It was early autumn morning, the chill biting to the bone, each breath turning to mist.
Frost clung to the grass and trees along the roadside. The pounding hooves of galloping horses shattered the frost on fallen leaves into a misty spray.
The northbound convoy had been riding day and night for over ten days. They ate and slept in the open, enduring great hardship, yet the Xiaoling Guards voiced no complaint, for they bore a sacred duty: to escort His Highness the Crown Prince safely back to the capital in the shortest possible time.
The road was not without danger. Soon after leaving Nanjing, scouts from the Embroidered Uniform Guards reported someone tailing them.
Shen Qi suspected that the pursuers were remnants of the Qingzhou Army, the same group he had once driven off, still unwilling to give up. They were few in number and didn’t dare engage directly, preferring to shadow the convoy like rats, waiting for a chance to strike.
After deliberation, the four leaders, Zhu Helin, Mei Changxi, Su Yan, and Shen Qi, decided to set a trap for the hunters.
One night, after several days of forced marching, they made camp and deliberately lowered their guard, luring the enemy into attacking.
The plan worked. The Qingzhou soldiers launched a midnight raid on the main tent where the Crown Prince resided, and were annihilated. Three to four hundred corpses were left scattered on the ground before the survivors fled in panic.
Su Yan was stunned. “The Qingzhou Army used to be formidable under Weituo, they roamed the northern frontier for decades. How have they become this useless? They fight worse than the bandits in Shaanxi!”
Shen Qi smirked. “In the hands of fools, even the sharpest blade dulls quickly. And it’s been twenty years, most of the current Qingzhou soldiers are second or third generation. Those sent to assassinate the Crown Prince were their best. The rest… well, you just saw.”
Zhu Helin touched the false edict hidden in his robe and the small gold flask of poisoned wine that Shen Qi had retrieved, two pieces of evidence he planned to present when they reached the capital, to demand justice not only from the Wei family but also from the darker power behind them.
“Stay alert,” Mei Changxi warned. “Those plotting against His Highness may not be limited to this one group.”
Su Yan nodded. “You’re right. Five hundred li ahead there’s a ferry on the Canal. If we spot more pursuers, His Highness can change clothes and take a boat for part of the way. Once we shake them off, we’ll regroup with the main force.”
But the next few days passed without incident. The march went smoothly, and the weather remained clear. At this pace, they would reach the capital in seven or eight days.
Just as they were about to leave Shandong’s borders, a sudden torrential rain poured down from the heavens. The downpour lashed the earth; it was impossible to keep one’s eyes open, even the horses couldn’t find their way. They had no choice but to seek shelter in a nearby small county town.
The small county lay within Dongchang Prefecture of Shandong, not far from the prefectural city. Its name, Tangyi.
—
“Dongchang…”
A crude, hastily drawn map was spread across the teahouse table.
Brothers Wang Wu and Wang Chen were studying it intently, one lounging with a leg cocked up, the other leaning over the table, hand pressed to the map of the Shandong Division.
“About two hundred li northwest of Dongchang… here, Linqing!” Wang Wu jabbed a thick finger at a city by the Grand Canal. “We take Linqing first, cut off the grain transport. Linqing’s one of the six major trade ports along the canal, there must be at least a thousand grain barges moored there. We burn those ships, and it’ll be a heavy blow to the court’s supply lines and army morale!”
Wang Chen thought for a moment and said, “Brother, I still think hitting Tangyi first is safer. It’s just a county, easy to take. And listen, isn’t Gu Wang’s fief in Dongchang Prefecture? Once we take Tangyi, we can turn right around and hit Dongchang, if we kill the emperor’s own brother, wouldn’t that hurt the court’s morale even more?”
Wang Wu sneered, “Brother? You think those royal brothers have the same guts as us? I’d wager the emperor’s itching to gut them himself, if you cut down one of his princes, he’d probably thank you for saving him the trouble!”
