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Li Jue led his army across the Liao River and set out again from Tuolang. Passing through Xuantu City, they finally arrived at Hengshan City. Xu Zhen led many Brothers to meet them twenty miles outside the city, greeting them with the respect due to disciples.
Seeing the fierce generals under Xu Zhen, Li Jue realized they were elite among elites, and his heart was filled with joy. He took Xu Zhen by the wrist and entered the city together with her. The army encircled the city and set up camp to rest and recuperate, waiting to make proper arrangements before sweeping through Gaimu City.
Li Jue and Li Jing were known as "Li and Li," both being founding heroes of the nation, renowned for their strategic acumen and bravery. They were often compared to one another.
Although Xu Zhen had already received guidance from Li Jing, Li Jue felt he should not treat her with such affection as a disciple. However, hearing that she often achieved unexpected victories and excelled in unconventional swordplay reminded him of his own youth, which sparked his admiration for her talent.
In the past, when Yuwen Huaji assassinated Sui Yangdi in Jiangdu, King Yang Tong ascended to the throne in Eastern Capital Luoyang. He pardoned Li Mi and others, granting them titles such as Duke of Wei and appointing Li Jue as Right Marshal General, commanding him to join in the campaign against Yuwen Huaji. While Li Jue held firm at Li Yang Warehouse, Yuwen Huaji launched a fierce assault from all sides. In a critical moment, Li Jue devised a clever strategy by digging tunnels within the city to outmaneuver the enemy, leading to a great defeat of Yuwen Huaji.
This experience was a proud achievement that Li Jue never forgot. During the Tuguhun, when Ganzhou was besieged, Li Jing used tunnels which inevitably raised suspicions of having learned from Li Jue. Now that Li Jing had returned to farming, Li Jue had become the Chief Steward for the campaign against Liao, while Xu Zhen's achievements as vanguard were exceptionally brilliant. Naturally, he regarded her as a prized disciple.
Accompanied by Xu Zhen, Li Jue reviewed the vanguard troops. The main force under her command was impressive enough without mentioning Xue Rengui, Xie Anting, Zhou Cang, and many other fierce generals. Additionally, there were foreign warriors like Yin Zong and Gao He Shu among them. The main force originated from the Divine Fire Camp and had joined Xu Zhen's Divine Fire Second Camp; after integration, their strength was formidable.
Li Jue nodded frequently but was drawn to a unit on the left flank.
This formation consisted of over three thousand cavalrymen, all with braided hair and not wearing Mingguang Armor but instead dressed in long robes with chainmail over them. They wielded nine-foot-long spears that were thinner than guns or halberds, with spearheads shaped like arrow tips—clearly elite soldiers meant for charging into battle.
At the forefront stood a general eight feet tall, exuding valor with a fine beard that marked him as the leader of this unit. Upon seeing him, Li Jue's heart leaped with joy. He rode forward alongside Xu Zhen to the front of the formation and asked loudly before the leader could salute.
"Is this Kidan Dagekuga?"
Upon hearing his own name spoken by Li Jue, Khitan leader Dahe Kuge was taken aback and immediately dismounted to pay his respects. Xu Zhen was equally surprised; Yin Zong and Gao He Shu had summoned troops from Khitan and other tribes who were familiar with each other. Since she had just begun to know Dahe Kuge through their joint battles, she marveled at how perceptive Li Jue was to recognize him instantly!
The Khitan tribe originally consisted of northeastern nomadic peoples who practiced both agriculture and animal husbandry. They were divided into eight tribes until they unified during the Tang Dynasty into what was known as the Daha Clan Alliance. The Khitan had previously submitted to Turkic influences before officially aligning with Tang after its victory over Turkic forces.
Xu Zhen had already reported everyone's achievements up the chain. To stabilize these tribes' morale and boost their spirits, Sovereign appointed Dahe Kuge as Left Guard General to demonstrate Tang's grace and power. In public, Li Jue read out the decree of appointment; three thousand Khitan cavalrymen shouted in unison with great fervor that stirred all three armies!
