Wei Rao returned to the camp with a heart as bleak as death, staying alone in the tent that once belonged to Lu Zhuo.
Not finding Flying Ink had allowed her to convince herself that Lu Zhuo was still alive. But when Lu Ya returned riding Flying Ink, and the bloodstained handkerchief dropped by Lu Zhuo was found by the horse, all of it screamed at Wei Rao to stop deluding herself. That man, who appeared gentle as jade yet had angered her time and again, was truly dead.
He had asked her to wait for his return, yet he had given his chance of survival to his cousin.
But he still had his mother, he still had her, and he still had their daughter who was only a year and a half old. So, did it not matter how much the three of them suffered, as long as he saved his cousin? Was that it?
The pain was unbearable, and so was the hatred. Wei Rao wished she could chase him all the way to the gates of the underworld and smash a teacup over his head again! She wished she could make him jump into the River of Forgetfulness beneath the Naihe Bridge. This time, even if he dug up every medicinal herb in that river, she would never forgive him, nor would she ever smile at him again!
That man, drenched and clad only in his underwear, had emerged from the water. The sunlight had fallen on his handsome face as he held a handful of herbs, his serene gaze fixed directly on her...
Despite the intense hatred, the memories grew clearer and more vivid. Wei Rao lowered her head, letting her tears soak the front of her robe.
She had no idea how long she had been sitting there when Zhao Bai’s voice suddenly sounded outside the tent: "Princess, regarding the Wuda soldiers who pursued the Second Young Master, our Divine Martial Army has captured over two hundred alive. The Soaring Dragon Army and the Yucheng Army have also taken prisoners. Just now, the Marquis and General Qin proposed bringing all three hundred captives outside the tent to be beheaded, as an offering to the spirits of the Young Lord and the fallen soldiers. The Second Young Master is still unconscious. What are your thoughts?"
What use was killing a few hundred prisoners when the person was already dead?
Wei Rao did not want to speak.
Zhao Bai waited a moment and then requested, "The soldiers of our Divine Martial Army are itching to skin those Wuda people alive. If you have no objections, Princess, I will take the prisoners away and personally carry out the executions."
Wei Rao remained motionless.
Zhao Bai waited a little longer, then said, "Your subordinate takes his leave," and turned to go.
"Zhao Bai," a voice suddenly called from inside.
Zhao Bai immediately turned back.
Wei Rao asked him to enter.
Following the order, Zhao Bai stepped inside, keeping his gaze lowered no higher than the Princess’s calves, not daring to look up.
Wei Rao had dried her tears. After a moment of composure, she asked quietly, "How many troops did the Soaring Dragon Army and the Yucheng Army send to Iron Scorpion Ridge this time?"
Zhao Bai replied, "Twenty thousand from the Soaring Dragon Army and ten thousand from the Yucheng Army."
Wei Rao looked at his face. "Their total numbers exceeded ours. Why did they capture fewer prisoners than the Divine Martial Army?"
Zhao Bai answered, "After the Young Lord’s sacrifice, our Divine Martial Army suffered over thirty thousand casualties. When we encountered the Wuda army, our soldiers charged the fastest. The five hundred household troops we trained were equally outraged and rushed ahead to block the retreat of the ten-thousand-strong Wuda force. Then, together with the Soaring Dragon Army and the Yucheng Army, we surrounded them. They had no choice but to surrender."
Wei Rao asked, "How many surrendered in total?"
Zhao Bai said, "Nearly a thousand. Han Liao was blood-crazed and refused to accept their surrender. I, too, initially wanted to kill them all, but his hypocritical attitude disgusted me, so I protected a group of prisoners and brought them back for you and the Second Young Master to decide their fate."
Han Liao and the Han family again—always putting on an act.
Wei Rao did not trust Han Liao. The Marquis of Xiting’s "timely vomiting of blood" had made her suspicious of the entire Soaring Dragon Army."The heir has sacrificed himself, and over thirty thousand soldiers of the Divine Martial Army have perished. I will take these three hundred prisoners back to the capital and have them executed at the Meridian Gate. I want the families of those thirty thousand soldiers to witness us exacting vengeance with our own hands," Wei Rao said coldly to Zhao Bai. "Go and bring the prisoners from the Yucheng Army and the Soaring Dragon Army to the Divine Martial Army camp. Guard them strictly—no mistakes are allowed."
Zhao Bai replied, "Yes!"
After leaving the tent, Zhao Bai went with Adjutant Wu to the command tent of the Marquis of Xiting.
The Marquis of Xiting, Han Liao, Qin Min, Adjutant Zheng, and other officers of the Yucheng Army were all present.
Zhao Bai conveyed the princess's message.
The Marquis of Xiting glanced at his son.
Han Liao then said, "The Battle of Iron Scorpion Ridge inflicted heavy losses on our three armies. We need to boost morale now—these prisoners should be executed right here on the battlefield. What's the use of transporting them all the way to the capital? Killing them and spreading the news across Daqi will naturally comfort the families and friends of our fallen heroes."
