In the Northern Barbarian, lives in the Central Plain are their dream and the greatest threat to the Central Plains.

“Yes,” Kadan said, “but you’ll die before me.”

When the blade pierced his chest, Shen Yanzhi didn’t actually feel much pain.

As he lay on the ground, blood slowly flowed from his chest, soaking the tiles beneath him.

He just stared blankly at the snow flying in the air.

Memories flashed before his eyes, but they no longer weighed heavily on his heart as they once did.

Such heavy snow.

If only the dirt of this life could be buried by this snow.

He wanted to meet his loved ones in a clean state.

Lumen Gate finally fell.

The remaining defenders of the city, under the coordination of Xie Chi and An Yuanqing, managed to withdraw without being massacred by the Northern Barbarian.

The generals on the side of An Yuanqing and the remaining Chen soldiers were old acquaintances.

With the foreign threat looming, only the forces of the Great Chu remained, and the Chen Official’s made the decisive decision to join them.

However, the elderly and infirm who did not choose to flee from home were all slaughtered by the Northern Barbarian’s, venting their anger.

When the troops led by the Xie family army and An Yuanqing’s Jianghuai army tried to lure the Northern Barbarian’s army into the mountains as planned, they encountered setbacks.

After the Northern Barbarian’s army plundered the entire Lumen Gate and killed all the defenders, they chopped off the heads of the Chu soldiers who resisted them and hung them on banners and chariots to intimidate the Chu army.

Shen Yanzhi’s body was directly hung on the enemy’s flag.

The soldiers of Chu had never seen such tactics before.

Before the two armies clashed, the enemy used this method to weaken their morale.

Young soldiers remembered the blood-drenched heads hanging on the enemy’s banners, and some cried in terror in the middle of the night.

When the Northern barbarian’s army failed to surround and kill in the mountains, when the Northern Barbarian’s army arrived at Zijing Pass, they still had more than one hundred thousand soildiers.

When the Northern Barbarian’s attacked the city, they still decorated their banners and chariots with the heads of Chu soldiers.

The first time Qin Zheng went up to the city tower to watch the battle, she almost vomited.

This was not her first time on the battlefield, but it was definitely the first time she had seen such a bloody and brutal battlefield.

The ministers who had always been at odds with Shen Yanzhi were shocked to see his body hanging on the enemy’s flag, cursing the Northern Barbarian’s as worse than pigs and dogs.

Qin Zheng didn’t know if it was because of the strong wind on the city tower, the physiological reaction caused by vomiting, or the thought of the fate of the former Crown Princess being whipped to death,

But when she saw the golden-red official robe under the enemy’s flag, her eyes became somewhat dry.

When the cold wind blew, only a faint trace of water marks remained at the corners of her eyes.

“Let the archers shoot down the body,” she heard herself ordering.

There were no objections from the officials on the city tower.

No matter how many mistakes Shen Yanzhi had made, he had never colluded with foreign enemies.

On the contrary, he had set up a trap to welcome the enemy at Lumen Gate.

Now, with his body hung on the enemy’s flag, it was not only intimidating the Chu army but also humiliating all the people of Chu.

The Northern Barbarian wanted to use this method to crush their morale.

The commanders skilled in archery were soon brought over, but the enemy’s flag was hoisted on a high platform beyond the range of ordinary archers, and the heavy crossbows were too cumbersome.

From dozens of yards away, they couldn’t accurately aim at the thick rope.

In the midst of the Chu army’s low morale and panic, the Northern Barbarian launched one attack after another, day and night.

To restore some morale, Qin Zheng had to order the statue of the Emperor Martial in a temple near Zijing Pass to be moved to the city tower.

The name of Emperor Wu Jia had been passed down in Great Chu for hundreds of years.

Three hundred years ago, he had once made the Northern Barbarian’s afraid to cross the Wu Shao River for a hundred years.

With this steadfast stone statue, the soldiers’ fear in the face of the Northern barbarian’s head-hanging intimidation was slightly reduced.

However, this siege was still extremely difficult.

Qin Zheng also witnessed for the first time in this siege that the city wall could indeed be collapsed by the rolling stones thrown by catapults.

Fortunately, the defenses of Zijing Pass were solid, and even after the Northern Rong army smashed all night with catapults, only a small corner of the upper city tower collapsed.

But this was not optimistic.

There were many mountains outside the pass, and there were no ready-made stones.

The Northern Barbarian’s specially formed a team to dig stones on the mountain.

When attacking the city, the cloud ladders were burned down, but new ones were set up.

The Northern Barbarian continued to cut down trees and bamboo in the mountains to make these siege tools.

