"You were already prepared to go to the border." Nangong Xiao was both angry and furious. Dongfang Yu'er had made up her mind to leave, and she had just been playing him for a fool.
“The capital is very peaceful, there’s nothing to do. I’m planning to go to the border with my cousin Heng. Since you’re also going to the border, let’s go together.” Dongfang Yu’er’s eyes sparkled, looking like she had succeeded in her scheme.
"Does Prince Huai know you're going to the border?" If Dongfang Yu'er were a man, Nangong Xiao would have agreed to take her to the border for training, but she is a woman. Could she endure the hardships of the border?
“I left a letter at home. After dark, my personal maid will bring the letter to my father and mother, and they will know that I have gone to the border.”
Last year, Dongfang Yu'er spent half a year in Subei Border. After returning, she underwent a transformation in personality, temperament, and temperament. Her parents praised her highly. This time, she will experience some strange people and things in southern Xinjiang. When she returns, her parents will not only not scold her, but will praise her even more.
"Dongfang Heng is almost out of sight, let's hurry up and get on our horses." Dongfang Yu'er was determined to go to the border. Nangong Xiao couldn't persuade her and was too lazy to waste time trying to convince her. He gripped the reins, mounted his horse, and chased after Dongfang Heng.
Dongfang Yu'er was not to be outdone. She pushed off with her toes, mounted her horse, and chased after Nangong Xiao with the reins in hand. Her bright red clothes fluttered lightly in the air, flamboyant and grand.
Two plumes of smoke rose again on the official road, which had just calmed down. Dongfang Zhan watched the two men galloping one after the other, a cold smile playing on his lips.
Nangong Xiao and Dongfang Yu'er are also heading to the border. It seems the border will be quite lively. In the Southern Frontier, Qingyan is going head-to-head with neither side able to suppress the other. Once they go to the Southern Frontier, they won't be able to return to the capital for a while. The capital will become his domain, and he can do whatever he wants without any scruples. Of course, he has to keep some of his actions a secret from the emperor.
Speaking of the emperor, Dongfang Zhan thought of the person waiting for him to return to the imperial study to report back. The cold smile on his lips deepened. His gaze swept over the place where Shen Lixue was. Her figure was gone, leaving only an empty space. She was eight months pregnant and should not be exposed to the wind. She must have returned to the Holy Prince's Mansion. He also had to go to the palace to report back to the emperor.
As Dongfang Zhan had expected, the emperor was sitting in the imperial study, reading memorials and waiting for him. After the eunuch announced his arrival, he pushed open the door and entered. The emperor put down the memorials and looked up at him: "Dongfang Heng is gone?"
"The army has already set off, departing at three quarters past noon without any delay," Dongfang Zhan, as the supervising officer, truthfully reported what had happened in the square.
"As the Prince of Qingyan, he has long served on the battlefield and is known for his strict military discipline. Naturally, his time is also impeccable." When mentioning Dongfang Heng, the emperor's clear eyes showed undisguised admiration.
"Prince An's military strategy is divine, and with the assistance of Prince Nangong and Yu'er, he is like a tiger with wings. Defeating the Southern Frontier is just around the corner." Dongfang Zhan smiled and echoed the emperor's words, a cold glint flashing in his sharp eyes.
"What did you say? Nangong Xiao also went to the border?" The emperor's expression changed slightly. Nangong Xiao was a hostage being held in the capital. How could he be running around without his permission?
"Father, don't you know about this?" Dongfang Zhan asked with surprise, feigning doubt. "Your subject thought that you sent him to the border with Prince An."
As a hostage, Nangong Xiao's unauthorized departure from the capital is a capital offense of disobeying the emperor's will. Being brought back to the capital would definitely mean certain death. He and Dongfang Heng are on the same side. If he dies, Dongfang Heng will lose one more ally, bringing him one step closer to the success of his plan.
"You just said that Yu'er and Nangong Xiao are together?" In his anger, the emperor recalled another statement made by Dongfang Zhan.
"Yes." Dongfang Zhan didn't understand why the emperor would ask such a question. He subconsciously nodded, a bad premonition rising in his heart. Would his father let Nangong Xiao go because of Yu'er?
As expected, Dongfang Zhan's guess was correct. After receiving his affirmative answer, the emperor's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "Young people should indeed go to the border to gain experience. With Yu'er watching over him, Nangong Xiao won't be able to pull any tricks..."
