Chapter 53

The next day, Gu Yusheng, Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, Gu Datong, Lou Mingxuan, Qi Wei, Yin Yuanyuan, Jiang Hong, Zui Meigui (Purple Rose), and Agui—all ten of them—woke up early. After bidding farewell to Lü Qianqian, each mounted a warhorse and rode toward the main camp of the Northwest Army. The warhorses ridden by Xiao Guimu and Zui Meigui were purchased for them by Li Muwen.

Grand Councilor Lü served as the imperial inspector of the Northwest Army. After arriving at the main camp, every day he saw Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, and Jiang Hong each with a Sword of the Emperor of Shang tied around their waists, clinking as they walked around the camp. This sight filled him with intense covetousness.

Grand Councilor Lü was not only a calligrapher but also an expert in appraising antiques and treasures. He had heard of the three legendary swords of the Emperor of Shang—the Xiaolian, the Hangguang, and the Chengying—long ago, but had never had the fortune to lay eyes on them.

Now was the best opportunity.

One afternoon, Grand Councilor Lü had Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, and Jiang Hong invited into his command tent. Relying half on his status as the inspector of the Northwest Army and half on his seniority, he said to the three of them, "This old man has long heard that all three of you obtained a Sword of the Emperor of Shang. Might you lend them to me for appreciation?"

Xiao Guimu had long known that Grand Councilor Lü coveted her Hangguang Sword. Unfastening the sword, she said, "Lord Inspector, you are our superior officer. Since you wish to borrow the swords for appreciation, this subordinate dare not refuse! However, as the Lord Inspector knows, the rule for warriors is 'sword never leaves hand, hand never leaves sword.' May I lend it to you for just one hour?" With that, she placed the sword on the desk in front of Grand Councilor Lü.

Li Muwen and Jiang Hong also hurriedly unfastened their precious swords and placed them before the Grand Councilor.

Looking at the three treasures before him, Grand Councilor Lü was overwhelmed with excitement. "One hour is not enough!" he exclaimed. "I earnestly beg you to grant me two days, please?"

Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, and Jiang Hong shook their heads in unison. Grand Councilor Lü immediately amended his request: "Then one afternoon and one night! I shall certainly return them tomorrow morning!" With that, he looked at Xiao Guimu with a pleading gaze, then at Jiang Hong and Li Muwen.

A smile touched the corners of Xiao Guimu's mouth as she said to Grand Councilor Lü, "Just one afternoon and one night! Tomorrow morning the three of us will come together to retrieve the swords. By then, Lord Inspector, you must keep your word!"

Grand Councilor Lü's eyes could no longer tear themselves away from the three swords. He nodded repeatedly, saying, "That is certain! Most certain!"

That night, the lamp in Grand Councilor Lü's tent burned bright until dawn—he spent the entire night "appraising" the three precious swords with relentless fascination. This night, he finally fully satisfied his craving.

Early the next morning, Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, and Jiang Hong stepped punctually into Grand Councilor Lü's tent. Grand Councilor Lü asked them, "Advanced Vanguard Officer Xiao, Deputy Vanguard Officer Li, Deputy Commander Jiang, do you know what significance it holds that all three Swords of the Emperor of Shang have come into the hands of you three?"

Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, and Jiang Hong only knew that the three Swords of the Emperor of Shang were fine weapons preserved from antiquity, and they felt deeply honored simply to possess them. As for any deeper significance, they had never considered it. Therefore, all three cupped their fists in unison and said, "This subordinate does not know! Please enlighten us, Lord Inspector!"

Grand Councilor Lü loved nothing more than young people asking him for instruction. Stroking his beard, he said, "There are three layers of significance! First, these three swords were separated for many years, and now that they are gathered together, it symbolizes the rise of Southern Han; it also informs the world that the reigning sovereign is the True Son of Heaven. Second, these three precious swords have fallen simultaneously into the hands of you three, and the three of you are of one family, representing the harmony of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Third, the Swords of the Emperor of Shang represent orthodoxy, serving as a sacred medium connecting Heaven and Earth, and acting as a righteous force that slays all evil. Summing it up: our Northern Expedition will surely triumph! And our Northwest Expeditionary Army, setting out for the northwestern borderlands, will surely drive the Tatars back to their ancestral homes!"

"What the Lord Inspector says is wonderfully true!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, and Jiang Hong broke into wave after wave of enthusiastic applause.

