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

Li Yingge lowered her brows, her gaze as cold as frost.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Wen's heart tightened, and he immediately stepped forward, cupping his hands and saying, "General, please calm down."

These people were all servants of the Han family in Youzhou, and the young master in the lead was none other than Han Hua's son, Han Ye.

boom!!

Han Ye?! It was actually him?!

The sound was like a thunderclap, and Li Yingge's breath stopped abruptly. Her heart clenched and her pupils dilated violently!

How is that possible?!

She glared at Jiang Wen, then turned to the butler, Afu, her voice trembling slightly: "Han Ye? Didn't he escape Youzhou with you? Shouldn't he be in your group?!"

Afu looked bewildered and completely innocent: "General, you've misunderstood! Young Master didn't leave at all! He was the one who personally drove us out of the city... He said he'd rather die than surrender, and swore to live and die with Youzhou! He... he should still be in the city!"

Li Yingge's eyes darkened, and she said in a cold voice, "I just came from Youzhou—the entire city was turned upside down, I walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, but there was no trace of Han Ye at all!"

Boom—!!

The moment those words were spoken, the air froze.

Everyone looked at each other, cold sweat silently trickling down their backs.

Han Ye, that vibrant young man, just like that... vanished into thin air?

Li Yingge thought he had retreated south with the refugees;

Afu and the others firmly believed that he had stayed behind to defend the isolated city;

But now the two groups have run into each other, and neither of them has ever seen him before!

Is he still alive?

Where is he?

Could it be... that they have long been buried in the yellow sands, their remains nowhere to be found?

"Damn it!" Li Yingge cursed through gritted teeth, her cherry lips pursed, her palms clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She had personally pledged her allegiance to her father, Li Jing—

"On this journey to Youzhou, I will ensure Han Ye's safety!"

But now?

We haven't even seen a shadow of anyone, so what's the point of talking about "protecting" them?

Just then, Xiao Tuan suddenly raised her head, her eyes flashing with a stubborn light, and mustered her courage to say, "General, my young master may seem carefree and irresponsible on ordinary days, but when it comes to a life-or-death situation, he sees right from wrong more clearly than anyone else!"

"He would never abandon the people of Youzhou and flee alone!"

Even if he were to leave—he would only do what the "Ghost-Faced General" did: don armor and wield weapons, slaughter the enemy camp, and carve out a path to survival!

boom!!

These words were like a lightning bolt that cleaved through the fog. Li Yingge suddenly opened her eyes, her chest heaving violently, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest!

She stared intently at Jiang Wen and his group, speaking each word slowly and deliberately, with a firm and resounding tone:

"Could this masked general be Han Ye?!"

In an instant, the entire room fell silent.

Jiang Wen's pupils contracted, A Fu's brows furrowed, and the rest of Han's servants also changed color.

Absurd! How could this be?!

Jiang Wen remained silent, only turning his gaze to Afu—after all, he was an old man who had watched the young master grow up.

After a long silence, Afu slowly spoke: "General, although that masked general's figure is somewhat similar to yours, young master, I'm afraid they are not the same person."

"Firstly, my young master has never been to the battlefield, is ignorant of military strategy, and has no ability to command troops."

"Secondly... three thousand iron cavalry are no child's play. If they were truly led by the young master, how could there have been no word of it?"

After hearing this, for some reason, Li Yingge breathed a sigh of relief.

She lowered her eyes, her fingertips trembling slightly.

So... she didn't want to accept it.

The young master of the Han family, who had lived a life of luxury and elegance since childhood, suddenly transformed overnight into a masked war god, clad in armor and wielding weapons, killing without hesitation.

She couldn't believe it.

They didn't want to believe it either.

But what if Han Ye wasn't the Ghost-Faced General...?

So who exactly is this mysterious commander who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

But where is Han Ye, the fiancé she was ordered to find?

"Walk."

Li Yingge took a deep breath, her fierce expression still lingering, but she had regained her composure.

"Return the way we came—everyone, follow me back to Youzhou!"

She mounted her horse, her silver armor gleaming in the sunlight, and with a flick of her spear, pointed it at the ruined city to the north.

"I'm going to thoroughly expose every corner where Han Ye might be hiding!"

at the same time--

A scout was galloping wildly from the direction of Youzhou, his horse kicking up clouds of yellow dust.

He had a secret report tightly pressed against his chest, stamped with cinnabar, destined for Chang'an!

What Li Yingge didn't know was—

As she turned to leave, she missed one of the cruelest encounters of fate.

She was just one step away from the truth.

But unfortunately, we missed each other.

……

Deep within the palace walls of Chang'an.

The candlelight flickered in the imperial study, and the fragrance of ambergris rose gently.

Li Shimin sat upright behind the dragon throne, his face calm, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.

Those seated in the hall were all important officials of the court.

Having ascended the throne for just over a month, the country appears stable, but in reality, undercurrents are surging.

Local warlords were observing the situation, public sentiment was unsettled, and the situation was extremely precarious.

What he wanted was "stability".

But unfortunately—

When the Turks learned of the coup in the Tang Dynasty, Khagan Jieli sneered and immediately mustered 100,000 iron cavalry to march south!

