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

"Xiao'er, please say something." Bai Xiqiao moved closer to Qi Xiao and asked in a low voice.

"Don't worry, just wait."

"...What if the Second Prince of Qi refuses to come out? What if Xu Zheng holds on to his position? Should we launch a night raid?"

A night attack was impossible. Bai Xiqiao was deliberately talking nonsense. Xu Zheng had a hundred thousand troops stationed in Huaiyan, on full alert and on patrol day and night. Where could they possibly exploit a loophole? A small force attacking late at night would only lead to their own demise.

"Xu Zheng can't hold on any longer."

Qi was in dire shortages of food and supplies. Fu Shouguang's supplies to the east had been destroyed, and the need to divert grain from surrounding prefectures and counties would have been a near-certain death for the common people. Xu Zheng's situation was no better; the grain reserves at Huaiyan Pass couldn't sustain his army of a hundred thousand.

Bai Xiqiao gritted his teeth and said, "What a coincidence! We are also short of food."

Chen Heng led the Dingyuan Army across the mountains and across the valleys. Although they had ample supplies, they could not withstand the ravages of time. Bai Xiqiao and Tang Ling had defended Bashan for four months, and their food reserves had long since been depleted. Xu Zheng had also raided the area around Bashan several times, leaving it completely bare, with not a single grain of rice left to be found.

Although Bai Xiqiao never mentioned it, he was annoyed with Qi Xiao in his heart. If he had not ignored the overall situation and abandoned the Yaoshan army in Shuoliang and only took Zong Sheng and Chi Yue to chase the escaped Tang Ling, with his strategy he would have been able to capture Shuoliang in one fell swoop, whether he captured the Emperor of Qi alive or killed him directly. As long as the capital of Qi was destroyed, Xu Zheng would have had to surrender even if he had a million troops, and there would be no trouble today.

Qi Xiao ignored Bai Xiqiao again.

Bai Xiqiao was furious. Since the gate of Huaiyan Pass remained motionless, he had nothing to do and no battle to fight. He could not stand Qi Xiao's pretense of being profound, so he decided to confront Qi Xiao and force him to explain himself.

"If you have a plan, why don't you tell us? We can be prepared."

"I don't have any plans, and I don't need to prepare anything."

Qi Xiao was calm and composed and said some nonsense, but Bai Xiqiao refused to believe it.

"Xiao'er, please stop keeping me in suspense. I'm getting so anxious. Marquis Xun An has already withdrawn his troops from Liujiang. Even if Fu Shouguang has run out of food and grass, he still has 100,000 men. Whether they return to aid Shuo Liang or come here to help Xu Zheng, this battle will be very difficult for us to fight."

"Brother, remember the book our master had us memorize when he taught us the art of war? So the best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans, the next best is to attack their alliances, the next best is to attack their troops, and the worst is to attack their cities. Attacking cities is a last resort."

Bai Xiqiao couldn't help but roll his eyes. He could also endorse things: "I know, I know. Therefore, those who are good at using troops can defeat the enemy without fighting, capture the enemy's cities without attacking, and destroy the enemy's country without a long struggle. They must compete with the world with all their strength. Therefore, the army will not be exhausted and the benefits can be fully realized. This is the method of attacking. Attacking a city is the worst strategy, but you won't tell me the best strategy."

"Brother, I never thought of attacking the city."

"Huh? What did you say?!"

"Qi sent a letter to Zhou, ceding three states and five counties east of the Liujiang River in exchange for Xun Anhou's withdrawal. We have already occupied everything north of Huaiyan. Xu Zheng was able to hold Huaiyan, but he didn't dare to come out and fight us. Even the Second Prince didn't dare to accept my declaration of war. The Qi court will soon send someone to sue for peace. Just wait."

"..." Bai Xiqiao scratched his forehead and whispered, "Your Majesty wants more than just the area north of Huaiyan Pass."

"Brother, don't be anxious." Qi Xiao suddenly smiled, "I didn't say that I only wanted the area north of Huaiyan Pass."

Bai Xiqiao was even more confused now, but when he asked again, Qi Xiao refused to say anything and just asked Bai Xiqiao to wait.

