From a distance, the elegant and composed Xiao Rongyan bowed toward Bai Qingyan.
Bai Qingyan stopped her steps and also returned the bow to Xiao Rongyan, watching as he boarded his carriage.
After today’s parting, who knew when they would meet again, and she hoped that when they did meet again… the two of them wouldn’t be enemies.
“Elder Sister, won’t you say a few words to Master Xiao? Master Xiao is leaving!” Bai Jinzhi asked in a low voice.
She shook her head.
At the end of the Mao hour, when the army departed according to Bai Qingyan’s arrangements, Bai Qingyan had already gone to sleep to conserve her energy.
The Crown Prince stood atop the city wall, watching the fifty thousand troops he had brought leave the city in batches, heading to the battlefield, silently praying to heaven for protection and certain victory in this battle!
Although the Crown Prince had never personally led an expedition, he knew that since all the generals of Duke Zhenguo’s Bai family had perished, Jin’s morale had been severely damaged. Only by achieving a victory of few against many in this battle could they greatly boost morale and intimidate Nanyan and Xiliang.
After seeing off the last batch of troops, the Crown Prince turned to ask his eunuch Quan Yu: “What is Miss Bai doing now?”
“Replying to Your Highness, I heard that after Miss Bai returned… she went to sleep,” Quan Yu said with a smile. “This Miss Bai must already be confident of victory, otherwise how would she dare to sleep? Your Highness can rest assured, this battle will be a great victory! From now on, Your Highness will be famous throughout the world!”
The Crown Prince’s fist hidden in his sleeve tightened. He hoped so…
The Crown Prince thought for a moment and instructed Quan Yu: “Later, send someone to wait at the city gate. If the Bai family army’s Huying Battalion returns to the city, be sure to stop them. Have the Huying Battalion temporarily wait outside the city for orders – they are not allowed to enter the city!”
Hearing this, Qin Shangzhi immediately knew the Crown Prince was preventing Miss Bai from meeting with the Huying Battalion.
“Your Highness! I believe… Your Highness could follow Miss Bai’s suggestion from last night and mobilize Pingyang’s garrison – send a small team to raid the Xiliang army’s supplies, and another route to Feng County to intimidate Nanyan!” Qin Shangzhi cupped his fists and bowed, speaking solemnly.
“No!” The old advisor beside the Crown Prince shook his head. “Pingyang’s garrison is meant to intimidate Great Yan. If we move Pingyang’s garrison and Great Yan learns that our Jin is fiercely battling the combined forces of Xiliang and Nanyan, they might jump out to get a share! So Pingyang’s garrison absolutely cannot be moved!”
Qin Shangzhi felt frustrated and argued forcefully: “Great Yan has already been driven to barren lands by Jin. Last year, Great Yan first suffered floods, then drought, and after the floods and drought, there was no harvest. Whether Great Yan’s people can survive this winter is questionable – they even sought aid from various countries before the new year. How could they have the strength to get a share?”
The old advisor stroked his goatee, his arrogant gaze sweeping over Qin Shangzhi as he spoke calmly: “Great Yan’s ruler has great ambitions that cannot be underestimated, and this is something Master Qin yourself reminded His Highness about several times! How can you now say it’s questionable whether Great Yan can survive this winter? Master Qin’s words contradict each other – you’re still young!”
Qin Shangzhi gritted his teeth and only looked toward the Crown Prince: “Your Highness! Please make the decision!”
After a long silence, the Crown Prince said to Qin Shangzhi: “Master Qin means well for me, I know! But Master Qin is young… You should learn more from Old Master Fang!”
Qin Shangzhi: “…”
When Bai Qingyan woke at noon, battle reports from the front kept arriving.
Bai Jinzhi was impatient, wanting to go to the front lines to check the battle situation, but was firmly pressed by Bai Qingyan to properly eat lunch.
At the shen hour, three blood-covered soldiers on fast horses rushed into Wanping City, heading straight for the government office. They fell from their horses, and the clerks at the government office entrance immediately dragged and helped them inside.
