Ahanli roughly recounted the contents of Princess Axiang's letter from back then.
"The message definitely got through, because my mother received Marquis Xu's reply saying he already knew about the situation in the Northern Frontier," he muttered. "Since you said the Great Zhou didn't receive it, it's also possible that Marquis Xu thought my mother's request to return home was too troublesome, so he didn't tell the Emperor of Great Zhou and only mentioned other things."
Qu Dubian didn't even have to think about it. "Grandfather would never do that."
"There's only one possibility. The letter Grandfather received wasn't the same as the one you sent." He adjusted his pain sensitivity back to ten percent and slowly pulled his clothes on, putting on his inner garment.
"To verify this now, we can only find someone who has seen that letter."
Grandfather was currently unconscious. Marquis Xia Hong had definitely seen it, but he was in the capital. Aside from him, it could only be someone close to Grandfather.
The one who had always been by Grandfather's side was Uncle Lang Qing.
Qu Dubian said, "Liuliu, go find Uncle Lang Qing and ask him to come over."
Ahanli asked, "Since you suspect a mole swapped the letter, can anyone else be trusted besides you, me, and Marquis Xu?"
"They can," Qu Dubian said earnestly. "If Uncle Lang Qing hadn't cleared the way at the front, breaking through one side of the encirclement and carving out a sliver of hope, Grandfather and I would have undoubtedly died tonight."
Only then did Ahanli fall silent.
After Yi Shier brought Lang Qing to the tent, he stood guard at the entrance, keeping outsiders away.
"Your Seventh Highness. Your Highness Ahanli."
Ahanli's lips twitched. "I'm just a remnant of the old royal court. Don't call me Your Highness, just use my name."
The three sat in a circle. Qu Dubian gave a brief overview of the situation. As Lang Qing listened, his expression turned grim. "I saw Princess Axiang's last letter. It absolutely did not contain anything about wanting to return home like Ahanli mentioned."
After all, three years had passed. He recalled carefully, "But I remember the handwriting on that letter was undoubtedly Princess Axiang's, and it bore her seal."
Qu Dubian asked, "Who delivered the letter?"
Lang Qing replied, "It was one of the hidden contacts managed by General Xia Hong at the time. Due to border skirmishes, they frequently changed positions. Later, when the Northern Frontier's royal court fell, the hidden line Princess Axiang used to contact us was destroyed. The people involved are probably all dead."
With the regime change, Jirgal would never leave anyone alive who could contact the Great Zhou.
"Actually, I found it strange too." Lang Qing hesitated for a moment before voicing his own suspicions. "When the Northern Frontier besieged the Central First City, it seemed as if they were intimately familiar with our internal defenses during their attack. They knew exactly where we were weak and where it would be easiest to breach, which is why the city gates fell so quickly."
Ahanli was still resentful, his voice tinged with emotion as he spoke. "Someone who can interfere with the defenses and tamper with letters... you didn't even realize you had been infiltrated by foreign enemies to this extent."
"...The letter was our oversight," Lang Qing said, wiping his face. "But the defense layouts were basically adjusted and modified solely by the Marquis and me. Furthermore, during combat readiness, absolutely no one is allowed in or out of the city. It's impossible for it to have been leaked."
Qu Dubian pondered, "Who could possibly know the entire defense layout of the city?"
"The Marquis, myself, the three generals responsible for rotating patrols, and the Border Army Inspectorate. However, we can't rule out others knowing. After all, they might have disclosed it to those close to them."
That wasn't a small circle of suspects.
Searching them out one by one would be too troublesome.
It would be better to throw out bait and wait for the fish to bite.
Qu Dubian beckoned with his finger and whispered a few words into Lang Qing's ear.
Lang Qing asked, "So straightforward? Will it work?"
Qu Dubian replied, "Those with guilty consciences won't be able to sit still."
Ahanli asked, "What are you guys talking about?"
