Chapter 499: Deliberately Setting Up A Deceptive Front |
The honor guard exited the city through Desheng Gate, heading all the way toward Changping County. Departing in the early morning and arriving at dusk, this was the most suitable place to settle down for the night.
The long, rammed-earth official road stretched all the way to the north. With no mountains on either side, it could be seen at a single glance.
Chen Ji rode his horse at the very front. The Whale Blade and Stiff Bow rested horizontally across the saddle, while the quiver at his waist bounced up and down with the jolting of the horseback.
Behind him, the Feather Forest Army firmly guarded the carriage. Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo flanked the carriage on horseback, keeping pace with it. They had no intention of paying attention to the Crown Prince in the slightest.
Several times, the Crown Prince attempted to insert himself into the Feather Forest Army's formation, but he was blocked tightly every time, seeming like a passerby drifting outside the honor guard.
He examined the knife-carved jawlines of the Feather Forest Army. Today, even Qi Zhenzhuo's face possessed a measure of unprecedented fortitude and forbearance.
Looking left and right, seeing that he persistently couldn't cut into the Feather Forest Army's formation, the Crown Prince finally stopped struggling.
It wasn't until dusk, when he saw the silhouette of Changping County appear on the horizon, that he finally spurred his horse forward. Sighing softly beside Chen Ji, he said: "Lord Chen is impressive. We are ashamed of Our inferiority."
Chen Ji said casually: "Where do Your Highness's words come from?"
Chen Ji said calmly: "Your Highness has misunderstood. It is that they themselves harbor ambition. It has little to do with this humble one."
The Crown Prince smiled: "As the saying goes, A Weak Soldier Is Just One, A Weak General Ruins The Whole Unit. Whatever the leader is like, the soldiers will learn to become like that. Since ancient times, leading troops into battle has always been like this. Lord Chen has no need to be overly modest."
Chen Ji suddenly sighed with emotion: "Sometimes this humble one feels that Your Highness is very impressive. Impressive to the point where, no matter when, you can show neither joy nor anger. Even if you and I were to tear off all pretense this very moment, you could still glom onto me again, attempting to reconcile with this humble one."
The Crown Prince said warmly: "What does this count for? As the heir apparent, one must exercise forbearance from an early age. One cannot be too outstanding, lest they be feared and guarded against by Imperial Father; nor can one be lackluster, lest they be loathed and discarded by Imperial Father. One must endure their feelings of reverence and longing for their parents, because the other party does not have them in their heart. One must also endure their disgust toward a certain person, because the other party is still useful. Sometimes, even though one knows clearly that there are spies planted by others in Zhongcui Palace, one must still endure it and pretend not to know. We have grown up exercising forbearance like this since childhood; We are used to it."
Chen Ji remained expressionless: "Why is Your Highness telling me these things?"
The Crown Prince abruptly changed the subject: "Lord Chen, We know there is no longer any room for maneuver between you and Us. But today, We will not discuss old ties with you. How about discussing interests with you?"
Chen Ji smiled and asked: "What can Your Highness give this humble one?"
The Crown Prince pondered for a moment: "If Lord Chen and the Chen Family can lend Us a helping hand, We can promise the Chen Family a Duke with Perpetual Inheritance. Lord Chen, our Ning Dynasty hasn't produced a Duke of a different surname in a hundred years."
Chen Ji let out a laugh, no longer concealing himself: "A Duke title is tempting, but it is not what this humble one desires. With Your Highness's sinister and cruel nature, the day you ascend the throne will be the day this humble one is purged. Moreover, to this day Your Highness still does not understand a certain principle."
The Crown Prince was puzzled: "What principle?"
Chen Ji said earnestly: "Has Your Highness always believed that I privately instructed the Feather Forest Army to isolate Your Highness? That is not the case. This humble one has never said anything. All this today is nothing more than Your Highness bringing trouble upon yourself. Your Highness, the Feather Forest Army had several dozen brothers die outside Chongli Pass. Zhou Chong and Zhou Li protected you comprehensively while in Guyuan, but they died in battle outside Chongli Pass. After their corpses were transported back to Capital City, did you ever go to offer condolences? They are being buried tomorrow; do you know where they are buried?"
