The north wind howled fiercely, as snowflakes like goose feathers fell in abundance, hiding the moon in the sky. Eagles circled above the clouds, emitting shrill cries. All around was a vast white expanse, making it impossible to distinguish east from south, west from north.
Yet, despite the bone-chilling cold wind, an endless stream of people moved slowly like a long dragon. The wind, like a salt-sprinkled knife, roared angrily as it cut across people’s faces. They could barely open their eyes, but this did nothing to dampen their fighting spirit. The common folk of Yan Bei, having received General Cao of the Second Army’s conscription order, came in droves with their homemade curved blades, riding the strongest horses from their homes, rushing toward North Shuo City to offer their loyalty for the great unity they dreamed of.
This was a fierce nation, where people grew up skilled in archery and horsemanship. Chu Qiao knew that with just a little training, on this land, an unparalleled powerful army would be born. But now, watching these confident men singing Yan Bei battle songs against the wind and snow, her heart was filled with grief. She wanted to stop them but only received contemptuous glares. Someone saw her and Xue Zhiyuan heading west with their companion, spat harshly, and shouted: “Deserters!”
“My lady, let’s go quickly,” urged the imperial guard left by Yan Xun anxiously.
Just then, Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows slightly, pulled hard on the reins, and the horse abruptly stopped. The guard galloped twenty steps before stopping, and turning back asked, “My lady, what’s wrong?”
Chu Qiao frowned, tilting her ear, and turned to Xue Zhiyuan beside her saying, “Did you hear that?”
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
The rolling thunder-like noise gradually approached, growing louder, as if it was under the ground, creeping through the soles of people’s feet, crawling up their spines.
Xue Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow and immediately jumped off his horse. The young officer ran up a nearby slope, looking ahead. In an instant, Xue Zhiyuan froze, gazing westward, motionless for a long time.
Soon, several commoners who also heard the noise climbed up, standing on the snowy plain.
Silence, a deathlike silence. Then someone turned back as if in a nightmare, looking around, stretching out a hand, pointing westward and asking, “Is there an army? Is it our army?”
The sound of hooves came from the west, and a faint black shadow appeared on the horizon, from a line to a mass, numerous, at least a thousand people, thundering from the distant Sunset Mountain Range!
“Run!”
A sharp female voice suddenly rang out. Everyone was startled and turned to see a woman in military uniform sitting on horseback, who had already drawn her sword and was pointing west, shouting, “It’s the Great Xia army! Run! Go toward North Shuo City!”
Chaos immediately erupted among the crowd, but soon someone questioned, “How could the Great Xia army be in Yan Bei’s interior?”
“Yes,” someone echoed, “They’re all outside North Shuo Pass!”
However, it was already too late. The familiar horse control method, and the familiar chopping and charging style, clearly indicated the formally trained Great Xia border defense forces. Chu Qiao turned pale, her palm sweating as she gripped her sword. Who were these people? Why could they break through North Shuo Pass and appear in the heartland of Yan Bei? There wasn’t a single regular unit here. If they charged into Yan Bei’s rear, what would be the consequences?
In an instant, all these thoughts flashed through her mind like lightning. Chu Qiao raised her sword and shouted, “I am Chu Qiao, senior officer of the Yan Bei Staff Department. Everyone follow my orders!”
The howling wind scattered her voice. The black shadows in front advanced in a dense charging formation, thousands upon thousands, like a mountain-toppling sea, with the momentum of a storm!
“How is this possible?”
A scream suddenly erupted from the crowd. The men of Yan Bei, who had traveled far to respond to the call to enlist and protect their homeland, were thrown into panic by the sudden enemy attack.
“Run!”
But it was too late to run. Fleeing in disarray would only lead to slaughter. Chu Qiao turned back, shouting, “Don’t flee! Go intercept them!”
But no one heeded her. The imperial guard rushed forward, grabbing her horse’s reins, shouting, “My lady, run!”
“We must notify North Shuo headquarters immediately!”
“My lady! It’s too late!”
As if to confirm his words, the charge call of “Kill the enemy!” suddenly resounded, undoubtedly the charge call of the Great Xia regular army.
The wild horse hooves suddenly approached, instantly catching up with the panicking fleeing civilians. Swift as lightning, the blades instantly unsheathed, like flashes of lightning. Before the people of Yan Bei could react, a flash of white light appeared before their eyes, blood splattered, and heads immediately separated from necks, flying into the air, blood gushing from the necks, splashing onto the pristine white snow!