Qu Dubian said, "We need your cooperation. You are Aunt Axiang's child, exiled by the Northern Frontier, and narrowly escaped death to arrive at the Second City. Because you miss your mother, you want to keep her last letter as a memento for comfort."
Ahanli understood. They were using him as bait.
Lang Qing said, "I will spread the word that the letter is kept in General Xia Hong's former residence in the Second City, and then send men to watch for any suspicious activity. What about the patrols in the Second City for the next two days..."
"Suspend them entirely," Qu Dubian said. "City defenses will rotate every two days, and the Inspectorate's daily inspections are to be halted."
Lang Qing said, "Your Highness, the Inspectorate is not under our jurisdiction."
Qu Dubian replied, "Anyone who disobeys will be dealt with under military law. If they have any problems, tell them to come find me."
Lang Qing said, "Yes, sir!"
Prince Ming was a member of the imperial family, making it hard for soldiers like them to refuse him, but the Seventh Prince was different—he had come as a direct representative of the imperial family itself.
Just as they finished talking, a soldier requested an audience. Yi Shier led him inside.
The moment the soldier entered, he said, "General, Your Highness, the Marquis's condition is not good."
Qu Dubian stood up abruptly. Due to blood loss, his vision went black for a moment. Yi Shier quickly caught his arm.
Qu Dubian shook his head, grabbed his outer coat nearby, draped it over his shoulders, and headed straight for the medical tent where Xu Jin was being treated.
Xia Fuyang was inside the tent, his eyes grave. Seeing Qu Dubian lift the flap and enter, his expression softened slightly.
"You're here. How are your wounds?"
"They're mostly healed."
Qu Dubian's gaze fell upon his unconscious grandfather on the bed. Basins of bloody water filled the tent; just stopping the bleeding had taken a considerable amount of time.
"How is Grandfather?"
The military doctor wiped his sweat. "To answer Your Highness, discounting the other minor wounds, the Marquis has three fatal injuries on his body." He pointed to Xu Jin's chest, his ribs, and just above his dantian. "A sword pierced his heart, damaging the heart meridian. This blade wound in the middle injured his lungs, causing blood to flow backward and seep out. The last spot, his dantian is somewhat damaged, causing his true qi to be chaotic and severely lowering his ability to gather it."
"These are all fatal, but the most critical issue is that the Marquis has long harbored accumulated hidden injuries. With this severe trauma, they have all erupted at once. I've been robbing Peter to pay Paul just to barely keep the Marquis clinging to his last breath."
That last breath could give out at any moment.
"What needs to be done to stabilize Grandfather's condition?"
The military doctor sighed. "The General is a martial artist. If the damage to his dantian could be somewhat repaired, allowing his true qi to circulate, his symptoms would lessen. It's just that he currently cannot withstand the impact of external internal energy; his own internal energy will unconsciously reject it."
Qu Dubian remembered the characteristics of the true qi from the Mianshou Art and quickly made a decision. "Let me try."
Under the military doctor's hesitant gaze, he walked to the bedside and placed two fingers on Xu Jin's pulse.
An extremely feeble beat.
The military doctor, Xia Fuyang, Lang Qing, and the others all grew tense.
Qu Dubian took a deep breath and tentatively channeled in a bit of internal energy.
His internal energy was like gentle, accommodating water, not stirring up the slightest ripple within Xu Jin's body.
Qu Dubian said, "There's no rejection."
The internal energy circulated once through Xu Jin's body, finally coming to rest at his grandfather's damaged dantian, where the true qi provided a slight soothing effect.
Holding Xu Jin's hand, he circulated his true qi cycle after cycle, helping to slowly untangle the chaotic true qi above the dantian. By the time the tangled mess was smoothed out, the remaining internal energy in Qu Dubian's body was almost completely depleted.
The moment his dantian ran dry, a terrifying sense of weakness weighed down on him. Qu Dubian closed his eyes to recover for two seconds before standing up and stepping aside. "Doctor, take another look at him."
The military doctor immediately checked the pulse again, his brow relaxing slightly. "He is still not out of danger, but his breathing has grown somewhat stronger." He took out a prepared medicinal slice from the side and pressed it under Xu Jin's tongue.
