Liangzhou.

A majestic fortress dominated the east bank of the great river leading to the main city. The imposing city walls, stretching nearly two li and several zhang high, stood guard over the vital route to the Central Plains.

It was dusk, with wisps of cooking smoke rising from the city. The garrison soldiers on the high towers were yawning as they changed shifts when they suddenly spotted dust clouds rising from the western plains. About a dozen riders galloped through the dimming twilight. The guards immediately rushed to the watchtower and blew their horns.

As the horns wailed, the outer city gates opened. Commander Qin Fei, who had recently arrived in Liangzhou, hurried forward. Seeing Li Xuanzhen barely conscious on horseback, he shouted, “What happened?”

The Crown Prince’s guard tumbled from his horse: “We were ambushed on our way back to the city!”

Qin Fei’s heart burned with anxiety as he carried the pale-faced Li Xuanzhen, striding into the hall: “Who ambushed you?”

The guard shook his head: “We couldn’t tell their style. Maybe He clan’s remaining forces.”

Liangzhou’s remaining forces hadn’t been eliminated yet. Although the Yelu Khan had killed the He clan’s leader with his own hands, clan members still lurked in the shadows, waiting for their chance.

The military physician quickly arrived. Li Xuanzhen had taken several arrows in the back and had ridden through the night, leaving his wounds in a horrific state. Fortunately, the cold weather had prevented infection, and the poison on the arrows was common, not difficult to treat.

Qin Fei stamped his foot: “Everything was fine – why did His Highness go to the Yelu tribe?”

The Crown Prince was usually prudent, but when he went wild, he threw caution to the winds – like taking only a few guards to accompany the Yelu Khan back to his tribe.

The guard wiped his sweat and answered: “The Khan’s adopted son Bie Mudie earnestly invited His Highness to attend a ceremony at the Yelu tribe. He said he wanted to drink with His Highness until they were both thoroughly drunk. His Highness couldn’t refuse.”

Li Xuanzhen and the Yelu Khan had fought together, and during that time Bie Mudie had mentioned several times that the Khan would soon marry Princess Wenzhao. At first, Li Xuanzhen paid no attention, but when the Yelu Khan set out to return to his tribe, he suddenly changed his mind and accepted Bie Mudie’s invitation, following along.

Qin Fei’s brows creased slightly: Had the Crown Prince rushed to attend the ceremony because he’d missed Princess Wenzhao’s departure?

Hadn’t the Crown Prince always despised Princess Wenzhao…?

After the military physician applied medicine to Li Xuanzhen’s wounds, Qin Fei, fearing something might happen during the night, kept watch by Li Xuanzhen’s bedside, not daring to close his eyes.

At midnight, Li Xuanzhen developed a high fever and began talking deliriously.

Qin Fei wrung out a cloth to wipe Li Xuanzhen’s face. Hearing what he kept shouting, he froze, his face filled with shock, the cloth falling into the copper basin with a splash.

Li Xuanzhen suddenly sat up in bed, hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot, his exposed back covered in wounds, looking like a fierce ghost.

Qin Fei was startled.

Li Xuanzhen swung his bare feet off the bed and staggered out of the room.

“I don’t regret it!” In the still night, his voice sounded like a desperate howl. “I don’t regret it!”

Qin Fei came to his senses, grabbed clothes from the screen, and rushed downstairs: “Your Highness!”

Li Xuanzhen was bare-chested, his long hair loose, wearing only thin silk trousers. His bare feet trudged through ankle-deep snow as he rushed at a night patrol soldier, pulled him from his horse, mounted himself, and kicked the horse’s flanks, galloping out into the snow!

Qin Fei stamped his feet in anxiety and grabbed a horse to follow.

Li Xuanzhen rode through the gate tower, heading straight west.

The north wind cut like a knife. Qin Fei, riding his horse, shivered violently from the cold, but Li Xuanzhen, though barely clothed, galloped into the wind as if nothing was wrong. His long hair whipped wildly in the fierce wind, his skin turning purple from the cold, his expression seemingly insane.

