“You should rest well first. We will fight, but there’s no rush to send troops immediately.” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, Weizhong led the servants carrying the shoulder litter out of the courtyard. “Go back and rest for a while.”

After last night’s great battle, Bai Qingjue had led the soldiers traveling day and night to get here. Fighting now, when both men and horses were exhausted, wouldn’t necessarily lead to victory.

It was better to let the soldiers eat their fill, drink well, and rest properly for half a day. Then they could march out under the cover of night to suddenly attack the Xiping Army. At this time, the Great Zhou soldiers were still filled with righteous anger, their blood boiling with desire for revenge, naturally making each one of them full of fighting spirit.

Knowing that his eldest sister had been attacked, Bai Qingjue had rushed here on fast horses. Seeing that his eldest sister had injuries on her arm and leg, along with some external wounds, he breathed a sigh of relief while also feeling towering rage in his heart.

“I’ve already sent people to watch Xiping Prefecture. Any news will be sent back immediately. Let the soldiers eat their fill and sleep. After the sun sets tomorrow, we’ll send troops to Xiping Prefecture!” Bai Qingyan said to Bai Qingjue.

Bai Qingyan had not only sent people to watch Xiping Prefecture, but on the way back with the troops, she had chosen several important locations and stationed people there. If Xiping Prefecture sent scouts to spy on Shequ City, they were to capture them alive if possible; otherwise, kill them without question.

“Yes!” After Bai Qingjue responded, he asked again, “Eldest sister, should we call over the fifty thousand garrison troops from Pingyang?”

“I’ve already sent people. Within three days… the Pingyang Army will arrive.” Bai Qingyan spoke quietly with Bai Qingjue. “Besides that, although the Guangling garrison isn’t numerous, I’ve also called them over. Guangling isn’t far from Shequ, so they should arrive by noon tomorrow at the latest, and can set out after a brief rest.”

·

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking and the sun had not yet risen, only strong light could be seen penetrating through the heavy cloud layers on the eastern horizon, as if edging those thick clouds with a pale glow.

The soldiers were all still resting, and Shequ city was so quiet that not even a dog’s bark could be heard…

Only the subtle sounds of armor friction could be heard when the city wall guards changed shifts.

Bai Qingyan had just risen when she heard Liu Pinggao outside reporting that they had caught scouts.

Liu Pinggao stood inside the room, separated from Bai Qingyan by several layers of heavy curtains and a painted screen. Not even half a glimmer of light from inside leaked out. Liu Pinggao could only hear the sound of Bai Qingyan washing from within.

The dim lamplight outside the curtains cast shadows on half of Liu Pinggao’s solemn face. His voice was ice-cold, carrying bone-cutting hatred: “This subordinate used some methods on these two scouts. One endured all kinds of torture but only cried and begged for mercy, claiming to know nothing. The other initially said… Prince Xiping knew His Majesty excels at swift, decisive battles, and fearing His Majesty would immediately mobilize troops to attack Xiping Prefecture after returning to Shequ, he sent them to scout!”

“Later, under severe interrogation, he revealed more, saying Prince Xiping ordered the Xiping Army to strictly defend Xiping city, and had already sent people to invite other Yan Kingdom feudal princes. If the Great Zhou attacks their Xiping Prefecture for revenge, they would join with other feudal princes to attack the Great Zhou forces from inside and outside! If Great Zhou waits for Great Zhou’s main army and temporarily doesn’t retaliate, they plan to take advantage of Great Zhou not yet reacting to join with other feudal princes in a fierce attack on Shequ to kill His Majesty.”

She took the hot towel Weizhong handed her to wipe her face, then rinsed her mouth with fine salt before asking aloud: “Have the people sent to watch Xiping Prefecture sent back any news?”

“Not yet,” Liu Pinggao said.

“Send someone to make a trip and see whether our people were discovered by this Prince Xiping, or if they’re still keeping watch because they found nothing unusual!” Bai Qingyan calculated the time. “Have them return within three hours, regardless of whether they encounter our people sent to watch Xiping Prefecture!”

