Wind rises time and space gate

Chapter 520: Follow or Not Follow
"Your Majesty!"

Lu Ye rode his horse closely in pursuit, but the King of Yue's horse was a top-grade Arabian horse. Although he and Jiang Huan were chasing closely behind, they were still a shot's length away from him.

As soon as he raised his mouth, the ashes raised by the BMW in front of him poured into his mouth.

Lu Ye turned his head and puffed a few times, then rode his horse closely after him, looking anxious.

How come the princess disappeared from the palace when she was fine? The prince and the queen must have hidden her. Who knows, the princess might have...

No, no, no, the princess will be fine.

"Your Highness!" Lu Ye and Jiang Huan rode their horses to catch up. They understood the prince's feelings. The princess was missing, and the prince must be heartbroken and unable to think.

But now Hangu Pass is at a critical juncture. If the prince leaves, won’t he be handing over the fruits of the battle to others?

Don’t you want hundreds of thousands of troops anymore?

He heard the sound of horse hooves from behind, and Lu Ye looked back while galloping, and saw that it was Zhan Qian and Meng Yan who were following them, and he became more and more anxious. Meng Yan had already joined their side, but Zhan Qian was the son of Duke Dingguo, and he would not easily take sides.

If Zhan Qian reported the prince's escape from Hangu Pass during the war to the capital, it would be difficult to remedy the situation.

He gave Jiang Huan a wink, and Jiang Huan immediately understood. He reined in his horse and turned around to stop Zhan Qian, so that Lu Ye could go forward to intercept the prince.

Lu Ye hurriedly rode his horse forward for a while, and saw that the King of Yue's horse slowed down and finally stopped there.

He heaved a sigh of relief, and hurriedly rode forward, advising: "Your Majesty, please do not be impulsive. You cannot leave Hangu Pass at this time. Send someone back to the capital to inquire about the princess's matter before making any plans."

Lu Ye felt that the prince's presence in Hangu Pass was a great opportunity. As long as it was managed properly, the 300,000 troops in Hangu Pass and the 200,000 reinforcements in the capital could be in his hands.

With 500,000 troops in hand, half of the mission is accomplished.

It would be inappropriate to leave Hangu Pass at this time.

After running for a long time, Zhao Guangyuan had calmed down. Jiang Xiang's secret letter said that Xia'er was missing in the palace. He was anxious, thinking that Xia'er had met with an accident, and in a hurry, he rode his horse to rush to the capital.

But after running all the way, his confused mind suddenly became a little clearer.

Xia'er disappeared in the abandoned Jingyang Palace!

Jingyang Palace is where Xia'er came a year ago.

Xia'er was summoned to the palace by the Queen. No matter how much the Queen imprisoned her, the Emperor would not dare to treat her badly and would not arrange her to stay in Jingyang Palace. So Xia'er could only go to Jingyang Palace by herself.

If Xia'er had gone to Jingyang Palace by herself, it would not have been the Queen and the Crown Prince's men who did it.

Then Xia'er's disappearance could only have been planned by her herself.

Xia'er must have gone back to her home. She must be with Changzhi now!
When Zhao Guangyuan thought of this, his heart began to beat. He suddenly became overjoyed from his deep sorrow, and the emotions in his heart almost made him unable to sit still. The BMW under him felt his emotions, raised its front hooves and neighed a little frantically.

Lu Ye stepped forward to help hold it. "Your Majesty?" What did Your Majesty think of?

"Send a message, have the secret guards go to the secret cabinet under the bed in the main courtyard to see if the string of ebony Buddhist beads is still there!"

Huh? Lu Ye was a little confused. But he didn't question it, "Yes, I will pass the message right away."

Although he was almost certain that Xia'er had returned to the modern world from Jingyang Palace, Zhao Guangyuan was still worried that she was hidden by the crown prince and the queen. If there was even the slightest possibility of this, he would not be able to bear it.

