The Crown Prince of Huaiyang also wanted to claim credit for this victory and immediately pleaded with the Prince of Huaiyang, “Father, let me lead the troops to kill every last Chu soldier!”

After several days of failed attempts to capture Xuzhou, and with their own stronghold occupied, the Prince of Huaiyang was also feeling extremely frustrated and urgently wanted to achieve a victory to boost morale.

He readily agreed, saying, “My son, bring back the heads of those Chu generals!”

The Crown Prince of Huaiyang led ten thousand elite soldiers to encircle the refugee convoy.

Seeing the other side not retreating but instead advancing, the leader of the refugees felt a sense of danger and continued to shout, “We are all refugees fleeing from Qingxi County, infected with the plague! If you’re not afraid of death, come and get us!”

The Crown Prince of Huaiyang thought they were a small group of Chu soldiers disguised as refugees, so he dismissed their words as a show of force.

Previously, the Chu Crown Prince had used such tactics to capture several cities, and if they were scared off by such rhetoric, it would be a disgrace.

Brandishing his weapon, the Crown Prince of Huaiyang rode forth and shouted, “Shameless Chu thieves, surrender!”

The refugees had never faced such a formation before.

Previously, when they attacked the city, the opposing armies had always avoided them from a distance.

This was the first time they were engaging in close combat.

Having never been trained and with weapons inferior to those of the Huaiyang army, many of the ten thousand soldiers were already frightened by the charging forces.

They could barely hold their weapons steady.

In this clash, the Huaiyang army achieved almost overwhelming victory, and the refugees were driven to flee in all directions.

The Crown Prince of Huaiyang pursued the leader of the refugees closely. “Where do you think you’re running, Chu scum?”

Hearing him repeatedly calling them Chu scum, the leader of the refugees realized they were mistaken for Chu soldiers and shouted as he ran, “We’re really not Chu soldiers! The Chu army trapped us in Qingxi County to die, and we killed the officials and soldiers of Qingxi County to escape!”

Seeing the great victory, the Crown Prince of Huaiyang was eager to interrogate the leader of the refugees and coldly ordered, “Bind him and bring him back. Let’s see if we can extract some military intelligence from the Chu camp.”

The leader of the refugees, knowing he was facing certain death, was filled with hatred.

He twisted his head and fiercely bit one of the soldiers’ wrists.

The bitten soldier cried out in pain, and another soldier stabbed the leader of the refugees with his sword.

In intense pain, the leader of the refugees finally relented.

“These Chu soldiers are really a ragtag bunch. Instead of using swords, they act like shrews, scratching and biting like mad. It’s ridiculous!”

A deputy general who arrived later sneered at the scene.

The Crown Prince of Huaiyang looked around and saw that many of the refugees indeed did not use swords but only scratched, clawed, and bit.

He felt a bit strange but said, “The remnants of the Chu are nothing more than a group of bandits who can’t fight head-on. It’s no wonder they only know how to use such tricks to capture cities.”

The leader of the refugees, hearing this, stopped arguing that they were not Chu soldiers.

He spat out a mouthful of blood foam, looked at the Crown Prince of Huaiyang, and smiled strangely.

Unknowingly, that smile sent a chill down the Crown Prince of Huaiyang’s spine.

Having completely wiped out the refugee army and captured the leader of the refugees alive, the King of Huaiyang was delighted and praised his son extravagantly.

Qin Zheng led twenty thousand troops southward with Yang Yi.

Just as they reached the vicinity of Qingxi County, they heard that the Huaiyang army was advancing, so Qin Zheng immediately ordered the entire city to be put on high alert.

The spies of Huaiyang learned that a Chu army had reinforced the nearby prefectural government.

Uncertain of the enemy’s strength and holding “hostages” in their hands, they didn’t want to waste troops attacking the city.

Instead, they sent someone to deliver a letter to the prefectural government, demanding that the Chu army inside the city surrender the leader of the refugees in exchange for the city.

Upon receiving the letter, Qin Zheng was shocked and pale.

She asked Yang Yi, “Did the Huaiyang army clash with the refugee convoy from Qingxi County?”

