Unfortunately, there’s no medicine for regret in this world. No matter how much he regretted it now, it was useless. He was now completely alone – his personal guards had died one by one, either to draw away the pursuers or to protect him. He had hidden in someone’s vegetable cellar for several days, gnawing on rotten cabbage and sweet potatoes, barely managing to survive. Who would have thought that the first day he emerged, he would be caught red-handed.

When the news reached him, Prince Zhennan was writing a memorial together with Cui Shaoting. Neither of them had expected that someone they had just mentioned investigating last night would now be captured in person. Their eyes met, and excited light gleamed in both their gazes.

On the other side, Huang Yiqing had no idea the battle for Jingzhou was going so smoothly. He was methodically advancing toward Taiyuan. Prince Gong had no one left to use except Wu Qianli, who had returned in disgrace, and Wu Feng under his command. Huang Yiqing wasn’t in a hurry though – after all, Xibei had descended into complete chaos now. Prince Gong had also fallen out with Han Zheng, and the Tatars had no close connection with him either. As long as these people didn’t cause trouble, he was confident he could take Taiyuan.

Fortunately, Prince Gong was indeed the type who liked to block his own escape routes. When doing things, he always preferred to take matters to the extreme. Somehow he had truly fallen out with Han Zhengqing, withdrawing troops as soon as he said he would, resulting in their current situation changing from a clear advantage to being fragmented and at others’ mercy.

Taiyuan probably couldn’t be held. Wu Qianli wearily rubbed his eyes and rushed back overnight to report to Prince Gong at the prince’s manor: “It’s difficult – Huang Yiqing, that old fox, is surrounding us without attacking.”

Wu Feng made things even clearer: “Huang Yiqing’s plan is this – when he attacked Ping’an County, he suffered too many losses. He has no reinforcements himself, and I hear his supplies are severely lacking too. Although he’s surrounding us now, actually this siege brings us more benefits than harm.”

Prince Gong’s head was completely dizzy now. He couldn’t distinguish between benefits and harm at all. He only knew his situation was dire. Holding his head in his hands, he looked at Wu Qianli and Wu Feng. His eyes were covered with a layer of fog from going too long without sleep, making everything appear white and hazy. He irritably waved his hand, and after a long while finally asked coldly: “Just let him surround us? We have plenty of grain, but how long can these supplies last?”

Wu Qianli didn’t speak. Having experienced much, he knew continuing to defend was meaningless – they simply couldn’t hold out. Things had come to this point – what was there left to defend? Ever since learning that Prince Gong had ordered the withdrawal listening to Han Zhi, he knew it was over. He just hadn’t expected this day to come so quickly.

Wu Feng coughed twice, curling his hands as he looked at Prince Gong: “But we only have about twenty thousand men left now, and over a thousand wounded…”

Now Prince Gong understood. They could hold out for a while longer, but doing anything more was absolutely impossible. He couldn’t tell if there was some discouragement and despair in his heart. He numbly responded with an “oh,” then after a long time asked: “What about Han Zhi?”

Han Zhi had said he would go contact the Tatars. As long as he could contact the Tatars, there was still hope for everything.

Wu Qianli didn’t know why Prince Gong was so gullible. Back then, he believed whatever Han Zhengqing said, and now he believed whatever Han Zhi said. A prince who had been plotting rebellion all along could still be naive to this extent – Wu Qianli didn’t know whether to call him foolish or willing to accept advice.

He lazily listened as Prince Gong went from forcing himself to stay calm to his voice trembling and finally to flying into a rage. Strangely, his heart felt no ripples. He even smiled faintly at the end, though he didn’t really know what he was smiling about. Finally, when Prince Gong slammed the table and was so agitated he cried out, Wu Qianli finally came back to his senses.

Prince Gong was saying: “Do you think if this prince dies, you’ll have any good ending?! Stop dreaming! Every last one of you, just wait to die with this prince!”

Wu Qianli believed these words. Prince Gong might not necessarily die – no matter how much the Emperor hated him, he was still the Emperor’s son. Perhaps the Emperor would show mercy and confine him behind high walls.

But for lackeys like them beneath him – having their families seized and clans exterminated would be getting off lightly.

He sighed, suddenly feeling somewhat dispirited. Forcing himself to maintain composure, he said to Prince Gong: “Your Highness, I’ll go have people search and see where exactly Han Zhi has gone.”

But with Xibei in such chaos, with the vast expanse of heaven and earth, where would they search? He held no hope at all.

Who would have thought that when he held no hope, heaven would suddenly give a surprise – Sun Ergou had actually returned.

But Sun Ergou’s return wasn’t to find Prince Gong. He was looking for Wu Qianli.

Wu Qianli was about to take him to find Prince Gong when he heard him ask if he wanted to redeem his merit through service. Wu Qianli then fell silent. After a long while, he finally opened his mouth to ask: “What do you mean?”

What did he mean? This meant there was still room for negotiation. Sun Ergou laughed, grinning at Wu Qianli as he unhurriedly told him about his family situation, even mentioning his relatives back home in Huizhou. By the time Wu Qianli’s teeth were chattering, he said slowly: “Nothing much, just want to make a deal with Commander Wu. Actually, we all know each other’s strength pretty well now – we’re certainly short on clothes and food, but you’re not much better off either. You won’t last much longer, wouldn’t you say?”

Of course that was true. Only Taiyuan was left. They couldn’t hold out much longer.

Moreover, they had been schemed against long ago – Sun Ergou and Han Zhi were on the same side. Why even ask where Han Zhi had gone now? Han Zhi would come to Taiyuan, would come up with those obviously devastating schemes – before, Wu Qianli couldn’t figure it out and harbored suspicions, but now he suddenly understood. Han Zhi had been targeting Prince Gong all along, acting under the court’s instructions. The court had used this stratagem of sowing discord so well, thoroughly cutting off all of Prince Gong’s escape routes.

Seeing Wu Qianli remain silent, Sun Ergou continued: “If you keep holding out, you’ll just die more miserably, wouldn’t you say? You’re a smart man – there’s no need to drag all nine generations of your clan into this, is there? I could understand you when there was still hope before, but look now – where in Xibei does Prince Gong still have any foothold? Once he falls, even if you want to regret it, there will be no medicine for regret.”

Sun Ergou’s mouth had always been able to talk the living to death and the dead to life.

Wu Qianli inevitably wavered. It wasn’t for any personal gain – he just didn’t want to become the sinner of nine generations.

After deliberating for several days, he finally decided to listen to Sun Ergou – Prince Gong was just a headless fly who had no ideas of his own. How could he expect those beneath him to be devoted? In any case, Wu Qianli didn’t want to die together with him.

He gave Sun Ergou the defense map of Taiyuan.