Chapter 280: Assassination

Li Xuan looked at the firelight, then looked at Chen Ji.

Earlier, Chen Ji had said that Gu Yuan was a setup by the Tian Ce Army, and he didn't believe it.

Because half the common people in this city of Gu Yuan suffered a massacre, and countless border soldiers were dead or wounded. The chess player must have been incredibly ruthless to set up this "head-breaking game."

In the current era, the capital has a population of a million, Luo City has two hundred thousand, and this Gu Yuan has at least three or four hundred thousand. Half the city's common people could be tens of thousands of lives!

How utterly vicious!

However, now, as Li Xuan looked at the firelight surging towards the sky from the city gate and the suddenly collapsing Gu Yuan city, which was as solid as rock, completely sealing off the Tian Ce Army's retreat path, he had to believe!

Li Xuan turned his head to look at Chen Ji. Even though he was usually calm, he couldn't help but say in a panic: "Exactly who set up this trap, and what other moves do they have? What army and what team were the armored infantry I saw earlier? They actually dared to defy the world's greatest injustice and use tens of thousands of common people as bait."

Chen Ji shook his head: "Not only!"

Li Xuan was stunned: "What do you mean?"

Chen Ji said lightly: "The bait is not only the common people, but also the granaries, military equipment, wells, and the Crown Prince!"

No wonder the court would suddenly send the Crown Prince with a never-before-used ceremonial guard army to Gu Yuan; no wonder Bai Long wanted to transfer away, cutting off the Crown Prince's aides; no wonder the Tian Ce Army could originally kill their way into the inn's secret passage; no wonder the Crown Prince could be found even hiding in the cellar!

It was all because the Crown Prince was the last link in the chain of presenting their credentials. Without the Crown Prince, how could the Tian Ce Army have walked into the ambush?

Only this way did it make sense!

At this moment, another booming sound rang out, and even the east city gate was destroyed by firearms!

In the firelight and booming sounds, the Tian Ce Army's warhorses were startled and scattered everywhere!

Yuan Zhen's warhorse seemed to rear up on its hind legs, almost throwing him off!

The Grand Commander of the Tian Ce Army was a proper second-rank official of the Jing Dynasty, and Yuan Zhen was just an ordinary person. How could he control a startled warhorse? Fortunately, an armored soldier flashed forward, grabbed the reins tightly, and forcefully pulled the warhorse back to its original place!

As the words fell, dense shouts of killing came from the north. A group of armored infantry who had been hiding in the city, holding shields in one hand and knives in the other, counterattacked southward from Xu Wei Lane!

An armored soldier urgently said: "It's an ambush, escort the Grand Commander out."

Yuan Zhen whipped him across the face: "What are you panicking about? Those who disrupt the morale of the army will be executed."

Saying that, he narrowed his eyes and looked northward, pondering for a long time, then looked at the Crown Prince and sneered: "What a grand scheme. They actually used half the city's common people and the current state's stores as bait. I'll ask you again, do you yourself know about this matter or not?"

The Crown Prince was silent!

Yuan Zhen laughed heartily: "So you don't know either. The Southern court literati are indeed ruthless. In the name of family and country, they steal from the state. Now even the ruler of the country is seen as a plaything in their hands. If Zhu family Tai Zu sat up from his coffin, he would only fear these Confucian literati killing until everything was clean."

A confidant rode over on a horse and said in a low voice: "Great Commander, are we going or staying?"

Yuan Zhen said in a deep voice: "They exploded the south and east city gates just to force us to escape through the west gate. Presumably, there's another ambush waiting there! Pass the military order, kill northwards. The Southern court Military Affairs Department sent word that the Ning Dynasty's three major camps are all at Chong Li Pass. I'd like to see what Hu Jun Mei uses to kill my Tian Ce Army."

As the words fell, the flag orders were transmitted layer by layer, and the main force of the Tian Ce Army immediately transformed from a whole into parts, like a closed fan suddenly opening, spreading northward!

Li Xuan looked at the Crown Prince and others being taken away by the Tian Ce Army's iron cavalry, and immediately said urgently: "I want to go save the Crown Prince. If you are unwilling to take the risk, then stay here..."

