The war that had raged across the north for three whole months finally came to an end on this day.
Xianghuan City, the last unsubdued city in Liaodong Prefecture, was breached by the Zhenbei Army, and its gates slowly swung open.
The old flag embroidered with a gray wolf atop the city walls was lowered.
In its place, a red banner unfurled, snapping in the wind like a new sun rising into the sky.
Suddenly, tens of thousands of voices cried out in unison, “May the Divine Lady rule for ten thousand generations and unify the world!”
Beneath the city gates, the soldiers looked up, their sweat carving deep channels through the thick dust on their faces. They raised their swords, spears, shields, and anything else they could lift.
They waved them wildly, roaring with all their might.
“We won!”
“We can finally go home!”
“Go home! Go home! Go home!”
They embraced one another, weeping and laughing at the same time.
These soldiers included both men and women.
Having survived a grueling three-month campaign, they had long since abandoned any notions of gender segregation. On the battlefield, they were compatriots who had stared death in the face together, trusted comrades who would gladly guard each other's backs.
Hearing the earth-shattering cheers outside, a wounded soldier propped himself up from his straw mat with great effort and peered out of the tent.
Sunlight fell directly upon the newly raised banner atop the city wall, so dazzlingly bright that it was almost impossible to look away.
He looked up, staring at the flag, and grinned, only to accidentally aggravate the wound on his abdomen.
“Ouch, that really hurts!”
Beside him, another wounded soldier with an injured leg frowned at his cry of pain. “The physician told you to lie still and not move around. Why did you suddenly sit up? Don't tell me you're trying to make your injuries worse just to claim a larger payout? Our lives are so good now; don't do something so foolish!”
The military regulations of the Zhenbei Army were the most generous any soldier had ever seen. As long as they followed orders, the camp would be their home for life. Yes, indeed, a home.
If they were wounded or disabled on the battlefield, the army would provide them with funds to ensure they lived the rest of their lives free of worry.
If they unfortunately died in battle, the army would issue a pension to their families.
“Brother Wang, what are you talking about? I still have to go back to Xindu City to marry my girl. If I end up paralyzed, I'd be letting down the girl who's been waiting for me for two years.”
The young soldier lay back down on the straw mat and said with a smile, “I'm just happy that we could help the Divine Lady unify the north.”
The veteran surnamed Wang was also filled with emotion. “The Divine Lady has helped us mortals so much. It's truly wonderful that we mortals have finally managed to accomplish something significant for her...”
“Brother Wang, I think I smell meat. Old Li must be preparing the victory feast for tonight.”
“If only I could have a sip of wine too.”
The veteran laughed at him. “You're injured like this and still thinking about wine? I think you really don't want to get married after all.”
“Aw, I was just saying.”
Reports of victory were dispatched on fast horses, one after another, toward Zhenbei Prefecture.
“We won! The Zhenbei Army has pacified the north!”
Holding the letter high in his hand, the messenger whipped his horse, galloping through the streets of Xindu City while shouting at the top of his lungs.
“The Zhenbei Army will return in triumph within days!”
“A great victory for the Zhenbei Army!”
This single cry was like water poured into a boiling pot of oil.
The entire Xindu City erupted.
In a bookstore, a scholar who was browsing books dropped his volume to the ground with a soft thud in his shock.
Entirely oblivious to it, he grabbed a complete stranger beside him and said in extreme excitement, “Brother, did you hear that just now? A great victory for the Zhenbei Army! A great victory!”
The person beside him froze for a moment.
Then, he grabbed the scholar's wrist in return.
“Yes, that's right!”
The two looked at each other and burst into laughter simultaneously. “The Zhenbei Army has helped the Divine Lady unify the north!”
Although Zhenbei Prefecture had been stable, it was ultimately just a corner of the world—a quiet regret that everyone had tacitly shared.
Now that the north was unified, it meant that they, as believers of the Divine Lady, would have a much grander stage to showcase their talents!
