Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to the direction Zhu Yuan was pointing, where they saw a young man with a terrified expression.
The enemy soldiers sitting next to him all protected him, shielding him on the inside, their eyes warily scanning their surroundings.
It looked like they were protecting something precious.
Seeing the young man timidly trying to squeeze into the crowd, the roughneck simply picked him up with one hand.
Those around him tensed up immediately, but were held by the neck by others and unable to move.
Therefore, the boy was like a lamb to the slaughter, held firmly in the hands of the rough and uncouth man.
"You little brat, didn't you see my mom calling you? Why are you being so disobedient?"
The boy was terrified. His limbs went weak, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his eyes were filled with fear, as if he was terrified of Zhu Yuan and the others.
This appearance pleased the soldiers who had just won a battle, but the generals who had captured many prisoners noticed something was amiss.
In the past, when the enemy was defeated, they also captured many prisoners. They were afraid and panicked. But what they saw now was that even though they were all captured, they were not worried about their safety. Instead, they looked at the boy nervously.
Could it be...!
Everyone began to observe Zhu Yuan's expression, trying to glean any information from it.
However, they were ultimately disappointed. Zhu Yuan maintained his unchanging icy expression, though only those who knew him well noticed a hint of amusement in his eyes.
How interesting! They didn't catch the big one, but they caught the little one instead.
"The Crown Prince of Yang? What a coincidence!"
What?! Everyone was stunned by Zhu Yuan's words!
They were still guessing who this person was, but they never expected that he was the late-life son of the Prince of Yang!
It is said that Prince Yang was impotent and did not have a son until he was thirty years old, whom he doted on the most.
To protect his only son, he was kept very well under guard, and very few people had ever seen the face of the Prince of Yang.
Unexpectedly, they ran into us today, and we even became their prisoners.
Yuan Tianxi's head was buzzing when his identity was exposed, and at the same time he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to his head.
A chill ran down my neck, and I couldn't help but touch it, afraid that my head might leave my house at any moment.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd stood up and shouted, "Zhuyuan! Don't be confused and mistake him for someone else! How could our Prince be him? The Prince is of such high status, how could he be here!"
Then another person chimed in, "That's right! Our Crown Prince should still be at home, why is he here? Hmph! Zhu Yuan, you're nothing but General Xiao's lackey! What are you so arrogant about!"
Before Zhu Yuan could even speak, his soldiers kicked them one after another, yelling, "How dare you call our lord by his name? You better behave yourselves!"
Lu Yun Shen watched this scene from the side, and he was already certain in his heart that this young man must be the heir of the Prince of Yang!
The words spoken by those people just now are the best proof. Lü Yun Shen approached Zhu Yuan and asked in a low voice, "We can say that we have grasped the lifeblood of the Yang King. With this boy around, he will definitely not dare to make any rash moves."
Of course, they aren't afraid.
If they hadn't run so fast, and if it weren't for the adage "don't pursue a cornered enemy," they wouldn't have let these people escape so easily.
However, Zhu Yuan intentionally let the Northern Hu people go, not for any other reason than to cast a long line to catch a big fish.
He hasn't caught the fish yet, so naturally he won't expend troops to deal with it.
With Yuan Tianci here, he refused to believe that the Yang King wouldn't show himself!
He let him escape before, but this time he will not let him slip away under his nose no matter what.
"Push the person back first, and 'take good care of them'" Zhu Yuan emphasized the last sentence, and everyone understood his intention.
Zhu Yuan arranged for Yuan Tianci to be imprisoned, and then encountered a soldier who came to report.
"My lord! Lord Feng is back! He's waiting for you in the camp!"
Although he knew they would arrive in the next couple of days, Zhu Yuan was still very happy to hear that they had arrived.
He quickened his pace, and as soon as he approached the tent, he heard laughter coming from inside.
The leading soldier lifted the curtain for him, and the people inside fell silent, all looking at Zhuyuan.
"My lord! Congratulations! This is a joyous occasion!"
Feng He was surrounded by the crowd, and when they saw Zhu Yuan return, they made way for him.
Feng He chuckled and bowed to Zhu Yuan, who was seated in the superior position: "How have you been, my lord? I have not failed you in your trust and have brought back some fine things!"
Thinking of the valuable goods he had brought back, Feng He grinned from ear to ear.
"My lord, this big guy is different from the previous ones. I guarantee it will scare those Northern Hu people outside so much that they'll cry for their fathers and mothers."
The people around him were all smiling, and they all congratulated Zhu Yuan.
