She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

Dawa was shocked to learn that the Southern Rong King had brought his troops. He hadn't expected the Southern Rong King to dare to launch an attack with such a small force. Meanwhile, the general he had sent out to gather intelligence, Ulihan, had still not returned.

He immediately summoned the military commanders to discuss countermeasures.

Upon hearing that the King of Nanrong had brought his troops to fight, the generals dared not be negligent and quickly gathered in the room where they were discussing matters.

Dawa said with a gloomy expression, "The Southern Rong King's move is extremely audacious. Does anyone have a good plan?"

An old general stepped forward: "Your Majesty, although the Southern Rong have taken the initiative to attack, they have traveled a long distance and their forces are fewer than ours. We can hold the city and wait for their morale to be exhausted before going out to meet them in battle."

The Northern Rong King had only one son, Dawa, who was already of age. Now that he was no longer alive, Dawa naturally succeeded to the throne of the Northern Rong King.

Dawa shook his head slightly: "The King of Nanrong must have something to rely on if he dares to come. If we only defend and do not attack, we may lose morale."

At this moment, a young general clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this humble general is willing to lead a troop of elite soldiers out of the city to launch a surprise attack on the Southern Rong army and disrupt their plans."

Dawa pondered for a moment: "This plan is feasible, but we must be careful. The King of Nanrong may have capable people assisting him, so we must not underestimate him."

"Your subordinate obeys!" The young general accepted the order and left to begin assembling his troops.

Meanwhile, on the Southern Rong side, Chu Zhiyi once again advised the Southern Rong king: "Southern Rong king, if the Northern Rong hold firm and do not come out, it will be extremely disadvantageous for us. We can feign an attack on the city, but in reality set up an ambush outside the city to lure the Northern Rong army out of the city to come to the rescue, and then wipe them out in one fell swoop."

The King of Nanrong's eyes lit up: "Your plan is excellent, envoy. We will do as you say."

Therefore, the Nanrong army began to deploy in front of Chiyang City, making it appear as if they were about to attack the city.

Seeing this, Dawa in the city was puzzled, wondering what the Southern Rong King was planning.

Just as the Northern Rong hesitated, the elite Northern Rong troops who had launched a surprise attack outside the city encountered an ambush set up by Chu Zhiyi. Instantly, shouts of battle rose from all sides, and the elite Northern Rong troops were plunged into a fierce battle.

"Oh no! We've fallen into the Southern Rong's ambush!" The Northern Rong general was shocked and hurriedly sent someone back to the city to ask for reinforcements.

Upon learning the news, Dawa was extremely anxious and, disregarding the advice of his veteran generals, personally led a large army out of the city to provide assistance.

When Dawa's army arrived at the north of the city, they found that the Nanrong army was already in full battle array.

"Dawa, you've finally arrived!" the King of Nanrong shouted from his horse.

“King of Nanrong, do you think you can trap me by setting up an ambush?” Dawa retorted defiantly.

The two armies then engaged in a fierce melee. Chu Zhiyi and Shen Man closely observed the battle from the rear, Shen Man gripping her soft sword tightly in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

On the battlefield, swords clashed and blood splattered. The Southern Rong soldiers were in high spirits, fighting bravely against the enemy; the Northern Rong soldiers were not to be outdone, resisting to the death.

As time went on, casualties on both sides continued to rise. Chu Zhiyi observed the battle situation, secretly pondering a strategy to defeat the enemy.

Just then, a Northern Rong soldier shouted, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! A Crimson Flame Army of over ten thousand men has suddenly appeared at the South Gate!"

Dawa's expression changed drastically upon hearing this; this sudden turn of events had disrupted all his plans.

The King of Nanrong's expression was also not good. He looked at Shen Man and Chu Zhiyi and asked, "May I ask the two envoys, what is the meaning of Chi Yan's actions?"

Chu Zhiyi's lips curled up slightly as he answered loudly, "King of Nanrong, rest assured, my Chiyan army is here to help you."

Upon hearing this, the King of Nanrong looked at Dawa and laughed loudly: "Dawa, did you hear that? Today is your death day!"

