In the days following Cui Yi's departure, patrols on the walls of Huben Pass doubled, and flags were everywhere, showing a display of "false bravado."
Xie Yong observed and found only dozens of people working in the fields and barely a thousand soldiers drilling in the camp, less than five battalions. With Cui Yi, Cao Qian, and Yang Qiong absent, Xie Yong wondered if leaving both Cao Qian and Yang Qiong was too risky. If the Northern Di had premeditated an attack on Yan Prefecture's main camp, what would happen? After checking the military camp, Xie Yong left.
Soon after, Bai Lizan received news from Cao Qian confirming that Xie Yong had indeed checked the camp.
"She really can't be kept..." Hengying sighed.
Bai Lizan smiled and dismissed the messenger, saying, "Such a person, keeping her around serves no purpose. She has little talent and a narrow mind. I don't remember offending her, but during those days in Xuanzhou, she treated us horribly, not letting me eat properly, setting dogs on us, chasing Xiao Taosu onto the roof, waking up to dead rats, finding snails in porridge..."
Hengying covered her mouth, looking nauseous. Bai Lizan shook his head repeatedly.
Suppressing the nausea, Hengying drank some water, tearfully looking at him. "Mr. Bai, you suffered more than me. I wondered why she targeted you, a trusted advisor of the prince, with whom she had no grudge. How could Xie Yong be so foolish?"
"Hengying wants to compete for the title of Princess Consort, and Xie Yong wants to compete for the position of chief strategist. Naturally, she dislikes us both," Bai Lizan wrote on a document. "Titles like chief strategist mean nothing to me. In terms of wisdom, I admit I'm inferior to Shan Ge, willing to yield. But if it's Xie Yong... hah!"
Hengying felt increasingly nauseous, groaning and rushing outside to vomit against a door frame, but nothing came out.
Bai Lizan, still at his desk, didn't look up. "Are you pregnant? Should we call a doctor?"
Hengying rolled her eyes weakly. "Nausea from snails. How could I be pregnant so soon? Xian'er is only one year old. I'm not a sow."
Bai Lizan couldn't help laughing. "A sow can give birth twice or thrice a year. How can you compare yourself to a sow?"
Hengying was furious. "Are you saying I'm worse than a sow?"
Bai Lizan quickly denied it. "Hengying, I'm going back. There's a lot to do at home. Soon, sorghum will ripen, and we need to start brewing. And recently, Gongyang bought some chicks from the market. The prince doesn't allow them in the palace, so they're temporarily living with pigs. We'll distribute them after breeding more. Bamboo cages have been ordered..."
"Ahhh?!"
On the tenth day, Yang Qiong finally found the Northern Di delegation within Gan Prefecture's territory.
The golden-red sunset blazed like a fiery patience test. Yang Qiong hid in the forest on a hillside, crouching low, concealing himself, sweat glistening on his nose.
Below, there were nearly a thousand tents, but according to Cui Jie's letter to Xie Yong, the delegation had only two thousand people, the rest being tribute and supplies from Great Chu.
Though eager to rush down and confront Huoerhana, Yang Qiong decided to rest and recover, preparing for the best opportunity.
Yang Qiong hid the horse in the woods, marking it, and found a vantage point to observe. He buried a freshly hunted pheasant underground to roast. Below, the Northern Di were cooking, and Yang Qiong estimated their troop distribution.
Cooks wearing white cloth masks fetched water.
He regretted leaving in haste without proper preparation. If he had attacked now, stripped the man's clothes, infiltrated the camp, and poisoned the food, he could have killed at least three squads or a battalion.
Not bringing poison was a huge oversight, Yang Qiong thought gloomily.
The next morning, the Northern Di discovered two hundred dead soldiers. General Huoerhana was shocked, reporting to Huoerhana. Poisoning was confirmed, but the source remained unknown.
Unable to ignore the deaths, they collected wood and burned the bodies.
Yang Qiong watched from afar, his heart pounding.
Besides himself, someone else was targeting this group. Was it Zhai Rang's hired assassin? Possible.
