Chu Qiao was awakened by a commotion. The sound of hoofbeats came so quickly, like thunder in a firestorm. By the time she noticed, it was already ringing in her ears.

Three days without rice, coupled with enduring severe cold in the ice and snow, she was now at the end of her strength. Hurriedly carrying her knife, she rushed out of the tent, her steps unsteady, her body burning hot. Before her eyes were blurry torches, a dazzling expanse of light that seemed to redden half the sky. The hoofbeats rolled like distant thunder across the earth. Her ears were filled with a cacophony of sounds as if someone was charging toward her.

She heard someone shouting at her. Turning her head, she saw He Xiao’s bloodshot eyes. His mouth was opening and closing as he fought with someone. He was covered in blood, though not wounded. Chu Qiao’s head was buzzing, and she didn’t know what she was thinking. She tried to listen carefully to what He Xiao was saying, but couldn’t hear clearly.

This was already Zhao Yang’s fourth raid on their camp today. Great Xia was gradually losing patience with them. All around were sounds of fighting. The soldiers protecting her fell one by one. More and more people charged over. The soldiers fought individually, and the battle line had been completely torn open. Great Xia’s army surged like a tide. An arrow shot toward her; a guard threw himself in front of it. The arrow pierced through the warrior’s forehead, grotesquely protruding from the back of his head, the arrowhead pointing directly at Chu Qiao’s nose. Blood flowed down in dark, congealed drops, one by one.

“Protect the Commander!”

Someone was shouting, but the soldiers in the distance couldn’t get through. Corpses lay everywhere. Before her eyes was a sea of crimson. The wind cut to the bone. Snowstorms still filled the sky. Chu Qiao thought, there was no retreat now. So be it. She nodded slightly, her voice hoarse as she said, “So be it, so be it.”

A row of crossbows was set up. Dense volleys of arrows pierced through the cold wind, making howling sounds. Chu Qiao raised her head, looking at the deadly arrows in mid-air, her mind momentarily dazed.

She thought, perhaps she was about to die. Time seemed to suddenly stand still. In her daze, she recalled her life—chosen by the state from an orphanage as a child, more than ten years of rigorous training, then entering the military academy, joining military intelligence, assassinations, infiltrations, and finally sacrificing for her country, coming to this tumultuous era, once again experiencing a death-like cycle for ten years. She suddenly felt so tired, exhausted to this day. The wind blew from the opposite side, and she vaguely wanted to give up all persistence and struggle. Over the years, no matter what difficult situations she faced, she had never given up hope of survival. But now, she suddenly didn’t want to continue fighting anymore. She thought she was too tired. Let it be this way, resting in this manner would also be good.

“Commander!”

He Xiao’s eyes were about to split with anguish. He watched as Chu Qiao stood in place, raising her head and staring blankly at the arrow rain in the air, neither dodging nor evading, like a cold pillar of ice.

He felt his heart was about to be torn apart. He frantically swung his knife, the lightning-like blade thunderously drawing a bright white arc in mid-air. Two heads flew up simultaneously, blood splattering all over He Xiao’s body. But wave-like enemies surged up again. He couldn’t escape, couldn’t break through, could only watch helplessly as the arrows approached her figure.

The Yan Bei soldiers on Dragon Chant Pass also witnessed this scene with their own eyes. A young soldier turned deathly pale. His knees weakened, and he immediately knelt on the ground, looking at the pale woman in the raging fire, crying sorrowfully: “Commander Chu!”

He was also a soldier from Shangsheng. His parents and sisters had all been rescued from the slave camp by Chu Qiao, freed from slave status, and even given land. But he was a timid man. When the Beautiful Army was fighting outside, he dared not speak up. When Great Xia raided the camp time after time, he dared not speak up. When wind and snow ravaged through the barracks, he dared not speak up. When the common people wept at the foot of the city, he dared not speak up. Until this moment, his mother’s words returned to his mind. The white-haired old woman prostrated herself on the land she owned for the first time in her life and wept loudly, saying to him: “Remember kindness for a thousand years; Commander Chu is our benefactor.”

A chorus of weeping erupted on the city wall. The tall grass on the wasteland rustled, and snow fell in flurries, creating a desolate scene.

