The fighting continued until July. Seeing the flood season arrive with the moat waters surging violently and the Black Cavalry army unable to attack, Xiao Du simply led his forces to defend the city without venturing out. While developing new poisons, he discussed strategies to defeat the enemy with his other generals. Continuous rain washed the mottled bloodstains covering the city walls and turned the mountain roads into muddy quagmires. On this day, as Xiao Du emerged from the military camp and watched rainwater converge into streams cascading down from high places, a strategy suddenly occurred to him. He immediately ordered someone to invite Luo Yuan to the General’s Residence for discussion.
After hearing Xiao Du’s proposed plan, Luo Yuan also found it quite feasible. He retrieved books recording meteorological phenomena, and the two discussed over terrain maps all night, finally settling on a complete strategy.
Five days later, the Black Cavalry army, which had been fuming with pent-up anger outside the city, finally received news that Marquis Xuanyuan would personally lead troops into battle. The entire army was on urgent alert while rubbing their fists and palms together in anticipation of fighting the Xiao family army. Wu nation’s commanding general Dian Liang led fifty thousand Black Cavalry main forces to camp at Yuning Mountain, attempting to use the treacherous mountain terrain to set ambushes and seize the initiative.
Before the city gates, twenty thousand Xiao family soldiers stood in iron armor and cold uniforms, arranged in orderly formation, awaiting their commander’s order and eager to tear apart enemy chests and recover plundered territory. Xiao Du stood atop the city tower, his purple battle cloak fluttering high in the wind. Luo Yuan remained in his blue scholarly robe, smiling as he bowed: “I wish your lordship great victory in this campaign. If we can truly deal the Black Cavalry main forces a severe blow with minimal cost, we’ll be one step closer to final victory.”
Xiao Du looked down at the high-spirited soldiers outside the city. Their gleaming armor reflected a sheet of silver light under the sun as his boiling blood began to surge again: someday, I will personally lead them to reclaim every blade of grass and tree that has been trampled by foreign iron hooves.
Luo Yuan gazed at the soaring heroic spirit emanating from him with envious admiration. Suddenly he stepped forward and said quietly: “If your lordship achieves victory in this battle, you should pass through Cloudy Peak Mountain on your return to the city. That divine physician I mentioned to your lordship before – I’ve had people inquire, and he indeed lives on Cloudy Peak Mountain.”
Xiao Du’s heart stirred upon hearing this. Over the past year, Yuanxi seemed no longer obsessed with her physical condition, but he understood she still wanted a child. If that divine physician truly possessed the legendary miraculous skills to cure Yuanxi’s ailment, nothing could be better. So he nodded and kept this matter in mind.
Military drums sounded repeatedly – there was only one quarter-hour left before the departure time. Just as Xiao Du was about to descend from the city tower, he noticed Luo Yuan’s blue robe had already faded and hung loosely over his increasingly gaunt frame. Thinking of how Luo Yuan had worked tirelessly for military affairs during his time at Pingdu Pass without resting for even a moment, Xiao Du lowered his head in contemplation and suddenly said: “Wen Qian, I asked you before, but you didn’t answer me. Why exactly are you helping me? If you had remained in court, you would certainly have had a bright future awaiting you. Yet you’re willing to bear the crime of defying and deceiving your sovereign to come to this harsh northwestern frontier and risk your life for someone whose fate is uncertain like myself.”
Luo Yuan gazed distantly at the fluttering banners, his expression somewhat profound: “The place where I was born is Jingnan, also such a frontier town that has endured the ravages of war.”
The war drums below grew more urgent, but Xiao Du continued to watch him quietly, waiting for him to continue. As they walked down together, Luo Yuan said: “When I was eight years old, Jiatong Pass fell, and the South Yue people rushed into the city to burn, kill, and plunder. I witnessed with my own eyes two South Yue soldiers killing my parents with a single stroke.” He closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly. For the first time, his usually elegant face showed deep hatred. When he opened his eyes again, he seemed to break free from that distant warfare and continued: “At that time, the commanding general defending the city, seeing enemy troops enter, immediately abandoned the city and fled, leaving all the city’s people to become fish on the cutting board. I remember hiding here and there among the chaotic troops but was still discovered by a South Yue soldier. Just as he raised his blade to strike me down, a general arrived in time to save me. Then a army charged into the city to fight the South Yue people to the death. That general held me on his horse, and in the chaos I only saw banners bearing the character ‘Xiao.'”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Du already understood the general situation and asked: “What was the name of the general who saved you? Did you ever see him again later?” Luo Yuan smiled bitterly and shook his head: “He placed me in a safe location and returned to the army to continue leading troops in battle. I had no chance to ask his name and never saw him again afterward.”
