The Eldest Daughter Returns with Power

Snowflakes mixed with sparks rained down on Gongsun Lin's eyelashes. He squinted, his eyes fixed on the golden dragon banner below the city gate. The banner fluttered in the cold wind, as if mocking his incompetence.

Gongsun Lin took a deep breath, drew back the bowstring, and with a "clang," the white-feathered arrow shot out like lightning. The arrow drew an arc in the air and pierced the flagpole accurately.

In an instant, the snow, like a startled swarm of bees, poured down with a "whoosh," drenching the Third Prince's head.

Si Yunyuan wiped the snow off his face in a disheveled manner. His golden crown was askew, but he still laughed loudly: "Little Seventeen, Little Seventeen, have you given me the favor of riding you like a horse back then?" His laughter echoed in the empty city tower, carrying a hint of mockery and disdain.

Ruotang was frantic. She rushed up the icy steps, taking three steps at a time, until she reached the top of the city wall. Her fox fur coat was covered in bloodstains, marks left from the battle with the rebels.

"Oil barrels! Quickly pour them onto the ladders!" Ruotang's voice trembled in the wind. Her eyes were fixed on the rebels who were climbing the ladders, and she had only one thought in her mind—to stop them from reaching the city wall.

However, at that moment, the Third Prince suddenly raised his hand, and a row of torches instantly lit up the rebel ranks. The firelight illuminated the entire battlefield, and also the burlap sacks tied to the ladders. Ruotang's hand froze in mid-air, her eyes wide with disbelief—those burlap sacks were clearly grain bags used for disaster relief in Jiangnan!

"Sister Ruotang, guess what's in this bag—rice or gunpowder?" Si Yunyuan's voice sounded particularly sinister in the firelight. His silver armor reflected the firelight, making him look like a venomous snake. "If this fire starts, half the people of the imperial city will be buried with you!"

Gongsun Lin's arrow tip instantly changed direction, aiming straight for the Third Prince's throat. His voice was filled with anger and killing intent: "Beast!"

"Beast?" Si Yunyuan suddenly seemed to go berserk, tearing open his chest armor to reveal the hideous scar on his chest. "I took this knife for you back then! This scar hasn't faded even now!"

Ruotang was startled by his sudden action, and almost dropped the torch she was holding. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, and the flames flickered in the wind, nearly burning her bangs.

“That swordsman was clearly sent by you! I saw him sneak into the back gate of your mansion with my own eyes!” Ruotang’s voice trembled with excitement. She stared wide-eyed at Si Yunyuan, as if trying to see through him.

Just then, with a loud "thud," a barrel of kerosene was slammed onto the siege ladder. The kerosene instantly burst into flames, and the roaring flames, accompanied by screams of agony, shot straight up to the city wall.

Seeing this, Gongsun Lin quickly grabbed Ruotang and slammed her behind the arrow stalks. At the same time, three iron arrows flew like lightning, embedding themselves in the pillars behind them with a series of "thuds." A splinter grazed Ruotang's earlobe, bringing a burning pain.

"Use this oil sparingly!" Gongsun Lin growled in a low voice, while forcefully prying open Ruotang's palm, which was bleeding from being pinched too tightly with excessive tension. "He's deliberately wasting our arrows!"

However, before they could even catch their breath, the sound of chains rattling suddenly came from within the rebel camp. Along with this sound, the snow began to tremble softly.

Everyone stared in astonishment, only to see ten tall, powerful horses slowly pulling out a massive object completely covered by a black cloth. The moment the cloth was lifted, even Gongsun Lin's bow and arrow trembled slightly—

It was a giant iron crossbow, three zhang long! The crossbow gleamed with a chilling light in the sunlight, and the arrow groove was incredibly thick, even thicker than an infant's arm.

"Where is Your Highness?!" Ruotang's voice was hoarse with fear, and her tone was distorted.

As the snow-covered landscape stretched to the horizon, a crimson banner appeared. Just as the silver-armored white horse charged into the firelight, the iron crossbows whirred and turned around.

The sound of the winch turning was like a demon grinding its teeth, sending chills down one's spine. The iron arrow, like lightning, hurtled straight toward the prince's heart.

At that critical moment, Ruotang shoved the drummer aside and snatched the drumsticks like a whirlwind. Her raspy voice suddenly rang out in the night sky, startling the owls into scattering in all directions: "Quick! Smash the winch! Smash the winch first!"

At the same time, Gongsun Lin's white-feathered arrow shot straight towards the crossbowman's throat like a meteor. However, in that instant, the Third Prince suddenly held up a swaddled baby, inside which the infant was crying loudly.

"Move again, and your little niece will be going to meet the King of Hell!" The Third Prince's voice echoed in the snowy night, carrying a hint of mockery and cruelty.

The baby's cries pierced the silent snowy night like sharp arrows. The prince, hearing the sound, reined in his horse, nearly falling off in his haste.

"They actually used a three-month-old child as a shield?" Ruotang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She stared intently at the Third Prince, snapping the drumstick in her hand in two.

"The victor is king, the loser is villain. Who cares about dirty tricks?" The Third Prince sneered, gently shaking the swaddled baby in his arms. "Why don't you guess how many rockets this little thing can withstand?"

Upon seeing this, Gongsun Lin suddenly tore off his iron armor. His eyes were firm and resolute, as if he had made up his mind.

“I’ll go and dismantle the ballista.” He slapped his sword into Ruotang’s hand and said in a deep voice, “In half an hour, put out the oil. Don’t be soft-hearted.”

"Are you crazy? That's a city wall that's three zhang high!" Ruotang exclaimed.

"It's better than watching that bastard strangle the child!" Gongsun Lin gritted his teeth, gripping his short knife tightly, and leaped off the city wall. His figure was like a ghost, instantly swallowed up by the swirling snow.

In the glow of the torchlight, the brocade swaddling clothes revealed subtle patterns.