The garrison life at the border was far more monotonous than imagined, lacking the fervor one might expect.

In ordinary times, soldiers had to allocate manpower to clear land and farm. When laborers were insufficient, they even had to help widowed, orphaned, and solitary commoners plow fields and sow seeds, leaving little leisure time.

A border city’s defending general not only needed to resist foreign enemies but also, in such desolate places, had to help sustain an entire city. With military camps short on clothing and food, military pay embezzled layer by layer, the Hu people watching like tigers, and the imperial court paying scant attention—

Not wanting to take the initiative to fight yet unwilling to be bullied. The imperial court dreamed beautifully, leaving the arduous task to the defending soldiers.

Being a soldier in Changjun meant working hard daily, never eating one’s fill, unable to hold the front lines, stuck in a dilemma of stance. It was a job with no security, no sense of achievement, and no rewards whatsoever.

The soldiers of Changjun were truly wronged. They could only struggle to survive amidst various choices.

As Lian Sheng pressed them to clear weeds in the fields, several officers kept glancing at her, looking as if they wanted to speak but hesitated.

They recalled Lian Sheng’s earlier mention of punishment and felt they should defend themselves. Yet, considering her fierce and domineering style, they couldn’t muster the courage.

With no ideas, they could only continue to hold back.

Lian Sheng had long noticed—how could she not know what they were thinking? In truth, she understood the soldiers’ circumstances and the reasons they had developed to this point, sympathizing with them. Thus, she had no intention of pursuing this mistake, having come here as an assistant general rather than to overthrow General Ji.

Looking at the Changjun military camp—what a mess. New recruits were oppressed, but the veterans weren’t much better off.

Though there were many unruly soldiers who ignored military discipline, they weren’t idle. The land here had been diligently cultivated.

Though they colluded with the Hu people, they tacitly ensured the commoners’ safety.

Without the imperial court’s support, Lian Sheng felt they had done quite well. Not to speak of merits, they had certainly suffered hardships.

However, her understanding didn’t mean this was right. The current situation was nothing but drinking poison to quench thirst—she needed to cleanse the residual toxins.

Since change was needed, such tendencies had to be reversed. The best way to make them realize their mistake was to punish them once to set an example. At the same time, this would help them quickly accept her as their commander.

Moreover, if a real fight broke out, without scaring them, what if they all ran away?

Lian Sheng sat on the field ridge, fanning herself as she watched them work.

As the sun rose and the weather grew hotter, the soldiers bent their backs, clothes soaked with sweat, still dutifully picking small stones from the soil.

“How about this—while working, listen to what I have to say,” Lian Sheng said lightly. “Changjun isn’t large, nor is it small. There are few people, but defending the city is easy. The Hu tribe recently lost a chieftain and is likely too busy with internal affairs to spare large forces to besiege Changjun. Of course, it’s mainly because Changjun is rather poor—not worth besieging. But since we killed a few Hu people, they, accustomed to arrogance, won’t let this go easily. They’ll probably send small groups to harass us for a while.”

The soldiers glanced at her, their eyes clearly stating: Don’t include “us”—they hadn’t touched the Hu people.

Unfazed, Lian Sheng continued, “Adding fuel to the fire is no strategy. To end this once and for all, we must teach them a lesson, make them understand we’re not to be trifled with. If we’re both poor and unyielding, the Hu people won’t bother harassing us.”

Easier said than done—reality was never so simple. If they miscalculated, they might end up playing with fire and getting burned.

The Hu people’s reputation for bravery and skill in battle was deeply ingrained. In recent years, Changjun had been enslaved by them, fostering an inherent fear that made the soldiers instinctively avoid confrontation.

They couldn’t win. They definitely couldn’t win. If they truly angered the Hu people, none of them would survive.

“Let me tell you—don’t think about muddling through. Do something useful instead. If anyone feigns compliance while secretly resisting, or if I die here because you retreat from battle, you won’t survive either. Rather than die humiliated by the Hu people, be men of courage and fight back. I know the Hu people have no mercy—their methods of torture are first-rate in cruelty.” Lian Sheng swung her legs. “We outnumber them—no need to fear. If a large Hu force comes, we’ll seal the city gates and hold out. If only a small group arrives, we’ll lure them in and wipe them out.”

The soldiers remained silent.

Better to focus on moving soil and clearing land.

Lian Sheng coughed. “Any volunteers to support me? This is the moment to show loyalty, brothers! A rare opportunity—those who step forward now will be credited first!”

There was no shortage of bold souls anywhere. Even if everyone privately scoffed, the situation left them no choice but to accept. Might as well seek some benefits and save face.

Thus, a great many raised their hands.

Lian Sheng picked a few who looked ugly and physically weak, leading them aside for a talk. She then selected a group of young, strong soldiers and handed them to Old Man Meng to manage. The rest continued clearing the fields.

She clicked her tongue. All of them were slackers—they needed training, and the road was long. She’d let it go for today.

