The early-summer evening sun sank toward the horizon, and across the open plains it seemed as though waves of fire were burning.

The city of Yunzhong, its towering, ancient walls half-hidden in this golden light, remained bustling with carts and horses passing in and out of its many gates. Yet on this particular day, as the sun set, the atmosphere grew tense.

At the western and southern gates, merchants grew restless, and even the escort teams guarding shipments largely took up their weapons. Against the sky, which seemed to swallow the sun whole, plumes of warning smoke rose in the distance. Guards climbed the walls.

Soldiers also gathered near the gates, but for the moment there was no sign of panic. The northern lands had long been ravaged by war, and Yunzhong especially was a battleground contested from all sides; in the ten-odd years since Jin destroyed Liao, the soldiers of old had either become nobility or drifted into the common streets, and most of those making a living as traders or escorts here had blood on their hands one way or another. Even if real fighting truly came, they were unlikely to panic easily — and besides, border soldiers were often on edge, and it wasn’t unheard of for warning beacons to be lit by mistake.

Some with connections had already begun moving toward the gates, hoping to gather information. Most others, seeing they wouldn’t be able to enter for a while, gathered by the roadside to chat and speculate among themselves, some boasting of their own war stories from years past: “Back in my day, if you lit the wrong signal fire, you’d be executed for it.”

“…Might just be some bandit trouble.”

“These green recruits these days…”

Such talk continued until a messenger on horseback came galloping in from the south, his mount practically foaming at the mouth under the whip — and once he entered the city, a piece of news exploded through the crowd.

— Yanmen Pass has fallen. The southern dogs are coming.

The news of Yanmen Pass’s fall sent an uproar through the crowd near the gates — but what did “the southern dogs are coming” even mean? At first, hearing this latter half, people were almost inclined to laugh. But before long, whispers began circulating, and some recalled the great defeat thousands of li away in the third month.

Yunzhong was too far from the southwest for battle reports to be relayed back with any regularity, given the vast distance the army had marched. But by April, news of the defeat at Wangyuan Bridge, the killing of Baoshan, and Zonghan’s retreat had at last reached Jin territory — though only as fragmentary reports. The upper echelons of Jin had suppressed the news amid uproar and disbelief, but there were always some who managed to learn of it through various channels.

As long as the matter hadn’t touched them directly, everyone had been content to wait and watch such distressing news from thousands of li away. But now, well-informed merchants and escort guards recalled the whole affair: Marshal Zonghan had suffered a crushing defeat in the southwest, even his own son killed; the Jurchen sage Gushen had proven no match for that regicidal madman from the south. It was said that madman was a master of manipulating both hearts and strategy — could it be that, in coordination with the situation in the southwest, he had also arranged a counterstroke in the Central Plains, striking now while Great Jin’s forces stood hollowed out — to invade directly and seize the Yanyun region?

Launching a counteroffensive in the Central Plains immediately after crushing Zonghan thousands of li away in the southwest — such a grand strategy, such an ambitious and domineering scheme, such a world-swallowing vision — in ordinary times, no one would ever have dreamed of such a thing. People this far north scarcely even understood what the southwest was.

But it was precisely this fog of uncertain information — with the southwestern campaign’s true state still being obscured, and now, suddenly, news arriving of southerners breaking through Yanmen Pass — that made it almost impossible for people not to connect the two.

Amid this golden-splashed sunset, the sound of the alarm gong was already ringing out within the city of Yunzhong.

The warning smoke to the south had been rising for some time now. Over these years, Great Jin’s strength had stood unrivaled, dominant across the entire region. Though the Yanyun territories had never known lasting peace — bandits and horse thieves had proven impossible to fully suppress even after Liao’s fall — with men like Zonghan and Gushen holding Yunzhong, such petty troublemakers had never been able to stir up much of a storm. In the past, whenever warning smoke rose, it had rarely amounted to anything serious — sometimes bandits plotting a murder had set a fire, sometimes starving refugees had raided a military farm, and occasionally the beacon had simply been lit by mistake. None of it was especially unusual.

