How could this happen!
Xiao Yixuan snatched the secret letter from his hand and, by the torch held by a soldier beside him, quickly scanned the contents. The more he read, the more shocked and angry he became.
The letter said that this opera troupe performed two shows a day. One was about how Xiao Jingcheng led thousands of villagers in Dongli Town to evacuate overnight, bravely fought the flood, and risked his life to save the trapped villagers.
The other was about how Xiao Tianye doted on his concubine and mistreated his wife, indulged Concubine Feng and Xiao Yixuan in doing evil, and secretly harmed his legitimate son.
The actors of the opera troupe claimed to be villagers from Dongli Town, and these stories were their personal experiences. Since the stories were thrilling and touching, they quickly spread in Peiyuan County, and the discussions and condemnations were out of control.
Moreover, many villages even built a shrine for Xiao Jingcheng during his lifetime. Every family had a clay statue of Xiao Jingcheng and burned incense to worship him every day, showing great respect for him.
Actually, these couldn't be regarded as military intelligence. The real military intelligence was that every time the garrison in Peiyuan County went to arrest the trouble - making opera troupe, a group of bandits would appear to stop them, so that the opera troupe could always escape smoothly.
This group of bandits called themselves the "Dragon - Slaying Army", claiming to be the divine soldiers sent by heaven to slay the evil dragon according to the will of heaven.
What was most astonishing was that with the publicity of the opera troupe, many young and strong men in Peiyuan County resolutely chose to join the Dragon - Slaying Army and were unwilling to join the Cangzhou Army and make a deal with the tiger.
In a conflict just yesterday, the garrison in Peiyuan County was actually defeated by the Dragon - Slaying Army!
Now the flag of the Dragon - Slaying Army had been planted in Peiyuan County, and the county was occupied by them. And the main force of the Dragon - Slaying Army was actually heading towards... Mizhou.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, if we don't stop them and let the Dragon - Slaying Army enter Mizhou and occupy the city, then we—"
The soldier's face turned pale. "We'll be caught between two fires."
Xiao Yixuan's legs went weak. He subconsciously took two steps backward and was luckily supported by Meng Zhao.
"Your Highness, are you all right?"
So, the rumor that Xiao Jingcheng single - handedly saved all the villagers in Dongli Town was actually true?!
A few days ago, he felt something was wrong in Dongli Town and led the Cangzhou Army there to investigate. But the old, weak, women and children there insisted that many people in their families had died and only they were left.
To protect his reputation, he didn't harm the old, weak, women and children in Dongli Town.
He led his men to search the town carefully and found nothing unusual. Then he left a small team to garrison in Dongli Town and came to Guangdu County with Xiao Tianye.
It turned out that all the villagers in Dongli Town had been lying!
Then the leader of the Dragon - Slaying Army...
Could it be Xiao Jingcheng?!
Yes, the letter said that the leader of the Dragon - Slaying Army was extraordinary in bearing and often wore a hideous mask. It was probably Xiao Jingcheng!
He and Jiang Mian were spreading rumors everywhere, probably to disrupt their plans.
They mustn't be allowed to continue like this!
Steadying himself, Xiao Yixuan took a deep breath and tightly clenched the secret letter in his hand.
"Prepare the horses. Follow me back to see Father!"
The horses were led over. Xiao Yixuan mounted his horse and rushed towards the inn in a hurry. Xiao Tianye had already gone to bed, but perhaps because he had taken too many pills recently or was affected by the rumors in Guangdu County, he was haunted by nightmares again.
"I should be the lord of the world. You are all ants! Ants—"
The urgent knocking on the door woke him up from his dream. He woke up sweating profusely. The eunuch helped him sit up. His eyes were full of red bloodshot, and his voice was very hoarse.
"It's so late. What's so urgent that you have to disturb me at this time?"
Outside the door: "Father, I just received a piece of military intelligence. It concerns the territory of Nansheng. I must let Father know!"
Xiao Tianye said, "Come in."
Xiao Yixuan strode into the room. He first saluted Xiao Tianye and then said, "Father, I just received an urgent report saying that a group of bandits called the Dragon - Slaying Army has appeared in Peiyuan County. They have been harassing the villagers everywhere and forcing them to join. The villagers are suffering a lot. I suspect that the leader of the Dragon - Slaying Army is Xiao Jingcheng!"
Xiao Tianye was greatly shocked. He stood up from the bed. His face was as pale as a ghost, and his expression was like that of a ghost.
"Are you sure it's Xiao Jingcheng?!"
Xiao Yixuan said seriously, "I'm sure! Father, this man is extremely vicious. He has been spreading rumors unfavorable to Father everywhere. I beg to lead 50,000 elite soldiers to kill him! I swear that I will cut off his head and present it to Father!"
Xiao Tianye: "Good! Go. Go quickly. If 50,000 is not enough, take 100,000. You must kill him, kill him! If he doesn't die, don't come back to see me!"
His expression looked a bit crazy.
Xiao Yixuan said, "I obey Father's order!"
"Boom!"
Another thunder roared in the sky. Xiao Yixuan led a group of elite soldiers out of the south gate of Guangdu County in a hurry and rushed southward.
Suddenly receiving the military intelligence, Xiao Yixuan led his men away in a hurry. Even the secret guards originally arranged to keep watch were transferred away. The dilapidated small courtyard was left with only Wang Suier, Qi Zhong and others.
"Old Mo, you died so miserably!"
The crowd gathered around the man killed by Xiao Yixuan and cried sorrowfully.
Wang Suier was crying with a tear - streaked face. "Don't worry. We will surely bury you properly and take good care of your family."
Wiping away his tears, Qi Zhong said in a low voice, "Did you all hear what was said just now?"
Another man named Zhao Silang said hatefully, "I heard. There is an opera troupe in Peiyuan County performing an opera about Prince Cheng bravely saving people."
"What the fairy sister said should be true," Wang Suier said. "She didn't mean to harm us. She had already given us the antidote. On the contrary, this Prince Xuan looks smiling but is actually cruel - hearted. He drew his sword and killed Old Mo without a second word!"
The angrier he got, the louder he said, "He also wanted us to spread rumors to slander Emperor Beisheng and Empress Shen for having an affair and slander Prince Cheng's birth! How hateful!"
"Do you think the leader of the Dragon - Slaying Army could be Prince Cheng?" Zhao Silang asked.
Qi Zhong said, "Whether it is or not, as long as we can stop this damned Prince Xuan from ruling the world, we are saving the common people."
"I want to join the Dragon - Slaying Army," Qi Zhong suddenly said. "Anyway, there is no one left in my family. I'm the only one. I didn't want to join the Cangzhou Army to fight before, but if it's to fight this damned Prince Xuan, I'm willing."
"I'm willing too!"
"I, I'll go with you too!"
The few people got together and whispered to each other. They dug a pit at night to bury the dead man, then packed their few valuables and quietly left Guangdu County through a dog - hole secret passage only thieves knew, heading south.
At the border between Mizhou and Cangzhou, a stage had been set up in Bangzhu Village. A man stood under a big banyan tree, holding a gong, and struck it hard.
"Come on, come on. The new opera 'Fighting the Evil Dragon' of the Taoyuan Opera Troupe is about to start. It's free. Come and have a look!"