Seeing Yun Qianmeng frowning slightly, Mu Chun was always worried about her health.
After all, the princess is pregnant now. If she works too hard, it will be extremely harmful to both the princess and the fetus.
Taking a cushion to support Yun Qianmeng's back, Mu Chun whispered, "Princess, what would you like to eat for breakfast? You are pregnant with the young prince, so you must not overwork yourself."
Hearing the concern in Mu Chun's words, Yun Qianmeng relaxed her brows slightly, raised her eyes and gave Mu Chun a faint smile, and said in a clear voice, "Just use some porridge. Have Xi Lin keep an eye on the movements outside and keep in touch with the prince at all times. Don't cut off the connection between the Prime Minister's Mansion and the prince."
At least, she had to know Chu Feiyang's movements as soon as possible so that she could judge which direction to go next. Otherwise, if she took a wrong step, she would probably cause Chu Feiyang to lose the battle.
"Yes, I understand." Chao Yun Qianmeng bowed, and Mu Chun quietly retreated.
Yun Qianmeng got out of bed after she left, walked slowly to the window, looked at the gradually whitening sky, and had a thousand thoughts in her mind.
In just one night, the land of Western Chu underwent earth-shaking changes.
The mountains and rivers are broken, the common people are suffering, the generals and soldiers are exhausted, and the families who have lost their loved ones are heartbroken. However, King Chen and King Hai disregard the lives of everyone for their own selfish interests and their inflated desires. They are so cold-blooded that it is chilling.
Unconsciously, Yun Qianmeng's hand on the window frame slowly tightened, but she didn't expect that she would suddenly feel a slight pain in her abdomen. Yun Qianmeng's heart tightened in shock, and she immediately relaxed herself.
With one hand covering her abdomen, Yun Qianmeng lowered her head and spoke softly, "You're worried about Daddy too. Don't worry, Daddy will definitely return victorious. Mother will definitely protect you well and let you see Daddy's return."
After saying this, Yun Qianmeng turned and walked to the screen in the inner room, took out a brocade box from it and placed it on the round table. Then she reached out to open the box, only to see a musket lying quietly inside.
Slender, white fingers gently slid across the barrel of the musket, and a hint of heaviness flashed across Yun Qianmeng's originally calm eyes...
West Camp on the outskirts of the city.
"What? That bastard Prince Chen is actually forcing the emperor to abdicate?" When the news of Prince Chen forcing the emperor to abdicate reached Chu Nanshan's ears, Chu Nanshan, who was originally discussing the battle situation with the generals, immediately stood up from his seat, his face full of anger.
Qu Changqing, who was sitting at the foot of Chu Nanshan, also frowned, with a hint of worry flashing in the depths of his eyes.
"Your Highness, Prince Chen is taking advantage of the situation. He knew clearly that Prince Chu and Prince Hai were already at war, but he took advantage of this opportunity to lead his troops to force the palace. The whole world can attest to his wolfish ambitions." General Mingwei Du Ronghui cursed, hating Jiang Muchen to the core.
Last night we received news that King Chen ordered the city defense forces to close the city gates and keep the 200,000-strong army out. Sima Zhao's intentions were known to everyone.
Unexpectedly, Prince Chen led his troops to the palace in the middle of the night, and now he has forced the emperor to leave, and he controls the lives of millions of people in the capital. Among these people, there are also their families and relatives. Prince Chen's move is completely threatening them. If they don't surrender, they are afraid that their relatives will be killed by Prince Chen.
"General, please be patient. If we get angry now, King Chen will have already gained the upper hand. The only way for us now is to find a breakthrough. King Chu sent someone to make it clear last night that the 100,000 men we have are used to resist King Neptune and protect the capital. We must not mobilize troops at will on impulse. It is better to calm down and think about whether there are other ways to sneak back into the city and open the city gates." Qu Changqing was also anxious, but he knew that being anxious was useless. The best way was to find a breakthrough.
After hearing Qu Changqing's calm analysis, everyone suddenly quieted down.
After all, Qu Changqing's sister is in the hands of King Hai, and everyone in the Fuguo Mansion is in the hands of King Chen. Compared with other people present, Qu Changqing should be the most anxious, but he treats it calmly, which is truly admirable.
Even Chu Nanshan looked at Qu Changqing with admiration after hearing his analysis.
Chu Nanshan pondered for a moment, then spoke, "There is always a way out. Prince Chen thought he had the city defense forces grasp all the movements in the capital, but he only grasped the surface."
"Your Highness..." Several lieutenant generals stood up, staring at Chu Nanshan expectantly, and said in unison: "We are willing to go to the enemy's hinterland, please grant us permission, Your Highness."
