From the day Prince Gong planned to flee, he never intended for Emperor Jianzhang to remain alive. Now Emperor Jianzhang being alive was increasingly an eyesore to him. His gaze darkened as he looked at the towering flames for a long while, finally turning to ask: “Then how can we have a legitimate cause for raising troops?”
That he was willing to ask this question showed he was still willing to listen to reason. Chief Clerk breathed a sigh of relief and finally stood up from the ground, somewhat unnaturally touching his left arm: “We must plan carefully for the long term.”
Before the four words “plan for the long term” were finished, the magistrate’s office that Wu Feng had said was surrounded like an iron barrel suddenly had movement. Clamorous sounds filled the air. Prince Gong immediately waved his hand to interrupt Chief Clerk’s words and, leading Wu Feng, practically ran to the west side gate of the magistrate’s office. The moon was bright and stars sparse, the cold wind biting. The northwestern gale made the fire even more ferocious. He rushed forward against the flames and saw through the searing heat waves a group of people who had charged out from the magistrate’s office fighting desperately with Wu Qianli’s men.
If before his eyes had merely been shining, now he was so excited he nearly jumped three feet high, his voice so high it became distorted: “Capture them alive! Capture them alive!” He also turned back to look at Wu Feng: “Wu Feng, you go too, you go too!”
He had hidden in Jin region, where he once reigned supreme, like a rat crossing the street for so long, nearly losing his life several times at the hands of that old thing Prince Zhennan. Now finally fortune had turned, and it was his turn to slaughter Prince Zhennan. How could he not be delighted?
Moreover, not to mention anything else, with Prince Zhennan’s status, capturing him as a sacrificial flag would be a first-rate choice.
Wu Feng received his orders and led people charging in to help Wu Qianli. But this group before them was remarkably tenacious. Even for someone as highly skilled in martial arts as him, it took quite some effort to corner them in a nearby alley. Fortunately the alley was a dead end, with tightly closed residential gates on both sides, and his own side had numerous people. Even if Prince Zhennan had heaven-reaching abilities, he could only obediently await death.
But Prince Zhennan was precisely not someone willing to await death. At this moment he wasn’t at all among that group of people who had been smoked beyond recognition and first charged out of the magistrate’s office. In the dead of winter, he wore a soaked cotton robe, shaking out the cotton robe sleeves to cover his mouth and nose to prevent smoke inhalation, crouching with extreme patience at the base of a wall not yet licked by flames, his eyes bloodshot.
He had followed Prince Gong’s trail to Jin region. His subordinates weren’t incompetent, the methods he devised weren’t ineffective, but even with his far-reaching influence, he couldn’t control all officials in Jin region.
And Prince Gong precisely occupied this advantage—he was the local tyrant of Jin region. For over a decade, the promotion and transfer of Jin region officials had been controlled by him. Back when Emperor Jianzhang treated his sons well, increasing Prince Duan’s guards, giving Prince Gong the rights to mineral salt trade—all these things had been done. That’s why Prince Gong became wealthy beyond measure. That’s why even now, when Emperor Jianzhang had already announced his death, among Jin region officials there were still those like Wu Qianli and the Taiyuan magistrate who remained utterly devoted to him. Thinking of the Shanxi Provincial Governor who had hosted him, Prince Zhennan felt another pang of pain—the Shanxi Provincial Governor was his old friend, and the Grand Prince’s too, yet unexpectedly at this moment they still chose Prince Gong.
No matter what, at this moment grief and regret were completely meaningless. Escaping with his life was most urgent. If he fell into Prince Gong’s hands, life and death were still minor matters—it was his status that meant he absolutely could not fall into Prince Gong’s hands. Otherwise, a dignified Imperial Commissioner, a dignified great general beheaded before the army—what immense impact would that have on military morale and popular sentiment? Moreover, Prince Gong would certainly use his status to make a great spectacle, even scheming to embarrass the Grand Prince and Crown Prince to win hearts.
No matter what, he must escape.
His vice general lying motionless around him, enduring the scorching firelight and searing pain, waved toward Prince Zhennan.
Success—their people who went out first to lure the tiger from the mountain had successfully attracted a group’s attention. Now was the best time to escape.
Prince Zhennan, like a leopard lurking for a long time, suddenly leaped up from the ground. Under the cover of the vice general and several others, he flew like lightning out the door, fleeing westward with thunderous speed that left no time to cover one’s ears.
There was still time. He would take advantage of the period when Wu Feng and Wu Qianli were tied up to capture Prince Gong, then rendezvous with the Jinzhong magistrate and use Jinzhong as a base to gradually proceed with his plans!
Fortunately at this moment Prince Gong had only persuaded Wu Qianli. Moreover, Jin region had countless officials. Relying on the Cui family, he could always find some who wouldn’t bow and scrape to Prince Gong.
Prince Zhennan reacted quickly and fled quickly, but Prince Gong’s side was truly not slow either. Wu Feng, in less than three quarters of an hour, had already surrounded the people until they had no power to resist. Upon closing in, he discovered something was amiss—he had seen Prince Zhennan. Though he hadn’t seen Prince Zhennan in person, Prince Zhennan’s portrait had been sent to his hands year after year. He absolutely wouldn’t remember wrong. At this very moment, among this group of people, there was no trace of Prince Zhennan at all.
But these people were fighting desperately to break through—these were all Prince Zhennan’s personal guards. If something happened to Prince Zhennan, they would all have to stay by Prince Zhennan’s side, unless—luring the tiger from the mountain!
His expression changed. The blade gripped in his hand was already frighteningly hot. He immediately turned back and rushed to where he came from, just in time to meet the guard who had been killed by Prince Zhennan with one slash and sprayed Prince Gong’s face with blood before Prince Gong.
His reaction was extraordinarily quick. With one hand he flung aside the corpse flying toward him and leaped before Prince Gong, barely managing to grab Prince Gong’s sleeve and yank him away from Prince Zhennan’s vicinity.
Prince Zhennan’s attack missed completely. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately shouted: “Go!”
He immediately withdrew, his feet not touching ground as he darted into the small alley.
Wu Feng had just set Prince Gong on the ground and hadn’t yet steadied himself when he heard Prince Gong shout in exasperation: “Chase quickly! Chase quickly!”
That old scoundrel! He touched his neck that had nearly been seized in Prince Zhennan’s grip, feeling afraid after the fact—truly a cunning one!
The scene descended into chaos. Chief Clerk, whom no one noticed, nearly got killed by Prince Zhennan’s charging party. Standing disheveled beside Prince Gong, he anxiously examined Prince Gong. Seeing he had only suffered some fright and no serious injury, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Your Highness, don’t worry.” Wu Qianli emerged from inside, gripping one head in each hand, his face covered in blood as he looked at Prince Gong: “These are Bai Guan and Lin Chong’s heads. Those who betray Your Highness all meet this end!”
Yes, those who betray him could only meet this end. He would make them all wish they were dead rather than alive! Prince Zhennan!
Prince Zhennan had no time for his hatred, concentrating entirely on fleeing everywhere. Wu Feng was truly a formidable opponent. No wonder Prince Gong had praised him extravagantly back then and wanted to present this person to the court, saying he was a once-in-a-generation famous general. Now it seemed his martial arts were indeed extraordinarily outstanding. He only wondered whether his abilities in battle formations and troop deployment were as outstanding as his skills.