Chapter 424: Revealing the Prince’s Identity]
Xiao Yunshuo gave Zhao Xin a cold look and said loudly, "Everyone heard it. Lord Zhao said that the captain had been wrongly accused. Everyone heard it."
The soldiers guarding the pass were very cooperative and said, "We heard it all!"
Mu Xuan then said in a deep voice, "All soldiers, listen up! We must bravely secure the pass and not allow the Northern Rong thieves to enter!"
"Yes!" everyone answered in a deafening voice.
Seeing the arrows becoming more and more dense, Zhao Xin turned pale with fright, and soon went down the city wall accompanied by his confidants.
A fierce battle ended, and Beirong was defeated once again.
The soldiers guarding the pass, including Mu Xuan and Xiao Yunshuo, were lying on the city wall with their clothes on to rest, to prevent the Northern Rong from attacking at any time.
At some point, it started snowing again.
Yuan Xu whispered, "Your Highness, the wind is strong on the tower. You should go down and rest for a few hours. We will guard the tower."
Xiao Yunshuo shook his head calmly and said, "It's okay."
He looked up at the dark sky and saw snowflakes as big as goose feathers falling, which was very rare in the north.
With such heavy snow this winter, at least the crop harvests in spring and summer will not be too bad, and there should not be a great famine in Dayu.
However, every time it snows, it gets colder. I wonder how many people will not survive this harsh winter.
I wonder how Feng He and the Queen Mother are doing now...
Thinking of Chen Fenghe, Xiao Yunshuo's eyes couldn't help but soften.
However, he quickly forced himself to put all these romantic feelings aside for the time being.
The Northern Rong army has been pressing in for nearly a month now, and their food and fodder supplies are probably already running low. I doubt the current stalemate will last much longer; the Northern Rong will surely have a back-up plan...
He had to make careful plans with General Mu. Fortunately, Dayu also had an army of 100,000 at Yanmen Pass. Now the Beirong's food and grass were almost exhausted, so even if they had to open the gate and fight a desperate battle, they would not be afraid of losing.
Of course... the premise is that the commander-in-chief is not a idiot like Xiao Yuncong or Zhao Xin...
After repelling the Beirong attack, he can go back to see her...
While I was thinking about these things, I suddenly heard a noise from downstairs on the city wall.
"Who are you!" the sentry on the city wall shouted sternly.
"Open...open the door! It's...it's His Royal Highness the Second Prince! Our subordinates took advantage of the Beirong guards' negligence and escorted His Royal Highness the Second Prince out! Quick! Quickly open the door and let us in!"
Everyone looked down and saw several soldiers wearing the uniforms of Dayu soldiers gathered near the gate. One of the soldiers in the center was carrying a person on his back. It was the second prince Xiao Yuncong.
Seeing the area outside Yanmen Pass, Xiao Yuncong raised his head, letting everyone see his face, and said in panic and fear, "I...I am...I am the Second Prince...Prince Rui Xiao Yuncong! You...you all should open the door immediately and let...let me in!"
How could the soldiers defending the city dare to make a decision? They all looked at Mu Xuan: "General..."
At this time, Zhao Xin, who had somehow gotten the news, also climbed onto the city wall and shouted, "I heard that His Royal Highness the Second Prince has escaped danger and is just before the gates are closed. Mu Xuan, why don't you order someone to open the gates and bring His Royal Highness back immediately!"
Mu Xuan clasped his fists and said, "Master Zhao, this might be a treacherous plot of the Northern Rong. Once the gate is opened, the Northern Rong army lying in ambush all around might rush forward and rush into the gate..."
Zhao Xin didn't wait for him to finish, and said impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense! Before, His Royal Highness the Second Prince was held hostage by the Northern Rong army, and you didn't open the gates, which was fine. But now that His Royal Highness the Second Prince has broken through the siege and escaped, you still refuse to open the city gates. It's clear that you want His Royal Highness to be killed! I order the gates to be opened immediately! Anyone who dares to stop you will be guilty of treason and will be killed without mercy!"
At this time, Xiao Yunshuo said, "To save His Royal Highness the Second Prince, it is not necessary to open the city gates."
Zhao Xin turned towards Xiao Yunshuo. Seeing that it was the man who had challenged him earlier, a cold glint flashed across his eyes. He said coldly, "You again? Tell me, is there any other way to rescue His Royal Highness the Second Prince and return to the city?"
Xiao Yunshuo smiled and said, "Put down the basket from the tower and pull them up."
"How dare you! Wouldn't this make Your Highness a clear target for the Northern Rong army?"
"Lord Zhao is wrong. If the Northern Rong army isn't lying in ambush, then opening and closing the gates or pulling the people up to the towers won't be dangerous. If the Northern Rong army is lying in ambush, then opening and closing the gates will affect the safety of the people of Dayu Jiangshan. Pulling the people up to the towers is much safer."
Zhao Xin gritted his teeth. "You're clearly saying we should sacrifice the Second Prince to confirm whether there are any Northern Rong ambushes outside the city?"
Xiao Yunshuo said calmly, "I didn't say that. It was Lord Zhao who said it himself. I guess this is what Lord Zhao was thinking."