After Grand Councilor Lü returned the three precious swords to their rightful owners, he said to the three with unconcealed reluctance, "I have appraised them—they are all genuine articles!"

***

Zhenyi Nunnery.

From morning until now, Bingchen, the abbots of Zhenyi Nunnery, had been holding a damp cloth, wiping the railing of the small bridge again and again. Her snow-white fingers contrasted rather discordantly with the greenish-blue bronze railing. Her body was slightly bent, and the prayer beads on her wrist swayed gently with her movements. She lowered her gaze to look beneath the bridge, where flowing water rippled with a gurgling sound. Opening her wide, beautiful eyes, she discovered that the water's surface reflected a figure—a figure remarkably clear and exceptionally fair. Especially her unpainted face, which looked dreamlike and ethereal within the flowing water, resembling an ink-wash painting.

Bingchen sighed to herself in self-pity: "Is this really me, Li Jingxian? So beautiful!"

Bingchen raised her head to look toward the head of the bridge and saw that Lou Mingxuan was still standing there, smiling as he watched her.

This was already the third day. Three days ago, Lou Mingxuan had arrived at Zhenyi Nunnery bearing an imperial edict from the reigning emperor conferring upon Li Jingxian the title of Deputy Commander of the Northwest Expeditionary Army, demanding that Bingchen leave the secular world behind, join the Northwest Army, and go to the northwestern frontiers to resist the Tatars. Bingchen believed that after thirty years of quiet cultivation in Zhenyi Nunnery, her heart was as still as stagnant water; how could she possibly go off to kill people again? Consequently, she had politely declined Lou Mingxuan.

Yet Lou Mingxuan was a persistent character. She had said to Bingchen, "Li Jingxian, leave this mountain retreat! Your worldly ties are not yet severed, and your mortal heart is not yet dead!"

Bingchen replied to Lou Mingxuan, "Benefactor Lou, please return! This impoverished nun has practiced quiet cultivation in Zhenyi Nunnery for many years, and my heart is like dead water. I no longer concern myself with the affairs of the mortal world."

Lou Mingxuan smiled and said to Bingchen, "Li Jingxian, let me ask you: before Princess Rouya committed suicide, I heard that you donned night-attire and sneaked into the imperial palace multiple times to track down that vicious Dowager Empress Pi. Does that count as concerning yourself with the affairs of the mortal world?"

Bingchen flushed red and retorted, "That was to save the life of that girl Xiao Guimu; it was an act of absolute necessity!"

Lou Mingxuan earnestly exhorted, "Li Jingxian, do it out of 'absolute necessity' once more! Right now, the Tatars harbor wild ambitions and have invaded our northwestern frontier, not only poisoning the lives of the common people but also threatening to leave the court's Northern Expedition halfway to ruin! Furthermore, the lands of China have been fractured for many years—do you truly wish for this division to continue?"

Bingchen was left speechless.

Lou Mingxuan continued, "Li Jingxian, think about it! You used to cherish Princess Zhao Rouya dearly. You know that Rouya's lifelong wish was for the imperial court to dispatch troops on a Northern Expedition to liberate our brothers and sisters suffering as slaves in Northern Zhen! Although Princess Rouya has already passed away, I believe that in the netherworld, she hopes for you to leave this mountain!"

"..."

That night, Bingchen knelt before the Buddha, her snow-white fingers touching the indentations left by incense smoke on the rush mat. For nearly thirty years, those depressions had cushioned the weight of every single prostration she made.

Outside the hall, locust blossoms were falling, and the rustling sound drifted through the wooden window, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the soft whisper of her own black hair falling to the ground the day she took her tonsure.

"Li Jingxian, your dream lover, Grand Councilor Lü, is now the inspector of the Northwest Expeditionary Army..."

Originally, when Li Jingxian and Lou Mingxuan served together as personal bodyguards to Princess Rouya, Li Jingxian had secretly fallen in love with Lü Xun, the newly minted top scholar in the imperial examinations—it was an unrequited, secret love. However, Lü Xun had fallen in love with Lou Mingxuan. After the capital was breached by the Northern Zhen army, Li Jingxian found Lü Xun and confessed her feelings to him. At that time, Lü Xun's primary wife (Lü Qianqian's biological mother) was still alive, and he also had Concubine Zhou accompanying him, ultimately lacking the courage to accept Li Jingxian. Consequently, a heartbroken Li Jingxian entered Zhenyi Nunnery to become a nun.

