Du Gu Luanyue dispatched another team of soldiers into Danyang City. Thanks to Huo Wei's warrant, the Phoenix Feather Guards didn't have to climb over the city wall.
However, not long after her guards had just descended the mountain and entered the city, a deafening explosion was heard from the direction of Danyang City. With a thunderous boom, the entire mountain forest trembled.
Suddenly, a column of thick black smoke billowed up from the southern end of Danyang City, reaching straight into the sky. Flocks of panicked birds flew out from the city in all directions.
Du Gu Luanyue was standing on a high place. When she looked in that direction, her expression instantly turned cold. She clenched her fists tightly in her sleeves, then turned around and returned to the camp. She quickly gave an order, "Aunt Mei Jiang, immediately count the soldiers. Something must have happened in Danyang City!"
Aunt Mei Jiang had also heard the loud explosion. "But... but the prince privately told this old servant before he left that you were not to go down the mountain at all."
Du Gu Luanyue suddenly raised her eyes. "Are you still listening to Huo Wei? Aunt, whose side are you on exactly?"
Aunt Mei Jiang's smile froze, and she said awkwardly,
"I'll listen to what's good for you, Your Highness. If it's not, I won't.
The city is filled with smoke, and there was just an explosion. Something must have happened. It's so dangerous! The prince and the military advisor are already in the city taking charge. You should just wait a while."
Du Gu Luanyue paced back and forth under the tree. Her plump red lips had unconsciously tightened into a straight line. She said coldly,
"No, I have to go and check. I'm afraid the explosion happened at the South Gate."
She wasn't a timid or hesitant person. She turned around, walked into the tent, fetched her mask, put it on, and wrapped it tightly around her face. Then she went to find a horse.
Just as she was about to mount the horse, Sheng Yunqi grabbed her arm and looked at her worriedly. "Luanyue, you have a noble status. How can you just rush into the city like this?"
Du Gu Luanyue said, "I'm not rushing in blindly. I sent two teams of people into the city, and they've both lost contact. I can't just sit back and do nothing.
This is a plague, and now there's an explosion. As the person with the highest status here in Danyang City, I must lead by example at this moment."
Huo Wei is already a prince, and he went in the first wave. The higher one's status, the greater one's responsibility.
Sheng Yunqi's long black eyelashes fluttered. He said gently, "I'll go with you."
But Du Gu Luanyue grabbed his arm instead. "Don't go. You still have to be responsible for picking up my father and mother."
Sheng Yunqi was reluctant but also felt a bit guilty.
"Last time when you were bitten by a snake, I failed to save you. Ever since then, you've been cold to me. I guess you've doubted my feelings for you.
This time, I'll definitely fight side by side with you. I'll follow you wherever you go."
He wasn't wearing his usual snow - colored brocade robe embroidered with patterns of red - crowned cranes. Instead, he was wearing a narrow - sleeved brocade robe in black and white, with an ink - wash pattern, tightly wrapped around his body.
Sheng Yunqi knew that Huo Wei's actions when Du Gu Luanyue was poisoned by the snake had touched her a little, but it was just a little.
He and Du Gu Luanyue were destined to be together since childhood. After more than a decade of affection, couldn't it compare to someone she'd only known for a few months?
He led the horse over to Du Gu Luanyue, grabbed the reins, and steadied the horse's head. "Luanyue, I've thought carefully about what you said last time.
Indeed, this is not the time for love. This is the time when you need help. I should really do my best to assist you."
Du Gu Luanyue took the reins from Sheng Yunqi, stepped on the stirrup, and mounted the tall horse. She looked down at Sheng Yunqi and said softly,
"Yunqi, I've known your character since childhood. You're someone who can listen to advice. No one is perfect, and no one starts out on the right path. It's best that you've thought it through."
Du Gu Luanyue didn't say any more. She whipped the horse and galloped towards the city. Sheng Yunqi also led a horse and followed Du Gu Luanyue and the Phoenix Feather Guards as they rushed down the mountain.