"Alas, I have done all that can be done. I only hope that the Marquis will be blessed by heaven. Your Highness, Generals, I will go out to brew the medicine first. Someone still needs to keep watch over the Marquis here."
Qu Dubian said, "I will watch over Grandfather."
He dragged a small stool over and stared at the heavily injured, unconscious old man.
Qu Dubian rummaged through the simulator's backpack. After searching for a long time, he still couldn't find anything suitable for his grandfather to use right now.
If only the lifespan obtained from the simulator could be gifted.
The youth, draped in an outer robe, rested his elbows on his knees, silently keeping vigil by the bed. The candlelight in the tent bathed half of his body.
He probably didn't realize just how pale his own face was.
They hadn't seen each other for three years. He had grown much taller, and the lingering childishness between his brows had completely vanished. It seemed as though he was hiding many things in his heart.
Xia Fuyang frowned and spoke a few words to Lang Qing in a low voice. Lang Qing nodded.
Xia Fuyang walked over to Qu Dubian and grasped his wrist. To avoid pulling his wounds, he only dared to apply a gentle force. "Come out with me."
Qu Dubian followed him out of the tent. "What's wrong? Is there a problem with the Eastern Garrison's secondary reinforcements?"
"No problems," Xia Fuyang said. "You need to rest."
Qu Dubian touched his own face, rubbing a little color back into it. "I'm alright. My wounds don't hurt, it's just that I've consumed a bit too much internal energy."
Xia Fuyang shifted his grip to a press, his two fingers pressing down on the meridians of his wrist. "Depleted to this extent, and you call it 'a bit too much'?"
"My internal energy is different from yours," Qu Dubian told the truth. "Meditating for a night will restore more than half of it."
Xia Fuyang said, "Little Seven, go rest. Uncle Lang Qing is watching over the Marquis, he will be fine." He changed his method of persuasion. "Properly restore your physical strength and internal breath. In case the Marquis needs you, you will still be able to help."
Qu Dubian replied, "Wouldn't meditating in Grandfather's tent be the same?"
It wasn't the same.
If he stayed here, this guy would definitely be distracted, keeping a constant watch. How could he possibly rest?
Xia Fuyang didn't argue with him anymore. Relying on the fact that he wasn't injured, he forcibly escorted him back and even asked Yi Shier to help keep an eye on him.
"You must make sure he meditates and sleeps, otherwise his body will collapse."
Yi Shier replied, "Mhm."
Xia Fuyang clapped his hands. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something. "However... isn't Little Seven unable to stand the smell of blood? There was so much blood today, yet he didn't have any reaction."
"Perhaps, he got used to it." Yi Shier remained silent for a moment before answering.
He concealed the fact that Qu Dubian had stimulated his sphenoid sinus acupoint to temporarily lose his sense of smell.
"True, after all, he also eradicated bandits."
Xia Fuyang left in a hurry to handle the matters concerning the reinforcements.
The Northern Frontier army hadn't retreated yet, so they probably planned to continue attacking the Second City. He still needed to rearrange the city's defenses and pacify the soldiers.
Inside the tent.
Qu Dubian, who had been forcibly sent back, sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes closed as he meditated to regulate his internal energy.
Although he didn't really want to come back, what Xia Fuyang said made some sense. In a calm state of mind, internal energy would recover much faster. At this critical juncture, having the strength to fight was very important.
The Northern Frontier Garrison.
Jirgal gazed at the Second City from afar.
Both the Left and Right Worthy Kings had some injuries on them. "Xu Jin still managed to escape."
"Taking the First City is good enough," Jirgal smiled. "Even if Xu Jin isn't dead, can he still come out and fight? The morale of the Great Zhou is destined to plummet."
"Should we still wait for the defense map of the Second City?"
Jirgal replied, "No need, that's too slow. What we need to do now is marshal our troops and launch a full-scale assault on the city while they haven't recovered yet."