At first, they could use fire oil to pour on the cloud ladders and use fire to attack.

But later, the fire oil in Zijing Pass was almost exhausted.

The Northern Barbarian’s people continued to attack the city with the siege tools made from cutting down trees and bamboo.

As the battle dragged on, they basically exhausted all their resources.

Qin Zheng remembered the tactics of the chariot battle taught by Chu Chengji in the letter.

When the enemy attacked day and night, they also had to fight day and night.

But not everyone could endure defending the city together.

They also needed to send out several waves of people for rotation.

Qin Zheng divided the defenders into two groups, taking turns to deal with the Northern Barbarian.

During the day, the generals facing the Northern Rong were An Yuanqing and Wang Biao, and at night, they were Dong Cheng and Xie Chi defending the city together.

Yang Yi had been following her closely, ready to obey her commands at any time.

Qin Zheng instructed the generals and advisers under her command to rest and recuperate when it was time for shift change, but she herself had never had a good night’s sleep.

The bodies below the city tower of Zijing Pass had piled up into a small mountain, arrows were scattered everywhere, and it was almost impossible to find a place to step.

From the first time she saw the heads of Chu soldiers hanging on the Northern Rong’s banners, she couldn’t stop vomiting.

Now, seeing the soldiers on the city tower cut into two pieces was something she had become accustomed to.

Every time she climbed the city tower, Qin Zheng counted the days.

She had never experienced a period of time so deeply felt as if each day was like a year.

Gradually, the arrows inside Zijing Pass were running out, and all the weapons that Jianghuai could send had been sent, but they still couldn’t fill the gap in this great battle.

In order to ensure that there were enough arrows within range to suppress the next attack by the Northern Barbarian,

Without letting the Northern Barbarian know that they were short on arrows,

Qin Zheng had to order people to use baskets to lower soldiers down the city tower at midnight to secretly retrieve arrows from the bodies covered with arrow feathers.

The Northern Barbarian faced a new dilemma as well.

The supplies they brought south this time were not much.

Their original plan was to plunder wherever they went.

But now that they were blocked at Zijing Pass, it had far exceeded their planned time to head straight for the Central Plains, and naturally their supplies were exhausted.

However, the way they replenished their supplies became a nightmare for countless Chu soldiers.

The Northern Barbarian directly set up cauldrons on the battlefield, melted the accumulated snow, and dragged out soldiers wearing Chu military uniforms from the pile of dead bodies, throwing them into the cauldrons to cook as if they were preparing meat for cooking.

On the fifth day of guarding Zijinh Pass, Qin Zheng once again vomited bile on the city tower, and accompanying civil officials were fainting.

The soldiers on the city tower were also pale.

Qin Zheng knew that this was the way the Northern Barbarian had broken their morale.

Since then, the number of deserters soldiers had increased day by day, and An Yuanqing had executed dozens of deserters with an iron fist, but it still couldn’t stop the tide of deserters.

The soldiers who didn’t desert were also pale.

The news that the Northern Barbarian ate human flesh and cooked their compatriots on the spot had spread throughout the army.

In the eyes of the low-ranking soldiers, the Northern Barbarian had become even more terrifying than ferocious beasts.

Qin Zheng herself had nightmares and almost fell seriously ill.

When she heard about the deserter soldiers, she still forced herself to appear in front of the generals with her illness.

At this moment, she didn’t dress up to avoid embarrassment, but because she had become a symbol, a symbol.

She needed to let the soldiers see her beautifully dressed and calm demeanor.

Only when the soldiers saw that she remained calm would they not panic.

The bright red lipstick covered Qin Zheng’s pale lips caused by illness.

She wore a golden hairpin and a cloak and skirt embroidered with complex patterns with golden threads, which trailed behind her on the icy blue stone slabs, bright and vibrant, like a sunrise bursting out.

Countless square formations of soldiers stood silently between the snow-covered heavens and earth, staring at the Crown Princess on the high platform without blinking.

“Soldiers of Great Chu, the formidable enemy is right outside the gate. This battle is hard, but the Northern Barbarian savages slaughter our people and eat our compatriots.

This enmity is unforgivable! If you all fear and flee, who else will defend Zijing Pass? Will it be your unarmed elderly parents within the pass? Or your younger brothers, sisters, and infants who can’t even lift weapons? Today, the barbarians killed and ate your compatriots. Tomorrow, it may be your wives, children, and elderly parents!”

Qin Zheng asked each question with red eyes, “We must not let the barbarians enter the pass!”

