Lan Jinxiang and Xu Ziyi noticed that his expression was off. Just as they were about to step forward and ask, they felt a gust of wind sweep by.
The man disappeared without a trace!
Lan Jinxiang stared at Xu Ziyi in disbelief. "Hey, is he lacking in manners?"
Just running off like that?
Xu Ziyi was even more headache - ridden. "I still had important matters to instruct him about, and he just ran off like this..."
As a cabinet elder who had been living in the capital for a long time, he was always sensitive to the rumors in the palace. Li Muge dared to act so boldly and openly oppose Song Yinghuai. There must be the support of the young emperor behind this.
He had heard that the troops in Jiaodong, Southeast and other places had shown abnormal movements recently. He was afraid that the young emperor wanted not only the military power of the capital troops, but...
Xu Ziyi pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed it. Then he summoned his trusted subordinate. "Go and find the princess. I have important matters to discuss with her."
...
In the midsummer, thick layers of clouds piled down from the horizon, and the cicadas chirped wantonly.
Zhu Xiao and the others hadn't even fastened their belts properly when they were summoned by Song Yinghuai.
When they saw the man traveling light, they were all stunned. "My lord, aren't we going to lead the army back to Yan? What are you going to do..."
Go alone?
Song Yinghuai looked anxious. "I have urgent matters and will go first. The Yan army will be led by Tan Xiong and Zhu Xiao. Return immediately!"
Zhu Xiao and the others looked at each other.
It was the first time in the past two years that they had seen Song Yinghuai look so flustered. They were really surprised.
However, military orders were like mountains. Everyone straightened their faces. Without asking any questions, they just replied loudly:
"Yes!"
Song Yinghuai didn't give any more instructions. He immediately turned his horse around.
The steed galloped away like a shooting star and disappeared in an instant.
Lan Guifan.
Lan Guifan...
The woman he had vaguely seen in his coma was not an illusion.
It was Caiyu!
Not long after Song Yinghuai left, Xu Buyue rode her horse to catch up with the Yan army.
"Where's Brother Four?" Xu Buyue looked around and asked.
The Yan army had just reached the outskirts of the city. Zhu Xiao glanced at Xu Buyue. "My lord had an urgent matter and didn't tell us where he was going. We are returning to Yan immediately. Princess, you... don't tell me you're going to follow him too?"
They all stared at Xu Buyue expectantly.
She was the only woman who had been able to get close to Song Yinghuai in the past two years.
If she said she was going to follow, they would be more than happy.
Xu Buyue hesitated for a moment and then shook her head. "Second Brother asked me to pass a message to my lord. Recently, the troops in Jiaodong, Southeast and other places have shown abnormal movements. We're not sure if it's related to your return to Yan... I have to stay in the capital to support you at any time."
Xu Ziyi was worried that the capital troops would follow the Yan army. Coupled with the mobilization of the followers of Li Muge's party across the country, if something big happened, the Yan army would be surrounded on both sides!
Zhu Xiao and the others were suddenly shocked, and their faces turned solemn.
The news from Lord Xu was really earth - shattering.
Now that the war had just ended and peace was just emerging, why were the troops being frequently mobilized?
Tan Xiong bowed with a solemn face, extremely grateful. "Thank you, princess and Lord Xu, for the reminder!"
"Be careful on your way. I hope Second Brother's worries are unfounded." Xu Buyue was about to ride away on her horse. "But just in case. We're all soldiers who have lived and died together. We've all experienced how unpredictable the situation can be..."
"Also, if you can use signal flares to contact my lord, that would be the best."
Somehow, dark clouds began to gather in the sky, as if a storm was brewing.
In the imperial study of the imperial city.
The young emperor paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.
After a while, Li Muge walked in. The young emperor's eyes lit up. Without waiting for him to pay his respects, he immediately stepped forward and asked:
"How is it?"
Li Muge didn't look too good. "The Yan army did return on schedule, but my spy reported that the King of Yan is not in the army. We don't know where he has gone."
The young emperor's face changed, and the color drained from his face. "Missing? How could he be missing?"
"If he's missing, how can I kill him?"
"Could he have seen through our plan and deliberately disappeared?" The more the young emperor thought about it, the more afraid he became. "Lord Li... If Uncle Huang knows my plan, I'm scared. I'm scared he'll come back..."
