Prince Rui’s legs went weak upon hearing this: “Marquis, this, this is so high, and this prince can’t swim—”

Chi Can curved his lips in a smile: “Your Highness, rest assured, my swimming skills are quite good.”

Prince Rui felt even less assured.

He didn’t believe that in a life-or-death situation, this pampered cousin of his would be able to protect him.

“Marquis, why don’t you take this prince instead?”

“Your Highness forgets—this minister still needs to go check the front.”

Prince Rui immediately lost his temper.

If reinforcements could arrive in time, he wouldn’t need to jump off the cliff.

Shao Mingyuan nodded to Jinwu Guard Commander Wang Haitao: “Commander Wang, I leave this place to you.”

Seeing Shao Mingyuan walking forward with Qiao Zhao, Wang Haitao couldn’t help saying: “Marquis, the fire ahead is too fierce. If you go like this, I’m afraid—”

Shao Mingyuan smiled: “I’ll think of another way.”

Shao Zhi and the others silently followed.

At this moment, flames soared to the sky, and the sea of fire burned in connected sheets.

Shao Mingyuan tightened his grip on Qiao Zhao’s hand and said gently: “Don’t be afraid, nothing will happen.”

“Mm.” Qiao Zhao nodded lightly.

Shao Zhi suddenly lay flat on the ground, listening with his ear to the earth.

Shao Mingyuan stopped with Qiao Zhao.

After a while, Shao Zhi leaped up with a smile on his face: “General, the reinforcements should have arrived.”

Shao Mingyuan’s expression relaxed further: “Then proceed according to plan.”

“Yes, sir!”

Shao Zhi and the others immediately scattered, nimble as apes as they climbed down the rock face.

Shao Mingyuan crouched down and said to Qiao Zhao, “Come on my back.”

Qiao Zhao didn’t hesitate to climb onto his back.

The man’s back was broad and solid like a mountain, utterly reassuring.

Qiao Zhao barely felt any swaying before the man carrying her had descended from the cliff in several leaps, passed through a crevice in the mountain wall, and turned onto a small path.

Watching the fire burning ever more fiercely, Jiang Yuanchao raised his hand to halt the continued attack.

“Young Master, aren’t we continuing?”

Jiang Yuanchao shook his head: “There’s no need. Behind Prince Rui’s courtyard is a precipice. Those people should have been driven there by now. As long as our people block the canyon exit below, even if those people jump off the cliff to escape, they’ll have no way out.”

Those around him laughed: “The Young Master is truly brilliant, choosing the most opportune moment to attack and catching Prince Rui and the lackeys serving him like fish in a barrel!”

“Hahaha, the Young Master is wise!” Everyone laughed loudly.

Jiang Yuanchao gazed at the flames filling the sky with a smile at the corner of his mouth, when suddenly his expression changed as he looked toward a certain direction.

It was just before dawn, and all the stars in the sky had dimmed, yet because of this great fire, the sky hadn’t become dark.

In the brightness, he saw a mass of dark figures surging toward them, their orderly and powerful footsteps falling with such force that the entire mountain seemed to shake.

“Young Master, what is that?” someone beside him asked with a suddenly changed expression.

Jiang Yuanchao’s eyes narrowed as he vaguely made out the character “Shao” on a banner.

“The Northern Expedition Army!” After watching for a moment, Jiang Yuanchao finally confirmed his guess.

More than half of that Northern Expedition Army operated under the banner of the Shao family army.

“How can there be a Northern Expedition Army?”

Jiang Yuanchao sneered coldly: “It must be Marquis Guanjun who privately mobilized troops!”

During that palace coup two days ago, he had played tricks in it, but now it seemed Marquis Guanjun hadn’t been idle either.

“Young Master, what should we do now?”

Jiang Yuanchao drew the long blade from his waist: “What else can we do? Fight, of course!”

Soon, the Shao family army surrounded them, and both sides immediately engaged in a chaotic battle.

Shao Mingyuan stood on distant high ground, commanding the Shao family army’s formations and combat through hand signals, with a petite and delicate figure standing beside him.

Under Shao Mingyuan’s command, those soldiers cooperated with perfect coordination and held the numerical advantage. In comparison, Jiang Yuanchao’s people became scattered sand, quickly beginning to retreat steadily.

The sky had already shown the pale light of dawn, and soon the morning sun leaped over the horizon and climbed up the mountain.

The great fire had been extinguished, revealing charred, broken walls and equally charred corpses.

But this blackness was soon washed away by fresh blood.

This time, most of the fresh blood belonged to Prince Su’s remnants.

“Young Master, the enemy has too many people, and each is battle-hardened. Our people can barely hold on,” someone said breathlessly while using his blade to block an incoming spear during the fierce fighting.

Jiang Yuanchao flicked away a soldier with his long blade and said coldly: “Even if you can’t hold on, you must!”

Another half hour passed, and the battle situation became increasingly tragic.

Someone clutching his severed arm said hoarsely, “Young Master, let this subordinate escort you to retreat first!”

Jiang Yuanchao’s hand movements didn’t stop: “Retreat what? Continue!”

That person became anxious: “Young Master, as long as the green mountains remain, there’s no fear of lacking firewood!”

Jiang Yuanchao’s eyes were bloodshot, unmoved.

What did it mean to keep the green mountains and not fear lacking firewood?

These people had already lurked for over twenty years, and only now when compared with Marquis Guanjun’s people did they realize how vulnerable they were.

Years of endurance had already made them little better than ordinary mountain villagers, no longer qualified warriors. If they continued to lurk, would he lead a group of old men to reclaim the realm years later?

And what about him? A trip to Lingnan had accidentally revealed his true identity.

From a beggar on the streets to the adopted son of Jinlin Guard Commander Jiang Tang, then to Prince Su’s orphaned heir—how long must he continue to endure before he could openly obtain what he wanted?

Through the clash of blades and swords, Jiang Yuanchao’s gaze fell on the nearby charred ruins.

They were both surnamed Jiang, with the same noble blood flowing in their veins—why should the throne only go to that waste Prince Rui?

He had already seized the best opportunity. If he still couldn’t succeed, there would never be such a chance again.

What if he escaped?

Then he would spend his life like a stray dog, hiding and taking false names.

He refused to live such a life!

Jiang Yuanchao’s expression became increasingly resolute as he struck out with his blade, severing an attacker’s head.

The man’s head flew high, and hot blood splattered all over Jiang Yuanchao.

Jiang Yuanchao wiped the blood that had splashed on his face, revealing a smile of burning bridges behind him.

Let him give his all once—either succeed or die trying!

As the daylight grew brighter, the sounds of slaughter gradually diminished, becoming the Shao family army’s one-sided massacre of Prince Su’s remnants.

“Young Master, please, you must leave quickly! If you don’t go now, it really will be too late!”

“Yes, sir, let’s retreat first. We can’t lose our lives here.” Jiang He also urged.

Jiang Yuanchao turned his long blade to point at Jiang He’s nose, saying coldly: “Say another word and I’ll kill you first!”

Jiang He stamped his feet and stopped talking.

If he’d known it would end like this, he wasted his efforts practicing disguise techniques to play a beggar.

“Commander Jiang, things have come to this point—do you still want to resist stubbornly?” A man’s calm voice carried through the sound of clashing weapons. Though it didn’t sound loud, it reached everyone’s ears.

Jiang Yuanchao glanced at Shao Mingyuan, then shifted his gaze to fall on Qiao Zhao’s face.

“Commander Jiang, you should surrender.”