He seemed to think of something and looked up at Bai Qingyan: “Moreover… Great Zhou and Great Yan chose to go to war at this time also out of concern that when spring and summer arrive, Tianfeng Kingdom would push the battlefield to your two nations’ borders, causing suffering to the people of Zhou and Yan. That’s why they decided to send troops at this time—it’s not entirely for Western Liang! When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold… if Western Liang perishes, the people of Great Zhou and Yan Kingdom would also suffer!”

“When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold?” Bai Qingyan’s smile deepened. “How about our Great Zhou and Great Yan temporarily refrain from going to war with Tianfeng Kingdom, and instead inform Tianfeng Kingdom about the Huoyun Army hiding in Laian Mountain? I’m sure… Tianfeng Kingdom would be very pleased to capture the Western Liang Emperor and Assistant General Yun Poxing at Laian Mountain! Li Tianjiao would be even more delighted… to be able to destroy the Huoyun Army, the greatest threat to her imperial throne.”

Li Zhijie’s face changed dramatically, but he didn’t immediately deny it. After all… if Bai Qingyan could bring this up openly, it meant she had already grasped their movements. Denying it now would be meaningless.

Seeing Li Zhijie’s tightly pursed lips, Bai Qingyan adjusted her sleeves and continued: “Therefore… please Prince Yan immediately return and inform your Western Liang Emperor and Assistant General Yun Poxing to deploy troops immediately… to set up an ambush at the valley exit north of Han Wenshan and south of the Dan River, to ensure the complete annihilation of Tianfeng Kingdom’s elephant army.”

Li Zhijie looked up at Bai Qingyan, finally understanding… Bai Qingyan had deliberately shown him an obvious flaw to let him see it, just to dig a pit for him to jump into, all to make their only remaining Huoyun Army set up an ambush here.

“If Zhou and Yan make such a big commotion, but because the Huoyun Army doesn’t arrive, they let Tianfeng Kingdom’s remaining elephant army escape…” Bai Qingyan’s lips curved upward, her smile not reaching her eyes as she gazed coldly at Li Zhijie. “Western Liang will bear all consequences itself.”

As soon as Bai Qingyan finished speaking, the Bai family guards brought up the several envoys and guards who had come to Pingyang City with Li Zhijie.

“The carriage is ready. Prince Yan should quickly return and inform Western Liang Empress Li Tianjiao!” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she stood up and had the guards carry Li Zhijie away, then walked outside with Wei Zhong.

Li Zhijie’s expression was grave. He didn’t know whether there was a traitor among them who had told Great Zhou about the Huoyun Army and Western Liang Empress Li Tianjiao’s location, or if Bai Qingyan was truly so capable that she could accurately guess the Huoyun Army was hiding in Laian Mountain.

Bai Qingyan left the governor’s mansion and headed straight for the military camp.

Snowflakes began falling sparsely from the sky again.

The Great Zhou soldiers were already prepared and ready to depart. Bai Qingyan, dressed in imperial robes, lifted her hem and walked up to the platform for reviewing troops.

She looked at the young faces—some determined, some showing fear—and spoke: “Some of you soldiers witnessed Tianfeng Kingdom’s elephant army last night. Perhaps… there is still fear in your hearts, still doubting whether we can defeat those armored giant beasts armed to invincibility! But… we have no retreat!”

Bai Qingyan’s voice was resolute and solemn: “Because behind us are countless Great Zhou people! Our relatives! Our parents, wives, and children! If we don’t annihilate those elephant armies on Western Liang’s soil now, in the future… when these elephant armies step onto our Great Zhou’s territory, they will wantonly slaughter and enslave our Great Zhou people!”

“Therefore, today Great Zhou joins with Yan Kingdom to jointly resist Tianfeng Kingdom’s elephant army, vowing to destroy the elephant army that Tianfeng Kingdom relies upon outside Great Zhou’s borders!” Bai Qingyan raised her hand in a cupped-fist salute and proclaimed loudly: “Elite warriors of Great Zhou! In this battle… Bai Qingyan entrusts the safety of all Great Zhou people to you!”