On the second floor of a tavern, windows were flung open all at once. Several middle-aged men who looked like merchants leaned out and shouted to the street below, “Let us all drink to our hearts' content today! The drinks are on me!”
The crowd below erupted in cheers.
A group of half-grown children rushed out of their academy, dancing and running through the streets and alleys. Their crisp, clear shouts startled the sparrows on the trees, sending them fluttering into the air.
“Our Zhenbei Army won!”
At a street corner, several women gathered together. One of them was the wife of a centurion in the Zhenbei Army.
She clutched her handkerchief, twisting it out of shape. Her lips trembled slightly, yet she smiled with all her might.
“This is wonderful. The war is finally over.”
Her companion wrapped an arm around her shoulders and patted her gently. “They're coming back. They're all coming back.”
The officials of the Governor's estate also received the news. Though exhausted and haggard, every single one of them was laughing joyfully.
“Our boys from Xindu are truly outstanding!”
During this period, Pei Wanning had been coordinating the provisions for tens of thousands of troops from the rear, making her undoubtedly the busiest person of all. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, yet her gaze was exceptionally bright. “The soldiers have been fighting out there for so long, barely eating or sleeping. They must be exhausted. We must prepare good wine and food...”
“And another thing, the pensions for the soldiers must be distributed fully and promptly. We cannot let our soldiers down. Anyone who dares to harbor wicked thoughts regarding this money will be executed without mercy!”
The officials complied in unison.
Immediately, everyone went about their respective duties. They worked tirelessly, as if they were wound-up clockwork.
The setting sun dipped lower bit by bit, casting a warm orange glow over every street and alley of Xindu City.
...
Three days later.
The gates of Xindu City were packed so tightly that not a drop of water could trickle through.
The officials had all changed into new robes—new official garments that were distinct from those of the Yong Dynasty. They were red, looking festive and bright, and the officials stood in neat, orderly rows at the very front of the crowd.
The commoners had been waiting at the city gates since before dawn.
Old women carried bamboo baskets filled with melons, fruits, and pastries. Children rode on their fathers' shoulders, clutching wild flowers they had picked. Young women had dressed in their brightest, most beautiful clothes.
No one knew how much time had passed.
Finally, a cloud of dust rose on the distant horizon.
First came the sound of horse hooves, rapid and dense.
Immediately following that.
A bright red banner emerged from the dust, the large characters for “Xindu” fluttering proudly in the wind.
The procession drew near.
The two riders at the head of the column rode out side-by-side.
Shen Jue wore silver armor stained with blood, a long spear hanging beside his saddle with its tassel long since soaked a deep, dark brown.
Feng Chunya had her hair bound with a red ribbon. An unhealed scar sat at the corner of her brow, only serving to make her sharp gaze look even more formidable.
The two reined in their horses before the city gates, the sunlight illuminating their youthful faces.
The soldiers stretching out behind them resembled a long, winding dragon.
“We did not fail your expectations.”
“The twenty-six cities of the northern territory now all belong to the Divine Lady!”
Loud, enthusiastic cheers erupted instantly at the city gates.
“Wonderful! Splendid!”
The commoners surged forward like a tide.
An old man tremblingly offered a bowl of wine to Shen Jue.
Shen Jue took the bowl and drained it in a single gulp, the liquid trickling down his chin and into his collar.
Feng Chunya leaned down to accept a wildflower from a little girl who was standing on her tiptoes, easily scooping her up onto the saddle.
Sitting in front of the female general, the little girl clutched the horse's mane, swaying back and forth and laughing to reveal a gap in her teeth.
The soldiers were stuffed with pockets full of boiled eggs by older women, while young girls with blushing cheeks threw fragrant sachets into their arms...
Just as everyone was about to welcome the army into the city, a sudden golden light burst across the horizon, and a familiar figure stepped out from the light.
Rate on N.U.
