"Fifth Brother." Jiang Sheng put his hands behind his back, seemingly wanting to smile, but realizing it was inappropriate, he composed himself and became serious. "We're all here."
"Are you alright?" Zheng Ruqian looked him up and down. "You're fine, you didn't break down, you can carry more than our donkey."
"Don't be afraid, Xiao Wu, Third Brother is back to protect you." Fang Heng was as direct as ever. "Whoever bullies you, I'll beat them up."
Wen Zhiyun nodded frantically beside her, her doe-like eyes clear and innocent.
Although they seized power, they united with powerful families and established the Crown Prince's Palace.
But there is a difference between trying to hold up the sky and having no choice but to hold up the sky.
No matter how shrewd Chang Yan was, he was still just a fourteen-year-old boy.
"Xiao Wu," Xu Mo, who had been taciturn, spoke up, "The Crown Prince's residence is still very immature, and the staff are all quite young. If there are any uncertainties, you can consult with the second-ranking ministers of the cabinet. Also, Grand Secretary Sun should be preparing to retire."
To be precise, Grand Secretary Sun should have stepped down long ago.
However, due to the Emperor's request, he has been occupying the position of Grand Secretary to avoid the growing power of aristocratic families.
Now that the Crown Prince is overseeing the country, a new chief minister will be appointed.
It's either the Jiang family or the Dou family; there's absolutely no way a third family could be involved.
Xu Mo's words of comfort were not as direct as his younger siblings', but they were effective. With the support of these powerful families and the guidance of the trusted Grand Secretary, the Crown Prince's future would not be difficult.
But they didn't know.
For the long banquet, the most important thing is that they are all there.
The anxiety of losing her father, the helplessness of discovering the loss of her father's love, and the tension of about to take over the world all vanished when she saw her older brother and sister.
People can be cowardly, but when they have something they want to protect, they become brave and fearless.
What he wants to protect are his older brother and younger sister.
"A person's heart can be vast, capable of encompassing the entire world."
"A person's heart can be very small, only able to hold five people."
"These five people are my domain."
With a light laugh, Changyan led his five siblings away from the Qianqing Palace.
The palace turmoil outside has been completely quelled. After a short rest, the border troops have taken over the positions of the city guards and scattered throughout Fengjing to maintain order.
The Imperial Guards also resumed their orderly duties, taking turns on duty according to the schedule to guard the Imperial City.
Under Sun Xiaosheng's guidance, everyone in the Crown Prince's residence had been assigned tasks and were handling their own affairs.
It seems like some people were overlooked.
After much deliberation, Chang Yan realized that the eight pieces of ginger were missing, and even the two Jiang brothers were nowhere to be found.
"They've gone after the traitor," Fang Heng reported, bowing. "By calculation, their 50,000 troops will be arriving outside Fengjing City soon. With them attacking from both sides, it will be easier to capture them."
He hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "When the Second Prince left, did he lip-sync to 'frontier'? What did he mean by those two words?"
What's the point? Just catch them and question them.
Without hesitation, Changyan took his siblings and several outstanding advisors from the Crown Prince's residence, including Sun Xiaosheng, and headed straight for the gates of the imperial city.
The standoff from several hours ago was still fresh in everyone's mind, but in the blink of an eye, everything returned to calm.
Vendors opened their doors and called out their wares, while steamed buns and candied hawthorns swayed through the streets. People from Fengjing, carrying their wares, walked one after another, vividly and realistically depicting the prosperity and vigor of the area.
The tranquility was broken by the galloping of several horses.
The laws of the Dayu Dynasty stipulated that horses should not be ridden in the streets except for urgent military reports. However, with both palace turmoil and emergency rescue today, the people were already used to it and spontaneously made way for each other.
Jiang Chengyuan, riding a tall, snow-white horse, subconsciously slowed down. As he approached the imperial city gate, he leaped off and ran to the front in a few steps. "Your Highness, 50,000 troops from the capital have arrived outside the city."
"Did you manage to stop... the Second Prince and Fang Yuan?" Chang Yan paused, still unwilling to use words like "traitors."
Jiang Chengyuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded and then shook his head.
"Just speak your mind." Chang Yan granted him immunity from liability.
Jiang Chengyu took a deep breath. "The 50,000-strong army slowed down and searched using reconnaissance mode as much as possible. They did find traces of the Second Prince and Fang Yuan in a village at the border of Fengjing and Sichuan. However, before the main force arrived, they were picked up and taken away by someone."
"According to General Longhu of the Capital Army, the hoofprints nearby are particularly clear, and... the hooves are extremely wide with a wide gap between the toes, which is a characteristic of horses found only on the grasslands."
The grasslands are in the northern frontier, and the northern frontier is inhabited by the Tartars.
General Jiang and General Fang fought for so many years, all for the sake of driving out the Tartars and protecting the border.
But now, they have taken away the second prince of the Dayu Dynasty.
It was hard to describe the feeling, but Chang Yan's breath caught in his throat for a moment.
From the moment he read Zhu Changyu's lip movements, a bad premonition arose in his heart, but he still held onto a sliver of hope that his second brother wouldn't do anything foolish.
In comparison, he would rather there be internal strife among the border troops than have Zhu Changyu betray the country and collude with the enemy.
Those are enemies.
After fighting enemies for so many years, they miraculously became allies because of imperial power and the struggle for victory, even going so far as to venture deep into the northwest to take Zhu Changyu away.
"They...they killed, burned, and abducted so many women and children of the Dayu Dynasty." Changyan closed his eyes.
Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts.
It's such a simple truth, Zhu Changyu couldn't possibly not understand it. He has been blinded by victory and defeat, and his senses have been clouded by imperial power.
"Perhaps, perhaps..." someone murmured, trying to say something for the Second Prince.
But he couldn't say anything for a long time.
No matter how much grievance one suffers, one must not betray one's country and collude with the enemy.
The moment someone betrays their compatriots, they automatically shed their past glory, becoming naked and nailed to the annals of history, subject to the wrath and condemnation of future generations.
"He also told me about the frontier." Chang Yan opened his eyes, his pupils dilating suddenly. "What's the situation on the frontier lately?"
"We've fought back and forth, and we've wiped out the Tartars many times by using disguises." Fang Heng cupped his hands in greeting. "If we can continue like this, we'll surely subdue the Tartars in about ten years."
“No, that’s not it.” Changyan shook his head. “It’s summer, and the Tartars need to go back to the grasslands to graze their cattle and sheep. The border soldiers also need to rest. But Zhu Changyu has gone. He has to use some means to surrender in order to get the Tartars to work for him.”
What could be more convincing to the Tartars than the blood of the soldiers of the Dayu Dynasty?
In recent years, General Jiang has been holding up the frontier, but he is getting old and has been focusing on training Jiang Chengyuan and Fang Heng.
Even tasks like returning to the capital to save the emperor and earn merit were all entrusted to the younger generation.
Then, only this ailing old general remained on the frontier, caught completely off guard by Zhu Changyu and the Tartars' scheme.
His life, his head, will become the reason for the Tartars to revel.
"No, Father." Jiang Sheng's tears suddenly fell.
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