The Crown Prince said softly: "We have been kept under house arrest in Zhongcui Palace the entire time, unable to offer condolences."
Chen Ji continued: "When the Feather Forest Army returned to the capital, no one spoke a word for them. Everyone cursed them as Treacherous Villains who colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. They weren't even permitted to walk through Anding Gate. If there were any other possibility, I wouldn't wish for them to walk this road again. Because by walking it again, they will be cursed by people again. But because of your selfish desires, they are unable to personally watch their comrades-in-arms be buried. Without even taking a breath of rest, they have to set out on another military expedition."
The Crown Prince was Dumbfounded and Speechless.
At this time, the Changping County gate was right before their eyes. Raucous curses and discussions drifted out from the city gate. It seemed someone had spread the news that the honor guard would be passing through here, to the point that the commoners of Changping were all keeping watch before the city gates, waiting to curse them to vent their anger.
Chen Ji looked at the Crown Prince and said with a smile: "Your Highness, I can endure cursing very well. I hope you can too."
...
Before the honor guard entered the Changping County city gates, Chen Ji spurred his horse to Li Xuan's side and instructed in a low voice: "Someone is intentionally creating chaos. They probably want to take advantage of the chaos to do something. Be careful in all matters once we enter Changping County."
Li Xuan nodded: "Understood."
Chen Ji rode his horse taking the lead into Changping County. Seeing them enter, the commoners in the city consecutively cast their gazes over.
He saw several people among the commoners whose gazes swept over, then quickly averted them and left in a hurry. There were also a few people whose gazes remained fixed on them from beginning to end, their eyes revealing hatred.
Chen Ji couldn't distinguish whether these people were assassins coming to kill the Jing Dynasty envoy, or if they had heard the stories in the teahouses and treated them as Treacherous Villains who colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. He just felt that whoever he looked at resembled an assassin.
Some commoners followed the honor guard forward, shouting loudly: "Treacherous Villains! Colluding with the enemy and betraying the country!"
Gradually, someone discovered that the Feather Forest Army did not talk back when cursed. Someone actually probed by taking out an egg and throwing it at the carriage. Quick-eyed and deft-handed, Li Xuan caught the egg in his hand, staring at it with a complicated look.
Chen Ji pointed at the Crown Prince and loudly berated the commoners: "The Crown Prince is here! Do not be insolent!"
Following his finger, the commoners looked over and instantly vented their raging fury in that direction.
The currently surviving Feather Forest Army were practically all Xiantian Stage Practitioners. They wouldn't get hit by an egg. The Crown Prince alone was not a Practitioner. When the eggs were thrown over, he fundamentally couldn't dodge. He could only let the eggs smash against his body, looking exceptionally wretched.
No one blocked them for him.
Some Feather Forest Army soldiers wanted to argue with the commoners, but Li Xuan merely commanded in a deep voice: "Keep careful watch. Do not stop."
The honor guard headed straight for the Changping Relay Station. Chen Ji kept his hand pressed onto the hilt of the Whale Blade. Yet until they stopped before the doors of the Relay Station, he didn't see anyone make a move.
Li Xuan handed the reins to Qi Zhenzhuo: "Send the horses to the stables. Make sure to look after them well. Don't let someone cast poison and poison all our warhorses to death."
Qi Zhenzhuo complied: "I'll take some men to sleep in the stables tonight."
Li Xuan nodded: "Go."
When the Feather Forest Army had sealed off the perimeter of the Changping Relay Station, Chen Ji finally pulled open the carriage curtain and told Princess Liyang: "Alight from the carriage. Rest a moment in the main hall. Wait for us to thoroughly search the Changping Relay Station before assigning rooms."
Princess Liyang donned a veiled hat of white gauze, obscuring the features behind the veil. Supporting Yuan Cheng, whose head wore a black cloth sack, she slowly alighted from the carriage.
The Crown Prince was astonished. He hadn't expected that after a whole day, Yuan Cheng's head was actually still covered. One must know that at this time, Yuan Cheng was no longer a prisoner; there was fundamentally no need to cover his head.