With a slight smile, Lü Yunshen asked Feng He with amusement, "What good things did Lord Feng bring back this time? Let me broaden my horizons as well."
Apart from Zhu Yuan and Lü Yun Shen, no one else in the camp went to the front lines to watch the battle today.
Therefore, only the two of them knew about the explosives that Cui Jinyi fired today. Lü Yunshen felt that as long as he witnessed the scene on the battlefield today, there was no weapon in the world better than that thunderous weapon.
But he couldn't say these things in front of Feng He, lest he embarrass him.
Feng He slapped his forehead and said with annoyance, "Look at my brain! I was so happy that I forgot to have someone show it to me."
"My lord! This item is extremely important. I have hidden it in my tent and ordered it to be guarded closely!"
"This item is extremely destructive when used, so we need to find an open space to demonstrate it!"
Zhu Yuan nodded and hummed in agreement: "As you wish!"
Soon, Zhu Yuan led the way to a spacious and deserted place, with gunpowder being transported by Feng He's men on a cart behind him.
Feng He looked at Zhu Yuan with a slight smile and reminded him, "My lord, this thing is no ordinary object. Its destructive power is extremely strong. It might injure you. You should stand further away to avoid getting hurt!"
Zhu Yuan glanced at the things on the cart that were completely covered up, and nodded: "Thank you for your hard work. I will definitely reward you when we get back."
Feng He remained smiling, unconcerned about whether he would receive a reward or not; he simply wanted to realize his dream.
He wanted to travel the world and introduce more technology and useful things to the country.
He wanted to be remembered in history and have his name remembered for generations!
Zhu Yuan could tell what he was thinking just by looking at his expression. He smiled slightly, having already made up his mind.
"Place it here! Remember to light the thread, then push it down, and immediately crouch down and protect your head with your hands!"
The two soldiers were a little nervous upon hearing this, but they still mustered their courage and replied loudly, "Understood!"
Feng He was still worried and patiently gave them repeated instructions. Only after seeing that they really understood did he quickly walk back to Zhu Yuan's side.
"One, two, three, release!"
Feng He shouted loudly, and the two soldiers followed his command to complete the task, pushing the cart down the cliff and running inside themselves.
In just a few breaths, another thunderclap sounded in the sky, startling the birds in the forest into fleeing, and even the wild beasts retreated to the depths upon hearing the sound.
Anqing Prefecture was filled with joy as people cheered for the returning soldiers in the streets after their victory.
Upon hearing the explosion, I thought it was thunder, so I cheered a few times before heading home to collect my clothes and bedding.
I don't know why, but there was a torrential downpour today. Finally, the battle was over, and the sky cleared up.
They took out the blankets to get rid of the mold, and then it started to rain again!
The people in the city did not notice that the soldiers they were welcoming back showed a mixture of fear and excitement.
Because of this thunder, half of the enemy was wiped out in one fell swoop, and they won the battle with almost no casualties.
I just wonder if that bolt of lightning struck some unlucky guy again.
Unlike the others, Cui Jinyi, who was in the military camp, had finally regained her hearing and could hear again, but this startled her so much that she screamed.
"Hey! Weren't you pretty bold just now? Why are you so timid now?"
Lu Yunshen had originally gone with Zhu Yuan and his group to the outskirts to watch Feng He demonstrate his weapons, but suddenly remembered Cui Jinyi, hesitated for a moment, and then turned back.
Cui Jinyi suddenly felt annoyed looking at Lü Yunshen. She glared at him and said sullenly, "Now that the master is back, shouldn't you be by his side every step of the way? Why do you still have time to come here?"
Lu Yunshen took a deep breath in anger, clenching his fists and trying hard to suppress the urge to punch someone.
Why did he have to be so pathetic as to try and fawn over someone who was completely indifferent?
Cui Jinyi ignored her and instead carefully wrote a letter at the table.
She needs to have a serious talk with Lady Zhen about what happened today!
Without even guessing, she knew that the thing Zhen Fugui gave her today must have been a gift from Zhen Wanwan.
She was very curious about this thing and thought that when she got back, she would definitely ask Zhen Wanwan to give her one so that she could research and develop it!
Such a good thing must be rare, so she had to reserve one before anyone realized it.
Of course, Zhenniangzi wouldn't give away such a good thing so easily. She just didn't want someone else to beat her to it before she even asked.
Thinking of this, she glanced up at Lü Yun Shen. This man was very cunning, and she was afraid that Zhen Niangzi would be deceived by his sweet words.
