After news spread that Duan Yunfeng had led the Zhenbei Army in a surprise assault on Yanzhou, most of the Qin troops stationed in counties near Xijing quickly retreated. Only forty thousand soldiers remained, continuing their concentrated siege on Chang’an in a desperate bid to take this military stronghold.

Early the next morning.

Xiao Heng led five thousand Yulin soldiers through Huazhou and arrived at Shaoling Plain, just outside Chang’an. Along the way, they passed county after county ravaged by the Qin army—burned, looted, slaughtered. All that remained were scorched earth and wild weeds stretching as far as the eye could see. Of every ten households, not one survived. Some Qin soldiers had even gone so far as to stack white bones into grotesque monuments.

Xiao Heng ordered the army to camp on the hillside of Shaoling Plain. Then, accompanied by Liu Jun and a few trusted aides, he rode to the summit to survey the Qin army’s formation.

From there, they saw a dense sea of soldiers in black armor surrounding the city walls inside and out, leaving no gaps.

Most of the Qin troops were still dozing off. After two months of constant siege, they were utterly exhausted. To make matters worse, Sun Haohan had issued a strict order: they must take Chang’an within two days. With no other choice, the majority of the Qin army had launched an all-out assault day and night without rest. Now, they were utterly spent.

“Your Majesty…” Liu Jun glanced at Xiao Heng. The latter wore a suit of silver-scaled armor, his hair tied back with a jade crown. In the faint morning light, his sharp, cold profile looked like it had been carved from fine jade—dignified and commanding.

Liu Jun couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the emperor personally leading the expedition. After all, the greatest fear on the battlefield was an outsider giving misguided orders. He cautiously suggested, “The Qin army still holds the advantage in numbers. Perhaps we could try to communicate with the garrison inside the city. If we coordinate an attack from within and without, we could crush the enemy in a single strike.”

But Xiao Heng immediately rejected the idea. “The Qin army has already encircled Chang’an and cut off all communications. Breaking through to make contact with the city garrison is easier said than done. Besides, our greatest advantage right now is the element of surprise. If we try to link up with the garrison, we’ll only alert the enemy. Once the Qin army realizes reinforcements have arrived, that edge will be lost.”

Liu Jun asked, “So Your Majesty’s intention is…”

Xiao Heng replied, “You are to lead two hundred cavalry and launch a surprise attack on the Qin army.”

Liu Jun froze.

Two hundred cavalry… against forty thousand?

Who?

Me?

Naturally, Xiao Heng noticed Liu Jun’s hesitation. He explained, “These two hundred aren’t meant to engage the Qin army head-on. They’re just to probe the enemy’s strength. If the main Qin force gives chase, fight while retreating. I’ll lead the main army from Shaoling Plain to support you. Don’t worry—go.”

His expression was calm and unreadable. But inwardly, he thought: If Duan Yunfeng were here marching with me, I probably wouldn’t even need to explain all this. The moment I said the first sentence, he’d already be charging down with those two hundred men.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Liu Jun said. Though still filled with worry, he saw that Xiao Heng was resolute and composed, utterly confident. Left with no choice, Liu Jun personally selected two hundred men and charged down the hill toward the sea of Qin troops below.

…

At dawn, a heavy mist blanketed the land.

A Qin soldier on patrol suddenly heard a thunderous clamor not far off. A brawny man led several hundred warriors toward them, blades in hand and brimming with ferocity.

“Enemy attack!”

As the war horns blared, the drowsy Qin soldiers immediately snapped awake.

The Qin commander, thinking this was a sudden strike from the troops inside Chang’an, flew into a rage and ordered the entire army to pursue them. “Wipe out this Yan scum!”

In an instant, the entire Qin force surged forward like a tide. Liu Jun and his men had, as if by accident, awakened a slumbering beast.

Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Liu Jun ordered his men to loose arrows on the Qin soldiers. Just as an enemy general’s long black spear was about to pierce his face, he turned his horse and led the two hundred cavalry up the slopes of Shaoling Plain in a hasty retreat.

Meanwhile, Xiao Heng, commanding the main force stationed on the hillside, watched as the Qin army scattered in pursuit of Liu Jun, their formation unraveling. The entire forty-thousand-strong force was stretched thin, like an enormous serpent winding after its prey.

