Chapter 56

Yuha Pass—Pancheng.

Three days ago, Captain Zhou of the Northwest Route Army's Scout Battalion, along with three of his subordinates, was discovered while on a reconnaissance mission outside the city walls under the orders of Lou Mingxuan. Facing the overwhelming, tide-like approach of the enemy, Captain Zhou and his three men chose to commit suicide.

The Tartar vanguard commander, Soaring Grass, ordered the four men's heads to be severed and hung from four wooden pillars erected at the Qihu Edge outside the West Gate of Pancheng, intended as a warning and a deterrent to the soldiers and generals of the Northwest Route Army. For three days, a flock of crows had circled above the four heads, emitting harsh, cawing cries.

Inside Pancheng's West Gate, generals Qi Yaoyao, Li Jingxian, Yang Wenhua, and Purple Rose listened to the crows' cries every day, their hearts bleeding. They were racking their brains for a way to recapture the heads of the four brave martyrs.

At dusk, heavy snow fell in flurries.

The West Gate of Pancheng was opened.

Qi Yaoyao, Purple Rose, and Li Jingxian each led a troop out of the West Gate. Their mission was to reclaim the heads of Captain Zhou and his three subordinates.

"Ha-ha, exactly as Vanguard Commander Soaring Grass predicted—you really did come out of the city to snatch the heads!" came the voice of Chaolu, the fourth bravest warrior of the grassland.

Instantly, Tartar soldiers swarmed from both sides of the West Gate.

Chaolu spurred his horse toward Qi Yaoyao. Qi Yaoyao raised her spear to meet him.

Li Jingxian spurred her horse to intercept Batuer, the fifth bravest warrior of the grassland.

According to the established plan, Purple Rose spurred her horse straight toward the four wooden pillars at the edge of Lake Qihu. They killed the Tartar soldiers guarding the heads, retrieved them, and retreated back into the city.

However, Qi Yaoyao and Li Jingxian found themselves completely surrounded by the Tartars.

Realizing that retreating back into the city was no longer possible, Qi Yaoyao shouted loudly toward the city tower, "General Yang Wenhua, you must keep the city gates tightly closed!" While fighting Chaolu, she retreated toward Lake Qihu.

At this moment, Li Jingxian was fiercely dueling Batuer. With a thunderous roar, she thrust her spear forward and unseated Batuer, sending him crashing to the ground. Turning around, she saw that Qi Yaoyao had already retreated to the very edge of Lake Qihu, with nowhere left to run.

Anxious, Li Jingxian roared at Qi Yaoyao, "Girl, one step further back and you'll be in the bottomless lake!"

Qi Yaoyao abruptly pulled on the reins, and her warhorse let out a long neigh. She glanced back at Chaolu, who was staring at her with a ferocious grin.

Chaolu spurred his horse, waving his scimitar as he charged at Qi Yaoyao.

"Go to hell!" Qi Yaoyao suddenly wheeled her horse around, let out a fierce shout, and thrust her spear forward.

Caught off guard, Chaolu hurriedly swung his scimitar to parry. With a flick of her wrist, Qi Yaoyao's twelve-foot steel spear moved like a living creature, thrusting backward from beneath her ribs. The tip of the spear traced a silver arc, piercing straight into Chaolu's heart.

The instant the spearhead emerged from Chaolu's back, Qi Yaoyao used the momentum to leap into the air, landing lightly and steadily on the very edge of Lake Qihu. Her mount, however, plunged into the bottomless waters.

"What kind of move is that!" Li Jingxian reined in her horse, exclaiming in awe.

This was the unique spear technique invented by Gu Yusheng himself—the Returning Horse Spear.

Xie An had once witnessed Gu Yusheng demonstrate it at the training grounds, but Xie An lacked the aptitude and could not learn it.

After learning that Gu Yusheng possessed this exclusive spear technique, Qi Yaoyao had begged her husband to teach her in secret. When a husband teaches his wife martial arts, raw iron is forged into steel!

This was the first time Qi Yaoyao had used the Returning Horse Spear to kill an enemy.

Yuha Pass, Pancheng.

By the afternoon, the snow had finally stopped.

This all-encompassing blizzard had raged for three full days and nights, leaving snow over three feet deep inside Pancheng. As soon as the snow stopped, the soldiers within the city began clearing the roads.

