The battle was over. Lu Xiaolin led the remaining soldiers, patrolling the mountain path and finishing off any Tiele soldier still breathing.

Zhao Huanxi sat on a stone by the roadside, staring at his blood-stained hands which were trembling uncontrollably. He clenched his fists tightly, trying to suppress the trembling, but it was completely beyond his control.

A broad hand rested on his shoulder, making him flinch. He looked up.

Lu Xiaolin had sat down beside him.

“It’s all right, Xiao Zhao Jiangjun. For your first time on the battlefield, you’ve done very well,” he said.

Zhao Huanxi looked at him, recalling the arrow wound he had suffered earlier, and couldn’t help but ask, “Your injury…”

Lu Xiaolin grinned and said, “It’s fine. I won’t die.” He glanced at Zhao Huanxi’s left sleeve which was stained with blood, and remarked, “You’re hurt too. Does it hurt?”

Following his gaze, Zhao Huanxi looked at his left arm and discovered a cut he hadn’t noticed before.

Somewhat dazed, he said, “I didn’t even realize it until you mentioned it. It doesn’t seem to hurt at all.”

Lu Xiaolin replied, “That’s how it is on the battlefield. There’s a fire burning in your heart, and it burns away all the pain and fear. But once the battle’s over, all that pain and fear comes rushing back.”

Cao Sandao walked over with a cloth bandage tied around his shoulder and sat down on Zhao Huanxi’s other side.

Zhao Huanxi glanced at his shoulder.

“It’s just one cut, no big deal,” Cao Sandao said. “Do you know why they call me Cao Sandao? It means I can take three cuts and still won’t die.”

三刀 (Sandao) literally means Three Blades or Three Cuts.

Zhao Huanxi managed a bitter smile.

Cao Sandao asked Lu Xiaolin, “How did it go?”

Lu Xiaolin replied, “We killed forty-nine Tiele soldiers and let one escape. On our side, we lost thirty-three brothers, with five seriously wounded. We haven’t counted the lightly injured yet.”

Zhao Huanxi watched as the lightly injured or unscathed soldiers separated the bodies of their fallen comrades from those of the Tiele soldiers, carrying them to the roadside. His heart trembled again.

“Rest for a while. We’ll move on shortly,” Lu Xiaolin said.

They were still too close to the entrance of Baishi Gorge, not far enough to effectively lure the enemy deeper. They had to keep pressing forward.

Tong Xiaohu came over with medicine and bandages, intending to treat Zhao Huanxi’s wound. However, Zhao Huanxi insisted he tend to Lu Xiaolin first.

With his clothes on, Lu Xiaolin’s injuries weren’t apparent, but once he took them off, his body was covered in wounds.

Tong Xiaohu looked at the pitifully small amount of bandages in his hands and scratched his head awkwardly.

“What are you standing there for? Trying to freeze me to death? Just plug up the bloody hole from the arrow, that’s enough. Don’t bother with the rest,” Lu Xiaolin said.

“Oh.” Tong Xiaohu stepped forward and, with somewhat clumsy movements, treated the arrow wound on Lu Xiaolin.

After resting briefly, the group carried the wounded and continued onward. It wasn’t until evening that they found a sheltered mountain hollow with a good vantage point to stop and rest.

There were no trees here, but plenty of shrubs, allowing them to barely light three campfires.

After dinner, Zhao Huanxi tore half of his inner garment and used a fire-charred shrub branch as a pen to write the nine characters “Record of Fallen Soldiers at Baishi Gorge” on the cloth. Then, he asked Lu Xiaolin and Cao Sandao for the names of the fallen soldiers and carefully wrote each one down.

A soldier nearby asked, “Jiangjun, why are you writing down these names?”

Zhao Huanxi replied, “They gave their lives for the nation. Their families should receive compensation.”

“But according to the rules, only officers at the rank of captain or higher are eligible for compensation. Us low-ranking soldiers only joined to spare our families from taxes, if we die, there’s no compensation.”

