After a long day, the Black Cavalry was finally driven south of the Wei River, and the Xiao family’s army successfully reclaimed lost territory, once again hoisting the banner bearing the character “Xiao” at Pingdu Pass.
After enduring many days of devastation, the city gates were piled with corpses, the ground charred black, and the walls in ruins. Yet, the resilient people of the city had an extraordinary ability to heal. Silently, they took to the streets, gathering the remains of their loved ones, and helping each other rebuild their burnt houses. Then, the sun would rise as usual, and even the greatest of pains would fade away. They would continue to live their ordinary yet self-sufficient lives, passing down their resilience through generations.
On the seventh day after the recapture of Pingdu Pass, as the order was finally restored in the city and the streets were cleared, Xiao Du led all the soldiers of the Xiao family’s army in front of the city tower for a ceremony. It was a day of heavy rain, the sky darkened to a purple hue, and countless sharp rainlines fell from the ink-blue clouds. The howling wind carried droplets everywhere, as if also mourning and wailing for these loyal souls.
Xiao Du, dressed in white plain clothes with black armor, stepped onto the altar erected in front of the city tower. Yellow flags fluttered high above, shattered jade and torn silk, souls never to return.
With each step Xiao Du took, his face grew more solemn. Finally, he stopped at the highest point of the altar, looking at the pitch-black coffin before him. His hand caressed the deep and shallow patterns on the coffin, tears streaming down with the rain. Then, he closed his eyes, softly saying, “Wenqian, we’ve come to bid you farewell.”
Meanwhile, on the long street beside the city tower, crowds of people spontaneously gathered to participate in the ceremony. They stood silently in the rain under their umbrellas, alongside all the soldiers of the Xiao family’s army, bidding farewell to those fallen heroes. They remembered the scholar lying in the coffin, how he bravely led dozens of dead soldiers into the city, rescuing the people from the iron hooves of the Black Cavalry, and how he fought to the last moment, guarding the safety of Pingdu Pass and even the entire Central Plains. He and countless unknown soldiers sacrificed their lives to protect this city, and today, it was finally time to bid them farewell.
Xiao Du stood beside the coffin for a long time before slowly raising his hand. With his command, funeral music began to play in the military formation. Xiao Du took out a eulogy, reading it aloud in the pouring rain. The heavy words, accompanied by the mournful sounds of wind and rain, lingered in the air, as if the heavens and the earth were grieving together, and the sun and moon dimmed. Gradually, the sounds of weeping arose from the crowd, growing louder and louder, causing the soldiers of the Xiao family’s army to bow their heads and weep bitterly. They remembered their lost loved ones, their brothers who fought side by side, perhaps the wheat in their hometowns was ripe by now, but those warriors on the expedition would never return.
After finishing the eulogy, Xiao Du, listening to the sobbing around him, couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with sorrow, coughing several times suddenly. He turned around, facing the crowd below the city tower, his chest surging with emotions. He drew his sword from his waist and raised it high, declaring loudly, “Xiao Du vows here today, in my lifetime, never to let the barbarians tread on the Central Plains again, never to let our compatriots suffer from war again, never to let this land suffer from calamity again!” His eyes were bloodshot, yet a peculiar light flickered on his face.
Then, with a flash of the blade, he cut off a piece of his black hair, scattering it under the altar, declaring his determination to fulfill this oath. The people and soldiers present were all deeply moved by this scene, many kneeling in the rain, shouting and crying out loud. It was unclear who started it, but the soldiers of the Xiao family’s army began to sing a military song: “With hearts united, we can shake the mountains; Only loyalty and righteousness can fight against the mighty bull; The commander treats us like his own children; Offenders of military laws will not be spared; Orders are clear, rewards and punishments are just; Willing to face water and fire without hesitation?
Reporting to the emperor, rescuing the people of Qian; Slaying all barbarians, seeking to become marquis!” The stirring song echoed through the sky, resonating within and outside Pingdu Pass. After the song ended, almost everyone was in tears. A deputy general approached Xiao Du from behind, handing him the sacrificial wine. Xiao Du suppressed the turmoil in his heart, raising the wine cup high and pouring it three times in front of the coffin, silently saying: Farewell, Wenqian. Farewell, to all the brothers who fought for Da Mu.
After the ceremony, Xiao Du personally carried the coffin and buried Luo Yuan’s body by the mountain. Many soldiers who sacrificed in this battle had already been buried here. Then, together with the people, they erected a stone tablet. Xiao Du drew his sword and personally carved the words “Monument of Loyalty and Righteousness” on the stone tablet. Then, he stared at the words on the tablet with a guilty expression on his face. Finally, a deputy general stepped forward to advise him, “Your Highness, you should return first. The rain is heavy, and your health is important.” Xiao Du waved his hand and said hoarsely, “I’ll stay with them a little longer.” Then, he and everyone else stood silently in front of the monument for a long time before being escorted back to the Prefectural Governor’s Mansion by the guards.
Yuanxi had been staying in her room all day, not participating in the ceremony. It was the first time she felt so weak, unable to face the departure of Xiaofuzi no matter how hard she tried. So she chose to escape; some things were better left in the heart, and she believed he would understand.