At dusk, General Qi Yaoyao, the Defender of the West, rode a warhorse from the West Gate toward the North Gate. This evening, she had crucial military matters to report to her husband, Gu Yusheng, and she also planned to visit her parents at the Vanguard Camp—Prime Minister Lu had approved the requests of Xiao Guimu and Li Muwen, dispatching Qi Wei and Yin Yuanyuan to the Vanguard Camp to reinforce their strength.

The road was crowded with soldiers clearing away the accumulated snow. They all recognized the illustrious Vice Marshal and Defender of the West, General Qi Yaoyao, and saluted her respectfully. Consequently, Qi Yaoyao was obliged to return their greetings as she moved forward. Although the snow on the road had been cleared away completely, Qi Yaoyao's horse walked very slowly. Looking at the rows of snowdrifts on either side of the road, she recalled the thick snow in the deep valley of Falling Goose Slope along the Jingnan post road, and a chill involuntarily ran through her heart. She began to repent once more: "If I hadn't been so willful back then and insisted on traveling through the blizzard, Baiyun and Caiyun wouldn't have died at such a tender age, and I wouldn't have broken my thigh."

Whenever Qi Yaoyao thought of those two lonely, weed-covered graves on Falling Goose Slope, tears welled up in her eyes and she was consumed by regret. Letting the reins hang loose, she walked her horse down the road while her mind was filled with the laughter and figures of Baiyun and Caiyun from the past. Sometimes she smiled, and sometimes she wept. She had even forgotten to return the salutes of the soldiers clearing the snow...

"My lady, what is the matter?" Gu Yusheng's inquiring voice woke her from her reverie.

Qi Yaoyao leaped down from her horse and threw herself into her husband's embrace, crying as she spoke, "Second Brother Gu, you promised me that you would help me move the remains of Baiyun and Caiyun back to Yangcheng to be buried..."

Gu Yusheng knew that Qi Yaoyao had once again fallen into remorse over the past. He reached out and tightly wrapped his arms around his wife, stroking her shoulders as he comforted her, "My lady, I, Gu Yusheng, have always been a man of my word. Whatever I promised you, I will fulfill. However, the Northern Expedition has not yet succeeded, and we are currently fully engaged in resisting the Tartar invasion. Once the war is over and we return in triumph to the capital, I will immediately accompany you to Falling Goose Slope to move the remains of Baiyun and Caiyun back to Yangcheng for burial."

Burying her face in her husband's embrace, Qi Yaoyao murmured to herself, "I know my husband is a man of his word, and I understand the reasoning you just mentioned, but whenever I think of Baiyun and Caiyun, I simply cannot help myself..."

Gu Yusheng pressed his mouth close to Qi Yaoyao's ear. "This just shows that my wife, Qi Yaoyao, is not only a heroine, but also a woman of deep affection and loyalty."

That evening, Qi Yaoyao first reported the critical military intelligence of the West Gate to Military Commissioner Lu and Marshal Gu, and then she and Gu Yusheng walked together to the Vanguard Camp to visit her father, Qi Wei, and her mother, Yin Yuanyuan. Near midnight, the couple finally returned to the city tower to spend the night together.

Ever since Qi Yaoyao was appointed as the Defender of the West and joined the Northern Expedition, the couple had been living apart. After Qi Yaoyao joined the Northwest Route Army from the Northern Expeditionary forces, Gu Yusheng served as Marshal and resided at the Great North Gate, while Qi Yaoyao served as Vice Marshal, commanding troops to defend the Great West Gate. Furthermore, with continuous warfare of all scales, they could not live together. Tonight was the first time in several years that the couple spent the night together.

"Can we do it again?" Qi Yaoyao asked, her burning body pressing down upon Gu Yusheng.

"Whatever you want, we can do." Gu Yusheng was intoxicated by Qi Yaoyao's beautiful physique.

Although the border garrison had suffered a shortage of food not long ago, leaving Gu Yusheng somewhat emaciated, once the imperial court's provisions arrived, he ate and drank his fill, fully recovering his physique and seeming even more vigorous than before. Furthermore, since the couple had not slept together for several years, how could he bear to refuse his wife's request?

The clouds and rain of Mount Wu, the rising and falling of the tide.

Qi Yaoyao lay contentedly on the bed, closing her eyes as she said, "Husband, I really want to have another child for you..."

Gu Yusheng opened his tired eyes in pleasant surprise and said, "We are in the middle of a war right now. How can you fight while carrying a child?"