Zhao Bai remained expressionless. "I am here to convey the princess's orders. If General Han wishes to execute the prisoners captured by the Soaring Dragon Army here, the Divine Martial Army will not interfere." With that, he turned to Qin Min. "May I ask if General Qin is willing to hand over the prisoners to the princess for execution in the capital?"
Qin Min had only sixty or seventy prisoners—too few to significantly boost morale. The princess, grieving the loss of her husband, had made this small request, and he was willing to comply.
Qin Min ordered his men to send the prisoners captured by the Yucheng Army to the Divine Martial Army camp.
Seeing this, the Marquis of Xiting instructed the Soaring Dragon Army to send over their prisoners as well, as their numbers were even smaller.
As the group dispersed, Han Liao frowned and whispered to the Marquis of Xiting, "Father, this Wuda army was likely sent by Xiuji to hunt down Lu Ya. The princess seems suspicious of us. If she interrogates the prisoners harshly, could they uncover any clues?"
Xiuji was a prominent Wuda general—the same one Han Liao had privately contacted earlier. In collaboration with the Marquis of Xiting, they had lured Lu Ya into Xiuji's ambush. Lu Ya was merely bait; their true target, along with Xiuji's, was Lu Zhuo. For all his virtues, Lu Zhuo's one weakness was his loyalty. Even knowing it was a death trap, he would inevitably rush to save his brother.
Han Liao despised this trait in Lu Zhuo.
Years ago, when he sent assassins to kill Lu Zhuo, he had exploited this very kindness. However, the leader of that assassination attempt had been too far from the grove to see what transpired. When night fell and none of the assassins returned, the leader realized the mission had failed. Investigating the forest, he found all the assassins dead, their wounds indicating that both Lu Zhuo and his wife had fought back.
It was from that moment Han Liao's desire for Wei Rao grew stronger—a beauty who could fight alongside Lu Zhuo was someone he wanted for himself.
The Marquis of Xiting pondered for a moment before replying gravely, "No. Your spy witnessed Xiuji burn that letter before returning. Those low-ranking Wuda soldiers merely followed orders. Even if they initially spotted Lu Ya, they would have thought it a coincidence, unaware it was Xiuji's deliberate trap. No matter how suspicious the princess is, she has no evidence."
Han Liao nodded.
The Marquis of Xiting added, "Nevertheless, keep a close watch on the princess and Lu Ya. Better safe than sorry. If they do find evidence…"
He cast a cold glance at Han Liao.
Han Liao understood: if it came to that, he would show no mercy to Wei Rao.
Lu Ya woke up.
Wei Rao went to see him.During the days Lu Ya spent fleeing for his life, he had endured immense hardship. Some of his wounds had festered from lack of timely treatment, but fortunately, none were fatal. Still, he suffered greatly when the army physician scraped the infected flesh with a blade.
Wei Rao watched it all with near indifference.
Lu Ya dared not meet her gaze.
He knew how deeply his elder brother and sister-in-law loved each other. His brother had tolerated all of Wei Rao’s unconventional behavior, even her military training, and she, upon hearing the tragic news of her husband, had recklessly led five hundred household troops into the perilous grasslands, disregarding her own safety.
If not for him, his elder brother would not have died. If not for him, his sister-in-law would not have vomited blood and shed tears.
After the army physician withdrew, Lu Ya knelt before Wei Rao. “Sister-in-law, I failed my elder brother.”
Wei Rao tilted her chin slightly, her gaze fixed elsewhere. “Rise. Your brother was too proud to be pleased seeing you kneel before me.”
Lu Ya felt even more ashamed and stood up with his head bowed.
Wei Rao still refused to look at him. “Tell me, why do you feel you failed him?”
Lu Ya held nothing back. He began with how his elder brother had warned him to be wary of Han Liao and his son, ordering him to remain at the camp. He recounted how, within Iron Scorpion Ridge, his brother had given him the Flying Ink horse, how the Wuda troops had surrounded them after their army scattered, and how his brother had drawn away the majority of the Wuda forces. He described hearing the Wuda soldiers find his brother’s body at the foot of the cliff, his own desperate escape, and finally, his rescue by the Divine Martial Army led by Wei Rao.
Wei Rao listened in silence. By the end, she no longer doubted Lu Zhuo’s death.
But now, she had more urgent matters to attend to. She could not let Lu Zhuo, the soldiers of the Divine Martial Army, and the other Central Plains warriors die in vain.
Wei Rao only needed clues from Lu Ya. Beyond that, she told him nothing. The more people who knew, the more likely Han Liao and his son would grow wary. Let Lu Ya continue to regard them as nothing more than ordinary rivals within the Upper Four Armies.
After Lu Ya rested, Wei Rao had lunch and then went to the tent holding the prisoners.
The tent was crude, and over three hundred captives were confined within like livestock, each bound hand and foot.
Wei Rao did not enter. With Zhao Bai accompanying her, she walked along the outer edge of the tent.
Inside, the Wuda people chattered incessantly in the Uda language.