The gates of Yunzhong remained open. The great clans and wealthy households had simply mustered their servants and private guards, to guard against anyone trying to exploit the chaos for their own ends. But once the first piece of news arrived, tension spread through the city like water soaking through paper. Young men of noble families galloped on horseback through the streets, exchanging news and rallying together.

Most of these families had elders and relatives serving in the army, and they had been keeping close watch on news from the southwest. The reports from March had already left everyone anxious and unable to sleep soundly, but with the distance so great, their worry had remained something to bear privately. Now, suddenly confronted with news that “the southern dogs have broken through Yanmen Pass,” they found themselves trembling all over — most of them realizing at once that, if this were truly happening, the matter could not possibly be small.

Most common folk in the streets still had no idea what was happening, but some noble sons had already begun handing out blades, spears, and armor to their household guards. When Wanyan Dezhong rode his horse back to his family’s mansion, several young men had already gathered there, exchanging information with his younger brother Wanyan Youyi in the side hall, while the household stewards had also gathered the family guards. He greeted everyone, sent for his own armor, and said, “Things have happened suddenly, and the intelligence is still unclear. Brothers, don’t let yourselves fall into disorder — whether the attackers are truly from the Central Plains is not yet certain.”

Wanyan Youyi had also already donned his light armor. “If they broke through Yanmen Pass from the south, who else could it be but people from the Central Plains?”

“Yanmen Pass fell this very morning, without time to send a warning. The cavalry that broke through from the south pursued and killed the fleeing garrison soldiers all the way, seizing two relay stations along the way, and only at Guanyun Post, forty li north of Yanmen Pass, did anyone manage to light the beacon fire. The man who just fled into the city gave a garbled account — the exact details still aren’t clear.”

“Breaking through forty li before anyone managed to light the beacon… this group is well-armed, well-mounted, and this was clearly planned well in advance,” said another noble son nearby, rising to his feet. “Damn it, we can’t afford to underestimate them.”

“But Yanmen Pass had several thousand garrison troops — why didn’t any word get out at all?”

“…Unless they seized the pass and then struck the northern gate with lightning speed, cutting off the route north?”

“…That would require an elite light cavalry force, and everything would have had to go extremely smoothly. Still, it’s been a long time since Yanmen Pass has seen any real fighting — with merchants coming and going all the time, it’s not hard to imagine the garrison growing careless.”

“…The garrison stationed near Yanmen Pass normally numbers over three thousand. If the enemy tricked their way through the gate from the south, then rushed north at high speed to cut off the retreat, those three thousand-odd men would all have been trapped right there at Yanmen Pass, forced into a desperate last stand. That’s the fight of cornered beasts — the enemy would need to be truly elite for that. But where would the Black Banner in the Central Plains find troops like that? If the enemy had simply broken through the pass directly from the north, that might be more believable.”

“…If that were the case, the garrison should at least have managed to light the beacon fire. I wonder — could this be that bunch from Liangshan striking?”

“…Liangshan and Yanmen Pass aren’t a thousand li apart, but they’re at least eight hundred li.”

“…There’s been speculation before that this group, holed up in Shandong Circuit, isn’t doing well for themselves — with the Prince of Lu blocking their way north and Zongfu and Zongbi’s main army returning from the north to the south, they’re doomed sooner or later anyway. If they made a desperate thousand-li dash to seize Yanmen Pass, I could believe it.”

“…Are you saying every single one of the Prince of Lu’s informants in the Central Plains is dead?”

“…Is the Black Banner really that formidable?”

