The physician frowned and shook his head: “I’ve consulted numerous medical texts and found… remedies for treating plague from several hundred years ago! Moreover, these remedies are ineffective against the current epidemic. The main issue is… our Great Liang hasn’t experienced an epidemic for a hundred years. If we could obtain the remedies used to treat the epidemic during the great plague in Jin’s Jiaozhou years ago, we could study them carefully…”

Zhao Sheng clenched his back teeth and comforted the physician, whose face was full of worry: “The Third Prince has already sent people to Jin to search for epidemic treatment remedies. They should be sent back soon!”

“Even if we find the prescriptions, we still need the court to quickly send sufficient medicine!” the physician said.

“They will. With the benevolent Third Prince at court, he will surely find a way to send the medicine…”

Just as Zhao Sheng finished speaking, a horn sounded suddenly from the south gate direction.

A messenger soldier rushed in hastily through the rain, knelt on one knee with clasped fists, and reported: “General! Jin army is knocking at the gates!”

Zhao Sheng was greatly shocked. The Jin army had just retreated from Qingxi Mountain Pass at noon today, and now they’re suddenly knocking at the gates again?

Zhao Sheng took three steps, rushed into the rain, grabbed the messenger soldier by the collar, and asked: “Have the scouts who went to investigate where Princess Zhenguo has reached returned?!”

“Reporting to the General, they haven’t returned yet!”

Zhao Sheng gritted his teeth, released the messenger soldier, lifted his foot, and rushed out of the courtyard, leaped onto his horse, and galloped through the rain straight toward the south gate.

Zhao Sheng’s warhorse cut through the soldiers who were already fully armed and prepared for battle. As soon as he reached below the city tower, before his horse had stopped… Zhao Sheng leaped down, threw his black-gold horse whip to a soldier guarding below the city tower, and quickly ran up toward the city tower.

“Archers prepare! Release!”

Countless arrows pierced through the rain curtain, shooting toward the Jin army’s direction, but they all struck the Jin army’s heavy shields, and some arrows were even knocked down by the torrential rain before reaching the Jin army.

“General!”

“General!”

Hearing the overlapping calls of “General” from the city tower stairs, Zhao Sheng’s deputy general gripped the sword at his waist and hurriedly ran toward Zhao Sheng: “General! The Jin army is attacking… Look!”

Zhao Sheng gripped the city wall with his five fingers, his gaze fixed intently on the distance.

Under the dark clouds rolling like a giant dragon, the Jin army advanced in order with heavy shields in front and spears in back. Due to the heavy rain, the Jin army hadn’t lit torches, and in this pitch-black torrential downpour, they deliberately moved slowly and quietly. The sound of military boots that should have been enough to shake mountains… was also masked by the heavy rain and thunder. By the time the Great Liang sentries discovered them, the Jin army was already about to arrive at the city walls.

“Deploy archers! Prepare for battle!” Zhao Sheng rallied his spirits, “Sound the war drums!”

Inside Qingxi Mountain Pass, Bai Jinzhi sat on Ping’an holding the reins, her gaze as sharp as torches, looking at the brightly lit Liang army barracks not far ahead. Behind her… black-armored soldiers standing upright in the torrential rain had covered their faces with cloths soaked in medicinal water, all pressing their hands on their waist swords, waiting only for Bai Jinzhi’s command to unfurl banners and charge into battle.

In the fierce wind and sudden rain, Lin Kangle raised his hand to wipe the rainwater from his face. His mount was already restless, stamping its hooves, wanting to charge out.

Bai Jinzhi’s gaze followed this winding mountain path. She had to remember – once Jin completely grasped Qingxi Mountain Pass in their hands, she must tell her elder sister to find a way to send people to build this Qingxi Mountain Pass into a proper city. Otherwise, if a general from another Kingdom dared to circle from the cliffs to the rear, and they failed to notice, just like the Liang army, they would be stabbed right in their own heart.