Over the past half month, the entire Yan Bei had witnessed the loyalty and bravery of an army. And at this moment, the entire world witnessed the hardships of a woman.

The arrows soared high, rising, rising, rising to the apex, then falling, drawing half an arc, carrying tremendous force.

Everyone’s eyes were wide open. Chu Qiao’s clothes were blown by the strong wind. She narrowed her eyes slightly. The messy hair on her forehead was stirred by the sharp air, her scalp aching intensely. Her mind was blank, vaguely sliding past a pair of eyes. He looked at her, slowly saying: Live on, live on.

She smiled slightly, her smile as thin as mist.

I ultimately couldn’t hold on anymore. May I come to find you, is that alright?

Suddenly, a sharp sound of wind being cut came fiercely. From the Xushao Snow Peak on the west side of Dragon Chant Pass, a patch of pitch-black shadows leaped down like spirit monkeys. They held long ropes, descending from the sky. Over a hundred curved blades flew out swiftly, miraculously striking the volleys of crossbow bolts with precision.

In an instant, the entire scene erupted in chaos. The black shadows rapidly slid down from the snow peak. Each wore dark cyan leather armor, their movements agile and swift, jumping and darting like jungle beasts. In the firelight, everyone’s face bore dark red tattoos, their eyes wolf-like, fierce, and valiant, charging toward the stunned Xia army.

Before the Xia soldiers could react, a commotion suddenly came from the southwest. Snow mist and dust rose with the wind. The hooves of thousands upon thousands of horses trampled the ground, like rolling war drums. The elite cavalry at the front charged into the camp, their sharp sabers hacking, their techniques fierce, a proper military charge formation, filled with killing intent, galloping swiftly, with silver armor and black blades—they were Bian Tang soldiers.

The silver-white armor charged into the camp. The young emperor suddenly embraced her tightly, with such fierce strength that it seemed he would crush her. His armor was cold as a blade, his breath heavy, raising large clouds of white vapor. The battle cries gradually receded, and the surroundings became so quiet that the drop of a pin could be heard. Thousands of bright torches shone upon them, like the warm sun of noon in June.

The strong wind had gone, rumbling across the ground. Li Ce’s voice was deep and calm, but there was a hint of fear revealed. He said softly, repeatedly: “It’s alright now, it’s alright now, it’s alright now…”

Chu Qiao did not want to cry. In her heart was a vast expanse of dazed emptiness, as if everything wasn’t real. But her tears fell bit by bit, rolling down along the patterns of Li Ce’s armor, rolling down. She closed her eyes, as if she could see thousands of mountains being shattered, stars falling into ash, raging fires descending from the sky, and roaring flames rising from the sea, boiling over and pouring into a bottomless abyss.

She wanted to speak and had so much to say, but when she opened her mouth, she could only make mute mumbling sounds.

Li Ce, did you know? Master Wu is dead, Miss Yu is dead, and so many people are dead. Yan Xun killed so many people. Tell me, will he kill me?

Li Ce, Zhuge Yue is also dead. I caused his death. Did you know? It was I who caused his death.

Li Ce, you were right. Yan Bei is truly cold. People’s hearts have been frozen to death. Even vows have turned to ice.

The world suddenly became so vast. Chu Qiao slowly fell asleep, leaning in Li Ce’s arms. Fatigue covered her face. Li Ce lowered his head, feeling that she was so pale and frail. He thought, he truly went mad. Just thinking about the volley of arrows he saw when he arrived made him frighteningly insane. If he had been one step later, just one step later!

The strong wind blew against them. He took off his fur coat and wrapped Chu Qiao in his arms. She was so thin, curled up into a small ball, like a young child.

He raised his head, looking at the flying snow in the sky, at the fierce Great Xia army opposite, at the towering Dragon Chant Pass. His heart rose with uncontrollable anger.

Yan Xun, how could you be so heartless?

You, how could you be so heartless?

“Your Majesty, Great Xia has sent an envoy asking why our Great Tang is interfering in Great Xia’s internal affairs. How should I respond?”

A guard dismounted and rushed forward. Li Ce held Chu Qiao, his expression cold as he said lightly: “Tell Zhao Yang, it was I, Li Ce, who took her away. If he wants her, I await him in Tang Capital.”

