Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 204

Chapter 204: Chapter 202: A Glimmer of Hope_1

Chapter 204: Chapter 202: A Glimmer of Hope_1

The Xiliang soldier struggled to cross the river alone. As he looked at Bai Qingyan, who sat majestically on her horse, her armor glimmering cold under the light, memories of his Xiliang comrades who perished in the burning of Wengshan Canyon flooded his mind. He couldn’t help but lower his head and say, “My commander wishes to meet with General Bai. The location is for General Bai to decide.”

“Oh…” Bai Qingyan responded indifferently, raising her eyes to look at Yun Poxing. “Tell your commander to meet at the upstream of Jinghe. I’m quite busy, but I have a little time now. If your commander needs preparation time, we can meet on the battlefield some other day.”

Bai Qingyan intended to prevent Yun Poxing from setting an ambush, so she wished to meet quickly, giving him no time to prepare one.

The Xiliang soldier paddled back on his bamboo raft and conveyed Bai Qingyan’s message to Yun Poxing.

Yun Poxing pointed his whip towards the upstream direction and led the way on horseback.

Before setting out, Bai Qingyan turned and instructed the Jin cavalry behind her, “Send someone back to bring a box of the refreshments awarded by the Crown Prince.”

“Yes!”

Quickly, Bai Qingyan and Yun Poxing rode rapidly to the narrow and shallow section of the upstream river. To show sincerity, Yun Poxing rode his horse across the water.

“General Bai, I, Yun, come to seek peace,” Yun Poxing said candidly. “As long as General Bai returns my son’s head to this old man, our Xiliang and the Jin Kingdom will cease hostilities at Jinghe, and we shall battle again three years hence.”

Indeed, with food supplies, Yun Poxing felt emboldened. Though defeated, he still dared to dream of returning to the previous status quo, with Jinghe as the boundary.

Bai Qingyan didn’t get angry but laughed instead. “Discussion of peace is not something I dare to decide by myself. However… I think you are quite audacious. Your Xiliang allied with Nanyan to attack the Jin Kingdom and, upon defeat, wish to return to peace as if nothing happened. How can there be such an easy outcome in this world?”

“So what do you propose?” Yun Poxing asked.

“It is not what I propose, but what Xiliang must do to stop the war. You should cede territory, pay reparations, and send an envoy, only then will there be a glimmer of hope,” Bai Qingyan’s eyes flashed cold as she looked at Yun Poxing. “As for your son’s head, I stopped the Jin soldiers from using it as a chamber pot, which was against my will. If you want it back… you can have it, in three years.”

Yun Poxing trembled with anger, his teeth clenched. “It looks like General Bai intends to continue the battle. Don’t forget, our Xiliang army outnumbers the Jin army several times over!”

“Yes, and don’t you forget… who spared your life at Wengshan Canyon, allowing you to survive like a dog!” Her face was icy, her eyes filled with disdain. “And don’t forget how I slaughtered your hundreds of thousands of Xiliang soldiers in Wengshan Canyon, leaving none behind!”

“You are arrogant!” Yun Poxing was furious and frustrated. “I was caught off guard and lost a battle! Do you think you can win against me every time?!”

“Then why have you not dared to engage in battle for the past several days, hanging the ‘no battle’ sign high?” she chuckled softly. “Oh, right, you must be out of food, waiting for Xiliang to deliver supplies. Let me guess… your supplies must be coming through Chuanling Mountain? There’s a treacherous area there… the same place you once ambushed my grandfather!”

Yun Poxing instantly understood Bai Qingyan’s implication. His body tensed, and his nervousness affected his war horse, which stamped its hooves uneasily.

“You dared to come to me today with such an arrogant tone under the guise of seeking peace, simply because you expect your Xiliang army’s supplies to arrive today, giving you the confidence to negotiate. Too bad… I won’t let those supplies reach the Xiliang camp!” Bai Qingyan smiled faintly.

Yun Poxing signaled to his subordinate to report the news, Xiao Ruojiang’s eyes darkened, and he raised his hand.