Marquis Dongxiang raised his hand and knocked Duke Chong unconscious, then mounted his horse.

Su Chong followed closely behind.

Prince NanAn and his group, with nothing else to do, tagged along as well.

There were still quite a few of Duke Chong’s men in the city, and seeing Marquis Dongxiang trying to send Duke Chong out of the city, they stepped forward.

They wanted to leave together with Duke Chong.

Mm.

This was what Marquis Dongxiang wanted to see.

At the city gate, Marquis Dongxiang saw a dozen men, and he said indifferently, "Leave one to escort Duke Chong out of the city."

"Kill the others."

Su Chong drew the soft sword from his waist and directly charged at them.

Prince NanAn and Chu Shun helped out.

It was too late for those dozen men to escape.

Marquis Dongxiang considered that since the Eldest Prince couldn’t kill Duke Chong, he didn’t say he couldn’t eliminate Duke Chong’s henchmen.

Without these henchmen’s assistance, the Eldest Prince wouldn’t have been captured.

In just a quarter hour, Duke Chong’s men were reduced to only one.

The remaining one was barely alive, and apart from escorting people, he would never again assist evil.

The man led the horse away.

Uncle Li looked at Marquis Dongxiang, "Are you really going to let Duke Chong go?"

"Prince NanAn and his group have poisoned Duke Chong," said Marquis Dongxiang.

"Duke Chong is of no concern."

His words drift away with the wind.

After finishing, Marquis Dongxiang rode away.

Prince NanAn and his companions exchanged looks.

When did they ever poison Duke Chong?

Though it was something they wanted to do, they didn’t have the resources for the poison.

Prince NanAn looked at Su Chong, "Why did your father say that?"

Su Chong considered and replied, "I can never guess what my father is planning."

"Either he said it to appease Uncle Li and the Flying Tiger Army, or he’s saying it for Duke Chong’s men to hear."

Heir of Marquis Beining wondered, "Isn’t that letting Duke Chong use Eldest Prince’s life to force your father to detoxify him?"

Without actually being poisoned, it will eventually be exposed.

Su Chong shook his head.

Ask him.

Who is he supposed to ask?

But his father definitely has a purpose for speaking this way.

Prince NanAn and his group went up the city wall, seeing the man leading the horse step by step ahead.

The army remained in ambush on the critical path, watching the man lead Duke Chong past, with their bows and arrows ready to shoot.

But they all knew that if it weren’t for Marquis Dongxiang letting Duke Chong go, he would never have a chance to leave alive.

Duke Chong’s men were waiting five miles away.

Seeing Duke Chong covered in wounds but still breathing, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"I never thought they would really release the Duke," said Li Zhong.

The man shook his head, "They have poisoned the Duke."

Li Zhong’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

After bandaging Duke Chong’s wounds, he finally awoke.

Knowing he’d been poisoned, Duke Chong wasn’t surprised.

With the Eldest Prince still in their hands, how could Marquis Dongxiang let him leave so easily without doing anything?

"Duke, let’s go back and have them detoxify you," said Li Zhong.

Duke Chong said nothing.

Being poisoned was their hope for him to return with the Eldest Prince for an exchange.

Without the Eldest Prince in hand, can he still leave Daqi alive?

"As long as the Eldest Prince is in my hands, the poison won’t be fatal," Duke Chong stated.

A Hidden Guard said, "If they can poison, we can find someone to detoxify!"

"It’s not that easy; few in Daqi understand the Gu poison, let alone the detoxification," Li Zhong worried.

...

Hooves clattering.

Pursuers come.

...

Marquis Dongxiang returned from the city gate to the government office.

Only an hour passed.

The sent pursuers returned.

Duke Chong’s men refused to allow them to trail behind, or they’d break one of Eldest Prince’s fingers.

Estimating the Eldest Prince’s safety, they had no choice but to give up.

A General glared at Marquis Dongxiang, "Marquis, what should we do now?"

