His Final Hour

The peace treaty stipulated that if Liang surrendered only the few cities it had seized and annexed when Jin conquered the State of Shu, the war would end there — but if Liang refused the offer, Jin would fight to the last drop of blood.

Liu Yushi stood tall in the Liang court and continued with unruffled composure. He invoked the Southern Border campaign, emphasizing that the Bai Family Army had never once known defeat, and that the strategies of Xiao Baixiu — the valorous, war-hardened commander, the Zhenguo Commandery Princess Bai Jingyan — had never once gone astray.

Only then did the Liang court grasp the truth of the situation. The supreme commander at the Battle of Longyang City had been Liu Hong, yes — but the one who had actually devised the strategy was the granddaughter of Bai Weiting, King of Zhenguo, the very woman who had put tens of thousands of Xiliang's surrendered soldiers to the blade in the Southern Border.

Liu Yushi went on to declare that since Jin had extended its hand first, if Liang refused the peace, the Jin Emperor had a second ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠imperial edict ready to unfurl. This is what was written upon it:

Six times in succession, Xun Tianzhang petitioned the King of Liang for reinforcements. He declared his readiness to sign a military pledge — a written oath binding him to punishment under military law should he fail — and swore that for Liang's sake he would surely reclaim Yushan Pass.

But the Emperor of Liang laid down his sword, accepted the peace, willingly ceded the cities, and swore a binding alliance with Jin.

When word reached him, Xun Tianzhang vomited blood and breathed his last at Mount Chunmu.

Bai Weiting had once said that so long as the Bai Family Army existed in this world, Liang would never cross Mount Chunmu. Xun Tianzhang had refused to believe it. He had wanted, proudly and with his own hands, to take back the Yushan Pass that the Xun family had lost.

Yet even at the moment of his death, he never set foot on the road to Yushan Pass.

After the peace was struck and just before the great army began its homeward march, Bai Jinchi was buzzing with energy all over again.

On the road back it was Nuo Ping who drove the carriage, and since Ji Nanghua had to look after Shen Qingzhu, the two of them rode together.

The moment the army entered Youhua City, the people lined both sides of the road, cheering and shouting, "General Bai!" "Commandery Princess!"

Not long before, when Bai Jingyan had passed through Youhua City, she had ordered the garrison commander Wang De'an to keep order in the city airtight. The people had come to believe that with a Bai general here, there was no longer any need to flee — that they might be spared the fate of refugees.

A general who delivered them from the agony of war and protected them so they could return home in safety — how could such a person fail to earn the people's reverence?

Some denounced Bai Jingyan, claiming she was a living god descended into the mortal world. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The people paid it no mind. If the one who shielded them was a living god, then they would gladly give thanks to that living god.

Watching the cheering crowds, Liu Hong's face bloomed with a smile. A welcome like this, with the people pouring out into the streets — it was something possible only in the days when Bai Weiting, King of Zhenguo, had still lived.

Anyone could see that this war's victory was owed to Bai Jingyan. Though the commander's seat had been his own, the victory had been won because they had followed her strategy.

The army's march was somewhat slow, and on the twelfth of July it reached the capital of Dadu.

The Crown Prince came out beyond the city walls in person to greet them, and Bai Jinse, the seventh young miss of the Bai family, hurried out of the city as soon as the news reached her.

From far off, Bai Jinchi spotted Bai Jinse buried in the sea of people and spurred her horse forward at once.

"Eldest Sister! Second Sister and Jinse came out too! And look — Nanny Zhang and Wei Zhong are over there!"

Bai Jinse and Bai Jinxiu stood beside a carriage under the protection of their escorts. The moment she saw Bai Jingyan, Bai Jinse waved at her, overjoyed.

Wei Zhong stood neatly at Nanny Zhang's side as she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, his head bowed deep, saying nothing at all.

Perhaps because the Crown Prince himself had come out to meet them, the common folk had all gathered at the North Gate, and members of many distinguished families had come out to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠welcome them as well.

