My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

After seeing Zhao Yun off and dismissing everyone else, the study returned to silence, with only the flickering of the candlelight.

Ji Xuanyuan sat alone at his desk, not resting immediately.

His gaze fell on the private letter that his personal guard had deliberately placed on the bottom layer when it was presented to him.

The envelope was plain white, with a unique pattern of sealing wax, but there were obvious signs of repeated rubbing at the seal, as if the sender had hesitated repeatedly.

Pulling out the letter, it was written by Zhen Yi himself. Compared to the polished and refined style of his previous business letters, the handwriting was slightly superficial and hasty, yet there was a heavy sincerity in the writing.

"Dear Nephew Xuanyuan, I am seriously ill and know that my days are numbered. As my life nears its end, I have a few words to say, which I entrust to you after my death. I hope you will listen with compassion..."

The letter was short, devoid of the usual polite greetings and flowery language; it went straight to the point, each sentence like a hammer blow, striking Ji Xuanyuan's heart.

"Firstly, my son Zhen Yan is of above-average talent. He may be able to maintain the status quo, but he lacks the ability to expand. However, he is kind and honest and can manage the family business. After I leave, he should succeed him as the head of the family. However, the elders in the clan have enjoyed a comfortable life for a long time and may have their own selfish motives. I am afraid that they will be dissatisfied and cause trouble. The interests of the Zhen family and my nephew are intertwined. If one suffers, the other will suffer. I hope that my nephew will remember our past friendship and help Zhen Yan to stabilize his position while he is still in a precarious position. This will not only help the Zhen family, but also solidify the foundation of our cooperation. I am making this request out of necessity and I am ashamed."

Ji Xuanyuan stroked the four characters "slightly brushed" with his fingertips, his brows slightly furrowed.

This places some of the responsibility for the power struggle within the Zhen family on his shoulders as an "outsider".

Zhen Yi understood that the Zhen family and Zhuojun were already deeply intertwined, and internal strife within the Zhen family would inevitably affect the salt, glass, and even the road construction plans.

This entrustment was both a plea and a calculated entanglement of interests. He could almost imagine the resentment and helplessness Zhen Yi felt as he wrote those words…

A once-great merchant eventually had to entrust part of his family's fate to a young prefect he had only known for a short time.

"both……"

"I have five daughters. My eldest daughter, Jiang, is gentle and obedient and can stand on her own. My second daughter, Tuo, is serving General Zilong. However, seeing that General Zilong is a virtuous gentleman, I am somewhat at ease knowing that Tuo has a place to live for. My third daughter, Dao, and my fourth daughter, Rong, were engaged last year to a collateral branch of the Yuan family of Runan. Although they are not from the main branch, they are still from a high-ranking family and their future is promising. Only my youngest daughter, Mi..."

The handwriting paused here, as if one could hear the old man's heavy and pitying sigh.

"Mi'er is young, intelligent yet quiet, wise yet lonely. Whenever I think of her being 'fatherless at a young age,' it pierces my heart like a needle, keeping me awake at night. I cherish this girl as a treasure and cannot bear to see her drift away or be replaced by family interests. Now, defying the world's condemnation, with my remaining strength, I beg for a future for my daughter..."

"I wish to entrust Mi'er to my worthy nephew. If you do not mind, I am willing to arrange a marriage between Mi'er and you in my name. We will hold the wedding ceremony when Mi'er comes of age. If you have other suitable partners and aspirations, this agreement can be dropped without any resentment. I only beg you to consider her vulnerability and take care of her, so that she will not be bullied or suffer any hardships. If you can ensure her safety and well-being, I will be able to rest in peace even in the afterlife."

The Mencius, Book 2, Part 2, states: "A child who has no father in his youth is called an orphan."

Zhen Yi's actions are a blatant act of entrusting his orphan to someone else!

And with the most solemn marriage ceremony, he attempted to anchor his beloved youngest daughter, at the end of his life, in a haven he considered the most reliable, and perhaps the only one, that could transcend the calculations of ordinary aristocratic families.

This goes far beyond the requests of ordinary business allies.

Acceptance means that he will become Zhen Mi's future husband, and he must immediately assume the heavy responsibility of protector and prospective guardian.

Refusing the marriage would avert a politically charged engagement, but it would also mean betraying the last hopes of a dying father and potentially affecting the relationship with the Zhen family, especially with the future head of the family, Zhen Yan.

