Bai Qingyan and Dong Chang Lan exchanged glances, not knowing what had happened.

“A’Bao is leaving the day after tomorrow. Master should let A’Bao spend more time with Mother! Why is he urgently calling A’Bao to the study again?” Madam Cui frowned.

Just as Madam Cui finished speaking, Old Madam Dong, who had just finished a piece of pastry, said, “You go ahead!”

Old Madam Dong took the hot cloth that Nanny Wang handed her and wiped her hands, then picked up hot tea and smiled, “Having your aunt and sister-in-law here to talk with me is enough! Go on… don’t delay important matters!”

Bai Qingyan rose and bowed to Old Madam Dong before leaving with Dong Chang Lan for Dong Qingyue’s study.

The reason Dong Qingyue urgently called Bai Qingyan and Dong Chang Lan was because scouts had reported that Great Yan’s wedding procession had been ambushed by Nanrong midway, and the Great Yan wedding party had already sent people to seek aid from Dengzhou’s army and An Ping’s main camp. The Great Yan soldiers seeking aid were currently at the Dong residence.

Bai Qingyan glanced at the map hanging in Dong Qingyue’s study and lightly pointed to where the scouts reported the Great Yan wedding procession had been attacked, frowning deeply, “Great Yan has already borrowed passage from Jin to send the wedding party. Why didn’t they take the route near the Jin-Great Liang border, crossing Chun Mushan directly to reach the Rong Di, instead of making such a large detour through the area where Jin and Nanrong connect, then to Northern Rong? Isn’t this… deliberately giving Nanrong an opportunity?”

Bai Qingyan was completely puzzled, not understanding why Emperor Yan… or Xiao Rongyan had chosen such a route for the marriage alliance. Could it be to scout Jin’s border forces in preparation for swallowing Jin in the future?

But logically speaking, what Great Yan should be scouting now wasn’t Jin’s military strength. If Great Yan was building strength to prepare for unifying the realm, based on geographical positions, they should first destroy Wei and Western Liang, then Jin, and finally Great Liang…

They definitely wouldn’t destroy Jin first, putting Great Yan in a position of being attacked from four sides.

So they wanted to scout Nanrong’s forces. Could it be… that Great Yan wanted to swallow even Nanrong?

Bai Qingyan suddenly looked up. Could it be that Great Yan was doing this to… create accurate topographical maps based on solid reconnaissance!

Dong Qingyue held his teacup and looked up at Bai Qingyan and Dong Chang Lan standing before the map, “In your opinion… should we rescue them or not?”

“Your son believes we should rescue them. Currently, Great Yan has Prince Yan as hostage in Jin, and this time borrowing passage through Jin, they also presented generous gifts, clearly seeking Jin’s protection. If Father doesn’t rescue them this time… should diplomatic relations go wrong, I fear the Emperor will blame Father for this!” Dong Chang Lan turned to look at Dong Qingyue, “If Father is at ease with it, let your son lead troops there!”

The strategists sitting in Dong Qingyue’s study all nodded, “We can first rescue Great Yan’s princess, then send someone to ride urgently to the capital with a memorial asking His Majesty how to handle this. This would also make both Great Yan and Northern Rong owe our Jin a favor.”

“What does A’Bao think?” Dong Qingyue looked at Bai Qingyan’s slender, upright back and asked.

“Rescue!” Bai Qingyan turned around, her deep gaze looking toward Dong Qingyue, “If we don’t rescue them… how can we know what Great Yan’s purpose is? I’ll take the Bai family guards and go with Chang Lan.”

Speed was essential in military matters. Dong Qingyue ordered the rescue operation outside the city, and Dong Chang Lan immediately went to the military camp to muster troops.

Bai Qingyan ordered someone to notify the Bai family guards to don armor and wait outside the Dong residence, then returned to Old Madam Dong’s courtyard to have Chun Tao prepare battle armor. She briefly told Old Madam Dong, Madam Cui, and young Madam Cui that she needed to leave the city to rescue people, then returned to her room, removed the iron sand bags wrapped around her body, and had Chun Tao help her with the armor.

