Chapter 252 "The General... took his own life..."
At the gates of Tiger Gorge Pass, a soldier dressed in the uniform of the Yang residence guards galloped urgently forward. A young officer stationed below the city walls ordered his men to raise the Cheval de frise from afar.
While still several zhang away from the barricade, the guard tumbled clumsily from his saddle, crying out in panic: "Report to the General immediately! A Western Mausoleum Army unit has appeared within the city! The Border Defense Camp has fallen, and the General's residence is under attack! The Lady and young master have been captured!"
With the Western Mausoleum Army attacking fiercely outside the walls, the young officer harshly rebuked him: "How dare you! Spreading such lies to disrupt morale! The Western Mausoleum barbarians are all held back outside the city—how could they possibly fly through the skies or tunnel through the earth to get inside? Seize this spy at once!"
A squad of soldiers immediately moved to apprehend the guard.
The guard hurriedly produced his General's residence identification token as proof, urgently declaring: "I am indeed a guard of the General's residence! Every word I speak is true!"
He broke down, crying: "The Western Mausoleum troops have truly broken through! Several villages near the Border Defense Camp have been slaughtered! They've already fought their way into the city! Quickly report to the General to dispatch troops and eliminate that Western Mausoleum Army unit, to rescue the Lady and young master!"
The city gates were filled with defending troops, and the guard's desperate shouts soon caused significant unrest among the soldiers.
The young officer's expression turned grim. Though he noticed the blood stains on the guard's face and clothing, and the General's residence token appeared genuine, he still couldn't believe that Western Mausoleum troops could be inside the city. Yet he didn't dare make a rash decision.
Annoyed that the guard had loudly revealed the city's abnormal situation at the gates and disturbed military morale, he roughly ordered his personal guards to detain the man temporarily. Then he turned and ascended the watchtower to report the matter to Yang Shuo.
On the watchtower, Yang Shuo was directing the defending troops: "Continue raining down rolling stones and logs! We must suppress the Western Mausoleum offensive!"
Tiger Gorge Pass's watchtower was built on extremely high ground, forming a gentle slope with the desert outside the pass. When the Western Mausoleum troops attacked, they could only charge uphill against this slope, exhausting their stamina.
Furthermore, during the wall's construction, openings had been prepared specifically for pushing down rolling stones and logs. These would roll all the way to the bottom, following the battlefield's natural incline.
When attacked, the pass defenders could severely damage the enemy without ever leaving the city.
Thanks to these advantages, Tiger Gorge Pass had always been easy to defend but hard to attack, forming one of Liang's key defensive points alongside the Southern Border's Hundred Blades Pass.
After rushing up the watchtower, the young officer approached Yang Shuo and quietly reported the situation below, speaking close to his ear.
Yang Shuo glanced sideways, his bearded face appearing mighty and authoritative, clearly disbelieving that such an abnormal situation could occur within the city.
Only when his gaze fell upon the blood-stained General's residence guard token in the young officer's hand did his expression grow solemn. After brief consideration, he said: "Take me to see."
The young officer quickly led Yang Shuo down from the watchtower and summoned the reporting guard to come forward.
The guard approached with his head lowered.
Yang Shuo commanded: "Look up."
The guard hesitantly raised his head.
Yang Shuo said: "Under whose command do you serve? Your face seems unfamiliar to me."
Instead of answering, the guard bowed and presented an object: "The Lady and young master have been invited as guests by my master. My master would like to take this opportunity to... reminisce with the General as well."
Yang Shuo looked at the blood-stained hairpin the guard offered—exactly the one his wife had worn in her hair that very morning—and his face instantly turned cold and grim.The young officer standing beside Yang Shuo was utterly bewildered upon hearing these words.
The other party was actually impersonating the general’s mansion guards?
Yang Shuo demanded sharply, “Who is your master? Where are my wife and children now?”
