Green Mountain
Chapter 289 - 231, Hu Junxian

Chapter 289: 231, Hu Junxian

In the darkness of night, the streets of Guyuan were eerily quiet.

Everyone looked back from horseback in silence, watching the solitary dun horse move closer.

Yulin Army Commander Li Xuan dismounted and quickly strode over to take the reins of the dun horse, examining it from head to hoof.

He touched the horse’s body, then brought his fingers close to his eyes—there was blood.

Li Xuan turned back to look at the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, I’m afraid Wang Guang has met with misfortune."

Qi Zhenzhuo said fiercely: "The Guyuan border army is lawless, daring to ambush the Imperial Guard. How is this different from plotting a rebellion?"

The Crown Prince frowned but said nothing.

Li Xuan, holding the dun horse’s reins, came back to his side and looking up said, "Your Highness, this is no place to linger. Please, let us depart immediately. We can rest in Tianshui County tonight and leave for Taiyuan Prefecture tomorrow to request His Majesty dispatch the Jiefan Guard and the Longevity Army to quell the rebellion! If we send a report at maximum urgency of six hundred li per day, it can reach the capital in six days—there’s still time!"

Chen Liqin was startled: "Quell a rebellion? There’s still no evidence; General Li, let’s not jump to conclusions rashly."

Li Xuan’s expression turned fierce: "The border army first poisoned thirty-four members of the Chen family and then ambushed a report of six hundred li of urgency. If this isn’t rebellion, what is? Mr. Chen, are you aware of the crime for intercepting a six hundred li report of urgency?"

The Crown Prince, calm and collected on horseback, looked from afar at Zhang Xia: "I’ve long heard that the Imperial Academy once had a female scholar proficient in Book and Mathematics who could recite the laws of Daning with ease. What should be the punishment for the border army?"

Zhang Xia calmly said: "For robbing a message of four hundred li urgency, one hundred lashes, branding, and exile for three thousand li; For robbing one of five hundred li urgency, immediate beheading; For robbing one of six hundred li urgency, the execution of the entire clan."

The Crown Prince praised her: "Second Miss Zhang truly has an exceptional memory, I commend you."

Zhang Xia spoke indifferently: "You flatter me, Your Highness."

Li Xuan bowed with a fist: "Your Highness, this is no time for idle talk. Don’t return to the Governor’s Mansion, that dragon’s den and tiger’s lair. The border army, desperate enough to ambush a six hundred li message, might take even more outrageous actions if Your Highness stays here. I beg you, please follow me and leave Guyuan."

The Crown Prince shook his head: "His Majesty has ordered me to investigate the case of unjust killings for credit; the case remains unsolved, how can I lightly leave Guyuan? I am a prince destined by Heaven, why should I fear the petty? And how would His Majesty view me?"

Li Xuan spoke anxiously: "Your Highness, as long as the Qingshan remains, we’ll have no fear of firewood shortage. You just need to report the truth, and His Majesty will surely understand. If you don’t wish to leave, then we shall kneel and not rise!"

With that, he signaled the rest of the Yulin Army with his eyes.

With a rustling sound of armor, the Yulin Army dismounted one after another, knelt on one knee with fists held: "Please take care of yourself, Your Highness, and leave Guyuan with us."

The Crown Prince rarely showed anger: "I came to Guyuan by His Majesty’s command; it’s both my father’s and the emperor’s order. Your forcing me to leave, wouldn’t you be putting me in a position of disloyalty and unfilial behavior? All of you, rise!"

The Yulin Army knelt resolutely on the ground, their white capes spread over the earth, and refused to stand up.

After a long time.

The Crown Prince looked up at the night sky and sighed: "Enough, everyone rise. I will listen to you."

Li Xuan was overjoyed and quickly mounted his horse.

He clenched the reins tightly: "Yulin Army, follow me to escort His Highness out of the city. If the border army refuses to allow passage, we’ll fight our way to the top of the city walls and force the South City Gate open!"

Amidst the thundering sound of iron hooves, the Yulin Army formed a protective circle around the Crown Prince as they sped towards the South City Gate.

Zhang Xia glanced at Chen Ji: "What should we do? If the border army intercepts, a battle will be inevitable."

Chen Ji watched the retreating backs of the Yulin Army: "If we intend to leave, tonight is our last chance. The border army, acting hastily, may not be prepared to keep the Crown Prince here. With five hundred Yulin Army charging at the South City Gate, there’s a chance to break it open. After all, it leads to the heart of the Ning Dynasty and is not heavily guarded. General Li is indeed decisive; if we miss tonight, the Crown Prince may truly have no chance to leave. It’s just..."

Zhang Xia tacitly said: "Just what, why would the border army rebel?"

