Qin Xuan stared at the butcher knife held high, his eyes wide open to the extreme. Only at this moment did he really believe that he was going to die.

In this brief moment, his eyes flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern, and he began to mutter as if possessed: "It shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be like this..."

Since he was a child, his father and mother have been very kind to him.

When my father mentioned my eldest brother, he always shook his head and often said that he was more like him than my eldest brother. My father also had high hopes for him. Not only did he personally teach him martial arts, he also invited famous teachers to teach him.

In order not to disappoint his father, he worked so hard, getting up at the crowing of the cock and usually not going to bed until midnight. Over the years, he tried his best to become the second son of the Nanyang Palace who was known by everyone as a talented man in both civil and military affairs.

He wanted to be his father's pride, and he wanted his father to see that he was far better than his older brother.

He thought he had a chance to replace his elder brother and become the crown prince, until the end of last year, when he heard his father mention his elder brother and said he would submit a petition to allow his elder brother to return to Nanyang.

At that moment, he felt as if a bucket of cold water was poured over his head, and his whole body went cold.

He suddenly understood that his father had never considered passing the throne to him.

The eldest brother is the eldest son and is destined to be nobler than him. No matter how outstanding he is or how hard he works, it is useless. The throne of King of Nanyang will never belong to him!

It turns out that in his father's eyes, there has only been one son, Qin Yao.

He is unwilling to accept this, he is unwilling to accept this!

Even so, he had no intention of attacking his father.

However, his father happened to discover his collision with Lin State.

His father severely punished him, dismissed him from his military post, and told him that he would never have to go to the barracks again.

He knelt down and admitted his mistake to his father. He cried bitterly, but his father remained indifferent.

The father said: "I am so disappointed in you!"

These words stabbed him in the heart like a knife.

He knew that no matter how much he fought or snatched, it would be useless.

He will never have the chance to achieve anything, let alone the throne, let alone make any achievements in his official career.

He could only kill his father! And now, he had also met his death! For a moment, Qin Xuan seemed to see his father staring at him quietly in the distance, his eyes like a dark vortex, as if to suck him in...

The sword rises and falls, and the soul is cut off with one blow.

Qin Xuan didn't even have time to scream before his head fell off like a leather ball.

Fresh red blood gushed out from the broken neck, staining the executioner's knife and face red.

The surroundings became even quieter, as silent as death.

The soldiers looked at this scene with different expressions, without looking away.

Some people frowned, some sighed in their hearts, some couldn't bear to look at it, and more people felt that he deserved it.

In any case, Qin Xuan's death also means that the matter has come to an end.

Mu Lin, General Cheng and others all felt relieved. Now that Qin Xuan was dead, the matter of his collision with Lin Guo was over.

After a while, the square gradually became noisy again.

Qin Yao gave an order, and the soldiers dispersed in twos and threes. One young general walked back to the central tent to report to Gu Jue: "Your Majesty, the second son of Qin has been executed."

Gu Jue did not go to watch the execution. To him, Qin Xuan was insignificant.

This is Qin Yao's business!

Gu Jue waved his hand casually, and the young general retreated respectfully.

Seeing that it was almost time, Gu Jue took out a small blue and white porcelain bottle from his sleeve pocket and swallowed a pill with warm tea.

Gu Jue was nonchalantly playing with a crescent-shaped sachet. The bright green lotus-colored material made his fingers look as white as jade.

Chu Qianchen gave him this sachet along with some pills before he left, saying that wearing it every day would help calm the mind and help with sleep.

Gu Jue lowered his eyes and looked at the orchid embroidered on the sachet. A familiar fragrance wafted into his nose, like the fragrance of orchids falling in the snow.

A bright face appeared in his mind.

She had an oval face the size of a palm, and bright phoenix eyes with upturned corners. When she looked at herself, her eyebrows were always curved, and her dark pupils were like the most dazzling gems, shining brightly.

Cool as the moon, elegant yet cunning.

I don't know what she is doing now...

Gu Jue smiled slightly, and his handsome features took on a softer hue, warm and gentle.

Time slowly passed in silence, and the sounds outside the tent seemed to come from near and far, as if they came from another world.

About an hour later, the curtain of the tent was lifted again.

This time, the person who came in was Qin Yao.

The servant pushed Qin Yao's wheelchair in. Qin Yao's usually cynical face now looked a little solemn.

