The border region.
The Crown Prince won a great victory; the war began two days earlier than he had anticipated.
The 70,000-strong army shouted "May the Crown Prince be mighty!" in the Cangning Mountains, their excitement overflowing.
After this battle, their children will be able to enjoy peace, farm and study, and will not have to suffer the hardships of the frontier like they did.
This was also what Zhao Cong wanted, or more accurately, the last wish of his maternal grandfather and uncle before their deaths.
They were once the guardians of Da Ning, but in the eyes of the Xiongnu, they were demons and devils. When they couldn't defeat them, they colluded with the Ning family to frame loyal officials. But in the end, the real culprit was the one on the dragon throne.
If he hadn't been so selfish and suspicious, how could he have given the Xiongnu and Ning family the opportunity to collude, and how could he have let Da Ning waste nearly ten years to drive the Xiongnu away?
Ten years have dragged down the lives of ordinary people.
"Your Highness, news has arrived from the capital that His Majesty is seriously ill, and the Crown Princess has entered the palace to attend to him. With this great victory, will you depart immediately to return to the capital, or…?"
Cang Ying looked at his battle robe stained with blood, and a surge of emotion welled up inside her.
Zhao Cong's face showed no sign of relief. "The Xiongnu troops have retreated, but Helian Zhu is not dead yet."
This was the man who colluded with the Ning family. Helian Zhu devoted his life to invading Da Ning. He was the same age as Zhao Cong's maternal grandfather, and all three of his sons died in battle.
Although he was seriously injured in this battle, he should not have disappeared.
Zhao Cong felt a vague unease.
Cang Ying said, "Deputy General Zeng has already led people to search. You cut off his arm. Even if he doesn't die, he will never be able to hold a sword again. He is already a cripple."
Zhao Cong's breath still carried the scent of blood as he gazed at the towering Cangning Mountain. More than a decade had passed, and the mountain seemed to have grown shorter and older than before.
But it was still an insurmountable obstacle for the Xiongnu.
"If the right hand cannot wield a sword, there is still the left hand. There are also many soldiers who believe in him and are willing to fight for him."
“A man like him can inspire generations even after he dies; how could he possibly be content to be a coward while alive?”
Cang Ying shuddered as she thought of Helian Zhu's sinister and cruel blood-red eyes. "But the Xiongnu have suffered countless casualties. If he continues to fight, the Xiongnu army will be wiped out."
"The Xiongnu king will not allow him to be so stubborn."
“I understand,” Zhao Cong narrowed his eyes. “It’s just that I feel even if he’s going to die, he’ll still take a piece of my flesh. This silence…”
Before he could finish speaking, Deputy General Zeng returned.
With a solemn expression, he presented a piece of brown brocade. "Your Highness, this cloth was found on Helian Zhu during the pursuit. This material is from our Da Ning."
"The floral pattern was the most popular during the Chinese New Year."
Zhao Cong's worst fears came true, but to be honest, that's all Helian Zhu has left.
However, now that all those in the court and related to the Ning family have been eradicated, who else can he persuade?
Deputy General Zeng was in a complete mess. "Damn it! Isn't this deliberately trying to incite infighting among us?"
"Most of the people in the court are now the Crown Prince's men. If we investigate, everything will fall into chaos."
"The crown prince has not yet ascended the throne, and the war has just ended. Investigating people at this time is most likely to damage the relationship between the emperor and his subjects."
"That Helian Zhu is a real bastard!"
The more the deputy generals talked, the more confused they became, and in the end they all stared blankly at the silent crown prince.
Zhao Cong always maintained a calm and composed demeanor, which made his enemies uneasy, while his own people felt at ease, always sensing that he was confident and capable.
"What are the Crown Prince's plans?" Deputy General Zeng couldn't hold back any longer and was the first to break the silence.
Zhao Cong leaned back in his chair, his long fingers twirling the brown fabric as he slowly said, "There's no need to investigate the people from the Six Ministries. The reason I placed them in key positions is not only because I value their abilities, but also because they all have some degree of enmity with the Xiongnu. This is so that they can give their all when I go to war."
"If Helian Zhu could make contact with them, he wouldn't have had to endure my beatings for the past month."
"This fabric might be something he deliberately let you discover because he knew he couldn't escape death."
Deputy General Zeng's eyebrows twitched. "Does the Crown Prince mean that this guy is just a grasshopper in autumn, who managed to fool his subordinates with a mere scare tactic?"
Another person said, "This material is only supplied to noble families in the capital; it's not something you can buy just because you have money."
“Even if Helian Zhu was just bluffing, someone must have actually given him this thing.”
At this point, Zhao Cong's eyes flickered. Such exquisite fabrics would be stored away by the ladies of various households after they bought them. As for matters within the inner quarters... wasn't the poison-making thread in Lin Qingwan's hands his best informant?
Zhao Cong personally wrote a letter to Lin Qingwan and sent it back to the Eastern Palace by express courier.
"Madam, the Crown Prince won the battle but didn't even inquire after His Majesty; he just wrote you a letter," Mu Xue boasted in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Lin Qingwan glanced at the time. "Feng'er, school will be over soon. Go and prepare the tea and fruit."
Mu Xue pursed her lips. "Is Miss afraid that I'll peek?"
Lin Qingwan chuckled, "The Crown Prince must have important instructions to give me if he writes to me alone, so naturally I..."
"Oh." Mu Xue said meaningfully, drawing out her words, "It's important, but this servant absolutely cannot know."
Lin Qingwan couldn't argue with her.
More than a month later, when Lin Qingwan unfolded the letter and saw the vigorous and beautiful handwriting, she seemed to smell the faint fragrance of angelica on the Crown Prince. Her fingers brushed along the creases, imagining his large, well-defined hands moving across the thin paper.
Lin Qingwan took a deep breath. What was she thinking?
It's just a letter! Why make it sound so...unserious?
The scariest thing is that she knows her thoughts are improper, but she can't control herself.
A thin blush covered her cheeks, but thankfully no one noticed.
However, when she saw the contents, all her chaotic thoughts disappeared.
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