September 25th, fierce winds, snow falling thick as cotton.
The underground palace was completely buried under the snow, and the Qian Mausoleum above ground had long hung pure white lanterns. The palace maids and servants moving about were all dressed in hemp mourning garments, their white curtains fluttering and veils swirling, gently brushing over the fine dust on the ground.
No lamps were lit inside the hall; only rows of white candles burned quietly, emitting a ghastly pale light that converged into deep shadows.
In the vast mourning hall, a tall figure sat silently in the darkness. The light seemed unable to penetrate the shadows around him, leaving only a dim halo. His features were indistinguishable, but on the small table beside him, a cup lay half-tilted, spilling wine everywhere.
He had never been fond of drinking, yet now he had remained in the Qian Mausoleum for three full days.
Three days—the hall was filled with the scent of wine, empty jars piled high like mountains. So why had he not felt the slightest hint of drunkenness?
Outside, the raging wind swept through, and snow fell thick and fast. Inside, the candle shadows were deep, the silence profound. He sat alone in stillness, yet in his ears, he seemed to hear the thunderous war drums from the border, the soldiers charging into the cold wind with sabers, slashing and hacking in battle. He heard the desperate cries of the people calling for their homeland in the chilling gale. Blood spread like a winding river, submerging the towering walls of Dragon's Roar Pass, drowning the rustling grasslands of Yanbei, and finally extinguishing the last trace of warmth between them.
Yes, he was not drunk. He had always been so clear-headed—so clear-headed that he saw his own downfall and surrender clearly.
In a daze, he suddenly recalled a summer night many years ago, in a small room of the Holy Gold Palace. Mosquitoes swirled, and the stifling heat was unbearable. One night, A Chu returned very late. In those days, the matrons of the kitchen often enjoyed ordering her around. He stood at the entrance of Yingge Court, draped in his outer garment, waiting. The moon that night was so full, a bright yellow disc. Mosquitoes buzzed around his head, yet he felt a strange calm in his heart. Tired from waiting, he sat on the doorstep, holding a copper branch, polishing it against a stone slab.
A Chu had grown up and was ready to tie up her hair. He was making a hairpin for her.
When she returned, it was already very late. Instead of scolding him as usual for not sleeping early, she mysteriously produced a crystal-clear, beautiful ice bowl from behind her back and placed it in his hands. It was a large chunk of ice, carved into a small bowl-like shape, with intricate glass patterns engraved on both sides. Inside, it held shaved ice and assorted fruits, cool to the touch, like the winter snow of Yanbei.
Holding the ice bowl, he vaguely remembered the days when his parents were still alive. His mother would always carve such ice bowls for them in the summer, and he would cling to them so tightly that even his second sister couldn’t snatch them away. But the tighter he held, the faster the ice bowl melted, soon turning into nothing but a puddle of water.
He looked up, gazing through the ice bowl at the girl standing before him. Back then, A Chu was only ten years old, very short. She looked up at him with a smile, wearing a blue coarse cloth jacket, a small red flower pinned to her forehead like the palace maids of Daxia. Her face was thin but flushed with a faint rosy hue. From holding the ice bowl, her hands were frozen bright red, and she clenched her small fists tightly. Her eyes were so bright, unmatched even by the full moon in the sky. In an instant, they pierced through all his sorrow and nostalgia, striking straight into his heart and dispelling the dark clouds that had gathered overhead.At that time, Yan Xun swore that he would make something of himself, that he would treat this girl well for the rest of his life, never letting anyone bully her. He wanted her to live like a princess, fulfilling every wish and every thought she had.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, and the years were like a merciless hand, effortlessly drowning out the memories and vows they once shared. Sometimes he felt that his life might be like that melted ice bowl—his home, parents, brothers, sisters, mentors, comrades, and lovers all drifted away from him for one reason or another. The harder he tried to hold on, the faster they slipped away, ultimately scattering like that puddle of ice water, vanishing without a trace.
