The moment Chen Xiaobei was lost in thought, Liu Rumei had already rushed up to him.
Liu Rumei excitedly stretched out her hands, grabbed Chen Xiaobei’s arms, and shook them vigorously. "Brother Xiaobei, it's really too good that you're alright, too good."
Chen Xiaobei had only rested briefly, and his head was still a bit dizzy. Being shaken by her made him even dizzier. He quickly waved his hands and said, "Is this real? Is this real?"
Hearing his question, Princess Zhaoning beside them burst into laughter. "Chen Xiaobei, you don't think you're dreaming, do you? It's real. I am Xiao Jingfeng."
"Yes, Brother Xiaobei, I am Liu Rumei. Take a good look at me again."
Chen Xiaobei steadied himself and looked at Liu Rumei. Their eyes met.
Chen Xiaobei saw concern and worry in Liu Rumei's eyes, and he couldn't help but be moved, his nose stinging.
"Thank you, Miss Liu."
Then, he clasped his hands into a fist and said to Princess Zhaoning, "Thank you, Your Highness, the Princess."
Liu Rumei pulled his arm. "Oh, oh, don't be so polite. Hurry and come with me."
With that, she unceremoniously tugged Chen Xiaobei and started walking back.
"You really are foolish. Did you think you could have exchanged people with Zhu Ting just by going yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaobei laughed, a bitter laugh.
"Do I have any other choice?"
Princess Zhaoning smiled serenely. "We brought many people with us. We'll attack tonight and help you rescue them."
Liu Rumei led everyone back, and soon Little Ya Tou and Chu Han also caught up.
Liu Rumei stepped forward and whispered a few words to Little Ya Tou and the others, pointing behind them. Little Ya Tou and the others immediately dispersed and began searching carefully in the grass.
This served two purposes.
First, to find any potential hidden sentries of Zhu Ting. Second, if any sentries retreated from either side, they would be intercepted.
In this regard, Liu Rumei's experience played a crucial role.
Liu Rumei led Chen Xiaobei all the way back, about twenty li, before they entered a tent nearby.
The tent had a ventilation window, so it wasn't particularly dark.
After a short rest, Princess Zhaoning spoke. "You just rest here. Leave the rest to us."
However, Chen Xiaobei shook his head resolutely. "No, they are all my villagers. How can I hide here and enjoy peace?"
Liu Rumei smiled serenely. "You don't know martial arts. What use would you be if you followed? It's better for you to stay here so you don't cause us trouble."
Although the words were harsh, Chen Xiaobei understood that Liu Rumei was using this method to make him give up his idea and accept their arrangement.
Alright, since it had come to this, it was useless to insist. Thinking about it, he really didn't know martial arts. If he went along, he would need someone to protect him, which would indeed be troublesome.
"The people are at the Dragon's Eye location. I believe you know it."
Liu Rumei nodded firmly. "Don't worry about that. I have my arrangements."
Soon, there was a commotion outside, and Liu Tie arrived with hundreds of soldiers. Everyone was led into their tents, and the outside quieted down again.
Perhaps because the pressure in his heart had been lifted, Chen Xiaobei actually fell asleep, and slept soundly.
Looking at the slightly haggard man, Liu Rumei suddenly felt a pang of heartache.
To rescue his villagers, Chen Xiaobei had gone to Zhu Ting without hesitation. Although doing so was like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth, he was still fearless.
This made Liu Rumei feel admiration, but also a surge of heartache.
While her heart ached for Chen Xiaobei, she also envied Cui Hongyu, for finding such a responsible and dependable man was truly a lifetime's fortune.
She also thought of her own circumstances. She was loyal to the Crown Prince, and had even secretly admired him for so many years, yet in the Crown Prince's eyes, she was always just a subordinate. Even when facing danger, he could send her to the front lines at any time. This was her fate.
Liu Rumei's arrangements also proved highly effective. Before nightfall, Little Ya Tou and the others had captured four hidden sentries and brought them in.
Upon seeing Liu Rumei, these hidden sentries all showed fear.
Liu Rumei smiled. "Don't be afraid. I won't harm you. Just tell me about Zhu Ting's situation."
At that moment, one of them spoke. "Miss Liu, you are a good person. Please let us go."
Liu Rumei looked at him. "You recognize me."
"Yes, I recognize you. You are Miss Liu Rumei, the daughter of Marquis Liu."
Liu Rumei gestured, and Little Ya Tou immediately took the others outside.
"Since you recognize me, it will be much easier. As long as you tell me Zhu Ting's situation, I will naturally let you go."
The man did not conceal anything. "Miss Liu, I'll tell you the truth. Zhu Ting has about two thousand men under his command. The location we are in has a water source, so we can hold on for a few more days."
"Also, we have captured about thirty villagers."
"They are all locked up in the deepest part. If you are going to rescue them, the difficulty will be very high."
Hearing this, Liu Rumei smiled. "Isn't it just Zhu Ting? In my eyes, he's not worth mentioning."
With that, Liu Rumei made a gesture to the person beside her.
Someone stepped forward and escorted the man out. Liu Rumei then turned to another tent to meet Princess Zhaoning.
"Your Highness, the situation has been clarified. Zhu Ting is cunning. The villagers and his soldiers are mixed together, and they should be relatively deep inside. It is impossible to rescue them silently."
Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoning smiled serenely. "What difficulty is there? We can just capture Zhu Ting ourselves."
Liu Rumei gave her a thumbs-up. "Your Highness thinks the same as I do. Let's do it this way."
Soon, the hidden sentry who had been taken away was brought before Princess Zhaoning again.
As soon as he saw Princess Zhaoning, the man immediately knelt and kowtowed. "Your humble servant, Niu Li, greets Your Highness, the Princess."
Princess Zhaoning nodded. "I want you to lead the way to capture Zhu Ting. Are you willing?"
Niu Li nodded repeatedly. "I am willing, I am willing, I am willing to atone for my crimes."
"Very well. Then we will set off at the second watch. We should arrive around the fourth watch, right?"
Niu Li gave Princess Zhaoning a thumbs-up. "The Princess is a divine strategist. We will definitely arrive by the fourth watch."
As night fell, Mount Qing Niu became quiet. The villagers on the steep slope were somewhat apprehensive, hiding in their tents, not daring to come out.
Meanwhile, Liu Rumei and the soldiers brought by Princess Zhaoning were resting in the tents, preparing for the night's operation.
Only Chen Xiaobei sat there, his expression somewhat dejected.
He should have been an important participant in the operation, but now he could only wait for news here. This made him feel distressed, but from a realistic perspective, he had no choice but to make this decision.
And at this moment, at the Dragon's Eye location, Zhu Ting began to feel uneasy.
Several of the hidden sentries he had sent out had not sent back any news for several hours.