Ji Xuanyuan slowly put down the letter and looked out the window.

The night sky was clear and bright, with a lone bright moon hanging in the sky. Its gentle light spilled into the courtyard, creating a tranquil yet inexplicably desolate atmosphere.

The image of that girl unconsciously surfaced in his mind.

She is only eleven years old and has just lost her father.

At this moment, in the vast yet suddenly cold mansion of the Wuji Zhen family, is she curled up alone in some corner, enduring heart-wrenching grief and the bewildering fear of the future?

A subtle, unfamiliar bittersweet feeling of pity welled up in my heart.

This chaotic world has robbed too many people of their support. Even a wealthy and powerful family like Zhen Yi could not protect his young daughter. He could only resort to this humble yet resolute method to find a potentially safe path for her.

"Zhen Mi..." Ji Xuanyuan murmured the name, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the characters on the table.

The vicissitudes of history, the calculations of human hearts, and the perils of the future intertwined with the heavy entrustment he felt under the moonlight, leaving him with mixed emotions and speechless for a long time.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, at the Jingnan Army camp in Shanggu County, a completely different, grim scene unfolded.

Inside the central command tent, torches illuminated the area brightly.

Xiang Yu, Lü Bu, Ran Min, and Yang Zaixing sat around a rough sheepskin map, the atmosphere both lively and solemn.

"The scouts report that Wuyan didn't go through Juyong Pass."

Yang Zaixing pointed to the location of Juyong Pass on the map: "He was scared by our defeat and knows that the pass has been reinforced and is heavily guarded. If his small remnant army tries to break through, they will be badly injured, if not killed. After passing the pass, they still have to pass through Yuyang County to get back to their hometown of Youbeiping. There are too many variables."

"He took a detour."

Ran Min's finger traced a blank area north of Juyong Pass, representing the grasslands, his voice icy, "Trying to take a big detour from the grasslands beyond the Great Wall and then turn back to Youbeiping? You've learned your lesson, now you know how to avoid the strong and attack the weak."

Lu Bu scoffed, slamming the hilt of his halberd heavily onto the ground: "Learned to be smart? Too late! Did he think he could escape by hiding in the grasslands? Even if we chase him to the ends of the earth, we'll twist his head off!"

Xiang Yu stared intently at the map with his double pupils, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke in a deep voice: "Wu Yan has just suffered a defeat, his morale is low, his troops are wounded, and most of his supplies have been lost. Now is the perfect opportunity to pursue him relentlessly and annihilate him completely, thus eliminating any future threat to Youbeiping. If we allow him to escape back to Youbeiping and reunite with the local troops who may not have defected, or to make contact with Zhang Chun's main force, it will be much more difficult to deal with him later."

"Chase! Of course we must chase!" Lu Bu couldn't wait.

"How do we pursue her?" Yang Zaixing asked the crucial question.

"Infantry marches too slowly. By the time our main force arrives, he will have already disappeared into the depths of the grassland. The grassland is vast and difficult to track."

Xiang Yu pointed to Shanggu, which represented their position: "Leave the army to garrison, and pursue with light cavalry. My plan is to leave one general to command the main infantry force, garrison Shanggu, consolidate the defenses, guard the supply lines, and guard against potential enemies from other directions. The rest of the men will lead all the cavalry, lightly armed and carrying only three days' rations and essential arrows and medicine, straight into the grasslands, pursuing the fleeing enemy to the death!"

"Three days' worth of rations?" Yang Zaixing took a slight breath.

"Isn't this too risky? Finding the enemy on the grasslands is difficult; if we can't catch up or engage them in battle within three days..."

Xiang Yu's gaze swept over his three brothers, his tone resolute and unwavering, carrying an undeniable air of dominance: "We must fight to the death! With limited supplies, our soldiers will know there's no way out and will fight with all their might. With light packs, our horses will be less burdened and can reach their maximum speed. Wu Yan's remaining troops are still in shock and their movements will be chaotic. We can wait in comfort and pursue them relentlessly. It may not even take three days. Even if we don't achieve our goal in three days, the enemy supplies we capture can replenish our forces. This battle demands speed, ruthlessness, and decisiveness! We will not return until Wu Yan is killed!"

