Da Ning, the residence of the Marquis of Yongyi.

"Kid, your nominal uncle has been fighting in Heng County for so long but hasn't been able to take it down. What do you think about that?"

On either side of the chessboard, Gu Qingyan and Zhong Yi sat facing each other. Gu Qingyan silently placed a black piece and won the game.

"I'm asking you a question!" Zhong Yi's beard bristled. Having lost the game of chess once again, Zhong Yi's words were tinged with anger.

Having spent so much time with Gu Qingyan, Zhong Yi had genuinely come to like him. However, it was a pity that Gu Qingyan was the Prince of Yan of Daqing, so Zhong Yi didn't give him a friendly look.

"This is a matter concerning Da Ning, and has nothing to do with me."

Gu Qingyan's indifferent tone only fueled Zhong Yi's rage.

“You brat, you’re like a boring adult all day long.” Zhong Yi stood up abruptly. “If it weren’t for the king’s order, your uncle would be beheaded by now.”

Given the current disparity in troop strength between Daning and Daqing, how could Daqing possibly hold out for so long?

“My uncle is also a general who has fought in many battles. I imagine you will have to pay a heavy price to hurt him.” Gu Qingyan stared at Zhong Yi. “General, it was my uncle’s mission to take back Heng County.”

"But Da Ning wouldn't just let so many soldiers die every day for nothing."

Understanding the implication in Zhong Yi's words, Gu Qingyan's eyes flickered. "Does the old general want me to persuade my uncle to withdraw his troops?"

"But my uncle will never withdraw his troops."

"We should give it a try!"

Zhong Yi exuded the imposing aura of a general, and with a wave of his hand, he pointed to Heng County, saying, "As long as your uncle does not return to the capital, soldiers of my Great Ning will die every day."

“Kid, instead of doing this, we, Da Ning, might as well keep advancing and take Da Qing directly.”

"Come with me to Heng County tonight!"

......

In October, as the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, Zhong Yi, having exhausted three horses, led Gu Qingyan to Heng County.

When they arrived in Hengxian, Ling Ku looked at Zhong Yi with unusual respect.

"Greetings, General."

Gu Qingyan's heart trembled slightly. This was the first time he had ever seen Ling Ku with such a respectful expression, except when he was facing his father.

"How is the battle going?"

At this moment, the smiling old man in the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion had a cold glint in his eyes as he flipped through the battle report in his hand, "One month, ten thousand casualties."

"General, Daqing sends troops to attack the city almost every day. The king's order is to just hold Hengxian and not to go to war with Daqing."

Zhong Yi snorted coldly and stood on the city wall of Heng County, still wearing his armor.

"Come here."

Zhong Yi pointed at Gu Qingyan, who strode over to Zhong Yi's side. "I'm giving you a chance now. Find a way to make Marquis Dingyuan withdraw his troops. If you can't come up with one, then follow my idea."

Gu Qingyan's brain started working at lightning speed in an instant. He could even see the soldiers in the front row of Daqing heading towards Hengxian, and the man on horseback at the very front was his uncle.

At the same time, in the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, Gu Lin was sitting by the lake.

Judging by the time, Zhong Yi and A Yan have already arrived in Heng County.

The Prime Minister wrote that he had found evidence of the battle at Lingzhou, and the feud between the Gu and Jiang families was now a foregone conclusion.

A flicker of emotion crossed Gu Lin's eyes. He couldn't imagine how Jiang He would react if he knew about this.

But what he was certain of was that Jiang He absolutely could not be on the battlefield under these circumstances. He needed to find a way to get Jiang He back to the capital and then find a suitable time to tell Jiang He the news.

......

On the battlefield.

Jiang He led his troops toward the city gate of Heng County, but when he saw the figure bound hand and foot on the gate, he suddenly tightened his grip on the reins, shouting, "Stop!"

"Soldiers of Daqing, look carefully, this is your Prince Yan."

Zhong Yi spoke with a strong voice, grabbing Gu Qingyan with one hand and suspending Gu Qingyan's feet in the air. If Zhong Yi let go, Gu Qingyan would fall outside the city gate and die from his injuries.

"Don't you dare harm the prince!"

Jiang He's eyes were bloodshot with rage, and Chang Qing couldn't help but curse, "You shameless people dare to kidnap the prince!"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yi burst into laughter, "If we were truly shameless, your Daqing army would have been completely wiped out by now."

"Lord Dingyuan, I fought against your parents back then. Out of consideration for our shared destiny with the Jiang family, I advise you: do not engage in futile resistance."

Gu Qingyan stared intently at Jiang He's expression. Then, as if he had seen something, Gu Qingfeng was pushed to the front of the line in a wheelchair.

"Release my third brother."

Gu Qingfeng spoke slowly and deliberately, putting everything else aside. He had only one thought in his mind: Gu Qingyan absolutely could not be harmed.

In his past life, he owed not only his mother but also Gu Qingyan.

If something were to happen to Gu Qingyan, he didn't know how devastated his mother would be.

"Ling Ku, you must... you must aim accurately."

Gu Qingyan spoke with difficulty, and as soon as he finished speaking, a sharp sword shot straight towards Jiang He's left shoulder, causing Jiang He to fall to the ground in pain.

With Gu Qingyan blocking their way, none of the Daqing soldiers dared to draw their swords.

"Withdraw your troops." Gu Qingfeng's voice rang out, reaching Jiang He's ears, and Jiang He even felt a sense of relief.

This back-and-forth, which lasted for a month, is finally coming to an end, much like a farce.

He was well aware that with Gu Lin present, Da Ning would not truly attack Da Qing. But even so, for Da Qing to reclaim Heng County was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

On the city wall of Heng County, Gu Qingyan lay on the ground, breathing heavily.

“Lingku”.

"Young Master."

Ling Ku's voice rang out, and Zhong Yi's eyes widened in disbelief. What had Ling Ku just called Prince Yan... "Young Master"?

"Make sure your uncle's injury looks serious, so serious that you need to immediately return to the capital. Ideally, he should need to recuperate for a year or two after returning to the capital, but you can't actually hurt him."

"Don't worry, young master, that arrow just now won't affect the Marquis; it's just a superficial wound."

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyan closed his eyes. He wanted everyone to know the severity of his uncle's injuries and that they were caused by him being held hostage, so that his uncle would not be blamed.

"Old general, your arm strength is truly remarkable. I thought I was going to die here today."

Gu Qingyan smiled wryly, then thought of how Gu Qingfeng had pleaded for him earlier.

"Help me up and I'll write a letter to my second brother."

"Wait a moment, tell me first why Ling Ku calls you Young Master."

Seeing Zhong Yi so eager, Gu Qingyan's smile widened, completely unlike his previous cold demeanor at the Yongyi Marquis's residence.

"Ling Ku got it wrong."

"You dare to play tricks on this old man?"