Chapter 97 Chapter 97 is the only authentic version...
This is……
This baggage cart is not loaded with arrows, but iron!
It's a full car of iron.
Now, even Gu Zhizhuo could not hide the ecstasy on her face. She held the iron in both hands. In her eyes, this cart of iron was more precious than gold.
Very good.
This vote was worth it.
Gu Zhizhuo waved his arm and said excitedly, "Take it away, take it away. It's all ours!"
"Based on your merits, I will give each of you an extra thousand arrows."
Wow!
The soldiers cheered and became more motivated.
They wrapped the burnt boxes with fire-proof cloth, placed them on a cart, and had the horses pull it back and forth, time and again.
They were few in number and had no baggage carts, so it was impossible for them to take the arrows back directly, so they hid them in a nearby cave first.
The caves were also on Lu Jinyi's map. It was impossible for Lu Jinyi to draw all the caves in every mountain, but the ones that made it into the painting must be extremely hidden.
The soldiers did not dare to delay and hurriedly transported the arrows to the cave, hid them all, and then returned the same way. The first rays of dawn had not yet risen until then.
The effect of the incense does not last long, especially in a spacious and ventilated place, it dissipates faster.
After about an hour, Pang Yi woke up. He was woken up by the captain.
He first shook his dizzy head, then pinched his solar plexus. His body felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds and it was difficult to move.
He was blankly thinking: What happened?
That’s right!
Pang Yi's brain was a little slow before he finally reacted. He quickly looked around.
The other soldiers also gradually woke up. Like him, they rubbed their foreheads with a painful headache, or rested their heads on their knees and groaned in pain.
It was already bright outside and the view was excellent. Pang Yi looked into the distance again, and his heart almost stopped beating.
A biting chill rose from my back and spread to my internal organs.
Arrow!
The arrows are gone.
As far as the eye could see, there was nothing left but the charred baggage wagons.
It’s over!
Pang Yi collapsed on the ground, his future was over.
“Ahhhhhh!”
He held his head in his hands and vented hysterically: "Gu Yican, this despicable villain, if he has the guts, he should stop hiding. He always resorts to deceitful tricks. Go to hell!"
The boss's face was as pale as paper and he looked listless because of the incense.
Retreating from the beginning was wrong, and wrong. Even if they hadn't retreated, they would still have lost. It was the smoke...
He reacted hesitantly: "It's the cigarette that's the problem."
It was right to retreat. If they had run farther, they might have been able to save the arrows when the Shangzhiwei and the Imperial Guards were called in.
But there's no point in saying that now.
"Captain, Captain."
"Ahhhh, this villain Gu Yican..."
"Captain!"
He raised his voice, "We must report back to the Admiral as soon as possible. If we can't find the arrow, we're doomed."
The word "death" gave Pang Yi a shudder. He struggled to get up from the ground and said hurriedly, "Yes, yes, I have to report it quickly!"
He no longer cared about anything, including the soldiers on the ground. He supported his sore limbs and climbed onto the horse, galloping towards the direction of the Fifth Army Camp.
Admiral Gong is waiting for this batch of arrows, he must be in the Fifth Army Camp now!
So, as soon as Gong Hai woke up, he was struck by a bolt of lightning from the blue sky, which made his limbs numb.
He immediately summoned Pang Yi, and after asking him the reason, he confirmed without hesitation that he had been fooled by Gu Yican.
From the beginning to the end, Gu Yican's goal was not food, but this batch of arrows.
A full ten million arrows!
He played himself into the hands by making a feint to the east and attacking in the west, and retreating to advance.
Gong Hai asked one last time: "Are you sure it was Gu Yican you saw?"
"Yes, yes."
"You come with me into the palace."
"Enter the palace?" Pang Yi shuddered with fear.
Gong Hai didn't need his consent. He left the tent first and said to the deputy general who came after hearing the news, "The ambush is canceled."
