Tang Dynasty: Starting with 3,000 elite cavalry, a bloody battle to retake the city.

But he knew—

As long as there are still people, as long as there are still people who remember the phrase "We are brothers in arms,"

This city will not truly die.

He gazed at the vast, distant horizon, his throat bobbing, and murmured, "If another large army were to arrive now... Youzhou would truly be finished..."

Before the words were finished—

Boom!

The horizon trembled violently, as if the earth had been torn apart by a colossal beast! Then—

"Tap! Tap! Tap!"

The sound of horses' hooves grew louder and more urgent as they approached from afar, like thunder in the ears, crashing against people's hearts in layers!

The remaining soldiers on the city wall suddenly looked up, their expressions changing drastically!

Shi Tou was startled and almost jumped up.

Holy crap? This is so weird!

I barely uttered that sentence before the enemy actually showed up?!

He turned and sprinted up the city wall, swinging his bronze hammer to smash the alarm bell—

"clang!!!"

The bell tolled, shattering the silence!

"Enemy attack!! Enemy attack!! A large army is approaching!!"

boom--!

The entire Youzhou region instantly erupted in excitement!

This isolated city, once trampled and massacred by the Turkic cavalry, is already scarred and riddled with wounds.

The people still remember the nightmare of that night when flames soared into the sky and cries of agony filled the fields... They can't bear a second calamity!

But now—

The thunderous sound of hooves rolled in, and the killing intent was overwhelming!

Men, women, and children in the city gritted their teeth and picked up hoes, machetes, kitchen axes, iron bars... anything that could be wielded became a weapon!

They charged up the city wall one by one, their eyes burning with anger, their spines ramrod straight!

"Fuck them! Let's fight those Turkic barbarians to the death!!"

"I'll fight to the death! They want to slaughter us again? I'll chop off their heads first!"

"If General Ghost Face were still alive, these beasts wouldn't be so arrogant!"

"At worst—we'll live as long as the city stands, or we'll die if the city falls!"

In an instant, the remaining soldiers and civilians stood side by side on the broken city wall, like a Great Wall of flesh and blood!

Everyone's eyes were bloodshot, filled with murderous intent, and they were ready to die!

However, at this critical moment—

Stone's pupils contracted sharply as he stared intently at the approaching torrent in the distance. Suddenly, he grabbed his agitated comrade beside him and growled in a low, hoarse voice:

"Wait!! Shh—don't make a sound!!"

His voice trembled with disbelief: "This...this isn't the Turkic army!!"

……

Outside the city, in the open fields, dust obscured the sun.

Li Yingge took the lead, her silver armor gleaming in the sun, her red tassels fluttering in the wind.

Her gaze was sharp and piercing, and she gave the order:

"All troops advance!"

As soon as the words were spoken, all was silent, and the iron torrent surged forth!

She pulled on the reins and cracked the whip, her voice clear and cold as a thunderclap:

"Hear my command—slay all the barbarians, reclaim Youzhou, and restore the Tang Dynasty to its rightful place!!"

"boom--!!"

The blood of ten thousand elite soldiers surged instantly!

His eyes were bloodshot, and his fighting spirit soared to the sky!

"kill!!!"

"Kill!! Kill!! Kill!!!"

"Slay all the barbarians and reclaim Youzhou!!!"

The battle cries shook the heavens and earth, and iron hooves trampled the ground as they rolled forward!

Li Yingge took the lead, her spear pointing to the sky, her heroic figure like a god of war descending to earth!

But during the rush, her brows furrowed slightly, and a strange feeling flashed through her mind—

wrong!

It's so quiet!

Youzhou should have been a battlefield, a purgatory, a land of mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

But before us... there were only a few people on the city wall, with no signs of defense, and not even a single enemy flag in sight!

Her eyes narrowed, and she immediately raised her hand:

"stop!"

"Whoosh—!"

The ten thousand riders behind them reined in their horses at the sound of their command, and came to a sudden, perfectly synchronized stop amidst billowing dust! Their iron-fisted military discipline was on full display!

She turned to her guards and whispered, "Give the order—unfurl the flag! Let the people of the city see it clearly!"

"yes!"

The guards rode out and shouted orders.

In an instant, a battle flag soared into the sky, fluttering in the wind!

The flag unfurled, revealing a large, imposing "Li" character! Its ink-black color was as deep as the abyss, exuding an awe-inspiring power!

That is the symbol of Li Jiajun's army! It is the backbone of the Tang Dynasty! It is the hope in the hearts of the people!

On the city wall, the moment Shi Tou saw the flag clearly, he trembled all over, and tears almost welled up in his eyes!

"It's...it's Li's army!! Our reinforcements have arrived!!"

He turned and roared, "Quickly!! Open the city gates!! Quickly open the city gates to welcome the army!!"

In an instant—

Fear dissipated, and cheers erupted!

The city gates burst open with a roar, and the people and soldiers poured out like madmen, almost stumbling and staggering as they ran out of the city!

"Greetings, General!!"

"Greetings, Divine General!!"

"General, you have saved Youzhou from this dire situation!!"

