Under the current circumstances, proposing a northern campaign was practically a perfect match of the right time, place, and people.
Only a year ago, the emperor was advised by Qiyueban to pay attention to the war in the northwest. Now that the Qi family had taken the initiative to request permission to launch a northern campaign and help him expand his territory, the emperor naturally didn’t dare to be even slightly negligent. He didn’t dare withhold or deduct any of the military authority, provisions, or funds that were due. He even allocated a little more than usual, causing the officials below him to become equally tense and take the matter seriously.
After passing through the various levels of approval, the process was completed much more efficiently than before. The imperial edict, tiger tally, and commander’s seal soon crossed thousands of mountains and ten thousand rivers to reach the northwestern military camp.
The night raid on Chifeng Pass was the best justification for launching the campaign. When you’ve been bullied, you should fight back. It was only natural and no one could criticize them for it.
There was also another, more secretive reason.
Although thinking this way was hardly acceptable from a moral standpoint, Su Li had severely damaged at least three Chaosu armies that night. Chaosu was currently gripped by fear over his strange and mysterious techniques, so they did indeed have the advantage at the beginning of this war.
Qi Boming had previously said he would hand authority over to Qi Changying. Qi Changying assumed this only applied to handling the aftermath of the night raid on Chifeng Pass. He didn’t expect that after he proposed the northern campaign, the initial selection of generals, troop deployments, general planning of the subsequent marching routes, and coordination of tactical arrangements would all become his responsibility.
These were matters that normally required the attention of the Commander-in-chief.
Now Qi Boming had taken up the commander’s seal despite his injuries, yet delegated his authority to Qi Changying. This sudden, heavy responsibility made Qi Changying feel a faint sense of unease. But then he thought that perhaps his father was simply using this opportunity to train his abilities and temperament because recovering from his injuries meant he shouldn’t exert himself too much mentally.
Unwilling to disappoint his father’s good intentions, he began to imitate Su Li’s methods, spending his days shut away in his tent, surrounding himself with sand tables and maps. Drawing on his battlefield experience from previous years and the teachings he had heard from his father, he gradually laid out the entire plan for the northern campaign. Shen Huarong also provided considerable assistance.
From the very beginning, Qi Changying clearly defined his objective.
The purpose of this northern campaign was not invasion, but a more lasting peace.
The Qi army always prioritized benevolence and righteousness, and Qi Changying repeatedly issued orders that they must avoid affecting civilians as much as possible during this war. If anyone in the enemy army was willing to surrender, they must be treated generously and not mistreated.
He wanted the people of Chaosu to understand that the Qi army were not brutal and inhumane. This war was for peace, not slaughter.
The bloodshed and suffering that had once taken place on Great Li’s land must never be allowed to happen again on another piece of land.
This was what it meant to carry his benevolent heart through to the very end.
Shen Huarong had nothing to say about this.
Although he still didn’t entirely agree, he wouldn’t try to undermine Qi Changying’s principles. Besides, even Qi Boming, who was both the commander-in-chief and Qi Changying’s father, hadn’t said anything. What right did he have to worry needlessly?
He would simply help Qi Changying with the work, improve his tactics, and ensure that the logistics were properly handled.
However, despite saying that, there was still a question weighing on his mind, one that even he knew wasn’t quite appropriate to ask.
That question was Su Li.
They had already witnessed Su Li’s abilities. Shen Huarong knew that Qi Changying wouldn’t use this almost indiscriminate slaughter to achieve victory, nor would it give him greater ambitions. That was why he had previously advised Qi Changying to keep his distance from the child, but Qi Changying didn’t listen.
So why not simply follow Qi Boming’s hint and make the most of Su Li’s abilities while they were at it? Unfortunately, Qi Changying didn’t seem inclined to do that either.
The situation now was that they had a shortcut right beside them, one that could spare them a great deal of trouble and prevent them from taking so many detours, but Qi Changying refused to use it. Instead, he continued treating Su Li like an ordinary child, refusing to gain even the slightest advantage from him while still bearing the usual risks of being suspected and targeted.
Why?
What exactly was Qi Changying after?
Shen Huarong practically racked his brains and still couldn’t figure it out.
Unable to hold back any longer, he hinted at it to Qi Changying. He asked whether, given that the northern campaign was such a massive undertaking, Qi Changying would assign Su Li a separate duty and put him in a position suited to his abilities.