In close combat, under the enemy’s swift horseback speed and precise, ruthless blade work, the people of Yan Bei had no chance to counterattack, especially since they didn’t know how to counterattack anyway. Sharp screams were completely drowned out by the clamor of hoofbeats. People fell from their horses one by one, trampled by hundreds and thousands of hooves.
Chu Qiao’s eyes reddened. The sudden enemy encounter had thrown her off balance. In such a fierce assault, the effect of a single individual was minuscule. A young man riding ahead was caught by an enemy behind him, who slashed his neck with one stroke. Blood splattered onto Chu Qiao’s fur coat. She thrust her sword into the chest of that Xia soldier, the blade gleaming, trailing a streak of blood.
“Xue Zhiyuan! Go back immediately! Notify headquarters!”
This cavalry unit had about a thousand men, all dressed in blue with white patterns of the Great Xia regular army. They were busy pursuing and killing the fleeing civilians, and for a moment, no one noticed there were still a few capable fighters there. Xue Zhiyuan was surrounded by three Xia soldiers. Chu Qiao swung her sword to help him, shouting, “Go quickly!”
“Let a woman cover for me? I can’t do that!”
True to his reputation as a battle-hardened elite soldier, Xue Zhiyuan was agile and swift, without any flourish. He raised his blade and with one stroke beheaded a Xia soldier, his movements as fierce as a tiger.
Chu Qiao frowned and suddenly reached out to pull off her fur coat, throwing it to the ground. She spurred her horse and shouted, “Shameless cowards! Butchering civilians! You deserve death!” With that, she fiercely spurred her warhorse, raising her sword high, resolutely charging toward the Xia army’s formation.
“My lady!” The imperial guard, seeing this, had bloodshot eyes and rushed forward, following behind Chu Qiao.
Two people, roaring as they charged toward an army of a thousand. This scene looked almost laughably like a cartoon, but at this moment, no one could laugh. The Great Xia soldiers seemed to notice Chu Qiao only now, seeing her uniform. Someone shouted, “There’s an official here!”
In an instant, the surrounding forces converged like a tide. Compared to those insignificant civilians, the significance of a Yan Bei military officer was extraordinary.
Xue Zhiyuan watched in shock as the soldiers attacking him suddenly abandoned him. He felt hot blood surging through his chest. He knew Chu Qiao was using her life to buy him time to escape, not for the sake of comradeship, but for the millions of military and civilian people in North Shuo City!
In the howling north wind, his eyes reddened, and with a roar, he turned and galloped madly toward North Shuo City.
He ran too fast. If he had waited a little longer, he might have seen something different. But fate is so strange. Just as he turned, once again in that distant northwest, a line of iron-gray appeared. The earth trembled, the wild wind howled, and a bloodthirsty killing intent permeated the long wind, filling every inch beneath the snowy plain, every ray of moonlight. A troop wearing all sorts of civilian clothes, like a hurricane sweeping across the land, came rolling forward in a vast wave!
“What army is ahead? Report your unit number and leader’s name!”
A deep voice broke through the bitterly cold wind, piercing the eardrums. Chu Qiao, who had just cut down a Xia soldier with her sword, suddenly looked up. The voice in the cold wind was very familiar.
“Report your unit number and leader’s name!”
The opposing force had at least five thousand men, and just observing their formation revealed their valiance. The Xia soldiers had to stop their slaughter of civilians. The officer at the front turned and shouted, “We are the twenty-first squad of the eighteenth district of Great Xia, stationed in Yan Bei. Who are you?”
The garrison troops of Xia in Yan Bei’s interior?
In just an instant, Chu Qiao had figured out all the connections. Yan Bei’s independence was a coup launched overnight in various provinces and prefectures. In less than half a month, the original Great Xia garrison troops in Yan Bei were driven out of the border, either dead or wounded. However, because Yan Bei’s independence was too short-lived and Great Xia’s military might come swiftly, they had no time to properly purge the interior, which meant small units of Great Xia cavalry remained in the interior.
These must be the Xia forces who were defeated during the uprising. Now, seeing Great Xia’s northern expedition, they gathered together, wanting to collaborate from within to earn merit, but unexpectedly met civilians responding to the Second Army’s conscription order on the way. To prevent leaking information, they began the massacre.
The origin of this troop was now clear, but what about those people on the other side?
After the Xia forces identified themselves, a terrifying silence suddenly fell on the other side. The wind whistled, the earth a vast expanse of white, the moon in the sky pallid. The snow had stopped long ago, but the accumulated snow on the ground was blown up by the wind, floating and drifting, as if another snowfall had begun.
“Kill the enemy!”
