In a secluded military camp less than two hundred miles from Hulukou, a frail, one-eyed veteran general slowly ascended the review platform. Before the old man officially appeared, figures like Chen Yunchui, the deputy commander of the Northern Liang infantry, Huangfu Ping, the general of Youzhou, and Hu Kui, the provincial governor, were already standing on the platform. The unassuming old man walked to the center of the platform, and strangely, even an outsider unfamiliar with Youzhou’s military affairs would instinctively regard the old man’s central position as entirely natural. The armored veteran stood with his hands resting on his sword, gazing silently at the officers and soldiers below who remained motionless under the scorching sun. The old man seemed intent on scrutinizing every one of the nearly ten thousand infantrymen about to march to war, memorizing each banner of Youzhou’s veteran infantry battalions.
The old general’s expression darkened as he finally spoke slowly, “The Grand General has passed away, and the Prince is not in Youzhou. As for me, Yan Wenluan, even if I don’t die on the battlefield, I probably don’t have many years left. So, taking this opportunity today, I’ll say some things I’ve kept to myself for nearly twenty years.”
The old general lifted the Northern Liang blade with one hand and pointed at Chen Yunchui, the second-in-command of the Northern Liang infantry beside him. “Old Chen, our Deputy Commander Chen—you all must know him. Sixteen years ago, this guy accompanied me to the Prince’s mansion on Qingliang Mountain for a drink. At the time, Chen Yunchui was just a third-rank general. The Grand General joked, ‘Chen Yunchui, leading forty to fifty thousand infantry in Youzhou is a waste of talent. Why not go beyond the Liangzhou border? I’ll give you thirty thousand cavalry. Will you take it?’”
Yan Wenluan didn’t even glance at his lifelong friend, merely tapping the embarrassed Chen Yunchui with the blade. “This old bastard can’t hold his liquor, and his drinking manners are even worse. He was pretending to be drunk at the time, but the moment the Grand General made that offer, he jumped to his feet, his eyes shining like stars! Guess what our current Deputy Commander of the Northern Liang infantry said? He said, ‘Hell yes! Why wouldn’t I take it?!’ Of course, the Grand General didn’t succeed in poaching him. Why? Did Chen Yunchui change his mind? No. It was because I, Yan Wenluan, lost my temper and nearly started a fight with the Grand General! I remember exactly what I said. I slammed my cup down and stood up, telling the Grand General, ‘The Northern Liang infantry is already scraping the bottom of the barrel. Over the past two years, the Liangzhou cavalry has swindled, tricked, and stolen so many of our men—not just the veterans but even promising young recruits. What’s left for me to command? If Chen Yunchui wants to join the Liangzhou cavalry, fine, but the Grand General must give me Yuan Zuozong, Chu Lushan, and Qi Dangguo—all three of his adopted sons—and assign them to our Northern Liang infantry in Youzhou!’”
Chen Yunchui stood with his eyes downcast, feigning indifference, but being exposed so mercilessly by Yan Wenluan must have made him wish he could vanish into the ground.
Yan Wenluan then pointed his blade at Hu Kui, the provincial governor of Youzhou. “This Governor Hu was the founder of the Lieju, the predecessor of our Northern Liang’s elite scouts. He’s a genuine cavalry commander. When Governor Hu replaced Wang Peifang as the governor of Youzhou, he came to me, Yan Wenluan, to curry favor. Following official protocol, he exchanged pleasantries with this old man. So, I asked him a question: ‘Hu Kui, how does it feel to govern Youzhou, where there were fewer warhorses than in Lingzhou in recent years?’ Governor Hu is an honest man. He told me frankly, ‘It’s frustrating.’ He said he’d hoped to go to Hutou City as Liu Jinu’s deputy or join the Longxiang Army in Liuzhou to serve alongside his old subordinates Li Mofan and Wang Lingbao. That would’ve been nice.”
Yan Wenluan resumed his stance with both hands on his sword, addressing the ten thousand infantrymen. “Our Northern Liang has three hundred thousand border troops, yet for years, the Liyang court has only ever spoken of ‘three hundred thousand Northern Liang iron cavalry, unmatched under heaven.’ I find it baffling! The Northern Liang cavalry has never made up more than half of our border forces. How did we become ‘three hundred thousand iron cavalry’? Does Liyang think our Northern Liang infantry doesn’t exist? It seems even the Northern Liang itself doesn’t take our infantry seriously.”
The one-eyed old general jerked his chin eastward and sneered. “There’s a guy in Jizhou named Yang Shenxing—the same fool who was later played like a fiddle by a few youngsters in Guangling Dao. Back in the day, he wasn’t even fit to tie my shoes. Yet, with a few tens of thousands of leftover infantry from the old Northern Han, he somehow created the so-called ‘Jinan Infantry,’ and for over a decade, Liyang has hailed them as the ‘peerless elite infantry.’ Besides them, there’s the Blunt Army led by Wang Tongshan, the top fierce general under the Southern Frontier’s Yanchi King, and Wu Zhongxuan’s Great Armor—all with considerable reputations. But guess what? Our Youzhou infantry is never mentioned.”
