The battle horns had been sounding without pause since before dawn. The military camp stirred like an awakening beast, stretching its body, arching its back, and slowly striding across the open fields.
At the head of this great beast flew banners that reached toward the heavens, visible even to the soldiers positioned farthest away. But this time, something was different from what the soldiers were accustomed to—beside General Chu’s great black flag flew a bright yellow banner.
“That flag doesn’t look quite right,” A-Le whispered.
She was no longer an inexperienced maid from the countryside. She had attended the Empress’s coronation ceremony and now served in the inner palace.
“When it’s wrong, it’s right,” Xie Yanlai remarked beside her. “Where would we find the correct one at a time like this? We’re lucky to have gathered so many theater troupes nearby and collected enough banners to stitch together.”
“Theater banners?” A-Le couldn’t help but laugh. “Will that work?”
“This is a border commandery, a military camp. How many people here have seen the Empress’s phoenix banner?” Xie Yanlai said. “The banners don’t matter as long as the person is real.”
As they spoke, the sound of horse hooves approached from behind. The armored imperial guards advanced solemnly, with Ding Dachui at the front. His expression was solemn, without any sign of weak knees or anxious heart—this wasn’t his first time serving as the Empress’s escort.
“Her Imperial Majesty the Empress arrives—” Ding Dachui called out with a voice trained from hunting in the mountains.
His shout echoed across the wilderness. All soldiers in formation turned to look, seeing the commander’s high carriage slowly approaching. Atop it was not their familiar General Chu, but a woman.
The woman wore magnificent robes the likes of which they had never seen, with a resplendent crown upon her head. She was like a phoenix descending from the heavens, landing amidst the black military formation like brilliant five-colored clouds.
So this was the Empress.
Everyone knew the Empress had arrived, and that she often rode through the military camp on patrol. But until now, they had only seen Young Lady Chu. It was only at this moment that they truly felt her presence as the Empress.
“The Western Liang has taken advantage of the turmoil in our Great Xia—the passing of the late Emperor and the youth of our new Emperor—to invade our border commanderies and harm our people,” Chu Zhao’s voice rang out clearly from the commander’s high carriage.
“As Empress, I am mother to the realm, and all the people of the realm are under my protection. I, Chu Zhao, have personally come to the front lines in the name of the Empress of Great Xia to hold Western Liang accountable. Those who violate our territory shall be killed. Those who harm our people shall be killed.”
“I ask all officers and soldiers to join me in slaying the enemy, to assist me in slaying the enemy, to protect the territory of our Great Xia, and to safeguard the people of our Great Xia!”
Countless soldiers immediately shouted in unison: “Kill the enemy—”
It was like the roar of fierce beasts.
Xie Yanlai raised his hand, and war drums sounded in unison. Command flags waved from all directions, and the beast leaped and galloped across the land.
…
…
The royal army of the Western Liang King surged like a tide, pouring in endlessly from all directions, tearing open one gap after another like a frenzied python.
This was an unprecedented battle, with no clear north, south, left, or right, throwing the vanguard scouts, cavalry, and infantry formations into disarray.
From dawn till dusk, from dusk till dawn.
Listening to one urgent report after another, Chu Zhao sat somewhat bewildered on the commander’s carriage. Beyond boosting morale, she didn’t know how to command.
Although the four division generals were brave and skilled in battle, such a large-scale confrontation required more than individual valor—it needed someone who could maximize their military prowess.
She didn’t know how to coordinate the overall situation, how to make her subordinate commanders function as smoothly as hands and eyes working together. Moreover, the morale seemed somewhat off.
“The Western Liang formation keeps shouting that Chu Wei is dead—” Ding Dachui reported. “Although General Xie is in the rear providing support, there are increasing signs of retreat at the front—”
He didn’t think the soldiers lacked courage. When hunting in the mountains, if people kept shouting that the prey had escaped, he too would become flustered and abandon his traps—
In moments of intense focus, one is extremely susceptible to panic.