“Your Majesty, the men have been brought.”

Tie You came forward, followed by a middle-aged man with facial tattoos, clearly the leader of the group that had just leaped down from the snow peak and saved Chu Qiao in time.

Li Ce’s expression softened a bit. He nodded and said: “Thanks to you all.”

The tattooed man lowered his head and replied: “We are few. If not for Your Majesty of Tang, Commander Chu would have been in danger.”

“In any case, it was your timely rescue. This kindness is engraved in my heart. If there’s an opportunity in the future, I will certainly repay it.”

“I wouldn’t dare. I was just following orders.”

Li Ce raised his eyebrows slightly, probing: “Your master?”

“My master has already blocked the Yan Bei army and arranged for escorts at various exit passes. Tang Emperor, please set off quickly. We will cover your retreat.”

Li Ce nodded slowly, his gaze profound, saying in a deep voice: “Great kindness needs no words of thanks. Take care of yourselves.”

Having said that, he led the Bian Tang army and the Beautiful Army’s troops away quickly. The Dragon Chant Pass garrison now had less than sixty thousand men. Seeing Li Ce arrive grandly with nearly two hundred thousand troops, they did not know whether to pursue the city. After deliberating for a while, the garrison commander finally gritted his teeth and said: “Quick, go ask for His Majesty’s instructions.”

The soldiers heaved a sigh of relief. Great, by the time the instructions came back, these fierce stars would be long gone.

Within half an hour, when the troops reached Shichuan Pass, a force of about two thousand was quietly waiting. After Li Ce’s men went over to communicate for a few words, that group left a carriage and then departed.

Tie You returned and said: “It’s those people again. They said that twenty miles ahead, they’d prepared horses and food for us. They also left a carriage, saying Yan Bei is cold, and Your Majesty can travel by carriage.”

Lifting the carriage curtain, the inside was quite spacious, with soft blankets and embroidered silk. Under the high couch was an iron plate, and beneath the iron plate were two fire basins. The carriage was as warm as spring. There was also a small stove with a medicine pot emitting white vapor. Upon opening it, it was a steaming bowl of ginseng chicken soup.

“Your Majesty, who exactly is this King of Qinghai? This time he’s mobilized such a large force, truly just to do a favor for our Bian Tang?”

Li Ce silently looked at the pot of chicken soup for a long time without speaking. Chu Qiao lay in the carriage, her small face pitifully pale. Seeming to feel the warmth, she slowly exhaled, then quietly curled up on the bed, as quiet as a sleeping rabbit.

“Tie You, if it were you, who would do these things for you?”

Tie You was stunned, thought for a long time, and then said slowly: “Perhaps only my mother, not even my wife would.”

The corners of Li Ce’s mouth curled up, smiling slightly: “Yes, such people are indeed rare.”

“Your Majesty, you know who it is?”

“I know,” Li Ce nodded, turning his head to look at the vast mountains hidden in the flying snow in the distance, his voice carrying a slight drift: “If before I was just suspicious, now I can be certain.”

Fate is full of twists, and the maze of suspicion is heavy. Everyone is a puppet tangled in threads, walking on their predetermined tracks. Since he couldn’t break free, why should he prematurely unveil the prologue of the finale?

Li Ce smiled slightly, the corners of his mouth gentle, with a touch of vicissitude and calm.

Zhuge Yue, I am not as good as you.

Before dawn broke, the heavy snow finally stopped. The sun had not yet shown its face, and the earth was still immersed in a bleak darkness.

On the high mountain peak, a man in a disheveled cyan robe stood. Snow kestrels flapped their wings, flying from afar. He extended his arm, and this most fierce flying bird of the Qinghai Plateau tamely landed on his arm, pure white with only three red feathers on its tail, as bright as fresh blood.

Opening the letter, the handwriting, ugly as ever despite surviving great danger, came into view: “Tang Emperor has led troops back to Tang Water Pass, unharmed, worry not.”

The man’s expression was calm, his eyes still characteristically cold. He naturally heard the teasing from his subordinate. Who was unharmed? Who should worry not?

Picking up a brush, he wrote back: “No need to withdraw, die there.”