At that time, Li Jingxian had believed that entering the monastic gates could sever all her worldly sorrows. Only later did she realize that cutting one's hair is like cutting water—hair will grow back, water will flow again, and her yearning for Lü Xun was merely a fish that sank temporarily into the shadows, always floating back to the surface in the dead of night. Though thirty years had passed, Li Jingxian still yearned for Lü Xun.

Bingchen lit three sticks of incense, knelt once more upon the rush mat, and whispered, "Bodhisattva, your disciple Bingchen's worldly ties remain unsevered. I am going to the northwestern frontier to resist the Tatars, and I pray the Bodhisattva protects me!" With that, she kowtowed three times.

Returning to her meditation chamber, Bingchen shed her dark gray monastic robes and changed into the red battle robe brought by Lou Mingxuan.

On the morning of the fourth day, the two female warriors departed Zhenyi Nunnery.

***

The day for the Northwest Army's expedition had arrived.

Early in the morning, Lü Qianqian led several children from the Laurel Garden to the roadside to await the passing of the expeditionary procession.

Both sides of the road were packed with people who had come to see them off.

The children from the Laurel Garden were all very sensible. Hand in hand, they stood quietly by Lü Qianqian's side. Gu Yuyu stood behind his mother, holding a bamboo flute. He wanted to use the sound of his flute to send off his maternal grandfather, his paternal grandparents, his father, and all the departing soldiers.

Lü Qianqian held Gu Sanmei's hand with one while gripping Gu Nuonuo's hand with the other. Gu Nuonuo raised her head from time to time to ask her questions, and Lü Qianqian would occasionally squat down to answer her. Though she had a slender figure, her attire was utterly unbefitting the status of a grand councilor's beloved daughter. At first glance, she looked more like the head housekeeper of a wealthy estate.

What defines an extraordinary girl? Cui Yingying was the daughter of a former prime minister of the previous dynasty. She placed the concept of "love" above all else, making her an extraordinary woman. Unfortunately, she was merely a fictional creation from the brush of the scholar Wang Shufu. Cai Wenji, Wu Zetian, Xue Tao, Zhuo Wenjua, Ban Zhao, and Deng Sui were indeed real historical figures. Each of them possessed peerless grace and were truly extraordinary women. Without a doubt, Lü Qianqian, standing by the roadside dressed like a wealthy estate's housekeeper, was also an extraordinary woman. Yet the heart-stopping things she had done were tolerated by her open-minded elderly father and family. In the capital, almost no one knew that the prime minister's daughter had given birth out of wedlock. In Lü Cengxiang's hometown of Tuchengzhen in Southern Province, people only knew that the Grand Councilor had returned to his hometown to live with his daughter and maternal grandson; no one ever asked who her husband was. Now that Lü Qianqian had been properly married into the Gu family through formal match-making rites, who would pay attention to her past?

Yet, the Laurel Garden could truly not function without Lü Qianqian right now. No matter what, a few adults had to stay behind to look after the children. However, apart from Lü Qianqian, all the other adults were military commanders who had to go to the battlefield. Since Lü Qianqian possessed a natural talent for managing a household and the children all listened to her, she was the ideal choice to stay behind.

As the sun climbed to its zenith, Lü Qianqian and the children were still waiting quietly.

"They're coming, they're coming." The crowd began to stir.

A brilliant light bloomed in Lü Qianqian's large, beautiful eyes.

Gradually, she caught sight of her husband the marshal's face. Next came the faces of her father-in-law and mother-in-law, followed by Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, Jiang Hong, Zui Meigui, and other family members. She picked them out one by one from the procession.

The children waved their small hands toward the marching troops.

Gu Yuyu played his bamboo flute.

Gu Yusheng rode past them on his warhorse, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Lü Qianqian stared unblinkingly at her husband, her cheeks flushed with a rosy glow. In her heart, she scolded him mentally: "You heartless wretch, why won't you turn your head to look at me and the children even once?"

Xiao Guimu reined in her horse before Gu Yuyu and teased, "Little Yuyu, what tune are you playing?"

Gu Yuyu answered earnestly, "<i>Sending Heroes on Their Expeditionary Journey</i>."

Xiao Guimu bantered, "Little Yuyu, why don't you come with your auntie out to the grasslands? All the pretty little girls on the grasslands love listening to the bamboo flute."

Gu Yuyu's cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

Gu Nuonuo raised her head and asked, "Auntie Guimu, how come I don't see my maternal grandfather and grandmother?"

