Such a massive herd of horses charging out like this made Sister Zhao instinctively recall the scene of the barbarian invasion back then. The sound of hooves had been like thunder, and if she hadn’t been sharp enough to lead the others to flee in time, their tribe might’ve vanished entirely by now.

Could it be that the barbarians were launching another sneak attack on AnYuan Prefecture ?

Even though it was unlikely for the barbarians to strike again so soon after a large-scale assault, Sister Zhao didn’t dare take the gamble. If she bet wrong, the price would be their lives.

Xiao Jingzhao grew equally wary. Though he’d never faced a barbarian invasion head-on, the unease in his gut led him to some grim possibilities.

Pulling Jiang Huai out of the tent, Xiao Jingzhao glanced around, trying to spot where the horses were being led. If enemies were really coming, staying in a tent was the least safe option—riding away on horseback was the better bet.

As for what would happen to the others if enemies did show up, Xiao Jingzhao couldn’t afford to worry about that.

Jiang Huai wasn’t too nervous at first. Having never experienced war, his mind didn’t naturally jump to such thoughts. But seeing Xiao Jingzhao so on edge, he sensed something was off and whispered, “What’s going on?”

“These hoofbeats… they might mean a large group of cavalry is nearby,” Xiao Jingzhao said gravely, not hiding anything from Jiang Huai.

Jiang Huai sucked in a sharp breath. AnYuan Prefecture sat right on the border, and just beyond Sister Zhao’s tribe lay barbarian territory. A cavalry force this big charging in was very likely a barbarian invasion.

Having spent some time in AnYuan Prefecture, Jiang Huai had picked up bits and pieces about the barbarians’ brutality. Judging by the sound, the barbarian cavalry might even pass through the tribe to rest. If things were as he feared, they were all in danger.

“Gong zi Jiang, listen to the sound—the herd’s still a ways off. We don’t know if they’re friend or foe. Grab a horse and get out of here quick,” Sister Zhao decided without hesitation. She might be wrong, but there was still time to run now. If they waited too long, they wouldn’t even have a chance to scramble.

After speaking to Jiang Huai, Sister Zhao turned to the others. Their faces, once lit with joyful smiles, were now clouded with panic.

“Don’t lose it, everyone. It’s almost nightfall. Let’s all mount up and scatter to survive. Save who you can…” Sister Zhao paused, deciding against naming a meeting point. If someone got caught, a rendezvous spot would become a trap.

Better to let everyone flee however they could.

Even if she’d guessed wrong, hiding out separately for a night wouldn’t be a big deal.

Decision made, Sister Zhao didn’t waste another second. She led the group to the stables, urging everyone to grab horses and escape.

He Shi clung tightly to Luo Yuan, wanting to ride with him, but Luo Yuan refused and swung himself onto a horse alone.

“Ma, two on one horse won’t get far. I’m not a kid anymore—I can ride,” Luo Yuan said, his young face set with determination as he urged He Shi to take her own horse. He knew if they rode together and danger struck, He Shi would prioritize his escape over her own safety.

Better they each took a horse—more chances to make it out alive.

He Shi tried to protest, but Sister Zhao had no time for delays. Once she was sure of the plan, she hustled them to mount up and go. Time wasn’t waiting.

Xiao Jingzhao grabbed Jiang Huai, pulling him onto a horse. The one he picked was the sturdiest and fattest of the lot. Sister Zhao hesitated for a moment when she saw but said nothing, mounting a big horse herself and leading the others to flee.

Jiang Huai clung to Xiao Jingzhao ’s waist, the biting northern wind stinging painfully against his skin.

“Is it really a barbarian invasion?” Jiang Huai wondered, his mind racing through the original story’s plot.

In the novel, aside from the time the Wei family fell and AnYuan Prefecture nearly got overrun, the barbarians never gained much ground here afterward. There were no records of them launching major assaults either. Surely his presence these past few days couldn’t have caused a butterfly effect this massive.

Reflecting on what he’d done recently, Jiang Huai shook his head. No way his small actions could’ve triggered something this huge.

“It might not be,” Xiao Jingzhao replied.

Jiang Huai realized he’d blurted out his thoughts, but Xiao Jingzhao ’s answer piqued his curiosity. If it wasn’t the barbarians, then what could it be?

“Besides the barbarians, there’s another cavalry force in the northern border that’s been missing for a while—a unit from AnYuan Prefecture. They vanished toward barbarian territory,” Xiao Jingzhao said in a low voice.

The battle a few months ago had been brutal, with both the Wei family and AnYuan Prefecture suffering heavy losses. During that fight, five thousand cavalry had disappeared. No one knew where Wei Xuan had taken them.

Later, when the Wei family was accused of colluding with the barbarians and hoarding power, some speculated Wei Xuan had either defected with the cavalry or been wiped out by the barbarians during his schemes.

