The Mongol Yuan sentries on Wolf Milk Mountain were wiped out by the Sui army, and the Sui army immediately set off from Fangu. The reason there was Nirvana City to the west of the Wolf Milk Mountain range and Fangu City to the east was because the Wolf Milk Mountain range, stretching for thousands of miles, had only one canyon through which it could be traversed. Therefore, both the Mongol Yuan and the Sui Dynasty coincidentally built border cities on either side of this canyon.
The Mongol Great Khan, Koktai Möngke, and the Sui Emperor Yang Yi met in the widest part of this canyon. The terrain here was extremely suitable for an ambush. When the emperor and Möngke chose this location for their meeting, the court officials all objected, fearing that the Mongol Yuan would set up an ambush.
The Emperor of the Sui Dynasty simply smiled and said, "You worry about the Mongols setting an ambush, but aren't the Mongols just as worried about us sending troops? Since everyone is worried, afraid, and on guard, it's actually the safest place. I insist on meeting Möngke in this location to see if he has the courage to keep the appointment."
If the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty dared to come, how could the Khan of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty not dare to come? Although high-ranking officials of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, such as Aijin and Tegin, tried to dissuade Möngke, he rejected their good intentions with almost the same words as the Sui Emperor had used to reject his courtiers.
This was only the second meeting between the two supreme rulers in over a century. The first was when the Mongol Khan and the Emperor Taizu of the Sui Dynasty signed a truce treaty, demarcating their territories.
Therefore, both sides attached great importance to this meeting. Neither wanted to lose face, nor did they want to be impolite. Although the Mongols weren't as particular about etiquette, the thousand-year-old empire naturally had its own set of customs and traditions. Simply put, it was about face; they couldn't appear petty in front of the other side.
On that day, both emperors met at Qingxia with only about a hundred attendants each. Accompanying the Sui emperor were Luo Weiran, commander of the Imperial Guard, and Hou Wenji, garrison commander of the intelligence agency. General Yu Manlou accompanied him with eighty armored soldiers. The civil officials were led by Huai Qiu, Minister of Rites, along with two Grand Secretaries from the Wenyuan Pavilion and Shuhua Pavilion.
On the Mongol side, Möngke was protected by eighty Golden Horde warriors. Möngke's brother, Tegin Koktai Möngke, personally held an umbrella for him. Two unnamed attendants, a monk in a gray robe and red kasaya, and Mandulatu, the banner chief of the Mandu Banner, followed closely behind.
The two sides held talks at Qingxia for three consecutive days. Later, the two emperors even strolled hand-in-hand along Wolf's Milk Mountain, chatting and laughing. There was no sign of hostility whatsoever, leaving the attendants of both countries dumbfounded. These two emperors, remarkably, shared strikingly similar personalities. Möngke was well-versed in Han Chinese history, while Yang Yi possessed extensive knowledge of the Mongol Yuan dynasty. The two emperors discussed the past and present, donned straw hats, and sat by the lake fishing. They even considered a horseback archery contest; had their ministers not intervened, they might have even staged a hunting party.
However, it was unclear what they would hunt for.
Before the talks, no one had imagined that these two emperors, destined to be enemies from birth, could coexist so harmoniously and perfectly. There wasn't a single argument; they were like two long-lost friends reunited. In a relaxed atmosphere, a trade treaty was signed, designating Fanggu as the trading hub for goods between the two nations. With the location settled, the two emperors relinquished control, leaving the rest to their ministers to haggle and bargain.
They themselves enjoyed leisurely travels, taking in the sights and water, completely detached from their duties, appearing remarkably relaxed and carefree.
However, after their three-day meeting, both emperors, without prior agreement, issued the same decree. Emperor Tianyou, Yang Yi, ordered Li Yuanshan, the Right Valiant Guard General stationed in the northwest, to advance 150 li westward, and also ordered the Governor-General of Shandong to increase the number of troops stationed in the prefectures. Great Khan Möngke ordered Mandulatu, the banner chief of the Mandu Banner, to maintain a constant readiness to command 50,000 elite troops, and instructed Mandulatu to select the most skilled Mandu Banner general to replace the former general of Niepan City in guarding Qingxia.
