The sun retreated behind the clouds as the wind stirred the reeds on both sides of the gentle slope. The beige tassels drooped low, and the figure of a young woman in riding attire grew increasingly distant among the waves of reeds across the wilderness, eventually becoming a tiny reddish-brown dot.
Xie Zheng sat mounted and motionless, his bangs fluttering in the gentle breeze. Beneath those loose strands, his eyes were bloodshot, the whites webbed with crimson vessels.
That distant reddish-brown speck finally vanished into the depths of his blood-threaded pupils.
His face remained expressionless as he pulled the reins to turn his horse around. With casual indifference, he clicked his tongue, and his warhorse began trotting in the opposite direction.
Yet the hand gripping the reins was taut with bulging veins, and upon closer inspection, the reins were stained a rouge color—clearly, his palm had been pierced by his fingernails.
Fan Changyu whipped her horse vigorously, galloping wildly until no one could be seen before or behind her. Only then did she stop.
In the mild weather, even the wind was hushed, with only the fine down of reed flowers dancing gently in the breeze.
Seated on horseback, she lifted her head to gaze at the vast expanse of heaven and earth, forcing herself to take deep breaths. Her chest felt leaden, making it difficult to breathe.
She had never felt so helpless since her parents’ death.
Her maternal grandfather had been condemned as a criminal by the world for seventeen years. If this wrongful accusation couldn’t be cleared, he might become infamous for generations to come.
Her father, whom she had once revered most, was Wei Yan’s man. Even his marriage to her mother might have been part of a conspiracy.
The Crown Prince of Chengde, General Xie, and thousands of soldiers had died tragically when Jinzhou fell because reinforcements and supplies never arrived.
The weight of all these lives pressed heavily on Fan Changyu, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.
She certainly believed her father could never have committed such a foolish act, but her unwavering trust meant nothing without concrete evidence.
Faced with such a monumental historical crime, how could she not feel overwhelmed?
Even with her head held high, tears rolled uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes, trailing down her cheeks to fall upon the desolate wilderness.
She knew she shouldn’t blame Xie Zheng for not believing her, but she couldn’t help feeling devastated.
Fan Changyu reached out to wipe her cheeks clumsily, finally letting out an audible sob.
Her warhorse, seeming to understand its master’s mood, remained still. Horse and rider stood motionless in the reed-filled wilderness, accompanied only by muffled crying.
When Fan Changyu returned to the military camp, only a slight redness beneath her eyelids betrayed that she had been crying.
Xie Wu waited anxiously at the camp’s main gate. Upon seeing Fan Changyu return, he hesitated briefly before stepping forward to take her horse’s reins as he had always done, carefully addressing her: “Squad Leader.”
Fan Changyu dismounted and walked toward the camp with her usual composure. Once they were far from the gate sentries, she asked, “Did he tell you to stay?”
Her voice was somewhat hoarse but otherwise betrayed no emotion.
Xie Wu, hearing this, realized she must have caught up with Xie Zheng. He replied, “When the Marquis sent Seventh and me to accompany Squad Leader to Chongzhou, we were permanently assigned to you.”
Fan Changyu paused, and Xie Wu explained, “With the Marquis, once something is given, it’s never taken back.”
Looking at Fan Changyu, he added awkwardly, “If Squad Leader doesn’t wish to keep us either, we can only return to military service, starting again as foot soldiers.”
Fan Changyu kept her eyes lowered, her thoughts unreadable. After a while, she said, “Then you two shall stay.”
She paused before adding, “Whatever fortune I gain, you’ll share in it too.”
Xie Wu quickly clasped his hands in salute: “Following Squad Leader into battle and protecting the common people is our aspiration.”
Fan Changyu patted his shoulder without further comment.
The bandages on her hands were thinner now, allowing for basic movement.
Xie Wu’s words had effectively ended any thoughts she might have had about sending him and Seventh Xie away.
So far, she hadn’t found any orderlies in the military camp who could match Xie Wu and Seventh Xie’s capabilities. They had served beside Xie Zheng for years and were thoroughly familiar with military affairs. Sending them away and training new orderlies would be a long and troublesome process.
With countless matters requiring attention, Fan Changyu didn’t want to create additional problems for herself just to prove a point.
