"What? The emperor is injured?" In an inconspicuous tent in the Dexi Emperor's military camp, a handsome man in a men's attendant's clothes suddenly widened his big round eyes after hearing Qu Yan's words, and a look of surprise and worry appeared in his eyes. He even couldn't help but let out a low cry, and his smart eyes couldn't help but look outside the tent, his mind had already drifted to Jiang Muchen.
"Hush! Keep your voice down. This is a military camp. The emperor's injury is a top secret. How dare you shout? If someone finds out you're hiding here, our whole family will be dead." Qu Yan saw that the handsome man looked distracted, and his brows suddenly furrowed. He then pulled the handsome man, who kept approaching the tent door, back to his side, and said angrily with a hint of a low growl: "You stay here and don't go anywhere! Don't forget, you're a girl. If the emperor finds out I've hidden you in the military camp, even I'll be in trouble!"
The handsome man reluctantly withdrew his gaze and unwillingly focused his attention on Qu Yan in front of him. He pouted and complained, "This was your idea, Daddy. You said you would find a way to make the Emperor take me as his concubine, but now the Emperor has been ambushed and injured. Do you want me to stay in this military camp forever?"
The woman had a pretty face. If she took off her men's clothes, she would look like a pretty lady. This was the reason why Qu Yan placed his bet on her, Qu Jingqing.
As the Minister of Revenue, Qu Yan had been ordered to arrive at the southern military camp several days earlier to dispatch provisions for the troops. He observed Duodu and divined Emperor Dexi's intentions, guessing that since the emperor had dispatched him to the southern military camp, he had naturally decided to focus the main battle in the Jiangnan region. He exploited his position to secretly bring Qu Jingqing from the capital to the capital, allowing him closer proximity to the emperor.
Unfortunately, an ambush occurred on the way to Jiangnan by Emperor Dexi, so the matter of Qu Jingqing had to be put aside for later, so as not to anger Jiang Muchen and let Qu Yan's plan go awry.
Qu Yan looked at Qu Jingqing, who looked discontented, and felt anxious, but he could only advise: "Now that the Concubine Dowager has been captured by the King of Chu, the Emperor has no female companions. I originally wanted to have you serve the Emperor at an appropriate time, but the Emperor is furious now, how can you dare to go and provoke such bad luck? You should wait a little longer. As long as no one finds out you are hiding here, your father will naturally grant you what you wish for. However, you also have to strive for excellence. If you can share the hardships with the Emperor in suppressing the rebellious king, your position in the future will definitely not be too low. Don't let your father down."
After hearing this, Qu Jingqing knew that his father had indeed taken a huge risk for her this time. Moreover, this matter was either a sure win or a complete loss. Without absolute certainty, it would be difficult for them to act rashly.
"The King of Chu has captured the Concubine Dowager. The Emperor could have captured someone from the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion to negotiate with the King of Chu, but he still has feelings for Yun Qianmeng in his heart. I'm afraid..." Qu Jingqing was always dissatisfied. In terms of appearance, talent, and even a clean family background, she believed that she was no worse than Yun Qianmeng, but Jiang Muchen always had Yun Qianmeng in his heart, which made Qu Jingqing unable to swallow this anger.
In addition, Qu Yan's relationship with the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion over the years, as well as Yun Qianmeng's repeated interventions on behalf of the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion, have led to the deterioration of the relationship between the two sides. This has made Qu Jingqing hate the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion and Yun Qianmeng to the core.
Hearing this, Qu Yan glanced at Qu Jingqing, but his eyes were dark and unclear. He only told Qu Jingqing to rest well and then left the tent.
"How's it going?" Qu Yan walked to a less crowded place and then asked the man behind him.
"Sir, they took action immediately after the emperor left the capital, but they didn't expect that there were city defense troops sent by the emperor guarding outside the Fuguo Mansion, and there were many secret guards hiding in the dark. According to the report from those who came back, this group of secret guards were not sent by the emperor." The man raised his eyes and glanced around several times, then came close to Qu Yan and told him the news he had received not long ago.
Upon hearing this, Qu Yan's face suddenly darkened, a murderous look flashing in his eyes. He said in a sinister tone, "Since she's not the Emperor's, then she must be Yun Qianmeng's! This bitch is specifically against us. If she falls into my hands, she will be made to suffer a fate worse than death. Have the people we sent out found her whereabouts?"
The man shook his head helplessly and said regretfully, "I haven't found it yet."
"Keep looking. We must find Yun Qianmeng before the emperor. We must never let the emperor see Yun Qianmeng alive!" Qu Yan ordered almost gritting his teeth. The expression on his face was distorted, and the murderous intent in his eyes was filled with strong hatred.
"Yes!" The man didn't dare to say anything more and could only lower his head and respond in a low voice.
In the Northwest Military Camp of Neptune.
Qi Jingyuan stood in front of the tent, fully dressed and ready to go. He glanced provocatively at the people who followed him out of the tent and said arrogantly, "Why, is the Sea King worried about me?"
