In Cao Renyi’s view, the Fourth Prince’s death at the Qingxi Mountain Pass was definitely the work of the Jin Army. As long as he could behead Bai Qingyan, the God of Slaughter of the Jin Kingdom, he would have avenged the Fourth Prince!
The Fourth Prince would then be able to rest in peace!
The commanders had already dispersed according to the plan. Bai Qingyan, on the other hand, relaxed and sat in the main tent, holding a bamboo slip and reading it, quietly waiting for the scouts to report back on how many troops Cao Renyi had brought, so she could make her next move.
Soon, a scout rushed into the command tent, cupped his hands, and said to Bai Qingyan, "Report, the Daliang Army is coming with about sixty thousand men."
She rubbed the bamboo slip with her fingers, realizing that Cao Renyi had put all his forces into this, leaving Daming Prefecture empty.
Bai Qingyan looked up, her voice calm and steady: "Pass the order to Zhao Sheng and Zhao Ran... After Cao Renyi enters the Jin camp, immediately lead troops to Daming Prefecture, hoist Cao Renyi’s banner, and make sure to capture Daming Prefecture tonight without any mistakes!"
Having the Jin Army carry Cao Renyi’s banner would at least allow Zhao Sheng and Zhao Ran’s troops to blend in and reduce Jin Soldier casualties.
"Yes!" The scout received the order and immediately rushed to deliver the message to Zhao Sheng and Zhao Ran’s hiding spots.
Xiao Rongyan looked at Bai Qingyan, who was resolutely giving orders, and couldn’t help but feel that she was born for the battlefield. She had a very clear-headed approach to leading troops to battle, reacting extremely quickly and meticulously.
When Cao Renyi’s sixty thousand Daliang soldiers marched to the Jin Army camp under the cover of night without lighting torches, they suddenly heard the guards on the lookout tower at the entrance of the Jin camp shouting, "Enemies are approaching! Enemies are approaching!"
The Jin Army’s drums began to pound.
Upon hearing this, Cao Renyi drew his sword and shouted, "Soldiers of Daliang! In this battle, we must drive the Jin dogs out of our Liang Kingdom! Charge!"
Instantly, the sound of the Daliang Army’s battle cries shook the heavens. The Jin Soldiers guarding outside the camp, following the plan, made only a brief resistance before retreating into the camp, and the sound of clashing weapons was soon drowned out by the Daliang Army’s shouts.
Inside the Jin camp, the soldiers tensed their muscles, held their breath, and hid in the darkened tents, their arms wrapped with visible white cloth, gripping their sword handles, and adjusting their stances, waiting for the signal to charge out according to plan.
Except for the fire beacons set high around the camp, which flickered wildly in the wind, the entire camp was dark, with only the command tent in the center lit up...
Beasts fear fire, and people chase light; this is instinct.
The brightly lit command tent was there to guide Cao Renyi and his Daliang troops, leading them into the center of the camp.
Some Daliang soldiers burst into pitch-black tents, only to be grabbed by waiting Jin Soldiers hidden on both sides of the tents. Their mouths were covered, and their throats were swiftly slit, the battle-hardened soldiers executing their moves with decisive efficiency, without the slightest hesitation.
Bai Qingyan sat in the only illuminated command tent, raising her eyes toward the suddenly noisy main gate of the camp, her gaze calm.
Bai Qingyan was waiting...
Cao Renyi was known for his ambition. In his previous battles, he had always ordered his subordinates not to touch enemy generals, as he wanted to personally behead or capture them alive.
This time, Cao Renyi intended to capture her, the Jin Kingdom’s undefeated general, alive, to establish his dominance over Daliang and intimidate the Jin Kingdom.
Even if Cao Renyi hadn’t given specific orders, the Daliang soldiers who had followed him for a long time knew the rules and would surely guide him.
Indeed, Cao Renyi did not disappoint Bai Qingyan. Once he entered the camp and learned of her location, he immediately led his troops on horseback toward her command tent.
Shen Qingzhu, clad in black armor and holding a horn in his arms, stood atop the command tent. Seeing Cao Renyi rushing towards the tent, he immediately blew the horn.
Suddenly, the horn echoed throughout the Jin camp, and the Jin Soldiers, crouched in their tents, roared as they charged out, clashing with the Daliang soldiers who had just entered the camp...
The clashing of weapons and the sounds of battle soared to the sky.
Cao Renyi immediately reined in his horse. Looking around, he saw that all the soldiers charging out of the tents were fully armored Jin Soldiers.
Just as Cao Renyi shouted in alarm, the torchlights around the camp suddenly lit up, illuminating the entire camp as if it were daylight, and the sound of battle came from afar.
"Hold your ground! Retreat!" Cao Renyi turned his horse around and shouted hoarsely. His cry was almost drowned out by the screams of the Daliang soldiers and the clang of weapons.
The Daliang soldiers, who had charged ferociously into the Jin camp, now saw the blazing lights around the camp, the fully armored and menacing Jin Soldiers, and their commander turning and calling for a retreat. They immediately fell into chaos, becoming like sheep led to the slaughter, with no resistance against the Jin Soldiers.
"General! The Jin Army has blocked our retreat from behind! We’ve fallen into a trap!" A Daliang commander rushed to Cao Renyi, shouting urgently, "General! What should we do?!"
Before the commander could finish his words, an arrow shot from nowhere, striking his chest with such force that it knocked him off his horse. Before he could stand, a hidden Jin Soldier appeared, beheading him with a swift strike.
Cao Renyi bit his teeth and thrust his long spear through the Jin Soldier who had beheaded the Daliang commander, shouting again, "Retreat! Quickly retreat!"
He thought this time he could achieve a great victory with fewer troops and make his name renowned across the kingdoms!
Who would have thought it would go wrong, and they would fall into a trap!
Cao Renyi suspected a traitor in his ranks; otherwise, how could the Jin Army have known about his night’s raid and prepared so thoroughly!
"Retreat! Retreat! Retreat!" Cao Renyi, gripped by fear, shouted, but all around him were fiercely battling Jin Soldiers and panicking Daliang soldiers, leaving no room for his horse to charge freely...
Cao Renyi’s horse, sensing danger, lifted its head and trampled the Daliang soldiers protecting Cao Renyi, charging madly and throwing Cao Renyi off its back.
"General!" The Daliang soldiers quickly surrounded Cao Renyi.
The dirt-covered and bruised Cao Renyi struggled up with his spear, his face pale with pain. He saw his battle horse charging wildly but falling with a shrill cry after being pierced by a spear before it could leave the Jin camp.
The Daliang soldiers helped him up, and the shield-bearers surrounded him, making a difficult retreat.
Cao Renyi had calmed down. He watched the approaching Jin Soldiers, realizing they had been lured in by a trap jointly set inside and outside the Jin Camp. Continuing the fight would only lead to a heavy defeat with great losses, and it seemed escaping was no longer an option.
Since the Princess of Zhen intended to accept his surrender and Yang Wuce, a figure he had close ties with, was on her side.
Now, he had two choices: kill the Princess of Zhen, present her head, and lead these former soldiers of Daliang back to Daliang.
Would killing the Princess of Zhen and leading 150,000 soldiers back to Daliang be more glorious than surrendering...