If the string of Buddhist beads in their inner secret room was not there, Zhao Guangyuan would be able to be sure that Xia'er had really returned.

"Go and deliver the message immediately!" Zhao Guangyuan couldn't wait a moment.

"Yes." Lu Ye loosened the reins of the horse and ran to a secluded place to deliver the message.

When Zhan Qian and others arrived, they saw a pigeon flying out of the dense forest, fluttering its wings and quickly disappearing from sight.

Zhan Qian's eyes flickered, but he remained silent. Something must have happened in the capital, which made the King of Yue disregard everything, abandon the 500,000 troops at Hangu Pass, and ride alone to the capital.

"Your Highness." Unable to stop Zhan Qian, Jiang Huan looked at King Yue with some apology.

Zhao Guangyuan glanced at the personal guards who were following behind, and Lin Jingning who was riding in the front, and winked at him. Lin Jingning nodded in understanding, and with a wave of his hand, the personal guards retreated a distance of one shot.

Zhan Qian glanced back and saw that only he, Meng Yan, Jiang Huan, and Lu Ye who had returned from the front were there. He knew that the King of Yue had something to say. He couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Your Highness, has something happened in the capital?" Zhan Qian asked first.

Zhao Guangyuan did not answer, but looked at him steadily, "Why did Prince Zhan come here on horseback to look for me?"

The unfamiliar tone of the King of Yue made Zhan Qian feel uncomfortable. "I am worried about the safety of the prince. We followed the prince out of the capital to rescue him. The 200,000-man army is still waiting for the prince to bring us back to the capital safely. Besides, the war is not over yet, and Hangu Pass cannot be without its commander."

Zhao Guangyuan has been through life and death with Zhan Qian these days, and he admires Zhan Qian's character and his actions very much.

This is a talented person. If he can be won over, he will be even more powerful.

She did not hide it from him, "Something happened in the capital. The Crown Prince and the Queen imprisoned my wife in the palace. I received a secret report that my wife suddenly disappeared in the palace. I am worried about her safety and I am anxious to return to the capital to confirm it."

Zhan Qian was shocked. The Princess of Yue was missing? Disappeared in the palace?

Is the prince so afraid of the King of Yue?

He opened his mouth and didn't know how to speak. He was stunned for a while, "But Hangu Pass..."

"The battle at Hangu Pass is still going on. As the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition, if I leave now, it will be tantamount to telling the Western Rong that there is no commander leading the troops in front of the Qi army, and the army's morale will be broken. This is tantamount to handing over the victory that we have achieved to the Western Rong." So he reined in his horse and did not move forward.

Zhan Qian nodded hurriedly, "Yes, that's right. Hangu Pass cannot be separated from the prince at this time."

"What about my wife? I led my troops all the way to Hangu Pass, and experienced life and death several times. I was about to return victorious, but the Crown Prince and the Queen imprisoned my wife and forced me to submit? To protect me? Are they afraid that I will rebel?"

With a loud bang, the word "rebellion" sounded like a lightning strike to Zhan Qian and Meng Yan who were standing beside him.

They were so frightened that they nearly fell off their horses.

How could the King of Yue just say such treasonous words so carelessly?
"Your Highness, please be careful with your words." Zhan Qian felt a little panicked and regretted chasing after him.

His family had two generations of Duke Dingguo, and he would be the Duke Dingguo again. As the third generation of Duke Zhan, there was no need for him to get involved in the fight for the throne. He admired the King of Yue and was willing to give him the greatest help when it was convenient, but when such a matter came up, his father warned him not to get involved in the fight for the throne.

I couldn't help but feel angry with the prince. The war in Hangu Pass had not yet been declared over, and the prince was being too impatient.

