Behind the battlements atop the city wall, a row of crossbow soldiers surged forth.

Dozens of crossbows were drawn in unison, arrows nocked, all aimed at Li Mu who was approaching the city.

Li Mu stopped.

Having just arrived after a long journey, dressed in plain robes and travel-worn, with sharp arrows pointed at him, he showed no fear. Standing alone beneath the city wall, with only a general’s long sword hanging at his waist, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, he was as steady as a deep pool and as immovable as a mountain, his upright form imposing without anger.

“I am Li Mu! Where is General Yang? I request an audience!”

He called out toward the city walls, his voice carrying upward.

His voice was deep and far-reaching, carried by the wind to the top, entering everyone’s ears on the battlements.

As his words fell, atop the walls and outside the city, before and behind him, tens of thousands of troops fell completely silent. Only the sound of the wild wind from the fields whipping the countless banners with a flapping noise could be heard.

Behind the battlements, there was no movement at all.

“General Yang, I know you are nearby!”

“A warrior dies for those who recognize his worth – these words are not wrong. You indeed possess the righteousness of Yu Rang, but what burning loyalty like Duke Zhi Bo does Xu Mi possess? For a single selfish thought, he stirs up fierce warfare. For that crown of Song Emperor he has placed upon his own head, how many civilians cry out in anguish, and how many soldiers die needlessly on the battlefield?”

“We people of Nanchao, when speaking of the Hu barbarians, all grind our teeth in hatred. Why? Not out of hatred for different skin color or race. What we hate is the Hu people’s extreme cruelty and tyrannical lawlessness – once they gain power, they constantly slaughter and plunder, treating common people like ants, leaving all living beings in utter misery! Though our army units bear family names, in all these years, has the court provided insufficient support? Where does the court’s support come from? Every penny and portion, every grain of rice – all comes from the people of Nanchao! The people support us military men, hoping we will protect regional peace and defend against invasion of our borders.”

“General Yang, you and I are both military men. As they say, the compassionate cannot command troops. Soldiers dying in battle is natural and right.”

His gaze swept across the faces of the soldiers on the walls who had drawn their bows toward him, looking at each face one by one.

“…But at this moment, among these soldiers on the walls pointing arrows at me, which one is not a warrior among us southerners? Being warriors, nourished by southern people, instead of killing those Hu barbarians who seized our ancestors’ land, they turn their weapons against their compatriot brothers behind me for the sake of putting the likes of Xu Mi on the imperial throne, engaging in fratricidal slaughter!”

A strong wind swept past him, and the long sword at his waist emitted a faint humming sound.

“I, Li Mu, have made the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains and driving out the Hu barbarians my primary aspiration in life. I believe General Yang, and those officers and soldiers around you who have gathered because of you, are certainly not confused and cold-blooded men! Knowing what is right, with hot blood in your veins, why do you still allow Xu Mi to drive you, doing such confused things now? Just because he killed a son to show you?”

“Xu Mi’s son was greedy for merit and recklessly advanced. That day, for his selfish desires alone, how many soldiers died needlessly at Yingchuan? He deserved to die! General Yang, why should you feel guilty?”

His words came with the wind, striking like thunder and awakening the deaf.

The crossbow soldiers on the wall looked at each other, uncertainty showing on their faces. Their arms holding drawn bows gradually relaxed, and they turned to look at Yang Xuan standing not far behind them.

Yang Xuan, in full military dress, his figure frozen, stood with lowered eyes, unmoving.

The deputy general standing beside him was Xu Mi’s trusted aide. Seeing this, his expression changed slightly, and he immediately shouted at the crossbow soldiers: “Li Mu was born lowly and is nothing more than His Majesty’s dog! He shows no gratitude and now opposes His Majesty, sowing discord! Shoot! Kill him immediately!”