So for the next two days, Bai Xiqiao followed Qi Xiao and led the vanguard army to train ten miles outside Huaiyan Pass. From time to time, war drums and golden gongs could be heard at Huaiyan Pass, and the blue wolf flag could be seen fluttering in the wind, making the Qi army at the city gate tremble with fear and shock, and they thought countless times that the Chen army was going to launch an attack on the city.

On the third day, a carriage came out of Huaiyan Pass, and the envoy sent by Qi to negotiate peace arrived.

Qi Xiao did not move. He asked Bai Xiqiao to take the messenger to meet the envoy from Qi. He did not meet the envoy. The messenger shouted the words of the envoy from Qi loudly, making sure that even the people at Huaiyan City Gate could hear them.

"I am Zou Sheng, and I am honored to meet His Majesty the King of Chu. I am here to present a letter from our dynasty, expressing our willingness to cease fire and establish peace with the State of Chen."

Qi Xiao gave Bai Xiqiao a look and asked the messenger to read the letter aloud twice. It was a long piece of obscure nonsense, not a single useful sentence.

Qi Xiao smiled and said, "We can negotiate peace, but let the Second Prince come out to fight. Otherwise, forget it."

Zou Sheng knew that Qi Xiao was deliberately making things difficult for him, and opened his mouth to "persuade him with kind words", but Qi Xiao suddenly raised his bow and shot an arrow. With a whoosh, a feather arrow hit Zou Sheng's carriage door squarely, almost sticking to Zou Sheng's arm and even gnawing at his sleeve. Zou Sheng was so scared that he fainted on the spot.

"..." Bai Xiqiao shook his head. How could such a guy have the courage to come out of the city to negotiate peace with them?

The next day, Zou Sheng came again, his face pale, holding the carriage with one hand, and seemed to be trembling slightly. Before he could speak, Bai Xiqiao rode his horse to the side of Zou Sheng's carriage and threw him a letter of surrender.

When Zou Sheng opened it, he almost vomited blood in anger.

Of course, what Chen wanted was not just the area north of Huaiyan Pass, but most of Qi. The letter of surrender clearly stated that if Qi surrendered, all the areas south of Fenglin Mountain and west of Liujiang River would belong to Chen. Chen would treat the royal family of Qi well and take them to Yuanjing for recuperation. Court officials who were willing to surrender would have the opportunity to enter the court, but if they were unwilling, they could go back on their own.

"This, this, this, this, this... This is impossible!" Zou Sheng was so angry that his whole body was shaking. He threw the letter of surrender into the mud.

"Either accept it, or let your Second Prince come out to fight." Bai Xiqiao snorted and laughed, "But the outcome is the same either way. Lord Zou is old and must be angry and heartbroken. I see you look unwell, why don't you go home and recuperate?"

“You you you you…! Cough cough cough cough…”

A few days later, news spread from the capital of Shuoliang that the Emperor of Qi was gravely ill and could no longer leave his throne. The eldest prince was now temporarily handling all matters of state. But the so-called "state affairs" all boiled down to one single issue: should we make peace or war with Chen? If so, how should we fight? If so, how should we make peace?

Regardless of whether the news that the Emperor of Qi was seriously ill was true, this news would certainly add fuel to the fire. The Qi army was already unstable and the people were uneasy, and now it was even more chaotic. Bandits were everywhere. Those who did not want to be conscripted into the army or perform labor service either hid in the mountains and forests, or became bandits and plundered everywhere. More and more people came from all directions to join the Yaoshan Army, and no one cared whether the Yaoshan Army had betrayed the country.

"If you ask me, the Emperor of Qi was so angry about your letter of surrender that he fell ill." Bai Xiqiao was so happy after catching a big fish from the river that he didn't pay much attention to Qi Xiao's cold face. "How about fish soup tonight? The grilled fish last time was too dry."

"Ah."

Bai Xiqiao glanced at Qi Xiao, who had been holding the fishing rod for almost an hour without saying a word or even moving. "Your Highness, the King of Chu, you've bored the fish to death."