"you!"
In the dead of night, Xiao Yuncong, who was standing below the city, seemed to have heard the conversation on the tower. He immediately said in a trembling voice, "Don't close the gate. Pull... pull it up! As long as... as long as you can quickly rescue this prince and bring him back to the city..."
Mu Xuan clasped his fists and said, "Master Zhao, I also think it would be safer to bring His Royal Highness the Second Prince up here!"
Zhao Xin glared at Mu Xuan fiercely. The most urgent task was to rescue the Second Prince first, and then slowly deal with these people. Therefore, he nodded and said, "Since His Highness the Second Prince agrees, then I have nothing to say. Hurry and rescue His Highness. If anything happens to His Highness, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Mu Xuan immediately ordered his men to lower several long ropes and baskets down. The men below sent a soldier up first. After seeing that there were no sneak attacks from the Beirong on the way up, Xiao Yuncong and the others were sent up next.
Unexpectedly, just when they reached about half the height of the city wall, a group of Beirong cavalry suddenly appeared under the city. They shouted loudly and drew their bows to shoot at Xiao Yuncong and others on the city wall!
In an instant, one or two soldiers were shot and fell from the basket, dying with a "crack".
"Oh my God! Help! Pull it out quickly! Pull it out quickly!" Xiao Yuncong shouted in horror.
The people on the city wall immediately drew their bows and shot back, and only then were they able to suppress that wave of cavalry and pull Xiao Yuncong and others up.
Xiao Yuncong's hands and feet went limp and he sat on the ground gasping for breath.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry for the suffering you've endured!" Zhao Xin immediately came forward, knelt down and shouted.
Xiao Yuncong slapped him in anger, "You bastard! Why didn't you open the door to save me? I was almost killed by those Beirong thieves!"
Zhao Xin said aggrievedly, "Your Highness, it's not that I don't want to save you, it's really..."
Zhao Xin paused mid-sentence, as if remembering something, and said, "Your Highness, let's discuss this later. Your Highness is injured, and healing is the most important thing!"
Xiao Yuncong understood and nodded, saying, "And bring me some food right away! Roast chicken, steamed fish, bird's nest, wild delicacies, bring them all up!"
Xiao Yuncong was surrounded by Zhao Xin and other confidants and went down the city wall.
Xiao Yunshuo thought carefully about what had just happened in his mind, and his brows furrowed slightly.
A hostage as important as Xiao Yuncong must have been heavily guarded by Beirong. How could they be so 'negligent' as to allow him to escape back with only a few people escorting him?
He walked up to Mu Xuan and whispered, "General Mu, I'm afraid the Second Prince will come back and settle scores later. It's best for the brothers to be on guard."
Mu Xuan nodded and said, "Yes."
The next day, everything was calm and neither Xiao Yuncong nor Zhao Xin made any movement.
However, at dawn late at night, Beirong suddenly launched another siege attack!
This time, the Northern Rong seemed determined to fight to the death, deploying all their catapults, ladders, and door-breaking wood.
Mu Xuan immediately organized his soldiers to fight the enemy, and then discovered that Xiao Yuncong and Zhao Xin were leading an army of 100,000 to withdraw!
At the same time, ten thousand soldiers suddenly surrounded Mu Xuan and his fellow soldiers who were defending against the enemy on the city wall, and pointed their swords at them.
The leader was none other than Chen Asan, the man that Deputy General Zhang had mentioned before, who would come to Datong Prefecture to take over from Mu Xuan as the garrison general!
Mu Xuan's eyes were like torches as he shouted sternly, "General Chen, we are facing a powerful enemy right now. Why are you turning your weapons against your own people instead of leading your men to fight them?"
Chen Asan sneered, "Mu Xuan, you're so bold! You attempted to murder His Royal Highness the Second Prince and surrender to the Northern Rong. We were all witnesses! What else do you have to say? I'm following the orders of His Royal Highness the Second Prince and Lord Zhao to apprehend you, the traitors! Why don't you surrender!"
Upon hearing this, one of Mu Xuan's lieutenants immediately rebuked him, "Chen Asan, the Northern Rong rebels have already reached the pass, and instead of helping to fight the enemy, you're actually stirring up internal strife! Are you still a warrior? Are you worthy of being a general?"
Chen Asan sneered, "I only obey the orders of the current emperor and the current second prince. Who do you think you are? How dare you question me! Come on, arrest them all. The second prince said that anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"
Mu Xuan's face was as cold as steel. He said in a deep voice, "General Chen, if you want to capture me and my soldiers, I can surrender without a fight. But... General Chen, can you guarantee that after I'm captured, you will lead your men to defend Yanmen Pass?"
A sneer appeared on Chen Asan's lips, but he quickly concealed it and said, "Captain Mu, don't worry about that! We will naturally guard Yanmen Pass!"
Mu Xuan nodded upon hearing this and said, "If that's the case, then I will surrender. I hope General Chen will keep his promise!"
Chen Asan smiled triumphantly and said sternly, "Catch him!"
"Your Highness..." Yuan Xu called in a low voice.
Xiao Yunshuo shook his head slightly and whispered, "Don't take action for now. Let's observe for a while. Also, notify Luo Yan to enter the customs and wait for orders."