The Hawk Hound disguised as a guard remained half-bowed, maintaining a posture that appeared respectful to onlookers: “You will know once you go, General.”
The young officer hurriedly interjected, “General, you must not go! This is undoubtedly a trap!”
The Hawk Hound, however, issued a warning: “Madam Yang and your two sons are still waiting for you, General.”
He paused, then curled his lips slightly: “If the General refuses to go, my master will have no choice but to present the gift prepared earlier.”
“It is a gift the General would not wish to see.”
Yang Shuo glanced at the blood-stained hairpin of his wife in his hand, his entire aura cold and oppressive as he continued questioning the Hawk Hound: “Where is your master now?”
The Hawk Hound replied respectfully, “At the tavern just ahead on the street.”
The young officer knew how deeply Yang Shuo cared for his wife. Now that the other party had produced Madam Yang’s personal item, Yang Shuo would never ignore it. However, the earlier claim about a Western Mausoleum Army rampaging through the city might or might not be true. The young officer could only continue urging: “General, the abduction of Madam Yang and the young masters at this moment is far too suspicious. If you insist on going, you must bring more troops!”
The Hawk Hound seemed unsurprised by this and said, “My master has stated that if the General is uneasy, you may bring men along. However… it would be best if they are all trusted confidants.”
The last sentence carried a meaningful undertone.
Yang Shuo scrutinized the Hawk Hound and ordered his personal guards: “Assemble three hundred men to accompany me.”
He then turned to the young officer and instructed, “Have the deputy general take command in my absence.”
Since Yang Shuo had descended the city wall, the Hawk Hound had kept his voice low.
The guards at the city gate only heard him shouting about the Western Mausoleum Army in the city. After Yang Shuo personally came down to meet him, he immediately left with a contingent of troops, sparking murmurs among the soldiers.
To steady morale after Yang Shuo’s departure, the young officer bellowed sternly, “What are you looking at? What are you looking at? Get to work! The city gate is right before you—could barbarians from the Western Mausoleum slip past your very eyes without you noticing? That fool was just spouting nonsense in a panic to see the General! He’ll face military discipline later! If any of you fail in your duties, you’ll face the same punishment!”
The guards, intimidated by the young officer’s words, resumed transporting supplies to the battlements.
—
The Hawk Hound led Yang Shuo to a tavern on the adjacent street and stopped. Yang Shuo lifted his head and glanced upstairs.
As this place was not far from the city gate, the locals and merchants had already been evacuated due to the Western Mausoleum’s assault. The area now appeared completely deserted.
The Hawk Hound gestured in invitation: “My master is upstairs.”
Yang Shuo took four personal guards with him upstairs, while the rest secured the nearby key passages.
When the group reached the door of the private room on the second floor, a Hawk Hound stationed outside lifted the door curtain. Yang Shuo’s dark complexion turned ashen the moment he saw the young man seated by the window, sipping tea.
Pei Song poured clear tea into the empty cup opposite him without turning his head, a faint smile playing on his lips: “General Yang does not seem pleased to see me?”
Yang Shuo ordered his four personal guards to remain outside with the Hawk Hounds and entered the room alone. He took a seat opposite Pei Song: “Why… are you here?”
Pei Song’s smile did not fade: “Naturally, to see you, General.”He answered with an air of nonchalance, but in that instant, Yang Shuo’s heart sank deeper and deeper.
If he could appear within the pass, was it also true, as that Hawk Hound had earlier claimed, that the Western Mausoleum Army had emerged within the city?
How had he managed to bring such a group through the pass?
Too many doubts and terrors piled up in his heart, almost becoming the final straw that crushed his reason.
Yang Shuo remained silent for a long while before asking, “Where are my wife and children now?”
Pei Song paused slightly in his tea-sipping motion, then replied indifferently, “Rest assured, General. Your esteemed wife and two young masters are safe. Given the kindness you showed in allowing me to leave the pass back then, how could I possibly mistreat your wife and sons?”