Moreover, having Seventh Xie watch over affairs in Changning gave her peace of mind.
Upon returning to her quarters, Fan Changyu found not only Centurion Guo but also several unfamiliar centurions waiting for her, each having brought gifts.
Looking at the table piled with pastries, wine, medicinal tonics, and the array of eager smiling faces, she finally understood they had come to visit her.
However, among them were some leaning on crutches or with arms in slings, which caught Fan Changyu by surprise.
In her memory, she barely had any connection with these people, and some appeared even more severely wounded than herself. Why would they make a special trip to see her?
Centurion Guo, noticing her looking oddly at the roomful of silent visitors, took the lead as both her immediate superior and the most familiar face present: “After you returned from the battlefield, you were unconscious for two days and nights. Everyone was quite worried. When they heard you had awakened today, they decided to come visit together.”
Fan Changyu responded politely: “Changyu is grateful to all the officers.”
The group quickly waved off her formality, saying she was being too distant.
Fan Changyu privately mused that except for Centurion Guo, she had probably met the others no more than three times before today. How could they claim to be close?
Nevertheless, she graciously invited them to sit: “Officers, you’re all injured, please don’t remain standing.”
The men just smiled warmly, though after sitting, they found little to say.
Since Fan Changyu’s quarters didn’t have enough chairs, Xie Wu borrowed several benches from other tents.
Fan Changyu felt the atmosphere in the tent was rather strange, with everyone seemingly uncomfortable yet trying hard to appear familiar with her.
Only Centurion Guo, eyeing a jar of wine someone had brought, spoke directly: “Squad Leader Fan, since everyone’s here, why don’t we open a jar of wine?”
In the military camp, camaraderie was built not only on the battlefield but also over drinks.
A shared jar of wine could turn strangers into confidants.
Fan Changyu, noting that Centurion Guo’s head was still wrapped in white cloth, hesitated: “Everyone’s injured…”
The soldiers, probably also feeling the awkward atmosphere, unanimously insisted it was fine. One said, “Even during victory celebrations, we’re usually covered in wounds. If we had to avoid drinking because of injuries, we’d never get to enjoy wine and meat!”
This comment drew laughter from the other soldiers.
Some more perceptive ones, noting Fan Changyu’s injured hands and her being a woman, said, “Let us brothers make merry, but don’t pressure Squad Leader Fan. Her injuries seem serious, we shouldn’t urge her to drink.”
The quicker-witted ones caught on and added, “Yes, yes, we brothers just crave the wine. We’re used to joking around, Squad Leader Fan shouldn’t take it seriously.”
The centurion who had brought the wine chimed in at the right moment: “You bastards, this is Du Kang wine I’ve been saving for ages, and you’re trying to mooch it from Squad Leader Fan!”
Even if Fan Changyu wasn’t well-versed in social niceties, she could see they were trying to curry favor with her.
After brief consideration, she understood why.
Her performance in the battle at Chongzhou City had made her famous. Everyone in the military knew she was due for a promotion. During the past two days, while she was unconscious, they couldn’t visit to establish connections. Today, as soon as she awoke, she was summoned by He Jingyuan. Anyone could see she had earned He Jingyuan’s appreciation.
This promotion might not be just one or two ranks.
For low-ranking military officers like Centurion Guo and the others, if they didn’t establish good relations with her before the official promotions came through, they might struggle even to have a conversation with her in the future.
She recalled Tutor Tao’s words in the carriage when she first joined the military.
Was it better to have an empty title with no capable subordinates, or to start from the bottom and cultivate your talented team?
After being appointed Squad Leader, she had focused solely on selecting capable people from her few dozen subordinates. Only now did she truly understand the meaning behind Tutor Tao’s words.
After her promotion, the truly useful people would be found here.
She suddenly understood why Centurion Guo wanted her to treat everyone to drinks.
Fan Changyu turned to Xie Wu and said: “Go fetch some wine cups. I’ll personally pour for all the officers!”
Xie Wu was startled at first, then understood Fan Changyu’s intention. He hurried out and returned with a stack of wine cups, arranging them on the table.
While some still tried to decline, Fan Changyu said: “We must drink until we’re drunk. Just think of it as satisfying your craving for wine.”