Chen Ji took a deep breath: "Right, starting from the poisoning of the Chen family’s servants tonight, there’s been something fishy going on. Even if the border army and the Crown Prince have irreconcilable differences, they have no reason to kill so many of the Chen family’s people. If they truly harbored hatred and resentment, they could have aimed for the Crown Prince or the Yulin Army. Why kill the Chen family people? The Chen family had only arrived in Guyuan today; whom could they have possibly provoked?"

Zhang Xia whispered, "It’s like a hand suddenly snapped and broke the string between the Crown Prince and the border army."

"Exactly," Chen Ji made a decision and spurred his horse to catch up with the Yulin Army, "Don’t think about these for now. Let’s follow the Yulin Army out of the city first. It’s indeed no longer safe to stay in Guyuan."

...

...

Hundreds of Yulin cavalry galloped at full speed, all armored soldiers hunched low, threading through the rows of earthen houses in Guyuan. The white cloaks of the Yulin Army fluttered behind them, and the white pheasant tails on their helmets swayed in the wind, resembling a charge of five hundred horsemen in righteous cause.

Li Xuan instructed those around him, "Upon reaching the city gate, the Xuanwu Guard will ensure the Crown Prince’s complete safety, and the Azure Dragon Guard will follow me in the charge. The army is raised for such a critical moment; anyone who dares not to fight bravely, do not blame me, I, for my ruthless sword!"

Qi Zhenzhuo replied, "Rest assured, General. We will fight to the death!"

Li Xuan turned to the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, we swear to protect you with our lives until we exit the city."

The Crown Prince spoke gently, "Thank you, General Li. Also, please take care of Mr. Chen and his family members as well."

"At your service."

The city gate grew closer, but Li Xuan’s heart sank deeper.

His gaze passed over the long street and saw hundreds of torches on the city walls as bright as daylight. At the city gate, armored soldiers bustled about, carrying military equipment, pushing siege crossbows, and shouldering sandbags—extraordinarily busy.

The South City Gate, usually not heavily guarded, was unexpectedly crowded with thousands of armored soldiers tonight. The Yulin soldiers were a bit at a loss, knowing they couldn’t possibly fight their way out alone.

"Hup!" Li Xuan reined in his horse and slowly came to a stop before the city gate.

His warhorse paced restlessly back and forth. With one hand, he tugged at the reins, and with the other, he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist, looking up at the city wall above.

At that moment, a tall figure appeared on the city wall, looming like a mountain, looking down from a high vantage point.

Behind the figure, border soldiers held torches; under the flickering light and shadow, a violent blaze raged behind him, while the figure itself was shrouded in darkness, his face and expression indiscernible.

The figure on the city wall spoke out loudly, "Why does the Crown Prince come in the middle of the night?"

A shock ran through Li Xuan’s heart: General Hu!

This man was Hu Junxian, the commander of the Guyuan Border Army. Usually, even the Crown Prince would find it difficult to see him, as he would always excuse himself due to his busy military duties.

Yet, such a busy man suddenly appeared at the South City Gate tonight, blocking the Crown Prince’s path.

The border army was clearly prepared!

Li Xuan, braving himself, shouted across the distance, "The Crown Prince has uncovered some clues and must immediately head to Tianshui County city. Open the gate at once!"

Hu Junxian replied calmly, "I cannot open it."

Li Xuan burst out in anger, "Hu Junxian, have you gone mad, to put the Crown Prince under house arrest?"

Hu Junxian’s voice remained calm and resounding like the Hong Bell, "General Li, calm your anger. My scouts from the Guyuan Border Army encountered more than a dozen Jing Dynasty Officials at Ziwu Ridge behind us, likely the elite of the Jing Dynasty’s Heavenly Strategy Army Divine Martial Camp. They crossed the mountains to arrive here, surely with a scheme in mind. If the Crown Prince leaves the city now, there is the risk of falling into a Jing Dynasty ambush. I cannot open the gate for this reason."

Li Xuan grew frantic, "If the Jing Dynasty army wants to penetrate into Ning Dynasty’s heartland, they’d have to cross three hundred miles of mountains, with countless cliffs in between. Even if you’re lying, make it a believable lie!"

Hu Junxian fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly, "The Guyuan Border Army would never fabricate lies about such matters. Believe it or not, please return."

With that, he turned and left, disappearing behind the battlements.

Li Xuan cursed, "Hu Junxian, you’re committing a grave crime of plotting rebellion!"

As Hu Junxian moved farther away, his voice drifted down from the city wall, "Then let us wait until this battle is over, and ask Your Majesty to judge my, Hu’s, crime. Forgive me, I, for having military duties to attend to, I cannot accompany you any longer."