Without war, the vast northern wilderness at sunset carried a feeling of far-reaching grandeur.

There was a certain bleakness to it, yes — but more than that, the sheer openness brought a sense of spaciousness to the soul.

Perhaps it was that feeling which led Li Chi to think about what to name his future child. Whatever name it was, it would have to be something grand and far-reaching.

He and Gao Xining stood on a small rise, watching the sun set over the wilderness, their hearts moved by countless thoughts.

“This land is so vast, so profound. If it were properly governed — if the water and grass were allowed to flourish again — it would become magnificent grazing land.”

He looked at Gao Xining and said, “So the child’s name should carry that same sense of vastness. How about Li Liao?”

Gao Xining: “The characters are nice enough — but why is it that the moment I hear that name, I think of a massage parlor?”

Li Chi paused and turned it over in his mind. Then he nodded. “You know… you have a point.”

He smiled and said, “Let’s just wait until we’re back in Chang’an. We’ll ask Grandfather and Master — have the three elders help us think of something. When those three find out you’re with child, I can’t imagine how delighted they’ll be.”

Gao Xining pouted. “If it weren’t for those three old men blocking everything at every turn, our eldest would already be running off to buy soy sauce by now.”

Li Chi thought about it. That was a fair point. He nodded. “You’re right. If we’d been bolder back at the Jizhou Academy, we’d have a child old enough to command troops by now.”

Gao Xining’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Li Chi. “So you had such scandalous thoughts back then?”

Li Chi: “How could I? Back then I knew nothing. I was pure and innocent, simple and uncomplicated.”

Gao Xining: “You were taken in by Master when you were still swaddled in a cradle, yes?”

Li Chi nodded. “That’s right. Why do you ask?”

Gao Xining said, “Growing up with a man like our master — by the time you were three, pure and innocent was probably already off the table. By age six, you were already his assistant.”

Li Chi: “Five.”

Gao Xining: “Pfft!”

Just as they were talking, Tang Pidi and Dantai Yajing came over and bowed to Li Chi and Gao Xining.

“Is there something to report?”

Li Chi asked.

Tang Pidi said, “Scouts from the forward position have sent word — the Black Martial troops at White Mountain have been making movements. It appears the Iron Crane people can’t hold still any longer — they likely already know about the slaughter Boertiechina carried out at their main base.”

Li Chi said, “That’s to be expected.”

Tang Pidi said, “So this subject and Dantai are leading the troops out now. Your Majesty can summon Xiahou from the frontier to continue preparations for the assault on White Mountain.”

That the Iron Crane people would return had been anticipated from the very start of the campaign. Tang Pidi would take the heavy armored cavalry and all the light cavalry — it had always been in preparation for battle against them.

In the earlier decisive battle against the Black Martial forces, the cavalry under Cheng Wujie’s command had already clashed once with the Iron Crane cavalry — but with such an enormous difference in numbers, little damage had been inflicted.

This time, the Iron Crane people would be returning in desperate urgency. An ambush along the way might be enough to knock out a portion of their forces — and more importantly, to buy time.

At this moment, Boertiechina’s Naran cavalry should already be cutting a path of chaos across the outer steppe. The Ning cavalry’s current strength wasn’t enough for a decisive open-field battle against the Iron Crane cavalry — but as long as they could harass and hold them, it would buy Boertiechina more time.

When Boertiechina had set out, Tang Pidi had carefully instructed him on what to do once he reached the steppe: who to fight, who to win over, and once allies were secured, not to show the slightest stinginess — even giving away seven or eight tenths of the spoils was worth it, without a moment’s hesitation.

The Iron Crane people had held a dominant position on the steppe for far too long. The overwhelming majority of outer steppe tribes had been crushed under their heel and would have loved nothing more than to see every last Iron Crane person dead.

But without a golden opportunity, they still didn’t dare to resist Iron Crane rule.

Boertiechina’s declaration upon reaching the steppe — that he would make war on no tribe except the Iron Crane — had produced a mood of watchful waiting among the various tribes. They wouldn’t help him, but they wouldn’t help the Iron Crane either.

They were all waiting to see how fast Boertiechina moved.

Before the Iron Crane main cavalry could return, he needed to tear through their royal court — leaving those thirty-some thousand cavalry with nothing to come back to. Even then, even if they came back at full strength, the other tribes would no longer fear them. Iron Crane stripped down to thirty thousand cavalry and nothing else — what was there left to be afraid of?

So the goal of this Ning army sortie was not to inflict massive casualties on the Iron Crane cavalry — only to delay them as long as possible.

“Is the old general close?” Li Chi looked at Dantai Yajing.

Dantai Yajing nodded. “Should be soon. He came in from the southwest of the northern wilderness — with the Liangzhou cavalry positioned to set an ambush behind Boertiechina’s force. There’s been no messenger yet, but by the estimated timeline, he should already be in position.”

Li Chi nodded. “Protect the old general well. When this battle is over, invite him to Chang’an for a long rest.”

Dantai Yajing clasped his fist. “This subject obeys.”

Li Chi looked at Tang Pidi. “Just keep harassing the Iron Crane — don’t rush. Attacking White Mountain is different from the decisive battle against the Black Martial forces. It’s not a matter of speed — we have to wait for the siege equipment and supplies to arrive from the rear before we can engage. That will take some time. Deal with the Iron Crane first, then come back for White Mountain.”

Tang Pidi bowed. “This subject obeys.”

The two bid their farewells to Li Chi, and led tens of thousands of Ning cavalry — along with those six thousand heavy cavalry — out to set the ambush ahead of the Iron Crane advance.

Li Chi sent word to the frontier to bring Xiahou Zhuo up. That fellow was probably lonely over there by himself.