The walls of Yanmen Pass stretched for miles, connecting to the mountains and towering into the clouds, making it difficult for the Northern Rong army to conquer. However, for those with good skills like Luo Yan, it was not difficult.
As they spoke, the two of them slowly retreated to the back, and when no one was paying attention, they jumped down from the city wall and temporarily avoided it.
Mu Xuan and others laid down their weapons and surrendered, and were imprisoned in the dungeon of Yanmen Pass.
Chen Asan watched from the tower for a moment, then said coldly: "Open the door!"
His subordinates were stunned for a moment, some not quite believing their ears: "General, what did you say? Open... open the gate? But... didn't Captain Mu say that Yanmen Pass is extremely important to Dayu, and it must be defended no matter how great the cost..."
Chen Asan turned around and slapped the man, causing him to stagger. He coldly scolded him, "Fool! How can you prove Mu Xuan's crime of colluding with the Northern Rong and surrendering to the enemy and committing treason if Yanmen Pass isn't lost?"
"But...if Yanmen Pass falls, the Northern Rong cavalry will march straight down. Then we, Dayu..."
"His Royal Highness the Second Prince has already negotiated an alliance with the Khan of the Northern Rong. The Northern Rong are simply suffering from a severe drought and want some food and even cloth and silk. Once we negotiate, if we give them these things, they will withdraw from Yanmen Pass. By then, His Royal Highness the Second Prince will have conquered the enemy without fighting, and restored peace between the two countries after years of war. His contribution will be immense! His Majesty will reward us according to our merits, and we will surely be rewarded for capturing the traitor Mu Xuan and his gang!"
"I see. His Highness the Second Prince and the General are indeed very thoughtful and farsighted. Brilliant!"
The deputy general took the order and led a group of people to open the gate.
The soldiers guarding the city had been replaced by Chen Asan's men, and they were also confused when they heard this order.
However, the deputy general had no intention of explaining to this group of minions. After all, once the gate was opened, the soldiers who opened and closed the gate would surely be killed by the Northern Rong soldiers who rushed in. Even if he explained, it would be meaningless.
"This is the general's order. Open the door immediately! Otherwise, you will be disobeying orders and will be treated as a traitor!"
At this moment, a cold voice rang out: "Is this what Chen Asan meant by fighting to defend the pass? So it means opening the city gates and welcoming the Northern Rong bandits in?"
The deputy general turned around and shouted, "Who are you? You dare to address the general by his name and disobey his orders. You are definitely a traitor! Come on, kill him... Ugh!"
Before he could finish his words, the deputy general had already covered his neck, his eyes wide open, and fell to the ground with a bang!
The soldiers guarding the gate were shocked when they saw this and looked at the person who did it in confusion.
Xiao Yunshuo looked at the crowd calmly and said, "Think carefully, everyone. Outside the gate are the bloodthirsty Northern Rong bandits. If you obey the order to open the gate, you will be the first to be hacked to death by those Northern Rong bandits. If you still open the gate, you will die immediately like your deputy general. Simply put, opening the gate means death. Not opening the gate and separating to guard the gate will give you a chance of survival, and you may even be rewarded for your merits and promoted to higher positions in the future. The path is yours to choose."
After hearing this, the soldiers were stunned for a moment. The leading centurion immediately knelt down and said, "We...we are Dayu's soldiers. Naturally...naturally we swear to defend the pass to the death. We will never open the gate to let the Northern Rong invaders!"
Xiao Yunshuo nodded and said, "That's great. What's your name? I'll definitely reward you based on your merits in the future."
Although the centurion didn't know who the person in front of him was, he saw that he had an extraordinary demeanor and subconsciously felt that he must be of noble status. He quickly knelt down and said, "My name is..."
Xiao Yunshuo said: "I remember..."
As he was speaking, Yuan Xu had already arrived with Mu Xuan and others.
Yuan Xu whispered, "Your Highness, Chen Asan just ordered his men to go to the prison and kill Mu Xuan and other captured soldiers defending the city. I have already killed them and rescued General Mu... However, Chen Asan, with 20,000 men, is in a panic and can't escape. I believe he is going to reunite with the Second Prince..."
Xiao Yunshuo frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Chase."
Of the 100,000 troops led by Xiao Yuncong, 8,000 were killed or wounded when Xiao Yuncong took 10,000 troops out of the city to meet the enemy without authorization. The remaining 92,000 were killed or wounded, and his nephew Zhao Xin led 72,000 of them to retreat. The remaining 20,000 were left to Chen Asan to kill Mu Xuan and 5,000 soldiers guarding the pass.
If Chen Asan were also asked to lead these 20,000 troops to evacuate, there would only be four or five thousand soldiers left guarding Yanmen Pass. Even if there were sufficient food and grass, it would only be a matter of time before the Northern Rong broke through.
Therefore, he could not allow Xiao Yuncong, Chen Asan and others to withdraw the army to the south and watch Yanmen Pass fall!
Chen Asan was only ten miles away from Yanmen Pass when he was caught up by Xiao Yunshuo and Yuan Xu.
