The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

"Pick up the shields, form a circle! Move towards that high ground!" Yun Jin pointed to a slightly higher mound not far away.

That was the only place in the vicinity with a somewhat advantageous terrain.

The remaining dozens of people quickly rallied, using the corpses and salvaged shields to form a small, tight circle, fighting and retreating as they moved toward the mound.

Arrows flew in continuously, clattering as they struck the shields, and people fell from time to time.

Yun Jin was protected in the center, watching familiar faces fall one after another around her. Her heart was breaking, but she could only grit her teeth and hold on.

Just as the circular formation was about to be swallowed up by the ambushers surging from all sides, the last few steps back up the mound became extremely difficult.

"Reinforcements! It's our reinforcements!"

Downstream, suddenly, deafening hoofbeats and shouts rang out!

Hundreds of cavalrymen broke through the fog and galloped along the riverbank!

The first general, clad in silver armor and a white robe, was none other than Zhou Bo!

Behind him, besides his personal guards, there were also hundreds of local cavalrymen bearing the banner of "Jiangling Guard"!

"Feng Kun, you traitor! How dare you attack the Imperial Envoy! Your crimes are unforgivable! Men, follow me and kill him!" Zhou Bo's voice boomed like a bell as he charged ahead, heading straight for the flank of the ambush on the beach!

He actually brought back a portion of the "Jiangling Guard" cavalry from Feng Kun's water fortress, or rather, he successfully persuaded or suppressed some of the garrison troops of the water fortress to come to the rescue.

Zhou Bo's sudden appearance was like a divine intervention!

Caught off guard, the ambush troops on the beach were utterly routed when their flank was breached, throwing them into chaos!

Zhao Jianing's spirits soared, and he brandished his sword, roaring, "Reinforcements have arrived! Charge out!"

The remaining circular formation unleashed its last strength, surging outwards.

Under the combined attack from both inside and outside, the ambush troops on the beach finally collapsed, fleeing into the reeds in tears and cries.

Zhou Bo led his troops to the foot of the mound, dismounted, and knelt on one knee: "This humble general has arrived late to rescue Your Highness! You have been frightened!"

"Zhou Sima, get up quickly!" Yun Jin said urgently, "How are you...?"

"When this humble general arrived at the water fortress with Your Highness's token, Feng Kun indeed refused to come, and many of his generals also looked suspicious."

Sensing something amiss, the subordinate immediately impersonated His Highness's decree, using the pretext of "discussing military secrets" to detain several generals. He then presented copies of some of the correspondence between Feng Kun and Mr. Jia, stating that Feng Kun had colluded with traitors and plotted to harm the Imperial Envoy.

There were officers in the water stronghold who were dissatisfied with Feng Kun or loyal to the court. Seeing this situation and with His Highness's royal decree and banners, a group of them were willing to come to the rescue with me!

"But we were delayed for a while because we were blocked by Feng Kun's confidants!" Zhou Bo quickly reported.

So that's how it is! The evidence Mr. Su sent in advance came in very handy at the crucial moment!

"Where is Feng Kun?" Yun Jin asked.

"When I left, he was leading his trusted warships, intending to leave the camp to pursue them, but he was entangled by Jiang Ba's men. At this moment, I'm afraid..." Zhou Bo looked at the river.

On the river, the battle was nearing its end.

Upon seeing that the imperial envoy's reinforcements had arrived, Jiang Ba's men shouted, steered their boats into the reeds, and disappeared without a trace.

Two of Feng Kun's naval warships were damaged by the "Underwater Dragon King Cannon" and were harassed by Jiang Ba. Seeing the ambush troops on the shore being defeated and Zhou Bo leading troops to counterattack, Feng Kun knew that the situation was hopeless. The largest warship, which was flying the "Feng" flag, turned around and fled upstream in a panic!

Clearly, Feng Kun was frightened by the failed assassination attempt and wanted to escape back to the water fortress or find another way out.

"Chase!" Zhao Jianing shouted, his eyes red as he prepared to mount his horse.

"No need," Yun Jin stopped her. She looked at the fleeing general's flag, then at the wreckage and corpses floating on the river, and the ambushes and the remains of her own soldiers lying haphazardly on the beach. Her heart was filled with coldness and sorrow.

"Clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and collect the remains of the fallen soldiers. Feng Kun... he can't escape. Issue an order, in the name of this Imperial Envoy and Inspector, to inform all prefectures and counties of Jiangling that General Feng Kun, the Pacification General, has colluded with rebels and attacked the Imperial Envoy; his crime is equivalent to treason!"

Anyone who captures, executes, or reports such a person will be richly rewarded! Any of their subordinates or soldiers who abandon their allegiance to the enemy and surrender to Feng Kun will be pardoned! Anyone who dares to join the rebellion will be treated as an accomplice!

"yes!"

The order was quickly issued.

The surviving soldiers began to quietly clean up the horrific battlefield.

In this battle, the Imperial Guard suffered nearly two hundred casualties, and the imperial guards brought by Zhou Bo also suffered over a hundred casualties. Han Lie's skilled swimmers were almost entirely wiped out.

It is estimated that Feng Kun's ambush troops also suffered three to four hundred casualties.

The riverbank was stained red with blood, and the river water also had a faint red tinge.

Yun Jin stood on the mound, the cold wind blowing through her soaked clothes and hair, chilling her to the bone.

Qingdai found a dry cloak and draped it over her. She gazed at the surging river, remaining silent for a long time.

The name Baima Ferry is truly fitting today.

It was only the loyal and brave soldiers who suffered setbacks, as well as the ambitions of Feng Kun and the Third Prince's faction.

"Your Highness, we should not linger here. Although Feng Kun has escaped, his followers have not been eliminated and may cause trouble. We need to leave the ferry area as soon as possible, rejoin the follow-up troops, and head to a safe town," Zhou Bo advised.

"Mm." Yun Jin nodded, took one last look at the blood-stained riverbank, turned around, her steps a little unsteady, but her back still straight. "Let's go."

The team regrouped and, carrying the wounded and the bodies of the fallen soldiers, slowly left this battlefield.

As the sun set, it cast long shadows on the still-blood-stained riverbank, a scene both poignant and tragic.

Bai Madu faced a calamity, and Yun Jin narrowly escaped death.

But the road to Anqing was finally torn open, leaving a bloody gash.

After this battle, the reputation and ruthlessness of the "Princess Zhenguo" will spread rapidly along both banks of the Yangtze River, following Feng Kun's defeat and the subsequent arrest warrant.

The news was flying at top speed to Anqing, to the capital, and to... the ears of those enemies lurking in the shadows.

......

The 18th day of the twelfth lunar month, at night.

Lin Yuan City, Imperial Palace, Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The medicinal odor was so strong that it was almost impossible to dissolve.

Emperor Yun Hong lay on his dragon bed, his face ashen and his breath weak, like an oil lamp that might go out at any moment.

Several imperial physicians knelt outside the curtain, trembling with fear.

The chief eunuch Liu Jin stood by the bed, his head bowed and eyes lowered, but a barely perceptible hint of anxiety flashed beneath his occasionally raised eyelids.

Hurried yet light footsteps came from outside the hall, and a young eunuch scrambled in and whispered a few words in Liu Jin's ear.

Liu Jin's expression changed slightly. He waved for the eunuch to leave, then walked to the bedside and reported in a very low voice, "Your Majesty, news has just arrived that Princess Zhenguo... has been attacked at Baima Ferry."

The emperor's tightly closed eyelids twitched, and a hoarse sound came from his throat.

"Feng Kun... has rebelled. He attacked the imperial envoy's convoy, but thanks to the desperate rescue by Zhou Bo, Jiang Ba, and others, His Highness... has escaped danger and is on his way to Anqing. His Highness has issued a warrant for Feng Kun's arrest."

Liu Jin continued, his voice steady, but the knuckles of his hand holding the whisk were slightly white.

The emperor suddenly opened his eyes, a terrifying light flashing in his cloudy eyes. He stared intently at Liu Jin and hissed, "Feng... Kun... good... good indeed... you even dared to kill my daughter..."

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger and take care of your health!" Liu Jin hurriedly knelt down. "Feng Kun is a wolf in sheep's clothing, deserving of death! Your Highness is blessed with boundless good fortune and divine protection..."

"God bless me..." The emperor gave a bitter laugh, then coughed violently, his coughs so severe they tore at his lungs, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Liu Jin hurriedly stepped forward to pat his back, but the emperor grabbed his wrist!