Dark clouds hung low, banners swaying in the wind.

Yan City, standing defiantly amid the icy wasteland, had become like an isolated island cut off from the world, surrounded by the soldiers of Great Liang.

The young general at the front was clad in silver armor, a crimson cape billowing behind him. He raised his hand and uttered two words colder than ice and snow: “Attack the city!”

As these two words were spoken, the air immediately filled with thunderous battle cries.

The already crumbling city walls stirred with commotion, followed by the cold shout of a Northern Qi commander: “General Shao, take a look at who this is before you order the attack!”

As his words fell, a woman was brought forward under guard and made to stand atop the city wall.

The woman had raven-black hair gathered behind her ears, revealing a smooth and pure face. The northern wind cut at her tender cheeks like knives, making her lips redder and her face whiter, like a jade lotus sealed in ice—though plain, she was particularly striking to behold.

The scene fell silent.

The young, handsome general in silver armor showed not the slightest change in expression as he raised his hand again—

The great army below advanced another step, their suppressed yet resolute momentum striking fear into the hearts of those on the city wall.

The Northern Qi commander grabbed the woman and pushed her forward, shouting in desperation: “General Shao, look clearly! This is your wife! As long as you withdraw your troops, I guarantee her safety. Otherwise, your wife will lose her life!”

The young general paused.

A subordinate beside him said quietly, “General, that is indeed your lady.”

The young general gripped his reins and gazed deeply at the woman on the city wall.

So this was his wife.

As if sensing the man’s gaze, the woman on the wall turned her eyes slightly to meet his distant stare.

The northern territories had been repeatedly ravaged and plundered by the Qi people, and now they had even seized cities. Who knew how much soldiers’ blood had been spilled to reach today’s battle for recovery—how could they stop their advance for the sake of one person?

Though she was a woman, she still possessed this sense of national righteousness.

And that young general who struck terror into the hearts of the Qi people—this husband whose face she was seeing clearly for the first time today—could not possibly abandon the chance to recover their mountains and rivers for her sake.

The woman opened her mouth.

The weather was too cold, and she had not spoken for too long. For a moment, she could not utter a single word.

The thought had barely flashed through her mind when an arrow appeared in her vision, growing larger as it approached from far to near, followed immediately by searing pain.

She instinctively looked down to see blood gushing from her chest. The warmth brought by the hot blood quickly solidified and dissipated in the cold wind.

This bastard hadn’t even given her the chance to speak a single righteous word!

As she faced death, the woman thought with resentment.

“General—”

The subordinate beside the young general couldn’t help but cry out.

The young general calmly lowered his bow, looking down to hide the guilt in his eyes, and coldly uttered the same two words as before: “Attack the city!”

…

In early spring of the twenty-fifth year of Mingkang, Yan City of Great Liang was recovered. The second son of the Marquis of Jing’an, Northern Campaign General Shao Mingyuan, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Guanjun and returned triumphantly to the capital.

And his wife, Lady Qiao, left her passionate blood forever on the walls of Yan City.