Inside the Xiongnu Left Virtuous King's tent, he watched more than ten thousand men assault the city. Quite a few soldiers had already climbed the walls, yet they still could not take them.
The Left Virtuous King had run out of patience!
Why were the mere thirty thousand defenders of Anning Pass so capable in battle?
After grinding on for so long, they still had not worn away the Anning Pass defenders' fighting strength.
"Take my command token and summon another grandmaster. I refuse to believe Yang Ye is invincible." The Left Virtuous King did not want to drag this out any longer.
Several rebuking orders had already arrived one after another from the Great Chanyu, commanding him to swiftly capture Anning Pass.
"Yes!"
A messenger accepted the Left Virtuous King's command token and hurried away.
Luojing, the imperial capital of Great Wei!
Within the palace, the old emperor was critically ill. The Imperial Medical Academy's master physicians kept using all manner of ancient medicines to prolong his life.
At the Crown Prince's residence, Crown Prince Han Che listened expressionlessly to his subordinate's report.
"My second brother promoted another confidant today?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, the Second Prince promoted General Wei Wu to Commander of the Imperial Guards, placing him in charge of the imperial palace. He also ordered Marquis Li, Great General Li, to command all armies across the realm."
Crown Prince Han Che had not been appointed regent. Instead, Emperor Wei Ming had ordered the Second Prince to serve as regent.
This order shook both court and country.
"What are my other brothers doing?" Crown Prince Han Che said blandly.
The Third Prince, Sixth Prince, and Ninth Prince were no harmless lamps either. Naturally, they would not sit still and await death.
"Each of the princes is contacting court officials and generals from every region."
"What exactly are you trying to do, you old bastard?" Han Che stared toward the imperial palace.
He could not fathom why his father had done this.
The regency should have belonged to the Crown Prince, yet it had not fallen into his hands.
The Second Prince's appointment as regent had thrown the political situation into turmoil. Quite a few ambitious men began quietly placing their pieces on the board.
The once tranquil court had become a place of twisting currents and treacherous clouds.
"Your Highness, the northern frontier is in urgent danger. Five hundred thousand Xiongnu troops are battering the passes, preparing to march south. The frontier commanders have sent more than a dozen requests for aid, begging the court to dispatch reinforcements," the Minister of War said.
Second Prince Han Feiyu waved a hand and said with the air of victory already in his grasp, "There is no need to rush over this matter. I will send Great General Li to lead troops there as reinforcements."
The Minister of War still wanted to speak, but the Minister of Revenue tugged him back.
The Minister of Revenue gave him a faint shake of the head.
Minister of War Wang Cheng sighed inwardly. Power struggles, suppression of dissidents, promotion of confidants—this Second Prince truly rose to power in a single day, and even his chickens and dogs ascended to heaven.
Before long, perhaps someone would replace him in his position as well.
"How is the disaster relief in Jiangning Commandery progressing?" Second Prince Han Feiyu asked the Minister of Revenue.
Minister of Revenue Zuo Tang's heart sank. Was this meant to be an attack on him?
"Reporting to Your Highness, the Governor of Jiangnan Prefecture has already opened the granaries and distributed grain for disaster relief," Minister of Revenue Zuo Tang replied.
Second Prince Han Feiyu nodded without betraying a trace of emotion. It seemed the Governor of Jiangnan Prefecture could not be allowed to remain.
Beneath an inconspicuous residence in prosperous Luojing, in an underground chamber.
Three figures sat together.
"Third Brother, Sixth Brother, Second Brother's power is growing greater and greater. Many court officials and generals have already leaned toward him. If we do not join hands, disaster may soon be upon us."
"Has Eldest Brother made any move?"
"Eldest Brother remains utterly still. Who knows what he is waiting for."
While the Second Prince busied himself suppressing dissidents and planting his own people in key court departments, the other princes were busy gathering allies and secretly building up their strength.
Great Wei's court was in turmoil, the princes openly and covertly battling one another. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that the northern frontier was now ablaze with war.
The fighting ceased at dusk. Beacon smoke lingered in the air, and the setting sun was red as blood.
The wind north of the frontier had grown even fiercer.
There was no beauty here of lone smoke rising straight from the desert, or a round sun setting over a long river.
There were only blades and blood.
Behind Sheng Huai'an lay corpse after corpse.
His battle robes were torn, his armor stained with blood. His chiseled face bore unyielding resolve.
His deep black eyes brimmed with sharpness.
That frail scholar had died completely.
Now, he was Anning Pass's Battalion Commander, who had slain countless enemies.