Zhao Huanxi paused, gripping the branch tightly, and said, “If the court won’t give compensation, then the Zhao Family will.”

The soldiers, hearing this, brightened up. One said eagerly, “Well, that’s great! Jiangjun, my name is Liu Daniu. Be sure to remember me!”

“Me too, me too! My name is Zhang Jinshan,” another soldier said, raising his hand.

“And I’m Tang Youyu.”

“My name’s Ma Xiucai.”

“Hahaha! How did a ‘Xiucai’ end up in the army?”

秀才 (Xiucai) is a title given to scholars who passed the imperial examination at the county level.

“My name is Xiucai, but I’m not an actual Xiucai!”

“Hahahahaha!”

“Jiangjun, don’t forget me! I’m Wang Jizu!”

“And I’m Sun Goudan!”

…..

Zhao Huanxi looked at the faces in the night—some near, some far, some familiar, some unfamiliar—all illuminated by the flickering firelight, each pair of eyes shining brightly. His own eyes gradually grew moist.

After everyone had finished calling out their names, he raised his left hand and shouted, “And me! My name is Zhao Huanxi!”

The soldiers all looked at him warmly. At that moment, he finally felt that he had completely become a part of this group.

The moonlight shines silently, gazing at a small, lively valley amidst the cold and desolate stone mountains.

Similarly, under the clear light of the moon, Jing Guogong Residence is peaceful at this moment.

Xu Nian’an’s due date is in the next few days. Yin Furen does not allow her to move around much, and her meals are served in her room three times a day. Yin Furen was worried that it might be difficult for her to give birth for the first time, so throughout the pregnancy, she has advised her to eat smaller meals more frequently. As a result, even though it’s nearly time for Xu Nian’an to give birth, her belly hasn’t grown excessively. She feels that her daily activities are unaffected, but she doesn’t want to worry those around her just to take a few extra steps.

During this period, her three older sisters-in-law frequently return home to check on her, bringing many small toys for the baby. Although the child hasn’t been born yet, clothes and toys have already been collected in large quantities, filling up entire boxes.

Today, her fourth sister-in-law sent over a newly made light yellow velvet fabric mouse (a plushie toy). The small, chubby mouse had its eyes and nose embroidered on, making it look lively, adorable, and playful.

Looking at this velvet fabric mouse, Xu Nian’an couldn’t help but think of Zhao Huanxi’s golden pony. Eight months had passed in the blink of an eye. Although he often sent letters home, she still missed him dearly, her heart aching with longing.

She wondered when he would be able to return. Would he be home by the time the child starts calling him “Dad”?

Xu Nian’an imagined his surprised expression when he returned and found a child calling him “Dad”, and couldn’t help but smile.

“What are you laughing at by yourself while looking at a mouse?” As soon as Yin Furen entered the room, she saw her daughter-in-law sitting there with a smile and couldn’t help but ask with a chuckle.

“Mom, you have come.” Since her pregnancy, Yin Furen had stopped Xu Nian’an from standing up when she met her, so Xu Nian’an simply sat while greeting her.

Yin Furen sat down opposite her and, noticing the velvet fabric mouse in her hand, said, “They say children born in the Year of the Rat are clever. I hope that’s true. Let’s not have him be as foolish as his father.”

Xu Nian’an knew that Zhao Huanxi’s departure to Liaodong was a sore point for Yin Furen, so she didn’t bring it up. Instead, she said, “Mom, you have been waking up early and staying up late to worry about me these past few days. You look like you have lost weight. I’m fine here, Mingli and Songyun are taking turns keeping me company.”

Yin Furen scolded gently, “How would you know the dangers of a woman’s first childbirth if you haven’t experienced it yourself? When I gave birth to Huanxi, his position was wrong. I endured labor for a whole day and night without giving birth, almost losing both my life and his. Fortunately, the midwife we hired Chu Family’s Da Shen was very experienced. She corrected Huanxi’s position through the belly, and only then was he born. Chu Family’s Da Shen passed away a few years ago, and her daughter, Chu Er Niangzi, took over her practice. I’ve had her help with Jiashan and Jiaxian’s deliveries, she’s very reliable. When Jiazhen and you goes into labor, we’ll have to ask her to attend.”

