Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

Chapter 210 False Lies

Chi Yue knew Qi Xiao wasn't asking him. He knew Tang Ling's reason for leaving, but he didn't know how to find an excuse to calm Qi Xiao down. He had never seen Qi Xiao look so desolate and sad before. It was completely different from when Concubine Lin passed away. Back then, Qi Xiao's eyes held not only sorrow but also hatred and guilt.

At that moment, Chi Yue felt that Qi Xiao was like a person suffering from a terminal illness and was about to die. The long-lasting pain took away the light in his eyes, his hope, and his meaning before taking his life, leaving him with only a gloomy and dead aura. He was unable to struggle and could only sink into the mud, the soil, and the dust little by little.

"...Your Highness..." Chi Yue wanted to say something, but was stopped by Zong Sheng just as he opened his mouth. Zong Sheng shook his head at him, which meant that no matter what Chi Yue wanted to say, he should not say it.

Chi Yue shut up. He shouldn't and couldn't persuade Qi Xiao to make his decision. He knew how to read people's expressions best, and this time he almost couldn't help but say something.

Chi Yue glanced at Zong Sheng. He understood how much pain Qi Xiao felt at the moment, and at the same time, he reluctantly understood that Tang Ling's decision to leave wasn't due to a lack of love. He had betrayed Zong Sheng before, even breaking his leg, but he had no regrets and never believed he'd done anything wrong. No matter how many times he had to choose, he would always choose Zong Sheng, the path that was better for him.

Even if this choice means not giving the other party the opportunity to choose.

Tang Ling chose to give up on Qi Xiao, completely severing the ill-fated relationship between him and Qi Xiao in the most decisive way. Qi Xiao, who had just received the news, was too late to rush back to Bashan in the north or to Liujiang in the east. He had no time to catch up with Tang Ling and stop him.

Qi Xiao could only be left behind, to continue attacking Shuoliang and destroying Qi, and then return to Yuanjing with outstanding achievements, to continue being the King of Chu. With the Dali Temple case in front and the unparalleled achievement of destroying Qi behind, he would become His Majesty's favorite son and the candidate for the crown prince. He would have the opportunity to avenge Concubine Lin, to investigate the Bai Liu case, and to complete what he wanted to do but failed to do.

Qi Xiao sat on the horse in a daze, looked up at the sky, and was dazzled by the bright sunlight. It turned out that it was almost noon.

Qi Xiao suddenly let out a long sigh, pulled the reins, turned the horse around, and said to Chi Yue, "From Qi to Zhou, you should know the way. Let's go."

Chi Yue was stunned. He couldn't believe what Qi Xiao was saying: "Your Highness means..."

"Even if I gallop to Liujiang now, I still can't catch up with Tang Ling. So I'll chase her to Shaoyang. Doesn't he want to go home?"

"Your Highness..." Chi Yue opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. This was too crazy!

The allied forces of Chen and Zhou attacked Qi, and what happened when their commander fled mid-battle? Not only did he flee, but he also fled to Zhou. The fact that Chen and Zhou could collude for their own benefit didn't necessarily mean they were close; on the contrary, after Qi's demise, the situation between them would only become more tense. Was Qi Xiao sending himself as a hostage?

How is Chi Yue going to explain this to His Majesty?!

Qi Xiao had made up his mind. He ignored Chi Yue's embarrassment and rode away: "Don't follow me."

Zong Sheng glanced at Chi Yue quickly and followed Qi Xiao closely.

“Ah!” Chi Yue yelled, but still chased after him. What could he do? Even if he didn’t want to care about Qi Xiao’s sudden madness, he couldn’t ignore Zong Sheng.

When going from Bashan to Liujiang, you will definitely pass Lingshan, but the nearest ferry crossing Liujiang from Shuoliang is in Xinjiang.

"Your Highness, if we go directly to Xinhuai, we might be able to cross the river before you, and intercept him before he meets up with Marquis Xun An."

Qi Xiao thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Let's go to Lingshan. Tang Ling is weak and can't travel day and night. Although we're late and have a longer journey, we may still be able to catch up."

The three of them traveled at lightning speed, traveling day and night without stopping. They ate, drank, and slept on horseback. They were in a faster pace than before when they were traveling from Lanquan to Yuanzhou Prefecture.

They relied on their kung fu and good health to persevere, but their horses couldn't keep up, and one of them died the next day. Horses were hard to come by during the war, so Chi Yue and Zong Sheng had to share one, making do for a while. The next day, the horse was no longer able to run, and it was barely able to keep going.

The three of them had no choice but to find the nearest town to buy a horse.

Huangting Town wasn't big, but it was considered affluent, with wide streets. Even the common people wore clean clothes, not shabby at all. There were some homeless beggars and refugees on the streets, but far fewer than in the northern border.

Qi Xiao and his friends went to a carriage shop, but the owner said that the imperial court was requisitioning horses and they had no more.

Qi Xiao didn't believe it. He could clearly hear the faint sound of horseshoes being hammered at the back of the shop. The horse was gone, so why would horseshoes be hammered at all? Perhaps because they were strangers, the shopkeeper didn't want to deal with them, so he just gave them a perfunctory treatment.

