Inside the main hall of Prince An's Mansion
Chu Wenzheng looked at Bai Chuxiao, who was dressed in a red outfit, and asked with a smile, "Why has my nephew's wife come over?"
Bai Chuxiao smiled and said, "My royal uncle is rarely in the capital, so it's only natural that I, as a junior, should come to pay him a visit."
Chu Wenzheng raised an eyebrow, "My seventh nephew is quite fortunate to have married a princess."
Bai Chuxiao sighed softly, "Tianze and I originally planned to return to Yongzhou to stay away from the court's troubles, but who knew that war would suddenly break out in the Northwest. In the end, the matter of Yunzhou is the Crown Prince's business, and it has nothing to do with me. But Father insisted on sending me here. So, the Crown Prince has dumped the matter of the Mighty General on a weak woman like me. This princess is in a very difficult position."
Chu Wenzheng asked with a half-smile, "Oh? So what does the princess intend to do?"
Bai Chuxiao smiled faintly, "Most of the Yunzhou Guards are stationed around Huaxian County, so it wouldn't be appropriate for me to go to Lanxian County alone. I'm sure my Imperial Uncle wouldn't want to see his nephew's wife, me, killed by the rebels."
Chu Wenzheng's eyes flickered slightly, "We're all family, so naturally I hope the princess is doing well."
Bai Chuxiao blinked. "So, Uncle has agreed to lend me troops?"
Chu Wenzheng raised an eyebrow, "Borrow troops?"
Bai Chuxiao nodded slightly and slowly said, "I came today to borrow 20,000 personal guards from my royal uncle. If my royal uncle is willing to lend them, this princess guarantees that they will be brought back to you intact."
Chu Wenzheng's lips curled into a smile. "If I had any, I would certainly lend them to you. It's just a pity that I'm used to being idle and know nothing about training soldiers. However, I do have quite a few guards in my residence. If the princess takes a liking to them, feel free to use them."
Bai Chuxiao frowned, "How could a prince like my uncle not even have any personal guards? Could it be that he doesn't want to lend me any?"
Chu Wenzheng smiled and said, "I am the Emperor's only younger brother. He will naturally protect me. Why worry about such things?"
Bai Chuxiao slowly spoke, "That's true. In that case, I won't disturb you any longer, Imperial Uncle."
Chu Wenzheng said with a smile, "The guards in my palace are quite skilled; would the princess like to bring some with her?"
Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly, "There's no need to trouble you, Imperial Uncle."
After the two left, a middle-aged man emerged from behind the main hall of the Prince's mansion.
Chu Wenzheng said calmly, "What do you think she's trying to do? Does she really think I'm her royal uncle?"
The middle-aged man said in a deep voice, "Putting everything else aside, her martial arts skills are indeed quite good. Since Chu Wenxuan sent her here, she must be capable. We should act as soon as possible."
Chu Wenzheng's lips curled slightly, "No matter how strong she is, can she withstand a thousand troops? The situation in the capital is progressing quickly. Now that we have the Crown Prince in hand, things will be easier for us..."
After stepping out of Prince An's residence, Xia Fan asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, do we really have to subdue the rebel army like this?"
Bai Chuxiao shook her head. "Let's go to Lan County to check the situation first. We'll talk about the rebel army after we find Wei Changkong."
Two imposing banners hung on the city gate tower of Lan County, with the words "威武" (majestic) clearly visible on them.
Bai Chuxiao and Xia Fan, disguised, sat in a restaurant.
"Alas, what can we do? We can't leave Yunzhou now, and even following the mighty General, we can't get enough to eat."
"Keep your voice down. This general isn't exactly known for his good temper. Besides, he's already trying to procure provisions. Once the provisions arrive, he'll immediately go and kill those treacherous officials of the imperial court."
Bai Chuxiao, who was sitting not far from them, smiled faintly upon hearing this. Could she be considered a traitor to the imperial court as well?
The waiter chuckled and said, "Sir, all your dishes are served."
Bai Chuxiao handed over some silver and said with a smile, "Waiter, since we're new to Lan County, could you tell us about the situation here?"
The waiter's eyes lit up. "So, you two gentlemen have also come from the east to join General Wei Wu?"
Xia Fan smiled and said, "That's indeed the intention."
Upon hearing this, the waiter sat down to the side and said with a smile, "This gentleman looks very strong and capable; he is sure to have a bright future."
Bai Chuxiao asked with a smile, "Does the waiter know who this general is?"
The waiter glanced around and whispered, "The General's real name is Li Rui. He was originally the leader of the Crimson Blood Gang, a Jianghu gang in Yunzhou. He was extremely powerful. The imperial court cruelly murdered the people of Qing County and then sealed off Yunzhou, forbidding anyone from leaving. That's why the General rallied the people of Lan County, hoping to lead everyone to seek justice."
Bai Chuxiao's eyes showed some confusion. "But why hasn't anything been done? The imperial troops are all still safe and sound."
The waiter whispered, "Of course there is. It's just that the imperial troops are really pathetic. They retreated to the east before even fighting. Did you hear what they were saying at that table? Now that the food supplies have arrived, the General will lead his men to attack."
Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
The waiter stood up and whispered, "I heard they caught some people from the former chamber of commerce."
Stepping out of the restaurant, Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly, "Let's go, let's meet this great general."
The original county magistrate's office in Lan County had been requisitioned by this mighty general, who even combined several nearby residences to create his own general's mansion. After renovations, it became incredibly imposing.
"No unauthorized personnel are allowed near the General's Mansion. You two, leave now," a guard at the entrance said impatiently.
Another guard suddenly spoke up, "Wait, leave this kid in black here, and get this pretty boy out of here!" They were short-handed right now, actively recruiting able-bodied men, and this strong young man in black was practically free. Why not take him?
As for this young man in white, he looked like a clueless greenhorn. He was handsome, but unfortunately, it was wartime, and this pretty boy probably couldn't even lift a sword.
Bai Chuxiao rolled her eyes inwardly. She did look a bit thin in men's clothing, but she wasn't exactly a pretty boy.
Xia Fan chuckled, "Brothers, our young master is here to pay his respects to the General. Please inform him."
One of the guards said sternly, "Do you think you can just see the General whenever you want? Get lost, pretty boy, or I won't be so polite!"
Bai Chuxiao didn't mind and said with a faint smile, "My surname is Su, and I'm here to deliver grain. You two only need to go in and tell the general that he will surely see me."
The two guards exchanged a glance. Although they were just two gatekeepers, they weren't clueless fools. The general had indeed been worrying about food supplies lately.
One of them said in a deep voice, "You two stay here quietly for now," and then turned and went inside.
Inside the main hall, amidst the revelry of singing and dancing, a man in his early thirties or forties was flirting with several dancers.
"General, a young master surnamed Su is requesting an audience at the gate," the guard said, bowing.
Li Rui said with dissatisfaction, "What kind of lousy young master is he? Get him out of here!"
The guard bowed his head and said, "He said he came to deliver grain."
Li Rui's eyes flickered slightly. "Then why don't you come in quickly?"
Bai Chuxiao and Xia Fan followed the guards to the main hall. Looking at the scene inside, they frowned. Outside, the people were in a state of panic, yet this so-called general was indulging in debauchery. She could understand why Chu Wenzheng's actions had provoked a rebellion among the people; if this general were truly a righteous man, it would be one thing, but it seemed that was not the case.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com