Spring in the northwest was brief, initially indistinguishable from winter—only the biting wind gave way to dust-laden gusts that stung the face and forced eyes shut just as fiercely.
Then, after days of relentless blowing, the wind ceased, and the sun turned scorching.
One moment, soldiers shivered in padded coats; the next, they were drenched in sweat under the blazing heat.
A soldier on the watchtower couldn't resist stripping off his still-unexchanged winter robe and draping it over his head for shade.
Since the King of Xiliang's defeat and the relocation of his people westward, this place no longer strictly qualified as a border garrison.
Further west, another force now stood guard.
Rumors swirled about them: some claimed they were the Dragon Guard Army left by the late emperor, others insisted they were remnants of Prince Zhongshan's rebellion, sentenced to redeem themselves through service. Though their origins were debated, one fact was undeniable: these were the ones who had stormed the Xiliang court and slain the First Prince.
For this alone, they commanded the Border Army's deep respect.
Unincorporated into the military, they seemed to have settled there after the war. Patrols reported villages taking shape, with women and children present, and merchants periodically setting up markets.
Yet they were no ordinary villagers. Training grounds dotted their settlements, and men and women alike carried weapons openly, without concealment.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, the soldier spotted a mounted group approaching.
Men and women clad in dusty garments, some wearing bamboo hats, others straw-weaved caps, a few simply sporting leafy branches on their heads. Their advance appeared disorderly but was in fact disciplined—especially from an elevated view, where their formation clearly resembled wild geese in flight.
They bore swords and blades, previously wrapped in cloth as a token gesture. This time, not even that pretense remained; the weapons gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
The soldier neither panicked nor sternly challenged them from afar. Instead, he waved the signal flag for passage before they drew near.
"Heading into town, brothers?" he called out warmly as the group approached, adding helpfully, "Venture further in—Luocheng's hosting a three-day temple fair."
The lead rider, a man at the front, smiled and acknowledged with a "Thanks," but unlike before, he didn't continue past. Instead, he gestured to the soldier. "Come down a moment, brothers. Need a word."
A word? The watchtower guard hesitated briefly but complied, descending without suspicion. A dozen or so stationed guards gathered at the summons.
"What's this about, brothers?" the squad leader asked, eyeing the man in the bamboo hat.
The man remained silent, stepping aside to reveal a young woman approaching.
She removed her straw hat, revealing bright eyes and white teeth—a girl of about eighteen or nineteen.
"Just here to inform you," she said. "We're taking over this fortress."
The squad leader and his men stared blankly, as if struggling to comprehend.
"Taking over... what does that mean?" he blurted out.
The girl smiled faintly. "It means we're seizing this place."
Seizing? Alarmed, the squad leader instinctively reached for his sword—but too late. Glinting blades encircled them, pressed against their throats.
"Drop your weapons!"
Amid the shouts and the clatter of disarmed steel, the cold edges at their necks jolted the squad leader and his men to reality.
"What are you doing?" the squad leader roared.The guard on the fortress wall earlier had reddened eyes, furious and aggrieved: "We treated you as one of our own! How could you do this to us!"
Chu Zhao looked at the young soldier with a kindly expression: "It's precisely because we are one of our own that we treat you this way."
Otherwise, they would have shot arrows as soon as they approached, prioritizing the fortress over the people.
"Your Highness," someone called out, "we have taken over here. Please continue forward."
Chu Zhao nodded, put on her hat, turned around, and mounted her horse.
"Your Highness?" The squad leader heard this and couldn't help but ask again, his expression shocked and doubtful. "You... who are you?"
Chu Zhao smiled at him from atop her horse: "I am Chu Zhao, also the Empress of Great Xia."
With that, she spurred her horse and galloped away.
She left behind the disarmed guards, their expressions filled with indignation and confusion.
"Miss Chu!"
"Miss A Zhao!"
"Empress!"
Not everyone had seen Chu Zhao before, but her name was known to all in the Border Army. Besides being General Chu's daughter and the Empress, she was also a female general who had fought alongside them.
Was it true? How could the Empress be here?
The next moment, the squad leader came to his senses and remembered that he had previously heard a rumor that the Empress had committed treason and fled—
However, this news was immediately dismissed by everyone. No one discussed it, let alone spread it. What a joke—how could the Empress commit treason! It must be a rumor spread by Western Liang spies or remnants of Prince Zhongshan's faction.
Now it seemed the Empress had indeed fled here?
"Yes, the Empress is here," said one of the previous dozen or so men. More than half had followed Chu Zhao, while the rest had taken their positions, standing guard over the fortress while explaining to the soldiers: "She is going to campaign against the true rebels."
Upon hearing they were to campaign against the true rebels, the soldiers stopped struggling and resenting, obediently following the men's instructions to stand against the wall, their minds in turmoil.
Suddenly, the ground shook. The soldiers turned to look and saw more troops surging in the distance, like a dark cloud covering the sky.
As the cloud drew closer, they could see banners fluttering in the formation: the great banner of Chu, the phoenix banner, and the great banner of Zhong.
Zhong? The soldiers were stunned once again.
This time, without needing an introduction from the men guarding the fortress, they couldn't help but shout excitedly.
"General Zhong—"
"It's General Zhong—"
That's right, besides the Empress, it seemed General Zhong had also disappeared. However, the Border Army was forbidden to discuss this matter, so no one knew whether General Zhong had truly vanished or if it was just a rumor.