The old man paused briefly. “If it were just that, I, Yan Wenluan, could endure it. After all, we can’t exactly march to Jizhou or the Southern Frontier to challenge them, and talking big has never been the Northern Liang’s strong suit. But! Forget outsiders—even within the Northern Liang, forget Liangzhou and Lingzhou, even Liuzhou—just look at our own Youzhou! When the veteran infantry battalion in Luanhe City lost its banner, who was it that crossed Hezhou into Jizhou and fought all the way to Hulukou, reducing ten thousand men to just over three thousand? Who marched a thousand miles, fought battle after bloody battle, killing nearly thirty thousand enemies and nearly crippling the Northern Barbarians’ eastern supply lines?”
Yan Wenluan scoffed self-deprecatingly. “What, do you think our Youzhou army has heroes too?”
He then grinned. “Of course, but unfortunately, the ‘No Retreat Battalion’ of three thousand four hundred men was Youzhou’s first cavalry battalion! The Prince himself fought alongside this ten thousand cavalry of Youzhou, enlisting as a common soldier in the No Retreat Battalion! Ha! And what does that have to do with you poor bastards with no horses and only two legs? Not a damn copper’s worth!”
The old man’s face twisted with fury. “Let’s not talk about Yu Luandao, the deputy commander of Youzhou’s cavalry, or Shi Yulu and Fan Wenyao, who earned promotions to Herald and Swift Cavalry Generals for their distinguished service. Let’s talk about Tian Heng, the newly appointed commander of Youzhou’s thirty thousand cavalry. This old bastard once criticized the Prince for not daring to fight to the death, saying the Prince had used up all his courage defying the imperial decree to enter Liangzhou. So, he resigned early and retired to his farm, leaving Yu Luandao to command ten thousand cavalry as acting general. And now, this Tian Heng—who never went to northern Jizhou or beyond Hulukou—dares to thump his chest and say to me, ‘Old Yan, don’t worry. I, Tian Heng, promise to raise another cavalry battalion with its own banner for you!’”
The old man re-sheathed his blade at his waist, rubbed his face roughly, and took a few steps forward before asking solemnly, “When did our Youzhou infantry sink to such depths?”
The field fell silent, but every pair of eyes burned red.
Yan Wenluan pointed at himself. “I, Yan Wenluan, have served in the Xu family’s army for thirty-six years, following the Grand General in campaigns north and south. From day one, I was an infantryman. Today, I’m a second-rank military officer, but at heart, I’m just an old infantryman. I won’t speak for the entire Northern Liang infantry, but you—the Youzhou infantry—were all trained by my own hands!”
The one-eyed old man casually gestured toward the direction of Xiaguang City behind him. “Over there, and all the way north, are the Northern Barbarians, boasting a full two hundred thousand troops. Wogong City is gone. Luanhe City is gone. The barbarians claim Xiaguang City will fall any day now.”
The old man turned and left them with one final remark. “But I, Yan Wenluan, refuse to accept that!”
※※※
At the northern border where Youzhou and Hezhou met, a massive crimson banner flapped violently in the strong wind.
Tian Heng, the commander of Youzhou’s cavalry; his deputy, Yu Luandao; Herald Cavalry General Shi Yulu; Swift Cavalry General Fan Wenyao; and over a dozen other cavalry officers stood in a line astride their horses.
Behind them were all thirty thousand of Youzhou’s light cavalry, deployed in full force.
The veteran Tian Heng had a rough, unassuming appearance, more like a weathered farmer than a general wielding great authority. This old man had once resigned in frustration over the young Prince’s perceived “inaction,” claiming his aging bones couldn’t take the strain and that it was time to retire and dote on grandchildren—though everyone in Youzhou knew his children had long since died beyond the borders. Later, when Xu Fengnian and Yu Luandao appeared together beyond Hulukou, leading ten thousand cavalry of whom only three thousand returned, Tian Heng—whose military seniority was nearly on par with Yan Wenluan and Chen Yunchui—rushed to Yan Wenluan’s command tent the same night. Yan Wenluan refused to see him. Tian Heng camped outside until the Huaiguang Garrison’s order reinstated his rank, but Yan Wenluan still wouldn’t budge. Only after Xu Fengnian personally wrote to Yan Wenluan did Youzhou reluctantly acknowledge Tian Heng’s authority as the head of Youzhou’s cavalry.
The old man rested a hand on his sword hilt and turned to Yu Luandao with a laugh. “Old Yan is definitely going to be furious with me this time, but it’s not my fault. Who told him to ignore decades of friendship and refuse to see me?”