Qi Xiao didn't say much. He let Chi Yue sneak into the store first. After seeing the horses in the stable, they returned and entered the store again.

Before Qi Xiao could say anything, the shop owner was about to kick him out, so Zong Sheng simply threw a bulging purse onto the counter.

"Boom." The sound was deep and dull.

The shopkeeper couldn't help but open the purse and saw that it was full of gold. It was so heavy that he couldn't pick it up at all!

"I want all the horses in your shop."

"This……"

"I'll go in now. If there are horses and you still insist that there are none, I'll do you a favor and kill them all so I can teach you how to count. The shopkeeper can't make any mistakes in his calculations." Chi Yue smiled at the shopkeeper, which made him shudder and his legs go weak involuntarily.

"This……"

"Huh? Do you think the money is too much?" Chi Yue reached out to take the purse back, but the shopkeeper quickly put the purse into his arms.

"Yes, yes, all the horses in our shop are yours!" The shopkeeper led them into a small hall and said, "Please sit down and have some tea. I'll have the staff saddle the horses."

After taking a few sips of tea, a man suddenly rushed into the store, looking disheveled and covered in blood.

"Shopkeeper! Sell me the horse! I saw it..."

"Why you again? Get lost! I already told you..."

The shopkeeper was halfway through his words when the three "distinguished guests" who were sitting in the side hall suddenly came out and stared at him with murderous looks, scaring him so much that he forgot to breathe.

"Qinglan?! Where's Tang Ling?! Why are you here?!" Qi Xiao grabbed Qinglan's arm, almost lifting him up. He looked him up and down. The blood on his body had almost dried, but he didn't look seriously injured since he entered the room. Qi Xiao demanded, "Where did all this blood come from? Who was injured? Where's Tang Ling?!"

Qing Lan was startled by Qi Xiao's sudden appearance. He didn't even care how hard Qi Xiao pulled his hand or how much pain it hurt. Tears welled up in his eyes: "Your Highness! Save the young master!"

***

On April 11, news of Chen Heng reached Bashan. He had passed the miasma forest and cleared out Xu Zheng's men who were ambushing at Jialing Pass and Xingtian Pass. He would arrive at Bashan soon.

This news was fantastic news for Lu Xiulin and Bai Xiqiao. They had defended Bashan for four months, waiting for Chen Heng to lead the Dingyuan Army south to join them. Once the 200,000 Dingyuan troops reached Bashan, it would be easy to annihilate Xu Zheng's 150,000 men. Meanwhile, Qi Xiao, with the Yaoshan Army, had already reached Shuoliang. Seeing that Qi was doomed and victory was within reach, the Chen army in Bashan was at its peak, each one sharpening their blades, ready to storm through the Bashan gates and decimate Xu Zheng's army, leaving heads rolling and blood flowing like a river.

When Tang Ling received the news, her heart went cold. Chen Heng had arrived earlier than he'd expected, and he couldn't wait any longer.

"Ye Huai, go and get ready." Tang Ling stood in the corridor and softly told Ye Huai to do the work. He didn't trust anyone else.

The crabapple blossoms in the yard have all bloomed, and the clusters of pink, white and bright red flowers make this simple and plain little yard look full of spring and vitality.

The flowers are blooming, Qi Xiao, the flowers are blooming...

When Qi Xiao sees the garden full of crabapple trees but can't find him, he will definitely hate him to death.

Tang Ling held onto the porch pillar and slowly slid down to sit on the steps. He hugged his arms and his fingers pinched his arms unconsciously. It hurt so much. His heart really hurt, so much that he couldn't breathe.

It was clearly the crabapple blossoms he had planted with his own hands, so why did they look so irritating and painful to him, and made him feel so disgusted and hateful?

The brighter and more vibrant the crabapple blossoms, the more they seemed like a kind of irony, baring their fangs and claws at Tang Ling, snarling at his cruelty and ruthlessness. Why plant a garden of crabapple blossoms as a gift for him? Was this something that would make Qi Xiao happy? He couldn't even say goodbye, didn't dare to stay, so why not leave more decisively?

Tang Ling lowered his head and buried it in his arms. It was clearly his decision, but why did he regret it all the time? He wanted to bury himself in the yard, grow roots deep into the soil, impossible to cut or pull out, so that he could wait here forever.

If he could be willful for once, he would write back to Qi Xiao, telling him that if he could come back before the Dingyuan Army arrived and before the crabapple blossoms bloomed, he would not leave. He wanted to stay for him...

Tang Ling looked up at the crabapple blossoms in the yard. "Qi Xiao, the flowers are blooming. I'm going home. It's time for you to go back too."

Tears streaming down her face, Tang Ling saw Qi Xiao in a trance. He rode a tall horse, his eyes lowered, his manner dignified and annoying. Tang Ling suddenly burst out laughing. If he had known he would fall in love with such a brat, he would have looked at him twice, twice more. I wish it could be like the first time we met... If there had been no love, there would have been no place for hatred.

Tang Ling raised her hand to wipe away her tears, repeatedly and stubbornly wiping them away before they could fall. It was clearly the woman he had fallen in love with, and the one he was about to betray, so how could he have the right to cry?

