The morning air was thick with the smoke of battle as Su Jin's forces, along with Cao Ying's rebels, launched a fierce attack on the foreign army's camp. The initial assault had thrown the enemy into disarray, and victory seemed within reach. But deep within, Su Jin's instincts told her that something was off. As the battle raged, she could feel the undercurrents of a deeper, more dangerous plot. This was not a simple confrontation.
In the midst of the battle, Su Jin's sword cut through the air with deadly precision. Her soldiers fought bravely by her side, pushing through the enemy lines. But even as she pressed the attack, her eyes remained fixed on the heart of the foreign camp. The commander of the foreign army had yet to appear, and Su Jin knew that their chaotic retreat was too convenient to be real.
Just then, Zhang Huai rode up beside her, his face filled with concern. "Your Majesty, the enemy is reinforcing their defenses. They are pulling in more troops from deeper within the camp."
Su Jin's eyes narrowed. The foreign army was not in disarray—they were luring her forces in, waiting for the perfect moment to strike back.
"All units, stay on high alert!" Su Jin ordered. "Advance cautiously. Do not let them dictate the flow of battle."
Her mind raced. This was no ordinary skirmish. The enemy commander was playing a longer, more dangerous game, and she could feel the trap closing in around her.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Cao Ying watched the unfolding chaos from a high vantage point. He had agreed to Su Jin's plan on the surface, but he had never intended to truly ally with her. This was his chance to weaken both Su Jin and the foreign army, to seize control when both sides were at their weakest.
"General, our assault is progressing well," Liu An said quietly beside him. "But we should be cautious. Su Jin will not trust us for long."
Cao Ying smiled darkly, his gaze cold. "Su Jin believes we are allies now, but she has no idea that I have my own plans. Let her and the foreign army tear each other apart. When the time is right, we will strike them both."
Liu An nodded, understanding the ambition behind Cao Ying's words. They would wait for the perfect moment to strike, when Su Jin and the foreign army were both exhausted.
But what neither Cao Ying nor Liu An realized was that the foreign army's plan was far more complex than either of them could imagine.
At the far edge of the battlefield, the foreign army's commander stood on a raised platform, surveying the chaos below. He was a tall, imposing figure, clad in black armor, his sharp eyes scanning the battle with cold calculation. A strategist beside him spoke softly, "My lord, Su Jin's forces and Cao Ying's rebels are pressing the attack. Should we counter now?"
The commander smiled faintly, a hint of amusement in his expression. "Not yet. Let them believe we are falling apart. Once they push deeper into our lines, we will strike."
The strategist nodded, understanding the subtlety of the plan. The foreign commander was not simply looking to win this battle—he intended to manipulate both sides, exploiting their distrust of one another to claim the kingdom for himself. To him, both Su Jin and Cao Ying were merely pawns.
As the battle dragged on, Su Jin noticed that the foreign army's resistance was becoming stronger, their defenses more organized. Her forces were still pushing forward, but with each step, the weight of the enemy's counterattacks grew heavier.
"Your Majesty, it feels like we're being drawn into a trap!" Gu Tingfeng warned, his voice filled with urgency. "The enemy's counterattacks are growing fiercer, and our men are struggling to hold the line."
Su Jin took a deep breath, her mind rapidly assessing the situation. She realized that the foreign army had been waiting for this moment. If her forces were pulled in too deep, they would be caught in the enemy's web.
"Order the troops to pull back and hold the defensive line!" Su Jin commanded. "We can't let them drag us into this. We need to conserve our strength for the real fight."
Gu Tingfeng quickly relayed her orders, and the army began to retreat in an organized fashion. But just as they started to fall back, Cao Ying's rebels turned on them, launching a sudden and brutal attack on Su Jin's flank.
"What is happening? Cao Ying has betrayed us!" Zhang Huai shouted in disbelief. "He's attacking our forces while we're weakened!"
Su Jin's expression darkened. She had anticipated Cao Ying's treachery, but not so soon.
"So, Cao Ying reveals his true nature," Su Jin muttered coldly. "Issue the command—defend against his attack while maintaining pressure on the foreign army. We need to break through their lines!"
Cao Ying watched the battle unfold with satisfaction from his vantage point. He believed the time had come to assert his dominance. With the foreign army and Su Jin locked in combat, he saw his chance to deliver the final blow and claim victory.
"This is it," Cao Ying said, his voice laced with ambition. "Soon, both Su Jin and the foreign army will be finished. I will be the sole ruler of this kingdom."
But what Cao Ying had not accounted for was the foreign commander's cunning. As Cao Ying moved his forces to strike at Su Jin, the foreign army, which had been holding back, launched a devastating counterattack from the rear.
The battlefield descended into chaos as the foreign army unleashed its full strength. Both Su Jin's forces and Cao Ying's rebels were caught off guard by the ferocity of the foreign commander's maneuver. The true scale of the foreign army's power was revealed in an instant, and the battlefield was consumed by bloodshed.
Amidst the chaos, Su Jin remained calm. She knew the situation was critical, but her mind stayed sharp, focused on finding a way out.
"Rally the troops! We must find a way to break through!" Su Jin shouted, her voice cutting through the noise of battle. Her soldiers, inspired by her resolve, fought fiercely, pushing through the confusion in an attempt to escape the tightening noose.
Eventually, Su Jin's elite forces managed to carve out a path of escape, breaking free from the foreign army's encirclement. Cao Ying, however, was not so fortunate. His miscalculation had left his forces trapped between the foreign army and Su Jin's soldiers. One by one, his rebels were cut down, and his ambitions began to unravel.
But even though Su Jin had escaped immediate danger, she knew this battle was far from over. The foreign army's strength had not been fully depleted, and her kingdom remained on the brink of collapse. More importantly, she understood that the true battle for the kingdom had only just begun.