Lord Liu and two hundred thousand soldiers fought to the death in Helong. After Tong Pass fell, enemy forces from both outside and atop the pass launched a pincer attack, resulting in the complete annihilation of all two hundred thousand troops.
By mid-February, Liangzhou had fallen, and the Southern Barbarians, emboldened by their victories, marched southward. In less than three days, their iron hooves trampled upon Xianyang Bridge. With vast plains stretching ahead, the capture of Chang'an seemed imminent.
The news raced back to Chang'an without pause. Before the court officials could even grieve the death of a chancellor of the state, they were already terrified by the approaching Southern Barbarian army. In the centuries since the founding of Great Wei, the capital Chang'an had never been invaded by foreign tribes. In a panic, the ministers urgently sought the Emperor to discuss countermeasures.
They hoped the Emperor would summon the hundred thousand elite troops garrisoned in Chang'an and issue a royal decree calling for reinforcements from all provinces across the land. The hundred thousand elite troops would defend the city while awaiting the provincial military governors to lead their forces to protect the sovereign.
This proposal was put forward by Chancellor Zhang, who shared the rank of chancellor with the late Lord Liu.
But the Emperor rebuked him in court: "The two hundred thousand elite troops from Longyou, who have fought foreign tribes for years, couldn't hold back the enemy. How could Chang'an's hundred thousand troops possibly succeed? What ill intentions lie behind this strategy of national ruin?"
Chancellor Zhang stared at the Emperor in shock, his face instantly turning ashen. He straightened his sleeves, about to speak further—to question why the Hexi front had collapsed so swiftly.
Had Lord Liu not warned the Emperor that it was not the time to engage? Had the Emperor not daily pressured the troops, suspecting Lord Liu of cowardice? Had it not been Liu Wenji's slander that eroded the Emperor's trust in the Hexi army?
Chancellor Zhang refused to believe Hexi could fall so quickly!
Perhaps there were spies—perhaps someone in this very court was colluding with the Southern Barbarians, leaking information...
But facing the Emperor, who was as frantic as an ant on a hot pan, Chancellor Zhang lacked the energy to voice these thoughts. He could speak, but the Emperor had no desire to hear such words.
Seeing the officials' indifference and no one else daring to speak, the Emperor slammed the imperial desk in fury: "The enemy is at our gates, and you all stand here pretending to be bodhisattvas and buddhas!" Each of you boasts of centuries-old lineages, claims to have read ten thousand books, and prides yourselves on noble integrity despite humble origins... Yet at this critical hour, not one of you can offer a solution?"
Chancellor Zhang felt a chill for the deceased Lord Liu.
On behalf of the ministers, he asked: "Given the circumstances, what else can we do but defend the city? Does Your Majesty have a wise plan?"
The Emperor pondered briefly before declaring: "We have an idea. Where there are green hills, there is firewood to burn. In such dire times, our lives—yours and mine—matter more than a single city. The Southern Barbarians may reach Chang'an's walls by tomorrow. We must quickly pack and retreat from Chang'an.
"Those barbarians won't know how to govern even if they take Chang'an—they won't want it. Once reinforcement troops enter Chang'an and drive the Southern Barbarians out, we shall return."
The court erupted in stunned murmurs.
They gazed blankly at the Emperor, who was wholly absorbed in his calculations. A sense of absurdity left them dazed. For a moment, the hall fell into dead silence, with no one able to utter a word.
"Preposterous!" Chancellor Zhang finally burst out, his face flushed red with unbridled anger.
One chancellor had retired, another had died—only three chancellors remained in court. Among them, Chancellor Zhang was close in age to the late Lord Liu. While Lord Liu had always been stern and unyielding, Chancellor Zhang was known as the mildest-tempered of all.
Kind-faced and amiable, he was extremely easy to deal with. Lord Liu had once teasingly called him "Maitreya Buddha," mocking him for his lack of ambition and merely drifting through life with eyes half-closed, pretending all was peaceful under heaven.At this moment, Chancellor Zhang's voice trembled with rage: "Is Your Majesty planning to abandon the capital and flee? When the enemy arrives, can the million citizens of Chang'an escape like us? Can the ancient monuments, gardens, and collections of Chang'an follow us? How will Your Majesty answer to the people of this land?"