Li Muge forced himself to stay calm. "Your Majesty, don't panic... No matter how powerful the King of Yan is, he's not Zhuge Liang. How could he have predicted our plan..."
"In my opinion, the King of Yan must have left alone due to an urgent matter."
The young emperor's fingers trembled as he touched the table. "Then, shall we proceed with the plan as usual?"
Li Muge showed a ruthless look in his eyes, with a murderous glint. He nodded. "Your Majesty, this is our best chance. I mobilized the troops from all over the country to gather in Jiaodong seven days ago, preparing to occupy Yanjing first."
"Now, if we calculate the time, there should be over 100,000 troops assembled. Now Yanjing has no troops, only 20,000 soldiers guarding the city. And in my Jiaodong, there are already 100,000 troops, and there will be over 200,000 more troops later. It'll be easy to take Yanjing!"
"Now that the Yan army has left, we've closed all the city gates, and there are the capital troops to surround them from behind. It won't be long before we can take down the Yan army!"
The young emperor gradually calmed down under Li Muge's analysis. He nodded repeatedly:
"What you said is very true, Lord Li..."
"Your Majesty, once the Yan army is destroyed, what if the King of Yan is still alive? He's all alone. Can he escape your palm?"
"Boom!"
A loud noise suddenly roared.
The dark clouds in the sky finally reached their limit, and raindrops as big as beans poured down.
Silver lightning flashed across the sky, and in the rolling thunder, fallen branches and leaves danced wildly in the strong wind.
The young emperor's face was half - illuminated by the candlelight. He slowly curled his blood - thirsty thin lips. Looking at Li Muge, he excitedly said, "Lord Li, I'm counting on you!"
"Tap."
There was a sound outside the door.
Li Muge and the young emperor's faces changed.
When the young emperor walked out of the imperial study, he saw Lü Baiwei standing there.
The Lü family was no longer the timid woman she used to be. Now she wore a phoenix crown, and the tassels of the jeweled hairpin flapped against her face, reflecting a dazzling light.
The young emperor met her sharp gaze, and his heart skipped a beat. He whispered, "M - Mother..."
After all, she was his mother. Song Xiuzhu was instinctively afraid of her. "Why are you here?"
Lü Baiwei stared at his scared face for a long time before opening her red lips slightly. "If I hadn't come, how could I have heard such a good show between Your Majesty and Lord Li?"
The young emperor's pupils constricted slightly. Knowing that he couldn't hide the matter from Lü Baiwei, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Mother! It was Uncle Huang who forced me!"
"How did Xuan Yao force you?" Lü Baiwei asked sharply. "He gave the country to you and eliminated the external enemies for you, allowing you to sit on the throne in the imperial city without worry. How did he force you?"
"This country should have belonged to Father!" Song Xiuzhu raised his voice and retorted. "If Father hadn't died, it would be him sitting on the dragon throne today. And I'm Father's son. This country will belong to me sooner or later!"
These were the words that Li Muge often said to him.
At first, the young emperor didn't take them seriously. However, after hearing them so many times, he believed them.
"Uncle Huang is just my subject. What do you mean the country was given by him? Even if he hadn't given it back then, Grandpa Emperor would have made me the crown prince. I don't owe Uncle Huang anything!"
Lü Baiwei looked at Song Xiuzhu in shock.
The young man's growing - up appearance actually faintly resembled Song Chengyuan's crazy look.
"You... You..."
Lü Baiwei staggered. It took her a long time to speak. "He fought bloody battles for you and destroyed the Tartars. How can you say you don't owe him?"
Li Muge stepped forward and said, "The King of Yan is Your Majesty's subject. Receiving the king's salary, he should share the king's worries. It's only right for him to be loyal to the country. There's no question of owing."
"Shut up!" Lü Baiwei interrupted him and glared at him angrily. "Who do you think you are? How dare you spread slander in front of me and His Majesty?"
Li Muge was startled and bowed his head nervously.
Lü Baiwei took a deep breath and looked at the young emperor in horror. "Your Majesty... Your foundation is weak. You're no match for Xuan Yao. If you take such a risky move, you'll surely die!"