Qin Fei spurred his horse forward, caught up with Li Xuanzhen, and grabbed his reins. When Li Xuanzhen’s horse slowed, he immediately leaped forward and pulled Li Xuanzhen off the horse.

With several thuds, Li Xuanzhen rolled off the horse’s back.

He lay on his back in the freezing snow, gazing at the bright moon hanging in the night sky, his crazed expression seeming to soften.

“Ayue…” He reached out, grasping at the cold air, blood seeping from the wounds on his back. “Why did you have to be Man Yuan’s daughter?”

…

That March, when bamboo shoots burst forth and willows swayed with orioles singing, he had also been gravely wounded.

The military physician told him only the divine doctor at Chibi could heal his injuries.

Li Xuanzhen disguised himself as a Southern Chu person seeking medical treatment and went alone to Chibi. At the dock, as the boat slowly approached shore, a young woman on the bank turned to him with a smile.

The girl was young, delicate as jade, bright and vivacious. Standing there in the wind, her smile radiant, her eyes like bright crescents.

In that instant, Li Xuanzhen had a strange feeling that he’d met this girl before.

Though it was their first meeting, he felt an inexplicable closeness to her.

Like seeing a flickering flame while walking alone on a snowy night, or a pot of bubbling soup, warmth filling cold and stiff limbs.

Li Xuanzhen had never felt anything like it before. Though his heartfelt strange, his face revealed nothing as he went straight to the divine doctor’s house for medicine.

The next day, Chibi was hit by a sudden rain. His condition worsened, and he couldn’t get up, lying soaked on the veranda outside the divine doctor’s house.

In his hazy state, a pair of clean small hands reached out to help him up, dragging him into the corridor to escape the rain, lifting a bowl of hot medicine to his lips, and helping him drink.

Li Xuanzhen was barely conscious and didn’t fully wake until two days later.

The girl he’d seen at the dock was playing cuju in the corridor. Seeing him awake, she trapped the ball with a graceful kick, dimples appearing on her cheeks as she smiled, “Brother, you’re awake!”

She brought medicine to Li Xuanzhen every day, and seeing him so lonely and pitiful, would occasionally share some food with him.

After a month, Li Xuanzhen finally asked: “What’s your name?”

The girl laughed lightly: “I’m called Ayue.”

Li Xuanzhen silently repeated the name several times, thinking it truly suited her – bright as the moon.

Ayue asked in return: “What’s your name, brother?”

“My surname is Yang.” Li Xuanzhen thought for a moment. “Yang Changsheng.”

Yang was his false surname.

Changsheng Nu – that was the name Tang Ying had given him.

He’d thought that with his mother gone, no one would ever call him that again, but when the girl smiled and called him Brother Changsheng, he suddenly felt that perhaps he wouldn’t always be alone in this life.

The days in Chibi were like a dream.

In the dream, he was Yang Changsheng, and he met a girl called Ayue. He listened to her talk about having the best brother in the world, his mouth twisting.

If Ayue were his sister, he would cherish and pamper her endlessly, never letting her furrow her brow, certainly never leaving her alone in Chibi without a word.

For the first time, he felt a kind of defiance, like an ordinary, presumptuous, impetuous young man, secretly wanting to compete with Ayue’s brother. He would be an even more perfect, more powerful brother.

On the boat back to Wei Prefecture, he was surprised they might be from the same place but didn’t think deeply about it – until Ayue stood at the bow, pointing excitedly at a young man riding a horse on shore.

“Brother Changsheng, that man on the black horse is my brother!”

Before she finished speaking, she spotted Li Zhongqian’s attendants carrying the Tang family banner nearby and froze.

Li Xuanzhen didn’t know what Li Yao Ying was thinking at that moment.

He only knew that when he recognized Li Zhongqian, his mind roared like countless thunderclaps exploding in his ears.

It was as if everyone was mocking him.

