Chapter 180: There's no point in keeping it
There were lights on in the main tent, but things outside had calmed down.
Ye Xuanhe came in and reported: "Your Highness, the person has escaped."
Qi Wuhan said indifferently: "There's no point in keeping it."
"If Your Highness had listened to me and taken the fifth prince as a hostage, we could have taken Dingcheng without losing a single soldier." Ye Xuanhe said regretfully.
Qi Wuhan said indifferently, "If I want to win, I must win fairly and make them lose with conviction."
"Then when does Your Highness plan to attack the city?" Ye Xuanhe asked.
Qi Wuhan looked at the flickering lights and did not answer.
"Your Highness, are you still thinking about our old friendship?" Ye Xuanhe gave a meaningful and casual smile.
Qi Wuhan's eyes were stern, with a warning in his eyes.
"Since Your Highness has his own plans, I will fully cooperate." Ye Xuanhe changed the subject and said, "I have captured a man. He was formerly the deputy commander of the Black Armor Army. I heard that he is also Your Highness's sworn brother. Would Your Highness like to meet him?"
"Bring the person in." Qi Wuhan ordered indifferently.
Ye Xuanhe gestured, and Canglang went out and brought the person in.
Huo Chen was pushed in by Lu Feng, with his hands tied behind his back.
When he saw the person sitting in front of him, his expression was shocked and he froze in place.
"When the Fifth Prince saw His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, he was even more surprised than you are." Ye Xuanhe curled his lips and spoke in a casual, drawn-out tone, "Does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince really look that much like Marquis Jin'an?"
Huo Chen looked at the face. It was not just similar, it was exactly the same!
But how could it be the same person? It's simply a fantasy!
"Who are you?" Huo Chen stared at the face, his cold expression filled with vigilance and suspicion.
"I am the Crown Prince of Beimo, Mu Jue." Qi Wuhan's expression and tone were equally indifferent. There was not a single ripple from beginning to end. He was cold and without a trace of humanity.
"Mu Jue..." Huo Chen repeated the name, and a cold face emerged in his memory, which was even more inhuman than the current cold face.
In the three years after General Qi's death, there was no smile on that face again. At that time, Qi Wuhan was like a person covered with sharp ice spikes. He would not let anyone get close to him and was extremely warlike and bloodthirsty. Once he arrived at the battlefield, he was like a bloodthirsty Shura. He would kill gods and ghosts when he met them. Every time he came back from the battlefield, he had a strong smell of blood on his body. The smell of blood was filled with cold and powerful murderous aura. Even bloodthirsty beasts would retreat when they met him.
At that time, not only the enemy was afraid of him, but even the soldiers who fought alongside him were afraid of him.
But since getting married, Qi Wuhan always had a smile on his face every time he went to the barracks. He was particularly interested in the marriage affairs of his soldiers, especially Huo Chen, his sworn brother who had been single for many years. Every time he went there, he would persuade him to go out more and not stay in the barracks all the time. Maybe one day he would run into the girl he liked on the street.
Ever since Qi Wuhan disappeared, Huo Chen has been sending people to secretly search for his whereabouts. Although there has been no news, he always firmly believes that he would not collaborate with the enemy or commit treason.
Even if the person in front of him had an identical face, there was no way he could be his sworn brother!
"I can let you go."
A hint of surprise flashed across Huo Chen's stern face, and the next moment he asked alertly, "What are the conditions?"
"I will defeat you fairly on the battlefield and make you admit defeat with conviction." Qi Wuhan said.
Ye Xuanhe curled the corners of his lips and said, "Our Crown Prince is just like this, upright and honest. He would never take advantage of others."
After leaving the camp, Canglang cut the rope on his hand with a sword and let Huo Chen go.
"I really don't know what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is thinking. He let one go and then released another. I think His Royal Highness the Crown Prince must still be thinking about his Central Plains wife and doesn't want to fight a good battle at all." Before Lu Feng finished speaking, Canglang turned and left. He hurriedly followed him and said, "Uncle, wait for me."
When Huo Chen returned to the city, it was already dawn.
Prince Fu was originally worried that he had been captured, but when he learned that he had returned, he hurried to see him. Seeing that Huo Chen was injured, he quickly sent someone to call a military doctor.
