“Princess Zhenguo!” Yang Wuce rode swiftly forward and cupped his hands toward Bai Qingyan before saying, “There’s a eunuch who claims to be a servant of Princess Zhenguo’s mansion that our men captured. He says his name is Weizhong and requests an audience with Princess Zhenguo! This subordinate sees that the man looks like he’s barely alive! I don’t know… whether he’s actually from Princess Zhenguo’s mansion?”
Weizhong? How had he come here, too?
Had grandmother sent him to deliver a message, ordering her to lead troops to rescue the monarch?
Upon hearing this, Bai Qingyan’s brows furrowed tightly. She released the reins and dismounted, asking: “Where is he?”
Yang Wuce also dismounted and shouted toward the rear: “Bring the man forward!”
Bai Qingyan saw in the distance two soldiers supporting Weizhong, who had become so emaciated he was unrecognizable, unable to walk, his toes dragging on the ground as he was forcibly dragged over. She strode forward quickly.
“Master… master…” Weizhong dimly saw Bai Qingyan, his cracked lips moving slightly.
Seeing Bai Qingyan approach, the two soldiers supporting Weizhong quickly set him down, cupped their hands in salute, and retreated to the side.
Weizhong knelt on the ground, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, his entire body swaying unsteadily: “Master, Prince Liang has colluded with Left Chancellor Li Mao and Imperial Guard Commander Fan Yuhuai in rebellion, intending to frame the Crown Prince with the crime of regicide. This subordinate, following orders, has already spread this news along the way. Now all of Jin should know!”
Having finished speaking, Weizhong collapsed headfirst to the ground. Bai Qingyan took three steps in two strides and caught Weizhong, only then discovering that he had become so thin he was nothing but skin and bones.
“Someone come! Carry him away to rest and ask Physician Hong to come examine him!” Bai Qingyan ordered.
Weizhong had come alone, and while spreading news along the way, he had still managed to follow closely behind these shadow guards. This showed his exceptional capabilities.
“Report… Princess Gaoyi has broken through Han City’s gates! Leading three thousand cavalry, she’s charging straight toward the Great Liang imperial palace!” Scouts from the front continuously brought back battle reports.
Bai Qingyan delayed no longer. She leaped onto her horse and called out loudly to Yang Wei: “Have the soldiers rest where they are. General Yang Wuce, accompany me to ride swiftly to meet General Liu Hong!”
“Yes!” Yang Wei cupped his hands in acknowledgment.
“Send someone to prepare a horse cart and transport both the shadow guards who just came to deliver messages and Weizhong to Han City’s southern gate!” Having said this, Bai Qingyan spurred her horse and charged out first.
Yang Wuce instructed Yang Wei to move quickly, then led a cavalry unit to follow Bai Qingyan.
Weizhong was a eunuch from beside the Grand Princess, and would be more convincing than the imperial shadow guards who had already come under Bai Qingyan’s command.
Bai Jinxiu was still in the capital. Great Liang should be pacified today. She would leave Bai Jinzhi to lead heavy troops to garrison Great Liang and control the fertile territories of the newly conquered Liang cities, while she and Liu Hong would lead troops to rescue the monarch.
Only this way could ensure that this battle against Great Liang hadn’t been fought in vain. Otherwise, if she and Bai Jinzhi both led troops to rescue the monarch, once the Bai family took action, Liu Hong, with his heavy forces and loyalty to the Emperor, might well try to support the Lin imperial power.
With Liu Hong accompanying her, she would have ample time to persuade him. Even if Liu Hong ultimately remained firmly supportive of the Lin family, she could still control Liu Hong with minimal losses.
Therefore, only Bai Jinzhi could remain in Great Liang.
·
The force led by Liu Hong was currently attacking Han City’s southern gate.
Having presumably heard that Princess Gaoyi had attacked the city and that Princess Zhenguo was also arriving soon, Liu Hong knew this battle would surely destroy Liang. He had set up a tea table in the rear and was drinking tea.
Upon hearing that Princess Zhenguo had arrived, Liu Hong hastily emerged from his temporarily erected large tent to greet her.
