However, Bai Qingyan suspected that the Crown Prince would not allow Shen Liangyu to train troops at Weng Mountain. With Bai Qingyan having burned and slaughtered the surrendered Western Liang soldiers there, the Crown Prince would likely feel uncomfortable just thinking about Weng Mountain!
Whether the Crown Prince chose Chuanling Mountain or Qiushan Pass made no difference. Taking the Huying Battalion wherever to train for ten days, half a month, or even a month, as long as no one interfered, it would be Shen Liangyu’s call.
“This subordinate understands!” Shen Liangyu clasped his fists, his mind crystal clear. “This subordinate will maintain constant communication with Tonggu Mountain, Bailong City, and Zhongshan City!”
“After the generals meet with the Crown Prince, you will certainly be retained in Youhua Road…” Bai Qingyan’s eyes reddened with moisture as she clasped her fists and looked at them solemnly. “Thus, the Bai Family Army… along with Bai Qingjue and Bai Qingyun, are entrusted to all of you! After this parting, we shall meet again in three years!”
The morning sun leaped from the rolling sea of clouds, golden light penetrating the dawn mist, outlining the majestic and magnificent mountain ranges, the turbulent rushing rivers and glaciers.
The wind scattered the clouds, finally revealing the towering, magnificent peaks that pierced straight into the azure sky. The thousand-year-old snow that had never melted was illuminated by the most dazzling radiance of early dawn… reflecting in golden splendor.
The brilliant dawn light slowly approached from beyond the mountains and rivers, illuminating this vast and boundless wilderness, dispelling the clouds and darkness that shrouded the Jin army’s tents.
“Elder Sister! Elder Sister!” Bai Jinzhi’s voice arrived before her person.
She rushed into Shen Liangyu’s tent, breathing heavily and looking somewhat panicked: “That Western Liang Prince Yan Li Zhijie has brought the bodies of the Huying Battalion elite soldiers and the Dong family death warriors, saying he wants to find the Crown Prince… to demand an explanation!”
He came so quickly!
Upon hearing this, Cheng Yuanzhi immediately flared up, jumping to his feet and shouting: “Demand his mother’s leg!”
“He still dares to come!” Shen Liangyu gritted his teeth and turned to grab his sword.
When he thought of charging into that sinister underground cellar and seeing Bai Qingyun covered in wounds, with needles stuck under every toenail and fingernail, both legs already crushed, blood flowing continuously throughout his body, he wished he could hack that Western Liang Prince Yan Li Zhijie to pieces alive.
Bai Jinzhi’s chest rose and fell violently: “I just went to take a look. That Prince Yan is covered in blood and was carried out of a carriage! Elder Sister… when we left, that Prince Yan was perfectly fine. Him coming with all this blood on him; he must have a purpose!”
A cold gleam flashed in the depths of Bai Qingyan’s eyes.
Li Zhijie covered in blood?!
She steadied her mind, recalling Li Zhijie’s rippling, smiling peach blossom eyes, knowing that man was not as others saw him… he was not just a carefree, unrestrained romantic.
He carried the bodies of the Huying Battalion and Dong family death warriors, and was covered in blood himself—he came prepared.
“Where are the Western Liang Prince Yan and his men?” she asked.
“Right at the entrance of our military camp!”
“Let’s go to the Crown Prince first!” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she led the way out of the tent, walking toward the Crown Prince’s main tent.
“We should go take a look too!” Wei Zhaonian couldn’t help but worry and followed Bai Qingyan.
Bai Qingyan gripped the sword at her waist with one hand, stepping through the morning light as she emerged from Shen Liangyu’s tent, glancing sideways toward the direction outside the main camp…
Li Zhijie stood, supported by Lu Tianzhuo, at the entrance of the Jin army camp. His shoulder was wrapped in fine cotton cloth soaked red with blood. He still wore yesterday’s light purple robe, with dried blood covering half his body, looking shocking and alarming. His face was pale as snow, appearing extremely weak.
Seeming to sense Bai Qingyan’s cold gaze, Li Zhijie, standing at the entrance of the Jin army camp, raised his eyes to look at Bai Qingyan, who still wore her bloodstained armor and hadn’t had time to change. His thin lips pressed tightly together.
