Chapter 97
The other side.
Chao Nan and several of his guards were engaged in a fierce battle with the bandits on the other side. Their numbers were similar, their strength comparable, and for a moment, it was difficult to determine the winner. Both sides were caught in a fierce battle, and anxiety was inevitable, with the Xiongnu being the most frightened.
After all, Chao Nan and others only need to drag it out and they will eventually be able to wait for reinforcements from Shanglinyuan, but the Huns cannot. If they cannot break through and escape in time, they will have no way out but death.
Although they had been sent to the Han Dynasty as spies and had long been prepared for sacrifice, they had learned nothing and died in confusion and meaninglessness. This was something they were unwilling to accept.
In a corner of the woods, Zhao Fan quietly watched the battle unfold, unmoved, a sort of spectator watching a fight unfold. Beside him, Luan Da wasn't so calm.
"Second Prince, we can't delay any longer. If we delay any further, once reinforcements arrive, the situation will be out of our control. We can't leave any of these people alive, especially the Xiongnu spies."
"Looking at the way those guards from the East Palace fought, it's clear they want to keep him alive. If we leave him alive, our plan will be exposed. Only by leaving him dead and without witnesses can we stay out of this."
Zhao Fan glanced at him, naturally understanding what he meant. He had captured the Xiongnu, and while Liu Hong had devised the plan, he had been the one who had carried it out from beginning to end. If they were to be exposed, he would be the first to bear the brunt.
He suppressed his expression. "I'm going to the capital this time as a hostage, so I can't bring too many people with me, and even fewer trusted confidants. There are only a few of us. Whether they're Xiongnu spies or the Eastern Palace guards, they're all very powerful, and we may not be able to kill them all in a short time. If something goes wrong... I wonder if the Second Prince has a backup plan?"
"Your Highness has already informed the Second Prince of your plans, so there is no other way. As for what the Second Prince is worried about..." Luan Da's eyes flashed, and he looked at the battle situation again, "The Second Prince does not need to be so modest.
"Both sides have been fighting for a long time and are already exhausted. Even with the few people around the Second Prince, they are no ordinary people. Since you were able to successfully capture the Xiongnu spies that day, winning the battle now should not be a problem."
Zhao Fan didn't respond, but instead said, "Actually, there's a safer way."
Luan Da was stunned: "What?"
"Don't we have gunpowder bombs? Gunpowder bombs can blow up the prince, and they can also blow up them. Using gunpowder bombs for a long-range attack is more appropriate, faster, and more likely to leave no one alive."
Luan Da's heart tightened, and his smile was a little forced. "Second Prince, you're joking. Gunpowder bombs are so important, and the defenses are so strict. I put a lot of thought into it, but I only managed to bring out one, and I used it on the Crown Prince. How could there be more?"
"Yeah?"
Zhao Fan's tone seemed calm, but Luan Da always felt that there was something unusual in it. He looked up and saw Zhao Fan slightly curling the corners of his lips, slowly raising his right hand, and in his hand was a gunpowder bomb.
"Then how did I dig this out of the ground?"
Luan Da's expression suddenly changed, and he subconsciously clenched his hands, trying his best to hide his panic: "This... this is..."
"Didn't I tell you? They were dug out from underground." Zhao Fan pointed at the battlefield. "It's right there on the ground. Besides the one I have, there should be two or three more. I thought it was arranged by the Second Prince. I thought the Second Prince really had a plan that was meticulous."
Luan Da's face turned blue and white.
He had indeed buried the gunpowder bombs underground, and had even prepared the ground for them, waiting for Zhao Fan to join the battle, ignite them, and capture them all. However, Zhao Fan had been prepared, guessed their thoughts, and intercepted their next move.
Luan Da's mouth twitched, and after a few breaths of hesitation, he made a decision in an instant. Killing Zhao Fan was impossible, but he had to at least stabilize him and deal with this hurdle today.
