Bai Jinse stood to the side, looking at Bai Qingyan with hopeful eyes, wanting to contribute something herself: “Eldest Sister… what about me?”

“Tomorrow, when we set out for the expedition, you’ll stay behind…” Bai Qingyan smiled as she spoke to Bai Jinse. “Rear defense is very important. Who knows if Dongyi might also divide their forces to attack? The safety of the coastal people and fishermen will be entrusted to you all.”

Bai Jinse was stunned: “Eldest Sister won’t take me along?”

“This place also needs a member of the Bai family to hold the position. We can’t all go to Dongyi…” Bai Qingyan stood up and patted Bai Jinse’s head. “Go help your Fourth Sister!”

Bai Jinse thought for a moment. Her Seventh Brother definitely wouldn’t stay behind, and Fourth Sister was the type who would rush wherever there was a battle to fight. If the Bai family truly needed one person to stay behind, then it could only be her.

Bai Jinse nodded and accepted the order, going to help her Fourth Sister transport the medicine that Physician Hong had prepared for the soldiers.

Early the next morning, those assembled included not only the Bai Family Army soldiers but also the naval officers and soldiers who would depart together.

Before departure, Bai Qingyan did not deliver the kind of stirring speech to boost the soldiers’ morale as Jiang Huaisheng had done when leading the navy’s expedition. She simply stood at the front of the Bai Family Army soldiers and called out loudly: “Officers and soldiers of the Bai Family Army! We’re going to bring Prince Han home!”

With one sentence from Bai Qingyan, the naval officers and soldiers were moved to tears.

Bringing Prince Han home…

So this battle was truly being fought by the Great Zhou Emperor for Prince Han and the fallen naval brothers. Their emperor… truly regarded them as his elite warriors, just like the Bai Family Army.

On the ninth day of the tenth month in the second year of Yuanhe, the Great Zhou Emperor, Prince Zhongguo, and Prince Gaoyi personally led the Bai Family Army soldiers on an expedition to Dongyi.

Cheng Yuanzhi, who had previously been as sick as a worm on ships, had taken the pills prepared by Physician Hong early on. His seasickness symptoms were much better than last time. Just as Prince Han had told Cheng Yuanzhi back then, after getting dizzy and vomiting on the ship for a while, one would quickly get used to it.

After boarding the ship, Cheng Yuanzhi somehow kept thinking of Prince Han, that chubby white fellow. The more he thought of Prince Han, the more guilty he felt, and the more he wished the ship could go faster so they could bring Prince Han back as soon as possible.

Cheng Yuanzhi stood at the bow, looking toward Dongyi, only hoping that those dogs in Dongyi hadn’t desecrated Prince Han’s remains. Otherwise, even if Xiao Bai Commander ordered not to kill prisoners, he would slaughter all those dogs clean.

If Prince Han knew that Xiao Bai Commander had personally come to fetch him, he would surely be very happy! Happy to have encountered such a sovereign in his lifetime.

“General Cheng…” Bai Qingjue walked to Cheng Yuanzhi’s side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him with her hands behind his back. “The matter of Prince Han is not your fault. You needn’t brood over it day and night. Now that Eldest Sister is leading us to bring Prince Han back and destroy Dongyi, it’s also for revenge!”

Cheng Yuanzhi nodded repeatedly: “I know! Du Yulang is already dead. I must… personally chop off the head of Dongyi’s emperor! Seventh Young Master… please speak to Xiao Bai Commander and let me, Old Cheng, be the vanguard!”

Bai Qingjue patted Cheng Yuanzhi’s shoulder: “Eldest Sister has her arrangements. Don’t worry!”

Lu Yuanpeng and Sima Ping had just emerged from the ship’s cabin when they saw Bai Qingjue pat Cheng Yuanzhi’s shoulder after saying something unknown, preparing to leave.

Lu Yuanpeng quickly called out to Bai Qingjue: “Hey hey hey! Bai Qi Lang… Qi Lang!”

“How many times have I told you? In front of outsiders, don’t call me Qi Lang. That’s Prince Zhongguo!” Sima Ping reminded Lu Yuanpeng.

“What Prince Zhongguo, Prince Jingguo? We all grew up together. This Bai Qi Lang isn’t the type to put on airs in front of friends after getting promoted and rich. Why are you being so nervous?” Lu Yuanpeng said with a grin, then ran toward Bai Qingjue.

Sima Ping: “…”

That was true, but why didn’t this fool Lu Yuanpeng know to be a bit more courteous?

Bai Qingjue turned to look at Lu Yuanpeng, his eyes and brows carrying a smile as he stood with his hands behind his back.

“Qi Lang, this time it’s the Bai family sister leading the troops. Can you put in a good word for me with the Bai family sister and let me be the vanguard?” After Lu Yuanpeng finished speaking, he saw Cheng Yuanzhi turn to glare at him. He looked completely bewildered. “General Cheng, which of my words was wrong?”

Cheng Yuanzhi was about to speak, but Lu Yuanpeng didn’t give him a chance to open his mouth. He pulled Bai Qingjue’s arm and walked aside, continuing: “I just went to find Bai Jinzhi to ask her to go to the Bai family sister to plead for me, asking to let me be the vanguard. Bai Jinzhi advised me not to compete with General Cheng. I think that Bai Jinzhi must have taken bribes from General Cheng! This bribery and corruption in the military… they won’t have a chance to fight in this battle, right?”

Cheng Yuanzhi: “…”

“Lu Yuanpeng, I’m still right here!” Cheng Yuanzhi looked at Lu Yuanpeng and said, “Do you know what crime it is to slander a superior officer?”

“General Cheng, you should listen more to General Shen Kunyang. Opportunities… should be left for the younger generation!” Lu Yuanpeng said earnestly to Cheng Yuanzhi. “In ancient times, there was Kong Rong yielding pears. You, General Cheng, such a great general, should also yield to us younger generation.”

“Seventh Young Master, is it too late to send Lu Yuanpeng back on a small boat now?” Cheng Yuanzhi asked Bai Qingjue with equal seriousness.

Throughout the rest of the journey, Bai Qingjue and Sima Ping said nothing, while Cheng Yuanzhi and Lu Yuanpeng argued fiercely, never concluding.

On the warship, Jiang Huaisheng had the three hundred most elite warriors of the navy assembled. Looking at these soldiers who had once served under him, having to select suicide squad members from among them, Jiang Huaisheng truly felt heartbroken.

But since the Emperor had shown such consideration, these naval officers and soldiers also had to show their appreciation in return—that would be proper.

Jiang Huaisheng was the supreme commander of this sea domain operation. Bai Qingyan had said there was no need to save money, but ultimately, Great Zhou was currently gambling the nation against Yan. Jiang Huaisheng didn’t want an emperor like Bai Qingyan to lose, so… he had to find ways to save money for the Great Zhou.

“We all understand that to achieve victory, sacrifice is inevitable.” Jiang Huaisheng’s sharp, steady gaze swept over the three hundred elite warriors with resolute expressions. “But we can use the smallest sacrifice to achieve the greatest victory on the battlefield, striving to limit the casualties to our group.”

“Those standing here today are all the elite of our Great Zhou navy! Moreover, you are the bravest warriors of our Great Zhou navy!” Although Jiang Huaisheng was the supreme commander of this expedition, he included himself in this suicide squad. Having now met with Liu Shucheng, he planned for the suicide squad to depart tonight, entrusting the navy to Liu Shucheng’s hands. “Because… we dare to use our own lives for our comrades-in-arms, for the entire Great Zhou army to establish victory! We will certainly be key to the entire battle situation.”