Blood Hand Butcher—Sheng Huai'an!
With today's battle at an end, the ordinary soldiers busied themselves treating the wounded and handling the corpses.
Less than half of the Xiongnu soldiers who had retreated remained alive.
The soldiers defending the city had likewise lost half their number.
Now, Anning Pass had only a little over ten thousand soldiers still able to fight.
Yang Ye looked toward the Xiongnu camp beyond the pass, his expression grave.
He knew the court would not send a great army to reinforce them. They had no reinforcements left.
Before a new heir to the throne emerged, the northern frontier had already been abandoned.
The armies in the interior had all become pieces in the princes' game.
After coming down from the wall, Sheng Huai'an washed up briefly, then ate dinner with the soldiers.
Once dinner was over, they would set out.
The soldiers of Tenth Company, Seventh Battalion had all chosen, like Sheng Huai'an, to boldly venture into the grasslands.
"Brothers, this journey is perilous. Settle everything that needs settling. Perhaps once we leave, we will never return," Sheng Huai'an told the fifty or sixty soldiers who had followed him into the grasslands before.
"Captain, we enlisted because we had no other road left. We came to gamble for a future. To die on the battlefield is to die where we belong. Why should we fear this journey?" Tang Yunshan said.
"That's right. Why fear it? Either we die in battle, or we return in glory," Hai Dahe said as well.
The others' gazes were equally resolute.
"Good! Worthy of being my soldiers. This journey—either we die in battle, or we return in glory!" Sheng Huai'an shouted.
Leading his subordinates, he arrived at the southern gate.
General Yang Ye was already waiting there with others.
"General!"
Sheng Huai'an hurried forward and bowed.
"You're here." Yang Ye nodded.
"General, th-this is your war blade." Sheng Huai'an removed the Black Gold War Blade from his waist and returned it to Yang Ye.
Yang Ye took the Black Gold War Blade and stroked its body. He sheathed it, then tossed it back to Sheng Huai'an.
"Take it. It's yours," Yang Ye said with a smile.
Sheng Huai'an caught the Black Gold War Blade and froze for a moment. As far as he knew, General Yang Ye had carried this war blade for many years.
Sun Hao, Zhao Yong'an, and the others behind Yang Ye were also greatly surprised.
This Black Gold War Blade was no ordinary weapon. They had not expected General Yang Ye to give it to Sheng Huai'an.
"What, you don't want it?"
"No, no!" Sheng Huai'an was somewhat overwhelmed by the favor.
"Only with a blade that fits your hand can you better kill enemies. I hope you can ease Anning Pass's burden. Once the city falls, countless families will be trampled beneath the Xiongnu iron cavalry," Yang Ye said solemnly.
"I will not fail your trust!" Sheng Huai'an hung the Black Gold War Blade at his waist.
"This spear was also forged for you on my orders. It's decent enough, usable. I hope you can let it drink Xiongnu blood." Yang Ye handed Sheng Huai'an a long spear.
Sheng Huai'an took the spear and immediately felt its weight. This was a fine spear.
Yang Ye also equipped Sheng Huai'an with a suit of armor.
"Here are one thousand elite iron cavalrymen, the last of Anning Pass's reserves. Now, I entrust them to you. I hope you can lead them to gallop across the grasslands and shine brilliantly."
Sheng Huai'an looked at the thousand cavalrymen. Had they not originally said five hundred? Why had the number increased?
"They are cavalry. Charging on horseback and killing enemies is what they do best. Using them to defend the city would be a luxury. Let them go fulfill their purpose." Seeing Sheng Huai'an's confusion, Yang Ye explained.
With another five hundred cavalrymen added, their strength had doubled. Sheng Huai'an was filled with confidence.
"Mount up!"
Sheng Huai'an took the lead, stepping up onto a white warhorse.
The others mounted in neat unison.
Yang Ye looked at the iron cavalry before him. "Soldiers, I will await your triumphant return and celebrate your merits."
"Set out!"
Sheng Huai'an led the cavalry as they departed.
Including his former subordinates, there were more than one thousand and sixty riders in all. They left through Anning Pass's southern gate.
There were no grand declarations. They departed quietly, like ghosts in the night.
For a thousand cavalrymen to bypass the Xiongnu scouts' watchful eyes and enter the grasslands, they had to take a detour.
After marching through the night, before dawn, the cavalry entered the boundless grasslands.
Looking over the endless prairie, Sheng Huai'an felt a surge of emotion. He had returned.
This time, he had brought one thousand iron cavalrymen.
Before you continue