The Last Battle of Princess Pingyang<\/p>\n
(1)<\/p>\n
Perhaps it was because of that dense fog, or perhaps it was the incessant squawking of the crows throughout the night,\u00a0Li Sau-ming could not brush away the ominous feeling that had disturbed her since sallying out of the citadel.
\nThis had never happened to her during all these years of campaigning.
\nShe had never felt this even when her father, Li Yuan raised his banner of rebellion against the crown, nor when her own husband, Chai Shao left Chang An clandestinely to join the ranks of her father and left her to deal with all the risks by herself.\u00a0 During all these years she had convinced many who possessed far more impressive forces to join her.\u00a0 These included the nomadic merchant He Pan-ren who commanded seventy-thousand men under arms, followed by many others. She had beaten experienced generals sent by the emperor to crush them, such as Qutu Tong, soundly.<\/p>\n
Ten thousand specially chosen maidens were formed into an army of amazons, and for the first time in history a female commander had her own military command.\u00a0 In the month of November during the final year of the Sui Dynasty, her forces joined those under the command of her younger brother Li Shi-min and captured the imperial capital of Chang An.\u00a0 After this victory, her father proclaimed himself Emperor of the new Tang Dynasty and bestowed on her the title of Princess Pingyang, having entrusted her the important task of guarding the Citadel situated at Wei-ze Pass, vital to the bastion of power of the new dynasty. If the citadel could be securely held, Li Jian-cheng, her elder brother and Li Shi-min, the younger one, would have free hands to subdue all pockets of resistance that refused to acknowledge Tang sovereignty.<\/p>\n
She accomplished the given task splendidly, winning victory after victory, so much that Wei-ze Citadel was better known as Niangzi Pass. She had planned each battle with meticulous care and always rode at the head of her maidens into battle, cutting down enemy commanders as if they were leaves falling in a gust of wind. She and her maiden warriors soon won a fame known far and wide.<\/p>\n
One of the most fabulous tales being circulated was that she had been given by her mentor – an almost fairy-like creature – three articles that could ensure her safety and victory: a horse that could run so fast that it could cover one thousand li per day, a sharp halberd that could cut into enemy armor as if they were made of butter, and a suit of armor with magical lotus motifs that ensured no weapon could penetrate. She was wielding a halberd now, and her horse was a fast one, a companion that had borne her into so many battles. And she was wearing a suit of armor with lotus motifs. But she knew better than anyone that no horse could be so fast as to cover that alleged distance in a day; no halberd could ensure her invincibility; and armor could guarantee her invulnerability.
\nAll wars carried the possibility of sudden death. Every one of her victories were won through hard fighting and braving risks.\u00a0 The enemy would not stay their hand because she was a woman, nor would they hesitate to cut her down because she was the mother of two sons. \u201cAnd I have never been a good mother,\u201d she thought.
\nAfter all these years she had spent so little time with her sons.\u00a0 Instead, she and her husband had thrown themselves into different battlefields.\u00a0 He had told her plainly that he thought Prince Li Shi-min would not stay just a prince forever, implying that he could one day replace the eldest prince, Li Jian-cheng as successor to the throne.\u00a0 In his view, Li Shi-min was more capable compared to his eldest brother. But she knew whom her father valued most.
\nOn that day when her father and she were alone, he had brushed her back and sighed. \u201cWhy weren\u2019t you born a man?\u201d he had said.
\nShe was startled.\u00a0 She understood the meaning behind those words. If she had been born a man, the one he would choose as crown prince would not be her eldest brother nor her younger sibling!
\nHer father did not treasure her more just because she was a capable commander.\u00a0 Both Li Jian-cheng and Li Shi-min were good in the field, with capable generals and advisers as followers.\u00a0 But her father trusted her the most. Perhaps it was because she was born a woman and had served her father without any personal design, whereas her two brothers were always calculating what measures could take them one more step nearer the throne.<\/p>\n
Jian-cheng was slightly better as he was already the crown prince. But she could feel the unfathomable character of Li Shi-min.\u00a0 Her younger brother would never be content to kowtow to anyone. The land was still seeing bitter fighting, and yet there were already silent rumbles behind palace walls.
\nShe did not tell this to anyone.\u00a0 But from tiny things she had noticed that her younger brother had already changed towards her.\u00a0 Of course he should understand she had no ambition to power. But he was concerned that if she happened to favor Li Jian-cheng over him, he could end up in very difficult position. Upon realizing this, she could feel cold sweat down her spine.
\nThis time, the warlord Liu had led his elite forces into her sector, and there had been fierce fighting.\u00a0 Li Shi-min had been instructed to reinforce his sister.\u00a0 But apart from a few token offences, he had practically withheld sending relief forces.