"Perhaps this was indeed the Second Prince's plan. But perhaps something went wrong and I wasn't notified in time. Second Prince, since we have the gunpowder bombs, why not act quickly?"
Time was running out, and a quick decision was indeed necessary. Zhao Fan only wanted to protect himself and maintain a delicate balance with Liu Hong, not to antagonize him. So he knew when to stop, said no more, took out a tinderbox, lit the fuse, and threw it out.
However, the expected loud noise did not come, and the explosion did not occur. The gunpowder bomb rolled several times on the ground silently.
Luan Da was confused, and Zhao Fan was also confused.
The latter looked at the former, immediately grabbed him, and grabbed his throat: "Tell me, was this your doing? Did you make any other arrangements?"
Luan Da felt wronged. "Second... Second Prince, no, really not. It would obviously... obviously explode. Even if one thing went wrong, would all two or three buried underground also fail? All it would take is a spark to cause at least the ones underground to explode. Second Prince, it's not me, I don't know."
Zhao Fan looked uncertain. On the one hand, he felt that Luan Da's behavior did not seem like a lie, but on the other hand, he was afraid that he had miscalculated and fell into Liu Hong's trap.
At this moment, a voice suddenly broke in: "We testify that he didn't do it. He really didn't know."
Zhao Fanluan's expression suddenly changed, and he looked towards the source of the sound almost at the same time. Among the branches of the towering trees above his head, two young men were standing on the branches, holding long swords and watching with their arms folded.
The tree's lush branches and leaves completely obscured the two figures. If they hadn't revealed themselves, who would have discovered their presence?
Two people jumped down from the tree one after the other using the uneven branches and stood opposite each other. Who else could it be but Huo Guang and Wei Buyi?
Zhao Fanluan was horrified: "You...you haven't already..."
"Already what? Killed by the explosion?" Wei Buyi chuckled, "Sorry to disappoint Second Prince, we won't die that easily."
Huo Guang continued, "You're wrong. Second Prince doesn't suit your status. Should we call him Liu Fan or Yu Fan?"
Zhao Fan's heart sank suddenly, and before he could react, Huo Guang's words fell, and a dozen guards appeared behind him, forming a human wall, blocking the way for Zhao Fan and the others.
At the same time, several people suddenly appeared in the rear and joined the battle forcefully. They cooperated with Chao Nan to kill all the Huns, and then surrounded them, forming a human wall.
At this point, Zhao Fanluan and his close confidants were surrounded and had no way out.
********
Bowang Garden, inner hall.
Liu Hong knelt on the ground, trembling all over, with cold sweat on his forehead and back.
Liu Che did not hit him, scold him, or even look at him. He simply ordered Feng He to bring in warm water, personally wrung out a handkerchief to wash Liu Ju's face, and then pulled him behind the screen to change his clothes.
The father and son were being affectionate, but Liu Hong felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his hair standing on end and his whole body running cold.
Everything seemed so peaceful, but the calmer it was, the more anxious Liu Hong felt. He knew that beneath the calm lay a raging storm, a raging sea. Any wave could drown him.
His whole body was trembling, and the fear in his heart was like ripples, expanding uncontrollably.
After changing clothes, Liu Che and Liu Ju came out from behind the screen, and Liu Hong trembled even more violently.
At this moment, the guards outside the palace reported: "Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Tutor Huo and Tutor Wei have captured all the remaining criminals including Zhao Fan and have come to report."
Liu Ju looked at Liu Che, who nodded. Liu Ju immediately raised his voice and said, "Let them in."
Men like Luan Dasangzhi didn't need to enter the palace. Huo Guangwei didn't doubt it and just had Zhao Fan escorted forward.
At this time, Zhao Fan's hair was disheveled, his clothes were torn, he was covered with scars, and he was tied up. Compared with Liu Hong, his condition was truly horrible.
Back then, Liu Ling was a princess of the royal family, so Emperor Liu Che at least had her untied and allowed to sit. But now it was Zhao Fan's turn and he didn't receive such treatment.