The Emperor replied cunningly: "Do you know how many times Chang'an has been destroyed throughout history? Destroyed then rebuilt—this is not the first time."
He declared: "Our mind is made up!"
Chancellor Zhang: "Where can Your Majesty possibly flee? To Yizhou below? Is the Shu Road passable now? The war in Jiannan is no better than our situation."
The Emperor: "First to Bingzhou, crossing the Yellow River..."
Chancellor Zhang couldn't resist sarcasm: "Even the Yellow River must be crossed? Since Your Majesty cites history, this subject must remind you that throughout history, regimes fleeing south have never returned to the Central Plains. Does Your Majesty intend to surrender our magnificent rivers and mountains to others?"
The Emperor fell silent, flushed with shame and anger. Unable to outargue Chancellor Zhang and furious at his minister's disrespect, he shouted: "Chancellor Zhang disrupts morale and spreads heresy! Confine him! Liu Wenji, consult with others on our retreat plans..."
Liu Wenji, holding a horsetail whisk, bowed in acknowledgment.
The court decision left officials absent from the deliberation in profound sorrow. Wiping tears, they could only kneel hastily before the common people.
When the ruler acts thus, what can his subjects do?
Wei Shu, who had clashed fiercely with Liu Wenji and previously offended the Emperor, had been confined to his residence for reflection these past two days. When news reached him, he was instructed to flee with the officials and commoners.
Wei Shu was taken aback: "Why flee?"
He stood serene as snowfall in a forest. His clean, luminous beauty held no edges, his elegant demeanor always well-liked.
The eunuch messenger, forgetting how his predecessor had been terrified into confusion by this man, smiled and said: "The Southern Barbarians' iron cavalry has invaded. Even the Longyou armies cannot withstand them, let alone us. For the future, His Majesty naturally endures what he must."
Wei Shu grew more astonished: "Defending a city differs from attacking one. Losing battles doesn't mean we cannot hold the city. Defense requires people, not just soldiers. Chang'an has millions of inhabitants, ample grain, and flowing canals—we lack neither water nor provisions. What is there to fear?
"If we simply close the four gates, the worst scenario is holding firm behind fortified walls. When relief troops arrive, won't Chang'an be saved?
"Moreover, even if the reinforcements cannot immediately repel the Southern Barbarians, Chang'an's grain reserves can sustain us for a year. Given this, I truly don't understand why we must flee."
The eunuch was bewildered by his words.
Young Master Wei the Seventh reasoned so soundly, so clearly and logically, that the eunuch felt persuaded. Why should they flee? Without worries over food or clothing, why escape?
But the Emperor willed it!
The eunuch stammered: "Perhaps defending the city is too difficult..."
Wei Shu interrupted: "I have defended cities. I know how it's done. I know defensive warfare is easier than offensive. As long as defenders don't surrender, the attackers' losses will be severe!"
After a long pause, the eunuch mumbled: "This is His Majesty's command. Please do not trouble this humble servant."
Wei Shu scoffed.
A sharp intensity surfaced in his typically mild eyes. Stepping forward, his hand resting on his sword, his aura shattered like ice breaking over a jade river, forcing the messenger eunuch to retreat repeatedly.Wei Shu abandoned his previous amiability and demanded, "Lord Liu's body is not yet cold—he died fighting for the nation, and all His Majesty thinks of is fleeing? Longyou fell so swiftly, its cause remains unknown, and all His Majesty considers is hiding?"
The eunuch thudded to his knees. "This slave... this slave knows nothing!"
Wei Shu paid the eunuch no further mind, nor did he permit his return. Ordering his household guards to bind the eunuch, he rushed out. His first destination was the residence of his eldest brother, Wei Kai—the legitimate eldest son of the Wei family.
