Bai Qingyan clenched her fists: “General Ye, why must it come to a fight to the death?”
“Not only does the Bai Family Army have the integrity of never removing armor until death in battle, but we Western Liang… also have the iron-blooded backbone of fighting to the death for our Kingdom!” Ye Shouguan’s voice rang out with resounding force. “If the Great Zhou Emperor truly views me as a worthy opponent, then no more words are needed. We Western Liang soldiers… would rather die fighting for our Kingdom than live and surrender even one inch of Western Liang territory!”
The Western Liang soldiers on the city walls pressed their lips tightly together in silent quiet, with only the Western Liang military banner fluttering loudly in the wind.
Bai Qingyan’s eyes reddened with moisture. After a long while, she also bowed deeply to Ye Shouguan: “One who can sacrifice his mere eight-foot frame and not yield one inch of Western Liang soil—Bai Qingyan admires…”
Bai Qingyu also clasped his hands and bowed deeply to this opponent.
Bai Qingqi, Bai Qingjue, Bai Qingyun, Bai Jinxiu, Bai Jinzhao, Bai Jinhua, and Bai Jinse also clasped their hands in salute.
Ye Shouguan turned and walked toward the city wall.
Bai Qingyan also led the Bai Family members as they turned and headed toward the Great Zhou army.
The final battle was on the verge of breaking out.
“Warriors of Western Liang!” Ye Shouguan called out loudly, “When the nation faces calamity, our generation should sacrifice our lives to protect the Kingdom! Vow to fight to the death without retreat!”
“Vow to fight to the death without retreat!”
“Vow to fight to the death without retreat!”
“Vow to fight to the death without retreat!”
The remaining Western Liang soldiers on the city walls—not many left and almost all bearing wounds—shouted. Their roars of vowing to fight to the death without retreat rose and fell in waves. They all had the resolve to die for Western Liang.
Bai Qingyan’s eyes filled with tears.
As fellow soldiers, she understood Ye Shouguan’s determination to fight to the death without retreat, and his reasons…
And her greatest respect for Ye Shouguan was to fight this battle with all her strength.
Behind them, the sounds of killing were terrifying. The already few Western Liang remnant soldiers were quickly captured by the Great Zhou army…
Before Ye Shouguan died, his entire body covered in blood, he used his last breath to firmly plant the Western Liang military banner in his hands on the city wall. As long as the man lived… the flag lived!
This Western Liang military banner was Western Liang’s faith! A faith thousands and tens of thousands of times more important than his life!
But he was too exhausted. Looking at Yecheng Pass strewn with corpses, he knelt beside the military banner.
In the howling wind, in Ye Shouguan’s gradually blurring vision were the Great Zhou Bai Family Army soldiers who had already killed their way up the city wall… standing opposite him but never approaching. His gradually dispersing pupils carried a smile.
Cold wind blew past, and snowflakes drifted down from the pitch-black night sky.
He seemed to see his mother, sitting kindly under that pear tree, and his younger brother who had died young from being harmed by father’s concubine, shaking his head and brushing off the snow-white pear blossoms from his head, showing him a pure and innocent smile, calling him “elder brother”…
White vapor exhaled from the corners of Ye Shouguan’s lips, his chest churning with bloody turmoil.
He couldn’t hold it anymore! He couldn’t fight anymore!
So be it…
If the Bai Family conquered Western Liang and unified the realm, he also wanted to watch from heaven the peaceful mountains and rivers with armies but no wars that Bai Qishan’s daughter spoke of.
Mother, I couldn’t defend Yecheng Pass… couldn’t defend our home. Will you blame your son?
Mother, deep in your son’s heart, he also wants to see those peaceful mountains and rivers with armies but no wars!
Mother, your son will never go to war again, and can properly accompany you, and can properly protect your younger brother!
Mother, younger brother, I’m coming.
Soon, the white vapor that Ye Shouguan had been exhaling from his lips through rapid breathing disappeared. The smile on Ye Shouguan’s face seemed frozen in place—no one knew what he had seen before his death.
