The deputy general glanced at the scout still kneeling outside the tent and waved his hand, signaling the scout to withdraw first.

Only after seeing the scout withdraw did Fu Ruoxi’s deputy general step closer to Fu Ruoxi’s side and lower his voice: “General, the Crown Prince is the heir apparent. With His Majesty unconscious, the Crown Prince can act in the Emperor’s stead. The Crown Prince’s commands are the Emperor’s commands!”

Fu Ruoxi, who had been trapped in a dilemma, suddenly calmed down in that flash of inspiration…

If the Crown Prince had come this time to have him lead troops back to the capital with him, he could pledge loyalty to the Crown Prince and readily agree, legitimately accompanying the Crown Prince back to the capital with troops. Then… if the Empress gained the upper hand, he could capture the Crown Prince in one move and ensure Prince Xin’s ascension.

If the Empress had not gained the upper hand, he could claim the Empress had sent secret orders for him to escort the Crown Prince back to the capital as a precaution, at least preserving the Empress’s life.

This way, he could advance when advantageous and retreat when necessary.

Having thought this through, Fu Ruoxi made up his mind and said to his deputy general: “Go summon the officers to accompany this commander out of camp to respectfully welcome the Crown Prince.”

“Yes!” Fu Ruoxi’s deputy general cupped his hands in acknowledgment and hurried out of the commander’s tent.

Fu Ruoxi clenched his fists and paced back and forth several times in the main tent before his steps suddenly stopped.

He needed to send a message to the Empress. If he didn’t send word, given the Empress’s character of preferring to die with honor rather than live in disgrace, seeing him lead troops back to the capital with the Crown Prince, she would think he had decided to follow the Crown Prince and abandon their relationship. There was no guarantee the Empress wouldn’t do something irreversible.

Sending a message was extremely risky—if intercepted… There would be no place for burial.

Not sending it, he feared for the Empress’s safety.

After a moment’s hesitation, Fu Ruoxi suddenly called toward the entrance: “Bring back the person who just delivered the message!”

“Yes!”

Fu Ruoxi walked behind his desk and knelt, pulling out paper used only for urgent military reports to the capital. He wrote four characters: “Wait for the right moment,” placed them in a message tube, and looked up to see the Empress’s messenger already waiting outside the tent.

The Empress’s loyal retainer had traveled day and night from the capital. Having barely time to eat after delivering the message, he had collapsed and fallen asleep. Now suddenly awakened, he was not yet fully conscious.

“Come forward!” Fu Ruoxi placed the message tube into a cloth pouch and looked at the retainer who entered the tent and knelt opposite his desk. “This message must be delivered to the capital as quickly as possible, personally placed in your master’s hands. Depart immediately! Be swift!”

The man’s pupils were bloodshot and his face haggard, but he still respectfully accepted the cloth pouch Fu Ruoxi handed him: “Yes!”

It wasn’t that Fu Ruoxi couldn’t use his men, but any movement of his people would alert others in the Anping Grand Camp. Moreover, his men sending messages… could not deliver them to the Empress without obstacles—they would first have to go through the Fu family.

But this matter absolutely could not be let the Fu family know. Otherwise, with his mother’s intelligence, she would guess what the Empress intended to do, and might even think the Empress was using his past guilt toward her to force him into rebellion… and report the Empress to the Grand Princess.

So, even knowing the Empress’s messenger was exhausted to the extreme, Fu Ruoxi could only use the Empress’s people.

Watching the Empress’s messenger leave, Fu Ruoxi breathed a slight sigh of relief and gathered his spirits to prepare to exit the camp and welcome His Highness the Crown Prince.

Fu Ruoxi tucked his helmet under his arm and emerged from the main tent, calling loudly: “Beat the drums! Muster the troops!”

·

When they could already see the Anping Grand Camp, the Crown Prince suddenly called out in a hoarse voice: “Princess Zhenguo!”

Bai Qingyan gradually slowed her galloping pace and rode alongside the Crown Prince: “Your Highness has orders!”

