Chapter 191 Xie Yan's Cowardice

Chapter 191 Xie Yan's Cowardice

The wind on the city wall was fierce, and the black banner of Yunhan and the robes of the three men fluttered in the wind.

Xie Yan's usually stern face was tinged with the weariness of a journey.

A figure dressed in a black robe woven with silver patterns emerged from the twilight.

Not only did it not diminish his heroic spirit in the slightest, but it also made his kingly aura even more restrained, making him handsome, sharp, and dazzling.

“Your Highness Prince Jing, that’s wonderful! You’re still alive. Now this old minister has a pillar of support.”

Zhao Zhendong's face, etched with the wrinkles of time, showed both surprise and disbelief.

She held Xie Yan's arm tightly with both hands, as if afraid that this was a dream.

"General Zhao, you and everyone else have suffered these past few days." Xie Yan's voice was cold, yet it carried a hint of reassurance.

"Xue Yubai is a scoundrel. He took over your power, but he can't seize the throne."

"You still haven't paid this old minister's military pay! It's been three months! I had no choice but to send Feilong back to Luoyang, and now they've beaten him to death for the crime of 'collision'."

"Your Highness Prince Jing, you must do justice for this old minister! The Xue family has no regard for sentiments; they only care about power and profit."

"Luckily, he was incompetent and didn't get the throne, otherwise we old folks would have been used and discarded by the Xue family."

Zhao Zhendong denounced the evil deeds of the Xue family, as if he had finally found an outlet for all the grievances he had suffered during this period.

Xie Yan's hair fluttered behind him, his sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly: "He's too impatient, wanting to control all the forces under his own control."

"Nepotism and sidelining of old subordinates."

"I am wary of your loyalty to me, not to the Xue family."

Zhao Zhendong's old face hardened, and the dejection in his eyes disappeared. "This old minister is loyal to Prince Jing, not to the Xue family, which is illegitimate and has no legitimacy."

His suppressed iron-blooded sharpness burst forth, and the fierce aura he once possessed on the battlefield returned instantly. His spine straightened, and there was no longer a trace of despair.

The military commander, still harboring doubts, asked, "Your Highness, why did you fake your death? Why did you hand over all your power to that ungrateful Xue family?"

Xie Yan stood tall and straight, gazing at the banner in the vast sky, the cold wind making a constant rustling sound.

"The Xue family has been a great benefactor to me, and I am willing to do everything in my power to help the Xue family prosper."

"If Xie Hongrui becomes king, I will protect his kingdom and ensure its lasting prosperity. If Xue becomes a subject, I will uphold the law with him."

"But they knew Princess Jing's innocence, yet they repeatedly framed, sowed discord, and poisoned her in secret. They even colluded with Prince Ding, and in the end, they hardened their hearts and tried to poison me to take my life!"

"I have been grateful for this kindness from the bottom of my heart and have no intention of repaying it. Now I have ended up in this situation. The only way to repay this kindness is to die and settle this karmic debt."

"They don't know that the Twelfth Imperial Uncle has been lying low for so many years and has been colluding with many princes in his fiefdoms."

"They lined their own pockets, embezzled from the country, and undermined the foundation of the Han Dynasty. They turned the Han Dynasty into an empty skeleton."

"If I were to ascend the throne, I would also be restrained by Prince Ding."

"It would be better to die and rebuild an army, establish a new regime, and a new system."

Zhao Zhendong was overjoyed, "Your Highness has a brilliant plan. Let them fight it out, and we'll strike at their root in the end."

"It settles the score and eliminates the hidden danger at the same time—killing two birds with one stone!"

Xie Yan's dark eyes were like a deep abyss, concealing the sharpness of a king. "Things are not as simple as they seem. Although Luoyang City appears to be in a three-way standoff, in reality, the Prince of Ding's power is stronger."

"If that weren't the case, Xue Yubai wouldn't be in such a hurry to transfer all the power in his hands to the Xue family."

“The border of Yunhan is bordered by thirteen small countries, each with a border army guarded by someone like General Zhao. They are now eager to divide up the power and want to take the other into their own hands.”

"The thirteen neighboring small countries have always been eyeing this fertile land of Yunhan with covetous eyes, and they all want to take a bite out of it."

"If everyone hadn't tacitly kept the news under wraps, there would surely be widespread fighting and constant warfare by now."

"But this matter cannot be concealed in the end. Once the news is leaked, Yunhan will surely face internal and external troubles."

"What should we do?" Zhao Zhendong had been anxious, thinking that Fang Shuo would take the opportunity to attack. He never expected to be greeted by Princess Jing, which was something he couldn't understand at all.

They even brought back three thousand soldiers and armor from Fang Shuo.

"Let's rise up in rebellion, eliminate the henchmen of Prince Ding, and first stabilize the internal affairs," Xie Yan leisurely stated his plan.

Zhao Zhendong, recalling Princess Jing's words and the relationship between Prince Jing and Princess Jing, couldn't help but ask:

"Now that you and Princess Jing are of one mind, that's wonderful. This old minister was worried that letting Princess Jing's troops into Yunhan would be a crime of treason."

Xie Yan: "I am aware of this matter, and I have rushed here overnight to ask you to unconditionally assist Princess Jing."

"Is Your Highness aware that the Princess Consort of Jing is leading the young prince in a rebellion?" Zhao Zhendong asked. "Why don't you two work together as husband and wife? After all, she is a woman; how could she possibly lead an army?"

Xie Yan nodded, "My queen is not as spoiled as the rumors suggest; she has her own plans."

"General Zhao, with her by your side, you won't have to worry about money." Considering that Shen Nanzi has businesses in various countries, she is a sharp weapon in her hands.

As for why he couldn't be with her...

Actually, he was afraid to appear in front of her; all along, he was the one hurting her.

Thinking of what she said, she hated herself for not killing him with her own hands.

He would toss and turn at night whenever he thought of it.

Xie Yan lowered his dark eyes, a hint of melancholy hidden in his cold, handsome brows. "Only the two of you know that I am still alive. Do not mention it in front of the Princess."

Zhao Zhendong roughly knew that Princess Jing probably couldn't let go of the matter concerning Grand Commandant Shen.

"Your Highness can rest assured, this old minister will naturally do his utmost to assist Prince Chengze."

Zhao Zhendong hesitated slightly, "But the safety of my son and his family..."

Xie Yan: "I have already made proper arrangements for the safety of the General's Mansion. As for Feilong's matter, I will have Imperial Censor Zhang mediate and do his best to save him."

Zhao Zhendong immediately knelt down to express his gratitude, clasping his hands in a fist salute, "Your Highness, this old minister will do everything in his power to support the new ruler."

Xie Yan helped him up, "Get up quickly, it's getting dark, and the snow is about to fall. Distribute the winter clothes to the soldiers!"

After Xie Yan left, Zhao Zhendong had a powerful backer, and his former heroic spirit returned.

The winter clothes were finally distributed to the soldiers when it snowed.

"General, there are leather boots too! Leather boots!" the military commander exclaimed, holding a pair of boots made of sheepskin.

"It's furry inside, feel it, feel it, it's so soft and warm!"

"It reaches below the knee, and it's not only windproof but also waterproof. It's really a great product!"

Another soldier exclaimed, "And there are sheepskin hats too! Look at all that white wool!"

He quickly put it on his head, saying, "It covers my whole face, it's so warm!"

"There's even frostbite medicine!" The military commander discovered something new. "General Zhao, Princess Jing is so kind to us!"