Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

"The eldest daughter of the Meng family is the second prince's concubine, but what about the principal wife?"

"The Second Prince doesn't have a wife yet."

Qi Xiao raised his eyebrows. The seat was empty, obviously it was done on purpose.

"That's perfect." Qi Xiao smiled, his eyes icy cold, which reminded Chi Yue of the snowy night in Fenglin Mountain, and made Yu Ran feel so cold that he couldn't help but shiver all over.

Meng Tao wanted to revive the Meng family's prestige, a title, and, of course, the eldest daughter of the Meng family. To achieve either, he had to prove his worth. During the peaceful and prosperous times, the Meng family lived far away in Lu'an Prefecture, with no relatives at court. To achieve merit, they had to constantly curry favor with those in Shuoliang City, patiently waiting for an opportunity. Meng Jing had been that opportunity, but unfortunately, he didn't stay in Shuoliang and is now dead.

Then Qi Xiao could just provide the Meng family with opportunities and merits, great military achievements that Meng Tao and Meng Bo could not refuse.

"Who are the most trusted people around Madam and Meng Tao?"

Qi Xiao and the others are strangers, and it is too difficult to gain the trust of the Meng family in a short time. They need to start from the side.

"In the Madam's courtyard is Nanny Wang, who came with her as part of her dowry. She's been with her for decades and is the most trusted. There are also two older maids, Bailu and Hongxia. Even the head steward has to give these three some respect. On the Young Master's side, there's Mr. Bo Xubo, who used to be a small accountant at the Meng family shop. Because he's good at calculating, he won the Young Master's favor and has been brought along by his side, living in the mansion."

"Good at calculating, you must be good at abacus and accounting, right?" Although Qi Xiao was asking, his tone was full of certainty.

Yu Ran nodded. "I heard that Mr. Bo provided advice to the eldest son and expanded the Meng family's business significantly. Because of Miss Meng's incident, the Meng family was hollowed out. In recent years, natural disasters have occurred frequently, and the Meng family's business has also been affected. It seemed that they could no longer continue. Thanks to Mr. Bo, the foundation of the Meng family has been stabilized."

Qi Xiao took a sip of tea and gently raised his finger to point at Chi Yue: "You can handle the matter with the eldest lady."

Chi Yue looked at Qi Xiao for a moment, then smiled and replied, "Yes."

Yu Ran stared at Qi Xiao in amazement, then glanced at Chi Yue. After a moment's thought, he remained silent. His master's decision was not his place to question. But the eldest lady lived deep within the inner courtyard, and since they were all men, they couldn't even enter through the second gate. Let Chi Yue handle it? What was he supposed to do? What could he do?

Yu Ran had originally thought it would be easier to start with Mr. Bo. But why should he worry? Chi Yue readily agreed, as if it were no big deal. There must be a way.

The Xuanji Camp and the Tiance Camp were separated, and Yu Ran didn't know much about the Tiance Camp. He just followed orders and gathered intelligence when the Tiance Camp was in action. Yu Ran only knew that the Tiance Camp was very powerful and it was not his turn to worry about it.

There are four people in the room. Yu Ran is reliable but doesn't think too much. Zong Sheng does whatever Qi Xiao says. Only Qi Xiao and Chi Yue are full of twists and turns.

Qi Xiao finished his tea and couldn't help but sigh. If only Tang Ling were here right now, she'd understand why he'd asked Chi Yue to go to the First Madam first. That rapport was a secret joy hidden deep within his heart. Qi Xiao couldn't help but miss Tang Ling.

Fortunately, Chi Yue is a sensible person, so Qi Xiao doesn't have to waste time explaining.

***

On the other hand, Xu Zheng besieged Bashan for more than half a month. He could sit still and Tang Ling was happy to have some free time, but the Qi court could not wait for Xu Zheng's victory report for too long and could not bear it any longer. His Majesty issued an imperial decree ordering Xu Zheng to attack Bashan.