With things put that way, no one wanted to spoil the mood.
Due to her injured palm making it difficult to bend her hand, Xie Wu helped remove the red cloth sealing the wine jar, and she filled each cup.
Once all the centurions held their cups, Fan Changyu raised hers and solemnly addressed them: “I’m new to the military, and I thank all the officers for their guidance these past days. I hope we’ll have the chance to share wine again in the future!”
Whether her words were sincere or diplomatic didn’t matter; she drained her cup in one go.
Today she toasted those in her tent; in the future, others would be toasting her.
Seeing this, the centurions raised their cups and replied: “Squad Leader Fan is too kind. We all hope to drink with Squad Leader Fan again!”
They too drained their cups.
As they set down their cups, the centurions were visibly more cheerful, their expressions much more relaxed than when they first arrived.
This shared drink represented an unspoken alliance and choosing of sides.
Military merit wasn’t easy to earn on the battlefield, especially for those who had already reached the position of centurion. For ordinary soldiers who had served for ten years and reached this rank, without meeting an influential patron or possessing extraordinary talent, this was typically as far as they could advance.
Their initiative in showing goodwill to Fan Changyu demonstrated their clear understanding that her upcoming promotion was based on military merit and that she would need capable subordinates. If she could promote some of them, they would consider themselves fortunate to have found a patron.
At the moment Fan Changyu accepted their goodwill.
After finishing the wine and exchanging a few more pleasantries, the gathering gradually dispersed.
Centurion Guo was the last to leave. Once alone in the barracks, Fan Changyu rose and bowed respectfully to him, “Thank you for your guidance earlier, Centurion Guo.”
Centurion Guo, being straightforward, didn’t mince words, “Drop the formalities, it’s making my teeth ache. And it wasn’t guidance. Even if you hadn’t drunk with those brutes today, they’d still be willing to work under you when you’re short-staffed.”
He glanced at Fan Changyu and continued, “But they’re all old hands in the military camp. They might appear to respect you on the surface but secretly harbor resentment. Not even sharing a bowl of wine with them shows you don’t respect them. That’s an unwritten rule in the camp.”
Fan Changyu nodded, “I’ll remember that.”
She added sincerely, “If there’s anything else I don’t understand in the future, I’ll come directly to you for advice, Centurion Guo. Please don’t find me troublesome.”
This was a subtle attempt at alliance-building.
Centurion Guo responded candidly, “I outrank you for now, so I won’t mince words. When you get promoted, if you can use me, I’ll follow you. I misjudged you earlier, thinking you were just here for military merit. I’ve fought many battles, but never killed so satisfyingly on the battlefield. I thought being a centurion was my limit, but now I want to fight for a general’s rank too!”
After Centurion Guo left, Xie Wu said to Fan Changyu, “Congratulations, Team Leader!”
She now had a group of people under her command who could be useful to her.
Fan Changyu rubbed her brow tiredly and said, “This skill of telling people what they want to hear isn’t something just anyone can master.”
Xie Wu simply smiled, “The Team Leader has figured out how to build connections in the military camp.”
Fan Changyu lifted her eyelids to look at him, “What I said to you on our way back wasn’t just pleasantries. I’ll assign both you and Xiao Qi as my guards.”
Without waiting for Xie Wu’s response, she instructed, “I have a headache. You may go now.”
Xie Wu gave Fan Changyu a look before withdrawing.
Fan Changyu sat alone, lost in thought. She could vaguely see that what she would face in the future would be even more complex.
But to uncover the truth about the past, she had to get closer to the center of power.
Her gaze fell on the halberd on the weapon rack, recalling Xie Wu’s words, “What the Marquis gives away, he won’t take back.” Her emotions became complicated once again.
If she hadn’t noticed and followed him then, he might have left without a word.
Was Xie Wu’s statement meant to reassure her that she wouldn’t have to return everything he had given her?
The bitterness she had managed to suppress on the way back began to spread in her heart again.
Fan Changyu didn’t want to dwell on these unpleasant emotions. Her head was also aching from processing too much shocking information, so she decided to rest for a while.
As she inadvertently touched the silver pieces under her pillow, she remembered the soldier in her team who had given her all his pay before the expedition. Sleep suddenly eluded her.