A loud, uniform charge call suddenly rang out, exactly like the Great Xia regular army’s charge call, almost indistinguishable from this unit of Xia soldiers. However, their gleaming blades and galloping hooves unreservedly displayed their hostility. The Xia soldiers panicked. Their leader rushed forward, shouting, “We are the Great Xia imperial army stationed in Yan Bei. Who are you? Are you an imperial army? Please stop advancing! Please stop advancing!”
With a “swoosh,” a powerful arrow suddenly shot out, piercing the chest of that Xia officer. A line of bloodshot skyward, and the officer fell heavily, smashing to the ground.
“Prepare to engage the enemy! Prepare to engage the enemy!”
Waving swords and spears, hastily changing formation, but everything was too late. Such close distance, such fast horse speed, such overwhelming numerical advantage—from both momentum and numbers, the Xia forces were already at a disadvantage. Retribution came so quickly. The massacre just enacted was performed again, but with the roles reversed. The sound of clashing blades resounded throughout the field. The newcomers, though in varied attire, were skilled in blade work, well-equipped, and decisive in their movements, striking vital points with a single blow!
The battlefield was a sea of blades white as snow. Under such an assault, the Xia forces were like autumn leaves in the wind. In less than half a cup of tea’s time, they were shattered, completely routed!
The fierce wind cut like a blade against the body. Under the dark sky, snow flew, and blades gleamed like silver. The combat effectiveness of this ragtag army was terrifyingly impressive. Everywhere was the sound of fighting, everywhere the sound of chopping. On the snowy plain less than fifty li from North Shuo City, an intense battle was fiercely underway.
“Report!”
A sudden report came. In a hastily erected small tent, a commander was pacing back and forth, seemingly waiting for someone.
The messenger entered and said loudly, “Report, sir, there is a prisoner who voluntarily surrendered, requesting to see you.”
The man was still young, very handsome, with narrow eyes and thin lips. Just one look was enough to know he was a tenacious and resolute person. But at this moment, he seemed somewhat irritable. He frowned and said, “A prisoner from the Xia army? What business does he have with me? Has that soldier from Yan Bei returned yet?”
“Not yet, sir. As for that prisoner, she refuses to say, insisting on seeing you in person.”
The commander casually waved his hand: “Bring her in.”
When Chu Qiao entered, the commander was politely addressing three women sitting in the tent: “Is the lady’s health still good?”
“Health is fine, just that luck isn’t so good. Accidentally became someone else’s prisoner.”
As soon as the words fell, the man’s body trembled violently, and he turned around abruptly. Then, the nearly thirty-year-old man was suddenly dumbfounded, running forward several steps, almost speechless.
“He Xiao, you called me to come all this way, not just to stand here for a while, right?”
“My lady! How is it you?” He Xiao was covered in dust from travel, but it still couldn’t hide the genuine joy on his face.
Chu Qiao pulled off her hood, smiling, “I was about to ask you that. What’s going on? Instead of being a good soldier, you’re leading troops to become mountain bandits? I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”
“My lady, without you, how could we dare to come back confidently?”
He Xiao sighed. Chu Qiao knew he was still apprehensive about Yan Xun abandoning the Southwestern Garrison Commander position in Zhenhuang City. She didn’t point it out but patted his shoulder, “Now I’m back, you should be reassured, right?”
“Yes, otherwise, we wouldn’t have made such a big detour to find you, my lady. We didn’t dare approach North Shuo City, fearing it would cause misunderstanding, so we could only use this method to invite you. Please don’t take offense.”
He Xiao said respectfully. Chu Qiao smiled, “Commander He, since when did you start being so formal with me? We are comrades who have shared life and death, eaten in the same trench and have a friendship forged through life-threatening situations. Now you’ve returned at this moment, I’m truly grateful to you.”
“The lady is back?”
“Is the lady inside?”
Soldiers’ voices suddenly came from outside. Chu Qiao knew they had seen her arrival. He Xiao’s face was flushed with excitement, reddening as he said, “My lady, please come out and say a few words to everyone. We all miss you. When we learned you were in trouble in Bian Tang, we were all about to go rescue you, but halfway there we heard you had returned, so we hurried back.”
Chu Qiao felt deeply moved. The rescue of the Southwestern Garrison Commander was entirely out of strategic considerations, but unexpectedly, that one act of kindness had won the genuine loyalty and affection of these soldiers. She walked to the door, lifted the curtain with one hand, and the wild wind rushed in, blowing cold against her face. Outside, torches lined the way, soldiers crowded densely in front, those faces looking familiar and excited, everyone jostling, just to see her face. Upon seeing her figure, thunderous cheers erupted from the ranks.
“It’s the lady back! It’s her!”
