Amei and Qiner were both top-tier experts who could take on ten men each. Together with two full squads of escorts, dealing with a handful of Dangxiang cavalry was child’s play.
In just a few minutes, every last Dangxiang horseman lay dead.
On the other flank, the Dangxiang infantry had been smashed into disarray by the trebuchets.
The Dangxiang fighting spirit was undeniably fierce, but even the strongest will could not withstand solid stone.
After two volleys from the trebuchets, more than half the infantry were dead or wounded. At last they broke and fled.
Casualties exceeding fifty percent sounds like a simple phrase, but only those in the midst of it truly understand what it means.
Watching comrades fall one after another while all hope of victory vanished was enough to shatter anyone.
That the Dangxiang held until more than half were lost before routing was already remarkable.
Even Qing Huai’s Iron Forest Army could not have managed that.
Of course, ordinary Dangxiang could not either.
Those sent to assassinate Ninth Princess had been given a one-way mission, so many had come resolved to die.
“Old Niu, guard Her Highness well!”
The escort squad leader shouted towards the carriage.
“Leave it to me!”
Beside the carriage, the dark-skinned Niu Ben raised a hand in acknowledgement.
Then he grinned foolishly at Qiner. “Little sister Qiner, with old Niu here, nobody can touch Her Highness!”
“First worry about yourself!”
Qiner rolled her eyes at him and pointed at his bleeding shoulder.
Since they had suspected the Dangxiang might try again on the road to the Xichuan prefectural city, Jin Feng would never risk another failure.
Not only had Ninth Princess’s carriage been reinforced until it was proof against blades and arrows, half the “labourers” pushing the carts were escorts in disguise.
The man in overall command was none other than Niu Ben, the same fellow who had rescued Ninth Princess earlier.
He had taken an arrow wound while protecting her on the hill and had been recuperating in the village.
Whenever he had nothing better to do, he would go pester Qiner.
Unfortunately, Qiner completely ignored him.
When he learned Jin Feng needed men to disguise themselves as labourers for her secret protection, Niu Ben volunteered first despite his injury.
Jin Feng had refused because of the wound, but the man camped outside his door every day, thick-skinned and relentless.
In the end, Jin Feng gave in once he confirmed the injury would not affect Niu Ben’s movement.
The two hundred garrison troops were the visible force, meant to deter ordinary bandits.
They had done their job perfectly. No bandits had dared block the road the entire way.
But Niu Ben and his disguised labourers were the true strongest shield around Ninth Princess.
“Brothers, our turn!”
The escort squad leader spurred his horse and led the two squads in pursuit of the fleeing Dangxiang infantry.
The Dangxiang foot soldiers had already escaped the trebuchets’ range. Seeing the escorts dare to chase, they halted, turned, and readied themselves to fight.
Their thoughts now mirrored Commandant Xiao’s earlier resolve. They had never planned to return alive; they only wanted a clean death.
Desperate men seeking death are terrifying opponents, but the benefits of Jin Feng’s repeated bandit-suppression campaigns now showed.
These two squads of escorts had taken part in many operations and were veterans who had drawn blood. They would not flinch even in close-quarters blade fighting, especially when they held every advantage.
“Damn their mothers, they still dare bare their teeth at me? Teach them a lesson!”
The squad leader gave a cold shout and raised his crossbow.
Once in range he fired without hesitation.
A Dangxiang infantryman dropped.
The leader did not charge straight in. Instead he wheeled left, keeping forty or fifty paces away, reloading while circling the enemy.
“Wuuu laa laa!”
The nearby Dangxiang waved their weapons and cursed him furiously.
The other escorts did the same. Shoot from distance, then turn and ride away.
In the first volley, only three escorts missed. More than a dozen Dangxiang fell.
This scene had often played out in wars between Dangxiang and Great Kang.
Only in the past it had been Dangxiang riders using their swift horses to skirt the edge of bow range, picking off Great Kang soldiers.
The Dangxiang cavalry even had a name for it: hunting two-legged sheep.
In their eyes, Great Kang troops were no different from cornered goats, fit only to be shot down.
Now the tables had turned completely. The Dangxiang finally tasted what it felt like to be the goats.
Ten-odd minutes later, the fighting was over.
Apart from a few prisoners the squad leader deliberately kept for questioning, every Dangxiang infantryman lay dead in the mud.
“Zhuer, go ask them where they got those warhorses.”
Ninth Princess spoke calmly.
The Dangxiang–Great Kang border stretched for thousands of li. Small groups crossing the mountains could never be fully stopped.
But bringing several dozen warhorses into Xichuan was no easy feat. Ordinary spies could never manage it. Someone inside Great Kang must have helped them.
Such traitors were even more detestable and far harder to uncover than Dangxiang agents.
Ninth Princess’s goal was not simply to foil the assassination. She intended to use this attack to root out the turncoats hiding within Great Kang.
By now Commandant Xiao had rounded up the scattered garrison troops.
Desertion in the face of the enemy was punishable by death.
Even if shown leniency, they would be sent to the vanguard as cannon fodder. There was no escaping that.
Thus, of the original two hundred garrison troops, only seventy-odd remained.
The other hundred-plus had fled in terror of punishment.
They now had only two paths: become bandits in the hills or wander as refugees until they became bandits anyway.
The seventy who returned had wanted to run too but dared not.
They all had family in Guangyuan city. If they fled, Commandant Xiao would make their families pay when he got back.
Those who had run away were not loners either. They had simply been more selfish.
“Your Highness, this subordinate failed in his duty. I beg Your Highness to punish me!”
Commandant Xiao walked to the carriage and knelt in the mud with a thud.
“You did not flee the field yourself. That shows some courage. This palace will give you one more chance.”
Ninth Princess glanced coldly at him. “Take the men you have left and deliver me safely to Xichuan. Then your lives will be spared.”
“Thank you, Your Highness! This subordinate will not fail Your Highness’s trust!”
Commandant Xiao banged his forehead into the mud.
This mistake had been enormous. To come away with only this outcome was already more than he dared hope for.
“Wuyang, Commandant Xiao did not desert. Sparing him is fine, but all those garrison soldiers ran away. Why spare them too?”
Once Commandant Xiao had withdrawn, Qing Muluan asked.
“Sister, sir once said never to corner a desperate foe. These men are already on the verge of collapse. If I cut off their last hope as well, what do you think they will do?” Ninth Princess countered.
“They might rebel outright, or they might keep running.”
“Exactly,” Ninth Princess nodded. “Besides, what good would killing them do? Better to send them to the vanguard to serve.”
“I understand now.”
Qing Muluan suddenly saw the light.
“By the way, did you pass word to big brother Xinyao’s hidden contacts?” Ninth Princess asked.
“I did. This time Feng Sheng won’t escape even if he sprouts wings!” Qing Muluan replied coldly.
