CHAPTER 325: CHAPTER 322 MEETING

Xiao Xingzong kept his eyes fixed on Xie Liangchen, entirely focused on capturing him, unwittingly letting his guard down to the surroundings.

When the arrows came, Xiao Xingzong was inevitably taken aback, but quickly maneuvered his horse to dodge.

"Foster father." Hu Gu, who was about to seize the man, immediately turned back.

After the arrows, the sounds of slaughter erupted, as the Song Family Army, who had long been waiting there, engaged in combat with Xiao Xingzong’s troops.

The Song Family Army seemed to descend from the heavens, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, suddenly at their backs. Unprepared, Xiao Xingzong’s men suffered heavy losses, with a dozen casualties in the blink of an eye.

What is going on?

Hu Gu couldn’t figure it out. He had people monitoring their surroundings, and never saw any trace of the Song Family Army. How did they arrive here? How did they manage to circle around to their rear?

Compared to Hu Gu’s panic, Xiao Xingzong quickly regained his composure.

It wasn’t some divine intervention; the Song Family Army hadn’t appeared suddenly but had long been calculated. Their intention was to capture Xie Liangchen. As Xie Liangchen headed there, Xiao Xingzong followed suit, but the Song Family Army perhaps knew a hidden path, allowing them to silently move from Dai State to Lingqiu, ambushing here, using Xie Liangchen as bait to lure him into the trap.

Ingenious tactic.

Xiao Xingzong watched the distant figure of Xie Liangchen riding away. Despite quickly understanding everything, it was too late to give chase.

More than just too late.

As Xiao Xingzong eyed the Dai State Pass, the city gate opened, and a team of light cavalry charged towards him.

Xiao Xingzong frowned; his mind agile, he hesitated not a moment: "Retreat, don’t let them entangle us." Fearing detection, Xiao Xingzong hadn’t brought many troops. If caught in a hasty battle with the prepared garrison, they’d surely suffer.

Fleeing, Xiao Xingzong instructed: "Mobilize the troops, attack Dai State with full force." He had already ordered an attack on Dai State’s eastern pass. Though he failed to capture Xie Liangchen, orders once given could not be rescinded, or it would arouse chaos and lose the Third Prince’s trust.

Everything was disrupted; many things needed reorganization, and he had limited time.

Xiao Xingzong continued: "Escort the Third Prince away from Lingqiu, preferably to take command at the new city."

"And... those assassins..."

Before he finished, as they turned their horses to withdraw, another volley of feathered arrows rained down.

"And..."

Xiao Xingzong drew his long sword, slicing down the arrows nearby, then ducked to evade. However, the arrows shot swiftly and fiercely, with one stray managing to hit; when Xiao Xingzong regained his senses, Hu Gu, protecting him, was struck by an arrow.

None wore heavy armor, and the arrow fully pierced through Hu Gu’s right shoulder.

Experiencing immediate setbacks and losing a crucial right-hand man, Xiao Xingzong furrowed his brow. Though attacked twice, he couldn’t retaliate due to the pursuing stormtroopers trailing them...

He was surprisingly outwitted by Xie Liangchen.

Galloping a distance, reinforcements arrived promptly. Zong Pu approached to inquire, "Where is the assassin? Was he caught?"

The informant was about to address this.

"No..." the person said, "people came from somewhere to support them, and... they escaped."

Xiao Xingzong’s eyes held an unfathomable depth that sent shivers down one’s spine: "Did I not tell you to keep an eye on them?"

The person said, "We received no report from here, so we dared not act hastily. We thought they might relocate to lay another ambush. By the time we realized something was off, it was too late."

Though normally impassive, Xiao Xingzong’s face now displayed some anger: "Did they leave Lingqiu?"

The person trembled slightly, "No... don’t know... pursued them... but they disappeared... those people of yours..."

Xiao Xingzong wasn’t sure who those people were, but for Xie Liangchen to take risks like this, that person was likely more than just a minion of Prince Guangyang.

Xiao Xingzong narrowed his eyes, filled with regret. If he hadn’t been so cautious, perhaps capturing that person directly would have yielded significant discoveries.