"That's strange, though. It's so lively here — why isn't Lu Yuanfeng and his crowd anywhere in sight?"

Bai Jinchi murmured quietly to Bai Jingyan.

Bai Jinse stood clutching Bai Jinxiu's arm. At the sight of her eldest sister and her fourth sister, her eyes reddened, and at last the tears fell. It had been barely two months since they parted, yet it felt as though she had not seen them in an age.

When Liu Hong and Bai Jingyan's party dismounted, the Crown Prince stepped forward and raised his clasped hands in salute.

"Generals — you have labored long and hard!"

Bai Jingyan's party, deeply honored, hastily returned the salute.

"That the armies of Jin could seize victory is entirely thanks to General Bai's staggering strategy. So though I held the commander's seat, I can by no means claim that merit as my own!"

Liu Hong said it with a broad, open face — words utterly sincere, without a trace of resentment.

At that, the Crown Prince smiled, looked toward Bai Jingyan, and said to Liu Hong, "I know exactly how you feel, General Liu. I was the commander in the Southern Border campaign myself — but the victory there was thanks to the Zhenguo Commandery Princess too!"

Bai Jingyan hastily raised her fists in a formal bow to the Crown Prince.

"It was possible only because Your Highness the Crown Prince and General Liu placed their trust in me."

Zhan Yu came walking forward with the eunuchs bearing jars of wine. The Crown Prince raised his cup and offered a toast to the generals.

The victory had been so great that the Emperor had decreed a banquet be held at the palace. Once the great army was encamped outside the walls, the officers would return to their residences for a brief rest, then enter the palace to attend the banquet and receive their rewards.

Bai Jinchi stood at Bai Jingyan's side. When the sharp-featured Zhan Yu poured wine for Bai Jingyan and then offered a cup to her as well, she smiled and spoke up.

"Much obliged, Zhan Yu, my good fellow."

Seeing Liu Yushi climbing down from his carriage, the Crown Prince instructed Zhan Yu to pour wine for him as well.

"Minister Liu — you've been through a great deal."

Liu Yushi bowed his head, deeply honored.

"Return to your residence and rest a while, then change into fresh garments. My father the Emperor has prepared a banquet at the palace to welcome the generals and honor their triumph."

The Crown Prince said it with a great booming laugh.

The officers' families had all come out beyond the walls, eyes rimmed red, to fall into their arms.

"I shall see the Commandery Princess home myself."

Few of the Bai family remained in Dadu. The Crown Prince reasoned that since the Grand Princess was in poor health and under Bai Jindong's care, he ought at least to send Nanny Zhang and the seventh young miss along. The other generals were surrounded by throngs of kin, while Bai Jingyan's family was few in number — surely, he thought, she would feel the loneliness of it.

He was looking out for Bai Jingyan, who served him with a loyal heart.

"How could I possibly dare accept an escort from Your Highness the Crown Prince?"

Bai Jingyan declined at once.

"Eldest Sister! Jinchi!"

Bai Jinxiu and Bai Jinse, hemmed in by their escorts, made their way to where Bai Jingyan stood.

"Sister — you're not hurt anywhere, are you? And Jinchi?"

Her heart aching, Bai Jinxiu took Bai Jinchi's hand without letting her sinking spirits show.

"You've been burned — you'll scar!"

Each time news arrived from the Beigang front, Bai Jinxiu had fidgeted as though sitting on a bed of nails.

"I'm fine! What's a scar compared to losing one's life? A hundred times better than dying."

Bai Jinchi answered as though it were nothing — then, suddenly remembering that the Crown Prince and the crowds were all around them, she added a line.

"If this small wound can buy peace for the people of the borderlands, that's more than enough for me."

Bai Jingyan gave Bai Jinchi's head a light rap and let the corners of her mouth lift.

Then came the sound of a driver reining in his horse, and Bai Jinchi turned her head.