Some young soldiers were moved to tears by Qin Zheng’s words, and even the older ones who had been on the battlefield for a long time looked solemn.

“Do not let the barbarians enter the pass!”

A soldier raised his halberd and shouted loudly in agreement with Qin Zheng.

At first, there were only a few people who shouted along, but gradually, more and more joined in, until all the soldiers in formation were shouting in unison:

“Do not let the barbarians enter the pass!”

The sound shook the sky and clouds, and at a glance, the red tassels tied to the long halberds almost formed a crimson cloth fluttering in the cold wind, like the red clouds swirling around the rising sun.

In the distance, Xie Chi, An Yuanqing, and other generals looked at Qin Zheng on the high platform, their eyes filled with admiration.

After Qin Zheng’s mobilization, the tide of deserters finally stopped.

But with this tough battle against the Northern Barbarian, they still had to rely on heads to pile up and fight.

On the eighth day of guarding the pass, Qin Zheng ordered the stone statue of Emperor Wu Jia to be brought up to the city tower and smashed to pieces by the rolling stones thrown by the Northern Barbarian’s catapults.

The city gate, which had been defended for many days, was also smashed into ruins by the ram, and could no longer hold up.

While Qin Zheng and her advisers were discussing how to proceed in the inner city tower, they heard a deafening noise coming from the outer city tower, accompanied by the barbaric howls of the Northern Barbarian.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then their faces showed defeat.

Zijing Pass was ultimately unable to hold on.

“Princess Consort…” A soldier who came to report stumbled and rolled into the inner chamber.

Qin Zheng’s face showed a mixture of numbness and calmness as she asked the soldier, “Has the city gate been breached?”

The soldier nodded in a flustered manner. “Generals Dong and Wang are leading troops to block the breach in the city gate. General An is still commanding on the city tower. Young Master Xie has assembled the Xie Family Iron Cavalry and intends to confront the Northern Barbarian’s Cavalry head-on.

General An instructed General Yang to escort Princess Consort out of here.”

Lu Ze also feared that Qin Zheng would fall into the hands of the Northern Barbarian and advised, “Consort, you should leave first.”

When Qin Zheng stood up, she felt dizzy.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had closed her eyes.

Her mind was in chaos, but seeing the anxious faces of everyone, she leaned against the desk and simply said, “Okay.”

If Zijing Pass retreated further south, the only large city left to defend would be Bianjing.

She could retreat, but where would the soldiers who stayed behind to defend the pass retreat to?

Where would the civilians inside the pass retreat to?

As Qin Zheng was helped out of the inner city tower by Lou Yan and Bai Lu, she heard the deafening roar coming from the outer city tower ahead.

Looking back at the silent streets and houses behind the inner city tower, she couldn’t help but feel grief and wept, covering her face.

Seeing her like this, the accompanying officials knew that she was grieving for the fate of the country and the people, and couldn’t help but shed tears as well.

Song Heqing was even more mournful as he looked up to the sky and cried out, “Emperor Wujia, please look at Great Chu!”

“Woo…”

“Woo woo…”

As Song Heqing’s wailing subsided, several low and heavy horn sounds penetrated through all the noise of battle and entered the city.

Qin Zheng and all the officials were startled.

The ground trembled as if there was an earthquake, and the eaves of the inner city tower began to shed dust.

Having experienced Chu Chengji leading troops back to defend Qingzhou, Song Heqing was so excited that he couldn’t speak coherently. “Her Highness… It must be His Highness who has come back! Emperor Wujia has awakened!”

Song Heqing knelt towards the sky, “May Emperor Wujia bless Great Chu!”

The other officials quickly followed suit and knelt with Song Heqing.

However, Qin Zheng ran directly towards the outer city tower.

Even before she reached the city wall, she could already hear the earth-shattering cheers.

Overwhelmed with joy, tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes.

He had finally returned!

Wang Biao and Xie Chi had already led the assembled army out of the city gate, and the Northern Barbarian soldiers near the city wall were being driven back.

At this moment, the city tower was safe.

Led by Yang Yi, Qin Zheng ascended the outer city wall.

Below, there was a chaotic crowd engaged in battle.

It was easy to recognize Chu Chengji’s army.

After days of fierce fighting between the defenders of Zijing Pass and the Northern Barbarian forces, they were already exhausted.

The eighty thousand soldiers he brought back were a revenge force that had come to avenge the slaughter of women and children and the cannibalism of Chu soldiers by the Northern Barbarias!

The low sound of bull horns sounded one after another urgently. Wang Biao and Xie Chi led their troops to drive the scattered Northern Barbarian’s soldiers towards the center.

