Chapter 776: 773: Helping Hand_1

Chapter 776: Chapter 773: Helping Hand_1

In the Qingxi Mountain Valley Road, horses trod through puddles, and mud splashed everywhere.

Rain lashed across Bai Qingyan’s face like a blade, stinging sharply. But she dared not hesitate for even a moment.

The fierce battle at the Qingxi Mountain Pass continued. The Jin Army gradually advanced, and the city gate was being battered relentlessly. Two small squads of soldiers assigned by Liu Hong within the Qingxi Mountain Pass finally drew their blades, engaging in close combat with the Liang soldiers who were using their bodies to block the battering ram.

Inside the heavy, thick iron-clad wooden gate of the Qingxi Mountain Pass… two squads of Jin soldiers fought a bloody melee with the Liang soldiers pressed against the gate. Outside, the armored battering ram violently crashed into the city gate several times, nearly breaking it down but always falling just short.

Standing on top of the war chariot, Liu Hong was burning with anxiety. This battle was much tougher than he had imagined!

The current Liang soldiers could not be compared to the Zhao family’s troops. After their previous defeat following Xun Tianzhang on an expedition, they had been coldly treated by the Emperor of Liang for some time. Now, they were fighting desperately, as Zhao Sheng had pledged his life for this opportunity at the Qingxi Mountain Pass.

At this moment, Liu Hong was even more worried about Bai Jinzhi. He had allowed Bai Jinzhi to pick her own men to take with her, but the daring young girl had only taken five hundred. Liu Hong had then dispatched an additional thousand to assist.

Currently, the Liang Army was intimidated by the black sail and white python banner raised by Bai Jinzhi. Most of their forces had gone to deal with Bai Jinzhi. The city gate had to be broken before Zhao Sheng realized what was going on. Otherwise… relying on the gate, the Liang Army’s defense would make retaking the Qingxi Mountain Pass extremely difficult.

What a pity… If only he had the elite soldiers of the Huying Camp of the Bai family army under his command, it wouldn’t be so difficult to conquer this Qingxi Mountain Pass.

Liu Hong clenched his fists tightly. Today was his chance to wash away the shame of being called “the turtle who retreats”. He had to capture it before the Princess of Zhen could bring reinforcements!

“Report…”

Liu Hong on the war chariot turned at the sound.

A messenger rushing from the rear pulled his reins tightly and shouted, “Commander, the Princess of Zhen has arrived with reinforcements!”

As soon as the messenger finished speaking, Liu Hong saw Bai Qingyan approaching swiftly on horseback.

“Princess of Zhen!” Wang Xiping immediately nudged his horse forward to greet her.

Liu Hong’s heart sank. Could Bai Qingyan endure in such heavy rain with her current condition?!

Bai Qingyan nodded to Wang Xiping and rode up alongside Liu Hong, pulling her reins. She saluted Liu Hong, “General Liu!”

“Princess of Zhen, why didn’t you rest at the camp? Can you endure this?” Liu Hong saw Bai Qingyan clad in full armor in the rain, but not appearing as fragile as she had in Dadu City. He thought she was pretending to be well to avoid affecting morale and quickly extended his hand, “Princess of Zhen, come up onto the chariot to take shelter from the rain!”

Bai Qingyan waved her hand, her sharp eyes fixed on the only brightly lit corner tower of the Qingxi Mountain Pass city wall. She tightened her reins to control her restless steed and asked, “How many men did Bai Jinzhi take to circle behind the enemy?”

Liu Hong’s palms sweated, fearing Bai Qingyan would worry about Bai Jinzhi acting rashly. He had no choice but to say, “Commandery Princess Gaoyi took fifteen hundred men and raised the black sail with the white python banner.”

Cai Ziyuan, who had been following Bai Qingyan, was stunned. He didn’t know whether to praise Commandery Princess Gaoyi for her bravery or to call her reckless. He quickly rode up to Bai Qingyan and said, “Fifteen hundred men, they could soon be discovered. The gate must be broken quickly. We can’t delay any longer!”

“Don’t worry, Princess of Zhen. I’ve left people in the city. Once Commandery Princess Gaoyi lures the majority away, we’ll open the gate!” Liu Hong’s palms were sweating, “It won’t take long. We will break the gate. Please be patient!”

Bai Qingyan gritted her teeth, listening to the sound of the trebuchets constantly hurling large stones at the city walls of the Qingxi Mountain Pass. She saw the soldiers atop the walls pushing over scaling ladders and shooting arrows, and using rocks to smash the Jin Army trying to climb, their screams filling the air…

The heavy armored battering ram continued to strike the gate, but it didn’t look like it would break through anytime soon.

Time passed, and the torrential rain ceased.

“Report…”

A messenger raced from the city gate of the Qingxi Mountain Pass towards the Jin Army camp, shouting, “The Liang Army is reinforcing the city defenses! The main force seems to be returning!”

No sooner had this been shouted than a scout sent by Liu Hong to monitor the enemy’s movements above the cliff also reported quickly, “Report… The Liang main force is returning!”

Liu Hong’s palms sweated more, and he shouted, “Order the troops to break down the gate at all costs! Quickly!”

Bai Qingyan felt they could no longer hesitate. Delaying any further would result in more casualties for the Jin Army, and Bai Jinzhi would be in grave danger.

She turned to the anxious Liu Hong and asked, “General Liu, do you want your soldiers’ lives, or to shed the reputation of being a ‘coward’ today?”

Liu Hong fully understood Bai Qingyan’s implication. The main force had returned, meaning Zhao Sheng had realized Bai Jinzhi’s black sail and white python banner was a ruse. If the main force returned to the city walls and they hadn’t opened the gate, they couldn’t capture the Qingxi Mountain Pass today.

If Liu Hong still insisted on fame and refused Bai Qingyan’s help, even if they took the Qingxi Mountain Pass today, it would come at a huge cost.

In a siege battle, being at the bottom was always a disadvantage.

Liu Hong quickly made his decision. Even if he carried the label of coward for life, he couldn’t let his soldiers die in vain!

“Please, Princess of Zhen, assist us!” Liu Hong cupped his fists and bowed to Bai Qingyan.

Wang Xiping was overjoyed to hear this.

Bai Qingyan turned her horse and said to Cai Ziyuan, “Order an immediate assault on the city!”

Cai Ziyuan obeyed, riding to the rear and stopping before the silent soldiers atop Niujiao Mountain.

These soldiers had followed Ji Tingyu through the harshest training on Niujiao Mountain. While ordinary Jin soldiers were shivering from the cold after the rain, the recently arrived soldiers from Niujiao Mountain stood straight, their bodies steaming with heat.

These soldiers, regardless of the season, underwent the most rigorous training because only in this way… could their lives be best preserved on the battlefield!

For the Bai family army, victory was important, but the soldiers’ lives were equally important.

Cai Ziyuan said to Zhao Ran, the Bai family guard leading the three thousand Niujiao Mountain soldiers, “General Zhao, the Princess of Zhen orders an immediate assault on the city!”

Zhao Ran nodded, turned his horse, and shouted to the Niujiao Mountain soldiers, “We’ve hidden in the mountains for over a year, risking life and limb in countless suicidal training sessions all for this moment! This is your first battle! Show the level you’ve trained at every day, and you’ll easily capture the city, minimizing casualties for the Jin Kingdom! Let the Jin Army soldiers see… how the Bai family army fights! Assault the city!”