Yue Qiong departed with his men, leaving only the supplies they had brought as a gesture of goodwill and sincerity to Yan Chi. After Yue Qiong left, Yue Ning felt one burden lift while gaining an even greater worry. Although she was quite disappointed in Yan Ze, she hadn’t wanted to make the matter bigger. If Prince Yi’s household were truly executed to the ninth degree of kinship, that wasn’t what she wanted to see now. Having told Yue Qiong everything, she could only hope he would handle the matter appropriately.
Yan Chi ordered messages sent back to Wu Prefecture and led his men to survey the area around Five Zhang Plain, finally determining where to establish their camp. By dusk the next day, Xiao Cheng and others arrived with the main army at Five Zhang Plain, while Yang Jia remained in Wu Prefecture as a precaution.
After a night of reorganizing, the main camp was complete. Yan Chi sent many scouts to investigate the Rong barbarians’ camp. Reports flew back to the camp like arrows, and the entire camp became tense in an unprecedented way. Qin Wan and Yue Ning were also unsettled by the pre-battle atmosphere. The severely wounded soldiers had remained in Wu Prefecture, though some with lighter wounds who refused to stay behind had come. Thus, as soon as the camp was ready, a field hospital was established. Qin Wan and Yue Ning helped in the hospital, contributing to the war effort in their way.
On the third day, Yue Qiong indeed came to the camp, with Yan Qi accompanying him. Though Yan Qi’s attitude was somewhat dubious, he was quite enthusiastic about developing a battle strategy. Seeing this, Yue Qiong didn’t interfere much, but Yan Chi kept a careful watch to prevent Yan Qi from harboring other thoughts.
“Currently, the main Rong army is gathered fifty li northeast of Five Zhang Plain, at this location called Black Wind Forest. It’s a hilly area where they’re camped halfway up the slope, with watchtowers at the highest points. These days, they send fifty thousand troops to attack Feng Prefecture in rotation, sometimes during the day, and sometimes at night. Since Black Wind Forest isn’t far from Feng Prefecture, we can’t rashly sally forth even against just fifty thousand troops.”
After Yue Qiong finished speaking, Yan Chi said, “Your forces are only slightly more than fifty thousand, but if combined with the Northwestern Army, we could achieve a quick victory against these fifty thousand troops.”
Yue Qiong’s eyes brightened slightly, “That’s exactly what I was thinking. They don’t know you’re here yet—why not launch a surprise attack?! Since they’ve sent out fifty thousand troops, let’s make sure these fifty thousand have no way back. This will wear down their numbers, making it easier to gradually whittle them down afterward.”
Yan Chi nodded, “If we’re launching a surprise attack, why not attack at night? These past few days when they attack during daylight, you should still not meet them in battle. If they send troops at night, we can coordinate an attack from inside and outside. At that time, we’ll launch surprise attacks from the southwest and southeast directions. When they’re attacked from behind, they’ll surely turn around. That’s when you can sortie from the city, catching them completely off guard. The Rong people aren’t skilled at city warfare—it would be best if you could use your archer units to disrupt their formation first.”
Naturally, Yue Qiong praised this plan. After further discussion with Yan Chi, they finalized the strategy. When they asked the officers from both sides, none had objections, so the plan was set. Yue Qiong stayed in camp, sharing a meal with Qin Wan, Yue Ning, and others before returning to Feng Prefecture.
Over the next two days, both sides prepared for battle, but the Rong barbarians only attacked during the day. After waiting another day, they finally got a rainy day. The summer rain poured down heavily, and the Rong barbarians didn’t attack that day. Since they hadn’t attacked during the day, the Rong people couldn’t resist at night, giving Yan Chi his opportunity.
After the heavy rain, Five Zhang Plain’s camp was muddy. In the central command tent, Yan Chi said, “Yu Qi will lead thirty thousand troops to ambush southwest of Feng Prefecture. This location is a low hill, and our men will hide on the hillside, waiting for the right moment.”
“Gu Ling, you’ll lead thirty thousand troops to ambush southeast of Feng Prefecture. There’s a dense forest there, and in the deep night, an ambush there won’t be detected.”
Yu Qi and Gu Ling both nodded. This time was different from before—both of their expressions were very serious.
Yan Chi continued, “Move out at the second watch. It will take one hour to reach these positions. Once there, you need only set up the ambush and wait. When the Rong people attack at night, they always leave before dawn. We’ll wait until they’re tired, then strike decisively. I’ll use flares as signals—red flares mean to execute the original plan, but if blue flares appear, it means to retreat.”
This was standard practice for the Northwestern Army. Yu Qi and Gu Ling needed no further explanation and agreed. Yan Chi analyzed various battle scenarios with them, and seeing it was getting late, finally said, “Tonight will be an intense battle. There can be no mistakes. Go rest and gather your strength.”
Sleep was impossible at this point, so Yu Qi went to organize the troops while Gu Ling returned to his tent to discuss the night’s battle plans with his junior officers.
When night fell, the first scout reported that the Rong forces had moved out and were heading toward Feng Prefecture.
