Bai Chuxiao changed into a set of close-fitting clothes and headed towards Hua County with Xia Fan. Both were skilled in martial arts and moved quickly. Although there were indeed many Yunzhou Guards stationed outside Hua County, they didn't alert them and quietly entered the county.
Under the cover of night, Bai Chuxiao's face was ashen. There were hardly any people left in Hua County. The county magistrate had also vanished without a trace. Inside the county office, a man in his early thirties demanded sharply, "Has Wei Changkong been found?"
A junior officer stammered, "The commander hasn't been found yet..."
The man shouted again, "I'm the commander now! If you say anything wrong again, you might as well forget about having a brain!"
The young officer immediately knelt on the ground, saying, "Yes, yes, I know I was wrong."
The man shouted again, "Get out of here! Keep searching. If he escapes and starts spreading rumors, none of us will escape unscathed."
"yes"
Bai Chuxiao quietly led Xia Fan out.
Xia Fan whispered, "Your Highness, the garrison in Yunzhou has indeed rebelled."
Bai Chuxiao's expression darkened slightly. "We need to find Wei Changkong first. Go to Hongxia Town; Lin Huai might have left a message."
Red Glow Town is now more like a ghost town, not a soul in sight. Xia Fan squatted on the ground, looking at a symbol, and said in a deep voice, "Found it."
Bai Chuxiao glanced at it, "Let's go."
Beside a small river outside Hongxia Town, several men dressed in black knelt before Bai Chuxiao, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Bai Chuxiao said in a deep voice, "Get up, everyone. What exactly happened to Lin Huai?"
Lin Huai's face was ashen. "There is indeed an epidemic in Yunzhou, but it didn't originate from the gold mine in Mingyue Mountain. It came from the iron mine. The iron mine is actually located within Yingzhou. Mingyue Mountain spans both Yunzhou and Yingzhou, and Hongxia Town is situated at the border of Qingxian and Huaxian counties, also near the Yingzhou border. That's why we were misled."
Chu Wenzheng killed all those who had been captured and forced to mine, fearing they would leak his secrets. However, the bodies weren't properly disposed of, and a disease broke out. To prevent exposure, Chu Wenzheng set fire to the mountain to destroy the evidence. The people of nearby Qing County and Hua County were all killed.
Bai Chuxiao's eyes turned slightly cold. "It seems that Yunzhou and Yingzhou have now formed a line."
Lin Huai said in a low voice, "That's right. After the incident, this area was immediately sealed off by Yunzhou and Yingzhou. I couldn't send any messages out at all. However, these days we did find a secret path on Mingyue Mountain. I didn't expect that Your Highness and your entourage would arrive."
Bai Chuxiao said in a deep voice, "What's going on with those Yunzhou Guards outside? Do you know where Wei Changkong is?"
Lin Huai's expression was somewhat grim. "The deputy commander of Yunzhou Guard had long ago secretly sided with Chu Wenzheng, and even instigated most of the Yunzhou Guard to betray the imperial court. By the time Commander Wei Changkong discovered this, it was too late. He escaped with a portion of his men, leaving his subordinates trapped here. They don't know much about what happened outside afterward."
Bai Chuxiao spoke in a deep voice, "Chu Wenzheng has been plotting for so long, I'm afraid he's going to rebel. Lin Huai, hurry up and send the memorial back to the capital. If His Majesty sends troops soon, it might still be in time."
Sending a message out now is extremely difficult, but fortunately Lin Huai and his men scouted ahead in advance.
Bai Chuxiao pondered for a moment, then whispered a few more words in Lin Hua's ear.
Lin Huaizheng nodded.
Bai Chuxiao then led Xia Fan and the others who had originally followed Lin Huai along the secret path towards Yunzhou City. The Crown Prince absolutely could not be allowed to get into trouble now; if he were to fall under Prince An's control, the consequences would be dire.
