As soon as they emerged from the great prison, Lin Kangle asked: “Is the Princess planning to lure the Liang Kingdom’s Zhao family army to rescue Zhao Tong?”

“No need to lure them. Today… they will certainly take action. Are the original construction blueprints of Longyang City still available?” Bai Qingyan asked Lin Kangle.

Lin Kangle nodded: “When we first entered the city, Longyang City’s county magistrate handed the blueprints to this general. If the Princess needs them, this general will immediately send someone to fetch them. But Princess… Zhao Tong is not the commander-in-chief. Will the Zhao family army come to rescue Zhao Tong?”

“They will come!” Bai Qingyan said to Lin Kangle. “Zhao Tong is a member of the Zhao family. The Zhao family army will certainly spare no cost to rescue him!”

Just as the various officers and soldiers of the Bai family army would risk their lives to save any Bai family member in danger, it was the same principle.

“General Lin, please immediately send someone to deliver a declaration of war to the Liang camp! Now that I have arrived at Longyang City, Xun Tianzhang will certainly be suspicious and wonder whether Jin Kingdom’s reinforcements have already arrived. Thus… Xun Tianzhang will send people to scout our Jin Kingdom’s military strength and determine his next military strategy. The Zhao family army will also certainly seize this opportunity to volunteer to go to Longyang City, probe our army’s intelligence, and rescue Zhao Tong.” Bai Qingyan instructed Lin Kangle.

“What if Xun Tianzhang accepts the challenge? Our reinforcements haven’t arrived yet…” Lin Kangle hesitated considerably.

“Although Xun Tianzhang is unscrupulous in his methods, he… is a cautious person who won’t rashly accept battle without first ascertaining the Jin Kingdom’s military strength!” Bai Qingyan said.

From Xun Tianzhang sending Liang soldiers across the Chun Mushan border to test the Jin Kingdom, it could be determined that… Xun Tianzhang was someone who liked to control the overall situation and strategize from behind the scenes. Her appearance was a variable to Xun Tianzhang, and without understanding this variable clearly, Xun Tianzhang would not carelessly accept battle.

Otherwise, Xun Tianzhang wouldn’t have waited several days after Zhang Duanrui sent the Liang soldiers’ corpses back to the Liang camp before formally declaring war on the Jin Kingdom.

“I trouble General Lin to tell me what you currently know about the Liang army’s troop deployments and where the Liang army has set up camp. Also, please trouble General Lin to send someone to properly arrange accommodations for the guards I brought. They followed me on urgent travel day and night without rest and are all quite exhausted!” Bai Qingyan cupped her fists toward Lin Kangle.

“Of course! Of course!” Lin Kangle said hurriedly.

This time, as soon as Princess Zhenguo arrived, she defeated the enemy in three moves and captured Zhao Tong alive, greatly boosting the Jin army’s morale. Lin Kangle’s heart was also surging with hot blood, and he naturally would comply with Bai Qingyan’s words.

In the Liang camp.

Zhao Tong’s lieutenant returned to camp and urgently reported to the commander’s tent the matter of Bai Qingyan appearing at Longyang City and capturing Zhao Tong alive in three moves. The assembled generals were in an uproar.

Zhao Tong’s elder brother, Zhao Sheng, gripped tightly the sword at his waist and raised his voice: “Impossible! My second brother, Zhao Tong, is one of our Liang army’s bravest and fiercest generals. You’re saying that Bai Qingyan, a woman… could capture him alive in three moves?”

“That’s hard to say. She is the granddaughter of Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting, the one who once personally beheaded Pang Pingguo. She cannot be underestimated!” a Liang general spoke up.

“Moreover, a few months ago in Jin Kingdom’s Nan Jiang campaign, Bai Qingyan made Yun Poxing flee in panic and defeat. She’s no ordinary person!”

Although when the killing god’s reputation first spread, our entire Liang court found it laughable, thinking about it now, she probably lives up to the name somewhat. We underestimated the Bai family’s women! Zhang Duanrui is already dead. Could it be that the new commander the Jin army has appointed is this granddaughter of Bai Weiting?”

“But aren’t Jin Kingdom’s reinforcements arriving a bit too quickly! Could it be that this Princess Zhenguo Bai Qingyan traveled day and night without rest to arrive first by herself?” The Liang general was full of questions.

