Ru Yue smiled and shook her head, then turned to awaken the Xuanjia Army soldiers who had been accidentally injured by Lu Qing Wan, before she sent out to contact Xue Hong Yi.
Lu Qing Wan had finally managed to ask for help from the Reincarnation Hall once, and she had to do it well.
By the time Lu Qing Wan arrived at Zi Yang Pass, it was already night.
Feng Xi Wu, along with five thousand Imperial Guards from the Tiger Leopard Battalion, was stationed less than five li from Zi Yang Pass. The guards recognized Lu Qing Wan as soon as she arrived.
One person paid respects to Lu Qing Wan and led her to see Feng Xi Wu, while another dashed off to inform Feng Xi Wu.
As a result, by the time Lu Qing Wan reached the main tent, everyone around Feng Xi Wu knew of her arrival.
Especially the Imperial Guard soldiers, who were already curious about Lu Qing Wan after hearing that she had fought against the brothers Chai Xi Han and Chai Xi Yun, and had even captured Lan Hua Jing.
A group of them surrounded Feng Xi Wu, waiting to catch a glimpse of Lu Qing Wan. Thus, as soon as Lu Qing Wan entered the main tent, she was greeted with grand salutes from a group of generals.
"Your Royal Consort is mighty! Your humble servant pays his respects to Your Royal Consort!"
Lu Qing Wan was startled, "All generals, please dispense with the formalities!"
After handling the situation, she looked at Feng Xi Wu dazedly and mouthed, "What's going on?"
Before Feng Xi Wu could even speak, one of the Imperial Guard generals blurted out, "Your Royal Consort, we heard you beheaded the two Chai brothers and captured Lan Hua Jing. Tell us how you did it!"
"That's right, Your Royal Consort. The two Chai brothers were known as the Chai Twin Heroes. It was said that after Lan Hua Jing entered the Internal Guard, Chai Xi Yun was to be promoted to Commander of the Tiger Leopard Battalion. How did you manage to defeat him?"
Lu Qing Wan had only received scowls since arriving in the Great Qin. It was rare to be so popular, and she felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.
However, she said, "A true warrior doesn't boast about past glories. Killing the Chai brothers and reviving Lan Hua Jing were not done by my own hands.
Generals, let's not dwell on the past for now. Lan Hua Xiao has elite heavy cavalry and twelve cannons under his command, while we only have six thousand soldiers.
I've brought a batch of firearms. Which general and his soldiers are familiar with firearms? Quickly come and adjust our defenses; that is the most crucial matter."
"Firearms?"
Lu Qing Wan's words immediately captured the attention of the generals.
"Aren't those exclusive equipment for the Internal Guard? Can we use them too?"
Several generals exchanged glances, then pushed one forward, "Old Fu, wasn't your Jian Zhang Camp cavalry equipped with firearms before?
Although they were later removed, your men should still know how to use firearms, right?"
That was ancient history from many years ago. The general, known as Old Fu, only remembered after being prompted.
"Indeed, I almost forgot. Your Highness, Your Royal Consort, the 1,200 men of the Jian Zhang Camp cavalry all know how to use firearms. Please instruct us, Your Highness, Your Royal Consort."
"Twelve hundred men."
Lu Qing Wan looked at Feng Xi Wu, "I have nearly a hundred men under my command who know how to use firearms, and we have enough firearms. However, our ammunition is insufficient.
What is Your Highness's opinion on how to allocate these firearms?"
"Lan Hua Xiao's rebels are entrenched in Zi Yang Pass, occupying advantageous positions. If the archers block both sides of the pass, our men will become sitting ducks.
Since Your Royal Consort has brought firearms, let the Jian Zhang Camp cavalry take the vanguard and clear out Lan Hua Xiao's rebel archers.
The rest will cooperate with the Jian Zhang Camp cavalry to finish the battle as quickly as possible and seize Zi Yang Pass before the King of Qingzhou and the King of Ji Prefecture arrive at the capital."
