My wife, Wei Gui, was 1.9 meters tall and fought against the Tang dynasty for the throne.

Dou Xianniang leaned her head on his shoulder and whispered, "Father."

Dou Jiande patted the back of her head, and the father and daughter leaned against each other for a while.

Ling Jing walked over from the side, saw this scene, and silently stepped back without saying a word.

After a while, Dou Jiande got up and walked towards Wang Yu and Li Xiuning.

He walked heavily to the front, then suddenly clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply.

"Jiande is ashamed."

Li Xiuning and Wang Yu exchanged a glance, and Li Xiuning asked, "What makes you say that, King Xia?"

"Since I raised an army, I have been at odds with the imperial court, and the conflict has been endless."

"But this time the Turks invaded the south, if it weren't for the Grand Chancellor's righteous act of going north to resist the barbarians, the people of Hebei would have been in grave danger. I, Dou Jiande... owe you my life."

"King Xia need not do this. The disputes within the Central Plains are merely internal strife; the southward raids and massacres by the Turks are a national enemy and an external threat. King Xia did not hesitate to personally brave the arrows and escort the grain supplies northward to support Junziguan. General Wang and I have both witnessed this great righteousness."

Wang Yu nodded in agreement: "With foreign enemies at our doorstep, we are all of the same mind to defend against them."

As Dou Jiande listened, his expression gradually relaxed, and he nodded emphatically.

"Alright, enough of that." He glanced back at the grain depot. "The northern border is in crisis, time is of the essence. Let's escort the grain north together to aid Junziguan."

-

Lu County, outside Xiaqiu City.

The plains stretching for over ten miles were filled with camps, their flags a riot of colors, like a dye shop: blue, yellow, red, lace, and all sorts of other colors.

The camps weren't adjacent to each other; they were scattered here and there, far apart, and each side was wary of the others.

In the main hall of the city, Xu Yuanlang sat in the main seat, with Wang Bo, Qi Gongshun, Jiang Shanhe, Chunyu Nan, and powerful figures from all over Shandong standing on either side.

Behind them stood their respective military generals and strategists, the hall filled with the sounds of boots and armor, somewhat reminiscent of the alliance of the eighteen warlords under Yuan Shao in ancient times.

Xu Yuanlang cleared his throat: "Gentlemen, please proceed with your report."

Liu Fuli stood up from his seat and unfolded a map.

"Shibi Khan personally led 40,000 cavalry south, while Li Ju's 100,000-strong army was trapped in Junziguan, unable to advance or retreat. The heartland of Henan was now empty."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Qi Gongshun was the first to stand up: "Lord Xu, this is a godsend! Li Ju's main force is all in Hebei and cannot return south. If our allied forces advance westward, Hulao Pass and Luoyang will be within our grasp!"

Jiang Shanhe stood up as well: "Master Qi is right. Opportunity knocks but once."

Wang Bo stroked his beard: "To attack Luoyang, we need a pretext. We've all come together, so we need a leader; otherwise, we'll all be fighting our own battles, a disorganized mess."

A buzz of noise erupted in the hall as everyone began to whisper among themselves.

Qi Gongshun bowed respectfully: "Lord Xu's virtue and prestige are unparalleled in Shandong, and his troops are elite. Today, the world has long suffered under the oppressive rule of the Sui Dynasty! We wish to jointly elect Lord Xu as the King of Lu, the leader of the allied forces, to raise an army and march westward to overthrow the Sui Dynasty, save the people from their suffering, and restore peace to the world!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a chorus of responses immediately rang out in the hall.

"We beseech Lord Xu to ascend the throne of Lu and become our leader!"

"We are willing to obey the orders of the Prince of Lu and join forces to overthrow the Sui Dynasty!"

Xu Yuanlang stood up, pressed his hands down, and looked "fearful".

"How could this be? What virtue or ability does Yuan Lang possess to dare to occupy the position of leader? You all are too kind, and Yuan Lang is utterly unworthy of such praise."

Liu Fuli chimed in from the side, "My lord, this is the popular choice; we cannot refuse."

Jiang Shanhe urged him again, and Chunyu Nan also chimed in, with the calls for him to ascend the throne growing louder and louder in the hall.

Xu Yuanlang declined three times, and finally sighed "reluctantly" on the last occasion.

