Chapter 165: Draw the first blood

The southern borders

"Clack" "clack" 

Zhongshan Ling looked up and tried to find where the sound came from with his ears. He didn't need to search long because the grass separated seconds later and a set of soldiers matched in. He shivered when he saw the craw tag on the arm of their uniforms. It felt ominous watching then walk forward, he suddenly felt like his death was coming.

He watched as Prince Du walked out with a few of his men, a line of blood slashed more than half of his face including his beards. Prince Du was tge very image of a barbaric madman he was rumored to be.

Two equally hefty memd grabbed Xie Feng and two brutally bruised men by the hand and dragged them forward. The men looked to be the two men that previously fought Prince Du, their face was all swollen with cuts and exposed skin. Their faces were now bloody with their eyes nearly shut like someone knocked their face ineith a sledgehammer.

The bloody knuckles of the giant of a man drew his eyes, he felt the breath leave his lungs when he locked eyes with Prince Du's maniac like eyes. His pupils were dialated with a series of nerves lining the white of his eye. 

Prince Du Lookedat the white faces young prince and laughed. "Who knew that the Zhongshan family produced such a spineless weak lean like you". He pulled hus heavy broad sword out of the sheath, eyes locked on Zhongshan Ling.

The undisguised fear Zhongshan Ling wore like a mask irritated him. It took the fun out of everything for him, what was the fun of dealing with someone who gave up easily. While he liked his victims scared, he still preferred them to put up a fight. 

Even if the hunt had gone sour he still needed to meet his end of the bargain. His uncle had gacs him strict orders to take care of this and he followed orders. This was one of the conditions their partner face them an he intended to follow through with the promise that had agreed on.

******

An hour or so earlier

Prince Du noticed that Hanriu had left with the Crown Prince thirty minutes later, He had expected that since it was according to the information he was sent the last night. His partners wanted the Crown Prince death to look as natural as possible so as not to draw any attention to them. They had arranged for the attack to happen.as.soon as he left the safety of the seaport military watchtower.

He looked around him and the Crown Prince's men were putting up a good fight but they would hold him down for long at this rate. He brought two fingers into hid mouth, such that the rest were bend below his lip. He blew our some air with a force that created a loud audible whistle that traveled the short distance to where the rest of his team waited patiently for his instructions.

Minutes alter the men.shut down majority if the Crown Prince's men, he left a few prisoners before going after Hanriu and the general. He followed the bread crumbs, left by Hanriu to lead him to the Crown Prince. He caught up with the Crown Prince and Hanriu contact minutes later. 

The in disguised fear on the Crown Prince's face disgusted him, he did not enjoy dealing with spineless men. Prince Du pulled his sword out of its sheath as he walked close to the Crown Prince. He stopped a few steps away from the Crown Prince, he held his sword in front of him with the tip piercing the ground while he placed his hands on the hilt of the sword. 

He glanced at the man standing behind the Crown Prince and holding him up at knife's ends. "Growing up, I have heard a lot about the powerful Zhongshan family. The history books always sang praises about the grace and strength the Zhongshan family possessed. However, this current generation of the Zhongshan family are a disgrace at most."

He shook his head, lips tugged up. "I am not here to give you moral lessons but to sent you a long the way. Don't worry, Your Highness. You will not be alone on the afterlife. The Emperor and the rest of your family will soon join you, the Zhongshan family has had a good reign for hundreds of years. All dynasty must fall, you have your own stupidity to blame for this end. The first rule every noble man knows is to trust no one but you shattered that rule". 

He looked to his commander at his right and gestured towards the Crown Prince with his head. The commander came forward with two armed soldiers, Prince Du glanced at Hanriu and said, "You did a good Job Mr Hanriu but we will take it from here".

"Ye... Yes your highness" Hanriu pulled the sword away from Zhongshan Ling's neck and stepped back as the two guards standing behind the commander walked forward and grabbed Zhongshan Ling's and dragged him away. Hanriu put his sword into his sheath, "your highness is a talented warrior is was nice meeting you. If you need anything please let me know, I will endeavour to help you".

Prince Du glanced down at the shorter man and smiled, " Mr Hanriu unlike your foolish master, I do my keep Traitors. I have no use for unreliable men like you". He raise his sword and gave Hanriu's neck a clean cut. Hanriu's eyes widened just before his jugular was cut, the cut was clean and fatal. Hanriu fell to the side motionless. Zhongshan Ling paled as it happened, he glanced from Hanriu''s lifeless body to prince Du.

Prince Du wiped the blood off his sword on Hanriu's tunic and walked closer to Zhongshan Ling. "That was a gift to you, I don't like traitors. Consider that my last kindness before you die", Prince Du said as he ran a sword through Zhongshan Ling's stomach. 

"Ah!", Zhongshan Ling fell back as he pulled the sword out of his body. Blood gushed outS he did but Prince Du soared him no glance, he pulled the sword down and cut the nerves at his ankle.

"Aauh!!" Zhongshan Ling exclaimed loudly.

"Too noisy" Prince Du glanced at the two guards holding Zhongshan Ling up, " throw him into the well". The guards nodded and dragged him bleeding towards the well behind them. Xie feng at the masked men began trashing about while calling out for mercy but Prince Du just ordered his men to kill them all before leaving.

************

Hours later, the Empress Palace

Emperor Zhong was having lunch with the Empress when a eunuch rushed in and fell on his knees in front of them. 

"This lowly one greets Your majesty and your hignesss" the eunuch said head bowed low.

Emperor Zhong placed his chopsticks aside and frowned down at the eunuch. He had permitted the minister of war to bring him reports on the war no matter the time but while he appreciated their efforts. Time like this when he barely managed to get the Empress to stay longer that a few minutes with him. He didn't appreciate the interruption.

"What is it?" He said firmly, hus tone was so hard that even Empress Lu looked up from her plate. She was a little bit taken aback his tone much less the little eunuch. No matter how scared he was of earning the Emperor's wrath, the eunuch didn't dare act on that. He had more pressing news and withholding this information could cost hum, he life since it concerns the Crown Prince.

"Your majesty, General Zhang that is in charge of the seaport military base just reported that the Crown Prince a missing"

"What!" Emperor Zhong and Empress Lu exclaimed eye wide.

"How is that even possible, isn't he at the military watchtower over there. How can he just disappear?" Emperor Zhong stood and walled to the eunuch.

"Answering your majesty, the guard at the gates reported that the Crown Prince left with a handfull of guards four and a half hours before day earlier today. According to the guard the Crown Prince reported that he was going to buy a few necessities in the next village."

"Just How incompetence those guards, it is not like it is normal practice for the Crown Princeto get his own supplies. Why didn't a team of guards follow him closely! we are at war, there is danger everywhere!" Emperor Zhong shouted walking around the chair.

Empress Lu glanced down at the shivering eunuch kneeling on the ground, his green eunuch uniform was showing signs of heavy sweating. If the eunuch stayed any longer, he might pee in his pants. She stood, picked up a cup of calming tea and brought it to the Emperor.

Patting him on the shoulder softly, Emperor Zhong's gaze locked on her calm face. Although she looked calm, her eyes was full of worry. He looked down at the cup of tea she handed to him and took it from her. He understood that she must be going through a lot, she had raised tge crown prince