Emperor Yuanhe remained silent for a long time before slowly rising, walking out of his bedchamber with his hands behind his back.
Upon seeing this, Eunuch Liu quickly put down the ginseng soup and hurried after him.
The palace, the prison.
After being locked up for three months, Yu Nanqing was still the same.
Compared to before, he looked even more dejected. He wouldn't eat the food sent from the prison, and stubble had grown on his chin. He was still wearing the same brocade python robe that he was wearing when he was arrested.
He was still huddled in the corner, his hands and feet chained, looking utterly hopeless.
Upon seeing Yu Nanqing again, Emperor Yuanhe was no longer angry; instead, his expression was quite calm.
Not only was he calm, but he also ordered the jailer to open the cell door.
Emperor Yuanhe entered the cell and glanced at the furnishings around him. The cell where the royal family was imprisoned was cleaner than that of an ordinary cell.
There was a wooden bed in the cell, covered with a thin sheet.
The prison was filled with a chilly atmosphere. Even though it was early winter, Emperor Yuanhe felt a coldness in his ankles after standing there for only a short while.
He stared at Yu Nanqing for a while, then suddenly sat down on the wooden bed. His dragon robe clashed terribly with the bed, and he said with a sigh, "Third brother, don't blame me. I am the emperor, and there are some things I have no choice but to do."
Yu Nanqing leaned against the corner, his eyes vacant, completely oblivious to what Emperor Yuanhe was saying.
Seeing that he did not react, Emperor Yuanhe finally steered the conversation toward Su Wanyan: "The envoy from the East Sea has returned. Su Wanyan has not been found. I have done my best."
He didn't say anything at this point. At the same time as issuing the arrest warrant for Xiao Chensheng, he sent people to look for Su Wanyan's whereabouts, but they couldn't find her anywhere.
Yu Nanqing said that people from Donghai had kidnapped Su Wanyan. Although he didn't believe it, he still had people investigate, but in the end, they found no clues.
Otherwise, the envoy from the East Sea wouldn't have been able to leave the Great Jin so easily.
Yu Nanqing's eyes flickered slightly, but then returned to their blank expression in an instant.
Emperor Yuanhe opened his mouth, then closed it again after a long silence. After a moment of silence, he finally said, "You once said that Su Wanyan was abducted by the people of the East Sea. It's not that I don't believe it, but I also need to investigate. Now, the East Sea has officially issued a declaration of war to the Great Jin, Third Imperial Brother..."
He looked at Yu Nanqing: "Only you can go and fight the battle against the East Sea."
Yu Nanqing remained expressionless and silent.
Emperor Yuanhe didn't seem to need his response, and said to himself, "Firstly, you can go and find Su Wanyan yourself. Secondly, don't you still have unresolved grudges with Donghai?"
He could only use Su Wanyan as an excuse to lure Yu Nanqing into fighting Donghai.
Although Emperor Yuanhe did not know Yu Nanqing well, he had a gut feeling that Yu Nanqing would not refuse to fight in the East China Sea.
However, after saying this, Emperor Yuanhe waited for a long time, but still did not receive a reply from Yu Nanqing.
He frowned slightly, his patience gradually fading: "You are a prince, and a role model for all people. Protecting the Great Jin Dynasty is your duty, Third Brother. Haven't I made myself clear enough?"
Even if he doesn't respond, he will still send someone to escort him to Wengcheng.
"Heh." Yu Nanqing suddenly chuckled softly, lowered his eyes, and finally reacted, immediately stating his request: "Lu Cezhong is my right-hand man. If Your Majesty releases him without charge, I may consider it."
Emperor Yuanhe's brow twitched slightly. Lü Cezhong had been imprisoned for four years. He had been interrogated and questioned many times, and the tortures in the prison had not been reduced, yet he was still not harmed in the slightest.
Emperor Yuanhe did not expect that Yu Nanqing would bring up Lü Cezhong at this time.
Undoubtedly, Yu Nanqing wanted to rescue Lü Cezhong.
Yu Nanqing remained indifferent, and after saying those words, he said nothing more. Emperor Yuanhe pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "Alright, I'll do as you say."
As things stand, there's no evidence left to prove what happened back then, and it won't cause any more trouble.
“I also need Prince Consort Siyang.”
"..." The prince consort?
Emperor Yuanhe considered it and realized that this approach was not entirely impossible.
Although he was angry with Si Yang, Si Yang was not only the consort of the eldest princess, but also a meritorious official with military achievements and a good commander. Otherwise, his father would not have betrothed Tingyi to him.
However, Si Yang is now also imprisoned by him, and his situation is still unknown.
He brushed aside his thoughts and replied, "I can grant your request."
“The person Si Yang needs is the person I need,” Yu Nanqing said slowly.
Emperor Yuanhe frowned. What did this mean?
Who else will Si Yang bring along?
How did he know who Si Yang needed?
Yu Nanqing's words drew his thoughts back to the death of the eldest princess. Could it be that Yu Nanqing and Si Yang had conspired to murder Tingyi?
Yu Nanqing was not in a hurry and waited quietly for Emperor Yuanhe's reply.
Finally, Emperor Yuanhe took a deep breath and said, "If you have any other requests, please state them all at once."
"The Dragon Cavalry." Yu Nanqing leaned his head against the corner wall, his voice indifferent: "I only need the Dragon Cavalry."
Of the original 300,000 Dragon Cavalry, only 100,000 returned to the capital. Whenever he thought of this, Yu Nanqing felt a surge of anger. Blood debts must be repaid in blood, it was only right and proper. He would lead the innocent souls of the 200,000 soldiers to avenge them.
However, what was said without malice was taken seriously by the listener.
Emperor Yuanhe's heart skipped a beat, and he felt inexplicably repulsed by Yu Nanqing's words.
Dragon Riders.
It was because of the Dragon Cavalry that he had been depressed for so many years.
The Dragon Cavalry was like an inheritance left to him by his father, a privilege that even he was not entitled to reclaim.
No, that's not right.
If it weren't for his foresight, he wouldn't have even been able to inherit the throne. Yu Nanjin... was the Emperor's true love!
He had neither the throne nor military power; his father left him nothing.
Emperor Yuanhe felt a deep sense of unease in his chest, as if his throat was blocked and he could hardly breathe.
He gritted his teeth and suppressed his resentment: "Since the Third Prince returned to the capital, the Dragon Cavalry has not expanded its forces and still only has the original 100,000 troops. In this way, does the Third Prince have the confidence to confront the East Sea Army?"
As far as he knew, the power of the East Sea was no weaker than that of the Great Jin.
Yu Nanqing suddenly raised his eyes, staring at Emperor Yuanhe with lifeless eyes, the corners of his lips curling up in a particularly chilling way: "Does Your Majesty not intend to send reinforcements?"
When he said this, it was as if he was clearly telling him that he only had these 100,000 troops available.
Emperor Yuanhe's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason: "Of course not."
He quickly added, "I will dispatch 50,000 elite cavalry to Wengcheng to meet you afterwards."
Because the Tiger Cavalry had already been transferred to Xining, he couldn't send too many troops to Yu Nanqing.
"Heh." Yu Nanqing seemed to see through his thoughts and let out a cold laugh.
Emperor Yuanhe's eyes immediately turned cold.
Their eyes met, and a hidden murderous intent seemed to emanate from them.
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