Wei Liang led a light cavalry of two thousand men, following the route of Chen Xiang’s daughter’s wedding procession as reported by Gong Sun Yang’s scouts. After several days, they discovered the bridal convoy north of Liyang. Due to the ten thousand hu of grain they were transporting, the convoy’s progress was slow, and they had not even covered half the distance despite their early start. Wei Liang set an ambush in a mountain pass ahead. When the convoy entered the pass, at the sound of gongs and drums, ambush troops emerged from both ends with battle cries.
High Shun, the Zhenweizhonglang General tasked by Chen Xiang to escort the convoy, was caught off guard. He hurriedly raised his halberd and loudly demanded to know who the attackers were. Wei Liang shouted, “Your grandfather is here!” and charged forward, swinging his great sword. High Shun quickly raised his halberd to defend, but he was no match for Wei Liang. In just three exchanges, he was cut down from his horse. Seeing Wei Liang’s ferocity and their troops surrounded, the accompanying deputy generals panicked, made a few feints, and fled on horseback. The remaining soldiers, unable to resist, scattered in all directions.
Wei Liang’s purpose was not to kill enemies or give chase. He ordered the supplies to be gathered and approached the central carriage. Lifting the curtain, he saw a young woman cowering in the corner, trembling. She had already lost all color in her face, and upon seeing Wei Liang’s disheveled head peeking in, she let out a scream and fainted on the spot, startling Wei Liang. He also saw two maidservants, ashen-faced, kneeling and kowtowing for mercy.
Knowing the fainted woman was Chen Xiang’s daughter, Wei Liang ordered soldiers to escort the carriage and headed towards Yangzhou. They soon reached Huainan and were stationed at Xiacai. Scouts reported that Yang Xin had sent his envoy, Song Xian, to welcome them. Song Xian respectfully invited Wei Liang and his troops to enter the city, but Wei Liang refused, ordering his soldiers to set up camp outside the city and await orders. He strictly forbade the soldiers from approaching Chen Xiang’s daughter’s tent and set up round-the-clock patrols.
Yang Xin and Xue Tai had a long-standing grudge. In their previous encounters, they were evenly matched, with victories on both sides and had been at a stalemate for the past two years. Recently, Wei Shao’s envoy Zhang Yong arrived unexpectedly with a personal letter from Wei Shao, stating his intentions.
Wei Shao’s growing power in the north had attracted heroes from all over the world to join him, and Yang Xin had heard of this but never had direct contact. Zhang Yong, originally from a prominent family in Jiangdong, had joined Wei Shao out of admiration and was appointed as Chief Clerk. Eloquent and persuasive, he quickly convinced Yang Xin to consider Wei Shao a kindred spirit. With Wei Shao holding Chen Xiang at bay, there was little to fear. Attacking Xuzhou, which only had twenty thousand troops left, had a high chance of success, especially with Wei Shao’s promised grain, silk, and northern horses.
The grain and silk were one thing, but the thousand northern horses were the real prize. The South didn’t produce horses, and gaining a thousand northern horses would be like adding wings to a tiger. Yang Xin immediately agreed, swearing a blood oath with Zhang Yong. That night, he held a feast, and the next day, he selected a hundred thousand troops, dividing them into three routes to march towards Xuzhou.
Half a month earlier, Xue Tai had led his troops into Yanzhou, plundering civilian wealth and leaving nothing behind, causing widespread resentment among the people. Now, with his army reaching Juye, only a hundred li from Dongjun, scouts reported that Qiao Ping, the Governor of Dongjun, and his son were leading fifty thousand troops in formation thirty li outside Juye city. Xue Tai, not worried at all, urged his army to attack directly. The two armies met outside Juye city.
Looking at the opposing side, Xue Tai saw a middle-aged general on a white horse at the center of the formation, with a scholarly face, whom he knew to be Governor Qiao Ping. Beside him, on a chestnut warhorse, sat a young commander in silver armor, wielding dual halberds, with star-like eyes and extraordinary handsomeness. Guessing this to be Qiao Ping’s son, Xue Tai laughed heartily, “Yanzhou must truly be out of men to send a little girl to face us in battle!”