He turned his head and suddenly found that Chen Ji had already moved!

Chen Ji wiped his cheeks with the hem of his clothes as he moved towards a Tian Ce Army iron cavalry soldier!

Just as another booming sound from firearms rang out, he suddenly leaped up and landed lightly on the back of the other's horse saddle, covered his mouth, and twisted and broke the other's neck!

He threw the Tian Ce Army's corpse towards Li Xuan. Li Xuan caught it in a panic, and even though he was extremely careful, he couldn't cover the friction sound of the corpse's armor!

Someone heard the sound and immediately looked over with alertness, then saw Chen Ji wearing a black pheasant tail helmet and Tian Ce Army armor. Only then did they turn their heads back!

Chen Ji rode his horse and merged into the Tian Ce Army, advancing northward along with the near guard camp!

Chen Ji mingled in the team and observed silently!

The Tian Ce Army was graded by the pheasant feathers on their heads. Ordinary soldiers had no pheasant tails on their heads. Divine archers, near guard camp, and hundred commanders wore one black pheasant tail. Thousand commanders wore one long and one short pheasant tail. Ten thousand households commanders wore one long and two short pheasant tails!

Chen Ji saw Yuan Zhen riding forward unhurriedly, with elite scouts constantly reporting military intelligence from all directions, and then leaving with new flag orders!

The Tian Ce Army's infantry escorting the Crown Prince and others followed behind Yuan Zhen. Yuan Zhen was firmly guarded by the near guard camp. Chen Ji only glanced at them before averting his gaze and no longer probing, to avoid causing suspicion!

He looked at a figure beside Yuan Zhen, the shopkeeper of Long Men Inn.

At this time, the other party had already changed into a set of Tian Ce Army armor, wearing a thousand commander's pheasant tail on his head. His status was already extremely high!

Just as Chen Ji was secretly sizing him up, the shopkeeper seemed to have detected something and slowly turned his head!

In the flickering firelight, Chen Ji saw a "descend" character tattooed on the left side of the other's cheek. His eyes were cold and sharp, and killing intent surged. He was no longer like the inn shopkeeper he once was.

He took advantage of the moment before the other's gaze swept over to lower his head, silently following in the team!

The shopkeeper had doubts in his heart and seemed to want to pull back his horse and turn around to check, but he saw several scouts returning together to report military intelligence!

"Report, there are elite infantry on Ku Le Street, just engaged with the vanguard camp, numbering five hundred."

"Report, there are elite infantry on Qie Mo Street moving west, numbering five hundred."

Yuan Zhen sat on his horse and frowned, saying: "How many roads of elite infantry have been discovered? Eleventh road or twelfth road?"

His confidant beside him said in a low voice: "Great Commander, twelfth road!"

The shouts of killing from the front line became more and more intense, and from time to time, the booming sounds of firearms rang out, as if the border army was killing more and more!

Yuan Zhen looked at the dark night, and his face also became serious. "Where did Hu Jun Xian get so many people? Dispatch the main force of the middle army to set up a pocket at Xu Wei Lane and let them come in."

At this time, another scout ran back frantically, knelt on one knee ten steps outside Yuan Zhen, and said loudly: "Report, hundred commander Yuan Chong inside Long Men Inn is dead, the entire army is annihilated."

Hearing the four characters Long Men Inn, the shopkeeper suddenly turned back to look over, no longer concerned about the gaze that had peeked at him earlier!

Yuan Zhen lightly waved his hand towards the back. The near guard camp immediately made a path, allowing the shopkeeper to approach within ten steps to answer!

Yuan Zhen did not look at the shopkeeper, only keeping his gaze forward, and calmly asked: "I sent Yuan Chong after receiving your news. Now Yuan Chong is dead. What is your explanation?"

As he spoke, the near guard camp beside the shopkeeper suddenly caused a disturbance. Five or six people grabbed his arm and forcefully pressed him down to his knees!

The shopkeeper raised his head and said loudly: "Reply, Great Commander. This humble job only reported earlier that there were Feather Lin Army guards inside the inn, and there was still a Search Dao Realm Feather Lin Army commander beside the Crown Prince! Now the Crown Prince is also here. You can confront him face to face!"

