Scharlachroter Regen überflutet die Stadt

Kapitel 109

Lu Li, sword drawn, stood on his horse and roared, "All troops, heed my command! Seal off the four fields! If you encounter any bandits, kill them without mercy!" A moment of solemn silence followed, then thunderous battle cries erupted as swords and blades were drawn in unison. The entire arena roared in unison, "Kill—!"

Hudutai raised his right arm and swung it down forcefully. Accompanied by the shouts of the Mongol army, dust flew everywhere, flags fluttered, and the sounds of battle shook the heavens.

Hudutai left me with a few close guards. I didn't need to do anything; I just needed to observe from among them.

As the two armies clashed, a merciless massacre unfolded before their eyes. One could imagine that the grasslands would be a crimson wasteland after the battle, and countless young talents would be reduced to piles of white bones, lonely souls in a foreign land.

Even though I knew of Hudutai's bravery, I couldn't help but worry for him. Lu Li was incredibly intelligent; his troop deployment and command were in no way inferior to Hudutai's, and perhaps even more sophisticated in strategy. Just looking at the momentum of his attack from all sides as he marched down Tianleixing, and the artillery, infantry, and heavy cavalry moving in a staggered formation, I knew victory was assured. I should know that's his character; he never fights a battle he's not confident of winning, just as he wouldn't rashly rescue me. Attacking the weaker Mongol forces in Lingbei to rescue the Dali princess would not only boost morale but also gain more support from Dali. After the great victory, instead of easily capturing Chagatai, he feigned a retreat, actually lulling the Mongol army into a false sense of security while he remained inactive, secretly preparing provisions and allowing his troops to recuperate. He feared that those returning would be mostly wounded or weak generals, while the reinforcements he received would be elite troops. I could guess all of that. With his strategy and his valiant army, he must know how to retreat in order to advance, and he would surely arrive with his main force to save me from this predicament. It's just that I really can't guess the intention behind those four words... "I wish to follow Wenrui's example"... If his apparent indifference was a smokescreen for the enemy, why would he risk sending a guard into the camp to deliver those four words? I... truly don't understand.

As far as the eye could see, the exhausted army of the Khututai Plateau was gradually losing ground.

But I knew it was far from over. Just then, from the mountain valley west of the Chahetai camp, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, waving golden leopard banners, emerged like divine warriors. These were the 100,000 iron cavalry of Huainan. I couldn't help but be surprised. After the Rong clan's downfall, the tiger tally commanding the 300,000 iron cavalry of Huainan had always been on my person. How could Lu Li mobilize my family's loyal army?! But then I thought, my elder sister is stationed in Huainan; she must know what's going on. She will surely send a skilled army to aid Lu Li's elite forces. In an instant, the Mongol army was completely surrounded by our forces.

At this moment, Lu Li raised his right arm. The fighting gradually ceased. Han Chinese and Mongols alike made way for him. On one side of this path was Lu Li, and on the other, Hudutai.

"Hahaha." Looking at Lu Li who was rapidly approaching, Hudutai burst into laughter: "Han Emperor. I heard you were seriously wounded in the battle of Lingbei. How is your recovery going?!"

Lu Li was injured. I hadn't heard about it before. Hudutai had never mentioned it either. I pondered for a moment. Could the injury be a smokescreen? After all, Lu Li's thoughts run too deep. After years of observing, I still can't figure him out.

"Thank you for your concern, Commander!" Lu Li chuckled. His voice was noticeably weak, indicating that he was indeed injured. "Your reputation for being a master of surprise attacks is well-deserved."

Hudutai sneered, "You flatter me! We cold weapons are no match for the cunning of you Han people. Where is our prince now?"

Cunning? What did Lu Li do that could be considered cunning? And the prince—wasn't Prince Chagatai the same Han Yufeng I sent Nangong to escort? Where is he now, and what is his connection to this whole affair?!

