Chapter 111: Tamon, Release Them

The next day, heavy snowflakes fell like goose feathers, drifting gently down.

A troop of riders, dressed in the attire of the Liao minority tribes, braved the snow as they approached from the direction of Changming City.

Inside the military camp of Kangding City, the commanding officer nearly spilled the wine he was holding, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Are you sure you can see clearly? Is it really His Majesty coming?"

A soldier below nodded firmly, "I’ve seen clearly. It is indeed His Majesty, accompanied by over a thousand men."

"Quick! Go out and welcome them!" The garrison commander’s face was flushed with excitement. His Majesty had finally remembered Kangding City, and they had captured a great general of the Chu army. Surely, they would be richly rewarded. Perhaps His Majesty was here to bestow those rewards himself.

Before the troop had arrived, the city gates of Kangding swung wide open. The soldiers on guard inside stood in neat formation—a sight unseen for a long time.

Through the snow, the troops drew nearer, their leader a man named Avugan Tamon. Yet, something was off—he seemed somewhat thinner than before.

The garrison commander dared not look him directly in the eye. Instead, he bowed deeply on one knee. "Your servant, the Kangding garrison commander, Li Ke, pays respects to His Majesty!"

The burly man atop the horse responded with a nod, pulling the reins to keep the horse trotting in place. He looked down on the assembled soldiers, scrutinizing them slowly before finally speaking in a calm voice, "Where is the city’s chief general?"

Li Ke? Who was this nobody?

Having spent years in Liao, Fang Meng knew every great general by name—but Li Ke was unknown to him.

Li Ke glanced up briefly at the man on horseback, then lowered his head respectfully and said with some resentment, "Your Majesty must have forgotten—when the Chu army broke through the Changming city pass, all generals ranked third grade and above were dispatched to Changming City."

"Hmm," the rider acknowledged, his voice cold. "I heard you captured Tang Chen?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Li Ke replied, bowing his head, recounting the details precisely.

"Bring him out. I want to see him myself!"

"Ah?" Li Ke wanted to ask why the man on horseback did not enter the city, but fearing he might speak out of turn, he simply nodded and ordered a kneeling officer nearby to fetch the prisoner. "Please wait a moment, Your Majesty. We feared the Chu army might come to rescue him, so we hid the traitor Tang Chen in a small town fifty li outside Kangding."

"Hmm." Fang Meng responded coolly, inwardly thinking: no wonder the master searched all night without success.

Half an hour later, Tang Chen was brought to the city gate, bound and flanked by guards.

The youth was covered in wounds, his hair disheveled, clearly having endured hardship—but his expression was wild and defiant, as if the word “unsubmissive” was written across his face.

When Tang Chen looked up at the man on horseback, his heart skipped a beat—he immediately realized this was not Tamon.

"Hand Tang Chen over to me!" the rider commanded. "That’s enough. You may all leave now and continue to guard the city well."

"Ah?" Li Ke’s face darkened, turning red with frustration. So, the king had no intention of rewarding him. At least a promotion or some gold and silver would have been good!

"What’s with the ‘ah’? Can’t you understand my orders? Step back! I will personally escort Tang Chen back to Changming. You have no further role here," the man on horseback snapped, grabbing Tang Chen roughly, hoisting him onto the horse, and turning away without a moment’s hesitation.

Li Ke watched their departing backs with bitter resentment.

But what he never expected was that half an hour later, Yinuo would arrive...

Had he known, he would never have released the prisoner. But he did not know. There is no medicine for regret in this world.