Hearing the strategist Old Fang say this, the Crown Prince’s expression became even more unsightly.

“You cannot say such things! We only brought fifty thousand reinforcements this time. If we keep those prisoners, we’d still need to use troops to guard them. What if the prisoners rebel midway?! Killing them was right!” Qin Shangzhi clasped his hands and earnestly entreated the Crown Prince again. “Your Highness! Quickly order the five hundred city garrison soldiers to transport supplies! While Nanyan is currently in a state of panic and unease, if our army strikes with lightning speed, we can surely recapture Feng County!”

After hearing Qin Shangzhi’s passionate speech, Old Fang unhurriedly glanced at Qin Shangzhi and spoke leisurely: “Your Highness, our army’s warriors have fought fiercely all day and are already exhausted, while the Nanyan forces in Feng County are full of energy. Attacking the city at this time… would be disadvantageous for our army!”

Qin Shangzhi looked at Old Fang, gritting his teeth as he continued: “Your Highness! At this moment, the sky above Weng Mountain glows red, and as long as that red glow doesn’t fade, our army’s morale won’t collapse! If we don’t attack the city while the Nanyan army’s morale is shaken, once tomorrow morning comes and Western Liang and Nanyan recover and join forces again, recapturing Feng County will be even more difficult!”

“Your Highness…” The scout looked up at the Crown Prince. “The supplies and weapons the Bai Family Army requested… should we still… still prepare them?!”

“Your Highness! You cannot hesitate!” Qin Shangzhi gritted his teeth tightly. “Your Highness, think about the strategies General Bai has offered these past few times—which one didn’t hit the mark perfectly?! Which one didn’t calculate the enemy’s troop movements and deployments without a single error?! General Bai is a natural military talent whom even Duke Zhenguo praised! You must trust General Bai! As long as this time our army can defeat the allied forces of Nanyan and Western Liang in one night, from now on no one will dare challenge Jin’s imperial dignity!”

The Crown Prince thought about how Bai Qingyan had calculated even the Western Liang ambush positions perfectly, and since he had already given out the military talisman, besides Bai Qingyan, he didn’t know whom else to trust. He nodded: “Go quickly! According to General Bai’s instructions, order the five hundred Wanping garrison soldiers… no! Make it eight hundred! Eight hundred garrison soldiers to transport supplies and weapons! Be quick!”

“Yes!”

Watching the scout run off into the distance, the Crown Prince turned to face the three strategists before him, bowing respectfully: “Please help me think of a way—how can I… how can I salvage this reputation of killing prisoners?”

“Since this battle was fought by General Bai, and the order to massacre prisoners was also given by General Bai, Your Highness need only claim it has nothing to do with you, then severely punish General Bai by having her executed as a public example. The world will surely see Your Highness’s benevolent heart! Your Highness need not worry…” Old Fang spoke with composed confidence.

The Crown Prince seemed to seriously consider Old Fang’s suggestion of executing Bai Qingyan, saying: “But… this way, won’t others know that the victory at Weng Mountain was not my achievement?”

Seeing the Crown Prince frowning under the lamplight, Qin Shangzhi felt his heart jump with fear, suddenly unsure of his feelings.

Not wanting to bear the reputation of killing prisoners, yet wanting to claim credit for the Weng Mountain victory, the Crown Prince was truly too greedy.

With Duke Zhenguo and all the Bai family generals dead, Jin’s armor had already been stripped away. If the Crown Prince were to also kill Bai Qingyan, this once-in-a-century military genius, the Great Jin would truly be at the mercy of others!

Thinking of how the Crown Prince always relied heavily on Old Fang, Qin Shangzhi’s scalp tightened with tension. He hurried forward a step: “Your Highness, General Bai cannot be killed! In this great victory, General Bai’s contributions are immeasurable! Not only did she offer strategies, but she also fought alongside the generals in bloody battles to achieve the great victory at Weng Mountain. If Your Highness executes General Bai, it will surely chill the hearts of all soldiers. Who would dare sacrifice their lives for Your Highness in the future? Who would dare to achieve merit for Jin?!”