Xu Zheng sighed upon receiving the imperial edict. He had anticipated this, but he hadn't expected it to arrive so soon. With Jialin Pass and Xingtian Pass breached, Bashan captured, and the Zhou army pressing in, Fu Shouguang led his troops to Ningtang, confronting Xun'an Marquis Tang He. They sent envoys to negotiate, but before they had gone far, Xun'an Marquis used a catapult to pelt them with a pile of rotten stones and mud. This was a clear attempt to humiliate Qi and show no willingness to negotiate.

With the wars breaking out on the east and north fronts, the nobles in Shuoliang can't sleep now. They are really anxious.

Xu Zheng had no choice but to attack the city even though he didn't want to.

The war drums sounded and the flags covered the sky.

Tang Ling was standing on the city wall. Actually, he didn't need to come and see. With Lu Xiulin and Bai Xiqiao here, it was impossible for Xu Zheng to break through Bashan. But Tang Ling still came because he wanted to watch for Qi Xiao.

Xu Zheng's army had battering rams, ladders, catapults, all in the formation, with great momentum, as if they were determined to defeat Bashan.

The south city gate slowly opened, making a heavy creaking sound, as if it could pierce through the deafening sound of war drums.

A cavalry unit rushed out of the south gate at a rapid speed, like an arrow shot from a bow, shooting straight towards Xu Zheng's army.

Xu Zheng, standing high above, was stunned. This cavalry unit, numbering perhaps a thousand or two, dared to charge his army of a hundred thousand? Was the Ninth Prince of Chen State crazy?

Before Xu Zheng could figure it out, the cavalry had already rushed out of the city gate for hundreds of meters, getting closer and closer to them, and entering the range of bows and arrows.

"Archers, ready! Fire!"

A hail of arrows flew down from the sky, instantly turning hundreds of cavalrymen into hedgehogs, their bodies scattered across the landscape, men and horses alike. Blood formed a pool, gradually spreading, threatening to reach Xu Zheng's feet and the gates of Bashan City.

Xu Zheng immediately realized something was wrong when he saw the scene in front of him, and raised his hand to order the vanguard army to stop attacking the city.

"Go check the body!"

"Yes!"

Soon the soldier returned to report to Xu Zheng: "General! Those people are our Bashan defenders! They are all tied to their horses!"

Xu Zheng's head buzzed and he suddenly looked up at the Bashan city gate.

Bai Xiqiao was standing on the city gate, holding a special bow and arrow in his hand. The bow was much longer and heavier than ordinary bows and arrows, and the arrows were also heavy and long. It took two young men to barely pull the bow apart, but it was in Bai Xiqiao's hands. He raised the longbow, drew the arrow, and shot it. With a loud whoosh, the arrow seemed to have brushed past the ears of everyone on the city gate. The sound of the long arrow breaking through the air after leaving the bowstring was so deafening that it hurt people's ears.

The range of the long arrow was more than twice that of an ordinary bow and arrow. It could actually shoot from the city gate, across the pool of blood, and straight to Xu Zheng's formation. The soldiers in front of Xu Zheng's formation were so scared that they took several steps back, otherwise they would have been pierced into a string by the arrow!

Tang Ling saw that there was a small dent in front of Xu Zheng's formation, and she couldn't help but look at Bai Xiqiao and smiled at him.

There was a note on the long arrow. There was nothing written on it, just a number: 22,723.

Twenty-two thousand seven hundred and twenty-three. This is the number of surviving defenders currently trapped in Bashan.

Xu Zheng was so angry that his chest ached and he almost spit out a mouthful of hot blood. However, as the commander of the army, he had to remain calm as a mountain and could only swallow the blood in his mouth.

mean!!

Standing on the city wall, Bai Xiqiao set his longbow aside, raised his arms, and moved his shoulders. The bow was truly heavy; firing just one arrow required all his strength. When Tang Ling had ordered the longbow to be forged, Bai Xiqiao was baffled. What was the point of building a bow that only he could pull?

But now, when he thought of the colorful smile on Xu Zheng's face, he felt that this bow was really fucking useful! Awesome!

Bai Xiqiao looked at Tang Ling, who was meeting his smile. It was the first time Bai Xiqiao had seen Tang Ling in armor. She was clearly a frail, slender figure, yet she was able to hold up the armor weighing dozens of kilograms with such impressive grace. The gleam from the silver armor seemed to emanate from within her very being.

