Duan Wuluo had almost forgotten that. “Mm-hmm. So you mean Miss Murong was the real target of Lord Rui and Your Highness was implicated.”
“No. Gong Qianyu was the target and Xue was implicated instead,” Ouyang Shaochen said in a blandly cold voice.
Duan Wuluo was surprised to hear that. “How come it’s another story this time?”
“Gong Qianze sent people to catch Xue with the purpose to set Gong Qianyu up,” Ouyang Shaochen said with a mysterious look. After two Nanjiang deadpools drugged Murong Xue, she was taken to Mount Meng in Nanjiang, where Gong Qianyu was. If she failed to come back to her senses in advance and kill those men, she might have been killed with Gong Qianyu by her side by the time Ouyang Shaochen found her.
Last night, if the assassin’s plot succeeded, Murong Xue might lose her virginity to Gong Qianyu. In the heat of the moment, Ouyang Shaochen would kill Gong Qianyu who was too weak to fight back after the detoxification.
Once Gong Qianyu was killed, Gong Qianze would succeed to the throne as the only heir in the near future.
It was so bold of Gong Qianze to provoke Ouyang Shaochen to kill Gong Qianyu by poisoning Murong Xue.
Murong Xue instantly turned sullen upon hearing that. She didn’t even know who Gong Qianze was until today when the latter used her as a tool to realize his plot. What a despicable man Gong Qianze was!
A touch of murderous intent flashed in Gong Qianyu’s eyes.
Duan Wuluo knitted his eyebrows tightly. He had heard of many merciless stories of the royal family in which heirs killed siblings for power and profit. But Gong Qianze was none of them as was known to Duan Wuluo, so Duan didn’t believe Ouyang Shaochen this time. “Lord Rui is a gentleman of good manners. He doesn’t look like a vicious man.”
“One can be totally different on the inside. I’m sure Prefect Duan has heard of this.” Ouyang Shaochen squinted at Duan Wuluo with contempt in his eyes. All evidence proved Gong Qianze was the plotter but Duan Wuluo still chose to believe that he was innocent.
“Probably Gong Qianze was set up,” Duan Wuluo said in a low voice with a solemn look.
“Who would have the guts to set up Lord Rui?” Ouyang Shaochen said blandly with undisguised contempt.
Looking gloomy, Duan Wuluo answered, “Even though Lord Rui is supported by officials and loved by civilians, he has enemies in the royal court. So it’s possible that he was set up.”
“Really? Who do you think is suspicious, Prefect Duan?” Ouyang Shaochen asked, looking at Duan Wuluo peacefully.
“I don’t have any idea yet.” Duan Wuluo shook his head and put on a sullen look. Lord Rui, a people person with high reputation, hardly ever offended people. The possible powerful enemy of his could only be Gong Qianyu.
But Gong Qianyu was innocent and had never plotted against people, though he was arrogant and indifferent almost all the time.
Who on earth was the real plotter behind the scene?
When the four of them suddenly stopped talking, it became dead quiet in the yard with only the leaves rustling in the wind.
All of a sudden.
“I got an idea to tell if Lord Rui was the plotter!” Ouyang Shaochen broke the silence.
“What is it?” With a surprised look, Duan Wuluo stared at Ouyang Shaochen.
“Let’s go to the military camp of Nanjiang,” Ouyang Shaochen said with a mysterious smile.
The camp was located around Mount Meng, about 5 kilometers away from Qingyan camp. When Gong Qianyu and Duan Wuluo reached the Nanjiang camp, soldiers were training on the ground.
Vice generals were surprised to see Gong Qianyu and trotted to him. “Your Highness!”
“How’s everything going here?” Gong Qianyu simply asked without taking a look at them.
Vice generals understood what he meant. Vice General Wang stepped up and answered with pride, “Your Highness, Qingyan troops trapped outside the jungle are struggling to leave. On the contrary, our troops have progressed in fighting skills and tactics have been improved over these days of training. We’re ready for war!”
Gong Qianyu abruptly looked up and shot a piercing gaze at Vice General Wang, “So you think Nanjiang troops can defeat Qingyan troops?”
Feeling shivers running down his spine, Wang answered hesitantly, “Of course.”
Gong Qianyu remained silent, but the corner of his lips curled upward with contempt.
Duan Wuluo hesitated before saying peacefully, “Qingyan soldiers are highly skillful in martial arts and there are over 300 thousand of them, but there are at most 100 thousand Nanjiang soldiers in the military camp. If the war starts, Nanjiang is probably going to lose.”
Vice General Wang shook his head with disagreement. “I don’t think so, Prefect Duan. Having been blocked for days, Qingyan troops must be in low spirits while our troops are the opposite as the formation just completed. If our troops set out now, they will definitely eliminate those scums from Qingyan.”
“Qingyan troops are just trapped outside the jungle so that they can’t march. But they have enough food and water. Even if they’re really in low spirits, it won’t cause their loss of combat capability.” Duan Wuluo lowered his voice with a solemn look.
“They must have kept their anger with all these obstacles bottled up. If Nanjiang troops set out at this moment, Qingyan troops will take it out on them, which will cause many casualties and a terrible loss.”
The number of Qingyan troops was three times as that of Nanjiang troops. To win the majority with minority, force alone didn’t work and military tactics were needed!
“Prefect Duan, why do you boost the enemies’ moral and reduce that of our troops? Qingyan troops had kept their anger bottled up, so had Nanjiang troops. If the war starts, we’ll take it out on them,” Vice General Wang retorted without showing Duan Wuluo any respect.
“That’s right. Qingyan troops are highly skillful in martial arts but Nanjiang troops are not weak either. It’s hard to tell who will win the war.”
“Couldn’t agree more. For all these days, troops have been trained to knock Qingyan troops off the block.”
“Mingzhou belongs to Nanjiang. How reckless Qingyan troops are to invade our land!”
“Kick them out of Mingzhou… Back to Qingyan…”
Vice generals echoed one another impassionedly with pride.
Duan Wuluo knitted his eyebrows tightly. Working with these impassioned vice generals, no wonder Gong Qianyu hated to stay in the camp even though he was a commander.
Those vice generals were highly skillful in kungfu without wisdom. They were too arrogant to accept any advice and complacent over occasional success.