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

The long manifesto, with its pointed and penetrating language, spread almost overnight throughout Huaiyan Pass and the surrounding states, reaching the Yaoshan Army. But the manifesto was pure nonsense to the common people, and even more so to the Yaoshan Army. They regarded family, country, and the world as less important than a meal. Food is the most important thing for the people. When people are starving and the sky is falling, who cares whether it's a human or a dog sitting on the jade steps of the imperial capital, or what their names are?

Huang Dawei led the vanguard troops to Huaiyan Pass. He was in no hurry to attack the city. Instead, his five thousand men shouted in unison, "The violent Qi will not live long, and Heaven will punish the unjust." This single line, combined with the might of five thousand men, was so deafening that it reached not only the defenders at Huaiyan Pass but also those within the city walls. Mr. Bo had similarly chanted at the gates of Quzhou Prefecture, but now, with the tide turning, the situation was completely different.

The violent Qi will not live long, and God will punish the unjust.

The ice is three feet thick, and it didn't freeze overnight. If there had been no coalition forces of Chen and Zhou, Qi might have been able to hold out for another ten or twenty years. If Qi could have produced a wise ruler to revive the country, it might have been able to hold out for another fifty or a hundred years. Unfortunately, Qi's life span had come to an end and there was no way to save the country.

The Yaoshan army shouted outside Huaiyan Pass for three days in a row, but the Huaiyan Pass defenders refused to come out and ignored them, as if they would keep dragging it out as long as the Yaoshan army did not attack the city.

On the third night, Huang Dawei suggested to Qi Xiao that they should repeat the same trick they used to attack Jialin Pass and Xingtian Pass, assassinate the commander of Huaiyan Pass, and capture Huaiyan Pass overnight.

Qi Xiao shook his head and asked Huang Dawei to continue shouting tomorrow. If 5,000 people were not enough, then 20,000 people could shout together.

Although Huang Dawei didn't understand why, he knew Qi Xiao's words were military orders and he obeyed them unconditionally. The next day, he really led 20,000 people to Huaiyan Pass and shouted.

The Yaoshan army was standing at the foot of the city gate, and they could make eye contact with the defenders on Huaiyan Pass just by looking up.

The Yaoshan army shouted at the top of their lungs for the entire day. At sunset, Huang Dawei took a deep breath and was about to retreat when suddenly the gate of Huaiyan Pass opened.

The city gates were wide open, but no one came out.

Huang Dawei raised his head, frowned deeply, and looked at the city gate. The guards there were also looking at him, each with a sad look on their face, but still standing straight.

Huang Dawei was stunned for a long moment, unable to figure out what this was all about. Empty city stratagem? Aren't the people still on the city walls? Lure them into a trap? Then someone should be sent out to feign surrender, right?

Just as Huang Dawei was hesitating, Yan Chuan came on horseback and said, "Enter the city."

Huang Dawei was surprised and said, "I'm afraid there's an ambush inside. How about I take some people to investigate first?"

Yan Chuan nodded and said softly, "Your Highness means that we enter in batches and go directly through Huaiyan Pass without stopping."

"Okay, I'll lead 5,000 vanguard troops in first."

Huang Dawei led his men through Huaiyan Pass, and the city gate on the south side was also opened. They had a smooth journey until they walked out of Huaiyan Pass.

Huang Dawei shot a flare into the sky to tell Yan Chuan that they had successfully left the city.

Five thousand followed by another five thousand.

Qi Xiao, accompanied by Zong Sheng, Chi Yue, Yu Ran, and Li Yao, followed Yan Chuan, blending in with the ordinary soldiers as they walked through the streets and alleys of Huaiyan City without paying any attention to anyone else. They were the last 5,000 people.

The civilians in the city hid in their houses, peeking out from behind to watch the Yaoshan army, a little frightened, but not completely terrified. They hid, but they also watched. The Yaoshan army had been outside the city gates for several days, ready to attack long before the battle began, but they kept shouting the same words. The civilians were so frightened for the first day or two that they wanted to dig holes and hide, but later their fear seemed to subside.

