Before the fragrance of pears had faded, autumn arrived at the border, accompanied by yellow sand.
News of Qi Mingyue's marriage to Yao Xiuyan spread throughout the Western Regions, and congratulatory gifts flooded into Yumen Pass. Among them, the most special was a string of Buddhist prayer beads sent by an old monk from Shule, with the inscription: "With the sacred bond formed, calamity will follow."
Yao Xiuyan twirled his prayer beads, his brows furrowing slightly: "The old monk always loves to use cryptic language."
Qi Mingyue solemnly put it away, saying, "Master must have a deeper meaning."
Sure enough, three days later, an urgent report came from the Western Regions: the King of Khotan had died suddenly, his sons were vying for the throne, and rebels were taking advantage of the chaos. The Khotan prince, who had met Qi Mingyue once before, fled to Yumen Pass overnight, covered in blood.
"Madam, save me!" he cried, kneeling on the ground. "The rebels have installed a new king and want to slaughter all the late prince's descendants!"
Yao Xiuyan helped him up: "Princess, please explain in detail."
It turns out that before his death, the old king of Khotan passed the throne to his youngest son—the very same prince who had gifted Qi Mingyue the seeds of the "Bright Moonlight" flower. The rebels, in collusion with various tribes in the Western Regions, plotted to seize the throne.
Qi Mingyue suddenly asked, "Did they start this rebellion in the name of the 'Holy Maiden'?"
The prince was taken aback: "How did you know, madam?"
Yao Xiuyan and Qi Mingyue exchanged a glance, their understanding unspoken. The prophecy made in Shule that day was coming true.
The troops were immediately mustered and assembled. General Li advocated for war: "We should send troops immediately to quell the rebellion!" Lin Qiuyan, however, worried: "The border forces are insufficient; if the barbarians take the opportunity to invade..."
Qi Mingyue pondered for a moment: "It would be better to outsmart them."
She wrote three letters. One was sent to the governor of Dunhuang requesting aid, another to an old monk from Shule seeking advice, and the third to the rebel army in Khotan feigning peace talks.
Yao Xiuyan nodded: "A feint?"
"A delaying tactic," Qi Mingyue said, pointing to the map. "The capital of Khotan is easy to defend and difficult to attack; only the east gate, which faces the water, is vulnerable. This autumn's drought is causing the river to dry up..."
Yao Xiuyan interjected, "We can secretly dig a river channel and flood the royal city!"
With the plan finalized, Yao Xiuyan personally led his elite troops to Khotan. Before departing, he handed the tiger tally to Qi Mingyue, saying, "The heavy responsibility on the border rests on your shoulders, my lady."
Qi Mingyue tied his cloak: "Go early and come back early."
The army marched out, leaving the border defenses suddenly empty. Qi Mingyue patrolled day and night, daring not to slacken his vigilance. Then one day, he received an urgent report: the barbarians were making unusual movements!
She climbed the tower and looked out into the distance, and sure enough, she saw dust billowing over the Gobi Desert. Lin Qiuyan asked anxiously, "Should we recall the general?"
Qi Mingyue shook her head: "The war in Khotan is in full swing." She frowned in thought, "It's too much of a coincidence that the barbarians are attacking at this time."
They immediately dispatched spies to investigate. Sure enough, there were Western Region rebels mixed in with the barbarian army—it was a diversionary tactic!
Qi Mingyue immediately ordered: "Light the beacon fires! Close the city gates!"
Smoke billowed into the sky, and the entire region was filled with alarm. A massive barbarian army, numbering a hundred thousand, was pressing in. The garrison within the pass numbered less than three thousand, and the people were gripped by fear.
Qi Mingyue remained calm and composed: "Bring me my battle robe."
Clad in white and silver armor, she ascended the tower and beat the drum. The drumbeats were stirring, inspiring the soldiers. The barbarian king challenged, "Hand over the holy maiden! And you will all be spared!"
Qi Mingyue laughed heartily: "Want me? Come and get me yourself!"
He rode out of the pass alone, heading straight for the enemy lines. The barbarian king was overjoyed and spurred his horse to capture him. Unexpectedly, Qi Mingyue suddenly scattered powder—it was a sleeping potion made from the seeds of the "Bright Moonlight" flower!
The barbarian king stumbled and fell from his horse, while Qi Mingyue had already returned to the pass. The whole process happened in the blink of an eye; before the barbarian army could react, the gates were already closed.
Lin Qiuyan rushed over: "That's too risky!"
Qi Mingyue said, "To capture the enemy, you must first capture their leader." She pointed outside the city, "If the barbarian king is captured, his army will surely fall into chaos."
As expected, chaos erupted within the barbarian army. The deputy general attempted to retreat, but was stopped by a man from the Western Regions—none other than the rebel leader!
Qi Mingyue frowned: "It really was him."
The rebel leader shouted, "Qi Mingyue! Do you know that Yao Xiuyan has been ambushed and is trapped?"
A commotion erupted behind the gate. Qi Mingyue's face paled slightly, but she remained calm: "Don't try to sow discord among the troops!"
The man grinned maliciously: "The Khotan River overflowed its banks, and Yao Xiuyan's entire army was wiped out!"
Qi Mingyue leaned against the city wall, her knuckles turning white. Lin Qiuyan cried out urgently, "Madam!"
She slowly raised her head: "I don't believe it." Turning around, she ordered, "Prepare the horses! I'm going to Khotan!"
The generals knelt and pleaded, "No! There is no leader within the pass!"
Qi Mingyue produced the tiger tally: "This is a military order!"
She led only a hundred riders, galloping through the night to Khotan. The Gobi moon was cold, and her heart felt like it was being fried in oil. If Yao Xiuyan were truly in danger... she dared not think of it.
As for Khotan, the river was indeed overflowing, and corpses littered the fields. Qi Mingyue staggered off her horse and searched around, calling out, "Brother Xiuyan!"
Suddenly, she heard a strange noise from the reeds. She quickly drew her sword: "Who's there?"
A figure emerged, covered in blood—it was Yao Xiuyan! Despite his severely injured left arm, he forced a smile: "Madam has arrived..."
Qi Mingyue threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face: "You scared me to death!"
It turned out that Yao Xiuyan had anticipated the water attack plan and moved his camp to higher ground in advance. He turned the tables on the rebel army and flooded them instead.
“But…” he said gravely, “the rebel leader escaped.”
Qi Mingyue suddenly remembered: "The border! He must be going to the border!"
The two immediately returned to reinforce the gates. Upon reaching Yumen Pass, they found the gates wide open, and the rebels were engaged in a fierce battle with the defending troops!
Lin Qiuyan defended the granary to the death, sustaining multiple arrow wounds. General Li protected the civilians, fighting and retreating.
Yao Xiuyan immediately led his troops in a charge. Seeing that all was lost, the rebel leader kidnapped Xiao Ya, shouting, "Qi Mingyue! If you want her to live, cripple your right hand!"
The little girl cried out, "Madam, please don't worry about me!"
Qi Mingyue slowly raised her sword. Yao Xiuyan cried out urgently, "Mingyue, you mustn't!"
Suddenly, she threw her sword to the left—striking the rebel leader right in the throat! It turned out she had seen Yao Xiuyan's gesture beforehand and was using a feint.
The leader fell to the ground, and the little girl was saved. The rebel army collapsed, and the border was saved from danger.
At the victory banquet, the generals toasted, "Your Majesty is truly valiant!"
Qi Mingyue left her seat and sat alone under the pear tree. Yao Xiuyan came looking for her: "What's wrong?"
She looked up and said, "Brother Xiuyan, I killed someone today."
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