Meanwhile, Yunpei’s Great General Guang Zhaoyun maneuvered repeatedly, finally luring his opponent Ji Hua’s entire army into King Na Zhan’s encirclement. In just one day, more than half of Tiandu’s forces were lost in the initial battle. Ji Hua never imagined that the enemy king would personally take the field, and his military prowess was no less than King Jing’s. Relying on his skills, Ji Hua, though wounded, broke out with 20,000 men. This close combat was meant to be just a probe, but it unexpectedly cut down 4,000 of Tiandu’s soldiers. Before the decisive battle had even begun, Yunpei had gained the upper hand, greatly boosting their morale.
Ji Hua returned to the Guhe camp in a disheveled state, filled with resentment. Without tending to his wounds, he went directly to see His Majesty the King.
Qingyun was hunting on the grounds, mounted on Fei Ta. Seeing Ji Hua return, he merely focused his gaze, shot down a black dove with an arrow, and then rode back to camp. After a long silence looking at Ji Hua, he said coldly, “Go treat your wounds first!”
Hearing this, Ji Hua’s eyes were full of unwillingness. “Your Majesty!”
Qingyun patted his shoulder. “It’s not entirely your fault. Go rest!”
So Ji Hua withdrew. Qingyun sat in his chair and began sipping tea intermittently. Miao Jing, standing beside him, finally couldn’t help but ask, “Your Majesty! It seems Na Zhan intends to end this quickly!”
“Hmm!” Qingyun continued drinking tea. “Any news from Fengtian?”
Miao Jing replied, “Our spies haven’t made contact yet. The last report said Ruo Wen had reached Zhun City, and it seems he’ll move as soon as we do!”
“Hmph! He’s learned to be clever, knowing he can’t always strike at the heart of the enemy.” Qingyun smiled. “Tell Mang Liu’s men to block the waterways east of Zhun City, then poison the Guangshui. It’s not so easy to take advantage of a ready-made situation!”
Miao Jing nodded, then asked, “What if we’re discovered?”
“It doesn’t matter. They’ll either die from drinking the water or die of thirst. At that point, he’ll only have two choices: advance or retreat. He won’t be able to sit back and watch the tigers fight!” Qingyun continued, changing his posture, “However, remember to only poison the Guangshui. Don’t touch any other waterways. Anyone who violates this order will have their entire clan executed!”
Miao Jing quickly knelt and responded, “I’ll see to it immediately!”
Those skilled in leading armies are often more ruthless than ordinary people. Although this approach seems excessively cruel, it’s precisely this cruelty that minimizes casualties in war. The reasoning behind this is unclear to most. Qingyun and Na Zhan were, in some ways, cut from the same cloth. They both had their own set of national and military policies and through these, they gradually built a cold set of principles in their hearts, letting these principles guide them down a path they would never regret.
But Ruo Wen was different. From a lowly youth in a bandit group to becoming the bandit leader, and then from a bandit leader to the King of Fengtian, his heart never had any superfluous schemes from beginning to end. He took what he wanted, stole what he couldn’t take, discarded what he tired of, and crushed what he despised. This applies to both objects and people. He was the freest and coldest of them all. His cruelty had no meaning for governing a country, and his desires knew no bounds. Even if he were truly a god, he would be a god unto himself alone.
The most embarrassing thing in Manhu’s life was probably failing to capture a woman with 50,000 cavalry. Although the 50,000 men Ruo Wen had allocated from the Southern Expedition Army weren’t as valiant or fierce as the Yellow Sky Madmen Brigade—they were part of the original Ma Sui national army—it was inconceivable that 50,000 men couldn’t defeat 1,000.
Huang Beishuang stood alone between the two armies, at a distance so close that Manhu could have captured this beauty, long coveted by his leader, with just twenty strides of his horse. She raised her right hand high and made a powerful gesture in the air. Behind her, 10,000 troops released a volley of arrows, most hitting the Fengtian enemy soldiers a hundred li away with pinpoint accuracy. Yet, in the silence, not a single arrow flew back from Fengtian in response.
