In the backyard of Jingzhao Prefecture.

Amid the deafening sounds of battle, someone from Duan Yunfeng’s personal guard was the first to cut through the stable’s fence. “Young Master!”

Dozens of fine horses neighed as they charged toward the crowd.

Duan Yunfeng swiftly grabbed the reins of one nearby horse and mounted it.

“Don’t let him escape!” In the chaotic crowd, Li Jichang drew his sword, shouting angrily as he ordered the Imperial Guards behind him, “Block the back gate!”

The Imperial Guards surged toward the rear gate like a tidal wave. In the torrential rain and wind, countless cold arrows were aimed at Duan Yunfeng and his guards.

Just as Duan Yunfeng and his guards rode their horses over the courtyard gate, his general, Gao Tai, suddenly let out a roar. He swung his long spear and charged into the crowd, using his body as a shield, firmly blocking the gate and cutting off the Imperial Guards’ path.

“General Gao!”

At the cry from the side, Duan Yunfeng instinctively turned his horse around.

“Young Master, go!” Gao Tai, struck by several arrows, his eyes bloodshot, gritted his teeth as blood seeped from the corners of his mouth. Yet his towering figure remained firm like a mountain, standing resolute against the Imperial Guards’ blades and spears without moving an inch.

Duan Yunfeng, gripping his long sword, looked at the person standing behind the armored soldiers, his eyes burning with fury. His voice was hoarse as he shouted, “Li Jichang! I will never rest until one of us is dead!”

Seeing this scene, Duan Yunfeng’s personal guards, despite the pain, reached out to tighten the reins of his horse. They lashed the horse with their whips, their voices choked with emotion. “General Gao is loyal to the King of the North. He sacrificed his life to cover your retreat today, so that you may leave Luoyang City and avenge this in the future!”

“I will kill him…” In the pitch-black sky, the rain fell in torrents, and Duan Yunfeng’s hair was soaked. He gritted his teeth, icy water dripping down his forehead, along his red-rimmed eyes, his cheeks, and lips, trailing down.

Whether it was rain or tears, who could tell?

He murmured, “I will kill Li Jichang.”

The sound of clashing weapons pierced through the air as blood splattered onto the muddy stone steps. The Imperial Guards trampled over Gao Tai’s corpse and broke through the gate, but Duan Yunfeng and his guards had already vanished into the dark alleys.

“Are you all useless? Ah—thousands of Imperial Guards, and yet one man blocked the way! And you still let Duan Yunfeng escape alive? What use are you, you worthless fools?” Li Jichang, in a fit of rage, drew his sword, ready to strike someone down.

“Your Highness, calm down, calm down.” A trusted advisor of King Chu quickly stepped forward to comfort him. “The General of the Right Wing of the Imperial Guards has already secured the city gates. His Highness the Young Master has intercepted Duan Yunfeng’s group with elite Imperial Guards at Zhuchao Street. That man only managed to escape from Jingzhao Prefecture by a stroke of luck. Tonight, he’s as good as a turtle in a jar. Even if Duan Yunfeng grows wings, he won’t be able to escape Luoyang!”

Hearing this, Li Jichang’s anger subsided slightly. He immediately mounted his horse, leading a dozen personal guards and many Imperial Guards in pursuit.

…

After Xiao Heng and Song Shiyu passed through the city gates, they urged their horses on, covering more than ten miles before reaching the headquarters of the Northern Army.

The military commander, Zhou Ye, who had been left in charge, was startled when the two men suddenly burst into the command tent, both wearing grim expressions. He hurriedly asked, “What happened?”

Xiao Heng ordered several personal guards to stand guard outside the tent, instructing that no one else was allowed to enter without orders.

Only then did Song Shiyu relay to Zhou Ye the events that had transpired in Luoyang City.

“This, this!” Zhou Ye was so anxious that he nearly broke into a cold sweat. “Should we summon the middle generals in charge of the armies to discuss this?”

Xiao Heng sat down at the desk, frowning as he wrote:

—No.

—You’ve been with the King of the North for years. Don’t you understand the consequences of losing the main commander or having him killed? You and Vice General Song are the Young Master’s most trusted men, but can you guarantee that the others in the army won’t have second thoughts after hearing about the situation in Luoyang?

