For all those who confessed honestly, the Great Zhou army’s attitude was quite good. They said they would first take them to prison, and that they had already recorded their cases. In consideration of their voluntary confession, they would be released after this matter passed, telling them to rest assured. Those common people expressed countless thanks and followed the Great Zhou soldiers away.
Soon, more and more households were found to have problems, and many suspicious people who had not yet returned home were discovered within Jiangzi City. Naturally, some were common people who hadn’t had time to return home, while others… were skilled Xiliang soldiers. Each piece of information was sent to Liu Pinggao at the fastest speed, and Liu Pinggao organized it before sending it to Bai Qingyan’s desk.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, as Bai Qingyan sat at her desk studying the map of Jiangzi City and the larger map of the area around Jiangzi City, contemplating how the upcoming battle should be fought, a report came from outside… saying that Old General Cui Shanzhong had arrived beneath the city and requested an audience with the Great Zhou Emperor.
Liu Pinggao frowned and looked toward Bai Qingyan: “If Your Majesty plans to leave the city to meet Old General Cui Shanzhong, this subordinate will accompany Your Majesty!”
“How many of the Xiliang spies who infiltrated the city have been captured?” Bai Qingyan asked.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, so far we have captured alive forty-one and killed twenty-seven!” Liu Pinggao replied.
The main reason was that Bai Qingyan’s orders were timely, catching those spies off guard. The Xiliang people were also afraid that bringing spies into the city would make them bear responsibility, so when investigators came to their homes, they confessed. Some Xiliang spies were captured alive before they could even leave their hiding places.
Later, Li Jiang, the Great Zhou general investigating the refugees, deliberately spread the news that… to conceal their identities and avoid being betrayed, the Xiliang spies had simply killed the Xiliang people who had helped them enter the city.
When the people heard this, they became even more frightened and no longer dared to keep unknown Xiliang spies in their homes for a bit of silver, rushing to betray those Xiliang soldiers.
Although everyone loved silver, one needed to be alive to spend it.
Bai Qingyan sneered: “I didn’t expect Old General Cui to have placed quite a few people in this Jiangzi City! Continue the search… There are probably more.”
“Yes! Then… should Your Majesty bring all of them?” Liu Pinggao asked.
“Bring the corpses too!” Bai Qingyan said.
“Yes!”
Old General Cui Shanzhong had already dismounted, with a soft cushion spread beneath his knees. Beside him were two young attendants—one carrying a lantern, the other holding tea implements—and behind him followed two Xiliang generals leading horses.
Old General Cui Shanzhong raised his head to look at the towering walls of Jiangzi City. His face, marked with brown age spots and deeply lined around the eyes, wore a grave expression. His graying hair was bound atop his head, and his beard fluttered in the wind.
Thirty years later, he was once again donning armor for battle, never expecting that the first city he would have to attack would be their own Xiliang’s Jiangzi City.
Soon, the gates of Jiangzi City slowly opened. A figure in ordinary maiden’s attire, cloaked in a fox fur mantle and riding a white horse, slowly emerged—it was Bai Qingyan.
The Xiliang generals behind Old General Cui Shanzhong saw that Bai Qingyan appeared to have a group of troops following behind her and immediately became alert.
One Xiliang general walked to the old general’s side, knelt on one knee, and said: “Old General, it looks like Great Zhou has brought an army out. They come with ill intent—perhaps we should withdraw first…”
Cui Shanzhong raised his withered hand and waved it: “This Great Zhou Emperor is a descendant of the Bai family. She would never use underhanded tactics when I have requested an audience. This is the character of a general and the proud spirit of the Bai family.”
Hearing Old General Cui Shanzhong say this, the Xiliang general bit his teeth, stood up, and retreated to one side.
This time was Xiliang’s final gamble—they could be said to have mobilized the entire nation’s strength. If they were defeated, it would mean the destruction of their Kingdom. This Xiliang general was extremely worried, fearing that before the battle even began, Old General Cui Shanzhong would be lost here.
Seeing that Bai Qingyan was accompanied by a general and a eunuch, with Great Zhou soldiers following behind carrying something unknown, he bit his teeth and whispered to a colleague beside him: “Go back and relay orders for the archers to prepare. If there truly is any change, they should await my command and must protect Old General Cui!”
“Yes!” That general accepted the command and quietly turned to return to the main army.
Old General Cui saw Bai Qingyan slowly approaching on her white horse and smiled, having the young attendant help him up.
The lantern-carrying attendant quickly stepped forward to help the trembling Old General Cui Shanzhong, whose back could barely straighten, to his feet.
Bai Qingyan dismounted and saw Old General Cui Shanzhong clasp his hands and bow to her: “I greet the Great Zhou Emperor!”
Bai Qingyan did not put on airs either, clasping her hands and returning the courtesy to Old General Cui Shanzhong: “Old General, at over eighty years of age, you have stepped forward in Xiliang’s hour of national crisis. Bai Qingyan admires this!”
Old General Cui looked at Bai Qingyan as if seeing Bai Qishan—the Bai family’s character should indeed be thus. War was war… but the Bai family never begrudged their admiration and praise for enemy generals!
Old General Cui saw the soldiers being escorted and the corpses being carried behind Bai Qingyan and understood that these were probably the ambush soldiers he had previously placed in Jiangzi City. Judging by the numbers… Bai Qingyan had likely captured more than half of them.
Fighting against the Bai family truly required one hundred and twenty percent of one’s spirit.
“Great Zhou Emperor, please!” Old General Cui, supporting himself on the young attendant’s hand, made a gesture of invitation to Bai Qingyan, then instructed the general standing beside him: “Go bring the people up!”
Bai Qingyan looked at the soft cushion Old General Cui Shanzhong had prepared for her in advance, smiled, and sat down while supporting herself on Wei Zhong’s hand.
Old General Cui also sat down and said to Bai Qingyan with a smile: “Your Majesty, now our Xiliang has sixty thousand troops besieging the city. This old man knows that Your Majesty is currently with child, and I also know that our Xiliang is merely struggling for survival. Rather than fight this battle, why doesn’t Your Majesty have the Great Zhou main forces withdraw and not attack the Yun Capital? The cities that the Great Zhou currently occupies, our Xiliang will offer with both hands, and we won’t forcibly demand the return of the people either. Let both countries cease their warfare here—how about it? After all, now that Yun Poxing is dead, Your Majesty should show mercy where mercy can be shown!”
Bai Qingyan’s brow carried an extremely light smile. Under the illumination of the lantern Wei Zhong held, her face appeared bright and dim alternately, but only those eyes remained clear and resilient, deep yet calm, showing not the slightest trace of fear.
“Old General Cui probably hasn’t understood the main reason for the Great Zhou’s military campaign against Xiliang…” Bai Qingyan’s voice was steady, not high-pitched, carrying respect for Old General Cui Shanzhong.
“Isn’t it to avenge the Bai family?” Old General Cui Shanzhong asked.
Bai Qingyan did not shake her head. She looked steadily at Old General Cui: “Old General Cui, Great Zhou’s campaign against Xiliang… is for revenge, but even more so to complete the unification of the world and realize the peaceful realm that my Bai family ancestors hoped for! Now that the great undertaking remains incomplete, how could Bai Qingyan dare speak of retreat for the sake of personal safety? If I did so… how could I face the Bai family ancestors?”