Shen Huarong originally thought that even if Qi Changying wouldn’t let Su Li directly kill people, he could at least perform a divination to determine good and bad fortune, or figure out which directions and times would be most advantageous for their marching and battle formations.
Qi Changying did indeed nod in agreement.
Shen Huarong thought this person had finally come around. Who could have imagined that Qi Changying would turn around and assign Su Li to the Seventeenth Battalion as its Seventh Squad Leader?
A squad leader was the lowest-ranking officer in the army, responsible for only ten soldiers. The Seventeenth Battalion was also the vanguard battalion. In other words, Qi Changying had taken Lord Qiyueban, personally assigned by the emperor, and placed him under his own command with a small, insignificant rank, making him charge into battle alongside the vanguard.
What on earth was he doing?
Shen Huarong was somewhat confused and on the verge of a minor breakdown.
He went to confront Qi Changying, but Qi Changying’s explanation was that he and Su Li had disagreed about the northern campaign. Su Li wanted to kill everyone, while he firmly opposed it. Therefore, Su Li wanted to watch up close and see how Qi Changying would handle things, and how much better he could do than he himself.
This was essentially what had happened. Su Li really did want to see what gave the supposedly high-minded Qi Changying the confidence to resolutely refuse his help.
Was the Young General Qi, renowned for his outstanding bearing, truly capable and worthy of his reputation? Or was it all just flattery from people trying to curry favor with him?
With this explanation, combined with Su Li’s earlier statements to Qi Changying that he didn’t want to be treated like a child or kept behind everyone else for protection, Qi Changying fully respected his wishes. He gave Su Li a small official position so that he could feel involved and wouldn’t be left idle at the rear, overthinking things and getting angry on his own.
Su Li also accepted this “demotion.”
So he put on heavy armor, picked out a small spear for himself, and clanked his way into the Seventeenth Battalion.
One thing worth mentioning was that before he entered the tent, no one told him that a squad leader was supposed to live together with the ten soldiers under his command.
The soldiers of the Seventeenth Vanguard Battalion were all personally trained by Qi Changying. Naturally, those assigned under Su Li were also men Qi Changying had carefully selected from among his own trusted subordinates. They knew Su Li’s identity and treated him courteously. Knowing that he had a prestigious status and a picky temperament, they also paid attention to their personal hygiene.
However, even if these rough men who spent their days marching and fighting in the wind and snow washed themselves as diligently as possible, there was still bound to be some odor when they all lived together in one room.
Su Li couldn’t stand sleeping on a large communal bed, nor could he tolerate the smell of sweat and the cramped quarters. So, on his first night as a squad leader, he made his way into Qi Changying’s tent with a sour face.
As its name suggested, the Vanguard Battalion marches at the front of the army to clear the way for the main force.
As Qiyueban, Su Li should originally have traveled with the main army in a safe position at the rear, alongside Qi Boming and Shen Huarong. But as Su Li, the Seventh Squad Leader of the Seventeenth Battalion, he had to remain beside his immediate superior, Qi Changying, and obey his orders at all times.
Therefore, the Vanguard Battalion had no tent for Qiyueban. When the precious little squad leader became picky, he could only choose to offend his superior without the slightest courtesy.
It was on the eve of the Qi army’s first direct, large-scale battle against Chaosu. Their camp was established at the Parlara Mountain Pass on the border of Chaosu, the first line of defense for Chaosu.
Mount Parlara was a sacred mountain worshipped by the people of Chaosu for generations. It resembled a natural city wall, using its geographical advantage to protect the people behind it.
One thing worth mentioning was that it was a snow-covered mountain. Its peak was capped with white snow, appearing ethereal on a clear day, but bringing a bone-piercing chill at night.
Thus, when Su Li barged into Qi Changying’s tent in the middle of the night, he brought not only himself but also the cold that had wrapped around him outside.
At the time, Qi Changying was still awake. He had a lamp lit and was sitting behind his desk in an outer robe, studying a map of the Pamir Mountains.
Hearing the rustling outside the curtain and sensing someone enter with a gust of cold wind, Qi Changying didn’t seem surprised at all. He didn’t even raise his eyes, as though he had expected this.
He merely said,
“A squad leader must live with his soldiers. That’s the rule.”
“I am the rule.”
Su Li wasn’t buying any of that.