Wei Kai was at home sorting through books and garments amid chaos. Women, children, and servants alike were frantic with panic. With calamity looming, all were infected by the anxiety of their superiors, descending into disarray.
Led to the study to meet Wei Kai, Wei Shu found his brother’s back turned to him as he remarked sarcastically, "What a rare guest! Since Zhao Wuniang left the capital and Ju Yuan severed ties with me, vowing to break with the Wei family, what brings you to my door today?"
Wei Shu was succinct. "Eldest Brother, let us reconcile."
Wei Kai started, turning to look at him.
The young man, always strikingly handsome, wore a dust-gray robe, disheveled from his haste, bearing the marks of a hurried journey.
Yet Wei Shu’s expression remained calm as he asked, "I wish to reconcile with you, Eldest Brother, and with the Luoyang Wei clan. Tell me, what must I do for you to forgive me, for the rift between the Wei family and me to vanish?
"Must I kneel and kowtow, or must I offer something else?"
Wei Kai studied him for a long moment.
Setting down the book in his hand, Wei Kai lowered his gaze and spoke softly, "Ju Yuan resisted the Wei family for ten years without yielding. He defied an arranged marriage, undertook diplomatic missions, severed ties with his clan for a woman... Why this sudden desire for reconciliation now?"
Wei Shu replied plainly, "The nation faces calamity; petty family squabbles are meaningless. I seek reconciliation with the Wei family to harness its resources and collaborate with the power you hold, Eldest Brother. Personally, I detest the control the Wei family exerts over me, but... the Wei family is merely a small part of Great Wei.
"Too many are dying, too many perishing without clarity. I am willing to reconcile with the family, provided... it can save this land!"
Wei Kai watched him in silence.
Wei Kai said, "I know what you intend to do. But the principle that has sustained the Luoyang Wei clan for centuries is to never involve ourselves in such matters."
Before Wei Shu could argue, Wei Kai seemed to drift into thought momentarily, then smiled again. "Yet the Wei clan has endured for centuries also because, at every major crossroads, we have chosen correctly. The times make the hero, and the hero seizes the moment. Each time our clan faced such great tides, fortune favored us, and a member stepped forward to ride the current and preserve our family.
"I do not know if Ju Yuan is such a person, but I am not. Since I am not, I should yield the path to those like you... This era belongs to you. I will not obstruct it."
He approached Wei Shu, scrutinizing this brother he had never liked. He resented that this brother, a mere concubine-born son, was so brilliantly gifted, hailed as a prodigy since childhood. A prodigy he might be, but this brother was also arrogant with his talent, aloof from everyone. The Wei family’s younger generation was overshadowed by Wei Shu’s abilities and infuriated by his haughtiness.
But now, grown and tempered by experience, Wei Kai had come to understand that his seventh brother might not have been arrogant or disdainful of them.
Rather, he was inept at social interactions, incapable of ingratiating himself with his elder brothers.
Wei Kai could not help but laugh.He said, "Ju Yuan, go do what you wish. Whatever you need, the Wei family will pave the way. If it proves wrong, I will bear all responsibility for today's actions."
Wei Shu cupped his hands toward him: "I don't need my elder brother to take responsibility for me. I'll bear it myself."
Wei Kai cursed: "You brat! Still so terrible with words!"
The Wei family's influence permeated every ministry of the court. Perhaps their highest-ranking official didn't hold the most exalted position, but having Wei family members with decision-making power in each of the Six Ministries was remarkably formidable.
That night, as the Emperor was being escorted by Liu Wenji to flee the city in his carriage, the procession came to a halt just beyond the city gates. Liu Wenji reported to the Emperor that the Imperial Guards refused to proceed, having been persuaded to stand with the people and defend Chang'an.
The Emperor cursed incessantly.
But if the Imperial Guards wouldn't leave, how could the Emperor they were protecting dare to flee?
Supported by Liu Wenji, the Emperor descended from his carriage while the consorts hiding in the rear carriages trembled with fear. Among them, Consort Xian Chunhua quietly lifted the curtain to peer outside.