Yang Shuo took out the bloodstained hairpin and placed it on the table.
Pei Song glanced at it and smiled faintly. “Your wife was unaware of my past connection with you, General. When I brought men to your residence to escort her, she threatened to take her own life with the hairpin. My subordinates intervened to save her, but in the process, she accidentally injured herself.”
Yang Shuo did not indicate whether he believed this explanation, saying only, “I wish to see my wife.”
“Of course,” Pei Song replied readily. Setting down his teacup, he lifted his gaze and added, “However, General Yang must have guessed that I specifically invited you here to discuss a matter with you.”
Yang Shuo remained silent for several breaths before responding, “As long as it does not violate righteousness, I can agree to it.”
Pei Song leaned back casually and said, “What if I want you to open the city gates?”
The muscles in Yang Shuo’s face tightened inch by inch as he slowly replied, “I’m afraid I cannot comply.”
Pei Song looked out the window. “I know what troubles you, General. I will not remain allied with the Western Mausoleum indefinitely. Just as Han Yang once sought troops through a marriage alliance with Chen to attack me, I am now merely borrowing forces from the Western Mausoleum to return to Liang. Once you open the gates, I will find a way to exonerate you—I would never allow you to bear the stigma of defecting to the Western Mausoleum.”
His long eyes lowered slightly, and a bitter smile touched his lips. “When my father guarded this land in the past, he endured harsh winds and swallowed sand, devoting himself entirely to his duty. Yet, merely because of the old Wen emperor’s suspicions, he was recalled to the capital, later wrongfully imprisoned. For over a decade, my Qin family has been vilified as treacherous rebels.”
“After my mother’s illness took her, my father succumbed to madness during his exile, forgetting all the pain and injustice of those years. But I have not forgotten.”
His hand on the table clenched into a tight fist, his bitter smile tinged with resentment and irony. “I have always held a deep grievance against this corrupt and decaying Wen dynasty.”
He turned his gaze back to Yang Shuo. “Since you once helped me leave the pass, General, you must still remember the kindness my father showed you in recognizing your talent. Why not lend me your strength? Let us join forces to restore order to this land and bring peace and prosperity to the people.”
His words were spoken with deep sincerity.
Yet Yang Shuo replied, “If you are truly sincere in negotiating with me, why resort to holding my wife and children hostage?”
Pei Song narrowed his eyes. “I merely wish to ensure that you do not make the wrong choice.”
Yang Shuo did not pursue the topic further. After a bitter laugh, he asked something unrelated to the present situation: “In all the years you’ve lived under an assumed name at court, have you ever looked into what became of the western frontier after the Great General was wronged and exiled?”
Pei Song did not answer.Yang Shuo gazed at the steaming teacup before him and spoke as if to himself: "After the Grand General was recalled to the capital, Emperor Chengzu assigned the Gao family—who were then still contending with the Party of Ao for power—to take control of the Western Frontier. Later, after Emperor Chengzu passed away and the Gao family lost in the struggle for the throne, the Party of Ao became the imperial in-laws. The Ministry of Revenue grew increasingly stringent with military funds allocated to the Western Frontier. The Gao family deliberately exploited the soldiers' discontent with the court to plot a rebellion, secretly withholding their pay. During the most difficult period, the lower-ranking soldiers went without pay for three consecutive years."
He paused here, exhaling heavily: "The Western Frontier should have gone to war with the court back then. The reason disaster was averted was because Changlian Wang, who was still constrained by the Party of Ao at the time, argued vehemently with the Ministry of Revenue and secured long-overdue military pay for the Western Frontier. He personally delivered it to the soldiers."
"The Gao family viewed Changlian Wang as a thorn in their side, disrupting their plans, and sought to eliminate him on his journey. Later, when the Gao family's schemes were exposed, it was Changlian Wang who, after a narrow escape, stabilized the troops in the Western Frontier. This prevented the uninformed soldiers from being deceived by the Gao family and joining the rebellion."
