Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

The strange smile on the assassin's lips was like a nightmare that could not be shaken off. Qian Xu stayed awake all night, and the uneasiness in his heart became stronger and stronger.

At dawn, the urgent sound of the horn broke the silence.

"Report - enemy attack! Huang Chao's army and the private soldiers of the noble families are coming to encircle us from the north and south!"

Qian Xu's heart was shaken. As he expected, a bigger storm was coming. Without thinking too much, he jumped on his horse, drew his sword, and shouted: "Pass the order, the whole army will fight!"

However, the enemy was coming fiercely and well prepared. The Qian family army was caught off guard and despite desperate resistance, they were still defeated. Shouts of killing and the sound of metal clashing resounded through the sky, and the battlefield was filled with blood, which was extremely tragic.

"General, Mr. Dou...he hasn't been found yet!" The personal soldier came to report, covered in blood, with a hint of trembling in his tone.

Qian Xu was extremely anxious. Dou Qing was not only his counselor, but also his brother who trusted him with his life and death. He suppressed his anxiety and gritted his teeth and said, "Pass the order down, I want to see him alive or dead! If you can't find Mr. Dou, bring his head to me!"

Qian Xu had just issued the order when he heard a commotion not far away. His heart sank, and an ominous premonition came over him. He pushed aside the crowd and saw General Li with a feather arrow stuck in his chest. He looked pale and was dying.

"General!" Qian Xu was horrified and quickly dismounted and rushed to General Li.

"Qian... Lord Qian..." General Li opened his eyes with difficulty, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"General Li, how are you? Hold on, military doctor! Call the military doctor quickly!" Qian Xu's voice trembled a little. He picked up General Li as if he was carrying a thousand-pound burden.

The military doctor rushed over, but could only shake his head helplessly: "The general was injured in a vital part, there is no way to save him..."

Qian Xu felt a black screen before his eyes, and he almost lost his balance. General Li was his right-hand man, and his brother who had been through thick and thin with him. Now, he had lost his life because of him. How could he accept this?

"General Li, wake up, wake up!" Qian Xu held General Li's hand tightly, heartbroken.

General Li's hands gradually lost their temperature, and his eyes stared at the sky empty, as if accusing the cruelty of war.

Qian Xu suppressed his grief and ordered people to bury General Li's body properly. He knew that now was not the time to be sad, as he had more important tasks to complete. However, the bad news that followed made him completely despair.

"Report--" A messenger stumbled into the tent, "His Majesty...His Majesty...has ordered...to withdraw the troops..."

"What?" Qian Xu was struck by lightning, and the letter in his hand fell to the ground. He knew that the emperor had lost trust in him.

Qian Xu slumped down in his chair, the words on the letter paper seemed to have turned into sharp blades, cutting his heart. He knew that the emperor's order to withdraw the troops would not only mean that he would lose all opportunities to make merit, but also that he would be charged with disobeying orders and might even lose his life.

"Sir, what should we do now?" the deputy general asked anxiously, with a hint of panic in his tone.

Qian Xu was silent for a long time before he slowly uttered a sentence: "Pass the order down, the entire army will be reorganized and prepared to... withdraw."

The deputy general widened his eyes in disbelief: "Sir, are we just going to give up like this? We still have a chance, as long as..."

"There is no chance." Qian Xu interrupted him bitterly, "The emperor's order has been issued, and we cannot disobey it."

"But..." The deputy general wanted to say something else, but was stopped by Qian Xu's wave of his hand.

"Follow the order." Qian Xu's voice sounded tired, as if he had aged a lot in an instant.

That night, Qian Xu sat alone in the tent. In the dim light, he looked at the emperor's edict to withdraw troops on the table, feeling mixed emotions.

Suddenly, the curtain of the tent was gently lifted, and a dark shadow flashed in.

"Who?" Qian Xu asked vigilantly, while reaching out to grasp the sword on the table.

"Sir, it's me." The person lowered his voice, walked into the light, and revealed a familiar face.

"You are...Captain Zhang?" Qian Xu looked at the young soldier in front of him with some surprise. He remembered that Captain Zhang was General Li's confidant and was loyal and reliable.

"Sir, someone asked me to give this to you." Captain Zhang said, taking out a letter from his arms and handing it to Qian Xu.

Qian Xu took the letter suspiciously, opened it and was stunned. There was only one sentence in the letter:

"If you want to break the impasse, you can come to the ruined temple on the outskirts of the city and have a chat."

At the end of the letter, there was no signature, only a bright red fingerprint.

He held the letter tightly, his fingertips almost piercing the thin paper. Every word in the letter was like a burning match, lighting a glimmer of hope in his heart, but also making him feel extremely tormented. He knew that following the instructions in the letter was like dancing on the edge of a knife, and if he was not careful, he would fall into the abyss.

"Sir, are you really going?" the deputy general asked worriedly, "This letter came too strangely. We have no idea who wrote it or what his purpose is."

Qian Xu took a deep breath and said with a firm look: "I know it's risky to do this, but we have no way out. The emperor has lost trust in us, and the noble families are watching covetously. If we withdraw our troops in disgrace, we will not only lose all our military merits, but also become the target of public criticism. Instead of waiting to die, we might as well give it a try!"

He held the letter close to the candlelight, letting the flickering flames devour it completely. The flames reflected on his resolute face, as if igniting the determination in his heart.

"Pass the order down, gather the guards secretly, and follow me to the ruined temple on the outskirts of the city!"

The night was dark and windy. Qian Xu and a few of his confidants rode their horses at full speed on the official road leading to the outskirts of the city. In the distance, the outline of the ruined temple loomed in the night, like a giant beast lurking in the darkness, waiting for its prey to arrive.

"Sir, do we really have to trust this mysterious man?" a guard asked in a low voice with a hint of uneasiness in his tone.

Qian Xu didn't say anything, but squeezed his legs against the horse's belly and sped up. He knew in his heart that this journey was extremely dangerous, but he had no choice.

As the ruined temple got closer, Qian Xu's heart beat faster and faster. He dismounted, threw the reins to the guards behind him, took a deep breath, and stepped into the darkness...