Gu Jue raised his eyebrows, clenched his right hand, and put the crescent-shaped sachet into his sleeve pocket. He asked, "What happened?"

Qin Yao said in a deep voice: "Brother Jiu, I just received a military report that 5,000 Lin people have attacked the border."

After a pause, Qin Yao explained the whole story in an orderly manner.

Just now they had found some letters from Qin Xuan's study that showed he was collaborating with the enemy Lin State. In the letters, Qin Xuan agreed to cede Xizhi County to Lin State.

Originally, Qin Xuan's plan was to take advantage of the fact that the King of Nanyang had just died and the morale of the army was uncertain. When the Lin State army attacked, he would deliberately retreat and let the Lin State naturally obtain Xizhi County.

As he spoke, Qin Yao's eyes became deep, "Now Lin Guo probably doesn't know that Qin Xuan is dead..." So, they invaded according to the predetermined plan.

"According to the news, there are another 5,000 Lin Guo troops heading to the border. Brother Jiu, they have big ambitions this time."

The people of Lin have always been ambitious and have been coveting the Great Qi. Obviously, given the number of troops they have sent, their ambitions are definitely not limited to Xizhi County.

The servant spread a sheepskin map on the general's desk.

The State of Lin was also on this map. It was located in the northwest of the Great Qi. It had been established for only over fifty years, and its territory was only the size of two states of the Great Qi.

Gu Jue pointed to several places on the map with his slender fingers. "The Lin people want to advance eastward from Xizhi County and take over Huajing County and Chenxi County in one fell swoop."

Qin Yao nodded. He thought so too. He said, "The 5,000 troops of Lin State have already reached Shazhi Mountain. The army travels 300 miles a day. In another day, they will reach Xizhi County."

The Lin people are cunning and greedy. From the very beginning, they were not just after the Xizhi County. Qin Xuan is trying to get the skin of a tiger!

The two exchanged a meaningful look.

Now the people of Lin still don't know that Qin Xuan is dead. This is an advantage for Da Qi.

They could just take advantage of the situation and take down the Lin people.

Gu Jue made a prompt decision and said, "I will lead the troops to Xizhi County immediately, and you stay here to guard the rear."

Qin Yao stroked his chin. On the one hand, he felt sympathy for Lin Guoren for meeting Gu Jue, but on the other hand, he felt a little regretful. He said, "Brother Jiu, how about I go with you?"

It would be too boring to let him wait for news in Nanyang.

Gu Jue didn't say anything, just smiled slightly.

Mo Chen gave him a cold look, almost saying, "With your broken leg, do you still want to fly?"

Qin Yao raised his hand and touched his nose, feeling that Mo Chen was too disrespectful to him.

In fact, he also knew that Gu Jue's arrangement was the most appropriate.

During this period, the Nanyang Army had been in a state of being leaderless. The emperor's body was still cold, and Qin Xuan had just been executed, so the army was unstable. And he had been away from Nanyang for many years. To be honest, how many people in the Nanyang Army were truly loyal to him?

The Lin people came with such force that he had no time to stabilize the morale of the troops.

But Gu Jue was different! "Brother Jiu, when do you plan to leave?" Qin Yao asked, implying that he agreed with Gu Jue's proposal.

Gu Jue said: "An hour later."

So, an hour later, three thousand armored soldiers of the Nanyang Army and the elite Beidi Army brought by Gu Jue were on standby in the square, forming a black mass.

Each of these soldiers stood tall and straight, with swords and spears at hand. Their bright eyes were looking at the platform in front of them, at Gu Jue and Qin Yao on the platform.

Qin Xuan's body had been cleaned up long ago, but there seemed to be a faint smell of blood lingering in the air, reminding everyone what had happened here before.

"Greetings, His Majesty!" All the soldiers knelt on one knee at the same time, saluted Qin Yao with their fists clasped, and shouted in unison.

Thousands of people all stood a head shorter, and their shouts were so uniform that they seemed to come from the same person, rumbling like thunder.

Most people were immersed in the aftermath of the Second Young Master's patriicide, and their hearts were still somewhat agitated.

It was only less than half a day, but earth-shaking changes had taken place in the camp. It seemed short, yet very long. So much had happened...

Finally, good times have come after bad times have been overcome, and the prince has finally been vindicated! Qin Yao, sitting in a wheelchair, looked around at the soldiers below, raised his hand with a smile, and said loudly: "Everyone, get up!"