Since it has been exposed as a trap, why would Gu Yican fall into it himself? It would only make people laugh at him.
"Let His Royal Highness the Third Prince stay in the camp. Liu Guangming, please help him out by showing him around and giving him the task of counting the food and fodder later."
He finished his instructions at a very fast speed, whipped his horse and rode away, raising a cloud of dust. It was too late for Lieutenant General Liu to call out to him.
Gong Hai's anger burned in his chest, attacking his remaining sanity.
Gu Yican has a really big appetite! He swallows the whole thing in one gulp, not even worried about choking to death.
From Xishan to the capital, the city gates had been opened, and Gong Hai took Pang Yi straight to the palace.
The morning court had not yet ended, so Gong Hai went to the imperial study to wait for an audience. However, as soon as he stepped through the vermilion lacquer door, he saw Gu Yican sitting under the ginkgo tree.
Gong Hai: “…”
Gu Yican rested his arms on his knees, supporting his chin, and said lazily and provocatively: "Master Gong, you came here so early in the morning, did you lose something?"
Gu Yican curled up the corners of his mouth and leaned against the tree trunk as if he had no bones.
A sharp gleam flashed across his eyes. Seeing Gong Hai's exasperated expression, he knew his sister had succeeded! His sister's first military command was a great victory.
Pang Yi's legs trembled as he shrank behind Gong Hai.
"You did it."
Gong Hai stared at the nonchalant smile on his face. Even though he was sitting and he was standing, he still felt an aura of superiority from Gu Yican.
Gu Yican tilted his head: "What did this prince do?"
He was laughing, and also seemed to be mocking.
"You stole the arrow!"
Gu Yican jumped up from the ground swiftly and walked towards Gong Hai.
When he was only two or three steps away from him, Gu Yican stopped, supported his knees with his hands, leaned forward slightly, and said with a faint smile: "No... so what?"
Gu Yican moved his ears and deliberately prolonged the tone: "Yes, what can you do?!"
"Useless old fellow."
Gong Hai's pupils shrank sharply.
He grabbed Gu Yican by the collar: "Gu Yican, if you dare say that again..." Before he could finish his harsh words, his arm was grabbed by Gu Yican.
"The Emperor has arrived."
As he sang his promise, Gu Yican twisted his arm and pressed him to the ground with his backhand.
"I say, useless old man, none of your tricks will work on this prince. Do you understand?"
At the same time, the emperor shouted in shock and anger: "How dare you!"
"Gu Yican, this is my imperial study, not your Zhenguo Mansion!"
Gong Hai's face was blue and red, and his skin felt very hot when facing the eunuchs' surprised eyes.
Gu Yican let go of his hand, lightly brushed his sleeve with the back of his hand, and stood up to greet him: "Your Majesty."
boom!
New and old grudges surged into his heart, and anger instantly engulfed his reason.
"Your Majesty!" Gong Hai's voice drowned him out. "Gu Yican led his troops to rob all the arrows sent from Fengyang. Ten million in total. Not a single one was left behind!"
Ten million arrows! The emperor's face changed drastically: "Are you sure?"
"Captain Pang was in charge of the transport and witnessed it with his own eyes."
Pang Yi fell to his knees and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I saw it with my own eyes. The prince of Zhenguo led thousands of troops to surround me and my men. I fought desperately to protect my arrows, but we were defeated and lost them."
It can't be wrong.
Only Gu Yican has the three black arrows.
He lost the arrow. If he was dealt with according to military law, his future would be in jeopardy and his life would be in danger. Now he was thinking about shirking responsibility.
Gu Yican's eyes were filled with coldness, and his voice had a playful ending: "You saw it with your own eyes? Are you sure?"
"I will confirm it in the end!"
Gong Hai's eyes were fierce, and his voice seemed to be mixed with ice chips: "Master Gu, do you have anything else to say?!"