Qi Yaoyao widened her eyes, stared at Gu Yusheng's face, and said, "You can still fight while carrying a child! My sister Gu Wangmei and Princess Zhaoyue's Gu Sibao were both born when they were attacking Yitian Pass."

Gu Yusheng asked happily like a child, "My older brother has two more children?"

Qi Yaoyao closed her eyes and replied, "Yes. A boy and a girl..."

A spark danced in Gu Yusheng's eyes. "Then we, too..."

He discovered that Qi Yaoyao had already drifted off to sleep—her even breathing was soft and serene.

Spring came tardily that year.

The snow had melted, but the great northwest remained a desolate expanse of grey.

Soon, howling dust storms arrived with great momentum. The reed grass danced gracefully with the wind, sprouting tender green leaves that swayed in the breeze, imparting a sense of vibrant vitality.

The Tartars were about to begin their siege.

Marshal Gu Yusheng summoned his commanders to assemble and issue orders.

Present in the main hall to receive orders were: Military Commissioner Prime Minister Lu, Vanguard and Defender of the South Xiao Guimu, Defender of the West Qi Yaoyao, Loyal and Valiant General and Deputy Military Commissioner Yang Wenhua, Vice Commander Li Jingxian, Right Cavalry General Gu Yuru, Vice Commander Li Muwen, Vice Commander Lou Mingxuan, Vice Commander Gu Datong, Vice Commander Qi Wei, Vice Commander Yin Yuanyuan, Vice Commander Purple Rose, Vice Commander Jiang Hong, and over a thousand battle commanders and camp directors.

Standing beneath the central army tent, Gu Yusheng spoke in a loud voice, "General commanders, yesterday this Marshal received an imperial edict from our reigning Emperor, stating that the Northern Expeditionary forces have already begun attacking the imperial city of Beizhen, and it is expected that the decadent Beizhen dynasty will be annihilated this spring, thus achieving national reunification. Now, our biggest problem is our northwest border. Erduwen Khan of the Tartars harbors wild ambitions and has ordered Tartar Marshal Mangshannai to capture our Yuha Pass this spring, and then swing his forces southward to vie for supremacy in the Central Plains. Would you say they are hateful or not?"

"Extremely hateful!" shouted the assembled generals in unison.

Gu Yusheng continued, "Therefore, the decree of our wise reigning Emperor states: For the complete victory of the Northern Expedition and to frustrate the wild ambitions of Erduwen Khan to vie for supremacy in the Central Plains, I command the Northwest Army to spare no effort in holding Yuha Pass firmly, without retreating even half a step!"

"We swear to hold Yuha Pass to the death and will not retreat even half a step!" shouted the generals. Li Jingxian's voice was the loudest.

Gu Yusheng continued, "However, our troop strength is only half that of the Tartars, and we have no reinforcements. What shall we do?"

"We shall obey all the Marshal's commands!" shouted the generals. Once again, Li Jingxian's voice was the loudest.

Gu Yusheng continued, "This Marshal knows that all of you generals are loyal to the sovereign and love your country! Although our troop strength is only half that of the Tartars, putting us at a numerical disadvantage, the city walls of Pancheng are sturdy, the earthworks are high and thick, and our provisions are ample. These are our backing and our advantages! We must make full use of these advantages to win this unprecedented defensive battle!"

"According to accurate intelligence, Mangshannai and Erduwen Khan have signed a military pledge! This spring, Mangshannai will definitely stake everything on a single throw! Intelligence indicates that Mangshannai's siege this time will adopt a scorched-earth tactic, with artillery and fire arrows as the top priority! Needless to say, by then the entire Pancheng will be transformed into a giant scarecrow and powder keg! That scene will be as cruel as cruelty can be. It can be said that this defensive battle of ours will be extremely tragic and unprecedented in history. Here, this Marshal dares to ask you all a question: Are you afraid?"

"We are battle commanders; 'dying on the battlefield wrapped in horse hides' is our glory and pride!"

Gu Yusheng said happily, "Good! I, Gu Yusheng, am also a battle commander, and my ideal is also 'dying on the battlefield wrapped in horse hides'! To fight this defensive battle well, this Marshal proposes the following principles: First, all generals must make full use of the advantage of sturdy and thick city walls; second, use our strength against their weakness—specifically, in combat, our senior generals will engage their middle generals, our middle generals will engage their junior generals, and our senior soldiers will engage their junior soldiers. Our combat slogan is: Every soldier and officer must eliminate two enemies! I demand that every one of our soldiers must protect themselves well before killing the second enemy. Third, act as circumstances require, with harassment as a secondary tactic!—Do all generals understand?"