The Crown Prince seriously considered Qin Shangzhi’s words again.

“Moreover, the Western Liang and Nanyan armies have not retreated, and the war is not over. Although General Bai is a woman, she has fully inherited Duke Zhenguo’s true teachings in commanding troops and deploying forces. How can Your Highness harbor killing intent toward a general who offers counsel and strategies? If General Bai dies this time, not only will we be unable to reclaim territory in the Nan Jiang campaign, but even the city beneath our feet may not be protected!” Qin Shangzhi’s eyes turned red.

Whether for public or private reasons, Qin Shangzhi wanted to protect Bai Qingyan.

“Master Qin’s words are laughable. Could it be… that our Jin must depend on a mere woman to have victorious battles?” Old Fang rarely showed anger, puffing his beard and glaring at Qin Shangzhi before raising his hands to bow to the Crown Prince. “Master Qin’s words—where do they place the Crown Prince? Where do they place Great Jin’s other fierce generals and we strategists of the Crown Prince’s mansion?”

Qin Shangzhi felt a painful blockage in his heart, gritting his teeth as he asked sternly: “In this battle, which of our Crown Prince mansion’s strategists and Great Jin’s fierce generals calculated Yun Poxing’s troop strength and deployment as accurately as General Bai?! And which one, after the battle reports came in, could propose effective strategies to defeat the enemy with fewer numbers?! And who… when the fifteen thousand troops in Weng Mountain’s depression were completely lost, led one thousand garrison soldiers to meet the enemy and achieved our Jin army’s great victory at Weng Mountain?!”

“This old man has said long ago that with General Zhang Duanrui guarding the western side of the canyon, although the Western Liang army occupied the eastern side of the canyon, the western side had General Zhang Duanrui. With the Western Liang army caught between our forces in the canyon, our Jin army was not necessarily bound to lose! This great victory… wasn’t it only natural?!” Old Fang was so angry that his chest heaved violently. “Master Qin receives the Crown Prince’s mansion’s salary, yet his thoughts always lean toward Bai Qingyan! I truly don’t know… in Master Qin’s heart, is General Bai your master, or is it His Highness the Crown Prince!”

Old Fang flicked his sleeves and stood with hands behind his back, adopting a lofty attitude of disdaining to speak further with Qin Shangzhi.

Qin Shangzhi’s chest burned with fury, almost unable to contain his fire and ready to draw his sword, yet he couldn’t truly quarrel with the elder, so he forcibly suppressed this rage: “Has Old Fang perhaps forgotten who devised this strategy to defeat the enemy? Old Fang keeps saying, ‘This old man has said long ago,’ as if all the troop arrangements and deployments were entirely planned by Old Fang!”

“Master Qin!” The Crown Prince looked at Qin Shangzhi with dark, gloomy eyes, quite displeased with him in his heart. “Old Fang is an elder. Has Master Qin lost even the most basic courtesy toward elders? Or has Master Qin truly forgotten… who is Master Qin’s true master?”

Qin Shangzhi: “…”

Although so angry he nearly vomited blood, Qin Shangzhi still forcibly endured it.

Watching the Crown Prince’s party leave, Qin Shangzhi stood alone on the wildly howling city wall, turning to gaze at the red-glowing sky in the direction of Weng Mountain canyon, closing his eyes as moisture gathered at their corners.

At Ten-Li Slope in the capital, when Bai Qingyan wore mourning clothes and gave him a precious horse, fox fur, and a protective dagger, she had said…

“If someday Bai Qingyan can shoulder the banner of my Bai Family Army and, as a woman, occupy a place in those high court halls, I will naturally sweep clean a seat in waiting. I earnestly hope you will not abandon me, Master, and that we might work hand in hand to support the myriad people of Great Jin.”

At that time, he was shocked that Bai Qingyan, as a woman, harbored the ambition to support the myriad people of Great Jin! His heart surged with raging waves and boiling blood, wishing he could be several years younger to follow this ambitious woman in achieving great accomplishments.