The spirited horse galloped away, and the crowd gave way.
The soldiers, who had been lying in wait outside the city for three days, rushed to the gates of the imperial city as quickly as possible.
The leader, with his dashing and capable appearance, slender yet powerful, was none other than General Fang Heng, who had been promoted year after year.
Following closely behind were six equally dashing figures, and over a thousand fellow soldiers galloping on horseback.
As the crowd came into view, Fang Heng raised his arm and gently pulled on the reins.
The red-maned horse beneath him immediately neighed, and with the force of inertia, it raised its front hooves high before gracefully landing back on the spot.
The ranks behind him stopped in perfect unison, raising their fiercely glaring eyes to look at him intently.
An overwhelming sense of oppression and bloodlust filled the air.
Those who had been standing in confrontation at the city gate began to feel a chill run down their spines and their hair stand on end.
Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian simultaneously grinned, their eyes brimming with tears, and called out, "Third Brother (Third Younger Brother)."
I'm not afraid anymore, I'm not afraid anymore.
The one in their family who's the toughest fighter is back.
Fang Heng's eyes were also a little moist. He grinned and cupped his hands, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince, greetings, Lord Xu."
Years have passed since they last met, and everyone has shed their naivety and grown and thrived in their respective fields.
When we met again, we were in different identities.
"Greetings, General Fang." Xu Mo greeted him with a smile and a cupped-hand salute.
What should have been a battle for the throne was turned into a long-awaited reunion by these siblings.
Seeing that Zheng Ruqian was about to interrupt and make the reunion go on and on, Changyan quickly coughed twice and interrupted, "Let the Second Prince choose now."
To fight or to surrender?
Just now, it was a thousand Imperial Guards against five thousand city defenders.
The former are selected from various prominent families; the truly capable ones have real skills, while the less capable ones are just all show and no substance.
The latter group was selected from ordinary people, and their overall level was relatively balanced, but there were no consistently outstanding individuals.
If the two sides really start fighting, the Imperial Guards can resist for a while with their superior equipment, but human strength is limited. If the five thousand city defenders use a war of attrition, even a god couldn't withstand it.
Therefore, the chances of the long banquet winning are not high.
The situation was instantly reversed when Fang Heng brought a thousand skilled generals.
Having been on the battlefield, seen blood, killed enemies, and beheaded people, what they carry is not just bloodthirstiness, but more accurately, killing intent.
They nearly crushed the Imperial Guards and the city garrison, who had little experience of killing.
“One thousand Imperial Guards, one thousand Frontier Soldiers.” Changyan’s voice was so confident and composed. “I wonder if we have any chance of winning against the Second Prince’s five thousand city garrison?”
Not only do they have a chance, they're practically guaranteed to win.
The fact that Fang Heng was able to bring his men here indicates that the troops stationed outside the city had received the news and were approaching Fengjing.
Even if the 5,000 garrison troops could barely hold off the Imperial Guards and the frontier troops, the 30,000 troops that surrounded them would be enough to completely annihilate them.
There was no chance to fight, and they were unwilling to surrender.
Zhu Changyu turned his head and looked at his strategist, Fang Yuan.
Unexpectedly, the other party's eyes were deep and fixed on the heroic and capable Fang Heng.
The two young masters, both surnamed Fang, learned martial arts and studied together since childhood, growing up together and accompanying each other.
They should have thrived on their own paths, complementing each other like the two Jiang brothers, both accomplished in literature and martial arts.
But fate led them down opposing paths, each supporting a different prince, and resulting in different fates.
One is a young general who fought on the frontier and was exceptionally brave.
One was a nameless prisoner who had escaped from the death penalty.
Fang Yuan raised the corners of his mouth and, the moment their eyes met, softly called out, "Long time no see, Brother Heng."
Both the Jiang and Fang families are families of generals.
The Jiang family is small in number and has close relationships. The cousins are also ranked in order of seniority, so Jiang Chengfeng would affectionately call Jiang Chengyuan the eldest brother.
Fang Yuan's second son gave birth to a son and daughter out of wedlock ahead of time, which caused the birth order to be confused. As a result, Fang Yuan didn't like to call out the birth order. Every time he skipped over, he would call out "Brother Aheng".
I never imagined that the last time I called him that was seven years ago.
Fang Yuan was overwhelmed with emotions, and knowing he wouldn't hear that loud "A Yuan," he lowered his head with a bitter smile.
Time flies! In the blink of an eye, they have transformed from innocent children into valiant young men, from crying while practicing horse stance to actually sitting on horseback.
They drew their knives and faced each other.
I've imagined some scenes many times, but none are as terrifying and chilling as actually seeing them.
Just like some sounds you may hallucinate many times, they will never make your blood freeze as much as hearing them with your own ears.
"A-Yuan," Fang Heng replied softly, gripping the reins.
But that was just a response.
They are separated by the General's wife's life, by Fang Heng's years of pursuit, by Xu Mo's cheating in the imperial examinations, and now by the struggle for imperial power.
We've long since stopped being on the same path.
This sound is a tribute to the years we spent growing up together.
Turning back, all that remained was the young general's solemn, murderous aura. "Listen up, you city garrison troops! Treason is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family. Thirty thousand troops have already surrounded the entire Fengjing. Turn back before it's too late, surrender!"
"Turn back before it's too late, surrender!" shouted thousands of border soldiers.
A biting and chilling wind enveloped everyone, making the early summer season feel unusually cold.
Zhu Changyu gathered up his faded robes and exchanged a glance with Fang Yuan.
A reduction in status is impossible; a life bound by constraints is hopeless. For them, as long as they are alive, there is still hope.
Then all that's left is to escape.
Fang Yuan turned his horse around, his cloak fluttering in the wind, and charged ahead towards the west of the city.
Zhu Changyu followed closely behind, riding forward on his horse.
They have a backup plan in the west of the city, which is also the closest gate to the neighboring city. As long as they rush into the next city, the army will not dare to search indiscriminately.
Before they could escape even a hundred feet, hundreds of people blocked their path.
The one in the lead had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and an upright posture; it was none other than Jiang Chengyuan of the Jiang family, whom we hadn't seen for a long time.
Before he could even steal a glance at his sister, he solemnly declared, holding his long sword, "Anyone who crosses this path will be killed without mercy!"
The battlefield is the place that best purifies a person.
The once indecisive boy, after experiencing bloodshed and pain, has finally become decisive, brave, and fearless.
He and Fang Heng, one on the left and one on the right, blocked the two open roads, forcing the defending army back to their original position.
It's still the gate of the imperial city, still a distant gaze at each other.
Chang Yan stood at the very front of the crowd, his hands clasped together, strategizing with an air of authority.
So this is the orthodox way after all.
Civil officials supported him, military generals loved him, and the hearts of the people were with him, voluntarily making way for the army.
"But on what grounds? On what grounds?" Zhu Changyu asked, his eyes filled with confusion. "On what grounds?"
They were both sons of emperors, both exceptionally capable, so why was one able to rule the world while the other could only become a fugitive?
One is loved by both parents, the other is ignored by everyone.
One fiefdom was rich and prosperous, while the other was barren and impoverished.
On what basis?
“There’s no such thing as ‘why’,” Changyan finally spoke, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. “Second brother, you were really wrong about this.”
"Just as you rejected Consort Ju, today I will also reject you."
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