Moreover, even if the King of Yue took control of Hangu Pass, he still had a lot to do in the fight for the throne. Was there no way out in the capital? Was it necessary to imprison the woman the King of Yue loved?
Zhan Qian's heart was filled with turmoil. Meng Yan, who was standing by, quickly calmed down after hearing such shocking words. He jumped off his horse, knelt on one knee, and clasped his fists towards the King of Yue, "I am willing to follow the King of Yue and serve you at your service!"

Zhao Guangyuan withdrew his gaze from Zhan Qian, jumped off his horse, and personally helped Meng Yan up. "With the help of General Meng, the king is like having a wing. I am very pleased."

Meng Yan was like Boya meeting Ziqi, and he immediately grinned. "If the prince needs me, just give me orders!" He patted his chest hard a few times, "I, Meng Yan, have nothing else but my life!"

He had never seen the so-called crown prince. But when he heard that the King of Yue had summoned his wife to the palace and imprisoned her, and she had even disappeared, he, Meng Yan, was ashamed of such a crown prince.

As a tall and strong man, if you have something to say, just say it. If you can't win the argument, just fight. How can you use a woman as a bargaining chip!

This is a mean act!

Meng Yan looked down on such a crown prince. He thought the King of Yue was pretty good. He had a high status and was the legitimate son of the Empress! He was so noble! If the King of Yue rebelled, he would follow him!

Anyway, he heard the treasonous words just now, and he did not report it, so he is also an accomplice.

Yes, it's all the same. No matter what, he is already a member of the Yue King's party. From now on, he will follow the Yue King! He stood beside the Yue King with an honored look on his face.

Lu Ye and Jiang Huan looked at him with a proud look, feeling a little embarrassed, but smiled knowingly. It was a blessing for the prince to have such a brave general.

When Zhan Qian heard Meng Yan's surrender, he became more nervous. Would the King of Yue force him to express his position now?
So how should he respond?

Zhan Qian got off the horse and touched the hair on the horse's belly unconsciously, feeling a little flustered. The Yue King's wife was missing, and the Yue King was afraid that he had completely torn his face with the Crown Prince. I wonder if his father sent him a message to tell him what to do.

The King of Yue has received the news from the capital, and I'm afraid his father's letter is already on the way.

But how should he deal with it now?
Zhao Guangyuan looked at Zhan Qian again, "I will not hide it from you. I did have a purpose when I returned to the capital from the imperial mausoleum. But I did not want to take that position. I just want my brother and the Lu family to be able to overturn the verdict and redress their wrongdoings. That's enough."

Zhao Guangyuan told his plan half-truthfully.

"But now it seems that the prince has regarded me as the biggest threat. I am afraid that the assassination attempts on me were also done by the capital. Now my wife is missing again. I have to fight for it whether I want to or not."

"Your Majesty..."

"Your Zhan family is in charge of the nine camps in the capital, guarding the capital, and you have great power. This time you are accompanying me on the western expedition as the deputy commander. Before you leave, the emperor and Duke Dingguo will definitely give you many instructions, but today I want to tell you that you can return to the capital, but the 200,000 troops must stay."

"Your Majesty, you absolutely cannot do this! If you do this, you will be the enemy of the whole world!" Treason is punishable by the death of all nine generations of the clan! The King of Yue would not go this far.

"I will send a message back immediately and ask father to help find the whereabouts of the princess. I will also ask father to help redress the grievances of the late crown prince and the Lu family. The King of Yue must not be impulsive!" Zhan Qian advised earnestly.

He really sympathized with the King of Yue's plight and could not bear to see him escape from the quagmire and then fall into an irretrievable situation again.

"The Zhan family still has some old friends and relatives. I will write to my father to help mediate and join forces with the ministers in the capital to petition for the former crown prince and the Lu family to overturn the verdict. King Yue, please don't be impulsive!"

"It's not me who is impulsive now. It's the Crown Prince who attacked me first. He can't tolerate me. They can't even tolerate my wife. I'm ready to strike."

At this point, Zhao Guangyuan already understood Xia'er's painstaking efforts.

