The winter wind in Jin territory cut painfully across one’s face. Prince Zhennan had earlier wrapped himself in a soaked cotton coat to avoid the flames and smoke, and now as he ran at breakneck speed, his body alternated between cold and hot. His feet were especially tormented by the extreme temperatures, growing so numb they nearly lost all sensation.
Yet he couldn’t afford to stop and scratch before continuing his flight—Wu Feng pursuing from behind was far too terrifying an opponent.
Fortunately, he had never neglected his training over the years and had maintained his martial skills. With the cover provided by his vice-general and others, he managed to temporarily shake off the persistent pest behind him.
When he escaped from the Taiyuan Prefectural Magistrate’s office, the sky had still been pitch black. Now, as he stopped again, a pale fish-belly white was already visible on the horizon. The wind was fierce, and to make matters worse, heavy rain had begun to fall. He took shelter in a ruined temple, finally achieving a temporary reprieve from danger.
However, of the people who had been with him—over twenty who went to execute the diversionary tactic, and over twenty who escaped with him—only four remained by his side now.
The vice-general wiped his face, unable to tell whether it was covered in sweat or rain, and said through gritted teeth, “Your Highness, what should we do now?” Though he hated Prince Gong to his very bones for nearly leading them to their deaths, he also understood that circumstances were beyond their control. Prince Gong now held Wu Qianli, had killed Bai Guan and Lin Chong, forcing them to scatter and flee like homeless dogs. He had evidently seized firm control of Jin territory once more. Given the current situation, thoughts of revenge seemed utterly fantastical—finding a way to preserve their lives was the practical priority.
Prince Zhennan had been fleeing for his life all night. No matter how capable he was, he felt somewhat exhausted, and with his body alternating between hot and cold, he knew he was likely falling ill. His expression grew solemn as he issued orders: “After dawn, Taiyuan will undergo a complete transformation. Prince Gong will certainly move immediately to reclaim military authority, and Taiyuan will be completely in his grasp. After that… after that, he’ll launch a city-wide manhunt for us. We may escape for now, but we absolutely cannot escape forever. In my estimation, we won’t last even four days.”
Prince Gong was no incompetent—the fact that he had kept Jin territory firmly in his grip all these years was proof enough. Now it seemed that Ma Yuantong and the others’ ability to cause such chaos in Jin territory was not unrelated to Prince Gong either.
The vice-general’s heart sank as he listened. He pressed his lips together and looked at his prince: “If that’s the case, we should leave Taiyuan quickly.”
If Prince Gong captured them, he would either use them to threaten the court or as sacrificial offerings to raise his banner. Either outcome would be a fate worse than death for Prince Zhennan.
Prince Zhennan shook his head, feeling the soreness and numbness in his feet growing increasingly severe—so severe that he could no longer move them. Without revealing his condition, he placed his hands on his knees for support: “I can’t hold on much longer.”
Only then did the vice-general notice cold sweat streaming down his forehead and his face flushed red. Alarmed, he tentatively reached out to check. Prince Zhennan’s forehead was burning hot like a furnace, practically smoking. The vice-general became even more frantic, like an ant on a hot griddle: “Then…”
Prince Zhennan was their backbone, but in their current critical situation, traveling with an invalid would likely see them become someone’s meal before they even left Taiyuan.
Prince Zhennan maintained his usual composure and showed no signs of panic. He waved his hand dismissively: “No rush. Since Prince Gong could bribe the Taiyuan Prefectural Magistrate, he must have also intercepted the memorials I sent back. After not hearing from me for so long, the capital will naturally realize something is amiss.”
But distant water couldn’t quench present fire! Even if the capital dispatched people immediately, they probably wouldn’t arrive in time to save their lives. The vice-general frowned: “But Your Highness just said we likely won’t last three days…”
“We won’t last three days, so we must make other plans. You return to the capital to report.” Prince Zhennan made his decision swiftly and pointed at the vice-general. Before he could speak, the decision was made: “I’ll lead the men to Jinzhong.”
The vice-general stood frozen in place: “But in such troubled times, I fear the Cui family may not be able to protect you either.”
All of Jin territory belonged to Prince Gong’s people. Even if the Cui family were local tyrants in Jinzhong, what good would that do? They would likely be the first to be dealt with by Prince Gong. For Prince Zhennan to go there now would be like walking into a trap.
But Prince Zhennan’s mind was made up. He raised his hand to cut off the vice-general’s words: “Say no more. I was sent to Jin territory by imperial decree to recover military authority. No matter what, there’s no reason to return in such a pathetic state. Though Jinzhong is also part of Jin territory, the new Jinzhong Prefectural Magistrate was recently promoted by His Highness during the Battle of Yangquan. Hu Yingming is a smart man—he’ll know what to do. Prince Gong probably won’t have time to deal with the Cui family immediately, and even if he can… he may have forgotten that among the Three Borders, Xibei isn’t the only one.”
By contacting Cui Shaoting, there would still be opportunities to turn the tables. He absolutely couldn’t return to the capital at this time. If he died during the pursuit, naturally others would slander him as they pleased. But if he returned, and there were Prince Gong’s allies at court, he would certainly be saddled with fabricated crimes.
The battle had only just begun. Prince Gong needn’t be too pleased with himself—the time wasn’t right, far from right.
Seeing the vice-general in a daze, he reached out and slapped the back of his head, lowering his voice to instruct: “Go quickly. Be extremely careful along the way… I don’t raise cowards under my command. You must return alive to the capital to report, make everything clear, and don’t let His Majesty think I was incited by treacherous people.”
The vice-general pressed his lips together and solemnly responded affirmatively. He kowtowed several times to Prince Zhennan with resounding thuds, then swiftly disappeared from the ruined temple.
Only Prince Zhennan and three personal guards remained.
“While Prince Gong still hasn’t had the opportunity to launch a city-wide manhunt for us, let’s take advantage of the chaos to leave the city.” Prince Zhennan endured his physical discomfort and forced himself to stand through gritted teeth, saying in a low voice: “Move quickly.”
This was no time to urge Prince Zhennan to rest. If they truly dared to rest here, they’d probably be trapped like dumplings by Wu Feng and his men by nightfall. The guards didn’t dare delay. Wiping away their sweat, they finally thought of a solution. They went out, circled around, stole some unremarkable common people’s clothing, changed into them themselves, and also helped Prince Zhennan change, using this as camouflage. Only then did they escort Prince Zhennan along side roads. Fortunately, they were all battle-hardened veterans accustomed to dealing with people. Since Prince Gong hadn’t yet openly announced his identity and assumed military authority, they managed to leave the city smoothly by spending some silver.
Once outside the city, they could finally catch their breath. They deliberately sought out a remote small village and first had Prince Zhennan recuperate from his illness—Prince Zhennan’s condition was truly severe. Once this cold illness took hold, even an old campaigner like Prince Zhennan was tormented to the point of losing half his life.
When Prince Zhennan woke that evening, two of his three personal guards were watching over him, while another said he had caught a wild chicken outside and was brewing chicken soup for him. The pots, bowls, ladles, and basins had all been borrowed from the family sheltering them.
He coughed several times and realized he was truly without strength. Knowing this was no time to be stubborn, he considered for a moment and instructed one of the guards: “Go ahead to the Cui family to report.” His eyes burned intensely as he looked at the guard, specifically warning: “Additionally, tell the Cui family that there’s likely a traitor within the Imperial Guard. If any Imperial Guards come to the Cui residence under pretenses to gather intelligence, eliminate them immediately!”