Yunzhou City, within the Provincial Administration Office
Chu Tianyou was having his meal when Jiang Ming, standing beside him, asked with a smile, his eyes flickering slightly, "Where is the princess? Why hasn't she come out to eat?"
Zhan Chi, who had been following Chu Tianyou, said expressionlessly, "The princess is still sleeping; the governor need not worry about her."
Chu Tianyou's eyes showed some displeasure. He didn't understand why his father had sent Bai Chuxiao along. Was it to spy on him? And to make matters worse, with everything still unresolved, she still had the leisure to sleep soundly.
"Aren't we still going to Huaxian? Go and wake the princess up."
Zhan Chi said in a deep voice, "The princess doesn't like to be disturbed while she's sleeping."
Chu Tianyou was about to lose his temper again, but Jiang Ming suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness, the people of Hua County have already sent doctors to check, and there is no epidemic. After observing for a few more days, the lockdown of Hua County will be lifted, and Your Highness does not need to make another trip."
Chu Tianyou asked in a deep voice, "Then why didn't you say so yesterday?"
Jiang Ming smiled and said, "It's nothing serious."
Bai Chuxiao, who had rushed back, changed her clothes and stepped in with Xia Fan.
"Lord Jiang, what do you consider a major issue?"
Jiang Ming's eyes flickered slightly. "Princess, what is the meaning of this?"
Bai Chuxiao said in a deep voice, "Lord Jiang, don't you intend to explain where the people have gone? What's the deal with the mighty general in the west? Why is the Yunzhou garrison turning a blind eye?"
She looked tired after not sleeping all night and traveling all day.
Chu Tianyou frowned. "What 'Majestic General'?"
Jiang Ming remained unmoved. "Princess, don't bother with them. They're just a bunch of rabble; they're not worth mentioning and will soon disperse."
Bai Chuxiao sneered, "Oh? Is that so? Why did I hear that the mighty general has already gathered 100,000 troops?"
Of course, aside from some martial arts practitioners, the majority of these 100,000 troops were mostly strong civilians, so their fighting strength was indeed weak. But even so, they were still a force of 100,000. Chu Wenzheng and Jiang Ming didn't seem to care; they clearly wanted to take advantage of the situation to stir up trouble.
Chu Tianyou's face was grim. The news of the popular rebellion absolutely could not be allowed to spread, otherwise his reputation as crown prince would be truly ruined. "The most urgent task is to send the Yunzhou Guard to suppress it immediately. Where is the commander of the Yunzhou Guard?"
Jiang Ming's eyes flickered slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, the commander is guarding the Hua County area with his men. It's really not advisable to make any rash moves now. That mighty general is just a bunch of defenseless civilians. We can just send someone to persuade them to disperse."
Bai Chuxiao lowered her eyes, not exposing his lie. Jiang Ming and Prince An wanted to stall them to draw the court's attention, and so did she. If she angered them, and with no capable troops by her side, she might not even be able to leave Yunzhou City. It was better to feign an attack for now.
"Lord Jiang's words make sense. Your Highness, why don't I, the princess, go and persuade them to disperse?"
Jiang Ming breathed a sigh of relief. "That...that group of rebels hates the imperial court now. Princess, go..."
Chu Tianyou's expression tightened slightly, sensing something strange about the matter, but he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong. However, since Bai Chuxiao was willing to go, he naturally wouldn't stop her. "Then I'll trouble you, Princess."
After leaving the Provincial Administration Office, Bai Chuxiao took Xia Fan to Prince An's residence, while Zhan Chi naturally had to keep an eye on the Crown Prince.
Xia Fan asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, what are we going to Prince An's residence for?"
Bai Chuxiao said softly, "Let's borrow some of the Imperial Uncle's personal guards, otherwise how can we suppress the rebel army?"
Xia Fan scratched his head, "He wouldn't lend it to us, would he?"
Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly, "Just kidding, we're just testing the waters. We need to make sure he stays at the Prince's residence every day."
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