"Where is it? Let's cook together online."

"...Xiao'er, is there anything you can't tell your brother? Don't keep it in your heart."

Qi Xiao knew that Bai Xiqiao was talking about Tang Ling, but he didn't want to mention it, and there was really nothing to say. Once a person is gone, they are gone, and you can't keep them if you can't keep them.

"If you're angry, just curse a little. How about I curse for you?"

"Brother, what do you want to say?"

"...Hey...I'm not worried..."

"Report!" A soldier rushed over and interrupted Bai Xiqiao. "General! The Second Prince of Qi has accepted the challenge! Tomorrow at 9:00 PM, at the gates of Huaiyan Pass."

Qi Xiao put down his fishing rod, stood up, and smiled towards Baixi Bridge.

"...Why did the Second Prince of Qi suddenly stop being a coward?"

"He had no choice but to accept the challenge. The Qi court must be in turmoil right now, with the peace faction in the majority. Otherwise, that Zou Sheng wouldn't have come. I made the request, and the Second Prince must accept the challenge before we can discuss anything. If he doesn't, it will not only bring shame to Qi, but also become a criminal who hinders the peace talks. I forced him to leave Huaiyan Pass, but he refused. The Qi emperor and court officials forced him to leave, so he had no choice but to come out and die. He had no choice."

"So, what are you going to do? Negotiate?"

Qi Xiao looked towards Bai Xiqiao with a calm expression, and said slowly: "I'm going to kill him."

This was Qi Xiao's second attack on Huaiyan Pass, the first being just over a month ago. Although the defenders had changed, the situation was not much different.

At the beginning of the Si hour, Qi Xiao arrived at the city gate alone on horseback. Bai Xiqiao and Zong Sheng were worried and followed him closely from a distance of two meters.

The gate of Huaiyan Pass was opened, and more than a hundred Qi defenders lined up and came out, escorting an old man and a young boy out of the city.

The older one is an old acquaintance, it is Xu Zheng. The younger one is wearing golden armor and looks extraordinary, he must be the second prince of Qi.

The Second Prince rode slowly out of the garrison's ranks and took a red-tasseled spear from a nearby guard. His gaze remained fixed on Qi Xiao. This King of Chu from the State of Chen was surprisingly younger than he'd expected. He wore gleaming armor, a long sword at his waist. His eyes were filled with arrogance, yet also revealed a calm and composed demeanor. Did he truly look down on him?!

The Second Prince gripped his spear tightly and shouted in a thunderous voice, "Qi, Zhao Chengyou, come and fight!"

Qi Xiao raised the corner of his mouth, gently pulled the reins and walked forward for a while before he responded loudly: "Qi Xiao, I have long heard of the Second Prince's name."

"No need for greetings. Please come in." Zhao Chengyou raised his spear and pointed it straight at Qi Xiao.

Qi Xiao was still smiling, and he tilted his head slightly to look behind Zhao Chengyou, and said, "It's still early, why not ask General Xu to come forward and have a chat."

Zhao Chengyou stared at Qi Xiao intently, not knowing what tricks he was going to play, and said, "I have accepted your declaration of war. This battle has nothing to do with others."

"Second Prince, you are mistaken. This war concerns the fate of both Chen and Qi. It's a matter of life and death. Since Second Prince has accepted the battle, he is prepared to die for his country. It would be a complete and thorough preparation to prepare his last words beforehand."

"You! Talking big is not a skill. We'll know who will win and who will lose after the battle!" Zhao Chengyou was so angry at Qi Xiao that he gritted his teeth. He knew that Qi Xiao was deliberately provoking him, but at this critical moment, the country of Qi depended on him, and he could not remain calm no matter what.

Qi Xiao glanced at Zhao Chengyou with a smile, then leaned to the side and shouted to Xu Zheng, "General Xu, are you still afraid that I will eat you?"

Xu Zheng took a deep breath and rode over: "What advice does the King of Chu have?"

