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

"Li Ju, you little brat! How dare you do this!"

Inside the tent, the gleam of swords was visible; seven or eight curved blades surrounded the envoy.

"Kill him!"

"Let's use the blood of these southern barbarians to sacrifice to our flag!"

The messenger stood still, his hands hanging at his sides, his back straight, and there was no fear on his face.

Shi Bi, enraged, laughed instead, picked up his knife, walked up to the messenger, and pressed the blade against his neck.

"Li Ju sent me women's clothing, humiliating me. As an envoy, aren't you afraid I'll chop you in half with my sword?"

"What is there to fear? I came here on a mission and had no intention of going back."

"If I can die by the Khan's sword, my name will be recorded in history, and my family will receive rewards. But the Khan will bear the infamy of harming envoys and being narrow-minded, and will be ridiculed by all the heroes of the world."

Shi Bi's anger intensified, and he pressed the knife down half an inch, drawing blood from the messenger's neck.

"Khan!" Kang Qiaoli strode forward and grabbed Shi Bi's wrist. "In war between two countries, envoys should not be killed! Killing him is pointless; it would only give Li Ju an excuse to criticize the Khan!"

Shi Bi's chest heaved violently as he abruptly sheathed his sword.

"Go back and tell Li Ju—tell him to wash his neck clean, and I, the Khan, will personally take his head!"

The envoy touched the bloodstain on his neck and bowed, saying, "I will certainly convey the Khan's words. I only hope that the Khan can be just as resolute on the battlefield."

"roll--"

Kang Qiaoli winked at the envoy from the side: "That's enough, don't go too far."

The envoy softened his tone, bowed, and said, "I take my leave."

He turned and walked out of the tent with a composed gait.

The crowd inside the tent was filled with indignation, and several commanders of a thousand cavalry could no longer contain themselves and stepped forward to volunteer for their orders.

"Khan! This humiliation cannot be tolerated! Order a full-scale attack on Gentleman's Pavilion and raze the dike!"

"Li Ju has gone too far! If we retreat now, what face will our Turkic people have left!"

"Please give the order, Khan!"

"Gentlemen, please calm down." Kang Qiaoli raised his hand and pressed down. "This is Li Ju's provocation. We must not fall into his trap."

"Li Ju knew that our army's retreat route was treacherous and that we were in a dangerous place in Hebei. He sent us this set of women's clothes because he knew we couldn't bear this humiliation and deliberately forced us to fight."

"The dikes and embankments of Junziguan Lake are layered and the moats and barricades are continuous. If we rush at them in a fit of anger, we will be dragged into the mud."

Dubi snorted: "Kang Qiaoli, you speak eloquently. But let me ask you—when have our Turkic cavalry, which roamed the steppes, ever had the right to be subservient to others and start wars?"

Silifu stepped forward: "Even if we lose this battle, we must fight honorably! We absolutely cannot suffer humiliation and retreat with our tails between our legs! What will the tribes of the steppes think of us if we retreat? The Xueyantuo and Tiele are just waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves!"

"In the past, when the Sui Dynasty was at its peak, Emperor Yang Guang was arrogant and conceited. We could still have excuses when we suffered some grievances."

"Now that the Central Plains are fragmented and warlords are vying for power, why should we, the Turks, avoid war and suffer humiliation? If we retreat today, we will lose all face. Which of the tribes of the steppes or the powerful clans of the Central Plains will still take the Khan's orders seriously?"

The chieftains in the tent all nodded in agreement.

Shi Bi remained silent, knowing in his heart that this was Li Ju's trap.

However, if they were publicly humiliated, with all the tribal chiefs in the tent, and they withdrew their troops, the Khan's prestige would collapse on the spot, and the alliance would immediately disintegrate.

"Issue the order—the entire army must prepare for a decisive battle with Li Ju, a battle to the death."

"Khan!" Kang Qiaoli reminded him again, "Once the decisive battle begins, it will be a long and drawn-out affair. Li Jing's cavalry is still lurking in Lingqiu, ready to raid the Dingxiang headquarters at any moment! With the front lines engaged, the rear is vulnerable. Someone must return to the headquarters to command the various tribes of the grasslands!"

After finishing, I scanned the area.

"Duh Bi."

He was startled: "Yes."

"You shall set off overnight to return to Dingxiang, take charge of the defense of the military camp, coordinate reinforcements from various units, and guard against a surprise attack by Li Jing."