Marquis Dongxiang sat at the table, looking at the map spread before him.

He raised his head and said, "Prince Qi is dead, the rebel army is scattered, the main army should return to the Capital."

General, "..."

"And the Eldest Prince?" the General asked anxiously.

"Duke Chong is poisoned; until the detoxification, he doesn’t dare harm the Eldest Prince," said Marquis Dongxiang.

He rose from his chair and said, "Only the Heir’s wife of Marquis Jing Country can detoxify in Daqi, and she is at the border."

"Duke Chong will definitely seek her detoxification and then leave Daqi."

Once out of Daqi, it’s either Nanliang or Beimo.

Daqi’s pursuers can’t chase in Nanliang or Beimo; it will be much harder to capture Duke Chong then.

"You take the army back to the Capital first, I’ll lead a team to the border and block him."

After the arrangements, Marquis Dongxiang set off with Su Chong and Uncle Li.

Since the poison was administered by Prince NanAn and his group, they went along too.

The group going to the border wasn’t large, totaling around thirty.

Along the way, they pushed their horses hard, afraid of trouble arising at the border.

But after two days of travel, Prince NanAn and his group began to feel something was off.

The route was heading toward the border, but it wasn’t the closest path.

Marquis Dongxiang, anxious to hurry, shouldn’t be taking detours.

Three days later, Prince NanAn and his group reflected again.

They were still too inexperienced.

Marquis Dongxiang never planned to wait until the border to deal with Duke Chong.

That day, the sky was blue, the clouds were white, and the sun was shining brightly.

On the river, the boat moved swiftly, the autumn-tinted mountains reflected in the water, shattered by the boat’s passage.

On the boat were Duke Chong’s entourage, along with the tightly bound Eldest Prince.

Duke Chong had suffered many lashes and couldn’t withstand the jolts of horseback travel; besides, the destination was more conveniently reached by boat.

After he changed his medicine, Duke Chong emerged from the cabin, wearing half a mask, revealing a half-disguised face.

Li Zhong approached and said, "Duke, the wind is strong outside, please return to the cabin to recuperate."

"Marquis Dongxiang is heading to the border; this journey will be very safe."

Duke Chong was aware Marquis Dongxiang went to the border to intercept him.

But since he awoke in the morning, his mind had been uneasy, his eyelids twitching.

Only by standing on the deck, gazing at the boundless water, could he find calm.

"It’s alright," said Duke Chong.

He walked to the bow, looking far into the distance.

With the boat’s speed, the wind tugged at his robe, making his already pale face even whiter.

Suddenly!

A splash echoed.

Before the people on the boat could react, arrows were shot towards the boat.

Li Zhong reacted swiftly, drawing the soft sword from his waist, shielding Duke Chong from the arrows.

But the others on the deck weren’t as fortunate.

The unexpected ambush caught them off guard, and as they reacted, they were already hit.

Hidden Guards fell into the water one after another, dyeing a patch of the surface red.

The Flying Tiger Army, long-hidden in the water, emerged, leaping onto the deck.

When Prince NanAn and his group got onto the deck, they still had reeds for breathing clamped in their mouths.

Soaked in the water for half an hour, they were pruned.

Running so slowly even when escaping, had made them wait.

Su Chong and Prince NanAn’s group entered the cabin to rescue the Eldest Prince.

The others fought the assassins and Duke Chong.

Mid-fight, one of Duke Chong’s men approached with a blade at the Eldest Prince’s neck.

They used the Eldest Prince to force Su Chong back.

Su Chong and his group indeed stopped.

But unfortunately—

Duke Chong’s martial arts were no match for Marquis Dongxiang.

Especially an injured Duke Chong couldn’t possibly be Marquis Dongxiang’s opponent.

Marquis Dongxiang’s blade was at Duke Chong’s neck.

"Let go of the Duke!" an assassin coldly demanded.