Earlier, when she had woken up, Xie Zheng, disguised as Xiao Wu, had told her that thirteen men in her team had died in battle, and seventeen were severely wounded.
She had intended to visit her men then, but Marquis He Jingyuan had sent someone to fetch her, causing a series of delays.
Fan Changyu immediately called for Xie Wu and, taking the pastries and supplements the centurions had given her, went to the lower barracks.
The soldiers weren’t as well-informed as Centurion Guo and his peers, but they knew that once the rewards were announced, Fan Changyu would likely be promoted directly to general.
They wanted to ingratiate themselves too, but Fan Changyu had been unconscious for the past two days. Today, when she finally woke up, Marquis He Jingyuan had summoned her away. By the time she returned, the centurions had already gone to pay their respects. There was simply no opportunity for the soldiers.
So when they saw Fan Changyu’s approach, they were surprised and stammered, “T-Team Leader.”
The large military tent had communal beds, with each tent accommodating twenty-five men. It was cramped, but given that they were at war, conditions couldn’t be much better.
A few beds were empty, clearly belonging to the soldiers who had died in battle.
There were no tables in the tent, so the only place to put things was on the military beds. The items Fan Changyu brought were placed on the empty beds.
Fan Changyu asked, “Whose bed is this?”
A nearby soldier with his arm in a sling and bandages around his head immediately teared up and said, “Reporting to Team Leader, it’s Ge Mazi’s. He was my fellow villager. He… he might have been trampled on the battlefield. I searched for two days but couldn’t find his body.”
Towards the end, the soldier wiped his eyes with his good arm, his voice trembling with suppressed sobs.
Fan Changyu asked, “Does he have any family?”
The soldier replied, “His mother and sister.”
Fan Changyu said, “When the rewards and pensions come, I’ll set aside a portion from my reward to send to his family.”
She looked at the other soldiers in the tent and promised, “The same goes for all of you. In the future, no matter who dies, their parents, siblings, and children will become our parents, siblings, and children. We’ll take care of them together.”
These words brought tears to many soldiers’ eyes, and they shouted hoarsely, “Agreed!”
Whether it was due to the heart-protecting mirror she had given him or not, the soldier who had entrusted her with his pay before the battle had indeed returned alive, with only minor injuries.
Fan Changyu returned the silver to him, saying, “From now on, you needn’t worry about your parents having no one to support them.”
The soldier took the silver, smiling sheepishly with reddened eyes, and agreed. He then tried to return the heart-protecting mirror to Fan Changyu.
Fan Changyu said, “Keep it. I don’t need it.”
The soldier thanked her again and, under the envious gazes of his comrades, carefully put away the precious mirror.
One of the bolder soldiers asked hopefully, “Team Leader after you’re promoted, can we still follow you?”
Fan Changyu replied, “Of course you can.”
In this battle, although they had defeated the Chongzhou army, it was a narrow victory.
Marquis He Jingyuan had been hit by a stray arrow, and the Chongzhou rebels spread rumors of his death, causing chaos among the Jizhou army, and resulting in heavy losses.
If they hadn’t luckily killed Prince Changxin and turned the tables on Chongzhou, the outcome of that day’s battle would have been uncertain.
Her ability to stab Prince Changxin when he was off guard was largely due to his underestimation of her upon discovering she was a woman.
After the rebels retreated into the city that day, they had kept the city gates tightly closed for the past two days. It was said that Prince Changxin’s eldest son was temporarily in charge within the city.
Marquis He Jingyuan didn’t order an immediate follow-up attack for two reasons: first, his injury was indeed quite serious, and second, although the Jizhou army’s situation was slightly better than that of the rebels inside Chongzhou city, it wasn’t much better. They had suffered severe losses in manpower and needed time to recover.
At this point, there weren’t enough troops. Even if Fan Changyu were promoted, she wouldn’t be directly assigned to a new troop. Most likely, she would be tasked with leading this current unit under a higher-ranking general.
With Fan Changyu’s assurance, the soldiers were visibly more at ease, feeling that as long as they followed her, even going into battle wasn’t so frightening.
Fan Changyu’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. She carefully inquired about the condition of each wounded soldier under her command and earnestly remembered the names of every soldier who had died in battle.