Xiao Guimu leaned down and said, "Your grandfather Qi Wei and grandmother Yin Yuanyuan were assigned to the rear guard to transport grain and fodder; they set off several days ago!"

Lü Qianqian also asked, "Sister Guimu, where is my father? How come I don't see my old man?"

Xiao Guimu smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, Lord Lü Cengxiang is both the imperial inspector and the chief officer of grain transport; he set off with the grain transport team several days ago!"

Lü Qianqian slapped her own forehead and laughed, "Look at my memory nowadays! They say, 'Before the three armies move, grain and fodder go first!' I actually forgot to see my father off!"

Xiao Guimu said with a sincere expression, "Sister-in-law, it's nothing! Although there's the saying 'married a husband and forgot her father,' Sister-in-law is not that kind of person! It's just that recently, Sister-in-law has poured her heart and soul entirely into her marshal husband, temporarily overlooking Father Lü!"

Lü Qianqian shot Xiao Guimu a sideways glance and scolded, "You dead girl, do I have a grudge against you? Every single thing you say is so venomous!"

Xiao Guimu giggled and said, "There is grace, no grudge; I'm just comforting Sister-in-law." With a cry of "Giddyup!" she whipped her horse forward to catch up with the vanguard.

What Xiao Guimu said was true—it really was grace and no grudge!

Xiao Guimu had been designated as a female prisoner by the Retired Emperor. The reason she was able to transform from a female prisoner back into a General of Zhennan and serve as the vanguard officer of the Northwest Army was manifold: first, the reigning emperor had long held this imperial intention; second, the court genuinely lacked military commanders; third, Lü Qianqian had strongly urged Gu Yusheng to submit a memorial to the court, while Grand Councilor Lü in the imperial court had overridden all dissenting opinions and fought for her with all his might. In the end, the Retired Emperor had to make concessions for the sake of the Zhao family's empire, giving the reigning emperor the opportunity to overturn and vindicate her case. Most worth celebrating was that the grievances of Xiao Guimu's mother, Zhao Rouya, had also been cleared. The Retired Emperor issued an edict restoring Zhao Rouya's status as a princess and granting her a grand reburial. The reigning emperor issued an edict restoring Xiao Guimu's title as General of Zhennan and appointing her as the vanguard officer of the Northwest Army. Therefore, Xiao Guimu harbored deep gratitude toward Grand Councilor Lü and Lü Qianqian, a gratitude Lü Qianqian had long since sensed.

The reason Lü Qianqian remarked that her words were venomous was that Lü Qianqian had long ago learned from Qi Yaoyao that Xiao Guimu had always been in love with Gu Yusheng. In truth, Lü Qianqian had previously felt no need to guard against Xiao Guimu because she knew Xiao Guimu was already betrothed to her brother-in-law Li Muwen; their quasi-sister-in-law relationship was a settled matter. Who could have expected that Qi Yaoyao's "hint" would plant a lingering ghost in Lü Qianqian's heart, causing her to grow guarded in Xiao Guimu's presence. Moreover, her own half of the cheese had originally been carved away from someone else's hands, so no matter what, she had to carefully nurture it and make sure a third person never sliced off another piece. Lü Qianqian was a clever woman; she knew the best way to protect her half of the cheese: she must not think too much or say too much right now. The best method was simply to "do more"—managing the household in the Laurel Garden with all her heart.

***

One day, the twenty-thousand-strong Northwest Army, led by Commander Gu Yusheng, finally arrived at the northwestern borderlands.

Kong Gengxiu, the frontier garrison general who had been waiting with burning anticipation, knelt before Marshal Gu and said with great emotion, "Marshal Gu, thirty thousand Tatar cavalry are approaching with overwhelming momentum, yet our garrison city has minimal troops and meager generals. If the court's reinforcements do not arrive soon, this subordinate truly will not be able to hold out!"

Kong Gengxiu was a descendant of Confucius, though the exact generation was unknown. His father, Kong Liang, had originally been a prominent general of the Southern Han. Because of his upright character and unsparing, blunt admonitions, he frequently displeased the Retired Emperor. Prime Minister Qin viewed him as a thorn in his eye and a thorn in his flesh, first demoting him to a minor post outside the capital, and later forcing him to resign and return home to teach martial arts to disciples. Kong Gengxiu had followed his father in practicing martial arts since childhood and had thoroughly mastered his father's teachings. When the Retired Emperor abdicated and the reigning emperor ascended the throne, Kong Liang had already passed away. The reigning emperor appointed Kong Gengxiu as a cavalry general, ordering him to guard the northwestern borderlands.

