On the eve of the thirtieth night of the fourth year of Jianxing, it was an unbearably cold night. The water in the capital was freezing, and it was even frostier in the Northern Territory. The rebels and the imperial army had ceased fighting for nearly a month now, for the simple reason that everyone wanted to celebrate the New Year. From the first year of Jianxing until now, everyone was exhausted.
In the heavily fortified city of Suzhou in the Northern Territory, several remaining rebel soldiers leaned weakly against the city wall, watching the distant enemy campfires with listless eyes. They murmured softly, “It’s been almost half a year. I wonder how much longer we have to endure. If we continue like this, with no food or grass, will we end up eating each other?”
“Haven’t you heard what the general said? As long as we hold this city, when the reinforcements arrive, we will surely turn the tide of the battle. If Suzhou falls, the Northern Territory will be finished, and they dare not leave us unaided.”
“Can we hold it?”
“We can. We’ve endured through the summer, so winter will be no problem. The city walls have been soaked with water, harder than iron and stone. Who the h*ll can breach them? Their siege weapons can only be used under normal circumstances. They’re useless in this weather.”
The men burst into laughter, cupping their hands around their mouths and shouting towards the direction of the imperial army, “Yuwen Chu! If you’re capable, come and attack the city! Otherwise, you’re just a coward!”
They couldn’t see that beneath the city wall, there was a pair of eyes coldly observing them. Thin as a skeleton, with beautiful eyes wrinkled from exposure to wind and frost, his beard, eyebrows, and eyelashes were all covered in frost. He had difficulty walking, relying on a specially made saddle to ride a horse. Laden with heavy responsibilities and shame, he had faced countless hardships on his journey.
But this night would eventually become a night of historic significance for him, washing away all his shame and regrets, making his distant relatives and friends proud of him. Fu Mingzhao, facing the biting cold wind, pointed his arm towards the southern gate of Suzhou with determination.
Before leaving, he had said to his brothers-in-arms who had accompanied him day and night, “Brothers, we’ve risked our lives to get here. As long as we open this city gate, we can quell the rebellion sooner and return to our hometown sooner. Tonight is the moment to sacrifice for the country!”
Yes, this moment, the imperial army had waited outside Suzhou for too long, and he would eventually break this deadlock. After tonight, there would be no more Suzhou.
With three loud bangs, Yuwen Chu, sitting alone in his tent, suddenly looked up. He felt a strange sense of unease in his heart. “Is there still no news?”
Zhang Huan flew out quickly, listening intently. Terrifying explosions pierced through the cold wind, bursting into a brilliant and massive flame in the night. He shouted, “General Fu succeeded! General Fu succeeded!”
Yuwen Chu climbed to the top of the watchtower and looked towards Suzhou. It was already a sea of flames, with continuous cannon fire. He couldn’t hear the sounds of battle, but he could imagine what the scene there would be like. The Northern Army was fierce, like hungry wolves. When they got excited, one person could fight against three. Although they attacked by surprise and had gunpowder to help, they couldn’t be underestimated.
Three days later, Yuwen Chu led his soldiers past the corpses covering the ground and ascended the ruined walls of Suzhou. He briefly gazed towards the direction of the capital, smiling and waving to the soldiers standing below, then descended from the city walls and hurriedly moved through the ruins.
Yuwen Chu finally saw Fu Mingzhao. Fu Mingzhao laid quietly on the ground, his face upturned to the sky. Around him were his brothers-in-arms who had lived and died together, as well as rebel soldiers killed by them. He closed his eyes tightly, smiling as he placed his hands on his chest, with an expression of calmness and ease.
The lives of thirty thousand people were lost because of his negligence, and he knew he couldn’t bring these people back to life even if he died, but he could let more people live because of him. He could finally meet those who had passed away peacefully, meet his old father, and finally enjoy the sacrifices and offerings of his children.
Yuwen Chu knelt down on one knee, carefully wiping away the blood and dust from Fu Mingzhao’s face. Zhang Huan wanted to come up and do it for him, but he gestured for Zhang Huan to step back, whispering softly, “I want my second brother-in-law to see me break into Fengcheng with his own eyes, and then take him home.”
In the summer of the fourth year of Jianxing, Yuwen Feng died by his own hand in Fengcheng in the Northern Territory. His wife and children were executed by his subordinates and presented to the court in tribute. Yuwen Chu issued more than ten decrees to stabilize the hearts of the people and recuperate with the people. In August, the Northern Territory was initially settled, and Shen Ruilin was stationed in Fengcheng, bolstering the army and preparing to resist the Xiongnu and ally with the Wusun. In September, he returned to the capital after disbanding the troops. Wherever the royal army went, the streets were empty, and the people only wanted to catch a glimpse of the Regent’s demeanor. Where the army went, discipline was strict, and there was not a single violation of the people.
At the end of the fourth year of Jianxing, Yuwen Chu returned to the capital. Yuwen Guang led all the civil and military officials to greet him for fifty miles. The second abdication attempt was unsuccessful.
Mingzhu stood on the unfinished Ruyi Terrace with the children, watching as Yuwen Chu rode home on a tall horse, dressed in his finest. She couldn’t see him clearly, but she knew he would surely see the Ruyi Terrace and know she was there watching and waiting for him to come home. Ignoring her image, she jumped up and waved frantically, scattering a group of noisy magpies nearby and causing Iron Hammer to let out a loud bark.
Millet leaned lazily against Su Lan, smiling as she asked Zhuangzhuang, “Brother, can Father see Mother?”
Zhuangzhuang, with a maturity beyond his years, replied, “It doesn’t matter if he can see her or not. As long as Mother believes he can see her, that’s enough.”
Millet asked another question, “Do you think others will think Mom has gone crazy?”
Zhuang Zhuang gave her a smack on the head. “No respect for elders, no filter in speech. When Father comes back, you’ll be the first one he’ll scold.”
Millet refused to back down. “I’ll tell Father you broke his sword.”
“I didn’t! It broke on its own.”
“You did! I saw it with my own eyes.”
“I didn’t!”
“You did!”
Mingzhu, annoyed by the argument, slapped each of them. “Shut up, both of you! And you, Yuwen Pu, have you finished your homework today? And Yuwen Yin, what about yours? If you don’t finish before your father comes home, you’ll both be grounded! Dreaming about gifts and delicious food? Forget it!”
The two children immediately wilted, one grabbing her hand, pleading and reasoning, occasionally shedding a few tears. After Mingzhu had had enough of their antics, she waved her hand and declared, “Alright, today is a special occasion, so I’ll let you off. But anyone who causes trouble again will be in big trouble.”
Finally, peace and quiet prevailed.
In the evening, snow began to fall gently. Zhou Shuyi rushed in excitedly. “His Highness is back, His Highness is back!”
Mingzhu quickly pushed the children. “Hurry up and go greet your father.” Then, she dashed anxiously to the mirror, checking and rechecking her appearance before walking out with a smile, taking her time.
