Mu Qing Tang said, "I told you, I am not going to the battlefield. I want Cheng Jiuxiao's head."
Lian Yu looked up abruptly, "Princess Consort...?!"
What was going on? Had Feng Xiwu not told Mu Qing Tang that he was still alive? Or had the plan gone wrong? In an instant, Lian Yu's mind raced through countless possibilities.
Mu Qing Tang, however, spoke again, "In this battle, based on your guess, will Cheng Jiuxiao personally enter the fray?"
"No." Lian Yu answered Mu Qing Tang's question subconsciously. "Cheng Jiuxiao is naturally suspicious and a coward. Every time he faced the Prince, he would either hide in his command tent and direct his subordinates, or he would use a group of his personal guards as human shields. With the Prince's recent misfortune, he doesn't take me seriously at all. He definitely won't be fighting in person this time."
After speaking, Lian Yu finally realized what Mu Qing Tang intended to do. He swallowed and added silently, "The Prince had also attempted to assassinate Cheng Jiuxiao. Although he hadn't had the chance to implement it, the people around him were extremely familiar with Cheng Jiuxiao's encampment and defensive deployment. However, there might be recent changes."
Mu Qing Tang raised an eyebrow, "Cheng Jiuxiao has made temporary adjustments to his defensive deployment. Why?"
Lian Yu's expression was hard to describe. "Cheng Jiuxiao, I don't know if he's had bad luck recently, but from what I know, from ten days ago until the last night, for a full ten days, he has already faced seven assassination attempts. These include, but are not limited to, direct assaults, bombings, poisonings, and poisoned arrows on the battlefield."
As Lian Yu spoke, his tone seemed to hold a hint of sympathy for Cheng Jiuxiao. "Although Cheng Jiuxiao, being a coward, has kept the relatives of his personal guards hostage, so those guards will do their best to protect him, and thus he has narrowly escaped assassination time and again. However, seven assassination attempts in ten days have already made Cheng Jiuxiao a frightened bird. If the Princess Consort wants to kill Cheng Jiuxiao, unless you directly bombard his encampment with cannons, other methods are unlikely to work."
Mu Qing Tang was stunned. She had thought assassinating Cheng Jiuxiao would be difficult, but she hadn't expected the difficulty to arise in this manner. "Have you investigated the origin of the people who have been continuously attempting to assassinate Cheng Jiuxiao?" she asked, then muttered, "It can't be the same faction, can it? Seven consecutive attempts, and they still can't kill Cheng Jiuxiao. How unreliable must that faction be?"
Mu Qing Tang's disdain was evident. Lian Yu chuckled, "I also found it strange, but the other party assassinating Cheng Jiuxiao is good for us, so we haven't paid much attention to it."
Han Chen, who had followed Mu Qing Tang, happened to overhear this and unconsciously touched his nose. He deliberately stepped forward, "Master, the cannonballs are ready. My subordinate, Guan Liyin, has inquired about the location of Cheng Jiuxiao's main camp. We can confirm it's within our artillery range."
"Then let's begin," Mu Qing Tang's smile faded. "It's the same as before: first, bombard the most populated areas to disrupt their deployment, then concentrate our fire on the ballistae, and finally, follow the golden eagle to bombard Cheng Jiuxiao's main camp."
Han Chen took his orders, and Lian Yu immediately had his men prepare. As the deputy generals rushed off to their preparations, Lian Yu turned back, "Princess Consort, the battle is about to begin. You..."
"You don't need to worry about me. Han Chen will cooperate with me. Fight your war well and be ready to be the new commander of the Xuanjia Army." Mu Qing Tang said, then walked out of the encampment before Lian Yu could speak.
Soon, the roaring sound of cannons pulled the Northern Wei enemy troops back into the fiery nightmare of ten days ago. Mu Qing Tang, mixed with the Xuanjia Army, lay in wait on both sides of Beixiao Pass, waiting for the cannons to blow open the gates of Beixiao Pass before charging through the obstacles to capture Cheng Jiuxiao and avenge them. Amidst the cannon fire, the terrified screams of the Northern Wei wolf soldiers mixed with the spirited shouts of the Xuanjia Army. Mu Qing Tang's steel whip mercilessly pierced the heart of an enemy soldier. As she pulled it out, the gate of Beixiao Pass opened. The golden eagle soared over Beixiao Pass amidst the roar of cannons. Han Chen heard the eagle's cry, adjusted its angle, and with a deafening explosion, the artillery precisely landed behind the main tent at the Northern Wei front lines, instantly turning the exquisite tent into a sea of fire. Amidst the raging flames, urgent shouts were heard, "Prince! Save the Prince!"
Immediately after, these voices were extinguished one by one. A middle-aged man in golden armor, wielding a saber, rushed out of the tent menacingly. "Who dares to be so audacious? Come out and fight me!" Before he could finish speaking, an arrow struck his knee. Cheng Jiuxiao unexpectedly fell to one knee, watching as a group of black-clad figures surrounded him. Unwilling to be taken prisoner, he struggled to stand up again. The slender Southern Gan soldier opposite him shot an arrow at his uninjured leg without hesitation. The thin, hard sleeve dart penetrated bone and flesh, and Cheng Jiuxiao collapsed onto the ground. Mu Qing Tang snatched a saber from a nearby soldier, walked over without a word, and severed Cheng Jiuxiao's head. Cheng Jiuxiao's head rolled to the ground, and warm blood splattered far. Even the battle-hardened soldiers couldn't help but retch on the spot. Mu Qing Tang, however, acted as if she saw nothing. She squatted down, picked up Cheng Jiuxiao's head, and placed it in the box brought by Liyin. "Keep it safe. Take it back to mourn the Prince and my father."
The battle on the battlefield had not yet ended, but Mu Qing Tang had already completed the task she had set for herself. Walking into Beixiao Pass amidst the fireworks behind and in front of her, the smell of blood and gunpowder filling her nostrils, Mu Qing Tang, protected by her hidden guards, left the battlefield. Liyin handed the box containing Cheng Jiuxiao's head to others to deal with and followed Mu Qing Tang off the battlefield. As they approached Lian Yu's command tent, he cautiously asked, "Princess Consort, are you alright?"
"With cannon fire covering my front and your lives risked to protect my back, what could happen to me?" Mu Qing Tang feigned lightness, giving a perfunctory answer. "You go down first. I'll rest here for a while and wait for Lian Yu to come down so we can discuss some matters."
Liyin mumbled a few times but ultimately retreated without saying anything. Mu Qing Tang, however, did not enter the tent. Instead, she went around to the back. With no one accompanying her, Mu Qing Tang could finally stop pretending. She clutched her chest and vomited violently, as if trying to expel her internal organs.
Behind the tent, Han Chen, seeing this, was about to rush forward, but Liyin held him back firmly, dragging him away. Han Chen's eyes blazed with fury. "Why are you stopping me? Didn't you see the Master's condition..."
"What good would it do if you went up?" Liyin hissed in a low voice. "She knows the consequences of acting herself, yet she still did it. You can see how hard she endured all the way here. If you go out now, do you want her to suffocate herself?" Han Chen was instantly speechless and slapped himself several times. "It's all our incompetence. After so many attempts, we couldn't kill Cheng Jiuxiao, forcing her to take action herself..."