As soon as he entered, he took off his outer robe. As if he were entering his own home, he kicked off his shoes and went straight into Qi Changying’s bed.
The vanguard commander’s tent was warm and spacious. Although he also had to share a bed with someone else, sharing with one person was still far more spacious and comfortable than sharing with ten. On top of that, there was a pleasant lily fragrance coming from this person’s bedding, so Su Li reluctantly accepted the arrangement.
He curled up a little farther under the covers, feeling Qi Changying’s scent all around him.
If he had known, he would have refused to become a squad leader.
This position sounded similar to vanguard commander. Both were official positions, but the treatment was nowhere near comparable.
He should have simply kicked Qi Changying out and taken his position himself.
Then Qi Changying could go to the battlefield, while he, Qiyueban, enjoyed the treatment.
That would be more appropriate.
Seeing him curl up under the covers and stop moving, Qi Changying seemed to let out a soft laugh.
Holding a brush, he continued making marks on the map, saying,
“Go to sleep first. I’ll put out the lamp in a little while.”
“Suit yourself. Better yet, don’t sleep all night. Then I’ll have the whole bed to myself. It’ll be nice and spacious, without you squeezing around and being a complete nuisance.”
“If I remember correctly, Ah Li, the bed you’re occupying seems to be mine.”
“Is your name written on it? Whoever sleeps in it owns it. Now it’s mine.”
This child had always been domineering. Qi Changying smiled and shook his head, choosing not to argue with him.
When he heard no more from Qi Changying, Su Li gradually fell asleep in the dim lamplight.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when someone lifted one corner of the blanket and quietly lay down beside him.
It was the owner of the pleasant scent that enveloped him. His body was very warm, even a little warmer than the temperature under the covers.
Half asleep, Su Li subconsciously slipped his cold fingertips into Qi Changying’s arms, hoping he would make him warmer too.
Qi Changying tried several times to straighten out the child, whose sleeping posture was anything but proper. But every time he managed to settle him down, those cold hands would wind around him again before long.
Seeing that correcting him was useless, Qi Changying simply stopped trying.
He let Su Li half-embrace him, allowing him to keep burrowing into his arms.
Tormented so much that he couldn’t fall asleep, Qi Changying looked at the dim interior of the tent in a daze and couldn’t help letting out a soft laugh.
That day, he shed two tears and was mocked mercilessly for being more delicate than a little girl who hadn’t even grown all her teeth. But the child who called others delicate was actually the most precious, pampered, domineering, and unreasonable person in the world.
Of course, he absolutely could not let the child himself find out.
From that day onward, two people lived in Young General Qi’s exclusive tent.
At first, Qi Changying was constantly kept awake by Su Li’s antics, but gradually, he grew accustomed to it.
He grew accustomed to having cold little fingers clinging to him, like a piece of jade that could never be warmed, no matter what.
It was late winter in the northwest, just before spring arrived and the flowers were about to bloom, the army continued its northward advance.
Qi Changying was invincible on the battlefield and deployed his troops like a god. With his halberd in hand, he broke through three cities in succession, advancing from the Parlara Mountain Pass all the way to the Mosala River. The Chaosu army was forced to suffer repeated defeats, abandon its cities, and retreat farther inland.
As Qi Changying promised, he did not mistreat the civilians the Chaosu army left behind.
Whenever he entered a city, all he did was replace the Chaosu flags with the Qi army’s battle flags, station more of his own guards throughout the towns, forbid the requisitioning of grain, and prohibit burning, killing, and looting. He also instructed his subordinates to reassure the residents and help them settle down so that they wouldn’t panic or be frightened by the war.
Su Li never really believed that anyone in this world could truly be so kind.
In fact, in the past, everything Qi Changying did seemed like an act to him.
He always watched with the intention of seeing how long Qi Changying could keep up the act and just how far he would take it.
He maliciously thought that once he grew tired of pretending and finished his performance, Qi Changying’s true nature would eventually be revealed.
But Qi Changying did not.
Day after day, he continued to uphold the words he had spoken and the oaths he had made. He said this war was for stability and peace, and that he didn’t want any innocent person to be affected or injured. He even took the civilians of the enemy side into consideration.
Even after being hurt, he never took his anger out on others. He genuinely treated all living beings equally, without distinction.
Yet this same gentle, kind, and indecisive person was like a divine weapon descending from the heavens on the battlefield.
