Chapter 282: Hello Chang'an
Chapter 282: I Am My Own Heaven, My Will Is Heaven’s Will
Chang Suining looked ahead and saw two diverging paths, the sound of hooves evidently coming from the one closest to the river.
Her forces, following along the riverbank, had now arrived at her rear.
“General Ningyuan, there is movement ahead!” Captain Bai, leading the way, dismounted and peered through the grass at the figures partially obscured by the undergrowth. His expression immediately changed. “It’s Xu’s army!”
Their uniforms gave it away.
“Be on guard!”
At Captain Bai’s sharp command, the troops immediately formed ranks, awaiting Chang Suining’s orders.
Yet Chang Suining felt something amiss. She fixed her gaze on those who were slowing their pace ahead.
In the next moment, it was not the enemy at all who appeared first in their sight—but Xu Zhengye and his companions, retreating in disarray with weapons drawn.
Captain Bai and the others were dumbfounded.
What was happening?
Had Xu Zhengye’s men betrayed him?
…
Earlier, as Xu Zhengye fled across the river, his boat damaged, he had caught sight of familiar cavalry suddenly appearing on the riverbank.
Those were his men.
His cavalry!
Indeed, Providence had not abandoned him; he was not fated to die here.
Faced with Chang Suining and her pursuing forces, Xu Zhengye immediately made a decision. With only twenty remaining followers, he abandoned the boats and dismounted.
Yet at this moment, they were instead pressed back by the troops in Xu’s uniforms, riding Xu’s horses.
Xu Zhengye’s eyes burned with anger, yet beneath the panic was a mixture of fear and desperation.
Moreover…
He now saw that the forces behind him were no longer wearing Xu’s uniforms, but…
Nearly a thousand strong, most in Xu army attire. Yuan Xiang barely glimpsed the rear but immediately realized:
“Young Miss Chang, our troops are at the rear!”
The cavalry and soldiers of the Xuanzhe Army!
White Captain’s joy was uncontained. “The Xuanzhe Army?!”
Chang Suining’s attention, however, was elsewhere. She watched Xu Zhengye, along with his remaining men, cornered by circumstance, dart into the dense grass along the side path.
Why did these reinforcements not kill Xu Zhengye’s group, but merely push them back here?
The situation seemed strange. Chang Suining could not linger to investigate. She leapt onto her horse, gesturing to the dozens following Captain Bai:
“…All of you, pursue Xu Zhengye!”
Then, glancing at the forces ahead: “Yuan Xiang, remain behind. Carefully distinguish friend from foe. If there is a trap, retreat at once and signal with fireworks!”
“Yes!” Yuan Xiang responded, shouting after the departing Chang Suining: “Young Miss Chang, be careful!”
By protocol, he should stay constantly at her side, but the mixed troops ahead made him cautious; some were Xuanzhe Army, and he needed to verify the situation.
Early March. Grass long and birds singing.
The hooves of horses tore through waist-high grass, raising gusts of wind, startling birds and rabbits alike.
Chang Suining and Captain Bai split their forces, one group pursuing directly, the other flanking from the side.
Two quarters later, Chang Suining caught up to the fleeing Xu Zhengye by a wild creek.
During his escape, Xu Zhengye had initially split his men into two groups, then three, then four, scattering in multiple directions to confuse their pursuers.
Now, he finally halted in the shallow creek.
Hooves splashed through the clear water, passing beside him leisurely, before blocking his path.
The young woman sat tall upon her horse, reins in one hand, and regarded him:
“General Xu, it is time to stop.”
Her youthful voice was clear, blending with the natural babble of the creek.
Xu Zhengye leaned on his blade, slightly bent over, catching his breath.
Leading his men through an entire night of battle, fleeing for half a day across the river, injured by Chang Suining along the way, and constantly vigilant, he was near exhaustion.
He lifted his bloodshot, weary eyes toward the girl atop the horse and let out a mixture of frustration and sarcastic laughter from deep in his throat:
“You really are like a stubborn piece of chewing gum…”
He had escaped so far, clinging to every measure, yet no matter what he tried, he could not shake her.
“I cling to you because that is my skill,” Chang Suining said lightly, smiling. “You cannot shake me off, and becoming my defeated adversary proves only one thing: your own abilities are lacking, General Xu.”
