Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 630 - 667: Defending the East Gate_1

Xiao Rongyan tightened his fist at his side. He turned his head and bowed deeply to Lu Ping, saying, "Please, Lu Huwei, immediately send someone to secretly monitor the four gates of the Imperial Palace. If there is any unusual activity at these gates, report it to Miss Bai promptly!"

Lu Ping realized that this Mr. Xiao might be very extraordinary. However, since Mr. Xiao was here for the Bai family and was deeply trusted by Miss Bai, Lu Ping did not hesitate and agreed immediately.

General Xiao Wang led his troops in pursuit, but after chasing through several alleys, he realized that Bai Qingyan was not trying to leave the city but heading to the Crown Prince’s estate!

The area around the Crown Prince’s estate was covered by patrol camp people. Whether they could kill Bai Qingyan or not was uncertain. Moreover, it would deplete their own forces.

After realizing this, General Xiao Wang painfully reined in his horse and raised his hand to signal the soldiers to stop. As long as the Princess of Zhen did not leave Dadu City and didn’t have any soldiers with her, she posed no threat.

The important thing now was to guard the four gates of Dadu City well and not let the Princess of Zhen leave. He understood this, and King Xin’s men understood this even better.

Since they couldn’t kill Bai Qingyan right now, it was better to retreat and conserve strength before they were exposed. They could act when King Xin and the Crown Prince’s forces were exhausted.

General Xiao Wang, clutching the arrow wound bleeding profusely, gritted his teeth and said, "Send someone to order the soldiers at the East Gate to retreat."

With that, General Xiao Wang turned his horse around and rode back.

That day, the streets of Dadu City were eerily quiet, with the townspeople hiding in their homes to avoid unforeseen disasters.

The usually bustling long street was now deserted. The sky was still dark, and no one dared to light their lamps, including the common people and merchants.

Especially when the sounds of killing and weapon clashes came from the direction of the Imperial Palace, and suddenly there were also deafening sounds of fighting at the East Gate. Many common folks huddled together with their families, not daring to make a sound, fearing that any noise would anger the soldiers.

How did Dadu City change so suddenly?

No one knew who was causing the disturbance with troops, let alone whether the victor would launch a massacre, sparing no one, not even the ordinary citizens.

General Xiao Wang, pale from blood loss, had not yet led his troops back when he heard that the Nandu Army he sent to block Bai Qingyan at the East Gate of Dadu City had started fighting with the city guard. They requested General Xiao Wang to go for reinforcement.

Originally, King Xian received information that King Xin’s men had controlled the four gates of Dadu City because King Xin wanted to guard against those twenty thousand Anping Camp soldiers. Thus, the men General Xiao Wang sent disguised themselves as King Xin’s men.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince’s men had quietly replaced King Xin’s men. As soon as they heard that it was King Xin’s men blocking the Princess of Zhen, the city guard commander didn’t say anything, led his troops downstairs, and chopped off the head of General Xiao Wang’s deputy, declaring the city guard to capture the rebels at the East Gate. A fight immediately broke out.

General Xiao Wang, hearing this, thought to himself that things were not good.

If any Nandu Army member was captured alive, there would certainly be someone who would betray King Xian. General Xiao Wang clenched his teeth, led a hundred archers, and rushed towards the East Gate.

From afar, seeing the carnage under the East Gate, with severed limbs and corpses all over, the sounds of weapons clashing and sparks flying, screams intertwining with each other.

Seeing the Nandu Army being forced into a siege by the city guard, General Xiao Wang gritted his teeth and shouted, "Archers, ready!"

The archers immediately halted, drew their bows, and aimed toward the East Gate...

The city guard commander was no fool. Seeing those soldiers coming with hostility, he had already been on alert. Now, seeing them drawing their bows and showing a gesture of wiping them out, he quickly shouted, "Retreat! Heavy shields, ready! Archers, ready!"

"General!" A soldier beside General Xiao Wang exclaimed, "There are still our Nandu Army brothers there!"

General Xiao Wang turned a deaf ear, his eyes bloodshot, shouting loudly, "Release!"

If they couldn’t be rescued, they should all be shot to death. No alive should be left to reveal King Xian’s plan prematurely.

The city guards retreated quickly. The Nandu Army, seeing General Xiao Wang arrive, mistakenly thought he was there to rescue them. When the city guards retreated, they rushed towards General Xiao Wang, only to be met by arrows from their own people, piercing through their chests.

Those city guards who failed to escape behind the heavy shields also got hit by arrows. Enduring the pain, they crawled back behind their heavy shields.

After the first wave of arrows from the Nandu Army, the second line of archers moved forward with their bows drawn...

Finally, General Xiao Wang could no longer bear it. He raised his hand high and shouted to the stunned Nandu Army who dared not move forward, "What are you still standing there for? Retreat!"

The Nandu Army snapped out of their daze and hurriedly ran towards General Xiao Wang.

Behind the heavy shields, the archers crouched with arrows drawn...

The city guard commander, staring at General Xiao Wang, couldn’t recognize which of the imperial guard generals he was, and shouted loudly, "Release arrows!"

At the command, the archers sprung up from behind the heavy shields and fired towards the fleeing Nandu Army.

Screams echoed over Dadu City, beneath the dark clouds of the ominous sky.

Seeing this, General Xiao Wang turned his horse around and shouted, "Anyone still alive, follow me! Run!"

With that, he led the Nandu Army to flee into the alleys.

Under the city tower, someone asked the city guard commander, "General, should we chase them?" freёnovelkiss.com

The city guard commander shook his head, "Our primary task is to defend the East Gate. King Xin’s men ran away, and there might be another tough battle later. Send a team to clean the battlefield, see if anyone is still alive. If so, capture them as evidence of King Xin’s rebellion! The rest, go up the city wall and prepare the bows!"

"Yes!"

·

When Bai Qingyan arrived at the Crown Prince’s estate, the patrol camp had surrounded it, vowing to protect the Crown Prince. Fan Yuhuai, with his sword at his side, stood like a door god at the entrance.

Hearing the sound of hoofbeats approaching, Fan Yuhuai immediately ordered the archers to prepare.

Seeing that it was Bai Qingyan in military attire, surrounded by nine guards holding torches, Fan Yuhuai quickly had the archers stand down. He descended the high steps and bowed deeply to Bai Qingyan, "Greetings, Princess of Zhen!"

Fan Yuhuai felt that the entrance of the Crown Prince’s estate was not the place to talk. He knew Bai Qingyan was considered a confidant by the Crown Prince, having escorted him all the way from Dengzhou to Dadu during the city’s crisis.

Fan Yuhuai invited Bai Qingyan into the Crown Prince’s estate.

Before leaving, the Crown Prince had sent someone to Bai Mansion to notify Bai Qingyan to immediately lead twenty thousand Dengzhou Army soldiers into the city from the East Gate to rescue him. Seeing Bai Qingyan here so soon, Fan Yuhuai thought she must have missed the person sent by the Crown Prince.

Bai Qingyan leaped off her horse, cupped her hands towards Fan Yuhuai, holding the black gold whip, "Bai Qingyan requests to see the Crown Prince!"

Once inside the Crown Prince’s estate, Fan Yuhuai lowered his voice and said to Bai Qingyan, "The Crown Prince has already entered the palace!"