And just thinking about showing off again when he arrived — Li Chi felt it was rather wonderful.

—

Meanwhile, far away on the outer steppe.

Inside a vast, gilded palace, Boertiechina descended slowly from the great ceremonial dais.

In the hall before him stood the chieftains of the outer steppe’s various tribes — great and small Ejin and khans, every one of them watching him.

This golden palace was the Iron Crane royal court.

The outer steppe peoples didn’t traditionally build structures on this scale. Perhaps the Iron Crane people, looking with envy at the Black Martial Empire’s imperial palaces, had wanted something to proclaim their own status.

So they had spent years constructing this immense and imposing hall.

It wasn’t a true capital — just one very large building, with no walls around it and nothing else nearby.

Boertiechina descended from the dais, walking slowly, speaking as he went: “I am very pleased that all of you honored guests have accepted my invitation. You are no doubt also aware — this is the Iron Crane royal court. Perhaps this is the first time it has been someone other than the Iron Crane who stands here to welcome you.”

He paused, then continued: “Perhaps all of you also still remember who the masters of this steppe once were…”

He swept his gaze around the room, and smiled.

“I have returned on behalf of the Naran tribe — but I am not here to tell you that the Naran tribe will reclaim its place as king of this steppe.”

“There is only one master under heaven — and that is the Emperor of Great Ning. I come here today as his representative, to meet with all of you.”

“His Majesty’s great army has defeated a million Black Martial troops on the northern wilderness. The Iron Crane’s thirty-thousand cavalry are now drifting souls with nowhere to go.”

“This royal court is no longer the Iron Crane’s to command. This steppe will no longer be a place where the Black Martial people can enslave you.”

“His Majesty the Emperor of Great Ning has said — he will lift every shackle the Black Martial people have placed upon you. For five years, he will levy no taxes or tribute of any kind from the tribes of the steppe.”

Boertiechina continued down from the dais, speaking as he walked: “You may not yet be familiar with the Central Plains. The Central Plains is now unified under one rule — its vast mountains and rivers all part of Great Ning’s domain.”

“The Black Martial people can no longer do as they once pleased… I see some uncertain looks among you. If you don’t believe me, I don’t mind if you try to fight me right now.”

This was a calculated risk — but it had to be said.

The situation at this moment was complex. After Boertiechina had taken the Iron Crane royal court, several smaller tribes had begun showing goodwill toward him.

All of them had received generous gifts from Boertiechina — taken, of course, from the Iron Crane’s own stores.

Gradually, more than twenty small and mid-sized tribes had explicitly declared their willingness to recognize the Naran tribe’s return to the outer steppe.

With that beginning in place, the larger tribes began to grow restless.

The Iron Crane people had been ransacked by the Naran — they had all seen it. The ferocity of the killing had been plain: it was annihilation, not merely war. They had seen that too.

The moment Naran cavalry swept into the royal court, the slaughter had begun.

Perhaps it was the bitterness of the Iron Crane people’s two incursions into Naran territory. Perhaps it was the hatred born of Iron Crane’s old betrayal.

Whatever the reason, the Naran warriors had become beasts on horseback — without a shred of mercy, even when the people they were killing included women and children.

But because the killing was so absolute, every tribe on the outer steppe now understood that there was no going back. There was no room for ambiguity.

And so it was time to take a side.

If they still hadn’t declared themselves, it might not be long before Boertiechina’s cavalry turned toward the larger, quieter tribes.

A king returns. Thunder is his instrument.

Annihilation was nothing unprecedented on the outer steppe. The Iron Crane people had wiped out more tribes over the years than the Naran ever had.

“I have already extended an invitation to Grand General Dantai Qi of Western Liangzhou. His Liangzhou iron cavalry will join with mine to ambush the returning Iron Crane forces.”

Boertiechina said, “His Majesty the Emperor of Great Ning’s million-strong northern expedition army is also advancing from the eastern edge of the northern wilderness.”

He swept the room once more. “I will not ask any of you to fight the Iron Crane alongside me. But I will require you not to interfere.”

“If I learn that anyone — during my battle against the Iron Crane — has sided with the Iron Crane, then I will leave the Iron Crane for later and first raze that person’s tribe to the ground, killing every last living thing.”

Boertiechina raised his voice: “Are you all clear now? I will say it again — you may pretend to see nothing. When I have finished with the Iron Crane, come and offer your congratulations, and I will smile and thank you.”

“Don’t interfere. Don’t take sides. That is what you are to do.”

When he finished, he swept the room a third time.

But now, every chieftain present was forced to consider a single question: Boertiechina needed none of them — and was confident of defeating the Iron Crane without any help.

His dominance was so overwhelming that none of them dared question it.

“I am willing to follow the Khan!”

One of the smaller tribal chieftains who had already received considerable favors stepped forward, performing the prostration rite reserved for acknowledging the master of the steppe.

“From this day forward, on behalf of my tribe, I am willing to recognize the Emperor of Great Ning as the Khan of Khans, and the Naran tribe as the royal house of the outer steppe.”

Once the first spoke, a second quickly followed. These smaller tribal chieftains had already been won over by Boertiechina — they had been planted specifically for this moment. In ordinary times, the larger tribes paid no attention to them. But now, they had declared first — and the larger ones were left to wonder: if they held out, if they never declared at all, what would become of them when Boertiechina truly won?

If he actually won, would he really thank those who had sat on their hands?

Nobody believed that for a moment.

The bloodshed on the steppe had always run far deeper than anything in the Central Plains.

If Boertiechina was truly the returning king, then those who had not declared today would face destruction tomorrow.

And so more people stepped forward — bowing, submitting — more and more of them.

—