Pain, anger, despair.

Hatred.

She had deceived him!

She was Xie Man Yuan’s daughter, Li Zhongqian’s sister!

What a cruel joke heaven had played on him… The first person to make him feel warmth after his mother’s death, the girl he couldn’t help wanting to be close to, wanting to take good care of – she was the daughter of his enemy.

His life was destined to be lived for revenge.

His mother’s burned face appeared before him: “Kill them all! Kill them all!”

In that instant, all his former affection transformed into surging, overwhelming hatred, igniting a raging fire in his heart. He felt fury, shame, humiliation.

His anger could not be relieved; he wanted nothing more than to kill her!

Then she would forever be the Ayue he had known, and they could stay forever in that time.

Li Xuanzhen’s eyes blazed red with cold light, veins bulging at his temples as he gripped Yao Ying’s throat, squeezing tightly.

Yao Ying stared at him blankly, trying to pry open his cold fingers.

He applied more force, showing no mercy.

She looked at his blood-red phoenix eyes: “Brother Changsheng…”

…

Through the wind and snow, the silent night seemed to echo with that sigh-like murmur from years ago: Brother Changsheng…

Li Xuanzhen lay on his back in the snow, his whole body trembling, phoenix eyes blood-red, howling like a trapped beast: “Don’t call me that! Don’t call me that!”

Qin Fei stood to the side, helplessly saying: “Your Highness…”

No wonder the Crown Prince had been so erratic these past years – so this was the history between him and the Seventh Princess.

Li Xuanzhen turned to look at Qin Fei, his gaze unfocused, suddenly lunging forward to grab his sleeve: “When my mother died, Li Yao Ying wasn’t even born… She wasn’t born, so she doesn’t count, right?”

Qin Fei’s throat caught, unable to speak a word.

Li Xuanzhen laughed wildly, his handsome features twisted with something fierce, continuing to himself: “Mother never mentioned Ayue’s name, she doesn’t count, she doesn’t count, she’s not my enemy!”

He stood up, swaying.

“I was wrong, I’ll go get her, she doesn’t count!”

Qin Fei stopped Li Xuanzhen, who was laughing strangely: “Your Highness… the Yelu Khan won’t let her go.”

Li Xuanzhen’s phoenix eyes widened, two points of intense light burning in their black depths: “Then I’ll steal her back.”

Qin Fei sighed: “Can you succeed?”

Li Xuanzhen’s footsteps halted.

Indeed, he couldn’t. He had impulsively accepted the invitation to the Yelu tribe with only a few guards – he could not bring her back.

Even if he did bring her back, Li De would send her away again.

The current situation was all his doing.

If he hadn’t schemed to let the Yelu Khan see her at the Buddha’s Birthday ceremony, the Khan wouldn’t have actively offered Liangzhou as a betrothal gift, and Li De wouldn’t have set his sights on her.

If Li De hadn’t decreed the marriage first, when Li Zhongqian met with trouble, she wouldn’t have had to use this as a bargaining chip.

The fire in Li Xuanzhen’s eyes died out bit by bit, returning to boundless gloom.

His expression blank, he took two steps forward. The wounds on his back throbbed faintly, his chest hurting even more severely, and he collapsed into the snow with a thud.

Qin Fei heaved a long sigh, helped him onto horseback, and took him back to his room.

Just as they reached the gate tower, a patrol soldier rushed up with a letter: “Your Highness, a letter!”

Qin Fei glanced at the numb-faced Li Xuanzhen and said: “Take it to the Chief Secretary first.”

The soldier urgently replied: “This letter came from the west! The barbarian said Princess Wenzhao sent him to deliver it! It’s extremely urgent, can’t be delayed!”

Qin Fei was startled, but before he could speak, Li Xuanzhen suddenly moved, snatching the letter from the soldier’s hand.

His hands trembling uncontrollably, it took several tries to open the letter.

In the dim torchlight falling around them, he read the letter by the weak light, his expression suddenly darkening.

