On the vast, desolate land, the sound of drums and horns echoed continuously, and the banners blotted out the sky, creating a magnificent sight.
One after another, armored soldiers stood in formation, solemn and silent.
As the sun gradually rose, the soldiers, having stood for a long time, began to tire.
Gradually, murmurs and whispers spread, and the formation started to loosen.
Suddenly, the crisp sound of hoofbeats broke the air.
Some bored soldiers turned to look and were instantly stunned: a golden-armored knight was charging toward them on horseback.
The man was tall, and his warhorse was equally majestic.
The golden armor gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight, dazzling to the eyes.
In his hand, he held a thick lance, its blade glinting with a cold, menacing light.
"Is this guy an idiot…?" muttered a soldier from Hebei.
"Maybe he's a general sent by the Crown Prince to inspect us?" someone else wondered aloud.
"Perhaps he's here to boost morale. We've been standing here in armor for so long, our backs are killing us, and we're out of energy."
"Who is this general?"
The soldiers chattered among themselves, trying to figure out who the knight was.
But the knight didn’t stop.
Instead, his horse sped up, and his lance slowly leveled out.
From a distance, an intense killing intent could be felt.
"Wait, he’s not one of ours!" someone shouted in alarm.
"If he’s not one of ours, then who is he? Charging alone into our formation? Is he looking to die?"
"Let’s see."
The horse didn’t slow down; it only went faster.
"Raise your spears! Raise your spears!"
"Quick, raise your spears!"
Tang Jian, the commander of the formation, sensed something was wrong and roared in desperation.
The Hebei soldiers, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly raised their spears from the ground, trying to block the incoming rider.
But it was too late…
"Die!" Shao Xun roared as he reached the front of the formation.
With a mighty sweep of his lance, he knocked aside several spears with the force of a thousand pounds.
Tang Jian, who was directly in front of Shao Xun, instinctively ducked and took half a step back as the thick lance swept toward him.
But he quickly realized his mistake and flushed with embarrassment.
How could he retreat when an enemy rider was charging into their formation? He was the commander! If he retreated, the soldiers would follow, and everything would fall apart.
Summoning his courage, Tang Jian gripped his spear tightly and prepared to rally his men to stab the enemy off his horse.
But at that moment, something shocking happened: after Shao Xun knocked aside the spears, he charged straight into the formation, crashing through a shield-bearer.
Then, with another swing of his lance, he knocked aside five or six more spears.
The soldiers, unable to hold onto their weapons and intimidated by his ferocity, began to retreat, creating even more chaos as they bumped into each other.
"Come here!" Shao Xun shouted, holding his lance in his left hand while his right arm swept out.
Before Tang Jian could react, he was yanked onto the horse and thrown onto its back, dazed and disoriented.
"Is that all you’ve got? Haha!" Shao Xun laughed as he turned his horse around and rode away.
The battlefield fell silent for a moment as everyone stared in shock at what had just happened.
Then, from the opposing formation, a thunderous cheer erupted.
It was the soldiers of the Luoyang central army.
Shao Xun, charging alone into the enemy formation and capturing a man single-handedly, had earned the genuine admiration of these battle-hardened veterans.
The crisp sound of hoofbeats faded into the distance as the golden-armored knight rode north.
Wherever he went, the ground shook with cheers.
The soldiers at the front of the Luoyang central army, having seen everything clearly, excitedly banged their swords against their shields.
Those behind, not knowing what had happened, joined in the cheers anyway.
The wave of excitement surged toward the northern bank of the Qili River, where Sima Ying was stationed.
He hadn’t seen what had happened and, puzzled, turned his horse around, shielding his eyes with his hand as he looked south.
By then, the golden-armored knight was already right in front of him.
"Boom!" Shao Xun reined in his horse and threw the captive onto the ground.
"Your Highness, how about this prey? Does it meet your standards?"
The field was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Sima Ying’s mouth hung open, clearly still in shock.