The Yaoshan Army was just like them, originally ordinary people: those who plowed the fields, those who weaved, those who peddled goods, those who chopped wood, and those who hunted. It was the brutality and tyranny of Qi that forced them into rebellion. The Yaoshan Army marched into Quzhou Prefecture and captured Lu'an Prefecture, killing many, but they also took in many displaced people and distributed land to them. This "robbing the rich to help the poor" strategy was secretly applauded by many.

The world was in chaos, and Heaven was dooming the Great Qi. Even the defenders opened the city gates without a fight, and it was even less likely that the people would become enemies of the Yaoshan army and seek their own death.

When Yan Chuan's troops reached the south gate, they were stopped by someone.

"Are you Yan Chuan, the commander of the Yaoshan Army?"

The man was wearing armor and carrying a sword, so he must be the commander defending the city.

"Yes, I am Yan Chuan." Yan Chuan replied from his horse and then asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Xing Rui, the guard of Huaiyan Pass." Xing Rui suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at Yan Chuan. "I'll let you pass Huaiyan Pass, but you must dismount and fight me."

Yan Chuan looked at Xing Rui and knew he was seeking death. He had been conspiring with the rebels by letting the Yaoshan army pass through Huaiyan Pass, a reputation for disloyalty that had been sealed. Yet, even so, Xing Rui refused to fight, unwilling to engage in a bloodbath with his compatriots. Unable to reconcile his loyalty and righteousness, he had no choice but to die.

Yan Chuan jumped off his horse, walked up to Xing Rui, bowed deeply to him, and without saying anything else, he raised his sword and slashed at Xing Rui.

Although Xing Rui was determined to die, he could not accept dying in a cowardly way, so he used all his strength in the fight with Yan Chuan.

As soon as Yan Chuan made his move, he suddenly understood that Yan Chuan was not just an ordinary citizen, but a seasoned general. And the Yaoshan Army he faced was not just the Yaoshan Army.

Xing Rui suddenly let out a deep breath. He felt that his death was a worthy one!

Night fell as expected, and Xing Rui and Yan Chuan fought fiercely and fiercely.

Chi Yue slowly approached Qi Xiao and asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, do you want to...?"

"Need not."

Killing Xing Rui was easy. Chi Yue only needed to move his fingers. A hidden weapon was enough to kill someone. But Qi Xiao was unwilling to do so.

Along the way, from Jialin Pass to Huaiyan Pass, Xing Rui was the only general he admired. Xu Zheng, though a renowned general, was preoccupied with other matters, his ambition tempered by the infighting within the court. Han Chaosheng, despite his unwavering defiance, possessed a measure of courage, though his loyalty was excessive. Only Xing Rui, beyond loyalty to the emperor and his own reputation, valued human life above all else. His defense was not merely a matter of territory, but the compassion and righteousness of the people of the world.

Xing Rui, at least he deserves to die the way he wants.

The torches held by the Yaoshan Army illuminated the city gates, and also illuminated Xing Rui's eyes. As he fell, he suddenly saw a man among the Yaoshan Army, a stern young man surrounded by people. He didn't hold a torch, but just looked at him, his eyes dark, as if he could see through Xing Rui.

Xing Rui didn't have time to think, his eyes went dark, and he finally fell in a pool of blood.

Yan Chuan fought very hard. Xing Rui injured him badly. His body was covered with wounds and blood was all over the floor. After Xing Rui fell, he could not hold on and knelt on the ground. Yan Chuan gritted his teeth and suddenly smiled. It was so refreshing!

Qi Xiao ordered his men to help Yan Chuan up and led the troops through Huaiyan Pass.

***

On April 14, the Yaoshan army arrived outside Shuoliang City.

As soon as Qi Xiao gave the order to set up camp, he received an urgent report that Xu Zheng had attacked Bashan and the city of Bashan had been broken.