Yang Yi, fully aware of the seriousness of the situation, replied solemnly, “Exactly. The refugee convoy, which was previously attacking the city and had their siege equipment burned, turned westward and encountered the Huaiyang army returning from Xuzhou. The Prince of Huaiyang mistook them for our soldiers disguised as refugees and surrounded and killed them.”

Qin Zheng, feeling anxious, paced back and forth in the room.

Feng County was just a small city with weak defenses.

If they refused to hand over the city in exchange for the leader of the refugees, the Huaiyang army would attack, and it wouldn’t take long to capture it.

But shortly after the Prince Huaiyang’s army had clashed with the refugee convoy, if any of his soldiers had contracted the plague, it would quickly spread throughout the entire army.

Qin Zheng dared not gamble with the lives of the soldiers inside the city, nor did she dare to engage in war with the Prince of Huaiyang.

Furthermore, Chu Chengji was about to take over Wu County.

If the Prince of Huaiyang were to find out at this moment that his soldiers might have contracted the plague, no one could guarantee what desperate decisions he might make.

Qin Zheng’s heart raced with worry.

They couldn’t fight the Prince Huaiyang, but if they only evacuated the military stationed in the city, it would be a death sentence for the civilians inside.

She looked at the map on the table, trying to calm herself down. “First, negotiate with the Prince of Huaiyang to stabilize him. Then arrange for the civilians in the city to evacuate to Minzhou overnight, trying to evacuate all the civilians and soldiers in the city within three days.”

Negotiation was just a temporary measure.

The Huaiyang’s army was stationed nearby.

It wouldn’t take long for them to know that they weren’t fighting Chu Chengji’s army but the real refugee convoy from Qingxi County.

The nearest large city to Feng County was only Minzhou, whose city defenses were several times stronger than those of Feng County.

Only there would they find respite.

Under normal marching conditions, it would take about two days to reach Minzhou from Feng County.

Adding the civilians in the city, Qin Zheng couldn’t guarantee that they would all be evacuated within three days.

At such times, all they could do was their best and leave the rest to fate.

On that day, Qin Zheng summoned the officials of Feng County and informed them of the situation, instructing the local government to cooperate with the military in evacuating the civilians.

Upon hearing that the Prince Huaiyang’s army had clashed with the refugee convoy from Qingxi County, the officials of Feng County were all in a panic.

They knew that Feng County, although able to resist a group of refugees, could not withstand the well-trained army under the Prince Huaiyang.

Regarding the evacuation, they all followed Qin Zheng’s orders.

After agreeing on the details of the evacuation, they needed to select a civil official to go to the Prince of Huaiyang camp to negotiate and delay time.

The officials already knew that it might be too late for the Huaiyang’s army, and going to negotiate might mean certain death.

Many hesitated.

After a moment of silence, the county magistrate of Feng County stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, I am willing to go to the Huaiyang’s army and negotiate with him to buy time for the evacuation of the people of Feng County.”

Someone below whispered, “County Magistrate!”

The county magistrate held his tablet of office, his graying hair neatly tied up in the court style. “Your Highness, for caring about the people of Feng County and doing so much for them, I am deeply grateful.

I have served as the magistrate of Feng County for more than ten years, achieving nothing significant.

I have been anxious, but now that I can do something for the people of Feng County, I am overjoyed. I hope Your Highness will grant me this opportunity.”

With that, he bowed deeply to Qin Zheng.

Although everyone knew that this was likely a death sentence, this elderly official spoke as if he were seeking some merit.

Qin Zheng felt a sudden surge of bitterness in her heart and quickly stepped down to help the county magistrate up. “Mr. Tang’s merits will be remembered by both me and His Highness.”

When Qin Zheng’s army arrived in Feng County, someone handed her the roster of officials in Feng County.

The elderly man in front of her was named Tang Wenyuan, who had entered through the imperial examination from a poor background in the first year of the Jingtai reign.

After being sent away in the third year of Jingtai, he had never returned to the capital.

What he referred to as his lack of significant achievements was actually more than a decade of peace and prosperity for the people of Feng County.

