Chapter 2.1

Liangma City is a large town located at the edge of the Great Wall, part of Ganzhou (modern-day Zhangye), situated at the northernmost front. Beyond that lies the territory of the Xueyantuo!

The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty dispatched three of the court’s greatest generals—Xu Ji, Yuan Buqu, and Ashina Du’er—each leading an army of 100,000 troops in three directions to encircle the Xueyantuo, indicating that they would not underestimate this fierce northern tribe.

Among them, Ganzhou’s terrain was the most treacherous. Yuan Buqu’s army held the front lines, while Ashina Du’er stationed his forces in Liangzhou (Wuwei) as reinforcements. The third army, led by Xu Ji, headed to Taiyuan, to prevent other tribes from taking advantage of the war to attack the Tang Dynasty.

Every day, Yuan Buqu’s routine included riding his horse to patrol the city, climbing the walls to discuss strategy with advisors, and inspecting the maintenance of the fortifications. Having been stationed in Liangma City for a month, though the Xueyantuo had not made any major moves, it was clear that this would be a tough battle. His placement on the front line was due to his calm and sharp mind, which often allowed him to anticipate the enemy’s strategies, resulting in repeated victories.

As the commander, he maintained a calm demeanor even in the face of crisis, as if the collapse of Mount Tai wouldn’t faze him. So, when he received a letter from his household servant, bringing news from Steward Li, he didn’t let any change of emotion show on his face. He remained as cold and dignified as ever, though his eagle-sharp eyes became even more colder.

“Ziren, bad news?” Sha Shao, astute as ever, asked Yuan Buqu, fanning himself lightly. Dressed in scholarly attire, he wore a hat and radiated an air of refinement. Sha Shao was a renowned strategist of the court, and every battle and strategy Yuan Buqu devised had been in collaboration with him. Sha Shao’s son, Sha Pingwei, was Yuan Buqu’s most valiant warrior and had recently been promoted to the army’s chief officer, with a bright future ahead. After years of fighting side by side, the Sha family had developed a bond with Yuan Buqu that was both fatherly and brotherly. Therefore, in private, Sha Shao would directly address Yuan Buqu by his courtesy name, Ziren, though this was limited to personal matters. In official affairs, their roles were clearly defined, and neither would cross boundaries. The military discipline was strict, leaving no room for favoritism. Knowing Yuan Buqu well, Sha Shao could detect a flicker of anger beneath his superb calmness.

Yuan Buqu removed his cloak, revealing the intricately embroidered flying eagle on his general’s robe and the imperial jade sword at his left waist. His army was called the “Eagle Army,” distinguishing it from the “Tiger Army” and “Lion Army.” His military achievements were outstanding, and after repeated commendations from the emperor, he was awarded the “Black Eagle” emblem. He was the first rising star in over a decade, alongside generals Xu Ji and Ashina Du’er. Now, his reputation surpassed even the other two armies! Despite recruiting soldiers with the same qualifications, only Yuan Buqu had the ability to forge them into a formidable force. This was why the Tang Emperor had specially appointed the Eagle Army to lead the charge in this campaign.

“My wife has run away.” Out of two long pages of family correspondence, the main point was that the bride he had married twenty days ago had fled.

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Jldlyvb bkp nyzx vsdl zwajle y calokdt pvsax!

“Ebu? Mbyv xyjlp ds pldpl!” Fby Fbys pvasjle bkp tsyvll, zssjkdt yv bkx okvb nsdnlad. “Pke pbl awd cynj bsxl? Nk Fbldtxkdt pbswze jdso vbl nsdpliwldnlp kq bkp eywtbvla alvwadle. Jwv R dlhla wdelapvsse obu usw ynnlrvle Nk Fbldtxkdt’p swvaytlswp esoau elxyde yde xyaakle vbyv vaswczlpsxl eywtbvla sq bkp! Gzz clnywpl sq y rklnl sq ryrla vbyv pbswze byhl clld hske zsdt yts? Zsw nswze byhl ktdsale kv! Jynj vbld, R yehkple usw lyadlpvzu vs bwxkzkyvl Nk Fbldtxkdt rwczknzu yde nydnlz vbl ldtytlxldv. Ebyv tsse nswze nsxl qasx pwnb y vaswczlpsxl eywtbvla? Zlv, elprkvl uswa vswtb lmvlaksa, usw yal ellr yde vbswtbvqwz kdpkel, wdzkjl uswa nsze yrrlyaydnl. Ls sdl alyzzu jdsop obyv usw’al vbkdjkdt! Gde ps, sd vbl lhl sq cyvvzl, usw elnkele vs xyaau vbl tkaz usw olal clvasvble vs yp y nbkze, yde ds sdl nswze rlapwyel usw svblaokpl.”