She saw the road filled with soldiers and horses, numerous torches blazing. Liu Wenji stood with his back to them, while facing the Emperor stood a young man who maintained his composure without arrogance or servility—she recognized him as Wei Shu.
The Emperor angrily demanded of Wei Shu: "Minister Wei, are you overstepping your authority, reaching too far? You dare make the Imperial Guards refuse to move... Commander Jiang, how can you listen to a mere Director from the Ministry of Rites instead of your Emperor's command?"
Wei Shu bowed: "Your Majesty, during my previous diplomatic missions, I established relations with various neighboring states. With Longyou fallen, these nations share our alarm. I have written to them requesting reinforcements for Hexi. The Southern Barbarians advance too rapidly—their rear must be vulnerable. If allied forces pressure them from behind while we attack from Chang'an, we can trap the Southern Barbarians in a dilemma, caught between two fronts."
"This way, the Southern Barbarians will panic."
The Emperor mocked: "I never knew a Director of Rites could also wage war! Where is the Minister of War? The Ministry of War..."
Wei Shu remained unperturbed: "The Minister of War has drunk too much and is resting at his residence."
Liu Wenji's eyelids twitched violently as he glared sharply at Wei Shu.
Wei Shu... had detained Duke Zhao? Zhao Wuniang's father? How dare he?
The Emperor also realized this, his expression revealing shock and suspicion. He actually took a step back, fearing Wei Shu might place him under house arrest.
Trembling with vigilance, the Emperor called out: "Commander Jiang..."
The formidable general who had been standing with bowed head for some time replied: "Your Majesty, Young Master Wei the Seventh speaks reason. At this critical moment for our nation, we cannot leave. Chang'an must not fall. The million citizens of Chang'an are watching us... We cannot abandon them."
The Emperor: "Wei Juyuan has served as an envoy! He's silver-tongued and persuasive—you've been deceived by his eloquence!"
Wei Shu: "This is the first time I've been called 'silver-tongued.'"
The Emperor: "Wei Juyuan, what exactly is your intention?!"
Wei Shu: "Nothing more than this: I request Your Majesty return to Chang'an, return to the palace, and sit securely upon your throne. So long as Chang'an stands, Your Majesty shall not leave the city. Until Lord Liu's death is properly accounted for, Your Majesty shall not retreat."
"The entire court follows and watches Your Majesty."
"Chang'an's hundred thousand elite troops will all watch over and protect Your Majesty."
The Emperor stood dumbfounded.
He looked at the soldiers and horses filling the road, at the numerous officials standing with bowed heads in silence. He gazed at the countless torches, then turned to look back at Chang'an city looming behind the flames.He broke out in a cold sweat, having no doubt that if he insisted on leaving tonight, Wei Shu might truly assassinate the Emperor... All the civil and military officials were watching!
They all wanted to kill him!
They all wanted him dead!
The Emperor was utterly terrified, never before so deeply aware of the court officials' hatred toward him. Liu Wenji supported him from behind, suddenly steadying his nerves.
The Emperor thought, thankfully, thankfully there was Liu Wenji. It seemed the imperial guards had all aligned with the scholars represented by Wei Shu, and it appeared the aristocratic families and common-born officials had joined forces. But Liu Wenji also had troops under his command—the Northern Agency was still obedient!
The Emperor's voice was hoarse and strange: "Then... I shall return to the palace."
Wei Shu remained silent.
Liu Wenji lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Wei Shu who watched them depart. As they passed by, a surge of fear welled up in Liu Wenji's heart.
Wei Juyuan's expression was so calm, yet it made Liu Wenji realize the other's murderous intent. A civil official who had once led troops to attack and defend cities as an envoy was no ordinary scholar.
Wei Shu would not hesitate to kill.
And unlike someone as gentle as Yan Shang, when Wei Shu decided to kill, it might be done with utter calm, perhaps without any psychological burden... The colder the person, the fewer weaknesses they had.