After leaving the barracks, she let out a deep breath and gazed at the distant horizon, her eyes growing increasingly determined.
The more she understood the cruelty of the battlefield and the hardships of the low-ranking soldiers, the less she could tolerate the possibility that the Battle of Jinzhou seventeen years ago was a conspiracy.
The reputations of Crown Prince Chengde and General Xie were still highly praised among the common people.
The tragic deaths of this heir apparent and this pillar of the nation were mourned by the people, but those soldiers who died unjustly on the battlefield also had families waiting for their return.
The truth should not be buried by the intrigues of those in power—
Kang City.
Dark clouds pressed down on the city, threatening a thunderstorm.
Cold winds whipped the banners on the city tower, making the lonely, towering walls appear even more low and weak beneath the rolling thunderclouds.
Fine raindrops seemed to strike their faces, intensifying the chill.
The deputy commander, standing at the battlement of the city wall, looked down at the sea of black that was the Yanzhou Xie family army, no less imposing than the thunderclouds. His voice began to tremble, “Young… Young Master, news from Chongzhou says that the Prince has fallen. Chongzhou city will likely be taken in a matter of days. Marshal Wu’an gathering his troops to attack our city now means he’s determined to take Kang City…”
“If he attacks, we defend. That’s all there is to it.”
The person beside him spoke these words without inflection, a pale jaw in the cold wind and fine rain, carrying a frost-like chill.
For a moment, it was impossible to tell whether this was indifference born of resignation or confidence.
Compared to last time, Sui Yuanqing seemed to have lost even more weight, the dark circles under his eyes deeper, and the whites of his eyes laced with bloodshot lines.
The deputy commander knew that attacking a city during a rainstorm didn’t favor the attackers, but with Marshal Wu’an commanding the opposite side, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Marshal Wu’an was known for his unconventional tactics, never following the strategies in military books. It was even rumored that if one were to compile all the tactics Marshal Wu’an had used in his battles, it would make for an entirely new military treatise.
The deputy commander carefully peered out from the battlement and saw that the Yanzhou army below hadn’t even brought scaling ladders for the siege.
The army spread out like black iron beyond the range of the tower’s archers and had crossbowmen at the forefront. These were not ordinary crossbows that could be drawn by arm strength alone; the crossbowmen had to lie on the ground and use the power of their waist and legs to cock them. Assistants beside them would load three arrows into the slots, and when fired in unison, the arrows flew toward the city tower like a meteor shower.
The defenders at the tower battlements didn’t even have time to react before they were shot through, both men and arrows.
Although not as powerful as siege crossbows that could penetrate city walls, at this range, the damage to personnel far exceeded that of ordinary arrows.
The deputy commander’s face turned pale with fright. He pulled at Sui Yuanqing, nearly ducking and running into the city tower. He panicked, “Young Master, this is bad! Marshal Wu’an intends to launch a direct assault!”
Below the city tower, behind the crossbow formation and in front of the cavalry, stood a war chariot.
Gong Sun Yin, emulating his predecessors, held a feather fan, his white robe billowing in the battlefield’s fierce wind, appearing almost divine.
He glanced at the thick black thunderclouds gathering over half the sky, then looked at the person beside him, whose men and horses all exuded a cold, murderous aura. He asked puzzledly, “It’s about to rain heavily. If we want to attack Kang City, we don’t need to rush it in a day or two. Why insist on deploying troops at this time?”
The Ferghana warhorse under Xie Zheng stomped its hooves restlessly. Xie Zheng held a halberd in one hand, his palm wrapped with a small bandage. A faint wet streak appeared on the black iron blade as raindrops slid across it.
He coldly gazed at the Kang City tower dozens of zhang away, the taotie beast’s head on his pauldron fierce and ominous, accentuating the ruthlessness between his brows: “Before the thunderstorm descends, Kang City should fall.”
Gong Sun Yin couldn’t help but look at him again. He knew this man had always been arrogant, but he never imagined he could be this arrogant.
Recalling his seemingly normal yet subtly abnormal behavior since returning from Chongzhou, he suddenly frowned and said, “Why do I feel like you’re fighting this battle as if you’re venting?”