As long as they captured the Second City, things would be much easier.
The next day.
Qu Dubian's meditation was interrupted by clamorous noises.
"Inspections by the Supervisory Department are customary! Especially for these central cities. Has there ever been a day when the First and Second Cities weren't inspected?" A shrill eunuch's voice carried over. "General Lang Qing, now that the Marquis has just fallen into a coma, you want to abolish the old customs. Could it be that you are planning to rebel?"
"I have no such intention, but the First City has been lost, and the defenses of the Second City must be kept secret."
"Are you implying that we leaked the city's defenses? Prince Ming is right here. Let's ask Prince Ming to judge. Haven't we followed the rules, staying in the designated places after our inspections and going nowhere else?"
Qu Dubian concluded his meditation, his internal energy mostly recovered.
Even though he hadn't slept, his spirit was much better.
He put on his clothes and walked out. "What are you arguing about?"
Lang Qing replied, "People from the Border Army Supervisory Department want to inspect the city."
Qu Dubian swept his gaze over the six people from the Supervisory Department. There were two eunuchs and four Supervisory Department officials. The one leading them looked somewhat familiar.
He pondered for a moment. "You... your name is Feng Bing, right?"
Feng Bing said pleasantly surprised, "Your Highness still remembers me."
Qu Dubian replied, "I have some impression." He narrowed his eyes, blocking out the glaring morning light. "What, you want to inspect the city?"
Feng Bing bowed and scraped. "Yes, but we were stopped by General Lang Qing. Please persuade General Lang Qing, Your Highness. The Supervisory Department was established by His Majesty. Going against the wishes of the Supervisory Department is roughly equivalent to defying His Majesty's decree. Alas... I really don't want to submit a memorial of impeachment to His Majesty. It puts me in a truly difficult position."
Qu Dubian asked, "Whoever stops you from inspecting the city, you submit a memorial to impeach them?"
Feng Bing replied as if it were a matter of course, "This is also the rule. Our Supervisory Department acts as His Majesty's eyes, so naturally, we must report everything."
Over the years, Lang Qing had heard such rhetoric countless times, and he had already begun to feel a conditioned reflex of frustration.
"Very well then. Submit a memorial of impeachment stating that the Seventh Prince has abolished the custom of city inspections. If His Majesty has any doubts, he can just ask me."
Feng Bing's smile froze on his face.
"Your Highness, this wouldn't be good, would it?"
Qu Dubian laughed. "What's not good about it?"
Feng Bing stammered, "This... impeaching a prince, I..."
Qu Dubian retorted, "Didn't you just say it? The Supervisory Department acts as His Majesty's eyes. I am the one abolishing the city inspection, so just report the truth. No one will blame you."
"But Prince Ming..."
"I will speak to Imperial Uncle Ming," Qu Dubian's expression cooled. "Are there any other problems?"
Feng Bing paused, then immediately plastered a smile back on his face. "Naturally, there are no problems."
"Then we shall take our leave first." He turned around and waved his hand. "What are you staring at? Didn't you hear the Seventh Prince's orders? We can go back and rest now."
Feng Bing led the people from the Supervisory Department away.
Lang Qing sighed with emotion, "Your Highness, you don't know how difficult they can be. This is the first time I've seen them act like this."
Sure enough, only royalty could handle royalty. The things they couldn't say, the Seventh Prince could.
However, Qu Dubian watched Feng Bing's retreating back and asked, "How much is the monthly allowance for the Supervisory Department?"
Lang Qing replied, "Just the normal amount, but the soldiers probably offer them some private bribes."
Qu Dubian nodded and said softly, "Keep a close eye on him."
Lang Qing was taken aback.
"Your Highness?"
Qu Dubian explained, "He is dressed too plainly."
So plain that it felt somewhat out of place.
Coarse cloth garments with conspicuous patches made him look like an honest and uncorrupted person at first glance. However, even poor people knew to find fabric of a similar color to patch holes in their clothes. Why would anyone use a piece of cloth with such a drastically different color for a patch?
