Volume One, Chapter 12: The Wedding and the Massacre
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An arrow came out of nowhere and completely stunned Li Jize!
Who had fired it?
It certainly had not come from him.
He instinctively turned to look behind him...
Just one glance left Li Jize dumbfounded, frozen where he stood.
A young general mounted on a tall horse, clad in black armor with a white plume atop his helmet, held a longbow in his hand and stared coldly in their direction.
With the bow in his right hand, he suddenly raised his left and swept it downward!
Clip-clop... clip-clop...
Behind him, countless cavalrymen dressed in the same black armor drew their sabers and hacked their way forward.
The refugees who had been charging the wedding procession, snatching food and bridal gifts, were either trampled or sent flying by the horses, or left with blood gushing from wounds inflicted by the blades.
In the blink of an eye, the refugees realized that something was wrong. How could they still dare to keep stealing food and valuables?
Someone suddenly shouted, “It... it’s the Northern Liang Wolf Cavalry! The Northern Liang Wolf Cavalry! Run!”
As subjects of Great Qi, they had all heard of the Northern Liang Wolf Cavalry—a force capable of standing against the barbarian cavalry!
If they did not flee now, were they waiting to be slaughtered?
In an instant, the refugees fell into utter chaos, each scrambling to escape in a different direction.
But...
The Northern Liang Wolf Cavalry clearly had no intention of sparing them. The faster they ran, the more enthusiastically the soldiers pursued and killed.
Many of the riders unstrapped the longbows from their backs. They bent the bows, nocked arrows, took aim, and fired in one fluid motion.
Amid muffled groans, one refugee after another collapsed to the ground before they even had time to scream.
Li Jize watched with clenched teeth. He had created the Northern Liang Wolf Cavalry with his own hands, specifically to fight the barbarian cavalry and protect the frontier.
But now...
They had become executioners slaughtering the people of Great Qi!
Li Jize, who had crossed into this world, was no saint. Should the refugees who had robbed others of their possessions be killed?
Yes!
But he was no demon either! Punishing the ringleaders and frightening the others into submission would have been enough.
Why pursue them to the bitter end?
If they had not been driven into desperate straits, if they had not been unable to survive, why would these common people have robbed anyone?
With a dark expression, Li Jize turned toward the Northern Liang Wolf Cavalry and shouted, “Stop!”
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But...
His command failed to halt the Northern Liang Wolf Cavalry, whose discipline was so absolute that an order once given was never disobeyed. They continued their slaughter without pause!
The sight left Li Jize staring in stunned disbelief.
Only when the faint sound of hoofbeats came from behind did the young general who had fired the arrow appear at his side.
“Big brother! Without my order, they won’t stop!”
This man was none other than Li Jize’s younger brother, Li Jihuan. He was also the new commander of the Northern Liang Wolf Cavalry, appointed by imperial decree to replace Li Jize.
Because of the former Li Jize’s harsh military laws and iron discipline, he had forged a formidable cavalry force for Great Qi.
But now, that same discipline had turned against him. These soldiers, loyal only to Great Qi, would obey only the orders of their commander!
Li Jize clenched his fists as he watched one of the Northern Liang riders’ sabers sweep across the body of a fleeing woman.
In the blink of an eye, her severed head went rolling, blood gushed like a fountain, and the woman crumpled to the ground. Beside her, a child wailed and cried out, “Mother!”
The cold-blooded Northern Liang rider sent an arrow flying. Mother and child were reunited in death.
Grinding his teeth, Li Jize turned to his younger brother, Li Jihuan, and said coldly, “This is the imperial capital. Are you not afraid that such a massacre will lead to impeachment? That the Emperor will punish you?”
Li Jihuan was taken aback, then burst into laughter.
“Big brother! I am returning under imperial orders, traveling day and night. First, I am here to garrison the capital and prevent the situation from spiraling out of control. Second, I have come to attend your wedding!”
Those words left Li Jize rooted to the spot.
He understood.
Seeing the capital overrun with refugees, while uprisings continued to erupt across the realm, the court must have feared that the refugees would revolt within the capital.
Some civil official must have given the Empress a disastrous suggestion: summon the Northern Liang Wolf Cavalry to the capital!
To intimidate the refugees—and also to flaunt before Li Jize, the legitimate eldest son, that he had become the new commander of the Wolf Cavalry—Li Jihuan had deliberately ordered the massacre.
Li Jize sighed and shook his head helplessly.
Great Qi... Great Qi!
With a dynasty like this, you deserve to perish.
One day, I, Li Jize, will personally become your gravedigger and bury all of Great Qi.
Li Jize said nothing more. He urged his horse forward and called for the wedding procession to move on. Under the faintly mocking gaze of Li Jihuan, the procession continued toward the Li residence.
Everywhere they passed...
Screams rang out without end, blades flashed, and blood flowed across the ground.
Inside the bridal sedan, the bride, Wang Yuanya, clenched her delicate fists as she listened to the cries outside...
She trembled with fury, grinding her teeth in rage.
The Li family! Li Jize! The Northern Liang Wolf Cavalry!
She had thought they would be different. But the truth had proven that these bastards were nothing but beasts who treated human lives as worthless!
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Then again, the Li family were the Empress’s loyal hounds. They defended the interests of a foolish ruler.
How could they possibly care about the lives of ordinary people?
At that thought, Wang Yuanya made up her mind. As long as she could obtain enough intelligence from within the Li household to help the rebel army achieve victory...
When the time came, she would personally send the entire Li family of beasts to their graves!
It would also serve as vengeance for these innocent people.
The stench of blood and the cries of slaughter that followed them all the way had added a bloody tang to this red wedding.
At last, they passed through the northeastern quarter of the city and continued onward until they arrived at the Li residence.
The Li servants waiting at the gate began playing music and setting off firecrackers the moment they saw the bridal sedan, creating a scene of great festivity.
But...
No one noticed the panic and exhaustion written across the faces of the battered wedding procession.
The groom, Li Jize, wanted to complete the wedding as quickly as possible, reassure the Empress, and keep her attention away from him so that he could quietly recruit refugees, forge weapons, and begin his rebellion as soon as possible.
Wang Yuanya, meanwhile, wanted to marry into the Li family at the earliest opportunity, steal Great Qi’s military intelligence, help the rebel army rise successfully, and overthrow the decaying dynasty.
Thus...
The members of the wedding procession were utterly exhausted, while the bride and groom remained unaffected.
Following the ceremony’s customs, Li Jize called for the matchmaker and helped the bride across the brazier. Amid the cheers of the crowd, they hurried through the gates of the Li residence.
Inside, naturally, everyone wore bright smiles. Seated in the place of honor were his mother, Huang Suqiu, smiling warmly, and his father, Li Jin, whose face was as stern as a slab of iron.
According to custom, they had to perform the three bows. The first was a bow to Heaven and Earth; the second was a bow to their parents.
When the matchmaker called out, “First bow—to Heaven and Earth!”
Li Jize and Wang Yuanya both froze, hesitating for a moment.
Even though they both knew this was merely an act, vows to Heaven and Earth, along with the commands of their parents and the matchmaker’s arrangement, still carried a certain weight.
Once they bowed, they would truly become husband and wife!
In the end...
They gritted their teeth and steeled themselves. At the same time, a thought surfaced in both their minds:
“We’ve already decided to rebel. Are we really afraid of getting married?”
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