As far as the eye could see, there were at least tens of thousands!
How did this wretched Plague City suddenly amass such a large army?
"Everyone, charge with me!"
"Kill!" Zhou Qichen, not one for idle talk, shouted once before riding straight towards General Guan.
The soldiers of Plague City, trained in modern tactics, also cried out as they charged towards the imperial troops.
"Kill them all!"
"Slaughter more imperial soldiers, I want to achieve great deeds!"
"To hell with the imperial court! Kill these lapdogs!"
The trained special forces and elite soldiers mingled among the regular troops, ready to ambush and deliver fatal blows to the imperial officers at any moment.
Seeing the dense mass of Plague City soldiers, General Guan was first stunned for a few seconds, then his face finally changed drastically.
How could there be so many soldiers?!
Weren't they supposed to be just a few thousand ragtag troops?
Weren't they supposed to be unable to recruit soldiers?
Clearly, during their last confrontation, Plague City didn't have this many troops. What had happened in these few short months?
He had been deceived!
"Quick, form ranks! Don't panic! Don't be afraid..." General Guan was about to give commands when he saw Zhou Qichen charging towards him with a murderous look.
General Guan quickly shut his mouth, not daring to be distracted, and focused on engaging Zhou Qichen in combat.
As the two sides clashed, Zhou Qichen proved to be superior. He thrust his long spear directly into General Guan's shoulder!
"Squelch—"
General Guan let out a muffled groan of pain, his eyes quickly scanning the battlefield. His heart sank.
How could the imperial elite troops be losing to the Elder Princess's motley crew?
How was this possible!
What terrifying training method had Zhou Qichen used? How could it be so formidable!
This battle couldn't continue!
"Retreat! Fall back!"
"Zhou Qichen, you just wait! Next time, I'll have your head!" General Guan made a snap decision, turning his horse to flee, not forgetting to hurl threats at Zhou Qichen.
Seeing their leader fleeing, the imperial troops panicked, abandoning their armor and weapons as they ran for their lives.
They had arrived with great fanfare, but they left in utter disarray.
Zhou Qichen watched General Guan's wounded retreat with cold eyes, raising his hand to stop the soldiers behind him. "Don't pursue a desperate enemy! Clean up the battlefield!"
Another great victory!
After clearing the battlefield, Zhou Qichen immediately returned to the city to report to the Elder Princess.
The Elder Princess looked at the captured imperial soldiers before her.
They were covered in gunshot and sword wounds, their bodies drenched in blood, clearly unable to flee with the main force.
Now, these prisoners abandoned by the imperial court were staring at her with anxious or hostile gazes.
"Take them away and treat their wounds first!" the Elder Princess commanded with a fleeting glance.
With a few casual words, she decided the fate of these hundreds of imperial soldiers.
The imperial soldiers seemed unable to believe their ears. They suddenly raised their heads, looking at the Elder Princess with shocked expressions.
The Elder Princess wasn't going to kill them?
She even wanted to treat their wounds?
Why?
Weren't captured soldiers usually treated brutally? Why was the Elder Princess being so merciful?
This couldn't be a dream, could it?
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Having fled back in a sorry state, General Guan furiously ordered Qin Vice General to be put under guard. He stormed into the tent and unleashed another round of angry questioning at Qin Vice General!
"During today's battle, I was secretly observing you the whole time, and sure enough! You're definitely suspicious! A vice general of your rank, hiding in the rear without killing a single Plague City soldier!"
"Qin Vice General, you still dare to tell me you haven't betrayed us!"
"In my opinion, you must have already submitted to the Elder Princess. Otherwise, why didn't you kill a single soldier in today's battle? Otherwise, why did Zhou Qichen not target you first, but came after me instead?"
No matter how General Guan pressed him, Qin Vice General stubbornly denied any betrayal.
After another round of sharp questioning.
Qin Vice General still refused to admit any collusion with the Elder Princess, leaving General Guan with no choice but to kick him in frustration.
He didn't dare to actually kill an imperial officer, so he could only issue a cold warning before leaving: "Go explain yourself to the Emperor whether you've colluded or not!"
"You'd better not have, or else I'll certainly report to the Emperor and have your entire clan executed!"
Not long after General Guan left.
Gu Sang once again made contact with Qin Vice General.
"General Qin."
"So you've indeed been placed under guard. I told you this wasn't necessary, didn't I?"
"General Guan is a ruthless and vicious man. He will surely find an opportunity to harm you. Do you think you need me to ask the Elder Princess to rescue you?"
Gu Sang sat in a brightly lit room by the window, while Qin Vice General was confined in a tent under guard, waiting to be sent back to the capital for questioning.
Regarding General Qin's predicament, Gu Sang's face showed neither mockery nor sympathy, only an expressionless inquiry about whether he needed help.
Qin Vice General's face revealed a self-mocking expression.
He saw through it and said, "Last time when you and the Elder Princess let me return, you already knew this would happen, didn't you!"
"Any commander would be suspicious if they saw their subordinate captured by the enemy, only to be released without any conditions. They would definitely think there was a plot."
"In General Guan's eyes, from the moment I returned, I had already secretly pledged allegiance to the Elder Princess. I am a traitor to the imperial court."
Gu Sang shook her head and said with a sigh, "The Elder Princess absolutely doesn't think that way!"
"She admires you because when the late Emperor was alive, he once said you were both wise and brave, a good general capable of leading troops into battle."
"On one hand, the Elder Princess values talent, and on the other hand, although we serve different masters, we are ultimately all children of the Central Plains."
"No matter how the rulers fight among themselves, it has nothing to do with you officers and soldiers. You are innocent!"
Hearing these words, Qin Vice General was deeply moved, and a glimmer of confusion appeared in his eyes.
No matter how the rulers fight, the officers and soldiers below are innocent.
The Elder Princess, a woman, understood this principle.
But the current Emperor had blamed this defeat on him.
He despaired at this injustice, this corruption that permeated everything from top to bottom.
But he was powerless to change it, and could only despairingly accept the doctrine that if the ruler wants a subject to die, the subject must die.
"Enough."
Qin Vice General closed his eyes and laughed weakly, "Miss Gu, don't try to persuade me anymore. Even if I die unjustly, I will never change my allegiance."
Seeing Qin Vice General treat life and death so lightly.
Gu Sang hadn't expected Qin Vice General to possess such loyal integrity, which only strengthened her resolve to convince him.
She noticed the bitterness and sorrow deep in Qin Vice General's eyes.
After a brief moment of contemplation, she spoke slowly and deliberately: "Qin Vice General, I have just one question for you. When you've been campaigning east and west, those numerous times you've faced death on the battlefield, what was truly in your heart?"
"Is your real purpose for going to war simply to achieve glory and merit? Or is it out of loyalty to the Pei Family alone?"
"Search your conscience and tell me, what's your genuine motivation for preventing the Xiongnu from invading the Central Plains?"