Li Mu had once been humble. When still under Yang Xuan’s command, he was not only invincible in battle and admired by his comrades, but when danger arose, he would always let his comrades retreat first, often being the last to leave himself – he had always won people’s hearts. Moreover, in recent years, he had emerged triumphantly, achieving reputation and establishing merit, not by fighting among southerners, but by genuinely beating the Hu people until they were thoroughly defeated, bringing glory to Jiangbei.

Which of these soldiers had not secretly admired him? Hearing this deputy general denigrate him so, they were very displeased.

One crossbow soldier simply put down his bow and arrow directly.

The deputy general flew into a rage, walked up to that crossbow soldier, raised his riding whip, and lashed it across the man’s head and face, scolding: “Disobeying orders in battle – according to military law, death without pardon!”

The crossbow soldier’s face and neck immediately showed a bloody welt. Gritting his teeth, he said: “I only follow General Yang’s orders! If General Yang has not given the command, I will not shoot!”

Crossbow soldiers rarely fight alone in battle, often forming arrays, advancing and retreating together. Comrades are the people who ensure one’s survival on the battlefield, so normally besides training, they eat and sleep together, often becoming sworn brothers.

The city had been surrounded by court armies for several days already, and every soldier in the city knew that the final great battle was about to come.

Once the army below began attacking the city, whether they could survive was still unknown. Having just been swayed left and right by Li Mu’s words, they were already confused and doubtful. Seeing this deputy general throwing his weight around and whipping their comrade’s face bloody, they immediately shared a common hatred and simply all put down their bows and arrows, glaring angrily at the deputy general.

The deputy general, ashamed and enraged, drew his sword to kill that crossbow soldier, but seeing dozens of men blocking his way in front of him, he became afraid. He turned to Yang Xuan instead and angrily said: “Did you see all this? Is this how you lead troops? Subordinates defying superiors – aren’t you afraid His Majesty will blame you when he returns? Li Mu is right below the city – this opportunity is once in a lifetime! Why don’t you order them to shoot him dead?”

Yang Xuan’s eyes gazed forward, his gaze frozen, as if he hadn’t heard.

The deputy general gritted his teeth, snatched a bow and arrow from a crossbow soldier’s hands, pushed through the crowd, rushed to behind the battlements, drew the bow and nocked an arrow, and shot at that figure below the city who was already within arrow range.

The feathered arrow left the string, tearing through the air with a whistling sound as it shot toward Li Mu.

Li Mu drew his sword and cut the arrow that had reached him in an instant in half.

With a “ding” sound, the arrowhead flew out and embedded itself in a patch of muddy ground nearby.

Li Mu gripped his long sword, his eyes flashing strangely, suddenly gathering his breath and calling out loudly enough to shake all four directions: “Once the army attacks the city, you will have no retreat!”

“Yang Xuan, would you rather lead these soldiers who follow you to die here for Xu Mi, than lead your men to one day join the Northern Expedition to the Central Plains, drive out the Hu barbarians, and establish immortal merit?”

Seeing his shot arrow cut down by Li Mu, the deputy general gritted his teeth, drew his bow and nocked another arrow, aiming again.

Just as he was about to release the second arrow, he felt a chill at his heart. A blade suddenly pierced through from behind, emerging from his chest.

His body suddenly stiffened, his eyes widened completely, and the bow and arrow fell from his hands, dropping into the muddy ground before the city gate.

The deputy general slowly turned his head and saw Yang Xuan standing behind him, two fierce lights shooting from his eyes.

That knife piercing through his heart was gripped in Yang Xuan’s hand.

Yang Xuan withdrew the knife, and the deputy general collapsed to the ground, twitched for a moment, then died.

Atop the city wall, the atmosphere suddenly froze.

The soldiers who had originally been lined up along the battlements slowly moved closer. The soldiers below the tower, as if sensing something unusual, climbed up to the tower one after another, gathering toward Yang Xuan.

Countless gazes fell upon Yang Xuan.

Yang Xuan looked at the soldiers. Looking at these weary faces before him that showed gazes mixed with hope and doubt, he slowly asked: “You have followed me through this campaign. At this point, do you want to continue fighting this battle, or surrender to the court?”