At that time, he was leading his army passing by a forest. Suddenly, several sounds of firearms were heard from the forest. Several people around Chen Asan were injured by the firearms and rolled off their horses!
"Who is it?" Chen Asan reined in his horse and asked in horror.
After a while, Xiao Yunshuo came out of the woods on horseback, leading Luo Yan, Yuan Xu and some people from the Divine Fire Camp.
"You daring scoundrels! I am the garrison general of Datong Prefecture. How dare you block my way and try to assassinate me? I think you don't want to live anymore! Come on, kill them immediately!"
Before he could finish his words, there was a sudden sound of a firearm.
"Ah!" Chen Asan was shot through the shoulder and fell off his horse in pain!
Luo Yan, holding a firearm, shouted, "Bold Chen Ah San! Open your dog eyes and see who is in front of you! How can I allow a dog like you to shout for war and killing?"
Although Chen Asan had been in the army before and had been Mu Xuan's subordinate, he had only seen the prince from a distance and had never seen his appearance clearly. In addition, the prince was already dead, so naturally he could not think of anything else for the time being. He got up and said angrily:
"I don't care who you are. I have 20,000 soldiers and horses, so why would I be afraid of a few hundred of you? Come on, shoot them with arrows! Shoot them to death!"
As expected, his men drew their bows and were about to shoot arrows.
At this time, two more waves of soldiers appeared from the woods. One of them said loudly, "Chen Asan, if you don't recognize His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, you should at least recognize me!"
Another person also said, "Chen Asan! You are so brave! Could it be that you dare to shoot even the current Crown Prince to death with arrows?"
Chen Asan and his men were stunned when they heard this.
The crown prince? Didn't the crown prince die a long time ago?
However, the two people rushing over were the generals stationed in Taiyuan Prefecture and Zhending Prefecture, General Li and General Zhao!
Chen Asan did know him.
What...is going on?
General Li and General Zhao rushed to Xiao Yunshuo's presence, dismounted, and knelt down, saying, "Your Highness, we are late. I hope Your Highness will forgive me!"
Xiao Yunshuo had already removed the disguise on his face, raised his hand slightly, and said, "Get up."
Chen Asan was stunned: "General Li, General Zhao, are you... crazy? Didn't the prince die a long time ago?"
General Li sneered, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is simply being manipulated by a traitor. Now I reveal my identity. Who among you dares to disobey?"
Chen Asan was stunned for a moment before he suddenly came to his senses: "You bold lunatics! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is clearly dead, and you actually dared to pretend to be the Crown Prince. This is simply unforgivable..."
Now His Royal Highness the Second Prince has 70,000 soldiers and horses under his command, and he has given him 20,000 soldiers and horses, which shows how much he values him.
If he admitted at this moment that the person in front of him was the prince, then he would have to hand over the military power of the 20,000 soldiers and horses to the prince!
Moreover, his previous actions at Yanmen Pass were carried out under the orders of the Second Prince, and his loyalty to the Second Prince was a great achievement. If he had acknowledged the Crown Prince, it would have been a great sin!
Therefore, he naturally chose to go with the flow. Even if the person in front of him was really the prince, he would still kill him, which would be another great achievement!
"Shoot...ah!" Chen Asan ordered sternly.
However, before he could finish his words, there was a loud bang of a firearm, and Chen Asan was shot in the chest. With a muffled groan, he fell to the ground and died.
His deputy general and 20,000 soldiers were terrified and at a loss for what to do.
Luo Yan rode his horse slowly up to them and announced, "My fellow soldiers, I am General Luo Yan of the Divine Fire Battalion, directly under His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. General Li of Taiyuan Prefecture and General Zhao of Zhending Prefecture have just confirmed that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is still alive. That bastard Chen Asan actually attempted to take advantage of the chaos to kill His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. His aspirations are despicable! Therefore, I will execute him on the spot! Anyone else who dares to attack the Crown Prince will suffer the same fate as Chen Asan! Generals Li and Zhao each command twenty thousand elite troops. Today, I'm afraid we will treat you all as thieves and annihilate you all!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the 20,000-strong army was filled with fear. They felt so wronged, having marched a thousand miles to Yanmen Pass, and now they were being forced to retreat before even starting a battle. Were they to be treated as traitors and exterminated?
At this time, Xiao Yunshuo rode up on horseback and said calmly, "Luo Yan, that's too much."
Luo Yan immediately said: "Yes, I know my mistake..."
Xiao Yunshuo then spoke loudly, "Comrades, I am Xiao Yunshuo, the Crown Prince of Dayu. I know that you have marched day and night to Yanmen Pass, determined to fight bravely and achieve great things. You vowed to drive the Northern Rong bandits back to the north and never let them trample upon our fellow countrymen, wives, and children. Now that you are being led by Chen Asan to retreat, you have no choice but to do so. I cannot blame you. Therefore, as long as all the officers and soldiers are willing to follow me back to Yanmen Pass to fight against the Northern Rong army, then what happened today will be forgiven! If anyone does not want to, please take off your uniforms and leave immediately. General Li, General Zhao, and the people from the Divine Fire Camp will not stop you!"