Shi Tou knelt on the ground, his voice choked with emotion, so excited that he was incoherent.

Li Yingge sat upright on her horse, her expression slightly startled.

These people... were dressed in rags and their faces were covered in blood, but they were clearly Han Chinese!

She frowned slightly, her voice clear yet tinged with doubt:

"Who are you?"

Shi Tou quickly kowtowed: "Reporting to the General! We are the remnants of the 13th Regiment under the command of Lou Yuanbo, the Commandant of Youzhou!"

Her eyes flickered, and she was finally moved.

They really are soldiers of the Tang Dynasty...

only--

Why are we trapped in this isolated city?

Li Yingge's brows furrowed suddenly, her voice as cold as frost: "Wasn't it said that Youzhou had fallen and been massacred by the Turks? How... how are you still alive?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Tou and the others' faces immediately darkened. After a moment of silence, they finally spoke with bitter smiles:

"The general is right..."

"Youzhou has indeed fallen, and it has indeed been ravaged by bloodshed."

"But thankfully—" he looked up, his eyes shining with the light of relief after surviving a calamity, "a Ghost-Faced General appeared out of nowhere! He slaughtered the Turkic barbarians, causing them to flee in disarray, and forcefully reclaimed Youzhou!"

……

The Ghost-Faced General?!

Li Yingge's pupils contracted, and her brow twitched violently.

What? A masked general? Where did he come from?

When did such a figure appear in the Tang army?

The imperial court clearly only sent her to lead the army to aid Youzhou. Who is this mysterious general who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

Her gaze was sharp as a blade, and she said in a cold voice, "Tell me everything from beginning to end, without omitting a single word!"

"Yes!" Stone dared not hide anything and immediately recounted the earth-shattering reversal of the previous night in detail—iron cavalry broke through the fog, masks covered their faces, a young man stood on the city wall with a spear in hand, and three thousand black-armored soldiers descended like ghosts. Taking advantage of the Turks' laxity, they launched a thunderous attack, and overnight, the city walls were stained with blood, and the isolated city was recaptured!

Li Yingge did not believe it and questioned several civilians and surviving soldiers in succession.

As a result, the caliber remained the same.

That masked general really exists!

And it's said—he's a teenager!

Masked and wielding a gun, clad in black armor, his three thousand elite troops move like the wind, like a demon commander who has emerged from hell!

"Let's go into town!"

She said no more, gritted her teeth, brandished her spear, and the army surged forward.

In the blink of an eye, the gates of Youzhou City came into view.

The sight before them made everyone gasp for breath—

Corpses lay strewn among the broken walls and ruins, blood soaked the bluestone slabs, and a stench filled the air. Broken flags and tattered armor were scattered all over the ground.

The bodies of Han Chinese civilians and Turkic cavalrymen lay intertwined, resembling a scene from hell.

No further evidence is needed.

Last night's battle did indeed happen, and it was so brutal it was suffocating.

She couldn't speak; she only felt a tightness and pain in her chest.

Stone and the others didn't lie...

That decisive victory was not achieved by the main force of the Tang army, but by the mysterious Ghost-Faced General who single-handedly turned the tide of the battle!

"Damn it!" she muttered through gritted teeth, her knuckles clenched white. "Who exactly is this masked general? How dare he achieve this unparalleled feat before me!"

She traveled thousands of miles, day and night, all to relieve the siege of Youzhou and achieve unparalleled merit.

But now? The city has been recaptured, the enemy has been defeated, and she is like a latecomer, only able to step on the achievements of others to enter this city that has been reborn from the dead.

A surge of anger welled up inside me, but I had nowhere to vent it.

The guard behind him sighed softly and whispered a reminder: "General, the master also instructed... to rescue Young Master Han Ye while you're at it."

"Shut up!" She whirled around, her cold eyes flashing like lightning. "How could I not know!"

Han Ye.

This name is like a fine thorn, piercing the softest part of my heart.

Her nominal fiancé, the marriage arranged by Li Jing himself.

This mission is not only to save the city, but also to save him—this is a task his father secretly instructed him to undertake.

With a cold face, she said no more and turned to head straight for the Han residence.

However, when the army stepped into the gates of the Han residence, they were met with utter silence.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, the houses were empty, and spider webs covered the ground; not even a cat could be seen.

"Search!" she commanded sharply, her voice as piercing as a knife.

"yes!"

The soldiers scattered, breaking down doors and ransacking cabinets, making a deafening noise.

Li Yingge walked alone to the main hall and suddenly saw a few yellowed scraps of paper scattered on the ground, trembling slightly in the wind.

She paused, bent down, and picked it up.

Fingertips trembled slightly as they pieced together the fragments—

As the last piece was fitted in, her breath caught in her throat.

That was... her marriage certificate with Han Ye!

The ink hadn't faded, the words were still clear, yet someone had torn them into pieces and carelessly discarded them on the cold floor tiles.

"He... tore it up?" she murmured, her eyes glazed over.

Marrying into the Li family is a sure path to instant wealth and glory.

