General Fu Ruoxi has spent these years guarding against the Rongdi, rich in combat experience. She will surely be able to rescue Xiao Si!

“Princess, please rest assured!”

Fu Ruoxi accepted the command and immediately led her men galloping swiftly toward Fire God Mountain.

“Princess, just now you mentioned Dragon Mother River…” Liu Hong pressed for details.

Bai Qingyan’s heart was beating rapidly, but she still steadied her mind and stood before the sand table, continuing to discuss with Liu Hong and the other generals the matter of the Liang army potentially flooding Longyang City.

“Today, on Dragon Mother River, Liang army commander Xun Tianzhang must have already noticed that Dragon Mother River’s flood season is about to arrive. Longyang City sits on low terrain. I fear Xun Tianzhang will use the method of flooding Longyang City to achieve victory. Please, Commander, issue orders to have the Jin army help the people quickly harvest their wheat and evacuate the civilians,” she said.

“Harvest wheat early and evacuate civilians? But what if the Liang army doesn’t plan to flood Longyang City?” A Jin general raised doubts. “Moreover, if the Liang army makes any moves, our scouts will surely return early to report! The Princess worries too soon – it would be a waste of effort for nothing!”

Bai Qingyan didn’t argue, only said with great certainty: “Whether it’s true or not, tonight please have the Commander send people to investigate Dragon Mother River and we’ll know!”

“If the Liang commander truly intends to flood Longyang City, do we only have the one path of evacuating civilians?” Liu Hong looked at the sand table before him, pondered carefully, then looked toward Bai Qingyan. “Rather than expending manpower to harvest wheat early, wouldn’t it be better to set an ambush at Dragon Mother River in advance and finish off the Liang soldiers who come to dig channels at Dragon Mother River!”

Bai Qingyan seemed to have already considered this method. Looking at Liu Hong, she said: “This method could also work, but if we cannot annihilate the Liang army that Xun Tianzhang sends to dig channels, even if only one escapes back to the Liang camp, it would alert the enemy and put our Jin army in a passive position. I believe it’s more urgent to harvest wheat and evacuate civilians early. Let the Liang state dig their channels. When the time comes, we’ll find a way to lure the Liang army into Longyang City and use the channels the Liang army worked so hard to dig against them.”

“The most crucial part of the Princess’s method is luring the Liang army into the city. But what if the Liang army doesn’t enter the city?” A general frowned deeply, quite disagreeing. “If the Liang army doesn’t enter the city… it would all be in vain! Previously, after the Liang army captured Chunmu City and Puwen City, they burned, killed, and plundered for a while, then left without stationing troops in the cities! If the Liang army floods Longyang City, then the losses… would be ours, Jin’s!”

“Does the Princess already have an idea?” Liu Hong had great confidence in Bai Qingyan, feeling she would never speak without purpose.

Bai Qingyan nodded: “Immediately spread rumors saying that treasures transported away before Chunmu City and Puwen City were captured are hidden within Longyang City. The residence of the world’s richest merchant, Xiao Rongyan, is in Longyang City, with secret chambers and hidden passages storing countless treasures. Wealth moves people’s hearts… There will surely be generals in the Liang army camp who will want to capture Longyang City and be the first to enter the city to claim the treasures for themselves.”

“After that, have the Commander send people to destroy all of the Liang army’s grain transport routes, leaving only this one close to Longyang City…” Bai Qingyan pointed to several grain routes on the sand table. “To protect his grain supplies completely, Xun Tianzhang will necessarily send heavy troops to guard this grain route, both to prevent the Jin army from raiding and burning Liang army grain supplies, and to swallow up any Jin army that comes to ambush!”

Bai Qingyan’s finger pointed to where the Liang army was currently positioned on the sand table. Her voice was both rapid and steady, her eyes resolute and calm, as if she already had everything planned: “At this time, our Jin army main force will go in full strength to raid the Liang camp. We must let the Liang army see that the Commander and Jin generals are all there, making them think our army’s main force is attacking the camp. This will draw Xun Tianzhang’s heavy troops guarding the grain route back to the camp for reinforcement. Our army will then feign defeat and retreat, fighting and withdrawing all the way to lure them into Longyang City, pretending to be no match and fleeing the city in defeat!”

