The Tartar Military Camp.
Upon hearing the scout's report, the Fourth Prince rose to his feet.
"That woman's tactics are truly unpredictable. Fortunately, Xiao Zheng and Great Yuan failed to reach an agreement."
Now, not only was Shuo Zhou facing a shortage of provisions, but their Tartar forces were also in the same predicament. The supplies of Great Yuan dangled before him like a piece of tender meat, tempting him beyond measure.
"Great Yuan's thirty thousand troops are stationed just ten li from Shuo Zhou. With Prince Kang detained in the city, do you think Shuo Zhou will send reinforcements if we attack?"
"Tsk, it's hard to say. But in my opinion, we should test the waters. If Xiao Zheng chooses to sit back and watch, we can launch a full-scale assault!"
The Fourth Prince pondered for a moment.
"Then let it be as General Batu suggests."
At the break of dawn the next day, five thousand elite Tartar cavalrymen surged toward the Great Yuan camp like a black storm.
Inside the Great Yuan camp, alarm bells instantly pierced the sky. The Yuan commander swiftly rallied his cavalry, forming ranks before charging in pursuit of the Tartar forces.
Seeing the Yuan troops in pursuit, the Tartar cavalry avoided direct confrontation. At the lead commander's whistle, the riders turned their horses in unison, kicking up clouds of dust as they galloped away, leaving behind only blurred silhouettes—as if deliberately taunting their pursuers.
"Don’t chase a fleeing enemy!"
The Yuan commander yanked hard on his reins, his horse neighing as he ordered the retreat.
Shuo Zhou remained eerily calm.
Back at the Tartar camp.
"Your Highness! Scouts report that Shuo Zhou shows no signs of movement! Should we—?"
Chi Na paced back and forth, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
"The Great Yuan are cunning. Let me think this through!"
Could Xiao Zheng, a mere woman, truly dare to declare herself a ruler and oppose Great Yuan? Was this all part of their scheme?
He recalled that day—Xiao Zheng’s dark hair wild and unbound, her body splattered with blood, the cold glint of her blade flashing as she struck down foes with ruthless precision. The aura around her was that of a beast unchained, unstoppable and lethal. Chi Na couldn’t help but waver again—this woman was no ordinary opponent.
"Test them once more!"
"Yes!"
By evening, the aroma of roasted meat wafted from the Great Yuan camp as soldiers prepared their meals. Suddenly, war drums thundered in the distance.
The Tartar army had returned to provoke them.
Inside the central command tent.
Xiao Youcheng and Lu Chao were engrossed in a game of Go. After placing a white stone, Xiao Youcheng sighed involuntarily.
"Ah."
Lu Chao raised an eyebrow. "What’s with the sigh?"
Xiao Youcheng glanced at him. If his guess was right, the Emperor must already know about Xiao Zheng’s true identity as a woman—and arranging marriages was his favorite pastime.
A soldier rushed in.
"Your Highness, just as you predicted—the Tartars have come to provoke us again."
"Tell the Yuan commander to make sure the men put on a convincing act. We can’t afford any delays in the war."
"Yes!"
The tantalizing scent of roasted meat drifted far, making the Tartar soldiers nearby swallow hard, their throats bobbing with hunger.
"Damn it! Those sons of bitches!" A Yuan soldier roared, his face twisted in fury. He had just lifted a steaming bowl of food when the alarm sounded, leaving him no chance to take a single bite. His rage burned hot as he cursed.
"I had my meal right in front of me, and now you bastards show up! If you’ve got the guts, don’t turn tail and run like cowards! Let your granddaddy teach you what real swordsmanship looks like—show you how many eyes the Horse King has!"
His comrades joined in, their faces flushed with anger. "These dogs have noses sharper than hounds! They swarm around like flies the moment they catch a whiff of food—what rotten luck!"
The Yuan soldiers gnashed their teeth in frustration, chasing after the Tartars on horseback while hurling insults. Without a care for whether their arrows were in range, they drew their bows and fired wildly toward the fleeing enemy, as if this was the only way to vent their fury.
"Enough! Don’t pursue further—it could be a trap! Fall back!" the Yuan commander bellowed.
The thunder of hooves gradually faded, and soon, Yanmen Gate returned to silence.
Meanwhile, Shuo Zhou remained undisturbed. Soldiers on the city walls pointed at the distant smoke and laughed heartily over their meals.
Inside the Tartar command tent, a general stepped forward and bowed to the Fourth Prince.
"Your Highness, Xiao Zheng still hasn’t made a move! When Shuo Zhou was under siege before, the imperial reinforcements dragged their feet for nearly half a month. Women never forget grudges—in my opinion, she won’t lift a finger to aid Great Yuan easily."
"Even if she does intervene, it’ll likely be only after we and Great Yuan have weakened each other. Besides, the imperial troops know nothing of warfare on the steppes. If we strike swiftly and decisively, catching them off guard, victory is within our grasp."
He lifted his gaze slightly, eyes burning with anticipation as he awaited the Fourth Prince’s decision.
"I second the proposal!"
"I concur!"
After being stalled outside Shuo Zhou for over a month, the Tartar soldiers grew restless. Their way had always been to act first—to meet violence with violence. The Fourth Prince kept preaching patience, but for what? If they had attacked decisively that morning, they’d already be feasting on that roasted meat instead of starving now!
The generals represented powerful clans within the Tartar tribes. Even the esteemed Fourth Prince had to tread carefully around them.
Chi Na’s sharp brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of hesitation in his narrowed eyes. After a long pause, he finally gave a slight nod.
"Keep scouts stationed near Shuo Zhou’s gates. If there’s any movement, report to me immediately!"
"Yes!"
The next day, just before dawn, the Tartar army launched a full-scale assault. Their iron hooves thundered past Yanmen Gate, stirring up clouds of dust.
The Great Yuan camp lay silent, with only a small patrol keeping watch.
When the earth began to tremble beneath them, the sentries swiftly struck the alarm gongs.
"Enemy attack!!"
"Enemy attack!!"
The Tartar soldiers, seeing the tents so close, envisioned roasted lamb beckoning to them. With feverish excitement, they charged forward—their horses, catching the scent of beans in the distance, whinnied and quickened their pace.
But just a few hundred meters from the camp, the Tartar steeds suddenly skidded to a halt, lowering their heads to munch on scattered bean cakes.
"Hyah! Hyah!"
"Move, damn it!!"
Frustrated, the Tartar riders lashed their whips against the horses’ hindquarters, the sharp cracks slicing through the air. The horses reared in pain, kicking wildly as steam burst from their flaring nostrils.
In an instant, chaos erupted at the frontlines. Horses trampled over each other for the bean cakes, throwing riders to the ground in a tangle of limbs and weapons.
"It’s a trap! Fall back!!"
Seeing his forces in disarray, the Fourth Prince bellowed in fury.
But now, retreat was no longer an option for him. In an instant, rows of archers emerged from all directions, standing in pairs, swiftly drawing their bows and taking aim at the chaotic Tartar forces. Arrows rained down like a torrential storm, leaving no room for escape.
Behind the archers stood Xiao Zheng, clad in silver armor, his deep, abyss-like eyes fixed intently on the battlefield ahead.
