Inside the palace.

The palace gates had been locked long ago, but the prince never returned to the palace. Even Commander Wu, who escorted the prince, did not come back. No one came back to report what had happened, leaving the entire palace shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

All the ministers had already been urgently summoned to the palace by Emperor Yugan. Sitting on the dragon throne, his face was gloomy and there was a cold light in his eyes. However, his brows were fixed on the ministers who were whispering below. He did not reveal his inner thoughts because of their discussions.

The ministers carefully looked at the emperor's expression and saw that Emperor Yugan had a calm face, which made him difficult to understand.

Looking at the important officials standing in the main hall, including Prince Duan, Qu Lingao, Yun Xuanzhi, and others, they were all calm and silent, their expressions betraying no trace of any cryptic thoughts or emotions. This truly frightened the officials. They stood there, anxious and worried, desperate to understand what had happened and why their legitimate son and daughter had not yet returned home.

"The King of Chu is here." A loud shout came from outside the hall, and Chu Feiyang's tall figure came into everyone's sight.

The ministers' discussions became much quieter as they all stared at Chu Feiyang who walked in, with hope in their eyes, waiting for the always wise and calm King Chu to resolve their doubts.

"Your humble servant pays homage to the Emperor. Long live the Emperor." Chu Feiyang walked all the way from the door of the hall to the front. His eyes swept across all the ministers standing in the hall with a cold gleam. He keenly discovered that many ministers were missing from the hall today. It seemed that Hai Quan was really planning to take action.

"Get up quickly." Seeing Chu Feiyang, Emperor Yugan finally spoke, but his voice was extremely cold, as if filled with great anger.

"King Chu, the prince has not returned to the palace yet. Except for Commander Wu, the rest of the guards who escorted the prince to the Sea Palace were all killed outside the Sea Palace. What do you think about this?" Emperor Yu Gan held the news just reported by the secret guard tightly, and his calm question contained suppressed anger. If he had not been waiting for Chu Feiyang to come, he would have been furious.

When the ministers heard the news from Emperor Yugan, their hearts instantly sank. No wonder the child in their house had not returned home until now. Could he have been killed by the Sea King?

Thinking of this, the ministers' faces suddenly changed, and the hall instantly fell into a dead silence...

Chu Feiyang took in everyone's expressions, knowing that the stability of the court was of paramount importance at this moment. He pondered for a moment before speaking calmly, "Your Majesty, the Sea King's intentions are clear. The Crown Prince and the sons and daughters of the other nobles are currently being held captive by the Sea King in his mansion. Besides the Imperial Guards, the Sea King's guards also killed the servants of the various mansions. The Sea King spared the lives of his guests and the Crown Prince in an attempt to hold the Emperor hostage to control the other nobles. However, with the Crown Prince in his hands, we are in a very passive position."

When everyone heard Chu Feiyang say that their child was still alive, the expressions on their faces finally relaxed a little, but after hearing all of Chu Feiyang's words, everyone's faces became even uglier.

Hai Quan dared to hold the Crown Prince hostage, so how could he care about the lives of others? If they didn't surrender to the Sea King, I'm afraid those children would...

As his ministers were in a state of embarrassment, Emperor Yugan took their expressions to heart. Hai Quan, the man who had used such tactics to force him, not only had he captured the crown prince, making it impossible for him to move, but he had also captured the legitimate sons and daughters of the ministers, hoping to sway them. His intentions were truly well-intentioned.

Prince Duan saw that the court was silent and no one spoke. He thought carefully in his heart and then asked Chu Feiyang, "Prince Chu, I wonder why the King of the Sea has detained everyone in the Sea Palace?"

"I only know that the prince of the Sea Palace, Lin'er, died at the birthday banquet. The Sea King took his anger out on others, so he ordered everyone to be detained." Chu Feiyang turned his gaze to Prince Duan, who was able to remain calm at this time, and spoke slowly.

Chu Feiyang then lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then raised his head to look at Emperor Yugan and spoke loudly, "Your Majesty, I think this matter is strange. The son of the Crown Prince of the Sea Palace is not only served by maids and maids, but also protected by guards. How could he disappear so easily? Moreover, this is in the Sea Palace. How could the guests be so presumptuous on the Sea King's territory? I'm afraid Hai Rui's death is just an excuse!"