After these words were spoken, the 20,000-man army hesitated for a moment, and several high-ranking lieutenants and captains knelt one after another, saying, "Long live His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! We are willing to follow His Royal Highness until death to resist the Northern Rong bandits and protect our Great Yu!"
With these people taking the lead, the others naturally knelt down and repeated loudly what they had just said.
For a moment, the sound was so loud that it shook the sky.
Xiao Yunshuo couldn't help but feel elated and said, "Excellent! You all are so ready to face death head-on. This is truly a blessing for the people of Dayu Liming!"
He immediately ordered General Li, General Zhao and Luo Yan to lead the 20,000 troops and immediately return to Yanmen Pass to resist the attack from the Northern Rong.
He then headed south again and headed straight for Yunzhou.
Yunzhou was about a hundred miles away from Yanmen Pass. Xiao Yuncong and Zhao Xin had retreated to this place with their 70,000-man army.
In order to fight against the 100,000 elite soldiers of the Northern Rong army, and also to be able to fight against his father in the future, he must not let Xiao Yuncong take away the 70,000 troops under his command!
Xiao Yunshuo also roughly understood Xiao Yuncong's plan.
The reason why he was able to escape from the heavy defense of Beirong was naturally because of Beirong's "tacit consent".
The Beirong were willing to release the people, perhaps because they had reached some kind of agreement with Xiao Yuncong. For example, Xiao Yuncong immediately withdrew his troops after entering Yanmen Pass, secretly dispatched troops to kill the soldiers who had sworn to defend the pass, and then opened the gate to welcome the enemy.
Of course, Xiao Yuncong was not a complete fool. The "promise" made to him by the Beirong must have been that they only wanted some food, cloth, ironware, etc., and at most some annual tribute. Once they entered Yanmen Pass, they would pretend to be defeated by Xiao Yuncong's 100,000 troops, and then the two sides would negotiate peace.
By then, peace will have been achieved between the two countries, and Xiao Yuncong will naturally be the greatest contributor, so the position of crown prince will naturally be within his grasp.
However, I'm afraid that Beirong's words are just to deceive fools. If they have the opportunity to march straight into the Central Plains, how could they be satisfied with stopping at Yanmen Pass and just asking for a few annual tribute cities?
Only a fool like Xiao Yuncong would believe it!
At this time in the Yunzhou military camp.
Xiao Yuncong paced anxiously in the tent. "This Chen Asan, it's just a small matter, why hasn't he finished it yet and hasn't returned to report yet? When will the Northern Rong army arrive in Yunzhou?"
Zhao Xin said, "Your Highness, please remain calm. Chen Asan may not possess much military talent, but he is incredibly loyal to Your Highness. With his 20,000-man army, it shouldn't be difficult for him to kill Mu Xuan and his 5,000 men. My concern is... will the Northern Rong truly abide by their agreement and, after entering Yanmen Pass, stop at Yunzhou even if they're heading south, feigning defeat for Your Highness?"
Xiao Yuncong glanced at him coldly and said, "Zhao Xin, are you questioning my judgment?"
Zhao Xin quickly knelt down and said, "I dare not!"
Xiao Yuncong sneered, "I know the words of the Northern Rong thieves are untrustworthy. It's just that Mu Xuan and the others dared to disregard my life and death by refusing to open the pass. If I don't avenge this, I'd be unworthy of being the Second Prince of Dayu! As long as Yanmen Pass isn't lost, Mu Xuan's reputation as a traitor won't be established, and the shame of being captured by the Northern Rong will never be washed away! However, even if Yanmen Pass falls, there's nothing to fear! I have 90,000 soldiers at my disposal. Even if we were to engage in a fierce battle with the Northern Rong army in Yunzhou, I wouldn't have to feign defeat. I can certainly drive them out of Yanmen Pass!"
As Xiao Yuncong finished speaking, he heard a familiar voice whispering, "Second brother is still as naive and cruel as ever! Even if Dayu's 90,000 troops can narrowly defeat the Northern Rong army, how many Dayu people from Yanmen Pass to Yunzhou will suffer the hardships of war, be displaced, and lose their homes? Second brother, have you never thought about this?"
Xiao Yuncong was startled and looked out the window in horror, shouting in a trembling voice, "...Who!"
He was naturally familiar with this voice, because it was the voice of his eldest brother, Prince Dayu Xiao Yunshuo!
However, hadn't the prince been killed long ago? How could he appear at this moment?
While Xiao Yuncong was stunned, Zhao Xin had already shouted, "Who is it! Someone come... Ugh!"
Before he finished speaking, a figure rushed in from outside the tent. With a flash of cold light, a dagger was pressed against Zhao Xin's throat.
"Lord Zhao, it's better not to make any sound, otherwise my dagger will have no eyes!" Yuan Xu whispered.
Zhao Xin glanced sideways, his eyes suddenly widening. "You... you're Mu... Mu Xuan's subordinate on the tower. You're so bold! Mu Xuan must have sent you to assassinate the Second Prince and me..."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Xu brought his dagger a little closer and sneered, "Zhao Xin, you're blind! Just look at who you're looking at!"
Xiao Yunshuo had already rushed into the tent without anyone noticing. He was standing with his hands behind his back, looking at Xiao Yuncong calmly and saying, "Second brother, I haven't seen you for a long time. You seem to be doing well."