An opportunity that many people would beg for on their knees, yet Han Ye tore it to shreds with his own hands.

Why?!

She stood in the center of the empty hall, as if all her strength had been drained away.

The wind blew in through the broken window, ruffling her hair and chilling her heart.

"General!"

The soldier rushed over and knelt on one knee: "The entire Han residence has been thoroughly searched, but Han Ye is nowhere to be found! This man... is probably not in the city!"

Li Yingge slowly clenched the tattered paper in her hand, and crumbs fell between her fingers.

She looked up at the collapsed corner of the roof, her voice low and hoarse:

"If you had died in the chaos of battle... that would be too easy for you."

She spoke abruptly, her voice like a blade slicing through the cold night: "Bring Stone here!"

Before the words had even finished, and before the dust had settled,

Among the remnants of the Youzhou army, a man with a face covered in soot stepped forward quickly—it was Shi Tou.

Li Yingge's gaze was piercing, fixed on his face: "Tell me, where is Han Ye?!"

"Han Ye?!"

"That young master from the Han family?!"

Shi Tou was taken aback, blurted out, then quickly bowed and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "General... are you asking about Young Master Han Ye of the Han family?"

"Nonsense!" Her brows furrowed, her expression as cold as a northern blizzard. "Is there another Han family in Youzhou City?"

Shi Tou trembled, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He hurriedly said, "Reporting to the general, we... really have never seen Young Master Han before."

The night the Turks breached the city, the people scattered and fled. I imagine Young Master Han must have left the city overnight as well…”

"Buzz—"

The air seemed to be torn apart.

Li Yingge's eyes suddenly turned cold, and her killing intent surged, almost solidifying into a tangible form.

"They escaped?!"

She gritted her teeth, each word like blood being ground from her throat, "The dignified young master of the Han family actually abandoned the city and fled when it fell?!"

A lump formed in my throat, and then a raging fire broke out.

She had assumed he had died in battle in the streets, his body never to be found, and respected him as a true hero.

And what happened? They'd already slipped away!

Just then, Shi Tou suddenly added, "But... those who escaped Youzhou were pursued by the Turks on the way! Last night, the Ghost-Faced General went there! If the general wants to know Young Master Han's whereabouts... he might as well check the situation there, and maybe he can run into that 'Ghost-Faced General'..."

The Ghost-Faced General? He's there too?

Li Yingge's pupils contracted slightly, and she paused in breathing.

Immediately, she raised her hand and waved it with a thunderous gesture: "Leave two thousand men to guard the city! The rest of you—follow me!"

The sound shattered the sky, like thunder rolling across the ruins.

"I want to meet this masked general myself and see who he really is!"

……

In her heart,

This "Ghost-Faced General" is even more important than Han Ye.

because--

She couldn't tolerate it.

Han Ye, whom her father entrusted with her life and promised to protect her, actually abandoned the entire city and fled alone in the face of danger?!

Coward! Disgrace!

If the Li family hadn't owed the Han family a life, she wouldn't have bothered to even look for them!

But since he had already promised his father, Li Jing—

Regardless of life or death,

She was determined to bring Han Ye back to Chang'an alive!

"Set off!"

The war drums sounded again, and the armored vehicles roared.

Eight thousand elite troops shattered the setting sun and surged out of Youzhou city gates like a black tide.

The remaining two thousand men remained in place.

Shi Tou and the others stood on the city wall, watching the departing army, remaining silent for a long time.

"Hey, who is that female general?" a soldier muttered, scratching his head.

"Snapped!"

He got a hard slap on the forehead.

Stone glared and cursed, "Fool! Who is that? The mighty female general Li Yingge! In the present Tang Dynasty, is there another woman leading troops into battle?!"

The soldier clutched his head, startled, and his eyes widened in shock: "Li Yingge?! The only daughter of Duke Li Jing of Wei?! Heavens... she actually came in person! But what does she want with Young Master Han Ye?"

Shi Tou sneered, grinned, and shook his head: "Hehe, you don't know yet, do you? There have been rumors for years that Young Master Han and General Li are engaged."

These words caused an uproar among those around them.

One is a world-renowned female war goddess, the only female commander in the Tang Dynasty army;

One was a wealthy young man from a remote border town, unknown to the world.

Who believes?

Who can believe it?

But now?

She traveled thousands of miles, straight to Youzhou, all to find the whereabouts of one person...

This marriage arrangement is probably not just a rumor.

"However..." Stone suddenly frowned and muttered to himself, "I remember, on the night the city fell, Young Master Han didn't leave at all."

He even dismissed the servants and stayed alone at the Han residence... How could he not be found?

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, and his brows furrowed into a tight knot.

Sudden--

A thunderbolt struck my mind, followed by an explosion of white light!

Han Ye...

Ghost-faced General...

Young general... his white robes stained with blood...

Han Ye loves wearing white clothes.

And that masked general, dressed in snow-white robes and wearing a mask, charged into the enemy ranks as if they were nothing...

Stone froze, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. His pupils contracted sharply, and he growled in a low, trembling voice, "No way... Could it be... him?!"

……