Cheng Yuanzhi’s booming voice faintly reached Li Tianfu’s ears. Li Tianfu felt utterly humiliated and shouted: “Will Great Zhou release the person or not?! If not… this is declaring war on Xiliang and Tianfeng Nation! Now with the elephant army at your gates, do you truly disregard the lives of Great Zhou’s people, insisting on protecting a traitor from another nation?!”
Hearing Li Tianfu’s words, Sima Ping raised his eyebrows, thinking that this willful Xiliang princess didn’t seem as completely brainless as the rumors suggested. The corners of his lips curved in a quiet laugh: “Those words are truly piercing to the heart…”
“What?” Lu Yuanpeng turned back to look at Sima Ping.
Sima Ping raised his hand and pushed Lu Yuanpeng’s head back around, making him watch below the city wall: “Keep a good eye on those elephant troops outside. Think about how to deal with them—if you figure it out, that’ll be a great merit!”
Just as Sima Ping finished speaking, overlapping calls of “Your Majesty” came from the city wall stairs. Shen Kunyang and Cheng Yuanzhi quickly turned and hurried toward the wall entrance.
“Xiao Bai Commander! Fifth Young Master!” Cheng Yuanzhi called out nervously, then remembered they were outside and quickly said, “Why have Your Majesty and Fifth Young Master come? In such heavy wind and snow, we’re enough here!”
“Yes…” Shen Kunyang worried about Bai Qingyan’s condition, and because of his past service under Bai Qingyan, he said a bit more: “Your Majesty is now carrying twins—you must act more cautiously. It’s too chaotic here. If fighting breaks out and Your Majesty is injured, what would we do? Fifth Young Master… you should escort Your Majesty back first.”
“It’s fine, Uncle Shen. There won’t be fighting.” Bai Qingyan asked, “Have they stated their purpose?”
“Your Majesty, it’s that Xiliang princess Li Tianfu, saying she’s come to find the Xiliang traitor Li Zhijie…” Lu Yuanpeng quickly squeezed forward to report to Bai Qingyan.
“Li Zhijie knows how to cause trouble!” Bai Qingyan turned to instruct the Bai family guards beside her: “Go tell Li Zhijie, and have him come see what great trouble he’s brought to Great Zhou!”
The smile at the corners of Bai Qingyan’s lips was cold; her inner anger had not yet subsided. To capture a Xiliang traitor, they had tried to capture Xiao Si and Qingzhu. If not for the Bai family guards fighting desperately to protect them, Xiao Si and Qingzhu would probably already be in Li Tianfu’s hands.
“Cheng Yuanzhi!”
“This subordinate is here!” Cheng Yuanzhi cupped his fists.
Bai Qingyan’s eyes were cold and stern as she watched the flying snow, her voice clear and sharp: “Immediately exit through the east gate with fifteen thousand Bai family troops, circle to the rear of the Xiliang army and Tianfeng Nation’s forces. If fighting truly breaks out, ensure they can’t return—lest they think our Great Zhou is a soft persimmon! Speed is essential!”
“This subordinate receives the order!” Cheng Yuanzhi accepted the command and hurried downstairs with Sima Ping and Lu Yuanpeng.
Seeing Wang Qiulu with his head lowered, about to leave with Cheng Yuanzhi, Bai Qingyan added: “Wang Qiulu, immediately take six thousand troops out the west gate. Don’t hesitate—attack directly. Those who dare come before Pingyang City today… shouldn’t expect to leave alive!”
Wang Qiulu’s steps halted as he turned back to look at Bai Qingyan with disbelief…
Originally, Wang Qiulu had followed the idle Prince of Nandu in rebellion, which should have been a capital offense. His father Wang Jianghai had used Fourth Master Bai’s jade pendant to deceive Bai Qingyan into going to the prison, begging her to save his life. Later, he remembered his father’s words to acknowledge Bai Qingyan as his master. When he later helped the Bai family before the Crown Prince, Bai Qingyan indeed rescued him from prison and sent him to the Bai family army in Nanjiang.