\nIt would be a tough task to scale the Amazon Pass she held, but it was not impregnable. Besides, there were less than twenty-thousand armed men, a number inferior to the opposing army including women under her command. After months of hard fighting and without adequate replacement, she had begun to feel the pressure.\u00a0 If the current situation was prolonged, she could predict a bitter end.\u00a0 Taking a defensive position would not help her if no relief force reached her soon.
\nIn addition to this, scouts had reported the Warlord Liu had made a secret pact with the ruler of the Turkic Khaganate.\u00a0 She needed her brother\u2019s forces to stop the Turkic nomads from joining-up with the army of Liu.
\nIf Liu and the Turkic forces attacked together, the Amazon Pass would be as good as fallen.\u00a0 The only hope was to take initiative and smash Liu\u2019s force before the undesirable could happen. That was why she decided to sally out and offer battle.<\/p>\n
(2)<\/p>\n
Under normal circumstances, Liu should not accept battle.\u00a0 He could hide before strengthened palisades and waited for his Turkic allies to arrive before making the final push.\u00a0 But unexpectedly, Liu did put his forces into the field.
\nThe sound of thundering drums could be heard in the thick of the fog.
\n\u201cYour Highness\u2026\u201d Han Li who had been serving under her for years also found it weird.
\nBut there was no other choice but to fight hard now.\u00a0 They commanded a smaller force and in a way, the thick fog was an advantage.\u00a0 If she could smash into the center of the enemy camp and slay its commander, the enemy would be thrown into chaos.
\n\u201cFollow me!\u201d Li Sau-ming shouted. Upon her raising high the halberd in her hand, the ten thousand maidens fanned out and followed her into a canter. The ground shook as the hooves of more than ten thousand horses kicked up the hard-frosted mud.
\nThe enemy surged forth to meet them.
\nLi Sau-ning smiled contently.\u00a0 She had decided that a quick and decisive fight would be most advantageous to her.\u00a0 Giving her mount a kick with both feet, she spurred her stallion into full charge.
\n\u201cAiyeee!\u201d<\/p>\n
She dashed forward and cut down the first enemy within range of her halberd. Her maidens thundered in cheers.
\n\u201cFull speed!\u201d<\/p>\n
She would not let her initial advantage be wasted away.\u00a0 The maidens under her rushed into the thick of battle. And the princess cut three other enemy commanders down.
\nHan Li was fully engaged with her bow and arrows too.\u00a0 In the blink of an eye, she had shot two foes trying to sneak behind her mistress. The enemy fell back and it turned into a rout.
\nFrom the disorder of the retreating forces, Li Sau-ning judged that the enemy was not faking a defeat to lure her into a trap.\u00a0 Now was the time to give them that crushing blow! \u201cWheel to the enemy right!\u201d she ordered.
\nShe knew of course that attacking head-on to the center was the shortest and fastest way to make a stab to the heart of the foe.\u00a0 But the enemy had suffered only a set-back and the battle-field was clouded by the heavy fog. They would certainly regroup their forces in the center and put up a tough resistance.\u00a0 Even if she could succeed, she would have to pay a very heavy price. Hence, she decided to turn to the enemy\u2019s wing on the right.\u00a0 Once that collapsed, she could roll up the beaten foes and drive them against the main force of Liu.
\nHer judgment was infallible.
\nThe ten thousand riders dashed into the right wing of the foes and had it shattered. Victory was within her gasp.
\nAnd then the fog cleared\u2026
\nLi Sau-ning could see the enemy running like rabbits, the enemy center thrown into utter confusion. But she also saw something she did not want to see. On the distant horizon, a large force was approaching, kicking up columns of dust!
\nInstinct told her that this could not be the relief force sent by her dear young brother, Li Shi-min.<\/p>\n
(3)<\/p>\n
\u201cYour Highness, the Turkic cavalry!\u201d Han Li also realized the grave danger.
\nLi Sau-ning\u2019s brow knitted.\u00a0 She had to make a decision quickly whether to fall back onto the citadel and wait for reinforcements or to throw in everything to gamble for a quick victory. But she decided it was no longer possible to fall back. The Turkic cavalry would soon be able to cut off her line of retreat. The only chance was to take care of Liu\u2019s force as soon as possible and then regroup to face the new foes.
\n\u201cAttack! Full-force!\u201d
\n\u201cUnderstood!\u201d Han Li turned her mount around and relayed orders to the messenger-riders.
\n\u201cHan Li!\u201d
\n\u201cYes, Your Highness?\u201d
\n\u201cWe may fall today.\u201d Li Sau-ning confessed her feeling to her loyal assistant.
