In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

However, when Zhang Wu led the remaining three thousand infantrymen, panting, to the walls of Yaozhou, the scene of chaos on the city walls and the defenders fleeing in panic that he had envisioned did not occur.

Yaozhou City was deathly silent.

On the city wall, rows of dark banners fluttered in the autumn wind.

Beneath the banners, rows of soldiers clad in leather armor stood rooted to the spot, neither whispering nor panicking, only pairs of cold, murderous eyes staring intently at the Jiannan army below the city through the crenellations.

This suffocating silence, for no apparent reason, stirred a sense of unease within Zhang Wu.

On the city wall of Yaozhou at this time.

Yang Xuan, dressed in a blue robe, stood with his hands behind his back. The strong wind blew his robe, but it could not shake his unyielding and steadfast figure.

He looked at the five hundred light cavalrymen swaggering below the city, then at the three thousand infantrymen arrayed in the distance, his expression calm and unwavering.

"General Li." Yang Xuan turned his head and looked at Li Guangbi, who was fully armed, beside him.

"Your subordinate is here." Li Guangbi stepped forward, his armor clanging loudly.

Yang Xuan took out a heavy tiger tally from his sleeve and handed it to Li Guangbi without hesitation.

"These 3,500 men outside the city are Xianyu Zhongtong's elite troops. This battle is related to the survival of hundreds of thousands of people in Yaozhou, and also to our future grand ambitions. I am not knowledgeable in military formations, so I will not give unsolicited advice to experts."

Yang Xuan's tone was calm and resolute, "From this moment forward, the defense of Yaozhou is entirely under your command. Whether it's the salt protection army or the troops of the military governor's office, they will all obey your orders. Anyone who dares to disobey will be executed without further notice!"

An indescribable brilliance suddenly burst forth in Li Guangbi's deep eyes.

For a general, what he fears most is not the strength of the enemy, but the commander-in-chief's misguided command.

Yang Xuan's unreserved trust and delegation of authority made this renowned general, who had suffered much oppression in the Shuofang army, feel a tragic sense of loyalty and righteousness, as if a scholar would die for one who understands him.

"This humble general will ensure that these arrogant fools never return!"

Li Guangbi accepted the tiger tally with both hands, turned around and walked towards the command platform in the center of the city tower.

In that instant, his aura completely changed, as if he were a god of death awakened from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

"He Lan, advance!" Li Guangbi roared.

He Lanjin, the commander of the Zhechong Prefecture who had been hiding in the back, trembled all over and ran forward with a stiff upper lip: "Your subordinate... Your subordinate is here."

"Send all your men from the Zhechong Prefecture to the front lines!" Li Guangbi's gaze was like lightning, giving Helan Jin no room for negotiation. "Tell your men that anyone who dares to retreat even half a step will have their head chopped off by me personally!"

He Lanjin's face turned pale. He knew that Li Guangbi was going to use his soldiers as cannon fodder to wear down the enemy's morale.

But he had no way out now, so he could only grit his teeth and obey orders, driving the soldiers of Zhechong Prefecture to the most dangerous front line with kicks and punches.

"Pei Zhao," Li Guangbi ordered again, "Three hundred crossbowmen, take a back seat. No one is to cock the crossbows without my order. Archers, prepare yourselves and act on my command!"

A series of military orders were issued in an orderly manner, and the defense line on the Yaozhou city wall was like a sophisticated instrument, quickly getting into operation.

With a large army pressing in from outside the city and tensions rising on the city walls, things were far from peaceful inside Yaozhou City.

When a crisis strikes, the darkness in people's hearts grows wildly like weeds.

In a quiet courtyard in the west of the city, several wealthy merchants and gentry from Yaozhou were secretly gathered together, their faces filled with fear, like ants on a hot pan.

"Gentlemen, what should we do? That's the army of the Jiannan Military Governor!" A plump silk merchant wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling. "Magistrate Yang is clearly planning a rebellion. If we follow him down this path to the bitter end, when the city falls, will that killing god Zhang Wu even leave us with intact corpses?"

"Yes! Governor Xianyu represents the imperial court. We are just businessmen. It's not worth risking our entire family for Magistrate Yang."

Another local gentryman lowered his voice, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "My brother-in-law works at the West Gate. I think we should pool our money and bribe the guards there. Then, in the middle of the night, we can sneak the gates open and let General Zhang in. If we can achieve the merit of surrendering the city, we can not only save our lives and fortunes, but we might even be able to make a killing in this chaos!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, and they all nodded in agreement, as if they could already see the illusion of being promoted and ennobled after the city fell.

However, before their dream could end, the butler stumbled into the main hall.

"Master! Something terrible has happened!" The steward, his face ashen, knelt on the ground with a thud. "Half an hour ago, the county government sent a squad of armored soldiers, saying that the Princess was going to set up an altar in the back hall to pray for the soldiers of the entire city, and invited Madam and Miss to go. Now... now all the prominent families in the city have been invited into the county government office, and even the main gate has been sealed off!"

"What?!"

The conspiring merchants were struck dumb, their legs gave way, and they all collapsed onto the armchairs.

