Qiao Chu

When a group of civilians stumbled into view, weeping and wailing, Chu Zhao assumed it was the same as before—more human shields sent by Xiao Xun’s forces to fill traps, trip cavalry, and serve as flesh walls…

But this time, there was no dense forest of military formations behind the civilians.

There were indeed troops galloping, but they spread out to the left and right, shielding these civilians like protective wings.

These were scouts from the imperial army.

"Your Majesty—" the scout reported urgently, "these are civilians from Han County. They’ve come to report that the people of Han County are currently engaged in a chaotic battle with the rebel army."

Upon hearing this, the other officers’ first thought was: A new rebel strategy?

Previously, the rebels had used civilians to force them to retreat and yield ground. Now, were they using civilians to lure them into the city?

Soon, the civilians were brought closer. Though they didn’t know what the Empress looked like, the moment they spotted the female general in red armor amid the military formation, they knelt and cried out, "Empress!"

"Xiao the traitor oppresses the people—we have no means to live!"

"He kills and humiliates at will."

"The people in the county can no longer endure it."

"We rose up together, stormed the government office, killed the officers, and opened the city gates."

"We seek Her Majesty the Empress to save us—"

"Over a hundred of us charged out, but only a dozen of us survived."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty—we’ve finally found you—"

"Your Majesty, please save us, save our people—"

After listening to the civilians’ pleas, Chu Zhao turned to the scout.

"Scouts ahead report unusual activity in Han County’s city from a distance," the scout said. "Smoke and fire are billowing inside the city."

"Since—" Chu Zhao began to speak.

The officers beside her hurried to advise again: "Your Majesty, be cautious. Let the troops investigate further."

"Indeed, Your Majesty," one officer whispered. "The prefectures and counties in this region have been under Prince Zhongshan’s control for years. They surrendered to Xiao Xun at the first opportunity—we must be careful."

Chu Zhao gazed at the grieving civilians before the army, then looked into the distance. When civilians rise against trained soldiers, no matter their numbers, it’s like eggs striking a rock.

"We cannot wait," Chu Zhao declared. "Even if this is a rebel plot, these civilians are truly suffering under oppression. They have no way out, no escape. If even we abandon them, how are we any different from the rebels? What right do we have to call them subjects of Great Xia?"

The officers exchanged glances and said no more, bowing in salute. "We await Your Majesty’s command to deploy the troops!"

Chu Zhao raised her hand and swept it forward. Behind her, Xiao Man immediately waved the battle flag. War drums slowly rose from the military formation, and the army began to advance across the land.

The thunder of war drums and the galloping of troops made the entire ground tremble.

As the army mobilized, the rear camp grew quieter. Xie Yanlai, lounging in a rocking chair and basking in the spring sunlight, let out a yawn.

"Time to break camp?" he mused, glancing at the sky. "Just in time for a meal."

He turned to the soldier beside him.

"Let’s eat first."

The soldier acknowledged, "General Xie, the old duck soup you requested yesterday is simmering. I’ll check if it’s ready."

As the soldier turned to leave, A Le intercepted him with a sharp rebuke: "Eat? The Empress is off to battle, and you’re still here waiting to feast and drink?"

Xie Yanlai rocked gently in his chair. "Why not? I’m not going to battle—I’m here to recuperate."

A Le glared at him, scrutinizing. "Looks to me like you’re here to get fat!"

Xie Yanlai reached up and touched his face. "Fat? I was quite haggard before. I’m far from fully recovered—I’ll need at least two or three years to build myself back up."A Le grabbed his rocking chair, ready to overturn it. "What do you mean, take it easy!"

"You rude maid!" Xie Yanlai shouted. "After all these years serving as a palace maid for the Empress, you haven't improved at all!"

Amid their bickering, Xie Yanlai ultimately didn't get to drink his old duck soup, but neither did he rush off to lead troops in attacking the city. Instead, he packed up and followed the supply train at the rear. By the time he caught up the next day, the commandery city had already been captured.

Amidst the lingering smoke and the city's devastation, the noble families of the commandery led the surviving commoners in kowtowing to the Empress.

"We are guilty and ashamed to face the Empress," the elderly leaders said tearfully, their hair and beards disheveled, their clothes in disarray, having narrowly escaped death.

As they kowtowed, the surviving commoners followed suit, kneeling and weeping, also proclaiming their guilt.

"First, we were deceived by Prince Zhongshan, believing he was a virtuous prince who served the state and its people."

"Then we were misled by Deng Yi, thinking that Xiao Xun had truly been entrusted with the throne by the late emperor and was the legitimate heir of Great Xia."

"We remained loyal to Your Majesty and revered him as our sovereign."