"Reporting to the Marshal, we understand completely!" It was still Li Jingxian whose voice was the highest.

On this day, Marshal Mangshannai also summoned his outstanding generals, such as the "Eight Brave Warriors of the Grassland," the "Eight Outstanding Heroes of the Grassland," and the "Eight Mastiffs of the Grassland," to discuss matters in the main tent.

Among the Eight Brave Warriors of the Grassland, the first brave warrior was Vanguard Commander Soaring Grass, the second was Marshal Mangshannai himself, and the third was Kuokotai and others—all of whom were commanders skilled in specific techniques.

Led by Batu, the Eight Outstanding Heroes of the Grassland were all senior generals proficient in both civil and military affairs.

Led by Suhebalu, the Eight Mastiffs of the Grassland were renowned for their fierce combat prowess and exceptional archery skills.

Mangshannai said to them, "Gentlemen, due to your incompetence and dereliction of duty, the winter siege operation plan formulated by this Marshal failed during its implementation. Spring is here, and you must fulfill your duties and rapidly conquer Pancheng. Do you have the confidence?"

"We do."

Mangshannai continued, "This Marshal has signed a military pledge with Erduwen Khan. If we fail to capture Yuha Pass this spring, I will have no choice but to take my own head to see Erduwen Khan! However, I state in advance: before I go to see Erduwen Khan, I will first cut off your heads!"

"If we ever dare to neglect our duties again, our heads are yours to take, Marshal!"

Mangshannai said with satisfaction, "Good! Tomorrow this Marshal will issue the order to launch the siege. Have all the generals made full preparations?"

"Everything is ready, awaiting only the Marshal's command!"

Mangshannai said happily, "Good! I have over half a million elite cavalry, while Gu Yusheng's Northwest Army has only 250,000 men. It is inevitable that we will take Yuha Pass! In this, this Marshal is fully confident! However, today I am also revealing the bottom line to you all: This time Erduwen Khan is sending troops to invade Southern Han, ostensibly in response to the request of that decadent Beizhen dynasty, 'saving Zhao by besieging Wei'! In essence, our Erduwen Khan intends to vie for supremacy in the Central Plains! The Khan once told me that he wants not only Yuha Pass, but all the land and subjects of Southern Han. He wants to rule the entire world! Southern Han is an ancient civilized state, and its subjects are very courteous. They often scold us Tartars for only caring about interests rather than civilization, calling us Tartars barbarians!

"We are indeed barbarians! Not only is our lifestyle barbaric, but our way of fighting is also barbaric—we only know how to burn, kill, plunder, and seize women! We don't understand the rules of war at all!

"Starting from now, this Marshal will also learn the 'hegemonic' behavior of the Central Plains! Before besieging the city, I shall first send a challenge letter to Southern Han Marshal Gu Yusheng, and have a gentleman's war as well! What do you think, is this a good idea or not?"

"Good!"

Gu Yusheng knew the purpose of Mangshannai's challenge letter. He accepted the challenge.

The next day, in the open space before the Great North Gate of Pancheng, Xiao Guimu fought against Soaring Grass, the first brave warrior of the grassland. The two fought to a draw.

Next, Defender of the West Qi Yaoyao fought against Kuokotai, the third bravest warrior of the grassland. After a mere two rounds, Qi Yaoyao thrust her spear and pierced Kuokotai, sending him crashing dead from his horse.

This Kuokotai was the second son of Erduwen Khan. Not only was he tall, imposing, and handsome, but he was also clever and sharp, making him the prime candidate for the succession. He had come to serve as a commander under Mangshannai's banner merely to "gild" his resume. Erduwen Khan had privately instructed Mangshannai to take good care of his second son on the battlefield! Now that Kuokotai was dead, Mangshannai had no way to report back to Erduwen Khan. Mangshannai began to worry about his own future.

"Kuokotai is the third bravest warrior of the grassland; how could he just die like that?" Mangshannai shouted toward Soaring Grass. "I want to attack the city! Start the siege right now! I want to capture that woman Qi Yaoyao alive and hand her over to Erduwen Khan, letting the Khan cut off her head himself..."

Soaring Grass seemed frightened by Marshal Mangshannai's frantic demeanor, standing there awkwardly and foolishly, feeling both embarrassed and distressed.