\nAs the head of her army, she should not have spoken such disheartening words. But she had treated Han Li almost like a sister, and this was a critical moment of life and death.\u00a0 She had no intention to depart without some small word of farewell.
\n\u201cYour Highness, we will cover you to break out. The relief of the prince may arrive any time.\u201d But Li Sau-ning shook her head and made a sad smile.
\nShe would not deceive herself.\u00a0 If Li Shi-min had any intention of saving her, the Turkic force would not be able to join in battle so easily.
\n\u201cCruel brother!\u201d she silently cursed. Then she actually felt a small sense of relief.
\nPerhaps this was the best ending. At least she would not be there to witness the inevitable slaughter between brother and brother.
\n\u201cFather, forgive me for not being a filial daughter. I am going to leave this world before you.\u201d
\nLi Sau-ning who had never cried before now shed a few tears.\u00a0 She was not afraid to die.\u00a0 But she knew how her father would grieve upon hearing of her fall in battle.\u00a0 In her heart, her husband and her sons only took second and third place after her beloved father.
\nShe turned toward Han Li. \u201cCome, let us use our young blood to water this land!\u201d
\nHan Li nodded. She could fully understood the mind of this princess who had taken to her like a sister.
\n\u201cI will always follow you to the end!\u201d
\nLi Sau-ning smiled sadly and said, \u201cDear sister, let us get on with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
(4)<\/p>\n
They rode into a shower of arrows.
\nLi Sau-ning saw so many of her sisters-in-arms fall.
\nXiu-jun on her left got a missile into her waist and fell off the saddle.\u00a0 Close behind, she saw Wan-er who had been guarding the banner arch back as two arrows sank into her breasts.
\nFor the first time, the banner of the invincible Amazon army fell into the dust.
\nLi Sau-ning cut down another two enemy commanders. Han also ended the lives of many enemy warriors.\u00a0 But all these had little effect to change to outcome of the battle.
\nLiu\u2019s soldiers saw the coming of the Turkic forces and knew momentum was now on their side. The former panic disappeared and the beaten soldiers reformed into battle formations, using long halberds to slash at the young and pretty bodies of the female warriors.
\nLi Sua-ning saw her maidens cut down on their saddles. Some were simply dragged down and decapitated.\u00a0 Others were pulled down and had their armor stripped before being slain. Young bodies heaped one another to form small knolls.
\n\u201cCome! Take my head too!\u201d she shouted. \u2018And what a pretty head it will be!\u2019 she thought.\u00a0 Although a mother, her figure and face resembled a young maiden of early twenties. And her lush black hair was so luminous that people could use it as a mirror. She knew her head would be such a beautiful trophy once mounted at the tip of a spear!
\nThree senior enemy warriors rushed her.\u00a0 She gave a cold laugh and used her halberd to fight. One of the three was immediately slain. But her helmet was tilted off by him, and her long black hair cascaded down.
\nShe knew if this continued she might be captured and this was something she would never allow to happen.\u00a0 She preferred to fall in action and deny the enemy the opportunity to abuse her body while she was still alive.\u00a0 Even more than that, she would not allow herself be taken alive and used by Liu as a bargaining chip with her father.<\/p>\n
She took a deep breath, and giving a shout rushed recklessly at one of the remaining commanders. He never expected her to take such action without regard to her own safety.\u00a0 Her halberd ran him through at the stomach. But she was also impaled by his lance through her abdomen.
\n\u201cArgh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
She gave a low whimper, a brightness sparkling in her eyes. Then another spear entered into her back. It went all the way in until its tip came out of her body from the front, just above her nipple.<\/p>\n
Biting her lower lip in pain, she pulled out the blade of the halberd she had buried into the enemy commander she had killed and waved it in a wide arc.\u00a0 The man who had impaled her feared she was going to cut him down.\u00a0 He abandoned the spear, turned and put some distance between him and the wounded princess.\u00a0 But she had not intended the blow for him.\u00a0 Instead she brought the halberd down against a huge piece of rock and had the metal shattered on impact. The halberd, her loyal friend, would not suffer the fate of surviving her in disgrace.
\nHer mount seemed to know that his mistress would not be able to escape.\u00a0 He reared his front legs up and crushed several enemies into pulps. But eventually, he was also brought down by spears with hooks which tore open his belly.\u00a0 Horse and rider fell with a heavy thud.
\nThe enemy rushed forward like flies attracted to the smell of honey.\u00a0 Li Sau-ning simply coughed up blood and arched back to offer her ample breasts for the down-stabbing spears.
\nHan Li, who had been battling with an enemy commander, saw her princess lying on the ground convulsing involuntarily for a short while.\u00a0 And then she was still.
\nThe armor with lotus motifs was quickly removed, followed by the white riding blouse now dyed red by the blood. And finally the bright red dudou was also gone.