She didn't want to be used as a handle by the Crown Prince and the Queen to control him, so she wanted to help him by disappearing.

Zhao Guangyuan felt anxious and distressed. He was not sure whether Xia Er had really returned to the modern world safely, or whether she had really met with an accident. It was a pity that he had no news at all and could not return to Beijing to confirm.

Since Xia'er created this opportunity for him, he couldn't miss it.

When the group returned to the camp at Hangu Pass, the generals learned that the King of Yue had returned, and they finally felt relieved that he had suddenly rushed out of the camp.

Fang Sheng rushed to the commander's tent to ask what happened, and Jiang Huan told him the reason.

Fang Sheng was also stunned after hearing this.

The Princess of Yue disappeared in the palace? Was the prince too anxious? He could not help but sigh. Fortunately, he was not in the capital. Although there were frequent battles in Hangu Pass and life and death were uncertain, there were not so many intrigues.

Here Fang Sheng was still in the tent of the King of Yue. Zhan Qian, who had returned to his own military tent, sent away the generals from the capital who came to inquire about the matter. He was just about to grind ink to write a letter home when four of the King of Yue's personal soldiers came to his tent and took over his guard.

While they were arguing, Zhan Qian was attracted out. When he saw this situation, he knew that the King of Yue had sent people to keep an eye on him.

Soon, he learned that not only him, but all the generals from the capital were being watched by the King of Yue, and even letters were not allowed to be sent. Some generals and lieutenants in Hangu Pass were also imprisoned.

Upon inquiry, it was found that they were all the Prince and King Qin's men.

The King of Yue took control of the entire Hangu Pass camp at lightning speed, imprisoned and reorganized the soldiers who were unwilling to obey his orders, and the Hangu Pass camp was in turmoil.

For a moment, people were in panic.

Fang Sheng saw that the situation was hopeless and felt helpless. "Prince, it's not too late for you to stop now." There was no need to go against the imperial court and the entire Da Qi for a woman.

Even if he had an army of 500,000 and used Hangu Pass as a natural barrier, how could the King of Yue resist the millions of troops of the imperial court?
"If you rebel, you will die. If you don't rebel, you will die too. What do you think the king should do?"

"Maybe it's a misunderstanding..."

"Marshal Fang said it was a misunderstanding. Does he think that those Western Rong people were stubborn and I couldn't tell them, so it was a misunderstanding? I'm not afraid to tell you, Marshal, I have intercepted many letters from the capital, and they have been confirmed to be written by the crown prince. The crown prince doesn't want me to return to the capital alive. And before I came to Hangu Pass, the crown prince had sent people to assassinate me several times."

As the defender of Hangu Pass, Fang Sheng should have been under the command of the 300,000 troops at Hangu Pass. However, because the Western Rong provoked a war, the capital sent the King of Yue, the great marshal of the Western Expedition. Now he has to obey the King of Yue. The King of Yue holds the seal of the Hangu Pass camp, and the entire army must obey his orders.

But Fang Sheng's whole family is in the capital!

If he surrenders to the King of Yue, all nine members of his Fang family will be exterminated!

"Like Zhan Qian, I will let you return to the capital. If other military commanders with ranks want to leave, I will not stop them."

"Your Highness, please do not be impulsive. This matter requires long-term consideration. Moreover, if all the generals leave, there may be no one to lead the troops at Hangu Pass!" Now the war is not over yet, and the camps are without generals to lead the troops. How can they go to war with the Western Rong?
Fang Sheng was anxious, worried about the war and his own situation.

With the King of Yue fighting, he didn't know what to do. Surrendering to the King of Yue was not an option, nor was leaving Hangu Pass and returning to the capital. Border guards had always died in battle, not deserted. And if he returned to the capital, how would the emperor deal with him?
Can he still lead the troops? He is the honor of the Fang family.

Fang Sheng was still struggling with this, while in the Hangu Pass camp, several generals who were temporarily locked up had already started making trouble with their soldiers.