Sheng Jiangli's face changed abruptly. "You!"
Kill Zhu Xiao!
Even if he won this battle in the end, he would become the target of all arrows of the Yan Army.
Would Song Yinghuai spare him?
Would the Yan Army spare him?
Would Caiyu hate him?
Lan Yuanyi and Lan Guangling both gasped sharply, sensing something amiss.
Lu Baiwei was leaving Sheng Jiangli no way out!
Lan Yuanyi and Lan Guangling exchanged a look, their expressions solemn.
Lan Yuanyi said slowly, "Your Majesty, Zhu Xiao is the trusted brother of the Prince of Yan. If the Southern Army kills him, there will be no possibility of peace talks between the two armies!"
If Song Yinghuai learned that his brother had been killed, he would surely lead the Yan Army to launch a large - scale attack on Shangjing.
"Your Majesty, should we consider capturing him alive?"
In this way, there would still be room for maneuver.
Lu Baiwei's reluctance to part with Song Yinghuai did not mean she was soft - hearted towards others.
She blinked her bright eyes and said with a smile,
"General Sheng just mentioned the dispersal of the army's morale, which reminded me... As long as we kill Zhu Xiao, the morale of the Yan Army will surely be dispersed. By then, if Xuan Yao forces a crossing of the river without proper judgment, with the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, Young Master Lan will surely be able to capture him."
"If I only capture Zhu Xiao alive, it will have no impact on the Yan Army. Just like when we captured the Prince of Yan alive this time, the Yan Army still recklessly captured Jizhou."
Her gentle and noble face gradually turned venomous. "So this time... I can't afford to make any mistakes, nor can I withstand another failure!"
Everyone looked at her beautiful face but couldn't help shivering.
A woman who could survive in the hands of that pervert Song Chengyuan and climb to the highest position among the women of Daye was surely not just lucky.
Lan Guangling kept a straight face for a long time before slowly nodding and saying, "Your Majesty has a brilliant idea."
Sheng Jiangli's face turned ashen. He wanted to say something more, but was stopped by Lan Yuanyi. "A Li, you promised Her Majesty that as long as she gave the antidote to Shu'er first, you would obey her orders."
Sheng Jiangli's body stiffened, his jaw tightening. Finally, he compromised.
He bowed and saluted Lu Baiwei, gritting his teeth. "This humble general obeys the order!"
---
Sure enough, as Sheng Jiangli had said, Li Muge was arrested in Langya by an imperial edict and locked in the same prison cart as Song Yinghuai.
Ma Fangteng, the deputy general of the Southern Army, received a battle report from Shangjing and learned that there would be a fierce battle to rescue the prisoners in Pengcheng. His scalp went numb, and he was already weak - kneed in advance.
But the imperial order was hard to disobey, and the north - bound route had already been completely broken through by the Yan Army.
The Yan Army was marching south, and the Xu Family Army was blocking the way in Pengcheng in the south.
These last 100,000 soldiers of the Southern Army were about to be surrounded from both sides.
Ma Fangteng was escorting the two prisoners like a hot potato. Trembling, he set off from Langya and reluctantly arrived outside Pengcheng.
Li Muge's face, which had just recovered a little, ulcerated again under the ravages of the wind and snow.
This time, no one flattered him. They just let him writhe in pain in the prison cart, moaning constantly.
Song Yinghuai leaned against a corner of the prison cart, crossing his arms and smiling leisurely. "Fortune changes. Lord Li, that specially - made prison cart shouldn't have been smashed back then. Otherwise, you could have experienced the taste of entering the capital on your knees."
Li Muge covered his rotten face and mouth, barely spitting out a few words. "...Don't be complacent... When we reach Shangjing... His Majesty will pity me, but you... You will surely die..."
"Hehe!" Song Yinghuai let out a cold laugh.
The man looked up at Pengcheng in the distance. In the distance, the snow was whipped up several feet high by the horses' hooves, forming a continuous wall.
A cold and fierce look flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, he reached out and locked Li Muge's throat. "I won't die, but it's hard to say about Lord Li!"
Li Muge's throat was suddenly grabbed, and his breathing stopped. His vision went black, and only a gurgling sound came from his throat. "You... You..."
He was horrified to find that the iron shackles on Song Yinghuai's wrist had been broken. The man had amazing strength.
What being too weak to even bind a chicken?
