Chapter Thirty: The Arrow That Struck the Heart

Li Guang ordered the gates to be opened, and nearly a hundred wounded Han soldiers, prisoners of war, entered the city first. Many of these men, who had survived against all odds, came through the gates with red-rimmed eyes, tears welling up, a mixture of joy at their miraculous survival and deep guilt for the more than a hundred cavalrymen who had sacrificed their lives to save them.

"General!" As these nearly two hundred soldiers entered, and saw Li Guang, their knees gave way and all of them knelt before him, dissolving into uncontrollable sobs.

Had it not been for Li Guang’s order to rescue them, they would have lost their lives already. For ordinary soldiers, to encounter a commander who cared so deeply for his men—how could they not be grateful?

All the grief and pain they had been holding inside came spilling out at the sight of Li Guang, and they could no longer restrain themselves. What weighed on their hearts most was the guilt towards the cavalrymen who had fallen to the Xiongnu blades while protecting them.

Li Guang’s nose tingled as he helped up the leading soldier and said quietly, "You are all fine men!"

Had he not spoken those words, the soldiers might have felt less shame, but hearing them, they were all the more overwhelmed. The foremost soldier, weeping, said, "General! We cannot face you, nor the cavalry brothers who gave their lives for us!"

With that, he knelt again, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"You are warriors of the Han, soldiers who shed blood on the frontier for the people and the nation! You are all fine men..." Li Guang forcefully lifted the soldier before him once more, his voice resolute.

After much comforting, he managed to steady their spirits. He then instructed his aides to tend to the wounded soldiers and strode toward the city gate.

A cavalryman had already entered, leading a group. At the front was a man in his forties or fifties, clad in dark general’s armor and bearing a commanding presence—none other than Gongsun He, governor of Yuyang, who had come to Li Guang’s aid just in time. When they entered the gates earlier, they had seen Li Guang consoling the men and had not wished to interrupt. Now, as Li Guang approached, Gongsun He, already dismounted, stepped forward to greet him.

"General Gongsun, the crisis at Qiansang was resolved entirely thanks to you," Li Guang said, clasping his fists in thanks.

"General Li, there’s no need for thanks. We were only following His Majesty’s order to bring reinforcements, and happened to arrive as the Xiongnu were besieging Qiansang. That’s how today’s battle came to pass," Gongsun He replied.

"An imperial order?" Li Guang asked in surprise.

"Of course," Gongsun He said. "Without the imperial tally, how could I have moved troops out of Yuyang to come to Qiansang? His Majesty, though in the capital, has a clear grasp of the border situation. He predicted the Xiongnu would invade Yuyang and Dai Commandery, but their real aim was to converge on Shanggu. So he dispatched envoys with the tiger tally to both Yuyang and Dai, and that’s why I could bring troops to your aid. If I am not mistaken, the reinforcements from Dai Commandery, led by Governor Gongsun Ao, should be arriving soon as well."

"I see," Li Guang nodded. "His Majesty is truly wise. Without his foresight, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

Li Guang led Gongsun He up onto the city wall, and they spoke as they walked.

"The Xiongnu still bear a grudge over the siege at Mayi, which is why they launched this retaliatory attack," Gongsun He said thoughtfully. "It seems life on the frontier will only grow harsher. General Li, what were the losses and gains for Shanggu in this battle?"

Li Guang forced a bitter smile, sighing as regret and shame clouded his face. After a long pause, he said, "In this battle, I truly have no face to see His Majesty..."

Outside the city, fifteen hundred infantrymen had already withdrawn from the woods and were marching in close ranks toward Qiansang’s gates. These garrison soldiers held their heads high, chests out, brimming with confidence, even pride. And they had reason to be proud: in the history of Han’s wars with the Xiongnu, no infantry unit had ever achieved such a feat. In fact, no unit of any kind had. First, they ambushed the Left Wise Prince at night, taking two thousand heads; then they struck the rear of the Xiongnu camp, felling nearly a thousand more; then they pinned down a thousand Xiongnu cavalry, all at the cost of just over a hundred casualties.

