"Has Prince An come up with a strategy to counter the enemy?" Dongfang Heng's sharp eyes flashed with a cold light, as if he had victory in his grasp, and the Prince of Yunnan couldn't help but ask.
"The plan is already taking shape!" When Dongfang Heng arrived at the border, he secretly sent his guards ahead to investigate the strength of the Southern Frontier army. Before entering the Yunnan King's camp, the guards had already told him all the information they had gathered. Combined with the information obtained from the Yunnan King, the general plan to defeat the enemy had been finalized.
The King of Yunnan and several border generals in the camp were overjoyed: "May I ask what the Prince of An's plan is?" They had been trapped in the city for many days due to the poison of the Southern Frontier, feeling ashamed and frustrated. Now that the Prince of An had come up with a good plan to fight the enemy, they were able to fight with high morale and wipe away their shame. They were happy and excited and couldn't wait to hear the plan.
"My plan is a surprise attack!" Dongfang Heng said slowly amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd.
The so-called ambush was not a sneak attack by the Qingyan army on the soldiers of the Southern Frontier, but rather the selection of several skilled generals and soldiers to secretly infiltrate the Southern Frontier army camp under the cover of night, find the person who controlled the Gu, and kill him.
When two armies clash, the Gu used must be at least intermediate-level Gu in order to control multiple people at the same time. The Southern Frontier is rich in Gu, but there are not many people who can control powerful intermediate-level Gu. There is only one in the entire Southern Frontier army camp. If we kill him, the Qingyan army will have no more worries and can crush this Southern Frontier city in one fell swoop.
Of course, if this intermediate-level Gu master dies, the Southern Frontier will send another one. However, that will take time. By the time the intermediate-level Gu master arrives at the border, the cities of the Southern Frontier will have been razed to the ground. No matter how powerful he is, it will be of no use.
Speed is of the essence in war. After devising a plan, Dongfang Heng immediately perfected it. Two hours later, he had completed the draft plan flawlessly. Having experienced countless battles in Subei, he knew that a sneak attack required surprise. He arrived at the military camp ahead of time with a few soldiers. The rest of the Qingyan reinforcements would not arrive until tomorrow. Therefore, the people of Nanjiang did not know that he had arrived at the military camp and would not be on guard. This gave him a great opportunity to launch a sneak attack.
As night fell, when it was pitch black, the Azure Flame assassins sent by Dongfang Heng silently infiltrated the gates of Nanjiang City under the cover of darkness, hiding behind large trees to quietly observe the situation in Nanjiang City.
Lanterns lit up the city gate, illuminating it as bright as day. On the city walls, squads of guards, swords in hand, patrolled back and forth with high spirits, making the city impenetrable. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, it was virtually impossible to sneak into the city undetected...
"Clatter!" A slight sound came from the patrolling guards, who were startled and shouted, "Who goes there?" They drew their swords and rushed towards the direction from which the sound came.
There was a brief moment of chaos above the city gate of Southern Xinjiang. The Azure Flame Death Warriors exchanged glances and, taking advantage of the gap, quickly slipped into the city, avoiding the visible and hidden sentries on the city gate.
The border between Southern Xinjiang and Qingyan is made up of cities, which are like small towns. They are quite prosperous, with both high-rise buildings and flat houses. The assassins walk quickly on the rooftops as if they were on flat ground, and their footsteps are so light that they are almost inaudible.
Dongfang Heng's secret guards had already found out that the person who controlled the Gu was staying in an inn in the center of the city, and the purpose of the assassins' trip was to find a private room on the third floor of that inn.
Qingyan, the war in the southern border was intense, and many guards were patrolling back and forth in the city, but the secret guards easily bypassed them and went straight into that private room.
The private room was very clean, with a cashmere carpet on the floor, soft and of considerable value. The walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, and a faint fragrance wafted from the corner, fresh and natural, showcasing the owner's exceptional taste. A tall, handsome man in white sat by the window playing the zither, his movements graceful and elegant, the music melodious and captivating.
He is the Gu Master! The attire of the people of Southern Xinjiang is based on rank. The assassins saw the pattern on the white-clad man from the side and knew that he was the Gu Master they were looking for. They exchanged glances, their eyes turned cold, and they stabbed the man with their daggers.
If we kill him, Southern Xinjiang will lose its advantage, and the Azure Flame Army will be able to crush the cities of Southern Xinjiang and wipe away the shame of their previous betrayal by Gu.
The moment the dagger pierced the white-robed man, the beautiful music suddenly stopped. White robes fluttered gracefully before them, carrying a faint fragrance. The white figure sitting by the window had vanished, and a cold, mocking voice sounded from behind: "You really came. This prince has been waiting for you for a long time."
The assassins were startled and hurriedly turned around to look. The man in white stood in front of the carved bed, looking at them with a cold smile.
Oh no! He knew they would come to kill him, and he was waiting for them. There must be an ambush here; they've fallen into his trap.
The guards realized something was wrong and tried to escape, but it was too late. The tightly closed door suddenly opened, and a large number of Southern Border guards in armor and wielding longswords rushed in and surrounded the assassins.
"You few alone cannot kill this prince." The man in white coldly looked at the assassins, his sharp eyes full of mockery.
The assassins were specially trained and had a stronger will than ordinary people. Surrounded by so many Southern Border guards, they still refused to lose face. Since they were going to die anyway, they were ready to fight to the death. Just as they were preparing to fight the Southern Border guards to the death, a cold voice rang out first: "If I were to join the fight, would we have any chance of winning?"
The slightly closed window suddenly opened, and a tall, slender figure floated in. Her white robes drew graceful arcs in the air before she landed steadily in front of the man in white. She looked at him calmly, her obsidian-like eyes like a deep, unfathomable pool.
