Chapter 150

The moment Jiang Xiurun raised her bow, Qin Zhao immediately sensed trouble.

When Rong King fell as expected, Qin Zhao inwardly cursed him as a fool.

But it was too late—he could only watch as the wounded Rong King was dragged back.

Yet, what stung him even more was the striking figure of Jiang Xiurun just moments ago.

In this lifetime, she was dazzling beyond comparison.

And what had Feng Liwu, the man who won her heart, done?

When the Three Counties faced crisis and the Bo state was on the brink, Feng Liwu, just as Qin Zhao had predicted, chose his vast empire over her.

Surely, she must now realize how little truth there was in Feng Liwu’s so-called love? At this thought, a long-suppressed satisfaction rose in Qin Zhao’s heart.

After being disfigured, he had begun to recall more and more of his past life.

If there was one thing he regretted most, it was allowing Jiang Xiurun to move freely in Luo’an City, mingling with noblewomen, tirelessly working to sustain her motherland’s fading existence.

Had it not been for this, would she have attended so many banquets? Would she have caught his eye?

Even though, in that past life, he and she had never crossed any lines, the mere thought of how he had ultimately claimed her tomb for himself filled him with bitter jealousy.

But what left him feeling utterly powerless was that, in this life, she had even borne Feng Liwu’s child.

The past and present intertwined in a torment he could no longer endure.

Only by stripping this woman of everything once again would she finally understand who truly cherished her—only then would she return to his embrace…

With the help of Liang’s Liu Pei, Qin Zhao had been certain that Xie City would soon fall.

The plan was simple: the Rong King and Liu Pei would divide the spoils of Bo state, while he would seize the opportunity to take Jiang Xiurun away, far from this war-torn land.

Victory was within reach.

Yet all of it was undone by the Rong King’s moment of lust.

Qin Zhao was so furious he could have personally severed that fool’s head.

Fortunately, though gravely wounded, the Rong King still clung to life.

Qin Zhao temporarily took command, redirecting the attack to focus on breaking through a single point.

Xie City was weak—if they could force open a breach, the city would fall, and Bo would have no hope of forming a defense.

Jiang Xiurun was well aware of the enemy’s strategy.

Looking at her exhausted soldiers atop the walls, her anxiety burned like fire.

When she noticed Liang reinforcements arriving, she had attempted to write to the King of Anxi, seeking his aid.

If he was willing to harass Liang’s forces, it would relieve some of Xie City’s pressure.

But to her dismay, the King of Anxi, who had secured his throne with Feng Liwu’s backing, flatly refused.

He claimed he was following the Emperor of Qi’s orders to defend Anxi to the death and had no time to concern himself with Bo’s plight.

The moment she received his reply, the last flicker of hope in her heart was extinguished.

She had always known what Feng Liwu valued most—so why had she even bothered to test him, only to humiliate herself?

Feng Liwu had supported Anxi purely to keep Liang in check.

Why would the King of Anxi risk his position for the sake of a tiny, beleaguered Bo?

Cornered with no other options, Jiang Xiurun could only wait for fate to grant Bo a sliver of survival.

Then, as if the heavens had answered, an unexpected cold front arrived—faster and fiercer than she had anticipated.

In a single night, a brutal chill swept across the northwest, blanketing Xie City and its surroundings in pure white.

The city’s defenders were relatively well-prepared, having been provided thick winter garments in advance.

But outside the walls, the Rong army was suffering.

Their firewood supplies were nearly depleted.

Although Qin Zhao ordered men to gather wood from nearby, those who returned after hours of effort brought back barely enough to sustain the army through the bitter cold.

It turned out that, upon hearing Jiang Xiurun mention the possibility of an early winter, Bai Qian had promptly suggested a bold move—cutting down every last tree near the city that could be used for warmth.

Jiang Xiurun thought the idea was excellent and immediately issued an edict outside Xie City, offering high prices to buy firewood.

When the national treasury’s funds proved insufficient, she borrowed gold from her sister-in-law to make large-scale purchases.

The local villagers, seeing a profitable opportunity, flocked to cut wood.

As a result, within less than half a month of the Rong army’s arrival, the mountains outside Xie City were nearly bare.

The soldiers had no chance of finding firewood.

In a single night, countless Rong soldiers froze to death, and dissatisfaction among the troops grew.

The Rong King, who had already lost one eye, found the bitter cold unbearable.

Even though his tent was reinforced with felt, the frigid nights were still torture, and he struggled to endure.

At this moment, his hatred for Jiang Xiurun burned fiercely, but at the same time, he also felt a deep-seated respect for this woman he had once looked down upon—Bo was no longer the state that the Rong had bullied in the past!

This woman, though strikingly beautiful, was cunning and shrewd.

She had completely anticipated the Rong Kingdom’s attack and made all the necessary preparations.

Her devious mind and strategic brilliance were nothing like the weak, easily manipulated women he had imagined.

Even the heavens seemed to favor this Empress Yaren, bringing an exceptionally harsh winter, the likes of which had not been seen in a hundred years.

Every day, horses and weak soldiers perished from the cold.

During assaults on the city, soldiers’ hands were so frozen they could barely grip their swords and spears—how could they possibly storm the walls?

The wounded Rong King could endure no more and decided to retreat.

But Qin Zhao opposed him, insisting that the harsh cold would not last long.