She needed to write back to Zhen Wanwan to remind her.
Lu Yunshen was feeling down when he noticed her inexplicable hostility. He looked around in confusion, but there was no one there.
He retorted angrily, "Did you get blown out of your mind by the explosion?"
"Hmph! Mind your own business!" Cui Jinyi snorted coldly.
From their first meeting, there was a subtle tension between them; they had only met once or twice before and had never been in close contact.
Now that she's in the military camp, she inevitably has to chat with him more, which has further 'deteriorated' their relationship.
Of course, this idea was just Cui Jinyi's personal opinion. Lu Yunshen felt that the boy looked delicate and tender, and he felt a connection with him.
He genuinely wanted to be friends with Cui Jinyi.
On the other side, Zhu Yuan and the others witnessed the gunpowder explosion. Although they were not as shocked as they were on the battlefield today, they were still pleasantly surprised.
Zhu Yuan was also somewhat surprised. He thought that only his wife would have such a thing in the world, but he didn't expect Feng He to find it for him!
At this moment, the nonsense that Zhen Wanwan had said that night floated into Zhu Yuan's mind, and he became somewhat uncertain again.
Could it be that all those new things were bought by his wife from foreign businessmen?
Zhu Yuan was filled with mysteries, and he couldn't understand Zhen Wanwan at all.
He believed that the lady had descended from heaven to undergo tribulation, and he wholeheartedly hoped that he could help her regain her status as an immortal, so he was much gentler in his methods.
He secretly erected many longevity tablets for her, so that people could burn incense and make offerings to them, hoping that the lady could successfully overcome her tribulations.
Unexpectedly, Feng He brought these magical items back from overseas!
If the lady's belongings can all be found elsewhere, does that mean she might not be from the celestial realm?
Feng He looked at the dumbfounded expressions of the people around him with a smile on his face, feeling very proud of himself.
He's a worldly man!
Feng He completely forgot to recall the scene when he first saw gunpowder, and his legs went weak, causing him to collapse to the ground, looking utterly pathetic.
"My lord! If we possess this item, it will surely help you accomplish your great task!"
The other generals shouted their congratulations: "Congratulations, sir! Congratulations, sir! The completion of this great undertaking is just around the corner!"
These old people had all hoped since childhood that Zhuyuan could regain the throne.
Seeing our own people now possess such a powerful weapon as gunpowder fills me with elation.
It was as if they could already see Zhu Yuan ascending to that high platform, and even if they descended to the Yellow Springs, they would still be worthy of the kindness shown to them by Prince Anqing.
Zhu Yuan swallowed hard and patted Feng He's shoulder patted heavily: "You've had a hard journey! I will never forget this kindness!"
Feng He's eyes gradually welled up with tears. If it weren't for Zhu Yuan, he would probably still be an unknown little beggar!
"My lord! Your subordinate..."
He wiped his eyes, struggling to say something sentimental, but Zhu Yuan raised his hand to stop him.
"There's no need for formalities between us. Go home for the next few days! Your wife and children miss you very much!"
Feng He gave a muffled "hmm," and then his longing for home grew stronger.
Zhu Yuan nodded to him, and Feng He then left first, preparing to go home!
Everyone looked at Feng He with envy. They knew that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Feng He's future career would surpass all of theirs!
Zhu Yuan led everyone back to the prefectural city, where they unexpectedly encountered Zhen Fuyou on the way.
It had been a long time since I'd seen Zhenfu, and her demeanor had changed a lot; she had become more confident and reserved.
He took two steps forward, his eyes crinkling with a smile, and called out, "Your subordinate greets Your Excellency! I am late, please forgive me!"
Looking at the man before him, Zhu Yuan found it hard to compare him to the纨绔 (playboy/spoiled brat) he had first met.
"Second brother, there's no need for that! Have you seen Father and Mother yet?"
Zhenfu nodded, then said urgently, "I heard from my family that there's a war in the prefectural city, how come..."
He looked at Zhu Yuan and the generals behind him with a puzzled expression. Logically speaking, this war would not stop for at least three days and three nights.
Zhu Yuan paused for a moment, then patted his shoulder and said, "Let's go back first and talk about it later!"
Once back in the camp, someone described the day's achievements to Zhenfu in detail.
Zhen Fugui was stunned by what he heard, but he keenly noticed something.
Zhenfu circled around again, seemingly looking for something.
Zhu Yuan said, "Second Brother, Lord Feng has been away from home for a long time, so I sent him home to see his wife and children first!"
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