"Father isn't going to pursue the crime of Nangong Xiao leaving the capital without permission?" Dongfang Zhan's deep voice carried a hint of gritted teeth. If he had known the emperor wouldn't kill Nangong Xiao, he should have executed him on the spot when Nangong Xiao fled the capital.
Dongfang Zhan's emotions were well hidden, and the emperor did not notice them: "The Prince of Yunnan worked hard for the country and was seriously injured by the people of the Southern Frontier at the border. As his son, it is perfectly reasonable for Nangong Xiao to go and visit him. After the matter in the Southern Frontier is resolved, Nangong Xiao will take the initiative to apologize to me, and I will not pursue these trivial matters."
The fact that the King of Yunnan was seriously injured and that his son, Nangong Xiao, was extremely anxious shows that he has feelings for his father. This makes it easier for them to manipulate Nangong Xiao and control the King of Yunnan, which is a good thing.
Furthermore, Yu'er and Nangong Xiao never got along in the capital. Every time they met, they would either have a small argument or a big fight. If the two of them traveled south together, they could cultivate their feelings for each other. Perhaps after they returned to the capital, they would both have developed feelings for each other and get married immediately. If the royal family and the Yunnan Prince's Mansion formed a marriage alliance, they would not have to worry about the Yunnan Prince's Mansion rebelling again.
"Cough cough cough!" The emperor's throat suddenly became dry, and he couldn't help but cough a few times. Dongfang Zhan hurriedly poured a cup of tea and handed it to him: "Father, please have some tea."
The emperor took the teacup, took a small sip, and felt the delicate aroma of tea fill his mouth, making his throat feel much more soothed. "Zhan'er, the war between the Southern Frontier and Qingyan is no small matter. If we win, Qingyan will soon become a powerful nation in the world; if we lose, Qingyan will lose half of its territory. Even though we are far from the border, we must keep a close eye on the military developments there..."
"Your subject understands." Dongfang Zhan listened attentively to the emperor's instructions with polite humility.
“Prince An is invincible and a war god who never admits defeat on the battlefield. If he were to fight against Xiliang or Subei, I would have no doubt that he would be the final winner. But his next opponent is Nanjiang, and I have to worry about him…” Thinking of the unfathomable Gu poison of Nanjiang, the emperor could only shake his head and sigh. The people of Nanjiang are mysterious and unpredictable, and their Gu techniques are so sophisticated that they are impossible to guard against.
Dongfang Zhan smiled gently and comforted him, "Father, there is no need to worry. Prince An is the God of War of the Azure Flame. He never fights a battle he is not sure of winning. Before he fights against the Southern Frontier, he will definitely find out the strength and weakness of the Southern Frontier and investigate the poisons and Gu they use. As long as we treat the symptoms, the Southern Frontier will surely be defeated."
"You have so much confidence in Dongfang Heng?" The emperor's lips curled slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips. His son and Dongfang Heng were mortal enemies, so why was he suddenly speaking up for Dongfang Heng?
"He is the God of War of Azure Flame. He is very good at finding people's weaknesses. Dealing with Subei and Xiliang is easy for him, and the same goes for dealing with Nanjiang."
Dongfang Zhan was well aware of the power of the Gu poison in the Southern Frontier. He praised Dongfang Heng to the skies, making the emperor place high hopes on him. If Dongfang Heng won the war, all would be well, but if he lost, the emperor's expression would be very unpleasant, and he would definitely not let Dongfang Heng off easily.
If Dongfang Heng were to arrive at the border and engage in direct combat with the Southern Frontier, he would certainly not gain any advantage. However, if he were to use a sneak attack to catch them off guard, there might be a chance for things to turn around.
As Dongfang Zhan had expected, when Dongfang Heng arrived at the border, he first went to see the King of Yunnan. He had been slashed dozens of times and was covered in wounds. Fortunately, none of the wounds were fatal. With the careful treatment of the military doctor, his injuries had improved a lot and he was no longer in danger of dying. His pale complexion had also improved slightly, and he was in relatively good spirits.
"I am new to the Southern Frontier and am not very familiar with its military formations and marching tactics. If there is anything I do not understand, I would appreciate it if the King of Yunnan could enlighten me." Dongfang Heng's face was stern, and his calm voice carried a sharp edge.