Xiao Yuncong and Zhao Xin had naturally seen Xiao Yunshuo before, and when they saw the person in front of them clearly, they were shocked and dumbfounded.
"Emperor...Brother?" Xiao Yuncong squeezed out a word from between his teeth after a while, but then shook his head violently and said, "No! Impossible! The Crown Prince is dead! Killed by the Fifth Imperial Brother! Impossible! You can't be alive!"
He had been scheming and fighting with the Sixth Prince for such a long time, and now he was about to get the position of crown prince. If the prince was still alive, wouldn't all his hard work be in vain?
Thinking of this, Xiao Yuncong's eyes flashed with a viciousness for a moment, and he shouted loudly: "Come... um!"
Before he could finish the word "come here", Xiao Yunshuo had already rushed forward and clamped his fingers around his throat.
"Second brother, I don't want to do anything like fratricide, but if you want to follow the example of Fifth brother, then I will have no choice but to bear the pain and kill my own brother for the sake of justice."
Xiao Yunshuo's dark eyes were dark and dark as he spoke calmly.
Xiao Yuncong's throat was so blocked that he could hardly breathe. He knew that his martial arts skills were no match for Xiao Yunshuo's, so he could only speak in a terrified voice, "Ahem... Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I... ahem, I know I was wrong. I beg Your Majesty... to forgive... me."
Xiao Yunshuo then loosened his grip slightly and said with a smile, "Since the Second Imperial Brother is willing to acknowledge me, I am relieved."
Xiao Yuncong took a sharp breath and then spoke tremblingly, "Your Majesty, my brother, since you are still alive, why don't you reveal your identity and return to the palace? Your Majesty, do you know that your father and I, along with the others, are deeply saddened by your frame-up? If your father and I, along with all the civil and military officials, return to the palace, we will surely be overjoyed."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunshuo smiled, but there was no trace of smile in his eyes. He simply said, "I am very pleased to hear that, Second Brother. Since you are so happy that you are still alive, I do have a request, and I hope you can agree to it."
Seeing that Xiao Yunshuo had no intention of letting him go, Xiao Yuncong had no choice but to quickly say, "If my royal brother has a request, please feel free to ask. How could this humble servant refuse?"
Xiao Yunshuo smiled and said, "If that's the case, then my Royal Brother is relieved. My Second Royal Brother is now in command of Dayu's army of 100,000 men, so he naturally has the Tiger Talisman in his hand. My Royal Brother would like to borrow it for use."
As soon as these words were spoken, a cold look flashed across Xiao Yuncong's eyes, and he quickly exchanged a glance with Zhao Xin.
With the tiger talisman in hand, as long as he can escape now, he can kill Xiao Yunshuo. Then... no one in the world will know that the prince is still alive, and he will be the only candidate for the crown prince!
The throne is within his reach, how could he give it up now!
Thinking of this, Xiao Yuncong smiled and said, "My... My Royal Brother, you are the crown prince. The matters of marching and fighting should naturally be left to me, your ministers and generals. How can we let our future emperor go into battle and kill the enemy?"
Xiao Yunshuo smiled upon hearing this and said, "Second brother, what you said does make sense..."
Xiao Yuncong was delighted and said, "Then..."
"However, I still feel that if I, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, lead the charge, it will boost the morale of Dayu's soldiers and lead to a decisive victory over the Northern Rong. If Second Prince is willing to share my worries, there will be plenty of opportunities after I ascend the throne. There is no need to rush now."
Xiao Yuncong's face turned pale in an instant.
Isn't this asking him to surrender his military power now? Furthermore, judging by the Crown Prince's intentions, he plans to send him into battle again in the future, risking his life?
Xiao Yuncong didn't know what to say for a moment, but Zhao Xin suddenly had an idea and said, "Your Highness, this...this tiger talisman is not in this tent now, it is somewhere else. Please release me, I will go and get it myself..."
As he spoke, he did not forget to wink at Xiao Yuncong.
Xiao Yuncong understood and said, "That's right... That's right. My Royal Highness, please see how good my memory is. Zhao Xin, go get the tiger talisman right now... My Royal Highness, please have your men release Zhao Xin first..."
Xiao Yunshuo smiled and said, "Second brother is so considerate, which is very comforting to me. Yuan Xu, please release Lord Zhao first and let him go to get the tiger talisman."
"Yes!" Yuan Xu agreed and released Zhao Xin.
Zhao Xin and Xiao Yuncong were both delighted.
As long as he left the tent and ordered the army outside to kill the assassin, he could do it without anyone noticing...
Zhao Xin ran to the tent door and was about to shout, "Grab the thorns... Ugh!"
Yuan Xu suddenly arrived like a ghost, with a flash of cold light, and the dagger left a trail of blood, having cut Zhao Xin's throat!
Xiao Yuncong's face suddenly turned as pale as paper!
Xiao Yunshuo laughed and said, "Second brother, this Lord Zhao is truly dishonest. He actually dared to treat you as an assassin and ordered the soldiers outside to kill you. So you had no choice but to kill him. Second brother must be much smarter and would not do this, right?"