Liu Wenji grew restless, recognizing his own peril. No, he had to save himself. This Emperor was likely to be deposed by Wei Shu... and today, because of Lord Liu's death, the aristocratic families and common-born officials had united to attack the eunuchs, who would surely be defeated.
He had to find a way to save himself—
Since mid-February, Chang'an had entered a defensive siege.
Just as Wei Shu had predicted, the food supplies within Chang'an could last at least a year, and the city gates, designed to protect the capital, were not easily breached. Defending Chang'an was not difficult; the challenge lay in its symbolic significance as the capital of Great Wei.
With Chang'an in crisis, regional military governors from all directions were expected to come to its rescue.
For a time, all military forces across the land rushed to aid Chang'an. Lord Liu's death had ignited the fury of Great Wei's generals and soldiers. The Emperor and Chang'an being besieged felt like a humiliation to every citizen of Great Wei.
Other commanderies and counties could fall, but Chang'an must not.
The relief armies were unaware of Wei Shu's quasi-house arrest of the Emperor, nor did they know of the overt and covert conflicts between the scholar-officials and eunuchs within Chang'an.
With Chang'an besieged and all troops rushing to its rescue, the military and grain supplies available to Jiannan Circuit beneath Chang'an became far scarcer than before.
Chang'an, struggling to protect itself, could no longer provide grain to Jiannan; with the city gates sealed shut in crisis, it could no longer issue commands or dispatch troops to Jiannan for battle.
Jiannan had reached the most critical stage of the war, yet both grain supplies and troops were critically low. Yan Shang exhausted every means to borrow soldiers and grain from various regions, but all circuits and prefectures were focused on aiding Chang'an. Compared to Chang'an, the gains and losses in Jiannan were of little concern.
Yan Shang grew anxious, shuttling back and forth, yet grain supplies dwindled daily, and no additional troops could be mobilized.
Zhao Lingfei gritted her teeth and vowed to borrow troops using her father's influence. The neighboring circuit, which had been repairing the Yangtze River embankments, had allocated grain for relief last year and sent fifty thousand soldiers to assist. The military governor of that circuit was also her father's former student.
She declared: "Second Brother Yan, cousin, don't worry. I will definitely borrow troops and grain! I will help you resolve this crisis!"Yang Si was covered in blood and exhaustion. When Zhao Lingfei was making her military pledge, he had just emerged from a major battle. Sitting on the ground with his forehead propped against his hand, he dwelled on the corpses strewn across the battlefield.
His face was taut, his eyes dark and ruthless. This was the aftermath of war—day and night immersed in battlefields could utterly transform a person.
Yang Si wondered how he could possibly kill Meng Zaishi. With Meng Zaishi dead, Jiannan would be halfway to victory. Yan Erlang wouldn’t need to fret so much, Lingfei wouldn’t have to oppose her father anymore, and he could…
Yan Shang stood behind Yang Si but kept his distance due to the other’s agitated state. He spoke gently, “Third Young Master, you haven’t slept for two days. I have matters to attend to outside. You should rest awhile.”
Yang Si shook his head. “I can’t sleep.”
Yan Shang was worried but only sighed and said nothing more. He and Zhao Lingfei left the military camp separately. Before departing, he instructed his sister, who was tending to the wounded in the camp, to look after Yang Si.
Yan Xiaozhou agreed but fretted, “Second Brother, we’ve run out of medicine. If more wounded come, we won’t be able to save them all…”
Yan Shang rubbed his temples. “I’ll think of something.”
A voice came from behind: “Even medicine is insufficient?”
The siblings turned to see Yang Si standing at the tent entrance.
After a moment’s thought, Yang Si said, “Then we must end this battle quickly.”
Yan Shang replied, “Third Young Master, you don’t need to…”
Yang Si cut him off: “I know how to wage war. You needn’t teach me.”
Yan Shang understood that the brutality of war had hardened Yang Si’s demeanor, making him cold and unyielding. Exchanging another glance with Yan Xiaozhou, Yan Shang could only hope his sister might ease Yang Si’s strained nerves. After settling these matters, Yan Shang left the camp.