"Nothing much to talk about. This is my second time here at Huaiyan Pass, and I'm a little sentimental." Qi Xiao saw a flash of doubt on Xu Zheng and Zhao Chengyou's faces, then smiled and said, "The word 'sentient' isn't the right word. I just remembered something that happened not long ago, and I'm a little emotional, so I wanted to talk to you two about it."

Zhao Chengyou and Xu Zheng didn't respond. They had no interest in chatting with Qi Xiao, let alone listening to his random ramblings. It was just the first time they knew Qi Xiao had been to Huaiyan Pass before. What had he been doing there? When exactly was it not long ago? Zhao Chengyou and Xu Zheng really wanted to know.

Qi Xiao didn't take it seriously and continued, "The commander who previously guarded Huaiyan Pass was called Xing Rui. I wonder if General Xu recognizes him?"

Xu Zheng frowned slightly, but still didn't respond. Zhao Chengyou turned to look at Xu Zheng. He had heard of Xing Rui. He came from a humble family and was a trusted confidant of Xu Zheng, single-handedly promoted to the throne. Over a month ago, Xing Rui had failed to defend the city properly and had actually opened the gates to allow the Yaoshan army to pass through Huaiyan Pass. He knew his crime was tantamount to treason, but his death at the hands of the Yaoshan army at least spared his entire clan from being implicated. The emperor was furious and nearly ordered the execution of all the soldiers defending the city, but due to the critical situation, he allowed them to serve as a reward for their crimes.

"To be honest with the Second Prince and General Xu, I've seen a lot along the way from Jialin Pass, but it's Xing Rui who I admire the most. It's only natural for someone from the Fifth Generation to be filled with patriotism, but Xing Rui also possesses a compassionate heart, which is truly rare."

Xu Zheng and Zhao Chengyou suddenly realized that Qi Xiao had been among the Yaoshan army when they attacked Huaiyan Pass a month earlier. No wonder he had disappeared since entering Qi and spreading rumors of the Heavenly Wolf Killer God, even to the garrison. The Yaoshan army wasn't a rebel army at all; they were simply civilians being fooled by Qi Xiao!

Qi Xiao ignored the anger in Zhao Chengyou's eyes and rode leisurely, continuing, "For the sake of his country and his king, for fame and fortune, Xing Rui could at least defend Huaiyan Pass for half a month, and then let the entire Huaiyan Pass die with him for his country. That's not difficult. The difficult part is choosing between loyalty to the army and the people, bearing the eternal infamy on his own body to save hundreds of thousands of lives."

Qi Xiao turned his head to look at Xu Zheng and asked, "If it were General Xu, what would he choose?"

It doesn't matter whether Xu Zheng or Xing Rui is guarding the city.

"Xing Rui is nothing but a coward! Since the King of Chu admires Xing Rui, why not follow his example and withdraw his troops to Chen for the sake of the people of the world? It's truly strange that someone holding a butcher's knife would persuade others to become Buddhas!"

Qi Xiao was not annoyed after hearing what Zhao Chengyou said. What Zhao Chengyou said was absolutely right. Qi Xiao was ordered to attack the city and seize the land. He was indeed holding a butcher's knife. He persuaded him to surrender just to kill less people. He wanted to show mercy and asked for permission to lay down his arms and surrender. It was simply unreasonable, confusing right and wrong, and outrageous.

"Ah, what the Second Prince said is quite true. My reputation as a killer god is well-known, and it is impossible for me to lay down my butcher knife now. I am just speaking from my heart, just from my feelings."

Zhao Chengyou raised his spear again and pointed it at Qi Xiao: "Stop talking nonsense!"

As expected, Zhao Chengyou didn't give Qi Xiao any more time to speak. He rode his horse, spear in hand, and charged at Qi Xiao. He rushed forward with a fierce gust of wind and murderous aura, quite imposing. It turned out that the Second Prince of Qi was no useless waste who had been pampered.

Qi Xiao smiled. This second prince had the courage to ask the Emperor of Qi for 30,000 troops to rush out of Shuoliang City, engage in close combat with the Yaoshan army, and go all the way to Huaiyan to advance and retreat together with Xu Zheng. This courage alone was much stronger than the one who hid in the Shuoliang Imperial City.