Seeing Zhao Xin die before him, Xiao Yuncong was so frightened that his legs weakened. How could he dare to play tricks again? He said with a trembling voice and forced a smile, "Royal brother... kill... well done! I have long suspected that Zhao Xin had ulterior motives and wanted to punish him..."
Xiao Yunshuo smiled and said, "In that case, Second Royal Brother should be willing to hand over the Tiger Talisman now, right?"
As he was speaking, the soldiers outside the tent also heard the noise of Zhao Xin falling to the ground. However, they did not dare to intrude and only asked from outside the tent, "Who is it? Your Highness, is Lord Zhao all right?"
Xiao Yuncong didn't dare to ask for help, otherwise he would be the next Zhao Xin, so he could only say tremblingly: "Nothing... nothing."
As he spoke, he tremblingly took out the tiger talisman from his pocket and handed it to Xiao Yunshuo, whispering, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, this is the tiger talisman. I hope your Majesty will forgive my recklessness and ignorance..."
Xiao Yunshuo took the tiger talisman and then let Xiao Yuncong go. He smiled and said, "Second brother is loyal to me and will surely be my right-hand man in the future. How could I blame him? Now, please summon all the generals to the tent to discuss how to resist the Northern Rong army!"
Xiao Yuncong had no choice but to do as he was told.
Soon, all the generals commanding the 70,000 troops entered the tent. When they saw Xiao Yunshuo sitting in the middle of the tent, they were all shocked.
Except for those generals who were recently supported by Xiao Yuncong and Zhao Xiang, all of these generals had followed Xiao Yunshuo through thick and thin, and most of them recognized Xiao Yunshuo.
"Your Highness... Your Highness the Crown Prince?" Someone finally came to his senses and asked in a trembling voice.
Xiao Yunshuo looked at the person who had spoken, then smiled and said, "General Xu, how are you? I'm glad you still remember me."
General Xu was instantly overwhelmed with emotion upon hearing this, and fell to his knees with a plop. "Your Highness the Crown Prince! It really is His Highness the Crown Prince! His Highness the Crown Prince is not dead! I knew... His Highness would never be so easily harmed by a traitor!"
Seeing this, the others also knelt down and called out in trembling voices, "Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Xiao Yunshuo said with a smile, "Everyone, please stand up. Now that the Northern Rong army is approaching, it's really not the time for us to reminisce about the past. After we defeat the Northern Rong bandits, we can drink and chat happily!"
Everyone knelt and said, "Yes! We are willing to follow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and defeat the Northern Rong bandits!"
Several generals who had been promoted because they defected to the Second Prince were bewildered. Seeing the look in Xiao Yuncong's eyes, one of them immediately said, "You...what are you doing?! His Highness the Second Prince is the Grand Marshal personally appointed by the Emperor, holding the Tiger Tally. You're talking about following the Crown Prince. Isn't that disobeying the Emperor's order?"
Xiao Yunshuo played with the tiger talisman in his hand and sneered, "Is the tiger talisman you are talking about this?"
When the general saw the tiger talisman in Xiao Yunshuo's hand, he was stunned for a moment.
Yuan Xu said coldly, "For us, the soldiers of Dayu, seeing the Tiger Tally is like seeing an imperial decree. Now that the Tiger Tally is in the hands of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, what's wrong with us soldiers obeying the Crown Prince's orders? But this general, could it be that he intends to disobey the Tiger Tally's orders?"
The general trembled and knelt down with a plop, saying, "I...I dare not..."
Xiao Yunshuo then stood up and said, "Since all the generals are willing to follow me, then I order all the soldiers to break camp and set off immediately. Return to Yanmen Pass at night and fight a decisive battle with the Northern Rong!"
Shili Village.
The Northern Rong army was approaching the Yanmen Pass, and even the people living in the border areas, who were far away in Youzhou City, were in a panic and talked about this matter every day.
Chen Fenghe continued to provide sufficient food and fodder supplies through Gu Hongzhi these days, and Gu Hongzhi also brought back the latest news from the Yanmen Pass front to Chen Fenghe.
Although I haven't heard any exact news about Xiao Yunshuo, since Yanmen Pass has not been breached, it can be seen that Xiao Yunshuo should be fine. Otherwise, the Dark Chamber wouldn't be so calm.
One day, Gu Hongzhi suddenly said, "Boss, didn't we get a big order from the Northern Rong for a thousand kilograms of grain? The buyer has contacted us again, wanting to do business. Last time, the boss said to let you know if they contacted us again. Boss, what do you think we should do about this? The price they offered is twice as high as last time. However... right now, we in Dayu are at war with the Northern Rong. If the government knew that our Gu family was secretly trading with the Northern Rong, I'm afraid we would be treated as Northern Rong spies..."
Before the Northern Rong invaded, the Gu family and the Northern Rong had already been conducting transactions. Later, Shen Fenghe ordered that only small-scale transactions be maintained, and even when the two countries were at war, the transactions did not stop.
Gu Hongzhi has always been puzzled by this matter.
Logically speaking, when the two countries are at war, Dayu and Beirong are enemies. Why does the Dong family insist on conducting small transactions with Beirong?
Chen Fenghe did explain it once.