The soldiers were stirred to passionate fervor by Bai Qingyan’s words. Lu Yuanpeng was the first to raise his red-tasseled silver spear and shout hoarsely: “Kill the enemy!”

The soldiers all raised their weapons high and shouted in unison…

“Kill the enemy! Kill the enemy! Kill the enemy!”

The soldiers’ voices split the nine heavens, their thunderous sound shaking hearts.

Li Zhijie, sitting in a carriage leaving the city, faintly heard the passionate shouting from the military camp. He lifted the carriage curtain and gazed through the scattered snowflakes, his mood extremely heavy.

Lowering the carriage curtain, Li Zhijie was filled with worry. He had the carriage stop to one side, lifted the curtain, and instructed a guard: “You quietly go see whether Great Zhou’s soldiers are deploying in full force this time! Then quickly return to Laian Mountain to report!”

“Yes!” The guard clasped his hands in acknowledgment and rode off quickly.

Soon, Li Zhijie returned to their encampment at Laian Mountain and met with Li Tianjiao and Yun Poxing.

Li Tianjiao and Yun Poxing were shocked to see that Li Zhijie had lost a leg.

Li Zhijie didn’t pay it much mind. Supported by Yun Lingzhi and Yun Tian’ao, he was helped into the cave and placed on a soft couch. They covered Li Zhijie’s leg with thick fox fur and placed a brazier in front of him.

“Did Bai Qingyan do this?” Yun Poxing asked.

Li Zhijie shook his head: “This was from when Great Zhou and Tianfeng Kingdom fought—a giant elephant stepped on it. It could be said that… Great Zhou people saved me!”

Li Tianjiao looked at Li Zhijie’s pale face and asked: “Great Zhou let you return—they’ve agreed to send troops against Tianfeng Kingdom!”

Li Zhijie nodded and told Li Tianjiao everything Bai Qingyan had said today, including that Great Zhou already knew they were hiding in Laian Mountain, and that if they didn’t follow Bai Qingyan’s deployment this time, after the great battle, Bai Qingyan would settle accounts with Western Liang.

“Even if Bai Qingyan discovers we’re in Laian Mountain, it doesn’t matter!” Li Tianjiao’s beautiful features were reddened by the dancing flames. “We’re not planning to hide here and be mountain kings for life. We always have to wait for the right opportunity to retake Western Liang.”

“The Huoyun Army… is all our capital.” Yun Poxing clenched his fist and frowned as he poked the charcoal fire with iron tongs. “If Bai Qingyan is just forcing Tianfeng Kingdom out of Pingdu City and deliberately making our Western Liang Huoyun Army fight a decisive battle with Tianfeng Kingdom’s elephant army in the canyon, we probably can’t even preserve the Huoyun Army! We’ll never again have the capital to contend with the Great Zhou and the Yan Kingdom.”

“But Bai Qingyan already knows we’re hiding in Laian Mountain with the Huoyun Army. After they drive away from Tianfeng Kingdom, they’ll probably turn around to deal with us!” Li Zhijie’s already pale face looked even worse. “We only have fewer than eight thousand Huoyun Army, and many are still half-trained novices. If we clash head-on with the Great Zhou, we probably can’t win. We definitely can’t hide anymore. If we don’t want to fight the Tianfeng Kingdom and secretly leave Laian Mountain, we can only return to our Western Liang cities and defend. Perhaps if Great Zhou and Tianfeng Kingdom become entangled with each other, they’ll have no strength left to attack us!”

Yun Poxing’s grandson, Yun Tian’ao, disagreed: “But entanglement is only temporary. Regardless of whether the Great Zhou or the Tianfeng Kingdom gains the advantage in this battle, as long as we appear in the cities, one nation will come to attack us! Great Zhou is fine, but if Tianfeng Kingdom’s giant elephants attack the city, the city gates simply can’t withstand it!”