He lifted his head, facing the cenotaph of his parents and relatives. The high memorial hall, the majestic mausoleum, spanning thousands of acres, yet buried within were only a few personal relics and garments from their lifetimes. Their heads still lay in the Hall of Disgraced Officials in the Daxia Sacred Temple, while their bodies had long been devoured by wild wolves amid the chaos of war.
He picked up the wine cup, and the pungent liquor slid down his throat like burning charcoal. A low wind blew into the vast hall, the curtains swaying gently like the flowing sleeves of a dancer on stage, lingering and affectionate. Yan Xun’s gaze remained clear, his features handsome yet tinged with a faint sorrow, his cheeks gaunt, and his eyes seemingly veiled in heavy mist. Upon closer look, a few strands of silver hair seemed to hide at his temples, shimmering faintly under the dim candlelight, carrying a touch of weariness.
In just two years, he had grown so weary. His entire life seemed to have been spent walking a misguided path, with endless forks at every step. Gradually, those around him went their separate ways. Though they had set out together, each had their own direction.
"Father."
The words suddenly surfaced in his heart like a stone gently shattering the calm surface of a lake.
"Father, you deceived me."
Yan Xun tilted his head back, gazing at the portrait on the altar. His father’s face was vivid and lifelike. Looking at the relative he had most admired in his childhood, he said quietly:
"You said Yanbei was a paradise on earth, the freest and most prosperous place under heaven. You claimed that everything you did was to forge an unparalleled legacy for future generations. But you were wrong—terribly wrong. You destroyed Yanbei, destroyed yourself, and destroyed the entire Yan lineage. During those eight years in Zhenhuang, I survived by clinging to my trust and illusions of you. But when I returned to Yanbei against all odds, you cannot imagine how disappointed I was."
Yan Xun’s expression remained impassive. The hall was deep and silent as he stared steadily at his father and said gravely, "Surrounded by cliffs and icy desolation, you chose to build your imagined utopia in a narrow crevice. Do you know how naive that was? That is why the emperor would not tolerate you, why the world would not tolerate you, and even your own subordinates betrayed you—all because you lacked the strength to achieve what even an emperor could not accomplish.""Father, I killed Mr. Wu and Miss Yu because they continued upholding your legacy and became obstacles on my path forward. I gave them chances, but they refused to cherish them. I killed Huanhuan because Datong wanted to install her as their leader—as long as she lived, Datong's ambitions would never die. I killed your old generals because they were short-sighted yet occupied positions of power. I've killed many people, yet I've drawn closer to my dream."
Yan Xun raised his head and drank a cup of strong liquor, then poured another cup, holding it level before him as he poured it on the ground. Slowly, word by word, he said, "Father, I will never become like you."
Yan Xun stood tall, turned, and walked away. The hem of his robe swept over the fine dust on the hall floor. Each of his steps was firm, his gait vigorous, steady, and composed. The candlelight cast his silhouette, stretching a long, long shadow across the ground. Behind him were the memorial tablets of Yanbei's loyal martyrs through the generations—his parents and elder brother, his ancestors, and the loyal ministers and generals who had contributed to Yanbei. Among them were Mr. Wu, Miss Yu, Xiao He, Huanhuan, Bian Cang, Xi Rui, A Du, and even the Xiuli Army generals who died defending Beishuo—Wu Danyu, Feng Ting...
So many pairs of eyes watched him quietly from the depths of the candlelight, watching him step by step leave the hall, step by step depart from this resting place of the dead.
His footsteps were so steady, without a trace of hesitation or regret.
The wind blew coldly against him. Yan Xun's eyes were pitch black like ink. He recalled the night they left Zhenhuang, when A Chu resolutely turned back to rescue the besieged officers and soldiers of the Southwest Garrison Commander trapped in the capital. Perhaps from that moment, he had already foreseen today's outcome. They had different ideals and beliefs, irreconcilable, so they were bound to drift apart and walk different paths.
The achievement of any dream comes at a price.
And the price he paid was that he was no longer the person she remembered.
A sense of powerlessness crept over him, but he expressionlessly suppressed it all fiercely.
