A thousand light cavalry raised their crossbows to the sky, countless arrows whistling out as if to pierce through the nine heavens, then swiftly descending beneath the rolling black sea of clouds, striking down upon the Nanrong heavy shields with such force that it nearly knocked down the heavy shield bearers who were holding them overhead.
What the Dengzhou army was most famous for was its light cavalry crossbow archers.
Light cavalry crossbow archers didn’t need accuracy—what they needed was speed, and the momentum and force created when thousands of arrows were released together, forcing enemy troops not to dare advance and even compelling them to retreat.
Both Bai Qingyan and Dong Changlan were clear on this mission that they had come to rescue people, not to wage war. As long as they could bring Great Yan’s Princess Mingcheng back to Dengzhou City, that would suffice. That’s why they had only brought a thousand elite light cavalry—to snatch the person and leave.
Xiao Rongyan held Princess Mingcheng in his arms, fighting his way out of the encirclement under the protection of his guards’ desperate battle. Taking advantage of the arrow rain covering the sky from behind, forcing the Rongdi army to retreat beneath their heavy shields, Xiao Rongyan’s guards saw hope and fought with renewed spirit and greater effort, attempting to carve out a bloody path for Xiao Rongyan.
Blades and swords clashed, sparks flying everywhere. The maidservant shook like a leaf, her face deathly pale, sweat pouring like sap. She bit her lips tightly, suppressing the urge to switch places with the nanny beside her. Tears fell like broken strings, but she dared not cry aloud. She pressed tightly against Princess Mingcheng’s neck wound while staying close to Xiao Rongyan’s side, keeping her head down and not daring to look as arrows whizzed past her ears. She dared not scream, terrified that if she showed cowardice… Xiao Rongyan’s group would abandon her.
Seeing that reinforcement light cavalry had arrived, the Nanrong army had no heart to continue fighting and fled toward their commander, the Ghost-Faced General. Xiao Rongyan’s guards and the Nanyan marriage escort personal guards, seeing this, used every ounce of strength they had left to protect Xiao Rongyan as they broke through the encirclement.
Bai Qingyan rode swiftly alone, meeting eyes with Xiao Rongyan, who was rushing toward her. Seeing the blood-covered Xiao Rongyan holding the Great Yan princess dressed in fire-red wedding robes in his arms, she was quite surprised. How could Xiao Rongyan be here?!
For Xiao Rongyan to rashly come to rescue the Great Yan marriage princess, wasn’t he afraid of exposing his identity?
Before Bai Qingyan could think further, she heard Yue Shi, who was protecting Xiao Rongyan from behind, excitedly shout, “Miss Bai!”
Bai Qingyan glanced back at Dong Changlan, who understood and spurred his horse forward, leading the light cavalry straight ahead to suppress the Nanrong forces with crossbows. Bai Qingyan brought the Bai family guard troops on swift horses to Xiao Rongyan’s group and leaped down.
Seeing the Great Yan princess barely clinging to life in Xiao Rongyan’s arms, Bai Qingyan’s gaze then fell upon the blood-covered Xiao Rongyan with wounds on his face.
This was the first time she had seen Xiao Rongyan in such a wretched state.
Xiao Rongyan’s throat moved, his voice hoarse: “How are you here?”
Bai Qingyan glanced at Dong Changlan leading the troops ahead, not wanting Xiao Rongyan to expose his identity because of the Great Yan princess. She reached out to take Princess Mingcheng from Xiao Rongyan’s arms: “Give me the Great Yan princess, take your men and leave quickly!”
Xiao Rongyan didn’t refuse Bai Qingyan’s action of taking Princess Mingcheng, but shook his head: “I can’t leave yet, I must see that Mingcheng is safe!”