The Xianbei forces were somewhat weaker but traditionally relied on Khitan and Mohe as their main strength. Seeing Khitan's leader receive an appointment filled them with envy; fortunately for them, both Xianbei and Mohe also received rewards shortly after. However, among these three tribes, Mohe held more power but lacked the combat prowess of Khitan warriors; thus their rewards were not as prominent as those given to Khitan.
Mohe Chieftain Tukeli Although he was also granted the title of Third Rank, he was not a general of the Sixteen Guard, but merely awarded the title of General of Returned Virtue, a military honorary position, which ultimately made him inferior to Dahe Kuge.
Tukeli was a deep and reserved person, not as brave and martial as Dahe Kuge. However, his background was exceptionally remarkable; his father was Tudiji, and his brother was Li Jinxiang, who was granted a surname by the Tang Dynasty!
His father, Tudiji, was the chieftain of the Mohe Tribe. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, he led over a thousand followers to submit to Sui and settled in Yingzhou. He was appointed as Grand Minister of Golden Purple and Liaoxi Governor. During the early years of Martial Virtue, he paid tribute to the court, and his tribe was designated as Yan Prefecture, where he was appointed as Commander. When Liu Heita rebelled, Tudiji went to Dingzhou and submitted a petition to Qin Wang, requesting military governance. He was rewarded with the title of Duke of Qi for his military achievements and relocated his tribe to Changping.
Tukeli had no accomplishments from his father or brother. He wandered among the tribes, relying on family influence to lead the strong warriors of his tribe. Initially, he sought to marry a Tang Princess. Although he received some hints in secret, he still failed in the Marriage Trial. Feeling dissatisfied, he became quite negligent during wartime. Now, with fewer achievements than others, he harbored resentment and complaints.
The complaints were not limited to just Mohe Tukeli. There were also discontent among those under Xu Zhenbu. In terms of military achievements, who could compare to Xu Zhen? Why had they not seen any rewards for their own lord for so long?
Seeing that Xu Zhenbu's expression was grim, Li Jue understood that Xu Zhen had considerable support among the people. He felt extremely satisfied and decided not to keep them in suspense any longer. He immediately took out a document to announce that due to her repeated military achievements in clearing obstacles for the Tang Dynasty's campaigns against Liao, Xu Zhen would be promoted to Left Vanguard General, receiving a Third Rank honor from her previous position as a Colonel Murong Xiao in the light infantry. Her subordinates would also receive rewards!
Upon this announcement, the entire army was shaken!
Initially, Xu Zhen was merely an inconspicuous figure in Chang'an City, dependent on others. Yet now, in less than two years, she had become a Third Rank general. Apart from those noble families and royal offspring, how many commoners could achieve such a noble title?!!!
Qin Guang, Xue Dayi, and others who had followed Xu Zhen since the Tuguhun were now overwhelmed with excitement upon seeing their lord finally promoted to general. Tears streamed down the faces of Zhang Jiunian and other members of the Red Armored Fourteen Guards. Others might not know it, but they were well aware that their lord bore more scars than any one of them!
Initially insignificant figures like Xue Rengui and Xie Anting had now also received great rewards alongside Xu Zhen, becoming pillars of the military and naturally feeling honored.
Afterward, Li Jue rewarded the entire army, leading to citywide celebrations. The newly appointed Left Vanguard General Xu Zhen invited the Duke and Chief of Military Operations into the city lord's mansion and ceded her residence to Li Jue.
However, Li Jue was not someone who sought comfort; after the victory banquet, he summoned all generals to discuss matters late into the night, urgently planning an attack on Gaimu City.
With rewards received, everyone felt joyful and their minds became more active. They were willing to exert themselves and contributed various strategies. After collective brainstorming, they finally settled on a plan before each returned home to rest.
Returning home in low spirits, Zhang Jian sighed deeply. When a maid brought him water for washing his feet, he accidentally scalded himself upon dipping his foot in. His face twisted in pain as he jumped up cursing and kicked the maid over!