Gu Yican raised his finger and pointed with amusement: "Do you believe him?"
"You just admitted it yourself!"
"What did this prince admit? Tsk, could it be that Admiral Gong is old and his eyes are blurry, and he is daydreaming?"
Gu Yican raised his eyes, so arrogant that it made people's teeth itch.
Gong Hai's facial muscles tensed up, and he glared at him, "You are the son of the Duke of Zhenguo, but you dare not take responsibility for what you did!"
Gong Hai said sternly, "Your Majesty, Captain Pang is the witness. I beg Your Majesty to punish Gu Yican for treason."
"I have witnesses too." Gu Yican faced the emperor and said slowly, "Your Majesty, I haven't left the Imperial Study since yesterday. All the palace maids and eunuchs in the Imperial Study are witnesses."
"I'm afraid this will disappoint Admiral Gong."
What! ?
Gong Hai looked stunned for a moment.
Gu Yican put away his nonchalant look and said obediently, "Your Majesty, you were absolutely right to scold me yesterday. I shouldn't have been so rude to Admiral Gong, shouldn't have dragged him through the streets, and shouldn't have told him to die. You asked me to reflect on myself, and I have reflected on myself well. I have been reflecting on myself outside the Imperial Study until now. I was wrong."
Gong Hai looked over in shock, his head buzzing.
When he saw Gu Yican, he did wonder why Gu Yican had come so early, but he just thought he was trying to take the initiative. After all, Pang Yi had sworn to identify Gu Yican.
Even if he had a moment of doubt, he was so excited by Gu Yican that he lost all his rationality.
If Gu Yican really did not leave the palace all night, then it would be impossible for him to lead the troops personally.
In his impulse, he asked someone to testify that "he personally led the troops." These few words alone were enough to put him at a disadvantage.
Who said Gu Yican was a willful, brainless dandy?!
This step-by-step calculation is extremely sophisticated.
Gong Hai's lips parted slightly, and his thoughts completely stopped at this moment.
The emperor glanced at Li Deshun, frowned, and walked straight into the imperial study.
"You two, get in here!"
Gu Yican dusted off his robe, walked past Gong Hai, gave him a provocative look, and entered the imperial study first.
Not long after, Li Deshun followed Gong Hai in and reported, "Your Majesty, I've asked around, and Prince Gu did indeed stay out all night. The eunuchs and palace maids in the Imperial Study can all testify to this. Prince Gu didn't leave the palace except to go to the toilet."
Even if I go to the toilet, it's impossible to run back and forth in such a short time.
What's more, the palace gates and city gates were all closed.
Pang Yi was also brought in. He knelt on the ground, visibly shaking.
waste!
Gong Hai wished he could skin him alive. If he hadn't kept his promise, how could he have broken his promise?
The emperor put down his teacup with a bang, and the scalding hot tea splashed out. "Gong Hai, tell me! How did you lose it?"
"Your Majesty," Gong Hai said, trying to calm himself. "The Thousand Machine Battalion has three captains under its command. Even if Prince Gu is not here, there are still people to lead the troops."
"Admiral Gong," Gu Yican sneered, "just now you said that this prince personally led the troops to seize the arrows, and now you change your words and say that it was someone else who led the troops. You are both right and wrong. This time, you lost the arrow yourself and you want to blame this prince. Next time, if you accidentally lose your life, will this prince also be responsible?"
"Gu Yican, how dare you say that you didn't touch these arrows!"
Gu Yican retaliated sharply, "Perhaps it was you, Admiral Gong, who secretly swallowed the arrow and deliberately wanted to blame it on me."
He brushed off the non-existent dust on his shoulders and sneered, "It's you who's plotting something bad."
"It's all guesswork anyway. My guess is more reliable, isn't it?"
Gu Yican was no less powerful than anyone else. He walked up to Pang Yi and kicked him with the tip of his shoe.
"Tell me, did you really see this prince with your own eyes?"
