How can you rule the world if I'm just a substitute for you?

Most of the Qin family's private soldiers were temporary recruits of local militia and stragglers, poorly equipped and in disorganized formations.

In contrast, the five hundred guards of the Crown Prince were all elite soldiers carefully selected, well-armored, and coordinated perfectly.

Zhang Shitou shouted sternly, "Rapid fire crossbows! Suppress the enemy with a volley!"

The front-line guards immediately raised their hands, and simultaneously pulled the triggers of their repeating crossbows!

Shhhhhh.

A dense barrage of crossbow bolts pierced the twilight, precisely striking the charging private army.

The Qin family's private soldiers at the forefront fell to the ground in droves, screaming in agony, their momentum instantly and brutally halted.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Shitou led the Crown Prince's Guard in a charge, with 500 men fighting against 2,000 private soldiers.

The roar was deafening, and blood splattered everywhere.

Despite outnumbering their opponents four to one, the Qin family's private army was completely outmatched in both individual combat strength and formation coordination.

After a brief battle, the two thousand private soldiers not only failed to overwhelm the encirclement, but were instead held back by the five hundred prince's guards, resulting in a stalemate.

The outer perimeter of Black Wind Mountain.

Liu Yunzhou led five hundred of the Crown Prince's guards to lie in ambush here, waiting quietly.

A scout rushed forward, knelt on one knee, and loudly reported:

"Report to General Liu! There's an ambush in Black Wind Mountain! His Highness the Crown Prince has been attacked!"

Liu Yunzhou's expression changed drastically, and he immediately drew his sword and shouted in a deep voice:

"The entire army shall set off immediately into the mountains to support His Highness the Crown Prince!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the armor of the five hundred guards rustled as they followed Liu Yunzhou and sped toward the main battlefield of Black Wind Mountain.

Meanwhile, on a secluded hill outside the mountains, Qin Zheng was hiding with a thousand private soldiers.

A private soldier of the Qin family quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and reported:

"Young Master, Qin Zheng has already made his move and is launching a fierce attack on the Crown Prince's forces! Furthermore, the other five hundred Crown Prince's guards have also set off into the mountains to provide support!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Zheng burst into laughter, his eyes filled with joy:

"Good! Excellent! Let them fight each other in the mountains!"

Standing to the side, Su Qian also smiled and slowly spoke:

"Young Master Qin, everything is proceeding according to our plan step by step."

Qin Zheng was filled with smugness, as if he had already grasped Jiangzhou and even half of the Great Qian Dynasty in his hands, and he couldn't help but smile.

He turned his head to look at Su Qian, his tone tinged with smugness:

"This success is entirely due to Mr. Su's brilliant plan."

Su Qian waved his hand slightly, his face full of flattery:

"My meager wisdom is not worth mentioning. The most important thing is that Young Master Qin has extraordinary courage and the courage to take responsibility."

Hearing a few words of flattery, Qin Zheng became increasingly smug.

The thought that once this battle ended, the Crown Prince would die, Qin Zheng would also perish at Black Wind Mountain, his father would look upon him with newfound respect, and power would be entirely his. He was filled with pride and said:

"Mr. Su, once this great undertaking is accomplished, you'll certainly reap the rewards!"

Su Qian bowed slightly, his face showing sincerity:

"It is my honor to be able to assist Young Master Qin."

The Qin family general who had been waiting for a long time stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked:

"Young Master, when shall we make our move?"

Qin Zheng stood with his hands behind his back in the shade of the tree, waved his hand, and said slowly and deliberately:

"No rush, let them fight a little longer."

On the main battlefield of the mountain road, five hundred prince guards and two thousand Qin family private soldiers fought fiercely, with the sounds of clashing swords and spears ringing out incessantly, and the ground littered with dead and wounded soldiers.

Qin Zheng hid in the dense forest, staring intently at the battle situation before him, his heart churning with turmoil.

He never expected that the Crown Prince's guards would be so powerful.

Our own force of two thousand men is four times the size of the enemy's, yet we are gradually finding ourselves unable to hold out any longer.

It is truly incomprehensible that two thousand men could not defeat five hundred.

Just as Qin Zheng was filled with shock, a series of heavy footsteps suddenly came from afar.

Liu Yunzhou led another 500 Crown Prince Guards to arrive at full speed.

Zhang Shitou spotted Liu Yunzhou at a glance and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Brothers! Reinforcements have arrived! Kill these bastards!"

Liu Yunzhou drew his long sword, its cold light gleaming, and uttered a single word in a sharp voice:

"kill!"

Five hundred men charged straight in from the flank, their blades flashing as they pounced on the Qin family's private army.

The two thousand private soldiers, who were already fighting a hard battle, were thrown into chaos when they saw the Crown Prince's reinforcements arrive. Many of them showed fear and began to retreat.

Qin Zheng's face turned ashen upon seeing this, and he roared angrily:

"Send a team to stop them immediately! Anyone who retreats will be killed without mercy!"

He then raised his voice to boost morale:

"Don't be afraid! We still outnumber them! Whoever kills the Crown Prince will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver!"

With a hefty reward, the Qin family's private army was forced to split into two teams.

One group stayed behind to continue holding off Zhang Shitou's five hundred prince guards, while the other group turned around and bravely went forward to block Liu Yunzhou's reinforcements.

The two sides clashed again, their battle cries echoing through the mountains and forests.

Qin Zheng coldly swept his gaze across the chaotic battlefield. He had already completed his mission and there was no need to waste any more time here.

Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, he quietly slipped to the side and retreated into the dense forest. In a flash, he disappeared into the forest.

What he didn't know was that the moment he left, someone else had already caught up with him.

the other side.

Su Qian turned to look at Qin Zheng and said in a low voice, "Young Master Qin, it's almost time to enter."

Qin Zheng was filled with anticipation at this moment, completely unaware that he had already been manipulated by Su Qian.

He turned to Su Qian and said with great enthusiasm, "Mr. Su, you can wait here for my good news."

Su Qian cupped his hands slightly, his face full of politeness: "Then I would like to congratulate Young Master Qin on his triumphant return in advance."

Qin Zheng's face hardened, and he angrily ordered, "Go! Follow me to kill the Crown Prince, and then wipe out that bastard!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he personally led a thousand private soldiers, charging towards the main battlefield on the mountain road.

Watching Qin Zheng lead his men away until their figures completely disappeared into the mountains and forests, the gentle expression on Su Qian's face gradually faded, and a cold smile of smug satisfaction slowly crept onto his lips.

"come out."

As Su Qian gave a soft call, several figures in black emerged from the dense forest beside them and bowed in unison.

"Greetings, Mr. Su."

Su Qian's expression was indifferent: "How's the situation with Qin Zheng?"

A man in black stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and replied, "Sir, Qin Zheng has already escaped and left."

"Qin Zheng's two thousand private soldiers are currently engaged in a fierce battle with the Crown Prince's one thousand guards. According to my estimation, those two thousand private soldiers will not be able to hold out for long."

Su Qian nodded slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and muttered a cold laugh to himself in a low voice:

"Qin Zhongshan, when your eldest son Qin Zheng falls into the hands of the Crown Prince, I want to see if you can still remain calm. As long as you are forced to raise an army in rebellion, my opportunity will come."

After saying that, he waved his hand and said, "Let's go to the agreed location and meet Qin Zheng."

On the main battlefield of the mountain road, two thousand Qin family private soldiers were facing one thousand Crown Prince guards. They had already been in a state of repeated defeats and were on the verge of collapse, suffering heavy casualties.

Just as the battle was about to completely collapse, Qin Zheng led a thousand private soldiers to the battlefield at breakneck speed.