He watched with cold eyes as the Qin soldiers twisted and turned like a snake, chasing after Liu Jun’s men, and let out a faint chuckle.

“Soldiers, listen well! The Qin army has been broken by our vanguard. Though their numbers are many, they are but a disorderly mob. The time to decide victory is now! Charge with me—into battle!”

On Shaoling Plain, the Yulin Army stood in neat, square formations. Most soldiers couldn’t see what was happening down the mountain, but when they heard Xiao Heng speak with such unwavering confidence, they didn’t doubt him in the slightest. They firmly believed that the Qin army had already been routed by their vanguard. Morale surged, blood ran hot, and every man was itching to clash with the enemy.

At once, the war drums thundered. Xiao Heng led five thousand Yulin cavalry down the slope like a sharp sword driving straight into the heart of the Qin army.

Down below, the Qin soldiers heard a thunderous roar from above, followed by a tide of galloping hooves, like a river bursting its banks. All they could see were countless heavy cavalry clad in shining armor charging down like a steel beast. Panic seized the Qin troops, and they began to collapse on both flanks.

Xiao Heng led his five thousand men, cutting left and right, as if entering a land without defenders. It was like a wolf loosed in a flock of sheep, tearing through the scattered Qin ranks and throwing their formation into chaos.

Liu Jun was stunned to see the emperor so fierce and fearless, leading five thousand soldiers like a war god descending from the heavens. His initial shock quickly turned into excitement. “His Majesty has arrived with reinforcements! With me—charge and kill the enemy!”

With that, he led his two hundred men in a flanking strike, doubling back and charging straight into the Qin army’s central command post, capturing the commander that Sun Haohan had left behind.

With their commander captured, the Qin army disintegrated. Some fled, others scattered. Xiao Heng pursued the remnants all the way to the gates of Chang’an, shaking the Yan soldiers stationed atop the city walls.

The soldiers of Chang’an, besieged for over two months, were utterly exhausted. As dawn broke, they were just preparing to take a short rest when the sound of war drums and gongs suddenly erupted below. Instinctively, they thought the Qin army was launching another assault.

The city’s garrison commander, Luo Tong, immediately went on high alert and was about to order the archers to shoot when he heard his men cry out in excitement, “General! The Qin army is retreating! It’s reinforcements! Reinforcements are finally here!”

Luo Tong wiped the dust and smoke from his face in disbelief. Looking down at the Qin army retreating like the tide, he slapped a soldier on the shoulder. “Go! Quickly, fetch the old man!”

Two months.

A full two months.

They had been trapped inside Chang’an by Sun Haohan’s massive army. The price of rice had skyrocketed from three taels of silver per shi to several thousand gold. Eventually, when all supplies ran out, even a rat sold for a hundred taels of silver. The soldiers had boiled and eaten the warhorses, and when the horses were gone, they scraped plaster from the walls and ate the millet grains that had been used in construction.

During that time, they’d sent messengers pleading for aid, but the Yan court was already teetering on the edge of collapse, riddled with internal strife. Most of those cries for help vanished without a trace.

Below the city wall, Liu Jun dragged the Qin commander—tied up like a dumpling—and demanded that Luo Tong open the gates.

Luo Tong couldn’t afford to hesitate. Taking two or three trusted men, he hurried down from the city wall. The leader of the reinforcements was a young man on a white horse clad in silver armor, his bearing awe-inspiring, his face as handsome as a figure from a painting. Luo Tong had never seen him before. So he shouted at Xiao Heng:

“Whose officer are you?”

Liu Jun, standing beside Xiao Heng, was just about to curse him when an old general rushed up and slapped Luo Tong on the back of the head. “Ignorant brat!”

Luo Tong was stunned. He turned and saw his own father drop to his knees before the man with a loud thud.

With tears brimming in his eyes, the old general declared, “Your subject, Luo Shiwei, Prefect of the Western Capital, pays his respects to His Majesty!”

Startled, Luo Tong immediately knelt along with the rest of his men. “Your subject, Luo Tong, pays respects to His Majesty. I spoke without thinking just now. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

The man on the white horse merely cast him a faint glance. “General Luo, you have defended the city with merit. What crime is there? Rise.”

Luo Shiwei immediately ordered the gates opened wide to welcome Xiao Heng and the others into the city.