The uniform—it looked like one of his own soldiers, and judging by the rank, it was even an officer.
And he had just been captured alive? At that thought, Sima Ying’s face turned red with embarrassment.
His lips trembled as he tried to say something, but no words came out.
Meng Jiu, standing nearby, was equally stunned, but then he erupted in anger.
"Whose soldier is this? How could he be so incompetent? The officer in charge should be dismissed!"
An elderly man in a brocade robe glanced at Shao Xun with surprise and chuckled.
He was in his fifties and had lived through the brutal years of war.
In those days of steel and blood, there weren’t many who could charge alone into an enemy formation and return with a captive.
This golden-armored knight might have used some tricks, but his skill was still impressive enough to earn respect.
Even decades ago, such a feat would have earned him the treatment of an honored guest.
In this era of declining martial virtue, he stood out like a crane among chickens.
Truly, he was exceptionally brave!
The old man, feeling a sense of admiration, studied Shao Xun carefully, committing his appearance to memory.
He decided he would try to get to know this young man better in the future.
"Your Highness, Shao Xun has returned empty-handed, without any prey. He’s mocking you, which is a grave offense. I request—" Meng Jiu urged his horse forward and began to speak.
"Shut up!" Sima Ying cut him off angrily.
"You shameless eunuch! I still have some dignity left!"
With that, he glanced at Shao Xun and snorted.
"The prey you caught is yours to keep."
Then he spurred his horse and rode away, his entourage following closely behind.
The old man in the brocade robe took one last look at Shao Xun, thinking to himself, "So his name is Shao Xun. I’ll have to investigate his background."
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned his horse back and handed Shao Xun a beautifully crafted bow.
"A fine bow is only fitting for a brave warrior. Liu Yuan of Xinxing pays his respects. We’ll meet again."
Without waiting for Shao Xun to refuse, he rode off into the distance.
Shao Xun was stunned.
So that was Liu Yuan? He instinctively reached for his saddle, only to realize he hadn’t brought any arrows.
When he looked up again, Liu Yuan had already disappeared into the crowd.
Well, he thought, it would be too ridiculous to chase after him now, especially since people might think I’m trying to kill Meng Jiu or Sima Ying…
A groan came from his feet.
It was Tang Jian, the captive, who had stumbled to his feet, still dazed.
"Boom!" Chen Yougen stepped forward and kicked him back down.
"Haha, you’re Shao Xun’s servant now. Stay down until he tells you to get up," Chen Yougen said, standing over Tang Jian with a smug expression.
Tang Jian was confused.
How had he, a commander, suddenly become a servant? What was going on?
No one answered him.
As soon as Sima Ying left, the soldiers of the training unit crowded around Shao Xun, cheering, "Commander Shao, you’re amazing!"
Shao Xun smiled brightly and planted his heavy lance into the soft grass, gazing in the direction Sima Ying had gone.
His golden armor reflected the sunlight, making him look like a divine general from afar.
"Walk with me," Pei Fei said softly, a bright smile on her face as she stood on the grassy field.
"Of course," Shao Xun replied without hesitation.
He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and followed half a step behind her, the picture of loyalty.
Pei Fei covered her mouth and chuckled.
Someone as clever as her could easily see through Shao Xun’s little secrets.
This young man’s gaze held a certain admiration, perhaps even some inappropriate fantasies that he entertained in the quiet of the night.
Pei Fei knew all this.
But so what? At least he was loyal, willing to make her laugh, and ready to protect her when it mattered.
When she dressed in her most elegant and beautiful attire, she always caught his awestruck gaze.
Wasn’t that better than admiring herself alone?
"You should wear the ceremonial robes bestowed by the Emperor. It would save you a lot of trouble," Pei Fei said as she turned to look at the river, which shimmered like a jade belt.
Two years ago, when a flood struck Hebei, the Xianbei chieftain Murong Wei had sent grain to Youzhou to aid the disaster relief efforts.