Before launching the Northern Expedition, the reigning emperor had signed a treaty of "non-aggression and a century of friendship" with the Tatars. Logically speaking, Kong Gengxiu's assignment to guard the northwestern frontier was akin to a "vacation." Who could have anticipated that the Tatars, colluding with the Northern Zhen dynasty and casting aside their faith, would dispatch thirty thousand cavalry to attack the northwestern borderlands? A tiger begets no dog; Kong Gengxiu possessed even greater courage and resourcefulness than his father Kong Liang. While sending urgent distress dispatches to the court, he organized the frontier soldiers and civilians to hold the line while awaiting reinforcements. However, the disparity in strength between the two sides was immense, and the border was on the verge of destruction. Fortunately, the twenty-thousand-strong Northwest Army led by Gu Yusheng arrived on time, allowing Kong Gengxiu to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Gu Yusheng stepped forward to help Kong Gengxiu to his feet and asked, "Thirty thousand Tatar cavalry approach with overwhelming force, yet the border fortress remains completely intact. How did General Kong manage to accomplish this?"

Kong Gengxiu replied, "Reporting to Marshal Gu, this subordinate adhered to eight characters."

Marshal Gu asked, "Which eight characters?"

Kong Gengxiu said, "Soldiers and civilians of one heart, defending to the death with all our might."

Gu Yusheng turned to the military commanders around him and said, "All officers and soldiers, did you hear clearly? General Kong's eight characters—'Soldiers and civilians of one heart, defending to the death with all our might'—shall also be the guiding principle of our Northwest Army henceforth."

That night, Gu Yusheng led Kong Gengxiu, Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, Zui Meigui, and other generals up to the city wall.

Looking out across the lands before the frontier, he saw Tatar yurt tents blanketing the fields, their campfires stretching on endlessly.

Gu Yusheng glanced at Xiao Guimu. Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, and Zui Meigui all understood his meaning, and stepping forward, they requested, "Marshal Gu, please assign each of us one hundred elite soldiers, and let us make a sortie beyond the gates."

Gu Yusheng said happily, "This marshal grants the request of the three generals."

Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, and Zui Meigui each led one hundred elite soldiers and quietly slipped out of the fortress through a secret tunnel.

Before long, fires broke out all across the Tatar encampments; soldiers ran and leaped about in chaos, countless numbers perishing in the flames.

Standing atop the city wall and watching the scene unfold clearly, Marshal Gu turned to the accompanying generals and said, "All generals, did you see that? The actions just taken by Vanguard Officer Xiao and the other generals are a supplementary form of operational strategy for our Northwest Army in the future."

In early autumn, Gu Yusheng fought his first battle against the Tatars.

On the battlefield, Xiao Guimu and Zui Meigui united their twin swords, slaying Suhebatu, the Tatar vanguard officer. The opening battle was a resounding success.

Not long after, Qi Yaoyao and Gu Yuru led over fifty thousand troops from their main command in the northeast to the northwestern borderlands. The total strength of the Northwest Army now reached over two hundred and fifty thousand. The reigning emperor appointed Qi Yaoyao as the Deputy Marshal of the Northwest Expeditionary Army.

At Mid-Autumn, Gu Yusheng fought his second battle against the Tatars.

On the battlefield, husband and wife Li Muwen and Jiang Hong operated with one heart and seamless coordination, severing the head of Tuoleilei, the third bravest warrior of the grasslands.

By late autumn, across the boundless northwestern desert, the winds had swept away all traces of green. The autumn winds hurled withered yellow leaves and grass roots from around the borderlands high into the air, carrying them hundreds of li away into the Gobi Desert and the deep sands. After the autumn wind passed, the entire landscape wore an air of desolate bleakness.

It was across this desolate landscape that Gu Yusheng fought his third battle against the Tatars.

In this fierce engagement, frontier garrison general Kong Gengxiu and Zhenxi general Qi Yaoyao faced off against the Tatar deputy marshal, Mangshannai. To protect Qi Yaoyao, Kong Gengxiu was struck from his horse by Mangshannai and gave his young life for his country.