"Good for you, Xu Zhen!"
After driving the Maid away, Zhang Jian angrily cursed. He was an old general, a second-rank General, and who in the court would dare to disrespect him?
However, ever since Xu Zhen arrived in Yingzhou, he had repeatedly found himself at a disadvantage, forced to endure humiliation while watching Xu Zhen take on the role of Chief of Military Operations. He could only follow behind, transporting supplies and cleaning up the battlefield, taking care of the mess for Xu Zhen. As a Governor, he had never suffered such indignities!
While Zhang Jian was feeling dejected, Murong Hanzhu entered gracefully, raising the wine jug in his hand. Without greeting anyone, he sat down across from Zhang Jian.
Murong Hanzhu was a staff member and personal aide to Changsun Wuji and the Crown Prince. Since Zhang Jian was from the same faction, there was no need for concealment. The two drowned their sorrows in wine until late into the night. Only then did Murong Hanzhu reluctantly leave. Zhang Jian, however, could not sleep anymore. He hurriedly donned his armor and went out to patrol near the city gate.
Li Jue's army was stationed two miles outside the West City Gate. In comparison, Zhang Jian's troops only needed to guard the South City Gate. Everyone knew about the discord between Zhang Jian and Xu Zhenzhi; thus, when they saw the Governor coming to patrol at night, they dared not speak out of turn and stood solemnly along the City Wall.
Zhang Jian climbed up to the City Wall and found Han Fuqi on duty. He pulled him into the shadows and whispered something. Suddenly, Han Fuqi gasped in surprise and quickly covered his mouth.
After sending Zhang Jian off, Han Fuqi felt somewhat distracted. He tried several times to step down from the City Wall but kept turning back. As he walked a few steps with his head down, his waist blade scraped against a garrison soldier's spear. The other garrison soldiers were puzzled to see the usually bold Han Simar looking so lost.
Han Fuqi furrowed his brow and gazed at the night scene below the city, letting out a long sigh. Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly felt a gust of wind behind him and someone grabbed his shoulder!
"Looking for death!"
Startled by his own thoughts, Han Fuqi jumped and hurriedly reached for his blade, but a strong hand grasped the hilt tightly. Zhou Cang's loud voice immediately complained.
"Han brother, why are you so startled?"
Turning around, Han Fuqi saw Zhou Cang bringing food to drink with him at night. His heart raced as if he were experiencing that feeling again from when he first killed someone.
Seeing Han Fuqi so timid and speechless, Zhou Cang paid him no mind. He set up food on the City Wall and called over several other garrison soldiers to join them in drinking with Han Fuqi.
Han Fuqi forced a smile, having had a few drinks, but his gaze kept drifting toward the direction of the Lord's Manor.
At this moment in the Lord's Manor, Li Jue and Xu Zhen sat facing each other. Xu Zhen performed the disciple's greeting and poured out all her experiences along the way. Though her words were simple and unembellished, Li Jue listened with great interest. When it came to the tense and critical moments, he secretly felt anxious for Xu Zhen, as if he saw his own youthful self reflected in her story.
The two of them enjoyed their drinks and conversation, and before they knew it, it was already midnight. The candlelight accompanied Li Jue's hearty laughter, echoing far away.
The guards stationed at the door heard the laughter and felt nothing but envy and resentment toward Xu Zhen. After all these years, how many people could share such a joyful drink with Li Jue?
Just as he was lost in thought, the guard's expression suddenly changed; in the darkness outside, a shadow seemed to flash by!
"Who goes there!"
The guard swiftly drew his sword, his left hand already reaching for a crossbow, his finger poised on the trigger as he raised his hand!
"Thud!"
In the end, the guard's finger did not pull the trigger; a short arrow pierced cleanly through his throat. His eyes widened in anger as blood sputtered from his mouth. Before his body could hit the ground, someone caught him and dragged him into the darkness!
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