Kneeling on the commander’s seat in full military attire, Xun Tianzhang’s expression was grim. His temples were already graying, and his lips were pale, but his imposing presence was undiminished. His bright eyes under thick brows showed no trace of illness.

After contemplating for a moment, Xun Tianzhang wanted to stand up. His son stepped forward to assist him, but Xun Tianzhang gritted his teeth and raised his hand to signal his son not to come forward. He supported himself with his withered hands on the desk in front of him, forcing himself to stand and walk with tightly pressed lips to the Jin Kingdom map hanging in the commander’s tent. All the generals followed behind Xun Tianzhang and stood together before the map.

Xun Tianzhang pointed to the border between Jin Kingdom and the Rong and Di tribes, his voice measured: “It’s also possible that Jin Kingdom transferred the garrison troops stationed at the Anping Great Camp on the border with the Rong and Di, then commanded Princess Zhenguo Bai Qingyan to travel urgently without stopping to rendezvous with them. Or perhaps… Princess Zhenguo was worried about her younger sister and broke away from the reinforcement troops to arrive first.”

The Bai family’s emphasis on sentiment and loyalty – this point Xun Tianzhang understood most clearly.

“But our scouts haven’t reported any reinforcements approaching. Tens of thousands of troops… couldn’t possibly enter Longyang City silently!”

Just as the Liang general in the tent finished speaking, they heard a Liang soldier’s report from outside the tent.

“Report… reporting to the commander, the Jin army has sent a declaration of war!”

Xun Tianzhang’s eyes tightened as he turned around.

“Father Commander, it seems the Jin army’s reinforcements have arrived!” Xun Tianzhang’s son said.

Standing before the map, Xun Tianzhang received the declaration of war, opened it for a glance, and saw that the Jin Kingdom’s wording was forceful, completely different from before.

He suddenly closed the bamboo scroll and, after thinking, said: “Tonight, send people to scout. Capture one or two tongues to question them. We must confirm whether Jin Kingdom’s reinforcements have already arrived!”

Zhao Sheng hurriedly stepped forward and cupped his fists: “Commander, let our Zhao family army people go! We can rescue my second brother, Zhao Tong, at the same time!”

Xun Tianzhang looked at Zhao Sheng’s determined eyes and knew that even if he didn’t permit the Zhao family army to go rescue their man, Zhao Sheng would probably still send people anyway. Moreover, the Zhao family army was the Liang army’s elite – sending the Zhao family army people would have a greater chance of success. So be it… Let the Zhao family army people go.

Xun Tianzhang nodded: “Remember, determining whether reinforcements have arrived is the priority! Even if Zhao Tong is left in the Jin army’s hands, the Jin army absolutely wouldn’t dare take Zhao Tong’s life. When the Jin army sues for peace in the future, we can simply demand General Zhao Tong back. But the war situation must not be delayed!”

“This general understands!” Zhao Sheng cupped his fists.

Xun Tianzhang thought again and added: “If the Zhao family army infiltrates Longyang City and, after scouting the situation, if you have spare capacity to find the Jin army’s granary, set it ablaze!”

As long as they burned the Jin army’s grain supplies, even if Jin army reinforcements had arrived, Xun Tianzhang would dare burn his boats, dare disperse his forces to attack the city from all sides, and fight to the death.

It was said that the Jin Kingdom’s Bai family was a century-old military household that never produced waste. Xun Tianzhang didn’t dare take them lightly.

In the Xi Liang campaign, Xun Tianzhang could see that this person, called Young Commander Bai, Bai Qingyan, used troops like a god despite her young age, being both intelligent and brave. If they didn’t take advantage of her not yet fully grasping the Liang army’s battle situation to quickly achieve victory and kill her here! She would become the greatest variable in this battle, not to mention in the future… this woman would become like Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting, someone who could deter Great Liang for nearly a decade from daring to recover lost territory.

Zhao Sheng was startled, then said solemnly: “I will certainly not fail in this mission!”

“Tell the Jin army messenger to go back and inform their new commander that our Liang army won’t take advantage of the Jin army. Since their reinforcements have just arrived and are tired and weary, this commander permits them to rest for several days before fighting again!”