Hearing that Bai Qingyan was leaving the city to rescue people from the Rong Di, Old Madam Dong couldn’t sit still.

Though Bai Qingyan had always returned victorious from her southern and northern campaigns, Old Madam Dong was still worried. She quickly used her cane and was supported by Madam Cui and young Madam Cui as she hurried outside.

Nanny Wang quickly lifted the curtain. Just as Old Madam Dong stepped out of the inner room, she saw Bai Qingyan in silver armor, fastening her wrist guards, step out of her room.

The orange sunset that had already sunk westward reflected off Bai Qingyan’s armor that radiated cold killing intent. Each step carried murderous aura—the sharp killing intent that only those who had experienced countless battles and been bloodied on battlefields possessed. Though restrained, it was unmistakably fierce, heart-stopping.

This was the first time Old Madam Dong had truly seen such bearing from Bai Qingyan, and she was so shocked she couldn’t speak for a long moment.

Bai Qingyan finished fastening her wrist guards, straightened and bowed once toward Old Madam Dong, then turned and walked toward the courtyard exit.

Young Madam Cui watched Bai Qingyan’s retreating figure and unconsciously tightened her grip on Old Madam Dong’s arm, “Cousin… when going to battle, she has such presence.”

Old Madam Dong came to her senses and quickly used her cane to chase two steps forward, calling out to Bai Qingyan’s striding figure, “A’Bao! Be careful!”

Lu Ping, dressed in battle armor, led the guards waiting outside the Dong residence, standing beside horses. Seeing Bai Qingyan in silver armor holding the Shooting Sun Bow emerge from the Dong residence with the Great Yan soldiers who had come seeking aid, Lu Ping immediately stepped forward, “First Miss, the Bai family guards are all here!”

“Mount up! Rendezvous with Dengzhou’s army outside the city!” Bai Qingyan strode quickly down the high steps, leaped onto her horse, grabbed the reins, spurred the horse’s belly, and galloped away.

“Bai family guards! Mount up! Leave the city!” Lu Ping shouted, flipped onto his horse, and pursued Bai Qingyan closely.

Outside Dengzhou’s city gate, Dong Chang Lan had already assembled one thousand troops, departing the city almost simultaneously with Bai Qingyan. The Great Yan soldiers seeking aid galloped ahead to lead the way, with one thousand Dengzhou military officers and the Bai family guards following on swift horses.

In the western mountains, only a trace of twilight remained on the horizon. Stars twinkled in the grassland sky, serene yet mysterious. At this moment, near the border between Jin and Nanrong, Xiao Rongyan’s guards and Yan’s wedding escort were fighting desperately against Nanrong’s elite forces.

Great Yan’s Princess Ming Cheng’s decorated bridal carriage had been set ablaze, with flames leaping high and low, the elm wood scorched black and crackling.

Darkness, like a man-eating beast, occupied most of the sky at tremendous speed.

Arrows whistled, weapons clashed, and battle cries shook the heavens.

Nearly three thousand Nanrong elite soldiers faced Great Yan’s wedding procession. More than half of the three hundred Great Yan personal troops had already died, while Yue Shi led the shadow guards Xiao Rongyan had brought in desperate combat.

Yue Shi was covered in blood, the viscous liquid clinging to his clothes, so heavy it was difficult even to raise his sword. Yet he persisted through sheer willpower, attempting to carve out a bloody path.

The three thousand Rong Di elite formed an encirclement that continued to shrink. Flaming arrows flew from beyond the heavy shields, striking directly into the curtains of Princess Ming Cheng’s carriage. Extremely fine azure flames dripped from the arrows—those round drops of burning oil, like an aged person slowly gnawing at the wooden carriage boards.

The curtains pierced by arrows fell silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into flames, causing continuous screams from the nannies and maids inside the carriage.

The cool wind carrying the scent of the grassland blew from south to north, lifting the burning carriage curtains…