“Alert all posts! Send out scouts!” Li Xuanzhen straightened his back, ignoring his wounds, rapidly issuing orders. “Signal warnings to all guard posts, lockdown immediately! Seal the city gates! No matter who calls at the gate, ignore them completely!”

“Pass down the order – all units hold firm!”

“Any who show cowardice will be executed!”

After giving these orders, Li Xuanzhen called his guards: “Go quickly to the Yelu tribe and bring Princess Wenzhao back!”

The soldiers in the gate tower stood dumbfounded for a moment, then answered in unison and split up to carry out their orders.

Low horns began to blow mournfully, piercing through the vast wind and snow, signaling from the fortress to both north and south. Each outpost immediately responded, horn calls echoing across the heavens.

The atmosphere turned murderous.

Qin Fei closely followed Li Xuanzhen up to the watchtower.

Li Xuanzhen’s expression was grave, completely different from his earlier manic state. He hurriedly dressed, carelessly tied back his long hair, and stood at the high tower in the corner of the city wall, gazing out at the endless snowy plains to the west and north.

So Bie Mudie was Haidu Aling.

…

Haidu Aling was the most trusted and valued nephew of the Northern Rong leader.

Legend said he was born in a grassland tribe that lived by herding sheep. Later his tribe was brutally massacred, all men and women dying under bandits’ blades. He was thrown into a river to drift with the current, washing up on the ice plains where several mother wolves adopted him, miraculously keeping him alive.

At age eleven, he killed the mother wolf that had raised him and sought refuge with the Northern Rong tribe. His exceptional horsemanship and archery skills earned the tribal leader’s favor. The leader adopted him and took him on campaigns north and south.

That leader was Khan Wahan of the Northern Rong.

Li Xuanzhen had never directly confronted Haidu Aling, but when Haidu Aling led his tribe south to plunder last year, they had crossed paths several times and heard of each other’s names.

In recent years, Khan Wahan had concentrated his forces on conquering the Western Regions, reportedly suffering several defeats on the Northern Route there, weakening his strength.

Li De and Li Xuanzhen had discussed northern defense with court ministers.

They all believed the Northern Rong wouldn’t attack southward in the next few years, as their current goal was unifying the entire Western Region.

That’s why the Wei Dynasty rushed to recapture Liangzhou, fearing they would be powerless to resist when the Northern Rong armies eventually came south.

…

Who could have imagined Haidu Aling was Bie Mudie?

Li Xuanzhen clenched his teeth until he tasted blood.

That Northern Rong prince whom he and Li De deeply feared had been right under their noses, even drinking and competing in martial arts with him.

For the past half year, Haidu Aling had fought alongside Wei forces under the identity of a Yelu tribesman – had he already thoroughly understood Wei military deployments?

His invitation to the Yelu tribe and the ambush on his return journey couldn’t have been a coincidence. The attacker must have been Haidu Aling!

If he had stayed at the Yelu tribe that day, or returned later, wouldn’t he have already fallen victim to Haidu Aling’s poison?

This was all Haidu Aling’s scheme, laid out months ago.

Zhu Lüyun’s close dealings with the barbarians, the Yelu tribe’s uncharacteristically aggressive demand for an imperial marriage…

Zhu Lüyun!

She had said she wanted to restore her nation.

Who had promised her restoration?

If Zhu Lüyun had married into the Yelu tribe, had Haidu Aling planned to attack Chang’an under the Zhu banner, restoring her nation?

The events of the past half year flashed rapidly through his mind.

Li Xuanzhen’s heart pounded, cold sweat pouring down as he slammed his fist against the city wall.

He had fallen for it – they had all been played like puppets in Haidu Aling’s hands!

Now with Northern Rong troops attacking, he was stuck in Liangzhou, unable to rush back to Chang’an. He had no idea of the situation there – would the Northern Rong bypass Liangzhou entirely?

Footsteps clattered as commanders rushed up to the high tower.