Wearing this garment, it was as if he wore the words "honest and upright" on his very person.
Even Qu Dubian himself had calluses on his palms and fingertips, left behind by years of martial arts practice.
But on Feng Bing's hands and face, there was not a single trace of hard labor. He did not even have calluses from holding a pen. His skin was fine and smooth, clearly accustomed to a life of pampering and luxury.
Lang Qing said, "Alright."
Meanwhile.
Feng Bing returned to his living quarters.
He had originally been in the First City, and then arrived at the Second City ahead of time before the Northern Frontier army laid siege. He had planned to visit Xu Jin's tent after finishing his patrol of the city.
Unexpectedly, he was directly driven back by the Seventh Prince.
Feng Bing pondered carefully and felt that it was good to play it safe recently; there was no need to rush.
As for impeaching the Seventh Prince... it would be better to observe a little longer. When the news from the Northern Frontier reached Great Zhou, His Majesty would certainly be in a foul mood. Submitting a memorial of impeachment at that time would yield the best results.
As he was thinking, his trusted aide came in from outside and spoke in a quick, low voice, "Eunuch, Princess Axiang's son, Ahanli, has come to the Second City."
Feng Bing replied, "Hmm? Oh... it's normal for him to come. After all, he's a half-breed. The new royal court cannot tolerate him, so he can only come to Great Zhou to beg for a bite to eat."
The trusted aide said, "He came to ask General Lang Qing for the last letter Princess Axiang wrote before her death, as a keepsake to remember her by. He also said that he watched the princess finish writing that letter, so it holds a special meaning for him."
Feng Bing's heart skipped a beat. "He watched Princess Axiang write it?!"
If he discovered that it was different, and the two sides compared notes, a thorough investigation would inevitably run the risk of exposing the Inspectorate.
"Damn it, why is that letter still around!"
Princess Axiang was truly something else. Why did she need someone else present when writing a letter? Ahanli's bloodline was impure; what if his heart leaned towards the Northern Frontier people? Wouldn't she have written it for nothing? Truly brainless.
Feng Bing asked, "Where is the letter kept?"
"According to General Lang Qing, it is in the archives of the Main City."
Feng Bing's eyes turned sinister and ruthless.
"Find an opportunity to burn that place down before Ahanli retrieves the letter."
Dark shadows began to rear their heads.
Qu Dubian had Yi Shier go to the Main City ahead of time to keep watch and catch people, while he stayed to guard his grandfather.
But soon, he could no longer afford to focus solely on his grandfather.
The Northern Frontier army pressed against the border once more. Jirgal was dead set on taking two of Great Zhou's cities in a row and dispatched the Right Worthy King to lead the battle.
After a day and a night of galloping.
The latest battle report from the Northern Frontier reached the capital.
Emperor Chongzhao looked at what was written on the battle report:
"Two hundred thousand troops besieged the city. The First Middle City has fallen. Xu Jin is severely injured, his fate unknown. Great Zhou has retreated to the Second City. The Northern Frontier forces are pressing in, and the situation is critical."
A moment later, his emotions surged, and he directly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Eunuch Yu cried out in horror, "Your Majesty!"
Emperor Chongzhao bent over coughing, pressing his chest to calm himself down for a long time. He stared at the blood for a moment, closed his eyes, and then opened them again.
Then he looked at Eunuch Yu and enunciated every word clearly, "Secretly summon Imperial Physician Yang. What happened today must not be spread outside."
Eunuch Yu could only nod. "Yes."
After the news of the battle situation in the Northern Frontier spread, the court officials were in an uproar.
They no longer had the initial feeling of anxiety mixed with reassurance.
What followed was panic.
Although His Majesty had elevated Xia Hong to balance the military power in the Northern Frontier, in the hearts of the courtiers, Xu Jin was still the God of War guarding the Northern Frontier.
They all felt that with Xu Jin there, the instability in the Northern Frontier was only temporary. He would suppress the unrest in the Northern Frontier just as he had done every time in the past.
