Therefore, the Pingyang army could only fight to the death and absolutely could not retreat!
Seeing the Pingyang army’s morale wavering due to the appearance of the black banner with white python, Wang Meng shouted: “Soldiers! His Majesty is within the imperial city. If we retreat… the imperial city will surely fall! We are already Jin State’s last line of defense! We swear to our death not to retreat! That Princess Zhenguo is already gravely ill and near death – how could she be our match? Soldiers, if you defeat Princess Zhenguo, you will be warriors who have defeated the undefeated war god! Our army will be the divine martial force that conquers the undefeated white! We must quickly enter the capital! Kill!”
On the city walls, Ji Tingyu heard Wang Meng’s rallying cry, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he raised his arm high: “Archers, prepare!”
Howling arrows with whistling wind rained down from the capital’s city tower. The Pingyang soldiers who couldn’t take cover under their shields in time screamed as they fell in droves.
Wang Meng’s deputy general rushed toward the rear, leading troops to resist the great army led by Bai Qingyan. But just as he raised his arrow without having time to aim at Bai Qingyan, he saw a cold gleam whistling toward him. Before he could react, the arrowhead had already pierced through his throat.
The deputy general spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, feeling the scalding blood flooding his throat, and fell straight down from his horse’s back.
“General!”
“General!”
“It’s… It’s Princess Zhenguo!” some Pingyang soldiers cried out.
The Sun-Shooting Bow never missed its target. Whenever an arrow was shot… it would inevitably pierce through throats with blood. Looking across Jin state, only Princess Zhenguo possessed such chilling and heart-trembling archery skills.
In the distance, amid the overwhelming yellow sand, black banners with white pythons fluttered and rolled. Black-armored soldiers surged forward like a tide, raising golden spears and long pikes as they charged, unleashing earth-shaking battle cries that made ears ring.
Pingyang soldiers in the distance who hadn’t heard Wang Meng’s rallying cry adjusted their helmets and looked at the rain of arrows shooting toward them, somewhat bewildered: “Did Princess Zhenguo shoot the wrong people?!”
Another Pingyang soldier quickly pulled his comrade back under the shield, shouting: “Bullshit! That’s Princess Zhenguo’s sister inside the capital! You think she shot wrong?!”
“But… that’s Princess Zhenguo! The Bai family is a family of loyalty and righteousness!”
Just as this Pingyang soldier finished speaking, he heard arrows “whoosh whoosh whoosh” scraping past his ears. All around were continuous screams. The arm holding up his shield could feel the tremendous force of the arrow rain continuously piercing into the shield, making his entire body numb from the vibrations.
As the iron cavalry holding high the black banners with white pythons charged closer and closer, the ground beneath their feet trembled faster and faster. Even the stones began jumping, as fast as the heartbeats of the soldiers.
Just as the arrow rain ceased and the Pingyang soldiers poked their heads out from behind shields that had been turned into pincushions, they saw a figure on a white horse, wearing silver armor and wielding a long spear, leap over their heads. They had just caught sight of that fluttering red cloak when the next moment their throats were already slashed by cold steel, blood spurting forth.
Iron cavalry wearing chainmail had already charged into the Pingyang army’s shield formation, beginning a massacre.
Bai Qingyan took the lead, charging into the Pingyang army. Wherever her red-tasseled long spear reached, lives were taken. Her silver armor was stained with blood, like a rakshasa from a pool of blood. Her warhorse reared and neighed, with a murderous aura emanating from all around her.
Bai Jinxiu stood on the city wall, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow… aiming at the area around Bai Qingyan, afraid others might harm her.
She watched her eldest sister, who was invincible and proud in bearing, her eyes becoming moist and red. She had never thought she would see her eldest sister on the battlefield again, never expected to see the figure of the Bai family army’s Xiao Bai Commander fighting enemies with all her might.
Although Bai Qingyan was surrounded by enemy troops, she possessed the truly intimidating killing aura of one who had been baptized in blood on countless battlefields and experienced hundreds of battles. This forced the enemy troops not to dare face her directly. Wherever her silver spear’s cold gleam reached… no enemy soldiers survived.
