Chapter 233: Chapter 231: Punishment Aura_1 Chapter 233: Chapter 231: Punishment Aura_1 However, Bai Qingyan reckoned that the Crown Prince would not let Shen Liangyu train the troops at Wengshan. Bai Qingyan had slaughtered the surrendering Xiliang soldiers there; the Crown Prince would feel uncomfortable thinking about Wengshan.

And whether the Crown Prince chose the Chuanling Mountains or Qiushan Pass made no difference. Taking the Huying Camp wherever they went to train… Training for ten days, half a month, or even a month, as long as no one interfered, Shen Liangyu would decide everything.

“I understand!” Shen Liangyu cupped his hands, realization dawning in his heart. “I will stay in constant communication with Tonggu Mountain, Bailong City, and Zhongshan City!”

“After several generals meet the Crown Prince, they will be stationed at Youhua Road…” Bai Qingyan’s eyes were moist and red. She cupped her hands and solemnly looked at them, saying, “Thus, the Bai family army… and Bai Qingjue and Bai Qingyun, are entrusted to you all! This parting, we shall meet again in three years!”

The morning sun leaped out of the swirling sea of clouds, golden rays piercing the morning mist, outlining the majestic and vast mountains, rushing rivers, and glaciers.

The wind blew the clouds away, finally revealing the majestic beautiful peaks reaching into the sky. The accumulated snow that had never melted for a thousand years shone resplendently under the most dazzling sunlight of the early morning.

The brilliant dawn slowly approached from beyond the mountains and rivers, illuminating this vast and expansive wilderness, dispersing the mist and darkness that covered the Jin army’s tents.

“Eldest Young Lady! Eldest Young Lady!” Bai Jinzhi’s voice was heard before she arrived.

She rushed into Shen Liangyu’s tent, slightly flustered, saying, “That Xiliang King Yan, Li Zhijie, brought the bodies of the Huying Camp elite soldiers and the Dong family dead soldiers, saying he wants to see the Crown Prince… to demand an explanation!”

So he arrived this quickly!

Cheng Yuanzhi became enraged upon hearing this and stood up abruptly, shouting, “Demand what explanation!”

“How dare he come!” Shen Liangyu gritted his teeth, turned around, and went to grab his sword.

The thought of entering that eerie cellar and seeing Bai Qingyun’s body covered in wounds, with needles stuck in her fingers and toenails… Her legs broken and blood pouring out, made him want to chop Li Zhijie to pieces.

Bai Jinzhi’s chest rose and fell violently. “I just went to take a look, that King Yan was covered in blood and was carried out of the carriage! Eldest Young Lady… When we left, that King Yan was fine. Now he’s covered in blood; he must have a purpose!!”

The light in Bai Qingyan’s eyes grew cold and serious.

Li Zhijie covered in blood?!

She steadied herself, recalling Li Zhijie’s peach blossom eyes filled with smiling allure. She knew he was not as others saw… a carefree, romantic man.

He had brought the bodies of the Huying Camp and the Dong family dead soldiers, and he himself was covered in blood. He had indeed come prepared.

“Where is Xiliang King Yan?” she asked.

“At the entrance of our camp!”

“Let’s first go to the Crown Prince!” Bai Qingyan said, leaving the tent first, heading towards the Crown Prince’s tent.

“Let’s go too and take a look!” Wei Zhaonian couldn’t help but worry, stepping forward and following Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan gripped the sword at her waist with one hand, stepping out of Shen Liangyu’s tent into the morning light, glancing towards the outside of the camp…

Li Zhijie, supported by Lu Tianzhuo, stood at the entrance of the Jin Kingdom camp. His shoulder was wrapped in a blood-soaked thin cotton fabric. He was still wearing the light purple robe from the previous day, half of it stained with dried blood, looking shocking, and his face was as pale as snow, appearing extremely weak.