Slowing his speed, the Crown Prince turned his head to Bai Qingyan: “Last month, when General Fu was still in the capital, I entered the palace to pay respects to Father Emperor. I saw from afar the Empress’s personal palace maid escorting General Fu out of the palace. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now with the capital likely to erupt in chaos, we must guard against Fu Ruoxi!”

The Crown Prince didn’t finish his words to Bai Qingyan. The Crown Prince had later retrieved the records of palace entries and exits from that day. Comparing them, he discovered that after Fu Ruoxi had seen the Emperor, he had remained in the palace for another half hour.

The Crown Prince didn’t speculate about what the Empress might have with Fu Ruoxi. He suspected whether the Empress had her maid seduce Fu Ruoxi—after all, Fu Ruoxi controlled the Anping Grand Camp.

Previously, the Crown Prince had simply kept this matter in mind and remained vigilant. But now with the Emperor unconscious and him not in the capital, the capital could change at any moment, so the Crown Prince had to be on guard.

“Princess Zhenguo!” Old Fang, jostled dizzy by the horse ride, adjusted his helmet and gritted his teeth as he rode around from behind the Crown Prince to Bai Qingyan’s side. Lowering his voice, he said: “Regarding this matter, both the Crown Prince and this old man previously thought that with Fu Ruoxi far away at the Anping Grand Camp, we just needed to be extra cautious! But now that the capital’s situation has changed, if Fu Ruoxi truly has connections with the Empress’s maid, he might be controlled by the Empress. This old man’s meaning is… later, please find an opportunity to kill Fu Ruoxi, and let His Highness the Crown Prince personally command the troops!”

The Crown Prince had only told Old Fang about this matter—even Qin Shangzhi and Ren Shijie didn’t know. If not for the Crown Prince’s growing unease as they approached the Anping Grand Camp, he wouldn’t have wanted to tell Bai Qingyan either.

Bai Qingyan’s grip on the reins tightened. Seeing in the distance a group of riders emerging from the Anping Grand Camp, she raised her hand and called loudly: “Halt!”

The two thousand Dengzhou light cavalry obeyed orders instantly, their movements uniform.

The Crown Prince and Old Fang were startled and quickly reined in their horses.

Bai Qingyan reined in her horse and stood firm, her cold gaze turning toward Old Fang, making a chill rise along Old Fang’s spine.

Old Fang also saw the cavalry emerging from the camp in the distance and was quite nervous, calling loudly: “Quickly! Protect His Highness!”

“Old Fang need not panic!” Bai Qingyan looked ahead, her voice calm and steady. “Those emerging from the Anping Grand Camp… number no more than two hundred at most. They likely come to welcome us!”

Having said this, Bai Qingyan turned to look at the Crown Prince, gripping her reins as she cupped her hands and said quietly: “Your Highness, Fu Ruoxi commands the Anping Grand Camp and has achieved merit multiple times. Killing him rashly might cause military morale to waver. I have already had Lu Ping take men to intercept the essential route between the capital and the Anping Grand Camp. If no one is sending messages… then let Fu Ruoxi accompany us back to the capital first, and we can find another way en route!”

“What if someone comes to deliver messages to the Anping Grand Camp, or the Anping Grand Camp sends messages out?” Old Fang asked urgently.

“If someone sends messages, Lu Ping will certainly intercept them. Then the Crown Prince can seize Fu Ruoxi’s military authority, escort Fu Ruoxi back under guard, and after safely reaching the capital, the Crown Prince can retrieve Fu Ruoxi’s palace entry records, confront him with the Empress’s maid, and handle it according to law. But at this time… unless necessary, we must not kill Fu Ruoxi and disrupt military morale.” Bai Qingyan turned her horse to move closer to the Crown Prince and Old Fang. “Your Highness, all matters require fairness to convince the masses, especially now—Your Highness must win the hearts of all the officers and soldiers of the Anping Grand Camp.”

“Is Princess Zhenguo afraid… that killing Fu Ruoxi would cause a mutiny?” Old Fang asked.