Prince Xiping’s archers and crossbow troops, ambushed on both sides of the mountain valley, were almost annihilated by the Great Zhou army led by Bai Qingyan.

However, because the Great Zhou army was completely unprepared, they suffered heavy losses from the initial arrow barrage.

Afterward, Bai Qingyan had her soldiers charge up the right slope to eliminate the archers personally led by Prince Xiping, then had her soldiers use Prince Xiping’s division’s bows and crossbows to shoot down most of the Xiping army archers who rushed out from the left slope in their eagerness to rescue their lord.

Nevertheless, the Xiping army held an enormous numerical advantage – they were originally five times the size of the Great Zhou army. Though the Great Zhou had inflicted some losses on them, the Great Zhou had also suffered heavy casualties at the beginning. Later, when the thirty thousand heavy-armored Xiping troops ambushed at the exit arrived, the Great Zhou army, already somewhat exhausted from fighting the enemy, was no match. Bai Qingyan led her soldiers to charge up the high slope, occupying the high ground advantage to defend desperately while waiting for reinforcements.

After a day of fierce battle, the Xiping army couldn’t break through after prolonged attacks and retreated to the base of the mountain, clearly intending to starve the Bai family army to death.

Prince Xiping’s heir said furiously, “Set fire to the mountain! I don’t believe we can’t burn them to death!”

“Your Highness, it just snowed heavily, with snow knee-deep. The branches and vines of the great trees in this deep forest are also covered with snow, probably already soaked with snow water. Fire likely won’t catch,” the black-robed strategist said, supporting Prince Xiping’s heir. “Your Highness need not be anxious. Our Xiping army has several times more troops than the Great Zhou army. Even besieging them at the mountain base can starve them to death.”

“Great Zhou soldiers have already broken out and will certainly bring reinforcements soon. By then, instead of killing the Great Zhou emperor, we’ll have caused ourselves trouble! If… other feudal princes fear Great Zhou’s retaliation and, seeking self-preservation, push our Xiping Prince’s mansion out to appease Great Zhou, what shall we do?” Prince Xiping’s heir thought of his father, the king, his heart burning with hatred like oil on fire. “We cannot hesitate – we must go up the mountain and kill the Great Zhou emperor!”

Seeing that Prince Xiping’s heir was determined to kill the Great Zhou emperor, the black-robed strategist said no more.

Prince Xiping’s heir looked up toward the mountain and said, “Have the soldiers eat their fill, then we attack upward!”

After sunset, darkness fell quickly, and the mountain wind grew increasingly bone-chilling.

At this moment, on this dark and windy night with no moon visible, in the depths of the rarely-traveled mountain forest, one could only dimly see shadowy figures of towering trees standing in knee-deep snow.

Wei Zhong found a wooden hut built by the water by forest keepers. This hut seemed to have been abandoned for a long time – the furniture inside was covered with dust, but it could shelter Bai Qingyan from the deep night’s cold wind.

Bai Qingyan glanced at the soldiers who had climbed the mountain with her, calculating the time and estimating that Bai Jinzhi should soon bring rescue troops.

“Light fires, get some water or snow, boil it to warm the soldiers!” Bai Qingyan, watching soldiers helping their wounded comrades up the mountain, said to Liu Pinggao, “Carry the seriously wounded into the hut! I’ll be fine with a fire pit outside.”

“Light fires?” Liu Pinggao stepped forward, quite surprised, and said to Bai Qingyan, “On such a dark and windy night, lighting fires will expose our position!”

“Do you think the Xiping army will let us stay peacefully on the mountain?” Bai Qingyan looked toward the base of the mountain and said calmly, “Our scouts report that the Xiping army has already started cooking. After eating their fill, they’ll certainly attack up the mountain! No need to hide anymore. Let the soldiers rest and drink some hot water. Send a squad out to find an escape route!”

