Madam Shi is old, and the journey north is more than a thousand miles.
In order to protect her from the fatigue of traveling and her health, Tianshu Pavilion specially chose a relatively flat and safe route. Instead of passing through Yueheng Mountain, it took a detour along the east coast.
It just so happened that the people along the coast valued religion, and monks and nuns from other places often went there to preach Buddhism. The team escorting Old Lady Shi from Tianshu Pavilion used the name of Jingping Temple in the suburbs of Beijing, and Old Lady Shi used the identity of a nun from Jingping Temple. The carriage was low-key, and she did not show off her wealth along the way. Coupled with her identity as a "Buddhist disciple", the journey was very peaceful.
Just this detour is nearly half the distance longer than going across Yueheng Mountain.
It is already late autumn, and I am afraid that it will take until the end of the year for Old Lady Shi to arrive at Beiguan.
Such a big thing naturally cannot be hidden from General Shi, and there is no need to hide it.
Now, ten days have passed since Qi Xu led his troops to support the Northern Gate and the Northern Barbarians retreated.
General Shi still guarded the border in person, while Qi Xu's 5,000 troops temporarily stayed in the southern suburbs of Beiguan City, near the Nanjiao Forest Farm. To this day, the two have not met formally.
According to General Shi, since he was not going to follow the Second Prince's orders to encircle and suppress King You, it would be better not to meet him.
However, since this matter concerned General Shi's only living relative, Qi Xu thought that he should tell General Shi in person.
…
"Your Highness, this way please."
The people who came with King You were left outside the Northern Army camp. King You entered the camp alone, led by Deputy General Lin.
Walk all the way to the commander's tent.
The soldiers who saw this couldn't help but focus their eyes on the young prince. In addition to curiosity, they also felt a hint of respect and gratitude.
Lieutenant General Lin led the way, and his eyes could not help but keep observing the young prince beside him.
I thought it would take some effort to convince him to keep his men outside, but I didn't expect that he nodded in agreement as soon as I opened my mouth.
When he walked into the camp at this time, he was calm and composed, as if he didn't feel that he was in danger at all.
"The general's tent is in front of us. He is waiting for you inside." When he reached the tent, Lieutenant General Lin stopped and gestured, "Your Highness, please."
The tent was deserted and had no extra decorations.
There was only a sand table, a simple desk, and a few racks for displaying weapons and armor.
There was only General Shi in the tent.
As I stepped inside, a pair of sharp eyes like an eagle glanced over.
As if with a bit of scrutiny.
"Your Highness King You." General Shi greeted him with a slight nod, his attitude neither distant nor close.
"General Shi." Qi Xu folded his hands and gave a junior salute, "I haven't seen you for more than ten years. You are still as elegant as ever."
General Shi was slightly startled when he heard this.
He immediately remembered that two years before the late emperor passed away, he had come to Beijing to report on his work. At that time, he met the eldest grandson of the late emperor in the imperial study.
Time passed, and he had not returned to the capital for more than ten years, and had not seen his mother who stayed in the capital for more than ten years.
The eldest grandson of the emperor, who was brought up personally by the late emperor at that time, also changed from an imperial grandson to a crown prince, and then to the current King You.
General Shi sighed in his heart and softened his attitude. "I haven't seen you for many years. Your Highness has become a handsome man. If the late emperor knew, he would be pleased with your current appearance."
After some polite words were exchanged, the tent fell silent.
General Shi was wondering why King You came today.
He deliberately did not conceal the news that the court had come a few days ago. King You had already known that the court wanted to arrest him and bring him back to the capital.
General Shi didn't believe that someone dared to enter the Northern Army camp alone at this critical moment without any intention...
But when he thought of that possible "intention", General Shi's expression, which had just relaxed, became cold and hard again.
The army stationed in the north exists to guard the border and protect the people of Dayong, and must not become a knife in someone's hand.
No matter whether this person is the Second Prince or King You, it is not allowed!
"General Shi, I came here today because I have something I want to tell you in person."
Qi Xu seemed not to notice General Shi's change, and his attitude remained the same as when he entered the room.
"What's the matter?" General Shi really couldn't think of what the matter was that required King You to make such a special trip.
"I have ordered people to pack up and take Madam Shi out of the Loyal and Brave Marquis's Mansion. Now, the old lady is being escorted north and will arrive in the north around the end of the year."
General Shi widened his eyes in astonishment.
He guessed that what King You wanted to say might be about border defense or the army's food and fodder...but he never thought that it was about his elderly mother!
Feelings of shock and anticipation flashed through my heart.
General Shi's face darkened. "This is against the Emperor's order. Your Highness Prince You is framing me and the Shi family!"
General Shi knew exactly why the emperor kept his elderly mother in the capital. Only in this way would the emperor be assured of letting him command the 100,000 troops stationed in the north.
Now my mother has been taken out of the capital by King You...
Once the court and the emperor know about this, they will definitely think that this was done at his instigation.
To put it more seriously, one might even think that he has rebellious intentions!
No matter King You's move was intended to curry favor with him or to threaten him with his mother, it put him in a difficult position!
General Shi's face turned ashen, and the hint of closeness that the late emperor had just brought to him was completely gone.
As expected, there are no truly good people in the royal family.
The second prince is like this, and so is King You.
"I hope Your Highness can tell me where my mother is now. I will send someone there right away. There is no need to trouble Your Highness's people."
General Shi's tone was cold and hard.
Qi Xu's expression remained unchanged, and he was not angry at General Shi's attitude. He just said, "I made an emergency decision. I was wrong for not informing the general in advance."
After that, he told General Shi the route that Tianshu Pavilion would use to escort Old Madam Shi north.
Without waiting for General Shi to ask Lieutenant General Lin to see him off, he took the initiative to say goodbye.
Deputy General Lin saw King You off and returned to the big tent. General Shi still had the same gloomy look and furrowed brows as before.
It's no wonder he looked gloomy. As a general stationed at the frontier, if he was accused of treason...
"King You is forcing me to take sides."
General Shi closed his eyes, rubbed his eyebrows, and a hint of bitterness appeared between his brows.
"General, in my opinion, His Royal Highness Prince You may not be that kind of person..."
General Shi waved his hand to stop Deputy General Lin from finishing his words.
It's not that he can't understand King You's actions. If someone else were in King You's position, their methods would probably be even more extreme than King You's.
But he was really unwilling to just admit it like that!
…
"If you don't explain, aren't you afraid that General Shi will blame you for this?"
In the newly reopened tea shop on the main street in the south of the city, Wei Yunlan and Qi Xu sat at a table in the corner.
Upon hearing this, Qi Xu shook his head slightly.
"Instead of me explaining, I might as well tell him the facts."
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