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During the first and second years of the Jianwu era of Southern Qi, the rule of Emperor Ming of Southern Qi, Xiao Luan, officially began.
Southern Qi successfully defended against external aggression once again, which boosted Xiao Luan's confidence. He began to focus on domestic affairs, hoping to consolidate his position within the country.
He insists on personally handling all kinds of matters, whether they are central government affairs or local county affairs. He insists on personally listening to reports and making decisions.
This approach has given many relatives the opportunity to take advantage of the situation, and they are all trying to use their connections in hopes of obtaining official positions.
One of the lucky ones is Xiao Yan. Although Xiao Yan's father Xiao Daocheng is a distant relative of Emperor Gao of Southern Qi, Xiao Luan trusts him completely and has never wanted to harm Xiao Yan. Perhaps it's because he feels that Xiao Yan's personality is very similar to his own when he was young.
Xiao Yan is not the only one helping Xiao Luan, but his ability to hide his talents has also helped himself. He knows that the emperors of the Southern Dynasties are suspicious, and he understands that Xiao Luan's childhood experiences will only exacerbate his paranoia.
If one is not careful, they may end up with the same fate as the powerful minister Xiao Shen.
Minister Xiao Shen was originally a trusted assistant of Emperor Ming, and played an important role in the abdication and enthronement of Emperor Ming. Xiao Luan once promised him the position of Governor of Yangzhou.
However, Emperor Ming later broke his promise, which caused Xiao Shen to harbor resentment.
Xiao Shen, feeling superior in his achievements, began to interfere in political affairs.
This clearly violates Emperor Ming's desire to monopolize power.
Therefore, in the June after the war, Emperor Ming decided to execute Xiao Shen, which also led to the murder of Xiao Dan, the brother of Xiao Shen who successfully repelled the Wei army.
Emperor Ming did not stop the killings during his reign, he continued to eliminate the descendants of Emperor Wu and Emperor Gao to secure his own position of power.
During this period, every member of the royal family lived in constant fear, as the struggle for power and political maneuvering continued without end.
Southern Qi Dynasty The fate of the family is intertwined in the hands of Emperor Ming, and Xiao Yan also gradually emerges in this turbulent era, laying a solid foundation for his future career.
The autumn wind blows through Yongzhou, bringing a piercing chill, as if foreshadowing an impending disaster.
In the fourth year of the Jianwu era, during autumn, the Northern Wei Army once again marched south, capturing Xinye and Nanyang, threatening the peace of Yongzhou.
The fate of this battle will directly involve the future of Xiao Yan and also affect the fate of Chao Qinglan.
Xiao Lu'an urgently dispatched Xiao Yan, Left Army Sima Zhang Ji, and Minister of Revenue Choi Hyekyung to lead troops to reinforce Yongzhou.
However, on December 20th (November Jiawu), an unpredictable incident occurred. The former general Han Xiufang and fifteen other generals actually surrendered to Northern Wei, which left the Southern Qi army feeling heavy-hearted and demoralized.
In the fifth year of Jianwu (498 AD), Xiao Yan and Choi Hyekyung led their forces to confront the large army of Northern Wei.
They arrived at Dengcheng in the northwest of Yongzhou, only to unexpectedly discover that tens of thousands of cavalry from the Northern Wei were quickly catching up.
Chao Qinglan also went with Xiao Yan, serving as a military officer in his camp. Despite her young age, she is full of wisdom and courage.
When they arrived, five counties had already been captured by Northern Wei, and the situation was critical. The soldiers were facing hunger and fear, making the situation even more difficult.
Xiao Yan knows well that the city is short of food and weapons, so he must take decisive action.
He said to Choi Hyekyung, "After a long journey, morale is low, and now we are facing a strong siege of enemy troops. If the army learns of our plight, there may be mutiny. To maintain morale, we should break through while the enemy is not yet firmly established."
The cross-dressed Chao Qinglan saw the fear in Choi Hyekyung's eyes, but didn't say anything, calculating how to break through when the time comes.
Choi Hyekyung has always appeared resolute, but at this moment, his heart is also filled with fear.
He responded, "The Northern Wei Army is accustomed to daytime activities and they never besiege cities at night. We just need to wait until it gets dark, and they will naturally withdraw."
However, things did not go as he expected. The Northern Wei Army not only did not withdraw, but instead increased in numbers. The soldiers' hunger and fear made the situation even more chaotic.
When night fell, the Wei army showed no signs of retreating. Choi Hyekyung felt fear in her heart, but instead of discussing with Xiao Yan, she secretly led her troops to flee from the battlefield.
Other military commanders saw the betrayal of the commander-in-chief and followed suit, making it impossible for Xiao Yan to control the situation. They were forced to fight and retreat, and in the chaos, a trench became the line between life and death.
Chao Qinglan witnessed various tragedies on the battlefield beside Xiao Yan. Soldiers trampled on each other, and the trench was filled with bodies, making the situation even worse.
Xiao Yan understood that if they didn't take immediate action, the entire army would be wiped out. He tightly held Chao Qinglan's hand and made the decision to take a risk.
He said to Chao Qinglan, "We must take advantage of the enemy's distraction and break out under the cover of night, or else we won't survive."
Chao Qinglan nodded in agreement, and they began planning this dangerous breakout operation. As night fell, the Wei army was difficult to detect in the darkness. Xiao Yan and Chao Qinglan quietly led the remaining troops and successfully broke out.