Zhong Changrong, dressed in plain clothes and holding a blade with his single arm, arrived amid the crowd of troops and banners. Looking at the soldiers standing below the wall, he shouted sternly: "The Empress has been framed. I have gone to follow her and will now accompany her in campaigning against the traitorous Xie family, protecting His Majesty, and restoring clarity to Great Xia. Are you willing to follow me and the Empress to punish the wicked and eradicate evil?"
The soldiers nodded excitedly, shouting loudly: "We are willing!"
In truth, they hadn't fully heard or carefully considered what Zhong Changrong said. They simply knew to follow the Empress and General Zhong. After all, they had always been fighting to punish the wicked and eradicate evil.
"Divide into three routes," Zhong Changrong declared loudly. "Enter Yunzhong Commandery."
The troops behind him responded in unison.
...
...
As night fell, in a mansion within the commandery city, Liang Ji was still busy in his study, his desk piled high with documents.
"Grand General, you've worked hard," someone said with a laugh as they entered.Liang Ji looked up and paused his brush upon seeing the visitor. "I dare not claim such praise," he said. "I merely do what I can."
The newcomer was his personal attendant, Li Fang.
Li Fang set a bowl of soup on the nearby table. "General, have some late-night refreshments."
Liang Ji rose and walked over, picking up the soup. Meanwhile, Li Fang sat at the desk, glancing over the unfinished documents and picking up a brush to make notes.
Liang Ji found nothing unusual about this—it had always been this way. From initial nervousness and awkwardness to later numbness, it now felt entirely natural.
"Would it be inappropriate for me to take over the Border Army?" Liang Ji hesitated before asking.
"Why would it be inappropriate?" Li Fang laughed. "Your daughter has become the Empress. Of course, you must hold military power. This was the tradition left by the previous Empress. If anyone is dissatisfied and wants to curse someone, let them curse Empress Chu first."
Liang Ji chuckled along but felt the words were less than reassuring—in fact, they carried an ominous implication. Would they end up like Empress Chu in the future?
He dared not voice this thought. Previously, he could claim ignorance of who was behind the scenes, suspecting Deng Yi, Prince Zhongshan, or even the Western Liang people. But now, with all those figures—including Empress Chu—fallen, only one person remained in control of the entire Great Xia. Even a fool would know who that was.
"Naturally, I don’t mind these matters," he changed the subject. "But General Wu was previously in charge of the Border Army. In terms of seniority and achievements, he is the most suitable candidate. I fear he may be discontent, and conflicts could arise in the Border Army—"
Li Fang waved his hand, cutting him off. "He’s one of us."
"One of us," Liang Ji repeated. "That’s good, that’s good." Then he couldn’t resist asking, "Is Young Master Xie the Third in good health?"
Xie Yanfang and Empress Chu had clashed at the hunting grounds. Now that Empress Chu had fled, the Xie family had another young master handling court affairs in place of the third young master. The Xie family did not conceal Xie Yanfang’s injury, but no one knew how severe it was.
Li Fang smiled. "I don’t know about that. I’m just a servant. I only follow orders and don’t inquire into other matters."
The words felt like a subtle jab at him. What did it matter if he was a general or if his daughter had become Empress? He was still just a servant, unqualified to inquire about the young master’s affairs. Liang Ji’s face warmed slightly, but he felt no shame—why should he? Everyone in the world was a servant of the Emperor, and the current Emperor was Xie Yanfang’s puppet. Serving Xie Yanfang was only natural.
"I will devote myself wholeheartedly to my duties to repay the young master’s recognition and favor," he said solemnly.
Li Fang smiled and was about to respond when footsteps sounded outside.
"General," a guard requested from beyond the door.
Liang Ji straightened his expression. "Enter."
The guard showed no surprise at seeing Liang Ji eating his late-night meal and Li Fang tidying the desk. "The four great generals have arrived under the Marshal’s orders."
Liang Ji was taken aback and instinctively glanced at Li Fang. "They’ve come to see me?"
He hadn’t given any orders.
Li Fang frowned as well. He hadn’t either.
Then who was it? Who could wield the Marshal’s orders?
"General Liang—" Another commotion arose outside as someone rushed in, shouting, "Report—General Zhong has arrived!"
For a moment, Liang Ji didn’t react. Who? Aside from Zhong Changrong, was there another General Zhong among the four great generals? The thought had barely crossed his mind when the person outside entered.
"Zhou Xiao Shan?" Liang Ji recognized this guard—he was from Zhong Changrong’s personal battalion, and he remembered him. "What are you doing here?"Xiao Shan neither spoke nor looked at him, stepping aside to make way as another person entered behind him.
Upon seeing this person, Liang Ji stood up in shock.
"You—" he began, "Chu—"
Before he could finish his words, Chu Zhao raised her hand, the bowstring humming as a cold gleam sliced through the air.
With a muffled cry, Li Fang—who had been standing before the desk—clutched his throat and collapsed backward.
Chu Zhao nocked another arrow, aiming it at Liang Ji, and declared, "Liang Ji, upon seeing this Empress, why do you not kneel in greeting?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Liang Ji dropped to his knees with a thud and proclaimed loudly, "This guilty official pays homage to the Empress!"
Chu Zhao put away her bow and arrow, gazing at the kneeling Liang Ji. How absurd—why had she thought in her previous life that the Liang father and son were as brave and martial as her own father and Uncle Zhong?
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