However, he thought that with the stain of his past, this lifetime, he could at best achieve a middling position in the Bai family army. He would never be trusted with important tasks, and the Bai family army would never let him lead troops independently. He had resolved to simply follow General Cheng faithfully, never expecting that Bai Qingyan would have him lead troops alone.
“What are you standing there for? Go!”
Wang Qiulu’s eyes reddened: “Thank you for Master’s trust. Wang Qiulu will repay you with his life!”
“Ayu…” She turned to look at Bai Qingyu.
“Bai Qingyu understands!” Bai Qingyu cupped his fists in response. “I will lead the Rongdi army to attack their eastern flank with utmost speed.”
Bai Qingyan firmly grasped Bai Qingyu’s arm, instructing him to be careful, then braved the wind and snow to climb to the upper floor, her gaze fixed on the giant elephants below the city tower.
“Your Majesty!” Seeing Bai Qingyan arrive, Shen Qingzhu leaped down from the city wall, supporting Bai Qingyan as they walked forward while reporting: “The armor on these elephants is extremely hard—arrow points can’t penetrate it at all!”
Seeing blood traces and wounds still on Shen Qingzhu’s face, Bai Qingyan pressed her lips together without speaking.
This was natural. Tianfeng Nation had ink powder that could make weapons invincible. Since the elephant army was so important and precious to Tianfeng Nation, they would naturally use ink powder to forge armor for the elephant troops.
The Xiliang army and Tianfeng forces held torches, their flames wildly swaying and dancing erratically in the wind and snow. By their light, Bai Qingyan could barely make out Tianfeng Nation’s giant elephants.
Perhaps because they needed to form an elephant army, Tianfeng Nation’s elephants were more robust than Great Liang’s elephants, with even larger builds. Add fur coverings and battle armor to these elephants… they appeared even more massive and intimidating.
Such an elephant army, when truly facing opposing forces in battle, would simply stand there… be enough to create tremendous psychological pressure on the enemy.
Li Tianfu, sitting on the elephant’s back, saw Bai Qingyan climbing the city tower and walking toward the center. The corners of her lips curved upward: “Bai Qingyan, hand over Li Zhijie! Otherwise… war it will be!”
Bai Qingyan paid no attention to Li Tianfu’s shouting, only saying to Shen Qingzhu: “Have the crossbow battalion prepare, quietly climb the city wall. Put fire to the arrows. Once I give the order… don’t hesitate—aim for those elephants’ eyes and shoot!”
“Yes!” Shen Qingzhu accepted the order and ran toward the bottom of the city tower.
The Tianfeng Nation general, who had brought the elephant army, hearing Li Tianfu’s words and mindful of prior agreements, looked displeased. He turned to Li Tianfu: “When our ruler sent the elephant army with you, he only said to help you retrieve the Xiliang traitor. He never mentioned going to war with the Great Zhou.”
“Mind your own business!” Li Tianfu’s eyes glared at the Tianfeng general. “On the road just now, your elephant army nearly killed Great Zhou’s Empress’s sister, the High Righteousness Prince. Trying to wash your hands of it now… I’m afraid it’s too late!”
Hearing these words, the Tianfeng general immediately glared at Li Tianfu. Li Tianfu hadn’t mentioned that among the people she wanted captured alive was the Great Zhou Empress’s sister, the High Righteousness Prince!
The Tianfeng general looked up toward the city wall, seeing Bai Qingyan’s cold expression. He quickly struck his chest with his fist in salute and called out loudly: “Respected Great Zhou Majesty, I am a general under Tianfeng Nation’s ruler. This subordinate follows my king’s orders to accompany Xiliang’s Empress to retrieve the Xiliang traitor who fled into Pingyang City. Please, Your Majesty, hand over the Xiliang traitor and don’t put this subordinate in a difficult position!”