Liu Jun followed behind Xiao Heng on horseback. Watching the mighty Prefect of the Western Capital fawning over Xiao Heng like a personal attendant, he had never felt more proud. His chest swelled with a newfound sense of grandeur.

Just three months ago, he was still doing hard labor for a landowning noble. A high-ranking official like this wouldn’t have spared him a second look back then.

…

Over the past two months, Luo Shiwei had led the city’s defenders in stubborn resistance against Sun Haohan, managing to protect the people of Chang’an from massacre. At present, there were still more than twenty thousand garrison troops remaining in the city.

However, they were now faced with an extremely dire problem:

—A food shortage.

After Luo Shiwei reported the current situation in Chang’an to Xiao Heng, the latter said calmly, “I’ll have someone write a letter to Zhang Zhicheng, the Assistant Prefect of Jinzhou, asking him to send grain from Jinzhou to aid the people and soldiers of Chang’an.”

Luo Shiwei was deeply moved. “Your Majesty’s grace is beyond measure!”

Having resolved the immediate crisis in Chang’an, Luo Shiwei then asked about the current state of the capital, Luoyang, and why His Majesty had suddenly led troops to relieve Chang’an. After all, they had been under siege by Sun Haohan for two months, and news from outside was extremely delayed—they had no idea what had been happening beyond the city.

Xiao Heng left out any mention of Duan Yunfeng and focused instead on how Li Jichang had stormed into Luoyang, murdered royal relatives and loyal officials, and how he had attempted to usurp the throne.

Luo Shiwei was furious. “I cannot coexist with that traitor! Once the soldiers of Chang’an have rested, this old minister is willing to lead twenty thousand troops to aid Your Majesty in reclaiming the capital!”

Xiao Heng responded with polite thanks, suggesting that Luo Shiwei first focus on resting and recuperation—retaking Luoyang was not an urgent matter for now. He then mentioned that he had official duties to attend to, and Luo Shiwei tactfully withdrew from the study.

Seeing his father exit the emperor’s quarters, Luo Tong curiously came up beside him and asked, “I’d always heard His Majesty was obsessed with opera and lyrics. Who would’ve thought he’d be so brave in battle?”

Luo Shiwei, Prefect of the Western Capital, was the elder brother of the late Empress Dowager Luo Wenjun. By blood, that made him the maternal uncle of Emperor Jianing. “I always said, His Majesty must’ve been led astray by those eunuchs. Otherwise, how could he have done so many absurd things? You see, now that those sycophants are gone, he’s already starting to turn things around!”

Luo Tong: “…”
Is it really that easy to turn things around?

…

After dismissing Luo Shiwei, Xiao Heng summoned Zhou Ye.

Now faced with the emperor dressed in men’s attire, Zhou Ye felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. He could only lower his head, silently staring at the tips of his boots to distract himself.

Xiao Heng was the first to speak. “I hope Staff Officer Zhou understands—what I did back then, I had my reasons.”

Zhou Ye said, “So what does Your Majesty wish of me by summoning me here?”

Xiao Heng replied, “You are a sensible man, Zhou. I trust you can see the current situation clearly. I hope you can write a letter to the heir of the King of the North, explaining the circumstances and urging him to ride to Chang’an at once. As for what happened in the past, I will not pursue it. So long as he is willing to be loyal to me, whether it be him or the Northern Garrison, they will both be honored as great contributors to Dayan.”

Zhou Ye cupped his hands and said, “I cannot write that letter. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

At present, Chang’an was completely under Xiao Heng’s control. No matter what promises he made, once Duan Yunfeng rode to Chang’an alone, he would fall straight into the emperor’s grasp, entirely at Xiao Heng’s mercy.

Zhou Ye understood all too well—this emperor was nothing like the foolish ruler described in rumors. On the contrary, he was ruthless, decisive, and calculating. Would he really let Duan Yunfeng and the Northern Garrison go, just as he claimed?

Zhou Ye couldn’t be sure.

Maybe he was powerless to change anything right now, but he was determined not to become a part of a trap aimed at Duan Yunfeng.

He lowered his head, anxiety churning in his chest, as he awaited Xiao Heng’s fury or punishment.

But then, he heard a quiet chuckle above him. Surprised, Zhou Ye looked up. The emperor’s face was cold and unreadable, betraying no emotion. Xiao Heng simply said, “Go on, you may leave.”