This Mangshannai was the second bravest warrior on the grasslands. Though slightly inferior in martial prowess to the first bravest warrior, the vanguard officer Caoshangfei (Grass-Flying), his courage and strategic acumen ranked first among all the warriors. Having led troops in battle for many years, he was renowned for being "profound in ambition and well-versed in military strategy," enjoying immense prestige within the army. When the thirty thousand Tatar cavalry invaded Southern Han this time, Mangshannai should rightfully have been appointed as the commander-in-chief. However, because Mangshannai was a subordinate of Gestu, the younger brother of Khagan Erduwen, and because Khagan Erduwen harbored persistent suspicions regarding succession issues—while also being a ruler inclined toward deep-seated paranoia—he ultimately appointed his childhood friend, the mediocre and indecisive General Laibashu, as commander-in-chief, appointing Mangshannai merely as deputy marshal. Gestu was the Right Wise Prince of the Tatar nation and a distant relative of the former Minister of War, Wang Wuliang. Together with his daughter Dina, he had spent a long time lurking incognito within Southern Han, possessing exhaustive knowledge of the country. He was a major power player in the Tatar state.

Ever since his ascension, Khagan Erduwen had continuously expanded his territory and long harbored ambitions of conquering Southern Han. During the era of Southern Han's Retired Emperor, Khagan Erduwen had dispatched troops to raid the Southern Han borders. At that time, however, the Northern Zhen dynasty was at the height of its power, and the Northern Zhen emperor likewise harbored ambitions of swallowing up Tatar territory. Fearing attack from both front and rear, Khagan Erduwen dared not press deep into the south, pulling back to the grasslands after merely pillaging the border regions.

Before Southern Han's Northern Expedition, the reigning emperor had ordered Gu Yusheng to serve as an envoy to the Tatar nation, successfully concluding the <i>Treaty of Century-Long Friendship and Non-Aggression Between the Southern Han Dynasty and the Tatar Nation</i>. Khagan Erduwen had agreed to this treaty and allied with Southern Han because he had long since adopted an aggressive expansionist strategy of "sitting on the mountain to watch the tigers fight, watching the river flow from a bridge." He hoped Southern Han and Northern Zhen would exhaust and weaken one another until both were ruined, allowing him to "reap the fisherman's profit"—whereby the Tatar forces would ultimately step in and annex both Southern Han and Northern Zhen into the Tatar map.

Now, the Northern Expeditionary Army had been fighting in Northern Zhen for nearly two years. Although the Northern Zhen dynasty lacked the strength to turn the tide, they were still waging a desperate death struggle, offering rich rewards to Khagan Erduwen in exchange for military aid. Khagan Erduwen, resourceful and possessing exceptional political intuition, had long maintained agents embedded in the Southern Han court to gather first-hand intelligence. He knew that due to the Northern Expedition, Southern Han's national strength had been significantly depleted.

Khagan Erduwen had once happily declared to his ministers, "My beloved ministers, the golden opportunity for us Tatars to enter the Central Plains has arrived!" He told his ministers that with the mobilization of thirty thousand cavalry, "Southern Han will be destroyed within half a year!"

Yet the reality was that the Tatars' thirty thousand cavalry had been mobilized for over half a year, and not only was Southern Han still standing strong, but from summer through late autumn, the Tatars had failed to capture the northwestern borderlands.

During morning court, Khagan Erduwen flew into a rage against his childhood friend Laibashu, who knelt on the floor below: "What kind of marshal are you?! For over half a year you've been attacking a tiny frontier city and you still can't take it down!" he shouted hysterically. "Not only am I going to strip you of your position as this incompetent marshal, but I will also sever your head to give an accounting to our fallen soldiers..."

Khagan Erduwen's methods were harsh and ruthless. He had the head of his childhood friend, Marshal Laibashu, struck off, and elevated Deputy Marshal Mangshannai to the position of commander-in-chief.

***

Winter had arrived.

The borderlands had transformed into a world of pure white—ice locked for a thousand li, snow drifting across ten thousand li.

The city walls were frozen stiff, and the watchtowers felt as though they were trembling from the cold.

Gu Yusheng sat in the commander's chair inside the watchtower, staring deep in thought at the operational map. The weather was bitterly cold. He pulled the collar of his red battle robe upward, tightened his belt, and brought his frost-bitten fingers to his mouth, blowing warm breath upon them.

The frontier's grain supply had run out, and he had not eaten for several days. The breath he exhaled was faint and weak.

The door was pushed open.