“…That can’t be right?” Wang Chen gaped at him. “Even so, he’s dragon-blooded, imperial kin! If we mud-legged peasants butcher him, the emperor won’t be able to save face!”
“What mud-legged? We’re righteous soldiers, righteous soldiers, warriors acting on Heaven’s behalf!” Wang Wu barked back.
This “righteous army,” born from the bandits of Shaanxi, allied with the Madman Liao’s troops in Henan and flying the banner of “Restoring Heaven’s Order, Reopening Chaos,” was perhaps only dubiously righteous, but undeniably fierce.
After heading north from Henan and crossing into Shandong, the Wang brothers’ forces had swiftly captured Shouzhang and Yanggu counties, slaughtering officials and landlords, burning government grain stores, raiding arsenals, freeing prisoners, wreaking havoc wherever they went. The local garrisons were overwhelmed, and their fame spread like wildfire.
By the time the imperial army rushed to intercept, the brothers, masters of mounted archery and guerrilla tactics, had already slipped away again.
Now, encamped in Dongchang Prefecture, the two argued over which city to strike next.
Their quarrel ended soon enough with the arrival of a sealed letter marked by an eight-petaled red lotus.
It came from Mister He, bearing a gift of divine timing.
The Crown Prince, Zhu Helin, was returning to the capital, currently passing through Dongchang Prefecture. Judging by the route, he was likely to be stalled by the storm near Tangyi.
“So the Master himself has come to Shandong,” Wang Wu said, eyes bright with glee. “Good! Catching one Crown Prince is worth more than killing eighty or ninety imperial princes, or eight or nine hundred thousand troops of the court!”
Wang Chen grinned smugly and wiped his nose. “Told you, didn’t I? Tangyi!”
“But is this news reliable?” Wang Wu cooled quickly. “I don’t want us chasing shadows and ending up empty-handed.”
Wang Chen studied the red lotus seal in the corner carefully. Once sure it wasn’t forged, he said, “When has the Master’s divine foresight ever been wrong? Remember last year’s street ballad, ‘Thunder brings the Great Calamity’? Sure enough, come the second day of the second month, when the Dragon raises its head, several prefectural cities were hit by explosions overnight, heard even the capital lost an entire ward to heavenly lightning. Wasn’t that just as the Red Lotus Song foretold?”
Wang Wu nodded. “Then Tangyi it is. Let’s see if we can catch ourselves a Crown Prince!”
—
That night, they lodged in Tangyi.
After days of hard travel, bones nearly rattling apart, it should have been bliss to finally lie in a bed instead of on the ground or horseback. Yet Su Yan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
When sleep wouldn’t come, he rose, threw on a robe, and stepped out under the pounding rain with an umbrella. Crossing the drenched courtyard, he climbed the nearby bell-and-drum tower to look north through the watery veil.
Once the rain eased, they would depart, they had to reach the capital within seven days. As he thought this, his hand moved instinctively to his chest, feeling through the fabric for the smooth warmth of the mutton-fat jade seal hanging from his neck.
Jintang… you must wait for me. Please, wait for me.
“—Can’t sleep?”
The voice came from behind, barely audible through the rain. Su Yan turned sharply, only to see Shen Qi approaching, and let out a small breath.
Shen Qi draped his cloak over Su Yan’s shoulders. “Worry serves no purpose. Do what we can, and leave the rest to fate.”
Su Yan blinked. “That doesn’t sound like something you’d say.”
Shen Qi replied, “We’ve done all within our power. If the crown prince still fails, that’s his fate.”
Indeed, so “leaving it to fate” was only for others’ fates. If it were his own, with his temperament, he’d fight Heaven itself to the death.
Su Yan said this with a small laugh, and Shen Qi’s lips curved as well. “None know their husband better than their wife.”
With the tower high and the rain masking them, the two, overcome by emotion, leaned toward each other, but Su Yan suddenly froze, pointing into the distance. “Qilang, look, what’s that?”