“Yes!” Liu Pinggao responded and retreated from the main room, quickly running out of the courtyard to give orders.

Liu Pinggao hadn’t gone far from the courtyard when he encountered Xiao Ruojiang, who had returned with Bai Qingjue last night.

Seeing Xiao Ruojiang wrapped in a layer of cold air, with water vapor on his hair and eyelashes, Liu Pinggao was quite surprised: “Where have you been?”

“I went to Xiping Prefecture during the night!” Xiao Ruojiang’s face was frozen red from the cold, and his speech was slurred from the cold. Hearing Liu Pinggao mention that Bai Qingyan had just ordered someone to go to Xiping Prefecture, he said again, “Then there’s no need to send anyone. I just returned, and I’ll go see the eldest miss now.”

Liu Pinggao watched Xiao Ruojiang hurrying away in his tight-fitting clothes, feeling moved in his heart. These two brothers Xiao Ruohai and Xiao Ruojiang by His Majesty’s side were truly extraordinary people, actually able to predict the future and go to Xiping Prefecture on their own initiative.

Liu Pinggao knew the abilities of these two milk brothers of Bai Qingyan, and couldn’t help but think of Xiao Ruohai… If only Xiao Ruohai and Shen Qingzhu by His Majesty’s were here for this war to destroy Yan.

Hearing Xiao Ruojiang requesting an audience at the door, Bai Qingyan instructed Weizhong: “Milk brother just returned and is probably still hungry. Send someone to ask A’Jue to come over, prepare breakfast, and we’ll eat together.”

Xiao Ruojiang entered from outside the cotton felt curtain. After Weizhong had someone serve the meal, he also ordered people to move a copper brazier with glowing red charcoal near Xiao Ruojiang and personally took the cold cloak from Xiao Ruojiang’s body.

Xiao Ruojiang took out a map of Xiping city he had drawn from his chest and had Weizhong pass it to her, avoiding giving his cold air to Bai Qingyan: “Last night, Xiping city was under full alert, so I couldn’t infiltrate the city. This map isn’t very detailed – it’s just a rough idea of the city’s size and wall height.”

“Xiping city was built relatively early, so the walls aren’t very high.” Weizhong brought hot tea to Xiao Ruojiang. He nodded in thanks, then continued speaking to Bai Qingyan, who was examining the map: “If the Huying Army or Shuoyang Army were here, scaling the walls would be easy, but relying solely on the Anping Army… It’s not that we can’t take it, but it would take much more time, and then… there’s no guarantee other feudal princes won’t arrive!”

Just as Xiao Ruojiang finished speaking, Bai Qingjue arrived. Xiao Ruojiang quickly stood to salute Bai Qingjue, but Bai Qingjue waved for him to sit. After saluting Bai Qingyan, he took his seat below her.

“Eldest miss…” Xiao Ruojiang knelt back down and looked at Bai Qingyan. “Our forces are limited. If we spend too much time at Xiping city and other feudal princes arrive, we might be attacked from both sides.”

Hearing this, Bai Qingyan took the candlestick from the desk and, enduring the pain in her leg, walked to the large map hanging on the wall. Bai Qingjue and Xiao Ruojiang also quickly stood and followed.

Bai Qingyan pointed to Jiujiang’s location on the map: “The feudal prince closest to Xiping with the most sufficient forces is… the Prince of Jiujiang!”

She traced her finger from Jiujiang to Xiping city: “From Jiujiang to Xiping city takes two days! From our Great Zhou’s Guangling to Xiping city takes one day, and mobilizing Pingyang city’s garrison to reinforce Xiping city takes three days! Xiao Si gave orders yesterday evening for each city to mobilize troops for reinforcement, and they arrived at Shequ by midnight! Once Guangling’s forces arrive at noon, our Great Zhou will have forty thousand troops at our disposal!”