Chapter 55: A Thousand Miles "Follow me and enjoy happiness."
A few days later, before the reply from Jinling was delivered, the news of Nangong's rebellion spread throughout Baicheng City.
At the time, Zhao Yan and Yong Shaolan were riding in Wang Jiaoyu's oxcart in Zhinan County, making some purchases and gaining trust. In the bustling little town, even the slightest bit of news spread quickly, especially since the government hadn't yet tightened its grip.
"Have you heard? His Majesty just dealt with the Shen family, and the Nangong family rebelled."
"Who says it's not? It's said that they've gathered tens of thousands of troops and have already started fighting in Weizhou."
"From Jinling to Weizhou, it takes several counties, right? How could the attack be so fast in just a few days?"
Weizhou is a must-pass place on the way from Jinling to Yujing, but it is more than 100 kilometers away. There are also several important cities along the way, such as Zizhou, Shuyang, and Shuilongguan.
Zhao Yan couldn't help but frown when he heard the gossip of the vendors. He kicked Yong Shaolan beside him and lifted his veil to signal the man, "What's going on?"
Yong Shaolan's eyes darkened. "We can't make a conclusion yet. There are so many people around. Let's talk about it when we get back."
Zhao Yan pursed his lips: "Okay."
Wang Dayong quickly drove the oxcart to the escort agency. Yong Shaolan and Zhao Yan disembarked to buy food, while Wang Dayong and Wang Jiaoyu walked to Jinling to receive a reply. However, as soon as they entered the escort agency, they noticed something was amiss. The usually bustling courtyard was deserted, and the doorman, who opened the door, had a look of panic on his face.
Teacher Wang felt that things were not going well and wanted Wang Dayong to run away, but before he could finish his words, several strong men came out of the escort agency and abducted them both to the main hall.
A young man in an indigo round-necked robe walked in. "Tell me, where is our Highness?"
…
Zhao Yan and Yong Shaolan bought the food they needed for the daily life and returned to the place where they had agreed to meet Wang Dayong and Wang Jiaoyu. However, after waiting for half an hour, there was no sign of Wang Dayong and Wang Jiaoyu.
It was almost noon, and Zhao Yan was getting a little impatient waiting: "Brother Lan, how about we go look for him?"
Yong Shaolan was thinking the same thing, "Okay."
The two men followed the tracks left by the ox cart and groped for another quarter of an hour before they found a place with a sign saying "Longkou Escort Agency".
"This should be it." Zhao Yan remembered what Wang Dayong had told him about the escort agency. "Let's go in and take a look?"
Yong Shaolan: "Something feels wrong. Wait here."
After saying that, Yong Shaolan was about to go forward alone. Zhao Yan obediently hid behind him. Not long after Yong Shaolan entered the escort agency, a familiar figure suddenly walked out.
The young man was wearing an indigo blue round-necked robe, had a tall figure and delicate features.
"Chen Buyu!" Zhao Yan couldn't believe why his good friend suddenly appeared in Zhinan County. He rushed over and said, "Brother, why are you here?"
Shen Buyu and Zhao Yan bumped their fists and said, "This is a long story. Your Highness, please come in first."
"Okay, okay," Zhao Yan was a little excited. He followed Shen Buyu into the Longtou Escort Agency and walked into the main hall to see Wang Jiaoyu, Wang Dayong, and Yong Shaolan inside.
"Brother Lan."
Shen Buyu closed the door, then lifted his clothes and saluted Zhao Yan: "Your Highness, I pay my respects to Prince Yong."
"What's going on?" Zhao Yan pulled Shen Buyu up.
Zhao Yan and Shen Buyu knew each other when they were ten years old and grew up together. As his study partner, Shen Buyu lived in Nangong Mansion almost every day. It was no exaggeration to say that the two were brothers.
Zhao Yan: "I just heard that Zhao Cheng exiled your family. What happened?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Buyu could no longer suppress his emotions and embraced Zhao Yan in his arms: "Your Highness...Father...The Shen family was exiled to Liaodong last month. My father and mother were old. They caught a cold after only a dozen days and died on the way..."
The more Shen Buyu spoke, the more tears and snot he could not stop, “Your Highness, you must make the decision for our Shen family!”
Zhao Yan was silent for a moment, not knowing how to comfort Shen Buyu, “Don’t cry, Buyu, I know everything.”
With both his parents dead, Shen Buyu, who had been immersed in the same honey pot as Zhao Yan since childhood, grew up almost overnight. He quickly wiped his tears and told Zhao Yan what General Nangong had said: "General Nangong said that they will lead their troops to attack several counties around Jinling first. When you and His Royal Highness Wang Yong return to Liaodong, we will cooperate internally and externally and attack Yujing together."
Shen Buyu: "By the way, there is also the Prince of Minnan. The general has already sent a letter to him, saying that it is 90% certain, so you and the prince can rest assured."
The General Nangong mentioned by Shen Buyu is Zhao Yan's uncle, the Minister of War of Wenying Palace University in Shuntian Prefecture and the Marquis of Jinling, the General of the Cavalry.