Within days, three border cities were captured in succession, the flames of war lit up the sky, and blood stained the passes and rivers!

The atmosphere in the main hall was solemn and tense.

At this moment, no one knows—

In the ruins of Youzhou, a thousand miles away, a general wearing a bronze demon mask slowly removed it, revealing a pale yet handsome face.

The wind and sand swept across the ruins, stirring his blood-stained clothes.

He looked south and murmured softly:

"Li Yingge...you came and went, what a pity...we ultimately missed each other."

The Tang Dynasty was in turmoil, fraught with danger.

In just a few days, the border was engulfed in flames of war, and the northern land was torn open by blood and iron—the Turkic iron hooves pressed down on the city like dark clouds, leaving villages in ruins and the people crying out in agony wherever they went.

In the imperial court, civil and military officials remained silent in fear, while among the common people, people were restless and rumors were rampant.

The once majestic and glorious Tang Dynasty now seems to be standing on a knife's edge, teetering on the brink of collapse!

This time, it's not just foreign enemies pressing in.

If we lose this battle again...

What awaits Li Shimin will no longer be the safety of the empire, but a collapse from within! It will be millions of subjects turning against him, regional warlordism, and utter chaos throughout the land!

"hateful!!"

A roar shook the pillars of the imperial study.

Li Shimin's eyes were bloodshot, and his fingertips were almost digging into the armrests of the dragon throne, his knuckles turning white.

His throat was hoarse, and each word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of hell: "Khan Jieli! You slaughtered my people, burned my cities, and seized my land—I will never share the same sky with you!!"

The sound tore through the air and soared to the heavens, terrifying the eunuchs and palace maids inside and outside the palace walls, who knelt on the ground trembling, not daring to breathe even a little louder.

In the imperial study, key ministers such as Changsun Wuji, Li Jing, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Yaojin, and Fang Xuanling gathered together, the atmosphere heavy and somber.

Upon hearing the emperor's roar, Fang Xuanling frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, your anger will not help the war."

His tone was calm, yet every word was sharp: "Now the Turks have won several battles in a row, their morale is high, and they are already an arrogant army."

If our army continues to avoid battle, it will only embolden them.

The most urgent task is to wage a decisive and swift battle to shatter their arrogance!

boom!

These words were like a thunderclap splitting through the gloom.

Li Shimin suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming: "Yes! We must win! We must let them know that this Central Plains is not a hunting ground they can come and go as they please!"

His gaze suddenly swept towards Li Jing, his tone urgent: "Pharmacist! How is Yingge doing? Is the battle to recapture Youzhou progressing smoothly?!"

Li Jing stepped forward with his fists clasped, his voice booming: "Your Majesty, rest assured! My daughter Yingge is both wise and brave; the mere Youzhou will be taken in no time! This battle will surely restore the might of our Great Tang army!"

At this point, he puffed out his chest, his face full of pride.

Everyone smiled upon hearing this and nodded in approval.

Who doesn't know? The mighty female general Li Yingge, a woman whose courage rivals that of men, whose arrows pierce through flying geese and whose horses trample through enemy camps, is a remarkable woman of our time! With her on the front lines, how can we fear the loss of Youzhou?

Just as the conversation was getting lively—

"Report!!"

"Report—!!"

"Urgent dispatch from Youzhou—!!"

A roar shattered the silence, and footsteps approached from afar, their rapid beats striking the heart like drumbeats.

Everyone's expression hardened.

Li Shimin's heart skipped a beat: Speak of the devil, and he appears!

"Come in!"

"Tap! Tap! Tap!"

The scout, covered in dust and his armor stained with blood, staggered into the hall, knelt down with a thud, and shouted, "Your Majesty! Youzhou—has been captured! The Turkic vanguard has been routed for three hundred li, corpses litter the fields! Our army has won a great victory!!"

boom--!!!

The entire imperial study erupted in chaos!

Joy surged forth like a tidal wave, and smiles bloomed on everyone's faces, as if a long-awaited rain had come after a drought!

"good!!"

Li Shimin abruptly stood up, slammed his hand on the table, his dragon robe fluttering, and laughed loudly, "Excellent! Li Yingge! Truly worthy of being the divine female general personally appointed by me! Hahaha—!"

His eyes shone with light, held tears, and burst forth with long-lost passion!

The assembled officials quickly cupped their hands in unison to offer their congratulations: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Heaven blesses the Tang Dynasty!"

Immediately, everyone's eyes turned to Li Jing, and they all cupped their hands in congratulations:

"Pharmacist, your daughter is truly remarkable!"

"A woman of unparalleled talent, her name resounds throughout the land!"

"After this battle, I fear I will be remembered alongside you in history!"

"Wonderful! Wonderful! The Li family has produced two outstanding talents; they are truly the envy of everyone!"

Li Jing waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed, it's all because she's determined..."

But his mouth was already stretched to his ears, and his eyes and brows were full of undisguised smugness.

Cheers erupted in the hall; even before the wine was tasted, hearts were already intoxicated.

however--

The scout who had delivered the message stood rooted to the spot, drenched in cold sweat and pale-faced.