Li Xuanzhen asked in a deep voice: “How many defenders do we have?”

The commanders exchanged glances, reluctantly answering: “Your Highness, on such short notice, we can only gather about two thousand men.”

Li Xuanzhen closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, killing intent churned in his gaze.

“Two thousand men to defend the pass is enough.”

Haidu Aling had frequently clashed with Khan Wahan’s other sons in recent years. With internal Northern Rong disputes unresolved, they couldn’t commit all their main forces to attacking Great Wei. He just needed to hold out until reinforcements arrived.

On the battlefield, no matter how great the disparity between enemies, he had never been afraid.

The commanders were deeply anxious, but seeing Li Xuanzhen’s calm demeanor and overwhelming aura of “one man guarding the pass against ten thousand,” their hearts gradually steadied. They returned to their posts to count their troops.

Half an hour later, scouts rushed back to report: “Your Highness, there’s indeed movement ten li north of the river’s opposite bank!”

Qin Fei was terrified in hindsight – in the brief half hour since Li Xuanzhen read the letter, enemy forces had already arrived. If that letter had arrived any later, would they have had any chance to prepare for battle?

He clutched his sword hilt nervously: “How did Princess Wenzhao know of Haidu Aling’s plans?”

Li Xuanzhen’s body trembled slightly.

He didn’t know either.

Far away in the Yelu tribe, alone and helpless in dire straits, she had discovered Bie Mudie was the Northern Rong prince and sent him a warning that Haidu Aling planned to attack Great Wei with multiple armies, telling him to prepare for battle.

He had awakened in time to seal the passes – but what about her?

What had happened to her?

Horn calls echoed one after another through the snowy night.

The enemy had come.

Li Xuanzhen drew his sword and stood firm, steadying his mind as he watched the battle formation slowly approaching the dark horizon.

He had to defend Liangzhou.

Only by winning this battle could he lead troops to rescue her.

…

The battle between the Northern Rong and the fortress defenders lasted over half a month.

No matter how many times the Northern Rong cavalry charged, the city’s defenders never retreated a step, holding firm in their positions.

Whenever the defenders’ morale flagged, the Wei Crown Prince would always fight at the forefront, reinvigorating their spirits.

On the eighteenth day, Haidu Aling arrived from Jincheng. He rode up a hillside across the river, looking at the majestic fortress still standing proudly by the riverbank, and asked his strategist: “Didn’t you say the Wei Crown Prince was severely wounded?”

How could a dying man lead his subordinates to hold out so many days?

The strategist lowered his head: “He was indeed severely wounded, but unfortunately those who set the ambush didn’t expect him to return to Liangzhou so quickly. They hadn’t prepared poison arrows, only regular hunting arrows.”

The Wei Crown Prince was too lucky.

Haidu Aling’s mouth twisted, his pale golden eyes slanting upward: “When setting an ambush, you should kill everyone! Leave no survivors!”

The strategist remained silent.

Haidu Aling gave a cold laugh: “Consider him fortunate.”

He had once planned to assassinate Li De and Li Xuanzhen but found the risk too great. Then he planned to kill Li Xuanzhen at the Yelu tribe and frame the tribe for it, but Li Xuanzhen left that very night.

He had been careless.

But how had Li Xuanzhen known in advance about the Northern Rong attack?

Haidu Aling’s brows furrowed deeply.

Not just Li Xuanzhen, but Jincheng, Xiaoguan, Shanzhou… every major city he had planned to attack seemed to receive a warning.

He had sent several hundred men disguised as Yelu tribesmen to infiltrate Jincheng under Princess Wenzhao’s name, planning to attack by surprise from both inside and out. This poisonous scheme should have been foolproof, but that night Jincheng suddenly sealed its gates, and all the infiltrators were executed on orders from a man named Du Sinan.

Moreover, Southern Chu and Shu, who should have attacked Great Wei, suddenly changed their minds and held their troops back. Only Northern Qi, holding just Fengzhou, had dispatched forces.

