Which grown man didn't dream of conquering battlefields and achieving great things when he was young?
Before today, Ye Jingchen had also thought about whether he should learn martial arts and train in military affairs, and go to the battlefield to gain experience after he grew up. After all, he would only feel at ease if he had military power in his own hands.
But at this moment, he felt he couldn't do it.
Although he had studied military books since childhood and had some knowledge of Sun Tzu's Art of War and troop deployment, these were all just theoretical knowledge. In real life, he had never even killed a chicken, let alone chopped pork on a cutting board, let alone killed a person!
He should just learn the art of alliances and diplomacy in the future, and let others work for him!
For example, Ye Jinghe.
For example, Xie Chang'an.
Aren't they all portrayed as brilliant generals in the novel?
Let the right people do the right things, and everyone will be happy.
The chaotic battle outside the carriage lasted for at least half an hour. When all the noise subsided, Chenxi opened her eyes and lifted the carriage curtain.
"This humble general greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. Is Your Highness well?" Sun Yan, the commander of the Imperial Guards, knelt on one knee outside the carriage and clasped his hands in salute.
Ye Jingchen stood up, his face grim, and walked out of the carriage, looking outside.
The pungent smell of blood attacked his sense of smell before his sight could reach him. Only then did Ye Jingchen see the corpses scattered on the ground and the people standing indifferently among them.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Under Ye Jingchen's gaze, everyone knelt on one knee and bowed to him.
Among them were imperial guards, imperial guards, and soldiers from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Many of them were covered in blood, some of it their own, and some of it from the enemy.
The blood-soaked scene reminded Ye Jingchen how worthless human life was in this era.
"Get up, everyone," Ye Jingchen said, taking a deep breath to make sure his voice didn't tremble.
"Are there any survivors?" he asked.
"I am ashamed, these assassins were all suicide soldiers, and I was unable to leave any alive!" Sun Yan replied respectfully.
"Would a suicide squad leave any valuable clues on their body?" Ye Jingchen asked, feigning curiosity.
“A qualified assassin will not carry any marks or items that could reveal their identity. However, Your Highness, please rest assured that the Imperial Guard will search the bodies of these assassins carefully and will not overlook any clues!” Sun Yan said earnestly.
"This place is in chaos, Your Highness, please return to the palace as soon as possible!" he said again.
Ye Jingchen looked at the guards of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Xie Chang'an had indeed sent a lot of people to rescue him, led by the steward he had met before.
Many of them were injured, and some may have even died; Ye Jingchen dared not look closely.
"Thank you for your rescue. I will remember the kindness of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion!" Ye Jingchen bowed to the people of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion from afar.
The steward quickly led the guards to return the greeting to Ye Jingchen.
"Let's go back to the palace," Ye Jingchen said, then retreated back into the carriage.
After the carriage curtain was lowered, he let out a long sigh of relief.
Seeing such a bloody scene, I hope I won't have nightmares tonight.
Amidst the rhythmic clatter of horses' hooves, Ye Jingchen returned to the palace.
Inside the Eastern Palace, all the palace servants were extremely cautious, not daring to even breathe loudly.
This was because the emperor had been waiting in the Eastern Palace for half an hour, and Fangfei and the others had been kneeling for half an hour.
Just like last time, Zhang Shunde waited outside the East Palace, pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan.
When Ye Jingchen got off the carriage, Zhang Shunde rushed up to him and pulled him inside without saying a word.
What would normally be a ten-minute walk for Ye Jingchen's short legs was accomplished in just a few minutes by him pulling him along.
Ye Jingchen used those few minutes to prepare his emotions.
When he entered the main hall and saw the emperor, tears welled up in his eyes.
The emperor was about to get angry, but before his anger could even erupt, he was frightened back down by Ye Jingchen's large tears.
"Father Emperor—" Ye Jingchen ran towards the emperor while crying, vividly demonstrating to everyone in the hall what it means to 'burst into tears'.
"Father, I was so scared! I almost never saw you again!" Ye Jingchen ran to the emperor's side, hugged his leg, and sobbed as he spoke.
emperor:……
So annoying!
But I feel so sorry for him!
There's also the stifling feeling that comes from having both of these things mixed together.
"Let go! What kind of behavior is this for the Crown Prince?!" The Emperor swung his leg, trying to get rid of Ye Jingchen, but he was afraid of hurting him, so he didn't dare to use too much force.
"Your subject is afraid, and only by relying on Father can I feel at ease." Ye Jingchen clung tightly to the emperor's leg, refusing to let go.
"Since you know fear, why did you leave the palace? Since you chose to leave the palace, you should have known what kind of danger you would face!" The emperor forcibly tore Ye Jingchen off his legs.
"Your subject knew it was dangerous, but I didn't know it would be this dangerous. At that time, the arrow was less than three centimeters away from your subject, and it was almost going to pin you to the ground. Fortunately, Chenxi pulled me away, otherwise I would have been dead!" Ye Jingchen said with lingering fear, his face turning pale as he recalled the scene.
His lingering fear was genuine, not feigned.
"It's good that you've learned a lesson, so you'll see if you dare to act recklessly again!" The emperor was both heartbroken and angry, his face turning ashen, but he couldn't bear to lash out at the child. He had been holding back his anger for a long time, but he could only manage to utter these words.
"The Jiang family is acting recklessly. They don't even respect you, Father Emperor. You must not let them get away with this!" Ye Jingchen seized the opportunity to fan the flames.
"By the way, Father, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion also played a crucial role in my safe return to the palace today. You must reward them handsomely!" he emphasized again.
"You really have a soft spot for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion! Don't you know that as the crown prince, you should avoid suspicion from powerful ministers and military generals? Aren't you afraid that the censor will accuse you of forming cliques for personal gain?" The emperor poked his forehead with his finger, speaking irritably as he did so.
"Your subject is only eight years old. How would I know anything about forming cliques and engaging in favoritism? At most—it's just because Xie Chang'an is handsome that I want to get closer to him!" Ye Jingchen said, pursing his lips.
What was said unintentionally may have been taken to heart by the listener.
The emperor already felt that Ye Jingchen's criteria for choosing a study companion was based on looks, and now his alarm bells were ringing even louder.
He had heard that the Crown Prince was extremely disappointed when he first saw the chubby Yun Shu's true appearance.
Among his four companions, Jin Geda from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was the most handsome, and Ye Jingchen was also the closest to Jin Geda on weekdays!
"No matter how handsome he is, he's still a boy. What's the use of getting close to him? Besides, his father is coming back soon. Xie Shaoling is always arrogant and looks down on the royal family. He might not even allow his son to befriend you. If you run into a wall with him, don't come crying to me, and don't blame me for not warning you beforehand!" the emperor said, exasperated.
Back then, Xie Shaoling was renowned, and the late emperor highly valued the Duke of Zhenguo. He humbled himself and took the initiative to show goodwill to Xie Shaoling, but was ignored by Xie Shaoling in return. His sincere feelings were wasted!
He didn't want his children to go through the humiliation he suffered back then!
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