This remark sparked laughter throughout the ranks. Qiao Ci, young and hot-blooded, couldn’t bear such humiliation. Ignoring Qiao Ping’s attempts to stop him, he charged out of formation on horseback, cursing Xue Tai as an old dog. From the opposite side, Xue Tai’s eighteen-year-old son, Xue Liang—who was to marry Chen Xiang’s daughter—spurred his horse forward with a spear to meet the challenge. The two met in the open space between the armies, with soldiers on both sides shouting. After a fierce battle of dozens of exchanges, Qiao Ci unseated Xue Liang. As Xue Liang hurriedly fled back to his lines, Qiao Ci, red-eyed with rage, pursued and threw his sword, piercing Xue Liang’s back. Xue Liang fell and died on the spot.
Qiao Ping watched the battle anxiously from behind. Although his elder brother had sent envoys to Yuyang to request reinforcements, there had been no response, and Wei Shao’s troops had not arrived. Days ago, upon learning that Xue Tai’s army was approaching, Qiao Ping personally led his troops to form ranks at Juye, prepared to fight to the death. His only son was not yet of age, and Qiao Ping had originally not wanted him to fight in the front lines, ordering him to stay behind to guard the city.
However, although Yanzhou could muster fifty thousand troops, there were few capable generals to lead them. Qiao Ci insisted on fighting in the front, and Qiao Ping had no choice. Considering that if Dongjun fell, all would be lost, he finally gritted his teeth and allowed his son to join him in battle. Now, seeing him unable to bear the provocation and engaging in a fierce duel with Xue Liang, ultimately killing him, Qiao Ping breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ordered the gongs to be sounded for his return.
On the other side, Xue Tai, shocked and grieved to see his son killed before the battle even began, and by a mere boy at that, was furious. Unwilling to let it go, he immediately ordered two of his great generals to attack and kill Qiao Ci. Generals Cao Xu and Zhang Biao received the order and charged out together, quickly surrounding Qiao Ci in a circle of horses.
Although Qiao Ci was young and heroic, he was still inexperienced and had not seen many battles. Cao Xu and Zhang Biao, on the other hand, were veteran generals of Xuzhou, skilled in charging and breaking through enemy lines. How could Qiao Ci, facing two opponents alone, withstand their assault? In a moment of carelessness, his left arm was slashed, blood flowing freely.
Seeing his son’s retreat cut off and now wounded, Qiao Ping was frantic. He immediately led two generals to provide support, but it was too late. Before they could reach the front lines, they heard Cao Xu shout, “You little brat, I’ll avenge our young lord!” Qiao Ping watched helplessly as the long spear thrust towards Qiao Ci’s chest. With both halberds engaged in blocking Zhang Biao’s descending sword, Qiao Ci had no way to dodge and was about to be killed on the spot.
Suddenly, at that moment, a lone horseman came charging like lightning across the wasteland between the two armies. In an instant, he reached the front lines. The rider wore a wide-brimmed hat and put his fingers to his lips, letting out a piercing whistle towards the three warhorses entangled in battle. As if hearing a demonic sound, the three horses neighed in unison, rearing up on their hind legs and throwing their riders—Cao Xu, Zhang Biao, and Qiao Ci—to the ground.
Cao Xu and Zhang Biao’s mounts were fine Ferghana horses they had ridden for years, and Qiao Ci’s horse had been raised from a foal. None had expected this stranger’s whistle to cause their horses to unseat them. As the three fell and rolled together, the newcomer drove his horse forward in an instant, leaning down to grab Qiao Ci’s arm and pull him onto the horse. He then turned and galloped towards Qiao Ping. Reaching Qiao Ping’s horse, he pushed Qiao Ci off. Qiao Ci landed on his feet but was still in shock and didn’t react immediately.
