They never expected that this battle might turn out to be a decisive one, and in such a situation, they had no chance of winning.
"Hurry up and leave! If we get surrounded, we won't be able to escape," Prince Zhen said anxiously.
"Charge!" Zi Su shouted, raising her arm.
Xiang Beizheng stood on the city wall, watching the two sides engage in a fierce battle. He was certain that he had already won. Today, he had set up a trap to catch them like turtles in a jar.
The troops surrounded them from three sides. Zi Su and her men were getting closer and closer to the city gate of Cixi City. The drawbridge had already been pulled up, and they had no equipment for crossing the river and attacking the city.
"Chen Yu'an, I'm a nostalgic person. As long as you come back to me, I can overlook the past," Xiang Beizheng said generously.
Prince Zhen immediately looked at Zi Su nervously.
Zi Su almost burst out laughing. "Xiang Beizheng, who gave you the nerve? Let Chen Yuqing come out and see me."
"She's not feeling well at the moment. It's not convenient for her to see anyone."
"You've already killed her, haven't you?" Chen Yu'an knew Xiang Beizheng too well.
She had known Xiang Beizheng since childhood. When they were young, she had protected him. But later, Xiang Beizheng betrayed her. She returned to the Southern Border and outwitted him. She knew all his darkness and tricks.
He had even made the soldiers use the Ruyi Cakes. He must be at the end of his wits and wouldn't keep Chen Yuqing, who had embarrassed him for so long.
Zi Su no longer had any affection for Chen Yuqing. Although others still thought she was the Crown Princess of the Southern Border, Chen Yu'an, she had become Zi Su since she met Yi Qing.
Xiang Beizheng narrowed his eyes, his lips pursed into a thin line. A sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth. "She showed her affection for me first. I'm just a courtier. I had no choice."
"So you were forced?" Yi Qing sneered.
The last time she had mocked Xiang Beizheng, Xiao Jinghan had been by her side. She had predicted the outcome and had been able to laugh and scold freely. But now, her chest was filled with uncontrollable anger.
Xiang Beizheng was so choked that he didn't know how to answer. He quickly comforted himself: Don't be angry, don't be angry...
"In that case, you're also a victim. Why don't you open the city gate, lower the drawbridge, and let us listen to your complaint? You can tell us what's bothering you to make us happy. It can also be considered a self - sacrificing good deed for others," Yi Qing said in a low voice.
"You..." Xiang Beizheng was angry again. He found that he always couldn't help getting angry in front of Yi Qing. Yi Qing's poisonous tongue always hit people's sore spots and made them even more painful while she enjoyed herself.
"Arrest them all," Xiang Beizheng learned to be smart and didn't give Yi Qing a chance to speak.
The surrounding soldiers showed their bloodthirsty eyes and attacked them.
Zi Su looked at Prince Zhen. "I'll send someone to escort you out."
"I'll stay and protect you," Prince Zhen said, standing in front of Zi Su.
Zi Su raised her hand, intending to knock Prince Zhen unconscious, but was stopped by Yi Qing.
"Sometimes, regret is more painful than life - and - death separation," Yi Qing looked at Zi Su.
Prince Zhen turned to look at Zi Su and knew what she was thinking. "You're really so obtuse. If there's nothing for me to miss in this world, what's the difference between being alive and being dead?"
"What if I really die?" Zi Su didn't understand Yi Qing's fear before, but suddenly understood.
"If I really die, you can just forget about me. If we're together, it's just right for us to sleep together forever," Prince Zhen said seriously.
Zi Su's eyes welled up with tears. "What if it's me who dies?"
"I won't allow you to die," Prince Zhen stared straight ahead.
When an unserious person becomes domineering, it's really impressive.
Yi Qing looked at the moat under Cixi City. No one knew whether the accident or tomorrow would come first. Maybe not saying goodbye meant there was still hope.
