General Ling Ziyue sent urgent military intelligence to Bianjing, after which they entered a tense period of war preparation.

Summer was approaching, and the Liao nation was unlikely to abandon their animal husbandry for the sake of war. If they risked everything for one battle and lost, it would be a devastating outcome. The Liao couldn’t afford such a gamble.

The Hebei military camp was on high alert, but what worried Ling Ziyue was the lack of news from Bianjing.

After an agonizing wait of twenty-three days, they finally received word that someone was on the way and would soon arrive at the Hebei camp.

It was at this moment that the Liao army launched their attack.

Remarkably, not a single Song scout had returned, all perishing at the hands of the Liao forces. Fortunately, as the grass and water weren’t yet abundant, the galloping horses kicked up massive dust clouds.

Before they even reached within twenty li, the Song soldiers on the watchtower spotted the distant clouds of dust and immediately sounded the alarm.

An Jiu stood in front of the central command tent, watching the troops assemble urgently.

The two Wei Yue agents had changed into ordinary soldiers’ armor and stood among the regular troops. They hadn’t disguised their faces and were two strikingly beautiful women – one alluring, the other elegant. An Jiu suddenly recalled Zhao Ling’s question, “You’re such a fine woman, why did you choose this path?”

Just as she thought of him, An Jiu saw Zhao Ling standing pale-faced at the entrance of the supervisory tent, gazing at the neatly lined-up troops.

After watching for a while, Zhao Ling returned to the tent.

Soon after, the sound of coughing came from inside.

An Jiu glanced at Gao Dazhuang, who stood not far away. Seeing that he seemed not to have heard, she also paid no more attention to it.

This sudden attack came without any warning, giving the Song army no time to catch their breath. From assembly to engagement, they had barely two-quarters of an hour.

The deafening cries of battle rose to the heavens.

An Jiu and her companions all tensed up.

Chu Dingjiang leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed. Seeing her reaction, he said, “Let’s go take a look.”

At his word, even Gao Dazhuang followed them out of the camp.

Several shadowy figures darted towards the battlefield.

In the tent, Zhao Ling was nearly coughing up blood, but not a single shadow guard paid him any attention. This made him even more uneasy, though the thought of Ling Ziyue’s presence offered some comfort.

With no rainfall for two months, the dust on the battlefield almost obscured the combatants.

Daytime wasn’t ideal for a sneak attack, which was why the Song army was caught off guard by the Liao forces. Now, as soon as they engaged, they found themselves at a disadvantage.

Over the years, almost all the border villages of the Great Song had been “visited” by the Liao army, leading to a sharp decline in the border population. Now, there were no longer as many people, animals, or resources to plunder, so the Liao army began to extend its reach towards the larger cities.

Ling Ziyue wasn’t omnipotent; he couldn’t protect many scattered villages. However, he had fortified several major cities to be as strong as iron barrels. The Liao cavalry couldn’t cross this threshold, and after multiple failed attempts, they changed their strategy to directly target the Hebei military camp.

The Liao army’s goal was to remove Ling Ziyue, this obstacle in their path.

In other words, this would be a tough battle.

Gao Dazhuang had realized this too. “Everyone, stay close to General Ling and ensure his safety,” he ordered.

The group acknowledged the command and rushed to Ling Ziyue’s side.

Chu Dingjiang grabbed An Jiu’s arm. “They don’t need you there.”

Even without the Crane Control Army, couldn’t Ling Ziyue protect himself? Their presence was just an extra layer of protection; one more or less wouldn’t make much difference.

“Ling Ziyue! You cowardly turtle! Come out and face me in battle!” A Liao general roared in Chinese amidst the chaos.

As the commander of the Hebei camp, Ling Ziyue couldn’t afford to fall. He usually commanded from the rear and rarely led troops personally, let alone serve as the vanguard.

The man’s provocative words underestimated Ling Ziyue. With his temperament, how could a few taunts shake him?

An Jiu narrowed her eyes. Through the smoke, she could vaguely make out a burly man leading the Liao troops. While Chu Dingjiang was of normal height, this man was like a small mountain, his physique as robust as one and a half Chu Dingjiang’s. The shouting Liao general was right beside him.

An Jiu clicked her tongue expressionlessly. “That poor horse.”

Chu Dingjiang smiled. “That’s Xiao Zhenning, a fierce general from Empress Dowager Xiao’s maternal clan.”

An Jiu saw the tower-like Xiao Zhenning say something, and the Liao general beside him fell silent.

Having been locked in conflict for many years, he understood Ling Ziyue better than anyone.

“Explosive crossbows!” An Jiu exclaimed softly.

Chu Dingjiang’s expression also turned grim as he looked toward Xiao Zhenning. Sure enough, ten black-clad crossbowmen were readying explosive crossbows, all aimed at Ling Ziyue!

Xiao Zhenning’s expression wasn’t good either. He would have preferred to defeat Ling Ziyue with his strength, but he had been given secret weapons and orders to kill Ling Ziyue at all costs. He had no choice but to obey.

Death was imminent.

Ling Ziyue had also seen it, but if he turned and fled now, the commander’s retreat would mean defeat for the Song army.

In this brief moment of deadlock, Ling Ziyue felt as if decades had passed.

Faced with this situation, even Chu Dingjiang’s expression was uncharacteristically grave. He stared at the explosive crossbows, his dark eyes deep and seemingly waiting for something.

Ling Ziyue wore a similar expression, with beads of sweat forming at his temples.