Female Consort Chapter 77: Reconciliation

From Chaoyang to Lingbei, the journey stretched over three hundred kilometers.

The northern march was long and grueling, and the army moved in starts and stops the whole way.

Fortunately, with the experience of her previous life in the military, Qiu Che managed to push the soldiers right to the edge of their physical limits, without ever going too far.

At every stop along the way, local women, having caught wind of the news, would pack their belongings and come forward to enlist.

Though military life could hardly be called luxurious, it did offer food and shelter, enough to attract some women who had nowhere else to turn, who had lost everything and were willing to risk everything for a chance at a new path.

Whenever heavy snow made travel impossible, Qiu Che would use the time to train the women’s army even more intensely, with Yu Yan assisting her.

Yes, she had left Yu Ming behind in the capital. Yu Ming now assisted Li Qingwu and oversaw Nightfall City.

Yu Yan, on the other hand, had followed her out on the campaign.

It wasn’t that Qiu Che insisted on bringing her. Yu Yan had insisted on coming.

The night before they left the capital, the two sisters had a heated argument over this. But Yu Yan’s mind was made up, and not even Yu Ming could stop her.

Qiu Che had asked her why she insisted on coming. Yu Yan answered that she wanted to ease Qiu Che’s burden, but more than that, she no longer wanted to be a bodyguard for the rest of her life.

Someday, when Qiu Che stepped down from her post and no longer needed protection, what would become of Yu Yan ten years from now?

Qiu Che’s imprisonment last time had shaken Yu Yan out of her carefree, easygoing attitude. She’d realized that in this world, a woman’s future could only be secured through her own strength.

Qiu Che had already paved the way for them. Whether they walked it or not was now their choice.

The training was grueling, but even without Qiu Che saying a word, not a single woman complained.

They all knew they weren’t here for comfort. They were going to war.

To enlist meant enduring the same hardships as the men, eating what they ate, training as they trained.

Only by enduring this and being forged in fire could they truly be called a proper women's army.

Some couldn't endure it and gradually left.

Even so, by the time they neared the northern border, there were still three hundred women remaining.

...Women, it turned out, were far tougher than most men imagined.

After five or six days of intense training, the softness and delicacy of their past lives had nearly vanished. Their eyes were resolute, their steps in sync, their presence no less commanding than that of any man.

The day before they reached the border, they camped at a relay station at the foot of the outer mountain. There were too many of them, and no inn could accommodate them.

Qiu Che stood atop a platform, watching them train.

In the freezing snow, the women were bundled up like dumplings, their breath forming pale clouds in the frigid air. Yet every one of them was focused, diligently practicing hand-to-hand combat.

Most of them had never trained in martial arts before, so Qiu Che had taught them only the most fundamental, grounded techniques, enough to ensure they could wield weapons, or at least not fall in the first clash on the battlefield.

To be fair, many of the male conscripts weren’t much better.

But Qiu Che’s goal wasn’t to have them charge into battle blindly.

This women’s army was only the beginning. It was a precedent.

What she wanted was to forge an elite female unit, one with unmatched ferocity and undeniable presence.

Once they made a name for themselves, women enlisting would no longer be considered strange or laughable.

And from there, step by step, once women in the military became the norm, the fight for women’s rights would no longer be such an uphill battle.

At some point, Prince Zhao appeared behind her. He watched the women training in silence for a moment, then turned to her and said,

“We’ll reach the border tomorrow. I heard that after His Majesty’s offer of peace reached Lingbei, the King of the Northern Xiongnu flew into a rage and outright refused the negotiation… It seems this war is inevitable.”

“There’s been movement in the southern tribes too... Lord Qiu, have you not considered what might happen if the southern tribes strike at the same time?”

Qiu Che didn’t even turn her head. “Your Highness already knows the answer. Why bother asking me?”

The southern tribes wouldn’t attack.

The fact that they were seeking an alliance with the Northern Xiongnu only proved they didn’t have the strength to go it alone. The dense forests along their border were both their shield against Great Xia, and a cage holding them back.

Besides, with the army heading north to fight the Xiongnu, a southern invasion now would be a betrayal of their agreement with the north.

When Great Xia eventually fell, it would be the southern tribes who followed.

The three nations were bound together in a tense stalemate. None could afford to lose the others.

Prince Zhao smiled faintly. “Aren’t you afraid that after winning this battle, you’ll return to the capital only to have your merits stolen and your post stripped from you again?”

“If His Majesty truly has the nerve to dismiss me without cause a second time,” Qiu Che paused, then said with a hint of mockery, “then I’ll have to admit I admire his guts.”

Prince Zhao nodded, a trace of emotion in his gaze. “Before I left, I tried to persuade my cousin Qianjiang to leave the capital with me. He refused. Do you know what he told me?”

Qiu Che shrugged. “He’s mild-mannered, but he dreams of reforming the rotten court. Probably said something about staying at his post as long as he’s in office, sharing in the people’s fate, and not backing down in the face of adversity…”

“So you know him well.”

Prince Zhao chuckled. “But that’s not all he said.”

Qiu Che tilted her head. “Oh?”

“He also said the world is about to fall into chaos, and few will be able to remain untouched. But in the midst of this chaos, he’s seen a glimmer of hope. He believes the flames of war won’t reach the capital. And even if they do… it will only mean our luck has truly run out.”

Prince Zhao gave her a meaningful look. “I used to think he was just naïve, exaggerating things. But after these past few days traveling with you, Lord Qiu… I must admit, you are indeed both brave and wise.”