Yuan Zhen nodded, and again waved his hand towards the back without turning his head. The near guard camp immediately had people press the Crown Prince and others forward!

All the way, Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia struggled hard, but it was no use!

The crowd stopped ten steps outside Yuan Zhen. They only heard Yuan Zhen ask: "I ask, you answer. Those who can answer well can live!"

Chen Wen Xiao quickly opened his mouth: "Great Commander, I will answer."

Yuan Zhen slightly hooked up the corners of his mouth: "You all may have encountered my Tian Ce Army vanguard camp in the inn."

Chen Wen Xiao nodded like pounding garlic: "We encountered them. They killed their way out from the inn's secret passage and killed all the dozens of Feather Lin Army who were left to guard inside the inn! We were blocked on the floor and almost died!"

Yuan Zhen turned his head: "Since you encountered them, why are your clothes clean and dry, without even a drop of blood? How did you escape to Tao Hua Fang?"

Chen Wen Xiao explained: "At that time, it was Chen..."

Before he could finish, Chen Wen Zong struggled like a madman: "Shut up, beast."

Yuan Zhen laughed heartily: "Who is this person?"

Chen Wen Xiao lowered his head and avoided Chen Wen Zong's gaze: "This is my direct elder brother and commander, Chen Wen Zong!"

Yuan Zhen waved his hand: "Block this fellow's mouth, you continue talking!"

However, just at this moment, Xiao Man said loudly: "I'll tell you."

Yuan Zhen asked with a smile: "Oh, and who are you?"

Xiao Man struggled forward two steps: "I am the Chen family maid. As long as you give me a way to live, I'll say anything..."

Before her words fell, Xiao Man suddenly broke free from the near guard camp beside her and struck towards Chen Wen Xiao's temple with one palm!

This palm had the momentum of wind and thunder, but it barely stopped before Chen Wen Xiao's temple, being grabbed by a rough hand!

A tall and sturdy black shadow covered Xiao Man. She raised her head in astonishment and looked over. It was a thousand commander beside Yuan Zhen who had appeared like a ghost and blocked her!

The thousand commander sneered: "You dare to play such small tricks in front of the Great Commander? You're seeking death!"

Yuan Zhen said indifferently: "No harm. It's better to have someone dead block him. What he says is more credible. Moreover, let him continue speaking!"

Chen Wen Xiao said: "My Chen family bastard son, Chen Ji, blocked the stairs at that time, preventing your vanguard camp from going upstairs to catch the Crown Prince. Then, while we were hiding on the inn's roof waiting to come down, he and this little maid had already killed all the vanguard camp."

Yuan Zhen couldn't help but be startled: "They were all killed by those two?"

He looked coldly at the shopkeeper: "Why didn't you mention these two people?"

But Yuan Zhen found that the shopkeeper was also stunned in place, just muttering: "I personally saw him go out the door in the early morning. How could he have been inside the inn..."

Chen Wen Xiao added from the side: "Reply, Great Commander. That bastard younger brother of mine did go out the door in the morning and only came back after the border army opened the city gate!"

Yuan Zhen grunted and said to the shopkeeper with a cold laugh: "Even if he went out the door, you should have reported it all. Tell me, why did you know but not report?"

But the shopkeeper ignored him and instead looked at Chen Wen Xiao: "Chen Ji, eh? Why isn't he among you all?"

Chen Wen Xiao said in astonishment: "He left after putting us in the cellar. I don't know where he went!"

The shopkeeper lowered his eyelids, then knelt on the ground and crawled forward to Yuan Zhen, saying: "Great Commander, it is this humble job's incompetence in handling matters, leaking such key news. I am willing to accept punishment!"

When the shopkeeper was only seven steps away from Yuan Zhen, he suddenly exploded, pouncing towards Yuan Zhen!

Yuan Zhen's face did not change, and he looked coldly at the shopkeeper getting closer and closer. The near guard camp in front of him layered up into a human wall. The thousand commander who had caught Xiao Man also kicked Xiao Man away and flashed back to defend!

The shopkeeper and the thousand commander clashed like thunder. A fierce wind swirled around the two, blowing so hard that people could barely open their eyes!