The night in Lan City was awakened by a loud explosion. People woke up in shock, unable to comprehend what had happened. The terrifying blasts followed one after another, scaring everyone in Lan City out of their wits. Screams, cries, shouts, and prayers filled the air.

The gods were furious and had sent a calamity.

With the terrifying explosions came raging fires. The gods were angry, houses turned to rubble, and people and animals became chunks of meat. Lan City was in chaos, nobles and commoners alike fled their homes in panic.

In the confusion, no one noticed a red signal flare shoot into the sky. Even if they had, they wouldn’t have known what it was, thinking it was another sign of the gods’ wrath.

“Kill—!”

The city gates resounded with cries of killing. Someone shouted: “The Yan people are here! The Yan people are here!”

In the shadows, everyone seemed like a Yan person, wielding raised knives. The Huhar people, who usually prided themselves on their bravery, had no resistance. Terrified by the explosions and the Gods wrath, they just wanted to escape this hell.

Dai Zhanli led the main forces into Lan City, showing no mercy to any Huhar people. Shao Yunan’s order to kill Huhar people was fully supported by the border soldiers. Even Huhar children, once holding a knife, could become demons.

The palace wall in Lan City was blown up, Brother Tiger and Big Gold carried Wang Shijing and Dai Zhanxiao into the palace amid the chaos, with Little Gold following closely. The appearance of three tigers only caused more panic without attracting any attacks. Dai Zhanxiao had overestimated the palace guards’ courage. The explosions and subsequent fires, along with the red signal flare, had broken their spirits. The guards, thinking it was divine punishment, were also fleeing for their lives.

Tiger roars echoed everywhere, making it seem like the palace was filled with beasts. The Huhar Khan Tuzemu and his heir Hua Buye were fleeing the palace, their white robes standing out in the firelit night, quickly catching Tiger’s attention.

“Roar—!”

Tiger charged at the fleeing group, and both Wang Shijing and Dai Zhanxiao saw it. Knowing the target, Wang Shijing drew his gun as a precaution, and Dai Zhanxiao took out a grenade. They had only three grenades, one each for Dai Zhanxiao, Wang Shijing, and Dai Zhanli.

Holding his breath, Dai Zhanxiao, using a grenade for the first time, was drenched in cold sweat.

“Boom!”

Wang Shijing acted first, throwing a grenade that took down three or four people.

“Ah—!”

Wang Shijing realized for the first time that a man’s scream could scare a mouse to death. Dai Zhanxiao regained his composure and, following countless pre-simulated scenarios, calmly pulled the grenade pin and threw it towards the two white figures who had not been killed. The gunfire was masked by the explosion. Wang Shijing had Brother Tiger carry him over and shot two crossbow bolts into the heads of Khan Tuzemu and Hua Buye, then shouted to Dai Zhanxiao: “Go!”
With a long, drawn-out howl, Tiger and Big Gold quickly carried Wang Shijing and Dai Zhanxiao away from the palace guards, retreating out of the palace. Princess Wu Uzhen, who had killed countless fleeing Huhar people outside the palace gate, successfully met up with Wang Shijing and Dai Zhanxiao. The palace guards had completely lost their fighting spirit, reduced to their primal instincts in the face of such chaos.

Another blue flare was launched, and the three men led their subordinates to rush out of the city. Seeing the signal flare, Dai Zhanli issued his final orders. The entire city of Lan echoed with shouts of “The Khan is dead, the Huhar nation is destroyed.”

That night, the entire city of Lan was engulfed in flames, and a group of people left the city before dawn. The treasures of the Huhar Kingdom’s palace were completely looted. All the gold and silver treasures accumulated by generations of Huhar Khans and all the valuables in the Huhar nation’s treasury were gone. Days later, the fleeing Huhar people cautiously returned to Lan and saw their devastated palace and their scorched Khan and heir. Their cries were deafening. But who could they blame?

“Ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha…”

Emperor Yongming had never laughed so heartily. The Huhar nation was finished, Khan Tuzemu was dead, the heir was dead, and even Khan Keqin, who had been ransomed back, was burned to death. Wang Shijing, Dai Zhanxiao, and Dai Zhanli had also looted the Huhar royal family. Not only the Emperor but also the Empress couldn’t stop smiling. The loot from this “raid” included several million taels of silver alone, not to mention other valuables.
“Rewards! I want to give great rewards!”

Emperor Yongming was elated, as a significant threat had been eliminated. The Huhar nation wouldn’t recover for ten, perhaps even twenty years. The Emperor even doubted if the Huhar Kingdom would still exist in a few years after this battle.

“But Wang Shijing actually following deep into enemy lines was unexpected.”

After the wild joy, Emperor Yongming sighed. The Empress understood: “He must earn some merits himself to be worthy of Yunan. Wang Shijing isn’t power-hungry, everything he does is for Yunan. He’s already a Duke, perhaps the Emperor could give him an honorary general title to prevent people from saying he only benefits from Yunan’s favor.”

“I listen to the Empress.”