"Okay," Zhao Yan wiped Shen Buyu's tears with a handkerchief, and then asked, "How's mother doing?"
Shen Buyu and his brothers were rescued and brought back to Jinling by General Nangong. They had been hiding in the Nangong Mansion and had naturally met Concubine Nangong. It was Concubine Nangong who told him about Yujing.
Shen Buyu burst into laughter and said, "Your Highness, don't worry. Empress Nangong is fine. When she saw your letter, she ate a big bowl of rice."
"That's good."
Shen Buyu came to Baicheng to support and was responsible for escorting Zhao Yan and Yong Shaolan back to Liaodong.
That night, Zhao Yan and Yong Shaolan returned to Xiaowangzhai, packed their luggage, and prepared to follow Shen Buyu overnight.
Zhao Yan had previously promised to find a job for Wang Dayong in the army, but he was about to get married to Miss Liu, and the journey to Liaodong was long and difficult, so he had no choice but to leave the two of them behind and take Wang Dayong, the instructor Wang, and Miss Liu to Jinling.
That night, after the twilight hour, Zhao Yan, Yong Shaolan, and Shen Buyu set out from Xiaowangzhai, hurrying towards Liaodong. Shen Buyu had prepared several fake household registration documents, and with the war in Nanjing, the imperial court's attention was focused there, weakening the eastern flank's defenses.
Two months later, Zhao Yan and his group finally set foot in Liaodong.
There are five cities in Liaodong, three of which are on the border between Dayan and Chao. Yong Shaolan's residence is in Yongcheng, the center of the five cities in Liaodong.
But as soon as they entered Liaodong City, troops from the city came to support them.
After two months of living outdoors, Zhao Yan and Shen Buyu had lost a lot of weight. Yong Shaolan had also lost a lot of weight. The three of them were waiting for help outside the city gate. Zhao Yan looked at the people coming from afar and felt that they looked familiar. "Isn't that Wen Quan and Xuan Ji?!"
It was indeed Xuanji and Wenquan who came to pick them up. They received a letter from Yong Shaolan yesterday, so they rushed back to Yongcheng from the military camp and arrived at the city gate early in the morning.
Yong Shaolan nodded: "Yeah."
"Let's go."
Zhao Yan responded and leaned on Yong Shaolan's shoulder: "Finally! Ahhhhhhh! I can finally get a good night's sleep!"
Shen Buyu stood behind the two of them, always feeling that their relationship was too close.
…
Zhao Yan got on Xuanji's carriage and returned to Prince Yong's Mansion with Yong Shaolan. Shen Buyu and Wen Quan went to the military camp.
Unlike what Zhao Yan had imagined, Liaodong was no different from other cities except that the weather was a little colder.
The carriage creaked as it moved. Zhao Yan lifted the curtain and could still see soldiers wandering around the city. "Why are we going back like this? Will we be discovered soon?"
"What are you afraid of?" Yong Shaolan said calmly, "We came back to rebel."
Zhao Yan: "That's true."
"The army in the city..."
"Mine," Yong Shaolan said, "I personally trained the Liaodong Army."
"I know." Zhao Yan lowered the curtain and glanced at Brother Confidence: "I mean, do you still have the military token?"
Yong Shaolan took out the tiger talisman that Xuanji had just given him and said, "I just got it back."
"Before leaving the capital, Xuanji returned to the capital first, and the military talisman was in his hands the entire time."
Zhao Yan: "Okay, then when do we start the war? What do I need to do?"
Yong Shaolan slid his throat, his eyes fell on Zhao Yan's lips, and he held them and kissed him on the lips: "You don't have to do anything, just follow me and enjoy the happiness."
After two months of traveling, they were exhausted. Even with the fake household registration documents, they still had to hide from place to place to hurry on. During these two months, Zhao Yan and Yong Shaolan had very little time to themselves.
Zhao Yan responded to the kiss, his lips smacking, "Then, then I have to do something, right? Do you want me to be a puppet emperor?"
There are many emperors in history who were sidelined by their ministers. Most of these powerful ministers were not as insidious and authoritarian as described in novels. Instead, they were a group of smiling tigers. They were respectful on the surface, but in fact, their every word and action was a threat.
Zhao Yan now had no other roots besides the Nangong clan in Jinling. If Yong Shaolan wanted to sideline him and seize power, he could do so, just like in the original novel.
But Zhao Yan knew that Yong Shaolan would not do that.
Yong Shaolan gulped down his throat and reluctantly sucked on the corner of Zhao Yan's lips: "What kind of emperor do you want to be?"
"Of course he'd be a good emperor, huh?" Zhao Yan responded to Yong Shaolan's kiss. "I'm going to learn how to govern a country, and then... well... follow a benevolent path, letting the people rest and recuperate, farm, and have children, and then spend all my money on education."
Zhao Yan: "That's all I can think of for now."
"Well," Yong Shaolan held Zhao Yan's lips and licked them gently, "I'll listen to you."
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The author has something to say: The updates have been unstable these days because I have a cold. I will update regularly in a few days.
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