Chapter One: A Tiger from Hexi Enters Chang'an

Chang’an.

November, heavy snow.

At dawn, when the sky just began to show the faint light of daybreak, a group of several dozen men had already been waiting outside the city gates for some time.

What drew the most attention was their attire and the fierce aura they exuded with every movement. Most were wearing wrapped headcloths, dark robes, military boots, and were mounted on warhorses.

These men were clearly soldiers, and not just any—they were elite warriors.

Among them stood a carriage, tightly sealed so that no one could see inside.

The leader was a burly man with rugged features, distinctly not of Tang appearance. Yet, as he gazed upon the city of Chang’an before him, a look of longing softened his face.

The nearby small city gate slowly opened, and a captain led a dozen armored soldiers to meet them. From afar, he greeted them warmly, clearly familiar with the leader.

“I heard that Li Jingxuan suffered a serious defeat in Hexi, truly a failure. But Brother Heichi managed to lead brave warriors in a night raid on the enemy camp, at least restoring some honor to our Tang military. This lets the emperor… and the whole realm know that it’s not the soldiers who are incompetent, but the chosen commander who is weak.”

“Don’t speak of this here,” replied the burly man named Heichi Changzhi. He was from Baekje, but his speech carried a slight accent reminiscent of the western regions of Tang.

He had also earned merit in Hexi this time, promoted by the court to a third-rank official, yet he remained humble and cautious as ever.

The captain smiled and exchanged a few more casual words with Heichi Changzhi before pointing to the carriage and asking, “Is that carriage carrying treasures from Hexi?”

“I am but a mere soldier; what treasures could I possibly bring to Chang’an?” Heichi Changzhi answered, then walked over and lightly kicked the carriage wheel. A faint noise came from inside, and upon closer listening, it seemed there was breathing within.

“Could there be a great beast trapped inside?”

“There is indeed a great beast inside,” Heichi Changzhi chuckled, pressing his hand on the carriage casually. “The person inside is one of my subordinates, a mere squad leader. When I led the night raid, his squad happened to attack a heavily guarded enemy position, drawing away many Tubo soldiers, which allowed my attack to succeed.”

“And what about him...?”

“All the others in his squad were killed in battle. He alone seized a horse and broke out,” Heichi Changzhi said, unable to hide his admiration. “When this bastard returned to me, he still had three enemy heads hanging from his waist, claiming he shot seven people.”

The captain’s voice rose in surprise, “Then this man is a true warrior! Why lock him up?”

“Because afterward, Li Jingxuan, jealous of my rising fame, deliberately withheld military funds, refusing to pay compensation to those who died in my unit, including the dead under that bastard’s command.”

Heichi Changzhi’s tone turned cold: “That bastard later took advantage of Li Jingxuan’s hunting trip, sneaked through the woods at night, and shot him in the shoulder.”

The captain gasped sharply.

Though standing up for comrades is commendable, a mere squad leader daring to assassinate the commander was beyond the bounds of military discipline and court protocol.

Though separated by the carriage, the captain could already imagine a fierce, ruthless veteran inside.

Having such comrades in the army was a blessing, but the higher-ups despised such uncontrollable troublemakers.

“So this man is a walking disaster. Why bring him to Chang’an? Are you courting trouble?”

The captain sighed inwardly. Being a soldier under the emperor made him all too aware of the importance of rules.

The nobles above valued order most. Heichi Changzhi had just been promoted, yet boldly brought his subordinate to Chang’an to plead their case—who did he think he was?

Heichi Changzhi laughed and kicked the carriage again.

“This bastard’s surname is Wu.”

“So what? The empress’s surname is Li…” The captain began but stopped mid-sentence, realization dawning.

He looked at the carriage with envy.

“The Empress Dowager’s surname is Wu… no wonder.”

...

“Remember, the Empress Dowager’s surname is Wu. She might be willing to help you, your so-called ‘distant relative.’”

Heichi Changzhi skillfully added various herbs and seasonings into a bowl of tea without looking up as he spoke.

Sitting opposite him was a young man in fur clothing, somewhat lean, with a heroic countenance, yet shackled hand and foot with iron chains.

Seeing Heichi Changzhi approach with a bowl of tea, the young man licked his dry lips and rasped hoarsely, “Brother, could you bring me another bowl?”

“You’re damn picky even with your tea,” Heichi Changzhi teased but still turned back to ladle a clear tea, clearly knowing the young man’s preference.

The young man sighed quietly as he watched Heichi Changzhi bustling about.

His name was Wu An. In his previous life, he was an ordinary policeman who drowned half a year ago while rescuing two people, too weak to get back ashore alive. Upon awakening, he found himself in Hexi during the Tang dynasty, serving as a humble soldier.

Having died once, he remained cautiously optimistic in this life, hoping for a smoother fate.

His “original self” was from Hebei, enlisted by imperial decree into the military, and followed Li Jingxuan on the Hexi campaign.

Although he realized it was difficult to quickly rise through ranks by mere talent or strategy, he still used every resource to learn swordsmanship, archery, and horsemanship, swiftly promoted to squad leader, and gathered a band of brothers.

Young, strong, and a junior officer, his life was barely comfortable.

He never met any so-called historical generals or ministers; even Heichi Changzhi was once a struggling mid-level officer, shunned and scorned.

But Wu An never lived to see the day when the army was “cloaked in yellow robes.”

Commander Li Jingxuan led 180,000 troops, while Wu An commanded only a few dozen men, helplessly witnessing the battle collapse under Li Jingxuan’s poor maneuvers. Eventually, he was forced to join Heichi Changzhi’s night raid.

Among his brothers, some died fighting to the death alongside the Tubo, others sacrificed themselves covering him.

Wu An lowered his eyes, suppressing memories, but the campfire that night seemed to blaze anew behind his eyelids, growing ever more vivid.

“I’ll take the compensation from my own salary first, borrow some from others—it should be enough. You’ll take the money and deliver it to the families of your fallen men.”

Heichi Changzhi set down the tea bowl and glanced at the shackles binding Wu An.

Clearing his throat, he said solemnly, “Don’t thank me. It was you who saved my life in the Tubo camp. This time, I’m repaying that debt. If I end up demoted because of you, I don’t care—I owe you nothing.”

“Thank you, brother.”

“The medicinal broth outside should be ready. It’s bitter cold; don’t let yourself become ill.”

Heichi Changzhi sighed and went to fetch the medicine.

“The news has already been sent to the palace. Whether it succeeds or fails depends on the reply tomorrow.”

Wu An understood the complexity of the situation and sighed inwardly.

He was somewhat moved until Heichi Changzhi returned with a bowl of medicinal broth.

“Big brother, time to take your medicine.”

Wu An: “...”

Heichi Changzhi watched as Wu An bowed his head and drank quietly, then spoke softly:

“I know you want to kill Li Jingxuan. I do, too.”

Wu An lowered his head to accept the bowl, voice calm: “I am but a mere soldier; he is a scion of generations of ministers… At worst, life for life.”

“But you must remember one thing.”

“Please speak, brother.”

“This life of yours was bought with the blood of those dozens of brothers who died covering your retreat,” Heichi Changzhi placed his hand firmly on the young man’s shoulder and said earnestly, “You not only must live, you must live well. Do you understand?”

The young man set down the bowl, the cup lightly striking the table.

“I understand.”