What should she do?
She regretted not having learned warfare from her father.
“General Chu Wei arrives—” came a shout from behind, accompanied by a commotion.
Chu Zhao was startled and turned back in disbelief. A-Le had already jumped up, shouting, “It’s the General, it’s the General!” Her shouts soon turned to tears.
Chu Zhao saw it too. Zhong Changrong, along with a group of soldiers, was escorting a horse—a tall black horse carrying a man in armor. It was her father.
Though much thinner, with armor on his body and a long sword in his hand, Chu Wei still stood like a mountain.
Her father had awakened!
Heaven had opened its eyes, heaven was watching over them!
Chu Zhao ran toward her father. She knew that heaven had brought her back to make amends.
Chu Wei smiled at his daughter and nodded: “Chu Zhao, you’ve done well.”
Although he couldn’t see anything, he could still sense his daughter’s spirit.
Chu Zhao hurried forward and, together with Zhong Changrong, helped Chu Wei onto the commander’s carriage.
As Chu Wei took his seat, the military drums changed their rhythm, beating powerfully—these were the awakening drums signaling the commander’s arrival.
Sure enough, gazes from all directions converged from afar.
Chu Wei sat back, resting his sword across his knees, and looked at Chu Zhao: “Even with the Empress in the army, you must still obey this commander’s orders.”
Chu Zhao stood straight and responded loudly in the affirmative.
“I request that Her Imperial Majesty the Empress serve as this commander’s guard,” Chu Wei said.
Chu Zhao again answered in the affirmative, then turned to descend from the high carriage. Ding Dachui had already brought a horse over. Chu Zhao mounted with a single movement, taking the long sword and crossbow Ding Dachui handed her, with A-Le following closely behind.
Looking back, Chu Zhao saw Chu Wei first focusing his gaze forward, as if he could see everything, then listening to his deputy commanders’ reports. Moments later, he gave orders.
The war drums once again changed their rhythm, and the command flags fluttered like dancing butterflies. With each command, the previously loose army regrouped, chaotic yet orderly, like a mighty eagle spreading its wings to pounce upon the dancing python—
Chu Zhao turned away, raised her long sword, and spurred her horse toward the front.
A-Le, Ding Dachui, and the other members of the Empress’s ceremonial guard (mountain bandits serving as guards) followed closely behind, arriving at the very front of the central army formation to protect Commander Chu Wei behind them.
…
…
This battle lasted for three days.
During this time, Chu Zhao was ordered several times to lead troops to the forefront of the fighting, engaging with Western Liang soldiers within bowshot range.
Rather than killing enemies, her role was primarily to boost morale. Soon she would be ordered back, only to take up sword and arrows again to assist in a new formation.
When fresh rays of sunlight illuminated the earth, a long horn sounded from the Western Liang army, like the King of Western Liang’s sigh. The Western Liang forces receded like the tide.
“The Western Liang army is retreating!”
Chu Zhao wiped the grime from her face and watched as A-Le bounded over like a rabbit. Victory horns were already sounding across the battlefield, and the exhausted soldiers suddenly seemed to possess boundless energy, jumping up and shouting wildly.
But Chu Zhao did not join in the celebration. She mounted her horse and galloped toward the central formation to tell her father the good news, though he surely already knew.
Upon returning to the central formation, Chu Zhao jumped off her horse before it had fully stopped and ran a few steps before realizing that something was amiss.
The drummers were beating the victory drums, the flag bearers were waving the flags signaling the army to regroup, but the soldiers here were solemn, without any celebratory clamor. Some even lowered their gaze when they saw her approach.
The central formation naturally maintained stricter discipline, Chu Zhao thought. This was nothing unusual; this was normal. Ignoring her surroundings, she hurried toward the commander’s war carriage, immediately spotting her father seated in his chair.
“Father,” she called out, walking forward.
Chu Wei sat with a smile on his face, gazing forward, his long sword resting across his knees.
He had already departed this world.