A Chu, the moment you turned and left, I knew you could never follow me in this life. You are destined to walk in the light, while I am forever mired in mountains of corpses and seas of blood. I cannot soar with you, so I wanted to break your wings and keep you by my side. Now, I have finally failed.
"A Chu..."
A low voice slowly rose in the empty hall, like a wisp of white air piercing through the cold northern wind. The man stood at the entrance of the hall, the stark moonlight casting a ghostly pallor on his face. He slowly closed his eyes, his expression calm, yet a faint furrow formed between his brows, gathering a haze of silence.
"A Chu... will you ever return?"
The cold moon was like frost, half-hidden by drifting clouds, lofty and unreachable, impassable even for flying birds. Standing atop the mountain peak, his gaze swept vaguely over the entire land of Yanbei. He thought quietly: Perhaps, she will not return.
"Your Majesty!"
A Jing pushed past the guards' obstruction, stumbling forward to kneel on the ground. Agitated, he said, "Your Majesty, please save the girl! Longyin is snowed in, besieged by Daxia for many days. The girl can't hold on much longer!"Yan Xun remained silent, his gaze fixed on the majestic mountains before him, seemingly lost in deep contemplation.
"Your Majesty, the lady has followed you for many years, facing life and death with unwavering resilience. Her contributions are witnessed by all of us. Your Majesty, can you truly bear to kill her? Have you forgotten the words you once spoke?"
A Jing's eyes were red as he continuously kowtowed, speaking in a heavy voice, "Your Majesty, I beg you, show mercy, I implore you..."
"A Jing," Yan Xun suddenly spoke, as if only now noticing his presence, frowning in puzzlement, "How should I save her?"
Overjoyed by the response, A Jing quickly replied, "Open the gates of Dragon's Roar Pass, dispatch troops to assist..."
Before A Jing could finish, Yan Xun slightly furrowed his brows and said, "Do you think she would return even if we opened Dragon's Roar Pass?"
A Jing was momentarily stunned, pondering silently for a long while before murmuring, "Then... then withdraw the southern border water route defenses leading to Biantang, open Tangshui Pass, and allow the lady to go south."
"Go south?" Yan Xun's voice was calm, so calm that not a ripple of emotion could be detected. He gently countered, "Then wouldn't that mean she would never return?"
A Jing was dumbfounded, unable to speak further. The corners of Yan Xun's lips lifted as he actually smiled faintly, whispering, "Does that mean I will lose her forever?"
The night was so cold, A Jing felt chills running through his entire body. After thinking for a long time, he suddenly jumped up from where he stood, turned and ran, shouting loudly as he went, "I'll go persuade the lady to return!"
Yan Xun didn't stop him, nor even look at him. He remained standing quietly where he was. Dark clouds covered the moon - it was going to snow again. Was A Chu unable to hold on? Silly girl, why won't you come back? He thought with a frown, like a simple young man, self-deceptively casting aside all political considerations, as if they were still children quarreling and sulking, thinking angrily: Why won't you come back? It's so cold outside.
If life were only about first meetings, A Chu, would you still choose to entangle yourself with me? Did you foresee your current situation? How deep is your hatred for me?
"Your Majesty," a deep voice sounded behind him. Cheng Yuan knelt there, maintaining his usual humility: "Open the water route passes, let Lord Chu go south."
Yan Xun was slightly taken aback, turning to look at Cheng Yuan: "What? Are you here to plead for her too?"
"This subordinate is not pleading for Lord Chu."
Cheng Yuan said calmly: "This subordinate is pleading for Your Majesty."
He kowtowed deeply, speaking slowly in a low tone: "Your Majesty, grant yourself a way out."
Yan Xun's heart seemed to have been suddenly pierced, aching intensely.
"If Lord Chu dies by Your Majesty's hand, Your Majesty will never be happy for the rest of your life. You once said that no matter what dreams we have, we must first live. Only by living does everything have hope. If we die, then it's too late."
Yan Xun remained silent for a long time. The wind lifted his robes - so cold. He wasn't wearing his heavy fur, standing atop the high mountain peak like an eagle ready to take flight.