Xu Nian’an nodded.

Yin Furen then advised, “You’re about to give birth, don’t overthink things. Go to bed early tonight and rest well. This little one could come at any time, and when the moment comes, it will be a tough battle for you.”

Xu Nian’an smiled and replied, “I understand, Mom. I’ll go to sleep soon.”

Yin Furen watched as the maidservants helped her wash up, settle her in bed, and make sure she was comfortable. She then reminded Songyun and the others to keep someone in the room to stay awake with her throughout the night. Only after then did she finally leaves, feeling reassured.

In the makeshift camp of the Tiele army, located outside the stone mountain range, deep in the night.

The Tiele soldiers who escaped from the Baishi Gorge were brought to Gudesiqin’s tent. Kneeling on the ground, they reported to Gudesiqin, who was seated by the fire pit, about the situation in Baishi Gorge.

Upon hearing that the ambush squad in Baishi Gorge had been completely wiped out, Gudesiqin’s eyes sharpened, and he asked, “Who led the team?”

“It was a young man, looked very young, and the soldiers called him ‘Xiao Zhao Jiangjun’,” the Tiele soldier reported in Tiele language.

“Xiao Zhao Jiangjun? He must be the grandson of that Zhao Family’s old dog. Da Wang, allow Mo Jiang to lead troops to capture him, to display the power of Da Wang campaign!” A general named Mijiang Nahan, one of Gudesiqin’s subordinates, stood up to request permission.

Gudesiqin nodded.

Mijiang Nahan immediately went out and ordered one hundred cavalry to be assembled. Led by the surviving Tiele soldier, they rode through the night toward Baishi Gorge.

At dawn, when the first rays of morning light illuminated the vast snowfields, Brigade General Yu Rongwei hurried to the barracks of Garrison Guard Gu Junwei in Ruidong Fortress. He reported to Li Ying inside, saying, “Zhenshou, scouts from the front have reported that Mijiang Nahan has entered Baishi Gorge with a hundred cavalry. What should we do?”

Li Ying looked at the sand table in front of him and replied, “Hold our position.”

“But what if Xiao Zhao Jiangjun and his men can’t hold out? Since Gudesiqin sent Mijiang Nahan, it’s clear that he has seen through the plot and will not come,” Yu Rongwei said.

“You are wrong,” Li Ying said, raising his gaze and calmly looking at him. “This has never been a plot, it’s an open strategy.”

Yu Rongwei was stunned.

“As long as Mijiang Nahan doesn’t come out, Gudesiqin will certainly go.”

Yu Rongwei didn’t ask what would happen if Mijiang Nahan came out, because it no longer needed to be asked.

Zhao Huanxi and his group were still advancing deeper into Baishi Gorge. Around the beginning of Si hour (around 9 a.m.), a distant whistle suddenly echoed in their ears. It was the warning signal from the three heavily wounded soldiers who had voluntarily stayed behind to watch, as they couldn’t move forward and didn’t want to burden their comrades.

“The enemy is coming!” Lu Xiaolin looked around, pointed to a hill ahead that seemed climbable, and said, “Get to higher ground!”

More than sixty people climbed up the stone slope and hid in ambush. Soon, a group of cavalry appeared, running toward the gorge.

Zhao Huanxi looked at the Tiele general leading the group and quietly asked Lu Xiaolin, “Is that Gudesiqin?”

“No, Gudesiqin is younger than this man. He likes to wear a black bear skin cloak. I heard that he was injured in the leg by Zhao Lao Jiangjun in his early years, so he always lays a red rug on his saddle to reduce the friction between his injured leg and the saddle. This man is probably one of his generals,” Lu Xiaolin replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, they saw the Tiele cavalry below pointing in their direction and shouting loudly in Tiele language.