“Indeed, my tactics this time were not very clever. It is a fact that your prince was kidnapped by Prince Mu’s army. I did not want to use this method, but... I decided to give them a taste of their own medicine.” Lu Li said with a faint smile.

I suddenly understood. Lu Li's decisive victory over the Mongol army in Lingbei, followed by his splitting his forces into two groups, and his feigned indifference with the Han Chinese, was not only a cover for recuperation but also a way to draw the enemy's attention and secretly cover the advance of the Fourth Prince's 100,000 personal troops into Kaiping, the Mongol capital. Perhaps fearing that even a great victory wouldn't easily appease Khutuktu, he used the kidnapping of the prince and the capture of Kaiping as leverage to exchange me for Khutuktu. No wonder I had been puzzled by Khutuktu's predicament in Chagatai for so many days without any Mongol reinforcements; it seemed his rear was on fire. This was precisely what Lu Li meant by "fighting fire with fire." I couldn't help but admire his caution and thoroughness once again.

Lu Li was always like this; he would painstakingly deploy his troops, creating a vast and intricate network, only to have it all seen through at a glance. Yet, Lu Li would take an extra step, turning the tide of the battle. This perhaps forced Hudutai to admire the young man's courage and strategic brilliance.

Lu Li smiled faintly, "You lost, the once legendary General Hudutai!" His voice suddenly turned cold: "You lost because of your overconfidence, because you underestimated the majesty of my dynasty! But… everything in this world needs an end, and I do not wish to shed more blood. Because someone once told me that when she stood on the battlefield, amidst the piles of white bones, her heart was filled with sorrow. Whether victorious or defeated, the outcome was the same: people would die, and countless bones would be swallowed by the smoke of war. Mongols, Dali people, Han…"

One party will bleed.

I stared blankly at Lu Li. How could he say such a thing? Weren't these the angry words I uttered when we parted?!

Hudutai hadn't expected Lu Li, whose victory seemed assured, to utter such words. Such womanly compassion was a cardinal sin in warfare! Or was it a ploy to lure the enemy?! Hudutai was bewildered, his voice trembling slightly. "What do you mean?"

"How about we make an exchange?" Lu Li smiled faintly. "Return the capital city of Dali Kingdom to Kaiping, and Kaiping will naturally be relieved. Each of us can live in our own corner, recuperate and thrive. Wouldn't that be better? In the past, the court was too harsh on the tribute demands of small countries like yours. I suppose that people were suffering, and it was only natural that morale was low and the situation was unstable."

Hudutai was already slightly tempted, thinking that this battle might not need to continue.

"Han emperor, I never expected you to go to such lengths and mobilize so many troops for a woman... What a pity..." Hudutai didn't respond to Lu Li's suggestion. Instead, he slightly raised the corners of his lips and glanced at me behind him. I knew he needed time to consider and weigh the pros and cons of Lu Li's suggestion. Bringing me up was just a delaying tactic.

Lu Li's smile gradually faded. "Where is my Empress?"

Empress?! When did I become Empress?! Hudutai was also surprised, then smiled casually, "I didn't expect you to be Empress!"

Lu Li looked at Hudutai, his expression still calm, "If it weren't for the many unexpected events that happened so suddenly, she would be my empress now."

"Is that so?" Hudutai's eyes narrowed. "It's a pity that your empress can't bear the humiliation... and has followed the example of the former Empress Wenrui."

Upon hearing his grandmother's name, Lu Li was startled. He gripped the reins tightly, his brows furrowing. Then he exhaled softly, "No... My empress is unlikely to be the kind of loyal and virtuous woman..." His words carried a hint of self-mockery.

Seeing his sudden startle and hearing his calm words, I suddenly realized that perhaps the words on the blank paper weren't written by Lu Li. If they were, why would he have gone to such lengths, creating a vast and intricate network to save me, a man already considered dead?! If they were, why that moment of surprise, and then those almost self-deprecating words?! Thinking that he hadn't wanted me dead, but had gone to such lengths to save me, I felt my frozen heart begin to revive. But pondering his words, I couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. What did he mean by "not quite like a loyal and virtuous woman"? He was directly stabbing me in the back in front of all the soldiers, clearly accusing me of disloyalty.

