He would definitely be fine. The River Loop Campaign five years ago, the Battle of Songlu Ridge four years ago, the Battle of Xihei two years ago, recovering Nanjiang, pacifying East Qi, marching into Haishi—over all these years, he had been through hundreds of battles. Which one wasn’t extremely perilous? Which one wasn’t a matter of life and death? And which time didn’t he lead from the front, placing himself in mortal danger before achieving victory? Even now, penetrating deep with an isolated army, even now with no supply lines or provisions, even now facing enemies dozens of times his number, he wouldn’t be in trouble. He was born to be a radiant king and war god, walking between blade edges and bloody rain—he would never die under enemy iron hooves.
She firmly believed this, had always firmly believed it.
But why did her heart still ache beyond control, as if someone had suspended a sharp sword above her heart, and every beat would pierce deep into her blood vessels, with fresh blood flowing endlessly?
Qing Xia tightly clenched her fists, took a deep breath, then exhaled, as if swallowing down all that turbid air.
She would go to Loulan, and no matter who blocked her path ahead, she would show no mercy—kill anyone who stands in the way, kill even Buddha if Buddha blocks the path!
After two days of arduous travel, the Chu army finally reached the Lujia trade route outside Loulan on the third day. Looking at the devastated battlefield before them, Qing Xia’s heart finally sank heavily. It was like a traveler walking in the desert who knew where to find a spring, but upon arriving discovered that place had long since become a patch of dried wasteland.
Scattered corpses and weapons everywhere, blood staining the ground, banners sparse and forlorn. Carrion eagles circled in the sky, occasionally letting out shrill cries. Torches still burning in the cold wind crackled and popped, with the aroma of roasted fat lingering in the air, yet making people want to vomit. Everywhere the eye could see were traces of defeat—the scorching of war had completely destroyed this once bustling and prosperous merchant and traveler destination. Wild winds howled and yellow sand rolled, as if even heaven couldn’t bear to watch and wanted to raise yellow waves to bury everything here.
“My lord.” Song Yang hesitantly stepped forward, wanting to say something, but his lips went white and he never opened his mouth. Those bloody facts were laid bare before them—there was no room left for self-deception.
Gradually there was subtle commotion in the ranks. The fear they had witnessed along the way finally found an outlet at this moment, and panicked emotions began spreading through the army. Pairs of eyes gradually turned red, and chests that had once boiled with hot blood gradually cooled, leaving only thick disappointment and confusion.
“Continue forward, march on Loulan.”
A heavy, low voice suddenly rang out, as if a knife scraping across raw iron. Qing Xia’s straight spine was so stubborn. She gazed ahead with cold, sharp eyes, spurring her horse forward. The soldiers behind her all shuddered in unison, simultaneously raising their heads to look at their commander with various expressions—such reverence and fear, yet also such distrust and doubt.
“My lord!” A junior officer suddenly frowned and said, “His Majesty’s forces have suffered total casualties. There are at least several times our number of enemy troops ahead. We are being so rash and hasty—this subordinate believes it improper.”
Qing Xia didn’t turn her head, only half-squinted her eyes and looked sideways at him, her gaze sharp and penetrating, with hidden currents lurking beneath like ice.
The junior officer, a full seven-foot tall man, suddenly felt irrepressible nervousness under Qing Xia’s gaze. He stuck out his tongue to lick his lips and continued, “All along the way we’ve seen that North Qin, Xichuan, and various Xiongnu tribes have all sent troops. We are exhausted with insufficient forces—we really shouldn’t confront the enemy head-on.”
“Oh?” The low voice rose slightly as she said lightly, “Then what do you think we should do?”
“This subordinate, this subordinate believes,” the junior officer hesitated slightly, and after a long while, said in a low voice, “This subordinate believes we should withdraw, return to Great Chu, reorganize our forces, then, then make a comeback.”
“Is that so?” The young general snorted softly and said lightly, “This is the brilliant plan you came up with?”
“This subordinate is only thinking of the big picture.”
“I think you’re considering your head on your neck!” A sharp voice suddenly rang out as Qing Xia’s eyes turned cold and she said sternly.
The junior officer’s legs immediately trembled, and with a thud he jumped down from his horse and knelt on the ground, saying in a deep voice, “This subordinate wouldn’t dare!”
Qing Xia didn’t even glance at him, her gaze sweeping over everyone one by one. After a long while, she finally said in a low voice, “Anyone else who dares disturb military morale—I won’t need the Xiongnu to act, this officer will personally take your heads. This mission has only one purpose: either succeed or die honorably. Don’t make me say it a second time.”
Yellow sand rolled, and the general in white armor and black robes sat straight-backed, spurring her horse forward, step by step steadfastly walking toward the depths of the desert.