"Prince An!" one of the assassins exclaimed in surprise. When did he infiltrate the southern border city? How come they didn't know?
Looking at Dongfang Heng's cold face and arrogant gaze, the assassins couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Prince An had arrived; he was the invincible legend in their hearts.
Then a deep sense of worry welled up inside them. The guards of the Southern Frontier were not to be feared, but there was a master of Gu poison here. As long as he made a move, they would be ambushed and forced to kill each other against their will. No matter how high their martial arts skills were, they would not be able to escape.
Prince An was outside when he saw the perilous situation inside. With his martial arts skills, he could have easily escaped without alerting anyone. Why didn't he leave, but instead jumped into the trap himself?
"Dongfang Heng, Prince An." The white-clad man from Southern Xinjiang looked at Dongfang Heng, his gaze as cold as ice, causing the assassins to shiver involuntarily.
Prince An has fought countless battles and made numerous merits. The man in white must know his reputation. Prince An has infiltrated the city of Southern Border alone, which is the perfect opportunity to eliminate him. The Gu practitioners of Southern Border will not let this opportunity pass easily. Prince An is in danger. What should we do?
While the assassins worried about Dongfang Heng, the emperor was also concerned. Dongfang Heng had led his troops away from the capital for dozens of days, and had only written a few letters of reassurance. He had not written a single letter about the condition of the Prince of Yunnan, the situation at the border, or how the Gu poison in the southern border was being dealt with.
The emperor looked at the memorials on his desk, feeling inexplicably irritated. Qingyan, what was the situation of the war in the southern border? Why hadn't Dongfang Heng sent a single battle report? Whether they had won or lost, he should at least give a definite answer so that the civil and military officials would have a clear understanding. But he hadn't sent a single word, making everyone anxious.
"Your Majesty, Prince Nangong requests an audience!" The eunuch's distinctive high-pitched voice rang out from outside the door. The emperor was slightly taken aback. Hadn't Nangong Xiao gone to the border with Dongfang Heng? Why was he back? Could he be here to deliver a love letter? A battle report delivered by the guards would have sufficed; why was Nangong Xiao bringing it personally?
The emperor had many questions that urgently needed answers, and he said in a deep voice, "Summon them!"
The slightly closed door was pushed open, and Nangong Xiao, dressed in an indigo robe, walked in slowly. Perhaps due to the rush, there was a layer of dust on the hem of his clothes. His devilishly handsome face was so beautiful that it was hard to look away, but his beautiful peach blossom eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness and solemnity: "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."
"Rise." The Emperor looked at Nangong Xiao indifferently: "Is Prince Nangong from Qingyan, the southern border?"
"Your Majesty, yes and no!" Nangong Xiao's ambiguous answer caused the emperor to frown deeply: "What do you mean by that, Prince Nangong?"
"Your Majesty did indeed go to the border, but I did not stay. Instead, I went to Xiliang instead." Nangong Xiao said softly, his tone low. The emperor frowned again in confusion: "What did you go to Xiliang for?" Nangong Xiao had been living in the capital for a long time and had little contact with the people of Xiliang. Why would he suddenly have the idea to go to Xiliang when the Qingyan War was raging in the southern border?
"Go and investigate some suspicious people and events." Nangong Xiao took out a paper package from his sleeve and respectfully presented it: "The results of my investigation are all in here. Please take a look, Your Majesty."
What's this?
The emperor took the paper package with a puzzled look, unwrapped it, and revealed a very beautiful silk scarf. It was a familiar light blue color, with a golden magnolia flower blooming in full bloom at the corner. It deeply stung his eyes, and he was so shocked that he could hardly breathe: "This is... Consort Li's favorite silk scarf. When she passed away, I personally put it on her. How did it end up in your hands?"
The imperial tombs are guarded by special personnel, so it's impossible for Nangong Xiao to dig up the grave and take the silk scarf without their knowledge.
"Your Majesty, this silk scarf was obtained by this humble subject from Consort Shu of the Western Liang Kingdom." Nangong Xiao raised his eyes to look at the emperor, emphasizing the words "Consort Shu of the Western Liang Kingdom," silently conveying the message to the emperor.
"Consort Shu of Xiliang? Isn't that Ye Qianmei's mother!" The Emperor frowned deeply: How could she have Consort Li's silk handkerchief? Could it be that she...
"She is Prince Zhan's biological mother, and also Ye Qianmei's mother. In other words, Ye Qianmei and Prince Zhan are half-siblings, sharing the same mother but different fathers." Nangong Xiao ruthlessly revealed the cruelest truth, shocking the emperor so much that he slammed his fist on the table and stood up, roaring angrily, nearly losing his composure.
"How is this possible? I personally witnessed Consort Li breathe her last and be sealed in her coffin back then. How could she possibly come back to life and become a favored concubine of Xiliang?"
"Your Majesty, I have found some more evidence in Xiliang. Please take a look." Nangong Xiao handed over several more items: exquisite headdress, Huasheng hair ornaments, beautiful earrings, and beaded necklaces. These items were not what Consort Li wore when she was buried, but they were her favorites. Each item was unique in the world, one of a kind.
After Consort Li passed away, her palace was indirectly sealed off. Apart from the Emperor and Dongfang Zhan, no one else could enter. It was even more impossible for Nangong Xiao to sneak in and steal anything. But at this moment, her belongings appeared in Nangong Xiao's hands, and they were even brought back from Xiliang. It was truly shocking.
The only explanation is that Li Shishi really didn't die back then. She was taken to Xiliang and became the emperor's favorite concubine, living a very comfortable and prosperous life.