"Thank you, my Lord!"

The voices of the soldiers rang out again in unison, and they stood up.

Qin Yao looked around at the generals below and raised his voice and said, "My fellow soldiers, my Qin family has been associated with soldiers since our ancestors, following Emperor Taizu in the battlefield. That's why we have the Nanyang Palace and the current Nanyang Army!"

"The Lin people have always been ambitious about our Great Qi. Now 5,000 Lin cavalry have raided our northwest border with great force. To protect the safety of the people in the northwest, our Nanyang Army has an obligation to do so!"

"Anyone who invades our northwest border will be punished!"

The purple-robed young man bathed in the sun was full of vigor and vitality. Although he was sitting in a wheelchair, he did not look sickly at all. Instead, he was so flamboyant, so arrogant, and so confident.

With Qin Yao's words, the soldiers below were infected, their hearts were beating fast and their faces were full of indignation.

"The Lin people have entered our northwestern territory. The situation is critical and urgent. All soldiers, please listen to the orders of this prince!" Qin Yao continued, holding up his prince's token in his hand.

The golden token representing the Prince of Nanyang sparkled in the sun.

"Here!" all the soldiers responded in unison.

The shout was so powerful and deafening that the entire camp was filled with fighting spirit and murderous intent.

Mu Lin and other veterans were also moved when they saw this scene: when the prince was in the capital, they had heard some rumors about him and thought he was a playboy. Only now did they realize that they had underestimated him.

Several veterans let out a long breath, their hearts were filled with joy, and they looked at Qin Yao with burning eyes. Although Nanyang had undergone a great change this time, as long as the prince was still there, as long as the prince could support Nanyang, then the Nanyang Palace would surely be reborn from the ashes.

Although the 5,000 Lin State troops are coming in full force, as long as the Nanyang Army responds in time, they can not only drive the enemy out of the territory, but also take this opportunity to deter other small countries in the northwest, lest they think that the King of Nanyang is dead and there is no one left in the northwest! All the Nanyang Army soldiers present, whether it is veterans such as Mu Lin and General Cheng, or the thousands of soldiers below, believe that the prince's leg injury has not healed yet, and he will have to stay in the rear. This time, I am afraid that veterans such as Mu Lin will be the main generals and go into battle.

Unexpectedly, Qin Yao continued to announce: "The army will set out immediately today, and His Royal Highness Prince Chen will personally lead the Nanyang Army to the battle!"

His Royal Highness Prince Chen will personally lead the Nanyang Army to the battle?! This sentence made the air around them tremble slightly.

It was not until this moment that the ordinary soldiers standing below realized that the strange young man standing beside Qin Yao and shoulder to shoulder with him was actually the famous Prince Gu Jue.

General Cheng and other veterans couldn't believe their ears. The prince was actually going to hand over part of the Nanyang Army's military power to the prince. The prince was too ambitious! The veterans had different expressions. Some thought that the prince was too rash and inappropriate; some thought that the prince was indeed a more suitable candidate than Mu Lin; some were still speculating about the relationship between the prince and the prince...

In this strange atmosphere, a rumbling sound of footsteps came from behind. The Northern Army soldiers wearing black armor came towards this side in an orderly manner, and soon stopped next to the Nanyang Army, standing still.

The thunder stopped.

The square fell silent again.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Looking down from the high platform, half of the soldiers below were wearing red armor, and the other half were wearing black armor, clearly distinguishing them.

Looking at this well-trained Northern Army, the veteran generals couldn't help but recall a saying from a military book: swift as the wind, slow as a forest, aggressive as fire, still as a mountain, unpredictable as the shadow, and powerful as thunder.

This is an army with strict military discipline and strict compliance with orders. It is also an elite force that has fought its way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

And they have already experienced the power of this elite Northern Army. In addition to being in awe, Mu Lin and others couldn't help but sigh in their hearts: They are worthy of being the world-famous Northern Army.

There is no doubt that if the Beidi Army and the Nanyang Army send troops together, they will achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Under the intimidation of the Northern Army, all the officers and soldiers of the Nanyang Army were speechless.

The atmosphere was heavy, as if it was about to solidify.

Qin Yao and Gu Jue on the high platform above seemed to be unaware of anything.

In the sunshine, both of them were smiling.

The former smiled with great vigor, while the latter smiled with indifference.

