Along the way, he inquired about information everywhere and learned that Xiao Wuchen had established a "Dragon-Slaying Army". Wearing ghost masks, they pretended to be him and engaged in a game of cat and mouse with Xiao Yixuan in the south of the Yangtze River, diverting Xiao Yixuan's attention for him.
Naturally, he also knew what role Qi Wen's opera troupe had played in all this.
When it came to this, he couldn't help but sigh at Qi Wen's great talent in opera and story - telling.
Qi Wen also deserved some credit for the rapid gathering of the purple aura around him.
Looking at Taoist Yuanzheng, Xiao Jingcheng said, "Please trouble the Taoist priest to find me some paper and a writing brush."
Taoist Yuanzheng didn't ask what he needed them for. He got up, fetched the items for him, and thoughtfully moved a table over so that Xiao Jingcheng could write.
Xiao Jingcheng first wrote a secret letter to Xiao Wuchen.
The way of conveying information in this secret letter was quite unique. The words to be said were hidden between the lines. Those who didn't know the rules couldn't decipher it. This was a method devised by his uncle, Xiao Tianchi, and was only used for passing on military information.
It was normal for him to know this method as he had been taught by Xiao Tianchi. But how could he be sure that Xiao Wuchen could understand it?
It was all because he once saw Xiao Wuchen hiding in the palace library, reading military books. Xiao Wuchen had been secretly learning the art of warfare and using weapons like bows, arrows, and long - spears behind Concubine Feng and Xiao Yixuan's backs, without them ever noticing.
His younger brother was never an ordinary person.
After finishing the letter and waiting for the ink to dry, he folded the letter and handed it to Taoist Yuanzheng. "Please trouble the Taoist priest to send this letter to Mizhou. I know the Taoist priest must have a way to deliver it safely to the hands of the King of Ning."
Taoist Yuanzheng took the letter, but just rubbed it between his two fingers. Xiao Jingcheng said speechlessly, "I know. I'll owe it first. I'll pay you later."
Only then did Taoist Yuanzheng happily go out to send the letter for him.
After Taoist Yuanzheng sent the letter, he picked up the pen again and quickly wrote another letter on the paper.
After finishing this letter, he folded it and placed it on the table. Then he silently recited a spell. There was a sudden dizziness. When he opened his eyes, his body had fallen into a deep sleep, and he had returned to the body of the yellow dog.
The yellow dog yawned, stood up as if it had had enough sleep, stretched its body, shook the fur on its body, then jumped onto the bed, picked up the folded letter in its mouth, and carefully slipped out of the door.
Xiao Jingcheng controlled the yellow dog's body to avoid people and quietly went downstairs. Taking advantage of the gap when people were going in and out of the inn, it ran out and headed towards a certain place in the city.
It seemed very familiar with Yunfu County, as if it knew the routes by heart and hardly needed to identify the way.
The place it went to was an ordinary woodware shop. It wasn't completely dark yet. The yellow dog tapped on the door panel of the woodware shop three times in a very rhythmic way. When someone came out of the woodware shop, there was no sign of the yellow dog outside. There was only a folded note on the ground.
The man stepped forward, picked up the note, unfolded it, and his face changed slightly. He immediately went back into the shop, took out a wooden box, put in a few wooden ornaments, and said to the clerk, "I'm going to deliver goods to the west of the city. I'll leave the shop to you."
Then he left in a hurry.
Xiao Jingcheng quickly returned to the Fuying Inn where they were staying. At this time, Taoist Yuanzheng hadn't come back yet.
After all, compared with Xiao Jingcheng, he wasn't familiar with Yunfu County. It wasn't easy for him to find someone to send the letter.
The purple aura on his body was still very strong and could support him to stay awake for another two or three days. Lying down under the table, Xiao Jingcheng silently recited something in his heart. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in his own body.
At this moment, a very faint whistle came from outside the window. Xiao Jingcheng's eyes darkened. He tapped on the table three times. The window was pushed open, and a dark figure climbed in.
It was a man in his late twenties. There was a very deep scar on his face. When he saw Xiao Jingcheng, he was extremely shocked, and then the shock turned into joy. "Your Highness, it's really you!"
This man's name was Cao Rui. He once fought side by side with Xiao Jingcheng on the border.
At that time, Xiao Jingcheng had hidden his identity as the crown prince and was just like an ordinary soldier. So he had forged a friendship with Cao Rui in battle. Later, after Xiao Jingcheng made military achievements and returned to the capital, he secretly arranged for Cao Rui to be a platoon leader in the Imperial Guard.
But later, he was framed for insulting a maid of the Feng family because he offended the second young master of the Feng family. The Feng family reported it to the emperor. He was dismissed from his post by Xiao Tianye's order and whipped fifty times. The scar on his face was left from that time.
If it weren't for Xiao Jingcheng secretly sending someone to protect him, he would have been whipped to death. Since then, he had left the capital and come to Yunfu County to open a woodware shop, living an ordinary life.
Seeing Xiao Jingcheng, Cao Rui was extremely excited. He knelt on one knee beside the bed and tremblingly reached out to hold Xiao Jingcheng's hand. "Your Highness, you're still alive. That's really great. But how did you end up like this?"
Before Xiao Jingcheng could say anything, Cao Rui immediately gritted his teeth and said, "I've heard about Your Highness's situation. That so - called Emperor of Nansheng and the so - called Crown Prince Xuan. In my heart, the only crown prince of the Great Sheng Empire will always be Your Highness!"
He wanted to say more, but Xiao Jingcheng sighed and said, "Cao Rui, the time I can stay awake is limited. Let's not waste time."
Only then did Cao Rui quickly wipe away the tears on his face. He looked at Xiao Jingcheng seriously and said, "Your Highness saved my life. I'll always be Your Highness's man. Since Your Highness sent someone to contact me, it means Your Highness needs me. No matter what Your Highness asks me to do, I, Cao Rui, will go through fire and water for Your Highness without hesitation!"
This was exactly why Xiao Jingcheng had sought out Cao Rui.
His voice was extremely weak, as if he might die at any moment, but the words he said were extremely startling.
"Cao Rui, my mother died in this power struggle. This time I return to the capital, not only to avenge her but also to take back what should belong to me. I want the whole world, and I also want the lives of the Emperor of Nansheng and Xiao Yixuan."
Cao Rui nodded vigorously, indicating that he was listening.
"But this path won't be easy. If I return to the palace, I'll inevitably be criticized for acknowledging the enemy as my father, and my origin will be guessed even more. Then my mother will have died in vain. So, I need to find another way. I need to reappear in front of everyone with another identity and regain... the trust of my uncle."
"I remember you used to have a younger brother. He got separated from your family for some reason many years ago and has been missing for twenty years, right?"
Realizing what he was thinking, Cao Rui was shocked. "Your Highness, this can't be done! You're of royal blood, while I..."
Xiao Jingcheng looked at him with a half - smile. "You just said that no matter what I ask you to do, you'll go through fire and water for me. Don't tell me you're just lying to me?"
"Of course not!" Cao Rui paused and then said, "So, Your Highness wants to enter the palace again in the identity of my younger brother?"