Chapter 231: Hu Jun Xian

In the dark night, inside, the streets of Guyuan were strangely quiet.The crowd urged their horses and looked back, silently watching the solitary yellow-brown horse walk closer.Li Xuan, commander of the Fei Lin Army, dismounted and quickly walked a few steps to take the reins of the yellow-brown horse, examining it thoroughly. He reached out to stroke the horse’s body, then brought his fingers close, and there was blood.Li Xuan turned his head to look at the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, Wang Guang has probably met with misfortune."The Crown Prince, wearing a pure white fox fur cloak, furrowed his brow and said nothing. He lifted his head to look into the distance, where the deep gray male pass was like a blood-basin-sized mouth, swallowing people in one gulp.Qi Jianzhe drew his long sword from his waist and said fiercely: "Your Highness, the Guyuan border army is lawless. They actually dare to ambush and kill the imperial front forbidden army. What is the difference between this and plotting rebellion?"Li Xuan led the yellow-brown horse back to the Crown Prince's white horse and lifted his head to say: "Your Highness, this place is not suitable for staying long. Please set out immediately to leave. We will rest in Tianshui County tonight, and set out tomorrow to go to Taiyuan Fu, report to His Majesty to mobilize the Jie Fan Guard and Wan Sui Army to come suppress the rebellion! With six hundred li urgent speed, the memorial can reach the capital in six days, in time!"Chen Liqin was startled: "Suppressing rebellion still lacks evidence. General Li, do not jump to conclusions."Li Xuan's face became fierce: "The border army first poisoned and killed thirty-four members of the Chen family, then intercepted and killed Your Highness's six hundred li urgent message. What is this if not rebellion? Master Chen, you know the crime of intercepting a six hundred li urgent message."The Crown Prince sat calmly on his horse, looking distantly at Zhang Xia: "I have long heard that the National Academy once had a female doctor proficient in books and numbers, who could also recite the laws of Da Ning backward. May I ask what crime the border army should be charged with?"Zhang Xia said calmly: "Stealing or robbing a four hundred li urgent message, one hundred strokes of the cane, tattooing, and exile three thousand li; stealing or robbing a five hundred li urgent message, beheaded on the spot; stealing or robbing a six hundred li urgent message, execute three clans."The Crown Prince praised: "Miss Zhang the second indeed has photographic memory ability. I admire it."Zhang Xia said neither salty nor blandly: "Your Highness overpraises."Li Xuan cupped his fist and said: "Your Highness, now is not the time for idle talk. Do not return to that dragon pool and tiger den, the Du Si Fu. The border army that dares to intercept a six hundred li urgent message is already like a cornered beast. If Your Highness continues to stay here, it is hard to guarantee they will not do more heartless and mad acts. Your Highness's precious body, please follow this general and leave Guyuan!"The Crown Prince shook his head: "His Majesty ordered me to thoroughly investigate the case of killing the innocent and pretending to have merit. This case is still without clues. How can I easily leave Guyuan? I am the heir of a country, divinely appointed. How can I fear petty people? How will His Majesty look at me?"Li Xuan said anxiously: "Your Highness, if you keep the green hills, you don't have to worry about no firewood to burn. You only need to truthfully report, and His Majesty will definitely understand. If you are unwilling to go, we will kneel for a long time and not rise!" Saying that, he made an eye signal to the other Fei Lin Army soldiers.With a clatter of armor sounds, the Fei Lin Army successively dismounted, cupped their fists, and knelt on one knee: "Please, Your Highness, preserve the dragon body and follow us to leave Guyuan."The Crown Prince rarely got angry and said: "I was ordered by His Majesty to come to Guyuan to thoroughly investigate the case of killing the innocent and pretending to have merit. This is a father's command and an imperial command, this is for loyalty and filial piety; I just promised brother Wenzong to investigate the truth of the Guyuan station for him, this is for righteousness. You are forcing me to leave at this time. Isn't this wanting to trap me in a position of disloyalty, unfilial piety, and unrighteousness? All of you get up for me!"The Fei Lin Army all knelt on the ground, their white cloaks spread on the ground, always unwilling to rise.After a long time.Chen Wenzong bowed his hand and said: "Your Highness's dragon body is precious. We still hope you will first preserve yourself and then make plans."The Crown Prince lifted his head and looked at the night sky, letting out a long sigh: "Alright, alright. All get up, I'll listen to you all then."Li Xuan was greatly overjoyed and hurriedly flipped onto his horse. He pressed his hand on the long sword at his waist and tightened the reins: "Fei Lin Army, follow me to escort Your Highness out of the city. If the border army does not let us pass, then kill up to the city head and forcibly open the gate!"With the sound of iron hooves thundering, the Fei Lin Army, like stars surrounding the moon, clustered around the Crown Prince and charged towards the south city gate.Zhang Xia glanced at Chen Ji: "What should we do? If the border army blocks us, a fight is inevitable."Chen Ji looked at the backs of the Fei Lin Army: "If we want to leave, tonight is the last chance. The