Through the curtain of rain, it was hard to see clearly. Yet beyond the city walls, faint pinpricks of firelight glimmered on the official road, unquenched even by the downpour, like ghost flames floating in the wild.
Shen Qi narrowed his eyes, gaze sharpening. “Looks like a night march! Quite a number of them too.”
“A night march? Whose troops would come to such a shabby little county…” Su Yan’s expression changed; he seized Shen Qi’s arm. “Sound the alarm! Better to mistake shadows for soldiers than to be caught unprepared.”
Shen Qi swung around and struck the great bell’s post.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The thunderous sound shattered the night sky.
Mei Changxi burst from his quarters, shouting, “Enemy attack!”
The Xiaoling Guards, disciplined even in sleep, were already rousing. Within moments, they had mounted, armor buckled, and were forming ranks beneath the pounding rain.
“D*mn those fools!” Outside Tangyi’s walls, hearing the bell’s echo, Wang Wu cursed. “Didn’t I tell you not to light torches?!”
Wang Chen glanced back helplessly. “The rain’s too heavy, we can’t see a thing. Without a few torches, half the men would fall into the ditches!”
Wang Wu thought it over and said, “Then let them be alarmed. It’s just a small county, never mind a fortified city. The walls aren’t even complete; we’ll just flatten it!”
Inside the county, Crown Prince Zhu Helin wore a black lacquered iron armor reaching to his waist over his crimson overcoat, a round-topped, wide-brimmed iron helmet on his head, and a long sword at his waist. Mounted on his horse, he shouted to the Eastern Palace guards, “Bring me my bow and arrows!”
Mei Changxi stepped forward to stop him. “Your Highness, you cannot personally engage the enemy. Stay at the county office for now. Wait until dawn to assess the battle and the roads before taking action.”
Zhu Helin retorted, “Do you think little me is…”
Before he could finish, Su Yan strode down the steps and grabbed his sleeve.
“Your Highness, this isn’t fear of battle.” Su Yan looked up at the prince on horseback, unshielded from the rain, letting the water soak his face. “It’s a matter of priorities, each person has their own duty. The Xiaoling Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards are responsible for protecting you in battle. Your duty is to reach the capital safely and quickly. Think carefully, Your Highness!”
Expecting the crown prince to fuss and argue, Su Yan was surprised when Zhu Helin only paused briefly before understanding. “You’re right. I must preserve myself to honor those who fight for me.”
Zhu Helin dismounted and grasped Su Yan’s wrist. “You will come with me to the county office as well.”
Shen Qi led the Embroidered Uniform Guards alongside Mei Changxi’s Xiaoling Guards to meet the enemy. Zhu Helin and Su Yan remained in the county office hall under the escort of the Eastern Palace guards, studying maps and listening to sporadic battle reports from outside.
As more information came in, the enemy and battle situation became clearer.
“Report, the enemy is a unit of Madman Liao from Henan.”
“Correction, the enemy is Liao’s eastern detachment, led by Wang Wu and Wang Chen, originally bandits from Shaanxi.”
Zhu Helin explained to Su Yan: “After the Wang brothers merged with Liao in Henan, they split off and moved north last year, conducting guerrilla actions in Shandong. The Ministry of War reported it to the court and sent troops to encircle them. I went to Nanjing after that, so I wasn’t clear on their movements.”
Some familiar names stirred Su Yan’s memory of the bandit brothers he had encountered in Shaanxi.
Back then, pledges had been made and broken by fate; now, meeting on a narrow path, death or survival would be decided by conflict. Fate, indeed, was cruelly ironic.
Su Yan reflected, “The Wang brothers’ night attack on Tangyi is so targeted, they’re clearly after the crown prince. Seems they’ve become agents for the Void Sect.”
…Or perhaps not merely agents, more likely, each party seeks their own ends. Su Yan couldn’t help but recall the righteous army led by Emperor Great Ming’s ancestor that overthrew the previous dynasty, and the Void Sect, always scheming opportunistically a hundred years ago.
