One lineage bathed in imperial grace, another lineage fought on the battlefield.
The group was keeping watch in Yingkou. Early in the morning, Xiaohan kept saying that he was going to welcome a distinguished guest. After waiting for half a day without seeing him, they were tired and squatted down in front of the camp to slack off.
Two figures appeared in the distance, the one in the lead being Xiao Hanjin. The others quickly stood up and stood at attention. They then saw a figure in black slowly approaching behind him, a figure they recognized, and whispered amongst themselves. Suddenly, someone at the back of the group shouted, "It's the commander!" In an instant, everyone inside and outside the tents, bandaging themselves and practicing swordsmanship, rushed forward to look. The person in the distance waved to them; the gait and build were exactly like the commander. The group was both surprised and delighted. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Zhao Peiming. Recognizing their commander, they suddenly felt guilty and dared not go forward to greet him, but simply stood in a row, waiting quietly.
"What are you all standing there for! Hurry up and pay your respects to the commander!" Xiao Han shouted from afar.
With a word from the young master, the soldiers completely relaxed, threw down their swords and rushed forward to greet him. One of the younger ones tripped and fell on the way, but jumped up and continued to chase after the others, which made Zhao Peiming laugh.
"Commander!" they exclaimed in unison. Just as they were about to kneel, Zhao Peiming stopped them, gesturing for them to dispense with the formalities. The group was relieved; although they hadn't seen each other for three years, their friendship remained unchanged—this was the best possible outcome.
"Call him Governor." Xiao Han's voice trembled slightly with extreme excitement.
The men exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with trepidation, and asked, "The...Governor?"
“Brother Zhao has rendered meritorious service in defending the border and has been promoted by the Emperor’s grace. Now the swift cavalry can finally be considered complete.” Xiao Han walked towards the camp and explained.
The men stood there stunned for a long time, a look of melancholy and longing flashing in their eyes. But then their eyes quickly brightened again—the three years of rain, snow, and frost were swept away by the spring breeze. Most of them ran to the camp to spread the news, and the wounded brothers who couldn't leave the camp were also overjoyed.
"Where is Lord Jiang?" the one who remained asked.
“Your Lord Jiang went to spend half a day,” Zhao Peiming replied naturally.
That day, Jiang Heng and Chi Xiao rode at breakneck speed, their movements perfectly synchronized. Upon reaching the pass, Jiang Heng spotted a dark cloud in the distance, recognizing it as Zhao Peiming's swift steed in training. He simply smiled, not even bothering to take out his official badge, and the two gatekeepers at the pass let him through.
Zhao Peiming also noticed the person in white, but only gave a "humph" and continued to give orders.
The working people, with their natural wisdom, knew the red railing was safe without even having to experience it themselves, and they all marched through in orderly lines. A child at the end of the line noticed the sound of horses' hooves behind him and cried out to his mother, "Mom! Look! There are people!"
The woman turned around and saw a rushing shadow faintly visible in the sand in the distance—a white dot against black. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed Jiang Heng, the scholar who had been under the peach tree that day.
People stopped and looked around.
"You've all had a long journey!" Jiang Heng dismounted and casually placed the child from the woman's arms onto the horse's back.
The child had never ridden a horse before. He gripped the horse's mane and lay down cautiously, his eyes full of excitement, occasionally kicking his little legs.
Jiang Heng looked at the chubby-cheeked child with affection and reached out to pat his little head. The group continued their journey amidst waves of laughter.
"Lord Jiang, how much longer until we reach Banrihua?"
"It's not far. At this speed, we can get there in just three days."
"Jiang Heng, don't try to fool us! We have knives and axes too! If you lie to us, you'll lose your head!"
"Don't worry, I certainly won't cheat you in the slightest."
"Young master, have you been practicing swordsmanship these past few days? Why do you carry a sword?"
"Yes, I have learned some minor details these past few days thanks to the kindness of the cavalryman, Sa Ta."
Upon hearing this, everyone cast envious glances. This was incredible! The Sa Ta Cavalry were the most skilled and battle-hardened elite troops in legend. Just seeing them once would be enough to boast about to the villagers for a long time, let alone learning swordsmanship from them.
Jin Tao approached silently, then suddenly threw a punch at Jiang Heng. Jiang Heng, already suspicious of Jin Tao's strange gait as he approached, quickly dodged, but was still struck on the side of his jaw. He then thought of the child and glanced at Chi Xiao. The boy was watching with interest, not crying, and the woman, though somewhat hesitant, took the reins and continued leading the child. Jiang Heng was relieved. He had no intention of checking the injury, only drawing his sword to block. Unexpectedly, Jin Tao showed no fear, daring to continue attacking unarmed. Jiang Heng didn't understand his intentions and didn't want to truly hurt him, so he could only keep circling around him to avoid the attack.
"Haven't you practiced? Show me your moves! Don't be afraid of hurting me!" Jin Tao continued to close in.
Jiang Heng stepped back, dodging the punch. He then raised his sword to slash at Jin Tao, who quickly rolled to the side. Looking down, he saw the sword was already embedded several feet into the sand, kicking up dust as it was pulled out, leaving a gaping hole in the ground. In that instant, Jiang Heng's eyes darkened completely, revealing the gaze of a hunter. Jiang Heng slashed at Jin Tao with his blade, but Jin Tao turned and blocked with his arm. Jiang Heng thought he was about to be torn to shreds, but upon closer inspection, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief—beneath the torn sleeve lay fragments of iron armor.
Jin Tao laughed heartily, jumped to a distance, and said, "Not bad, your skills are impressive."
Jiang Heng finally had time to reply, still a little out of breath: "...Thank you for the compliment." Do all martial artists really love using sneak attacks to test their opponent's courage? Jiang Heng wondered.