He was forced to kneel. But at least he had some composure, knowing that things had come to this point and there was no way out, so he didn't bother begging for mercy. He glanced at Liu Hong lightly, then looked away for a moment.
Calculating the time, Liu Hong and he should have been defeated at about the same time, so his identity was most likely not revealed by Liu Hong. This meant that Liu Che and Liu Ju knew the truth long ago.
Zhao Fan raised his eyes, his expression calm. "Even if I have to die, at least let me know the truth. I wonder if Your Majesty and the Crown Prince can tell me where I have revealed my flaws."
Liu Ju readily agreed: "Since you ask so sincerely, I will be merciful and tell you. I will be happy to teach you."
Liu Che: ...
If it weren't for the wrong occasion, he would have almost laughed.
"Do you still remember the gifts you gave to the various palaces when you entered the capital? They were so generous that it's astonishing. If that were all, it would be fine, but the list of gifts for me and my father included two items. A jadeite from the same source as the Heshi Bi, and the Suihou Pearl."
Zhao Fan nodded. "Indeed. I carefully selected these two items to match your status. I wonder if there's anything wrong with them?"
"It is said that these two items were acquired by the First Emperor and hidden in the Qin Palace. After the Qin Dynasty fell, their whereabouts were unknown."
Zhao Fan was still puzzled. "Yes. But the rumor that the First Emperor had it is just a rumor. Even if it is true, at the end of the previous dynasty, wars broke out everywhere, and there was chaos everywhere. How many precious and famous items were lost in the palace?"
So what can the jade and Suihou beads represent?
If his identity could really be seen from these two things, how could he choose?
"It really doesn't mean anything." Liu Ju smiled, "But you must have miscalculated one thing. You thought your identity was known only to your closest confidants, but you didn't know that Caiqin and Xiefang also knew.
"Not only did they cleverly discover your existence, but they also cleverly discovered that the money your mother used to bribe officials in the capital was not right. It far exceeded the amount given by Huainan."
Zhao Fan paused, his face gloomy.
Liu Ju continued, "After Xie Fang's death, my father and I went through the list of gifts sent by Liu Ling and checked everything we could verify. We discovered that the number was indeed quite large, and two of the artifacts were very unusual and famous. They were both treasures from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and were rumored to have been acquired by the First Emperor.
"But those two items were far less valuable than the Heshi Jade and Suihou Pearl. Therefore, at the time, my father and I, like you, felt that there were so many lost items from the previous dynasty scattered among the people, and we didn't take them seriously. Until you showed up."
Liu Ju sighed softly, "Children often resemble their parents in appearance, temperament, and behavior. Your measured speech and graceful demeanor are reminiscent of Liu Ling's.
"Adding the jade and the Suihou Pearl to the mix inevitably reminded me of the first two items, which gave rise to doubts. So I sent Yan Suinan to Huainan. Guess what I discovered?"
Zhao Fan remained silent, but his face turned even paler.
"If you are Liu Ling's child, who is your biological father? It's not ruled out that it was Zhao Yingqi. But that doesn't explain why Liu Ling had so much wealth. Nanyue doesn't have the ability to do that, and even if it did, Zhao Yingqi wouldn't be so generous.
"I've been baffled. After pondering for a long time, I suddenly thought of someone. Judging from your age, Liu Ling might have been pregnant with you when her ex-husband died. It's not impossible that you're the child of Liu Ling and her ex-husband.
"Especially since Liu Ling is arrogant, she wouldn't give birth to a child easily. She once said that her ex-husband was the rare one who treated her sincerely, and she had also treated him sincerely before.
"Only if you've truly loved someone would you be willing to do so. More importantly, and this is something we've always overlooked. Her ex-husband's surname was Yu.
"There are many people with the surname Yu in the world, but not too many. There are only a few famous people of the Yu family who can be counted, but among them there is a girl whose exact name is unknown. She was called Yu Ji, and she was the most beloved beauty of Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu."
