"That won't do!" Li Jin hurriedly objected.
Although the Prince of Pingyang said his legs could move, he lacked the strength to even truss a chicken.
And Duoduo was so small. If they encountered danger, the two of them would have absolutely no ability to fight back.
It was absolutely impossible for Li Jin to feel at ease letting the two of them leave alone.
"I am not going far. I am heading to the back mountain!"
"My people are there. They will protect me."
It was rare for the Prince of Pingyang to explain things to Li Jin so amiably.
"That still won't do, unless I watch Your Highness and Duoduo safely reach your people."
Li Jin wore a look of persistence.
The Prince of Pingyang thought for a moment. "Alright. Do this: go find Wang Changsheng and tell him the exact location for the rescue."
"Then, come back to find me. I will wait for you to enter the mountain together."
Li Jin shook his head.
"Your Highness wants to send me away? I will absolutely not fall for it!"
The Prince of Pingyang looked steadily at Li Jin for a moment.
"I have always kept my word and will never break a promise!"
Li Jin heard that Wang Changsheng had already gathered his men and was ready to set off.
"Your Highness must keep your word! I will go for a moment and come right back."
After saying this, Li Jin turned and ran swiftly in the direction of Wang Changsheng and the others.
Because the place where they needed to rescue people was somewhat far, Wang Changsheng brought out all the horse carriages and ox carts from the manor.
Li Jin went over, gave a few instructions, watched Wang Changsheng's team set off, and only then turned back.
"Your Highness? Your Highness!"
Li Jin could not find the Prince of Pingyang at the place where he had just been.
"I am over here."
The Prince of Pingyang's voice came from the other side.
Li Jin hurriedly ran over.
"Mount the horse!" the Prince of Pingyang signaled to Li Jin.
Li Jin mounted the horse without hesitation. The Prince of Pingyang pointed to the path up the back mountain, telling Li Jin to ride up.
The mountain path was very difficult to traverse.
Several times, the horse almost slipped.
Li Jin was so nervous that his head was practically smoking; he did not dare to be the slightest bit careless.
After a full hour of walking, they finally arrived at a flat area.
The Prince of Pingyang had Li Jin stop the horse, observing the ground ahead.
"Li Jin, have the horse walk ten paces to the right!"
Li Jin took a look.
"Your Highness, if we walk ten paces, we will fall off the cliff!" Li Jin questioned.
"Walk exactly as I say. Do not take a single wrong step," the Prince of Pingyang said with a resolute expression.
Half-believing and half-doubting, Li Jin pulled the horse and walked to the right.
One pace, two paces, five paces, eight paces...
The closer they got to the edge of the cliff, the more tense Li Jin's entire body became.
He even calculated in his mind how he would save the Prince of Pingyang and Duoduo if they fell off the cliff.
In an instant, Li Jin thought of many possible rescue plans.
As the horse took the ninth and tenth steps!
They still did not fall off the cliff. Li Jin's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled back into his chest.
"Five paces forward!"
The Prince of Pingyang continued to direct. This time, Li Jin pulled the horse forward exactly as instructed without hesitation.
"Three to the left!"
"Four to the right!"
With the Prince of Pingyang's repeated commands, Li Jin noticed that the surrounding scenery was changing.
Just a moment ago, they were surrounded by trees.
But now, there was not a single tree.
"Five to the right!"
As the horse's hooves landed, the scenery before Li Jin's eyes shifted.
He saw two guards raising their swords and thrusting toward them.
Li Jin was just about to strike back when he heard the Prince of Pingyang speak.
"It is I!"
Hearing the Prince of Pingyang's voice, the guards immediately knelt down.
"Your subordinates greet Your Highness!"
"Rise. Go call your commander!"
One guard bowed, scrambled up from the ground, and quickly ran back.
Soon, a scholar wearing a Confucian headscarf sprinted out from the cave.
"Ling Yu greets Your Highness! I did not know of Your Highness's arrival; please forgive your subordinate for being late!"
As soon as Ling Yu reached the Prince of Pingyang, he immediately knelt.
"Ling Yu, rise."
The Prince of Pingyang waved his hand.
Li Jin dismounted and reached his hand out toward the Prince of Pingyang.
"Brave warrior, let me do it."
Ling Yu politely cupped his hands at Li Jin, then reached out and lifted the Prince of Pingyang off the horse's back.
Li Jin secretly marveled.
This person named Ling Yu had a thin figure and looked just like a frail scholar.
Yet he was actually able to easily lift both the Prince of Pingyang and Duoduo all at once.
This person's strength was absolutely extraordinary.
Over here, the guards placed a previously prepared chair onto the open ground.
Ling Yu set the Prince of Pingyang down on the chair. Only then did he notice that there was someone else in the Prince of Pingyang's arms.
No wonder he had been muttering in his heart just now.
Why had His Highness grown so much heavier?
Several guards lifted the chair simultaneously and walked toward the cave.
Li Jin prepared to follow but was stopped by Ling Yu.
"Brave warrior, thank you for saving our Prince, but please stay here!"
"Ling Yu, let him in!"
The Prince of Pingyang, who was up ahead, coldly tossed out this command.
Ling Yu instantly revealed a smiling face to Li Jin.
"Brave warrior, please go ahead!"
Seeing this person named Ling Yu change his attitude so quickly, Li Jin felt a bit of admiration in his heart.
There probably weren't many people in this world who could switch expressions in a single second, right?
"Thank you!" Li Jin cupped his hands and followed the Prince of Pingyang inside.
Li Jin looked around. This was the back mountain of the manor.
Half of this mountain had been hollowed out.
Two rooms had been built on a flat area.
The guards carried the Prince of Pingyang into one of them, and Li Jin followed them inside.
"Your Highness, what happened? Where are Ling Feng and the others?"
As soon as Ling Yu entered the room, he couldn't help but ask.
The clothes on the Prince of Pingyang were not only soaked, but they also had pond weeds stuck to them.
This was not like the Prince of Pingyang's usual style.
Moreover, as the Prince of Pingyang's personal guard, Ling Feng would definitely not leave His Highness's side for even half a step.
But now, the person beside the Prince of Pingyang was a stranger.
Could it be that Ling Feng committed a grave mistake and was punished by the Prince of Pingyang?
Ling Yu did not dare to think any further.
The Prince of Pingyang looked out the window. "He is dead!"
"What?" Ling Yu was greatly shocked.
"How is that possible? Ling Feng's martial arts are not weak. Who killed him?"
The guards of the Ling generation were the ones who had been by the Prince of Pingyang's side the longest.
Almost all of them were soldiers who had continuously followed the Prince of Pingyang onto the battlefield.
In the end, because the Prince of Pingyang fell off his horse, they had no choice but to scatter in all directions for the sake of the situation.
However, they usually kept in touch and maintained their bonds via carrier pigeons. To say their mutual affection was like that of brothers was not an exaggeration at all.
"Do you see that mountain? To protect me, they were crushed under it."
The Prince of Pingyang's voice was somewhat deep and somber.
Ling Yu looked at the half-collapsed mountain in the distance. "Your Highness, this subordinate will immediately send men to rescue them!"
"I already had the people from the manor go first. Right, at that time, there was also a group of men in black pursuing and trying to kill me."
"Send someone to investigate. Whose forces were those men in black?"
The Prince of Pingyang's words were practically squeezed through his gritted teeth.
The hostility radiating from his entire body made everyone in the room lower their heads.
"Father! So cold!"