At his reminder, Zhou Ye suddenly came to his senses, breaking out in a cold sweat. He quickly said, “What His Highness said is correct.”

In times of chaos, one could only imagine the ambitions of the subordinates if the leader fell. Even with the leader alive, it was highly likely that his own men might try to kill him.

“Your Highness!”

Just then, a personal guard standing watch outside the command tent reported, “A soldier from the Young Master’s personal guard requests an audience. He’s the only one who managed to escape from Luoyang City!”

Xiao Heng’s expression darkened:

—Bring him in immediately.

“General, Your Highness!” The man almost stumbled into the tent, kneeling on the ground, his body covered in blood and filth, looking like a bloody figure. He gasped for breath, saying, “Li Jichang set an ambush at the banquet!”

“I… I was in the backyard of Jingzhao Prefecture, guarding the horses for the Young Master. Suddenly, I heard sounds of fighting coming from the front hall, so I rushed over. But Li Jichang had already hidden thousands of bladesmen in Jingzhao Prefecture! He must have been planning to attack the Young Master for a long time!”

Song Shiyu, looking anxious, couldn’t help but interrupt, “Did you see the Young Master?!”

The man replied, “I did, I did! I was one of the dozens of personal guards who escorted the Young Master out of Jingzhao Prefecture! But there were too many pursuers in the city streets, and it was dark. We got separated in the blink of an eye. I had no choice but to ride my horse, trying to hurry to the camp to report. After I escaped the city, the Imperial Guards had already taken control of the city gates! Li Jichang is trying to cut off all escape routes and not allow anyone to leave Luoyang!”

Xiao Heng immediately sent a scout to investigate the current military deployments around Luoyang.

He then carefully asked the soldier how he and Duan Yunfeng escaped from Jingzhao Prefecture and where they got separated, among other details. Afterward, he spoke to Song Shiyu:

—You need to immediately select one hundred of your most trusted men. They must be brave, fearless of death, and loyal to the Duan family—no more than one hundred.

Song Shiyu was taken aback. “Your Highness, what are you planning to do?”

Xiao Heng:

—Open the city gates.

Song Shiyu: “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

Xiao Heng immediately rejected his request:

—No.

Song Shiyu was stunned. “Why?”

Xiao Heng looked at him coldly:

—You are the Young Master’s vice general. I need you to stay in the camp and maintain control over the thirty thousand troops. Before the Young Master returns, you must keep the news of him being trapped in Luoyang a secret. Anyone who leaks information or tries to defect must be executed on the spot.

—Do you understand?

Looking into Xiao Heng’s cold, sharp eyes, Song Shiyu felt a sense of pressure, as if being scolded by an elder. He immediately nodded and said, “Understood.”

He quickly selected one hundred brave warriors from the camp stationed outside the city.

Song Shiyu gathered these men outside Xiao Heng’s command tent.

After hearing the intelligence gathered by the scout, Xiao Heng immediately formulated a plan to seize the city gates under the cover of darkness.

Song Shiyu watched as Xiao Heng memorized the locations of the city’s defenses, fortifications, and even the positions of the arrow towers, all with incredible precision. His heart shook…

The Princess was so familiar with the defenses of Luoyang, as if she had fought a siege there before. Yet, he, a seasoned general, couldn’t do the same… This… this…

She was truly a military genius!

If only that useless emperor had let the Princess defend this city, maybe Luoyang wouldn’t have…

No, he couldn’t think like this.

Suppressing his shock, Song Shiyu relayed Xiao Heng’s plan to the one hundred soldiers.

After confirming that everyone understood the operation, Xiao Heng and Song Shiyu issued their final instructions:

—You stay behind at the camp, always on alert for any movements from the Chu army. Be cautious, they might take the opportunity to attack the camp. Also, be prepared at any time to assist the Young Master in retreating. Tonight, no matter what, we must evacuate the troops from Luoyang.

Afterward, Xiao Heng changed into a dark military uniform. He slung a longbow over his back, strapped two long swords to his waist, and carried a horizontal sword on his right. He donned a veil hat, and the veil obscured his face. Under the dark, cloudy sky, he seemed to blend into the night itself.

He led the hundred soldiers into the vast darkness, heading toward the city gates of Luoyang.