Outside Hongzhou City, battle cries still shook the heavens. But within the city walls, no one felt fear anymore. Ye Li sat leisurely in an empty teahouse, a rare moment of calm as she sipped her tea. Through the open window, she could see soldiers on the distant city walls fighting desperately to defend the city. Zhuo Jing, Lin Han, and others stood silently beside her, watching the distant ramparts. Qin Feng, who normally never left her side, was nowhere to be seen. Mo Hua, responsible for Ye Li’s safety, stood in conflicted silence as he watched her.

“Your Highness, the northern section of the wall likely won’t hold much longer,” Wei Lin reported hurriedly with respect. Ye Li lowered her head in thought for a moment before asking, “Is everything prepared?” Lin Han nodded, “Please be at ease, Your Highness. All preparations are complete. We request that you leave Hongzhou soon.” Ye Li replied calmly, “If everything is arranged, there’s no need to rush. Zhuo Jing, your results?” Zhuo Jing responded gravely, “Though time was short, the elite Mo Family troops left in the city have shown excellent progress. Please rest assured, Your Highness.” The word “elite” caused Ye Li’s expression to change slightly. After a long pause, she sighed, “Yes… they are all Mo Family elites…”

Lin Han looked at her and said, “If we let Western Ling’s army cross Hongzhou, the Mo Family troops guarding the northwest would all have to commit suicide in shame. So… Your Highness need not feel guilty.” Ye Li’s smile held a touch of bitterness. No matter how noble the reasons, they couldn’t hide her inadequacy as a commander. If a general of equal skill to the Prince of Southern Peace or the Prince himself were in her position, they would never use her current strategy – killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of their own. This was also due to the Mo Family army’s weaknesses and flaws. While there might be those more suited to command the Mo Family forces, the lower-ranking officers might not follow them. The tradition of loyalty to only the Crown Prince had created the Mo Family army’s current situation – while there were many capable generals, true commanding talents were rare. This was also why the royal family feared the Mo Family army. In a nation where the most fierce and battle-hardened force was not the court’s army but a private military…

Drinking the last sip from her cup, Ye Li stood and took a final look at the Mo Family banner flying high on the city walls before saying, “Let’s go.”

At noon on the sixteenth day of the tenth month, after two days and nights of continuous assault, Hongzhou fell.

This time, after breaching Hongzhou’s walls, the Western Ling army didn’t swarm in like they had at Xinyang. Instead, they sent a small contingent to scout the city, clearly wary of another Eastern Chu trap. At Xinyang, far more soldiers had died in the great fire than in actual combat. The scouts moved through the city streets in groups, quickly discovering that every street was empty – not just of Mo Family soldiers, but even of common citizens. Only after thoroughly checking the entire city and confirming there were no issues did they report back.

Outside the city, the Prince of Southern Peace frowned as he listened to the soldier’s report. “Not a single person in the city?”

The reporting soldier responded, “Your Highness, indeed there’s no one. Moreover, most of Hongzhou’s buildings are stone structures, making it difficult to burn. Eastern Chu likely cannot use the same strategy again.” The Prince’s deep frown remained. While he was pleased to have taken Hongzhou, the current situation was abnormal. When a city falls, even if the main army hastily retreats, there are usually some scattered soldiers who can’t escape in time. But the current situation indicated one thing – the enemy had intentionally withdrawn early. Compared to the fierce, seemingly desperate resistance of the past few days, this empty city before them seemed increasingly suspicious. Ye Li… what exactly are you planning?

“Your Highness, shouldn’t we enter the city first?” asked a general beside him. The commanders were puzzled to see their lord standing lost in thought before the city gates after finally breaching Hongzhou.

After a moment of silence, the Prince of Southern Peace commanded sternly, “Immediately pass through Hongzhou and pursue the Mo Family army’s remnants. Do not stop in Hongzhou!”

“But… Your Highness, reinforcements, and supplies won’t arrive for at least ten days. If something goes wrong after we enter…” the general cautiously advised. In military campaigns, supplies move first. Not to mention they only had a mere hundred thousand troops, barely enough to give Eastern Chu’s defenders pause – their current supplies would only last half a month. If they got too far from the supply convoy and supplies couldn’t arrive in time… their hundred thousand troops wouldn’t need enemies; they would starve to death on their own.

The Prince of Southern Peace frowned and commanded, “Enter the city!”

