But after calming down, Qin Shangzhi inevitably felt that at the time, he had merely been shocked by Bai Qingyan’s words and acted on momentary impulse.

In this world, it was difficult for women to advance themselves, and he was already over forty years old. The Bai family in the capital was walking on thin ice. He thought perhaps he would not live to see the day when Bai Qingyan could shoulder the banner of the Bai Family Army, would not live to see the day when Bai Qingyan grew strong enough to work hand in hand with him to support the myriad people of Great Jin!

So when he encountered the Crown Prince, he chose to follow him.

Who could have imagined that in such a short time… Bai Qingyan would indeed be as she had said, coming to Nan Jiang… coming to shoulder the banner of the Bai Family Army!

What regret!

He regretted underestimating that eldest daughter of the Bai family who yielded to no man.

But he was a scholar, a strategist!

A strategist’s value lay in loyalty and integrity. Once one chooses a master, one must never harbor second thoughts, never serve a second master, otherwise when one’s name is left to posterity… one would surely be scorned by all under heaven!

He could not cheapen the integrity that a strategist should possess!

Although he could not work hand in hand with Bai Qingyan as he had promised at Ten-Li Slope, he was willing to risk his life during this journey to Nan Jiang to protect Bai Qingyan’s safety.

·

Weng City had already received the news—a great victory at Weng Mountain canyon!

The three Bai Family Army generals recovering from injuries in Weng City heard that Little Marshal Bai Qingyan had come and was leading the victorious Bai Family Army from Weng Mountain back to Weng City. They were greatly astonished.

Wei Zhaonian, Gu Wenchang, and Shen Kunyang—all three were veterans of the military. They all knew how severely Bai Qingyan had been injured back then. With abdominal wounds in the depths of winter, falling into rushing river waters, under those circumstances, they had all felt it was Heaven’s protection that she survived, and they had regretted that Little Marshal Bai had lost all her martial arts.

But now, how had Little Marshal Bai returned?!

With her martial arts completely lost, how could she enter the battlefield?!

In this battle, had Cheng Yuanzhi properly protected Little Marshal Bai? Had he allowed Little Marshal Bai to be injured?!

The injured Bai Family Army members in Weng City climbed the city walls to gaze into the distance.

Leaning on crutches, with wounds wrapped in fine cotton cloth, the Bai Family Army soldiers saw a large force approaching swiftly on horseback, raising high the black banner with the white python. Someone excitedly shouted: “They’re back! They’re back! Our Bai Family Army has returned!”

The walls of Weng City immediately erupted in excitement, all shouting: “The Bai Family Army has returned!”

Gu Wenchang, leaning on his crutch, suppressed the excitement in his heart and quietly asked Wei Zhaonian, who had lost one eye and wore white robes: “Do you see Little Marshal Bai?!”

Before Wei Zhaonian could answer, they heard Shen Kunyang pointing into the distance and shouting: “Look! Is that Little Marshal Bai… that figure at the very front holding a silver spear!”

The swift horses drew closer and closer. Gu Wenchang and Shen Kunyang both saw Bai Qingyan riding at the front of the formation, and even Wei Zhaonian, with only one eye remaining, could see clearly.

Wei Zhaonian gritted his teeth tightly, his eye socket reddening, his breathing becoming rapid.

He had thought that with all the Bai family generals dead in battle, the Bai Family Army would no longer be the Bai Family Army. The remaining ten thousand Bai Family Army soldiers… would likely also perish in Nan Jiang.

He had thought that today, when he failed to stop Cheng Yuanzhi from leading the ten thousand Bai Family Army out of the city to rescue the court’s fifty thousand reinforcements, would become the Bai Family Army’s death anniversary. He had thought… from now on, there would be no more Bai Family Army in the world!

But Little Marshal Bai had come quietly, and after achieving victory… had brought back those ten thousand Bai Family Army soldiers!

Wei Zhaonian’s chest surged with blood and qi. Only now did he finally believe that the fifty thousand reinforcements had indeed defeated Yun Poxing’s army of over a hundred thousand, that Duke Zhenguo’s eldest granddaughter, Bai Qingyan, was indeed a natural military genius who never miscalculated.

Wei Zhaonian looked up at the starry sky, gritting his teeth desperately…

Heaven had eyes—it would not let their Bai Family Army perish!

