A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

The moment Wei Zhao's fingers touched the envelope, he felt a chill on his fingertips.

The paper was coarse, yellowed, and had rough, curled edges.

Wei Zhao unfolded the letter. The ink was of varying shades, some characters were written neatly, some were crooked, and there were drag marks at the end of each stroke.

The old lady's hands trembled constantly in her final years.

But the words on this letter were more forceful than any Wei Zhao had ever seen.

The brushstrokes penetrated the paper, almost piercing through the rough Xuan paper.

"To Zhao'er."

"I am not going there to act rashly."

"The Wei family is full of loyal martyrs. Nine of their sons sacrificed their lives for the country. Your father has been buried on the battlefield for twenty years. I have never regretted marrying into the Wei family."

"However, the current emperor is incompetent, and treacherous ministers control the government, withholding rations and secretly harming loyal officials. The 60,000 soldiers at Hangu Pass have nowhere to turn for help, and the front lines are filled with bloodshed while the court is filled with singing and dancing."

"I will die for my country today."

"If Your Majesty still retains even a shred of conscience, punishes the treacherous minister, and cleanses the court, then my death will have been worthwhile, and the reputation of the Wei family for loyalty and righteousness will be preserved."

"If Your Majesty remains obstinate—"

This line of characters was written with more pressure than the previous ones, the brushstrokes pressing so hard they almost pierced through the rice paper.

"My son, you can use the pretext of 'purging the court of corrupt officials' to lead the Wei family army back to the capital after pacifying the Donghu and Xianyuan!"

Wei Zhao closed the letter.

From the moment he set off on his campaign, the old lady had already paved the way for his escape route.

The Western Qiang had Tuoba Yue, the Northern Rong had the hooks they had planted earlier, and the Southern Barbarians had Huo Qingluan and Shang Wanqing's weapons. She even foresaw the battle at the Seven Kill Tower.

As long as she lives, Emperor Yuanxi can still use the phrase "a loving mother and filial son" to suppress the Wei family.

As long as she lives, Lu Song can pin the label of "disobeying the emperor" on the Wei family.

Wei Zhao's tear finally fell, landing on the letter paper and quickly spreading into a small blot of ink.

He didn't cry out loud, but just lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly.

He suddenly realized that the old lady was not seeking death.

She used her last remaining strength to give Wei Zhao the best reason to lead the army back to the capital!

Liu Jingshuang removed the knife from her knees and placed it on the ground.

She stood up, walked up to Wei Zhao, and without saying a word, reached out and snatched the letter from his hand.

She glanced at it, and the eyelashes of her phoenix eyes trembled.

She handed the letter to Su Qingyun.

Su Qingyun took it, looked down at it for less than ten breaths, and the abacus slipped from her hand, hit the table leg, bounced off, and the beads scattered all over the floor.

The letter reached Shang Wanqing.

After reading the letter, Shang Wanqing slowly folded it and placed it back on the table. Her movements were very gentle. Then she lowered her head and shrugged her shoulders.

The Flower's Words was the last one I watched.

When she finished reading, she was gripping her left wrist tightly with her right hand, her nails leaving bloody marks, her lips were white from biting them, and her chin was stiff.

Nie Yinniang did not read the letter, not because she did not want to, but because she was illiterate.

But the suffocating pressure inside the tent, the silent weeping, was clearer than any words could express.

She leaned against the tent pillar, her bandaged hand slowly covering her face.

Xie Daoning knelt on the ground, crying until he was completely silent.

The six women in the tent wept uncontrollably after reading the letter.

Liu Jingshuang raised her hand and wiped her face hard. Her eyes were red, but her voice was very steady.

"The old lady... is leaving you a way out."

Hua Jieyu gritted her teeth and finally managed to utter a sentence after a long while.

"She even planned out how she would die."

Su Qingyun put down the abacus, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and tears still slid down.

She didn't cry out loud, but stared at the letter for a long time before suddenly saying something softly.

"Those people in Beijing deserve to go to hell."

Shang Wanqing raised her head, her face expressionless, but tears were already streaming down her chin. She raised her hand to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more messy her hands became, until finally she simply turned her face away, not wanting anyone to see.

Nie Yinniang knelt down and reached out to touch the letter. Her fingertips trembled. She was usually like a person without feelings, but at this moment even her breathing became disordered.

Xie Daoning lay on the ground, his shoulders shaking with sobs.

"The old lady said... that when you return to the capital, she will be watching outside the Shili Pavilion."

"She said she didn't want to die in the palace, but she also didn't want you to be stuck outside with this pent-up anger and unable to go home."

She looked up, crying, her eyes swollen badly.

Wei Zhao took the letter back and folded it carefully, very slowly.

He put the paper back into the envelope, tucked it into his shirt pocket, and pressed it against his heart.

Then he looked up.

His eyes were frighteningly red, but his face remained perfectly composed.

"Pass on the order."

Everyone in the tent looked at him.

Wei Zhao placed his hand on the table, his voice not loud, but as hard as iron.

"No more repairs."

Xie Daoning was stunned.

Wei Zhao stood up, his white robe still stained with dust and blood, but he seemed to have suddenly grown taller.

"The entire army accelerated its march, broke camp overnight, and headed towards Hangu Pass."

Liu Jingshuang immediately replied, "Yes!"

Su Qingyun had already started flipping through the account books: "The grain carts can keep up, but the horse feed should be halved—"

"Reduce it," Wei Zhao interrupted her.

Hua Jieyu frowned: "With your speed, the forwards will stretch out, and the backline will easily scatter."

"Then let them not disperse." Wei Zhao looked at her, his eyes filled with cold light.

The tent fell silent.

Xie Daoning suddenly looked up, tears still on her face.

Wei Zhao continued speaking, word by word.

"The matriarch is waiting for our triumphant return outside the Shili Pavilion."

His voice became increasingly steady as it went on, a steadyness that sent chills down your spine.

"It's time to change the gloomy sky over the Great Wei."

Liu Jingshuang gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, turned around and left the tent.

Hua Jieyu sniffed, raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face, her voice hoarse but crisp:

"I'll go and deliver the message: anyone who dares to be a step too slow will be made to apologize to the Old Madam himself."

Su Qingyun had already started calling for the steward outside:

"Grain carts, medicine carts, horses—get everything moving! We're not sleeping tonight. Anyone who falls behind will have three months' pay docked!"

Shang Wanqing tucked the gear into her bosom. When she stood up, her eyes were still red, but she had regained her obsessive nature.

"Make the ballistae lighter; take all those that can keep up."

Nie Yinniang didn't speak, but instead stood up, leaning against the tent pillar, walked to Wei Zhao, and called out softly.

"Coach."

Wei Zhao looked at her.

Her voice was very soft, but it was the first time she had spoken so clearly.

"The old lady will not have died in vain."

Wei Zhao stared at her, and after a couple of breaths, slowly nodded.

"I know."

A bugle call sounded outside the tent.

Squads of the Wei family army began to break camp, their torches forming a long line as they pressed towards Hangu Pass.

Xie Daoning stood at the tent entrance, glanced back at Wei Zhao, and the initial fear in his eyes finally dissipated.

What she feared most on her journey here was not that the old lady would be gone.

What she feared most was that the last male member of the Wei family wouldn't be able to hold on, that he would collapse after reading the letter, that he would go mad, that he would turn back to the capital on the spot to die.

But now she was relieved. When Wei Zhao stuffed the letter into her chest, she didn't even bend her back.

The last heir of the Wei family is not a useless person who cannot shoulder important responsibilities. If the old matriarch is watching from heaven, she can rest in peace!