Xiao Du changed his clothes and walked into the room, seeing Yuanxi sitting earnestly at the desk, writing something. Yuanxi turned her head and saw Xiao Du, a flicker in her eyes, but she didn’t ask. Xiao Du didn’t dwell on touching her inner pain either, walking softly to her and asking, “What are you writing?”
Yuanxi didn’t answer, only putting down her pen to lightly wrap her arms around his waist, saying, “Ado, all of that child’s relatives are dead. I’ve been thinking for a few days, how about we adopt him?”
Xiao Du knew she was talking about the boy Zhu Zi, whom Luo Yuan had saved, so he gently touched her head and nodded, saying, “You decide.” Finally, Yuanxi showed the first smile she had had in days. She sat down and unfolded the book in front of her, and Xiao Du realized that there were many annotations and insights written on it, all in Yuanxi’s handwriting. At that moment, he suddenly understood. His throat seemed to be choked up as he said, “You mean…”
Yuanxi nodded, gently touching the pages of the book in her hand, saying softly, “I left Jingcheng in a hurry and couldn’t bring the books Xiao Fuzi gave me. I’ve been feeling guilty; that book should have been the last thing he could keep. Later, I thought, since those books are gone, why not write them down for him? When the child grows up, we’ll give him these books. He’ll know that the person who risked his life to save him was once warm and special.”
Xiao Du’s eyes grew moist again as he embraced her, saying softly, “Okay, I’ll accompany you.”
Yuanxi leaned her head against his chest, her voice trembling softly, “Ado, he really won’t come back, will he?”
Xiao Du gently pressed her head, trying to suppress the grief in his heart: Yes, never see him again, that ever serene and noble gentleman, that indomitable heart of innocence.
As winter approached, the Da Mu army clashed multiple times with the Black Cavalry in the mountain passes. Xiao Du led the morale-boosted Xiao family army like a sharp steel knife piercing into the enemy ranks, driving the Black Cavalry into the mountains several times, and both leaders were unable to mount a strong counterattack. Meanwhile, the grain and forage in Pingdu Pass were burnt, and the speed of supplies from the capital was getting slower. The Xiao family army had to start rationing their meals to prepare for the harsh winter ahead. Seeing this, the people took out their scarce food to help the Xiao family army through the difficult times.
One day, when Xiao Du returned from the battlefield, he heard the sound of children playing from afar. He found Yuanxi playing with Zhu Zi in front of the door, the child he had always seen lost in thought in the darkness, now finally able to smile brightly in the sunshine. It was as if a long-suffering sapling could finally break through the soil and be reborn. Xiao Du felt much of the gloom in his heart dissipate, so he walked over with a smile. Seeing him return, Yuanxi couldn’t contain her joy and rushed to hug him, while the maidservant tactfully took Zhu Zi away to play elsewhere.
After a tender moment together, they walked hand in hand into the house. Yuanxi handed Xiao Du a towel to wash his face, then asked with some concern, “Is there not enough food in the city? Do you think…”
Xiao Du knew what she was afraid of, whether a tragedy like the fall of Pingdu Pass would repeat itself. It was also a shadow in his heart that he couldn’t shake. He held her soft hands tightly and said slowly, “Xiao’er, I’ve been thinking about something lately.”
Seeing Yuanxi raise her head to inquire, Xiao Du’s gaze gradually turned profound as he continued, “These days, I often think of a conversation I had with Wen Qian. He asked me, if we win this battle, what’s next?” Mentioning that person, he couldn’t help but sigh softly again. “I remember he said to me, that although Da Mu is currently coveted by foreign enemies, with a wise monarch and the people’s support, the Central Plains are prosperous and peaceful, truly a rare golden age. He asked me, can we bear to break this peace?”
Yuanxi’s heart skipped a beat as she instantly understood his meaning. The current situation, driving the Black Cavalry back to the grasslands, was only a matter of time. Their next step would be a confrontation with the imperial city. Xiao Du’s identity and military power would always be a thorn in the emperor’s heart. If he gave up his military power, he would have no resistance, essentially surrendering his life to the emperor. But if he led the army to attack the imperial city, it would disturb the peace of the world and plunge the people into war again. It was an unsolvable dilemma, and now it was time to make a choice.
Xiao Du squeezed her hand tighter and continued, “Xiao’er, the loss of Pingdu Pass and Wen Qian’s death made me realize many things. If there wasn’t mutual suspicion and vigilance between him and me, how could those barbarians have invaded, even manipulated, and instigated their way into Pingdu Pass? The soldiers of Pingdu Pass shouldn’t have died, and Wen Qian shouldn’t have died. The more I think about it, the more regretful I feel. If Da Mu could unite from top to bottom, even with so many foreign enemies lurking, it wouldn’t be enough to fear.”
Yuanxi listened quietly, feeling a sense of understanding in her heart. She raised her head and looked at him tenderly, saying, “I’ve said it before, no matter what you want to do, I’ll support you.”
Xiao Du smiled with relief and added, “Do you remember what you said? The great trend of the world lies in nothing but the will of the people. The will of the people is the foundation of the country. I once made a solemn oath in front of the people of Pingdu Pass, so I don’t want to choose a path that will bring suffering to the people. I believe Wen Qian wouldn’t want to see that either.”
“But…” Yuanxi’s expression turned worried, “Would that person think the same way?”
Xiao Du shook his head. “I don’t know, but I want to take a gamble. Tomorrow, I want to send him something…”