In Danyang City, Shen Guilan's smoke - dispersing treatment ended at dawn. Just as the wind had started to blow away some of the pungent smoke in the city and visibility had improved a little, an explosion came from the direction of the South Gate. Huo Wei was just discussing with Shen Guilan how to deal with things when they returned to the court. When he heard the explosion, he didn't dare to delay for a moment. He mounted his horse and galloped towards the South Gate.
Two days ago, Shen Guilan's smoke - dispersing treatment hadn't gone very smoothly. There was no time to explain this treatment method to the city's residents one by one, so there was still some unrest.
The smoke made the people misunderstand that the court was going to set fire to kill everyone, but Shen Guilan had already stood on the city wall to respond to this.
He said that since he, the military advisor, was still there, the court couldn't possibly burn even its own military advisor.
However, Shen Guilan was a scholar after all. His aura was no match for Huo Wei's intimidating and murderous aura.
Huo Wei, wearing a golden crown and a black robe, appeared in the crowd. He drew out his silver - white long knife, and his killing intent and the cold light of the blade emerged.
"If anyone dares to spread rumors about the court again, this prince doesn't mind adding a few more lives to his hands."
His imposing manner was always extremely fierce. The noisy crowd instantly fell silent.
Huo Wei looked down at the crowd. "This prince is personally stationed in Danyang City and will live and die with all the people.
The city gates will be locked. This prince will not leave the city until the plague is eradicated!" He looked at a few tall men in the crowd. His eyes were bright but also carried a hint of gloom. The tense muscles on his cheeks showed that he was a skilled fighter.
"Wang Huyang, arrest those people!" At Huo Wei's order, the people hiding among the crowd quickly fled from behind.
Wang Huyang only managed to catch one person. In front of the crowd, he forced this person to admit that he had spread rumors.
Seeing that the situation was under control, Huo Wei dismounted and walked towards the city wall. When he saw Shen Guilan, both of their expressions were solemn.
"The people of Danyang City are innocent. That heartless Murong Min actually wants to use the lives of an entire city's people to spread the plague in Southern Chu so that he can lead his army to the imperial capital of Southern Chu without even lifting a finger."
Shen Guilan placed his hands on the city wall, shook his head, and sighed,
"Southern Chu used to be on par with Northern Yan in strength. It was just that more than a decade ago, it suffered a plague that affected half of the country, which is why the dynasty's strength has declined to this level.
Fortunately, the emperor of Southern Chu is diligent and loves his people. The country has been slowly regaining its strength in recent years.
But our current emperor doesn't care about the lives of the people. In order to expand the country's territory, he actually uses such despicable means."
Huo Wei's thin lips were like a sharp curved knife. He snorted,
"He naturally knows that although Northern Yan won the war against Western Liao, it also suffered some losses after that.
Murong Min's lifelong goal is to unify the world so that he can become an emperor through the ages and be recorded in the history books in great detail.
But he is willing to sacrifice the lives of all the people in Danyang City. An emperor who treats the people like ants will surely become a tyrant one day."
However, Murong Min didn't send him here to open the South Gate.
Murong Min himself was afraid of being criticized by the world, so he sent someone here.
He didn't provide any supplies or manpower, just hoping that the situation in the city would become more and more chaotic, the plague would spread freely, and finally the people would break through the South Gate.
By then, Murong Min's hands would be clean, and he could just sit back and watch Southern Chu be weakened again.
Shen Guilan looked down at the defenseless people below the city wall with compassion in his eyes.
"Junior brother, Master sent a secret letter a few days ago, telling you and me not to interfere in this matter anymore. We should take advantage of the chaos and let the people break through the South Gate. Then we can quickly raise an army in Southern Chu and seize the military power in the southern region. A master's order cannot be disobeyed. You..."
Huo Wei's black eyes suddenly filled with anger. He grabbed Shen Guilan's collar and pushed him against the city wall.
"Shen Guilan, so that's why you asked me to escort the queen out of the city. You've actually been scheming against me!"