He decided to leave temporarily to set another trap.
After another ambush in the canyon, Huoerhana lost nearly five hundred soldiers. They dared not cook meals slowly, resorting to dry rations.
That night, Yang Qiong collected crossbows from dead soldiers, setting up dozens of hand crossbows in the forest. As the troops passed, he released the ropes, shooting dozens of arrows, causing chaos. A squad tracked the arrows' origin, and Yang Qiong shot from cover, relocating after each shot. His aim was precise, taking down ten soldiers instantly.
However, Yang Qiong's position was exposed, and dozens of arrows flew towards him. Despite swinging his silver spear, an arrow pierced his thigh, slowing him down. Facing an approaching soldier, he braced for impact.
Suddenly, a bowstring twanged from the forest, an arrow whizzing past his ear, killing the soldier.
More arrows followed, each hitting its mark. Yang Qiong couldn't believe it, seeing a figure moving on the opposite hillside, too far to identify.
"Whoever you are, thank you!" Yang Qiong felt rejuvenated, heading to the next trap.
After two attacks, Huoerhana had fewer than eight hundred remaining soldiers, fleeing hastily. They encountered no trouble the next day, camping overnight.
Wearing black, Bo Muer silently infiltrated the camp, killing dozens of sleeping soldiers. Alerted by the commotion, soldiers chased him, but he escaped, throwing poisoned knives, remnants from the poisoned soldiers.
Campfires ignited by Cui Yi's flaming arrows spread rapidly, engulfing the camp. Soldiers scrambled to douse the flames, but the dry season made it impossible.
Huoerhana fled with his generals and a few soldiers, leaving behind a smoldering ruin.
The man spat blood and fell sideways.
"Who! Who is plotting against me!" Huoerhana pounded his chest and tugged at his beard, roaring loudly, "If you have the guts, come out!"
Ahead was about to enter the territory of Yan Prefecture, where the terrain was relatively flat, making it difficult to ambush again. Once Huoerhana left the pass, there were six thousand troops waiting for him outside the pass, and it would be completely hopeless.
Thinking this, Yang Qiong walked out from his hiding place.
Yang Qiong slowly walked out from his hiding place.
After more than ten days without washing, crawling and rolling in the mountains and grasslands, and being injured, he looked almost like a wild man, with ragged clothes, deformed armor, and his helmet long lost. The wound on his thigh had reopened due to intense running, staining the bandage red.
His hair was disheveled, his beard long, and his face unrecognizable.
Huoerhana was both surprised and angry. He was surprised that one person could wipe out more than half of his entourage, and he was furious that his bunch of incompetent followers had been so humiliated by a single person.
He raised his bronze axe and pointed it forward: "Who are you! Why do you always oppose me!"
Yang Qiong held his silver moon spear upside down and limped forward, standing tall and fearless.
"I came to save someone."
Huoerhana narrowed his eyes and scrutinized him: "Who sent you? That pale-faced censor?"
Yang Qiong stopped thirty feet away and stood firm: "No one ordered me, I came voluntarily. Lady Cheng saved my life, and as a man, I cannot repay her kindness. I heard you made a promise in the capital that if anyone could defeat you, you would let Lady Cheng go. I am here to challenge you."
Huoerhana was first stunned, then burst into laughter, turning his head to shout at the carriage behind him: "Did you hear that! You claim to be married, saying one woman doesn't serve two husbands, yet you still have a lover willing to risk his life for you! How much is your morality worth, huh? Hahaha!"
Inside the carriage, there was a loud clatter. It was likely that Lady Cheng was restrained by the Northern Di attendants, covering her mouth and unable to speak.
Yang Qiong's fingers trembled with anger, shouting: "What utter nonsense! Don't use your shameless Northern Di faces to smear Lady Cheng's purity!"
Huoerhana laughed wildly, dismounted, and soldiers led the horses back, clearing enough space.
"You think you can defeat me alone? Ridiculous!" Huoerhana swung his bronze axe and shouted, "Come and fight!"