Liu Pinggao was silent for a moment, then nodded and ordered fires to be lit and water to be boiled.

Bai Qingyan also gathered all the uninjured soldiers together, having them make snowballs, preferably finding stones by the stream to wrap inside the snowballs. They needn’t be too large – about the size of a person’s embrace would suffice. They should use snow from along the path down the mountain, pile it near this thatched hut, and block it with horizontal logs…

Some soldiers were puzzled and couldn’t help muttering, “Isn’t this clearing a clean path up the mountain for them, making it easier for them to climb up?”

“If His Majesty orders it, there’s certainly His Majesty’s reasoning. Don’t forget our emperor is the undefeated god of war!”

That young soldier nodded, and with a command, had the soldiers make snowballs.

While waiting for hot water, the soldiers had already made quite a few snowballs. After drinking hot water and feeling warmth in their empty stomachs, the soldiers worked even more enthusiastically.

“Send someone to count our arrows!” Bai Qingyan said to Liu Pinggao. “Consolidate the arrows we just captured and redistribute them!”

Bonfires were lit one after another. After Bai Qingyan instructed Liu Pinggao on how to fight the upcoming battle, she sat beside Taiping, who was seriously wounded and lying by the bonfire with white mist continuously puffing from his nostrils, gently stroking Taiping’s neck.

Today, when Taiping was escorting Bai Jinzhi to break through the encirclement, Bai Jinzhi had been too impetuous, charging alone into the enemy army. If Taiping hadn’t leaped to block the enemy spear for Bai Jinzhi, she probably couldn’t have escaped intact.

After Bai Jinzhi was rescued by Lu Yuanpeng, Taiping had risen despite his wounds and followed Bai Qingyan.

Fortunately, Taiping could jump high, so the spear hadn’t penetrated very deeply.

The bleeding had now stopped, and Bai Qingyan hoped Taiping would be safe.

“Report…” The scout watching the Xiping army at the mountain base came running back breathlessly, kneeling on one knee before Bai Qingyan. “Your Majesty, the Xiping army below seems to have finished eating!”

Prince Xiping’s heir hadn’t given Bai Qingyan and her forces more time, determined to eliminate Bai Qingyan this very night.

Bai Qingyan stood up, looked back at the thatched hut left by the mountain keeper, and said, “Move the wounded out of the thatched hut. All soldiers, prepare for battle!”

With Bai Qingyan’s command, archers and crossbow troops carrying bows and arrows immediately rose, crouching as they rushed toward the mountain base. When they nearly reached the lower mountain position, they dispersed and climbed up tall trees.

The remaining soldiers delivered arrows up to them – each archer was equipped with about eighty arrows, crossbow troops with one hundred fifty arrows. After delivering the arrows and helping to tie arrow quivers to the trees, they randomly trampled footprints in the snow hollows to conceal their comrades in the trees, then returned at top speed.

All the bows and arrows the entire army carried, plus those captured from Prince Xiping, except for fifty arrows reserved for Bai Qingyan, were all distributed to the archers in the trees.

Seeing that the remaining soldiers had all returned, Bai Qingyan called out loudly, “Set this thatched hut ablaze!”

The snowballs were ready, all blocked between large trees by horizontal logs. When making snowballs, they had also cleared the path down half the mountain. Bai Qingyan was deliberately luring the Xiping army over.

Sure enough, when Prince Xiping’s heir saw the towering flames deep in the dark forest, he immediately ordered an advance in that direction.

“Your Highness! The Great Zhou emperor was forced up the mountain by us and should be too busy hiding – why would he light such a large fire to attract our Xiping army’s attention? There must be treachery involved!” The black-robed strategist tried to stop Prince Xiping’s heir.

Prince Xiping’s heir was not afraid at all and sneered coldly, “This Great Zhou emperor has always been full of schemes. My father, the king, had me study this Great Zhou emperor’s fighting methods – his military tactics are extremely treacherous and cunning!”