Suddenly, the sound of Liang’s army war drums came from the distance. Bai Jinzhi planted her Red Tassel spear into the ground beneath her feet, her gaze like an awakening leopard. She pulled out the cloth soaked in medicinal water to prevent epidemic disease from her chest and put it on, then raised her Red Tassel spear high and shouted with all her might: “Unfurl banners! Sound horns! Kill!”

Lin Kangle, who had already covered his mouth and nose with a cloth, also drew his sword: “Kill!”

“Kill!” The cavalry in heavy armor all drew their swords in unison, infantry unfurled banners, closely following behind Bai Jinzhi who willingly served as vanguard, charging toward the Liang army camp!

For a moment, within Qingxi Mountain Pass, horn sounds rang long and killing cries shook the heavens.

Zhao Sheng, who was preparing for battle on the city wall, suddenly heard deep horn sounds one after another echoing across the wilderness from behind, and his scalp tightened.

Jin army horn sounds!

Standing on the city wall of Qingxi Mountain Pass, Zhao Sheng suddenly turned around, quickly walked to the other side of the city wall, but except for his own army camp’s lights, he could see nothing in the darkness.

Zhao Sheng suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart and shouted: “What happened?!”

A messenger soldier galloped over on horseback. After calling out “General,” he dismounted and knelt in a puddle: “General… It’s the Black Banner with the White Python flag! Princess Zhenguo has led troops and attacked from the rear of the pass!”

Zhao Sheng’s scalp tightened. He quickly turned again to look at Liu Hong, who was still leading troops forward.

The heavy rain soaked Zhao Sheng completely, the icy iron armor pressed tightly against his skin, cold enough to make one shiver.

The night was too dark for Zhao Sheng to see clearly how many troops Liu Hong had brought, but before his eyes… Liu Hong’s army attacking the city still had city walls for defense, but at the rear… they could only resist with human bodies!

Zhao Sheng’s mind felt almost frozen. He clenched his fist, turned to look at his deputy general, and grabbed the deputy’s shoulder: “You stay here… you must hold the city wall! Cannot let Liu Hong and Princess Zhenguo form a pincer attack on our Liang army! I’ll go meet Princess Zhenguo in battle!”

“General!” Zhao Sheng’s deputy grabbed Zhao Sheng, “I’ll go meet Princess Zhenguo in battle!”

Zhao Sheng gripped his deputy’s hand firmly: “I’m entrusting this city wall to you! As long as you don’t lose your position here, I’ll ensure Princess Zhenguo never returns!”

After speaking, Zhao Sheng walked toward the bottom of the city wall without looking back. He grabbed the reins and leaped onto his horse, shouting: “Warriors of the Zhao family army! Qingxi Mountain Pass is Great Liang’s last natural barrier! If it falls… it will be the danger of national destruction! We are all Great Liang’s men of blood and iron! We must swear to defend Qingxi Mountain Pass to the death!”

“Swear to defend Qingxi Mountain Pass to the death!”

“Swear to defend Qingxi Mountain Pass to the death!”

“Swear to defend Qingxi Mountain Pass to the death!”

“Zhao Qi, Wang Yu! Lead troops and follow me to the rear to meet Princess Zhenguo in battle! We must let the Jin people know! This is on Great Liang’s territory! How dare these Jin dogs run wild on Great Liang soil!” After Zhao Sheng’s roar, he took the lead, charging out, “Kill!”

Seeing that Zhao Sheng had already led troops and galloped away, his deputy general hurriedly returned to the south side of the city wall, constantly vigilant against the Jin army coming to attack the city. He gritted his teeth… his gaze fell on the triple-bow ballistas, and he shouted: “Triple-bow ballistas prepare!”

Seeing the flickering firelight on Qingxi Mountain Pass city wall, Liu Hong, sitting steadily on his war chariot, stood up, his torch-like gaze fixed on the Qingxi Mountain Pass city wall. Knowing that Zhao Sheng had probably taken people to fight against Bai Jinzhi who had unfurled the Black Banner with White Python flag, he loudly transmitted orders: “Sound war drums! Attack the city!”

Twenty messenger soldiers on horseback received orders and scattered in all directions, loudly transmitting orders: “Attack the city!”