Chapter 29: Marching North

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Beneath Jinyong City, one hundred thousand soldiers had established a continuous encampment stretching three hundred miles.

It was like a black ocean.

The grim, murderous aura unique to an army was enough to silence even the summer insects.

Upon the city tower, Emperor Shenwu, accompanied by the imperial consorts, the Crown Prince, the other princes, and all the civil and military officials, reviewed the three armies.

The city gates were packed with commoners who had come to see off the warriors marching to fight for the Great Yong realm.

“Advance!”

“March north!”

As Emperor Shenwu pointed his sword toward the north, the one hundred thousand soldiers who had been waiting for three days finally set out.

At that moment, Gao Changsheng sat atop a fiery chestnut horse, clad in armor, gazing far back toward the city. His thoughts seemed still to linger in the residence of the Prince.

Just yesterday, Han Cong and Shi Meng had selected twenty capable men from among the refugees and beggars.

After half a day of training by Han Cong, Gao Changsheng kept only ten of them as his personal guards.

The remaining ten were left behind at the Prince’s residence.

“From this moment onward, my residence belongs to the refugees and beggars.”

“Whether this Prince’s residence eventually falls into ruin or lies abandoned, I will no longer concern myself with it.”

“This is all I can do for you. The northern frontier is perilous, and I cannot even promise that I will return alive.”

“Take care of yourselves.”

Gao Changsheng also left a portion of his wealth with the refugees and beggars before departing the residence with Miaofa and the others.

He vaguely recalled Miaofa muttering the word “pity.”

But in Gao Changsheng’s eyes, there was nothing to pity.

Using the refugees and beggars to thwart the Empress’s assassinations had indeed been no more than an expedient measure.

But if he discarded them immediately after accomplishing his purpose, people would inevitably regard the whole affair as an act staged for appearances.

Then the reputation he had built over those three days would vanish, and things might even turn worse.

That would be a genuine loss outweighing the gain.

“Han Cong.”

“Among the men you selected, is there anyone skilled in reconnaissance?”

Gao Changsheng called Han Cong over and asked him.

“Your Highness, there is one. His name is Meng Laoqi.”

“He is from Huyang. His family makes a living by hunting.”

Han Cong clasped his fists as he replied.

“Meng Laoqi!”

Gao Changsheng nodded with satisfaction.

“Assign another man to work with him, and order them to catch up with the supply convoy that departed yesterday.”

“If the supply convoy reaches Fengxi County, inform me immediately!”

With that, Gao Changsheng spurred his horse toward the center of the army.

What was destined to come could never be avoided.

Although he could not be certain that Dou Yuan would believe what he had said, now that he had decided to join forces with him, he would not stand by and let Dou Yuan be killed.

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“General!”

Upon seeing Dou Yuan, Gao Changsheng inclined himself in greeting.

“Your Highness.”

“The army has only just set out. If we wish to rest, it will be at least three hours from now.”

“If Your Highness feels tired, you may ride in a carriage.”

Dou Yuan smiled faintly, his tone concerned.

“There is no need for the General to worry about me.”

“There is an important matter I must bring to your attention.”

“Please step aside with me for a private word.”

Gao Changsheng’s expression was grave.

Seeing how solemn he was, Dou Yuan did not dare treat the matter lightly.

At once, he and Gao Changsheng moved away from the army and found a secluded place.

“Your Highness, please speak.”

Dou Yuan prompted him.

Gao Changsheng then revealed everything he and Chu Yanyan had surmised.

When Dou Yuan heard that the Crown Prince intended to conspire with Northern Qi to have him killed, he was utterly shocked.

However, when Dou Yuan asked Gao Changsheng for evidence, Gao Changsheng had none to offer.

“It is not that I disbelieve Your Highness. It is simply that this speculation is far too outrageous.”

“To force the Emperor to abdicate, the Crown Prince would conspire with a foreign power?”

“Throughout the histories of every dynasty, I have never heard of anything so deranged.”

“Still, Your Highness may rest assured.”

“Other than you, me, and Miss Chu, I will not allow a fourth person to learn of this matter.”

“As for the theory concerning Fengxi County, I will find a way to verify it.”

Dou Yuan gave a bitter smile.

Clearly, he believed it—but not completely.

Gao Changsheng understood his thoughts perfectly.

Even he himself dared not fully believe that the Crown Prince would do something so insane.

Yet in all things, one should fear the one chance in ten thousand.

There was never any harm in being cautious.

“If the General trusts me, I do have a plan that can test our theory.”

Gao Changsheng did not give up.

“Let me hear it.”

Dou Yuan nodded.

“It will take the army at least five days to reach Fengxi County, and the General must spread the word at least three days in advance.”

“Say that, in order to verify whether the supply convoy has reached Fengxi County on schedule, you intend to go there personally and inspect it.”

“Of course, the General must not appear in Fengxi County together with the entire army. Otherwise, the methods the assassins might employ would become impossible to predict.”

“Once the assassins reveal themselves in Fengxi County, the men I have stationed there beforehand will be able to protect the General.”

Gao Changsheng laid out the plan patiently.

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“Why must it be three days in advance?”

“You said yourself that their true target is me.”

“Those assassins should already be in position at Fengxi County, and they will certainly have people tracking the army’s movements along the way.”

“If I serve as bait and lure them out, all I need do is appear in Fengxi County. Why would three days be necessary?”

Dou Yuan laughed carelessly.

“When did I say that the man appearing in Fengxi County would be the General himself?”

Gao Changsheng spread his hands.

“Did you not just say… Your Highness means a substitute?”

Dou Yuan suddenly understood.

But after thinking it over, he shook his head with a smile.

“Your Highness is too naive.”

“With the Crown Prince’s methods, his people will certainly be planted among the soldiers of all three armies, and there will be no small number of them.”

“There may even be spies belonging to the Crown Prince at my side. Concealing this from him will be no easy matter.”

“And the moment we reveal any flaw, the Crown Prince’s people will realize that we are already on our guard. They will only hide themselves more carefully.”

“Then it will become far more difficult to uncover the assassins.”

Dou Yuan’s analysis was entirely reasonable.

“That is why I need at least three days to create a false impression.”

“Or we could begin from this very moment.”

“I will remain by the General’s side at all times.”

“I can claim that I wish the General to teach me the ways of the battlefield, or use some other excuse.”

“In short, I must make everyone believe that wherever I, Gao Changsheng, am present, the General must be there as well.”

“Only then will no one grow suspicious when I accompany the false General into Fengxi County.”

Gao Changsheng smiled with confidence.

“No!”

Suddenly, Dou Yuan shouted.

“Your Highness intends to risk your life in my place? Absolutely not!”

“I have said this before: I agreed to assist Your Highness for the sake of my own interests.”

“If a prince were to die in my military camp, His Majesty would never forgive me, even if we defeated Northern Qi.”

“Have you forgotten that?”

Dou Yuan trembled with agitation.

He had never imagined that Gao Changsheng would be willing to go so far for him.

Yet he had always believed that the relationship between them was nothing more than one of mutual interest.

The realization filled Dou Yuan with shame.

“The northern frontier can do without me, Gao Changsheng, but it cannot do without Dou Yuan.”

“You have served as an official for decades. Aside from your own interests and the nauseating factional struggles, have you ever spared even a moment’s thought for the people of the Great Yong?”

“Perhaps, in the General’s eyes, Changsheng truly is naive.”

“But if Changsheng were forced to choose between his own life and the people, Changsheng would choose the people.”