This was Gu Yuzhi's first real time on the battlefield.

Even though he had made preparations all the way, when the war actually came, he still felt a moment of panic.

Looking at the same face, Gu Yuzhi pursed his lips tightly.

These people are not Northern Di people, but officials and soldiers of the Sang Dynasty. How could the King of Chu do such a thing?

The constant collisions forced Gu Yuzhi to abandon these meaningless thoughts. He mounted his horse and raised his soft sword high.

Regardless of what he thinks, the most important thing now is to ensure the safety of their people and the safety of the people of Huizhou!

Gu Yuzhi's childish voice rang out outside Anning Gate: "Form the Fish Scale Formation!"

The previously scattered elite troops quickly became orderly in their movements.

Guard Zhang and Jiang Kangming, along with their respective men, took their positions as planned. The formation, which they had practiced countless times along the way, had finally become a reality.

The combat tactics on the sand table were recreated in Gu Yuzhi's mind like pictures.

They brandished their swords and took a silent step forward. The formation of several hundred people was as imposing as if there were thousands.

General Liu and his men never expected that they, who had initially held the upper hand, would be surrounded by the enemy.

He turned around in a panic, only to realize that their numbers had dwindled without him noticing.

General Liu felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the enemy who had already formed their battle formation.

He had already figured out who the other party was. These people were not the bandits and outlaws they were chasing, but government soldiers, and government soldiers with more combat experience than them!

Gu Yuzhi's identity is about to be revealed...

Before the war even began, General Liu and his men had already shown their fear.

But he had no choice but to raise his long sword as well, trying to calm the somewhat panicked emotions of his men: "My comrades! A bright future awaits us. Follow me and we will break through the encirclement!"

Regardless, they had the advantage in numbers, and most importantly, the other city gates were still guarded by their men.

If even one person manages to break through the encirclement, they will be saved!

General Liu looked at the soldiers in front of him, who were advancing and retreating with composure, and his eyes reddened. He couldn't say whether he regretted it or not, after all, he had chosen this path himself.

Following the Prince of Chu might allow them to gain merit by joining the new emperor, but if they were to follow the emperor, the Jiangnan region would have been peaceful for so many years, and these soldiers would have no chance to go to the battlefield, let alone earn military merit.

Does he intend to remain in the position of guerrilla general until he is old?

Most importantly, they had already been fattened up by the King of Chu's money, and at this point, it was impossible for them to remain untainted!

General Liu understood this point, and his gaze towards Gu Yuzhi became even more resolute!

If he can capture King Wen alive, His Highness the King of Chu will surely reward him!

Gu Yuzhi was unaware that his identity had been exposed. Even if he did, he had no time to think about anything else. He held the reins, stood on the horse's back, raised his soft sword high, and his childish voice rang out again: "Charge!"

At his command, the entire team advanced in an orderly fashion, their men maintaining a tacit silence, the sounds of battle muffled and low.

The encirclement was gradually compressed. Whether it was the men brought by Qi Chengjun or the hundreds of elite soldiers, they all had only one goal: to annihilate all the naval forces outside Anning Gate here.

We can't let a single one slip through the net!

Gu Yuzhi mounted his horse again and roamed the battlefield. Looking at the splattered blood, his small face was tense. Realizing that his people were at a disadvantage, he raised his voice again: "Change to Crane Wing Formation!"

The previously scattered formation quickly regrouped, and the encirclement was shrunk once again.

Gu Yuzhi finally jumped off the carriage and joined the battle, brandishing his soft sword.

When facing an enemy, Gu Yuzhi's mind was filled with the scenes of fighting with Mr. Huo, every move and style of which was a way to kill.

But no matter what, Gu Yuzhi was only an eight-year-old child. He was no match for an adult in strength, and his tiger's mouth was split open in the end.

At first, he endured the pain, but in the end, all the pain seemed to become numb, and he only had one thing in his mind: to kill!

The sounds of clashing swords and the cries of the wounded were all drowned out by the howling wind.

Mr. Huo and Guard Zhang stayed by Gu Yuzhi's side, but they would never help him unless his life was in danger.

Your Highness needs to grow up. In the future, you will face even more ferocious Northern Di people, so you cannot be soft-hearted towards them.

The torches had gone out at some point, but the wind continued to blow. Gu Yuzhi's nostrils were filled with the smell of blood. His face was covered in blood, and he was so exhausted that he could no longer lift his soft sword. He knelt on the ground, panting heavily.

Only then did he realize that it was already dawn, and that General Liu, the guerrilla general, had been captured by Guard Zhang.

The area in front of the suspension bridge was littered with corpses, some from the navy, others from elsewhere; the blood had stained the entire ground red…

Gu Yuzhi stared blankly at everything, and for some reason suddenly felt fortunate that the sky was dark during the battle, otherwise he really couldn't be sure if he could lift the longsword.

The sounds of sharp weapons piercing human bones and the screams of the wounded echoed incessantly in Gu Yuzhi's mind.

At that moment, he truly understood the meaning behind Mr. Huo's words.

War is cruel.

It wasn't the two assassination attempts he'd encountered before, nor was it what he thought—that as long as their people were skilled in martial arts and their formations were good, they would be invincible…

Gu Yuzhi looked up at the sun, which had already risen and was surrounded by a faint halo of light, which was quickly covered by dark clouds.

His vision went black, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.

"Your Highness!"

In his haste, Xie Changshi blurted out his identity.

Qi Chengjun's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly walked over: "Thank you, Chief Secretary."

Chief Secretary Xie had already bent down and picked up Gu Yuzhi. There was no time for pleasantries. He growled, "Your Highness needs to rest now."

Nearly an hour of fighting would be unbearable even for adults like them, let alone a child like His Highness!

Prince Qi had known for a long time that Gu Yuzhi would come, and that Gu Yuzhi had come from the northern desert in secret. So he had arranged a carriage to wait inside the city gate, which came in handy at this moment.

Chief Secretary Xie and Imperial Physician Qin escorted Gu Yuzhi onto the carriage, while Guard Zhang and Mr. Huo stayed behind to direct the cleanup of the battlefield and escort the captured naval personnel into the city.

An hour later, all the corpses outside Anning Gate were buried along with the red-stained soil. As the city gate of Anning Gate closed, the place returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.