Chu Nanshan shook his head and calmly analyzed, "This is a small path, extremely rugged and difficult to walk on. I have only walked it twice. The path is also very narrow and not suitable for too many people. Leave this matter to me. Changqing, I leave the matters here to you."
After he finished speaking, Chu Nanshan did not wait for others to object, but lowered his head to study the map, but he was thinking about other things in his mind.
"Your Highness, the homes of high-ranking officials and wealthy families are all guarded by servants. It would be better to let these people go and joke with the city defense army. Maybe it would be effective." Qu Changqing did not agree with Chu Nanshan going alone. If something happened to Chu Nanshan, not to mention Chu Feiyang would be heartbroken, even he would be unable to sleep or eat.
Moreover, there is hidden power in the capital. Now that the enemy's arrows have been shot, they will naturally fight back. This part of the hidden power can be used to the fullest extent.
How could Chu Nanshan not hear the hidden meaning in Qu Changqing's words?
However, Chu Nanshan shook his head, his silver-white brows slightly furrowed, and then he slowly spoke, "Exposing one's strength too early is the most foolish thing to do. Prince Chen suddenly forced the palace, and he only used the city defense army at his disposal. If we even take out our last trump card, I am afraid that Prince Chen will take the opportunity to annihilate us in one fell swoop, and then there will be no chance of recovery."
After he finished speaking, Chu Nanshan took out his personal badge and handed it to Jiao Da who was standing beside him. He whispered something in Jiao Da's ear, and then Jiao Da immediately turned around and left the tent.
East Camp on the outskirts of the city.
After a sleepless night, Chu Feiyang dismissed all the generals and asked them to go down and prepare for the next battle. He stood on the vast parade ground, watching the rising sun slowly move to the blue sky. His thoughts were churning in his mind, and the beautiful face always appeared in his mind.
The past night had turned Western Chu into a river of blood. Although the capital was still safe at this time, the calm before the storm was the most distressing.
Thinking of Yun Qianmeng who was trapped in Prime Minister Chu's residence, Chu Feiyang felt like his heart was being cut by a knife. He clenched his hands into fists behind his back, and the veins on the back of his hands were bulging, showing how much anger and worry he was suppressing.
He had never imagined that a city wall could stir up such a huge emotional turmoil in his heart. He had never before experienced such anxiety and fear of loss dominating his thoughts.
This situation wasn't like last year's imprisonment of Yun Xiangfu. Back then, although I was anxious, I knew that the Fuguo Mansion and my grandfather would protect Meng'er. But this time, the Fuguo Mansion was also in danger, and my grandfather was imprisoned outside the city just like me. And for the sake of the people, I had to suppress my anxiety. This feeling made Chu Feiyang's handsome brows furrow, and his usually carefree appearance was now imprinted with a deep sense of pressure.
Suddenly, a streak of silver smoke streaked across the azure sky, drawing Chu Feiyang's full attention. Then a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes.
Unexpectedly, it was my grandfather who took action first. However, that road has been abandoned for many years, and my grandfather is old. Can he handle it?
Before Chu Feiyang could finish thinking about this question, a light yellow smoke mark appeared after the silver smoke mark, and Chu Feiyang frowned suddenly.
Grandpa, this is...
In a farm far away from Tongzhou in Jiangnan.
The sudden rebellion of the Sea King plunged the 32 cities in the south of the Yangtze River, which had already been hit by floods, into even greater slaughter.
The people were displaced and fled in all directions. The soldiers who were originally defending the city were exhausted because they did not receive food and grass in time due to the floods for many days. In the end, they were outnumbered and outmatched and were captured by Bai Wuhen, one of the four famous generals under the Sea King.
After Bai Wuhen captured Tongzhou, he did not stop, but led his troops to the entire Jiangnan region. Now, half of the 32 cities in Jiangnan have fallen into Bai Wuhen's hands.
Rong Yunhe and others escaped the disaster because they went to other cities to distribute disaster relief food. Protected by the secret guards assigned by Chu Feiyang, they retreated to a farm far away from Tongzhou to avoid Bai Wuhen's pursuit.
"How can we hide here forever? Now half of the cities in Jiangnan are in Bai Wuhen's hands. If the situation continues to develop in this way, I am afraid that Jiangnan will belong to the Sea King sooner or later. We can hide for a while, but we can't hide forever!" Rong Yunhe stood in the courtyard of the farm, looking up at the sky that was gradually turning white, his heart heavy, and he was very worried about the situation in the capital.
However, the road to the capital was now completely blocked by Bai Wuhen's men, and his white hair was extremely conspicuous. He was afraid that Bai Wuhen would have gotten the news as soon as he stepped out of the farm.