He had his own duties to attend to.
A heavy burden weighed on his heart, one he shared with no one.
This was the last time Yan Shang saw Yang Si—
In early April, Yan Shang led his guards and, after ensuring safety, met with envoys from King Ale of Guangzhou.
They presented a jade pendant and a small box.
At the sight of the pendant, Yan Shang’s face tightened, and his hand trembled faintly within his sleeve.
Yet his expression remained unreadable. “What is the meaning of this?”
The envoy boasted arrogantly, “Guangzhou has been under siege for two months now. You’ve had no contact with them for over two months, have you? Let me tell you—our mighty King Ale has captured your wife, that so-called princess.
“These are her belongings! Surely you recognize them.”
Yan Shang’s hand shook in his sleeve.
Outwardly, he remained calm. “I truly do not recognize them.”
The envoy sneered, “Then open the box and see… Those are your wife’s fingers! If you don’t withdraw troops from Jiannan, next time we won’t send just fingers!”
Yan Shang’s face turned deathly pale.
He felt as though he had plunged into an icy abyss, his mind growing dizzy and blank. With immense effort, he maintained composure, refusing to let his distress show. He struggled to stay calm, yet his thoughts remained hollow.
He had long been prepared to sacrifice himself for his country, ready at any moment to die for his homeland… But when faced with this reality, his mind still went utterly blank.Yan Shang calmly went to open the box, while the Southern Barbarians envoy, held by the guards, watched him with intense nervousness, fearing that the other party would detect the flaw.
King Ale, intending to deceive, had naturally prepared thoroughly. He had procured a charred finger of a young woman, selecting a girl with a slender build nearly identical to the princess... A finger burnt black as charcoal, with stark white bone exposed—there was no fear that this Yan Erlang would recognize it.
Yan Shang gazed at the finger in the box, blackened like charcoal, the bone glaringly white.
The guard behind him averted his gaze, not daring to look further.
Yan Shang watched quietly, his eyes falling upon the jade pendant before shifting emptily to the finger.
In that instant, countless thoughts might have flashed through his mind—or perhaps it remained utterly blank.
He might have recalled Mu Wan Yao’s graceful silhouette, her turning back to glance at him with a playful smile, only to then envision her standing amidst raging flames of war, consumed by fire, her sleeves fluttering as if taking flight…
Yan Shang said, “Do you think I would fall for such a trick? This is not my wife’s finger—it is merely your scheme. In war between two nations, envoys are not to be harmed. I will not kill you, but for attempting to deceive me with falsehoods, you shall not escape punishment.”
His gaze drifted vaguely toward the tent ceiling: “Tie them up and interrogate them thoroughly.”
As Yan Shang exited the tent, the guard following him said with admiration, “Truly worthy of Erlang. I failed to recognize earlier that it wasn’t Her Highness’s finger—only you saw through it… Those who dare deceive you must be rigorously interrogated to uncover the true situation in Guangzhou…”
Before he could finish, Yan Shang ahead swayed slightly.
Startled, the guard hurried to support him, grasping Yan Shang’s icy-cold hand.
Yan Shang turned his head, his face still pale.
The guard sensed something amiss: “Could it be… that the finger wasn’t fake? Was it truly Her Highness…”
As if convincing himself, Yan Shang murmured, “…It must be fake.”
The guard froze.
Observing Yan Shang’s expression, he grew bewildered.
The guard whispered, “Does Erlang no longer care about the truth? After all Her Highness has done for you, is this how you repay her?”
Yan Shang lowered his head: “Interrogate the envoy. I must know the situation in Guangzhou.”
The guard raised his voice: “But can we still dispatch troops? We have no soldiers! Jiannan has reached a critical juncture—we cannot withdraw! Erlang…”
Fearing Yan Shang would prioritize his beloved over the nation, he pleaded repeatedly. Yet Yan Shang stood dazed before the tent, his thoughts still in disarray. He dared not dwell on anything, but his heart had already begun to clench.
