Chapter 61 Finding the First Prince
In the northwest, a hundred miles outside Yumen Pass, there is a makeshift frontline command post.
The wind and sand filled the sky, making the tents flutter loudly.
Lou Jin had just finalized a detailed attack plan with several generals, with the target being Langya City, which was occupied by the Rong tribe.
Wushan bowed and entered, presenting a letter with both hands, and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, it's a letter from the Princess."
"Xunyang?" Lou Jin's eyes narrowed, and he immediately took it.
After waving his men away, he almost hastily removed the sealing wax.
He read it word by word, his brows furrowing slightly at first, worried that something might happen in the capital.
When he read about the Empress Dowager's summons, his heart couldn't help but jump, fearing that Ye Xunyang might be wronged.
Later, his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and Ye Xunyang's unwavering words on the letter struck his heart.
Between the lines, there was no complaint, no fear, only the determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with him and unreserved trust and love.
Lou Jin gripped the letter tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
He closed his eyes, as if he could see how Ye Xunyang wrote down these weighty promises.
"Such a good person... how could I let go? How could I possibly let go?"
My surging emotions were hard to calm down for a long time.
He walked to the simple desk, spread out the paper, and dipped his brush in ink.
This time, he didn't write a cold military report, but carefully expressed his observations and feelings over the past few days, as well as his deep longing and concern, into his writing.
Two days later, at dawn.
As planned, Lou Jin personally led an elite cavalry force to launch a swift and unexpected attack on a key Rong tribe outpost on the outskirts of Langya City, successfully drawing the attention of the enemy's main force.
Meanwhile, another team led by Ye Xunjin went deep into the Gobi Desert to conduct a comprehensive search for the long-missing Crown Prince Lou Yan, based on several possible areas that Lou Jin had previously identified through scattered clues and terrain analysis.
The battle was extremely fierce. Lou Jin was a master strategist, commanding with unwavering composure. His black armor was splattered with the blood of his enemies, but his eyes were cold, and wherever his sword pointed, nothing could stop him.
Just as the Rong tribe's garrison in the direction of Langya City was being held back and overwhelmed, a fast horse, covered in dust, broke through the thick smoke and headed straight for Loujin!
Lou Jin's spirits lifted, and he immediately ordered his troops to retreat under cover of each other, while he himself led a squad of personal guards and rode at full speed toward the Devil City.
The so-called Devil City is a huge area of wind-eroded landforms, with jagged rocks and a maze-like layout.
When Lou Jin arrived, the scene he saw made his heart tighten.
Beneath a relatively sheltered section of ruins, dozens of ragged soldiers lay scattered about, most bearing wounds and with vacant stares.
Inside the innermost part, his elder brother, the eldest prince Lou Yan, lay unconscious on a tattered felt blanket.
Lou Yan's situation is extremely bad.
His face was sallow, and there was a deep arrow wound on his left shoulder blade that exposed the bone. Due to a lack of medical treatment, it had become severely ulcerated and suppurated, emitting a foul odor.
He had multiple knife wounds on his body, the most fatal of which was a bruise on his chest. The accompanying military doctor initially judged that it was likely caused by a heavy impact or internal force, which had damaged his heart meridian.
"Medic!" Lou Jin's voice was hoarse as he knelt on one knee beside Lou Yan and grasped his brother's cold hand.
The accompanying military doctor rushed forward to examine him, and after a moment, shook his head with a grave expression: "General, His Highness the Crown Prince has lost too much blood, his wounds are severely infected, and coupled with hunger and thirst, his heart meridian is damaged. It is a miracle that he has survived until now."
"Right now, all I can do is use acupuncture to keep him alive, clean his wounds, and apply the best medicine both internally and externally. But when he will wake up, I... really can't guarantee."
"Save the Crown Prince's life at all costs!" Lou Jin's voice was as cold as iron, carrying an unquestionable command. "Immediately and carefully move the Crown Prince back to Yumen Pass, and send in the best military doctors and manpower to guard him!"
Northwest, Yumen Pass, temporary medical tent.
Two days later, with the full support of military doctors and precious medicines, the eldest prince, Lou Yan, who had been in a coma for many days, slowly woke up.
He opened his eyes, his gaze initially unfocused, but after adjusting to the light, he saw Lou Jin standing guard beside him.
"Third...Third brother?" Lou Yan's voice was extremely weak and hoarse, almost unrecognizable.
He strained to focus, finally seeing Lou Jin standing unharmed before him. A look of unbelievable surprise flashed in his eyes. "You...your illness..."
"Brother, I'm all better, completely better." Lou Jin quickly bent down, grasped his brother's limp hand, and said in a low but firm voice, "It's a long story. How are you feeling?"
Lou Yan managed a weak smile, but his expression quickly turned serious and urgent.
He knew his own physical condition; the military doctors could only keep him alive to the best of their ability.
“The military doctor…it’s no good…” He needed to catch his breath after every few words. “My injury…my heart meridian is damaged, ordinary medicine…is powerless to save me. I…I need to ask…the Divine Healer Valley…Yu, Yu Beichen…”
The Divine Physician Gu Yu Beichen! Lou Jin knew of this person, and Yu Beichen had come to the Northwest a few years ago, but finding him would take a lot of time.
Lou Yan, forcing himself to stay awake, stammered, "He... owes me a favor. He's going to... Xinglin Lane in Yunzhou... to find... a young apprentice named Du Zhong... who can get in touch with him..."
He mustered all his strength to utter the most important information, then coughed violently again, his face growing increasingly ashen.
"Brother, please don't say anything, I've got it!" Lou Jin quickly reassured him.
However, Lou Yan gripped his hand tightly, his eyes sharpening, and with his last breath, he said, "The Rong tribe is different this time. They have a master strategist guiding their troops, unlike the barbarians. They seem more like a well-trained army... Be careful... of traitors..."
After delivering this crucial military intelligence, Lou Yan seemed to have exhausted all his strength. His head lolled to the side, and he fell into a deep coma once again.
"Brother!" Lou Jin's heart tightened, and he quickly summoned the army doctor.
After confirming that Lou Yan had only fainted from exhaustion and was out of immediate danger, Lou Jin immediately returned to the commander's tent.
There's a powerful figure behind the Rong tribe, and a traitor within the court—this coincides with his suspicions in the capital!
He quickly picked up his pen and wrote two letters.
The first letter was a private message to Ye Xunyang.
He briefly explained the situation of finding the eldest prince and his urgent need for a divine physician due to his serious injuries, and wrote down the contact information that Lou Yan had given him.
In the letter, he did not elaborate on the dangers of the war, only saying that everything was fine and that he should not worry.
This letter, along with the one written two days prior, was given to Ye Xunyang.
The second letter, in the form of a military report, informed the court that the eldest prince had been found and outlined the suspicious circumstances surrounding the Rong tribe, requesting the court to thoroughly investigate the interception of the military report.
Both letters were sent to the capital with the utmost urgency.
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