Looking at the jubilant crowd in the hall, he gritted his teeth, and finally, steeling himself, said in a trembling voice:

"I...I report to Your Majesty...this great victory in Youzhou...was not...not the work of the Divine Might General..."

"But... the Ghost-Faced General... decided the fate of the world in one battle."

"...What?!"

The laughter stopped abruptly.

The air seemed to freeze.

Li Shimin's smile froze on his face, while Li Jing's smile remained frozen at the corner of his mouth.

Everyone felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over their heads, chilling them to the bone.

The Ghost-Faced General?!

Where did this masked general come from?!

It wasn't Li Yingge who conquered Youzhou?!

In that instant, the Imperial Study was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Snapped!"

The scout knelt on one knee, holding the memorial aloft with both hands, his voice trembling slightly: "Your Majesty, this is an urgent military report entrusted to me by General Shenwei, detailing the battle situation in Youzhou..."

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, reached out and took it, lightly tapping the yellow silk seal with his knuckles, and slowly unfurled it.

His gaze swept across the lines, initially calm as still water, then his pupils suddenly contracted and his breath caught in his throat.

A moment later, he suddenly looked up, a whisper escaping his lips, as if talking to himself, yet also as if questioning the heavens—

"The Ghost-Faced General?! Such an astonishing feat... was accomplished by him alone?!"

"When did such a killing god emerge on the frontiers of my Great Tang Dynasty?!"

The hall was as silent as an abyss.

On the dragon throne, the teacup was still warm, but the page of the memorial had already slipped from the emperor's fingers and floated to the ground.

Changsun Wuji reacted quickly, bending down to pick it up. He only glanced at it briefly before his expression changed drastically.

"Hiss—" He gasped, "This...this is impossible!"

This exclamation was like a thunderclap that swept through the imperial court.

Fang Xuanling suddenly stood up, Li Jing jumped to his feet, and Cheng Yaojin rushed forward, snatched the memorial, glanced at it briefly, and his eyes widened in astonishment.

"Holy shit!" he roared. "Three thousand cavalry? A night raid on the enemy camp? Breaking through seven enemy formations? And chasing them all the way to fifty miles outside Dingzhou?! Who did this?! Is this even human?! Is this some kind of demon?!"

In an instant, all the civil and military officials in the hall were shocked.

They all understood—

The so-called "divine female general relieved the siege of Youzhou" is a complete joke!

How magnificent was it when Li Yingge led his army out? The world watched with bated breath, and banners blotted out the sun.

But by the time she arrived at the front lines, Youzhou had already been liberated, and amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, only one name remained—

Ghost-faced General.

Clad in white, their armor stained with blood, three thousand black-clad riders shattered the cold night. With one stroke, they severed the throat of the Turkic vanguard, and with another, they cleaved the courage of one hundred thousand enemy soldiers!

As for Li Yingge... she arrived a step too late, and didn't even manage to draw her knife.

Throughout the entire battlefield, she was like a passerby who had stumbled into a deadly trap, leaving not even a trace.

Li Jing stood in the center of the crowd, his face turning pale and then red, with veins throbbing on his forehead.

He had just stood tall and proud, accepting the congratulations from all the officials: "My daughter has lived up to Your Majesty's grace and brought honor to our nation!"

What now?

Ha ha.

Not a single word on the list of achievements belongs to her! It was all pieced together by that madman with the bronze demon mask and unknown origins!

The words "shameful and disgraceful" were practically etched onto his forehead.

"Cough cough!" He coughed twice, forcibly calming himself, and forced a bow, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Although I do not know the true name of this masked general, he must be a son of our Han people! Unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness, fearless in the face of death! With him in front to restrain the main force of the Turks, he is truly the sharpest blade of the nation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the courtiers snapped out of their daze and echoed his sentiments one after another.

"Yes! No matter who he is, as long as he kills barbarians, he's one of our own!"

"Three thousand men in white, pursuing their prey for a thousand miles—these are the true heroes!"

"The Ghost-Faced General...that sounds awesome! Our Great Tang Dynasty has finally seen another war god descend upon the world!"

Cheers rose, and it seemed as if a frenzy was brewing in Chang'an.

But on the dragon throne alone, Li Shimin remained as silent as iron.

He neither laughed nor celebrated.

Instead, he stared at the blood-stained memorial, remaining silent for a long time.

Because he saw it more clearly than anyone else—

The masked general did not withdraw his troops.

Instead, they continued their northward advance, heading straight for Dingzhou, clearly intending to use three thousand isolated troops to head-on clash with hundreds of thousands of Turkic cavalry!

Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot? Or like an ant trying to shake a tree?

No, this isn't stupidity, it's madness.

It is the resolute determination to draw one's sword and charge forward even when one knows there is no chance of survival!

"Three thousand cavalry... to stop an army of one hundred thousand?" Li Shimin's voice was hoarse, as if his throat had been rubbed with sandpaper. "Isn't he afraid of dying?"

He paused, then murmured softly, a rare hint of emotion flickering in his eyes:

"Even in death...you refuse to leave your name?"

"Ghost-faced General...who exactly are you?"