Complex emotions surfaced in Yang Shuo's eyes: "It was also at that time that Changlian Wang learned from us about the Grand General's wrongful accusation. He promised to investigate the matter secretly upon returning to the capital and to clear the Grand General's name once he had gathered sufficient evidence."
"After returning to the capital, Changlian Wang's achievements in exposing the Gao family's rebellion and stabilizing the Western Frontier were credited to the Party of Ao after they dispatched troops. Nevertheless, Changlian Wang kept his word and secretly investigated the Grand General's unjust case. The descendants of the officers who were implicated alongside the Grand General were all cared for by Changlian Wang's estate. To properly settle these individuals, I was secretly entrusted to take several of them under my command."
Pei Song's expression darkened slightly. Although he had once served as a Hawk Hound for the Ao family, he had been unaware of Yang Shuo's past connection with Changlian Wang.
Yang Shuo continued slowly: "If the ones ruling this land today were Emperor Chengzu and the Shaojing Emperor, who plunged the people into misery, I would have no hesitation in following you, young master. But the one who nearly ascended the throne in Luodu years ago... was Changlian Wang!"
A trace of sorrow flickered in Yang Shuo's eyes as he said: "Young master... turn back."
Pei Song's face turned cold as frost. After a moment, he let out a scornful laugh: "That Wen father and daughter duo are truly cunning—striking a blow and then offering a sweet date. After bringing my Qin family to such ruin, they've even deceived all of you who once received favors from my Qin family into speaking on their behalf!"
By the last sentence, Pei Song's gaze had turned sharply cold, his hatred so intense it seemed almost tangible: "Are you going to say that the mistakes made by that old fool Wen Shi'an have nothing to do with the father and daughter?"
He sneered: "If not for overthrowing the Party of Ao and winning you over in the process, would Wen Yuanji have been so kind?"
As if realizing his own outburst, Pei Song slowly leaned back in his chair, his tone returning to calm, as though his earlier loss of composure and fury had been an illusion: "But I don't blame you, General. That father and daughter are the most cunning and hypocritical, exceptionally skilled at putting on this show of false benevolence. Countless people in the court have been deceived by them."
He fixed his gaze on Yang Shuo: "It's not too late for you to join me now, General."
Yang Shuo sighed deeply and closed his eyes, seeming to understand that further words were futile.
Seeing this, Pei Song's icy smile concealed a sharp edge: "Has the General made his choice?"
Yang Shuo remained silent.Pei Song remarked with amusement, "Does the General believe the scenario I've prepared for you is one where sacrificing your wife and child would ensure the safety of Tiger Gorge Pass?"
He clapped his hands lightly but deliberately by the window.
The Hawk Hounds below, having received the signal, immediately fired a signal arrow into the sky.
Yang Shuo followed the sound and looked outside, only to see a group of Western Mausoleum Army soldiers in blood-stained armor emerge from nowhere on the previously empty street. Some even held freshly severed heads, clearly having just slaughtered the nearby residential quarters.
The Western Mausoleum people were easily recognizable with their prominent brow bones, darker complexions, and curly hair. Yang Shuo was certain he couldn't be mistaken.
His face abruptly changed color. As he stood up supporting himself on the table, he even knocked over the teacup before him. "You..."
Pei Song merely chuckled softly. "After today, everyone will know that it was the General who helped me breach Tiger Gorge Pass."
Watching Yang Shuo's horrified expression, Pei Song continued leisurely, "Does the General wish to bear the infamy of treason and witness what would become of his wife and child in the hands of the enraged citizens, or... open the city gates and cooperate with me?"
Rumors of Western Mausoleum spies in the city had long spread through the streets. Now that Western Mausoleum soldiers had infiltrated the pass and committed mass slaughter, with Pei Song firmly asserting that Yang Shuo had let them in, this grave charge of treason was something Yang Shuo could never clear himself of.
