Chapter 34: The Haughty Imperial Guard

If they had not held an absolute advantage from the very beginning of the battle, Xue Chengqian doubted how many men would have simply fled the battlefield when the fighting reached its most gruesome point. For those who had never seen real combat, that kind of cruelty was truly unbearable. Fortunately, they were lucky, and in the end, they were the ones who emerged victorious.

However, even after successfully disguising themselves as Northern Barbarians, launching a charge from the rear, shattering the enemy cavalry, and methodically surrounding and annihilating the remnants, they still suffered sixteen dead and over seventy wounded.

"Load the fallen brothers onto the horses immediately! We must pull out at once!"

This was no time for lingering fear. Xue Chengqian took a deep breath and quickly began organizing the retreat.

"Hey, kid Xue... over there!"

Luo Fang approached with Kang Yu and bearded Wang. Without speaking plainly, he gestured with his chin toward the Liang Imperial Guards they had just saved. "What are those people doing? We've wiped out the Northern Barbarians; why are they still huddled over there?"

Xue Chengqian was also puzzled by their reaction. "No time to waste. If they won't come over, let's go ask them ourselves."

Although they had won the battle, they were not yet out of danger. Time was their greatest enemy.

"Gentlemen, the Northern Barbarians have been routed. You must join us now and retreat into the deep mountains immediately!" Luo Fang and the others were still hesitating about how to broach the subject, but Xue Chengqian cut straight to the point without ceremony.

"Hmph! Who are you lot? Dressed in the garb of the Northern Barbarians, your identities are unclear—how dare you issue commands to us?"

To his surprise, the captain leading them showed no signs of gratitude toward his "saviors." Instead, he put on airs, looking at them with arrogant disdain.

Kang Yu could not help but be enraged. "Do you only see the clothes we are wearing? Do you not see how many Northern Barbarians we slaughtered? If not for our rescue, you would already be ghosts under their blades!"

Luo Fang was also losing his temper. "You are regular Imperial Guards; you should know that changing uniforms to launch a surprise attack is a common tactic. How can you be suspicious just because of our clothes? We are Liang soldiers, too!"

"Hmm?" The captain caught a different note in their words. "You just said 'regular Imperial Guards'? Are you not part of the Great Liang Imperial Guards?"

"We are from the Zhenyi Battalion, under the command of Lord Lu Xiaoyuan of Wangjiang City. We are officially commissioned officers of the imperial army!"

"The Zhenyi Battalion? Wangjiang City? Isn't that just a militia?" Although Luo Fang had tried to be tactful, the captain was well-versed in the military organization of the Northern Frontier. A moment’s thought revealed their true identity, and his eyes turned even more contemptuous.

Even with his composed nature, Xue Chengqian felt a surge of anger. "What if we are a militia? Is this really the time to quibble over such things? We don't know when the Northern Barbarian reinforcements will arrive. You must follow us immediately—that is what matters!"

"Ha! Do you know who I am? I am a Zhenwei Captain of the army, and I command the Imperial Guards! According to the military law of Great Liang, in the heat of battle, local militias like you must obey my command!"

"It is not up to you to decide where to go; I am the one in charge! Hand over all your horses immediately and follow behind us to escort the Young Lady. Do not fail!"

"Hell, who the hell cares about your captaincy!" Luo Fang’s men, hearing his rudeness, had their tempers flare. They had suffered so many casualties and risked their lives to wipe out those Northern Barbarian dogs, only to receive not a single word of gratitude. And now, this bunch of incompetents actually had the gall to order them around? Just because they held the status of Imperial Guards, they thought they were something special?

"Insolent and rude!" Seeing these "lowly" militiamen showing no respect for a dignified Zhenwei Captain of the Imperial Guards, Su Fangyou was also furious. He had been chased by Northern Barbarian cavalry and saved by these men, but instead of gratitude, he felt a sense of lifelong humiliation. If they had been willing to cooperate obediently, he might have reported them for a reward once they reached safety. Now, they were actually challenging his authority!

"Even if you are not under my command, what is wrong with me directing you according to Great Liang’s military law? And do you know who is sitting in that carriage? If you delay and any harm comes to the Young Lady, none of you will have enough lives to pay for it!"

Xue Chengqian waved a hand, cutting off the arguments of his men. After several major battles, his brilliant strategies and the string of victories he had led them to had established immense authority. He swept a cold glance at the carriage and sneered, "It is precisely because I care about the important person inside that I advise the Captain to cooperate!"

"You must not only move with us immediately, but the lady in the carriage must also abandon it and travel by horseback. Otherwise, once the Northern Barbarians catch up, we might be able to escape, but you will surely face death."

Su Fangyou said indignantly, "To protect the Young Lady, even if we face a thousand armies, we will fight to the death without hesitation!"

Xue Chengqian now held the upper hand; the person in the carriage was their fatal weakness. He said leisurely, "I fear that even if you all die fighting, the Young Lady will still end up in the hands of the Northern Barbarians!"

"You! You must also stay and hold the line! If any harm comes to the Young Lady, I will report this to the court and have your entire clans executed!"

Xue Chengqian laughed in anger. "Execute our clans? You might want to ask how many of our brothers have any clans left to speak of! Not going, are you? Brothers, let's withdraw immediately. With them left behind to draw the attention of the Northern Barbarian cavalry, we’ll be safe!"

"Wait!"

No matter what Su Fangyou said, they were finished dealing with such an arrogant fool. But this time, it was the woman in the carriage who spoke. The curtain was lifted, and a young maid jumped down first, turning to help a woman in fine robes step out.

"Young Lady!"

Despite their arrogance toward Xue Chengqian and his men, the Imperial Guards—who had been fleeing for their lives to protect this woman—all wore expressions of deep respect.

"I am Wei Xiao. I have yet to thank you brave men for saving our lives. Captain Su was not intentionally rude; he has been in the Imperial Guards for too long and lacks flexibility. Please, do not take offense."

Su Fangyou said with some dissatisfaction, "Young Lady, why must you be so..."

"Captain Su! Nothing in this world is more important than reason. I have heard what these brave men said, and it is very logical. This is not the time for petty pride. We are not enemies; our true enemies are the Northern Barbarians!"

The Captain still looked unconvinced, but facing Wei Xiao, he dared not argue directly. He only lowered his voice to persuade her, "But Young Lady, listen to what they are saying. How can your delicate body travel on horseback?"