Yu Luandao and the others chuckled knowingly. Tian Heng and General Yan Wenluan were sworn brothers who had saved each other’s lives. In their early years, one was an infantry captain, the other a cavalry captain. Tian Heng had once defied orders to charge into enemy lines and rescue Yan Wenluan, earning the Grand General’s wrath and a demotion from captain to common cavalryman. In the fiercely competitive Xu family’s army, that one misstep cost Tian Heng dearly. Younger officers like Xu Pu, Wu Qi (the Prince Consort’s brother-in-law), Yuan Zuozong, and Hu Kui all surpassed him to become independent cavalry commanders. By the time the Xu family entered Liangzhou, Tian Heng had only risen to the rank of fourth-rank general. It was Yan Wenluan who personally requested his transfer from Liangzhou to Youzhou, promoting him one rank. Yet, compared to figures like Wei Tieshan, who had retired in glory, or Zhou Kang, the current deputy cavalry commander, Tian Heng’s career had been one of frustration.
Tian Heng’s smile faded as he addressed Yu Luandao. “General Yu, the Northern Barbarians’ fifty thousand elite cavalry on the eastern front claim they’re targeting Jizhou, but we all know they’re heading straight for Youzhou, aiming to join forces with Yang Yuanzan at Hulukou and take Xiaguang City in one fell swoop. Our original plan was to split our forces: one to intercept the fifty thousand at the Youzhou-Hezhou border, the other to continue north along Hulukou’s outskirts. Before departure, we agreed you and Shi Yulu would lead fifteen thousand cavalry to await the barbarian army here, while I and Fan Wenyao would take fifteen thousand north, with your No Retreat Battalion as the vanguard. But now I’m thinking—”
Yu Luandao interrupted with a smile. “General, no ‘buts.’ Since we agreed on this strategy, there’s no reason to change it now.”
Tian Heng glared. “Who’s the commander of Youzhou’s thirty thousand cavalry—me, Tian Heng, or you, Yu Luandao?”
Compared to the scholarly Fan Wenyao, Shi Yulu—one of the first batch of new Northern Liang generals—had a rougher edge and couldn’t help laughing at the awkward phrasing.
Yu Luandao sighed in resignation.
Tian Heng gazed at the distant dust clouds. “Though it hasn’t been stated outright, the crisis in Liuzhou is so severe that even the Prince rushed there personally. Every cavalry unit in the Northern Liang has mobilized to reinforce Liuzhou. For our Youzhou cavalry to move in the opposite direction at this critical juncture means our mission is anything but simple. As Fan Wenyao here would say—‘the stakes are monumental’? The fifty thousand Northern Barbarian cavalry aren’t just led by Wang Sui, the Eastern Yue Prince Consort. Their eastern front’s autumn and winter Nabo commanders are no pushovers either.”
Tian Heng suddenly grinned. “Yu Luandao, don’t think just because you won two major battles in Jizhou and Hulukou, you can look down on me, Tian Heng. I was wielding the first-generation Xu family blade when you were still suckling at your mother’s breast.”
Shi Yulu, whom Tian Heng had mentored from a lowly squad leader to Herald Cavalry General, had no reservations in their banter. He joked, “Old General, you can’t say that. General Yu may be young, but he’s no slouch in battle. He’s not worse than you—”
Tian Heng raised his voice sharply. “Hmm?!”
Shi Yulu hastily swallowed the word “worse” and amended, “Not worse than you, Old General.”
Tian Heng snorted heavily, though his eyes held amusement. “Then it’s settled. Yu Luandao, Shi Yulu, and Fan Wenyao—you three will take twenty thousand cavalry to Hulukou. I’ll hold here with ten thousand. I don’t expect to crush the enemy, but I’ll at least delay their advance into Youzhou.”
Fan Wenyao frowned, hesitating before shooting Shi Yulu a look. The latter took the hint and muttered, “Old General, you can’t just haphazardly alter established battle plans…”
Tian Heng waved him off. “Hulukou is the priority. Whether we can trap the enemy in a jar depends on whether your twenty thousand cavalry can tighten the noose!”
Though the Huaiguang Garrison had only sent one secret military order to Youzhou’s cavalry, the officers present could guess the broader strategy. Though shocked, they were all fired up.
If the Northern Barbarians’ Dong Zhuo sought to break through at Liuzhou, then the Northern Liang’s iron cavalry would annihilate their eastern forces at Hulukou in one stroke!
Tian Heng studied the faces of these men, all far younger than himself, and said softly, “We’re all brothers here, so I’ll speak plainly. Of the thirty thousand Youzhou cavalry, the fifteen thousand originally slated for Hulukou were mostly young. Why? Because those who survive the brutal clash with Wang Sui’s army, even with merit, won’t earn as much glory as those at Hulukou. I, Tian Heng, have climbed to the rank of third-rank general in my lifetime—that’s enough. When I enlisted, I wasn’t like you, Yu Luandao, full of scholarly ideals. Back then, my family was starving, and I had no choice but to tie my head to my belt and join the army. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d become a general.”