Bai Qingyan was so bold! Returning to the Jin army camp, she hadn’t hurried to destroy and eliminate traces of the battle at Qiushan Pass, and was walking around the military camp wearing that bloodstained armor.
That woman gripped her sword, her posture upright, her steps firm and powerful. Behind her followed five battle-hardened generals of the Bai Family Army, completely displaying the bearing of a supreme commander. Her presence was dignified, steady, and imposing, her entire being radiating a terrifying aura of punitive expedition. The way she looked at him showed no concealment of killing intent, her sharpness overwhelming.
Li Zhijie’s eyelids twitched heavily twice.
“Your Highness, Bai Qingyan appears to be prepared, otherwise, she wouldn’t be so bold as to walk around the military camp wearing bloodstained armor.” Lu Tianzhuo lowered his eyes and said quietly in Li Zhijie’s ear.
They had already come to the Jin army camp. Having reached this point, there was no room for second thoughts. Li Zhijie’s gaze followed Bai Qingyan closely…
“Things have come to this point. This prince never intended to use this matter to truly do anything to Bai Qingyan. As long as I can plant a seed of suspicion in the Jin Crown Prince’s heart, this prince’s wound won’t have been in vain,” Li Zhijie said.
·
The Crown Prince had just fallen asleep not long ago and was awakened again. Already holding back a bellyful of anger, when he heard that Li Zhijie had brought the bodies of the Huying Battalion elite soldiers… along with the corpses of over twenty men dressed as Jin soldiers, he immediately became more than half awake.
While having Quan Yu help him dress, he ordered people to summon Old Fang, Qin Shangzhi, and Ren Shijie.
When Old Fang and the others, properly dressed and hurriedly carrying the hems of their robes, arrived, Zhang Duanrui, Bai Qingyan, and several other generals had already arrived and were waiting outside the Crown Prince’s main tent.
Zhang Duanrui was so anxious he kept stamping his feet, but could only watch as the palace maids and young eunuchs brought by the Crown Prince carried copper basins, hot water, and handkerchiefs, going in and out like fish.
“This Western Liang Prince Yan comes with ill intent!” Zhang Duanrui glanced toward the direction outside the main camp and asked Bai Qingyan in a low voice, “General Bai, in yesterday’s battle, did the Huying Battalion brothers injure this Western Liang Prince Yan?”
Upon hearing this, Old Fang also turned to look at Bai Qingyan.
Before Bai Qingyan could shake her head, Bai Jinzhi couldn’t hold back: “Absolutely not! In yesterday’s great battle… Elder Sister and I watched all the surviving Huying Battalion brothers completely withdraw up the mountain before we withdrew last! It was only after Elder Sister and I had already withdrawn up the mountain that the Western Liang Prince Yan appeared on horseback. We didn’t even touch a single hair on his head!”
Old Fang squinted and stroked his goatee.
This matter had been discussed inside the Crown Prince’s main tent, and the encounter with Prince Yan had also been mentioned… At that time, there was indeed no mention of injuring Prince Yan.
“It seems this Prince Yan is probably worried that Jin will pursue the matter of a group of experts dressed as Jin soldiers being hidden in Qiushan City, so he wants to take the initiative to attack! After all, the Western Liang people hold the bodies of our Jin army’s Huying Battalion elite soldiers, so naturally, this Western Liang Prince Yan can say whatever he wants!” Qin Shangzhi’s brows furrowed tightly.
Old Fang’s eyelids jumped: “Going to negotiate at their appointed time, then the Western Liang Prince Yan making various excuses wanting to postpone the negotiations, the Jin-dressed experts in Qiushan Pass, and now today Prince Yan coming injured—setting aside the variable of our Huying Battalion elite soldiers, I’m afraid this is the reason why the Western Liang Prince Yan arranged for those Jin-dressed experts to wait at Qiushan Pass!”
Qin Shangzhi suddenly looked up at Old Fang, instantly understanding Old Fang’s meaning: “Old Fang means that if yesterday the Crown Prince had agreed to postpone the negotiations, Western Liang would have falsely arranged for these Jin-dressed experts to assassinate the Western Liang Prince Yan…”