They had been discovered. Without hesitation, Lu Xiaolin stood up, grabbed a nearby stone, and began throwing it down, shouting, “Throw with me!”

For a moment, stones rained down from above, and the Tiele cavalry were struck, with many suffering from head injuries and falling from their horses. However, due to the limitations of the terrain, they couldn’t retreat and dismounted, they could only charging up the slope.

Lu Xiaolin also led his men down to confront them, and the battle was about to break out.

During the charge, Zhao Huanxi inadvertently turned his head and saw Tong Xiaohu beside him. He immediately stopped and shoved him backward, saying, “Stay behind and help the wounded!”

“But…”

Before Tong Xiaohu could finish, Zhao Huanxi turned and ran forward.

The Tiele cavalry were much stronger than the soldiers they had encountered earlier in Baishi Gorge. Their combat ability was significantly greater.

“Capture the leader first!” Cao Sandao spat and charged toward Mijiang Nahan.

He had already suffered a serious shoulder injury, and he was no match for Mijiang Nahan. However, driven by sheer courage, he managed to leave a wound on Mijiang Nahan’s arm before being knocked to the ground.

Mijiang Nahan’s eagle-like eyes locked onto Zhao Huanxi, who was wearing bright armor. He shouted something in Tiele language, and immediately, the Tiele soldiers began to fight fiercely while surrounding Zhao Huanxi.

Zhao Huanxi was engaged in combat with a Tiele soldier. His fighting experience was limited, but thanks to the hand-to-hand combat training he had received during his months at the Guangning camp, he managed to hold his own. If he had still been in the state he was when he first arrived from the capital, he would have been dead the moment he stepped into the fray.

Even so, Zhao Huanxi found the battle extremely difficult. The Tiele soldiers were fierce and tenacious, and they had the advantage in momentum. Zhao Huanxi was exhausted from fending off attacks and had sustained multiple injuries. Fortunately, a nearby soldier, after cutting down the Tiele soldier who had been tangled with him, turned and helped Zhao Huanxi, giving him a moment to catch his breath.

The battle was not going well. As Lu Xiaolin fought, he scanned the area and saw several familiar figures. He shouted loudly, “Zhang Jinshan, Ma Xiucai, Meng Han! Kill the leader first!”

The three men responded and, while fighting, broke off to charge toward Mijiang Nahan.

Mijiang Nahan sneered, and after a fierce battle, he cut down two of them. Finally, with one last strike, he drove his blade into the abdomen of the tall and strong Ma Xiucai. But instead of retreating, Ma Xiucai lunged forward, grabbing Mijiang Nahan in a tight embrace and shouting, “Duizhang—!”

Lu Xiaolin, who had been protecting Zhao Huanxi from the encircling Tiele soldiers, saw this and, his eyes bloodshot with rage, tried to rush over to deal with Mijiang Nahan. However, he was immediately tangled up with more Tiele soldiers.

In the delay, several Tiele soldiers came from behind and struck Ma Xiucai with several blows. Blood poured from the corners of his mouth, but he still clung tightly to Mijiang Nahan, refusing to let go despite Mijiang Nahan’s desperate struggles and blows. He held on until his arms were severed, the broken limbs still hanging from his body.

During the struggle, several more soldiers charged in and pinned down Mijiang Nahan from all directions, preventing him from moving.

The Tiele soldiers, desperate, threw themselves forward, disregarding everything to try and save Mijiang Nahan.

The nearest soldier, at the cost of one of his arms, quickly broke free from the Tiele soldier he had been fighting, then turned and, in a swift motion, drove his sword through Mijiang Nahan’s chest from behind. He too was pierced by a blade from a Tiele soldier who had rushed in.

Six soldiers, working together, sacrificed their lives to take Mijiang Nahan’s life in return.

This was in a gorge where cavalry couldn’t make full use of their advantage. Had Mijiang Nahan been on horseback, it was uncertain how many soldiers of their soldiers would have slaughtered.