Tian Heng smiled warmly. “Don’t waste your breath. You all know my temper. Once I’ve decided, not even Old Yan can change my mind. Back in the day, even the Grand General couldn’t sway me.”
Just then, a scout unit galloped into view, led by Captain Fan Fen. Riding beside him was a child, standing atop his horse with two disproportionately large Northern Liang blades at his waist, hands tucked into his sleeves like a seasoned warrior. Fan Fen reported to the generals that no Northern Barbarian scouts had been spotted within fifty miles.
Tian Heng called out to the scouts before they could depart northward, asking the child with a smile, “You must be Yu Dilong, the ‘Little General’ of Youzhou’s cavalry? I heard you single-handedly killed hundreds of Northern Barbarians beyond Hulukou?”
The child nodded solemnly.
Fan Fen couldn’t resist teasing, “General Tian, this kid’s just shy around strangers. Earlier, he asked me if, after repaying his debts and earning more merits, he could become a full-fledged scout. One of his two blades was a gift, the other borrowed from our unit. He’s eager to legitimately own a second blade.”
Tian Heng laughed heartily. “From this moment on, you’re the squad leader of Youzhou’s Eighth Scout Unit!”
Yu Dilong asked skeptically, “Does your word count? My master says we must follow the rules, or he won’t let me stay in Youzhou’s No Retreat Battalion.”
Tian Heng was momentarily speechless, caught off guard. He might dare to play stubborn with his lifelong friend Yan Wenluan, but he wouldn’t dare deceive the young Prince.
Yu Luandao stepped in with a smile. “In all military matters of Youzhou’s cavalry, General Tian’s word is law. And remember, your master is just a common soldier in our No Retreat Battalion. Even without General Tian’s order, as the battalion’s commander, I, Yu Luandao, can appoint you, Yu Dilong, as squad leader of the Eighth Scout Unit—and that’s just as binding!”
The child standing on his horse tightened his grip on his blade and declared earnestly, “Generals, rest assured—this time, I’ll kill even more enemies than before!”
Tian Heng waved them off with a smile as the child and Captain Fan Fen’s unit rode away.
Then, turning solemnly to Yu Luandao and the others, Tian Heng said, “I, Tian Heng, am a relic of the Spring and Autumn Wars. My strength isn’t what it used to be. The future of the Northern Liang rests with you now.”
He glanced down at the sixth-generation Xu family blade at his waist before adding, “General Yu, I’ve left little behind in this life—just a worthless old house. But I do have five battle swords. If… well, I’d like you to keep them for me. If you ever speak of me to the younger generation, mention this old Youzhou general in passing, will you?”
Yu Luandao, Shi Yulu, and Fan Wenyao fell silent.
Tian Heng clasped his fists and laughed. “Farewell!”
※※※
The battle for Hutou City raged on.
A cavalry force of merely ten thousand men departed their camp quietly, moving east with the momentum of a lion pouncing on a rabbit.
At their head was Yuan Zuozong, commander of the Northern Liang’s cavalry.
Their aura was unstoppable.
At nearly the same time, two cavalry units—never before fully deployed in battle—headed toward two strategic passes at the northern border between Liangzhou and Youzhou.
Both passes were heavily guarded by elite Youzhou infantry.
For miles around, security was airtight, with a standing order to kill any unauthorized personnel on sight.
Months earlier, as large quantities of sealed goods arrived at the passes, the Northern Liang’s top scouts began patrolling the area covertly.
Combined, the two cavalry units numbered just over nine thousand.
Each rider had two horses—unremarkable in itself—but what was astonishing was that every single mount was a first-class Northern Liang warhorse!
In the entire Northern Liang, only the three thousand Longxiang cavalry in Liuzhou were outfitted with such horses. Youzhou had a mere three to four hundred, and Lingzhou had none at all!
These strange cavalrymen carried neither Northern Liang blades nor bows, yet every one was a burly, formidable border soldier. Their sheer physicality and ferocity were intimidating even without armor.
One unit was the Rouge Army.
The other was the Weixiong Army.
When they donned their armor on the battlefield…
They became the Rouge Heavy Cavalry and the Weixiong Heavy Cavalry!
※※※
As Hutou City fought desperately, as Liuzhou sounded the alarm, as Yan Wenluan was forced to dispatch ten thousand infantry to reinforce Xiaguang City…
Twenty thousand Youzhou light cavalry!
Ten thousand Snow Dragon Cavalry!
Nine thousand true heavy cavalry—the elite of the Northern Liang’s iron horsemen!
Would all converge beyond Hulukou!
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