History often repeats in eerily similar ways, yet, tiny differences yield colossal consequences.
The Wang brothers sought to replicate the founder’s success without the proper timing, advantage, or harmony. Their forced imitation could only end in complete failure.
Even if I, Su Qinghe, fall here today, as long as the crown prince reaches the capital safely, this country will not be easily overturned, he resolved.
Outside, the rain gradually subsided, and the sounds of combat grew clearer…
Dawn came.
Shen Qi strode into the county office hall, his robes splattered with the blood of fallen enemies, yet he himself was largely unharmed.
“How’s the battle?” Zhu Helin rose to meet him anxiously.
Shen Qi said, “The fight is stalemated. Their forces number eight or nine thousand, mostly cavalry. Tangyi is too small to defend effectively; if the Xiaoling Guards can’t hold, they risk being encircled. Your Highness, we must move!”
“Move? How can we leave Meizi and the Xiaoling Guards behind?” Zhu Helin could not accept this.
Shen Qi frowned. “It’s not that you abandon them, they are willing to sacrifice themselves to ensure your safe retreat to the capital! This is not only my decision but Mei Changxi’s as well.”
Zhu Helin bristled. “I am not so cowardly as to let three thousand soldiers spill their blood to pave my way!”
Shen Qi’s voice turned cold, almost cruel. “If three thousand cannot pave the way, should we use them to lay a foundation? Xiaoling Guards do not fear death, nor do the Embroidered Uniform Guards, but they fear dying in vain.”
Furious, Zhu Helin grabbed the teapot and hurled it at him.
Su Yan quickly intervened, grabbing the prince’s arm. “Your Highness! Calm down! He’s in the heat of battle, fierce and blunt, but his intentions are honorable.”
“Does Shen Qi even respect me as the crown prince? Does he care about hierarchy?” Zhu Helin shouted. “Would he dare speak this way before my Royal Father? Ask him, does he dare? He’s just bullying me because I’m young!”
Su Yan soothed him while glancing at Shen Qi. “Shen Tongzhi, as a minister you spoke disrespectfully. Will you not apologize to His Highness?”
Shen Qi lowered his eyes, clasped his fists, and said coldly, “…I spoke out of turn. I beg Your Highness to forgive me.”
Su Yan then explained to the crown prince: “See, Your Highness, he and Mei Changxi made this decision for you, for the greater good. Let him finish speaking, outline the plan, then we’ll see if it works. Don’t waste time arguing.”
Zhu Helin snorted, and Shen Qi remained silent, at least halting the verbal conflict. Su Yan discreetly wiped sweat from his brow.
Shen Qi continued: “Mei Changxi will lead the Xiaoling Guards to hold back the Wang brothers’ army. I will lead five hundred Embroidered Uniform Guards to escort the crown prince northwest, breaking through enemy lines. Two hundred li later, we reach Linqing, board canal ships, disembark at Cangzhou, and continue overland directly to the capital.”
Su Yan asked thoughtfully, “Why disembark at Cangzhou and travel overland? Why not continue along the canal to the capital?”
Shen Qi replied, “Continuing along the canal leads through Tianjin. I previously interrogated some captured Qingzhou soldiers, they were secretly held by the Wei family in Tianjin. It’s their old stronghold; there may still be remnants. We avoid it if we can.”
Su Yan understood, admiring Shen Qi’s thorough planning and shrewd execution.
Even Zhu Helin’s anger eased, and he frowned in thought.
Shen Qi added, “Mei Changxi said that after the Xiaoling Guards win this battle, they will continue north to catch up with the crown prince’s party.”
“‘After they win this battle’…” Zhu Helin murmured, and the frown on his brow suddenly eased. If the generals leading the fight with such confidence can trust themselves, how can I, as heir apparent, let myself falter? I must trust the Xiaoling Guards, trust Meizi.
