Liu Pinggao nodded: “Return to formation!”

“Yes!”

Liu Pinggao rode at the very front, maintaining constant vigilance. The Bai Family Army elite protected Bai Qingyan’s carriage in the center, with another circle of Anping Army elite surrounding them on the outside.

Liu Pinggao still preferred having Bai Qingyan ride in the carriage. While it slowed their march somewhat, it was much safer this way.

Even though scouts had already gone ahead to investigate, Liu Pinggao remained extremely cautious as they entered the valley. He had everyone halt and sent people up the mountains to observe.

He turned his horse toward Bai Qingyan’s carriage and spoke to her inside: “Your Majesty, we’ve reached the valley entrance. We’re about to pass through the valley!”

Hearing this, Bai Qingyan glanced at Bai Jinzhi, who was sleeping soundly beside her. She tucked the white fox fur blanket around her and lifted the cotton curtain with her hand to look at the valley. Though this was indeed a valley, the slopes were high but not steep. If someone were truly lying in ambush here, it might work against ordinary people, but against the battle-hardened Anping Army and Bai Family Army, there would be no chance of victory, especially since they weren’t currently at war.

Even so, Bai Qingyan still preferred to act cautiously: “For safety’s sake, have the vanguard ascend both sides of the valley to provide flanking protection for the army’s passage.”

“Yes!” Liu Pinggao received the order and immediately sent people with the Anping Army to climb the high slopes on both sides to provide flanking protection for the army’s passage.

If there truly were enemies patient enough to lie in the snow and endure the freezing cold just to ambush them, when they showed themselves they would first encounter the Anping Army, and then the Bai Family Army could charge up to support. Even the most troublesome enemy forces wouldn’t be able to withstand that.

Liu Pinggao truly admired their emperor with complete devotion.

Prince Xiping personally led fifty thousand troops lying in wait in the snowy hollows among the mountains. The accumulated snow on their bodies was as deep as everywhere else around them. He had led his troops lying here for half a day and a full night.

The Great Zhou Emperor’s appearance here was later than Prince Xiping had anticipated.

He bit down on a whistle in his mouth, his eyebrows and beard completely covered with snow, motionless except for his eyes fixed on the Great Zhou soldiers who had drawn their swords and positioned themselves on the high slope facing their direction.

Prince Xiping’s heart jumped in alarm at first, thinking they had been discovered. He bit down harder on the whistle in his mouth. He had originally thought that after the Great Zhou Emperor sent people to investigate, no more would be sent up. He was preparing to blow the whistle to have his soldiers rise when the Great Zhou army came up in full force.

At this time, the sun had risen, golden sunlight shining through the tall trees in the forest. Mist rose from the accumulated snow like something from a fairy realm.

To ambush the cunning and crafty Great Zhou Emperor, Prince Xiping had his soldiers wear thick cotton clothing without armor for light equipment, taking a desperate fighting stance. He had even deliberately had people pose as mountain bandits and leave footprints on the mountain.

The soldiers had been frozen here almost all night. When the heavy snow came, Prince Xiping was delighted, thinking this snow could completely conceal the forms of the soldiers he led. The soldiers’ hands must be numb with cold by now, yet they were still discovered by the Great Zhou Emperor!

Prince Xiping felt strained, but… even if it came to a final desperate fight, couldn’t his fifty thousand troops destroy ten thousand troops?

Moreover, he had hidden soldiers at the valley entrance and heavy troops at the exit, all to surround and block them.

Thinking of this, Prince Xiping hesitated no longer. With his heart hardened, he closed his eyes and listened to the movement of the army below. Estimating that Bai Qingyan and her forces had mostly entered the valley, he blew the whistle without hesitation.

The sharp whistle sound suddenly echoed through the mountains, startling the birds hiding in the trees for winter into screeching flight.

Bai Qingyan, who was reading in her carriage, suddenly looked up and heavily placed her book on the table, her eyes dark as concentrated ink. She had just lifted the carriage window curtain when she heard the killing cries shaking the heavens from all around.

Lu Yuanpeng reacted extremely quickly, immediately drawing his sword and taking position beside Bai Qingyan’s carriage.

Now that they were already in the valley, they had to either charge forward or retreat…

“Your Majesty, hold on tight!” Lu Yuanpeng felt their chances were better charging forward. Making a decisive judgment, he shouted: “Bai Family Army, listen to orders! Escort His Majesty and charge out!”

Just as Lu Yuanpeng finished speaking, a rain of flaming arrows came as if they had eyes, flying straight toward Bai Qingyan’s speeding carriage.

No matter how deeply Bai Jinzhi had been sleeping, she was awakened by this!

Being a soldier after all, Bai Jinzhi snapped awake with a start. Without a word, she lifted the cotton window curtain, but before she could see clearly, her head was pressed down by her elder sister and struck the table hard. When she raised her head again, she saw a flaming arrow carrying the strong scent of pine oil embedded in the wooden wall inside the carriage.

Fire oil dripped from the arrow shaft. Seeing the blue flame about to fall on the wooden table, Bai Jinzhi didn’t care about her aching forehead and reached for her sister’s teacup to splash it, but was stopped by Bai Qingyan. She used a handkerchief to wipe the fire oil from the wooden table, pulled out the flaming arrow through the handkerchief, extinguished the fire, and threw it out.

The Bai Family Army fought valiantly nearby, using swords and blades to block the arrow rain, but the dense flaming arrows were like rain – how could they be blocked by swords and blades alone? Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi heard nothing but screams around them.

“Elder sister, let me go out and look!”

Bai Qingyan’s eyes were cold and clear as she grabbed Bai Jinzhi: “The arrow rain is overwhelming, falling from above. Without even wearing armor, going out would mean death! Stay here!”

It wasn’t that Bai Qingyan was afraid of death and didn’t dare go out to fight. Right now, the Bai Family Army and Anping Army soldiers were all fighting desperately to protect her, the Great Zhou Emperor. If she went out now, she would only add to the chaos!

Looking at the scale of the arrow rain and listening to the shouting and killing sounds, the enemy forces were likely numerous, at least twice as many as the troops she led.

Just as Bai Qingyan was calculating in her mind, she heard killing cries from behind as well.

“Enemy troops behind! Be careful!” The Anping Army on the high slopes stood high and could see far, spotting a large army suddenly emerging from the valley entrance.

Liu Pinggao had seen all kinds of situations and showed no fear: “Anping Army, listen to orders! Swear to protect His Majesty to the death!”

“Elder sister!” Hearing that a large army was blocking the rear, Bai Jinzhi immediately guessed that there were probably people blocking the front exit as well. “Someone wants to trap us here to death!”

Surrounded, with ambush troops on both flanks showing themselves first, they had reached the middle, yet the troops blocking their retreat showed themselves first! If Bai Qingyan’s guess was correct, the heavy troops were probably waiting for them at the front exit!

“Protect His Majesty and charge out!” Lu Yuanpeng shouted.

“Lu Yuanpeng, listen to orders!” Bai Qingyan disregarded the arrow rain and lifted the window curtain, her gaze fixed intently on the high slope. “I command you to lead half the Bai Family Army to attack the right side steep slope! Alternate with the Anping Army to retreat from the valley!”

“This subordinate receives the order!” Lu Yuanpeng responded and rode his swift horse leading troops to charge up the steep slope.

“Liu Pinggao…” Bai Qingyan called out.

“This subordinate is here!”

“I command you to lead the Anping Army, turn your horses around, and attack the enemy forces at the entrance. You must cut a bloody path!”