Emperor Yugan slammed the table lightly with his right hand holding the note, his face full of anger, the hatred and murderous intent in his eyes could no longer be concealed, the hostility in his body immediately made the ministers tremble with fear, and no one dared to express their opinions at this time.

"Then tell me, how should this matter be resolved?" Looking at Chu Feiyang standing calmly in the hall, Emperor Yugan suppressed the anger in his heart, but spoke with a cold voice.

How could Chu Feiyang not understand Emperor Yugan's thoughts? If he proposed a battle with the Sea King, he would be opposed by all the civil and military officials in the court, and he would become everyone's public enemy.

Proposing a peace treaty with the Sea King would be unrealistic. Since the Sea King had already prepared everything, he couldn't be dismissed with a simple peace treaty. Hai Quan was not Nan Xun. Hai Quan was a skilled warrior, a rare and intelligent general in Western Chu. After years of hard work, how could he give up the victory that was so close to his grasp?

Emperor Yugan's plan was very detailed. Not only did he want to get rid of Haiquan, he also wanted to get rid of himself in this battle that had not yet begun.

A cold glint flashed in Chu Feiyang's half-closed eyes, but he stood firm and said firmly, "Your Majesty, since things have developed to the current situation, peace talks are naturally impossible. The only way is war."

"No." Sure enough, before Chu Feiyang's words faded away in the air, a minister jumped out and voted against it.

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable. The Crown Prince is currently in the hands of the Sea King. If we rashly send troops, the Crown Prince will be in danger." These ministers were also very clever. They did not mention that their children were in Hai Quan's hands, but instead used Jiang Haotian as a shield. This not only showed their concern for the Crown Prince, but also saved their children's lives.

"Yes, King Chu, how can you threaten to send troops without caring about the safety of the prince? If the prince is hurt, can you bear the responsibility?" Everyone turned their spearheads towards Chu Feiyang and criticized him.

"Your humble servant knows that the Princess of Chu did not go to the Palace of the Prince of the Sea this time because she is pregnant. The King of Chu cannot ignore the lives of others just because it does not concern him. What's more, the Crown Prince is the heir to the throne of Western Chu and the foundation of the country. How can he rashly send troops? Does Your Highness want Western Chu to have no successors?" Some ministers even spoke without thinking and put all the blame on Chu Feiyang. Everyone's faces were filled with anger, and the look in their eyes seemed to want to torture Chu Feiyang to death. A raging fire suddenly burned towards Chu Feiyang, pushing him to the forefront.

Chu Feiyang, however, remained unmoved. He glanced coldly at the excited ministers in the hall. His expression froze, and he spoke coldly, "Your Majesty is only asking for your opinion. Can't I speak my mind? Besides, Hai Quan suddenly made this move today. Do you think he will agree to peace talks? If he agreed to peace, why would he carefully plan all this? Your Majesty, every word I said is true, and it is also my sincere words, but the decision is still in your hands. If Your Majesty feels that there is no need to encircle and suppress the Sea King, then the army under my command will definitely not act rashly."

As soon as Chu Feiyang said this, the hall immediately returned to silence.

Everyone seemed to remember at this moment that the King of Chu had hundreds of thousands of troops from Western Chu in his hands, and they were so carried away that they were fighting against him.

Chu Feiyang was also extremely alert, and in just a few words he threw this difficult problem back to Emperor Yugan.

The ministers who had been arguing endlessly just now realized that even if Chu Feiyang proposed to go to war, the final decision still lay in the hands of Emperor Yugan. If Emperor Yugan agreed to the request for war, they, as ministers, could not say anything more. After all, compared to losing their legitimate son and daughter, Emperor Yugan might lose the crown prince. The two were simply incomparable.

Thinking of this, the ministers stood in the hall with their heads bowed, no longer daring to offer any more rash advice. Before the emperor made a decision, anything they said could potentially bring about their own death. Furthermore, with the Crown Prince currently detained in the Sea Palace, even if he were killed, Jiang Haotian would be the first to bear the brunt of the consequences. Why would they play clowns and make a fool of themselves for the King of Chu?