"Cheng Yuan, why are you saying these things? Didn't you have grievances with A Chu?""I have no personal grudge against Lady Chu. My previous offense against her was unintentional, and my later attempts to end her life were merely for self-preservation. Now that Lady Chu no longer poses a threat to me, I have no desire to see her die."
"Most importantly," Cheng Yuan lifted his head, his eyes burning intently as he gazed at Yan Xun and said solemnly, "I do not wish Your Majesty's heart to remain entangled. In this vast world, only Your Majesty can help me achieve my aspirations. Only Your Majesty is worthy of my true allegiance and submission. My loyalty to Your Majesty shall never waver—even if Your Majesty were condemned by heaven and earth for unspeakable crimes, I would follow you until my blood dries to dust. If Your Majesty wishes to slaughter all under heaven, I shall be the first to raise my blade. If Your Majesty needs corpses to fill the East Sea, I shall be the first to sever my own head. Having drifted through half a lifetime in disgrace, scorned by others, it was because I had never found anything truly worthy of my faith. Now, I have found it. Your Majesty's hopes are my creed. Therefore, I cannot bear to see Your Majesty live a life haunted by regret."
"Your Majesty, let her go."
Yan Xun's thoughts suddenly expanded, vast and boundless. In that brief moment, he recalled all the events of the past decade, yet they ultimately converged into a single image: a young child rising from a pool of blood, fixing him with hate-filled eyes. His heart ached faintly at the memory, and then his fingers shifted slightly, brushing past the child's neck. A strong wind tousled the child's disheveled bangs, and from that moment on, he forever remembered those unyielding eyes.
In the end...
In the end...
He slowly closed his eyes, forcibly extracting himself from that memory word by word. All affection was severed, leaving behind a bloody, searing pain.
"Send orders to General Qiu: open the southern waterways and let them—"
"Your Majesty!"
A frantic shout suddenly rang out. A messenger stumbled up the stone steps, shouting as he ran, "Urgent report from the border! Urgent report from the border!"
Yan Xun and Cheng Yuan turned simultaneously to see the messenger, his face pale with panic, drop to his knees with a thud. Unrolling the dispatch, he read aloud: "Deputy General Qi Shaoqian of Tangshui Pass in the southern border reports: On the sixteenth day of the ninth month, Tangshui Pass was attacked by an unknown enemy force. The enemy appeared suddenly within Yanbei territory, cutting off all communication. They have captured thirteen counties in succession. The commanding general of Tangshui Pass, General Qiu, has fallen in battle. All officers at the rank of lieutenant or above at Tangshui Pass, save for your humble servant, have perished. Casualties exceed thirty thousand. Yesterday afternoon, Tangshui Pass was breached. We engaged the enemy in street fighting. This is the last messenger and the last warhorse from our ranks. I pray this message reaches Your Majesty. Your humble servant will hold his post, even if it means fighting to the death, to uphold the dignity of the Yanbei Army. The fifty thousand soldiers at Tangshui Pass have failed Your Majesty's trust. We kowtow in remorse."
"What happened? Tangshui Pass was attacked on the sixteenth of the ninth month—why did we not receive any news until now?"
Cheng Yuan stood up, his voice filled with fury.
The messenger replied fearfully, "All officers and soldiers were trapped within the pass. The enemy attacked with overwhelming force, simultaneously capturing several surrounding counties. We had no time to send word."
"Then how could the officials and civilians in the nearby southwestern counties remain completely unaware? How could the battle report be delayed to this extent?"The messenger cautiously lifted his eyes, stealing a glance at Yan Xun. After a long while, he finally whispered, "The southwestern region is the Shangshen Plateau. Not only is it now nine-tenths deserted, with everyone having followed Lord Chu away, but even those who remained, upon hearing the enemy outside had come to rescue Lord Chu, would rather help conceal them than report. Not a single person came forward. The local officials have all been captured and tied up by the common people."
"What?" Cheng Yuan roared in fury. "What do they think they're doing? Rebelling? Where are the troops? The soldiers? Are they all dead? They stand by and watch their superiors being bound by ignorant commoners?"
