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

A scout, his face filled with panic, stumbled into the imperial study: "Your Majesty! The Turkic army... has suddenly turned back! They've retreated thirty li, and are still retreating!"

boom!!

The hall was deathly silent!

Everyone stared wide-eyed, as if they had heard a fairy tale!

retreat?!

Are the Turks retreating?!

Li Shimin abruptly stood up, snatched the military report, and examined it repeatedly—it was absolutely true! The enemy was indeed retreating!

He looked up abruptly, his eyes gleaming with wild joy, and almost roared, "Who did this?! Tell me! Who among you did it?! How did you manage to scare Jieli away?!"

……

"Who did this?!"

Li Shimin's voice trembled with excitement.

The military report clearly stated: Without any warning, Jieli's army turned around and retreated step by step!

This is something I never even dared to dream of!

He had just prepared to fight to the death when the enemy turned around and ran away.

We won? Victory without a fight?!

He scanned the assembled officials in disbelief, his gaze landing on Cheng Yaojin, Li Jing, and Yuchi Gong, as if he were watching three war gods descend to earth!

Even Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling couldn't help but glance at them sideways: When did these people secretly lay such a trap? So fierce?!

"what?"

Who knew—

Cheng Yaojin scratched his head, looking completely bewildered: "They retreated? What happened? I didn't do anything!"

Li Jing frowned, flipping through the intelligence report: "Impossible! There were no ambushes, no fire attacks, no feints at the front... Who ordered them to retreat?"

Yuchi Gong went even further: "Your Majesty, we haven't even seen the enemy yet!"

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, and the air in the hall seemed to freeze.

No one made a move.

But the enemy...really retreated.

"Your Majesty, this...we truly have no idea!"

The three of them almost blurted out, crying out in unison that they were innocent.

They truly knew nothing, so they certainly wouldn't be blamed for something they didn't do!

Li Shimin suddenly froze.

If it wasn't them? Then who could it be?

In the mighty Tang Dynasty, who possesses such extraordinary abilities?

They actually managed to force Khagan Jieli to retreat!

Could it be...?

"The Ghost-Faced General?!"

The name struck my mind like a thunderbolt, without warning.

Before he could even think it through, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall!

"Report—!"

"Urgent military intelligence from the scouts under the command of the Divine Might General!!"

It was Li Junxian's voice, steady yet urgent.

This time, it was Li Yingge's people who came!

Li Shimin's pupils contracted, his eyes suddenly brightening: "Enter!"

"Tap! Tap! Tap!"

Iron boots pounded the ground, clanging as they entered the hall.

The scout, covered in dust and his armor stained with blood, clutched a military report tightly in his hand. He stepped inside, knelt on one knee, and presented it with both hands.

"Your Majesty, this is a secret report personally delivered by the general!"

"Splash—"

Li Shimin snatched it away, his fingertips trembling as he tore open the wax seal.

He could almost smell the gunpowder emanating from between the pages.

He knew—the truth of this battle was hidden in these few lines!

My eyes scanned the contents once, twice, three times...

When he first learned that Jieli had withdrawn his troops, he was overjoyed and felt a great sense of pride!

But at this moment, it felt as if a huge boulder was pressing down on my heart, making it hard to breathe.

His eyes gradually reddened.

"So that's why..."

"You silly child...you really are a silly child...hahaha..."

He chuckled softly, but his voice was hoarse beyond belief, and the laughter did not reach his eyes; instead, they were filled with bitterness and sorrow.

Changsun Wuji and the others exchanged glances, a chill running down their spines.

They couldn't understand the military reports, but they gleaned something from Li Shimin's expression—

This retreat is probably not a victory, but rather... a sacrifice.

Li Shimin suddenly looked up, staring intently at the scout, his voice trembling slightly:

"That masked general...did he ever remove his mask?"

The scout slowly shook his head, the movement heavy as if carrying a thousand pounds:

Never.

Li Shimin's pupils dilated, and the light in his eyes dimmed instantly.

It was like the last glimmer of hope had been extinguished.

"Never taking off the mask..."

"Are you determined to make sure I never recognize you for the rest of my life...?"

"The Ghost-Faced General..."

He murmured, his throat bobbing, his eyes reddening, and a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Then he looked up, stared at the scout, and asked, word by word:

"So, what do you think of this masked general?"

hum!

As soon as he finished speaking, the scout's body trembled.

The image of the blood-red setting sun over Dingzhou flashed before my eyes—

That troop of masked iron cavalry lined up at the edge of the yellow sand to meet the enemy;

That lone figure stood before the battle, his mask cold, his back to the heavens, vowing never to retreat!

They risked their lives to save the Tang Dynasty, and their corpses paved the way back!

The scout gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and his voice emanated from his chest:

"General...glory!"

Two words, yet they carry immense weight!

glory--

It is the highest salute and the deepest respect that soldiers pay to heroes!

Li Jing, Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Gong, and others were stunned on the spot.

The Ghost-Faced General? That mysterious figure who only exists in legends?