Haidu Aling stroked his chin.

Which link had gone wrong?

Only by understanding the error could he avoid repeating it.

He ordered his strategist: “Personally interrogate that captured commander from Jincheng. I must know who warned them!”

The strategist agreed.

Just then, thunderous hoofbeats echoed from the east. Banners flew as dust rolled up, and countless black dots appeared on the endless plain.

Haidu Aling narrowed his eyes to look, then smiled: “Their reinforcements have arrived. Withdraw the troops.”

Li Xuanzhen was one of the Central Plains’ finest generals. If they couldn’t kill him in one swift stroke, better not to persist in battle.

Haidu Aling turned his horse and rode down the hillside.

One day, he would personally lead his army, bringing his tribe’s bravest warriors to conquer this rich land.

This fertile ground was destined to become his, Haidu Aling’s, pasture.

Wherever Northern Rong hooves reached would be conquered by him.

“Return to the Yelu tribe.”

Haidu Aling’s mouth curved.

Though they hadn’t succeeded in their plan to ignite conflict among the Central Plains nations and plunge them back into the flames of war, they had stolen plenty, destroyed several small nations, conquered the entire Helong region except Liangzhou, and obtained a beautiful woman.

Thinking of how that beauty had wept by the old Khan’s bedside, so delicately helpless, his fingers twitched.

He loved watching beauties cry.

Central Plains beauties had such fine, delicate skin like sheep’s fat, perfect from head to toe, submissive, tame, gentle, trembling slightly at the sight of him like lambs awaiting slaughter, waiting to be devoured.

It must be the most intoxicating taste.

Haidu Aling laughed softly.

That night, as they crossed the snow-covered mountains, they encountered riders sent from the Yelu tribe.

The riders immediately dismounted to report: “The Crown Prince was killed by tribal elders loyal to the old Khan!”

Haidu Aling raged: “You couldn’t stop them?”

He had known that fool of a Crown Prince couldn’t control the tribe and left several followers to handle contingencies – how had he still been killed?

The rider shamefully said: “It happened suddenly – we never expected heaven’s punishment to strike!”

Haidu Aling started: “Heaven’s punishment?”

The rider recounted that night’s events in detail: “The Wei Princess Wenzhao avenged the old Khan, calling down heaven’s punishment. The tribe was terrified. The elders and other princes’ followers seized the chance to kill the Crown Prince. Princess Wenzhao has disappeared.”

Haidu Aling’s expression darkened, hawk-like cold light flashing in his pale golden eyes.

He had been deceived.

Princess Wenzhao could speak their language!

How could a hastily married-off princess who could secretly learn their language so smoothly be one to constantly weep, repeatedly complaining to her maids about her brother sending her to marry?

Likewise, how could a princess who only knew how to weep and complain about her brother sending her to marry have the courage to fake supernatural events, using heaven’s punishment to throw the entire Yelu tribe into chaos and seize the chance to escape?

Those frightened expressions, those cowardly actions – all were pretense, making him think she was just an ordinary, pampered, timid woman.

As soon as he left, she showed her true face.

So much for being gentle and submissive!

Haidu Aling laughed coldly.

“Which direction did she flee?”

He would capture that Han woman himself!

The rider answered loudly: “The princess went east. We rode hard and should be ahead of her!”

He pulled several blood-stained letters from his chest.

“We ambushed and killed several of the princess’s guards on the road – each carried letters! We killed eighteen men in total and seized twelve letters!”

Haidu Aling’s thick brows furrowed slightly as he took the letters, scanning them. His face showed slight surprise.

The informant was a woman.

His entire plan had been defeated by this woman.

Haidu Aling’s narrow hawk eyes narrowed as he whistled, calling his eagle keeper to release his trained eagle.

The eagle spread its wings and soared into the high winds.

This eagle was his eyes, circling in the nine heavens to find the Great Wei princess’s trail.

She was his chosen prey.

She could not escape, even with wings.