border army hastily killed people, perhaps still not prepared for the Crown Prince to leave. Li Xuan is indeed decisive. If we miss tonight, the Crown Prince possibly really has no chance to leave, but..."Zhang Xia said tacitly: "But why would the border army want to rebel?"Chen Ji took a deep breath: "Yes, starting from the poisoning of the Chen family tonight, things have become strange. Even if the border army and the Crown Prince are already like fire and water, they have no reason to kill so many people in the Chen family. If they really had grievances and hatred, it would be okay to kill the Crown Prince or kill all the Fei Lin Army. Why kill the people of the Chen family? The Chen family just arrived in Guyuan today! Who did the Chen family provoke?"Zhang Xia said in a low voice: "It's like a hand has suddenly tightened and broken the string between the Crown Prince and the border army.""Not wrong," Chen Ji made a decision and urged his horse to chase after the Fei Lin Army: "Let's not think about this for now. First, follow the Fei Lin Army out of the city. Guyuan indeed cannot be stayed in."Several hundred riders of the Fei Lin Army galloped fast, all armored soldiers bending low in their bodies, passing through the rows of earthen houses in Guyuan. The white cloaks of the Fei Lin Army fluttered backward, and the white pheasant tails on their helmets swayed with the wind, like five hundred white-horsed righteous followers.Li Xuan instructed left and right: "When we reach the city pass, the Xuan Wu Guard will protect Your Highness all around, and the Qing Long Guard will follow me to charge and kill. Raise soldiers for a thousand days to use in one moment. Anyone who is cowardly and does not advance, do not blame me, Li, for my merciless long sword!"Qi Jianzhe responded: "General, rest assured, we will fight to the death!"Li Xuan turned his head to the Crown Prince and said: "Your Highness, we swear to death to protect you out of the city."The Crown Prince said slowly: "I appreciate General Li's efforts. In addition, please also protect the relatives of Master Chen and Master Zhang.""We comply with the order."The city pass was getting closer and closer, but Li Xuan's heart gradually sank to the bottom of the valley. He gazed at the long street and saw several hundred torches burning on the city wall, as bright as daylight. There were still armored soldiers coming and going in front of the city gate, carrying military equipment, pushing crossbow carts, carrying sandbags, and being exceptionally busy. The south city gate, which normally should not have heavy troops guarding it, had gathered several thousand border army armored soldiers tonight, giving the appearance of a great war being imminent.Some of the Fei Lin Army soldiers were at a loss, having already forgotten the heroic words they said earlier. Under the current city pass, relying solely on them, they absolutely could not kill their way out."Halt!" Li Xuan tightened the reins and slowly stopped in front of the city pass. The warhorse under him paced back and forth uneasily. The agitated firelight from the city wall above and below reflected his face red. Li Xuan lifted his head and looked towards the top of the city wall.The next moment, a tall figure appeared between the wall crenellations, overlooking them like mountain ranges. Border army armored soldiers behind him held torches. Under the swaying light and shadow, behind the tall figure was violent firelight, but the figure itself was a piece of darkness, and one could not see his face and expression.The figure on the city wall asked in a clear voice: "Why has the Crown Prince come out in the middle of the night?"Li Xuan's heart was startled: Hu Junxian! He hardened his scalp and shouted across the air: "General Hu, the Crown Prince has investigated some clues and will immediately go to Tianshui County city. Quickly open the gate!"Hu Junxian said calmly: "Cannot open."Li Xuan said angrily: "Hu Junxian, are you crazy? You actually want to confine the Crown Prince."Hu Junxian's voice was calm and steady, like a large bell, loud: "General Li, please restrain your anger. Our Guyuan border army scouts encountered more than ten walking officials in the rear Ziwu Ridge, perhaps elites of the Jing Chao Tian Ce Army Shen Wu Camp. Our army scouts were only lucky to escape with their lives due to their familiarity with the terrain. The opposite side has come across the mountains and must have schemes. If the Crown Prince leaves the city at this time, he may encounter a Jing Chao ambush and killing. This general cannot open the gate."Li Xuan said urgently: "The Jing Chao army wants to penetrate into the inland of the Ning Chao. They have to cross three hundred li of mountain roads, with countless sheer cliffs along the way. Even if you are making things up, make it plausible! Also, your border army scouts can actually escape from the hands of more than ten walking officials? You're deceiving ghosts!"Hu Junxian was silent for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth: "Our Guyuan border army never makes things up in this kind of matter. You can believe it or not. Please go back." Saying that, he turned and left, disappearing behind the wall crenellations.Li Xuan angrily scolded: "Hu Junxian, this is the great crime of plotting rebellion!"Hu Junxian gradually walked away, his voice drifting down from the top of the city wall: "Then wait until this battle is finished, and please His Majesty come punish this humble Hu's crime. But currently, please forgive this humble Hu for still having military affairs at hand and not accompanying you for now."