Iron Cavalry and Tang Blades in the Zhenguan Era

In the tenth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang dynasty, Goguryeo raised an army of 250,000 to seize Pingzhou, a city on the empire’s northeastern border. Xueyantuo then sent 60,000 troops to launch a surprise attack on Youzhou, while the grassland tribes formed an alliance and joined in the looting. Soon, beacon fires blazed all along the Tang border. Pingzhou had only 20,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry, hopelessly outnumbered. The swordsman Tuoba Han comes to Pingzhou following the trail of his nine-year-old son’s kidnappers, vowing: “Not one person who took my son will get away with it.” Tuoba Han’s sworn brothers Zhang Zhongjian and Xu Qinglin hear the news and join him in Pingzhou. The three gradually uncover the truth behind the kidnapping, but by then the enemy is already at the gates...