Ji Tingyu, who had charged out from the wide-open city gates, had already led a small team to fight his way to Bai Qingyan’s side. Bai Jinxiu immediately lowered her bow and called out loudly to the various generals of Yuanping: “Princess Zhenguo has arrived! The Pingyang rebel army will surely be defeated! Generals, we should do our utmost to break through the imperial city… capture Prince Liang alive, and quickly pacify this conflict!”
“We obey Lady Qin’s orders!” the Yuanping army generals replied with cupped fists.
Once that black banner with white python appeared, all the soldiers were as if they had drunk chicken blood, not to mention now that they had personally witnessed the ever-victorious Princess Zhenguo taking the lead in charging into the Pingyang army, unstoppable and invincible like breaking through bamboo. This simply made their hearts surge with excitement, their blood boil, wishing they could charge forward right now to fight enemies alongside Princess Zhenguo.
Outside the capital, the forces led by Bai Qingyan engaged in fierce battle with the Pingyang army.
Inside the capital, Bai Jinxiu led the Yuanping army to attack the imperial city.
Under the black banners with white pythons, every soldier was filled with soaring morale, becoming braver as they fought.
The Pingyang army gradually could not match them. Even some clever ones had already abandoned their weapons and surrendered to save their lives.
The Pingyang army’s collapse came faster and more fierce than Wang Meng had anticipated. In less than half an hour, Wang Meng and the remaining dozen or so soldiers had already been surrounded by Wang Xiping’s forces.
Wang Meng gripped his notched blade, covered in blood, with an arrow in his chest, barely able to stand only with the support of his loyal subordinates.
Although Du Sanbao was a general of Jin state, he had never had any dealings with Wang Meng in his life, so he showed no mercy in his attacks. Seeing that Wang Meng was severely wounded but still wouldn’t surrender, he wiped the fresh blood that had just been splattered on his face with his hand and gave Wang Meng a thumbs up: “You’re a real man! Originally, if you had surrendered, we would still be good colleagues, but you refused to surrender! In consideration of our shared bond as people of Jin, this old man will send you on your way cleanly!”
Saying this, Du Sanbao was about to raise his blade to fight when he heard Ji Tingyu’s loud shout from behind: “Stop!”
Du Sanbao turned his head and saw Bai Qingyan leap down from her tall horse. He quickly sheathed his blade, and the soldiers made way for a path.
Bai Qingyan casually tossed her blood-stained red-tasseled spear to Ji Tingyu and strode with large steps toward Wang Meng’s direction, followed by the panting Wang Xiping.
Wang Meng looked at Bai Qingyan approaching with wind at her feet and heroic bearing, feeling that the previous rumors were simply absurd…
This kind of Princess Zhenguo, called bedridden with a lingering illness? Called not long for this world?
Whose bedridden person could kill his soldiers like cutting vegetables and melons, wherever her silver spear reached, large swaths falling!
Whose person not long for this world would dare to take the lead, charge to the front of the battlefield, and single-handedly break through and destroy his formation?
Whose?!
This was still the same undefeated Xiao Bai Commander of the Bai family army from years past. No… the Princess Zhenguo before him was far fiercer than the Xiao Bai Commander of those days.
Tears welled up in Wang Meng’s eyes. What bedridden with lingering illness, what not long for this world – it was all goddamn nonsense!
“General Wang Meng!” Bai Qingyan cupped her fists toward Wang Meng.
Wang Meng forced himself to gather his strength and stand up, also cupping his fists toward Bai Qingyan: “In earlier years, I was fortunate to fight alongside Princess Zhenguo and the Bai family army on the battlefield, and I knew then of Princess Zhenguo’s unmatched valor. Today… Wang Meng is completely convinced to have been defeated by Princess Zhenguo’s hand!”
“What defeated General Wang’s army was not Bai Qingyan, but rather you lost to the hearts of the people.”