How did it suddenly become a representative of "glory"?

Li Shimin said no more, and simply tossed the military report to the crowd: "See for yourselves!"

The papers fluttered as the group quickly scanned them.

A moment later, the entire room fell silent.

Then—

Li Jing suddenly stood up, tears welling up in his eyes;

Cheng Yaojin wiped his face hard, his nose stinging with tears;

Yuchi Gong's knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground with a thud!

"So... it was them..."

"With three hundred remaining soldiers, he led two hundred thousand barbarian cavalry northward..."

"Deliberately provoke Jieli, luring him away from Chang'an..."

"Just to give us a chance to catch our breath..."

This is not a scheme.

This is going to one's death!

Li Jing's eyes turned bloodshot, and he suddenly knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and shouted:

"Ghost-faced General, glorious!"

"Ghost-faced General, glorious!"

Cheng Yaojin roared and knelt down.

"Ghost-faced General, glorious!"

Yuchi Gong, with tears streaming down his face, kowtowed repeatedly!

Shouts echoed throughout the imperial study!

Like a thunderclap rolling across the sky above Chang'an!

To do something knowing it's impossible is true courage!

To use oneself as bait to lure the enemy a thousand miles away is the greatest loyalty!

To sacrifice one's own fame and fortune to protect the safety of the nation is a noble act!

Li Shimin stood before the imperial desk, gazing at the deep night outside the window, remaining silent for a long time.

Finally, he slowly raised his hand and performed a gesture that only an emperor would make for his subjects—

military salute.

whisper:

"Yes... glorious."

These three words, as light as a sigh, are heavy enough to be recorded in history.

"I am proud of you!"

The sound, like clouds splitting and the sky breaking, lingered on the eaves of Weiyang Palace for a long time.

……

Han Ye stayed.

Instead of retreating to Chang'an or defending the passes, he led the few hundred remaining masked soldiers northward on horseback, heading straight for the desolate place where the yellow sand filled the sky.

Use these hundreds of lives to hold back the Turkic hordes!

With hundreds of thousands of enemy troops pressing in like a mountain, he was like a broken blade, fiercely plunging into the throat of the enemy formation.

Just to give the Tang Dynasty a sense of pride!

Fight for a sliver of hope!

During that period, no one knew where he was trapped or what battles he was fighting.

All I know is that every night, the sound of the wind coming from the border sounds like weeping.

Li Shimin's fingers, gripping the battle report, bulged with veins; his eyes were bloodshot; and his throat felt like it was burning with charcoal: "I can't bear to think about it... I really can't bear to think about it..."

What a bloody path it was! What a deadly predicament!

A general, leading his remaining troops, went to his death alone, just to lure the enemy into the depths of the desert, leaving the chance of survival to the land behind him.

"Assemble! Assemble the entire army!" Li Shimin roared, his voice like thunder, as he stood up abruptly. "Within five days, 100,000 troops must march to the Wei River! I will personally lead my iron cavalry to raze the Turkic camp to the ground and cut off the head of Khan Jieli to offer as a sacrifice to our flag!"

The sound shook the beams, causing dust to fall in a flurry.

He knew that these five days were bought with Han Ye's life.

It was the last chance for the Tang Dynasty to catch its breath.

Once you miss it, there's no chance of turning things around!

Li Jing, Cheng Zhijie, Yuchi Gong, and the others responded angrily in unison, "As you command!"

In an instant, the political landscape of Chang'an changed dramatically.

Bells and drums resounded, beacon fires were lit, civil officials donned their armor, and military generals mustered their troops.

The entire imperial city awoke like a colossal beast, its gears snapping shut as it entered a frenzy of war.

When everyone rushed out of the imperial study, only Li Shimin remained in the hall.

He stood by the window, his gaze piercing through the layers of palaces, landing on the blood-stained sky to the north.

The wind whipped the curtains, and he murmured softly, his voice hoarse like a whetstone:

"If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here, the barbarian horses would never dare to cross the Yin Mountains..."

"The Ghost-Faced General..."

"I promise you, the Tang Dynasty will never bow down."

"The blood shed by the men of Han will be repaid with the lives of our enemies! Not a single one will be spared!"

Each word was like a nail, driven into the blue bricks.

He repeatedly pondered the incomplete poem, feeling as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on his heart.

What kind of person could write such a sentence?

It wasn't a boastful statement or a grand declaration, but rather a resolute determination to face death even knowing it was inevitable!

Even if we only have one breath left, we will stand at the border of our country!

Li Shimin closed his eyes and slowly raised his hand: "Send down the order to proclaim these two lines of poetry to the world! Let all scholars and poets—complete them!"

Li Junxian clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

……

Five days later.

Chang'an is no longer the Chang'an of the past.

The streets were no longer filled with idle chatter and laughter; instead, the roar of iron boots pounding the ground filled the air.

Squads of armored soldiers poured into the city gate from all directions, their banners obscuring the sun, their warhorses neighing loudly.

