Chapter 126: Hostage

Chapter 126: Hostage

Prince Donghais anger could have turned the four men into ashes if they had been standing before him.

Zhang Yanghao, Yan Dong, and the others had fled unexpectedly, taking with them more than a dozen guards hidden in the Riverside Village. Prince Donghai found himself truly isolated this time, with only over twenty guards by his side, whose cover had already been blown, rendering them ineffective. He was left with only one choice: to immediately leave the Riverside Village to avoid the worst outcome becoming a hostage.

With Han Ruzis return, chaos engulfed Riverside Village once again. Many wanted to come forward and speak, including Chao Hua, who upon hearing of his fathers murder, was filled with both grief and rage, immediately intending to seek revenge, yet unsure of whom to turn to.

Seizing the opportunity amidst the chaos, Prince Donghai quietly made his way towards the main gate, with the guards following closely behind.

It was these guards who had failed. However, Prince Donghai dared not flee alone, finding some solace in the fact that over twenty men were following him.

Han Ruzi had to deal with a flood of incoming information. Reacting swiftly, he first stopped Chao Hua from rushing out of the Riverside Village, then instructed Jin Chunzhong to speak first, trusting that he knew the most.

Jin Chunzhong didnt know who attacked the village, how Chao Yongsi was killed, or why his father was abducted. But from his sisters actions, he deduced some reasons and quietly recounted them to Weary Marquis.

It was at this moment that Han Ruzi noticed Prince Donghai was missing from his side. Glancing around, he saw Prince Donghais group of guards and gestured for Jin Chunzhong to pause, loudly calling out, Prince Donghai!

Prince Donghai actually had a chance to escape. A clever guard had brought the only horse from the village, and the gatekeepers recognized him as the Emperors brother, not attempting to stop him. Even if someone chased after him later, the guards could hold them off for a while.

But as soon as Prince Donghai realized that his hidden forces were gone, he became flustered. Gripping the saddle, he hesitated, and instead of mounting, asked his guards to step aside as he answered, Im here!

Things are a little troublesome, come offer your views. Han Ruzi walked towards Prince Donghai, a large group of militia by his side.

Things were too chaotic. He signalled to Lin Kunshan with a look. Lin Kunshan hesitated and then got his men to block the exit of the village.

Prince Donghais hands still gripped the saddle, and he thought several times about mounting and rushing out recklessly, but ultimately gave up. When Han Ruzi and the militia approached, he lost his final opportunity, releasing his hands from the saddle. A smile flickered on his face, then realizing its inappropriateness, he immediately corrected his expression to one of seriousness.

Things just cant stay peaceful, can they? Prince Donghai remarked.

Han Ruzi grabbed Prince Donghais arm. Come, lets talk inside.

Prince Donghai glanced at the guards beside him, then at the hundreds of militiamen, including Lin Kunshan and other pugilists, especially that eccentric fellow Reckless, knowing that his opportunity had slipped away. Alright, he said.

Some of the houses in the Riverside Village had been burnt down, but the meeting hall remained intact. The body of the chief clerk Chao Yongsi lay there, atop a door plank inscribed with names.

Chao Hua, Jin Chunzhong, Lin Kunshan, and Reckless followed inside, while the others waited outside. The mad monk Guangding had returned to Huailing County to gather other pugilists.

Including Han Ruzi and Prince Donghai, there were six people in the room. Standing before the corpse, Chao Huas teeth chattered audibly. Han Ruzi said, Chief Clerk Chao died because of me. I must avenge him.

With Your Majestys words, I am content, Chao Huas voice trembled slightly.

After a moment of silence, Han Ruzi asked Jin Chunzhong, Were the assailants from the Chai manor?

Its likely, Jin Chunzhong didnt explicitly say Chai manor, but his speculation aligned with Han Ruzis. Whoever could abduct Marquis Guiyi was most likely sent by Marquis Hengyang.

The body of Chai Yun must have been discovered by now, and naturally, Marquis Hengyang would attribute the crime to the Marquis Guiyi rather than his children.

