In the ninth month of the fourteenth year of Changxi, the battle of Baitou Cliff broke out and shocked the world. General Wei Zhi led the Shunyi Calvary across the Baitou Mountain and head straight into Da Yue’s main camp to attack them by night. The Iron Calvary confronted the panicked Da Yue soldiers, wherever they go, corpses were left behind.
That night, eleven enemy generals were killed, 30,000 thousand enemy soldiers injured, and 20,000 captured. This was the first victory for Tian Sheng since the war began. Riding on that success, Tian Sheng regained one lost territory after another. Da Yue who lost many of its soldiers and generals were forced to retreat into the border of Pucheng. The winner of the war between Tian Sheng and Da Yue that had lasted for more than a year has more or less been settled.
This was also the most crucial victory since Tian Sheng’s defeat six months ago.
From the battle of Baitou Cliff, a group of outstanding young generals emerged. Among them, Chun Yu, Tao Yangyu, Yu Liang and Huang Baozi, these young men who came from the ranks of the Capital’s noble families, the once well-known dandies of the Capital have once and for all erased their ill earned fame by proving their exceptional bravery and keen military skills. These rising military stars of the Shunyi Calvary have been assigned to important military positions in various locations. These rising military stars ignited the inner desire of the Tian Sheng Emperor to dominate the world. It also ignited the burning desire in many youths within the noble families so that for a long time after, there was a craze among the nobles to join the army.
The people rejoiced when they heard of the news. Their fears and panic of previous days have been swept away. There was an endless stream of people who showed up at the nation’s temple to burn incense to wish peace for the world, for an early end to the war, and finally, rest for the heroic souls who died in the battle.
The joyful expressions and the enthusiastic street singings, however, could not be heard in the palace nor be shared with the battlefront.
Inside the Tian Sheng palace, the servants’ footsteps were light with smiles at the corner of their lips. Yet, the Emperor of Tian Sheng’s Imperial Study Room was closed tightly.
- The Emperor is reading the letters Wei Zhi had submitted last year that included her suggestions of how to deal with Da Yue. Staring at the letters for a long time, the Emperor looked over at the last military report he received and finally lets out a long sigh “Such a shame…”
In Tian Sheng’s main military camp, soldiers are happily packing up. The war has wrapped up for now. Da Yue does not have the ability to fight as of now and the weather has turned cold so the Tian Sheng army will be moving its camp to the province of Yuzhou.
However, there was no movement from the General Commander’s tent. The soldiers passing by all cast confused look over at it.
Although the war has ended for the time being it is rumored that His Highness has asked the Emperor to allow him to stay in case that Da Yue might make some foolish attempts.
Who could figure out what His Highness is thinking to not go back to the comfort of the Capital but to stay in this barren land?
No lights were lit in the main tent. All the curtains were closed tightly, casting everything in gray shadows, making everything difficult to discern.
Behind the table, that person, sat with his forehead resting on his arms. He sat through long nights, unable to tell the passing of time.
A breeze slipped in from the gap between the tent door and flipped up a thin military report- the same report that was on the Emperor’s desk.
The report contained only a few words, but behind the celebration, there were sad sacrifices.
“In the battle of Baitou Cliff, 300 Shunyi Death Guards crossed the cliff and entered into Da Yue’s main camp. Killed 11 generals, 36 watch guards. After laying the foundation for victory, they were besieged by the Da Yue military. 160 Death Guards parished and their bodies were hacked by multiple swords making them indistinguishable…. Lieutenant Hua Qing, Deputy General Wei Zhi, dead.” (Death Guard is a general term referring to guards specifically trained to only be loyal to their master with absolutely no fear of death. It’s useless to capture these guards since they will never betray their masters willingly.)
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Year twenty of Da Yue, Winter, Pucheng City.
This is the most prosperous city on the border of Da Yue. Therefore, after Da Yue retreated the majority of the army made their camp right outside of the city wall. Although defeated, Da Yue retreated in an orderly manner even if it was difficult to hide the desolation and despondency on their expression.
In the early morning hours, a thin mist shrouded the city gate but there were already a large group of people waiting for the gate to open in an hour. The people waited patiently as they chatted with each other.
“I heard there was a big defeat on the battlefront!”
“There sure was, the soldiers have already been pulled back.”
“I heard that a win was originally within our reach but who knew the other side had a talented general who attacked our main camp in the night and with the ratio of ten to one, killed our 100,000 with just their 10,000.”
“Don’t exaggerate! How could that be possible! It would’ve been an accomplishment to just kill 10,000. I heard it was the iron cavalry of Huzhu tribe, the most famous and brave cavalry. A while ago Our Highness had use strategy to kill a lot of their elites, so this was revenge.”
“To make a comeback so soon and even more fierce than before, this new king is quite formidable.”
“We should’ve never made enemies out of those prairie bulls. But I heard the one who led the Huzhu calvary was a general from Tiansheng.”
“Who is it? Who is so fierce that even our wise and talented prince would suffer a defeat at his hand?”
“He is dead! It is said that the battle was really bad. The group that first attacked the main camp was trapped. Tens of thousands of our soldiers surrounded that group. There were a hundred corpses piled up at the feet of Prince An. For some unknown reason, none of those people were willing to retreat and fought to their death. I heard that general was among that group. He couldn’t bear his men sacrificing in vain. He wept bitterly on the corpses and said “My brothers’ bones have piled into a mountain, how can I live on alone!” He slit his own throat right then. There, do you see it? His head is hanging on the city gate.”
The crowd looked up to see two heads swaying in the wind on top of the city gate, black hair covering their blood-stained faces making it difficult to discern their features other than the fact that they seem quite young.
The people stared for a long time with mixed feelings while shaking their heads. After a long time, someone muttered “Such a pity. He is a hero after all, to end up like this without a full body…” (Chinese people believe it is important for the dead to not have their body desecrated. So to decapitate a body is a great disrespect toward the deceased and their family).
“Hush!” Someone chided immediately, “That’s the leader of the enemy!”
The crowd fell silent and the gossipers dispersed. No one noticed a few ordinary dressed men hiding in the shadows. Someone’s body trembled and someone clenched their fists.
A little further away, inside a carriage, someone was leaning on the carriage wall, listening quietly to the chatter.
The light and shadow of the daylight were divided by the curtain of the carriage, reflecting on the person’s face causing his face hard to discern. Pulling back the carriage curtain, he looked up at the head on the city gate.
He stared at it for a long time, seemingly as if he is going to carve the image of the head with indiscernible features into his heart.
After a long time, he shook his head, lowered the curtain and his lips curved into a smile that is without a hint of humor in it.
“Is it you…”
A faint question echoed in the carriage.
No one answered. After that snowstorm during that one year, he no longer needed others to answer all his questions.
“If it was really you, how would you have said, “My brothers’ bones have piled into a mountain, how can I live on alone”? You would’ve said “Brothers, go ahead and die. I will remember to avenge you.” You would’ve switched the throat slitting knife into a retractable knife so when someone came to check on your corpse then you could slit their throat.”
“That is you…Zhi Wei.”
Tapping his fingers lightly on the carriage wall, a faint smile appeared on his face, a bit cold, like a Devil’s Snare Flower blooming on the water.
“Feng Zhi Wei.”
“Before I die, how would you be willing to die?”
All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com
I wonder if news of her death rearranged how Ning Yi views the world and his place in it or if he was just grieving. And then when he figures out she’s probably still alive….. (rubs hands in excitement) can’t wait til next week!!!!
Excellent Read! Can’t wait for next week.
Sigh. Monday come faster!
Omg amazing translation! Gives me the goosebumps! Thank you