However, whether it was the bows or crossbows in the Fire Cloud Army’s hands… positioned as they were in the low ground, they simply couldn’t exert their proper effect. Even when they could be used, their effectiveness was greatly diminished.
The Fire Cloud Army could also be considered brave, charging fearlessly toward the city walls with complete disregard for their lives. Corpses piled up at the stairway entrances to the city walls as they used their bodies to shield their comrades from the arrow rain, hoping that even one more step forward, even if only one person could reach the Great Zhou Tiger Eagle Battalion face to face, even if… they could kill just one Great Zhou soldier.
But how could the Tiger Eagle Army soldiers let these imposters advance further? Their Great Zhou Emperor… their Majesty was right there on the city wall!
Although Bai Qingyan was now pregnant and couldn’t fight at the forefront as before, on this battlefield’s front line, their emperor stood with them!
If they died, the danger would reach their Great Zhou Emperor.
“The courage of these Fire Cloud Army soldiers… is indeed commendable!” Shen Liangyu held respect for these Fire Cloud Army soldiers who continued fighting desperately despite their predicament. The anger he had initially felt because this Fire Cloud Army was imitating the Tiger Eagle Battalion had completely disappeared, replaced instead by a fighting spirit. “Your Majesty, let the Tiger Eagle Army engage them in direct combat!”
“Our soldiers are all precious! We’ve already gained the advantage—it’s an overwhelming victory. There’s no need to expend our soldiers’ lives! However… I will also do my best to preserve the lives of these Fire Cloud Army soldiers you admire!”
Bai Qingyan drew a feathered arrow and aimed at those shields arranged like a turtle shell. As long as she could find a gap and shoot Yun Lingzhi, this slaughter could end!
With the world unified, the Xiliang army would become the Great Zhou army. Bai Qingyan also didn’t want them to suffer too heavy losses.
It was precisely for this reason that Bai Qingyan hadn’t ordered the Tiger Eagle Battalion to use fire. If they had used fire oil, this battle would have ended quickly, but the people… and the houses of common folk in Pingyang City would all suffer as well.
Just a tiny gap, let her see…
Wind whistled in Bai Qingyan’s ears as she stared like a hawk at those shields connected with almost no gaps, quietly awaiting her opportunity.
The chaotic battle at Pingyang City’s east gate continued, while the prefect’s mansion was now a river of blood. The Tiger Eagle Army had cleaned up the Fire Cloud Army corpses, and someone asked the squad leader whether they should go support the east gate, where the sounds of battle were now shaking the heavens.
“We should still follow orders and await commands here after ending this battle!” the Tiger Eagle Battalion squad leader said.
Soon, under the fierce assault of arrow rain, the shield bearer supporting the topmost shield was running out of strength. The ground beneath his feet was slippery with blood—every step he took resulted in a slip. He gritted his teeth and held on desperately, but was already beginning to sway, repeatedly exposing flaws and gaps.
Bai Qingyan gently exhaled a breath of white mist, watching the direction the wind scattered the mist. She faintly glimpsed the gap as the shields wavered. Steady herself, release the arrow, draw another arrow, nock it, and another shot…
As a military general, his natural perception of danger was more acute than ordinary soldiers. Yun Lingzhi suddenly turned around and grasped the unsteady arm of that Fire Cloud Army soldier. Just as he closed the gap… an arrow shot straight through the crevice, another arrow pierced through the gap, and yet another arrow struck directly into Yun Lingzhi’s right eye. Another arrow penetrated through the fletching of the arrow already embedded in Yun Lingzhi’s right eye, piercing through his right eye and striking into the leg bone of a shield bearer, still carrying a terrifying, bloody eyeball.
The shield formation that had just been intact like a turtle shell immediately fell into chaos…
On the battlefield, once a flaw is exposed, death is certain!
Arrows rained down in unison. The Fire Cloud Army shield bearers almost used their bodies to protect Yun Poxing’s grandson, Yun Tianao, and shield Yun Lingzhi… but no one noticed that Yun Lingzhi, now lying limply in a pool of blood, had already breathed his last.
Shen Liangyu’s blood surged with heat. He took a torch from a soldier’s hands, leaped onto the city wall, and his voice rang out deep as a bell: “Cease arrow fire! The Xiliang commander is dead! Fire Cloud Army soldiers who surrender will not be killed!”
Yun Tianao, holding the completely dead Yun Lingzhi in his arms, looked up to see Bai Qingyan and immediately widened his eyes: “Bai Qingyan!”
Originally, Yun Tianao had still placed his hopes on the Fire Cloud Army elite, hoping they could capture Bai Qingyan alive to resolve their current predicament. But seeing Bai Qingyan appear here, Yun Tianao lost all hope!
Indeed, this had been a trap from the beginning. Bai Qingyan had lured them into her net—how could she possibly still obediently wait in the prefect’s mansion for their elite to capture her!
But where had Bai Qingyan gotten these troops? The intelligence that Prince Yan had gathered indicated that Pingyang City had deployed all its forces!
Moreover, the Great Zhou had also sent people to launch a surprise attack on their encampment at Lai’an Mountain, wanting to capture their sovereign Li Tianjiao!
Thinking of Li Tianjiao, Yun Tianao immediately thought of his grandfather Yun Poxing who had returned to provide aid. His expression changed dramatically… So could Her Majesty’s attack also just be Bai Qingyan’s trick, intended to lure grandfather back and ambush him en route?
No! It couldn’t be…
Grandfather was naturally cautious. Before leading troops out, he had already sent people to search and found no ambush forces at all!
At least, Grandfather could return with half the Fire Cloud Army to protect Her Majesty’s escape. As long as Her Majesty remained, Xiliang would not perish!
Hearing Yun Tianao address Bai Qingyan directly by name, Shen Liangyu simply shouted again: “The Great Zhou Empress is here! Surrender and you will not be killed—those who resist will die!”
The flickering torches illuminated Bai Qingyan’s features in alternating light and shadow. Her extremely beautiful features were cold, especially those eyes that looked upon this mountain of corpses and sea of blood without the slightest ripple.
When she had obtained the military records before, she learned that Yun Poxing had colluded with Liu Huanzhang and used that fool Prince Xin to force the Bai family army into the canyon. Yun Poxing had used exactly this method—occupying the high ground and using wave after wave of arrow rain to shoot down the Bai family army, besieging the Bai family army along with her grandfather, uncle, and her brothers.
If Bai Qingyan’s heart were more ruthless, she would surely repay Xiliang hundreds of times over for what the Bai family army brothers, grandfather, and the others had endured.
But… she wanted revenge, not slaughter.
Once Shen Liangyu spoke these words, the Fire Cloud Army, who already knew they had fallen into a trap and were trapped, began to develop cowardly hearts. Combined with hearing Yun Tianao’s grief-stricken, hysterical cries calling out Yun Lingzhi’s name, and seeing the Great Zhou Emperor on the city wall, the Fire Cloud Army’s fighting spirit and morale completely collapsed.
Shen Liangyu watched as the Fire Cloud Army stopped resisting one after another, dropping their weapons and surrendering, then turned to look at Bai Qingyan…
“Leave people to clean up the aftermath, and imprison these surrendered prisoners first. Take Yun Lingzhi and Yun Tianao—we’re going to see whether General Cheng has already taken Yun Poxing’s head!” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she turned and walked toward the bottom of the city wall.
She also wanted to witness Yun Poxing’s death!
Even if not for grandfather and the others who died in battle, she had to personally witness Yun Poxing’s death for Little Seventeen’s sake.