With many intertwined issues, each more difficult to resolve than the last, Han Ruzi pondered for a moment and said, The only one who can save Marquis Guiyi is Grand Tutor Cui.

Huh? Prince Donghai responded blankly, as if not understanding.

Get some paper and a pen, Han Ruzi instructed.

Chao Hua immediately brought over a wooden table, upon which lay writing implements and some crumpled sheets of paper. Han Ruzi said to Prince Donghai, You write.

Prince Donghai wanted to rush forward and slap Lin Kunshan hard. The promised coordination between the north and south of the Capital had vanished. Grand Tutor Cui couldnt execute the original plan. But all he could do was grunt in frustration.

Han Ruzi said, Please explain to the other pugilists. Those willing to stay and accompany me to the northern border are welcome. Those who are unwilling, I wont force them. They should beware of the courts pursuit in the future.

Haha, in the pugilist world, who isnt wanted for some reason or another? Theyre not afraid of the courts pursuit. Its just a pity that such a big plan had to be abandoned halfway. There will inevitably be sighs of regret.

Some matters are more urgent than others. Resisting the Xiongnu is more important than vying for the throne.

Lin Kunshan nodded with a serious expression. Ill contact my mentor as soon as possible and hear his thoughts.

I also hope to hear his guidance.

Lin Kunshan walked away.

These people might be able to temporarily stabilize the precarious situation at the Riverside Village, especially Lin Kunshan. As a fate seer, he had once persuaded many people to support the deposed emperor, and he might be able to persuade them to follow the deposed emperor to the northern border.

Reckless stayed by Han Ruzis side. With him around, Prince Donghai behaved himself.

There was something Han Ruzi had been wanting to ask, and now he finally had the chance. Was Kuang Caiyi truly a traitor working for the imperial court?

Reckless coldly stared at Han Ruzi. Do you need to know?

Han Ruzi nodded slowly. He couldnt yet bring himself to accept the sacrifice of innocent lives.

Reckless stared at Chancellor Cui for a moment. Kuang Caiyi ran a shop but secretly engaged in usury, relying on the influence of the pugilist world and the government. Many debtors were driven to ruin. This is no secret. If youre willing, you can send someone to inquire. Someone like him is very likely to be bought off by the imperial court.

So that was the reason why Reckless killed Kuang Caiyi.

Han Ruzi smiled. I believe you.

Reckless snorted. You harbor lofty ambitions yet possess womanly compassionI dont believe in you. When youre a hundred li away from the Capital, thats when I bid farewell.

Han Ruzis face reddened slightly. He hadnt managed to win over someone like Reckless, and that was indeed his failure. How should I thank

Reckless walked aside and sat at the table, seemingly more interested in the corpse on the door plank.

Prince Donghai shook his head. Womanly compassion, indeed, thats your biggest problem. It may gain you some support from servants and commoners, but youll lose the support of true warriors.

Reckless wasnt won over, and Prince Donghais failure was even more complete than Han Ruzis.

Youve lost the best opportunity, and it was the only one, Prince Donghai finally spoke directly to Han Ruzi. Will the Empress Dowager let you go? Whether you ask for permission to lead troops to the north or not, the outcome will be the same.

As long as news spreads that Im assembling a volunteer army for a northern campaign, the Empress Dowager wont openly kill me. Han Ruzi believed that the Empress Dowager wouldnt risk creating another issue by openly executing him, as she wanted to divert the Southern Armys attention to the northern campaign.

You cant even leave this remote village. What news could you possibly spread? Prince Donghai scoffed.

Han Ruzi was indeed troubled by this.

Jin Chunzong hurriedly ran in. Theres someone outside the camp claiming to be the Weary Marquiss martial arts instructor. He goes by Du Motian.

Han Ruzi was overjoyed. If it were Du Chuanyun or Zhang Youcai, they might have only come to protect him. But Du Motian could very well bring news from Yang Feng, which was exactly what Han Ruzi had been hoping for.

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CH 125