Qiao Ping had thought his son would surely die, never dreaming that at the crucial moment, this stranger in a wide-brimmed hat would appear out of nowhere to save his life. Grateful and overjoyed beyond words, he knew this person was not from either army. Looking closely, he saw that the hat was pulled low, covering the forehead and eyes, and the stranger appeared to be only in his early twenties. Qiao Ping clasped his hands in thanks: “Thank you for saving my unworthy son, kind sir. Amid the battle, I cannot properly express my gratitude. Please leave your name so that I may thank you properly in the future!”
Standing on the ground, Qiao Ci caught a glimpse of the stranger’s eyes under the hat, one of which was emerald green. He suddenly felt he had seen them before and that the face was somewhat familiar, but couldn’t place it. As he stood dazed, Xue Tai on the opposite side had already beaten the drums to signal an attack. There was no time to think further. Qiao Ci quickly whistled to call back his warhorse, mounted, and prepared to face the enemy. In an instant, the two armies clashed.
Qiao Ping, well-versed in military strategy and diligent in training his troops, now exerted himself in commanding the formation. However, lacking capable generals by his side and with only half the enemy’s forces, his battle lines were gradually compressed. They could only fight while retreating when suddenly, cannon fire erupted from both flanks and another ten thousand of Xue Tai’s troops pressed in from each side. The Yanzhou army’s formation immediately crumbled, with countless casualties.
Qiao Ping knew that if they continued fighting, all fifty thousand troops would be annihilated. He wanted to sound the retreat to withdraw into the city and regroup, but the formation was already in disarray. If he suddenly sounded the retreat now, the situation might become even more unmanageable.
As he struggled to hold on, he was startled to see the stranger in the wide-brimmed hat cut down two of Xue Tai’s soldiers who had surrounded him. With a thunderous roar, the stranger’s voice seemed to shake the earth. Dozens of nearby soldiers looked terrified and dared not approach as he cut a bloody path through them. Riding up to Qiao Ping, he shouted fiercely: “My lord, quickly sound the retreat and withdraw into the city! If you delay, the entire army will be lost! I’ll hold them off for now!”
Qiao Ping was taken aback.
This young man of unknown origin, though simply dressed and seemingly ordinary, somehow appeared like a war god descending from heaven amidst the chaos of battle. His imposing presence made people instinctively obey his commands. Qiao Ping immediately turned, about to order the retreat, when suddenly the sound of gongs came from Xue Tai’s ranks. Surprised, he looked towards the enemy lines and saw that something unexpected had happened. Xue Tai, on horseback, was red-faced with anger, cursing and pointing at the sky. He quickly ordered his subordinates to gather the troops and retreat, bitterly taking his son’s body with him as they hastily withdrew towards Xuzhou in the southeast.
The battlefield outside Juye city, which had been a scene of carnage moments ago, suddenly fell silent as flags were lowered and drums ceased. Qiao Ping felt as if he had just survived a calamity, still unable to believe that Xue Tai had suddenly retreated when victory seemed within his grasp. For now, he couldn’t dwell on it and ordered his men to clear the battlefield, sending the dead and wounded into the city. As he caught his breath, he suddenly remembered the stranger in the wide-brimmed hat and hurriedly looked around, but the man was nowhere to be found.
…
Qiao Ci pursued relentlessly for dozens of li before the man ahead, unable to shake him off, finally stopped by the roadside.
Qiao Ci’s face was smeared with blood, and the wound on his arm was still bleeding slowly, the scab not yet formed. His eyes, however, shone brightly as he caught up, stopped his horse, drew his sword, and pointed it at the other man, shouting, “I recognize you! Your green eye! You’re the one who abducted my elder sister! Where is she now? What have you done to her?”
Bi Zhi slowly raised his hat: “We are now husband and wife. Young master, rest assured, I will do my utmost to treat her well. Your wound is not light; you should return soon to tend to it.”
Qiao Ci’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Bi Zhi nodded slightly to him, then spurred his horse and galloped away, his figure disappearing at the end of the wild path.