Five days ago, the imperial court could only muster a force of no more than 50,000.

Now, 80,000 elite troops are lined up and ready to go, and reinforcements are still rushing day and night, like rivers flowing into the sea.

The backbone of the Tang Dynasty is rising again.

The people in the city remained silent.

Since the story of the Ghost-Faced General spread, the entire city of Chang'an seemed to be shrouded in a heavy sense of sorrow.

They finally realized—

Who was it that, when a million Turkic cavalrymen approached the Wei River, led a few hundred riders alone to charge into enemy territory?

Who was it that, through a near-fatal raid, bought the Tang Dynasty time to launch a counterattack?

No one has ever seen his face, and no one has ever heard his name.

Beneath the mask, is it blood or bone, soul or spirit?

No one knows.

But everyone understands—

He was a man who would rather die in the desert than let any foreign tribes set foot on him!

"The Ghost-Faced General...unparalleled in righteousness!"

"This is a true national hero! A man of great stature and integrity!"

"If I cannot see him even once in this life, I will die with regret!"

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, storytellers slammed their fists on the table, tears streaming down their faces: "Do you all know? That night, amidst the sandstorm, three hundred horsemen faced three hundred thousand, their blood staining the yellow sand, yet they did not retreat an inch! All because behind them lay their homeland!"

"If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here, the barbarian horses would never dare to cross the Yin Mountains—"

This line has been recited by tens of thousands of people in Chang'an, and is known to everyone, from women to children.

But what happens next?

Li Shimin ordered the poems to be completed, but for five whole days, not a single person dared to pick up a pen.

It's not that they're unwilling, but that they dare not.

Those self-proclaimed literary figures, after picking up their pens, sighed and said, "This poem has a soul; no ordinary pen can continue it."

If we were to force ourselves to write, it would be blasphemy.

"Such spirit, such courage...we are not worthy of it."

They don't deserve it!

Over time, this incomplete poem became a legend.

An unfinished poem—

There was no second line, yet it caused a sensation throughout the Tang Dynasty.

Absurd? Yet it became a hit.

Rare? But it just so happened.

Even more unexpectedly...

This incomplete poem is far more than just words.

It became the brand of the Ghost-Faced General.

Like a flag, a monument, a taboo symbol that no one dares to touch!

Who can continue those two lines?

Who dares?

Only he—General Han Ye, the Ghost Face—is worthy to put pen to paper!

"If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here, the barbarian horses would never dare to cross the Yin Mountains..."

The sound trailed off abruptly, its lingering notes cut short.

Within Chang'an city, whispers rippled through the streets and alleys:

"The Ghost-Faced General..."

"Now the whole world is waiting for your return, to complete that final line..."

A cool night breeze blew through Li Jing's residence.

Li Yingge removed her armor, her black hair cascading down her shoulders, still dressed in neat men's clothing, but a rare soft light appeared in her eyes.

She gazed northward, her lips trembling slightly as she murmured as if in a dream, "Are you still alive...?"

In a side courtyard of the Han residence, maids and servants sat huddled together, gazing up at the moon, sobbing softly, "Young Master, when will you finally return...?"

……

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

It has been exactly ten days since the Ghost-Faced General single-handedly led away the army of Khan Jieli.

During these ten days, Li Shimin worked day and night, mobilizing troops and generals, determined to launch a decisive battle!

Battle reports from the front were delivered to Chang'an by scouts on horseback, one after another.

The truth is hard to discern, yet every word is like a knife.

It's better than silence.

The entire city of Chang'an seemed to hold its breath, waiting for that one echo.

"Report! General Ghost Face has encountered the Turkic vanguard, fought a bloody battle to break through, and is retreating north!"

"Report! Khan Jieli is furious. His main force hasn't moved; General Ghost Face is leading a flanking attack to lure the enemy into dividing their forces!"

"Report! Deep Water Ridge is surrounded! The general fought his way through the enemy lines!"

"Report! There has been no trace of them since the fierce battle a day ago!"

"Report! After the bloody battle two days ago, their fate is unknown!"

"Report! They completely lost contact three days ago after the battle, and there has been no news of them whatsoever!"

Battle reports became fewer and fewer, and the tone grew increasingly somber.

At first, they could still piece together his image—

Every battle, every inch of bloody path, grips the hearts of millions.

But now...

Even the wind couldn't carry back his message.

It's been three days.

After that indescribably brutal battle, the Ghost-Faced General disappeared.

It was as if it had been swallowed up by the earth and buried by the yellow sand.

No one knows whether he is dead or alive.

No one dared to imagine the worst possible outcome.

But that oppressive, chilling premonition coiled around everyone's heart like a venomous snake—

"General Ghost Face...you must come back alive..."

At that moment, tens of thousands of people in Chang'an looked up and gazed toward the border.

They silently prayed in their hearts, made wishes under the moon, and burned incense before the Buddha.

"Han Ye..."

"I believe you won't die, right?"

In Li Jing's residence, Li Yingge clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "If you dare to die... I will hate you for the rest of my life."