Just thinking of this, Li Muge's vision really went black, and he fainted directly.
Song Yinghuai frowned and shrugged his still - aching shoulder blades. He felt that he had used his internal strength just now, which had torn open his wound again.
But it didn't matter. He had long wanted to deal with Li Muge!
Before the Xu Family Army even got close, the Southern Army in front became cowards. They dropped their weapons all over the place and fled with their heads in their hands.
Song Yinghuai reached out and grabbed the iron lock of the prison cart and shook it hard. The prison cart split open.
The man stepped out, threw Li Muge to the on - rushing Xu Family Army, and then looked around for Caiyu.
That girl had promised to accompany him on his last journey, so he always kept an eye out for her.
As a result, in the chaotic crowd, that charming figure was running away with the Southern Army. Obviously, she was going to part ways with him here!
Song Yinghuai's heart suddenly rose to his throat, and at the same time, his mood was extremely sad.
Was she so eager to leave him now?
He leaped up, stepped on people's heads and tree branches, and landed behind Caiyu. Then he knocked her out from behind and caught her soft body.
"Fourth Brother!" Xu Buyue led the Xu Family Army and rode over on horses. Seeing the woman that Song Yinghuai was carefully holding, she felt a pang of heartache again.
After all, it was still Caiyu!
She saw that fresh blood was seeping out of the man's back again, staining his clothes red. She reached out her hand. "I'll help her onto the horse."
Song Yinghuai avoided Xu Buyue. "I'll do it myself."
Xu Buyue was stunned for a moment. Looking at him sadly as he helped the woman onto the horse and held her tightly in his arms, he rode his horse galloping towards Pengcheng.
Caiyu woke up again at night.
There were four little maids guarding the room. When they saw her wake up, they were extremely happy and said to Caiyu,
"Miss is awake. Do you feel a headache?"
"Are you hungry?"
"Miss has been on a long journey. The Prince has ordered that as soon as Miss wakes up, we should prepare hot soup for you to relax."
The maids were chattering away, which made the confused Caiyu figure out what had happened. She couldn't help sneering.
What a good move of feigning retreat to advance and playing the victim!
What accompanying him on his last journey?
He had already made arrangements in Pengcheng!
Even without her accompanying him all the way, he would have escaped smoothly when he reached Pengcheng!
This man would never let himself make a miscalculation, right?
Caiyu threw off the quilt on the bed. "I don't need anything. Where is the bag I brought with me?"
The four maids looked at each other. One of them hurriedly ran out, eager to find Song Yinghuai.
---
In the meeting hall of the Xu Mansion.
Xu Ziyi, Lan Jinxiang, Xu Buyue, Han Fen and others were gathered here.
Song Yinghuai had just changed into a black narrow - sleeved python robe. The vermilion and white jade belt made him look imposing.
Xu Ziyi said, "There is a good news and a bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"
Song Yinghuai rubbed his temples and looked at Xu Ziyi helplessly.
He clearly knew that he was eager to go and accompany Caiyu.
That girl might be furious when she woke up, and he didn't even know how to plead to keep her!
But he had to drag him here to discuss matters first and still play the guessing game.
"Second Master." Song Yinghuai said pleadingly, "You can tell me whichever you like. I'll leave after I've heard them all."
Xu Ziyi let out a soft laugh.
It was rare to see the Prince of Yan showing weakness for a woman. It was really worth it!
Lan Jinxiang was impatient. "Are you going to tell or not? If not, I'll..."
"Tell, tell." Xu Ziyi immediately straightened his face and said, "Let's start with the good news... My people sent a message from Shangjing. Lord Lan and Young Master Lan have been found. Now they are in the imperial city!"
Song Yinghuai's eyes lit up, and his mood was excited.
Lord Lan and Young Master Lan were still alive!
Caiyu would surely be very happy when she knew this.
"My father and elder brother?" Lan Jinxiang jumped up from her seat excitedly. "Are you sure the news is reliable?"
"Absolutely certain, Xiang'er." Xu Ziyi held down her restless body and told the next piece of news. "I still have a bad news to tell..."
Xu Ziyi said, "The bad news is that Lord Lan and Young Master Lan have been summoned to lead the Southern Army to fight against us.
"Lord Lan is guarding the thirteen city gates of Shangjing, and Young Master Lan is guarding the Yangtze River waterway!"