Tang Wenyuan’s eyes welled with tears as he bowed to Qin Zheng again. “When His Highness recovers the country, I am willing to assist His Highness in managing this small Feng County.”

On his aged face, there was a blend of calmness and determination after enduring hardships.

This last gesture was for the Great Chu Dynasty.

Qin Zheng accepted it on behalf of the Great Chu Dynasty.

Everyone knew that after this departure, there might never be a “future day.”

Suppressing the bitterness that rose from her heart to her eyes, Qin Zheng nodded. “His Highness will establish a better Chu Dynasty than before, just like the prosperous one three hundred years ago. Mr. Tang, you must come back to assist His Highness.”

The old official readily agreed, causing many officials to secretly wipe away tears.

The next day, Tang Wenyuan went alone to the Huaiyang King’s camp under the guise of negotiating with him.

On the city walls of Feng County, only enough soldiers were left to fill the battlements, giving the impression that Feng County was not an empty city.

Qin Zheng had left with the last group of civilians.

For those soldiers who volunteered to stay behind, Qin Zheng registered their names and treated their families well.

Since most of the civilians had families, the marching speed was slow.

Along the way, Qin Zheng instructed the accompanying soldiers to help carry the civilians’ belongings and carry the elderly or children on their backs.

Except for a few hundred cavalry necessary for their safety, all the other horses in the army were used to transport the civilians’ belongings.

Qin Zheng even gave up her own carriage to serve as a delivery room for a woman in labor.

Unfortunately, due to the bumpy road, when the woman went into labor, there wasn’t even time to prepare hot water.

There was an experienced midwife among the refugees who kept urging the pregnant woman to push harder, but only the sound of the woman’s painful groans could be heard inside, as if enduring excruciating torture.

Qin Zheng had only heard before that giving birth was like passing through the gates of hell, but now she was truly witnessing it.

The woman was completely exhausted afterward.

Qin Zheng ordered a slice of ginseng to be cut for her to chew on. It wasn’t until dawn the next day that the child was born.

The woman was as pale as paper, unable to lift her eyelids.

She only said she was hungry, but her mouth, now turning pale, couldn’t even open to swallow the food her husband brought her.

The midwife shook her head and said the woman couldn’t hold on any longer.

When the army rested, Qin Zheng hurriedly had some hot soup prepared and brought it over.

Before the woman could even drink it, she breathed her last breath.

Only the wrinkled baby in the swaddle continued to cry loudly, seemingly unaware that it had lost its mother as soon as it was born.

With limited resources, Qin Zheng ordered a few soldiers to dig a hasty grave and bury the woman.

The woman’s husband knelt beside the grave, holding the baby and weeping bitterly.

The army and the people continued their migration toward Minzhou in the dim morning light without stopping for the deceased mother—such separations and farewells were too common in times of war, and everyone was just trying to survive.

Qin Zheng stood on a high slope, watching the civilians struggling on the road below, and gazing into the distant golden morning light, feeling a heavy weight in her heart.

When would this world ever see peace again?

They had rushed for two days and nights, and were now less than fifty miles from Minzhou, but on the third afternoon, they were once again pursued by the Huaiyang King’s army, which had been chasing them all the way.

When the scout returned with the news, his voice trembled, “Your Highness, a cavalry unit flying the banner of the Huaiyang King is speeding towards us. They are less than fifteen miles away from here!”

With the speed of cavalry, it wouldn’t take them half an hour to catch up.

Half an hour was all they had left, and they could only retreat another five miles with the civilians.

The accompanying officials from Feng County were horrified and hurriedly came to persuade her, “Your Highness, let’s evacuate the army to Minzhou first and let the civilians follow later!”

Qin Zheng looked at the official who spoke, her gaze as sharp as a sword, cutting through all falsehoods, leaving everything bare and exposed.

The official lowered his head under Qin Zheng’s gaze.

Qin Zheng didn’t get angry, she simply asked, “Mr. Tang went alone to negotiate with the Prince of Huaiyang army, allowing you and the people of Feng County to evacuate hundreds of miles. Today, with only fifty miles left, are you going to push the people of Feng County out to block the way?”

Her words made many officials from Feng County feel ashamed.

