Battle for Shengjing

The Battle of Shengjing erupts across the capital. Xie Zheng leads the imperial guard and his personal troops against Qi Min's private army in the streets. The fighting is fierce and chaotic, with neither side able to gain a decisive advantage. Xie Zheng fights with the desperation of a man protecting everything he loves, his martial prowess on full display.

Changyu, meanwhile, does not hide. She organizes the civilian population — merchants, shopkeepers, even the butchers of the market district — to barricade streets, tend the wounded, and deny Qi Min's forces easy passage through the city. Her leadership transforms the civilians from panicked bystanders into an organized resistance. The market district, her first home in the capital, becomes a fortress.

Just as the situation grows dire, the thunder of hooves announces the arrival of Helian Mingyue's cavalry. The Tuoba riders sweep into the capital from the north gate, the sight of steppe warriors fighting alongside imperial forces unprecedented in the dynasty's history. The tide turns decisively against Qi Min.