Qing Lan hid in the corner, not daring to make a sound, much less step forward. He had never seen Tang Ling like this before, heartbroken and crying uncontrollably. His son was always calm and composed, so how could he become like this?!

Tang Ling sat in the corridor for an hour, and Qinglan sat silently with her in the distance for an hour until Ye Huai came back.

"...Young Master, everything is ready as you instructed." Ye Huai stood behind Tang Ling, about ten feet away from him. He did not dare to approach Tang Ling.

Tang Ling stood up and nodded: "Got it."

Tang Ling returned to his room, washed up, changed his clothes, and got ready. He walked to his desk, intending to leave a letter for Qi Xiao, but he couldn't bring himself to write. Instead, a drop of ink fell onto the white paper, leaving a black blob that slowly spread. Then another drop fell, leaving a transparent stain next to the ink, slowly dissolving into it.

Tang Ling put down her brush, crumpled the rice paper, and threw it away. All she left on the desk was a small box containing the seal he had carved earlier. He had nothing to offer Qi Xiao. He had never been able to give anything to begin with; all he could offer him were empty lies.

Han Chaosheng, who was imprisoned in the Bashan prison cell, has gradually been forgotten. The people guarding him have become increasingly lax. When they talked about the news that Chen Heng was about to arrive in Bashan, they even forgot that Han Chaosheng was in the cell next door and could hear everything.

Ye Huai took advantage of the slackness of the guards during the shift change and sneaked in to steal Han Chaosheng out.

"Who are you?" Han Chaosheng's first question was of course about Ye Huai's identity and purpose.

"I'm from the Occupation Office and have been in Bashan for a long time. However, I'm alone and powerless and can't do anything. I heard that the Chen army is about to arrive. In this critical moment of life and death, all I can do is rescue the general. Please take this letter to General Xu Zheng!"

Han Chaosheng didn't trust Ye Huai very much, but he had no choice at the moment. Even if it was a trap, he had to give it a try. If he died, then he died, but if there was a chance to inform Xu Zheng, he would get out at all costs!

Ye Huai found a way to distract the guards guarding the creek for a while, allowing Han Chaosheng to sneak into the creek and escape from Bashan.

After letting Han Chaosheng go, Ye Huai gathered all the Xingluo Guards in Tang Ling's courtyard. They were just waiting for Xu Zheng to launch a fierce attack on Bashan.

After nightfall, Bai Xiqiao came and brought Tang Ling a pot of wine, saying that they could have a drink when Chen Heng's army arrived. The brothers were almost suffocated to death after holding back for more than four months.

Tang Ling smiled and warned Bai Xiqiao, "It's better to be cautious."

Bai Xiqiao laughed loudly: "Yes, yes, I will never drink secretly."

Tang Ling personally escorted Bai Xiqiao out, a rare occasion. She watched him disappear at the end of the street on his horse before she uttered, "I'm sorry."

Late at night, Tang Ling calculated that it was almost time, so she quietly left the small courtyard with Qinglan, Ye Huai and Xingluowei. Like Han Chaosheng, they sneaked out of Bashan through the creek.

Ever since Xu Zheng besieged Bashan, Baixiqiao had blocked Xu Zheng several times in the creek, leaving him utterly defeated and afraid to return. The creek was narrow, and even if Xu Zheng's men could enter, few would make it through. They would be strangled before getting more than ten feet. Over time, the creek's defenses became lax. Of course, this was also Tang Ling's plan, intended to get him out.

Leaving Bashan was smooth, but Tang Ling and his men left via Xiqu and, without horses, would have to walk through the mountains all night to reach the Xingluo Guards' designated rendezvous point. If Baixiqiao's men had spotted Tang Ling's escape in time, catching them would have been easy, but Xu Zheng's army arrived before Baixiqiao could detect them, and the offensive and defensive battle erupted once again, leaving no one to care for Tang Ling.

Xu Zheng was stunned when he saw Han Chaosheng; he hadn't expected him to be alive. Tang Ling's previous letter of surrender, forged in Han Chaosheng's handwriting, had made it impossible for Xu Zheng to trust Han Chaosheng. Even if Xu Zheng was willing to believe him, his Qi army wouldn't.

But news of the Dingyuan army's southward advance had Xu Zheng anxiously anticipating it. The siege of Bashan had been unsuccessful for so long that they could no longer afford to delay. Han Chaosheng's escape through the creek indicated that the Chen army had relaxed their defenses due to the news of the imminent arrival of reinforcements, presenting a good opportunity.

Han Chaosheng did not know about the letter of surrender, but he knew that Xu Zheng had been a captive for four months and it was reasonable for him to be suspected. So he volunteered to lead 200 people back at night to blow up the creek and canal.

Xu Zheng agreed without hesitation and assigned two hundred men to Han Chaosheng. Once Han Chaosheng had left, Xu Zheng ordered another two thousand men and ordered a lieutenant to sneak under the south gate with gunpowder. If Han Chaosheng could blast the creek, they could blow open the gate as well. That night, Xu Zheng launched another assault on Bashan.