Bai Qingqi nodded: “Then we’ll proceed according to the original plan. Bai Jinhua will follow Bai Qingjue to lead the siege troops as vanguard! Once the city gates open… Bai Jinxiu will immediately lead the close-combat cavalry to charge into the city!”

“Bai Qingjue accepts the order!”

“Bai Jinxiu accepts the order!”

“Bai Jinhua accepts the order!”

Bai Jinzhao looked eagerly at her third brother.

Bai Qingqi’s gaze indeed fell on Bai Jinzhao. After hesitating for half a breath, he still spoke: “Bai Jinzhao will stay close to Bai Jinxiu’s side and not leave by even an inch. Disobedience will be punished by military law!”

Bai Jinxiu cupped her fists: “Bai Jinxiu accepts the order!”

“Third Brother…” Bai Jinzhao hesitated somewhat, “I want to charge into the palace to rescue Fifth Brother!”

Bai Qingqi looked at Bai Jinzhao’s determined expression and said, “Your Fifth Brother is alone in the palace. When the time comes, if your Fifth Brother cannot escape, the Xi Liang Emperor and Old General Cui Shanzhong will certainly use your Fifth Brother as a hostage. You won’t be able to handle it!”

As for rescuing Bai Qingyu, Bai Qingqi would handle it personally!

Since childhood, Bai Qingqi had known that whether as an elder brother or as a member of the Bai family, he must protect A’Yu at any cost!

Xiao Ruohai knew exactly where Bai Qingyu was imprisoned. Once Yun Jing City’s gates were breached, he would rescue A’Yu from Yun Jing’s imperial palace at the fastest speed possible.

After thinking it over, Bai Jinzhao agreed this made sense. She didn’t insist on this task and accepted the order wholeheartedly: “Bai Jinzhao accepts the order!”

Both the Great Zhou and Yan armies had prepared everything very secretly, only waiting for the appointed time to coordinate with Bai Qingyu’s actions inside the city.

·

The sky was overcast, with no stars or moon visible, giving signs of an approaching storm.

Tonight, Old General Cui Shanzhong felt inexplicably uneasy, so he remained in the palace instead of going out, accompanying Li Tianjiao in a game of chess.

Inside the great hall, lamp shadows flickered. Layers upon layers of golden curtains were gathered by golden hooks against the red lacquered pillars on both sides of the hall.

“Since Yan’s Ninth Prince said such things, it seems he’s unwilling to cooperate with us, Xi Liang!” Li Tianjiao frowned deeply.

“However, news of Yan’s Ninth Prince meeting with this old minister should have already reached the Great Zhou army camp. After Yan betrayed Great Zhou, causing the Great Zhou Emperor’s brother, Bai Qingyu, to be captured, now with news of Yan’s Ninth Prince meeting with this old minister spreading again, the alliance between the two countries will exist in name only! Great Zhou will certainly become suspicious of Yan!”

Speaking thus, Old General Cui Shanzhong’s skeletal thin hand slowly placed a chess piece.

Li Tianjiao stared at the board, holding a white piece and thinking for a long while before placing it, then said: “Since we can’t reach an agreement with Yan, then after the Great Zhou Emperor arrives, we’ll present Bai Qingyu as a gift and submit to Great Zhou!”

“I’m afraid… Great Zhou and Yan won’t wait for the Great Zhou Emperor to arrive before attacking the city!” Old General Cui Shanzhong didn’t know why, but his heart had been restless all night, always feeling something big was about to happen.

“We’re inside the city, they’re outside. With Old General Cui guarding Yun Jing City, it’s not something they can easily breach!” Li Tianjiao had great faith in Old General Cui Shanzhong.

Outside the palace, the wind howled ominously. Window frames rattled in the wind, and the hexagonal palace lanterns hanging under the heavy eaves and corridors swayed in the wind, casting sinister shadows on the windows. Old General Cui seemed to sense something and turned to look outside the great hall.

“Report…” Suddenly came the sharp voice of a Xi Liang soldier came from outside the door.