Mangshannai cursed, "Get out! If you cannot capture that woman Qi Yaoyao and bring her back, bring your own head to see me!"

"I obey the Marshal's command." The vanguard commander Soaring Grass hurriedly saluted and took his leave.

Mangshannai was able to become Marshal not only because he was the renowned second bravest warrior of the grassland, but also because he was a cunning fox possessing both wisdom and courage.

Mangshannai had long since learned of the imperial edict in which the Emperor of Southern Han ordered Gu Yusheng to hold Pancheng firmly without retreating even half a step. When launching the siege, he intentionally left the Great South Gate open, ordering his troops to launch fierce attacks only against the Great East Gate, the Great North Gate, and the Great West Gate. As for the Great South Gate, he dispatched only a small force to intercept along the post road outside the city.

He held a deep, bone-deep hatred for Qi Yaoyao. Knowing that the main commander of the Great West Gate was Qi Yaoyao, he dispatched triple the forces to attack the Great West Gate.

Gritting his teeth, Mangshannai shouted at Soaring Grass, "This Marshal must capture this bitch Qi Yaoyao alive! Brother Soaring Grass, if triple the forces cannot take the Great West Gate, this Marshal will increase it to six times! Capture Qi Yaoyao alive no matter what!"

Vanguard Commander Soaring Grass saluted and said, "I obey the Marshal's command!"

In truth, Vanguard Commander Soaring Grass did not strictly follow Marshal Mangshannai's command to attack the Great West Gate with triple the forces. The reason was: currently, defending the Great West Gate alongside Qi Yaoyao was also Gu Yuru. Qi Yaoyao's main force numbered over 20,000 men, and Gu Yuru's main force also numbered over 20,000 men, totaling more than 40,000. Triple of 40,000 was over 120,000. Furthermore, in front of the Great West Gate was a large lake, and the beach at the foot of the city wall simply could not accommodate more than 120,000 people. The lake's surface was smooth as a mirror and azure-transparent, and it could indeed accommodate a large number of troops, but the Tartars had no boats, and most of the soldiers were land-lubbers who could not swim.

Vanguard Commander Soaring Grass only ordered the 120,000-plus soldiers to launch wave-after-wave attacks against the Great West Gate, assaulting the city day and night.

These 120,000 soldiers were Soaring Grass's direct subordinates and his lifeblood. He divided them into three batches to take turns attacking the city. Though his heart ached, he had to execute the Marshal's orders.

However, after every four-hour shift, the corpses of nearly 10,000 soldiers were left discarded at the foot of the city wall. By the end of the day, the Great West Gate remained intact, but nearly 30,000 of Soaring Grass's soldiers had fallen in battle.

The next day, Soaring Grass received another order from the Marshal—to continue the siege. Marshal Mangshannai even sent men to supervise the army. Yet by the end of this day, Soaring Grass lost another 30,000-plus brothers. Only half of his 120,000 soldiers were still alive.

Looking at the mountains of his brothers' corpses piled at the foot of the city wall, Soaring Grass felt a pain in his heart as if it were bleeding, and cursed bitterly, "This older brother of a Marshal has truly gone mad. For the sake of his own future, he is having my 120,000 soldiers sent to their deaths."

Mangshannai was not mad. On the third day, he reinforced Soaring Grass with up to 240,000 soldiers. This force was precisely six times the 40,000-plus men under Qi Yaoyao and Gu Yuru. He sent messengers to convey his order to Soaring Grass: "Soaring Grass, oh Soaring Grass, this Marshal said I would give you sixfold forces, and I have given you sixfold forces. If you still cannot take the Great West Gate, you can only bring your head to see me!"

Soaring Grass cursed inwardly: "If we take the Great West Gate, wouldn't the city be broken?" Then why did you need to attack the North Gate? Just yesterday, his left arm had been wounded by Qi Yaoyao's flying spear.

Actually, Mangshannai did not know that after two days of defending the city, the main forces of Qi Yaoyao and Gu Yuru had also suffered fifty percent losses. To reinforce the strength of the Great West Gate, Marshal Gu Yusheng had already transferred over 50,000 soldiers from the Great East Gate and Great South Gate to supplement the Great West Gate, and also transferred Purple Rose and Jiang Hong, the two female generals guarding the Great East Gate, as well as General Yang Wenhua, who was assisting Lou Mingxuan in defending the Great South Gate, to the Great West Gate. Currently, the strength defending the Great West Gate reached 70,000. The major generals included Qi Yaoyao, Li Jingxian, Yang Wenhua, Purple Rose, and Jiang Hong.

