The Xiliang army, already forced into confusion about which direction to face, had no renowned and experienced general like Yun Poxing among them, and had long since fallen into complete disarray.

When the Xiliang army heard the retreat order at this moment, they fought desperately in the direction that General Zhai pointed out… where the Great Zhou army’s defenses were supposedly weak, but they ran straight into the forces led by Wang Qiulu.

Wang Qiulu had not forgotten Bai Qingyan’s words – these people who came here should not expect to leave. He charged at the forefront, keeping his eyes fixed on Li Tianfu, vowing to take Li Tianfu’s head, feeling that only this way could he be worthy of His Majesty’s trust in him!

Xie Xun was struck in the horse’s hoof by desperately resisting Xiliang soldiers and tumbled from his horse’s back. Just as his sword pierced through that Xiliang soldier’s chest, he also kicked away a Tianfeng soldier who was lunging at him with a raised blade.

Before he could withdraw his sword from the Xiliang soldier’s chest, he felt a cold gleam rushing straight at his face. Just as he was about to dodge, he saw the whistling fierce wind scrape past his ear, followed by the muffled sound of a sharp blade entering flesh behind him. When he turned to look… it was a silver spear thrust straight through the chest of the Xiliang soldier who had been raising his blade at him. The Xiliang soldier who had tried to ambush him showed a shocked expression of dying with his eyes wide open.

An angry horse galloped over at great speed, whinnying as it leaped with raised hooves beside Xie Xun, its cry shaking the heavens with the force of thunderous momentum.

The man mounted on horseback had refined and proud bearing, wearing a half silver mask, his red cloak flying like an eagle spreading its wings. With one hand gripping the reins, he leaned down with the other hand grasping a red-tasseled silver spear.

The silver spear was withdrawn from the Xiliang soldier’s chest, blood mist spraying…

The warhorse landed, and the Xiliang soldier fell with a crash.

The silver-armored man on horseback looked down from his elevated position, turning his horse’s head and reining in with one hand. His silver armor was bloodstained, one man and one mount… in the firelight, like an infernal demon, radiating murderous intent.

Their four eyes met, and Xie Xun felt a sense of familiarity. The burning, fierce look in that silver-armored general’s eyes was quite compelling, but before he could think of who this Great Zhou general was, he felt a flickering cold light attacking. Relying on instinct, he swung his sword with his backhand, the sound of blade against sword piercing the ears.

Xie Xun kicked away a Xiliang soldier who was swinging a blade at him, and soon that Xiliang soldier died under the blades of the Yan army.

After Physician Hong reset Bai Jinzhi’s dislocated arm, she climbed up to the city tower and shouted, telling the archers to aim carefully before shooting… don’t shoot their people.

She even stood on the city wall, holding her bow and aiming downward, but everywhere she looked… it was either Great Zhou soldiers or the Yan army. She could only put away her arrow, feeling frustrated in her heart. If her arm hadn’t been dislocated, she could have joined Fifth Brother in killing those Xiliang and Tianfeng troops without leaving a single piece of armor.

Looking from afar, everywhere was the sound of slaughter, everywhere was the sound of clashing weapons. Patches of firelight leaped, illuminating the earth covered in white snow. This snow was stained red with blood… melted by the heat, then frozen again by the piercing cold wind. Everywhere the eye could see was red, like a sea of blood.

With us many and the enemy few, the Battle of Pingyang City didn’t even last until the latter half of the night before it was over.

Prince Murong Yan of Yan Kingdom’s ninth rank brought Murong Li and several main generals of Yan Kingdom into the city, while Great Zhou soldiers cleaned up the battlefield outside the city.

Of the more than six thousand Xiliang soldiers, almost all were annihilated, with fewer than fifty escaping.

Of Tianfeng Kingdom’s thirty giant elephants, twelve escaped, six were injured and couldn’t participate in battle again for at least a short time, eight died, and four were captured alive.

In this battle, Tianfeng Kingdom was unprepared, and Great Zhou and Yan Kingdom were even more unprepared, but… due to favorable timing, geographical advantage, and popular support, Great Zhou and Great Yan won, but… this victory came at a heavy cost.