Hu Gu clutched his wounded shoulder, not daring to bandage it, waiting with everyone for Xiao Xingzong’s orders.

"Sir, this is bad."

Before Xiao Xingzong could return to camp, the Deputy General reported, "The Third Prince has personally led troops to attack Dai State."

Xiao Xingzong’s heart sank; the very situation he dreaded was unfolding before his eyes.

Xiao Xingzong declared, "Rally the forces, we march to attack Dai State."

...

Chang Yue escorted Miss Xie back into the pass, finally breathing a long sigh of relief.

Watching Miss Xie walk forward, his palms were already soaked with cold sweat. If Miss Xie hadn’t remained so composed, he might have stopped her in her tracks.

Xiao Xingzong truly was cunning, acting at the very last moment. If not for the pre-arranged ambush, they wouldn’t have made it back to the city in time.

Trumpet signals sounded from the city walls.

All troops who had exited returned, and the city gates were tightly shut.

"Miss," Chang Yue said, "I’m going to the mountain to check the situation."

Chang Yue feared she might worry, wanting to confirm if her father and the others had escaped safely.

Xie Liangchen shook her hand, "There are people watching over there. If anything happens, they would have alerted us long ago."

Chang Yue said, "Then I..."

Xie Liangchen’s expression changed slightly, "Let me find a place to catch my breath."

Saying so, she turned and sat on a stone. She wasn’t as calm as she appeared, as her father’s and the soldiers’ lives hung in the balance.

One wrong step could lead to total defeat. Though she tried to console herself, her steps remained heavy.

Luckily... everything seemed to go smoothly.

Xie Liangchen watched as several corpses were carried into the city, feeling a mix of emotions. These were the people she had ordered to ambush Xiao Xingzong.

Thinking deeper, they too were someone else’s sons, daughters, fathers...

Xie Liangchen closed her eyes. No wonder losing battles and high casualties caused commanders to waver, unable to control the big picture.

Song Xian bore pressures hundreds of times heavier with each campaign.

"Miss, you don’t need to worry about the lord," Chang Yue said. "The lord, experienced in battle, will surely win in Taiyuan Prefecture."

Who’s worried about Song Xian, Xie Liangchen wanted to argue with Chang Yue, but swallowed her words fearing she’d lose the argument.

Calming herself, Xie Liangchen said, "Have others meet my father and the rest. You must stay at the pass. Since Xiao Xingzong has acted, he surely plans to attack today."

Striking amidst chaos is Xiao Xingzong’s usual tactic. If he doesn’t deploy now and waits until Song Xian is informed, Xiao Xingzong will end up empty-handed without justifying himself to the Liao people.

Xie Liangchen stood up, "Where are the wounded?"

Chang Yue wanted to urge Xie Liangchen to leave, but in the end, kept silent; during such times, Miss Xie wasn’t going anywhere.

Half an hour later, the Dai State eastern pass was met by the Liao army and Gao Yu’s troops, with countless feathered arrows raining down from the city walls.

"Defend Dai State to the death," the Song Family Army Deputy General ordered, "as long as there are troops within the city, the Liao must not breach it."

After issuing orders, the Deputy General looked up, seeing innumerable troops converging here.

After a round of clashes, the walls were stained with splotches of blood.

If Song Xian hadn’t planned ahead, Dai State would have already been breached.

The sky gradually darkened.

The siege continued, casualties mounting. Judging by the number of wounded, Xie Liangchen inferred the dire current situation.

"Miss," Chang Yue couldn’t help but say, "I should take you away! If anything happens to you, the lord..."

At this point, as Chang Yue spoke, he saw the tent flap lift. This time, standing outside wasn’t a wounded soldier but a man in his thirties.

Chang Yue’s words came to an abrupt halt. Xie Liangchen instinctively turned her head, locking eyes with the person at the entrance. In that moment, Xie Liangchen felt her entire being freeze, the medicine bottle in her hand tightly clenched as surrounding sounds faded away.

Several blurred scenes flashed through her mind...

"Father."