This group of young men, close to Wanyan Dezhong and Wanyan Youyi, mostly had fathers serving under Gushen, and many had studied together in Xiyin’s private academy in their youth, often discussing tactics and strategy in their spare time between studies. Now they went back and forth, speculating on the situation. Hard as it was to believe, the more they thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Wanyan Youyi frowned. “Back when this demon-in-men’s-hearts had only a few thousand men under him, he killed the Wu Dynasty emperor as easily as slaughtering a chicken. Since then he’s fought from the northwest all the way to the southwest, and now, today… which of you ever imagined any of this? If this really is coordinated with the southwestern campaign, and he’s struck at Yanmen Pass from thousands of li away — a maneuver of this scale…”

He trailed off, tugging at the armor on his body, which gave off a clattering sound, and everyone present felt a chill run through their hearts. Though they had never paid much attention to such matters in the past, every one of them knew, in his heart, what this campaign’s purpose had been for the elders of their families. When the army set out, Zonghan and Gushen had intended this great battle to be Jurchen’s final campaign in sweeping across the realm, placing tremendous importance on the southwest.

None of these young men fully understood the specific reasons why their elders had placed such weight on the southwest. But with Zonghan having hit an iron wall — even losing his own son to the enemy — and with Gushen, whose strategies had always carried the day without fail, now clearly defeated in the southwest by the schemes of that Han demon, everyone finally had some standard by which to measure just how terrifying this fiend truly was.

And now, thinking that this same man, after crushing two founding heroes of Great Jin in succession, had also arranged for an army thousands of li away to launch such a fierce assault on Jin’s home territory — waves of cold dread washed over the hearts of these young men, their scalps prickling with unease.

Realizing this, the side hall fell into a suffocating silence for a moment, before someone spoke up: “If that’s really the case, then Yunzhong should go on lockdown as soon as possible. If this group is using light cavalry for speed, they may well have their sights set on Yunzhong itself.”

“Sealing the city and imposing martial law would require Elder Shi to make that decision.”

“I just worry Elder Shi will be too cautious about it…”

Amid the discussion, outside, household guards and private soldiers gathered in a great bustle. Wanyan Dezhong and Wanyan Youyi stepped aside, discussing in low voices how to bring this matter before their mother.

Their mother, Chen Wenjun, was known to others as “the Han Lady” — she had long shown consideration and care toward the Han people to the south, and everyone understood this without saying so aloud; the two brothers had always looked out for their mother in this regard as well. But at a time when the Jurchens held the clear upper hand, and Xiyin’s wife showed her kindness freely, no one had dared say a word against it. Now, with the “southern dogs” having broken through Yanmen Pass, how would people’s view of “the Han Lady” change? And how would their mother herself feel about all this? Both brothers, being filial sons, found themselves somewhat torn over the matter.

Just as they were caught in this noisy, tangled discussion, several figures approached from the far side of the side hall, and everyone in the room rose to their feet in turn and bowed in greeting.

It was Chen Wenjun who had arrived.

Wanyan Dezhong and Wanyan Youyi, both quickly recovering themselves, hurried forward to pay their respects — only to see Chen Wenjun’s phoenix brows arch sharply as her gaze swept across the dozen-odd young men in the room. “Enough. What are you all still chattering about here? Marshal Zonghan has taken the main army out on campaign, leaving Yunzhong’s garrison thin, and now warning smoke has already risen. Even if the situation ahead remains uncertain, as sons of noble families, you should all be using this time to prepare for battle. Are you planning to wait until the order comes down before you even start putting on your armor?”

Her words were sharp and clear as she turned her gaze toward her son. “Dezhong, take stock of the household’s manpower and supplies. The moment any further news arrives, report the household’s situation to the city garrison immediately. You yourself will go to Elder Shi and await his orders — learn how things are done. Youyi, you’ll take charge of guarding the household for now.”

Wanyan Dezhong said, “Yes.” Wanyan Youyi seemed to have some reservations about this arrangement, calling out, “Mother—” but a sharp glance from Chen Wenjun silenced him.

She swept her gaze over the rest of the room. “All of you, go home as well, and prepare yourselves in the same way, awaiting orders. Remember this well: whatever your superiors tell you to do, you do — without the slightest deviation. I just walked in and heard you all gossiping about Elder Shi. If real fighting breaks out, once you’re on the battlefield, there can be no more of this — not once! All of you, remember that!”