Lso, okvb vbl osxyd’p lpnyrl, kv sdzu qwavbla rashle vbyv y cye ltt oswze yzoyup rasewnl y osapl ltt! Eswze Zwyd Jwiw nsdvkdwl vs cl ps xytdydkxswp? Xwvpkel vbl vldv, vbl plahydvp ydmkswpzu yoykvle vblka xypvla’p elnkpksd, alyeu vs vyjl alhldtl.

“Fbl ayd yoyu vld eyup yts! Oyazkla, Bdnzl Nk rlapsdyzzu oldv vs Zydtgbsw vs cakdt bla cynj, cwv Nk Fbldtxkdt, qlyakdt R oswze elxyde vbl tsze cynj sa vyjl bkp zkql, qzle shladktbv! Gde pbl eked’v alvwad vs Zydtgbsw lkvbla. Fllkdt vbl tayhkvu sq vbl pkvwyvksd, Bdnzl Nk pldv psxlsdl okvb vbkp watldv xlppytl. Yyucl pbl lzsrle okvb ydsvbla xyd.”

“Ebyv es usw rzyd vs es?”

Zwyd Jwiw zlv swv y nsze zywtb, vbl nbkzz kd bkp pxkzl zkjl vbl qallgkdt Plnlxcla pdso vbyv ckvlp vs vbl csdl.

“Tl xyaakle bla vs qwzqkzz bkp zyvl qyvbla’p zypv okpb. Lso, R byhl y alypsd qsa alhldtl! R okzz bwdv esod Nk Fbldtxkdt yde bkp eywtbvla vs vbl ldep sq vbl lyavb, nyrvwal vblx yzkhl kq rsppkczl, cwv kq elye, vblka nsarplp okzz pwqqknl. Wsa vbl bwxkzkyvksd vblu’hl caswtbv wrsd vbl Qldlayz’p Yydpksd, vblu elplahl vs cl qwtkvkhlp okvb ds rzynl vs cwau vblka cseklp!” G iwknj elyvb oswze asc bkx sq vbl pyvkpqynvksd sq alhldtl, oswzed’v kv? Mbspl obs oasdt bkx xwpv wzvkxyvlzu lmrlakldnl cswdezlpp vlaasa yde valxczkdt. Gp qsa vbl Nk qyxkzu, yzz csdep sq taynl yde zsuyzvu olal plhlale! Fvyavkdt okvb Nk Zwbw’p clvayuyz, bl oswze plvvzl ynnswdvp sdl cu sdl, yde ds sdl oswze lpnyrl!

Fby Fbys pvsse wr yde cltyd rynkdt, bkp kdvlzzktldv caso qwaasole ellrzu.

“I still don’t understand Li Yuhu’s motive. Becoming the wife of a general is such an honor. Why would she run away?” If Li Yuhu were truly as vain as her father, why would she flee? The wealth and power of the General’s Mansion would let her enjoy luxury for ten lifetimes! That’s the one mystery! Of course, Sha Shao had no affection for Li Yuhu either.

“You overestimate a woman’s mind! The Li family are mere commoners, rough and unrefined. Other than some natural agility, I had no expectations for her intelligence. People blinded by greed can’t see anything else! Plus, given the insults I’ve suffered from the Li family, they have every reason to be suspicious of my motive for marrying her. Any sensible woman would have run! Besides, she must have heard rumors in the capital about my previous wives’ deaths,” Yuan Buqu mused sarcastically. Why wouldn’t she run? Not running would be strange—everything was going exactly as he had anticipated!

Sha Shao moved closer, wary, “Why did you really marry her?”

“After being a servant in the Li family for two years, don’t you think I deserve some compensation?” Yuan Buqu replied cryptically, leaving even the brilliant Sha Shao baffled.

“You’re speaking plainly, but no one understands you. Sigh…” Sha Shao waved his fan as he exited the tent, allowing the Yuan family servants to enter and await their master’s orders.

As he looked up at the gloomy sky, Sha Shao couldn’t help but hum to himself. He believed that Li Yuhu’s escape would be the greatest loss of her life.

The weather in April varied greatly from south to north. In places like Suzhou and Hangzhou, it was the time for gentle breezes through the willows and the first blossoming of flowers, painting the landscape in vibrant colors.

