My Princess and Crown Prince Are Revived
Chapter 355: The Shenxiao Guards Have Arrived

Chapter 355: Chapter 355: The Shenxiao Guards Have Arrived

"General Shi."

Chu Baihan had just finished writing the letter, ready to send someone back to the capital city.

That’s when she heard the voice at the door.

General Shi?

Shi Jing?

"General Shi, the Princess does not wish to see anyone."

The guard stopped Shi Jing.

But at that moment, Chu Baihan’s cool voice came from inside the tent; "Let him in."

Soon after, Shi Jing, clad in silver armor, strode in.

From his appearance, he must have just returned from patrol.

Looking at his face, stubble on his chin, shadows under his eyes.

In such a state, he had lost some of his usual wildness and exuberance.

Since when had the sharp edges of his persona started to fade, replaced by a sense of gloom?

"General Shi has come. Is there something you wish to report?" Chu Baihan withdrew her gaze and asked in a cold voice.

Seeing her distant manner, a pang of pain flashed through Shi Jing’s eyes.

Is she really...

Going to be like this?

Taking a deep breath to suppress the discomfort in his heart, Shi Jing swiftly said, "Today, I expelled quite a few people from the ranks. I did not have your permission to do so, and thus I have come to accept my punishment."

"General Shi, I am aware of what you’ve done, and you did nothing wrong. To be frank, you have vented some of my frustrations for me. You have worked hard."

Chu Baihan spoke calmly.

Her tone contained only praise for a subordinate, devoid of any further emotion.

Shi Jing’s heart grew even heavier.

But he did not wish to struggle anymore, lest he lose even the last vestiges of dignity.

Taking another deep breath, he continued, "Doesn’t the Princess find the enemy’s recent actions very strange?"

"General Shi has also noticed that something is amiss, hasn’t he?"

Chu Baihan’s eyes were sharp and clear as she quickly spoke, then stood up, pointing at the map in front of her, she said, "Actually, this Tongzhou is not at all difficult to conquer. Looking at its terrain, the defenses on both sides are practically non-existent. Although General Zhu has been strengthening the fortifications over the years, they are nothing for the well-trained armies of Dongli Country and Beihai Country."

"I have also discovered that the night before you, the Princess, arrived in Tongzhou, the weather was very good, and the enemy was full of vigor. Had they chosen to launch a strong attack then, Tongzhou might not have fallen, but the casualties would have been severe. Strangely enough, they only dispatched a portion of their troops for a probe, and after defeating the Tongzhou forces, they withdrew back to their camp," Shi Jing spoke slowly.

"Yes, and after I led the troops here, they showed no intention of engaging us. It’s as if they deliberately gave us a chance to catch our breath," said Chu Baihan, shaking her head, her brows furrowed deeply.

"Could it be that, rather than an easily obtained victory, they prefer to win a thorough battle? So they want to wait until all our troops have arrived and are in position, then engage us?" Shi Jing ventured his guess.

Hearing this, Chu Baihan continued to shake her head: "That’s not the case. Although I’ve been fighting in the western regions of Nanduan Kingdom for years, I still have a clear understanding of what Dongli Country is like. They have the nature of bandits and are unscrupulous in their means to achieve their goals. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have suddenly overrun our three cities."

Indeed, Shi Jing nodded.

Dongli Country was ambitious, with a string of foul deeds over the years; they would never be so upright and honorable.

"Could it be that they are waiting for the King of Xu?"

Shi Jing thought of another possibility.

The King of Xu was still trapped in the capital at that time; perhaps they were waiting for him to escape before making their next move?

"Counting the days, it has been several since the King of Xu escaped from the dungeon. The Crown Prince has sent people to search the capital high and low but found no trace. Perhaps they have already fled to the enemy’s camp," Shi Jing continued.

"No, although he’s their ally, Uncle Xu does not have such influence," Chu Baihan kept shaking her head.

If her uncle truly had the ability to make Dongli Country and Beihai Country cease their attacks for him, he wouldn’t have remained dormant for so long and would have taken action much earlier.

"We must have overlooked something," Chu Baihan murmured while continuing to shake her head.

Could it be that what the two countries were seeking was something else altogether?

"No, we can’t just sit around and wait for death any longer. If we continue to drag this out, the enemy’s conspiracy and tricks might actually succeed."

Chu Baihan slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes filled with sharp light.

"Princess, are you planning to scout the enemy camp tonight?"

Shi Jing probably guessed her thoughts.

"Yes, take the initiative to attack and see what exactly they are scheming," Chu Baihan said quickly.

Although she had promised Yan Lin not to take reckless action before his return,

it was evident that she could no longer just sit around and wait for death.

"Fine, I will join you,"

Shi Jing spoke gravely.

The only thing he could do now was to share her worries and ensure her safety.

"No, you don’t have to follow," Chu Baihan immediately refused.

"Princess, do you disdain my presence because of those events in the capital city and thus do not wish for me to accompany you?"

Shi Jing asked in a muffled voice.

Chu Baihan shook her head quickly, and with a sense of helplessness, she said, "Shi Jing, don’t think of me as so petty. Although I am annoyed with you, I would not let that affect important matters. Both you and I are generals in the military; if both of us go and get captured together, then the Tongzhou army would truly be without a leader."

"But..."

Shi Jing knew what Chu Baihan said made sense.

Yet, he did not want her to take risks; he could not rest easy about her safety.

"I can go by myself; you don’t need to put yourself in danger," he said with resolve.

"I must see the enemy’s situation with my own eyes in order to make a decisive judgement," Chu Baihan’s tone was also very firm.

At that moment, Zhu Yinian strode in.

"I can accompany the Princess on this reconnaissance mission," he quickly offered.

Noticing Chu Baihan and Shi Jing’s gazes on him, he spoke awkwardly, "I did not mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. I just happened to be walking by the door..."

"General Shi, you have more battle experience than I do, and your strategies are superior. If something really happened to me, you could still lead the Tongzhou army. Therefore, let me accompany the Princess to scout the situation," Zhu Yinian said again, firmly.

"No," Shi Jing shook his head.

He wanted to accompany Chu Baihan, partly because of his own selfish reasons; he just wanted to have more opportunities to be by her side.

"Alright, let’s do as General Zhu suggests," Chu Baihan was not particularly patient to argue about this matter any longer.

She nodded at Zhu Yinian and then strode out.

She and Zhu Yinian changed into night clothes and used Qigong to make a trip to the enemy camp.

But this trip yielded no results.

The enemy camp was eerily quiet, and they couldn’t even find the commander’s tent.

Randomly grabbing a soldier to ask about the situation, the man seemed to be completely ignorant.

The situation was very strange.

Fearing it was a trap, Chu Baihan and Zhu Yinian did not linger and quickly returned to the city.

But as soon as she returned to her own camp, Chu Baihan sensed an unusual presence.

"Come out!"

She took a dart from her person and threw it toward a dark corner.

In an instant, several shadows leapt out, their movements as swift as specters.

Looking at their footsteps...

Chu Baihan’s heart sank heavily.

It looked remarkably similar to the martial arts she had seen recorded in the Imperial Mausoleum of Nanduan Kingdom.

They were...

Shenxiao Guards!