Staring at the approaching Western Mausoleum Army below, Yang Shuo's eyes burned with hatred and fury, his teeth clenched tightly.
Should he bear the disgrace and watch his wife and child die horribly at the hands of the furious populace, or actually substantiate this infamy to ensure their safety...
On this desperate path, did he even have a choice?
Yang Shuo's face twitched violently. Suddenly roaring, he overturned the tea table before him, drew his sword, and charged at Pei Song.
However, Pei Song was also a martial general by training. Sidestepping, he avoided Yang Shuo's fierce strike, which embedded itself deeply into the wooden window frame.
Hearing the commotion inside, Yang Shuo's personal guards and the Hawk Hounds stationed outside hurriedly lifted the curtain to intervene but immediately became entangled in combat at the doorway.
As Pei Song reached for the sword at his waist to counter, Yang Shuo's blade pressed sideways, shattering the wooden window lattice. The sword's momentum unchecked, it swung toward Pei Song once more.
Unable to draw his sword in time, Pei Song blocked with the scabbard, then kicked at Yang Shuo's lower body. While leaning back to evade Yang Shuo's sliding blade along the scabbard, he finally managed to draw his longsword and parry Yang Shuo's attack.
A disturbance came from the window as Hawk Hounds scaled upward using grappling hooks. Immediately, another grappling hook was hurled at Yang Shuo. Unable to dodge in time, his shoulder and back were pierced through his armor, seeping dark blood. His leg was also slashed by Pei Song taking advantage of the moment, bleeding profusely.
The situation in the private room had suddenly reversed.
Fortunately, the guards remaining downstairs, sensing the unfavorable turn, rushed upstairs. Relying on their numerical advantage, they managed to eliminate the few Hawk Hounds at the doorway and promptly reached Yang Shuo's side to support him. "General!"
Yang Shuo shouted, "Quickly seize this rebel leader!"
The guards swarmed forward to surround Pei Song, but the Hawk Hounds swiftly moved to intercept.
Knowing Yang Shuo intended to capture him alive to break the deadlock, Pei Song understood it was futile to remain. As he retreated through the window with the Hawk Hounds, he cast a cold glance back at Yang Shuo and said, "I will be sure to inform your esteemed wife of the General's choice!"
Once Pei Song left, the Hawk Hounds in the room ceased fighting and swiftly withdrew with him.Yang Shuo’s knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed.
His personal guards rushed to support him, shouting, “General!”
Pointing toward the city gates, Yang Shuo urgently commanded, “Dispatch troops immediately! Eliminate these Western Mausoleum barbarians inside the city! Do not let them approach the gates!”
But it was already too late.
The eight hundred Western Mausoleum soldiers who had entered through the border defense camp’s passage with Pei Song had split into several groups, slaughtering indiscriminately throughout the city. After Yang Shuo was lured away by the Hawk Hounds, Western Mausoleum barbarians had already begun driving the city’s residents toward the main gates, aiming to shatter the defenders’ morale.
With negotiations having failed, Pei Song ordered the Western Mausoleum Army waiting nearby to assault the gates.
Moreover, Hawk Hounds disguised themselves in blood-stained defenders’ military armor, mingling among the crowds and shouting, “Yang Shuo let the Western Mausoleum soldiers into the city long ago! Yang Shuo is a traitor!”
Though the gate guards were skeptical, witnessing the Western Mausoleum soldiers butchering civilians like vegetables forced them to believe it.
The gates had not yet been breached, but the city was already awash in blood. This tragic scene drove the defenders’ fury over their commander’s alleged betrayal and their grief at the civilians’ slaughter to a fever pitch.
No one heeded their officers’ orders anymore—some roared and charged at the Western Mausoleum soldiers within the city, while others cried, “Yang Shuo betrayed us and let the Western Mausoleum soldiers in!” as they discarded their armor and fled.
The defense at the gates instantly became precarious.