"Who could have expected that the officials, generals, and soldiers under the traitor Xiao would become so deranged, treating us like livestock, bullying and humiliating us at will, even taking pleasure in killing—"

"We could endure it no longer and had no choice but to fight to the death, seeking help from the Empress—"

At this point, the elders broke down in sobs, covering their faces with their hands and knocking their heads against the ground.

"We deserve to die ten thousand times. Thank you, Your Majesty, for not abandoning us. Thank you for saving our lives."

After hearing their words and seeing the weeping, disheveled crowd, Chu Zhao sighed softly, understanding what had happened. It turned out the noble families within the city had joined forces to set up a trap, poisoning the officials and generals who attended the banquet—and to ensure their success, several elders had even shared the poisoned wine themselves.

Then, under the leadership of the noble families, the commoners stormed the government offices, seized weapons, and clashed with the stationed soldiers in a chaotic battle.

Though the commoners fought bravely, they were no match for the military forces. Fortunately, Chu Zhao arrived with her troops in time, or they would have been slaughtered.

"Please rise quickly," Chu Zhao said, stepping forward to personally help the elders to their feet. She then looked at the kneeling commoners. "You are not guilty. Even if you were deceived, the fault lies with me. I arrived too late."

"Empress—"

Hearing this, the elders and the commoners finally felt at ease, kowtowing once more and crying out in sorrowful gratitude.

"Long live the Empress!"

With the commandery city captured, there was much to handle: pursuing fleeing soldiers, deploying defenses around the city, and conducting thorough searches within. Although the noble families and many commoners had pledged allegiance, a strict screening of personnel was necessary to prevent spies. The work continued until dusk before Chu Zhao finally reached her resting place.

A Le had already tidied the quarters, prepared hot water, and arranged a warm meal.

Chu Zhao sat down, took a sip of hot tea, and caught her breath. Suddenly, she thought of something and looked around. "Where is Xie Yanlai?"

In the army, Xiao Man stayed close by her side, while A Le remained in the rear, responsible for Chu Zhao's daily needs. Besides A Le, Xie Yanlai was also in the rear.

Of course, he wasn't there to attend to her needs—he was just tagging along to enjoy the same care.

Every time they rested, Xie Yanlai was always there, helping himself to the best food and drink in advance.

Why wasn't he here today?

A Le snorted. "While Your Majesty was fighting, he hid in the rear enjoying his leisure. Now that the battle's over, he's off wandering around again."

Wandering around the commandery city? Chu Zhao thought for a moment, then put her outer robe back on. "I'll go check on him." With that, she headed out.A Le could only curse Xie Yanlai again for causing the young lady to be unable to rest.

Although Xie Yanlai was wandering around, Chu Zhao quickly learned his whereabouts—the place outside the city where the dead were being collected.

Night fell, and torches burned across the open field outside the city, densely covered with corpses. This area held only the bodies of civilians, while soldiers were laid to rest elsewhere.

Some of the deceased civilians had been claimed by surviving family members, while others had perished with their entire households. By now, most were covered with straw mats, though the remaining half had yet to be covered—there were too many dead, and straw mats were in short supply.

Amid the dense array of corpses stood a figure, seemingly inspecting the scene or lost in thought.

He wore black robes, the firelight dancing across his face like ghostly patterns.

"The common people suffer most in war," Chu Zhao said softly, walking to his side. "We arrived too late to save them from this sea of suffering."

"Sea of suffering," Xie Yanlai repeated the phrase. "Perhaps they never knew they were in a sea of suffering, nor whether they’ve escaped it."

As long as the war continued, people would live in constant fear. Though they had retaken the city today, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t be lost again. Chu Zhao fell silent for a moment—she truly had no right to claim she was saving the people from suffering.

She scanned the surroundings, noting the old and young among the dead. It had been like this in her previous life too. She had thought she could prevent it in this lifetime, yet internal strife and warfare persisted.

Chu Zhao said quietly, "You probably don’t know what happened in the city, do you? Xiao Xun’s soldiers were excessively cruel, brutalizing the common people. Even the noble families who had surrendered were terrified, realizing he was no virtuous ruler. They persuaded the entire city to rise up, catching the garrison troops off guard. That’s why the city fell so easily."

"Terrified?" Xie Yanlai scoffed. "Would these noble families be frightened by the suffering of commoners? If they were so easily scared, why would they have joined Xiao Xun’s rebellion in the first place?"

Chu Zhao frowned slightly. "Are you saying these noble families are untrustworthy? I know that too. After all, they initially surrendered to Xiao Xun—they’re not entirely innocent. But at this moment, it’s not the time to pursue their rebellion…"

Xie Yanlai cut her off. "That’s not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Chu Zhao asked.

Xie Yanlai averted his gaze. "I meant nothing."

