The garrison commander Shen Mieyue knelt to receive the imperial decree. After reading its contents, he immediately dispatched men to Cang City a hundred li away to summon the Marquis of Southern Garrison, Shangguan Xuan, for discussions.
Under the cold moonlight that night, Shangguan Xuan arrived on horseback with a small cavalry unit, accompanied by his strategist, Zhao Qing. Their horses approached the city quietly. Shangguan Xuan, in his twenties, sat tall on his steed, his dark robes fluttering in the wind. His handsome features bore the sun-darkened complexion of a man long stationed at the border, yet he still carried the refined air of a noble from the capital.
Shen Mieyue greeted them at the city gates, his gaze briefly flickering to the slender young man sharing a horse with Shangguan Xuan.
"Master Zhao is here too?" Shen Mieyue raised an eyebrow, unsurprised.