Zhou Ye withdrew as though granted a great pardon.

Xiao Heng, face expressionless, turned to Li Jinxi. “Bring me brush and ink.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As he bowed to fetch the writing tools, Li Jinxi carefully glanced at the emperor’s expression.

Though Xiao Heng’s face remained impassive, the dark, stormy look in his eyes told Li Jinxi all he needed to know—His Majesty was in a foul mood.

…

After Duan Yunfeng led the Northern Garrison in a surprise attack on Yanzhou, they had barely exchanged a few blows with the Qin forces before Sun Haohan ordered a scorched-earth policy and refused to engage. He remained holed up in the city, sending out troops only at night to harass the Northern Garrison and secretly cutting off their supply lines. The battle quickly fell into a tense stalemate.

Duan Yunfeng already detested Sun Haohan. Now, his fury only grew.

But with Sun hiding behind his walls and the Qin army out of reach, he had no outlet for his anger. The one who suffered most was poor Song Shiyu, who spent every day walking on eggshells—trying to soothe Duan Yunfeng from the moment he opened his eyes, terrified he’d say the wrong thing and get himself punched.

On the third day of this military deadlock, a letter arrived from Chang’an.

It was written by the princess. She told Duan Yunfeng to return to Chang’an at once—alone. She said nothing else about the situation.

Duan Yunfeng ordered Song Shiyu to take charge of the camp in his absence. In a rush, he brought out his horse without a single attendant, mounted up in haste, and prepared to ride for Chang’an immediately.

Song Shiyu stepped in his way, trying to stop him. “This letter is far too strange—there must be something off about it. If it really came from the princess, why didn’t she explain what’s going on in Chang’an? And why does she insist you return alone? This clearly looks like someone is trying to put you in a dangerous position!”

Duan Yunfeng clutched the protective talisman that had come with the letter and said with absolute certainty, “The letter was written by the princess.”

Song Shiyu grabbed his horse’s reins. “But what if she had no choice? What if she was forced… or what if—what if the princess lied to you?”

Song Shiyu knew their young lord hated being deceived more than anything—especially by someone close to him. But even at the risk of angering him, he had to speak.

Duan Yunfeng sat atop his horse, silent. He merely gave Song Shiyu a glance. His grip tightened around the talisman, and it felt as though a fire was blazing in his chest. If he didn’t get to the truth soon, that fire would reduce his very organs to ashes.

Song Shiyu said anxiously, “Even if you insist on going to Chang’an, at least take the Northern Garrison with you!”

“Keep the camp under control for me.” Duan Yunfeng snatched the reins back and, leaving only those words, galloped away in a cloud of dust.

…

Duan Yunfeng rode hard without rest all the way to Chang’an.

By then, the city’s garrison had already been replaced by Xiao Heng’s Yulin Troops. The current commanding officer was none other than Liu Jun, whom he hadn’t seen in days.

When Liu Jun saw that Duan Yunfeng had come alone, he immediately ordered the gates to be opened for him.

As Duan Yunfeng rode toward the gate, he looked up at Liu Jun standing atop the city wall, looking down at him. For a moment, it felt like something inside him had suddenly flipped upside down. His left eyelid began to twitch uncontrollably, and a deep sense of unease welled up in his chest.

Once he entered the city, the soldiers stationed at the gate asked him to wait a moment.

Duan Yunfeng grew increasingly restless—until Zhou Ye appeared.

The moment Zhou Ye saw him, he let out a long sigh and shook his head.

Duan Yunfeng quickly handed his reins to a nearby soldier and asked urgently, “What happened? Where’s the princess?”

Zhou Ye said, “Calm down first, listen to me. The ‘princess’…”

A flood of possibilities surged through Duan Yunfeng’s mind. “Is she sick?”

Zhou Ye shook his head. “No.”

He hesitated, then said awkwardly, “The ‘princess’ might not be quite who you think they are…”

Duan Yunfeng snapped, “What do you mean? Just say it already!”

Zhou Ye chose the gentlest way he could think of to deliver the blow. “The one who summoned you… was actually the emperor.”

Duan Yunfeng’s eyes widened in shock. “What? Are you saying that that useless tyrant kidnapped the princess? Outrageous!”