Qi Xiao's heart skipped a beat as he read the urgent report. Xu Zheng's assault on Bashan was within his expectations, but the capture of Bashan City...how could that be possible?!

"What's going on?!" Qi Xiao was furious and stared at Yu Ran and Li Yao.

The two of them knelt down hurriedly: "This...this..."

They didn't know? The Xuanji Camp didn't even know! Bashan City fell so quickly? So fast that the Xuanji Camp didn't even have time to report it?! Qi Xiao crushed the urgent report. Where's Tang Ling? Where's Tang Ling!

"Zong Sheng, follow me!" Qi Xiao strode out of the tent, and he only took Zong Sheng with him.

Chi Yue hurriedly chased after them, turning back to glare at Yu Ran and Li Yao before leaving. Useless things!

As Qi Xiao walked out of the tent, he ran into Huang Dawei who was walking towards him: "General?"

"The Yaoshan Army is now in your hands, along with Yan Chuan. You have half a month to defeat Shuoliang and kill the Emperor of Qi."

"Ah? General? General, where are you going?" Huang Dawei had no time to react. Qi Xiao disappeared in a flash. He wanted to ask something, but Zong Sheng caught up with Qi Xiao and ran away like a gust of wind. Huang Dawei turned around again, and even Chi Yue, who had hurriedly chased after him, was gone.

"This..." Huang Dawei hurried to Yan Chuan's tent. The coach suddenly ran away, and Yan Chuan was still injured and unable to get out of bed!

Qi Xiao and Zong Sheng galloped out of the camp and headed straight for Bashan. Chi Yue caught up with them and tried to stop Qi Xiao: "Your Highness! Your Highness! Bashan is quite far away from here. We are like distant water that cannot quench our immediate thirst! Young Master Tang is extremely wise and will be fine! Your Highness, please think twice!"

"Get lost!" Qi Xiao had only one word for Chi Yue. He didn't trust the Xuanji Camp, and even less so the Tiance Camp. If Bashan City fell, not only would Xu Zheng kill Tang Ling, but the Xuanji and Tiance Camps might also have received secret orders to take her life!

Qi Xiao gritted his teeth, nearly breaking them. He had said he'd choose Tang Ling! No matter what the situation, he'd choose Tang Ling!

Why did Bashan capture the city?! Why was there no sign before?!

A letter arrived two days ago stating that Chen Heng's Dingyuan Army would soon reach Bashan. Although they had been ambushed in the miasma forest, lost thousands of men, and were delayed for half a month, Chen Heng would be there soon! Once the 200,000 reinforcements arrived, Xu Zheng would be on the chopping block!

Why couldn’t it be delayed for a few more days?!

What are Bai Xiqiao and Lu Xiulin doing?!

***

Bashan Pass was breached in the early morning of April 13th, and a day and a night had passed since the news reached Qi Xiao. Although Qi Xiao rode his horse to Bashan, the military situation was changing rapidly, so how could he catch up?

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" Chi Yue caught up with Qi Xiao and Zong Sheng. He didn't dare to stop them anymore, but he knew he couldn't stop them. He had to settle for the next best thing. "Your Highness, please allow Chi Yue to follow!"

Qi Xiao glared at Chi Yue and didn't want to pay any attention to him.

Zong Sheng couldn't help but ask, "Do you know something? If so, tell me!"

"Fool!" Chi Yue sneered, "Your Highness, Chi Yue dare not hide anything from you. I truly know nothing about this matter!"

"Didn't His Majesty give you any secret orders?" Qi Xiao glanced at Chi Yue, his question filled with murderous intent.

"Your Highness is innocent. Chi Yue has never received such an order before and dared not deceive Your Highness. Chi Yue understands Your Highness's intentions and would not dare to do anything to harm you!"

Chi Yue said "understand" rather than "know." Of course he understood. Qi Xiao knew and saw all his feelings for Zong Sheng. They had been deeply in love for over a decade. Even if Zong Sheng hadn't known about it in the past, he would have been willing to endure all the suffering and pain for him. No one understood Tang Ling's importance to Qi Xiao better than Chi Yue. No one understood better than Chi Yue that for someone important, not only could mountains and seas be unstoppable, but even life and death would be.