After several decades, perhaps that white-robed general had long since retired from military service or fallen on the battlefield. But that banner bearing the character “Xiao” was deeply etched in a child’s heart. He remembered how that group of soldiers carrying “Xiao” banners fought desperately without regard for their lives to drive back the enemy and rescue the entire city’s people from fire and flood. From then on, he studied diligently, traveled everywhere, and achieved success in the palace examinations, all to be able to stand among that group of soldiers and prevent more children from being affected by warfare. This was the aspiration he had established for his entire life.
Xiao Du gazed at the resolute expression on Luo Yuan’s face and pressed his shoulder heavily: “Wen Qian truly deserves to be called a true gentleman. With your assistance, the Xiao family army will surely return in great victory.” The two then smiled at each other, both seeing gratitude and promise in the other’s eyes. Xiao Du walked to the front of the formation, mounted his horse, and led twenty thousand soldiers toward the city outskirts in unison with the stirring war drums.
In the sixth year of Jianping, in July, Xiao Du led only twenty thousand Xiao family soldiers to face fifty thousand elite Black Cavalry troops. Both sides fought for several days at the foot of Yuning Mountain. Xiao Du feigned defeat and retreated step by step, luring the Black Cavalry main forces to Huanglong Valley. He then sent a light cavalry unit to break open the upstream dam of Baifeng River, releasing floods that rushed directly into Huanglong Valley, instantly trapping the Black Cavalry army in the floodwaters. Then Xiao Du led archers with Flying Star crossbows with doubled range to pursue from the mountains. In this battle, the Black Cavalry main forces were almost completely annihilated – only five thousand fled in panic while the Xiao family army suffered fewer than a thousand casualties. This became known in history as the “Great Victory of Huanglong.”
After the battle at Huanglong Valley, the Xiao family army’s morale soared greatly. Seeing the Black Cavalry’s strength severely damaged and unable to recover their vitality in the short term, Xiao Du had his soldiers make camp at the foot of Cloudy Peak Mountain. He temporarily entrusted the commander’s seal to an experienced deputy general beside him, instructing him to lead troops waiting at the mountain’s base for one day. If any emergency arose, he could adapt accordingly without waiting for orders.
Afterward, he climbed up Cloudy Peak Mountain alone without bringing a single personal guard. Cloudy Peak Mountain had treacherous terrain with few inhabitants. As Xiao Du cut through vines beside him while climbing upward, he had just reached halfway up when he suddenly heard a young girl’s cry of alarm. He quickly stepped forward several paces and pushed aside tree vines to see a roughly-dressed man with a fierce expression pressing down on a white-robed young lady.
Xiao Du frowned and almost instinctively stepped forward, wielding his blade to drive that man away. The young lady looked up with lingering shock, her large eyes flowing like water. Despite her disheveled hair and face covered with mud, they couldn’t conceal her devastating beauty. She quickly arranged her torn clothing with lowered head, then wanted to kneel and thank Xiao Du profusely. Xiao Du quickly waved to stop her and asked: “May I ask if there lives a divine physician on this mountain? Do you know where he resides?”
The young lady stared with surprised wide eyes, then lowered her head and twisted her clothing corners while saying softly: “Are you… looking for my master?”
Xiao Du was greatly delighted upon hearing this. After detailed inquiry, he learned the divine physician was surnamed Cui, named Yuan, and lived in a small courtyard on the mountain. This young lady was called A Yue and was actually a female slave raised in the divine physician’s household. She usually gathered medicinal herbs in the mountains for him, but who knew she would encounter ill-intentioned bandits today – fortunately Xiao Du happened upon her and rescued her.
So Xiao Du followed the young lady to the small courtyard where Cui Yuan lived. This courtyard had living water flowing around it with flourishing flowers and plants in the garden, including several medicinal herbs Xiao Du couldn’t identify, giving it quite the feeling of a paradise beyond the world. A Yue had him wait outside while she went in first to announce him. After a while, she ran out happily: “Master says thank you for saving me and asks you to come in and talk.”
Xiao Du thus lifted his robes and walked inside. Sitting in the hall was a person with white whiskers and long robes, thin and vigorous, looking quite like an immortal sage. After A Yue led Xiao Du inside, she set down the medicine basket from her body to one side. Cui Yuan stared directly at Xiao Du without looking elsewhere: “So you’re the one who saved A Yue?”
Xiao Du nodded and respectfully bowed to Cui Yuan: “I am Xiao Du. I have long heard of the divine physician’s reputation. Because my wife has contracted a serious illness, I came especially today to request the divine physician to come down the mountain to treat my wife.”
Cui Yuan stroked his beard: “This old man has been in seclusion for many years and no longer treats patients. However, considering your sincere heart and the fact that you saved A Yue, please sit down and talk first.”
