Chapter 727: Purple Robe and Golden Belt Welcome the White Horse, Twin Dragons of the Northern Border Gather at Tongwan

Wuh— Wuh—

The bleak and muffled bugle sound echoed for a long time outside the east city gate of Tongwan City in Xiazhou, as if even the swirling yellow sand were about to be torn apart by this murderous aura.

At the end of the wide official road outside the gate, rows of garrison infantry stood like a forest forged of steel, spears like a thicket, swords and shields like mountains.

The soaring murderous aura, freshly tempered in the sea of corpses and blood of Gancao City, made anyone approaching the city feel a chilling dread.

Yet at the forefront of this murderous formation stood a figure whose style starkly differed from the surrounding iron‑blooded tableau, yet subtly suppressed the army's might.

Chen Yan.

Today he did not don the armor that drank enemy blood, but instead wore a Purple Robe symbolizing Great Zhou's supreme authority and favor, with a wide golden belt at his waist inlaid with exquisite Western Regions Hetian jade.

Though tall and upright, he simply stood with his hands clasped behind him at the windward spot, yet he was as deep as an abyss and as towering as a peak, radiating a pressure that no one dared to meet eye to eye.

Behind Chen Yan stood a group of renowned iron‑blooded elite generals of the Northern Border.

Lu Ming, nearly two meters tall and looking like an enraged golden vajra, rested his hands on a strange sword.

Gao Jiong, whose eyes were as dark as a hawk and serpentine, stood holding his sword.

Along with the steady and capable Commander‑in‑Chief Gu Yuci, the ever‑vigorous Pengcheng Duke Wang Zheng, and Dong Xuqing, Peng Chong and other Left Martial Guard warriors.

Yet at this moment, these cold‑blooded elite generals, all watching each other's eyes and hearts, honestly accompanied their own Northern Frontier Lord in the windblown sand for a little less than half an hour, and none dared to show even a hint of impatience.

"Chen Zhuguo," Gu Yuci stepped forward a half step, lowered his voice, "the sandstorm is truly fierce; perhaps you could retreat to the doorway atop the city tower? Subordinate General will keep watch here; as soon as any carriage or horse appears, I will report immediately."

"No problem." Chen Yan did not turn around; his deep, star‑cold eyes still stared fixedly at the end of the eastern road, a faint curve lifting his mouth. "The sand is hard, but it also awakens one's bones. My brother traveled a thousand li to take up his post; as the elder brother, a few more bites of yellow sand are nothing."

As soon as his words fell, the ground began to tremble faintly.

The tremor was extremely subtle, yet all the veteran generals present, seasoned in countless deserts, instantly sensed the rhythmic, muffled thunder‑like pulse rising from beneath the earth.

"It's coming!" Lu Ming's copper‑bell‑like eyes flashed, and bulging veins rose on his stout neck.

At the horizon's edge, the endless yellow sand was brutally ripped apart by a terrifying force.

Five hundred elite iron cavalry clad in dark battle robes surged like a black torrent, sweeping forward in a frenzy of ultimate ferocity.

Though only five hundred, their formation was extremely tight, moving as an inseparable whole.

At the front of that black torrent, a rider mounted an exceptionally divine pure‑white warhorse.

His battle attire flailed wildly in the gale.

Although days of star‑lit night travel had dusted his face and blood vessels clouded his eyes, the innate noble aura of a heavenly lineage and the gentle yet sharp temperament could not be concealed.

It was Prince of Ancheng, Right Marquis Guard Grand General, newly appointed Chief Commander with Credentials and Lingzhou Inspector, Yuwen Ze!

From afar, Yuwen Ze instantly spotted the dazzling flash of Purple Robe standing proudly beneath Tongwan City.

"A Xiong—!!"

Yuwen Ze's eyes reddened instantly; he didn't even wait for his warhorse to fully slow before he yanked the reins hard.

The divine white horse let out a piercing, cloud‑splitting, stone‑cracking whinny, its front hooves lifted high as if it could stand on its hind legs.

Before the warhorse fully touched the ground, Yuwen Ze leapt down without hesitation.

The massive inertia made him stagger several steps in the sand, and he paid no mind to the horse whip that fell from his hand.

He cared nothing for his dignified bearing, like a youth who finally found his backbone, stepping on uneven sand, arms spread, sprinting wildly toward Chen Yan.

Seeing the stumbling figure rush forward, Chen Yan's previously expressionless face finally melted like ice, breaking into an unguarded, pure, hearty laugh.

He took big strides forward, also spreading his arms.

Bang!

The Purple Robe and battle attire collided fiercely in the biting north wind; Chen Yan clutched Yuwen Ze's shoulders tightly, giving his younger brother a powerful bear hug.