The carriage rolled slowly to a halt, and Yue Shi leapt down from his mount. Standing beside the carriage, he steadied Xiao Rongyan as he descended — a man in plain white robes, radiating an air that was gentle yet carried the weight of stone.

Xiao Rongyan raised his hands in salute toward the direction where Bai Jingyan and the Crown Prince stood.

At the sight of him, Bai Jinchi could not hide her delight.

"Master Xiao!"

"Rongyan — didn't you say you'd arrive tomorrow?"

The Crown Prince was in fine spirits too.

Xiao Rongyan's gaze found Bai Jingyan.

"Jin's border roads were in such fine condition that I arrived a little earlier than expected."

Bai Jinchi's mood brightened. Master Xiao had clearly come to see her eldest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sister.

"Commandery Princess, Madame Jin, County Princess, Seventh Young Miss."

With a smile, Xiao Rongyan paid his respects to each of the Bai ladies in turn. Casually courteous, impeccably proper — his voice soft as a spring breeze.

Though Bai Jingyan had been at Beigang, news from the states of Yan and Wei had reached her from time to time.

Two months earlier, when Yan had dispatched its main army against the Rongdi, Wei had sent troops toward Yan's border in an attempt to expand its territory. But contrary to expectation — even with Wei's forces massing on Jin's frontier besides — Yan had not so much as flinched, and in the end Wei could not bring itself to start a war.

Then, before long, a rumor began to circulate: that Yan had in fact long been planning to conquer Wei. That it had deliberately concealed its national strength all this while, intending to recover the lost lands of Southern Yan before turning its full might upon Wei.

With Southern Yan recovered, Yan's power had swelled. Another rumor followed hard on the first — that Yan now simply had to wait quietly until Wei offered up a pretext for war, and once the justification was secured, it would strip Wei of its cities without mercy.

Having heard such rumors, Wei hesitated to strike first. Then, in early July, as it happened, Yan's fierce general Xie Xun led the main army home and promptly marched it toward the Yan border — or so it was said.

At the same hour, it was told, Yan's envoy, bearing the Emperor's command, entered the Wei capital and issued a thunderous warning: unless Wei withdrew the troops massed on Yan's frontier within a fortnight, Great Yan would regard it as a declaration of war.

By then Yan had brought the Rongdi entirely under its control, and with the natural pastures secured, its cavalry had grown formidable. In such a situation, how could Wei dare lay a careless hand upon that blade?

The Rongdi uprising had been quelled for now — but Yan had not wiped out the Southern Rong entirely. That was the grand design Yan had drawn.

Under the pretext of aiding the Rongdi, Yan had stationed troops among them; then, invoking the principle that a mother state must be defended first when she herself stood in peril, Yan had quite naturally withdrawn those forces back to its own borders.

Harried by the Southern Rong, who provoked them at every turn, the Rongdi had no choice but to lean on the Yan army. As Wei massed soldiers along Yan's frontier, the nation that gained the most was in truth Yan itself — for now a perfect justification stood ready to recall the main army it had sent to the Southern Rong.

Hearing all this at Beigang, Bai Jingyan had thought of Xiao Rongyan, who had left Suyang in haste and gone to Wei, and decided that this too was a picture he had painted.

Only last year, Yan had been a fragile existence wedged into the crevices between rival states, scrabbling for survival. Its strength was meager, and it was scorned by its neighbors for its poverty — any one of them could have snuffed it out whenever it pleased.

But Yan had been quietly gathering power where no one was watching. It had recovered the fertile lands of Southern Yan, and now even Wei could no longer lightly declare war upon it.

Watching Xiao Rongyan's every move, Bai Jingyan came to understand that he harbored the grand ambition of taking all the realm under heaven into his embrace. Step by careful step, he was paving the road toward the great enterprise Yan had dreamed of.

And the Jin imperial house, by contrast? This Crown Prince before her, and the Emperor enthroned up in that lofty seat — their heads were stuffed to bursting with schemes for honor and profit, and their every deed was nothing but factional strife and power plays.