Seeing Ge Kaishan lower his head and remain silent, Zhao Xian continued:

There's a rumor circulating here, but we don't know if it's true or not.

I heard that your late emperor had nine children, most of whom died young, with only the second, fourth, and eighth princes surviving.

However, your fourth prince, Yelü Wu, killed his father and brother in order to seize the throne, and the eighth prince is the only one who knows the truth.

To escape assassination, he feigned madness, deceiving Yelü Wu and surviving to this day.

Upon hearing this, Ge Kaishan found it unbelievable, as the situation was not like that in his knowledge of the inner workings of the royal family.

The late emperor died of illness. Just as the second prince, Yelü Han, was preparing to inherit the throne, he suddenly disappeared. The royal family searched everywhere without success. At this time, the eighth prince suddenly went mad.

All of this happened too suddenly. A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Under the strong persuasion of the court officials, the fourth prince, Yelü Wu, had no choice but to temporarily ascend the throne.

Yelü Wu said that he would immediately abdicate once the second prince returned, but seventeen or eighteen years passed in the blink of an eye, and the second prince Yelü Khan seemed to have vanished into thin air, with no news of him.

Ge Kaishan never expected that such a version would be circulating in the Great Northern Dynasty. Could this be the truth of the matter?

If Zhao Xian's words are true, then Yelü Wu is a demon who killed his father and brother, and he has no idea what really happened back then.

Seeing Ge Kaishan looking at him in surprise, Zhao Xian continued:

"What I'm talking about are just rumors. More than ten years have passed since then, and not many people know the truth about it."

Your Emperor Yelü Wu did his best to suppress the news, and it is a fact that many former officials of the previous dynasty were killed back then.

There must be people in your court who know the truth, but they dare not speak out for fear of being killed.

I heard that your second prince, Yelü Han, disguised himself as a Taoist priest to avoid being hunted down by Yelü Wu, and lived in anonymity. No one knows where he is.

Perhaps he is waiting for the right opportunity to make a comeback; if that's the case, then there is still hope for the country.

I've heard that this second prince, Yelü Khan, cares deeply for the world. If he were to become your emperor, your kingdom would be transformed, and it would be a great blessing for you.

"Taoist priest, could he be the Second Prince Yelü Khan?" Ge Kaishan exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian and Li Guang were secretly delighted; it seemed there was hope here.

"General Ge knows the whereabouts of the Second Prince Yelü Khan. Have you met him?"

"In the northwest of the foreign country, there is a mountain called Mabu Mountain. It is said that there is a Taoist priest on the mountain who is kind and generous."

He cleared land at the foot of the mountain and used the harvested grain to help the poor people. The locals called him a living bodhisattva.

Just now, Marquis Zhengyang mentioned that the Second Prince had disguised himself as a Taoist priest to evade pursuit, which reminded me of this person. It is said that this Taoist priest is rarely seen, and I have never seen him myself.

Ge Kaishan's words gave Zhao Xian and Li Guang a glimmer of hope. If the Taoist priest Ge Kaishan mentioned was indeed Yelü Khan, then things would be much easier.

At this moment, Li Guang slapped his forehead and said:

“I have a good friend who is also a Taoist. He came to visit me a year ago, saying that he was visiting a Taoist friend from a foreign country.”

It seems they have a good relationship, otherwise they wouldn't have traveled so far to visit a foreign country.

My friend said this person had a special background, because he was being hunted down by his enemies, so he changed his name and went into hiding in the wilderness.

We were very curious and asked what the person looked like and how old he was. My friend smiled and casually drew a portrait of me, telling me to keep the portrait safe, as it might come in handy someday.

Unfortunately, General Ge never met the Taoist priest, and even after seeing the portrait, he couldn't recognize him.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xian said, "That's not necessarily true. Since Yelü Khan and Yelü Wu are brothers, they must have some similarities in appearance."

General Ge may not have met Yelü Khan, but he should have met Emperor Yelü Wu. If this Taoist priest resembles Yelü Wu, then it can be confirmed that this Taoist priest is the Second Prince, Yelü Khan.

Ge Kaishan suddenly became excited and said:

"Marshal Li, where is the portrait? May I see it?"

“The portrait wasn’t in the barracks. I didn’t pay attention to it at the time and just left it at home. Here’s what we’ll do: you guys go to the barracks and wait for me. I’ll go back and get the portrait and then I’ll be there.”

After Li Guang finished speaking, he quickly left to go home and retrieve the portrait.

Seeing this, Zhao Xian said, "General Ge, let's go to the military camp first. We'll bring the portrait later. Take a close look and see if the person in the painting looks a bit like Yelü Wu."

“Okay, let’s go take a look at the portrait first. I’ve met Emperor Yelü Wu a few times and I’m very familiar with his appearance.”

The two arrived at the military camp quickly, and not long after, Li Guang arrived with a portrait.

The group entered a barracks, and after they sat down, Li Guang took out a portrait and handed it to Ge Kaishan.

Ge Kaishan took the portrait and looked at it carefully. After only one glance, he spoke excitedly.

"This man looks very similar to Emperor Yelü Wu, so it can be confirmed that he is the Second Prince Yelü Khan."

After Ge Kaishan finished speaking, his excitement quickly subsided, and he stared blankly at the portrait.

Zhao Xian and Li Guang looked at Ge Kaishan, who was deep in thought, and remained silent, wanting to see what Ge Kaishan was planning.

After a long while, Ge Kaishan finally raised his head, looked at the two of them, and said:

"Thank you for letting me know the truth about what happened more than ten years ago. Now I know what I should do. If I can't do this well, then no matter how well I do other things, it will all be meaningless."

I want to put the foreign kingdom on the right track and enable its people to truly live a good life.

“I don’t know what General Ge’s next move is. This matter must be handled with caution. If your emperor finds out that the Second Prince Yelü Khan is still alive, he will definitely send people to hunt him down, and then Yelü Khan will be in danger,” Li Guang said.

"Of course I know that. I will find the Second Prince, follow him, and help him reclaim the throne."

Upon hearing this, Li Guang smiled and said:

“We understand General Ge’s sincere heart. For so many years, Yelü Wu must have been searching for the whereabouts of the Second Prince, but so much time has passed and they still haven’t found him.”

Many people know the Taoist priest on Mabu Mountain, and Yelü Wu must know him too. If he really is your second prince, why wasn't Yelü Wu discovered it?

That only shows that the Second Prince is very cautious and hides his true identity very well. It is impossible for General Ge to find him.

Even if General Ge finds the Second Prince, he won't admit it. He might suspect you were sent by Yelü Wu, which would be detrimental to you.

After so many years of development, the Second Prince should have gained considerable strength, but he is still unable to contend with the imperial court. He must be constantly looking for an opportunity.

Your second prince has now reached the age of fifty, and Heaven has not given him much time left.