The archers standing beneath the ladders immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows, crouching quietly in wait. The entire Bai household was so silent that even the sound of the wind seemed to have stopped.

The Bai family guard soldiers were all veterans who had retired from the Bai family army—well-trained, each one a warrior who feared no death. Even though they had lived comfortably in the capital for so many years after being severely wounded, none had let their skills deteriorate, all hoping that one day they could return to the Bai family army.

It was precisely in moments like this that one could see how the Bai family servants differed from those of other households.

If this were any other family, their servants would either be crying and wailing by now, or at the very least would be so panicked they wouldn’t dare breathe heavily, their legs so weak they couldn’t stand up.

But the Bai family servants grabbed whatever weapons they could find and stationed themselves in the courtyard. Some even shouted about defending the hanging flower gate to the death, all looking fierce and murderous, displaying a resolute stance of defending the Bai mansion to their last breath.

With such guards and household servants, who could breach the Bai family?!

The sound of neighing horses suddenly rang out beyond the high walls, and the thunderous sound of orderly footsteps had already reached the main gate of Duke Zhenguo’s mansion.

The squad leader of the Bai family guard soldiers, crouching on the ladders along the high walls, shouted: “Smash those sons of bitches to death!”

The Bai family guard soldiers hiding on the ladders suddenly straightened up and hurled the wine jars in their hands at the neatly arranged soldiers outside the courtyard.

The sounds of shattering wine jars and screams rose and fell in succession.

“Wine! It’s wine!”

Cries of alarm came from beyond the high walls: “Be careful! It’s wine! Watch out for fire!”

The Bai family guard archers, who had already nocked their arrows, heard this. Seeing that the guards throwing wine had climbed down the ladders to get more wine jars, they quickly dipped their arrowheads in the fire oil barrels where flames danced chaotically, took the ladders three steps at a time, and with arrowheads bearing blue flames, shot directly at the soldiers crying out in alarm in the alley.

When strong liquor met fire and encountered wind, it spread with the wind’s force. Beyond the Bai family’s high walls, flames suddenly shot skyward, accompanied by continuous screams and wails.

“Damn it! Bring the battering ram over! Break down the door! Quick!” The leading general had already reached the high steps of the Bai family’s main gate. He couldn’t just watch his soldiers be killed here by the Bai family’s wine and fire arrows. “You go get reinforcements! Quick!”

That general spoke in very fluent Nandu dialect, urgently ordering his men to break down the door.

Yue Shi, who had been crouching by the door, stood up and drew his sword. He glanced back at Xiao Rongyan, saw him nod, seized the right moment, and leaped down. Cold light flickered as he descended from above, aiming directly for the Nandu army general’s head.

In just the time it took to raise a hand and let it fall, the leading Nandu general’s head rolled down to the base of the Bai mansion’s high steps, while his body… still stood there, his hand still pressed on the sword hilt, ultimately unable to draw his sword.

“Open the gates!” Yue Shi shouted.

Lu Ping’s expression was tense as he followed Xiao Rongyan’s strategic orders: “Archers ready! Open the gates!”

The Nandu soldiers carrying the battering ram saw their general beheaded, his head rolling right to their feet, while the guards protecting their general had been killed cleanly by that black-clothed guard. They were stunned for a moment and dared not advance further.

The Bai family’s six-paneled vermilion lacquered doors with golden rings, stained red by generations of Bai family blood—they had thought they’d need the heaviest wood to break them down. But before they could carry the wood up the high steps of the Bai mansion’s main gate, those doors… opened by themselves.

Inside the gates, lanterns flickered, and the Bai family guard soldiers stood in orderly formation.

On the ladders along the high walls, archers alternated shooting arrows without cease.

Behind heavy shields, archers had their bows drawn and arrows nocked, ready to release at any moment.

Behind them were Bai family guard soldiers gripping long swords, each with calm and steady eyes.