Because they discovered so many similarities between themselves and the other, mutual respect was inevitable, but even more so, a deep-seated fear of the enemy.
The Mongol Yuan sentries on Wolf Milk Mountain constantly monitored Qingxia; whenever the Sui army entered Qingxia, they would immediately light smoke signals.
Right Valiant Guard Brigade Commander He Dazhuang led his men to wipe out the Mongol Yuan scouts overnight; of the hundred elite soldiers who descended the mountain, only sixty-seven remained.
On the mountain, they buried the bodies of the Mongol scouts, then carried their fallen comrades down the mountain. This was an unwritten rule for the Sui soldiers, unchanged for over a hundred years. Unless absolutely necessary, they would not abandon any comrade, not even a cold corpse.
At dawn, the vast army entered Qingxia like a dragon. Five thousand elite Right Valiant Guard soldiers, led by the newly appointed fifth-rank general Li Xiaozong, marched westward. As they entered Qingxia, Li Xiaozong couldn't help but rein in his horse and look back at Fan Gu. He knew that simply leading his troops through this gorge would etch his name into history.
For over a hundred years, this was the first time the army of the Eastern Empire had crossed Langru Mountain, the first time it had leaped over the Fan Gu line. In another hour, the army would cross Qingxia, and Han people would set foot on the grasslands for the first time.
Li Xiaozong's face appeared calm, but who knew the turmoil raging within him?
He had waited ten years for this moment. This was a moment the Great Sui Dynasty had awaited for a hundred years.
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The Wolf Milk Mountain Range, though high, did not appear majestic from afar, its slopes appearing gentle. However, in reality, crossing Wolf Milk Mountain was virtually impossible. The seemingly gentle slopes were actually covered in lush greenery; beneath the smooth, breast-like curves lay endless killing intent.
Not to mention the many ferocious beasts like jackals, tigers, and leopards roaming the mountains, one would only discover upon entering that behind the green trees lay a series of cliffs, not very high, but extremely steep. The mountain's shape was strange; below the waist, it was wide enough for horses to traverse. After reaching the halfway point, sheer cliffs would appear, and for an army to cross, they would have to build ladders into the precipice—a monumental task. How long would it take for soldiers to climb these ladders, requiring immense manpower and resources?
The cliffs above the halfway point of Wolf Milk Mountain seemed like a barrier erected by Heaven to prevent its two most beloved sons from falling out. And to ensure that these two most powerful empires did not lose contact, the Azure Gorge became the only link.
The Sui Dynasty and the Mongol Yuan Dynasty were like giants who had reached their limit of growth within their respective territories. They had developed to the fullest extent possible within their regions; without venturing out, neither could grow even a meter taller. The Mongol Yuan cavalry swept across the vast grasslands, and the tribes had long since submitted, daring not to harbor the slightest disrespect. Wherever the flying wolf banners fluttered, the herdsmen bowed in worship.
Meanwhile, the Sui Dynasty's infantry was so powerful that it found no enemy in the Central Plains. From the time of Emperor Taizu's uprising, the Sui infantry had advanced along a glorious path. Whether it was the Southern Chen Dynasty, which once dominated the south and boasted an invincible navy, or the Shang Dynasty, which possessed a million-strong army in the southwest, these towering giants were all knocked down by the newly rising giant, never to rise again. Now, the Sui Dynasty, this giant, was alone and invincible; without the corpses of its enemies to pave the way, it could no longer rise to a higher level.
Perhaps, war between these two nations was inevitable.
Emperor Yang Yi of the Sui Dynasty once said, "Even if I don't attack the Mongols, who can guarantee that the Mongols won't attack my Sui Dynasty? Although I've only met Möngke once, I saw in his eyes his covetousness for the Central Plains. Given the right opportunity, he will not hesitate to lead his Mongol cavalry across Wolf Milk Mountain. Must I wait until Möngke drinks from the Yellow River before I fight back?"