Upon seeing the Crown Prince, the blood-covered general cried out: “Your Highness, the Crown Prince! This subordinate is incompetent! The five thousand ambush troops in the basin and the ten thousand elite troops who lured the Xiliang forces into the basin have all… all been slaughtered by Xiliang! The fierce Xiliang soldiers know they’ve been tricked and are roaring to fight back to the eastern ambush point of Wengshan Gorge to kill all our Jin reinforcements!”
Hearing this, the Crown Prince collapsed into his chair, his face pale as he shouted to eunuch Quan Yu: “Quick! Quickly summon Young Master Bai!”
“Ruojiang sent word that after the Huying Battalion returned, they were stopped outside the city by His Highness the Crown Prince’s people and not allowed to enter! It seems… this is to prevent the Huying Battalion from meeting with Miss!” Xiao Ruohai bent down and whispered in Bai Qingyan’s ear.
“Elder Sister!” Bai Jinzhi rushed in urgently, gasping for breath from running too fast. “General Wang who led the ambush at Wengshan basin has returned – he was defeated! The fierce Xiliang soldiers are fighting back to the eastern ambush point of Wengshan Gorge.”
Her hand gripping the chair armrest tightened, and she looked up, her eyes flashing with deadly intent.
She bit her teeth tightly and stood up: “Xiao Si, milk brother, armor up!”
The moment had arrived!
Their Bai family’s army would never change its surname to serve others!
Wasn’t the Emperor afraid the Bai family would use the Bai family army as their private forces?! From today on, the Bai family army could only be the Bai family’s private army!
“Yes!” Bai Jinzhi cupped her fists in salute and rushed out again.
Xiao Ruohai’s throat moved, his heart surging with emotion, his shoulders trembling imperceptibly with excitement. He came out of the room, clenched his fists tightly, his eyes reddening. Today, he would certainly avenge past humiliation and let the spirit of Young Master Bai Qishan see that he had returned!
Quan Yu led a team of guards on fast horses from the government office to the camp, so anxious he nearly fell from his horse, his face pale with pain as he was helped up by soldiers at the camp entrance in embarrassment.
“Quick! His Highness urgently summons Young Master Bai! Go call him!” Quan Yu hurriedly pushed the soldier who was supporting him. “Go quickly!”
“No need!”
Bai Qingyan’s calm voice came through. Quan Yu looked up toward the camp entrance.
He saw Bai Qingyan holding a silver spear, dressed in full silver armor, her red cloak fluttering, heroic and spirited, approaching with swift, steady steps, emanating overwhelming killing intent that was terrifying.
In Quan Yu’s eyes, Miss Bai had always been gentle and courteous. He had never seen what Bai Qingyan looked like surrounded by killing intent. Today, suddenly seeing Bai Qingyan in battle armor, he was intimidated by the dominating killing aura emanating from Miss Bai, his scalp tingling.
Following behind Bai Qingyan were Bai Jinzhi and Xiao Ruohai, already dressed in armor, both with calm gazes and eyes burning with fighting spirit.
Bai Qingyan stepped out of the camp and leaped onto the red horse Quan Yu had ridden, sitting high above, holding the reins with one hand, her eyes cold and stern: “I’m borrowing your horse!”
Without waiting for Quan Yu to nod, Bai Qingyan had already turned the horse around and rode away in a cloud of dust. Xiao Ruohai and Bai Jinzhi mounted the horses the guard team had ridden and followed Bai Qingyan.
Quan Yu, who had been helped up, watched Bai Qingyan’s retreating figure, his heart beating extremely fast, and hurriedly said: “Quick, quick, quick! Help me onto a horse!”
The Crown Prince, sitting anxiously in the government office, paced back and forth between the map and the doorway. Not seeing Bai Qingyan arrive after a long wait, he turned to ask his three advisors: “Do you have any plans?”
“Your Highness should immediately send Young Master Bai to lead Wanping’s two thousand garrison troops on fast horses straight to the eastern ambush point of Wengshan Gorge!” Qin Shangzhi cupped his fists. “As long as Young Master Bai can hold back the Xiliang army and prevent them from supporting the Xiliang forces in the gorge, our army might achieve victory!”