"A Ze! This journey, you've worked hard!" Chen Yan patted Yuwen Ze's back heavily, his voice tinged with rare excitement and relief.

Yuwen Ze inhaled sharply, forcibly suppressing the sour sting at the corner of his eyes.

He stepped back half a step, his hands gripping Chen Yan's arms tightly, scanning the famed elder brother up and down.

"Brother! You truly cut down enemies in Xiazhou!" Yuwen Ze's eyes flashed with unabashed fervor and admiration, his voice trembling, "In the battle of Gancao City we beheaded forty thousand elite Qi troops! We forced the Rouran Khan to retreat! Now the whole Guanzhong region, even the entire realm, sings of your god‑like, unfathomable tactics!"

But immediately, Yuwen Ze's gaze dimmed; like a deflated rubber ball, he let out a heavy sigh, his handsome face full of frustration and resentment.

"Too regrettable! Truly too regrettable!" Yuwen Ze hammered his thigh, gritting his teeth as he complained, "Brother, you made a name for yourself on the battlefield of Xiazhou, your deeds recorded in history. Yet I, with heavy troops stationed at Yubi City, thought we could clash to the death with the old fool Gao Ying's army! Who could have imagined those bastards were merely feigning attack!"

Their thunder was loud but the rain was light beneath Yubi City; as soon as they heard of your great victory in Xiazhou, they didn't even let out a fart, abandoning their siege engines and slipping away clean as a receding tide! My burning battle spirit was toyed with like a monkey! If I had been by your side then, even just to pull your horse's reins, I could have personally beheaded several Qi soldiers!

Two close generals followed Yuwen Ze.

Zhang Poqi and Huan Jing, now having dismounted, hurried forward.

Huan Jing stepped forward, deeply clasped his fists to Chen Yan, sighed, "Chen Zhuguo's might shakes the world; we Subordinate Generals have not yet witnessed the tiger's ferocity at Yubi, which is a lifelong regret. The Prince is on the walls of Yubi City, thinking day and night of your battle situation, hoping to join you to slay the enemy."

Zhang Poqi also nodded repeatedly, his face full of gloom.

Seeing Yuwen Ze's look of having missed a great achievement, as if he had suffered a huge loss, Chen Yan did not offer consolation; instead he lifted his head and let out a booming, domineering laugh that shook the surroundings.

Hahaha!

Chen Yan's laughter carried an ultimate arrogance and composure born of seeing the grand currents of the world.

He suddenly reached out, pressing his hand onto Yuwen Ze's shoulder; in his abyss‑deep eyes flared two aggressive glints, his tone turning cold, sharp, and full of ambition.

"A Ze, A Ze! If you treat the battle of Xiazhou as the end of this chaotic world's chessboard, you are underestimating the Grand Preceptor's scope, and also underestimating the myriad heroes of the world!"

Chen Yan raised his hand, pointing to the vast, cloud‑shrouded sky in the northwest, his voice booming like a great bell in the wind‑blown sand: "Beheading forty thousand enemies—what's that? Driving back the Rouran—what's that? Those are merely temporary doors closed for Great Zhou! Do you think the Grand Preceptor issues an eight‑hundred‑li urgent decree at this critical moment to pull you from the relative safety of Yubi to the wind‑blasted, frontier Lingzhou to serve as its Inspector?!"

Yuwen Ze's expression hardened, his resentment instantly subdued, and in a deep voice he asked, "I was about to ask you, elder brother! When I received the secret decree, I was full of doubt; what does Father truly intend with this move?"

Because the breaking point of the world has already shifted from the eastern front to our northwest!

Chen Yan's gaze was so sharp it seemed to pierce the void; he spoke each word like a heavy hammer: "The Grand Preceptor appoints you as Lingzhou Inspector to hand the left throat of Great Zhou into your hands! I hold Xiazhou, you guard Lingzhou. Together we form the two corners of a steel wall that completely seals off those foreign barbarians!"

Chen Yan suddenly seized Yuwen Ze's shoulder, the force astonishing, and shouted, "Don't be jealous of the merits at Gancao City! A Ze, remember this: the true battlefield is not yesterday, but tomorrow! When you reach Lingzhou, why worry about lacking opportunities to make a name? Then, brother, I fear you'll kill so many that your hand will grow tired!"

"Let's go! The sandstorm outside is fierce; let's enter the city!" Chen Yan waved his hand, the Purple Robe billowing like clouds, "Today we only celebrate brotherly loyalty; in Tongwan City, the celebratory wine and fat lamb have already been prepared! Tonight, we won't stop until we're drunk!"