On the third day, Soaring Grass divided the 240,000 soldiers into six batches of 40,000 each, taking turns to attack the Great West Gate every two hours. As a result, the Great West Gate still could not be taken.

At dawn, the Tartars halted their siege.

On the city tower of the Great West Gate, the Loyal and Valiant General Yang Wenhua hugged his broadsword and leaned against a pillar of the tower. Having guarded the city and fought fiercely for an entire night, he was somewhat tired and desperately wanted to lie down for a sleep. But he knew he could not sleep right now. He had to wait for Qi Yaoyao and Gu Yuru to come and change shifts—the defending soldiers were also divided into two shifts: a daytime shift and a nighttime shift. Just as Soaring Grass attacked in batches, Qi Yaoyao defended in shifts.

Panting, Yang Wenhua watched as the soldiers carried corpse after corpse down from the city wall—so many more soldiers had died. Looking at the bodies one by one, Yang Wenhua felt a sorrow beyond words!

Beside him stood Purple Rose, a vice commander from Bright Moon Island, with the "Twin Swords United" sword hanging at her waist and a long sword grasped in her hand; and Jiang Hong, Vice Commander and wife of Vice Vanguard Xiao Guimu, who also had a "Twin Swords United" at her waist—a gift from Xiao Guimu—while gripping a long spear in her hand.

Yesterday night, it was Yang Wenhua, Purple Rose, Jiang Hong, and other commanders who led the troops to defend the city. The daytime shift belonged to Qi Yaoyao, Li Jingxian, and Gu Yuru.

Purple Rose was a young woman who loved beauty. Standing by the city wall, adjusting her purple battle robe, she said to Yang Wenhua, "Brother Wenhua, the rolling stones on the city wall are almost running out. What should we do?"

Yang Wenhua replied, "Marshal Gu Yusheng gave instructions long ago: if rolling stones and logs are insufficient, the guard towers can be dismantled to make rolling stones and logs."

Purple Rose asked, "If we dismantle the guard towers, where will the soldiers live?"

Yang Wenhua answered, "Marshal Gu said defending the city comes first! Once the guard towers are dismantled, the soldiers will temporarily live in tents."

Purple Rose said, "Since that's the case, I'll take men to dismantle the guard towers right now. Otherwise, if the Tartars start attacking the city again later, it will be too late!"

"There's still time!" Qi Yaoyao said as she walked up the city tower, holding a sword in one hand and supporting Gu Yuru's shoulder with the other. "Sister A-Zi, just now Sister Yuru and I already ordered the soldiers to dismantle the guard towers while simultaneously making rolling stones and logs!"

Seeing that it was Qi Yaoyao and Gu Yuru, Purple Rose said happily, "Two General Sisters, the shift time hasn't arrived yet, why did you come up so early?"

Qi Yaoyao said, "The Tartars attacked the city fiercely last night, and Sister Yuru and I were worried, so we came early. You all fought fiercely against them for an entire night; you must be very exhausted! Fortunately, all three of you generals are safe and sound, uninjured!"

Purple Rose said, "Brother Wenhua, Sister Jiang Hong, and I are all uninjured, but more than 10,000 soldiers died in battle last night. It's truly heartbreaking." As she spoke, she reached out to wipe away her tears.

Qi Yaoyao comforted her, saying, "In war, deaths are unavoidable! I ask Sister A-Zi, General Yang, and Sister Jiang Hong not to grieve too much! Our mission is to defend the city. Now we must wholeheartedly and with all our might defend Pancheng and not retreat a single step—that is how we can truly live up to the fallen soldiers!"

Purple Rose, Yang Wenhua, and Jiang Hong said in unison, "What the Defender of the West says is right; we will definitely be able to defend Pancheng."

Qi Yaoyao said, "The shift time has arrived. Lead your troops back to rest!"

"Thank you, Defender of the West!" Yang Wenhua, Purple Rose, and Jiang Hong led their respective troops down the city wall to rest.

At sunrise, Soaring Grass once again led his forces to attack the Great West Gate.

On this day, Mangshannai's siege was launched across all fronts. In addition to ordering Vanguard Commander Soaring Grass to urge his soldiers to intensify their fierce attacks on the Great West Gate, he also ordered other troops to attack the Great North Gate, Great East Gate, and Great South Gate.