In recognition, the Emperor had bestowed ceremonial robes as a reward.
These robes, or "mandate robes," held special significance, symbolizing an elevation in political status.
Wearing them on formal occasions could only bring benefits.
Shao Xun had been declared a "hero who upholds the heavens and protects the throne" by the Emperor himself.
The court had bestowed upon him a set of ceremonial robes, a suit of golden armor, and two swords as a reward.
Strictly speaking, these were like talismans of protection.
While their effectiveness might be limited, they could at least give potential enemies pause before acting against him.
"Ceremonial robes are no match for military attire," Shao Xun shook his head and said seriously.
"I’m a soldier. Military attire suits me best—" He looked at Pei Fei and added, "A soldier must never forget his roots."
Pei Fei nodded gently, her smile unchanged, but her steps became lighter.
"Last month, during the banquet at Hualin Garden, the Empress asked me about you," Pei Fei said.
Shao Xun fell silent.
What had his state of mind been like back then? He had been somewhat out of control, exhilarated, and eager to kill.
That was the effect of being high on adrenaline.
He had been prone to saying reckless things.
If it were now, he would never have said, "Don’t be afraid."
Was that something you could say to the Empress? Did he have no sense of propriety? No sense of boundaries?
But Empress Yang had already been sent to Jinyong City…
"The Empress mentioned that the Prince of Chengdu had left a thousand soldiers to guard the palace and wanted to persuade the Emperor to promote you to the position of Imperial Guard Commander," Pei Fei stopped walking and gazed at the flowing river, her expression tinged with excitement.
She could understand Empress Yang’s feelings.
When she had lived in the Minister of Works’ residence, she had often tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep, feeling as though she were trapped in a cage.
The Empress, living in the palace with guards who might kill her at any moment, must have felt even worse.
With the precedent of Jia Nanfeng, who knew when she might be handed a cup of poisoned wine and die quietly? Pei Fei couldn’t help but admire the Empress.
How had she endured such a difficult situation? A day or two was one thing, but year after year? Even a normal person would go mad.
"I won’t become an Imperial Guard," Shao Xun said.
"Why not?" Pei Fei hadn’t expected an answer but asked anyway.
"I’m only seventeen. I’ve experienced very little. I often can’t see the road ahead clearly, make mistakes, and offend people," Shao Xun said.
"If it weren’t for your guidance and corrections, I would have taken many wrong steps by now. Moreover, you’ve always been kind and generous to me, which makes me… makes me…"
"Makes you what?" Pei Fei asked, immediately regretting it.
She was afraid this still somewhat "immature" young man might say something that would leave her at a loss.
"Makes me… not dare to slack off," Shao Xun replied.
Pei Fei burst into laughter.
Her smile was so radiant that even the flowers by the river seemed to pale in comparison.
After laughing, she glanced at Shao Xun and slowly composed herself.
Their conversation had taken on a slightly different tone, blurring the lines between master and servant.
This made her feel complicated.
She had once only wanted to maintain her comfortable life and live peacefully until the end.
But now, it seemed she was unconsciously seeking something more.
Was it because she was too lonely?
People really do change, she thought.
She sighed softly, gathered her thoughts, and subtly changed the subject.
"You really can’t afford to slack off. After today’s events, Sima Ying won’t trouble you openly—he still cares about his reputation. But we must be wary of Meng Jiu’s underhanded schemes."
"Underhanded schemes? Assassination?" Shao Xun scoffed.
That was all Meng Jiu was capable of.
"For the next while—" Pei Fei paused, "you should stay in the military camp and not go anywhere. If anything happens, I’ll send Pei Sixteen to find you."
"Understood," Shao Xun agreed.
He hadn’t planned to go anywhere anyway.
Training his troops was his top priority.
"Today—you did well," Pei Fei said softly before quickly walking away.
Shao Xun quietly raised his right hand and sniffed it, as if the faint scent of Pei Fei’s perfume still lingered.
(End of Chapter)