HomeDestined to be a PhoenixChapter 630: The Sound of Clashing Metal

Chapter 630: The Sound of Clashing Metal

As he spoke, Prince Liang began to cry, wiping his tears with his sleeve: “Father-in-law… I’m so scared! How about… how about we forget it. If Ruofu is carrying my child, I don’t want the child to lose their father before even being born! Father-in-law…”

Prince Liang gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to shout at Prince Liang to stop his crying. After carefully considering Prince Liang’s words, he also felt that Prince Liang made sense.

Although Bai Qingyan currently had no troops under her command, who knew if Bai Qingyan would find a way to summon the twenty thousand soldiers of Anping Camp? This woman was skilled at military campaigns and battles, and like Bai Weiting and Bai Qishan, she had deep cunning and had to be guarded against.

Just to be safe… it would be better to hold the Bai family’s women in his palm.

After thinking, Prince Liang sent another group of five hundred men to the Bai family to capture the Bai family’s women.

Hearing these words, Prince Liang lowered his eyes and retreated to a secluded corner where others couldn’t see. His gaze was like… a venomous snake perpetually dwelling in dark, moldy cellars that never saw sunlight, hissing and flicking its forked tongue.

·

On the street inside the East Gate, the shop doors and eaves were covered with arrows. The ground was mixed with blood, severed limbs, and broken bodies that hadn’t been completely cleaned up yet, showing how fierce the recent battle had been.

When the East Gate commander saw someone approaching the East Gate, he immediately became alert, with archers pointing their arrows at Bai Qingyan.

Only when he saw that the person racing on horseback was Bai Qingyan did the East Gate commander hurriedly run down from the city wall and bow formally to Bai Qingyan: “This humble general greets Princess Zhenguo!”

When His Highness the Crown Prince and Old Fang arranged for him to quietly kill Prince Xin’s people and ensure control of the East Gate, they had instructed him to control the East Gate… no one could enter or exit unless they saw Princess Zhenguo, showing the Crown Prince’s level of trust in Princess Zhenguo.

“Was there a great battle at the East Gate just now? Were any survivors captured?” Bai Qingyan sat high on her horse, asking in a cold, deep voice.

“Reporting to Princess Zhenguo, we captured twenty-six!” the gate commander replied.

Bai Qingyan dismounted, tossed her black gold horse whip to a Bai family guard, and walked toward the city wall steps: “Have they been interrogated?”

“Not yet…” The gate commander looked up at Bai Qingyan and immediately followed. “Shouldn’t Princess Zhenguo immediately exit the city and bring the twenty thousand soldiers of Anping Camp to rescue the emperor?”

Prince Liang hadn’t moved yet, so Bai Qingyan wasn’t anxious.

“Bring them up. I have questions to ask.” Bai Qingyan looked back at the gate commander. “I’m more concerned about His Highness the Crown Prince’s safety than you are!”

The gate commander didn’t dare speak further and immediately responded, having the twenty-six captured survivors brought up.

On the city wall, Bai Qingyan glanced toward the distant direction where Anping Camp was stationed, then heard the gate soldiers bringing up the captured Nandu army.

When the Nandu army was escorted up to the tower and saw Bai Qingyan, who had shot through their Young General Wang’s shoulder armor with one arrow at the Bai mansion gate today, and remembering Bai Qingyan’s reputation as a killing god, their legs immediately went weak.

Bai Qingyan looked at the Nandu soldiers kneeling before her and spoke: “You are Nandu army?”

The gate commander looked at Bai Qingyan in surprise, but saw that her expression was cold and calm as he gripped the sword at his waist tightly.

Several people remained silent. Bai Qingyan looked toward the Bai family guards who had come with her. The Bai family guard nodded, drew his sword from his waist, and with one swift motion… blood sprayed as a Nandu soldier’s head immediately fell to the ground.

