“Quick, this is the last chance!” Lu Wenru urged those beside him.
The war with Great Zhou had reached a stalemate. With the vast disparity in strength between enemy and ally, plus being besieged for half a month with little food or water, everyone had endured to their limits. Even Si Qin’s final route for requesting aid from the capital had been severed.
Lu Heng knew that the general situation was now lost.
He no longer had time to lament the large sums of gold and silver he had invested going down the drain. Being able to escape alive would already be fortunate.
Great Zhou’s soldiers fought desperately with the Tatars who were fighting for their lives. Knowing that without giving their all they would face certain death, each person unleashed their maximum potential. For a moment, despite being outnumbered by Great Zhou forces, they still maintained a delicate balance in the fighting.
Lu Heng chose this moment to escape precisely because of this point. If Great Zhou achieved overwhelming victory, he would truly have no hope. But he also knew the Tatars couldn’t hold out much longer, so his actions had to be swift.
Just then, from the uninhabited desert west of the battlefield, came the sudden sound of war horns.
A fierce wind rose, making the great banner behind Pang Xiao flutter loudly. The black flag embroidered with the character “Pang” flew in the wind. At this moment, from the uninhabited sea of sand came another force with the same type of banner bearing the same flying character “Pang.”
Horn calls echoed through the sky. The drumbeats grew more intense, urging rapid movement. The Great Zhou soldiers already engaged in fierce battle heard these inspiring war drums and felt their hearts surge with excitement, their blood seeming ready to ignite. When they clearly saw that the force emerging from the desert bore banners with the character “Pang,” everyone’s hearts leaped with joy.
They had surrounded the Tatars outside the uninhabited zone, and now there were their own people coming from within the zone as well. The Tatars were like turtles in a jar—victory was only a matter of time!
Lu Heng watched the approaching force from the desert, his pupils suddenly contracting.
Others might not know, but he did.
Pang Xiao’s people simply didn’t have time to circle around the uninhabited desert to ambush them. The only explanation was that people had come from within the desert.
He had never forgotten that place called Xihua.
It was in Xihua that he completely lost hope, and in Xihua that unprecedented jealousy and hatred sprouted. After leaving Xihua, he gradually took a path completely opposite to Qin Yining’s.
Xihua, located deep within the uninhabited desert, was a vast oasis whose native inhabitants were people who had withdrawn from the world a hundred years ago. The arrival of Qin Yining and Pang Xiao had given the Xihua people a living goddess and their new king!
Who would have thought that in the decisive battle between Great Zhou and the Tatars, Pang Xiao would actually use his forces from Xihua!
Lu Heng urged those around him: “Quick, quick, quick! Let’s go!”
However, the approaching force from the desert moved extremely fast. The leader rode a swift horse, wore dark green fitted clothing, had hair tied up high, a graceful figure, jade-like face with peach cheeks, carried a long sword in the left hand and a long whip in the right, charging ahead of the others at full gallop.
In the overwhelming yellow sand of the great desert, that person’s face gradually became clear.
Lu Heng’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Wasn’t that Cao Yuqing, the female guard beside Qin Huaiyuan, who was said to have perished long ago along with Qin Yining’s family!
He might mistake others, but when he left Xihua, Cao Yuqing had escorted him partway and even consoled him. This person he would never mistake!
Why would Cao Yuqing appear in this force?
Could it be that… the Qin family wasn’t dead at all!
Lu Heng ran with his head down.
No matter how composed a person might be, at a life-or-death moment, they couldn’t care about appearance or propriety. His heart was filled with mixed emotions, thinking that Qin Huaiyuan truly lived up to his reputation for wisdom, as did his daughter. Their entire family had played such a grand game of chess, deceiving everyone!
The location of this final battle here might have been within Pang Xiao’s plans all along, waiting for people from the desert to come and outflank!
“Kill!” At Cao Yuqing’s command, the assault team formed by the intelligence operatives behind her shot like an arrow, suddenly piercing into the Tatar ranks.
The soldiers following wore rattan armor—some on horseback, some on camels, and some infantry. All carried weapons and advanced in orderly fashion under their commander’s direction, maintaining strict formation without the slightest disorder!
The leader among these rattan-armored soldiers wore black brocade robes, a silk cap, carried a feather fan, had flowing whiskers, and handsome refined features—it was none other than Qin Huaiyuan!
“Beat the drums,” Qin Huaiyuan ordered.
The bare-chested men on the war chariots received the order and beat their drums in unison, creating a tremendous sound like surging sea tides.
Just as Pang Xiao and Si Qin were locked in fierce combat, surprise troops suddenly emerged from the desert, throwing Si Qin into complete panic.
Pang Xiao was first astonished, as he hadn’t arranged for anyone to circle through the uninhabited desert. But when he clearly saw the approaching person was actually his father-in-law, Pang Xiao was instantly inspired, his morale soaring again.
His admiration for his father-in-law now reached the level of looking up to high mountains. What kind of strategic planning could keep constant watch on court movements and still organize Xihua forces to assist him at the crucial moment!
Pang Xiao’s offensive became even more fierce. Si Qin was already no match for Pang Xiao, and now with military morale collapsed, he could support himself even less.
As their war horses crossed paths, Pang Xiao’s blade severed one of Si Qin’s arms, the pain causing him to tumble headfirst from his horse.
Tang Xiu and Huzi, who had been waiting nearby, immediately stepped forward and tied Si Qin up like a dumpling.
Pang Xiao turned and charged into the enemy ranks. His horse reared up on its hind legs, and with a swift stroke of his blade, he cut down the Tatar royal banner. Ji Zeyu, in perfect coordination with Pang Xiao, also turned and struck down the commander’s flag, letting it fall to the ground to be trampled by hooves.
Seeing their royal banner and commander’s flag fallen, the Tatars immediately panicked and lost all composure, while the high-spirited Great Zhou forces once again gained the upper hand!
After fierce fighting through one night and day, the battle finally entered its final phase.
Pang Xiao spurred his horse toward Qin Huaiyuan. Upon reaching him, he leaped down from his mount and bowed joyfully: “Father-in-law, how did you come here!”
Qin Huaiyuan descended from his war chariot and smiled at Pang Xiao. “With such a major event, I naturally couldn’t sit by and ignore it. I only brought a thousand elite troops from Xihua. I was originally worried about missing the crucial moment, but it seems that arriving at the right time is better than arriving early.”
“Father-in-law, you’ve been an enormous help! How is your health?”
“Very well.”
“Is everyone at home well? How are Han Ge’er and Zhao Ge’er?”
“All well. You needn’t worry—Xihua suits them. And how is Yining?”
“Yining is well. Some time ago, due to my oversight, she was injured and is now recuperating at the estate. Oh, and Yining has given birth to another pair of dragon and phoenix twins—the boy is called Xuan Ge’er and the girl is called Yun Jie’er. They’re both seven months old now!”
“Oh?” Qin Huaiyuan’s face lit up with joy as he nodded. “Good, very good. Zhao Ge’er and Han Ge’er will surely be delighted to see their younger siblings.”