Qi Yaoyao walked in carrying a steaming bowl of meat soup and said, "Husband, drink this bowl of meat soup while it's hot."

Gu Yusheng asked, "Where did this meat soup come from?"

Qi Yaoyao set the soup bowl down on the commander's desk and casually replied, "Early this morning, Mother discovered a rat hole in the crevices of the rocks. Mother and I overturned the stones—and thankfully, we caught two! After cleaning them, we boiled a pot of soup. Everyone got a bowl: I, Sister Yuru, and Mother have all had ours. This bowl was kept specially for you."

"It's rat meat soup?!" Gu Yusheng's stomach churned violently. "I'm not hungry, take it away quickly."

Covering his mouth, he hurried into the washroom and gagged over the basin, but after retching several times, nothing came up.

Qi Yaoyao gently patted his back and shook her head, saying, "Look at you, you haven't eaten in days—how can you say you're not hungry?"

Gu Yusheng took the handkerchief Qi Yaoyao handed him to wipe his mouth and said to her, "I am hungry! But I won't drink rat meat soup."

Qi Yaoyao said angrily, "Gu Laoer (Gu Number Two), you're a liar! You once told me that when you were a child and your whole family was starving on the road fleeing famine, it was only by eating rat meat that you managed to survive! It seems everything you told me before was a lie!"

Gu Yusheng argued stubbornly, "I didn't lie to you! Eating rat meat back then was when we were on the verge of starvation!"

Qi Yaoyao walked over to the commander's desk, picked up the bowl of rat meat soup, and said, "If you won't drink this bowl of rat meat soup, I will. Starve to death for all I care! But the twenty-five thousand soldiers of the Northwest Army cannot starve. You are the marshal; the soldiers have been going hungry for days, why haven't you thought of a way to solve this problem?"

Gu Yusheng replied, "Without your reminding me, Deputy Marshal, this marshal has already thought of a method."

Qi Yaoyao finished the bowl of rat meat soup in one gulp, wiped her mouth, and asked, "What method? Could the court's grain transport have arrived?"

Gu Yusheng said, "No, my method is to slaughter horses."

Qi Yaoyao scolded, "Have you lost your mind? The court has explicit regulations stating that warhorses must not be slaughtered."

Gu Yusheng stated, "Every situation must be analyzed concretely. As long as the soldiers are here, there are people to guard the frontier; if the people are gone, the frontier is gone too. Besides, horses can be purchased later to replenish our stock once they are slaughtered, but if the soldiers starve to death, there will be no one left to resist the thirty thousand Tatar cavalry. To keep our twenty-five thousand soldiers from starving, this marshal must slaughter horses!"

Qi Yaoyao said with deep anxiety, "If you arbitrarily slaughter warhorses without authorization, the court will hold you accountable, Gu Yusheng, and you'll lose your head!"

Gu Yusheng answered, "As long as the soldiers don't starve and we hold the frontier, losing my head is a small price to pay! However, the horses I intend to slaughter right now are not the court's warhorses, so rest assured, my wife."

Qi Yaoyao asked skeptically, "Not the court's warhorses? Then whose horses do you plan to slaughter?"

Gu Yusheng said, "There are many private horses within the frontier garrison that do not belong to the court."

Qi Yaoyao realized with a start, "My husband speaks the truth. My own mount is one I purchased myself in Jingnan; it does not belong to the court."

Gu Yusheng continued, "My parents' mounts, my father-in-law and mother-in-law's mounts, as well as those of Xiao Guimu, Li Muwen, Jiang Hong, Zui Meigui, and Sister Yuru, were all brought from home and belong to private horses."

Qi Yaoyao asked, "But will the owners of these private horses be willing to donate them?"

Gu Yusheng replied, "You are the deputy marshal, and Lord Lü is the primary inspector. Whether the owners of these private horses are willing to donate them is not this marshal's job, but the task of you two adults." Qi Yaoyao shot Gu Yusheng a sideways glance and smiled, "Fine! This deputy marshal shall get to work—guaranteeing the completion of the mission!" With that, she left the watchtower to mobilize the owners of the private horses into donating their mounts.

***

In the suburbs of the Northern Zhen capital.

Inside the tent of Duan Zhaoyue, the left-wing deputy vanguard officer of the Northern Expeditionary Army, sounds of boisterous toddler play echoed continuously.