He murmured softly, “I know.”—
Zhao Lingfei pounded on the prefectural gates, begging for troops; Yan Shang, stationed in the outskirts, interrogated the envoy, pressing for details about Guangzhou.
In the war along the Jiannan front, Yang Si fought like a man possessed. He had not rested for days and should have yielded command to other generals. Having suffered several defeats, he stubbornly refused to leave the battlefield.
The Great Wei army retreated step by step, already short on troops, and this situation only worsened their plight.
Within the Jiannan Army camp, criticisms of Yang Si grew incessant. However, with Marshal Yan Shang absent, the generals had no one to appeal to. Before leaving, Yan Shang had granted Yang Si excessive authority, enabling him to disregard other generals’ objections and deploy forces single-handedly.
No one’s counsel mattered.
The entire camp languished in gloom.
Meng Zaishi, keenly observant, noted the state of the Great Wei forces. Through several battles, he realized something was amiss on their side. Otherwise, Yang Si would not have suddenly become so unyielding, nor would he have suffered repeated defeats yet clung desperately to the hope of victory.
Meng Zaishi recognized this as his opportunity.
But years of warfare had taught him caution. He spent considerable time and sacrificed many scouts to confirm that Jiannan was running short on provisions and troops, forcing Yang Si to secure a win. The more Yang Si needed victory, the more flaws he would expose.
Meng Zaishi launched a full-scale assault!He no longer concealed his strength, vowing to annihilate Yang Si and all his troops while Yang Si was losing his composure. After the Jiannan battlefield concluded, he would negotiate peace with Yan Shang and with Great Wei. Once King Ale was dealt with... the Southern Barbarians could truly develop according to his vision!
At the end of April, Meng Zaishi and Yang Si engaged in a decisive battle in the great canyon.
Yang Si’s original force of one hundred thousand troops had dwindled to fifty thousand. The Great Wei army retreated into the canyon, and Meng Zaishi led a hundred thousand troops in pursuit. Upon entering the canyon, Meng Zaishi discovered that Yang Si’s army had suddenly vanished.
Sensing something amiss, he realized the terrain was unfavorable to his side. This instantly reminded him of the military exercise in Chang’an years ago, when Yang Si had trapped him with a hundred soldiers in a pocket-shaped canyon, preventing him from breaking through.
Meng Zaishi looked up at the surrounding mountain paths, lush with greenery, and reined in his horse, shouting, "Retreat! Fall ba—"
On the mountain ridges all around, Great Wei soldiers coldly watched the Southern Barbarian troops. Yang Si roared, "Attack—"
Meng Zaishi looked up and met Yang Si’s icy gaze.
Yang Si licked the blood from his mouth and tightened his grip on his spear. Standing before a rocky outcrop, he faced an enemy twice his size. It set his blood boiling, filling him with exhilaration and trembling anticipation.
He barked, "Victory or defeat on the Jiannan battlefield hinges on this battle. All forces, charge—"
His strategist fretted, "Even though we’ve driven the enemy into this naturally disadvantageous canyon, their commander is formidable, their forces are strong, and they outnumber us two to one. We still..."
Yang Si: "Then we fight to the death."—
If we must fight, then we fight to the death.
If we stake everything, then we never look back.
Unending, nothing but blood.
With a spear in hand, we never fall.
"Kill them—"
Cries of slaughter filled the mountains and plains, echoing across the land.
For three consecutive days, the great canyon witnessed fierce combat. Both Meng Zaishi and Yang Si were formidable, and their forces suffered heavy losses. Yang Si pressed the assault relentlessly, while Meng Zaishi fought desperately to break through. However, Great Wei’s troops were indeed outnumbered, and Meng Zaishi’s tactical prowess could not be underestimated.
In this battle, Great Wei decimated seventy thousand enemy troops, leaving Meng Zaishi with only thirty thousand soldiers.
The cost: all fifty thousand of Great Wei’s troops perished in this canyon.
