Chapter 19: Hengzhou Has Only One Sun

Cloud seas churned, emerald fields mirrored the sky.

Across the land, three thousand Xiongnu cavalry galloped, shattering the rare peace of this remote northern frontier in an age of chaos.

A girl in a red coat rode atop her horse, her figure graceful, her clear eyes reflecting a bustling, prosperous scene.

Since the Yongjia turmoil, warfires blazed across the land. After the Tuoba clan seized central plains, the northern frontier settled into a fragile, shifting balance.

The strong devour the weak—that was the truth of the northern steppes. Under Tuoba leadership, even the smallest tribes found ways to survive.

But this survival, amid the smoke and fire of the Liuzhen Rebellion, shattered into fragments.

Everyone was forced back into the disorder of a century prior.

The Tuoba clan had long abandoned the north; their descendants, lost in Luoyang’s decadence, had forgotten their ancestors’ oaths.

The cavalry paused. The girl looked up, gazing at the same sky yet utterly different people and landscapes, her eyes filled with curiosity.

“That must be Ma Yi ahead!”

To passing merchants, Ma Yi was just another ordinary resting stop.

But to the Xiongnu princess confined within her own territory, it was a legendary city she could never hope to see.

“Yes, according to our agreement, the Er Zhu forces will meet us ahead!”

The tribe’s elder spoke slowly, his aged face framed by wise eyes now clouded with exhaustion and hardship.

“Then let’s begin!”

The girl in red bore no trace of weakness, no dependence on others—only the ruthlessness forged in the bitter, barren steppes of the north.

“In this chaotic age, if you refuse to become another’s meal, you must choose another path.”

Ma Yi.

In the city governor’s office, the governor of Ma Yi looked terrified.

“You’re saying… it’s true?”

Opposite him, Li Shuang sat with one leg crossed, sipping tea slowly.

“Your scouts should’ve returned by now. Do you really need me to say more?”

Precisely because they had returned did the governor tremble.

Lately, countless armed men had appeared beyond Ma Yi’s walls.

Having served as an official for years, the governor’s instincts were sharp.

What did this mean?

The governor knew better than anyone.

The Rouran Khan Anagui invaded south; Li Chong led over a hundred thousand troops, circled the border for a few days, then returned to Luoyang.

Everyone saw the court’s weakness and incompetence.

Afterward, the Liuzhen garrisons rose first; the Hu tribes once loyal to Northern Wei also grew restless.

The governor of Ma Yi knew this storm would eventually reach here—he just never expected it so soon.

“General, you are sworn brother to Duke Liangjun. Please guide your humble servant!”

“Leave.”

Li Shuang’s answer was simple.

He looked at the governor and grinned.

“You’ve been here years, amassed plenty. It’s time to go.”

“But if I leave like this, how can I answer to Prince Guangyang in Pingcheng?”

Li Shuang laughed loudly.

“Now, across the northern frontier, everyone wonders: after the great chaos, whom will they follow? Do you think Wang Yuanshen’s word still holds weight then?”

The court’s authority had vanished amid the Liuzhen Rebellion’s tremors.

Now, across the north, it was back to the way it had been a century ago: whoever had the strongest fist, ruled.

“You are a scholar, your family steeped in poetry and books. Why wade into this mire? Leave early, go to Luoyang, buy a new path—wouldn’t that be better?”

“Thank you, General, for your guidance.”

The governor of Ma Yi bowed deeply and withdrew slowly.

Not long after, Gao Ang entered, smiling.

“Lord, the governor of Ma Yi left with his family and over a dozen large chests. He looked well-prepared.”

Gao Ang’s tone carried a hint of gloating mockery.

Li Shuang set down his teacup and grinned.

“These scholars—they flee faster than anyone. All they need is an excuse.”

“Good riddance, Lord. Ma Yi is now unchained. What’s our next move?”

“Open the treasury. Distribute the money!”

Pingcheng!

Wang Yuanshen stared in disbelief at Yu Jin, who had come to report.

“What did you say?”

Yu Jin bowed his head. He could feel Wang Yuanshen’s face reddening visibly—the brink of explosive rage.

“The governor of Ma Yi fled!”

“These Han people—always unfit for great tasks!”

After a sneer, Wang Yuanshen regained composure and issued orders immediately.

“Ma Yi cannot fall. Send men to take control at once.”

“It’s probably too late already.”

Yu Jin spoke, watching Wang Yuanshen’s expression closely.

“Why?”

“Li Shuang has taken over Ma Yi.”

“How dare he take over Ma Yi?”

Wang Yuanshen’s voice held disbelief. Simply put, since becoming commander of Pingcheng, he had poured immense effort into Ma Yi.

The city’s mid- and upper-level officers were all his allies.

He had invested heavily.

Li Shuang was a stranger, newly arrived—how could he possibly seize control so easily?

“Does Your Highness recall the qian liang stored in Ma Yi by the court?”

With a crash, Wang Yuanshen slammed his fist on the table, then roared.

“Send my personal envoy to Ma Yi! Arrest that wretch at once! I’ll have him flayed alive!”

“Lord, we’ve distributed Ma Yi’s treasury funds to the city’s soldiers. How do we answer Pingcheng?”

Unlike Gao Ang, Yang Kan’s heart was filled with dread.

“When was this qian liang scheduled for Pingcheng?”

“The fifteenth of next month.”

“If chaos breaks out before then, will we even need to answer Pingcheng?”

“Chaos?”

Though the Liuzhen rebels had grown strong, with Yunzhong ahead and Pingcheng behind, the rebellion could not yet spread here.

Yang Kan understood. But clearly, he had not yet adapted to Li Shuang’s thinking.

“Lord, this is treason!”

“Fail, and it’s treason. Succeed, and it’s loyalty to the throne.”

Li Shuang turned to Yang Kan and asked:

“Zu Xin, the Tuoba were northern barbarians. How did they come south and seize half the empire?”

This question was not one Li Shuang had asked him alone.

In fact, whether among Han aristocrats under Northern Wei or scholars of Southern Liang who prided themselves on legitimacy, all had pondered it.

For over a hundred years.

In the end, they summed up the answer in two words.

Heaven’s will!

“Heaven’s will is merely human will!”

Li Shuang smiled softly and stepped out of the watchtower. In the outer citadel, soldiers of Ma Yi stood in formation.

Among them, Hu and Han alike.

Now, they had cast aside all past divisions and prejudices, standing united beneath a single banner.

Seeing Li Shuang emerge, the soldiers roared in heartfelt loyalty!

“Loyalty!”