It was not until this battle report arrived that they realized the stabilizing pillar of the Northern Frontier had fallen.
During the morning court session, the arguing was even more clamorous.
"I said at the time we shouldn't go to war. Look what happened now!"
"Not go to war and just surrender? Where is the majesty of Great Zhou?"
"Majesty? Does getting beaten to this state give us majesty? If we don't sue for peace now, I'm afraid it will be the end of us."
"How do we sue for peace? The Northern Frontier only wants food and money; just give it to them. Having fought until now, they definitely need to regroup. Suing for peace is just a stalling tactic. Once we catch our breath..."
"Last time when we sent Princess Zhiyi for a political marriage, it was also called a stalling tactic. And how did that turn out?"
The expressions of the several princes standing in the front row varied.
Emperor Chongzhao's expression revealed nothing. He asked calmly, "My beloved subject Fang, what are you thinking?"
Grand Tutor Fang sighed, "The Northern Frontier has no intention of retreating. If Great Zhou sues for peace, we will only be met with double the humiliation."
"We cannot sue for peace; we can only fight. Fight until we shed our very last drop of blood."
Xie Jingshan said, "Something has happened to Marquis Xu, and the First Middle City has already been lost. If we consecutively lose the Second City as well, the morale of Great Zhou's soldiers will likely be completely wiped out."
Someone asked, "Xia Fuyang is still there, but his prestige cannot match that of the Sword-Bearing Marquis. Among the remaining generals, who else can guarantee a victory in this battle?"
But in war, until the final moment, no one could guarantee that they would win.
Marquis Xu was not Marquis Xu from the very beginning either.
There would always be someone who, stepping over the corpses strewn across the ground, would step by step transform into a new "Marquis Xu."
The Northern Frontier.
The Second Border City.
Xia Fuyang led the army, facing off against the forces of the Right Worthy King.
Commander against commander, soldier against soldier.
Swords were drawn, and bows were bent on both sides.
They all knew clearly that this was a head-on clash. There was no way to retreat, no tricks to play, and no relying on luck.
There was only the slaughter of blades and swords, the contest of blood and fire.
The Right Worthy King raised an eyebrow, looking at Xia Fuyang and asking, "Where is your Sword-Bearing Marquis? Is he already dead?"
Xia Fuyang flicked his long spear. "What are you barking about?"
The Right Worthy King's voice rang out clearly, amplified by his inner energy. "Without the Sword-Bearing Marquis, can you still defeat the iron cavalry of our Northern Frontier? He just died, and you immediately lost the First Middle City."
"Sending out Xia Fuyang, someone who has only led troops for three or four years, you are bound to lose without a doubt. It would be better to flee as early as possible. I promise not to chase you, allowing you to live."
The Great Zhou army fell into a dead silence.
Even without turning his head, Xia Fuyang could feel the oppressive and gloomy atmosphere among the soldiers.
He retorted, "Words meant to disturb the morale of the army. The Sword-Bearing Marquis has guarded the border for many years; how could anything happen to him?"
The Right Worthy King replied, "Is that so? Then why hasn't Xu Jin shown his face?"
With that said, without waiting for Xia Fuyang to continue refuting, he raised his scimitar. "Warriors of the Northern Frontier! Xu Jin is dead! Breach this city, and cattle and sheep will be rewarded according to the heads you take!"
"Kill!"
"Kill—!"
Xia Fuyang shouted, "Engage!"
Above the city walls, catapults loaded with flaming boulders hurled them into the midst of the enemy forces.
The battle lasted for a whole day. The setting sun was the color of blood. Xia Fuyang sallied out of the city three times, and retreated three times. The morale of the Great Zhou soldiers was low, and their battle lines were pushed back again and again.
The Northern Frontier did not give them a moment to catch their breath. By the time they sallied forth to engage the enemy for the fourth time, Lang Qing stood on the city wall. The beacon fires stretching across the sky burned more fiercely than the setting sun.