Hai Quan led Yuan Yao out of the tent and saw that Qi Jingyuan had already summoned the Northern Qi army to withdraw from the imperial city. Countless thoughts raced through his mind, and finally his gaze settled on Qi Jingyuan. His face was calm and steady as he said, "The Crown Prince has assisted me in capturing many cities these days. Why would he think of heading to the capital now?"
Qi Jingyuan turned his gaze towards Hai Quan, his half-smile on his face making people angry, but due to Qi Jingyuan's status and position, Yuan Yao and others could only endure it.
Qi Jingyuan took in everyone's expressions, sneered inwardly, and then asked, "So where does the prince want me to stay? Could it be that the prince wants me to stay with you in the imperial city forever? That would require the prince to be worthy of the task! The prince was very clever, predicting that the King of Chu would use the imperial city as the main battlefield, so he personally went into battle. However, he overlooked Jiang Muchen, who has now arrived in Jiangnan. And the capital of Western Chu is still in Jiang Muchen's hands. With only 50,000 troops under Hai Chenxi's command, I'm afraid they are just a drop in the bucket. Add to that the troublesome Hai Yue, do you think they can get along?"
Seeing Qi Jingyuan look down on Hai Yue like this, Hai Quan felt unhappy, but his face was as stern as water, not revealing the slightest flaw. He said calmly: "Prince, please don't forget the agreement you and I made. Northern Qi is only sending troops to assist me, not to allow you to move around freely in Western Chu. If the prince is injured, I will not be able to explain to Emperor Ling Xiao. Moreover, since the prince knows that Chu Feiyang will use Chaocheng as the main battlefield, I naturally need your help. How can you leave at this time?"
After all, while Hai Quan was accepting Qi Jingyuan's help, he was also on guard against Qi Jingyuan.
It was better to let Qi Jingyuan act under his nose than to let him cause chaos in Western Chu. Moreover, Hai Quan was also on guard against Qi Jingyuan contacting Chu Feiyang and Jiang Muchen again to avoid any complications.
"So, the Sea King wants to restrict my actions? However, I have always been used to doing my own thing and I really don't accept the control of others! If the Sea King thinks that our cooperation should stop here, I will naturally not be afraid to become your enemy, but what will be the consequences, Your Highness must think clearly." Qi Jingyuan laughed wildly with his head raised, but his words did not contain the slightest friendship. His cruel and fickle temperament made everyone feel nervous.
A hint of hidden murderous intent flashed through Hai Quan's calm eyes, but it dissipated in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace behind. He stepped forward and said earnestly, "If the Crown Prince insists on leaving, I will not stop him. However, the smoke of war is raging in Western Chu now. Although the Crown Prince has 100,000 troops under his command, they are nothing compared to a million-strong army. Moreover, the Crown Prince knows that he came to Western Chu to cooperate with me. How could he give up halfway? Could it be that the Crown Prince has something more important on his mind?"
After he finished speaking, Hai Quan stared at Qi Jingyuan, as if he wanted to see through what Qi Jingyuan was thinking.
Qi Jingyuan merely curled his lips in a smile, a frost in his cold, unsmiling eyes. He walked towards Hai Quan until they were only a step apart. Then he spoke in a voice heard only by the two of them, "Your Highness, besides Jiang Muchen and Chu Feiyang, is also most concerned about Emperor Yugan. And the reason I agreed to assist Your Highness is most likely related to Emperor Yugan! I'm sure Your Highness is well aware of this connection!"
Hai Quan never thought that Qi Jingyuan would tell him the real reason why he sent troops at this time. He was angry and his right hand hanging by his side couldn't help but touch the sword at his waist, but he only grasped the scabbard and did not take the sword. After thinking it over, Hai Quan slowly released the scabbard and regained his usual calmness.
Qi Jingyuan watched Hai Quan's reactions coldly, the sneer on his face growing deeper...
"So, the prince has already made some progress?" After a while, Hai Quan asked in a low voice, his eyes staring at Qi Jingyuan in front of him without blinking.
"This is the prince's territory. The prince hasn't found him yet, so how can I find him before the prince? But now the prince has hundreds of thousands of troops guarding the imperial city. I think the imperial city has long been impregnable. Wouldn't my 100,000 troops be redundant? It would be better to do something else, so that my trip to Xichu will not be in vain." Putting away the sneer on his face, Qi Jingyuan turned around, stood side by side with Hai Quan in front of all the soldiers, and stated his plan in a low and solemn voice.
Hai Quan was still hesitant, as if considering the truthfulness of Qi Jingyuan's words...
Qi Jingyuan stopped talking and just stood there with a calm expression that made it impossible to detect any emotional fluctuations. Compared with the cunning Aquaman, he was no less powerful.
"Since the prince has made up his mind to leave, I will naturally not force him to stay! But, please stay for a few more days. I will send someone to inform Yue'er to cooperate with the prince." Hai Quan thought for a while and made up his mind, but he still had doubts about Qi Jingyuan and sent Hai Yue to Qi Jingyuan's side to monitor his every move.
Qi Jingyuan shrugged nonchalantly and said calmly, "In that case, let's do as the prince wishes! With the prince accompanying me, I won't be bored on this journey."
After he finished speaking, Qi Jingyuan led the guards back to the tent...
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