The Western Mausoleum Army outside seemed to notice the chaos among the defenders on the walls and immediately sounded horns to launch a full-scale assault.
When Yang Shuo and his guards rushed back to the gates, they found his deputy hoarsely shouting orders to reinforce the gates at all costs, bracing them to prevent the Western Mausoleum soldiers from breaking through.
Western Mausoleum soldiers had already scaled the walls via siege ladders and were locked in desperate combat with the defenders.
Yang Shuo felt the world spin around him. As his deputy approached, fear and despair etched on his face, to explain the situation, a ringing filled Yang Shuo’s ears, drowning out the words.
Weakly, he waved a hand, signaling for the deputy to stop. His face ashen, he said, “I already know.”
Xiao Li came upon the bodies of Madam Yang and her son on his way to the general’s residence.
The streets were packed with panicked civilians fleeing south, yet a carriage bearing the Yang family emblem moved slowly against the flow, heading toward the now-empty, chaotic main street.
As Xiao Li and his Wolf Cavalry approached on horseback, they saw a woman in coarse clothing who had cut the carriage’s reins and was straining to pull it forward with her own meager strength.
It was unclear how long she had been dragging the carriage, but blood had already seeped through her shoulder garments.
Spotting the mounted soldiers blocking her path, her expression shifted from terror to resignation in an instant. Without even looking up, she exhausted, said, “Madam and the young master are gone. There’s nothing of value in the carriage. This humble servant only wishes to give them a proper burial. I beg you, honored soldiers, to show mercy and let me pass.”
Xiao Li’s eyes snapped open. “Are those General Yang’s wife and son inside?”
Hearing something different in his tone, the maidservant’s eyes glimmered with a flicker of hope amid her tears. “Are you… Liang troops?”
Suddenly choking with sobs, she knelt and pleaded, “I beg you to avenge Madam and the young master…”
Xiao Li remained silent, but one of his guards asked, “Who are you? How did Madam Yang and Young Master Yang meet their end? Explain in detail!”The maidservant wept bitterly and said, "I was originally a menial maid in the general's residence. A group of bandits disguised as Border Defense Camp soldiers suddenly attacked the general's residence. After the lady dismissed us and fled by carriage with the young master, I saw people everywhere in the city saying that the Western Mausoleum forces had broken through, so I fled south with the crowd. On the way, I spotted the lady and young master's carriage. When I lifted the curtain, I discovered that both the lady and young master had been brutally murdered..."
As she spoke, she rose and lifted the carriage curtain. The woman inside was dressed elegantly, her face bearing a serene expression even in death. The young child also bore some resemblance to Yang Yue. Xiao Li concluded it was indeed Madam Yang and her son.
However, Madam Yang’s hair was devoid of any proper ornaments, clearly indicating she had been robbed even after her death.
Xiao Li’s thin lips tightened, his voice cold and deep: “What happened?”
The maid wept: “The carriage was abandoned near the beggars’ alley. When I found Madam and the young master, many beggars were still rummaging through the carriage for valuables. If the horse pulling the carriage hadn’t been untethered and taken away earlier, and if the carriage itself weren’t too cumbersome to flee with, even the carriage would have been stolen by those beggars…”
These words stirred suppressed anger among the Wolf Cavalry following Xiao Li.
Xiao Li clenched the reins, his entire aura cold and heavy.
Yang Yue had already informed him of everything that happened at the general’s residence. Pei Song had captured Madam Yang and her son solely to threaten Yang Shuo.
But since Madam Yang had fled with her young son, yet died by poison in the carriage, there was only one possibility.
—Madam Yang and her son had taken their own lives.
She knew she couldn’t escape with her child. To avoid becoming a pawn for Pei Song to threaten Yang Shuo, and to distract the pursuers, helping her eldest son escape, she had chosen this desperate path.
Was it because Pei Song resented Madam Yang for ruining his plans that he deliberately ordered the carriage to be abandoned near the beggars’ alley?