All the guards in the palace were stunned.
No, Your Highness had told them a little bit before that Zhao Fan was the child of Liu Ling and her ex-husband, but he didn't say that the ex-husband had this identity!
This... this is too exciting! It can't be Xiang Yu's...
Just as the thought came to his mind, Liu Ju said, "Yan Sui went to dig deep into the Yu family and found the family tree that was buried by the Yu family. According to your father's generation, you should call Yu Ji your great-aunt.
"Yan Sui also found an old loyal servant of the Yu family. He had narrowly escaped the disaster, but had to feign madness and remain incognito. From him, we confirmed the authenticity of the Yu family tree.
"He also said that Liu Ling was probably pregnant when she killed her husband. At that time, she couldn't stand the smell of fish and had dry heaving several times. This almost confirms my guess."
The guards all breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was just a descendant of the Yu family and had nothing to do with Xiang Yu.
Liu Ju sighed again, "Although Emperor Gaozu entered Xianyang first, he did not formally occupy it, and did not take all the beauties and treasures in the Qin Palace. Later, Xiang Yu entered the pass, massacred the people of Xianyang, killed Ziying, and burned the palace.
"Some of the treasures in the palace were collected by Xiang Yu; some were looted by palace servants and their whereabouts are unknown; and some were burned and destroyed.
"But these are just rumors. Who knows if the latter two were deliberately spread by Xiang Yu, so that he actually pocketed 80% of the treasures?
"If that's true, where did all this treasure go? Later, Xiang Yu committed suicide at the Wujiang River, and the Chu region surrendered. The amount of money and treasures Emperor Gaozu collected here was far from enough.
"If Xiang Yu really hid such a huge treasure trove, such a secret would definitely not be known by ordinary people. But Yu Ji, as his beloved concubine, is not an ordinary person. If she may know, it means that the Yu family may also know."
Zhao Fan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then opened them again: "Your Highness the Crown Prince is indeed thoughtful and observant. The treasure house is indeed Xiang Yu's.
"When Xiang Yu let Emperor Gaozu of the Liu family escape at the Hongmen Banquet, Fan Zeng predicted his defeat. So he proposed collecting precious gold and silver from the Qin Palace and insisted on building a treasury to prepare Xiang Yu for a comeback after his defeat.
"But Xiang Yu refused to follow his path. Not only did he become alienated from him, but he was ultimately defeated and would rather commit suicide than cross the Yangtze River. This completely ruined his plan.
"My biological father is indeed a descendant of the Yu family. He loved my mother deeply and told her this secret. When my mother learned about it, she was ecstatic, thinking that she could take the treasure house for herself and use it for Huainan.
"But my father refused, and neither did the two elders of the Yu family. They were stubborn, saying that this belonged to Xiang Yu, and even after Xiang Yu died, the Yu family could not steal it without permission. If Xiang Yu had any descendants, they would have to wait for them to take it. If Xiang Yu's descendants died out, then it would be as if the treasure house did not exist.
"Father had a different view. He believed that what Xiang Yu had taken belonged to the previous dynasty, and that what the previous dynasty had taken belonged mostly to other countries, so there was no question of who owned what. He didn't object to Mother taking it, but he forbade her to take more, fearing it would cause trouble. He also forbade her to use it to plot rebellion."
Liu Ju suddenly realized: "So Liu Ling killed him, and even killed the entire Yu family. Liu Ling's killing intention was not only because the King of Huainan forced him to do so and to prevent the Yu family from reporting him, but also to seize the treasure.
"Lord Yu was willing to tell Liu Ling such a big secret, but Liu Ling... is truly cold-blooded and heartless. Lord Yu is truly pitiful. He's truly been taken advantage of."
Zhao Fan disagreed: "When your mother killed your father, wouldn't you feel heartbroken? However, when it comes to big things, you have to make decisive decisions. Some sacrifices are unavoidable.