The former has a beautiful appearance and a flamboyant temperament, just like the scorching sun; the latter has noble and graceful manners and outstanding demeanor, just like the bright moon and clear wind.

These two people have very different temperaments, but there is an inexplicable sense of harmony between them.

"Greetings to His Majesty the Prince of Chen, may you live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years!"

An old veteran was the first to kneel down on one knee. Soon after, other Nanyang Army soldiers also knelt down on one knee and shouted in unison.

Thousands of shouts overlapped and rose into the sky. Then, accompanied by the sound of weeping trumpets, the army set out of the camp and mounted their horses.

In the gusts of wind carrying yellow sand, two flags fluttered in the air. After the thousands of cavalrymen left the camp with great momentum, they swept all the way to the west, covering the sky and the earth. The dust like fog flew in the sky wherever the army passed.

Qin Yao stood on the high platform for a long time, and the servant did not dare to urge him, because he knew that his own young master would rather go to the battlefield himself.

The servant was wondering whether he should comfort his master, when he saw Qin Yao suddenly smile, his smile as bright as a peach blossom, and he stroked his chin and said, "Yuanbao, what treasures do you think we should dig from Lin State?"

"They dared to pluck the hair from the tiger's mouth, so they must bleed, right?"

"I heard that although the Lin Kingdom is located in a remote place, the royal family has some private mines and is very rich. They should be able to afford a lot of ransom, right?"

"..." Yuanbao remained silent, feeling that his young master's greed for money was a little too blatant.

He subconsciously looked around and thought: Fortunately, there is no one else here.

Qin Yao said it was wind or rain, and sent Yuanbao back to Nanyang Palace to find all the books about Lin State.

Yuanbao naturally followed the order and took a few soldiers to go to the Nanyang Palace. When he came back, it was already dusk.

He did not come back alone, he brought another acquaintance from the capital with him.

The person who came was a handsome man in his early twenties, wearing a dark blue robe. He looked dusty and had obviously traveled a long way on horseback, sleeping in the open air.

"Tang Yuchu, why are you here?!" Qin Yao widened his eyes slightly. He didn't expect that Tang Yuchu would come from the capital.

Could it be that something happened in Beijing? This was Qin Yao's first instinct.

Before he and Gu Jue left the capital, Gu Jue had instructed them that if anything happened in the palace, they could come to the northwest to find them.

"Where is the prince?" When Tang Yuchu saw that Gu Jue was not in the tent, he casually found a chair to sit down, poured himself a glass of water, and then slumped down there, not sitting properly.

He was almost dying of exhaustion and thirst along the way.

Seeing Tang Yuchu's casual look, Qin Yao breathed a sigh of relief. It didn't seem like a big deal, so he said, "Ninth Brother has led his troops to the border..."

He briefly explained the whole process.

Tang Yuchu: "..."

At this time, Tang Yuchu had already drunk his second cup of tea and almost choked on it.

He wiped the corners of his mouth with his sleeve, a little confused, and asked in a rather subtle tone: "Did the prince just leave for the border?"

He had worn out at least three thousand-mile horses along the way, but he just happened to miss the prince? Qin Yao nodded and said, "It's been almost three hours since we set out."

Qin Yao made a gesture to Yuanbao, indicating Yuanbao to get him some food. Look at how thin the child has become during the journey.

Looking at Qin Yao's loving eyes, Tang Yuchu got goose bumps all over his body.

Tang Yuchu hesitated for a moment between chasing and not chasing, and then gave up.

The prince has already set out for three hours. Even if he chases him now, he won't be able to catch up with him in a short time.

Tang Yuchu silently poured himself another cup of tea. At this time, Yuanbao first served him two plates of steaming buns and said, "Captain Tang, wait a moment. The kitchen is serving you the food."

Tang Yuchu grabbed a meat bun and took a bite. The fragrant and soft taste almost made him cry.

Qin Yao asked: "Old Tang, is there something wrong in the palace?"

Tang Yuchu's eyes twitched, and he felt like he was being called ten years older. Thinking about why he did this, his expression became a little complicated, "There is something."

Qin Yao became even more curious and asked again: "Old Tang, please tell me, don't keep me in suspense!"

Tang Yuchu was too lazy to argue with the unreliable Prince of Nanyang. He bit into his bun and mumbled, "The Emperor just granted the prince a marriage, saying that it would bring good luck to the prince. Cheng Linhua asked me to come and give the prince a message to see what to do."