Hudutai concealed his surprise and smiled, "Whether the Empress is loyal or not, I don't know, but she is certainly fierce. No matter what kind of woman she is, being tied up in front of the camp, stripped naked, and taken advantage of by my army in turn would not be a pleasant experience. Even the most shameless woman could not withstand such humiliation, let alone a fiercely independent Empress?"

Seeing Hudutai's confident and eloquent words, I couldn't help but laugh. He still had the temper of a child. Even though he had clearly lost, he still wanted to be quick with his words! Wasn't he afraid that Lu Li would get angry and wipe out his entire army?!

Lu Li's brows furrowed even more fiercely. He naturally didn't believe Hudutai's words, but they were full of disrespect for the Empress and the royal family, which Lu Li, as the ruler of a country, could not tolerate.

Lu Li's calm voice echoed in the empty space, "All soldiers, listen to my command! Charge into the enemy camp and rescue the Empress. As for the rest, kill them without mercy."

Is he really going to turn hostile?! A disturbance was about to shatter the brief peace. Then, a force of a dozen or so men emerged from the Chagatai camp, led by Prince Chagatai. Beside him was a woman with a light veil covering her head; I couldn't tell which concubine she was, as she was too far away to see her face clearly through the veil.

"The Han Chinese empress is in my hands!" The prince pressed his sword against the woman's shoulder. The woman was wearing the clothes I wore when I was captured, and at a glance, one could see that she resembled me.

It turned out she was an imposter empress. Hudutai was also somewhat confused by the scene, occasionally glancing back at me. He shook his head, as if to say he didn't know either. I knew Hudutai was a man of principle and wouldn't stoop to using a woman as a shield. So I nodded, raised my eyebrows, and told him, "See? If I hadn't insisted on being with you, I would have been held hostage by his muddle-headed uncle."

"The Han emperor—" Chahetai stopped in his tracks, "You withdraw your troops—and I'll release her—"

Lu Li remained unmoved. "What do you want?"

"The Han Chinese army, whether in Chagatai or Kaiping and Dadu, must all withdraw." Chagatai's naiveté makes me want to laugh.

Seeing Hudutai's helpless sigh, I felt that, after weighing the options, he was more inclined to reconcile with Lu Li. After all, this emperor was no ordinary man; his profundity was something even Hudutai himself admired. This was what is called mutual respect among heroes, and that is why Lu Li did not kill Hudutai.

Lu Li actually smiled. I was already gritting my teeth. I was being held hostage, and you could still laugh.

Even more unexpectedly, Lu Li raised his bow and arrow, pointing it straight into the distance. I stared intently, not at Chagatai, but at me—the fake empress. A cold sweat broke out on my body. What? Seeing that I hadn't obediently died for my country, he wanted to eliminate me with a single stroke?! Or perhaps, fearing I would be a burden to him, he preferred to die by his hand rather than suffer humiliation at the hands of the enemy. The howling wind ruffled my hair, seemingly stirring up an indescribable emotion within me.

Legend has it that Lu Li's arrows could pierce a willow leaf from a hundred paces away, killing with a single shot. After firing that arrow, he stood proudly, bow drawn, his eyes unwavering. I closed my eyes; when he released the arrow, there wasn't a trace of hesitation or trembling. Even Hudutai stared in disbelief as he expertly drew his bow and released the arrow—the entire sequence was flawlessly perfect. I dared not look at that crimson figure in the distance.

The woman cried out in surprise, then fell silent. There was no commotion as I had expected; everything was so quiet. His arrow, which could hit a target a hundred paces away, had grazed just past her temple, without harming a hair. Perhaps from shock, the woman stumbled and sat down on the ground. He did it on purpose—the thought welled up in my mind.