The remaining Nandu soldiers saw the head rolling in front of them and let out desperate screams. That head… was full of terror, with eyes that hadn’t even closed.

Bai Qingyan’s eyes remained calm and unperturbed as she spoke deliberately: “I’ll ask one more time. Are you Nandu army or Prince Xin’s people?”

“Nandu army! We are Nandu army!” some Nandu soldiers cried out. “Please, Princess Zhenguo, don’t kill me!”

Once one breach opened, the other Nandu soldiers frantically spilled everything they knew.

“We were ordered to disguise ourselves and enter the capital, hiding throughout the city. We were hidden in an alley in the western part of the city, but we don’t know what that alley is called!”

“I know! I know! It seems to be called something Huai Alley. We’re under General Wang Jianghai of Nandu…”

Bai Qingyan asked again: “How many Nandu troops came?”

“Reporting to Princess Zhenguo, all of Nandu’s soldiers… should have come!”

“Is Prince Liang planning rebellion?” Bai Qingyan didn’t expect to hear an answer from these soldiers’ mouths – this question was merely for the East Gate commander sent by the Crown Prince to hear.

“We don’t know what Prince Liang wants to do either. We came early but were confined to the alley and not allowed to enter or exit. Everyone speculated wildly. Our general guessed that… Prince Liang might be planning to use tomorrow’s wedding of Prince Liang’s daughter as an opportunity to strike and support Prince Liang’s ascension to the throne.”

The gate commander immediately understood what Prince Liang intended. Prince Liang wanted to profit from the mutual destruction of the Crown Prince and Prince Xin!

Bai Qingyan looked at the anxious Nandu soldier and said, “Take them down.”

“Princess, spare our lives! Princess, spare our lives!”

After the Nandu army was escorted down from the tower and the pleas for mercy faded away, Bai Qingyan looked at the gate commander: “So… does the general still think I should immediately exit the city and bring Anping Camp into the city? Entering at this time… wouldn’t that be walking into the Nandu army’s trap?”

“But we can’t just abandon His Highness!” The commander was extremely anxious.

Bai Qingyan’s brow furrowed, and she decided to give this gate commander something to do: “The Crown Prince has already entered the palace with the patrol camp. Send a few people to watch the four palace gates and Prince Liang’s mansion. Report immediately if Prince Liang makes any moves!”

“But the orders I received…”

Bai Qingyan’s sharp and fierce gaze turned toward the gate commander, speaking lightly: “Do you think you’re more capable than I and can lead troops to rescue the emperor? Then go summon the twenty thousand soldiers of Anping Camp yourself!”

“This humble one wouldn’t dare!” The gate commander was extremely alarmed and quickly cupped his fists. “It’s just that this humble one did receive orders to have Princess Zhenguo exit the city and bring Anping Camp’s army for reinforcement!”

Bai Qingyan stepped closer to the gate commander, her thumb pressing against her sword hilt with cold light flashing: “My words are military orders! You don’t need to instruct me. The Bai family’s military discipline is strict… if you want to experience it, I’ll oblige you!”

The gate commander fell silent and stepped back two paces, ordering people to guard outside the palace gates, but his heart was filled with cold sweat for the Crown Prince.

By all rights, as a low-ranking minor official guarding the city gates, even if others called him general, he didn’t have the credentials to argue with Princess Zhenguo. But his entire family’s lives had been inadvertently saved by the Crown Prince – he must… be loyal to the Crown Prince!

Soon, the guard Bai Qingyan had sent to deliver news to Prince Liang’s mansion arrived first at the tower, reporting that Prince Liang and Prince Liang had already left their mansion with various generals, apparently heading toward Wude Gate of the palace.

Following closely after was the Bai family guard who had gone to deliver news to Liuhuai Alley, reporting that the Nandu army in Liuhuai Alley had moved, and by their formation, they were also heading toward Wude Gate.

Hearing this, Bai Qingyan nodded and lowered her eyes in thought.

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