With just one charge from the giant elephants, Pingyang City’s gate was left tottering, and that bent wooden bolt made both Great Zhou and Great Yan understand the power of the giant elephants.

It made them understand even more that if this war could not end in winter and continued into summer, then… the advantages of timing and geography would be seized by Tianfeng Kingdom, and Great Zhou and Great Yan would only be left to passively take beatings.

With thirty giant elephants, plus the more than six thousand troops that Xiliang and Tianfeng Kingdom brought this time, Great Zhou alone could surround the Xiliang army and Tianfeng elephant army… it could even be said that under conditions where they could suppress the Xiliang soldiers, rough statistics showed that Great Zhou lost at least over three thousand troops. When the Yan Kingdom rushed over at full speed, the Great Zhou had already begun fighting, and their losses were also significant, at least fifteen hundred and upward.

In the main hall of Pingyang City’s prefect residence, the charcoal fire in the braziers crackled and popped.

Servants filed in carrying basin after basin of hot water, then came out of the main hall carrying basin after basin of bloody water.

Yue Shi knelt under the corridor, head lowered, like a child who had made a mistake.

Except for Bai Qingyan, Shen Kunyang, and Bai Jinzhi, plus Minister Shen Jingzhong, who had not descended from the city walls to fight and had no bloodstains on their bodies, whether it was Murong Yan, Bai Qingyu… Cheng Yuanzhi, Wang Qiulu, or Xie Xun, none had time to wash away the blood traces on their armor, only using hot water to wash away the blood on their faces and hands.

Bai Qingyan also used a hot cloth to wipe her face and hands that had turned red from the cold, instructing Wei Zhong to have someone bring over several bowls of the hot soup being prepared for the soldiers.

Murong Yan wanted to help Bai Qingyan sit down, but feared that being too intimate with Bai Qingyan would arouse suspicion, so he said: “Your Majesty is with child, and having experienced a great battle, must also be tired. You should sit down and rest first.”

Bai Qingyu, still covered in the aura of blood and not having bathed, didn’t want to get close to his elder sister, fearing the bloody aura would affect her: “Your Majesty should rest first.”

She nodded and sat down, saying to Murong Li and Xiao Rongyan, “This time… thank you for Yan Kingdom’s aid.”

“Great Yan and Great Zhou already have an alliance, so naturally we advance and retreat together. Coming to aid was proper.” Murong Yan nodded to Bai Qingyan with complete seriousness, accepting the hot tea that Wei Zhong offered, nodding to Wei Zhong in thanks.

Seeing his prince take a seat, Xie Xun, who had been standing by the brazier warming himself, also took a seat nearby.

Cheng Yuanzhi and Wang Qiulu rubbed their hands together, also moving away from the brazier to sit down next to Shen Kunyang.

“Having never fought against Tianfeng Kingdom before, those colossal creatures are indeed intimidating to behold, and this first battle against them… we also felt that the giant elephants are not invincible, but… although we won, our losses were also very heavy.” Bai Qingyan’s expression was grave, her hands gripping the porcelain teacup tightly. “If we cannot take advantage of winter when the giant elephants fear the cold to drive Tianfeng Kingdom back beyond the snowy mountains, when summer returns and it warms up… this war will be very difficult for us to fight.”

Xiao Rongyan nodded in agreement: “Now that Tianfeng Kingdom’s elephant army is still within Xiliang territory, if we take the initiative to attack, fighting the battle on Xiliang soil won’t harm the common people of our Great Yan and Great Zhou. But if other countries come to fight… then we’d have to fight at our doorstep.”

Bai Qingyu glanced at Xiao Rongyan and also strongly agreed with his statement. Whichever Kingdom’s territory the war was fought on… that Kingdom’s common people would suffer, not to mention that Xiliang had always had the habit of massacring cities, and Tianfeng Kingdom had the custom of enslaving the common people of other countries.

“The matter of war should be early rather than late…” Bai Qingyu turned to look at his elder sister, “It’s already the twelfth lunar month now, it must be finished before the beginning of spring.”