When the young general received the letter, he smiled happily, revealing a set of white teeth. He waved his hand and said to his complaining soldiers: “Withdraw, withdraw, we’re going home.”

“Seventh General, missing your wife?” a man in his forties laughed loudly. His shoulder had been hit by an arrow and just bandaged, but now he acted as if nothing had happened, laughing heartily, the tattoo on his face moving like a meandering small snake.

“Get lost! You old bachelor, I wish you never have to suffer this lovesickness.”

“Damn, these Yan Bei cubs are too fierce!”

A soldier in his thirties walked in, exposing half his shoulder despite the cold, his chest bandaged with a white cloth, clearly just wounded.

“I didn’t steal their wives, damn it, they’re fighting me to the death.”

The Seventh General laughed: “You didn’t steal their wives, but our master did. Let’s go, we’re not here to fight a war. Tell Qi Lang to arrange the retreat route, everyone get ready to slip away.”

The general called “old bachelor” stood up, grumbling as he walked out: “I think master’s battle is inappropriate. Didn’t even see his wife once before letting someone else take her away. It’s not like we definitely couldn’t beat them; this deal is too unfair.”

The people in the tent gradually left. The Seventh General stood in place, slightly stunned by those words, pondering for a while before saying softly: “The young master couldn’t take this risk!”

Yes, once the battle situation became a stalemate and time dragged on, if something went wrong over there, even if they won, what meaning would it have?

The Seventh General recalled the person he had seen on the battlefield earlier. His young eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of hidden hatred. This account would eventually be settled.

When Li Ce boarded the ship with Chu Qiao at Tang Water Pass, it was already dawn three days later. The sun rose from below the horizon, shedding a brilliant golden light. The sky was so high, clear, and pure, without a cloud for thousands of miles. Tang Water Pass was in the southwest, with a very mild climate. The river flowed gently, an expanse of greenish blue.

The great ships set sail, a thunderous sound resonating from the horizon. Over a thousand ships weighed anchor and departed. Waves surrounded them from all directions, like rolling avalanches. The horizon presented a bluish glaze of light. The masts reached toward the sky, raising fluttering white sails one after another.

“Set sail—”

Tie You called out loudly, his voice so long, carrying hints of joyful spirit.

Li Ce stood at the stern, dressed in a pine-green brocade garment, his eyes mischievous, handsome and unrestrained. He raised his head slightly, looking at the high Verdant Eyebrow Mountain, where a faint figure could be seen at the peak.

Human tides, and seasons changing. The wind from the mountains blew over the river, bringing a faint fragrance, seemingly triggering a subtle, numbing pain in the marrow of his bones. All thoughts became unprecedentedly clear.

Li Ce suddenly smiled, sly as a fox, happily revealing his white teeth, then, to the horrified gaze of all his subordinates, blew a passionate kiss toward the high mountain peak.

Everyone was dumbfounded. Tie You glumly asked: “Your Majesty, did you see a village girl gathering firewood on the mountain?”

Li Ce turned his head and exclaimed in delight: “Oh! How did you know?”

Everyone sighed helplessly: Your Majesty, who doesn’t know?

The river stretched like a chain, the ships meandered, and the sun rose. Everything was perfect.

On the mountain peak, the man stood silently. He saw Li Ce’s provocative gesture. His brow furrowed slightly, but he did not turn to leave.

The ships gradually sailed away, but he stood there for a very long time, his heart as quiet as the mountain wind, without sadness or fatigue. The sighing mountain wind blew across his back, his shadow cast on the ground, with a faint, clear radiance. From the forest came the mixed scent of earth and water vapor, gently striking his face, exceptionally mild.

In a daze, he recalled her eyes, as if following the wild grass of memory, extending until suddenly seeing a tall tree, his expression gentle, having lost the cold direction in bewilderment.

He never needed her to know. If possible, he would willingly lay himself flat as a road, to send her to a place of peace and tranquility.

It was September 29th of the year 778. It was the season when the fragrant osmanthus was in full bloom in Tang Capital. The Buddhist wind sighed through the city, sprinkling golden yellow under the blue sky and white sun.

The ships sailed south, slowly heading toward that luxurious sweetness.