Dawa gritted his teeth and shouted, "Soldiers, do not panic! Follow me to break through the enemy forces in front of us, and then turn around to deal with the Crimson Flame Army!"

The Northern Rong soldiers responded in unison and launched an even fiercer charge.

However, under the command of the Southern Rong King, the Southern Rong soldiers maintained their formation without any disorder and stubbornly resisted the Northern Rong's attack.

Meanwhile, the Crimson Flame Army was rapidly approaching, pouncing on the rear of the Northern Rong Army like tigers and wolves.

The Northern Rong army was thrown into chaos, and many soldiers began to scatter and flee.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Dawa was still unwilling to give up. He brandished his weapon and charged towards the King of Nanrong, wanting to fight to the death.

Before he could get close, Chu Zhiyi shot an arrow that struck his mount, causing him to fall to the ground and be captured alive by the arriving Nanrong soldiers. The battle ended in a great victory for the Nanrong.

The troops that Chi Yan led to assist him this time were Zhi Mo and Fu Kai.

Upon seeing Chu Zhiyi and Shen Man, Zhi Mo immediately stepped forward, seeking credit: "Your Highness, did I arrive just in time?"

"Your Highness?" Upon hearing this, the King of Nanrong immediately turned to look at Chu Zhiyi, his eyes full of questions.

With a calm expression, Chu Zhiyi slowly said to the questioning gaze of the King of Nanrong, "King of Nanrong, to be honest, I am Chu Zhiyi, the eldest prince of the Chiyan Kingdom."

The King of Nanrong was greatly alarmed and hurriedly said, "I was unaware that His Highness the Crown Prince was coming in person. I apologize for any offense I may have caused you."

Chu Zhiyi smiled and said, "King of Nanrong, there's no need for that. It was I who concealed my identity first, and those who don't know it shouldn't be blamed. Our presence here today is also out of goodwill between our two countries."

The King of Nanrong was moved to tears. He knew that if the Crimson Flame Army hadn't arrived in time, he wouldn't have won at all.

At this moment, Shen Man spoke up: "Now that the war against Qi Rong is over, the King of Qi Rong must still have many things to deal with, so we will not disturb you any longer."

Chu Zhiyi nodded.

At this moment, Danzeng rode forward and came to Shen Man's side: "Doctor Ding, what about the cooperation on the rouge worm?"

Shen Man glanced at Chu Zhiyi, who nodded slightly, and then turned to Danzeng and said, "We will not forget this matter. After we return to Chiyan and figure out the method for extracting the pigment, we will send someone to discuss the specifics with you."

Shen Man knew that what Danzeng wanted to ask was not simply about the cochineal insects, but about the subsequent trade between the two countries.

And only Chu Zhiyi can do this.

Upon hearing this, Tenzin smiled and said, "Then I'll wait for Dr. Ding's good news."

Tenzin was so happy not only because there would be trade between the two countries, but also because if he cooperated with Shen Man, he would have many more opportunities to see her in the future.

Just as Chu Zhiyi and his group were about to leave, a person suddenly rushed out from the crowd. It was none other than Wulihan, the Northern Rong general who was hiding in the Southern Rong army.

He gripped a sharp blade and pounced on Chu Zhiyi's back like a vicious wolf, a sudden turn of events that shocked everyone.

"Be careful, Your Highness!"

Shen Manhua turned pale and shouted anxiously at Chu Zhiyi. Then, she moved like lightning and flew without hesitation to block Chu Zhiyi's path.

Ulihan never expected that Shen Man would stop him despite the danger of death, and the gleaming blade pierced straight into the upper left chest of Shen Man.

"what……"

A sharp, piercing pain instantly swept through her body, and Shen Man slowly collapsed to the ground. Blood flowed from the wound, instantly staining her clothes red.

"Man'er!" Chu Zhiyi's eyes widened in horror as he witnessed Shen Man being injured while protecting him.

Then, he suddenly drew his sword from his waist and stabbed it fiercely into Ulihan's heart, as if he wanted to tear him to pieces.