The Imperial Guard generals felt that Feng Xi Wu's arrangement was faultless and nodded in agreement.
Lu Qing Wan, however, smiled and said, "Perhaps Your Highness would like to see this?"
Li Qing stepped forward tacitly, holding what were undoubtedly the crude bombs that had made the Northern Wei army cry out in pain on the battlefield in the northwest.
Feng Xi Wu was initially slightly surprised, then smiled, "It seems Your Royal Consort was well-prepared?"
Lu Qing Wan pouted innocently, "Didn't you say that the Northern Prefecture Army under the King of Qingzhou was brave and difficult to deal with? So I prepared this in advance.
Who knew that the Northern Prefecture Army of Qingzhou would turn into the heavy cavalry of the Tiger Leopard Battalion? Although it's not what we expected, they are still destined for the underworld. There's no need to be picky, what do you think, Your Highness?"
"Your Royal Consort is right."
Feng Xi Wu laughed heartily, pulled Lu Qing Wan to his side, and said to Li Qing, "Draft all the men in the army who are familiar with explosives. At the time of battle, either retake the twelve cannons from Lan Hua Xiao, or destroy those twelve cannons.
If you cannot completely prevent Lan Hua Xiao from using his cannons, I will only allow him to fire one round from his twelve cannons.
If a thirteenth cannonball lands on our army's formation, you are not to return. Commit suicide as atonement."
"Understood!"
Li Qing accepted the order without hesitation.
As he turned, the few Xuanjia Army soldiers who had escorted Lu Qing Wan followed him willingly.
One of the Imperial Guard soldiers watched their silent understanding and sighed.
"When His Highness the Crown Prince spoke of Your Highness being known as the God of War in the south, causing terror wherever he went, most of the court dismissed it as a joke.
After tomorrow's battle, the King of Qin's title as the God of War will likely never be doubted again."
Although the words were spoken with a hint of admiration, Lu Qing Wan still found them jarring.
In Da Gan, no one dared to discuss Feng Xi Wu in such a manner, nor would they dare to do so in his presence.
She subconsciously tightened her grip on Feng Xi Wu's hand, only to hear him say decisively, "You are mistaken. It is not tomorrow, but tonight."
The Imperial Guard generals were stunned. "Your Highness plans to launch a night attack on Zi Yang Pass?"
"That's right."
Feng Xi Wu glanced at the intricate carving on the table. "At this time, Lan Hua Xiao's scouts should have already reported our presence here.
In Lan Hua Xiao's mind, the earliest we would attack is tomorrow morning.
I will catch him completely off guard tonight, retake Zi Yang Pass, and welcome the various vassal kings into the Central Plains."
Feng Xi Wu's plan had no flaws, however, "But Your Highness, the Imperial Guards are inherently better at defense than offense, and the men have never fought a night battle!"
"Yes, Your Highness. Although Lan Hua Xiao is a nobleman, he is also a fifth-rank Internal Guard General and a capable commander.
The heavy cavalry of the Tiger Leopard Battalion was trained by him personally, and the tacit understanding between the commander and his troops is extraordinary..."
One said this, another said that, but their meaning was the same: they disagreed with a night attack.
Lu Qing Wan was furious. Feng Xi Wu's orders were always strictly enforced; there was no room for such negotiation.
She was about to say that if they were unwilling to fight, so be it. With Feng Xi Wu here, they could still take Zi Yang Pass with the three thousand-plus Xuanjia Army, it would just be a slightly tougher fight.
But Feng Xi Wu stopped her from speaking and said coldly, "You have never fought a night battle and fear the heavy cavalry personally trained by Lan Hua Xiao.
Have you fought against the King of Qingzhou's Northern Prefecture Army, or the King of Ji Prefecture's Wei Wu Army?"
The generals were all stunned. The Imperial Guards protected the imperial city. If not for the Lan family's rebellion this time, they would have hardly had a chance to fight. Where would they have encountered the Northern Prefecture Army or the Wei Wu Army?