Bai Jinzhao and Bai Jinhua were also dressed in military attire, standing on either side with archers, shooting arrows at enemy forces below the city walls and in the distance to resist the enemy troops climbing the walls.

Shen Yan’an and Shen Yanzhong were also helping to carry stones, leading teams to alternately and orderly hurl them at enemy troops attempting to climb up the city walls.

Seeing that Li Mingrui had already ordered catapults to be brought up, and archers were also releasing arrows…

Shen Yan’an shouted: “Everyone, get down! Everyone get down!”

Just as Shen Yan’an finished speaking, an arrow flying from a distance pierced through his arm. Shen Yan’an immediately fell to the ground. He bit his teeth tightly to prevent himself from crying out in pain, hiding beneath the wall, adjusting his breathing.

When the first wave of arrows stopped, Shen Yan’an stood up again and shouted: “Shoot! Shoot! Shoot those damn bastards!”

Below the city walls, some arrows flew over the walls and injured civilians in the city. Some arrows even penetrated the temporary tents set up for physicians to treat wounded soldiers.

Shouyang soldiers still running to transport supplies up the city walls shouted: “Quick, quick, quick! Take cover! Take cover!”

The children and young people carrying stones were nimble – they either hid under tables or went inside houses. When the arrow rain paused, they quickly grabbed stones and rushed them up to the city walls.

The singing girls and dancers from the flower houses craned their necks to look outside. Seeing how united the Shouyang soldiers and civilians were in resisting the enemy army, they couldn’t help but feel stirred…

Ever since Na Kang had met Bai Qingyan and composed “The March of General Bai,” she had remained in Shouyang. She pushed open the window and watched the people below running around, shouting to help their children who had joined the army at the city gates, her palms tightening.

Some children who usually played well with the Bai family’s Fifth and Sixth Misses formed groups together, calling out to help: “The Bai family’s Fifth Sister and Sixth Sister have gone up the city walls to kill thieves! Let’s go help too!”

“Wait for me! I’ll get my slingshot… to kill those bandits!” a child shouted.

Watching the united Shouyang people, Na Kang’s emotions surged again, suddenly feeling heroic. She turned and ran into the flower house, shouting for her sisters to dress properly and go help the people together.

A courtesan leaned delicately against a red lacquered pillar, saying coquettishly: “We people can’t carry burdens or lift things – what help could we be if we went?”

“We can beat drums! We can cheer! We can encourage the soldiers!” Na Kang declared loudly. “Don’t we always dance to the March of General Bai in this flower house? Don’t we also admire women like Princess Zhenguo, who can ride horses and wield swords, leading troops to kill enemies?! Isn’t today our opportunity?!”

The courtesans seemed inspired by Na Kang’s words, and some said they were willing to follow Na Kang to help.

The courtesans changed into practical clothes, tied up their long hair, and did what they could, whether helping physicians with simple wound dressing for soldiers or bringing soldiers a bowl of water.

Li Mingrui was completely unaware of the situation inside Shouyang City. He had never truly been on a battlefield before – this was his first time. He only felt that capturing the city was much slower than he had imagined. His horse beneath him was restless, stomping its hooves back and forth.

He turned to ask an experienced general: “Small Shouyang, with its ragtag army… why is it so difficult to attack?”

The Imperial Guard general looked at those soldiers desperately fighting on the walls and didn’t think they were ragtag troops at all.

“Although these Shouyang archers don’t have very good aim, they’re all brave enough to fight desperately. In that case… it is indeed harder to fight,” the Imperial Guard general said.

Li Mingrui tightened his grip on the reins: “In your opinion, how long will it take?”

“Sir, this is hard to say! In warfare… no one dares say how long it will take to capture a city!” the general replied.

Li Mingrui pulled at the reins, his gaze fixed on the figures of Bai Jinzhao and Bai Jinhua leading troops in archery on the city walls. He turned his horse around and said to the Jin army general: “All their forces should be concentrated at this north gate. You immediately take a thousand soldiers around to the west gate or south gate to disperse their forces for defense, making the north gate easier to attack!”

The Jin army general received the order, turned his horse around, and galloped away with his soldiers.

Li Mingrui’s palms were covered in sweat. Although he had read many military treatises since childhood, this was his first time on a real battlefield. When it came to actual fighting, Li Mingrui still felt somewhat uneasy. Even facing these ragtag Shouyang soldiers, he didn’t dare slack off.

However, what Li Mingrui hadn’t expected was that just after he ordered the general to take a thousand soldiers away to draw Shouyang’s forces, he suddenly heard earth-shaking battle cries from behind their army.

Li Mingrui turned around and saw an imposing army suddenly emerge from behind, holding high black sails with white python flags, surging toward them like a black tide.

Li Mingrui’s eyes widened as he stared at those black sails with white python flags fluttering in the wind. The iron-armored cavalry charging at the front formed a line. Before they even arrived, their formation and earth-shaking roars were enough to terrify the hearts and courage of these Imperial Guards who spent their days in the imperial city.

The shocked and panicked Li Mingrui gripped his reins tightly. As far as his eyes could see, there were soldiers and armor everywhere – roughly estimated to be over ten thousand… His heart trembled. Had Bai Qingyan returned? How could she be so fast?!

When Prince Liang issued orders to conscript boys and girls from various places, Li Mingrui had insisted on persuading Prince Liang to request an edict from the emperor to legitimize Prince Liang, declaring the crown prince a traitor and Prince Liang meritorious in quelling rebellion. Except for those holding the emperor’s golden tokens, command arrows, or imperial edicts, no one could mobilize troops without authorization or be allowed passage through city gates…

Li Mingrui had calculated carefully that even if Bai Qingyan’s group forced their way back to the capital, they would certainly be blocked along the way and could never return so quickly!

But in this world, who dares speak in absolutes! If the people inside Shouyang City saw that their reinforcements had arrived and came out to fight, how could these Imperial Guards, who had little experience with warfare in the imperial city, be their opponents?!

“Retreat! Retreat! Quick retreat!” Li Mingrui shouted.

The messengers around Li Mingrui scattered to relay orders. When the horn for troop withdrawal sounded…

Bai Jinzhao, still fighting desperately on Shouyang’s city walls, looked up into the distance. She only heard the enemy’s withdrawal horn and saw a black mass in the distance, not knowing whether it was enemy forces or reinforcements.

The Imperial Guards attacking the city heard the horn and retreated one after another.

The soldiers in the distance holding black sails with white python flags moved faster and closer. Bai Jinzhao’s eyes widened as she shouted: “Black sails with white python! It’s the black sails with white python flags! It’s our Bai family army’s banner!”

“Princess Zhenguo has returned! Princess Zhenguo has returned!”

Not just Bai Jinzhao – the moment the black sails with white python flags came into view, the entire Shouyang army was about to boil over!

Bai Jinzhao was so excited that her blood was surging throughout her body. She released another arrow and shouted hoarsely: “Shen Yan’an! Lead troops and follow me out of the city to pursue and kill the enemy!”