However, this battle had already caused huge casualties. Xiao Yan, Chao Qinglan, and their troops successfully retreated to Fan City, but the shadow of tragedy still loomed over them. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen led a large army in pursuit, and the arrow rain from the Wei army exacted a heavy toll on the Qi army.
Liu Shanyang, a military commander, bravely resisted and engaged in a desperate battle to protect the retreating troops.
It wasn't until nightfall that the Northern Wei Army finally retreated, giving Xiao Yan and Chao Qinglan a chance to catch their breath.
The reason the team was able to hold their ground at Fan City was largely because the governor of Yongzhou, Cao Hu, who was supposed to reinforce Yongzhou, did not obey the imperial order. Instead, he stationed 20,000 troops at Fan City and took no action.
It was later discovered that Cao Hu had a grudge against a certain military commander and intentionally did not go to support. There are truly many mysterious and inexplicable things on the battlefield. A lack of control and judgment errors in one place could lead to a city being captured like this.
On the city wall of Fan City, under the starry sky, Chao Qinglan stands there with a determined look in her eyes. The wind blows through her long hair, as if telling the land that she will not give up easily.
Standing beside her was a young military commander clad in battle armor, he was Chao Qinglan's right-hand man, named Cheng Hao. He stared intently at the enemy troops below the city, his brow furrowed with determination for battle.
"Sir, we are ready," Cheng Hao reported to Chao Qinglan. "Five hundred elite soldiers are in position, awaiting your command."
Chao Qinglan nodded, she knew that now was the most critical moment. "Alright, let's fight for the future of Southern Qi," her voice was resolute and loud.
Suddenly, a hurried guard rushed to them, his face pale, clearly injured in a fierce battle.
"Adult, Xiao Yan has been knocked out by us!" Zhi Wei reported, "We will send him out of the city as soon as we return."
Chao Qinglan's expression changed slightly. She knew this was a difficult decision, but it was the only option for now.
She turned to Cheng Hao and said, "General Cheng, you lead half of the guards to stay here and protect Fan City. We cannot let everything be sacrificed in vain."
Cheng Hao nodded, showing his determination. Chao Qinglan turned to the guards and Zhi Wei, ordering them to quickly take Xiao Yan away.
"Quickly take Xiao Yan away and protect his safety," her voice was full of commanding power. She knew that this was for the future of Southern Qi.
In the dark night, the various teams of Southern Qi boarded ships one after another, returning to Xiangyang, leaving only the last defenders of Fan City.
Inside and outside the city, everyone's hearts are closely connected. They have staked everything on this battle of defending the city. For their homeland, for their country, they will fight fearlessly and defend to the end.
The next day, Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei led a magnificent procession of 100,000 strong army to the splendid Fan City, preparing to besiege and attack the city.
The defending general Cao Hu only had 30,000 troops, and Chao Qinglan ordered the city gates to remain closed, refusing to engage in battle. The large army of Northern Wei surrounded Fan City, but the Southern Qi army defending the city refused to fight, standing firm in defense of the city.
The situation of "Defending the city" in Fan City is being maintained quite firmly with the cooperation of Chao Qinglan and Cao Hu.
Although Cao Hu once made Chao Qinglan doubt his loyalty, at this moment, Cao Hu also understands that in this critical moment, the city cannot be easily surrendered, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.
In the face of Defending the city's resolute attitude, Emperor Xiaowen had no choice but to launch a prolonged siege. Despite the numerous forces of the Wei army, the city's defender Cao Hu proved to be as steadfast as a mountain, making it difficult for Northern Wei to breach the city walls.
During the extended siege, the Northern Wei Army reestablished their camp, set up tents, and once again surrounded Fan City. They even advanced to the banks of the Mian River, where they could see the Xiangyang City on the opposite shore.
All of this is to intimidate the enemy and make them feel despair.
Just when Chao Qinglan felt like his life was about to end here.
However, at this critical moment, Emperor Xiaowen received an urgent report. The State of Wei's General Wang Su launched an attack on Yiyang, while Pei Shuye led fifty thousand troops to besiege the State of Wei's Guoyang, attempting to rescue Yiyang. Meng Biao, the governor of Southern Yanzhou in Northern Wei, was stationed at Guoyang, but the city had run out of food, and the people could only sustain themselves by eating grass, bark, and leaves.
Pei Shuye dispatched General Xiao Gui and Cheng Baozhen to launch separate attacks on the city of Longkang in The State of Wei. At the same time, he piled up the bodies of the slain Wei army to a height of five zhang to demonstrate the dire situation within the city. These actions put extreme pressure on the defenders of Meng City.
Upon receiving this news, Emperor Xiaowen was greatly alarmed and dared not continue besieging Fan City, immediately retreating.
Chao Qinglan and Cao Hu and others finally escaped a disaster. When the main force of the Wei army left, Cao Hu ordered the army commander Tian Anzhi and others to lead the troops to launch an attack on the rear guard of the Wei army, achieving a small victory.
In this battle, Chao Qinglan's decisiveness and resilience, as well as Cao Hu's wise decision-making, jointly turned the situation around, protecting the safety of Fan City.
Jianwu Five years, March, Xiao Yan although failed in the battle, the Southern Dynasties Qi army suffered heavy casualties, but still successfully defended Yongzhou.
After this defeat, Xiao Lu'an did not blame Xiao Yan, but instead entrusted him with an important task, appointing him as the defense chief of Yongzhou, making him the governor of Yongzhou.
From then on, Xiao Yan had a solid foothold, laying a solid foundation for his future power development, and becoming a key factor in his quest for the political power of Qi.
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