After waiting another half hour, the second scout reported that the Rong forces had reached Feng Prefecture and were launching a fierce attack.
Hearing this, Yan Chi immediately ordered the army to mobilize. By the second watch, the sixty thousand troops who would fight tonight were ready to move.
Yan Chi wouldn’t personally fight tonight. He took only a hundred men and chose a high point south of Feng Prefecture where he could observe the battle outside the city from afar. Both Yu Qi and Gu Ling had to wait for his orders before leading their troops to attack from both sides.
Qin Wan knew Yan Chi wouldn’t personally fight, but she still couldn’t help worrying. In the tent, while helping Yan Chi adjust his armor, she said, “Although you’re not leading troops, your position is too close to Feng Prefecture. You must be careful.”
Yan Chi smiled, “I’m only bringing a hundred men. If anything goes wrong, we can withdraw quietly. Don’t worry.”
When everything was ready, Qin Wan couldn’t help but embrace Yan Chi’s waist, saying softly, “As I always say, don’t lose even a single hair!”
At this, Yan Chi smiled, “I’ll remember, of course.”
He kissed her cheek and said, “When I return, I’ll kiss you properly.”
Qin Wan was helpless, but Yan Chi had already strode out of the tent. Outside, sixty thousand troops were fully equipped. At the sound of war drums, the sixty thousand troops slowly left the camp under cover of darkness. Qin Wan rushed out of the tent to watch the army disappear into the distance.
Soon after, Yue Ning came to Qin Wan’s side, holding her hand and saying, “Don’t worry.”
Qin Wan touched her chest. This was the second time, and she seemed less worried than the first, but she was still very anxious.
Qin Wan smiled and said, “Keep me company talking tonight.”
Yue Ning naturally agreed, and later they talked in the tent. After Yan Chi left with Yu Qi and Gu Ling, Chu Feishi and Xiao Cheng were in command of the camp.
Although Qin Wan knew the major battle wouldn’t begin until dawn, she couldn’t help but pay attention to any movement from the command tent. Tonight, not only could she not sleep, but Chu Feishi and Xiao Cheng would also wait all night in the command tent.
After midnight, Qin Wan finally lay down at Yue Ning’s urging, but she drifted in and out of sleep. Halfway through the hour of the Tiger (3-5 AM), suddenly a fast horse entered the main camp, heading straight for the command tent. Qin Wan was sleeping restlessly and woke at the commotion, quickly dressing and hurrying to the central command tent.
When she reached the command tent, the scout had already finished reporting. Seeing her arrive, Chu Feishi said, “It has begun.”
Qin Wan’s heart immediately jumped to her throat!
Outside Feng Prefecture, Yan Chi’s position was less than a hundred zhang from the Rong army. Under the night sky, the Rong soldiers’ torches twinkled like stars, illuminating the wilderness outside Feng Prefecture. Yan Chi observed the Rong formations changing more and more slowly and their attacks on the city becoming less frequent and knew the time had come.
So he ordered, “Give the command to prepare for battle!”
At this order, Bai Feng immediately launched red flares.
These flares rose into the sky like shooting stars, and the staff officers near Yu Qi and Gu Ling saw them.
Suddenly, the Northwestern Army troops who had been lying in ambush all night attacked from east and west like an army of demon soldiers!
The Rong forces had been rotating their troops, and everyone was tired after a whole night. The men at the rear of the formation had defaulted to sitting and resting. The Northwestern Army appeared suddenly like ghosts, and before anyone could react, many Rong soldiers had already fallen.
The smell of blood filled the air. Almost a quarter hour passed before news of the Northwestern Army’s attack reached the general at the front of the formation!
Upon hearing the Northwestern Army had arrived, the general’s face changed dramatically, and he immediately ordered the troops to turn and face the new threat!
The Northwestern Army’s surprise attack, with numbers nearly matching the Rong forces, had already shown signs of victory by the time the Rong troops turned around. At the same time, seeing the Rong forces turn to meet the Northwestern Army, Yue Qiong in Feng Prefecture gave the order to attack!
Suddenly, the city gates that had been tightly closed for days burst open. Fifty thousand Jin Prefecture troops poured out, supported by archers on the city walls who instantly felled a large number of troops at the rear. When the Jin Prefecture cavalry charged, the Rong forces had almost no ability to resist!
The Rong forces had only deployed about fifty thousand troops, while the Jin Prefecture and Northwestern armies together numbered one hundred and ten thousand!
The unexpected ambush, combined with double the manpower, turned the following scene into practically a slaughter!
The Northwestern Army harbored a deep hatred for the Rong barbarians, while the Jin Prefecture forces had been besieged for half a month and were equally furious. Knowing their chance had come, neither side showed mercy. Moreover, remembering the fall of Chang Prefecture and how these people had massacred that city, they fought even more fiercely!
When the Rong forces were surrounded and attacked from all sides by the hundred and ten thousand troops, Yan Chi, watching from the ridge, relaxed his furrowed brows.
“The battle is decided. Order Gu Ling to finish quickly and not get caught up in prolonged fighting. Have the scouts closely watch for any movement from the Rong main camp.”