Theories swirled across Da Zhou, but most believed Wei Xuan was in a bad spot. If he were still active, he wouldn’t have stayed silent after the Wei family’s fall.

The people of AnYuan Prefecture trusted the Wei family the most. Even with Wei Xuan gone for months, they still believed the family hadn’t betrayed Da Zhou. But their hopes for Wei Xuan ’s fate grew bleaker, assuming he’d met with disaster.

Xiao Jingzhao, though, refused to believe his little uncle would go down like that. He’d been investigating ever since.

His words snapped Jiang Huai back to the story. He recalled the novel mentioning that not only was Wei Xuan fine, but he returned soon after to clear the Wei family’s name and even took full control of AnYuan Prefecture ’s military. The deposed crown prince’s success in the story owed a lot to this uncle’s prowess.

Wei Xuan cleared the family’s name by returning with a massive victory. Though AnYuan Prefecture had been hit hard, Wei Xuan ’s exploits in the barbarian heartland were dazzling—sweeping thousands of miles, crushing cities, and hauling back countless captives, cattle, and sheep. The barbarians were left reeling for years.

But how had Wei Xuan come back?

Jiang Huai racked his brain, but the novel hadn’t gone into such detail. Still, he felt this cavalry was likely Wei Xuan ’s. By this point in the story, the barbarians had already been battered by Wei Xuan and were too weak to mount another attack on AnYuan Prefecture.

Even after AnYuan Prefecture ’s recent defeat, the barbarians weren’t great at sieging cities. If Wei Xuan struck from behind, catching them in a pincer, the barbarians’ years of strength would be obliterated. Jiang Huai doubted they’d be reckless enough to try.

If it wasn’t the barbarians, did they even need to keep running?

That’s what Jiang Huai thought, and Xiao Jingzhao seemed to have his own guesses. But with so many cavalry behind them, neither dared take the risk.

Suddenly, a long, distant wail echoed from afar. Xiao Jingzhao yanked the reins, halting the horse, and turned to look back. The dim sunlight made it hard for Jiang Huai to read his expression.

Xiao Jingzhao stopped, and the three others trailing them halted too.

Those who’d scattered in other directions also began to pause, listening to the sound, their faces brimming with barely contained excitement.

“What’s that noise?” Jiang Huai asked.

“Gong zi, it’s the music the Wei family plays when they return victorious,” He Shi answered, her face alight with relief. Worried Jiang Huai might not get it, she explained further.

When the Wei family set out to fight, they moved in silence. But on their triumphant return, passing through Da Zhou ’s lands, they’d play a distinct melody to signal their victory and reassure the people.

The tune was so unique that no one dared fake it. Whenever it rang out, everyone nearby knew the Wei family had won again, and AnYuan Prefecture was safe.

For months, they hadn’t heard this sound and thought they never would again. Yet here it was.

Seeing He Shi and Luo Yuan ’s reverence for the Wei family, Jiang Huai couldn’t help but recall how much AnYuan Prefecture ’s people valued them. He understood why the emperor had to crush the Wei family before deposing the crown prince—without toppling them, the prince’s position was unshakable.

He got it, but the emperor’s move was still pretty boneheaded. No wonder the deposed prince later rebelled and stormed back, scaring the emperor to death.

What goes around comes around, huh?

Jiang Huai sighed a little but didn’t dwell on it. With his situation, he wasn’t exactly in a position to meddle in royal affairs. He’d just chill, wait for the crown prince to take the throne, and then smoothly clear his name to head back to the capital.

But if Wei Xuan was back in AnYuan Prefecture, given the Jiang and Wei families’ ties, Jiang Huai figured his life might get a bit easier once Wei Xuan knew he was here.

Lost in thought, Jiang Huai was startled by hoofbeats from behind. The group tensed, only to see a few scouts in Da Zhou armor riding up, likely an advance party. Trailing them was Sister Zhao’s group, who’d apparently run into the scouts, confirmed their identity, and hurried back.

The scouts glanced over the group, their eyes lingering briefly on the three behind, then shifting to Xiao Jingzhao and Jiang Huai at the front. They turned to Sister Zhao for confirmation of everyone’s identities, and their expressions softened slightly. Still, they urged the group to return to the tribe and not linger outside.

When they spoke, Jiang Huai noticed a trace of resentment on the scouts’ faces, like they were holding a grudge.

Though they were Da Zhou troops, the scouts’ tone wasn’t open to discussion. Jiang Huai figured it was safer to head back with Xiao Jingzhao than to keep running and risk trouble.

The group soon reached the tribe’s camp. Jiang Huai stared, stunned, at the scene before him. “Thousand troops, ten thousand horses” had always been just a phrase—until today, when he finally saw what it really meant.

It wasn’t until Xiao Jingzhao ’s grip tightened that Jiang Huai snapped out of it. For some reason, Xiao Jingzhao seemed… nervous.