sticking so close to try to protect her or to seek her protection.
But their formation was undoubtedly like an awl, with Fan Changyu as the tip, able to pierce through anywhere. Xie Wu always followed closely, about three paces behind her.
The long-handled saber became a blur in Fan Changyu’s hands as she pushed forward. At first, she could still see the shadows of the vanguard, but later she found that all she could see were enemy troops.
She remembered they were supposed to be supporting the vanguard, and became anxious when she couldn’t see them anymore. While continuing to charge and kill, she asked Xie Wu, “Can you see the vanguard’s banner?”
The vanguard was responsible for breaking through the rebel camp, and they were supposed to squeeze through the gap opened by the vanguard, allowing the infantry behind to widen this gap and divide the rebel forces.
If they were cut off at any point and surrounded by rebels, they would be in a life-threatening situation, with only one in ten chances of survival.
Xie Wu’s face was covered in blood. He swung his sword horizontally at a charging rebel and said somewhat desperately, “The vanguard has already been scattered. We’ve become the vanguard now!”
Fan Changyu let out a confused “Ah,” and taking advantage of her long-handled saber’s reach, she forced back an attacking soldier and looked back. Only then did she realize that the soldiers following her had grown from the initial few dozen to a vast crowd.
Centurion Guo was not far behind her, leaning on his long sword and panting heavily. He cursed, “You fool, charging forward like you’re rushing to reincarnate. You’ve turned my right-wing army into the vanguard!”
Xie Wu ignored Centurion Guo and wiped the blood from his face, saying to Fan Changyu, “I’ll go retrieve the vanguard flag. The soldiers behind can’t see the banner and don’t know which direction to charge.”
The most dangerous thing on the battlefield was a disrupted formation, allowing the enemy to divide and consume smaller forces.
Fan Changyu kicked away an attacker and shouted, “Where’s the flag?”
Xie Wu, with his superior lightness skill, leaped forward several steps, stepping on the heads of rebels, and pointed in the direction of Fan Changyu. She then pushed forward in that direction like a sharp knife.
The commanding officers observing from high ground saw the vanguard’s wild goose formation being scattered and their faces grew solemn, seemingly foreseeing the loss of this first battle. Unexpectedly, from within the right-wing army protecting the vanguard’s charge, a new spearhead suddenly emerged, piercing into the rebel’s main formation like a bee’s stinger, incredibly sharp.
The commanders first looked at each other in bewilderment. When they saw this newly formed spearhead join with the scattered remnants of the vanguard and raise the vanguard flag, driving the rebels back step by step, their expressions became strange.
One commander said, “I’ve heard of the rear guard becoming the vanguard, but this is the first time I’ve seen the right wing become the vanguard. To stabilize the offensive and defensive situation without even changing formation, the commander must be an experienced general to be so perceptive and have such a grasp of the overall situation.”
Another commander said, “This right-wing army was temporarily formed with General Tang’s recruits. General Tang truly has a wealth of talent under his command.”
Tang Peiyi forced a smile and responded with a couple of words, his eyes fixed on the battlefield below, trying to see clearly who was leading the troops. However, the distance was too great, and even as he strained his eyes to the point of becoming cross-eyed, he couldn’t make it out. He racked his brains but couldn’t think of who among his subordinates could be such a capable person.
Only He Jingyuan remained silent as he gazed at the battlefield below.