Seeing Bai Qingyan rein in her horse and stop abruptly, Liu Hong stepped forward to meet her, looking like someone whose spirits were lifted by good fortune: “Princess Zhenguo!”
Bai Qingyan walked two steps toward Liu Hong, and after a simple cupping of hands, said directly: “Lord Liu, something has happened in the capital! Prince Liang has allied with Fan Yuhuai and Left Chancellor Li Mao, intending to pin the crime of regicide on the Crown Prince! They plan to kill His Majesty and have the Crown Prince ascend the throne!”
Liu Hong’s expression changed drastically: “How… how could this be? Prince Liang, that man…”
“My second sister, Bai Jinxiu, first sent shadow guards to report, and subsequently, Weizhong, the old eunuch who serves beside my grandmother, also came!” Bai Qingyan turned to look at Yang Wuce, “General Yang Wuce was also present at the time! General Liu can inquire! Yang Wei is already looking for a horse cart… they’ll soon transport the shadow guards and Weizhong and others over! But I believe… there’s no time to lose. We should hurry back as quickly as possible! If we can return a bit earlier, we might still be in time to save His Majesty and the Crown Prince!”
This news came too suddenly, and Liu Hong’s mind was somewhat confused: “But… is the news reliable? Right now, Great Liang hasn’t been taken yet, and even when it is taken, there will be many matters that need handling!”
“I won’t hide this from General Liu. My original intention was to have General Liu remain to handle subsequent affairs while I led troops back to the capital to rescue His Majesty and the Crown Prince. But with my physical condition, which General Liu knows about, I don’t know when I might collapse. Xiao Si is ultimately young and doesn’t have General Liu’s prestige in the army. If I return to the capital with Xiao Si to rescue His Majesty, I fear His Majesty might have misgivings in his heart. Therefore, I can only ask General Liu to return to the capital with me to rescue His Majesty!” Bai Qingyan said.
Bai Qingyan didn’t hide from Liu Hong that she knew the Emperor was wary of her. She laid out the facts and spoke frankly with Liu Hong. As one of the few generals the Emperor could somewhat trust, when they first campaigned against Great Liang, the Emperor had already been candid with Liu Hong—the Emperor wanted to use Bai Qingyan but didn’t trust her.
Now, Liu Hong believed in Bai Qingyan’s loyalty to the Crown Prince. From a minister’s perspective, for this rescue mission to proceed smoothly, it truly wouldn’t do to have Bai Jinzhi accompany Bai Qingyan back to the capital.
“I understand what Princess Zhenguo means! Like this… I’ll have my deputy general immediately lead twenty thousand troops to depart at once to reinforce the capital! Then I’ll order a full assault on the city to take Great Liang, and we’ll follow closely behind with the main army!” Liu Hong said.
“Bai Jinzhi has already attacked Han City from the eastern gate…” Bai Qingyan turned to give orders: “Go relay commands to Zhao Sheng and Zhao Ran… attack the city immediately! We must take Han City at the fastest possible speed!”
·
Inside Han City, Bai Jinzhi, her face and armor covered entirely in blood, fought her way into the imperial city. Charging ahead on horseback, she didn’t forget to turn back and shout: “All troops, you are forbidden to harm the people of Han City in the slightest! Head straight for the imperial city! Kill!”
“Kill!”
The Jin army’s high-pitched battle cries shook hearts and lungs.
The common people hid in their homes with doors and windows tightly shut, not daring to breathe heavily. Those with young children held them tightly in their arms, firmly covering the children’s mouths, fearing that if the children cried out, they would attract the Jin army and bring disaster upon the entire family.
Inside Great Liang’s imperial palace, Great Liang’s high ministers gathered in the great hall. Some advocated fighting to the death, others advocated leaving the city to surrender. The two factions argued so fiercely they couldn’t reach an agreement, while Emperor Liang was so enraged his mouth and eyes were crooked from a stroke, and he was bedridden. Upon hearing that Jin’s Princess Gaoyi had already led troops into Han City, his face immediately turned red and his neck thick before he fainted again. The imperial physicians frantically worked to treat him.
Listening to the continuous battle reports that Princess Gaoyi had already led her forces into the city first, the doubts that had been harbored in the heart of Liang’s veteran Chancellor were finally resolved…