"After my father died, my mother fell seriously ill and fled to Huainan to mourn for him. She took the opportunity to secretly leave me alone. At that time, she also met Zhao Yingqi by chance and deliberately seduced him, just to find a way out for me.
"Even though she had many men around her, she never forgot her father. He was a different person to her. So she built a tomb and a monument for him, and prayed for him every year, hoping that he would have a peaceful and smooth afterlife."
Liu Ju was speechless. This was a matter of perspective. There was no point in wasting words if their perspectives differed. He said calmly, "You already know how it was exposed. Anything else you want to ask?"
Zhao Fan was stunned for a moment, then asked, "You don't want to ask me where the treasure house is?"
Liu Ju sneered: "If I ask, will you tell me?"
"I said, will you and His Majesty let me go?"
"Won't."
Zhao Fan also laughed: "Then why should I say it? It's death anyway. Why should I give you a treasure trove before I die? It's just a free gift for you."
"That makes sense." Liu Ju nodded, not at all surprised by his answer. He didn't force it, but calmly waved his hand and ordered, "Take him away."
Two guards stepped forward, one on the left and one on the right, and were about to take Zhao Fan away, but Zhao Fan suddenly jumped up and rushed towards the guards, kicking the hilt of the sword with his toes. The long sword was unsheathed, rose into the air and then fell down. Zhao Fan moved sideways and used the free fall of the long sword to cut the rope on his body. In an instant, he grasped the hilt of the sword and killed Liu Che and Liu Ju.
At the same time, Sang Zhi and others who were unable to come in from outside the hall and were held at swords by the necks heard the sound, as if they had heard an order, and they suddenly attacked, fighting desperately with every move.
The killing situation reappears inside and outside the palace.
At this split second, Liu Ju and Huo Guangwei seemed to be prepared. They drew their weapons almost at the same time and aimed at Zhao Fan.
Liu Ju bent down and turned around, avoiding the tip of Zhao Fan's knife, aiming at his heart from bottom to top; Huo Guangwei jumped into the air without hesitation, one on the left and one on the right, aiming at his throat from top to bottom; the three of them surrounded him from three sides, not only blocking Zhao Fan's way of attack, but also blocking Zhao Fan's two vital points.
Zhao Fan had already been through a fierce battle in the woods, suffering multiple injuries and lacking strength. Liu Ju and the other two were no mere show-offs; their skills were impressive, and they worked in perfect harmony, giving them the upper hand.
Just as the three men were about to kill Zhao Fan with their weapons drawn close, a feathered arrow flew from the beam and struck Zhao Fan in the back. Zhao Fan froze and fell to the ground with a thud.
Liu Ju's expression flickered for a moment, then he suppressed his emotions and stepped forward. "It's only been a short time since the incident with the Wusun Princess, and the lesson is still fresh in our minds. Do you really think we're so stupid that we'll suffer the same loss again?"
Although they did not suffer any loss the previous time and the Princess Wusun was killed in time, they were naturally on guard after all the experience.
Liu Ju scoffed: "You don't know your own abilities."
Zhao Fan laughed. How could he not know it was futile? But with no chance of survival, why not give it a try? Even if he died, it would be a happy death, better than being taken away to endure humiliation and torture, then beheaded and cut in half. If he succeeded, getting someone to take him down with him would be a huge win.
The corners of his mouth twitched and his lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but unfortunately, an arrow was stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter a complete syllable. Only a "huh" sound was heard.
Blood continued to spurt out from the arrow head and his mouth and nose. Zhao Fan's chest heaved several times before finally calming down.
But his eyes were still wide open, and he died with his eyes open. The direction he was facing happened to be Liu Hong, and even most of the blood sprayed on Liu Hong's face.
This was the first time Liu Hong had faced a dead person at such close range, and the person was Zhao Fan, who had conspired with him. Zhao Fan died in front of him, so what about him?
Liu Hong bit his lower lip, his whole body trembling like a sieve, his eyes full of fear and horror.
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