Chu Tianze loosened his grip slightly upon hearing this, then lowered his head and softly asked, "Xiaoxiao, answer me."
Bai Chuxiao blinked and laughed, "Why are you acting like a child? Aren't you old enough?"
"Xiaoxiao, shall we get married after we get back this time?" Chu Tianze asked cautiously. He was confident in everything on the battlefield, but he felt afraid only when facing the woman in front of him...
Bai Chuxiao didn't answer immediately, but pondered for a moment. She was only fifteen years old, and she didn't really want to get married so early. However, if it was this man in front of her, it seemed like she could consider it. She could sense Chu Tianze's unease. Should she agree to his proposal?
"I won't restrict you, I won't make demands on you, I won't control you. Marrying me will only make you more free and unrestrained than living in the Bai family. In the future, we can practice martial arts together, train soldiers together, and fight on the battlefield together. If we don't want to, we can also travel the world together... I want to help you realize all those wonderful ideas in your mind..."
The gentle voice that came from Chu Tianze's lips was like a ray of light in the darkness, warming Bai Chuxiao's heart. What he said was what she longed for and yearned for: to have a confidant by her side through the long years—that would be enough.
"Okay," Bai Chuxiao looked up at him and smiled gently. The night was long and the stars were twinkling. The two embraced under the moon, quietly feeling each other's heartbeats...
Early the next morning, Xiao Hong and Yuwen Yaofeng rode at the forefront of the army, gazing at the Shangliu city wall in the distance. Liu Qingshan's head hung high, the dried blood clearly visible on it. Both men looked grim. Liu Qingshan had been killed, and their supplies burned. Now, they had to act quickly; dragging things out would be disadvantageous for them, and there was already some discontent within the Northern Yan court...
Chu Tianze personally led his army to open the city gates to meet the enemy, accompanied by Yu Fengyang and Murong Xuan. Today was a true head-on confrontation, and he naturally wanted to personally confront these two so-called 'geniuses' on the other side.
The two armies faced each other from a distance. Xiao Hong, clad in white armor, laughed and said, "Prince Yan, your methods last night were quite impressive. I admire you."
Chu Tianze remained calm, "Third Prince, you've praised the wrong person."
Yu Fengyang, impatient with all this, stepped forward and challenged, "Stop talking nonsense, who dares to fight me?" He had been feeling incredibly frustrated these past few days and now just wanted a good, satisfying battle.
Yuwen Yaofeng gave a signal to one of his lieutenants, who immediately stepped forward with his sword drawn and shouted, "Grandpa, I'll take you on!"
Both armies remained stationary, observing quietly; the pre-battle challenges were also a means of intimidating the enemy.
Bai Chuxiao, dressed in a striking red outfit, led Cui Hao and Qing Shuang to the city wall. Wei Junyan snorted coldly upon seeing them but said nothing more.
"Seventh sister-in-law, did you get a good night's rest last night?" Chu Tianyou asked with a smile as he stepped forward.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness," Bai Chuxiao nodded with a smile, then began to observe what was below.
She had never seen Yu Fengyang in action before, and seeing him today, she couldn't help but admire him. He truly possessed the bearing of a fierce general; no wonder Chu Tianze always took him with him to battle.
Sensing a red shadow on the city wall, Xiao Hong looked over and saw a woman. He was surprised and asked in confusion, "Who is that?"
Yuwen Yaofeng narrowed his eyes. "Your Highness, the assassins who killed Liu Qingshan yesterday were two women. Could it be them?"
This has never happened before; it can't be a coincidence.
A hint of appreciation flickered in Xiao Hong's eyes. Intrigued, he thought, "To be able to appear so openly on the city wall, one must be of extraordinary status. Whether that's true or not, a test will tell."
With lightning speed, Xiao Hong drew his bow and shot an arrow towards the city wall, but this arrow was not aimed at Bai Chuxiao; instead, it was aimed straight at Liu Qingshan's head.
