Chapter 6: Farewell Outside the City Gates-Mataram minha mulher, me forçaram a me rebelar. Agora tenho cem mil soldados às portas da cidade!(Namorado de Yu Jimin)

Outside the palace gates, one hundred thousand Shence troops stood as silent as pine trees, the massive phalanx devoid of even the slightest murmur. Their faces were etched with fortitude, their eyes burning with intense martial fervor. Even from a distance of over a dozen meters, they exerted an overwhelming and terrifying pressure.

"Qin Xuan, after this departure, I fear you and I, uncle and nephew, may never see each other again." Prince Huai, Qin Yu, dressed in opulent robes, sighed with deep emotion. He turned his gaze toward the nearby Shence troops, a flicker of heat and anticipation in his eyes. "I never imagined that the boy who nearly starved to death within these palace walls would one day command such an invincible army."

"Royal Uncle, I..." Qin Xuan began, but Qin Yu waved his hand, smiling. "I know you want me to accompany you to the Northern Frontier, fearing the Emperor might settle scores later, but I am too old to want to uproot myself. Besides, with your grandfather still alive, even if Qin Tian has the heart for it, he lacks the nerve."

As Prince Huai, his willingness to stand by Qin Xuan during the palace siege spoke volumes of his trust and regard. Yet, he also saw more clearly than anyone else that the long-decaying Great Qi Empire desperately needed someone like Qin Xuan to save it.

"Xuan thanks you for your profound kindness, Royal Uncle." Qin Xuan had no way to repay such grace.

Qin Yu nodded with a smile. "Go and bid farewell to the others. With your hundred thousand Shence troops looming so threateningly, I fear the one inside is becoming quite restless."

The uncle and nephew shared a knowing smile before Qin Xuan approached the students of the Imperial Academy.

"Chancellor Qiu, I have implicated you this time." Qin Xuan clasped his hands in gratitude, but Qiu Xingzhi remained as serene as ever. "If we scholars cannot uphold justice, what is the purpose of our studies? I only hope that when you reach the Northern Frontier, you will never forget your original aspirations. Great Qi needs people like you to secure a better life for the common people."

"I will," Qin Xuan promised, nodding heavily. He ordered a jar of strong liquor to be brought, opened it on the spot, and tilted his head back for a deep drink. "Our parting today—I hope we may reunite in the North."

"Very well, I shall join you for a drink today." Spirits high, Qiu Xingzhi took the jar and drank deeply.

Watching this frail yet ambitious scholar, Qin Xuan could not help but recall a poem from his past life:

"The beacon fires illuminate the capital, my heart feeling far from calm.
The jade tally bids farewell to the phoenix palace, iron cavalry circling the dragon city.
Snow darkens the embroidered banners, the wind mingling with the sound of war drums.
Though a centurion, I am no match for a scholar."

This was a poem Qin Xuan had specially adapted from the "Song of Going to War" to present to Qiu Xingzhi. The original final line was, "I would rather be a centurion than a mere scholar," meant to express a scholar’s desire to take up arms. But in Qin Xuan’s eyes, Qiu Xingzhi did not need to abandon his books for the sword; when he walked into the Hall of Supreme Harmony with the students of the Imperial Academy, he was far more valiant than any centurion.

"Good, good, good!" Qiu Xingzhi was filled with surging passion, his eyes welling with tears. Who said that scholars were useless? Today, the Prince of Chu’s declaration that "Though a centurion, I am no match for a scholar" had perfectly captured the pride of the literati.

Meanwhile, inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Emperor Qin Tian received the report from his scouts. Upon hearing the poem, he flew into a rage and smashed his inkstone.

"The beacon fires illuminate the capital, my heart feeling far from calm—this miscreant is clearly telling me he is unreconciled! It is simply outrageous!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your wrath," the civil and military officials in the hall pleaded, kneeling and daring not to look up.

Qin Tian stared coldly at the crowd, letting out a strange laugh. "Calm my wrath? Are you not all laughing at me in your hearts?"

"We would not dare! We are guilty!" the officials cried in unison, only fueling Qin Tian’s fury.

"Send men to keep a close watch on the Shence troops. I want to know their every move," Qin Tian muttered with a sinister gaze, vowing to himself, "Qin Xuan, I will ensure you meet a miserable end."

Elsewhere, Qin Xuan had finished bidding farewell to Qiu Xingzhi and the students. These youths were destined to be the pillars of the Great Qi Empire, though they would likely endure hardships for a time. After all, no emperor would let a palace siege go unpunished.

"Your Highness, shall we bid farewell to the Four Great Chambers of Commerce and the Eight Great Escort Agencies?" Zhao Luoying, dressed in military attire that outshone any finery, looked as heroic as a rose in the army.

Qin Xuan shook his head. "Ultimately, they are but commoners. Even if they have some influence, they are not as protected from the Emperor’s wrath as my uncle and Qiu Xingzhi. As for you, you have suffered too many grievances on this journey."

Qin Xuan looked at her with heartache and took her hand. No matter how strong Zhao Luoying was, she was still a woman, and he did not want her to constantly risk her life in his campaigns. Yet such was fate; he could not have achieved this power without her.

"As long as I am with you, my Prince, I fear nothing, not even death." Zhao Luoying smiled like an epiphyllum in bloom.

Qin Xuan nodded. "Then let us depart, so the one inside can stop trembling with fear."

Zhao Luoying chuckled softly; only her man would dare speak of a sovereign as a mere rodent.

Just then, a thunderous, rapid sound of hoofbeats echoed from within the city. Qin Xuan turned to see the Four Great Chambers of Commerce, the Eight Great Escort Agencies, and several martial arts alliances approaching. Behind them were rows of four-wheeled wagons, piled high with grain. Qin Xuan was deeply moved.

"Your Highness, we know you are heading north to campaign against the Jurchen tribes. We gathered what supplies we could in haste; we hope you do not find it lacking." The speaker was the head of the Heavenly Chamber of Commerce, the leader of the four. He was not a striking man, but he had contributed the most to disaster relief in the Great Qi over the years.

"Why go to such lengths?" Qin Xuan took a deep breath, a fire burning in his chest. In this decaying Great Qi, only such people made his struggle worth the cost. Did they not know they would face the Emperor’s retaliation for seeing him off? They knew. Yet they were fearless. This was the will of the people—the very will that Qin Xuan held in his hands.

"I, Qin Xuan, swear before you all today: if I do not pacify the Jurchen in this lifetime, I am no man!"

"Pacify the Jurchen!"
"Pacify the Jurchen!"
"Pacify the Jurchen!"

The hundred thousand Shence troops roared in unison, their battle cries shaking the heavens like a raging dragon, determined to spread their resolve throughout the entire Great Qi Empire.