They never expected that Princess Yanhe, who usually seemed gentle and dignified, would be so ruthless and decisive.

This is no blessing ceremony; it's clearly taking their wives and daughters hostage!

If they dare to make any unusual moves in the city, the women in the back hall of the county government office will be beheaded in an instant.

"It's over...it's all over..."

The silk merchant collapsed to the ground, muttering to himself in despair. This betrayal, which hadn't even begun, was nipped in the bud.

The back hall of the county government office.

The incense burner was filled with the finest sandalwood, and wisps of smoke curled upwards.

The wives and daughters of more than a dozen prominent figures from Yaozhou sat upright, and although there were exquisite tea and snacks in front of them, none of them dared to touch their chopsticks.

Dozens of heavily armored soldiers stood around them, their cold blades flashing and making their hearts pound.

Princess Yanhe sat regally in the main seat, dressed in a magnificent purple princess's formal attire, with a golden hairpin adorning her head, calmly sipping her tea.

"Ladies, please don't be so formal."

Princess Yanhe put down her teacup, her gaze calmly sweeping over the trembling women below. Her voice was soft, yet it carried an invisible pressure.

"Although there are some petty scoundrels causing trouble outside the city, my lord will handle it properly. You all just need to stay here and pray for blessings. Once the enemy is defeated, I will naturally send someone to escort you back to the manor."

One of the bolder ladies swallowed hard and forced a smile: "Your Highness is blessed with great fortune; Yaozhou will surely be safe and sound. We...we are naturally willing to pray for the soldiers."

Princess Yanhe nodded slightly and said nothing more.

She knew that as long as these people were kept here, the wealthy families in Yaozhou City wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.

But she also knew that the real hidden dangers often lay in those unseen, dark corners of the underworld.

Just then, a guard strode into the hall, knelt on one knee, and reported in a deep voice: "Your Highness, dozens of local thugs and ruffians are taking advantage of the approaching army and the resulting panic among the people on Yong'an Street in the south of the city. They are inciting ignorant civilians to smash and loot rice shops in the south of the city, and have even injured the patrolling constables!"

Upon hearing this, Princess Yanhe's originally gentle eyes instantly turned icy.

"With the nation in peril, instead of thinking of serving their country, they take advantage of the chaos to loot and plunder within the city, undermining the morale of our army. How is such behavior any different from treason?"

She suddenly stood up, her wide skirt creating a gust of cold wind.

"Prepare the carriage! Send twenty elite armored soldiers to accompany me. I will personally go to the south of the city to see who gave them the audacity!"

A moment later, on Yong'an Street.

The once bustling streets are now a mess.

The wooden door of a large rice shop was smashed to pieces, and white rice was scattered all over the ground.

Dozens of thugs wielding sticks were frantically stuffing grain into cloth bags, while many misled villagers around them were also eager to join in.

The rice shop owner was beaten until his head was bleeding profusely, and he lay in a pool of blood howling in pain.

"Grab it all! The Jiannan army is about to breach the city, and Yang Xuan's head will roll on the line! If you don't grab it now, you won't even have a bite to eat when the city falls!"

The leader, a scarred-faced thug, stood on the rice bin, laughing wildly without restraint.

"Boom!"

A series of neat and heavy footsteps suddenly came from the end of the street.

Twenty elite guards clad in heavy armor formed a mobile iron wall, quickly sealing off both ends of the street.

A simple carriage with minimal decorations slowly pulled up in front of the rice shop. The curtain was lifted, and Princess Yanhe stepped down from the carriage with the help of her maid.

She glanced at the rice shop in complete disarray, then at the scarred man still yelling, her expression chillingly indifferent.

"According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, what is the punishment for those who gather crowds to cause chaos and plunder people's property during wartime?" Princess Yanhe's voice was cold and clear, echoing in the empty street.

The accompanying captain of the guard stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword, and replied sternly, "According to the law, he should be executed!"

The scarred thug was taken aback at first, then, recognizing the newcomer as a woman, he immediately revealed a contemptuous smile: "Oh, isn't this the magistrate's wife? What, that coward Yang Xuan doesn't dare show his face, so you, a woman, have to come out in public? Brothers, ignore her, keep robbing!"

Princess Yanhe didn't even glance at him, but simply raised her slender fingers and gently flicked them downwards.

"Kill them all. Leave no one alive."

"Here you go!"

Twenty heavily armored guards instantly drew their swords and charged at the thugs like tigers among sheep.

No warnings, no nonsense, just pure slaughter.

Amidst the flashing blades, blood gushed forth on the street like a fountain.

Those thugs who usually bully the weak and fear the strong on the streets have no chance to resist in the face of truly battle-hardened elites.

The screams subsided completely in the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn.

Dozens of mutilated corpses lay scattered in pools of blood, the pungent stench of blood filling the air and making one want to vomit.

The scarred thug's head rolled to Princess Yanhe's feet, his eyes still staring wide-eyed, filled with unbelievable terror.

The people around who had been itching to cause trouble were now all pale with fright, their legs trembling as they knelt on the ground, not daring to even breathe.