Li Tianjiao’s eyes brimmed with tears upon hearing these words from General Cui Shanzhong. She gritted her teeth and shouted: “Open the palace doors! We charge out! Even if we die… we must kill a few more of these dogs who dare trample our sacred Western Liang before we fall!”

Cui Shanzhong nodded. Since they had already resolved to die, they would never cower inside the great hall, waiting for Great Zhou and Yan to strike them down in disgrace.

Soon, the palace doors swung wide open…

Li Tianjiao, Cui Shanzhong, and all the Western Liang generals led the charge out from within the hall.

The Bai family army and Yan forces surrounding the great hall tightened their grips on their long swords, raising their guard.

“Ninth Prince, Fifth Young Master Bai…” Cui Shanzhong cupped his hands toward the two men. “This old man never expected that after thinking he had obtained intelligence from the Yan Empress Dowager about the Yan army fighting against Great Zhou forces, capturing Great Zhou’s emperor’s younger brother, Fifth Young Master Bai – even if it couldn’t provoke the two nations into war, at least their alliance wouldn’t remain too solid – never expected… it would all come to naught. Fifth Young Master Bai… the young are truly to be feared. This old man admires you!”

Cui Shanzhong spoke these words with genuine sincerity. Just the fact that Bai Qingyu lay motionless on the window despite whatever torment the imperial physicians inflicted was enough to earn Cui Shanzhong’s respect.

“For those Cui, Cui is willing to fight face to face! Our Western Liang Emperor is also willing to fight face-to-face! Fight to the death for our nation! Please, Ninth Prince of Yan and Fifth Young Master Bai, do not show mercy!” After Old General Cui Shanzhong finished speaking, he raised the sword in his hand, still instinctively shielding Li Tianjiao behind him, and shouted: “Kill!”

The Western Liang army drew their blades in unison, crying out: “Kill!”

Though at this moment the Western Liang forces had resolved to die with terrifying momentum, both the Bai family army and Yan forces knew they were merely at the end of their strength, roaring as they charged forward.

This was Li Tianjiao’s first time truly facing battlefield slaughter – flashing blades and swords, extremely perilous. Despite Cui Shanzhong and all the soldiers protecting her, she still sustained injuries. Her entire body was sticky with fresh blood. She thought it would hurt terribly, but only upon truly entering battle did she realize that a person could become numb to pain.

Sword after sword, Li Tianjiao’s hair became disheveled, her face and body already impossible to distinguish whose blood was whose – her own or others’.

After an unknown amount of time, the Western Liang army had been forced back to the position at the great hall’s entrance.

“Your Majesty, be careful!” Old General Cui Shanzhong grabbed Li Tianjiao and casually flung the long sword from his hand, just resolving an enemy soldier who had swung his blade at Li Tianjiao. That struck enemy’s sharp blade grazed past Li Tianjiao’s jade crown, instantly splitting the crown in half, falling to the ground along with scattered hair.

The old general saw another cold, gleaming blade attacking Li Tianjiao, turned, and used his aged body to shield their Western Liang Emperor.

The long sword pierced through the already tattered armor. Old General Cui Shanzhong spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The Western Liang army, already few, immediately fell into chaos, all crying out for their old general!

Li Tianjiao, her hair disheveled, embraced Old General Cui Shanzhong from behind, gritting her teeth as she dragged him into the great hall, shouting: “Close the doors! Close the palace doors!”

The remaining Western Liang soldiers who had retreated into the hall immediately shut the doors, using their bodies to brace against them, unsure if this counted as a dying struggle.

Yue Shi was just about to break down the doors when Xiao Rongyan called out: “Yue Shi!”

Yue Shi turned around.

He heard his master shout: “Western Liang Female Emperor, if you surrender now, perhaps Old General Cui can still be saved.”

Inside the hall, silence reigned.

Li Tianjiao looked down at Old General Cui Shanzhong, whose lips were moving: “Old General, Old General, how are you?”

“Your Majesty, everyone… must die eventually. For this old minister to die in battle for Western Liang – for this old minister who is a soldier, this is the best possible end! I am very happy!” Old General Cui Shanzhong’s breath was as faint as gossamer.

“Old General goes first, I… will follow shortly!” Li Tianjiao’s tears fell as she struggled to steady her voice. “We have both done our utmost for Western Liang!”

Old General Cui Shanzhong advised in a low voice: “Your Majesty, surrender! This old minister’s death matters not, but Your Majesty is still young. Like Great Liang’s Third Prince, live peacefully through the remainder of your life, and stay to see… whether Great Zhou or Yan will prevail in their struggle for supremacy over the Central Plains. A hundred years hence, Your Majesty must come tell this old minister whether Great Zhou or Yan achieved unification of the realm! And whether the common people under their rule… live better than when the various states each occupied their territories!”

At this moment, whatever Old General Cui Shanzhong said was all in the hope that Li Tianjiao could live.

Surrender – Li Tianjiao would certainly be remembered in history, becoming a monarch cursed by the Western Liang people, but at least she would live.

Not surrender – perhaps Li Tianjiao could earn the admiration of future generations, but in Old General Cui Shanzhong’s view, that wasn’t worth it. Ever since his family members had all died, he finally understood that nothing was more important than staying alive.

After speaking, Old General Cui Shanzhong breathed his last in Li Tianjiao’s arms.

The Western Liang soldiers bracing against the door were filled with tears, looking toward Li Tianjiao, who was now their pillar of support, waiting for Li Tianjiao to decide whether to surrender or die.

“But Old General, I… am Western Liang’s emperor. I only wish to see Western Liang unify the realm, to see the common people under Western Liang’s rule well-clothed and well-fed. If another nation unifies the realm, such a world is not worth seeing!”

Li Tianjiao placed Old General Cui Shanzhong on the ground, tore a strip of cloth from the bright yellow hanging curtains, and meticulously gathered her long hair, binding it atop her head. From her chest, she retrieved the poison she had long prepared for herself, tilted her head back, and drained it…

“Your Majesty!”

The Western Liang generals bracing against the door rushed swiftly to Li Tianjiao’s side, knocking the poison bottle from her hand, but it was already too late.

Li Tianjiao looked at the other Western Liang soldiers: “Don’t accompany me in death! As General Cui said, being able to live is not easy. Go out!”

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty!”

“We will go with Your Majesty!”

Those Western Liang soldiers were unwilling to leave, kneeling before Li Tianjiao and kowtowing. Their vow to die together was no jest.

Li Tianjiao looked at these Western Liang soldiers, covered in wounds, who had truly fought to the very end, and nodded. She stood up, enduring the severe pain brought by the poison as she walked toward her imperial throne.

The Western Liang soldiers knelt on the ground, watching as Li Tianjiao clutched her abdomen and climbed the high steps one by one, taking the candle flame from the tall table and walking to the hanging curtains, apparently intending to set the palace ablaze.

The flickering candle flame in her hand approached the bright yellow auspicious cloud brocade hanging curtains. The flame wavered, then tentatively moved closer to the brocade curtains…

Just as the fire was about to lick the curtains, Li Tianjiao suddenly pulled the candle flame away, enduring the severe pain as she tossed the candle aside and supported herself against the table… sitting down on her dragon throne.

She had originally intended to set this Western Liang imperial palace ablaze, leaving Great Zhou and Yan with nothing, but if she burned down the Western Liang palace, Western Liang would truly only leave behind a name in history.