The atmosphere was oddly peaceful, devoid of any urgency about the impending Hu attack. The soldiers felt oddly weightless, as if floating.

Lian Sheng thought: They couldn’t just wait for the Hu people and neglect the camp’s work.

The fortune-teller had said the Hu people would likely come at night, so they probably would. Moreover, Skinny Monkey had already been sent to wait outside the city—his horse was fast, and they’d have plenty of time to prepare upon receiving news.

Who knew if there were Hu spies in the city? If the soldiers acted too obviously, it might reveal their plans. Farming was a good cover.

Sure enough, after nightfall, the Hu people crossed the sandy land toward Changjun’s walls.

Skinny Monkey, riding his horse without a torch, heard the commotion and rushed back to report.

That night, Lian Sheng had the soldiers rest early. Now, she had them roused with gongs and drums.

Having revealed her identity, Lian Sheng had naturally moved to a new single room. When she stepped out, she noticed General Ji’s quarters next door were utterly silent and couldn’t help but smile.

Calling this man reckless—yet he was quite clever. Calling him clever—yet he was impulsive. Quite interesting.

Lian Sheng didn’t let them light torches or come out, only preparing for action. Then, with Old Man Meng, Skinny Monkey, and others, she went to the open space in the training grounds, loosely tying ropes around themselves to feign captivity.

The arriving Hu party was utterly arrogant. Nearly a hundred of them breached the city gates, charging straight for the military camp, overturning barricades, waving torches and shouting to summon everyone.

The soldiers threw on their coats and emerged to greet them, gathering around with expressions of resentment, gritted teeth, and a trace of fear.

An old soldier, briefed by Lian Sheng, stepped forward trembling and bowed.

A Hu man on horseback snorted. “No need for explanations, right?”

“Yes, yes,” the old soldier quavered. “A few ignorant ones acted out—we truly didn’t expect it. But this has nothing to do with Great Liang. The troublemakers have been caught and punished. We’ll take you to them now—their fate is entirely in your hands. We only beg the chieftain not to be angry. Friendly coexistence between our armies is best.”

The Hu men behind him clearly weren’t satisfied, their lips twisting into mocking smiles.

Their brother’s life couldn’t be equated with these lowly commoners’. If they could be dismissed so easily, why bother riding through the night?

The Hu man’s eyes gleamed as he scanned the crowd. For now, he suppressed his temper and said, “Fine.”

As for what exactly he meant by “fine”—that was another matter.

A soldier nearby whispered, “Those men are hanging in the training grounds. The path there isn’t suitable for horses—would you gentlemen mind?”

After a moment’s thought, the frontmost Hu men dismounted, though they didn’t entirely trust the Liang soldiers. They left half their men to guard the horses and took the other half to the training grounds to exact revenge.

Dozens of Hu men marched through the passage, a mighty procession heading for the training grounds. A few soldiers carried lanterns to light the way.

Upon reaching the open space, they saw several dark figures sitting in a row beneath a wooden frame on one side of the grounds.

The Hu men approached and called from a distance, “I thought you had some backbone. Weren’t you so arrogant last night? How did you end up like this?”

Lian Sheng spat, “Come closer and see who your granddaddy is.”

The Hu man drew his blade and advanced. “No sense of propriety. Then I’ll cut off your limbs first and feed you to the dogs!”

Before his blade could touch them, a cold glint flashed in the corner of his eye. Old Man Meng pulled a weapon from under his seat, leaped up from the ground, and roared, “Die, grandson!” His blade slashed the Hu man’s throat before the latter could react.

The others stood and stretched—no sign of having been restrained.

Chaos erupted. The Hu men cursed in panic, trying to grab the nearby soldiers, only to find they’d slipped away at some point.

Suddenly, flames blazed in the distance, and battle cries rose from all directions. Arrows whistled through the air, felling Hu men one after another.

Yesterday once, today again. Though they didn’t know why, Great Liang had changed.

The Hu men were surrounded by Liang soldiers, with guards posted at every exit of the camp—none could escape.

By midnight, the sounds of battle waned as figures moved about, hunting down remaining Hu men.

The training grounds and camp’s open space had few hiding spots—this was a one-way trip.

By dawn, even the sand on the training grounds had been turned over, bloodstains and corpses cleared away.

The Hu party hadn’t brought many men, but they’d brought plenty of horses. Tallying the spoils, the soldiers found their haul quite substantial.

This was the first counterattack against the Hu led by Lian Sheng. In the small city of Changjun, it was also the soldiers’ first triumphant battle.

Beyond compromise and retreat, they had traded force for a night of peace.

They had thought walking this path would mean facing harsher circumstances, more dangerous situations—that advancing required immense courage. But when the moment came, pushed to take the first step, they found no need for hesitation, only relief.

Starting from Changjun, Lian Sheng’s name began appearing on the frontier’s battlefields.