The enemy troops had charged over. Yi Qing was protected by three secret guards, so no one could get close to her.
Although Zi Su's troops were brave, the disparity in numbers was too great. The smoke from the Ruyi Cakes made people fearless of death. They had been forced to the edge of the moat.
Xiang Beizheng nocked an arrow on the bowstring and aimed at Chen Yu'an. Just as the arrow was about to be shot, he turned to aim at Yi Qing.
At the last moment, the person he most wanted to kill was actually Yi Qing.
If Yi Qing hadn't saved Chen Yu'an, the Southern Border would have been his long ago.
He would have marched north to conquer the Great Jin Dynasty, taken back everything that was his, and become the emperor of the world.
It was all because of Yi Qing.
Yi Qing seemed to sense something and suddenly turned to stare at Xiang Beizheng on the city wall.
The arrow left the bowstring. The three secret guards were all held back. Just as the arrow was about to hit Yi Qing, suddenly another arrow flew over and knocked down the arrow aimed at Yi Qing.
Yi Qing turned her head and saw Lu Tianxun riding towards them on a horse.
Below, the jungle was dense, the smoke was billowing, and the roars were deafening. Xiang Beizheng had been staring at Chen Yu'an and the others in the middle. Only then did he notice that the enemy had reinforcements.
Lu Tianxun solved Yi Qing's crisis. He dismounted from his horse. "I'm late."
"Why are you here?" Yi Qing asked in surprise.
"The emperor sent Tian Zuo to mobilize troops from the capital to the Southern Border. It must be because the people in Minnan are unreliable. And he was in such a hurry. There must be something very important in the Southern Border, and you're in Minnan," Lu Tianxun analyzed.
"So you thought it was us in the Southern Border?" Yi Qing looked at Lu Tianxun.
"I know that the Southern Border is suitable for growing Ruyi Grass and it's hard to be discovered," Lu Tianxun knew about the Ruyi Cakes.
Although he was not in the court, he saw the affairs of the court more clearly. Moreover, because he had a leg problem before, no one would guard against him, so he knew more things.
Because Xiang Beizheng had transferred all the troops from the border to Cixi, they had almost no obstacles on their way to Cixi. They also heard that there had been frequent wars in the Southern Border recently, so they followed the news and came directly to Cixi.
Zi Su and Prince Zhen charged forward.
"All the soldiers of the Southern Border who defect from the dark side to the bright side will be overlooked for their past mistakes," Zi Su shouted, raising her arm.
Those who heard it were stunned for a moment and immediately threw away their weapons.
"All the soldiers of the Southern Border who defect from the dark side to the bright side will be overlooked for their past mistakes," Zi Su roared again.
Slowly, with Zi Su as the center, more and more people put down their weapons. A war ended like this.
Xiang Beizheng stood on the city wall in shock. He had painstakingly managed for so many years, but his forces were just disintegrated by a single sentence from Zi Su.
Zi Su turned to look at Xiang Beizheng on the city wall. "You're the descendant of the deposed emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty. You're not from the Southern Border. You've hidden your identity and caused chaos in the Southern Border. Everyone has the right to punish you."
"What evidence do you have?" Xiang Beizheng insisted. He was sure that Chen Yu'an had no evidence.
All the people who knew about that year's incident were dead. His mother would never tell this matter.
"Want evidence?" Zi Su looked at Xiang Beizheng on the city wall. "The direct descendant of the Heyan family can prove it."
"You mean Heyan Mulei?"
"He's just a bastard who killed his father and elder brother. Without the recognition of the red lotus of the Heyan family, he's not a direct descendant."
The direct descendants of the Heyan family had the mother - and - son gu. As long as they were direct descendants of the Heyan family, they could open the red lotus.
"Okay. If you can find a descendant of the Heyan family who can open the red lotus, I'll admit this matter," Xiang Beizheng said confidently. "If not, the Crown Princess is just talking nonsense. She must be an untrustworthy person."