The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

On May 24th, the lookout post on the city wall of Shuozhou was the first to spot the cavalry returning south.

The troop came from deep within the grasslands, the dust kicked up by their horses forming a long, yellow column of smoke under the midday sun.

From a distance, it looks like a yellow dragon rolling on the horizon.

As they drew closer, the lookout could finally see them clearly.

The horse charging at the very front was ridden by a young man whose body was soaked in blood.

The cloth strip on his left arm was no longer recognizable as its original color, and his face was covered in blood and dust.

But his eyes still shone with an astonishing brightness, like two flints polished to a high shine.

"Commander Huo is back! Commander Huo is back!" The lookout shouted at the top of his lungs towards the city, his voice trembling with excitement.

The city gates slowly opened, and the city's garrison swarmed to the gates. Even the wounded soldiers lying in their tents struggled to get up and peered out, leaning against the railings.

Huo Qubing rode his horse into the city.

Five hundred elite cavalry followed closely behind, each with a face etched with exhaustion, but their eyes shone as brightly as their captain's.

Behind them followed dozens of captured Hu horses, each carrying spoils of war brought back from the royal court.

Instead of gold and silver jewelry, there were dozens of leather pouches, each containing the head of a Hu (non-Han) guard.

Huo Qubing dismounted, placed his sword on the ground, and saluted Chen Jing, who had rushed over upon hearing the news. His voice was hoarse, but every word was clear: "My lord, I have not failed in my mission. The royal court has fallen, Attila has fled north, and the Hu people's supplies have been completely destroyed."

Chen Jing stood at the city gate, leaning on his long sword, looking at the young man covered in blood before him, and remained silent for a long time.

Then he did something that no one expected.

This veteran general, a pillar of the Great Zhou army, slowly raised his right hand and gave Huo Qubing a military salute.

That was the highest level of etiquette in the Great Zhou army, and it was always the case that subordinates would bow to their superiors.

No one had ever seen Chen Jing perform this salute to anyone.

His hoarse voice echoed in the quiet city gate: "Commander Huo, please rise. This bow is offered to you by all the people of Shuozhou."

Huo Qubing paused for a moment, then knelt on one knee, clasped his hands together, and bowed his head deeply.

In his previous life, he was revered by thousands when he sealed the wolf's lair.

In this life, he was just a minor captain, but the weight he felt at this moment was greater than any reward he had ever received in his previous life.

Chen Jing helped him up, patted his blood-stained shoulder, and said that Attila had already withdrawn his troops.

The Hu people began breaking camp early this morning, and they should be over a hundred miles away now.

He paused, looked into Huo Qubing's eyes, and said, word by word, "The siege of Shuozhou was lifted by you."

Huo Qubing was about to speak modestly when the old marquis waved his hand and said that when they returned to the capital, he would petition His Majesty for him to receive credit.

Huo Qubing then stopped being modest and simply straightened his back and responded.

The battle report from the north arrived back in the capital three days later.

The express courier, traveling 800 li, changed horses but not riders along the way, and took less than four days to travel from Shuozhou to the capital.

Scouts carrying news of victory rushed into the Meridian Gate at the start of the morning court session, their horseshoes striking the white marble square and sparking.

He nearly lost his footing as he dismounted, holding the victory report high above his head with both hands, and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Great victory at Shuozhou! The royal court has fallen! Attila has fled north! The allied forces of the Hu people have suffered a complete rout!"

The good news was read aloud in the Qian Yuan Hall.

The reactions of the court officials varied.

Grand Commandant Zhou Jing, leaning on his bamboo cane, laughed loudly, saying "Good!" three times in a row, his bamboo cane striking the gold bricks with a thud.

Grand Tutor Kong Yan twirled his prayer beads and nodded slightly, a rare smile appearing on his lips.

At the same time, Marquis Han Chong of Dingyuan also sent news of victory.

The great victory at Yunzhou resulted in the capture of the Right Guli King, and the entire right wing of the Hu people collapsed.

The two armies, one on the front and one on the side, one attacking and one defending, coordinated perfectly.

Emperor Wu of Zhou sat on the dragon throne, read the two reports of victory three times, and then slowly stood up.

He walked to the sand table, looked down at the land in the north that was covered with red flags, remained silent for a long time, and then turned to the court officials and said: "The great victories in Shuozhou and Yunzhou are entirely due to the bravery of the soldiers on the front lines."

"All meritorious soldiers will be rewarded generously after their battle achievements are verified by the Ministry of War."

"Huo Qubing of the Vanguard Battalion and Li Wenzhong of the Tiger Guard have made outstanding military achievements. They are hereby transferred to the capital to await the Ministry of War's assessment and appointment."

"Chen Qingzhi, the military commander of Shuozhou, was commended for his strategic planning and meritorious service, and was transferred to the Ministry of War's Department of Military Affairs as a principal officer."

"The three of you must depart immediately without delay."

When the news spread throughout the court, the eldest prince, Zhou Cong, was discussing matters with Kong Yan at the Grand Tutor's residence.

Upon hearing the details of the battle report from the Ministry of War, he put down his teacup, remained silent for a moment, and then said something profound to Kong Yan: "Huo Qubing and Li Wenzhong were both captains who rose through the ranks from the bottom, fighting their way up with swords and spears. They were people who did not rely on family connections or favors."

"Grand Tutor, what do you think I should do to recruit such a person?"

Kong Yan paused slightly in his hand holding the prayer beads, glanced at the eldest prince, and slowly said, "Your Highness, Huo Qubing is Lord Chen's man, and Li Wenzhong is Lord Han's man."

"Recruiting them means recruiting the direct subordinates of the two marquises. At this critical juncture, we cannot rush it."

"Let's wait until they return to the capital, see His Majesty's attitude, and observe their performance in the Ministry of War's assessment before making any plans."

The eldest prince nodded slightly and picked up his teacup again.

Kong Yan knew very well that this group of young generals returning from the front lines, like his newly accepted disciple Su Shi, were not ordinary people.

The waters of the imperial court will soon be muddied by these young people.

Meanwhile, in Shuozhou, thousands of miles away, Huo Qubing was bandaging his wounds in the military doctor's tent.

When the army doctor changed his dressing, he grimaced in pain, but when the messenger brought the Ministry of War's transfer order...

Huo Qubing, the left-wing captain of the vanguard battalion, was to return to the capital immediately to await the Ministry of War's assessment and appointment.

He took the transfer order, read it, and a smile slowly crept onto his lips.

His greatest regret in his previous life was dying too young, passing away at the age of twenty-four, leaving behind so many unfinished achievements.

The immortal gave him a second chance in this life, and also gave him a world even wider than in his previous life.

Instead of celebrating, he folded the transfer order, tucked it into his pocket, and walked out of the tent, looking south.

That was the direction of the capital. He knew that the nine-year-old child was waiting for him to return behind the layers of palace walls.

He smiled silently at the southern sky, then turned and walked toward the commander's tent, preparing to bid farewell to Lord Chen.