He had already coordinated reinforcements from Liang, who were bringing firewood and other supplies.

Xie City was already at its breaking point—victory was within their grasp if they pressed on.

The Rong King now deeply regretted trusting this scarred and ugly wretch.

He refused to be deceived again and furiously accused Qin Zhao of setting up the Rong army for failure.

Just as he was about to have Qin Zhao executed as an offering to the troops, the Liang reinforcements finally arrived, saving Qin Zhao’s life.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiurun stood atop the city walls, watching as the vast forces of the Liang army approached.

Her heart sank.

The Liang army had come fully prepared, while xie City’s forces had already been severely depleted by the Rong army’s repeated attacks.

How could they possibly hold out now?

At that moment, a heavy silence fell over the city’s defenders.

None of them spoke, yet they all seemed to foresee the impending catastrophe.

Lying on the ground with his head nearly severed, Qin Zhao spotted the Liang banners in the distance and immediately shouted to the Rong King, “Your Majesty! The Liang reinforcements are here! Bo is at its last breath. If the Rong army holds out just a little longer until the Liang troops arrive, we can attack Xie City together and take it with ease!”

Seeing the Liang reinforcements arrive, the Rong King’s single eye gleamed with excitement.

He immediately issued orders, “Warriors, do not panic! We will take Xie City in one swift strike and prove the might of the Rong!”

On the city walls, Jin Kui sighed in despair and turned to Jiang Xiurun.

“Your Majesty, you came to the frontlines yourself and even wounded the Rong King. We were so close to victory, but now the Liang army has arrived to strike us when we’re down. This is no fault of your leadership. Please, Your Majesty, leave the city while you still can. Preserve yourself for the future.”

Bai Qian’er also urged Jiang Xiurun to escape before the enemy forces fully surrounded them.

Jiang Xiurun’s heart filled with bitterness.

She knew the Bo army had always been weak and had only managed to hold out this long thanks to a rare alignment of favorable circumstances.

No matter who the incoming forces were, Bo was now powerless to resist.

The fall of the city was inevitable.

But if Xie City fell, there would be no further strongholds left in Bo, and the state would be doomed.

Given the savage nature of the Rong state, they would undoubtedly massacre the entire city in vengeance.

The lives of every civilian in Xie City were now at stake…

At that moment, the Bo soldiers atop the walls also realized that a new enemy force had arrived outside the city.

Their morale plummeted.

Jiang Xiurun took a deep breath and declared loudly, “Behind Xie City lies our homeland and our families! We fight to the death together, for the gods will protect Bo!”

Just then, war drums thundered across the battlefield as the combined forces of the Rong and Liang armies surged forward.

They swiftly crossed the moat.

The Bo soldiers, knowing this would be their last stand, fought with grim determination, ready to perish defending Xie City.

But suddenly, in the distance, another great cloud of dust rose.

A deep rumbling, like rolling thunder, echoed across the battlefield.

This new army did not rush forward but instead set up siege weapons from afar.

After testing their aim with a few stone projectiles, they adjusted their positioning and began launching a barrage.

Unlike ordinary siege stones, these projectiles were no larger than watermelons, meticulously polished smooth, with long, protruding spikes resembling battering rams.

They did not target the city walls but instead rained down upon the frozen moat.

The spiked projectiles shattered the ice, instantly killing many of the soldiers who had already crossed.

Once they had their range locked in, the siege weapons unleashed a devastating bombardment.

The frozen surface of the moat cracked and shattered, and the soldiers trapped on it were sent plunging into the icy waters like dumplings dropped into boiling soup.

Standing atop the city walls, Jiang Xiurun could now clearly see the approaching army—its soldiers wore the distinct armor of the Qi Dynasty.

As the Qi army advanced, they charged straight toward the Rong encampment with overwhelming momentum, quickly plunging the battlefield into a chaotic melee.

The Liang army had initially come with the intent of profiting from the conflict between Bo and Rong, expecting to swoop in and claim an easy victory once Xie City was on the verge of collapse.

But they never anticipated that a powerful third force would suddenly appear behind them, catching them completely off guard.

Bai Qian’s eyes widened as she saw the figure leading the charge—none other than the young General Dou Siwu.

Wielding twin hammers, he let out wild cries as he charged into the enemy ranks, leaving a trail of blood and carnage in his wake.

Wherever he passed, bodies were sent flying, and soldiers and horses alike toppled chaotically.

The Qi Dynasty army pressed forward, cutting off the retreat at the moat.

Those who had fallen into the icy waters struggled to climb back up, while panic spread among the Rong and Liang soldiers.

Many fled in disarray, scattering to the sides in a desperate bid to escape.

Seeing that the situation had turned against them, the enemy generals swiftly ordered a retreat, their forces collapsing in a chaotic rout.

The army that had besieged Xie City for nearly a month was finally shattered, and the Rong military encampment was set ablaze.

As Feng Liwu sat regally atop his war chariot, his voice rang out, calling for the Bo soldiers to open the gates.

The golden armor he wore gleamed under the rising sun, making him appear strikingly majestic.

Jiang Xiurun barely knew how she made her way down from the city walls.

But the moment the gates swung open, she found herself unable to resist—rushing straight into Feng Liwu’s embrace.

Only at this close distance did she realize that his golden armor was covered in a thick layer of dust, and his face was rough with an unshaven beard.

She had no idea how long he had ridden without rest to reach her!