My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

The news of Liu Che's personal expedition spread like wildfire throughout Chang'an overnight, and then even faster in all directions.

"His Majesty is about to lead the army in person!"

"His Majesty is going to personally lead the attack on the Xiongnu!"

"He possesses divine weapons even more powerful than His Highness the Crown Prince's!"

Teahouses, taverns, streets, alleys, fields—wherever people gathered, they were all talking about this.

At first, I was shocked.

The emperor personally led the expedition, an unprecedented event since the time of Emperor Gaozu.

Even the siege of Baideng back then was something Emperor Gaozu had no choice but to do when he was trapped.

Now that the Han Dynasty is strong, why should the emperor have to personally brave arrows and stones?

But soon, the shock was replaced by another emotion—

excited.

A feverish excitement.

Because along with the news, rumors about those "divine weapons" also spread.

"Have you heard? The divine artifacts His Majesty brought back are ten times more powerful than His Highness the Crown Prince's divine chariot!"

"More than ten times! I heard from a brother of mine who works in the Imperial Guard that that thing is called 'Tanshyok,' and one shot from it can flatten a small mountain!"

"And that AK-47, one person wielding it could take down dozens of people in the blink of an eye!"

"Those machine guns are even more powerful; they sweep through like wheat being harvested. No matter how many Huns there are, they won't be enough to kill!"

"Good heavens, this isn't a war, this is...this is..."

The speaker was at a loss for words and didn't know what words to use to describe the situation.

An elderly man who looked like a scholar stroked his beard and leisurely replied.

"This is the 'Descending of Heavenly Soldiers'."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly it!"

The more the news spread, the more incredible and exaggerated it became.

Some people say that tank is an iron monster, impervious to swords and bullets and even able to breathe fire.

Some say the rockets can fly hundreds of miles and hit anywhere they want; some even say His Majesty brought back heavenly soldiers and generals, each with three heads and six arms...

But no matter how it's spread, one thing is certain to everyone.

This battle is a sure win.

The city of Chang'an was in an uproar.

The spontaneously organized celebrations lasted from early morning until late at night.

Some people set up incense tables at the city gate to pray for His Majesty's triumphant return; others hung red silk along the streets, making it even more lively than the New Year; and some bolder merchants had already started selling "souvenirs of the conquest of the Xiongnu"—small flags printed with "May the Great Han Dynasty be victorious" and strips of cloth embroidered with "Crush the Xiongnu," which were surprisingly in high demand.

Three days later, the army set off.

Before dawn, Chang'an City awoke.

No, I should say I didn't sleep all night.

The twenty-mile-long street from the palace to the city gate was already packed with people.

Along both sides of the road, lanterns and torches were lit every few steps, illuminating the entire street as bright as day. Most of the lanterns bore four characters—

"His Majesty's Triumphant Return"

"Great Han Dynasty, Everlasting Victory"

Even bolder ones wrote it directly—

"Smash the royal court"

"Captured the Xiongnu chieftain alive"

The open area outside the city gate was packed with people.

Some came from near Chang'an, some from the Sanfu region, and some even traveled hundreds of miles overnight.

The elderly were supported by their children and grandchildren, the women held their children and stood on tiptoe to look around, and the young men crowded at the front, their eyes shining.

As the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, the city gates slowly opened.

The first to emerge were the Imperial Guard cavalry.

Three hundred horsemen, their armor gleaming, their banners fluttering in the wind.

They lined up along both sides of the street, forming a human wall to separate the surging crowd.

Then there's the team that's destined to be remembered by history.

tank.

A massive steel body, thick cannon barrels, a roaring engine, and the heavy tremors as it rolled across the ground—

The crowd was silent for a moment, then erupted into a thunderous cheer.

"Victory!"

"May the Great Han Dynasty be victorious!"

The sound was so loud that it almost drowned out the roar of the tanks.

At some point, red ribbons were tied to the turrets of those tanks.

That was because some daring civilians secretly climbed up and tied it there last night, and the guards turned a blind eye and pretended not to see it.

The red silk fluttered in the morning breeze, like clusters of burning flames.

Behind the tank are armored vehicles.

Both had steel bodies, both had menacing cannon barrels, and both drew gasps of amazement from the people.

Behind them were trucks carrying soldiers.

The soldiers were wearing brand-new uniforms, holding AK-47s, with magazines hanging from their waists, each with a straight back and a resolute gaze.

Although it was the first time they had ever seen such a scene, the cheers of the people and the surge of passion in their hearts made them forget all their tension.

Some people threw flowers and red ribbons onto the vehicle, and some even threw the dry food they had brought onto it.

"Eat up! Once you're full, we'll fight the Xiongnu!"

"Kill a few more wolf cubs!"

"Avenge our loved ones on the border!"

The soldiers didn't know whether they should accept the offer or not, so they could only wave vigorously at the crowd with red eyes.

Finally, Liu Che emerged.

He did not travel by carriage, but rode a snow-white warhorse.

A black battle robe, golden armor, a long sword at his waist, and a soaring crown on his head—this was the attire of Emperor Gaozu when he went to war, which Liu Che specially found and wore.

The morning light shone on him, making his golden armor gleam, like a god descending to earth.

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers once again.

This time, it was louder than ever before.

"Long live Your Majesty!"

"Long live Your Majesty!"

"Long live Your Majesty!"

The sound waves grew louder and louder, making the city walls seem to tremble slightly.

Countless people knelt down and kowtowed. It wasn't a requirement of court etiquette, but rather an expression of heartfelt reverence.

This is their emperor.

This is the emperor who is going to avenge them personally.

This is an emperor who will crush the Xiongnu and ensure that their descendants will never have to suffer from border troubles again!

How can we not kneel? How can we not worship?

Liu Che reined in his horse and looked around.

Those excited faces, those tearful eyes, those waving arms, those deafening shouts—

He suddenly felt that his life had been worthwhile.

Even if I were to die on the battlefield, it would be worth it.

He took a deep breath and slowly drew his longsword.

The sword's edge pointed straight north, gleaming brightly in the morning light.

"People of the Great Han!"

His voice, relayed by the guards, traveled far and wide.

"I am setting out on this expedition today. I will not return until I have utterly crushed the Xiongnu royal court and captured Yizhixie alive!"

"If I don't return—"

He paused, then suddenly laughed.

"Then let the Crown Prince continue the fight! Fight until the Xiongnu are wiped out!"

"May the Great Han Dynasty be victorious!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Some people cried, some laughed, some knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing, and some tried desperately to push forward to get closer to His Majesty.

Someone started singing that old military song—

"How can you say we have no clothes? We share the same robes. The king is raising an army; let us prepare our spears and shields..."

At first, only a few people were singing, but soon it grew to hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of people.

The voices of hundreds of thousands of people converged, like thunder, like a tsunami, soaring into the sky.

"We stand together against this common enemy!"

Liu Che's eyes reddened slightly.

He didn't say anything more, but nodded vigorously to the crowd, then turned his horse around and headed north.

Behind them, the torrent of steel slowly followed.

On the city tower, Liu Ju stood at the highest point, watching his father's figure gradually disappear into the distance.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Father..." he murmured, "Your son awaits your return."

In the distance, the group gradually disappeared into the morning mist.

But the singing still echoed.

"Let us prepare our armor and weapons, and march together!"