"This general, this general..."
Pang Yi knelt down, resting his head on the back of his hands. Gu Yican's gaze was like that of a ferocious beast. His legs trembled as he said with difficulty, "No. I didn't see you."
Gong Hai's eyes glared at him, wishing he could skin him alive.
Gu Yican spread his hands and said with a provocative smile: "Admiral Gong, your witness is gone."
"That's enough."
The emperor interrupted their chattering: "Gong Hai, Prince Gu was in the palace yesterday, it's impossible for him to rob the arrows."
Gong Hai took a deep breath and finally said, "Your Majesty, I want to search the camp."
"no."
"Is Prince Gu feeling guilty?"
"Commander Gong, my Thousand Machine Battalion isn't your backyard. You can come and go as you please. Search? Sure! You'll have to sign a military order." Gu Yican's face suddenly turned cold, his icy expression making his voice even more chilling. "If you don't find anything, you'll die. How do you do that?"
"If you dare to establish it, this prince will dare you to search it."
"Do you dare?"
Gu Yican showed no sign of weakness and once again gained the upper hand.
Gu Yican's attitude made Gong Hai hesitate.
Li Qing, this chess piece is definitely useless. He will not be able to get any news from the Thousand Machine Camp for the time being.
It is not easy to hide ten million arrows, especially now that only a few hours have passed. They are most likely in the camp.
So, this could be a deliberate attempt to confuse the enemy. Wanna take a gamble?!
Gu Yican sneered, "It seems that Admiral Gong doesn't dare anymore. If that's the case, just shut up."
"emperor!"
Gong Hai wanted to ask the emperor for permission to search.
"Your Majesty," Gu Yican also spoke at the same time, "Please punish Gong Hai for his false accusation!"
There was silence in the imperial study for a long time.
The emperor neither agreed to let Gong Hai search the camp nor to let Gu Yican punish him. He simply said, "I give you ten days. If you fail to find the arrow, you will be held primarily responsible for this matter, and you will be dismissed from your position as Left Admiral."
Gong Hai raised his head suddenly, as if struck by lightning.
"emperor……"
“Back off!”
Gong Hai hesitated for a moment, then said tentatively, "Your Majesty, I must take this man away."
He was referring to Pang Yi who was lying on the ground.
The emperor hesitated for a long time and refused, saying, "Give this person to the East Factory."
Gong Hai closed his eyes. As soon as these words came out, he understood.
He had followed the emperor for so long that he had some understanding of his temperament.
The emperor was suspicious, and Gu Yican's words were enough to make him suspicious of himself.
Miscalculated.
It was a miscalculation from the very beginning. One wrong step leads to another.
If the emperor was seven points suspicious of Gu Yican, then he must be at least three points suspicious of himself.
"Yes. I will definitely retrieve the arrow."
"Get down!"
Gong Hai came out of the imperial study first, his steps becoming faster and faster.
It was his anger, his impatience, and his carelessness that made Gu Yican successful, and also forced him into the current situation where he had no way out.
"Admiral Gong."
A voice called out to him, and when he looked up, he saw Xie Jing running towards him from the direction of the palace gate, panting, "Great, you're still here."
"Your Highness? Why are you back?"
Xie Jing patted his chest, calmed his breathing, and said hurriedly: "The food and grass were robbed."
Gong Hai: “…”
Xie Jing stayed in the camp waiting for food and fodder, but not long after Gong Hai left, all the food and fodder was lost, not a single cart was left.
As a prince, he should actually stay to take charge of the overall situation, but he had no idea what he could do. No one listened to him, and it was really embarrassing for him to continue staying, so he simply talked to Liu Guangming and reported to Gong Hai.
"Huh?"
"The food and fodder were lost too?"
Gu Yican, who came from behind, said gloatingly, "Admiral Gong is going to say that this was stolen by this prince?"
"Alas, this prince is really too busy to handle everything."
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