Emperor Yongming laughed in the capital, while Wang Shijing, Dai Zhanxiao, Dai Zhanli, and Princess Wu Uzhen were warmly welcomed by the border soldiers upon their return. The combined forces of the Flying Eagle Army and the Tiger army had surrounded the Huhar nation’s army, killing over half of the 600,000-strong Huhar army and capturing the rest. These prisoners were a hidden threat, and their fate was yet undecided. They couldn’t be released, and killing them all was too cruel. Neither the Dai Ming army nor Dai Mingrong had the ruthlessness to massacre tens of thousands of prisoners. Shao Yunan suggested that the Dai Ming army petition the court for the Emperor to decide.

Wang Shijing met General Dai Ming for the first time. Though he had stayed at Tiger Pass for three years, he never had the chance to meet him. General Dai Ming had always been stationed at Kuye Pass, and if not for the overwhelming advantage of the Yan nation this time, he wouldn’t have appeared at Tiger Pass.
The aura of General Dai Ming was heavy, making people hold their breath just by standing there. This was the presence formed from years of killing. As the eldest son of the Dai family, General Dai Ming went to the battlefield at the age of twelve, so his murderous aura was much heavier than Dai Mingrong’s. When Shao Yunan first met his uncle, he shivered, but not out of fear, for he was his close uncle. Even in modern times, people who had killed and been on the battlefield had a different demeanor from ordinary people, let alone a general of a nation.

After reporting the battle deep into enemy lines to the generals, Wang Shijing hurried to see his wife and children. As an auxiliary personnel, he wasn’t bound by military rules, unlike Dai Zhanxiao and Dai Zhanli, who had to handle follow-up matters.

The loot brought back by Wang Shijing’s group was partly used by General Dai Mingrong to reward the troops, especially the soldiers of the special camp, while the rest had to be taken back to the capital. General Dai Mingrong had the authority to dispose of the loot and wasn’t afraid of being suppressed under this pretext.
When Wang Shijing found Shao Yunan, before he could act, Shao Yunan rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly. Wang Shijing grinned foolishly: “Wife, I’m back.”
Shao Yunan looked up: “You scared me. For the next month, you sleep alone.”

Pushing Wang Shijing away, Shao Yunan turned and left.

“Wife!”

Wang Shijing was stunned and stopped smiling. Wang Qing came over: “Dad, after you left, Little Dad couldn’t sleep.”

Wang Shijing: “…” His wife was settling scores after the fact?

A moment later.

“Wife!”

Wang Shijing chased into the tent, while Wang Qing sighed, preparing to find his sister and then his big brother to tell him that their father was back.
In the tent, Wang Shijing used his best skills to calm his wife’s anger. People passing by the tent avoided it, their faces both embarrassed and amused, but no one dared to eavesdrop, especially with the three big tigers around. Tiger Brother and Big Gold entered the tent, and soon the sounds inside ceased.
On the bed, the exhausted Tiger Brother lay down, with two babies playing quietly on his belly, while Big Gold curiously sat by the bed, occasionally nudging them with its head.

In a certain space, two white bodies intertwined, with the man on top repeatedly promising never to go to war again. He just wanted to prove he was worthy of his wife.

“Brother Shijing, I’m very selfish. I can’t bear the thought of you getting hurt. You must live.”

“I know, wife. I never will again.”

Much later,

“Wife, actually, I want to go back to Loyal and Brave Village with you. We’ll farm, brew wine, and pick tea, just like before.”

“Alright.”

“…Wife?”

“When Qing grows up and Nizi marries Moxi, we’ll go back to Loyal and Brave Village.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

A child emerged from the workshop, looking at the sky with a pale face from a long absence of sunlight.

“Brother Moxi!”

“Big brother!”

Jiang Moxi blinked, and in his clear vision, Wang Qing and Nizi ran towards him. Jiang Moxi opened his arms, and Nizi happily leaped into his embrace. Jiang Moxi kissed Nizi’s face, making her blush and smile.

“Big brother, Dad’s back.”

“Mm.”

Jiang Moxi held Nizi’s hand as they walked back. Wang Qing said: “Little Dad is a bit angry.”

“Mm?”

Wang Qing explained, and Jiang Moxi gave a slight “Mm.”

Nizi asked: “Brother Moxi, are you going back in?”

“No.”

They were to return to the capital. Looking at the joyful Nizi, Jiang Moxi let go of her hand and hugged her tightly.

“Nizi.”

“Mm?”

Nizi looked up. Jiang Moxi stared into her eyes but said nothing. Nizi didn’t understand but didn’t ask either.

“Big brother?”

Jiang Moxi looked ahead. The war was over, and people’s faces were filled with the joy of victory. He looked up at the sky, believing that after this, the Yan nation would have no more rivals.

“Qing, Nizi.”

“Mm?”

“Want to sail?”

Wang Qing: “Yes!”

Nizi: “Brother Moxi, are we going to sail?”

“Yes.”

Wang Qing was excited: “Big brother, can you build a ship now?”

Nizi: “Brother Moxi, when can we sail?”

“Wait, it will be ready.”

Wang Qing smiled: “Big brother, I’ve been waiting.”

Nizi: “I’ll wait for Brother Moxi to build a big ship.”

Jiang Moxi hugged Nizi tightly. Building a ship and taking the family to sea, Uncle Yunan, Uncle Shijing, He’ve always remembered

 

Edited by: Jaisland

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