Li Guang slowly recounted the course of the battle to Gongsun He, concluding, "Of the men I led out, two thousand cavalry were nearly wiped out, the chariot troops are gone, the heavy infantry are all but destroyed, and the light infantry lost nearly half their number. Over four thousand casualties—how can I bear it? How can I face His Majesty?"

But Gongsun He showed no trace of sorrow; instead, he seemed almost faintly exhilarated. "General Li, it’s true your losses exceeded four thousand, but your mixed force of infantry, cavalry, and chariots faced the Xiongnu cavalry and took nearly five thousand heads. Such a feat is unprecedented in the history of our Han dynasty! When His Majesty hears of it, he will surely praise you greatly. General, there’s no need to be so modest."

Li Guang was stunned, then realization dawned on his face, a mix of complex emotions. In his eyes, this battle had felt like a series of defeats, weighed down by losses and worries for the future. Only now, with Gongsun He’s words, did he realize just how great a victory they had achieved—something he had hardly noticed himself.

If Qin Cheng had been present, he might have thought: this is the mark of a true general—not thinking of victory, but always concerned for defeat.

"Enough, General Li! So long as General Li Xi’s forces haven’t suffered some disastrous loss, your enfeoffment is all but assured. Let me congratulate you in advance..." Gongsun He laughed.

Enfeoffment? Li Guang was startled again.

Li Guang had to oversee post-battle arrangements and, together with Gongsun He, was waiting for news from the Han cavalry pursuing the Xiongnu. So the two stood on the city wall for some time. After a while, the thunder of hooves came from the west.

The Han cavalry, returning from their pursuit, rode closer. As they approached, Li Guang and Gongsun He immediately noticed something unusual: the cavalry’s numbers had doubled.

"It must be General Gongsun Ao’s reinforcements arriving," Gongsun He said with a smile.

Not all the cavalry entered Qiansang; only twenty or thirty riders came in, the rest forming ranks in the clearing outside the gate. The cavalry that rode in first were clearly Qiansang’s own, led by Ji Zhu, with Gongsun Ao following behind.

"Medic! Where’s the medic? Quickly, come out!" As the twenty or thirty riders burst into the city, they did not immediately report to Li Guang; instead, a loud and urgent cry rang out.

The man shouting at the front was Cavalry Captain Ji Zhu. Behind him, bound by a blood-soaked robe, was another man sitting on his horse, an iron arrow protruding conspicuously from his back. The robe tying the two together was already drenched in blood.

Li Guang, hearing this, hurried down from the city wall and demanded, "What happened?"

With the soldiers’ help, Ji Zhu dismounted, quickly untied the robe used as a makeshift rope, and carefully lifted the injured man onto the medic’s stretcher. In response to Li Guang’s question, he said anxiously, "General, Lord Qin... Lord Qin was struck by an arrow to the back!"

"What?!" Li Guang was shocked. He strode over and looked closely; who else could it be but Qin Cheng? Yet Qin Cheng’s eyes were shut, his face twisted in pain. Li Guang called his name twice, but got no response. Examining him further, he saw that the armor on his back was split—the iron arrow had pierced right there.

"Quick, get him inside for treatment!" Li Guang barked.

"Yes, sir!" The medic, trembling, responded and hurriedly had his assistants carry the wounded man away.

"Medic!" Li Guang suddenly grabbed the medic, his voice cold and sharp. "If Lord Qin does not survive, I will hold you personally responsible!"

"Please rest assured, General. I will do everything in my power!"

Watching Qin Cheng being carried off, Li Guang’s face darkened. He turned on Ji Zhu, demanding, "Speak—what happened? How did Lord Qin get shot in the back?!"

"This... I..." Ji Zhu, uncharacteristically flustered by Li Guang’s anger, stammered and could not answer.

"Speak! What happened?" Li Guang thundered.

The force of Li Guang’s roar shook Ji Zhu so much that he dropped to his knees, crying out "General!" in anguish, but said nothing more.

"General!" Just as Li Guang was about to draw his sword and demand an account, Yue Yi, who had been standing behind Ji Zhu, suddenly spoke up loudly. "General, it was General Gongsun Ao who wounded Qin Cheng! I beg you, General, to seek justice for him!"

With that, Yue Yi, too, dropped to his knees.