Facing the court army reinforcements sent again by Gao Qiao, Xu Mi, who had been Song Emperor for less than a month, also felt a trace of panic.

Just a few days ago, he had personally set out to visit Rong Kang, the Badong Regional Governor who was nominally still under court authority, wanting to persuade Rong Kang to join forces against the court.

Rong Kang was the most powerful regional military governor in Badong. If Xu Mi successfully persuaded him, combined with Rong Kang’s strength, they might be able to continue opposing the court.

Before leaving, he had ordered that until his return, Yang Xuan was not to send troops out, only to defend the city steadfastly.

This was why, despite Gao Yin’s challenges to battle these past few days, Yang Xuan had never responded.

The soldiers fell silent for a moment. Finally someone said quietly: “We follow the general. Wherever the general goes, we go.”

Everyone voiced their agreement.

Yang Xuan looked up at the sky, closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and strode to the edge of the wall. Looking down at Li Mu who was still waiting in place, he called out loudly: “Grand Marshal, these officers and soldiers no longer wish to serve as rebels. If we open the city gates now, can you guarantee the court will not pursue them for their crimes later?”

Li Mu replied: “Standing here today, every word I speak is guaranteed in the name of Li Mu! We are all sons and brothers of the south. As long as you lead them to turn back immediately from the precipice, they will be treated equally in the future, absolutely no different!”

“Good! I, Yang Xuan, trust you!”

Yang Xuan turned to the soldiers and said: “You all heard the Grand Marshal’s words. I know what you’re thinking in your hearts. Act according to your wishes.”

The soldiers were startled, then realized what he meant and were overjoyed.

In recent years, there had been constant rebellions in the court. People wanting to overthrow the Xiao house and take the throne as emperor had made waves one after another, but none had truly succeeded so far.

After previous defeats, retreating to defend here, when the situation had slightly stabilized, Xu Mi had hastily proclaimed himself emperor – sacrificing to heaven and earth, establishing ancestral temples, enfeoffing civil and military officials. Those around him also addressed him as “Your Majesty,” and the palace was filled with nightly music and revelry, quite the appearance of a state within a state. But the lowest-ranking soldiers lived miserably, yet were expected to charge forward in battle. They had long harbored resentment, only enduring until today because of Yang Xuan.

Suddenly hearing Yang Xuan’s words now, it was clear he was tacitly permitting them to open the gates and surrender to the court.

If it had been anyone else outside, the soldiers might still have hesitated.

But the man outside the city was Li Mu, whom all Nanchao soldiers looked up to. Regardless of inner or outer armies, regardless of which master they served, who wouldn’t want to serve under his command?

Immediately the news spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred.

Soon, cheers arose from the city walls one after another. Soldiers competed to rush down toward the city below.

A unit of Xu Mi’s personal guards was rushing over after hearing the news. Meeting them head-on, they were quickly surrounded by the mutinying soldiers, killed in short order, and then the soldiers surged toward the city gate, opened it, and rushed toward Li Mu. Reaching him, they knelt on one knee and performed military salutes to him.

Yang Xuan stood atop the city wall, watching the officers and soldiers who had once fought alongside him through life and death run past him, departing one after another. Soon, the city walls that had just been crowded with people became empty, with only the Song banners still fluttering in the wind.

He slowly turned around, glanced at that figure below the city who seemed to sense something and was rushing madly toward him, removed his helmet, drew his sword, and pointed it at his own neck.

The moment the soldiers opened the city gate from inside, Li Mu rushed toward the gate, wanting to climb the tower and personally escort Yang Xuan down.

But there were too many soldiers surging toward him around him, blocking his path.

He looked up and saw Yang Xuan slowly removing his helmet, and a strong sense of foreboding immediately surged in his heart.

Fate is unpredictable, and how powerless humans are.

Even if one is supremely brave, even if one can see the unknown, somewhere in the darkness, perhaps there is still a hand controlling everything.

