Bai Qingyan nodded. The battle reports had been delivered without pause, and the messenger must be extremely exhausted. It was better to let the messenger rest well, asking tomorrow would be soon enough.
“Additionally, there’s more news. Old General Cui’s military banner has been hung on the walls of Xiliang’s capital, Yunjing. It appears that Old General Cui Shanzhong intends to defend Yunjing to the death.” Wei Zhong served dishes for Bai Qingyan while speaking. “Yunjing has also sealed the city, only allowing entry, not exit.”
After hearing Wei Zhong finish, Bai Qingyan set down the front-line military reports and tapped intermittently on the table with her fingers, deep in thought.
Chun Zhi and Wei Zhong stood behind Bai Qingyan, not daring to urge her to eat.
According to Old General Cui Shanzhong’s habits, hanging out the military banner seemed more like a deliberate deception.
Old General Cui Shanzhong had fought battles his entire life. It was impossible that when enemies had reached his doorstep, he would only defend without attacking, without driving the enemy forces from his territory.
This also didn’t match Old General Cui Shanzhong’s usual style of warfare.
Perhaps Old General Cui Shanzhong hanging his military banner in Yunjing was to mask other military movements and objectives of the Xiliang army.
If it were the Great Zhou… now trapped in a siege by the allied forces of two nations, attacked from all sides, she would never only defend the capital. She would create false appearances in the capital, then force the armies of both nations, or at least one nation’s army, to have no choice but to retreat and defend, thereby reducing pressure on Yunjing.
Between the Yan army and Zhou army, naturally it would be best to force back Great Zhou, which had more soldiers and generals.
Currently, Great Yan’s emperor was already in Yan’s imperial capital, beyond Old General Cui Shanzhong’s reach.
While she, as Great Zhou’s emperor, was not in the great capital at this time, but still in Xiliang territory that hadn’t been completely controlled by Great Zhou forces…
Bai Qingyan closed her eyes, sketching Xiliang’s map in her mind, then calculating the marching directions and routes of the Great Zhou and Yan on the map.
After a long while, Bai Qingyan suddenly raised her head and stood up.
“Your Majesty?” Wei Zhong hurried forward.
“Transmit orders – have the defending general immediately send scouts out the south gate, heading toward Tianlong City in the direction of the Danshui River to investigate whether there are Xiliang soldiers…”
Before Bai Qingyan could finish speaking, she suddenly heard drum sounds coming from the direction of the city gates.
Bai Qingyan strode quickly outside, calling loudly: “Which city gate?”
“Your Majesty, this old servant heard… it sounds like the north gate, east gate, and west gate! All three directions have drum sounds!” Wei Zhong said urgently.
First surrounding the east, west, and north gates while leaving the south gate – wasn’t this to block the escape routes of three gates while giving her, the Great Zhou Emperor, time, forcing her to momentarily only be able to order troops out of the city toward Suining City and Yecheng Pass… to report to Yunjing?!
As long as General Cui Shanzhong surrounded her, the Great Zhou Emperor, Xiliang, wouldn’t fear that Great Zhou’s main forces would continue their deadly assault on Yunjing without turning back to rescue the emperor.
Moreover, those leading troops this time were all Bai family generals. The Bai family had always valued kinship – her younger brothers and sisters would never allow their pregnant elder sister to be surrounded by heavy Xiliang forces while stubbornly attacking Yunjing.
If Bai Qingyan’s guess was correct, all of Xiliang’s forces were in Old General Cui Shanzhong’s hands. He had left a small portion of forces to guard Yunjing and brought most of the Xiliang soldiers out precisely to surround her, the Great Zhou Emperor!
When the Great Zhou forces came to rescue, Old General Cui Shanzhong would certainly set ambushes on the fastest route from Yecheng Pass to Jiangzi City, waiting to defeat the Great Zhou before turning back to Yunjing for a final battle with Great Yan.
There was another scenario – ideally, Great Zhou soldiers would hear news of the siege and, while the south gate hadn’t yet been surrounded, risk their lives to escort her, the Great Zhou Emperor, out of the city. Once she left the city, she would immediately be captured alive by Xiliang’s ambush forces. Then, before the Great Zhou forces had taken Yunjing, their emperor would be captured, making it impossible for the Great Zhou to continue fighting.
This… should be exactly the result Old General Cui Shanzhong most wanted.
Li Tianjiao must have found Old General Cui Shanzhong long ago, and from that time, the two had been planning today’s situation of surrounding her. Later, when news came that Li Tianjiao had persuaded the over-eighty-year-old Old General Cui Shanzhong to come out of retirement to lead troops, Old General Cui Shanzhong had probably already set out.
Old General Cui Shanzhong was a veteran who had previously fought against the Bai family forces. It was likely that Old General Cui Shanzhong had deliberately instructed Li Tianjiao to put on this act after he departed!
Their Great Zhou had received news of Old General Cui’s military banner hanging on Yunjing’s walls too late.
“Your Majesty! Since Your Majesty is now in the city, we must immediately send someone to Yecheng Pass to report and request aid!” Wei Zhong remained extremely calm in a crisis. “No, this old servant should escort Your Majesty out of the city right now, heading to Yecheng Pass!”
“If we leave the city now, I’m afraid I’ll immediately be captured alive by Old General Cui’s ambush forces, becoming a burden for Great Zhou’s attack on Yunjing!” Bai Qingyan was silent for a moment, then, in a flash of inspiration, made her decision. She raised her eyes with firm resolve, her words ringing clear: “Where are the Bai family shadow guards?”
Upon hearing Bai Qingyan’s command, the Bai family’s shadow guards hidden in the darkness emerged one after another. The leading squad captain knelt in salute: “Eldest Miss!”
“Send one person out through the south gate. If he reaches Yecheng Pass, tell General Yang to guard Yecheng Pass and not rashly send troops to rescue the emperor! Have General Yang send someone to Tanggu to order Fourth Miss and General Shen Kunyang to come to the rescue, making sure to avoid places easily set for ambush – prioritize safety over speed!”
“Yes!” The squad captain received the order.
Bai Qingyan continued without pause: “Then, head straight toward Yunjing to notify Second Miss, Third Young Master, Fourth Young Master, and Fifth Young Master. I will hold back Xiliang’s main forces at Jiangzi City. Yunjing’s defenses are empty – tell them not to worry and to focus entirely on taking Yunjing and capturing Li Tianjiao alive before coming to reinforce Jiangzi City. Similarly, they must avoid places easily set for ambush – prioritize safety over speed!”
After Bai Qingyan finished, she looked toward the Bai family shadow guard squad captain: “But if you cannot reach Yecheng Pass and encounter ambush forces, don’t resist – surrender to preserve your life! If the enemy asks what orders I sent you to transmit, tell them I sent someone to Yecheng Pass for aid! Do you remember?”
“This subordinate will go personally!” The shadow guard squad captain saluted with cupped fists.
The squad captain was also from the Bai family army – he understood why Bai Qingyan was only sending one person to transmit orders.
If the Xiliang army had deliberately left the south gate open to let someone go to Yecheng Pass to report, so they could ambush the Great Zhou forces coming to rescue, then to make the act convincing enough, they would certainly engage in fake fighting before letting one messenger escape to report.
If the goal was to trap Jiangzi City and capture their Eldest Miss alive, they would certainly capture one of the messengers to gather intelligence about the situation inside the city.
So, if only one person were sent, regardless of the scenario, the chances of survival would be greater.
“Transmit orders – have the defending general close the city gates…” Bai Qingyan stepped toward the mansion entrance. “Have someone prepare horses – I’m going to check several city gates!”