Lu Li smiled calmly, "My shrew...wouldn't be so weak. If it were her, she would definitely pick up an arrow and rush towards me, giving me a good scolding."

I felt a hidden sense of pride, not only for Lu Li's familiarity with my ways, but also for his wisdom and composure, and of course, for his praise of me. However, the smile froze on my lips as I wanted to slap myself. What was there to be proud of? He was insulting me! How dare he call me a shrew!

Even Hudutai couldn't help but laugh out loud, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. I couldn't help but glare at him and ask, "What are you laughing at? She's just a shrew!"

Lu Li coughed lightly, suppressing a laugh, "Hudutai, what have you thought about my proposal?"

Hudutai looked at him with a determined expression, "Your Majesty keeps your word?!"

"yes."

“Very well, I am willing to withdraw our troops fifty li from the border, and Dali’s territory will be restored. But I have only one request.”

"What?" Lu Li narrowed his eyes.

"From this day forward, our Great Mongol is willing to submit to you, but only for this generation. As for whether we will be treated with the respect due to a ruler and his subjects, that will depend on whether your descendants can inherit your wisdom. As for my conditions... I hope Your Majesty will issue a general call to the world, saying that we Great Mongol people, like the Liao and Han people, are all chosen ones of Heaven, without distinction of rank or status, and are not barbarians."

I was taken aback. Perhaps this was what Hututai truly desired. He didn't care about power or the fate of the realm; he only wanted dignity, the dignity of his people. The most humble dignity of being seen as a human being, not as livestock or slaves. I was deeply moved. Yet, I sensed something glistening in Hututai's eyes—were they tears? This man of such spirit couldn't contain his surging emotions before a monarch ten years his junior.

Lu Li nodded, "It should have been done long ago..."

Hudutai looked up abruptly, his expression a mixture of surprise, joy, and emotion.

"This time... it was you, General, who taught me a lesson, making me understand that the people of the world are not just Han Chinese who are my subjects. Before... someone else said the same thing, telling me to look at the world. Now, if she were still by my side, I would definitely be grateful." Lu Li said calmly. I remembered that many of the things I said that day did indeed contain the words "the world." At the time, I just wanted to say that I didn't want to see anyone shed blood, and I didn't think it was so profound.

After he finished speaking, his indifferent gaze swept across the crowd and landed on me. I was startled. Had he noticed me? Fortunately, his gaze only lingered for a moment before casually looking away.

"Is the person Your Majesty spoke of... the Empress?" Hudutai asked.

Lu Li smiled knowingly, "Is my Empress so good... that you're still reluctant to return her?"

Hudutai said calmly, "The Empress is indeed a rare and wonderful woman. I have never admired anyone before, but today, I admire you, Emperor, not only for your political acumen and wisdom, and your concern for the people, but also for having such a beautiful woman in your heart."

I never intended to truly use the Empress's command to blackmail you; I merely wanted to sow discord among your troops. I will not harm the Empress... and I will certainly return her unharmed."

Lu Li finally smiled with satisfaction. "Whether she is a beauty or not, I dare not say... I've just gotten used to having this shrew in front of me. If she's not around for a moment, I always feel uneasy. It's rare to find such a shrew in the world... just as the commander said."

This time, his gaze suddenly lifted, fixing on me, the faint smile still playing on his lips. That smile seemed to tell me that he had already noticed me blending into the crowd.

It was as if everyone in the world had vanished in an instant, and on the vast earth, he saw only me, and I met his gaze.

"Are you wrong, Lu Li?" I raised my voice, and the wind began to pick up.

With a smile in his eyes, he personally rode his horse a few meters closer, but not too close, as if he was worried that I would back down.

"I was wrong." A smile played on his lips. He didn't seem to care at all about calling himself "I" and saying "I was wrong" in front of millions of soldiers. I really don't know what he considers imperial dignity! However, I like it when he refers to himself as "I" instead of "朕" (the imperial "I") in front of me.