He was only seventeen, yet he wielded a halberd with extraordinary mastery, knocking one arrogant and seasoned Chaosu commander after another off their horses on the front lines. No matter how difficult a city was to capture or how shrewd an enemy was, he could handle it all.
Young General Qi seemed incapable of defeat.
Whatever he wanted, he could obtain quickly. He was so favored and cherished by fate that, despite how difficult the northern campaign was, he captured three cities in such a short time.
One had to understand that Chaosu and the Central Plains had been entangled in conflicts and bloodshed for several hundred years. Since the previous dynasty, their strengths had remained evenly matched, locked in a prolonged struggle without either side ever decisively prevailing.
It wasn’t that previous generations had never considered conquering the north. Many outstanding figures of different eras had worked toward that goal for years, yet none had managed to overcome this hard bone.
It was only when Qi Changying appeared that the situation finally gained the possibility of being rewritten.
Although Su Li came from the founding ancestor’s lineage and was already halfway to becoming a Shenguan, he never really believed in fate.
One’s destiny should be held in one’s own hands. Rather than waiting for Heaven’s guidance and gifts, it was better to take what one wanted for oneself.
Qi Changying was the first person who made him feel that perhaps everything in this world really had been arranged long ago, and that conquering the north was Qi Changying’s mission.
It was as if he was born to do this.
The vast northwestern lands were meant to be in his hands. They were his destined possession.
Perhaps it was because his opinion of this person had changed a little, or perhaps it was for some other reason. In any case, at some point, Su Li began spending more and more time staring at Qi Changying’s back.
Whenever he challenged the enemy to battle, Qi Changying would stand at the front of the army in beautiful armor, his red cloak fluttering fiercely in the wind behind him. Qianshan would also wear a protective forehead guard. The man and horse stood there, drawing everyone’s attention and looking very majestic.
On the battlefield, Qi Changying looked cold and unapproachable. But at night, the Qi Changying on the bed was warm.
Sometimes, he would stay up late reading military strategy books, while Su Li slept quietly by himself. Other times, he would go to bed early, and the two of them would lie together under the covers. Occasionally, when he was in a good mood, Su Li would even chat with him for a few words.
When they closed their eyes, they usually occupied opposite sides of the spacious bed, keeping a distance between them and staying out of each other’s way. But the next morning, everything would be turned upside down. Su Li would always end up clinging to Qi Changying in all sorts of unimaginable positions, tangled up with him and leaving both his neck and waist aching.
Su Li found it annoying. He told Qi Changying to sleep properly and stop disturbing other people. If he couldn’t sleep well, he should get out and roll around in the wind.
Whenever this happened, Qi Changying would fall silent and smile helplessly.
On yet another night filled with howling wind and snow, Su Li lay in the tent, listening to the wind outside, somewhat distracted.
For some reason, he had a bad feeling tonight.
He frowned slightly and looked toward the person behind the desk.
“Aren’t you going to sleep yet?”
“You should sleep first. We have to attack Tianshan in seven days. Tianshan is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the famous general Moyi is stationed there. I keep feeling that there are still some flaws in the tactics we’ve settled on. I’ll think about them a little longer and see if I can improve the plan. It’s better to be cautious and reduce casualties.”
Hearing this, Su Li raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Then I’ll tell you a brilliant strategy.”
“Mm?”
“Beg me.” Su Li looked at him and spoke as calmly as if discussing the weather.
“Beg me, and when you wake up tomorrow, the snow outside will have stopped, and Tianshan will have been dyed red with the blood of the Chaosu people.”
“…” Qi Changying was slightly taken aback before smiling helplessly.
“You…”
“Young General!”
A voice suddenly came from outside the tent, cutting off what Qi Changying was about to say.
Qi Changying paused slightly. Hearing what sounded like an urgent report outside, he put down the sheepskin scroll in his hand and said seriously,
“Come in.”
For security reasons, people delivering messages from outside could not approach Qi Changying directly. The information they carried had to be passed through several people before reaching him.
For example, the person who entered hastily after receiving permission was Qi Changying’s deputy, Su Pingbei.
“Young General, an urgent report has arrived from the main camp…”
Su Pingbei’s expression was rather grim. He hesitated for a moment, as though he found it difficult to speak.
He cupped his fists and saluted Qi Changying. Finally, before Qi Changying could ask for an explanation, he gritted his teeth and forced out the rest of his words.
“The commander… he’s not going to make it.”