The elderly Old General Cui dropped his chess piece and stood up abruptly, taking two steps toward the outside.

Since it was a military report, the eunuch outside the palace gate pushed open the door. As the fierce wind entered along with the Xi Liang soldier, Old General Cui Shanzhong could already see that the dark southern horizon had turned fiery red. Though he couldn’t see the writhing flames, seeing that patch of red sky with rolling black smoke, he knew how massive the fire was!

“Your Majesty! General Cui, our eastern granary has caught fire! The soldiers have already gone to fight the fire! But… but the eastern armory has also caught fire!” A junior general under Old General Cui Shanzhong reported in panic.

“Mobilize troops! Save the granary at any cost! Quickly!” Hearing the granary was burning, Cui Shanzhong’s scalp went numb!

As long as there was grain in Yun Jing City, Cui Shanzhong was confident he could hold out. But without grain… within Yun Jing City, there would be nothing left but breaking bones for fuel and exchanging children for food!

After his initial fear, Cui Shanzhong felt somewhat fortunate that he had ordered the grain in Xi Liang City to be dispersed, but… the eastern granary was the most crucial!

However, even faster… more soldiers came to report that several other granaries in the city had also been burned!

Cui Shanzhong staggered and nearly fell.

Multiple granaries suddenly catching fire – this was not an accident!

“Report…” Another Xi Liang soldier rushed up from below the palace’s high steps, shouting hoarsely, “The great prison is on fire, and all the imprisoned captives have disappeared without a trace!”

Old General Cui Shanzhong’s pupils dilated, his mind buzzing: “Quick! Go check if Bai Qingyu has awakened! Is he still there? Quickly! If he’s still there, have the Imperial Guards bring Bai Qingyu here immediately! If he hasn’t awakened, carry him here! Quickly!”

Following Old General Cui Shanzhong’s booming voice, several eunuchs immediately sprang into action.

“Old General!” Li Tianjiao also stood up, his expression dark and uncertain, his heart sinking, “It seems those Bai family soldiers escaped from the great prison and set fire to the granaries and armories…”

They had fallen into a trap!

Old General Cui closed his eyes, finally understanding where his anxiety had been coming from!

When Bai Qingyu and these Bai family soldiers were captured alive, he felt something was strange, but couldn’t figure out what!

Bai family soldiers had always been tough men who would rather die in battle than surrender. How could any of them survive to be captured by Xi Liang?

He had been arrogant, a leaf obstructing his vision, only focused on using schemes to drive a wedge between Yan and the Great Zhou, and had been careless!

“Quickly go! Have the soldiers on the city walls be on guard!” Old General Cui shouted to the Xi Liang junior general who had come to report, “Great Zhou… is going to attack the city! Have the soldiers guard the gates well!”

“Who would have thought our Yun Jing had already become a sieve!” Old General Cui Shanzhong clenched his fists tightly, trembling with tension, “There are Great Zhou people in this Yun Jing City! Otherwise, relying on those Bai family soldiers who only get one mouthful of grain per day, they absolutely couldn’t have set fires and escaped! The Great Zhou has helpers in this Yun Jing City! Bai Qingyu… was probably going along with the plan, pretending to be captured by us, Xi Liang!”

Bai Qingyu was going to coordinate from inside and outside with the Great Zhou army to open Yun Jing City’s gates!

“Whoosh—Bang!”

Just as Old General Cui Shanzhong finished speaking, he saw a cluster of red fireworks rise into the night sky filled with rolling black clouds and explode violently!

“They’re attacking the city!” Old General Cui Shanzhong felt as if he had been pushed into an ice cave in the depths of winter, frozen stiff all over. After hesitating for a moment, he turned to look at Li Tianjiao and said, “Your Majesty, we must firmly keep Bai Qingyu in our grasp! We absolutely cannot let Bai Qingyu escape!”

“Old General, rest assured!” Li Tianjiao nodded.

Without another word, Cui Shanzhong lifted his foot and walked toward the outside of the great hall. He had to go to the north city gate… to resist the Great Zhou army’s siege!