Even if Emperor Yuanhe had no intention of killing him, he was certain to be implicated. Yet now, suddenly, he was going to release him and even make him the deputy general of the Dragon Cavalry. Si Yang couldn't understand the reason for this.
But when he heard that Yu Nanqing was leading the expedition, he suddenly realized something.
As a deputy general, he had the authority to command troops.
It means that he only needs to record who he wants to take with him; there's no need to even report it to the authorities.
Most generals in the court have their own confidants. Just like Lü Cezhong was Yu Nanqing's right-hand man, most generals who were ordered to go on expeditions would personally select the men who would accompany them.
After all, you can only trust your own people.
Emperor Yuanhe promoted Si Yang to deputy general of the Dragon Cavalry Army because he had promised Yu Nanqing that Si Yang could choose the people he needed.
Si Yang immediately thought of Su He, who was still in the mansion.
It was fortunate that the eldest princess had not yet been buried, otherwise Su He would not have escaped this calamity.
The Dragon Cavalry's military token returned to Yu Nanqing's hands once again.
Before the tenth day of the tenth month, Yu Nanqing had already traveled light and left the capital alone.
He didn't tell anyone when he left the capital, but he didn't deliberately hide it either.
Not long after Yu Nanqing left the capital, the soldiers of the capital's defenses immediately sent the news to the palace.
Emperor Yuanhe didn't say anything when he found out.
On the tenth day of the tenth month, Si Yang led the army to set out for the East Sea on the orders of Emperor Yuanhe.
Si Yang named Su He as his personal attendant.
Emperor Yuanhe was very displeased when he learned of this, but ultimately said nothing.
The people of the capital were unaware of the intricacies of the situation; all they knew was that Yu Nanqing was once again facing off against Donghai after four years, and their emotions were running high, almost impossible to contain.
The appearance of the imperial son-in-law Si Yang this time made the people suddenly realize that Si Yang was originally a military general who had led troops and fought battles. Those who still remember this now are probably older people.
The prince consort was kept under house arrest in the princess's residence for so long that the common people felt sorry for him when they talked about him, since he was a martial arts champion when the late emperor was still alive.
He was handsome, and the martial arts examinations in the capital were very popular, so many people went to see them back then.
Starting from the capital, Si Yang and Su He each rode a horse, while their army waited ten miles away.
It was impossible for a full army of 100,000 to set off at the same time, so the moment Yu Nanqing received the military tally, he had already ordered the troops to be assembled and sent to Wengcheng in batches.
Si Yang had only been gone a short while when Yu Nanqing arrived in Yongduan in just ten days.
Yongduan is not a city, but a mountain road with a rather complicated terrain. This area is named Yongduan by the local people. Yong means "river" because the ground becomes muddy like riverbed silt when it rains.
Because the mountains here are all rusty iron-colored, it was named Yongduan.
The reason for using the word "rush" is that the capital city is at least twenty days away from here, even on horseback, which directly reduces the journey by half.
Importantly, once you pass Yongduan, you can look up and see Wengcheng in the distance.
Yu Nanqing left the capital alone, but now...
"Your Highness, why don't we rest here for a while? The horses must be tired after running for so long."
The one speaking was Lü Cezhong, who had just been released from prison.
His hair was still gray, and due to long-term torture, his face was thin, with old and new marks still visible on his face and neck. His voice was also hoarse and barely audible.
He seemed to look a bit older than when Su Wanyan first met him.
The only difference was that his expression no longer showed any sorrow, but instead was one of high spirits.
Lu Cezhong never imagined that he would ever come out of prison alive.
Having been imprisoned and interrogated for several years, the unique arrogance he once possessed has been greatly diminished.
Now, his cloudy eyes are filled with composure.
Originally, Yu Nanqing's instructions were for him to stay in the capital for a while to recuperate before joining him.
However, after Lü Cezhong learned that Yu Nanqing had left the capital, he led a horse and hurried to catch up with Yu Nanqing.
The capital city is a place that devours people without spitting out their bones. Emperor Yuanhe caused the deaths of so many of their brothers. For Lü Cezhong, staying in the capital for even one more day was worse than death.
Yu Nanqing didn't want to stop, but considering that Lü Cezhong was still injured, she agreed.
Lü Cezhong wasn't actually unable to endure it, but he was worried about the horse.
Since leaving the capital, only ten days have passed, and three horses have already died. Including the one ridden by Lü Cezhong, a total of six horses have been ruined.
In Lü Cezhong's eyes, that horse was a good partner, and Yu Nanqing didn't care about it at all, but he was heartbroken for it.
There was no village or shop in sight, and Yu Nanqing neither ate nor drank while traveling, only resting for a short while every three days. Lü Cezhong was afraid that the horse would be worn out and die again.
As soon as Lü Cezhong dismounted, he tenderly stroked the horse's mane and gently patted its back.
The horse was indeed tired, panting heavily.
On the contrary, Yu Nanqing was more energetic than a horse. In just a few moments, he had leaped to the top of the cliff and stood on the edge, looking into the distance.
However, you can't see anything from here except for mountains.
Lu Cezhong didn't understand why his prince was in such a hurry.
He actually had a lot to say to Yu Nanqing. He wanted to ask Yu Nanqing what was wrong with his leg.
Previously, when Emperor Yuanhe released him, every time he saw Yu Nanqing, she was on the verge of death, lying in bed unable to take care of herself.
Although the time for their meetings was always the same, for some reason he was never allowed to go to the Prince's Mansion again.
He also wanted to ask why Emperor Yuanhe had released him without charge this time, and why the Dragon Cavalry's military tally had returned to Yu Nanqing's hands.
Is this trip to Wengcheng meant to start another war with Donghai?
Lu Cezhong was locked up in prison all day, cut off from news. When he was released from prison, he hurriedly followed Yu Nanqing's footsteps, and he did not listen carefully to what the people in the Prince's mansion wanted to say to him.
Nowadays, they basically know nothing when asked.
So he had a lot to say and a lot to ask, but judging from Yu Nanqing's appearance, now didn't seem like a good time.
When Yu Nanqing came down from the cliff, Lü Cezhong was feeding the horses water.
Without saying a word, Yu Nanqing pulled on the reins, flipped himself onto the horse, and with a deep "Giddy up," he spurred the horse to run again.
Helpless, Lü Cezhong could only mount his horse and follow closely behind him.
Lu Cezhong naturally had no idea why Yu Nanqing was in such a hurry.
After leaving the capital, an informant came to tell them that Su Wanyan had gone to Wengcheng.
This news was undoubtedly a shock to Yu Nanqing, as it was Wengcheng, the small city in the Great Jin Dynasty closest to the East Sea.
If the Great Jin Dynasty were to go to war with the East Sea, Wengcheng would be the first to be affected.
How could Yu Nanqing possibly feel at ease under such circumstances?
On the day of the assassination attempt at the hunting grounds, the siege arrow was only a hair's breadth away from Su Wanyan's heart. If he had stopped due to exhaustion and fatigue, what if the East Sea and the Great Jin had started fighting ahead of schedule and Su Wanyan had been injured?
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