"Has Your Highness met the eldest son?"
"Yes, he said,"
Prince Fu glanced around, cupped his hands to his mouth and lowered his voice, "He said that the emperor released the third brother, and also," he swallowed nervously and lowered his voice even more, "and abolished the crown prince..."
Huo Chen was shocked, finding it unbelievable. How could His Majesty depose the Crown Prince?!
"Your Majesty, what is your reason for deposing the Crown Prince?" he asked solemnly.
Prince Fu glanced around again and lowered his voice, "I heard that it was because the Crown Prince framed the Third Brother that the Emperor was very angry and issued an edict to depose him..." He paused and asked hesitantly, "Do you think that's true?"
Huo Chen pondered for a while, and then Military Doctor Sun came over. Huo Chen asked about Cui Hai's condition. Military Doctor Sun said that he had not woken up yet, but his condition had stabilized.
After bandaging Huo Chen's wound, Doctor Sun took his leave. Prince Fu talked to him about the prince again. Huo Chen said that he would send someone back to Beijing to find out the situation, but even if the emperor really deposed the prince, this battle could not be lost!
…
Capital city, imperial palace.
After being starved for two days, Jiang Lan was released and continued to live in Fanghua Palace.
Prince Rui still did not send guards to guard the place, as if he tacitly allowed her to go out, but she still could not enter places guarded by guards, such as the imperial study.
On the morning of the second day after being released, Jiang Lan sat on a big rock in the imperial garden, looking up at the sky, wondering how to meet the emperor. She turned her head and saw a figure passing by in front of her. She hid behind the rock and looked carefully, and found that it was Prince An, who did not bring Manager Hao with him this time.
She looked at the direction Prince An was going and thought he was going to visit his mother.
After watching the man walk away, she thought silently for a while, and continued to sit on the rock waiting, planning to go over and talk to King An when he came back, and take the opportunity to find out his background.
…
"Your mother's birthday is in two days. I wonder if you like the gift I chose for you?"
Concubine Qing opened the brocade box containing the gift, which contained a pair of fine white jade bracelets.
Looking at the bracelet, Concubine Qing didn't speak for a long time, and there was no smile on her face, as if she was in a trance.
"Don't you like it, mother?" Prince An said with a gloomy tone.
Concubine Qing showed an elegant smile, "Mother likes it." Then she picked up the bracelet and put it on.
Prince An's expression was slightly delighted, "As long as mother likes it."
Concubine Qing asked Prince An to come over and sit down. A hint of hesitation flashed across her face, and when she spoke, she added a hint of solemnity, "Tell me the truth, mother. Were you involved in the dethronement of the Crown Prince?"
Prince An's expression was slightly strange, but he quickly returned to normal and replied, "Don't worry, mother. I will not get involved in these matters."
Concubine Qing looked relieved and asked about Zheng Qianer. Prince An said that everything was fine with her and that they would come together to celebrate her birthday.
…
After seeing Prince An appear, Jiang Lan waited for a while. When Prince An came over, he happened to meet her at a fork in the road.
"Greetings, Your Highness." Jiang Lan bowed.
Prince An raised his hand to let her stand up and waited for Jiang Lan to speak first.
"Your Highness, may I have a moment with you?"
"Let's talk about it here, so that my royal brother won't misunderstand."
Jiang Lan pretended not to hear the latter part of the sentence and asked, "Sixth Prince, do you think His Majesty really wants to depose His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
"The imperial edict has been issued." Prince An replied.
"But Your Majesty has always valued His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. How could he suddenly change his mind overnight?" Jiang Lan asked puzzledly.
Prince An said, "How can I possibly know what my father is thinking?"
"Then Your Highness, have you ever suspected that there is something strange going on?" Jiang Lan asked tentatively.
"Too much curiosity is not a good thing." Prince An changed the subject and said, "My royal brother is leaving for the battle tomorrow. Do you want to go with him?"
Jiang Lan was slightly stunned. "Going to war?"
"I heard that General Cui was seriously injured and my fifth brother was captured by the enemy. Father asked my fifth brother to go to the battlefield to boost morale. If you want to go with us, go back and pack your luggage." Prince An said and left.
Jiang Lan stood there thinking for a while, then walked in another direction.
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