At this moment, the two sides had not yet clashed, but his heart felt incredibly heavy.
"The soldiers' morale has taken a hit. If this continues, I'm afraid we will have to retreat to the Main City."
Qu Dubian said, "The unwavering belief in victory that they thought would never collapse has fallen." In a large-scale battle, a firm belief in victory was a matter of life and death.
Sorrowful emotions were contagious. When two armies were at war, such emotions were more terrifying than a plague.
The Northern Frontier had seized upon exactly this point, launching a rapid offensive while the soldiers had yet to recover.
Lang Qing clenched his fists tightly. "If only the Marquis would wake up at this time!"
"Grandfather is very tired. We cannot let him shoulder everything."
Qu Dubian raised his head and glanced at the city flag of the Second City planted at the very top of the battlements.
Slightly lower beside the city flag was the Great Zhou battle flag, featuring a soaring black dragon against a background of flying birds.
Inherited from the first unified dynasty, it symbolized a simple truth: do not fight unless necessary, but if you fight, you must win.
He watched it for a moment, then suddenly leaped into the air, landing right next to the Great Zhou battle flag. His fingertips stroked it for a moment. Forged from cast iron, the flagpole was freezing to the touch and incomparably hard.
Qu Dubian grasped it with one hand, his palm slowly tightening around it.
Lang Qing looked up. "Your Highness, what are you doing?"
Qu Dubian slowly pulled the battle flag out. "The conviction of certain victory has fallen, so we just need to raise another one."
Holding the four-meter-long battle flag, he leaped up, stepped onto the top of the city wall, and gathered his breath in his dantian.
"Dogs of the Northern Frontier!"
Below, Xia Fuyang instantly turned his head upon hearing the voice, catching sight of the young man standing alone on the city wall, hoisting the flag.
The Right Worthy King narrowed his eyes and recognized him. This was the person who had carried Xu Jin away that day.
"You despicable scoundrels," Qu Dubian said, "to kill the Sword-Wielding Marquis alone, you mobilized an entire army of two hundred thousand. It shows just how cowardly you are.
"Your current arrogance is nothing but taking advantage of my grandfather's severe injuries!"
"Grandfather?" The Right Worthy King came to a realization. "So you are that prince from the Great Zhou capital. You do have some nerve.
"What, do you want to take your grandfather's place and carry the flag?"
"Why not!" Qu Dubian replied.
The aura around him instantly became steady and awe-inspiring. He was like an extremely sharp blade that, having lost the soft protective sheath of his closest kin, was now revealing its sharpest edge.
"Soldiers of Great Zhou, are you willing to use the victory of this battle and the heads of the enemy to let Marquis Xu wake up and proudly say, 'These are my soldiers'?"
The Great Zhou soldiers were silent for a few seconds before suddenly erupting into a shout: "We are willing!"
Following that, their voices grew louder and louder.
"We are willing!"
"We are willing!!"
Xia Fuyang understood Qu Dubian's intention. He took a deep breath. "As long as the battle flag stands, Great Zhou remains undefeated!"
"As long as the battle flag stands, Great Zhou remains undefeated!"
"As long as the battle flag stands, Great Zhou remains undefeated!"
The Right Worthy King's expression turned ugly, and the way he looked at Qu Dubian underwent a subtle change.
This Great Zhou prince really knew how to stir the emotions of the soldiers.
Qu Dubian gripped the battle flag, its chilling tip pointing straight at the Right Worthy King's head. "Yesterday I said I would kill you, but the Northern Frontier retreated. Today, I will definitely take your head!"
"Kill him!" the Right Worthy King ordered.
Wasn't it 'As long as the battle flag stands, Great Zhou remains undefeated'? He was determined to tear down the Great Zhou battle flag and trample it underfoot.
The Northern Frontier army's battle cries shook the heavens as they charged forward.
"Soldiers, charge with me!" Xia Fuyang shouted.
