Reborn as a Hatrack in the Mystical Land-Chapter 692 - 149: The Peril Facing the Northern Expedition Army
"This is impossible. According to the records in the history of the continent, a thousand years ago, the Summoning Clan was extinguished by divine punishment for revealing heavenly secrets. Fa Xiaoyi, as the Prince of Shangguo, has never been rumored to be a Summoner," Princess Long Xue had just recovered from the earlier assassination attempt.
She regained her usual hardline Empress demeanor, keenly judging the authenticity of the rumors.
As a vassal state of the Dragon War Empire, a few years ago, Fa Xiaoyi had represented Shangguo to pay tribute in the Wo Hua Imperial City.
Princess Long Xue had also met him on behalf of Long Teng the 72nd.
In her impression, Fa Xiaoyi was just a cold-faced Prince at that time, his dealings with people fairly smooth.
If one were to say he was a Summoner, Princess Long Xue would not believe it.
"People change. After the rebellion in Shangguo, Fa Xiaoyi disappeared for a year. What exactly happened to him during this year, nobody knows." The mercenaries from Five Saints Town had once gone to Shangguo on a mission and accidentally spied on Fa Xiaoyi’s dark army.
Though they all appeared human, those demons clad in armor exuded a gloomy aura from afar, an aura that certainly came from Dark Hell.
Despite not knowing how Fa Xiaoyi established a connection with the demons of Dark Hell, from the situation with the assassin just now, he was no longer the reckless Prince of Shangguo he used to be.
"The Northern Expedition is a matter of great significance. If not handled promptly, our esteemed reputation in Dragon War might be destroyed overnight. If Rui Song Federation and Shangguo join forces, the consequences would be unimaginable. Immediately take the elite Dragon Riders and rush to Shangguo, you must repel Fa Xiaoyi," Princess Long Xue thought for a moment before commanding Zhan Tian to go to Shangguo.
According to spy reports, Little Jinuo has been trapped in the Mist Forest for many days.
They had been out for more than a month and the supplies they brought had long been exhausted. If no timely rescue is undertaken, their capture is only a matter of time.
If even Little Jinuo were to be sacrificed, Princess Long Xue would likely suffer endless recriminations from the old officials.
"I cannot go to Shangguo," since Long Teng the 72nd fell ill, Princess Long Xue had temporarily taken over state affairs.
Zhan Tian had always treated Princess Long Xue as if she were the Emperor and never dared to defy her commands.
However, today, he flatly refused Princess Long Xue’s command: "Fa Xiaoyi is treacherous and cunning. On the one hand, he trapped Little Jinuo in Mist Canyon, and on the other hand, he sent his Sha Guards to infiltrate the Imperial City.
The assassination attempt has also shown that spies from Shangguo are operating in the Imperial City. Those Sha Guards appear and disappear unpredictably, and their methods are sinister and vicious. The palace’s Shadow Guards are simply not enough to withstand their assassinations. I must stay in the Imperial City to protect the safety of the Princess and the Emperor."
Zhan Tian was resolute, regardless of how Princess Long Xue threatened, he refused to budge.
Princess Long Xue was furious, Zhan Tian, this stubborn mule, his temper, not even ten Sub-Asian Dragons could pull him back.
Yet amidst Zhan Tian’s protection, she felt a wave of sweetness in her heart, "If you don’t go, then what about the chaos in Shangguo? Are we really going to watch Fa Xiaoyi march all the way into the Imperial City?"
Zhan Tian pondered for a moment: "I think Yue Minzhi can be sent to Shangguo. Although the Southern Expedition Army has been wiped out under Long Jiuzun’s command, Yue Minzhi’s Dragon Riders lost only one person, showing his cautious character. Yue Minzhi is a Double Dragon Knight, and his Five-Colored Jiao Dragon of the Dark Element is also formidable. Sending him and a group of Dragon Riders to Shangguo to form a Dragon Rider Formation couldn’t be more appropriate."
Having heard this, Princess Long Xue thought for a moment and had to agree.
Despite not publicly declaring it after the assassination incident, Zhan Tian, out of safety considerations, had still tightened the security around the Imperial City.
Those entering and exiting the Imperial City were required to provide proof of identity, and any slight suspicion led to them being escorted to the Imperial Capital Military Department’s dungeons for harsh questioning.
For a while, the people in the Imperial City were in a state of panic.
Two days later, after a tiring journey through several teleportation towns, a dozen people from the Southern Expedition Army finally returned to the Imperial City.
Having been away from the Imperial City for over a month, Yue Jinghua noticed something unusual as soon as she entered the city gate.
Her excellent senses sharply detected that every corner of the Imperial City, both inside and outside, had a large increase in hidden guards and spy posts. At the slightest rustling of wind or movement, those hidden guards would spring into action.
The city gate, which used to be guarded by only ten people, was now guarded by twenty. The gates were promptly closed every day after evening.
After returning to the Imperial City, Yue Minzhi immediately went to the Imperial City to perform his duties.
Long Rui returned to the National Guardian General Mansion to arrange matters related to Long Jiuzun’s funeral.
Ji Yun, Qing Zizhu, and others also returned to their respective mansions. After this expedition to the South, the spirits of these once arrogant and overbearing officials had completely changed.
Having survived life-threatening situations and the brutal encirclement of sea beasts, they had gradually shed their youthful naivety, taking on more the robust stature of passionate men of the Empire.
Before leaving, Cheng Ying came up close to Yue Jinghua meaningfully.
That look in her eyes was as if it could speak, its meaning clear: Little one, you can’t hide your secrets from me.
After parting with everyone, Yue Jinghua had Shalman return to the Duke Mansion to ensure safety while she herself immediately rushed to the headquarters of the Eagle Department in the Imperial City.
The situation in the Imperial City was not right. She had assumed that Little Jinuo and others, who had gone to the Northern Expedition to quell the rebellion, would have already returned. After all, since the Southern Expedition Army set off, they had encountered various setbacks, leading to significant delays compared to the Northern Expedition Army.
But upon inquiring, she found that the Northern Expedition Army had not yet returned.
Surely, something must have happened on the side of Shang Kingdom that delayed the steps of the Northern Expedition Army.
Yue Jinghua’s suspicions were quickly confirmed. Upon returning to the Eagle Department, she indeed received two secret military intelligence reports.
The first report was about the Northern Expedition. The spy report not only mentioned the significant defeat faced by the Northern Expedition Army in Shang Kingdom - an unprecedented loss, the Empress Dowager of Shang and the young Emperor were killed; Zhan BeiAo was slain by an unknown female general of Shang Kingdom. Little Jinuo and other Dragon Riders were deeply trapped in Mist Canyon for half a month, by now they were out of ammunition and provisions.
Was Fa Xiaoyi truly that formidable?
The news shocked Yue Jinghua as much as it would have shocked Princess Long Xue.
As for Zhan BeiAo’s death, she felt no displeasure; in fact, Fa Xiaoyi had indeed done her a favor.
Zhan BeiAo’s existence had always been an unpredictable factor.
But this led her to think of another issue.
Given such an urgent situation with the Northern Expedition, why were there no signs of reinforcement measures within the Imperial City?
With such doubts, Yue Jinghua looked at the second spy report, yet a knowing smile emerged on her lips.
Fa Xiaoyi indeed was a ruthless character; now, the Royal Family of the Dragon War Empire was truly under siege.