In the second year of Yuanhe, on the twelfth day of the first month, Great Zhou’s Lord Gaoyi and General Shen Kunyang led troops to capture Xiajian City.
In the second year of Yuanhe, on the fourteenth day of the first month, the Great Zhou Emperor led the Bai Family Army to capture Western Liang’s fortress stronghold, Yecheng Pass.
Bai Qingyan ordered that Ye Shouguan be given a proper burial on the mountain peak of Yecheng Pass, and had these words carved on Ye Shouguan’s tombstone: “Willing to offer his mere eight-foot frame to protect every inch of Western Liang soil.”
Whether Great Zhou or Western Liang, there was never a shortage of such passionate patriots who protected their Kingdom!
In this battle, almost everyone in the Bai Family sustained minor injuries. After simple bandaging, Bai Qingyan led the Bai Family members to offer incense to the Bai Family Army soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in this great battle, and afterward also offered three incense sticks to Ye Shouguan.
From a distance, Bai Qingjue noticed that Yang Wuce seemed to want to say something. He glanced at his elder sister and siblings, who were offering incense, then turned and walked toward Yang Wuce.
When coming down from the mountain, Bai Qingyu spoke with Bai Qingyan about returning to the capital: “Now that Great Zhou has captured Yecheng Pass in just two days, the news has probably already reached other Western Liang cities. The battles ahead will be much easier, and Elder Sister should also return to the capital…”
Bai Qingqi walked beside Bai Qingyan with his hands clasped behind his back, also saying: “Yes, Elder Sister is now pregnant and indeed unsuitable to continue leading the Bai Family Army in front-line combat. The first child of our Bai Family generation can’t be born on the battlefield. Even Prime Minister Lu and the court officials… cannot allow Elder Sister’s first imperial heir to be born on a battlefield.”
“The original plan was also for me to return to the capital after capturing Yecheng Pass!” Bai Qingyan turned to look at Bai Jinxiu and asked, “After reuniting with you and A’Yu, I haven’t yet asked… in the Battle of Liuxiang Mountain, where Akexie was captured alive, how many of Tianfeng Nation’s elephant troops escaped?”
“It was Yan handling the aftermath, but I imagine not many escaped. After all, it was Yan’s Ninth Prince personally leading the troops, and the enemy general had already been captured alive—probably not many could escape. At the time, because we were eager to join Elder Sister in attacking Yecheng Pass, we had An Qingshan lead people to clean up the battlefield and handle the division of spoils between the two nations.” Bai Jinxiu supported Bai Qingyan’s arm as they walked down the mountain. “Elder Sister can be assured—we’ve already instructed An Qingshan. Since Yan is currently short of grain, it’s fine to give them a larger share. Winning over the Yan army’s hearts is most important.”
Bai Qingyu understood her elder sister’s strategy. Sacrificing small benefits now… was to gain the great benefit of a smooth merger between the two nations in the future. “After the two nations divide everything, we’ll have An Qingshan send all the war spoils to Yecheng Pass.”
“Elder Sister…” Bai Qingjue hurried back and said, “Li Tianjiao has returned to Yun Jing and ascended to the throne, claiming that Li Tianfeng was a puppet emperor supported by Tianfeng nation, and that she is the emperor designated by the late emperor’s edict! Now Western Liang already knows we’ve captured Li Tianfeng alive. I imagine… when the news reaches other Western Liang cities, those defending generals might abandon Li Tianfeng and turn to support Li Tianjiao.”
Bai Qingyun, sitting in the sedan chair, wasn’t particularly concerned upon hearing this news and spoke casually: “Now that Yecheng Pass has been captured, even if Li Tianjiao returns and regains the throne, Western Liang’s morale has already scattered.”
Bai Qingyan smiled and glanced at Bai Qingyun, reaching out to tuck in the fine wool blanket draped over his legs, and nodded: “Xiao Si and Uncle Shen should have already captured Xiajian City. The next step is to attack Tanggu, so you’ll need to advance unstoppably straight toward Yun Jing! I’ll remain at Yecheng Pass to establish defenses before returning to the capital.”