“And also, trust the Embroidered Uniform Guards.” Su Yan nodded to Zhu Helin. “Shen Qi is right. If the crown prince cannot reach the capital safely, all sacrifices will be meaningless. Your Highness, you’ve told me many times that you’ve grown up. But adulthood doesn’t just mean making decisions or fighting battles, it also means being able to bear the sacrifices others make for you.”
Zhu Helin drew a deep breath, closed his eyes, then opened them sharply, an expression that made Su Yan think of the emperor himself, though their features were not particularly similar.
“Follow Shen Qi’s plan. Go to Linqing, travel via the canal,” he decided instantly. “Leave a message for Meizi, he must bring his men back to the capital alive! This is a royal command!”
—
The heavy rain paused briefly, then resumed, though less intense than the previous night. Five hundred Embroidered Uniform Guards escorted the crown prince silently through the rain.
The 200-li journey could be completed in half a day if the horses were pushed to their limits, but the muddy, slippery roads slowed them significantly.
When they broke out of Tangyi county, the Wang brothers seemed to sense their intention and tried to pursue, only to be repeatedly repelled by the Xiaoling Guards.
Mei Changxi’s battle robe, soaked with blood and rain, hung heavily on him, yet he repeatedly raised his sword to strike.
Under the command of their general leading from the front, the Xiaoling Guards faced an enemy two to three times their size without a single soldier retreating, they grew braver with each clash.
The “righteous army” led by the Wang brothers, used to easy victories over local garrisons, had become overconfident, but now, the longer they fought, the more anxious they grew.
A cold arrow whizzed past and struck Mei Changxi in the ribs.
He gasped, yanked it out with his left hand, a spray of blood erupting, and with his right, continued swinging his sword, cutting another enemy from his horse.
A retainer urged, “Sir, go to the rear to bandage the wound. We’ll hold the line.”
Mei Changxi shouted, “This is nothing! Focus on killing the enemy!” All the while, he thought: the crown prince, under the escort of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, should almost be at Linqing by now.
Blood from the enemy splashed across his face, tinting his vision faintly red.
He recalled the day he saw smoke rise over Zhong Mountain.
He had dropped his hoe, changed into armor, hurried out, and met Yuan Bin drying old sheets in the courtyard.
The sheets were red, like a bride’s dowry from many years ago. Washed repeatedly to prevent mold, the vivid red had faded to a soft, muted hue.
“Commander,” he saluted Yuan Bin, “the sovereign has summoned me. I go at once.”
Yuan Bin, without turning, smoothed the sheet and said, “Go.”
He watched the old man’s frail figure and felt tears welling. “Commander, what if… I don’t return?”
Yuan Bin’s voice was cold: “A soldier is raised for a thousand days to be used for one moment. When sacrifice is required, it must be made.”
“But if I don’t return, you…”
Yuan Bin snapped angrily: “Then you do not return! A man of honor, loyal and righteous, should not cower!”
Mei Changxi could say nothing. He inhaled deeply, gripped his sword, and walked out.
A few steps later, he turned back, knelt before Yuan Bin, and performed three deep bows. Then, with tears in his eyes but a resolute voice, he said, “If I do not return, you will be alone. Take care… grandfather.”
Yuan Bin turned away, voice stern: “Go, Meizi.”
Mei Changxi left.
Yuan Bin watched his back. The wind lifted the old sheets, slapping against his thin face.
It was his daughter’s dowry, Mei Changxi’s mother’s. Yuan Bin touched the red cloth and murmured, “Ah Mei, if you can see this, bless your son… and forgive your Father…”
On the battlefield outside Tangyi, Mei Changxi gathered his inner energy and let out a fierce roar to the army: “Xiaoling Guards—”
“The sovereign summons, we go!” the army responded in unison, echoing across the field. “Our sovereign is in peril, we rise in loyalty!”
“—Xiaoling Guards!”