"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" Chu Zhao said. "Xie Yanlai, what can’t you tell me?"

Xie Yanlai laughed dryly. "Why should I tell you everything? I—"

Before he could finish, an officer approached, calling out loudly, "Empress, there’s an urgent message from the capital."

Xie Yanlai stopped speaking, and Chu Zhao turned. "Is it a letter from His Majesty?"

The officer nodded. "There’s one from His Majesty, as well as letters from Lord Xie and others."

Even while on campaign, letters from the capital kept arriving. Xiao Yu wrote to her about daily life, while Xie Yanfang detailed court affairs. He even had officials from various ministries write to her—not to burden her with state affairs, as Xie Yanfang handled most matters, but to make her feel involved, as if she were still presiding over the court.

A smile touched Chu Zhao’s eyes, but before she could speak, Xie Yanlai beside her walked away.

"Hey," she called out, "we haven’t finished talking."

Xie Yanlai didn’t look back, merely waving a hand as he strode toward the other side.

"Your Majesty, this is the letter from His Majesty," the officer said, approaching Chu Zhao and respectfully presenting a letter.Chu Zhao glanced once more at Xie Yanlai walking away. Fine, if he didn’t want to speak, she wouldn’t press him further. This wasn’t the place for conversation anyway. She took the letter and headed into the city.

"His Majesty has written so much again," Chu Zhao remarked, examining the thick envelope in her hand before glancing at the stack the officer held. "Which one is Lord Xie’s?"

The officer quickly pulled it out and smiled. "This one."

Chu Zhao shook it in her hand—just a single thin sheet.

"Why so few words from Lord Xie this time?" she said, promptly tearing it open. Inside was nothing but a talisman.

Chu Zhao stared blankly, holding it up to the torchlight at the city gate. What is this?

The officer beside her studied it for a moment and chuckled. "That’s a Peace and Good Fortune Talisman from the Great Buddha Temple in the capital. When I went off to battle, my family got me one too."

Chu Zhao laughed in disbelief. "He actually believes in this stuff?"

The officer grinned. "With you campaigning abroad, milady, Lord Xie worries. Believing in a few more safeguards can’t hurt. My wife visited every temple and prayed to every deity she could find."

Chu Zhao burst into hearty laughter.

Standing in the darkness beyond the city walls, Xie Yanlai turned back and watched as Chu Zhao passed through the brightly lit gate.

What was the point? This was the nature of war.

War always meant death. Victory was better than defeat. Must he stubbornly insist that the people of Han County weren’t necessarily slaughtered by Xiao Xun’s troops but were instead intimidated, incited, and deceived by others, sparking internal strife?

What was he implying? That these corpses strewn across the ground, these dead civilians, weren’t killed by Xiao Xun but died by the Empress’s hand?

Some were indeed wicked, indeed merciless. But what he was doing now was protecting her, ensuring her invincibility, cloaking her in radiance.

Must he drag her through the mud, exhausting not just her body but tormenting her spirit?

It was pointless.

Xie Yanlai’s gaze returned to the corpses laid out across the ground.

Pointless. Life, death, weeping, laughter—it was all just a game played by others.

He withdrew his gaze, turned, and strode away, vanishing into the night.

…

…

Chu Zhao had barely slept all night, finally finishing the myriad affairs of Han County and reading through the letters from the capital.

She saved Xiao Yu’s letter for last, using it to accompany her meal and ease her mind.

"Read His Majesty’s letter while you eat, bathe, change, and get a proper rest," A Le urged, holding a bowl of hot broth and spoon-feeding Chu Zhao to free her hands.

Chu Zhao leaned back in her chair, indulging in A Le’s care, lazily opening the letter when she suddenly sat upright with a thought.

A Le hastily moved the spoon away, nearly poking her in the face.

"There’s one more thing," Chu Zhao said, setting aside Xiao Yu’s letter and spreading out a fresh sheet of paper. "I need to send instructions."

A Le sighed in resignation but didn’t try to persuade her mistress to rest. Such was war—not a moment could be spared. If a commander paused even briefly to nap, it could mean missing a crucial opportunity and suffering heavy casualties.

She set down the soup bowl and went to the outer room to check with the cook about hot water and a warm meal.

Chu Zhao finished writing quickly and called for Xiao Man.

Xiao Man, who had just fallen asleep in the adjacent room, stormed out irritably. "What is it?"

Chu Zhao smiled and handed her the letter. "Give this to Ding Dachui. Tell him to send someone to Han County to investigate the recent internal strife here."

Xiao Man grumbled about the urgency, snatched the letter, and turned to leave when A Le rushed in from outside, nearly colliding with her.

"Milady!" A Le exclaimed urgently. "Xie Yanlai is gone!"