\nThe body with many punctured holes oozing blood lay there in stark nakedness. Then the enemy commander who had impaled her dismounted. He pulled out the huge curved sword at his side, cut off her head and raised it high for all to see.
\nThe red lips on the head of Princess Li Sau-ning were slightly parted, her beautiful eyes half-closed. From the stump there was a constant dripping of blood which made the long black hair stick together.
\n\u201cMy princess!\u201d Han Li cried out in a howling wail.
\nShe slashed hard at her foe and drove him back a short distance.\u00a0 Then she placed the blade horizontally on her neck and made a sweeping movement with it. Her body stayed on the saddle for a while, rocking a bit before collapsing onto the ground.\u00a0 Her armor and purple-colored dudou were also quickly removed.\u00a0 The head was cut off and mounted onto the tip of another spear as exhibit.<\/p>\n
(5)<\/p>\n
\u201cVictory!\u201d The enemy was jubilant.
\nThen their euphoria disappeared and they fell silent.
\nThey could see another thick column of dust behind the Turkic allies.<\/p>\n
(6)<\/p>\n
Li Shi-min submerged the severed head of his sister beneath the icy water of a near-by pool, rinsed off all the blood stains and then pulled it out of the water.\u00a0 The head with its dripping hair did not look hideous. In fact it had a sad serenity which added to its grace.<\/p>\n
He starred at it for a while, his eyes reflecting the complex thoughts that raced through his mind.\u00a0 Then he looked at Chai Shao at his side. Chai Shao\u2019s eyes were also unfathomable. It was not really sadness; rather they showed recognition that the biggest opportunity in his life was before him.\u00a0 Yes, Li Sau-ning was a beautiful woman. Seeing the head of his young wife having been cut off caused him a sense of loss. But he also knew that this man standing before him had a future that could not be measured. And Chai Shao knew his own fate would from now on be tied to this man\u2019s.\u00a0 He knew how to choose between a beautiful wife and the offer of power.
\n\u201cYour Highness, please accept our condolences.\u201d He said in a low voice.
\nLi Shi-min nodded.\u00a0 Then he wailed publicly.
\n\u201cThe whole army will mourn for Princess Pingyang!\u201d he ordered. \u201cAnd bury all prisoners alive!\u201d<\/p>\n
(7)<\/p>\n
In February of the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Li Yuan, Princess Li Sau-ning was buried with full military honor: two military bands at the front and rear of the hearse-chariot, a huge umbrella, forty sword-bearing warriors acting as personal guard of honor and over one hundred selected elite soldiers to herald the way to the mausoleum.\u00a0 At first, court officials were not in agreement that such should apply to a woman. But the Emperor rebuked them.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had been a distinguished warrior all her life, and she had brought victories in so many battles, risking and finally sacrificing her life for the Empire. Has there been any other woman in history who can compare to her? It is absurd to dispute the correctness of using full military manner.\u201d\u00a0And so military honor it was.\u00a0 She was also given a title \u201cZhao\u201d posthumously, \u201cZhao\u201d being a word reserved for those who had benefited the land tremendously.<\/p>\n
(8)<\/p>\n
On the fourth day of the sixth month in the ninth year of Emperor Li Yuan, Li Shi-man killed his eldest brother Li Jian-cheng along with another younger brother in a palace coup. He then forced Li Yuen to abdicate and crowned himself Emperor.<\/p>\n
Postscript.<\/p>\n
To be fair, Li Shi-min became a great Emperor during his reign, arguably the best emperor in the history of China.\u00a0 But that did not make what he did before his reign right.\u00a0 He was a murderer.
\nAccording to old tradition in China, the words and deeds of emperors were all recorded by court historians.\u00a0 To ensure \u201cfreedom of writing to preserve the truth\u201d, the emperors were not to read the entries.\u00a0 Even the cruelest emperors had observed this rule.\u00a0 Li Shi-min was the first to break this tradition.\u00a0 He was always uncomfortable about his past deeds and could not sleep well when he was not sure what had been written down about his coup and the killing of his brothers.\u00a0 He insisted that the entries be read by him. For this reason all official history after him were mainly lies and window-dressing to please one single man in the land.<\/p>\n
The cause of death of Princess Pingyang was not recorded in the official history.\u00a0 Only her year of death (she was estimated to be between 26 and 32 when she died) was entered as was her form of burial.<\/p>\n
For more Hitomi stories go to this link<\/a> at Amazon.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Li Sau-ming is a female commander entrusted to guard the pass to an important citadel. But her forces will need reinforcement from her younger brother if she is to succeed in an impending battle. Will he respond in time? Or will palace intrigue cause him to withhold the warriors she will need to obtain victory? Continue reading