At the rear, the eighty thousand army’s formation couldn’t fully unfold within the visible range of this area.

The vanguard cavalry formation led by Chu Chengji resembled a sharp cone, fiercely piercing into the rear of the Northern Barbarian’s army, tearing their formation apart and creating a widening gap.

With the following infantry formation appearing on the vast wilderness at the edge of the sky and earth, Qin Zheng could finally see from the city tower that the eighty thousand soldiers led by Chu Chengji were arranged in a huge fan-shaped formation that pierced into the rear of the Northern Barbarian’s army.

The cavalry formation led by Chu Chengji was like the sharp tip of the fan, extremely sharp and unstoppable.

Once the cavalry formation pierced into the enemy’s abdomen, the following infantry formation would widen the gap more and more.

Eventually, it split the Northern Barbarian’s army into two parts.

The cavalry formation dispersed the enemy’s formation, and then the infantry formation surrounded and annihilated them, seamlessly coordinating their attacks.

The Northern Barbarian’s army was almost powerless to resist when facing such a force full of hatred for them in their most weakened state.

Each head hanging on the Northern Barbarian’s war chariots became a catalyst for hatred in the hearts of these Chu soldiers.

The Northern Barbarian’s people tried to instill fear with their actions, but they didn’t realize that they were also instilling the most extreme hatred, and this hatred far surpassed fear.

The Chu soldiers were driven to a frenzy, and at this moment, every Chu soldier who had died on this land before, every head of Chu soldiers hung on the Northern Barbarian’s war chariots, was their closest kin.

Only through slaughter and bloodshed could they alleviate the overwhelming hatred and anger in their hearts.

Chu Chengji charged all the way into the heart of the Northern Barbarian’s army.

The Northern Barbarian’s King of Slaughter and the Left and Right Kings ordered him to be beheaded.

The thick flagpole in the center of the army’s formation was also cut down by Chu Chengji with a single blow.

When Shen Yanzhi’s body fell down, he caught it with the handle of his spear and placed it on the overturned war chariot nearby.

With the flagpole down, the Northern Barbarian’s army became like a group of headless flies, crashing around in the formation, completely disorganized.

Old Chieftain Khan stood on the battle chariot, watching the battle. His most capable generals and two younger brothers had all died at the hands of Chu Chengji.

Facing Chu Chengji’s eyes, which were supposed to be indifferent but were now full of bloodlust,

Old Khan felt an unprecedented fear.

However, just one glance was enough to scare Old Shan Yu almost to the point of shouting, “Retreat!”

His proudest son Kadan had been poisoned to death at Lumen Pass, and his most trusted generals and brothers had died in this battle to conquer the heartland of Great Chu.

The decision to move south had been a mistake after all.

The retreat of the battle chariot was slow, much slower than the speed of the warhorses.

Seeing that the pursuers were about to catch up, Old Chieftain Khan abandoned the chariot directly and fled on horseback, hastily escorted by his personal guards.

In the end, the battle, which had gathered all the forces of Great Chu, concluded with the Northern Barbarian retreating in defeat, leaving behind tens of thousands of dead and captured soldiers.

As the sun set in the west, the battlefield outside Zijign Pass was dyed in a bloody hue.

Qin Zheng stood on the city tower, her red clothes even more radiant than the setting sun, quietly awaiting the triumphant return of the army in the twilight.

Chu Chengji raised his head on horseback, and their eyes met.

Though no words were spoken, everything was understood.

The grudge of the Northern Barbarian’s massacres and cannibalism would be avenged.

Chu Chengji would continue to fight until they dared not venture south of the Wu Shao River to herd their livestock, just as they had three hundred years ago.

But apart from this, nothing in the world could stop him from becoming emperor now.

When Chu Chengji ascended the city tower of Zijing Pass, the girl in red, radiant in the fading sunlight, said to him, “I not only defended Jianghuai and the southern borders for you, but also defended Great Chu.”

Chu Chengji embraced her, and as he felt her presence in his arms, all the hidden anxiety and fear from the long march day and night finally subsided.

He corrected her, “It’s our Great Chu.”

Qin Zheng paused for a moment, then leaned her cheek against his solid chest and smiled lightly, “Yes, our Great Chu.”

In the twilight glow of the sunset, the two of them looked towards the distant, vast mountains.

The snow had not yet melted completely, giving the landscape a scarred and battered appearance.

Yet, the snow illuminated by the sunset had a unique beauty.

Just like the land beneath their feet, scarred and desolate, yet teeming with vibrant life.

Together, they would build a better and stronger Chu nation on this land.