"Kill—"
Qu Dubian leaped down from the city wall and rushed to the front of the formation. The flagpole of the battle flag in his hand swept out horizontally. The moment his internal energy surged forth, the soldiers within a semicircle in front of him were sent flying by the terrifying impact.
Without stopping, his goal clear, he charged straight toward the Right Worthy King.
The flying bird and black dragon battle flag remained at the very front.
Xia Fuyang followed closely behind, his long spear sweeping away the stray arrows around him. "You're crazy!" Making himself a target, acting as a directional beacon for the soldiers' charge.
Qu Dubian wiped the blood from the side of his face. The glance he cast sideways at him was surging with fighting spirit, dazzling and eye-catching.
"Do you dare to join me?"
Xia Fuyang's gaze paused on his face for a moment, and then he cursed.
He knew it. Among the three of them, the one who seemed the laziest was actually the craziest when he got serious.
But in the end, he couldn't help but laugh, his brows and eyes full of unbridled recklessness and flamboyant arrogance.
"Even if you're marching to your death, this young master will accompany you!"
If this was a battle to establish prestige, he, Xia Fuyang, was willing to be a pawn, without regrets even if he died a hundred times.
"Good!"
Qu Dubian no longer had any worries about his rear, completely entrusting his back to Xia Fuyang.
The two of them forged ahead on the battlefield with an extremely strong sense of oppression. The speed at which they cleared out the enemy forces could only be described as terrifying.
Qu Dubian closed in rapidly, his eyes fixed tightly on the Right Worthy King. Finally, he stepped on the tip of Xia Fuyang's spear, leaped into the air, and slashed down with the battle flag from above.
"Right Worthy King, do you dare to fight?"
The Right Worthy King felt as if he were being targeted by a fierce beast. The hairs on his back faintly stood on end. He blocked with his scimitar, and the web of his hand instantly went numb.
He shook his hand, his bloodlust also roused. "Today, I will chop down this flag of yours."
The two quickly engaged in combat.
Countless soldiers of Great Zhou, in the intervals between killing the enemy, would look toward that flying bird and black dragon battle flag.
This battle raged from the setting of the sun until the sky turned pitch black, and then from the early hours of the morning until dawn, before it finally ended.
And the Great Zhou battle flag at the very front never fell.
The Great Zhou soldiers fought with increasing bravery, and the Northern Frontier's horn for retreat finally sounded.
The Right Worthy King immediately retreated more than ten meters.
Damn it, how could this Great Zhou prince's martial arts be so strong!
He couldn't fight today; it was better to retreat first and figure things out later.
"I told you, you're not getting away today."
Catching the moment when the thought of retreat sprouted in his opponent's mind, Qu Dubian fiercely threw the battle flag. Under the other party's astonished gaze, the sharp top of the flagpole pierced through his chest, pinning him viciously onto a Northern Frontier war chariot.
The Right Worthy King gripped the flagpole embedded in his chest. "You..."
The Seventh Prince of Great Zhou would surely be a formidable enemy to the Northern Frontier.
He raised his head, staring fixedly at Qu Dubian, and finally closed his eyes in unwillingness.
Qu Dubian pulled out the battle flag.
He stepped over the sea of blood and the corpses strewn all over the ground, walking step by step onto the war chariot. Then, holding the flagpole in his left hand, he planted it heavily downward.
The tattered battle flag fluttered wildly in the wind.
"The Right Worthy King is dead!"
The soldiers of Great Zhou immediately erupted into victorious cheers.
With this single battle, he established his prestige and inspired faith.
He fought carrying the flag, defending the Great Zhou battle flag and the unyielding glory of his ancestors who guarded the frontier.
Qu Dubian looked out over this battlefield.
As far as the eye could see, beacon fires still burned, and the smoke of war reached the heavens.
Xia Fuyang looked up at the person on the war chariot and went up as well, stopping half a step behind Qu Dubian, still guarding his back.
"We've won," Xia Fuyang said.
"But the war isn't over yet," Qu Dubian replied.
The sky was still dark. The faint light of dawn shone upon them, making them look like two unfading black silhouettes.