"This... this... I've heard that local forces even secretly assisted the enemy in attacking Tangshui Pass, providing detailed inside information and battle reports. Otherwise, a formidable pass like Tangshui wouldn't have fallen so easily."
"Utterly outrageous!"
"What's the current situation?" A low voice suddenly cut through. Cheng Yuan quickly turned to see Yan Xun speaking expressionlessly, his tone measured. "Tangshui Pass has been breached. What's happening now?"
The messenger, drenched in sweat, knelt trembling on the ground and said, "When I received the news, I heard that the Biantang navy, for some reason, had already gotten wind of it and were waiting outside Tangshui Pass. As soon as the gates opened, they abandoned their ships and came ashore. They are now heading toward Dragon's Roar Pass."
"Who is leading the troops?"
"It... it's the Emperor of Biantang."
"How many troops?"
"No less than two hundred thousand."
So close, Yan Xun could even hear Cheng Yuan's sharp intake of breath in shock. His eyes narrowed slowly, and the imperial authority returned to him, as if the man who had been gazing at the night sky from the mountaintop earlier was not him at all.
"Li Ce? He came personally?"
"Assemble the troops at once! The First and Second Armies are to gather immediately and follow me to Dragon's Roar Pass!"
Three hours later, the army swiftly assembled at the foot of Huihui Mountain. Huihui was on the edge of Shangshen, only half a day's journey from Tangshui Pass and not far from Dragon's Roar Pass. Yan Xun sat astride his horse, a black fur cloak billowing in the wind. Cheng Yuan, riding beside him, asked quietly, "Your Majesty, were the forces attacking the pass on the sixteenth of September from Biantang?"
"No."
Yan Xun shook his head, his gaze profound and somber. "Biantang is far from Yanbei. Even if Li Ce received the news the very day A Chu and I clashed on Huolei Plain, he couldn't possibly have reached Tangshui by the sixteenth. It must be that another faction obtained the information in time, secretly notified Biantang, and attacked Tangshui Pass first to clear the way for Biantang's forces."
Cheng Yuan frowned. "Then who could it be? Daxia? Impossible."
"Who?" Yan Xun's eyes turned icy as he slowly uttered, "Who could appear so effortlessly within the borders of my Yanbei?"
Cheng Yuan was startled and exclaimed, "The King of Qinghai?"
"The King of Qinghai." Yan Xun silently repeated these three short words, then said calmly, "It seems we are finally going to meet."
The morning stars emerged, and the sky began to brighten.
"Your Majesty!" A long call echoed from afar as a soldier galloped swiftly on horseback, reporting loudly, "Unidentified enemy forces have been spotted ten li ahead."
"How many are there?""The enemy has stretched from south to north, blocking our army's forward path, winding for ten li. There are thirteen infantry divisions, eight cavalry divisions, seventeen heavy armored phalanxes, with an unknown number of archers, axemen, and shield bearers. The estimated total force exceeds one hundred and fifty thousand."
For a moment, everyone could not help but gasp in shock. Such a massive force had silently appeared within Yanbei's borders. If they hadn't encountered it today, what terrifying consequences would have unfolded?
Yan Xun, however, did not share their concerns. He knew the opposing force had appeared here to intercept his army, securing a retreat path for Li Ce. Vaguely, he seemed to have guessed the identity of the other party. Though he felt unwilling and surprised, a trace of satisfaction still surfaced within him. Very well—a momentary oversight. He had long anticipated this day would come. If they were enemies, they should step forward openly and confront him directly. His people—he could release them, but he would never allow others to rescue them!
The morning mist was hazy, slowly shrouding the pitch-black soil. Within the swirling fog, a formidable army gradually revealed its vanguard, spreading menacingly like a dark ocean.
Clad in a black robe and heavy fur, Yan Xun rode forward from the ranks, his expression calm and composed. From the opposing army, a tall and elegant figure also emerged, breaking through the formation.
Despite the distance, he recognized the other’s identity instantly. In that moment, their gazes met mid-air. Yan Xun smiled faintly, raised his brow slightly, and said in a low voice, "Long time no see."————Divider————
Update tomorrow at 3 PM sharp."
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