"Prince Duan, what do you think about this?" Emperor Yu Gan was furious. His ministers were really a bunch of cowards. They were scared like this when Chu Feiyang mentioned the army. They were really a bunch of good-for-nothings. The court was just supporting a bunch of parasites in vain.

After glancing at the ministers standing below, Emperor Yugan picked Prince Duan to question. Among all the civil and military officials in the court, only Prince Duan's mansion had no one going to Prince Hai's mansion today. Moreover, Prince Duan has always been neutral, so his opinion can be used for reference at this time.

Prince Duan was slightly surprised when his name was called, but he quickly let it go. After a moment of contemplation, he stepped out of the group, clasped his fists, and said, "Your Majesty, the fact that the Sea King has been able to achieve what he has today shows that the Sea King's Palace is already prepared for war. As the King of Chu just said, peace talks are probably impossible at this point. Instead of discussing war or peace here, we should prepare for war and then adapt to any changes."

Prince Duan's words seemed neutral, but in fact he was already on Chu Feiyang's side.

"Your Majesty, I second the motion!" The first one to step forward was Yun Xuanzhi. He had a serious look on his face, and it seemed that he had made the decision after careful consideration.

"Your Majesty, I second the motion!" Then, Qu Lingao stood up and agreed with Prince Duan's words.

"I second the motion!" Immediately afterwards, Han Shaomian also stood out from the queue.

Emperor Yugan stared intently at Prince Duan, but he saw that his expression remained calm, his figure standing tall in the hall as usual. Emperor Yugan's clenched fists loosened slightly, his expression becoming gloomy, and he immediately issued an order, "Prince Chu, listen to my command!"

"Your humble servant is here." Chu Feiyang knelt on one knee, waiting for Emperor Yugan's decree.

"Prince Zhunchu led 50,000 troops to encircle and suppress the Sea Prince's Palace."

Upon hearing this, Qu Lingao's brows knitted slightly. Fifty thousand troops? Yangming Mountain was vast, what could a mere fifty thousand men accomplish? They wouldn't even be able to deal with the tens of thousands of men still held by Hai Chenxi outside the capital. Was Emperor Yugan trying to solve the problem, or was he trying to embarrass the King of Chu?

Not to mention Qu Lingao would have such an expression, even the always calm Prince Duan had a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes after hearing this imperial edict.

"I obey your order." Unexpectedly, Chu Feiyang actually accepted the imperial edict.

"Your Majesty, I request your permission to go to Yangmingshan with the King of Chu." Han Shaomian spoke at this time, his expression solemn and firm, not to be refused.

Emperor Yugan looked at Han Shaomian, then glanced at Prince Duan. After a long pause, he nodded, "Approved."

After he finished speaking, Chu Feiyang stood up and left the hall with Han Shaomian.

However, the hall fell silent at night because of Emperor Yugan's imperial edict. The mood of the ministers plummeted. They felt a chill running from the soles of their feet to their hearts, and the lingering uneasiness lingered in their hearts.

Prince Duan and Qu Lingao exchanged glances, both worried about Chu Feiyang and the others. The Sea King's actions must have been thoroughly prepared, but the Emperor only allocated 50,000 troops to the Prince of Chu, deliberately making things difficult for Chu Feiyang. Even if Chu Feiyang was a brilliant planner, he couldn't cook without the right ingredients.

The news that the King of Chu was ordered to encircle and suppress the King of the Sea spread like wild grass. In just a stick of incense, it had spread throughout the capital, and all the people fell into panic.

This is different from the war between Northern Qi and Western Chu last year. That was a war between countries, and the army of Western Chu would do its best to protect its people.

But this time, several kings are fighting for the throne. If things go wrong, the entire capital city may be slaughtered.

All the people closed their doors and dared not look at the army ready to go on the street, for fear of being caught in a disaster.

"Your Highness." Han Shaomian, clad in armor, sat on horseback, looking at the fifty thousand soldiers behind him ready to go. He knew that the King of Chu had already made preparations to deal with the Sea King. Otherwise, how could fifty thousand soldiers have gathered in the capital the moment he received the imperial edict?