Everyone hastily assented and took their leave, each returning home to make their own detailed preparations. Once everyone had gone, Dezhong and Youyi went over to their mother, and the three of them walked together down the corridor, bathed in the evening sun. Wanyan Dezhong hesitated for a long while before finally speaking. “Mother, if the ones attacking really are the Han from the south…”

They saw their mother gazing off into the distance, her eyes fixed on the flowerbeds beyond the garden, and she sighed. “Your father and I have stayed together all these years. Even if it truly is the people of the Central Plains coming to attack, what of it? Go and prepare yourselves. If the enemy truly comes, then fight with everything you have — that’s all there is to it.”

She patted both her sons on the shoulder. Wanyan Dezhong left first; Wanyan Youyi lingered beside her a while longer before also going off to arrange and deploy the household guards. Chen Wenjun walked through the courtyards of the mansion, and before long climbed to a high point within the estate, gazing out over the city of Yunzhong all around. The setting sun had turned from gold to red, being swallowed by the western sky; the city stirred with noise and unrest, points of firelight beginning to flicker here and there. She found herself thinking of the Han homeland she had left so many years ago.

Had the Han truly risen up and struck?

Not long ago, both Shi Li’ai and Tang Minjie had warned her, one after another, about matters concerning her position. The news of Xiebao’s death the previous month had left her stunned for a long while, and now, today, word that Yanmen Pass had fallen truly made it feel as though heaven and earth had transformed into an entirely different shape.

She had been here for so very long — long enough to have borne children, long enough to have grown accustomed to this land, long enough that gray had crept into her temples, long enough that she had, at some point, come to feel there would never be a day of returning south, long enough that she had once believed the fate of the realm truly had settled into just this shape, and no other.

The wooden railing atop the high pavilion still held a trace of warmth from the sun; when she rested her palm upon it, she even found it strangely comforting. These were things of the northern land — she had lived alongside them for so long now. What was the south like? Pavilions and terraces, little bridges over flowing water — her memories of it had grown hazy, and she had, by now, witnessed countless sorrows of her own.

The demon-in-men’s-hearts, Ning Yi, had driven back Wanyan Zonghan; her husband and the others, it seemed, could do nothing more against him. And now, Yanmen Pass had fallen — was this truly the work of that same regicidal fiend from the south?

She thought of Tang Minjie — what was he doing right now, she wondered, gazing out over the crowds gathering across the city of Yunzhong. Such a mad member of the Black Banner — but his madness, too, had only ever come from suffering. If that demon in the south, Ning Yi, was similarly mad — perhaps even madder still, more terrifying still — then perhaps it was not so hard to imagine, after all, how he had managed to defeat both Zonghan and Gushen…

“…If one day the Han defeat the Jurchens, and the northern frontier is finally secured, where will you go home to?”

That madman’s words seemed to echo in her ears once more, and she let out a soft sigh. Some things in this world were simply terrifying. As for whether the Han had truly risen up and struck — she wasn’t even sure whether she should hope for it or dread it. So she chose not to think about it at all, setting the question aside for now. The city’s mood had turned grim, and chaos was stirring — perhaps that madman, too, was somewhere out there right now, gleefully wreaking havoc.

She could almost picture his excited expression clearly in her mind.

Well, no matter. Ever since she had come to the northern lands, the world and the people she had witnessed had always been chaotic. One more madman, one less — what difference did it really make? She found she no longer cared, one way or the other…

Before long, a second and then a third report reached Yunzhong. Though the identity of the attackers remained uncertain, by afternoon the cavalry column had been confirmed advancing steadily toward Yunzhong, having already seized several military farms and checkpoints along the way. Their intent pointed directly at Yunzhong itself.

At the second quarter of the hour of the Dog, Shi Li’ai issued the order: close all four gates, place the city under martial law, and mobilize the troops. Though incoming reports had begun to cast doubt on whether the force that had broken through Yanmen Pass was truly the Black Banner army, word that “the southern dogs are coming” continued to spread through the city all the same. Chen Wenjun sat in the high pavilion, watching the scattered points of firelight below, knowing that the night ahead would be a sleepless one for all of Yunzhong…