Qiao Ci stood frozen in place.
When Da Qiao had eloped with Bi Zhi, the Qiao family had kept it strictly secret, and even Qiao Ci wasn’t fully aware of the details, only vaguely hearing that it had something to do with the family’s horse groom, Bi Zhi. That’s why as soon as the battle ended, he immediately focused on Bi Zhi and pursued him here.
He hadn’t expected that his elder sister Da Qiao would marry him. Moreover, from Bi Zhi’s tone, it seemed that Da Qiao had done so willingly.
Qiao Ci couldn’t imagine such a thing happening.
He couldn’t accept it for a moment. After standing there in a daze for a while, he suddenly remembered that when he was about to die by the sword earlier, it was this man who had appeared as if descending from heaven to save him. On the battlefield, he had shown astonishing bravery and martial prowess, unlike anything Qiao Ci had ever seen before.
What kind of person was he?
Qiao Ci was bewildered.
…
After Wei Shao left with his army, the absence of a man in the household seemed to remove its central pillar, and the Wei mansion suddenly became quiet.
Xiao Qiao’s days were quite free, except for the uncomfortable moments when she faced Madam Zhu. However, she was worried about the military situation in Yanzhou and spent each day in anxiety. Fortunately, about half a month after Wei Shao’s departure, news finally arrived. It said that when Xue Tai was attacking Dongjun, he suddenly learned that Xuzhou was under attack by Yang Xin from Huainan. He immediately withdrew his troops to save Xuzhou. The two forces met in a great battle at Jiuli Mountain near Liu City. Xue Tai suffered a major defeat, losing many troops and generals, as well as countless supplies and equipment. In the end, he retreated in disarray back to Xuzhou and shut the gates, severely weakened and unlikely to launch any attacks shortly.
Xiao Qiao’s heart, which had been in suspense for days, finally eased. She returned to her room, about to write a family letter to send to her father, Qiao Ping when a message came from the northern quarters saying that Madam Xu had summoned her.
Xiao Qiao immediately put down her brush, changed her clothes, and went to the northern quarters. To her surprise, she saw Wei Yan there as well, kneeling beside Madam Xu, as if they had just finished talking. Wei Yan bowed to Madam Xu, got up, turned around, and came face to face with Xiao Qiao, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment.
Whenever Wei Shao went on military campaigns, he always entrusted the defense of Youzhou to Wei Yan. So encountering him here wasn’t particularly strange.
Xiao Qiao lowered her eyes and called out, “Uncle.”
Wei Yan nodded slightly, then turned to Madam Xu and said, “Grandson will take his leave now. Grandmother, please be prepared. I will come to send you off early in the morning.”
Madam Xu nodded in response.
Wei Yan glanced at Xiao Qiao as he passed by her.
Xiao Qiao approached the bed, kneeling beside Madam Xu. She noticed several scrolls of letters laid out on the table, seemingly sent from different places.
Madam Xu smiled and said, “Zhonglin has been away for over half a month. I feared you might be worried, so I wanted to share the news as soon as I received it. The army arrived at Shiyi a few days ago, and their preparations for the camp and fortifications have gone quite smoothly.”
Xiao Qiao suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
In truth, she had been mostly concerned about Yanzhou. With Wei Shao’s strength, she was confident he would return, and she hadn’t thought much about him. Lowering her gaze, she replied, “I hope my husband returns victorious soon.”
Madam Xu nodded and added, “I also received another letter today. Tomorrow, I plan to head to the State of Zhongshan to visit some old relatives. Since you have nothing to do at home, why not accompany me? You can meet some new faces, and I’ll have some company on the way.”
Xiao Qiao was somewhat taken aback; she hadn’t expected to leave on a long journey so suddenly. She wondered what prompted Madam Xu to travel to Zhongshan. Nevertheless, since she had extended the invitation, Xiao Qiao naturally agreed.
“Go back and pack your things. We’ll set off early tomorrow,” Madam Xu said with a smile.