She, too, was weary, and could afford a few words.
Xu Zhengye did not miss the glint of calm in her eyes—the look of a hunter with the prey cornered.
He gritted his teeth and glanced behind him. Her troops were only seven or eight paces back, ten or so riders in a row, each armed with bow or crossbow.
In the distance, the sound of approaching hooves signaled the rest of her scattered pursuit rejoining her.
Xu Zhengye looked skyward for a moment, letting out a laugh of resentment.
My skills are insufficient?!
He had reached this day, achieved the status he once commanded—he was not mediocre, nor would he be trampled beneath a mere young woman.
His eyes flickered with indignation: “…You set an ambush on the Bian River with petty tricks that would never be acknowledged officially. How is that skill?”
The girl remained unfazed, her expression calm: “On the battlefield, only the winner survives, the loser dies. Where are the unchanging rules? Winning proves your ability.”
“The path you chose to Luoyang was not by your own volition—it was the situation forcing you, a situation I orchestrated against you.”
“From start to finish, you have been ensnared by my cunning.”
She continued, unabashed: “So my skills are many, not limited to ambushes and strategy. Unfortunately, General Xu, you are not fortunate enough to witness more of them.”
Her words struck true, yet could not provoke him. He tried another tactic.
“…Do you truly believe that presenting my head as loyalty will earn the Emperor’s favor and secure the Chang family’s fortune and glory?”
“You are mistaken! The Empress is suspicious and cruel, ever distrustful of Chang Kuo… Moreover, you once publicly forced her to decree the execution of the Ming heir in the capital. No matter how you serve her, the Chang family will never prosper!”
His eyes blazed with real hatred: “The Empress is unfit to rule Da Sheng! She schemes and climbs the throne atop her children’s corpses. Her birth predetermined her vision; she could never be a capable monarch!”
“A wise ruler loves their people as children! She cannot even love her own offspring—how could she love the people?”
“Since ascending, she has only fought with the gentry, seeking power above all, treating the people as pawns in her game. The realm suffers, and the people cry out in despair!”
“I merely followed the hearts of the people, seeking to restore righteousness. What is my fault?”
Chang Suining frowned at his rising agitation.
“When you were in Jiangdu, did you ever climb the city gates to look out at the rivers and mountains, instead of your own ambition? Who destroyed the prosperity of Jiangnan? A distant Emperor? Or your own hand?”
“Is that your ‘following the people’s hearts’? Is that your righteousness?”
“The Empress is unfit to speak of loving the people—so are you?”
“You should not ask me; ask yourself if you have done right.” She gazed at Xu Zhengye, her eyes colder than the spring creek: “Examine your own conscience. What have you done?”
Facing those eyes, Xu Zhengye’s clenched teeth trembled.
“Furthermore, when the Empress ascended, was it not because of your support?” Her voice remained calm. “Ultimately, you were of the same path. Why act righteous, deceiving yourself at the edge of death?”
In simpler terms, this was but a tale of betrayal, unequal division, and grudges born of diverging paths.
Xu Zhengye gripped the hilt of his blade planted in the creek, and asked, word by word:
“Who… exactly… are you?”
Her mastery of combat might be innate, but her calm demeanor and unspoken aura of pressure—how was it to be explained?
At this moment, the feeling she gave him was strangely familiar, as if he had seen it long ago in another person…
Xu Zhengye fixed his gaze on her, as if trying to extract some hidden truth from her eyes.
“You asked who I am,” she repeated his question calmly, her tone leisurely: “Was it not already on the proclamation? I am the reincarnation of a martial star, appointed by Heaven’s will, here specifically to kill you.”
“Heaven’s will?” Xu Zhengye suddenly laughed, forcing himself to stand straighter.
Then, in an instant, he drew his blade. Water droplets clinging to it seemed imbued with lethal intent as he pointed toward her. “Lies! What Heaven’s will do you claim to follow?”
The girl remained seated on her horse, smiling faintly, a hint of amusement in her gaze: “I am my own Heaven, my will is Heaven’s will.”
“So if I wish to kill you, it is Heaven’s will that you be killed. That is the plain truth—how can it be lies?”
“…Utterly arrogant!” Xu Zhengye’s bloodshot eyes glimmered suddenly with a trace of excitement. “But very well! It seems we are indeed of the same path!”