Among the Great Qi’s troops, common soldiers had no leisure to learn the Uda language, and officers were either too busy or too disdainful to bother. Typically, they would capture a few Wuda civilians fluent in the Central Plains tongue or bring along Central Plains merchants proficient in Uda, deploying them as interpreters when necessary.
But Lu Zhuo had known the Uda language.
When Wei Rao asked why he had learned it, he had smiled and said, “Know yourself and know your enemy.” He had laughed, claiming that learning foreign languages came easily to him. She still remembered his expression—a gentle smile, with arrogance and mischief hidden in his eyes.
Wei Rao halted, facing the tent, and quickly wiped the corner of her eye.
Zhao Bai silently looked away, his own eyes reddening.
Just then, a worried voice speaking Uda came from inside: “Prince, are you all right?”
“Quiet! Do not call me Prince.”
“Yes, but your injuries…”
Silence fell within.
Wei Rao’s heart raced. Among these prisoners… was there truly a Wuda prince?Indeed, she had heard Lu Zhuo mention that the princes of Great Qi were each more noble and aloof than the last, rarely setting foot on the battlefield. In contrast, the princes of the grassland tribes were all brave and skilled in warfare, taking pride in their military achievements. A prince who was cowardly and only knew how to indulge in pleasure would be despised by his own tribesmen, let alone earn the favor of his khan.
At that time, Lu Ya had only a dozen or so men left. The prince, leading ten thousand elite cavalry in pursuit, must have been confident he could capture them effortlessly without encountering any danger. Little did he expect to run into Wei Rao, who was leading her troops to Iron Scorpion Ridge in search of Lu Zhuo. When the two sides met, the Divine Martial Army was filled with righteous fury, and Wei Rao's five hundred garrison soldiers, eager to seize the opportunity to distinguish themselves, surrounded the outnumbered enemy and captured the ten thousand men.
Her thoughts racing, Wei Rao continued walking and soon returned to her tent.
Aside from secretly instructing Zhao Bai to strictly guard the more than three hundred prisoners of war and ensure no mishaps occurred, and dispatching a unit of the Divine Martial Army to roam the grasslands under the pretext of searching for Lu Zhuo's body—while in reality keeping watch for any rescue attempts by Wuda for the prince—Wei Rao did not interrogate the prisoners. It seemed just as she had said: she only wanted to take these prisoners back to the capital to execute them and vent her anger.
Wei Rao remained composed, but General Xiuji on Wuda's side was nearly driven mad with rage.
The captive was the eighth son of Khan Hulun. Though not the most formidable prince on the grasslands, the eighth prince was the only son of Khan Hulun's most beloved consort. The khan, loving the consort, extended his affection to her son, doting on and indulging him. This time, when the eighth prince accompanied him on the campaign to gain experience, Khan Hulun had specifically instructed Xiuji to protect him.
Unexpectedly, after Xiuji's carefully laid ambush had eliminated the formidable threat of Lu Zhuo, the eighth prince, merely pursuing a dozen or so fleeing Divine Martial Army soldiers, had encountered a Great Qi force and been captured, his fate unknown.
Now, Wuda was already at a disadvantage. The battle at Iron Scorpion Ridge alone, against Lu Zhuo's thirty-thousand-strong Divine Martial Army, had cost him nearly double the casualties. Leading his troops to attack the camp of the Marquis of Xiting would be like throwing an egg against a rock. That old fox, the Marquis of Xiting, might have collaborated with him to frame Lu Zhuo, but he would never show Wuda any mercy.
Since an open assault was impossible, Xiuji decided to secretly persuade the Marquis of Xiting and his son to return the prince. Releasing a single prisoner would be as easy as turning over a hand for the father and son.
General Xiuji wrote a secret letter to Han Liao and dispatched a group of Wuda envoys to the Great Qi camp, ostensibly to discuss a truce but actually to covertly deliver the message to Han Liao.
The two armies' camps were far apart, separated by vast grasslands where neither side could see the other. However, envoys were not to be harmed during wartime, and General Xiuji believed that even if his envoys were captured by Great Qi forces, they would safely reach the Marquis of Xiting and his son.
Unfortunately, his envoys encountered the Divine Martial Army.
Acting on Wei Rao's orders, the Divine Martial Army captured the Wuda envoys.
The Wuda envoy remained unflustered, declaring that he was ordered to discuss a truce with the Marquis of Xiting.
Under normal circumstances, Great Qi forces would have roughly bound them and taken them back to camp. But this unit of the Divine Martial Army did not. They thoroughly searched the Wuda envoys and their companions, examining every possible hiding place, and eventually uncovered a secret letter.
The leader of this Divine Martial Army unit was one of Wei Rao's garrison soldiers.
The garrison soldier's loyalty was first to Wei Rao, then to the Divine Martial Army.
After reading the secret letter, the garrison soldier tucked it into his robe, ordered the execution of the other envoys, and spared only one. He gagged the remaining envoy, dressed him in Wuda armor to disguise him as a Wuda scout, and dragged him back to the Divine Martial Army camp.The Marquis of Xiting and Han Liao heard that the Divine Martial Army had captured an Uda sentry and thrown him into the prisoner tent, but neither paid it any mind.
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