As he spoke, he paused for a moment, then muttered, “Looking at you all… I can't help but think of myself and Wu Rusheng back in the day. We too were once full of ambition, devoted to our country and people.”

Qiu Che rubbed her hands, nearly frozen stiff from the cold wind, and squinted. “Then why did you and the Prime Minister end up going your separate ways?”

“We lost our original purpose,” Prince Zhao said frankly. “I thought he’d become sly and deceitful, willing to do anything to climb higher. He thought I was naïve and foolish. So we parted ways.”

“Even if no one else says it, I know it in my bones, it was his urging that led His Majesty to issue the edict exiling me to Lingbei.” Prince Zhao let out a cold laugh as he spoke.

Qiu Che said nothing.

“I once wanted to change the court too, but things didn’t go as planned. I can only hope that you all can accomplish what I… and the Wu Rusheng I once knew… never could.”

“I also hope you live up to my hopes and win the people’s hearts, leave your name in history, as a woman.”

Prince Zhao patted her on the shoulder. “This era belongs to the young.”

A sharp wind scatters the sun; time flows swiftly westward.

In the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

Over the course of that year, the border had been engulfed in endless gunfire. The Northern Xiongnu were driven back for two months, only to return again in force.

Like cockroaches that wouldn’t die, they even resorted to using poisons supplied by the Southern Yi.

Fortunately, Li Qingwu often wrote to her, keeping her informed of the situation. Because of her own Southern Yi heritage, she had a natural gift for pharmacology.

She studied medicine under Doctor Chen, picking up the craft on her own, and soon mastered various methods to counter Southern Yi poisons.

With the help of her antidotes, the Lingbei border never once fell to the enemy.

Not only did they hold the line, they even pushed forward, reclaiming several cities from the Northern Xiongnu. A series of triumphant victories lifted the morale of the Great Xia people.

Still, the Northern Xiongnu refused to surrender, clenching their teeth and dragging the war out.

Though the frontlines were in turmoil, they held steady.

After a year of constant warfare, nearly all the common folk had fled the Lingbei border. Those who remained were mostly the families of the soldiers, providing support, cooking meals, tidying camp, and so on.

Qiu Che often had to interrupt her training drills midway to draft new battle plans. Going several nights without sleep became routine.

The name of the Women’s Battalion grew louder with each passing day, from its original three hundred, to five hundred, then a thousand, and finally, to what it had become now.

Three thousand elite troops, skilled in every weapon, well-versed in military strategy, capable of commanding troops and fighting on the front lines alike.

One year. That was how long it took for a miracle to be born.

As the commander of the Women’s Battalion, Yu Yan grew ever more composed and capable through numerous battles. She and Wu Yiqi together achieved a long string of military successes.

The two constantly pushed each other, never letting the other get ahead.

So much has happened over the past year. With each victory, and with minimal losses, Qiu Che’s authority in the army only grew.

Prince Zhao, who had often clashed with her in the beginning, gradually stepped back as he saw how reliable she was.

Every time a city was taken, Qiu Che strictly forbade her soldiers from harming the civilians within.

When she came across displaced people with nowhere to go, she would take out the carving knife Li Qingwu had given her and small wooden sculptures symbolizing peace and safety.

Sometimes they were birds. Sometimes, 

In those delicate carvings, she found a small release for the pain and pressure that had no outlet in war.

Holding that knife felt like holding a gift from Li Qingwu, an extension of her vibrant life force.

Over time, in the mouths of the people on both sides of the border, she became known as a benevolent yet fearsome female general.

But a war dragged on too long brings ruin to both sides. Soldiers grow weary, civilians grow fearful, and supply lines begin to crack.

This war had to end.

In the final battle against the Northern Xiongnu, Qiu Che laid out her strategy with meticulous care. After a year-long stalemate, she finally captured the enemy commander alive on horseback.

The Northern Xiongnu, worn down by the prolonged conflict, could no longer hold out. That very night, they sent envoys with an official letter of apology and a peace treaty.

At the victory banquet, everyone was in high spirits. Even Yu Yan, who never touched alcohol, got roaring drunk.

Only Qiu Che remained completely sober.

Wu Yiqi, by now an accomplished drinker after a year of practice, downed wine straight from the jug, unaffected.

Wiping his mouth, he sighed, “It’s finally over… with all I’ve done, you think I’ll be granted the title of Grand General when I return to the capital?”

Qiu Che glanced at him sideways. “Go fight Yu Yan for it.”

Wu Yiqi’s mouth twitched. “Forget it… she’s made history too. Besides you, she’s the first female general ever. Her title will definitely outrank mine.”

Qiu Che nodded. “At least you know your place.”

Wu Yiqi pouted and leaned over to sneak a peek at the letter in her hand. When he saw her calmly fold it away without a change in expression, he raised an eyebrow. “Another letter from His Highness?”

Qiu Che’s face turned frosty. “None of your damn business.”

A woman who hadn’t seen her lover for a year was bound to be easily irritated.

Heaven knows how she made it through this past year on letters alone.

The longer they were apart, the more her longing became a sickness.

Wu Yiqi clicked his tongue twice and, already used to her mood, quickly changed the subject. “We’re heading back to the capital tomorrow, right? I heard from Brother Yang… His Majesty has fallen seriously ill, and the Crown Prince is temporarily in charge. I bet there’ll be no shortage of trouble waiting for us when we return.”

Qiu Che replied calmly, “No matter what happens, they can’t deny our military merit. That’s the greatest leverage we’ve built up over this past year.”