Thinking of the emaciated victims, the homeless civilians, a flicker of anger flashed in Rong Yunhe's eyes. Hai Quan had truly been blinded by the lust of power, his eyes and heart focused solely on the throne, devoid of any consideration for the common people. If such a man sat on the throne, it wouldn't necessarily be a blessing for Western Chu.
What's more, although the generals and soldiers under Bai Wuhen were extremely good at leading troops in battle, they had no mercy at all. Once a city was captured by them, all the garrison troops would be killed. All the fallen cities were filled with a red blood mist, with broken limbs everywhere. It was a scene that made people tremble with fear and they would never forget the horror for the rest of their lives.
However, Su Qi, who had been following him closely and keeping an eye on him all day, was the first to flee Tongzhou when the city was about to fall, without caring at all about the innocent people who died tragically at the hands of the rebels. Such officials of Western Chu are truly a disgrace to Western Chu.
"Have you notified Si'er?" Rong Yunhe asked in a low voice, his frosty eyes turning to the secret guard standing behind him to protect him.
Judging from the pace of Si'er and others, they must have reached a safe place and will not be affected by the war.
"Don't worry, Master Rong. I have already sent the signal, and I believe Si'er has received it. I am contacting the prince to ask him which direction we should retreat to next." The secret guard stepped forward and told Rong Yunhe the details of the matter.
However, after hearing the secret guard's words, Rong Yunhe shook his head firmly and said calmly, "My entire Rong family is in the capital. How could I leave my family behind and flee alone? Ask the prince if there is a direct road from this farm to the capital."
"I'm afraid it will be difficult. The Sea King has launched a rebellion, attacking from the four directions of West Chu simultaneously. He has chosen the most important cities in West Chu. These cities are the only official routes through which the government passes. They are not only rich but also have excellent geographical locations. Once the Sea King captures these cities, he will definitely have his men guard them tightly and will not let any suspicious person go. Why take this risk, young master?"
Hearing this, Rong Yunhe's face darkened slightly. Although he knew the secret guard was right, there was only Old Lady Chen in the Rong Mansion, and Rong Yunhe would not ignore his grandmother no matter what. Moreover, the King of Chu was personally leading the army to attack the King of the Sea. If Emperor Yugan deliberately made things difficult for Chu Feiyang, he could still assist Chu Feiyang in the capital.
"You should ask the prince first. My whole family is in the capital, how can I just run for my own life?" After a long while, Rong Yunhe spoke again, and his words were full of determination that could not be ignored.
Seeing Rong Yunhe's determined expression and the stubbornness in his eyes, the secret guard knew that no matter how much he tried to persuade him, Rong Yunhe would not listen. He could only nod slightly at Rong Yunhe, pull out a secret signal from his sleeve, and send it towards the whitening sky...
For a moment, the courtyard was as quiet as night. While waiting for Chu Feiyang's reply, everyone held their breath and remained silent, but their tense faces revealed their current mood.
The mountains and rivers of Western Chu were engulfed in war, innocent people suffered, and their families also lost contact in the war. How could they face such a harsh reality calmly?
After the rain, the sky cleared up and a fiery red sun gradually rose from the distant horizon, shining on people's hearts and making them recall the tragedy and bloodshed when the city was broken. In the eyes of the rebels who had already been blood-thirsty, those unarmed civilians were just lambs to be slaughtered and could only wait to die in extreme fear.
About an incense stick of time passed, and the dark guard's calm eyes, which had been staring at the sky, suddenly changed. The aura around him turned cold instantly, and even Rong Yunhe noticed his change.
Seeing that the secret guard's expression was even more serious and stern than before, a sense of foreboding suddenly struck Rong Yunhe's heart. He turned around very quickly, staring coldly at the secret guard behind him, and asked in a deep voice, "What was the prince's reply? Could it be that there are changes in the situation?"
Upon hearing this, the secret guard's expression darkened, but he still told Rong Yunhe the truth. "Prince Chen led his army to force the palace late last night. Now the capital is completely under Prince Chen's control. Your Highness's 200,000-man army has been blocked outside the capital by the city defense forces. Now Your Highness faces two powerful enemies, Prince Hai and Prince Chen. I'm afraid this battle will be difficult to win."
After hearing the secret guard's report, Rong Yunhe's face turned pale. He strode towards the secret guard, grasped his shoulders with both hands, and asked anxiously, "What about the princess? Could it be that the princess has fallen into the hands of Prince Chen?"
The secret guard's heart tightened when he heard Rong Yunhe's reflexive question. He immediately lowered his eyes and spoke the truth, "The princess is still in the Chu Xiang residence in the capital, and Prince Chen has not yet taken action against the nobles in the city. However, Prince Chen's occupation of the palace is a considerable obstacle to Prince Yu's leadership."
The secret guard's words were full of hidden meanings. Such an objective analysis shocked Rong Yunhe's heart...