He paused, his gaze falling on the faces of Lü Bu, Ran Min, and Yang Zaixing: "Who is willing to stay and guard Shanggu?"

There was a moment of silence inside the tent.

Everyone wanted to hunt down the barbarians and make a name for themselves.

"Draw lots!" Lü Bu said impatiently, directly finding four bamboo slips, turning his back, and holding them in his hand after a moment, only his shoulders showing.

"Same rules as always, the one who draws the character '守' (shǒu, meaning 'guard' or

A moment later, Lü Bu looked at the prominent character "守" (guard/protect) on the bamboo slip in his hand, his face turning as black as the bottom of a pot. He angrily threw the slip down, muttering, "Damn it! Bad luck!"

Ran Min and Yang Zaixing breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu nodded: "In that case, Fengxian, you shall stay and guard this place. I will give you 2,200 infantrymen to defend Shanggu and secure our rear. Yongzeng, Zongxing, and I will lead 800 cavalrymen and set off immediately!"

"Eight hundred riders? Isn't that a bit too few?" Although Yang Zaixing was excited, he still had some concerns.

"Although Wuyan was defeated, nearly two thousand cavalrymen probably still fled into the grasslands."

A cold smile curved Xiang Yu's lips, and flames seemed to flicker in his double pupils: "Huo Fei's eight hundred elite cavalry can gallop across the northern deserts and seal the wolf's lair. My Jingnan Army has eight hundred elite cavalry, with the advantage of divine crossbows, the will to avenge our humiliation, and the strong armor and sharp weapons my elder brother has forged for us. What do we have to fear from the defeated barbarians? The quality of an army is more important than its quantity! Eight hundred men are enough to break through the enemy lines, kill generals, and seize flags!"

He surveyed the generals in the tent, his voice like the clang of metal: "Order the cavalry to assemble, carrying only three days' worth of dry rations, five quiver of arrows, essential wound medicine, and salt; discard everything else! Inspect the horses' horseshoes, saddles, and stirrups; oil the crossbows; and fully reload the quiver! A quarter of an hour later, muster the troops at the drill ground!"

"Yes, sir!" Ran Min and Yang Zaixing responded with a resounding roar, their eyes blazing with fierce fighting spirit.

Although frustrated, Lü Bu knew that military orders were absolute, so he clasped his hands in a deep fist salute: "Second Brother, rest assured, as long as Shanggu is here, I am here! I will not let a single barbarian dog cross the border!"

A moment later, eight hundred cavalrymen stood in solemn formation on the drill ground.

The torches illuminated their young and resolute faces, as well as the crossbows gleaming with an eerie light on the sides of their saddles.

The warhorse neighed softly, its iron-shoeed hooves pounding uneasily.

Xiang Yu stood at the front of the formation, not wearing heavy armor, but only light leather armor, carrying the Overlord Halberd on his back, his double pupils appearing like abysses in the firelight.

His gaze swept over every face, his voice not loud, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears: "My comrades! The barbarians have invaded our land and slaughtered our people; their crimes deserve death! Now, the defeated general is fleeing north, hoping to escape. Will you grant him permission?"

"No way!!" Eight hundred people roared in unison, their voices shaking the night sky.

"Good!" Xiang Yu pointed his halberd northward.

"Follow me! We only have three days' worth of provisions, and our horses must keep moving! Catch them, and with your crossbows and swords, tell those barbarians that those who offend our mighty Han will be punished, no matter how far away they are! Wherever the Jingnan Army's might lies, the barbarian horses dare not graze south! This journey is one of victory, with no return!"

"Victory is the only outcome! No one shall return!!" The roar was like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, the killing intent soaring to the heavens.

Xiang Yu mounted his horse, took the reins from his personal guard, and glanced one last time in the direction of Zhuojun in the south. He silently vowed, "Brother, watch us win another great victory for you and spread the glory of our Jingnan Army!"

"Set off!"

At a command, eight hundred iron cavalrymen shot out of the camp like arrows released from a bow, disappearing into the deep night of the north.

The horses' hooves pounded the hard ground, making a dense, rain-like sound, and quickly disappeared into the distance, leaving only billowing dust and the figures of the soldiers left behind in the camp gazing longingly into the distance.

They pursued the enemy with light cavalry, making a desperate gamble.

The night wind at the border, carrying the stench of the grasslands and the chill of metal, howled incessantly.