Xiao Du sat down as instructed. Cui Yuan had A Yue serve him tea, then picked up his own tea cup and took a sip: “Over these years, quite a few people have come up the mountain seeking medical treatment, but I’ve driven them all away. You might as well tell me – what reason do you have that would make me absolutely must come down the mountain?”
Xiao Du smiled slightly and picked up his tea cup, placing it near his nose: “This tea has a unique fragrance that I’ve never smelled before. Is it secretly prepared by Divine Physician Cui?”
Cui Yuan’s face showed pride: “You have good judgment. This tea is called ‘One Thread of Fragrance’ – I personally planted it in my courtyard. Even if ordinary people begged me, I wouldn’t give it to them to drink.”
Xiao Du laughed heartily: “It seems I’m blessed with good fortune today.” Then he raised the tea cup and drained it in one gulp.
The moment Xiao Du raised the tea cup, Cui Yuan’s gaze flashed intensely. Seeing him drink all the tea, he breathed a sigh of relief. But A Yue beside him nervously rubbed her hands with an expression of wanting to speak but stopping herself.
Xiao Du calmly set down the tea cup and gazed at Cui Yuan: “How about it? How has Divine Physician Cui considered it? When are you prepared to come down the mountain to treat my wife?”
Cui Yuan’s face showed contempt as his posture began to relax: “I said I won’t come down the mountain for patients anymore. Don’t waste words – go down the mountain early.”
Xiao Du’s face revealed a meaningful expression as he stared at Cui Yuan: “Why, Divine Physician Cui, can’t you keep up this act so soon?”
Cui Yuan’s complexion changed dramatically. When he looked up again, Xiao Du was already standing beside him with his short blade unsheathed, its cold gleam making his heart contract sharply. But Xiao Du didn’t move closer, only continued playing with the blade handle: “You indeed disguised yourself very convincingly, but unfortunately you made three mistakes from the moment I entered.”
Cui Yuan wiped sweat from his forehead, not daring to face that oppressive威压, but still reluctantly replied: “This old man doesn’t understand what you’re saying.”
Xiao Du remained unconcerned and smiled as he pointed at the medicinal herbs on the ground: “First, someone obsessed with medicine couldn’t possibly ignore freshly gathered herbs, but since A Yue returned, you haven’t even glanced at these herbs once. Second,” he looked at Cui Yuan’s hands and continued, “your hands aren’t steady enough. I saw you spill some tea when picking up the cup. If you were a physician, how could you perform acupuncture on patients? Third, before drinking tea, you placed three fingers on the table. Though it was only for a brief moment, I saw it – this is the Wu people’s custom of thanking gods before eating. Habits cannot be disguised, so you’re a Wu person, aren’t you!”
Cui Yuan was greatly alarmed and only then realized this person hadn’t collapsed as he had imagined. Frightened, he retreated several steps and cried out: “How are you… how are you not…”
Who knew a cold gleam flashed before him as Xiao Du’s short blade was already at his throat. He seemed to have lost patience with toying with him and said sternly: “Do you think I’d be foolish enough to actually drink that cup of tea? Speak! Who sent you? Where has the real Divine Physician Cui gone?”
Cui Yuan was trembling and about to speak when suddenly a throwing knife pierced his throat. Xiao Du frowned – when he entered, he had already observed the surroundings. Presumably the other party didn’t dare set ambushes outside the house for fear of arousing his suspicion. Could it be that those people had arrived so quickly?
Just then, he noticed A Yue crouched on the ground trembling, staring at him with terrified eyes and saying in a shaking voice: “Gunpowder… there’s gunpowder!”
Xiao Du was greatly shocked. Before he could react, he heard a tremendous rumbling sound from outside: someone had buried gunpowder in the mountain, and a landslide would erupt immediately. Cold sweat broke out all over Xiao Du’s body – this was almost the most critical moment of his entire life. Without thinking, he was about to run outside when A Yue grabbed his sleeve and cried: “Please, save me and take me out together…”
At the same time, inside Pingdu Pass, a staff officer glanced at the faint green smoke rising in the distance, smiled at the corners of his mouth, and walked into a military tent. Several hours later, several generals left behind by the Xiao family army were called to the main tent of Yue Ke Wei, who had originally served as lieutenant general of You Province and Fu Province. Yue Ke Wei had accompanied Xiao Du to guard Pingdu Pass as deputy commander this time. Having always been cautious in words and actions and never stepping forward, this sudden change left those generals somewhat puzzled.
All who came were generals and deputy generals who had followed Xiao Du for many years. Yue Ke Wei glanced down at the hall and suddenly shouted: “Guards! Arrest them all!” Those men were immediately shocked. At this time, Right General Zheng Long stepped forward proudly: “What qualifications do you have to arrest people? Except for his lordship, no one can touch us!”
Yue Ke Wei snorted lightly and took out a yellow silk cloth, unfolding it: “His Majesty’s personal edict – do you still dare resist the imperial decree!”