This was the crucial battle after Chu Ling’s death. From this point forward, military morale would be stabilized.
“Quickly, report to the capital! Send the victory bulletin flying!”
While the officers here celebrated in joyful chaos, Zhong Changrong grabbed the messenger, urgently asking how Chu Zhao was and whether she had been injured.
How would the messenger know such details? After a battle, especially a frontal assault, everyone bore some injuries.
He said, “When Her Majesty led troops to arrive, Commander Xie and the Chi’na army were already engaged in fierce combat. Her Majesty brought people to flank them, completely cutting off Chi’na unit’s escape route.”
A nearby officer patted Zhong Changrong’s shoulder. “You can rest easy now. The young miss is no longer a child.”
She had become Empress. She had bid farewell to her father and taken on his unfinished military duties.
Zhong Changrong did feel relieved, but still cursed Mu Mianhong harshly: “Wicked people truly have good luck—now the young miss owes her a debt of gratitude.”
……
……
Under the night sky, the battlefield where fighting had ended remained clamorous.
Fires burned, corpses piled like mountains, and wounded soldiers wailed.
A first batch of wounded had already been transported away.
When Liang Qiang came over, he saw Chu Zhao listening to officers report casualties. Around Chu Zhao were both men and women, and the moment he glanced their way, they stared at him with fierce vigilance.
Liang Qiang withdrew his gaze and turned to leave, but Chu Zhao had already seen him and called out, “Young Master Liang!”
“Your wound is severe. Why haven’t you left?” Chu Zhao said, about to ask the officers why this was so.
“I chose not to leave,” Liang Qiang volunteered, then added, “I’ll leave now.”
……
……
Not far away, Mu Mianhong asked Xiao Man, “Who is that person?”
Xiao Man was busy fiddling with her long blade, which had broken during combat, making her quite angry. Hearing the question, she looked up briefly. “Auntie, have you forgotten? That soldier who was nearly killed by his own men.”
When they had approached this area earlier, scouts reported the situation seemed strange, so Chu Zhao and they had dismounted and crept closer quietly. They saw several dozen men from the left vanguard with several hundred Xi Liang soldiers facing them.
It looked like they were surrounded, but no combat was occurring. Those vanguard soldiers were even talking and seemingly laughing, when two soldiers suddenly struck at one of them—
Seeing this scene, Chu Zhao ordered arrows fired.
The rescued soldier saw reinforcements and shouted loudly, “They’ve defected to the enemy!”
Chu Zhao ordered everyone to charge forward. Xiao Man and Mu Mianhong went to fight, paying no more attention to what happened behind them.
“That this person even followed to fight is quite good,” Xiao Man said.
Of course Mu Mianhong knew about this soldier, but that wasn’t what she was asking. She said quietly, “A’Zhao seems to know him.”
Xiao Man looked again. “I don’t recognize him, never seen him before.” She pursed her lips. “She really knows a lot of people.”
Mu Mianhong smiled faintly and looked over again at that young man standing before Chu Zhao.
It seemed they weren’t just acquainted but had history. Otherwise, why would he hesitate there, wanting to leave yet lingering?
Chu Zhao didn’t ask Liang Qiang further about leaving early or late—these were his own affairs, and he could decide for himself.
“Since you haven’t left yet, there’s something I need to confirm with you again,” she said. “Young Master Liang—”
Liang Qiang interrupted her. “I am no longer a young master.”
Chu Zhao smiled slightly. “Military Marquis Liang.”
Earlier she had already asked about Liang Qiang’s situation, learning that he and his father had fought their way to earning official positions.
Liang Qiang lowered his gaze. “Your Majesty, please command.”
Chu Zhao said, “After your vanguard army encountered the ambush, what happened? Was there internal strife?”
Liang Qiang was silent for a moment.
“We had five hundred men. Fighting to break through, fewer than a hundred remained,” he said. “The Xi Liang soldiers pursued relentlessly, and—tempted us to surrender.”
Chu Zhao said, “You refused, so they raised their blades against you?”
Liang Qiang fell silent again, then dropped to one knee. “Your Majesty, they were all good men, truly driven to desperation. I believe even if they defected, it was only a delaying tactic—I beg Your Majesty to grant them dignity.”
This confirmed it beyond doubt. The nearby officer frowned. “How can that be acceptable? Defecting to the enemy is even worse than fleeing from battle. Even if dead, they must be convicted and punished, made public knowledge, to serve as warning to others.”
Chu Zhao looked at the kneeling Liang Qiang, then at the officer. “Since they are already dead and we’ve won a great victory, let’s report only the good news. Publicizing defection crimes would instead shake military morale.”
The officer acknowledged this with a “yes,” but insisted, “However, they cannot receive death-in-battle compensation, nor can they be included in the memorial stele with the fallen soldiers.”
Chu Zhao nodded in agreement.
Only then did the officer depart with his orders.
“Military Marquis Liang, please rise,” Chu Zhao said to the still-kneeling Liang Qiang.
Liang Qiang expressed thanks and stood up, still keeping his gaze slightly lowered, but he could feel the girl’s eyes examining his arm.
Very earnest, very focused, very—concerned.