Some officials were also troubled, “If our soldiers come into contact with the Prince of Huaiyang troops, what if they contract the disease?”

Qin Zheng turned around, looking at the official road winding through the mountains not far away, and calmly said, “Set the mountain on fire.”

With the entire mountain ablaze, this road would be impassable for at least half a day.

Even if the Prince Huaiyang’s cavalry took a detour, it would still take considerable effort.

Qin Zheng ordered the civilians to throw away everything they could and move quickly toward Minzhou.

Fifteen thousand soldiers and the people of Feng County traveled together, while another five thousand troops stayed behind to burn the provisions and grain on the mountain, dousing the entire mountain with oil and setting it ablaze.

With the last torch thrown down, the entire mountain became a sea of flames.

Soldiers riding down from the mountain were still engulfed in flames, rolling on the ground in agony.

Their comrades poured water on them, which had been prepared in advance, to extinguish the fire.

Without time to bandage their wounds, the soldiers helped their burnt comrades and continued their retreat to Minzhou.

However, the remaining five thousand troops were in chaos.

Qin Zheng stayed with them all along, seeming to be the backbone of this army.

As long as she was there, even though they knew that the Prince Huaiyang pursuers were right behind a mountain engulfed in flames, the soldiers felt no fear.

—The princess consort had never abandoned a single person from Feng County, let alone these soldiers of the Great Chu.

The fire that spread throughout the entire mountain range did indeed block the pursuit of the Prince Huaiyang’s cavalry.

However, the last five thousand soldiers to retreat had not outrun the Huaiyang King’s cavalry.

The Huaiyang King’s cavalry took a detour and caught up with them again ten miles from Minzhou.

Yang Yi found a war horse and urged Qin Zheng to mount it. “Your Highness, these dozens of elite riders will escort you into the city. I will lead the men to fight here. We can surely hold out for a few more moments.”

“General Yang…”

Qin Zheng gritted her teeth, suppressing the bitterness in her eyes, and turned to look in the direction of the southeast, where towering mountains blocked her view, and beyond them was Minzhou City.

They were only a few miles away.

Yang Yi grinned, “Being able to follow His Highness and Your Highness is the greatest fortune of Yang Yi’s life.

The people of Feng County should have safely entered Minzhou City by now. The blessings I’ve received in this lifetime are already more than enough.”

The more he said this, the more uncomfortable Qin Zheng felt in her heart, gripping the reins tightly in her hand.

In the distance, dust billowed, and the sound of hooves was like muffled thunder.

The Prince Huaiyangs cavalry had caught up.

Yang Yi slapped his war horse hard and shouted, “Your Highness, please go quickly!”

The war horse charged out, and dozens of cavalry escorted Qin Zheng to retreat to Minzhou.

Qin Zheng looked back with red eyes: General Yang!

“Woo…”

Suddenly, a low, deep horn sounded from the front, heavy but extremely penetrating.

Qin Zheng turned back in astonishment and saw the black-and-gold Chu flag already appearing on the distant horizon.

Following closely behind were not cavalry, but thousands upon thousands of riderless war horses.

Occasionally, a few soldiers on horseback blew sharp whistles, and all the war horses followed suit, galloping or turning in response.

Yang Yi and the others were overjoyed to see these war horses, no longer preparing for battle and instead rushing over here.

Everyone had four legs, so they weren’t afraid of being relentlessly pursued by the Prince Huaiyang’s cavalry anymore.

Behind the war horses were rows of bed crossbows already set up, waiting for their people to withdraw so they could shoot down the Prince Huaiyang’s cavalry from behind the mountain.

Qin Zheng saw Chu Chengji standing on a high slope, the black-and-gold Chu flag fluttering behind him like a strong dark cloud.

Wasn’t he supposed to be attacking Wu County? How could he appear in Minzhou?

Qin Zheng was somewhat surprised, but mostly relieved.

It seemed that he had also seen her, and he rode directly towards her, his black cloak billowing behind him, with sand and dust rising under the hooves.

Perhaps it was because of his armor, but Qin Zheng felt that his face was cold and stern, somewhat intimidating.