“If you have any questions, please speak freely. I will tell you everything I know.” The Prince of Yunnan was seriously injured and could not return to the battlefield for a while. The Southern Frontier was watching them closely, and there could be no slackening of vigilance. Dongfang Heng was a war god who had made great achievements. The Prince of Yunnan was very relieved to entrust him with the task of resisting the invasion of the Southern Frontier.
"What kind of poison did the soldiers suffer from when the King of Yunnan fought against the Southern Frontier?" As he entered the military camp, Dongfang Heng saw many soldiers missing limbs. Some even had their chests and backs torn in pieces, a bloody mess, a truly gruesome sight. If it were a one-on-one fight, it would never be this tragic. The Southern Frontier must have used a very powerful poison.
"According to the military doctor, it is a mind-controlling poison. Once the soldiers are infected, they go berserk, cannot distinguish friend from foe, and will beat and kill anyone they capture. Many of our soldiers have died at the hands of their own people."
Thinking of the tragedy, the King of Yunnan shook his head and sighed. The Southern Frontier did not lose a single soldier; they only released some Gu poison, which caused his soldiers to kill each other. It was truly a bloodbath with corpses everywhere. Fortunately, they fought hard and broke through the encirclement. Otherwise, he and several brave generals would have died at the hands of the Southern Frontier people.
"Who are the people in Southern Xinjiang responsible for releasing the Gu?" Although the people of Southern Xinjiang are proficient in Gu techniques, not everyone is a Gu master. For example, the Bewitching Gu is a mid-level Gu, and very few soldiers know how to use it. They also have to be distracted by the enemy, making it very difficult to control. When the two armies are facing each other, there should be specialized experts responsible for releasing the Gu.
After the soldiers were poisoned by the Gu, the scene was chaotic. The King of Yunnan was only focused on fighting and did not pay much attention to the movements of the people from the Southern Frontier. When Dongfang Heng asked him this question, he vaguely remembered: "It was a young man who was controlling the Gu poison."
"A young man?" Dongfang Heng's gaze sharpened. "What does he look like?"
The King of Yunnan frowned, recalling carefully: "I was far away at the time, and the scene was chaotic, so I didn't see him very clearly. I only saw that he was wearing a white brocade robe, and there seemed to be some kind of pattern embroidered on his chest..."
"What kind of pattern is it?" The nobles of the Southern Frontier distinguished their status by the patterns on their clothes. Based on the pattern on that person's clothes, Dongfang Heng could vaguely guess his identity.
The King of Yunnan shook his head: "I didn't see it clearly. At that time, our soldiers were in chaos and killing each other. The man in white hid behind the generals of the Southern Frontier. I didn't see what the pattern looked like."
In the Southern Frontier, the soldiers of the Azure Flame stood close together, but the Gu poisons seemed to have eyes, attacking only the Azure Flame soldiers and ignoring the Southern Frontier soldiers. This showed that the white-robed man's Gu poison skills were extremely powerful, as he could distinguish friend from foe even in such a dangerous situation.
"Besides him, are there any other people in the Southern Frontier who have used Gu poison?" Dongfang Heng's eyes narrowed. Only by knowing the enemy's exact strength could he devise the most perfect plan. The number of people who used Gu poison could not be wrong, otherwise, if they fell into the trap, they would be doomed.
“There shouldn’t be any more.” The King of Yunnan frowned and pondered for a moment: “The Southern Frontier soldiers were fighting the Azure Flame soldiers, and the situation was perilous. The generals of the Southern Frontier were all in command and had no time to cast Gu. That man in white was the most relaxed; he didn’t make a single move from beginning to end. Somehow, the Gu swarmed into the Azure Flame soldiers…”
For ordinary people, such a bizarre situation was truly inconceivable. The King of Yunnan, who had seen many grand occasions, was also quite shocked by the white-robed man's mysterious methods. He was a formidable opponent. Before his injuries healed and he found a way to break the curse, he would not fight the white-robed man again. Otherwise, he would suffer a crushing defeat and lose many of his Qingyan soldiers.
Dongfang Heng lowered his eyelids. There was only one powerful Gu master, and the other soldiers of the Southern Frontier were no different from ordinary soldiers. As long as they could overwhelm them tactically, they could win this battle.