Bai Feng transmitted the orders one by one. Yan Chi waited a while longer on the ridge until he saw many Rong soldiers beginning to surrender. Only then did he turn his horse toward Five Zhang Plain. With just over a hundred men, they rode swiftly, returning to camp in less than an hour. By then, only a faint white light had appeared on the horizon.
Qin Wan had been waiting in the command tent. When the guards reported Yan Chi’s return, she hurried out to meet him.
Yan Chi rode into camp and, seeing Qin Wan hadn’t slept, felt distressed. Dismounting, he said, “We won a great victory. You can all rest easy. They’ll return within two hours at most. Prepare the field hospital for the wounded.”
After Chu Feishi and Xiao Cheng acknowledged the orders, Yan Chi headed for the central tent with Qin Wan following quickly.
Upon entering the tent, Yan Chi turned and embraced Qin Wan. “See? Not even a trace of blood on me.”
Qin Wan let out a long sigh of relief. “I’m only at ease when I see you return unharmed.”
She helped him remove his armor, intending for him to rest, but Yan Chi said, “I won’t sleep yet—the army will return soon. But you should rest. When they return, there will be several times more wounded than before, and you’ll need your strength.”
Seeing this, Qin Wan said no more, only ordering some food prepared for Yan Chi as an early breakfast before lying down to rest fully clothed.
She slept for barely more than an hour before waking to the commotion of the army returning to camp. Hearing this, she quickly got up.
Although it was another great victory, facing fifty thousand Rong troops had resulted in more Northwestern Army casualties this time. Qin Wan changed into a man’s long robe and immediately rolled up her sleeves to help in the field hospital. Other doctors handled the minor wounds, while Qin Wan personally attended to the critically wounded!
Some soldiers had fallen from their horses, their limbs crushed by hooves—cases others deemed hopeless, but Qin Wan saved their lives through amputation. Some soldiers had been run through the chest with swords, seemingly fatal, yet Qin Wan removed arrows from their hearts. She didn’t stop for a moment all day. In the field hospital, at least a hundred lives hung by a thread, and at least half could be saved. She worked without even taking time to eat, earning the respect of all the officers in the camp who witnessed her dedication.
Yue Ning stayed by Qin Wan’s side, deeply admiring how many lives she saved. She assisted Qin Wan all day, growing quite exhausted herself.
It wasn’t until nightfall when Qin Wan could barely hold her surgical knife steady, that Yan Chi finally forced her to return to the central tent.
The white robe she had changed into that morning was now black with blood, the front hardened into a shell—a testament to how many she had saved.
Seeing her hands trembling as she tried to hold chopsticks, Yan Chi made her sit properly and fed her himself. “Eat and then rest early. I thought you had eaten at noon, but you went all day without food. If you collapse, who will save you?”
Qin Wan’s face was deathly pale as she smiled bitterly. “I wasn’t hungry at all and had no time to think about eating. There are still two soldiers with arrow wounds I haven’t treated yet. The other doctors don’t dare handle them. If the arrows were in their limbs it would be one thing, but they’re in the chest and abdomen—very dangerous.”
Yan Chi frowned deeply, wanting to stop Qin Wan from going back but thinking of his wounded soldiers, he couldn’t say it. Instead, he silently fed her until she said she was full. After this brief rest and two cups of tea, Qin Wan headed back to the field hospital.
Concerned, Yan Chi followed, watching as she treated wounds and removed arrows.
Though it was a great victory, there was still much to do—clearing the battlefield, reorganizing the army, coordinating with Feng Prefecture, and monitoring the Rong forces’ movements. Yan Chi had been busy all day and initially wasn’t too worried about Qin Wan in the field hospital, as this had become routine. But when he learned in the afternoon that she hadn’t eaten, he grew anxious. Now, as Qin Wan treated patients in the tent, Yan Chi stood outside. Other officers who saw this grew even more appreciative of Princess Rui’s goodness.
Soon, throughout the Northwestern Army camp, everyone praised Qin Wan’s medical skills and compassionate heart…
That night, Qin Wan worked until late before finally stopping. By then, all the critical cases had been treated, but she was so exhausted her steps were unsteady and her vision blurred. Yan Chi had been supporting her as they walked back, but seeing her condition, he picked her up and carried her to their tent. He had Bai Ying prepare hot water and let her soak in the camp’s only wooden tub, which helped ease some of her fatigue. Even so, by the time she lay down, she was barely conscious, falling asleep without even finishing a sentence to Yan Chi.
Seeing this, Yan Chi felt immense distress. After some thought, he sent someone to Wu Prefecture to request more doctors.
The next day, Qin Wan slept until it was bright outside before slowly waking. Thinking of the field hospital, she tried to get up but found her whole body aching. Though she smiled at this, she still went to the field hospital but didn’t dare stand all day without rest anymore. When Yan Chi learned she was there, he soon followed. After Qin Wan pleaded with him, she made one round before returning with him to the main tent to rest.
That evening, Yue Qiong arrived at the camp with Jin Prefecture officers.
Naturally, they had come to celebrate the great victory.