Only the Sui Dynasty has ever stood laughing on enemy territory; no enemy has ever set foot on Sui land.
Li Xiaozong, a mere fifth-rank military officer.
Li Xiaozong, who had committed blood feuds.
His glance back at Fan Gu held a complex meaning. He had thought more than once about leading those eight hundred border soldiers to the western grasslands. He wished those border soldiers were his own arms, wielding the standard Sui sword, building empires alongside him.
But all of that vanished with that bloodbath. That night, the person actually intended to be killed was Wu Peisheng. Fang Jie… was merely someone destined to die at the right time. From the very beginning, Li Yuanshan's order for Wu Peisheng to lead men to Fangu to kill Fang Jie was a trap set for Wu Peisheng. Even without Fang Jie, there would have been people like Li Jie, Sun Jie, and Chen Jie to lure Wu Peisheng into Fangu. And the moment Wu Peisheng entered Fangu, the two thousand civilians and eight hundred border soldiers were destined to perish.
Fang Jie was just an insignificant fish that slipped through the net. And later, this fish also became a tool for others.
It seems that all the conspiracies and traps set for Fang Jie were actually aimed at Wu Peisheng, that old eunuch who had lost most of his power as the Grand Eunuch, and shouldn't have come to the Northwest. If the goal was simply to kill Fang Jie, why massacre the entire city? The city's complete annihilation was merely the dust and smoke of Wu Peisheng's death, blinding many to the truth.
Few knew the truth behind Fang Jie's survival in Chang'an, the capital. It wasn't simply a matter of having Da Quan and his men protecting him, plus a stroke of luck.
Only if Fang Jie lived would the capital's attention be focused on him, while Wu Peisheng, the most important figure, would be overlooked. With Fang Jie alive in Chang'an, those seeking the truth behind the Fan Gu massacre instinctively turned their attention to him. The nearly three thousand lives lost in Fan Gu were one layer of mystery; Fang Jie… was another.
This was the first time Li Xiaozong had led such a large force since leaving Chang'an. But he showed no fear or unease. Except for the complex look in his eyes when he glanced back at Fan Gu, his eyes were filled with confidence. He shook off his chaotic thoughts, erasing the image of the handsome young man that had suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"Faster!"
He commanded in a cool, clear voice, "We must cross the Green Gorge within half an hour, set up a defensive line on the other side, erect chevaux-de-frise and deer antlers, and guard this gate for the army!"
"Yes, sir!"
His men responded, and then the bugle sounded to urge the advance. Five thousand elite soldiers immediately sped up upon hearing the bugle, running towards the unknown land on the other side of the gorge.
Every soldier's eyes burned with fervor.
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West of the Green Gorge, a dozen or so Manchu cavalrymen galloped towards the gorge. The leading cavalry captain shouted, "Every day before sunrise, the scouts on the mountain report that everything is fine, but today there's still no news. I don't know if anything has happened to the brothers. The Sui army is already gathering on the other side of the mountain; we can't be careless. Hurry, get to Qingxia Gorge and check! East of Langru Mountain is a demonic land abandoned by the Eternal Heaven; those damned Sui people are capable of anything!"
"Hoo-ha!"
The cavalry behind him responded in unison, closely following the captain.
Just as they could see the gorge, suddenly a large, bright red banner billowed out from the gorge like a fiery cloud. Immediately afterward, billowing dust rose from the gorge. From the dust, countless Sui infantrymen in black armor strode out.
"Sui people!"
A Manchu banner cavalryman cried out in barely suppressed terror, his voice trembling. "You three go back and report that the Sui army has already crossed Qingxia! We'll cover your retreat, hurry!"
The squad leader shouted, then drew his scimitar.
Across from them, several dozen cavalrymen from the few Sui soldiers who had also spotted them sprang into action, rushing towards them.
"The Great Snow Mountain has bestowed upon us boundless strength, and the power of the Ming King makes us invincible!"
The squad leader cried out sincerely, leading seven or eight men to face their destined enemy without hesitation. The Sui people were proud, and so were the Mongol Yuan people.