The soldiers shouted in unison, waving their sabers, and expressing their excitement.
Chu Qiao raised her hand, making a gesture for quiet. The scene immediately quieted down, all eyes focused on her. The slender young woman walked up a high slope next to the camp. There, a white flag with red clouds was fluttering. On the military flag, the red fire clouds burned fiercely. This was the military flag of the Southwestern Garrison Commander, symbolizing not only the identity of the Southwestern Garrison Commander originating from Yan Bei but also the history and achievements of this army.
The long wind blew, and Chu Qiao’s black uniform appeared especially straight and valiant in the cold wind. She extended both hands, with sincere eyes, and said clearly, “Soldiers of the Southwestern Garrison! I am Chu Qiao from the Staff Department of Yan Bei’s North Shuo Headquarters, and also your former comrade. Now, it is I who speak to you.”
“Today, seeing you here, I am very happy. You have proven with your actions the correctness of my decision back then, and also proven your loyalty and bravery with your actions. With Great Xia’s strong army at the borders, Yan Bei is in a precarious situation. At this critical moment, to see you resolutely step forward is my, Chu Qiao’s, good fortune, Yan Bei’s good fortune, and the good fortune of all people under heaven! On behalf of the civilians in North Shuo City, on behalf of Prince Yan Xun, on behalf of the land of Yan Bei, I welcome you home!”
“Long live!”
The crowd instantly erupted. Seven thousand soldiers shouted in unison, the entire earth trembling. The soldiers who had rebelled against Great Xia and become displaced roared excitedly, gripping their sabers, shouting, “We swear to follow my lady to death!”
“My lady!” He Xiao stepped forward, holding the military flag of the Southwestern Garrison, walking step by step to Chu Qiao’s side. Suddenly he knelt on one knee, looked up, and said solemnly, “My lady once, with the strength of one person, regardless of life or death, turned the tide, saving four thousand officers and soldiers of the Southwestern Garrison from death. That day, in Zhenhuang City, we already swore to follow my lady for life, to obey my lady’s orders, to follow my lady’s blade, and never betray! Today, I, He Xiao, willingly hand over command of the Southwestern Garrison, four thousand native troops, and three thousand recruits to my lady. Please, my lady, lead us, guide us. From now on, we of the Southwestern Garrison are my lady’s battle blade. Wherever my lady’s riding whip points, we will attack there, never abandoning in life or death, never wavering in loyalty!”
“Boom!”
Sabers were raised together, and seven thousand officers and soldiers of the Southwestern Garrison dropped to one knee, kneeling on the ground, looking up at the young woman standing high, shouting in unison, “Never abandoning in life or death! Never wavering in loyalty!”
She was still so young, even somewhat immature. But, in this world, there is a kind of person who, no matter how weak they may appear, their spirit, their vision, is like a flame. Just being near them, endless power emanates. They make people joyfully submit and follow, and willingly pledge allegiance, and Chu Qiao was exactly such a person. When you look at her, you can completely ignore her age, her experience, her identity, and her status, because she is worthy of it. After all, she is what everyone hopes for!
“Commander He,” Chu Qiao stepped forward, with a firm gaze and serious expression. She slowly extended her hand, “On behalf of the king of Yan Bei, I accept your army, your flag, accept your allegiance!”
“Long live! Long live my lady! Long live Yan Bei!”
Soldiers surged forward like a tide, crowding around Chu Qiao, happily waving their sabers and roaring, while that white flag with red clouds flew vigorously above their heads!
On the evening of the twenty-first day of the tenth month of the year 775, on the snowy plain fifty li from North Shuo City, the future Elegant Queen established her first armed force, and the white flag with red clouds publicly flew for the first time over the highlands of Yan Bei. Seven thousand officers and soldiers of the Southwestern Garrison witnessed this historic moment together. That day, they did not know their fate, nor did they understand how today’s events would bring earth-shattering changes to this ancient land of Western Meng. The axle of history began to turn slowly, unstoppable in its forward march. In the not-too-distant future, this flag would be planted on every inch of land: the ancient and solemn Bian Tang, the iron-blooded and valiant Great Xia, the prosperous Huai Song, the vast and ethereal Eastern Sea, the mysterious and dangerous South Hill, and beyond the passes, that fertile thousand-li expanse of crisp grassland! These elite soldiers would dedicate their lives to the oath they took today, achieving their glorious and magnificent sacred name!
At midnight, under Chu Qiao’s leadership, this elite army composed entirely of light cavalry set out from the snowy plain, advancing at full speed toward North Shuo City, resolutely heading toward that battlefield about to erupt.