Soon, troops streamed continuously through the city gates. The Prince remained mounted outside, staring at the imposing towers with the feeling that something wasn’t right. The soldiers around him, sensing their lord’s poor mood, dared not say anything. Just as over half the army had entered, sudden chaos erupted from within the city. The Prince’s heart sank as he shouted, “Something’s wrong! Retreat from Hongzhou immediately!”

But… it was too late. After several earth-shaking explosions, dust and smoke rolled out from the gate. When visibility cleared, the originally open city gates had vanished, replaced by rubble and earth blocking the entrance. Only a gap of less than half a man’s height remained at the top of the two-man-tall gate. Looking up at the gate towers, now partially collapsed, it was clear someone had rigged them beforehand.

“Your Highness?!” The generals at his side were ashen-faced. Nearly seventy thousand soldiers had entered the city, leaving less than thirty thousand with them. How had all this happened? As if proving the saying that misfortunes never come alone, just as battle cries erupted within the city, several black whirlwinds descended from the southwest and northwest, sweeping toward the confused Western Ling soldiers before the gates.

Inside the city, blood already flowed like rivers. Hongzhou’s stone buildings created a maze of deep and shallow alleys. When the suddenly appearing Mo Family forces disrupted the troops on the main streets, countless black-clad soldiers wielding bows appeared on the rooftops of buildings lining the streets. Everyone recognized them – they were the Black Cloud Riders, the Mo Family’s most elite force. Legend said every Black Cloud Rider was a master archer chosen from among thousands. Arrows rained mercilessly on the Western Ling soldiers below. This wasn’t battle – it was a nearly one-sided slaughter. The Black Cloud Riders had height advantage and initiative, and their archery surpassed the Western Ling soldiers. The Western Ling forces had no chance to retaliate, forced into the narrow, deep alleys. However, no better fate awaited them there – if they weren’t pierced through the chest by arrows suddenly shot from the rooftops, their throats were cut by attackers emerging from nowhere. The previously empty Hongzhou had instantly become hell on earth.

Outside, the Prince of Southern Peace’s face alternated between green and white. At this point… he finally understood what had felt wrong all these days. They thought they were chasing the Mo Family army retreating to Hongzhou, but who could explain where this cavalry force of nearly thirty thousand appearing behind them had come from? Ye Li had somehow hidden a cavalry force of thirty thousand behind them without anyone noticing. And in these days of being drunk on victory, no one had considered the true strength of the Mo Family army, once proclaimed foremost among all nations.

Among the countless approaching black whirlwinds, the red figure at the front was particularly eye-catching. Feng Zhiyao sat astride his warhorse like a red whirlwind sweeping past, Western Ling soldiers everywhere avoiding his blade. His handsome features were filled with abandon and exhilaration – after enduring so many days, he could finally fight all out. In military strategy he might not match the Prince of Southern Peace, in martial experience he might not match the Prince of Southern Peace, but so what? Thirty thousand cavalry against thirty thousand infantry on the open ground needed no strategy, no schemes – nothing prevented him from thoroughly crushing the Western Ling forces. Almost cheerfully slicing through several Western Ling soldiers’ throats with his spear, Feng Zhiyao galloped past the Prince of Southern Peace’s forces, laughing from afar, “Your Highness Prince of Southern Peace, our Princess asks after your well-being.”

At this moment, the greeting was undoubtedly mockery. The Prince of Southern Peace’s face turned iron-gray as he sneered, “Well played, Crown Princess. However… I wonder how the Crown Princess plans to hold Hongzhou after burning Xinyang and collapsing Hongzhou’s towers when my reinforcements arrive?” Feng Zhiyao laughed loudly, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but our Princess has declared that all Western Ling soldiers who enter the northwest shall be eliminated without exception!” The Prince snorted, “Such boasting. If my mere two hundred thousand troops exhaust you so, how dare you make such claims? Even if I lose soldiers and generals, the Mo Family army fares no better.” Feng Zhiyao raised his eyebrows with a smile, “Does Your Highness think the Mo Family army fears your Western Ling forces? Our Princess only concerns herself with Your Highness, Prince of Southern Peace. Those three hundred thousand reinforcements don’t have you commanding them. Whether they can even reach Hongzhou remains to be seen.”