That sense of foreboding that fate might ultimately be unchangeable by human effort instantly engulfed him.

He roared for them to move aside, his eyes nearly splitting with rage. He forcefully pushed away the soldiers with joyful faces who blocked his path, stepped on the backs of those still kneeling on the ground who couldn’t move away in time, leaped over them, passed through the city gate, and rushed madly toward the city walls.

He finally climbed the tower.

The spacious and flat brick walkway of the tower extended straight ahead beneath his feet.

A tall figure lay collapsed on the city wall.

Yang Xuan’s military robes were stained with blood across the chest.

Li Mu lifted him from the ground to a sitting position, his palms desperately trying to stem the blood flowing steadily from his heart.

But it was futile. More blood continued flowing out between his fingers.

Yang Xuan opened his eyes, gazing at Li Mu’s reddened eyes, and with difficulty reached out to grasp his hand.

“Jingchen, when I first saw you in the army years ago, when you were still a youth, I knew… you would accomplish great things in the future…”

A smile slowly appeared at the corners of his lips, then gradually froze.

Gao Yin and the others finally reached the tower and saw Li Mu holding the dead general, kneeling on one knee, his back like a stone statue, motionless for a long time.

…

During this time, the court continuously received good news.

The Celestial Master Sect rebellion in the southeast had previously been completely pacified by Li Mu. Subsequently, because he rushed to Yiling and successfully persuaded the rebels to surrender, the court army recaptured Yiling without losing a single soldier. Xu Mi, who had been emperor for less than a month, not only saw his dreams shattered but was killed by Rong Kang, the Badong regional governor he had originally wanted to persuade to rebel with him.

The great upheaval that had lasted more than half a year was finally completely over.

Although an emperor had just died a few months ago, by now the ministers had emerged from their original grief, and speaking of the situation that had returned to stability, all were delighted.

But all this good news could not dispel even a fraction of the sadness in Luoshen’s heart.

Half a year had passed since her mother’s disappearance.

Her father had never given up searching for her. But the people he had sent out still had no news whatsoever.

Perhaps her mother was truly gone. Otherwise, why would these supposed kidnappers still show no signs of activity after all this time?

But Luoshen was unwilling to accept such a reality.

She could not imagine that her vibrant mother had truly died and vanished, that from now on, there would be no such person in this world.

She told herself over and over that her mother was still alive, living well, just in a place she didn’t know about. Someday, her father would surely find her.

In these days, her only comfort was that Li Mu was finally about to return.

After the upstream was pacified, he had gone to the southeast. According to news she had gathered from her father, he was already on his way back to the capital.

At the latest, in another five or six days, he should arrive.

In early May, this day was Emperor Taikang’s hundred-day memorial.

After today, all officials could remove their mourning attire.

Today, besides the ritual at the ancestral temple presided over by the Ministry of Rites, there would also be a ceremony in the palace.

Her cousin Gao Yongrong, who had been elevated to Empress Dowager, had sent palace servants three days ago to summon her to participate in the palace ritual today.

Luoshen suppressed the sorrow in her heart, arranged her black hair in a bun, donned plain clothes, and rode in a carriage from the Gao residence to the imperial palace. She was led by waiting palace servants to Yongfu Hall, which had been set up as the ritual site.

Gao Yongrong, accompanied by the young emperor – Luoshen’s four-year-old nephew Deng’er – was already waiting for her there.

Having not seen her for some time, Gao Yongrong also looked somewhat thinner. Upon seeing Luoshen, she had Deng’er address her as “Aunt,” then grasped her hand and said: “I heard from the imperial physicians that Uncle’s health hasn’t improved. Previously, during the hundred-day mourning period, it wasn’t convenient for Deng’er to leave the palace. In a couple of days when Uncle is available, I’ll bring him to visit Uncle.”

After news came that the Celestial Master Sect and Xu Mi’s rebellions had been successively pacified, her father seemed to relax all at once.