The hand gripping the reins tightened so forcefully that the joints emitted faint, crisp sounds.
Xiao Li summoned two Wolf Cavalry and instructed them: “Escort Madam Yang and the young master back to the Yang residence.”
Even as he rode away, the maid remained kneeling in the direction he and the Wolf Cavalry had departed, tearfully expressing her gratitude.
The warhorses galloped swiftly, shops and buildings on both sides of the street flashing by like fleeting shadows.
As they approached the streets near the city gate, the ground was littered with corpses where the horses trod, clearly the aftermath of a fierce battle that had taken place not long ago.
In the distance, blood-soaked soldiers, having discarded their armor and weapons, were fleeing back, shouting: “The Western Mausoleum Army has breached the city! Tiger Gorge Pass can’t hold!”
“Yang Shuo is a traitor! He opened the city gates and let the Western Mausoleum Army in!”
Hearing this, the Wolf Cavalry accompanying Xiao Li couldn’t help but glance at him.
They had entered through Craw Gong Path, discovered Pei Song’s conspiracy, and rushed nonstop to the city gate—all to prevent Pei Song from forcing Yang Shuo to defect.
Now, it was too late. For a moment, they were at a loss.
Xiao Li remained silent. He led the Wolf Cavalry to halt at the street corner, standing like unyielding rocks in a river of blood, watching the frantic deserters fleeing back ahead.
As one deserter passed by him, Xiao Li thrust out his long blade, still sheathed, piercing through the man’s armor and lifting him. He asked coldly: “Has Yang Shuo truly defected to Western Mausoleum?”
The deserter, terrified and frantic, replied: “How could it be false when the Western Mausoleum Army is already killing inside the city? Hurry and flee for your lives!”
His tattered armor split open as he struggled, and he fell to the ground. But after scrambling up, he paid no heed to the fallen armor, continuing his desperate escape.
Xiao Li’s jaw tightened, frost seeming to gather at the corners of his eyes and brows. But before his long blade could even be drawn, a general chasing the deserters on horseback ahead had already drawn his sword and beheaded one, bellowing: “The traitor Yang Shuo has been beheaded and his head hung beneath the commander’s banner as a warning! Return to the city gate and defend it to the death! Anyone else who deserts will be executed on the spot!”The cavalry following the officer swiftly drew their swords, urging their horses forward and cutting down the fleeing deserters like slicing melons and chopping vegetables.
This thunderous action finally temporarily halted the tide of deserters.
The young officer soon noticed Xiao Li and his group. From a distance, he warily shouted, "Under whose command are you?"
Xiao Li repeated his standard reply: "Liang Camp, Xiao Li."
The young officer clearly recognized Xiao Li's name. Upon hearing this, he immediately urged his horse closer. When he confirmed the person on horseback was indeed Xiao Li, he nearly burst into tears on the spot:
"Lord Marquis? Is it truly you? Have our reinforcements arrived?"
Overwhelmed by the sudden joy of finding a pillar of support, the young officer momentarily forgot that Xiao Li had only recently exited Tiger Gorge Pass. Even if there were reinforcements, taking the detour from Hundred Blades Pass back to Liang territory before rushing to the western frontier would be completely impossible.
Xiao Li carefully studied the young officer's face before recalling he had likely seen him by Yang Shuo's side previously.
Knowing the dire situation inside Tiger Gorge Pass, Xiao Li frowned slightly at the brow and truthfully stated, "Only these few dozen cavalrymen following me."
The young officer's joyful expression faded slightly as he regained composure, realizing reinforcements couldn't possibly arrive so quickly given the sudden enemy attack on Tiger Gorge Pass.
Before the officer could speak again, Xiao Li asked: "Was Yang Shuo beheaded for defecting to Western Mausoleum?"
The young officer's eyes instantly reddened. Shaking his head, he choked back sobs several times: "The General... he took his own head."
Author's Note: Writing, still writing!
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