Bai Chuxiao had noticed the two of them long ago, so she naturally wouldn't be caught off guard. Just as the long arrow was about to touch the thin rope with the severed head hanging from it, she took out her mirror and swung it downwards, instantly breaking the arrow in two and sending it falling to the ground.
Chu Tianyou and Wei Junyan, standing to the side, both tensed up. Having witnessed Bai Chuxiao's attack firsthand, they were still somewhat shocked.
Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly. "You think you're the only one who can shoot heads? I'm much better at it than you."
"Bring me the bow."
Taking the bow and arrow from Cui Hao, Bai Chuxiao drew the bow and pointed it directly at Yuwen Yaofeng, then gave Xiao Hong a provocative look.
Xiao Hong raised an eyebrow. "Can Yaofeng handle this?" After that test, he was certain that last night's events were the work of this woman. He just didn't know when Great Xia had produced such a person, especially a woman.
Yuwen Yaofeng's face turned ashen as an arrow was pointed at him. Did they think he was a pushover? "Of course not."
The arrow flew from the bow, and Bai Chuxiao's lips curled into a smile. Yuwen Yaofeng was already prepared to block the arrow, but who knew that the arrow wouldn't be aimed at him, but would go straight for the deputy general who was fighting Yu Fengyang.
The lieutenant hadn't expected this at all, and caught off guard, he fell off his horse.
The person he was fighting so fiercely suddenly collapsed, and Yu Fengyang felt a chill run down his spine. He looked back at the city wall and saw Bai Chuxiao holding a bow. He muttered to himself, "My goodness, what if this arrow misses and hits her?" Does a young lady have to be so ruthless?
Seeing this sudden turn of events, Yuwen Yaofeng gritted his teeth. He had actually been tricked by a woman; it was truly infuriating.
The Crown Prince suddenly felt a chill on his neck. Was this still the Miss Bai he used to know? He recalled how Princess Lingxiang had dared to challenge her to an archery contest at a palace banquet years ago—wasn't that just courting death?
Wei Junyan remained silent with a grim face. It was best to get rid of this woman as soon as possible, otherwise she would definitely become a major threat to Tianling in the future.
Looking at Chu Tianze, whose expression remained calm, Xiao Hong's lips curled into a cold smile. "The Great Xia Dynasty truly produces many talented individuals. Prince Yan, your calm demeanor suggests that this woman might have some connection to you."
Chu Tianze said calmly, "There's no need for you, Third Prince, to trouble yourself with that."
Then, with a wave of his hand, Yu Fengyang and Murong Xuan each led their armies in a planned charge. Now that the enemy's deputy general was dead, their own morale was high. Strike while the iron was hot; this was the best time to attack.
Xiao Hong's face turned ashen. "I have long admired the name of the Prince of Yan, and now I, Your Highness, would like to have the opportunity to learn from you."
Chu Tianze snorted coldly, and the two began to fight back and forth. Xiao Hong's reputation for bravery and skill in battle was well-deserved; he held his own against Chu Tianze, and in no time, they had exchanged several hundred blows.
Chu Tianze was already considered a master; out of the seven princes of Great Xia, only one had achieved this level of skill. Yet Xiao Hong was holding his own against him. Bai Chuxiao was somewhat surprised. "I've heard that the people of Bei Yan are known for their fierce and unyielding nature. Seeing this today, it's certainly true. Are the other princes of Bei Yan similar to him?"
If that's the case, with elite troops and strong generals, I'm afraid the Great Xia will have a hard time resisting in the future.
Cui Hao shook his head and chuckled, "Miss, you're overthinking it. The Northern Yan royal family has only produced one prince, the Third Prince." The other princes are good, but not as strong. Otherwise, there would have been more than just Xiao Hong present this time.
Bai Chuxiao thought about it and realized it made sense. If everyone were that strong, Great Xia would have been devoured long ago. Seeing Yuwen Yaofeng's talent today, she couldn't help but become curious about his father, the legendary Pillar General.
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