Years ago, when Bai Xiqiao and Qi Xiao were still roaming the mountains and plains, darting in and out of brothels, they'd occasionally tease each other about what kind of wife they'd marry. Qi Xiao couldn't help but snort, his lips curled with a dismissive remark, "It's just a sham about being well-matched." Back then, Qi Xiao didn't care, and neither did Bai Xiqiao. After all, if there was someone Qi Xiao really liked, he could just bring her back to the palace. It wasn't a big deal.

But at that moment, just for a split second, Bai Xiqiao looked at Tang Ling and thought, it can only be him. Oh, the only one who can stand by Qi Xiao's side is him, no one else can. They are not a good match. Qi Xiao can't fool her.

Tang Ling walked towards Bai Xiqiao and Lu Xiulin. Before he could speak, Lu Xiulin said, "The tower is dangerous. Please take shelter."

Tang Ling smiled and said, "Since I came with you, I will stay with you."

Tang Ling glanced at the endless black mass of Xu Zheng's army outside the city gate. He was powerless and could only give advice. If a real fight broke out, he would be a burden. But he had to stand here now, stand here for Qi Xiao.

The 4,000 soldiers of the Dingyuan Army, wearing the Blue Wolf flag, knew Qi Xiao was not in the city. They had followed Qi Xiao here, but were left behind. They did not understand any strategies or tactics, only obeyed military orders. Qi Xiao told them to defend, and they would defend at the risk of their lives.

Bai Xiqiao was a hero, inheriting his father's will; Lu Xiulin was a calm and composed veteran. But the backbone of the soldiers' hearts was the sudden and earth-shattering Ninth Prince. "Arrows and arrows, the celestial wolf, appear; flutes and drums, the prairie fire." Not only did the Qi people believe this, but the Dingyuan Army's soldiers were even more convinced. If it weren't for a war god sent from heaven, how could they have crossed the frozen Fenglin Mountains and entered Qi territory, untouched for a century?

If there is anyone who can temporarily serve as the mainstay of Qi Xiao's dominance in the mountain, it is not Bai Xiqiao, nor Lu Xiulin, but Tang Ling, the son of Xun'an Marquis, who is meticulous in his plans, has many brilliant ideas, and is protected like a treasure by the Ninth Prince.

Since Tang Ling, a mere scholar, dared to stand on the city wall and face Xu Zheng's 100,000-man army, he must have been confident. So why would these soldiers, who trained daily, wielding swords and spears, retreat?!

"General Bai and I will guard this place, and General Lu will guard the north gate."

Lu Xiulin nodded in agreement to Tang Ling, and led the lieutenant general beside him to hurriedly rush to the north gate.

Xu Zheng was stuck in the south of Bashan for nearly half a month, which was enough time for him to divide his troops and bypass Bashan to attack from both sides through the north gate.

Today's battle will definitely be a tough one.

Xu Zheng had experienced countless lives and deaths on the battlefield, so how could he be afraid of a single arrow from Baixiqiao?! The more they used this bluffing tactic, the more it proved that the Chen army was undermanned and didn't dare to fight.

Xu Zheng raised his arms high: "Beat the drums! Attack the city!"

Xu Zheng's army attacked Bashan like a swarm of locusts. When the battering rams were within a hundred feet, Bai Xiqiao ordered the city gates to be opened.

Fast horses and cavalry, the scene just now appeared again, but the number of people was more than twice as much as before.

The defenders of Bashan had been starving for a month and were completely weak and unable to resist. They were tied up with reins, and some even fell off their horses because their horses were charging too fast and were dragged all the way.

Xu Zheng ordered his men to be shot with arrows. Even though he knew they were his own men, he had no choice now. If he retreated, he would be disobeying the order.

Xu Zheng's army did not stop and marched past the corpses of their companions straight towards the city gate.

Bai Xiqiao stood on the city wall, saw the right moment and shouted, "Shoot!"

Thousands of arrows were shot from the Bashan city gate in response to the order. The arrows rained down rapidly. The shields could not block a few arrows, and Xu Zheng's vanguard army suffered heavy casualties.