The two toddlers inside the tent were Gu Baobao and Gu Sumei. The two little siblings, not yet two years old, knew nothing of freezing cold or the bloody battlefields outside the tent. Like two mischievous puppies, they romped and wrestled all day long, their sounds alternating between cries and laughter.

Inside the tent, Duan Zhaoyue sat upon a sheepskin mat, weaving a sweater with intense concentration, appearing almost deaf to the children's ruckus.

The commotion ceased. Gu Baobao whispered a secret into his little sister's ear. Gu Sumei nodded repeatedly.

Gu Baobao scampered over to Duan Zhaoyue on stumbling feet and said, "Mom, little sister Sumei says she's hungry and wants to drink mare's milk."

Duan Zhaoyue paused in surprise: the little rascal was small in stature but big in scheming—it was clearly he who wanted to drink mare's milk, yet he blamed it on his sister.

Duan Zhaoyue laid aside her knitting, tapped the tip of her son's nose with her finger, and asked, "You're the one who wants to drink, aren't you?"

Gu Baobao nodded and said, "Mm-hmm."

Stooping down, Duan Zhaoyue pulled two small milk bottles from her travel pack. After wiping them clean with a handkerchief, she placed them on a small wooden board, stood on tiptoe, and reached up to take down a waterskin filled with mare's milk hanging from the tent's main pole. This mare's milk had been sent over by someone dispatched by Gu Yuren.

Carefully, she poured the mare's milk into the two small milk bottles. The waterskin was already empty, yet each of the two small milk bottles contained only half a bottle of milk.

Duan Zhaoyue said, "All right, one bottle each, drink up."

Gu Baobao lifted a milk bottle with both hands and gulped it down in one breath. Licking the rim of the bottle with his tongue, he said to his mother, "Mom, I want more."

Duan Zhaoyue shook the empty waterskin and said, "Look—it's empty as can be, there's no more!"

Gu Baobao fixed his eyes on the milk bottle in Gu Sumei's hands, a greedy light shining in his eyes.

Seeing this, Duan Zhaoyue urged Gu Sumei, "Sumei, your brother Baobao has already finished his, hurry up and drink yours!"

Gu Baobao snatched the milk bottle right out of Gu Sumei's hand and was about to bring it to his mouth when Duan Zhaoyue reacted with lightning speed, snatching the bottle back and scolding, "You cannot snatch your sister's mare's milk!"

Gu Baobao said sheepishly, "She always drinks so slowly..."

Qi Qiongliong had just returned from patrolling the military camp. Stepping into the tent, she asked with a smile, "Little Baobao, who is it that always drinks so slowly?"

Gu Baobao pointed a finger at Gu Sumei and said, "Big Mom, of course it's sister Sumei!"

Crouching down to the ground, Qi Qiongliong smiled and said, "Is that so? But Sumei is a girl, and girls are like that—they always do things slowly."

Gu Sumei walked into her mother's embrace and said, like a child lodging a complaint, "Mom, brother Baobao snatched my mare's milk."

Gu Baobao hurriedly defended himself, "Big Mom, Baobao didn't snatch it, I was just taking it to lick it."

Gu Sumei retorted, "You did snatch it!"

Gu Baobao began to compromise, saying, "I did snatch it, but I didn't succeed! Big Mom, Baobao is still hungry, do you have any more mare's milk?"

Hearing a toddler not yet two years old articulate such tactful phrases filled Qi Qiongliong's heart with both joy and heartbreak. What made her happy was that the children her husband fathered grew smarter with each passing day. What broke her heart was that both children had been born on the battlefield and were suffering from hunger at such a tender age. She turned her gaze to her daughter Gu Sumei, then looked at Gu Baobao; due to hunger, both children grew thinner day by day. She murmured to herself, "I should have sent you and Sumei back to the Laurel Garden in the capital long ago..." With that, she lost control of her emotions, and large, heavy tears rolled down her cheeks, frozen red by the ice and snow.

Duan Zhaoyue hurriedly handed her a handkerchief and comforted her, "Sister, please don't be like this. I heard from the officers of the grain transport team that because they have to support two battlefields, the capital is also short on grain right now, and the reigning emperor and every subject must tighten their belts and eat sparingly. I imagine life back in the Laurel Garden isn't easy right now either."

Qi Qiongliong said, "I truly hope winter passes quickly and spring arrives sooner so that once we conquer the lair of the Northern Zhen people and achieve national reunification, good days will finally come."

Duan Zhaoyue said, "My thoughts are identical to yours, Sister."