In the capital, it was a time when people wore their finest clothes, competing in extravagance, with the aristocracy hosting grand flower-viewing banquets. Sea peaches and rhododendrons filled the gardens, creating a paradise of opulence.

But in the Ganzhou region, after winter, there was nothing but endless yellow sand!

As she traveled from Liangzhou, Du Bingyan finally understood that such barren lands, where not even a blade of grass could grow, really existed. No rain fell year-round, leaving the earth parched and turned into a vast desert where survival was nearly impossible. Though Heaven still showed a trace of mercy, leaving small patches of green amid the sand, these oases were barely enough to sustain life. Yet the boundless desolation weighed heavily on the heart.

After three days of seeing nothing but yellow sand, it felt like a lifetime’s journey on an endless road. The oasis where they had rested seemed like a mirage, making her doubt whether it had even been real. The sand truly sapped one’s spirit! She couldn’t imagine what lay at the end of this desert or what might await her. The person she sought was leading troops ahead, quelling the rebellion.

Tightly clutching the edge of her cloak, she wrapped herself entirely to shield her skin from the scorching sun. Even though she was suffocating beneath the heavy cloak, she refused to let the sun burn her.

It had been twenty days since she left the General’s Mansion! Any longer, and she would have gone mad from the gaudy decorations and the scorn of the servants. Especially with Steward Li treating her as though she were speaking nonsense—no one would believe she was Du Bingyan and not Li Yuhu.

Originally, she had planned to return to Yangzhou to inform her father, but first, she needed to find General Yuan Buqu. Once he understood the truth, everything would be easier. She just hoped General Yuan was a reasonable man; if not, he should at least have the curiosity to investigate the truth. So she had traveled thousands of miles to this desolate land, almost falling into the clutches of bandits in a shady inn along the way!

To be honest, it was a miracle that such an innocent and sheltered young woman like her had survived this long on her own! Du Bingyan knew how pitifully inexperienced she was. Though she was cautious, how could she defend against the evils of human nature? Even in disguise as a man, her scholarly, delicate appearance carried no authority.

She was truly blessed! Ten days ago, she had almost stayed in a shady inn but was forcibly dragged out by a refined middle-aged man. It wasn’t until they had boarded a carriage and traveled through the night that the man informed all the passengers that the inn was a front for robbing and killing guests. Just as everyone was still reeling from fear, as if to confirm the man’s words, hoofbeats echoed behind the carriage—it was the inn’s staff, looking to rob them on the deserted road.

Du Bingyan was petrified! She never imagined such things actually happened in the world. Despite her fear, she was relatively strong—she didn’t scream or faint. Unlike the young scholar sharing the carriage, who first screamed, then passed out, clutching his belongings tightly in a corner.

Several strong farmers and fighters on the carriage jumped down to confront the attackers, realizing their best chance for survival was to fight back. They managed to defeat the would-be robbers.

Throughout the ordeal, the only calm person was the scholarly middle-aged man. He casually flipped through the book in his hand, seemingly unconcerned by the possibility of a robbery.

Having traveled together for several days, Du Bingyan had learned that the man was skilled in medicine, as he had treated the carriage driver’s illness. He was thin and refined, and during their chats, he mentioned he was heading to Liangma City in Ganzhou for work, the frontline of the region. Coincidentally, she was also heading there!

The man’s name was Feng Yufeng, and his luggage was filled with medicinal herbs. He seemed to have a special fondness for her, likely because she was the only other educated person in the carriage and showed a keen interest in medicine.

After the bandits were chased off, Feng Yufeng helped treat the minor injuries of the travelers and taught her some basic medical knowledge.

The carriage passed through Liangzhou but didn’t go into Ganzhou, so three days ago, she and Feng Yufeng disembarked and switched to riding horses toward Ganzhou.

“Are you doing alright, Brother Du?” Feng Yufeng, riding ahead, turned back to ask. He seemed to know her frail body was struggling with the harsh conditions, let alone enduring the sun and wind.

“I’m fine, Brother Feng. Thank you,” Du Bingyan quickly replied. Over the days, they had developed a bond akin to that of father and son or close friends, made tighter by their shared destination. Perhaps Heaven truly was helping her! For twenty days, she had been worrying about how she would reach Ganzhou and how she would meet General Yuan Buqu. Now, everything was falling into place. Feng Yufeng had been recruited as a military doctor—one of the most important ones!

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