Mangshannai's siege tactics no longer deliberately left the Great South Gate open.

Mangshannai dispatched Suhebalu, the chief mastiff of the Eight Mastiffs of the Grassland, to lead troops to attack the Great South Gate.

Suhebalu was fierce, brave, and adept at combat, with exceptional archery skills. Every single one of his subordinates was an expert archer capable of hitting a willow leaf from a hundred paces away.

Lou Mingxuan was the chief commander defending the Great South Gate. Knowing how formidable Suhebalu was, she did not dare to lower her guard in the slightest. Aside from carefully arranging her defenses, she was racking her brains to find a method to defeat the enemy.

Among Lou Mingxuan's subordinates was a deputy general from Zhongdu named Li Zhun, a descendant of Li Guang and also a master archer. Li Zhun had invented the eight-ox crossbow, which boasted a long range and immense destructive power.

Before Suhebalu launched his siege, Lou Mingxuan tightly grasped Li Zhun's hand and said with a solemn expression, "General Li, the fate of the Great South Gate is entrusted to you! If your eight-ox crossbow can shoot and kill Suhebalu today, it will be the highest merit!"

As the sun rose, Suhebalu launched his siege.

True to expectation, fire arrows and incendiary artillery rained toward the city tower of the Great South Gate. The tower caught fire, and some soldiers caught fire as well.

Standing atop the city wall, Lou Mingxuan shouted, "Quickly put out the fire! Pour water and extinguish it as fast as possible!"

Suhebalu's soldiers advanced, a dense sea of people marching step by step toward the foot of the city wall.

Waving the Lou family treasured sword in her hand, Lou Mingxuan shouted, "Drop the rolling stones and logs! Crush them to death!"

Scaling ladders with grappling hooks were hoisted and leaned against the city walls; siege bridges were hung across the moat; trebuchets continuously hurled stones and incendiary bombs onto the city wall.

Lou Mingxuan commanded methodically, "Soldiers, do not be afraid! Brandish your swords and sabers, and hack them to death one by one!"

Pointing at the Tartars' scaling ladders with her sword, she shouted, "Soldiers, lift the rocks and smash their scaling ladders to pieces!"

Looking at the dense mass of attacking enemy soldiers, Lou Mingxuan suddenly spotted Suhebalu standing behind a "whirlwind cannon," directing operations.

Overjoyed, Lou Mingxuan shouted, "Where is Deputy General Li Zhun?"

Li Zhun answered in a loud voice, "Reporting to Vice Commander Lou, your subordinate Li Zhun is here."

Pointing forward with her sword in delight, Lou Mingxuan said, "General Li, do you see clearly? Suhebalu is right behind that whirlwind cannon!"

Li Zhun replied loudly, "Reporting to Vice Commander Lou, your subordinate sees him clearly!"

The eight-ox crossbow was cranked open.

Standing beside the eight-ox crossbow, Deputy General Li Zhun raised his right hand high, then pressed it down swiftly: "Release!"

With the sound of a roaring bolt, Suhebalu, standing behind the whirlwind cannon, was struck by the arrow and collapsed to the ground.

Jumping up in joy, Li Zhun shouted, "I hit him! We hit Suhebalu!"

Lou Mingxuan immediately ordered the soldiers to shout toward the attacking Tartar troops: "Suhebalu has been struck by an arrow and killed!"

Instantly, the momentum of the Tartars' attack collapsed like a deflated ball. By noon, the siege had ceased.

Fifty paces in front of the Great East Gate lay an unfathomable expanse of marshland. Therefore, Mangshannai sent Batu, the chief hero of the Eight Outstanding Heroes of the Grassland, with 20,000 men to attack the city. Though the chief commander was fierce, his troops were insufficient.

The chief commander defending the Great East Gate was Vice Commander Gu Datong.

Over thirty years ago, when Gu Datong served as an imperial bodyguard, he had accompanied Prince Yan on a diplomatic mission to the Tartar state and had met Batu.

At that time, Batu was the personal bodyguard of the late Tartar Khan, young, strong, and full of vigor. When Gu Datong went on the diplomatic mission to the Tartar state, he had been ordered by imperial decree to spar in martial arts with him. In the process of sparring, the two young men gradually came to know and understand each other. Sharing a mutual appreciation as martial artists, they became good friends.

Old friends who had not seen each other for many years were now reunited on the battlefield, yet they had to face each other with swords and spears. Neither Gu Datong nor Batu felt comfortable about it in their hearts.