Bai Qingyan’s hand, which was reaching for Princess Mingcheng, paused, then withdrew. Her calm and profound eyes looked at Xiao Rongyan as she spoke: “If you’re not afraid of having difficulty explaining to the Jin Crown Prince and Wei Kingdom, then suit yourself. But I will take Princess Mingcheng to Dengzhou City! We agreed beforehand… even if you are a benefactor to my Bai family, when it comes to matters of family and Kingdom, there’s no room for personal feelings!”
After speaking, Bai Qingyan turned back to instruct the Bai family guards: “Escort them back to Dengzhou, quickly have a physician examine the Great Yan princess! Hurry!”
For this type of injury with heavy bleeding, the faster the treatment, the better!
As soon as Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she grabbed the reins and leaped onto her horse: “Master Xiao might as well think carefully on the way to Dengzhou about how to explain why Master Xiao would appear here. Of course… Master Xiao shouldn’t think about escaping either! Yan Kingdom has requested aid from our Jin Kingdom—we absolutely cannot let the Wei people take the Great Yan princess away! Unless Master Xiao has confidence that with these remnant defeated troops… You can take the Great Yan princess away.”
After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she spurred her horse and charged toward the front.
“Master?!” Yue Shi gasped heavily, glancing back at Bai Qingyan, who had spurred her horse into the killing field, then looking at his own master. “Master, do we leave or stay?”
Xiao Rongyan slowly set Princess Mingcheng down, looking at her extremely pained expression, and said, “Mingcheng, can you still hold on?”
Princess Mingcheng blinked her eyes. Her consciousness was already coming in waves of blur, but she knew… with Jin Kingdom’s aid arriving, they would never let Xiao Rongyan take her away. Rather than have Xiao Rongyan’s remaining men fight desperately, it would be better to return to Dengzhou with the Jin army—perhaps there might still be a thread of hope for survival.
In her dazed consciousness, Princess Mingcheng thought of the female general in silver armor holding bow and arrows she had just seen. She supposed… that must be Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting’s legitimate eldest granddaughter Bai Qingyan, the young commander of the Bai family army!
Princess Mingcheng struggled to look toward that blurry figure in the distance. She deeply envied daughters of families like Princess Zhenguo—armed with golden spears and iron horses, women who yielded nothing to men, becoming fierce generals who could intimidate various nations with a woman’s body, unlike herself… who could only resolve her mother Kingdom’s difficulties through marriage alliance.
She, too, had wanted… to fight alongside Xie Xun.
Thinking of Xie Xun, tears slid down Princess Mingcheng’s cheeks. She clutched that pouch tightly in her hand, her vision filled with Xie Xun’s smiling face looking at her. Princess Mingcheng’s lips also showed a trace of a smile.
If she couldn’t survive this time, she hoped… that Xie Xun would forget her, just as she had prayed before her marriage!
“Found them! Retreat!” Bai Qingyan shouted at Dong Changlan.
Dong Changlan responded, leading the light cavalry in a half-circle to turn their horses around, shooting crossbow bolts at the Nanrong army while galloping back in the direction they had come.
Xiao Rongyan had already mounted a Bai family guard’s horse while holding Princess Mingcheng, one hand gripping the reins, the other pressing firmly against Princess Mingcheng’s neck wound.
Dong Changlan took the lead, charging to Xiao Rongyan’s side. Seeing that the person holding Princess Mingcheng was Xiao Rongyan, he was startled. Seeing that Princess Mingcheng was injured in the neck, he didn’t dare delay with questions and quickly said: “Return to the city quickly!”
Xiao Rongyan nodded and increased his speed.
The Dengzhou light cavalry and Bai family guard troops pulled Xiao Rongyan’s men and the personal soldiers from the marriage escort party onto horseback one by one, heading toward Dengzhou City.
Under the protection of the Dengzhou army, they galloped swiftly toward Dengzhou City.
“General!” Dong Changlan’s deputy called out to him. Dong Changlan turned and extended his hand to the deputy, leaping onto a horse to retreat.
Dong Changlan turned to look at Bai Qingyan who was still covering the rear, shouting loudly: “Cousin! Retreat!”
Now, without the Dengzhou light cavalry