By the end, everyone was dead. Yang Si, riddled with arrows, stood alone without a single comrade left. He tried to raise his spear to fight, but his face was drenched in blood, and his vision was filled with corpses. His body, pierced by arrows, could no longer move. He knelt, kneeling amidst a field of the dead.
The canyon winds in April were bitingly cold.
Meng Zaishi, equally exhausted, watched as every last Great Wei soldier died, and as Yang Si too knelt down, completely immobilized.
Meng Zaishi fell silent.
A soldier behind him suggested, "General, that General Yang is too formidable. Let’s shoot a few more arrows to ensure he’s dead."
Meng Zaishi refused.
Though enemies, he wished to grant Yang Si his final dignity.
Treading over bones and corpses, he staggered and stumbled step by step toward the kneeling, spear-clutching Yang Si. The young man’s face, hidden beneath his helmet, was unrecognizable, utterly disfigured. Yet Yang Si’s eyes were so calm that Meng Zaishi was reminded of the military exercise in Chang’an years ago.
He stood before Yang Si, whose body was pierced with arrows, and said quietly, "From the military exercise to this day, the war between you and me ends with my victory—"
A general behind him roared, "Your Majesty!"
Meng Zaishi looked down to see Yang Si thrust his spear upward, piercing his heart.Meng Zaishi was bewildered and confused, his body losing strength as he collapsed to his knees.
Yang Si revealed a smile, blood seeping between his teeth, and said, "I didn't lose."
In the distance, the Southern Barbarian army, terrified and enraged at witnessing their king's death among them, charged forward, brandishing swords and hacking Yang Si to pieces. But what did it matter if he was torn to shreds? Yang Si lay on the ground, watching Meng Zaishi—who had fallen alongside him, convulsing as he struggled to rise but couldn't.
Yang Si lifted his head to gaze at the sky.
In his heart, he thought: You didn't win, and I didn't lose.
In the end, I dragged you down to death with me.
Dazed and drifting, he recalled he probably had many unfulfilled wishes, many lingering attachments... but he couldn't quite remember them now.
Let it be—
Torrential rain poured down, heaven and earth falling into silence.
A great deluge submerged everything.
Zhao Lingfei knelt before the military governor's residence, pounding on the door and pleading, "I beg you! Please lend us troops! My cousin needs soldiers, Jiannan needs soldiers..."
Heaven and earth were washed clean by the heavy rain.
Yan Shang sat rigidly in his tent, anxiously awaiting the envoy's interrogation results. He refused to withdraw troops from Jiannan, refused to aid Guangzhou. His heart shattered piece by piece, yet he stared at that jade pendant, remaining stiff and unyielding, unwilling to retreat. Hastily, a messenger arrived to report:
"Marshal, we've won—
"But Yang Sanlang and fifty thousand soldiers are all dead."
Yan Shang abruptly stood and strode out of the tent. As he lifted the tent flap, the messenger repeated the news. Yan Shang lowered his head and vomited a mouthful of blood.
On one side was Mu Wan Yao, on the other Yang Si...
He collapsed, blood gushing from his mouth, plunging the entire camp into chaos—
In the Jiannan military camp, Yan Xiaozhou wearily slumped over a wooden desk, tending to the wounded.
In her drowsiness, she seemed to have a dream.
In the dream, she was chasing someone, but a thick fog obscured everything, leaving nothing clear.
Vaguely, she recalled the past, when she told her second brother she was going to find Yang Sanlang.
Back then, her heart was full of anticipation, saying his life shouldn't be confined to youth. He still had the latter half of his life, he still had—
Born to serve as a Han imperial guard, first following the cavalry to battle in Yuyang.
Who knows not the hardships of the frontier? Even in death, the chivalrous bones leave a fragrance.
Suddenly, she heard cheers erupting in the camp and jolted awake from her dream.
Yan Xiaozhou thought Yang Si had finally returned from battle. Overjoyed, she pulled open the tent flap, eager to see if he was injured, if his wounds were worse this time—
"Sanlang!"
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