Qi Xiao's gaze relaxed slightly, and Chi Yue continued, "Your Highness, the sudden attack on Bashan is indeed strange, but Young Master Tang is a meticulous man and would never be completely unprepared. Even if the city is breached, Young Master will surely have a way to retreat."

"Retreat..." Qi Xiao suddenly reined in his horse.

Although Zong Sheng and Chi Yue reacted quickly, the horse still ran several feet away before returning to Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao fell into deep thought. When he first received the news, he was so frantic he hadn't had time to think it through. Although Tang Ling had never said anything to Qi Xiao, only saying that she would defend Bashan and wait for him to return, given Tang Ling's meticulous nature, he would definitely leave himself a way out to ensure that nothing could go wrong.

If Bashan is defeated, and Qi Xiao does not have time to return, and Chen Heng's reinforcements have not arrived yet, what will Tang Ling do?

Tang Ling would evacuate from the north gate and try to reunite with Chen Heng's Dingyuan Army. Before leaving Bashan, they would destroy the city's defenses, blow up the gates, and burn the armory. Even if Xu Zheng could recapture Bashan, they would ensure he could no longer defend it.

No, Qi Xiao shouldn't be thinking about what Tang Ling would do, but what the Xingluo Guard would do. Whether Bashan could be defended or not was a matter for the Chen army, and it wouldn't benefit Tang Ling or the Zhou Kingdom in the slightest. Xun Anhou had already reached Liujiang. The Chen-Zhou coalition's original goal had been achieved, and Tang Ling didn't need to remain in Bashan. The Xingluo Guard, under Xun Anhou's orders, were to protect Tang Ling. If Bashan was in danger, their only responsibility was to carry Tang Ling eastward, across the Liujiang River, reunite with Xun Anhou, and return to the Zhou Kingdom!

There are two roads in front of Qi Xiao, one goes north to Bashan, or one goes east to Liujiang.

What was Tang Ling's choice? Did she stay and wait for him? Or did she abandon him and leave?

Qi Xiao gripped the reins tightly with both hands. His chest felt like it was suddenly hit by a heavy hammer, and he was stunned by the blow.

He hoped that Tang Ling was still in Bashan, still with Bai Xiqiao and Lu Xiulin, still waiting for him to return! But Qi Xiao knew clearly what Tang Ling would choose. He had already left...

For four months, Tang Ling never sent Qi Xiao a single letter, even though he repeatedly begged for a response. When they first left Yuanjing City, Tang Ling told him that if he had to make a choice in an emergency, he shouldn't be the one to choose.

Qi Xiao knew that from the very beginning, Tang Ling had wanted to wait for him! She had never thought of holding hands for a lifetime! She had never thought of choosing him... But knowing that made no difference. Qi Xiao was still willing to hold on to a glimmer of hope and deceive himself.

Until now, Qi Xiao had been willing to firmly believe that Tang Ling was waiting for him at Bashan. But he didn't dare to ride his horse north. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to make it back in time. Even more afraid that Tang Ling would be gone by the time he returned. How would he face it?

If he went east, Qi Xiao still had a chance to catch up with Tang Ling and stop him. But if he really caught up with him and stopped him, how would Qi Xiao deal with it? Tang Ling didn't want him anymore, did she?

"Your Highness?" Chi Yue called Qi Xiao cautiously.

"Chi Yue, do you think Tang Ling has a way to protect herself? It would be useless for me to go back now."

Chi Yue was stunned for a moment, his brows furrowed, and he lowered his head slightly, saying, "Chi Yue dare not deceive Your Highness. I thought Young Master Tang...was no longer in Bashan."

Qi Xiao's heart sank and he secretly gritted his teeth. Even Chi Yue noticed it.

"...Why? Why can't you wait for me?"