Listening to the guards reporting to the King of Chu that the 50,000 troops had arrived, Han Shaomian was surprised at the efficiency of the King of Chu's men. What surprised him even more was that he found that Chu Feiyang was still wearing the same black suit he had worn when he entered the palace. Han Shaomian asked in confusion, "Your Highness, why haven't you changed yet and set off?"

Chu Feiyang's face was heavy and his eyes were steady. He turned his horse and looked in the direction behind him, but did not give any orders immediately.

Observing Chu Feiyang's expression, Han Shaomian immediately shut up. Based on his understanding of the King of Chu, he would never do anything without confidence. The Emperor had only sent 50,000 troops and horses to the King of Chu, clearly trying to make things difficult for him. However, no one knew what the King of Chu was planning.

However, Chu Feiyang was always staring at the back of the team, his eyes were far away and he was calm and composed beyond the reach of ordinary people. The 50,000 soldiers were also standing calmly on the long street, and no one spoke in private.

Although no one spoke, the solemn atmosphere and the murderous aura that soared into the sky once again shocked Han Shaomian. Only the army led by the King of Chu could have such courage.

Without saying anything more, Han Shaomian sat on his horse and looked into the depths of the night with Chu Feiyang...

"Da da da... da da da..." After an hour, the sound of horse hooves came from afar.

Chu Feiyang's expression remained the same, but Han Shaomian opened his eyes wide with some curiosity and looked at the person who came riding a horse at night.

"Whoa." The sound of horse hooves came from far away. When Han Shaomian saw the person coming, the man had already pulled the reins and stopped in front of him and Chu Feiyang.

"Boom..." The horse fell to the ground as soon as it stopped, breathing heavily from its nose. It seemed that Qu Changqing finished the journey which should have taken more than a day in just one or two hours. Even a thousand-mile horse could not bear it.

Qu Changqing swiftly leaped from the horse's back to the ground, stood in front of the horse, and bowed to Chu Feiyang, saying, "Your Majesty."

Several people looked at Qu Changqing together. They saw that he was covered in dust, but his eyes were bright in the dark night.

"Here I am." Chu Feiyang nodded slightly to Qu Changqing, then said to Han Shaomian, "Minister Han, I will give you full authority over these 50,000 troops."

Upon hearing this, Han Shaomian's expression changed slightly. He didn't understand why Chu Feiyang made such a decision. Fifty thousand troops might not seem like a large number, but it was still a considerable number. Moreover, they were the elite soldiers and generals under the command of the King of Chu. If they were to be decimated by him, then...

Thinking of this, Han Shaomian politely declined, "Your Majesty, these 50,000 troops are the Emperor..."

"Listen to what I have to say." Chu Feiyang interrupted Han Shaomian and spoke solemnly, "Hai Quan was able to suddenly detain all the guests, which means he is ready to launch an all-out war. Now that the enemy is in the dark and we are in the light, our first priority is to protect the lives of the people in the capital. These 50,000 troops may not seem like a lot, but they are more than enough to resist Hai Chenxi's troops outside the city. I will leave Xi Lin to assist you. Unless it is absolutely necessary, we must not engage in battle with Hai Chenxi's people. Don't forget, there are also King Chen's people in the city. We have to guard against more than just Hai Quan this time."

After listening to Chu Feiyang's analysis, Han Shaomian felt a layer of cold sweat on his back.

But thinking about Prince Chen's previous behavior, Han Shaomian frowned and said, "Your Highness, Prince Chen has already handed the Sparrow Talisman to the Emperor. Now the capital's city defense forces are all in the hands of the Emperor."

"A sparrow talisman? Humph, it's just a useless military talisman! Prince Chen has been in charge of the city defense army for so many years, and his influence has long penetrated every corner of the city defense army. How can a dispensable sparrow talisman affect his prestige in the city defense army?" In the dark night, a cold gleam flashed in Chu Feiyang's eyes, and then he asked Qu Changqing, "What's the situation with the imperial mausoleum? Is Concubine Yuande really injured?"