The drums of war never stopped, and the Qi army continued to reinforce and attack the city.

"Rockets ready! Fire!"

"Ahhhh!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

“Kerosene!!”

Rockets are much more powerful than arrows. Moreover, Tang Ling ordered people to tie kerosene cans on the bodies and horses of the Bashan defenders. Xu Zheng's army stepped on their corpses to attack the city gate, and inevitably got kerosene on their shoes, boots and trouser legs. Once the rockets fell, it was like hell on earth.

Xu Zheng looked at the Bashan City Gate behind the raging fire and billowing smoke. He had suffered heavy losses before he even touched the city wall!

Bashan is the most important city gate in the northern border of Qi State. The city is fully armed and has enough saltpeter and kerosene for them to throw for ten days or half a month. If they attack by force, they will always be able to take it down, but Xu Zheng's 100,000 people may not be enough to kill them.

Xu Zheng clenched his fists tightly: "Sound the retreat! Withdraw!"

Tang Ling watched Xu Zheng's army slowly retreat and tilted her head slightly.

Bai Xiqiao laughed heartily and walked over to Tang Ling. "Xu Zheng has withdrawn his troops. It was much easier than I thought."

Tang Ling shook her head. "It shouldn't be this easy. It won't be this easy."

"Huh? Aren't they all retired?"

"Continue to defend the city and tell the brothers not to let their guard down."

"know."

"How's the situation at the North Gate?"

Baixi Bridge called over the messenger soldier and asked a question.

The soldier replied, "General Lu is still fighting."

Bai Xiqiao said, "I'll go take a look."

"No, you have to hold on here. There shouldn't be many Qi troops at the north gate, so they won't be able to hold out for long."

Bai Xiqiao was somewhat puzzled and didn't bother to be polite with Tang Ling. He asked directly, "If I were Xu Zheng, since I'm leading the central army in attacking the South Gate, I would have the main force go around and attack the North Gate. Isn't it wrong to make a feint to the east and attack in the west?"

"Making a feint to the east and attacking in the west is correct. But north of Bashan there are only Xingtian Pass and Jialin Pass, and it's mountainous and forested. Circumventing Bashan is already difficult. If the army is carrying a lot of baggage, just circumventing it will tire them out, and they won't be able to keep up with the food and fodder, so they won't be able to sustain it."

"Indeed...Xu Zheng can still transfer grain to Qinzhou, Xianzhou, and Luzhou from the south of Bashan. If the army goes around to the north of Bashan, it will be unable to continue and will become an isolated force. Once the Dingyuan army moves south, it will become dumpling filling."

The Baixi Bridge was easily accessible, but another question immediately arose: "But you said earlier that Xu Zheng's siege of Bashan without attacking was intended to wait for reinforcements from the Dingyuan Army to arrive south, so he could intercept and annihilate them. Without reinforcements at Bashan, we'll surrender sooner or later. So how can we intercept Xu Zheng's army if they don't circle north?"

Tang Ling laughed, and Bai Xiqiao realized he had asked a stupid question. After thinking about it carefully, it seemed as if he had a sudden realization: "Oh! I know! The miasma forest to the north!"

Tang Ling nodded, giving Bai Xiqiao an approving look. Xu Zheng was known for his cunning tactics, and the northern border of Qi was his territory, making ambushes a natural fit. He didn't need a large army; a few thousand men entering the miasma forest would be enough to devastate the Chen army.

"Tsk, isn't General Chen in danger?"

Tang Ling couldn't help laughing when she looked at Bai Xiqiao. Xu Zheng was right in front of her, but Bai Xiqiao was still worried about Chen Heng and the Dingyuan Army. He really didn't take the 100,000 troops seriously.

"Don't worry. Xu Zheng was cunning. His subordinates, Chen He, Han Chaosheng, and Yan Zhaonian, were also capable, but they are no longer with us. Chen Heng has been the commander of the Dingyuan Army for many years and has made many military achievements in Liaoshan Commandery. He is a seasoned warrior and can naturally handle the insignificant Qi army."

Bai Xi Qiao nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. That’s right.

"Don't let your guard down. The permit could come back at any moment."