Manhu sat on his horse, watching the second row of men fall, with a splitting headache. This woman meant business!
Six hours earlier, he had surrounded this diplomatic group that was setting up camp to rest, so excited he nearly fell off his horse. He quickly ordered a search, only to find the tents empty. Looking again, he saw that just a few li away, 10,000 soldiers were already in formation, bows drawn and ready to shoot. His ultimate target—Huang Beishuang—stepped forward alone, standing between the two armies with a resolute demeanor that left Manhu stunned for quite a while. It seemed that every time he saw her, there was an unpredictable feeling.
“Are you here to capture me?” she asked with a smile.
Manhu was taken aback and shouted, “You know it well! With so few men, don’t waste your energy! Even if you grew wings, you couldn’t fly away!”
Huang Beishuang laughed loudly, “Who said I want to leave? I want to kill you!”
Hearing this, Manhu burst into laughter, “Haha! How are you going to kill me? In this situation?”
Huang Beishuang mocked, “Indeed! Ruo Wen gave you so many men to capture me. What do you think he’ll do to you if you can’t catch me?”
Manhu was shocked, “Don’t tell me you’re going to commit suicide!”
Huang Beishuang stretched out her hand, indeed holding a silver dagger, seemingly the one she had once exchanged with Qingyun for the white horse. Now, as if by karmic retribution, it was pressed against her chest. She smiled and raised her other hand to the sky, saying word by word, “The moment I lower my hand, General Wu will order the arrows to fly! However many men you brought, that’s how many he’ll kill!”
Manhu looked behind her and sneered, “Fine, let’s see who dies faster. Ready bows!” At his command, the front-line soldiers quickly nocked their arrows, their imposing presence far surpassing Wu Jihai’s troops. This was natural—how could they match a force five times their strength?
But then Huang Beishuang smiled and swiftly plunged the dagger into her chest. Blood gushed out like a fountain, shocking both Manhu and Wu Jihai, who watched her with unblinking eyes.
“Listen, for every arrow that hits my men, I’ll stab myself once. Let’s see if you can return to report your mission with a rotting corpse!” Huang Beishuang’s body curled slightly from the pain, but her gaze remained mocking as she looked at Manhu. She knew these bandits well—their leader wanted everything, and even if he would tire of it someday, that day wasn’t today.
Manhu gripped his reins tightly in anger, unsure what to do. Suddenly, Huang Beishuang lowered her hand to the sky. Wu Jihai, receiving the signal, ordered his troops to release their arrows. A chaotic volley of arrows flew, followed by a wave of screams as the entire first row of Fengtian soldiers fell. Manhu was shocked but dared not retaliate rashly. He nodded, signaling a minor vanguard to shoot an arrow, which struck a Yunpei soldier.
Huang Beishuang didn’t even turn her head. She pulled out the dagger from her chest and, with blood gushing, stabbed herself again. The blade sank halfway into her body. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she gasped for air and raised her hand again, signaling another volley. Wu Jihai was extremely anxious, fearing that if this continued, the enemy would show no mercy, and the Queen’s life would be in danger. Seeing his hesitation, Lian Huan suddenly shouted in his place, “Release the arrows!” Another volley of arrows flew, once again felling a row of enemy troops.
This time, Manhu truly dared not retaliate. He looked at Huang Beishuang in frustration. Those were not the eyes of someone intent on suicide, but eyes that saw through people, full of mockery.
Seeing that he indeed dared not move, Huang Beishuang wiped the blood from her lips and smiled, “Come on! Come and catch me!” She raised her hand once more, and her troops nocked their arrows again. As her hand fell, another row of Manhu’s men collapsed. This time, the soldiers looked at Manhu in panic, involuntarily beginning to retreat. How could they fight a battle where they couldn’t retaliate? They were being used as target practice.
Manhu stared at Huang Beishuang for a long time, his mind racing. This woman was nearly done for. If she died, aside from how his leader might punish him, he couldn’t help but feel it would be a waste. He wanted to know what kind of woman she would become if his leader possessed her!