It must be the Marshal, Deputy Marshal, and all the Bai family generals, the fallen Bai Family Army soldiers protecting these ten thousand surviving Bai Family Army members, which is why they had summoned Little Marshal Bai!

“It is Little Marshal Bai! Quick! Follow me out of the city to welcome Little Marshal Bai!” Gu Wenchang shouted with tears streaming down his face. Too excited to contain himself, Gu Wenchang hobbled down from the city wall with his crutch.

Shen Kunyang and Wei Zhaonian hurried to follow Gu Wenchang down from the city wall.

The heavy city gate, scarred by battle axes, slowly opened. Wood chips mixed with blood covered the ground—these were traces left after the Western Liang army’s siege. The Weng City soldiers had only cleared away the corpses. Fearing the Western Liang army might return for a counterattack, they hadn’t yet had time to clean up these remaining traces.

Gu Wenchang, Wei Zhaonian, and Shen Kunyang, leading the wounded Bai Family Army, stood at the front of the moat drawbridge, watching the war horses galloping through the night like glimmering light in pitch darkness—however faint, it still inspired hope.

“Elder sister! There are people ahead!” Bai Jinzhi pointed to the several hundred shadowy figures faintly visible before Weng City’s drawbridge.

“That’s Old Shen and the others!” Cheng Yuanzhi raised his hand, signaling the racing formation to slow down.

Bai Qingyan gripped the reins and reined in her swift horse before Weng City’s drawbridge, looking at the wounded Bai Family Army soldiers before her… seeing they all wore mourning cloth, her eye sockets ached with pain.

She dismounted, her throat choking with emotion. Before she could speak, she heard the bearded Shen Kunyang call out “Little Marshal Bai,” and the wounded soldiers all clasped their hands and knelt on one knee.

“Uncle Gu, Uncle Shen, General Wei, Qingyan came too late!” Bai Qingyan’s eyes brimmed with tears as she knelt and bowed to the three generals.

“Not late! Not late!” Shen Kunyang was emotionally stirred. He hurried forward to help Bai Qingyan up. Seeing the dried blood on Bai Qingyan’s shoulder, he tried hard to keep his eyes wide open to prevent tears from streaming down his face, choking as he asked: “Does Little Marshal Bai still fear the cold? Have your martial arts recovered? Are your injuries from this great battle severe?”

Shen Kunyang had watched Bai Qingyan grow up in the military camp. When Bai Qingyan first entered the camp, she served under Shen Kunyang’s command. At that time, Bai Qingyan was heaven’s pride, young and arrogant. With her Sun-Shooting Bow and red-tasseled silver spear, she dared to challenge all the fierce soldiers under Shen Kunyang’s command in single combat, until she had even defeated Shen Kunyang himself, only then earning a position as vanguard.

In Shen Kunyang’s eyes, Bai Qingyan was Little Marshal Bai, but also a junior he had watched grow up.

“Little Four!” She turned back to call to Bai Jinzhi.

Bai Jinzhi responded and ran toward her.

“This is my fourth sister, my second uncle’s legitimate daughter, Bai Jinzhi!” Bai Qingyan introduced Bai Jinzhi to Shen Kunyang and the others.

Bai Jinzhi cheerfully clasped her hands and bowed to the three generals: “Bai Jinzhi greets the three elders!”

Shen Kunyang, Wei Zhaonian, and Gu Wenchang hurried to return Bai Jinzhi’s courtesy.

“Fourth Miss!” Shen Kunyang looked at Bai Jinzhi with red eyes. “The Marshal always said that Fourth Miss was the child most like him in his youth! We’ve always hoped to meet Fourth Miss, and today we finally have!”

As Shen Kunyang spoke, his voice grew weaker, his heart filled with pain: “But we never imagined… it would be under such circumstances that we’d meet.”

Bai Jinzhi’s eyes also reddened, clenching her fists tightly at her sides. Did grandfather… think she was the child most like him in his youth?!

“Don’t talk here! Let’s return to Weng City first!” Gu Wenchang suppressed his choking voice, looking up at the various wounded Bai Family Army soldiers in the distance. “The soldiers all need their wounds treated! Little Marshal Bai too! We’ll talk after treating the wounds.”