Who could utter “I am my own Heaven, my will is Heaven’s will” if not someone beyond the confines of blind loyalty and obedience?
Even if he died today, the empire under the Empress would never rest in peace!
He tilted his head back and laughed heartily.
Then, stumbling two steps forward in the water, his blade nearly reached Chang Suining’s figure. “…I will grant you a look of respect at this moment. Do you dare meet me in honorable combat?”
“I dare.”
Chang Suining smiled. “But I am weary today. Out of respect for our shared status as warriors, I will indulge your final words—enough to give you dignity.”
“Besides, I now possess some renown myself.” She glanced at Xu Zhengye’s rear. “If I had to handle everything personally, constantly jumping and fighting, would that not seem rash, lacking the poise of a general?”
Of course, being beaten was also an option.
Xu Zhengye’s skills were formidable. Should he attempt to grapple her in close combat, her current form would likely not withstand him.
Being seized would be a minor matter; being defeated and humiliated would be grave.
Her reputation and life were valuable.
As she spoke, she held the reins and sidestepped Xu Zhengye, her horse leisurely moving past him.
Xu Zhengye, gathering strength, suddenly turned and chased, swinging his blade toward her back.
Chang Suining held the reins with one hand while drawing the long blade from her back with the other.
As the long blade left its sheath, she lowered her body on horseback, guided the horse, turned, and swung horizontally.
The blade glimmered with lethal force.
Her gaze was icy.
Xu Zhengye’s sword-bearing arm was severed, the arm and blade flying away together.
He staggered back, disbelief etched across his face.
“You really fell for my trick,” Chang Suining tossed the long blade, striking the hilt with her palm.
Thud!
The blade flew straight, piercing Xu Zhengye’s chest.
Chang Suining adjusted her horse and did not look back.
Xu Zhengye knelt in the water, struggling forward, still unwilling to relinquish his blade.
A volley of arrows struck.
His body trembled with each impact, and finally his head drooped weakly. Peace settled over the scene.
“General!” Captain Bai carefully asked, “Shall we retrieve Xu’s head?”
After all, that seventy-three days…
Chang Suining nodded. “Take it.”
Then she added, “Also, drag his body from the water.”
The creek was flowing. A corpse left to rot would taint the water; the living had already caused enough suffering, no need for death to perpetuate sin.
And the bodies in the Bian River—friend or foe alike—would all be recovered and buried.
Previously, when speaking with Commander Xiao, she had casually suggested throwing bodies into the river to feed the fish, but it had only been idle words to ease the stress of impending slaughter.
Large numbers of corpses could poison the water and even trigger disease. Having fought so many water battles, she would never let her careless words become reality.
Yet even so, idle words could not erase the shock of bloodshed.
To truly calm such chaos, only the cessation of war would suffice.
But given the current situation, that notion was mere fantasy.
Still, she would continue walking this path called fantasy. Should she one day approach it, she would use it as a foundation to build a lasting legacy for the people of Da Sheng, ensuring this fantasy endured on her land.
Chang Suining rode slowly, eyes on the horizon.
Waist-high grass swayed with the wind, green waves meeting the blue sky; the breeze pushed clouds in a gentle rhythm.
Amid that wind and cloud, the sound of thundering hooves approached.
Chang Suining instinctively pulled her horse to a halt.
As the hooves drew closer, she could see clearly: it was the Xuanzhe Army, Yuan Xiang, and…
Someone she had worried for.
Both forces stopped ten paces apart.
A young man sat on horseback, wearing deep blue robes, his features refined, gazing at her in the breeze.
After a moment, he dismounted and walked toward her.
Chang Suining, weary from battle, felt a fleeting, dreamlike sensation.
Only when he reached her side did she slightly regain focus, lowering her eyes at him: “Cui Jing… you’re alright…”
Hearing the rarely uttered name “Cui Jing,” the young man’s eyes lit with a smile more delightful than the spring breeze.
He nodded earnestly. “Yes, I’m fine.”
(No more fragmented chapters! I intentionally added over a hundred words so Xiao Cui could speak_(:з」∠)_)
Since Xiao Cui appeared, why not use him and everyone to ask for a monthly vote? Hopefully, it works! (^▽^)
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