Everyone was terrified, fearing that the two would fight to the death. Now that they saw that the two were unharmed, they were secretly relieved and praised their martial arts skills.
"Brother, brother! What are you doing now!" Duan Houqi jumped out in a panic. "If anything happens to Young Master Jiang, who will vouch for us?!"
Jin Tao ignored him and said to Jiang Heng, "Since you have already mastered swordsmanship, I, Jin, may teach you a little boxing. Would you be willing?"
Jiang Heng thought to himself that although on the surface, literature seemed to outweigh martial arts, everyone was actually aware that martial arts were quite valuable. In addition, the more martial arts one learned, the better, so he nodded in agreement.
Jin Tao revealed a smug look.
Then a light rain began to fall, the yellow sand clinging to people's faces, and the sandstorm gradually subsided.
A few days later, people set foot on this once vibrant land, burning away the weeds to leave fertile soil, and sowing seeds—seeds of grain, and seeds of hope. Under the scorching sun, they wielded hoes, their sweat pouring down. They built thatched huts, which were blown away, but they were not discouraged; they went to find new ones, or to reinforce them with wood, some even using stones to build dwellings. A pair of hands, whether tender or rough, a pair of shoulders, whether broad or thin, could all begin cultivating that land. In truth, human strength is neither abundant nor scarce; it can be easily swallowed up, yet it is enough to shake the earth. This was enough, enough for them to continue this endeavor, life after life.
The child raised a finger, pointing to the rising sun. History may not record them, but they are on every page. Like the sun that rises a thousand times, they are destined to possess the power of an endless mountain range.
On this desolate land, life grows wildly.
—————
"According to the Imperial Preceptor, the Tang army... has been basically wiped out."
"Useless." Fu Qinxiang hadn't expected this government army to be in such a sorry state. "They're so bad at training, how can they talk about defending the country?"
These words were all whispered, and no one else heard a word.
Then she raised her voice and said, "Why haven't you summoned Tang Ying to the palace yet?"
The words had barely left his lips when the palace doors were flung open. Tang Ying, clad in full armor—a blatant act of disrespect—and now, having suffered a defeat, was ignored even by the palace guards, some of whom covered their mouths and noses. Tang Ying walked slowly, and a guard stepped forward and kicked him, striking his injured leg squarely. He groaned in pain. This kneeling was not of his own volition.
The kick caused Tang Yao immense pain. She leaned forward, gripping the sides of the chair tightly with both hands. The tassels in her hair clattered like shattered jade, and she was on the verge of tears.
The guard stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and said, "Open your dog eyes! This is the Imperial Advisor before you! If you're a defeated general, show some respect!" He then slapped him hard, saying, "This is a reward from the Imperial Advisor!"
"What should I do?" Fu Qinxiang asked. "It's not your place to decide for me."
Fu Qinxiang always valued rules, and when the guard realized he had gone too far, his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground as well.
"Get up, all of you. Today is not the day for the mistake," Fu Qinxiang said coldly.
"I'd better just kneel down. I'm afraid my leg is ruined now and I won't be able to get up again," Tang Ying insisted.
Tang Yao finally couldn't restrain herself and, ignoring Fu Qinxiang's reaction, got up to help Tang Ying. Tang Ying shook off her hand and said, "Your Highness, don't dirty your hands." Then she looked up, wanting to look at her beloved family again, but was dazzled by the gold hairpins and jewels. Helplessly, she nodded and whispered, "Congratulations, little sister."
Upon hearing this, Tang Yao burst into tears. Since the proper etiquette had been broken, she had no choice but to be led back to her seat.
Fu Qinxiang watched the brother and sister's actions and said, "What a touching display of brotherly and sisterly affection." She pointed to the seat opposite Tang Yao, "I am honored by the Imperial Concubine's kindness in granting you this seat."
Two guards carried Tang Ying to a seat. Tang Yao held back her tears, feeling extremely grateful.
After a long pause, Tang Ying finally spoke: "Forgive me for having been stationed on the border for so long, my weapons are worn and my armor dull, and I cannot lead any strong and brave soldiers." He remained flippant, familiarly surveying the hall.
The guards gasped, thinking that this arrogant and rude man would surely not live to see the end. But unexpectedly, Fu Qinxiang acted out of character and said softly, "It's alright. Today I'll give you 200,000 Yangyuzhou soldiers. I hope you won't become a laughingstock in the next battle."
The people in the hall were taken aback. It was inevitable that Fu Qinxiang had ulterior motives for being so gentle, but how could a civil official like her, even if she held the high rank of town lord, have such great military power?
Tang Ying naturally didn't believe it either, and asked, "May I ask when the Imperial Preceptor will prepare the troops?"
Fu Qinxiang replied, "We will prepare and depart today."
She rose and, unusually, performed a woman's curtsy, continuing, "Protecting our home and country is a great undertaking for all ages, and I am willing to lend the general my assistance."
Tang Ying nodded slightly. He knew that his transfer from an outlying post to an internal one would make it difficult for him to do without Fu Qinxiang's help, but he still had a rebellious spirit and would not easily submit to favors based on gratitude. Fu Qinxiang could see that, of course, that she had plenty of time to work things out and was willing to wait.
Before leaving, Tang Ying knelt before Tang Yao, after which the two could no longer address each other as brother and sister. "Consort Li, take care," Tang Ying said, her voice choked with emotion.
In this situation, Tang Yao could not shed tears—she could not shed tears for anyone except the emperor. She simply covered her mouth with her sleeve, forcing back her tears, watching her brother being carried away, watching the blood on his injured leg soak the hem of her skirt.
Tang Yao was also a victim of her brother.
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