The Beirong came to buy basic food and fodder, etc. For small transactions, she usually found out the other party's identity. They were originally civilians of the Beirong, and the purchases were made to maintain their basic livelihood, not for military use. That was why she retained this part of the transaction and did not completely cut it off.
When two countries go to war, the people who suffer the most are the civilians, whether they are from Dayu or Beirong.
In the year of great disaster, the Northern Rong still mobilized the entire country to launch a massive attack, which shows how badly the people of the Northern Rong were exploited.
She did this simply to adhere to her most basic anti-war principle and to leave the people of Beirong a chance to survive.
Of course, the small amount of transactions she retained was only enough to save a few hundred families. Even if the Northern Rong army was so cruel as to requisition the food and grass obtained from this transaction to supply the Northern Rong army, it would be a drop in the bucket.
After hearing what Gu Hongzhi said, Chen Fenghe said, "No matter how much money you offer, this deal cannot be done."
Hearing this, Gu Hongzhi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yes."
Although he had been tempted by the profits of this transaction before, after hearing the news that the Northern Rong were approaching Yanmen Pass, he also understood that this Northern Rong buyer was probably taking the opportunity to buy food and fodder to supply the Northern Rong army.
Then, no matter how big the profit is, it must not be done.
Fortunately, the boss had the same idea.
Gu Hongzhi asked again, "Boss, then this buyer...do you still want to meet him?"
Chen Fenghe thought for a moment and said, "That's not necessary. Also, let's stop all small transactions with Beirong from today onwards. This will prevent us from arousing suspicion in the future..."
Calculating the time and the news brought back by Gu Hongzhi, Chen Fenghe guessed that Dayu had 100,000 troops gathered near Yanmen Pass, but Xiao Yunshuo was still hesitant to move. This must be to further consume the Beirong army - after all, Dayu had sufficient supply of food and grass, but Beirong did not.
The longer the battle dragged on, the better it would be for Dayu. By then, even with the same 100,000-man army, no matter how formidable the Northern Rong cavalry was, they would be defeated in the decisive battle.
Chen Fenghe was certain that it was about time for Xiao Yunshuo to take action.
Therefore, stopping the trade with the Beirong civilians now is also to prevent people with ulterior motives from bringing up this matter in the future and harming the Gu family.
Gu Hongzhi agreed and said, "There's one more thing. There's news coming from Yanmen Pass, and I don't know if it's true or not. It says that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is not dead, but has faked his own death. He's now holding the tiger talisman, commanding 100,000 Dayu troops and stationed at Yanmen Pass! If this news is true, then our Dayu's victory is just around the corner!"
Gu Hongzhi was quite excited as he spoke. Like the other people in Dayu, he admired the deeds of the Prince, the "God of War."
Chen Fenghe's heart moved, and a feeling that was hard to tell whether it was excitement or melancholy arose spontaneously.
He finally revealed his identity...
This meant that the war was drawing to a close, and also meant that... between her and him...
Chen Fenghe shook his head, refusing to think about it anymore.
After leaving Gu Hongzhi, Chen Fenghe walked to a secluded place as usual, passed through space, and returned to her room in Shili Village.
It is still dark, the darkest moment before dawn.
Chen Fenghe was obviously very tired, but she couldn't fall asleep no matter what and was always upset.
Suddenly, a few dog barks were heard in the silent night, but only a few times, and then the barking stopped abruptly, as if someone had strangled their throats!
Chen Fenghe was stunned for a moment, then quickly jumped up from the bed.
Based on her experience and intuition as a special forces soldier, she was afraid something might happen!
The room was pitch black, and there was no starlight outside the window. Chen Fenghe quickly opened the door, entered the room of Qin Mengyue and the three little ones, and woke up Qin Mengyue, Shen Yichuan, Shen Qingxing, and Xiao Yunhao.
Qin Mengyue was about to say something in her daze, but was stopped by Shen Fenghe who put his middle finger to her lips.
Then, Chen Fenghe whispered, "Mom, this is unusual. Let's get out of the yard through the tunnel first..."
Before he could finish his words, there was a sudden, urgent knock on the door. Then, the person Xiao Yunshuo had left behind to protect them said, "Madam, this is bad! The Northern Rong bandits suddenly attacked the village at night. Your subordinates need to escort the two ladies and the three young masters away immediately!"
Qin Mengyue's face turned pale when she heard this: "What? Northern Rong thief?"
She remembered that Shili Village had been attacked by Northern Rong bandits a few years ago and the entire village was massacred! Could it be that... the same thing had happened again?
Chen Fenghe whispered, "Let's retreat first and talk about it when it's safe..."
However, before they could retreat, there was a sudden commotion outside the window, and the people protecting them shouted, "Who are you?"
Then came the mixed sounds of Northern Rong language, followed by the clash of weapons and the screams of the wounded...
Chen Fenghe took Qin Mengyue, Shen Yichuan and others, and without caring about anything else, they first passed through the secret passage and moved to the house they had originally built.
However, as soon as they came out of the secret passage, they found that the house had already been surrounded by Beirong soldiers, and the Beirong man leading the group was someone she knew.
Shen Fenghe's heart sank to freezing point.
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