Standing atop the city wall, Gu Datong saluted Batu, who stood at the foot of the wall, and said, "Brother Batu, unawares over thirty years have passed since our parting on the grassland. May I ask how you have been all these years?"

Batu saluted the city wall in return and said, 'Thanks to the great fortune of Brother Gu, this younger brother has lived quite smoothly on the grassland!"

Gu Datong asked, "Since you have lived smoothly, Brother, why did you lead troops to attack Pancheng?"

Batu replied, "It is unavoidable! Brother Gu must know that Batu is a subject of the Khan; 'he who eats the ruler's food must share the ruler's worries'! The Khan wants to attack Pancheng, and Batu cannot refuse to come!"

Gu Datong said, "That being the case, Brother, are you here today to attack my Great East Gate?"

Batu said, "Today, Batu is acting under the orders of Marshal Mangshannai and must take the Great East Gate. Please forgive me, Brother Gu!"

Gu Datong asked, "How many soldiers have you brought?"

Batu replied, "Not many, exactly 20,000."

Gu Datong advised him, "The soldiers I have defending the Great East Gate number over 30,000. Your 20,000 soldiers cannot take the Great East Gate! Take them back!"

Batu said, "Even if we cannot take it, we must attack! If I take them back without attacking the city, Marshal Mangshannai will slaughter every single one of them."

Gu Datong urged, "Brother Batu, if you are determined to attack the city, your 20,000 soldiers will all perish at the foot of the city wall."

Batu said, "This is their fate, and I, Batu, have no way to change it!"

Gu Datong said, "Brother Batu, you once said that you deeply love the culture and customs of Southern Han and wanted to live in Southern Han. Why don't you surrender to Southern Han with your 20,000 brothers right now and go live in Southern Han?"

Batu replied, "Every single one of these 20,000 soldiers is inseparable from the grassland! Each of them has parents, brothers, sisters, and relatives on the grassland, all of whom have now become hostages of the Khan! Should anyone surrender to Southern Han, the Khan will send men to slaughter all their parents, brothers, sisters, and relatives."

Gu Datong asked, "Brother Batu, does that mean you are determined to attack the city today?"

Batu said, "Attacking the city is certain!"

Gu Datong said, "Very well! The hour is late, you may begin!"

A tragic battle of offense and defense commenced at the Great East Gate of Pancheng.

Batu divided his 20,000 soldiers into four squads of 5,000 men each.

Standing at the edge of the marshland, holding his scimitar aloft, he shouted, "First squad, attack the city."

The 5,000 men of the first squad stepped out of formation, pushed the siege carts forward, and attacked the city. Yet before they could even climb to the top of the city wall, their heads were smashed to pieces by rolling stones, and their corpses tumbled down to the foot of the wall.

Batu sighed, raised his scimitar once more, and shouted, "Second squad, attack the city."

The skulls of the 5,000 soldiers in the second squad were smashed to pulp like watermelons by the rolling stones.

...

At dusk, Batu sighed deeply, raised his scimitar, and shouted, "Fifth squad, attack the city!"

The fifth squad consisted of only one person: Batu himself.

Step by step, he climbed upward along the scaling ladder.

Standing by the grappling hook at the top of the ladder, Gu Datong shouted down, "Brother Batu, stop climbing! If you climb any higher, I will use a rolling stone to smash your skull!"

Batu stopped climbing.

Standing midway up the scaling ladder, he first unbuckled the scimitar at his waist and dropped it to the foot of the city wall, then took off his helmet and armor and tossed them into the marshland. Raising his head, he shouted upward, "Brother Gu, I am now completely unarmed and stark naked. May I continue climbing up?"

Gu Datong asked, "What do you want to accomplish by climbing up?"

Batu said, "I wish to receive a sword stroke from you and die by your hand." Batu climbed upward step by step along the scaling ladder until he finally reached the top.

Gu Datong said to Batu, "Batu, we were once friends, but you are now an invader. I cannot let you climb onto the city wall unless you surrender!"

Standing at the top of the ladder, Batu said, "Brother Gu, I cannot surrender! Quickly give me your sword!"

Gu Datong said, "Very well!" He thrust his sword straight into Batu's heart.

Batu laughed heartily and said, "Thank you, Brother Gu, for fulfilling my wish!" With those words, he leaped backward into the marshland. "Brother Gu, in the next life we shall still be brothers!"