"Khan! I request to remain at the front lines; this battle is the chance to wash away our past humiliations—"

"You dare to bring up shame before the battle? What use is a defeated general left on the front lines? Go back to Dingxiang, we don't need you here!"

Dubi lowered his head, his jaw clenching so tightly it made a grinding sound.

"...Your subject obeys."

As the bugle sounded, more than 20,000 Turkic cavalrymen marched out of their camp and spread out in formation on the plains outside Junziguan Lake.

The armor gleamed in the sunlight, and the neighing of horses rose like a tide.

Kang Qiaoli rode his horse up a high slope and pointed to the Sui army's position.

"Khan, Li Ju has deployed elite troops on all three lines of defense. With a three-pronged attack, each route is weak and unable to break through the defenses."

"It would be better to use the various tribes to launch feigned attacks on the left and right flanks, thus tying down the Sui army's elite forces on both flanks. We should concentrate our main force and the attached wolf cavalry to launch a fierce attack on the main dike in the front."

"The main embankment is the linchpin of the entire defense line. Once it is breached, we can advance unimpeded and strike directly at Li Ju's central army."

Shi Bi nodded: "That's exactly what I was thinking."

"Order: All tribes shall feign an attack on the flanks. Wait until Lif leads his own wolf cavalry to launch a main attack on the main dike."

The orders were passed down from one level to the next.

Shi Bi rode his horse to the front of the formation, reined in his horse in front of more than 20,000 riders, drew his scimitar, and pointed it to the sky.

"The sons of the grasslands!"

"We crossed the vast desert and ventured far into Hebei, intending to spread the might of our Turkic cavalry!"

"That brat Li Ju, instead of relying on his valor and strength, sends women's clothing to humiliate this Khan and the entire grassland!"

"We men of the grasslands, with swords and horses in hand, how can we suffer such humiliation and flee from battle? Today, this dike before us is the place where we will wash away our shame!"

"Gallop your horses and charge forward! Break through this dike, capture and kill Li Ju, and all the wealth and provisions of Hebei will be ours!"

With a slash of his scimitar, he shouted, "Take up your scimitars! Avenge our fallen comrades! Fight to the death for the glory of the grasslands! Men of the grasslands never fear death!"

More than 20,000 cavalrymen roared in unison, their shouts sweeping across the plains, their fighting spirit soaring to the heavens.

On the main embankment facing the Sui army, Qin Qiong and Luo Shixin stood side by side on the embankment.

Looking out, the vast plains were filled with a dark mass of Turkic cavalry, their armor gleaming, exuding a menacing aura.

Their banners were completely different from those of the previous vassal tribes, and their formation was well-organized, clearly indicating that they were veteran elites who had fought many battles.

"Shixin, look at the other side."

"These are not the previous vassal cavalry units, but the Turkic direct line of the Fuli Wolf Cavalry, the most ferocious iron cavalry on the grasslands."

"This is the strongest opponent I have ever encountered since I joined the army. This battle is extremely dangerous."

Luo Shixin straightened his helmet and grinned.

"The Wolf Riders? That sounds intimidating, but we are by no means cowards."

"Even if I die here today, I will tear a piece of their flesh from my body! Eighteen years from now, I will be a hero again!"

"Well said!"

Qin Qiong rode his horse to the front of the Tiger-Slaying Camp and raised his arms to shout.

"Brothers of the Tiger-Slaying Camp!"

On and below the embankment, thousands of soldiers all looked at him.

"When the Turks marched south into Hebei, the counties and prefectures they passed through were devastated, and the people were displaced!"

"We're here not to gain empty fame, but to protect the millions of people in Hebei behind us!"

"Behind us are the refugees, the people of our homeland in the Central Plains!"

"As long as the dike stands, we live; if the dike breaks, we will have nowhere to go! And the people who follow will be slaughtered again!"

"I, Qin Shubao, stand here today with you all, undeterred by swords and arrows, undaunted by iron cavalry! I am willing to die here with you all, to prevent the barbarian cavalry from crossing this dam even a single step!"

He drew his long spear and raised it high above his head: "Those who dare to die, follow me and raise your spears!"

Thousands of spears were raised in unison, their roars echoing through the reed marshes of the lake.

"Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"

Armor clanged, blood boiled.

The soldiers of the Tiger-Slaying Camp were all determined to fight to the death and lined up in battle formation.

On the plains, two large formations faced each other from afar.

The bow is strung, and the spears stand ready.

A gust of wind swept across the lake, causing the reeds to ripple.

All that's needed is the sound of a bugle call.