Fifty li, thirty li, ten li, seven li—all along the way were traces of war and devastation. The closer they got to Loulan, the more tragic the battle situation became. Qing Xia’s army encountered no enemy forces, which to some degree helped the army advance quickly while also indicating that all enemies had gone to pursue the man she wanted to rescue. At Quanma Fields, scouts finally brought back intelligence. Following the panicked scouts into Loulan, a hellish scene of flowing blood finally presented itself completely before everyone, like a heavy hammer smashing the already insignificant hope they had left.
Qing Xia’s body sitting on her horse trembled slightly. She slowly closed her eyes, frowning tightly. After just a general glance, she turned her horse around and continued west.
That afternoon, Grand Marshal Qing Xia took out a letter secretly delivered by the Chu Emperor’s messenger three days prior and announced to her subordinates the strategy of luring enemies deep to wipe them all out in one net. Only then did the South Chu soldiers truly feel relieved and regain confidence to continue following Grand Marshal Qing Xia.
However, among everyone, only Song Yang clearly knew that no messenger had secretly arrived three days ago—that letter establishing the strategy was written by Qing Xia herself.
The battle situation grew increasingly dire, and the weather became even worse. The climate in the desert was always unpredictable, and a massive storm struck without warning, forcing Qing Xia’s army to retreat to the empty ancient city of Loulan to wait out the storm.
However, just at this time, countless hands were slowly approaching this brilliant pearl of the desert.
On a vast yellow desert, a young general in blue armor lowered his telescope. Two elegant eyebrows furrowed lightly on his jade-white face, and his phoenix eyes half-squinted like a sharp eagle.
A man in purple silk robes lazily yawned and slowly climbed down from an ornate carriage. His boots inlaid with beautiful jade sank into the sand with great difficulty as he swayed unsteadily forward, speaking to the young general: “Have the scouts returned? In such blazing sun, we should find a shady place to sleep.”
The young general turned around, handed the telescope to an attendant at his side, and said with indifferent eyes and tone to the purple-robed man, “They should be back soon. If you’re tired, go rest in the carriage. I’ll notify you when they return.”
The purple-robed man seemed not to notice the general’s cold expression. He took out a silk handkerchief from his chest, spread it on the ground, and sat down directly, lowering his head as if about to fall asleep. “I’ve been sleeping all along the way and have slept enough. It’s good to come out and get some sun.”
The young general gave a look to an attendant nearby. Understanding, the subordinate quickly ran to the carriage, retrieved a large umbrella, and ran back to shade the man. The purple-robed man lazily glanced at the umbrella with half-closed eyes and said meaningfully, “Nan’er, I already told you—this time I came specifically to get some sun. You know that Miss Song from Clear Lake said this king is too feminine, lacking masculine vigor, and would rather shave her head to become a nun than submit to me. Hmph, this king has roamed among flowers for so many years—what scene haven’t I witnessed? If this king weren’t unwilling to use those base methods, no matter how chaste and virtuous she is, she couldn’t escape this king’s grasp. When this king returns, I’ll let her properly witness what true masculine vigor really is.”
The young general’s expression didn’t change, but his gaze flickered slightly, though it disappeared in an instant. He only respectfully nodded and said, “Foster father, the desert sun is harsh. If foster father truly wants to sunbathe, please wait until we return to find a proper place.”
“Mm, you’re right too.” The purple-robed man nodded with a smile. “Nan’er is still the most thoughtful. With you handling desert affairs, this king can be at ease.”
The young general nodded and said, “Please rest assured, foster father.”
The purple-robed man slowly stood up, stretched lazily, and rich fragrance immediately scattered in all directions as he muttered lazily, “There’s nothing to worry about anyway. With that old doctor from Nanjiang in hand, we needn’t worry that madman Chu Li won’t take the bait. Besides, Qi’an, Guli A’shu, and the Longge family aren’t decorative either. Even if Qin Zhixiang has second thoughts, we still have backup plans. Now I only fear that wild woman Hua Rongyue won’t cooperate properly. This king has never figured out this woman’s background, and she’s so beautiful—if this king had to act against her, this king really couldn’t harden his heart.”
The general called Nan’er lowered his head and said in a deep voice, “Foster father, rest assured. Lu Huayang is monitoring Hua Rongyue. Once this group of horse bandits makes any suspicious moves, the mercenaries we hired will act immediately and won’t delay matters.”
The purple-robed man appeared only a few years older than the light-armored general, yet was called foster father without showing any discomfort. Instead, he said unhurriedly, “I don’t trust that woman Lu Huayang at all. Women—they’re fine for painting eyebrows and applying powder, but what sense does it make for them to wield swords on battlefields…” Just as he said this, he suddenly stopped, looking at Nan’er with embarrassment, smiling as he leaned over to whisper in his ear, “I’m not talking about you.”
His breath, carrying a slight wine scent but more floral fragrance, sprayed warmly on the young general’s face. Two faint blushes immediately rose on the general’s pale face. The general’s voice was somewhat awkward as he changed the subject: “Then why did foster father still assign such an important task to North Qin?”