Lu Xiaolin let out a beast-like roar, cutting down Tiele soldiers in a frenzy.

Zhao Huanxi was overwhelmed with immense sorrow, a sorrow that filled him with both pain and anger. Death no longer scared him, but what mattered now was not allowing his comrades to die in vain.

He wanted to scream, but the words wouldn’t come out. His throat was choked with grief. Yet that didn’t stop him from throwing himself into the fight.

In moments of burning rage, a person becomes like a puppet, responding instinctively to external stimuli, performing actions without any consideration for their meaning.

Mijiang Nahan’s death had, to some extent, dealt a blow to the morale of the Tiele soldiers. By the end of the battle, the entire Tiele cavalry was annihilated, and on Zhao Huanxi’s side, only four remained standing.

Zhao Huanxi’s armor was torn and bloodied, his hand that gripped the knife trembling slightly from exhaustion. He gasped for breath, watching as Tong Xiaohu rushed over to support the staggering Lu Xiaolin, while another standing soldier, Qiao Shizhong, collapsed onto a Tiele soldier’s corpse, completely drained.

Once he regained some strength, Zhao Huanxi took up his blade and began to survey the battlefield, doing what Lu Xiaolin and the others had once done. He delivered the finishing blows to the still-breathing Tiele soldiers, and dragged his surviving comrades from the heap of bodies.

As he performed these tasks, his heart felt like stagnant water, devoid of any emotion.

Cao Sandao had a gash over an inch long on his back from Mijiang Nahan’s strike, but he was still alive. Perhaps, as he had bragged, he could survive three cuts without dying.

As night fell, a bonfire was lit atop the stone mountain, a fair distance from the battlefield.

When they had set out, there were two squads of soldiers along with Zhao Huanxi, a total of one hundred and one men. Now, only seven remained—four severely wounded, two lightly injured, and Tong Xiaohu, who was almost unharmed.

Tong Xiaohu sat by the fire, silent, occasionally wiping his eyes with his sleeve. During the chaos earlier, he had dragged fifteen wounded comrades to safety, but now only three of them were still alive.

Zhao Huanxi held a charred branch in his hand, using it to write out the “List of the Fallen Soldiers of Baishi Gorge” on a rock. As Lu Xiaolin read out the names, Zhao Huanxi meticulously wrote each one, stroke by stroke.

After the names were read, Lu Xiaolin pressed his hand against the still-bleeding wound on his chest, leaned back against a large rock, and looked up at the stars. “I really want to drink ah!” he sighed. “After my daughter was born, I buried two jars of Daughter Red wine under the peach tree behind my house. I don’t know which brat will end up getting them.”

“How old is your daughter? I haven’t even married yet. If you’re worried, how about let me this lousy kid take her,” Qiao Shizhong asked with a smile, munching on a flatbread.

“Get lost! My daughter is only ten!” Lu Xiaolin kicked him with his leg, laughing and scolding.

Qiao Shizhong turned to Zhao Huanxi and asked, “Xiao Zhao Jiangjun, your child must still be in your arms (still a baby), right? Is it a boy or a girl?”

Zhao Huanxi shook his head. “I don’t have any children yet.”

Qiao Shizhong was surprised. “Didn’t you say you got married in the Sixth Month of two years ago? How is it that you still don’t have kids? Xiao Zhao Jiangjun, you’re no good!”

Zhao Huanxi smiled and admitted, “Yes ah, I’m not very good at it.”

Lu Xiaolin sighed. “It’s better this way, no need to worry. A wife, if she wants, can remarry. But if a child loses their father, they really never get one back for life.”

Qiao Shizhong replied, “Who says that? If the wife remarries, the child gets a father again. A stepfather is still a father.”

Lu Xiaolin kicked him again.

Zhao Huanxi carefully folded up the list of fallen soldiers and looked up at the night sky. The moonlight was so bright,tomorrow should be a clear day.