The Prince’s expression changed slightly, though he maintained outward calm. Inside, however, his thoughts churned like stormy waves – he had lost this battle. Even without seeing the final resolution, the Prince understood. Having fought all his life, he had lost to Mo Liufang in his early years, but never expected to lose to a woman in his later years! Even seeing the outcome before him, he couldn’t accept it. After several encounters, he was certain Ye Li was no extraordinary military genius. Precisely because of this, he couldn’t understand how the current situation had come about.

“Order the Golden Guard to capture Ye Li at any cost!” After a long while, watching the laughing red figure depart, the Prince commanded with a twisted expression.

“Your Highness, right now here…”

“Kill!”

“The Prince of Southern Peace fell for the trap because he underestimated me too much,” said Ye Li, in a small valley dozens of li inside the border from Hongzhou. She listened to the continuing sounds of battle from Hongzhou’s direction while calmly explaining to the puzzled Zhuo Jing and others beside her, “If he were facing Xiuyao, he would never have fallen for such a trap.” Zhuo Jing asked, “Princess, you mean… if His Highness had done this, the Prince would have suspected a trap, but because it was you, he didn’t?” Ye Li smiled faintly, “No matter how careful the Prince considers himself, men’s inherent tendency to underestimate women never diminishes. He’s just less guilty of it than others.” Wei Lin smiled, “After this, the Prince will surely never underestimate Your Highness again.”

“Princess… after the battle outside the city ends, should we enter to support our brothers inside?” Lin Han asked.

Ye Li remained silent for a long time before finally saying, “No, they must immediately go support South Marquis.” Everyone fell silent. Inside the city were seventy thousand Western Ling troops, with only just over ten thousand Mo Family soldiers left behind. No one could say how many would make it out alive. The thirty thousand Black Cloud Riders hidden outside the city, after destroying the thirty thousand Western Ling soldiers below, had to ride without rest to the border to support South Marquis. South Marquis, his heir, and young commanders like Yun Ting had only thirty thousand troops to intercept Western Ling’s three hundred thousand reinforcements – how many would return was equally uncertain. It wasn’t that the Princess was heartless; everyone understood they didn’t have enough troops, and the Princess had made the best arrangements possible.

“Princess, we should depart. If we hurry, we can reach a small city to rest tonight.” Ye Li looked back at the distant city one last time and silently nodded.

“Your Highness, a large force is approaching Hongzhou from ahead,” a scout hurriedly returned to report.

Ye Li started, frowning slightly as she asked, “Who are they?” The scout replied, “Local garrison troops from near Hongzhou.”

“Why would they come now?” She knew about the news that garrison commanders near Hongzhou had memorialized the Emperor requesting to support Hongzhou. But these generals were ultimately loyal to Mo Jingqi, and though she had sent people to request troops, without Mo Jingqi’s orders these commanders were unwilling or dared not lend troops to her. They only promised they had sent memorials to the capital requesting troops. Ye Li somewhat understood Mo Jingqi’s attitude and naturally hadn’t placed much hope in this promise.

“Could they be troops coming to support Hongzhou?” Lin Han asked.

Zhuo Jing said coldly, “The timing is too convenient. Princess, let me investigate.” Ye Li frowned slightly and said, “Go, but be careful.”

Trained personally by Ye Li, Zhuo Jing handled matters efficiently. He returned in less than an hour, but his expression was very grim. Looking at Ye Li, Zhuo Jing said, “Princess, they aren’t here to help.” Everyone was stunned. Mo Hua said coldly, “Surely they aren’t here to help Western Ling?” Zhuo Jing shook his head and said, “They’ve made camp dozens of li away. I snuck in and overheard their discussions. They plan to stand by and watch – if we win, they’ll strike while we’re unable to rest. If Western Ling wins, they’ll act according to circumstances and retreat to their garrison. If both sides are badly wounded, even better – they can take advantage.”

“What is His Majesty in the palace thinking? Does he not want Hongzhou?” Lin Han asked in shock.

Ye Li gave a cold laugh and said, “He had already given the three northwestern provinces to Western Ling. Whether this battle is won or lost, the northwest won’t be his anymore, so naturally it doesn’t matter to him.”

“He’s truly mad!” After a long while, Wei Lin spat out these words. Even someone like him with no interest in military matters knew how important the northwest was to Eastern Chu. For Mo Jingqi to abandon even the northwest just to deal with the Crown Prince’s household…

“There’s more…” Zhuo Jing said grimly, “Garrison troops in all nearby areas have received secret imperial orders to take the opportunity to eliminate all Mo Family forces in the northwest. Most importantly… capture the Princess, dead or alive!”