These past few days he had handed all court affairs to Feng Wei, remaining secluded at home and no longer receiving any ministers who came to visit or pay their respects.

When Luoshen went to bring him medicine, she would see him either writing intensely at his desk or sitting with closed eyes in contemplation, looking quite different from before.

Luoshen thanked her on behalf of her father and told her not to trouble herself by bringing the young emperor out of the palace specially.

Gao Yongrong’s eyes reddened slightly as she said: “I know you and Uncle are both very sad. I feel the same way. I’ve also sent people everywhere to inquire about news of Aunt. Don’t worry too much. Aunt is blessed by heaven and will surely return safely.”

Luoshen was reminded of her inner sadness. She fell silent, nodded to her, and said quietly: “Thank you, Sister.”

Gao Yongrong wiped away tears and walked with Luoshen toward the ritual hall.

After the ceremony concluded, it was already noon. Gao Yongrong asked Luoshen to stay in the palace for a meal. How could Luoshen have any appetite to dine in the palace? She declined politely. Gao Yongrong, knowing she had no heart for eating, didn’t insist further and personally escorted her out.

Though Luoshen repeatedly declined, Gao Yongrong insisted on personally seeing her out of the palace, accompanying her all the way to near the palace gates. A palace servant hurried in and reported: “Empress Dowager, word has come from outside that Badong Governor Rong Kang has just arrived in the capital carrying Xu Mi’s head. Learning that today is the late emperor’s hundred-day memorial, he hasn’t rested at all and rushed here to the palace, begging to perform ritual ceremonies before the late emperor’s spirit. He’s kneeling outside right now.”

Gao Yongrong was startled and glanced outside, saying: “He came quite quickly. I thought it would be several more days.” After pondering, she added: “Since he came specially, it shows his devotion. Summon him.”

The palace servant hurried out to relay the message.

Luoshen glanced at the palace gates and saw a man leading several attendant officials kneeling there, motionless. She knew this must be Rong Kang, the most powerful regional military governor in the Badong area who had killed Xu Mi.

These remote regional governors were nominally outer ministers but wielded enormous actual power. After the court moved south, its control had weakened. As long as these regional governors didn’t rebel, the court considered itself blessed and didn’t impose much control.

Luoshen didn’t look closely and turned to Gao Yongrong, saying: “Then I’ll leave the palace first. Sister, attend to your duties.”

Gao Yongrong nodded and had someone escort Luoshen out.

Luoshen walked toward the palace gates.

Rong Kang was tall and powerfully built, around thirty years old, with fairly handsome features, except for a long scar running from the corner of his left eye to his cheekbone, giving his entire face a fierce, menacing quality.

Having just arrived in Jiankang today and rushed to the palace, upon receiving word from the palace servant, he rose from the ground with a beaming smile, about to follow inside. Suddenly he saw a young woman with an elaborate hairstyle wearing plain clothes emerge from the palace gates, accompanied by attendants behind her. After just one glance, his steps froze and he could no longer look away.

At first he didn’t dare look directly, but after the woman passed by him, he turned his head and became completely unrestrained, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on that plain-clothed figure until she boarded an ox cart waiting by the palace wall and disappeared behind the curtains. Even after the ox cart vanished from sight, that absolutely beautiful face with raven-black hair and snow-white skin still seemed to float before his eyes. He slowly turned his face and asked the palace servant: “Who was that woman just now?”

The palace servant had already noticed him staring at Luoshen’s retreating figure and inwardly despised this regional governor from a remote area for his crudeness, though he dared not show it on his face. Smiling, he said: “She is Lord Gao’s daughter, the wife of our dynasty’s Grand Marshal Li Mu. If the Governor is ready, please follow me inside, lest the Empress Dowager wait too long.”

Lord Gao’s daughter. Li Mu’s wife.

A flash of disappointment passed through Rong Kang’s eyes, and he said nothing more.

He turned back once more, taking a final look at the cart that was now just a blurry shadow in the distance, then stepped toward the palace gates before him.