Lu Ninghuan held her forehead, it seemed Bai had given the instructions, thankfully the eldest lady did not seem to mind. "Sister Liaochen, I see you are much more sincere to my eldest sister than you are to my third brother!" Bai Jinzhao deliberately glanced at Bai Qingqi and said. Bai Qingqi’s cold gaze shifted towards Bai Jinzhao, who quickly retracted his neck. "That’s for sure!" Lu Liaochen’s bright eyes looked at Bai Qingyan, ever since Bai Qingyan appeared, those eyes seemed glued to her, "I originally thought General Bai Qingqi was the most handsome in the world, but Your Majesty... is much more attractive than General Bai Qingqi!" So the fuss about liking the third brother was just because he’s good-looking? Bai Jinhua was momentarily speechless, with Lu Liaochen ... it’s a wonder she could win over the third brother! Bai Qingjue couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh. "Then it’s over..." Bai Qingyun turned her head to look at her expressionless third brother, "Among us brothers, the fifth brother is the most handsome, he’s the dream guy of countless ladies in Dadu City, he gets showered with handkerchiefs just walking down the street! If Miss Liaochen sees the fifth brother, third brother... what will you do?" Bai Qingqi looked indifferent, only saying to Bai Qingyan, "Eldest sister, let’s go into the tent first!" Lu Ninghuan was also quite troubled by this disciple she had taken under her wing. She pulled Lu Liaochen behind her, saluted, and said, "The eldest lady and several young masters and ladies must have more to discuss, we’ll withdraw first!" Bai Qingyan smiled and nodded, her eyes falling on Liaochen, seeing her looking at her with those bright eyes, reluctant to leave, Bai Qingyan couldn’t help but laugh: "Such a lively temperament!" "A perfect match for the third brother!" Bai Qingyun added. The group laughed as they entered the big tent. Inside the tent, Lu Ninghuan had lit several stoves, making it as warm as spring. As Bai Qingyan took off her cloak, she headed towards the large map hanging in the command tent: "Are we confident in attacking the city tonight?" She passed the hand warmer to Chun Zhi, who took her cloak and gestured for Chun Zhi to leave. Chun Zhi saluted and left the tent, first leading others to settle in Bai Qingyan’s tent. "Tonight?" Wei Zhaonian glanced at Bai Qingqi, "Isn’t this too hasty? Young General Bai just arrived, why not rest for a day?" "Speed is of the essence in warfare! Moreover... the fifteen Shuoyang Army squads I brought are exceptionally skilled at sieges, after taking Suining, we’ll head straight for Yecheng Pass, capture Deyang, then take Lean, Luquan... Jingrong, and Yunjing will be at our feet!" Bai Qingyan drew a line on the map with her hand. The rightful source is NovєlFіre.net She turned to look at Wei Zhaonian and her siblings: "On the way here I received news, Aksai said his Elephant Army has camped twenty miles from Liuxiang Mountain, likely wary of a repeat of the Hanwen Mountain battle. We are currently diverting Aksai’s attention, if we delay further and he realizes, he’d rather take the effort to bypass than go through Liuxiang Mountain again!" "The sooner news of us engaging reaches the ears of the people of Tianfeng Kingdom, the more they’ll think Zhou is vying for territory with Yan Kingdom! These cities... are crucial to Xiliang’s trade route, the faster we move, the quicker Tianfeng Kingdom will retreat back to their own territory!" Bai Qingqi nodded: "With good news from Xiaosi and General Shen, the soldiers are eager and restless, a fight would boost morale!" "Tonight, after dark, the Shuoyang Army squads take the lead, the main force follows... catching Suining by surprise!" Bai Qingyan decisively concluded. After nightfall, a light snow began to fall, though the snow was mild, the wind howled incessantly, creating a sense of impending peril. For some unknown reason, the dogs within the city barked nonstop, causing a headache for everyone. The owner’s scoldings to their gatekeeping dogs echoed endlessly, yet the barking continued unabated. On this freezing night where even water would turn to ice, the city’s recently relieved patrolling soldiers shuffled into their quarters, blowing hot air into their hands and slipping through the patched curtain of gray cotton to get inside. "Ahh... still warmer in the quarters!" The squad leader of the patrol removed his helmet, unbuckled his armor, and urged the soldiers to gather around the blazing stove to warm up. He picked up the copper pot and poured several bowls of hot tea for his brothers: "Come warm yourselves!" "What’s gotten into those dogs tonight? They’ve been howling for almost half an hour, hopefully we’re not in for any trouble," a young soldier guarding the city remarked after taking a sip of the hot water. "Those animals are just like that, once one starts howling... they all follow like they’re joining a commotion!" The squad leader rubbed his hands and warmed them by the fire, "Quickly drink your tea and get some rest! The Zhou army is camped not far away, who knows when they might attack! We need to stay well-rested!" Just as the squad leader finished speaking, the barking grew even louder. "Are those beasts going mad!" A city guard peeling peanuts cursed with a frown, "We’ll slaughter them all tomorrow!" A recruit with keen hearing suddenly made a "shush" gesture. The peanut shells on the chipped black square table suddenly began to move, resembling the booming sound of thunder rolling towards Suining City! "They’re attacking the city! They’re attacking the city!" The sound of horns suddenly blared. The soldiers guarding the city walls cried out hoarsely, banging drums. The soldiers who had just shed their armor quickly donned it again, grabbed their weapons, and rushed out of the quarters towards the city walls. The soldiers who were already asleep hastily pulled on their armor, jumped out of the bed, climbed the city walls, and stood ready, shooting arrows and throwing stones at the Zhou army climbing the walls below, but to no avail! They realized too late that their scouts had been ambushed and killed on the way, and the sentries had been silently dealt with. The barking dogs in the city had failed to alert them, and by the time they felt the thunderous rolling like an avalanche towards the city gates, the Shuoyang Army soldiers were already scaling the walls, and the Zhou main force was closing in on the city, advancing quietly and devotedly under the howling wind with nothing but focus. When the ancient and heavy city gates could no longer withstand the assault and broke open, and the black flag with the white dragon insignia flew atop the city walls, Suining City’s fate was sealed, it could no longer be defended. The general guarding the city abandoned it and fled under the protection of his soldiers, while the panicked citizens, unable to even gather their valuables, rushed towards the south gate in hopes of escaping before the Zhou army stormed in. The main force of the Zhou army surged in, while the Xiliang soldiers who continued their futile resistance along the city walls wailed in despair. Bai Qingqi was the first to charge into the city on horseback, seeing the panicked citizens clinging to their money and fleeing for safety, he reined in his horse and loudly proclaimed: "Suining City has fallen, surrender and you shall not be killed!"