Standing before the main hall entrance, Xiao Rongyan gripped the cold, gleaming, flexible sword in his hand. His proud bearing could not conceal the restrained yet terrifying murderous aura radiating from his entire being—his imposing presence was nothing like the gentle, refined merchant of ordinary days.

Black clouds churned overhead in the capital, flames shot skyward beyond the Bai mansion with continuous screams, yet inside the Bai mansion… There was such calm composure that it was breathtaking.

Yue Shi leisurely wiped the blood from his long sword, standing outside the gate like a door god, looking down at the rebel soldiers carrying the battering ram. He gave a cold laugh and turned to walk back into the Bai mansion.

The Nandu army was leaderless, while the Bai family was in strict formation awaiting battle. Charging in would be suicide.

In military campaigns, what was most feared was scattered morale!

The Bai mansion’s earlier tactic of throwing wine jars and setting them ablaze had immediately crushed the Nandu army’s fighting spirit. With their leader dead, what threat could these Nandu soldiers, half-dead from the fire, still pose?

The highest military strategy was to attack plans; attacking the heart was supreme!

Between heaven and earth, there seemed to be a moment of stillness. A fifth-rank military officer from the Nandu army charged out, shouting battle cries and ordering his men to storm into the Bai mansion.

Arrows whistled through the air, and the first wave charging into the Bai mansion all fell. The squad leader shooting arrows from the high walls saw that the Nandu soldiers who had survived the fire arrows were charging in, and shouted: “Close the gates!”

The Bai family guard soldiers were outnumbered by the Nandu army, so… Xiao Rongyan wanted to divide and devour the Nandu forces!

First let part of them in, close the gates to beat the dogs, and while the outside forces were attacking the gates, kill every single one inside, then counter-attack the outer perimeter.

In any case, Xiao Rongyan would never let the Nandu army pass through the hanging flower gate.

Xiao Rongyan had formulated this strategy assuming over a thousand enemy soldiers would come. He wanted all the Nandu troops coming to the Bai mansion to never return, thus reducing pressure on Bai Qingyan. He hadn’t expected… whether Prince Xian looked down too much on the Bai family guard soldiers, or truly couldn’t spare more troops to capture people at the Bai family, he had only sent this few men.

Inside Changshou Courtyard.

Wind howled through the halls, and from the front courtyard came faint sounds of battle cries and the “thump thump” of battering rams.

Second Madam Liu felt as if she had developed heart palpitations, her heart beating so hard it made her restless and uneasy. The silk handkerchief in her palm had been soiled with sweat stains.

Miss Lu and the elderly Physician Hong were also being protected within Changshou Courtyard.

Physician Hong was better off—after all, he had once fought bloody battles alongside Prince Zhenguo Bai Weiting. He sat in the outer room of the upper part of Changshou Courtyard, drinking tea, with a sword placed on the round table. If bandits truly attacked Changshou Courtyard, Physician Hong would risk his old life before letting anyone touch a hair on Second Madam or Seventh Miss.

Miss Lu was also experiencing such a scene for the first time. Seeing flames flickering faintly in the front courtyard, her heart was beating extremely fast.

As for Bai Jinse, though just a small girl, she was very bold. While the nannies and maids protected her in the upper room of Changshou Courtyard, she had taken off her shoes and knelt on the soft couch, lying against the window and pushing open the lattice.

The sounds of battle outside came in more clearly. She stared unblinkingly at the front courtyard where firelight flickered faintly. The thumping sounds of the battering ram… in this silent atmosphere, became much clearer.

Liu’s fingers suddenly clutched the corner of her clothes. She was so frightened that her legs went weak and she couldn’t stand up from her chair. At this moment, she wasn’t afraid of what danger she might face, but rather feared for Bai Jinxiu and Wang Ge’er.

What she feared was—if the Bai family guard soldiers in the front courtyard couldn’t hold their position, how would she get Bai Jinse out safely?