Chen Ji's gaze swept over the crowd on the periphery. Leading Princess Liyang into the main hall, he found a table and sat down.
An Official of the Changping Relay Station moved forward and respectfully stated: "Lord, meals and hot water are prepared in the relay station. The dishes include Braised Tofu, small lamb ribs..."
Chen Ji shook his head: "No need. We brought our own."
With that, the Crown Prince watched the Feather Forest Army unfasten the knapsacks on their shoulders. Forgoing the relay station's lamb ribs, they instead took out cold scallion pancakes one by one from inside to distribute. The Feather Forest Army silently bit into the pancakes, tearing off pieces, and silently chewed.
There were also Feather Forest Army soldiers taking out water bladders and passing them to each other to drink. Not even Princess Liyang was an exception. Receiving the water bladder, she drank; receiving the pancake, she ate. Not squeamish in the slightest.
Looking at the egg whites hanging on his body, the Crown Prince prepared to receive a pancake. However, when Duo Bao, who was passing out the pancakes, reached the Crown Prince, he turned around and walked away.
Seeing this, the Relay Station Master hastily came before the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, this lowly one will serve you some food."
The Crown Prince took a deep breath: "No need. We are not hungry yet."
No one dared to eat the meals on the road. All food of unknown origin might contain poison.
Heading to Chongli Pass, riding a carriage would take at least ten-odd days. With no food, no clean water, and having to face the undercurrents forming surging assassinations, the Crown Prince did not know how he was supposed to endure until Chongli Pass.
He suddenly pointed at Yuan Cheng and said: "This person is not Yuan Cheng. Am I right or wrong?"
Chen Ji cast a glance at him: "What nonsense is Your Highness babbling? If this person isn't Yuan Cheng, who could it be?"
The Crown Prince said in a deep voice: "Lord Chen is truly too careless of his own life. You want to use yourself to draw away the assassinations so that the real Yuan Cheng can leave. Otherwise, why does he not take off his hood?"
Chen Ji calmly said: "Because this person is the Jing Dynasty Privy Councilor. He cannot be allowed to overview our dynasty's official roads and the layout of our mountains and rivers, lest he return to the Jing Dynasty and draft a Topographic Map. Not only that, even his ears must be plugged."
The Crown Prince didn't believe it: "Now that we are already in the relay station, there is no longer a need to guard against his reconnaissance of our dynasty's terrain. His hood can be removed to eat something."
The Feather Forest Army and the relay station Officials simultaneously looked at Chen Ji.
Chen Ji sat unmoving. Holding a pancake in his hand, he fixed his gaze on the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, returning Yuan Cheng is where our duty lies. Do not concern yourself with how he is returned. As long as he is returned, it is fine. Does Your Highness actually worry about being implicated by Yuan Cheng and dying on the road, which is why you must expose this matter? That is somewhat too selfish of you."
The Crown Prince knew that only if the assassins realized this wasn't the real Yuan Cheng would they shift their gazes back to Capital City. Only like this would he have any hope of returning alive.
Chen Ji said calmly: "Duo Bao, escort all the relay station Officials into the main hall and guard them. Tonight, no one is permitted to leave the Changping Relay Station. Tomorrow, after we leave, you take some men and stay behind to guard the relay station. Wait for us to return from Chongli Pass."
Duo Bao cupped his fists: "Yes."
The Crown Prince stated in a deep voice: "Just now, when Yuan Cheng alighted from the carriage wearing a hood, his appearance had already been seen by the spectating commoners. What We can see, others will definitely also be able to see. Lord Chen is merely being too clever by half. For Yuan Cheng's sake, how could you gamble the life of a kingdom's heir apparent?"
Chen Ji looked up at the Crown Prince: "Your Highness has no need to rack your brains trying to preserve your life. On this trip, you and I will live or die together; there is no side-stepping it. Returning to the capital alive means you are lucky. If you die on the road, don't blame others... Your life is not necessarily more valuable than Yuan Cheng's."
(End of this chapter)