Where did you go wrong?

He rode a few steps closer, his voice growing louder, "Everything was wrong!"

After waiting so long, all I got was a typo. I don't know if it was worth it or something else! I suddenly wanted to give him a smile in return. He had been smiling and quietly waiting for me to ride closer, but then his brow furrowed in an instant. I felt a force behind me lift me off my horse, and when I turned around, I saw it was Yingge. My helmet and armor were scattered on the ground, leaving only my white clothes and long, loose hair fluttering in the wind.

Yingge grabbed my neck with one hand and stared straight at Lu Li not far away. "I am not one of you heroes who care about the world. I only know that my people were killed by the Han people. I was born to take revenge. Even if I kidnapped the Han empress, I can still take her life."

Lu Li dismounted and walked steadily, faster than ever before, while Ying Ge dragged me back step by step.

Lu Li paused three steps away from us, looking at Ying Ge with an expressionless expression. "I'll give you my life in exchange for hers, okay?"

“Your life is certainly not as precious as mine, what’s the point of exchanging it? No, no, your life is too cheap, I won’t trade with you.” I hurriedly shook my head, smiling as I spoke. Lu Li only frowned slightly at my words, remaining silent, his deep eyes fixed on Ying Ge’s hand.

In the distance, I saw Hudutai looking at me with a pained expression.

I reached out and tugged at Yingge's sleeve, smiling slightly, "I can repay your blood debt, can't I?"

She paused, then slowly looked at me. "You—why—"

I smiled gently, looking at Lu Li's pale face, and said calmly, "Because—he belongs to the world, not just me, so he cannot die."

Lu Li reached out and gently put her arm around my waist, forcing a smile, "You shrew, you actually say I'm not as precious as you."

I glared at him. "Even at the last minute, you still want to argue with me."

"Madam—" There was a hint of pain in his voice, followed by endless agony, "I'll stay with you..."

For a moment I was stunned. He actually called me "Madam"! He had called me "Queen" before, and he had called me by my name, but this time he addressed me directly as "Madam," just like the respectful title a married couple in an ordinary family would use—so ordinary, so precious. After the sudden shock, I couldn't hide the sorrow that filled my eyes.

"You think I'm annoying enough? Fine, fine, can't you just let me have some peace and quiet?" I smiled slightly, but I also felt a pang of sadness in my chest. "These past six years, through thick and thin, there hasn't been a moment of peace... From now on, I'll be free of worry, and you'll be at peace too..."

After saying that, he turned around calmly and looked at Yingge, "How do you plan to settle this?"

"Three slaps," she answered firmly.

"Okay, go ahead and do it," I replied quietly.

Yingge slowly exerted force with his right wrist. I closed my eyes and only felt a gust of wind in front of me. A warm and solid body was already blocking my chest. The three loud bangs were heart-wrenching. I opened my eyes and tears fell in panic.

Lu Li smiled slightly, wrapping his arms around my waist as if he were holding some precious treasure.

I dared not look at his back, dared not listen to him speak, for fear that if he opened his mouth, it would be blood.

His body slumped gently down onto my shoulder, and I held him in my arms, stroking his pale face repeatedly.

“I am a man…” He opened his eyes slightly and smiled gently, “...my responsibility.”

"You are my husband..." The words escaped softly and weakly from my throat, gradually fading as the smile on his lips disappeared, and all sounds around us turned into a silent stillness...

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Conferment of the Empress Title

Ge was locked up in the camp. When I went in, she was still struggling.

"Eagle Song, do you think it's worth it?" I smiled faintly and looked into her eyes.

Yingge was taken aback. "I don't understand what you're saying."

I just smiled and took her hand, saying, "You've really had a tough time, enduring so much hardship in the desert for so many years."

Eagle Song looked at me in horror.

“I know…you don’t want to kill me. You just want to use me to get rid of the emperor.”