"You all have placed such a heavy burden on me!"

"Since you all have come to this request with such sincerity, I will gladly accept the position and temporarily assume the post of Prince of Lu, serving as the leader of the coalition against the Sui Dynasty, and together with you all, I will save the people from their suffering."

He said he wouldn't dare, but his back was already ramrod straight and his chin was raised.

That afternoon, a high platform was built outside Xiaqiu City, with flags fluttering in the wind.

Xu Yuanlang ascended the stage to receive the title of "Prince Lu," while Liu Fuli stood at the corner of the stage and loudly read out the proclamation of condemnation.

"Heaven has no favorites, but only assists the virtuous."

"The Sui dynasty was cruel and oppressive, with endless taxes and corvée labor, causing widespread displacement and resentment throughout the land."

"Li Ju, though commanding an army, could not bring peace to the people; he only instigated war, bringing calamity to the countryside."

"We, pitying the suffering of the common people, rose up in righteousness at Xiaqiu, and honored Xu Gong as the King of Lu, leading all the heroes to the west to punish the guilty."

"Wherever the righteous army goes, it will eliminate violence and bring peace to the people, without disturbing the common folk. Those counties that surrender will be rewarded, and those that resist will be executed. This proclamation will be made known far and wide!"

More than 100,000 soldiers lined up below the stage to receive the proclamation, their flags billowing, creating a truly impressive sight.

Xu Yuanlang boarded the carriage, drew his sword, and pointed west: "Allied forces, heed my command—march into Hulao Pass and capture Luoyang!"

More than 100,000 troops marched westward in a mighty procession.

That night, lights were still on in several tents in the Allied camp.

Wang Bo sat in his tent, facing Qi Gongshun.

"Master Qi, the performance today was quite good."

Qi Gongshun smiled and said, "If Xu Yuanlang wants to be the Prince of Lu, then let him be. We'll push him out, he'll get the empty title, and we'll get the real benefits—wherever the allied forces march west, the territory will belong to them. If we take Luoyang, we'll give him a piece, and the rest we'll divide among ourselves."

"What if we can't take it down?"

"Can't take it? Prince Lu is Xu Yuanlang, he issued the proclamation, and he commands the troops. If the court wants to settle accounts, he'll be the first one they look for. When the time comes... we'll all go back to our own homes and guard our own territories. Who will recognize this Prince Lu then?"

In the next tent, Jiang Shanhe and Chunyu Nan were also gathered together, saying almost the same thing.

"Let Xu Yuanlang be the one to stick his neck out; let's see which way the wind blows."

"When the situation is good, we seize territory; when the situation is bad—" Chunyu Nan drew a line on the table with his chopsticks, "He is the ringleader."

Outside the tent, the moonlight shone on the camp of more than 100,000 troops, the flags still a mixed mess, like a dye shop.

-

Hulao Pass.

Shan Xiongxin's messenger rushed from Sishui, entered the city gate, and knelt before Xu Shiji without even having time to drink a sip of water.

"General Xu—the Shandong allied forces numbering over 100,000, have proclaimed Xu Yuanlang as the Prince of Lu and are marching westward, their targets Hulao Pass and Luoyang!"

Xu Shiji took the notice, glanced at it, and frowned.

"When did this happen?"

"Three days ago, Xiaqiu declared himself king and set out with his troops. His vanguard had already crossed the upper reaches of the Si River."

Xu Shiji turned around and said to his personal guards, "Send the order—all auxiliary troops in Yanshi should return to Hulao Pass, and the grain stored in Luokou should be redistributed for war preparation."

"Yes."

"General Cheng, you lead the infantry to guard the pass."

Cheng Zhijie clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, sir."

"Over with Shan Xiongxin—"

"He ordered his cavalry to patrol along the Si River, intercept and kill the enemy's vanguard scouts, and slow down their march."

The messenger obeyed and left.

"More than 100,000..." Xu Shiji murmured. "The Guiyi Camp, plus auxiliary troops, we have less than 20,000 at most."

Cheng Zhijie said in a muffled voice, "Just fight. Hulao Pass is dangerous; even with their numbers, they can't deploy effectively."

"The Grand Chancellor is in Hebei and won't be back for a while. The gates of Luoyang depend on us brothers."