In the camp of the Northern Di, Prince Qi was enduring humiliation to carry out a heavy task.
At that moment, a soldier hurried in, shattering the camp's cheerful atmosphere. Seeing this, the Northern Di general Lang Qing lifted his eyelids. "Well? How much grain is the Mo Bei willing to pay for his ransom?"
Prince Qi's ears perked up secretly. He was, after all, a prince. That fellow Gu Mingning should know what to do, right?
But the next second, the soldier stammered, "The Great Qi Crown Prince has arrived at Mo Bei. They said... they said..."
"Spit it out! What did they say?" The deputy generals nearby lost their patience.
"They said it's too expensive. They won't make the exchange!"
Instantly, the entire tent fell silent. General Lang Qing of the Northern Di suddenly stood up and delivered a kick straight to Prince Qi's solar plexus.
"In the past, even if we captured ordinary civilians, Mo Bei would exchange grain for them. But this time, they refuse. What a useless waste you are!"
"General, it seems the Great Qi Crown Prince is nothing special after all. Where is the famed love for his people as if they were his own children?"
Everyone began cursing and complaining, one after another. Only Prince Qi, upon hearing that Song Yu had reached Mo Bei, revealed a look of utter despair in his eyes.
It's over.
Song Yu would probably prefer him dead in Mo Bei.
"Go find out why the Great Qi Crown Prince has suddenly come to Mo Bei," Lang Qing's tone shifted. "Also, have all the soldiers stay alert."
"You worry too much, General. Great Qi just fought wars against Da Yue and the Wo Kingdom. Although they won both, their own national strength has been significantly depleted. Attacking the Northern Di now would not be wise," a deputy general said with a laugh. "It's likely the Crown Prince can't swallow his pride to ransom him. If that's the case, let the 'Lark' stay with the Northern Di. He'll make a fine amusement."
The soldiers were all quite fond of the Lark.
Lang Qing's eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing more.
Prince Qi's mind raced frantically. No, he had to save himself. He couldn't be the Northern Di's Lark forever!
...
Great Qi Imperial Palace.
"Your son is a 'Lark'?" Master Qingshan looked at Emperor Yuanyou several times before finally blurting out.
"Your son is the Lark!" The already irritated Emperor Yuanyou snapped back instantly.
"I don't have a son."
Master Qingshan stood up and patted his backside. "Better think carefully about how to deal with this Lark."
A loud thump sounded from behind. Master Qingshan quickly said to Wu Qi, "Hurry and find some cooling remedies for your Emperor. Don't let him work himself into an illness."
Having said that, Master Qingshan couldn't help but laugh again.
So hilarious.
Mo Bei.
Gu Mingning still seemed somewhat hesitant. "Your Highness, are we really not going to do anything about Prince Qi?"
After all, he is a prince of the kingdom. Prince Qi's life might be a small matter, but if his identity is exposed someday, the damage to Great Qi's prestige would be a major issue.
"We are going to deal with it."
Song Yu crossed his legs. "We don't have that much grain to exchange. So we'll fight."
Wipe out the Northern Di, and the person will naturally come back.
"Your Highness, how many elite troops do you plan to request from His Majesty?" Hearing there was a battle to fight, Gu Zheng's eyes lit up, and even Yu Fan straightened his posture.
"None."
Huh?
Facing several stunned faces, Song Yu snapped his fingers. "Mo Bei has a permanent garrison of fifty thousand soldiers. These fifty thousand are each as fierce as tigers. That's enough."
"Yes, it's enough."
Song Shihuan also spoke with a smile.
Once Song Shihuan spoke, Gu Zheng and Yu Fan simultaneously sighed in relief.
This left Song Yu somewhat dissatisfied.
Why did he feel his words didn't carry much authority in the ears of Gu Zheng and Yu Fan?
...
"Your Highness, Princess, how should we proceed with our arrangements now?"
Gu Mingning was somewhat anxious. Conquering Mo Bei was his lifelong wish.
Now that it seemed within reach, he wished he could mount his horse and charge with his spear immediately.
"Don't rush."
Song Shihuan shook her head with a smile. "Let's wait for Prince Qi to make his move first, then we'll formulate our tactics."
Gu Mingning grew even more anxious, scratching his head and ears. What should he do if he didn't quite understand the Princess's words?
Seeing this, Song Shihuan kindly explained, "Prince Qi knows my father has arrived in Mo Bei. Given his petty and vindictive nature, he's certainly convinced Great Qi won't save him. Therefore, he will desperately try to save himself."
"To save himself, he must create chaos within the Northern Di. The Northern Di people are brave and skilled in battle but simple-minded. Prince Qi actually has a chance of succeeding."
"Let's patiently wait and see what my Third Uncle is capable of."
Come to think of it, if he really succeeds, we might even have to credit the Lark with an achievement!
The night was late, but the Northern Di people had no habit of sleeping early. This was the time for them to dance around the bonfire. No one paid any attention to Prince Qi.
Prince Qi was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, yet he forced himself to stay awake.
A sound came from behind. Prince Qi took a deep breath. Success or failure hinged on this move!
"That damned Crown Prince, how could he be unwilling to save the life of an ordinary soldier like me? How sad my old father at home must be right now."
"And to think I even devised a method to deal with Lang Qing. Although Lang Qing is highly vigilant, he is also arrogant and conceited. He's surrounded by beautiful concubines. The nightly bonfire gatherings are when he's most relaxed, making it the perfect time for an assassination."
"If that fails, one could secretly poison the concubines' lip rouge."
"If it fails again, one could falsely claim to have spotted a ferocious beast to lure Lang Qing..."
"If it fails yet again..."
Prince Qi talked until his mouth was dry. A certain deputy general who had stepped out to relieve himself listened, utterly stunned, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
"Ah, what a pity they won't ransom me. I'll never tell Great Qi about this excellent method!"
With that, Prince Qi scurried back into his tent, his heart pounding like thunder.
Would that deputy general directly report him and have Lang Qing kill him? This was the deputy general he had observed to be most at odds with Lang Qing.
That night, Prince Qi didn't dare close his eyes, fearing Lang Qing would burst in and kill him the next second.
But by daybreak, Prince Qi's head was still securely on his shoulders.
Prince Qi stood up, somewhat incredulous. "Could it be... it's working?"
"Lark! The General wants you!"
A familiar voice called from outside the tent. For once, Prince Qi rushed out eagerly:
"Coming, coming!"
...
A few days later, chaos erupted in the Northern Di.
The spies Great Qi had secretly infiltrated into the Northern Di also sent back messages.
Yes, spies had been placed after Prince Qi's capture, but they weren't wasted on a reckless rescue attempt.
"Prince Qi's childish methods didn't lead to a successful assassination by the deputy generals, but they successfully angered Lang Qing. Now, the Northern Di commanders are all living in fear. Lang Qing has already executed quite a few deputy generals he suspected of disloyalty."
"This actually worked?" Song Yu felt somewhat disillusioned. "Lang Qing has controlled the Northern Di for so long. How could he not have contingencies in place? Prince Qi has been a prince for many years, after all..."
"He didn't have any contingencies when he was a prince either."
Song Yu suddenly understood.
Prince Qi was like an unkillable cockroach, always managing to get back up and make another foolish move.
It turns out a rotten apple spoils the barrel wherever it goes. Even in the Northern Di, he could muddy the waters.
Impressive.
"Alright, it's time for us to make our move."
Song Shihuan's face wore a smile of certain victory.