“At this point, can the Liang army resist searching the city for treasures? After all, whether to flood Longyang City or not depends entirely on Xun Tianzhang’s single command! While they’re searching and plundering treasures in the city, we can send General Lin Kangle to circle Dragon Mother River and break open the channel mouth… flood Longyang City!”

Bai Qingyan had carefully studied the military reports. When the Liang army entered Chunmu City and Puwen City, Xun Tianzhang had given three days each time for burning, killing, and plundering. They would have time to flood the Liang army.

Liu Hong listened to Bai Qingyan’s account, his heart immediately surging with hot blood. He forcefully slapped the wooden edge of the sand table: “Excellent!”

“I never expected the Princess to have thought things through so thoroughly. This general is impressed!” The general who had held doubts earlier cupped his fists toward Bai Qingyan.

Dressed in silver armor with a composed and calm divine bearing, Bai Qingyan nodded, showing no trace of smugness. Her voice was peaceful and composed: “Commander, you can send people to stake out Dragon Mother River now. After dark… There will surely be movement in the Liang camp!”

Bai Qingyan had considered all the battle strategies that Xun Tianzhang might consider at this time, and after repeated analysis, believed that only this method could defeat the Liang army with minimal Jin army casualties.

Flooding Longyang City would require calculating the manpower and resources needed to rebuild Longyang City, but in Bai Qingyan’s view, people were the most important.

As long as there were people… rebuilding the city would not be difficult.

What was truly feared was excessive deaths and injuries among Jin army soldiers in the battle between the two armies – that would be the real loss.

Just like the battle in Nanjiang, if not for Prince Xin bringing disaster to the Kingdom, with hundreds of thousands of Jin soldiers buried in Nanjiang and Jin’s military strength greatly damaged, would Great Liang dare to send troops to attack Jin this time?

Liu Hong had already sent word to the reinforcements traveling from the capital to Longyang City to race through the night without delay.

Only after flooding the Liang army could they join forces to drive the remaining Liang soldiers out of Jin.

Near the hour of you, strong winds outside the city gusted intermittently, the sky was overcast without sunlight, and it had already grown dark.

Everyone waited quietly for news from the Fire God Mountain direction, and also for news from the Dragon Mother River.

Bai Qingyan was extremely anxious, standing atop the city wall, gazing toward Fire God Mountain. Seeing what seemed to be firelight flickering faintly in the Fire God Mountain, her heart leaped to her throat, and she decided to go there personally.

She turned, about to request permission from Liu Hong to go there herself.

“General Bai!” A Jin soldier called out to Bai Qingyan, pointing toward the distance.

Bai Qingyan turned around and looked in the direction the Jin soldier was pointing. She saw cavalry galloping from Fire God Mountain direction, banners flying, horses’ hooves raising dust, sand and dust filling the sky.

Bai Qingyan steadied herself, drew her bow, and nocked an arrow, calling out loudly: “Archers prepare!”

Lu Ping also picked up his bow and arrow, drawing the bow and aiming at a distance.

Though the approaching riders held high Jin army banners, since they hadn’t drawn near and she couldn’t see clearly, precautions were still needed.

Horn calls sounded from atop Longyang City’s tower, the entire city on alert to guard against enemy attack.

Liu Hong led Jin generals and soldiers on horseback, heading straight for the city tower to gaze into the distance.

“They seem to be our people!”

Bai Qingyan maintained her bow-drawing posture, her eyes dark and deep: “Wait until they’re close enough to see clearly before saying so!”

With the two armies in confrontation, and the opponent being a commander like Xun Tianzhang who would use any means necessary, caution was still required.

The sound of galloping hooves grew closer and closer. When Bai Qingyan could make out that leading the cavalry charging at the front were Lin Kangle, Wang Xiping, and General Fu Ruoxi, all covered in blood.

Behind Fu Ruoxi, the cavalry almost all carried two people per horse, apparently having brought back the Jin soldiers from Fire God Mountain.