At the temporary camp of the Tiele army, Gudesiqin, still waiting for Mijiang Nahan to return past midnight, had a progressively darker expression. He summoned his subordinates and asked, “Any movements at Ruidong Fort?”

The subordinate replied, “The gates are tightly shut, no unusual activity.”

No unusual activity, does it meant that Mijiang Nahan had fallen to Zhao Kaishuo’s grandson?

His eyes grew fierce as he snapped the lamb rib he was holding. He ordered the generals accompanying him to be woken. He intended to revise his battle plan.

When the Tiele generals heard that he planned to go to Baishi Gorge to capture Zhao Kaishuo’s grandson, they all voiced their objections.

“Dawang, this is clearly a trap set by Li Ying for you. The terrain of Baishi Gorge is disadvantageous for our cavalry. You must not put yourself in danger. I am willing to go in your stead to Baishi Gorge and capture Zhao Kaishuo’s grandson alive!”

Gudesiqin sneered coldly, “I know this is a trap set by Li Ying for me. I intend to teach him a lesson, to let him know that in the face of absolute strength, any schemes and tricks are nothing but jokes. I will take Zhao Kaishuo’s grandson’s head and raise it on our great flag, parading it in front of Ruidong Fort, so that the soldiers and civilians of the Qing Dynasty can fully appreciate the ‘brilliant’ strategies of their lord!”

The generals tried to persuade him again, but Gudesiqin’s expression turned icy. “Do you think I cannot handle Zhao Kaishuo’s grandson, or do you lack confidence in your ability to block Li Ying in front of Baishi Gorge? I’ll go in, take him, and return. It will take at most one hour. You think you can’t hold on?”

When the generals saw him angered, they could only bow and salute. “We will obey Dawang’s command!”

At Ruidong Fort, Li Ying received word from his scouts that Mijiang Nahan had not emerged from Baishi Gorge by nightfall. He let out a deep sigh of relief and immediately summoned the fort’s defenders, along with his subordinate commanders and the guerilla general, to make preparations for the battle the following day.

Many did not understand why Li Ying was so certain that Gudesiqin would enter Baishi Gorge, but regardless of whether he did or not, the battle had to be fought. Taking the initiative was always better than waiting passively.

✦

At Jing Guogong Residence, in Jiaxiang House side room.

Mingli, who was incharge of keeping watch tonight, disturbed by the movement from the bed. Looking up, she saw Xu Nian’an, drenched in sweat, her eyebrows furrowed deeply as she tossed and turned on the pillow.

Since her pregnancy had progressed, Xu Nian’an had started sweating more than before, but not like this. It seemed she was haunted by a nightmare.

Mingli grew anxious, sitting on the edge of the bed, using a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Xu Nian’an’s forehead while softly calling, “Xiaojie, Xiaojie?”

Xu Nian’an suddenly woke up with a start, gasping for breath and instinctively looking towards the empty space of the bed. When she saw no one, her gaze landed on Mingli’s face.

“Xiaojie, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” Mingli asked.

Xu Nian’an’s emotions fluctuated as she recalled the scene from her dream, feeling an overwhelming sense of foreboding.

In the past few months, although she had missed Zhao Huanxi, she had rarely dreamed of him. But just now, she had dreamt of him returning to say goodbye, right here in this room, standing on the empty space in front of the bed.

He was already in Liaodong, so why would he be bidding her farewell?

Xu Nian’an calmed herself and reminded herself that it was just a dream, and there was no need to overthink it.

“Help me sit up, I’m a bit thirsty,” she said.

Mingli reached out to help her sit up and went to pour some water. But as she turned around, she saw Xu Nian’an holding her stomach, with a look of pain on her face.

“Xiaojie, what’s wrong? Is your stomach hurting?” Mingli asked.

Xu Nian’an nodded.

Mingli panicked, carrying the water cup to the outer room and calling to the night watchmaid, “Hurry, go inform Taitai. San Nainai is going into labor!”