Even though Qin Yao felt that he had seen a lot of the world, he was still stunned.

He curled the corner of his lip sarcastically, "The emperor's face is too big."

Did the emperor think he could just give Gu Jue a random woman? !

Tang Yuchu swallowed the food in his mouth, took another bun, and continued: "The person to be married is the second young lady of the Yongding Marquis's Mansion..."

The last word became vague again. He continued to bite his bun happily and thought to himself: The chef in the Nanyang Army Canteen has good skills. This meat bun is tender, soft and juicy.

Should we send the cooks from the army mess in Beidi to learn skills here, or simply invite the cooks here to Beidi? Tang Yuchu was eating buns while thinking about random things, and didn't notice that Qin Yao was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.

Qin Yao put down his teacup, his curious heart burning in his chest, and asked anxiously: "What happened? Tell me the details."

Tang Yuchu just thought that Qin Yao was curious, and started from the day when the emperor personally came to the military training ground, and said that he took people to the Prince Chen's mansion, and then invited Taoist Xuan Jing to tell the fortune for the Prince Chen. He calculated that Chu Qianchen had a good horoscope and could bring happiness to the Prince Chen, and talked all the way until the emperor issued the imperial decree to bring happiness to the Prince Chen.

Qin Yao: “!!!”

Qin Yao was completely unable to get a word in. His emotions were so complicated that it was difficult to describe in words: It had only been a short time since they left the capital, how come so many things had happened!

He then asked: "How is the situation in Beijing now?"

Tang Yuchu ate four buns in a row and felt his stomach was a little better. He drank two sips of tea and said, "Cheng Linhua and Su Mubai managed to delay the wedding date for a month, waiting for the prince to make a decision."

Qin Yao finally calmed down a little from the shock in his heart, and asked curiously: "What did Miss Chu say?"

Even if others called him a playboy, Qin Yao knew that marriage was an important event that would affect a girl's entire life. Delaying the wedding would not affect the prince at all, but would be very disadvantageous to the girl.

A bowl of fragrant mushroom and shredded chicken cold noodles finally arrived.

Tang Yuchu couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks and felt that he was ready again.

He picked up a handful of noodles and shredded chicken and said, "This is what Miss Chu Er meant."

"She said that the prince is not in Beijing right now, so this matter cannot be leaked out, so we just have to put it off for now."

Tang Yuchu ate the noodles with shredded chicken and asked Yuanbao to get him some vinegar without any hesitation.

Qin Yao: “!!!”

Qin Yao had a strange expression on his face. Although he had long known that this Miss Chu was not an ordinary person and did not walk the ordinary path, he was still shocked by her unexpected behavior.

Tang Yuchu took the vinegar bottle that Yuanbao brought him, then put down his chopsticks slightly and asked, "Which route did the prince and the others take? I will chase them after I have eaten my fill."

Qin Yao shook his head, "I don't know either."

What?! Tang Yuchu almost choked on the cold noodles in his mouth. He raised his head and stared at Qin Yao in astonishment.

Qin Yao was not joking with Tang Yuchu. He raised his hand and pointed at the map on the general's desk. His fingertips stopped at a desert and he said, "Ninth brother is walking in the Helan Gobi Desert. There is a wasteland stretching for hundreds of miles."

"The Khlang Gobi Desert is complex and its terrain is perfect for ambushes and sneak attacks."

According to his and Gu Jue's plan, they were going to set up an ambush in the Helang Gobi Desert and wait for an opportunity to surprise attack the Lin people, so as to end the war quickly.

Qin Yao touched his chin thoughtfully, with the corners of his lips slightly raised.

After the initial shock, he felt that this arranged marriage was actually quite interesting.

When he was in the capital, he saw that this little girl and Ninth Brother had a chance! Haha, it turned out to be a chance.

However, the emperor was out of his mind, right? How could he think of giving Chu Qianchen to his ninth brother? Absolutely, it was simply too absolute! Thinking of this, Qin Yao really wanted to grow wings and fly back to the capital to watch the show, and said cynically: "Oh, in my opinion, this is a marriage destined by heaven!"

"Since Ninth Brother is not around, we might as well just accept the marriage. Ninth Brother is already old, and it would be nice for him to have a Ninth Sister-in-law when he returns after a trip."

"Old Tang, don't you think so?"

There was a hint of joking in Qin Yao's tone, and he spoke half-truthfully.

(End of this chapter)