Seeming to feel the cold gaze of Bai Qingyan, Li Zhijie standing at the entrance of the Jin army camp looked up, staring at Bai Qingyan in bloody armor that she hadn’t had time to change out of, pressing his thin lips tightly.

Bai Qingyan was indeed so bold! She returned to the Jin army camp without hastily destroying the traces of the battle at Qiushan Pass and was walking around the camp in that blood-stained armor.

That woman, holding a sword, with a straight posture and resolute steps, followed by five battle-hardened generals from the Bai family army, exuded the aura of a commander. Her demeanor was imposing and steady, with a surrounding atmosphere of terrifying lethality, and her gaze held no hidden intent to kill, sharp and forceful.

Li Zhijie’s eyelids twitched heavily twice.

“Prince, Bai Qingyan seems to be prepared. Otherwise, she wouldn’t dare to walk around the camp in blood-stained armor like this,” Lu Tianzhuo lowered his voice beside Li Zhijie’s ear.

They had already arrived at the Jin army camp. Having gotten to this point, they couldn’t afford to overthink. Li Zhijie’s eyes followed closely after Bai Qingyan…

“At this point, I have no intention to actually harm Bai Qingyan with this incident. As long as I can plant a seed of doubt in the Crown Prince of Jin’s heart, this wound of mine is not in vain,” Li Zhijie said.

*
The Crown Prince had been asleep for only a short while before being awakened again. Already frustrated, on hearing that Li Zhijie had brought the bodies of the Huying Camp elite soldiers… and over twenty corpses of Jin-clad men, he was suddenly much more awake.

While letting Quan Yu help him change, he also ordered someone to summon the old Fang, Qin Shangzhi, and Ren Shijie.

When the old Fang and the others arrived, dressed hastily and holding up their robes, Zhang Duanrui, Bai Qingyan, and several generals were already waiting at the entrance of the Crown Prince’s main tent.

Zhang Duanrui was so anxious he kept stomping his feet but could only watch as the palace maids and eunuchs carried copper basins, hot water, and cloths, moving in and out in a line.

“This Xiliang King Yan comes with ill intentions!” Zhang Duanrui looked towards the outside of the camp, lowering his voice and asking Bai Qingyan, “General Bai, in yesterday’s battle, did the Huying Camp brothers injure this Xiliang King Yan?”

The old Fang also turned to look at Bai Qingyan upon hearing this.

Before Bai Qingyan could shake her head, Bai Jinzhi couldn’t hold back and said, “Absolutely not! In yesterday’s battle… I saw all the Huying Camp brothers retreat up the mountain alive with my own eyes before Eldest Young Lady and I retreated! After we retreated up the mountain, that Xiliang King Yan appeared on horseback! We didn’t touch a single hair on him!”

The old Fang squinted and stroked his goatee.

This matter had been spoken about inside the Crown Prince’s main tent. That they encountered King Yan had been mentioned as well… At that time, they indeed hadn’t said they injured King Yan.

“It seems the King Yan fears the Jin Kingdom will pursue the matter of Jin-clad experts hidden in Qiushan City. He wants to strike first! After all, the Xiliang people hold the bodies of our Jin army’s Huying Camp elite soldiers. Naturally, the Xiliang King Yan can say whatever he wants!” Qin Shangzhi frowned tightly.

The old Fang’s eyelids twitched: “They suggested a peace talk at a set time and place. Then the Xiliang King Yan avoided it by many excuses, intending to reschedule. The Jin-clad experts inside Qiushan Pass, and now King Yan arriving wounded today, leaving out our Huying Camp elite soldiers as a factor, likely indicates the reason those Jin-clad experts were stationed in Qiushan!”

Qin Shangzhi’s eyes widened as he looked at the old Fang, instantly understanding his meaning: “Old Fang means, if the Crown Prince had agreed to reschedule the peace talk yesterday, Xiliang might have pretended to arrange for these Jin-clad experts to assassinate King Yan…”