Seeing Chu Feiyang asking, Qu Changqing could only shake his head and said with regret in his tone, "As soon as I arrived at the Imperial Mausoleum, I received a signal from Xi Lin, so I made an excuse to leave."

"King Chen didn't stop him?" Chu Feiyang pondered for a moment and then asked again.

"No." Qu Changqing looked at Chu Feiyang, feeling that there was something behind the prince's words, but he couldn't figure out why the prince asked about Prince Chen's reaction at this time, so he added, "Prince Chen's thoughts seem to be completely focused on the injury of Concubine Yuande."

Hearing this, Chu Feiyang stopped talking. His tightly pursed thin lips revealed a strength ready to be unleashed. His dark eyes, staring into the distance, flashed with wisdom that no one could understand. He sat upright on his horse with a dignified posture. The 50,000 troops behind him were as quiet and silent as one person, but this invisibly demonstrated Chu Feiyang's strict military discipline.

Han Shaomian withdrew his gaze, thinking about the King of Chu's advice. A layer of cold sweat broke out on his palms, tightly gripping the reins. If it weren't for Chu Feiyang's reminder, he really would have missed the King of Chen. Now it seemed that the capital city was truly the most dangerous place. The King of the Sea was watching from afar, and the King of Chen was coveting him nearby.

However, in order to suppress the King of Chu, the emperor only sent out 50,000 troops, which was really stretched.

Han Shaomian couldn't help but frown, and gradually developed a resistance to Emperor Yugan's actions in his heart. He raised his head suddenly and assured Chu Feiyang: "I will definitely defend the capital well."

Seeing that Han Shaomian had figured out the twists and turns inside, Chu Feiyang reached out and patted him on the shoulder, "Take care of yourself too. I have something else to do, and I will meet up with you after I finish it."

After he finished speaking, Chu Feiyang nodded to Xi Lin. Xi Lin immediately handed his mount to Qu Changqing, while Chu Feiyang raised the whip in his hand and rushed out like a phantom in the dark night.

Qu Changqing, who had not yet rested for a moment, followed Chu Feiyang like a shadow without even taking a breath, running towards the moonlight.

At this time, outside the Sea King's Palace, there was a pungent smell of blood. The bodies of the guards and servants who died tragically were no longer there, leaving only a strong smell of blood floating in the air, enveloping the entire Yangming Mountain.

From the gate of the Sea King's Palace to the foot of Yangming Mountain, the Sea King's army is already deployed. There is a guard every three steps, closely monitoring everyone entering and leaving Yangming Mountain.

In the brightly lit Sea King's Palace, how many people can fall asleep today?

"Greetings to the Crown Princess!" Outside the wing room, the guards' respectful salutes were heard.

"Open the door." The voice of Princess Qian sounded slowly.

There was a sound of unlocking, and the originally dark guest room was suddenly lit up.

The three people sitting at the table looked at Princess Qian who walked in arrogantly, especially when they saw that she had changed into a gorgeous outfit. The three people were surprised in their hearts, but their faces were calm.

"The young prince just passed away. I didn't expect that the prince's wife would be wearing a brightly colored dress. She is truly a mother who loves her child!" Han Yu's eyes flashed slightly, and a thought flashed through his mind. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise, mocking the approaching Princess Qian.

Hearing Han Yu's ridicule, Princess Qian paused in her steps. A trace of annoyance flashed in the depths of her eyes, but her face remained smug. She said loudly, "Hmph, you're just Han Che's sister. You have no power and influence, yet you dare to challenge this Princess? You're still so arrogant even when you're about to die. You don't think your brother will come to save you, do you?"

After she finished speaking, Princess Qian's eyes suddenly turned, and those eyes, filled with obvious jealousy, stared fiercely at the silent and calm Xiahou An'er. A murderous look flashed across her face, and she immediately ordered the maid behind her in a stern voice: "For you, I lost one of my confidants. You are really good! Take Xiahou An'er away to this Princess!"

"Let's see who dares!" The sound of shattering porcelain echoed throughout the room. Everyone saw a flash of white light before their eyes, and a slender figure rushed towards Prince Qian's wife...